#it'll probably wind up there anyways with how many times i said their names but either way

[cryptidofthekeys]

Friendo Chaaaaaaaase

Do you have a favourite piece of LOOOOOOORE for your OCs that you're itching to sharing with somebody?

<3 - Mitch

*STARING AT YOU INTENSELY*

Y E S- I mean, ahem, yes- yes I do- I am totally normal about my OCs and sonas and things- mhm,, anyways-

Uh it's hard for me to talk about one without hearing like a specific name involved (I have a LOT of OCs/Sonas Friendo Mitch gfjdkdfks)

But I can try to for this post- And ya know since Spooky Month has literally just latched onto me and wont let me go no matter where I try- I'll talk about CC, I WAS going to talk about Alan too but this post will already be too long but if ya want to really hear about Alan too u or someone can send an ask)

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(A keep reading bc this is going to be a long one, Friendo Mitch so prepare yourself!!! You and others betta prepare!!! Also edit: I realized you said Favorite piece of lore gjkfddkfjsd I apologize in advance for this clusterfuck of a post y'all are about to see)

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ALSO ALSO TWs: Mentions of Kidnapping, Drugging, Murder/Animal Murder, and Cannibalism (the lads WILL be the lads)

CC of course for starters because he is well, hes not the OG (I think a lot of people if they pay attention to my content would think CC's the og spooky month oc/sona of mine but nope, the FIRST SM Character I made was a pathetic wet cat of a man named Frederick but he has no lore, thats the point- anyways)

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CC is the one I use for selfshipping purposes most of the time,, hes- okay well hes oblivious to the danger HE could be in/has been in, he's a dumb luck dude who has survived by that ALONE, I feel kinda bad bc he has no like,, hes not related to anything canon in the spookyverse,, like hes got no part to play in the canon storyline in the long run-

So keep in mind this is all PURELY me, my canon gfhjdkdjfs

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The first one CC met of the bunch of stinky bastards was Dexter, unlike in canon- Dexter was found by CC in the dumpster, like he literally took a look at this perfectly in good condition and cute doll and said ...Aww, your cute- you're coming home with me! (Dumb idiot didn't even see the box had been stabbed with a knife so many times)

So he brought Dex home, got him cleaned up n stuff, completely unaware Dexter is sentient and ya know,, alive,, and he just goes about his night completely fucking oblivious to the doll trying to kill him (Btw, CC has three dogs, Cash, Winnie The Pooch, and Tootsie Roll)

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Dex when he couldn't get to CC ...Well, he is kinda,, not the greatest for animals but the moment CC saw this, he fucking slammed that tiny bitch against the wall like "OH H E L L NO, NOT M Y BABIES..." Instead of like ya know being normal and trying to throw Dex out, he tells Dexter to go let off some fucking steam and then come back when hes done so they can talk

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Dex is shocked and completely dumbfounded that CC tells him to come b a c k but because Dexter is genuinely a lil curious even tho he denied it, he does so- and comes back and CC lays down the law for Dexter, that if hes gonna be staying here, his dogs are OFF limits, you cant hurt his sons

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Dexter is completely at a loss and goes basically like WTF DO YOU MEAN IF IM GOING TO STAY HERE, WHY ARENT YOU KICKING ME OUT? WHY DONT YOU LIKE HATE ME,, OR FEAR ME OR SOMETHING- (oh btw I forgot to mention CC had called Dex a cute doll, cute, adorable, etc before this incident took place,, which is a big thing bc in canon peeps usually call him an ugly doll which ...he is but i love him)

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CC just shrugs at him and tells him that he likes him, he thinks hes kinda cute, he seems like good company when hes not angry n such and Dex just goes . . . . . . Alright, fine, deal- fhjgdkdgjfs and that's how CC acquires husband number u n o (I do have an AU where CC dates Dexter when hes not possessing that Happy Fella Doll, literally nothing special its just an AU where Dex is alive)

Dexter also felt guilty for how they first met for the longest time, apologizing and making it up to CC in the long run, hell even now he can get a little scared sometimes that he'll wind up losing control (even tho Bob and or Frank have both said they'll fucking punt him if he tries ...CC didn't approve of that...)

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CC has made Dexter his old exterminating outfit as well, he seen ADs and pictures of what Dex looked like before the doll possession (he has found that bit out,, I forgot gfhfjkdfgds he found that bit out and feels terrible for Dexter, the way he went and now that hes stuck in a body he'd rather not have)

So CC decided to sew up a lil present for Dexter, he made the old exterminating outfit and even his fucking bag to the best of his ability, when he showed Dexter that surprise, he literally fucking cried and hugged CC so much after that

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Next up, CC met Frank in quite possibly the dumbest way possible,, CC loves to stroll at night alone and he saw an ice cream truck in the distance, he got excited in hopes he'd get some late night sweets, and he knocked on the window ...When nobody answered he got curious, wondering if this was abandoned orrr not

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It's not... He goes inside only to discover Frank, literally... Well doing his stuff, the kidnapping thing- the druggin bit- ya know,, EITHER WAY- CC saw this, Frank looked back at him (them silly lil fnaf lookin ass eyes just wide as could be) CC was standing there before literally just blinking and being like ...wow,, your hot, and tall, and beefy anyways can I get some ice cream big guy???

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Frank deadpans at CC (HE SAYS THAT BTW, OUT LOUD, NO FILTER) and just literally blinks before grinning "Hehe... Sure..." CC's encounter with Frank was the most fucking tame one out of the bunch, Frank did question if CC was going to tell anyone bout this but CC just shook his head 'nah man, idc lol oop' and then Frank gave him a fucking ice cream, free of charge

...NOT- NOTHINGS IN IT BTW DONT WORRY GHJFKJGFHDFKS its legit just actual ice cream

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CC then wanders off after that but Frank p much comes back to chill and hang with CC ...He does have some major beef with Dexter when he sees him at first tho like ...YOU, YOUR THE ONE THAT BIT ME, YEAH AND YOUR THE ONE THAT PUNCHED ME (before they became buddies with one another, when CC was not around, they'd fuckin fight,, have a full on smackdown and then when CC was around they'd act like angels)

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After awhile of hanging out, I don't have specifics on how it happened actually, but there's husband number 2 for CC- and then finally,, the one you'll be a lil familiar with Friendo Mitch!! Its Bob time!!

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Sooo CC and the two lads, Frank n Dex went to Boys n Grills bc they h u n g y, Frank drove em of course in his van,, they got inside, immediately noticed CC has a fucking crush on the big guy and just INSTANTLY tease him about it (Btw if I haven't made it crystal clear, CC is Polyamorous)

CC gets a lil shy bc the boys are fucking teasing him over this and then they order food, CC orders just fries bc he cant eat burgers or his tummy hurty, Dexter doesn't eat bc well, hes a doll now- and Frank gets a burger

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After they ate, the two literally fucking let CC work his magic,, just being like you got this lil man,, before they just fucking left (...JUST BACK TO THE VAN HJGFKDJDGF T-THEY DIDNT LEAVE HIM A T BOYS AND GRILLS) and then CC was alone with Bob.

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Bob had been noticing CC was shy with him this entire time,, he had noticed it from the start and well all I'll say is the fucker didnt help matters- but also he thought CC was nervous about him which is why he decided to try scarin CC with some of his cannibal facts but CC is again a fucking dumbass

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He INSTANTLY lights up and takes out a notepad and goes "Tell me more!" he's interested in the facts bc well hes a horror writer and Bob is giving him some good pointers for that topic ...Bob actually gets a lil happy someone enjoys his facts for once but also weirded out bc wtf ur supposed to be scared? ...He tells him facts for a bit before CC says he has to go, that it was nice meeting him!

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Later that night... Bob in his true fashion had broken into CC's home bc I mean, if I haven't established it also yet,, I have picked the worst three to latch onto, they aren't good (...well to CC they are, I need to clarify btw, they are NOT mean or abusive or some weird shit to CC, they are genuinely loving, caring partners to him BUT!!! CC is not going to try and change them either, he loves them just for them, he's kinda,, mm I wanna say CC is morally grey if thats the right term to use,, bc he wont necessarily do anything bad ..Unless you hurt his dogs or husbands... but usually he's morally grey)

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ANYWAYS- Dexter heard it but he just thought it was one of CC's dogs messing around, bc he also heard some barking from the dogs, he knew Cash sometimes gets late night zoomies, but a few mins after CC gets up bc sometimes he cant sleep and just decides fuck it, imma head out-

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so CC heads into the kitchen to get himself some water and then encounters a big ol devil fella, breathing heavily and standing there in the kitchen, turning to face him, before Bob can even say a fact, CC waves with a polite smile "Oh hey Bob, what's up?" The man fucking looks shocked "...How'd ya know it was me?!"

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CC woulda chuckled at that and been like "The eyes, the smile, the heavy breathing" Bob gets a bit angry bc like ok how dare you not be fuckin scared of me I BROKE INTO YOUR HOUSE, I CAN LITERALLY COOK YOU IN YOUR OWN KITCHEN-

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CC isn't scared, he just says Bob is hot and then goes past him, giving him a pat on the cheek to get something to drink from the fridge, Bob is just,, steaming over there,, like wtf is wrong with this guy,, he has no idea he could be in literal danger rn- CC is just treating him so friendly, kindly, either way- CC offers Bob some candy by the end of this

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Bob just sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose before just taking the candy bowl in its entirety and just munching down with a grin- hes sitting at the table with CC whose drinking some milk while Dexter gets up and Frank does, they see CC sitting here with the fucking Devil Butcher himself

and they just scream "CC,, THATS THE GODDAMN CANNIBAL FROM THE NEWS, WTH ARE YOU DOING?" CC just shakes his head "It's fine, it's just Bob" and then Dexter and Frank realize "...wait shit fr?" Bob takes his mask off and just goes "Sup?"

...And so husband number three slowly gets required, not right off the bat btw,, CC didn't just automatically form a relationship fgjkdlgdjfsd thats not how it works

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A funny bit I had for CC meeting Bob lore was that Frank talked to Bob afterwards like "So your that cannibal, yeah?" Bob nods "Mhm, did ya enjoy your burger, big man?" Frank is drinking something and then pauses as he slowly turns to Bob "...What was in that burger?" Bob doesn't answer, he just grins and Frank just turns to him fully in fear "BOB, WHAT WAS IN MY FUCKING BURGER...?!"

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CC's 'lore' and this entire bit of 'lore' is literally just so fucking silly,, this is so OOC compared to literally ANYTHING canon but like I said,, CC was never made to go for any canonical spooky month storyline,, he was just made for one: My little selfshipper heart

The Silliest Lads get into all sorts of shenanigans behind the scenes,, I just have nothing posted about it vjklcfjhdfksld

now if you want something a BIT closer to any sort of canon bullshit in SM, well, if you or anyone else asks/sends another ask,, I'll talk about Alan next, he's got a storyline attached to Bob but its WAY MORE in character and canonical

I WILL WARN THO BEFOREHAND- Again,, that will also have cannibalism talk and its actually some pretty dark shit,, hes the angst OC I got,, hes been used for nothin but angst

@kayfabebabe

Also tagging you just in case bc I didn't type this up for tumblr just not to notify ya lmao,, thank you btw for asking Friendo Mitch!!! Ya got me all happy and just exhilarated to talk about my funky lil guy here! <3

[xxventiswindblumexx]

Venti/Barbatos x follower fem reader!

Much like my Smut Soulmate I was nervous for this release since I mainly have scara Simps on here but since they're posting I'm posting! We post together 🥺❤👫

Here's to good fan fiction! 🍷

@hitomisuzuya

⚠Warnings⚠:God complex,superiority kink, corruption, venti being himself, pervert stuff, praise kink, breeding kink, mentions of Alcohol because ya know venti.

Barbatos, the Archon of Freedom, holder of the Ameno Vision and the weakest Archon according to those who do not live in Mondstadt. It doesn't matter what they say however, to you he is all you need, to believe in, to love, to feel protected. You're a nun in the Favonius Cathedral, ever since you were young you've dedicated your life to preserve, protect and to teach everything Barbatos was about.

You lived among another named Barbara, she's the Deaconess, she is older but not by much. However you've noticed she's been neglecting her dutys, only slightly not something an average person would notice. She seems to be infatuated with the Traveller, sure he is interesting but he didn't peek your interest as much as a certain bard that seemed to follow him occasionally. Unaware of the bards true identity of course you tried to stray from temptation, barely speaking to him unless he speaks first which surprisingly happens often.

The bard known as Venti often runs right up to you first thing whenever the traveller enters the church. You of course speak to him, after all even with your crush on the male it would be rather rude and ungodly to ignore him, not that you would want to anyways.

The bard often talks about anything that comes on his mind it seems, things such as if you tried wine or if you really lived in the church all day and night. Yes you've tried wine, only communal wine however, nothing compared to what the bard had drank in his nights at the winery. How do you know? He often came to the church doors late at night crying out to see you in his drunken state, slurring words and being very touchy. You of course always opened the doors as it was your job to help those in need and even with his constant self destructive habits, he's still someone who needs help. It's unknown rather the bard had a home or family so he usually slept in a pew on those nights, and on the other times he isn't drunk you aren't sure where he goes, though the traveller assures you he's fine.

Today was like many others, quiet and peaceful as you could see the sun's rays shining in through the large windows and the sound of the wind blowing gently outside. That morning Barbara informed you that she would be out for the next week, it was rather strange, she's never left the church that long, however she assured you it was just to spend time with family, with her older sister Jean. So you would be alone to care for the Cathedral which wasn't too hard, not a whole lot happens really.

Around noon the traveller came to the church asking for Barbara, you unfortunately had to inform the man that she was out for a week. He took it well and decided to leave however his bard friend seemed to not notice. After Aether left Venti as usual ran to you and started off on his usual conversations.

"So Y/N, are you really alone for a week? Like by yourself? I can imagine it'll be sooo lonely huh" He said in a slight teasing voice as you was both sat at a pew. "Yes, I'll be on my own however I have all I need for company, the winds Lord Barbatos bestowed upon the city is enough company and comfort" You replied knowing he was probably going to try to stay around, in a fantasy sure you would like him to stay.. and maybe do other th- No! You cannot think this way, this is sinful and will distract you from your purpose. Shaking her head some as you cleared your thoughts you noticed Venti as leaning over, his hand reaching up to your face, you move away some "What are you doing Venti?"you asked with a sigh as he giggled " your face is all red, what could be going through your mind? Nothing dirty I hope~! " he teased as you didn't notice. In embarrassment you stood up sighing "Venti I must ask you to leave as I need to clean the pews and return to my duties, maybe another time we can chat about something related to the church" you said to him with a bit of sass as he only smirked as he got up "Oh sure, I'll definitely be coming back to talk about Lord Barbatos~" he teased before leaving.

Later that night as you was already settled into your bed in the back of the Cathedral you started to close your eyes when you heard the all too familiar sound of someone knocking and banging against the large doors of the church. You thought about not even bothering with it being that your alone but after a few minutes the banging continued along with faint whining, sighing you got up in your silk robes and headed towards the front. You wore white beautiful sleeping robes, no they weren't see through, at least not unless gotten wet but if you remember correctly it's not supposed to rain so no worried right?

Just before you get to the door you hear a loud thunder strike! You looked at the windows and noticed the very heavy downpour, just as you were going to grumble about your outfit you heard the banging and ran to the door, almost forgot he was out there.

Unlocking and opening the large doors you see Venti, crumbled onto the stairs, his clothes soaking wet as he looked up at you pitifully "Y/N~ you took sooo long to get the door today... I'm all wet now.. " he whined, you couldn't help but to feel bad for the boy. After all it doesn't rain often here and definitely never stormed this bad in awhile. You reach down to help him up but only to pull you into the rain too. Great just what you needed, not even thinking on how translucent your outfit must be you're more focused on getting the drunken bard inside, helping him up and inside the church, the doors closing behind you. It's then now that you're soaking wet you noticed how cold the main Hall with the pews get at night, you decided he couldn't sleep here, he would catch a cold or worse. You walk him to the back where your room was, of course you couldn't sleep in the same bed so you where already thinking on taking Barbaras room, she wouldn't mind.

You set him down and start looking in your dresser for something wearable for him, of course after you already given him a towel to at least warm up with.

However the whole time you're digging through your clothes you could feel his eyes staring at you, almost forgetting your what used to be a pretty silk nightgown is now see through thanks to the rain. "Can you not stare so hard Venti? I'm trying to find something for you to wear" you say, not able to look at him in embarrassment.

He shakes his head a smile tugging on his lips as he leans in closer "No, it's just that you're so adorable.. you know that don't you? I'd love to hold you in my arms" the bard slurred as he was right up against you, you could feel his chest, did.. did he take his wet clothes off already??

You turn to face him to see he was only in boxers, your eyes couldn't help but betray you, looking at his body and especially the ever growing tent in his underwear.

"V-Venti! Why are yo-" Before you could argue he placed a finger over your lips, his eyes glowed as marking appeared on to his body, it was then when you could see him for who he was, as Lord Barbatos.

"Didn't I tell you earlier? I would come back to talk, of course it would be a bit selfish since it is about me~" He giggled as he was pressed against you, you could feel him poking you, these feelings of arousal was familiar but not all too familiar, yes you had a life of abstinence but you're human and of course would have those thoughts occasionally.

"Speechless? Not surprising, after all you are meeting the very Archon you've been worshiping all your life, tell me Y/N, do you want to please your Archon? To be my little follower? " he said with lust laced heavily in his voice. His tone was soft but filled with desire and want, you wanted him to kiss you so bad right now.

"L-Lord Barbatos... " you mumbled unable to form words, he let out a low groan at the name, it's been ages since he's been called by his true name, it only serves to intensify his lust. "Yes call me that more, your Lord, your Archon~" his soft lips crashing into yours, his hands was quick to pull the wet nightgown off, he didn't want you to get a cold now would he?

Your body felt hot to his touch, you felt sparks go off in your body whenever his hands moved across them, yet you didn't resist it, why should you? He is your Archon, all these years serving him, unaware he was always there, in plain sight.

He pushed you onto the bed, hovering over you, he is so pretty, his eyes.. his glowing tattoos, his face and everything, he truly was an Archon, your Archon.

You shiver under his gaze as you felt himself moving his mouth against your collarbone, your head feeling dizzy as he bites you harshly as you whimper slightly. A soft moan leaves your lips as he moves lower kissing and sucking on your neck, you gasp a bit in surprise, his hands wander over your body as he presses his chest against yours and you both feel heat spread through your bodies, a small whimper escaping your lips as his hands continue their path downwards, to your core.

It doesn't take long for him to find what he was looking for, his hands begin to push your hips upwards, wanting to feel the sensation of skin on skin between the two of you, you whimper once more, feeling a small nip on your neck as he begins to suck on it, you feel yourself arching your back as he continues to work his magic on you, you feel yourself becoming wetter and wetter, you could feel your legs shaking as you tried to keep yourself still, you could feel his fingers slipping inside you to feel the warmth inside you, it was exciting. Moaning out his name and whimpering for more "Ssshhh... I knew you'd like this~, just give me a moment, my muse" he said as his kisses made their way to your stomach, moving up your torso slowly. You moan quietly, your hands gripping his hair gently as your body trembles uncontrollably.

His slender fingers made quick work of you, it didn't take long for you get close already, moaning, whimpering and begging "My Lord, Barbatos please~! " but of course just before you could release he slipped his fingers out, giggling. He's still the same bard you met, a teasing man.

Before you could retaliate you felt his member press into you, whining as tears flowed, the Archon sympathized with you, whiping your tears as he whispered sweet nothings into your ear as he pushed further until he was fully into you.

As he began to move, it wasn't the pain that shocked you so much as the pleasure that made you tremble and let out moans, it was intoxicating really, the sensation was so overwhelming, he thrust harder as he held you tighter as you bucked underneath him, crying out as you gripped his shoulders, you couldn't seem to hold yourself still anymore, a mixture of pleasure and pain mixed inside you as his member went deeper and deeper.

You gasped, gasping loudly as you cried out from the pleasure, he grunted as he held your body firmly against his own.

"Won't you be my lover? My pretty little wife? The woman that'll bring the next Archon into this world~? " He said as his thrusts was harsh against your hips, groans left his lips as he gotten close.

"Beg for me, beg to be filled with my love, to be mine~" he groaned out as his eyes seemed to glow brighter.

"P-please Lord Barbatos, please f-fill me up! " Was all you could say before reaching your climax as well as his own, pushing himself deeper into you, everything happened so fast, he seemed to glow so bright, you fainted from all the stimulation.

.......

Your eyes fluttered open hearing the winds softly blow against the church, you felt sore before remembering last night, shooting up in bed quickly aching and regretting it as you held your stomach some. You noticed you're alone in your room, no sign of the bard.

You get up to get dressed and looked into your mirror to see all the markings, hickeys, bites and.. is that an Ameno mark? On her neck was a glowing mark for the Ameno Archon.

After getting dressed and cleaning up you opened the doors to the church for the regulars to come in, and not to surprising a certain bard was sitting on the stairs with his Lyre, singing a song of love.

[a-court-of-moonlight-and-ire]

Some of you have probably noticed that I havent made a liveblog post in a while. Well, thats because I usually read on the bus and during my classes and then I come home and summarize my thoughts on the 2-5 chapters I read after theyve marinated in my head for a little while, but unfortunately i appear to be incapacited at the moment so I cant do that. But because its been weeks and I dont wanna forget anything and I would very much like to finish this series soon, I'll try to read at home sometimes from now on. Since my brain is still a lil mush Im gonna do what I did for my last post, which is write down what Im thinking as Im reading instead of summarizing all my thoughts retroactively, except this time I have my german copy on hand so if I want to quote something it'll be a translation

Anyway, with all that said, welcome to my twisted mind, please enjoy my thoughts on A Court of Mist and Fury Chapters 40

Chapter 40

Ive been wanting to say this for a while now but i kept forgetting, but they translated 'winnowing' as 'den Wind spalten' ['splitting the wind'] and that is objectively so much cooler, shoutout to my gal Alexandra Ernst for that

Feyre being like "ugh, its so pathetic how these human guards think they could stand a chance against even one of us" hurts me so much you guys what have they done to my girl

Once again, its apparently perfectly fine if Rhysand doesnt tell Feyre anything "because she never asked" but if Tamlin doesnt tell her anything when she never asked hes the devil

Also once again, Feyre is perfectly not-triggered at Mor wearing a scarlet dress

Idk how to explain this, but Rhysand saying that Feyre is wearing a golden crown because "she looks so good with it, how could he not give her one" is somehow the perfect encapsulation of the hollowness of her High Lady title

Oh, of course three of the queens only showed up to watch the other two talk, itd be too hard to write dialogue if they actually participated in this important conversation

hello???? Feyre referring to humans as "your kind" ??? wth is going on

"every side bears some blame" hey rhysand ive got a question for ya. which side enslaved the other again

everytime the oldest queen does anything the prose feels the need to remind me of how old and wrinkly she is and its like, i get it, shes OLD

The oldest queen is spitting so hard rn, Im not even gonna question how they heard of the night court when Feyre, who lived closest to Prythian for many years, didnt know anything aout the individual courts prior to getting there herself, Im just gonna put her whole little monologue here: "Oh? [...] The High Lord of the Night Court asks that we join him so that we can save lives together? Fight for peace? And what about the lives that you have taken during your long, despicable existance? What about the High Lord who shrouds himself in darkness and destroys the mind of those who stand in his way? [...] We have heard of you on the continent, Rhysand. We have heard of what the Court of Night is capable of, what you do to your enemies. Peace? I wouldn't have thought that you - a man who enslaves the minds of others and kills them out of pure enjoyment - even know that word."

Anyway, she was spitting absolute bars and Feyre gets super mad about it and almost commits arson but manages to reign herself in and its like girlie, why are you so upset? one of the first things we find out about the night court in this book is that they apparently indiscriminately kill (or atleast torture) anyone who crosses the night court border without permission like theyre the fucking us government, i think the bad reputation is justified

Forgive me if I sound callous, but I have absolutely no sympathy for Rhysand flinching at the mention of Amarantha when Feyre didnt even use her name and is also talking about how she fucking DIED AT HER HANDS

God, I feel like I have something to say about every single line this post is gonna be like 10 thousand words long by the time Im done

So lets take it from the top; Feyre tries to convince the mortal queens to give them the half of the book by recounting to them how much everyone suffered under Amarantha and how she was gruesomely beaten to death and then revived, which is not a compelling argument to me, who actually witnessed all of that, much less these queens who have barely any context for anything shes saying right now

The oldest queen is like "you dont know anything about anything" which is true what the fuck does Feyre know about whats going on in the human world or even the fae world at large, and then Rhysand growls "dont you dare talk down to her!!" because shes passionate and speaking from the heart or whatever and its like, okay, shes still not good at politicking or even just basic negatioation and shes talking to a seasoned politician who old as fuck

Like, if Feyre was actually smart, she wouldve long since realized that she couldnt convince these queens to protect this little slip of land right up to prythians border and been like "okay, you dont wanna protect the land, but can you atleast organize an evacuation so you can atleast save the people" Sure, they definitely still wouldnt have agreed to that because its a sjm book and theyre written to be comically evil, but it would atleast demonstrate Feyre being a little savvy, because right now all we're getting is her being stupid and stubborn in a situation where she really cant afford that

god, im just now noticing how pissed off I am, its been bleeding into my commentary and its not gonna stop, Im sorry. wait no, if youre reading this youre probably looking for negativity, so youre welcome, actually

Anyway, Rhys also says that Feyre is a kindhearted soul looking out for people who cant defend themselves even though she definitely thought that those human guards were pathetic for wanting to defend themselves when she and the other fae were soooooo much more powerful and he definitely knows that because the mental bond is fully open during this meeting and he chastises the queens for being selfish and cowardly when its like, my brother in christ you are doing the exact same bullshit, but atleast the queens are defending a wholeass continent while hes defending one (1) city. and iirc that city ends up getting attacked and destroyed anyway so good job my guy

Theres something so oddly biblical about the story Mor is telling about Miriam, down to her name being Miriam

That island thats removed from time is such bullshit istg

Is it just me or have these bozos not actually explained what they even need the other half of the book for. theyre just like "we need to stop this war and we'd like peace between humans and fae" and its like cool, hows the book gonna help with that though

im sorry, feyre wants to punch that old woman in the face????

the chapter ends with Elain being like "I hope they burn in hell" and i get that, they just straight up said that they want to abandon a whole bunch of people (them included) to die if a war breaks out, but you cant say that the night court girlies are not also at fault for being so fucking bad at politics

[delafiseaseses]

Beatrix Russell's insights

Beatrix Russell, I'm sure most Fallout New Vegas players know her, but when was the last time y''ad a proper conversation with her? I should also say we ay gonna be analysing 'er recruitment into the Wrangler's employment 'ere or her sexual side (mostly, it'll come up a bit).

Beatrix's Advice

Beatrix offers a lot of insights into Freeside and also offers a few bits of advice. We'll start wi' those for structure all of these responses come from saying 'Got any advice to share?' I'll be honest wi' ya, the 'these are reffrence to X' I'm gonna be sayin' is jus' Wiki information. But I'll also provide me opinions on the quotes.

"Feed a man for free, and he'll be back asking for more. Feed a man a bullet. You won't hear from him again."

That's certainly true, and pretty applicable in the Wasteland, I s'pose.

"Good, bad... The guy with the gun makes the rules."

That's a reference to the movie Army of Darkness and the line 'Good...bad...I'm the guy with the gun.' and, apparently, that's also something John Browning said possibly? Reportedly, anyway. Still, also applicable in the Wasteland (and, if we go metaphorical, applicable to most authority). Personally, I think 'good' isn't applicable when anyone makes rules with the authority of 'gun'.

"Time you enjoy wasting isn't wasted time."

This is an adaption of the quote 'The time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time.' by Bertrand Russell. The wiki points out the fact that they're both B. Russells, which is pretty curious. The quote itself I agree with (naturally, I mean, why else would I be doin' this? Hahahaa.) and is probably important to consider as someone as old as Beatrix.

"The only thing I know for certain is that I don't know nothing."

That's a pretty famous one, even wi'out the Wiki tellin' me I know that's Socrates accordin' t' Plato. Let's not get too deep into this 'un. Unlike the last two I see no particular relevance to Wasteland life and, quite frankly, this isn't even advice, Beatrix.

"Longing makes the heart grow fonder, but I've always been a fan of hog-tying my lovers to make sure they can't escape."

I'm sure that's advice to people who're into that sorta thing, but I'm very much not the target audience for it (bein' a proud aroace repulsed at the very idea of engaging personally in such acts). Still, maybe someone over the years has gotten into BDSM because the Ghoul Cowgirl who's name rhymes with 'dominatrix' an' good for that 'ypothetical person.

So, in review, some advice that makes sense in the Wasteland, some philosophy and a bit of oversharing that I s'pose could work as foreshadowing of her future profession in a lot of playthroughs. Let's get t' the juicy stuff now, the reason I decided t' make this.

Beatrix's on the History Freeside

Yes, this is the excitin' part. We'll start wi' the start 'Tell me about Freeside.'

"What starts in misery tends to stay there. Freeside wasn't Freeside until six or seven years ago. That's when Mr. House's robots rolled out of the Lucky 38 and started pushing everyone who wouldn't join him off the Strip. Lots of folks died. Some scattered to the winds. The rest wound up in Freeside and seem never to lose the habit of living like refugees."

Things like this, it puts it all into perspective Freeside, The Strip, Hell even Westside and North Vegas Square am all recent developments. The walls an' divisions aren't even 10 years old. Robert Edwin House created modern New Vegas through violence. We have no idea how many people were killed by it, what 'a lot' means here, but think about it this way: there's a good chance that everywhere on The Strip that ain't the Lucky 38 were all inhabited by people who were either killed or displaced by House less than 10 years prior to the game. That is t' say The Tops, Gomorrah, The Ultra-Luxe, the NCR Embassy an' Military Police HQ and even Michael Angelo's Workshop all were potential homes to people who's lives are now lost to time.

There were people already in Freeside, the buildings and streets not claimed by House, that's why you'll meet many people who are 'Freeside Locals' and have been far longer than 7 years, but as Beatrix said, Freeside as we know it wasn't the Freeside before House. None of the three families lived in those casinos (the Boot-Riders weren't even stationary before becoming The Chairmen). The place was created in an act of miserable violence by House.

Beatrix's Views of Factions

Now for faction opinions. After hearing Beatrix's statements about Freeside's violent and very recent founding we can ask 'What about The Kings?'

"What about them? Pretty much the sort of gang you'd find anywhere else, just with better clothes. The King himself, though? He's got that something special you can't put a finger on. Too bad he likes girls with skin."

I'm not 100% sure if Beatrix knows that last part or presumes it, regardless she overall has a rather cynical view on The Kings as 'just another gang'. An', y'know, while they do have points over a lot of nastier gangs, I'm gonna guess 'Gang as de facto government' is a very common arrangement throughout the entire Wasteland. The Kings isn't the worst bunch in the world and The King is a flawed idealist, but its worst tendencies, encouraged by Pacer and its other more nationalistic and violent members certainly makes them not as clean as I'm sure many see 'em. Still, the gimmick is fun (I bet Beatrix even knows who Elvis is).

'What do you think of the NCR?'

"I reckon they care about getting water and electricity from the dam, and that's where it ends. The locals here are just an inconvenience to them, something to step over or stomp down. They're here for the resources, plain and simple."

Beatrix is correct. Here's a link to Colonel James Hsu sayin' as much an' gettin' called an imperialist bastard by me due to it.

'What's your opinion of Mr. House?'

"Before or after the human race shot itself in the foot? I been around long enough to have both opinions, see. Before the war, Mr. House was a famous captain of industry - robotics, to be specific. Seemed charming in interviews, until he became a recluse. Since the war, though? Didn't make a peep for near two hundred years - but when he came back, he came back strong and killed a lot of people."

Some stuff we already knew there. Unlike Raul, Beatrix is 100% convinced and aware about House bein' House. Beatrix don't actually say her opinion on modern House, but the implication in the way she highlighted that he killed a lot of people 7-8 years ago says all that needs t' be said. She also revealed that House preparing for the War was noticed by the public.

'What do you think of the Followers of the Apocalypse?'

"I don't know how they do it. They're like saints, those Followers. If they didn't charge for their services, I'd think they was crazy. But no, they're just naive. Warms your heart."

Beatrix is a bit of a cynical person, as one would expect from someone who saw the War, saw the next 200 years, saw Mr House's rise and is aware of the intentions of the NCR. So, it's nice to see her have a bit of fondness for the Followers even if she sees them as naïve.

'What do you know about the Van Graffs?'

"A couple of Radscorpions, those two. Gloria is the stable one, but she'd slit your throat if there's a profit in it. Or rather she'd tell her brother to do it for her. Jean Baptiste is one of the sicker humans I've had the displeasure of observing."

Hmm, pretty comprehensive view. Wonder if she ever did any work for the Van Graffs from this view. Prob'ly not, actually, I'm gonna guess she just means she's seen Jean-Baptiste bein' a monster, been in the Silver Rush or maybe she knew the original inhabitants of the Silver Rush who the Van Graffs did a Mr House to. The only other time she uses the term 'observing' there am some sexual undertones, but I reckon that's not 'er intent 'ere.

Conclusion

So, that was Beatrix's insights Freeside, Various Factions and... life, I guess. Some interestin' stuff, I think. An' 'opefully me own provided thoughts an' commentary 'as been int'restin'.

[arda-ancalima]

hello arda! I saw you are an actual real life librarian (which maybe I should have realized earlier since you always reblog certified librarian posts) and I had a question! a while ago I was discouraged from checking out ebooks and audiobooks from my library using Libby because apparently they have to pay a royalty on each checkout? does this have a big impact on libraries?

Hi!! Thank you for the ask and for giving me something to do yesterday! It was super quiet at work and reading about Libby was more productive than staring into space thinking about your meow meow in training hehe.

[also I say librarian as shorthand for library assistant, I'm not a *librarian* librarian, one who Knows Stuff, my contributions are Knows the Alphabet (probably) and Is Under 40 (definitely)]

Also sorry I'm long winded, I can't not say something once I've thought it.

As a patron I can relate, I heard the same thing on tumblr and felt bad. But I asked a coworker about it, and she said since we get Libby along with a group of other libraries, we just pay a set fee a year - no matter how much our patrons use it, it'll be the same cost for us. She gets audiobooks all the time and has no qualms about it!

I saw on OverDrive's website (parent company I think, and the old app name) that there are multiple lending models which vary by publisher - some are pay-per-use, some you buy a license for a certain time or number of checkouts. The library can tailor the collection to their needs and choose how many titles someone can have out at once. With hoopla (similar service we do pay for directly), we set limits to downloads so we know it won't cost more than $x per patron per month. Any digital services would be budgeted for (probably, should be).

Maybe we're in the minority, but our library has adequate funding so we're happy to offer these things, and it makes us happy when people use our services. My coworker and I who do stats love to see the numbers go up like STONKS (coworker would not say that tho. again, only one under 40 here).

Some thoughts I've seen online (not from my own knowledge or experience) are it sounds like for some libraries, funding is very much tied to usage, so using Libby more could lead to more money going toward it, or to the library in general.

I also saw a comment about how it's not any different from using a public park or public school, and the people who use it do pay for it one way or another through taxes, or a yearly fee for a card, or something like that.

Anyway there's a bunch of thoughts which may or may not help or be related to your particular library. They'd probably be happy to tell you about it though! (especially if it's a slow day it's like please give me something to do)

TL;DR I'd guess if they're offering the service, they've budgeted for it. It's their job to decide if they can afford it and to set their own limits, and patrons have no way of knowing the costs/usage and are not obligated to worry about it. If you were in my system, I'd say to borrow anything you like!

[everyjirou]

Concerning Art & Writing Requests

Hi. Althea here. I'm gonna try, keyword try to draw art requests. I will do it on either physical paper or digitally. I will also do writing requests as long as they are not NSFW. I like writing, and I like drawing, so I wanted to open up my "comissions" for it. No payment needed, because I don't know how that works and I'm not gonna ask for money.

Concerning Screenshots

I have finished screen recording all of Heroes Rising, and will upload the screenshots of Jiro from there before I do anything regarding Season 6. I might even do World Heroes Mission beforehand, considering it'll be a while for Season 6 to air all of Jiro's scenes. It all just depends on what the anime shows of her. However, I am intending on doing the other movies AND the OVA's as well. I don't know if the OVA's were shown here, I'd have to check.

Concerning... well, me.

I am not doing so well. Physically was always no, because *enter some crappy scoliosis joke here*. I know it's probably a TMI, but I feel like it should be known. I have depression, anxiety, and ADHD. I am attempting to manage them all, but it's hard sometimes. My grandma has a heart condition, and my mom has a tumor. I apologize for being so absent, and I have explained this before, but much less detailed. I am attempting to manage my personal life and my online life, and it can prove to be a bit of a challenge at times. My mom recently got some results back after her surgery, and from the sounds of it, they're not so good. My grandma is constantly bruising and getting hurt from the medication she's on that keeps her heart from blocking up the veins, and it's rather worrisome(?). I apologize for dumping all this out there, as it may seem like I'm just venting, but I did want to let you all know of my situation since I do tend to just up and vanish quite often. This ordeal with my family isn't recent, as it happened in summer of 2021, but it's still happening and it's still affecting me. I hope you all can understand my lack of appearances from these events, and I hope you can understand my situation if not respect it. I am trying my hardest, and depending, I may need to take a break if needed. Again, I apologize for dumping this all out there, but I feel that it needed to be said and acknowledged since so many people follow this account.

Now, don't feel hesitant!

Just because I ranted there for a second doesn't mean you have to hesitate with talking to me or requesting anything. I do not mind doing requests and talking. It helps me wind down and distracts me from reality. It's a stress reliever! I like doing things I enjoy. I like making people happy. So please do not hesitate to talk with me or request anything. I don't bite. The most I do is send memes. I appreciate the amount of support this account has gotten, from before I joined and to now. I hope to continue to keep delivering Jiro content! Oh, that's another thing.

Regarding my spelling.

I spell the character names a bit different from others, I guess? Some examples would be,

Katsuki Bakugo

Kyoka Jiro

Eijiro Kirishima

Ochaco Uraraka

Maybe it's because I'm American, who knows. Eh, I don't really think it matters all that much, but I thought it should also be known I spell it a lil differently than other peeps. Anyways, that's my rant/post. Thank you all for your time and I love every single one of you!

~ ♡ althea

[nightingaelic]

Heyo! I'm more of a lurker her but I was wondering if you still take requests?

If so mind if I request something? Okay here goes!

Fallout new vegas companions react to the courier who is alike to deadpool, not in them that way but they break the fourth wall constantly and their immortal, like one time during a fight with the legion they get decapitated only for their head to grow back in seconds, Plus they sometimes make their companions question reality from the things they say

Mind if it's gender-neutral? Thanks! Love your posts they are awesome!

Thank you, anon! As you may have noticed, I do most of my reactions with gender-neutral pronouns unless otherwise requested. Anyway, here's wasteland Deadpool

TW: Gore

"Yeah, no clue," the courier said happily as they trailed their companion through the sewer tunnels that led to the Thorn. "Did I have these abilities prior to my confrontation with Benny? Maybe, otherwise I probably wouldn't be here talking to you now, but that bullet he left in my head is long gone and I still can't remember a damn thing prior to that night in Goodsprings. Fate, I guess."

Arcade Gannon: "Fate's a copout answer and you know it," Arcade replied flatly, turning to give them a skeptical look. "If I had to guess, you ran afoul of some kind of pre-war experimentation at some point in your past, and now you're basically a walking tub of regenerative cells. You're a bit of a scientific anomaly."

The courier smiled sweetly back at him. "Dying to cut me open again, doctor? You lost your stomach for it the last time you tried, if I'm remembering correctly. And I lost mine, a bit more literally."

Arcade blushed. "You grabbed your own small intestine, started winding it around your arm like a feather boa, and said 'look at me, I'm Billie Holiday!' You're lucky I didn't throw up inside of you, Six."

"And I didn't even get through the first verse of 'Summertime,'" the courier replied mournfully, before brushing past him toward the sounds of the underground fighting arena. "Don't worry, I'll get a reprise in for the fans at some point. It'll be a real showstopper."

"The fans?" Arcade asked incredulously, hurrying to catch up. "What, the crowd at the Thorn? They're not big into music that isn't the screams of dying wildlife."

Craig Boone: Boone frowned. "Fate put me and Carla in Novac. It might have been what I deserved, but... never mind."

"You sure?" The courier's lips began to curl up at the edges. "Nearly pulled it out of you, that time. It's okay, you can tell me about how you had to kill your own wife when you're ready."

They tried to walk around him, but Boone grabbed them by the front of their shirt and slammed them into the concave wall of the sewer. "You can't know that," he growled. "Not unless you had something to do with... with..."

"Easy." The courier held their hands up. "How many times have you seen me take a Legion spear to the shoulder and get back up again? They're no fans of mine. I wouldn't sell someone to them, even if they deserved it. And Carla-"

Boone jerked them back against the concrete again. "Get her name out of your mouth, courier. I don't know what you are, or why you get up again when something lops off your limbs, but if you want me to watch your back, you can damn well leave what's dead to lie."

Lily Bowen: "Watch your language, dearie," Lily warned them. "We have to be on our best behavior for Miss Red Lucy, or she'll throw us out again."

"She threw us out because she realized that I was breaking her betting system," the courier said bitterly, pausing to make their point with gusto. "I can't die. Ergo, I can't lose, and all her regulars were starting to realize that."

"And we are going to sit quietly in the third row and watch the critters in the ring fight each other," Lily went on. "What do you think, pumpkin? Should we bet on the giant mantises this time?"

"Radscorpions," the courier muttered, resuming the forward pace. "Giant mantises can kiss my ass."

"Language!"

Raul Alfonso Tejada: "Well, I can't say I'm not pleased that I'll get to know you for longer than I know most people, nowadays," Raul replied with a grin. "But neither can I say I envy you. If a deathclaw manages to take off my head, I'll be glad to die, rather than wait for a brand new one to grow. Parece doloroso."

"It would've been less painful if you'd managed to recover my old head and hold it next to my neck," the courier said. "And less time-consuming. I was down for three whole minutes."

"What did you want me to do, boss, chase it down the deathclaw's gullet?" Raul chuckled. "Ya no soy un hombre joven, Six. Maybe when I was still a vaquero, I would've tried it, but no more."

"Viejo." The courier elbowed him affectionately. "What say we show the Thorn the vaquero skills you still have left? I'd love to see you lasso a cazadore."

Rose of Sharon Cassidy: Cass was still white as a ghost. "I'm pretty sure this is a dream," she moaned, stopping to lean against the wall. "All that blood, those broken bones, and your arm was just..."

"You're beat all to hell on a regular basis, Cass," the courier replied, stopping as well. "Can't handle a little rough and tumble, all of a sudden?"

"Rough and tumble I can handle no problem," Cass admitted. "But that... that thing... it was all shriveled up like a baby mole rat's, and it just ballooned out like some kind of parasite, and its fingers got big first, then the joint cracked into place and... Six, you grew a new goddamn arm like it was a silt bean sprout, in eight seconds flat!"

"Hey." The courier held their offending appendage up and waved it around a bit. "It's just an arm. Brand new and better in every way. Until this one tangles with the wrong pack of night stalkers, I suppose. Sure, it's a little gross watching it do its thing, but I-"

"I'm gonna be sick," Cass said, covering her mouth.

"Watch the boots," the courier said, patting her on the back as she ducked down to empty her stomach.

Veronica Santangelo: "What do you think caused it?" Veronica pressed them. "I mean, I know you don't have the memory anymore, but you have to have some kind of guess, in the back of your head."

The courier started ticking options off on their fingers. "Well, there's everyone's favorite bogeyman, the Enclave, but that's the obvious answer and the NCR and Brotherhood buried any chances I'd have of finding out. Second most likely would be the lunatics in the Big Empty, but I feel like I would've found some kind of evidence of experimentation from all the time I spent bopping around among the lobotomites, and I didn't. Then there's the Master, but honestly I think he would've thrown all his super mutants in the garbage if he managed to make a regenerating human that, you know, still looked human."

"I don't know. Can you have kids?" Veronica asked shyly.

"Ummm..." The courier stopped walking. "Unsure."

"Hmm." Veronica rubbed her chin. "Are you up for-"

"No."

"But for scientific-"

"No."

ED-E: ED-E traced lazy circles in the air around the courier's torso as they rambled on, their voice echoing through the sewer system. Regeneration wasn't something it was familiar with, but the concept of continued life beyond losing parts of oneself was a robotic standard. It ran through its own repair catalogue, checking off every new part it had acquired since its initial bootup and every replacement part it was still in need of.

"Hey." The courier stopped walking suddenly, and ED-E hung in the air in front of them. They reached out to grab it and pull it in close, up against their chest. "You're a good listener, ED-E," they said as they hugged it.

ED-E beeped its affection as well.

Rex: Rex cocked his head to the side and whined. He reached up to sniff the courier's knee, where only hours before their leg had been severed. The smell of blood was still there, the grease of the chainsaw blade, but the limb remained.

The courier knelt down. "It's okay, boy. I'm trying to say that I won't abandon you. No matter what, I'll always get up again. Do you understand?"

Rex barked once. It echoed down the sewer pipe on either side of them, and the courier smiled.

[imagines-by-a-typical-fangirl]

Stay With Me (Pt. 04 of 09)

Pairing: Daryl Dixon X Reader

Word count: 3 K

Summary: Daryl found you surrounded by the dead, stuck in the backseat of a car. You were wishing for death to take you away for quite a while now, but, as you slid back and forth into consciousness, there was only one thing keeping you alive. Him, the man with blue, worried eyes and kind voice. Your beaten up body was ready to give up, too wounded and broken to keep going. But this man, who went out of his way to save your life is the only thing in the world holding you up. And, because of him, you feel something you haven't felt in a very long time: hope. Wherever he's taking you, you want to get there, and not only to be buried. For what it feels like the very first time, you want to live. He takes you back to Alexandria, but even there, the nightmares and the terror from all the torture and pain you've been through keeps creeping closer, and Daryl, your hero, is the only one who can keep that all away.

Warnings: Mentions and description (not graphic) of past abuse; post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD); some violence at the end of the story (a little bit graphic, but not so much); blood.

<- Previous part (03)

Next part (05) ->

{The Walking Dead Masterlist}

I want to thank my awesome friend @jodiereedus22 , who helped me (and still does) a lot to get this story done. She's also a writer and she's amazing so please go check her work!!

×

Running Away

Twenty-one days. That's how long you've been in Alexandria. The days have fallen into a routine, slow, and filled with care. Daryl has been sleeping with you, and in the mornings you have your breakfast on the porch when it's sunny. Then, Carol helps you take a bath, changes the dressings of your wounds, and you're back in bed. You're speaking more with Carol, what makes her happy, you think. The wounds are still a problem. It still hurts a lot, but not as bad as before. And you're starting to get tired of staying in bed all day.

So today, after having your dressings changed and when Carol leaves, you stand up, eyes tightly closed to hold back the pain. Using the nightstand to support some of your weight, you move to the wall, using it to help you limp towards the door.

“Huh?” You hear a mumble.

“You're... Clean?” Carol asks, and you wonder what that's about. “You're clean.”

“I showered. What's the big deal?”

“Yes, you did... You showered yesterday too. And the day before...” As you reach the door frame, you try to understand what's this odd conversation between the two of them. “Actually, you've been showering daily for quite a while now. I wonder why–” She stops talking when you step outside, her eyes finding you.

Immediately, Daryl turns around, making his way over you. His eyes run through your body and you don't quite understand why he's cheeks are getting red. “What are ya doin’ up?” The moment he's close enough, you let go of the wall and hold on to him instead.

But Daryl acts weird, as if he didn't want to touch you. It makes you feel akward since you grew used to his touch. “What?” You ask, pulling away just enough to look down at your body, trying to see if there's anything in you that might have caused this reaction.

“Where are the rest of yer clothes?” He asks, trying to push you back into the room.

“This is what I usually wear.” Shrugging your shoulders, you take in the tank top and one of the lycra shorts Carol got you. It reaches about two inches above your wound, which means it barely covers your thighs. It never bothered you. Well, only when it's cold. “What's wrong with it?”

“Nothin’, nothin’.” He gives Carol an odd look before holding you again, his hands barely touching your sides. “Let's get ya back to bed.”

“No. I wanna go downstairs. I'm tired of being in the room.” You beg him, trying to resist as he pushes you back. “Please?”

“Put on somethin’ to cover up yer... Yer body. In case someone comes in.”

“I'll grab the blanket.” When you're about to move to get it, Daryl's moves first, taking the blanket and wrapping it around your shoulders, closing it on the front. He then picks you up, as he usually does to move you around, carrying you downstairs and carefully laying you down on the couch.

You quickly move into a sitting position as he settles down beside you. “Ya want anythin’?”

“I'm thirsty.” You don't want to keep asking people to get things. You want to go there and get them yourself.

“I'll get you some water,” Carol answers before Daryl can stand up.

She soon comes with your glass, and you drink half of it before handing over to Daryl, who puts it on the coffee table. Then, you move the blanket around, so it won't be a barrier as you lean on Daryl. But he flinches, seemingly uncomfortable. The way he moves away hurts you a little, and you sit up straight again, looking at him. “What is it, Daryl?” You ask, suddenly feeling odd, pulling the blanket so it'll cover your shoulders. “I just took a bath, I'm not dirty.” Your mind tries to find any other reason for Daryl to act like this.

“I know. Ya smell good, I jus’...” He moves a little, clearly nervous. “Yer using next to nothin’ and I don't wanna make ya feel uncomfortable.”

“I'm not feeling uncomfortable.” Furrowing your eyebrows, you try to understand what's the difference. You've been using this style of clothing since you got here. Denise told you not to wear anything that might squeeze the wound on your thigh, and Daryl has been sleeping on the same bed as you. Why is it different now? Then it clicks. He never really knew what was under the blankets you always have around you in bed. But you don't feel uncomfortable, not around Daryl. “I'm fine, truly.”

“Are ya?” He looks down at you after avoiding your gaze for a while. You wonder why he seems so embarrassed.

“Yeah.” Muttering, you give a quick glance at the kitchen, to make sure Carol isn't looking. Sometimes, she stands there, as if studying your interactions with Daryl, you're not sure why. You have the suspicion that she's actually studying his interaction with you. But she's not on your sight, probably at the sink or at the countertop making lunch. Turning your gaze at Daryl, you shrug your shoulders. “Can I?”

He breathes in deeply, and you see something snap in his eyes, like he's giving up trying to fight something. “C'mere, babygirl.”

You can't control the smile that comes to your lips as you lean on him again, carefully moving your legs up to the couch. “Daryl?”

“Huh?”

“Why do you call me babygirl?” You decide to ask, not because you don't like it, just because you really want to know.

He moves a little, restless again. There are a lot of things you still don't understand about Daryl, but you try to. “ ‘Cause yer young. And a girl.”

Doesn't make much sense, and it sounds like he just said the most obvious thing. “I'm not that young, Dixon.” It's weird how, all of a sudden, you don't want Daryl to see you as a kid. He does have to look after you, but it's just because your body is still broken... But you're getting better every day, and soon enough you'll be able to function like a normal person.

“Yer young compared to me.”

“You're not that old.”

“I am compared to ya.” He speaks fast as if he wants to shake this thought away.

Of the many things that have gone through your head since you spotted Daryl's blue eyes among the dead, age wasn't one of them. It's not like you haven't noticed the man is some, well, several years older than you, probably around two decades, but it was never important. You never thought this matter deserved attention. It doesn't change anything. “Uhm...” You mumble, an arm moving to hug his midsection.

“Shouldn't call ya that anyway.” He mutters, his chest vibrating under your head.

“I like it. I really do.” Daryl only calls you that when nobody else is around. When Carol or Denise are here, he always uses your name. And you like it. It's like a private thing, a secret.

Daryl only grunts in response, which makes you giggle. You both fall into a comfortable silence until Carol comes to the living room, sitting on the coffee and getting your attention.

“(Y/N), Maggie and Glenn got back from a run yesterday. They brought a wheelchair and I was thinking that maybe you could use it to take a tour around the neighborhood.” She says, glancing at Daryl and then at you. Walking it's still hard for your leg, and Denise still doesn't think you should try to. The stitches ripped twice after the first incident, and you're being extra careful now.

“I don't know.” The thought of going out there, where people will see you... You haven't stopped to think about it. Actually, you've been more comfortable with being inside the house.

“I'll be with ya. If ya feel like yer ready for it.” Daryl says, and it gives you just a little bit of courage.

“Do you think I should?”

“The group wants to meet you.” Carol answers. “They're curious about the girl Daryl cuddles with.” Her comment makes Daryl swift in his seat again, letting out a displeased grunt. “You will like them when you give it a chance. There's also Judith. That one will steal your heart in half a second.”

“Who's Judith?” You ask her.

“Rick's daughter,” Daryl says. “Lil’ Ass Kicker, three years of drivin’ Rick insane.”

“You have kids here?” You haven't seen kids since the world broke. Part of you thought it was better that way. Bringing a kid into the world as it is now is crazy. But here... Alexandria seems like a safe place. It seems like a good place to be if you want kids.

“A few, yes.” Carol states. “So? Can I have Maggie bring the wheelchair?”

Lifting your head a little, you give Daryl a glance. “It's yer call to make. Ya wanna go or not?”

“Only if I can meet Judith.”

“Alright then.” Carol stands up, clearly happy. “I'll get the chair and you put some clothes on because if you go out like that Daryl will certainly have a heart attack.”

“I would never go out like that.” You mutter, wondering what's the big deal with your clothes.

So you put on these loose sweatpants and a long-sleeved light blue shirt since the wind coming from your window is a bit cold. You're anxious when Daryl puts you in the chair, already outside. You can't help but look at the sides, suddenly aware of every human being here who's not Daryl.

“Ready?” He asks, and you almost say no. But you force yourself to nod, and he starts pushing the wheelchair.

You're shaking a little, hands clenched into fists. Maybe this was a bad idea, and everything you want is to get back to your bedroom, where nobody knows about your existence, where there's just you and Daryl and nothing else. People have been hurting you for too long, you don't think you can deal with them anymore.

“Ya ok down there?” Daryl's voice snaps you out, and you nod again. “Let's meet Maggie. She's the one who found ya this chair.” Daryl takes you near the walls that surround the city, tall and constantly under watch. He calls and the woman some feet away turns around. She's been talking to a small group of people, who also turn to look at you.

“Daryl.” She greets, leaving the others and walking over you. “And I believe this is (Y/N). I'm Maggie.” She reaches out her hand and you freeze, just looking at it. This is ridiculous. You shouldn't be out here. “Oh, it's alright.” Maggie retrieves her hand, giving you a small smile. “I've heard you've been through some tough times. I just hope you'll feel better now that you're here.”

Chewing on the inside of your cheek, you nod, trying to force some words out. “T-thanks for the chair.” You push out, hoping it'll be enough.

“No need to thank me. I just thought it would help you start getting to know the community.”

“Maggie!” Someone calls, and she turns on her heels to check it out.

“That one over there, in the blue T-shirt is Gleen, my husband.” She says. “Nice guy, judging by the fact I'm married to him.” She looks at you again. “Well, I gotta go. I hope this is not the last time I'll see you, (Y/N). Have a nice day.” With that, she waves and goes back to where she was as Daryl pushes you away, taking a different turn.

“She's nice.” You tell Daryl when you're far enough not to be heard.

“She is. You'll like her if ya give her the chance.”

You mutter in response, bouncing your leg a little. This place is amazing. Beautiful. It reminds you of simpler times when the dead used to remain that way. But the wall around you is a constant reminder of the dangers that must be kept outside.

Daryl introduces you to some people. You're happy you managed to say ‘hi’ and shake some hands, despite flinching away from their touch too quickly. He's very patient, pushing your around the town, using the least crowded streets. But half an hour later you're getting too restless, excited to go back home.

“I think I want to go back now.” You say when you see two people walking your way.

“What about Judith?”

“Oh...” You completely forgot about her. “Can we go now? Then back home.”

“Judith is Rick's daughter. Which means he'll probably be there.” Daryl warns you, changing direction. “Ya think ya can handle that?”

“Then we should just go back home.” You suddenly don't want to do it anymore. It's way too much for today.

“Listen.” Daryl stops, walking around the chair and crouching before you. “Ya trust me, don't ya?”

“I thought we reached this point where you don't have to ask me that because you know the answer.” Of course you trust Daryl. You'd put your life in his hands without thinking twice. You've already done that, actually.

“I know Rick reminds ya of one of those assholes, but he ain't like them. He's been with us for years. I trust him and so can ya.” One of his hands comes to touch your knee, and it makes you relax a little. “But I'll take ya back if that's what ya need. Not gonna push ya.”

Taking a deep breath, you nod, looking down. “Can't you... Can't you bring her to the house?” You're not ready, not yet. “I'd feel better there. Even if–Even if I have to meet this Rick.”

“Of course, baby–” Daryl clears his throat, shaking his head.

What's wrong with him today? “Babygirl.” You decide to finish it for him, reaching out your hand to touch his face. But Daryl stands up abruptly the moment your fingers connect with his cheek.

“Let's go.” He's soon moving you again, not saying anything else.

It takes five minutes or so until you're back home, feeling relieved to have these walls around you again. Daryl leaves you in the living room with Carol as he goes to get Judith. He takes a while, but you hear Judith before Daryl swings the door open.

“See that lady over there?” He says to the beautiful toddler in his arms. It's such a sight, seeing Daryl holding Judith. “She's dying to meet ya.” As he speaks, Judith's eyes find you and she smiles.

“Hi!” She mumbles, waving a tiny hand at you.

You didn't think you'd ever see a kid again. “Hi, Judith.” Daryl brings her to the couch, putting her down beside you. “How are you, little ass-kicker?”

“You goin to play with me?” She happily asks, reaching out her hand, which you hold, giving a little shake.

“Sure.” You can't help but smile. A smile that doesn't fades. This child is the exact opposite of everything you suffered. She's innocent, kind, and pure. “There's nothing here to play with.”

“Rick's bringin’ some–” He's cut off by a knock on the door. “That's him. ‘M gonna let him come in, is that alright?”

Holding your breath, you nod. As Daryl goes to open the door, you keep looking at Judith, the smile disappearing. “(Y/N),” Daryl calls as you see the two men moving to the living room. “This is Rick, Judith's father.”

“Hi, daddy,” Judith exclaims.

Slowly, you raise your eyes, sinking a little into the couch, as if it could put more distance between you and that man. “Hi.” You whisper, not sure if he can hear you, so you say it again. “H-hi. I'm (Y/N).”

“It's nice to meet you, (Y/N),” Rick says, exchanging a glance with Daryl. “I brought these blocks Judith likes.” He slowly steps forward, and you finally notice the box he's holding. He leaves it on the couch between you and his daughter before stepping back. “And I want to apologize for our first meeting. I didn't know... Well, I'm sorry.”

“It's ok.” The words are still getting caught in your throat. Rick does look like that man, but he isn't him. The beard is pretty much the same, but the eyes are different. More kind. But then again, some of them did seemed to be kind in the beginning. It didn't last long though.

Judith opens the box and starts taking all the colorful blocks out, throwing the empty box on the floor.

It's a weird feeling to do this. Playing with a kid, building houses and castles, imagining people living in them. The rest of the world goes away for a while, and you're surprised by the smiles that keep finding their way to your lips. Every time Judith says or does something, you can't help but be mesmerized. It makes you think that maybe, just maybe, sometime from now, you could have a kid of your own. You always wanted to be a mother, before the world came crashing down, but you haven't given it much thought about it after. It was useless anyway. There wasn't a place like this, safe, where you could fancy such possibilities...

Your eyes suddenly find Daryl, seated on the kitchen table talking to Rick. In the back of your mind, you wonder if Daryl ever thought about having kids too. He does seem to like Judith, and she likes him too. Like he's being called, he looks straight at you, and you sustain his stare for a while before Judith claims your attention.

Shaking your head lightly to push these thoughts away, something else comes. The way Daryl suddenly started acting weird. Earlier today on the couch, and when you touched his face. It doesn't matter how hard you try to understand him, you can't. You need to talk to him, to ask what's wrong.

Judith stays with you all day, only to be taken by her brother Carl when the night has already fallen. So you have dinner before going back upstairs, fixing the blankets around you, and waiting for Daryl. But after an hour, you wonder if he'll even come.

So you push all the blankets away, ignoring the cold that quickly creeps over your skin. By the time you reach the hall, you realize you don't know where Daryl's room is. Why didn't he come? He always does, you don't have to ask. Did he forget you? Is he mad or something? Using the walls to help you walk, you move down the hall, a low groan leaving your lips when a sharp pain spreads through your torso.

“What are ya doin’?” His voice comes from behind, so you stop, leaning against the wall. Daryl reaches you a couple of seconds later, and you're quick to notice how he holds both your arms, keeping a distance in between you. “Come. I'll help ya get back.”

“I'm alright.” You mutter as he easily picks you up again, carrying you back to bed.

“Ya still need to be careful.” He simply says, standing back up once you're comfortably lying down.

“Daryl, I need to talk to you.” Sitting back up, you decide to just say it, put the cards on the table.

“Ya need anythin’? I can get ya–”

“No, I... I just need to understand what's going on.” You didn't want to interrupt him, but you get the feeling he's trying to run from the conversation. “From this morning you've been acting weird, like... Like you're suddenly trying to avoid me...”

“Ain't tryin’ to avoid ya.” He shifts his weight from one leg to another, looking down.

“Yes, you are. Don't you...” Running a hand through your hair, you try to come up with the right words to describe something you don't know how to. “Don't you like it when I touch you? Don't you–”

“I'm goin’ on a run with Rick.” He bursts out, not allowing you to finish. “I'll be leavin’ tomorrow mornin’ an’ it'll take four or five days.”

He sounds mad, angry even... He told you he usually goes on runs, but he hasn't left since you got here. You never thought about this, having to deal with Daryl being... Somewhere else. “Daryl, why–”

“I gotta get my stuff ready.” He then turns around and walks away. “Have a good night.”

And he's gone. He's gone and the tears immediately start rolling down. You're lost, disoriented. A different pain makes pressure in your chest, crushing you, pushing you back into the bed. Something happened. You must have done something, even though you don't know what it was. Covering your mouth with one hand to hold the sobs that come, you wonder how are you supposed to do this.

How are you supposed to endure the night? How are you supposed to be without him? You're not ready yet. What if he doesn't come back? What if he gets hurt? What if he got tired of taking care of you day after day? What if he doesn't want you? Your touch, your hugs, you.

He's tired of you. This fragile, broken thing you are. He saved you, yes, but it doesn't mean he cares for you. Maybe you misread things, and your feelings blinded you. And maybe he doesn't feel anything for you. Only pity.

×

@funeral-7 @heyyy-hey-babyyy @twdeadfanfic @soraitmnt @winchester-angel @bvbwestfall @shawtygonemad @cameronsails @pulplorrd

[piratewithvigor]

Stars

Chapter 1: 1971

Kane's steadiest relationship through his life was always to the stars

(This fic is 4 chapters, inspired by this fic by @old-no7, approximately 5000 words and written in a 24-hour binge. It'll eventually also be posted to AO3, but I'm sleepy rn, so not right now)

He’d been waiting for that night for two weeks. Marking the days off on a little scrap of paper his brother had written up for him. 14 little boxes to put an X through when he woke up every morning. His brother had been forbidden from partaking in their little ritual until after he finished writing his chemistry test and Kane knew better to stay outside alone. So he waited and he helped his brother study. In later years, when they recollected those weeks, his brother would admit that if anything, even less studying had been done when Kane was insisting to help. He tried to quiz his brother on vocabulary, which might have been helpful if Kane could read the terms or the definitions. Or knew what exactly chemistry was. But his brother appreciated the effort.

Kane had spent almost the entire day of the test in the window of the parlor, kneeling on the itchy red couch. It was a nice enough couch when they had funerals happening, since those were the days Kane had to wear long pants, but the rest of the time, when he was in shorts, the fabric itched his legs, so he didn’t like the couch much. But he put up with it that day. Mother wouldn’t let him move any of the furniture or sit on the windowsill, so he put up with the itch.

Mother said his brother would return when the old grandfather clock rang exactly four times. Kane considered himself a good counter. He could make it as far as twenty without any help, since that was how many fingers and toes he had, but he had trouble remembering what came after. It didn’t matter that day anyway. The grandfather clock never rang more than twelve times (that was all fingers and two toes) and was on eight rings by the time Kane was woken up and told to get ready for the day.

Making sure he counted each and every ring was hard work. By the time he’d counted four and not a single one more, he was almost too sleepy to figure out right away that it meant his brother would be walking up the lane any second. The only way he did figure it out was by seeing the long black coat of his brother blowing gently through the wind at the bottom of the hill. He was off the itchy red couch and out the front door before he even had time to yell to his mother where he was going.

His brother was far more focused on keeping his hat from blowing away in the wind to see Kane coming at him like a bat out of hell. He only just grabbed onto it as Kane captured him in a tight hug around his middle.

“You wrote your test today, right? So tonight we can sleep outside?” Kane asked, already knowing the answers, but just wanting finalised confirmation. His brother blew some curly red strands out of his eyes.

“Yes, Kane, I did do well on my test. Thank you for asking so politely,” he chuckled as he squirmed out of the hug. Kane huffed his annoyance quietly.

“Sorry. We’re still sleeping outside tonight, right?”

“We can head out as soon as we trade my bookbag for the tent inside.”

The next couple minutes were a battle of the brothers as Kane tried to drag his brother up the hill to the house as fast as possible and his brother trying to hold Kane back, just to wind him up for his own amusement. Eventually, even his brother couldn’t hide his excitement for the evening anymore.

It was the first year where their father was letting them go out by themselves. They’d each gotten training to defend themselves against some of the more common beasts of the Valley. Kane was trusted with a hunting knife after proving himself capable enough of getting a good shot in while also understanding the dangers the knife could possess. His brother, being older, had already been taken hunting twice. He didn’t like killing things, but their father was confident that if push came to shove, he could bring himself to kill pretty much anything in the name of keeping Kane safe.

After kissing their mother goodbye for the evening and receiving a final quick quiz on what to do and what not to do when faced with danger from their father, each boy picked up their packs and started on the trail into the woods. Kane had both the food and his sleeping bag slung over his shoulders, and if it had been any other night, he would have probably begun complaining from the weight. Sandwiches had never seemed so heavy before, or maybe his brother was just taking them to a place really far away. They did most of their exploring together, but Kane knew there were some places he’d never been before. Either because they were too far away for his little legs to walk to or because they involved crossing the river and his brother hadn’t been quite tall enough to lift Kane over the water yet. Wet feet was one of their first warnings: if they couldn’t cross the river with dry feet when safe, they wouldn’t be able to make it across if they ever faced danger.

“Are we going to the river?” Kane eventually piped up, hoping to disguise the ache in his shoulders and his feet.

“What?”

“The river. Are we crossing it?”

“Maybe when you’re bigger. Not today.”

“Then where are we going?”

“Somewhere special.”

“How special?”

“Kane, do you ever stop talking?”

By the time they stopped bickering, Kane realized they hadn’t been walking for likely a minute or more. They were in a small clearing of grass and a few rocks scattered around. Surrounded by trees on all sides, but there was still a patch of sky overhead.

“Do you know how to set up the tent by yourself?” His brother asked, shaking Kane from his admirings of their location.

“No, but I can put together the poles,” he offered. He was good at poles. Just wasn’t tall enough to put up the tent with them, but he’d never say so out loud.

“Do that. I want to gather some firewood while it’s still light out. Have your knife on you?” Kane pulled out the hunting knife from the leather case their mother had made and showed it off proudly. “Good. Don’t lose it. I’m not going far, but just in case-”

“Can’t I come with you? I wanna get some firewood too.”

“What for?”

“So I can have my own fire.”

“You can light the big one. We need the tent up before it gets dark. It’ll be faster if we each do one chore.”

Kane nodded and tried his best not to pout. He’d wanted his own fire to play with, but if his brother was letting him set the big one, that would be okay too. Besides, putting up the tent was an important job. Being trusted to assemble the poles properly was more than he usually did on these trips. But with only two of them going, there’d be lots more work for each of them. As his brother set out to find the firewood, Kane decided that not only would he assemble the poles, he’d even find the right place for each of them to slide into the tent fabric. Then all that would have to be done was push it up and stake it down. Easy-peasy.

He was sliding in the last pole when he heard the tell-tale dropping of firewood behind him and jumped up.

“Tent’s ready to be put up,” he explained proudly. His brother lifted an eyebrow uncertainly.

“You sure you’ve got them in the right spots?”

“Yup!”

“Positive?”

“Yes!”

“And if we try to put it up and they’re not?”

“They will be!”

To Kane’s credit, they were, surprisingly, all absolutely correct. The tent went up in no time at all. With an overexcited use of matches and dry wood, the fire was almost faster. By the time the sun was down over the Valley and the night air quietly screeched with the calls of bugs and other assorted beasts, both boys were picking at their ham sandwiches and lying back in the grass to look upwards.

“Tell me a story,” Kane quietly requested, as if he didn’t want to disturb the world around them.

“A story?”

“Yeah, like Father does every year. About the stars.”

“You mean the constellations?” He chuckled a little and pushed some hair out of his face. “Kane, my brain’s so full of chemistry right now, I hardly remembered the way here.”

“C’mon!” It was tradition. A story by the fireside. He wasn’t letting his brother get off that easy with such a lame excuse.

“Okay, okay, I’ll come up with something.” He went quiet for a few moments before lifting one of his arms to the heavens. “You see that star there?”

“Which one?”

“The big one.”

“They’re all big. Father says they’re as big as the sun.”

“Okay, the one that looks bigger because it's the closest.”

“Yeah, I think so.”

“That one’s me.”

“How come you get to be a star?”

“You’re a star too, Kane. See the reddish-looking one?”

“Right beside the big one?”

“Exactly. Stars are born and they die all the time.”

“Just like people.”

“Right, just like people. When we die, those stars are going to disappear.”

“Are they brothers too?”

“Of course. Stars can be brothers just like people.”

“Do they get along?”

“Most of the time. Sometimes they fight and they don’t look like they’re as close together, but they always make up. Always.”

[neoarchipelago]

Bridegroom's Oak Tree (John Wick x Reader part one)

AN: so this was a detailed request so there will be two parts to it, here's the first part guys! A bit of a AU here !

Request: "Hi, could you write one where John wick is a mafia lord falling in love at first sight with a teacher who is shy and doesn't know he is a mafia.And recently I read about this tree in Australia which has its own mailbox. People who are single write letters to the tree and anyone can pick any and respond to them. So far the tree is responsible for 100 marriages. So maybe you can write one where John wick, the mafia.. Writes a letter and finds it responded by the teacher. They both remain anonymous. But he falls for her. He is also kind of afraid as to how she might react when she finds out... All that" request by: @cynic-spirit

Word count : 2 306

Warnings: none

_______________________________

Klaus Ackerman was a nice old man. He had worked at the dodauer forst forest for the past 45 years. He knew everything single path and tree that covered the forest. He also had been a guardian of the Bridegroom's oak tree for just as long. He had seen so many young, and old people come to the tree to find love.

The tree's story was after all, a bit like a fairy tale. The name of the tree came from a very old story that everyone knew. The daughter of the head forester and the son of a chocolate maker were in love but her father disapproved. They exchanged letters secretly by leaving them in the whole in the tree trunk. Eventually they ended up getting married under the same tree not long after the father of the maiden had given in.

The beautiful story eventually led people to think that the tree attracted the soulmate of the person who would write a letter and place it in the hole in the tree. Klaus had seen many letters being answered to, people finding their other half, getting married and then coming back to thank the tree with various offerings during their honeymoon. Unfortunately he had also seen many letters still waiting for someone to answer to them. One in particular, from a young man still lingered there waiting for someone to pick it up.

Klaus remembered the man quite clearly. It wasn't particularly the way he looked, standing at the bottom the tree looking up, in his perfectly clean three piece black suit. It's not the way he looked absolutely unshakable with his hair gelled back, his beard tamed and his dark eyes, that made him remember the man even after all those years. It was the way he kindly smiled at him and spoke to him with his raspy yet soft voice.

Klaus had been through a rough time. His only daughter was sick, and the two jobs he was accumulating wasn't enough to pay for all the bills he had. He was a tired man, and the black suit man saw it. John Wick, he had introduced himself. Klaus had politely introduced himself as well. The conversation had gone by effortlessly, the calming aura of the man eventually leading Klaus to tell him the problems he was going through.

Klaus was shocked when the man pulled out a heavy amount of money and offered it to him. He couldn't possibly accept it, no. He would never be able to pay it back. But the man had insisted, claiming he didn't need that money as much as Klaus. Klaus was still reluctant to accept the god given money but Mr Wick had finally found a way for him to accept.

"How about you take the money, and in exchange, I want you to watch over the letter I wrote. I put it in the tree hole, but I'm not from here. I won't be able to know if one day someone answers. I want you to send me the answer if it ever comes, to this address. Give me your word, that until your last day here, you will do that."

Klaus had looked down at the small paper with the address that the man was giving him, and finally accepted breaking down into thankful tears. And so he had been doing exactly that. The man was gone, leaving for New York again. The worn out piece of paper was still in Klaus's pocket. Waiting for the letter in the tree to finally be picked up. But many years had gone by and no one ever seemed to be interested in the small letter, with the blue lettering.

Today was another sunny day, and Klaus had started his afternoon shift. He trailed along his usual path, his old legs not going as fast as he used to. He'd soon have to retire, but the he wished he could fulfill the man's wish.

Finally reaching the Bridegroom's Oak, he noticed not so many people were there today. It was sunny, yet a bit cold, and the wind brushed the trees making them sing. He approached the ladder that reached the hole in the tree and watched as the postman who usually came around at this hour stepped down.  

"Ay, good afternoon Mr Ackermann."

"Good afternoon Nevil. How are things up there?" Klaus asked with a small smile.

"Many letters as usual! But hey! That letter you're always asking about, it's finally gone!"

Klaus blinked. Gone? But it was there yesterday! Shaking off the panic he felt, he smiled at the postman. It had to be picked up, that was the point. Now he only had to wait and see who would come and put her answer into the tree.

Klaus waited near the tree all day. He watched as people passed on by, climbing the ladder and putting their letters into the tree hole. He watched closely every letter being dropped off, trying to find something that would make him recognize Mr Wick's letter.

The evening drawing near, he sighed, looking up at the burning sky as the sun began to set. He tiredly watched people walk on by when his eyes fell on a small letter, in blue lettering, held by a young woman. Klaus jumped up walking towards the lady, who strangely, stood at the bottom of the tree, looking at it.

"Excuse me miss?" Klaus's shaky voice rang.

The young lady turned around, looking at him with her beautiful (e/c) eyes.

"Hello, do you need anything?" She asked in a sweet voice, a kind smile on her lips.

"That letter, did you answer to it?" He asked.

"Oh, yes. I don't really think it'll lead to anything though. I'm not from Germany so. It's a bit of shot in the dark." She said looking down at the Mr wick's letter.

"Where are you from, If I may ask?" Klaus asked.

"From New York. In the United States. I'm here on a small vacation."

Klaus smiled. Maybe the tree was really magic?

"Would you allow me miss?" He asked. Earning a confused look from the lady.

"You see, it is my last day working here. I am old, and getting retired. I have been waiting for a long time for this letter to be answered. It isn't mine, do not fear. It's… a friend's. Would you allow me to put it in the tree? As a last act of duty."

She shyly smiled at him and gave him her letter.

"Of course, it'll be a pleasure. I have to go in anyway, my plane won't be waiting for me and my friends either. Thank you sir."

Klaus took the letter in his hand. A simple folded letter, in black lettering, the handwriting was smooth and perfectly clean. He smiled at the lady as she turned and walked away. Klaus smiled to himself. Finally he could fulfill his word, and retire as well. He had grandchildren to play with, but first, he had a letter to post.

__________

Back in New York, things had changed for John since his trip to Germany. He had become the head of the Mafia here in New York, earning his place at the High table. The baba yaga was a feared man, strict, dangerous and everyone knew it. It had taken him focus, commitment and sheer will so finally be the man he was today. Many years had passed, he wasn't as young as when he put the letter in the tree. He had lived a lonely life, but somehow had gotten used to it.

Today's High table meeting ended, as everyone excused themselves. John stood up and walked out. He didn't like to stay too long near the other members of the High table. He preferred his house. Reaching his car he got in the back seat as his driver greeted him. John greeted him politely and leaned back in his seat. The car started as John sighed. It had been lonely years yes. People he knew had found that perfect love and had now many children running around. He wished he had that kind of happiness as well but perhaps he wasn't made for it.

John looked up at his driver as the car rang, through the Bluetooth of the car. John nodded as the driver looked for approval in the rear view mirror. Answering the call John sighed.

"Yes?" John asked in a deep voice.

"Pardon me Mr Wick, but a letter has arrived for you." The voice rang.

"Alright, and why are you calling for a letter Jack?" John asked slightly annoyed.

"Well it was sent by Klaus Ackermann, and you specifically asked to be informed of any correspondence from this person."

John stared at the car seat in front of him. Had he heard correctly? Did someone answer his letter? After all these years, impossible. Klaus probably sent a letter to tell him he was retiring and no one answered his letter. John shook himself back to reality.

"Put in on my desk, thank you Jack."

With a final 'Yes sir' the call was ended. John looked at out of his window, deep in thoughts. He wasn't expecting anything else at all from Klaus, not after so many years. He felt curious and a bit hopeful, but at the same time stupid for putting such expectations in a letter he wrote so many years ago. He sighed. No point in wrecking his mind now. He'd get home soon enough and see what was the letter all about.

____________

You watched over your class as time passed. Today you had decided to make a simple test, just to make sure your students have been learning correctly your class. It wasn't a big deal and you had warned them there would be one so you were expecting good results.

You had been a teacher in a high school for only 4 years, but you enjoyed it. You were young, and a bit shy, but your students were all nice to you and you were pretty glad of it. New York was a welcoming home to you, but you felt lonely. You recently got home from a travel to Europe where you ended up on a road trip with a friend for the past week, ending up in Germany. Your friends had taken you to the Bridegroom's oak tree, where they had insisted that you take a letter to answer to because Magic would be the solution to  your loneliness.

You had complied, being tired of their jokes, and had picked up a beautiful letter with perfectly handwritten blue lettering. You had read the letter as you visited the city with your friends, not really paying attention to the landscape but getting lost in the paragraphs that seemed to build cities just for you. You were almost pained, knowing that there was little chances that the man who wrote the letter would answer to you. You had written your letter, finding some beautiful paper and a black ink pen, to write a letter as beautiful as the one you had picked.

You had thought about it all afternoon before finally deciding to bring the letter back to the Oak tree. You had stopped to admire the tree, taking a last thought on your action before being approached by a worker of the Forest. You had smiled to the old man and talked to him. Lastly he had asked to take care of your letter and in a last gush of hope and magic you let the old man do his last act of duty.

Falling back into reality you looked around at the classroom. "Five minutes left everyone" you said in a soft voice, earning a few groans.

You smiled softly. You had given up on the idea of your letter ever finding the man who it was destined to. You remembered the words inked in the little letter that now rested in one of your favorite notebooks, the one that never left your side. You sighed. Hope tends to breed eternal misery.

You looked at your watch again. Two minutes left and your day would be over. You had to grade the tests and then you could take a bath and probably order some food. You were waiting just for that. The bell rang you smiled at your students.

"Time's up guys! Please leave your tests on your tables, have a nice evening guys, and Don't forget your homework!"

You earned a 'yes miss' from running students, making you chuckle. You sighed, looking at your now, empty classroom, and stood up to pick up the tests. You hummed a soft tune, as you walked through the rows of seats and tables. A knock on the door made you jump, spinning around.

You blushed at the man who stared at you with dark eyes. He was tall, wearing a black suit. You looked away feeling intimidated by this man, who looked handsome and who had just heard you sing in your small classroom.

"I..hum.. hello…" you tried to say.

"Hello." He answered, smirking at you.

You felt tiny for a second as he walked closer to you, making you realize how tall he really was. You tried to keep eye contact with his beautiful dark eyes, but it only made you even more intimidated.

"May I help you...Sir?" You said in a low voice, but with a smile.

"You can, indeed. After all, you answered to my letter Miss (y/l/n)." He spoke in a deep voice.

You froze. Impossible. You looked down to see the man hold a letter, in black lettering. You shot your head back up drowning in the man's eyes.

"It's you…" you let out in a whisper.

_____

Tags: @thatbemyhouse @magdazwolska

[dorkyungsoowrites]

Initial Thoughts on "Don't Mess Up My Tempo"

These are my own personal takes and opinions on the new album after my first listen. Feel free to ignore this. I just don't have anyone to talk about and share this stuff with.

"Tempo" is great. I felt those "babygirl"s, the extended bridge was unexpected, and Jongdae's michael jackson esque "ooh"s and "hee-ee"s saved my life. I love the groove and feel they created. This is exactly the reason they're so widely loved and anticipated. It showcases what they're capable of as a group so well. Amazing.

I was already bored by the time the first chorus in "Sign" came on. There's nothing new here.

The beat behind "Ooh La La La" makes this one more interesting. Gives me chilling on a balcony of a fancy condo looking out at the ocean vibes.

The sudden strings in "Gravity" give me a disco feel, but literally nothing else in the song does. It's odd in a good way. I think it's meant to have an older 70's-80's vibes though because of the synth. The bass line is almost "Another One Bites The dust" or "Thriller" but it's just different enough to give it it's own groove. Fun song. I can definitely see myself dancing around the kitchen while I'm baking to this.

The faster percussion in "With You" gives this strange sense of feeling rushed and the vocals match with this almost staccatto singing until the chorus where they go to those higher notes almost like they're telling the music to slow down so they can be "with you" longer. Then at the end the percussion goes to half time while they keep singing in the original tempo like it's trying to trick us. I'd be really interested in seeing the lyrics to this one to see how it all fits.

"24/7" has a definite groove damn. Minus the fake whistling it reminds me of "Earth Wind and Fire" songs. Specifically the chorus reminds me a lot of a slowed down "Let's Groove". This is definitely in the contest for my favorite next to "Gravity" and "Tempo".

I don't have much to say on "Bad Dream". It's just there. Not good or bad. Just there. It exists.

The filtered strings in the second pre-chorus of "Damage" were a nice surprise. It's like they squished the "Let Out The Beast" intro and then did the rest like "Transformer". I'm 90% sure it's even in the same key as "Transformer". Not my favorite though it may grow on me who knows.

Those notes right after the chorus in "Smile On My Face" sound so fucking similar to the chords in "24/7" but taken down like half a step what the fuck? Did they legit re-use that or is it a quote from the other song? I'll believe it's intentional I don't see them doing that to be lazy. Anyway there's only so many ways to do ballads so it sounds similar to lots of other songs (even their own "Universe" album. Yes, very similar fight me), but also there's no clear bridge? So it almost feels like you're floating through the whole song. Which I'm sure they wanted since the drums have so much reverb like the backtrack is drifting away.

The chorus in "Oasis" sounds exactly like a song I can't remember the name of right now. It's just not my style, but it's nice. I'm sure it's some peoples' favorite.

Also am I the only one that only heard one line from Yixing in the Chinese version of "Tempo"? There was some kind of filter on it so it was kinda hard to tell. I'm probably wrong. Anyway, two of these songs don't feel like they belong in this album. They just don't fit the atmosphere and it almost felt like they were taking a step back instead of creating new and interesting mixes. That being said, I like the rest of the songs and I'll keep supporting Exo (obviously). It'll be interesting to see where they go with these sounds in the next year. Hopefully the members will get more creative freedom and enjoy themselves, and not become over-worked. Alright I've rambled enough. Love y'all bye.

[snuffles-groovy-doghouse]

Scared dogchild,

I'm really sorry that i've taken a while to answer this ask. So here's what happened, I had a pretty good answer, but it was long winded and then I ran it by Doodlebat and she was like V that's not how you reassure people. Mine was abit more I don't know.. out there. Anyways so then I second guessed it and ultimately the answer I'm giving you is a part of the original answer and then part of some sensibility. With that said, Doodlebat has her own answer if mine isn't that good. I guess she has had the same existential crisis too in the past. Personally I am completely at peace with death/mortality/being forgotten/etc, but that's because I've been an embalmer, went to school for mort sci, and now work at a cancer center. Death and I are on familiar terms.

So the first part of this I would like to address your fear. Believe it or not what you are experiencing has a name and is more common than you think, it's call Thanatophobia. This right here is a good and medically reviewed overview regarding it: Healthline Thanatophobia. If it's starting to affect your daily function then you will definitely want to talk to a therapist about it because you shouldn't be losing too much sleep over it and they can talk you through some healthy techniques to deal with your fear (especially CBT). In society nowadays the fear of death is really common because we are far more detached from death than before and so much of life is spent trying to prevent death at any cost, (including not really taking quality of life into control) but that's another topic entirely.

There is actually a wiki how on how to get over this fear if you so see fit.

Anyways, so I'm a hp blog mostly and it's kinda interesting you should bring this up because the main theme in Harry Potter is actually death, not love like so many people like. As a matter of fact, J.K. Rowling wrote Harry Potter because her mother died and she says that if that hadn't happened there would have been the books. The most pivotal points in the series was when Harry actually accepted death and also when Lily Evans choose the same to spare Harry. There of course is the Deathly Hallows and just how many memorable quotes there are regarding it. Honestly it's quite a goal to be able to, when the time comes, just welcome Death like an old friend. So in a strange way nonny, reading the books with that in mind might help ease you.

Everyone ends up forgotten, even Poe will. Even Shakespeare. Eventually the human race will probably cease to exist as we know it. But for me this is kind of a relief. Why try to be remembered for something grandiose when really you should just focus on doing what’s best during your own lifetime. For me it's like, don't take life so seriously and just try to live for the immediate (1-10 years) present. I try to just focus on it in a year to year basis, then adjust my goals and wants accordingly. I know that things are very temporary and fragile, but this is a relief because that means that though the good is only temporary so is the bad. Life isn't just about 'doing something with it'. I hate for it to sound cheesy, but really it's about what you do on a daily basis that matters more and thus the journey being more important. There is so much good you can do for others and yourself on weekly basis that creates little chains of positivity that in the long term can make infinitely more of a impact than what you'd realize. Or something like that. I have more thoughts about it but I don't want to run longer.....

tl;dr it'll be alright, don't focus on the end of the journey, focus on the journey because ultimately you know the ending but oh wow the parts in between are just so great. Don't take it so seriously because you've got to make the most of what you have and you are right you don't know what will happen. People die suddenly and for ridiculous reasons all the time, but it will happen regardless so you've really really got to make the most of every single day. Live your best life and be a positive force for others in the world (doesn't matter if it's big or small).

[thesalvationofdoriangray]

Friends

Writing to Sleepy Fish- Space Cadet

Basketball always is my highlight of the week no matter how it goes. Kevin Gao is funny. Couldn't stop laughing with this guy. He wears these flamboyantly short shorts and jiggles his thighs in a way where it makes this hilarious sound. I call him the quadzilla because dude is not shy about showing off his quadricep muscles. I remember one time when Kevin came to Bible study wednesday night. He was asking very rudimentary questions about his faith and he was very serious about learning. I remember two people there that were laughing at him in a joking way but there wasn't anything funny about his questions. Seemed sincere to me. I recall Greg saying," What is so funny you guys?" I hope he was able to continue seeking and find what he was looking for.

Nice armpit hair Ray. Just a beast in his natural habitat. Ray always cracks me up. We always break out in laughing fits. He's going to move soon and marry Joyce. They make a mighty fine couple. Ray's got this innocent childlike personality that is hard not to love. I still remember when I first met him, we were laughing about something silly in the garage at OPD. I'm going to miss this kid when he's gone.

We had a conversation today about guns and he wants to go shooting with me. He said Joyce refuses to have a gun in the house. I mean these are honest, prim, and proper folks we're talking about here. Statistically they won't need a gun. But you never know. My boy Harvey is prim and proper and Mexicans shot at him while robbing his house in a nice neighborhood. Ray says in a home invasion, all he has to do is comply. Plus he doesn't want to put bullet holes in the way. This guy is asian as hell lol. Always thinking about saving money even in a life or death situation. He most certainly will be the first to become rich out of my circle. The hearts of men can be evil, they might put a bullet in between your eyes just to leave no witnesses. Plus all this is hypothetical. If shit hit the fan, I know he would be thinking about protecting Joyce. He will understand when he gets married. I love Ray. When I climb out of sheoul and meet the love of my life, especially if I have a kid, I'd kill every single intruder in that house to protect my family. Don't give me this pacifist BS about how I should have faith in God and how my fate is in God's hand. My puny brain is too minuscule to comprehend the wonders of God but I know for a fact that's not how he operates. I've been home invaded by masked men and on another occasion taken for over 22 grand in crispy one hundreds. What did David do when his wives, livestock, and spoils were taken by the Amalekites after the burning of Zilkag? He did what every man should do. He marched out with 400 out of 600, slaughtered them and retrieved everything. Nothing was missing great or small. I'll never forget being tied up and the way it felt when a crowbar was sliding against my teeth. Perpitrator quietly mutters in my ear, "Do you want your teeth? Tell me where your stash is located." Even when I hear random sounds in a house, it'll send off red flags if I can't identify them right away. I'm the way I am from my past. I will always be in support of firearms and it is our right to bear arms. When I die, I don't want anything ridiculous like spreading my ashes in the ocean. Just bury me next to my parents with my Bible and my pistol.

Pete got me the Apocrypha. He's known that I've always wanted to read it since it has the books of Maccabees in it but it was not allowed in OPD. I still remember secretly reading The Essence of Christianity by Ludwig Feuerbach and making it my mission for apologetics because it's actually a book defending atheism. Anyways, the Maccabean dynasty was an era between the last prophet and Roman occupation when Judas the Hammer emancipated the Jews from the evil Greek king Antiochus, one of Alexander's four generals after his death.

My landlord made me Ning Chi hotpot. This man spent a 1 hr and 45 mins talking to me a few days ago. Vincent is full of lot of wisdom and he's also a believer. He really put things into perspective. Jesus once said the light of the body is the lamp of the eyes. Essentially it winds down to how I look at things. My mentors in my early adulthood were dope fiends, drug peddlers, and criminals. I'll never forget my friend Mickey, miss him but he's probably doing hard time again. It's a blessing now that I have so many mentors who are men of God and I must give thanks.

Tammy invited me to watch The Chosen with Vertigo people. I have social anxiety right now. It's better to admit it then pretend I'm some kind of pillar of strength. I got some demons I have to decapitate. Let me keep it real even if it's embarrassing. If I'm embarrassed then good. Like my mentor said, "You remember this moment the next time you deviate from the righteous path." When I become a pillar of strength, I won't have to say anything. People will just know and believe me, that moment is in the near future. I'm tired of living in denial and either in 1st or 2nd Peter, it says the truth will set me FREE.

Sometimes I'm not sure why people think about me. I'm practically a ghost. I guess that's the love of God working through them and for that I'm thankful. I'm use to people calling me for dope and the moment they get their fix, they disappear. I guess I'm going to have to relearn what healthy friendships are.

Heavenly Father,

You are the most gracious and almighty Lord of the heavens and earth. You are the father of lights, the source from which all things came. Even when it is cloudy, you hold the the world in place emanating light and life. There is nothing out of your reach. There is nothing that's impossible with you by my side. I pray that you take this heart of stone and give me a heart of flesh. Help me to love and feel loved again. Please instill in me a heart of humility so that I may always see things truthfully. I give gratitude for all these wonderful people that you have strategically placed in my life. Each with a specific purpose and spiritual gift to show me about you and myself.

In the precious name of Christ, Amen