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bubbles-for-all-of-us · 1 year

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Met Gala

a/n Right so because I haven't yet recovered from all the strokes I've suffered from seeing that man slaying so hard. Here is something that hopefully will help. Enjoy and as always all the love is so appreciated!🤍✨

summary: very much self explanatory. Pedro and actress!reader attending met gala.

dress references: option one, two and three because like a true woman I can't pick...

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Talk about life-changing experiences. When you auditioned for The Last Of Us, you never truly believed that you could get it. You were a freshly baked actress who had successful shows in the past, but nothing too explosive. People turned their heads towards you when they just came out, and then you were back to being nothing. Fighting for the spotlight was quite something, and even if you never cared for it much, it was still important for you to do justice to the characters you got to play.

So to say that the whole experience that The Last Of Us brought to you was new and unfamiliar would be an understatement. It was your ultimate breakthrough. The opportunities were flooding in from all directions, and most of the time they included much more than just acting. Yet all the background noise aside, this was where you found your second family. People who were way more than just costars or screen buddies. You often joked with Craig that he had ruined acting for you. That no matter where you went and what you did, you would always be missing the crew of The Last Of Us.

"I still think that it's unfair that we are in separate hotel rooms", Pedro said while trying to set his phone up on the table. You two had flown to New York from different locations. Both of you were occupied with your own projects now, meaning that you haven't seen each other in a couple of weeks. The relationship between you two sparked so quickly that within a day of knowing him, it already felt like Pedro had been a lifelong friend. He was one of those people who just radiated happiness and kindness. One of those people you knew was going to leave an imprint on your life.

"If we were in the same room, I doubt we would make it onto the carpet, P", Pedro couldn't see your face fully. Your phone faced the ceiling as you tried to put on some fake lashes. All Pedro got was a glimpse at your hair full of rollers. And even that was enough to make his heart a little more jittery. Pedro had missed you. More than missed you. You two had been together every day while shooting TLOU. Always laughing. Always talking. Renting a different Airbnb to stay in if you stay in the current location for a longer time. Needing that much more than a cold hotel room. That also meant that the dynamic got rather domestic between the two of you. Waking up with you, having breakfast with you, and driving to set together. No matter where or what you did, you were always together, and that was something that ripped at Pedro's heart on a daily basis now that you two had gone your separate ways to do individual projects.

"I will have a migraine before I send him off. All I've been hearing is Y/N this, Y/N that", Coco, Pedro's stylist and one of your friends now, cut in, making Pedro let out an obnoxious gasp. "That is so not true. How dare you!", he exhaled, placing a hand over his chest offensively. But hearing your laugh on the other side of the phone was all he truly needed; Pedro felt his body at ease. "It's okay, P, separation anxiety or not, I still love you", you moved more in the frame, and Pedro instantly caught your eye. Beautiful as ever as you smiled at him. But he just shook his head, keeping up with the character, "You two are working against me today, mean ladies", before you three burst into a laugh together.

"Is Bella driving with you?", you asked once again while still fidgeting through your makeup bag. "No, they will be going earlier on. Want to avoid the chaos that builds when more people come in", you hummed at his answer. Perfectly understanding it, because the amount of paparazzi at the Met Gala was quite literally a sea. Add celebrity after celebrity climbing the infamous stairs, and you have a recipe for the chaos that is filled with endless flashing and screams. So knowing that they would be there before it all went wild eased your nerves slightly. Just deep down, you wished you could do the same thing. Fearing the moment you would have to step out of the car. What if you tripped? What if something broke? What if you messed up?

As if sensing the worry rising within you, Pedro picked up the conversation once again, "Is someone coming with you?". Pedro was worried as well. Not that much for himself, even if he wasn't a huge fan of events so flashy, but for you. Even in The Last Of Us premieres, he had noticed the way your body would run cold, and anxiety threatened to take over. He was always there to subtly bring you back. Give you something to focus on. Whether it was his hand that would rub patterns on your back, his knee that rested against your shaky leg, or his finger reaching out to playful poke your side so he could take your mind off it.

You hummed, "Yeah, Blake said he'd be there just in case", Pedro nodded his head even if you couldn't see it, satisfied with the answer. Blake was your manager and best friend. Pedro got to meet him more than a couple of times and, in all honesty, liked him. It was that extra layer of calmness that lingered, knowing that someone he also trusted would be there. Someone who had been with you through the years and who knew how to handle things if they suddenly got complicated.

"Are you excited?", you took your phone in your hands, getting a closer look at the man who Coco was fussing over. "To see you? Yes", Pedro chirped, and you rolled your eyes instantly. "You're a shameless flirt. I saw that you painted your nails". Pedro quickly showed both of his middle fingers to the camera, quite literally flipping you off. "Oh, thank you, love", you said, laughing as he quickly lowered his hand as he too realized how it looked.

Pedro was about to speak up when someone called out your name, pulling your attention away from the phone. "I'll have to go", you flashed Pedro a sad smile. "They want to tape my titties", "And I'm not getting behind-the-scenes footage?", Pedro leaned in closer, bringing his phone practically to his face as if he somehow was going to get a better look at what your stylist was going to do. "Pedro…", you laughed as you shook your head. "Will I get to see you putting on your pants?", you teased him back. Not wanting to end the call even if the lady was already waiting for you. Pedro only threw you a sheepish smile. "Who said I'm wearing any?", and once again all you could do was let out yet another laugh.

That was two hours ago, yet it seemed more like a lifetime. "Breathe, before I'll have to drag your past-down body up the stairs", Blake joked, noticing how you were running your hands up and down the fabric of your cover before moving to run your fingers over all the different beads and lace layers. "I'm just nervous", you admitted, looking through the car window. Smiling wasn't the hardest part. Most people would probably think that you're ungrateful for not wanting to go. Many would do anything to attend, but you were never a huge fan of being in the spotlight. All eyes on you sounded more like a nightmare than a dream. The thought itself made your body shiver.

"It'll be okay; pose a little and drink a lot", you rolled your eyes at him. You loved having him by your side. Not understanding why most people hate working with their best friends or family. It was such a liberating feeling knowing that you could trust Blake fully and that when you didn't feel like handling some things, he could easily do it without you since, at times, he knew you even better than you did.

Pedro knew that he was going to be there before you. Coco had told him that you were still in the hotel right before their car took off. He wasn't lying when he said that he was excited to see you. Most of his nervousness was centered around that. He knew that nothing had changed between you. If anything, things were okay, but he would have preferred to see you before the event and have a calm moment together instead of being thrown into madness like this.

He posted like he always did. Knowing well how to capture the attention of the crowd. Flipping the cameras a couple of times to show off his nails, just like he had done with you. Time escaped you in moments like this. It was always hard to tell if you'd been standing in front of the flashing lights for ten minutes or an hour. Your brain only focused on angles and poses, but then the shouting at the bottom of the stairs caught his attention.

Pedro turned to look to the side as you moved to step out of the car. He was sure that people were going to have a blast looking at his reaction afterward, but he couldn't help but look. You two purposely hid your outfits from each other. Well, at the start, you had thought about going matching and even doing the same designer, but you quickly realized that it might raise too many speculations. Pedro couldn't help but smile a proud smile as he watched you glide through the carpet. A goddess. That's what you were in his eyes. No one could come close to you, and sure, you could call him biased, but to him, you were the most beautiful female here tonight.

"Get pictures of Y/N; that's the real diamond of the night", he shouted, moving both of his arms to show you. Making you snap your head toward him. Your cool posing face was quickly replaced by a shy smile as you bit your lip. Of course, he was having a blast showing you off. "Mesmerized and speechless", he muttered to you when you were almost within reach. "Hello, daddy", you whispered as he took hold of your hand, guiding you up the steps leading to him. Pedro tilted his head laughing, saying, "Hello to you, mama". You doubted that you were thinking straight. He looked so good. The slick-back hair. The red color. You were an advocate that pink was the color Pedro owned, but red… Something about the red made all the systems shut down for a split second.

"I understand now why this was hidden from me", Pedro said, moving a step back from you so he could take your whole outfit in. He shook his head, almost in disbelief. "Don't", you warned him, trying to keep a smile off your face. This man knew how to get under your skin. He had made you redder than a tomato, even on set. Complimenting you even if you were in nothing but a baggy shirt with your hair messily pulled back. "Especially when you rolled up looking like this", you glanced down at the black shorts that he was rocking. "Where was my warning that the slutty knee was going to be on display?", but Pedro didn't say anything as he grinned, stepping alongside you. Pulling your body closer to his. His arm curled around your torso. Firmly pressing into the central boning of your dress. You could feel the warmth from his palm seeping into your tummy. He was standing just slightly behind you, but you could still see his outfit.

People were going crazy, and keeping a straight face while you posed was getting harder, especially when all you could hear were people screaming your names as an occasional they look like a couple, they must be dating. Are you together? Are you in love? Flouted around. Oh, he was going to drive you insane, and he knew it. Enjoying every single moment of it.

And even if it seemed almost impossible, Pedro stepped even closer to you and leaned in, pressing a kiss on your exposed shoulder. Your body froze for a moment. The butterflies burst inside you. If you weren't red by now, this definitely send you over the edge. You two were supposed to keep it chill. Not to bring too many eyes your way, but this man had other thoughts. Ever since the production started, people have been talking that the chemistry between you seemed way too good to just be acting. That the touches you two shared or the looks that lingered had to be a disguise for something. But then it would all mellow down as Pedro would be seen as a loving father figure to Bella or Nico. You had to find a balance. A light kiss could be brushed off as a sign of mutual respect. I don't know… mutual something?

But no… At that moment, it seemed like only you were thinking about everyone else's opinions. Pedro kissed your shoulder once before leaning back in to brush at least a couple more feather-like kisses along your skin. "Pedro", you muttered. Moving your hand to rest on his leg, you said, "You'll get us in trouble, you little shit". Your fingertips just about reached the exposed skin of his thigh as you grazed your nails over it. Pedro let out a muffled growl, "And you care?".

You shook your head as a laugh escaped your lips. The PR team was going to rip both of your heads off tomorrow; you were sure of it. But feeling him so close felt good. The smell of him. The way you could feel his breath on your skin. You moved to look up at Pedro, his body reacting to your movements as he lowered his gaze. Your eyes met, and for a heartbeat, you couldn't hear anything; it was just him and you. Pedro leaned in to place a kiss on your temple, and the crowd of paparazzi exploded. There wasn't a second when not even one camera wasn't going off. People were trying to surround you and get pictures of you two from all the different angles.

The screams pierced through your ears, making you take a light step back into Pedro. One of the photographs got way too close, and when the flash finally snapped, you quickly turned your head away from them, shifting towards Pedro's chest. He was quick to lift his palm to cover your eyes as an initial reaction before he stepped in front of you, shielding your body with his. You gave him a little smile as you blinked a couple of times, trying to get the stinging feeling to go away.

"You're okay?", he asked softly, his arms not letting go of your body as he looked around trying to find Blake. He nodded at him the moment he noticed the male approaching. "I'm fine, thank you", you knew that you needed to finish with the pictures and just go up, but being exposed to them all was the last thing on your wishlist. "Come on, let's get…", Pedro was ready to just walk you up, but you quickly took his hand into yours. "Smile", you mumbled quietly as you stepped from behind him, refueling the chaos once more, but this was just how these things worked, and you had to pull through even if you could tell that Pedro was silently fighting this decision you had chosen.

Your hands were trembling when you finally made it up. You had close to no recollection of what you talked about in the handful of interviews that you had. Just thankful to be in a little, private area away from all of the people now, even if you could still hear them all shouting. Not many people lingered here, and for that, you were thankful. Closing your eyes for a moment, allowing yourself a chance to breathe.

"You are too stubborn for your good", you slowly opened your eyes, catching a glimpse of Pedro standing in front of you with a glass of water in hand. "No bubbles?", you joked as you place the glass to your lips. "So your heart would explode and I'd be the main suspect? No, thank you", Pedro shook his head, urging you to drink some more. "Careful, Javier Pena just jumped out", you teased him, and Pedro nudged your shoulder playfully.

"Have I told you how beautiful you look?", he asked you, carefully moving to push a strand of hair behind your ear. You wished your body wasn't as responsive as you felt yet another shiver slip past you. "I think you showed it, detective", you said, tilting your head to the side. Pedro read it as an invitation to press a kiss on your shoulders again. This time, however, he took his time, knowing that the corner he had chosen was far enough for you to stay out of sight. It was like he was painting a picture on your skin, the pattern snaking from shoulder to neck, right behind your ear. You desperately want to run your hands through his hair, but you know that if you messed with it, there would be no going back, so you gently place your hand on the back of his neck. Scraping your nails gently.

"We can't", you remind him, yet you don't pull away. Quite the opposite, bringing him even closer. "I haven't seen my girlfriend in two weeks", Pedro reminded you bluntly, hands now firmly holding onto your waist. "Tiny detail. They don't know you have a girlfriend". The lines had been blurry between the two of you from the start. There was a lot of respect there. Before more romantic scenes, you would always sit down and talk about each other's boundaries. Things one and the other were comfortable doing and not. The communication between the two of you was like no other. It was easy. It was comfortable. It made you feel safe. So when you fell into bed together after a particularly steamy shoot, it didn't surprise you all too much. But even that felt right, and after long conversations, you decided to give it a go. You both had some shit experiences with your past relationships, which made you both pretty weary of long-term commitment, but you were willing to give it a chance, and that was all that mattered.

That had been going on for six months now, and no one besides your managers knew. It was odd telling them even before you told your families, but you needed to have a damage control system ready to go off the moment something slipped up or too many speculations started to linger. And it wasn't that you were scared of people's reactions. Most of them wanted you married already, not to mention the need for you to have kids and finally make Pedro a real daddy. It was all sweet, but you two wanted to do this for yourselves. To enjoy the time together without anyone and their mother trying to dig through your lives and write endless amounts of articles about every move you too took together.

"We need to find Bella", you muttered, pushing lightly onto Pedro's chest. Knowing that you needed to stop him before he lost his cool and you would have to walk around with freshly formed hickeys. Pedro rested his forehead on your shoulder and said, "I asked Blake to look for her", "Well, that makes sense why he's not here, huh", Pedro let out a chuckle even if he shrugged his shoulders, trying to appear innocent.

You quickly smoothed down his coat, straightened his black tie, and pulled at the edges of his shorts. "Alright there, trying to get my pants off so quickly", he said, and you pinched his leg playfully, making him step away from you. "Watch it, Jose Pedro Balmaceda Pascal or we might just sleep in separate rooms tonight", you said, pointing a warning finger at him. But Pedro didn't seem to feel threatened, as he wrapped his hand around your wrist, pulling it closer to him so he could kiss the tip of your finger.

"We both know you won't take away my pleasure of taking that boobie tape off you", that was enough to send you into another fit of laughter. You had no clue why that thing mesmerized him so much, but there hasn't been a time since you started dating him that he hasn't participated in that procedure. "You, sir, are so weird", standing up, and fixing up your clothes, you tugged at the top of your dress to feel a bit more comfortable, "Sure, but you love me, so who are we fooling?", Pedro offered you his hand, which you gladly took, leaning closer into him. "Let's go find our kid before I go grey from all the worrying".

#pedro pascal x reader #pedro pascal imagine #pedro pascal x you #pedro pascal fanfiction #pedro pascal #the last of us #the last of us imagine #the last of us x reader #the last of us x you #joel miller x reader #joel miller imagine #javier pena x reader

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calypso707 · 4 months

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hey i adore your writing!

i was wondering how astarion would take care of his s/o who suffers from migraines and severe photosensitivity. my friends always call me a vampire because of it so i thought it’d be a funny dynamic 😆

this one is actually funny because i suffer from migraines as well, so here we are! I don't know if I'm proud of what I've written, but it was fun to do! enjoy! ❤

OS - Astarion x gn drow reader : Simple things.

Living on the surface had proved more complicated than the Underdark. Being born, growing up and spending a significant part of your life in the darkness had certainly had its advantages, but now that you were living on the surface, you realised just how different things were. Whether it was people's lifestyles or all those bright colours. So yes, there were bright colours in the Underdark, but they were often signs of danger, such as explosive mushrooms or plants releasing deadly spores.

You may have been used to the dark and could see in the night better than your companions, but constant exposure to the sun had its drawbacks. So, sure, it was nice to feel the light warming your skin, you could now appreciate things like the colour of the sky, listen to birdsong or even hear the sound of the wind, but your eyes still couldn't handle so much brightness. And on top of that, you had a tadpole in your skull that was not only making its own little nest but was also giving you migraines on a regular basis.

But you still tried to stay positive, because thanks to all the adventures you'd been through, however farfetched, you'd met your current companions, who had turned out to be loyal allies and faithful friends.

And above all, you had met Astarion.

A magnificient two-century-old vampire.

It was almost poetic, two beings of darkness who found themselves having to survive under the sun. So what was it between you two? It was a tricky question, but you cared about him as much as he cared about you, and knowing that was more than enough. Though, Astarion was handling the conditions and opportunities this adventure offered him better than you were. He had always loved sunbathing as soon as the first lights appeared. You enjoyed them too, but in small doses.

While you were enjoying a moment's respite from this chaotic and probably deadly mission, you had given yourselves a break and were strolling through the alleys of Baldur's Gate. Astarion was describing the things his former master, Cazador Szarr, had made him do, a certain bitterness in his voice. You tried to concentrate on what he was saying, but the sun was at its zenith, there were no clouds in the sky to dim its brightness and you felt as if your eyes were burning and your skull was splitting in two.

"Are you even listening when I am talking to you?", grumbled Astarion.

"Sorry… Can we take a short break?" you asked, using your hand to shade your eyes as you looked at him.

"My dear, are you sure that you are not a vampire?" said Astarion with a smirk.

"Hilarious" you sighed.

You took a few steps into the shadow under a stall on the main street leading to the Wyrm's Rock fortress. Astarion was looking at you with a slightly concerned expression; he seemed to be thinking.

"Hm.. I think I have an idea. Stay put." It was almost an order.

Before you could reply, he was heading off into "Carm's Garm" shop. You wondered what had gone through his mind. You decided to wait for him and you leaned against the stone wall behind you, watching the passers-by go about their business, carefree. You listened the trout seller shouting about how fresh his fish were and the wholesaler who was delighted with his harvest.

Long minutes passed, during which you examined everyone who passed in the street. You didn't hear Astarion come back, and you were startled when he cleared his throat once he was beside you. You looked at him and noticed that he was holding several hats under his arms. You tried to hide your smile but it was complicated.

"Let's see…" He put the pile of accessories at his feet and picked up a first hat and placed it on your head. It was a sort of pointy wizard's hat with hideous embroidery that went all the way around, and before you could even give your opinion, Astarion took it off, shaking his head and frowning. "Awful"

He then picked up a sort of adjustable steel helmet, and didn't even take the time to let you try it on before he tossed it aside, doing the same with a brightly coloured top hat. Finally, he took a simple brown hat with silver wings embroidered on the stiff leather and placed it on your head as gently as possible. The brim of the hat was wide enough to keep your face in the shade.

He stood back and examined you for a few seconds, his index finger resting on his chin: "Hm.. I think this one will do, darling. Of course, I still am the fashion icon of our group, but I can assure you you are not far from it now."

You readjusted your hat slightly and took a long look at him, biting your lower lip to hold back your smile. You were pleasantly surprised by his gesture and his words made you chuckle. Astarion moved closer to you and put his hands on your shoulders, pressing them lightly as you put yours against his chest.

"I am impressed, so you are able to do sweet things." you said.

"Sweet? What an idea" He grinned before tilting his head to the side, a thin smile on his lips. "It just should not be so unbearable to enjoy the simple things of life."

And he was right.

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thanks for reading this OS, i hope you liked it!

don't hesitate to read my other writings on Astarion! ❤

Astarion x gn druid tav : On your skin.

Astarion x gn tav : No place for love.

Astarion x gn tav : A thousand thanks.

Fiction - Astation x fem!tav bard : Fruit of The Poisonned Tree

#romance #astarion #astarion x reader #astarion x tav #baldur's gate 3 #baldurs gate 3 #baldurs gate astarion #astarion vampire #baldur's gate iii #astarion x gn reader #bg3 astarion #astarion bg3 #astarion my beloved #astarion ancunin #astarion x gn!tav

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dekusleftsock · 5 months

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Y’all reading the newest chapter scans is like whiplash

I forgot how unhinged he can be, and tbh how much more unhinged he’s currently being.

Anyway Izuku is my favorite character so, sorry y’all, I know everyone is excited about Katsuki

However. Everyone else can talk about Katsuki. I live on my scraps.

Love how Shigaraki tries to get a dig at Izuku about Katsuki like how Monoma did when he unlocked blackwhip, so his immediate reaction is diverge diverge diverge.

Talk about repressed but this is a whole new level.

And his eye bags, they just make him look so exhausted.

I said this before but the chapter after Katsuki woke up Izuku looked relieved to me yes, but also… very scared. Very afraid of Katsuki’s well being.

Especially since, if we compare what Katsuki is doing now (using the pain as an extension of his quirk), you could EASILY COMPARE to when Izuku unlocked danger sense with shigaraki. How concerned and afraid Katsuki was in those chapters.

The thing is though, Katsuki was honest. He was honest that Izuku shouldn’t be doing this on his own, he’s being honest now—“I’m Kacchan of the Bakugou’s!”

He knows how he’s feeling and he’s letting himself feel it.

Somehow, Izuku still isn’t.

Hell, when afo ignores Katsuki, what he does is laugh about how much pain he’s in, but that it’s the key.

Let’s compare how Katsuki is using pain to how Izuku is using pain with danger sense. Let us not forget, danger sense is a physically taxing quirk, much like the rest of ofa. It causes a migraine when in any immediate danger.

Idk about y’all, but I get migraines so bad sometimes I vomit from the buildup of pressure. I can’t focus on anything. I just cant really imagine Izuku using danger sense that well in a fight… yet he does.

And, what exactly is danger sense for? To get out of danger? Maybe to avoid the danger? Ofa is an extension of Izuku’s inner turmoil, every single quirk exhibits this, and it would make so. Much. Sense. For danger sense to mimic his avoidance of emotions and vulnerability.

Katsuki’s quirk as it is now uses pain in a very odd way to me—he doesn’t try to use it to exit himself from the danger or pain, but actively searches for it. The pain is the key.

Danger sense is also a relatively self serving quirk, only really useable for himself. And for him to reference danger sense of all his quirks rn, it would make sense since…

Izuku has been self serving and avoidant since before even this fight. Hell, before even the war arc. Maybe this has gone on his entire life.

I want to hit him so bad for this y’all don’t GET IT.

And, just so we all know, he did this in 348 too. When confronted with emotional conversations, his first thought will always be “but how’s the fastest way I can win this fight?”

MY PROOF YALL IM SO DONE WITH THIS DUDE

“You see I have never once thought about hurting the people I care about like that!” Okay maybe be less boring

HM I WONDER WHY

THATS SO CRAZY DEKU

YOU TELL ME

WHY IS THE GIRL WHO YOU REJECTED AND THEN SAID THAT HER WAY OF LOVING IS SOMETHING YOU COULD NEVER DO TO OTHER PEOPLE (ALSO IMPLYING JUDGEMENT IN THIS STATEMENT), SAD RIGHT NOW?

LETS USE SOME COMMON SENSE PLEASE

I’m hyped for when Izuku is forced to be honest y’all don’t understand. It’s gonna be an angst fest and it’s gonna be romantic and I literally can’t see it not heading down the “explicitly canonical” path.

#is he really your favorite character if you don’t want to punch his jaw #bkdk #midoriya izuku #mha deku #bkdk brainrot #bakudeku #bakugou katsuki #bnha deku #mha analysis #deku midoriya #like I want to hit him so bad sometimes because he’s so smart and so dumb #I wish I could kick him in the gut #call him stupid #tell him what he has to start acting like #and then say I’m sorry bbg you’re so amazing and you could do no wrong #and I’d lie to him with a straight face #<3

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thebibliosphere · 1 year

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How did you get rid of yr migraines?? #ineedthistoo

They're not totally gone, but I found out they were being hugely exacerbated by atypical binocular vision disorder. (Meaning I don't have the usual expected double vision, which was why my regular eye doctor missed it.)

I got tested by a neuro-ophthalmologist who did a 3, almost 4-hour eye exam to find that my eyes were not working in harmony and were likely causing a lot of fatigue and pain.

If you want to read more about how I got diagnosed and what it was like, I documented the whole thing on my blog. Just look for 'binocular vision disorder.'

If you want the tl;dr version: I am now wearing micro prism lenses to correct my eyes, along with a red tint to the glass to help with my severe photophobia.

My eye doctor prescribes migraine patients red-tinted lenses, as the red tint blocks more blue light than either yellow or green-- which are the typical color of lenses designed for screen use.

Even if you don't have any form of BVD, I'm going to highly suggest looking into red-tinted glasses, as even when I was waiting on my new prescription coming in, I was wearing a pair of non-rx red glasses, and my migraine pain severity went down drastically.

I didn't realize how much I was squinting and clenching my facial muscles from pain caused by blue light (natural and tech generated). All the screens in my house are now set to the night-light setting, which makes them orange/red, and I'm getting uv films for my windows so we can still see out but not have as much sun/snow glare in our south-facing home.

I'm also replacing the green acetate cover for my screen with a red one, just for an added layer of protection.

It makes my world very rosy, but it's helping*.

I also take magnesium and b2 as directed by my regular neurologist, which seems to help--though obviously, it couldn't help correct the issue my eyes were creating, so I'm interested to see if I get more benefit from them now.

The rest of my migraines now seem to be hormonal, which I am still pursuing, though sadly, with little help from my current ob/gyn. Need to work on that.

Anyway, that's how I went from 15-20 migraines a month down to 3. My eyes were fucked. They are still fucked, and I'm doing vision therapy along with the prisms to try and help, but so far, it's working!

---

*For anyone wondering, I still do green light therapy, which is also recommended for migraines. I'm just also trying to block as much blue light as possible, as that seems to be a major source of pain for me, not to mention the disruption to my sleep schedule. I've suffered my whole life from delayed sleep phase syndrome as part of my ADHD, but my chronic insomnia and problems sleeping have improved a lot since I started wearing red lenses and filtering all the tech in my house. (Ignore that I'm posting this at 2am, I'm awake by choice.)

#binocular vision disorder #atypical binocular vision disorder #chronic health tag #chronic migraines #long post

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lilislegacy · 1 month

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Oop-

I hate when tumblr messes shit up, but Hey, it's me again.

Like in my original aks, I want to reiterate that I'm not trying to come for everybody. Everyone is allowed to have their own opinion. This is just my 2 cents on the whole demigods and menstruation thing

My original ask was kind of convoluted, so I'll just sum it up here.

I like the idea of what demigods being different but I don't like the idea of administration just being completely gone.

I am currently reading jealous of the god, and that is something that Percy directly says is how you get the worst of both worlds.

I love the idea of demigods being more powerful and more protective when they are pregnant or whether their partner is. But imagine not knowing you're a demigod and never getting your period, then thinking "oh I can never get pregnant!" and then get pregnant. That sounds terrifying.

I do like the idea of certain demigods from certain gods having a different sort of thing. Kind of like with Athena, I saw one post about annabeth getting a migraine and shit which is hilarious.

I just feel like having no menstrual cycle. It all seems a little too easy. It's very reminiscent of Alexandria's Genesis if you were around on Tumblr about 10 years ago to remember that. (If not then izzzyzzz has an amazing video on YouTube all about this fake disorder and hoax)

In my original ask I pointed out how It would be an interesting point of view especially for trans demigods.

I am a transperson. I have a lot of dysphoria around that sort of thing. I am currently in pain because of it. So I've been thinking about it a lot.

(Also, this is a completely different headcannon, but I definitely headcannon Leo as a trans man)

Thinking more about it would be interesting to see people lose control of their powers because of how in pain they are I know. I get very upset very quickly like imagine how terrible that would be. (Like Thalia accidentally zapping someone or something)

I'm also a sucker for those hurt/comfort fics surrounding periods and such. Idk why I just like comforting fics lol

I do like the idea that the hunters of Artemis once they become a hunter would not get a period because fuck that.

Also among other things, Artemis is the goddess of childbirth and I feel like she can do that for her hunters.

I did add a little bit more from my original ask because I've just been thinking about it more.

Again, not coming for anyone I really love that everyone has their own opinions and fantastic ideas. It just makes me so happy as an artist!

Thank you! (Sorry tumblr deleted the original one lol)

thank you for the ask! and thank you even more for sending it twice lol!!

now, onto my thoughts. i totally see where you’re coming from. because you are right, part of being a demigod is having to deal with the crappy parts of both worlds. and as much as i would love for female-born demigods to not have to deal with periods, i can totally see them still having one.

so maybe it just works differently? maybe their cycles are longer and they only have a few periods a year? or maybe they are just way lighter? idk. but i still feel like they would work differently than regular humans

i definitely see where you’re coming from on the account of trans-demigods having to deal with it. there would definitely be an added emotional struggle with it along with the physical, and there’s a lot to explore there!

i love the idea of the children of different gods having different symptoms. like you mentioned athena’s kids having more headaches and migraines lol. and maybe ares kids get huge angry mood swings, and maybe aphrodite’s kids get really lovesick and cry every 3 seconds over couples doing cute things lol.

100% with you on the hunters not having one. no boyfriends = no sex = no babies = no period needed. they ain’t got time for that! they’ve got hot girl shit to do. like shooting people with arrows.

i also like the thought of demigods’ powers being heightened when they’re on their period lol. that’s hilarious. imagine a child of demeter having cramps and craving chocolate, and a cocao tree just spurts out of the ground LOL.

thank you for being so nice and wonderful towards people having different headcanons! and whether someone thinks demigods menstruate or not, it sounds like we can all agree that it’s at least different for them than it is for humans.

thank you for your thoughts! they were all super interesting!

#i love hearing other headcanons #anon ask #demigods #pjo headcanon #percy jackson #percy jackon and the olympians #pjo #heroes of olympus #percabeth

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underspacegame · 1 month

Text

We are less than a month out from our Early Access launch. Excited? Sleepless? Suffering from splitting migraines as you try to parse documentation that’s useless to you because Google’s search capabilities have been gutted by corporate ineptitude and your previous talents of being able to figure out solutions and leverage online resources are now useless in the vast overwhelming face of tools that have become completely mediocre in their relentless idiotic pursuit of profits via the lowest common denominator that have degraded any utility to the point of unusability and it’s 3AM and your cat is screaming at you because she wants you to play with a plastic fish she brought you and you’re not supposed to be up this late and you accidentally dropped your last pain medication pill that might have made you at least capable of falling asleep down the drain?

No? Well then, good. Yeah. Let’s talk Early Access and what to expect, to better set your expectations and illuminate what’ll be in and what’ll be not-in.

The thing I want to emphasize over everything else is that we are a very small and overly ambitious team working on a VERY large game with a scope that dwarves even many AAA releases. As it stands and when it launches the amount of content that will be in, at launch, is massive. I have no doubt that many of you will be spending hundreds of hours dredging up every perverse secret the galaxy’s hidden away.

At the same time, we’re a VERY small team. Outside of our asset creators, the only person doing coding, bugfixing, UX, QA response, server integrity, mod support, etc, is me. And just me. This isn’t so much a single developer spinning multiple plates as it is a human trainwreck trying to twirl an entire restaurant, to the severe detriment of his health and sanity.

With all this in mind, our Early Access launch will not launch with the full scope of features and content planned for Underspace. Significantly, multiplayer will launch in a very early state that does not include NPCs, bosses, or the multiplayer campaign. On the singleplayer side, several questlines, extended ship customization and cockpit textures, and many planetside and station interiors will not be included in launch.

These features or content exist or are implemented in a working state, but are often heavily, HEAVILY untested or unpolished, to the point where keeping in game before they’re at least in a state I'd be comfortable with is not something I’m comfortable with.

Before you go off creating posts on various imageboards and badly rebranded social media sites decrying the Underspace apocalypse, keep two things in mind: these features are not gone or cut from the game. It’s much like Todd Howard’s kind smiling visage: even if you can’t see it it’s still there. Watching and waiting. When Early Access releases in April, we will be putting out a nice big roadmap showing a huge amount of upcoming updates to the game. These updates will be staggered out as major releases, which will include these missing pieces of content.

This also includes features or elements such as voice acting, bugfixes (as Early Access is always buggy), and further mod support.

The second thing to keep in mind is that Underspace, when it launches, will still launch with the majority of its content and the vast majority of its game features implemented. This includes the singleplayer main campaign, over 40 quests, all bosses, all points of interest, all factions, star systems, random missions, storm hazards, equipment, flyable ships, and probably many more things I’ve lost in the hazy maze that is my fried brain currently.

It has been a long long time coming, almost seven years in constant development. None of this would have been possible with the support of our backers and community, but there’s still more to go. Contributions, supporting us during the Early Access period, and of course relentlessly shilling it your friends will all help us massively, in no small part because this will also let us dedicate more resources to improving the game and getting it out in a reasonable timeframe that also, coincidentally, doesn’t overwork me to death.

And… that’s about it! If I survive, I hope to see you out in the stormy skies on April 10th!

#underspace #game development #gamedev #video games #game design #unity3d #space #indie games #space games #space game

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wireman-au · 8 months

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SWAP COMPLETE.

Your name is Bdubs. You are currently sitting on a bench on the street in your coworker's neighborhood. About a block down the road, there's a bar you've personally decided must at least be a little evil. On either side of you, your coworkers are mother henning you. It's unnecessary. They both know you've done this song and dance before.

They both hate you've done this song and dance before.

Whatever. Two more years and you're done with your contractual obligations, and you'll have enough hazard pay that you and Etho and Cleo can all go retire to like, you don't know, a town outside a ski resort in Colorado or something. Live where all them rich, fancy celebrities live. Or, well, maybe not that, but retire to the country and you can finally actually use that architecture degree you sold your soul for. Maybe.

Anyway, none of that matters that much, given that, at the moment, you're still reeling from both having briefly been someone else (what?) and also no longer having a migraine (this should be fine but it's weirder than you thought it would be).

"I'm going to do it. I'm going to kill a general of the United States Army," mutters Cleo. "I'm actually going to do it."

"Chill out!" you shout, irritated.

"You chill out! I just watched you nearly collapse for no reason but the thing they put in your neck!"

"Yeah, well, it's supposed to help me be better, isn't it? Wouldn't'a done it if there weren't upsides."

"Oh, I can name a few reasons they would--"

"Wouldn't'a sent me out on a mission if there weren't upsides, or at least, few enough downsides to make it worth it," you clarify. Cleo shuts her mouth and looks away. Yeah. Okay. Okay.

You take stock of everything that's happened since you left base two days ago:

You've been dizzy.

You've been nauseous.

You've been having trouble sleeping--weird, because you could fall asleep on a bed of nails directly in front of stadium lights, but there you are.

You've been getting migraines.

You've been--weird. You don't know how to put it. You've been weird. Cleo knows it. You know it. You're pretty sure in the like, three hours worth of talking you've done to Etho today, he knows it.

There's been something scratching at the back of your head, like it's trying to get in.

It's stopped. You don’t think that’s because it’s gone. You suspect it’s because it won.

You have to admit Cleo has a point. You aren't going to say anything, though. She's already mad enough she might commit a federal crime and get you both disappeared for, you aren't sure, threatening the integrity of classified military experiments? Like, you're not sure you own the thing they implanted in you, which is--

Which is--

Focus. It doesn't matter for today. For right now. As long as you stop Cleo from committing a murder, you're probably all good.

"Uhh, guys, you two... okay?" Etho asks.

"Peachy," you say. "Don't even have a headache anymore."

"I hate that they do this to you," Cleo says.

"Yeah, uh, count me in. Towards. The hating things," Etho says awkwardly. God, you love that man. No one else could declare his loyalty so badly. "So I guess you're allergic to alcohol now or something?"

"What? No, that can't be it," you say. "I refuse. If I don't get a beer after this I'm suing."

Cleo huffs. "Well, if I have to perform CPR because you try to drink a beer, that's not my fault."

"Oh, screw you."

A shudder runs through your skull. It rings like a bell. You stick out your tongue and don't say anything yet; you'll put it down in the stupid diary later.

[CONNECTION GRANTED.]

Besides, the sooner you get your current job done, the sooner you can go home and ignore all of this.

#FILE #SUBJECT: bdubs #unreality

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onestepbackwards · 1 year

Text

Love That Bites Pt. 2

Hello everyone! Welcome to the second chapter of my Dracula x Reader fic! I felt very motivated to write this chapter (wrote over half of it last night hehe). I did write it on very little sleep though, so apologies if its a little messy. I still had fun writing it though! It was fun to move the plot on a little bit, even if it feels like it repeats itself a little... Whoops? Regardless, I hope you all enjoy!

Summary: After a rough night, you decide to finally confront your family’s biggest foe.... Only to suddenly have second thoughts. You are unaware of the affect this undoubtedly has on your imprisoned adversary.

CW: Anxiety, feelings of dread, minor self doubt, talks of murder, slight mental breakdown from stress, battle with morality.

Word count: 5059 Words! Previous: Link Next: Link

-----

Safe to say, you didn’t sleep well last night.

From nightmares of having to fight Dracula himself and dooming the world, to waking up every hour worried your little safe haven was being broken into by monsters.

When you finally forced yourself to get out of bed in the morning, you felt sick, and had a migraine. If you were being honest with yourself, the idea of turning tail and running back home felt more appealing than dealing with the Lord of the Night.

But you had to do this. Whatever this was.

You took your time getting ready, dreading returning to the castle. You couldn’t even eat properly, feeling sick made it near impossible for your stomach to settle. The only thing you could stomach was a few crackers and some water.

In a fit of frustration, you just threw some food in one of your bags, and decided to call it good. You could try and eat later if you got hungry.

After you prepared for the walk, and what would most likely be a battle, you set out.

A part of you hoped it had all been a strange nightmare. Perhaps the stress had finally gotten to you? You wouldn’t doubt it, given your current life struggles, and how sick you had been getting as of late. Despite not having any major symptoms of an illness like you had in the recent past, your body could have easily just given you a fever dream!

Deep down though, a part of you knew it was pointless to hope for such things. Everything that you had seen so far had been real, from the fear, the castle, and of course, the statue of Lord Dracula himself.

Shaking your head, you could only feel your anxiety worsen with each step you took.

Of course, that was nothing compared to the feeling you had when you arrived at the valley with the lake, where Castlevania loomed off in the distance.

It was much the same as it had been yesterday. Despite how it had been a bright, sunny morning when you departed from your cabin, clouds now ominously swirled above the area. Like before, lightning would occasionally strike, and thunder quickly followed.

And it was quiet.

The same, creepy quiet it had been last time. It did nothing to ease your bubbling anxiety.

Despite how much your legs felt like stone, you pushed forward towards the castle. Each step you took felt like it was once step closer to your potential doom.

As soon as you approached the gate to the courtyard, however, you were a bit stumped. Once again, no monsters were ready to greet you and try to tear you a new one.

Just the same, empty atmosphere as before.

With a bit more courage than yesterday, you pushed forward through the courtyard, arriving at the large doors that hid away the interior of the building.

“Well… no turning back now, I guess…” You mumbled, not feeling very enthusiastic.

You didn’t rush through the castle this time, but you also weren’t trying to search it either. The destination was clear.

But so was the path there.

Nothing but an empty, lonely castle. Cold, dark, and desolate feeling. As if any sort of life had been gone for decades.

Given the situation, you wouldn’t be surprised if that were the case.

Unlike the last time you were here, getting to the throne room was remarkably easy when you knew the way to go. Though you would admit, you almost wanted to get lost. At least then you could have an excuse for taking a while to arrive and stall.

Here, you had no such luxury.

The doors to the room were closed this time, seeing as you had shut them on your way out yesterday. However, they were no less daunting and creepy. The weather didn’t help either, with the thunder and lightning making you jump every so often.

Mentally screaming in your mind, you gripped your whip tightly, and pushed the door open.

It slowly swung open with a creak, echoing loud in the humongous room before you. Though that was nothing compared to the sound of blood pumping through your ears.

Lightning once again was your only real source of light, the clouds blocking most the daylight outside, and the room eerily remaining unlit.

The room still had its main centerpiece as well, the giant statue in front of the throne.

Reluctantly, you strode forward, one step after the other, until you were a mere few feet from the sculpture once again.

It hadn’t changed since yesterday. Dracula simply remained in that kneeling, outstretched pose. His hand reached out towards you still, all while the same snarl was present on his beautifully sculpted face.

Of course vampires would still look good, even when turned to stone.

As you quietly studied the statue, you felt the hair on your neck stand on end, and your adrenaline spike.

You swore you were being watched.

Your eyes quickly met Dracula’s stone ones, and your breath caught in your throat.

He was watching you. He had to be.

Even if you couldn’t prove it, you could swear he was aware, watching your every move.

The hand holding your whip gripped it tighter, and it was as if you saw amusement in his eyes, just beckoning you to strike him.

‘Come on, little Belmont. Hit me, strike me down. Destroy me if you can!’

Your face scrunched up, and you were about to lift your whip to attack, before you stopped yourself.

The air grew tense, like the room itself was holding a bated breath.

Was this really what you wanted? Was it a good idea?

Was it a kind one?

Your arm dropped uselessly to your side, and the grip on your whip slackened.

Could you really kill someone who could not fight back, and currently posed no threat?

The thought made your stomach sour, all while you were screaming at yourself in your head.

“Why now, morality? Could you not hit me at a worse time?” You grumbled to yourself.

Dracula was definitely not some defenseless being, far from it.

But here? It just seemed cruel.

The fabled enemy of your clan, reduced to a statue, unable to even defend himself against you.

Again, it just seemed cruel, and highly unhonorable.

And… it was something your mother had drilled in your head as a child.

Never attack anything that poses no threat, and can’t defend itself. We are Hunters, but we are also Belmonts. We shouldn’t be needlessly cruel, even if it’s a creature of the night. Not all things that go hide in the shadows wish harm, and those who can’t cause it shouldn’t be slaughtered.

It was a rarity to come across a monster that posed no threat, or wished no harm. But for you, it wasn’t unheard of.

Your mother had been a kind woman, who wanted to give people and monsters a chance if they showed potential. She told you many stories of monsters wanting to just exist, and that needlessly killing made you no better than the ones deserving a hunt.

But did that apply to Dracula? Lord of Vampires? Chosen one of Chaos or whatever? Guy who sent the armies of hell onto the world?

Though that did give you pause. You had read something about that in an old journal when you were younger.

Your ancestor, Trevor, had mentioned something. He had fought alongside Dracula’s son, Alucard. The writing was old, but you faintly remember Dracula declared war on mankind, because humans had killed his wife.

The journal didn’t go into further detail about that. It was more about the journey he had, and other things that had happened in his life since confronting Dracula.

But what you remember about it, made your mothers words ring loud in your head. You didn’t know the details… And he did kill a bunch of people… But the church had killed his human wife.

Hell, if the church killed your partner, you’d be pretty pissed too.

Certainly not an excuse, but… It certainly painted him in a different picture. How many of your ancestors considered that every time Dracula was revived?

It left a weird taste in your mouth. The kills he had committed were unforgivable. But… that had been hundreds of years ago, because his wife was murdered.

How could you even kill him now, when he hasn’t done anything? Stuck like this?

Did he have regrets? Was he just bound by fate to be killed almost immediately after being revived? Again and again? When was the last time anyone in your family had a conversation with him, not just pointing fingers and telling him to die for being a monster?

So many questions, and you couldn’t get any answers. Not with him like this.

Your instincts were screaming at you to pull your whip back and just finish the job.

But you couldn’t. Not like this.

He was stuck as a statue. If anything, trying to kill him would probably make everything worse.

Say you did kill him by striking the stone. Great. Now you just had to wait another century or so for him to revive again. Then it definitely would be your children or grandchildren’s problem.

The Lord of Vampires was stuck here. He wasn’t able to hurt anyone. Perhaps that was best.

Even if this whole situation felt… weird? Awful? Bad? Off? Confusing?

You had a lot of words and confusing feelings about it, that was for sure.

With a sigh, you hung your whip on your belt, and ran a hand through your hair, looking at the statue while biting your lip.

“Is this really the best idea?” You asked yourself, once again mentally cursing your morality. This was a lose lose scenario to you, no matter how you looked at it.

Try and kill him, and you kill someone who can’t fight back, or currently hurt anyone. It goes against your honor and morals.

Or, you try to kill him, and accidentally free him. You either win, and feel awful about attacking him when he can’t fight back, or you get killed and possibly get humanity destroyed.

But even leaving him as a statue didn’t sit well with you either. Surely, if he is aware, then is this truly right? Leaving someone in what is arguably a position worse than death?

But it’s Dracula. Dracula!!

How can you possibly have sympathy or pity for a guy who has killed people?! Raised armies from hell? Had innocents slaughtered hundreds of years ago!?

You wanted to bang your head against a wall.

“That’s it. I’ve lost my mind!” You spoke, exasperated. Turning, you pointed a finger at the statue.

“I’m not doing this for you. I’m doing this for my mother. Wait, no-”

You wanted to scream. Why would you admit that.

Well… It’s not like he can use her against you, at least.

Though you certainly wanted to smack yourself, but you stopped from doing so when you glimpsed at the statue again. The air had almost shifted. It wasn’t tense like it had been before.

The statue was the same as ever. Same snarl on his face, same claws reaching out. But it felt different somehow.

It had to be the eyes.

You swear the bastard must be laughing at you from his mind, you could just tell.

‘This is the Belmont that is supposed to destroy me? They won’t even raise their weapon against me? Pathetic.’

You couldn’t read his mind, sure, but his smug bastard aura seemed to mock you.

Or maybe you were just taking this too personally. That was a possibility too. You came to this area to relieve stress near your breaking point, and all this happened. It wouldn’t surprise you if your stress was making this feel a little too personal.

Not that the statue needed to know that.

You shot a look at said statue. His smug aura continued to mock you. You held back from giving him a rude gesture.

“Some Belmont I am. Ha. Not even gonna kill the guy I’ve been ‘destined’ to destroy. Hmph” You muttered, now looking around the room.

It was kinda nice for a throne room, if you were being honest. You know, despite belonging to a Lord of Vampires and all.

“You know…” You began after a few moments, “This place doesn’t look half bad. I heard this castle takes different forms each time it appears, but it does look cool, I’ll give you that.”

You didn’t really want to think as to why you were humoring the statue with conversation. Well, more so your musings, but still.

“This throne room probably looks even cooler when actually lit up. I imagine the clouds probably stay with the castle or something, to help keep the natural sunlight out from the windows? Regardless, the lightning lighting up the room is a neat touch. Very gothic and atmospheric.”

The room was silent, though you heard the occasional clap of thunder. Awkward.

You sighed, and turned back towards the statue.

“Okay, look. I’m not going to attack you or kill you, or whatever. I’m firmly against just… Going in headfirst like that, and attacking someone who can’t defend themselves, or is a threat to others. I don’t even know if you can hear me. For all I know, I’m just making myself look like a jackass.”

You shook your head, almost unable to believe the words coming out of your mouth.

“Regardless, if you can hear me… If you break free from whatever…. this is,” You vaguely gestured to his stone form, “I’ll be here. I will make sure to finish the job if I have to. I won’t have you putting innocent humans in danger.”

Quickly, you turned on your heels, and looked over your shoulder.

“But… I’d love to have a conversation first. Did any of my ancestors just sit down and talk with you, or did they attack you on sight? Maybe that will be my downfall, but hey, I’m curious.”

Plus, you’d like to get some real answers to things. You couldn’t rely on century old journals for both sides of a story. Perhaps it was your mother’s words echoing in your head again, but you would rather learn more about your adversary before you made a decision on taking his life again.

If you came to the conclusion he would hurt more innocent people, then hey, you at least would no longer feel bad about having to kill the guy.

Though that sounded more morbid than you would like.

“I’ll be back. Just because I’m not doing anything now, doesn’t mean I won’t be keeping an eye on you.”

With that, you took a deep breath, and headed towards the exit. Despite the anticlimactic end to this ‘meeting’, your heart was pounding in your chest. It took all your willpower to keep your chin high, and avoid shaking.

It was hard to ignore the feeling of eyes baring into your back.

You didn’t falter, even as you closed the doors to the throne room, or as you quickly walked down the stairs and through the castle.

Even as you left through the courtyard, you continued on walking, head held high, not even looking back behind you.

It wasn’t until you reached the cabin, that you shut the door behind you, and threw your supplies to the ground.

Your back hit the door behind you, and you slid down it, and broke into a sob.

Why did everything in your life seem to always go wrong?

—-

It had been a long time since he had seen a living soul.

It had been years, decades even, since he had last seen anyone. Anything.

Dracula had to admit to himself, this curse had been one of the worst things he had experienced yet.

The other times he had been defeated, he was merely killed or destroyed. As much of a literal pain and annoyance as it was, to be revived time and time again, only to be killed off, this easily took the cake.

At least when he was killed, his soul was either wandering hell, or temporarily at rest. But this? Being stuck as stone for decades? Even he had limits to his seemingly endless patience.

There was nothing to do. Nothing he could do.

Nothing but sit here and think, all alone with his thoughts. If he wasn’t who he was, he no doubt would have gone insane by now.

Or perhaps he already had? He could not say.

But he had been here, alone for a long time. All thanks to those Belmonts.

The last Belmont had arrived not too long after he had been revived for the umpteenth time. He had come in, determined to ‘slay the beast, once and for all.’

Dracula had scoffed at the outlandish remark, one the Belmont’s ancestors all had said. How each would end his ‘reign of terror’ and save humanity.

Though most of the time, he hadn’t exactly been revived willingly, or had desired to come back. Nor in half those cases, had even done anything to humanity. Yet.

But this time, he’ll admit the Belmont took him off guard.

The battle had been going poorly for the human hero, and Dracula found himself quickly winning. A delicious change of pace from the past few hundred years or so.

However, he should have known the battle would have ended up being a farce.

The Belmont had played him. Behind the scenes, a little human friend had secretly been setting up a trap. A series of runes with magic power. Right when he thought he had the little hero pinned, a bright light had enveloped both, before the Belmont had slipped away.

Despite having happened so long ago, that final battle was still fresh in his mind.

Chains of light gripped his wrist, his body, everywhere. Everything burned.

“What… What is this!?” He yelled in shock and outrage, his victory stolen from right beneath him. The Belmont gave him a steely look, and raised the whip, striking him as he was stuck.

Dracula could only snarl, and gripped his side when hit with a particularly nasty lash.

Chanting filled the room, and his eyes landed on the human woman he had previously ignored. The chains glowed brighter, burning his eyes, burning his flesh.

“No! What is this!? Release me!” He demanded, attempting to struggle, though was only met with more licks from that cursed whip.

“Silence, beast. When we are through, you won’t be able to hurt anyone ever again.”

Dracula’s eyes widened, the chanting becoming clear. He recognized that spell. The runes on the floor, the chant, the spell.

“No! I will not be imprisoned-!” He growled, his face warping into a snarl. In a last ditch effort, he reached forward towards the Belmont with all his remaining might…

...Only for the light to begin to envelope his body. He was too late. He couldn’t escape this, his body was already beginning to harden.

“Hear me speak Belmont, and know this!” He spat out, trying to fight the spell as much as he could.

“It will be by your clan’s blood, I shall be revived once more!”

The Belmont’s eyes widened, and the human girls eyes widened, her chanting pausing for a brief second before quickly continuing.

“Your kin will find me, and through their blood, I shall be released once more! It shall be done!”

There was a strange snap in the air, and the curse slotted into place. Dracula grinned maliciously, before snarling once more in pain.

The light flashed once more, and Dracula could move no more. His body turned to stone.

The Belmont and the woman sagged, the tension leaving their bodies. However, they shared an uncertain look, one that Dracula mentally took glee in.

His power, even if he hadn’t been at full power at that fight, was not something to scoff at. Speaking such a curse into existence with his remaining strength was no issue, though he was not fond of relying on them.

And the satisfaction of seeing such unease on a Belmont after they ‘won’ the battle, was something he would keep burned in his mind. Even as they reluctantly left as his castle began to ‘collapse’, he couldn’t help but feel like he had the last laugh.

Especially when his castle disappeared, reappearing somewhere he knew not. Cold and empty, mirroring his status as stone.

Now, all he had to do was wait. Fate would find the Belmonts eventually.

And wait he did.

It was torture, but much like he had expected, the wait paid off.

He couldn’t say how long exactly it had been, since he had been sealed away here, but it was certainly long enough for a new Belmont to show up.

You.

He felt your presence the moment you entered the castle. At first, he wasn’t sure if it was a Belmont or not. He just knew it was a human.

But the moment you peeked through those large doors, he knew.

A nee Belmont had arrived, and he felt his excitement beginning to rise. Finally, he’d be free of his stone prison.

But… then he wasn’t.

You were a small, squirrelish little thing, jumping at every noise you heard.

He recognized that hunter’s instinct of yours. No doubt running wild with how confused you must be, given your expressions.

Though he had to admit, he was quite curious about this Little Belmont.

Surely, your ancestor explained to the family his curse, to keep you all away? Why were you here?

Surely, it wasn’t to slay him. You looked ill prepared for a battle against him.

When you hesitantly poked him, and jumped back, he wanted to laugh when it all clicked into place.

You had no idea why he was like this. Your family hadn’t told you about his curse.

It was obvious from your behavior, and how jumpy you were, not to mention the dagger in your hands.

You obviously knew who and what he was, but didn’t know why he was a statue. He could cackle at his luck.

This Little Belmont would be the one to free him. Their blood would be the blood to release him from his prison. He could feel it.

But you still managed to surprise him. Instead of attacking his little prison, you turned around, and left.

The little hunter was obviously very frazzled, but it hadn’t been what he had been expecting.

He anticipated you pulling out your family whip, and attempting to destroy him. Something no doubt would have happened, and you would have ended up injured, and your spilt blood freeing him.

But that didn’t happen. You just left.

He briefly wondered if perhaps, his mind had made the whole thing up, but alas, he knew it was true. After years of being stuck in the same position, day after day, he recognized that everything that had happened had been real.

And he always would recognize a Belmont. Their blood had a peculiar scent. A scent that he was far too familiar with, after all these centuries.

But this left him quite confused.

No matter, you would be back, he was sure.

He didn’t even have to wait long. The very next day, you had reappeared.

You seemed more prepared this time, your face blank, and your body language reflecting that more of a hunter. The Little Belmont looked ready for battle.

Oh, how he anticipated such a battle from you. You were such a tiny thing compared to him, it was almost cute.

But he wouldn’t underestimate you, oh no. You may seem weaker and unsuspecting than some predecessors, but he had battled enough of your family not to take you lightly.

Especially after the last battle he had. His prison was a cold reminder to never let his guard down in battle again.

You approached him, your gaze level with his. Slowly, you raised your whip, fully intending to strike him. This was it, the opportunity he had been waiting for! He was practically begging you to attack him. Surely, you would bleed, freeing him-!

…Except, you didn’t strike him. You simply looked at him, an odd look on your face. Your arm then went limp at your side, and Dracula was almost speechless. Were you not going to try and destroy him? Much like your predecessors? You came in, fully intent on doing so, if your get up and body language was anything to go by.

So why?

“Why now, morality? Could you not hit me at a worse time?” You grumbled to yourself, and suddenly it all made sense to Dracula. He almost wanted to laugh.

The Little Belmont pitied him? Felt they were going against their morals? Such things got people killed. How were you alive this long if you struggled with such emotions?

It was kind of amusing. And a little pathetic.

Perhaps it was his patience wearing thin, or his distaste for your clan, but he was about fed up.

But… He’d be lying if he said he didn’t find you interesting. You, a Belmont, were debating the moralities of killing your clan’s greatest enemy. It was so ridiculous, he would have scoffed if he could.

But you were a bit amusing. How long had it been since he had any form of entertainment?

“I’m not doing this for you. I’m doing this for my mother. Wait, no-”

Oh how he wanted to laugh, but also was intrigued. What did your mother have to do with this? Was she a soft hunter? Regardless, you seemed rather upset that you had admitted that to him, realizing your own mistake.

He didn’t know whether to laugh, or see this as a letdown.

Dracula chose to be amused.

Especially since you seemed to pick up on his amusement, only making him wish he could laugh even more.

It was almost cute, how you seemed to puff up like a tiny animal, with how upset you were getting. How prickly you seemed to become.

You weren’t happy with his amusement. It seemed to make you more irritated. Good.

He could just feel you trying to ignore the urge to say something crass or rude as time went on, and you talked with yourself.

Though it didn’t take you long to ‘calm down’.

But once again, you surprised him when you started talking about his castle, and the throne room.

Just who were you? Were you really a Belmont? Your quick 180 was throwing him for a slight loop.

Though he had a suspicion you were doing it to deflect. You had some idea he was aware, judging by how you were talking to him as if he was in the room, but you seemed unsure on how to move forward.

Though you seemed to pick up on the atmosphere, and spun around to face him.

You were, but hey, he was enjoying the mess of a show.

Though your statement did interest him. Surely, you shouldn’t be alive by now if that was your ‘morals’ that you had mentioned? Or had times truly changed through the centuries, and he hadn’t had a chance to see them?

But you still made a point to ‘threaten’ him, as weak as the threat was. But it was your next set of words that genuinely surprised him

“But… I’d love to have a conversation first. Did any of my ancestors just sit down and talk with you, or did they attack you on sight? Maybe that will be my downfall, but hey, I’m curious.”

You at least acknowledged that what you had said was a bit… odd. Didn’t you ever learn curiosity killed the cat?

Dracula could not lie though. This was a changing point for him. You wished to talk? With him? He normally would be amused, but… You were something else. Something entirely new.

When was the last time he had a civil conversation with a Belmont? No lives on the line for either side? No one yelling threats and obscenities?

He might have misjudged you. That alone struck a chord with him.

You seemed so weak and pathetic earlier, but… Getting a good look at you, you had a look of someone who was wise beyond their time. You stumbled a bit, and were scared of him, he could tell that much.

However, you had an air of wisdom he has not seen in a long while. A type of wisdom one got through hardship. He’d argue his old friend Leon was the last Belmont to act as such, and that opened his eyes.

You had since turned on your heels while he had been deep in thought, and your next words almost excited him.

“I’ll be back. Just because I’m not doing anything now, doesn’t mean I won’t be keeping an eye on you.”

If he could lick his lips, he would have. Oh, how he was so curious about you now. You were more of a Belmont than he gave you credit for. It all made sense.

It was about time there was a Belmont that was close to Leon in views and personality. They all matched and surpassed his old friend’s strength, and they all had a strong desire to protect.

But many didn’t have Leon’s desire to talk things out, and hear what the other party had to say. Some indulged Dracula after defeating him, but most did not care, just wishing him gone.

After that, you hastily made an exit, not even turning to look at him like you had last time. He watched you as you left, already looking forward to seeing you again, and what antics you might get into when you do so.

He ignored the small pull in his chest as he watched you leave, unwilling to admit he already missed your presence.

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