#Invisible Ladders fic

[surrealsunday]

Invisible Ladders

Sky lives by one rule: Alphas are assholes. It’s that simple. And Sky isn’t ever going to be the demure, subservient omega he’s expected to be… never again. That worldview is turned upside down when Prapai steps into the picture – or more accurately, saves Sky’s ass. He’s everything Sky expects – pushy, cocky, arrogant – and everything he doesn’t – genuine, forthright, kind. Sky doesn’t know what to make of him and can’t seem to escape him. And then there’s that small matter of biology…

Fic is fully written, just being edited/ getting social media completed. New chapter posted weekly. Fic is ~205k words

Epilogue

[fortpeat]

Fav PaiSky fics of all time

(Update) Almost all of them are one chapter fics and easier to keep up with. - P.s dont forget to look at the tags of fics. Also this list is based on how many times i have reread all of them which is countless at this point and also these are my comfort fics.

Invisible Ladders

Operation Dessert

fingertips putting on a show

Layer by Layer

Slowly, then all at once

Don't Lick (Read: Lick Harder)

Time Taken

Claiming Ownership

and I want you (to want me)

An Admission of Surrender

Rewrite the lines

Home

Unbreakable

Driving Me Wild

In the middle of the night

Up to you

The wounds we Feel, In solace we Heal

With you, I'm a Beautiful Mess

More than a Memory

Set My Veil on Fire

Show Me You're Shameless

Make me Fly

Sunlight & Stardust

Bound (Singing On His Body)

Between These Pages

a poorly-wired circuit

What An Honour That Is

[acountrygirlsfun]

Facets of a Diamond

Evan Buckley x Eddie Diaz || Teen || 35k

Southern California is where Buck has spent the most time since leaving Pennsylvania. Of all the places he’s lived and worked over the last few years, this place is where he decided to stay. It’s why he picked LAFD: to put down some roots. It’s warm, has the ocean, and it’s the opposite coast of his parents. So if he’s going to be here for a while, he thinks he’ll need to make an effort to let people in. * The fic about Buck letting people at the 118 know him, knowing himself and also me fixing canon as I go along.

Even the best laid plans go awry, and Buck will be the first to admit this wasn’t his greatest plan. After getting fired and rehired on the same day, he realizes he might have taken  things a little too far. Buck knew he was getting a little desperate for some attention, but he didn’t know that would lead to a Tinder hookup convincing him to take a ladder engine out for a joyride in the middle of a shift. He’s honestly not sure how his actions helping Sergeant Grant were enough to get him his job back. What he does know is everything he currently needs, (encouragement, support, a little grace, maybe a quick hug if he’s totally honest) he could possibly already have from his coworkers if not for his plan. 

At 26, Buck knows by now that he’s a lot to be around. 

Physically, he’s taller than average, and even though he slimmed down from all the swimming during his time at SEAL training, he’s still pretty broad in the shoulders. But more than that, he knows if he doesn’t rein himself in, he can get a little loud, a little too intense to those around him. He knows it’s at least partly because he grew up feeling invisible in his own house, and he overcompensated for that by being impossible to ignore everywhere else once he finally left his parents behind. 

So the plan to keep this job and make it a career, to finally do something that matters, (to finally be someone that matters, a nasty voice whispers) was to rein it all in. 

Don’t be too loud; don’t overshare; don’t dominate conversation; don’t be needy. 

But as he had packed up his locker, finding out everyone on his shift agreed that he deserved to be fired, he realized he’d perhaps hidden too much. He’d hidden so much that no one knew him enough to even do him the kindness of lying, to even pretend to be on his side of things. 

He doesn’t know where his strategy went wrong - it worked all through SEAL training and at the fire academy. The more he thinks on it though, he recognizes that none of the people from those two experiences are people he could call on for help except maybe one or two. He hadn’t made anything beyond surface friendships with those people at the time. So although it worked to keep people from being annoyed with him, it meant he didn’t make any lasting connections with anyone. 

Southern California is where Buck has spent the most time since leaving Pennsylvania. Of all the places he’s lived and worked over the last few years, this place is where he decided to stay. It’s why he picked LAFD: to put down some roots. It’s warm, has the ocean, and it’s the opposite coast of his parents. So if he’s going to be here for a while, he thinks he’ll need to make an effort to let people in.

Continue on Ao3

[raspberryjars]

As per request, I’ve started writing Miles’ POV of my fic ‘It’s You.’

Tag list: (lmk if u want to be added/removed)

@spo0kypigeon @not-gifted-but-burned-out

His old headphones had broken the previous day, so he’d been out to pick up some new ones. Fancy, high tech ones that he’d seen a few people on his feed wearing. They were pretty cool but he definitely needed some stickers or something, they were just kind of plain and grey, not exactly his style. They had amazing sound quality though. It was almost like someone was actually singing into his ears. Fucking expensive though, so if they broke like his others he’d actually lose it.

He was in the middle of texting Ganke about his headphones when the train stopped, signalling he should get off. And as he stood and walked to the sliding doors, something, well someone really, caught his eye.

An absolutely beautiful, and, like, he means beautiful, guy was sitting right there, across from where he’d been sitting literally not even two seconds ago. Like, this drop-dead-gorgeous guy, was sitting there, and it looked like he was looking at Miles. Or at least in his general direction. This guy, with beautiful dark eyes, like seriously beautiful eyes. And like a million piercings in his face that made Miles’ skinny little nose ring look practically invisible. And also, like, his whole look was really cool. He had boots that looked like they could smash someone’s face in, and probably had based on the blue ladder lacing on one, but like, this really cool, really really hot guy had just been staring at him on the subway? And he could do nothing about it but just walk away from him because by the time he’d finished his train of thought about the guy's style and eyes and everything, he was already walking up the stairs away from the platform and the train was long gone, along with the amazingly beautiful guy.

Fuck.

tell me what u think so far!

[pocket-sized-nightmare]

this is my fic for day two of @mcyt-yuri-week! today's prompt is "royalty"

Rescuing the kidnapped rulers is not going well.

Gem would like to say that it isn’t going according to plan, but she knows there was never a plan in the first place. As much as she loves Jimmy, and as glad as she is that Scott and Jimmy are getting their cute little gay reunion, she wishes he’d brought backup. fWhip, maybe, or maybe Pearl. Definitely Pearl. She just wants to see Pearl again.

Jimmy finishes breaking down the door to Scott’s cell. Scott stumbles to his feet. “Oh, void. Oh, void…”

Jimmy turns to the other cell. “Alright, Gem. Your turn.”

He taps at the bars around the door a few times, slams his pickaxe against the heavy metal door, then—

Footsteps echo from overhead.

“I hear someone down there!” Joey calls in a singsong voice. “I’m on my way!”

“We’re running out of time.” Scott clings to Jimmy, shaking like a leaf. “You have to get out of here.”

Jimmy looks at Gem with tears in his eyes. “I have an ender pearl in stasis at the Ocean Empire. I’ve told Lizzie to drop it on my signal, but I…” He can barely get the words out. “I can only take one.”

Scott looks at Jimmy. Jimmy looks at Scott. Both of them look at Gem.

“Go,” Gem whispers.

Jimmy sends a message to Lizzie, then wraps his arms around Scott. As the ender pearl drops, Scott forces himself to look away from his imprisoned companion.

Gem stares at the wreckage — bent bars, a broken metal door, and an open chest in disarray. There’s no denying what just happened.

Sausage and Joey make it down the ladder and stare at the unlocked cell. Gem can see the fury in their eyes before they even say a word. She crawls to the back corner of the cell and curls up in a ball in a hopeless attempt to shield herself from their attacks.

Sausage stalks towards her. “So he got out, did he?”

Gem nods. Tears pour down her face.

Sausage points his staff at her, prepared for another attack. “You let him escape. And you’re going to tell us everything.”

---

Everyone is understandably furious about this.

fWhip is on the verge of snapping and screaming at anyone he comes across. Shrub blinks back tears every time the subject comes up. Jimmy and Katherine spend all their energy caring for Scott and refuse to think about anything else.

The only person who hasn’t broken yet is Pearl.

None of the other rulers know that Gem is her partner. Neither of them talk much about it — they go on midnight picnics to stargaze, build the community garden behind Pearl’s castle together, and fall asleep in each other’s arms when the world feels safe enough for them to let their guard down, but that happens less and less often lately, and Gem has never liked being open about her emotions anyway. The moment Scott and Gem disappeared, Pearl took a page out of Gem’s book — both metaphorical and physical. She withdrew to her room, researched search-party spells and telepathic links for hours, and cared for Gem’s pets. When Jimmy returned with Scott and not Gem, Pearl knew everything before he could even say a word. The final puzzle piece of her plan fell into place then and there.

Pearl’s plan is simpler than anything the other rulers have come up with. In a way, that’s her cover. Xornoth’s minions are expecting big, flashy fireworks and chaos. They’ll be on the lookout for the hissing of fWhip’s explosives or the howls of Shrub’s wolves.

They will not look for PearlescentMoon crossing the border to Mythland under cover of invisibility.

She makes it all the way to Sausage’s castle without anyone batting an eyelash. The door is locked, but a window just above the door isn’t, so she climbs a nearby vine and cautiously slips through it. If she’s remembering Jimmy’s instructions clearly, there should be a ladder just below her, and then the cells are underneath that. Gem must be nearby.

It’s too quiet. Gem’s too quiet. Gem is never that quiet.

“Please, Gem,” Pearl whispers under her breath. “Please don’t be dead.”

She ties up her dress so it won’t get in the way, then opens the hidden trapdoor and sneaks into the basement.

The basement isn’t deep underground, but every step feels like an eternity. The unbearable smell of mold and dust overwhelms Pearl. She shivers with a cold ache that feels almost otherworldly. She has to get Gem out of there. She takes another step down the ladder, then another, faster and faster, when—

The ladder creaks.

From below, Gem gasps and scrambles to the back corner of her cell. “No, stop… I’ll give you anything you want, just not the dragon egg… please, just don’t hurt me…”

Pearl blinks back tears at the sight, but she forces herself to stay silent. One wrong move could doom them both.

She steps softly to the ground, walks over to an overstuffed chest, and gathers Gem’s items. She can’t carry everything, but she makes sure that Gem’s armor, tools, potions, and staff end up in her pockets.

Gem stares at the open chest. “I’m going crazy. I’m losing my mind. Please stop, just leave me alone…”

Pearl can’t stand to be silent anymore. She takes out a bucket of milk and drinks it, letting the invisibility spell fall away. “Don’t worry. It’s me.”

Gem stays curled up against the wall. Her eyes widen. “Pearl?”

“Oh, gemstone…” Pearl cautiously steps closer to the cell. “It’ll be alright. I’m gonna get you out of here.”

Gem breaks down sobbing.

Pearl lets her own tears fall. “I’ve got your stuff here. I’m gonna hand it through the bars, okay? Then I’ll break you out.”

Gem nods, still crying too hard to speak.

Pearl hands Gem’s items to her one by one. Gem equips her armor faster than Pearl’s ever seen before and holds her staff close to her chest for comfort. “Thank you,” Gem whispers.

“Of course.” Pearl turns her attention to the cell itself. Her heart drops. “Oh, my void. There’s no door…”

“They took it away after Scott escaped.” Gem holds her staff tighter. “They didn’t want me getting out too.”

“Gem, that was two days ago!” Pearl sits down next to the cell and reaches between the bars to take Gem’s hand. “No one’s come down for you since then?”

Gem squeezes Pearl’s hand so tightly that her fingers turn white. “No, they’ve come down. They can…” Her voice breaks. “They can still cast spells through the bars.”

Gem’s broken expression shatters Pearl’s heart. “Oh, love,” she whispers. “I’m here now. It’s going to be alright.”

Gem starts to cry again. “Pearl, help me…” “I’m here to help. Don’t you worry.” Pearl takes out a pickaxe and cautiously taps at the bars. “I’ve got to do this as quietly as possible. Sorry it’s so slow.”

“Take your time.” Gem slowly uncurls and moves away from the corner.

With a loud clang, Pearl manages to snap two of the bars off the wall. She slips through the gap and kneels down next to Gem, making a point not to look too carefully at her. Not yet. She needs to get Gem out of there first. She can’t afford to stop for anything, no matter how much it hurts her to see Gem like this. “I’ve got invisibility potions. If I’ve done it right, we should be able to see each other, but no one else can see us. I’ll break through the wall, and–“

“We’ll be seen.” Gem leans on her staff as she struggles to her feet. “We need to teleport.”

“Gem, it’ll kill you.”

Gem ignores her. “I can get us as far as the castle gate.”

Pearl sighs. She knows her partner well – when Gem makes up her mind about something, there’s no talking her out of it. “Fine, but you have to conserve your power. I’m not letting you die halfway to safety because you overdid it. I’ll take you back to my empire, and we’ll get you fixed up.” 

She hands Gem a bottle of a purplish-gray potion. Gem drinks it and makes a face. “You’ve really got to work on your recipe.”

“Hey, I’m trying to save your life here,” Pearl chuckles. “Give me a break.”

Gem lets herself laugh. “Of course. But when you drink it, I think I’ll be proven right.”

“Oh, come on, I had one from a different batch earlier. It’s not that bad.” Pearl chugs her potion… and fails to hide her disgusted expression. “Never mind. That’s horrible.”

Gem smirks. “Told you so.”

She’s interrupted by a voice from above the cell. “Don’t tell me we have another intruder.”

“We’ll take care of them this time,” another voice says. Pearl recognizes the voice as Sausage. “She’s not getting away from us.”

Gem freezes in panic. “Pearl, they’re coming. They’re gonna find us.”

Pearl slams the bars back into place. “Gem, breathe. If you’re gonna teleport us, you have to do it now.”

Gem takes a deep breath. “Hold onto me.”

Pearl puts an arm around Gem’s shoulders. Gem closes her eyes, holds the staff out in front of her, and whispers something Pearl can’t hear. With a flash of purple light, the two vanish from the cell.

The spell works perfectly. Gem and Pearl land just outside the castle gates, and judging by the lack of odd looks around them, the invisibility potions are still working their magic. They’ve made it out. “You did it,” Pearl whispers.

Gem leans her whole body weight onto her staff, then collapses to the grass. “Pearl, I can’t…” she murmurs weakly. “I can’t walk. I don’t know what to do…”

Pearl’s voice is soft and kind. “I’ve got you. It’s alright.” 

She lifts Gem into her arms with ease. Gem wraps her arms around Pearl’s neck and clings to her for dear life.

“Just hold on, my love,” Pearl whispers as she carries Gem through Mythland. “You’re gonna be alright. I’m getting you out of here.”

When they cross the border into Gilded Helianthia, the air itself seems to get lighter. Pearl hadn’t realized how corrupted Mythland has become until that moment. She has to figure out a way to heal it. No one else will get hurt — she’ll make sure of it.

“Pearl?” Gem clings tighter to Pearl as the kingdom’s golden buildings come into view. “I don’t want to be seen like this. Don’t let me be seen like this…”

“It’s alright. The invisibility spell should hold for a few minutes more.” Pearl rubs Gem’s back, hoping the gesture is comforting and not painful. “No one will see you until you’re ready.”

Gem takes a shuddery breath. “Okay. Okay, that’s… that’s fine. I just… it’s just…”

The castle appears in their vision. Pearl whispers to Gem, “Just what?”

Gem closes her eyes and tries to hide her tears. “I don’t want to die…”

“Oh, starlight…” Pearl blinks back tears of her own. “I won’t let you. You’re going to be alright. I promise.”

Gem buries her head in Pearl’s shoulder and lets herself cry. “Can we go inside?”

“Of course, my love.” Pearl keeps Gem wrapped safely in her arms as she enters the castle. “Of course.”

---

Pearl’s mind whirls as she carries Gem up to her bedroom and lays her down on the bed. Void, she’s tired. She hasn’t had a good night of sleep since Gem and Scott went missing. She can hardly imagine how Gem feels.

Gem curls in on herself with a pained wince. “Pearl, what do we do?”

“Just try to relax,” Pearl says as she types something into her communicator. “I have to tell the others that you’re safe so they stop worrying. I can tell them you don’t want to see them at the moment, if you’d like.”

“Mhm,” Gem mutters. “Do that. But what about…”

Pearl sighs. “I have Joey blocked at the moment.” After a pause, she adds, “And Sausage, too.”

“Okay. Fine. Send it.” Gem curls further into herself. “But they can’t see me like this.”

“Of course not.” Pearl types a few more words.

<PearlescentMoon> I have Gem

<PearlescentMoon> She’s safe and recovering in my empire

<PearlescentMoon> She’s requested no visitors right now but I’ll let you know when she’s ready

Dozens of messages ping in at once, but Pearl ignores them and puts her communicator down. Her partner is more important. As she sits down on the side of the bed, Pearl finally lets herself take a good look at Gem for the first time.

Gem’s braid is messy and full of dirt. One of her antlers is snapped in half. She’s covered in deep cuts and bruises, and there are dark circles under her eyes that make it clear she hasn’t slept in days. Her skin is pale and dry. Pearl chokes back a sob. “Oh, no, gemstone, I’m so sorry…”

Gem takes shuddery breaths as she tries to calm herself down. “No, it’s… it’s alright. You got me out. That’s enough…”

Pearl opens a green shulker box on the shelf and takes out bandages and healing potions. Gem stares in amazement. “You had that prepared for me?”

“Gem, you have to get used to people loving you,” Pearl says bluntly. “Did you really think I was going to drop you at the edge of my empire and leave?”

“Good point,” Gem murmurs, clinging to consciousness. She sighs. “Help me?”

“Of course.” Pearl hands her a healing potion. “Drink this.”

Gem chugs the bottle in seconds. She hums peacefully as the potion takes effect, filling her with warmth and comfort from the inside out.

“Okay. Now here, let me…” Pearl gently bandages Gem’s wounds one at a time. Bit by bit, Gem lets herself relax.

Pearl finishes by filing down the sharp end of Gem’s broken antler, then helps her to her feet. “I’m gonna wash your hair now, alright?”

“Okay…” Gem allows Pearl to lead her into the bathroom. She sits down in front of the sink and undoes her tangled braid. 

Pearl realizes it��s the first time she’s ever seen Gem with her hair down. She wishes it could’ve come at any other time, so she could sit and admire Gem’s beauty instead of worrying for Gem’s safety. “Here, tilt your head back. I’ve got you.”

Gem closes her eyes as Pearl gently washes her hair, combing out all the tangles and dirt. It occurs to her that the gentle touch is the most physical affection she’s received in weeks. When Pearl finishes washing Gem’s hair and takes her hands away from Gem’s head, Gem feels involuntary tears prick at her eyes again.

Pearl returns with a ribbon and ties Gem’s hair back into a braid, then notices that Gem is crying. “What’s happening, gemstone?”

Gem just sobs.

“Hey, hey, it’s okay. It’s gonna be alright.” Pearl helps Gem to her feet again, then wraps her in a hug and helps her stumble back into the bedroom. “You need your rest, alright? You’ve been through so much.”

Gem falls onto the bed and allows Pearl to tuck her in. Her breath speeds up I’ll m as she fights her instinct to cling to wakefulness. “I… I can’t… I…” She blinks back another wave of tears. Finally, she manages to form a single word as she grabs Pearl’s wrist. “Stay?”

“Always, my love.” Pearl sits down on the bed.

Gem pulls her closer until Pearl is lying down beside her, then curls up in her arms. “Thank you, sunflower. For everything.”

“Of course.” Pearl kisses Gem on the forehead. “We got you back, and we’ll never let them take you again. I’ll make sure of it.”

“I love you,” Gem murmurs.

“I love you too,” Pearl whispers back. “Sleep well, starlight.”

Gem’s eyes close again, and she slips into the first restful sleep she’s had in months. Pearl stays by her side.

The world might be broken, but they will keep each other safe.

[threewaywithdelusion]

Excerpt from a Time Travel Fic I Probably Won't Finish

(This is completely unrelated to my time travel fic You Me Her. In this version, Steve and Robin go back to summer 1983 together from 1986 after the death of most of the other characters. Robin ends up fake-dating Steve to hide her sexuality and give her a reason to be around him.)

Robin was sitting out at the picnic bench in the woods, waiting for Steve’s afternoon practice to finish. She probably should have been sitting in the bleachers, watching them practice and playing the role of the good girlfriend. But she hated spending time around the other jocks. Tommy H never said anything disparaging in front of Steve – not after Steve had made it clear who he would pick if forced to choose between Tommy and Robin – but he said anything he could get away with when Steve’s back was turned. Jason Carver looked disgusted with her presence. And several of the other boys were nice enough, decided that they found Robin funny when she wasn’t rambling. But now that she was the girl on King Steve’s arm, she was noticeable and a lot of the boys looked at her in ways they hadn’t when she’d been an invisible band geek. 

Most of them didn’t say anything lecherous to her face. They didn’t dare touch her or flirt with her, not when they saw her as belonging to Steve. 

But the attention made Robin uncomfortable anyway.

Part of her wondered if she should stage a breakup with Steve so she could go back to getting bullied the way she was used to instead of this new, confusing way. But now that she’d “dated” Steve, she didn’t think she’d go back to being invisible, even if they broke up. And the only thing worse than putting up with a bunch of horny, cruel jocks was still having their attention but without Steve’s protection. 

Robin hated that she needed Steve’s protection. She’d faced off against monsters from another dimension. She’d spat in a Russian soldier’s face. She’d done things that would make those jocks piss their pants in fear, and none of it mattered here. To them, she was just a girl, powerless and vulnerable except for the protection of her future prom king boyfriend. 

It sucked. 

The sound of metal jangling made Robin look up. 

“Eddie Munson,” she said, surprised. 

He looked younger than when she’d known him. His hair was shorter, just above his shoulders, and the battle jacket he’d thrown at Steve had a lot fewer patches. The chains on his jeans were probably what had gotten her attention. He looked shocked to see her. 

“Robin Buckley.”

She frowned. “You know who I am?”

In 1983 Eddie must be a senior, the first time around. Robin was a sophomore and they didn’t exactly run in the same circles. They both ran with music crowds, but Robin liked the band kids and Eddie ran with the crowd who thought they were too cool and alternative for the band kids. He had no reason to know who she was.

Eddie laughed. “Do I know the girl dating King Steve? You’re hard to miss, Buckley. You sent the whole school into a tizzy, wondering how you distracted The Hair from pursuing cheerleaders. Word on the street was he had his eye on Nancy Wheeler, who’s at least vaguely on the popularity radar, and then BAM! King Steve shows up with a band kid girlfriend and settles down for the first time ever. How did you do it?”

Robin fluttered, unsure of what to do with her hands. “Oh God. Everyone is gossiping about me, aren’t they?”

“Should’ve thought of that before dating King Steve,” Eddie said. “So how did you do it? Did you seduce him?”

Robin snorted. “No.”

“Trick him?”

“No.”

“Is this some kind of Prom King rebellion on his part? Is dating a band geek the jock equivalent of a teenage girl dating a bad boy?”

Robin scowled. “Maybe we just like each other.”

Yeah, she and Steve ran in radically different circles on different rungs of the social ladder. But Steve was her best fucking friend. She liked his unfailing love for shitty music and shitty mainstream movies. The snappy, annoyed persona that she and the kids were good at drawing out of him. The way he cared, always, about everyone, and showed it by giving them food, or his jacket when it was cold, or his ear if they needed someone to listen. 

She’d laughed with Steve until her abs hurt. She’d cried on his shoulder for more hours than she could count. She’d come out to him in a shitty mall bathroom and his support for her hadn’t wavered, not once, not even for a second. 

He’d let her make the unilateral decision to be his fake girlfriend and never complained, even though it was keeping him away from Nancy Wheeler. He’d trusted her with his fears about his brain and told her it wasn’t scary to be honest with her because she was Robin. 

Robin knew it was 1983 and Steve was only a few weeks separated from the height of his King Steve persona. But she hated that she was the only person who saw him as more than that. 

“Right,” Eddie said, sounding tentative. “Well, listen, as fun as it’s been  to talk to the Queen Consort, could you take your homework somewhere else?”

Robin stared at him. “I was here first.”

“And usually, I’m all for finders-keepers and solemnly respect the rule of dibs,” Eddie said. “But I need this table to do business, and you’re going to scare off the customers.”

Robin’s eyes dropped to the little metal lunchbox Eddie was holding. “Oh. Right. Sure.”

She slid her books — and Steve’s books, because she working on his math homework tonight — into her backpack. 

“Thank you, Your Highness,” Eddie said, dropping his things onto the table. 

Robin made a face at the nickname. “I’m just Robin.”

Eddie looked up at her with big, distrustful eyes. Like just her association with King Steve made her someone dangerous, someone who he couldn’t trust. “Not to the people at this school, you aren’t. Not anymore.”

Robin didn’t know what to say to that. She wanted to scream at the top of her lungs. She wanted to say that nothing about dating Steve (or pretending to date Steve) had changed her as a person and that she hated all the popular kids as much as Eddie did. That she was still a girl who talked too much, who missed too many social cues, who played trumpet in a polyester costume, and who liked to kiss other girls. That she understood what it was like to be an outsider in a small-minded town like Hawkins, Indiana. 

But she couldn’t say any of that. 

Instead Robin spun on her heels and walked away, anger and frustration and a strange sadness in her chest, like she was mourning the girl she’d been in the other timeline. The girl who had never met Steve until her first day working at Scoops Ahoy. 

Maybe she was beginning to understand how Steve felt when, for years after his downfall, everyone had still referred to him as King.

[pyxilate]

Racoon!Stelle x Artist!Lumine, but poorly drawn and done lazily (photo taken by photographer yours truly March 7th, I mean). Have what you will :) also Lumine is standing on an invisible step ladder.

I'm going to release a fic based on this on AO3 (probably, don't quote me on that). Stelle x Lumine = Stellumi. Please help me keep this ship alive :(

[missmungoe]

Hellooo!

I was wondering is the fic about kid luffy sleeping in the bar and shanks carrying him upstairs in AO3? I mean it probably is not because I have already re-read most of them.

If it is not I think it would be great for download and easy access.

And I have stressful times right now, have lots of exams and work. I have to take my mind out of them a little. Soooo can I ask kindly are there any snippet that you can share? I mean I think I already memorized most of them especially Andromea 😄 WHİCH WAS JUST EPİC. Buggy and my girl Makino what a duo.

And finally thank you for all your amazing stories.💙

Hi! I haven't posted that fic to AO3 (yet) because it's a scene from a longer one-shot. I know it's been a WIP for ages and that I could just post the scene and be done with it, but I also really want to finish this fic, so once I have, I'll post it on AO3 ;)

And I'm so sorry to hear you're having a stressful time! I'm not sure this snippet will make it any less stressful, but here's a sneak peek of my next update, which believe it or not is Bind Me to the Tide - aka, the Soulmate AU I started and then didn't touch for three years (oops). But hey, better late than never!

She ran.

The darkened cottages disappeared as she hurtled past them, half-stumbling in her desperation, her skirt gripped between her hands and her breaths gasping. She didn’t even know where she was going, knew only that she had to run, even as she felt the tug where she’d cut her finger, like an invisible tether, drawing her back towards the bar, and the captain she'd left there.

The look in his eyes was burned into her mind, the moment of recognition she'd feared ever since he'd walked through her doors. Or maybe it was in her soul she felt it, a brand carved as deep as the scars on his face, and a knowledge just as cruel: that there was no running from the truth, or from him, now that he knew what she was.

She ran so hard she tasted blood, her breaths sobbing as she stumbled through the dark, the village behind her as the forest opened up ahead. It was almost too dark to see, nothing but the moon to guide her, the star-strewn sky weighing heavily over the fields where the windmills waited, their sails silent in the still air.

An idea seized her, and before she could second-guess it she’d climbed the fence, nearly falling in her hurry and scraping her palms on the rough planks, too panicked to remember that he’d be able to feel it, but she wasn’t thinking as she ran through the tall grass, her boots slipping in the soft soil as she scrambled for the door to the windmill.

The darkened interior greeted her, the round chamber lit by the shaft of moonlight piercing the mill’s only window. A stack of crates leaned against the far wall, and a ladder climbed up to the level above. As a child, it had been everything from a castle to a pirate ship, climbing the ladder with her imaginary sword, or a book tucked under her arm; had been whatever her imagination had needed it to be at any given moment.

Now Makino needed it to be a hiding place, although it wasn't chores or a scolding she was hiding from, a little girl's worries, back when she'd known no greater fear than her mother's disapproval.

Huddling behind the crates, her knees drawn up to her chest, she tried to be quiet, but even with her brow pressed to her knees, she couldn’t stifle her shivering breaths. Her heart was beating so loud it hurt, and she wondered, terrified, if he could feel that, too.

But even if he felt it, the bond only bound them through their pain; as far as Makino knew, it couldn’t tell him where she was.

Maybe he wouldn’t think to look for her here, if he thought she'd try to lose him in the forest. Maybe he’d even think she’d fled to Goa, and search for her there. If she could just stay hidden long enough, then maybe…

But even thinking it, she couldn’t forget his eyes when he'd looked at her and known, a recognition so vivid she still felt it, like the dull throbbing in her fingertip. And she knew then, in the quiet depths of her soul, that there was no escaping her fate, or the bond. That she could run and hide all she wanted, but that there was no way he would leave her port now that he knew.

No, there was only one thing that would grant her freedom now, the only thing that could sever a soul-bond. Even bound by the Fates’ will, there was one choice she was still free to make, even if it would be her last.

The door to the windmill creaked open, and her breath seized as her eyes flew up.

The pale moon outlined the tall figure in the doorway, his cloak draping from his wide shoulders, as though he'd dragged the night with him. He wasn’t wearing his straw hat, although with the moon behind him, Makino couldn’t see his face, but then she didn’t need to, a hundred nightmares resurfacing, the shadowed figure in her dreams replaced with his features as she knew them now, the high, regal brow and the chiselled jaw, and his breathtaking features warped with the wide, gleeful grin that had been carved into her memory.

Stepping across the threshold, the moonlight illuminated his scars, and she felt the phantom pulse in her own, and Shanks had barely taken a step inside when she moved, snatching the corkscrew she kept at her belt, the polished handle gripped between her white-knuckled fingers and the sharpened tip pressed to the soft underside of her throat where her pulse leaped wildly, her voice lashing from her, sharper than Makino had ever heard it.

“Don’t come any closer!”

[dandylovesturtles]

Chello~! So I was reading your amazing fic “I May Be Invisible but I Still Look Good” and I was wondering, just outta curiosity. What inspired the concept for the fic in the first place? It’s a really cool concept- a spell that basically tears the soul out of the body and makes a person a “ghost” (sorry, Leo, I’m using the word ghost), but there are restrictions to what they can go through and stuff.

And another note- is there a specific reason you chose which one of Leo’s brothers broke which part of the spell? Like, Mikey broke sight, Raph broke sound, and Donnie broke touch. I see the parallel with Donnie, since he’s typically pretty adverse with touch, but I was wondering about Raph and Mikey.

I also wanted to say that your writing is beautiful and the fact that I can’t leave more than one kudos-es on Ao3 is cruel 😤.

Keep up the amazing work and have an absolutely wonderful amazing supercalifragilisticexpialidoshus day/night/afternoon/2am/endless white void :,]

Hi! Thank you so much for reading, I'm glad you're enjoying it! I've answered some of this but I'm too lazy to dig through my blog so I'll answer again! lol

I've written a fic similar to this before for another fandom (One Piece) over a decade ago - it's a trope I've always enjoyed haha. Though that fic was definitely more of a comedy (the character who got ghosted ended up possessing another character's body so they had to share), while this one leaned more heavily on angst. Although both OP and ROTTMNT are comedic canons so there's still a lot of jokes in both haha.

Anyway I thought of doing this with Leo because even though Donnie was (and still mostly is) my favorite character, Leo is the one I like putting through the spin cycle, because I think his character is a really interesting one to dig into. Leo has a lot of layers to him, and he has a hard time showing his real self to others and asking for help, and this sort of trope is great for forcing characters to do exactly that. Take away their ability to communicate and it makes them want to communicate more! lol

I ended up rambling so I'm putting a cut here.

I actually went around and around for a bit coming up with exactly what the restrictions are for how Leo can move. Like, I spent way too much time trying to decide if he can climb ladders and in the end I just avoided ever mentioning it (he probably can, like he can climb stairs, because otherwise getting out of certain parts of the sewer would be hard). But a lot of it came out of practicality, like I needed him to be able to ride in the tank properly so he could go home with them in the first chapter. But when I thought of the scene where he and Mikey get separated by Meat Sweats I just pushed that to the logical conclusion of "well he can ride in the car but he isn't actually constrained by the frame of the car besides the bottom" and that turned into car surfing.

Initially however I was going to have it so he was restricted to the immediate area around his body and so to leave the lair with Leo the brothers would have to Weekend at Bernie's him around. I eventually gave up on this idea because it caused too many logistical problems lol... Like I would have to establish that either his body can survive because it's just in a form of stasis (which I didn't like because it retroactively killed some of the first chapter's tension and also killed later tension) or they would have to cart around some kind of ventilator and that's a logistical nightmare. But I didn't want Leo to be confined to the lair because, boring. So that's where the idea of him being tied to them after they regained a sense came from, which has worked out great because I ended up using it for way more drama than I anticipated at the start haha.

Here's my writing tip no one asked for: when coming up with the rules for any kind of magic anything, narrative utility always trumps realism - as long as you have internal consistency it's fine.

AS FOR WHO GETS WHAT, well, I always planned for them to regain the senses in the order Mikey > Raph > Donnie (I feel like it just makes the most sense that Mikey is first and Donnie is last so Raph is naturally the middle), but originally they were going to get the senses in waves, like once Raph broke part of the spell both Mikey and Raph would get hearing, etc. And I already planned on it going sight > hearing > touch as well. But then I decided to split the senses up because I felt like it was more interesting that way. See the tip I posted above LOL

But as for why I picked sight > hearing > touch, well... I needed Mikey to see him first for narrative utility but also since Mikey is the one who is best at emotions, I liked having him get sight, because that way Leo can't really hide from him, and so Mikey can get a sense of how Leo is dealing with everything through this ordeal. Like Leo can hide his emotions from Raph by being quiet or from Donnie by not touching him but he can't escape Mikey. The other two obviously know Leo is not having a good time, but Mikey is the one who has the fullest picture of how badly this is affecting him, and Mikey is also the best at communicating that to the others and helping Leo through it just by being there. That's why you get a lot of Mikey literally guiding the others to him, too - he's good at helping that way!

As for Raph, I made a joke at the time that I wanted to force the dumb-dumbs to actually use their words lol. Which is a lot of the motivation! Of course, Raph and Leo are at a better place than they were pre-movie anyway, but I still wanted to put them in a place where they have to talk because they literally don't have any other options. Also, I really love the co-leaders vibe, or at least Raph being his right hand man, and I wanted the two of them to be able to talk strategy, which was of course easiest if they could actually, ya know, talk. Leo may be leader but he still looks up to Raph and turns to him for advice, or as a sounding board to work out what he's thinking through, so it's really beneficial for him to be able to talk to Raph.

And yes finally, Donnie is touch averse so he gets touch and we all laugh. LAUGH. But also Donnie would be most frustrated by not having a more direct way to communicate with Leo, but also the most determined to actually make it work. Also this way he is given a problem to fix. Leo is touch-starved and it's not good for him to be like this for too long, because he's losing his grip on reality. Donnie can fix that problem by touching him, and so he will, because Donnie fixes problems. Even if it requires giving his dumb-dumb twin shell scratches (he doesn't mind) (he won't admit it though).

Also the ouija board jokes are very funny. If it works for zozo why can't it work for Leo!

Sorry for all the rambles aaaaa thanks for the ask!

[yikeshereiam]

Thiam Top Gun AU - Callsigns explained

Theo - Tinker Bell. It stuck because Erica used to call him 'the bell of the ball' which was shortened to 'bell' until someone who was really into Disney on their squad made the connection between Theo being an untrustworthy shit who everyone is only half sure won't kill them and the Peter Pan movies.

Hayden - Jaguar. She once tried to bite a guy who got a little too handsy at a club. Her squad found it hilarious, the guy in question did not.

Liam - LED. His full-name is Liam Eugene Dunbar. Fell off a ladder trying to change a bulb in on-base housing, had to call his roommates to take him to the on-base hospital. Broke three fingers and was grounded for six weeks. Often shortened to 'Lee' or 'Dee'.

Erica - Snow White. Sleeps like the dead but Sleeping Beauty was taken.

Boyd - Bones. Some cheeky alliteration from his literature loving WSO (Isaac). Caught traction because a C.O. once said his humour was as dry as a bag of bones. Coincidences and all that.

Isaac - Diva. Wore a scarf to an off-base party once and hasn't lived it down since.

Corey - Gecko. A drunken colleague was like 'you're always sneaking up on us, like those invisible lizards, y'know *snaps fingers together* the geckos', he sent everyone more sober into an absolute tailspin with laughter.

Derek - Alpha. He once, un-ironically, said ‘who’s the alpha now!?’ after beating Scott in a game of pool and everyone almost died with laughter. Derek blames the fact he was drunk. No one believes him. 

fic link

[surrealsunday]

Invisible Ladders

Sky lives by one rule: Alphas are assholes. It’s that simple. And Sky isn’t ever going to be the demure, subservient omega he’s expected to be… never again. That worldview is turned upside down when Prapai steps into the picture – or more accurately, saves Sky’s ass. He’s everything Sky expects – pushy, cocky, arrogant – and everything he doesn’t – genuine, forthright, kind. Sky doesn’t know what to make of him and can’t seem to escape him. And then there’s that small matter of biology…

Fic is fully written, just being edited/ getting social media completed. New chapter posted weekly. Fic is ~205k words

CHAPTER 9

[fortpeat]

Hey... How was your day? sorry for disturbing you... My days passed with boredom without fortpeat. No news aren't releasing for their new series. So I have to wait. So I want to ask you. Because you are really hard fan of fortpeat. I think you know many fanfic. Can you tell me where I can read good fanfic of prapai-sky in which sky proposed pai? I really eager to know what kind of preparation for proposing pai. Can you recommend any fanfic? please.

Hey Nonnie 💖☺️

My day was uh good 🫣 it's Indian Independence day and there was this programme and um there was lots of interactions 🤭 so my introvert self was having a bit of trouble keeping up but I am back home (literally escaped more like it 😁) and hun it's no disturbance at all you can ask what you want to.

Now I do know Prapaisky fanfics but the ones where Sky proposes Pai tbh I can't think of one that's caught my attention 🫣 so I can suggest some good fanfics instead and hopefully that could be of help to you 🫣🫣 (now hun please do check the tags before you read the fic so you know it's something that is just your cup of tea and nothing triggering as well)

1. Souls of Fire (now this is a really long fic and a pretty good one if I say so myself ☺️ also there are more sequels to this story and do check this authors other works 😁)

2. Invisible Ladders (yet another long fic with good social media edits and yes happy ending as well, I loved this one as well)

3. Operation Dessert (now this is a one shot and ehmm it's the "what was Sky upto before visiting Prapai in his office in the special episode" do I need to say more 🫣🤭🤭)

4. A poorly-wired circuit (another fic that I happen to love coz it has my favorite trope - Amnesia - (yess I am so predictable) but this amnesia is just so Prapai coded you can't help but love it 🫣🤭)

5. Up to You (now this is just one hell of a fic and Sky being a total menace and proving that he was born to keep Prapai on his toes)

So I hope you like these and if I just suggested you the fics which you have already read I am sorry hun but these are all I have in my collection 🫣🫣

[whollyjoly]

tag game

✨get to know me✨

thank you @xxluckystrike @panzershrike-pretz @luckynumber4 for the tags my loves 💕

- Name:

em! (although Occasional Cult Leader and Obsessed With Alton More are acceptable as well 😂)

- Pronouns:

she/her/hers!

- Star sign:

CRAB SIGN CRAB SIGN CRAB SIGN 🦀🦀🦀🦀🦀🦀🦀 ...no but actually im cancer sun cancer moon cancer mercury, the stars really said fuck you you're gonna be an emotional wreck and they were goddamn right

- # of siblings and fun facts about them (if you have any):

only child babyyyyyyyy ...well technically i have three step-sibs, but they are all older and were out of the house by the time our parents moved in together, so i never really? experienced sibling-ness with them?

- # of pets & their names:

my baby, my child, my little monster, the love of my life, my sweet cat BD-2 💕 she is an absolute fluffy menace, little miss priss, the queen of the castle, and im obsessed with her. nicknames include: Squeaky (cause she doesn't meow, she squeaks), Squeaks, The Squeaky One, The Lord Squeaketh (and The Lord Demandeth the Play), Shrimp Whiskers, Menace, Floof Creature, Angel Who Has Never Done Any Wrong, and Baby 🥰

- Fandoms:

lord i have been in so many fandoms over my many tumblr years...right now its full Band of Brothers hyperfixation season, but I'm watching M*A*S*H for the first time right now and slowly am falling into the rabbit hole also im a star wars girlie from way back (shoutout to all my old clone wars moots who were probably like "what the fuck" when i started posting about wwii men, sorry not sorry) also also: watcher, doctor who, star trek (tos mostly), chernobyl, and various other things, as a treat✨

- Favorite color:

im an olive green girlie, although deep purple has a special place in my heart!

- Favorite song:

holocene by bon iver ❤️ it's my all time favorite song, the song i listen to when my anxiety feels overwhelming, what i put on when i need to center myself and get out of my head. (someway, baby, it's part of me, apart from me)

- Favorite author (of anything readable - books, fanfics, zines, webtoons, whatever!):

sooooo my all-time fav book is Invisible Cites by Italo Calvino!! i am absolutely obsessed with the way he describes physical places and emotions, the metaphors and imagery and the way he describes the feeling a place or person can give you without actually describing it at all? it's both dreamlike and ethereal and grounded and real at the same time, and i just....love it so much. here's one of my favorite bits from the book:

Cities & The Sky [3] Those who arrive at Thekla can see little of the city, beyond the plank fences, the sackcloth screens, the scaffoldings, the metal armatures, the wooden catwalks hanging from ropes or surrounded by sawhorses, the ladders, the trestles. If you ask, "Why is Thekla's construction taking such a long time?" the inhabitants continue hoisting sacks, lowering leaded strings, moving long brushes up and down, as they answer, "So that its destruction cannot begin." And if asked whether they fear that, once the scaffoldings are removed, the city may begin to crumple and fall to pieces, they add hastily, in a whisper, "Not only the city." If, dissatisfied with the answers, someone puts his eye to a crack in a fence, he sees cranes pulling up other cranes, scaffoldings that embrace other scaffoldings, beams that prop up other beams. "What meaning does your construction have?" he asks. "What is the aim of a city under construction unless it is a city? Where is the plan you are following, the blueprint?" "We will show it to you as soon as the working day is over; we cannot interrupt our work now," they answer. Work stops at sunset. Darkness falls over the building site. The sky is filled with stars. "There is the blueprint," they say.

- Favorite fic type:

oh i will eat up...anything. literally anything. BUT if i had to pick, i have a special place in my heart for: soulmate AUs, angst with a happy ending, fake relationship AUs, hurt/comfort, time loops, magical realism AUs (particularly if canon-divergent), and the good old classic, fluffy modern AUs 💕

- Favorite Holiday:

i fucking...love christmastime okay?? i love the traditions my family has for it, like Short Feast on the winter solstice (where we eat Short Ribs and Short Grain Rice and Short Vegetables and Shortbread and put on our Short Pants and drink Short Bottles of Whiskey and go outside to Welcome the Coming of the Light, after the Longest Night of the Year), as well as finding/writing poems on Christmas Eve and walking to the large 600+ year old sequoia trees in our neighborhood to recite them and bring good energy to the new year, to watching It's A Wonderful Life every year. holidays and traditions are so much what you make of it, and i love the energy my family brings into it - nothing is precious, but everything is sacred.

- Do you have a partner (romantic, qpr, anything!)?:

ye, i have a bf!

- Hobbies:

i love to cross-stitch! it helps my adhd ass brain focus on things, so if ever im watching a show or listening to a podcast, i usually have a hoop in my hands. i also love board games - particularly social deception games! and of course - watching tv/movies, reading fic, consuming media, making moodboards, dreaming up fic ideas, and all the lovely things you see me talk about here on tumblr 💕

- Fun facts about you:

uhhhhhhhhhhhh i dont?? know if i have a fun fact?? about me??? OH WAIT okay this is for the bob fans out there - so i was visiting philly not all that long ago, and went to both front street and 17th street in south philly For Our Boys, bill and babe ❤️ and while i was there, i went into a bookstore that was right on s 17th street... and they had a SINGLE copy of bill and babe's book!! i got it of course, and it felt like it was absolutely meant to be!!

tagging, if you want!: @sweetxvanixlla @ronsparky @coco-bean-1218 @onlyyouexisthere @mutantmanifesto @samwinchesterslostshoe @ewipandora @blood-mocha-latte

[bookgeekgrrl]

My media this week (17-23 Mar 2024)

incredible art by harrydarlington

📚 STUFF I READ 📚

🥰 Oscar Wars: A History of Hollywood in Gold, Sweat, and Tears (Michael Schulman, author; Charlie Thurstonn, narrator) - definitely interesting and an enjoyable read. What mainly struck me was that things now are pretty much same as it ever was: the producers have always been horrible to the talent; the academy, despite two serious efforts to course correct, has always been conservative/racist/misogynist, etc.

😍 In Name Only (BootsnBlossoms, Kryptaria) - 84K, 00Q - reread of this fandom classic/forever fave where Bond is 007 & Q is a participant in The Marketplace - love the way this explores Bond wrestling with concepts utterly unknown to him but also his own desires

🙂 Not With a Whimper, But a Bang (emptydistractions, seleneheart) - 46K, urban fantasy AU, dragon!Bucky - read for stucky bookclub - satisfactory read, some intriguing worldbuilding

😊 red wine supernova (donderwolk) - 91K, hocky rpf, one of them had to retire early from the NHL due to a chronic migraine condition, the other's a ceramcist who teaches a local rec center class. Very entertaining read, good quality angst. I enjoyed the characterizations very much

💖💖 +200K of shorter fic so shout out to these I really loved 💖💖

Sourwood Mountain (Pennyplainknits) - Stranger Things: Munson Family Feels, 5K - great fic with a genius premise and badass munson family feelings

For Which The First Was Made (leupagus) - Agatha Christie's Marple: Jane/Gabriel, 35K - great Miss Marple fic; as I told the author, I never pictured Miss Marple with a boytoy but after reading this fic and watching the inspiration for it, my mind has been EXPANDED. plus I love an epistolary story!

Interrupted Heists, Dentist Visits, and Other Romantic Dates For Your Fake Husband (Kiraly) - Original Work: OMCs, 7K - very fun original fic with two (opposing) sidekicks hitting it off & getting married for insurance reasons

📺 STUFF I WATCHED 📺

D20: Tiny Heist - s4, e4-6

D20: Fantasy High: Junior Year - "A Very Merry Moonar Yulenear" (s21, e11)

D20: Adventuring Party - "Chutes and Ladders" (s16, e11)

D20: Pirates of Leviathan - s7, e1-6

🎧 PODCASTS 🎧

Under the Influence - When You're This Big, They Call you Mister

Vibe Check - Hey, Sis: featuring Regina King

Short Wave - A Tale Of Two Bengali Physicists

WikiHole - Leprechauns (with MUNA!)

The Atlas Obscura Podcast - A Mission to find a Meteor with Amir Siraj

NPR's Book of the Day - Christine Blasey Ford tells her own story in 'One Way Back'

Today, Explained - How gangs took over Haiti

Consider This from NPR - A $418 Million Settlement Could Change U.S. Home Buying. But Who Benefits?

99% Invisible #574 - The Monster Under the Sink

Short Wave - Syphilis Cases Are Rising In Babies. Illinois Has A Potential Solution

Vibe Check - Till The Wheels Fall Off

Throughline - Radiolab: Worst. Year. Ever

Imaginary Worlds - Mother-in-Law of Oz

Twenty Thousand Hertz+ - Hans Zimmer's Remote Control

Today, Explained - Can Congress ban TikTok?

Throughline - The Great Textbook War

The Atlas Obscura Podcast - Marching through the galaxy with Dr. Moiya McTier

Shedunnit - The Tea Leaf

Ologies - Field Trip: Alie’s Mystery Surgery!

Dear Prudence - My Parents Are Flaunting Their Wealth While I’m Drowning in Debt. Help!

Pop Culture Happy Hour - Road House And What's Making Us Happy

It's Been a Minute - Brittany talks bad accents and bad sex

Short Wave - The Evolutionary Mystery Of Menopause … In Whales

Switched on Pop - Rhapsody in Blue, Reimagined

Strong Songs - Strong Covers, Vol. 3

Imaginary Worlds - Class of '84: When Cyber Was Punk

Consider This from NPR - Stephen King Has Ruled The Horror Genre For 50 Years. But Is It Art?

Worlds Beyond Number - WWW #2: The Naming of Things

Worlds Beyond Number: Fireside - Fireside Chat for WWW ep002 The Naming of Things

Art of History - Art History Horror Story: The Nightmare

🎶 MUSIC 🎶

Eddie Cochran

CREDITS: Sharon Sheeley

My Baby Love

R&B Diva Classics

[lorei-writes]

Roots of Deception

Chapter III: Vinum

Chevalier & OC (OC Chart: Esther); pre-relationship Blank period* Summary: A visit to seal the deal. Or is there more to be said between the lines? Wordcount Estimate: ~2.5k Other chapters: Masterlist

*- action takes place between the last chapter of a -- yet to be made publicly available -- long-fic, and its epilogue.

Boom, this is why this entire thing was written. It got out of hand at some point.

Posting schedule: Thursday - Friday - Saturday (you are here) - Sunday, 9PM GMT+2

Content Warnings: drowning, food, alcohol

“The beast told you not to be a nuisance, yet you’ve insisted to become one. Did you think you’d go unpunished?”

“As Your Highness can see, our vineyards wield grapes only of the finest quality, and we plan to establish a steady cider manufacture in the perspective of two years,” Annabelle Lavigne spoke. She’d square her shoulders if she could; alas, that was not possible simply due to the fact they had already been squared. Her head held high, she searched Chevalier’s face for any reaction, haughty in her assumption affirmation would be locked somewhere between his brows, eyes, and lips.

“Indeed,” he agreed without much of any reaction. “Considering your claims, you’d offered to sell your product below its market value, however.”

“Exclusivity deal with the palace is ought to bring good fame to my name, Your Highness. I may not earn much at the palace itself, but the overall increase in sales should more than outweigh any losses I may face,” she explained, although her words seemed to have been a waste of air.

A deep furrow etched itself between Lady Lavigne’s brows, little different from ruts scattered over dirt roads with the first coming of spring rains. She softened a glare, suppressed what could be a growl, a howling sounding off from the distance. Perplexed, Annabelle covered her mouth, as if the sound came directly form her; however, Prince Chevalier did not seem to pay her any mind, instead briskly turning around and striding back down the path they’d just walked.

“Your Highness…?”

Seeing that she’d follow him regardless, Chevalier spared her no kindness. He did not say a word.

***

Cold struck Esther, shrunk the air in her lungs. It had her gasp, cramped her abdomen, urged her to fold onto herself, climbed up the ladders of wet hair to seize her head – it enveloped her whole, froze the blood burning in her veins, shocked her, and yet… She still dove further into it, neither hearing nor seeing anything. The submerged world was dark and turbulent, far too convoluted for her to tell anything save for the top and bottom of it. Her vision failed her, all images coming blurred, the roaring current reverberating through her entire body in waves of noise rendering her hearing just as useless. There was nothing. There was everything. All soaked through with the clamouring of her heart, each elapsed second eating away at what little breath she still had.

Esther pushed against the water, the river pulling her along its path. She searched, desperate in her pursuit, and yet –

There she was, wrapped in disjointed movement and escaping air. Marianne kicked her arms and legs as if to protect herself from the attack, thus only worsening the supine assault –

Her hands could still make it in time. Esther reached for Marianne, the girl grabbing at her, each tiny finger a hook to her flesh. A panicked anchor, Marianne climbed, her entire body protesting the moment Esther clutched her against herself. From lifeline to needing one, she pushed against the ever-surrounding weight, further and further up, for as long as her body allowed –

Esther gasped for air. The surface of the river shattered above her head. Marianne coughed and lurched, water dripping from her mouth as she fought to take the air in. She opened her eyes, and in presence of her tears being made invisible, she screamed, arms wrapped tightly around Esther’s neck.

“Everything is fine, sweetheart, it’s fine. It’s fine now. I promise, it’s fine,” she chanted, even though her arms were weak against the current. Esther turned her head towards the shore to estimate how far they had been carried away.

A mass of brown and black fur shot out from the orchard, dust scattering from below the massive paws, elongated snout kept close to the ground.

“Bambi! Bambi!” Esther shouted with what energy she had, wolf-like head turning towards her. Bambi broke into a dash again, each leap outpacing the river’s flow, until –

Splash.

Esther glanced from the dog swimming towards her to Marianne, and back the other way around, the girl still crying. She took in a shaky breath.

“Princess Marianne, you must compose yourself,” she spoke the way storytellers did when reaching the climax of their tale. “There comes your mortal enemy, the dragon who tried to steal you away from under your mother’s care!”

Marianne gasped. Cautiously, she looked over her shoulder, her grip relaxing by a fraction.

“What do we do, wizardess?”

“Hmm…” Esther mused aloud, her arms and legs beginning to feel awfully heavy now that her throat was somewhat less tight again. “My mind-reading powers tell me the dragon seeks your forgiveness, Princess. He wants to help you get back to safety.”

Marianne clutched onto her harder.

“Do...Do we trust the dragon?” she shrilled.

“We do, Princess Marianne.”

It was a relief to entrust Bambi with carrying the child’s weight – and even greater relief it was when they reached the shore, a familiar figure standing just above them. Esther lifted her head, a thin sheet of frost coming over her limbs the moment she met Chevalier’s gaze with her own. Displeased or perhaps annoyed by the situation, he crouched down.

“Marianne!” Lady Lavigne cried, skirts held in her hands as she hurried towards them. Esther patted the girl’s back, and oddly enough, the child did not even seem to mind the fact that Chevalier was the one to pull her out, tiny feet having barely touched the ground before her mother swept her into her arms. Esther looked towards the dog –

“Bambi doesn’t need help,” sharp words came from above her head.

Oh, Esther mouthed the sound, but did not dare utter a word, exasperation thickening the atmosphere around them. She lowered her head, perhaps unwilling to agree that, indeed, she thought about the dog first. Water dripped down her back, her blouse sticking firmly to her chest, her legs being close to useless once made aware of the weight of her wet clothes. Esther fell to the ground, or would have, had somebody not held her by the arm – either way, she did sit down, unhearing, unseeing, just simply cold and soaked through with exhaustion and water alike. Entire clusters of words twined around her ears, not even one making it through to her. Esther hugged herself.

“… wench …”

“… mommy… Esther… I…”

“… It is your personal failure not to have ingrained basic safety in your child…”

Oh. There was this feeling again. Without thinking of it much, Esther wrung her hair out and pushed herself up on her stiff legs. She walked to where she discarded her bag and capelet. Careful as ever, she put them on before returning to the group. She lowered her head.

“If I may… I’d like to request to be allowed to return to the estate with Lady Marianne. She should change into dry clothes immediately.”

***

Esther combed through her hair one last time, the strands looking more brown than their usual blonde, at least when still this damp. With a sigh on her lips, she pinned it away from her face, Bambi glancing up at her from beside the hearth, fire buzzing within the fireplace. She had just finished buttoning up her blouse when the doorknob turned with a quiet click. Nevertheless, Esther did not trouble herself with checking who that might be, instead settling over the bed.

The door closed.

“Has something happened?” she asked, a glimpse of a white cape getting caught in the corner of her eye. Chevalier walked towards the armchair standing in the corner, Bambi raising his head to sniff his boots.

No words were offered to her. A book snapped open in Chevalier's hand seemingly of its own accord, pages turning until he reached the point at which he last stopped. He outstretched his legs and crossed them at the ankles, eyes already focusing on the words…

“To what do I owe the visit then?”

His brows twitched before nearing each other. “The gremlin is throwing a tantrum right now. It is marginally quieter here.”

Esther suppressed a grimace. . “One last thing,” she sighed. “Thank you for helping me out there.”

“You show gratitude for the strangest things.”

“I wouldn’t call pulling somebody out of the water a strange thing to thank for,” Esther argued and placed her hands in her lap.

“Then would you deem it more logical to let a pawn needlessly drown?” Chevalier laughed scornfully, his gaze still holding onto the ink. Firmly.

“Just accept it. I am thankful regardless.”

Chevalier turned the page.

The dinner was served early that day, perhaps to appease Lady Marianne, her wails ceasing as soon as crockery plinked against the table. Unsure of whether she should be there in the first place, Esther sat down to Chevalier’s left, her mouth watering at the sight of the various dishes – whatever stood behind the change, this time more than half of them seemed to be of a kind that would not prompt her guts to be upset. Fish, salads, roasts, pastry, soup, gravy, fruit, cheese and other dairy, all and more had her body tense in a silent prayer to her stomach, begging it not to growl. The food was being plated, servants hurrying around the room to set out glasses full of wine, presumably of their domestic production; sampling, as per their initial schedule. Esther lifted her fork up, hoping she could contain herself as not to wolf everything down.

Wine.

She lifted a piece of baked trout to her lips, her eyes darting across the table one last time. Marianne began to take her meal apart, slicing the meat into smaller and smaller chunks.

Wine.

Esther set the fork down on her plate. She reached for the cup instead.

“Lady Marianne?” she asked, the girl looking up instantly.

“Yes?”

“Could I perhaps ask you for a favour? It is most presumptuous of me, but… It so happens that I am not sure whether I locked the window in my room, and Bambi is still drying up. He may be getting cold, but I’m starving. Would you mind checking it for me?” Esther spoke, all the while holding Annabelle’s gaze. The lady of the household bit into a piece of roasted cauliflower, but remained otherwise silent.

“O-Of course!”

The door to the dining room closed, something thudding just outside of it. Esther leaned back in her chair, still holding onto the glass. She stared into it, burgundy vortex raging right below her fingertips. It climbed up against the walls of its restraint, pungent in its scent, enticing, alluring… Most obviously, red.

“Don’t,” Chevalier said.

“I… suppose I shouldn’t.”

Silence.

Esther brought the cup to her lips and downed half of it before he pulled it away. Chevalier glared at her, sterner than she had ever seen him.

“It’ll make… the situation more transparent… no?” she laughed weakly, her tongue feeling mildly numb. Not five minutes managed to pass before she closed her eyes, enveloped in thick slumber.

***

Wheels tapped a steady rhythm against the uneven road, pebbles skipping out from below the horse shoes. Esther let out a soft groan, calm vertigo twisting the world around her with each sway of the carriage. Her head throbbed, but even so, she pushed herself up from the cushioned seat…

“Lay down. You’re going to fall over,” a familiar voice came from the opposite of her, although at a moment too late. The floor beneath her shook, and whatever thought it was that her hazy mind was forming, it sunk back into the ever-flowing static. Esther retained little sense of direction, the surrounding darkness doing little to remedy the fact – just as she was told, she lost her balance, and so was destined to fall. She never crashed, however, caught in and by some closely undefined warmth.

Esther shook her head in surprise. She moved her legs, perhaps intending to stand once again, but could not get up, held firmly in place by somebody’s arm… and the place in question seemed to be somebody’s lap.

“I’ve told you you’d fall,” Chevalier sighed, his breath grazing her ear.

Oh. The world made itself clearer to Esther, some mist retreating from her mind.

“What exactly happened?” she asked, suddenly made aware of the fact that the sun had long sunken below the horizon line.

“Clavis arrived in time to capture some of Lavigne’s contacts. We’ve confiscated the arms still in her possession.”

Crows shouted outside. Esther shuddered at the sound.

“Are they…?”

“Some of the smugglers are currently awaiting extradition. Lavigne and the rest will be interrogated at the palace…” Chevalier took a deep breath. “And my fool of a brother insisted to personally take care of the gremlin for the time being.”

Cold needles seemed to retreat from her hands. The carriage shook again, thus having Esther sway lightly, still not fully in control of her body. Nevertheless, she attempted to straighten her back, with some degree of success.

“I see,” she whispered. However, her relief was short-lived, two angry fingers coming to poke her forehead. Painfully. Esther pouted. “What was that for?”

“For getting yourself drugged despite my warning. You’re lucky it wasn’t poisoned.”

She could almost see him scowl. “I was fairly certain it wasn’t poisoned, Prince Chevalier,” she argued at him. “Marianne was in the room… and I’d be of more use to them while still alive. However… they did not pour it in front of us, so your glass –”

Chevalier snorted. His grip on her waist tightened almost to the point of hurting. He reached for the collar of her blouse, deft fingers grazing her neck as he began undoing the buttons. Esther winced, only put at ease once he moved down to reveal her collarbones.

“Prince Chevalier?”

“The beast told you not to be a nuisance, yet you’ve insisted to become one. Did you think you’d go unpunished?”

Esther frowned. She tilted her head to the side, dishevelled hair falling away from her face as she searched for an appropriate reply, certain it lurked somewhere at the back of her tongue. All words failed her, however, sentences colliding to take away from each other until naught but gasps remained. Newly summoned fire scorched her flesh, his teeth a flint against her steel-stiff shoulder. Chevalier bit into her, his lips a flame at her skin, each nibble a burnt-in blooming scarlet mark. He bit her again – Esther held back a growl, her nails to his scalp as she tugged on his hair, soft strands delivering their apologies while tickling the nape of her neck. She gritted her teeth, pushed at his chest, pulled at the ties of his cape, until finally her voice escaped. Esther moaned, the sound chasing the beast away.

Chevalier straightened his back, only the soreness lingering over her skin having her believe she in fact did not dream. She slumped against him.

“You’re impossible,” she laughed weakly, but laughed nonetheless, each word a shiver sliding down his neck. “Beast this… beast that… as if biting made you one… as if only you could…”

Time collapsed onto itself, warped call of the hunting horn sounding off inside Chevalier’s head. Soft lips brushed against the corner of his jaw, mumbled complaints a howling of hounds, barely a distraction from the teeth racking down his neck. Each touch a snare, he merely watched, cornered by the lithe hands pressing against his chest. Her fingers curled into his jacket, her breath spilled below his collar… Esther sucked on his skin, the faint prick an arrow aimed at the beast. At… him.

“There are… worse things… than getting hurt…” she finished at last, blissfully unaware of any wounds she might have caused. Her eyes closed, strength leaving her limbs – Chevalier watched, his mind, for once, empty. He looked through the carriage window, and searched the stars, any thought to occupy himself with being suitable enough…

Esther nuzzled into the crook of his neck.

“… so… warm…”

A strained breath heaved his chest. “You fool…”

Chevalier pulled his cape over her shoulders, and buttoned up her blouse. One hour until they reached the palace remained.

--

Series Tag List: @nuttytani @bestbryn

[aristocratic-otter]

Thank y'all for not forgetting me even as I've been too swamped in work to reply back! I've finished my replies now and I feel justified in posting some of my own WIP stuff, but first, thank you to all y'all who tagged me in the last two weeks:

@basiltonbutliketheherb, @cutestkilla, @artsyunderstudy, @yeonjunenby, @bookish-bogwitch, @ivelovedhimthroughworse, @erzbethluna, @whogaveyoupermission, @moodandmist, @ionlydrinkhotwater, @larkral, @fatalfangirl, @prettylightsbigcity, @whatevertheweather, @nightimedreamersghost, @johnwgrey, @tea-brigade, @ileadacharmedlife, @facewithoutheart you're all amazing!

I've got lots of words, because I write in bits to take breaks from my work, so I'll paste them under the cut, cause this'll be huge.

From fic #1 for the Lady Ruth Charity Zine:

I’ve barely opened my mouth to say his name when Baz is upon me. He sweeps me up into his arms and gives me an extremely thorough and expert kiss. His mouth tastes like peppermint, not blood. Of course Baz would take tooth cleaning supplies on a vampire hunt, the nerd. 

The kiss goes on far longer than is probably appropriate for midday in front of my grandmother. He takes me apart with his mouth, and I’m at risk of developing an extremely inappropriate physical response. All of Baz’s kisses are like that, these days. I taught him everything he knows about kissing, and now the student has become the master. 

I may swoon.

From fic #2 for the Lady Ruth Charity Zine:

 I peruse the recipe again, for the third time, and I can’t figure out what there is in the ingredients that would make the brownies turn purple. That leaves only one possibility. 

“Violet!” I shout. 

“Yes, daddy?” my little girl asks, appearing like magic from under the kitchen table. 

“Did you add something to the brownies?” I try to keep my tone gentle, but I’m exhausted and frazzled, and I’m sure that shows in my voice, because Violet’s face falls into a pout. 

“They were ugly, daddy! All brown and lumpy. I wanted them to be pretty for the cake sale!”

I rub at the spot between my eyes where my family is definitely causing me premature wrinkles. “Show me what you put in the batter, Violet.”

From my potential 2023 COTTA fic:

His familial library has got to be the eighth wonder of the world. Bookshelves line the room floor to ceiling. That might not seem like much, but the room is the size of a dance hall, and the ceiling is at least three stories high. There are actual sliding ladders you have to climb to get to books on upper shelves. 

While I gaze around, starry eyed, Basil strolls over to a record player placed on what must be an Edwardian end table. He pulls a record out of a paper sleeve and puts it on the turntable. The music that emerges from the speakers is pretty. And somehow familiar, though I couldn’t tell you where I’ve heard it before. 

“Is that the record you told me about?” I ask, diverted from my fascination with the book wonderland around me. 

Baz nods and hands me the paper sleeve. “Yeah. That’s his picture on the front. I ran into him again, did I tell you? I found out his name. It’s–

“Simon,” I whisper as I run one finger over a beloved face pictured on a piece of cardboard. 

From Raising Dragons:

I do enjoy the Tate even if Simon and I get some very confused looks. Or, I should say, I do. Because I don’t bother to hide the fact that I’m chatting with Simon, but with his camouflage, nobody can see him. We considered using a disguise spell or a ‘Nothing To See Here’, but I wasn’t sure my spells would last the whole time, and Simon’s dragon invisibility is pretty much infinite now, so long as he doesn’t actively wish to look like himself again. 

So I look like some lunatic, talking to thin air. 

I don’t care. The opinions of these people don’t matter a whit to me. All I care about is my lovely boyfriend, who is strolling by my side, commenting amusingly on art that I know he despises. I’m frequently convulsed with laughter at his incredulity at what can be called ‘art’, but I had the foresight to cast a “Children Should Be Seen, But Not Heard” on the pair of us, so no passerby hears two voices where there should be one. 

Of course, that means I look like I’m speaking inaudibly to noone. Well, it’s not like it makes me look any crazier. 

And finally, from Playing With Fire, Treading Thin Ice:

I meet Baz’s cousin Dev and Dev’s lover (and apparently Baz’s best friend), Niall. Dev slaps me on the back after Baz’s introduction and crows, “Thank you!” 

“For what?” I’m baffled. 

“For dating my cousin and therefore making sure I’m not the only queer Pitch here today,” he laughs. “You can’t imagine the pressure this takes off of me. You’re a lifesaver, my friend.”

I’m genuinely confused, and I take advantage of Baz’s trip to the loo to question his cousin. 

“Shouldn’t the pressure be the same? I mean, why should Baz’s coming out make things easier on you?” 

Dev shakes his head and throws an arm over my shoulder. “You have much to learn, young Padawan. I may be a Pitch,” Dev confides, “but Baz is THE Pitch. His queerness is of much more note than mine because his position in the family is much higher than mine. Therefore everyone will be staring at and gossiping about you, and Niall and I will finally have some peace. So thank you,” he concludes dramatically. 

“You’re welcome,” I say sourly.

Who's left to tag? And I can't believe that I actually beat midnight.

Tagging @fight-surrender, @angelsfalling16, @bazzybelle, @carryonsimoncarryonbaz, @dragoneggos, @foolofabookwyrm-activated (happy birthday!) , @giishu, @gekkoinapeartree, @krisrix, @kherub, @messofthejess, @otherworldsivelivedin, @raenestee, @subparselkie, @technetiumai, @urban-sith, @you-remind-me-of-the-babe