#in my eyes we will be able to adapt and maybe see how to handle those things

[bandzboy]

hi! so this isn't a hater question i promise, it's a genuine concern from someone who has been doing the kpop boycotts + other boycotts. i see the sheer number of zionists in the mainstream music industry, and how not giving them any money means boycotting practically all mainstream music, plus the fact that many pro-palestine people are likely boycotting other companies too (like the bds list + other companies with known ties to israel and zionists). and my concern is just... how can this be done in a feasible, sustainable, scalable way? if the goal is to give zero money to israel and zionists then there are a ton of companies and brands to avoid, especially since big companies tend to be ubiquitous and own a lot of smaller brands. that's hard for someone to constantly be mindful of especially on a wider scale, and i worry that it will result in a kind of consumer's paranoia over what is morally correct to support (and tbh i feel this paranoia sometimes) or some weird moral purity wars online bc, well, that's the internet ("if you're really pro-palestine why aren't you boycotting x!" at someone who is already boycotting what they can, calling their reps, donating, etc.) and i imagine that neither of these things are great for the movement's morale. sorry this got rambly but this is genuinely something that worries me

i mean my take on this is definitely that it's not easy to keep up with everything but i think it's important to be aware of these things like this is me personally but after i found out that there are truly so many zionists in the industry i haven't been the same and i can't consume music the same way and probably never again! this music industry boycott is very new and there aren't a lot of people that are aware especially on the western side and also on the kpop side so it's all still very new and we are trying to navigate this in the best way we can and assume as time goes by there will be better ways to take action and we might approach this differently at some point but i feel like as of now it's very important to bring up why the existence of these boycotts are important and why there should be pressure on labels and companies to drop eventual zionist sponsors as well ceos and etc etc the truth of the matter is that it's... all very scary and it's even bigger than we thought because these zionists connections run deep and i can see what you mean with the consumer's paranoia. in general this is all very new to me and the truth of the matter is... with the things i know i can't be indifferent to it you know? but the concerns you brought up are valid i wish i could have a smart answer for them but since this is something that people have trying recently there's still a lot of working and thinking to do when it comes to action

[schrodingerscougar]

Hold it together (Simon Riley x reader)

Note: This takes place seven years after the second part. Warning: death.

It had only been three weeks since the funeral. The girls were still closed up like clams, shutting Simon out completely despite their young age. Lucy was seven, Nora was five, and he couldn't believe that they had to experience the death of their mother this soon. He was lost as well, having no idea how to deal with losing you.

While at the beginning he pushed you away, believing he didn't deserve the love you were trying to give him, later you became his other half, his partner in crime, the most caring and nicest lover he ever had. He would have never imagined he would once have someone like you in his life. And now? You were gone for good because of that goddamn accident.

Johnny loved the girls and whenever he was around, he had offered to look out for them while the two of you went out on a date. Now he was trying to lighten the mood, coming up with ideas for fun activities, but Simon saw it in his daughters that they weren't excited about them.

While he was waiting for his broken ribs to heal, the sergeant stayed with them to make life easier. One night Simon tucked in the girls and his heart ached when he saw the youngest getting ready to sleep with a photo of you on the edge of her bed.

“You miss mommy?” he asked as he swept a strand of hair out of her beautiful little face.

Nora was sniffling quietly as she nodded.

He loved both his daughters equally, but the balance was perfect. Lucy was a lot like him, a real tomboy who had been wanting to try martial arts ever since they watched the original The Karate Kid movie. She had been handling your death surprisingly well, maybe that's because her personality was a lot like his.

But this young lady was your carbon copy in and out. Seeing her missing you so much proved your strong connection, the one he would never be able to build with her. He had never seen anything like it, and this made it hard for him to console her if she was upset. She had always ran to you for support, but now she was sad because you were gone.

Simon pulled the girl against his chest, his eyes falling on his other daughter who was watching them from her own bed. He could see her eyes shining from the tears, but she held herself together. “It's okay, babygirl,” he whispered to Nora as he rubbed her back. “I miss her too, you know. And I'm sure Lucy misses her as well. But we're strong, aren't we?”

She mumbled something in agreement then pulled away to bury herself under the thick blanket. “Goodnight, Daddy.”

“Goodnight, sweetheart.” He kissed her forehead then stood up and went over to Lucy, leaning down to give her a goodnight kiss too. “Sleep well, big girl.”

When he turned to the door, Johnny was already waiting for him, leaning against the doorframe with his arms folded over his chest. There was a look of understanding in his blue eyes, and he put a hand on Simon's shoulder when they reached the bottom of the stairs.

“They're kids, they'll adapt and move on. Maybe not soon, but eventually they will,” he tried to assure him. “I'm not so sure about you, though. I woke up to you coming down the stairs last night. I swear you're moving around this place like a real ghost.”

With a sigh, Simon walked around the Scotsman and threw himself on the couch. “Her parents want custody,” he told him, finally giving him an insight into what was truly bothering him. “They're willing to drag me to court. I'm not suitable to be a single parent because of my job, they say.”

Johnny sat on the armchair next to him and rested his elbows on his thighs as he leaned closer. “Bullshit. Price would help you get an early retirement if you asked,” he said, looking way more upset than Simon.

“Who knows, maybe staying with them would be better for the girls.”

“Don’t say this. You need to fight for them. They need their father,” Johnny added.

This broke Simon. He couldn't hold back the tears anymore, the tears he had been fighting ever since that night. His friend being by his side helped him keep it together, but they never talked about what exactly he went through because he always said he couldn't remember.

But he remembered lying in the ambulance, asking about you, begging for crumbs to find out what happened to you, if you were also on your way to the hospital, but they didn't tell him anything. “I’m sorry, we don't know,” one of them said.

“Talk to me, Simon,” Johnny quietly said once he sat down next to him on the other side of the couch. “You need to get this out of your system or you'll go crazy.”

Still fighting his tears, the lieutenant took a deep breath and finally began to talk. “She was unconscious. I–I remember looking over at her in the wreck but she wasn't moving, wasn't responding to my questions. They later said I had a concussion so probably that's why some time fell out of my memory. I don't remember how I ended up in the ambulance.

They didn't tell me anything. In the hospital I got out of the bed and went to look for someone who could finally tell me what the fuck happened, but I bumped into a doctor who was talking to a police officer. That's when I found out she was dead by the time help arrived,” he finished with a shaking voice.

Johnny leaned back and looked up at the ceiling. “Did you have the chance to say goodbye?”

“I might have threatened someone to be allowed to go to the morgue. Her body was bruised, scarred, and bloody. Not how I want to remember her. But yes, I could say goodbye.”

“You need to fight, Simon. For her. She wouldn't want her parents to take the girls away from you,” the sergeant told him firmly as he reassuringly put a hand on his shoulder.

Just when he was about to answer, tell him he felt like it was a battle he was sure to lose, they heard light footsteps coming from the door. It was Lucy who walked over to them, sitting next to his father and resting her head on his arm.

“Do Grandma and Grandpa really want to take us away?” she asked hesitantly as she glanced up at her father. Simon nodded. “I don't want to go. I want to stay with you, Dad,” Lucy said, already sobbing.

Simon let out a sigh before wrapping an arm around her small body and placing a soft kiss on the crown of her head. “I don't want you to leave either, trust me. I'll do everything I can to stop them, okay?”

“Pinky promise?”

“Pinky promise.”

[fairykazu]

misunderstandings ft. childe

inspo: “I know you don’t like labels, so will you be my married-person-thing?”

it's hard to be in love with someone who's so obvious that they like you back but refuse to admit it. unfortunately, that's the situation childe has with you. everyone could see the love and affection in your eyes whenever you see the ginger male. but no matter hard they try to make you admit that you like him, you shut your mouth and change the subject.

well, you have had admitted it quietly in your friend's ear once but maybe too loudly because childe's ear perked up when you said his name. you immediately changed the subject right away.

"name? did you say my name?" childe asked as you tried to play off your flustered look,

"no? i was talking about albedo's sister. i mean, it's amazing how hes able to work around her. because um... children! i meant to say children not "childe". you have selective hearing! thats what you have." you spluttered up as amber whispered in your ear,

"good save."

he smiled hoping not in an awkward way and said, "ohh! thats what you mean."

that was so not what you meant and sadly, it's gotten so obvious even the subject of your affection noticed. it's not that hard to notice. even though, your state of denial does annoy him when he tries to court you like a peacock, he does like the chase. but the real question is, is he the prey or the predator in the situation?

you noticed that childe has been... not himself? not at all, in a bad way, of course but it's interesting that your boyfriend is acting like he has fallen in love all over again. do you have to worry about how his eyes only glimmer around you? maybe, but his eyes are pretty. speaking of the devil, he just texted you.

\\ 🍊: name

\\ 🍊: i need to talk to you rq

\\ 🍊: pls 🥲

he's so silly sometimes. you remember when he barely used emojis when you first began being friends. but as your relationship grew, he started to adapt how you texted. it's cute.

\\ 🍓: call?

\\ 🍊: ummm no. come to my house.

\\ 🍓: rn? it's like 7 😭😭

\\ 🍊: yes... well no 😞

\\ 🍊: you know what im coming over rn

\\ 🍓: RN?

\\ 🍊: yes.

what just happened?

---

childe arrived at your doorstep, out of breath. it was cold. too cold and it was snowing. he loves the cold and his favorite memories with you was building a snowman and a snow woman together with teucer. teucer isn't really picky with people but he approves of you a lot. childe remember how happy you were when he told you that his little brother likes to hang out with you. despite it all, he still has the balls to confess and ask you out. or if you don't like labels. thats fine. if he's able to relax in your warmth somehow, he'd be content. no dating? it's okay. he will wait for you. he slipped into his pocket, looking for his phone, texting you.

\\ 🍊: pls open your door.

\\ 🍊: it's too cold and you know i can handle the cold

\\ 🍊: name pls

\\ 🍊: berry berry pls

the door opened wide, the warmth of your apartment escaping to the chilled breeze. he was bundled up in different layers. one hand has his phone the other was buried in his pocket. you were confused. he would be confused too if he was you. he was guessing what kind of thoughts ran in your mind like why you are here out of breath? wouldnt you be sick? while you welcomed him into the apartment, closing the door behind him and helping childe take off one or two layers of clothes. once he was warmed up and comfortable, you asked him, "did you run here? we live 2 hours away from each other. why didn't you take your car? why couldn't just call?"

he nodded off your questions. he looked up at you and you looked kind of pissed and annoyed. "okay, i will answer that if you just listen to me."

your stance changed from closed off to open, you crossed your arms though. "okay?"

"okay. um, i wanted to do this in a nicer and different setting. it'd would be much better than this and i promise i'll do it in a different way too." he looked at you again for approval. your hand moved in a circular motion, signaling him to get to the point. "well, i like you and i think you like me too. i know you don't really like those labels of being-" he fakes quoted with his fingers. " 'together'. but would you be my significant-married-person-thing with me? if you don't, it's fine."

after he got that off his chest, he sighed deeply. he waited for your response. half hoping that he didn't get rejected by you just now. but all he heard was laughing. nervously, he looked at you again. "what?"

"i thought we were together." you sat next to him, trying to snifle your laughs. he could see the tears outlining your eyes. instictively, he wiped off a tear off your face.

you watched how your words finally were processed in childe's brain and you could vividly see a lightbulb light up just now. "what?"

"i thought we were dating already."

"when did you think that???"

"well, in like highschool or middle school, when we were sleeping on my bed for one of our saturday sleepovers. you said, 'name, i want to be together with you forever.' and i replied with, 'i'd like that.'"

childe's face morphed, "but i didn't ask you officially. you knew i liked you from the start???"

"only because i thought we were dating from the start. gosh, my boyfriend is so stupid."

BOYFRIEND?? VGBHJMAKLS;VPNEF L YAYY WHOOSH BOYFRIEND... wait a minute. "if we are dating, why did you ignore me at school and become flustered?"

"good question. i don't remember."

"WHAT???"

"i'm just kidding, childe. also were you dreaming because the only time that happened was like highschool. i feel like we shouldve had a chat about this."

"you think??"

"im sorry childe. here's your apology gift." you pecked his lips. he melted instantly.

"don't you think... this makes you forgiven."

"oh how dare i think that! so... do you want to watch tangled again?"

"yes."

[samptlay]

Could We Be High School Sweethearts? - Out on the Field

A/N: shh... wdym it's almost been three weeks???

How in the world can anyone work out in this weather? Maybe you should have been smarter when signing up for Athletics at a place where it’s always cold, there would never be a reason to stay inside. Even with your three workout jackets on, the cold seeps through them and you’re shivering.

The weather in Snezhnaya isn’t something you could easily get accustomed to. Of course, it’s only the normal human natural response when put into a new environment. But of course, he would want to add to your suffering rather than sparring it. 

As your class headed outside the track, Ajax somehow slipped behind you, silently watching how your body turned pale. He can’t help but tease you for it.

“Aw, can’t handle the cold? Believe it or not, today’s one of our warmer days. I’m scared to see how you’d do when winter actually hits.” So this was barely scratching the surface. That’s just amazing, isn’t it? Is it too late to fly back to Liyue? You’ve already seen three different individuals grab icicles from who knows where before starting to munch on them, with no one else batting an eye.

Yeah, maybe homeschooling isn’t as bad as you thought.

With a groan, you turn around and face the redhead and Ajax could tell you weren’t particularly happy with his comment. You could see the smirk on his face grow ever so slightly at the sight of your reaction and it only ticked you off further. 

“I- I don’t understand the people who can swim in this weather.  Also, no normal human should be able to survive in this climate.” You stutter out, and surely the whole world could hear the clattering of your teeth. Your body was not built for this.

“You’ll get used to it. But if it makes you feel better, I’m sure it’ll take me a while to adapt to Liyue once I go there… eventually.” That was some new information to your ears. Well to be honest you didn’t know much about this guy in the first place, so while everyone was lining up on the track, you got behind him and started your interrogation.

“Why would you ever go to Liyue?” The question wasn’t meant to sound harsh, it was formed by your genuine curiosity. You could see something change in his eyes, and it’s only then that you realize that he has no spark inside them.

Maybe you’ll ask about that later if they ever get closer.

“I’m going to be a Fatui Harbinger. I’m going to travel across Teyvat and see every nation, eat all their food, and bring back souvenirs for my siblings. So a little bit after I graduate, I'll be out of here and across the world. There’s more, but you need to learn that information.”

The line moves up when the coach calls out for the next row to go and Childe looks down at you to gauge your reaction to which you look back up at him blankly, the only sign that you heard him is your singular eyebrow raised.

“That’s- a nice dream to have. But… You realize that you’d have to be crazy strong and master so many skills to be able to merely get recognized by the Tsurista?” Now it's Childe’s turn to look confused. His eyebrows furrow, and he shapes his mouth in a way that looks like he just tasted something bad before his face suddenly goes blank again, with a slow smirk forming on his lips.

Right. Everyone on campus is aware of his skill, all except you. Well obviously you’re new so it’s only natural, but that doesn’t mean he’ll fight like he always does at the next monthly Sparring Competition, no he’d do the best he can. Ajax’s sure to knock all the wind out of your lungs the moment you see him against his opponent. But for now, he’ll just let you believe he’s an obnoxious rich kid who doesn’t know what he’s doing.

“Oh come on! Don’t go ahead and crush all my dreams like that with a reality check.” He winces, clutching his stomach as if he’s been hurt, but you both notice he’s next in line to run and he gets in his stance. You roll your eyes and watch as all the other kids follow his motions. “Aww, was that too harsh? Don’t worry, I’m sure you could be a Harbinger’s assistant if anythi-”

As soon as the couch blows the whistle, he leaves everyone behind in the dust. Well, snow in this case, even if there wasn’t lots of it on the athletics field. He was fast and flexible, you had to admit. Sprinting down the track with everyone cheering and clapping, girls practically squealing and you swore you saw him win at one. The wind blew through the strands of his messy hair perfectly and he had finished running the whole thing in under a minute.

In the cold. Shit, he’s good.

You hadn’t realized your jaw was dropped until he stopped running right in front of you, raised his hand to your face, and pushed your chin upwards, causing your cheeks to flush a bit. “Impressed, girly?” Childe suspected you as the Tsundere type, so he was taken off guard when a slight smile came onto your lips.

“I really have to say, I underestimated you. Good job, Ajax.” Huh. He didn’t expect to be getting praised if anything. He thought you would roll your eyes and sarcastically clap for him, not this. Childe still had his finger on your chin, and it's then that he actually took the time to look at you. You were… pretty. And your eyes stood out in the winter compared to all the white around, unlike his dull, soul-threatening ones. Then yours blink. Repeatedly. It’s only then he realizes that he’s so close to you, holding up your chin, and around a crowd. Childe quickly steps back and clears his throat.

“S-Sorry I was just-” “Newby you’re up!” The coach calls, and you quickly turn around, thankful for an excuse to get away. Getting away is something you want more than anything right now since no one had ever expressed interest like he did just now. So while everyone else in your row was getting into their position, you were only thinking of being done, finished and back inside a warm, toasty classroom.

Childe guesses that’s exactly what you were thinking because you were gone in a flash., leaving everyone bewildered.

Taglist: @uhfhfhfhf @xdrin @msun1c0rn @umi-adxhira @lovingnahida @strrawb3rrysh0rtcak3 @ssecylia @skyl8ver @immahuman @meowmeowraven @01234 @markexplanation @esthelily @dawnofazrael @chickenalfredo4life @eccaza @jun-xiu @klemen-time @delulu-val @everi-eve

Borders by @cafekitsune

[olderthannetfic]

I'm curious, do you have any opinion on copyrights and expiration? Since starting to write fanfiction, I've felt like ff as an artform mostly exists in this form because of copyright law and capitalism, which I thought was unfair. Now after creating and selling my own original works, building a small amount of wealth for myself and my family, and having to deal with greedy suits who just want to screw over every original idea to turn a profit, I've started to have a different perspective that maybe copyright should be indefinite and never expire in the cases of small creators but not megacorps. I'm not sure how this would change the handling of fanfiction and fanart as a whole, though. For a small creator, I actually think the current copyright standard of creator's life+70 years is pretty good and encourages more people to be original or pay artists for their work. I think of things like Star Wars, which mostly exists because Lucas couldn't obtain the rights to make the adaptation he wanted of Flash Gordon. It does seem especially heinous, then, that a huge company like Disney could have theoretically swooped in (if we had copyright protection for, like, 30 years after publication) and made Star Wars VII which became one of the top 20 highest grossing movies of all time, and they wouldn't have to pay Lucas or his family anything. Or giant companies (if copyright was limited to protection until the artist's death) waiting for a small artist to die so they can make an adaption without having to pay anyone royalties. As it currently stands, current copyright seems pretty good for indie artists in society but bad for megacorps in society.

As someone involved and familiar with fanworks who also writes original fiction, do you have an opinion?

--

As far as I know, the historical motivation behind copyright existing at all was to stop big companies from just stealing shit from smaller creators that got popular.

I think some form of copyright is necessary, and policing the boundary between small time and big time is difficult. We should just roll back the stupid shit Disney pulled to extend it.

I see no reason someone else should be able to sell competing works or merch for my thing without my permission. Whatever I've come up with probably isn't that original anyway, so the main thing they want is my marketing and networking I've done and my audience, not the concept of such-and-such a set of stock figures in a romance. Build your own brand! Do a collab with the other creator and make it official!

I think it would help if people outside of fandom were more broadly aware of fair use (and if all countries had fair use) while also being more sensitive to when powerful creators and companies steal. Right now, the attitude seems to swing towards everything my sort of people do being "stealing" but anything some ballsy dude or big company does being probably legit. There should be some wiggle room, but it's often applied in the wrong direction.

Most people should turn a blind eye to very small scale sales of physical items, but I'm talking small. A lot of fan art merch businesses produce way too many copies of things, and people trying to support themselves as fic authors on Patreon should knock it off and write something original (with all the extra work to build an audience that that entails).

[aetherdecember]

A sort of reversal AU.

Morpheus isn’t captured. Burgess succeeds in capturing Death. Morpheus doesn’t notice at first because he’s in the middle of reclaiming Corinthian when it happens.

To everyone else, the effects are immediately noticeable. People in the Waking are no longer able to die. Those who were in the Dreaming are now ravens.

When Morpheus returns, there’s chaos. The Dreaming is overrun by the influx of new ravens, and the new ravens sure as hell don’t know what happened to them and are more or less panicking. Those who aren’t panicking don’t understand their wings enough to fly away from the situation, so add to the chaos. Point being, sudden raven hood = disaster.

Luciene approaches. “My lord, we have a situation.” A subtle flinch as a raven falls between them. “As you can see.”

“What happened?”

“A man named Roderick Burgess has captured Death.”

Morpheus has many thoughts about the issue, none of which he shares with anyone else. He might have done some investigating, maybe looked for a way to free his sister, but Death hasn’t called for him, and there are rules to follow. There’s also a vortex he needs to keep an eye on, so if he spends a bit more time in the Waking, who is one to say?

There’s a span of time where he’s too busy with his duties to pay much attention to anything else, and in that time the Dreaming adjusts. The ravens adapt to their wings, they learn to be of use, and serve Morpheus’ kingdom. The Waking also adjusts. Less smoothly, indeed it adjusts rather problematically, but Morpheus has been merciless on any of his denizens who dared think they could overstay their welcome, so the rest of the problems are not his responsibility.

It isn’t until a day that Morpheus returns from another visit to the Waking that he learns the full damage of Death’s imprisonment.

There’s a raven delivering a newly written story to Luciene. It had been one of the thousands of new ravens, and had adjusted to its wings alright, until it learned it was officially dead in the Waking and became rather pissed. Still, it served the Dreaming well, though it had never seen the King of Dreams, it figured a dream king was much the same as a waking one. But at the sight of Morpheus, it gasps. “You.”

Morpheus instantly recognizes Hob. His shadow overtakes the room, form threatening to shred into a thousand new nightmares, but his face keeps the same neutral, pale expression.

“How did this happen?”

And if his tone threatens to tear the veil between waking and dreaming to restore things… well, that stays between them.

Unfortunately, the damage has already been done, Hob is one of his ravens now, but the broken promise rankles. And Morpheus… he doesn’t know how to handle the close proximity of Hob. Distance had been easy to keep when he was Endless and Hob was Human. Jessamy still accompanies him everywhere, but when Morpheus is in the Dreaming, Hob is there. And there’s an unsettling feeling of owing.

Hob tries to be respectful about it, but he’s had just as much of a shock as his stranger damnit, and he wants answers! There’s history between them! Unresolved tensions! *Lord* Morpheus had stormed out on him at the end of their last meeting because he called him friend, he deserves to know where they stand! After all, they’d never gotten a chance to meet up again… it had only been a quarter of a century since their last visit, Hob hadn’t even begun to think about what would happen if his stranger didn’t show (yes he had, that night had tormented him ever since it happened, of course he’d agonized over thoughts of if and if not).

Naturally the rest of the Dreaming knows about the tension between them and holds its breath, anticipating the results when it finally comes to a head.

It’s a lot less dramatic than everyone thought it would be. The two orbit each other like celestial bodies, forever pulling each other further into their gravity, and Hob has never had a reason to fear Morpheus before (despite all the new rumors he’s heard about his cruel justice), so he does what he does best: he experiences the afterlife. And he finds ways to shares his experiences. He draws Morpheus in with his stories like a curious cat, the two finding their paths crossing more and more often until Morpheus keeps not one but two ravens with him at all times.

Eventually, the vortex will need to be dealt with, and Hob will convince Morpheus to free Death which will lead to Morpheus finding another human to experience immortality, who turns out to be Matthew, and at some point Morpheus will offer Hob the option to become something else, but those are different stories.

[maple-the-awesome]

Ackerman's Sister || Chapter 10

Pairing: Levi Ackerman x Sister Reader (strictly platonic), Erwin Smith x Reader

Words: 2,259

Overview: For most of your life, you had never even seen the sky before, but now, you'll get to see the outside world, too, and you know what means: getting to encounter a titan for the first time.

Series Masterlist🤎 AOT Masterlist🤎 Fandom Masterlist

CHAPTER TEN: BEYOND PRISON WALLS

You expected to be more nervous than this. Based on the endless horror stories you've been told, most soldiers experience permanent chills down their spines and difficulty holding onto their horses' reins given how much their nerves shake.

You expected to be the same way even if it would seem out of character for yourself, but on the contrary. You're calm, maintaining a proper grip to the reins as you stare ahead in preparation, then again, it’s possible that the reality of the situation hasn't hit you just yet.

If you had to guess, you'd say Levi's feeling the same. He merely blinks at Furlan's own worry which bounces off your group, a hint of regret laced in his voice as he realizes there's truly no turning back at this point. Maybe that's the true reason as to why you're so calm right now. For you, the point of no return was stepping outside of the Underground for the first time; exiting the Walls should be nothing compared to that.

Advancing through that old gate was like drawing back a curtain to look at the morning sun. Despite it being day both inside and out, the world that greets beyond the bare safety of society seems vastly brighter. Here, there are no roads aside from the beaten down path worn into place by the hundreds of former Scouts whose footsteps you now trace. Aside from that, you can't spot a single sign of human touch. This land is beyond humanity's territory; from here on out, you're at the mercy of titans.

"It's so vast..." you feel the need to comment aloud, your newborn appreciation for this landscape feeling misplaced when considering the scared shitless expressions of some of the other soldiers around you.

"It's amazin'!" Isabell agrees, holding her arms out as if to embrace the sun shining over you all.

"...Yeah..." Levi's agreement comes in a hushed tone, yet with one glance his way, you know it's true. His own eyes glitter in astonishment, mouth parted slightly as he takes in the sight. To think neither of you had even seen the sun for most of your lives. Now you’re a part of the few people able to see beyond the Walls…

"Shit, this wasn't the plan, (Y/n)..." Furlan hisses beside you, the formation luckily spread out enough so that no one else will likely hear," we weren't meant to get pushed outside the Walls like this. We should've gotten those papers before this point."

"While I agree that putting ourselves in this type of danger isn’t desirable, no plan is without its setbacks, Furlan, and if we can't adapt to them, we can't expect to achieve our goals," you answer, narrowing your eyes towards the front of the formation," we also need to be willingly to make bets here. My bet at the moment is that Erwin’s been carrying those documents on him, possibly the whole time. If I’m correct about that, then that means it was unavoidable getting to this point. The chances of taking them directly from himand getting away with it were slimmer inside the Walls…but perhaps this new situation can actually play in our favor.”

You exchange a look with Levi who bows his head in understanding. Out in the fields of such dangerous territory, chaos can erupt at any given second. If Erwin happens to die after being separated in the haze from his squad, then who's to say it wasn’t by a titan’s hand?

"Don't worry about the titans. I can handle them," Levi announces, although that does little to calm Furlan.

"They're titans!"

"So? You don't trust me?"

"It's not that..." Furlan complains bashfully, gaining a teasing chuckle from Isabell.

"Poor Furlan! You're already tremblin' and we haven't seen nothin' yet!"

"I'm not trembling!"

"Well I'm not scared! I'd be able to take care of those titans licky-split-!"

"-Stop with the chit chatting!" All four of you glance over your shoulders, glaring at the dark haired soldier who dared interrupting. He's from your squad and has already proven himself a pain in the ass before.

True to such a title, he quickly gains speed to reach your group, his expression furious," the titans aren't to be taken lightly! Even the most elite veterans of the Survey Corps have been killed by them! What makes you think four Underground rats like yourselves stand any better chance!?"

"Be careful what you say," Isabell challenges, becoming rather serious in a matter of seconds," if we Underground rats end up makin' it back alive, that'll make us better than your 'elite veterans', yeah?"

Her counter only further angers the scout who opens his mouth, ready to curse the redhead, however he receives no time to even start. Levi is quick to direct his horse between the scout and Isabell, making him jerk back and give the four of you space again. For a second, it looks like he might just say something anyways, but his arguments die in his throat after receiving a single glare from your brother.

"Sairam, knock it off! Titans can appear at any moment! You wanna keep fighting like children or maintain the ranks like the soldiers we're expected to be!?" Squad Leader Flagon interrupts, inserting himself into the group," this is the real deal out here! From here on out, nothing will be like training so remain prepared!"

You understand his words are implied to all of you, although you've already assumed them to be the case. It would be embarrassing if the Scouts have been struggling this whole time against still targets like the dummies you tear to shreds back at camp. For their dignity, you're hoping titans prove to be more of a challenge, however with such a thought finally comes that small ounce of fear curling in your stomach.

"Levi," he looks to you at the sound of his name, his eyebrow raised," don't get too cocky out here."

He huffs his offense," now you're doubting me, too?"

"I'm not doubting you, I'm being a concerned sister who doesn't want to see her baby brother turned to mush against the grass," Levi clicks his tongue at this, his cheeks dusted in pink embarrassment," I'm only reminding you to be careful and think things through. We have nothing to prove at this moment other than we can stay alive."

Levi rolls his eyes, yet that's proof enough that he at least heard you. Turning, you look to Isabell and Furlan next," same goes to you two. It's not a race to kill as many titans as possible. All we gotta do is complete our mission and get home alive, got it? Then we'll no longer be those useless Underground rats everyone sees us as."

"Yes, ma'am!" Isabell salutes excitedly, Furlan offering a tired smile that shows he still isn't too convicted about the situation, but he'll put his trust in your command regardless.

"TITAN SPOTTED!"

Everyone's heads turn to the shout, many desperately searching around in fear of where the beast could be. Fortunately, it isn't too close when you spot it yourself, although you still can't help but stare. They truly are creepy, this one in particular standing at 15 meters with a sinister grin upon its ugly face as it struts out of the tree line towards the wagons of supplies, ignoring the first line of scouts who try to stop it; it’s an abnormal.

Some of the more 'advanced' squads immediately engage into battle with the monster, attempting to cut it down before it reaches its destination, but it doesn’t go well.

The titan has no issue grabbing one of the scouts from the air, coming to a complete stop while bringing the man to its mouth. His friend attempts to quickly make the kill and save him, however the titan suddenly begins swinging its massive arms wildly. This results in several scouts nearly being knocked out of the air, one being bitten clean in half after getting too close to the titan’s mouth and the man trapped within its grip being crushed to death. In seconds, the titan leaves behind the carnage and continues towards the wagons.

"We'll be screwed if we get hit by those arms when it's swinging around like that," Levi observes, riding alongside you as you both keep close eyes on the enemy.

"But it wasn't moving its legs at the same time..." you add, giving a hum of thought before coming to a swift decision," right then! I'll distract it from the front while the three of you remain behind! Furlan, Isabell, once it starts swinging at me, it should stop moving! Take the opportunity to slash its ankles and knock it off its feet! When it’s down, Levi will go in for the kill! We must work quickly without pause nor hesitation; don’t give the fucker a chance to respond to you! Understood!?”

"Loud and clear!" Isabell smiles.

"Why not..." Furlan tries to.

Levi is the only one not to answer, his eyes narrowing further when he realizes you're actually waiting for his reply. Finally, he grumbles," don't try to be some hotshot hero and get yourself killed."

You blink before smirking," well, well, look who's being doubtful now? Don’t worry. I’ll be just as careful as I expect the rest of you to be. We’ve got this!”

With the plan confirmed, you hit the reins, speeding to catch up to the titan. You can hear Flagon shout something behind the four of you, although seeing that he's been left in your dust, you can only barely make out his protests.

You're rookies, ill-prepared to take on a titan on your own, at least in his eyes. As you told the others moments ago, none of you have anything to prove here, but it'll still be nice to give everyone the idea that they’re wrong about you guys. Besides, you’re confident in this attack strategy; you’d never put your brother and friends in danger if you weren’t.

Circling to the side of the titan at a safe distance, you stand on top of your horse before shooting your hooks into the giant’s hip. From there, you propel yourself forward, not worrying about getting any hits in and instead focusing on being mindful of those arms. As you had predicted, the titan comes to a complete stop before swinging at you, but being prepared, you easily speed out of the way at the last second, reaching high into the sky which forces it to keep its head cranked upward, unaware of the scouts coming up behind.

Following your instructions, Furlan and Isabell both use the opportunity for their own counters. Having been trailing directly behind the titan, they leap off their horses and race forward to slice into its ankles, causing it to lose balance immediately and fall face first into the ground. Before it can even think of pushing itself upright, Levi passes by you, spinning himself in the air then downwards to deliver a forceful blow to the titans nape.

By the time you land, steam is already melting away the titan’s flesh and bones just as the instructors said occurs upon the monsters’ deaths. You watch this sight, the feeling of victory setting in your own bones alongside the pride you feel when catching up to the others.

Isabell bounces in excitement, giddy over the success while Furlan sighs his relief, managing his first chuckle of the day. Even Levi, despite how indifferent he attempts to appear, has a glow in his eyes that shines brighter when you set a hand upon his shoulder, giving him a smile that you extend to the others too.

"Excellent work everyone!"

"I wanna see them try comparing us to those elites now!" Isabell cheers, pulling on Furlan's arm," how's that for Underground rats, huh!? We didn’t die, not even a scratch!"

"Don't go jinxing us, Isabell! That was only one titan. There's bound to be more!"

"Then we'll cut them all into pieces, too! They'll be no match for us!"

"Stop shouting, you're making my ears hurt," Levi warns, stubbornly looking away when Isabell throws her arm over his shoulder, yet he makes no effort to actually pull away from her grasp.

"Aw, don't act so cranky, Levi! You looked so cool out there! You and big sis both! We all looked super badass! Like professionals!"

You chuckle at Isabell's fiery spirit, happy to see your family so uplifted during what most would consider a stressful situation. You’re not sure what caused you to intentionally look away from them. Perhaps a slight movement in the corner of your eyes? Whatever the reason, you end up looking over your shoulder, locking eyes with Erwin Smith.

He stands mounted on his horse several yards away, watching your group with a grin tugging on his lips. You almost roll your eyes at this, prepared to let him ruin your good mood. Is it a grin of mocking? One forced as he must begrudgingly admit you fared well in your first real fight? Then you dwell on his expression further, realizing neither answer fits...No, the blond doesn't mock nor resent your victory. Instead, he wears a smile dripping with awe.

If thinking clearly, you would’ve hated the way you feel the need to stare at him, cheeks warm yet mind conflicted. It's as if you can read his own thoughts suddenly, understanding that they disprove everything you've previously expected him to think of you ask, however you dare not admit this. What trouble would you be in if you admit there’s warmth invoked inside you by the idea of Erwin Smith's apparent attention and approval?

NEXT CHAPTER➡️

⬅️PREVIOUS CHAPTER

[ebatothemoon]

In defense of ONEUS and RAVN

I still remember how seeing those accusations felt. A pot of boiling water was being poured onto my head. I looked at my wall, then my few ONEUS albums, then back to the wall. My eyes were spitting fire. I distanced and distracted myself to pretend I can handle this without pressure, I found an excuse to have some laughter and joy for a couple of hours. Then, days of missed sleeps, worrying days, anxious waitings, trying to dig into small pieces of hope that it is just a terrible nightmare… they came along. I kept track of those days without being able to cure anything. Then, I learned from those loyal fans who truly bothered themselves to find the inconsistencies in those serious accusations. I got encouraged to bother myself to translate those documented inconsistencies to my own native language to help another fan page, to help RAVN, to help ONEUS by hoping to cure people from those sickening mindsets. In the face of burnt bridges, the symbolic/literal attempts being shown to the members as if fans were showing bats under the table, them carrying all this burden after a marvelous era and right before a world tour, probably the worst timing ever that an artist can witness, seeing all the effort being put out there to save them from this disgusting situation leading to cracks is heartachingly sad. ONEUS and RAVN are not only the victims of this scandal. They are the victims of such abusive treatment from their company and from so many fans.

Beforehand, RBW’s immediate action on taking care of the situation is an aspect I still appreciate. The problem starts with they have done afterwards: the fansigns, the cut-out edits, the ridiculous announcements... At the core of these insensitive steps until now, I wish they would just not keep on organizing those fansigns. I wish members would not have to carry all that burden on their shoulders. We cannot know what was in their mind, maybe they thought they could cool down the situation, maybe they thought they could find comfort in the time of chaos but what has been speculated at those fansigns were not worth the effort they put out there. I’m sorry but I just can’t forget Hwanwoong’s eyes and his tightened throat… Was this all worth it really? If yes, at what cost?

To the fans who have put the slightest effort to let this happen by not calming themselves to wait for a proper justice and using such a serious scandal carelessly for their own egoistic choices to legitimize all the superficial hatred agenda towards Ravn, the truth reveal itself one way or another. The question is, will you be able to face your conscience when you realize your populist actions have not only undermined his whole effort in ONEUS’s music and chemistry, how he touched members’ and lots of fans’ lives gently but also you have acted ignorantly and insensitively about SA and the true victims of such traumatizing incidents? If members’ tearful, truly vulnerable and reminiscing, not your “uwu oppa is so cute” moment of ments on the first concert day made you not realize that, I don’t know what else would do that.

Still on this day, hats off to ONEUS to bear with this burden someway, somehow in such a disaster timing of their careers. Lately, I have been seeing comments about them acting unprofessional and fans getting disappointed because of them pushing this 5-member agenda this fast and out loud. I invite you to a moment of empathy, please. Imagine that you have just gained a really important momentum in your career, collecting trophies left and right, you are about to go on a world tour, one of the most essential ways for artists to make actual money, and then bam! Just couple of days  before the world tour, ONEUS had to adapt themselves to their new reality and we don’t have a single clue whether they got through it or not. They even had to act faster than us because at the end of the day, it is them running from schedule to schedule to keep their career safe, not us. What were we expecting really? Them cancelling shows, them unwillingly perform at the shows and put their image at risk? If not acting accordingly, how are they going to continue their schedules? I am not saying this is how it should be but unfortunately, this is how it should be in this industry. I wish it would not be like that and we would talk about these transparently. You don’t have to agree on it but still acknowledging and respecting their side would help to process their situation as well. Let me tell you, the timing of this is sh#t yet they are professional af and that’s why it hurts this much. I wish we could have treated each other’s wounds in another time, not in these conditions…

Still on this day, hats off to RAVN for his legacy on ONEUS. I hope we get to hear his side whenever he is ready to reflect on it. Even if I hate this, his decision on leaving the group is his way of showing respect. In my view, he did not want to be the cause of the possible shades to be thrown in the future to the name of ONEUS and if this is not an act of loyalty, then I don’t know what it is. Yet it does not change the feeling of mine that I am forced to say an unwilling goodbye to a brother who loved this idol life in his own glamourous ways, showed how staying humane and humble in this disgustingly competitive industry still matters, was not afraid of sharing pure love and caring to the members and us, inspired me how to look myself beautifully at the mirror. Today’s me is not afraid to show this affection and appreciation to him and tomorrow’s me, whatever the outcome is going to be, will not be disappointed in yesterday’s me for showing this sincere admiration to ONEUS and RAVN.

Last but not least, to all ot5+1, everyone of us is healing in their own paces. Your encouraging and sincere words on this virtual universe is my reason to start writing a blog and I hope we can heal each other’s wounds carefully. Thank you for your inspirational stance in this time of chaos. Sending big and warm hugs to all of you!

[anyathefandom]

To Those Fortunate Enough chapter 37:

@burned-lariat

Valentin stood in the doorway, Charlotte's hand in his as his heart melted at the sight before him. Irina laid snugly in the hospital bed, a nasal cannula on her face as she rested. Valentin frowned sympathetically at his nephew from the back. The young man slept on top of his crossed arms, resting by his mother's side. His breathing was soft yet present, and Valentin did his best to resist the urge to approach the bed.

"He's been out for the past couple hours."

Valentin looked to his left, raising his eyebrows. Wallace leaned against the window, legs crossed at the ankles.

Me: look at the Heller men standing watch over our woman in white🫡

"Dex," Wallace tugged on his shoulder. The young man turned around, raising his eyebrows at the visitors.

"Uncle Valentin," Dex looked between father and daughter, "and…?"

"Charlotte," the girl responded, walking over to him. She held out her hand, "Nice to meet you, Cousin Dexter."

He took her hand in his, "Call me Dex."

"How are you doing?" Valentin stepped closer.

"I'm alright. I mean, I spent the last few days here, in my second favorite place, recovering from the second heart problem I've had in at least a week."

Valentin rolled his eyes, trying not to smirk.

Me: I swear the Wallace in him is always jumping out😂

Charlotte gave him a small smile, "So you and your parents moved?"

"Um…no. Just me and my dad."

"Aunt Irina didn't go?"

"No. She…stayed behind."

"You were without your mom for a long time. I'm without my mom too."

"I'm sorry," Dex frowned.

"She has a brain issue the way you have a heart issue. She's getting care elsewhere in the state."

"Have you gone to see her?"

"No…no," Charlotte shook her head, feeling tears well up. Dex laid a hand on her shoulder.

"I hope she comes back to you someday. You deserve to have her in your life again."

"Thank you," Charlotte smiled.

"C'mere," Dex said softly, opening his arms. Charlotte held him tight in response. He ran a hand down her blonde hair in an attempt to comfort her. Eventually, she pulled back.

Me: Yaaas i'm getting more Cassadine cousins bonding time.🥰 Even though I forever want Lulu to stay in that coma I still appreciate this moment he's having with Charlotte.😂

"So, um," she cleared her throat, "are you Dutch?"

"Nope. German."

"Can you speak it?"

"Fluently."

"Can you teach me a few things?"

"Um…" Dex looked around, noticing a pack of cards left on another table. He swiftly got up and grabbed the stack, returning to his seat, "How about a game?"

"What game?"

"Mau-Mau. It's a game my dad taught me as a kid. Ever played Uno?"

"Yeah, often."

"Well, this game is pretty similar to that, just with a few different rules."

Charlotte's smile lit up the area, "Teach me everything."

Me: I truly adored their interaction.🥺

"Well, I'd certainly like to keep them around. Maybe they can find something here."

"Maybe," Anna nodded, "thought for Dex, it'll be fairly difficult."

"He'll find a way," Valentin shrugged, "He found a way with his plot against Victor."

"Yeah…"

Valentin raised an eyebrow, "You have something?"

"I'm not sure how practical it would be, but…why not get him into the bureau?"

Me: THE WAY I SCREAMED "GET MY BOY IN THERE!!! SPY ADVENTURES HERE WE COME!!"

"You think he's capable of being an agent?"

"Well, he needs a purpose, and something tells me working for his father is no longer an option."

Me: I wholeheartedly believe fanon!Dex can do this!! LET MY BOY IN THERE!

"But wouldn't his heart…" Dante gestured around his chest, "y'know…"

"Not if he takes care of himself," Valentin replied, "He'd start the same way we did: no special favors. The more he trains, the more his body will adapt and he'll be able to handle the stress."

"So you're on board with the idea," Anna said.

"It's worth offering to him, but it's his decision in the end. I'm not going to pressure my nephew to say yes, even if I think he should."

Me:

Wallace cleared his throat, "Y'know, when I noticed how unstable and disjointed your stance was with the gun, I was a bit disappointed that you forgot what I taught you. But it's you: you were undercover and you meant to look that way. Shame on me for assuming the worst of you at all…and shame on me for frightening you after you shot me."

Me: Wallace really said "Girl I thought you were getting rusty but then I remembered your that bitch and immediately felt shame for ever doubting you." Like sir really forgot who she was for a second there.😂

Wallace briefly bit his bottom lip, "Your family…maybe I was a bit too prejudiced against them because of your mother. I mean, your father was as wicked as they came, and Nikolas certainly isn't much of an upstanding citizen, but the others? They're alright, Valentin being the best behind you, of course."

Me: My main man complimenting my side piece. Wooow

Tears burned his brown eyes, "Just…wake up, Irina. Come back. Come back to me, to our boy, to the members of your family that love you. Don't let Victor take away the second chance you have. Please, liebling, please. I love you."

Wallace pressed his hands against his forehead, trying to suppress his sadness. He then felt something move against his palms. Blinking, he lowered his hands back down to be level with the bed and watched in amazement as Irina began to move.

Me: ✨S-O-U-L-M-A-T-I-S-M ✨

"Irina," he choked out as her eyes fluttered open, "Irina, it's me, it's Wallace."

"B…" she stuttered gently, squinting as she adjusted to the light, "B-Baby…"

"Liebling…"

"Baby," her voice was clearer, "Where…Where is my baby?"

"Dex-" Wallace cut in, "Dex is with Charlotte in the hospital cafeteria. He's okay, love. He's okay."

"...Wallace…" she groaned, "dearest…"

"I'm right here," he held her hand tight, "I'm right here."

"You're…alive…I…I shot you…oh God-"

"Hey, hey, hey," Wallace cooed, "it's okay. You didn't hurt me. You did nothing wrong."

"I…" Irina felt tears sting her eyes, "Oh Wallace…"

"It's okay," he pulled her hand up, gently kissing her knuckles.

Me:

"Victor…he did this…"

"That he did, and luckily, he's gone."

"Gone?"

"I got rid of him."

"You…killed my father?"

"I did. He can't wreak havoc on any of us anymore. None of them can."

Tears flowed from the woman's eyes, streams running down her cheeks. Wallace scooted closer, pulling her into a tight hug.

Me: I just know victor is in hell punching the air😂

"You're free," he gently whispered, her sobs mostly drowning him out, "You're finally free, liebling. You don't have to hide or isolate yourself, you don't have to play the part your parents forced upon you."

He held her close, "You and I and Dex…we can finally be a family. We can finally be together again. We won."

"Wallace…" she cried as he pulled away. She gripped his arms tight, holding him in place. Their faces were inches apart, and he smirked at the hesitancy in her eyes.

"Do it," he said.

Her lips were soft as she pulled him in to kiss them. Her hands cupped his cheeks, keeping him still while pulling him deeper into the feeling. Wallace ran his hands down to her torso, keeping them on either side. They moved in sync with one another the longer the kiss went on, with Wallace pulling away first.

Me:

"I missed you," Irina whispered, "All those years we spent apart…unbearable."

"I missed you too," he replied in the same tone, "God, I missed you too. I love you."

"I love you too."

"Mom?"

Irina pulled away from another kiss to look past Wallace. Dex stood in the doorway, eyes wide with surprise.

"Dex?" Wallace asked, "Where's your cousin?"

"Laura…picked her up…Mom…"

"Hi, baby," she beamed as Wallace pulled back, "come here."

"Mom-" the young man rushed over and wrapped his arms around her.

"My boy," she cooed, running a hand through his hair. She kissed the side of his head, "you're here, you're really here. Thank God you're okay."

"Thank God you're okay."

"I love you."

"I love you too."

"We're all here," Wallace cut in. Dex pulled away from Irina and sat down on the stool. She grabbed his hand, haphazardly intertwining his fingers with hers, "We're all together."

Dex sucked in his lips, glancing away from the man. He cast his eyes towards the bedding as Wallace continued: "The Cassadines, the ones who were evil, anyway, are no longer a threat. All those years that we spent apart are finally in the past. No longer will we have to hide out or break our own hearts to escape death. We're…we're finally a whole family. We got what we've always wanted; we won."

Me: Wow the Heller's really are my emotional support family. Love that for me.😌

[chayacat]

Remember, My Love. (26) Epilogue.

Fandom: Resident Evil 8 Village

Lycan Karl Heisenberg x Female Reader  

Rated M for Violence, language and Smut

WARNING: This chapter is the epilogue. Almost all content of this ultimate chapter will be dialogue because this is a video Chris receives. There will therefore be no action between the characters or even direct verbal exchange between them. I hope you enjoyed this fiction to its end and don't worry, all chapters are available in the Re8 master list! Happy reading!

***

“Hey Captain, we received this for you.”

Chris turned his head in the direction of the voice, only to see Tundra with a package in her hand. When he took the package and looked at the provenance, he couldn't help but smile. It had been a year since his mission in this village in Romania. And he hadn't forgotten what had happened, or the encounters he had. Even less the promises he made before leaving.  

For a year, Chris had somehow helped the village to rebuild itself and at the same time brought a little modernity. Aria for her part had promised to give him news. And that's the reason for this package in Redfield's hands. The funny thing about these videos was that contrary to appearances, Aria seemed much more comfortable than Karl for this kind of thing. Chris opened the package, took the small usb key inside and inserted it on his computer, before opening the most recent file, dating from 3 days ago.

“It's okay, does it record?” said Karl on the camera.

“Of course it records, this is not the first time I handle this computer, in one year I have had plenty of time to learn.” responds Aria, before sitting next to him.  

“Yeah yeah, I know. So... Hi Redfield. It's been a long time...”

“Hi Chris! Sorry that you haven't heard from us all this time. The reconstruction of the village... well, we say that Rome was not built in a day so... It was a bit complicated. But as you can see when you’ll see this... We're fine.”

“The village is resuming a normal life... And let's say that the little touch of modernity that you wanted to bring... is starting to take hold well among everyone.”

“Leonardo, Elena's father rejected all these technologies but... Since he got into it, especially with television... we can say that he has radically changed sides. Especially with football matches. Concerning... You know what, he's fine too. It's going to sound strange but... The place where it is, is covered with flowers and vegetation... Go find out how it happened. But... He feels pretty good. No one knows about it. Not even the villagers.”

“I still think it's a mistake not to tell them about it but hey...”

“Karl we already talk about it...we have to make sure that the mutamycete is safe. Imagine if the villagers know about it? They could kill it just by fear!” replied Aria.  

“I know I know. But we won't be able to keep it secret forever...Well, that’s way of speaking.”

“Yeah, that’s a way... But in the meantime, it's the best thing to do. I don't think the villagers are ready for that. Don't forget how long it took them to... adapt to the pack.”  

“It is true that cohabitation has not been... simple.”

“When we wanted to use the strength of lycans to help rebuild the village... The inhabitants were not very... Reassured. So, we had to show them that Karl in addition to his magnetic powers... was one too and that he could watch them. Even Urias got into it, I wish you had seen it with your own eyes!”

“It's true that it was funny to see.”

“Karl!”

“Haha sorry buttercup.”

“In any case as far as the village is concerned, everything is fine! Since... Moreau is no longer there, it is Donna who serves as our doctor! Hoping that a doctor from another town or village will come to replace her. She is very talented, but Angie scares people a little. And... Karl and I are going to... Maybe we'll travel a little bit in a while.”

“Hey hey sweetly my love...”

“Karl, you promise me!”  

“And I'll keep my promise. But we still have some details to be solved before.”

“I know...but I can wait to see all those beautiful things around the world! And maybe we’ll meet during our travels!” said Aria with a great smile before hearing someone crying. “Oh, I think she woke up... I'll look for her.”

“Sure Buttercup.”

Aria stood up before stepping out of the screen to head into another room. Karl couldn't help but smile before looking at the camera again and getting more serious.  

“I... I wanted to thank you again for what you did a year ago, Redfield. If you hadn't decided to come to this village to take care of Miranda... We would not be where we are today. And I think we'd all be dead. But thanks to you, everything is different. And it's better this way. It always hurts my ass to tell you that by the way. Aria's powers have greatly improved. She masters them almost perfectly. Even if she still has a little trouble controlling everything, she no longer freezes everything she touches and that's the most important thing. As soon as there is movement, I will warn you by letter as usual.” Said Karl taking a break.  

“I don't know where you are right now but... I suspect you must be pushing back the failed Umbrella experiment. And to say that it is with Miranda that everything starts. If she had never met this guy... this Spencer... Then nothing you explained to me would exist.  I have done the research you asked me for in your last letter. They are in the package you received. Make good use of it, because I wouldn't do it twice.” he replied.  

“heyyyy look who’s there~” said Aria, reappearing on the screen with a baby on her arms.

“Hey my little flower, that was a very long nap! Everything fine?”

“I had to change her, and she was very hungry. She drank her nursing bottle in no time!  And she arrives just in time to say hello to Uncle Chris! Isn't that true, my little heart?”

Chris couldn't help but smile when he saw Karl and Aria happy with their little girl. She had her father's eyes, but all her mother's beauty. The little girl was playing with Karl's beard which made him laugh.

“We.... We did the tests you asked us for... and they were sent to the BSAA. The results say she is completely normal... For now.” said Aria.

“Aria...” Said Karl.

“I Know, I know...but This can develop over time... you never know Karl. One thing is certain, she is not a lycan.”

“That's what also reassures me... I don't want to impose on her this... Curse.”

“A curse that saved me a lot of times... Maybe one day we can introduce her to you! But for now... Iris is still too small to make a big trip.”

“I think she would hold... if we plan everything necessary to feed her, change her and everything else.”

“We’ll see. In the meantime, we will take care of her as the most precious of our treasures.” replied Aria, kissing Iris’ head.

“Good... I don't think we have much more to say... Everything is fine in the village. Everything is fine with the three of us. And mutamycete is well protected. We pretty much went around.” said Karl.

“We hope all this will get to you soon, Chris. And again... Thank you. Thanks for everything. See you around!”

All three said goodbye to Chris, Aria gently holding her baby's hand to wave it. Then the video stopped with three smiling faces and Chris closed his computer. He looked at the package and noticed the folder that Karl had added inside. Information that will always be useful, Chris was convinced. Until now, Karl had always given them good information about what was happening in Europe. A simple and effective way to be even more present everywhere. He stood up, opened the door and took one last look, smiled before leaving the room for good. Oh yes, they will see each other again... He was sure of it.  

And deep down... He couldn't wait.

***

(There you go. This is the end of this second fiction! Shorter than the first, but written with as much pleasure and love! I will be able to rest a little before starting the 3rd one which will be on Road 96! the famous! Thank you to everyone who has read to the end and I wish you all a wonderful Halloween! Have a great week everyone! See ya!)  

[electricbluebutterflies]

Sensing destruction before it happens. + letojessica!

This seemed like the right prompt to start a new ao3 compilation with and I'm so excited about it. Late-era to a point of very close to Canon Timeline, PG-ish, and cross-posted.

For once, a terrible idea has relatively little to do with her.

Not nothing – Jessica would like to think she maintains a certain level of importance in the cosmic order, and anything dramatic and sudden from on high likely takes her existence and personality into account – but this is not just about her, she is not vain or dominant enough to assume such a thing. Such a dramatic reassignment, with only a few months’ warning, is-

A trap, her mind completes. Certainly nothing good for her family.

She sees, as the warning is given, the permission to begin preparations, that her partner sees it differently. He stands barely out of her reach but the distance feels like an ocean, and she sees-

One of his best traits, she’d thought as a cold if not hostile observer near twenty years earlier, is a certain lack of ambition. He maintains what is his and will not be threatened, yes, but she’d never sensed any desire for-

No. She will not make such accusations, not even in her heart, not publicly with her teeth on her lip. More likely, if she has interpreted anything correctly in her time, this is mere adaptability, finding a way through unexpected circumstances, the same way he’d once-

Her presence had once been viewed the same way she now watches their changed circumstances begin to fall, something not quite wanted and not to be trusted, and this man she has come to love gave her a chance anyways. Treated her well and gave her space and look where they are now and look how far they’ve-

We need to talk, she signals against the side seam of her dress when she catches him glancing her way. As soon as possible. Please.

Move when I move, he replies.

Most formalities end this way, with her needing something after, but usually… usually she’s more interested in getting out of an uncomfortable dress, and something about her moments of compliance makes her partner want her, and-

She highly doubts this conversation they need to have will end with her pinned to a wall, as much as she almost hopes it will. She’s too tense for that, too concerned, too unprocessed and this is how bad she is now and they’ll have several months for her to get worse before-

She has always been a nightmare, she reminds herself. Always the wrong emotions at the wrong time, and her suppression only goes so far. There is a chance, small but existent, that this is just a false alarm. There is a chance that maybe-

No. It makes no sense to move them, to do anything on such a scale, without some unpleasant intentions behind the maneuver. She will not let herself want this as her partner does.

Time moves glacially even by the standards Jessica has learned to expect from any kind of formal diplomatic maneuvering, and she justifies staying within reach, justifies unusual behavior with how much this does impact her. She’ll end up handling the household side of the move, whether she wants to or not, whether she’s officially told to or not, all the obligations of a paired woman and almost none of the power, almost none of the-

By the time she is able to slip away, she tastes blood on her lip and the list of people she’s likely to have to threaten in the next two months is more existent than usual and she hates this all on a practical level regardless of-

“What concerns you, my storm?”

Oh, the nerve of him to use that endearment when she’s visibly something past it, fingertips tangled in the conveniently full skirt of her dress and lip swollen and eyes piercing and-

“We will not survive this.”

“What makes you so-“

A man of such status in the world, Jessica thinks sometimes, should not have as many flashes of innocence at the worst times, and yet-

“Tell me this does not sound like ruination. Convince me. Make me see whatever you see because right now-“

“We won’t know until-“

“You would give that faith?”

“What choice do we have? To decline… whatever lies ahead will be less tragic than-“

He has a point, and it would look better to go down as victims instead of rebels, even though-

No. She’d already crossed that line, long enough for the edges to fray. If this is about her, somehow…

“You worry too,” she breathes, stepping forward and putting her hands on her partner’s shoulders. “Not as I do, but-“

“So sudden-“

“We have been given… half a year, did I hear that right?”

“It will be enough time, but barely, and-“

“You will find a way,” she murmurs. “As we always do.”

“You have more faith in me than anyone.”

“You had more to prove to me than anyone.” Perhaps not quite, but she has seen how the world around them reacts to him and her own process was not quite-

“Jess-“

“Don’t… don’t let me-“

“I do trust your instincts. If there is anything…”

“I will say, when I am-“

He takes half a step forward and takes a heartbeat of a kiss, hands on her back and the stability of it all, they move as one or they are nothing, or they are-

“If you-“

“I know nothing you do not know,” she breathes. “That will not change.”

She suspects, in time to come, that her loyalties and complications will be questioned. She is so much at once, and if she is torn apart… when she must choose, when not if, it will be this. Unquestioning love and the family they have made and-

“I trust you,” her partner murmurs, holding her just slightly closer. “Above all else.”

“As I you.”

[second-wolf]

Sooo, I was gonna make this blog about the book I’m writing, and then I just… didn’t.

Anyways, here is information on the book I’m writing!

Side note: This book is in it's early stages of development so take a decent number of names, character description, and places with a grain of salt, as they may be subject to change. I will try to update them as the book develops.

Themes!

The main theme of my as of yet unnamed book is all about how we can process the world around us, especially when issues arise. A lot of the themes are somewhat personal, as I first conceived the main idea of this book during a fairly tumultuous time in my life.

The main idea is that there is no one way to work through issues. Even if one idea may work the best, one tool in your tool belt can only take you so far. A hammer won’t screw something together like a drill.

It also has a few minor themes of dealing with chronic issues or disabilities, but since this is a fantasy novel, of course the disabilities are kind of superpowers. They do have their moments where it’s anything but though.

Magic System!

The magic system is fairly simple in all regards. In the broad strokes we have:

Molders- Basically alchemy. They can change the shape or material of anything they touch so long as they are aware of what the material is made of. The higher their understanding of what they are molding, the easier it is for them to mold it. One drawback though is organic material is usually fairly hard to shape, mostly things like food or anything capable of sustaining life, mostly because its fairly complex chemically.

Adapters- Kind of similar to Molders. They can change the shape of stuff, but only metals, and it has to be absorbed into their body first. How easily they can essentially shapeshift using the metals depends on the metal's softness, like gold is one of the easier ones to use because its fairly soft, whereas tungsten is one of the harder ones.

Enforcers- They can boost their strength, speed or durability by up to a total of 100%, with that 100% being equal to around 10x what their current body strength can be able to handle. The only drawback is that they have to be mindful of how quickly they boost their 'stats' and how they divvy up that 100%, like if your strength is suddenly 10x more powerful than normal, you might break your leg by taking a step, so maybe balance it out with a durability boost too, because although you'd be weaker, you'd be tougher.

Illusionist- maybe the most broken of the four abilities, idk. They are able to create any sort of hallucinations they want, so long as they can clearly imagine it. Depending on the skill level it could range from crappy visual hallucinations to a full on sensory nightmare, affecting all five senses. Granted, the more complicated the illusion the greater the mental toll it take on the user, which can lead to things like headaches or even brain bleeds if one pushes themselves too far. Also, when it comes to making illusory sensations, its hard to make sensations that one has not directly experienced.

Characters!

Eli/Elijah- the main character

He’s around 16 or 17, and grew up in not quite a negligent home, but it wasn’t very loving either. His mom was mostly working as a kid and his dad was always too tired to do much. He also never had much luck with friends either, as they always found him odd or annoying given that he almost was always reading rather than playing or hanging out with everyone else.

Tobi- my favorite

Tobi is trauma incarnate. He grew up in an underground lab and was the product of human experimentation, which in this case was more of a “mess around to keep our funding but it actually worked” kinda way. Tobi is blind, because he has no eyes. He still can see, kind of. He’s more able to ‘sense’ than see, and more of the different materials that are around him than anything like color or light. He also has a nigh crippling fear of crowds and major trust issues, mostly from growing up in an underground lab. He also has horns, because this is my book and I can do whatever fantasy bs I want. Oh also he’s like 12 or 13.

Sylvana- the sassy lady

Sylvana is a noble, kinda, from the wealthiest nation. The reason it’s kinda is that the society is a strict meritocracy, where someone’s skill in adapting (one of the magic macguffin powers) determines one’s status in society. She’s the mc’s love interest too. She’s around the same age as Eli. She has a very sharp tongue and is extremely skilled, given her father is one of the most powerful people in their country. I haven’t quite fleshed out her character more than this, as this book is still in fairly early stages.

Ollie/Oliver- big buff boi

Oliver is Australian. But like. Caricature Australian. He’s really buff and strong but also very wholesome and optimistic, sometimes borderline toxic optimism. He’s kind of the reigning champion fighter of his country, but only in his age group, which is everyone under 20 (he’s 19). His mother was the one who trained him to fight, and also schools the others in fighting.

Artun- The old cranky lady

She doesn't really show up till more towards the end, but she basically acts as the mom of the group for the final stretch. To her, the entire group are a bunch of children who have seen way too much, even just that they got to her door, as she lives in a very remote place. She is about to throw hands with everyone who traumatized her kids.

King Greed the Avaricious- the antagonist

He is literally greed personified. His kingdom has been in shambles for hundreds of years and he wants everything. Not even for the good of his people, he just wants what everyone else has to the point they get as poor as he *thinks* he is (he actually is rather rich, but not to him).

Setting!

The world the main story takes place in is called Kordra, an unusual landmass, as it looks very similar to a compass. It has four main countries.

Aur- A golden country with massive amounts of wealth and influence, as it provides food to most other countries, but is a heavy meritocracy based on one's Adapter abilities, even to the point of a noble title not being handed down simply because one isn't skilled enough.

Ruin- Capitalism if it was mixed with the storyline of Fallout with a hint of the Lorax. It was the most prosperous nation for a long time, with it's Molders able to make piles of dirt into pure gold, however this made the leaders of Ruin very greedy and shortsighted, and they ended up using up all of their natural resources and nearly starving their people as they couldn't just transmute food into existence. As such the old kingdom fell till not even it's name remained, hence it now being called Ruin, with only the capital of Matus still standing.

Enta- Basically Australia. Its a mostly desert climate where everything is deadly and you're either crazy or a criminal to live there. It's very survival of the fittest, but not in the way Aur is.

The Hallowed Hollow- Not many know much about it. The people there used their illusory powers to keep up a massive misty illusion that confuses anyone who walks into the forest, to the point they either luck into the exit or starve trying to find it. The people there are very unsure of the outside world, as several decades before the story, an extermination was carried out against them by Ruin, thinking that they may have been hiding some sort of treasures inside.

Here's a map for the visual learners:

Plot!

Finally, the fun part.

The plot of this as-of-yet-unnamed-book is fairly simple in terms of basic structure. Eli goes into the otherworld, meets friends, gets traumatized, gets healing, happy ending.

I don't want to spoil a lot of the story, as I am trying to make it into an actual book, however I will divulge a bit.

Eli starts in Matus, having freshly fallen from the sky, somehow, still working on that, and gets shipped to that lab that Tobi is held at, and they spend many months there before breaking out, basically brothers at this point. Then they go to Aur, then Enta, then HH, and then kick the kings ass somehow. This book is very in it's early stages and so I only wanna give out the barebones, so a lot of it is still a TBD.

I hope you stick around to see the progress, as I'll probably be asking for feedback to see where things can be changed. I do welcome feedback on any of this, but just please be respectful, as this is also a very personal story for me. Thank you!!

[followreddit]

Dear Yellow,

I’m not sure if we were ever possible or if we ever could be. I fear I’ll be long gone before you’re ready to commit to trying anything like what I want. I don’t blame you for this. I see you. You aren’t ready. You need work and you’re smart enough to see that. Perhaps if we weren’t always on a clock. 

In the end, I’m sorry to say I am not in love with you. You’ll feel a little better knowing I’m not in love with anyone else either, I hope. I do love you, though. With whatever pieces of my heart I’ve managed to find, forever. 

I wouldn’t dream of telling you how you feel. Though, this is my story, so I’ll do my best to show you what I see. 

You aren’t in love with me, either. Whether or not you were before, I’ve decided to believe that you were. I can never 100% know, so why not just side with the happier past? Now? You’re too busy looking inward to fall in love with anyone on the outside. I love this for you, never stop this. It’s how you fall in love with yourself. It’s how I fell in love with myself. I told a friend recently that I hate myself. That isn’t true. I hate the way I think people see me. I’ve come to realize this way of thinking has always been false. After that, I was able to just see myself. If you have really ever loved me, then know that I see it too, what you saw. What very little people in my life has seen. The parts of me worth loving. 

I know I’m gone and I know that’s my fault, but know I’m just as sad about the decision as you are. I don’t know what broke inside of me or when or where, but I am broken and no amount of tape or glue can fix it. What I want, what I need...what I’ve asked of you is a fairy tale. It IS too much to ask, from anyone. No matter how healthy they are or how much they are able to take, I don’t think it’s possible to reach the parts of me that are broken. So how could anyone even dream of fixing them? 

Now that you’ve got the honey, here’ve the vinegar. You’re mean to me. Mean and unfair. There’s no other way to describe it. It isn’t the reason I’m gone, not even close, but it is a reality. I try my best to be good for you. I try my best to see the good in you. And I do. And I believe I can help, but you want to handle it alone. I understand. I did the exact same thing. I’m sorry I didn’t have the patience to wait. 

What I see for us: You move in and make a wreck of my room. You’d do it slowly, because you have this misconception that I’m a neat freak. I’d secretly make the mess into an organized mess, but you’d never know the difference. You’d struggle with adapting to me. My life is much to stable, much to normal for you. I’d hope to have the patience and skills to deal with it, but I’d no doubt stumble and faulter along the way. The sex would be amazing and only get better over time. We’d start to get healthier, to life each other up. You remind me to eat and I remind you to cook enough for both of us. Nitty and Harper form a team against Simon, becoming his foster parents and whipping him into shape. We argue. Oh boy do we argue. We’re both stubborn as hell and neither wants to admit when their wrong, but after, when the lights are off and we’ve cooled down, we know what we’ve done and what we are. We’re still there in the morning. For each other. I’d love you. You’d love me. Even if you didn’t always like me, Even if I didn’t always like you. Then, suddenly, we would always like each other. Our puzzle pieces would be too stubborn and force themselves to fit with each other and we’d find a beautiful, destructive harmony. The eye of a hurricane. 

Yellow, please don’t be angry with my decisions. I’ve heard every word you’ve said and taken it all to heart. But you’ve been screaming at a supernova, hoping it doesn’t go boom. I’m not afraid of death anymore. Maybe there is an afterlife and maybe we’ll meet each other there eventually. Until then, live the life you wanted with me with someone else. I promise there is 1000 someone else’s. I promise. 

Signed, Moribund Soul

[michelle-is-writing]

Vulnerable, Robert Chase

Word count: 1.8k~

The reader is pregnant.

In our several years of marriage, Robert has never truly opened up about his parents. I know the story over them - his dad left, and his mom was an alcoholic - but I never knew how Robert handled it all. To have things like that occur in your life at such a young age is life-altering. I know that Robert had to learn how to mature quickly and adapt to taking care of himself, but he's never confessed how that all affects him today.

A few months back, Robert's father came over to the states unexpectedly, and with that, I was able to meet him, and he was able to meet his unborn grandchild and me. He seemed like a kind man, but that still didn't ignore the fact that he had yet to acknowledge his earlier actions when his son was just a child. However, no words of apologies fell from his lips, and even after he left, Robert didn't feel like anything had progressed in their relationship. In fact, he felt like they were still in the same spot they remained originally - maybe even farther back. According to Robert, he got the feeling that his dad was holding something back, but as to what, he had no clue.

It wasn't until tonight that the topic of his dad was brought up again. Although, the way his father was brought up was kind of weird. Robert had come home from work like any other night; however, this time, he altogether avoided me and went over to the couch where he sat down and held his head in his hands. Now seven months pregnant, I slowly padded over to him in the living room before sitting beside him. He had been so caught up in his own mind that my sudden presence frightened him, causing him to jolt slightly before looking over at me and sighing with a small, almost unnoticeable smile.

"Are you okay, baby?" I ask him, moving to brush his golden locks back and away from his eyes. "You're not acting right tonight - is something wrong?" I add, only receiving a head shake from Robert. "Would you like me to make you something?"

"No, no, I'm not hungry," he tells me, leaning his head against mine with a small sigh. Now I know something isn't right. Robert always comes home from the hospital hungry - it's not like he's had dinner there, and on the rare nights he does eat there, he still comes home with an appetite.

I watch with curiosity as Robert stands from the couch before turning for me with his hand held out. "Care to join me in bed?" He asks quietly, making me furrow my eyebrows a bit. Usually, he's not tired enough to head straight to bed after getting home, but I guess tonight is just an off-night for him.

"Sure," I tell him, placing my hand in his before standing up and wobbling only a little bit. Despite only being at the end of my second trimester, Robert's baby is the size of at least a small watermelon. There is no way this baby is coming out with a weight below six pounds.

With Robert's hand on my lower back, we both head to our room and change into more comfortable clothes before lying down beside each other. I'm not used to falling asleep at only ten at night, but I know that this is a blessing for Robert. Sleep deprivation is not something unusual in a doctor's life, and combining that with the fact that he sometimes comes home with the intention of staying up late and spending time with me, Robert only gets about five hours of sleep each night. I don't know how he stays so strong with the lack of rest.

Turning over to see if Robert has fallen asleep, I instead find him staring at the ceiling with a stone face. He continues to stay this way, unmoving, until something causes his Adam's apple to bob in his throat while a shuddered breath leaves his nostrils. With that, my concern comes back in full force as I turn on my side to face him. "Robert," I gently whisper his name, watching as his eyes flicker over to mine. "What's wrong, baby?"

Those seem to be the magic words that break the dam of the oncoming tears that fall from Robert's eyes. I try my hardest to lean up a bit and wipe them away, but my large bump slows me down in doing so. Aside from that, Robert's hands sliding underneath my waist and placing themselves on my back is what stops me completely. "D-don't strain, yourself," he tells me, his voice gentle, yet broken.

"Robert, what's wrong?" I prod him once more, placing my palm on the side of his face. "Please - tell me," I murmur, nuzzling my head closer to his. "I need to know what's wrong."

At first, Robert closes his eyes and shakes his head, but after a few seconds, his face scrunches up before he reopens his eyes, now full of tears once again. "My dad," He starts, pausing as if he were weary of his own voice. "He, uh," Robert tries to continue on, but ultimately, he stops once again, only to break back through with heart-crushing words. "He’s dead... he died of cancer, and he never told me he had cancer- even when I was standing right in front of him."

With Robert's confession, I close my eyes and feel my entire body slump as I process what Robert has just told me. Yes, I know Robert has never had a close relationship with his father, but that doesn't totally dismiss the fact that Robert's dad is still his father. To lose such an important person in your life without developing the bond that most sons and fathers should have, and not even tell him a final goodbye on top of that, is a hard thing for anybody; however, I know for Robert, it's just a little harder as he is now not only permanently missing a mother-figure in his life, but a father-figure as well.

"I'm so sorry, baby," I whisper, watching as Robert turns to conform into the shape of my body - baby bump and all.

Pushing his head into my chest, Robert inhales and exhales calmly for a few moments before eventually pulling away with another stuttered sigh. "I thought if I just didn't care th-that I would be good, I wouldn't have to hurt when he popped back into my life for the millionth time only to swing back out the minute something pivotal happens," He confesses, raising his hand to rest on my waist. "The last thing we did, we shook hands, but I-I went in for a hug," Robert further admits. "Something told me to go against everything I had taught myself not to do and embrace the man that had hurt me as a child - the very person that let my childhood be stripped away from me!"

"Sh-sh," I urge Robert to calm down, running my hand against his golden locks. "I know it's hard, Robert, but you can't get upset at yourself for this. You had no idea this was going on," I remind him, feeling him gently shake his head as I do so.

"Yeah, but I suspected something was wrong, (Y/n)," he explains, sniffling as he lies his head on the bed beside my chest. "Maybe if I would've asked him, or pressured him to tell me, then maybe I could've done something-"

"And what else could you have done that he wasn't already doing?" I ask, pointing out the obvious. "He was a doctor, Robert. He was probably doing everything he could've done, but none of it worked. Why would he have expected you to change anything?"

Once again, Robert shakes his head. "But why didn't he tell me?" He asks the most important question, making me sigh. How am I supposed to answer this correctly?

Going with my gut, I tell him my thoughts and opinions with gentleness and softness. "You and I both know that your father didn’t do a lot of things right as your dad, especially when you were a child," I point out, "Maybe this was his one last chance in trying to break that pattern of failing you as a father," With that, I sigh, hoping maybe my words will have a positive effect on Robert rather than an adverse one. "And maybe he was trying to catch a glimpse of the amazing and wonderful grown man you've become - one who's about to be a father too."

Once I finish speaking, I look down at Robert as he blankly stares ahead of him, tears steadily flowing from his eyes. However, something within him snaps, and the next thing he's doing is leaning down to my belly with his lips mere centimeters away. "I promise," He begins, his voice shaky. "I would sacrifice everything if it meant never disappointing her," Robert promises, leaning down to press his cheek against my risen stomach.

Despite his face being turned away from me, I know he's still crying as I can feel the tears begin seeping through my nightgown. "I-I don't want to do what my father did to me, and I promise both of you, I will never leave you - no matter what."

Smiling, I nod at him while pushing his golden hair to the side. "I know, baby," I assure him, letting out a small sigh afterward. Robert doesn't have to say any of this for me to know that's how he feels. He swore to these things the moment we said "I love you" after only a few months of being together. It was that moment in our relationship that I knew Robert would be the man I would marry, have children with, and love for the rest of my life. On the night he proposed to me, I discovered he felt the same way.

Once the sniffles stop and Robert seems a little bit better, he leans up from my stomach to be face-to-face with me. "I love you so much, (Y/n)," He tells me, pressing his lips onto mine only seconds later with his hands still resting on my stomach. "With everything I have, I love you so damn much."

Smiling, I reciprocate his earlier actions and place my lips against his as well. "I love you too, Robert," I tell him, feeling as a warm sensation floods my chest. It's almost like the first time we're saying these things to each other when, in reality, it's probably the thousandth time. Although this may be true, I can't wait for the next thousandth "I love you" to fall from our lips.

[mimi-ya]

small world ~ sabo x reader

3,500 words | f!body, no pronouns | nsfw

summary: what are the odds sabo runs into you of all people

masterlist

Sabo is a responsible person. He’s caring, polite, never late. All the qualities of a good person.

He is not the type of person to fuck his younger brother’s third grade teacher.

But let’s back track to that night.

Sabo had finally given into Ace’s insistent pestering, had even pawned Luffy off to Garp for the night.

“Alright, who’s the prey for tonight?”

Sabo grimaces, “I thought we were celebrating my promotion.”

Ace slaps a hand on Sabo’s back, “How long has it been since you got laid?”

Sabo rolls his eyes, and shrugs off Ace’s hand, “Kind of hard when I have two kids to look after.” He snarks, giving Ace a meaningful glare.

“I’d say you have joint custody of Ace at the most.” Marco smiles, setting down the glasses he retrieved from the bar, “Pops wouldn’t completely dump this one on you.”

“And besides,” Ace drawls, “Luff can basically take care of himself. He even caught a fish and cooked it up himself last week!”

Sabo kicks Ace under the table, “He stole the fish from his friend’s fish tank!”

“Watch it!” Ace cries, “And that just means he’s adaptive.��

Marco scoffs into his drink, “Sabo, tell me more about this new role with Dragon.”

Again, Sabo has to kick Ace under the table when he rolls his eyes and sags into the booth. None the less he begins describing he new projects he’s been entrusted with and what it will mean for the organization.

All while Ace gets progressively more and more drunk.

“Marcooo.” Ace slurs against his shoulder, “I’m hungry. Think this place has nachos?”

“I think the kitchen is closed.” Marco answers sympathetically.

“No!” He cries, “I’m gonna starve to death!”

Sabo drops his head into his hands. He knew it was a mistake going out with Ace. His brother could never handle his alcohol and always became an unstoppable black hole for food after his third drink.

“There’s a pizza joint down the road?” Marco offers, “Want to check out?”

Ace’s eyes go wide, “You sure? They might try to put you on the pizza.”

Sabo has to hold back his laughter when Marco’s face falls.

“Keep that up and I’ll let you starve.”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” Ace backtracks, “I don’t even like pineapple on pizza!” And then he jumps out of his seat, “C’mon! Maybe they have garlic bread too!”

Marco follows him out of the booth, prepared to chase after Ace who’s already out the door and probably going the wrong direction, “You comin’?”

“I’ll catch up.” He nods to his drink, indicating he’ll finish it first, “Make sure to save me a slice from him.”

“Easier said than done.” Marco grumbles.

Sabo laughs, giving Marco a wave.

He takes out his phone, checking to see if Garp has messaged. Which of course he hasn’t, even if there was a problem with Luffy he doubts he’d even hear about it. But then Sabo is interrupted from his thoughts when someone slides into booth across from him.

“You get ditched too?”

Sabo freezes, “I, what?”

You crinkle you nose, “Sorry, that’s probably weird. I just saw your friends leave and thought, that’s something we have in common.”

Sabo doesn’t answer, can’t answer. Because here sitting in front of him is this gorgeous women who quite literally came out of nowhere. And maybe it’s the alcohol making his eyesight fuzzy around the edges, but you look like a goddess with the neon lights of the bar hanging over you.

You bite your lip, hoping to still salvage this, “I’m (Y/N).” Extending your hand, glad to see he is at least able to shake it back.

“I’m Sabo. Sorry.” He shakes his head, “Just wasn’t expecting anyone else.” He gives an awkward laugh, rubbing the back of his neck, “Umm, so your friends left you?”

You settle into the booth, “Yeah. It was supposed to be my post break up girl’s night, but they all quickly found someone else to spend the night with.”

“Sorry about the breakup?”

You wave your hand, “I’m over it. Cheating bastard wasn’t worth my time anyway. But what about you? You part of the lonely hearts club too?”

Sabo laughs, “No, I mean, I suppose I am, but it’s not like that.”

You hum, and Sabo’s thankful you don’t press further and he makes even more of a fool of himself, “Let me buy you a drink?”

Sabo opens his mouth to politely decline, thinking about Marco and Ace who are waiting for him. But there’s something about the small smile on your face and shinning eyes that has him following you to the bar where you order a beer for each of you.

Now Sabo will be honest, he knows he’s pretty helpless when it comes to flirting. Never quite sure what to say or how to say it. He’s watched his friends for years, even tried to get lessons from Koala when he was in high school, but it was all for naught.

So with the way you’re laughing at all his jokes, even the one he knows aren’t that funny, and your knee that keeps knocking into his, or how you’ll accidentally place your hand on top of his before quickly pulling back.

There’s no way this is all in his head.

“I’m going to run to the bathroom really quick. You’re not going to bail on me, are you?”

“I’ll be here when you return.” Sabo smiles. You bite your lip giving him a once over, causing Sabo to flush under your gaze.

You nod and walk in the direction of the restrooms, and Sabo throws a glance over his shoulder, seeing that you’re already looking at him as you push the door open.

What the fuck is he doing?

Sabo needs to get home. He needs to prep Luffy’s lunch for tomorrow, move Ace’s clothes to the dryer, double check Luffy’s homework, not to mention finish that project Dragon has been hounding him for at work.

But Sabo glances over his shoulder again and sees you still haven’t left the bathroom.

Fuck. Is he going to do this? That was a clear signal, right?

Sabo flexes his hands a couple times before standing from his seat and making his way to the restrooms. It’s in a dark corner of the bar, and he double checks that no one is looking before pushing open the door.

You’re standing there with your arms crossed leaning against the sink. Your head pops up at the sound of the door opening and a grin splits out onto your face.

“Fuck.” You say, “I wasn’t sure if I was being obvious enough.”

Sabo stands awkwardly, “I’m glad I wasn’t misreading it.”

You grab Sabo’s hand and pull him into one of the stalls, locking the door behind you.

“What if we get caught?” Sabo whispers.

You shrug, “I guess we’ll have to be quick.” You chew on your lip watching Sabo process your words and the situation he’s found himself in.

He nods, face determined, looking like he’s about to enter a war or something. You giggle at his seriousness, threading your fingers through his belt loops and pulling him flush against your body.

Deciding the best way to move this along is to get right to it. You press your lips against his and wrap your arms around his waist, hands finding their way past his shirt, and you’re surprised to find the taught muscles that hide underneath.

Sabo cups your cheeks and it’s sweet, the way he kisses you deeply. But that’s not why you seduced him into this grimy bathroom stall.

You sneak your hand down to his ass, gripping one cheek and giving it a tight squeeze, which earns you a desperate whimper and a sharp grind.

You let out a surprised laugh that turns into a moan when one of Sabo’s hands lifts your leg around his hip and pins you against the stall. Sabo pulls away to gasp and you use the opportunity to begin your assault on his neck.

He has to press his hand into the stall above you to ground himself, the kisses you trail along his neck not letting him think straight, but he needs to get this one thought out before he can continue anything.

“Wait, wait.” Sabo puts a little distance between your bodies, “I don’t want you to think, I mean, I can’t commit to anything right now.”

You humor him with a smile, “Sabo. I’m about to fuck you in a dirty bar bathroom, I’m not looking for a proposal or anything.”

“Oh, okay. Good, I guess.”

You roll your eyes, “You’ve never done this before, have you?”

Sabo’s cheeks darken, “Made out with someone I met thirty minutes ago? No.”

You run your hand down his chest, and back up behind his neck, “I hope we’ll end up doing more than just making out.”

“Umm, right.” Sabo grunted, “Uh, do you have a condom?”

You smile and pick up your purse dropped at your feet, pulling out the latex square. Sabo reaches to take it from your hand, but you pull your hand back, “Let me.”

Sabo swallows and nods, watching as you reach down to his belt, undoing the buckle. You work your speedy hands pushing unzipping his pants and pushing down his underwear.

You glance up as you’re ripping open the package, but Sabo isn’t looking at you. His eyes are transfixed on where your one hand is resting close to his newly exposed cock. Taking pity, you grasp his shaft, giving a firm tug.

Sabo shudders and thrusts into your hand, “Please.” He whines.

You roll the condom down his cock, rolling your thumb over the head when it’s situated, before turning around to face the door.

A beat passes and you glance over your shoulder wondering what the holdup is.

Sabo’s cheeks are a dark pink as he stares at you.

“Well?” You ask, pressing your ass into his crotch.

Sabo grabs your hips to hold you still. He doesn’t want this to be over before you even have your pants off.

The two of you work together to lower your jeans, pushing them down to your knees. He traces the line of your panties with a delicate finger, captivated by the pretty lace.

“Maybe if you do a good job, I’ll let you keep them.” You tease.

Sabo chokes on a laugh, realizing you caught him in his transfixed state. He pulls down the lace to bundle with your jeans and can’t help himself when he reaches around your hip and run dip a finger into your folds.

You moan at the contact when he brushes against your clit that’s been ignored all night. You don’t have anything to grab onto as he spreads the wetness along your cunt, so you ball your hands it tight fists.

“So wet.” Sabo praises in astonishment, “Barely touched you.” He dips two fingers into your cunt and thickness has you curling your toes.

“C’mon.” You whine, “We’re running out of time.” You’re really just desperate for his damn cock to full you up already, but you don’t want to beg.

“Fuck.” Sabo mutters, as if realizing he can’t take his time like he wants to, like you deserve.

Pulling your hips back and pushing you down a little, Sabo lines himself up. The heat radiating from your pussy makes his head spin a little. But he pushes himself in slowly, inch by inch. And you have to stand there and take it, the door in front of you making it impossible to escape.

He lets out a groan when he bottoms out, and you squirm as his balls brush against your clit.

Sabo’s arm wraps around your stomach, pulling you up against him as starts to thrust shallowly.

One of your hand flies to his forearm, nails digging in when he hits a spot deep in you. Still bracing yourself against the door you let you head fall forward trying to suppress a groan.

Sabo shushes you, kissing the back of your neck, “Need to keep quiet, right?” You nod meeting his thrusts, a particularly sharp thrust making you clench and Sabo lets out a broken moan.

“I thought we needed to be quiet.” You tease.

Sabo has a snarky comment on his tongue but holds it back when the door opens, sound from the bar spilling in. You both freeze. It’s pretty obvious what’s happening if someone were to look under the crack of the door, but you’re also in the last stall.

Both of your hearts are beating loudly in your chests as the sounds of someone washing off spilled beer on their shirt reaches you.

“Quiet.” Sabo whispers in your ear and his hand is covering your mouth. But the thrill of getting caught reignites the flame in your core and you can’t even stop your body from rolling back on his cock.

You whimper against his palm, eyes rolling into the back of your head. The feeling only amplified when Sabo shoves his fingers in your mouth, the same fingers that were deep in your cunt, now covered in your cream that’s assaulting your senses.

Your muffled moans test Sabo’s patience while he waits for the person to exit the bathroom. And the second he hears the door shut, he’s slamming into you with a speed and power you didn’t think the blushing man had in himself.

“Such a tease.” Sabo gets out between clenched teeth, his hand slipping from your mouth and sliding down your front to rub tight circles at your clit.

You squeak at the sensation, unable to hold back your orgasm any longer, clenching and spasming around his cock that has Sabo tipping over the edge with you. But Sabo doesn’t let up, thrusting through his orgasm and still playing with your clit.

“Sabo!” You yelp, having to rip his hand away from your body, unable to withstand the stimulation any longer. But he grabs your hand and locks it against the bathroom stall, using his other to give your ass a stinging slap while he is able to get in another few thrusts.

You cry out, tears filling your eyes while he slows behind you. Sabo presses a kiss to your cheek as he pulls out, and you miss the fullness. You close your eyes, trying to catch your breath. You can feel Sabo behind you trying to situate himself. Even going as far to pull your pants up for you too.

You huff out a laugh at his chivalry, “What a gentleman.” You tease, buttoning your pants, “I guess you don’t want my panties then?” You ask over your shoulder.

Sabo blushes, which warms your chest, as if he wasn’t just balls deep in you, “So it was good then?”

You turn to press a kiss to his cheek, “Yeah, you did good.”

“Good.” Sabo nods, “Umm, it was for me too.”

You smile at his awkwardness, “Good. So, did you want to finish our drinks?”

Sabo’s face drops, “I should probably get home, actually. But maybe,”

“No worries.” You wave him off, ignoring and not dwelling on why that disappoints you a little. You unlock the door and step out of the stall, glad to see you’re still alone, “Well. Thanks again.”

Sabo follows you out and looks like he wants to say more but decides against it, “Right. I’ll see you around?”

“Maybe.” You look over your shoulder at the door, “I’ll go out first?” Sabo nods, “Okay, well. Thanks again, for everything.”

Sabo smiles and you feel a little weak in the knees and like you could go for another round again. Readjusting your purse, you press a quick kiss to Sabo’s lips before heading out the door, not looking back. And Sabo isn’t surprised when he returns to the bar to see you’ve already left, but none the less slightly disappointed.

.

Monday morning he drives Luffy to school, and he’s contemplating asking Ace about going to the same bar again this weekend, with the off chance you might be there again.

“Bye Sabo!” Luffy screams slamming the door. Sabo winces at the sound, swearing one of these days that boy was going to break off the door. Out of habit he checks the back seat, and Sabo has to repress a groan when he sees Luffy left behind his pirate lunchbox.

Sabo peers out the window to see Luffy is already long gone, somewhere in the mess of children who are running around the playground for the few minutes they have before the bell rings.

He knows he’ll get a tearful phone call later if he doesn’t get the lunch box to Luffy, so Sabo resigns himself to being late to work and pulls into the parking lot.

Lunch box in hand Sabo walks towards the playground, hoping that Luffy will see him and make this detour faster than it needs to be. Sabo is fiddling with the lock, making sure it’s secure which makes him walk straight into the playground monitor.

“Shit.” Sabo mutters “Sorry, I wasn’t watching-” But the rest dies in his throat when he sees it’s you standing in the bright orange vest.

You’re just as surprised to see Sabo standing in front of you. Thrown and honestly a little concerned as why the fuck he would be here at your elementary school.

“Sabo?” You ask.

“Umm. Hi?”

You give him a once over, appreciating the button down and slacks he’s wearing today, also taking note of the children’s lunch box in his hands. A bit too old to be at this school, but also a little too young to have a child here, you think.

“Sabo!” You both turn at the sound, and you realize it’s one of your sweetest students sprinting towards you, calling his name.

Luffy comes to a halt, “Is that my lunch box?” He asks, grabbing it before Sabo can even answer.

“You forgot it.” Sabo is able to choke out, eyes jumping back and forth between you and Luffy.

Luffy follows his older brother’s eyes and realizes you’re standing with them. Somehow having missed the vibrant orange safety vest you have thrown around you shoulders, honestly making you a little self-conscious that this is what Sabo is seeing you in after this weekend.

Not that you care what he thinks of you. You’re not looking for anything right now.

Luffy pulls on your hand, “Do you know Sabo?” You open your mouth, unsure how to respond, not like you could explain it to the nine-year-old.

“I’m Luffy’s brother.” Sabo sticks out his hand, which seems like an overkill to you since he’s literally been inside you.

“Oh.” You say, taking his hand and swearing to yourself you had met Luffy’s brother before.

You’re spared from saying anything when the bell rings, signaling the start of school.

“Sounds like you better get to class.” Sabo tells Luffy.

Luffy pouts, sad he wasted his last few minutes talking to his brother and teacher, “Okay.” But still takes the time to hug his brother, “Thanks for my lunch box!” Before sprinting towards the entrance.

You clear your throat, “Luffy’s a good student.” Mentally face palming yourself for the awkward comment.

Sabo’s eyes widen, “You’re Luffy’s teacher?” You nod while Sabo mutters out a curse, earning a giggle from you, “This is awkward, right?”

You nod, “A little.” You chew on your lip, unsure what to say, but realize most of the students have cleared out, and it’s probably not the best to leave your thirty students unsupervised for too long, “Well, I need to-”

“Can I get-”

You both stop while the other tries to talk, quietly laughing. “You go.”

Sabo rubs the back of his neck, “I know we both agreed to a one-time thing, but I think I’d hate myself if I didn’t ask for your number.”

Your mouth parts, “Oh.” And Sabo flushes, “Umm.” You avert your eyes, “It’s just, your brother is in my class and I try not to mix personal life with work.” You stumble over your words.

Sabo flushes further, “Right, sorry. That was rude of me to ask, especially here.” Sabo glances at the ground.

You chew on your lip, still thinking it over. It’s not that you don’t want to see Sabo again. But he is the brother of one of your students and you just got out of long relationship, not looking to jump into another right away.

“Maybe I can get yours?” You offer, and Sabo’s head shoots up, eyes a little wide, “I mean, incase Luffy forgets his lunch again?” A small smile playing on your lips, holding your phone out.

“Right.” Sabo agrees, typing his number in, “He’s very forgetful. And it’s not like he’ll be in your class forever.” Sabo says but it comes across as a hopeful question.

You have to bite your cheek to keep from smiling to wide at his forwardness, accepting your phone back, “I’ll see you around Sabo.”

[hanjifuck]

.˚｡⋆ ༊ .˚｡⋆ stray kids ideal types - series .˚｡⋆ ༊ .˚｡⋆

bang chan version ʕっ•ᴥ•ʔっ

based on their birth charts! s2

✧*:.｡. t/n: i'll be using SIDEREAL astrology on this one. it's also important to say that when we talk about romance in astrology we have to fully analyse the couple's birth charts individualy at first and only then apply compatibility analysis so we're able to check out the synastry overlays.

✧*:.｡. t/n: kinda proofread. <3

the basics:

someone who has sun in virgo or in the 5th house;

aquarius and gemini moons are the ideal but aries moon is also great, libra is good, leo and sagittarius moons are a maybe. capricorn and cancer moons are absolutely a no;

venus in virgo, scorpio, cancer or capricorn;

mercury in virgo (or capricorn/taurus).

obviously there's way more aspects to look into to see if a relationship would work but i'd rather not go too deep into it right now.

a person who's patient and honest. he takes his time into getting to know you before he commits. so, when he does commit, there’s no room for him to change his mind. he's worthy of a romance novel. he will make sure that the bond is strong and stable for both.

someone who's good at communicating, reading people's intentions and has a good sense of humour. he tends to use his voice to express himself and he's such a sweet talker when it comes to romance. communication and intellectual rapport are his thing, so it's important for him to have someone who he can talk to. so good at covering it up his intentions or even lying (but you guys didn't hear this from me), except that he tends to tell the truth in almost any and every situation. he loves to tell stories and to see the smile and hear the laugh of the loved one.

a partner who's not afraid of commitment and long term relationships. listen to me, this man is looking for a soulmate connection, someone to pay him due attention. he's a romantic at heart and has a strong need for love in his life, it being his ultimate driving force, a passionate lover and he knows how to maintain the flame of true love. without love he would be nothing.

someone who knows how to talk to people and be pleasant during social situations.

someone who's highly vulnerable and revealing with him, ONLY.

a person who's adventurous. he does not know how to stay still, he wants to expand and has a hedonistic type of approach to how fun should work in a relationship. he can't be more happy then when his able to impress you with his creative side. if you like an intellectual approach to life you will love it as well.

a positive person, someone who's optimistic and make things seem easy.

an intense, bold, strong-willed and powerful person. would love a partner who knows how to stand up for themselves. he wants besides him a person who can make the world kneel in front of them.

someone who will do anything to seduce him.

someone who challenges him (in a good way, ofc). he loves to be dared as he sees it as stimulating, a reason to try even harder, to put even more effort in. he's prop to play mind games (maybe manipulating, even if it's not his intention, since he makes everything sound so wonderful). often fueled by curiosity and a desire to control/possess others for himself *only with those who he actually loves since he sees romance/sex as super meaningful, on a soul level thing, and focus 100% on the person he loves.

emancipated, educated and high intelligent individuals. a pretty face will never be enough, sorry. virgo sun in the 5th house? pfffff this man is a genius.

someone who's younger or appear youthfu/has a youthful personality. he needs a eager-to-learn-and-to-enjoy-life-with-him person. channie's prone to take up the dominant/leading role in a relationship as well. it's like he has this strong pedagogical (?) side to him (and once again my theory that he would be a teacher if he wans't in the entertainment business is proven right ¯\_(ツ)_/¯)

a person who's not avoidant or keeps to many secrets. if you keep stuff away from him he may misinterpret things quite easily.

a partner who's as clingy as he is. channie does not stand being alone for too long. he needs your warm touch and gentleness.

a freedom-lover type of person, someone who seeks inspiration and fun. he's extremely motivated and light-hearted, very flexible and adaptative.

a person who knows how to encourage him. basically someone who knows his intentions almost better than he does. he has a need for validation and appreciation cus sometimes he fixates on certain ideias but doesn't have what it takes to go further with it.

someone who would enjoy having kids, taking care of them, educating them together, and is family-oriented. he would love to have a partner who's as excited as he is to mentally stimulate his kids. very inclined to having lots of children. he wants someone who has the potential to go all the way to the finish line. man's want commitment.

a person who's charming, "feminine", sensuous and romantic. he's not interested in a person who is crude. he has strong yang energy on his birth chart so it's a good thing if your chart is yin energized. the whole thing about lighting up candles, putting on some romantic music is important to him. may be enticed by a person who has an overly sexual appearance (SPECIALLY if you have scorpio sun or rising), femme fatales (the energy, not necessarily a woman) are just right for him. maybe someone quite mysterious as well.

someone who's painfully monogamy. you can trust him on remaining faithful, as long as his partner do the same. trust is important for him and when it comes to love, it's absolutely essential. if you don't want to lose him forever you shouldn't break his confidence. he rarely has any interest in casual encounters, not being the type to take different people home every night. loyalty is such a turn-on for him, cute. he wants to be only yours, so he expects the same from you, not wanting you to even look at other people. the more committed to him, the deepest his love is.

someone who's not shy. he’s a non-conformist, private person and rather do his own things, away from the public eyes. remember when he said he usually likes "dark things"? man wasn't lying. he knows exactly who he is and what he likes even tho society might shun him for it. however, he does not care. <3

a person who's devoted and dependable, who's also ready to work by his side. someone who knows how to handle his possessiveness and maybe even suspections. just be honest with him and patient enough to put him at ease, assuring him that he's the only one who deserves your attention and love. his jealousy may be really tricky.

okay, this dude has mars and venus conjunct pluto in scorpio. do you guys know what this means? i would DIE to make this man love me!!!!!!!!! help. he will be SOOO OBSESSED WITH THE PERSON HE MARRIES, IT'S INSANE KDISADJADNAUS HELP ME.