#I hadn't even finished one work from the previous challenge...

[die-auster]

Invited to the Last Line Challenge by @chiptrillino. Thank you! I've just wanted to share a WIP :)

Ta-da!

The color will be changed

Tagging @erisenyo @kataangoogie @orangepanic @bunnybb89, @dranktwocoffees @tadpole-art @guineapigeddie – and everyone else who wants to

[goblinpuppy35]

The Punk and the Wolf

(Previous chapter, Part 7, Next chapter)

Remus Lupin x Male Reader

Summary: Set during OFTP, Y/N is Mad Eye Moody's assistant and while staying at Grimmauld place, him and Remus develop a connection.

Warning: 18+ ONLY - Long chapter but with smut at the end (finally!)

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

With all the students back from Hogwarts for the winter break Grimmauld place felt full to the brim. It was often hard to find a room or even a moment to yourself. All the distress of what was happening at Hogwarts as well as Arthur's brutal attack, everyone was on edge but by collectively being together all this tension bloomed into a giddy sense of excitement for the festivities to come. No one wanted to spoil the few moments of peace they had.

It had taken Remus several days to fully recover from his recent transformation, he remained in his bed for two days straight with Molly and Sirius bringing him his meals, though he couldn't eat much. On the third day Remus was slowly moving around his room when he heard a knocked on his closed door. Gingerly he opened the door and leaned out into the hallway. It was empty. It wasn't until the tall man eventually looked down that he saw a mug of tea sitting perfectly in the centre of the hallway carpet, placed in the middle of the decorative flower pattern. Steam gently flouting up into the air. Resting against the mug was the battered copy of The Odyssey. Y/N. Remus fondly rubbed his thumb over the books spine as he picked it and the mug of hot tea up. Upon opening the book he found a new note has been scrawled out on his bookmark.

"Get well soon so we can finish this book together :) - Y/N" 

Being the evening Remus knew that Y/N would not be back until early next morning. Resting his fragile frame back onto the bed Remus placed the book to his chest. Closing his eyes he thought back to waking up on top of Y/N after his transformation, once the initial panic had subsided feeling Y/N that close to him felt incredible. Remus started to imagine how it would feel if I'm this moment Y/N was the one on top of him, resting his handsome head of Y/H/C locks against the crook of his neck. Remus felt so comforted by this thought he pushed through his pains and fell asleep. 

Remus was woken up abruptly the next morning by cheers and laughter, he turned and looked at his clock. 11:45am, 25th December. Everyone must be starting to celebrate, he thought promptly getting up and dressed. The source of the loud cries of excitement was coming from the living room, peering through the doorway Remus could see the younger students exchanging and opening presents while Fred and George were casting little clouds of snow above them, gliding around the chandelier. Mad Eye Moody and Y/N were nowhere not present. Remus desperately hoped they hadn't already left for a mission. It was lovely seeing the teens all being allowed be just be teenagers for the time being and forget the foreboding challenges which were to come. A conversation further down the hallway caught Remus' attention and he turned to see Molly and Sirius.

"I've been kicked out of my own kitchen" Molly said raising her hands up on a huff. "Technically it's my kitchen" Sirius jested, "oh, like you spend any time in it anyway!". Approaching the others Remus tilted his head to the side in confusion. "Y/N has taken over all the cooking. Told me I've been working too much anyway and I should rest", this was true, with Arthur to take care of on top of everything else Molly was running herself thin. Placing a reassuring hand onto her shoulder Remus began to slowly open the kitchen door. Rock music bleeded out into the hallway and grew louder as Remus entered the kitchen and closed the door behind him.

"Molly I told you! If you come back and try and help I'm burning the turkey on purpose!" Y/N's back was to Remus as he was stirring a pan full of onions and garlic, the smell flouted towards the werewolves sensitive nose. Smelled fantastic. Y/N was tapping his boots in time to the music and swaying his hips, the charms which were tied into his belt loops jingled as he moved. This charming sight caused  Remus' lips to curl upwards as he observed the small energetic punks dancing. Out of the corner of Y/N's eye he noticed a presence looming over him and swiftly turned around, his hair and dangerly earrings swinging around. "Oh, it's you!" Y/N matches Remus' grin once he realised it was him.

"It's good to see you up again" despite being happy to see Remus, Y/N avoided eye contact, there was a level of bashful awkwardness between the two men. "I hope Molly isn't too upset I took over" Y/N carrier on with a nervous chuckle "everyone's been doing so much for The Order I just felt like it was only far to give them a day off, everyone's so exhausted. And what about you? when was the last time you ate?" he asked looking into Remus' eyes kindly. "When was the last time you ate?" Remus retorted back, he was constantly amazed by Y/N's compassion, "I bet you came back with Moody and began helping in here straight away". Y/N smirked and looked to the floor, this meant a yes in Remus' mind.

At this point the oven timer started to ping and Y/N turned around to pull a tray out. "Believe it or not I'm actually a really good cook, it's just ..." Y/N hovered, tray in hand trying to find a clear kitchen surface to place it on. Every counter top of littered with mixing bowls, baking trays and half cut vegetables. "It's just I'm quiet a messy cook" and saying so Y/N placed the hot tray on top of another on the hob. Remus couldn't help but laugh at this spectical, "Well if your insisting on cooking, can I at least help you clean up as you go?". Y/N looked up from a mixing bowl he had started stirring, somehow he'd already managed to get cake mixture over his cheek "that would be perfect Remus". Hearing this made Remus feel warm inside and he got to work taking the dirty kitchen equipment to the sink and rolling up his cardigan sleeves.

In no time the kitchen was in a much more respectable state and gorgeous smells of roasted vegetables and rich gravy was filling the whole house. Once Remus had finished all the washing up Y/N brought him over and showed him how to make the stuffing and crimp the pastry of the pies, holding the taller man's upper arms in his hands to guide him. Once the table was set and everyone was invited in the room filled with excited gasps. Despite being a large room all the seats were packed closely next to one another. Y/N and Remus shared one end of the table together, their knees brushing up against one another every now and then.

"Everything tastes so wonderful. Thank you for cooking all of this Mrs Weasely" Hermione said. "Well actually I believe it was Remus and Y/N who cooked everything together" Sirius smuggly pointed out with empathise on the word 'together'. This resulted in Remus coughing up his wine he'd been drinking and Y/N stopped mid way through placing his fork full of roast potoes into his mouth and he stares mouth gaping at everyone staring in their direction. "So why don't we rise a toast to them" Sirius encouraged lifting up his own glass. "To Remus and Y/N" everyone cheered and the Weasely twins started to skincker and wiggle their eyebrows in Y/N's direction. With expert aim Y/N flicked his fork and shot his forkfull of potoes just shy of George's left ear. Through his poliet smile Remus stared daggers down the table at Sirius who just beamed back. Christ pads is loving this.

After the meal Remus and Sirius stepped outside for a smoke and to reminisce pasted holidays they had spent with Lily and James. They both raised a cigarette each to their dear friends, wishing they could be here. Everything was quiet in the dinning room once Remus had returned, he could hear chatter coming from the living room so he made his way into the hallway. Though he spotted promptly under the stairs as he heard voices above him. Almost instantly he picked up Y/N voice and soon after George and Fred's voices were clear to him, all three were talking in a hushed tone. "I hope you know I didn't tell either of you not because I didn't trust you, I was just worried you'd have thought I bestrayed The Order. I just didn't want to let anyone else down". "Y/N don't talk a load of rubbish" Fred said "Your our mate and we know you've always got our back as much as we've got yours". "Exactly" George followed with "We understand it must have been hard to tell us so thank you mate, really". Remus stayed very quiet just under them and smiled to himself, Y/N must be telling them about his mark, he was so proud of Y/N. "Speaking of keeping secrets, when are you going to make a move on Professor Lupin?" Fred asked slyly. "Oh shut up" Y/N said flusteredly which made the twins laugh, "so you haven't made a move yet" George teased. Remus learned in closer awaiting Y/N's response. "It's not that simple guys" Y/N finally said "he's amazing, truly incredible. I've never met a man quiet like him. I just .. I don't know if he feels the exact same way". Remus had to fight against his legs to not stride out Infront of the three boys and tell Y/N how much he wanted to hold him close and kiss him. He felt so foolish for not being more clear with his feelings.

At this very moment the living room door which joined into the hallway opened brisky and Moody and Sirius were standing in it. From their perspective they could clearly see Remus hunched just under the other three on the staircase and Remus had a panic look of being caught in the act. "Remus, are you alright?" Sirius asked confused, this caused the banister above the tall man to creak and peering up Remus saw Fred, George and of course Y/N leaning over and realising he had been there the whole time. Like the other Y/N's face was painted with confusion and then pure embarrassment. "Y/N we have to go" Moody said bluntly, ignoring the situation and walking towards the front door, with out question Y/N followed him. Just before Y/N exited the front door he turned back and looked at Remus, clearly wanting to talk but in the end offered a weak smile before disappearing into the night.

Sirius had needed Remus for a task himself. There were a couple of known werewolves in the outskirts of London who had not been hunted down by the dark lord. Sirius asked Remus to meet with them and try and swade them to join The Order, despite his downfall in social skills their clear nocturnal connection made Remus the best person for the task which he agreed to. Finally he got to experience what Y/N and Moody has been doing almost every night, leaving everyone to go off into the night and work while the rest of the city slept. Remus didn't return back to Grimmauld place until two in the morning, it was a productive night but Remus was exhausted, all he wanted right now was his bed.

Remus was taken aback when once he entered though the front door he was meet with a number of concerned faces. Even Fred and George were still up, along with Sirius, Moody, Molly and Arthur all now looking at Remus with a mixture of pain and worry. "What's going on?" Remus inquiried. No one said anything for a moment which put Remus on edge as he stiffened in the doorway. "Everything is fine now, its just" Sirius began slowly "it's just while Moody and Y/N were out on their patrol". At this moment Moody interrupted " We were out on the north side of the city when that bastard of a step brother of the wee lads ambushed us with a bunch of bleeding dementors" it was at this point that Remus noticed that Moody had a few bandages around his hand and across his cheek. "We're fine now its just .. Y/N's broom got hit and he fell" before Moody could finish Remus ran towards the living room door and swung it open.

A fire was lit in the dark room, dancing across the walls and illuminated the sofa were Remus' eye fell upon. Curled up on one side of the sofa was Y/N, motionless and eyes closed, even from this far away Remus could see the nemorous amount of cuts and bruises across Y/Ns body. One large cut over his forehead and cutting into his eyebrow, noticeably causing pain even with his eyes closed. Remus breathing quickened and he could feel the prick of tears building up in his eyes.

'Its rude to stare moones" came a soft voice from the sofa, still with his eyes closed Y/N shifted and groans in pain. Leaving the doorway and the others behind him Remus came towards Y/N lowering himself down onto his knee. Y/N's right eye was dark and bruised and only half opent looking up at Remus "it looks worse then it is" he said through a chuckle which then turned into a low groan of pain "honestly you should have seen what the oth-" but before Y/N could finish his qwip Remus cupped the man's cheeks into his big hands and pulled him to his lips. Y/N's eyebrows raised in shock but he did not resist and instead sunk into the deep kiss with him. Finally they parted lips "I care about you so much Y/N" Remus said breathlessly, keeping his hands on Y/Ns cheeks rubbing his thumb up and down his soft skin. Y/N simple smiled back at Remus lovingly. Soft chuckles as approval could be heard from the hallway along with a union cry of "Finally!" coming from Fred and George.

Eventually the others went to bed, giving the two men some space. Remus stayed by Y/N's side craddeling his head in one hand and gently brushing his hair with his fingers. Talking quietly and intimatly between one another by the fire for sometime both still beaming from the kiss they had spared. After an hour they fell into a silence, looking down they could see their fingers tips were rubbing against one anothers, almost interlocking but not quiet. Remus needed Y/N to be as close to him as possible.

"May I take you up to my room?" Remus finally whispered, their fingers were fully entangled in one another's now "I feel like you deserve a proper bed tonight" Remus' gaze met Y/N's, the reflection of the fire dancing in both their eyes. They both knew what he was asking and in this look between them they both knew they wanted the same thing. Staying fixed in Remus' stare Y/N simply nodded. Their faces were almost touching, Remus' thick moustache brushing against Y/N own stubbled jaw.

Draping Y/N's arm over his hunched shoulders Remus was able to lift him up from the sofa with ease and aid him out of the room and up the stairs. With their height difference Y/Ns feet barely touched the ground and instead he settled to resting on top of Remus' own shoes. Y/N suddenly felt so small in Remus' arms and this made him blush, Y/N was steading himself by wrapping one of his arms around Remus' waist and his fingers pressed into his chest, Y/N could feel the older man's breathing in and out.

They made it to Remus' room, entering the dark room Remus carefully helped Y/N sit down on the bed before walking to the other side and switching on the bedside lamp. A dim orange glow spreads around the bed, keeping them out of shadow and creating a rose tint effect. Remus sat across from Y/N and then briskly moved closer until he was pressed up against Y/N but then he stopped. He had wanted to do this for so long, Remus was scared of making a mistake or rushing, he wanted Y/N to be fully comfortable. However before Remus could make any more calculated thoughts Y/N pulled him into a long deep kiss, causing both their chests to rise up and press against each other. A fluttering feeling builds up on both their stomachs, they feel perfect together. Remus' hands held on tightly to Y/N's shoulders as their mouths opened and their tounges met. Dancing over one another elegantly at first and then more quickened and passionate. When they separated to catch their breath Y/N let out a weak moan and Remus bit down on his own lip hard.

"Y/N" Remus panted trying to keep his composure "I know both our lives have barriers which make us not want to get close to people but when I look at you ... there is no one id rather have by my side and I'd be honoured if I could be by yours as well.. if you want that of course". Taking a moment Y/N looked down at his marked arm, it was so hard for him to let people in, and yet when he looked up into Remus' worn and caring face all those worries slipped away. "Yes" Y/N said with a smile which was met with Remus' own lips again as the taller man pushed his weight over Y/N causing him to fall back onto the bed.

Locking their hands together Remus gently lifted Y/N's arms above his head and Y/N lifted up his boots and wrapped them around Remus' waist. Their groins pushed against each other and both men could feel how hard the other one was getting. Y/N removed Remus' cardigan and swiftly pulled off his own shirt showing off his fluffy chest. Remus was fixated and kissed down Y/N's upper torso and followed his happy trail across his stomach and to his hips, the closer he got to Y/N's waist band the more Y/N moaned. Remus' long fingers unbuckled Y/N's belt and with some shuffling managed to pull his trouser down to his knees. Y/N began to reach out for his boot laces to undo then "No don't" interjected Remus "Keep them on... I like them". Y/N smirked and looked down at his own boxers which hugged his hips and clearly showed off how erect he was for the man above him. Moving his hands away from his laces Y/N reached out for Remus' shirt and began to unbutton it but stopped after one and looked up, waiting for a signal from Remus. Nervously Remus nodded and closed his eyes and Y/N carrier on undoing his shirt. He felt the slight coolness of the air as his shirt fell from him and then he felt Y/N's lips, kissing from his stomach all the way to the crook of his neck and then to his ear, "You are beautiful Remus, every single part of you". These sweet whispered words made him shiver and softly moan out Y/N's name. Next Remus felt a hand press firmly over his trouser and started to massage his concealed cock, resulting in a low primal growl to escape his lips. "I want you" Y/N carried on inti Remus' ear, enjoying the effect it was having on him "I need you inside me".

Y/N's boxers were roughly pulled down to meet his trousers around his carves. Following this movement Remus placed himself between Y/N's boots, lifting them over his shoulders, breathing over Y/N cock to tease him and make him twitch before leaning down and starting to rim Y/N's hole. The younger man arched his back and pushed his head into the pillow, moaning at the hot wet feelings of pleasure he felt. One of Remus' hand snaked up and grasped Y/N now throbbing cock and jerk it lazily which summoned more whimpers from Y/N. Remus adored the noises he could get out of the man in front of him and his mind started to race imagine how Y/N would sound when he made him cum. The stiffness in his own trousers was borderline painful so Remus pulled away from Y/N and quickly removed his trouser and boxers, his own erect cock almost touching his stomach. Looking down he saw Y/Ns eye grow at the sight of it and then looking up again "Moones your going to make me scream". "Good." Remus replied in a gruff tone, holing onto his cock and starting to position himself against Y/N hole. Their eyes were locked as Remus slowly entered Y/N who whined and yelped out, "it's okay" Remus reassured bring his fingers up to Y/N's cheek to sooth him but turning his head Y/N took Remus fingers in his mouth, sucking and licking them as he moaned "keep going". Soon Remus was fully inside Y/N and he knocked his head back from how tight Y/Ns arse felt against his cock and then his hips began to rock, building up a rhythm as he began to fuck Y/N. 

Looking up at Remus with big dilated eyes, trying his best to stay focused and not lose complete control Y/N gripped his own cocked and continued to jerk himself off as Remus pounded his ass. Each trust brought both men to their climax significantly faster than they were expecting. "Remus .. Remus .. I ..I'm gonna" Y/N spluttered trying to control his body's build up. "Hold on pup" Remus growled but this simply pushed Y/N over the edge and with a strong cry he came over his own hand and Remus' stomach. Upon feeling this against his skin it didn't take Remus long himself, with a few more rigorous thrusts and slamming his mouth into Y/Ns he felt his tip harden beyond belief inside Y/N and biting on the younger man's lip Remus came hard, making them both cry out. Remus stayed inside Y/N slowly thrusting until they stopped twitching with pleasure. After he pulled out resting in his side he wrapped Y/N up in his long arms and brought him in close to his chest. The room was filled with their sound of them panting and then laughing. "Might have taken you ages to make the first move but boy do you know what your doing afterwards" Y/N said nibbling on Remus' ear lobe. "There's lots more where that came from if you've got the stamina" Remus teased and they stayed in each others arms until they drifted off to sleep.

[sleepyfan-blog]

Jam two

Author’s Note: This is the next part in Cedric’s adventures in the husbandry AU! Thank you to @kit-williams for allowing me to borrow Arnault, Roland, Bakerin and Angela, thank you to @c-u-c-koo-4-40k for allowing me to borrow Pyrus and @gallifreyianrosearkytiorsusan for allowing me to borrow Hura. First. Previous. Next

Tagged: @egrets-not-regrets @kit-williams @bleedingichorhearts @i-am-a-dragon34

@the-pure-angel @gallifreyianrosearkytiorsusan

Warnings: none, please ask me to tag you if something bothers you

Summary: Cedric drops off the thank-you jam with Angela and Arnault. He then swings by the bakery run by Roland's bonded for some pastries and bread before returning to base.

“Thank you for the homemade jam, Cedric… But I can't eat this much jam on my own before they go bad. And you've worked so hard on making them, keep a couple for yourself.” Miss Angela instructed Cedric as she gently pressed five of the jars back into his hands.

Brother Arnault, who had picked up and opened one of the jars as she had spoken, stuck a spoon inside of the jar, scooping up a mouthful. His eyes lit up and he said “Don't worry, my Angel, it won't be a chore to finish off these jars. This is delicious! Here, have a bite.” He offered her another spoonful of jam.

Angela sighed “Arbaukt, you're not supposed to eat jam by the spoonful! It's meant to be spread on bread or toast, or as a filling for pastries.”

“Ja, ja, jam. I am eating it incorrectly. But try it! So good.” Arnault playfully answered back, smearing the jam on a piece of bread and presenting it to her with a small grin.

Angela hummed and took the piece of bread, swiftly eating it “Oh! This is really good. Where did you get the blackberries? I know they're in season right now.”

“I went foraging for them in the forest nearby. I made sure to leave plenty for others.” Cedric answered, a small smile on his face, delighted that they both liked his gift. “Are you sure you don't want all of the jam?”

“It's very delicious, but as I said before, we wouldn't be able to eat through all of the jars of jam before some of them went bad. Which would be a shame, since you made such tasty preserves.” Angela explained, gently reaching up and patting one of his shoulders. “That was not a challenge by the way, Arnault. I can see you eating the jam from the jar.”

Arnault gives his bonded a small, devious grin as he deliberately brings the spoon of jam to his mouth and eats it, ice blue eyes shining with mischief "We have five jars of this delicious jam, and I could eat an entire jar of jam all by myself with no trouble. It must have taken Cedric hours to make this much jam, not counting however long it took him to gather the berries in the first place. I am merely enjoying the jam in it's purest state as a compliment to mein little brother who worked so hard to make this for us, liebling."

Angela sighed, though she was also smiling "You make excellent points. And I haven't had home-made jam like this in a long time. Was there anything else that you needed or wanted, Cedric?"

The young apothecary shook his head "No, I just wanted to drop off my thank you gift... Are you sure you don't want all ten jars of jam?"

"Yes, truly. While I suppose Arnault could eat most of them, and he probably will anyways, you should also enjoy the fruits of your labor, Cedric. Have you saved yourself a jar?" Angela explained with another small smile.

"... No, I hadn't saved any for myself. I went out to collect the berries and went through all of this specifically to make food gifts for others." Cedric answered, shuffling his feet a little. His mentor had taught him a number of food preparation techniques as well as how to hunt and forage in a number of different environments and worlds. While Astartes required several times the number of calories baseline humans did and normal human food did little to sustain them, even what little that did provide nourishment could be the difference between life and death. Also, preserved and shelf-stable goods like this were always a hit on worlds where bartering was the norm - and even one jar of jam could provide a tremendous boost in morale on an otherwise shit mission when shared between brothers, or shared with mortal troops. Sweet things like this weren't necessarily good for the body, but did nourish the soul.

"Keep one of the jars for yourself, and I'm sure that you can get good trades for the rest of those. This is excellent." Arnault advised Cedric, reaching out and ruffling the larger Black Templar's short silvery blond hair. 

"Yes sir." Cedric answered with a nod, heading off.

~

Cedric swung by the bakery that Brother Roland's bonded ran, waiting in the line that often formed as soon as she opened the doors. The smell of freshly baked bread made his stomach rumble in appreciation as his mouth watered. While he wasn't as... Focused on bread as his older brother, he definitely appreciated how tasty and varied bread could be in the third century. It far outshone most of the bland and tasteless starch rations that he'd had being trained by the Mechanicus and during his time with his fellow Black Templars in the 41st millennium. 

He was content to wait for as long as needed, holding onto the basket with the five jars of jam in one hand as he looked at the many delicious baked goods on offer. Cedric had been given some of the local currency to spend and planned on getting some of the very delicious sourdough bread... But there were so many other delicious things to try as well! It all looked so good, and the young space marine was having difficulties deciding what he wanted to eat. 

There was a large group of teenagers in front of them, their voices overlapping with one another as they rapidly spoke in one of the native languages, looking at the selection of goods for sale with clear glee and joy. The blue hair of one of them caught Cedric's attention, and it took him a moment to realize why.

Plucking up his courage, he cleared his throat, moving a little closer to the group, hopefully without seeming as if he was trying to loom over them "Excuse me... Is your name Crystal?" 

The teenagers turned to look up at him, as well as one middle-aged baseline human. The baseline human puffed up a little, their eyes narrowing as they looked him up and down, stepping in front of Crystal as they spoke "And just who is asking, space marine?"

Cedric hadn't expected to be met with this much open hostility and flustered "I... I was just... Asking. One of your charges seemed familiar to me, as we met briefly. They seemed worried the last time we met, and I wanted to reassure them that I am fine and doing well."

The middle-aged baseline human's eyes narrowed a little further "And just why would they be concerned that you could potentially be in trouble? Don't most of you go stomping around in packs? Then again... It's rare to see one of you lot running around without any armor, either."

Crystal elbowed the adult baseline out of the way, beaming up at him "Hi Cedric! It's good to see you again. Thanks for getting me out of that tight spot a month or so ago. Ignore Mrs. Spencer, she's always like this. You look good! What's in the basket?"

"Don't mention it. We all get into tight spots from time to time. I'm just glad I was able to help you before things could get out of hand. And I'll show you what's in the basket!" Cedric responded with a bright smile, pulling out one of the jars of jam "I spent most of today picking, cooking and canning these. I've brought a couple for Bruder Roland and his bonded as a thank you gift."

"That's really thoughtful of you, Cedric? Is it for anything in particular, or just something you felt like doing?" Crystal asked curiously.

"Brother Roland has been very kind to me, and welcoming as I've been adjusting to life here on Terra." Cedric explains, a small smile appearing on his face as he thought back on fond memories with one of the kindest and most patient firstborn Black Templars he'd ever been blessed to meet. "His bonded has been equally kind to me as well."

"I'm glad to hear that, you can talk to him if you're having any issues with anyone on that base you live on?" Crystal asked, peering up at him, concern in her voice.

"Of course." Cedric answered, making sure to keep the smile on his face. He suspects that miss Crystal is referring to his panicked reaction to a certain first-born brother, but considering that particular Older Brother has left the city, quite possibly the immediate area within a couple of days of visiting the base, it's not like he needs to trouble Roland or Arnault about Petras just yet... Hopefully Petras won't come around again while he and his fellow primaris brothers are on base and everything will be fine. 

Just then, Roland walked up to them from behind the back counter. "Hallo Cedric. Misty said that there's an Astartes in the shop, and went to go get me. Are you here for a particular reason, or for brot?"

"I came here for both brot and to give you and your bonded this." Cedric answered, handing him two of the jars of blackberry jam. "I've made this myself. The date it was canned and it's contents are written on the label right here."

"Danke, we will enjoy this. If you're willing to wait for another ten minutes, there will be sourdough rolls freshly baked from the oven." Roland offered, smiling a little at his younger brother.

"That sounds wonderful! Thank you very much. I was also thinking about getting the... Erm.. Hazelnut-chocolate filled croissant? That sounds tasty. And one of those savory pies. I'd like six of the sourdough rolls once they're ready, please. I've got the money for all of it, give me a moment." He answered, shifting the basket so that it was in the crook of one of his arms as he patted his pockets, pulling out the roll of currency he had been given, counting out the tiny paper bills out. "I think this is correct?"

Roland took the bills, reading the numbers "Ja, you are correct. I'll get the other things packed up and ready for you to go." He walks back around the counter and calls out, his voice warm with love "Lieeebliing~! Cedric is here and he wants five of the sourdough rolls once they're out of the oven! He also came with a present for us both."

Miss Bakerin comes out from the kitchen and beams as she spots Cedric. She walks over to where he's standing and gives him an affectionate pat on the shoulder "Thank you, Cedric. I'm sure we'll very much enjoy the blackberry jam. It's good to see you again."

Cedric ducks his head a little, smiling "Thank you, miss. I hope you both enjoy the jam." He tilts his head a little and says after a moment "I hear a timer going off?"

Roland is already in motion, with his bonded following after. Roland explaining as they both head back to the cooking area "That would probably be the macarons, which are these very small, but delightfully snappy and light sandwich cookies. They are very fiddly to make properly."

"Ah. Good luck with the macarons!" Cedric answered with a small smile, content to wait until his requested rolls were ready.

The middle-aged human spoke up again "How were you able to hear the alarm? I can't hear it." 

"Hmm? Oh, I have very sensitive hearing." Cedric answered honestly. 

They hesitated for another moment or two, before one of the other teenagers they were accompanying called for their attention, as the group had made it to the front of the line. 

~

Cedric made his way back to the base after getting the pastries and bread he had ordered, nibbling on the croissant he had purchased, enjoying the buttery taste of the pastry as well as the sweet and nutty taste of the filling. He still had three jars of gift-jam left, though technically he supposed he had two. He had tasted the jam during the creation process and had found it quite delicious...Perhaps it wouldn't be selfish if he kept back a jar for himself? But who should he give the remaining two jars to? He hummed in thoughtful consideration as he headed through the main entrance of the base before stopping dead in his tracks. 

He could hear all sorts of arguments, all over the base. He could see Pyrus running through the main entrance hall, one hand curled around something, the other giving his brothers a rude gesture as he yelled over his shoulder "I'm not going to be sharing this! It's clearly a gift for me, and it's delicious."

Cedric backed up a couple of steps so that Pyrus wouldn't possibly run into him and called out "Hi Pyrus... What's going on?"

"Hmmm? Oh, someone left me a jar of the jam that they've been making for hours. Some of my brothers are trying to bother me into sharing, but since it's a gift, and I don't feel like it, I'm not going to." The Salamander Scout explained, slowing down to a stop, revealing the jar of jam that he'd left for Pyrus. The lid was off and some of the contents had already been eaten. "I think a lot of people were hoping that the mystery jam-maker was going to leave some of whatever they were making in the communal pantry, but that hasn't happened. Some people were gifted jam and there've been some... Heated arguments as to whether or not those gifted with jam should share with everyone else. I'm of the opinion that if those without jam want some, they can either go buy or trade for their own jam. Or make it themselves, following one of the many recipes that are available on ancient terra to use."

"Oh... Oh dear. I hadn't expected that the jam would cause such chaos..." Cedric murmured, his eyes wide as he shifted from foot to food, feeling his ears warm. 

"You were the one who made the jam? Thanks for a jar, it's really good! Am I supposed to eat it right out of the jar, or are there other ways to eat it?" Pyrus asked, dodging several of his brothers' grabby hands gracefully.

"Yeah." Cedric answered, briefly explaining how he'd gotten the berries to make the jam, and that he'd made thank you jam for those to whom he was grateful for their help in one way or another, finishing with "I really wasn't expecting the base to be in such an uproar... I do have a couple of jars of jam left over... Maybe I should leave it in the communal pantry, so that hopefully the squabbling settles down?"

Pyrus hummed a little as he shoved a couple of fingers inside the wide-mouthed jar, scooping some of it up and licking it off of his fingers as his brothers loudly protested around him "I suppose you could, but it's your jam, you know. You could keep it for yourself. Its' really good."

"I... I suppose I'll think about it?" Cedric offered, mildly overwhelmed and deeply guilty as to just how much chaos he had inadvertently unleashed. 

"Good! See you later, Cedric!" Pyrus answered before running off elsewhere into the base, his brothers on his heels. 

~

Cedric had made it most of the way to the communal pantry when he heard his name being called out. He turned, spotting Apothecary Hura making his way down the hall. "Yes, sir?" The young Black Templar called out, making his way over to where the ancient Death Guard was.

"Hello young Cedric. I wanted to thank you for the jam. It is most delightful!" Hura purred at the younger apothecary.

"I'm glad that you like the jam, sir. I. Uhm. Did not expect the jam to be such a... Contentious thing." Cedric admitted.

"You'd be hard-pressed to find an astartes who doesn't crave fast carbohydrates, especially when hungry. Especially since the smell of you cooking the jam was lingering around the base for hours, there were many hopeful marines wishing for a taste. Not that you should feel guilty, of course! You made it, and therefore you should decide who does and does not get the jam." The Chaos marine murmured serenely, dripping a finger into his jar of jam and eating it. "Things will settle down in a day or two, worry not."

"I... Alright. Thank you, sir." Cedric mumbled. He still felt bad for unintentionally causing trouble among the ranks of his firstborn brothers. It was something to keep in mind about how much uproar had been made over a little bit of jam....

"If you do feel the urge to make jam again, I encourage you to do so, and if you need a taste taster, I would be happy to volunteer." The death guard offered with a small grin.

"I'll keep that in mind. Do you have anything that you'd change about this jam, if you could? Is it too sweet, or too sour?" Cedric asked, hoping that the food was good, but that could be just his own tastebuds. 

"Only how much is in the jar, though that has more to do with the size of the jar, rather than it's delightful contents. The jam itself is wonderful. I will be storing my jam in this base, as some of my more impulsive chaos brethren would try to take this and then I would have to gut them for their foolishness." Hura hummed "I have labeled this jam jar as mine and I suspect no one here will touch it, especially as I have clearly eaten some already."

"I'm really glad that you like the jam sir. I worked hard to make it." Cedric answered, beaming at the praise. 

"I can taste the care and effort you put into making this. Mmm, I hear a fight starting nearby. I am going to go watch. See you later, youngling!" Hura called out before casually turning around and leaving.

Cedric sighed internally and continued to the communal pantry. Inside were a couple of bickering Space Wolves and twice as many Ultramarines all arguing with one another. All six of the firstborn brothers seemed very focusing on whatever argument they were having, so Cedric slowly and carefully made his way around them. 

Unfortunately, they were in the middle of the jam section, so Cedric was forced to wait until one of the Space Wolves lunged at an Ultramarine before swiftly placing two of the three jars of blackberry preserves on the shelf on the spot where B-named fruits or berries were to be placed, as it was currently empty, and had blueberry jam there previously.

The young apothecary slowly made his way towards the exit, doing his best to pretend that he was invisible and that none of them could see him, if they did happen to look in his direction and hoped for the best. 

"And just where do you think you're going, pup? Don't think I don't see and smell you sneaking around." One of the Space Wolves growled out. He was huge for a firstborn loyalist, with scars that crisscrossed his face and neck, and disappeared under his shirt collar. 

"Uhm... To my assigned room, sir? Why?" Cedric answered earnestly. 

"And why were you in the pantry, if you're headed to your room? You're a big fucker, too. I don't recognize you." The same large Space Wolf rumbled. 

"... I grabbed some crackers?" Cedric answered, showing him the box of plain crackers he had grabbed - he thought that they would pair nicely with the jam he had stashed in his room for his fellow primaris brothers, along with the fresh bread he'd purchased from Miss Bakerin. "I've been on the base for about... Seven months now, sir? Which is pretty much the entire time I've been on Ancient Terra."

"Hmph. Scouts running about out of armor, only do so because of mischief reasons. What's your name, pup?" Large Space Wolf huffed. 

"... I was brought to ancient terra without my armor, as I had been brought here in my sleep in a place where I could sleep out of armor." Cedric countered, sulking a little at the idea that he was out of armor because he wanted to cause trouble. It's not as if he could be in his armor, anyways.

"... Ah. Tough luck there, lad. Well, off you get." The large Space Wolf huffed, dismissing him with a flick of one of his hands. 

"Yes sir." Cedric answered with a silent sigh of relief, quickly leaving the pantry and returning to his room. 

Once there, he flopped down onto his bed with a low groan, rolling himself up into the wonderful, weighted quilt that Miss Angela had made for him, drifting off to sleep. 

[voxofthevoid]

Random, what are your top favorite fics that you've written (feel free how much that you want to list)? Why they're special to you? Is there a specific inspiration when you wrote them?

Oh, this is gonna be dominated by JJK 😂. I'm always more aware, let's say, of things I wrote more recently. On top of that, with JJK fics, I've tried new things and challenged myself (successfully) a lot more than I have with my previous fandoms.

I've picked 7: five from JJK, plus one each from Bleach and MCU.

1. (let me be clear) every version of the story ends with you being slaughtered

JJK, goyuu: When told to choose his hell, Itadori Yuuji picks the easier one—a clean death, then and there. He couldn’t have known that it was never really a choice. Or, Gojou Satoru kidnaps a teenager, supposedly for his own good.

This is the work I'm most proud of among all my stories, and I'm sure that'd be the case even without recency bias. Not only is it the first canon rewrite I completed, it's also a story that tackles a lot of themes and tropes I find highly compelling, in general and with regard to JJK in particular. Plotting and executing it was a fun challenge; I worked with an extensive outline, but the plot and characters evolved significantly during the writing process. It was fun from the beginning to the end (there's a reason I finished this in less than two months), and the final result is something I'm immensely satisfied with.

2. bloodstains on the collar means just don't ask

JJK, sukuita and goyuu: Yuuji has a type. Unfortunately, his uncle and his teacher embody that type.

This was my first no-powers AU for JJK, and I ended up liking it way more than I expected. Transposing Yuuji, Gojou, and Sukuna to a mundane setting while keeping their relationships twisted really helped me get a deeper and better understanding of their characters and relationships. In particular, I'm now far more comfortable writing sukuita and utterly in love with their uncle/nephew dynamic. I write or intend to write plenty of incest for JJK, but most of those didn't really delve into the implications of the blood relation (due to canon circumstances), but this story is explicitly and excruciatingly clear on how Sukuna's known and (in his own fucked-up way) cared for Yuuji since he was an infant. It's a flavor I hadn't tackled before but enjoyed immensely.

3. little lamb to the slaughter

JJK, goyuu: Gojou offers to blow Yuuji as part of his training; it escalates from there.

It's rare that I fill in canon missing moments like this, but I just couldn't resist the basement era. I'm so fond and proud of this because this is the fic that cemented my grasp on Yuuji's character, in addition to helping me flesh out Gojou and Yuuji's canon dynamic. Hilariously, back when I came up with this, I figured this would be my most imbalanced, unhealthy dynamic for JJK/goyuu, but not only did this fic turn out pretty wholesome (...aside from the statutory rape aspect that goes ignored in-verse), but the bulk of my subsequent ideas for this ship makes this fic look like puppies and unicorns in comparison. I guess that impression came because it'd been quite a while since I tackled adult/minor, so it felt taboo in a way I took time to adjust to—now I thrive here.

4. the brute fact of flesh awaiting our teeth

JJK, fem!goyuu: Satoru embarks on a quest to seduce her hot giant of a teacher and continuously bites off more than she can chew.

I started this because I wanted to write filthy femlash porn, which I absolutely did do and enjoy immensely, but the reason this ended up so high on my list of favorite children fics is because exploring the role reversal dynamic and the genderbending one in tandem helped me better flesh out adult!Yuuji, especially one that lived with Sukuna for years and eventually subsumed him (her, in this case), and get a good handle on how I want to work in the gender changes while retaining their canon traits. I've tried at my hand both dynamics before, separately, but the length and depth of this fic solidified both. Also, I go wild for tits and pussy, and it shows.

5. i could keep your bed warm, otherwise i'm useless

JJK, goyuu and sukuita: Sukuna in Megumi’s body rapes Yuuji to break Megumi’s spirit, and Gojou rescues him but isn’t very sane afterward.

This is going to sound demented, but I like this one so much because it has the most viscerally uncomfortable rape scene I've ever written. It's not the sukuita; that's straightforward violent rape. But the goyuu that follows features a specific flavor of intimate violence framed as tenderness: someone who cares about you pushing your boundaries and actively retraumatizing you—not in spite of the love or even from a lack of love but because of the love.

6. and you cried, love's like watching someone die

Bleach, grimmichi: Repeat reincarnation cycle AU where Ichigo never remembers and Grimmjow never forgets.

This is a total angst train that was something of an ambitious project, in terms of technique, characterization and the general mood I wanted to evoke. Judging by my post-fic analysis and my readers' reactions, I succeeded. Writing such a heavy emotional story from Grimmjow's PoV wasn't easy, and the non-linear sequence was a bitch to sort out, but I'm very happy with how it turned out.

7. here is the repeated image of the lover destroyed

MCU, stucky: Steve's helpless not to love his ghosts.

Memory, identity, and associated manifestations of love and grief are themes that have haunted me for years now, including in the JJK fandom, but these two stories are my best takes on it, in my view. Said themes are already intrinsically present in Steve and Bucky's relationship, and this series recasts their past and their present to prod at questions of how much of us is our memories and experiences and how much is something there in core—a soul, so to speak. This is a fundamentally romantic take on the topic, so the outcome is obvious, but I'd like to say the answers are a little complicated.

[uniquexusposts]

Her || Charles Leclerc

Main characters: Charles Leclerc x OC Genre: fanfiction, fluff  Story type: novel  Part: 37/45 Word count: 4745 Co writer: @mistrose23

Story summary: Matilde Jørgensen, the new Scuderia Ferrari team principal, faced the nerve-wracking challenge of reviving the team's fortunes and aiming for a championship. Leading a historic team as a 'newbie' and separating her work and personal opinions posed a significant challenge. The big question: is she capable to do so?

Previous chapter

Chapter 35. Cry & Back To Business

Breaking the rules.

Ever since Matilde became the team principal of Ferrari, she started to break her own rules. Own morals. Crossing her own line. She found herself crossing lines she had once vowed never to approach. Working outside of office hours was one of the first to go. The funny thing was, whenever she returned home to Denmark, everything reset. It was as if her internal compass pointed north again, and her morals snapped back into place like fabric stretched too far but not torn. But the longer she stayed away from home, the more those rules started to bend and blur.

Hygge faded away.

It was 19:15 and Matilde was still present at the office. After the Vogue afternoon, she had to catch up on some work. She worked ahead, but you know, the work of a team principal never stops. After the shoot, the plan was to catch up on some work, but she found herself in a very productive flow so she decided to stay.

But then her stomach growled, loud and insistent, snapping her out of her concentration. Hunger crashed into her, sharp and sudden. Matilde took a deep breath, removed her blue light glasses, and rubbed her tired eyes. She stretched her arms over her head, her body stiff from sitting in the same spot for too long. She glanced at the piles of work left on her desk but decided it could wait. The work wasn't even a deadline, but finishing up some things relieved her.

As she walked through the department, she hummed along to the music she was listening to. Tonight, she was listening to Mumford & Sons, the band that reminded her of her family. It was their family band - her dad's band. He loved their music and whenever the band was in the country, she, her dad and two brothers would go see them live.

A shock went through her body as someone suddenly appeared from around the corner. She froze for a split second, her heart racing. The dim lighting in the office only added to the ghostly quiet that had settled in, making the figure's sudden presence all the more startling.

"Whoa, sorry," came a familiar voice. It was Charles. He raised his hands in a gesture of apology, clearly noticing the surprise on her face.

Matilde let out a breath she hadn't realised she was holding. "For satan," she mumbled, shocked. "You scared the shit out of me," she said, placing a hand over her chest, trying to calm the pounding of her heart. She removed the airpods from her ear.

"Sorry about that," he said, giving her an apologetic smile. "Didn't think anyone else was still here."

She nodded, still trying to shake off the sudden adrenaline rush. "Same. I thought I was the only one left."

Charles leaned against the doorframe. "You've been here a while, huh?"

Matilde gave a small smile. "Yeah, I lost track of time. What about you? Still working this late?"

"Working on some data and strategies for Austin. We need to have a perfect next race," he replied.

They were in a fight with Red Bull. Even though Red Bull was still leading by a couple of points, Ferrari was closing in. There were five more races left and every mistake that was being made, could turn into a very expensive mistake and possibly a disaster.

"What are you working on? I thought you said you were on track with everything," he smirked, repeating her words from this afternoon.

Matilde pressed her lips into a thin line and stepped towards the department's canteen; which was just a long table, a functional kitchen with a coffee machine and fresh fruit. It was minimalistic, but very functional and still cosy. "Well, you know, administration, financial stuff. Things I love to postpone."

"Hmm, don't you like that?" Charles followed her to the area.

"Let's say that is the part that I don't like about my job. But I gotta do what I need to do. So I guess it's just not my favourite thing to do." She turned on the coffee machine, knowing she had to clean it afterwards. Luckily, she was familiar with the machine and she knew how they needed to be cleaned. Matilde leaned against the counter and crossed her arms in front of her chest.

He nodded, leaning against the table while also crossing his arms in front of his chest. "But how is it going?" He didn't know if he could ask about it, but on the other hand, she was very open about being dyslexic.

Charles noticed she was wearing one of the Ferrari jackets, it was something she would always do when she was cold around the office. And frankly enough, it was often. It was a contrast; Matilde still wasn't used to the warmth of Italy, but she somehow was often cold in the office.

"I'm getting there," she nodded. "You know, I feel like I'm not that dyslexic anymore. My dad is a language and communications scientist, so when I was a kid, I sat for hours and hours with him around the table to practise. And I visited someone who has specialised in it. The mental breakdowns I had..." She blew her cheeks and laughed lightly about it. "I won't be flawless, but it's better than it was. I am embracing it. And thankfully, I have people who work well along with it."

A few months ago, people would be annoyed by the grammar mistakes she would make during her work. Charles was one of them, he complained about it with them. But now he appreciated how open she was, and it was indeed getting better, almost flawless. Besides, making mistakes was a normal thing to do.

He appreciated her for sharing this moment with him. She would open up about herself more frequently. "You're doing a good job," he complimented.

"Thanks." While she asked about his work tasks, she pulled an espresso and listened to his story.

"Matilde," Charles broke off his story. He looked at her while she steamed the milk. "You are not making a cappuccino, are you?"

She looked over her shoulder. "I am. Why?"

"You don't seem to learn it," he smirked. "Don't let the team see this."

A playful smile grew on her face. "Luckily, I'm not surrounded by Italians now. And I am a Dane, after all. I can do what I want."

"Sassy."

Her jaw dropped, like she was caught and confused. "Oh, my god," she said playfully. Once the milk was steamed, she poured the milk into the cup with espresso and did latte art; a defined heart. "Do you want anything, by the way?"

"Oh, thank you for asking," he said, like he was waiting for the question. "A cappuccino, as well."

She looked at him and raised her eyebrows. "Breaking the rules?"

He threw his hands up in the air. "I'm not Italian. I'm Monegasque, after all."

"Hmm-hmm. Don't let your team hear and see this," she said and handed the cappuccino to him. "There you go."

"Oh, thanks. That was quick." Charles looked at the latte art. "This looks so neat, wow. Where did you learn this?" He knew Matilde could do a lot, but he wouldn't think she could make coffees and do an effortlessly latte art.

"Team principals can do anything. We get trained to do everything. We get chosen by our skills. This is an Italian team. You don't get hired if you can't make coffee," she shared and made another espresso. She chuckled at his reaction, he was processing the words. "No, I used to work as a barista during my student job," she admitted.

"Barista Matilde," he hummed and took a small sip. He was criticising the taste, like he was a real coffee lover and expert. The corners of his lips slightly curled up when he saw the hope in her eyes. "This is good coffee," he said and took another sip. "Can't you be the barista here?"

She laughed and shook her head. "I can't do it all, Charles. This is an exclusive coffee."

"I feel special."

"You should."

Matilde finished making her coffee and her latte art was a swan. They sat down at the table and Charles was criticising her coffee. He looked impressed by it.

"If you didn't get into F1, would you still be a barista?" Charles asked.

"Hmm, I don't know," she hummed and took a sip. "When I was working at the cafe, I planned to be a pilot."

His eyebrows shot up. "A pilot?" She nodded. "How did you end up here?" he asked.

"I got drawn out of it. At least, that is what they said. But I would believe you if you said the reason was dyslexia. So I did Engineering in IT and Economics, also doing a mathematical degree at the same time. Very dyslexic proof. And now I'm here."

"Still very amazing." He proudly smiled. "But don't mind me asking; did dyslexia affect your maths?"

She was shaking her head. "No, to many surprises, not at all. It sometimes happens that it only affects your language, not your maths." She took another sip, enjoying the taste of the cappuccino. Matilde leaned back in her chair, crossing her legs and glancing at him with curiosity. "Was it really that bad? My mistakes in the beginning?"

He leaned back too, his eyes shifting away from hers. He hesitated. The truth was, there had been plenty of murmurs about her missteps early on; harsh words spoken behind closed doors. Few people believed she would last in her role, including, at one point, himself. "It was... noticeable at first," he admitted carefully, his voice low.

She hummed thoughtfully, her expression calm as she nodded. "Hmm-hmm. No one really said anything to me, though," she mused, though her gaze lingered on him, sharp with understanding. "You were the one who said it to me." Her lips curved into a small smile, though there was a flicker of something deeper in her eyes.

"I'm sorry, we needed to say it sooner," he admitted and ran his hand through his hair.

"Well," she shrugged. "It happened and it's in the past. I learned from it, I hope others did too." Matilde looked down at the table.

"You know, Matilde, we were asses in the beginning," Charles admitted.

Her eyes shot up to him; never did she think anyone would share a word about the first half of the season. And especially not Charles. Her lips parted slightly.

"Like real dickheads," he continued. "Miami was the turning point. The way we handled that evening... I know it broke you and I know you believe it was intentional. But-"

"I honestly believe that was miscommunication, Charles," she cut him off. "When it happened, I indeed believed it was intentional, but looking back at it, it must have been miscommunication. Everyone must have thought someone would invite me. At Red Bull, everyone was invited. I know that at Ferrari, the board wouldn't get invited. We are both to blame here."

"Matilde, you don't have to apologise or explain why you did certain things that way."

"Yeah, but-"

Charles let out a breath and apologetically smiled. "Matilde, you have apologised enough for stuff you don't even have to apologise for. We were asses, we were wrong then. Not you. You did everything to save us, to make us work, but we were too stubborn to adapt to you. We were working against you. We tried to do anything to make you quit."

She bit on the inside of her cheek and slowly nodded. "Why, though?"

"Probably because you are a woman and because you are younger than most of us..."

"That is very... extraordinary," Matilde responded. She knew that were factors to their behaviour, but it couldn't be the main reason. "I..." She was lost for words.

"And because the team was broken, I think. We've been through a lot and... I don't know. I think we all expected other things and we expected someone with more experience. Your leadership style is very different from the others and I think not a lot of people could cope with that in the beginning," he spoke up. "And as I said, Miami and the week after, was wild. There was so much happening. There was so much miscommunication. I don't know how your patience survived this."

A snort left her mouth. "Honestly, I didn't want to be known as the girl who gave up after just two months, so I had to control my patience. But trust me, you all have pushed me close to the edge. Being a team principal has pulled me so often out of my comfort zone, Jesus Christ. I wasn't comfortable with it, but if I didn't, I wouldn't survive it."

"And that was the reason why everybody was against you: you dared to speak up and the people before you, just let it happen. You were new and unknown."

She stared at him, his words lingering in the air, sinking deeper than she expected. For the first time, someone had spoken up about the doubts; the quiet judgement that had swirled around her in the early days. All the whispered conversations, the looks she had pretended not to notice, the weight of expectations she had silently carried. And now, hearing it laid out so plainly, it hit her harder than she had anticipated.

Charles placed his hand on the table, hoping she would reach for his hand. And she did. She placed her hand in his and he gently squeezed in it. "I'm sorry," he said softly. "You didn't deserve that. None of it."

She nodded and bit her lip. But there was more. She wanted to discuss more things now they were in this conversation. "And what about you?" Her voice cracked. "You were a dickhead, you know that, right?"

Shock flickered through his eyes. It came out of the blue, but she had the right to ask about it. And she picked this moment, approaching it the Danish way. He swallowed hard. "Yeah, I suppose," he whispered.

Her eyebrows raised. "You were, Charles. I... I looked forward to working with you and I got here and all I saw was a grumpy man who didn't even dare to look me into my eyes when I was talking," she blurted and pulled her hand back.

His head hung low. "I was promised a lot of stuff and I..." He took a deep breath, trying to look for the right words. "I hoped for Fred when Mattia left. And I couldn't accept that you were being selected because he was still on a contract break."

"So you just try to make it impossible for me to work with you?"

Charles sighed deeply, rubbing the back of his neck as he tried to find the right words. "It wasn't about you, not really. It was about everything I thought was going to happen; about the promises Ferrari made and then broke. When you came in, I... I took all that frustration out on you, and that wasn't fair."

She shook her head, her emotions a mix of sadness and anger. "No, it wasn't fair. You made me feel like an outsider from the moment I stepped into the garage. All I wanted was to do my job, but you..." She paused, her voice cracking again, "you made me feel like I didn't belong here. Like I had to prove myself ten times harder just to be respected."

Charles's chest tightened with guilt. "I'm so sorry, Matilde. I know I was wrong. I know I hurt you." He finally looked up, his eyes filled with remorse. "I wish I could take it back, but I can't. You didn't deserve any of that."

Matilde took a deep breath, the anger slowly draining from her face, replaced by a deep sadness. She didn't want to be angry anymore, but the scars from those early days still lingered. "I don't need you to take it back, Charles. I just needed you to acknowledge it."

Silence fell between them. It was a weird situation. They finally spoke about their clashes, but after the clashes happened, things happened between them that shouldn't have happened to begin with.

"I fell in love with you from the moment I saw you in Bahrain," Charles blurted suddenly.

Matilde's breath caught in her throat as Charles' words hung in the air, completely shattering the silence that had settled between them. Her mind reeled as she processed what he had just said. Her heart skipped a beat, and for a moment, she didn't know how to respond. Charles' eyes were locked on her, vulnerable and intense, like he had just let go of something he had been holding onto for far too long.

"I fell in love with you from the moment I saw you in Bahrain," he repeated, his voice quieter now, as if saying it once more made it real, even for him.

"What?"

"I fell-"

"I know, I heard you."

Charles ran a hand through his hair, his frustration evident. "I know. It doesn't make sense. I was angry. Confused. And instead of... instead of dealing with those feelings, I pushed you away. I was a complete asshole, I know that. But the truth is, I've felt this way from the very beginning."

Matilde's heart was racing now, a mixture of anger, confusion, and something else; something she wasn't ready to name. "I am sorry, I don't know what to say," she admitted.

It was a fact she had feelings for him too. But he had them from the start, when he was the asshole.

"I know," he whispered, looking down, guilt washing over his features. "I was scared, Matilde. Of what I felt. Of what it meant. You came in and turned everything upside down. And I couldn't handle it."

"You hurt me, you made my life a hell back then," she said, her voice trembling. "And now you're telling me it's because you were scared? Of what, exactly? Of liking me?"

"Of everything changing," he said, his voice desperate. "I wasn't supposed to feel that way about you. You were my boss, and I was angry about so many things... but none of that changes how I felt. How I still feel." His gaze met hers.

Matilde raised her arms and put her hands in her hair. "Fuck, Charles," she breathed. "This was not what I expected," she confessed. She got up from her seat and turned away from him, processing everything he just had said. Her chest tightened, a rush of emotions bubbling up from somewhere she had kept locked away. She blinked, trying to keep herself composed, but it was no use. A knot formed in her throat, and her eyes stung with the beginnings of tears she hadn't wanted to acknowledge.

She was confused, confused about what emotion she needed to show. On one side, she was kinda relieved he confessed his emotions and feelings about her. Because she felt the same about him. And there you go, she thought, I thought it out loud. But on the other side, he was a dickhead towards her from the beginning and did things that weren't tolerated. And all because of the feelings he had.

Her mind raced, replaying all the moments of doubt, the long nights where she questioned whether she could do it; whether she was even meant for this world that demanded perfection.

When she finally turned around, her voice trembled with the weight of everything she had been holding in for so long. "You made me think I wasn't capable of this job, Charles," she whispered, her words fragile yet filled with years of pent-up frustration. "I worked so fucking hard. I wanted to prove myself, to show that I could do it, and all you did was..." Her voice cracked, but she pushed through. "You worked against me. You made me feel like an outsider, like I didn't belong. And now you're telling me it was because you were struggling with your feelings?" The tears she had been fighting finally spilt over, running down her cheeks in silent waves. Her breath hitched as she wiped at her face, but the floodgates had opened, and there was no stopping it now. "Do you know how hard it was to walk into that garage, into this office, every day, knowing you wouldn't even look me in the eye? I thought I was failing. I thought I was the problem."

He stood up slowly, his heart aching as he watched her crumble in front of him. He had never wanted to hurt her like this, but he had. He had pushed her away, and now he was seeing the damage that had caused. "I'm sorry," he said again, his voice thick with regret. "I never wanted to make you feel like that, Matilde. I was so caught up in my own anger, my own confusion... I didn't realise how much I was hurting you."

She shook her head, still trying to comprehend it all. "I needed support. I needed someone on my side. But you... you made me doubt everything about myself. I went to two psychologists..."

Charles stepped forward, cautiously closing the distance between them. He wanted to reach out, to offer her some kind of comfort, but he wasn't sure if it would be welcome. "You are capable, Matilde," he said, his voice softer now. "More than anyone I've ever worked with. I was an idiot for not seeing it sooner. For not letting myself admit what I felt. But everything I did wasn't about you not being good enough. It was about me not being ready to face how much you mattered to me. Because you listened to me, you tried everything to make this team work, you cared about the team, you listened to everyone. That was new, that is new. You weren't making promises and at first, I thought it would be selfish of you, but you only did that to not disappoint me, us, if it didn't work out. Matilde, you mean so fucking much to me, to this whole team."

Matilde looked up at him, her tears still falling but her expression hardening. He was just traumatised. "And what now, Charles? What am I supposed to do with this? Knowing that all this time, while I was breaking myself to prove I deserved to be here, you were, what? Falling in love with me? Hurting me because you didn't know how to deal with it?"

He didn't know how to answer. He had been selfish, and now the consequences were unravelling in front of him. "I don't expect you to forgive me," he said quietly. He hoped she would forgive him. "But I needed you to know the truth. I needed you to understand that it was never about you not being enough."

Matilde wiped at her eyes, trying to steady herself. "This would have prevented me from making so many calls with my psychologists," she mumbled, chuckling about it. Even though it wasn't funny at all. "I don't know if I forgive you now," she said, her voice still thick with emotion. "But I am grateful you shared it." She paused, her eyes meeting his. "And you know, Charles, I really like you, too. More than an employee. More than a friend. But..."

He nodded, the weight of her words sinking in. He had caused her pain, and there was no quick fix for that. Her confession that she liked him too, more than just a colleague or a friend, should have been a relief, but the reality of their situation crushed that fleeting hope. They were caught in the complicated mess of their professional lives and emotions, and it dawned on him that this wasn't going to be a fairy-tale ending.

"I will not give up my career at Ferrari for this, sorry. And neither are you. We both have come so far that it would be ridiculous for the both of us to quit because we are... because we like each other."

His lips parted and he felt his heart sink. Her words were filled with the truth. They couldn't give up everything they had worked so hard for. Ferrari was more than just a job to both of them; it was a dream, a passion they had fought for. To throw it all away because of their feelings would be reckless. But knowing that didn't make the weight of her words any lighter.

"Fuck," he whispered and stepped away from her, running both his hands through his hair. "I hadn't even thought about that," he admitted, his voice soft. His mind swirling with the realisation that this really was the definition of the right person, wrong time. He had always dismissed the notion as a cliché, something used to create drama in stories. But now, living it firsthand, he understood it in a way he never thought possible.

"Come on, Charles. Isn't that obvious?" Matilde blurted. The words sounded harder than she wanted. "If anyone finds out what we have done, what we were doing, we are both out, gone, dead. It's all in the contract and whatever we signed when we got here. And we fucked it up already."

Charles froze, her blunt words hitting him like a cold slap. He stared at her, his hands still tangled in his hair, feeling the weight of their situation settle in his chest. The contracts... The contracts with clauses that left no room for personal relationships like theirs. They were bound by rules, by the expectations that came with their positions. And they had already crossed the line. "I know," he said quietly, his voice strained. "I know we fucked up. But I didn't... I didn't expect to feel this way. Not about you." His voice cracked with the emotion he'd been trying to hold back, the frustration of wanting something he couldn't have.

Her gaze softened, and for a brief moment, the steel in her expression faltered. She looked at him, really looked at him, and he could see the conflict mirrored in her eyes. She wasn't just angry at him; she was angry at herself, at the world they lived in, at the impossible situation they were both stuck in. "I didn't expect this either," she admitted, her voice quieter now. "I didn't want this, Charles. I didn't come here to fall for you."

It was messy, complicated, and reckless. But it had happened anyway. And now they were left to deal with the consequences.

He exhaled, dropping his hands from his head and pacing the floor. He felt trapped, like there was no right answer to this. "So what do we do now?" he asked, his voice filled with desperation. "Do we just... pretend like none of it happened? Go back to normal?"

"We have to, Charles."

The silence that followed was suffocating. The room felt smaller, the air heavier with all the emotions they weren't saying aloud. He wanted to reach for her, to erase the distance that had grown between them, but he knew it wasn't that simple.

"We can't change what we did, what had happened, and I'm not saying I regret it. But if we both want to stay here, we need to stop now, before it ruins everything. Our careers, everything we've built."

His heart ached at the thought of walking away, of letting go of something that felt so right, even if it was all wrong. "I don't want to stop," he confessed, his voice barely a whisper.

She blinked, her expression softening for a moment. She looked at him, the same struggle written on her face. "Neither do I," she said quietly. "But we have to."

They stood there in silence for a few minutes, letting the enormity of the situation sink in.

After a while, Matilde sighed. "I need to go. I have a meeting tomorrow, and I need to clear my head."

He nodded, unsure of what to say or do. He didn't want her to leave, but he knew that was selfish. She needed space, and maybe so did he. "Yeah, I understand."

"We will be okay, Charles. Even if it means to find love somewhere else where it is allowed. Don't wait for me," she said, more to herself than to him. "I will not let you down, Charles, not after everything we've been through. And I will try to bring home that title to you." She had a quick glance at the coffee machine that needed to be cleaned. Later... when he's gone, she would do that. Perhaps in five minutes.

He nodded, watching as she turned and walked away, leaving him standing alone in the room, with the weight of everything left unsaid pressing down on him.

Next chapter

Taglist: @itsjustkhaos @crashingwavesofeuphoria @maryvibess @ironmaiden1313 @sltwins @heart-trees @npcmia @llando4norris

[abbysimsfun]

Sims In Bloom: Generation 2 Pt. 28 (The Trouble With Marcus Flex)

Heather received great news from the developers of VetConnect when they agreed to help her build the PetConnect extension. They believed it would be successful and might even give her enough to buy out the Landgraabs, but for now, she just had to get it finished.

At work the next morning, she thanked her problematic vet tech, Marcus Flex, for the idea. But ever-flirty Marcus took it as something more.

He leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers. Heather pulled back immediately. "Half the clients who walk in here might fall to a puddle at your feet when you kiss them like that, but I'm your employer, Marcus."

"I'm sorry, Doc. I thought-"

"I should fire you. I can't because you kissed me and it'll look personal, but this is your last chance. Pull your socks up around here, or you'll have to find another place to work."

He was twenty-one years old and noncommittal by nature, but he finally started paying attention in his evening classes and began to pull his weight around the clinic.

Then one day, a girl came in with her family’s German Shepherd, Jax. She wiped tears from her eyes as she signed him in.

Instantly, Marcus was taken with her, approaching her and her dog with more trepidation than Heather had ever seen in him. "Hi, uh, my name's Marcus Flex. I'm sorry to see you looking so sad, but we'll take care of your dog and make him feel good as new."

"My mom was supposed to bring Jax for his annual check-up today, but she just died of heatstroke from the heat wave," she said gloomily. "I miss her so much."

Marcus wanted to reach out and comfort her, but his boss was watching nearby with a stern glare. "I'm so sorry for your loss, Miss...?"

"Thomasine Chopra."

Heather poured herself an espresso and smiled at Thomasine and her pet. "How are classes going at Deadgrass Isle High School, Thomasine?"

"We took a few weeks off to mourn my mom. Dad took us to the city to distract us, I think, but I couldn't sit through math class so I'm grateful. Needless to say, my last year of classes will start a little late."

Marcus looked away, flustered.

"I'm so sorry," Heather said. "When I heard about your mother's death I couldn't believe it. I can't imagine what you're going through."

"The card was really sweet, and Jax loves his Buttercups. Everyone in town's been great, and they've made things a little bit easier."

"Well, Marcus will take extra good care of Jax today, and I'm always here if you or your family need anything. Not just for Jax."

Heather's endlessly flirtatious vet tech had caused her as much grief as he'd proven he wasn't entirely hopeless. She couldn't help but think he needed guidance, and while they closed up at the end of the day, Heather warned him to wait for Thomasine Chopra. "I don't care if she's 18 already. If you think your feelings mean anything this time, keep your distance until graduation or I will fire you."

Marcus nodded, still a little shell-shocked by his new affections.

Could Heather continue to manage motherhood, the Landgraabs, and her clinic? ->

<- Previous Chapter | Gen 2 Start | Gen 1 Summary | Gen 1 Start

NOTE: When Heather opened her clinic, Marcus was one of the sims she could hire and I went for it immediately because I love playing with premades. But then Marcus became an obnoxious NPC who made out with every single customer constantly because the Romantic Aura Action Plan had been default activated in Brindleton Bay. It all gave unflirty Heather a negative 'witnessed crass moment' moodlet EVERY TIME. So I finally decided to give him a storyline with the intention of moving him into the save file so he'll age naturally, make nooboos, etc. Somewhat unfortunately this is the only unmarried sim Marcus wanted because I also hadn't adjusted my age gap romance settings after playing the Ultimate Decades Challenge in my last save, so YA and teens could flirt etc.

All this to say I promise I won't let Marcus become a complete toad. Since I love my premades, I'm plotting a decent arc because this save did him a little dirty.

[awkward-halfhug]

to soften rough edges | gally x oc

series summary: Subject B10 Rosalind Franklin (Frankie) was supposed to be sent to Group B. Due to a mixup by an incompetent WICKED employee, she was sent to Group A, the all-boys maze.

How will her unexpected appearance affect the variables, the Glade, and the lives of everyone in it?

For one Glader in particular, Frankie might be changing, not only his present, but his entire life going forward. And not because he can't get her to stop following him around like a baby duck.

...Well, not only

(also on my ao3)

chapter 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

2.9k

soap bottles and stolen potatoes

The next morning started off better than the previous one.

Not only did Frankie not fall out of her hammock, but she also had a very specific place she was looking forward to visiting before breakfast. She was so excited. Alby had pointed it out to her the day before, during her tour of the Glade, but after everything with her injury and then crying all over Gally at dinner, she had been too exhausted last night. So, today it was. This morning. Right now!

Reaching the small building (more of a shack, really), Frankie stepped inside and could've cried with relief at what she saw.

Water. Two buckets full. And two rag-like towels,  and a big bottle of what smelled like– she opened the cap and sniffed– yep, liquid soap of some sort. There was only one bottle, but that was okay. Frankie was just glad there was soap of any kind for her to bathe with.

She placed the mishmash bundle of fresh clothes Newt had handed her the day before on a stool next to the door. Then she quickly stepped out of her dirty clothes. She placed her dirty bra with the clean clothes so she could rewear it after her shower because, unsurprisingly, Newt hadn't been able to supply her with a fresh one. He had, however, given her some (clean, Newt swore) boxers to wear. He hadn't told her whose they were before but Frankie wasn't sure she wanted to know anyways.

She lathered up one of the rags with soap and water and got to work ridding herself of the grime of the past couple days. The rag was rough, and she was pretty sure showering usually involved three kinds of soap–one for the body and two for the hair, instead of just this one– but considering the were in some sort of weird teenager-prison where they had to live off the land as punishment for their unknown crimes, Frankie figured beggars couldn't be choosers.

Keeping her injured finger dry was a bit of a challenge, but she managed by holding her finger up and in the air while her other hand did most of the work. It looked like she was constantly telling the shower walls that she'd "be right with you in just a moment". She chuckled at the thought.

Frankie was just finishing up when she heard someone outside. She quickly dried off with the dry towel, hoping she hadn't taken too long. 

Just as she was putting on her borrowed underwear, someone knocked on the rickety wood door of the shower and called her name. It sounded like that Joe guy; the one that smiled at her funny.

She started putting the clothes on quicker, not even caring if the baggy cargo pants or the faded gray t-shirt were on right. She wasn't sure exactly why it felt so urgent; she just had a feeling in her gut that it was.

"Frankie, you in there?" Joe called again. The door knob rattled, and Frankie had just enough time to tug her shirt all the way down, before the door was flung open. 

"Hey!" Frankie yelped. "What do you think you're doing?" Her heart galloped in her chest.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't think anyone was in here." He didn't look very sorry. 

Frankie frowned. She kept her eyes on him as she gathered the dirty laundry into her arms. "You were calling my name."

Joe shrugged. "Yeah, but you didn't answer. Could've been empty." He had that weird smile on his face again. Frankie decided it didn't matter what he was thinking, all she knew was that she wanted to get as far away from him and that weird smile of his, as fast as possible. 

"Okay, well, it wasn't empty. Please wait longer next time. I've gotta go, goodbye."

Joe opened his mouth to say something but Frankie was already gone. 

She was speed-walking to the Homestead as fast as she could– after making the briefest of pitstops at her hammock, to literally toss her dirty clothes on it and shove her bare feet into her socks and boots– when she ran into someone. 

A pair of hands gripped her biceps to keep her upright. "Whoa whoa whoa, where's the fire, love? Frypan's just started serving breakfast, there'll be plenty when ya get there."

Frankie huffed a sigh of relief; it was only Newt. 

Newt had been smiling at her, his brows scrunched in confusion, but it quickly changed to concern. He dropped his smile. "Okay, seriously, what's wrong?" 

Frankie shook her head at herself. What was wrong? Literally nothing had happened and here she was running around like someone was chasing her.

Frankie peeked over her shoulder, just in case. No Joe. Obviously. He was probably still back there, taking a shower. She was just being silly.

"It's nothing." Frankie shook her head at herself. "I was taking a shower and Joe was trying to get in, and I don't know, I was just overreacting. Just freaked me out for a minute, that's all. Stupid." 

Newt's frown deepened. "He was trying to get in the shower when he could hear it was being used?" 

"Well, he called my name but I didn't answer, so i guess he figured it was empty." Frankie didn't know why she was defending him. The more she thought about it, though, the sillier she felt. She was probably making a big deal out of nothing. 

Newt didn't seem to agree. His brows flew up. "So he knew it was you in the shower? Come with me, we're talking to Alby about this." 

Ignoring her protests—she really, really didn't want to make a big deal out of this—Newt grabbed her hand (the uninjured one, thank goodness), and refused to let it go until they were standing right in front of Alby's table in front of the Homestead. 

Alby looked up, confusion written on his face. Newt wasted no time. Keeping his eyes locked on Alby, Newt nodded in her direction. "Tell him what you told me, Frankie." 

Frankie shifted her feet, trying unsuccessfully to pull her hand from Newt's gentle but firm grasp. Her face burned as she peeked around at the Gladers nearby, who were watching with curiosity. They were drawing attention and she was regretting saying anything. It felt like she was a little kid tattling on their sibling for something dumb, and everyone was around to watch her do it.

"Look, I was probably overreacting. Can we just forget it?"

Newt cut her a look that brooked no further argument, and Frankie sighed heavily. There was no getting out of this conversation.

Her skin prickling, Frankie took a seat opposite Alby, and although the details of everything were getting fuzzy the longer Newt kept staring at her with that persistent intensity, she tried to relay  exactly the same information she had already told Newt just minutes ago. This time she made sure to sound more certain of herself when she spoke in Joe's defense.

Alby's expression remained unreadable throughout the whole retelling; the only clue as to his thoughts on the matter was the slight pursing of his lips that got tighter as she spoke. When Frankie was done speaking, Alby took in a lung full of air, flattened his palms against the table, and let out his breath. He exchanged a meaningful look with Newt, and then turned his attention back to her. 

"We'll be having a gathering when the runners get back. You'll be attending." With that, Alby pushed himself to a stand and gathered his dishes. When Frankie opened her mouth to argue, Alby held up a hand. "That wasn't a request."

She watched Alby's retreating form for a moment before turning her frown on Newt, still standing beside her. He gave her a rueful smile and backed away with his hands up.

"Better get in line, love. From what I hear, you've gotta get over to Clint's soon, and breakfast's almost over."

Sighing, Frankie nodded, got up, and trudged to stand in line behind Newt. Frowning, Frankie collected her breakfast from Frypan. The Cook smiling wide and crying out Frankie's name in an cheerful greeting. It was sweet and friendy but too loud. Frankie felt like everyone was looking at her, even as she glanced around and saw that mostly they weren't. Frypan tried to catch her eye but she avoided his, muttering a rushed, but hopefully polite, "Morning Fry" and hurriedly walking to an empty table.

This was going to be a long day.

Gally saw Frankie in line at breakfast. He still felt a bit awkward; the events of the day before still fresh in his mind. The way he'd yelled at her. The way she'd held onto him as she cried. Because he'd made her cry. Gally felt discomfort twisting in his gut at the memory. He could be a real slinthead sometimes. He'd try to work on that.

In the meantime, he was going to make sure she was really okay. He was new to this girl stuff. Sure, they had apologized and all that the night before, but it seemed like girls were pretty intense with the emotions, if all that crying was anything to go by. Gally wasn't sure how long they held onto stuff like that. And she did look like she was frowning. Better safe than sorry, he figured. He'd be extra nice to her today.

While going to sit with her, he noticed Joe and Peter whispering to eachother and peeking glances over at the greenie. Peter caught Gally's eye, smirked, and nodded over to Frankie. He turned his smirk back to Gally like they'd just had some mutual understanding of something.

Gally furrowed his brows and shook his head at the other Builder, as if he didn't know what he was getting at. Peter's smirk faltered as he tried awkwardly to play it off. He started batting at an imaginary fly, before turning back to Joe.

Dumb shank.

Truthfully, Gally had an idea what Peter was smirking about. Maybe not the exact thought, but he could guess. Gally scowled and looked back at Frankie. He knew this would be a problem.

Gally forced the scowl from his face—it wasn't  aimed at Frankie anyway—and went to sit down beside her, conveniently taking the seat that blocked her from view of those two shanks.

When Gally sat, Frankie looked from up from the potatoes she had been picking at. Her frowning face brightened immediately upon seeing it was him. Gally ignored the little thrill he felt at that fact. Looked like it wasn't him that was upsetting her.

Gally flicked a glace back at the two slintheads behind him. Just as he thought, they were staring. Gally raised an eyebrow and Peter quickly went back to his breakfast. Joe, however, stared right back at Gally, almost challenging.

Joe, then. It was Joe he had to worry about.

Gally turned his attention back to the girl in front of him when she greeted him.

"Morning, Gally." Frankie smiled at him, but it was a little strained.

"Are they bothering you?" He blurted. No easing into that one, eh, Gally? Real smooth.

Her strained smile dropped completely; a troubled expression taking its place. "What? Did Newt–?" She shook her head. "I mean, no, I'm fine. I'm good." She started picking at her potatoes again, not even eating them.

"Uh huh." Gally watched as her frown from earlier returned. "So no one's bothering you."

She didn't look up from dissecting her food. "Exactly."

Gally took a long breath in through his nose. Newt apparently knew something about this. He'd ask the other boy later.

"Okay" Gally said. "How's your morning been?"

Frankie finally looked at him again. She smiled a little, in obvious relief at the subject change. "It was good. I took a shower and washed my hair. Alby gave me some clothes to wear until I wash the ones I was wearing."

She was wearing a random mismatch of different Gladers' spare clothes. From what Gally could tell, she had on a brown pair of Alec's pants, and an old gray t-shirt of Henry's, both ratty and ill-fitting. Gally would say she looked like she'd gotten dressed in the dark, but to be fair, they all sort of did. He certainly couldn't be throwing any stones when his clothes were two to three sizes too small for him. Still, they were backwards and inside out, like she'd suddenly forgotten how clothes worked. He was getting a bad feeling.

"Ah" Gally nodded. "So that's why your hair looks like a wet bird's nest. It all makes sense now."

Gally dodged her half-hearted smack to the arm, laughing. 

"Hey, you try to comb your hair out using only your fingers when you can't even use all of them; see how nice your hair looks." Frankie stuck her tongue out at him, but she was smiling despite it.

Gally smiled too. Her frown was gone. Now to keep it that way.

"So what are you gonna do about" Gally gestured vaguely to the tangled mess on her head. "that, exactly?"

Frankie warded off his attempts to steal her food as she replied. "Well, normally I'd use a brush or a comb, but I asked, and Alby said you guys didn't have any here. So finger-combing will have to do. But it's gonna take a long time, with this." She held her wrapped up finger to show him. Frankie shrugged. "So, bird's nest it is."

"Do you want me to do it?" Gally finally snagged a non-decimated potato bit of her plate and popped it in his mouth triumphantly.

Frankie's eyebrows raised. "Do what?"

"Your hair." 

Frankie smiled, though she still looked confused. "Seriously? You'd do that?"

Was this a big deal? Why was she acting like this was a big deal?

"Well, yeah. I mean, you can't go around like that all day. No one who sees you will get any work done because they'll be too busy laughing at you. As a Keeper, I've gotta look out for the harmony and efficiency of the Glade. It'd be irresponsible of me to let you walk around like that."

Her face looked like it was warring between gratitude and offense. Gally had to fight down a laugh.

"Alright. Thank you." She said, but she was glaring at him playfully. Frankie turned her back to him.

Gally lifted his hands to her hair, trying to figure out where to start. He'd just grabbed some hair from the top of her head when she spoke up, startling him, although her voice was soft.

"Would you mind starting at the bottom? If you start at the top, the tangles get worse." Oh.

Gally moved his hands to the bottom of her hair and started working through the little knots there. His fingers combed through her hair, working his way up.

At one point, he heard her hiss quietly under her breath, and his hands stilled. "You good?" He asked quietly.

"Yeah, I'm fine. You just tugged a little, but it's okay." She replied, just as quiet.

Gally hummed in acknowledgement and resumed working through the knots, making sure to be gentle. He didn't hear any more hisses so he figured he must've succeeded. 

Finally, all the tangles looked to have been worked out. Gally ran his fingers through the length of her hair a few times just to make sure. Her hair was sort of soft. Were all girls' hair soft? Or was it just because her hair was still wet?

"Gally?" Frankie asked, startling him.

Gally dropped her hair and raised his hands in the air like he'd been caught doing something wrong. Which he hadn't. She couldn't even see him, anyway, so why were his hands up? Gally lowered his arms and cleared his throat. "Yeah?" 

"Is my hair done?" Frankie craned her neck back to look at him.

"Uh, yeah. Just finished." Gally scooted back a little on the bench. 

She turned around and smiled at him. "Thank you. Seriously." 

"Do you, uh, do you have something to tie it back?"

Frankie shook her head with a frown tugging her lips down a bit.

"Yeah. Figured not." Gally sighed and thought a minute. Reaching down, he took the bottom hem of his t-shirt in his hands and —rrrip— made a strip.

He looked up and saw Frankie gaping at him. "Turn back around." Gally ordered, and she complied silently. Taking her hair in his hands again, Gally pulled his shirt strip around it and tied a shotty little knot, hopefully not getting any strands caught. He sat back and inpected his work with a frown. It wasn't ideal, but it'd work. Probably. "All done."

Frankie's hand came up and inspected his work. She had a look of wonder on her face disproportionate to the act of service done.

"Thank you Gally." Frankie said, the awe apparent in her voice as well.

Before Gally could tone down her admiration somehow, Newt appeared, collecting Frankie and escorting her to her job for the day. The glare the other boy sent Joe's way  distracting Gally and souring his mood with the reminder. His resolve strengthened to get answers out of the second-in-command. Later. 

First he had to inhale his breakfast as fast as humanly possible (he barely touched his food, talking to Frankie, and doing Frankie's hair. And eating her food. Okay, so he did eat a little.) and then get to work.

And when he got to work, he would be working Peter a little harder than usual.

thank you for reading! if you enjoyed, please consider reblogging/commenting. also feel free to talk about the story with me in my ask box :)

[stargazer-sims]

Journal Entry #45 (part two)

previous // next // story index

__________

Yuri

Our meeting with Ms. Flatt lasted nearly three hours. Despite her alarm over the aftermath of her and her colleagues' failed effort to do their own social media communications, she'd balked when it came to the question of whether or not the company should issue a statement of apology. She was absolutely adamant that they should not apologize, and that they should simply remove the offending posts and move on like nothing ever happened.

I've seen people lose their jobs over things like this, even with letters of apology and public statements of contrition, but it seemed Ms. Flatt was either ignorant of the potential consequences or in denial of the impact words can have. It took a lot of convincing from both Mr. Tanaka and me that if she didn't want to jeopardize her own job, not to mention her company's bottom line, she needed to do major damage control now, and she needed to let us handle it.

She left at half-past twelve, and at that point I was so exhausted and in so much pain that I don't think I could've sat upright in my chair for another five minutes.

When Mr. Tanaka said we'd take an hour for lunch and reconvene at one-thirty to work out the wording for the apology statement, I was grateful. The first thing I did was hurry off to the washroom where I could take my medication in private, and then I headed outside to take a nap in the car and give my pain meds time to work their magic.

I know it doesn't sound very dignified, but I crawled into the back seat to lie down. I always keep a pillow in the car for just such occasions. A blanket too, in the winter and spring. I set an alarm on my phone and then wrapped myself in the red fleece blanket that smelled faintly of Victor's coconut sunscreen.

Phone in hand, I texted Sakura again. I noticed she still hadn't replied to my previous one where I'd asked her to tell Victor I love him. This time, I simply texted «Good luck»

After a thirty-minute nap, I felt slightly better, but not well enough to eat anything. Victor hadn't packed a lunch for me like he typically does, and I hadn't packed anything for myself, but I supposed it was irrelevant if I was scared I couldn't keep it down anyway.

At the end of my break, I didn't want to leave the comfort of my blanket roll in the back seat. I think I've gotten used to napping in the car. It's oddly cozy and feels familiar and safe. It would've been easier just to stay there, but I knew I had to go back inside and finish what we'd begun that morning even if making my body do my bidding was going to be a challenge.

In our afternoon session, I tried my best to focus on what we were supposed to be doing, but my thoughts kept wandering. I was thinking about Victor — worrying about him, if I'm being truthful — and wishing I could be with him. As time dragged on, I imagined his event had started. Where in the starting order would he be? I hoped he'd be close to the beginning. Although they groom the run, the trail conditions inevitably deteriorate at least a little towards the end of the day.

It was close to three o'clock by the time Mr. Tanaka and I both felt satisfied with our final drafts in both Japanese and English. I was barely able to concentrate any more, and was beyond thankful that the end was in sight. My painkillers were already wearing off again, much to my dismay, and all I wanted to do was make it back to town, bury myself under the covers of my bed, and wait for Victor to come home to cuddle with me and tell me about everything I’d missed.

"Yuri?" Mr. Tanaka's voice pulled my straying mind back to the conversation for about the fifteenth time in as many minutes.

"I'm sorry," I said. "Pardon me."

"Why don't you call it a day?" he said kindly. "You look like you can barely hold yourself up."

"I barely can," I admitted. "I'm not feeling very well."

"I can tell you're uncomfortable," he said. "You can lie down for a while on the sofa in the other conference room before you head home, if you think that'd help. I'll tell everyone not to disturb you."

"No, it's okay," I said. "I'll just take something for it, and then rest in my car for a few minutes. I'll be fine. I'm—" I was momentarily distracted by my phone buzzing, and reached out to interrupt the call without even looking at it. "Sorry. What I was saying was, I'm used to it."

"I know you are, but that doesn't put my mind at ease."

"Let's just proofread for grammar and punctuation," I said. "I don't like leaving before we've checked everything."

Mr. Tanaka frowned slightly, but acquiesced. "Okay. We'll take ten minutes, and then you're leaving. Agreed?"

"Agreed."

Over the next ten minutes, I ignored my phone as it buzzed two more times. I made a mighty effort to verify that every comma and period was in the right place and that our grammar was perfect in the English version of the statement.

Mr. Tanaka was just clicking 'save file' when my phone vibrated for a fourth time.

Annoyed, I flicked my gaze down at it, aware that my boss was watching me. I was about to turn the device over so it was screen-down on the table when the caller ID flashed the name and number onto the screen. For a fraction of a second, I think I stopped breathing.

Matsumori Valley Medical Centre.

Something must've showed on my face, because Mr. Tanaka cleared his throat and said, "Are you going to get that, Okamoto-san?"

"Y-yes," I said. "I'm sorry. Excuse me."

"It's okay," he said. "Go."

I scooped up my phone and walked as hastily as possible out of the room, already pressing the 'accept call' button as I went. "Yuri Okamoto-Nelson."

"Yuri! Where the hell are you, dude? We thought you were here, but no one could find you, and then Sakura said you and Victor had an argument and you didn't come. But, like... we need you! Nobody speaks English and we don't know what to do, and everybody's literally freaking out!"

"Seiji?" I queried. I recognized his voice, but what he was saying made little sense and his tone was high and desperate. He didn't sound like the casual, laconic Seiji I know

"Yes!" my friend practically screamed.

"I'm at the office, Seiji. That's why I couldn't come to watch you and Victor today. Where are you? The caller ID said you're at the hospital?"

"Yeah, we are. Takahiro called you from his phone, but you didn't answer. We've been trying to reach you for like, the past ten minutes."

“I was in a meeting. And what did you mean, nobody speaks English? Why do you need someone to speak English?"

"Victor," was all he said.

"Isn't Victor with you? And what about Fox? Takahiro said he was going to bring him. Victor and Fox's first language is English, and even Taka speaks enough English to—"

"They won't let us see him."

"What?" I said. "Who?"

"Victor!"

"Why...?"

"Dude, this is about Victor!" Seiji was speaking so loudly that his voice cracked. "It's an emergency!"

I heard a scuffling sound, and then a woman's voice saying, "Hinamori-san, you're not helping. Please give the phone to me." Next I heard, "Yuri, this is Sakura Fujimoto," and then, bizarrely, as if we were strangers, "Victor's coach."

"Hello, Sakura," I said. "What's going on? Is everything okay?"

"No," she said, followed by a pause of several seconds.

"Sakura?" I prompted.

She made a little sound like, "Ah..." There was another pause, and then, "Victor's been in an accident, Yuri."

"What kind of accident? What happened?" I asked, even though I instantly knew with absolute certainty what it must've been.

The speeds are insane in the alpine snowboarding events, and it takes a huge amount of strength and skill to stay in control. In Victor's best event, the parallel giant slalom, he can be flying down the mountain at more than seventy-five kilometers per hour. A fall at that speed has the potential be fatal.

"He had the last run of the day," Sakura said. "It was getting icy up there. You know how it is sometimes."

"Is he...?" I couldn't bring myself to finish the question. I was starting to shake, and I felt nauseous.

"He's alive," Sakura said. "But they think he's hurt quite badly. Mountain Patrol said they think it's a neck or head injury.”

“Oh,” I said, but to my own ears it sounded more like a soft moan than an actual word.

“It seems like the doctors and nurses might be having some trouble communicating with him,” Sakura went on. “None of us have been able to see him yet, not even me. The staff here aren't telling us much of anything. They say they can only talk to his spouse or another family member.”

"What?" I blurted, not because I hadn't heard or understood her, but because my brain was refusing to accept what she'd said.

Even though I believed what Sakura had just told me, some part of my psyche was insisting it couldn't possibly be right. My beautiful Victor... injured so badly that he couldn't remember how to communicate in the language he'd been speaking almost exclusively for the past two years. Injured so badly that the staff at the hospital deemed it a family-only situation. I forced myself to take deep breaths.

Sakura's voice cut across my frantic thoughts. "Where are you?"

"You know I'm in the city," I said. "There has to be someone there who can communicate with him."

"Yes. Takeshi was with him on the mountain, and there's a doctor in the emergency department who speaks English. She's with him now, but I'm not sure language is the real problem. It's—"

The rest of what she was trying to say got overwhelmed by Seiji's frantic yell. "Fujimoto-san! Stop chatting and tell him he has to get here! Yuri, can you hear me? You have to get here! It's like, life or death!"

"I'm giving the phone back to Seiji," Sakura said.

"Okay," I said, just in time to have Seiji shouting in my ear.

"You gotta hurry, dude!"

"It'll take me at least thirty minutes to get there," I told him, already feeling panic and despair surging toward the surface. Thirty minutes was too long. I was too far away from him. "I... I don't—”

"If you're in Kyoto, you better leave now," Seiji said. "Me and Taka and Fox are all at the hospital. Sakura too, obviously. We'll be waiting when you get here."

I fought for some measure of control. This was absolutely not the time to fall apart.

In a bright burst of clarity, I suddenly understood what needed to be done. If I couldn’t get there fast enough, someone else could; someone with a close enough familial connection to Victor that the doctors couldn’t refuse to give him information.

"Seiji, listen to me," I said, somehow sounding much calmer than I felt. "You have to call my father. They'll be able to tell him what's going on. I'll leave now, but Papa can get there in five minutes from his office in town."

"Dude, I'm not calling your father. He's terrifying."

"Please, Seiji, I'm begging you," I said. "One of you has to, because right now I don't think I can talk and drive at the same time. if you and Taka can't, then get Sakura to do it. Please!"

"Okay," he said. There was a brief, muffled exchange, as if Seiji was holding his hand over the telephone receiver.

Several seconds later, Sakura was back on the line with me. "I'll call your father. What's his number?"

I told her and then made her repeat it back to me, just to make sure she'd gotten it right. "If you forget his mobile number, call the office directly. It's Okamoto Electronics," I added. "His direct extension is 742."

"Got it," she said. "Seiji's not wrong, you know. You should hurry. But be safe, okay?"

"Okay," I said.

We said goodbye, and hung up.

The was the moment when I felt as if all the strength drained from my body. My phone fell from my hand and landed on the hallway carpet with a soft thump. I slid down the wall until I was sitting on the floor beside it. Pulling my knees up, I wrapped my arms around them and lowered my head. I felt like crying, but years of conditioning have made me incapable of shedding tears in public.

I didn't want to believe any of this was happening. It felt like my worst nightmare made real. A little voice in the back of my head was screaming at me to get up, that every moment I spent sitting on the floor was a moment I was wasting, but I couldn't move.

This is all my fault. If only I'd been there...

But of course that was ridiculous. If I had been there, it might've happened anyway, and I most likely would've seen it happen. Would I have wanted that?

But if you'd supported him, if he'd known you were in the crowd and cheering for him, maybe he would've been more focused. Maybe this wouldn't have happened.

This inner debate threatened to overwhelm me if I didn't stop it. Victor needed me. I couldn't keep sitting there, falling to pieces. I had to pull myself together enough to get behind the wheel and make it back to Matsumori.

I barely noticed Mr. Tanaka opening the conference room door and stepping out into the hallway. It wasn't until he was directly in front of me that I was able to gather myself enough to acknowledge him.

"Tanaka-san, I—"

"Is everything all right, Yuri?" he asked.

I struggled to my feet, not wanting to appear any more unprofessional than I probably already did. Much to my consternation, my legs wobbled and I probably would've collapsed onto the floor again if it weren't for Mr. Tanaka's outstreched arm.

"I'm sorry, Haru-san," I mumbled.

"Hey... take it easy," he said. His hands were still on my upper arms, steadying me, and it registered vaguely in my mind that I wasn't even bothered by the physical contact. "Tell me what's going on."

"Everything's not okay. I need to leave."

"What is it?" he persisted gently.

I swallowed around the lump that immediately formed in my throat when I tried to say Victor's name. "M-my husband," I said weakly. "He's been in an accident."

""Oh," said Mr. Tanaka.

"That was his coach, calling from the hospital," I continued. "They don't even know how serious it is, and it sounds like they're having trouble communicating with him. Japanese isn’t his first language."

"He's from a foreign country."

"Canada," I said.

“Right. I remember now.” He nodded. “Of course you need to go, regardless. Do you feel able to drive?"

I looked up at him and saw genuine concern in his face. "I hadn't even thought about it," I confessed. "I... I'm really not sure if I can, but I have to do it somehow."

"If you like, I'll drive you," he offered. "If you don't mind me driving your car, that is. I expect you'll have some calls to make on the way, and that'll be less complicated if you don't have to concentrate on the road. You'll want to let his family know."

Even as I experienced a rush of gratitude for Mr. Tanaka's kindness, my heart sank at the mention of Victor's family. I couldn't even imagine how I was going to tell Dr. Grace. She would be devastated at the news of something serious having happened to Victor, and judging by the level of raw emotion I'd heard in Seiji's voice, I knew that I couldn't tell her it was only bumps and bruises.

"Thank you," I said to my boss. "I'd like it if you'd drive me. I appreciate the offer."

"It's no problem," he said. "Just give me a minute to text my wife quickly and let her know I'll be on the train home tonight. You run and tell my assistant we're leaving, if you're able, and then we'll be off."

"All right," I said. "I can do that. Thank you."

Mr. Tanaka and I didn't speak much on the way back to Matsumori. I tried my father’s number, but it went straight to voicemail, and then I called Dr. Grace. Her line rang several times before eventually being directed to voicemail too.

On my second attempt, a very groggy-sounding Dr. Julian answered with, “Who’s this?”

“It’s Yuri,” I said. “Can I speak to Dr. Grace?”

“Grace isn’t available,” he said, his tone distant as if he had no idea who I was.

A bit of mental math told me that it'd be about three In the morning where they live. “I’m sorry. I know it’s early, but could you please—“

"It’s the middle of the night. Just give me the message.”

"Please tell her to call me as soon as she can,” I said. It's urgent."

[thedepthsoffandomminds]

Maze runner chapter ten.

Previous chapter

You sat with newt, Minho and chuck sat at the pit door as Thomas awoke, his head lying in Teresa's lap.

“What the hell were you thinking?” Chuck huffed.

“What happened?” He asked sitting up.

“Gally has taken control. he said we had a choice either join him or get banished at sundown with you.” Newt explained, his arm resting on the bamboo.

“And the others agreed to that?” Thomas asked as he moved himself round to see you all better

“Gally has everyone convinced that you're the reason all this happened.” Teresa said.

“Well he's been right so far.” Thomas shrugged

“What are you talking about?” Minho asked.

This place is not what we thought it was. It's not a prison, it's a test. It all started when we were kids. They would give us these challenges. They were experimenting on us and then people started disappearing. Every month, one after the other, like clockwork.” “They were sending them up into the maze.” you say.

“Yeah, but not all of us.” He said

“What do you mean?” Newt asked.

“Guys, I'm one of them. The people who put you here, I worked with them. I watched

you guys for years. The entire time you have been here I was on the other side of it. So were you.” He looked at the girl beside him.

“What?”

“Teresa, we did this to them.” He said.

“No.That can't be true.” Teresa shook her head and a tear dropped from her left eye.

“It is. I saw it.”

“Why would they send us up if we were with them?” Teresa asked.

“It doesn't matter.” Thomas sighed.

“He's right. It doesn't matter. Any of it. Because the people we were before the maze don't even exist anymore. These Creators took care of that. But what does matter is who we are now, and what we do...

right now. You went into the maze and you found a way out.” Newt spoke with a hopeful tone.

“Yeah, but if I hadn't, Alby would still be alive.” Thomas looked up into his eyes.

“Maybe. But I know that if he were here,

he would be telling you the exact same thing.” You say.

“Pick your ass up and finish what you started.” Newt finished your thoughts, “Because if we do nothing, then that means Alby died for nothing, and I can't have that.

Okay?”

“Okay, but we gotta get through Gally first.”Thomas agreed.

Newt quickly filled him and Teresa in on the plan.

As you all waited you each slowly spoke to other boys in the Glade, trying to convince them that Gally was wrong.

“What's up with you and Newt?” Frypan asked, “you guys have been kinda off today.”

“Nothing, I guess I just wanted him to stand up to Gally a bit more.” You shrug.

“You know what, we'd follow you and him anywhere, if you believe in Thomas then so do wem” he clapped you on the shoulder in reassurance. “Cut him some slack, he'd do anything for you, but he's thinking of everyone.”

Just before sundown Gally ordered Thomas and Teresa be brought over to the maze entrance he had put two large poles up. Thomas acted weaker than he was, causing the two boys dragging him to drop him by the entrance.

“Gally It doesn't feel right, man.” Winston says.

“Yeah, what if Thomas is right?”Jeff steps forward, “Maybe he can lead us home.”

“We are home. Okay? I don't wanna have to cross any more names off that wall.” Gally pointedly aims his words at you.

“You really think banishing us is gonna solve

anything?” Teresa asked.

“No. But this isn't a banishing. It's an offering.” Gally almost laughed. The boys started tying Teresa to the pole by her arms.

“What? Wait! Gally, what are you doing?” Teresa fought back.

“You really think I'm gonna let Thomas back into the maze after what he has done? Look around you! Look at our Glade! This is the only way and when the Grievers get what they came here for everything goes back to the way it was.” He growled. As he spoke Newt gave a signal by stroking his chin, Minho nodded and Chuck started slowly moving forward, several bags thrown onto his back. You walked up the side, Mai Mai with you. She had a leather plate strapped to her back and carried several bags attached to it.

“Are you listening to this? Why are you all just standing there? He's crazy!” Teresa argued.

“You shut up.” Gally turned back to her, giving you all the opportunity to get into your places.

“If you stay here, the Grievers are going to come back. They're gonna come back, and

they're gonna keep coming back until you're all dead!”

“Shut up! Tie him up! Do you hear me? I said tie him up!” Gally was shouting at the boys, who reluctantly started lifting Thomas off the ground. He got his weight on his knee and lashes out, Knocking the two boys back. Newt drew his knife and used the back of it to knock out the boys. Teresa kicked out at another. Minho stopped Gally from moving as you took position with Mai Mai at the entrance. Frypan cut Teresa down. Through the sudden chaos they all got behind you, weapons drawn.

“You're full of surprises, aren't you?” Gally grumbled.

“You don't have to come with us, but we are leaving.” You state.

“Anyone else who wants to come, now is your last chance.” Thomas added.

“Don't listen to him, he's just trying to scare you.” Gally addressed the other boys.

“No, I'm not trying to scare you. You're already scared. I'm scared. But I'd rather risk

my life out there than spending the rest

of it in here.” Thomas spoke with a wobble to his voice.

“We don't belong here. This place isn't our home. We were put here. We were trapped here. At least, out there we have a choice.” You implore them.

“We can make it out of here. I know that.” Thomas finished. A few of the boys began to move across to your side. Jeff looked at Gally.

“I'm sorry.” He whispered.

“Gally, it's over. Just come with us.” Thomas tried once more.

You step forward to him, Gally was your friend and with Mai Mai close by he wouldn't try anything. You take his hand.

Gally, please, we've always. this, it was always the goal.”

Gally rips his hand from yours.

“Good luck against the Grievers” he hisses at you and turns away.

You all ran deeper into the maze than you thought was possible until to got through the blades and all huddled against the wall. Thomas looked round.

“Is it a Griever?” Chuck whispered.

“Yeah. You take this, Chuck. Stay behind us.” Thomas gives Chuck the device

“It's okay. Just Stick with me.” Teresa said as she pulled her hair up into a tie.

“Once we're through, it will activate and the door will open. We stay close, we stick together… we get through this. We get out now… or we die trying.” Thomas speaks the words that both comfort and frighten you.

“Ready? All right. Let's go!”

All go running forward attacking the griever. Working together to push it over the edge, but it wasn't alone. More and more were coming, crawling out of the shadows and down walls. Mai Mai holds back a griever so Chuck and Teresa can get through.

“Thomas! There's a code! Eight numbers!” Teresa called back to you all. Thomas tried to think, “Eight sections of the maze. Hey, Minho! What's the sequence?” He shouted. Minho pushed back a griever

“ What?”

“The sections of the maze, what's the sequence?” Thomas asked again.

“Seven! One! Five! Two! Six! Four!” He shouted back.

A Griever came falling from above and landed on top of Minho, he used his spear to hold back the snapping jaw. Jeff came darting over and impaired the creature's head with his spear, giving Mai Mai a chance to grab Minho by his bag and pull him back to the others. Jeff didn't get the same chance, the griever plunged his teeth into Jeff's stomach and dragged him away as two more came forward. You all backed up into the small room.

“What's the sequence?” Newt asked again.

“Six! Four! Eight! Three! You got it?” Minho called back to Chuck and Teresa.

“Keep holding! Almost there, come on!” Thomas called out. There's a whirring of gears and Teresa looked back to the rest of you.

“The door opened!”

Several heavy stone walls started lowering and the Grievers scrambled to get through them. Each one being squashed and killed until the last wall slotted into place.

Next chapter

@fandomfan-102 @deanstolemydragon @afalls14universe

[gofancyninjaworld]

Started watching Mob Psycho 100. About 5 episodes in and yeah, I get why this show is so popular. It's good, even real good, so far. Mob is a good protagonist and the animation has been really impressive.

I also recently started reading One Punch Man and it's fine. I like the art and every now and again it gives me a chuckle. But ultimately I think OPM has a fairly conservative world view that makes me hard to enjoy it as anything more than easy fluff. It's all about the power of the individual and has some really questionable class politics in places. I know it's not intended for a deep read, but I can't help it. I'm glad I'm reading it through the library instead of buying individual volumes. I think I'm like 21 volumes into it.

Back to MP100, I'm still early so I can't say for sure yet, but I feel like it is the better written and realized of the two. I'm a sucker for the monster-of-the-week style format and so far it has been nailing while also developing the characters pretty well.

I gotta say, I'm impressed. I'm usually pretty cautious around checking out popular things since I tend to not enjoy them. So far that's not the case here.

First, I'm glad that your library has a lot of the OPM volumes: it's great for the series and a very wise way to read. If I didn't have my library cards, I'd be perma-broke and out of space in my home. :D

Second, I hope by now that you've finished reading Mob Psycho 100. I think it's a fantastic work and while there's a part of me that hankers for ONE to find something more he wants to say in that world and tell another story, a bigger part of me really respects that he's known how to tell 'a big story of a small step' and end there. It is one of the best coming-of-age stories I've read or watched. If you haven't checked out the anime, DO! It is incredibly well-realised, imaginative, and every season builds better on the previous.

Yes, now that you mention it, One-Punch Man does feel more conservative than Mob Psycho 100 in *some* ways. Whereas the latter is about middle schoolers exploring how to shape themselves, OPM is about the challenge of having a sense of purpose as an adult and balancing act of being an individual and being part of society. And no one quite knows what they're doing...

The various kids in MP100 may have challenges as small as getting someone to sign up for a school club or as big as stopping a would-be megalomaniac from taking over Japan, but they're free to focus on those problems. Their parents keep a roof over their heads, cook dinner, draw up budgets, pay bills, and prompt them to do homework. Their schools give them a ready-made social context in which to interact repeatedly and shape their goals. They're free to be children and it's precious.

OPM, almost everyone is an adult, and adult life is both less and more structured than that of childhood. There's a lot more to balance, you don't have infinite energy, time, or resources, and if you get it wrong, life gets super hard. We get Saitama: he's become the strongest man in the world thanks to his singular focus on being so strong that he can send any enemy flying with a single punch -- and he's also homeless (he's squatting in an abandoned apartment), with no post-secondary qualifications, no steady job (he's held lots of menial jobs, keeping them only long enough to quit and live off them so he can be a hero). The idealism of being a hero may get you thanked, but thanks don't pay the rent: that's why the Hero Association came to exist, in order to enable people motivated to be heroes to actually focus on it. It'd be a short story if Genos hadn't introduced Saitama to the HA.

Those checks and compromises necessary to survive and thrive in society do give OPM a more conservative feel. However, on the other side, there's no one telling you how far you can go. Difficult as it is, there's more scope for self-actualisation for the characters in OPM than there is for those in MP100. And there's no one way to do it. Swings and roundabouts.

Not sure how OPM will end yet, but so far, I'm still finding it compelling.

Given how long this has been in my inbox, I have no idea if you will read this. If you do (and I hope you do), thank you. Thank you for an awesome ask.

[raaorqtpbpdy]

Brotherhood (2)

Directly following the events of Double Helix, Danny enrolls in Bayville High school and joins the Brotherhood of Mutants. He's not sure if they actually believe he's a ghost and not a mutant, but at least they don't care enough to challenge him on it, and that's good enough for him. This is a direct sequel to Double Helix (linked above), and some parts may be confusing without the context of the original fic. I suggest you read that first.

Written for @crossoverdanuary Week 2024, Day 5: The Owl House X-Men Evolution | Shell

I have seen exactly two episodes of The Owl House, and that was like four years ago or something, so I was not confident in my ability to write a crossover for it. Also, from this chapter on, it's unedited and I'll come back to edit later. I just want to actually finish this fic tonight.

I tried to work in a theme of both Danny and Wanda "coming out of their shell" throughout the fic. You can also read it on AO3.

Chapter 2: Transition

Previous

[Warning for mental institutions]

"You guys got any plans for the long weekend?" Lance asked as he sprawled out on the shabby couch in the board house. "Kitty told me she and some of the X-dorks are going on an educational retreat to the California redwoods. They decided on it yesterday. Can you imagine being able to just up and fly to the other side of the country on a whim."

"And for educational purposes, yuck!" Toad agreed. "If I had my own jet like they do, I'd go to Vegas!"

"If you could afford a jet like they have, you wouldn't have to go to Vegas," Lance said. "You'd already be rich. If I had my own jet, I would use it to go to all the concerts I'd normally miss because they're too far away."

"I don't need a private jet to go wherever I want," Pietro bragged. "If I want to go to a concert, I'll run right in past security and no one will even know."

"And if that concert is in Europe?" Lance asked. "Or Asia? You know, across a massive ocean? Can you run there?"

"Okay, point taken, but why would I wanna go to a snooty European concert anyway?" the speedster scoffed. "What about you, Danny?"

"What do I need a jet for? I can already fly," he said. "Not that I use it for major travel much. Maybe I should. That's what my cousin does. She flies all over the world."

"Hey! We should do something fun this weekend!" Toad declared. "Maybe sneak into a concert, or go somewhere cool! Show those X losers we know how to have a good time while they use their fancy private jet to go learn things."

"Sure, I'm down," Lance agreed.

"Sorry guys, I'm gonna pass this time. I actually do have plans this weekend," Danny said. "I'm gonna fly upstate and visit a friend. I haven't seen her in a few weeks."

"Her?" Pietro repeated with a smirk. "This wouldn't happen to be a girlfriend would it?"

"It's not like that," Danny said. "She's a friend. She's a girl. That's it."

"Uh-huh... sure," Toad said, sounding unconvinced. "You dog."

"Lay off," Danny said, rolling his eyes. "Come on, we gotta get to school. Long weekend's not here yet."

Toad groaned.

"Buck up, we've only got one more day," Lance pointed out.

When the long weekend finally arrived, Danny filled his pockets with all the things he wanted to bring, said good-bye to the Brotherhood, who barely acknowledged him as they argued about what to do that weekend, and took off. He flew north, toward the mental institution. It had been almost three whole weeks since he'd last been there, but he remembered the way.

Honestly, he hadn't expected to go back so soon, and Wanda probably wouldn't be expecting him either, but it wasn't like he was gonna be an inpatient this time. He would turn invisible and pop into Wanda's room to hang out with her. It hadn't even been that long, really, but he missed her.

Thinking about her in that room all alone again, without anyone or anything to distract her, it almost made him regret leaving in the first place. He should have been more considerate. Even though she said she'd be okay, leaving just because he didn't like Xavier was selfish.

When, after almost a full day of flying, he finally caught sight of the building, resentment gripped his chest. He hated this place. If it weren't for Wanda, he wouldn't have even stayed as long as he had. And if it weren't for her, he definitely wouldn't have come back, ever. No matter what.

But he did. He came back. For Wanda.

Sneaking in went just as planned. No one saw him. No one heard him. He was a ghost, after all. The moment he saw Wanda, he realized that he'd missed her even more than he'd thought.

"Knock knock," he said as he appeared in her room.

She jumped in surprise, but when she saw him, she smiled. "You scared me."

"Should I have said 'Boo', instead?" he asked. "I totally should have. Missed opportunity."

She chuckled slightly and shook her head.

"You seem to be doing pretty well, all things considered," he noted.

She was still wearing a straight jacket, but it looked looser, like whoever had put it on her wasn't as worried about her getting out. Her small smile still seemed genuine. Three weeks on her own again hadn't sent her straight back to her darkest place, it seemed.

"Yeah," she agreed. "I've been taking your advice. Whenever I notice myself getting stuck thinking about the bad memory, I try to think of three good ones. It's hard sometimes, but I think the more effort it takes, the better it works, because it keeps me distracted for longer. Yesterday, I remembered reading that book with you. You know the one. I tried to imagine an ending for it where they were both arrested as war criminals instead of having a happy ending. Do you want to hear it?"

"Absolutely," Danny confirmed.

In truth, he hadn't even thought about that trashy romance novel in ages. It was largely forgettable for him, but if it helped Wanda better navigate her emotions then hell yeah he wanted to hear her ideas for an alternate ending.

In her version of the ending, there was a huge trial. The kings of both sides agreed that the Warlock and Sorceress were guilty of crimes against Arvenia, and sentenced them to live the rest of there lives in a deep, dark dungeon where the lovers could only communicate by having rats deliver notes between them.

Then, after years of planning their escape one note at a time, they broke out and took over the world together, killing the kings and terrorizing the people of Arvenia to keep them in line.

"Ooh, plot twist!" Danny said when she got to that part. "I like that you made them the villains in the end. They should have been the villains from the beginning."

"I agree," Wanda said. "It was stupid that the book just gave them another villain to blame for all the bad things they did and fight off, rather than acknowledging their crimes."

"Totally!" Danny emphatically agreed. "Oh, I just remembered! I brought you some stuff."

He reached into his pockets and pulled out all the stuff he'd brought. He pulled out a deck of cards, a book of MadLibs and a pen, a sheet of stickers. He wasn't sure what they would have the most fun with, so he'd just  brought a bunch of random junk. Lastly, he pulled out a necklace, a black choker with an ankh charm.

"What's that?" she asked.

"Your first goth accessory," he said. "I found it in a random box in the attic where I'm staying now."

"No, I mean what's that symbol?" she asked, repositioning herself so Danny could put the necklace on her.

"Oh, it's an ankh. The Egyptian symbol for life, I think."

"Life, huh? Doesn't sound very goth."

"Well, you would be wearing it ironically," he said. "Most of the other gothy stuff I found had crosses, and seeing as your Jewish and all...." He shrugged. "Felt like it would be disrespectful. So, do you like it?"

"Yeah, I like it a lot," Wanda said. "You know," her voice became suddenly softer than before, like she was nervous. "Professor Xavier is going to come tomorrow. I think tomorrow might finally be the day he takes me with him."

"You think?" Danny asked, excited for her despite his hatred of the professor.

"Yeah," she confirmed. "I've been doing a lot better lately, and I have a really good feeling about it."

"That's awesome, Wanda!" he told her. "In that case, let's call the necklace a good luck charm. I'm rooting for you. I know you can do it."

"Thanks."

"You know, I also found this totally sweet red leather coat when I was rooting around in the attic," he said. "Ankle-length, flared collar, and it's your favorite color. Once you're ready to give up the straight jacket, I'll bring it to you as a congratulations present. What do you think?"

"I think you're really trying to motivate me."

"What can I say? I miss my friend."

"Then we have a deal," she agreed. Tomorrow is gonna be the day. I just know it."

Danny grinned widely at her. 

For the rest of the day, they mostly played MadLibs. They tried a few card games, too, but with Wanda's hands restrained, the only thing they could really do was collaborative solitaire, and that got old fast. Danny stuck little ghost and bat stickers on all the latches on her straight jacket while he told her about the school he was going to, and the board house. How he'd picked the same city the Xavier Institute was in so he could see her again when she enrolled there.

"They're all mutants at the board house," Danny told her. "I don't know if they actually believe I'm not, but they don't push it. They don't even call me a mutant by mistake. I don't know, maybe it's 'cause they're afraid I'll do something, or maybe it's 'cause they just don't care enough to argue with me, but either way, that's better than I ever got from Xavier."

"I'm glad you found people who accept you," Wanda said. "I hope when I go to the professor's school, I will too."

"Me too," Danny agreed. "And hey, even if you don't find them there, you'll still have me."

She smiled at him. Her smile was always small, burdened, a little sad behind the eyes, but it was honest. Danny liked that about her. She never tried to hide anything.

That night, he crashed in her room. Despite being fully padded, it was not very comfortable, but it was better than trying to fly through the night and ending up sleeping in a tree somewhere. He said 'see ya later' and left early in the morning to make sure he wouldn't be seen when the orderlies came to get her for her meeting with the professor, and promised to meet up with her again soon.

Then, he spent another day flying back to Bayville.

"You're getting back a little late, aren't you?" Lance observed when Danny finally returned to the board house. "Did you get to spend some quality time with your girlfriend?"

"Again, not my girlfriend, but yes, I did," Danny responded. "How was your... whatever you guys decided to do this weekend?"

"Oh, we ended up not being able to decide, so we just ordered pizza and stayed here all weekend," Lance answered. "So that was... that."

"Oh, yeah, those X-Men are gonna be soo jealous of the weekend you had."

"Shut up!"

It wasn't until a couple days later that news reached the Brotherhood of the X-Men's newest member. It came by way of Lance's budding relationship with Kitty.

"Really!? The X-Men have a new member?" Danny repeated excitedly when he heard the news after school.

"That's what Kitty said," Lance confirmed. "Apparently she's not gonna start at Bayville High for another few of days so she can get settled, but yeah. I don't know anything about her, though."

"I'm pretty sure I do!" Danny said. "I gotta go!"

"What?"

Danny didn't bother to explain. He went ghost, made a quick pit-stop in the attic to grab something and then flew straight for the Xavier Institute. He'd never actually been there before, but Tabitha told him where it was a while back. Apparently, she used to be an X-Men trainee before she joined the Brotherhood, and she was still friends with some of them.

Turrets rose up out of the ground the moment he got past the gate. Probably motion-activated. Danny easily avoided getting hit by turning intangible and staying that way until he'd flown straight through the front door. It actually took a while. The grounds were huge.

By the time he got through, there was a group of mutants waiting for him, suited up and ready for a fight.

"Relax, I'm not here to fight," Danny said. He held up the paper bag he'd brought with him. "I'm just bringing a friend a gift."

"Who are you?" demanded a guy with a weird visor. Scott, probably. He seemed like Scott.

"What do you mean who am I?" Danny asked. "You know me!"

"Like, I've never seen you before," Kitty said, crossing her arms. 

How they expected to protect their identities when they didn't even wear masks, Danny had no idea.

"What are you talking about? I—" He stopped himself abruptly. "Oh yeah, my bad," he said, and let the rings of his transformation wash over him, revealing his human form. "Recognize me now?"

Judging by their gasps, the answer was yes, but they didn't stand down.

"What are you doing here?" Jean asked. "I thought you didn't want anything to do with the Xavier Institute."

"I don't wanna join, but it's not like I hate you guys or anything," Danny said. "This just isn't the place for me. And I already told you why I'm here. I'm brought a congratulations present for Wanda. She's your new member, right? Or trainee? Whatever."

"How do you know that?" asked a fuzzy blue mutant that Danny didn't recognize until he started talking. That German accent was unmistakably Kurt.

"Well, when I saw her the other day, she said she felt really confident that she was going to be able to join you guys soon, and then Lance said Kitty said you got a new member, so I figured it must be her."

The others all glared at Kitty.

"What?" she asked. "It's not like it was gonna be a secret for long anyway. We, like, all go to the same school!"

"I wasn't aware you and Wanda were so close," came a familiar voice.

Danny turned to see the professor wheeling in and had to school his face to avoid scowling at him.

"We're friends," he said. "Can I see her or not? And keep in mind if you say no, I'm just gonna find her anyway."

"As long as you haven't come with ill intentions, I see no reason why you shouldn't be allowed to see her," the professor said. "We're all mutants after all, and a sense of community is important."

"I'm not a mutant," Danny muttered, his scowl finally breaking through.

The professor responded with a tight smile. "Jean, why don't you show Danny to Wanda's room."

"Of course, professor," Jean agreed. "It's this way."

She headed up the stairs and Danny followed.

"So do you and Wanda know each other from the institution?" Jean asked. "I mean, sorry, that's probably personal. I hope you don't mind me asking."

"It's fine," Danny said. "Yeah. Security couldn't exactly hold a guy who walks through walls, so I would sneak into her room sometimes and we'd hang out. She always wanted to be able to come here. I could never really understand it, but I'm still proud of her, you know? I may not agree with you guys, but you're good people. For the most part. I'm not quite sold on Scott, yet."

Jean chuckled. "I guess we can't really ask for more than that." She stopped in the hallway and knocked on a door. "Wanda, you in there? You have a visitor."

The door opened seemingly on its own.

"Danny!" Wanda's voice called. "I didn't think you'd be here so soon."

"I came as soon as I heard, and I guess word travels fast," he replied. "Can I come in?"

"Yeah, come in," she said.

"I'll leave you to it," Jean said, as she backed away into the hall and closed the door behind her.

"You look good," Danny said.

Her clothes were a bit mismatched, but it was the first time he was seeing her without a straight jacket, and that was a huge improvement. She was also wearing the choker he'd given her. Her hair looked recently washed, and was neatly combed and tucked behind her ears. 

Even the way she held herself was more confident, happier. Not being in that rotten mental institution was already having a positive affect on her, it seemed.

"I brought something that'll make you look even better." He held up the paper bag.

"The coat?" she asked, rushing forward excitedly to take the bag from him.

"I hope it fits," he told her. "It looked about the right size."

She let the bag drop to the floor as he pulled the coat out and smoothly slid it on. It looked like it might be a little wide in the shoulders, but other than that, it fit like a glove.

"It's perfect," she said.

"I also found some earrings that match the necklace," he said. "I slipped 'em in one of the pockets. I know you don't have pierced ears, but I figured if you ever did, you might like to have them."

She patted the pockets until she found what he was talking about and smiled when she pulled them out. Then, she laid them gently on her dresser.

He didn't think he'd ever seen her smile so much, and so unabashedly. It wasn't the tiny, hesitant smile she'd worn before. She was really coming out of her shell.

"Careful," he said. "Looking at you now, I'd almost think you weren't consumed by rage."

Her smile fell. 

That had been the wrong thing to say.

"I am still angry," she said. "I can't stop it. But... you were right. I didn't need to control my anger. I just had to stop letting my anger control me. Now I can be angry and happy at the same time. Angry and excited. I feel more than just anger now. It feels good."

"I'm happy to hear it," he told her. "So how's this place treating you so far?"

"I have a roommate!" she replied instantly. "Her name is Rahne. And tomorrow, when they're done with school, she and some of the other girls are gonna take me to the mall for new clothes so I don't have to wear stuff from the lost-and-found anymore."

"That makes sense," Danny said.

"Do you wanna come?" she invited.

"I... would... but I might ruin the mood," he said apologetically. "Some of them don't trust me since I'm technically part of the Brotherhood, and we're... enemies? Rivals? Something like that. Plus, you don't want a guy tagging along on your first girl's shopping trip. Trust me. You'll want the full experience."

"You have a point...."

"I'll enjoy the surprise of seeing your new wardrobe when you come to school in a few days," he said.

They hung out and chatted for a little while until Wanda's roommate came back and Danny figured that was his cue to go. As he left her new room, he had the distinct pleasure of telling her he'd see her at school.

He could feel eyes on him until he was all the way off the manor grounds. They may not have hated him, but these X-Men sure as hell didn't trust him either.

Whatever. He didn't care what they thought about him. As long as they took care of Wanda, and left him alone, they were alright in his book. So far, so good.

[writerinparadox]

Oh yes, Bsd. I have been wanting to write about my ideas regarding the characters of the series for a long time, and what better than with a café AU?

◇ Characters : Ranpo Edogawa!

— Coffee!MaleReader x BSD

◆ "Working in the new cafeteria, you receive a somewhat... sugary order."

Wow... It sure was exhausting to work, being you, a slacker. It really didn't seem to be the most suitable or comfortable for you, but, you were aware that you couldn't just walk away from work as you did before, especially when your dear friend, F/N, is the boss.

You let out a clearly exhausted sigh as your hands, still active, moved fluidly. Each new day at the coffee shop is a new challenge, you select the beans carefully, grind the coffee with precision and prepare the cup of the order as if it were the only one of the day.

Letting out a slight hum as you listen to the coffee pot roar to a familiar tune, moving as if the sound had called to you, you end up picking up the pot as you notice the strange addition to the order that you hadn't noticed before.

Why so much sugar?

Almost instinctively, you squinted, curious about the extravagant addition. You understood that some people might like their coffee a little sweeter, but with the amount of sugar it called for... It only left you thinking about one thing.

It had to be a joke, right?

Wasn't it?

Almost as if the spoonfuls of sugar you were pouring in were burning you alive, you did as it was written, hoping and almost begging some being watching you, that you wouldn't end up with an angry person because of the addition they ordered.

You moved the spoon trying to beat a little large amount of sugar without moving it too much to avoid spreading the coffee a little. Only to pick up the order and read the name of the coffee buyer.

Before bothering to call him you noticed how a boy with green eyes, black hair and a brown cap was looking at you with curiosity, apparently waiting for his coffee, maybe you had not made it yet? You doubted that, since you had noticed him a while ago and you usually didn't take so long with coffees.

"Is Ranpo here?"

Focusing on finishing this order, you hurried to ask for the buyer out loud, just as you had done with the previous coffees you had made.

"Here."

"Oh, take your coffee with 8 tablespoons of sugar...."

It was the same guy you had noticed before, now visualizing him with a name, Ranpo, he received the coffee with a giant smile, as if he was pleased that they had actually added the spoonfuls of sugar. You could have sworn you saw just a few seconds of the way he looked at the coffee before taking a sip.

"To think I almost regretted coming in here, considering the small variety of sweets available at the counter." You squinted almost instinctively when you heard him speak.

"Excuse me?"

"You are excused." There was really no way to even try to understand this strange talk you were having. It would be best to just leave the conversation there. Lucky for you, you still have to continue making coffees.

As if in silent agreement, you nodded once in his direction, only to end up being greeted by the same action from him.

Finally, you had turned to walk towards your present co-worker, receiving the next order and getting ready to work properly, though of course, still, with the reminder of what had just happened.

.

He was lost, Ranpo was walking through the streets of Yokohama looking for a stable place to wait for one of his colleagues, free, to come and look for him.

Although, he had said he was going for candy, it was not his fault to go the wrong way, it is a big city and besides he just wanted to look for a new place to waste, to take advantage of his money in the best way, buying candy.

He is a detective at first, obviously he needs to have enough sugar to be able to work properly, every detective mostly needs sugar to work, and who better than him, one of the best detectives in Yokohama?

With his hand in his pockets, as he searched for an ideal place worth entering, in his vision, he caught a glimpse of a cafeteria that, he deduced, looked like it was recently opened and welcomed by a high quality of customers.

And obviously, since it's a coffee shop, it should have sweets, right?

His idealization at the fact that it would probably have a large amount of sweets completely clouded his judgment, causing him to enter without hesitation, despite naming himself the best detective in the world, he just ended up with a sad reward, there wasn't even a variety of sweets, being only a few that were there

Sighing in annoyance, he ordered a sugary coffee, just for the purpose of what minimum to get something good from the place.

Ordering without problems with the lady that attended, he went to sit in one of the seats, looking at the decoration and the good atmosphere that there was, well, it was not like the cafeteria that was near the Agency, but it would serve to pass the time in what they came to look for him.

He looked at the boy in charge of the coffees, precisely how he made his own, observing and counting how he poured the extra spoonfuls he had asked for, letting a slight smile show with only the frame of his lips at the fact that he really added the extra ordered.

He did not avoid getting up beforehand wanting to ask for the sweetened coffee that you put on the table where you delivered the coffees, hearing his last name, leaving his lips, he did not avoid feeling happy about it, walking towards your direction while you waited for him to make his presence known. If you already felt the slight nervousness at having to hear his last name, coming from the lips of that stranger as coordinated as if it was made to call him.

Now he just hoped he didn't end up making a bad impression. Which he did, but not as bad as he thinks, surely he would have to return to this coffee shop to be able to leave a better impression, he's not the best detective for nothing, is he?

Surely, if he does it better the second time, he will be able to deduce whether this cafeteria was worth his time.

[liondrakes]

Nonhumanity: A Change of Pace

by Sivaan of Candlekeep

This post was written for the following challenges created by @/who-is-page:

Day 29 of the Alterhuman Writing Challenge

Day 7 of the Folcintera Week Challenge

7. Some view their nonhumanity as a blessing, while others view it as a curse— where do you fall on this spectrum? What are your opinions about your personal nonhumanity? Are you grateful for it? Would you rather not be nonhuman at all? Why do you feel this way?

My nonhumanity is neither a blessing nor a curse. It's my life. Simple as that. As life goes, it has its highs and lows. My nonhumanity yields plenty of complexities, just by how confusing polymorphism can be. At the same time, my nonhumanity has its moments of simplicity. This morning, I watched Wild Africa and became an oryx upon watching members of my species spar with each other. For the time being, it was nice. No questioning or doubting, just me, Sivaan the scimitar-horned oryx. As I type this, I am now a Gemsbok.

I think the best way to describe my nonhumanity is transformative. It is a massive change of pace from everything I’ve ever known. Honestly, I can say this about my alterhumanity as a whole— not just in terms of my species! I’ve garnered all sorts of lifestyle practices and philosophies to experiment with, thanks to my alterhumanity. However, I’ll dial back a bit for clarity’s sake. Nonhumanity is the focus of this question.

Through discovering and exploring myself in this way, I feel like I'm approaching everything with a fresh perspective. I can say wholeheartedly that becoming a part of this community has given more meaning to my life and how I engage with the world around me. Becoming more involved also pulled me out of my slump as a writer. College drained me of any drive I had. I've scrapped manuscript after manuscript while trying to complete undergrad. I did it, thankfully. Yet, I also grew distant with the craft I've loved since I was a child.

My journey as a transspecies beast gave me the opportunity to write again. This time, it wasn't for a deadline or a grade. It was for me. I am grateful that I revisited these feelings from my teenage years. If I hadn't met my nonhuman friends along the way, and decidedly took the chance to embrace my identity, there's no telling if I'd even have the motivation to write again.

I imagine my life wouldn't be all "doom and gloom" if I hadn't revisited my past with this community. That said, I do believe I'd feel like something was missing. Perhaps, I'd pick up something else to fill the void. I did mention the likelihood of me becoming a furry lifestyler in my previous response. Or, there's always the possibility of the community finding me again. After all, TikTok has a pretty sizable group of therians. Granted, there's the problems of that platform to consider. Those spaces are rich with things that annoy me such as old discourse being recycled, outdated or even flat-out wrong definitions, and the appeasement of anti-kin/therian humans. Regardless, those are possibilities that didn't come into fruition.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: "What if" moments are hard to speculate on. I'm better off leaving them be as passing thoughts.

I'll tell you what's not a "What if" moment, though. I finished one writing challenge, and tomorrow, I will finish another. Looks like killing two birds with one stone truly did work out. This is the first writing challenge I've finished since high school. Do I have my nonhumanity to thank for that or myself? The way I see it, it's a little bit of both!

[dracarialove]

📄 F it, I'm posting my finished fics here, too 📄

*Check the 'rouge's heart' tag if you haven't read previous chapters

[Chapter 4: Romance]

Shadow went to work with no expectations that the eye-catching bat would show up, the hedgehog knowing very well how many people skipped out on plans. She hadn't even confirmed a definite desire to visit him, so he went about doing his job as usual.

But every time the bell on the door chimed, his ears perked up and his eyes darted hastily towards the entrance. Still hoping to see her walk in, his heart beat rose for a second before returning to normal when he realized it was just another stranger.

After hours of pouring coffee and serving pastries, he'd gotten caught up in the flow of steady customers and the mysterious woman had slipped his mind. It wasn't until her white Corvette pulled into a parking space – glimmering under the setting sun – that he remembered again, briefly being distracted from the order he was taking.

The customer – an older, orange bobcat – asked in a gruff voice, "What's the total?"

Shadow turned back, looking down at the register. "$7.50."

His gaze wandered to look out the big glass windows again while the customer paid, and he saw Rouge step out of her car. His eyes didn't linger once he knew it was her, handing the bobcat his food and beverage. A faint smile pricked at the corners of his mouth, his heart rate rising again. As the older man left, Shadow watched him in an effort to naturally catch the bat's eye when she entered.

The customer kindly held the door for her, Rouge thanking him and immediately looking at Shadow with a smile on her face. The hedgehog's eyes widened a bit, enraptured by how happy she looked to see him; it was something he wasn't used to, let alone from a beautiful woman. Part of him didn't trust the way she was making him feel, unsure of how to act when his demure nature was being challenged.

"Hi," she greeted, her eyelids lowering slightly. "Told you I'd be back."

Her playful opener made him react a bit awkwardly, Shadow not quite ready to respond in kind, but trying anyway. "You said you might come back."

Her smile didn't change – a sign he hadn't messed up yet. "Well, how could I not? The service is so good here."

Instinctively, he let forth a breathy chuckle. Another thing he wasn't used to – compliments, even from clientele. He wasn't skilled enough at witty banter to continue, so he instead asked, "What'll you have?"

"Just a hot chocolate this time," answered Rouge, refusing to break eye contact even as he put in the order and gave her the total.

"I'll take my lunch break so we can talk," he offered, handing her the drink, then nodded toward the front door. "Outside – it's more relaxing."

She nodded, taking the steaming cup and turning to walk out. The hedgehog removed his apron on the way to the back room, leaning in and addressing the coworker who was unloading inventory. Once his place had been taken, Shadow prepared a cup of coffee and met Rouge at one of the parasol-covered tables directly outside of the shop.

The bat's left elbow was resting on the tabletop, her cheek leaning into her palm. "Hopefully your afternoon wasn't too crazy."

"It never is," he replied, pulling his chair up to the table and setting down the coffee. "I don't think this place is popular enough to get that busy."

"It's a cute little shop," Rouge commented, glancing at the building. "They'd better be treating you well."

His eyes moved up from his cup as he took a sip, admiring the twinkle in her turquoise irises; her ivory hair looked soft, curling cutely behind her shoulders. He swallowed the scalding coffee, feeling the warmth hit his stomach, and managed a half-smile.

"It's an easy job," came the calm response. The intensity in her gaze strangely intimidated the hedgehog, forcing him to look away.

Rouge took the opportunity to sneak a peek at his figure, noticing lean muscle that meant he took care of himself; she liked that his fingers were anxiously tapping against his cup, finding it endearing that such a mysterious man would be nervous around her. She followed his gaze to study the darkening sky, running her eyes over the clash of orange and purple as the sun slowly sank.

Shadow suddenly spoke, drawing her attention again. "Dusk is my favorite time. Something about the harsh brightness of the orange meeting the melancholy indigo..."

He trailed off – Rouge raising an eyebrow at the poetic observation – then shook his head. "I don't know."

"No, I agree," she said encouragingly. "It's sort of like opposites attracting, or one piece completing another – even when they don't look like they go together."

His face slowly turned back to hers. "Yeah... I don't usually meet people who appreciate this time of day. Everyone seems to like dawn better."

He chuckled and added, "For some reason."

Rouge liked the way he laughed; it was soft, relaxing. A nice change from her boisterous ex, as Shadow seemed much calmer overall. Still, he had a certain alertness about him, quickly turning to look at the street when a car loudly zipped past. Raising his cup for another sip of coffee, the hedgehog could see a level of interest in her eyes that made him feel like she really was having a good time.

"Crazy people," she said, chuckling as well and shaking her head. "Although, I'll admit, I would have thought a guy like you would enjoy nightfall more."

Shadow shrugged and looked down, briefly cocking his head to one side as he did so. "Well, I used to. Not anymore."

His expression looked to be in reaction to a negative memory; Rouge thought about asking, but decided it wasn't worth it to prod at something that might be unpleasant for him to explain. Besides, then she would be obligated to do the same – and she was not ready to talk about Knuckles. So, she went to change the subject, when the hedgehog spoke up again and did it for her.

"What do you do for a living?" he asked. It was a safe question, an easy transition to a new conversation, and something that the bat was much more comfortable discussing.

"I'm a jewel hunter," was her answer, the woman gracefully sitting up straight and cupping her drink with both hands. The motion naturally brought her chest forward, which she didn't mind if Shadow glanced at – but his scarlet eyes remained on her face. "Well, I guess career-wise, I'm a government agent. It's what pays the bills, but that's not exactly what I'm passionate about."

He nodded, his half-smile returning. "So, you serve the people, in a way."

"In a way, sure – when I'm not doing my own thing. If I could just travel and take vacations for a living, believe me, I would."

"Well, anything to get away from the mundane world, right?"

She smirked and nodded definitively, then picked up her cup before asking, "What're your own desires in life?"

It was his turn to raise an eyebrow, pausing for a few seconds as she sipped her hot chocolate. His mouth opened slowly and he stated, "I'm not sure I really have an answer for that."

She lowered her drink again. "Really? You don't have a big goal you're striving for?"

Shadow shifted awkwardly, then leaned forward and rested both arms on the table, crossing the left over the right. After thinking for another second, he said, "I guess I don't. Maybe that's a problem."

His sentence sounded more like a statement of fact rather than a prompt for her to disagree, but Rouge felt inclined to reassure him anyway. Reaching her arm out, she rested her gloved hand on his forearm.

"Not at all! Actually, it's potential for lots of opportunities! Think about it: you could do anything you want just for the enjoyment of it. Not having to worry about working towards something... that's not all bad."

Her grin brightened his mood a little more, the hedgehog's own smile growing. He pulled his right hand out from under his arm and placed it on top of hers, feeling warmth in his chest while their gazes lingered on each other. Then Shadow's buttery smooth voice broke the silence and sent a light shiver down her spine.

"Would you like to go out to dinner? Perhaps tomorrow night?"

Rouge almost immediately said yes, but remembered that she had already made a promise to Blaze. Her excitement settled and she answered, "I would, but I made dinner plans with my friend and her boyfriend for tomorrow. Could we do it the night after?"

The hedgehog nodded, his curved quills flowing with the movement. "Sure."

Before he could continue his thought, the other barista opened the shop door and called out, "Hey, Shadow, is your lunch over yet? My shift's almost done."

Shadow turned – his right hand leaving Rouge's – and replied, "Yes. Just a minute."

The coworker walked back inside and he looked to Rouge with his resting, neutral expression. "Does 8pm sound alright?"

"Perfect," she answered, slipping her hand off of his arm. "Let me give you my phone number so we can set up a location."

They both stood and pulled out their cells, Shadow programming her number into his and sending a text to make sure she got it. Then they wished each other a good night, the bat taking her drink with her to finish on the drive home.

Rouge smiled to herself as she saved the handsome hedgehog's contact, taking her phone off of silent before opening her car door. She looked back once more and allowed herself a moment's glance at Shadow through the window as he donned his apron, then climbed behind the wheel and backed out of the parking lot.

***

When the jewel hunter arrived home, she felt more energized than when she'd woken up, pulling out her phone again and opening up the near-empty message history under Shadow's name. She suggested an upscale restaurant, revealing it to be her favorite establishment and offering to pay her own way.

He responded, "I've never been. But I trust your taste," making the bat bite her lip as she subconsciously swooned over the compliment.

Soon, she was preparing a meal to fill her grumbling stomach and tapping her foot to lively jazz music. Her melodic voice harmonized with the instrumental while she cooked, shutting out any detrimental thoughts and preventing her previous worries from ruining the evening. After dinner, she went up to her bedroom and began preparing an outfit for the following night out with Blaze and Silver, putting on calming classical tunes to wind down.

The stylish bat didn't spend too much time ruminating on what would look good enough to wear on a casual friend-date. Instead of her typical heart-shaped chest piece and purple bodysuit, she chose a dark blue blouse with long fanned sleeves, deciding to drape it over simple black leggings. She would couple the ensemble with plain black boots, opting to skip wearing any gloves.

Once she was happy with her choices, she hung the outfit on the outside of her wardrobe and went through her nightly routine before throwing on a thin black night gown. She briefly thought about going through the pictures on her phone again, but denied herself when the idea still caused a tinge of hurt to rush through her chest. Instead, Rouge let her body sink into her soft mattress, calming her mind before drifting off to sleep.

***

After the captivating woman had told him goodbye, Shadow stole a glance as she walked away; he couldn't help but swiftly run his eyes over her curves before turning and entering the coffee shop to let his coworker go home.

After the hedgehog put on his apron, he looked through the lobby and at the front door to make sure there were no customers around. The headlights of Rouge's car shone through the window shortly before she pulled away, Shadow disappearing into the back room as soon as she was out of his sight.

He leaned his back against the cold cement wall and let out a deep sigh, tilting his head up and closing his eyes. His hand raised to press against his chest, feeling the heart inside thumping firmly against his palm.

Trying to steady the pulse, he took a few deep breaths and opened his eyes again. The bumping slowly subsided until his heart rate was back to its resting state, the hedgehog confused at the shaky feeling fluttering through his body.

He got back to work, soon addressing a customer while thoughts of Rouge still lingered in his mind. A little while later, he received a message from the bat telling him about a fancy restaurant; the name was unfamiliar, but he skimmed the reviews and decided that it was a good choice. His lips curved into a smile more naturally as he typed out a response, the reserved man finding it easier to compliment her through the screen.

His gaze scanned over their short conversation for a moment before he slipped his cell phone into the pocket of his apron, continuing the evening shift with little enthusiasm until it was time to lock up for the night.

When he did, he contemplated texting Rouge with a good night message, wondering if it would be rude to leave their exchange where it was; but he concluded that he was overthinking things. Shadow closed out the night by taking one last look up at the stars, silently thanking the universe for letting him meet her.

[dgdraws]

My art year in review!

I learned so much this year and made a ton of cool stuff! These are my favorites from each month, but it was so hard to choose. A lot of stuff didn't even get posted--I'll be sure to at least post the ones that made it to this list!

It's amazing to see how much I've changed and learned over this year, and to see the things that are emerging as part of "my style."

Here's to another year of delight, creation, connection and fun!

Some monthly reflections beneath the cut, but here's the highlights:

I participated in 3 art challenges, Artfight, OC-tober and Huevember.

I made fanart for the first time!

I created a piece I conceived of before I started drawing

Made some big breakthroughs in techniques and skills in April, July and November

January: My first branch into full character design, Rodd is the culmination of training on Hero Forge renders to make dnd portraits! I was doing this cool thing with neon rim lighting, I should bring that back!

February: I saw a piece on here with this amazing glowing effect, so I color picked it and experimented to figure out what relationship between the colors was making it do that! The answer was saturation. This rose is meant to be glowing from within, and I think I did a good job for my knowledge level at the time! As Chuck Tingle would tell us, it's beautiful because only I could have made it in that moment on the timeline.

March: I spent a million years on every detail of this one, it has at least 5 clipping overlay/saturation layers for lighting, multiple line work groups and I want to rework that background but! I never felt more accomplished than I did when I finished this one. I learned a lot, especially about things I could skip or simplify. And the symbolism really pops off ngl

April: I read Gideon the Ninth for the first time this month and I immediately needed to draw Jeannemary Chatur, Cavalier of the Fourth House, the worst teen to do it. She's the first fanart I ever made and posted! I also discovered a new pen tool with this one, which CHANGED THE GAME.

May: This one is an idea I had written down before I ever picked up the tablet and stylus. I thought I might commission someone to make it, the image of it came to me so clearly during our VTM session I just had to make it real somehow. Well I did it! This is one I will come back to redraw in like 5 years bc I love the concept so much. Also rife with symbolism and inside nods to the Low Kings.

June: I made a bunch of ref sheets in the run-up to Artfight in July. Caleb hadn't even been in my plans to upload, but I had time and inspiration! I will be uploading this and a few more of him <3

July: This is one of my faves from Artfight! This character is Blueberry, by way of OrchidEatsBread on artfight. I have still never played... rainworld? But I love me a slug cat. In July I drew a TON of people, it really drilled anatomy basics into me and how to get clothes looking like actual clothes a bit more. Also solidified some things I would consider "my style" at the moment, like no irises, and my approach to noses and mouths and fingers!

August: Another fanart for the Locked Tomb series, I never posted this!!! Will be rectifying that soon.

September: I got really into javascript and css this month, and I made this to be a landing page image on my neocities website XD I'll get back around to that eventually...

October: At the last minute, I discovered OC-tober and the prompts from @/bweirdart, a worthy follow up to the rush of Artfight two months previous. I developed so much stuff for the Low Kings, including this drawing/character, Amayah/Girl-Z, who has been a figment of my pintrest board for 2+ years.

Huevember: Chasing that OC-tober high, I found Huevember! I did not expect to actually do every day, but it proved to be an amazing exercise! I learned so, so much about color, discovered amazing new brushes and techniques and found I really enjoy working in those one day capsules! I loved a lot of the stuff that came out of this month, including my highest note post ever!!!, but this one is still my phone background and I'm maybe developing an OC world around it. We'll see what happens in 2024.

December: I got hit HARD with the writing bug this month, so this was my only choice for this month but I WOULDA CHOSEN IT ANYWAY. I unlocked something here that I'm really excited to visit again, in fact I'm working on a companion piece rn! This is also fanart btw, prepare for me to get even weirder about this guy in the coming months.

If you've read this far, thank you so much! I have so much fun writing these little reflections and making my posts on here.

xoxo, wren

[otakween]

Digimon Adventure 02: Tag Tamers - Final Thoughts

This game was great, but my experience was slightly negatively affected by the lack of information on it. The one walkthrough I was able to find really did me dirty lol.

Anyways, I stand by my previous statement that the Wonderswan games deserve more love. I think they're definitely the best of the Adventure/02 era.

Notes:

-Okay, time to vent a little. I used this walkthrough and whoever wrote it was just flat out wrong about a bunch of stuff. They made me believe I had to go WAY harder than I needed to with fusing digimon (a very slow and tedious process if you want a lot of jogress points). They then led me to believe I had to beat the 2nd to last dungeon 10 times to get 10 pieces of a digimental...that ended up being not true at all, so I beat that dungeon 10 times for no reason lol. In the walkthrough they went into the final battle with a bunch of OP digimon with like a zillion jogress points. I went in with a bunch of weenie hut jr. digimon and was fine. Most misleading walkthrough I've ever followed! If I hadn't followed its advice, I probably would have finished this game a week ago. Luckily, I did find some YouTube Let's Plays and some tumblr posts that set me straight.

-Once I figured out how things worked I realized this game is a little too easy. As soon as you get a stun ability, you're basically unstoppable, even withweaker digimon on your team. If you manage to stun all 3 digimon on the enemy team, you automatically win. You don't even need to touch their HP! That's crazy and I've never seen a game do that before...felt like I was cheating.

-I thought it was a little weird how many dungeons in this game used baby or in training level digimon. Like I would expect that from the first dungeon but they were still showing up like mid-way through! Again, not much of a challenge.

-The variety of digimon was good and I liked the inclusion of fusion, but I wish fusion was a little more straightforward/predictable. Without any guide I was just gambling every time. The worst of it is that you have to raise your digimon from baby-level every time you fuse, which really held me back from progressing the game.

-Techniques were really confusing compared to the first game. Whereas in game 1 my digimon would gain new abilities constantly, it seemed like the only way digimon would gain abilities would be to fuse them and start from scratch. I would use the digivice to befriend powerful, mega-level digimon, but their abilities would be so trash that doing that was completely pointless. (I think you need to fuse digimon like 100+ times to get a decent mega which would take ages).

-The ending "puzzle" was just batshit. You have to defeat Millenniumon as Ryo and Ken using the same number of turns. Of course, the game doesn't tell you that at all. It just gives you a door with a number on it and goes "~oooh, what could it meeeean?~" Well, I wouldn't have figured out in a zillion years what it meant if it wasn't for a random post on tumblr. Walkthrough dude didn't figure it out because he thought it was something else that unlocked the door and a let's player I watched just seem to unlock it out of dumb luck (he defeated Millenniumon in 2 turns with Ryo and then Ken). My number was 10 by the way...this was before I was aware of the stun ability's OP-ness

-The game dramatically ends with Ken becoming the Digimon Emperor. I guess if you didn't see the anime that would be kinda a "wtf" downer ending. Wormmon tries to keep it positive by saying "I know he'll be good again someday!" It's definitely sequel bait (although I'm not sure exactly where the next game fits).

-I never really learned what some of the stats meant in this game. Defense is "PP" but I have no idea what that stands for. There's also "Y?" Which I think has something to do with a digimon's age?? I don't know why old games had to be like ";) we'll never tell" instead of just explaining things.

-This was a very relaxing game to play YouTube videos or music over, perfect for weeknights. It was very light on story, so I didn't need to pay much attention.

-I wish they did more with armor evolution. I kept buying/equipping armor but it never seemed to do much. Veemon was the only one I could really get to armor evolve via one of his attacks. Definitely missing something there...

I give this game a 7.5 out of 10. The lost points are for all of the confusion I endured lol.