#i'm trying to get us to the team formations lol

[cod-sins]

Heyyyy. I loved ur konig hcs! 💕. Can we get hcs for Ghost/ konig ab what they would do if they’re civilian s/o was getting stalked while they were away and they call them asking what to do ? xx

.ೃ࿐ Format: Hcs

.ೃ࿐ Reader: Undisclosed. Established relationship.

.ೃ࿐ Ratings: SFW

.ೃ࿐ Word Count: 1.2k

[A/N: Hey anon thank you so much for requesting this, it was so much fun to write I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. :) Also Ghost is more of a full fic than a headcanon sorrey got carried away. 😋]

𝑮𝑯𝑶𝑺𝑻

Ghost was stuck in a safehouse somewhere in the deserts of Mexico waiting for his rescue team to come pick him up. He was absolutely done with this mission, having to carry around 30 extra pounds of military gear in the scorching heat just to eliminate a "single fucking target" was no joke. He'd much rather be at home in his flat, throwing something on the telly [lol] and laying around with you. He smiles at that thought.

He checked his watch. 1435 read the time. '3 more hours.' He thought. Three more hours until he arrived back at the base. Three more hours until he makes it to the airport. He glanced up at the ceiling his mind filled with all the things you were gonna say to him, how you would fuss over his injuries and insist on him relaxing in the bath while you cooked for him. He plays out these thoughts in his head until his mind becomes hazy and he begins to fall asleep.

Ghost is a fairly light sleeper so the first time you called he answered immediately.

"Hello?" "Ghost! I'm so sorry I know you said not to call you unless it's an emergency but there's this guy who has been following me around all day and I- "Y/N slow down I can't understand you." He said calmly despite his heart starting to beat faster.

You took a deep breath and resumed. "I was at the grocery store earlier and I noticed this guy who kept following me around. Every single aisle I went down he was there, even after I left the store he kept following me. I don't know what to do he's still waiting for me to leave this building." Your voice trembled as you spoke.

Ghost could feel his blood beginning to boil as you talked. The mere thought of someone trying to harass you or even worse hurt you drove him crazy. He should be there protecting you not waiting around.

"Alright, I want you to listen to me carefully and do exactly as I tell you, do you understand? Do not hang up this phone Y/N. First I want you to tell me where he is and what he's doin'."

You told Ghost the man's location--he was outside across the street pretending to be occupied by a street vendor. He kept glancing at the shop you were hiding in.

"Right listen carefully, I want you to make your way to the closest bank the one we always use. Stay in populated areas where people can see you do not take any shortcuts. Don't go down any alleyways don't give him the opportunity to have you alone. Once you make it to the bank talk to the security guard and tell 'em what's happening. Make sure you point the guy out."

You agree and with a shaky hand you grab your bags and make your way outside. The stalker takes notice of this and begins his pursuit. You hastily make your way to the bank--updating Ghost with every step. As soon as you make it inside you talk to the security guard and tell him your situation. He immediately calls the police which scares the man off while they escort you back home in a police car.

As soon as this whole ordeal is over Ghost forces you to take self-defense classes. He would also like it if you knew how to work a gun but if you weren't comfortable with that he'd opt for getting a dog instead. (Plus he's quite fond of the animal.) He just wants you to be safe he couldn't stand the thought of losing you. ):

𝑲ö𝒏𝒊𝒈

All you wanted to do was go home and fall asleep in you and König's California-sized bed. You had a long grueling day; dealing with shitty customers who thought they were entitled to everything and awful coworkers who barely did their job forcing you to work overtime and pick up on their slack. Whilst working you accidentally burnt yourself cleaning the coffee machine because your boss had distracted you to ask if you could close shop tonight.

You were so busy walking home that you didn't notice the man behind you following your every step. It was only when you tripped and dropped your bag--all your items spiling out that you realized that he was there. He quickly stepped in helping you pick up your items despite your initial rejection.

He was very adamant about helping you even though it was clear you were uncomfortable with the situation. Quickly thanking him you began speeding up your walk while fumbling around for your phone. You glanced back and noticed he was still following you. The sun had begun to set and the remaining light was slowly fading away. Your car was in the shop so you were forced to walk home at night.

You glanced back once more and saw that he was still behind you even though you had taken multiple turns and crossed several different streets. Starting to feel anxious you dialed your boyfriend. It took him a few moments to answer which felt like years to you.

"Hallo?" A tired voice spoke from the phone. The sound of his voice instantly filled you with comfort almost making you forget about the situation you were in. "König I'm sorry to wake you I need your help, there's some dude who won't stop following me. I don't wanna go home yet because I don't want him to know where we live. It's starting to get dark out and my phone is gonna die." You said sounding exasperated. The sound of shuffling could be heard over the phone as you continued down the street.

"Where are you now?" His demeanor had completely changed sounding more gruff and serious. You stammered out your location telling him specific landmarks. A theater, a bar, and a park across the street. König instructs you to head to the bar first, 'get lost in the crowd' he told you. 'Then go out the back way and head to the park.' You do as you're told hovering down while you squeeze between heavily intoxicated people. You make it outside the bar then hurry across the street.

It's now completely dark out and without any light it's hard to see inside the park. "I want you to go hide in the park behind the bushes where he can't see. Stay low turn off your phone light and be quiet." König continues to instruct you as you find a hiding spot. You watch as the man leaves the bar, he walks a few feet down then he turns around still not able to find you.

Once he realizes you're completely gone he curses and stomps his foot then marches off into the distance. You cringe at the thought of what he would do to you if he found you. König brings you back to reality asking if you're alright, you tell him your status and he makes you stay on the phone until you've made it back home.

Similar to Ghost, König would also want you to learn self-defense maneuvers, he'd teach you himself (because he's so big he makes a good example) and he'd equip you with your own knife. König would also give you pepper spray and a whistle and a tactical flashlight. You'd have to stop him at the flashlight or else he'd have you lugging around military gear like Ghost.

Reblogs and feedback are greatly appreciated!

Inbox: OPEN

[moodriingz]

Met you at the right time | A. Fantilli

Summary | Adam attends reader's concert and fans notice

Pairing | Adam Fantilli x reader

Warning | Gracie Abrams faceclaim!

Author's Note | I cannot thank you all enough for the love on "Into Your Room!" I hope you all had an amazing holiday! I'm currently spending time with family so idk when I'll be able to post next! I also liked the smau format. Please send requests! Enjoy!

Masterlist

y/nupdates

liked by adamfantilli, user1, user 2 and others

y/nupdates y/n looked so happy at her show last night in Columbus! she wouldn't look away from the vip area!

view all 50 comments

user1 i was there! she was so smiley during Feels Like!

user2 some people on twitter were saying that some of the hockey team was there last night. was there any confirmation?

↳ user1 oh my gosh yes! i thought i saw Adam Fantilli there and maybe some others too

↳ user2 WAIT ADAM JUST LIKED THIS POST?!

yourusername

liked by adamfantilli, yourbestfriend, luca.fantilli and others

yourusername cbus you give me butterflies 🦋🩵

view all 505 comments

user3 was it because of us or a certain someone in the crowd?

↳ user1 i was looking for these kinds of comments lol

luca.fantilli in case my brother doesn't say it, you're welcome

↳ user2 what does this meannnnnnnn

yourbff I love being your groupie!!

↳ yourusername you're more than that! you're my stagehand!

↳ yourbff yeah ok.

adamfantilli you're always welcome back

kentjohnson.13 my man is blushingggg

↳ user4 this is about adam right?

user4 oh my gosh i want her and adam to get together so baddd

adamfantilli

liked by yourusername, g.brindley4, yourbestfriend and others

adamfantilli always tying her shoes

view 220 comments

g.brindley4 did i miss a chapter?

↳ adamfantilli yeah sorry bud

user5 instinct tells me that those are y/n's shoes in the second slide

↳ user6 or maybe you're crazy

yourusername she's very lucky!

↳ adamfantilli she needs to invest in velcro shoes

↳ user1 OH MY GOD IT'S HAPPENING

yourusername

liked by adamfantilli, yourbestfriend, kentjohnson.13 and others

yourusername days off

view 467 comments

user1 what movie did you see?

↳ yourusername the new hunger games movie! so good!

kentjohnson.13 keep him in line!

adamfantilli i would hate to be on the receiving end of that glare

↳yourusername 🙄

y/nupdates

liked by user1, user 3, user 6

y/nupdates y/n and adam at a party recently!

view 20 comments

user1 i'm super happy for her but the second picture looks personal

↳ user 3 yeah I was going to say we should respect their privacy

user6 so cute but you should take these down

yourusername

liked by adamfantilli, bluejacketsnhl, yourbestfriend and others

yourusername hard launch? hard launch. 🦋👑🩵

tagged: adamfantilli

view 783 comments

yourbestfriend i thought you got that crown for me?

↳ yourusername i'm sorry adam asked to try it on. you're still my queen i promise

↳ adamfantilli i feel like i'm intruding on something

adamfantilli met you at the right time

↳ user1 stop not him quoting her songssss

↳ yourusername you're so cute

kentjohnson.13 blegh (you guys are very cute)

↳ adamfantilli aw that wasn't too hard was it?

adamfantilli

liked by yourusername, nhl, bluejacketsnhl and others

adamfantilli nhl awards

tagged: yourusername

view 337 comments

yourusername so proud of you! 🦋🩵

↳ adamfantilli loved having you by my side 🩵

bluejacketsnhl our #1 rookie!

user6 stop they're so cute I can't take it

g.brindley4 dripped out

yourusername

liked by adamfantilli, yourbestfriend, nhl and others

yourusername rookie of the year 🩵

tagged: adamfantilli

view 465 comments

adamfantilli you mean more than a trophy

↳ yourusername oh you sap

↳ kentjohnson.13 SAP

↳ g.brindley4 SAP

↳ luca.fantilli SAP

user1 i can't get over that i was at the same concert as adam and now they're dating

nhl congrats mr. y/n y/l/n 🦋🩵

↳ adamfantilli ouch

↳ yourusername don't take it personally babe

[the-peak-tmnt]

I want to say that I like that your fic is mostly Raph centric because those fics are rare and he deserves more love and pain lol

Raph: Mom says it's my turn with the trauma

Thank you so much! I'm seriously so grateful for people who are willing to give a Raph-centric fic a shot!

I knew writing Raph-centric fic that's also a Mutant Mayhem fic was gonna turn a lot of people off from giving it a try, which I totally understand because I usually go for Leo-centric fics myself lol. It also doesn't help that Mutant Mayhem still isn't super popular.

But Mutant Mayhem Raph is an exciting new version of Raph that's been SO fun to explore, and I'm gonna go on a little rant about why I'm enjoying writing (and torturing) him so much!

[Initiating Raph Rant] So, almost all Raphs are tough guys who also wear their hearts on their sleeves, which is what makes him such a fun character. He's "the angry one", but usually also super emotional in other ways:

Because MM feels more like an actual teenager than most other iterations, his moments of emotional vulnerability feel particularly raw and relatable. I might be old as dirt now, but I do still remember what it was like to be a teenager still trying to figure out who they were and what they wanted in life.

Mutant Mayhem does such an amazing job of hitting on those teenage insecurities and desires. The turtles whole goal in the movie is to be accepted. All teenagers feel like outsiders and want acceptance at some point. That teenage desire for acceptance is amplified for the turtles because they're not just teenagers, but mutants as well. The moment where Raph's voice sort of wavers as he says "we're never gonna be normal" breaks my heart every time, because they're so sure acceptance is completely out of reach for them 😭

...but the MM boys do get acceptance by the human world by the end of the film. Raph even seems to find his place own at Eastman on the wrestling team in the post-credit scene.

I think this is what has turned a lot of fans off MM, though, because the turtles' need for secrecy and using their ninja skills to remain hidden has always been an integral part of the TMNT franchise. Personally, I actually love that departure from the typical TMNT format and talked about it once before.

But there are some traditional TMNT elements that I did miss in MM, one of those being the fact that in most iterations, Raph is an outsider even amongst outsiders. His anger is what alienates him from his brothers at times, and it often gets him into trouble. It’s also what almost always leads to his friendship with Casey (another outsider).

Tales of the TMNT isn't out yet, and we don't how this series will give Raph that traditional outsider treatment, or if it will at all. They could save it for Mutant Mayhem 2, but that's still years away. And even then they might decide not to go that route because so far, MM Raph's rage has mostly just manifested in a propensity for fighting & violence rather than interpersonal issues with his brothers & other people. His rage is even framed as useful in the final fight against Superfly.

So anyway...as canon stands right now pre-tottmnt/MM 2, Raph is an "insider". He and his brothers can have a life on the surface, and Raph even seems to have found his own place at Eastman on the wrestling team. Again, I'm all for this happy ending and a brand new experience for the turtles, but I was also missing my personal favorite flavor of Raph...which is angry and alienated lol.

After I saw MM in theaters, I started looking at a lot of the concept art and other production material floating around on the internet and I came across this concept art by Garrett Lee:

And it was like "oh shit, there he is! Outsider Raph!"

He looks so lonely and separate from everyone else here, and I was obsessed with this idea of Raph somehow still being an outsider even after the mutants were accepted by humans. But again, we're still waiting for tottmnt and MM 2, and even then there's no guarantee we'll get an Angry & Sad Outsider Raph out of either of those.

So I asked myself "how can I ruin MM Raph's life so that he's as lonely and miserable as he looks in this concept art???"

...and Reciprocity was born 😅

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

book 7 part 4 thoughts!!

***THIS POST CONTAINS MASSIVE SPOILERS FOR BOOK 7, PART 4 OF THE MAIN STORY!!***

Usually I would put this in bullet points, but I have so many thoughts that I have to format it as paragraphs. (If you’d like to watch a rough part-by-part summarized translation, please check out this archived stream!)

Please note: this is NOT meant to be a summary or a translation; these are only my initial thoughts on the events that unfold. There may be details overlooked or misunderstood in this post, so PLEASE do not use this as a translation.

LILIA'S SO DIFFERENT 🤡 His voice is deeper, and he speaks more gruffly. He definitely comes off as more combative and having disdain for humans. HE'S POPPING OFF ABOUT HOW BAD SILVER/SEBEK/GRIM ARE AT MAGIC??? Damn, what happened in the following years to make him change????

The contrast between current Lilia telling Silver "there's nothing left for me to teach you" and past Lilia being like, "there's nothing for me to teach you, are you trying to make fun of me?"

The human faction they're fighting at the moment are the Silver Owls!! There are also people who dress in iron (a metal which harms fae in irl mythology), I'm not sure if they are synonymous with the Silver Owls or not.

IHBFIOASBFIAADSI LORD, THE FAE SOLDIERS ARE ALL MIDDLE SCHOOL NEKO GIRLS HISSING AT US

AYO, SEBEK GRANDPA REVEAL????? ??? ? ? ????? BAL/BAAL/BAUL REAL, I CAN SEE WHERE SEBEK GETS HIS LOOKS AND HIS PERSONALITY FROM

Silver's asking to team up with Lilia and his group (Lilia was about to just leave them there because he's concerned with the Silver Owls setting up camp at the base of the mountain)? Bruh, book 1 we're calming down an angry classmate and book 7 is like, HEY KIDS LET'S TAKE A FIELD TRIP INTO AN ACTIVE WAR ZONE.

Silver's hoping to shock him awake via a fight, here comes a Sebek and Silver tag team battle!! RIP Lilia beats them up a little :v (Sebek. Don't fanboy over his strength, WE ARE FIGHTING FOR OUR LIVES HERE)

Oop, they disorient him with light and Lilia's mask off!! It's treated like a big reveal????? Sorry, but how does Yuu not notice this is Lilia automatically 😅

Lilia voice) you are not my son (and here you can hear Silver's heart breaking/j)

Oh boy, we get to be prisoners of war/j

NOT LILIA ASKING SILVER AND SEBEK HOW THEY KNOW HOW TO FIGHT SO WELL WHEN IT WAS LILIA WHO TRAINED THEM TO BEGIN WITH

"Fae don't go back on their word" AH SO THEY LIKE TO KEEP PROMISES EH

"May the night bless you" seems to be some kind of salute for nocturnal fae?

LOL Lilia's against being called a father OTL THE IRONY HERE IS SO STRONG

Not Sebek's grandpa telling them off for not showing Lilia respect and saying how great he is... Fanboy genes run in the family/j

DOES YUU STILL THINK THIS IS A PERIOD DRAMA OR SOMETHING

BAAL IS CALLING SEBEK A HUMAN KEK

BAL/BAAL/BAUL REAL DROPS THE CROC MASK???? ?? ?? ?? ? He's got SCALES instead of facial hair???? ???? ? ? Oh man, he reminds me so much of Seteth FE3H OTL The scales are a signature trait of the Zigvolt line! Sebek says his mom has the same scales.

NO NOT SEBEK HAVING TO CONFESS THAT HIS DAD BEING HUMAN, IS THIS THE START OF HIS CHARACTER ARC

LILIA TOLD BAAL TO BABYSIT US...

AW Sebek's so excited about seeing his grandpa in his prime... I'm happy seeing Sebek happy OTL

Lilia's dreaming about the past... I wonder if it's because he was thinking about his life and what he has achieved before leaving his loved ones with his legacy...

Lilia first got the invite to NRC 500 years ago??? So NRC has been around much longer than we expected.

Ahhhh, crap 🤡 The return of book 6 limited battles but now with a battle map. There is a new mechanic where HP carries over from each battle; if a card's HP gets knocked to 0, you cannot use them. (5 cards be restored at random if you get to a heart space on the battle map.)

SEBEK'S ACTING AS OUR OLD FAE SPEECH TRANSLATOR (He's throwing his own angry commentary in, which is hilarious)

The humans arrived on a boat ~100 years ago. Now they have a settlement in the east and are mining around Briar Valley + taking the fae's natural resources. (I think this is why Mystium, that shape-shifting magic green ore that Lilia's weapon is made of, is no longer as plentiful; it was likely mined into obscurity.)

Magical creatures are now coming down from the mountain and causing trouble in Briar villages; the fairies cannot handle all of this. Damn, this is just the plot to the first Shrek movie 😂 They're invading Shrek's swamp--

Oh, interesting! So there are different kinds of fae language (depending on the type of fae they are; think of the diurnal fae from Fairy Gala speaking in bell tinkles), but they infuse their voices with magic so they can understand one another. In modern Briar Valley, there is a common tongue. Omg, Sebek speaks it with his mom and grandma! BILINGUAL KING, HE'S SO PROUD OF HIMSELF... Silver tried to learn from Lilia, but he struggled with it; Sebek's dad had the same issue so the problem must be that human ears cannot pick up on the same range of sounds as fae ears can. This is true of real life as well; different creatures have different auditory thresholds and auditory detection ranges.

Bruh, not Lilia sending out literal children to fight for him on the battlefield...

Eh, new character named??? Some human soldiers are talking about Henrich?? Henrik??? Henric??? He's a commander of the Silver Owls who is conceited and dumps his work onto his subordinates. Errrr he apparently also has a little sister named Leia? Lea??? Leah???? Who is rumored to be in a relationship with someone called the Dawn Knight.

More interesting lore????? Kind of???? Some pixies (small fae) come and warn Lilia about something up ahead, then heal them too. This is notable since in Fairy Gala: What If, we learn that diurnal fae (which I believe pixies are) and nocturnal fae (which Lilia and Sebek appear to be) do not like each other. It seems they got along well enough in the past to confront a common enemy?

They reach a Silver Owl camp!! ... Aaand Lilia tells his soldiers to boot them out so they can take over the camp. I mean, it IS technically the fae's land to begin with, so. Uhhhh, yeah I think I'm with Lilia on this one 💦

I don't think iron affects fae negatively in Twisted Wonderland?? Lilia and co. are having no trouble fighting them even when the humans are clad in iron armor.

HMMMM they've named dropped a formidable person on the human side called the Dawn Knight (Lilia mentions them once, then the human soldiers do). The Dawn Knight is the captain of the Silver Owls and even Lilia considers them a strong opponent. Methinks they'll become a key player later...

OH NOOOO 😭 Sebek’s like, “let’s change this fate!!” but since it’s just a dream, reality won’t be altered at all… Then Sebek suggests just. Staying in the dream???? Which makes darkness spawn… The light from Silver’s ring thing (the trinket he got from Lilia as a sign that he is now a full fledged adult) protects them???

Silver fears the dream will tempt him to stay too 😭 He asks Yuu to snap him “awake” if it ever comes to that… Silver, sweet boy… OTL

NOT SILVER AND SEBEK JUMPING IN TO STOP LILIA FROM COOKING FOR THEM (Come to think of it, how have Lilia's soldiers survive this far with him cooking for them???? ?? ??? ?? ?? )

LILIA THINKING THEY'RE GOING TO POISON THEM, THAT'S SO JAMIL ENERGY

Omg... They're acknowledging their Master Chef training (this is the only time they've referenced events in the main story, if I recall correctly)... Silver even prepares a risotto for them all~ (His own favorite food is mushroom risotto, so I like to think of it as he's sharing a piece of himself with the fae.)

asldiuhaodasidba Lilia complaining about the tiny portions in fine dining...

SEBEK PREPARING A ROAST CHICKEN FOR THEM, they're going all out for this one meal??? ? ? ??? ? ?? Poor Sebek though 😭Baal refuses to eat anything Sebek made, he'd rather starve or eat rations than a human's cooking...

AW BAAL BOUGHT SEBEK BOOKS????? And encouraged his love for reading... 😭

Grim taking Baal's portion of food... (Of course... Did we really have any doubts about that?) Sebek really did get his attitude from Baal... Now Baal's going, "Gimme my food back!" after Grim started digging into it... And then Baal has three entire helpings of risotto... THEY HAVE THE SAME INTIMIDATING-YET-ALSO-PATHETIC VIBES

AYO SILHOUETTE FOR MALLEUS'S MOM????? Her name is (Princess) Mallenoa, the only daughter of Maleficia (Malleus's grandma). She lives at a separate palace and commands the military. Lilia also describes her as being extremely powerful, fickle, stubborn, selfish, and easy to anger. He's just tossing out allllllll the adjectives ahdbayodqdq

Ah, so it sounds like humans greatly outnumber the fae??? So they're at a disadvantage. Normally a royal would handle diplomatic stuff like this but for some reason Lilia is being sent? They're traveling on foot to deliver a message to the human encampment to the east; the last messenger (that travelled there via magic?) did not return. Ominous...

Fae nobility are repulsed by the smell of iron? I'm confused, are fae in TWST impacted by iron or not????

Aww, Silver... He's asking his dad to come to school not to learn, but to make special memories there 🥺 Back to "our Night Raven College"...

NOOO NOW THEY'RE FLASHING THROUGH ALL THE DORMS... while Silver and Sebek monologue about how everyone at NRC is very different, but despite how weird they all are, there is a lot that can be learned from their differences. Silver's spreading what he learned from his dad... and the fact that even Sebek pitched in... 😭

Lilia voice) let's make these high school students our pack mules and unpaid chefs and if they fuck up we leave them for dead in these woods where there are monsters lurking about

Man, he's so ruthless????? Lilia will use anyone he can to succeed in his mission... But then the next second he lays into his princess with a smile www

Lilia knew the princess since they were kids ~300 years ago, which puts the current conflict at ~400 years ago from modern day (since present Lilia is ~700 years old).

asdjbasbldbasdi Gotta love the lowkey jabs at classic fairy tales... Lilia says that human princesses may need protecting but not theirs???? (Yet Mallenoa still stays in her castle all day like she's waiting for a prince.)

THE PRINCESS HAS AN EGG... MALLEUS????? IS THAT YOU???? ???? ????? ? ?? ? ? (LOL at Sebek calling it Tamago-sama asghdyqovywqdwp9qbpacpasb) JAHAJAAH BAAL SUS OF THEM BEING INTERESTED IN THE EGG????

Oooh, so dragon eggs only hatch after receiving enough love and magic from the parents??? (Otherwise the egg will not mature and hatch.) The "power of love" is real, you guys 🥺

ANOTHER new character name drop?????? Levan/Revan??? It's a fae that went missing (probably the messenger from earlier??) I-Is that. Is that Malleus's dad???????? (Lilia says that both the princess and Levan/Revan have been pushing their tasks onto him; he has known them both for a long ass time.)

Baal voice) I still don't trust you

Fandom, back at Baal: Sorry (grand)daddy. Sorry. (Grand)daddy? Sorry. (Grand)daddy? Sorry.

Malleus is 178 years old in current day even though his egg existed 400 years ago, so it seems there was a few hundred years of delay before he actually hatched (normally the egg would hatch in 2-3 years). That means Lilia was ~522 when Malleus hatched and ~683 when he found Silver as a newborn (Malleus was ~161). Silver and Sebek think it’s weird that the timeline does not add up; it means Malleus was dormant for quite a while?? Or is the dream world wonky to accommodate for a “happy ending”? Or maybe the history they know is not correct (since earlier in book 7 Lilia mentions how true history can be distorted over time.)

Very sus, apparently there is not a lot known about Briar Valley's history??? Lilia never talked about the past around Silver, and Baal did the same with Sebek. None of the books Sebek read really goes into that history either. In current day, the palace where Malleus's mom resided isn't even there anymore, it's just land. It suddenly became a mystery...

MAN, I've been wondering this whole time why Lilia's happy ending is wartime but maybe. This is the period where Malleus's parents both died???? Maybe his happy ending is saving them??? Instead of them dying and him having to live with the guilt of not being there to protect his friends and his future prince's parents???? (I previously thought it was during war that Malleus hatched and/or Lilia found Silver, but I guess the timeline doesn't make sense there.)

According to Silver, they cannot stray too far from dreamers or else the darkness will return and try to drag them into a deeper sleep.

asdhbasdobasdbas Sebek is SUPER hype to see baby Tamago-sama Malleus...

Sebek points out that Silver is not nodding off (good catch, I actually did not notice this because I was too busy screaming about the lore); sooo when Silver is dream walking, he's consistently alert. It looks like Silver's narcolepsy is an important detail??? (Lilia took him to lots of doctors that didn't know how to help him, Silver does whatever he can to sleep well and to have a sleep schedule.)

OH MY GOD, I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT YUU AND GRIM STILL DIDN'T KNOW LILIA IS SILVER'S DAD. They thought it was a friendly nickname this entire time??? Kind of late to get to that, but alright 😅 We have acquired the Forbidden Knowledge... (SEBEK'S MOM IS WAY OLDER THAN HIS DAD BUT LOOKS WAY YOUNGER?? I mean, I kind of expected that but to have it confirmed just hits different.)

One of the soldiers tells the kids to stfu so they can sleep and so Sebek yells at everyone to stop disturbing them (you know, in his LOUD AS HECK voice).

Water in the Briar Country is cold because it is located up north (it snows a lot!). The lake water usually comes from melted snow. Checks out, I guess?

They're packing up to leave the camp... Reminds me of Mulan!

[Insert boring trek to the Silver Owls' base. Interesting tidbit: some soldiers we run into comment that Silver resembles the Dawn Knight/they didn't know the Dawn Knight had a lover?????? So... that's obviously gotta be an ancestor of Silver's, right??? Also??? The Dawn Knight apparently never removes their helmet, even around subordinates... VERY SUS, SIR

NAYUUURx NOT SeBEK CAViNG TO THE DATKNESS 😭 I feel like??? This is a really big character development moment for him?? He’s always been pretty blindly loyal to Malleus and hateful of humans, but this marks the first time he willingly does something against Malleus’s will and he calls Yuu and Grim by name… Sebek, sweetie… 😭 (Side note: Silver’s been so strong-willed through all of this, but I’m glad that TWST showed he isn’t perfect and infallible; he, too, was tempted to stay in the dream when Sebek started to consider it too.)

bchsheoxndle Something else I enjoy is Baul being so… tsun?? He complains about the kids but keeps an eye out for them anyway (and Sebek in particular)… The paternal vibes are too immaculate to completely squash 😎]

They made it!! Finally!!

UHHHHH THEY'RE FIGHTING A BIG MACHINE AND. LILIA INSTINCTIVELY BLOCKS SILVER?? (He’ll be fine, he’s in his prime 😌)

Oop, Heinrich and the Dawn Knight were supposed to be in the eastern base but they aren't??? Oh no, it looks like. It was a diversion?????? While Lilia and co. are busy at the base, Heinrich launched an attack on the palace where Malleus's mom is???????

AND OF CORUSE THAT'S WHERE WE CUT OFF?????????? BRUH.

OKAY, so this entire update was focused just on Lilia's dream. We have no clue what's happening in Idia's dream or the real world with Ortho??? Which I'm totally fine with; I feel like we learned SO much about Briar Valley's history and important figures in it. That's a very fair trade-off. I loved getting to learn about the conflict between humans and fae, fae culture, and about how Briar Valley (or Country) works. I'm surprised that the characters themselves know so little about the history, but that just makes me worried that that's because it's a dark part of history that was purposefully censored from the textbooks...

There were a lot of new characters introduced in this part, most of them just mentioned by name or silhouette. It really feels like we walked right into the most dire part of a history textbook... So much tragedy has been set up, so many key players put into place... But being that this is Lilia's promised happy ending, surely he must reverse fate and save the day in the end????? Right? Right??? ?????? ?? ??? ? ? ? ? ? ?????? I have my eyes glued to the Draconia family lore and history, I'm READY to absorb it!

Something else I found really fascinating was learning more about Sebek this update! He still has a very arrogant attitude about him (that much hasn't changed), but I loved seeing how he acts different around his grandfather and how excited he gets over little things like seeing Malleus's egg. I think this part also marks the start to his character arc; he is constantly put down time and time again by his grandpa, someone whom he really loves. Sebek is used to his grandpa accepting him for who he is, but now his grandpa is shouting hateful rhetoric and discriminating against him for being half human. It's the same ugly behavior that Sebek slings to other people, but now the shoe's on the other foot and HE'S the victim in these situations. It must no doubt be extremely uncomfortable for Sebek, but it's also forcing him into a situation where he has to look at his own bigotry head-on, and it gives him a chance to reevaluate himself. It's similar to how Vil had to challenge Epel's outdated gender views even when Epel kicked up a fuss every time Vil did. asdhbsaisdbabdil I'm just really invested in Sebek's character arc!!

I think there's a high probability we'll see all of the silhouetted figures in full in a future update, it's clear that we'll eventually be rushing back to check on Malleus's mom at some point. I'm super interested in seeing how Malleus's parents, the Dawn Knight, Lilia, Baal, and Henrik tie together. (And, of course, we NEED to check in with the Shrouds as well.)

I have heard people say that Henrik may be a reference to King Henry from the live action Maleficent? Then that means that the Dawn Knight may be TWST's equivalent to Stefan/Stephan (Aurora's dad) and Henrik/Henric's little sister is Leah/Leia (Aurora's mom)??? Then I've heard other theories that since Malleus's dad vanished, we have no corpse to confirm he is for real dead and maybe he's actually Crowley who went off to buy some milk and never came back???? (Because “Levan” sounds like “raven” and you know who else is a black bird? CROWLEY. Is he. Is he really going to be the Ultimate Absentee Dad by pulling off his mask in front of Malleus and go, “Luke, I am your father” at him????) And then there's those of us who are drooling over new character designs and screaming about how hot Sebek's grandpappy is. Point is, there are so many wild parallels, theories, ideas, and thirst posts flying around right now. I love how this wild update reinvigorated the whole fandom into a new period of theory crafting and other creative works. asdhabsdasdbasdi Every new book 7 update gets more and more hype... I just hope we get part 5 in July!!! Super intrigued by the history of the Briar Valley~

[the-orange-tabby-cat]

The Renegade

joel miller x fem!reader

Summary of the fic: This is why I’m writing to you, Tess. Do you see how much trouble am I? How unstable and not anywhere good for him? I can’t fall in love with him and he can’t get closer, I’m a weak bitch: I’m gonna fall for him if you don’t help me. I walked too many meters of bad decisions before, I can’t cross another ocean. You are my only hope, The renegade - Your parents ask you to try seeing a therapist, Tess, and you agree under one condition: she can't let you fall in love with Joel Miller. A fic in the format of letters, from you to Tess. 🐾

read on AO3 | masterlist | next chapter

Warnings/tags: Explict +18, no outbreak AU, slow burn, fluff, smut, kinda loser reader? lol, implied age gap, coming of age, no use of y/n

Word count of the prologue + chapter 1: 6,4k

Tabby note: This will be a quick fic, I promise! I needed to take it off my head, it was clogging everything else at this point lol I really wanted an anti-hero protagonist instead of the usual good girls I write. She is messy and adorable at the same time, I'm really proud of how the story is taking shape! Hope you like it!

PROLOGUE

Austin, July 2024

Dear Tess,

You said I could write you in any format as long I’m true to what I’m putting out. That’s some therapist bullshit, but since it’s you reading this mess, I will let it slide. I thought a lot about what to write down for you, not the usual overthinking, more of a “where do I begin?”. Remember, you were the one who told me to write this if I can’t say out loud what it is inside my head while we are in session. This shit is hard, okay?

Let me start by being the smartpants I used to be: the human brain processes a thought faster than one meter per second. If I put together all the meters my brain ran while getting bad ideas, I could now cross the Atlantic Ocean.

Do you remember when you were a kid and your parents told you to avoid certain people? That strange feeling you get when you see a trainwreck of a person, the one that didn’t exactly do something bad, they just are stuck somewhere out of this reality and you think to yourself “I would never get in that position”? 

I did get in that position. I’m stuck in that somewhere. For years now.

Wish I could tell you that something horrible happened to me when I was younger, that my mother crushed all my dreams and my dad left one day to buy a pack of cigarettes. What about a strict family or an over-the-top religious one where I’m one of ten kids? Not even close to the truth, I’m an only daughter.

Middle middle class: enough money to live more than comfortably, far from the luscious lifestyle of the riches. I grew up knowing money didn’t come from the trees, I touched some grass, okay? The only thing expected by my kinda-aristocrat parents was that I would achieve academic success prior to a life full of achievements.

Chess competitions, spelling bee trophies (if I make a mistake a few pages down, it’s been a while since it), debate club captain, swimming team… You name it and I did. At seventeen I was voted as “most likely to be successful” and second place for homecoming queen because slutty Katie gave the basketball team a sloppy blowjob after practice. I had a first kiss and gave one bad handjob under the bleachers by that age.

Then university came and nobody, no fucking body, got wowed when I got an Ivy League on my first try. My head was too shoved up my ass to notice life around me. I wasn’t a pretty girl anymore because girls in my class were prettier than me, wasn’t the smartest since I wasn’t a teacher’s pet by just existing. 

My classmates didn’t care for me because I had no clue about social etiquette: what alcohol is acceptable to bring to a frat party? How do you pick up guys and let them suck on your tongue? Do you stay inside your dorm room when your roommate is fucking or do you wait outside?

I could do it with being the awkward girl, but not with being less than perfect. By the second semester, I was crying every day in the shower and realized I had no friends, just people who had the same interests as me back home. I tried so hard to become the number one in my class that life became hell the second my teacher gave me a lower score on a significant test.

I left her class and instead of crying, calling my parents to vent, or any other shit, I walked by the first frat house I saw and decided to lose my v card there with any guy that looked remotely cute. 

Don’t get me wrong, I couldn’t be a slut if I hadn’t had a penis inside me yet, but I knew that something was boiling up for years. My hand sneaking under my panties after a tiring day, humping on my pillow whenever I got frustrated, even the shoulder massager I got for after swimming practice humming on my clit did it. All I needed was a chance to forget for a moment the hell that was my life.

And I did. A sand blond guy with a shark smile that would fuck anything that moved in his direction, clearly a rich bitch whose parents got his spot in the university. I walked in his direction and took my panties off, put them in his hand, and the next thing I saw he was deep inside of me while I hopped him vigorously.

I cummed so hard that I think saw Jesus, whatever he might be. Not that the guy made me cum, I had an itch for so long that any scratch would do it. Any. After coming down my high it was clear in my mind: I would do anything that I didn’t do before.

Drink until pass out, rob beer from the liquor store, fuck my roommate's hot dad, cheat on a test. Nothing was out of limits. Well, I still had to finish university and never use drugs because that was a hard no for me.

You see, Tess, I’m so good at keeping my promises to other people and ignoring my own needs that I did finish university. Graduated with an honor badge and everything, my parents' wet dream. Except they no longer knew me and had no clue that I spent four years whoring myself and doing everything to ignore who I used to be.

And this is why on my first day in a big company, a trainee job earned right after college, I vomited inside the bathroom stall during onboarding. A panic attack a week later when my leader delegated some tasks. You give me a few months and my mind went blank the second I started a presentation to the c level board. I ran so fast outside that I fell on the sidewalk, got up, called for a cab, and never came back.

It’s been years since it.

My parents came to you because they still have some hope. I don’t, I think they are being dumb. Yes, I have an Ivy League degree, a bunch of useless skills (except for Mandarin, I can read so fast the menu at a Chinese restaurant) but nothing to do with when I WON’T come back to who I used to be. Do you think I sound miserable now? I’m miserable but I’m free in my kitchenette downtown, with my band t-shirts and two jobs. Living the dream.

Of course I’m fucking lying to you. I hate my life because the bitch running it is so dumb (that’s me, by the way).

It used to be kinda cool. The day I ran from the office was the same day I went straight to the arcade and played Mortal Kombat II so much that I broke the machine’s record. I went there for a full week before the manager, an emo guy looking like a teenager, decided to hire me.

It wasn’t enough to pay for my fancy downtown apartment, the one that got furniture that didn’t come from IKEA, so I had to move to the shithole I’m now. A mini studio in a building so old that if the city trembles, I’m sure that I will be turning into dust.

Years in this life, day after day, and I wasn’t mad about it. I was free, after all. It took about two years for my parents to find out that I wasn’t the prodigious child anymore and they took better than I expected. My mom cried, cursed my name, and asked if someone hurt me but I didn’t have the heart to tell her that I was the one who caused it.

Anyway, you already know this stuff. They told you their side of the story when letting you know that I would be your new patient. What exactly have they told you? About how I never introduced them to a guy and my dad had a very straightforward conversation with me about why lesbians were cool and he would accept me if I was one? Maybe they told you about how I got so drunk one Christmas that end up peeing on the petunias in the neighbor’s yard and my mom thought it was a good idea to tell them I was heavily sedated from a fear of flying? Nobody said it was easy to be an only child.

What you don’t know is that I have a love life, you are welcome. For years I’ve been sleeping around with a married man. I know, I know, shocking! Scandalous! His name is Peter and he is dumb as a door. But the dick is good and he sometimes treats me like a real person. I met him at a bar, gave him a blowjob in the back alley (Katie would be proud) and we see each other every week since.

Remember when I said my family isn’t religious? Thank god because that’s not everything. I have a boyfriend, a real one. It was a scorching day, the AC wasn’t working and I had to put the neckline out a bit before becoming a puddle. That’s when I see him, playing with his friends, having fun, being so fucking broad and handsome… I had to taste it.

Flirted a bit and boom, got him at the back door pumping deep inside of me while I was sitting on a desk. He was amazing, he was making me gooey to the point of screaming in pleasure. Too good to be true, when he was about to come I saw the little golden cross pending from his neck.

The next day he came back, told me how sorry he was, and asked me for an opportunity to show me how good he could be. I thought he wanted a second round, but nope, he wanted me to meet Jesus. I’m a people pleaser, Tess. It has been four months since I’m Mormon Isaac’s girlfriend. Every Sunday I attend the sermon, his family knows me and I haven’t slept with him since that first day. It marks also the four months I’m trying to break up with him.

You must think that I ain’t a good person and you are right, I’m not. Not the worst, but for sure not a fucking saint. I don’t come back in my decisions, anyone else with less brain would, but not me. I’m too stubborn to deal with the hell I made of my own life. Or used to, because now I’m head over heels for this guy, Tess.

Joel Miller. The stupid hunk who is older, wiser, and hot. Who I can’t stop thinking about since we met. Damn his pretty brown eyes and how they look into my soul. I’m a mess and I need some help dealing with it before he gets into my trap and I destroy him.

This is why I’m writing to you, Tess. Do you see how much trouble am I? How unstable and not anywhere good for him? I can’t fall in love with him and he can’t get closer, I’m a weak bitch: I’m gonna fall for him if you don’t help me. I walked too many meters of bad decisions before, I can’t cross another ocean.

You are my only hope,

The renegade

P.S. I won’t pay you shit, hope my parents paid you enough for this.

CHAPTER ONE

Austin, July 2024

Dear Tess,

Yes, I'm doing well, thank you for your concern, guess the rambling in my last letter got you worried about me. It’s a skill, I’m very good at making people worry. I'm marvelous, splendid, and well, fucked. By our last session, you asked me more details of how I ended up meeting Joel and I said to you “a lady never tells” and you didn't laugh, tough crowd. Let me paint you a picture then.

There are many regulars at the arcade. The asians dudes that go there after Kumon (been there, done that, I feel so sorry for them), the lone wolves of 40+ that still want to feel young since they can't get any pussy and, my favorites, the after-school reruns.

These little fuckers go there every week to burn some steam from their sugary-inflicted bodies, stay until 4 pm and go straight to their houses, to their mom and dad. I'm not bitter, I just hate teenagers.

I'm aware that it sounds like I'm on the wrong career path since they keep my economy going, but fuck it, teenagers give me the creeps. Except for the queers, they are quite nice. I have a baby lesbian (it’s pretty obvious) that I call 3 pm because she comes by this time twice a week, Ellie.

She is probably fifteen or so and everything I wasn't at her age. Firecracker, bossy with a dirty mouth – did I ever tell you that the first time I said “fuck” in front of my parents was after my meltdown? You can guess it. One of the only teenagers I got close to if I'm honest. She came by one afternoon, saw Mortal Kombat II, and hasn't left since.

“Who's The Renegade?” She asked me one time, checking out the scoreboard with disgust. Remember I beat the machine record? She was right after me.

“No clue, try harder.” I teased her thinking she wouldn't care and move on with her life, like people do.

But not Ellie, she tried really hard to break the fucking record. Week after week, I watched her trying her best from my glass display while wearing the ugly bowling striped shirt that is my uniform.

I saw him way before he saw me. Doing my regular afternoon routine, cleaning the games with some rubbing alcohol to avoid the sticky hands infecting everywhere, minding my business under the neon light. All good, until I saw broad shoulders (I have a type, okay? Sue me) playing the fucking Mortal Kombat II with Ellie by his side.

Broad, so fucking broad. Dark curls with some gray here and there adorning his ears. I must have made some noise because for a second he looked back and that nose? Yeah, that was the end of me.

“You were close, old man,” Ellie teased as the fight on screen got to an end. He glared at her before looking at his score. “Nah, you're full of shit. Not even close to me or The Renegade.”

“Yeah, if I was spending that much time here I would be second place too,” he groaned before gaining full height. That voice gave me chills as I pretended I haven't heard shit, trying to not sneak a look and failing every time.

And that was it, Tess. Not exactly your meet cute, sorry. He came back maybe three or four times, always polite, nothing else. I thought it would be a silent crush, a small one until I got bored. I’m constantly bored.

My second job is a little less orthodox, if you can call my first one that. A girl has to do what she has to to get that bag. On Christmas, I’m the Santa helper with a mini skirt and sweet smiles (you can imagine how many times I picked up desperate dads like that), by Easter, I’m your lucky bunny hopping around in white hot pants, when Thanksgiving is around the corner I’m the sluttiest turkey you ever saw. 

The mall manager pays me double because I let him once see my boobs and the poor guy is so lonely that he is more than sure that we will sleep together at some point.

“A vest with “can I help you?” tagline? Where is the skanky clothes?” I asked him one Saturday morning, thinking he made a mistake giving me the day costume.

“We’re getting more boomers and older visitors, we need someone to stay in a good floor spot and answer their questions,” he told me in a boring tone, the sadness in his eyes always a classic.

“Okay, if they ask me questions, what do I do? I don’t know shit about this mall except that you can buy powder by the public telephones and shouldn’t use the ladies bathroom on the second floor, that’s where Nora from Chipotle goes and that woman’s ass is rancid.” He furrowed his brows and dragged his hand on his face, taking his time to process what I had just said.

“Just be nice and bring them to someone who will be helpful, maybe a security guard, I don’t know. And don’t use cocaine while on the job, I can’t deal with another junkie here,” he said reinforcing the vest on my hands and urging me to get out of the room.

Now would be a good time to remind you that I don’t use drugs, never did. I might be many things in this life, but not a stoner. Not because I’m prudish or think drugs are bad for you, even if they are. I’m way too afraid about getting hooked once I realize that the play-pretend reality that they induce in your brain is better than this one. I’m self-destructive, but not stupid.

So there I was, in my lime neon vest, above a small platform with a big dark blue “information” written. Thinking about anything you can imagine, my shift lasts six hours and I can’t sit down, just a fifteen-minute bathroom break. One of my worst nightmares is to be alone with the dumb bitch inside my head, that’s why I hate silence.

When was the last time you went to a mall? They used to be a big deal in my younger days, but now they are dead. It’s so fucking slow, just little packs of people here and there. Not even music playing to alleviate the tension between me and my stupid brain.

“Miss?” A small voice called, I looked to the sides and saw nobody,  so they insisted. “Miss?”

I looked down on the platform and to my surprise, a toddler with big brown eyes and curly hair was calling me. Hesitating for a second, I climbed down my platform and crouched to get my eyes the same height as his, I read once that kids get more comfortable like that.

“Hm, yeah?” I asked unsure of how one talks with kids, shouldn’t he be there with an adult?

“I can’t find my uncle,” the poor kid was on the verge of tears, making me panic.

“Okay, let’s find him,” I said with very little confidence, unsure how to approach it.

Before I could think about what I would do, his hand found a place in mine, holding me like an anchor. I decided to go to the nearest security guard and hope for the best, one thing was to be a failure by myself and another was to fail a little kid.

We walked for about five minutes, the fucking mall had a small amount of guards. No fucking clue why nobody comes down there. The kid got a little tired of walking and held up his little arms, asking to be picked up.

I accepted it, letting him rest his head on my shoulder. Thinking about it now, as I write this to you, I can’t remember the last time somebody hugged me. We might need to talk about it in session.

“You tell me if you see him, okay? What does your uncle look like?” I asked still walking down the corridor, searching for the damn guard.

“Big, fluffy hair,” I laughed at how wholeheartedly the kid tried to answer it.

“Blue eyes? Dark hair?” He shook his head for the first one but nodded at the second.

Changing corridor, I saw from afar a big guy and a smaller figure talking with a guard and figured out it was the kid’s uncle. The man seemed agitated, speaking with his hands in the air. As I pressed my steps, the figures got more familiar. Made a signal for the kid, showing them when we were close enough and his face lightened up.

“Uncle Joel!” He shouted happily, as I put him down so he could run to the tall man.

That’s how I found out his name. Simple, discrete, direct. Jo-el. Suits him.

He immediately hugged the boy, kissing the top of his head. Ellie was at the side getting color back on her face, unshed tears in her eyes when she noticed me.

“I know you,” she started and I panicked a little. I don’t know why, I wasn’t doing anything weird, but something about breaking their bubble made me uncomfortable.

Joel looked up from his nephew’s face and furrowed his brows, not in a “who the fuck are you?” kinda way, more of a “wait, I do know you too”.

“Hm, yeah, I work at the arcade down the block,” I said in a monotone, looking into Ellie’s eyes, ignoring Joel’s.

“Are you safe? All good?” Joel asked in a soft tone, much softer than I imagined a man like him could do, to the kid.

“Yes,” the toddler replied searching for my hand again. My eyes got to the size of the moon, unaware of how to react.

“Thank you for helping him, we were about to lose our heads searching for him everywhere.” Joel gave me puppy eyes in his dearest manners and every inch of my body heated as he got up, gaining his tall size. 

A grown, big man being soft on the edges? The hottest thing I’ve seen and I fucked once Mormon Isaac.

I was ready to get back to my platform when Ellie shared stares with Joel, a language I hadn’t properly been introduced to in my formal education, but I think I can decipher:

Ellie looking straight, then bringing her eyebrows up - say something, Joel

Joel furrowing his heavy eyebrows and pouting a little, before looking towards the exit - no, let’s go home

Ellie rolling eyes and siding it in my direction real quick - she is right here, do something

Joel setting his jaw and looking directly at Ellie - I said no, let’s go home

Ellie narrowing her eyes and then nodding to the toddler - how did we got him back?

Joel glancing at his nephew, Ellie, and me before pouting a little bigger - okay, fine, you’re so annoying

Mind you I’m not a linguist in any way, I might have translated something wrong since I’m not fluent and the whole scene lasted no more than two seconds. I was highly confused when he put his hand on the toddler’s shoulder (mind you, who was still holding my hand) and cleared his throat.

“Are you hungry? It would be a pleasure having you with us,” he proposed in his most southern polite voice. I laughed a little, stupid bitch.

“That’s not… Necessary. Really. It’s okay!” I replied quickly, awkwardly trying to walk back. The kid’s hand grip got stronger.

“C’mon, stay. It’s the minimum I can do,” Joel insisted with another puppy eye.

“I used to g-get lost too, in the mall, you know? It’s okay! It’s just a full circle moment, but thank you!” I lied.

I was a prodigious child, way too smart for my age, and for sure not roaming around in a suburban mall. My parents weren’t strict, but they had a very clear vision of what was cool and what was trashy. Read in my room, go to museums and cinema exhibitions of foreign movies that I was able to watch without the subtitles? Hot and cool. Go to the mall, watch blockbuster movies, and eat a burger at the food court? Suburban and trashy. I got lost once at a library, though.

“He won’t stop giving you the puppy eye until you accept, c’mon,” Ellie replied gaining a double glare from me and Joel, who – in all truth – was still giving me puppy eyes.

“Some pizza wouldn’t hurt,” I said with an awkward lopsided smile. 

The duo stared at each other again, now that I had more familiarity with the language I think I can get better translations:

Ellie shotting up her eyebrows and inclining her head towards the front of her body - told ya, old man

Joel sighing before eyeing the food court direction - lead the way, brat

“Let’s go, Luke,” Ellie grabbed the kid’s hand from mine and started to walk.

“One sec,” I said before taking off my vest and placing it in the security guard’s hand, who looked at me puzzled. I would find a way out of trouble with the manager later on. “Okay, all good!”

“So… The arcade and the mall, you must be good with teenagers,” Joel started nodding in Ellie’s direction. He said in such a genuine matter that it took me back, not a single harsh reply in my brain.

“Not really, it’s more of a coincidence. I try to avoid them a little, though. They could shatter me with one comment.” I laughed a little, trying to break the awkwardness between us. He smirked a bit.

“I get it, Ellie likes to remind me that I’m no longer hip. Do people still use this word?” He asked chewing his cheek and I chuckled.

“I’m not sure. Maybe no? We are very much 20th-century material,” he smiled. 

Do I like to think it was because I hinted that I was old enough to drink, so old enough to fuck him? Yes. But I regretted it the moment that thought appeared in my head.

Don’t get me wrong Tess, even if I’m a slut I wasn’t trying to fuck Joel Miller when we got alone. It’s more of an old habit, a second skin. When I got the conclusion men were little needy bitches, I got laid often.

You pretend to be stupid and praise them on their big brain. Maybe they prefer it when you are a hopeless girl who needs a strong man to solve something that your small body can’t. Or, the classic, they just want a shy girl who has no idea of how pretty she is and is more than grateful that he is there to show her.

Men are simple creatures. The more you make yourself smaller and dumber, the more they want you. Nobody wants an opinionated woman who knows her worth, that isn’t sexy. It’s a sin being a woman who is not sexy all the time.

Something inside of me knew Joel wasn’t trying to pick me up. He was just an older guy with a life set and a family of his own, he wanted to be nice to the girl who helped his nephew.

“Your nephew is a sweet kid, very affectionate,” I said in a genuine tone, trying to clear a bit of my head.

“A good kid too, smart for his age. He will be three in a couple of days,” Joel's face lightened up talking about the toddler. I wondered if someone’s face ever got so bright thinking of me.

“Growing up fast?” I asked trying to keep up, I don’t much about raising kids except that parents feel like everything is way too fast.

“Yes, but there is a long way until he becomes a petulant teenager like Ellie,” he joked with tenderness.

“She is cool, just the right amount of sassy in her bones. Her friends too, they are well-behaved down the arcade,” I said thinking about the times I saw her with other weird teenagers there.

“Really? Good to know her friends treat her well, she needs that,” he replied quickly. I lost him for a second and couldn’t keep my mouth shut.

“Why?” Could I sugarcoat my curiosity a bit? Of course, but my initial awkwardness was opening space for a comfortable conversation and I’m bad at calculating risk.

“We just moved, right before the school year. I’m from Austin, but Ellie no, she is from Boston. We lived there for a few years before moving back. Is tough to be the new kid, you know.”

The soft around the edges came back. I started to wonder how I never noticed Ellie’s accent, but it made sense.

“And why did you come back? Work?” I asked, again, without thinking further. Joel scratched his scruff while pondering how much detail he would give me.

“Boston got too heavy. Bad memories, you know? She needed a fresh start and I was missing the Texas sun.” My eyes searched for a ring on his hand for the first time, but there was nothing to see. Maybe a bad divorce? A widow?

“In that case, welcome home, cowboy,” I said mimicking holding a tip of a cowboy hat to him, who smiled a bit.

When we arrived at the food court, we went straight to the only pizza option available, the fucking Pizza Hut. The mall is shitty, if you haven’t noticed it yet Tess.

Ellie ordered everyone’s pizza as if she were introducing us to a new, exotic cuisine. Joel got amused, looking at her adoringly while petting his nephew's curls. I allowed myself to imagine what if my weekends were filled with this domestic view, if I would be happy to live such a mundane life and got surprised when the response was positive.

“Will you finally tell me who The Renegade is?” Ellie joked with a hint of truth. Joel rolled his eyes in good fun.

“A lady never tells,” I winked at her and Joel grinned with a little laugh. You see Tess, when you make a joke this is how people react, not scribbling something down their therapist's notepad. Rude as fuck.

The pizza could be better, but the company was more than good. I found myself laughing at Ellie’s puns, making comments about the arcade regulars. Joel tried to make me laugh a few times too, like an old friend. I felt good, felt normal instead of the constant weight on my shoulders.

At some point during our little chit-chat, I furrowed my eyebrows.

“How did Luke get lost? You haven’t told me that.” I questioned both of them, Ellie’s cheeks got pink. Joel made a motion for her to speak.

“Joel went inside a store and asked me to wait a little with Luke, to keep an eye on him for a second while he got something. I know,” she looked into his eyes with a guilty stare, “that I must hold Luke’s hand whenever we’re in a public place. I didn’t, started to look into a window shop thinking he was by my side.”

“It’s okay, you were holding tight to his hand on our way here,” Joel assured her.

If that man couldn’t get any hotter, he didn’t hold the weight of her mistakes against her. I swear that I don’t have daddy issues, I might have a Peter Pan syndrome or shit like that, but my dad was quite nice for a stuck-up guy. I’m not comparing dads, I’m comparing how to deal with delicate hearts: in that couple of hours I got to know a little more of them, I saw how Joel didn’t hold Ellie back, tried to shape her into something he wanted. Even inside of my own body I can’t do that with myself, be this level of kind.

I think Joel got me when it crossed my mind that I could fuck up and, maybe, he would still like me. I wouldn’t be a bitch, a bad girl to him. I would be just a person who made a mistake and he would still be there. What if my main kink is to be loved?

He paid for the meal, of course, a southern gentleman. I said goodbye, hinting I would be there when Ellie decided to show up at the arcade and she replied with a “hell yeah”. They left and I sighed, so light as if I had a spa day, but nope, just a good time with nice people. I might be lonely.

In a snap of fingers, I met the mall manager who questioned me why I wasn’t at the platform. The weight of the world came back on my shoulders, I reasoned that I was tired and wanted to go home as fast as possible.

“A kid got lost and I went to help him find his family. I think the slutty outfit might be a better idea next time, this shit is too complex,” I said shrugging before flashing him again with my boobs for a few seconds.

What? I had a nice meal with a good family, but I’m still not a saint.

Anyway, life followed its course. Saw Ellie sometimes at the arcade, Joel would greet me by name whenever he was there to pick her up, all good and normal. I told you, this is not your meet-cute story.

If you are wondering, yes, I saw Mormon Isaac the next day after the missing kid incident. Holy Sunday, couldn’t skip.

I don’t have exactly a wardrobe that screams “SLUT!”, but the vibe isn’t exactly good southern mormon girl. Jesus just wasn’t my thing growing up. My parents were a little paranoid about the christians, we avoided them at all cost. I had to thrift some stuff to attend Sunday preaching with Mormon Isaac.

It was so boring, every single Sunday. Thank God the pastor would scream from time to time on his speech, the only thing waking me up. Mormon Isaac, strangely as it seems, wouldn’t try to grab me a little here and there while we were inside the church.

“Are you okay?” I asked him once when he audibly swallowed when I touched the inside of his thigh when the pastor was speaking, or whatever.

“Yes. Please, not here, sweetheart,” he urged me and I rolled my eyes.

Every. Fucking. Sunday. For. Four. Months. He would only give me a peck after church, always in front of his family, if his parents weren’t making lunch he would drive me home and that’s it.

Sometimes we would do other stuff too. He would take me to the cinema to see a movie, always under PG-13 though. I would try to jack him off and he wouldn’t allow me, I once tried to give him a blowjob and he said he was waiting for the right time. We fucked rough in the staff room and now I was a pervert, make it make some sense.

You can imagine my surprise when, in the middle of an afternoon, Mormon Isaac appeared from nowhere at the arcade.

“Guess whose four-month anniversary is today?” He asked me while holding a box. I have no idea how to pray, but I know that I prayed for every single entity in the sky for a surprise break up as a git.

“Wow, lucky me,” I said with a fake smile. If my job was boring that afternoon, it was about to become worse.

From the corner, I saw Ellie picking up her backpack from the floor as I opened the box. A deep voice greeted my name and I got cold.

Mormon Isaac was looking at me like he was the best boyfriend in the whole world. Joel appeared to be curious, getting close to the glass display I call my office.

“I didn’t know you were religious,” he said looking at the bible in my hands. A fucking bible. Damn you, Mormon Isaac.

“She attends the Sunday preach every week,” Mormon Isaac promptly corrected with his most polite smile. I wanted to die.

“Thank you very much, I will cherish it.” I smiled back, looking into Joel’s eyes with a silent rescue request when Mormon Isaac glanced at his phone.

“See you tomorrow-,” he started and I cut it before he could finish that thought.

“For the bible study, yes. It will be a pleasure,” I said faking another smile, Joel looked so confused and amused by the whole situation. Mormon Isaac grinned so hard that I thought he was about to cum in his pants.

“That’s fantastic! I will let my mom know!” He said before grabbing his phone and walking out, leaving me and Joel behind.

I sighed and dropped my head into my arms, right at the bible. Joel's laugh, I sound I grew to adore, echoed and I glanced up from my arms.

“What the hell was that?” He asked in good fun, looking at how distressed I was.

“You do me a favor: never, I said never, open the door for a Jeovah’s witness. I accepted one preach from this mormon customer and now he plays rehab with me,” I said avoiding the fact that the said mormon was my boyfriend on the following day we would meet for a date.

“I will. Do you need an excuse for bible study?” He asked looking somewhere behind me like he was forming a plan inside his head, both hands on my glass display while Ellie waited.

“Does it involve religion or any kind of cult?” I half-joked. Half because if hot Joel said he wanted me to go to any kind of religious ceremony I would have another panic attack and leave.

Joel looked to Ellie, who looked back at him and both nodded. This time I can’t translate, sorry, I’m still in the process of getting the language's grammatical structure.

“Tomorrow is Luke’s birthday. Surprise party. You don’t want to break the poor’s kid heart, c’mon,” Ellie said faking seriousness. Joel nodded back.

“There will be food?” Ellie confirmed. “Booze?”

“Do you like beer?” Joel asked, also in fake seriousness. Except that his death stare made me fucking wet.

“Pass me your phone so I can give you my number, text me the address,” I turned my palm up to grab the said phone, he smirked and Ellie laughed.

And this, Tess, is how I met Joel, got my little heart full of him just to let him slip into my life. What can I say? I never wanted to save a horse more than the moment he lassoed me.

I think you have more than enough material for our next session already. I will give you that yes, I speak more about what is inside my head like this. I think it might be because it feels strangely similar to submitting a paper, you know how much I love being the teacher’s pet.

Don’t forget: I can’t fall in love with this guy,

The Renegade

P.S. In case it isn’t obvious, I don’t have daddy issues. I DON’T. I know what it looks like, but I don’t have it. Don’t even try.

prev | next

[blubushie]

Wall anon here, get ready for another one though this one is pretty off topic? Idk brain works weird and made me think of this

(I'll try to format this time, throw a brick at me if it's unreadable please)

It's so wild to me seeing the differences in how the TF2 fandom sees the mercs vs how professional* TF2 players, whom I will call the player base, see the mercs (*3rd party competitive)

I think that we all know how much the fandom loves medic and puts demo aside. Though this seems to mostly be the fandom, from my personal experience with the player base, people love demo! Well love playing him.

It's a whole opposite of Tumblr and twitter and whatnot, nobody gives a shit about the story or any fan made stuff past sfms, the player base loves demo and soldier and if you made them play medic even for a second they would combust on the spot.

I've seen at least 10 "who do you main in TF2?" polls on here and the top 2 answers are always medic or pyro, I think that this is because Tumblr TF2 players lack skill but that's just a theory. I know that if I held a poll like this with people from the player base the top answers would be soldier, demoman or scout.

If I may go a bit off topic back to the theory that Tumblr users are bad at TF2, there are only 4 people from the player base that I know who have Tumblr accounts:

My boyfriend who has an inactive account and is considered very shit by everyone (myself included)

Friend of my boyfriend who barely has time to play and has an infamous record of dropping 7 ubers in 30 minutes

A guy who as far as I know has been stuck in the lowest division for over a year (not a good look)

And myself (I'm procrastinating so much on actually playing the game and getting better ffs)

Back on topic, I feel that playing the game with actually good players would change a lot of Tumblr's boring ass headcannons.

I, a medic main myself, used to hate scouts with a passion but after a month of playing with actually good scouts my whole view on scout has changed, I love scouts!! They're my friends!!

After playing competitively my view on a lot of classes has changed, actually. I have mad respect for demos and soldiers because of the high skill that those classes require, from good aim to good game sense and also rocket/sticky jumping and much much more that I won't bore you with.

They're very skilled players playing those classes, it makes ya think about the mercs they're playing a little differently, especially if you're on a new team and don't know each other's names so you call everyone by their class (the amount of times I've been called med or medic instead of my name is uncountable)

I feel like a lot of my headcannons are influenced by the people I play with and our experiences together

And I think that's neat

This has been wall anon, signing off with another fucking wall of text and most likely exposing who I truly am behind the anon mask, whoops?

Oh yeah and reminder to throw a brick at me if this is hard to read lol

God this is so fucking true. Also just generally people only engaging with fandom and not even refreshing on the source material. Spend a few hours mulling over all the comics and videos and voicelines and watching gameplay videos to get an idea of these characters or don't talk to me LMAO

[a-tale-of-legends]

On one end, the exp all is generally very good for cutting out grinding. Before the switch games, it could be turned on and off, which I feel is the best way to go about it, so you can choose how you want to play.

On the other end, the exp share can lead to over leveling. Not everyone cares about this, obviously, but if XY has taught us anything, is that the exp share can make the game much less difficult. Like. It's still a pokemon game. It's not the most intense game in the world. And XY's team comps aren't the greatest imo. But you get what I'm saying, right? This is mostly coming from my own experiences, but in recent years I don't want to over level my pokemon, so in the games where I can turn my exp share on and off, I would switch between the two, trying to keep things as balanced as possible. It's usually fine, but admittedly a bit tedious, especially when you are raising significantly weaker pokemon compared to the rest of your team.

So where does that lead us? Some potential ideas that could "fix" the problem.

1) Forgoing my own personal experience, I just think bringing back the option to turn off the exp all would be very beneficial. As fun as it was to switch around pokemon in my SV runs, I know not everyone is like that. Not everyone plays the way I do, so simply giving the players an actual choice would be good.

2) Bring back both the exp share ( the ones in, I think, gen 3-5) and the exp share all. With the option to turn the exp all on and off. The old exp share only really worked for one pokemon when equipped. I think, if a player feels like they are getting too high leveled, but wants to raise levels for a newer member, then just slap on the old exp share on it and call it a day. Of course there risk of over leveling, but I think it's cut down significantly by the old exp share.

3) The option to have hard level caps. I cannot stress enough that not everyone wants the same thing lol. Forcing a level cap for all will go. Poorly I think! Every player has their own way of playing, and this whole post is just from my perspective and experiences. Okay? Okay. This idea actually came from the fangames I could play! In them, there's a hard level cap for each particular milestone, usually involving the gyms. If you want to bypass the level cap, use a rare candy! But at the risk of your pokemon not listening to you. I think a hard level cap could be a decent way to train up newer pokemon as well, since the older ones aren't gaining levels past the level cap unless you use a rare candy.

The biggest drawback to this is linearity. If Gamefreak continues the open world (ish) route with future pokemon games, a hard level cap would be miserable. It only really works in a more linear format, bc you're going from a to b. Yeah, SV wasn't completely open world, but imagine having a hard level cap when you're trying to explore. It would be miserable and just doesn't fit the open world experience. This idea is honestly better with linearity + better scaling lmao.

Aaaand yeah. I'm not trying to say these ideas are perfect, and I am no way a professional in game design . In fact I can see some backfiring lol. Heck giving too many options could also back fire lol. Truthfully, giving back the option to turn off exp all would be the best thing here, but I still like my other two ideas :)

[nerdyagere]

Man I fr disappeared anyway the fact that there's almost no AGERE content for Gladion and Guzma is disappointing and now I'm here to fix it giving my HCs for both. Also I don't watch the anime so this I'd all based off the games ALSO I'm a major Hau X Gladion and Guzma X Kukui shipper (But I'm formatting this where you should be able to read as platonic)

---

Gladion:

- Age ranges from 3 - 8, he typically leans older because his brain just feels way too vulnerable when he's younger

- I imagine he spends most his time regressed alone, feeling more at peace being by his partner, Silvally who is very used to taking care of him the best it can, Silvally can also basically sniff out when he needs/is about to regress

- I also imagine he still lives in the former Team Skull hangout where Plumeria, Guzma, and a few grunts reside

- With that I'd like to add Plumeria, Guzma, and Hau know about his regression (Hau on accident and Plumeria and Guzma sniffed him out L)

- Even with them knowing, he still primarily stays alone unless one of them so happen to stop by which then he allows them in, but never really seeks anyone out

- Plumeria and Guzma act like his parents idc they also have shit parents and understand Gladion so they try their best to give him something none of them ever got, parental love (Bonus: They spoil him rotten sometimes he'll get home and just have a present on his bed that's like "For the little brat" and he scoffs (very happily might I add))

- Hau introduces this guy to all the kiddy stuff he missed out on as a kid (I imagine Lusamine to be very selective on what her kids received and got to watch) from shows to all sorts of toy franchises and what not

- Bonus: Guzma gave him a stuffed Wimpod he immediately called "Wimpy" because that'd a hilarious name and he's been attached to it ever since

---

Guzma:

- Age ranges from 5 - 12 BIG ol' range and he can fall anywhere at any time there's no consistency one day you end up with a 5 year old the next you end up with a bratty ass teen

- Took him awhile to start reaching out because he loves being around people but was waayy too ashamed to let anyone know about his regression (Thank god Plumeria found out by stumbling in one day)

- Kukui also knows but that's because Plumeria brought him to the Team Skull house and managed to convince Guzma to tell him

- Kukui is ENAMORED with tiny Guzma, he asks Guzma to tell him whenever he wants him over and if he doesn't, he's gone to Plumeria and told her to call him over if Guzma won't LOL

- Guzma's pretty comfy going out when he's at an older age so Kukui takes him everywhere from parks to stores to places FULL of Pokémon (Guzma and Kukui both love searching out Pokémon, playing with them, helping them, all that. Tiny Guzma has a big heart when it comes to Pokémon and he shows it very clearly, it takes everything in Kukui to not explode from how sweet he is (even if he's a brat to him and Plumeria half the time LOL))

- Forgot to mention this dude is a BRAT, due to his childhood he's really used to pushing boundaries and trying to push things to the edge to see what's happen but despite all that, Plumeria and Kukui treat him with kindness and patience and it manages to surprise him everytime

- He gets super paranoid when either of them get mad though even when its not at him or caused by him at all, he'll immediately start to close up and act with caution (Those day always end up with Movie Nights or Marathons to calm him down)

- Though whenever you praise him for literally anything he brightens up so much its so cute (Childhood trauma and all that of course give this guy some love!!!)

- Bonus: He has a super old, worn stuffed Rockruff he's attached to when he's younger but is often found resting on his bed when he's older, it stills joins Move Nights and such no matter how old Guzma is

---

Join my server for more content and to find others to talk with :]

[alexbutrandomthoughts]

Can I ask your top 10 fav fics ever (from any fandom, if you don't mind)?

Also, just curious, is there a story behind your name "alexbutrandomthoughts "?

"I was screaming your name through the radio" by ElectricSplatter a must-read for all soukoku fans, this shit is so good i reread it 20 times at least.

It's basically bsd retelling but they're all singers and it's focused on soukoku. Honestly writing is immaculate and i like the way it was told, format wise, like how we jump back in forth from present to past, and overall it has everything you could want from a story. I have this one saved on my phone and i reread my favorite chapters from time to time

"Time Speaks" by SmallMoon333 do not get fooled by that unassuming title, this fic made me physically incapable of reading any other Lawlight fic, bc this one is just too good. It's akin to trying a high quality steak and unable to eat any other meat anymore bc you know how heaven tastes (i obviously read other fics, they're pretty good too, but this one is just my personal favorite especially the characterization is so fucking good it's crazy)

"Electric touch" by bejeweledhaze okay so you know the feeling when you need something very specific, you go to store, and the stars align perfectly so you find that thing, just what you need it, almost feels like custom made. That's this fic.

So when Kaveh fans died (myself included) after that one official art with Kaveh as a mechanic, i just needed to fill the whole in my chest, after saving every single Mechanic Kaveh fanart known to men. I decided check out the tag, but i didn't really expect much, i mean it's been like what? Couple days since the official art was dropped. Sure there is probably couple of fics but not something i would like, right? Bejeweledhaze said "lemme cook" and turns out they were Gordon Ramsey in disguise. One chapter, 33k words of pure and unfiltered masterpiece.

"School watches Assassination Classroom" by TheSteinsGateFormula so I'm a sucker characters react to their show fics. What of it.

Yeah there are not many reaction fics that i like cuz personal preferences. But THISSSSSSSSSSSS ugh so good. And very much in character and i loved from start to finish.

"MSBY4's Lockdown Survival Guide" by mintberries

Okay so this was just good vibes. Social media aus fics for me is what Isekai is for Gigguk (but I'm also isekai trash person, their just fun) and this is ALSO a covid19 au???? With my favorite team????? This appeased my sakuatsu craving soul and it was just dumbasses having fun.

"Duo Heroes, Double Black" by Yellow_Canna

It's bsd&mha crossover and it's beast!soukoku isekai/sorta reincarnation/technically regression do i need to say more

"No Water Is Enough" by Boomchick

Hualian angst, my favorite type of angst. It's sorta memory loss and i knew the suffering would be glorious once Hua Cheng remembered and it did not disappoint

"Pick-Up and Chase" by SKayLanphear was laughing my ass off with this fic. Marinette just constantly flirting with Adrien as herself and as Ladybug was a wild and hilarious ride

"one step at a time" by OuterWilde (foreverraugust)

Honestly, this was just good old slice of life and overall nice fic. I was obsessed with Ace Attorney at the time, and well with all the crazy shit that was happening in the games, this was a nice break from it.

"A Century Between Us" by Dulllull dead ass my favorite jjk fic. It's not finished, not by a long shot but it's so GOOOOD SHIT SLAPS SO HARD and well it's reincarnation fic how can i not love it and written so WELLLLL PLEASE READ THIS IT'S VERY AAAAAAAAAAA-

As for my name, originally i migrated from Twitter cuz fuck Elon, and had another blog which had my name and this was a side blog for me to scream about my hyperfixations, whichever i would have at the time and i ended up using this one more lol. Hence the "random thoughts"

[mercurial-vroom]

Warning for a self-indulgent post-fic longpost 😁

Now that Grill the Grid is complete (for now! though we may be inspired to write some oneshot spin-offs, so feel free to subscribe to the series if you haven't already), I just wanted to say a longer/more personal -- and a bit more serious -- thank you here to everyone who's been reading, enjoying, and sharing!

As I mentioned in the author's notes, this is a project that my husband and I have worked on together, and creating and sharing it with all of you has been such an incredible source of joy over these last two-ish months. In case anyone was curious about the breakdown of who wrote what, he was responsible for the bulk of the more trivia-heavy chapters (both the trivia questions/format, and much of the group banter that everyone has loved so much!), and I've been responsible for the vast majority of the romantic arc (and all of the smut, lol). We came up with the idea for this fic lying in bed one evening trying to think about what sort of AU we'd feel most equipped to write, but I honestly didn't expect at that point that we'd be able to make it happen, or that it would turn into the longest bit of fiction either of us have ever written -- much less that we'd get such an unbelievably kind reception from the beautiful people who have been following the story and commenting along the way. ❤️ We are so, so appreciative for each and every one of you.

I also wanted to share below a bit of a more serious reason why I've been so incredibly grateful for the kind reception this fic has received... but honestly, the most important content of what I've wanted to say (basically just a big, fat thank you!!) is all included above, so feel free to stop reading here if you'd rather avoid some long-winded, potentially overly personal rambling!

[TW below for some TTC/fertility/pregnancy talk]

Not to be one of those authors who gets way over-sharey about life stuff, but for a while now my husband and I have been in (and are still in the midst of) a bit of a long, frustrating journey related to fertility and me trying to get pregnant. The overwhelming emotion we've both had during this time is one of feeling like we're stuck in the "intermission" of our lives -- like we're just waiting for the next act of life to begin, and have trouble finding or appreciating any new milestones or events that happen during this phase of just hoping and waiting.

Creating this fic together is something that has come out of that difficult time, and it is one of the first things that's been able to inspire in both of us a level of excitement, progress, and creative fulfillment that's been harder to achieve during this period when everything else has felt a bit like it's on "pause." Reading the jokes to each other in the evenings that we each came up with during the day has brought about a lot of laughter during times when there were otherwise a lot of stresses and tears, and reading the unbelievably kind comments people have left (or just seeing how excited people were about what we were creating) was something that's given us a sense of real purpose during a period when we've both occasionally felt a bit aimless.

Now, none of that is to say that readers/commenters need to feel responsible for either of our mental health!! This would have felt like an incredibly fun and fulfilling exercise for us even if no one ever read it besides the two of us, and we of course have a team of IRL supporters and resources helping us to get through this time. But really, I just share all this to say that your support has meant more to us than you might realize, and that it makes us unbelievably happy to see others getting even a fraction of the joy out of this story that writing it has brought to us. ❤️

So sincere thanks again to every one of you, and I'm hopeful you'll be seeing more out of the Grill the Grid 'verse soon!

[jeanie-g]

nicojack 12 or 31 🥺🥺🥺

sorry for the delay! but i didn't forget about you 🫶 kinda took liberties w the prompt BUT i had a lot of fun w it. also it kinda evolved past the bullet format lol. hope you like it!!

#12. "You can't tell anyone. Seriously. Even them."

Nico always loved summer camp. It's a place away from his parents (whom he loves, sure, but could be just a bit stifling), where he can make friends with other boys his age, and do manly things like camping and kayaking and peeing outdoors (the counselors always yelled at them for doing that last one, but a dare's a dare).

And this year, Nico's finally 12, which means he's finally graduated from the Mighty Mooseheads to the Daring Devils cabin. He knows it's just a title, that both cabins are pretty much the same size-wise and everything, but it's the principle: he's basically a man now. Hear him roar, or whatever devils do.

What nobody told Nico, though, is that among the four usual suspects of his bunk mates—Jonas, Akira, Timo, and Jesper—there's a new kid—one who's two years younger than the rest of them. Something about the camp overbooking and maxing out the Moosehead cabin, and the Devils one being the only building with an extra bed, but Nico doesn't care about logistics.

Whoever this kid is, he can't just up the ranks without paying his dues. Nico played by the rules; he served his nickel as a Moosehead—it's not fair that this kid gets to waltz in and just skip all that. He's 10, for Pete's sake! He's basically a toddler.

So, Nico doesn't hide his distaste when he walks through the door and spots a short boy with cropped brown hair arranging his stuff all over one of the beds by the windows. Nico smirks, an idea popping into his head.

"Hey," Nico says, and the boy nearly jumps right out of his skin.

He turns around, big, blue eyes bugging out in surprise. "Oh, hi."

"That's my bed," Nico states plainly, and it isn't—they can only claim beds when they get there, but the boy doesn't know that.

"Oh," he sputters, eyes bugging out further. "I'm sorry, I didn't see a name."

The boy starts to gather his things—a small knapsack bulging with contents, his pillow, and a blanket with some sports team logo splayed all over it—and in his haste, drops them all on the floor. He bends over to pick them up, muttering under his breath, and suddenly Nico feels a pang of guilt.

Memories pop up from several years ago, when the Devils at the time used to make fun of Nico and his friends—the time they stole a postcard mailed from his sister in Switzerland and tossed it right into the campfire, and Nico had to hold back his tears.

"Wait," Nico says before he can stop himself. "It's okay. You can have it."

"Really? Are you sure?" The boy asks. He sounds like he's begging for pennies in front of a rich man, and that makes Nico feel queasy. He doesn't have to like the kid, but he doesn't have to be cruel.

"Yeah. 'Course. Consider it a housewarming gift."

The boy flushes. "Thanks."

Nico picks the bed diagonal from the window, flopping onto it. The springs creak with age, and it fills Nico with nostalgia.

"I'm Nico," he announces, looking up at the ceiling. When he hears no reply, he sits up, leaning on his elbows. "This is the part where you say your name."

"Oh, right." The boy flushes deeper, if that's even possible. Nico distantly wonders how easily he sunburns.

"I'm Jack," he says. "I'm, uh, new. Obviously."

"Obviously," Nico parrots, but he offers a small smile.

Jack's shoulders relax ever so slightly as he smiles back. It's a nice smile, Nico notes. Friendly, and maybe he's not so bad after all.

⋆｡°✩

It's hard not to observe Jack over the first few days of camp. They're bunkmates, after all. Jack's an early riser, which is immediately at odds with the rest of the cabin, who are all night owls to their cores. Still, he's quiet as he moves about, always careful not to wake anyone up, which is smart.

But aside from their first conversation, Jack rarely talks. He's not trying too hard to make any friends, that's for sure, which Nico finds sort of counterproductive. They're at camp—it's the whole point to make friends. He sits alone in the mess hall, keeps to himself before bed or at group activities, and when they have downtime—instead of horsing around by the lake or sneaking into the kitchen to find the counselor's reserve of cookies—he's always reading.

And it's not anything cool like Ripley's Believe it or Not or Goosebumps. They're all these hockey books. Nico swears that's what took up that knapsack—all those books. Hockey's not even a cool sport, like baseball or soccer. One, they do it in the winter (and Nico hates the cold), and two, they do it on skates. There's nothing girlier than skating—well, maybe gymnastics.

But whatever. Jack's not bothering him, so he won't bother Jack, even if he does read girl books.

But there's only so long he can ignore him.

⋆｡°✩

It's a normal afternoon, two weeks into camp. Timo's doing that thing with the orange slice in his mouth that never gets old, when suddenly a voice rises up a few tables away.

"And what do you think you're doing, pipsqueak?"

And Nico'd recognize that voice from anywhere. He's one of the former Devils (now Brave Bears) who went after him and his friends. It's Taylor Hall, who was Nico's idol in his first year at camp. Too bad he's a prick.

Nico turns his head towards his voice, and his eyes grow when he sees Taylor crowding around Jack, who's holding out his meal tray in front of him, looking absolutely terrified.

"I'm—I'm sorry," Jack stutters, and it's then that Nico sees the turned over milk carton and the small stain on Taylor's shirt. They must have collided.

"This was my favorite shirt!" Taylor cries incredulously, obviously playing on Jack's fear and hamming it up for his audience.

And it works, as more and more heads turn towards the scene, and the chatter minimizes around them.

"I—I can get you a new one!" Jack tries, and a few tables laugh. Nico's eyebrows pinch, something unpleasant roiling in his stomach.

"I have a better idea," Taylor says, plucking the bowl of rice pudding off of Jack's tray, that sludge that the mess hall workers always put on their trays even though it tastes like sweaty socks. No one even eats it—everyone usually just puts it on their hands and waves them around to gross out the little kids—and Nico's eyes go wide.

He knows exactly what Taylor's going to do. He did the same thing to Akira years ago when he accidentally closed a door in Taylor's face. He was picking rice from his hair for days afterward.

Nico doesn't quite know where it comes from, but suddenly he's standing and shouting "Hey!" All the heads turn to him now. "Leave him alone!"

Taylor and Jack's heads turn last, and Nico feels their eyes on him like a spotlight.

Taylor's grin widens. "Oh, isn't it little Nico Hischier? Come to save your boyfriend, are you?"

Half the room snickers, and Nico flushes scarlet. He plows on.

"No, actually I wanted to join you."

Jack's face screws up in confusion and hurt, but Nico's got a plan.

Taylor laughs. "Really?"

Nico nods. "Yeah. We're bunkmates, and he's always waking us up for stupid stuff like Colors. It's time he got a little payback."

Jack quirks an eyebrow; they both know that's not true. Nico flashes him a quick look, and realization blooms on his face.

Taylor considers him for a moment, and then smirks. "Huh. Maybe you're less of a fairy than I thought you were." He holds up the bowl of pudding. "Care to do the honors?"

"Nico, what are you doing?!" Jesper whispers beside him, but Nico ignores him.

"I'd love to."

Nico slowly approaches and accepts the bowl of pudding. He holds it above Jack's head, but then he looks at Taylor.

"You know, it never felt like an insult when you called me a fairy or a nitwit, because you're the biggest airhead of all."

And in a flash, he throws the contents of the bowl in Taylor's face, and the mess hall lights up with raucous clamoring and laughter.

Taylor's face heats up like a tomato even under all the muck. Nico hears Jack let out a surprised laugh, and he realizes it's the first time he's ever heard him laugh. Nico turns to him and winks, and Jack smiles, confused but relieved and a little bit impressed.

"HISCHIER, YOU LITTLE—" Taylor roars, and Nico knows it's time to split. He grabs Jack's tray and drops it on a nearby table. Then he takes his hand and rushes him out of the mess hall, the cheering of half the tables acting like an orchestra as they push open the doors and run into the sunlight.

⋆｡°✩

Things change after that. And maybe it's because after the altercation in the mess hall, Nico sees a tiny bit of himself in Jack, or maybe he has a good streak he's not even aware of.

Anyways, Nico starts to go out of his way to talk to him or pair up for sports with him or eat meals with him, and Jack starts to open up in a way Nico didn't allow him before. And as they talk, Nico sees a whole new side to him. He's hilarious, first off, and wicked smart—probably because of all the books he reads. He's also obsessed with hockey, which Nico learns is a lot less girlish than he presumed. He had no idea, for one, that fighting wasn't just allowed, but encouraged! You can't do that in baseball.

Jack is easy to talk to, not like anyone Nico's ever been friends with. And he loves the boys, but they're just not like Jack. He pays attention; he observes, and though he's smart, he can still be pretty stupid—like the time he thought that if it was cloudy outside, you can still get sunburnt. He's also insanely competitive, if their intense games of Uno are anything to go by. The kid can be downright harsh if you cross him the wrong way.

Jack's also kind. He lets Nico go on and on with stories from home—how much he misses Switzerland ever since he moved to the States—smiling as Nico recounts the food and landscape. Jack's a great listener, and he remembers the things Nico tells him—even little things like his favorite color or ice cream flavor (purple and strawberry). He's a morning person, as aforementioned, which means he's basically useless once the clock hits 8pm. His favorite meal is pasta bolognese and his favorite movie is Air Bud, and he has two siblings, just like Nico does, except Jack's the middle child and Nico's the youngest.

The bottom line is, Nico loves being with Jack. Talking to him, listening to his stories, pranking the other boys in the cabin with him. They're very different, certainly—but on some basic level, they're the same. Curious young boys determined to find their place in this big, confusing world that seems to have had it out for them from the get-go.

⋆｡°✩

As the days and weeks go by, they find themselves staying up into the late hours of the night, giggling and being hushed by the other boys when they get too loud. (Nico's now conditioned him to stay up past ten.)

It's one of these nights where Nico realizes something.

"You know, I've never had a best friend before," he confides.

The both of them are eating Nutty Buddies under the covers of Jack's bed, flashlight sitting between them to illuminate their faces. They're alone in the cabin—the other boys out making s'mores with the counselors still—but there's something still nice in pitching a private little cave.

"Really?" Jack asks.

Nico shakes his head. "Nope. I have friends, of course, but I don't think I've ever had a best one."

Jack looks down, suddenly shy. "I don't have many friends back home. I mean, I try to make friends with the boys on my team, but they all pick on me because I'm too small to play hockey."

Something ugly settles in Nico's stomach at that. How many Taylors has Jack had to deal with?

Jack wipes his hand under his nose. "But I love playing. I just hope one day I get to prove them all wrong."

"How?"

Jack smiles, eyes lighting up. "Going 1st overall at the NHL Draft."

Nico frowns. "I...don't know what that means."

He's afraid he's going to hurt Jack's feelings, but then he does something unexpected: he laughs. He holds his stomach as he falls backwards on the bed, pulling the sheet with him.

"Hey!" Nico cries, but just as he's about to yank the sheet back over his head, his eye catches on something tucked under Jack's pillow.

"What's this?" He asks, already reaching for it.

"Huh?" Jack sounds from under the covers. And then, "Wait!"

But Nico's already tugging on the mystery object and dropping it in his lap, and it's—

"A stuffed penguin?" Nico lets out a joyous laugh as Jack untangles himself from the covers. "You still sleep with a stuffed animal? That's so—"

Nico smile drops the second he sees Jack's face. Even in the low light of the cabin, he can see the embarrassment on it, the shame. That ugly feeling in his stomach rears up again, except now it's aimed at himself.

"Cool," he quickly amends, turning the penguin around in his hands. "Penguins are cool."

Jack doesn't buy it, face screwing up in pestilence. "You can quit it, Nico. I know it's a baby thing."

"No it's not!" he cries, even though it very much is. "I have a stuffed dog at home; his name is Barkley."

Jack crosses his arms. "Yeah? And you still sleep with him?"

Nico smacks his lips. "Well, no. My mom actually sold him in a garage sale. But that's not the point!"

"Then what is the point?" Jack huffs.

"Just because you like kid things doesn't mean you're all kid."

"What does that even mean?"

Nico sighs. "It means... I don't care about all that when it's you."

And when Nico says it, he finds it's really true. If it was any other kid, he'd probably be running for the hills to go tattle on him, but there's something about Jack that makes him want to stay right here. Maybe that's what that feeling in the mess hall was. He wants to protect him.

"Really?" Jack asks, expression filled with hope.

"Yeah," Nico says, offering a smile.

A twig breaks outside, disrupting the moment.

"I've gotta hide him before the others come back," Jack says.

"The guys?"

"Yeah. I'll never hear the end of it." He looks at Nico with a spooky kind of seriousness. "You can't tell anyone," He warns. "Seriously. Even them. No—especially them."

Jack visibly shivers at the thought, and yeah, Nico can't argue with him there. He's never been the best at keeping things close to his chest—intentionally or not—but with Jack, he'll try his darnedest.

Nico holds up his pinky. "Your secret's safe with me."

Jack lets out a relieved breath, and twists his pinky around Nico's.

When they pull away, Nico picks the penguin back up and turns it over in his hands. "So, what's his name?"

Jack goes pink. "Sidney Crosby."

"Who's that?"

"He's...my favorite hockey player," he starts out nervously. "He's the captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins." As he continues, though, his excitement ramps up. "Me and my brothers—we met him once actually, after a game. I got a signed stick and everything—the one he used to score his hat trick! It was totally awesome."

Nico understood maybe 40% of any of what that meant, but he nods along like he does. Jack might as well be speaking Greek, but Nico can't hold back his smile at seeing the way Jack lights up like a Christmas tree talking about pucks and goals and stuff.

Jack eventually tires himself out, and he glances down at his digital watch. "We should probably go to sleep soon, huh?"

"Probably."

Nico hands Sidney Crosby over to Jack and climbs out of his bed.

"I'll see you in the morning then?" Jack asks, and Nico nods.

Except when he stands, Nico doesn't move to get back in his bed. He's suddenly so nervous, which is just crazy. Talk about the shoe on the other foot, or whatever.

"Are you okay?" Jack asks, and Nico says it before he can psych himself out.

"Do you wanna be my best friend?"

Surprise flickers across Jack's features for a couple of seconds before settling into a smile—one that reaches his whole face.

"Yeah. Do you wanna be mine?"

"Yeah," Nico replies. "I do."

"It's settled then."

Nico meets his smile, feeling that uncomfortable twinge in his stomach finally settle. He thinks back to when he first met Jack, timid and wide-eyed. He looks at him now, warm and smiley, swaddled in his blankets, penguin in his arms.

His best friend.

And yeah, whatever that backend error was that plopped Jack into the Devils cabin...

Nico's grateful for it.

[fabioquartararhoe]

moot, this is a big ask i need to understand the current motogp format and nuisances of the riders and teams.

i used to watch it in my preteens with my brother but then i avoided all things motorsport till like last year

i want to get back into motogp at the same level i'm into f1 but i'm being very honest i'm confused af

as someone who started watching 5 years ago i’m also confused cause they changed the format this year and they keep changing it and i also suck at explaining

let’s start with the format: thursday we have the press conference. friday we have free practice number 1, basically it’s just practice, then we have practice where the first ten riders go directly into q2 and the rest in q1. on saturday we have free practice number 2 it’s like practice number 1 but saturday lol then we have qualifying. first is q1 where the first two riders go to q2, then q2 where they fight for the best positions. after qualifying we have the sprint race, they race half the distance of the actual race. sunday we have the warm up and after that the actual race.

now about the riders i’m biased so i don’t think it’s a good idea to talk about them lol but here a pics with the teams for next season oh and we still don’t know who gonna be mir’s teammate, today i read a lot of rumors about marini so we wait and if you have questions about certain riders i’ll try to understand as unbiased as i can lol

[cyvonix]

Cyv Reads Homestuck - Act 4 Wrapup

... So I just finished Act 4.

Ummm..... How do I put this ... ....

I genuinely do not know how to put into words the intense feeling of excitement and satisfaction I am feeling. But I guess I'll try.

Let's just get it out of the way right away, best end of act animation yet, like hands down. The level of artistry, the dynamism of the camera and the animations, the excellent Toby Fox track, (I see now that bro knew how to use a recurring motif even before Undertale) it was just perfection. What an incredible way to finish off an incredible section of this story.

I'm going to hold off on going in depth into things like theories and predictions, because I feel I do plenty of that on my smaller liveblog posts and frankly it's getting so complex that if I were to lay them all out in a sufficient manner this post would be entirely too long for my liking. I would like to talk about some of what this act made me feel, however.

Something that was present in small doses previously but in Act 4 has been fully assimilated is the elevated way that everything is presented. Cinematic, I suppose, is one of the words I could use to describe it. But I feel it's more than that. It feels as though the team who put this together - obviously Hussie, for the greater proportion, but also those he worked with - had, by this point, entirely gotten a grasp on how to tell a compelling narrative with this particular format. The obtuse references and forum humor have been stripped back and toned down, not to the point where they are gone entirely, but enough that everything feels a bit more accessible, existing more as a part of its DNA, rather than its backbone. Instead, that space is filled with more authentic and illuminating characterization than we've seen at any part of the story so far.

In the way that a voice actor may settle into their role after a few seasons, by this point Hussie has mastered his already impressive knack for writing the unique voices of these characters and letting them just kinda bounce off of each other in ways that, despite being entirely silly and in the context of a science fiction epic, just feel so real, dude. Like, fuck, I love these characters. I didn't feel that way until this act, really. Sure, they had many funny and charismatic moments in the past, and I've gradually warmed up to them over time. But in this act, the veil (lol) really gets pulled away more than it has before, and what gets revealed is genuine connections between these friends, friends that are snarky and sarcastic and snippy with each other, but friends who care about each other, and are interesting, passionate people. Even the trolls, who could have easily remained joke characters and nothing more for this entire act without basically any issue, have been treated with the dignity of allowing more than one aspect of their personalities to peek through, surely to be explored further later in the story. For fucks sake, the faceless adults, only seen from the context of the kids before this point, have even begun to receive some genuinely compelling revelations. I love these characters. All of them.

The lore/world aspects of Act 4, as I mentioned, are far too complicated for me to fully get into here. But what I will say is that this part of the comic has fully sold the grand scale of the overarching narrative. Whether its the greater knowledge brought forth by the trolls, or the ability of the animations to showcase how many moving parts are at play here, things have been set up with an astonishing amount of style. Getting further glimpses into this strange system of planets has been beautiful and fascinating, and the twists and turns in the development of Jack Noir as our apparent main protagonist have been enticing. Jack is certainly intimidating, and ruthless to boot, so the story has done a great job of setting up a looming threat to build toward, especially taking into account the ominous revelation of The Reckoning. On top of this, the time fuckery has hit an all time high, but despite that, its integration into the story has felt more natural than ever, and maybe it's just me getting used to this bullshit, but it's honestly starting to feel easier to wrap my head around. And even if not, it's extremely fun to watch pan out.

All this said, I remain super excited to continue. Again, if you enjoy hearing what I have to say about any of this, whether you're an old fan or maybe even joining me for your own first time, please, talk to me about it! Lemme know what you think, or what you thought, about all this crazy shit. I absolutely love having discussions and hearing from people who are veterans to this world compared to me. It makes my day to see that someone can reinvigorate their interest in this through my experience. I gotta go to bed (writing this at like 3 am) but man I wanna start Act 5, and of course will post more updates when I do. TTYL <3

[thistlecatfics]

For the characters in therapy: hogwarts era sirius, post- first war remus, luna after her mothers death, the twins (are their pranks a coping mechanism?)

omg I love how you gave me so many toughies. thank you!

Hogwarts era Sirius!! 

Honestly part of me is wondering if I should refer him out because I’ve had a crush on this character forever. BUT assuming there’s no serious counter-transference issues. 

He’s not going to engage in therapy. He’s just not. He’s going to treat therapy as a game he can win, and once he realizes he can just… not go he does and doesn’t return. 

Talking to an *adult* about his feelings? Fuck that. 

He’d totally drop out of therapy, and I’d still think about him for years after and worry.

If somehow the stars align, and he stays, and he engages, then I think the work would be around identity formation and identity outside of family and starting to build his own identity outside of his friends as well. 

Also psychoeducation around mood disorders. In the case of the bipolar Sirius headcanon, I'd try very hard to get him referred to a psychiatrist.

He'd honestly be a lot of fun, and he's the type of client I'd want to talk my friends about if I could.

Post-first war Remus!!

This dude in his early 20s who is completely lost and isolated?? Yeah I’m giving my pro-bono spot to him. 

Nothing fancy - just pure unconditional positive regard and a stable presence and an unwillingness to look away from the sheer pain and tragedy. I don’t think we’d ever get to the stability needed for me to feel comfortable doing deeper trauma or grief work with him. It would really just be about the present moment and what’s currently going on in his life.  

Also slowly getting him to be open about his suicidality and being able to just sit with him around that without judgment. We'd do a lot of safety planning. Also crisis skills in general.

He’d totally dip in and out of therapy too, and I’d worry. Every time he reaches out about scheduling sessions again, and I'd sigh in relief that he's not dead.

I'd also need to up my own therapy appointments to weekly when I'm seeing him I think haha. The counter transference would be INTENSE.

Luna after her mother’s death!!

I’d have to refer her out - I don’t work with kids, and I don’t have the training necessary.  

I’d try to give her the warmest handoff though, and I’d be so obsessed with her. 

She’d totally cope using imagination and be really into play therapy and narrative therapy for kids. 

Also working with kids is like 80% working with parents and working with her dad would be such a nightmare lol. (Getting him to bring her to appointments on time oh my goodness.) (He’d absolutely have some sort of new treatment theory every week and want to mess with the work.) 

The twins as teenagers!!

Oh my goodness - they’d be absolute nightmares and would absolutely try to play pranks on the therapist.

I’d probably have to refer them out – I think they’d do well with a skilled and creative couple’s therapist that works with them both as a team and as individuals in separate sessions who can help them figure out their own identities without belittling how important being together is. 

Also a lot of family of origin work – roles they play in the family, how does that feel, attention seeking etc. 

Good luck to the therapist who tries to do a family session with the Weasleys. It’s not going to be me!

[tunabesimpin]

Hi! Here's my submission for the Tuna Sea-Side Party. (I wasn't certain how to link to a photo in an ask, so I hope the reference comes through ok).

Esher is an isekai'd pc from a high-fantasy dungeons and dragons campaign, so she's been spending most of the school year learning about how to even function in a more modern magical society, as well as concealing her own magical abilities as a warlock with a pact of the Archfey. She and Grim managed to scrape by in exams, and it was actually Grim that spotted the poster and insisted they go. Technically, Esher is the plus-one in this case lol.

Seeing as how Esher didn't even know what the ocean was before coming to Twisted Wonderland, she's pretty much learning what exactly one even does at a party like this on the fly. She was very surprised at the idea of wandering around in one's smallclothes, but since Rook helped her pick out a cute swimsuit (little black one-piece with a sheer black wrap) she's warmed to the idea. Vil was horrified enough to learn she didn't know what sunscreen was and made sure to foist that and a sunhat on her as well.

Her more competitive side will emerge when she is invited to join in on capture the flag, and she will spend more time than is entirely reasonable strategizing for the perfect victory (there may or may not be a battle map in the sand). Otherwise she'll spend her time trying to make sure Grim doesn't make himself sick with ice cream.

Thank you so much for hosting this event! I've been admiring your oc and art from afar for a little bit now and I love your blog! I hope I didn't make any mistakes with my submission, and I'm sorry it's also right at the last minute 🙏. I'm planning on drawing something as well, but it probably won't be out in time before the submission period ends.

Esher's favorite color is pale pink!

--- Being more used to battle situations, Esher was quick to form a plan for the upcoming capture the flag game. It was a 4 v 4 match, and the first team to get their points to 20 would be deemed the victors. Vil refused to take off his hat and particpate, so Esher was only joined by Rook and two unfamiliar Savanaclaw students.

Rook took a seat with Esher in the sand to see what sort of formation she had in mind. It was well devised, consiting of a strong defense for 3 at base and sending one attacker out for retrieval when the opposing team was on offense. Esher explained it more in depth of how things should operate, but the two Savanahclaw students began to judge the ordeal harshly "So you want us to just sit around until something happens? That's boring~!" Rook looked between the students and Esher. Esher scowled rebuking them "And you have a better plan? I'd love to hear it." The two shrunk, but it was obvious they were still against it.

Rook shook his head and attempted to persuade the rowdy bunch "Perhaps we use a code system to switch positions? This way it'd be harder for the other team to predict who will come next." Esher thought for a moment, agreeing on the idea and even adding to it "It would also help keep from anyone from becoming the sole target. We could do fake outs too..." With a more active plan in place, the Savanahclaw duo decided to chime in with their own ideas.

Just like that, the team built up more trust amongst one another and came up with hand signals. The five minute prep time was up and with that, it was time to head into battle! The crew gave a roaring group call before stepping up to the line. Which team would fall and which would persevere? It was up to fate now. ---

LOLOL i feel like that ending was so 2000s cliffhanger XD I just know Rook is adoring the idea of a team coming together despite differences. The beauty of teamwork! BEAUTE! LOLOL Thank you for joining the event!!! I hope you can enjoy this!

[abbysbasement]

wip list! longpost with a poll!

(divider - animatedglittergraphics-n-more)

currently have 20 reqs, trying to fill older ones first, but it mostly depends on which ones interest me the most at a certain time! Working on shorter ones tonight, but there are some longer ones I want to explore deeper! Here's a peek at some oneshots/requests that I plan on releasing, as well as some longer fics I have planned! And because I like to have fun here, you can choose which one you want released first!

not specially ordered or anything ;w;'

ONESHOTS/LONGFIC

(will be around the length of Morale Adjustment at minimum, or longer)

ABBY ANDERSON

THE Bespoke Abby Breeding Fic - TITLE: TOP DOG. Yes, the one I swore I would post like a week ago. It's super long and initially didn't have an intro so I've been working on it on and off. Partially in bulleted format, transitions to standard OS format after. 3k+ words. breeding, rough sex, blowjob/titjob, unprotected sex, creampies (lol), abby kinda babytraps reader. source universe, abby is slightly older than in canon (23-24ish), reader is younger (19-21?) and the wlf has actual ranks (translated: I looked up military rankings on google and started bullshitting) I wrote this on my period (translate: I'm a gross whore) abby is kind of mean but it's hot, get slutty about it. 90% completion. Has three (much shorter and more experimental) parts.

'You wanted to be wanted this way. To be desired and used completely, to be owned.'

The Bespoke Pornstar!Abby Fic - TITLE: XXX/RED LIGHT. The reader is a new rising star in the world of lesbian porn. One night, before your first anxiety-ridden scene, your costar arrives at your trailer to calm your nerves. Abby is the industry's top adult performer, practically the girl-on-girl bible famous for her rough, bad girl persona on stage, and her soft interior. You're given the persona of sex kitten; innocent, naive, and ready for the plucking, and in your first scene, her job is to break you in. Perhaps multiple parts, 3k+ words. Ellie is going to make an appearance as a 'rival' AV Performer, (but off camera her and Abs are good friends) who you'll have a later BD/SM scene with. Extremely rough draft, so no content tags yet.

"I'll do all of the work, baby. Just look straight in the camera and give your fans a pretty face to get off to."

The Bespoke Prisoner!Abby Fic - TITLE: DOIN' TIME (or something corny like that, we'll see.) When you're new in prison, they always tell you, go up to the biggest guy in the room and punch him in the face. Terrible advice, by the way. But when you're locked up on a misdemeanor and sent to a women's correctional facility, the rules are a bit different. So you find the biggest girl in the room, and you fuck her. Obviously. Extremely rough, no content tags. 3k+ words.

'Abby offered a deal; she gave you what you wanted, and you gave her what she wanted.'

The Bespoke and Formerly Scrapped College!Abby Fic - TITLE: PAPI BONES. Your roommate Dina drags you to a college frat party, and you hate it, all crowds and sweat and people. You wish you were home, but in a cruel twist of fate, a drunken game of spin the bottle turns into you, face to face in a dark closet with the captain of the rugby team and her head between your legs. studious!reader, jock/loverboy!abby, assplay, cunnilingus (r!receiving), fingering (r!receiving), primal!adjacent? i wrote in my editing notes, 'almost corruption, but pure?' so let that set the tone for you. potential part 2. Actually 90% complete, I just started beating myself up about it for no reason ;w;

"“s’okay baby, tell me how you want me. i’m yours.” and you thought that declaration would destroy you, ‘i’m yours.’  and it felt very, very real."

MINIFICS/DRABBLES (No poll for these because they'll all make it to the blog at some point)

ABBY

Bimbo!Reader x Abby Anderson (Mechanic!Abby? idk. She makes good money and reader is spoiled asl though.) dumbification, rough sex, there's a scene where reader sucks abby's strap while she's chewing bubblegum and licks the splattered gum off so there's that, spanking, face slapping, abby calls reader her fleshlight. partial HC/blurb format?

Semipublic sex with abby in her bedroom window

A/B/O WW Abby, breeding, half wolf!reader. she mounts and rawfucks you with her massive monster cock while you're in heat. primal, marking, too big cock/stretching pussy, mindbreak, impregnation. 2-2.5k.

ELLABS

Abby and Ellie are members of a rock band, you're a groupie and you'll do anything to get on the tour bus...

Abby and Ellie are both bad cops when it comes to training you, and they help the other keep you in line.

"Didn't she tell you to fucking behave?"

ELLIE

bully!ellie, dubcon/CNC esque? ellie steps on readers cunt with her boot. pussyslaps, knifeplay, degradation, she is not a nice young lady. 1.5-2k words.

dealer!ellie headcannons

ellie blasphemy kink oneshot

DINA/DINELLIE

Roommate dina corrupting innocent!reader. Somno, caring dom!dina, dina has a hairy pussy because I said so, dina takes reader's virginity with a dildo, sloppy makeouts, flashback of dina 💦 to the sounds of reader masturbating while thinking dina is asleep, Dina has big boobs and playfully does a cute boob comparison and plays w readers titties. this one might actually get pushed up because I'm thinking nasty ***** thoughts. you bump coochies with dina, that's the fic.

Your friend Dina takes you over to her sneaky link, and the campus dealer, Ellie's house. Unbeknownst to you, they invited you over to score in another way, too. dom!ellie, soft dom! dina, sub!ellie. drug use, strap on penetration, voyeurism, cunnilingus, cum swapping, mutual strap sucking, mutual masturbation.

yeah... that's all i got for you babies. enjoy.