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lilakennedy · 3 years

Text

𝐎𝐥𝐝 𝐊𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐑𝐨𝐚𝐝

The way home becomes turbulent with an unusual encounter...

decided to post it given that a few people did seem interested!

and at the end of the day, i am a writer before anything else, so this was only a matter of time...i wanted to work with the odd balance of Gallopers character that we have been given, with the tales about him in-game and the recent comic! it was fun to try and lean more into the little slivers of personality we got from the comic.

i just really wanted to write something with this location & a bit of a different take on the man himself for the fun of it! i did not strive for perfect lore accuracy...

gender neutral MC! nothing romantic but if you’re crushing on the man, i hope you have a field day :D

words: 8.3k

cw: description of injury, but nothing bloody or gore related! an absolutely ridiculous abundance of creative liberties, straight up ignoring some canon lore and/or making up my own things,

english is not my first language, so some of the horse-related terminology might be off! i apologize!!

➝ pt. II

The moon hangs low above the horizon as fog crawls along the landscape like a starving snake on a hunt for prey.

It would have been pitch black, had it not been for the moon's bright light. By no means a full moon, but large enough to lend you the light that you needed to find your way. The atmosphere around you feels lonely, yet far from threatening as the sounds of an occasional gust of wind accompanied you.

Next to the rushing sounds of wind sing a few corvids as they flutter their wings in the tall, tall trees that stand imposing all around you. Their shape warped by the shadows in obscure patterns, but nothing you are not.

With every step your horse takes, the leather of its tack creaks and grinds against itself as the bag over your shoulder is a steady weight against your side. The hard hooves of your horse sounding muffled on the dirt path that stretches ahead of you.

A mixture of sounds that nearly lulls you to sleep - And the soft, gentle rhythm of your horse's walk is not helping with that fact.

It is a familiar path, as you have been here countless times before - The fresh night air is welcomed by your lungs after a long day. The falling leaves a nice, calming visual as they flutter in the low light of the lamp you had unceremoniously stuffed into your open saddlebag.

Your breath is visible in a small cloud that dances before your face, before it disappears, only to be replaced by the next exhale.

A small, annoyed groan escapes the back of your throat as you wiggle your toes in your boots - You should’ve worn those extra socks that Lisa gifted you. It truly got cold up here by the mountainside, and each year your poor toes would go numb as soon as the temperatures begin to dip lower.

The thought of Lisa makes you crack a small smile, you hope her and the others were home safe by now. You had parted ways by the Fishing Village not too long ago. The girls decided to take the last, late ferry back to Jarlaheim and stay with Linda for the night - But you had different plans, your schedule for the morning is packed with helping Conrad down in Moorland. You had promised to help him with a few things.

You notice how your horse's ears turn back toward you, clearly having noticed the noises you let out at the cold. With a gloved hand, you reach forward to pat your trusted companion on the neck, reassuring them nothing is wrong. Their warmth is even noticeable through the material of your gloves as you run your fingers over their fur.

“We’re gonna be home soon.” You assure while giving a few final pats before sitting back up straight in your dark saddle. “You’ve been doing so well, I might just get you some extra treats tomorrow morning.”

As if to respond in joy, they give a small huff out of their nostrils and raise their head for a moment.

The action forces a laugh out of you as you grin down at your horse and shake your head in bewilderment. The amount of personality behind those pointy ears and warm, brown eyes never fails to amaze you.

But it is not long before your comforting silence is broken in the most undesirable way; A wolf howl echoes, long and haunting.

Once again, the ears of your horse perk upwards - But this time pointing forward as their pace seems to slow down. With a gentle, reassuring tone you encourage them to keep going before they could come to a full stop.

Wolves are nothing rare in Golden Hills, the pack roaming the area is something you had come face to face with a few times. They are reserved and tend to stay clear of paths that humans frequent, only really coming out to be spotted by sheer coincidence or if you were to threaten them and their young.

As confident as you are in your pathway choices, an unsettling feeling creeps up your spine as you glance around the area. You really do not need a life threatening encounter with a canine tonight…You could do without that.

You are able to feel your horses' nervousness as their body language shifts, but they seem to relax bit by bit as you keep talking to them.

“It’s okay...We’ve heard it before, we’re not even close to them up h-”

A loud sound snaps you out of your words as it cuts you off, forcing you to sit up with your heart in your throat - An owl call echoes from close by, mixing with the whining of the wind.

With a certain relief at the realization that it is simply a nocturnal avian friend making itself known, you slump in your saddle a bit.

From here on outward, the mood of your ride home shifts intensely - The calming night air becomes bitingly cold on your face, every dry leaf that is broken apart under your horses hooves sounds too loud, the shadows given by the trees move too much and the distant scuttling noises of small woodland creatures turn into beasts waiting to devour.

While you were nearly dozing earlier, now you are unable to stop looking around.

Another wolf howl pierces the clear night's silence, a hauntingly beautiful melody that makes you grip the reins tighter in your hands.

Bushes around you rustling with movement feel like a dreadful warning, but each time you would remind yourself of the small animals lurking and scavenging for dinner.

That is until your horse abruptly stops and pulls their head back, clearly upset with something ahead. Surprised and confused, you train your eyes on the area before you, only to spot nothing.

You are surrounded by trees and bushes in all tones of red, green and gold. Every breeze forces more and more leaves to come tumbling down, you even had pulled one out of your horse's mane just a few minutes prior.

While you look around, your confusion and worry grows steadily as you could not spot anything in particular that they would usually shy away from.

”It’s just some bushes, come on buddy!” You encourage, wanting them to move forward. The hooves of your horse meet the pathway in a stubborn rhythm as they shift their weight.

With the help of your leg against their side, you try to encourage them once more, hoping they would keep moving, only to get a similar result.

“Don’t make me do this…” You mutter, letting the reins in your hands go slack as you drop your arms down. Your horse did nothing to ease your suspicion.

Huffing a bit, you move yourself off of the saddle.

Your boots hit the forest ground with a dull noise, the dirt giving way a tad and making you slip. Luckily you catch yourself on your horse, who seems unbothered by the short push you give their side to save yourself from the tumble.

Gently moving the reins over your horse's head to grab them in your hand, you begin to lead your companion past the bushes, logs and rocks ahead of you.

The gentle uphill angle of the path gets more and more steep as you dig your heels into the ground to keep yourself from falling again, as your horse nervously steps alongside you.

Foreboding and ancient, the dark bridge looms above you. You have crossed it many times, with friends or alone. You had seen it by night before, you had passed underneath it during the Light Ride, even.

But given how on edge you are, the tall structure seems more threatening than magnificent. The fog nearly hides the top of the bridge as you can vaguely spot the few lights glowing at the sides of it. You silently wonder who keeps up with the old oil lamps up here...You mentally thank them for keeping the path illuminated in weather like this.

Once you are directly underneath it, the stone surrounding you causes every noise you and your horse are making to echo slightly. Every step is doubled, every small breath and huff echoed back to you just a split second later.

Ahead of you stretches the long gap that cuts through stone, illuminated by small iridescent creatures. After pondering for a second, you carefully lead your horse around the corner - You are going to take the bridge, you do not have the blood pressure to make your way through there at this moment. The idea of having to round so many sharp corners with no idea what lurked behind each one makes you shudder in displeasure.

You take a few more steps leading your horse before stopping near the large stone pillar of the bridge. With one hand on your hip, you turn to face your horse.

“Are we good to keep going now, hm?” You gently pet their nose with one hand. “No more spooky bushes.”

With a few hobbles on one leg you manage to push yourself up and over, right into your saddle. You let out a groan as the bag smacks you in the ribs.

After a second of adjusting yourself, you find the right position in the leather of the saddle. You take a second to weakly rub at the spot the bag had been assaulting.

The bag is filled with an empty thermos, your keys, some book that Linda let you borrow and a few broken earphones that you were long meaning to throw out.

The hard metal of the thermos really has it out for you tonight, you feel.

A few moments after, you and your horse are moving again, following the winding path up the side of the bridge. This path is always something you are vary of, never wanting to slip or get injured.

But before you could make it past the underside of the bridge, a blur of movement rushes past the corner of your vision.

With a gasp, you twist your upper body and force your horse to stop with a slight pull of the reins. The ears of your horse immediately perk upwards as they look toward the direction of the noise, mimicking you in their own way.

Your breath stills in your chest and eyes go wide, you can feel the blood rush in your ears as you stare at the area where you had seen...Something.

A shriek escapes you as your entire body tenses up, watching something lunge forward from the darkness. In the same second your horse panics, moving around wildly in fear as it wants to flee the scene. You feel their uneven movements throw you around as you use your legs to stabilize yourself on their back.

The thrashing of your body is hard to control as you try your hardest to not collide with the large brick wall just to your left. With all you have in you, you keep your head leaning to the right stiffly to avoid a collision.

Soon, the red fox that had jumped out from a small gap in the thick bushes rushes away from you and your horse on quick paws, it’s thin body disappearing between the trees as it does not even spare you a glance..

Realizing you are not about to become some beasts dinner, you shift your focus to calm your horse.

The turbulence threw you out of your proper position in the saddle, forcing you to readjust with heavy legs as you shush your horse and reassure them.

It seems to work as they calm down, huffing a breath out their nostrils and shaking their head as they seem to regain their bearings.

One of your hands flies up to your chest and you immediately feel your heart drumming wildly behind your rib cage as your entire body feels a bit fuzzy from the short moment of panic and adrenaline.

You curse under your breath as you try to ride out this tail-end of fear, taking a second to just sit in silence.

The way home is still long, you and your horse are both anxious by this point, your thermos is asked to be chucked across the field and the wolves still howl their melodies in unison with the ravens and crickets that surround you.

After taking a small mental note of every detail of the situation, you’re not quite sure if you feel better or worse. But you have to keep moving nevertheless.

Getting your horse to get into a comfortable walking pace once more, the two of you make your way up the side of the pathway, the gravel and dirt shifts underneath the weight you put upon it, creating crunching sounds with each step.

Down the path and way uphill, you spot a light that you have not noticed ever before. It is neutral in hue, much colder than the lanterns that still are burning brightly at the top of the bridge.

The fog blurs and smudges the light as it seems to bop up and down. It reminds you of a small lamp people might carry with them, or a lit dog harness. It’s hard to spot how high it is off the ground, leaving you to ponder.

Part of you feels relief at the sight of what might be another traveller - Maybe someone you know! You are admittedly tired of being alone for now.

With new hope and some confidence mixed with vigor, you spur your horse forward in a soft canter as you two make your way up to approach the moving light. The rhythm of your horses' hooves now way faster and louder.

Maybe it is someone from Cape West? You are curious. You are not necessarily looking to hold a conversation, but just to linger near another human.

If you find it to be an unpleasant stranger, your backup plan is to steer your horse into a gallop and race home. It would at least help with killing the building dread of the current situation.

Your companion slows down to a trot at your small, vocal command as you reach the top of the hill, only to see no trace of the small lamp that was so happily luring you up here.

A disappointed and confused hum escapes your throat as you come to a full stop. Was it a trick of the light?

Chalking it up to the lighthouse beam getting scattered through the foggy night, you allow the idea to calm you into a sense of reality. A nagging voice creeps into your mind, reminding you of how the lighthouse beam rarely reaches past these mountains, but you swat it away like a bug buzzing by your face.

Up here, the path is old cobblestone, broken apart. Covered in dust and gravel before it eventually gives way to the pure brick road of the large bridge.

“You can’t even see the castle in this fog…” You voice out loud to yourself as you motion for your horse to keep moving now. The castle stands further inside the mountains, standing high up above all of Golden Hills and even visible from Silverglade. It seems large enough to put their own castle near the village to shame. The pathway is long blocked off, but no one ever explained why it is. Maybe it is worth an exploration some day, you muse.

After squinting up to the left side to try and see the castle, you turn back to face forward as your horse steps onto the bridge. The sound of your horses' rhythmic steps immediately grow louder thanks to the hard stone surface replacing the old gravel.

Suddenly, the lost light appears right in front of your face.

With a loud, startled neighing your horse comes to a full stop as it rears in a panicked frenzy. You let your guard down as you had been lost in thought about the fog and the castle, causing you to struggle to keep your grip on the reins and your horse.

The light is seemingly gone as soon as you blink, but that does not stop your horse from immediately taking off, causing your messy balance and hold on the saddle to completely disappear.

You land with a harsh sound as the stone floor stays unforgiving under your weight, the air is violently knocked out of your lungs and leaves you wheezing. A yelp escapes you at the painful collision with solid rock.

Your horses' steps move along the bridge as they continue to run, the echo violent as it throws the sound around in various directions thanks to the cavernous heights underneath.

“No, no no!” You call out, not as loud as you would have liked, thanks to the booming pain in your body and the lack of air in your chest. With a hiss of pain, you turn onto your side and look after your horse with despair as it disappears down the small path on the other side of the bridge, the small light in your saddlebag slowly fading between the fog.

You call out their name once. Twice.

Nothing.

Tears spring to your eyes as the pain in your arm becomes more and more acute, but they do not spill as you took a deep and shaky breath.

You mentally prepare yourself to look at your arm, hoping you are not going to be greeted with bone sticking out or some other kind of horrific injury.

The thick material of your jacket hides your arm from you as you look down at it, still lying on the floor of the godforsaken bridge. With a curse and a groan of pain, you shift yourself to sit at the right side of the bridge and lean your back against the cold stone. You are just glad you hadn’t hit your head on the edge of it.

Using your left hand, you move to roll up your sleeve as you feel your right wrist throbbing with pain. On the back of your left hand you notice a few scratches from your harsh landing. You wince at the knowledge that your entire body is going to hurt tomorrow.

God, what are you going to tell Conrad?

Before you can start to roll up your sleeve and grimace at whatever had happened to your poor arm, a familiar noise causes you to pause and look up immediately.

Slow hooves are audible nearby, but no horse is visible just yet. The sound is somewhat muffled, leading you to believe it must be on the nearby pathways of dust that surround the old bridge - But the echo makes it hard to locate it exactly.

A relieved sigh escapes you as a small smile graces your face. Your horse is coming back after having calmed down and realizing what had happened.

You look toward your right, down the way your horse had disappeared just half a minute ago. The trees stand tall at the cliff side and the moonlight filters through the fog, moved only by the breeze. It is hard to make out anything inside the thick layer of fog that still has not subsided, so you squint a bit and try to catch a glimpse of their familiar coat or movements.

An uneasy shiver shakes your entire body as your brows furrow, your mouth goes slightly agape in sheer confusion. Every hair on the back of your neck stands on edge. The noise is not coming from ahead.

As the sound grows closer and closer, it becomes more obvious that it is in fact coming from the same direction you had come from.

For a second, the thought of your horse having looped around enters your mind, and that it is nothing to worry about - But the impossibility of such a feat is clear as soon as you entertain the thought.

But when you turn to face the other side of the bridge, you are just greeted with the same, thick canvas of fog that made it nearly impossible to see anything beyond the bridge.

The only telling point are the various lanterns by the very end of the bridge, as they flicker with their own flames.

You stare as you sit frozen in place, unsure of what to do but trying to rationalize the situation as your anxiety picks up speed with each passing moment. You are hurting, worried about your horse and maybe about to be kidnapped. The lump in your throat reminds you each time you try to breathe.

Sure enough, a few seconds pass before the fog gives way to the shape of a rider on horseback, once more causing a mix of relief and dread to enter your veins as you gently hold your hurting wrist in your healthy hand, where it lies resting on your lap.

Your eyes are forced to move further and further up as the broad and tall nature of the horse gets clearer. With a small noise from your mouth, one of your legs straightens out on the floor, your boot grinding against the stone and the bag resting next to you shifting a bit.

Shock fills your system as it becomes clear that some of the multiple, warm lights you had thought to be the lanterns by the end of the pathway, are actually the eerie and beastly glow of the horse that is seemingly approaching you without a hurry.

It is clear now that only two of the lights you had seen are actually lanterns.

Out of fear, you tighten the grip you have on your own arm, causing you to wince loudly and involuntarily arch your back forward, as if to curl in on yourself. That fall had messed up your arm pretty badly, but you can’t even do anything about it for now. You wish you could ignore it, but the pain is acute and not allowing you to forget it.

With a pained expression you glance back upwards, spotting the dark and formidable horse stepping onto the bridge.

Its hooves are heavy and loud, echoing much louder than the ones of your own steed as you finally manage to catch a glimpse of the rider.

Every tale and rumour you have heard about the man floods your mind at once. Every warning and story Linda would tell is now blaring against your common sense with full volume as you feel your body press itself back into the stone behind you, as if to try and make yourself invisible.

Your breathing gets more shallow as your hands tighten into fists across your lap while your eyes stay glued to the impossible phantom in front of you.

A small voice tells you that you just hit your head, you’re out of it. But the more prominent pieces of your mind remind you of everything you have gone through on Jorvik ever since you arrived - And how this could not only very well be real, but also very well be the last thing you ever get to see.

The calm, slow pace of the fiery mare nearly manages to drive you insane, the dread building under your skin making you want to vomit.

Maybe they haven’t noticed you, you ponder hopefully.

But that hope gets wiped out mere seconds later as both the rider and horse seemingly turn to face where you are curled up against the edge of the bridge, the mare's strides coming to a halt just a few steps to your left. You go entirely stiff to the point that your muscles ache in protest.

Fear strung itself into every corner of your mind like an intricate spider web that caught every rational or calming thought in its traps.

And as you look up at Thompson, you know he can tell.

You barely spot the slightest movement of one of his legs before his dark horse begins to slowly step forward again - But this time, stepping closer to the side where you are stuck in the less productive cousin of fight or flight. Fright.

The moon is still the only real light, but the glow of Thompson’s mare illuminates the stone of the bridge - And the wispy green of his neck mixes with the swirls of the fog in the most grotesquely beautiful ways.

All these small sources of light lend a hand in making you painfully aware of the large sword strapped to the man's back.

Even if you can not see it, you can tell he is peering down at you - As are the mares bright green eyes. Her eyes have not left your form ever since they landed on you for the first time, and under her strong and unreadable gaze, you find yourself intimidated like rarely ever before.

Are you going to die tonight?

Your leg flinches in surprise as you feel it grow warm. A fearful look down to where your foot has been resting shows you just how close the mare’s glowing legs are to yours. As soon as you notice, the horse comes to a stop.

There is still a good 50 centimetres between you and the seemingly fiery hooves that stand in front of you, but yet you can feel a warmth radiating already.

“I-I’m sorry.” You speak out for the first time toward the two of them. You are not quite sure what the apology is directed toward; Maybe the fact that you stepped up here so late in the night? The flinching of your leg?

Now having stopped right by your side, Thompson and his mare are still facing down the path but both twisting themselves slightly to look down at your shaken form.

It isn’t until a few moments later that the nose of the large horse nudges your arm, reminiscent of how horses treat foreign objects that they aren't quite sure are alive or edible. Her flaming mane is kept from touching you thanks to the winds, but you can still feel the heat of them lick at your skin.

The pressure is minimal, but it is enough to move your hand and cause you to gasp in pain.

Ears perking toward you and then backward toward her rider, the mare straightens her neck back out and stands tall.

With teary eyes and furrowed brows, you grasp your arm and look up at Thompson who...Somehow seems to be confused. His upper body is slightly leaning over to the side, leading you to believe that if he could, he’d be cocking his head.

The Mare looks toward you, and something about her gaze tells you there is a question lingering in the cold, night air.

“I fell.” You speak, voice shaky as you glance toward where your horse had run off to and left you behind on the cold stone. You have no idea if this is what you are meant to say or do, but you feel as if there are not many other options on the table.

Once again, Thompson and his mare look over to follow your gaze in unison, as if they understand what had happened. You look down at your own hands when you do not know where to keep your gaze, not sure if you should keep staring at the headless phantom or not.

After a moment of silence, you startle and throw your head up to look. Thompson has gotten off of his horse and his boots hit the ground of the bridge next to you.

Trying to swallow around the lump in your throat, you watch as he calmly pets the side of his mare, similarly to any other rider you had encountered. The calm, humane action throws you for a loop, but you are not blessed with much time to think before the next thing throws you out into the cold water.

With a gloved hand, the man motions for you to stand. Bewildered and nervous, you try your best to follow the command swiftly. Your feet find their hold on the ground and you push yourself up with your knees - And once again, your thermos smacks into your side. But this time, you have more concerning things to worry about.

You stand stiffly, not wanting to move an inch too much in fear of it setting something off that might cost your life.

As you stand at your full height, you realize Thompson still manages to tower over you as you look at him and then over to his horse. You are clueless on what to do as you stand with your injured hand by your stomach. The warmth of the fiery mare spreads across your right side.

Once more, he gets your attention by motioning with one hand - He holds his hand out to you, palm facing upwards.

Confusion is clearly visible on your features as you look down at his hand. Does he want you to give him something? Pay him in return for sparing your life? Does he think you have something that he wants?

You involuntarily lean back a bit as you shake your head with a small shrug; “I- I don’t…”

Thompson moves his hand slightly, angling it and using two fingers to point toward your aching arm.

You blink a few times, before hesitantly and very shakily holding your arm out the best you can without moving your wrist. Every synapse in your brain feels like it is firing on the highest signal, causing every movement to feel extreme and every noise you make to sound like nails on a chalkboard.

With racing thoughts and adrenaline causing your entire body to shake, you hold your breath when you feel his gloved hand grab your arm. The cold of his hands is noticeable even through your own gloves and coat. You involuntarily shiver and hope he doesn’t pick up on it, but the short pause of his movements tells you otherwise.

As if it is nothing, he moves your sleeve upwards halfway to your elbow, just enough to show the damage done. Your wrist looks terrible, causing you to wince out loud.

A brutal, red and purple bruise stretches around your entire lower arm like a tight bracelet. Different shades of bruised skin form a pattern that is painful just to look at.

The mare next to you huffs and gives a quiet neigh as if she is reacting to the nasty injury, her eyes seem trained on you and your arm.

Under the moonlight, the injury looks cold and purple, but you figure at home it would show as an angry red. You nearly scoff at the idea of making it home…But you will, right?

Your fearful thinking is interrupted as Thompson pulls your sleeve back down and lets your wrist rest unmoving in his palm. The cold of his hand nearly feels soothing on the fractured bone.

He slowly moves your arm, much to your confusion, but you are too scared to intervene with whatever he is trying to do with your broken wrist. Yet, you cannot help but flinch and instinctively try to pull your hand away.

Tales of brutal torture resurface in your mind and you try your hardest to ignore them, not wanting to think about what he could do. How he could worsen your injury with just one hand or -

But despite all the terror in your body, Thompson angles your arm back toward your own torso and pulls the strap of your bag forward. He lets go of your arm and you wince, but after a second you find your wrist resting snug on top of your bag, the weight of your hand held up by it. Thompson’s gloved hand returns for a second, giving your arm a nearly awkward pat.

Speechless and wide eyed, you blink down at your injured hand - He had helped you.

A breeze sweeps across the bridge in the moment of calm and you feel your hair move along with it. The chill of it caresses your neck and face, leaving the cold to bite at your skin as you try to understand what is going on.

Surely, if he had helped you, he will not harm you now - Or at least that is what you try to tell yourself as you still stand still, nauseous with fear.

With confused and slightly less scared eyes, you watch as the man mounts his horse once more. The mare shifts her weight, seemingly content with having her rider back. Her glowing, fiery mane flickers along with the movement of her neck.

The sound of her hooves echo as she begins to walk, imposing and proud with her head high and her eyes brighter than the moon above.

You stare in disbelief and shift your weight, unsure what to do. This entire encounter has been feeling like hours that crawled onward, but realistically it had been merely a minute or two.

Much to your surprise, Thompson and his mare stop in their tracks just a few steps away from you. With a light shift of the reins, the mare turns ever so slightly to look at you, similarly to how Thompson is turning his upper body.

Your left hand is clinging to your right upper arm while you do not move from your spot on the bridge. You curse this night. You want to find your horse, make sure they are alright - But you feel that if you run off now, it will only end terribly.

Your lips press together in a thin line, your eyes meet the gaze of the mare as you figure you can do nothing but wait. A lonely wolf howls in the back once again, filling the silence.

It is subtle, you might have missed it had you blinked in the wrong second, but you spot the way Thompsons shoulder and arm move. He is beckoning you over.

An unsure ‘ah’ escapes your throat while you keep staring at the two standing ahead of you. A few seconds pass before you take unsure but rushed steps to catch up with them.

As soon as you are next to them, the mare falls into a rhythmic walking speed next to you, similar to the one you heard when the headless horseman arrived at the bridge.

Your own boots sound dull in comparison to her large hooves while the echo of your steps is drowned out by hers. Being close to her side like this makes your freezing body feel warmer, as if you are walking next to a fireplace. With a shaky breath, you look around the foggy forest.

The treetops visible from up here on the bridge are covered in misty, white fog. Only occasionally you can spot a bird move out of the fog and up into the dark skies. You know that if it weren't for the fog, you could see the lights of the Vineyard in the far distance. You force yourself to keep your gaze away from who is accompanying you and instead watch the forest below.

But it does not take long before temptation wins you over, causing you to glance over and upwards to Thompson - Only to spot his mare looking back at you, making your shoulders hike up and look back to the ground. You mentally scold yourself for doing it in the first place. You really should not test your luck while already dancing a tightrope.

You just hope your horse is okay.

A sharp yank at the back of your coat causes you to yell out and stop in your tracks as your healthy arm flies upwards. Panic rushes back into your thoughts like it did various times this night before, but this one bitingly more acute as you feel your life is at stake for good.

The mare had stopped walking and is now looking over to you, giving a displeased huff and snort. Thompsons hand is grabbing a handful of your big coat near your collar, forcing you to stop dead in your tracks - But as soon as you stop walking, his hand leaves your back and you hastily turn to face him with an unsure expression and your heart in your throat.

You find the direction him and his mare are looking toward and you try your best to follow their gaze.

Forward and down the path, you are nearly on the other side of the bridge now, the opening of the forest and the windy path visible through the fog. But there is something else besides the tall, arching trees and old rocks - Lights.

At first you only spot one or two, but the longer you look and focus, the more you can see. One or two turn into dozens of small lights fluttering between the fog.

The very same light that had lured you up here.

“Wisps…” You mutter, gaining yourself a small glance from the rider and his mare.

A pit forms into your stomach. You have heard about the Will o’ Wisps of Jorvik before, the Keepers of Aideen and Pi had warned you of them. Elizabeth once told you stories about them, too.

Tales of their ability to lure and hypnotize innocent, unlucky bystanders.

Thompson had stopped you from walking into a swarm of Will o’ Wisps. You nearly feel bad for shrieking and starling so severely, but for a second you had truly believed your head was about to roll. The thought makes you swallow around the lump in your throat.

You find yourself trying to think of what to do, debating turning back around and going the other way - But your horse is still in this part of the forest.

All you have to do is not look at them, you figure, but that is going to make looking for a lost horse much harder.

Through the fog you spot the way they dance, they nearly look like childish fairies as their glow illuminates the fog and a few leaves when they get close to any of the nearby trees.

You grit your teeth at the situation ahead of you. Why couldn't you have stayed with the others? You could be asleep on a cozy air mattress somewhere in Jarlaheim.

Now that you are properly aware of the dangers ahead, you give a small hum as if to confirm that you know what to do. The mare’s eyes linger on you for a second, nearly as if to second guess your confidence, but after a moment the three of you are moving again.

With a heavy gulp, you decide to raise your left hand up to your face and cover your eyes, hoping it will kill any chance of accidentally looking at any of the flying little light spectacles. You can feel your own hand shaking as you rest it against your face.

Now that you are left in the dark of your own shut eyelids, another issue quickly rises to prominence - Orienting yourself on the uneven path. The rocks of the bridge are uneven, some broken from centuries of wear and lack of care. It is the perfect terrain for your boots to get caught on various small edges as you try your hardest not to fall.

Every few steps, you catch yourself mid-stumble, regaining balance just moments before losing your footing completely. Your only real guidance is the sound of the mare’s hooves and the warmth she is lending to the air surrounding her. You figure you’d be going on the right path as long as you do not lose her.

The absurdity of the situation sounds like a mocking voice in your head; Following Galloper Thompson blindly. In the most literal sense.

With a certain unease, you shift your shoulders a bit. Now you are too deep in it to regret your choices. Maybe you should’ve made a run for it and followed your horse earlier.

A small gasp escapes you as you feel something solid hit the front of your left foot, causing you to stumble more harshly than the last few times. Out of instinct, you remove your hand from your face and open your eyes to see the obstacle in your path.

Lying at your feet is a rock, not very large or noticeable, you probably would have completely ignored it had you been on horseback. But it is enough for your foot to get caught on.

You grumble to yourself while you look back up to continue walking. Training your eyes onto the fog ahead as you regained a proper pace after nearly getting hurt for the second time tonight.

You never notice your mistake, you never feel the dread or regret of keeping your eyes open. The Wisps sway just a few meters ahead, so close you feel like walking up to them to catch one.

Involuntarily, you lean your head to the side and allow your wide eyes to keep watching, entranced by the beauty of the mimicry of the night sky just outside your reach.

With a loud sound, the mare's hooves hit the stone in front of you, her body blocking your path as you finally startle out of your trance and stumble back a few steps. The way you jump causes your arm to ache from the tension, you duly note.

Still wide eyed, but this time not out of awe, you hastily look at the mare and her rider, wondering what could have caused the abrupt reaction.

It does not take long before you realize what had just happened and all the color drains from your face. Thompson’s mare gives a loud neigh, seemingly frustrated as her body language matches her displeased demeanour.

You feel meek under her stern gaze, but force out an explanation; “I kept - I had to see where I was going.” Out of the corner of your eye, you swear you can see the horseman's shoulders drop, as if giving a sigh.

As you stand and clench your jaw with a knit in your brow, Thompson once more hops down from his mare's back and finds his footing on the ground near you. A hesitant curiosity as to what his plan is enters your mind, but not without the initial fear that you have overstayed your welcome with him.

The now strangely familiar gloved hand of Thompson enters your vision once more. Looking between his hand, his mare and himself, you grow unsure of what is asked of you. That is, until he motions for you to step closer, and you realize.

“No, I can’t-” You quietly try to argue, not sure what the best plan of action is in such a uniquely bizarre and risky situation. The rest of your words die in your throat and you simply look up at the man with involuntarily fearful eyes.

He makes no move to pull his hand back as he stands and waits for you, unlike his mare who seems to be growing impatient as she gives a sharp neigh and stomps her back leg against the stone floor. The sound echoes harshly before it disappears.

Giving an unsure look around, as if to find another way around this, you end up coming to the conclusion that there is not much you can do. So with a gulp, you hold out your left hand to him once more.

With ice cold fingers wrapping around your forearm, you pray to Aideen you would see morning come. Allowing you to watch your step, he holds onto your arm but makes no move to force your movements. More wobbly than you would have liked, you step closer.

As soon as you step forward to Thompson who stands between you and the fiery mare, his hand leaves your arm. You watch as his left hand grabs onto his horse's reins, ready to lead her on foot. A small part of you wondered if he even had to lead her, or if she would follow his every step no matter what.

Your train of thought is cut short as you feel his right hand come to rest over your eyes, the glove cold and their leather texture worn. You gasp at the sudden loss of vision and random contact, leaving you stiff as a board.

Thompson’s cold hand and arm in contrast to the warmth the horse is radiating feels unreal as your heart is stuck in your throat. He has no real grip on you, you realize, his hand merely resting over your now shut eyes. Even his arm behind your shoulder is barely noticeable.

You feel as if you are resting in a lion's den, yet no part of Thompson’s behaviour gives you any reason to believe you will find your doom tonight.

A conflicting spiel of emotions and thoughts races through your head as your feet carry you blindly. Linda and Avalon - Hell, even Ydris - They all had told you countless horror stories, told you that any glimpse you were to catch of this phantom would be the last thing you’ll ever see. Stories of the lives he had taken, the bloodbaths and screams.

Nothing matches up with what you are experiencing in this moment and it once more brought back the idea that you had gotten a concussion or are out cold, even. Or maybe you are putting yourself into an un-payable debt, but you’d rather not think about that.

You can hear and feel that you have left the bridge as the ground underneath your boots changes and the sound of the horses hooves become more dull. Stepping further into the forest allows for the insistent sounds of the crickets to grow louder all around you and for the trees to shield you from the cold winds.

While you can not see the Wisps, you can hear them. You hear their whispers and their small sounds as they seem to sway wildly all around you and your unlikely company. Every now and then Thompson would use the hand he has on you to guide you out of the way of any obstacles and guide you down the windy path.

At some point, you do stumble lightly as the ground seems to dip underneath you, your foot not finding the gravel as soon as you had hoped thanks to stepping into a small hole in the path. Once again, the extra balance of the second person by your side helps you stay upright.

Soon after, Thompson removes his gloved hand from over your eyes, allowing you to look around once more. You blink your eyes a few times, having them squeezed shut causing stars and blurs all over your vision as you need a second to adjust to the dark.

You are standing at the end of the Old Kings Road, out of the forest where the downhill path winds before it disappears down into the Valley. The wooden sign nearby is weakly lit by a dying lantern hanging above it.

In the corner of your eye, barely visible between the fog, you spot what you assume to be a wolf leaving the clearing and vanishing between the rocks. What was your main concern earlier, now is merely an afterthought.

With a gasp, you stand up straight as you spot your horse, grazing off to the side as if nothing is out of the ordinary.

You fight the urge to scramble and run off to rush to your dear friend, but remembering who is with you kept your behaviour more meek and calm. With the first non-stiff body language you give that night, you nod toward him and as if in response, he steps aside to let you walk past.

On hurried steps you walk past Thompson’s mare - Not without glancing at her - And soon break into a run toward your own horse.

Immediately, their head perks up as you rush to their side, checking them over - But luckily they seem completely fine. You give your horse a one armed hug, filled with nothing but relief and love. They move their nose to inspect your makeshift cast, making you give a teary giggle.

“I take back what I said about the extra treat earlier.” You watch your horse's ears stay alert as they give a small snort, nearly seeming offended as you gently scratch their nose.

You grab your horse's reins when you suddenly begin to hear the familiar sound of heavy hooves. Spinning around where you stand with the reins tightly grasped, you watch as Thompson and his mare begin to move back up the path you had come from.

After fiddling with the reins in your hand and your horse confusedly nudging your back once, you call out: “Wait!”

Immediately, you feel as if ice water is thrown on your entire body. You question your recklessness, but surely enough, the headless horseman stops. Him and his mare turn toward you for the final time this night.

With your horse on high alert and staring at the giant mare over your shoulder, their reins grasped in your healthy hand and the distant hooting of an owl accompanying you, you tell him: “Th-Thank you.”

His mare gives a shake of her neck and a huff as her eyes don’t leave you, until she rears with a strong neigh. You watch Thompson move along with his mare as she stands tall.

With a loud thud, her front legs return back to the forest ground and immediately the duo takes off in a gallop. Your eyes follow them until they disappear up the path. Even afterwards, you can hear her fast, strong steps fly over the bridge you had your fateful encounter on, until its echo fades out into the mountains and no trace of the rider and his mare are left.

You find yourself smiling in disbelief until your horse nudges the side of your face with their big nose, causing you to shift your weight and turn to them.

“Alright, alright! Let's go home.”

#sso #star stable #galloper thompson #gunnar thrymson #i havent posted writing for a fandom in so long this is the most nerve wrecking thing #lila drabbles #long post

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wri0thesley · 3 years

Text

many many anons under the cut bc i didn’t want anyone to feel like i was ignoring them and i wanted to respond to u all! warning for small text too, it was so long i wanted to make it look smaller fgbnjkgkjn

Anonymous asked: NAT... you can write WHATEVER you want! It's your blog, and I hope that rude anons can learn to respect that. I used to be on your blog just for jjba content too, so when you started getting into jjk I was indifferent but eventually you dragged me into jjk so hard!! I already like bnha, so seeing you write for it only made me happier! I hope that you continue to write whatever make YOU happy:) ❤and yes, longer fics certainly doesnt mean it's better, quality over quantity

ahh i’m happy that you are here for all three!! i always feel so accomplished when someone is like ‘your constant screaming made me think about jjk <3′. all three of the fandoms are fairly popular and i tag everything v carefully so i hope people who do use the filtering find that useful!!!

Anonymous asked: Goodness gracious. People really be out there thinking they're entitled to dictating what kind of content you should be making

i think part of it might be that i do take requests so people feel like they have like . . . a certain right to certain kinds of my content? i take requests mostly bc they keep me motivated, i like making content for ppl who cant find what they want bc i’ve Been There, but maybe people think i am a pushover? idk i am just trying to have a good time!!!

Anonymous asked: Hi. I only started following you a few days ago but please ignore that rude anon. People are so fucking entitled towards writers it's insane. I recently had someone throw a fit for "spoiling" something in my fanfic, even though the fic was about a manga-exclusive character, so what did they expect?? Overall I've really enjoyed your writing so random assholes coming to guilt you is just a shitty thing that happens. Keep going with what you wanna do.

ah gosh anon i’m sorry about that :(. i’m always super careful tagging spoilers and stuff but like, if someone clicks on a fic about say, naoya or the steel ball run boys and is mad that i spoil something they havent found out yet . . . yeah thats on them fgbnkjgfkjn

Anonymous asked: That...that anon had the nerve to say "we". The fuck?! No no no anon, YOU'RE the only one talking and you're just talking for yourself, don't you dare try and lump us other anons/followers up with you to make yourself look like you're right. We love you nat and we appreciate you. It's your blog, you're allowed to write about whoever and whatever. This brain dead anon just needs to either go read someone else if they're that salty or write their own stuff if they're that impatient.

gosh i WISH some of my mad anons would just write their own stuff honestly. idk if this anon thought they were talking for everybody but i guess they expected anons to agree with them and not be mad at them. i appreciate u anon ;_;

Anonymous asked: Just want to say that ily and you’re one of the best jojo fanfic writers in my opinion 💗 I don’t think you’re half assing jojo fics and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with you being multi fandom. A lot of jojo blogs have started posting about jjk so it’s not as if you’re the only one. I’m not sure why you get hate like this but I think it’s just because you’re one of the popular writers and that makes people bitter for whatever reason. Keep being you and posting about the things that make you happy 💕

honestly after so long writing for jojo - i’ve written well over 200 jojo reader insert fics - sometimes it feels like i’m retreading stuff, and that’s when i take a break bc i dont wanna half-ass stuff!!! i love all of my fellow jojo friends who are posting about jjk too, i appreciate them <3.

Anonymous asked: Hey my dude, ur writing has really grown since the jojo days and its better and awesome seeing u become happier to branch off and write in different fandoms 🤌🤌 those stupid anons are just boring farts that couldnt be bothered making their own content 😤😤 is it possible to block them to ease ur mind?

hello anon!! i run a statcounter for IPs but it doesnt always work for ppl who access through the tumblr app, i don’t think; a lot of the anon hate i get i just use the ‘block’ option, but last night got to me because i’ve been getting that kind of writer a lot which is . . . a bad look for the jojo fandom who are, as a whole from the ones i’ve interacted with, lovely!!! <3

Anonymous asked: People often forget, the person behind art or writing, is just another regular fan. You deserve to be happy with what you create and we should be thankful you share your talent with us. You also have right to change your main interests, and it's very normal thing. Jojo is one of the MANY things that you write for and all you get from that is a like or share. Its not your job. It's your fun thing to do, in spare time. You haven't betrayed anybody. That person was just rude, selfish and bored.

i am just a person doing my best!!! anime fanfic is one of many interests i have and i already devote a lot of time to it honestly, i love when people tell me they’ve enjoyed something i made bc it makes it feel worthwhile but equally it gets to me a lot when people are rude because i am usually trying my hardest.

Anonymous asked: Bro that jjba anon... the entitlement🤮 Fam, you write whatever you want to write😤 -Saturday

dfnjbkjnkgf i find most fic readers are NOT entitled at all and are just grateful but when they are . . . oof.

Anonymous asked: It's funny how people throw "we got you popular" and they think you start apologize and cry. Your writing and passion made you gain few numbers on a follow counter, nothing more. I think I'm too old for stuff like this, we are nothing more, but +1 on a number scale. You ow us nothing, we ow you nothing. Popular... Funny word. You just write for fun of it, fake scenarios about someone's manga characters. It's not that deep. Have fun and don't listen to people like this. I knew it's not that easy, but they are really not that important as they think they are.

extremely fun fact for people who think ‘popularity’ is important to me: i would 100% rather have 10 people who regularly comment, reblog my fics with tags and interact with me than 100 people who read my fic and either leave a like or simply move on. i think this is true for the VAST MAJORITY of writers tbh. i’m glad that people think i am a ‘popular’ blog (i am not in the grand scheme of things, one of my ex-best friends used to run a kpop reader insert blog with like 30,000 followers) bc it gives me an ego boost lmao, but i really just want people to read and enjoy the stuff i write!!!

Anonymous asked: I followed you a while ago for jojo and when my friends started getting into jjk i was like...eh sounds like work...but now that I see you writing for it I feel really motivated to get into it!!! I really enjoy your writing and I want to be able to read the new stuff too!

ah anon i really hope you like it!!! it’s only one season rn if u wanna watch the anime and there isn’t too much of the manga to catch up on either but it is a lot of fun and it’s nice to be in a fandom that’s like, excited about a new chapter and new plot developments every week!

Anonymous asked: Pls dont reply if u dont want to! <3 I'm not sure if this will be of any help to you or not but this is the kind of thing that often helps me and is the only way I know to try comfort others so I wanted to give it a go~

Now im not gonna say 'dont feel bad pls' bc I know that's not really useful but what I do think is useful is just discussing why that anon and many others feel the need to respond that way. As someone who follows a lot of writing blogs myself and have done for a long time, i've seen my handful of favourite writers come and go for different reasons, lose motivation for a while, gain motivation for a while, go from multi to single fandom, or single fandom to multi. Often times as a reader it can be upsetting when things change but it's also important as a reader to understand that some things aren't in anyone's control, I can't control what my favourite writers become a fan of or lose interest of, I can't control things in their personal lives that may motivate or demotivate them to write, but what I can do is support them as long as they're active, and if they move on to do things i'm no longer interested in or i'm the one that changed interests, rather than being upset that they're evolving to do other things or that they're not evolving with me, I think it's important that I still feel thankful for the works that I enjoyed while we were still on the same page and this is how I personally deal with those negative feelings. I think the anons that lash out at you probably just dont know what to do with themselves, maybe they got attached to your works while you were still only a jjba blog and now that you're evolving they're upset, while I understand how they feel, they're going the completely wrong way about it. I've learned to take these things and turn them into something positive for myself or at least something bittersweet that I can move on from but the anons that lash out at you for whatever reason probably haven't learned this yet. Maybe it's because i've moved on and changed interests a lot myself that I know how these things go for both writers and readers but those anons maybe haven't experienced this as much so they dont know what to do with themselves other than complain that you've changed and throw insults at you in an attempt to get you to revert back. None of this is because of the quality of your writing like they want you to believe, it's literally just because you've evolved and while some of your old followers might not like the new content for no reason other than it not being their cup of tea, it's definitely not regressed at all. You are pumping out a lot of content right now but every single thing i've read has just been better than the last. Things that really stand out to me is how well you get characterisation down to a T and all of your dialogue is just on point and from the pov of a reader I think those things seem the hardest to get right so I am such a huge fan of your stuff at the moment and I can tell you're really putting so much thought and care into each and every fic no matter how fast you're producing it, I think the fact that you're also proud of what you're writing at the moment really shines through as well and I just adore the passion that radiates from every completed request as well as in the responses for the subsequent thirsts resulting from these works that appear in your ask box later (I know i've sent quite a few by now~)

Just to be clear i'm not defending those anons in any way, while I can understand what they might be feeling/why they're reacting in the way they are I still believe it's just so immature to be hateful online point blank. Even during a time where I still got upset with writers if they started doing something else I still never targeted that negativity directly to the writer and sending rude or hateful comments whether on anon or not never something i'd stooped low enough to do even when I still had an immature way of thinking, however, I hope that it might make it a little easier to brush them off if we try and understand what they're really upset about, and that they're just putting the blame for their negative feelings onto the wrong thing rather than coming to terms with change themselves.

hello anon!! i appreciate the long message. i do feel bad for people who have no interest in what i’m currently producing and i get that they feel upset about it; i’ve watched a lot of fellow jojo writers move on completely or just stop posting, honestly. this kind of thing is why i was so intense about asking people if it would be better if i made a separate blog but the resounding answer seemed to be ‘i’m just vibing with whatever happens and i’ll block tags as needed’.

i often return to works by my favourite reader-insert writers who no longer write for the fandoms i like (and i read stuff bc it sounds interesting or i trust the person who writes it), but change can be difficult and i guess at this point i’ve - whether u like me or not lmao - been a fixture in jojo reader-insert tumblr for a While so it’s probably kind of jarring.

anyway i really appreciate you and the nice words! <3

Anonymous asked: hi nat! I just wanted to pop in and say that regardless of what fandom you write for, the love and care you pour into your writing and into interacting with followers who care about your work as well is really obvious. you're doing this for FREE and people should appreciate what you've given us so far, since ultimately this blog should be for you, whatever that means to you at any point in time. it's ok to jump fandoms! the important thing is that you feel good about what you're producing and that it makes you happy. everyone else is just a bonus - but, seeing you on my dash certainly makes me happy : ) I hope you feel better soon!

thank you anon! i’m feeling much better and happier today. birthdays are very difficult for me (i did not think i’d be alive at eighteen, much less 25!) so this event is definitely kind of a way for me to concentrate on something else, and i’m a little bit extra sensitive atm. i appreciate you so much, thank you for the kind words!!! <3

Anonymous asked: Hello! I just wanted to say, write what YOU want and make YOUR writings as long as you'd like. 💖 To the anon who is like "We mAdE yOu FaMoUs dOnt HalF asS iT" stfu, let people do what they wanna do. If you think they half do it, write something better and longer you asshat.

this is an open invitiation to that anon to send me a link to their writing blog and i’ll hype them up i promise <3

Anonymous asked: nat i'm so so sorry about that ask please know that your older followers don't share the same opinion :( sometimes people forget about the living, breathing person behind the screen smh. you are not a machine. you absolutely should not restrict yourself to posting about one fandom forever. yes, we're first pulled in by your amazing content, but we stay for your wonderful personality and work ethic. please just keep being you, taking up projects you feel comfy with! <333 bless u

ahh thank u anon! unfortunately i actually am a writing robot, i’m sorry u had to find out this way. my jojo chip has been removed, please send it back so i can continue to not half-ass my jojo work. fgnjkbgjkfn thank you so much angel!!! i appreciate you ;_;.

Anonymous asked: i don’t think it’s fair for other people to say shit about what you choose to write about because on tumblr and other writing platforms, writers are constantly developing how they write and the fandoms that they write for. it’s not fair for someone to criticize that “you don’t care about jjba blah blah blah” because you can enjoy new shows/manga. and like you said you’ve grown so much!! proud of you nat and im glad that ive been able to read your works (sincerely other nat)

i am STILL waiting for you to come and fight me other nat fgnjkbnf. it’s nice to be enjoying different things! i am constantly learning new things and reading new works and making new friends and improving and i think that’s important. i do care about jjba - a lot! but i can care about other things too! <3

Anonymous asked: I may not be one of your oldest followers, but i've been here for almost 3 years. Yes, i started following u for ur jojo content, but let me tell u, ur newfound motivation and enthusiam for other fandoms was honestly contagiuos for me. And i say this as a person who finds very difficult to move from one interest to another. Jojo is great, but so are other fandoms. Please don't let some faceless scum rob u that motivation. This is ur blog and u r always free to write whatever u want.

honestly, i have been there! i am autistic and i have special interests and watching other people move on to stuff i’m not vibing with has made me sad in the past, but i want people to be happy more than anything and sometimes that means new things and change! <3

Anonymous asked: Hi Nat! I saw that rude anon message & I just wanted to pop in & say that they're wrong. You're not betraying anyone & you should write whatever it is you want to write. I followed you for jojo & I'm not familiar with the other fandoms that you write for, but personally it makes me SO happy to see you enjoying new things! It's always good to find joy wherever you can, so keep writing what you're interested in. There a lot of ppl who want to see you happy and healthy <3

honestly the idea of it being a GRAND BETRAYAL is so funny, i am just writing anime fanfic here and thriving!!! tysm anon! <3

Anonymous asked: Those anons can piss off! They have no right to judge how long or how short your writing is. If they want longer content write it their damn selves. I think your writing has improved wonderfully and I originally followed for Jojo and I'm enjoying all the content period. I don't even watch jujutsu ( not my cup of tea personally) but I love seeing the creativity and the interactions. You write what makes you happy Nat and that's on that! You don't owe anybody anything! I know how hard writing is and when your consuming new content it's hard to make content for something else. That doesn't mean you don't like it any more your just doing something different for a while. Love you and your content and I'm enjoying the love your putting into your content whether long or short. ♥♥💕 Sending love your way!

honestly my idea of ‘short content’ is still over 1k words, i’m not good at reeling myself in! i guess it’s bc they see like, 1.5k jojo fic versus 5k jjk fic but it’s not that i didn’t enjoy the first fic, just that the point and the story came a lot quicker and so did the natural end! thank you anon, i appreciate you ;_;

Anonymous asked: Hello! Just wanted to let your know that I think your writing is awesome, and that you should write for whoever and for whatever you want to! You dont have to stay loyal to one fandom or anything, and your followers shouldn't expect that from you! It's not like they are paying you to write, you are doing this for free, and because you enjoy it and it makes you happy! If they dont like your stuff, they dont have to follow you, they can go to other blogs that cater to their taste, and they definitely don't need to be sending you such hurtful comments, and they dont get to make you feel sad about your writing! Just because they followed you during your earlier stages of writing, doesn't mean you owe them some type of loyalty or compensation! You can write literally whatever you want as long as it makes you happy! That's what your hobby and your blog are for! I hope you know that alot of your followers love your work and think that you are an amazing writer and are down to support the work that makes you happiest! 💖💖

ahh thank you so much anon!!! i am always so bowled over by how many people are nice to me when something like this happens, i am sending you my love <3

Anonymous asked: don’t listen to them!! we love you as a writer no matter what you write, because you’re a good person and a talented writer!! you shouldn’t have to change what you write to please a bitter person, and if they only want jjba, they can go to another blog instead of bringing you down. you’re doing amazing and they should be thankful you grace us with your talents!!

to be totally honest, if i was half-assing or not vibing with content i was making i just. wouldn’t post it. like you’d be able to TELL when i was half-assing stuff just to get words out (source: i have re-read my own nanowrimo works). there are lots of great jjba blogs who could do with more followers n interaction!!! i hope they do find them and i hope they’re nice to them :(.

Anonymous asked: Please don’t pay attention to that anon. People only have that confidence when they have anon turned on. Them looking through your blog despite feeling that way is peak fan behavior and speaks to how addicting your writing is. Naturally, you can’t please everyone and there will be people who are irrational and feel entitled to tell you what to do or what to write no matter what. Trust me when I say they’re a small minority and are more likely probably passing viewers rather than regulars. I check your blog about three or more times a day because I love reading not just your fics but also your takes, banter with other anons, or even random updates. Brainrot posts? LOVE TO SEE IT!!! Desk update? AMAZING!!! With that being said, don’t feel pressured to continue pushing out content for others. Write what makes you happy! You’ve been writing for JJBA for 4 years and it’s completely normal + healthy to get into new media. I’m not sure if it would mean much, but your love for JJK has gotten me excited to start it too!!

anon i really hope you enjoy it!!! sometimes these anons remember stuff i’ve posted and said better than i do tbh, i am living in their heads rent free i guess!

Anonymous asked: I've been following you for a couple of years and honestly it would always be a joy to see when you posted. Your writing has improved and I'm very happy you're enjoying yourself ! I know it hurts hearing and seeing stuff like that but I'm happy you're here. I'm honestly blessed everytime you post. Your writing is phenomenal. I love reading it even if its characters that I dont care for. You capture their essences so well and weave an amazing tale within the prompts and whatnot. You're amazing nat!

wehh thank you so much!!! re: the improvement, i really don’t feel like it has and then i re-read something i wrote when i first started and i’m like oh my god maybe it has. did i really write about jotaro acting like that.

Anonymous asked: Hi Nat. I recently became a follower of yours and I'm really saddened to see you get hate. You seem like a genuinely sweet person with amazing talent! I'm a writer myself and, unfortunately, get the same kind of comments. And when you get those comments, it doesn't leave you feeling motivated. People need to understand that people can and will, at times, grow out of fandoms. (1 Not just that but you're doing all of this for free. Again, I'm sorry you got such a comment. But please know that I'm proud of how far you've come. I'm proud that you're living a life that makes you happy. And no matter what fandom you may find yourself in next, I will always enjoy your writing. Take care of yourself. (2 end

HELLO NEW FOLLOWER I LOVE YOU (i get a lot more a day now than i used to and i feel guilty about not being able to look through so many blogs but i do try and follow back other writers for my fandoms!! ;_;). i’m sorry you get the same kind of comments! i’m always just happy to see people i like enjoying new things, even if i have no interest in it (hello to all of my mutuals who write for hunter x hunter and haikyuu, not interested but i’m sure you’re having a great time and i support you!!!).

Anonymous asked: I'm sure you're getting a barrage of supportive messages now (at least I hope so) but I figured I'd add my voice, because I'm a longtime follower. Your writing is, and always has been, wonderful. I've been so happy to see you and Haz get to a place that works for you both. Idk if it's obvious for everyone, but you seem like you're emotionally in a pretty good place most of the time these days, and it makes me really happy to see that. I followed years ago for JJBA content, but I stayed because regardless of what content you put out, I find your wit delightful. And I'll stick around even if you move fandoms entirely, because whatever content or editorializing you produce is going to be worth reading, regardless of what it's for.

ahh, anon!! thank you for sticking around so long, sorry if you’re old enough to have been around the vore and jorts and spider rohan fiascos! <3 i am definitely a lot more stable than i have been and - barring the Pandemic Related Mental Health Issues - happier! i’m glad that it’s noticeable! <3

Anonymous asked: It actually makes me mad how entitled some people are. Nat, you're not a content creating machine and those who expect you to be are not worth wasting a thought on. Your love for something is not measured in word counts and for you to write every day without getting burned out in the slightest you really must have a burning passion and huge dedication to your craft. If others decide to send hate then allow me to send admiration because I can feel your love and hard work in each post you make!

i try and write every day bc it’s super good for my little ocd/autistic brain to have routines and distract itself, so i’m glad other people can enjoy them because that makes me motivated to carry on! like, i write for myself mostly bc the content i want i sometimes get find, but filling requests and writing for other people also leaves me with happy warm fuzzies too! i appreciate you!! <3

Anonymous asked: If people only care about your writing for the jojo porn that’s on THEM, not you. Your writing was amazing when I followed about a year ago, and it’s only gotten better and will continue to get better! I think it really comes through when you enjoy what you’re writing and it adds a whole other layer of worth to it, because not only are you making free content but you LIKE that content and we can all gush about it together!!! More than just fans, I think you’ve created a community here and we don’t just stick around to read smut, I promise you that. -Reronon

i do miss having a discord community bc it was nice to talk to everyone in real time but it was hard work, i am glad that people feel like they can just come into my askbox and gush! i’m not very friendly in real life and people tend to think i am cold and stuck up so i work very hard to try and seem friendly and approachable online, which is much easier for me because i get to think and re-draft before i type! <3

Anonymous asked: Hi Nat! I’m sure you’re getting a lot of messages like this right now but I just wanted to say for what it’s worth that, as a person who originally followed you for jjba content and hasn’t watched/read any of the other series you’re currently writing for, I’m honestly still along for the ride. This is your blog and you’re allowed to do what you want with it and put out what content you feel like writing. Sometimes??? People acquire new interests??????? Shocking! I know absolutely nothing about jjk or bnha but out of curiosity still read some of your posts about them and even though I might not Get It, I still enjoy them because I think you’re a very talented writer! Honestly, as long as you’re still writing, I’m still down to clown, and whenever you take breaks (which are important!) I’ll still be waiting for your return or supporting and respecting your decision to stay away longer. Don’t let the entitled assholes get you down. Utilize YOUR blog and YOUR space however YOU choose. Your talent and kindness speak for themselves. Love you!!! ❤️❤️❤️

anon i care about you and i am so appreciative of you and everyone for sending me such nice messages! i am running out of ways to say it but it’s true, it really does mean a lot to me ;_; <3

#nat.txt

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