#i'm looking forward to how it'll go story wise

[chlorine-and-daisies]

fics i enjoyed last week!

Confiteor (M) by @adverbian- When the title comes from a prayer for confessing sins, and the tags say it's a marriage proposal, you know this one is going to hit. It's made up of Aziraphale's thoughts and a conversation with Crowley after all of the fighting is done- a forgiving, poetic, and grown-up kind of epilogue. As a 3k word oneshot, every phrase is intentional, and it definitely has that crafted emotional impact. I liked that we don't actually see Armageddon Part 2, but are able to piece together what happened from their dialogue. It's rated M for some *very lightly* implied masturbation at the start and sex at the end (just a few lines), but imo the real reason is because it's a mature take on the characters and their inner motivations. If the Final Fifteen is still hurting you, and you wish Aziraphale and Crowley would just sit down and talk, read this.

Terminus (T) by BraveLight (@emotional-support-demon-crowley)- This is a really unique AU where Aziraphale is an astronaut on a decades-long mission and Crowley is the mission controller responsible for bringing him home! But things get complicated quickly when a. they are absolutely whipped for each other and b. the company that started the mission may not actually want it to succeed! I love the characterization of Aziraphale, Crowley, and the Them in this one. They mainly communicate through calls, and the dialogue is always funny and sweet. I've gotten invested in the story and the mystery in it. It's currently on chapter 7/16, and I'm looking forward to see where it'll take us next!

You, you're driving me crazy (T) - author anonymous- Aziraphale prepares for his driving test in the 1930s, and tries to remember his lessons in the 40s! This one is clearly written with so much love. The narration and dialogue was perfectly in character, the historical setting is full of fun details, and the side characters were unique without feeling forced in. Aziraphale channeling his inner book detective to save Crowley was so entertaining!

requiem of a fallen angel (T) by viperinz- Aziraphale Falls, and Crowley holds him through it. This one is adorable, painful, and powerful hurt-comfort that made me laugh and cry. Yes, it was on my previous list too, and I'm recommending it again this week because the author just finished the sixth and final chapter, and the ending was soft and a satisfying wrap-up, plot-wise, symbolically, and emotionally!!

And for this week's deep cut: city continues on, alone (G) by burnttongueontea (@aziraphale-rights) from 2020! This is a oneshot that takes place in an AU where Adam turned Aziraphale and Crowley human, and they've settled down in the South Downs cottage. In it, Aziraphale returns to London after selling the bookshop. I know, I know- becoming human? Selling a single book, let alone the shop? Those are fighting words!!! But I would really encourage you to keep an open mind and give this a read. The descriptions of London are so vivid and Aziraphale's characterization is great, full of nostalgia and experience and love. It's sad, but there's humor in it too. The author really explores the idea of longing for a place and time in a way that not too many do. We're writing about immortals in this fandom and yet we often forget the weariness that comes along with watching everything go by. Not only that, but the author uses the human AU to tell a very human story about missing a place that no longer exists and watching it change as you start to age. It came as no surprise when I looked in the comments after reading and saw them talking about how they wrote it at a time when they were personally homesick for London! This is the purpose of all good writing- to write about the human experience, to connect to your characters, to tell a story only you could tell.

So yeah! This was a really great week of reading for me. I originally intended to share these lists every weekend- this is only my second post, and I'm already falling behind (it was finals week)! But don't worry, I'm still here to highlight recent work and share my opinions in long rants. I tried to tag all the authors whose Tumblrs I could find, but as always please let me know if I've missed one.

Please add your own recommendations (including self-promotion), and I hope you will enjoy these stories as much as I did!

[doberbutts]

What'cha playing video game wise, Jaz?

Need to finish AC Valhalla but I'm having a hard time staying on track. I got Sigurd back and he's a bag of dicks and I knooooooow it ties into the story and I knoooooooow being a bag of dicks after being tortured for weeks (months? unclear how much time has passed) is a pretty normal trauma response but also. Currently he's a jerk and Eivor's dedication to him while he's being a jerk is admirable but I can't relate. The game is fun but the story right now is not particularly rewarding. I don't like doing a lot of work and bringing it to someone only for them to throw it in my face and tell me I'll never be good enough. So I don't really like where I am in the plot atm.

So instead of being mad at Sigurd all the time, I'm playing Harvestella and working on finishing that. Truly it did not deserve the wankfest made about it when it first came out. I will say having gotten much farther, it's less "final fantasy meets stardew valley" which I think set a lot of people up for expectations that would absolutely not be met. It's more "Nier series with some farming/gathering elements" and even makes more than a few heavyhanded Nier Automata references. People (myself included) saw SquareEnix on the cover and assumed Final Fantasy and I think that was overall detrimental to its reception because it's very not a FF game but it's probably as close to a Yoko Taro game as you can get without having him on staff. I've been a fan of his stuff since the original Drakengard so I'm fine with that but his stuff is *weird* and often weird in really unexpected ways, so if you're not expecting that out the gate it can be a pretty big shock.

I am still not sure if I want to actually play FFVII Evercrisis- I'm interested in the additions to the overall lore and plot and I like the convenience of having the full compilation in one easy-to-access location (including supposedly a few Japan-only entries I never actually got ahold of) but at the same time the demo was pretty micro-transation-y and as a general rule I hate gacha systems especially when they rely on real money to use. First Soldier was one thing because the gacha stuff was mostly cosmetic, and you didn't need the gacha weapons or armor to win (as evidenced by my wins having spent 0 money on anything). But the Evercrisis demo had gacha items needed for progression which means inevitabily I'm going to hit a wall and not be able to progress the story without spending money, and I hate games that do this.

Once I'm done with Valhalla it'll be Elden Ring (thanks @khayr !) and then FFVII Rebirth will probably be out by the time I'm done with it, which I'll play to death I'm sure. I still have to play Horizon Forbidden West (thanks follower whose URL I can't find again) and then go back and play the additional content I have for KH3, Ghost of Tsushima, and the new update stuff for Ghostwire Tokyo... as well as various switch games I need to just finish already... oh and the new Y's is coming out soon and at some point I need to snag FFXVI... and then there's AC Mirage whenever that releases plus I'm really looking forward to Red and Jade... and besides I have to go back and actually finish Origins and start Odessey (and black flag, and rogue, and unity...)

[arcplaysgames]

so i finished the second palace

look i had a bad depression day, i pretty much did nothing but drink matcha and eat pepitas and play this fucking game for the entire day. i don't recommend any of this.

lets try to sum up lmao

the school actually hires a therapist, which is suspiciously proactive of them lmao. i love the girl whose like "his voice is hot" as a person who is a connoisseur of Hot Voices, he's Fine. Like... Logan Cunningham he is not. But he's fine?

He is also the Councillor Arcana, which is one I have to level for the extra content, so I am suspicious of him too.

He is also not above bribery to get people to come say hi, so clearly he is a wise man. The trio here are supposed to go see him, along with everyone who's had direct dealings with Kamoshida. No one is hyped for this, but he seems nice, so.

of course you are, and of course he wants Reverie to help. Every time i see Reverie, i think of that Jeff Winger bit, "Why do so many people flock to me? Is it my height?"

I do enjoy snacks is the thing. Also it's fascinating to me that they apparently added a character into this game who is just here to be a shrink for these kids. How fucked up is this game gonna get, lmao.

The Councillor isn't a standard of RWS or Thoth or TdM. I know, shocking, right? Apparently it's a pull from a Spanish deck, so I'm looking at that card. it replaces the Magician, so... that's interesting. The Magician is a fairly good teacher, albeit kind of a hubristic show-off about it. The original card is under the sun and has the infinity symbol above the head and holds an Ankh and a wand. So they're wielding the metaphorical key to life but also a wand of power.

So... working as a teacher to help people gain control of their lives. Yanno, like a therapist would.

ROLLS MY DANG EYES AT MYSELF. Anyway.

On the way to school, some dude starts following Ann which freaks her out.

I DIDN'T KNOW THIS GAME HAD MATT MERCER. finally some good fucking food.

This guy is Yusuke and he's an artist and wants Ann to model for him in hopes it'll inspire his next work. His manner of speech is fun, very serious but Dramatique and kind of annoyed at people who don't buy into the drama. An aesthete!

Also his teacher drives by, so he's the next target obviously. Never trust the dude in the car who shows up right after your next party member. He's a super famous artist, Madarame.

Also Yusuke introduces himself them steps forward, knocking Ryuji out of the way. Lmao.

To be clear: Ryuji has never done anything wrong ever. My dislike of him is completely unfair. But also: lmao.

At Madarame's art exhibit, Ann happens to be taken by a specific painting. Yusuke reacts really oddly to her interest in it and tries to steer her towards another.

So the gist of this one is: Madarame is this ascetic artist gentleman type who is infamous for using a very wide range of techniques and styles in his work. Wow such talent! Except obviously he's stealing the work of his many students and claiming it as his own.

The Phantom Thieves peg that Yusuke either knows about this or is a victim of it himself, as Madarame's only current pupil, so Ann has to take the modeling gig to get closer to him and discover the truth.

BUT ITS A NUDE MODELING GIG. GASP.

This whole bit just made me kind of nod along. (Which might be the Depression Day to be clear.) Like, the game isn't excessively horny about Ann having to get nude for art, but also Ann is so not interested in doing this shit, compounded by yo her literal origin story in this game is having to perform being this sexual object for Kamoshida, so this whole diversion was.... not as bad as it could be but also just felt so unnecessary.

yep ryuji that might be bad!

because this game is a coward. i would throw Reverie on that grenade in a fucking instant, both to protect Ann because putting her in this position Sucks, and also I bet it'd be very funny to play through Reverie doing it. Also, Reverie is pretty objectively hot, why shouldn't he be the model?

WHATEVER.

Also there is a funny bit where a kid hears meowing on the train and Reverie pretends that Morgana is a doll that makes noise when you touch its head, so of course "Time to button mash."

ALSO ALSO. The Warden Twins are Strength. LISTEN. CAN'T BE WORSE THAN "FELLOW ATHLETES."

[slayingwiththemoon]

Demon Slayer Swap AU Ideas

So I've been thinking a lot about a swap AU for Demon Slayer and I just want to write out my thoughts on here. I enjoy looking at other versions of this au and I just had my own thoughts/takes on it.

Disclaimer: Any similarities to other swap AUs story wise and visually(especially for the humans turned demon) are coincidental. I've only looked at fanart of the kizuki but as demon slayers and like one picture of a demon Shinobu and didn't go much further than that with other people's AUs cuz I wanted to come up with my own shit. I feel the need to say this cuz people on the internet like to harass people over artists and writers having similar ideas.

Also a lot of these aren't necessarily a direct swap. I'm writing these things down for myself mostly to lay shit out. If you disagree that's fine, if you're curious where this is going.. slay. stick around.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tanjiro and Nezuko swaps with Gyutaro and Daki(Ume)

Reasoning? They're relatively direct parallels I was also debating swapping these two with Sanemi and Genya but decided against it. Might do a version later on with them idk

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Gyomei swaps with Douma

Reasoning? Religion/Cult. The only real difference I feel like there would be is that Gyomei actually believes the shit that he says.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yoriichi Swaps with Kokushibo(Michikatsu)

The reasoning here is pretty straight forward.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Muzan swaps with Kagaya

This one is also pretty straight forward

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Giyu swaps with Kyogai

Reasoning? They were both pretty much cast out(In Giyu's case it was really just socially cuz everyone canonically hated him) and I thought it'd be interesting to see them reversed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mitsuri swaps with Enmu

Reasoning? I feel like as a demon Mitsuri would have similar mannerisms to Enmu. Idk how to explain it

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Obanai Swaps with the Hand Demon

Reasoning? Purely on the basis that I think No Neck bitch is salty as hell and Obanai would be a salty bitch too

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Muichiro and Yuichiro swap with Hantengu

Reasoning? I'm scraping the bottom of the barrel bro. I'm only putting this cuz I feel like their blood demon arts would work with each other kinda like the Hantengu clones where they merge but also get separated. I have a very specific Idea and it'll come out better when I start writing the story.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Shinobu, Kanae, Kanao, Aoi and the butterfly girls swaps with The Spider Family

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Rengoku swaps with Akaza

Reasoning? Both of their things is Strength

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tengen with Gyokko

Reasoning? Eccentricity. They're both flashy in their own respective ways and I feel like it'd be interesting to swap them

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Zenitsu with the Swamp Demon

Reasoning? They're both weird about women and girls imo

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Murata Stays the same

Reasoning? It's funny

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tamayo, Amane and Rei swap

Reasoning? Well Amane and Rei were the wives of their respective rivals but I also feel like Amane would rebel similarly to Tomayo along with her extensive medical knowledge. It'll make more sense when I actually start writing the damn thing.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I can't find any behavioral parallels for Sanemi, Genya, and Inosuke so imma just wing it for them lmfao

[dawngen]

"Bayspots?!"

The deafening wail of Brightstorm's anguished cry alerted the entirety of the camp. Suntuft poked out her head from the nursery to investigate, while warriors beginning their day turned away from their fresh-kill and grooming to look. Paws planted in the center of camp, frozen to the packed earth, Brightstorm could not begin to believe what she saw.

"Eagleburn, what happened?!"

Black fur slick with blood, and mouth full of Bayspots's fur as he dragged her in by the scruff, with a tenderness he did not particularly care to part unto the she-cat, he set her down softly upon the camp floor. Immediately did Brightstorm swarm them, her heart cleaving in two at the sight. Her Bayspots, her beloved Bayspots--

The ground gave way beneath her, and were it not for Eagleburn's strong, sturdy shoulder suddenly against her flank to hold her steady, Brightstorm would have collapsed.

"I'm sorry," he murmured, giving her a soothing lick to the ear, but Brightstorm was numb to it. Her eyes were transfixed to Bayspots, struggling to parse that this was reality, and not just a bad dream.

"What's going on?"

Dappleddusk trotted out, followed by Oatstar and Beewatcher. The medicine cat pulled herself by both to check on Bayspots, flashing a grim look to Dappleddusk.

"I don't know if it is wise for me to discuss it out here," quietly Eagleburn suggested, head turning in the direction of Oatstar's scent.

"If this may be a danger to the rest of us, we should know!" yowled a warrior in the growing crowd, and a chorus of meows rose in agreement. Beewatcher shifted focus to check on Eagleburn's injuries, glancing elsewhere again, but this time at Oatstar.

Their leader looked terrified, unable to mask his fear as he looked between the bloodied body of Bayspots, and how ravaged Eagleburn looked, fresh wounds still dripping onto the dry, cold earth.

"Oatstar, this is your decision," prompted Beewatcher quietly, and he quickly shook himself out. Had he not known better, he would have almost sworn that Eagleburn's blind eyes were looking coldly upon him.

"It's okay, Eagleburn," meowed Oatstar, voice lifting to feign confidence and strength, when in reality, his legs felt feather-weak. "I think it'll be better you explain what happened. Otherwise rumors might spread."

Eagleburn, quiet for a long moment, finally bowed his head in obedient acknowledgement.

"... Bayspots tried to take my life."

A gasp rippled through the gathered cats. For the first time, Brightstorm's head whipped back up, eyes blown wide as she looked at Eagleburn in shock.

"She lured me out into the woods under the pretense of discussion, and attacked me. I had only intended to knock her out and bring her back, but I..."

Eagleburn lowered his head, ears flattening. The clan was like quiet chaos--whispers of shock rippled throughout, news spreading like wildfire even to the elders' den. Some apprentices were gently shooed away from older warriors, trying to spare them the gruesome sight. But from the crowd, three cats emerged.

"You murderer!"

Sandfeather's devastated shriek split the camp in two, parting ways like a shifting tide as she rushed forward. Before she could reach Eagleburn her siblings, Sparrowshadow and Frostspots, cut her off, blocking her way to the deputy. Eagleburn stood firm, unshaken by the attempt.

"You killed her! Why would you kill her?!" Sandfeather sobbed, and Eagleburn dipped his head.

"I'm sorry," he said softly, and finally did Brightstorm find her paws, joining her kits in consoling Sandfeather. "I didn't want to, I..."

"Let's not debate morals out here."

Beewatcher's stern voice cut off any further heated debate. The young she-cat was a commanding presence, and as Sandfeather was soothed with licks and purrs from her siblings and remaining parent, the medicine cat pushed way between the groups.

"I have looked over Bayspots's body, and Eagleburn as well. His story lines up. She has black fur in between her claws, just as he has gray in his own. And by the patterns of bite and claws marks on his body..."

Eagleburn held still as she lifted a demonstrating paw, gliding it over the visible marks on his chest, neck, and shoulders.

"She was trying to go for a killing bite. Without her here with us to tell her story, there's no use throwing accusations."

The crowd quieted under Beewatcher's stern eyes, and Dappleddusk strode up, providing her daughter with the additional support of her fierce presence.

"I have one request," Eagleburn said, and all turned to him, curious.

"I would like Dappleddusk to serve as interim deputy while I prove my innocence. If that is okay with you, Oatstar."

Oatstar, hesitating, quickly nodded, not seemingly delighted to have his deputy swapped out, but seeing no good reason to argue otherwise.

"That is fine. Dappleddusk, do you agree?"

While still displaying an outwardly stern and severe mask, it wasn't too difficult to see that Dappleddusk was surprised, but likewise preening under the fact she had been chosen for such an important role.

"Of course," she meowed. "Anything for the clan."

Oatstar nodded his confirmation, and finding his voice, he waved his tail.

"Eagleburn, you will stay in the medicine cats' den for the time being while we sort this out. Brightstorm, are you in good enough condition to help prepare Bayspots's vigil...?"

Flank warmed by Suntuft's arrival, Brightstorm found the strength to nod.

"Okay. While we don't know if Bayspots really did attack Eagleburn without any other witnesses, she still deserves a proper vigil. StarClan will be her final judgment."

The camp was silent, save for Sandfeather's crying. It seemed the chaos of the moment had passed as shock overtook everything. Could such a loyal warrior have turned against their own deputy? And why would she have done such a thing?

Eagleburn knew what questions ran through all of their minds, but he had to play his part carefully. To reveal everything here and now could be a dangerous play, and for the time being, he softly meowed to Beewatcher that he was ready to follow her to the medicine cats' den.

Like a prisoner of war, DawnClan's deputy was led away by Beewatcher and Dappleddusk, the other medicine cats watching curiously from the maw of the den.

Her world flipped upside down, Brightstorm could barely hear the words of condolences and comfort spared to her by her clanmates. Her mind was a whirling mess, and the only one who could bring answers to all of these questions was being guarded in the medicine cats' den.

[chaotic---calm]

Hi! I just read your new XiCheng fic and it looks fantastic!!! I'm really liking the premise (I love omega LXC and political marriages, so both in a single fic make me so excited!) and the writing (LXC and JC's characterisation so far is excellent! LXC holding back the hurt —all the feelings about being unable to be true to himself!—, JC pushing through his own difficulties) so I'm really looking forward to what comes next. How will JC present his case? And the reactions! I'm curious not just about LXC's but also LWJ's, because I think he would find his brother marrying out a terribly hard pill to swallow.

Speaking of LWJ, I can't help but notice that there's no WangXian tag in the fic, I wonder if that means it'll be added later, they won't end up together or if those two won't even be interested in each other here (I don't mind any way it goes, though reading fics without that ship can be so refreshing). And continuing with the tags, I see that LXC & JYL tag! I'm already in love with it! The two omegas bonding! All the commentary on gender expectations (fitting and not fitting and the degrees in between, the limitations of each route, the lack of fulfilment) that could fit there! Yes, I'm very excited about that tag. And also about the NHS & JC tag. I love that friendship. I love the idea that NHS and JC could continue to just be friends even as omega and alpha, especially considering NMJ's prejudices. Speaking of him, I am so excited about NMJ's place in the story in the future! His friendship with LXC is so important to both of them, NMJ will have to face his prejudices and the route already sounds glorious. (Oh! JC was thinking that other alphas would want to marry LXC, would NMJ think marrying LXC would be doing his friend a favor? Oh, I can just see the cracks on their relationship if the offer is made and rejected, the explanation of why LXC would not choose NMJ would be delicious. But that's just a possibility, I don't mind if the story doesn't go there at all.)

Ahem, so sorry for rambling, I just think this fic is already looking fantastic and am excited for more of it. Thanks for writing, author! Keep up the wonderful work! *sending bunny hugs if you want them* 🐰💛

Hello! Ah, I'm so excited to see such a long comment/ask!! Thank you, anon! 💜

Your enthusiasm is awesome. I'm glad you're so into some of the trope set-up I've done (and that you think I've done a good job with characterization). I like political marriage stories a lot as well, and yass, omega LXC is always a refreshing change from the "norm." I'm in the process of writing Chapter 2 right now. I think you'll like all the discussion and reaction from the others; LWJ will definitely find it hard to let his brother go, but there's also the prospect of sticking it to those asshole elders. 🤔

Regarding WangXian, it will be here, but I'm keeping it very much in the background, so I opted not to tag it just because I didn't want to disappoint any readers who really want any lengthy focus on that. XiCheng is much more where I want to keep my focus.

I am SO excited to get to the parts relevant to the LXC & JYL tag. I think you and the other readers will really enjoy it. I've always felt like the two of them would really mesh well together personality-wise, so I'm happy to have the opportunity to give them that here. Plus, someone's gotta help the boys navigate the perils of being married and companions/partners! 😁

I don't want to give away any spoilers, but yeah, I'm going to try to do the best I can with the various relationships. NHS and JC should always be besties, haha! I think it's good when opposites mix: JC can help NHS be a bit more serious, and NHS can help JC keep from having a stroke before he's 30. 🥰 As for NMJ in this fic...let's just say that marriage to LXC is not the first thing that crosses his mind. 😬 (I really do love your idea of him trying to make the offer and being rejected, though! That's not what crossed my mind when plotting this fic, but it would be an absolutely delicious plot thread to follow.)

Please please please never apologize to me for long posts, rambling or otherwise. I can't tell you how wonderful such enthusiasm and joy and praise feels to us fanfic authors. It absolutely made my day to see that this had come in, so thank you so much. If it's not to presumptuous of me to ask, I sure hope to see more comments/thoughts from you as the story continues, whether here or on AO3. 💜

(Bunny hugs are absolutely delightful! 😊🐰)

[scraftyisthebest]

More Rambles on SV DLC News

Anyway, now that I've had a day to let everything sink in from yesterday's Pokemon Presents, a bit more of a ramble on SV DLC.

Seems we are getting more new evolutions, including a new alternate evolved form of Applin in Dipplin and surprisingly, a Duraludon evolution called Archaludon. They seem like pretty cool new additions. Dipplin is a candy apple, which is an interesting spin on Applin's apple theme. Stat-wise I'm curious how it will differentiate itself from Flapple and Appletun.

Duraludon is not what I expected to gain an evolution, though Archaludon admittedly looks pretty cool, being a bridge. Duraludon already possesses a naturally high base stat total so how Archaludon changes from that is going to be interesting.

We also have two new Paradoxes, Raging Bolt being Ancient Raikou, and Iron Crown being Future Cobalion. Seems Suicune and Virizion weren't the only ones to get them. Raging Bolt's long neck is something though...kinda goofy there. Entei and Terrakion will have Paradox counterparts of their own as well I imagine at this rate, to complete them as trios.

Seems the mysterious turtle we saw from Liko's pendant in Horizons is just Terapagos itself, in its Normal Form, while the bigger type-shelled form is its "Terastal Form". Notably this isn't necessarily a Terastallized state, and since Terapagos is implied to be the harbinger of the Terastal phenomenon that raises some interesting ideas for what role it may play in the story. Terapagos may have even more forms that we don't know about which I look forward to seeing.

Ogerpon seems to have a different appearance when Terastallized, in this case it seems to have special ties to Terastal itself.

From a story structure standpoint this DLC seems to be mirroring SwSh's DLC in terms of how the halves are placed and structured. The Teal Mask being Part 1 seems to be like the Isle of Armor, being able to be accessed as soon as the main story kicks off and being an additional side story intended to be slotted into the main story while expanding on the original base story and lore in a way. Kitakami like the Isle of Armor will be its own mini-storyline with the festivals and whatever we do there on the field trip much like how the Isle of Armor was a training quest in the Master Dojo that ends with raising Kubfu into a great Urshifu.

Meanwhile The Indigo Disk being Part 2 is like the Crown Tundra, being intended as a post-game quest after completing both the main story and DLC 1, only this time it's actually hard-locked to only being unlocked after completing both. It seems it's a post-game quest, while with the Crown Tundra it was a legendary catching expedition, this time we're an exchange student at the Blueberry Academy and we're taking part in the BB League and the tests to challenge each of the BB Elite Four. Like Galar's Crown Tundra it seems to be looping back to mainland Paldea for the finale of the overall story, and as we all know it'll be Area Zero, and returning to there for the final story segment, akin to how the Crown Tundra looped back to Wyndon Stadium for the Galarian Star Tournament. In both cases going back to where the base story's finale ended, with SwSh it was the Champion Cup and beating the undefeated Leon, in SV it was exploring Area Zero and taking down the Zero Lab, and for SV's DLC the final Area Zero visit may be something related to Terapagos and a finale we may not know about.

Based on the above speculation this also ties into how the anime and Horizons, with Liko's story, may build up and what its finale may be. While both Journeys and Horizons are multi-region and doing their own thing, they do take story elements and plot beats from SwSh and SV respectively, especially with Ash's and soon to be Liko's finale. Ash's finale in his Journeys story (and his story overall) was the Masters 8 Tournament in Wyndon, ending off with a grand final battle between him and Leon with Ash emerging victorious, mirroring SwSh. Liko's story already has the pendant, which we now know is Terapagos, as a major plot point, and the finale of her story in Horizons may have its climax take place in Area Zero, especially with Liko taking down the Explorers and maybe AI Sada/Turo will be involved as well alongside Koraidon and Miraidon, and of course Terapagos, in some sort of climax that will establish Liko as the new hero of legend and a legendary herself, much like how Ash himself ended off his story becoming the World Champion, the strongest battler who ever lived. I'm definitely very interested in how both SV's DLC and Horizons will pan out in that regard and what kind of story they're trying to tell with Area Zero and its mysteries in both the games and the anime at present.

Lots of rambling but there you go.

[amaiguri]

heyy, happy last STS of the year!! it's hard coming up with an original end-of-year ask, so I'm just gonna shoot off a bunch of questions, and you feel free to answer whichever you want/haven't already:D are you satisfied with where you're at right now in your writing journey? where do you hope to be at this time next year? do you have any Must-Accomplish 2024 writing goals? anything new you'd like to try in your writing (technique-wise, story-wise, scheduling-wise, structure-wise, etc.) next year? any stories you'd like to start? end?

My Yssaia writing is a hobby so I try not to put time-based pressure on myself long-term -- only short-term goals. If I'm not writing, it's probably because I'm doing something else "productive" -- whether that is other hobbies, hanging out with friends, or focusing on my health! Obviously, at my job, all my writing is dictated by the needs of the project -- so of course, I want to keep up with those.

I am perfectly happy with where I am -- and I have worked really hard to ensure I am generally content with myself and love the journey. So, I am proud of my mindset, even if that, too, has more to go. I have written more words this year than almost any other that I have tracked. I have ACTUALLY made new friends, just like I've wanted -- now I just gotten deepen my relationship with all of them! And I have reached by 1k subscribers on YouTube -- now I just gotta get those 4000 watch hours for the passive income. And eventually, convince all those subscribers to buy my games someday 🥺🥺🥺

I have started to frame my hobby goals as "accomplishments that I have pre-emptively listed". This makes it feel like there are no minuses if I don't make it -- I am Enough as I am. Everything more is extra. So, I have nothing I must accomplish because existing happily in this economy? That's the biggest and most important thing I can do.

In my dream world, I would finish the rough draft of Yssaia's whole 300k+ word plot but that's not gonna happen with my continued focus on YouTube and a full time job and my attempt to focus on my friends. So, I will just try to get to 150k words in this most recent act by July 2024.

(If you don't know, Currently Untitled Yssaia Game is about world of fated heroes and abyssal machines -- born both of Kings and Philosophy --, in which a burned assassin girl must find new purpose when the War ends. Right now, it's a writing project but it'll eventually be a narrative-focused, hand-drawn adventure where you navigate an assassin through her delicate, brutal world after the War annexed her homeland. You'll delve deep into political dealings, your past trauma, and the Abyss beneath the world!)

((How's the marketing pitch? I'm still workshopping it!))

I would like to try to write every day again, cuz in CalmWriMo November, that did, in fact, improve my productivity without spiking my stress. It didn't happen in December but as we leave the holiday season, I want to pick it up again. And journalling or daily posting, lol, I already slipped on that again 😭😭😭 It's so healthy for me. It helps me see time pass. I just need to do it.

Thanks so much for asking about my goals/pre-listed accomplishments! I look forward to a post about your goals floating across my feed 🥰

[strwbmei]

Hey Mei, how would you rank the hoyoverse games (top to your favorite and bottom to least)

In my case

1. Honkai impact 3rd- Believe it our not i spend a lot of time playing it. When i first discovered this one and i liked it a whole lot compare to genshin. Me personally i found it intriguing and unique in soo many ways.

2. Honkai star rail- This one was almost top the reason my is on second place is because it's rather the more recent one. The gaccha is rather generous with me and the fact that i like rpg like games it got a huge like in my book

3. Genshin Impact- This one is my least favorite for many reason and it's ironic since this is my first hoyoverse game i played thanks to a friend of mine. I mostly get bored of genshin rather quickly and the fact that i was never lucky with the gaccha it made me sulk into despair in the corner.

For me it'd be:

1. Honkai Star Rail

I usually don't like turn based games and only downloaded it for Kafka, but it turned out to be way more fun than I expected! All of the characters are really well-designed and lovable. Story-wise, I can already tell that it'll be better than Genshin because the devs aren't afraid to go into serious topics and kill off characters. Speaking of the devs, they actually listen to the fans and make good quality of life changes. The events are also really fun!

2. Genshin Impact

Honestly, it's only 2nd place because I have a lot of good memories with it. (e.g. helping my sister farm and explore, helping my friends with their quest)

The characters are either a hit or miss, and the story has made almost zero real progress, as a person who's been playing since release. It's always the same pattern of the traveller going to a new nation, the nation has a problem, the traveller helps them, they don't know anything about the traveller's sibling. The quests are way too long and don't give rewards nearly worth the time it takes to complete them. The anniversary rewards and gacha rates are, quite frankly, ass. The events quickly became overwhelming and just boring in general. (I liked the TCG, though!)

3. Honkai Impact

It hurts me to put this in 3rd place because of how much I absolutely adore all of the characters and the story. My main issue with it is because of how hard it is to understand, especially if you're a returning player. I really want to enjoy the game but the explanations are always something along the lines of "Collect (term that I don't know) to activate (term that I don't know 2). (term that I don't know 2) will apply (term that I don't know 3) to enemies and make them more vulnerable to (term that I don't know 4)." The UI is also a bit confusing and I have to click around a lot just to find what I'm looking for. In particular, I don't really understand the open world exploration, which is why I haven't been able to progress to chapter 33.

I really want to enjoy the game, so if anyone knows where I can find a better explanation for the mechanics, I'd really appreciate it!

Bonus:

4. Tears of Themis

Story is nice, characters are nice, but it somehow manages to be even less f2p-friendly than Genshin. Events are way too hard to complete for casual players.

5. GGZ/Honkai Gakuen

I haven't had the chance to play it yet, but I've heard a lot of good things so I'm looking forward to it!

[softsky-daily]

11/5/2023

One of those clear blue sky days.

Positive thing: I got a bunch of groceries from my Dad, and my friend showed me some cool places to go for my upcoming trip (💜).

Today was good, as far as Sundays go. It sucks the weekend isn't longer since I feel like I just start to get settled down and then the whole rigamaroll starts all over again. I really don't feel like going to practicum tomorrow. I feel like I'm behind on all sorts of things and I need rest to get enough energy to do them but I need the time I could be resting to do time-sensitive things, then it all snowballs into things left by the wayside.

But all the groceries I got today was cool. I was getting kinda stressed since I eat out a lot just because when is a guy supposed to find time in this economy to cook? My dad was nice enough to send me and my roommates a bunch of things from Sam's, if a little overbearing about it, but I'll take free stuff any day. A lot of it is frozen food which is quick to make so I think it'll tide me over for a while.

Besides that, I'm looking forward to the new Yakuza coming out this week. I'm ready for it to heal me. If it ends up being bad, I guess I'll uhhhh. Play something else?

Speaking of which, I played more Persona 5 today since I actually had some time. I'm surprised how much of it I understand even in Japanese, although maybe it's because I played through a chunk of it in English before. Meanwhile my partner has been playing Steins;Gate and although he's not directly streaming it to me he's been telling me the differences between it and the anime and sending screenshots and stuff. The game seems a lot more coherent story-wise and the mood seems better set up for certain scenes. Plus the art just looks cooler in my opinion.

But yeah, Yakuza is out on the 8th. I'm glad that's on a Wednesday since that's when I have a free afternoon. I'd almost be tempted to skip class that day too if I didn't already skip one- well, we'll see.

[findmeinshattrath]

The War Within and the Worldsoul Saga Reveal

Some thoughts on the new expansion(s)

Not my favorite cinematic, but I liked it for the most part. Appreciated the more calm and intimate approach. Dialogue could have been better at some points though.

Anduin is a little generic looking for my tastes. He doesn't look bad, I just feel like you could toss him into most fantasy settings and he would fit. It's a very default protagonist look. Honestly, also reminds me a bit of the Warrior of Light they use in FF14 cinematics.

Alleria's going to look damn good though

Would not have guessed we'd be going all Journey to the Center of the Earth, but I AM FEELING IT!

The Shadow Priest's ex-knife returns and I am for it! Can't help but love the "edge of a knife" line in the trailer

All the new zones look damn interesting

Eager for the Nerubians, love those guys and I am expecting some friendlies. Somewhat mixed feelings on the look of the "evolved" Nerubians, but I like them overall

Isle of Dorn is intriguing. I love the Earthen and was expecting Titan-forged based on lore tidbits we've seen, so nothing shocking. Really enjoy the look of their buildings, it's a great take on the Dwarven aesthetic. Little bummed we don't seem to be getting anything that looks like the Northrend & Deepholm Earthen stuff.

New gryphons look dope

Earthen as an allied race is unexpected but very welcome! Would not have guessed they'd be neutral, but I am very grateful for that. May not be the most unique addition Alliance-wise, but seeing them in the Horde really gets me. Will probably elaborate on why in a later post.

Like the gemstones and SHOCKED Blizz actually gave the female Earthen beard options (love to see it)

Disappointed but not surprised that they don't get druids. Come on! Vrykul have them! Plus, could have had an Eonar connection

Ringing Deeps will probably be cool, but it kind of excites me the least for now. Do love the whole "underground cavern, pierced with sunlight from above, covered in plant life" thing though

Hallowfall caught me the most off guard

Underground neutral human civilization, descended from the Arathi, big light crystal, underground sea of monsters, air ships, Holy Fire, intense (and potentially dangerous, at least for us) faith in the Light. Goddamn. Might really have something here.

I am always in favor of potentially exploring different human cultures outside of the Alliance. That said, kind of a bummer that it's just another flavor of fantasy Europe like we always get.

Dragonriding coming to other mounts was expected, but nice to get confirmation

Hero Talents are very intriguing. Looking forward to seeing if they pull them off. If nothing else, the archetypes that come out of it will probably be fun to mess around with. A lot of the classes don't really have super unique "Hero archetypes" firmly established, so it'll be fun to see what they come up with.

Announcing 3 expansions at once is pretty ambitious, gotta say

Going back to Quel'Thalas to defend the Sunwell is gonna be cool. Lots they could do story and world-building wise.

Gryphon mount now, maybe dragonhawk next?

Curious and nervous about how Zul'Aman might fit into things (I'm really worried that they'll end up allied with the Void or just flat out destroyed)

Since we're probably going to kick Titan ass, I hope at least Eonar ends up on our side.

I wonder how Sargeras will fit into it

When I first saw the thing about warbands, I thought we were getting some sort of interactive companions/party members, like an evolution from followers and champions. Account wide stuff is nice though.

[mlmxreader]

Heatwaves | Aldo Raine x m!reader

Anonymous: may i request aldo x male reader. anything you want story wise

summary: heatwaves are never any good for anyone, but at least you and Aldo have a little privacy.

tws: swearing, smoking

An amber warning for extreme heat was in place, humidity levels were high and the temperatures higher, and although it was tough, Aldo did try and find a way to make it more bearable; since the war had been over for years, the two of you lived quite peacefully in Tennessee, occasionally entertaining the other Basterds when they had time to visit, sometimes going over to see them when there was time.

No such visits would come for a while, the heat was too unbearable, and travelling in such weather was far from desirable; communication slowed to telegrams and letters, sometimes a phone call, although those weren't as regular.

You could feel the heat seeping in through your trousers as you lounged on one of the outdoor chairs, one leg swung over the arm, the other hanging off the edge, your head tilted back as you sighed heavily and grumbled.

"Aldo?"

"Yeah?" He leaned forward, cupping his hand around his cigarette as he lit it.

"Y'think this'll end?" You asked, desperation in your voice. "I mean, it can't be hot like this forever, can it?"

He leaned back again, putting his feet up on the table and crossing his ankles as he took a drag from his cigarette. "Nah. It'll rain soon."

"Thank fuck," you breathed out. "I thought fuckin' France was bad, but this..."

"Yeah, it ain't great," he agreed, but then he laughed quietly. "Shit, remember when we went skinny dippin' in that shitty little river? Wicki damn near killed us."

"Yeah, 'cause we scared the shit out of him," you laughed. "Poor bastard nearly had a heart attack."

"Well it ain't every day y'catch your Lieutenant and his Captain boyfriend nearly-"

"Do not finish that sentence," you warned quietly, shaking your head and leaning over, taking his cigarette. "You forget your place, Lieutenant."

"Now," Aldo shook his head. "If I remember correctly, didn't me and my boys save your life when them fascist fucks take your plane down?"

"My plane only went down because I got cocky," you admitted. "Thought I could outrun 'em."

"And ya got your wings clipped," he muttered. "Thought I'd lose you... I mean, when I saw it was you in that wreck, I thought I'd lose your dumb ass."

You scoffed, shaking your head. "It'd take much more than a few Nazi cunts to take me down - you know better than anyone how well I did during training."

"Yeah, I know," he hummed. "You was the best damn pilot I'd ever seen."

"You would've thought that I'd get a medal for that shit," you passed the cigarette back after flicking some ash down on the grass. "For all the cunts I took down, for making damn sure that my Hurricane got hardly any damage."

"Join the club," Aldo joked. "We didn't get shit, neither."

"It's a bit fucked, innit?" You asked. "I mean, for everything we did... and they can't even be bothered to recognise it?"

"Yeah, it's fucked," he agreed. "But at least the war's over. At least we won."

"You and your boys saved a lot of lives," you said, a little proud as you flashed him a smile. "Including mine."

"Captain (y/l/n), I'll always save your ass," he grinned. "I need somethin' to look at."

"Don't be vile," you chuckled. "It's too hot for that kinda talk."

"What? A man can't look at his husband's ass, now?" He whined playfully, making you roll your eyes. "I take that as a no."

"I ain't saying anything," you smiled, shaking your head at him, but you dared to get up, groaning softly as you stretched and heard bones click. "I'm gonna get a drink."

"Wait," Aldo caught your wrist, pulling you down so that he could steal a quick kiss, his other hand gently patting your ass as he smiled. "That's better."

[mistfallengw2]

My thoughts about Forward and the new expansion announcement (not sure who wants to read my long rambles but I need to ramble anyway)

So, about "Forward"... it's bittersweet to say the least. Absolutely understandable that they want to get the overpowered god-like dragon out of the way for the next story, and if there's anyone who deserves a good fucking nap more than the Commander it's Aurene, but still, oof my feels. I really hope we'll see our dragon daughter again, this can't be the last time T_T At least it's nice that it's finally the year 1336 AE (the whole Gyala Delve stuff was in 1335 AE still), so we can hope that the Commander got to recover a bit from what they were going through before this drops on them.

As for the expansion, I'm actually a bit all over the place (in positive?). Like, I'm still hyped, but... I'll be honest, I liked the dragon cycle stuff, and the apparent direction of the story isn't exactly at the peak of my interests. It'll have to do a lot of work to get me (and my characters) invested as much as before, and I do hope it will succeed because it's looking simply gorgeous and fun. That said, having Zojja there is already a big bonus, and there are some potential storylines that could get my attention depending on where they go. Also I still want to bet that the big baddy is going to be a really fucked up Menzies (he's got his half-bro's laugh, aww), and the Kryptis are looking absolutely terrible in all the good ways. I do hope this expansion won't permanently alter old maps though, but since Garenhoff ain't looking that good after the boom... (at least keep it all in Kessex, since there's the ToM stuff already)

Game-wise, there's quite a lot of meat to this "mini" expansion! I'm not sure how to feel about the whole weapon thing, as it was interesting to have limited options (like how the engineer and warrior lacked "proper" magic so they made do with what they had) and eventually having ALL weapons available feels too much tbh (and a nightmare to balance), but I guess we'll see how it feels during this weekend's beta and I'm always ready to be positively surprised. As for the rest, it all seems interesting and potentially awesome, though I do worry it might end up being too much at once (I love Warframe, but their releases tend to be A LOT for more, and this feels a lil' too close to that in scope).

Honestly, right now I'm probably just a tad overwhelmed by the sudden info-bomb drop. With more teasers, previews and betas I'll likely find it a bit more familiar and comfortable by the time of the release.

-

Personal characters-wise, I hate having so much stuff up in the air.

The words Aurene used would absolutely be what Aurelia needed to hear, especially after adjusting to things post-Gyala. Rough, but doable at this point in time, since she's got her family and a lot of friends. No idea about my Herald of Aurene, Ethanryel, who is pretty much in the same position as Caithe, but Aurene's words would have been for them too so they may be more or less active depending on where the story goes.

For the expansion, Aurelia has tons of potential, especially if anything relates to what actually happened to her in the Mists (the story is technically written already, but I'm ready to change to more lore-compliant stuff and fill in the intentional mysteries if the shoe fits). As for others, again it depends on where the story goes in general. Most of my characters have taken advantage of the lulls in world-ending threats to live their own lives, so they might be out of the picture, but some might have big reasons to return to the active storyline if their "thing" is relevant (and I'm so hoping to give more canon attention to some).

[oh-cool-a-burning-sword]

I personally do think/hope that Engage'll have S-supports, or at least something similar to it.

Sure, we see in Vander's leaked image of his supports that Female Alear goes from C-A and not C-S. But there may be some reasons behind that?

Like maybe there's certain characters that Alear can't marry (because they'd be a sort of Gilbert/Alois situation)? Or maybe it'll take the same approach to Houses where S-supports happen right at the end of the game? So their considered as it's own event instead of a support convo?

I also don't see why they wouldn't add in S-supports. Sure they don't really do much story wise (I think Holy War was the only game that gets affected by S-supports, as who you marry in part 1 determines part 2's roster) but being able to marry your protagonist to a unit of your choice was always fun.

Besides, being able to marry different characters, along with being able to pair up certain characters together is one of the ways to make each playthrough feel just a little more unique to one another.

It's something a lot of fans, myself included, look forward to seeing when playing FE. Hell, the reason why I'm so torn between which version of Alear to use despite preferring the male version's design is because I may or may not want to marry Alfred.

Being able to pair units together's been something that multiple FE games did, not just the recent ones. Granted, before awakening the number of paired endings a unit could have were greatly limited. But I doubt that Instys would remove that feature now with how much people love it, especially after Houses.

And seeing as the person who first leaked Engage mentioned Holy War getting a remake, it'd be so weird to go from a game with honestly a LOT of shipping in it to a game with no marriage/paired endings only for ships to be brought back full swing in the very next game.

Though I was wrong about Hopes getting DLC so I could also be wrong about this.

[charturnus]

i'm reading through some of your other work and holy shit you're a super talented writer. like genuinely some of the most beautiful poetic shit i've ever read.

little dove is my favorite so far though!! i am such a sucker for how sweet you've written wanda like all the cuddling n reassurance melts my heart sm <33

i have a couple things to ask, though:

do you have any idea how long little dove is going to be in terms of chapters? like how many chapters do you think there will be once the fic ends?

and also, how long can we expect between chapter uploads? no pressure to keep on a schedule, though!! i'm just wondering :)

have an awesome day :))

I have been thinking about this ask all day, trying to see if I could figure out a solid and accurate answer to give you, but I came to the conclusion that I don't think I can.

I know roughly where this story is going, but more so than with any other fic I've written, these characters have a mind of their own. Sometimes I plan something, and then it goes out of the window because the character just has different ideas. This makes it hard for me to predict what I can fit in one chapter. For example, the staged kiss was supposed to happen in chapter 6, but it's been forward because I made room for all the messy emotions. I try to keep my chapters between 4k and 6k words, so it's at least somewhat consistent, so I try not to deviate too much from it to fit more into a single chapter. From what I know now, I think the story will be between 10 and 20 chapters, probably somewhere around the 15 chapter mark.

A schedule is something I really have to work on because I am aiming to get some consistency going. In an ideal world, I would post twice a week, one chapter/oneshot and a little blurb. But right now, I think it'd be wise to try and consistently hit that once-a-week goal. I am also attempting to write a novel alongside this, read 10 books a month and go to the gym every day and work 3 days a week. So to say that I have my hands full is an understatement lmfao.

I'll let you all know if I decide on a set weekday to release stuff, if I do it'll probably been in the weekend, maybe on Sunday, as I've released most chapters on Saturday/Sunday.

Also, thanks so much for the lovely compliment!! I tend to compare myself a lot to writers I look up to, and it can get disheartening because I feel like I'll never get where they are. It's so nice to know that people still enjoy what I write, even if I feel inadequate sometimes.

[casspurrjoybell-28]

Alpha's Temptation - Chapter 54 - Part 2

*Warning Adult Content*

Flashbacks of the midnight escapades of Daemon and I through that window flood through my mind all at once.

And the fact that he's the only one I've ever known to be able to scale a two story house in seconds.

"Don't be silly, you're going to hurt yourselves," I plead.

"I'm sorry, Ash," Wren replies solemnly before suddenly shifting.

His small black wolf bounds out the window, Lylah follows suit and her red one leaps out after him.

I run to the sill, looking down to see them scrambling down the roof tiles.

Their wolf forms give them an advantage, only struggling a bit over the edge before they find their way to the ground.

My limbs start to shake, apprehension and anxiety flooding through me.

They could get hurt, something in my gut just tells me they could, that they will.

Without thinking anymore, I brace myself to shift, wincing as my bones crack and my clothes tear off.

Once it's over, I grab one of Daemon's huge shirts in my jaw.

Then I scramble past the window sill, skittering down the roof as my claws painfully catch on the tiles.

Whining in pain, I get to the edge and leap down to the next one, going as fast as I can.

I end up a heap in the bushes, moaning in pain as the sharp twigs irritate me through my fur.

Moon Goddess, I'm glad I'm alone because that was embarrassing.

Catching my breath for a second, I scoop up the shirt in my mouth from where it fell and sprint after the scent of my friends.

I'm exhausted almost immediately, each step agony and I regret not working out with Daemon more.

My hikes have not cut it, endurance wise.

I decide to shift back into human form, quickly pulling on Daemons shirt that is more like a dress on me.

Now that I don't have to traverse rooftops, I prefer to be in the form I'm most comfortable in.

I'm about to sprint past a row of houses when I hear a loud shriek of pain.

Wren.

I bolt in the direction of it, coming across an alleyway.

But when I witness what I find there, I stop dead in my tracks.

The world goes quiet.

All I can hear is the loud thump of my heart as it palpitates frantically, my entire being in shock of the sight, the person, that stands before me.

The person that is the source of all my pain, suffering and scars.

The person I thought I would never have to see again.

The person that Daemon swore to kill because of all that he did to me.

And that very person is here, now, in a place I thought I'd be safe from him, violently yanking one of my best friends by the hair.

Wren's body is naked from having transformed and his legs are bruised and bloody as my stepfather forcefully drags him across the cement.

"I smell that bitch on you. Where is he? Where is Ash Willow?"

Wren only cries, struggling to get away.

"Stop. Stop hurting him," I scream, rushing forward blindly.

The action is effective because he drops Wren like a piece of hot iron.

His eyes gleam with madness and he's on me in an instant, snatching my arm in a crushing grip.

"There you are, you little runt. I've been looking everywhere for you," he snarls, pulling me close to his face, his putrid breath invading my senses.

My eyes water, nausea and terror overcoming me in a painful wave.

This can't be real. How can this be happening?

"Thought you could run from me? Stupid boy. Whoring yourself out to the enemy pack was the best you could do?"

I tremble, my body feeling likes it's been paralyzed.

I can't do this. I can't have him touching me.

It makes my body feel like it'll implode from how horrible it feels.

For a moment, I try to speak but before I can choke out Daemons name he wraps a hand around my neck and presses harshly.

My knees buckle, dizziness hitting my and my vision flickers out.

I can only hear Wren scream my name before I'm lost to the world

********

I feel like I'm dead.

Maybe I am, if my stepfathers found me.

Maybe he's finally done it, buried me in the grave right next to my mothers.

But I become aware of the feeling of being jostled, a regular pattern of feet hitting the ground and I realized I'm slung over the Alpha's shoulder, the blood rushing to my head.

I choke out a strangled cry, immediately attempting to get out of his hold.

I claw at his back, which earns me a hard smack on my behind.

"Disobedient little boy," he scolds harshly.

"L-let me go. Let me go," I scream, panic overwhelming me.

He can't do this.

He can't take me away from the magic of my life now.

Not to go back to that horrid place.

"Not a chance."

"Please. Why are you doing this? Why are you taking me? I thought you wanted me gone from your life."

"So you get to go off and do whatever you want? No, Ash. You are property that I get to decide what happens to. That is how it has always been. How dare you disrespect me the way you have?"

"You tried to kill me," I sob, kicking my feet to no avail.

I can't get away.

Why do alphas have to be so strong?

It's not fair that I am forced to go along with their whims simply because I cannot fight back.

"Don't be dramatic. As an Alpha, I can do whatever I want to a pathetic Omega like you."

Tears of frustration and dread pool in my eyes, blurring my vision.

"I j-just don't understand why you can't let me be."

He scoffs, as if what I'm suggesting is incredulous.

"I deserve something for bothering to raise a useless runt like you. The least you can do is get me some coin once I sell you off. I had Alphas lined up for you, Ash. But like the ungrateful child you are, you didn't appreciate how I kept your chastity safe because they were willing to pay a handsome price for your virginity, your first heat."

I let my lip curl over my canines in anger.

Him and his fucking perverts for friends.

"Those things are gone now. I found my mate and I gave everything to him. I'm spoiled now, worthless to you."

He shakes his head, scorn overtaking his tone.

"I knew the second you got away you'd let any passing dog have a go at you. Dirty boy," he snarls.

"You're the dirty one. You're disgusting," I shout, banging on his back.

I'm so scared.

I'm so disoriented that all I can do is lash out blindly.

I hate him. I hate him so much.

"Here's what's going to happen. You're going to shut that bratty mouth of yours unless you want me to sew it up. And then you're going wait patiently until I sell you off because if you haven't forgotten, I OWN you. And you're not going to say a word about your precious mate and the things you did with him or I'll slit your throat. You should be grateful, really. Some fucker is finally going to give you a bit of worth when he knocks you up."

I vomit.

He shouts in disgust, throwing me to the ground.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?"

He lands a harsh kick to my stomach and I cry out, sobbing as I dig my hands in the dirt.

He rips off his soiled shirt, throwing it to the ground.

"You nasty mutt. You really have lost all your obedience. Where is the sweet boy I raised?"

"He's dead," I scream, scrambling up and attempting to run but he lunges at me, pushing me to the ground.

I don't have time to react before a blunt force hits the back of my head.

Daemon.

'Daemon.'