#but then we actually talked about my book and my craft and my plans for this draft

[buckttommy]

My brother made me cry today (in a good way). I've been struggling with my manuscript (2nd draft) for weeks now, like. I feel like I am literally fighting for every single word, and every single sentence. It's hard and I have no idea where the problem is. So I went back to the beginning and started rereading. It's good, better than I thought it was. But anyways, my brother came downstairs and I asked him to listen to me read the prologue, so he did. And when he started, I thought he was going to joke around bc we joke around a LOT, but he gave such kind, insightful and thought provoking feedback and pointed out lines that he thought were particularly "striking" and how they reflected on the characters and I'm still crying tbh. It's just so... nice to hear, to have my writing — my literal years of effort — acknowledged and validated by him. I don't share my writing with my brother for many reasons but deciding to read it to him today and the way he received it was just 🥺🥺🥺 It was really really needed

[kismets-barista]

Hold onto your Stetson, @ohposhers; have I got some personal HickDory lore for you 😎💜🌟🫧

Excuse the insanity for those who don't feel compelled towards these two

SO!

Hickory and JD met a few good years before the events of the World Tour when Dory was traveling to find Lonesome Flats, got heatstroke and passed out in the desert. Wakes up to Hickory shadowed in the flickering light of a campfire beneath a canopy of the brightest stars he'd seen since the Neverglades, but it wouldn't be until QUITE a few months later until they really started developing crushes against each other. (Cowboy under the stars, you'd think he'd fall right then and there, right? 🌟)

Why was Hickory already in Lonesome Flats, you might ask? Where was Dickory?

In a glue trap, I say in response. Hickory came from Yodelsberg (is there a canonical name for this?) for international study and to learn about new music. He fell in love with country because yodeling and country music are actually quite gorgeous together. She Taught Me to Yodel, anyone?

Delta Dawn obviously didn't take to Dory showing up and around the town, but after some convincing by Hickory and lots of proving himself (plus a vulture attack that resulted in John Dory saving the very young niece of Delta Dawn- Clampers-) he 'earned' a place there and began to work around town.

It was weird for him.

He'd never quite settled down, until then.

(Now, the specific timeline, yearly I mean is a little muddled because I'm still crafting this, but I'll put them out about three years, now.)

John Dory was still living in Lonesome Flats, and he'd started a relationship with Hickory. They loved each other, as my cohort in crime @protagonist-art (CHECK OUT THEIR ART I LOVE THEM SM MUAH) has Hickory tell John when we get write them, "More than the moon loves the ocean." As surely as the tide pulls in and out, so the lovers return to each other.

So Via, what does Hickory think about BroZone?

Oh, my sweet star.

He doesn't know.

After returning to the devastated Troll Tree, John Dory lost a piece of his heart in the damaged pod they used to live in. It was the first time he went grey, and the memories of his brothers started shifting from what was, to what would never be again. He couldn't find it within himself to talk about them, and has his secrets.

But so does Hickory.

Girl wdym stop being so mysterious.

Heh. I know. It's just a glimpse into my dark mind /ref. Anyways, Hickory never told John Dory he was a Yodeler troll. (Another piece of lore that Quizzy and I worked on together and I think it's brilliant.)

Huh? Aren't they in a long-term relationship? Won't this cause issues later on if they don't share these things with each other?

Oh, they love every aspect of each other too much for their bond to truly be broken.

And yet.

One morning, years after just living and loving, John Dory wakes up with a massive headache and nausea.

"Maybe it's that horse that kicked me yesterday, could've gotten me harder than we both thought."

"Lemme check for a knot, Darlin'."

No knots, but there was an egg.

🌟 (Here I'll say that I'm massively in love with the headcanon that trolls conceive through true love- it isn't quite necessary for them to physically do anything unless they want to. Just them, wholeheartedly trusting and putting everything into their relationship and pouring their heart out to their partner.)

They were absolutely ECSTATIC, and rightfully terrified in their own ways. Neither of them were looking for children but not against it, and after resting for a few days they began to plan. A nursery in the house, baby books with millions of names scattered on the coffee table, toys and cute little baby clothes for when the little one hatched.

Wanna know two of the names John Dory had in mind? Rhonda and Dolly.

They were ecstatic until the night John Dory woke up absolutely ill and with a pit in his stomach.

They lost the egg, and it was the second time John Dory went grey in his life.

A week after this had happened, John Dory left a bundled lock of his hair at Hickory's nightstand and did what he knows how to do all too well. He ran.

Hickory never went too far out of Lonesome Flats in the hopes that John Dory would come back. He couldn't imagine what would happen if his love came back and didn't find him there.

The events of World Tour come about, Hickory meets Branch, and travels for the first time since John Dory left.

John Dory continued to travel, until the events of Band Together.

But don't worry, dear readers, for as surely as the tides come in, so will the lovers meet again. 🌟

Aaaand BOOM! That's it! 💜 I've got lore behind the names Rhonda and Dolly as well, and am SO down to answer any questions about them that anyone has. For you, Posh, thank you for asking and helping me to share a story I've been working on, and for everyone else that read this, thank you kindly! I hope that everyone who made it this far has quite a lovely day, or if you didn't, have a lovely day anyways!

Remember to take your meds, drink water, eat something, and stretch!

💜🌟🫧

[hello-vampire-kitty]

Servamp chapter 136 spoilers

I only read the chapter once so I haven't understood some parts because I haven't looked up the meaning of some words, that's what I'll do when I get to properly translate the chapter, but in the meantime, I'm just going over a few pages so you can get an idea of what's going on.

Oh my God, this chapter reveled so much!

I haven't talked about this, because I still have a few chapters to work on, but the previous one ended with Lily saying that everything was done in order to make the revived Count become the 9th Servamp with Mikuni as his Eve.

If that's the plan, could it mean that Mikuni will break his contract with Jeje or will it be possible to also keep him too?

Lily reveals to Misono that initially he wanted to put Kuro in Mikuni's path, but that would have been a great risk if Tsubaki went after Kuro, so instead he chose Mahiru.

"As someone from a family of magicians that could be easily monitored and who didn't posses the combat skills of a magician...And most of all, he was the son of a certain man"

Lily tells Misono about Touma being Mahiru's father, who was a hindrance because Touma was close to the realization of the Count's reincarnation. Lily thought that if Tsubaki would target Mahiru, Touma would be dealt with if he tried protecting Mahiru.

Lily didn't think that Touma would try shooting his son, but he was wrong.

"Love is the most difficult to read."

Lily tells Misono about his mother and what we knew about her was a lie. To start off her name was Tatsunami Hokaze which is so weird and perhaps it was a mistake because it happened before that some character's name were misspelled, like it happened with Pisca (it was even brought up by Tanaka on Twitter) and I recall one time where Tsurugi's name was written Rurugi xD

So, I looked up Hokaze (歩風) and it seems to be a boy's name and I have found the readings Ayuka or Honoka for girl names, so maybe one of those is actually her name?

Well, if it won't be mentioned by Tanaka if it was a misspelling, for now she will be called Hokaze.

Moving on, I noticed that in the first panel on the left, if you look closely at the book she's holding, it most likely "Jane Eyre" written on the cover, so we have a literary work that's associated with her.

Alright, so she was one of the orphans Lily brought to the Alicein house, like Dodo and Mitsuki.

Lily described her as ambitious woman and he encouraged her to get into Mikado's good graces. If she became his mistress, she could control him from the shadows.

The letters from his mother that Misono read were censored by Mikuni and crafted a beautiful story. In Japanese it specifically says検閲 which means censorship, so that seems to imply that he didn't fabricate the letters entirely, some things that were written in them might have been left unchanged.

Poor Misono :((

Man, the drama of this family...

So, we get to see Lily's past and I'm assuming (because it doesn't say) that he was selling his body? That's the impression I get from that image with the old guy who's giving him money...

Alright, moving on to Kuro's fight against Tsubaki!

It's awesome how Kuro made the candlestick into a sword! It looks cool!

Tsubaki says that demon Kuro was apparently sensei's "something", that he called things such as friend or brother and the demon was sort of like a familiar.

Kuro wants to hear from Tsubaki why is he obsessed with the Count, but Tsubaki isn't reluctant to tell him.

Kuro uses "Elpsis" to try looking into his memories and it's so cool that he can use Mahiru's ability, like he even changed the sword into a staff like Mahiru's!

Tsubaki had a little sister :(

So, apparently the reason he wanted to revive sensei isn't because he cared about him. He wants the ritual to be fulfilled because he awaits what comes after. Tsubaki made a promise with sensei, the latter telling him that he would make his little sister happy.

What could that mean? If she's dead, could it mean that he will bring her to life? It doesn't mention what happened to her...

Oh boy, so, I feel sorry for Misono because of how much he was deceived and we also find out that Tsubaki wasn't actually looking forward to be reunited with sensei because they had a deep bond or something, he even admits in this chapter that he's probably just a means to sensei's objective to be united with Kuro, because sensei was only interested in him.

So yeah, that's about it. I want to end the post by saying that I thank you for the patience with the scanlations, I still have three more chapters to finish until I start working on this one.

[heycarrots]

Importing my Twitter musings for maximum emotional damage. I’m . . . sorry? 😬

@jaynovz actually inspired this because we were talking about memories and trauma and how they relate to Silver in our chat for her episode of Reading Between the Lines Podcast. She mentions memories in a vault, which got me thinking about how James is doing the exact same thing. Oh! Which made me realize something else! Holy shit . . . that’s WHY he prods Silver for his past! That’s why he tells him how important all parts of him are, his present, his past, his trauma, it’s all important to embrace. Why?? It’s a lesson he learned from Miranda. One of the last.

Okay, I’ll stop screaming and just continue with my Twitter thread . . .

Once again thinking about how those flashbacks dance around James’ and Thomas’ love story up until episode 2X05. You can certainly hold to the belief that the only reason was to drop that twist mid-season, but let’s think about how we engage with memories.

Some memories are so overwhelming that we avoid them. We don’t have time for them. We tuck them away in a drawer in the darkest corner of our mind where we are convinced we will be safe from them. That’s all well and good if those memories aren’t shared with anyone else.

The flashbacks, we realize very early on, aren’t simply exposition. They exist in Flint’s present reality; memories triggered by Flint’s quest seemingly nearing its end . . . Thomas’s dream finally within his grasp. Equally important, they are triggered by Silver.

It’s very important to remember that we don’t get a single flashback until they are triggered by Silver working with Flint. He begins to remember Thomas because Silver reminds him, not of Thomas, but of himself. He’s now understanding how much of Thomas he’s embodied himself.

In season one, Miranda chastises James for never addressing his loss. For tucking Meditations on a shelf and hiding it away from himself. He’s angry not just because she shared that book with Richard Guthrie, but because she’s reminded him of its very existence.

The flashbacks are all from Flint’s perspective, as he’s focused on his goal. He’s remembering their vision for Nassau, pushing on that bruise to continue spurring him onward, no matter the cost, no matter the casualties. He never brings up Thomas by name. Not once.

It’s Miranda who brings him up by name. Miranda who is desperately trying to get him to remember the love. Remember the true reason he’s doing what he’s doing. She knows he can’t. It’s too much. It’s too painful. And so every single flashback is from Flint’s perspective . . .

Until episode 2X05. When we see that dinner scene with Alfred Hamilton again, when we see that first kiss, it’s Miranda who is thinking of it. That’s HER memory of it because James still can’t look at it. It’s like staring into the sun.

The writers weren’t skirting around the reveal, it was simply being told to us by a character too traumatized to give us the whole story. We needed Miranda’s perspective. She hands him the book and it’s the inscription that finally breaks him. Finally gets him to open that drawer.

But the memories tucked inside that drawer are not Miranda’s. He doesn’t go back to the dinner scene, to that kiss. What we see is what Miranda didn’t see. We see James’s memories of the book.

He couldn’t look at that book because it wasn’t the memory of a tender first kiss at dinner, it was the unbearable intimacy of sharing that book, the private intimacies and love that’s had time to breathe for a bit. Miranda calls it shame because she doesn’t have those memories.

So while it’s true that Black Sails was planned to build up to this reveal from its infancy, it’s equally true that James’s story is told in one of the most organic and ultimately honest narrative arcs I’ve ever seen.

So much of the beauty of this show is derived from the absolute mastery of the writers creating at the very peak of their craft and we should all remember that, during a time when those same creators, who have given us so much, are fighting to be compensated fairly.

Black Sails is the gift that keeps on giving, and onion one might never reach the center of. Considering all of this, I’m beyond excited to see what we are served up with the Percy Jackson series. If it’s anywhere close to the quality of Black Sails, we’re in for a real treat.

[lurafita]

Malec meet pre-canon divergent

(considering tv-show canon only, as I don't know much about the books) I personally found it a little weird that Alec and his siblings had to be briefed about the High Warlock of their territory, by Hodge. Shouldn't Alec, as the acting head, have been aware of the most prominent downworld leaders in the city his institute is in? Wouldn't Magnus have been in the institute before, for ward maintenance or things like that? Wouldn't they have had to call him to close rifts that demons were popping out of? (Not like those kinds of things were ever shown or discussed in the show, but then again, the show was very stingy where details and backgrounds were concerned.) Anyway, I would like to propose a series re-write, where Alec and Magnus get to know each other pre-canon, and Magnus has the chance to bolster Alec's self-worth and confidence a little. And then exploring what effect this might have, as Alec wouldn't be such a pushover where his siblings are concerned. (I actually just really like re-writes of given plots that explore changes to said given plot, so that personal guilty pleasure might heavily play into this prompt…. 😉 )

possible scene:

They could meet on site for rift closure, and Alec is laying down a plan of attack, because some demons have already gathered. And then Jace is trying to propose another plan (that's less tactical than Alec's was and more of a 'run in head first' kinda deal). And Alec is not confident about his own plan versus Jace's, and he is about to give in, but then Magnus is like: "I agree with the pretty boy." And Jace smirks and goes: "See, the high warlock thinks it will work." And then Magnus goes: "Oh no, I was talking about his plan. Yours sucks."

-

I think, if a relationship between them (platonic heading for romantic) exists for some time, Magnus would probably let slip about Maryse and Robert having been in the circle. Not in a malicious way. I think Magnus assumed that Alec knew. So maybe one day Magnus offers to check over the wards, and Alec accepts and wonders loudly about why his parents didn’t commission check ups for two years,

and Magnus just "Well, they have tried to limit their business with downworlders as much as possible. Which isn't surprising, seeing as many of us feel that they haven't been sufficiently punished for their crimes while they were in the circle. But it's not as if I would have refused the job. I might have overcharged them, … Alexander? You look pale, is something wrong?"

-

I just see them having lots of little conversations that help build Alec up, while not just being simple compliments. Like, when Alec doubts his leadership qualities and asks Magnus about his opinion, as Magnus has fought in a few wars and known a few figureheads. "I believe being a good leader comes down to knowing and trusting in yourself." "Shouldn’t that be 'knowing and trusting my people'?" "That, too. But it's important to know your own strengths and weaknesses. For example, I'm one of the most powerful warlocks out there with a deep and varied understanding of my craft, and I look dashing in silk. I'm also impatient, occasionally vain, and I can be quite petty. Now what about you? Let me start you off. You are afraid." "Wow, didn’t think you would start with a weakness." "I didn’t. Well, maybe a little bit. Fear can be both. But in this case, I meant it as a strength." "How?" "Think back to our first meeting. The fear of not knowing what the situation was we were walking into, made you come up with a strategy that allowed us to assess what was going on, while also ensuring minimal collateral damage. What do you think would have happened had you been as cocky as your parabatai, and stormed right in?" "… We wouldn’t have known about the circle members, or the back entrance. The perimeter wouldn’t have been secured. The teen warlock might have become a victim to a shadowhunter blade, had you not had the chance to see the enslavement collar on her." "See? You have good instincts, Alexander, and a great mind for tactical manouvers. That is something you should trust in more."

[jccatstudios]

I have been following your soc comic adaptation and it just so good!!! I love how you draw them!

I have just one question: Why did you not include Inej's opening musings about Kaz on the first page? (Kaz Brekker didn't need a reason etc) I actually really like how there is not text on the first two pages, it's really atmospheric and moody so this really is not a criticism, I don't want to insult you. I guess I was just wondering what the thought process behind that was?

Oh, I've been wanting to talk about this for a while! Buckle up, this is gonna be one of my long comic rants. (Also, no offense taken at all! Anyone's welcome to question my artistic choices and I'm always happy to take critique, even though that isn't your intention.)

So, the thing is I actually planned on including that first paragraph into the comic! Here's when I first shared the thumbnails on here. Just for the sake of this post, I'll insert them here too.

The boxes are meant to be where excerpts of that introduction would go. When I was creating the thumbnails, I was thinking about how iconic these lines were and how well they introduce the world and characters. I even finished the pages with the intention to include those lines. This is from my original csp file.

When I lettered it all out, I felt like something wasn't right...? Hard to explain. I wanted silence for the opening and the narration took that away. I then thought about the reader who'd go into this without reading the novel first, wondering if they'd be thinking, Who's this Kaz Brekker guy? Is it this character on the page? It's clearer in the book, but I didn't think it paired well with what I drew. I didn't want any confusion. It's also Inej's chapter, and while Kaz's parts take up most of it, I still wanted it to feel like her POV and her story. We can hold off officially meeting Kaz until page four.

But the main reason I took it out comes down to my philosophy when it comes to comic adaptations. I believe that an adaptation should use the original story in the best way for the secondary medium. A comic adaptation should play to the strength of comics, not the original source material.

Time and time again, I see a lot of comic adaptations of books try to use a book's strength instead of a comic's. When that happens, you get pages upon pages of narration boxes and exposition that could've easily been told in a single panel's image. If you want to read excerpts from the original novel, go do that! They're beautiful and well-crafted and you should be reading the original anyway! If you're making a comic adaptation, make a comic, not an illustrated version of the novel (that's a whole field of its own).

This whole thing really ties well into what I'm doing for Chapter 3. Kaz is such an internal character, his chapters have a lot more exposition that isn't setting description or character actions. I've had to do a lot more of my own writing for this chapter than the last just to turn that exposition into his own voice as an internal monologue. Sometimes, it's just a change from "he" to "I," but there are other times I've had to write new dialogue and find ways to naturally flow between thoughts. If I didn't do the work to adapt the expository text and instead just put in narration boxes of text from the book, there would be a greater disconnect between the reader and Kaz. Third-person limited works great in books and doesn't separate the readers from the story, but in comics, first-person internal dialogue keeps the readers inside the scene better.

If I were to redo Chapter 2, I think I would try to find a way to incorporate the information from the chapter intro better. I think by losing the intro I initially planned to include, I didn't establish certain ideas very well. Ketterdam and Kerch are established later on pages 4 and 5, but I don't think I ever go back and mention The Barrel. Also, the idea that Kaz is deliberate, even if his reputation says otherwise, is important too. I've made sure to fix this kind of issue in Chapter 3 and keep record of what kind of information I'm losing as I adapt it.

[thelightsandtheroses]

Secret Smile: Chapter Five - Unsteady

Summary: Before returning to Colombia to get things right this time, Javi’s childhood best friend asks him to keep an eye out for his sister while they’re both stationed in the embassy. Only you don’t need Javier to keep an eye you her. Your role as a new legal advisor is all about keeping an eye on him after all. Sparks fly, lines will be drawn and broken and there’s everything to lose.

Word Count: 3.5k Chapter Warnings: 18+ blog, language, reader has a nickname (Blue) but no physical descriptors used Author Notes: As always, thank you for all your feedback, likes and reblogs so far – it means a lot and I’m having so much fun writing this fic. I’d love to know what you think of this next chapter so please feel free to comment, reblog or even send an ask!

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It’s clear to you now that you spend more time in Javi’s office than your own. Once again, you’re sitting on his chesterfield couch at an unsociable hour, wondering what on Earth the job you’ve taken actually is.

As a lawyer, you’ve almost always been involved with a case after the arrest is over. When you worked as a prosecutor, you helped get warrants, but were never involved in the planning of an arrest. Your job is crafting the arguments, responding to surprises, making sure the case is solid and you can help people achieve justice. You duck and weave and argue and make the case real to a jury. That’s your job.

This is new to you.

While planning the operation remains the responsibility of the DEA, you’ve been observing, supporting where you can by working with Martinez’s office to confirm the legal arrangements, but mostly just taking it all in and trying to fight your exhaustion.

Ever since you went to his apartment, something changed for the two of you. It feels like some element of your friendship from before has started to return.

You notice him sometimes as you walk down the corridor and you can’t help but smile at him.

He’s not the same Javi you remember, but he’s getting closer.

“And you’re sure you can trust him?” you ask, folding your arms as you speak.

“Blue, Martinez is one of the only people I could trust with this.”

“Calderon worries me.”

There’s a lot more than Calderon bothering you. What Javi’s planned will be a significant blow to the cartel, one that will start to fulfil the people’s need for justice, for consequences.

However, you’re not naive.

This could destroy the negotiation. This could cause significant pressure for you and Javi at the embassy too. The ambassador and Stechner have made it clear that they endorse this negotiation, the bloodless transfer of power.

And of course, you don’t want there to be blood. Justice though, you want there to be justice.

“So, Martinez is arriving in Cali separately - and you need to go soon to make your flight, Javi. I’ve been talking with Martinez’s office; mostly him and his secretary and trying to get this warrant sorted discreetly. The chances of success are higher if less people know.”

“We won’t get a chance like this again; this needs to work.”

 “I know. Javi, there will be consequences to this, even if it goes off perfectly.”

“For you?” he asks, furrowing his brow.

“No, it’s by the book. I mean, I don’t know if Stechner will be my biggest fan by the end of the week, but I can live with that.”

“I like to think that it’s a good thing if you’re on his bad side,” Javi jokes, “but honestly, just tell me you won’t -“

“I’m a big girl, Javi, I’ve got this. And if you and your team can pull this off? All bets are off.” You exhale slowly.

“We’ve got this, we’ve planned for this,” Javi looks over at you and smiles broadly, “We’re arresting Gilberto Rodriguez.”

It’s not your mission but you feel like it might as well be. Despite the mountain of paperwork, warrants and legal documents you need to complete today, you spent your morning thinking about what might be happening in Cali the whole time.

You couldn’t help thinking about Javi too.

Now, you regret that indulgence though and wish you’d got some work done.

Your phone won’t stop ringing, the paperwork is piling up. The arrest of Gilberto Rodriguez hasn’t so much caused waves as complete and utter destruction. If you thought the Duffy and Lopez situation was stressful, this is a whole other league.

In a way, you’ve missed this. You’ve missed the adrenaline rush of a case; the artful interplay between you and the other side as you bat arguments back and forth and hope to win. Small things have often stressed you out, but when you’ve had to go through bigger things; the adrenaline raising things that should be terrifying? You handle those with ease.

One of your old university tutors had said you were designed for this career path. You wonder what they’d say if they saw you now.

You take a gulp of water when you finally hang up the phone after a particularly tense conversation with the Colombian justice department.

The negotiation might be ruined. Gilberto was the one pushing for it, they say, you and the DEA might have just started another war.

It shouldn’t be this hard.

Linda looks over at you with a sympathetic expression. “Rough day?”

“Definitely not dull.”

“They’re airing the press conference from earlier now,” she says, indicating to the tv in your office.

You shrug and indicate the pile of paperwork and your phone on your desk. You simply don’t have the time. You take a gulp of cold coffee and move on to the next call.

After you finally finish the urgent calls and things start to feel slightly calmer, you make your way to Javi’s office. You haven’t seen him since before he left for Cali and that feels like a lifetime ago.

The walk to his office feels familiar now, you feel like you could make all of the right turns, know exactly where the stairs are, with your eyes shut. You pass Martinez leaving Javi’s office as you go to knock on the door.

“I think they’re going to be toasting you at the bar,” you say gently as you walk into his office.  Judging by the empty glasses on the desk and Javi’s expression, he’s already got started though. For a second, you’re annoyed that you’ve been fighting fires and had to find solutions, while he’s been toasting success, but then you realise his face tells another story.

You expected Javi to look happy at the clear victory his department has just achieved, but something’s clearly wrong. You doubt he’s spent his evening being yelled at in multiple languages, but you’re not sure how the arrest went, whether everything had been accounted for, or what Martinez has just told him.

“I hear you’re man of the hour, got yourself on TV and everything. It’s a good result, Javi,” you persist.

“Great.”

“What’s wrong? What’s happened?”

“Martinez - they’ve set him up, he’s had to resign.”

“Because of the raid?”

“I think it was in motion before, but probably didn’t help.”

“Shit.”

“He’s a good man and -”

“Javi, should you be drinking that on an empty stomach?” you ask, looking at the glasses at his desk. There’s a difference between a drink with people toasting you and drinking alone in an office.

“I could have eaten today,” he argues half-heartedly.

You cross your arms and point at the dirty ashtray. “I may not be a doctor like Rafael, but even I know cigarettes aren’t food.”

“Fine, do you want to get something to eat then?” Javi asks, looking up at you with wide eyes.

You reply without thinking, “Okay, yeah. That would be nice.” You eye the glasses. “I’ll drive.”

You weren’t sure what to expect when Javi asked if you wanted to get some food. Would you end up at the usual bar people went to after work, or some street food stall perhaps?

Whatever you had been thinking, you hadn’t expected Javi to direct you here - you’d insisted on driving after eyeing the empty glass in his office. It’s a small restaurant a short walk from your apartment, there’s only one other group eating but it’s getting late and you think it may have been a lot busier earlier. This is the sort of place it would be easy to walk past but clearly that’s a mistake.

Your ex always used to say you could tell a lot about people by the food choices they made; the restaurants they were drawn to, or wherever they chose for an outing. You used to just think that was because Sam was a chef, but now you’re not sure.

The food here is delicious; that perfect combination between home cooking and something more elevated. The spice level is just right, the flavours and colours rich and welcoming. It’s easily one of your favourite meals since you arrived in Colombia.

How did you not know about this place? How did Javi?

You take a bite of food and sigh cheerfully. “This is so good.”

“Told you,” Javi says lightly, taking a sip of his drink. “I’ve lived here a while; I know the best spots by now. Haven’t been back here since I got back though, so thought it would be a good choice.”

“Well, considering I haven’t seen you subsist on anything but alcohol or cigarette in recent weeks, I wasn’t sure what to expect.”

“Subsist? Wow, okay, you’re just showing off that fancy law school education now.”

“It has to come in useful sometimes,” you say, “Scrabble. It can be useful for scrabble.”

“You played a lot of scrabble in the evenings back in DC then?”

“There’s nothing wrong with scrabble. But I wasn’t - I wasn’t boring, if that’s what you’re implying.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Javi says before flashing one of his winning smiles at you. It’s disarming, Javi’s disarming. You can see how he’s good at his job, how he’s good with people.

You briefly wonder what this scene looks like to people who don’t know you. Do you look like colleagues, or friends? Perhaps people would even think you were together, as laughable as the idea may seem to you in the moment. There’s a small pang of anxiety about this that rises in your stomach but you swallow it down. Not here, not now.

You’ve spent the evening getting to know Javi all over again and vice versa. Neither of you are the people who left Laredo years before, and perhaps neither of you had realised the ways you had changed.

This Javi is looser and lighter, he seemed to subtly shift the further away from the office you got and for the first time in a while, you feel like you’re with the person underneath all Javi’s masks.

You’ve talked about music, hobbies, things that aren’t work. You’ve somehow even promised to lend Javi a copy of the book you’ve just finished reading after enthusiastically describing how much you’d enjoyed it, how it had made you think and feel and do everything a good book should.

“Did you prefer Austin or DC?” he asks suddenly.

“I don’t know. I went to law school in Austin and it was my first real job as a lawyer after graduating and passing the bar. It was fun, I mean, I liked my life there - lots of music and it was so much bigger than Laredo. In DC, it was a whole other world entirely though. I was not prepared for the winters.”

“Oh no?”

“Javi, we’re Texans, do I look like I can handle snow?”

Javi laughs, full and deep. You want to tell him about the first snowfall you remember in DC, about how you stepped outside, taking in the beauty of the fresh blanket of snow and how it concealed so much and made you feel like a child again for just a moment. Wonder, that was what it was. Everything felt so full of possibilities and opportunity. DC had quickly quashed that naïveté though.

“Not really a problem here - you’d have to head up to the Andes for that.”

“I think I’ll survive without that. I’ll leave it to you, Javi, what with your adventures all around the country.”

“Absolutely not.”

“Have you been based in other places than here?” you ask in a low voice, curious about what had inspired his original question. The other group have left now and the people who own the restaurant are back in the kitchen; this is as close to a private setting as you could get, but you’re never sure how much you can trust your surroundings.

“Mexico, briefly  - wasn’t long after I graduated, but then I came back to the US and they sent me out to Colombia after that. Most of my time has been here though.”

It’s hardly surprising Javi cares as much as he does about getting things right here, about bringing down the Cali cartel. He’s spent most of his career out here; it’s as much as a part of him now as Laredo is.

You think you understand him a little more now.

“Wait, you’ve got to be kidding me,” Javi says in a low voice as you unlock the main apartment building door and walk towards your front door.

Somehow after dinner, you had insisted that you should give Javi the book you’d mentioned straight away and that he could order a cab from your apartment.

“I’ll just get the book and you can call a cab,” you say breezily, becoming surprised as Javi follows you, shaking his head the whole time.

“What number do you live in?”

You reply without thinking and notice Javi’s eyes bulge. Without concentrating on it, you move to unlock your front door.

“I’ll get that book,” you say quietly, “it’s late.”

“This - this was my apartment,” Javi says softly, stopping by the phone but not lifting it.

“What? What are you talking about, Javi?” you ask, dropping your handbag by the couch as you head for the bookcase to find the book you mentioned. Javi closes the door behind him and looks around your living area with wide eyes.

“Before. This was my place the last time I was here. I’m in a different building now. Well, you know that, you turned up there.”

“Oh, right.” You scan a shelf and then add, “Really? Here? This apartment?”

You’re concentrating on finding the book, focused on your mission and his words aren’t quite connecting. What does he mean - that this was his apartment?

“Where are the dog pictures?” he asks, wandering around the open plan living area. “Did they get rid of them?”

The dog pictures? It suddenly clicks.

“You were responsible for the dog pictures?” you ask incredulously. “The dog pictures were yours, Javi?”

“No, no. They uh, came with the apartment. And even if they didn’t, what was wrong with them?”

Oh, they definitely didn’t come with the apartment when Javi moved in.

You laugh as finally find the book you were looking for and take it off the shelf.

“I don’t remember you being such a dog person back in Laredo, Javi,” you tease, turning back around to face him. “Wait, so you lived here? As in here, in this exact apartment?”

“Yes. I’ve said that already. I lived here, Steve was upstairs … fuck, this takes me back. It’s barely changed. How did you end up here?“

“It’s just the apartment the embassy assigned me when I got here, luck of the draw, I suppose.”

Javi lived here? You look around, suddenly horrified. It suddenly sinks in - Javi once lived in your apartment.  You’re rapidly filled with horror at the rumours you’ve heard from Linda and Judith about Javi’s reputation with women over the years and oh - please will Javi at least tell you that the furniture is different? You cannot think that he might have slept in the same bed as you in the past.

“Please tell me they deep cleaned and changed the furniture because … no, I don’t - why are you smiling? Oh god, what did you do in this apartment, Javi? Stop laughing! What did you do? I’m going to have to burn everything, aren’t I?” Javi’s leaning on the end table, doubled over as he laughs.

You haven’t seen Javi laugh like this in years. It immediately transports you back to when you were younger, back to your childhood home in Laredo and the few times you would hang around with Rafa and Javi.  He’s younger, lighter, and as disturbed as you may be by the revelation, it’s almost worth it to see him like this.

“The comforter’s new,” he says sweetly. “It looks like they changed a few things around.”

“I bought the comforter,” you exclaim, arms folded.

”Oh.“ Javi holds his hands up in mock defeat.

“I can’t believe this.”

“You’re telling me!”

“How long were you here?”

“A while. The whole time I was here before.”

“Wow, that’s - wow, I don’t know what to say. I uh - ” you trail off. “One hell of a coincidence, huh?”

“Yeah. Of all the apartments in -”

“It’s fate, right? Like my friends says.” There are too many coincidences now, too many signs from the universe that you and Javi were meant to collide at this moment in time. You’re not sure what that exactly means, only that it surely means something.

“Maybe it is.” Javi replies thoughtfully. “Can’t believe this, Blue.”

“You know, I thought you’d want to spend tonight differently,” you say suddenly, changing the subject from whatever Javi has done or not done in this apartment before.

You’re leaning against your dining table as he moves closer to you. His eyes are bright from the moment before and you can smell the slightly spicy aroma of his cologne.

“Oh, yeah?”

“Yeah, at a bar with your friends, or … I don’t know, with different company perhaps. Celebrating the win.”

“Is it a win?” Javi asks, suddenly serious. He meets your gaze with his deep, questioning brown eyes.

You lower your voice instinctively, even though it’s only the two of you in the apartment. ”You did something everyone else didn’t think could be done. This needed to happen, people need to see consequences. We talked about it.”

“I fucked over the negotiation. You weren’t here before, Blue. We can’t go back to those days.”

Suddenly he doesn’t look comfortable here, as though being in this apartment has resurrected ghosts he had long since forgotten and the laugh has entirely faded from his face. 

“You arrested a criminal, a leader of a cartel. Javi, it was a win.”

“Martinez has been set up. He’s not dirty, there’s no way. And that’s on me - it was my choice to bring him in.”

“It was his choice to accept,” you say, “He strikes me as the sort of person who wants to do the right thing. Reminds me of a couple of other people I know.”

“Oh, yeah?”

“Yeah, I mean my brother’s a doctor and everything.”

“I hate you,” Javi says, shaking his head and fighting a smile.

“No, you don’t.”

“Not at all.”

“You’re a good person, Javi,” you say, because suddenly it feels like that’s what he needs to hear, to know. And he is a good person, of course he is.

“I’m not the kid you remember from Laredo anymore.”

“Neither am I.”

“No, neither are you.” His voice is lower, heavy like molasses and it sends heat pooling in your stomach. “You - you’re something else, Blue.”

Somehow, he’s right in front of you now and your back is against the table, a hand stabilising you and he’s here.  You can hear him breathing, feel the warmth radiating from him next to you. He’s so close, and he smells so good and you could easily kiss the freckles on his neck, you could easily meet his lips and -

You haven’t been with anyone in months; you’ve barely allowed yourself a moment to even think about intimacy, to think about missing this. You hadn’t realised how much you missed being next to a person, so close to you, and knowing what’s about to happen, the anticipation, the impending fires and soaring heat.

Maybe this is the reason why you’re both here. Maybe this is what’s been written on the cards for the two of you.

You close your eyes and part your lips slightly and it’s going to happen -

Immediately everything in you runs cold. What are you thinking? What’s wrong with you? You can’t do this.

You cannot possibly do this.

After everything that went down in DC, pursuing this would be one of the most stupid things imaginable. After everything that went down in DC, it’s reprehensibly foolhardy. After everything that went down in DC, you cannot believe you are still this stupid.

You move away rapidly, fast enough that Javi looks at you with worry.

“Are you-”

“We can’t do this. What - that - that would never happen, Javi.”

“Why not? Because I know your brother?” Javi asks, a bewildered expression on his face.

“No, because we work together. I can’t - I don’t - I won’t cross that line. I will not be that woman.”

“What woman?”

“The woman that fucks around at work. Please go, Javi, please. Let’s just forget this - our emotions are heightened, it’s been a long day, we’ve both been drinking.”

There’s a rising panic in your body, you can feel how your palms are sweaty and how your mind is getting muddled between then and now, between DC and Colombia.

It’s just the food, just the alcohol you tell yourself. It’s familiarity and all sorts of things confusing the receptors in your mind. It’s not real. That moment between you and Javi was just a blip.

“I’ll call that cab,” Javi says sombrely as he walks over the landline.

There’s a tension in the air and you feel guilty, confused and upset all at once. He’s not standing so close to you now, he seems to be keeping as much physical distance as he can from you.

“Are you-”

“I’m fine, Javi, just tired and - please let’s just forget this. Please?” The two of you had made so much progress and in just one moment, one stupid moment, you feel like everything’s ruined.

“Of course, Blue,” he says.

It is only after  Javi has left, book in hand and confusion in his eyes, that you finally allow yourself to break down.

Tag List

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[aimlesspixel]

Isat Scintillation - Side Stories V1

I more so wrote these as a way to practice getting a feel for how the different character's think and act but since they are events in my fic I figured I may as well put them out there! Please make sure to read Chapters 1 and 2 first before biting into these.

Mirabelle

Mmph, Siffrin still looks like their pushing themselves a bit to keep up this pace. Don't they know how important rest is for recovery? He doesn't want any of us to worry i bet. I know we're going to reunite Bonnie and Nile but that doesn't mean that we can't slow down.

I wonder what Bambouch is like I know it's close to the sea but not much more than that. I'll ask Bonnie sometime.

Still I can't believe we managed to save Vauguard. We really do owe Siffrin I overheard her talking to them back when we just finished discussing our plans and if she's right we really didn't have any chance at victory without them. I'm so glad that we managed to save them from the time loop.

"Mirabelle is something wrong?"

"Oh madame! No nothings wrong, just lost in thought i suppose." "Alright well I'll leave it at that then I'm not particularly good with feelings. Besides that though i was curious if you'd like to discuss books?"

"Oooh would you really?! I have so many to recommend! Like the cursing of chateaux castle! And-"

"Slow down, yes I'd love to and please don't shout in my ear."

"Oh• sorry Madame."

"You were excited, in my endless magnanimity i shall find it in my heart to forgive you this time."

"Of course Madame I thank you graciously for your forgiveness (with a giggle)."

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

Odile

Working too hard huh? Siffrin definitely worked too hard back in the house especially with the almost ending the world business... It's been bothering me a while, how come Siffrin and the king both knew wish craft? I mean they did start the loops (according to that star looking fellow named loop and our conversation with them) with wish craft they accidentally did so how did they know about it?

My best guess is with the last thing the king said about his country. If they're from the same place that may explain it.

Actually that explains a few other things too like why Siffrin said they can't go home and their poor memory I mean the whole thing with the king was no one could remember his country right? I can't imagine how that would affect someone who grew up there and moved to live elsewhere before everyone couldn't remember.

"We know you're all excited to see us but we need to find an inn so we can rent a room for the night." The kids apologize and run off. Honestly I'm glad we have the time to talk with the locals and such, not having the stress of Vaugaurds imminent doom looming over is a great change of pace.

We've come through here once already but we were collecting orbs then so I'll just ask the defenders around here.

"Welcome! Welcome! Are you looking for a room today?"

It's a bit impressive how fast Vaugaurde is able to continue regular operation after such a large scale emergency. "Yes what kinds of rooms do you have?"

"We have single, double, and triple bed rooms available"

No reason to change tradition "The three bed room please."

"Of course here's the key I'll show you to the room"

The room is pretty spacious for a three bed inn room. Maybe they're treating us since we just saved Vauguard. That's probably it honestly. Well i wont deny a little special treatment as long as we're still paying properly

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

The Next Side Stories collection will feature Isabeau and Bonnie btw so hopefully you're looking forward to it!

[slashmagpie]

Look, Grian knows what the other hermits are saying, and he’s here to set the record straight: this is not his fault. Sure, the Rift was under his base, and it was his ominous robot son from another dimension that sent them all through it, but Grian can hardly be blamed for the actions of things that are not him. And Grian didn’t do this! He didn’t personally drag them all across the multiverse and to some strange world none of them have heard of before. 

…At least, that was very firmly the line he’d stuck to, until he’d encountered Tim.

Not that Grian is disappointed to have encountered Tim. In fact, he’s pretty ecstatic, all things considered, because messing with Jimmy is always a great time. But it does make him reconsider that this has nothing to do with him, because, well.

What are the odds that when stepping through the portal they would just so happen to end up in the world where the guy who Grian’s been haunting for multiple lifetimes—his entire existence, really—lives?

The chaos of the first day comes to a close, and Grian still has no idea where most of the hermits are, and it’s just him and Impulse on the top of the hill they’ve claimed as their own. Impulse is snoring softly, having fallen asleep the moment he’d gotten into his newly-crafted bed, but Grian isn’t too surprised, because he’s fairly certain Impulse has been high all afternoon. Not that he knows how or why Impulse had gotten high shortly after arriving in a new and unfamiliar world, but hey. Each to their own. Grian’s certainly coped with stupider things in worse ways.

He’s about to kick off his boots and lie down in his own bed—because even though he hasn’t been high all afternoon, it’d been 8PM when they left Hermitcraft and about 10AM when they’d arrived on Empires and he’s approaching the edge of exhausted—when his communicator vibrates. He sighs, pulling it out, and sure enough, the message is from exactly who he’d expected it to be from.

Solidarity whispered to you: we need to talk. NOW.

You whispered to Solidarity: I was actually just about to sleep so I’ll see you soon ;)

Solidarity whispered to you: IN PERSON. 

Grian sighs again and considers arguing the semantics of it, but changes his mind. The sooner he gets this over with, the sooner he can actually sleep. 

You whispered to Solidarity: omw

They don’t have a Nether portal atop their hill yet, so Grian grabs a couple rockets and flies over to Tumble Town. The landscape below falls away, hidden by shadow, and soon Grian spots the glow of lights in the mesa, a wooden township amongst the terracotta and sand. He circles in for a landing, and sure enough, Jimmy is there waiting, sitting on the steps of his house. 

“Hello, Tim,” he greets brightly.

“Grian.” Jimmy sounds exhausted, deep shadows beneath his eyes. “Don’t.”

“Don’t what?”

“You know what.” Jimmy looks at him, one eyebrow raised.

Grian groans. “Fine, fine.” He flops down on the steps beside Jimmy. “So? What’s up?”

“Why are you here.” It’s a question, arguably, but Jimmy’s voice is flat. An order, then. 

“We walked through the Rift and it closed behind us and now we’re stuck here,” he explains. “You know this, Tim.”

“Sure, that’s why the others are here,” Jimmy says. “Why are you here?”

“I just told you!” Grian’s voice peaks in frustration, and he just barely avoids throwing his arms up in the air. 

“But there’s got to be more to it,” Jimmy insists. “This is—you brought them here, didn’t you? This is just some—some nefarious plot to mess with me!” 

“Tim. You know me. Do you really think I’m that good at planning?” Grian raises an eyebrow. “As much as I would love for this to be The World’s Best Prank, I’m just as confused by this as you are.”

Jimmy goes quiet for a moment, studying Grian’s face. “You’re telling the truth.”

“Yup. I’m an open book, me. Never told a lie in my life.” Jimmy’s expression turns sour. Grian snorts. “I am telling the truth, though.” 

“So you… have a life,” Jimmy says, contemplative. “You live on… Hermitcraft, is it called? And you have friends.”

“Wow, no need to sound so shocked.” Grian crosses his arms with a huff. “What, did you think I just existed to torment you?”

“...I mean, yeah?” Jimmy says. “I mean—not to be—you’re kind of—” 

“Don’t hurt yourself.” Grian rolls his eyes. “I mean—yeah, I did, at one point. A guy got cursed, and the universe needed a demon to torment him, so—poof!—I pop into existence. But, Tim—Tim. It’s been several thousand years. I can’t just spend all my time tormenting you, I’d get bored.” 

“Oh.” Jimmy thinks on that for a moment. “Is it weird that that feels worse?”

Grian bursts out laughing.

“No, no—stop laughing!—it’s just, the guy who was literally made to torment me has more of a social life than I do! How’s that fair?”

Grian’s laughter fades into snickers. “Have you tried removing the stick from your ass? I heard it works wonders.”

“I don’t want to hear that from you.” Jimmy kicks at him and misses. Grian kicks back, half-heartedly, and hits. Jimmy grimaces. Grian doesn’t bother to apologise. Jimmy looks up to the stars above and sighs. “This sucks. Can you all go home already?”

“Trust me, as soon as I no longer have to exist in the same world as you, I’m gone.”

They’re quiet for another long moment. The conversation has probably good and ended at this point; Grian could get up and leave and go back to his hilltop bed and sleep. He doesn’t, though, just sits next to Jimmy and joins him in looking up at the sky. 

It’s weird being in proximity like this: normally Grian just sees him in that strange dream-space, and dreams can never quite capture the real thing. This Jimmy is—well, he’s similar enough to all the other Jimmys. Most reincarnations share similarities with who they were before, even if they’re not quite the same. So Jimmy still has his blonde hair, his brown eyes, the face that is so familiar Grian thinks he could paint it with his eyes closed, but he’s still different in so many ways. He’s made of cloth, for one, felt and stuffing and string and wool, a toy sewn from bullying and belief. Jimmy doesn’t seem to notice, even as he tucks the stuffing back into a hole in his wrist. He believes he isn’t a toy, at least, so maybe for him he isn’t. Grian, despite a previous Jimmy’s paranoid insistence, doesn’t live in the man’s head, so he has no way to know.

There had been a time, once, when Jimmy was first cursed, and Grian first came into existence, where Grian had been genuinely cruel, had preyed upon his fears and weaknesses, made him face the worst parts of himself—but over the years, the joy of that had faded, and Grian had fallen into just being a bit of a menace. Not cruel, but mocking. A nuisance. What Jimmy remembers of his past lives is always variable, but this one seems exhausted by Grian, but not genuinely afraid of him. 

If it weren’t Tim, Grian would say they were even kind of friends this time around. He’d even maybe say it was nice. If it weren’t Tim, of course. 

“Hey,” Jimmy says, breaking the silence. “Since you’re, you know, here, and you have access to me literally all the time, do you think you could stay out of my dreams tonight?”

“You know I don’t have control over that,” Grian points out.

Jimmy blinks. “You don’t?”

“As much fun as we have, believe it or not, I often have better things to do than torment you. Like actually sleep for once in my life.” 

“Oh. Still, though. Can you try? I just… I could really do with a good night’s sleep.”

He does look tired. About as tired as Grian feels, actually, heaviness weighing down his bones. “Fine,” he sighs. “I’ll try.”

“Great.” Jimmy pushes himself to his feet. “Well, I’m going to bed. Do you—I mean—do you want to stay the night?”

Grian considers it—he really isn’t in the mood to fly all the way back to spawn tonight. He almost says yes, only to remember that Impulse is expecting him to be there when he wakes up in the morning, and Impulse is also probably high and may not even remember what happened today, and Grian doesn’t want to leave his friend confused and alone in a strange place.

“No, I’ll head back,” he says, fighting back a yawn as he grabs his rockets. “Thanks for the offer, though.”

Jimmy nods. “Use the nether portal,” he advises. “You’re up near spawn, right? Exit through Pix’s, it’s nearby.”

Grian nods. “Thanks. Goodnight, Tim.”

“Goodnight, Grian. I really hope I don’t see you later.”

“You and me both, Tim, you and me both.” 

[zr-art-world]

Belated Yuu Birthday Showcase Announcement

Summoned: Well now I feel a little spoiled, but I’m not gonna lie, it's nice to feel a little pampered.

Groovy: It may not be like how it was before, but I'm glad to be sharing this with you all! Now come on, lets cut a rug!

Set Home: Hm, what’s up? Oh, you wanna give me something? Well, whatever it is, I know I'll love it!

Home Idle 1: What is my pin supposed to be? It's a film reel, I made it myself actually. The things you can make with time and effort... and random things you find on the ground that look shiny.

Home Idle 2: When I was little, we would do a birthday breakfast then either go to the movies or something, come home, do cake and presents. Did we do anything big? Na, never was in the budget, my sister and I did scrounge up some money to do a big trip to a well-known amusement park for grandpops birthday though. I still remember the look on his face.

Home Idle 3: I’m gonna be honest, I almost forgot today was my birthday. Don't look at me like that, I've been busy! If it weren't for the fact, I told the others far in advanced, I think I would have skipped my birthday or had a belated party.

Home Idle 4: This is the first time I'm celebrating without my sister... it feels weird. But at least I’m not alone!

Home Tap: Hm, y’a need something. What, just because I’m the guest of honor, doesn't mean I can't still help a little bit.

Home Tap: Hay, totally random question. Have you ever been given a gift that you...aren’t a particularly big fan of and you try to pretend to like it, but you have a hard time hiding it? Again, totally random but... got any advice on that.

Home Tap: I was really surprised when Idia showed up, I was even more surprised that he brought the game I've been talking about. I didn't think he would remember that.

Home Tap: I was a little suspicious when Azul gave me a discount on the soda I got. Partly because I didn't think he knew when my birthday was... dose Crowly post stuff like that some ware or...

Home Tap: I was originally going to stay in and relax for my birthday, but Ace and Deuce dragged me out. Mabe not dragged, the day they planned was really fun. And imagine my shock when I come home to find the dorm decked out in streamers and balloons!

Log in home: *Nervous laughter* I'm... not used to celebrating with this many people.

Some things about the card

They like the different drinks and foods from the mostro lounge, but especially like the different sodas and coffee. Also, they are an artist and work with all types of different mediums, they like crafting and drawing especially, and they carry around a sketch book in their bag. I also like the idea that they like to wear obsidian bracelet due to the fact that I remembered that they apparently dispel negative energy.

[zukkacore]

Imo the new PJO shows greatest strength is definitely Riordon’s craft maturing since the lightning thief in terms of…. Thematic coherence?

I think PJO has always been fairly thematically coherent & impactful in its messaging but especially at first the books feels much more like fairly lighthearted action adventure road trip narratives that are extremely episodic and more focused on being entertaining than having something To Say. Which, they’re books for middle schoolers, I think an “adventure road trip with some unserious monster slaying” is a perfectly serviceable concept and in execution riordan is admirably gifted in that his writing can be entertaining for both the primary demographic kids but also adults.

But they’re not books that just suddenly decided to half-heartedly have a theme (unlike other kids fantasy from the period I don’t dare namedrop lmao), because of all the foreshadowing and the motivations behind the antagonists (one antagonist in particular), it’s clear he probably had a thematic direction for the series, even if I don’t know how planned the initial 5 book run was. I really do admire what the book has to say abt bad systems that are set up to leave certain folks behind, and what parents owe to their children, & abt how easy it is to fall for charismatic leaders promising for a return to glorious prelapsarian past instead of trying to provide real solutions.

In the series, what I’ve really been enjoying is how every interaction and monster doesn’t just feel episodic, each monster feels like a facet that is part of the central thesis regarding the gods & their relationship to their children. I think the writing strength does a lot of heavy lifting because while overall I think the show is pretty solid, I do have a few critiques.

Mainly one of the frustrating things probably has something to do with budgeting. Scenes that are very thrilling and action driven in the book are truncated & often replaced with a lot of kinda slow oddly paced walk-&-talk scenes. Probably bc that’s much cheaper to shoot. Riordan himself seems to be fairly transparent about the changes he’s made in adaptation due to those limitations.

The effects for tv show cgi are not perfect but pretty impressive (I’ll reiterate, for tv cgi, the bar is on the floor….) but there’s a weird emptiness or sterile quality that makes the world feel not so lived in. Idk I think this was the most apparent to me in the casino episode, which I know riordan hates the movie & we joke abt the poker face scene but I was honestly kinda bewildered at how lifeless and boring they made the intentionally enticing distraction of the lotus casino seem. I get there can’t be gambling, but maybe an arcade? A buffet? Something?

I sound like I’m really going in on the show but I’m really not, I’ve been really enjoying the adaptation so far. The flaws are not show-ruining but I do think they culminate in a result that struggles w pacing & lacks the propulsive energetic quality of the books. Which, adaptations can be different, but to me that quality was always a strength of the series that imo I would’ve prioritized in adaptation. What saves some of the problems for me is that even tho a lot content is kinda delivered in this weird inert way of the actors doing their best to bring life to scenes where people are standing around stiffly and exchanging dialogue, the content itself is really good. His knowledge of his own characters & their dynamics, their desires, their place in the narrative, is so clear. The emphasis placed on Sally Jackson in particular & her influence on Percy & his values is a great additive element to the show. Again, the thematic coherence that has evolved since the lightning thief is in full display. For example, before last nights episode, I was actually saying to my mom that I hoped they would cut the procrustes water bed scene bc that chapter always felt weirdly fillery and goofy in its tone, but it was integrated in such an organic way that I really liked it!

I’ve been saying for like a decade that I thought PJO’s monster of the week episodic structure would make a better show than movie, and like. All im saying is that being apollo cursed with the gift of prophecy isn’t always a bad thing

[ariannadi]

Devise and Commit (2/2)

Can also be read on Ao3

Contains 18+ content (semi-graphic smut)

ੈ✩‧₊˚༺☆༻ੈ✩‧₊˚

He hadn’t felt this nervous since, well, he’d revealed to Sitri that he’d developed feelings for her all those years ago.

He could do this. Astarion could do this.

He was just proposing marriage, why was he on the verge of having a conniption?

Twisting the Ring of Radiant Protection that sat on his finger—the very one Sitri had spent months crafting by following the incomplete notes of a deceased necromancer when their plan to find the original (and likely stolen) piece fell through—Astarion swallowed thickly.

The half-elf sat in her favorite armchair on the main floor of the cottage they had acquired once they’d decided to settle down for a time; completely absorbed in whatever piece of reading material she had picked out for the week. Gods, she was so beautiful. So incredible. He loved her more than he ever thought possible; the way her nose scrunched the tiniest bit as she read, the freckles on her face—little flecks of sunlight in of themselves—spattered across her cheeks, how every now and then she would start humming a little tune that he could vaguely recall from a bygone era. 

He could do this.

“Sitri?” he quietly inquired, unsure if he had actually spoken until she looked up towards him.

“Yes, love?” she asked in turn, only to grow a furrow between her brow the longer he took to respond. “Astarion? Is everything alright?”

“I-I…” he stuttered, once again having a brilliant idea but also no clue on how to execute it, damn it all. 

“There’s no need to force yourself to talk about whatever it is if you’re not comfortable,” Sitri reiterated, marking her place in her book and rising from her chair - indicating he had her full attention.

“No, I… I don’t want to talk.” Wonderful. He wanted to slap himself for that remark. At Sitri’s quirk of the lips, he floundered, “T-that is, I wish to ask you something.”

“Oh? Alright, then. Ask away.”

Astarion nodded, though the words still wouldn’t come. Instead, he decided he would ease his way into the topic - the way he had whenever he had opened up to her in the past.

“As you’re avidly aware, I’m terrified of being bound against my will once again. And well, I was almost certain I would never want to be bound in any way, shape, or form after everything I endured. I mean, it would make sense, right?” he couldn’t help laughing nervously, running a hand through his hair.

“Right…?” Sitri replied, clearly confused as to what he was getting at.

“But, lately, I’ve been thinking—it wouldn’t be so bad, if it was you. If I were bound to you,” Astarion continued, only for Sitri to look even more confused in response.

“Astarion… I’m not going to… bind you to me,” the half-elf stated slowly, like she was trying to decipher what she was saying even as she said it. Despite knowing he hadn’t made his point clear, Astarion still found himself growing frustrated.

“No, that’s—that’s not what I meant,” he stressed, arms flailing at his sides. Gods, was he going to have to come right out and say his intentions? 

“Then what do you mean?” Sitri questioned, eyeing him in concern with that sweet little pout of hers that he adored.

Astarion eyed her for moment, and finally, he allowed the tension in his body to deplete. He didn’t have to be on the defensive; this was Sitri, after all. He could be open and honest with her and she wouldn’t judge him for it. He didn’t need to beat around the bush anymore.

“I want to be your husband, Sitri,” he whispered, though the words still managed to ring about the silence of the room. “I want to marry you.”

Sitri blinked once, then blinked again. "You... you do?"

"Yes," Astarion answered, and stepped forward, taking her hands in his. "Is it really so hard to fathom?"

"Well, yes, for all of the reasons you started this conversation with," she said in a huff of laughter void of humor. "I mean... I don't want you thinking we need to be married to… make a point, or whatever. Aside from that, well… look around you. I mean, this is it. You’re sure you want to settle for this? With all of the years you have ahead of you?”

"’This is it’ she says," Astarion scoffed whilst rolling his eyes, and firmly cupped her face between his hands. "Gods, you really think I’m simply settling for this? For you? After all this time, have you still not properly fathomed just how amazing you are? I meant it when I said I wanted to experience everything life has to offer. That includes being wed to you, the love of my life; whatever useless gods who give a damn bearing witness from above. There's no pressure to say yes, but… I would be honored beyond comprehension if you accepted."

"Astarion..." Sitri, gazing at him in both surprise and adoration, breathed at his speech—her wobbly lips rising into the tiniest of smiles. "Alright."

At first, the man wasn't sure he'd heard her correctly. "Wait. Alright? Alright as in 'yes'?" he asked, making no efforts to hide his eagerness.

"Yes," Sitri echoed, her smile growing even wider. Astarion couldn't help himself; he scooped his fiancée (that would take some getting used to) into his arms and spun her around with the widest grin possible, all while she giggled so joyfully. As they came to a stop he kept her wrapped up in his embrace, not wanting to let go just yet.

He would hold her like this forever if he could.

When he felt the gentle twining of fingers in his hair, he slowly raised his head, only for Sitri's eyes to meet his own - enrapturing him on the spot. After a moment, perhaps eternity, he lowered his head so that their lips met in a tender kiss tinged with heat; quickly flaring to life with each successive push and pull.

Sitri let out a soft whine when his mouth descended to the pulse point of her neck. His fangs merely skimmed at her flesh from where they peeked between his lips, but it managed to send a pleasant shudder through her frame all the same. He moved lower, his lips brushing at every freckle he happened across, and tugged at the ties of her shirt; sliding the loose material off one shoulder, then the other, until the garment had fallen into a heap on the floor.

“Astarion…” his beloved whimpered, her face flushing so adorably as her pert breasts were gradually exposed to the cool air of the room. Astarion settled on his knees and palmed the soft mounds in his much-larger hands—his thumb teasing at the nipple of one while his mouth left suckling kisses to the other.

“Is this alright, my love?” he asked in-between his gentle attentions, peering up at Sitri through dark lashes.

“More than,” she breathed with a little smile. Her own hands settled on his waist as she went to shimmy his shirt upward, but not before seeking his eyes for explicit permission, of which he happily granted. The woman laid gentle kisses to the cool flesh of his chest as she too sank to her knees, and when her arms looped over his shoulders he was swift to return the gesture. Instead of merely embracing her, he lowered her to the floor in a tactical maneuver as his lips sought hers once again.

“Here on the floor?” Sitri inquired breathlessly at one point, lifting her hips when Astarion took hold of her bottoms and rolled them down her legs.

“My love, you act as though we haven't fucked on a bed of soil and pine needles,” the elf scoffed in reply, kissing his way down the softness of her stomach. “No, I can see you so much better in this room’s light. Appreciate all of your little quivers and expressions as I make love to you.”

"Astarion," Sitri groaned, only to gasp sharply when his mouth bit into the flesh of her hip, leaving just the slightest of punctures before he repeated the action on the opposite side, eliciting the same reaction.

“Yes, just like that,” the man, clearly pleased, uttered with a devilish smile. Her aroma was quickly becoming something intoxicating—a heady concoction of both the wetness soaking through her smalls and the light trickle of blood rolling down her skin, which he greedily lapped up before it could hit the floor.

Oh, but that wasn’t the only thing his tongue was good for.

Pinching her undergarments between his fingers, Astarion slid the thin material down his fiancée’s legs and tossed it somewhere behind him. He then went to part her thighs, but a gentle hand in his hair stopped him.

“Husband-to-be, won’t you let me take care of you, too?” Sitri pleaded with pinkened cheeks; her lip caught between her teeth whilst she batted her lashes at him. Both her words and endearing display managed to send a rush of heat directly to his groin.

“Well… since you asked so sweetly,” he answered just as suggestively, and sat back on his haunches.

He’d be lying if he said he wasn’t rather eager to see what she had in mind. Sitri wasn’t usually one to partake in more risqué ventures, but she had her moments, and that made such occurrences all the more exciting.

The half-elf, her naked body flushed from head to toe, got onto all fours and slowly crawled her way towards him; her sapphire eyes trained on his own and nearly predatory. Astarion’s throat quickly grew dry at the tantalizing display, and even as he swallowed roughly in an attempt to ease the sensation the strain in his trousers grew nigh unbearable.

Sitri reached for him as she rose up onto her knees, cupping his face in one hand and slotting their lips together. Just as her sweet tongue ran across his bottom lip, seeking entrance, he felt her other hand slide down to the front of his trousers and her fingers brush at the steadily growing bulge, drawing out a hiss from him.

"Is this alright?" she stopped to breathe into his mouth just before she proceeded, and Astarion loved her all the more for it, if such a thing was even possible.

His answer was a sound bordering on that of a growl. Yanking her to him and kissing her hungrily, he assisted her in undoing the ties to his trousers. The moment she took him in hand and began languidly stroking him, he nearly whimpered in relief. 

“Does that feel good?” Sitri asked as her grip became just a bit firmer, pressing featherlight kisses to column of his neck. Astarion’s head fell back with a groan the moment she swiped her thumb over the bead forming at the tip of his cock, and he felt the sly upturn of her lips against his skin.

Cheeky little pup. She knew exactly what she was doing. He retaliated by sliding a hand to her rear and pinching at the flesh of her cheek, which earned him a squeak and a glare.

”Apologies, love. Do continue,” he teased, making no efforts to hide his shit-eating grin.

Sitri merely raised a brow at him, and kept her eyes on him even as she sunk to the floor. Before he could even inquire her intentions, she bent forward and licked a hot stripe up the length of his cock, then delicately took the head between her lips.

”Nrgh!” was all Astarion could verbalize as his hand fisted into her hair. His lover’s mouth, so wet and perfect, took him deeper and deeper until he was practically hitting the back of her throat. Again and again did she sink down so expertly, pausing every now and then to either flick her tongue against the head of his cock or the thick vein that ran along the underside, and the spawn was almost certain he was seeing bloody stars as a result.

“Sitri, please,” he managed to beg as the feeling became too much, and gently pried her away from his cock with a slight tug to her hair. Knowing he wanted them to finish together, Sitri helped him in removing his pants the rest of the way before he gathered her into his arms and nearly tackled her to the ground.

”Inside, love,” Sitri panted, hooking her legs around his waist. Astarion nodded, he himself breathless, and sheathed himself within her slick, blessed warmth in a single thrust. Both of them groaned in unison at the sensation, before Astarion began shallowly rolling his hips. Skin to skin, mouth to mouth, he made love to her like he was trying to sink into her very being.

He never wanted to be parted from her from this moment.

He loved her so fucking much.

And pretty soon Astarion, who once thought he would die alone and starving in a dusty tomb, would get to call her his wife. His wife.

”Astarion, Astarion,” Sitri sighed hotly into his mouth, fingers winding in his already-mussed hair. His own hands practically crushed her to him as he embraced her fully, not wanting a single iota of space between them even as his thrusts picked up in speed and flesh slapped against flesh.

I love you. I love you. I love you. It was all he could think, speak, feel, as he climbed higher and higher before finally reaching his peak.

He properly angled himself against Sitri as he rolled his hips through the aftershocks, and soon felt his lover clenching around him—a broken whimper escaping her as her head fell backward. 

All that remained between them were heavy, sated breaths.

The sun gradually began to set as they lay tangled up in one another on the floor, but even as sweat and other fluids dried on their bodies neither Astarion nor Sitri made an effort to separate. The latter did, however, ignite the mantle with the click of her fingers when a chill began to settle in the room, prompting Astarion to follow suit by reaching out to bat at a throw and pair of pillows from the nearby sofa until they fell to the ground.

”I love you,” Sitri murmured to him once they were satisfied with their arrangement there on the floor, snuggling further into his chest with a sigh.

Astarion pressed a kiss into her hair as his hands reverently ran up and down the length of her spine. “I love you, too. More than anything.” he whispered. “And I can hardly wait to be your husband.”

[jiminthestreets-bonesinthesheets]

No More Blind Dates

As promised, here is my second fic contribution for the @topwan-obikin fest! I hope you enjoy it, you can also find it HERE on AO3. Fandom: Star Wars Rating: General Pairing: Anakin Skywalker/Obi-Wan Kenobi

Summary: Padmé sets Anakin up on a blind date... again, and despite his annoyance he goes and of course he gets stood up, let alone waiting at the movie theatre looking like a lost puppy. Thankfully someone else finds him.

*** MY WORK IS NOT TO BE POSTED ON ANY OTHER SITE WITHOUT MY EXPRESS WRITTEN PERMISSION. THOUGH REBLOGS AND COMMENTS ARE SUPER LOVED AND APPRECIATED! THANKS FAM!***

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"I'm setting you up on a blind date."

     Anakin looked up from his book, lounged back on the couch, confused. "What?"

     "I'm setting you up on a date," Padmé repeated, "and no, you don't get a choice."

     She turned and walked into Anakin's kitchen and began rummaging through the fridge. Anakin slammed his book closed and chased after her.

     "No! No, we talked about this after the last time," he said, standing beside her while she crafted a sandwich, "every blind date you have ever set me up on has been an absolute bust. The last guy you set me up with was from some random planet in the outer rim and he was an absolute asshole. I'm done with blind dates Padmé  I'll either find someone the old fashioned way or die alone."

     She scoffed at him and rolled her eyes. "Don't be so dramatic. And I know that in the past my match making abilities haven't exactly been up to par, but this time I am confident that you two are going to hit it off perfectly."

     "Well it doesn't matter, because I'm not going." He grabbed up his book off the counter and turned back toward the living room, but stopped when she called after him.

     "Remember when I said you didn't have a choice?" His shoulders tensed but he didn't turn, he already knew what was coming and he wasn’t pleased. "I already arranged the date with him. Show up at the movie theater downtown at five, your movie starts at five-thirty and I already booked the tickets, they're in your email. He'll meet you in front of the concession stand, so just sit at one of the tables there and he'll find you. And after that I made a reservation for you two at Lamara's for around eight, the reservation is under Skywalker. But if the movie runs late I know the owner and already told him there was a chance you might not show up on time, so he said he'll hold the table for you until nine."

     "Padmé this is crazy! You can't just set me up on a date and make all these plans without telling me." He turned to face her, face red and flustered, a bit angry. "Just call him and cancel, and I'll pay you back for the tickets"

     "I can't, there's not enough time to cancel." Anakin breathed a heavy sigh and closed his eyes. "The date’s today, in two hours actually,” she glanced down at her watch, “so you should go shower and get ready because he'll be waiting for you at the theater.”

~~~~~~~~~~~

     He was ready and out the door of his apartment within an hour, with Padmé rushing him out the door and reminding him to sit near the concession stand. Within fifteen minutes of that he was in the designated meeting area and waiting, nervously, for this mystery man to show up. And he realized that's exactly what he was, a complete mystery. Padmé had only given him instructions on where to meet him, but she hadn't told him anything about this guy. He had no clue what he looked like, what he'd be wearing so Anakin could pick him out of the crowds, he didn't even know his name. But Anakin still sat there and waited. In fact, he waited for half an hour and no one had even so much as glanced over at him. 

     “Padmé,” he sighed into the phone, glad she'd picked up after only a few rings, “this guy still hasn't shown up yet and I've been sitting here for almost an hour now. What does he even look like? Maybe he's sitting here and I don't even know it. Better yet, what's his name?”

     “Just trust me Anakin, he will find you, just stay sitting right where you are.”

     “Or he's not showing up at all, maybe he chickened out.” He scanned the lobby of the theater again, still not seeing anyone who was looking as lost as he was.

     “He'll be there, I promise.”

     “He better be. And by the way, if this doesn't work out as spectacularly as you think it's going to, then no more blind dates.” He heard her chuckle on the other end of the phone and mutter something along the lines of, ‘there won't need to be’, before he hung up the phone.

     Anakin sat and continued to wait and still found himself alone, even long after the time Padmé said his mystery man was supposed to meet him. He sat at the table until almost quarter to six, the movie had already started, and Anakin was ready to throw in the towel. Obviously mystery man wasn't coming and Anakin couldn't blame him. He hated blind dates. Who in their right mind wanted to willingly spend a night with someone they had never met before? He certainly didn't, so he couldn't exactly blame this guy for not showing up. 

     He snatched his phone from the table and jammed it back in his pocket. Next time Padmé insisted on setting him up, he was putting his foot down. 

     He was just about to stand up when two bags of popcorn and a tray of drinks were set on the table in front of him. Anakin looked up, confused, and just tilted his head at the man standing in front of him. 

     “I don't think you're the person I’m supposed to be waiting for.” Anakin looked the man over. He was dressed in a more formal looking version of the uniforms the theater employees wore, his hair was longer, just touching the tops of his shoulders and brushed back away from his face, beard neatly trimmed. He was handsome, very handsome and certainly Anakin's type. He wished he was the mystery man he was waiting for, but based on the uniform he was wearing he was clearly there for work. Anakin's next curiosity was why he was bringing him popcorn and drinks.

     “No,” the man chuckled, “no, unfortunately I am not.” If Anakin wasn't already taken by the man's looks, his voice had him completely gone. “I just couldn't stand to see you sitting here alone and miserable for a moment longer. I'm assuming you were stood up?”

     “Yeah,” Anakin sighed and slumped down further in his chair, “it was a blind date and obviously the guy didn't feel like showing up. I feel like such an idiot.”

     “If you ask me, the only idiot is the guy who stood you up.” Anakin perked up at that and he found it hard to hide the blush creeping up his cheeks. “But clearly his loss will be my gain. I’m Obi-Wan by the way, Obi-Wan Kenobi.”

     “Anakin Skywalker,” he answered as he reached out and took Obi-Wan’s outstretched hand.

     “Well, Anakin, it would be my honour to escort you on a proper date, if you'll have me?” All Anakin could manage in his dumbstruck state was a slight nod of his head. “What movie were you supposed to be seeing?”

     “Uh…” He quickly pulled out his phone and searched for the tickets in his email. “A movie called ‘Chasing Shadows’.”

     Obi-Wan nodded his head. “Our newest romance film, perfectly appropriate for a first date.”

     “Except it started thirty minutes ago.”

     “And that is where my job comes in very handy, dear one.” Anakin flushed a deeper shade at the easy use of the endearment. “As manager of the theater I have access to the private rooms in the back that are only meant for special viewings.”

     Anakin sat a little straighter in his chair, leaning forward a bit toward Obi-Wan. “Really?”

     “Yes, now come.” He held out his hand to Anakin who took it and let Obi-Wan lift him from the chair. “I will show you the way, one of my employees is already there waiting for my word on which film to play on the projector.”

     Anakin took the popcorn bag and drink that Obi-Wan offered him and followed the man through the theater and down a back hallway. Obi-Wan unlocked a door and let Anakin into a room with a few short rows of chairs and a fair sized screen. Anakin sat in the middle row while Obi-Wan spoke off to the side with the theater employee who was going to start the movie for them, and once they were finished Obi-Wan joined him and the movie started not long after.

     Normally Anakin wasn't one for cheesy romance movies, but he had to admit this one wasn't half bad, and probably made better since he actually had some decent company this time. Since it was just the two of them in the small viewing room they were able to talk, comment on the movie and laugh as loud as they wanted. Halfway through the movie when they had both already devoured their popcorn and the movie was just starting to get into the heated parts of the romance, Anakin took a chance to glance over at the man beside him. He’d taken off his blazer and unbuttoned the top few buttons on his dress shirt, revealing a patch of auburn chest hair that Anakin was itching to run his fingers through, and the tight fit of the dress shirt left nothing to Anakin's imagination. He could see the outline of trimmed abs beneath, broad shoulders that Anakin wished he could be wrapped in. Obi-Wan honestly made him forget he was actually supposed to be meeting someone else. 

     He brought his eyes back to the screen as the couple in the film came together for their first kiss. It gave him butterflies while he watched the scene so close to Obi-Wan, something he'd certainly never felt on any of the past blind dates Padmé had set him up on, but he decided to take a chance on the feeling. He leaned slowly to the side, first pressing his arm along Obi-Wan’s and testing the waters. When he didn't pull away, Anakin shifted in his seat and pressed even closer to him, shuffling so his head was able to lay on Obi-Wan’s shoulder.

     Obi-Wan chuckled fondly, a deep rumbling in his chest that had Anakin’s butterflies fluttering intensely, and lifted his arm to wrap around Anakin's shoulders and pulled him in. They watched the rest of the movie like that, with Anakin tucked into Obi-Wan’s side with his head rested on his chest, and Obi-Wan’s strong arm around him. Anakin felt comfortable and safe, in a way he'd never felt with anyone else before, and for the first time on any of his blind dates he didn't want it to end. 

     But it eventually did, with the final scene in the movie of course bringing to two star crossed lovers together in a happy ending. Unfortunately for Anakin it meant he would now unfortunately be leaving Obi-Wan, probably never to see him again since this was all because Anakin had been stood up. So who was to blame him if he held onto Obi-Wan a little longer as the credits rolled.

     "Dear one?" Obi-Wan squeezed Anakin's shoulder with his hand and Anakin snapped up and out of Obi-Wan’s space. He probably wanted to leave, he had just finished a shift and then stayed to take Anakin on a pity date. He shouldn't have kept him like that.

     "I'm so sorry!" Anakin blurted, but his eyes were averted and he missed Obi-Wan’s concerned gaze. "I’m sure you want to go home, you've been here for so long already. I shouldn't have made you stay at work because my stupid blind date didn't show up."

     "There is no need to apologize, Anakin, I wanted to stay here with you and quite frankly I am very glad that I did." Anakin's mouth dropped open into a silent 'oh' as Obi-Wan continued with a gentle smile. "I was only going to ask if you were hungry, perhaps you'd like to join me for dinner?"

     Anakin was shocked to say the least, he’d thought for sure he was being dismissed by Obi-Wan. "I…" He stuttered, finding it hard to force the words past the sudden onslaught of chills running through his body. "I-oh! I actually have reservations at Lamara's. It was supposed to be for the blind date I was supposed to meet, but I say we go and enjoy ourselves since he didn't show." He quickly looked down at his watch. "If we leave now we can make it."

     "That sounds lovely." Obi-Wan stood and grabbed his jacket then turned and offered Anakin a hand up. He stared at Anakin for a moment and he was caught completely in Obi-Wan’s gaze, but he didn't mind one bit. Then Obi-Wan hummed, sending an all new kind of thrill through Anakin, before he tucked Anakin's arm into his own and said, "His loss has been most certainly my gain."

~~~~~~~~~~~

     They arrived just in time for the reservation Padmé set up. Their waiter led them to a fairly secluded table off to the side, set up with rose petals and candles. They ordered and their food arrived fairly quickly, and while they ate they happily chatted.

     "Tell me, dear one, how did you end up sitting in the theater lobby alone?" Obi-Wan asked, the endearment had become more used as the night went on, and Anakin did not mind one bit. "Who would set you up with someone who was going to bail on you?"

     "My friend, who I've known for years and has the best of intentions, doesn't always have the best taste when it comes to these kinds of things," Anakin chuckled, "and even though I wasn't exactly happy about her setting me up on this blind date, I'm kind of glad she did, and that whoever they were didn't show up."

     "As am I," Obi-Wan smiled over the rim of his wine glass, "this night has gone very well. I never expected I would have met someone as wonderful as you in such a way."

     "You mean because you felt bad for me."

     Obi-Wan laughed along with Anakin. "I suppose that's one way to put it, dear one, but I just could not let you leave looking so incredibly sad. Your beautiful face should always be graced with a smile." Anakin smirked and this time didn't care to hide the pink in his cheeks. "The blush is cute too."

     Once they finished their meals and sat for a while talking over another glass of wine, Obi-Wan waved down the waiter. "Unfortunately all good things have to come to an end, I'll get the check, dear one."

     "What? No, I'll get it," Anakin said, "I invited you here, so it's my treat."

     "On the contrary," Obi-Wan shook his head, already pulling out his wallet to beat Anakin to the punch, "I invited you to dinner, you merely had a reservation pre-booked."

     "But I-"

     "Excuse me, Sir’s?" They both turned and looked up to their waiter. "Your meal has actually already been paid for."

     "By who?" Anakin asked, and they both followed the waiters gesturing hand to find a familiar face hovering by the podium at the entrance.

     Obi-Wan peered over as well, confused as he asked, "What on earth is Padmé doing here?"

     Anakin's head snapped back to Obi-Wan, eyes wide. "You know Padmé?!"

     "Yes, we've actually been friends for years." Anakin was too stunned to even speak, and they both turned back to watch as she waved to them with a smug smile on her face, before she turned and left. 

     Obi-Wan was the first to break the silence that had fallen over them, and turned back to face Anakin. "My dear," he mused once he had put the pieces together, "I do believe we have been bamboozled."

     Anakin finally gave in and laughed, running a hand down his face. Of course Padmé would do this, go through all these ridiculous hoops to bring him and Obi-Wan together. God, he loved her so much.

     "Yeah, I think you're right. She is far too ingenious for her own good." Obi-Wan merely raised his glass in agreement. "Hey, Obi-Wan, would… would you be interested in doing this again?"

     "Are you asking me on a second date, dear one?"

     Anakinn nodded, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "I think it went really well, and I have really enjoyed our time together. I was also thinking that next time we could go on a proper date, maybe at a place where you don't work."

     He smiled at him and reached over the table to take his hand, gently running his thumb along the back of it. "I would love that." He lifted Anakin's hand and softly kissed it, then added, "thank goodness for Padmé."

     "You know she's never going to let us forget that she's the one who brought us together, right."

     "Oh I know, dear one, I definitly know."

     Anakin had a feeling that this time Padmé was right, he wouldn't be needing anymore blind dates.

~~~~~~~~~~~

A/N: And this is the second fic I submitted for the fest! I hope you enjoyed it, and I will be contributing more fics for the fests second deadline coming up, so if oyu would like to be tagged when those are able to be posted, please let me know and I would love to tag you <3

[sanctum-of-ramshackle]

💫100 Followers Celebration Special!!!✨

[Synopsis]: The timelines of the MC/Yuu variants receive an invitation to a party.

Gender Neutral MCs/Yuus

[(A/N)]: Thank you, everyone for following this blog. I thought putting this together would show how amazing you people are and more writing will come in the future.

[Hazbin Hotel x TWST Timeline]

Static Demon!MC/Yuu: *Reading the forbidden book*

Grim: MC/Yuu! You got mail!

Static Demon!MC/Yuu: Oh? Let me see. *Takes the neon orange envelope and slices it open with their claws* “Lord MC/Yuu, you are invited to a Multiverse party…”

[SAW x TWST]

Jigsaw!MC/Yuu: “…to celebrate all MC/Yuu variants from other timelines centered around Twisted Wonderland…” *Pulls down a lever to shock their victim in a death game*

[Poppy Playtime x TWST]

PP!MC/Yuu: *In the middle of designing a toy for Cheka* “…as we all know how crazy everyone’s lives changed since stepping into a world full of magic. What better way to relax is…”

[Moon Knight x TWST]

Moon Knight!MC/Yuu: *Choking a Jackal while reading the invitation during a fight* “…by meeting others and having to not deal with Crowley and his workload…” Okay, I’m in.

[The Great Seven x TWST]

MC/Yuu: *With the Seven Spirits over their shoulders* “…You can bring one to two members of friends from your orderly timeline. Party starts at 6 to 9 p.m. and a portal will open in the Mirror Chamber.” Who should I invite?

[The Mirror Chamber]

[6:00 p.m.]

Azul: Thank you for inviting me to this party. Are you certain you’re not being fooled by the invitation?

Static Demon!MC/Yuu: I am. I can sense some aura emitting from the envelope. It’s some craft I haven’t felt in decades.

[Then a portal opens leading to the gates of the Ramshackle Dorm. Lord MC/Yuu and Azul stepped through as it closes behind them. The gates open by themselves and the two guests start walking up the steps and now facing the front door.]

Static Demon!MC/Yuu: *Knocks at the door*

Azul: I don’t think we arrived early.

[Then the door opens itself to reveal one of the party’s hosts.]

Miyeon: Ah! Welcome to the party, Lord MC/Yuu. I’m Miyeon Choi and I go by She/They. Sometimes He/They when I change forms. Well, before you enter inside, I have to give these wrist bands to everyone just to let others know which people belongs to a specific variant. *Passes bright red wrist bands to Static Demon!MC/Yuu and Azul*

Static Demon!MC/Yuu: *Wears their band*

Azul: *Also puts on his band*

[Static Demon!MC/Yuu and Azul then enter inside the building to see the other party guests.]

Moon Knight!MC/Yuu: *Shows off their armor*

PP!MC/Yuu: Ooh! You’re so cool! Like an action figure with awesome features.

Moon Knight!MC/Yuu: You think so? Well, I was never told so.

PP!MC/Yuu: Of course! I never met an actual superhero. I wanna create a toy after you!

Moon Knight!MC/Yuu: Oh, that’s such an honor.

~

G.S.!MC/Yuu: So you’re an engineer?

Jigsaw!MC/Yuu: Back home, I was studying to become one before arriving to my Twisted Wonderland. I haven’t forgot my work and plan to continue.

Hades: Kid, I have a bad feeling for this one.

G.S.!MC/Yuu: *Ignoring the spirit* That sounds ambitious of you.

Jigsaw!MC/Yuu: Yes. Oh, I think my plus one wondered off somewhere. I must go and fetch them before trouble happens.

G.S.!MC/Yuu: Okay! It’s nice talking to you.

Jigsaw!MC/Yuu: *Walks off*

G.S.!MC/Yuu: Bad feeling? What are you talking about?

Hades: That variant you talked to. I sense red flags like you youngsters would say.

G.S.!MC/Yuu: …Please don’t say youngsters again. Plus Malleus is with us. He’ll protect us.

Malleus: *Just happy to be invited*

~

Static Demon!MC/Yuu: So you’re a magic user?

Miyeon: Yeah, I am. Been studying and practicing Eldritch Magic for years.

OOC: They’re from a world where fighting against notorious villains and other alien species attempting to take over Earth.

Static Demon!MC/Yuu: *Feeling Miyeon’s Durumagi* This is nice. Where did you get this?

Miyeon: Oh. Junior is a little sensitive. They don’t like being touched-

Junior the sentient Durumagi: *Smacks Static Demon!MC/Yuu’s hand away*

Miyeon: *Pulls back the sleeve* Oh, sorry!

Static Demon!MC/Yuu: Now, that’s okay. My shadow tends to have that habit when a stranger touches me. They barely walk afterwards.

[The party continued with laughter and chats happily flowing through the atmosphere. Then a knock was heard.]

Miyeon: I got it! *Opens the front door* Well…You finally came…

[(A/N): Well, that ended shortly and unexpectedly. To put this simply, there’s an MC/Yuu from another world who works for people that are top secret that the government doesn’t know about.]

💫Reblogs helps creators✨

[crmsnmth]

September Sky Chapter Two, Part 2

"You had been talking about that for quite some time." She was looking directly into my eyes. It felt a little uncomfortable, but that was alright. Eye contact has freaked me out for the past few years. It's intimidating. "What made you finally bite the bullet?"

"I had enough. I couldn't do one more day. I hated it so much. I hated everything about it. So for my own mental health, I ended my education."

"How did that feel? To know it was over." Sarah's eyes watched for my body language.

"Relief. And it was wonderful," I replied.

"That's good. There wasn't any shame in it?"

"Nope. Not in the slightest. Still nothing."

"That's great. And you didn't do it on impulse. That's a big thing. You planned it out and followed through. Now let's get back to the girl you met." She flipped a page up and in the space between the board and the pad.

"Ok. So anyway, I literally ran into her. Knocked her books down. Knock an apple down. And then I actually looked at her, and I had to try."

"Try what?" Sarah interrupted me.

"Asking to hang out. Three years. And there were plenty of chances there, but no. Three years and a random encounter is all it took."

"What made you decide to break your streak?"

"She was gorgeous. And I really felt like I needed to. There was this voice that said I had too, and I listened. I had too. I had to at least try, you know."

She nodded at me. And scribbled.

"So I asked her for coffee, she said yes. I ran home and then met her back at the campus. She asked if I'd be cool getting something stronger..."

"Two questions. Why'd you go back home and what do you mean by something stronger," she said, interrupting me again. Which was fine, otherwise I'd spout out as quickly and direct as possible. This way, she stopped it, and forced me to constantly stop and go. It'd make my mouth slow down and my brain to catch up.

"I went home to shower. Change. Kill time. And like a drink. A beer to be exact," I said.

"Oh ok. That makes sense."

"We went to this bar, The Uptowner, had two beers each and she left. I got her number at the end, so that was cool."

"You had two beers and did what, just talked?" Scribble, scribble, scribble.

"Yeah. It was fun."

"So what was the reason you asked to hang out? That's quite out of character for you."

"I don't know. Just had a gut feeling to not let that pass by, I guess." I shrugged. It wasn't something I had thought about really. But now that she brought it up again, why did I? I couldn't remember what the actual reason was why I knew I had to at least try. I felt like she'd asked that question a couple times now, in different words. She did sometimes, because eventually my resolve would break, and I'd actually spit out a truth even I didn't really know. Like I said, she knew how to work me. How to get me to open up. Every time.

"Well, I think it's a definite step up in your progress. Maybe you're finally allowing someone new in." I could hear the pen scribbling against the paper. The clock ticked, and I could hear that too. Everything seemed very, very loud. The idea of letting someone inside absolutely terrified me. There weren't many that had gotten passed the very carefully crafted shell I wore. Chad was able to get grandfathered in, being my best friend, before and after.

"I don't know about that. I mean, the thought of it alone bugs me," I said, rubbing my arms, as if I'd just stepped into a cold breeze off the lake.

"Maybe it's subconscious. Maybe you're brain knows something you don't. It wouldn't be the first time with you. How many times has something come through in some way, before you figured out what was happening? You should listen to yourself sometimes," Sarah said, turning on that degree from some college.

[sortofanobsession]

To Cry for the Moon Part 10 (Moon Knight x Female Eternal!Reader)

Author's Note: The one is going to be tough, but I promise it will pay off. We actually do have a plan for this story.

Please do not take, copy, or translate without talking to me first. Reblogs, likes, and comments are encouraged. But anything else please message me first. I work really hard on these, I was a writing apprentice for a comic book writer and learned this craft despite having issues I had to overcome, like essential tremors, a mild reading disability, and aphantasia. I put my heart and soul into everything I write. Thank you.

The story idea, and most of the voicemails to Steven & Marc were written by @jupitersmoon167 (the original post I saw is here!) Also realized I should probably add content warnings, so I did and tagged them. If you think I missed a warning please send me an ask. I try to tw tag even the tiniest thing so no one has to suffer if I can help it.

Y/N = Your Name. Y/N/N = Your Nickname. Reader pronouns She/Her. Story is 3rd person POV. Italics are the reflected alter talking.

Tag Requests are Open just message me.

Tagged: @rosaren2498, @yuugenmomo, @faefanatic,  @urlocallsimp @assassinsasha23, @queenariesofnarnia, @rmoonstoner,  @crypticruler, @animelover18, @philiasoul, @distinguishedmakerpandapatrol, @22carolina08, @preciousbabypeter

Primary Pairing: Steven Grant x Eternal!Reader, Marc Spector x Eternal!Reader, Khonshu x Ma'at!Reader

Content Warning: Mental Illness, Injury, Death, Violence, Fighting

Word Count: 2k+ (for those curious the whole fic wc is 17,332. And it is nowhere near done lol)

WIP Series Masterlist

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 11, Part 12

Part 10: Seemingly the End

After getting off the plane painful memories came rushing back. Y/N had not been back here since the Eternals separated. It was a painful memory but she pushed through it. After taking a short trip to a small city, Y/N pulls out her phone. She makes one last call before they venture too far from the jungle-surrounded city to have signal. She calls Steven and isn't surprised to hear his outgoing voicemail again.

“Screw the theatrics, I don’t even know if you’re even going to get this. We’re in the middle of the god damn Amazon because Druig thought it would be a grand fucking idea to place his cult here of all places. He’s a stubborn bastard, but if we’re gonna pull this off we need him. I'm sorry, Marc, Steven. I am so sorry. Osiris can tell you what is happening, all Khonshu has to do is ask. Khonshu was more right about me than he could have ever known. And well, I meant it earlier when I said you should talk to your dad, you uh, never know when he’ll kick the bucket, so to speak. I miss you guys, I wish I could talk-” she lost signal as they got further from the city. She hoped enough of the message went through. She put her phone away and took to the air to attempt to narrow down Druig's commune location.

Her feet touch the ground as they near the modest commune. She could feel the people around them. Their hearts are kind and welcoming. She watches the people around her as the others talk. They all feel like good people. She can feel their loyalty. It's quiet and content. Her focus is drawn and she feels herself truly smile for the first time since leaving London when Druig finally walks out.

"Please," Druig says with a smirk, "Make yourselves at home." 

He studied Y/N as she got closer. "Who do I need to control off a cliff for taking the stars from your eyes?" Druig asks as she finally near him.

"Wouldn't kill him, or them, if you did, but you'd probably still enjoy it," Sprite told him. Druig raised a brow.

"Doesn't matter," Y/N says, knowing it was so much more than her issues with Marc and Steven. "It's good to see you." It wasn't a lie. She always missed Druig. He was more her brother than the others. Druig could always understand how overwhelming her powers were. How being surrounded by people was a blessing and a curse. He could feel the minds around him like a constant buzz. Y/N always felt the same thing but instead of minds, it was hearts. Having to sit back and watch the wars and conflicts as time went on weighed on her heart as it did his mind. They had an understanding of things that the others just couldn't comprehend. The heart and the mind were vital to human existence after all. The only difference was he could control minds, she had to judge hearts as is. And honestly, he thinks he was given the easier task. 

Druig rolls his eyes but hugs her, he didn't need to read her mind to know how broken she was. "Told you that you should have come with me. They would have loved you. No one would have broken your heart." He gestures to the members of his commune. 

"Ask me again after you talk to everyone else," she tells him. 

"I might just hold you to it." Druig grins.

"I might just let you." Y/N hugs him again.

Druig chuckles as he pulls away, and goes to the main hall with her just behind him. 

She knew he was stubborn but she had hoped he wouldn't resist them so much. He gets under everyone's skin so easily sometimes. And Ikaris made it easy. It didn't help Sersi's phone went off. It made Y/N want to check hers, but she knew she wouldn't have anything. Marc didn't want anything to do with her. No need to waste the battery. Instead she reached out with her powers to feel the community Druig had cultivated for years. They were so content. It wasn't easy knowing if the team failed, these people would die. Her attention was drawn back by Ikaris saying Druig was wasting their time. Druig hadn't agreed to join them. She wasn't really surprised. She had been hopeful, but not unrealistic.

Y/N follows Druig out. "You told me to ask you to stay again," he says. 

"I did," Y/N replied.

"Would you?" He asks.

"Not if it means I'd just have to stay here and watch them all die without trying to stop it. Osiris and Isis believe we can stop it. I have let them down enough ready, I have to try."

"And you're here to convince me to help," he states.

"I'm here because I missed you and I would feel better if you were there. Is it so bad I wanted to see one of my best friends one last time before we all might die or get reset? Yes, I was hoping you would help us, but I'm not going to make you." 

"You still wouldn't join me, would you? You love your human too much, the one that broke your heart. You could always bring him."

"His mind would drive you up a wall. They have at least 3 personalities and Khonshu in their head."

"Sounds crowded," Druig admits. "But does sound amusing. Haven't had a new challenge in centuries."

"If you want a challenge then join us, forcing a celestial to sleep, I don't think you could find a bigger challenge."

"I see what you did there," Druig says, shaking his head.

"And you know me too well to know I can't just let humanity end because of Arishem's lies. I've always been willing to die for the truth, only this time I genuinely might."

"Try not to," he says. Before they can say much more, they hear Sersi shouting. Deviants. Deviants had found them. Y/N takes off running, summoning her wings as she did. She flies and joins Kingo in trying to buy the others enough time to get the villagers clear of the fight. As Kingo focuses on keeping one of them busy, Y/N tries to keep them away from where Sersi is leading the people. She shouts for Sersi when the other Eternal is hit while trying to fortify the building. Y/N immediately launches a round of feathers at the beast to draw it away from her friend. Her attacks are joined by rifle fire and her heart sinks when she sees a number of villagers under Druig’s control shooting at the beast. She goes to volley another attack when Druig jumps over the deviant and shoots at it. 

“Seriously?!” She shouts as she drops down to block the creature's tail as it swipes at the humans. Her wings took the brunt of the blow. She hopes that Druig is paying enough attention so that she doesn’t end up with a bullet in her back while trying to defend his people. She doesn’t even have enough time between blows to get a hit in. She focuses everything she has on staying ahead of the deviant's tail. She was starting to think that splitting her powers may have actually been a mistake when she feels herself losing her footing. Unable to get into the air was limiting what she could do. She tries to summon a blade but the deviant shifts faster than she can, wraps its tail around her leg and slams her into the dirt, before she can get her wings back up to protect herself, the jaws of the beast latch onto her side. Ripping a scream from her as it does. 

The only reason it doesn’t kill her is that Sersi traps it in a metallic tree and Druig pulls her out from the shocked creature’s gaping maw. She pushes him away. She doesn’t have the energy to tell him how stupid he was being. She left Sersi to talk sense into him. Y/N took to the sky to get a better chance for an attack. The pain in her side was unbelievable, but she focused on attacking as the deviant broke free from its improvised cage. She’d never been so glad to see Ikaris in her life when he shows up to take on the deviant now heading for Druig. He took the beast out swiftly with his eye beams, before going after another. She tried to give him aerial support, but it was becoming harder and harder to build up enough energy for an attack. She feels water hit her as Sersi battles a deviant by hand. Y/N is just as shocked as the rest of the group when Sersi transforms the deviant into a tree. 

Y/N begins to feel her wings fade and flicker, and her vision grows fuzzy around the edges. She knows she won’t last much longer. Her heart is beating too fast and the bite on her side has already soaked her shirt and jacket in blood. She knew her phone was probably smashed in her pocket. There went her chance at telling Steven and Marc goodbye. She tries to lower herself gently to the ground but her knees buckle and she falls. She hears shouting and feels hands on her. They move her and she stares at the tops of the trees. She wishes she could see more of the sky. She loves the sky. She loves flying. It felt natural. She wishes she could see the moon, one last time. To know that maybe, just maybe she'd get to say goodbye. She tried, but all that came out was a choked sob. She wanted to tell them all that she would see them in the next life. It wasn't until hands gripped her face and brushed back her tears that she focused on the figures now blocking small bits of the canopy.

She tried to reach for them and her blood-soaked hand was pulled into Sersi's own. She shook her head at Druig as he tried to help her. Her other hand gestures for them to come closer. They do. She summons up as much energy as she can. "Save them for me." 

"We will," Sersi says. 

She leans her head up with the last strength she has and bumps Druig's forehead earning a sad laugh. Her head drops back down but he returns the gesture.

"You've got nothing to worry about now," he says. Her strength is gone, she closes her eyes and knows it's over. A fleeting thought of goodbye and then darkness. 

Druig was on his feet as soon as he knew she was gone. He looked at the destruction around them and the blood on his hands. Sersi squeezes the limp hand in hers before she stands up. She needs to think. She has to call Steven. Sersi feels another piece of her heart shatter. But before she can do anything she's called because Y/N isn't the only loss. Gilgamesh had fallen defending Thena. And Thena was inconsolable.

Egyptian Underworld 

Osiris hears shouting. He approaches the scales as the chains of the plate holding the feather break. He picks up the feather and it feels wrong. Very wrong. Too much like a normal feather and the ethereal glow dims slightly. That was not good. He gently sets it aside. "Time to intervene," he says and gestures for Anubis to follow him as he opens the gates and they pass through. Summoning their avatars he opens the path to Y/N. "Oh little feather, what did you do." He nods at Anubis who has his avatar carefully lift Y/N and they return to the temple. "Fix her up as best you can. Her master may have forsaken her, but we shall not. Teach those Celestials that they have no more power over death than we do."

Osiris was quick to retrieve the feather of truth, encouraged by the slight glow that it still held. It was her, she had told him. Now he would use it to put things back the way they should be. A devoted goddess like Ma'at deserved at least that. If she was too far gone and beyond his reach, he would have Anubis do what he was best at, what he was worshipped for. But Osiris felt it would work. They would not be saying goodbye to Earth. It was not their time yet.

Ruins of Druig's Commune

"Where is she?" Kingo asks as he goes to retrieve Y/N to place her alongside Gilgamesh.

"What?" Druig pushes past him to find Y/N's body gone.

"You're sure she was dead?" Ikaris asks and earns a vicious glare from Druig. 

"Yes," Druig spat.

"Maybe an animal-"

"Don't-" Druig warns.

"Druig," Kingo starts. 

"Then we have to find her," Sersi says. 

Sprite and Thena stay with Gilgamesh while the others search and find nothing. No signs of tracks, no trace. Nothing. They eventually decide that they had to give Gilgamesh a proper send-off. And Sersi still had something she needed to do.  

Once Sersi was able to clean her hands she found her phone and found Steven's number. She calls it. They don't answer, though she wasn’t surprised. They probably thought Y/N had borrowed her phone to call. So she left them a message she knew would destroy them if and when they do get it.

 "Steven, or Marc, it's Sersi, I…I hate having to do this in a voicemail. I would rather do this in person, or even in a real phone call, I…if we had more time I would do this in person, but we lost Y/N. Part of me hopes Khonshu knows, she always found it annoying when he boasted about knowing all that happened under the moon." Sersi let out a shaky laugh. "She…well, she fought to the end. She loved humanity, she loved you all. She loved you, both of you. She would want you to know."

Sersi hung up and just hoped the message got through. But she would find a way to reach them, to save them, and all of humanity. Druig was onboard now. They would end this for all of them. Their deaths would mean something.

Temple of the Gods

The first thing that registers to Y/N's mind is the cold. She feels cold, the cold stone beneath her makes her shiver.

"Welcome back, Ma'at," the voice of Isis' avatar says. "The goddess will be glad you pulled through." Y/N goes to speak but is hushed. She hears footsteps approaching followed by a whispered conversation she cannot process. Y/N finally opens her eyes but puts up no fight as she is lifted. The avatar of Anubis sets her back down but this time on a soft blanket that the goddess' avatar gently wraps around her. "You have been through quite the journey, and you need rest. Sleep now."

The next time she wakes Osiris is there, his avatar looms above her as he updates her on what has happened. Her family had lost another soul. Gilgamesh had fought and earned a warrior's death and were it up to Osiris he would be rewarded in his afterlife. Sadly, Gilgamesh, like Ajak, was beyond his reach. 

"But your feather saved you," he told her. "Your commitment to serving humanity in this life and the next is what brought you back. Your strength will hopefully return with time, but your heart beats again, and when the time comes you will show the Celestials that we gods are not to be underestimated. He sat the feather gently beside her, the faint glow although weaker than before still shown. "You have earned more time, feather. I know you will use it wisely."

She wakes again in a bed with soft light shining through the open window. "You are safe," the voice of Osiris' avatar spoke. "You will find everything you need in this room. Bathroom, if you feel like you have the strength is through there." He gestures to an open door. "You are safe here. Osiris will summon you when the time comes."

"I need to call my family, to call-"

"If you wish to help them you will not waste your energy," another voice spoke. She recognized the avatar for Horus. "You wish to join your friends again to fix things, do you not?"

"I do," she admits.

"Then do not waste your energy or tax your healing system with concerns that won't matter. You do not yet know if you can join them or if they will succeed. Why make them suffer your death twice?"

"And Khonshu has not graced us with his presence, even Taweret is surprised, but no need to worry the old bird over things he cannot change. Heal first, then you can right your wrongs."