#i was really genuinely stumped by this for the longest time. | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

olichat-reads · 2 years

Text

I posted 1,125 times in 2022

That's 1,125 more posts than 2021!

93 posts created (8%)

1,032 posts reblogged (92%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@bfbkg

@tteokdoroki

@kingkatsuki

@olichat-reads

@sweetnsour2

I tagged 954 of my posts in 2022

Only 15% of my posts had no tags

#bakugou x reader - 352 posts

#!! - 233 posts

#bakugou fluff - 158 posts

#smut - 82 posts

#bakugou smut - 56 posts

#fic rec - 52 posts

#kirishima x reader - 41 posts

#lookit - 41 posts

#kirishima smut - 31 posts

#comfort fic - 27 posts

Longest Tag: 138 characters

#oh my godddd. i have been looking for this for forever. had to log into my other account and scroll down my likes for eternity to find it-

My Top Posts in 2022:

Say it

Bakugou x reader

Summary: Bakugou tells you he loves you

A/n: ugh the pacing is all over the place & its driving me MAD but i'm stumped on how to fix it so here you go (ノ ˘_˘)ノalso i'm realizing the common theme of hurt/comfort in almost all my wips & *cries*. established relationship.

🌟

The first time he said it, it brought you to tears.

Your entire body stiffened & you froze like you got shot, eyes wide as you stared at him. You barely registered the embarassed look on his face, how his face flushed & his ears turned pink. Everything seem to fade out, except for those words echoing in your ears.

"Oi, say som- are you crying??"

You blinked at that, only then realising your dampened cheeks.

Oh. You were crying, huh.

"S-sorry. I-i just-" you could barely choke the words out, your hands making useless attempts at wiping away the tears that wouldn't stop flowing. Damnit. Stop crying. The last thing you wanted was for Bakugou to associate his verbal affirmation of love with making you cry. Your tear ducts ain't listening though, so you resorted to hiding your face in your hands, sniffling while you collect yourself.

"Oi."

You heard Bakugou mutter, tone softer this time, before you felt his large hands curl around your wrists to gently pull your hands from your face.

"Look at me," he said in that soft tone that you couldn't help but cave into. "Please."

You forced your big wet eyes to meet his worried vermillion ones. His expression soft, a ghost of a smile lingering on his lips.

"Hey, pretty," he whispered adoringly.

You cracked a smile at that, your boyfriend's face mirroring your own. His big thumbs wiping your wet cheeks.

"What happened?"

"Oh g-god, Katsu, its not you. I just had such a shitty d-day. Everything went wrong & i felt s-so worthless & my head got so lo-loud & i just-" you blurted out, harshly rubbing your eyes, before meeting his unwavering gaze again.

"I just really needed to hear that," you sniffed. "Love you, Katsu."

"I didn't realize it was so important to you," he said, carefully tucking a loose strand of hair behind your ears before his brows furrow in slight concern. "Did it bother you that i've never said it before?"

"Nah. I knew you loved me. You say it in so many other ways," you mummured, smiling up shyly at you boyfriend whose face softened into relief & adoration at your words. Carefully & gently he wraps his arms around your small frame & engulfed you in a hug.

"Its just nice to hear you say it i guess," you mummured into his shirt as you nuzzled your face into his chest.

"Thank you."

Those two words is all he says, but you understood. Able to discern the relief & genuine gratitude in his voice.

Thank you for listening to all the silent 'i love yous' he didn't put into words.

When his hand always reaches out to wordlessly ruffle your head whenever he passes by your desk in class, making you squeak out indignantly for messing up your hair. When he sneaks his eggrolls onto your plate during dinner because he knew they were your favourite from the happy wiggle you did in you seat. When he sits at the other end of the bus during school trips but slips one of his earbuds into your hand for you to listen to the shared playlist he made of a mixture both your favourite songs.

They were all little things he did whilst barely sparing you a glance, much less a word. Sometimes he worries his feelings don't come across. That he's doing too little, his actions too subtle & miniscule to convey the depth of what he felt for you. Yet, each time he'd always catch the small smile on your face, something shy & bashful & full of adoration that reached your eyes. He'd watch that little smile reserved only for him & he knows he's doing something right.

Words have never been easy for Bakugou. But realizing you've heard him all this time when he didn't say a word, felt the affection he tried to convey in his awkward actions, he decided it didn't matter how it came out.

You'd understand what he meant despite however clumsily he said it either way.

See the full post

630 notes - Posted November 7, 2022

Bestfriends

Bakugou x bestfriend!reader

Summary: confessing to your bestfriend and then having a crisis on if you were even friends in the first place lmao.

A/n: the pacing is a bit all over the place & i feel the emotions switch a bit too fast & too strongly. But eh i think its good enough. Accept my tribute of my FAVOURITE trope with my favourite gremlin! (ﾉ´ヮ`)ﾉ*: ･ﾟ

🌟

"SUKI!!"

"Wha-"

Bakugou was cut off with an oof as you dropped yourself onto his lap, practically straddling him as you held onto his shoulders urgently, big eyes boring into his vermillion ones.

"Suki! Suki, listen!!"

"Quit yelling in my face, pipsqueak. What is it?" He huffed out, his large hands instinctively grabbing your hips to keep you steady.

"I've caught feelings."

"What does that have to do-"

"For you. I have feelings for you. Romantic feelings."

That made him go silent for a heartbeat.

"Hah??"

He was most definitely thrown off by your admission. Face scrunched up in confusion & bewilderment. You couldn't miss the pink creeping up his cheeks though.

"Oh wow you're actually blushing," you laughed as you stared intently at his face.

"Fuck off, shortstack," he growled in your face, failing at scaring you off though. You had to grin at that. Anyone else would've cowered at being on the receiving end of Bakugou's threats. But knowing him for so long, you could say with confidence that he had a soft spot for you to a certain degree. In fact, even this side of Bakugou was endearing.

Or maybe its because of that crush you have on your bestfriend.

Yeah. Thats probably it.

You felt yourself falter at the thought though.

Bestfriend.

That has been your status with Bakugou for the longest time. Heck, maybe he didn't even considered you his bestfriend as you did him. Maybe he just tolerated you more than others. That didn't necessarily made you his person, despite him definitely being yours.

Bakugou sensed the shift in your behaviour, saw the worry clouding over your previous giddiness & your cheeky smile faltering. That made him frown, his previous embarrassment forgotten.

"Oi. Whats going on in that head of yours?"

You lift your gaze back to his face at that. Your body clearly more tense & your stance more hesitant.

"Spit it out, pipsqueak," he urged, sensing you contemplating on responding. His eyes narrowed at you, silently daring you to avoid the question.

"Um. Well, you're my bestfriend, Suki," you started, sitting up a bit to play with your hands. Shit. This was nerve wrecking to put out in the open. You took a deep breath before continuing.

"You're my person. And even with me falling in love with you & everything, it didn't scare me, because whatever our status, you're it for me," you said, cursing yourself as your voice cracked with emotion. You risked a glance at the blonde before you. The way he was watching you made you even more nervous to continue.

You felt him squeeze your hips gently, silently telling you to go on.

See the full post

709 notes - Posted August 20, 2022

Mrow | Part One

Bakugou x roomate!reader

Summary: you've gotten yourself into a quirk accident & were now..?? a cat??

A/n: if there's one thing i like about the mha universe is that the existence of quirks make up so many plot possibilities to play with. i had a lot of fun writing this & i hope you enjoy reading too!

🌟

You were a cat.

Your day most certainly could not get any weirder than this.

You were chasing after a petty thief down the alleyway when it happened. You almost felt bad for going after what could be the most skittish crime offender you've ever encountered.

Then she struck you with her quirk.

The force of it knocked you to the ground & your sight went blurry. You vaguely heard her apologized profusely, swearing it was an accident & stammering that you'll be able to figure out how to undo it on your own, leaving you to slowly black out.

When you came to, you found yourself absolutely drowning in a mass of clothes that you soon realized was your hero outfit. Horrified at the discovery, you looked down at your naked body only to find out you weren't exactly naked.

You were covered in fur.

Cursing out in confusion, you heard your own voice rang through the alleyway. But it didn't sound like your voice & what came out was most definitely not coherent words.

Panicked you scrambled to get out of the alley, almost plopping face first into what seemed to be a ridiculously huge puddle, barely catching yourself as you fell on your furry butt. Peering into the muddy water, you felt your heart sank at the sight of your own reflection.

You were a cat.

🌟

You've sat at your front door for approximately 15 minutes, glaring at the wood, willing it open with your mind.

You decided quickly that heading to your agency will do you no good, already concluding you aren't getting a productive two-way conversation with anyone while you were in this form. Trying to alert other pro heroes on your way did not work out, unless them cooing & making baby voices at you counted.

The familiar sound of heavy boots approaching your door made you perk up. Your roomate was home.

You padded aside to make way for your roomate to open the door, you little body slumping in relief. You didn't notice Bakugou skeptically raising an eyebrow at your presence but saying nothing otherwise.

The click of the door unlocking had you sighing inwardly. Ugh. Thank fuck. You thought as you padded in tiredly. Curling up in bed after the day you had the only thing on your mind.

You barely made it two steps in before your feet were no longer on the ground, making you squeal in surprise.

"Oi."

You heard your own angry mewls as Bakugou grabbed you by the scruff, holding you up to his face.

"Who the fuck do you think you are waltzing in like you own this place?"

You wanted to scream. You were too tired for this shit right now.

Oh my god. Bakugou! I do own this place. Its me! Y/n!

You tried explaining to no avail as you thrashed in his hold. Bakugou muttered something about you being 'a loud little fuck too' & started heading for the front door.

This made you bristle in irritation even more.

There was absolutely no way you were turned into a cat & getting kicked out of your own apartment on the same day. Not fucking happening.

See the full post

1,034 notes - Posted November 28, 2022

Bad day

Bakugou x bestfriend!reader

Summary: Bakugou comforting you on a bad day

A/n: honestly has been done a thousand times over w some variation BUT HERE'S ANOTHER SELF INDULGENT BAKUGOU COMFORT FIC YOU'RE WELCOME (ﾉ´ヮ`)ﾉ*: ･ﾟ

🌟

"Suki."

Bakugou jumped slightly in his seat at his desk.

"Geez, I didn't even know you were home. Can't you-" he cut himself off when he turned to look at you. You eyes were downcast, your gaze on the floor, not looking at him, but he could see your eyebrows pinched, clearly upset. Your hands were balled into fists by your side. But what really took him aback were your wet cheeks, face flooded with tears.

You were crying.

Bakugou found himself freezing up at the sight. He was never one to comfort others, he wasn't even sure where to start. His first instinct whenever something bad happens would be to eliminate whoever the cause was.

"What happ-"

"Can I- can I have a hug?" You mumbled quietly.

He blinked at the request, staring for a moment.

"Come here."

You were taken aback, surprised at the sight of Bakugou's open arms at your request. You weren't going to question it though, rushing into his welcoming embrace, clumsily clambering up his lap to hide your face in the crook of his neck, trembling hands fisting his black shirt.

You felt him holding you tight against him, one hand resting at the base of your neck, its comforting weight grounding you, while the other rubbed up & down your back. The gentle gesture making you sob into his chest.

"You're okay," he shushed softly, as he let you cry into his shirt, gently rocking with his head resting atop of yours.

You stayed like that for what seems like ages. Bakugou holding you in his arms until your cries died down into wet hiccups. Feeling you calm, he pulled back slightly, tilting your head up with a finger under your chin to meet you teary eyes.

"Better?"

"Better," you sniffed, rubbing your face with the sleeve of your sweater. "Thank you, Suki."

"You ready to give me a name for me to hunt down?"

A giggle escaped your lips at that. Leaning forward you snuggled back into Bakugou's toned chest, hiding your face as you shut your eyes.

"Thats okay, Suki. I appreciate the thought though," you replied, hearing him huff in annoyance at your dismissal. His violent muttering about maiming the person who made you upset making you smile.

"And I'm sorry I interrupted your work," you glanced over your shoulder with a frown, his opened laptop & notes scattered over the desk forgotten.

"Stupid. You ever put my work before yourself, I will blast your fucking ass off," he growled & you giggled at that.

"You ever hurting for whatever reason, you come to me. Got it?"

"Got it, Su," you promised quietly. Peeking up, you look at him with your best puppy eyes before asking-

"Can we stay like this a bit longer then?"

"Put those disgusting puppy eyes away, they don't work & I wasn't gonna say no in the first place, dumbass!"

1,253 notes - Posted August 14, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Confession

Bakugou x shy!reader

Summary: going out of the way to confess to your crush for the sake of confessing didn't go the way you thought it would.

A/n: I write for myself quite a bit but this is the first proper oneshot I've actually completed & deem okay to post hehe. VERY SELF INDULGENT BUT WHO CARES. I love this gremlin a lot & I hope the characterization isn't too off (ﾉ´ヮ`)ﾉ*: ･ﾟ

🌟

Y/n blinked at him blankly. Not being able to process what was happening.

"The hell you looking at me like that for? Was that confession of yours a fucking joke or somethin-?!" Bakugou growls out, voice raising as annoyance took over his features, clearly misinterpreting your stunned silence.

I mean, you had reason to be shocked. Not your fault.

"You've got some guts to play with me," Bakugou spits out in his growing anger, quirk sparking to life in his hand.

That snapped you out of it.

"Wait, wait! Eek!" You squeaked out, fists protectively shielding your head from the blonde boy's growing rage. Forcing your eyes open to meet his glare as you trembled in place.

"I-I meant it! I meant every word! I was just so shocked you didn't reject me!" You cry out fearfully, eyes wide as you watched Bakugou's face scrunch up in confusion at your admission.

"Hah?!???"

"Eek! I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I-"

"Shut up for a fucking second won't you," he cut you off with a growl making your mouth snap shut, wide, terrified eyes staring at him, quite clearly regretting all your life choices that led up to this moment. Bakugou let out an exasperated sigh at your reaction, rubbing a hand down his face.

After a moment of eyeing your trembling figure, Bakugou slowly began to make his way over to you, like a predator stalking its prey and it took everything in your willpower to stay rooted in place and not run away squeaking.

He stopped once he was right in front of you. You could feel yourself freezing up at how close you were together, finding interest in the ground beneath your shoes all of a sudden, not able to meet Bakugou's burning gaze.

"Oi. Look it at me."

The request made a whine of embarassment bubble up from your throat but you slowly lifted your head anyways, doing your best not to flinch away at meeting Bakugou's red eyes.

Pretty red eyes.

Bakugou wore an blank look on his face as he looked down at your much smaller form. He had his hands in his pockets as he watched you squirm for a heartbeat before speaking.

"Asking for my response and immediately assuming my answer was stupid, don't you think?"

"I-" you started but immediately shutting up when he narrowed his eyes at you, daring you to even try going on another nervous tangent.

"Did you want to get rejected, dumbass?"

Your eyes widened at his question. Where on earth was this going?

"Uh. Um- n-no. Of course not. I just-" you cut yourself off before you rambled again. Wringing your sweat soaked hands nervously.

"So. If given a chance, you'd want to date me?" He intergorates, eyebrow raised.

What is happening. What is happening. What is happening-

"..yes?" You manage to squeak out.

You almost faint at the smirk that overtakes Bakugou's handsome face. Slowly, he leaned into you, leaving mere inches between your faces. You could feel your face absolutely burning at his close proximity. He could probably hear your heart threatening to pound out of your chest.

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4,902 notes - Posted August 13, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

#tumblr2022 #year in review #my 2022 tumblr year in review #your tumblr year in review

3 notes · View notes

ofstoriesandstardust · 2 years

Text

I posted 1,492 times in 2022

That's 635 more posts than 2021!

561 posts created (38%)

931 posts reblogged (62%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@hufflepuffprincesse

@struggling-with-space

@some-lovely-day

@fanboygarcia

I tagged 1,256 of my posts in 2022

Only 16% of my posts had no tags

#queue me in - 551 posts

#kylie rambles - 310 posts

#kylie answers - 185 posts

#top gun maverick - 146 posts

#same mistakes - 136 posts

#bradley rooster bradshaw - 54 posts

#top gun maverick fics - 49 posts

#bradley rooster bradshaw fic - 41 posts

#bradley bradshaw - 41 posts

#bradley rooster bradshaw x reader - 40 posts

Longest Tag: 118 characters

#me reading my wip like they’re going to have magically written themselves and then being upset when i start to hate it

My Top Posts in 2022:

if only (bradley “rooster” bradshaw)

a/n: i’m not sure if i love the name of this one but she stumped me folks. hope you enjoy! it’s a plus size!reader fic because sometimes you gotta self-indulge

summary: (plus size!reader) if only Rooster would like a girl like you. if only.

main masterlist | top gun: maverick masterlist

warnings: this was supposed to be plus-size!reader but it’s not really explicitly mentioned until the very end, swearing, insecurities, reader thinks she is less important than she actually is and doesn’t realize her worth, angst with a happy ending, dude wtf is this title idek, i write self-indulgent fics only, idiots in love, some parts of this are vague on purpose,

word count: 7,447

It’s not like you weren’t used to men hitting on you. Working at the Hard Deck for as long as you had, you were used to the military men who’d drunkly come on to you, offering to take you home, and you’d mastered the art of avoiding their come-ons while also still making pretty good tips. And yeah, when a particularly attractive TOPGUN pilot would flirt with you, your cheeks would go red and you’d feel flattered. But you knew their type and were not a fool to know that almost all anyone’s flirting was fueled by alcohol, not for any genuine attraction. So when Rooster began to flirt with you as his presence became more common around the Hard Deck, you’d smile and blow him off. It was his type to be cocky and flirty; he did it to everyone. While he wasn’t like Hangman, who seemed to be breaking hearts every other week, you knew he’d been around. You weren’t his type. You’d seen the type of girls he’d go home with and it wasn’t you. And then the flirting turned into chats as he collected rounds for the group to genuine conversations on nights when the bar was slow. And then the genuine conversations turned into a genuine friendship. You weren’t sure when you fell so hard for the brunette but how could anyone blame you? He was genuine and sweet and a charmer... He stood out from all the other TOPGUN pilots. Still, it didn’t change that you would never be the girl he’d go after, so you kept your head down, enjoying the time you got with him, focused on your schooling, and your job. Penny often teased you about your not-so-subtle crush on the boy, but you’d bribed her and Amelia into silence. The last thing you needed was for news of it to get back to Maverick and then Rooster, and have to have the boy let you down gently. No, that just wouldn’t do.

And yet, you couldn’t shake the blush that rose on your cheeks every time he winked at you as he grabbed another round or when he’d tell you he was going to win that game of pool against Hangman for you. He was becoming a distraction in your life and you weren’t sure if you were welcome to it. You were nearing the end of your PhD program soon, knowing you were having to defend in front of the committee soon and thoughts of a hazel-eyed Navy fighter pilot were interrupting your day-to-day life. You longed for him when he wasn’t around, wanted him to be the one cheering you on, wanted him to be the one you were coming home to at night, and that’s when you knew your school-girl crush on him had turned into something more and you were fucked.

And okay, you’d be lying if you hadn’t thought about what life would be like with Rooster if he returned your feelings. About what it would be like to kiss him, to wake up to him in the mornings, to share your life with him.

But even if he’d like a girl like you, you knew, saw, what he had with Phoenix. You’d heard rumblings of their maybe-not-so-platonic friendship, knew the chemistry between the two. Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw could have any girl he wanted and he had picked the best of the best. What could you offer him that Phoenix could? Nothing. There was no better pair than the two of them and you were genuinely happy for him. So, you settled yourself for the friendship and conversations at the bar, trying to focus back on your upcoming PhD defense. And still, you couldn’t shake the feelings for him, the urge to just pull him and give him a kiss any time he flashed you that award-winning smile. And it was becoming a serious problem.

You heard the voices of the team before you saw them, changing in the bathroom of the Hard Deck before you had to leave. You wanted Penny’s approval on the outfit because you had no one else to ask and if you didn’t look good, she’d tell you. She knew how important this was to you. You took a deep breath as you left the bathroom, pulling the zipper up on your boot. “K Pen, what do you think about?” You asked, fiddling with the simple bracelet settled on your wrist. The squadron turned to face you and varying degrees of awe were settled on their faces. You pointedly didn’t look at Rooster, knowing you would turn firetruck red if you made eye contact with him. Maverick was settled behind the bar with Penny and he spoke first. “You look great, kid. Where you headed?” He asked.

“My PhD defense.” You answered, moving closer to the shot glass Penny had set out for you as you had gone to get changed for “liquid courage”. “You sure it’s not too much with the boots?” You asked, twisting nervously to look at them. Amelia shook her head.

"You look a boss...”

“Bitch.” You finished, smiling at her. “Okay, boss bitch. I can do that. Yeah, that’s-” You looked back up. “Yeah, I’m going to throw up.” Penny laughed and pointed at the shot. You tossed it back, cringing slightly at the taste of it. Sure, you were a bartender but you weren’t sure how these stupid pilots consumed alcohol like this.

“I didn’t know you were going for your PhD.” Payback said and you nodded, picking non-existent lint of your pants.

“Last five years of my life. And I’m freaking out.” You said, finally making eye contact with Rooster. He squeezed your shoulder encouragingly and you tried not to let the butterflies consume you.

“Why? You’re so smart, they’d be fools not to give it you.” You shrugged, trying not to let Rooster’s flattering words do even weirder things to your stomach.

“I mean, academia is all I’ve ever known. And what am I going to do after it’s over? And what if they don’t like my defense? What if they ask a question I can’t answer?” You watched nervously as Maverick poured you another shot and handed it you. The team protested as you threw it back, sticking your tongue out at the taste. That never got better. Rooster laughed at your face and okay, now you really felt like you were going to vomit.

“(Y/N), you have to give your defense in an hour, now is not the time to be taking shots.” Bob protested.

“I disagree, now’s the perfect time to be taking shots.” Hangman said. “Got to be celebrating the success of our favorite bartender here.”

“Easy there Bagman, they haven’t given me the degree yet.” He shrugged.

“They might as well have, we all know they’re going to have no choice.” You gave Hangman the side eye and he chuckled.

“Wait, does this mean our favorite bartender is quitting?” Fanboy said in shock. Penny chuckled.

“Don’t worry Garcia, she’s not leaving us just quite yet.” You leaned your head on the bar, groaning.

“They gotta give me the degree first.” Another groan. “And a job.” There was a beat of silence. “What does one even do with a PhD?” It was Maverick’s turn to chuckle.

“You tell us kid.” You groaned again, wishing you could disappear into the floor. Rooster leaned over and wrapped his arms around your frame and you didn’t lift your head off the table, for fear he’d see your blushing cheeks.

“What’re you doing Bradshaw?” He shrugged, not letting go of you.

“I’m giving you a good luck hug.” Oh. A good luck hug. Bradley Bradshaw was giving you a good luck hug. Fantastic. If you could fall any harder for him, you would’ve at that.

“Alright, you ready to go?” Penny asked, picking up her keys off the table. You nodded, but didn’t move. If you moved, then Bradley would let go and quite frankly, you’d like to stay like this forever. You could feel her eyes on you but you still didn’t move. “K, I’m leaving now with or without you. You sure you capable of not burning down the bar Mitchell?” She asked and you groaned, finally standing up. Rooster let go of you as Mav assured her they and Jimmy could hold down the fort while she was gone. Your stomach immediately fell once he let go of you but Phoenix quickly replaced him.

See the full post

839 notes - Posted June 27, 2022

same mistakes pt. iii (bradley “rooster” bradshaw)

a/n: s/o to @roosterbrdshaw for inspiring a series that i’ve basically have entirely world built for for no reason other than i want to. this isn’t the last you’ll see of Rebel, her shenanigans with Coyote, or her relationship with Mav... that’s a promise. um, also i’m really nervous about this so i really hope i did her justice. i’ve seen all the comments and love both here and ao3, so even if i didn’t respond please know it warmed my heart to know everyone’s enjoyed this as much as i have

summary: in the aftermath of the mission, you realize it's time to stop running from your fears

main masterlist | top gun: maverick masterlist

pt. i | pt. ii

folks who wanted to be tagged (yes ik it’s tradition to put this at bottom, no i don’t care): @calsjack @n3ssm0nique @alana4610 @xinsonyax @fangirl-316 @kyramaximoff

warnings: i named the team Iron Daggers because it sounded cool, this series should’ve just been titled ‘justice for Coyote’, seriously Coyote is a Good Best Friend, bullying/hazing, mentions of vomiting, Rebel struggles to communicate her feelings in a healthy way (wonder who she learned that from), insecurities, swearing, Hangman gets a little bit of a redemption arc, i guarantee this is not going to go in the way you’re expecting it to, please appreciate my usage of Chiquitita or i will cry, soft Rooster for the win,

word count: 8,007

You were cutting it too close. You knew that. Knew that Cyclone and Warlock would be in behind you in a matter of seconds but wasn’t that what you wanted? To be the last one in so no one had a chance to talk to you, ask you how your three weeks leave was before debriefing would start?

You barely slid down in the seat next to Coyote before Warlock was calling everyone to attention and you stood, trying to catch your breath. You avoided the pointed looks of Coyote, curious glances from Phoenix and Bob, a disgruntled look from your father, and a mildly concerned look from Rooster. “At ease.” Cyclone called and you all returned to your seats. “Welcome back, Iron Daggers. It’s good to see you all well and alive. I trust you had a good three weeks of leave?” There were short nods from around the room, murmurs of confirmation. You thought back on your three weeks of leave that started in the Mojave Desert and ended with you in the house in San Diego alone and sighed. “Alright, we won’t have certain mission specifics or assignment details for another week or so, so given the failings of the last mission we’re gonna begin with going over where this team could improve from the mistakes made on the last mission. From there, we’ll do training and mission patterns to help solve these errors. Captain Mitchell?” Your Dad nodded, taking that as his cue to begin.

“Good morning, Iron Daggers. It’s good to see you all back. As Admiral Simpson said, we’re gonna begin with going over our last mission this team flew together. Remember, the goal is to bring you all home alive. Let’s begin.”

You heard them before you saw them and made a split second decision to duck into the bathrooms before any of them saw you. Not unlike the Iron Daggers, the Green Vipers were a loud, rowdy bunch. Everyone shouted over each other, demanding a chance to speak, a chance tor regale the others with how they were the best. For you, someone who learned to show her talent in the sky and not with her words, you didn’t fare well among these men and women. You were grateful Coyote saw something in his wingman his fellow squadron members couldn’t but without him, you would’ve asked for re-assignment a long time ago. The Green Vipers, particularly Raven and Shadow, prided themselves on pushing out pilots who couldn’t hang. Which is exactly why you wouldn’t ever let them know you were here, albeit hiding in the bathroom, heart pounding. You were only minutes ahead of the Iron Daggers and then there it was-

“Coyote!” Came Raven’s piercing voice. “Man, how have you been?” You heard the chatter through labored breaths as Coyote talked to his old squadron, and then introduced the Iron Daggers.

“Although, we are missing Rebel.” Coyote announced as he finished listing the roster of the team. You imagined your best friend swinging his head around, scanning for you and you almost would’ve laughed had your knuckles not been holding the sink so tightly they were turning white.

“Rebel? Your old wingman Rebel? Man, I thought you finally ditched her for someone better.” Came Shadow’s voice. Shadow and Raven were twins, brother and sister, and man, were they cruel. The ringleaders of all the hazing and bullying that took place on the Green Vipers with a CO just as cruel to match.

“Never, Shadow. Anyways, Admiral Thompson, this is our instructor-”

“Captain Pete Mitchell. We’ve met.” Came the cool voice of your old CO. There he was.

“Thompson.” A beat. “Admiral Thompson here is the reason I got shipped out to Bosnia.” You weren’t sure who your Dad was talking to in particular but that suddenly made a lot of things make sense.

“This morning, Rebel was almost late to instruction and for a minute there, we thought she abandoned us to go back to the Green Vipers.” Coyote joked, forever trying to keep the peace. Never, Coyote, you thought. Never.

“Man, come on you know we don’t want her.” Shadow said, laughing.

“What do you have against Rebel?” Came Rooster’s voice and you could hear the protectiveness in his voice, the same one you heard when you were 7 and Bradley was telling your elementary bully to back off, again when you were 16 and the boy who broke your heart wouldn’t leave you alone.

“She’s insufferably annoying. She never shuts up. For a team made of the stuff legends are built off of, I’m surprised y’all haven’t gotten rid of her yet.” Came Ghost’s voice and you almost swore. You’d been an official squadron for less than 24 hours and you were already having your reputation torn to goddamn shreds.

“She’s our teammate and a damn good pilot.” Came Phoenix’s measured voice, but there was an edge to it, one you’d learned to recognize from the young pilot, only used when she was defending her friends.

“Well, you can have her. We don’t want her back. The team’s better off without her.” Shadow cooly responded and you felt like you were gonna throw up. Never good enough, never good enough, never good enough...

“Don’t talk about my daughter that way.” Your Dad said, a clear edge to his voice and you could almost picture his stature changing, straightening himself up to his full height, ready to put these people in their place.

“Well, that explains a few things about her flying.” Admiral Thompson stated and your vision felt blurry. You had to get out of here, couldn’t hear anymore, couldn’t sit around to wait for your team to start agreeing.

“The hell’s that supposed to mean?” You expected your Dad to retort but recognized it as Coyote’s voice. Was Coyote really about to stand up to his old CO for you?

“Do you really trust her as your wingman, Lieutenant Machado?”

“With my life.” Came Coyote’s firm reply and-

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860 notes - Posted July 5, 2022

same mistakes pt. ii (bradley “rooster” bradshaw”)

a/n: well this got out of hand...

main masterlist | top gun: maverick masterlist

pt. i | pt. iii

summary: unfinished conversations and unsaid things seems to be the theme of your relationship of your relationship with Rooster these days.

warnings: we cover a lot of ground, Hangman’s an asshole, insecurities, swearing, i don’t know how the Navy works, me making up things the movie didn’t show us because it’s my story and I can, i think this goes without saying but spoilers for TG:M, canon violence, my friend said the first part gave her emotional whiplash and apparently i took that as a personal challenge, angsty angst, Mav’s a good Dad but also growing up in a military family is hard, there’s a complicated history here and life is not so simple, i definitely got movie dialogue wrong, the movie didn’t tell us how dogfight football works and for that i am unhappy, justice for Coyote part 2

word count: 7,515

Dogfight football turned out to be a lot more fun than you had expected it to be. You weren’t still entirely sure what the point was, or how to even play, but looking at your teammates shirtless, who weren’t not hard on the eyes by any means... Well, could anyone blame you if your attention strayed a little? You, Phoenix, and Halo shared a smirk as Coyote and Rooster bumped chests. Men, you thought, shaking your head with laughter. As the day wore on, Maverick bowed out, moving up towards the beach near Penny. You laughed at the two of them. Maybe they would finally work things out. Maybe this time they would get things right.

Not long after your Dad left, one of the footballs disappeared into the ocean, with most of the squadron going after it. You noted that the other had been abandoned and you picked it up. “Uh, hey guys, what do I do with this?” Phoenix turned to look at you, Bob not far behind her. Okay, so maybe, you hadn’t been listening when your Dad explained the rules. Maybe, you’d been admiring your teammates just a little too much...

"Uh, run.” Bob called. You weren’t sure when you’d switched teams but you were now playing on Phoenix and Bob’s team... apparently.

“Run to where?” You called back as Rooster and Fanboy turned and saw that you had the football.

“Literally just run.” Phoenix shouted as Rooster and Fanboy took off out of the water after you, Payback and Hangman not far behind them.

“Okay, okay, running!” You shouted, taking off down the beach as Hondo cheered you on. You shrieked as Coyote came up on your side, diving after you. You slid, kicking up wet sand and stumbled back up. “Phoenix!” You shouted, throwing her the football. She caught it gracefully, taking back off on the other side of the beach. The boys who had been following you took off as they realized you no longer had what they were after. You sighed, mildly thankful. Getting tossed into the water and/or tackled by a 6 foot something pilot did not sound pleasant. Phoenix scored and your team erupted into cheers as the boys groaned. The game continued on with at one point Bob getting lifted up onto someone’s shoulders and later with Hondo getting dragged into the game as well. Eventually, you tapped out with Bob, and the others weren’t too far behind you. The laughter carried up the beach as you all trudged back to the Hard Deck for a beer. Any tension from the night before had been forgotten and you were hopeful this would soften any ill will they all had towards you. Hangman and Rooster were bickering about who had scored the most, despite the fact that they had definitely been playing on the same team at one point. This bickering was different from the insults they were slinging at each other just yesterday though. There was no bite, no real attack, just fun. You laughed and shook your head, sharing a look with Phoenix and Coyote as the three of you passed through the back door of the Hard Deck. Penny smiled and waved at you as you sat down at the counter next to your Dad. She handed you a beer as the rest of the squadron either crowded around the pool table or the darts board or the jukebox, breaking off into their own groups.

“How’d it go?” Penny asked. You nodded.

“Good.” You responded, taking a sip of your beer.

“Who won?” You shook your head.

“I don’t think anyone.”

“Did you score?” She asked, a teasing smile on her face.

“I don’t think so. I didn’t even know how to score.” Penny outright laughed as your Dad shook his head.

“Did you listen at all when I explained the rules?”

“No.” You responded in such a way that made your Dad roll his eyes. You quickly covered his ears as you whispered to Penny, “They’re all so attractive and shirtless.” Your Dad brushed you off, laughing.

“I heard that, you know.” You laughed and shrugged, a light blush coloring your face. As Penny moved to serve other members of the squadron, your Dad sighed and you looked over at him, noticing the laughter and humor from his face had disappeared.

“What’s wrong?” You asked. He shook his head, looking down at his hands as they played with his beer bottle. “Dad?”

“I saw Ice this morning.”

“How is he?” The look on his face made your stomach sink. “Don’t tell me...”

“The cancer’s back. It’s not looking good.” You groaned softly. The feeling of tears pinpricked at your eyes as your Dad scooted closer to give you a hug. Ice was your godfather and you’d known him for as long as you could remember, always following him around, poking around his office, wanting to know what he was doing. Much to your Dad’s chagrin, you were much more fascinated with Ice’s work than whatever your Dad was doing with pissing off Admirals and recklessly flying planes. Ice and Sarah had had a hand in raising both you and Bradley and after Bradley disappeared and your Dad was constantly sent on long deployments, Ice was your rock, stability, and support. His family offered you more than you could ever ask for.

“I’m sorry, Dad.” You whispered. He had spent so much of his life alone. He’d never married, never settled down. After Goose’s death, then Carole’s, and Rooster disappearing, you and Ice had been all he had. Now, to think about the possibility of losing Ice too... It was far too much for your heart to bear. “You’ll always have me.” You offered, looking back up at him with a watery smile. You couldn’t guarantee that would be true, not with this line of work, not with this kind of mission on the horizon. But you knew you’d always fight like hell to come back to him. He’d been the only family you’d ever had, especially after Carole died and Rooster left. He chuckled slightly.

“I know, kiddo. I know.” You heard Coyote call you from behind and you and your Dad both turned. He, Hangman, Payback, and Fanboy were around the pool table.

“You coming to play or what?” You looked back at your Dad, who lightly shoved you out of your chair.

“Go, we’ll talk later.” He said, waving you off. You laughed and trekked over to the table as Fanboy handed you a pool cue.

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938 notes - Posted July 2, 2022

same mistakes pt. i (bradley “rooster” bradshaw)

a/n: @roosterbrdshaw made a post about a enemies-to-lovers, maverick’s daughter fic and this was born. i rewatched the movie last weekend and got a new idea, so i scrapped everything i had already written and started over. and then... it got out of hand.... so i’m breaking it up into a least three parts. uhm, kylie, write a slow-burn??? where are we??

title comes from one direction’s “same mistakes” don’t come for me

summary: (enemies-to-lovers, maverick’s daughter!reader) you and Bradley used to be best friends. key word: used to. as in, over, in the past, never gonna happen again. the sight of the pilot makes your skin crawl, disgust and anger curdling in your stomach. it definitely has nothing to do with the unspoken feelings leftover from your teen years. not at all. furthermore, being put together on a suicide mission is not your idea of a good time. no matter what, you and Rooster seemed to be doomed to make the same mistakes over and over again.

callsign: rebel

main masterlist | top gun: maverick masterlist | pt. ii | pt. iii

warnings: my shitty military knowledge, i swore, no the movie didn’t tell us what squadron Coyote originally flew with so i made it up, I am actually from San Diego so some of my personal experience is filtered in here sue me, okay really it’s just my love of burritos, i don’t know jackshit about flying a plane and it’s obvious, i tweaked some of the movie dialogue for plot reasons, justice for Coyote, Maverick’s a supportive Dad no matter how much his daughter fucks up (this will become apparent in the upcoming parts but we get hints here and there in this part)

word count: 5,126

Maverick took a deep breath, eyes flitting over the board of twelve students recalled for this special mission. “Is there a problem, Captain?” Cyclone’s voice called.

“You know there is.”

You walked into the Hard Deck behind Coyote, welcoming the familiar sounds of music and patrons talking amongst themselves at the bar. You breathed in a comfortable sigh, Coyote looking at you with a smirk. “Good to be home.” You said, seeing your Dad sat at the bar talking to Penny. Coyote laughed, moving towards the back where a tall, handsome blond was sat next to the pool table.

“You spend twelve weeks here for TOPGUN training and suddenly this is home?”

“Born and raised here, baby.” You said, pushing your trademark aviators to sit atop your head. You waved to your Dad as you followed behind Coyote. Penny turned, seeing you and giving you her signature smirk with a wave of her fingers. You weren’t sure what your Dad was doing back in Fightertown but you had a suspicion he’d gone and pissed off the Admiral overseeing his project in the Mojave Desert. The blond shot up out of his seat, pulling Coyote over into a hug.

“Machado, man, what’re you doing out here?”

“Got re-called from the Green Vipers for a special mission. You?”

“Same thing. Wondering what kind of mission they’re asking us to fly for. Who's your friend?” Coyote opened his mouth, presumably to introduce you when the man’s attention shifted to a group of three nearing the table. Your eyes locked on a tall man sitting in the corner, who was quietly observing and eating peanuts. You lifted a hand from where your arms were crossed to wave at him and he gave you a shy smile back, waving in return.

“Fellows, this here’s Bagman.” You hear the woman say, attention shifting back to the group.

“Hangman.” The blond said, shooting the girl a bright smile. Her eyes locked over towards you, clearly getting ready to ask about you. You noted her pin said Trace and you realized who were standing in front of. Few pilots made names for themselves like Natasha “Phoenix” Trace, so yeah, you’d heard of her.

“Whatever.”

“Who's your friends?”

“Payback.”

“Fanboy.” Hangman’s eyes slid over to a brunette approaching to the table and you could’ve vomited at the sight of him. Of all the goddamn pilots...

“Bradshaw, as I live and breathe.” Rooster took off his aviators, squinting at the sight of you next to Hangman.

“Hangman.” He responded, giving the man a curt nod. “Rebel.”

“Rooster.” You responded, and the table’s interest piqued.

“Two of you know each other?” Phoenix asked.

“Our old man’s used to fly together. Let’s just say that I’m not a fan.”

“Coincidentally, neither am I.” He sneered at you in response and you returned the look.

“Your old man a pilot, Rebel? I didn’t know that.” Coyote said, turning to you. You shrugged.

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973 notes - Posted June 30, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

i’d lie (bradley “rooster” bradshaw)

a/n: something cute and wholesome to make up for all the angst i’ve been putting out into the world lately.

summary: Rooster overhears you singing at a barbecue. he can’t help but wish it was him you were singing about. little does he know...

callsign: bubbles

inspired by t swizzle’s “I’d lie” (if blondie don’t officially release this with her re-records i will cry)

main masterlist | top gun: maverick masterlist

warnings: teeth-rotting fluff, angst if you squint, idiots in love, the team plays matchmaker, allusions to sex like briefly for a sentence at the end, swearing

word count: 1,922

The squadron had been together for almost a year now and Rooster was enjoying every minute of it. Ever since the team had come back successful, the Navy had elected to keep them together to create an elite squadron, recognizing their compatibility as pilots and people. Maverick was their main teacher and it felt like life had finally settled into place. Except for just one thing, something Phoenix would especially not let go of. His no longer secret crush on you, given the fact that at one point or another over the last ten months the team had done the math and figured out he’d been harboring feelings for their fellow pilot. The team, Phoenix especially, was pushing for him to tell you, but for a man so sure of himself in the air, he was afraid to ruin the solid friendship he had with you. So he watched from afar, admiring the way your contagious laughter lit up a room and the way you danced like no one was watching and challenged anyone who gave you the chance. You were incredibly intelligent, and witty, and everything Rooster wanted. But he contented himself to watch from the sidelines, settling to keep the friendship.

Which is where he found himself tonight. The team was at some barbecue with some military official’s family. The house was near the ocean and huge. As the night settled in, he found himself sitting on a porch swing outside, sipping a beer and enjoying the sounds of the nearby ocean. One of the younger pilots must have gotten a hold of the music because distantly from inside he heard music from the early 2000’s began to play. Content as he was to sit out here by himself, his friends seemed content to not leave him alone as they all wandered out on to the porch. His eyes skimmed the group, noting that Bubbles was missing. He wondered where you were, briefly wondering if you’d gone home with another pilot. He shook the thought from his head as the team settled in around him. They all conveniently left the seat next to him on the swing open. “Where’s Bubbles?” he asked, trying to be nonchalant in the way he said it. Phoenix snickered.

“Inside. Some poor Admiral won’t let her out of a conversation. And she’s too nice to say anything.” He smiled briefly, thinking of how you were probably in the kitchen talking to some official who was droning on about his achievements and how you were politely smiling and nodding, not willing to excuse yourself from the conversation. Someone produced some cards and the team began to play as he sat back, slowly rocking in the swing. He listened to the music and after a little while, you finally opened the patio door, bright smile gracing your face. You took the only open seat next to him as if it was the most natural thing in the world and he swallowed, looking away, trying to fight his face from going hot.

“Hey.” You said breathless, running a hand through your hair.

“You run from that Admiral?” Hangman joked.

“Just about. Can I be dealt in?” Payback nodding, and handed the deck to you.

“Sure, if you shuffle for the next round.” You groaned, leaning back in your chair. Rooster’s arm had been leaned up against the back of the sing and your head just barely brushed his arm. Butterflies erupted in his stomach as he sipped his beer, desperately trying to play it off. Fanboy snickered at his face but said nothing. Distantly, he heard the sound of an old Taylor Swift song being played.

“Sorry Rooster.” You said, patting his arm and then leaning back to the table to shuffle. Rooster felt himself turning red as Bob sent him a knowing grin. He took another sip of his beer, trying to get himself under control. Your hair was falling over your shoulder and the outfit you had worn was simple and yet made you look fucking amazing... as usual, Rooster wasn’t sure how you did it. He gently rocked on the swing as you shuffled. The team chatted around him and he soaked in the feeling of this moment. Moments of peace and pure contentment like this were rare and he would savor it for as long as he got it.

“He’ll never fall in love he swears as he runs his fingers through his hair, I’m laughing cause I hope he’s wrong”

Rooster’s eyes flickered over to you as he realized you were softly singing along to the song. He tried not to blush and looked away, not trying to let you know that he knew. He made eye contact with Fanboy as he made kissy faces at him. Rooster discreetly flipped him off from behind his beer as he listened to you sing along. You seemed lost in your own world as you shuffled the deck.

“He sees everything back and white, Never let nobody see him cry, I don’t let nobody see me wishing he was mine”

The way your voice followed the musicality of the song perfectly, the way your head slightly bobbed to the music (which he didn’t even think he realized you were doing), the smile that graced your face and eyes as the song played, he felt himself falling harder for you.

“He’d never tell you, but he can play guitar, I think he can see through everything but my heart, First thought when I wake up, Is my God he’s beautiful, So I put on my make-up and pray for a miracle”

“Gee Bubbles, with the way you’re singing that song, you’d think there‘s a secret crushy-crush we don’t know about.” Hangman said, smirking at her while Coyote made kissy noises. She shot him the side-eye and slammed the newly shuffled deck of cards into his hand.

“You’re annoying. Deal.” Hangman chuckled and began to deal out the cards. The rest of the night passed without event, but Rooster couldn’t help wonder if you did have a crush on someone they didn’t know about. He knew he had a solid friendship with you, but he wasn’t Phoenix or Halo, wasn’t as open as Fanboy or Bob, couldn’t offer you advice like Coyote or Payback, so maybe there was a crush he hadn’t known about. The thought made the alcohol in his stomach began to feel sour but he had to remind himself that he did this to himself. Finally, you called it quits, leaning up against the back of the swing, head just barely resting against Rooster’s forearm. He wanted nothing more than to move it down and wrap it around your shoulder, bring you into his side, and rub your arm as the two of you chatted with your friends but it wasn’t like that and never would be. Wouldn’t ever be his place to do something domestic like that. A few more rounds got played as you chatted with Bob and Phoenix, but eventually the team called it quits. He elected to spend just a few more minutes outside, enjoying the night as the party still raged inside. Phoenix gave him a look as you stood up to hug Bob and he flipped her off as you pulled away. You sat back down next to Rooster, despite there being a bunch more empty seats. He tried not to let the butterflies in his stomach get carried away. The two of you sat in a comfortable silence for a while, the swing slowly rocking and you scrolling through social media. He didn’t want this moment to end as he sipped the last of his beer. Finally, you sighed, locking your phone and setting it down on the table in front of you. He looked down at you as you shifted slightly to be fully facing towards him. “Can I talk to you?” You asked softly and he nodded, setting his beer down on the table.

“Of course. Always.” He said, concern filtering in his voice. Was something wrong? Were you going to leave the squadron? Had you figured out he liked you? He was slightly panicking. You picked at the skin near the corners of your nail, a nervous habit of yours. Did he make you nervous? That was the last thing he wanted.

“Um, I need to tell you something just to get it off my chest because Coyote thinks I really should and um, I don’t want you to like freak out or anything, but I just need to tell you.” He nodded slowly, still mildly confused. And yet, there was kernel of hope growing somewhere in his heart that maybe, just maybe- You took a deep breath and shut your eyes. You leaned your forehead against his arm and groaned. “This is so fucking difficult.”

“Hey, it’s just me.” he said gently, reaching out to place a hand on your shoulder.

“Yeah, and that’s the problem.” You said, not moving your head. Something chipped away at his heart at that but he tried not to show it on his face. He rubbed his thumb on your shoulder gently.

“You don’t have to tell me.” He whispered.

“Yes I do because I’m gonna hate myself if I don’t.”

“Okay, well, take all the time you need.” The two of you sat there for a few more minutes before you finally lifted your head to look at him. He left his hand placed your shoulder rubbing small circles because you hadn’t pushed him off yet and it seemed to be bringing you the smallest amounts of comfort. You took a deep breath, hands settled in your lap as you looked at him honestly.

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1,065 notes - Posted June 28, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

#tumblr2022 #year in review #my 2022 tumblr year in review #your tumblr year in review

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npfehr · 2 years

Text

[photo credit: me]

Finally Completed: Final Fantasy III (SNES)

This is a roleplaying game in which an evil empire has dreams of reviving and controlling the power of magic in order to take over everything. It's up to a ragtag band of folks to stop them. Some spoilers herein!

They succeed in stopping the empire, hooray! Then a nihilistic imperial mage who styles himself like a jester says "'hey, maybe I should grab all the power for myself!" and the ragtag band is like "we should probably stop him too."

They do not succeed and the world as they know it is destroyed. Whoops! And that's only the midpoint of the story!

So this is definitely in the top five of Longest It's Ever Taken Me To Complete A Game Since First Trying It. I borrowed this game from Steve in junior high in the mid-nineties, and made it pretty far before being stymied by a late-game boss. At that point I'd had it for a few weeks and felt I should return it, plus I was frustrated. It's always stuck in my craw as a game I ought to have finished, so over the years I've made all kinds of attempts at it that inevitably petered out. Either I'd get distracted (because I dislike replaying parts of games I know well) or get stumped again.

Actually, in one memorable case I dropped it because I used an extremely detailed guide from the get-go, and a few hours in it felt like I was just ticking boxes on a to-do list rather than experiencing the adventure. Not ideal!

Last year, during an experiment with streaming on a regular basis, I thought I'd try again. This time the secret sauce was a romhack called the "Ted Woolsey Uncensored Edition", which you can read about in detail here. Essentially it's a careful rewriting of the game's script that still retains some of the charm and memorable phrasing of the original NA release, plus bugfixes, graphical tweaks, and quality of life changes. It made familiar parts of the game feel fresh again, and to my surprise I wanted to keep playing even after my stream experiment ended. I put it down for long periods of time but kept coming back, and this last weekend I was elated to finally see the game through to the end.

Because here's the thing, I really felt like I couldn't do it! Lurking in the back of my mind was that late-game boss from way back in 7th grade that I hadn't been able to beat, and I felt like everything after him must be even more difficult, so what hope did I really have? But actually it wasn't that bad, because I had two extra weapons:

1.) being unashamed to google quick questions when I was stuck or curious about something

2.) a friend with an encyclopedic knowledge of the game, who was also deeply interested in my progress and very encouraging.

(Google was fine, but I definitely recommend going the phone-a-friend route haha)

So anyway, the game. Graphics range from Good to Genuinely Impressive, the music's memorable, and every so often it surprises you by transcending its "tiny cute people with limited frames of animation" style to do something genuinely cinematic onscreen.

The story is excellent, and starts from a humble place of "young woman goes AWOL" then builds to asking, point-blank, how humankind can repeatedly hold on to the audacity of hope in the face of destruction and the ravages of time. These are timely questions for any era and honestly ones I personally struggle with at times. The catharsis I experienced at beating the final boss was a layered one, and I don't think the ending would have resonated nearly so well when I was 13.

So anyway, I'm glad I played it and saw it through, it's a classic for a reason, and I'll almost definitely go back to it again one day. Play it!!

#Recently Completed #Final Fantasy III #but actually #VI #at long last #SNES

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elvisabutler · 2 years

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could you do headcannons for austin x presley!reader?

i can! i was really nervous/fussing about these so i'll probably only do this one set ( we'll see, because don't i always say that ). thank you for the request and i hope you like it! tw: brief mention of death that goes along with the presleys.

so consider that you're probably a little shorter than your siblings. a fact that brings your grandmother and your mother delight but brings you zero delight because you're elvis presley's grandkid and he was tall, riley is 5'7" and benjamin was almost six feet and harper and finley look like they'll be riley clones in height at least. to have you take after your mom and grandmother? that's just rude genetics.

you take after your mom vs your dad which means you take after elvis. it's really apparent when your hair isn't its natural dirty dirty blond.

when austin meets you it's by accident, one of those slam into each other with coffee or food situations because you really shouldn't be on set but you promised everyone you'd go check on how things were going because maybe it's easier for you since you live in australia or generally somehow it's easier for you to detangle yourself from stuff so you can swing by.

you like how the movie is going and honestly seeing austin on stage during one of the concert scenes reminds you of the stories your grandmother and mother would tell you about elvis.

do you find him attractive in his costume? mildly which horrifies you because he is dressed up as your grandfather.

the point is, you two run into each other literally and you're covered in food because of course most it spills on you and austin is mortified.

"you're- goddamn- i'm so sorry i didn't even see you there." "the hat hid me that well?" "no, i just- i'm in my head on set a lot." "you mean you're in my grandfather's head." "not- all the time."

not right that second anyway, because all his thoughts are purely austin robert butler's. all his thoughts are revolving around your lips and how they look so soft and jesus is this how people felt about his lips? or how your eyes are the sort of hue he thought was reserved for fantasy characters. in short you look like something out of a greek myth in the best of ways.

but he knows that you are off limits for so many reasons that he doesn't voice any of these things and chooses to instead just offer to get you another plate of food or another coffee because "it's my fault you lost it in the first place."

you think it's the most gentlemanly thing anyone has ever done for you.

so you wait by his trailer like a weirdo toward the end of shooting for the day. looking every bit like you're descended from elvis presley, all charm and all look that can ensnare even the most chaste of minds.

"i want you t' go out to dinner with me." "excuse me?" "you're gonna go out t' dinner with me." "is that a-" "threat? no, oh my god do you think i'm the type to-" "no? i don't know, i just met you, i don't know you beyond tabloid stories and being a footnote to-" "grandpa." "exactly." "let's change that."

the date is pretty successful and you give him a peck on the cheek and stretch your arm out to ruffle his hair like he doesn't have a few good inches on you.

austin does not want to date you except he totally does. it's a problem until he texts you about a month after that first date asking if this is some weird daddy issues thing or some bullshit because he needs to know. needs to have both of you lay his cards on the table.

"what." "i am literally dressed as your grandfather for most of my days and the first time you met me i had prosthetics on." "austin, i like you, but you're not my grandfather. you're a little prettier. no daddy issues, just me liking the cute guy who eventually is going to have blonde hair again and won't be crooning hits i've heard a million times over." "there's a 24 hour diner near the set, meet me there tonight?" "k."

you start dating after that night but don't tell anyone because it's new and your family- your mom is still dealing with the fallout from your brother's death and you're not about to do that to them. so you keep it secret.

consider maybe the tabloids find out or someone sends it to deuxmoi. when that happens you both almost break up because this is going to be a mess that will distract from the film and you both want to give it a fair shot. you don't and it takes a good deal of pr spinning but you two are fine until filming is done and the movie is out.

consider if they don't you two just happily date until you introduce him to your family at the graceland premiere not just as austin butler, the guy who did wonderfully playing elvis, but your boyfriend, the one you really really like and i know it's weird but come on you guys he's cute. he'll fit right in.

your mom loves him because of the movie and because he makes you happy. as it turns out, he's pretty good son in law material, if you're considering that. she'll still call him a second son regardless of what happens.

you make your debut at cannes after his 12 minute standing ovation.

there's some bad press about it but you both write it off. after all, it's not like you're both not used to it at this point. and you wouldn't be a person who kept the presley name instead of taking your dad's without being attached to a little trouble.

before he leaves to film masters of air or maybe before he heads out to shoot dune he gets the pair of you matching necklaces.

"you know i can afford my own necklace, austin." "yeah perk of a presley i know, but let a butler get you this."

it's a necklace that's similar to your grandfather's tcb logo with the lightning bolt. but instead of tcb it has your initials and his initials surrounding the bolt.

if you two get married in the future you make him do something similar for your engagement and wedding ring.

what? you're a presley, you're the one who takes after him in the flashiness/style the most. so sue you for wanting the proper bling bling.

he does. because what a presley wants? a presley gets.

#austin butler x reader #austin butler #austin butler x presley reader #austin butler headcanons #i don't know what else to tag this.#but also i hope this is okay.#i was really genuinely stumped by this for the longest time.#ally writes

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420pogpills · 3 years

Text

organising my thoughts a bit more, here's where i'm at :)

(cw - i am discussing the manatreed situation)

i didn't want to fully share my opinion until i slept on it, and now that i have done, here it is:

i'm stumped. this situation is so morally wrong, on so many levels, and i feel sick for even just discussing it. i feel like i have absolutely no place and no right to even have opinions on this, when there's someone involved who has already suffered, and is now having to go through something this awful, that i cannot imagine what is going through their mind. i just wish nothing but peace for them, so i won't be talking about the documentation or the leaked info, just focusing on how this has been handled and how this is going to be resolved. this concerns a content creator that i have dedicated a lot of my time, energy and support to - so i also can't say nothing

i don't want to completely turn my back on someone i've supported for 2 years now, over things that were provided by doxxers of all people.. but it is without a shadow of a doubt completely uncomfortable to even try to not think about it or not question it. for the first time i genuinely feel like i don't know dream at all? like it's a given haha i don't know him as a person at all. but now there's distance there that i haven't felt as much in the past.

i've seen many different takes, some more intense than others, and i totally understand the anger and the sadness from both us and also dream. i understand he must be in a horrific place right now mentally, but it's going to be hard to get past his initial reaction to the situation when unfortunately still there is a lot of information out there that points in the direction we don't even want to come to terms with. it's not only disappointing, it's also hurtful. and i get that he's also hurt, because he was cornered and he's never been the best at handling his emotions in such stressful situations. but fact of the matter is, this isn't about him. whether he likes it or not, this is a situation that has to be resolved with nothing but the truth

i never fully jumped on the manatreed hype because for me it's too hard to trust people i know very little about. i love dream but he isn't perfect and i know myself better than i know him so i trust my own judgement more than his. i never felt any type of way about callahan for the longest time because we know essentially close to nothing about him. but over time he became a comforting figure because he was always there but he never got involved in anything, never looked for clout or caused harm - he was just existing with his friends and i feel a level of trust for him now

manatreed is toooooo fresh for me still. i hate being distrustful from the start but like.. i was an emo kid growing up, i used to love panic at the disco and one of my favourite bands were the lostprophets.. i got to experience pretty early on that i need to be a little more careful about who i devote my support to lmao. i guess i just find it easier to cope that way?

so in the mean time i'm going to wait and see what happens next. i want to see who speaks next, and what they will say, and how they will say it. i won't be listening to much of anyone until there's a genuine and believable statement from manatreed to address this, with credible evidence to support that he has been wrongly identified. if his silence lasts longer, then i suppose we'll just have to draw our own conclusion and go from there.

i will be stepping back from the creators in the mean time. ultimately, i will not be involving myself in supporting someone who i cannot trust has not done terrible things. i'm not condemning anyone, nor am i giving them the benefit of the doubt. at the end of the day, this is so much bigger than a lie, this is bigger than me and you and all of us. someone is really suffering in ways they don't deserve to be. so the only thing i will accept at this point is clarity in the simplest form :) if they can't do that then this is no place for me

right now we're staring into a very ugly grey area. i'm keeping my mind and heart open that in absolutely no time, things will become clear in one way or another and i can only hope it's a happy ending

i adore this community and i want to stay here with you guys. i won't be leaving because this is my safe space. i can post about anything else, i won't be forcing myself to give this space up for somebody else's mistakes. so i hope it's okay that i continue posting and remaining active. for a while it probably will have nothing to do with the dream smp - but i want to remain here.

i want everyone and anyone feel like they can come and talk to me - about absolutely ANYTHING. the most random topic on your mind? bring it to the inbox. wanna see my jellycats? wanna hear about how undateable i am? did you have a good day or a bad at at work and you wanna let it out? let's chat, let's rant, and let's keep each other going through tough times

in the very least, we've at least got each other right? ❤️

#manatreed mention #dreamwastaken #this is a re-worked version of my morning post #had a bit more time to think and re-think #and form some more solid thoughts #after reading some great takes #this is essentially where i'm at :)#please let me know if you'd like for me to tag this with anything else #i'm here for everyoneeeeee ily all <3 #oh also #lostprophets mention

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mooswords · 4 years

Text

Home

Pairing: kuroo tetsuro x reader

Word count: 3k

Tags: red string of fate au, historical au

Ramblings: part of the lost collab, all based on the prompt ‘only when you are lost does the red string of fate appear’ organised by the lovely @yacoka who is a wonderful writer and an even better friend 😚 also a big thank you to remy for beta-ing <3

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You stare in exasperation as the red string fades into sight, the familiar warmth wrapping back into existence around your finger. It was only visible when one of you was feeling lost, and you certainly knew where you were. Tetsuro was only meant to be coming home from town - how did he get lost?

You pluck at the string.

Seriously?

An answering pull against your pinky.

Shut up.

Rolling your eyes, you turn back to the horse in front of you.

“That man, eh?” You scrub the brush along a thick-boned leg, scrunching your face away from the cloud of dust that puffs out. “Probably one of the smartest people this side of the island, knows the stars like the back of his hand, but can’t even find his way across his own fields.” You huff, watching as the string disappears again. “The cows know their way home better than he does, honestly…”

Bess rattles her head, mane flying, and you sigh. “Ahh, you’re right, I guess we love him anyway.”

“You guess?”

You start, twisting at his sudden presence.

“Stop! Doing that!” You huck the brush at him and he ducks, grinning.

“Hear that Bess?” he sings, sidling up to the horse and scratching her forehead as she noses at his pockets. “She loves me.”

“And I married him too,” you lament. “What was I thinking?”

“Something I ask myself every day,” he says softly, eyes alight. You mellow, as you always do for him, and wonder if you will ever get sick of that look.

“How’s town?” You ask instead, snagging a new brush.

“Good. Got offered a job.”

“Oh, who with?”

“Nekomata.”

You hum. “Down at the docks?”

“Not... exactly." You flick a look up when he doesn't elaborate, only to find him determinedly pulling Bess' forelock into a crude braid.

"And?" you prompt.

"He wants me as the navigator." He swallows, fingers still twisting in the coarse hair. "For an expedition.”

“Really?” You scrub at a particularly stubborn splatter of dried mud. "I thought he had given up on all that. What’s he planning?”

He doesn’t reply for another long moment.

"Depends on how quick the ice melts."

You tear your eyes away from your work; he looks wary. "But with what he mentioned to me, we’d be away… a year? Maybe longer?"

“Oh,” you breathe. Really, for a sailing expedition, that’s short. But it’s still a year. You're thinking of money, and supplies, and who will take over teaching his students while he’s gone, and he’ll definitely need a new coat, and oh that's such a long time-

“I don’t have to decide immediately.” You pull your gaze back into focus. He still looks nervous, but you know him - he might not always be the most expressive person, but he wears his passions with pride. And there are few things your Tetsuro loves more than the stars.

“You should go."

“Really?”

“Yeah.” You bite your tongue and start sweeping the brush along Bess’ broad back again. It’s not till he gently pulls your hands to a stop you notice how they shake.

“I don’t have to go,” he offers softly.

You sigh, not quite able to focus any higher than the hollow of his neck. “No. You should.”

His fingers are light under your chin, and you reluctantly let him draw your gaze up.

“Are you sure?”

And you are. Despite your reticence, you are; because at heart, he’s always longed to explore the world. You remember sitting with him in the summer, feet dangling in the creek and listening to his rambling dreams of travelling to the far corners of the world. He loves teaching - weaving stories from geography homework, gently coaching the younger kids through their sums - but you’ve caught him many a time just staring out at the sea, eyes unfocused and longing.

"I’m sure," you tell him with a genuine smile. "It just means I'm going to have to do all your chores while you're away."

He tsks, but there's already excitement building under the mock-glare. Giving Bess a final pat, he meanders back to the house. You listen to his cheery whistling and tell the pang in your heart he'll be fine.

He always comes home.

“Have fun. Don’t kick Yaku overboard, OK?”

“What’s this, huh?” The string hums as he twirls a finger through it, his voice low and amused. He twists it into a bow around a lock of your hair, an achingly familiar action that has the string glowing brighter against your skin. “You can’t be lost without me if I haven’t left yet, sweetheart."

He frowns, and you etch the image into your memory - it will be months till you see that pout again.

“Oh, hush you.”

Eyes bright and fond, he grins down and pulls you into his chest. For once, you stop thinking about tomorrow and just enjoy this final moment with him; the gulls’ cries tearing across the sky, the winter sun across your back and stiff breeze sweeping through your skirts. He is constant and unshakable, heartbeat steady in your ear, his chin pressed against your hair.

You draw back and poke him in the cheek.

“You come home, you hear me?”

The string continues to flutter between you, dancing in the seaward breeze as he presses a sweet kiss to your lips.

“Always.”

The second plate stares back at you.

Right. Of course.

You press your lips together and return the other plate to the shelf for the third time this week. Your lonely plate looks pitifully small on the uneven table, and the red string that sinks down to drape across it only adds to the ache in your heart.

You grip the string tight and try not to cry.

The drumming rain is muffled as you duck under the barn’s eaves. Shaking the water from your eyes, you peel off your now sodden coat. In the flickering lantern light, you can see how the heifer is huffing, swollen belly already heaving.

Crooning to her, you run a tired hand over the heifer’s rough hide and crouch down.

You shove wet hair off your face and sigh. The late nights and bad weather were only exacerbating an already stressful time of year, and of course this had to be the year your entire herd was calving. You wearily draw a pail of water and tsk as you grab the last towel off the side of the stall - it seems tomorrow will have to be a washing day too.

There’s a wet nose. There’s also a tail.

“That’s… not right.” you mutter, stumped.

It hits you a moment later - twins. She’s having twins.

“Ohh… uhh…” You know you can’t panic, but your thoughts just continue to speed up, desperately flicking through your memories because you know how to deal with a breech birth, but twins? Where do you even begin? There are two calves in there, and that's twice the number of things that could go wrong. Think. It’s only a few minutes over the hill to the Kagayama’s, maybe they-

The gentle tug at your hand startles you. The string is there, looped around one of the cow’s ears and floating out into the pouring night. Another tug comes, a little firmer this time.

You suck in a breath.

You send him a grateful tug back and get to work.

It’s messy and stressful, and the deep ache in your arms will definitely be worse tomorrow, but there's a pile of knobby legs and liquid eyes in your lap that more than makes up for the pain. You snag the old towel off the straw and gently wipe the nose of the first calf before helping it struggle to its feet. The cow blinks around and lowes softly. You grin and quickly swipe at the other calf, blowing gently on its nose till it snorts.

Your eyes are heavy, and you are already compiling a list of the thousands of things to do tomorrow. But with pride singing through your tired bones, you are content to sit, half-wishing he was here with you to listen to the rain beat down on the tin roof and proudly watch the calves take their first, wobbling steps.

“Endeavor."

“E-N-D...” Natsu scrunches her nose and you nod encouragingly, “E…”

The string appears. It’s sudden; not the usual fade-in of realization, but a tidal wave of colour that has it crashing into existence all at once.

“-A-V-O-R. Endeavor.”

You clear your throat, pushing past the lump. “Correct. Let’s have an early lunch everyone.”

The clatter of chairs is immediate, and you wait for all the kids to race out the door before sinking shakily back against the desk. You rub the string between your fingers - it’s hot and trembling, swaying drunkenly as if buffeted about by the wind.

You pull at it, questioning.

You pull at it again.

Again.

There is no reply but it stays, curling in the corners of your vision for the rest of the day.

The next morning it is still there. You bite your lip and bundle his old coat around you to go collect more firewood.

Day four. You stare into reflected, apprehensive eyes for too long before shakily wrapping the everpresent string into a bow around your hair. For some reason, it doesn’t feel the same as when he does it.

Yachi reads you off your total and you freeze, hand clutched around the small bag of flour. She looks at you oddly as your hair falls free around your shoulders.

There is a soft tug against your finger, faded by distance and ringing with reassurance, as the string finally, finally disappears from sight after the longest eight days of your life.

“Is everything OK?” she asks, mystified.

You dash the tears and drop the coins into her hand with a smile.

“Everything is perfect.”

The string fades in for the third time today and you snort. You’d like to imagine you can feel his annoyance even halfway across the world.

You give it a sharp tug for good measure.

Lost again, huh?

He pulls grumpily back, and you bite back a giggle.

“How’s that pain-in-the-ass husband of yours doing?” Ukai Jr. asks from behind the bar.

The string bleeds away.

You think of a ship navigating the perilous ice, of unknowable depths and old sailor's tales, of the maps you watched him plot that stretch into expanses of blank parchment.

You think of jokes thrown across candle stubs and empty plates, of a crew that have become more of a family than either of you have ever had.

You think of the furrow he gets between his brows when he’s puzzling something over, his poorly hidden glee at the sight of the open sea.

The string fades in again, and there’s a pull from his end before you can do anything.

Don’t.

You grin. “He’s doing just fine.”

You wake to birdsongs. The sun is just peeking over the hills, the red string curled quietly on his pillow. You send three tugs, watch the string ripple out the window and imagine it stretching out, out, out across the seas to him.

Today was usually a day just for the two of you; no chores, no work. Just sunshine and bad jokes and the simple enjoyment of being together. One time he had pulled you along to the neighbouring town's county fair. Last year, you had taken him to the waterfall for lunch.

It was meant to be his choice this year.

You twine the string around your fingers as you wait. It glows softly in the morning light, a physical manifestation of how deeply lost you feel on this special day. He's not gone; he's still here in the scuffed shoes tucked under the bed, in his notes piled high on the desk, but they're not quite the same as hearing his hisses from the kitchen, or being able to sink into warm arms at the end of a rough day.

His returning tugs are delayed, aching and soft - one, two, three.

Sighing, you force yourself out of bed - the cows aren’t going to feed themselves.

Happy anniversary, love.

Most days the string isn't visible at all. And that's fine. Really, it is. It means he's not lost, and no news is good news, right?

Anyway, you’ve become quite content in your own company. He’s been gone long enough that you’ve found your solo rhythm and it's by no means easy, but you manage to keep busy enough.

And yet, the string is a double-edged sword - a reassuring and tangible connection between the two of you, but one that fills you with longing heartache all the same. There are days when you so keenly feel his absence; days of no special importance, but days where his company would just make the monotony more interesting. The mundane days, where you find yourself wanting a hug and instead having to settle for imagining the blur of red in your periphery.

You can lose minutes simply staring at your hand, trying to will the string back into colour. Wishful thinking isn’t something you can afford to indulge too often, but some days, if you focus hard enough, you think you can feel the invisible string pressing around your finger.

Some days, wishful thinking is all that keeps you going.

“Hello, sorry.” You ignore the cheeky pull of the red string. He knows how you hate admitting you need help. “I’m a bit lost. Do you know where the blacksmith is?”

The man points up the road, explaining you need to go up past the post office and take a - twitch goes the string - and then follow the path that - another pull - and you should be there. Oh, but don’t - tug - because that will take you out of town.

You bite your tongue and thank the man, fond exasperation simmering in your chest. You might desperately miss him and his stupid antics, but you had almost forgotten how relentless his needling could be.

As you lead Bess away, you pull sharply on the string. Much to your dismay, it doesn’t deter him in the slightest - an incessant barrage of tugs pull against your pinky, singing with his amusement from half a world away. Huffing out a sigh, you carefully flip the string around your hand. It’s smooth in your grip as you wind it around your palm and close your fingers over it-

And yank the string sideways.

Silence.

A single, pouting yank back.

Pushing down the smile tugging at your lips, you stop infront of the woman sweeping the front step of the post office.

“Hello, sorry. I’m a bit lost. Do you know where the blacksmith is?”

A laugh is pulled from you, glee ringing through the air. Hinata’s hand is sweaty in yours, and you grip it tighter as you swing round and round to the music echoing across the field. The wedding party is still holding strong, even this late into the night, and the chatter and music is rvight at home in tonight’s warm summer breeze.

The song ends to cheers and you yell with them, high, unfiltered joy singing through your body. You drop into a chair, watching Hinata pull a giggling Natsu off the sidelines and head back out as the band striking up another well-loved tune.

The ever-present twinge of sea salt mixes with the sweet scent of the apple blossoms floating over from the orchard and you are content. The food was fresh and plentiful, Kiyoko looked gorgeous. And, you think smugly, Suga had cried before Tanaka did, so now Kinoshita owed you a beer.

The music slows, and your finger aches at the sight of everyone else partnering up. You had promised yourself you weren’t going to let memories overshadow your fun tonight. There’s too much love around for you to fully feel his absence anyway, but you still catch yourself missing him above the crowd, searching for the wink he’d send across the room before returning to his own conversations.

Someone clears their throat. The string curls and sways between bodies as Takeda smiles down at you, eyes crinkled in understanding.

“May I have this dance?”

You push hurriedly through the crowd, ducking between market stalls and wagons. There’s no string to follow, but you don’t need it to find him today. Asahi scrambles for the bolts of cloth you knock into and Suga yells something that gets stolen by the wind as you continue to run heedlessly towards the docks.

Lev is on the dock already, only just visible through the small crowd gathering. Yaku yells directions from the ship, and you can see Shibayama sitting up on the boom, Kai pulling the jib down, so where is-

There.

He’s talking with Nekomata, gesturing up at the mast. You know it’s probably important, that there are things to be done on the ship before the crew can leave, but he’s been gone 402 days and you’re calling his name before you can stop yourself.

He twists around, and for the first time in over a year you watch his face split wide. The crowd parts for you as you’re darting forward and he vaults over the side of the ship.

There are yells and whistles behind him but you couldn’t care less as you are swept into a tight spin, stumbling with him as you laugh. His salt-crusted shirt is coarse under your fingers, and when he kisses you he tastes like the sea; like salt-spray and dry rations and freedom.

As soon as your hands find his cheeks you pull back sharply. There's a scar, a puckered pink line that cuts across his cheek and up into his hairline. He watches you carefully as you trace it with a feather-light touch.

“I thought I told you to have fun,” you admonish gently.

“Who said I didn’t?”

You tsk. “What am I going to do with you?”

He grins, wilder than you remember, twisted a little by the scar, but full of familiar trouble. “Kiss me again, hopefully.”

(How you’ve missed that grin.)

“Can’t imagine why I’d do a silly thing like that,” you say, even as you press your own grin to his.

Maybe he’s still a little wobbly on his feet, and he’s definitely thinner than when he left, but when he twines your hands together - no string in sight - your heart settles.

He’s home, and you can’t really ask for anything more.

#kuroo x reader #kuroo tetsuro x reader #haikyuu x reader #this is queued btw

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awyeahitssam · 4 years

Text

Bakery!AU, werewolf Stiles Stilinski, no Hale fire. Working Title: No Shoes, No Shirts, No Fucks Given

Stiles wakes up in the middle of the woods, the bark of a large tree stump digging into his bare back.

Looks down.

Notes that he’s butt naked, though the sensation of twigs and leaves in uncomfortable places could’ve clued him in well enough without the visual input.

Groans.

“Fucking seriously? I knew I should’ve stuck to city life.”

He’s been a werewolf for nine weeks, and it’s the first time he’s left Berkeley since he was bitten. His dad had heavily hinted that he wanted him home for winter break months ago, and back then Stiles had been eager to agree.

That was Before. After, he just felt a crawling anxiety.

It was his dad. There was no way Noah wouldn’t notice something different about Stiles. He was a cop, trained to be observant, and in the past Stiles might have been fine but Noah had really stepped up his parenting game in Stiles’ junior year. He was hardly an absent father these days, which seemed like a bad thing for the first (okay, fifth) time.

Point being that Stiles took his finals, packed his shit, and decided to drive the two and a half hours back to Beacon Hills on about zero hours of sleep. Because he was an adult and could do what he wanted, and he wanted to be home two days sooner than promised, before his dad could throw out whatever incriminating shit was in the fridge.

After nearly falling asleep twice in about eighty minutes, Stiles ceded, pulled into a rest stop, and decided on a nap before continuing on. He had been taught to drive by three separate police officers, and besides that wasn’t dumb enough to keep himself in a situation that would have him crashing into a pole.

Key word being keep himself in, because he sure as heck would put himself in it during some manic burst of energy.

So he wasn’t super sure about the moral of this story. Don’t pass out at a rest stop, you’ll be kidnapped, stripped, and dumped in a forest?

More like: being a werewolf sucked ass.

The only footprints that he could see were his own, and his feet were bare but undamaged, coated in several layers of dirt.

Stiles groaned, standing and relishing the pop of his spine. Then he picked a direction.

Started walking.

It takes Stiles about half an hour to find his way out of the woods, and by that time he’s recognized it as the Beacon Hills preserve. Maybe it was a Stiles thing, or more likely it was a werewolf thing (because Stiles liked a brand new excuse to blame everything on as much as the next guy), but this was no half-assed form of sleepwalking. He had gone at least sixty miles.

It took another twenty minutes of jogging to make his way into town. His dad’s house would be another forty or so, and increased body temperature or not, he’s freezing.

He sees a light on and goes for it, because whatever happens can’t be worse than being caught half-naked and covered in dirt by the old lady next door who babysat him when he was little.

It’s a bakery, less than six months old since Stiles hasn’t been home in that long and it wasn’t here last time. His dad had probably mentioned it in passing, but Stiles can’t remember for the life of him.

Most importantly, when he pushes the door (completely bypassing the ‘Closed’ sign) it budges open, bell chiming over the entryway. A sharp-eyed man looks up from the counter, mouth already open to snap something, and his words fall away in the face of Stiles pathetic state.

“Look man, I know the sign says ‘No Shoes, No Shirt, No Service.’ but I just had the weirdest night and your shop is the only building with lights on this early and I’m really, really hoping you have some spare clothes behind the counter.”

Stiles stares the dark-haired baker down hopelessly, giving his best doe eyes, and says, “Help?”

It’s not something he’s used to asking for, but put in this situation there’s not much else to do.

For the longest moment the man just stares into Stiles’ eyes, but then he takes a deep breath and the crease between his brows eases.

“Come with me,” he sighs, raising the counter so Stiles can follow him into the back of the shop. “Wouldn’t want the Sheriff’s son to be arrested for public indecency, would we?”

Stiles tries not to bristle, because there are several officers on duty (two of which he had dodged on his way) and the guy seems like he’s about to help him out. Besides, something about the man’s presence is settling, and his frazzled mind finally seems to be focusing for the first time in days.

Of course, it gets a little sketchy when that focus extends to him memorizing the scent of the guy’s shampoo and hearing his heartbeat like a loud, steady drum directly in his ear. Stiles is trying to wrangle in his super senses when a pair of sweatpants and a white tee are shoved into his arms. He turns to blink up at the man, who’s tugging his button up back on sans undershirt, and shifts awkwardly.

“Uh, thanks,” Stiles rasps, and swallows when he realizes how hoarse his voice sounds for the first time.

“Change in here,” the man says curtly, showing Stiles to the employee restroom. “We’ll talk when you’re done.”

Stiles nods, entering the bathroom with a heavy sense of trepidation. He’s going to have a hard time explaining this away, and he knows it. Still, he’s earned a reputation as ‘silvertongue’ at college, and not just because Loki was his favorite Marvel character and Stiles was good with his mouth.

He dresses slowly, bits of a plan coming together as he wipes the dirt from his feet with a damp paper towel and washes his hands. By the time he exits he looks somewhat presentable, mostly in that he’s no longer naked and doesn’t have dirt streaking his face, legs, and feet.

He hears movement towards the front of the shop, and spares a longing glance towards what he assumes in the back door, but before he can make a move the baker pops his head around the corner, eyes narrowed.

“I made tea,” he announces, and it sounds bizarrely threatening. “Come join me.”

Stiles flashes him a sheepish (and one-hundred-percent false) smile and follows him out to one of the tables. They sit.

“So, uh, thanks for the clothes—I’ll wash them and bring them back here tomorrow, if that’s cool?”

The man shrugs ambivalently, but his eyes are sharp and heavy as he regards Stiles. “That’s acceptable. Care to explain your nude jaunt through the night?”

“It’s morning,” Stiles quips back, mouth quicker than his brain, and winces preemptively, waving his hand through the air as though to dismiss his automatic snark. “No, ignore that, I’m rude and yeah, you kinda deserve an explanation here.”

Stiles sighs heavily, looking to the ceiling as if asking for some otherworldly assistance, before crossing his hands and looking back to Peter with faux seriousness. “No one in the history of ever should agree to a drunken carpool with frat boys.”

The guy’s eyebrows raise.

“Not, like, drunk driving carpool. This was more of a everyone-but-the-driver-is-wasted-after-finals-and-the-driver-can’t-turn-down-a-good-bet-to-save-his-life kind of situation. And, if you aren’t following, I was the driver.”

It's a simple enough part for Stiles to play. Stupid college student gets in over his head. Sheriff’s Kid - Bad Again? Cliches exist for a reason.

Stiles falls into his role flawlessly, blushing and wincing and laughing awkwardly at all the right points. He pulls experiences from his life to make the emotions more genuine, though some part of him still feels distant and amused by the whole situation. It’s probably the same part of Stiles that cackles at the misfortune of others and thinks morbid things at the least appropriate times.

So yes, Stiles is caught up in the lie, but he’s also monitoring the guy for a reaction. Nothing about his countenance seems to indicate disbelief so it’s a good bet this is working. Stiles was seven when he taught himself to be a good liar.

Becoming a werewolf just made him a great one. The ability to smell whether somebody was buying his shit or not was invaluable.

And really, who would admit to such a preposterous and embarrassing tale if it wasn’t true?

“—and now that you’ve got enough material to blackmail me for life, what even is your name?”

The guy, who had stared at him steadily through his rant, scent fluctuating between incredulity, amusement, and irritation, tapped neat nails on the table between them. “I’m ever-so hurt you don’t already know it, but very well. It’s Peter.”

Stiles cocked a brow.

“Hale.”

Stiles blinked, because Hale was not only a name he knew from childhood, but one that had popped up in his extensive research into his sudden lycanthropy.

And this guy couldn’t be serious.

“Oh? Any relation to Talia Hale?”

The man smirks. Stiles wonders if he can smell his building irritation at the thought that—

“Oh yes, Alpha Hale is my older sister.”

Good god.

“Did you seriously just sit there listening to my ode on the tribulations of being a dumb college kid for shits and giggles?”

Peter shrugs loosely. “I wanted to see if you could lie convincingly, and it seems you can.”

Stiles’ exhaustion and grumpiness began to peek through the need to protect his secret. He had to find his car, figure out what led to the sleepwalking and how to prevent it in the future, and determine whether or not he was going to be attacked for entering another pack's territory despite having grown up there.

He also had one million questions about the whole ‘how to werewolf’ issue, but he’d been doing fine on his own so far and Stiles hated asking for help. Especially from someone that practically reeked of smugness.

Stiles wrinkled his nose, huffed, and stood. “Thanks for the outfit, I’ll bring it back tomorrow morning.”

He turned to the door, and for a moment Peter let him live in the delusion that he could walk out without a word.

“You know, sweetheart, your life is going to be difficult if you can’t even tell a born were from your average human.”

Stiles stalled, glancing back. It was a good point. Stiles had been in the same high school as Cora Hale for four years and never even suspected. Clearly he wasn’t as observant as he liked to think.

“My life is already pretty difficult, darling. Are you just pointing out what’s evident, or offering a solution?”

Peter made a thoughtful humming sound, watching him expectantly, and Stiles scoffed. “Yeah, I thought not.”

Whatever this man wanted from him, Stiles wasn’t interested.

He was halfway out the door when Peter asked, “Would you like a ride?”

Stiles grit his teeth and tried to think logically. He couldn’t show up at his dads sans jeep, and he really didn’t fancy walking the sixty plus miles to find it.

Still, “Don’t you have a shop to open?”

#steter drabble #steter #peter/stiles #STILES/PETER #alpha stiles #naked vision quests #(No not actually)#Pre-Slash #first ‘chapter’ and Peter has already seen Stiles naked #wolf whistles

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skinks · 5 years

Note

Please Please talk to me about Maggie Tozier and what she’s like and looks like and what Dilfworth Tozier loves about her and made him put a ring on it and in general how much her two boys love her and how she loves them.

[cracks knuckles] here we go

I was looking through my copy of the book yesterday to answer this ask but then I figured, y’know what? Canon can suck it. I tend to beat myself up over accurate characterisation for Richie and Eddie, but they’re main characters, Maggie and Went are not, so the details are inconsequential. Their ages in the Dilfworth fic mean that they’d have a pretty different life experience from their book versions, what with growing up in the 60s/70s, but imo all that matters is that they love Richie and are good parents. Canon is ours now!!!

- my no.1 headcanon rn is that Maggie sings like an angel, and sings all the time. In the car, in the shower, gardening, housework, cooking. She and Went have a pretty good record collection, but if Went is listening to something and hears Maggie singing to herself in another room of the house he shuts that shit off quick so he can hear her.

- I wrote in ithots that Richie busts out into song at the drop of a hat, right? well, where Richie gets encouragement with his Voices through Went participating, Richie gets his incessant singing from Maggie, because he grew up in a household where that was welcomed.

- Maggie doesn’t even notice she’s doing it until Richie joins in, or she turns around and sees Went gazing at her all dopey, and she gets self-conscious

- until Went is like “I don’t know why. You know I think you’re a songbird” and then grins and calls her Magpie. She says stop. He says, Maggie-pie? She throws a dishcloth at him but secretly loves it because she fell in love with how frank and practical he is most of the time, but also how silly he is only when it comes to her and Richie.

- he only calls her that when they’ve had one too many anyway, otherwise it’s all sweetheart, honey, darling, Mags. Marguerite, in Richie’s stupid French Waiter Voice. “Yes ma’am” for when he’s rearranging her guts. Maggie’s the one to call him “my love” the first time, but she said it kinda exaggerated and jokey, and Maggie just doesn’t joke the way Went and Richie do so Richie noticed the way his dad just cracked tf up and was like wow, Mom must be really, really funny

- so y’know how Richie calls Eddie “my love” in the book, and is generally quite physically affectionate? He picks all that up from his parents, watching their example. Wants to make Eddie laugh like that

- for some reason I always imagine she speaks like, French or Italian fluently. I’m stealing @honeyreynolds hc that her maiden name is Avery for Tex Avery, but maybe her own mother was European. She tries to speak French with Richie as a baby/toddler so that he’ll be bilingual, and she’s so proud/frustrated because he’s clearly smart and has a knack for linguistic imitation, but his attention span is just. Non existent

- still makes lil kid Richie giggle by doing exaggerated Italian and making him guess what she’s saying

- I think she’s pretty elegant and reserved and almost shy on the surface with a rly wry sense of humour, so people tend to think she’s snooty, but she’s just... so concerned with keeping the peace and not saying anything bad about someone. Tries to see the best in people. This can lead to a lot of embarrassment when Went is so upfront and medical-frank about stuff or if Richie’s being a dumbass in public, but really she just envies their typically masculine lack of inhibition

- this is because she’s got this killer wicked streak. Maggie’s got a hidden well of scathing diatribes and Went knows it because

- they met on a plane in 1971 when Maggie was flying back to college for her final semester of senior year, and the man in the seat next to her started having an attack of some kind. The stewardesses appeal desperately for any doctors on board, nobody answers. Anyone at all? We’ll have to land the plane! Maggie’s trying to slowly shift away from this man and his spasms without seeming rude when she hears a deep sigh in the seat behind her and someone saying “I’m ethically bound to admit I have a licence in dentistry,” in a voice like he’s in on some joke nobody else knows.

- this guy unfolds the longest legs she’s ever seen and comes to squat right next to her and her apparently dying seat partner, she notices he’s nice looking and keeps glancing at her, there’s banter. Eventually he shrugs and is like “imo this man has a bad case of wind.” And Maggie just TEARS Went a new one like oh nice diagnosis DOCTOR DENTIST where’s your seatside manner?!?! what kind of name is WENTWORTH anyway! and Went’s like 👀😳😍 and then the dying man lets out a giant fart and Maggie recoils, all her pretty poise and indignation turning to base disgust and Went bursts out laughing and offers her the seat next to him

- turns out his first residency is in the next town from Maggie’s college. She’s only dated preppy meatheads before who only ever tried to flatter her and stopped listening when she talked about her music theory degree or the books she likes. But Went always grins and side-eyes her and cranks the volume whenever Maggie May comes on the hits station, because then she’ll whack him with a book. She’s so SWEET he loves goading her into releasing some more of that plane rage, like one day she’s prowling on the edge of a rant about her TA and trying to be reasonable. Went’s like, do it. You’ll feel better. So she fuckin rants her head off for ten minutes until her hair’s all dark and wild like an Arthurian queen and she looks over at Went reclining all impressed on her dorm bed and he’s like. I have never been more in love in my life. Can you sit on my face and make fun of my name again

- so yeah they’re both like, quietly distinguished and outwardly calm model citizens of Derry but in private Went is the fuckin roastmaster and is Maggie’s outlet for frustration whenever housewife suburbia gets too much

- I always picture her as having dark and quite curled hair, sort of Lauren Bacall eyes, and she’s probably tall too. Like 5’8 to Went’s 6’0 or 6’1 which is why Richie turns out to be 6’2 lmao. A family of giants. Honestly the whole time I was writing the Dilfworth fic I was imagining Mary Elizabeth Winstead, that’s my early-30s Maggie that Went is so excited to come home he’s stocking up on condoms. God I bet she’s got some of those single dark beauty mark freckles on her stomach 🥵 Wears hats with big brims. Sundresses. Secretly likes to pretend she’s on a mysterious trip to Rome as she sits in the park watching Richie catch dragonflies. Maybe when she’s older and Richie’s a teenager she looks kinda like Olivia Williams, bc I’ve had a big milfy thing for her ever since she was the mother in the 2003 Peter Pan.

- most kids in Derry have a crush on either Richie’s mom or dad or both and this is unfortunately quite damaging to his self esteem, even though Maggie INSISTS he’s just so handsome. She hates seeing him so insecure

- she tried pot once in college and hated it. The only times she comes close to getting hammered is on book club wine because it’s the only way she can get through them asserting the female orgasm doesn’t exist, then she comes home mildly tipsy and joins in on Went and Richie’s raucous game of cards

- felt a bit left out when Richie was small, with how well Went was able to go along with the silliness. Went sees this and gets Richie to make up a game where she’s Queen Margaret of the Tozier Court and made Richie a knight. They all spoke in bad Medieval Voices all afternoon, and it becomes one of those super long-running family jokes, and Maggie still feels all happy inside whenever Queen Margaret comes up

- ruthless decision maker!!! She had to be, because Went’s so laidback he’s horizontal and is always like “idc what we do as long as you guys are chill” and Richie can’t concentrate long enough to pick what colour gumball he wants, so she has to be staff sargeant. They go to Disneyland and she’s like C’MON BOYS HUP HUP HUP and Went’s like “oh cripes son we’re being hustled!!” but they love it as much as she loves them doing what she says

- great cook because of her indeterminidely Mediterranean mother.

- she genuinely wants to understand Richie’s strangeness but is also stumped as to what to do to bond with him, since she can only think of things she’d do with a daughter. She WANTS to brush Richie’s curls and bake with him but she thinks he wouldn’t like it, so they stick with singing. Is delighted when Eddie very politely and very intensely asks for her help making Richie a birthday cake. She sees how different they are together, and remembers Richie coming home at 5 years old declaring he was gonna marry Eddie Kaspbrak when he grows up, and she thinks... well, if I must have a son-in-law, I would love this one as much as I love my son.

#maggie tozier #richie tozier #wentworth tozier #ficlet

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lockdownfest · 4 years

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Lock Down Fest Masterpost PART I (20-30 March)

1917

feed me just enough that i’ll never need a cage by Cunninglinguist. (E) 7.4k, Tom Blake/William Schofield. “Come on.” Sco stops walking, runs a hand over the faintest marking on a tree trunk. “It’s just a little farther now.” “I’m coming.” Tom huffs a sigh, yanking his shotgun strap over his shoulder so the barrel lands in his hands. They’ve been on the road for nearly a week now, an unfortunate consequence of their last shelter getting swarmed by an army of dead ones. Though skinning rabbits to eat over hastily made fires and taking turns sleeping against trees, spending the days and nights consumed with fear, and jumping each time a stick cracked were hardly desirable circumstances, it certainly wasn’t their longest or harshest stint on the run. They had endured worse, by far, and Tom had no doubt that this particular stretch of time would come to an end when Sco said it would. He knows the way, he always knows the way. Plus, Tom wouldn’t want to spend this time with anyone else in the entire world.

If The World Was Ending by RisingShadows. (not rated) 3.7k, Tom Blake/William Schofield. When a dangerous virus begins spreading across the country William Schofield and Tom Blake quickly find themselves the last two standing of the team working in their lab.

AKB48

#unmeida by summoninglupine. (G), 788 words. Sashihara Rino/Watanabe Mayu, Kashiwagi Yuki/Watanabe Mayu. Ready for an all-girl vacation in Okinawa, Watanabe Mayu doesn't see why she has to be the one to nursemaid their sick tour guide. Things would be different, she is sure, if Yuki was there!

ALL FOR THE GAME

I see truth somewhere in your eyes by DeyaAmaya. (M) 2.8k, Kevin Day/Thea Muldani, Neil Josten/Andrew Minyard, other background relationships. In a moment of insanity, Kevin decides to check Instagram. In the multitude of inane celebrity posts telling the mass people to stay home, he finds a lovely, recent photography of Thea. Someone from their College took it. The lighting perfectly captured the dried tear tracks down her unmoving face. Kevin disregards the emotional caption and instead checks the date. 18 March, the night he- (The night he thought he had a hallucination.)

Quarantine and exy by Fornavn. FANART. (G) 116 words, Andrew/Neil. The monsters is stuck at home while coved-19 is terrorizing the world. They are bored.

ANNE OF GREEN GABLES

Alone and in a Circumstance by middlemarch. (T) 700 words, Gilbert Blythe/Anne Shirley, Marilla Cuthbert & Anne Shirley, Diana Barry & Anne Shirley. Anne had a key, so she let herself in, quiet as a mouse, arms laden with bags from the market. Her sophomore class's papers on A Tale of Two Cities were poking out almost jauntily from the quilted bag Diana got her for her birthday.

AVENGERS ASSEMBLE

Worry by Neverever. (T) 2.4k, Steve Rogers/Tony Stark. During the pandemic, Steve wants help the best he can but immuno-compromised Tony worries about his company and his health.

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST

Poetry and Plants by the_many_splendored. (T) 1.9k, Adam/Belle. It's amazing how much you can open up to a person when you're locked in a bookstore reading together.

BELLEVUE

Knives and Lighters by goreds. (M) 2.1k, Annie Ryder/Peter Welland. Annie Ryder finds herself in Bellevue's psychiatric hospital. She pretends to tolerate the whole experience, even if she really hates it. When a new, quiet guy comes to the ward, though, she finds herself intrigued.

BLACK SAILS

If this is Our Last Night by remuirius. (E) 2.3k, Captain Flint/John Silver. Silver and Flint are locked up together on the Walrus. Certain of their looming death at an enraged crew’s hands, Silver finds the courage to do things he’d only dreamed of until now.

BLACKKKLANSMAN

Someone Like Him by cowboykylux. (M) 2.2k, Flip Zimmerman/Reader. 'If there was one thing true more than anything else about all the reasons you loved him, it was that once your husband had his heart set on something, he was going to accomplish it.' Or, a sudden snow-storm cancels your plans for a date, and Flip Zimmerman decides that nothing, not even snow, will get in the way of treating you to something special.

BOKU NO HERO ACADEMIA

Tell me it won’t always be this hard by Graendal. (T) 4.3k, Midoriya Izuku/Todoroki Shouto. He’d met Midoriya a few months ago during a field trip to the library. The kids had adored him, of course, even the ones who were usually shy about participating in new activities. Midoriya had a way of projecting a sense of all-encompassing safety and comfort with just his smile.Shouto had adored him too, maybe, even back then. A silly crush that had only grown during every subsequent field trip — which is truly absurd, considering the vast majority of their interactions at the time consisted of occasional eye contact while singing children’s songs.But now that they’ve spent hours talking almost every day for the past few weeks… calling it a silly crush might be an understatement. The idea that he’s actually been able to help Midoriya through this is inordinately pleasing.If there’s a silver lining to this at all — for him personally, at least — it’s that he’d seen Midoriya’s post requesting a virtual board game buddy. And that Midoriya is a patient enough person to teach Shouto how to play everything from scratch. He’d actually seemed excited at the opportunity.Maybe the opportunity for any sort of ongoing social interaction is worthy of excitement. These are strange times.

CALL THE MIDWIFE

Sanctuary (In Each Other) by WednesdayGilfillian. (T) 2.6k, Bernadette-Shelagh Turner/Patrick Turner. Set during the Christmas Special in S2. Specifically, during the unsettled night that Shelagh turned up on Patrick's doorstep.

CAPTIVE PRINCE

When We Went from Strangers to This by Aerica_Menai. (T) 3.5k, Damen/Laurent. Laurent is really sick, and decides to shut himself in his apartment and deal with it alone. His downstairs neighbor, Damen, gets worried enough to check on him, which went just fine - and then Damen got himself locked in. Featuring Star Trek TOS, coming outs both accidental and intentional, and Damen being his usual sunshine puppy self.

DCU

would you lie with me by Glove23. (G) 660 words, Diana (Wonder Woman)/Clark Kent/Bruce Wayne. Bruce catches a virus, and Diana and Clark come to help him.

DEADPOOL/SPIDERMAN

Avengers Monopoly by MsCaptainWinchester. (E) 1.4k, PeterParker/Wade Wilson, James “Bucky” Barnes/Steve Rogers. The Avengers are quarantined in Avengers Tower, and Peter and Wade see this as the perfect opportunity to try the new Avengers Monopoly set. They have their own house rules for property negotiation. No one told Tony. Oops?

omg they were quarantined by Jdragon122, LunaStories. (M) 2.6k, Peter Parker/Wade Wilson. Spidey has a cold and Deadpool, being the sexy boyfriend he is, goes to take care of his baby boy. But they're under quarantine and oh no, there's no more lube? What should they do?

Superheroes Don’t Get Scared by DefendersofMCUniverse. (T) 3.6k, Peter Parker/Wade Wilson. Peter, fresh out of college, gets invited to the tower to stay in one of the guest floors that has been left unoccupied for some time since the previous tenant ‘hero’ decided to leave for unknown reasons. Of course, a few weeks into living there and getting into a routine, the last hero pops onto his balcony. Peter offers for him to stay on his old floor because the dude looks like he could use a familiar place, and also dude is kinda terrifying, and like hell he is gonna admit that to the other heroes in the tower.

DETROIT: BECOME HUMAN

Games. Family. Love. by heizl, NickEllis1314. (G) 1.8k, Carl Manfred & Markus. Because of some rebellious protesters, Androids, and owners of said Androids, were ordered to stay inside. It'd been a long day of restlessness, and boredom, and Markus was almost genuinely excited to get Carl to bed so it could all finally be over. Carl wasn't exactly tired yet though, so they reminiscence for awhile.

DOCTOR WHO

What We Did During Our Quarantine by badxwolfxrising. (M) 4.6k WIP, Metacrisis Tenth Doctor/Rose Tyler. Rose and the Metacrisis Doctor return to Torchwood from Bad Wolf Bay and are placed in a mandatory 72 hour quarantine. However will they pass the time? }:-)

DRAGON AGE II

shaking fingers, open palms by asexualf. (T) 2.4k, Fenris/Merrill. Kirkwall has issued her people remain in their homes until the sickness overtaking the city is gone. As always, the Alienage suffers the most under this new rule - and those who enforce it.

EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

Three in a room by Tagus Knoll. (T, Underage) 4.6k, Kazuto/Darius Maynor/Chester Hayes. When Kazuto finds out they all have to be in the same room, he didn't expect that Chester, Darius and him end up dating.

FALL OUT BOY

‘Cause Everything Else is a Substitute for your Love by PadawanRyan. (G) 1.9k, Patrick Stump/Pete Wentz. Patrick and Pete are each self-isolating with their kids during the coronavirus pandemic but well, Patrick’s in Chicago and Pete’s in LA.

quarantine, or: how to land a boyfriend in 14 days by TooRational. (T) 6k, Patrick Stump/Pete Wentz. Patrick turns his head in Pete's direction and sees him, Patrick sees him, and his frown goes up a notch, and a fisted hand settles on one hip in that typical Patrick-is-a-grandma-pose, and Pete grins and runs full-tilt into Patrick's arms, disbalancing them both until they slam into the side of the house, tangled and half-frozen and definitely soon-to-be-bruised. He interrupts whatever rant Patrick had prepared that starts with 'you idiot' by tucking his frozen nose into Patrick's neck and sucking the warm air coming from Patrick's skin into greedy lungs, and grins even wider when Patrick yelps, offended as he always is by a breach of his personal space.

FIRE EMBLEM SERIES

Shelter from the Storm by Dameceles. (T) 4k, Elincia Ridell Crimea/Tibarn. It's a dark and stormy night when Elincia lends aid to Tibarn. He wants to return the favor, but she doesn’t have wings.

FRONTIER

Fever 1793 by goreds. (M, MCD) 2k, Samuel Grant, Cobb Ponds. Cobbs Pond and Samuel Grant experience the yellow fever epidemic in Philadelphia, 1793. One of them gets better.

FROZEN

It all comes out in the wash by middlemarch. (G) 1.1k, Anna/Kristoff. She'd knocked. Really, she had. It was their en suite bathroom, the room he said was over-the-top and extravagant and aggressively tiled, so it wasn't exactly her fault that she'd effectively barged in on him.

GAME OF THRONES

The Luckiest Man in the Whole F***ing World by OrangeTabby. (M) 7.2k, Sandor Clegane/Sansa Stark. Sandor Clegane is in isolation at home after picking up the virus in the line of duty. Luckily, he’s got his cat for company and plenty of rubbish TV to stream. Then Stranger decided to go next door for a visit…. A story about friendship, food, romance and dubious television. And a pandemic.

GARGOYLES

Cabin Holiday by Isimile. (M) 1.2k, David Xanatos/Janine “Fox” Xanatos, Owen Burnett/ David Xanatos/Janine “Fox” Xanatos. After everything that happened, they decide to spend a week away in a cabin, to relax and to perhaps talk about their relationship. They're unexpectedly snowed in, which triggers memories of the Unseelie War.

GILMORE GIRLS

How dare the robins sing by middlemarch. (T) 900 words, Rory Gilmore/Jess Mariano, Dean Forester/Rory Gilmore, Dean Forester & Jess Mariano, Luke Danes & Jess Mariano. The two of them, the diner, for how long? At least the coffee shipment had made it in time. What he wouldn't have given for a fifth of Jack-- or anyone else. Literally, anyone.

HAIKYUU!!

Anchor by farfetched. (G) 5.3k, Semi Eita/Tendou Satori. Spreading their arms out either side of them, they stare at the ceiling. This is pulling on them in so many ways they didn't expect; laying here, on Tendou's floor, in Tendou's clothes, right down to their underwear because who expects a lockdown to get enforced overnight? They didn't bring anything much. They should have. They ought to chance going home. But they can't, so they don't. Home is an empty place right now anyway, and here there is food and laughter and music and in between all that is their realisation that they're not so over this Tendou thing after all.

Lockdown by needles. (T) 1.5k, Iwaizumi Hajime/Oikawa Tooru. You never know what will escape from a box when you open it, just ask Pandora. For some it may be a disaster, for Iwaizumi could it be a golden opportunity?

Lockdown With A Fox by runningfromrealitytoanime. (T) 4.1k, Miya Atsumu/Sakusa Kiyoomi. Sakusa Kiyomi was a very careful person when it came to cleanliness so what happens if a certain setter with no sense of hygiene crashes at his place when Japan goes under a 2 week lockdown period?

HANNIBAL

Crumbles of unfulfilled expectations by Cinnamaldeide. (M) 11.9k, Will Graham/Hannibal Lecter and other multi. Collection of ficlets of the length of a tweet or two ❀

Professor Graham’s Cheekbones Hotty & Extraordinary Foodie Husband by TheSilverQueen. (T) 3.3k, Will Graham/Hannibal Lecter. Online classes due to the quarantine are Professor Graham's students learn that: 1) Professor Graham has a cute dog; 2) Professor Graham is married; and 3) Professor Graham's husband is smoking hot.

HARRY POTTER

A Long Night on The Bus by CuriousEmWanders. (E) 3.5k, Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter. In which Draco & Harry are Auror partners stuck on a bus overnight. Draco has some memories that cause him to make some choices. Smut ensues, obviously.

A Pandemic by Theodore_Writes. (T) 611 words WIP, Luna Lovegood & Weasley Family. A new strain of Dragon Pox breaks out becoming a global pandemic. Many were unaware due to Fudge covering it up in an attempt to look better as a minister but when Xenophilius Malfoy/Lovegood reveals to his long time friend Arthur Weasley about what is happening around the world the entire Weasley family is horrified and takes immediate action. This is the story of what happens when a pandemic hits the Magical and Muggle world's.

A Welcome Distraction by MaesterChill. (E) 2.9k, Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter. Draco and Harry get trapped in a Ministry lift. Whatever shall they do to distract themselves?

An Intangible Embrace by Drarrelie. (G) 365 words, Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter. Harry is bored. Thank Merlin his husband had finally agreed to start using Muggle mobiles after Score was born, or he would've surely gone mad now.

And on the Seventh Day... by slytherco. FANART. (T) 0 words, During an Auror raid, Harry and Draco are separated from their partners and end up being hunted by the wrong people. Desperate times require desperate measures, so both men are sent to an unmarked location where a temporary safe house was set up for them. Stuck for Merlin knows how long, they have plenty of time to examine their turbulent relationship.

“Are you sure you know how to play that?” by julchen_in_red. FANART. (G) 0 words, Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter. Harry and Draco offer comfort and entertainment to their neighborhood under lockdown by performing a traditional wizards' evening ballad on their balcony.

Better Side of the Bed by gnarf. (T) 2k, Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter. It was all Malfoy's fault. Harry could be at the Burrow right now, but instead he was trapped in Malfoy's tiny flat. All because that dick couldn't stop bothering him about a stupid life debt he didn't even care about.

Breaking Point by Drarrelie. (T) 365 words, Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter. After almost two years as Auror partners, they've learned to function quite well together most of the time. Right now, though, Malfoy seems to be more on edge than ever.

Civil Hands (Unclean) by p1013. (E) 8.5k, Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter. While he and Malfoy reached something like a truce in the years between the end of the War and now, their Quidditch rivalry has only grown. And with it, a simmering tension that is absolutely not sexual, no matter how many times Hermione raises her eyebrow when Harry's drinking at her and Ron's house. Not even when his head is resting on the kitchen table next to his empty glass, and he's moaning about Draco bloody Malfoy, and his bloody perfect seat on a broom, and his bloody perfect technique.But as Harry stares over his teammates heads towards the Puddlemere United bench, he catches a flash of wet white-blond hair and flashing grey eyes, and he thinks that Hermione's eyebrow might have a point.

Conservation for Beginners by Aneiria. (E) 4.6k, Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy. Hermione Granger didn't think twice about taking guardianship of Hoddholm Island for the summer. A deserted, peaceful island among the endangered Golden Snidgets is just what she needs to escape the anxieties that the end of the war brought with it. When Draco Malfoy arrives as the other guardian and they are left to themselves for a month, they both seem to be struggling in their own ways. Can they be there for each other when they most need it?

Exposure by Bridgette_Hayden. (M) 2.6k, Harry Potter/Severus Snape. Snape and Harry volunteer to quarantine themselves for charity, and to comfort the world. Isolation leaves them feeling exposed.

Flames by Aneiria. (E) 3.9k, Hermione Granger/Theodore Nott, Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy, Draco Malfoy/Theodore Nott, Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy/Theodore Nott. The whole of the Ministry of Magic and its workers are forced into an in-place lockdown quarantine following a magical accident at the DMLE. When Hermione Granger and Theo Nott are put into isolation away from their boyfriend, Draco Malfoy, how will the triad cope?

G Guess I'm Stuck With You by LittleSixx. (T) 4k, Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy. Draco and Hermione are stuck in a Ministry lift on New Year's Eve.

In a Week by Suchsmallhands. (M, MCD) 12.4k, Sirius Black/Remus Lupin. Sirius goes under quarantine in his flat, but fortunately he was able to get some reading material and a friend to keep him occupied during isolation.

Into the Wine Cellar by vivi1138. (E) 2.5k, Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter. Harry should know better than to touch random objects that do not belong to him. Getting stuck in a cellar with Malfoy, of all people, leads to an interesting development.

Lockdown with the Malfoys by a_reader_and_writer. (G) 1.2k, Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter, Lucius Malfoy/Narcissa Black Malfoy. Dracos's parents are just visiting Harry and Draco for their weekly dinner when the Ministry of Magic announces a total lockdown. Awkward situations happen.

Lockdown Husband by Houseofmalfoy. (T) 4.7k, Rodolphus Lestrange/Augustus Rookwood. "Got ready to leave after a hook-up for the guy to break the news that we’re on lockdown. We’re stuck together. this is the start of my bad rom-com."

Risk and Reward by nagemeikenu. (G) 2.6k, Rodolphus Lestrange/Augustus Rookwood. Augustus (Gus) Rookwood manages to survive completely alone in a burned down cabin for nearly three weeks. He's rescued by a gorgeous state trooper. Fluff ensues.

She’s A Rainbow by Ladderofyears. (M) 4.8k, Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter. Draco never dreamt that he'd have to give birth without Harry, but when his beloved husband is put under MACUSA quarantine, he finds that he doesn't have a choice. With all the bravery he can muster, the best friend in the whole world and a pilfered magic mirror, Draco discovers that hope can be found even when you least expect it.

Stay with me through the storm by Pinkelephant42. FANART. (NR) 23 words, Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter. Dragon Keeper Draco finds ways to keep his boyfriend Harry on the dragon retreat longer. Harry probably doesn’t mind.

Ten below and falling by agentmoppet. (E) 8.6k, Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter. In which a pandemic results in Harry being locked in the Astronomy tower with Malfoy while they struggle to find the cure.

The Question of When by Misdemeanor1331. (G) 5.3k, Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy. When a global pandemic emerges, Draco and Hermione are once again called upon to discover a vaccine.

Unlikely Quarantine fellows by Isimile. (T) 861 words, Neville Longbottom & Blaise Zabini. Neville and Blaise are quarantined together following an accident in their potions class and they get talking.

HAWAII FIVE-O

Spring Break by stephmex. (T) 3.5k, Steve McGarrett/Danny Williams. Danny had been looking forward to this trip for weeks, ever since the Christmas holidays when he had planned the Spring Break vacation together with Grace. But as much as he’d been looking forward to it, boarding the plane with Charlie's small hand grasped tightly in his own feels slightly off. One thing feeling off is this stupid new virus that you just can’t ignore because the news coverage is all over the place. The other thing feeling off goes by the name of Steve—and Danny is leaving him behind with insomnia and a concussion and the sure knowledge that there is something that Steve is not telling him.

HOUSE OF CARDS

Skilled Hands and Talented Tongues by goreds. (M) 1.2k, Remy Danton/Jackie Sharp/Alan Cooke. Frank Underwood's made enemies, so it's no surprise that Jackie Sharp and Remy Danton get locked down due to a threat during one of their meetings at the White House. But Alan Cooke's there too, which just creates a brand new dynamic.

Isolated by Slashaddict96. (T) 1.3k, Connor Bowers/Richie Tozier. Richie and his parents get stuck isolated at the hospital when a dangerous outbreak occurs. What's worse it's with his least favorite person

IWATOBI SWIM CLUB (MAZE RUNNER CROSSOVER)

Free from the Maze by runningfromrealitytoanime. (Graphic Depictions of Violence, MCD). 33k, WIP, Gen. Haru finds himself without his memories except for his name before he was chucked into the Glade populated entirely by boys. As he tries to make sense of his new life amongst the Gladers, Haru realizes there is only one goal in mind: to run and escape the Maze.

KINGSMAN

Rarely Pure and Never Simple by andthenshesaid-write. (T) 2.3k, Harry Hart/Gary “Eggsy” Unwin. Eggsy and Harry get stuck in a train. Some important things need to be said.

LITTLE WOMEN

a party hardly ever goes the way it is planned by middlemarch. (G) 900 words, Theodore Laurence/Amy March, Friedrich Bhaer/Josephine March. Teddy had written she must come. He had run out of arguments.

Distances by MercuryGray. (G) 1.5k WIP, John Brooke/Margaret March. A Modern March AU - In the midst of global pandemic, the March and Brooke families are trying hold it together.

MCU

Bracing by babywarg. (G) 2.5k, Tony Stark/Stephen Strange. In which Tony Stark makes a few declarations in response to a disease outbreak, and brooks no dissent.

Must Love Dogs (Right Here at the End of the Line) by bookjunkiecat. (G) 2.3k, Bucky & PTSD, Bucky & Pal (dog), Bucky & Steve. During the virus pandemic, an already fragile Bucky has to venture out to pick up more of his very necessary meds. Returning home, he has a panic attack and retreats into an alley. While there he rescues a dog...or rather, the dog rescues him. Once he calms down, Bucky calls a veternarian's office, and reaches a warm, calm man named Steve.

Take Two by heyjupiter. (T) 14.1k, Bruce Banner/Tony Stark. When Tony Stark is injured in Afghanistan, he wakes up in captivity to find that a mysterious American doctor has plugged his heart into a car battery and saved his life. Tony is determined to repay the favor; when he escapes from the Ten Rings, he's taking Bruce Banner with him.

MERCY STREET

I took my Power in my hand by middlemarch. (G) 1.9k, Jedediah Foster/Mary Phinney. It wouldn't do to consider just what it was that had spilled. It was war, it was a kitchen with a corrupt steward, it was a rapidly warming April in Virginia and the man she wasn't supposed to have any finer feelings for was looking at her quizzically.

MERLIN

Merlin Versus Quarantine by coconutknightshade. (T) 1.3k WIP, Merlin/Arthur Pendragon, Leon/Morgana. Merlin isn't quite 50 Shades of Done with Quarantine, but he and Arthur do have dry-erase "Day's Since Last Meltdown" boards mounted in the kitchen.

The Night Is So Long When Everything’s Wrong by Hum My Name. (G) 4.2k, Merlin & Arthur Pendragon. One month after banishing Merlin, Arthur's given a message in the form of a dirty red neckerchief. His ex-manservant's been captured and the captors want the king to pay the ransom.Going after Merlin is the easy part. Spending a long night in a small cell with no one but Merlin with him is a bit more difficult.

MIRACULOUS LADYBUG

Love Bug by onetruthree. (T) 3.3k, Chat Noir & Marinette Dupain-Cheng. Marinette feels the safest with her friends by her side. But when the dead come back to life, that safety is tested.

Quiet by BookGirlFan. (G) 669 words, Chat Noir & Ladybug. Ladybug and Chat Noir sit on a rooftop in an empty Paris.

MIRAGE

Murder Scarecrow and His Pissed-Off Handler by goreds. (M) 1.7k, Gabriel Taylor/Doug Marsh. Gabriel screwed up a fairly simple mission, and now he and Doug are trapped in a tiny safe house somewhere in Eastern Europe. Sort-of romance ensues.

NCT

I Go Where You Go by CocoaBop. (T) 5k, Dong Si Cheng/Lee Taeyong. Taeyong thought he was prepared for another global pandemic. But this pandemic was different. In just a few weeks of isolation, Sicheng went from the shy, awkward roommate Taeyong rarely saw to his only anchor to the outside world.

OCEAN’S 8

Every Princess Needs a Castle by ShadowHaloedAngel. (T) 1.3k, Lou Miller/Debbie Ocean. Being stuck inside is sending Debbie a little bit crazy, even though she knows it's for a good reason. Fortunately she has Lou and a foster dog to help keep her sane.

Your Princess Is In Another Castle by ShadowHaloedAngel. (T) 3.3k, Nine Ball/Tammy. Nine Ball decides if she's going to be locked down, she'd rather it was with Tammy and her kids.

ONE DIRECTION

and the sun will shine by leighbot. (G) 5.1k, Zayn Malik/Harry Styles. They're practicing self-isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Two little boys shouldn't be too hard to entertain, right?

PITCH PERFECT

Basic Sickness by CamGray. (M), 1.3k, Chloe Beale/Beca Mitchell. Chloe snaps the mask over her face and replies, “I was always smart, you just weren’t paying attention. Vet school didn’t hurt either. Now come on. I’m going to rest, why don’t you go get some work done. You can’t nanny me all day. You’ve got more important things to do.” Beca shakes her head. “What could be more important than this?” She says, stressing each syllable.

Dry Spell by aliciameade. (E) 2.7k, Chloe Beale/Beca Mitchell. Tumblr prompt: Just imagine Beca and Chloe casually watching a porno together and when I say “casually” I mean “getting horny and ending up doing it right there.”

High-Speed Connection by aliciameade. (E) 4.1k, Chloe Beale/Beca Mitchell, Chloe Beale/Aubrey Posen, Chloe Beale/Beca Mitchell/Aubrey Posen. So Beca is a bit of an exhibitionist. So what? What could possibly happen when she decides to play with Chloe while she Skypes with Aubrey?Sin. Sin is what happens.

Ready Or Not by aliciameade. (E) 4.6k, Chloe Beale/Beca Mitchell. In a time of social-distancing, Beca and Chloe finally find a way to pass the time.

She’s Such a Bad Girl by CamGray. (E) 711 words, Chloe Beale/Beca Mitchell. “Chloe!” Chloe pauses her singing to call back to Beca. “Yes, love of my life?” Beca rounds the corner. “You’ve sung ‘Work From Home’ every day for the past 128 days. You know I love your singing voice, but can you please, for the love of the Carona gods, do something else.” Chloe pouts. “Well what should I do?”“I don’t know. I’m about to clean the house.” Chloe flips her hair flirtatiously and rests her arms loosely on Beca’s shoulders before saying, “You do too much. You’re not Superman you know.”

Watch Our Bodies Intertwine by tmylm. (E) 7.2k, Chloe Beale/Beca Mitchell. Beca and Chloe are quarantined (yes, another "and they were quarantined!" fic) in Beca's Los Angeles home. Beca has managed to push away the feelings she harbored for Chloe back in college—they're adults now, she can behave herself. Or so she thinks.

you are my favorite thing by iPhone. (M) 3.2k. Chloe Beale/Beca Mitchell. Beca and Chloe find themselves alone in their apartment after the instruction comes to self-isolate. Set pre-PP3. Just pretend PP3 doesn’t exist.

POLDARK

Tenderness is not like money by middlemarch. (T) 599 words, Demelza Carne/Ross Poldark, Demelza Carne & Dwight Enys. What was the real crime?

QUEEN

Stay Right Where You Are by Stormtrooperinclogs. (T) 2k, John Deacon/Brian May, Freddie Mercury/Roger Taylor. Brian and John are under government-mandated quarantine because of the virus. What are they gonna do???

RED WHITE & ROYAL BLUE

bend the rules by perfect-porcelain. (E) 6.8k, Alex Claremont-Diaz/Henry Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor. Alex is stuck inside with his roommate Liam and Liam's boyfriend Spencer and he thinks he's going to go insane but when his neighbor in the alleyway across from his window moves in he supposes that the quarantine won't be so bad after all.

Just Checking In by JessJesstheBest. (G) 1k, Alex Claremont-Diaz/Henry Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor. In an au where COVID-19 happens to Henry and Alex, they try and stay connected through self-isolation.

SHADOWHUNTERS

Malec Malaise by Fluxx. (G) 2.9k, Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood. Magnus has a cold! In the absence of his magic, it seems he managed to catch some common Mundane bug. Well, that should be fine. Nothing a little rest and tea can't take care of... right?

SHERLOCK

Going Viral by trillian_jdc. (G) 1.1k WIP, Mycroft Holmes/Greg Lestrade. Mycroft Holmes has been exposed to the coronavirus and prepares to self-quarantine, which he's very used to. His isolation is accidentally interrupted by Greg Lestrade, who winds up sheltering in place with him.

Thank You John by AnAnYaH. (G), 352 words, Sherlock Holmes/John Watson. Quarantine day fic.

SHETLAND

Remote Communities by aurorlaura. (T) 3.4k, Duncan Hunter/Jimmy Perez. Jimmy Perez, Duncan Hunter and their daughter Cassie experience the Covid-19 lockdown in Shetland.

STAR TREK: PICARD

Of Malady and Mother by Boldlynyooming. (G) 4.1k, Elnor & Zani. There was an outbreak of Beluxian flu on Vashti, and Elnor was not allowed to go out.

STAR TREK: VOYAGER

Confined To Quarters by ShayneyL. (E) 1.6k, Harry Kim/Tom Paris. Tom and Harry are in trouble again. Will they find a way to entertain themselves while confined to quarters? (Spoiler: yes.)

Social Distance by MiaCooper. (T) 1.2k, Chakotay/Kathryn Janeway. The terrible trials of a captain in quarantine.

STAR WARS

Fever of Love by ladyofreylo. (E) 8.1k, Rey/Flip Zimmerman. Rey and Flip shelter in the library overnight during a flu epidemic. Rey believes Flip is part of a racist group, and Flip can't tell Rey he's undercover because it jeopardizes his investigation. He asks her to trust him. Will she? And will she allow him to help her friend's brain-damaged brother escape the clutches of the evil organization?

I Know You by Idrilhadhafang. (M) 739 words, WIP, Poe Dameron/Kylo Ren. After a dogfight outside the Raddus, Poe Dameron and Kylo Ren are trapped on a planet below, with no memories for either of them and only being able to rely on each other.

Please don’t take him just because you can by middlemarch. (T), 911 words, Finn & Rey, Rey/Ben Solo, Finn & Rey & Rose Tico. It wasn't a terrible job, it was the pandemic. Rey kept telling herself that, hoping she'd believe it. Or that it would all turn out to be a bad dream caused by eating government cheese before bed. Still, there were bright spots.

Something To Look Forward To by spacewitchqueen. (G) 1k, Armitage Hux/Kylo Ren. While self-isolating, Kylo manages to make a new acquaintance. Perhaps even a new friend? Perhaps in time something more.

There’s been a Death, in the opposite house by middlemarch. (G) 100 words, Kylo Ren/Rey. Crisis was supposed to bring out the best in people. That was the silver lining, Rey was pretty sure that was the line anyway.

STAR WARS LEGENDS

Cabin Fever by Keldae. (G) 1k, Gen. Theron hates being locked down in one location on the best of days. Being isolated with only a Sith Lord, an irate Wookiee, and (the head of) a protocol droid that won't shut up for company? He's pretty sure he's in at least the second Corellian hell.

Pinned Down by Keldae. (T) 696 words, Female Jedi Knight/Theron Shan. The only option is to stay hidden inside and hope for a rescue.

The Waiting Game by Greyias. (T) 4.4k, Female Jedi Knight/Theron Shan, Satele Shan & Theron Shan. The worst part about all of this was the waiting. Theron hated standing on the sidelines as everyone else risked their lives. He needed something to do. Anything to keep him distracted from his own thoughts.

SUPERGIRL

Darkest Before The Dawn by Val_Creative. (T) 1.4k, Kara Danvers/Lena Luther. Lena ends up diagnosed with a serious virus. Kara gets a little panicky about this and worries enough to visit her.

SUPERNATURAL

Fourteen Days and Four Dozen Eggs by Mandala Rose. (E) 5.6k, Castiel/Dean Winchester, Jessica Moore/Sam Winchester. As the Milton-Winchester household prepare to hunker down and #flattenthecurve, Dean makes a trip to the grocery store, for what was supposed to be their normal weekly grocery run. After all, they aren't the kind of people to panic and over-buy, right?

Hickory Dickory Dean by Carrieosity. (M) 2k, Castiel/Dean Winchester. When Castiel's library has to close because of the coronavirus pandemic, the librarians need to get a little creative in order to keep serving the community. Castiel has no problem recording virtual storytimes, but when it comes to adding in songs and things, he needs to call in a little extra help.

Knock by hit_the_books. (E) 2.5k, Castiel/Dean Winchester, past Dean Winchester/Lisa Braeden. Dean and Cas have been living together as roommates for about a year when the COVID-19 pandemic forces Douglas County health officials to issue a "stay at home" order. With Dean working from home and Cas trapped there with him, Dean starts to realize that he doesn't really know much about the younger man he's living with. And then he knocks on and opens up Cas's bedroom door one day and discovers far more than he was expecting.

It'll Be Fine. by ChloeDarling. (G) 1.4k, Castiel/Dean Winchester. Forced to self-isolate, Castiel finds himself succumbing to the boredom as he runs out of ways to keep himself entertained. Luckily, Dean Winchester has a plan to save the day.

Next Time, I Choose Death by CeliPuff, Winchesterlovr0508. (M) 1.2k, Castiel/Dean Winchester. In light of this pandemic, I decided to write some daily journal entries on how we survived the 14 day quarantine. It’s me, my brother and my best friend, what can go wrong?

No Dent by spnsmile. FANFIC AND FANART (E) 7k, Castiel/Dean Winchester. Because the Impala is the best place to lock Dean and Castiel away when in the middle of another fight. They really need to talk and close the distance created by their stubborn heads. At least, Jack thought so.

Throw Away the Key by CeliPuff, Ketch22. (E) 2.1k WIP, Castiel/Dean Winchester. multiple other relationships. After his father dies and leaves him nothing but the coolest car ever manufactured, the whole world turns to shit. Caught in the middle of a pandemic while attending the funeral, Dean is told he can’t return home and has to find somewhere else to ride out the mandatory month-long quarantine. Out of options, he calls his best friend Benny.Cas has lived with Benny for awhile - the bed was comfy, rent was cheap... the orgies were just a bonus. It wasn’t a half-bad place to live out a permanent bachelor lifestyle, or an irritating lockdown - but he’s about to get more than he bargained for when Benny takes in a stray.

Outbreak 2019 by spnsmile. FANFIC AND FANART (T) 1.7k, Castiel/Dean Winchester. There's a spreading virus around and against it the medical staff are in the front lines. Castiel is a doctor and he just texted his husband he's positive of the virus.He awaits his fate in silence thinking of Dean.

THE 100

In Fair Corona by eternaleponine. (M) 8.3k, Clarke Griffin/Lexa. While returning from a service trip abroad, Lexa volunteers to take another flight when theirs is overbooked, and Clarke is forced to accompany her. When someone on the flight gets sick, they find themselves quarantined far from home with only each other for company. Can they overcome their differences and realize that they're in this together?

THE AVENGERS/MASS EFFECT TRILOGY

Stuck with You by sgteam14283. (G) 3.3k WIP, Clint Barton & Natasha Romanov, Female Ryder/James Vega, Kaidan Alenko/Female Shepard. Adults can handle being stuck somewhere for a long period of time. For the most part.

THE EXPANSE

How to Have Fun in Quarantine at the UN by goreds. (M) 1.4k, Chrisjen Avasarala/Sadavir Errinwright, Arjun/Chrisjen Avasarala. Chrisjen Avasarala and the whole of the United Nations, including Sadavir Errinwright, are on lockdown during a pandemic. Mild non-social distancing ensues.

THE FLASH

Between Hope and Fear by Purpleyin. (T) 4.1k, Cisco Ramon/Hartley Rathaway. During the pandemic, Hartley tries to help. He tries to keep going and do whatever he can, from a distance. Everything is going as well as can be expected, until his world comes crashing down with one phone call from Caitlin Snow.

THE GRISHA TRILOGY

watch the world go by by JemDoe. (T) 823 words, Aleksander Morozova/Alina Starkov. “The plague of 758 was a very serious issue, made worse by the Fold, Alina. Supplies were so hard to reach to the other side of the country…” “Wipe that smile off your face before talking about a plague that was made worse by your actions, then."

THE HOBBIT

Cave in by Isimile. (T) 1k, Bilbo Baggins/Thorin Oakenshield. Of course the cave in has to happen just when Bilbo is accompanying Thorin to a visit of the newly re-opened mines. Thorin just have the worst luck.

THE LORD OF THE RINGS

Nowhere else by Roselightfairy. (T) 1.2k, Gimli/Legolas Greenleaf. In preparation of an anticipated attack from nearby Dunland, Éomer has ordered that Aglarond go into lockdown.At least Legolas and Gimli are together.

THE MAGNUS ARCHIVES

a melody played in a penny arcade by aguntoaknifefight. (T) 2.7k, Martin Blackwood/Jonathan Sims, Elias Bouchard/Peter Lukas. Jon is trapped in the Institute. Things change.Or: Peter Lukas’s post-divorce pettiness inadvertently saves the world.

THE SIMARILLION AND OTHER HISTORIES OF MIDDLE-EARTH

A WORLD WITHOUT GRANDPARENTS by bluehair. (G) 1k, Maglor & Finwe. I really didn't plan this. But it wanted to be written.

THE SOFT DOCTRINE OF IMAGINOS

On the Wrong SIde of the Mirror by Imaginos_Buzzardo_Desdinova. (M) 2.1k, Gen. Trapped on the wrong side of mirror, Imaginos must find his way back to stop the evil Desdinova. He finds only one other person who also was tricked into the mirror.

THE TERROR

Lift Fire by Gigi_Sinclair. (G) 2.5k, Thomas Jopson/Lt Edward Little. "Tom doesn't speak, either, until there's a strange grinding groan, the lights flicker, and the lift shudders to an unexpected stop.Oh, you have to be joking, Edward thinks, as Tom says, 'I'd heard they'd been having some problems with this one.'"

Look for the Helpers by goreds. (T) 1.2k, Captain Francis Crozier/Commander James Fitzjames. Dr. Francis Crozier, stuck at home, lends a hand to his sick next-door neighbor, James Fitzjames.

THE TRANSFORMERS

Maybe it’s enough by choomchoom. (T) 2.8k, Drift/Rodimus, Prowl/Starscream. The boys deal with the pandemic.

Quarantined by pipermca. (G) 2.7k, Gen. Even when the Decepticons are forced into quarantine to stop the spread of a deadly disease, Soundwave still has work to do. If only his cassettes would keep it down...

THE UNTAMED

The Usefulness of Bunnies as Messengers is Strictly Dependant on the Bunny In Question by theskyandsea. (G) 2.8k, Lan Wangji/Wei Wuxian. Wei Wuxian is quarantined in an apartment with Jiang Cheng and it's going about as well as one would expect. Which is to say, the second Wei Wuxian discovers just how hot his across-the-street neighbour is he jumps at the opportunity to talk to someone else.Even if that talking is through the medium of messenger bunnies.

We’re on a boat and... by chatcolat. (T) 1.4k, Gen. Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian get stuck on a boat and accidentally end up talking to each other for five minutes while they wait for rescue.

THE WITCHER

Carefully We Gather by tackytiger. (M) 2.4k, Geralt of Rivia/Jaskier. They've been snowed in at the inn for six days now, and Jaskier still isn't speaking to Geralt.It's just, killing monsters is what Geralt does. Just because this one came a little bit too close to killing him first, doesn't mean that Jaskier has to get in a sulk about it. And why does he care so much, anyway?

Distanced Dears by jaskiersvalley. (T) 2.2k, Geralt of Rivia/Jaskier, Cahir Mawr Dyffryn aep Ceallach/Geralt of Rivia, Geralt of Rivia/Yennefer z Vengerbergu, Cahir Mawr Dyffryn aep Ceallach/Jaskier, Geralt/Jaskier/Yennefer/Cahir. Given the fact Geralt worked in the Accident and Emergency department, it was highly likely he would catch the virus, even with every precaution. Not wanting to put his whole family at risk, he and Cahir move into Cahir's old flat and they try to weather the storm by themselves when Geralt does get infected.

No More Water, but Fire Next Time by ladivvinatravestia. (T) 7.7k, Cirilla Fiona Elen Riannon & Jaskier, Geralt of Rivia/Jaskier. Jaskier and Ciri take shelter at a refugee camp following the fall of Cintra, where they find that Pestilence and War often ride together.

oh my god they were plague-mates by wombatpop. (T) 4.3k, Geralt of Rivia/Jaskier. “They’ve closed the streets, Geralt. We’re stuck in here.” Jaskier and Geralt stuck in an inn together. What could go wrong?

The Fortnight by Elizabeth. (E) 7.5k, Geralt of Rivia/Jaskier. A plague is ravaging the Northern Kingdoms. First Oxenfurt is locked down, and then Novigrad. Geralt is immune, but Jaskier isn't. Rosemary and Thyme is a pretty nice place to spend a fortnight, but it's still a long time to spend with just one person--even if that person is your best friend.A lot can happen in two weeks.

Trouble In Here by Val_Creative. (M) 2.5k, Geralt of Rivia/Jaskier. Jaskier accidentally barricades himself into Geralt’s room when he’s been cursed, forcing them to isolate together.

YU-GI-OH! DUEL MONSTERS

And they were quarantine-mates by Alecto. (T) 4.8k, Jounouchi Katsuya/Kaiba Seto. The order came down while they slept. Now Kaiba was stranded at Joey's place for the foreseeable future.

YUYU HAKUSHO: GHOST FILES

Six Feet Apart by Penguiduck. (G) 2.4k, Kurama/Reader. You've only been living in your condo for two months, but you have yet to meet your neighbor. When you're sentenced to working from home due to the recent COVID-19 virus, you step onto your shared balcony for the first time. You meet Shuichi and really like him. The only problem? You have to stay six feet apart.

#lockdownfest #lockdown fest #Masterpost #Week 1 #fanfic #fanart #fanfest #multifandom event #multifandom #multiship #cw: coronavirus #cw:quarantine #long post

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mimiswitchywrites · 3 years

Text

Not A Burden: Chapter 4

TW: SH references, attempted s****de and references, child/s***al a**se references (not graphic but enough that could be triggering)

Masterlist or Read on AO3

2.3k words

---------

Gaius watched as the young girl shuffled in her sleep. She had tears trailing down her cheeks and was sweating profusely. He soaked the cloth again, pressing it against her head, cheeks and chest, and prayed to whatever was out there that the poor girl would be okay. He was well versed in the world of nightmares – his years caring for Morgana has assured that – but rarely had he seen someone with ones such as this.

The only time, he thought, was Charlie. He had returned from enemy territory a changed man. He could hardly keep his eyes closed longer than a minute before seeing the atrocities he had faces in their dungeons. The poor man ended up with a case of hysteria and walked off one day with only the clothes on his back, and never returned. Now, with more knowledge, Gaius hoped he could treat her before she ended that way.

Her right arm was healing nicely – scabbing over – but her left was in far from ideal condition. Arthur had reported that she had hit it on his chest plate at some point, and others had mentioned her picking at the wraps which seemed to amount to a slight infection. She had lost too much blood before being able to rest properly and the fact that she hadn’t collapsed into a sweating mess earlier truly impressed the aged physician. She was weak, both mentally and physically, and there was little he could do.

He dabbed her skin with the cloth again.

The candles in the tavern were burning low and with it came Gwaine’s high. He had drowned himself in ale, mead, cider and wine as soon as he had returned home (whether home was Camelot or The Rising Sun was still up for debate) and, even after two days, he showed no sign of stopping. At first, the other knights – both those of the Round Table and not – had joined him. Many a game of dice and cards were played, but eventually they left.

They always will. Another gulp of whatever was in his tankard, he’d lost track.

He traced the patterns on the table with his finger (fingers? He couldn’t tell how many were really there anymore) and felt his eyes growing heavy. He found a face in the wood, with thin lips and an angular jaw – it reminded him of his first infatuation. His first rejection. A final gulp.

His forehead found the table and snores soon followed.

Arthur sat at his desk, holding a blank piece of parchment and his favourite quill – the one Merlin had given him. He was trying to write a speech for an upcoming council meeting but all he could think about was his manservant. The, usually joyous, man had been distracted since they had arrived back, and he was unsure what to do about this. If Merlin were a knight, he would propose a fight or Torny or hunting trip (maybe not, that could be in bad taste even if he were a knight) but Merlin was not. Merlin was a country boy that practically cried at the thought of killing a fly, let alone fighting a full human with swords and armour. The king was stumped.

He wanted Merlin to smile again. They had barely performed their usual banter, all attempts by Arthur had fallen flat. He had even called Arthur ‘sire’ but it had none of it’s usual sarcasm, it seemed genuine which left an odd taste in Arthurs mouth. No, it would not do.

He slammed the parchment down, placing the quill next to it gently, and dropped his head in his hand. A frustrated groan escaped his lips.

A knock on the door interrupted his spiralling.

“Enter.”

Merlin stumbled in, basket in his arms. Merlin never knocks. The king squinted, discomfort over the situation growing. Giving up, he finally asked the question that had been plaguing him for days: “what’s wrong with you?”

Merlin’s head shot up from where it was rummaging through the pile of dirty clothes. He turned to face Arthur; confusion painted over his features. His eyebrows were pulled in, emphasising those lines in the middle of his forehead. His lips fell open and Arthur forced himself not to focus on them, and what they could do or where he wanted them to be.

“What?” As if Arthur ever had a reason to think Merlin was being formal with him.

“You’ve resembled the back end of a cat for days now. I don’t like it,” upon noticing Merlin smile as if about to make a remark about how the king cared or some other equally girly falsehood, he added, “it’s been affecting your work ethic. Be normal again.” He nodded, there, fixed it.

Merlin’s smile grew and Arthur’s heart began to swell. “If I didn’t know any better sire, I’d say you were worried about me.” Not quite fixed it would seem.

“Yes, well, good thing you’re an idiot then, eh?”

Merlin opened his mouth again and so Arthur gripped the cup next to him, prompting the boy to run out the room with his basket. A smile wormed its way onto Arthur’s face. He was glad to have his Merlin back, even if just for a moment.

Sir Leon prided himself on being King Arthurs longest standing and most loyal knight. He liked to think he knew the man like a true brother and so he also liked to think he knew when his brother was not acting normally. Hearing that he had shouted at a young, injured girl was a clear sign that he was not acting normally. He had wanted to talk to the girl first but, after bumping into Merlin (the poor boy and his basket almost went flying) and finding out that she wasn’t able to have visitors yet, he decided that he should get answers out of Arthur first.

Something Leon discovered early on about Arthur: he does not appreciate being told that he was wrong. While he has a huge heart and wishes the best for all in his kingdom, knowing he has done someone wrong leads him down a sad pit for days and so he tends to reject the notion. Being the one to tell him of his misdoings is not an enjoyable task.

Leon steeled himself as he stood outside the large oak doors. The guards – Thomas and Shaun – nodded at him respectfully before moving out the way for him. He knocked on the door: two quick raps, a single, and then another two. He heard the muffled “come in” from inside and obeyed, taking a final deep breath before doing so.

Arthur was sat, face in his hands with that smile that Leon had begun associating with a recent visit from a certain raven-haired servant. He had a light blush coating his cheeks and a star struck look in his eyes. Leon cleared his throat, bringing Arthur back to reality.

Reality didn’t have anywhere near enough Merlin in it.

“Sir Leon,” he coughed, voice dropping to his usual octave, “what can I do for you?” He gestured to a chair next to the fire and moved from the desk taking the other one for himself. Leon, after thinking about it for a second, sat. He tried to keep his feet still as he mulled over the best way to broach the subject of his visit.

“Well, and I mean no offence over this, I have no desire to attack you Sire—”

“You’re bumbling almost as much as Merlin, Leon. Come out with it, it’s alright.”

The knight cleared his throat, chuckling a little at Arthurs comment. “Right, well, I wanted to ask you about the girl.”

“Miriam.”

“Miriam, yes. I have heard confusing reports of something you said to her.” He watched Arthur’s face. His nostrils were flaring and there was a slight tic near his right eyebrow that Leon had learnt over the years meant frustration. “And” he continued, slightly quieter this time, “I was hoping you could shed some light on the situation?”

Arthur stood up, retrieving a goblet and the pitcher of wine that Merlin had left on his table that morning. He filled the cup, downed it, and filled it again, making his way back to his seat.

“What would you like to know?” He refused to make eye contact, staring into the dying flames instead. He must get Merlin to tend to the fire whenever he returns.

“What happened? I struggle to believe that you intended to hurt or scare her.”

Arthur let out a breathy laugh, smile not reaching his eyes. “I’m glad you have such faith in me, Leon.” He finally looked up at him, noticing how anxious the man was to be asking such questions of his friend. “You are right, I meant no harm to her, but harm is what I brought regardless.” He frowned, taking a large swig of his wine. “She got up in the middle of the night and disappeared into the wood. I couldn’t hear or see her, and it concerned me. I couldn’t take the idea that we had found yet another person wanting to harm those I… care for.” He tipped back the last of his drink, Gwaine would be proud. “Turned out she had just gone to relieve herself and, as she turned back to camp, we bumped into each other. She hit her arm on my armour and I said somethings that maybe I shouldn’t have.”

“It was all an accident then?” Arthur nodded, eyes on the embers again. “So why has the story been twisted so?”

“I may have argued with Lancelot about the situation and made it worse for myself.”

Leon bit his tongue, wanting to suggest the King apologise but knowing it would be far from a wise idea. “I understand, Sire. Have you visited her since?” he asked, knowing the answer was no. As expected, the king shook his head, inhaling deeply. “Perhaps you could arrange a time to see her with Merlin?”

“Perhaps.”

The conversation clearly over, Leon left, leaving his friend to brood over the situation. He took no joy in questioning Arthur or pushing him so, but it was important to do every so often.

Gwen peeled the carrots as Elyan brought the water to a boil, adding twigs to the fire occasionally. They had spent the last year getting into a stable routine together having not lived in the same home since they were teens. It was often silent in the hut, both consumed by their thoughts of work and their friends, but when they talked, gods did they talk. It was as if Elyan never left, conversation flowing all night long. They would laugh, joke, hug, cry on occasion, and they would be siblings again.

Now though, with carrots being cut up small, Gwen was in her head.

She had been tending to Miri as she slept when she had no other duties to take care of. Since Morganas disappearance, she didn’t often have other duties. The woman, likely around Gwen’s age, fascinated her. She looked a lot like Morgana did, maybe that was what drew her in. The way her black hair framed her face and her eyebrows furrowed in her sleep. The light brown spots that marked her cheeks were like none she had ever seen before. She wanted nothing more than to talk with her and find out what led her to the forest all those days ago. Gwen found her heart aching thinking of how lonely one must feel to do something like that.

Elyan took the chopping board from in front of his sister and emptied the carrots into the pot above the flames. He watched her as she stared at nothing, face scrunched in worry. She had been like this since meeting the girl and it concerned him. He put his hand on her shoulder, pulling her back. She placed her hand on his, smiled, and returned to preparing the dinner.

That night, as she lay in the rickety bed at the back of their house, she thought about Miri once more. She didn’t understand the feelings swelling in her chest – they were different from the ones she felt with Lancelot all those years ago, but she couldn’t figure out how. She turned onto her side, huffing out a frustrated breath. Morgana would understand, she always did, even when she didn’t.

The day Morgana ran away left a hole in Camelot’s heart. In Gwen’s heart. She had thought her Lady, her friend, could trust her but as she read the note that was left on the hut table, she realised just how wrong she was. She knew Morgana had been struggling with her dreams, with her magic (something that Gwen still hadn’t told anyone about) but she thought that, with Gwen by her side, she would be able to get through it. That they would get through it, together.

A lump grew in her throat and tears pricked at her eyes. She was so tired of crying over what could never be.

And seeing Merlin and Arthur as they were, knowing that, now Arthur was king, they could finally be something more than longing glances, it broke her.

She sat up, pulling her knees into her chest as the water trailed down her cheeks. She was so happy for her friends; for the love that was blooming, but sometimes she hated what they represented. They were everything she could never have. The way they would curl up close on cold nights away from home, the way Merlin would rest a hand on Arthur’s shoulder as he read whatever he was working on, the way Arthur made sure Merlin had a seat right next to him in council meetings. Although she knew they hadn’t talked about it properly, she knew they would end up married in all but title one day and even that could happen if Arthur was brave enough to fight the lords on the matter.

Her chest tightened and she could swear she felt her heart breaking all over again.

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sugarhillpark · 4 years

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2020 In Review

Tagged by @pyrchance Thank you and apologies I took my sweet time thinking about it. ❤️

Fics (finished and WIP!) written this year:

I’m not gonna do links or word counts as I haven’t published most of these and they’re all WIPS. Just for the same reason I haven’t posted any of most of them: I don’t wanna get disheartened worrying about people waiting for updates or comparing myself to all these insanely productive amazing writers who have inspired me this year, which is a bad habit I’ve picked up lately. But I am gonna catalogue again.

Walls – Ryden post-split closure angst fic

Molly Ringwald’s Evil Dead Haunted House – Rikey and side Frerard vaguely-haunted-house-story AU getting together and first time fic

Be My Baby – Frerard first time PWP side fic to Molly Ringwald’s Evil Dead Haunted House set on the same night

Creatures of the Night – Rikey and side Frerard feat. ‘Ray fucking all of them because he’s accommodating’ housemates/supernatural creatures AU, in which Gerard and Frank start acting strange as a blood moon approaches near Christmas time and Ray discovers that Gerard is an incubus, that Frank is a vampire, that apparently blood moons make them ridiculously turned on, and that maybe he’s sad that Mikey doesn’t appear to be affected.

You Know What They Do To Guys Like Us In Nevada – Frerard and Rikey with various bandom side pairings Nevada brothel AU, in which Gerard and Mikey live and work on Z Berg and Patrick Stump’s Scorpion Ranch brothel, and Frank and Ray are customers who start to complicate their emotional landscapes.

You Really Ought To Know - Frerard and Rikey feat. almost all of them fucking Killjoys AU, in which the Ways take off to try to carry out a wild plan of Gerard’s without telling anyone and a devastated Frank and Ray take comfort in each other. When Gerard and Mikey arrive back after five weeks, they wrestle with the withdrawal of the intimacy and affection they took for granted. A ‘fucking in various configurations as an unhealthy coping mechanism’ wonderland.

Untitled Frerard Android fic – I feel like I’ll be able to explain the parts of this I’ve written a lot better once I have any idea what to name it.

Takeaways from reflecting on your kick-ass writing, or kick-ass lack of writing, during a year more focused on survival than perhaps any other:

This has been a motherfucking hard year to write. I’m a slow writer at the best of times and mid 2019-present has involved the worst exacerbation of my chronic condition in my life. It’s been incredibly frustrating to want to write and be crippled by constant pain, regular nausea and many entire days of lack of ability to even physically tolerate the amount of LIGHT required to write without puking, along with all the mental health garbage of 2020. I’ve also done the dumb thing of looking at amazing new people I’ve encountered in fandom and comparing their productivity to mine and beating myself up about it, which would’ve been a dick move @ myself even if I wasn’t sick.

On the plus side, I’ve gotten into a new fandom (MyChem) which has been massively inspiring and given me so much to play around with, and I’ve persevered to the best of my ability which I think is pretty awesome. I’ve also met a person who is pretty much my other half in fanfic land (muse, collaborator, internet-girlfriend-who-i-share-the-same-brain-with etc.) and I hadn’t realised how much I missed and wanted the collaborative aspect of how fanfic is inspired and consumed, whether it’s with you and one person or anything else. Love having that back.

Most surprising fic you wrote this year:

Probably Molly Ringwald’s Evil Dead Haunted House + Be My Baby or Creatures of the Night because they’re so fucking light and sweet (uh, except for the background horror themes part) compared to my usual angst-wallowing MyChem headcanons. That or You Really Ought To Know with how filthy and power-dynamic-laden-y a lot of the sex is. I kind of decided to not have any particular barriers with exploring sex and intimacy in shitty circumstances with that one, which has so far been nerve-wracking but also fun.

Best thing that happened this year because you write fic:

Tiny. 💕 It’s amazing that we’ve only been in each other’s lives for a year and because of a comment exchange on a fic because genuinely fuck knows what I did without you.

How you grew as a writer this year:

I tried a variety of new things and moved away from thinking about what I felt I should write into asking myself what I wanted to write and attempting to do that instead.

If someone’s going to read just one of your 2020 fics, which one should they read?

Probably Walls because I’ve been wanting to write it for the longest and I love it the most of all my babies. Also parts of it are actually posted, so there’s that.

What’s coming in 2021:

A lot more of all these freaking WIPS getting posted and finished, hopefully. Possibly one day even not being too ill and afraid of deadlines to participate in one of the fic challenges or exchanges because I’d love that. But baby steps.

I tag: @theyellowgrassgrows and anyone who wants to fill it out, especially if any of my followers are fanfic writers and I don’t know you write!

#ask games #2020 In Review #fanfic #writing #life stuff #2020

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geekmedium · 4 years

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Favorite Doctor/Companion Teams

Because I want to spread some Doctor Who good cheer for Christmas. Also, I’m not doing the 9th or 13th doctor because they’ve really only had one team. Anyway...

1. The Original Team

The ones who started it all. They would win by iconography, but even with that, they’re just a lot of fun to watch. This is the doctor at his most curmudgeon; he’s rude, fairly detached, and very much not the hero we’re use to. So they gave him a granddaughter who he cares for, and two teachers who act as the parents and honestly more noble, likable people.

It’s a family dynamic, one which we don’t see often. I appreciate that they were a team who grew to care for each other, but still had radically different approaches to whatever situation they found themselves in. And it is through this team up that the Doctor could mellow out and be a more straight up heroic figure. He learned from them just as much as the reverse.

2nd, Jamie, and Zoe

Where the first team had a family dynamic to it, the second doctor had a more “bro” relationship with his team. He and Jamie are famously close, and if I’m not mistaken, Jamie is still one of the longest lasting companions. They joked around, had each others backs, and were just great pals. While Doctor Who was meant to be a teaching show, I believe these two turned the tone from edutainment into one full of Wonder.

As for Zoe, well I just like her. She was probably the first companion who could be considered of super intelligence. I like the Doctor and Jamie as two bros hanging out, but Zoe can be in there to keep everyone from getting along too well. Her intelligence could lead her to be smug, but she was truly loyal to the Tardis team. And I loved her interactions with Jamie as brother and sister.

3rd and Jo Grant

I kind of like the Doctor with a ditzy companion. Despite not being remembered very well, I think Jo was able to occasionally pull her weight and she worked well with the Doctor. Plus their last scene together, when he says goodbye? Man, you could tell how sad that made not only them, but their actors as well.

4th and Sarah Jane

There were so many choices, but ultimately I can’t help thinking of this one as the best. Not only is Sarah Jane still considered one of the best companions, her dynamic with the Doctor was one of equal love and exasperation. She would often debate with him, grow frustrated with him, but still be with him through some of the most terrifying threats any companion had to deal with. And when it was time to go, she took it with good grace; she would always remember her time with the Doctor fondly, and only asked that he do the same. Magical.

5th, Adric, Tegan, and Nyssa

Here we have the family dynamic back again. I just really like the Doctor acting like a mentor to Adric, with Tegan and Nyssa as best friends who act like the big sisters of the group. I feel that while the first Doctor’s family was a generational thing, with each passing something to the next, the fifth Doctor’s family was a group of siblings. They were kind of equals with each other, and they got into plenty of small arguments, constantly annoying each other, but with a kind of affection that made them want to be together even when they were mad.

I know it’s hard to write Doctor Who with more than 1 or 2 constant companions, but I personally like family dynamics the best. With the 2nd through 4th, there isn’t a ton to say because they got on very well. There were disagreements sure, but for the most part, they were great friends and always happy with each other. A family dynamic, like with the fifth ensured a lot more dynamic back in forth bickering, with everyone's different backgrounds playing off each other in a way unique to Doctor Who, that could bring people from different timelines and planets together.

6th and Evelyn

I’m going to cheat a bit by going off the grid into the audio dramas. No offense to Peri fans, but Evelyn is everything a companion should be. Tough, strongly opinionated, and incredibly empathetic, she provided a good foil to possibly the most selfish Doctor.

But what I loved most about her was that she was elderly. It provided a different dynamic to the Doctor, who occasionally acted the part of student to her mentor, instead of the usual status quo which is the reverse. Even more than that was her role in the story; she wasn’t there to be a young companion who realizes her potential under the Doctor. She was there to show that even if your bones don’t work like they use to. Even if you’re not most people’s ideal of good looking. Even if you’ve lived a life full of joys and sorrows, you’re never too old to start over. To gain new experiences, new joys, new pains, and new love.

I think that’s really beautiful.

7th and Ace

I struggled with if I wanted to add Bernice Summerfield to this team, because she’s great. But then I realized so much of what I like about the 7th Doctor and Ace works when they are a two person team.

The 7th Doctor is believed to be the most manipulative, actively using his own loved ones for the greater good. He can be cold and calculating in a way few other Doctors ever approached. And so that made his relationship with Ace all the more heartwarming. Here was this little delinquent of a girl, who thought she was worthless, and yet she was the only person in the universe who could bend the 7th Doctor to her whim; he loved her like a daughter, and the scenes where they interact is all the more special when you contrast them with the cold Doctor.

Having another companion kind of intrudes on this very intimate bond. I think Ace should be special to this Doctor. The one person who he would sacrifice himself before he sacrificed her. A companion who can be horrified with his more manipulative acts, but nevertheless stuck with him out of a loyalty to the first person who ever took a chance on her. Hurt Ace at your peril; the 7th Doctor will come for you.

8th and Izzy (plus Fey)

Ignore that Izzy’s a fish, she isn’t usually.

This one is pure nostalgia. The 8th Doctor’s comic strip adventures were my first real introduction to the WHO-niverse. So while I’m sure Izzy is probably last on most people’s list (if they know her at all), she’ll always be my companion. She was probably the first pop-culture savvy companion who could offer a quip that stumped even the Doctor with how contemporary it was. She was finding herself on her journey with the Doctor, and had a character arc that I think inspired RTD when it was his time to reboot the series. Plus, from what I’ve read of other 8th Doctor material, he tends to be romantically linked with most of his other companions. Some people might like that, but I think you can tell from this list, I like my Doctor as a more celibate fellow.

Fey is someone who I think of as an intermittent companion. She helps out the Doctor a great deal, and her position within the universe is very unique and imaginative, but I wouldn’t want her in for more than a story arc or two at a time before moving on to another spatial-temporal James Bond style adventure.

10th and Donna

Like the fourth Doctor before him, I had plenty of options. I was even gonna pull a fast one and pick another comic strip companion, the self-centered businesswoman Majenta Pryce. But the 10th Doctor and Donna are special.

Not only is she one of the only companions the Doctor has called his best friend, when you get down to it, she was who he needed at the time. After the last two companions had ended in a sort of tragic romance, the Doctor was walling himself off again. Donna, however, came into his life as purely a friend. Someone to pal around with and banter with. For the Doctor, this must have been a godsend. No drama, no hassle, just true companionship in every since of the word. And she still has possibly the saddest exit for any companion to date.

Goodbye Donna Noble. You definitely lived up to the name.

11th, Amy, and Rory (plus River Song)

The last family companionship on this list, and quite honestly, my favorite Tardis dynamic in the whole series. Why? Because it’s such a glorious mess that should collapse in flames but becomes something that’s just so interesting to think about.

The Doctor was Amy’s childhood crush she never quite got over. She eventually grew to love Rory, but both she and the Doctor were kind of dismissive of him. But does Rory angst and get into a love rivalry with the Doctor? Not really. He grows into himself, faces numerous dangers for them both, and by the end both Amy and the Doctor love the guy to pieces. And then you have River Song, who should turn the whole thing into a kind of Jerry Springer prize winner. I won’t go into spoilers, but what could have seemed creepy is actually a very interesting relationship with the Doctor. Though like Fey above, I think she works best as an intermittent companion who often goes off on her own adventures.

Still, they are the best family and if that’s controversial, it is the hill I will die on.

12th and Clara

The final companions are another friendship. In a lot of ways, this is pretty fun, because the 12th Doctor is an old curmudgeon like the first. But with all that he’s been through, it is interesting to see how they contrasts, especially in their companions. Because while the 1st Doctor was happy to play the cranky grandfather type, 12th had a genuine friendship with Clara.

They didn’t always get each other. They frequently disagreed, and could even be resentful. But when the chips were down, they would follow each other into hell together. The Doctor always tried to be a little more considerate for her than most others around him, and Clara tried to defend him against his critics. And while the end to their companionship could have been handled better, it was still an impactful parting between two friends.

So do you agree or disagree? Who are your favorite teams? I would love to know.

#Doctor Who #friendships

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squiggle-dragon · 4 years

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Faded

Chapter 3: "Lucid Dreams and Maka the Demon Magnet"

Their tender moment on the kitchen floor ended almost immediately after and Maka wiped away what tears she could with the base of one palm. She cradled Soul in the other arm, though his fuzzy tail brushed against her lap and the tile.

"Sorry, I guess I can get stupidly emotional sometimes," she said with the brightest smile she could muster, letting out what Soul considered to be one of the most pathetic attempts at a chuckle he's ever heard in his life.

'If that isn't the truth…'

Maka noticed the letter and reached over, plucking it up off of the floor to examine it, "How did this get on the floor?" Still focusing on the envelope, she stood up using solely the strength of her legs.

Soul watched her expression, one ear flicking to the side when he noticed it darken, 'Uh oh. Something bad, I'm guessing.' Strangely, he made no move to escape and allowed her to hold him without a fuss. Not that he could exactly do much with a broken leg along with his other injuries.

Heaving a sigh, she flung the envelope back on the counter, "I almost forgot about that. I need to pay it before they send it off to collections." She returned her attention to the cradled fox, moving her other arm to further support his weight, "Maybe after I get you healthy and back out into the wild, I'll look for some extra part-time work. I'll just have to learn to live with less sleep."

He tilted his head at her smile, wondering why the hell she was reacting that way to what was obviously a negative - and unhealthy - arrangement. This Maka girl continued to stump him, because he knew for a fact that he wouldn't be happy about being forced to sleep less.

He'd be pissed.

Suddenly, he found himself being set down on the counter adjacent to the stove - though at least a foot or so away from the prep work she had started. Maka had kept everything so nice and tidy, taking up a surprisingly small amount of space. Soul sat up awkwardly, his splinted leg sliding forward ever so slightly due to a diminished ability to grip surfaces with his paws. He looked up at Maka just in time to feel her ruffle the fur on top of his head fondly and blinked in confusion.

Maka seemed to realize her mistake right after he did and her mouth formed a small ‘o’ before she yanked her hand back, “Oh! Sorry! You probably don’t like to be touched unnecessarily. Also, it’s probably best I don’t since you’ll be returning to the wild eventually. Bad move, Maka.” She slumped a bit, her pigtails sliding over her shoulders and resting in front now.

It was almost as if she had the memory of a goldish, because a moment later, she lightly poked his nose with a smile, “Stay here and don’t move, okay? I’ll be right back.”

Soul stared after her as she walked away, disappearing down the hallway towards her bedroom. The white fox reached up with his working leg, pawing at the top of his head in contemplation. His thoughts trailed back to the strange incident earlier, trying to figure out exactly what was triggered. Echoes of memories? No images came to mind; just emotions and a female voice shouting “Tama”. The first impression he got from the word was that it was meant to be a name. Whose name, though?

Surely not his.

Movement by the window over the kitchen sink caught his eye and Soul shifted his gaze to look, freezing upon seeing the form of a black cat sitting on the windowsill outside. Blood-colored eyes met twinkling gold and after a few seconds of their impromptu staring contest, the cat seemed to smirk.

He did not like this feline one bit; it was cocky and it almost seemed to be mocking him. Cats were all assholes, undoubtedly, but this particular one had it out for him. There was no way this was a normal cat peering at him through the window.

No way.

As if to both torment him further and settle his suspicions, the cat stood and a second tail faded into view. The feline stuck out its tongue at him as if teasing, causing his fur to rise along the back of his neck and shoulders. He bared his teeth, ears pinning themselves back, 'Come at me, you cowardly feline! I know what you are!'

The cat just stared at him, clearly unamused and hardly intimidated. A sudden noise inside caused both the uninvited guest and Soul to snap their attention to the side as Maka returned, carrying some blankets. The fox demon immediately snapped his attention back to the window, eyes widening when there was no sign of the cat, 'What…? Where…?'

Maka set the blankets down on the edge of the counter, noticing Soul's confused look and also how abnormally fluffy he was, "Hm? Something wrong, little fox?" The girl followed his gaze to the window, lofting a brow upon seeing nothing. She opened her mouth to say something else when she heard a soft meowing before a small black cat appeared up in the window again, "Oh!"

Soul growled lowly, eyeing this creature with no small amount of distrust. She only had one tail now and rubbed up against the window, acting like the average cat. What was another demon doing here, of all places? What were her motives…?

So focused on his newly appointed enemy that he barely noticed Maka walk across the kitchen and slide the window open. Soul made the most pathetic scream of alarm, not unlike the one he made earlier when Maka startled him. However, this one held a different weight to it that made it seem more aggressive - which it was.

He wanted to shout at the clueless human girl, but screeched angrily at her instead, 'That's a DEMON you're letting in, you idiot! Do you just take in all the strays you come across?!' If it really came down to it, he’d lose the disguise if he had to defend himself and to hell with his injuries! Even in this state, he was recovered enough to take care of some small fry like this infernal cat.

Maka was startled and turned to face him, the black cat resting comfortably in her arms with beady little eyes watching Soul in amusement. "Do you not like cats? This cat is Blair and she's a stray… or was. She comes in sometimes, so it's okay!" Maka tried to explain, wondering why Soul's aggression returned in full force. Even before, he hadn't screeched like this and she was certain he was throwing whatever swear words at her a fox might have in their own language.

Blair tilted her head back, looking up at Maka and meowing loudly enough to catch the human’s attention. Maka lowered her gaze to the cat, casting a brief glance at the enraged fox before back down at Blair. She seemed to contemplate something before moving to exit the kitchen, scratching the cat’s head fondly, “I’m going to have to properly introduce you two later, I guess. In a room you go, for now. I’ll leave some nice food for you in there, okay?”

Soul continued to seethe as the two of them left, swearing that he caught another smirk from that wretched feline before they disappeared. ‘So… fucking… smug…!’ he snarled to himself, riled up beyond usual. Normally, he wouldn’t give the smallest shit about someone he considered weaker than himself giving him attitude; but this - THIS…!

THIS pissed him off!

And Maka wasn’t helping matters. How idiotic did she have to be to be inviting that demonic cretin into her living space? Did she not realize that she had not one, but now TWO youkai in her household?!

Despite his rage that was borderline stroke-inducing, some bit of reasoning managed to slip in and he relaxed ever-so-slightly. ‘Oh… right - she likely doesn’t realize we’re demonic entities. Stupid spiritually-blind human, afterall,’ he realized, though it did little to lessen his temper. He could hear Maka’s footsteps and chose to curl up on top of the blankets she had set down earlier, giving her the figurative cold shoulder.

Maka made several attempts to peer at his face, but Soul would promptly look away and adjust himself to be able to keep his back to her, tail curled around his body. Releasing a sigh, she washed her hands before returning to her prep work.

For the longest time, it was completely quiet outside of the sounds of her cooking. Soul’s head kept bobbing, eyes falling closed as he fought sleep. Apparently mending bones and tissue took a great deal out of him, in addition to all of the excitement he’s been victim to today.

Despite his valiant attempts at remaining conscious, exhaustion finally overcame him and his head finally plopped down onto the plush blankets. The sudden collision barely jostled him awake and he fully slipped away into dreamland.

[The fox youkai - now Tama - paused to shake out his fur, "That was quite the adventure. Who knew souls could be so tasty?" As if to further emphasize the newly-discovered fact, he ran his tongue along the tips of his sharp teeth before giving her a grin, "You should try it sometime, (faded)."

"Yeah, I think I shall pass on your offer," the girl in question replied, scrunching up her face at the thought of eating a soul. "You are the one that needs to be eating the souls. The more you absorb, the stronger you become, correct?"

Slightly miffed that she didn't play along with his joke, he tilted his head while looking up at her, "Well, that is the plan, anyway." He glanced back behind him, waving his one tail in the air, "Then I will have nine tails and be one of the most powerful familiars." A brief silence as he gave another experimental flick of his tail, "Think they will look amazing…?"

The young priestess turned to look at him, giving him her full attention. Seeing his genuinely curious expression, she smiled warmly, "Of course! Everyone will be jealous! You will be a respectable familiar and look like some mystical creature out of a fairy tale."

His ears and tail drooped a bit and he gave her a look that seemed to be a mixture of embarrassment and grumpiness, "I am fairly sure demons aren't in fairy tales, (faded). Horror stories, maybe."

She only smiled brighter, reaching over to ghost her fingers over one of his black-tipped ears, "Well, shows what you know. I am sure there is at least one; and if not - then we will just have to create a new fairy tale." Spinning on her heel, she started walking further up the stone walkway that led to their shrine, "The Tale of the Nine-tailed Fox and the Priestess. How does that sound?"

"Sounds redundant and obscenely long for a title," he grumbled, trotting after her.

Hardly discouraged by his pessimism, she looked up in thought, "The Tale of a Priestess and Fox?"

"Uh… no."

"The Tale of a Fox Familiar and his Priestess?"

"No. (Faded)-"

"The Tale of a Priestess and her Fox Familiar?"

His ears flattened against his skull, experiencing a mixture of frustration, annoyance, and something else he couldn't quite put a name to. Why the hell was she being so persistent about some idiotic fairy tale name? The kitsune stopped a yard or two away as she approached the temizuya and reached for the wooden ladle, beginning the process of cleansing, “It is not like someone would write a tale about us - or me in particular. While I am your familiar, I am still considered a demon, remember? No good stories or ‘fairy tales’ - as you put them - will come from our partnership. So, I am not sure why you are so determined to think of an ideal name for some impossible story that no one will scribe.”

The priestess did not even pause in her cleansing ritual, pouring water into her cupped left hand. She gingerly sipped it before allowing the 'contaminated' water to spill from her lips and onto the ground. After pouring the remaining water into the pool, she scooped up another full ladle before walking towards her familiar with a grace Tama found somewhat unbefitting of his new master. The blonde-haired woman proceeded to douse him evenly from nose to the tip of his tail with the water that they held sacred.

Oh, how he hated this ritual, despite not actually harmed from it. Being a familiar had its advantages after all, even with him technically being a demon. Her silence, however, kept him both on edge and confused. The kitsune lowered his head slightly, pointed ears flicked to the side as water dripped from the tips and created temporary stains on the ground. Once she had retreated a fair distance to return the ladle, he shook out his fur in an attempt to get rid of as much water as possible. Wet fur was among the top things he hated on his long list….

“You know,” she started, her back to him as her olive-green eyes focused on the rippling surface of the water. “Our partnership is very new and there are still a great many things uncertain. However, much like a seed of a plant, we have the opportunity to grow. A beautiful garden is never just one single flower, correct?” She turned to face him, offering the fox a smile that had the strangest calming effect, “We are still but seeds - buds, perhaps. With flowers, there are types that do not coexist favorably with one another. I want to believe that you and I are complementary to one another in this rather complex garden. Even if there are others who wish to damper our bloom, we will just have to stand strong. You and I will just have to be the most beautiful flowers in this vast garden, where each flower and weed is a person or familiar.”

His red eyes shifted to the side before the crunching of geta on soil drew his attention back to the human girl. The kitsune froze with her gentle hands sought to make contact with the sides of his jaw. She gently held his head in her palms, lightly coaxing him to look up at her and his red eyes widened ever-so-slightly seeing the softest smile on her lips. “Or we can just be two beautiful blooms on our own, subject to no garden and the whims of others,” the priestess said softly, lowering her head to press her forehead against his own. Almost instinctively, he closed his eyes and she did the same, allowing her fingers to lightly skirt across the fur of his jaw and just past his slanted eyes. “And if no one will write a fanciful tale of our adventures, then I will strive to write the tale myself. All I need to decide upon is the title….”

His priestess released her hold on him and a small part of him felt almost disappointed, watching as she moved past him to head towards shelter. Tama turned to face her, watching her closely before his vulpine lips twitched into some semblance of a smirk, “Oh, (faded), you are most certainly horrible with titles. Completely hopeless… so hopeless, that I simply must keep an eye on you and assist you in this impossible endeavor.”

“You are hardly kind, my dear fox,” she laughed, waiting for him to reach her side before they both made the remaining trek to their quarters. “I suppose we will have to sort this out together, too.”

“Together,” he echoed thoughtfully, humming quietly to himself. “Yes - together.”]

#soul eater #soma #soul eater au #soul evans #fox demon #fox youkai #maka albarn #soul maka #faded au #faded chapter 3 #soul x maka

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levitatingbiscuits · 5 years

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Y'all I genuinely don't believe that Anakin could ever have a true happy ending with his family

During his marriage to Padme, they literally never spent more than a few weeks at a time together. The longest time they spent with each other was most likely when Anakin was acting as her bodyguard in AotC (during which he loses his mother, a limb, and commits a horrific mass murder so like... he had a lot of shit going on). Then he's fighting in a war and training a padawan and generally only getting a few stolen days/weeks with her every couple of months. Did they ever argue? Or even just deal with a conflict together? Because the first time we ever see her disagree with him he chokes her out despite her being nine months pregnant and him having reoccurring nightmares about her inevitable demise.

I honestly believe that Anakin would have ended up becoming an abuser. Their relationship has all the classic warning signs: begins with him putting her on an impossibly high pedestal, basically using her as his therapist for all his emotional issues, getting into jealous rages when she spends time with other men, being dangerously codependent, and then getting violent when she ever "defies" him.

The only reason they lasted as long as they did is Padme's enabling behavior. She tells him they can't be together then immediately gets with him despite the ethical concerns, tells him it's totally ok that he murdered a bunch of children despite her being a senator and thus supposed to hold people accountable to the rule of law, and is in total denial about him murdering MORE innocent children despite her being the only person that knows about his penchant for massacres, and even when she confronts him she doesn't get mad or yell, she just weeps. I subscribe to the theory that Anakin was subconsciously and continuously mind tricking her because I don't think a senator as accomplished and dedicated to democracy and justice as her would EVER overlook the crimes Anakin confessed to her. But I'm also REALLY concerned that the enabling behavior would have continued even if they raised their children together.

Let's face it: Anakin has a disturbing proclivity towards hurting/killing the weak and innocent when he's not being kept in check by the Jedi Order. People love to blame the council for all his issues, but at least they tried to hold him accountable for his actions and when he was under their direct observation he never hurt anyone as badly as he did on Tattooine until Palpatine convinced him to attack and kill Mace Windu.

Anakin is VERY possessive of, and consistently violent towards, his loved ones (which is what attachment, NOT love, usually leads to). Even when he learns Luke is his son, he has no qualms about slicing off his hand, then gives him the imperial elevator pitch while he's clinging to a metal walkway with a still-smoking stump. When he learns he has a daughter, he immediately uses her to further psychologically torture poor Luke. It takes a few minutes of Palpatine outright torturing his child in front of him for him to intervene.

I know a lot of that was Sidious's grooming, but I'd say that it was already too late when he massacred the sand people. You can't trust someone like that to raise a child. And considering his violence towards people as sweet and placating as Padme and Luke, I SHUDDER to think about what he would do to Leia.

Leia is the person he hurts the most out of anyone, by far. He almost seems to take a sick sort of pleasure in causing her pain. He terrorizes her, tortures her repeatedly, forces her to watch the instantaneous genocide of her people, forces her to watch the man she loves get tortured, and THEN forces her to watch as he's frozen in carbonite and sold to a crime lord with a grudge. Like holy fuck did he have it out for her, which I think came from him trying to crush her stubbornly rebellious spirit. Vader must get a kick out of it, because it's all horrifically personal.

Now imagine Anakin dealing with a rebellious daughter who refuses to obey him. I'm not saying he'd do all that, but if he has the capacity to massacre children just for being in the same village as the people who killed his mom, or choke out his pregnant wife despite believing she could die at any minute, or any of that other shit, I could DEFINITELY see him becoming an abusive parent. And if Padme was willing to overlook cold-blooded mass murder, she could probably do the same for child abuse.

Basically the only thing that would have truly saved Anakin would be to have Palpatine removed from the equation entirely, and then years upon years of therapy. Palpatine laid the groundwork, but all of those choices were solely Anakin's own, and I really don't think even leaving the order to start a happy family like in the fluff AUs could change that. My ideal would be him never meeting Palpatine at all, or at least Padme turning him in in AotC so he could spend a few decades in prison and a few more in intensive therapy (ideally with both Jedi AND non-Jedi therapists so that he can learn to use his power for good without becoming a resentful, repressed mess again).

Basically Anakin was doomed from the moment he chose to kill all the sand people.

#star wars #anakin skywalker #abuse #padme amidala #leia organa #luke skywalker #not a hate post #anakin is great #but he's not a pitiful innocent like a lot of metas claim #he's a very immoral person #which makes him interesting!#this is very incoherent my bad #ramblings #star wars meta #meta

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chrisswearicho · 4 years

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Fear (Chap 1/?)

AO3

AO3 to the first of the Valeyard series (It’s two chapters so not very long!)

Characters: Valeyard!13th Doctor, The Master (Dhawan), Yasmin Khan, Graham O’Brien, Ryan Sinclair, River Song.

Chapter 1

It wasn’t until the Master got back into his TARDIS that he finally had a moment to think about everything that had happened. He had his back pressed up against his doors, hearts racing from both fear and exertion and he was struggling to sort through the conflicting emotions at play within him. He was thrilled, how could he not be, a plan of his that involved the Doctor had finally come into fruition. And that was while surrounded on all sides by all the different versions of the Doctor and all her little friends. He’d won. Decisively. Of course, that didn’t mean much in the face of his victory leading the way for the Doctor embracing her dark side. He’d wanted that for the longest time. He’d wanted the two of them to be friends, to team up when overthrowing the universe. The same way the Doctor had wanted him to turn good and he’d tried. Really, he had. But it had backfired on him in the most spectacular way and so the Master was resolute that the Doctor needed to try things his way if it was ever going to happen. Now it was happening, he’d never factored in the possibility that they wouldn’t do it together.

‘Why would I want to work with a coward like you?’ the amusement she’d garnered at the mere prospect of working alongside him had stung.

He still wasn’t 100% sure if this was the Doctor or if she was, like she’d insisted, someone else entirely. For all he’d held the information of her true origins over her head, he didn’t know everything. Most of the information was lost. Maybe there was an ancient being living inside the Doctor’s head. Stranger things had happened in this universe. The Doctor had always had a darker edge to her, no matter how much she’d tried to protest it. Were those moments all the Doctor? Or could they have been this new version, this other being, shining through.

Just as he’d started to get caught up in the questions swirling about in his mind, he felt a jarring shudder as his ship was thrown suddenly off kilter. The force coming from outside the ship. It took him a few long seconds to realise that it was the force of Gallifrey as it was ripped apart by the death particle. He froze, finding it strange that he’d find grief in this considering almost all the death on its surface had come from him anyway. He probably had no right to grieve anything. But it was where he’d been born. The red grass fields where he’d played. It had been the starting place of he and the Doctor’s entwining history together. It was where he’d hoped to end it. Standing in front of her, nose level with her finger on the trigger of the detonator, glee in his hearts at this being how they went out. It had to be her choice. Now it had been, but it didn’t feel right. Wasn’t the same without her hesitating anger, the frustrated tears just barely starting to gather. Amused contempt wasn’t a look normally suited to the Doctor.

Her blasé destruction of their planet only gave credence to the ‘other being’ being the one in control of the Doctor’s body. He could think of no universe, no reason ever, that the Doctor would so callously press the button like that. She couldn’t even do it when he’d dragged her down as low as she could go. So, to do it now, just to spite him and get a rise out of him, seemed unimaginably cold for a being such as the Doctor.

And if they weren’t the Doctor, it begged the question, who were they?

The Master stepped towards his console, swallowing down the lump in his throat and reached for the monitor to take a look outside using the external scanners. His ship was still in the same place, protected by its shielding. The planet was in pieces. Chunks of rock and dust free floating in the space around him. He felt strangely empty over the fact that his home was gone. The grief was there, simmering away beneath the surface, but he couldn’t feel it. It would hit some time later when the shock wore off, he imagined.

The rage seeped through first. The glimmering hints of resentment over this being a victory taken from him. He wouldn’t have wanted his planet destroyed it if wasn’t proving his point. The Time Lords had been the problem, not the planet itself. His hands clenched around the metal at the edge of his console and he took in a few heavy breaths in through his nose, the noise coming out shaky as his jaw clenched. He pushed the monitor out of the way and rounded the console to begin the take-off procedure. He needed to put together a plan, pick up his contingency of CyberMaster’s that he’d hidden off world just in case of a situation exactly like this. If he was going to face down the Doctor, or whoever this was, he’d need an army, and he’d need to be smart about it.

He flew to Pazithi Gallifreya. One of Gallifrey’s two moons. The Time Lords had industrialised it for smelting purposes millennia back. It’s high concentration of taranium was mined to be used in temporal technology. It had been used in different iterations of TARDISs, in Time Scoops and a whole host of other Time Lord technology. The Master had commandeered it for his own usage shortly after killing off the rest of his people. He’d been searching for any stragglers, concerned that they may have already started back up mining operations, instead he’d found the perfect place for a secondary conversion chamber in one of the old mines. He landed his ship on the coppery coloured surface of the moon, near the entrance to the mine and made his way down, keeping his eyes peeled the whole time for any blondes in rainbow sweaters.

The walk down into the mines was eerily silent. Not that there should have been any noise, but he was still on edge, a million different plans on how to handle this situation running through his head. He’d kill her dead, but perhaps he should figure out who it was currently taking residence in the Doctor’s head. She was unpredictable like this. The Master knew the Doctor. He knew how she acted, he knew how she would feel about every situation, he knew the Doctor even better than the Doctor knew herself sometimes.

The mines, especially near the opening, were heavily reinforced to prevent cave ins. Also, he knew, housed a myriad of horrible devices and weapons that the Time Lords had had installed during the Time War. Even as Gallifrey had fallen back, calling all Time Lords back to the front to defend the planet itself, they hadn’t wanted the Daleks to get a hold of the mining operations. Luckily for them, their great enemies had been far more interested in ripping the planet apart and murdering all life than adventuring down into a system of tunnels beneath the surface of one of Gallifrey’s moons.

He kept going down until he could step into the still running conversion chambers and inspected over the collection of 50 or so CyberMasters who all stood to attention as he stepped into the room. It gave him a rush of power to have control over these creatures. Not just Cybermen but Time Lords too. He won. In the overall picture. He won. He beat the Cybermen. He beat the Time Lords. He beat the Doctor.

“We’re going on a trip.” He told his Cybermasters, clasping his hands behind his back, “up to the TARDIS.”

50 CyberMasters gave matching salutes in response to his order and then all spun and began marching out the room and up through the cavernous mines. The Master followed behind them, calmly watching them make their way up and it wasn’t until a familiar voice called out from further up in the mines.

“You really didn’t go far did you?” His hearts twinged in fear for a split second before he looked to the army of his CyberMasters and determination wrapped around his hearts like steel and he pointed up the mine shaft towards the blonde further up.

“Kill her!” His CyberMasters all launched into action, all of them moving into a more attack ready formation, their arms raising to point their weapons at her.

There was a moment where the Master genuinely thought he was going to win. That for all the talk from this new ‘not Doctor’, she was nowhere near as effective as the real Doctor and he would wipe out both once and for all in this one moment. His army of immortal CyberMasters advanced on her, growing ever closer and only thing that bothered him, and it was a minor thing really, was that she didn’t look all that worried. She watched the approaching Cybermen with a raised eyebrow and it was right as the one closest to her in front raised its arm so that its gun was pointed at her that it happened.

Four pillars raised in a square between the two of them, covering the Cybermasters and there was a sudden buzzing noise and a burst of blue energy that came forth over them and they went suddenly still. They gave a jarring shudder, and all came to a stop. There were matching groaning noises from each of them. The Not Doctor looked seconds away from just inspecting her nails out of sheer boredom. A following blast of energy, this time more red-tinted, came from the four pillars and his army simply collapsed like marionettes having their strings cut. His whole being seemed to slump in shock and confusion and the Not Doctor merely rolled her eyes with a grin, throwing her arms out wide as she yelled to him.

“Was that it? No offense here, but I was expecting a lot more! All those marvellous plans over the years and this is what you’ve got for me?”

“What did you do?” he asked once she’d trudged through the mud over to him. Stepping over the still bodies of his wasted creations as she came closer. Frankly he was stumped for an explanation as to what had just happened.

“What? You don’t recognise it? I got the idea from a memory involving you. Or, at least, one you. That one seemed a little more pliable.” He took a second to realise what she was talking about but the fleeting memory of his almost execution back when he wore corsets came to mind.

“This technology is precisely calibrated. As you can see, it will stop both hearts, all three brain stems, and deliver a cellular shock wave that will permanently disable regenerative ability.” Rafando of the Executioners had been a man of a singular mindset, as Missy, the Master hadn’t given him or the rest of his little gang of neck choppers much thought. Her attention mostly turning to the Doctor when the eyebrow heavy version had been brought in to pull the plug on her. The machinery they used though was precise, one little nudge in its wiring, and it could be made to malfunction. This time it didn’t malfunction.

He’d implemented an army with the ability to regenerate and she’d simply cancelled it out with tech that was already there. Since she still had access to the Doctor’s memories, he’d have to be careful about what he did. She would know him as well as the Doctor had, and he had no clue who she was if she wasn’t the Doctor. An unknown entity.

“What they did to you, locking you away, I can help you make them pay.” He tried to do what he did best. Manipulating, offering everything and anything he could to get himself out of a situation, “after all you must have done. For them to just lock you away inside your own mind, it’s a wonder you’re so calm. I know I wouldn’t be.” She simply rolled her eyes at his attempt.

“You think that I was some hard done by hero, like the Doctor?” the Not Doctor’s tone was taunting as she smirked at him, “You think they wiped my memory because of something they’d done?” she laughed suddenly, throwing her head back as though that was the most hilarious thing she’d ever heard. The Master’s hearts dropped to his stomach; he’d already put this much together but having it confirmed made him swallow nervously.

“So… why was your mind wiped?”

“Well, they couldn’t kill me. There’s no limit on my ability to regenerate. They couldn’t keep me trapped. No prison could hold me. But then they figured out a way to stop me. Ingenious actually, I will give them that. They simply caught me long enough to erase me, or they thought they had.” She grinned, spreading her arms, “I took a gamble. Hid myself away, asleep in the depths of my mind. Until you came along. I still haven’t thanked you for that, have I?” The Master was silent for a moment, watching her as his mind raced, trying to come up with a question to follow and the face of a woman he’d seen whilst searching through the Doctor’s memories came to the forefront of his mind.

“You said you’re not the Doctor?” She raised an eyebrow at that, head tilting slightly as she looked to him like that was obvious.

“Clearly.”

“Why did you tell her you were?” her eyebrows furrowed for a second, clearly not understanding what he was asking until it clicked, and she just shrugged, figure suddenly a lot less amused looking, more forcefully blank.

“I was, once.” The Master’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion this time, her words not making any sense to him. She didn’t give him much of a chance to mull it over, because in the next second, she’d pulled a blaster of some kind from her pocket and fired it at him. He dodged, throwing himself to the ground before backing away on his hands.

“You still haven’t actually said thank you,” the Master told her quickly, now feeling rather desperate to keep her talking and stop her from advancing any closer.

“Thank you.” She told him, sounding actually rather sincere, “as thanks I would’ve killed you last, but,” she smirked, giving him a half-amused shrug, “it’s hardly my fault you killed every other Time Lord in existence.” She began advancing on him once more and he scrambled back and blurted out the first thing he could think of.

“But I’m not the only one left!” The Not Doctor paused mid stride and lifted an unimpressed eyebrow that told him just how little she believed him, but he just continued his explanation quickly, “check the Doctor’s memories. Back when she was old and grumpy with the eyebrows. The last time she was on Gallifrey before, she kicked out the High Council, dethroned Rassilon and had them all exiled. They’re all still out there.” At the mention of the former Lord President the Not Doctor’s face went eerily blank. Rage flittered near the surface for just a moment, with her clenching fists and twitching eye but she seemed to reign it in quicker than the Master ever would have been able to.

“Seems you’re right.” She took a step back, looking him up and down, “guess I’ll go pay a visit to those council members first. Rip out some throats. You took most of the fun out of destroying Gallifrey by leaving it to be done by the press of a button. Sometimes you want to get your hands dirty.”

“And Rassilon?” he asked as she started walking away from him.

“He’ll get what’s coming. But I want him to know it’s coming first. He and I will have a lot to discuss. He has a lot to answer for.”

#doctor who #doctor who fic #Doctor Who fanfic #13th Doctor #the master (dhawan)#the master #valeyard!13 #the valeyard

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