#ff: preview

[eriyu]

ARR through Stormblood patches complete! Shadowbringers script time!!!!!!

[en-geneisaxx]

𝒲𝑒𝒷𝒷𝑒𝒹 𝑒𝓃𝓉𝒶𝓃𝑔𝓁𝑒𝓂𝑒𝓃𝓉𝓈

𝑷𝒂𝒊𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔: 𝑺𝒑𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒎𝒂𝒏!𝑯𝒐𝒐𝒏 𝒙 𝒇𝒆𝒎!𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒆𝒓

🄵🄴🄰🅃🅄🅁🄸🄽🄶: ᴇɴʜʏᴘᴇɴ, ʏᴇᴏɴᴊᴜɴ ᴏғ ᴛxᴛ

E̶n̶e̶m̶y̶s̶ 𝚝𝚘 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬 trope, 𝕾𝖚𝖕𝖊𝖗𝖍𝖊𝖗𝖔 au.

sʏᴘɴᴏsɪs: Sunghoon is quite a confusing man. He's the renowned spiderman that's keeping its identity a question, but he is also quite a mean guy to a certain lady. But, your natural charms had a go at him, and now he's looking at you at a different persepective: someone he could spend his forever with. It'll take time though, from pain to growth, but rest assured, he's quite a lover.

𝑇𝑎𝑔𝑔𝑖𝑛𝑔: @jaylaxies @pockettwinzz @diorsyun @rinbowaman @heeslomll @hoonieshoneymain (lmk if you want to be tagged!)

ʅιƙҽʂ, ɾҽႦʅσɠʂ αɳԃ/σɾ ϝσʅʅσɯιɳɠ ɱҽ ɯιʅʅ Ⴆҽ ɱυƈԋ αρρɾҽƈιαƚҽԃ!!

A/n: OK! So, like I said, I was influenced by the works of @jaylaxies and @star-sim with their spidey hoon fics, and now I've come to make mine! Please, take a read at theirs too, for they have most likely done it better than me 😅 Anyways, thank you and I hope you enjoy!!

Preview:

Dividers by @dollywons!!

"OK OK, ARE WE READY?"

"YEAH YEAH, LET'S JUST GET IT OVER WITH!"

"HYUNG, YOU BETTER HAVE GOTTEN IN"

"Well...I mean-"

"SHHH, NO NEGATIVITY. WE CANNOT JINX THIS. HOON, BE EXCITED FOR ONCE. THIS IS A CHANCE TO GET INTO ONE OF THE 𝐁𝐄𝐒𝐓 UNIVERSITIES!!"

"It'll-"

"RIGHT. 3,2,1..."

Despite looking unbothered, inside, Sunghoon was in a battle between his mental state and he urge to just pass out right there and then. He didn't want to take another test or go to a different university, for it would've exhausted him. Going to SNU would be one of his great achievements, as a normal being that is.

The whole group enveloped Sunghoon, eagerly watching the screen of his laptop load. They have been making Sunghoon study as hard as he can, since they've been concerned about the lack of knowledge he has in academics. It was alarming, because -despite being highly looked after and payed by Engene Entertainment -, he still had to get a life as a normal guy.

And behold, a blessing from the universe, Sunghoon's acceptance letter.

"LET'S GAURRRR" Shouted the aussie, arms swinging about as he ran about, aimlessly.

"I...I can't believe it...We...WE DID IT GUYS" Sunghoon said enthusiatically, smiling and laughing in the happy moment, breathing in the bright atmosphere.

"Sunoo, you're up next soon, just you wait..." Said Jungwon in a teasing manner, taking advantage of his youth.

"ARGH, SHUT UP!! I don't wanna go~" He whines, heading over to the kitchen to find some snacks as comfort.

"Well, you'll be busy now, Sunghoon, for all I know." Says the aged man in a calm manner.

"Hyung, you don't sound like your age at all..." Claims Niki, "You sound like your birth certificate expired!" He insulted, laughing his head off as he tightly clutches his stomach to regain his breathing.

"Niki, you better find a job, because I won't-"

Knowing better than to keep Jay pissed, he began kneeling with a yearn for forgiveness.

"Well, we gotta prepare Sunghoon for Uni now!" Announced Heeseung. It was getting late, so it would be better to finish things up quickly, so they could do their nightly patrols.

"Not to worry, I helped with that," Comes back Jake with the bags and suitcases prepared.

"Ok, now, let's get changed before Yeonjun shouts at us for not going already." Rushes Heeseung, he didn't want to cope with the boss' glares.

In just a few seconds, they were in their form that the people looked up to.

"One, two, three: Enhypen!" And off they go, sailing in the skies, basking in the orange glow.

[sarah-yyy]

baek hyunwoo’s life is so fucking hard like the love of his life can’t remember him, he’s been stuck in jail for god knows how long after being framed for murder, and he’s barely out of jail for a few days when he gets hit by a car????????

[velvetwyrme]

📌 info and directory

Heya! I'm Doozi, and this is my sideblog for all my fanfic/fanart content :]!! Currently posting Undertale related works but that may change in the future as my interests shift!

I tend to post reader insert/self-insert content, and occasionally you may also find Papcest or Sanscest here. I also post suggestive and explicit content over at @velvetsqwyrme on occasion ;]

YOU ARE IN CHARGE OF CURATING YOUR OWN EXPERIENCE. Do whatever, and block things as you like/need. I do my best to tag things, but please let me know if I miss anything.

ART TAG - AO3/WRITING - FIC RECS - SHOP - KO-FI

You can also find a list of my fics under the readmore :]!

Ongoing Works:

Flipping Fate [SFW] - Underfell!Papyrus (Edge) / Reader

Who knew that going along to a book club with your writer friend would land you in a romantic enemies to lovers slowburn? (co-written and beta read by @collegecomics18) Tags: #flippingfate #ff extras

Finished Works:

exes of varying degrees (EOVD) [MATURE] - Swapfell!Papyrus (Rus) / Reader (Previous relations with Everyone.)

[Warning for Suggestive Content and Discussions of Sexual Content] You go to meet your boyfriend's family and as it turns out you have encountered them all in the past! You even know some of them rather... intimately you could say. Extra scenes and bonus content (both NSFW and SFW) can be found in the companion fic! Tags: #eovd #exes and whys #eovd extras

UP HIGH! [SFW] - Underswap!Papyrus / Reader

Short Oneshot for Papyrus Self-ship Week > Prompt: Accidental Hand Holding Sometimes it's easy to forget that most of Papyrus' knowledge of the Surface was dependent on whatever could be salvaged from the dump. But at times like these, it becomes glaringly obvious. You have made a point to show him everything he's missed out on, in a hands on way.

Origin Story [SFW] - Superhero AU Papyrus / Reader

Extremely silly superhero AU. Nonstop shenanigans. Papyrus is a superhero, and you are his unfortunate roommate.

[ladyviolethummingbird]

The Gloaming - Ch 7 preview 🏰

Ch 7: Snowdrops

Out riding Lambert one afternoon Jamie came across a glade covered in a carpet of small white bell shaped flowers — snowdrops. The sight made him smile and knowing Lady Randall’s love of that particular bloom he stopped to pick some, securing the stems with a piece of twine. Presenting the makeshift bouquet to her that evening he was rewarded with a delighted smile and a most attractive pinking of her cheeks; his stomach doing a little flip knowing he’d made her happy.

“This is so thoughtful of you Mr Fraser, these will certainly brighten my sitting room”

Leaning close, Lady Randall gave Jamie a peck on the cheek in gratitude. The gesture itself was innocent in nature, but the touch of her lips sent a shiver down his spine. As she began rummaging around for a vase, Jamie’s hand rose to touch the spot she’d kissed; it radiated warmth. Eyes narrowing, he watched as she arranged the snowdrops, cogs in his head slowly turning to catch up to what his subconscious had known for months. Her swan-like neck, the ample swell of her breasts, the rosebud pink of her lips. She was the most stunningly beautiful woman he’d ever seen. Blood thrummed in Jamie’s veins, desire for Lady Randall rushing through him like a gale blowing fiercely across a moor.

Catch up on chapters 1-6 here

[civilight-eterna]

even with the leap year i'm gonna be late to femslash february but! i will share a little preview of how the swirechenmiya maid-play is going!!!

[pigeon-noises]

A preview for my Type-0 piece in the @fffanthology - preorders are open now!

[angorwhosebabyisthis]

copying anon over here because i went to save the ask to my drafts and tumblr sent it directly to the shadow realm, welp:

I dug through your rambles about Hermes, so I'm looking forward to thoughts on Erich with the ancient world's everything lol ~

ahhhh thank you, i'm glad you've enjoyed my rambles so far!! i've been taking the second half of the pandaemonium arc more slowly, partly because i'm been Out of It the last few days and partly because the direction the plotline with erich and lahabrea has taken a turn for has been leaving a really bad taste in my mouth. i've been making my way through it, though, and percolating Deeply on the He and how he and pandaemonium as a whole fit into all this. spoiler alert i love him even more now

(on the one hand, it finally helped me articulate some points that imo make or break an 'abusive parent sees the error of their ways and apologizes up and down and swears to do better, and both that and the context in which the abuse happened leave their victim feeling conflicted about it' arc. so there's that! on the other hand it, uh. it did so by very much being the goofus here lmao, and erich deserved better.)

(the way the whole thing is played off is also just, deeply deeply misogynistic. athena is top-tier nastywoman and i love her for it, and 'mothers--in particular white women, especially to their children of color--can be shitty and predatory and abusive and are accountable for it full stop,' is great abuse rep but fucking WOWZERS)

(which like, i will say that the overtones are not at all lost on me that athena repeatedly goes out of her way to prey on, abuse, and violate not just men of color but black men; dehumanizes them and treats them and their bodies as her property; and is strongly implied to have sexually abused erich in particular. and how the one who gets the brunt of it is her biracial, very VERY not white-passing son, who she isolated from the black side of his family to do whatever she wanted with. it is insanely fucking refreshing to see that shit not cushioned at ALL, and it really sucks that that had to come bundled in with the abuse apologia and misogyny.)

(i am also realizing that this is one of the reasons erich whitewashing, and how common it is in the fandom as well as official art, bothers me so much beyond the obvious. while it's uncertain how much of it was intentional, his narrative evokes not just real-world racism but colorism, and a specific brand of it and how it intersects with abuse. even if just on a doylist level erich was abused for being as dark-skinned as he is, and erasing that is even shittier than your run-of-the-mill whitewashing.)

(anyway. ANYWAY. anyway. all that is a post of its own and i haven't even gotten to the parts about ancient society yet. you see what i mean by having a lot of thoughts about him lmao)

i'm hoping to finish the last leg of the questline tonight so i can start fully putting my thoughts together because god there is SO MUCH, and i'm excited even if i foresee having to grit my teeth through the rest of the moments between him and lahabrea lmao

[maladaptivedaydreamsx]

Victor route when 👏

[lord-squiggletits]

Onyx Prime = Shockwave time travel plot is such shitty writing I could and WILL (eventually) write multiple essays about it it's so fucking bad.

[jiminzfilter]

shine on me | preview

→ Pairing. Seokjin x Reader

→ Genre. lifeguard!seokjin, strangers to lovers... 👀

→ Summary. Turns out going to the beach isn't as bad as you thought. Especially when a lifeguard caught your eyes

→ Word count. 2.4k

→ I already miss the summer so I wanted to share some glimpses of this fic that, for some reason, I really love. You can thank my sister for the idea that gave this fic birth. Ngl, releasing this makes me kinda anxious but I really hope you'll like it:,)

It's been more than five years since you last went to the beach, the reason being you moved to a different city to pursue your studies. 

WelL you also maYbe have a love/hate relationship with the sun ( it’s more hate than love though) that would explain why you were never out when you were home for a few days during your vacations. It’s not that you don’t like the beach, it’s just that…

…

okAY

MAYBE you don’t like the beach.

Who could blame you though ? There’s seaweed everywhere and it sticks to your body when you get out of the water or flies in your eyes when it’s windy. [don't ask why but for some reasons, each time you went to the beach, there were seaweeds EVERYWHERE]

Also it gets sO cold when it’s windy, one moment you’re in the water and it’s all nice, the next one you’re freezing because of the ~wind~

Let’s not forget the sand, and the sun 

Oh the sun

Ball of fire that literally burns you to the point you don’t know if you’re a human or a tomato

Last but not least, the beach is always SO crowded and, let's be honest, you like the company of your friends buT you despise crowded space where everyone sits so close to each other you can literally hear their breaths. UGH

Yeah, you’re not much of a beach person. 

Too bad your friends LOVE going there. Especially during hot summer days.

“Come on y/n, don’t be such a killjoy.” Hoseok teases “We will have so much fun at the beach”

You groan “ahnnn. Let me think about it…” you tap your chin and look up “no?”

Disappointed but not surprised, your friends sigh in harmony. 

“Come on you can go without me. It’s not like I will be missed anyways. Plus I could stay and take care of your cat” you look at Jimin whose eyes grow bigger

“ABSOLUTELY NOT” he points at you “Last time I let you alone with Luna, poor baby was dressed up with ribbons and you bathed her with super scented shampoo.” 

For your defence, the cat smelled like poop and Jimin only uses expensive shower products from fancy perfume brands. You hAd to wash her. The ribbon was just there and you thought it’d look cute as a collar. It’s not like the cat complained anyways.

You huff and cross your arms over your chest. “I am noT coming, nothing you could say or do will make me change my mind.” 

You stand up from the couch and leave for the kitchen to take your phone while Jimin and Hoseok exchange an understanding look and nod. 

“Y/nnnn??” Jimin calls sweetly and you reply with a hum "What about lunch? Or dinner? I heard there was a restaurant at the beach we’re going to. Apparently they have a starred chef.” 

You look away from your phone’s screen, suddenly very interested. “Well, as long as you’re offering” You smile ; “I hope you know I will order the most expensive dish from their menu” 

To that, Hoseok rolls his eyes “yeah yeah we’ll see about that. Now go get changed. We’re going in ten minutes. Namjoon should be here anytime”

“Sur- WHAT??” You almost choke on imaginary water "Didn’t you say we were going tomorrow ?”  

“yes. We are going tomorrow AND today” Jimin tells you “If you listened more carefully instead of saying no all the time, you would’ve caught that”

You huff ; “fiNE. But you’re paying for food both today and tomorrow” 

They laugh at your pissed expression as you rush to your room to find something appropriate to wear. 

Thank god you shaved yesterday, you give yourself a mental pqt on the back for that. The first bikini you find is the one you change into. Quick check in the mirror. Okay. A dress is thrown over all of this and you then proceed to very dramatically throw everything you might need in your bag. 

“Y/n Namjoon is here we gotta go” you hear Jimin call 

“Just a minute” You run to your bed and grab your phone.

You notice they already left when you arrive at the door. 

Penalty for the last one out, uh? Dammit those boys are still 3. 

You sigh and grab the apartment's keys. 

“There is no such thing as too much sunscreen!” 

As you thought, the weather is scorching hot. You all settled in the shades of your umbrellas, bottle of water close to you to stay hydrated. Namjoon brought Taehyung with him. You haven’t seen them for the past years, they changed quite a lot (and thank god because the emo look Namjoon was going for a few years back was aWfuL). Namjoon is all muscles now and Taehyung has a girlfriend!! Incredible right? He used to be so shy around the opposite back in high school. He said she would come later today. Everyone is chatting happily, the waves as a background music. You were starting to unpack your bag when Jimin pointed out your insane amount of sunscreen. This boy loved teasing you. 

“Don’t you think bringing one bottle was enough? Do you really need…” Jimin counts the bottles laid out on your towel “SEVEN?! What are you even doing with those ? EaTiNg them?” You all snort at his comment 

“They don’t have the same use!!! There are different SPFs and some are oils and there’s also.. wait. Do you even cAre? Can’t someone just help me apply some on my back ? Yes? Oh god Joon you’re my saviour thank you!” 

As you remove your dress, you notice Hoseok’s smile before he once again teases you ; “You’re so pale Yoongi would be jealous”

You laugh “If I burn to death because I don’t have sunscreen on, I doubt that he will envy me” 

You sit, back facing Namjoon, and hand him the biggest bottle of sunscreen, which he applies very carefully. You thank him when he is done and lay on your towel, being careful to stay in the umbrella’s shadow, as everyone runs into the water. 

Earphones now plugged in, you open your overused notebook and, a pencil in your hand, get ready to drown the pages in randomsmall poems. 

The blue of the sea

Is like the blue of your eyes tears

You look smile at me

This picture of you smiling at me// it smiles at me?

And I know you’re… ????? far away from here?

(because??) I am blue now, just like you

You sigh and look at the sea. The page is all covered with various doodles now and half of the words you wrote have been scratched off and replaced by others. It doesn’t make sense :(

Where are the boys anyways? They haven't come back and it’s been what? An hour? Maybe two? You check your phone and sigh. 11 am. It’s only been thirty minutes. You sigh in frustration, wishing the day was over already so you could go back home and have your sun detox.

Your notebook is settled aside and you change the music to a much calmer one before laying down completely. 

Never too late or too early for a good nap.

“Hey, y/n, do you want to go swimm-“ Jimin stops himself when he sees you’re sleeping. “hasn’t been at the beach in two years and here she is sleeping” he shakes his head 

“Jimin? What time is it? I’m kinda hungry” Hoseok calls as he approaches

He checks his phone “1pm. We should go eat. Call the boys”

The boys are being loud enough to wake you up as they get prepared to leave.

Annoyed, you sigh and open your eyes, almost instantly regretting as the sun blinds you despite your sunglasses and the umbrella. 

You’re about to tell them to shut uP when you hear someone say your name. ; “what about Y/n ? Shouldn’t we wake her up so she can come eat with us?”. You recognise the voice as Namjoon’s

“Don’t worry about it, I’ve already sent her a text saying where we’re going. Let her have her rest” Jimin replies and you hear the boys’ voices fade as they walk away. 

It’s quiet again now. Perfect, you can go back to sleep- wait a minute 🤨

Did Namjoon mention eating? Last time you checked it was 11am but that was before you took a nap so… 

Oh my god

They did noT-

You check your phone and 1) it’s already 1 pm how did you sleep for two hours?? 2) Jimin didn’t even send you a text when he promised he’d pay for your meal 3) THEY WENT FOR LUNCH WITHOUT YOU

!!!

You feel betrayed. Very much betrayed. You hate Jimin

Well, if they plan on leaving you behind, might as well take some time to organise your stuff and reapply some ✨sunscreen✨ 

When you finally arrive at the restaurant, it's already 1:40 PM. Namjoon kept a seat empty next to him, which you gladly take. As promised, you order the most expensive thing on the menu (fancy cooked fish with vegetables or something like that,, whatever, Jimin said he was paying and you plan on making him regret not waking you up earlier). The food has a divine taste by the way. 

You feel like doing a victory dance when you see Jimin’s face as he takes the bill and a big grin spreads on your face when he looks at you, eyes wide. Take that 

After this day, Jimin decided to never leave you behind when it was time to eat. Not when his wallet was at stake at least.

This morning, you made it clear that going swimming was NOT in your plans but, hundred of supplication and a cone of ice cream offered by Hoseok (this man really knows the way to your heart) later, you give in and dive your feet in the coLd water. 

“YOU TOLD ME IT WAS WAY HOTTER THAN THIS!!!” You scream at the four dumb-asses that are your friends, already regretting doing this.

“But it IS hot!” Jimin replies “you just gotta dive right in” 

And he starts to lightly splash water at you, like the good friend he is. You run around and try to avoid getting wet. 

Suddenly you feel strong arms wrapping around your waist and- oh no- you know where this is going. Hoseok laughs in your neck and lifts you up. Your friends laugh even louder

“JUNG FUCKING HOSEOK PUT ME DOWN THIS INSTANT” you hit his arm around you

“As you wish” and he drops you 

In the water. And it’s cold!!!!

“OHMYGOD HOSEOK I AM GOING TO MAKE YOU PAY FOR THIS” you point a finger at him as you try to push him away from your face your now-soaked hair. Of course, you fail (I mean, have you ever actually tried to brush a hand through your hair when they’re wet? That’s right, you CaN’t).

Hoseok is having a hard time catching his breath looking at how much he’s laughing, oh god you wish a siren would come and drag him to the bottom of the ocean.

Or maybe not. You still need your friend to comfort you when you’re sad. Plus, as dumb as he is, he’s your best friend.

That doesn’t stop you from splashing water at him, making him scream in surprise. And suddenly everyone is splashing water at each other.

Yes. You guys are children.

You probably all start screaming a bit too much and are surely extra loud because someone is calling you out. 

“Hey. Stop it!” A masculine voice calls in your back, startling you. “You plan on causing a tsunami or what?”

There’s a moment of silence before you slowly turn around and-

oh my god- 

what a sight 

There’s a handsome lifeguard standing on the shore pointing at you and your friends. Sun-kissed skin, slightly damp hair gracefully falling on his forehead, plump lips, swim shirt leaving very little to the imagination… yup. So handsome. Your eyes catch up to his and you hold his gaze, your body suddenly hot and you look away

“ Hey,Seokjin!” Namjoon waves at the lifeguard

[ajitated]

Kitsune au Preview (ch1) by ajility

Ectoberhaunt 2021, Day 18, Spider Lily (treat)

(Originally posted 10 November 2021)

This is an unbeta'd version of the first chapter for a much longer kitsune au fic I'm writing! @13thcat originally came up with kitsune au, though I'll be taking my version in a different direction :3c

Summary: Being from a family that has a history in exorcism mostly meant that he gets laughed at in school and his parents spend too much time building ridiculous weapons to fight things that don't exist. ...And then his parents decided to move to Japan, halfway through Danny's first year of high school, and he quickly learns that spirits do exist, and that finding them is a lot easier than his parents led him to believe.

Keep reading, or check it out on ao3!

Ch01 Sneak-peek:

Danny knows he’s dreaming in the same way that you know something terrible is going to happen to the protagonist in the beginning of a horror movie; it’s a fact, there’s nothing that can be done about it, but you still flinch when it happens, you still hold yourself back from yelling at the screen and telling the characters ‘no! don’t go in there!’

He’s in a forest, the same forest he always sees in his dreams, with trees too tall and wide to really exist and little dancing lights that flicker at the edges of his vision. There are a lot of things like the lights, that lurk and taunt and exist only until he tries to look at them more directly, but the lights are the most prevalent… and the only ones he doesn’t really mind.

At least they don’t make him feel like he’s being watched, like there’s something silently laughing at him and waiting for him to come just a little bit closer so it can pounce.

Leaves rustle and a stick snaps behind him. Danny spins around, already growling and ready to protect himself, but… there’s nothing there. Nothing he can see, at least.

Danny knows that ghosts aren’t real, when he’s awake — or at least, not real in the way his parents think they are. They don’t go around haunting and killing the living. They don’t hide items that are important to people. They aren’t malevolent, they aren’t the source of all living people’s problems, and they most certainly don’t need to be hunted with special weapons.

Maybe things were different in the past, he doesn’t technically have proof that they’re not real… but despite being from a long line of exorcists, his parents don’t have proof that they are real, either. You would think that a family of exorcists would have some sort of proof, if the things they exorcise actually exist.

But things aren’t as clear-cut, when he’s dreaming. Dream-him isn’t bothered by things like reality and science; he takes note of the little lights dancing just out of focus and thinks ‘will-o-wisps’. He sees strange shadowy shapes creeping between trees and thinks ‘bakemono’.

He does things like growl and bear his teeth at potential threats that never actually turn visible.

It’s probably a good thing he hardly ever remembers the dreams upon waking, because there are a lot of invisible potential threats in the forest, and it’d be really bad if Danny picked up a habit and started reacting to things by growling when he’s awake, too.

A gust of wind. More rustling leaves. A low growl builds in the back of his throat. A shadow starts building up just off to his right side, something growls back, and Danny slaps a paper tag in the direction of the shadow before taking off, twisting and weaving between the trees.

Branches almost seem to reach out for him but he’s gone before they can ever make contact, moving so quickly it’s almost like he’s flying, feet never even touching the ground.

He makes it to a stone path and stops for just a second, orienting himself and choosing a direction before continuing to run. He can just make out a splash of bright red through the trees and he grins — a torii gate. He must be near the entrance, if he can just make it through the gate-

A teasing laugh sounds out, directly next to his ear, and Danny lashes out with sharpened claws even as he’s jumping away. How did one get so close-?

A ripped paper tag drifts to the ground.

“Ohh, your reaction time is getting better,” a voice teases, from directly in front of him.

He growls in frustration, because he still can’t see the speaker. How can he deal with a spirit, if he can’t tell what type it is?

“You don’t want to step through that gate, though,” the speaker continues, either ignoring the fact he can’t see them or unaware of it.

“Why not?” Danny demands, “I want to go home.”

“And so did all of us, at one point or another,” the voice agrees, and it’d almost be sympathetic if the sharp edge of amusement wasn’t still present, “but that doesn’t make it a good idea.”

“So, what? You want me to wander around this forest forever?” Danny says sarcastically.

“No, of course not. This world has much more than a single forest, and you have a whole lot to learn.”

There’s a pause. He thinks that maybe they left or just don’t want to give him any real explanation, but then there’s a soft pressure on the back of his neck and the voice is directly by his ear again.

“We’ll see each other soon, but for now… What I want, is for you to wake up, little fox. Before you forget how.”

-

Danny wakes with a start, only to get pulled back by his seatbelt and to find Jazz staring at him with raised eyebrows. He grasps at the remnants of his dream, trying to hold on to anything at all, but it’s already fading.

His fingers feel weirdly blunted and tingly, there’s an uncomfortable pressure in his jaw, and even the way he’s sitting feels wrong, like he shouldn’t be able to lean back in a car like this. He’s felt like this after just waking up before but usually it isn’t quite this vivid.

It’d probably help if he could remember what he dreams about — are they even dreams? Maybe it’s nightmares — but all he can call up is the thought of running, needing to run, and an impression of teasing laughter. He sighs.

“We’re almost there, honey,” Maddie says, “and look! There’s the school you two will be attending now. It looks nice.”

“It looks old,” Danny grumbles, crossing his arms. What a way to start a New Year: another weird dream, and an overly long trip because his parents decided they’re going to move to Japan halfway through a school year. “Why couldn’t we at least wait until summer for this?”

“The shrine won’t sit there forever, Danno! Great grandpa Walker left it to us, and it’s our duty to uphold the Fenton family name and hunt down those ghosts!” Jack says, with way more excitement than the situation warrants.

“Spirits, Jack. We have to be respectful,” Maddie reminds him.

Jack nods and brandishes the ecto-gun he’s been polishing since they got off the plane and started driving. “Right! Maybe your school will be haunted, wouldn’t that be exciting? It could be our first job in Japan!” He points the gun in the direction of the school as they drive past.

Jazz puts a bookmark in the book she hasn’t stopped reading since they left, and snaps it shut. “I’ll pass on that, actually. I plan on getting an education at school, not performing exorcisms.”

“Oh come on kids, quit whining. It’s fun to move to a new place, it’ll be an adventure!” Maddie insists, glancing back at them for a second. This leads to them almost missing a turn, and she dramatically spins the wheel to make up for it with a “Whoops!”

Jazz’s book slides into Danny’s leg, and Jazz probably would’ve slid into him too if it weren’t for their seat-belts. The road gets bumpier, then turns into dirt and starts slanting up. Danny suddenly has a very bad feeling about this.

Jazz does too, if the way it looks like she suddenly swallowed a lemon is anything to go by. “...mom? Why are we heading up the mountain now?”

“We’ve talked about this, sweetie. We’re here to take over the upkeep of a shrine.”

“Yes,” Jazz replies slowly, “but that doesn’t explain why we’re heading up a mountain when we’re supposed to be moving into our new living space today.”

“The shrine is our new living space Jazzypants!” Jack booms, “and everyone knows that shrines have to be on mountains! It’ll be great, what better way to learn more about the gho- er, spirits on this side of the world than to live right in a real shrine?”

Danny is pretty sure that isn’t true, that there’s no requirement that says shrines have to be on mountains, but arguing it is probably a moot point. It wouldn’t change the fact that this shrine seems to be on a mountain, and that his parents have, evidently, decided they’re going to live in it. Are you supposed to live in shrines?

He exchanges a glance with Jazz. At least they’re both annoyed about this, and Jazz hasn’t been able to muster up her ‘look on the bright side of things!’ attitude yet. They’re going to have to walk down a mountain every day to get to school, just because their parents are obsessed with ghosts, despite the fact that they’ve never even seen a real ghost — or spirit, as they’ve started insisting ever since they first learned of the shrine great grandfather left them.

Danny never met his great grandfather. He didn’t even know they still had any family living in Japan, but maybe if he’d known, he would’ve been able to beg the man not to leave a shrine to his parents.

Jazz leans over and whispers, “...maybe it won’t be that bad? People probably don’t send spam mail to shrines, and mom and dad can’t attach any weird giant signs to it, right? It’d be too disrespectful.”

When the shrine comes into view, any potential optimism they’ve dredged up disappears just as quickly as Danny’s memories of his dream did.

It might have been beautiful, once upon a time, but now… well. He’s pretty sure their grandfather hadn’t been doing any upkeep for at least a few years now. The paint is cracked and peeling and it looks entirely abandoned, some plants have even started wrapping around the wood and growing up through cracks.

The inside isn’t any better. Some of the wood is rotting and there are even more spiderwebs. The only upside is that since their grandfather lived there for so long, there are valid living areas, even if they desperately need to be cleaned and fixed up. Upon seeing the outside, Danny had been half worried that there wouldn’t be a kitchen or bathroom or bedrooms.

...actually, maybe it would’ve been better if there hadn’t been a kitchen. Then they would’ve had to find an alternate living situation, and their parents wouldn’t be excitedly discussing how they’re going to fix up the place and what additions they should add on.

Their parent’s enthusiasm hasn’t wavered at all, despite the state the shrine is in — and worse, the fact this is a shrine doesn’t seem to be stopping them from pulling out plans for a lab and workshop space. Now that it’s happening, he isn’t sure why he and Jazz expected otherwise; their parents are nothing if not predictable. At least the living quarters are separate from the main part of the shrine.

Jazz glances at him and offers a weak smile. “At least we’ll get to learn more about the other half of our heritage?”

Danny isn’t sure that’ll make up for everything else, but he nods. At least Jazz can work up some excitement over learning about the culture.

All he’s thinking about is Amity Park and Nasty Burger and everything else they left behind. He’s interested in learning more about Japan too, of course, but… he would’ve preferred to do it through the internet. Or anime. Or anything less extreme than ‘move to the country with roughly 24 hours of warning.’

The moving truck has already dropped off all their stuff, at least. His parents start bringing in all the larger boxes and furniture, while he and Jazz bring in small boxes and suitcases… then start the arduous task of cleaning.

Danny stops and turns around more than once, quite certain something is watching him from the forest that surrounds the shrine, but nothing is ever there.

They work late into the night, getting rid of all the spiderwebs and dirt first. The next day, they start going through cabinets and counters and shelves, dusting and clearing out any of the random stuff they find.

It’s mostly empty, but Danny finds a few old papers with calligraphy he can’t read and a surprisingly nice teapot. It’s heavy and black, probably cast iron, with a gold flower design going around the outside. It feels strangely warm when he picks it up, but he can’t get the lid off, so it must be a decorative piece.

He sets it down on the counter and goes to get Jazz, intending to show her the teapot and see if she can open it… but it’s gone when they walk back over.

“...so?” Jazz asks, glancing around the room with a raised eyebrow. “I thought you found a fancy teapot.”

Danny goes through the cabinets quickly, but those are empty too. “I left it right there, it was black and had gold designs!”

Jazz stares at the counter that very clearly has nothing on it. “...mhm. I think the dust might be getting to your head. Oh!” She reaches into her pocket and pulls out a little rectangular charm. “I picked this up earlier, here. It’s an ‘omamori,’ meant for luck and protection. You can keep it in your pocket or hang it off a bag, and when it gets really dirty or a year passes, you replace it.”

Danny examines the little charm for a second, silk embroidered with gold thread, then puts it in his pocket.

“Shrines usually sell these,” she continues, “so we might end up having a whole bunch here. I have no idea what mom and dad plan on doing besides the exorcism stuff, but… we’ll probably have to start doing some shrine stuff too, right? It’s just a local shrine, but people must still know it’s here, so we might get visitors… I have to research it more.”

Right. The exorcism stuff. Danny wonders if people here will be more open to the idea, or if they’ll get scoffed at and laughed at again — no one in the US ever took them seriously, though they did occasionally get accused of being devil worshipers.

“Thanks for the charm, Jazz,” he replies, instead of addressing any of the other stuff. He has no idea what they’ll end up doing with the shrine, after all, and with how long repairs and fixing everything up is going to take… well. There’s plenty of time for his sister to research.

Jazz smiles and nods. “There’s a bunch of different types, I’ll have to figure out what each is for. For now though, let’s go outside? I think it’s time for some fresh air. We can finish inside once mom and dad decide where they actually want to put everything.”

There’s a loud crash as something is dropped in the other room, quickly followed by Jack shouting, “I’m ok!”

“...yeah, outside sounds like a good plan,” Danny agrees, and they go to sit on the freshly swept steps to the shrine.

Danny takes a moment to actually look at the area surrounding them for the first time. They’re around three fourths of the way up the mountain, and there’s a stone path that splits in two right outside the gate, one side going down the mountain and the other leading farther up, disappearing into the trees. There must be something at the top of the mountain then, right? Besides more trees, since it seems to mostly be forest here.

He turns his attention to the gate, which desperately needs a paint job, and notices a splash of color he hadn’t seen when they first drove up. Spider lilies. Had those been there yesterday?

“Hey Jazz,” he asks, pointing at the flowers, “were the spider lilies there when we drove up yesterday? I didn’t notice them.” Considering they’re the only part of the shrine that’s bright red, what with everything else being so faded, he definitely should’ve noticed them.

“Spider lilies?” Jazz repeats, looking towards the gate. “Oh. Those are red poppies, Danny. I’ll have to get you a book on plants, whenever we find out where the nearest library is… They were there, they just hadn’t been in bloom when we arrived.”

Not being in bloom is a good enough reason for him to miss them, but… Danny is pretty certain those are spider lilies. He might not be great at plants, but even he knows that poppies are small and roundish, and those flowers are large and spindly.

Maybe he’ll get Jazz a book on plants instead.

Whatever.

He stands up and stretches. “I’m gonna go for a walk. Be back soon, ok?”

Jazz sighs and also stands, brushing off her pants. “Ok. I’ll do a little more cleaning, maybe try to convince mom and dad to get our beds set up for tonight. Be careful?”

“Yeah yeah,” Danny replies, already heading towards the forest. “I’ve got the charm you gave me, I’ll be fine!”

As he walks through the gate, he stops for a second to take a closer look at the flowers and determines that yep, they’re definitely spider lilies. He’ll have to make fun of Jazz later, for thinking they’re poppies… Maybe she needs glasses? But for now, he heads up the path. It’s time to find out what’s at the top of the mountain.

-

Check it out on ao3 for notes and more info.

[nanakibh]

Final Fantasy Type-0 World Preview

p.94

Supernatural Beings Who Watch Over the World L’Cie, the Chosen

The Fabula Nova Crystallis mythology tells of beings called l’Cie, individuals with paranormal powers who have been given roles by the Crystal. L’Cie also exist in the world of Orience.

Disciples of the Crystal Who Have Received Roles

At times, the Crystals hand down roles (”Focus”, plural “Foci”) to human beings and turn them into superhumans known as l’Cie. Humans who are chosen to become l’Cie have a brand placed on their body and obtain supernatural powers. Their power is so strong, it cannot be compared to the magic and knowledge that the Crystals have bestowed upon the rest of mankind, as a l’Cie could easily wipe out an entire city if they happened to feel like it. However, because it is a l’Cie’s role to protect the Crystal, they will not use their power unless the Crystal is brought to harm. As long as nothing interferes with their duty, humans will not be threatened.

To ordinary people, the Crystal’s will is beyond comprehension...

Director’s Comment

The concept of l’Cie is the same as it is in “FFXIII.” The number of l’Cie in Type-0 is fewer, and their abilities are different from those in “FFXIII.” The fal’Cie were the ones who gave the l’Cie their Foci, but the Crystal is the one in that position this time. In the game, in addition to the ones introduced here, you can learn about the other l’Cie who existed throughout Orience’s long history. It’s a very enjoyable element that will lead you to unraveling the history of Orience.

p.95

Primus and Secundus L’Cie

Put simply, l’Cie can have a variety of abilities. The people of each nation have divided their l’Cie into two categories based on their powers. The first are Primus which have been turned into physical powerhouses, and the other are Secundus which possess astounding special abilities. It is said that Rubrum’s l’Cie Zhuyu and Milites’s l’Cie Nimbus could be capable of causing destruction on the level of a natural disaster with just a single blow. Additionally, Qun’mi, the Secundus l’Cie of Milites, has the ability to remotely control machines and send them into overdrive, surpassing their normal performance limits. She can also move herself instantaneously within a short distance. Even against a Secundus, a human’s odds of winning are exceedingly small.

An Agreement Prohibiting L’Cie From Intervening in Combat

Fearing the incredible combat strength of the l’Cie, an agreement was arranged between the four nations forbidding them from military involvement. This was due to the devastation brought about as a result of conflict between the l’Cie of each nation during past wars. Although it is difficult to imagine l’Cie intervening in human conflicts, some l’Cie are said to still act as emotionally as they did when they were human. The agreement emerged from this concern, but the Militesi Empire deployed l’Cie Qun’mi to the battlefield in defiance of the agreement.

[ladyviolethummingbird]

The Gloaming - Chapter 8 preview 🏰

Ch 8: Distance

Whilst continuing to mull over his best course of action, Jamie was granted a reprieve. Running into Joe in the kitchens, the butler explained that Claire had been called away to Lerwick on business for a week and would be leaving within the hour.

“She’s in her sitting room packing her books…should you wish to bid her farewell?”

Joe gave him a pointed look, making the tips of Jamie’s ears burn. Eager avoid any awkward questions he made a hasty exit, escaping the kitchens into the fresh air outside. He knew he ought to seek Claire out to say good luck and goodbye, but fearful that his previous night’s activities would be written all over his face, instead took the cowardly option; skulking in the stable yard until he heard the crunch of wheels on the driveway. Watching her carriage disappear Jamie had expected to feel relief, instead there was just a dull ache in his chest. With a sigh he pondered if it was possible to miss someone before they’d even really left?

Fergus had accompanied his mother on her trip so it left Jamie with his morning free. Although he cherished time spent with the lad, he concluded that this was probably for the best as he felt far too distracted to effectively teach that day. Nervous energy churning in his gut, Jamie stalked around the stables looking for a distraction. As he drummed his fingers against his thigh and stared off into space, Lambert snorted loudly, the horse kicking at the stall door.

“Good idea boy, let’s get out for a ride. A change of scenery to clear the head, aye?”

Full chapter posting very soon!

Catch up on chapters 1-7 here 😘

[kai-ni]

A little preview of the next Good Omens fic I'm working on, perhaps? Someone asked for chronic pain Crowley and I also decided to throw in a little 'angels can fly but demons can't anymore' angst.

A single dark shape stood on the eastern wall of Eden, his black wings spread wide into the breeze as it cooled, as night fell, the sun dipping slowly beneath the horizon.  It felt… nice. To spread his wings every once in a while, stretch them to their full length despite the constant ache that suffused them. If he didn’t, that ache sometimes sank deeper into his bones, into his body, and could leave him debilitated. And it already seemed worse on Earth than it had been in Hell, considering the limits of his physical body, though Hell had fewer opportunities for the… stretching out. Less space, less privacy.  He preferred Earth for that reason. The air was crisp and real, the wind was cool and pleasant, and the warmth of the sun beat the dingy lights in Hell any day.  Crawly let his eyes fall closed, the faintest hint of a smile on his lips as the wind filtered over his feathers.  It almost felt like flying, with his eyes closed.

Kaini on Ao3

[howyouloveyourdragon]

Mastermind Spoilers without Spoilers

(sorry this chapter is taking quite long btw there's quite a bit of chaos) ;)