#except for like. the prologue for Chip.

[teehee-vibes]

I think I’m in hell (can’t stop thinking about fnc)

[knightyoomyoui]

[COMMISSION] LIVING WITH VAMPIRES: UNDER THE VEIL OF NIGHT  | TWICE x Male Reader  | CHAPTER : -PROLOGUE-

Welcome to another brand new TWICE fic series of mine! This story will serve both as an adaptation and a soft reboot of the TWICE horror-comedy book titled “Living With Vampires” written by SaiDaChae29 published in 2020 which was sadly left discontinued until now. For this one, it scrapped some of the parts from the original while others were kept and applied changes which will lead to its direct continuation. Special mention also to @nchris00 who ordered a commission and entrusted me to recreate this interesting story as his request. Hope this one won’t disappoint! Thank you so much again!

Now, let’s get this one started shall we? “LIVING WITH VAMPIRES: UNDER THE VEIL OF NIGHT” By knightyoomyoui Commissioned by: @nchris00 Part: PROLOGUE Word Count: 1,681

PRESENT TIME

I tucked the maknaes on their bedsheets after I delivered the rest of the girls into their bedroom except for Jihyo and Jeongyeon who are the most sober ones. Mina didn’t drink though since she’s allergic to alcohol, but she still passed out from exhaustion because of how fun we have went on this special day.

“Jeonghoon, are you sure this is on you now?” Jihyo asked me concerned, she was yawning already and it showed me more that my unnies are also tired now too.

“Yeah, I can handle this Jihyo noona. You can both go to sleep now.” I nodded as I looked around at our living room that is cluttered with empty beer cans, chips and plates.

“You sure? Well, don’t forget to rest after this okay?” Jihyo told me.

“Yes, noona.”

“As much as I would love to help Jeonghoon but I’ll leave this one to you now okay? I’ll get back from you tomorrow.” Jeongyeon turned to speak.

“No worries, noona.”

“Goodnight, Jeonghoon.”

“Goodnight noonas.”

They all went upstairs now and I heard them closing the door. I also released my own yawn but I’m not that much sleepy yet unlike them so I decided to volunteer cleaning the room. Also, I wanted to sleep on the couch for tonight anyways since it’s more cold and fresh here.

I started to drag the trash can and some extra garbage bag with me so that I can easily dump the mess we all created around here. I started with the cans, then I tied the used bags before replacing it with a new one then I went outside the dorm to take this out on the nearest garbage station in this building’s storey.

Going back to the dorm, I then proceeded on collecting the used plates, stacking them up and placed them on the sink. I’m the type of guy who hates seeing stacked plates on the sink and kinda not a fan of washing dishes so I immediately cleaned it off rather than letting it become an eyesore when the girls or me woke up tomorrow.

After putting them on the drying rack, I changed my outfit to my pajamas and slumped my body back on the couch. I breathe deeply to feel its softness while I blink rapidly as I stare on the wall, thinking of something to do before I go the sleep since I still don’t feel like resting yet.

Then something crossed my mind.

We just watched some vlogs that the girls recommended from their favorite YouTube channels, so I thought of an idea that what if I make my own vlog tonight.

Well, not exactly a vlog where I go record not only myself, but the people and the place around wherever I go that will require a much more editing process, I just felt like recording myself.

I was thinking of what should I say on the video, until another thing gave me an idea on what should I do with it.

I grabbed my phone that I’m confident enough of its camera’s quality, using it as I start to record myself. I set it up on our table and grabbed the mini-vase as its support before I prepare myself on the couch and press the record button.

As the timer starts rolling, I began to speak to the camera.

“Hi, Min Jeonghoon here. Right now its already 12:30 AM and it’s very late but I’m not sleepy yet so… I just wanted to do something interesting that will probably drain the remaining energy I have left in my body haha, and I thought of recording this video talking about…

how I met these nine ladies who turns out to be also… vampires.

I get it, saying it as if it is real would make me look like I’m crazy. Well, not like the others out there. Some would say I just tell a silly joke, but some might… be as crazy as me. Because this isn’t just a fiction. I’m just a type of guy who knows how right or wrong people are. And right now, believe me when I tell you that I’m sorry but… vampires do exist.

But before, I get to introduce them to you all, let me clarify some cliches and stuffs that turns out to be myths for people to believe in and pass it in every generations for others to learn. I want to educate others based from my own experience, with what I’ve learned about them during the entire 2 years of living with them.

First off, they are not immortals. They’re almost like us humans BUT like I said, almost because the little part of it that them still differs from us is that they age but way too slowly. I think its because of their DNA that works 10 times slowers that the normal one, so imagine that a vampire looks like 20 years old, well guess it already that its age might actually be in 200 years or something.

Oh and also, speaking of blood, they do have a very active cells of immune system, so it is true that their wounds or injuries heal a lot faster.

Next off, does vampires need blood to survive? Yes. That’s probably like the most common thing that we see in the movies right? Everyone also would even have it as their primary guess about what do they think about vampires, but at the same time they wanted to also confirm it if it does yet sadly they think it’s just a fantasy. But here I am now, telling you from what my own eyes have seen that they do indeed need blood.

Additional clarification, they drink animal blood though, not humans… even if its more healthy than animals. But they have to, because I’ve known these girls already that they cannot bear to kill a person because they are better than that. So, they found an alternative which is actually pig blood, mostly similar to humans which was proven by some scientists through what we call a “xenotransfusion”, some type of blood transfusion to humans. 

What’s also interesting about them is that they do behave having it as their most crucial need. Just like humans, if us cannot standing drinking water or eating food for more than 3 days, well it’s the same thing that can be applied to them, only that the blood involves with it too. They starve and get thirsty much worse than humans, so I’m telling you that you really must be careful at the other vampires that you may encounter in the public that is suffering from this, because it won’t hesitate for a single second to kill you and help that vampire satisfy its needs.

Third one would be… hmm oh yeah, this is also quite commonly asked about vampires. Do they actually have fangs? Yes, and it ‘s retractable. It only extends when they’re about to feast something… or somebody. It grows definitely way sharper and longer than both humans and animals combined, but it’s almost unrecognizable unless you pay attention to it.

Well… I remember it happened on the first time seeing it on the first day I met them… yeah. Kinda scary, but I got trained to get used by it. It’s just that this one specific girl just loves to make fun of me with it.

Fourth of the most frequently asked questions would be about vampires hating the sunlight. Yup, they’re are not comfortable with it at all. Just imagine a skin getting poured by a muriatic acid, that’s how their sensitive skin react to the rays. However, they don’t die easily. I think it’s their eyes that are much sensitive than their skin, because their eyes are mostly made for darkness, explaining why they are also considered as creatures who prefer to remain in the dark.

About the eyes though, I debunk some rumors that their pupils enlarge and turns to be almost black whenever they feel anger, hunger or something like that. It remains the same, however… don’t stare at them for too long, you may not know… you’re already acting unusual under their command. You’re probably gonna be enchanted about their eyes because their irises tends to possess some various special colors like either red, sky blue, etc.

To quickly insert some other informations that needs to be corrected or be proven, vampires don’t turn like a bat just like Dracula and Mavis from Hotel Transylvania, they are stronger and faster than our physical abilities, they also don’t hate garlic -actually one of the girls loves it on her food- or can’t see their reflection in the mirror. My girls do make-ups and loves fashion a lot so… that’s why.

Lastly would be yes, they can turn a human into a vampire once they bit them. But the transformation process is slow and painful once they inject that some sort of a venom into some human’s blood which would alter the DNA. They gotta endure it because if i’m not mistaken, there’s no cure yet for these.

I also remember when one of my friends here said that half-vampires also exists. It is rare actually, because mostly vampires doesn’t get attracted or involve in some sort of a relationship with humans. One thing I know that they would differ from a full blooded vampires is that they can actually go free around outside without getting burned or they don’t need that much blood to survive.

Well, that’s enough information for today’s video. Now let’s move on to these nine girls that I’m talking about. The vampires that took me in, thought that they would become a danger after I learned about their true identity, and yet here I am, ending up as their so called little brother figure and… the second family I now treat in my life.

Nayeon. Jeongyeon. Momo. Sana. Jihyo. Mina. Dahyun. Chaeyoung. Tzuyu. That’s the names of my friends... my sisters... and the people I already consider as the second family I cherish the most, no matter who they actually are.

And this is how my story went with them…

[purerae]

— ROOM 42

CHAPTER ONE ;; PROLOGUE

ROOM 42 MASTERLIST

SYPNOSIS ;; Y/N, surprisingly, in detention for missed homework, teams up with the school's delinquent to investigate a mysterious door. Unable too explore further, Y/N and her friends devise a plan to sneak into the classroom after school and explore the hidden space. Their curiosity leads to a sinister game of secrets and betrayal. As they and their friends go deeper, the consequences grow. How far will they go to hide their sins? How far will they go... for her? (click on master list for more details)

(keep reading for chapter one.)

??? POV

"Why is it always me?" Zion groaned, frustration etched across his face. “The teacher's pet constantly snitches on every bloody thing I do." He slammed his fist into the wall, causing more chips to fly off the already ruined surface.

For the seventh time, Eliza, the teacher's pet, had reported Zion Minh for skipping class.

"Bro, she just doesn't like you. I skip class all the time, and she never bothers me," his friend Adrien chuckled.

Zion rolled his eyes. "She just wants to suck your dick, shut up."

"I mean, who wouldn't? Just look at me~" Adrien teased.

Zion gave him a blank stare and narrowed his crimson eyes. Adrien snickered at his own joke.

Despite their banter, Zion and Adrien were actually close friends. They had known each other since they were babies due to their parents' close work relationship.

Zion, with his dark crimson red hair and matching eyes, had a reputation as a high school delinquent. He was always ready to confront anything that seemed like a threat. Everyone in school knew better than to mess with him, except for his gang and Eliza.

Adrien, with his dirty blonde hair and khaki green eyes, was also a delinquent but less intimidating than Zion. He had a reputation as the school's playboy, often flirting with the girls. Teachers liked him, but they knew he could be mischievous at times. Only Zion and his dad had seen Adrien at his worst.

"Alright babe! Enjoy your detention, I'll see you later," Adrien chuckled, running off to the main entrance and leaving the building.

Zion grimaced at the mocking pet name and muttered a quick goodbye before heading towards Room 42, the designated detention room at the back of the school. He preferred this room to avoid the other students, as he was often tempted to pick fights with them.

Upon entering, Zion noticed a tall woman with long blonde hair sitting on a desk at the front of the classroom. He rolled his eyes, recognizing her as the one who often gave him detention.

"You're here again, Mr. Minh? You really need to step up your game before you get excluded from this school. Also, surprisingly, someone else has a detention right now in this room," she sighed, looking him up and down. "Please don't annoy her. I'll be gone for half an hour to attend a meeting. You better still be here." With that, she trudged off, her footsteps gradually fading away.

"You better still be here," Zion mimicked in a high-pitched voice, raising his hands mockingly.

He made his way to the back of the classroom, his usual spot, and started playing with his pen. After a while, boredom set in, and he decided to explore the classroom. He rummaged through the books, broke some pens, and generally acted nonchalant. Finally, he went up to a tall bookshelf and grabbed a boring science book, which he despised. With a sense of rebellion, he began vandalizing it, scribbling all sorts of things and profanities.

However, he soon noticed something in his peripheral vision. A girl with her hood up and earphones in was staring straight at him. The sound of music bled through the buds.

Feeling awkward, Zion looked up and made eye contact with the girl. She quickly rushed to the front of the class and took a seat. It then dawned on Zion that this was the person he had detention with. He rolled his eyes at the realisation, 'Great, some freak i have to share the room with for a whole ass hour…’

ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ Y/N L/N

Y/N was ten minutes late to detention because she couldn't find the isolated classroom. 'Of course, I'm the one who has detention at the stupid creepy classroom,' she thought with a groan, tilting her head back out of frustration

This was her first detention, and she was panicking. It happened because she had failed to submit her math homework three times in a row. It wasn't entirely her fault; she lacked the motivation and struggled to understand math for fucks sake!

As Y/N entered the room, she noticed a red-headed boy crouching down, aggressively defacing a book. He already gave her an odd impression as she wondered why he was torturing the Science book meant for younger children. She stopped her music and put her hood up, hoping to avoid any attention from him.

The boy's face was visible to her, but he seemed too absorbed in his task to notice her. It dawned on her that this was Zion Minh, the scariest person in school and Eliza's one-sided enemy. At that moment, she wished she could just run out of the classroom to avoid any potential conflict.

A/N ;; The first chapter is awful I am so sorry!! Please trust me, and it will get better as the chapters go on. comments and reblogs heavily appreciated <33

purerae &lt;3

[utilitycaster]

ok we are 10 minutes into kollok and i am straight up not having a good time but I am going to commit to this hour of watching. to keep myself from losing it i'm going to do some very irritating stream of consciousness on this post and post it at the end, nonrebloggably so as to not yuck any yums (though feel free to go wild in the replies). also I need to point out: I don't have misophonia. I have openly and repeatedly said I think the Sam Riegel ASMR ad is not just inoffensive, but actively very funny and enjoyable. The sounds on this show are setting my teeth on edge. I hate it. also for the intro the immersion is genuinely WORSE than say, CR or D20 because everyone's just reading prologues that they've written.

speaking of we're done with the prologues to the prologue and into the prologue, as demonstrated by the title screen and horrible noises.

I call this filter the "yeah I've got mild astigmatism and have taken mushrooms before, you're not special"

hmmm we're stuck in this fuckery for a while and i'm suffering so anyway folks i've made it so polygon will think CR is good:

the music is pretty good I will give them that. also this is literally not special though. like Zac just was like uhhhhhh math as any GM would say, he just was weirdly aiming for suaveness instead of like. normal.

All the profanity on this show sounds like a mormon or a ten year old who just learned the word "fuck" and is trying it out. as a woman who swears constantly i'm like what is HAPPENING. also this blonde woman who isn't on the show in the present day is rolling so hilariously badly. is this why she's not on. girl get out.

back to the present day; this actually is a really good industrial music video ruined by some actual play in the background

"zac, I'm going to command attention please"

"who's zac"

"sorry, driver" ah yes yes this is SOOOOOOO much more immersive i'm totally not making the jerk-off motion

i love u danielle radford you deserve better. although the actual RP now that we're in it is like, fine.

really i think a really significant problem is that this is the most 2014 YA-dystopia plot that ever plotted except as a core part of the premise, everyone is 30. I feel, honestly, that this is the other big issue in actual play that people at polygon obsess over that leaves me ice cold, (also? lots of fandom cold takes), but like...I was a HUGE sf nerd pretty much from childhood, and I think a lot of people came to actual play for a number of reasons not tied to the genres in which it typically exists (fantasy, science fiction, horror). This is fine but it means you get people who act like VERY standard genre conventions are either the most brilliant and original creation on earth, or utterly baffling. Anyway my point is that this is giving Divergent by Veronica Roth but it THINKS it's somewhere between Twin Peaks by David Lynch and the adaptation of the Handmaid's Tale and it's like no babe. you're Divergent by Veronica Roth. stop fronting like you're Twin Peaks. You're Divergent. By Veronica Roth. Which I read while stranded at LaGuardia over a decade ago.

lighting effects are fine honestly. reminds me of the Doja Cat 2020 MTV EMA version of Say So. Wish I were just rewatching that. rotating rock i love you. you are the best thing here other than danielle radford. I feel like I'm in a really fancy Spencer's Gifts. by the way I know i'm being pretty bitchy and incoherent here BUT I'm sober; let's hear it for Stupidly Bougie Soda and Nonalcoholic Spirits.

I'm also eating bean dip with a spoon. in my defense I made REALLY good bean dip and I don't have chips.

I just. other than the digital filter in the flashback I genuinely don't see how this is different than D20 except lacking in any charms and OH GOD THAT'S TIME.

but I want to add that like...the thing is Danielle (C-dubbs) was doing some wacky funny stuff and it felt like it was being shut down and to be fair I get wanting to stick WITHIN the genre but this whole thing feels joyless, and not like "oh, survival horror is so grimdark and sad", I am a tragedy enjoyer, but like. it feels...mandated.

Also this is weird and picky but for all of Those High Production Values (repeated direct quote from the Polygon article) they do a weirdly bad job of filming the die rolls? Like, they cut to the dice trays at the wrong time?

Finally, and this is just a pot shot at Polygon but they should stop making it so easy, but the article was like "I watched the 4-ish hour first episode and I didn't have a clue what was going on but it had Those High Production Values" and it's like...I was demonstrably fucking around on tumblr and in GIMP while watching and I have a pretty solid idea of what was going on. Maybe it goes nuts in the remaining 2.5 hours that I may chip away at to be able say I watched a full episode and decided it "wasn't for me" *smiles like I'm a waitress on Hell's Kitchen and Gordon Ramsey just asked me a question* but I think you might be dumb.

CONCLUSION: just watch the Doja Cat 2020 MTV EMA version of Say So, read Divergent (by Veronica Roth) (you don't have to be at LaGuardia) and like, check out Mentopolis or Misfits and Magic if you want to see Danielle Radford in a Kids on Bikes game that is good.

[princesssarisa]

I've been thinking of the different theories among fans of Disney's Beauty and the Beast about how long ago the spell was cast, and how old the Prince/Beast was at the time. Namely, how to explain the discrepancy between Lumiere's line "Ten years we've been rusting," which would mean that the Prince was only eleven years old when they were all transformed (the Prologue states that the magic rose would start to wilt in "his twenty-first year"), and the fact that in the painting in his room and in in the Prologue's stained-glass windows, the Prince looks like a a young man.

Of course the Doylist explanation is that different people in the creative team had different ideas for the backstory. Howard Ashman, who wrote the "Ten years..." lyric, wanted the Prince to have just been a child when he was cursed, but the directors Kirk Wise and Gary Trousdale insisted that he be portrayed as a young man instead (allegedly much to Ashman's anger), because the idea of an eleven-year-old Beast reminded them too much of Eddie Munster.

But what's the Watsonian explanation? These are the different theories I've read:

*The spell was cast ten years ago, and the Prince was only eleven years old at the time. He was just tall and mature-looking for his age, as some preteens are, and/or the painting and stained-glass windows make him look older than he was, as art of royalty sometimes did.

*The spell was cast less than ten years ago. Lumiere, with his penchant for melodrama, is exaggerating when he sings "Ten years we've been rusting."

*The spell was cast less than ten years ago. It's been ten years since the Prince's father died and the Prince became master of the castle. The sour, cold-hearted young man never had any guests even when he was human.

*The spell was cast twenty-one years ago. "...his twenty-first year" means his twenty-first year as a Beast, not his age. For the first ten or eleven years, the servants stayed busy, keeping the castle clean and orderly because they had faith that someone would find them and break the spell. But eventually they all lost hope, gave up their efforts, and let the castle become a Gothic ruin – this state of depression is what's lasted for ten years, not the spell itself.

Personally, I think I prefer the first theory. It's what Howard Ashman wanted, and in the finished film, I think it shows. At the beginning the Beast acts very much like a man-child, who throws tantrums, has never learned empathy, and doesn't know anything about women or adult social skills, as if he was cursed as a boy and hasn't been able to mature in his isolation. Of course all of this can also be explained by (a) how spoiled he was, (b) his depression, and (c) the idea that the spell is slowly turning his mind bestial – maybe his "childlike" behavior is really just animalistic.

I'd like to know which theory other people prefer.

There's also another question that begs to be answered: if the castle has been under the spell for ten years or more, then how was Chip born, since he's only about six years old? To that question, I think there are two possible answers. If the spell was cast less than ten years ago, then he could easily have been born already. But if it really was cast ten years ago, or more, then I think no one in the castle ages except the Beast, because only biological bodies can age. In this theory, Chip was six years old when he became a teacup, and has stayed six years old ever since. Either theory works for me.

[lxke02]

SERPENT STYLE

—soshiro hoshina x fem! iguro obanai! reader

PROLOGUE [1/3]

MASTERLIST | NEXT CH. | NAV.

I was born into a family of thieves. There wasn't a single female born into this family for many generations, there wasn't a single girl until I was born. These women are the spouses of the original family members, these woman came outside the family.

My family was rich, although, this wealth didn't come from their hard work. In fact, this riches was stolen by my family from the Kaiju that my family worshipped.

Yes, hidden from the public eyes, there's a snake-like Kaiju living inside the family mansion. In exchange for wealth, my family offers sacrifices, whether it be a spouse, a son, or a brother.

This Kaiju kills people and in return my family stole those poor victim's riches.

Ever since I was born, I was kept in a cell. Imprisoned, the Kaiju took a liking to me and wanted me to grow older. It took a liking to my strange and heterochromia eyes-turquoise and gold.

My family lavished me with jewelry and food. Yet, I barely had the energy to stomach the food they gave me nor wear the jewelry they gave me. The grease fills my small cell, a disgusting smell I grew to hate. The jewelry was too heavy for me and I have no use for it.

When I was 12, some family members took me out of my cell and brought me to the Kaiju.

It was terrifying, her snake-like eyes looking at me with hunger, scales covered her body, her upper body human-like yet the lower half was like a snake. I could only look at her in fear, my small body shaking and trembling. Fearing for its life.

"What's going to happen to me?"

"Am I going to die? Eaten by her?"

Those thoughts kept on repeating inside my mind.

She wanted me to be like her. I cried in pain when family members held me as the Kaiju slit my mouth. A chalice underneath me, collecting the dripping blood from my face.

She took a sip of the chalice. Watching a bit of crimson staining her wide lips after she removed the chalice.

She ordered my family to take me back to my cell.

And I was, I was thrown back to my cell, all bloodied and in pain.

Crimson staining the white yukata I was wearing.

I tried to make myself smaller as I sat at the farthest corner of my cell, rocking my body back and forth, crying silently as I felt the stinging and painful sensation on my cheeks-where the Kaiju cut me, that's where I met Kaburamaru-an albino snake that slithered into my small cell.

Instead of fear, I was curious and the snake didn't seem to be wary of me and gently slid into my arm and wrapped around my neck-surprisingly not choking me.

"You seem nice, I guess you're my friend now." I mumbled to myself, hugging my knees, "What should I name you? How about Kaburamaru?" I asked and I watched as the snake's fork-like tongue slithered out of its mouth. I smiled softly, wincing slightly as I felt the cut on my cheeks.

I tried looking for ways to escape, I somehow managed to chip away the wooden bars of my cell. My thin and malnourished body was able to squeeze through.

I ran.

But it seems like my family noticed my disappearance and immediately alerted the others.

Including the Kaiju.

Thankfully, I was saved.

By a woman who introduced herself as Hikari Shinomiya.

I watched how easily she killed the Kaiju.

I also found out that Kaiju killed all of my family members-except for my cousin.

Hikari-san brought me to my cousin in which he slapped me.

Telling me that I should've allowed myself to be eaten.

Telling me it was my fault for getting my family killed.

At that moment, I felt anger. Anger for my family, and anger towards kaijus.

My last remaining family member left. Stomping his foot as he walked away. My heart numbed yet aching. My face is still stinging in pain from the lack of treatment to my wound.

Yet I watched my cousin's form slowly disappeared into the distance. My eyes dull and blank. The only thing I can think of is, the audacity.

I don't even know his name yet he had the nerve to slap me? I sigh softly, my head heavy and falling into the older woman's shoulder. I'm too tired to think, too sad to care.

I let the older woman carry me into her arms.

"My, that was very harsh of him." Hikari-san says, her hand patting my small back.

"It seems you have nowhere else to go, how about you come with me?" she asked me softly and I looked at her, emotionless and nodded.

That's how I was adopted by the Shinomiya family.

I was welcomed warmly by the Shinomiya family, they treated me like I was their own daughter.

Kikoru was a cheerful and energetic child, she treated me like her own older sister.

They also welcomed Kaburamaru, although they were hesitant at first but they eventually accepted it.

Within the Shinomiya family, they found out I was talented when it comes to the sword.

Mrs. Shinomiya found me swinging the sword, I do not know why she was surprised when I was just swinging it around. I just copied what I saw from watching tv.

I didn't know I held and swung it perfectly with pinpoint accuracy.

Mr. Shonomiya, decided it upon himself to train me.

Although it didn't last long as it seems I freeze up every time he is near me.

They realized I developed a fear for men after what happened to me with my biological family.

Hikari-san urged me to call her mother and Isao-san as father and I accepted her wish.

My mother started to train me herself as it seems I can't train properly with my father due to my phobia of men.

It's not exactly fear, it's more like I grew to hate men. My cousin's voice kept echoing inside my mind, mocking me and reminding me of the past. How disgusting I am, how absolutely dirty of me for the sole reason of my family's death.

I continued to train and train. Promising myself to become stronger to eliminate kaijus. I developed my own techniques, techniques that are inspired by snakes.

The irony of it all.

I began wearing bandages around my face, covering the hideous scar on my cheeks.

Not long after, Mother soon died. Dying to the hands of a Kaiju.

My relationship with my adopted father slowly deteriorated, there was barely any to begin with.

Thankfully, I kept my relationship with my adopted sister intact.

Father changed after mother died. He wanted me and Kikoru to strive for perfection.

Father began to have favorites, that of course being Kikoru.

Father told me to give up on my dreams of becoming a defender, telling me the era of swords was long gone and if I wanted to succeed, I should stick with long range.

"Give up, [name]. We live in a modern era where Kaiju's are only eliminated via guns and canons. Your sword cannot pierce a Kaiju's skin."

Father's voice echoes into my mind.

Unfortunately, my attack power for long range is mediocre but with the sword however, was powerful.

I made sure to hone my talents despite what my father said. I continued my path of the sword. I made sure to be there for Kikoru while maintaining my studies.

I swing my sword a thousand times, I swing my sword till I pass out. I swing my sword till I bleed, crimson staining my hands. The very crimson that stained that Kaiju's lips as she drank my blood through a golden a chalice.

The very memory serves as my motivation, my anger continues to burn.

My hands are too small to hold a canon, my arms are too weak to hold a gun.

But its grip is fueled by anger, each slash filled with intent to kill, intent to kill Kaijus.

Burn that memory into my mind, the horrifying grin of that snake-like Kaiju and the very memory when I heard the news of my beloved adopted mother passed away.

Each swing of my sword, my body continues to burn. I ignore it. Maintain my breathing, make sure oxygen reaches every nook and cranny of my body, make sure every muscle, every blood vessel received oxygen.

Fight, continue fighting. Fight for a future without Kaijus. Fight to serve as motivation for others.

I chant internally, perfectly aware of Kikoru's innocent eyes looking at me with awe as she sat at the engawa of our house as I trained at the garden.

That's right, Kikoru. I know you'll be strong. Your older sister is very proud of you. I hope my image is burned into your memory.

I thought to myself as I grinned underneath my bandages, my arms swinging in the air as I gripped the wooden sword tightly with my hands.

When you swing your sword, you must follow through.

Make sure each slash serves it's purpose.

With one final stance, I slash my sword one last time for the day.

My chest heaves up and down as I panted. A drop of sweat rolled down my neck. I gently relaxed my body and turned to the side to look at my little sister.

She knows I'm smiling at her, with how the sides of eyes crinkled.

"Onee-san! You're so strong! Onee-san was like pow! Boom! And whoosh!" Kikoru says excitedly, animatedly trying to mimic my previous moves, swinging her tiny arms around as if she's holding an imaginary sword.

I chuckled softly, walking towards her.

"Really now? Do you think onee-san can defeat those scary Kaiju's?" I asked her, tilting my head slightly and Kikoru nodded, jumping up from her seat. Spreading her arms widely as she grinned.

"I know onee-san is strong so I know she'll defeat those scary Kaijus!" she says excitedly.

I nodded, my eyes closed as I pat her head, feeling the strands of her golden hair weave through my fingertips.

"Yes, onee-san will defeat those Kaijus."

I decided to leave home and train somewhere else, I couldn't stand being near my father.

"Kikoru, onee-san will now be going somewhere far." I say softly, hugging Kikoru as she silently sobbed into my shoulder. Kikoru nodded, she knows how harsh their father was and as much as she didn't want her older sister to leave her, she knows their father is holding her older sister back.

And leaving home is the only way for her older sister to grow then she'll allow it.

"Make sure to keep in touch, dummy." Kikoru says in-between hiccups and I smiled, "Of course, be a good girl okay?" I say and she nodded.

I waved goodbye to my little sister as I moved away to somewhere far, where I can study and learn without the pressure of my father.

It wasn't long when I got into the Japan Anti Kaiju Defense Forces's third division unit, passing with flying colors and coming on top. Showing the third division unit what she's capable of despite using the blade rather than guns or canons.

That's where I met Soshiro Hoshina, the very person who came after me when it comes to ranking.

Another person who uses a sword when in combat and someone who caught her interest.

AUTHOR'S NOTES

• [Name] didn't take the Shinomiya last name and continued on using her birth last name despite the painful memory it comes with.

• I didn't put any clear ages with the characters because I don't know any of the characters ages, aside from Kafka.

• [Name] and Soshiro would be somewhere around 18 years old during this—specifically when they're about to take the entrance exam.

• Grammatical and spelling errors are present within this fic and improper use of writing symbols (?).

• Following chapters after the prologue chapter may or may not be written from a third person point of view.

[perfectprettypisces]

The Princess and The Pilot • J.H.S • Prologue: Meet The Family

Pairing: Jake “Hangman” Seresin x Admiral’sDaughter!OC

Synopsis: To be fair, Jake didn’t know Maya was the daughter of an admiral when they started dating. Or that her father was none other than Wilson “Hitchcock” Hayes, the legendary pilot famous for having a chip on his shoulder larger than the state of Texas and four sons who all graduated from the TOPGUN program. With her entire family set to come down to San Diego for her graduation, Jake enlists the help of his friends to woo his girlfriend’s family.

Warnings: swearing, angst(?), shit ton of dialogue lol

a/n: oh my goodness, i was not expecting that much good feedback on the sneak peek for this new series but i’m glad y’all liked it :) like i said before i don’t like using Y/N, so i will be using a name, but i will attempt to keep it as non-descriptive as possible in order for you to imagine whoever you like as the face claim. also, idk how consistent i’m going to be with updating, but i’ll try my best :)

Series Masterlist • Top Gun Masterlist

Next Part

“I have to tell you something.”

Hangman’s halfway out the front door when Maya makes her sudden declaration. He was supposed to meet the rest of his squadron at The Hard Deck twenty minutes ago and he’s already running behind, but her words make him halt in place. It was essentially a cousin of “we need to talk” and nothing good ever came from those conversations in his experience. And judging from the way his girlfriend was twiddling her thumbs nervously, this was no exception.

“Is this a good something or a bad something?” he asks, coming over to stand in front of her. He places his hands on her hips and squeezes. He can feel the uneasiness radiating off her and while it does nothing to stop his mind from racing, he keeps his expression neutral.

“Depends on how you take it,” she says with a nervous chuckle, rubbing her hands up and down his arms. “I just wanted to tell you that my family is flying in next week for my graduation and I want you to meet them.”

That’s… not as bad as he was expecting.

“Okay?” he drawls with a confused smile. “Why do you seem so worried? I would love to meet your family, babe.”

“It’s not you I’m worried about.” Oh, if only he knew, she thinks. “They’re just… a lot sometimes and I don’t want you to get scared off or something.”

“Baby, nothing could scare me away from you,” he says, leaning down to place a kiss on her lips. “And trust me, by the time your graduation comes, you’re gonna see that you had nothing to worry about.”

Hangman was a charmer by nature. His military confidence in combination with his southern hospitality made him every parent’s dream. And being an older brother to three sisters himself, he knew exactly the type of guy he would want his sisters to bring home. He was sure he could get her father and brothers to love him in no time.

“Is there anything I should know before they come?” he asks, dipping his head down to place kisses along the column of her neck.

“Well…” If this were any other situation, his kisses may have distracted her from the situation at hand, but not this time. Here goes nothing, she thinks. “I told you that my dad was a pilot for the Navy.”

Hangman hums in agreement, continuing his line of kisses to her jawline. “You did.”

“My brother’s in the Navy, too.”

“Oh?” He was mentally taking notes on potential things that could earn him brownie points. Finding a common ground would be easier than he thought. “What does he do?”

“He’s a pilot.”

Hangman stiffens. He lifts his head to see her biting her lip nervously. “A pilot? Like your dad?”

“Mhm,” she nods, refusing to meet his eye.

Now, that piqued his interest. He lifts an eyebrow skeptically. “Which brother is this?”

“All of them.”

“All of them?” he repeats in disbelief. “They’re all in the Navy or they’re all pilots?”

“Both.”

“Both?” he parrots, his voice significantly higher than before. He feels the self-assured mask he’d put on slip off a little more with each detail he learned.

“Wait, you said your dad was a pilot for the Navy? What does he do now?”

Please don’t say it, he begs internally.

“He’s an admiral.”

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

“You just left?”

Hangman thinks for a moment. “Yeah.”

In hindsight it wasn’t his best move, but his brain felt like it was on overdrive. He didn’t know if he was running on adrenaline or fear.

Hangman, the fearless fighter pilot, had run away with his tail between his legs.

His friends were left bewildered when Hangman had shown up over a half an hour late looking like he’d seen a ghost and started word vomiting all the new information he’d learned about his girlfriend’s family. All the way up to the point where he’d left her standing alone in the kitchen of her apartment.

Again, not his best move.

“So, you really had no idea?”

“No.”

“And you just found out today?” 

“Yes.”

“You had to have known–”

“For the last time, Phoenix; no, I didn’t know and no offense, but this is really not helping my case here,” Hangman groans. He straightens his posture from where he was bent over the pool table and runs a stressed hand over his face. “I mean, what the hell am I supposed to do?”

The group of pilots share a look before collectively turning their gazes to Bob, who’d been distracted by the cup of peanuts in his hand. He looks up to find them all staring at him expectantly, hoping he could provide a voice of reason. 

“Don’t look at me, I’m not the one dating the admiral’s daughter.”

Hangman’s shoulders visibly deflate as he sets aside his pool cue. He sits on the bar stool across from Coyote, downing his drink in one go in an attempt to ground himself. 

“I just don’t get it,” Phoenix says. “You knew her last name, she told you her dad was in the Navy, and yet you never made the connection?”

In hindsight, there were so many clues that could’ve told Hangman that her dad was not just an admiral, but the admiral. She’d briefly mentioned him being a Naval aviator when they’d first met, but the weight of his accomplishments didn’t strike her as something to mention off-hand. She rarely talked about him after that first time and Hangman never wanted to push, assuming that they probably didn’t have the best relationship.

Oh, how wrong he was.

“In my defense, it’s a common last name,” Hangman counters weakly.

“In the entire country? Maybe,” Rooster says, grabbing the abandoned pool cue and lining up his own shot. “In the Navy? You should’ve known, dude.”

“Thanks,” Hangman states flatly as he glares at his friend. He fiddles with the glass in his hands, wishing that if he stared at it long enough it would magically refill itself. He definitely needed another drink.

Payback, ever the mediator, chooses this moment to step in. “Look, man, I don’t know what you want us to tell you. If this were any other admiral, I wouldn’t see a problem, but this is Hitchcock. We’ve all heard the stories, his daughter’s like his pride and joy.”

Hangman knew his friend was right. Admiral Wilson “Hitchcock” Hayes was, in layman’s terms, a hardass. He notoriously ruled with an iron fist and anyone that stepped out of line under his watchful eye would have hell to pay. His ever-present scowl and booming voice were enough to make a grown man cry, as evident to the poor lieutenant who had gotten in his way on a particularly bad day. The one exception to his icy exterior was his one and only daughter, affectionately referred to as Princess by her father’s colleagues.

Princess, who also happened to be Hangman’s girlfriend of nine months. Go figure.

“Isn’t he stationed in Virginia? The hell is he coming to San Diego for?” Fanboy asks.

“Her graduation,” Hangman explains, but even the slight twinge of pride he got from the thought of his girlfriend completing medical school wasn’t enough to dull his anxiousness. “And it’s not just him, her entire family is going to be here.”

“You mean–”

“Yup.”

Payback holds out his full beer bottle towards Hangman. “I think you might need this more than I do.”

He mumbles out a thanks and takes a swig.

“If I were you, I’d worry about her brothers first,” Rooster says. “Because right now, you’re severely outnumbered.”

Admiral Hayes was well-known in his own right, but the fact that all four of his sons were amongst the top 1% of aviators practically immortalized him in the eyes of the Navy. And while each Hayes’ brother was wildly different from the next, wanting to follow in their father’s footsteps was their unwavering common ground. This included a fierce and shared protectiveness over the youngest member of their family.

It was common sense to anyone stationed with a Hayes to never mention Princess in the presence of her brothers, let alone her father. Dating her was unquestionably off the table. Another young officer had learned that the hard way after attempting to flirt with her in front of her oldest brother, Wes, when she had come up to Virginia to visit. It was no surprise when that same lieutenant had shown up to base the next day with a black eye.

And Wes was known as the level-headed one.

Fanboy lets out a low whistle. “Dude, you’re fucked.”

Hangman nods gratefully at Phoenix as she drives her elbow into Fanboy’s ribcage.

“I can’t speak for the others, but Pops isn’t a bad guy,” Payback says, referring to Admiral Hayes’ oldest son. “We were in the same TOPGUN class. He’s a hell of a pilot.”

“Same goes for Junior,” Coyote pipes from his seat, talking the second oldest. “I was stationed with him before I came here.”

Phoenix turns to Bob and points. “Bob, weren’t you stationed with one of the Hayes’ in Lemoore? What was his callsign?”

“Oh, Mouse?” Bob says. “Yeah, he’s the youngest, I think. He’s fine. He’s just… quiet, I guess.”

“Well, that’s three out of four,” Fanboy counts, looking between everyone else. “Who’s the fourth?”

Hangman’s head snaps up and his eyes meet Rooster and Phoenix’s concerned gazes from across the pool table. He groans in realization, pressing a hand to his forehead to ease the tension that had built up. “Sparky.”

“Sparky?” Payback echoes.

“Griffin Hayes,” Phoenix explains. “He and Hangman had it out for each other in the Academy.”

“C’mon, it’s been years,” Rooster says, painfully optimistic. “Do you really think he’s still holding a grudge against him?”

Hangman stares at him blankly. “Did you?”

Rooster’s silence was all the confirmation he needed.

“Well, you and Rooster are on good terms now,” Bob says, ignoring their indifferent expressions. Good terms, but not great, one might say. “Who says you can’t do the same with this Sparky guy?”

Rooster and Phoenix share a look while Hangman sighs. “It’s not that easy.”

“Had it out for each other” was a gross understatement as to what their relationship actually was. Griffin “Sparky” Hayes was the thorn in Hangman’s side throughout his years at the Academy all the way to his stint at TOPGUN, making whatever petty beef he had with Rooster seem like child’s play in comparison. While Hangman and Rooster’s rivalry remained strictly professional, the riff between Hangman and Sparky bled into aspects of their everyday life. From the type of car they drove all the way to the girls they dated.

Hangman swore he never wanted to see the son of a bitch again after he’d successfully beaten Sparky out for the number one spot in their TOPGUN class. The feeling, as expected, was mutual.

Now, he needed to play nice or he could kiss his sweet girlfriend goodbye.

“Jake?”

Hangman perks up at the sound of Maya’s voice. She’s wearing the same apprehensive expression she had on when he’d first left her apartment as she shrunk under the gazes of the six other pilots with him.

In the nine months they’d been dating, Maya had only spent time with his squadron on a handful of occasions. Between her rounds at the hospital and finishing medical school, it was rare for her to have a weekend off. But when she did, she gladly accompanied Hangman to The Hard Deck. While the conversations never went deeper than surface level, they all got along well.

So, it was slightly awkward to have them all stare at her like she’d just entered riding on a unicorn.

“Hey guys,” she waves shyly. They return her gesture timidly, like they were afraid Hitchcock was going to pop up out of nowhere and berate them for not greeting his daughter properly.

Hangman removes himself from his bar stool and goes to stand in front of her, blocking them from her view. “Babe, what’re you doing here?”

“Can we talk?” she asks, sparing a glance at his friends. “Privately?”

A sick sense of déjà vu washes over him, instantly flashing back to when she’d said a variation of those words not even an hour ago and how that conversation had ended. It doesn’t stop him from placing a hand on the small of her back and leading her away from the multiple pairs of prying eyes. He walks them out to the back patio of The Hard Deck, embracing the slight chill of the early evening. When he notices her slight shiver, he silently curses himself for not having a jacket to give her.

Boyfriend of the year award, he thinks. 0 for 2, Bagman.

“I am so sorry for walking out earlier, I don’t know what I was thinking,” he starts off, grabbing her hands in his larger ones to warm them up. 

“I don’t blame you, to be honest,” she says. “I did kind of drop a bomb on you.”

A massive, extremely explosive atomic bomb. But a bomb, nonetheless.

“It was just… unexpected, I guess,” he says. Understatement of the century. “I also wish I’d known a little sooner.”

“I know,” she groans, retracting her hands from his and burying her face in them. “I just didn’t want things to change between us.”

He pries her hands away from her face so he could look her in the eye. “You really think I would treat you any differently?”

“Aren’t you already? I mean, you saw how your friends looked at me in there like I was some mythical creature,” she says, gesturing towards the window. 

Hangman spares a glance back to the group of pilots, who’d conveniently made their way over to the piano sometime in the past five minutes. They were not at all subtle in the way they were trying to eavesdrop on their conversation. He catches Rooster’s eye, who turns away immediately as he scratches the back of his neck. The rest follow suit as they feign different levels of nonchalance. 

“Hell, you walked out right after I told you,” she points out.

Hangman grimaces. She got him there. “Again, not my best move.”

“Look, I love my dad and my brothers, but I also love you,” she says, laying an affectionate hand on his cheek. “And I know I’ve put you in an impossible position. It’s not what you signed up for.”

Maya, usually the epitome of confidence, had never looked smaller as she delivered her words so mechanically. Almost like she was repeating them from memory, like someone had said them to her before. Hangman’s heart breaks at the idea of his girlfriend being told those words as someone decided that she wasn’t worth the risk.

“What are you saying?” Hangman asks, almost certain he knew where the conversation was going.

“I’m offering you an out,” Maya sighs. “You don’t have to do this.”

In any other scenario, he would’ve viewed her proposition as a cop-out. He would’ve been upset that she was giving up before letting him have a chance to prove himself. He would’ve been upset that she was running away from him. But he could see the vulnerability hiding beneath the surface. She was offering him the out because that’s the way everyone else had taken.

Hangman’s decision is a no brainer. He wanted to show her that she was worth fighting for. 

“I love you and I made you a promise, didn’t I?” he says, bringing his hands up to cradle her face. “Like I said, there is absolutely nothing that can scare me away from you.”

Hopefully, those wouldn’t be his famous last words.

But he knows he made the right decision when her face lights up with a mixture of happiness and relief. She leans up and kisses him, wrapping her arms around his waist. His arms move around her shoulders when she pulls away, placing a firm kiss on her forehead.

“I love you.” Hangman repeats as he places another kiss on her head. “And I can’t wait to meet ‘em.”

“I love you, too,” she says, beaming at him. “They’re going to love you in no time.”

If only things were that easy.

Tags:

@kajjaka @ollyoxenfrees @the-romanian-is-bae @bookaholics-stuff @desert-fern @fayethefairy @dreamtrydoforkinggood @smoothdogsgirl​ 

[only-lonely-stars]

Hair As Gold As Straw (Chapter 2 - Moving Underground)

[Prologue] // [Chapter 1 of 9] // [Chapter 2 of 9 - you are here!] // [Chapter 3 of 9] – (FFN) (AO3)

Part of the @ninjago-fairy-tale-au!

Summary:

Once upon a time, Princess Vania of Shintaro lived in an ivory castle in an ivory city. Her father, King Vangelis, kept her safe in her tower, where no one could hurt her and she could not hurt herself... until the day when she ran away. A Colania Snow White retelling.

Chapter summary:

The adventure of a lifetime has begun, and Vania must find her place in a completely new environment.

Vania, Grendle, and the other Geckles trekked through the caves for a time, before coming to a great pair of doors, which towered over all of them. Vania stared up at them, and she felt small, already regretting leaving home for this cold, unwelcoming world. The doors loomed ominously.

Grendle knocked on the doors. "A stranger has come into the caverns and must come before the Parliament!" he cried.

"Bring him in!" another voice called from inside. "Let him speak before Chancellor Gulch!"

The doors creaked open, and the other two Geckles took Vania's arms, pulling her inside. Once she entered, doors slammed shut behind them.

Inside the doors laid an enormous cavern, riddled with stalactites that glowed with moss. Inside, three large structures sat; on either side was a row of stands filled with seats, and between them a third with only one seat. Each of the two side stands was filled with Geckles, while one with a sash, seemingly the chancellor, sat at the third. He stood up.

"Grendle! Who is this man?"

Vania stepped forwards. "My name is Princess Vania of Shintaro, Chancellor." The Geckles murmured amongst themselves. "My father, King Vangelis, has kept me trapped in the palace for years, and I escaped down here into your caves."

"Harrumph! You are not a man, you are a woman! You say you are a princess from above the mountain, seeking refuge?" Gulch asked.

"Yes, I am."

"Why should we believe you are from above, and not a Munce spy?"

"What is a Munce?" Vania asked. "I don't know what that is."

"I move to accept that she is not a Munce!" a voice cried out, and the crowd of purple men began throwing rocks at one of the ones in the stands. The chancellor put up his hand.

"Very well! We are in agreement; she is not a Munce!" The chancellor stood up. "We accept that you are from above the mountain. I move to let her take up residence in the eastern caverns!" He was pelted with pebbles. "It is decided!"

-----

Vania looked around the enormous caverns. Gems glittered in the ceiling, and stalactites glowed with moss. In the walls, black stone veined with glowing orange peeked through, giving off a faintly diffused light. Geckle homes were scattered throughout, build into the side of one of the walls, opposite a large passageway that closed with tall, wooden doors. They piled up like boulders and were built from stone and mortar, grey and black rock melding together so unlike the ways of the Shintarans.

Throughout the cavern, various tools were scattered; pickaxes, ropes, wheelbarrows and buckets were only a few. Rubble was piled and scattered in every corner and crevice, sparkling with mica and chips of gemstones that contrasted against the dull rock. All was grey and dull except for them and the moss.

After she entered, Gleck found Vania and showed her around the caverns. They were inseparable, like in childhood. He told her about how the Geckles lived in their stone homes. He showed her their gemstone mine and where they harvested the moss milk, which they found so delicious. He explained how they lived underground, never needing to see the sun. Finally, he showed her the home where she would stay, right next to his.

Once he had shown her everything, Vania asked him a question that had tormented her.

"Why are all of the homes on this wall, Gleck? They look like they're running away from the passageway."

"Because the Munce live in that direction." Gleck pointed at the doors. "The passageway divides us. We are not meant to go anywhere near them."

"But why? Are they fearsome people?"

"Oh, yes! I am not scared of them, but the others are." He frowned. "They say they are treacherous and steal the gems we mine for their own. They are said to have stolen an ancient blade!"

"Why do they say that?" Vania asked.

"I do not know. The blades are only a legend. It is a rivalry as old as the mountain." Gleck sighed. "You may go to meet them, if you wish, but I would not advise that."

Their conversation ended quickly, as Gleck went to introduce Vania to several of his friends. Grit and Gipper were both Gleck's neighbors, and they would be Vania's too. They were friendly, but they both affirmed that the Munce were bad. Vania's interest was piqued.

-----

Late the next night, Vania snuck out of her new stone home. She slipped through the passage to the Munce caverns, padding silently through the cold stone walkway. The gems in the ceiling twinkled, but the moss began to disappear, being replaced by furry lichen. Eventually, she came to an identical pair of doors, and slipped through them to see another enormous cavern.

The Munce lived very differently from the Geckles, in terraced layers of mud and stone buildings. Their homes reached to the ceiling, and there were ladders dug into the sides of the walls. All over the floors, there were weapons and mining tools strewn. Bones were cluttered in corners, and piles of dirt and debris were everywhere.

A large, teal creature came out of one of the buildings. It stretched and yawned loudly. Several others followed it out, clearly just waking up. Vania watched as they picked up pickaxes and clubs and headed into another cavern.

Vania quietly followed them and peeked into the second cavern. This one was as large as the Geckle parliament, but instead of their structure, it had an enormous banquet table. At the end of the cave was a throne on a pedestal, where a clearly female Munce sat. She was attended by several others, and as more Munce entered, they took their places at the table. As they slowly woke up, they slowly became more aggressive, starting to fight over meaningless things. Eventually the table was full.

"Munce! Today, we mine! Murt and Muckle, you hunt!" the queen announced. Two Munce in particular started cheering, but she glared at them and their neighbors hit them on the head.

Vania watched their proceedings, slowly creeping out of hiding. Eventually the queen looked up toward her and scowled.

"Intruder!" She pointed at Vania. "Who are you!?"

Vania stepped back. "I am Vania. I'm sorry for intruding."

"Sorry, schmorry. Why are you here?" the queen demanded.

"I was curious."

The Munce began muttering to each other, kicking up a ruckus. The queen silenced them with a glare. "You are no Geckle."

"No, but they took me in."

"And you are here to spy on us Munce for those traitorous Geckles, blade stealers?"

"No!" Vania put up her hands. "I wanted to know who you were, that is all."

One of the ones on the ground walked up to her, and he pointed at the doors. "Geckles are not good like Munce."

"They've been good to me. My friend told me that the rivalry is meaningless."

"They are sneaky! Bad Geckles. They are said to lie with every breath. You trust them?"

"Yes. I think you are wrong. Why do you not trust them?"

"We trust them enough," the queen said. "Go back to the Geckles! Do not trouble us."

The other Munce led her out of the cavern to the doors.

"I am Murt. You are not Geckle, and Geckles are not bad."

Vania smiled. "Thank you, Murt. Perhaps we will see each other again?"

"Maybe. We mine with the Geckles, so maybe there."

Vania slipped back to the Geckle caverns unnoticed, and that was the end of that.

-----

Over the next several months, Vania lived in harmony with the Geckles. The Geckles and Munce worked together sometimes in the mines, and Vania met the other Munce. Murt introduced her to his friends Mimble and Molt. Vania introduced them to her Geckle friends, and somehow they became friends, too. They even found a friend– a baby dragon that Vania named Chompy. The seven of them– Chompy, Murt, Mimble, Molt, Gleck, Grit, and Gipper– became inseparable, and Vania often joined them.

Life was good in the caverns below the mountain once the Geckles and Munce united. Vania never once was trapped; she was allowed to go anywhere she pleased and do anything she wished. Unlike her life in Shintaro, she saw no beautiful artwork or read books– instead, she mined with the Geckles and Munce, singing work songs with a great heigh-ho. She never once looked back, only once considering going back to Shintaro; while she was more than happy to live her life in the caves, it wasn't like her life above, so was it worth staying?

She disregarded the idea. Going back to her father would mean she would have to face her father's punishment– even more captivity, or worse. She did not want to face that.

For the moment, life for Princess Vania was good… but she knew it sadly couldn't last.

[whomst-art-thou-whomst-whomst]

Unbury the Bones: a Beyond Evil x Detroit Become Human fic

Prologue:

The first android police officers had been active in Seoul, and they largely stayed there. Everyone in Manyang knew that. They also knew that Lee Dongsik’s partner, some young kid who’d managed to stick it out with that lunatic, had gotten killed during a hostage situation one wet August night while Dongsik was still stuck in traffic. In his absence, the order was given to send in a negotiator, and that negotiator had been an android. No one really liked to talk about what had happened next.

Still, it wasn’t like Lee Dongsik had to worry about any of that now he had moved back to Manyang amidst dubious welcome. Androids weren’t a common thing around here. It seemed inconceivable that people in town would want—or need—that kind of assistance in their lives, which was what androids were supposedly for. It wasn’t just the cost (although with the increase in models and popularities, cheaper ones were coming on the market all the time), androids risked a hostile welcome in their little town—the damn androids took jobs, even farm jobs, and lucrative work was hard enough to come by around here. They didn’t complain, didn’t organize unions, could work for days with no decline in their job performance. And they looked so lifelike. It was creepy.

The exception proving the rule was the early-model, battered-looking android that had worked at the grocery store for years, and there were still those who gave it a wide berth—although general consensus was that this was a good thing for Kang Jin-mook, to have some reliable help at the store—what with that loud, flighty daughter of his spending her teens messing around town before swanning off to school in Seoul.

It was concern for Jin-mook that caused Park Jeong-je and Chief Nam to chip in for an RSAA90 for the grocer’s birthday the year that Min-jeong started high school (“this should count for at least the next ten birthdays,” the chief had joked), and despite his obvious initial apprehension, Jin-mook and “Helper” had settled into business just fine. RSAA90 models were built for customer service and light manual labor along with basic cleaning skills, and within a few months the bot’s cheery round face (Jae-Yi claimed it resembled Shindong from the early years of Super Junior) had become such a familiar sight making deliveries around town that older residents often forgot Helper was an android and urged it to stop in to have a drink during its rounds.

No one had dreamed the police in Manyang would get an android. For one thing, why would they need one? The station was over-staffed for the crime they didn’t have, as the most recent case had involved a drunk bar patron instigating a fight after someone had tried to turn down ahis favorite trot song on the radio; this had ended in a broken chair, some tears, and the bar’s new rule (made entirely in petty spite) of playing idol music only.

How would a programmed police android, destined for the violence and population of a city, even know how to deal with the quirks of small-town life? It sounded like a burden, rather than a gift. But Han Kihwan had been insistent in bestowing the HAN1020 on Manyang, where word had it he’d once lived briefly.

Even if the townspeople hadn’t largely disowned their former son twenty years ago, it was unlikely anyone would have dared to tell Lee Dongsik that an android was going to be his new partner on the force.

[smellsblood-if]

Hello everyone 👋 🫂

I'm back and I'm alive and no, Smells blood is not dead ALTHOUGH I feel bad for disappearing on you like that. I've had a rough year, like I assume many of you have as well, but I love this project with my whole heart and I've been chipping away at it slowly.

I'll be returning for good on March once I have the template done and hopefully publish the prologue to get a taste of the game around the same time. I know you've been waiting a long time for this but I have nothing to say except I'm sorry and that I've been too mentally exhausted to be putting myself out there.

I look forward to interacting with everyone again 💙

[thegreatcaptainusopp]

The Seer

Ao3 link

Prologue, Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3

Chapter 4: Pray, Pray, Be Strong

It’s hazy for a while.

He’s pretty sure he wakes up again screaming, and everything else around him is screaming too: his head is screaming, the people around him are shouting orders, tugging at him in all directions, his skin is screaming, and his eyes, oh god, his eyes…

He stops screaming when his throat runs dry and he can’t get a sound out anymore, but it’s still going in his head as people lift him, move him, and start poking, and then he feels something in his face explode and, mercifully, everything goes blank again.

He thinks he passes out again, feels time passing in waves: here arms go under his back and lift him into the air, here his back hits something springy and cool, here there’s something pressing into his face, tight, tight, until there’s a little pinch at his arm which causes all awareness to flee yet again.

He probably wakes up a couple more times after that (hands going up to his face before being yanked back, almost falling out of something before he’s wrestled back in, both followed by the now familiar prick on the arm), but it’s not until he shakes awake one final time with a deep breath and a shudder that he knows that he’s finally achieved full awareness.

Except…

His throat is dry and his head aches and there’s something wrapped around his eyes. He panics, thinking it’s a blindfold, and reaches out to take it off and see where he is…

A hand grabs his own. “Stop that,” He hears, and it’s the soft voice of Cantor, the Vance Pirates’ doctor. “You need to leave that alone.”

Usopp breathes out slowly. “My head hurts,” He says.

There’s a silence. “You seem more…aware, than you’ve been up til now,” Cantor says, carefully removing his hands from Usopp’s. “But you’re still very weak. You need time to recover.”

Usopp’s hand fall weakly back to his sides. “Can you take the blindfold off?” He asks.

Another silence. “You still need it there,” Cantor says. “Go to sleep. Rest.”

Usopp sleeps.

-

Chopper waits.

It’s approaching twilight in the Flying Fish Raiders base, and Camie had sent out her fish to investigate the seas a few hours prior. They should be back any moment now, according to her. They should know soon enough if the Vance pirates are close by. And if they are…it’ll be time to go. Finally.

He plays with his hooves nervously as he waits. He’s been doing that a lot recently, and he can see they’ve been a little chipped. But he can’t help it. He’s been nervous a lot as of late.

Zoro sits across from him, leaning against the deck of the Sunny. His head is resting on the wood, arms crossed, eyes closed. He looks to be dead to the world, totally relaxed. But Chopper knows he’s the exact opposite: his shoulders are tense, his eyes flutter under their lids. He smells of nerves. He’s just better at keeping it under control.

Chopper wishes he had Zoro’s control. He feels like all he’s been doing for the few weeks since the Vance pirates had attacked the Sunny is worry loudly. Sitting there, waiting for news, waiting to be useful in any way that he can be.

But he can’t right now. The time Chopper is going to come of use is when they actually find Usopp, when they’re going to need serious medical intervention. Because, after all this time, with seriously bad pirates? Usopp is probably going to be injured to some degree. Chopper just hopes it isn’t too serious, and that he’s not hurting too badly. And that he’s being fed enough and being given enough water. And that he isn’t sick, or scared, and that whatever happens that Chopper can heal everything okay when they get him back…

“Chopper.”

He flinches. “Zoro?” He squeaks, looking across.

“You need to calm down,” Zoro says. His eyes are open now, looking across at him with a steady stare. He gestures down at his hooves.

Chopper looks down, sees he’s been rubbing them together again. “Sorry,” He says, putting his hooves down. “I’ll stop that.”

“No-” Zoro interrupts himself, then lets out a quick sigh. “Come here.”

A little scared he’s going to be lectured, Chopper timidly gets up and plods across to Zoro’s spot. He plops down next to him, head down. “Sorry,” He says again. “I’m just, you know. I’m worried. About Usopp. It’s silly, I know, but I can’t help it.”

“Don’t apologize,” Zoro says, and Chopper lifts his head up in surprise. “That’s normal. We’re all worried about Usopp. It’s just…you’re worrying alone, in your own head. You’re stressing yourself out, and that’s not good for you.”

Chopper feels himself start to tear up. “I know,” He says. “I can’t help it. He’s probably in a lot of trouble. I just…I just want him to be okay. You know. I just want to find him.”

Zoro nods. “Yeah,” He says simply. “That’s all true. He probably is not doing too well right now. But, look. We got this far, right? We’ll probably get the news soon about where he is. And then we can go get him and help him with whatever he needs. And hopefully it’ll get better from there.”

“You think?” Chopper asks hopefully.

“Yeah,” Zoro says. “Look. Life at sea is dangerous. We know this. Usopp does too. But he has us. And he has you. And if he’s hurt, you’ll help him recover. And we can move on to what we were meant to do out here.”

Zoro always knows how to make things sound so simple. It’s honestly like magic. “You’re right,” Chopper says, nodding firmly. “Whatever it is, we can help him recover. Right?”

“Right,” Zoro nods approvingly. “We just need to wait for a little longer for news-”

Just as the words leave his mouth, they hear Camie shout from across the ship.

“We’ve found him! They’re close by! Really close by!”

A collective yell ripples across the straw hats, and they all stagger to their feet to run over to Camie. “See?” Zoro says, as he helps Chopper to his feet. “What did I tell you?”

Chopper feels a wide smile pull at his mouth. “Yeah,” He says, trotting after Zoro. “You were right.”

-

The next time Usopp wakes up, it’s to raising voices.

“…not ready yet,” He hears Cantor say, gently yet firmly. “He’s only just started recovery, and if you push him too hard-”

“We don’t have time as it is,” And that’s Vance, and his voice acts like a bolt of electricity through Usopp’s spine. “There’s war on the horizon, if you recall, and now would be our best chance to-”

He doesn’t get to finish his sentence before the electricity down Usopp’s spine snaps him upwards. He bolts up, gasping, probably interrupting whatever conversation is happening in his vicinity.

“-and it seems that we won’t have to discuss this further,” Vance’s voice washes over him as he gasps, trying to gain control of his pounding heart. “Usopp has very kindly taken the conversation forward. How are you doing, Usopp? Feeling better, I hope?”

Usopp’s hands scramble over surroundings (a cot?) before hitting empty air. He swivels to the side hurriedly, trying to hop off whatever he’s lying on, until he feels a hand hit his chest and push him back. “No,” Cantor’s voice says. “Remember, Usopp? You still need to recover. See, Captain? He’s not ready.”

“Seems ready to me,” Vance remarks. “He’s sitting up and everything. Usopp, I suppose I have to start with an apology, and I do mean that. But time is of the essence, and we need something from you sooner rather than later.”

“Captain,” Cantor says, and Usopp takes the opportunity to try and tug at his blindfold again. “No!” Cantor says sharply, tugging Usopp’s hands away. “Usopp, you can’t touch that yet. You’re still healing.”

Usopp frowns, wincing at it tugs at his eyes. “What do you mean by-?”

And that’s when he remembers.

Usopp gasps, hands scrambling towards the blindfold (bandages) again. “What did you do to me?” He moans, tugging at the bandages. “What did you do? How could you? How could you?”

“I warned you,” Vance’s voice says, as Cantor forces his hands away again. “I told you again and again that you wouldn’t like the consequences. And trust me, I didn’t want to do it this way either. I tried. But you forced my hand.”

Usopp starts to feel dizzy, which he didn’t know was possible in the dark. “You blinded me,” He says, the words echoing in the blackness. “I can’t…I won’t be able to see when these are gone. I can’t see anymore.”

“Most writings about the Second Sight note that it is…further developed or hastened into development when the Seer has no original sight to rely on,” Vance’s voice seems to echo, as if from a distance. “So, we’re forcing it. Once you begin to rely on it, you’ll be able to control it quite quickly.”

He feels Cantor push at him back, but he resists. “You’re crazy,” He breathes, two heartbeats away from a panic attack. “I told you, again and again I told you, I don’t have visions. They don’t exist. You took away my sight for something that doesn’t even exist.”

Vance sighs, as if exasperated. “You’re still at that, huh?”

“Still at th-” Usopp feels the panic in his chest, shift, mutate to anger. To rage. “You son of a bitch!” He roars suddenly, pushing drunkenly off the cot. “You ruined my life, you stupid bastard! And for what? A stupid fucking fairy tale you tell yourself to make yourself feel better about your own fucking powerlessness.”

It’s like the rage of the past few weeks, hell, the last few years, is all pouring out of him all at once. He can’t stop.

“Well guess fucking what? Welcome to the world! Where everything around you is strong and you aren’t. You know what you do with that? You deal. You don’t hurt other people just to feel better about yourself!”

And here he lunges, directionless, trying to hit at something, anything…

His hand hits wall and he bounces back, balance gone, before a strong pair of arms catches him under the shoulders and drops him back where he was sitting. “Get out!” He hears Cantor bark, and a familiar prick of pain is at his shoulder. “He still needs time!”

“Told you,” He hears, and that’s Ranger. “He was going to freak out. Understandably, but still.”

“I suppose,” Vance again. “Hopefully, next time will be a little more-”

Usopp doesn’t even notice when he passes out this time. It’s all the same dark.

-

When Usopp wakes up next, the dark still hasn’t faded.

It probably never will, now, he knows. The dark will always be there. For however long he’s with the Vance Pirates, the darkness will follow. If (when, please when) Luffy finds him, the darkness will-

Luffy. Oh god. Luffy.

The realization brings Usopp vertical again, so quickly he feels like he’s going to vomit. Luffy. How is he going to face him? How is he going to face everyone?

Well. He won’t face them, will he? That’s the whole problem, isn’t it? He’s never going to see those faces again. Luffy’s smile, the Jolly Roger on the Sunny, Chopper running around the deck playing-

Chopper.

Usopp is brought back to earth with a thud. Chopper. Of course! How could he forget? Chopper, who wants to cure everything the world has got to offer. If anyone can help him, it’s Chopper.

He almost feels bad for forgetting. Sorry Chopper, He says in his head. Please forgive me. I never meant to doubt you.

The darkness is temporary. It has to be.

Okay, Usopp tells himself. You just have to hold on until Luffy and everyone gets you back. Then, everything will be okay again.

There. Easy.

But, for now, Usopp needs to survive until the others come back. And to do that, he needs to keep himself together.

He feels a story itch at his mind. Perfect timing. “Once upon a time,” He begins, and man, does it feel loud in the darkness of his own head. “There was a young girl who was all alone in the world. She was surrounded on all sides by older, angry, dangerous men, all with their own powers and their ambitions. All she wanted to do, however, was to see her father.”

It’s not so bad, whispering the story in the dark. Instead of being told to his old creaky house, or empty cell, it’s inside the walls of his own head. At least here, the space is his. “Because, you see, she had a power, deep within her. She thought it came from a devil fruit, but it was a lie. What she had was instead the result of something like a devil fruit, something that was being tested to help maybe remove the need for devil fruits entirely.”

“So she searched and searched, looking high and low, trying to find her father in time for her birthday. But what she didn’t know was he hadn’t left to hurt her. He had left to protect her life and her dreams. He loved her so much, he would lose himself so that she could live.”

“When she finally found him, it was too late. He had already lost himself, and she was angry, and she was scared. But, when it seemed most impossible, he recognized her. He recognized her, and he smiled. He recognized her, and he protected her when she needed it the most.”

Usopp sighs sadly as the story releases its hold. It has been a sad one, but hopeful.

“Well,” He hears from to his immediate left, and jumps so hard he almost topples over. “That was…an interesting story. I think you’ll make the Captain very happy indeed.”

Usopp feels sweat break out on his forehead. “Lark?” He asks meekly.

“Usopp,” He hears, serious in tone. “Apologies for your suffering, but. What you’ve provided now may have just helped save many, many people. I can assure you, if you keep helping us like this, we’ll take care of you.”

He says nothing, hearing footsteps echo as they step out of his room. He hadn’t even noticed they were in the room with him in the first place.

He raises his hands to his bandaged eyes. “Dammit,” He whispers, resting his fingers lightly on the rough surface. “Dammit.”

-

“Okay,” Luffy says, when the sun has sunk below the horizon. “Here’s the plan.”

Chopper sits up straight, nerves and anticipation battling in his head. Everyone else seems to be in a similar state of mind, all crowded closely around Luffy, waiting for orders, like a canon about to be fired.

“Camie said that the ship is about twelve hours away from here,” Luffy says, arms crossed, stance confident. “And that they’ll pass by on their way to Sabaody. So, when that happens, we catch them by surprise. We jump on board and we get Usopp out. Any questions?”

There’s a beat of silence. Then..

“Any more details?” Nami asks, exasperated. “Like, is there going to be a group looking for Usopp and a group that fights? Do we have any ideas about how to handle their specific powers? Or how to escape?”

Luffy snaps his fingers, pointing at Nami. “Great questions!” He says happily, turning back to the group. “Obviously, I’ll take on the Captain. Captain always fights the Captain. As for everything else…any ideas?”

A collective tired sigh echoes from the group. “Typical,” Sanji mutters, before Robin steps in.

“I think you should fight the Captain, Luffy,” She says. “That’s a good idea. You might be able to counteract whatever power he has, should he try to use it. As for the woman with the clones,” She turns back to the group. “I believe Brook and I will be able to handle her together. All her clones dissipate with one hit, and if we can keep that going until we find the real one, we may be able to keep her at bay.”

“Yes!” Luffy says. “Great! Who’s next?”

“I’ll take the Hide Hide fruit user,” Zoro says. “Since I know what’s going on there, I’ll be able to counteract the unseeable weapon much more easily.”

“Nami-San and I can help Robin-Chan’s team or the marimo’s, as needed,” Sanji adds. “We can also handle the rest of the crew and keep them at bay so everyone can concentrate on their fights.”

“How about me?” Franky pipes up.

“You, Franky,” Robin says. “Might be best suited to go find Usopp. You’ll be able to remove him from any contraption they have him in and should be able to easily carry him to safety.”

Franky strikes a pose. “I’ll be sure to perform a SUPER rescue!” He enthuses. “I’ll get him back on the ship and then set off a flare so you all know to come back right away!”

Luffy claps excitedly. “Yeah!” He says. “Wow! My crew is so smart and so cool! This is the best rescue ever!”

“We’ll need to escape,” Nami interrupts. “So I think I have an idea for that. As we leave, Franky, can you make sure to shoot something that’ll damage their ship enough so that we can get away without them instantly following us? If they catch us after, especially since they can go invisible, this’ll have all been for nothing.”

“Yes,” Robin adds. “This way, we can continue to Sabaody without them knowing our destination, and carry on with our journey as scheduled.”

Franky nods. “Yes! I can shoot at their most critical points…getting around the ship will give a good idea of where those are too!”

“I think that’s everything!” Luffy says, before Chopper raises his hoof. Luffy points at him. “Yes, Chopper?”

“What about me?” Chopper asks. “What do I do?”

“Easy!” Luffy says. “You have the most important job of all. You have to wait on the ship for Franky to bring Usopp so that you can work on him right away!”

Chopper’s hood descends slowly, ears drooping. “But…can’t I join in on the rescue? Won’t I be useful?”

“Of course you would!” Luffy says, disbelieving. “You always would be! But Usopp needs you most right now, so you have to be ready for him right away. Like I said, you have the most important job, and that’s making sure Usopp is going to be okay. I’m counting on you Chopper, okay? Make Usopp better for us?”

Sometimes, Chopper knows they don’t tell him things. He knows that they look at him and see a child, and he’s never had that before, and it fills him with a warmth he never knew existed. But sometimes, it makes him feel like they shield him more than they should, protect him from things they don’t need to protect him from. He is a doctor, after all, and he’s seen more than they could even imagine.

This, however, is not one of these times. This time, Chopper knows that Luffy means it.

Chopper nods fiercely. “I promise!” He tells Luffy, he tells them all. “I promise everyone, I will do whatever it takes to bring Usopp back to you. You can trust me with him!”

Everyone nods at him, and Chopper feels the responsibility settle onto his shoulders. It’s the best burden he’ll ever have.

Luffy nods, clapping his hands again. “Okay, I think that’s everything. In twelve hours, we will start Operation: Save Usopp! Let’s get our friend back!”

Cheers go around the ship, and Chopper just knows that everything is going to be alright.

-

Usopp isn’t left alone at all after that.

Vance’s mood seems to have shifted completely after his…supposed prophecy. Once confident but calm, he’s now full of frantic energy, excited, but another level of unhinged.

Usopp can hear him all the time now, flitting at different points in what he’s now realized is the Vance pirates medical bay. “Tell us a story, Usopp,” He says frequently, sometimes coming up right to Usopp’s ear. “Do you have something to say?”

Most of the time, Usopp doesn’t. Since he knows everyone’s coming, he’s circled back to being scared, being cautious. “No,” He almost always mutters. “Not this time.”

Sometimes, Usopp will hear another member in the room, speaking to Vance or pleading with him to go back outside, or to attend to some responsibility. It’s a no, every time.

“Did you hear?” He’d say, frantic energy suffusing his voice. “He mentioned something that might take down devil fruits. We’re on the right track!”

Once, when Katherine came in to plead with her captain, she approached Usopp too. Bending down to his ear, she had breathed in a quick “sorry,” before leaving the room again. He hadn’t responded to her at all.

It’s hours later that Usopp lifts his head, and the shuffling from the other side of the room stops. “What is it?” Vance asks, at his ear again. “What did you see?”

Usopp feels a grin, large and insane, break across his face. He giggles, high and loud.

“What?” He feels Vance’s breath across his face. “What is it?”

“The pirates,” Usopp says, breaking into laughter again. “The pirates are coming. The pirates are coming!”

Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9, Chapter 10

[starryqueen-18]

Friends of Mr. Puzzles: Prologue P.P.O.V (Puzzles Point of View)

Here's a prologue of this story where Mr. Puzzles uses the power of friendship for his evil plan. in this Prologue Mr. Puzzles was defeated but somehow he suddenly wounded up in a different world...I must warn you guys, it may not be best but I hope you guys enjoy.. now without further ado let's begin the prologue.

Mr. Puzzles, yes that's right the guy with a TV for a face and the one who's been a torment for a long time, but Thanks to SMG4 he and his crew have defeated the TV man when he was about to overthrown the comedy zone and all was saved.

Time has passed many days, we see the same truck Mr. Puzzles is still in, the truck drove for months and months, the tv man in a box is looking at some stuff on social media while of course feeling peeved off of being defeated by SMG4 once again, somehow the red plumber Mario helps the crew screw up Mr. Puzzles plans despite his silliness. Now he lost everything, the comedy zone, his chance of ruling the world and most of all his best friend Leggy all of times they spent together voyaging through the meme factory and saving each other's skins if it weren't Mario and SMG4 and crew, he and Leggy could've take over the Comedy Zone and rule the world with an iron fist...but no Mario ruined everything.....All those flash backs of failure continue to display one for hours like one of those shows that show you the flashbacks of the characters actions, when suddenly the vehicle started hit on some bump in the road that caused the box to fly off the truck.

Mr. Puzzles barely heard nor feel the truck move until he realised he was thrown off into the road, he got out of the box and frustratedly dust off the dirt off his dashing clothes and decided to walk instead since his ride left him ."hmph guess I shall just shuck it on foot." he said but as he started walking, well let's just say his day got lot more cringy-er than his defeat, well first of all it started raining he pulled out his puzzle patterned umbrella and continues his way but a randomly large gust of wind blew the umbrella along with Mr. Puzzles up and away, he flew and flew up all the way to the clouds, the TV man felt a little bit of heavy negativity blown away as soon as he felt the breeze brushed out his frustrations and his anger of his enemies.

"huh, suddenly I feel my stress and problems drifting away." and he was right, it really does feel like the stress and the problems are drifting..literaly, well that's because Mr. Puzzles is blown into a tornado that seem quite familiar it reminds one of the same tornado from the wizard of Oz except there's no house or animals, well there was a flying cow, Mr. Puzzles tried to hang on as long as he could but the force was so strong it drove Puzzles in large circles around and around and around the big twister until *crash*.

Mr. Puzzles suddenly awoke after a random bird pecked his screen almost cracking it, he shooed away the bird and got up, "well that bird better chipped off my screen." he angrily said to himself while checking the mirror for any cracks or chips, ship shake and handsome, not a crack in sight, the TV man sighed in relief and did like any guy would do, he did a smile and wink like he's getting ready for a date. His umbrella however took a little toll of injuries from the tornado, Puzzles picked up the umbrella and sighed, "I spent a grand fortune on that umbrella!" The TV man looked around his surroundings, this isn't the SMG4 world anymore.

this place is roaming with characters, characters that are from TV shows, movies to video games and mobile app games, as if this is some kind of central of all characters, then Mr. Puzzles noticed a sign that said: Welcome to Fandom World.

"Fandom World?" Puzzles asked himself, he looked around the place once again "so this must be the place where all the characters live, how peculiar." just then there some Minecraft wolves came walking by until they notice Mr. Puzzles, The TV guy looked at the wolves "Shoo! you dogs shoo!"

The Minecraft wolves starred at Puzzles for a moment until they decided to take a leak for they thought that Mr. Puzzles is a fire hydrant, Puzzles quickly moves away before his clothes get painted. “Wha- HEY!! Bad dogs bad, shoo off you mutts!” Puzzles hit the wolves when suddenly, the minecraft wolves went mad and snarled at Puzzles, “Oh dear eheheh uh..good doggies?” the wolves growled and barked even louder so Mr. Puzzles got up and dashed out of here, the wolves chased after him, the whole chase montage began, we que the funny chasing music as Puzzles run for his handsome life for he fears the worse to come as the minecraft wolves dashes closer to the TV man, after a long run he suddenly came across a hiding spot, a patch of bushes, Mr. Puzzles instantly hid in and kept quiet. 

The wolves took some sniffs and search on the bushes until the left, Mr. Puzzles sighed relief he did a silence victory but just then he notice a big huge building in front of him, it looked like a big castle pastelly painted, this castle looked like a little kingdom until he noticed the sign that said: Fandom Palace home of Queen Fairy

Puzzles shocked and not because he’s in the royal garden, he’s standing in the gardens of the palace that belongs to a fairy, he walked to the entrance and was about to knock the door when suddenly the door opened so he instantly hid away in the bushes.  

There are people coming out of the palace, there’s a guy wearing blue and white sweater, brown pants with yellow suspenders,yes that’s Jesse from Minecraft Story Mode, next is a polar bear wearing a blue outfit and he’s wearing a captains hat he must be Captain Barnacles from The Octonauts, there’s also these two twins and one of them has red headphones,they must be Henry Stickmin The legendary stickmin and the other is Charles Calvin,  an emo looking paper doll that looked like a king that has to be King Olly from the Origami King and  now another emo but a gingerbread man with glasses that’s Espresso Cookie from Cookie Run Kingdom, they seem to be from video games and tv shows but then Puzzles noticed there’s someone else, there’s a girl talking with those characters, could she be Queen Fairy?

She seems human, not like one of those so called fandoms, and she doesn’t seem to be a fairy, perhaps she’s from another world for say, he’s all a bit confused by all this, who is this person? Is that Queen Fairy? He heard them talking to each other til he heard Jesse called that girl Queen Fairy, then more Questions were asked to self, “how is that girl a queen? And more importantly where are her wings?!” Mr. Puzzles decided to stay and keep an eye on the fandoms and especially this Queen Fairy girl. “Hmm that Queen Fairy girl, she doesn’t seem to be around here yet she’s with those characters. Perhaps I should continue my voyage here in the fandom world… but it wouldn’t hurt to spy on her and her fandom characters, I mean I spy on SMG4 million times so what harm could it be, after all, I have a feeling that this girl might be special for some reason.” Puzzles said to himself and so Mr. Puzzles decided to stay and spy them, still remaining in the bushes trying not to be seen.

[sackclothandasdfjkl]

Reading a thriller where at the exact midpoint, it reveals the prologue was actually a flash forward (and not indicated anywhere in the text).

It occurs to me that it is part of a series, so if you are a big fan you should be able to catch on very very fast from context clues, but for me - having skipped some entries in the series - I thought that a lot of the details in the first half were mirroring the prologue and that this was intended to give a sense of potential danger: that the characters were at risk of walking into the same fate...

Except they were walking there all along. I can't decide if it is smart, or I am just dumb, or a secret combination of both* that means I am now absolutely hooked on the back end of a book I was one hundred percent ready to cut my losses on.

*I mean, if it had added "TWO DAYS EARLIER" between the prologue and chapter one, I would have probably pulled the ejector seat before the 50-page mark because what felt like clever parallels developing would actually just have been deeply apparent as foreshadowing and, referring to my earlier point, you would need to be a big fan to carry you through to the meat where the story catches up with itself

Note: I won't name the book or author if I am pulling apart something technical: I'm trying to think critically about the actual nuts and bolts and how they work, not just piss on one person's chips in particular.

[crypticcodexcreations]

Find the Word!

I was tagged by @sleepyowlwrites to find the words take, turn, tower, teach. in my WIPS! Let's do it!

Take

She looked him in the eyes. “I want you to be prepared. But-“ He blinked at the unexpected turn. “I think you’ve got a good enough head on your shoulders to listen to me when I tell you this. Find some friends. Go to a bigger city. Take jobs that you could handle on your own with a few other hopefuls and see if they’ll watch your back properly or not. See if they’re the types you can do the same for. And then take your risks, because Gods know you will. That’s what this jobs is, after all.” Callisto stared for a moment. “Ma’am, am I correct in thinking that you’re saying I can go? That you believe I have what it takes?” She chuckled. “I’m saying that I think you’ve learned enough and are smart enough to listen to one last lesson. Take Soleil and go, Callisto.”

From Callisto's Prologue, The Stories Beneath the Stars

Turn Returned

We returned to his house to meet Michael. Nothing could have prepared me for what I saw when he returned. He was the picture of the knight in shining armor. Golden plate covered in symbols I didn’t recognize concealed his entire body except his face. At his sides hung two swords, peacefully sheathed for the time being. Before I had thought that he looked big, but soft. Now he appeared more like a living wall than a man. Despite how imposing he looked, he still smiled gently at me.

From Cross Over

Tower Not Found

Teach

“HI!” The loud, child-like voice behind me made me jump slightly. I turned, only to be met with a screen with a face on it, and a vaguely human-shaped metal body. The small robot unlike anything I had ever seen smiled up at me. “My name is Chip! I know everyone around here, except you mister!” I hesitated a moment. “Didn’t anyone teach you not to talk to strangers?” This thing seemed more child than robot so I took a chance on how to speak to it. It grinned back at me.

From Cross Over

tagging @blind-the-winds @andromedatalksaboutstuff and @fearofahumanplanet to find the words: Doubt, Close, Salt, and Wise

[the-decaying-ramskull]

BNHA Masterlist

~Oh Lord, won’t you tell me?~

Aizawa Exception- Aizawa x Dom Fem OC, Oneshot Bakugou Across Frontlines- You weren't exactly a normal omega. Recessive alpha genes ran thick in your bloodline and had become tangled in your omega presentation, which meant you carried alpha traits. However, this meant you were undesirable as a mate but could lead your pack with both an omega's and alpha's strengths. At least until the Bakugou pack found you, until you became another territory to conquer and you finally caught the eye of an alpha. Sadly, this was not the alpha you wanted, but Bakugou Katsuki did not take no for an answer. Even if that meant destroying everything you knew and loved so he was all you could turn to. Chap One | Dabi The Unseen and Those Forgotten-The age of the Greek gods is long past. Dabi is one of the few left, his name in the ancient days had been Hades. Now he skulks among the humans, as a deity at half strength. With the old gods dying, the new ones have taken control of the humans’ feeble minds. There is a storm on the horizon though, quite literally, the end of days is nipping at mortality’s heels and the key to unlocking Kronos’s resting place, the only creature strong enough to put a stop to the apocalypse, is you. Sadly you have no idea what part you will play, after all, you are just an office worker who has an affinity for plants....

Chap One| Chap Two

Taking His Beauty- Tartarus was his life now. Emptiness he couldn’t hope to understand filled his days. But then you stepped into his life. You made him feel normal, human if dare he think it, instead of the monstrous creature they painted him as, that he had begun to accept himself as all those years ago. And so, it was obvious what was meant to happen. You were meant to be his. You were created for him, to complete him in every way. And he would have you. Chap One | Chap Two | Chap Three | Chap Four | Chap Five

Wear My Name - Dark Content, knife play, branding, one shot Not SFW Kai Chisaki/Overhaul You Look Like Home- Honestly demons and angels were never meant to mix, you were a cherubim and from a very respected family, so you never considered it. Chisaki was the Demogorgon, an important demon, the one who kept the lawless under control. Anyone would be lucky to have his attentions, as long as that person wasn’t of angelic blood. However, Chisaki didn’t play by the rules, too old to care. When the Abyss began to stir though, keeping the two of you separate was the last thing on everyone’s mind. What you didn’t know, what you couldn’t possibly foresee was that you were soon to become a bargaining chip in an upcoming war, something to get the Overhauler to join the ranks of the ethereal army.... Prologue| Chapter One | Chap Two Shinsou Hitoshi Technicolor Smiles- Halloween SFW One shot  Sleighbells and Mistletoe- Christmas NSFW One shot Second part to Technicolor smiles

~Am I the righteous or the damned?~

[cheyconicbookreviews]

Loathe to Love You by Ali Hazelwood

Loathe to Love You

Ali Hazelwood is one of the authors who turned me into a romance lover. I love the absolute wittiness and comedy that is her writing style. As far as romance goes, I truly think she is a Jane Austen of our time.

Under One Roof

Man, even just with the prologue I RESONATED with Mara. I had developed a huge crush on my (now husband) when we were “just friends”. Her internal struggle and frustration with her heart hit a little (very) close to home.

When I look at him, all I can see are the creamer-less cups of coffee I’ve had every day since the day I moved in.

Enemies to lovers is obviously the superior romance trope, second solely to only one bed. Liam and Mara start chipping away at the metaphorical barrier between them, my heart started warming, slowly, gently, magically.

And when he spins me around the room, one single, perfect whirl of pure happiness, that’s when I realize it. How incredibly, utterly gone for this man I am. It’s been there for weeks. Months. Whispering in my ear, creeping at me, hitting me in the face like a train on an iron track.

Once again, Mara’s internal struggles are relatable af. Our girl is out here, living her best life, and suddenly realizes that this person is really truly important to her. Jane Austen would be proud. And the smut my GOD the smut in this book is *chef’s kiss*. Ali’s books do a fantastic job of quality over quantity. This is what smut should read like– earth shattering. Not distract from the story. Overall this story had me grinning from ear to ear. I did expect us to find a long lost note from Helena saying she set them up, but it was still perfect without it.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Stuck with You

 It’s 10:45 on a Friday night. And for the third time in less than ten minutes, my world crashes to an end.

forcedproximityforcedproximityforcedproximity This novella bounces back and forth between the past, the brooding awkward budding relationship between Corporate Thor Erik Nowak and Sadie, superduperstitious Italian green engineer, and the present, where the aforementioned two are trapped on an elevator in a building wide power outage. I do, truly, earnestly love forced proximity problem solving. And for the sake of forced proximity problem solving, I will allow the miscommunication trope to slide this one, single time.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Below Zero

 Caring what others think is a lot of work, and – with a handful of exceptions– I’m not a fan of work.

I ardently love Hannah so much. As a fellow RBF queen, I feel this. I’m also in love with the angst set up we have right from the get go– being trapped and your brooding rival comes to save you? ✨bless ✨. Watching Hannah flirt with the ever clueless Ian is magical. The aftermath is even more so.

Okay. This is no first kiss. This is a fucking masterpiece.

I live for angst. It is my absolute favorite. And this book has it in aces. I loved the mutual infatuation, and the absolute heroism in this book. The epilogue is my favorite of the three.

The following day, our kiss is on the front of the New York Times.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Bonus Chapter I absolutely adored this little bonus chapter insight to the boys :™:. It includes all of my favorite things in romance stories and I’m obsessed. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️