#and may we all live long enough to see your IF finished lol

[arrapso]

For best girl @doriana-gray-games c:

[darqx]

Snakes on a post

Another particularly long answer dump since i, once again, have a backlog of things to potentially answer |D

❗️For commonly asked qs please see my BTD FAQ

Got jumpscared with my own old art for a hot minute there LAUGHS.

(For those wondering, the naga doodle from here was attached to the ask)

That is every other Royal that exists in the Nether and also at least some of the demons that challenged him for his Royal title lol.

Believe me, no one was or is more surprised then me XD;

So, the thing about where Rire's ichor manifests is that it kinda exists and doesn't exist at the same time. Meaning that his upper back is where the manifestation point is anchored, BUT it can still manifest with a bit of space in between it and his back hence why it will manifest over his clothes and not through them.

So if you touch where the manifestation point is sans the ichor, than you are just straight up touching his back. With the ichor, he still gets sensory input from the tentacles to his back but it's a lot more soft and muted esp the further away it gets from him. As you've seen implied though, he would feel a very sharp pain if a great deal of damage was done to the ichor where it clusters at the manifestation point, since he'd DEF be feeling that straight in his back lol.

He is definitely a top and the only way he would bottom for anybody is if they somehow forced him to.

Ah i knew i'd answered this a long time ago [finally found it]! Holy crosses (those that have been blessed) can also burn him but they would need to be in contact with him the entire time. Being a Royal he also has more of a tolerance to these than normal demons.

Well, unless said person actually has the undeniable ability to make good on their words, Rire would just stand there rather genially with that little smile he sometimes has and let them finish.

And then he might use them as reverse suggestions for dealing with said person (why would you give him any ideas!!?)

both

In BTD canon it is quite possible that they actually haven't in person. But we are using creative license here haha.

Rire heals a lot faster than a human. Cain is not my character so I don't know how his stacks up.

I've grouped these asks cos they kind of have similar answers - 360° (jk sorry sorry to the second q that is just a very common spelling mistake and I couldn't resist XD; )

Now, even though we mashed all the characs together in BTD, they all actually come from different storylines and so their canons outside the "BTD canon" may differ. This tends to bleed in. With this in mind:

The rules of Rire's canon (eg the concept of Battle Royales and how to become a Royal) don't apply to Cain. Anyway, they don't live in the same place either.

Cain is canonically the oldest and most OP character in BTD lol so yes he is stronger than Rire - you might've noticed, but Rire is never in the same drawing as Cain voluntarily. I play with this along with the "natural weakness" aspect - which I've also referred to as scissors-paper-rock rules XD Basically; demons beat humans, angels beat demons (purely because demons have weakness against holiness).

It would (be insane) but I hope you are not looking at me to fulfil this :d

Not really

His coronation day is a public holiday in his sector so yes XD

Aww thank you very much for your interest! ≧(´▽｀)≦ It's really cool that some of you guys want to actually fund such a thing - I'd have thought you'd have enough of him killing you in BTD1 XD Unfortunately, I have no plans for a Rire game at the moment as I'm working on a webcomic which looks like it will take up all my free time (that being said, he will be in the webcomic at some point).

Nope! Although i can kinda see why you might think that lol.

Whatever that one is where he doesn't particularly care what someone else identifies as. It really makes no difference to him or how he will act.

There are viruses in the Nether that if contracted could potentially kill you, yes. Part of being a Royal is becoming a lot more robust than normal Demons though. As for if/when Rire dies, I dunno maybe either in a Battle Royale somewhere thousands of years down the line or by old age (which is rare for a Royal but not impossible if you play your cards right).

If you are asking if he has a heat/rut of some sort, he does not |D

[forgeofthenine]

hhgggg the bachelors in rut was so.. well, hot lol. I remember there being a previous ask about the bachelor's reacting to the reader being turned into a tiefling.

I was wondering, how would they handle said reader going into heat/rut for the first time?

I've taken an unexpected absence from Tumblr the last couple days, between prepping for Christmas and being extremely busy at work I basically had no time or energy. I did, however, write this while half asleep and on the flight to see my family, given the amount of turbulence we had when I finished it maybe even nature wanted me to write more lol. There's luckily still more stuff to come over the Christmas break :)

@swordcreature come get your food-

TW: NSFW under the cut, ABO dynamics, overstimulation, orgasm denial, impact play mention

The bachelors when their partner goes into heat/rut for the first time

Dammon

Dammon is so good at handling any new tiefling issues you might have, even if he laughs a bit at first

"Baby, if you angle your head to the left it'll make getting that top on easier.“

What completely slipped his mind was that you'd eventually develop a heat cycle just like all other Tieflings

As soon as walks into the house after a day of working in the forge the smell hits him

The entire house smells like pure lust, even a single step into the doorway is enough for his pupils to dilate and his throat to go dry

If you weren't already preoccupied, you'd hear the way he thumps up the stairs in his desperation to get to your bedroom

The door swings open with a slam as Dammon stands in the doorway looking half crazed

The sight of you spread out on the bed with two fingers knuckle deep, back arched, is almost enough to send him straight into an early rut

It's only your small whimper of how much it hurts that brings him back out of his haze, suddenly realising how confusing this must be at first

The bed dips as he sits on the side, leaning over you and placing a warm hand on your equally hot face to get your attention

As hard as Dammon is in his pants, he does check you're okay first and makes sure you drink water before he starts anything

It doesn't matter how much you complain or accuse him of teasing you, he wants to make sure you won't pass out on him

Once he's sure you're okay, all bets are off

As soon as he can, he's folding you over yourself and taking things into his own hands, quite literally

He makes sure you get off at least once to the feeling of his rough, calloused hands as he fingers you without abandon

It's only after you've cum once (or twice, or thrice) on his fingers that he'll finally indulge you with his throbbing cock

The feeling of you squeezing around him, whimpering out his name, is enough for Dammon to finally hit his own rut

He can't keep his hands off you, low rumbled praises leaving his lips as he bites at your collarbones

His cock reaches places in you your fingers never could, the flared head and ridged underside making your mind numb with pleasure

The tiefling keeps you there in bed for hours, switching you between positions as he fucks you until you're both exhausted, panting messes

You'll be well taken care of afterwards too, Dammon easily picking up your now sated body and putting you in a nice warm bath

He eases you through your first heat as well as one can, even if he's dealing with an unexpected rut at the same time

Zevlor

This man was your living tiefling encyclopaedia long before you accidentally became a tiefling yourself

Your questions increased after the accident, though, and suddenly Zevlor is answering questions he never thought he'd have to

Such as "does this mean I'll have a heat cycle now? What'll that feel like?" Among others

The question stops him in his tracks because logically yes you would have a heat cycle now, but he can't remember ever meeting someone that wasn't born a tiefling

Zevlor does his best to prepare you for what may happen, and when you finally come up to him one day to tug at his sleeve he can already smell your heat

He's another one that makes sure you're prepared beforehand, but it's much easier with how early he catches on

Once you've had something to eat and drink he's happy to lead you over to your shared bedroom

Zevlors so sweet as he leads you through the beginning of it all, sweet kisses down your chest and gentle touches over your hips

You'll find his face between your legs soon enough, happily devouring you like a man starved

As composed and proper as the paladin is, he can't deny that he'd spend the rest of his life here giving you head if you'd let him

Your reactions and the sweet smell of your heat spur him on, pulling orgasm after orgasm from you with ease

At some point his fingers join in too, the digits and his tongue bringing you to ecstasy repeatedly

It's only after he's made you a boneless, whining mess that he'll finally resurface, asking if you'd still like more

Zevlors pupils are blown wide, cock hard and twitching in his pants, his own rut creeping up on him

Once you give him the go ahead he's already tearing off his own clothes, or what's left of them anyway

He eases his cock into you slowly despite the ample preparation, enjoying the anticipation of finally bottoming out inside of you

Every squeeze and flutter you make around him pulls a low groan from the older tiefling, his hand anchoring itself on your hip

He's gentle with you the whole time, happily restraining the part of him that wants to go rougher, to take you like a madman

Instead, he leads you both to climax over and over again, pulling orgasms out of your needy body

When you've both finally had your fill, his own cock oversensitive and going soft within you, that he finally reaches over for the pitcher of water he set out earlier

Zevlor will, once again, help you to eat and drink a little before he holds you close and runs his hands over your bare skin

It's soothing, easing you off to sleep, Zevlor knows you'll need all your energy to do this all over again tomorrow

Rolan

Despite being an extremely smart man, Rolan often forgets about his own ruts and the fact you'll now be experiencing similar absolutely eludes him

He's quite happy to go about his normal business running Ramaziths Tower and ignoring most of his basic bodily needs

That is, until you collapse while helping him with cataloguing

He'd already known you were feeling unwell, the tiefling insisting you stay close to him for the day so he can keep an eye on you, and he just barely catches you before you hit the ground

The wizard takes in your flushed face and the needy way you paw at his clothed chest, already trying to pull away his layers

A realisation runs through him, you're in heat

Going with the first thought that runs through his head, Rolan sweeps you up into his arms and misty steps you over to your bedroom door

It's a fiddly thing trying to open it with you in his arms, that is until he remembers he can simply summon a mage hand to help

Unloading you onto the bed, he finally lets you pull away his top layers, flustered as the full gravity of the situation dawn's on him

Sure, you two have fucked plenty of times before now, but it's different when your desperately tugging at him like he's the very air you breathe

It's only when you snap at him, asking what's taking him so long, that he kicks back into gear

Unlike the other Tieflings, all thoughts of water or food completely evade his mind

It's not long before he has you ass up and face down, a mage hand holding your wrist together above your head as he thrusts three fingers inside of you

Rolan is just as mean in bed as he is out of it, bringing you right to the precipice before pulling his touch away all together

It hardly matters to him that you're in heat really, he's determined to tease you before bringing you mind shattering pleasure

He doesn't take all comfort from you though, pitying you as tears start to roll down your cheeks, his tail intertwining with yours as he finally lets you cum

Anyone in the tower could've heard your scream as you finally get the pleasure your body craves, and that's just how he likes it

Rolan happily takes you properly afterwards, a hand on your ass when he sinks his hard cock deep into you with a single stroke

His own rut kicked in hours ago, the sheer realisation that you were in heat sparking it

And he keeps you there, for hours, cataloguing long forgotten as he thrusts so deep into you that you swear he's reaching your stomach

He's as rough with you as he usually is, the odd smack laid on your ass, hands near bruising your hips as he pulls you impossibly closer to him

The two of you stay there like that, a tangle of limbs, well into the night

Until neither of you even have the energy to move

Rolan does eventually use his mage hand to get you both water before he pulls your head into his chest and encourages you to try and get some sleep

[yuikomorii]

Happy Birthday, Ayato! ❤️

// Today is the golden boy’s birthday!! Sweet and spicy visual god, you are the reason of my unattainablly high standards… and also of my questionable financial decisions, lol.

This looks more like an Ayayui shrine than an individual Ayato one, but I couldn’t fit all the items in one pic, therefore I chose the ones that were the easiest to find in my room. :”)

Nevertheless… I did try to prepare a SCENARIO too! I used my nsfw edit as the cg, although I didn’t show everything. The romantic part is really cheesy and cringe, but if you’re into fluff, you will like that. 💕💕

~Operation: Ayato-kun’s birthday~

Yui: ( Haa… it feels as if there’s no ending to these anymore… )

( I woke up earlier today, hoping to finish all these exercises, yet I really can’t bring myself to understand how to solve them at all…! )

( My mind is completely in a whole different place right now. Today is Ayato-kun’s birthday after all. )

( Unfortunately, all the assignments kept me so busy this week that I wasn’t even able to bake a cake for him… )

( However, it’s still not too late for that, right? )

( Once I’m done with this page, I will definitely try my best to prepare it as soon as po—)

Reiji: Komori Yui, are you slacking again?

Yui: …!

R-Reiji-san!

( Oh no, he picked up my notebook! )

Reiji: Good grief, there are mistakes everywhere! Do I need to remind you that you are not permitted to bring disgrace upon the Sakamaki family as long as you reside under this mansion's roof?

Yui: Uuh… I-I’m really sorry, Reiji-san. I promise I’ll—

Reiji: Silence. I recently received your report card as well, and I must admit that I’m not pleased with your performance in the slightest. I was expecting such indifference from my brothers, but it’s rather disheartening for a human girl not to care about her education.

Yui: Y-You got it wrong! It’s not like I don’t care about school, but… simply put, the teachers have been giving us much too many tasks lately, and I find them quite difficult to solve, which stresses me out a little, to be honest.

Reiji: Hmph, excuses. I find it incomprehensible how such simple exercises cause you mental difficulties.

Nevertheless, I shall teach you then. Even if it requires the whole day to achieve that.

Yui: You will? Woah, thank you so much, Re— W-Wait, no! We can’t do that today!

Reiji: Pardon? Are you rejecting my offer to tutor you?

Yui: No, no! Not at all! It’s just that today is Ayato-kun’s birthday, and well… I would obviously want to celebrate it with him.

Reiji: Denied.

Yui: Eh—?

Reiji: You truly are a fool. Vampires show no interest in the day of their birth. Now, take a sit.

Yui: …

( I know Reiji-san is not in the wrong, but… I really do want to celebrate Ayato-kun’s birthday. That day may not be special to him but it’s so special to me. )

( Am I being selfish, I wonder…? )

*Timeskip*

Reiji: It appears that you’re finally able to understand how to solve this exercise. The next ones are similar to it, therefore there shouldn’t be any obstacles.

Yui: Yes, I see…

( I appreciate Reiji-san’s help, yet too many hours have passed by and baking a cake from scratch is not possible anymore… )

Place: Living room

Yui: ( Hmm… apparently I still have enough pocket money to buy a cake. I know a self-made one would have been more meaningful, but I really couldn’t… )

Kanato: Yui-san, are you spacing out?

Yui: Eh—? Ah, Kanato-kun, I didn’t see you there. I’m fine, but I’m a bit in a hurry, so… see y— Kya!

( He grabbed my wrist! )

Kanato: You’re going to buy a cake for my brother, aren’t you?

Yui: Uhh… well yes, I mean, it’s his birthday after all.

Kanato: My birthday was yesterday and I didn’t see you get any cake for me, nor for Laito. Teddy thinks you forgot about us. Tell me, Yui-san, is that true?

Yui: T-that’s not it!

Kanato: So you’re going to buy a cake for me as well after all? I might forgive you if you do that.

Yui: ( What did I get myself into…! I’m sure Kanato-kun will throw a tantrum if I say “no”. )

But… I don’t think I got enough money for two cakes.

Kanato: Please don’t worry about that, Yui-san, I know my ways. Or what, are you doubting me now?

Yui: …!

— shakes head —

Kanato: Good, now let’s go.

Place: Demon World Cake shop

Yui: Woah, I’ve never seen such big cakes before!

Kanato: Please don’t shout. Your looks already make you resemble a servant, you don’t have to act like one as well.

Yui: ( Hey, that’s mean! )

Cake shop owner: Welcome, how can I help you?

Yui: We’re searching for a birthday cake, but uhm… one a bit smaller than the ones displayed here, if possible.

Cake shop owner: Any flavor you got in mind?

Yui: ( Speaking of flavor, I don’t think Ayato-kun has ever told me anything about his favorite. He would probably say Takoyaki but a Takoyaki cake… that doesn’t feel right. )

I think he likes straw—

Kanato: Raspberry!

Cake shop owner: Wonderful! We just finished a raspberry cake a few minutes ago!

— brings cake —

Yui: ( It truly looks delicious…! Besides, it’s red as well, which is Ayato-kun’s favorite color, so I believe he would truly like this one! )

Kanato: Alright, we’ll take it!

Place: Mansion

Yui: Phew, I’m glad the cake didn’t get crushed on the way.

Kanato: It’s time to eat!

Yui: Wha—! No, Kanato-kun, you can’t!

Kanato: Excuse me, but who do you think you are? This is my cake, therefore I’m allowed to eat it whenever I want!

Yui: W-Well, don’t you want to wait for Ayato-kun too? This way, you two will be able to eat it together like bro—!!

(He pushed me in the cake!?)

Kanato-kun, why did you do this!?

Kanato: You ruined the cake!

Yui: Me!? But Kanato-kun was the one who pushed me there!

Kanato: Teddy says you’re annoying, and I agree. Now how will you fix your mistakes?

Yui: ( I can barely see anything…! )

Kanato: Fufu, look at her Teddy! She’s full of cake from head to toe! Now, let’s give it a taste che—

Yui: You can’t!

— moves cake away from him —

Kanato: I can!

— moves cake back —

Yui: No!

— moves cake away —

Kanato: Hmph, just give up already, will you!?

— pushes her away —

Yui: Wait, no—!!!

???: Oi, what the—!

— cake falls on them —

Kanato: Noooo, the cake!!!! Ngh, this is no fun anymore!

Yui: Uuh… Why is the floor so soft…?

Ayato: ‘Cause it’s not the floor, you idiot.

Yui: Ah! A-Ayato-kun!

Uhh… Happy birthday…~?

Ayato: Geez, c’mere, you’re an even bigger mess.

— picks her up —

Place: Bathroom

Yui: ( This is so embarrassing…! )

Ayato: Haa… You’re finally not covered in cake anymore.

Yui: I… I’m sorry…

Ayato: Huh? What are you apologizing for? I’m not mad that you dropped that cake on me.

Yui: That’s not the only thing I’m sorry about…

If it weren’t for my carelessness, you would have gotten a nice birthday, but now… you don’t even have a cake anymore.

( Ah, I’m feeling as if I’m about to cry right now… )

Ayato: Hey, c’mon that’s not worth the tears. I’m a vampire, remember? I don’t care about my birthday, so there’s no need to worry about such stuff.

Yui: Maybe you don’t care about it but… I do. I know that I’m about to sound selfish, but your birthday is very special to me. It represents the day you were born and I… I simply can’t imagine not celebrating it.

Ayato-kun is important to me, therefore that automatically makes his birthday important to me too.

Ayato: You klutz…

— hugs her —

Yui: W-Wha—! Ayato-kun…!

Ayato: Seriously, are all humans really that sentimental? Or does this only apply to cute girls like you?

Yui: …!

(He… he called me cute! )

— blushes —

Ayato: The day’s still not over, y’know? There’s still time to celebrate it if you’re really that obsessed with it.

Yui: …! So, are you really okay with that?

Ayato: Yeah? If I weren’t, I would have told you, idiot. On top of that, it’s not like I got anything better to do anyway.

Now tell me, Chichinashi, what exactly do you have in store for today?

Yui: Hm… uhm… nothing comes to my mind at the moment, but for now… I can’t say I mind spending time like this with Ayato-kun.

Ayato: Heh~? You suddenly don’t mind being in my arms while naked?

Yui: P-Phrasing it like that…!

Ayato: Well, if that’s the case, then… you wouldn’t mind if I sucked your blood either, right?

Yui: Go ahead.

Ayato: Hah? No talking back? Are you really that easy to convince today? Or, could it be that you finally admit enjoying the pleasure these fangs give you?

Yui: It’s not only about your fangs, Ayato-kun. I really like you as a whole.

I wasn’t even able to find a gift for you, therefore giving you my blood is the least I can do.

Ayato: Heh, I see… I don’t need your blood as a gift though.

Yui: You don’t…?

Ayato: Nope, ‘cause I already got the best gift ever.

Yui: Is that so?

( Did someone already give him something for his birthday? If that’s the case, then who could it be? )

( Ah… I guess I’m just overthinking, but now I’m really curious. )

Ayato: You really wanna know, don’t you? It’s already written on your face.

Are you getting jealous~?

Yui: T-That’s…—!

Ayato: Pfft, you really did get jealous, huh?

Yui: ( Ugh… he’s making fun of me now! )

Ayato: Anyway, there’s no need to. After all, the best gift I’ve ever gotten…

It’s you, Yui.

— Smooch —

The end

[skaruresonic]

So the latest discourse is that saying that Sonic isn't a hugger and his clingy behavior towards Shadow in Prime is proof of how much the fandom loves to complain about the smallest things. In fact, "yall say Sonic should be free but yall don't want him to do anything".

I find it fascinating. One, the language that implies that fans who say "no Sonic wouldn't do X because it's OOC" are actively stifling a person's freedom. My dudes, Sonic is a character, not a real person. Please don't conflate the two.

Second... this is the same fandom that has been crying for 10 years that Shadow is being written terribly. That now he's just Vegeta, that he's nothing like he used to be, that his Boom portrayal was a travesty, that his prickliness towards Sonic is completely wrong because he has always respected him, really, go play SA2 where he was at his peak!

Why is Shadow's perceived character defended so staunchly, but defending Sonic's character comes off as restricting the freedom of the very character?

It's as if Sonic, to these fans, simply doesn't have a personality in the first place. He can be whatever we want him to be. Shadow, on the other hand, can only be how he used to be in a game 20 years old now, because we loved that one.

So the latest discourse is that saying that Sonic isn't a hugger and his clingy behavior towards Shadow in Prime is proof of how much the fandom loves to complain about the smallest things. In fact, "yall say Sonic should be free but yall don't want him to do anything".

If we're gonna treat Sonic like he's a real person, it's only fair to respect his boundaries, no? Why should your desire to see him be cuddly supersede his boundaries? Would you do that to a real person?

Ofc the better retort would be "Sonic is a fictional character with an established character and you're misconstruing his love of freedom to suit your flanderization; pull your head out of your ass," but since this argument was made in bad faith, you gotta meet it where it lives.

People have been misinterpreting Sonic's whole attitude towards freedom to justify OOC non-game portrayals. First they insisted that Sonic has some dutiful love for the platonic ideal of freedom and that was why he always showed his enemies mercy. Now they're saying "you won't let Sonic do anything," as if fans are physically preventing poor third-party creators like Prime's showrunners from creating Peak Sonic(tm) by... criticizing Sonic's behavior after the fact. Because that's totally how reality works.

No, Patrick. Just because Sonic is "like the wind" doesn't mean any and all behavior is automatically in-character for him.

I suppose tomorrow's discourse will contend that Sega should let Sonic take the fattest rip off that bong because ST put a gag drawing of Classic smoking cigarettes on the break room door thirty years ago.

lol 420 blaze it

Anyway, if you look at the games, you'll find that Sonic isn't actually that touchy-feely. He rarely, if ever, hugs other people, but is typically the party being hugged instead. And he is usually portrayed as awkward or uncomfortable: he doesn't know what to do with his arms.

While some may argue that Frontiers!Sonic now feels "comfortable" enough to put a hand on Amy while she clings to him, he isn't... exactly reciprocating? He only seems to feel comfortable being glomped on when focusing on his other friends:

He's still not looking at Amy, he's looking at Tails lmao. More like he's just waiting for her to finish because he's come to expect getting glomped for long periods of time.

Whenever Sonic "touches" someone who initiates contact, he usually holds them at arm's length.

This is how he holds his best friend in the entire world, the second half of the Unbreakable Bond. If not even Tails is exempt from the junior prom dance rule, what makes folks think Sonic would act even chummier towards Shadow of all people?

Besides, I'm sure Game!Shadow's reaction to Sonic even attempting to hug him would be

---

Second... this is the same fandom that has been crying for 10 years that Shadow is being written terribly. That now he's just Vegeta, that he's nothing like he used to be, that his Boom portrayal was a travesty,

It's really bizarre. I swear this is the only fandom where the main characters' IC behavior is derided as OOC purely because it doesn't gel with the fanon fandom has built up in their heads. Mostly because we've fostered this environment of "the games suck" through a constant background radiation of disparagement, with such messages seeping through every pore of Sonic fan spaces as:

1.) "Sonic is inconsistent" 2.) "the series was never good" 3.) "the Sega-Sonic character design standard is too generic and cookie-cutter" 4.) "the games are incapable of being as complex or as deep as [insert spinoff media here]" 5.) "Sonic is a static character [and therefore that's bad]" 6.) "Sonic vs. Eggman is boring and routine" 7.) "game purists think the games and/or Sega can never be criticized."

that his prickliness towards Sonic is completely wrong because he has always respected him, really, go play SA2 where he was at his peak!

Thus, the conundrum of being an SA2 fan in a day and age where fewer and fewer who hype it up have proven they've played it, much less understand the game's themes. I get stuck between this rock and hard place of being just as tired of the overhype, yet being forced to admit over and over again that I acknowledge my favorite Sonic game it isn't nearly as unimpeachably Peak(tm) as everyone portrays it so people won't think I'm... for lack of a better term, the kind of SA2 fan who thinks SA2!Shadow is the GOAT. Battle!Shadow is the GOAT and nothing anybody says can change my mind. None of you fake-ass Shadows ever said anything nearly as metal as "This is the final voice of the last war machine," have you? I thought not

It can't be understated how much Gerald's brainwashing mitigates SA2!Shadow's portrayal. Although it doesn't completely invalidate the entire portrayal, it does beg questions of how much he was driven by forces outside his control.

While there are aspects of SA2!Shadow's character worth genuine analysis, people exaggerate his better qualities while ignoring or downplaying his less palatable traits (traits he displays in later portrayals as well), like the showboating and arrogance. And like I always say with Shadow, you can't cut him up into pieces like that. You have to accept the whole, rough edges and all.

It also doesn't escape my notice that SA2!Shadow advocates imply the only time Shadow ever had a "good" portrayal was before he underwent character development, which is another stereotype of us SA2 fans: that we perpetually huff nostalgia think the past is better simply for being the past.

Meanwhile, I've been saying for years that I would love for someone, anyone, to give Shadow something to do that has nothing to do with the ARK. That's why my first reaction upon hearing about SxS Gens was to headdesk. You have a character who's all about forging his own path and moving on, yet you're always sticking him in the same goddamn hamster wheel. Why.

---

Why is Shadow's perceived character defended so staunchly, but defending Sonic's character comes off as restricting the freedom of the very character?

It's as if Sonic, to these fans, simply doesn't have a personality in the first place. He can be whatever we want him to be. Shadow, on the other hand, can only be how he used to be in a game 20 years old now, because we loved that one.

Tbqh, I don't think it's fair to pit Sonic and Shadow against each other like that because the entire cast, really, is being gutted by a fandom that insists the games have nothing of substance to respect. God knows people make shit up for Shadow and claim it has canonical basis too. And, you know, sometimes they don't even bother to do that - they just make things up simply because they figure the tropes that are good enough for other franchises must be good enough for Sonic as well. Looking at you, "Shadow was tortured on the ARK."

Sonic, Shadow, Eggman, Rouge, Cream, Tails, Amy, Knuckles, Silver... Most, if not all, the core cast has it bad these days. And I don't think this fanonization is going to get any better unless there's a change in fandom culture. Not until people stop thinking of the games as inferior and game purists as the no-fun-allowed fiction police.

[avelera]

Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. spread the self-love ❤

Ooh, thank you for this! As for tagging onward, I'm terrible at picking people and I hate to impose, so if you see this and want to fill it out just say I sent you ^^;;;

Giving Sanctuary: The Sandman, Dream/Hob, Canon Divergence AU. Basically, "What if Dream and Hob got together in 1689 when Hob was at his lowest and they bonded over the fact both of them have lost their sons?" Probably one of my most emotionally mature works, I poured a lot of my own meditations on life and grief into it, and it has some of the best dialogue I think I've written to date. I'm also quite proud that it's complete, lol, a running theme in this list.

The Only Way Out is Down: Pacific Rim, Newt/Hermann, post-Uprising but in an attempt to make sense of Uprising and add some depth and poetry to the years Newt and Hermann spent apart. Newt is trapped in a coma after the Precursors are destroyed and Hermann Drifts with him to try to wake him up. In the meantime, they pass through a mindscape inspired by Dante's Inferno, in which each of the 9 years they spent apart take on an aspect inspired by the Circles of Hell that they have to disrupt in order to move on to the next one. Basically a Newt Recovery fic that flips the script and explores how gut-wrenching and traumatizing those years would have been for both of them, but with a lot of humor and healing, this is not meant to be an angsty slog and some of my best comedy is in it too I think. Quite proud of how I interwove Dante's "Inferno" into the structure of the story, quite proud of the fact it's finished and novel-length, and I think I grew at writing character voices and sustaining them throughout a massively long fic with this one. I still jump to read any comments I get for this one because I'm so proud of it, you would not believe how much work went into it.

Prayers to Broken Stone: The Hobbit, Thorin/Bilbo, BotFA fixit in a way but we take the long way 'round. Dragon Sickness literally turns Thorin into a dragon and he and Bilbo need to survive being locked up alone inside Erebor long enough to find a cure for him, or else. The story is much more psychological than it may sound, it's much more about exploring Thorin's trauma through the lens of him turning into the creature he fears and loathes most in the world. Very proud of this fic since it's the first long fic I ever finished, it's the one that made me actually attend some highly competitive writing workshops since I finally felt like I had become a competent enough writer to be able to actually complete a novel. Also quite proud of the characterization, voices, and mythology created for this one.

Shanghaied: Pacific Rim, Newt/Hermann, post-Uprising again. Post-recovery fic, Newt returns to Shanghai where he was held captive by the Precursors for ten years and slowly spirals mentally when forced to confront the physical location of his torment once more, all while trying to put on a brave face for Hermann that only grows more manic as the night goes on. Still perhaps one of my most emotionally... sincere? works? It's the most based on personal experience during a bad time in my life but translated into a flavor of angst I don't see as much of in fic, it's probably one of my more literary pieces in that respect? Anyway, I'm very proud of the maturity of emotion in this one so I always race to see any comments that get left on it.

5. Come live with me and be my love: The Sandman, Dream/Hob, alternate 1789 hookup. Dream loses a bet to Desire and must live for one year as a normal human, in this specific case, one year as the husband or wife of a human of his choosing, without almost any of his powers, in order to better understand how humans live. Dream chooses Hob as his spouse, naturally, since Hob is the least unbearable of humans and not mortal and therefore not in danger from him. Hob is only too glad to oblige but unfortunately, this means Dream has to pretend to be a woman in order for them to blend in, so shenanigans ensue. While this is still a WIP I do intend to return to it and I am massively proud of it. I think it's one of the works I've done the most worldbuilding for from scratch, in the sense that I had to quickly familiarize myself to a reasonable degree with early 1800s England, a period I'm not actually all that fond of in history (I'm not really an Austen or Bridgerton fan, to say the least). I think it has some of my most ambitious writing in terms of scope and scale and some of the more clever writing in terms of building tension and crafting original characters who lend realism to the setting without overwhelming the central, more important characters of Dream/Hob and their story.

[paperstarwriters]

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa almost forgot to submit my Vesuvia weekly WIP!!!

It’s uh wholly unfinished and increadibly sloppy but Brainrot said WIPs are ok so I’m throwing this up I guess lol. I'll finish it when my exams are done! ...hopefully.

How to hold your loved ones

Muriel x reader x (unfinished)

Angst (though will eventually have a happy ending! If I write it :/ )

──────────────

Are you struggling to show affection to the one you live the most? Are you longing for the chance to hold them to keep them close and express your fondness and affection in a manner often argued to be the most simple and widely applicable of methods? Then  boy do we have the form of affection for you!

A Hug!!

Now, you may be thinking to yourself, “well duh, I know what a hug is!” But wait!

Have you never encountered a social situation where you feel that need to express affection to the ones you love but you feel convinced that rather than your affection they need more space and time to themself rather than your clinginess? Have they (or you!) expressed more than once that space is needed and that they would rather spend time away from you rather than with you? Does it break your heart and twist your guts to see them face their inner demons all on their own and insist that it’s for the better, or do you perhaps do this and try to apply the same to them, thinking that they like you might need the space even if you crave the affection, even if it hurts more than it helps when your all alone.

Do you ever find yourself thinking: “I shouldn’t show my affection… I’m not…. I don’t deserve that right. I don’t have that right…” or “they need something better than me right now….” or “they… they don’t want me.”

Well do I have the solution for you! In just three easy steps you too can figure out how to hold your loved one and show all that affection you so longed to give them!

So what are we waiting for? Let’s begin!

How to hold your loved one:

Step 1: Don’t.

You’ve gone too far.

—————————

How to hold your loved one:

Find them first. You can't exactly hold someone who isn't there. Search the space you once shared together. Look for them in the remnants of all their familiar items, their clothes, their trinkets. It's little things, things that make you want to hold them more. You can hold onto these, a feeble substitute, but ample for now. It gives you drive to find them. You need to find them. Sometimes you don't find them right away, anyways. Sometimes you find them in bits and pieces. Sometimes you find them by their fingertips, sometimes you find them by their voice. Find them regardless, and collect whatever pieces you can find. Hand, wrist.... ...head.... ...This should be enough.

Cradle them in your arms. This is not quite holding, this is not quite what you desired, this is not the objective you sought to reach, but it is close enough. A faint substitute like clothes. You will not be satisfied. You will have to let go eventually.

Do not let go. Hold on. As tightly as you can, as tightly as you can manage. Hold on. Something is coming, something big is approaching, hold onto them when the shadows overtake you, when the water fills your lungs, when it pours from your face, when it drips from theirs. Hold them. It's the only thing you can do right now.

Remember that this isn't the first time it's happened. Remember that there is more you can do. More you must do.

Run. Cry. Do something. Anything. Don't just—

Muriel gasps when he clambers out from between the looming forest's trees. He holds you, shattered as you are, cradling you against his chest, as you sleep, as your eyes remain closed to all the world, as you lie in a state he cannot name in fear that it may be true, in fear that it may be real. It can't be real. If it's real he doesn't know what to do, he doesn't know what he would do.

Scream. He thinks distantly. Maybe I'd scream. If it was true... If it was true he would have screamed by now perhaps. Surely yes. He hasn't screamed yet so it's not. It's not true yet, it's not true yet. It's not true yet.

Muriel cradles the back of your head, presses his hand over the bleeding wound, tries to staunch the flow that drips down your spine. He holds you to his chest, as if hearing his heartbeat would remind yours to beat. He runs to grab the bandages.

Gauze is pressed firm against the wound, and bandages are wrapped tight around your head. Stop the bleeding. To stop the bleeding. To stop you from loosing more...

...Whatever this was.

White bandages soak black, as they absorb the fluids that drip from somewhere in your skull. Something morbid in his mind considers if it's your brains, but he knows better than that. He's witnessed it first hand, he's seen the gore before. This is something else. This is something new. It's not blood it's not gore it's—

Magic.

Inanna, behind him, stares, fur bristling and teeth bared, ears pressed flat against her neck. She snarls, eyes bright and teeth snapping and gashing at something he cannot see.

No, something he fails to pay attention to.

Blackness seeps through the bandage, it continues to drip down to the floor, running down the rivulets of your skin, the soft dents left by your spine. It flows and bubbles from in between his fingers, and for just one moment, Muriel leans back. He lets go of you—only with one arm, he still holds you by the other—to examine the fluids that drip from your wounds.

Slick like oil, he rubs the shadows from between his fingers, and watches as it lights up in a familiar myriad of colours, iridescent, lIke opal, a culmination of colours that ripple in the palm of his hand. Magic. Your magic. The Fool's magic, Asra had mentioned once.

And the stone sinks down his stomach.

He rips the bandages open but doesn’t dare tear the fabric away.

"Careful!" Inanna barks, but he can’t afford that, not now, not when something is eating your magic, not when you’re made of magic.

Asra had told him about it once, that your magic was so different in your revived state. Not only from its colour but the sheer overflowing amount of it, the endless shapes it could take, and the way once your arm had gotten caught in the midst of a spell, how the magic tore away your flesh to reveal iridescent opal beneath.

You bleed like a human, you cry, you get dizzy you have stomach aches, you have all the human parts, but this…

Perhaps it’s what ties you here, perhaps it lets you exist, but regardless of the fact, it is something you can’t afford to loose. Something he can’t afford to loose.

You.

White bandages soak black as Muriel presses the fabric against the wound. With furious motions his ands sweep down to wipe the ink off your back, to free your spine from its clutches before the shadows eat there too. Already your skin looks discoloured beneath its ministrations raw like a rash, like someone had torn up the surface of your skin, revealing softer raw layers just beneath. But thin bandages are not enough, and Muriel scrambles to find fabrics that could soak the shadows from your wound.

“Inanna” he pleads.

"Yes" she replies. And out the door she bounds, nose to the grass already searching for the plant that they need.

Something that the fae would find unpleasant. Something that would make magic reel.

But for now he needs something to these shadows away.

Muriel chucks the soaked bandages into the fire and watches for a moment as it roars in reply, casting deep shadows to leap up at the walls. He turns your back towards the light and watches as the fae leap from their hiding places scurrying away from the ferocious burn.

With the nearest cloth he can get, already clutched tight in his hands, Muriel soaks absorbs the shadows into the fabric and watches as they readily retreat into the coloured cloth.

His stomach twists just a bit as he realizes what he’s using, what’s in his hands and what now will have to be thrown into the flames. A shirt of yours, well worn and well loved, and something he’d steal to keep him company when you were away. He had stolen it now—earlier. Pilfered it from your shared pile of dirty clothes and held it tight in his arms when you had fled into the woods. When he had thought it best to give you your space, even as you sobbed, even as his chest ached knowing he was the cause.

He did this to you.

He....he knew you had been upset, he knew that you had been struggling with... Something, and yet he never asked you what it was, he never reached out, even when, if it were him, you would have reached out for him, you would have stood as an anchor for him, a place for him to think safely, a place to keep him from drowning. He knew how it felt to get stuck in his own mind, to feel so distant from any aid or help, helpless to your thoughts, foaming at the mouth with all the things you can no longer say. The fear of distain of rejection, he knows it all so, so well.

And yet, even as he saw you suffer, he sat back on his haunches and thought, maybe you need some space.

He could have asked at the very least. He could have asked.

He could have asked how you were feeling, or even just your day had been.

He could have asked where you were going.

He could have apologized.

He could have done something.

Why didn’t he ever act until it was too late?

The fabric of that shirt of yours is thoroughly soaked through. And though his stomach twists as he does it, he casts the fabric into the fire, letting it burn, and letting the fae burn along with it. The shadows leap at the growing flames but the fire itself illuminates it's surroundings, creating no shadow of it's own, no trace that would lead him to believe that the fae had somehow managed to scramble away from it's burning fate. It's a cruel fate, but he's already made the mistake of choosing your shirt over you. .

This time the next closest cloth item is one of his shirts, and Muriel is all too eager to soak this one, and cast it into the flame. A trickle no longer runs it's way down your spine, and the flow is growing noticeably slower, but Muriel's back still tickles with anxiety still fearful that he may make the mistake of letting go too soon, of lowering his guard only to let your condition get worse.

A trickle of water drips down your cheek, and warmth slowly begins to return to your limbs, sounds slowly returning to your voice, even if only in the forms of sniffles and whimpers.

"I'm sorry." You whisper, and his heart aches at the question. Do you even know he's here? Was this what you were sobbing all alone in the forest?

“I’m so sorry.” What we’re you even sorry about? He was the one to blame here. He was neglectful, he was ignorant to your stressors or… or something he did had set you off. That had to be it wasn’t it?

Perhaps you saw him and thought he was angry at you somehow.  It wouldn’t be the first time that had happened…

But didn’t you know him? Weren’t you…familiar with him by now? Or did he just…..

[r0semirages]

So. I made an RTC swap au!!

It started just with an idea of John Doe!Ricky that I had for a pretty long time, but recently I decided to turn it into something cooler, so I made this whole thing. Maybe I'll sketch their designs later (or at least make picrews of them), but idk how much time it will take. I haven't change some things, like the relationships between some characters, because I thought it wouldn't work very well. But, this isn't fully finished yet, so there's some moments that may be changed in the future.

I imagine this AU more like a play, than a musical and honestly I really don't think that it'll become something serious, cause I'm not that good at writing and creating full stories, so, at least at the moment, it's just for fun. Also, the designs are based on the 2016 cast, but feel free to make your own interpretations with your favorite cast. And maybe someday I'll make them too, we'll see. Anyway, hope y'all enjoy it!! (Pls excuse me if there are any mistakes, english isn't my first language, blah blah blah. Also there are a lot of spoilers for rtc, so if you plan to watch it — don't read further!)

So, first is Penny — the most imaginative girl in town. She's super silly, sometimes awkward and doesn't really have any friends because most people think she's weird. Penny often gets left out or bullied, and she uses escapism to cope with this + all the stuff with her parents, who she didn't get enough love from. Her fantasies is a bit different from the original Ricky's: they don't have a lore, she just makes up random stories to escape from reality and writes them out sometimes. She *definetely* writes fanfiction and probably posts it online. For some reason people find it cool, but no one in the choir knows about it. She's still a Seven-Up fan and she plays the ukulele (that will be used in the new birthday song for Ricky)

I changed her design just a bit, now she wears a lot of accessories, mostly pins (bc I headcanon the og Ricky having them) and it's mostly based on Emily Rohm's Penny, while her personality is more like legoland Penny's.

The next is Ocean — the angriest girl in town. Like the og Mischa, she hates her parents (but in this case they aren't adoptive) and their lifestyle, but instead of becoming the most succesful to prove that she's different from them, this Ocean just becomes a total mess and starts hating everyone. Idk if I will make her like shitty rap about money in autotune, but she definetely has a history of stealing stuff from stores, lol.

Design changes: messy hair; she doesn't have a headband and a tie, her shirt isn't fully buttoned up. She wears a sweater vest over it with a short skirt (a dress, actually).

Then we have Constance — the most succesful girl in town. She's a big nerd and spends a lot of her time studying because she wants to be the best. In general she behaves just like original Ocean and treats Noel like Ocean would treat her in the og musical (they're besties, but not really). She's pretty mean and very ambitious. This Constance doesn't have as much love for her town as the og one and she plans to move out (and become a premier minister of Canada, maybe :p) She's the one to make the final vote in this AU and of course she will choose John Doe/Ricky.

I haven't change a lot of things in the design, but her hair isn't dyed anymore, buns are down, she has a tie and maybe some hairpins. In general she looks a bit more tidy

Next one: Noel — the nicest boy in town. A complete opposite to the og Noel, he doesn't want to change anything in his life and enjoys living in Uranium. He's still super homosexual and has a big crush on Mischa, and, as I've said before he's "best friends" with Constance who treats him like shit and makes jokes about how he's never gonna breed👍🏻 /ref

He's really insecure about himself, but very friendly with everyone else (especially Mischa). He still enjoys all the french stuff, but you know, in a less... horny... way. And his mother is a baker and Noel often helps her in their cafe

He now has a short-sleeved shirt, round glasses and half of his hair is purple (it's also a bit more messy). In general I didn't change a lot in his design, but I made him such an UwU softie boy /j

Then, Mischa — the most romantic boy in town (ah yes, this one is for you, Mischa simps). He's still in love with Talia and his backstory is the same, but instead of becoming an angry rapper, he became a sad romantic guy, who dreams about moving to Ukraine with his (probably non-existing) internet fiancé. He just wants to be happy :(

Design changes: his clothes and hair aren't that messy anymore and he has a black jacket (like the one chance theatre Noel had). Also his nails are usually black or any other dark shade!!

And! Finally! My best creation yet — John Doe!Ricky. Perhaps, the rest of the choir doesn't remember him (well, in fact they do remember him, but it's a different theory and I don't want to bring it here) because he couldn't talk and no one really noticed him. The only person he was pretty close with was Penny, but still, they weren't even friends, they just standed close to each other while the choir was performing and both sat in the back of a rollercoaster when the accident happened. There will be a role-swapped version of the Savannah scene, but I don't know what name should I use instead of Savannah yet (if you have any ideas, please drop them in the comments!! I'll be very grateful)

When he gets choosen by Constance he'll came back to life as Ricky and yes, he WILL remain disabled because I'm a very big Ricky fan + a very big ableism hater, don't expect that shit from me👎🏻👎🏻👎🏻 Also he will still have 14 cats because. Why not. I love cats.

The only thing that will change is the fact that he's a little happier now?? People around him treat him better and he doesn't have to fantasize about fucking cat-people from Zolar to be happy lol. Oh man I'm writing a bit too much about him sorry I just love this guy a lot. Bless his little heart

Finally, about his design: honestly he's just a yassified version of this picture /hj

↓

Okay, so he has a head stolen from some super swag dressed in a Bowie-like style doll that for some reason was in the warehouse. He has a big purple star around one of his eyes and some parts of his hair are also colorful (purple/blue/pink). His clothes isn't very different, but maybe I'll add some more accesories

Well, that's all atm. I will try my best to make some content for this and keep developing this idea and I really really hope you will like it!

Reblogs/comments/likes are VERY appreciated and again, if you have any recommendations for improving this au I'll be really glad to hear them or just any of your thoughts!!!

Ty for reading (⁠◍⁠•⁠ᴗ⁠•⁠◍⁠)⁠✧⁠*⁠。

[dooksofearl]

SQUEAK SPEAK

Monthly newsletter for Dooks of Earl Ferret Sanctuary Inc

Happy April and Greetings to Everyone!

Much excitement at our little rescue this month and I can't wait to tell you.

Thanks to my income tax check coming in our fundraising goal for between now and May 1st is only $768.00

That will cover

The rescues regular bills like; utilities ($280 on average since our HVAC is still out, but we are hoping someone is coming to fix it soon), and pet foods ($488). I have managed to raise enough to cover the other bills and supplies from my income tax check. And of course, none of this is for me personally nor do I get paid for the work I do. It's not about me, it's about these animals and making their lives amazing for however long they have left.

Other needs that the rescue has not included in this list are:

As always, Pine pellets from Tractor Supply Company, we go through about 30 bags a month.

The blue dishes we got last time will be added back to our list because they are working so well for our sweet seniors and tiny ferrets in helping them eat in a more natural position.

We still have a short wishlist with links to these items on Amazon. The pine pellets I just listed tractor supply gift cards because they don't sell the pellets through Amazon for delivery.

https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/dl/invite/63ZMinE?ref_=wl_share

I also want to remind everyone that you can pick us as your Walmart.com round up charity and that you can send gifts from our Walmart registry and Chewy Registry if you'd like.

https://www.walmart.com/nonprofits/7a69297c-7cb2-4cb9-a70f-3eaedd738ef4/profile

https://www.chewy.com/g/dooks-of-earl-ferret-sanctuary-inc_b103217538

We still need fence panels for an outdoor dog kennel yard if anyone has any locally they'd like to drop off. And if you are throwing out any 13 gallon kitchen trash cans or plastic bins of any size we would be thrilled to have them.

We currently have 11 ferrets in amazing foster homes so our population here is becoming very manageable for me AND we have 4 new volunteers!!!!! We are so happy to welcome Michael, his wife, and his mom to our team. They will be coming soon to help me get things back to tip top shape and I greatly appreciate it.

And an amazing girl named Michal who came yesterday and spent the day helping me. The ferrets were crazy about her and you know Keiko was too. The bunnies warmed right up to her but they are very friendly girls. Mr Maru gave her the tour till his house was finished then he had to go see what I had done and grab snacks. Cal the sugar glider, slept through it all. But what delighted me most was Mr. Spooky. Our shy, bite first ask questions later guy, went right to her and cuddled her. WOW He is still having a hard time with Justin not being here. Ferrets grieve just like us and he was really close to his dad the Ferret King. He gave me kisses and now this. It makes me so excited and emotional for him.

There was a minor set back for me medically as I have a new allergy, possibly to Stevia. Of course I try to do something good for my health and now I look like I have rolled in bees. If you don't know, this is not a surprise. Lol But I got some medicine for the hives and hopefully will be feeling much better very soon. Until then if you see me dancing against the doorway like a bear, just walk away. 😂

I'm through infusion 3 of 8. YAY! And I have a surgery consultation coming up finally so I am hopeful that it goes well and we can get a date for surgery. 🤞

I have a potential part time job as a virtual assistant and I am truly excited about that. And we are looking at setting up the trailer for a rental so that I can generate a little income and start paying off old debt and getting back on my feet again.

The three month anniversary of losing Justin was really hard on me but I want to thank everyone for their abounding kindness and support. Some days you and these rescue babies are all that gets me through to the next day. I am so grateful to have you in my life.

I also want to mention if you don't get a thank you note and receipt for your donation or some sort of confirmation, please check with me to make sure we received it. I always send a thank you note if it lets me and if you use cashapp I send a heart.

You are awesome and amazing and greatly appreciated. I could not do what I do if you weren't here supporting us and cheering me on. I hope the blessing that you are comes back to you ten fold. Have an amazing month!

Shelly Breeden-Conner

Executive director

Dooks of Earl Ferret Sanctuary Inc

731-326-0690

Tax ID 88-0945277

Donations can be made in app at:

https://www.jotform.com/app/213234930973154

Zelle and PayPal

dooksofearlferretsafehaven@gmail.com

Venmo @DooksofEarl

Cashapp $dooksofearl

Checks or money orders can be mailed to:

Dooks of Earl Ferret Sanctuary Inc

4826 US HIGHWAY 70 E

BROWNSVILLE, TN 38012-8412

[mehoymalloy]

SINGULARITY - FINAL FIGHT DIALOGUE

After completing my big Tilda transcript like a year ago, it was just now brought to my attention that there are special lines for when you die during the final fight (tldr: I'm stupid lol). After getting my ass beat by Specter Prime for an hour to get those lines, I also learned that there are special lines if you hide from Specter Prime (I used the stealth generator and ran away until the awareness symbol turned yellow). So as of May 2023, here's the full (hopefully?) list of lines, with the Death and Hide ones listed first.

TILDA, BATTLE DIALOGUE (not including attack commands; ex: 'Blast off!')

DEATH

If only I made you see.

Every bit as stubborn as Elisabet.

She died, and the world will follow her.

We could have conquered the stars!

It didn't have to be this way.

HIDE (Note: As I've ordered these lines, Tilda's tone steadily transitions from persuasive to agitated. The final one is practically dripping with disdain)

There is still hope, but only together.

You've taught me, Aloy, and I would learn more from you.

We cannot hide on this world. We must flee to another.

If you want humanity to survive, you must live.

There is no reason to hide.

Don't you see? You cannot win.

Elisabet saw hope and rebirth. We can deliver that together.

You think you can stay here and survive?

This is a mockery of the world Elisabet wanted.

You were Elisabet's heir, but now, you've outdone her.

FIGHT

I knew you didn’t truly want to hurt me.

Ask yourself why you’re holding back.

Sticks and stones against the lightning.

This Specter was designed to survive against more than that.

I can endure, you cannot.

You can only endure so much!

Don't make me hurt you!

Surely nothing is worth this pain.

How long can you keep this up?!

How much pain are you going to take?!

There are no answers in death.

I do not wish to mourn you.

Death brings only darkness; I can take you to the stars!

Is this where you want to end your journey?

Why do you not value your life?

Is this really what you want?

Fight on, and you will lose.

I am the only way you get to live, Aloy!

I’ve seen your life, Aloy; it should not be lost.

This world will die; you don’t have to.

You’ve fought well; now live!

This world is finished! We must leave together.

Soon we will be all that is left of the human race.

Say the word, and I'll stay my hand.

You must submit.

You cannot win.

I have you.

I will finish this!

Enough is enough!

Give it up!

Just stop!

Please, Aloy! Stop!

Let us end this!

Stop! I beg you!

ALOY, BATTLE DIALOGUE (not including player hints; ex: ‘Gotta target its gold plating!’)

I’m not going with you!

You’re not gonna beat me!

You’re not taking me, Tilda!

You’re finished, Tilda!

This won't work, Tilda!

That suit won’t protect you!

Go down!

[purple-ant]

Twenty Fanfic Writer Questions

thank you for the tag @charmwasjess it was fun)

no pressure tags: @man-i-dunno @rochenn

1. How many works do you have on Ao3?

24! but I think it's cheating a bit because half of them are translations so it's 16 fics in Russian and 8 in English

2. What’s your total Ao3 word count?

83,833 it's funny I just want to point out how word count gets bigger in English. Like the original fic length is 1385 words and the EN version is 1679, and you may think it's not so big until you go to a bigger story and BOOM the difference is like 3,000 words!!

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Star Wars right now. I only have the energy to write only for one hyperfixation at a time

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

Beat, Resonance, Unison I'M SO PROUD

Single Seers wow???? when did this happen??

Forgive My Inevitabilities the first translation UwU

do not pity the dead (pity the living) I should think about the sequel

Achilles Come Down listen this song!! it will kill you :D

5. Do you respond to comments?

YES I try at least👉👈

I enjoy every comment no matter if it is a wall of text or something short, they all are special to me and give me strength to write and post- the problem is I'm not confident in my English skills (even this post was checked by charmwasjess lol) and I prefer to reply from my laptop which it difficult because my vpn there doesn't work very good and I need it to open ao3 :c

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

HMMMMM Achilles Come Down

it's not totally angsty but doomed because they close this page and then don't talk about it and then they don't talk at all and THEN we know how it ends

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Single Seers! if I ever finish it.....

8. Do you get hate on fics?

no)

I'm a little surprised that I didn't get any hate to Отражённый выстрел even on ficbook (Russian fic platform) but this is not an invitation :)

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

yes🛐🛐🛐🛐

It's good for mental health. Nothing of it is posted. yet? who knows. But let me see... There is some gentle sex, a/b/o, bondage, inappropriate use of lightsabers, dub-con, SO MANY HANDCUFFS- ahem

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?

not really? unless we count a fix-it of Endgame ending with Agent Carter characters telling Steve to fuck off

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

no (unless I don't know about something? hm...)

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

YES YES YES YES beautiful incredible wonderful sent to me by heaven and hell charmwasjess generously loves my stories and helps translate them. without them, none of my fics (or rare posts lol) would have seen the light of day

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

nope

14. What’s your all-time favorite ship?

I'm in the captivity of syku right now but codywan was in my heart for a long time. not enough to post something but I have few drafts with them.

I have few winterhawk fics and seeing them sometimes on my dash still warms my heart

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

all my wips???

there are too many of them but I think I have the most doubts about Войска самых светлых намерений (Troops of the brightest intentions) # Qui-Gon lives # Qui-Gon training Anakin # not a fix-it # grief # sith Obi-Wan

16. What are your writing strengths?

Descriptions? I really enjoy writing about paranormal things like the Force and visions. I don’t often manage to describe nature, but I think this also comes out well. And when I finally START writing, I can write half a chapter

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

PLANNING

Seriously, there was a GIF recently with Tom laying down the rails right in front of this speeding train? It's me. I have a scene, I have a vibe, I have no idea what’s between these vibes

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

I'm not sure that translating and adapting dialogue = writing dialogue in this language, so I have no thoughts

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Undertale

this was an isekai fic about an albino and I think that says enough. it can't be found anymore :)

20. Favourite fic you’ve written?

between the stars I think. these idiots having fun and kissing and so stupidly in love- ask me again after I finish Single Seers and I Pray

[jitzlemonade]

https://jitzlemonade.tumblr.com/post/680118986796630016/unnamed THIS WAS SO GOOD!!!!!! can we please have a part 2

UNNAMED PART 2

Finally got the inspiration to finish Unnamed Part 2 yay, but its more of a Zhongli's POV :D. I was quite surprise some wanted a part 2 bcs lol who hurt u. Anyway, enjoy.

Pairing : Zhongli x Reader (ft. Lumine)

Contains: Angst, heartbreak, not Traveller!Reader, assuming things, mental health issues (maybe?), etc

Summary:

We know your side of the story, but what about from the man himself?

Tell me, what exactly was going through your head? PART 1 PART 3 PART 4

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

He finds himself wondering when and how did he fall in love with you. A petite, fragile person who somehow held all the good things in this world and became the morphine to all his pain. 

  Perhaps it was the way you light up with the brightness of the Sirius star itself when he comes near, or perhaps it was the way you treat him with such tenderness, the fondness flooding your eyes, that makes him swoon over you the way he does.

---------

  He is strong. He may have weakened after he lost his gnosis and renounced the title 'Rex Lapis', yet it was an undeniable fact. He isn't fragile like annealed glass, no, he was far from it. He was forged and tempered in the flames of brutality and war. 

   Even now when he closes his eyes, memories appear before him. They belong to the far, far past when fresh blood would stain his hands anew every day. The lives he had taken were enough to form an endless river, some were fair and some were unjust.

   He would never deny that part of him,  even as he indulges himself in wine and poetry. Instead, he delves deeper into weaving tales in an effort to keep their stories, the core of their souls alive. Stories that had long been buried in the dust, existing only in his memories.

   Time is cruel, the brightest of legends would fade into a dull light. Even truths could be turned and twisted until nothing but lies and deceit are left. Time is cruel, to the worst and the best of us.

  Erosion held Azhdaha in a vice grip, rendering his old friend into a rampaging monster. His mind, however, was still clear. He was cursed to never forget, to remember things that no one else would until the end of his existence. 

  If he looks at it from another perspective, perhaps erosion had left its own personal brand of mark on him too, but in a different form. Corroding his soul from the countless burden he has to carry, to remind himself of the sins he could never undo, and of the people he would never see again.

 He doesn't need any delicacy, not back then and certainly not now. Yet why do your tender actions melt his heart so? Even as Zhongli, no one had ever perceived him as someone who needed protection, much less as Rex Lapis, the mighty god. It was the first time anyone had ever treated him this way.

 

   And just like that, you occupied a special place in his heart.

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

   When you placed your hands in his, you told him in a light-hearted tone, “I'm giving my heart to you, you can do whatever you want with it.” The way you said it could be mistaken for a joke, but he knows you.

  He knows clearly what this signifies for you, and he knows exactly what you're giving to him along with your heart. You will surrender your love, your life, your everything to him, free for him to break or make according to his whims.

  You had given him the privilege of making you a monarch or rendering you into a beggar. All of it, with just one simple sentence.

   How could he not love you? And so, protect your heart he shall.

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

   He remembers the beginning of your walks. Back then, you weren't his lover yet. Still, you draw him in like a moth to a flame, but you weren't scalding him, instead, a feeling of contentment swells within him like never before, filling up the cracks in his body and soul.

   He loves your presence beside him, to be able to hold your hands and draw you in close, to shower you with all the good things in the world. He wants you to be closer to him, to see him as how he sees you. In hopes that one day, when his hand reaches out, you would gladly place your own upon his.

  He wants to know you better, and he wants you to know him better too. After all, doesn't familiarity breed fondness, and thus love? Taking night walks together would be best, he mused, you could share your day about what happened and spend more time together.

Of course, the hint of privacy that the night provides would be appreciated as well. Thus, he tried his luck by extending an invitation to you.

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

   

   He could feel dread seeping into his bones when you stared at him with a blank stare. Ah, would you not accept it after all...? He thought the atmosphere was good enough that extending such an invitation would not be too sudden, but he was wrong. 

  The moment he was about to apologize for being too abrupt, your hands went to cover your mouth, face turning ruby red like glistening strawberries under the shade of the morning sun, tempting people to have a taste.

     Before he could regain his rationality, you began speaking at a hurried pace, mostly from embarrassment.

     “I— I— Is this a dream?? Am I dreaming—" 

   

     Your hand cupped your face, taking in a deep breath. 

     

    “Sorry Zhongli— ”

    

   The word 'sorry' was foreboding. He felt downcasted once again, his hopes tarnished. The corner of his lips hook up weakly, what did he expect? That you would gladly accept his offer? Thinking about it now, that was a little naïve of him.

   Seeing this, you panicked.

    “—I mean I like you very much! Wait no, that's not what I meant to say, I mean, it's not that I don't love you, please don't get it wrong that way, I do love you but that's another thing for another time..” 

   By the time you realized you were rambling, you calmed yourself down by slapping your face. The effects were quickly apparent, your tone became calmer in a blink of an eye, but the red handprint on your cheek was blinding.

   

    “What I meant to say is Zhongli, I would really like to go on walks with you..”

   Wait— you like him too? It wasn't just his hopeful thinking? Like your actions aren't just you being kind and polite but that you actually like him? His train of thoughts was running at full speed, surpassing even light itself.

  

   His line of thought was broken after you slapped yourself, he crawled out of the rabbit hole he was about to dive into, deciding to leave it for another time. Now, he was more concerned about whether your face hurt a lot due to how hard you slapped it.

  However, your next sentence threw his worry out the window, his brain submerging itself with an overabundance of dopamine. Yup, he is not getting his reason back anytime soon. He could feel the blood flushing his cheeks and quickly covered the lower half of his face with his hand.

  The palpitations of his heart were so fast he swore it skipped more than a few beats. His stomach feels funny, and he could remotely pinpoint said feeling was similar to the expression 'butterflies in the stomach'.

 

   Ah, so this is love?

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

  He caresses your hand in his, the way his hands engulfed yours awakens his need to protect you from all the evil in the world. Humans are fragile, he thought to himself as he traced the delicate bone structure of your hand, it just means he has to protect you better.

  

   He placed kisses on each of your knuckles as he looked at your face. Something else he realized was that he really adores the way your eyes flutter from embarrassment.

  He gazed at you, a smile hanging on his face, unable to extricate himself from the fondness welling up in him. Getting to meet you was luck in itself, but getting to be the one by your side, to be the one allowed to love and cherish you, it was a blessing he couldn't be any more grateful for. 

  

   If everything he had gone through was all to lead him right to this moment, then it was worth it. He would do it all over again because you are worth all the pain. He wonders how lucky he must be to have met you.

Before both of you part for the night, he leaves a kiss on your forehead. Instead of moving away, he wavers, his hand enclosed around your waist tightening just slightly, dragging out each second. He doesn't want this night to end, he thought to himself. It was clear you wanted the same, the way your hands clutched at his clothes, reluctant for him to go.

   Yet everything must have an end, they will come to an end, no matter what. His lips leave your forehead, but he proceeded to bury his face in your hair. He could feel your arms circling him, enveloping him in a hug. Just like that, the night drags on a little longer, with two lovers embracing each other under the moonlight.

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

  As Morax, he had dwelt upon this world for more than six thousand years. As Rex Lapis, he had ruled over Liyue for thousands of years.

However nothing last forever, even the most fortified mountains can be eroded with the passing of time. Drop upon drop, it penetrates the crust and leaves cracks behind its trail. He only realized it due to that one conversation he overheard at the harbor.

    "You've finished your duties, go ahead and call it a day."

     Funny enough, how can a simple sentence evoke such profound feelings in him? He stood motionless among the crowd, the words loudly echoing inside his mind, resonating deeply in him.

He asked himself, "Have I already finished my duties?" He fell into a deep trance, pondering over relinquishing his role. It wasn't impossible, but was Liyue truly prepared to face the tribulations that will surely come after all by itself?

   In this case, a test is needed to reveal the answer. His eyes opened to reveal amber orbs, knowledge, and wisdom always crystallized within them, but this time there was a hint of curiosity.

He wonders, what kind of Liyue would bloom after the upcoming tribulation? He finds himself looking forward to it.

   His scheme starts from the moment 'Rex Lapis' fell from the sky. The falling exuvia was reflected clearly within those amber eyes, now, it was time for 'Zhongli' to play his part.

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

   The result was so much more than what he expected. While Liyue is prosperous, he always felt something was missing. Now, finally, all the conditions and requirements fall into place, similar to a game of chess. Liyue had truly exceeded his expectations.

   

  The lump of coal resting in the hands of the Geo Archon — Liyue — has become a dazzling diamond of a city. The corner of his mouth hooked up, and a sense of satisfaction arises within him. A sense of pride fills him like a parent who had seen their child grow up into a splendid adult.

    They were no longer the people who begged him to save them in the distant past. They were no longer the citizens who could only rely on him to lead a safe life. Presently, they are more than capable of protecting themselves, fledglings that finally grew their own strong wings and took to the skies.

    

  It was time for gods and adepti to step down and for humans to take the stage instead. Truly, the age of 'mankind'.

    He never thought he would let go of Liyue which he poured so much of his blood, sweat, and tears into but life always has other plans. Just like falling in love, he mused to himself as you surfaced in his mind. 

    

   It was indeed time to settle down, he took a moment to admire the waves pulling to and fro the shore, how wonderful would that be? A life with you beside him every step of the way.

    His time as Rex Lapis had come to an end.

  

    Now, it belongs to 'Zhongli'.

   

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

   He wouldn't lie, the time he spent with Lumine was truly enjoyable. A bright lady who stands at the peak, one who had traveled across many different worlds and accumulated an abundance of experiences along with knowledge.

   

 Conversing with her would enable him to learn more about mortal affairs,  intricate details that he never considered for he was immortal.

It only helps that she came from an entirely different realm. Her adventures were eye-opening as well, and her having a good listening ear for his stories was just an extra bonus.

  Most important of all was that she was someone he could talk with without taking anything into consideration. Lumine knows he once was Rex Lapis, thus he has no need to hide anything that suggested so.

He could share his vast knowledge without someone questioning the authenticity of it. He could share tales of his old friends in their true entirety, without painting them from the perspective of a storyteller.

  For him, it was a time when he could be himself without the slightest pretense.

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

He is— no, he used to be a god. 

It was something he could never bring himself to tell you. How could he? Rex Lapis was someone who had almost single-handedly leaded Liyue to prosperity for many years.

  Rex Lapis was so far high up, and power always attracts envy or jealousy. The people either devote themselves to him or detests him. There was one thing both had in common, however, was that they fear him.  He doesn't want your eyes upon him to contain the same trace.

   While the time spent with Lumine may be liberating, in no way could it compare to the time spent with his love. Lumine was someone he could confide in as a close friend, but it will never match up to what you offer him.

You were akin to an oasis in the middle of a desert, providing shelter to the unfortunate people that stumbled around the desert, lost.

  You were the moon that hung in the sky, not as blinding as the sun, yet you give him an indescribable warmth. Your silence was enough to piece together the broken parts of his soul to become whole again.

With you, he truly felt at peace, the bitter memories of the past no longer clung onto him with a vice grip, and he could finally... relax.

----------

  During his travels with Lumine, you never left his mind. Your presence and smile envelop him akin to the wind and sun itself, natural and comforting.

  

  Breathtaking scenes and mysteries that one could never imagine filled his eyes, and all he could think of was how much he wished you were there to share it with him in its entirety.

  

 It seems that the photos taken by Lumine would have to do in the meantime. He looked at the sunset, thinking of what you may be doing at this hour. No matter, he'll bring you here himself the next time. A smile appeared on his lips before he even realized it.

   “Zhongli.”

   

 Lumine called his name, and so he turned towards her with an inquiring gaze. She had a soft gaze when she looked at him as if she was reminiscing, or was it something else?

   

  “You really love them, don't you?”

 

  No name was mentioned, but there was no need for any. He knew well enough who Lumine was referring to, he felt his heart melt like snow in spring as he gazed back at the scenery once more.

  

    “Yes, I do.”

  Lumine smiled when she heard his answer. It was simple, but sometimes simple was enough to convey everything that are said and unsaid. 

   “I hope that after I have found my brother, I'll be able to experience a love like yours.” 

  

  Zhongli chuckled, his eyes curved into small crescents.

  “I extend to you my best wishes then.”

   He couldn't wait to go home to you.

  Distance indeed makes the heart fonder.

 

-----------

    The day you told him your apprehension, the worries that plague your mind, he felt his heart turn cold. He felt himself biting his lips until they bled. How could he have been so ignorant of your plight? 

  All he could do was hold you in his arms and placate you with words and promises he will fulfill. He felt how you cling to him as if it was cold winter and he was the only source of warmth.  His heart tightens in pain as he littered kisses on your forehead.

 

 Yet as much as he wishes to stay by your side, the contract with Lumine was sealed. He may no longer be Rex Lapis, still, he has to uphold his end of the contract, as Zhongli.

  Still, he tried his best. Every day when he couldn't make it, he would send you letters telling you about his day, what he did, even enclosing things he encountered in the letter. A violet grass, a glaze lily, and even a piece of cor lapis.

 He never had any letters from you though, but it was only reasonable. He was traveling, after all, it's ludicrous of him to think any letters sent would reach him when he doesn't even know where he will end up.

 

   It's fine, he would tell himself, tomorrow is the last day. He will be free after that. He'll spend the days by your side, pampering you with all the love he could draw out of his soul. After all, that is what you deserve, he thought as he smiled.

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

  He came home not to laughter but to your sullen appearance, your face blank, deep in thought. He falters, his hand attempting to hold you in an embrace.

 The wooden board creaks beneath him and you flinched, startled by the sound enough to pull you back into reality. You greeted him with a soft smile, but he felt something was off.

 Whatever is it that has you contemplating, it is weighing upon your mind heavily. Thus he does what he does best, inviting you out for a late-night walk. He hopes this will make you let down the walls in your heart, so you confide in him once more.

 The truth was the thing that burdens you was baffling to him. The fact you even asked whether he loves you was so outrageous that his brain couldn't comprehend it. How dare you question that when there's nothing else he could be more certain about?

 

 He loves you, and he loves you so much that you may never comprehend it. He would tread through the coldest of winter and the deadly heat of the desert for you, even facing against Khaenri'ah if it means protecting your honor.

 

 He would gouge his heart out for you, letting his blood dye the land and the sea a bloody red similar to rubies and roses, so they would serve as an everlasting memento of his love. He would prostrate before your feet, kiss the instep of your foot and worship you, for you were his salvation.

 

 He would adorn your body with gold and jewels, while only the finest of silks would clothe your body, he is confident that even then, all that glamour would pale in comparison to the beauty of you and your soul.

Alas, he was no longer Morax, he was just Zhongli. A mortal man like Zhongli could not lavish you with such riches, and that was his regret.

  Looking at your distrustful eyes he sighed, how could he ever let you understand the depths of his feelings towards you? He was tired and angry, and he could tell all of it stemmed from his sadness. He promises you forever and forever is the only road he will and could ever walk. 

  The next sentence that slips out your lips sends him spiraling into the abyss.

  “This isn’t Romeo and Juliet, this is real life and I can go on without you.”

  The love you shared with him of course wasn't Romeo and Juliet. They were a pair of ill-fated lovers, destined to part. Juliet was not you, and he was not Romeo, your love was meant to last, even if the sun itself ceased to burn one day.

  He has given you his everything, yet you believe you had nothing at all. How can he stand it? Especially when you had no trust in him? When the gravity of his feelings was easily dismissed by you as nothing? He bit his lips, feeling his own tears welling up in his eyes.

  Yet he could not let out his frustration at your inability to trust him, how could he when you look so dazzling under the moonlight? The way your features soften, and how the silvery hue compliments the tears that glisten on your face. 

 Then you suddenly fell. The panic overwhelms him, unlike anything he had experienced before. He rushed out towards you. All his bitterness seemed so childish now. He should have done better, he should have because you deserve all that and more.

 

 He wonders how could he have been so foolish in the first place. He dashes towards Bubu Pharmacy as your body feels strangely cold in his arms, the warmth he always felt absent. 

 

  Please, let everything be alright.

PART 1 PART 3 PART 4

[foxymoxynoona]

Hey Foxy

As a writer, do you tend to stick with what you’ve planned and mapped out and written / or does your editing process usually come with big changes or revisions? Like, do you ever think, “what would make this story better?” once you see it written, and make changes? I was checking out your Trello categories and thinking hmmm I wonder if everything is pretty much set at the Planning phase, or if it’s a general outline and get fleshed (flushed? Lol) out during the writing and/or editing? I can’t imagine how your mind works but it’s fascinating to me. Cheers for all you do

There are layers to this!

When it comes to plotter vs. panster (do you plot or do you just write by the seat of your pants) I am pretty much in the middle, maybe nudging more one direction or the other on any given story.

I do have an overarching plan for my stories when we begin, though I always leave space for changes along the way. I generally know where we're going but then I feel my way along, pulling in this or that as it shows up chapter-by-chapter.

For a few of them I actually have several potential endings and then as we get further along I prune off the endings that don't work anymore until I can see the one that does --Lowlander and To Kill A King are examples. Meadow is a funny example because I wanted very badly for the story to not go the way it did and yet at every turn it felt so obvious to me what had to happen, I had to accept it along the characters and just do my best to pull it off. So in a way I knew how it was going to end from the beginning, but I really did try to solve it other ways.

For the stories that I've already written a ton of (like Secret Song Series), things don't really change at the macro level. Some chapters I can edit quickly because it's really just tweaks. Other arcs have needed a heavier editing (re-writing, really) because things have changed enough on our journey to that point or because things happened along the way organically that I want to follow. Anytime I've planned or written something in the future, I go into it knowing that if it doesn't feel right when we get there in the story, it has to be scrapped. If it comes down to what i planned or what actually feels right for the characters and plot when we get there, the live story will always win.

When a chapter is in planning stage, I may be starrting with anything from a blurb ("characters need to develop this relationship and X needs to get revealed") to a thorough sketch that just needs a little more filling in before I can really get to writing. I try to write an outline of the next chapter as soon as I finish writing the previous chapter so it's waiting for me next time. This actually comes from some Ernest Hemengway advice: "The best way is always to stop when you are going good and when you know what will happen next. If you do that every day … you will never be stuck." I think there's another similar quote once that I keep wanting to attribute to Mark Twain about leaving your last sentence of the day unfinished so you can pick it up tomorrow.

So whether much changes during the actual writing really varies by stories. Some of them I have a clearer plan for, others I feel like I'm riding shotgun with the rest of you on how exactly we're getting to our destination 😂 Usually every few chapters I reflect on the last few and assess whether I need to undo and rebraid the remainder of the story or if we're still on my original track.

Hope this long meandering answer answers your question! I clearly had no outline for this when I started 😂😂

[thatsalrightprettymama]

If By Chance

A/N: I'm so sorry it's taken so long to finish and post @navia3000 , but here's your request! Sorry it's taken a bit but on the last day of the festival I got taken out by a crowd surfer and sprained my neck and landed a concussion lol 😂, so with my neck brace it's a little awkward to do somethings lol. I hope you liked it! I'm sorry you wasn't well emotionally, so I hope you're better! 💙 I also hope you like the fic! For once I decided to end it fluffy instead of angsty 😂.

Word Count:4,493

Warnings: Fluff, slight angst, cussing. (If I missed any let me know! :) )

Going to the Met Gala was surreal, and you were thankful that Cole had asked you to go with him, but you couldn’t help but feel your chest cave in when you saw him. Despite it almost being a year, your heart still broke when you looked across the sea of people and saw Austin kiss Kaia. Your broke away from the scene when you feel Cole squeeze your hand, tearing your eyes away you look to see him giving you a knowing look and sad smile before you two head inside. “I know there’s always one that got away, and we’re not serious, but try to just focus on me and having a fun night. “ Cole comfortingly tells you as you get into the gala. “I promise for just a fuck buddy you’re gonna have the best date of your life.” He promises as he bumps your shoulder making you smile. “You’re not just a fuck buddy, you’re also oddly my best friend.” You comment with a small smile as you bump his shoulder back before adding, “I’m sorry it’s stupid, but I promise I won’t be a Debbie Downer tonight.” You feel him wrap his arm around your shoulder as you two head towards the bar before he tells you, “Nothing to be sorry for and it’s not stupid. Though if it helps, I’m sure he’s hating seeing you with me of all people.” Cole tells you with a smile as you reach the bar, ordering you two your drinks he leans against the bar and stares at you. “I don’t understand your insistence that Austin hates you.”  You tell him as you two grab your drinks. “We only get along for Ashley and you.” He comments as he takes a drink, making you shake your head. “Whatever, but lets forget about him and focus on tonight. “ You comment before taking a drink from your own. “Did you see what Blake Lively was wearing? I swear she’s so gorgeous.” You ask changing the subject making Cole give you a half smile.

You two stand at the bar and talk a bit before you two go and find your table. You smile as Cole pulls your chair out for you making you giggle as you sit. “Alright, have you two pulled a switch-a-roo on me and your really Dylan? Cole’s never this much of a gentleman.” You joke as he sits next to you making him smile at you and roll his eyes. “Three things. First that was cheesy and I don’t know how you didn’t cringe while saying that. Two, I’m always a perfect gentleman and you don’t appreciate that enough. Three it may also have to do more with there’s cameras everywhere so I can’t look like a bad date.” He teasingly tells you making you nudge him. You two quickly fall into conversation as you wait for the dinner to start. Soon you forget Austin’s presence for a bit and start to enjoy your time with Cole. Your conversation is briefly interrupted when they start to bring out the first course. Your all smiles and giggle during dinner as Cole and you quietly make fun of the unique and weird plating and food as dinner goes on. Before the end of dinner, you’re feeling pretty great, and are fully starting to enjoy your night. You almost forget about Austin being there until you’re dancing with Cole. Feeling someone’s eyes on you, your turn your head to glance around and you find familiar blue eyes watching you. Before you could think more of it Cole spins you around before leaning his head down to your ear. “Let him stare, don’t let him ruin your night. “ He tells you over the music and crowd as you two dance. “I know he’s the one that got away, I understand that, but it’s been almost two years don’t let him have hold of anymore of your life or time. He gave that up when he ended it.” Cole tells you before leaning back up, nervously you bite your lip and stare into the honest caring eyes of your friend before nodding.

Giving Cole a half smile you attempt to but your focus back on him and dancing. It works for a bit again until you leave Cole to get a drink at the bar. Waiting on your cocktail you hear a familiar raspy voice ask behind you, “So, you and Cole then? How long did he wait to make a move, a day?” Hearing the snide tone you turn to Austin angrily. “Yes me and Cole. Also do you really have any right to ask or fucking care?” You snap at him, watching his eyebrows slightly raise not used to you taking that tone with him. “I just think it proves that I was right about him.” He snidely snips back after a moment, igniting anger inside you. While yes it was mostly due to him being a dick about Cole, who outside of the sexual aspect of your friendship, has been one of your best friends for years. Cole has been there for you before and after Austin. Though some anger also came from how dare he of all people have an issue with you being with someone else. “No, I think you’re just proving Cole right about you.” You snap at him as the bartender places your drink down. “Also, I think you’re the last fucking person that can say anything about me being with anyone. You and Kaia seemed to find each other not long after you told me you needed to find yourself with no attachments.” You angrily but honestly tell him after taking a drink watching his plush lips pull downwards into a frown. “You know what? No.” You suddenly say not giving Austin a chance to say anything before you continue to angrily spit, “I’m going to go enjoy my night, I suggest you do the same.” Taking a drink you stalk back towards Cole, forcing the scowl off your face as you get closer to the floor, ignoring the feeling of Austin’s stare as you walk off. Reaching Cole you wrap you arms around him, still fired up you smile and quickly tell him, “Just go with it.”, before crashing your lips into his. While over the past few months you shared many kisses with Cole, this one was different. It was harsh angry and passionate, and after a brief moment you feel his hands grip your hips as he returns it. “Y’know I think I might just start pissing you off myself if that’s what I get when your angry.” Cole jokes as you two break apart for air making you throw your head back and laugh. “If you’re the cause, I don’t think it’ll work out like you’re thinking but I’m glad to know you liked it.” You flirtatiously joke as you two begin to sway as the next song begins at a slower tempo. “While I won’t complain about that kiss, you ok though? Do I need to actually cause a TMZ moment?” He asks staring down at you as you two continue to sway. Biting your lip you nod. “Yeah, I just didn’t expect him to piss me off that much. Plus I kinda wanted to give him something to see. I finally see what you mean about you two not liking each other now.” You tell him as you give him a half smile as you two slowly dance. “Though you’d really cause a TMZ moment for me? I’m honored.” You tease as Cole spins you as you giggle before pulling you back closer to him. “Only for you, Ashley, and Brenda.” He quickly quips his answer back making you shake your head. “Not Dylan?” You ask smiling making him shake his head. “Pfft Dylan’s his own man, he can handle his own situations.” He playfully scoffs making you shake your head. “I don’t get how you can be mean to the sweet one.” You tease making him scoff again. “I don’t know why people think he’s sweet, he’s a little shit.” He comments as you two dance, and it wasn’t long that you started to enjoy your night again.

The hours pass and you enjoy your time with Cole as the time begins to fly by. You don’t think about Austin until you run into him at the bar again. You were waiting on your drink again when you hear his voice again. “Y/N? Can we talk?” He asks making you turn to him, remembering what happened just hours ago you glance him over before asking, “Are you going to be a dick?”. You watch as he runs his hand through the back of his hair as he bites his lip. “No, I-Uh actually wanna apologize about that.”  He admits as he shuffles his feet and reminds you of the Austin you knew. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have tried to comment about you and Cole and I also shouldn’t have let our first time talking in awhile go that bad.” He apologizes to you and looking at him you could tell he was sincere. “I accept your apology, and I’m sorry for my part too. I didn’t help getting snippy back.”  You tell him softly as you glance at him, there’s a brief pause before Austin says something that completely shocks you. “ I also wanna apologize for how I ended things. I should also apologize for a lot of things I put you through.” Shocked you watch him run his hand through his hair as he looks at you with honest and guilty eyes. “I’m sure you’re not solely to blame, and you didn’t really put me through a lot Aus.” You say instinctively trying to comfort him causing him to shake his head. “No, No Y/N. I did put you through a lot when I was filming Elvis, and you took it all in stride. “ He tells you baring a part of himself to you after all the time apart. “Then I selfishly and stupidly ended our relationship, hurting you which is something I never wanted to do.” He continues to confess, squeezing your heart with every word. “Austin, you don’t need to do this h-“ You begin to tell him before he interrupts you. “No, I need to do this here cause I don’t know when I’ll have another chance to run into you again.” Austin tells you with a slight firm edge to his voice making you bite your lip as you stare at him, waiting for him to continue.

“I’m sorry for ending things like I did, and just walking away. I’m also sorry for the selfish things I’m about to say.” Austin continues as he furthers your shock and piques your curiosity. “I’ve been watching you all night, and I regret ending things. I should’ve realized sooner that I should have let you in and talk about how I was losing myself. You would have stood by me and help me, and I’d still have the best thing that’s ever been in my life. I’d still have you.” Austin honestly bares himself to you, and while it was everything you’ve wanted to hear since you two split up, it was crushing your heart. “Austin, I don’t know where this is coming from but you have Kaia.” You point out to him as your emotions and thoughts begin to swirl. “This is coming from months of me being ignorant and not being honest with myself, or anyone even Kaia.” He tells you as he bites his plush lips. “I’m ending things with Kaia, it was wrong and selfish to jump into another relationship, especially when I really hadn’t gotten over my feelings for you.” He admits his words fueling the conflicting internal battle going on inside you. “Why, why are you telling me this now Austin? Why now, instead of months ago?” You ask him after a moment as you stare at him. “Because I’ve watched you with Cole this whole night thinking that it should be me.” He honestly answers squeezing your heart. “I’ve watched you smile, dance, and kiss with him thinking of how much a fucking fool I’ve been and that it kills me to see someone else making you smile like that when it should be me.”

“I-I don’t know what to say Austin.” You start to tell him as your mind swirls. “I’ve wanted to hear everything you’ve said since the moment I left Australia.”  You admit to him as you start to feel overwhelmed. “But now that I’m finally hearing it, I-I just don’t know how I feel about it.” You continue to admit as you chew your lip. “One hand I know how you feel, every picture I saw of you and Kaia crushed me or every picture Ashley showed me of Juniper that had you broke me, and all I’ve wanted was to have you back.” You painfully admit, watching Austin’s eyes flicker at your honesty. “But now that I’m finally hearing it, I can’t just jump into your arms. You broke me Austin. For weeks I walked around like a hollow shell till Cole and Dylan forced me out of my apartment. Then I’ve spent the past few months getting back to myself.” You emotionally ramble out, taking the moment to be just as honest with him as he was with you. Austin’s lips turn slight down as he bites his lip at your words, hating them but needing to hear them. “I-I’m sorry I put you through that, but I have to know is there any chance at all that I can have a place in your life again?” He asks you after a moment, your emotions flaring strongly in you as you inhale at his words. “I don’t know, maybe?” You rush out as your emotions overwhelm you more. “I-I can’t do this here, I-I have to leave.”  You blurt out before rushing past him, not seeing his reaction as you scurried off to find Cole.

“C-Can we leave?” You ask him as soon as you get to him, and as Cole turns around his eyes instantly fill with concern. “Of course.” He instantly answers as he wraps and arm around you and begins to lead you through the crowd. “Are you ok? Did something happen?” You bite your lip before you just say, “Not here, please when we get outta hear.”  He nods and continues to lead you to the exit, once you finally get into a car he waits a few minutes before asking you again, “Are you ok? Did something happen?” He softly asks as you two head back to your apartment. “I-I ran into Austin again….he apologized for earlier, but he also talked about somethings.” You begin to shakily explain as your emotions continued to swirl inside you, each conflicting feeling and thought continuing to rattle your nerves. “What did he talk about?” Cole softly asks you placing a comforting hand on yours. “You know despite everything I’m your best friend first, and I’m here to listen or talk about anything. “ He gently says as you pause, trying to gently coax you to continue. “I know, I know you are Cole. It’s just it’s crazy.” You begin with a sigh, starting to open up, “He-He apologized for ending things, and basically asked if there was a chance if we’d be together again after we went back and forth some.” You emotionally admit as you hear him softly sigh. “How do you feel about that?” He asks as you chew on your lip. “I don’t know Cole. Part of me wants to go back there and instantly tell him yes and I shouldn’t have scurried off, another part of me wants to do the complete opposite and get as far away from him as I can in a sense. I love him so much but I don’t know if I could handle throwing myself back into the captivating love that he has just to be broken again. Or what if I say yes and I ruin things cause I get too scared it’s going to end?” You ramble to your best friend as your driven through the city.

“Does that fear really outweigh that want? I’ve watched you struggle to try to get over him Y/N.” Cole tells you softly before giving you hand a soft squeeze. “I know how much you love him, you can try to say you still don’t or that it’s going away, but we both know it’s not. I know it can be terrifying when thinking of all the what ifs, but what would feel worse? Getting back together again and giving it another try to find out that maybe you aren’t really meant to be together, or wondering what would happen if you never took the chance?” He asks you after a pause, making you give him a shaky smile before you sigh as you absorb and mull over his question. “Honestly? I think wondering, never really knowing if we were meant to be despite everything, or that maybe we just really wasn’t but at least we tried.” You softly answer as your eyes begin to burn after a long pause. “I’m scared though Cole, if there’s a next time how will I pick myself up again?” You ask as you nervously fidget with his hand. “I know really deep down I want him back, I want that chance, but that hurt it kind of leaves a mark.” You admit to him and he pauses for a moment before he starts to speak. “Look at me Y/N.” He softly commands making you lift your head. “First of all, as hard as it is put that possibility in the back of your mind. Don’t think about it. “ He tells you giving you a comforting smile before continuing, “Just take that chance a day at a time, and even if it does end up happening, you won’t be alone. You’ll still have me and Dylan. You picked yourself up once, you’ll do it again. You’re a lot stronger that what you think you are ladybug.” You give a soft chuckle at your childhood nickname before nudging him with a soft smile. “Thank you Cole, I swear our friendship might not be normal, but you’re the best friend I could ever ask for. I don’t know what I’d do without you.” You admit pulling him into a side hug as he smiles. “You’d probably be less cool. “ He jokes smiling at you as you two reach you apartment.

Getting out of the uber, Cole walks you to you apartment. “I’d give it a day or two to really think, even though we both know what you’re gonna do, and I’d call him to meet up.” Cole softly tells you as you two reach your door. “Also give it a day or two to let him sweat it out, I think he deserves that.” He adds with a laugh before you two say goodnight. Getting into the apartment you change out of your dress and plop onto your bed with a sigh. You sit there thinking about everything until you turn off the lights and go to bed. Listening to Cole’s advice you wait two days before you decide to reach out to Austin. You stare at his contact in your phone for a few minutes before you nervously hit the call button. Listening to the phone ring you bite your lip when he picks up on the second one. “Hello, Y/N?” You hear his voice softly rasp over the phone. “Hey Austin, yeah it’s me.” You nervously say as you chew on your lip. “I-I uh I’ve been thinking about the other night…” You softly begin as you begin to pace, padding your feet across the cold tile of your kitchen. “I have too.” Austin comments as you continue to pace. “I-Is there any way we can uh meet up or you come over and we can talk about it?” You nervously ask after a pause, listening to him inhale as you chew your lip. “Of course, if you would want I can come over?” Austin softly asks trying not to sound eager. “Um where do you live now?” He asks after a moment, showing a glimpse of his nerves. “Um I live on 10th now, I can uh send you the address?” You ask taking a pause in you steps as your briefly reminded again of how much has changed. Shaking your head you two softly, but awkwardly say goodbye and you send him your address.  Nervously you glance around your apartment and compulsively tidy up some, though really it was more trying to purge some of your nervous energy, as you waited for Austin to come over.

The apartment tidied up, you nervously look around your apartment before you hear your buzzer. Going to your door you hit the button and ask, “Austin?” biting your lip you can’t stop the smile as he confirms. Buzzing hum up you nervously wait near the door for him to come up. After a few moments you hear him knock and you nervously answer the door to see him shyly smiling on the other side. “Hey, uh come in.” You shyly tell him leading him into your apartment. “Nice place you have, it reminds me of that apartment you had in Manhattan.” Austin comments as he walks in, still holding the familiar shy smile. “Thanks, and yeah that’s part of what hooked me when I viewed it.” You answer as you two head towards the living room. “Do you want a water or something?” you nervously ask him giving him a small smile. “No, but thank you though.” He answers as he runs a hand through his hair. “So, uh you wanted to talk about what  happened at the Met?” Austin nervously asks after a moment as you fiddle with your hands. “Yeah I did, I actually wanted to talk about what you asked…” You tell him as you sit down, taking your hand to motion for him to sit too. You watch him sit down as he stares at you chewing on his soft bottom lip. “Did you really mean any of it?” You nervously ask, watching him instantly nod. “Yes, I swear I meant every word Y/N.” Austin tells you softly before continuing. “I really am sorry for everything, and making the biggest mistake of my life.” You bite your lip as you look and see the honesty shinning through his blue eyes. “Did you really mean it when you wanted to know if there was another chance at us?” You ask fidgeting with your hands as you stare into his eyes, your heart hammering inside you. “I-I did, and I do want to know cause if there is I’ll do anything to have you back into my life.” He admits as he stares back at you, his blue eyes swimming with emotions.

“I want you back into my life too….I’ve wanted that since we split.” You softly admit to him, hope flashing across his eyes at your words.” I still love you Austin, even after all these months, and no matter what I did I really couldn’t get over you..” You continue to admit, starting to bare your unfiltered thoughts. “There is a chance for you in my life if you want it Austin, but despite me still loving you and wanting you in my life I don’t think we can- I can- just go back like the past few months never happened….” You tell him after a pause, nervously watching his reaction as he chews on his lip and  his brows furrow slightly at your admission, slightly confused and worried that the conversation may not really be what he was hoping. Though before he could say anything you continue on as he watches you nervously fidget. “I-Is there anyway we can kind of start over? Kind of like starting fresh?” You softly ask him biting your lip as you briefly wait for his answer. “Of course, if that’s what it takes we can start over, and I get why you would want that.” Austin tells you scooting forward in his seat. “While I want more than anything to pick up where we left off, seeing you before I go to sleep and seeing you when I wake up.” He tells you as he blue eyes stare into your eyes, his words bittersweet as they tug at your heart. “I also know that even if we still love each other and aren’t over each other, we’ve been apart for awhile and time always changes things.” He adds making you sigh in relief and your nerves settle some as you realize he gets it. “Thank you, and that’s exactly it Austin. As much as I want to pick up where we left off, there’s been some time.” You tell him giving him a small smile, relaxing a bit more as you watch a smile light his face.

“No thank you, Y/n.” He tells you with a smile before adding, “Thank you for calling me and giving me another chance. After you rushed off at the Met I thought I wouldn’t here from you let alone have you actually take me back. “ Austin’s honest admission hits your heart and your lips briefly turn down. “I’m sorry for running off like that. Also I’d be crazy to not give you another chance Austin and throw away a chance at being with you.” You admit to him causing him to gently reach out and grab your hand, the action making butterflies begin to stir, you almost forgot what his touch felt like. “You have nothing to be sorry for, I probably shouldn’t have done it there but I’m glad I did.” Feeling the familiar callouses that you’ve longed to feel made those butterflies twirl and swirl inside you more. “I’m glad you did too.” You comment as you give his hand a gentle squeeze, watching the sides of his mouth turn up into a smile. “I really have missed you.” He tells you before flirtatiously adding, “I-I’ve also missed your lips, can I kiss you?” You giggle as his cheesy word continue to cause the butterflies to stir. “Mhmm even though that’s probably the cheesiest thing you’ve ever said to me, yes.” You tell him with a giggle before leaning in, as you felt his soft plush lips press against yours you could have sworn you felt goosebumps. Breaking apart you two softly smiled at each other, and while you sat on your couch with him you couldn’t have been any happier. While you didn’t know what your future would hold, and the fear still hovered in the back of your mind, you were so glad to have Austin back into your life.

[gogandmagog]

HELLO, I don’t have a tumblr but I wanted to say hello. A group of us on facebook saw a post of yours shared there, about your thoughts on a Gilbertless Anne. And we all loved the idea so much! You have my heart and sword! But then when I came here to see what else you posted, I saw you link someone to your fanfiction in a question they asked, and I gasped when I saw you are the same person who wrote the Smugglers Jug! You are such a good writer. The facebook group of us (and some here with tumblers) all found your story because KWAK has favorited you, which begs the question... how does it feel to be gods favorite?? HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE LIVING MY DREAM? LOL. No doubt why you’ve been favorited, you’re so frickin’ talented! Now we’re all praying to God that you will write this fanfic about acrobat Anne and rakish Gilbert! Any chance of this? And will you ever finish the smugglers Jug and your other fics? Just curious.

Oh, man. Thanks so much! This means a lot to me! I did see that post jump to the top of my notifs yesterday, and it was a big surprise because it’s just months and months old and long since buried. I thought, okay, someone popular reblogged, I guess!     About finishing the fan fictions that I’ve posted... yes, I will, they’re not forgotten! I’m hoping to have the time to complete the Smugglers Jug in November. My boss and his family leave for Poland then, where they will stay for the winter months. This frees up my schedule immensely! Part two is about 2.5K words right now, and I do tinker with it now and then, but I still have miles and miles to go with it. As for future fics, I’m so sorry... I don’t ever see myself being able to write that AU. I really feel that to pull it off effectively, it’d need to be novel length; a venture I may only have time for when I’m fifty! But I love that you loved the idea enough to ask. And I think some of your friends from the same group also messaged me! You guys are so generous! And appreciated!     To being in katherine-with-a-k's favorites... you know someone else here once mentioned this to me! I have to say, just as I did then, that I understand that it’s a huuuuge compliment! She’s the best of the best, isn’t she? But I’m seriously so embarrassed about it (I’m overall a very embarrassed person, every day of my life); finding out that the iconic kwak read something I’d posted felt just like... like if Anne, when she was about to meet Mrs. Charlotte E Morgan, was forced to hand over an old Story Club sketch! Sheesh.

[storytimewithanonwriter]

Songbird

Single mom! reader x Peter

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Taglist

@venomsvl , @diasnohibng , @lu123sworld

@paw-sneeze @harryownsmysoultpwk @fairyy27 , @gwenstacy-ghostspider

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Warning for series: fluff, a cute baby, mention of food, mention of sex, implied sex, blood, and injuries, curse words, the use of y/n…, nicknames for the reader: love, bird, songbird, birdie ( probably more), not the best writing and lots of typos !! Lol

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Hi all!! I hope you are having a wonderful week! Here is the last installment of Songbird! I hope you enjoyed this little series ! So sorry it took FOREVER!! But it is here. It not edited so there are tons of mistakes. I kept y'all waiting long enough!

Thank you for going on the journey with me!

❤️K

...

Peter woke up before you did. He could sense Maisie stirring. He got dressed and made his way to her room.

“Good morning, Baby bird. Happy Birthday MJ! Did you sleep well?”

“ tank too! Uh-huh!! My Pete !! Look, look!” She said as she pointed to her spider suit. She had made you lay it out on her dresser before she went to bed the night before.

“Ahh, I see Spider-Man finished it. I’m glad you like it, MJ” he smiled. “ Hey, Maze, your mama is still asleep. Do you want to help me make breakfast for her? We can surprise her.”

“ Uh-huh! Up up!” She said excitedly. She tried her best to climb out.

“ hold on there, baby bird! Let me help you.” He picked her up. Peter helped Maisie get ready for the day. She may only be two, but she was fiercely independent. Once Maisie was ready, they headed to the kitchen.

Peter gave Maze a few choices to cook. MJ picked French toast with bacon. Peter was hoping she chose traditional toast and eggs, but he was going to try his best. Before he started to cook, Maisie stopped him.

“Wash hands! And music!” She reminded him.

“Oh! How could I forget! Thanks, MJ!” He quickly washed his hand and turned on his music.

Maisie covered her ears. “ No, no, My Pete! My music!! “ she said, pointing to herself.

“ silly me! Let’s get this party started, birthday girl.” Peter turned on the playlist he labeled Birdie and Baby Bird’s Favorites. He had made it for the day he picked Maisie up for you and took her to you at work. They would listen to the playlist on the subway and walk through the park.

A mixture all of your favorites favorites filled the air. You shared your love of music with Maisie. Peter and Maisie were dancing around the kitchen as they cooked. Peter was having so much fun he didn’t realize you woke up.

“ looks like I missed my invitation to the party.” You laughed.

“ Mama! Prize!! Breakfast!” MJ beamed, and she ran towards you.

You picked her up and hugged her tight. “ oh my goodness! Thank you so much for my surprise, but Maisie, it's your birthday! You should be getting the “ prizes”!”

Maisie giggled “ share, mama.”

“My sweet baby,” you said as you kissed her head. “ Good Morning, my love.” You made your way over to Peter and gave him a quick kiss. “ Good morning, Birdie,” he cooed.

“Yuck!” MJ made a face.

“ You don’t like when Mommy kisses Peter?” You laughed as she shook her head.

Peter laughed as well. You set the Maze down and watched her toddle into the living room to play with her doll house.

“ morning “ you smiled as you leaned in to kiss Peter .

Peter smiled as he thought that this is the way he wanted to begin his mornings for the rest of his life. Waking to to you.

…

Saturday’s Party came and went. The cake was a replica of Maisie’s stuffed Spider-Man in the Cinderella dress. You died laughing when Eliza brought it in.

Ned came with his twins. He spent most of the day talking with Eliza. She seemed to enjoy his company.

Everything was great. After the party, you and peter decided to go for a walk with Maisie in the park. She was on a sugar high.

“ you didn’t lie about sugar-crazed baby being an adventure.” Peter laughed.

Maisie was singing at the top of her lungs.

“ Yep! I made that mistake the day before I met you … never again.”

“ Hey, did you realize we have known each other for a year?”

“ Sure did.” you smiled “ it's been a great year. “

Peter smiled. He opened his mouth the started to speak, but something stopped him. Something felt off. His spider-sense was going wild.

“ y/n, I need you to trust me.”

“ I do trust you... what's wrong? You look like..”

“ Go home, take Maisie, and I will meet you there.” He didn’t know what was coming, but it couldn’t be good.

“ Peter, you are scaring me.”

His hands were griping your shoulders “ you trust me, don’t you?”

You looked at Peter. He had tears in his eyes. He was scared. You were scared now. “ yes, I do, I lo..”

“ go home”

Just then, you hear a loud roaring sound. You turn your head toward the noise. You could make out a large monstrous figure. You look back at where Peter was, and he was gone.

“ Shit… umm … ok.”

“Mama! Loud !”

“ I know. We got to go, baby.”

“ No!!!! MY PETE! MY PETE!” She screamed as you left the park.

It took less than 5 minutes to get to Eliza’s place. MJ screamed and cried the entire way . You had decided that you were going to find Peter. He just disappeared. You knew this had something to do with trying to get a photo for work.

You used the code to get in and enter the apartment.

“ What the hell, Y/n? You scared the shit out of me!!” Eliza squeaked.

“something is going on in the park. Peter is still there. I have to find him. Watch MJ. I will be back.”

Before she could answer, you were gone. As you shut the door you heard Maisie screaming your name now. Your heart broke, but you had to find Peter. You ran toward the park shouting for Peter. You could see smoke and dust as you approached. There was distraction everywhere.

You hear a whoosh, and you are up in the air. Before you could scream, you were on top of a building.

“ What the hell are you doing here?!!”

“ Spider-Man?””

“ Why are you here ?!! It’s not safe! Where is your daughter? “

“We were at the park with Peter. He told me to take MJ and go home. He disappeared. …I took MJ to my sisters, and I returned I….”

Peter sighed . “ Just stay here. You will be safe. I will come back for you.”

And he was gone.

You watched Spiderman fight. He always tried to steered the monster away from you. You could never really tell what he was fighting. It looks like a giant lizard, but you were not sure.

You couldn't take your eyes off what was happening. You tried to stay as quiet as possible to ensure the monster didn't come toward you. For the most part, spiderman had the upper hand. You watch as the lizard takes a swing, and Spiderman falls to the ground. The lizard trapped Spidey under his claw and scratched him. Without thinking, you gasped.

The lizard's head turned toward you. You made eye contact.

“ let's see what you have been protecting. What do you think, spiderman?” the lizard hissed.

“ No, please don't. She has...”

The lizard takes a swing knocking Peter out.

“ I was over the whining. How about you, sweetie?” The lizard made his way over to the building you were on.

“ Mr. Lizard, sir? I really don’t have anything to do with him. Please don’t hurt me. I have a daughter. It’s her birthday. I …”

“ Again with whining and pleading! “ he grabbed you and took off.

“ where are you taking me?! Put me down!! Spider-Man!!! HELP!!!” You were screaming.

Peter's head was ringing when he came too. The only thought on his mind was you.

He stood up very wobbly. “ Hey, why don’t you listen to the lady?”

“ But, it’s more fun this way!” The lizard said as he headed toward taller buildings with you.

Your head was spinning by the time he stopped.

“ This is high enough. It’s a nice view, don’t you think?” He threw you down. You felt your ankle give way as you landed on the platform below. You hissed as you recognized your surrounding—the top of the Oscorp building.

“ looks like we have company .” The lizards said as he picked you back up.

“ Put her down, Lizard,” Peter growled.

“ I will put her down on one condition. You let me go? “

“ you know I can’t do that. But, what if I help you? I can cure you. I cured Dr. Conners when he did this to himself. I can help you.”

“ What if I don’t want to be cured? I did this to myself. I am continuing Conners work! I…”

The lizard seems to go on forever. His grip got tighter and tighter as he spoke. You watch Spider-Man hoping he understands what you are going to do next.

“what … “ you gasped for air “… if Spider-Man helped you get to more of Dr.Conners research. We have a friend. He is a….”

While you were distancing him, the lizard loosened his grip. Spider-Man saw his way in. He quickly shot webs to restrain the lizard, but before securing him to the roof, he fell and dropped you.

You start to fall. “This isn’t going to be good.” That is all you could think. Poor Maisie. She would grow up with no mother or father now. Eliza would be great. She would tell her all about you. She would raise MJ to be a badass. You just hope she would let Peter see Maisie still. Peter… between Gwen and you, he had been dealt a terrible hand.

Something snapped you out of you thoughts. Someone was holding you. You were no longer falling. Spider-Man . He is holding you tight. He was crying.

Peter was ok when he caught Peter one’s MJ. He even saw it as a moment to motivate himself. But it is you. The one person he wanted to keep all of this from. He tried to protect you in the way he couldn’t protect Gwen.

You let out a breath you didn’t know you were holding and then hiss in pain. In the heat of everything, you realized that the lizard’s claws cut your side, and now you are bleeding.

“ You are ok. It’s ok. I’ve got you. I’ve got you. I love you. It’s ok. I'm so sorry; I'm so sorry.” Spider-Man kept repeating these fraises over and over again. He was hyperventilating and on the verge of a full-blown panicked attack.

Then it hits you. The bruises, scares, the disappearing, and then Gwen.

“ oh my god … Peter...it’s you... you are Spiderman.”

He shook his head yes. He was still panicking.

“Hey, it’s ok. I am ok. Look at me. I am ok. You saved me. I love you too… look, it's not bad. I’m ok….Peter look at me. I’m going to take off your mask, ok? I need you to breathe, babe. “

Taking the mask off, you finally make eye contact with your boyfriend. His eyes are filled with panic, sorrow, and pain.

“Hey, I’m here. Ok ? Breathe. That’s it, love. I’m ok. You did it. You saved me.”

Peter hugged you tight and sobbed.

You sat there for a minute. You were in so much pain you just needed to be at home. When peter finally started to calm down, you spoke softly,

“ Love, let's go home, ok. I’m going to call Eliza to ask if Maisie can stay the night there.”

“ no… I need to …have …both ….of my ….girls … home safe,” Peter said in a whisper

“Ok, I’m going to call her to see if she will bring her over and stay for a while. Ok? “ he nodded to agreed.

You probably should have gone to the hospital. Your side was killing you, and your poor ankle was shot, but Peter needed you.

You picked up your phone and dialed.

“ Eliza, hey.

“ did you find Peter? “

“Yeah, did you see what happened near Central Park? “

“Yeah, it was crazy. Spider-Man was there and..”

“ We were there. Peter and I . “

“ shit! Are you ok? Are you at the hospital? I'm headed that way. I will call Val or May. One of them can watch her.”

“No, we’re all kinda ok. No, hospital. I have some scraps and whatnot. Peter … he got the worst of everything, and he is having a hard time. Ummm... I don’t remember if I ever told about his girlfriend before me. Gwen was in an accident, kind of along the lines of today. He is taking this… well as one would expect. You saw your first love killed by a monster and then see what happened today….”

“ Oh god, um, ok. What do you need me to do? “

“ just meet us at the apartment. We are going up to Pete’s to grab him some things. I just need to see my baby. Thank you for taking her.”

“Anytime, you know that. We will be there in 10.”she hung up the phone.

“ Petey, we have to go now. You need to change. How do you want to get home? Walking or subway? My ankle is kinda shot, so there is that.”

“I can swing us home.”

“Are you sure? “

“I’m ok.”

“Peter, are you..”

Peter snapped, “I said I was ok .”

You shook your head. You didn’t let it bother you. Peter was upset. You knew that this was going to be a tough day.

You all made it home in 5 minutes, making your way to Peter’s; Peter changed out of his suit. He got dressed in grey sweatpants and a hoodie to help disguise his injuries.

“ love, let’s go downstairs and see MJ. Then I will help you with those scratches, Ok?”

He shook his head, and you both made your way to your apartment.

“ My Pete! Mama! “ Maisie squealed as you entered. Her eyes were wide and bright until she saw Peter.

“ my Pete sad.” Maisie's smile faded to a frown.

“ it’s ok, Maze. You are right. Peter is sad. He just needs some hugs. “

Maze waddled over to you and peter. She hugged his legs.

“I'm sorry, Pete. It was ok sad. It's ok .”

Peter took at the moment, trying to calm himself. Peter bent down and picked Maisie up and hugged her. He was in pain, but he didn’t care When he started to cry, he quickly passed her over to you.

“ Maisie, that was so nice of you to check on Peter. He is going to be ok. He needs a minute. You know you need a minute when you are sad .” As your kissed her head.

“ Uh-huh!” You could tell she was very worried about Peter. She had never seen Peter upset.

“I was gonna go to the bedroom” Peter whispered and walked down the hallway. Peter looked awful. Your heart was breaking for him. This has to be so hard.

“ My Pete sad, mama. “ Maisie was so upset to see peter this way.

You place Maisie on the couch . “ it’s ok, baby. “

You didn’t consider what you looked like until MJ pointed to your shirt . “ ouch, mama. You hurt.”

“ You look like you were at war,” Eliza spoke up

“ I kinda feel like it. Can you stay and watch MJ? I need to go help, Peter.”

“ of course. But, love, you need to go take care of yourself.”

You brushed off what she said and made your way to Peter.

He was sitting on the side of your bed. You sat beside him. He leaned into you and held you close.

“ thought I was going to lose you today. “ you simply placed your hand in his and he broke down.

Peter sat up after what felt like hours. “ Baby, we need to take care of your cuts .”

“ I’m ok, Pete. Honest. It doesn’t even hurt .” You were lying. It hurt very bad. You didn’t want to make Peter worry.

“ Songbird, I can tell you are lying. I know you too well… plus I can hear your heartbeat.”

“ What else can my boyfriend Spider-Man do?” Yow spat out. You didn’t mean it would come out as bitter as it did.

“ I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. I …. I wanted to keep you safe. I thought if I could keep it a secret, you would be safe. I could protect you. I thought I could keep you safe like I couldn’t do with Gwen. “

“ Peter …”

“ She was dropped off of the clock tower by… my friend … Harry …. He turned out to be the son of the Green Goblin. Its a long story . But, he found her… I tried to safe her … but when I shot my web … the whiplash…. I… I …”

You clung to Peter . He was sobbing again. In between his sobbing he told you about the other Peters and his travels there.

“ I’m sorry I lied . I just wanted to keep you safe.”

“ Peter , it’s ok . “

Peter looked up at you. He could tell you felt bad.You were super dizzy.

“ Birdie , let’s get you checked out. Come on let’s go .”

“ I’m fine Peter . I just need to rest…”

“ Y/n , I would feel better if we took you in. “

“ Fine. Just let me change. I want to get out of…” you stood up and headed to the bathroom to clean up a bit.

(And that is the last thing you remember.

“ ELIZA! “ Peter shouted as he ran into the living room holding you.

“ We we’re talking she was saying she was fine. I told her she needed to get checked out. She wanted to change.I … I….” Peter was losing it.

“ Peter , breathe. Ok ? There is a hospital down the block or I can call..“ Eliza was holding a sleeping Maisie. She went to set her down and the door slammed. Peter had already left the apartment with you in his arms.

…

When you came too there was a lot of beeping. You were sore and tired . You looked around to find you were in a hospital room and you were alone. You started to panic. Just as you were starting to cry Peter walked in.

“ Birdie , you are up.” He rushed over to your side. He gently kissed your forehead gently. He slowly wiped the tears from your cheeks.

“ I’m sorry stepped out to call work. I was just outside the door.

“It’s just hospitals ya know? “ Peter smiled and took your hand. “What happened?”

“ We we’re getting ready to come to the hospital to get you checked out and you collapsed . Eliza is there with Maisie until May can get there.”

You went to nod your head and you hissed in pain.

“ Take it easy. Ok?The doctors are running test , baby. Your side from the claw marks …You have a few stitches. They said you lost a lot of blood …Love bug, I’m so sorry. I should have told you. You wouldn’t have came back if..”

“ Stop, Peter I would have still came back for you even if I knew ….I needed to know you were safe. Besides , I wasn’t the only one hurt. You got hurt and others in park did as well so…” you were having a hard time keeping your eyes open.

“Rest , Bird. I will get the nurse , ok? I will be right back.“ Peter exited. )

“Mmmhmmm.” You had closed your eyes.

When you opened your eyes you found Eliza.

“You should have listened to me a headed to the hospital when you got home.” Eliza said as she stepped into the room.

“ you always know best.” You smiled and rolled your eyes . “ how is Maze?”

“ She is good.May got there about an hour after you got here. I came as soon as MJ was settled . Peter is calling to check on her and MJ now.”

“Y/N , I’m Dr. Jones. I have your test results. I wanted to go over them with you. Is this a good time ?”

“ yes , this is my sister Eliza . She can be here I don’t mind.”

“ well, all of your test came back fine. You are a little anemia and I’m sure that is why you lost consciousness . You should be cleared to go home in a few hours. “

“ thank you! “

You smiled as they exited. Peter walked in.

“ Sleeping Beauty you’re awake.” He smiled

“ I’m gonna give you two a minute.” Eliza said as she slipped out the door.

“ Hey you.”

“ you ok ?” You asked .

“ why are you asking if I’m ok you are…”

“ Peter …”

He shook his head. “ I’m ok. Doing better since I know you are ok. I never wanted you to be drug into this side of my life , y/n. “

“ Peter, Spider-Man is apart of what makes you you. And I love you no matter what. You are my best friend . You make me feel safe.”

“ l love you too.”

“ come here.” You patted the bed beside you. Peter crawled in next to you. And kissed you for head.

“ hey , Pete”

“ yeah .”

“ move in with me. You spend all your time at my place. You only leave my place at night to go what I now assume is patrolling.“

“ you knew I would leave ?”

“ yes Pete I did… I always though you went to do work . Or I don’t know free time. You were always busy.”

Peter didn’t answer you for a while. You started to panic a little. You knew it was soon , because you just officially started to date, but you had been friends for a while.

Finally Peter leaned in a kiss you on the top of the head.

“ I would love to move in with you and Maisie. You think she will…”

“My Pete come back? Where my Pete ? My Pete work? Why no my Pete?? “ you laughed “ I think she will be extremely happy “

…

Peter’s lease had a few more months left. He ended up subletting it to Ned. Ned ended taking over the lease once it lease was up. You were happy . The twins and MJ loved playing . Eliza had taking a liking to Ned . They began to date a few weeks after he moved in. Things were going great. You and Peter were living together for a entire year before you knew it.

One night right after MJ’s third birthday , you were in your bedroom with her . She couldn’t sleep . Peter was supposed to go to May’s , so you just brought her in to your room.

Your were humming her a song quietly when the window opened .

“ Birdie , I know I was supposed to go to May’s . I twisted my ankle landing and I did want to worry her.” He said all this before completely entered the room in his suit pulling his mask off.

“Oh, wow. Pider Pete!”

You froze. Peter froze. Thinking quickly, “Baby , Peter is playing dress up like you do. You love your Spider-Man costume and your princess dress ! Remember.” You did not need you 3 year old blowing Peter’s cover. Hopefully this would solve that problem.

“ No, mommy. Pider my pete .my Dad Pider! Dad Pider!”

You froze again . Making eye contact with Peter not knowing what to say. Peter walked over and sat on the bed next to you and MJ.

“ Yes, love. Your Dad is Spider-Man. “

Tears were forming in your eyes and in Peter’s .

“ Wow! Pider Dad!!

“But, MJ you have to keep it a secret. No one can know. Ok? I know it’s a big job, but you can do it right?”

“ Uh-huh! Love you, my pe ..dad “

“I love you too my baby bird”

MJ rolled over and went to sleep .

You carried her into her room. When you came back you found Peter crying still.

“ Pete… I’m sorry I..”

“ I’m just so happy. Y/n , I never thought I could have this life. A family. I thought I was destined to be alone and then a little songbird flew into my life. I have the life I dreamed of. I’m grateful.”

You smiled. Then you had and idea.

“ What time is it ? “

“About midnight why…”

“ get dressed and give me a minute “

You called Eliza to come downstairs. You got Peter and went up to the roof.

“ why are we here?” Peter asked.

“ well, the build mangers finally decided to decorate the place . With all of these lights it reminds me of..”

“ the park… our first date. “ Peter smiled

You smiled as you held out your hand.

“ But, songbird there no music.” He teased

“ then I guess we will have make our own”

You begin to sing a familiar song

“And the songbirds are singing,

Like they know the score

And I love you, I love you, I love you

Like never before…”

You smiled as you leaned in to kiss Peter.

“ Birdie?” Peter cooed as he pulled away.

“Yeah?”

“ Marry me?”

Epilogue ☺️

“ Do you think MJ is going to be mad?” Peter asked you.

“ she has been asking when she will be a big sister like Scout. I think she will be ok.” You laughed .

“ I mean what if this baby inherits my spider abilities . Maisie is going to be so mad at me. “ Peter had been nervous since you found out you were pregnant a few months after your wedding.

“ Peter, Maisie thinks her dad hung the moon. She is not going to be angry at you.” “ You know time she calls me dad , I still melt a little. Even though she has been calling me dad for months.”

“ Yeah, me too.” you smiled.

Peter pause for a moment. He had been thinking about bringing this idea up to you for a while now and now seemed like a perfect time. “ Hey, why don’t we make it official? “

“ what do you mean official? You are the only dad she has ever known. She never got to meet James. She saw photos, and I have told her who he is, but still ….You know She is the one who started calling you dad on her own. I do kinda miss “ my Peter “ though. “ you laughed.

“ I know . That’s kinda why I want to make it official and adopt her. Maisie Jane Parker has a good ring to it.”

You had thought about this many times, and you wanted to bring it up to Peter. When you found out about this baby , you knew you were gonna bring it up to him. It was just the matter of finding the right time. Maisie would be the only “non- Parker” in the family. You didn’t know how she would take it.

“ yeah , It really does. MJ Parker it’s almost like it was meant to be. Huh? “ you laughed thinking about the Muti-verse.

Peter smiled. “ I will go get her. We can ask her about it. Yeah?”

“ Sounds like a plan , love . Ooo! We can tell about her new job as big sister as well. Poor thing keeps asking me “ you sick mommy? I sorry!”” You giggled at thought. Peter kissed you as he passed to go grab MJ. You smile . You couldn’t be happier.