#raise some animals. have a town full of friends

[impossible-rat-babies]

thinking about stardew valley again but just thinking about my weird lil farmer finn and his cringe fail husband shane

[whoishotteranimepolls]

In Defense of Nami and Robin (Off Anon for the pics)

So, yes, Oda's way of drawing women is...not great. But they are written beautifully, and to be fair, Toei (The anime) makes the design issue even worse than it is in the manga. (Also, the way in which they ugly cry is amazing, full snot, tears, wobbly lips, red face).

Nami and Robin are some of the best written, well rounded female characters I've seen. They have similar arcs, with tragic backstories that shaped how they see the world and affects their actions and relationships to others, and they have to learn to rely on others, and ask for help and put their trust in others. They are integral to the plot, Luffy will never be able to achieve his dream of being the Pirate King without them.

So first of all, Nami

Yes, this is probably the best picture of Nami's waist in the series, at least, post-time skip

Nami is the Navigator of the Strawhat Pirates, and an officer of the grand fleet. Unfortunately, the same face syndrome does start with her, a lot of the female characters will have her face. But design aesthetics aside, she is a wonder, complex, and dynamic character.

She was adopted by a marine women and raised on a tangerine farm with her older sister. They were poor, Nami always got her sister's hand-me-downs and their mom often skipped meals to make sure her girls had enough to eat. Nami, was an average 8 year old brat who did resent not having enough money to eat, or have clothes, or to buy navigation books like she wanted. But she was loved. So, of course, pirates attacked her village. They demanded a fine from each of the families in town based on adults and children in the household, and her mom was killed because she only had enough money for the girls. The same pirate, Arlong, made a deal with Nami, she could buy back her village for 100,000 belli, but in the meantime, she had to join his crew and work for him creating maps, where he preceded to work her until her fingers bled. She also became a thief and stole money from other pirates to add to the funds to buy her village back. This is where her catch phrase "I only love money and tangerines!" comes from. She intended to betray the Strawhats, but realized that they were the only people to ever show her love and kindness, and when Arlong betrayed her, she learned how to ask for help, to ease her burdens and rely on others when she needed it. Her scene where she was trying to cut her Arlong Pirate's tattoo off before asking Luffy for help remains one of the most profound moments in anime. While she was saved from Arlong, I wouldn't say she was necessarily a damsel in distress, she tried everything in her power, and part of her arc was accepting she didn't have to be alone. Luffy also never insisted on helping her because she was a weak girl or anything, he didn't care at all about her backstory, he just wanted to hurt whoever made her cry.

Apart of Nami's character is her love of money, desire to create maps and navigate the world, and how much she loves her friends/family and is willing to sacrifice for them, as well as the amount of forgiveness and kindness she is capable of and her love for children. She forgave one of the pirates that kept her as a slave, and when his friend, Camie, was almost sold into slavery, Nami didn't hesitate to spend all the money they had to buy her freedom. She discovered children were being experimented on by a crazy scientist and nearly went scorched earth.

When Nami came face to face with an enemy she couldn't beat, despite being a coward and thinking of herself as weak, she didn't back down because she refused to dismiss her captain. She showed incredible bravery and integrity, refusing to lie and break her ideals.

But she can also hold her own as well, she doesn't always lose or need to be rescued. She fights with a Clima-Tact, a weapon that allows her to summon lightning and use weather phenomena to her advantage. She beat Kalifa, a government assassin, Miss-Double-Finger, one of the strongest assassins in Baroque Works, Hotori and Kotori, and various other pirates. She also is particularly agile and has pretty high endurance. (Bonus points, in an anime filler arc, she is the first character with on-screen confirmed kill)

She also is a very skilled navigator, thief, liar, can predict weather phenomenon, maintains the crew's money and budget, a con artist, and cartography (including sea charts which are very difficult). She loves fashion, money, shopping, and is vain. She also somehow maintains her mom's tangerine trees while on a sailing ship.

The fandom widely considered her to be a lesbian, but of course that is only coding/head canons. But she has had very close relationships to other women in the series, including Vivi, and has expressed that she "has a soft spot for strong marine women."

Nico Robin

Her introduction to the series was strong, as she is one of the strongest members of the enemy faction Baroque Works. She was a serious threat, managing to infiltrate the Strawhat's ship and steal Luffy's hat and living to tell the tale, but she was also very mysterious and compelling. Despite being an enemy, she saved Luffy's life, and expressed amusement over his antics. When she tried to commit suicide in the tombs below Alabasta, after betraying her boss, Luffy saved her life, despite her protests. In return, she snuck back onto his ship and made herself his problem.

Like Nami, she has a tragic past that cause her profound trauma, sadness, a distrust in others, but ultimately, she found hope in the Strawhat pirates, and in Luffy, learning how to rely on them, and in return, being relied on. She can ask for help from them, but they ask for help from her as well.

When she was a child, her mother left to sail the seas and become an archaeologist. She was outcasted by her aunt, and her village, but she was accepted by the scholars who lived on her island. The island's name was Ohara. Against the other archaeologists wishes, she learned how to read the mysterious poneglyphs because she wanted to learn the true history of the world. Her first friend was a giant who washed up on the island and taught her how to laugh. But the World Government outlawed the language of the poneglyphs and learning about the true history. And so, they wiped her island clean off the map in an act called a Buster Call, and every single person but Robin was died. Desperate to capture her, they placed a 79,000,000 bounty on her head when she was only 8 years old, dubbed her a "devil child" and claimed she destroyed several marine battleships. For nearly 20 years she ran from organization to organization, only for all of them to betray her and try and turn her in.

While sailing with Luffy, it was the happiest she had ever been. Despite being an enemy just weeks earlier, they accepted her. Even when she was injured by another enemy, Zoro was pissed on her behalf. SO when the World Government finally caught up with her and blackmailed her into helping them while threatening to enact a Buster Call on the Strawhats (and an innocent island) she agreed to go along with them, even trying to sacrifice her own life so that the Strawhats can escape.

Of course, Luffy declared war on the Government and made Robin admit she didn't want to die, she wanted to live.

Robin is smart, capable, caring, funny, and strong. She just wants to learn history and have a family, and she suffered for years before she was finally able to be free enough to do so. She is a strong fighter because she had to be, and she is completely willing to became a monster and protect her friends. She hasn't been in many fights, but she won all of the ones she was in. She wasn't fooled by mind games and magic of enemies in Wano, and kept a calm and collected head. She is a skilled historian, archaeologist, osteologists, assassin, espionage, linguistics, and was a popular geisha. For most of the series she held the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th, highest bounties in the crew. When an enemy threatened the crew, a different enemy pointed out that, (at least, With Luffy not there) Zoro and Robin were labeled as the strongest and most threatening members of the crew, capable of killing an enemy before the rest of the crew were even aware of the threat. Oh, and she has a demon form.

Other Female Characters: Kiku/O-Kiku/Kikunojo of the Fallen Snow

A canonical transgender women who is also a samurai. She is completely accepted for who she is by everyone in the story, and is another strong and capable female character. She is shy and tries to keep a low profile (despite being 8 feet tall), but is more than willing to defend the weak and win back her home island.

The original ask mentioned healers, and there isn't a whole lot of female doctors/healers in One Piece but there is Dr. Kureha. Kureha is the oldest human character, wears crop tops in winter, and will beat Luffy with a rubber chicken and an axe for calling her old. She taught Chopper everything he knows. She is crotchety and stingy, but an amazing doctor and a professional.

Boa Hancock:

Yes she is the most beautiful woman in the world, and yes, her design leaves some to be desired. But she is also a rape victim and a former slave, she hates men, and runs an empire of female pirates. She shows kindness to Luffy once he establishes he holds no sexual desire for her and wanted so save the lives of people he just met.

Other Notable Female Designs

The first mermaid we meet is Kokoro:

Dadan is Luffy's adopted mom who raised 3 feral boys and is the leader of a band of mountain bandits:

Big Mom is one of the strongest female pirates in the series and has dozens of children:

Vice Admiral Tsuru is one of the strongest female marines:

Boa Sandersonia and Marigold, Hancock's sister with the same backstory :

Lola, one of Nami's friends:

Other Gender Stuff:

Ivankov and Inazuma who are genderfluid, and Ivankov is the Queen of an island of queer people

Bonclay who is genderqueer, refered to as both male and female

And Morley who is also transfem

Despite the character designs, One Piece has some of the best written female characters, even if at first glance they may seem like stereotypical shonen women, they hold much more complexity to them. They aren't all damsels in distress, but their strength goes beyond just being able to kick ass. They are kind and compassionate, and they kindness are rarely seen as a weakness. They are smart and experts in their fields of study, which is wide and varied, from history, cartography, science, and medicine. There are several female rulers of their countries, including Hancock, Vivi, and Big Mom. There is a variety of body types and faces, even if they are lacking in compared to male characters. All of their backstories are unique, fleshed out, and has an impact on their characters and their character arcs.

Did I spend two hours typing a 2000+ word essay on women and started to lose steam? Yes. Am I passionate about female characters in One Piece? Also yes. Can you tell I'm very gay for these characters? Probably. Am I sorry to the mod/followers for the long post? Eh, y'all asked for this lmao. Did I catch all the spelling mistakes in my frantically written essay. Maybe

For context, they are responding to this post about Nami and Robin

I don't have anything else to add other than great work

[hunnylagoon]

Candy

PT1: Sober to Death

Ellie Williams x Reader

I’m home and here to stay like a ghost to haunt. You can’t shake me off your back for I linger in your head like carelessly uttered curse. Summer falls to ashes in my mouth and so I will spit them into your urn, just like that all of my devotion turns violent.

Premise: After a mental break you are being held together by nothing but glitter glue and craft yarn. You seek refuge with an old friend in a coastal town to live the life you thought you left behind.

Warnings: SENSITIVE THEMES / reader is a recovered addict / mentions of drug and alcohol abuse / angst / brief mentions of violence / possibly triggering discussions of drug addiction

Read at your own discretion

Inside me, something seethes. Inside me, some feral animal has been forced into a cage where it thrashes and screams. Perhaps I will turn into a snarling wolf and rip out the throats of each girl who made me go home crying in middle school. Maybe I will don the pelt of a sheep and surprise all of those who convinced me it was a good idea to try ketamine when I shed my cloak and reveal my long curled claws and fangs sharp as knives.

I'm heartless at worst and helpless at best.

I don't know how else to be. I was raised like a stick of dynamite lit from both ends and I can describe in detail how the earth warps beneath my feet or how I watch the sky bend until it snaps and collapses onto a body too tired to lift it back up.

Everything miles ahead of what I was, to them, I was only ever an addict. Cursed with the nickname 'popper' since tenth grade and everyone thought it to be nothing more than a joke they didn't know how I found serenity in the tablet of acid that rested on my tongue. 

It started with pot and drinking on the weekends then flew into full-blown benders when I swallowed back synthetic sunshine like it was candy. None of my friends thought I would end up with my back plastered on my dorm floor, eyes wide with what once was a bottle of pills frothing out of my mouth. 

It took me two overdoses to get here, had to put my white blood cells to work.

"I didn't think you'd be up this early," Joel smiled at me, he was nursing a mug of coffee, a plate in front of him with a half-eaten piece of toast and a golden yoke running onto the porcelain. That might've been my favourite thing about the farm, fresh eggs. Once you have them you can never go back to the sad pale grocery store eggs.

"That makes two of us," I pulled out a chair from the wooden dining table and sat down. Joel had put so much love into this home. These days I’m too nauseous to eat breakfast.

"Ellie doesn't even wake up this early," He took a slug of his black coffee, the scent was strong, filling up the entire house, I could smell it the second I woke up. "How's the room? Is everything to your liking?"

I had felt so guilty for free-loading off Joel whom I hadn't seen since I was twelve, it had been eight years. He sent me cards on my birthday every year but I never was able to grasp how close our parents had been. I'm pretty sure I was friends with Ellie when I was little, there were pictures of the two of us hugging each other and playing beneath sprinklers, my front teeth missing, Ellie covered head to toe in Spider-Man band-aids. I didn't have any recollection of us when we were close, as we got older we got more stiff around each other. When my family would visit, she would hang out with her friends and I would keep to myself. Of course, my parents moved us to the city where everything hit me too hard all at once. "It's perfect, thank you."

"It's pretty hard to peel yourself off that mattress, huh?" Joel smiled at me, showing me every ounce of warmth he had when I was a child.

I nod in response "So much more comfortable than those stiff dorm mattresses," It almost felt like I was making conversation with a ghost.

"Since you're up so early, care for a tour while I do some chores?" He asked. I had been here a few days already, though I just kept to myself I didn't want to impose on his pleasant life with his daughter who hadn't called him at three am sobbing because she had too many opioids. I had wandered briefly around the farm of course and I had remembered bits and pieces of it from my childhood but I felt so out of place that I mainly locked myself inside of my temporary room and lived through my friend's Instagram stories.

"I'd love to," I smile politely, unsure of what else to do. 

 "Do you think you're gonna go back to school?" Joel asked as he stood up with his plate and mug in hand and began to wash them in the stainless steel sink. "No pressure, there's life outside of a lecture hall."

This was a question I had been thinking about day in and day out. I was a year and then some into getting my degree when my 'fun habits' began spiralling uncontrollably. My parents had managed to snag me a two-year deferral so I could go to rehab and go back to school the following year but I was so full of shame that I shook with the thought of going back. For the first time in my life, I am afraid I have no real desires. 

When I was dead inside a motel bathtub, I thought I needed to be somewhere different but now that I'm there, I need to be someone different too. "I'm not really sure right now, just please don't tell my parents I said that."

"Secrets safe with me," He opens a cabinet and pulls out a bag of cat food, shaking it until a scrawny calico cat appears out of thin air. Pepper happily devours the food Joel puts in her little bowl. I remembered Pepper, she was a kitten way back then and I would cut open socks to make clothes for her. "You should just know that it's never too late."

Very early in my life, it was too late. "Thanks, Joel," Not yet a corpse and still I rot like all of my ambitions turn to sludge at my tired feet.

He looks around, exhaling a deep breath, trying to scope out anything else he has to do in the kitchen. "You outta get geared up, I'm gonna wake up Ellie then me and you can get to work."

I nod in agreement even though I'm not sure what he means by 'gear up' so I figure that's just him saying to put on a hoodie and some rain boots. I stand awkwardly by the door, waiting for Joel. Absentmindedly I rock back and forth on my heels hands clasped together. I'm twenty years old but I feel like I'm twelve again, trying to find a place for myself in someone else's life. 

I thought of the last time I was in this house. I was twelve, unaware of the future that awaited me, I had buried a time capsule with Ellie and her cousins somewhere on this property. Writing to my future self, talking about all of the things I should be. If only she saw the brain-rotten zombie that was her destiny.

My parents had told everyone back home I was backpacking across Australia and taking a break from academics to see the world. In the eyes of those who knew me well and were more than aware of what happened, it was a shame to them that I had wasted a sharp brain and a pretty face. It takes a whole lot of strength the endure myself.

It doesn't take long for Joel to walk back down the creaky stairs, Ellie trailing behind him, sleep in her eyes. She's in boxers and one of Joel's old t-shirts, hair still messy and unbrushed. Ellie yawns and gives me a little wave- it wasn't really a wave, just her raising a hand in my direction as an acknowledgment. 

We hadn't spoken much since I got here, I had met her in the past but we didn't know each other. A lot can change in eight years. She wasn't unfriendly toward me, we indulged in small talk and laughed at each other's jokes but each conversation was so shallow I wanted to lay face down and drown in them. 

Ellie goes straight for the fridge, unlike her dad, she pours milk into a sickly sweet cereal which seems cavity-inducing. She was back from college for the summer, taking advantage of her father's love and food. Joel walked over to where I was standing at the door, slipping into his mucking boots. "While you're both here," He says before looking at me "How much do you know about boats?"

I furrow my eyebrows "A good bit I guess?" I answer, figuring he was just trying to rekindle a spark between Ellie and me that had been put out eight years ago by rain, ocean spray, and vodka.

"Y'know, Els," He gestures towards me "This one used to work at her parent's marina, they tell me she's done a couple of repairs and I bet she could give you some pointers on how to fix up that boat." I'm confused by his words, this is the first I've heard about a boat. Joel can see the uncertainty on my face "Her uncle gave her a piece of shit boat last summer before she went back to school, over the year I guess some teenagers thought it was a good hideout and trashed it even more."

"Seriously?" Her head pokes up "It would be great if you could come down with me later, she just needs a little love," Ellie spoons some cereal into her mouth. I had always thought it weird how people spoke about their boats like they were women, I even caught myself doing it on occasion. "Only if you want to, of course."

"Sure," I agree, no idea how much repair this boat was in need of "I've got nothing better to do."

I could tell Joel counted this as a win. I knew he had been commuting with my parents and how desperately they wanted me to keep myself occupied for the summer. "Well, we've got some work to do, kiddo."

After a solid five hours of following Joel around like a duckling and re-learning all the names of the animals, I was walking with Ellie toward her pickup truck. "Wanna drive?" She asks as we walk to the long beaten driveway

"Oh, I can't." The coolness of the morning has ebbed away into a borderline unbearable heat, I wasn't sure how Ellie was absolutely unfazed in her Jeans, T-shirt, and trucker hat. 

"You never got your licence?"

"No, it got taken away."

She cracks a grin "Jeez, what did you do? Hit a pedestrian?" Ellie teases.

"Something like that," Truthfully, my licence got revoked after I got a DUI and swerved my car off the highway, I was too high to realize the danger I was in and laughed the entire time warm blood pooled from a gash in my head that had to be stapled shut. Luckily my parents can throw money at anything and the problem will go away. 

She hops in the truck, there are little bits and pieces of it that show how it's lived in. A rubber duck with sunglasses sits on the dashboard and I'm partially surprised it hasn't melted in the sweltering heat. 

As beautiful and scenic as the drive down to the docks is, it's also extremely awkward, only on my end, Ellie seems completely unfazed. Travelling down the dirt roads until we finally hit the pavement. 

The salty breeze of Andromeda Cove carries conversations of clubbing and tanning, mingling with the sweet scent of coconut sunscreen and sea salt. Colourful beach umbrellas dot the shoreline. Seagulls glide effortlessly overhead, their calls blending seamlessly with the distant laughter of beachgoers. Quaint shops and cafes line the bustling boardwalk, offering an array of surfboards, souvenirs, and freshly caught seafood delicacies.

The Cove was immune to those gross and bland modern buildings that looked like something I would've made in Minecraft as a kid. Everything down here was local and kept its charm even after all these years. "Do you ever miss it here?" 

"I don't remember much of it to be honest."

"Really?" She asks, taking a turn down to the docks "It doesn't seem like it was that long ago."

"Yeah, my memory just isn't very good." My lungs are burnt and my brain is fried. You could tell me that I was in cheerleading for five years of my life and I would probably believe you. 

"Alright." 

I hadn't remembered her being this quiet but then again I don't remember much, I should probably write down everything I can before Alzheimer's sets in. There are lapses in my mind where memories should live, I recall my life through glimpses.

Ellie takes her keys out of the ignition and hops out of the truck, leading me down the docks. I keep guessing in my head which boat belongs to her and then the second I spot it, I know and how I dread. It's a sailboat or what's left of one, sharpie graffiti scribbled all around it. The word 'wanderlust' had once been titled along the side though the first half was scratched out by what I assume were those teenagers Joel mentioned so it just said 'lust'.

Ellie had no problem climbing aboard, I on the other hand had doubts that it could support the weight of two people, let alone itself. There were chips of white paint scraped off, Ellie motioned for me to get on deck  "How long has this been abandoned?"

She waves me off  "There's freedom that comes with abandonment."

I raise an eyebrow "Sinking in a boat that's docked is a very lame way to die."

"Nah," She says "We can haunt the marina."

She holds out her hand for me to take it and with hesitation, I do. Stepping over the gap between the dock and the boat, I haul myself over the rails. Even in the dark, I could make that climb, it was almost like muscle memory from working at my parents marina summer after summer. "She's a beauty, yeah? In her own special kind of way," Ellie pats the side of the companionway. "I actually made some progress on it last summer, if you can believe me."

"I don't know if I can," I look around, following her as we duck into the saloon.

She reaches for a notebook with a pink sharpie clipped onto it on the table of the saloon and turns to face me "Whoever was here must've been a real wordsmith, what I can't figure out is how the words got out of the notebook and onto my walls." 

I crawl onto the cushioned V-berth to get a better look at all of the writing on the walls. Most of it had been poetry, not Edgar Allen Poe but the kind that only an angsty teenage girl on the verge of a mental break could've written. 

The Statue of Juliette:

May I ask what you have done to women?

That your hands have only learned to harm one

Hand after filthy hand

Is dragged

Groped

Caressed

Prodded

Over my rusted skin

The things I have seen

The things I have endured

No water can clean me

No blanket can warm me

Take a hammer to my bronze flesh

And I will thank you for your kindness

As my body crumbles and clatters against cobblestone

I am eternally grateful

For this is the gentlest act I have ever faced

"I know," Ellie says, and I look back to meet her sharp gaze "A real Sylvia Plath.”

"Is this your candle?" I reach for it on the ground, it's halfway through its life. A vanilla bean bath and bodyworks candle.

She takes it from my hand and gives it a sniff "I was wondering why it smelled so good in here, I just thought that was you." She places the candle back onto the saloon table "So, Neptune's daughter, where should we start?"

I snatch the notebook from the table and flip it open to a page clean of any writing. It takes a little less than fifteen minutes to seek out all of the trouble spots. Ellie followed behind me and nodded to everything that I was saying. 

The boat isn't in nearly as bad of condition as I expected. I suspected that the teenagers who occupied it while Ellie was away at college had all been girls, they took relatively good care of the boat aside from the graffiti, allegedly most of the damage had been there when Ellie got it from Tommy a year ago.

We now sat next to each other in the booth around the saloon table, the ocean rocked the boat beneath us ever so gently, the same way a mother would rock her child's cradle. I missed the sea when I was in college, on a bender I had driven three hours just to be back with it, it seemed the only safe place to let go and be reborn. I liked the sharpness of the air, the vastness of the horizon and the mystery beneath it. I thought I would rise from the seafoam a new woman the same way Aphrodite did but no, I threw up on the sandy shores and called my parents to make it go away.

I give the notebook over to Ellie, a new entry written in bright pink Sharpie amongst the poetry and anecdotes. 

Wanderlust's issues:

Mainsail and jib seem sketchy; Unfold the hoist for a full assessment

Wiring issues are out of my hands but a probable concern-should probably call in an expert

Nav instruments are cracked

Leaks on starboard window, probs cracked moulding

Interior woodwork is original, mainly solid despite a bit of mildew

Graffiti and chipped paint, graffiti likely cleanable (May need a new coat of paint)

Possible rigging issues

Underside? That's a question for the experts

Final Verdict: Wanderlust is a seaworthy vessel in need of some love

Ellie lets out a low whistle "God, I love a girl who knows the difference between a mainsail and a jib." She cracks a mischievous grin.

"You're teetering very close between sexy and crass," I tease her in return.

She seems a little taken aback by my comment, like she hadn't anticipated a response but ignores it nonetheless "What would it take to make you my first mate?"

"I'm sorry?"

"For someone with a bad memory, you seem to know your boats, Joel said that you used to work on charters. You gotta know more about sailing than me. It'll be a fun summer project, get you out of the house a bit."

I furrow my eyebrows as I look at her "You want me to work on the boat with you?"

Ellie nodded. She didn't rush to fill the silence that stretched between us, she didn't bother to sweeten the deal or hunt for some reason I would like working with her. She just let it stand. I looked her in the eyes, trying to figure her out. She goes from being almost non-verbal with me and now she asks me to spend the summer on a boat with her. I wondered if she knew what she was doing at all and if I would be carrying her through this.

I had a feeling that Ellie would become my next bad habit. It's easy to get addicted when everything interests you and nothing satisfies you. "I'm in."

"You won't regret this," Ellie almost jumps up, I swear I could've seen her making calculations in her head "So, I'm thinking we get rid of all this junk and get a good look at it bare bones, make a list of supplies and give her the spa day shes in desperate need of."

On my second day as first mate, I had been scrubbing away inside of the saloon while Ellie did some work on the exterior, my Scrub Daddy was being put to work. By the time I even made a dent in all of the Sharpie poetry, it was nearly falling apart and begging to be killed.

When I emerged from the companionway to replace my filthy bucket of water I spotted Ellie chatting up a girl on a dock. She had long glossy black hair that cascaded down her back in strategic ringlets. "So you're gonna sail on this thing?"

"Rebuilding her first," Ellie tells her, leaning against the railing. The girl she's speaking to looks like she's freezing, denim shorts cropped high and a white tank top.

"Do you need help?" She smiles and even I'm seduced by it. She has tanned skin that she's clearly been working on and sunglasses pushing back the silky hair from her forehead. "I've been on boats, lots of times," Her arms are crossed over her chest. I can see goosebumps all over her legs from the chill brought to us by the gray sky above and the frigid air. 

"That so?" Ellie asks, rising to her full height. A wrench in hand, it looks like the beginning of a really bad movie, not a family-friendly one. She saw me then, standing behind her. I watched her facade drop. Her smile changed as I approached, turning from flirt to friend in two seconds.

"Oh, hey," The black-haired girl regards me like I'm some kind of threat. "So do you need help or what?" 

Ellie looks at me and then back to her "Thanks for the offer but we're all set."

"Do you maybe wanna grab lunch or something?" She completely ignores me.

Ellie shakes her head "We've got lots of work to do, but-" She takes a deliberate pause and I almost cringe "I'll probably be at the shipwreck later. Stop by if you're around."

"See ya'," She grins and takes the sunglasses off the top of her head, placing them on the nose bridge before walking back down the dock.

"Wow," I dump my bucket of water over the rail of the boat "Looks like super difficult work out here, you are so brave." Sarcasm drips from my tone "Without you, who will flirt with all of the hot girls at the marina?"

"No need to be jealous," She says "I'm spending every waking minute with you after all."

I gave her the evil eye but I truly wasn't jealous. I didn't chase the thrill of a fling or late nights with girls whom I would forget by morning. I had dropped that by college and replaced it with ketamine and opioids, I abused liquor like I was its two-faced love. Now the only thing I chased was calmness. 

I wasn't jealous, just briefly reminiscing over how carefree I used to be. 

The tide was rolling and the sky above us was gray and angry as if something was raging within it. "Shit," I mutter, waves shifting from a distant hiss to a closer hush. The air hung heavy, I hadn't even noticed the change in weather from what seemed like the century I spent scrubbing away in the saloon. 

Ellie must've noticed what I was. "So, I'm thinking we should go?"

"You think?" I retort.

Moments later we're packed and rushing down the dock to find her truck. It doesn't take long for rain to begin to splatter on the ground beneath us, it isn't light and gentle, it's harsh. It sounds like pebbles being tossed onto a sheet of glass.

By the time we reach the truck, I'm soaked, hair sticking to my forehead and neck "You didn't want to poke your head into the saloon and say 'Hey, it's looking like there's gonna be a storm'?" 

"I was a little preoccupied," Ellie isn't much better off than I am, she takes off the flannel she had on top of her tank top and tosses it into the backseat, her tattoo out on full display. The rain is so heavy that everything on the outside of her truck looks like a blur. 

"Can you even drive in this?"

"No, can you?"

"No, I told you I have a DUI," The second the words leave my mouth I regret the slip-up. My eyes go wide and a hand slaps over my mouth, I'm acting like I just told her I was the one who took out JFK.

"You didn't tell me that."

"Well," I look forward, ignoring her piercing gaze, "I thought I did."

If not for the rain outside that pounded against the glass as if it wanted to be let in, we would've sat in complete silence while we drowned beneath all of the words going unsaid. My mind begins to wonder, first I think of the black-haired girl at the docks; I hope she didn't get stuck outside in the rain, especially with her lack of clothing. Then I think about what Ellie's thinking, did she know already? Had Joel told her? I'm humiliated all over again like I'd been when the paramedics dragged my half-naked body out of a bathtub.

"Do you wanna talk about it?" She asks. I don't say anything and she takes this as a hint "We don't have to talk about it."

I'm beginning to grow comfortable with the silence. I almost preferred it to the back-and-forth banter Joel and Ellie constantly had, which was more so father and daughter teasing each other.

Joel had probably known more about me than I did, my parents liked to keep him filled in after all. They just loved to keep tabs on me, if it was legal I'm sure they would put cameras behind my retinas and watch my every move. Eight months ago when I was in rehab, that was the most peace I've ever felt. As much as my parents wanted me clean, they held resentment since I ruined my life and was destroying theirs by association. Joel didn't seem like the type to gossip to his daughter but it nagged at me regardless. "Did Joel tell you anything?"

"What do you mean?"

"Just-like," I search through my brain to find the words "Like what I've been up to?"

She shrugged "He just said you are on a deferral and need a break from the city."

"Okay," I say, my voice so quiet it was almost smothered by the obnoxious rain. 

"Are you hungry?"

We had thrown on two jackets Ellie had in the back seat of the cars. She offered me Joel's black raincoat while she humbly took the bright yellow rain poncho. It took everything in me not to laugh at her, she looked like Georgie.

Ellie slung one arm around me, we were both hunched over as we ran as fast as we could. She was shouting stuff at me but I couldn't hear her through the rain, I just nodded in agreement and hoped she hadn't said something awful.

She tugged me left, the deluge chasing us into Salty's for cover. It was nearly dead in there, two other tables, one was an elderly couple and the other was a group of girls, laughing like hyenas while one of them showed the others a picture on her phone.

Ellie wasted no time in taking off her poncho and I didn't blame her, no one wanted to be seen in that. The second we settled into a booth by the huge glass window which took up the entire storefront, an over-eager waiter came up. He was tall, had dark hair and had handsome features, he must've been bored with how slow it was in here. "Hey, Jesse," Ellie said "Can I have water and a big-buck burger?"

He nodded and swerved his body to look at me, "Alright and for you-" He looked up from his notepad and paused for a moment before a huge smile cracked on his face "I haven't seen you in so long!" 

"Hi," I smiled, my mouth hanging openly awkwardly as I tried to recall him.

"Do you remember me?" He asked, his hand dropping to his side "Jesse," He reminded "We used to go to school together."

I had no idea who he was "Oh my god, yes!" I say "I remember."

His smile grows "God, you look so different."

"You too," I gesture at him "You're way more-" My mind falls flat "Grown."

He nods along to my words "Have you had a chance to look at the menu?"

Wanting this conversation as soon as possible I nod despite not even opening the menu “Yeah, I'll just get the, uh, big-buck and a club soda.” I repeated Ellie's order.

He jots it down onto his notepad "It'll be right up."

"Ellie, I don't know who that is," I say when I see him retreat to the server station to fill in the order. The entire restaurant is nautical-themed, the walls painted black, and there were nets with faux fish covering every square inch of the ceiling.

"Wow, I had no idea," She says, sarcastically "Damn, your memory really is fucked." 

Trust me, I know or at least I think I do. I disregard her comment "Water? Don't you wanna get rootbeer or something? Joel said you drink so much soda that your blood is made of corn syrup."

She grins "Gotta keep up the tough guy act."

Across the restaurant one of the girls waves to Ellie, this one has curly brown hair and a sundress "Hi, Ellie!"

Her eyebrows furrow "Hey there-um...you," Ellie said "Good to see you again."

The girl smiles slyly at Ellie before turning back to her friends. "Looks like I'm not the only one forgetting people, what's your excuse?"

"There's a lot of girls in the world, I can't remember all of their names."

"You must've gone through every girl in the cove, power to ya'," I say "No idea you had such a reputation."

"You don't know a lot about me."

I shrug "You know even less about me."

"I bet I could guess."

"Be my guest."

She leans back like she's carefully considering her next words, choosing them very wisely before she finally settles "You picked a major like communications and got bored quickly, decided you needed to do some soul searching. Probably read 'Eat, Prey, Love,' then went on a backpacking trip, expenses paid by your parents. Alternatively, you lived in a van and pretended to be a broke hippie."

I shook my head "Very cliche and you were only right about one thing."

"What?"

"I got bored quickly," The rain outside was failing to cease. Across from me, it looked like Ellie was calculating my every move. Her auburn hair was still wet, and from her hairline, a droplet of water dribbled down onto her button nose to rest on her cupid bow.

"Can I have a hint then?"

"No."

I see a realisation hit her "You partied with frat guys?"

I shook my head "I've always been too cool for them." I wasn't too cool for them, I was too fucked up to even know they were throwing a party until someone verbally informed me, by that point all I've ever done at a frat party was break in through a window and steal a keg like the disgusting fiend I was. It was nothing to be proud of, my friends thought it was hilarious and posted it on their Snapchat stories, egging me on and feeding into this sickening behaviour. What wasn't funny was how I got caught and winded up with a busted lip and broken rib. With pupils the size of my iris, I couldn't feel the pain I was in.

"Okay, now you have to tell me."

"I can't, I lose my mysterious allure."

The bell above the door chimes signalling the arrival of another customer and said customer makes a b-line for our table. She takes a seat next to Ellie "Jesse texted me that you were here.”

"Dina, were you at work?" Ellie furrows her eyebrows.

"Yeah, it's not like anyone's buying souvenirs right now and Jesse told me you finally came back," She whips her head to look over at me.

I genuinely remembered her, unlike Jesse. She had buried the time capsule with Ellie, her family and I. I also recalled how her older sister used to give us hand-me-down clothes. "Dina, hi."

She has freckles scattered across her face the same way that Ellie does. Her smile was so comforting, I forgot that I was soaked to my bones and shivering. "Well we should all do something together tonight," Dina grins "You're doing Ellie a huge favour by helping her fix that rig, she better give you some good head for it."

I almost choke on my saliva while Ellie just groans with disappointment like she had anticipated Dina saying something along those lines "D, you can't say that stuff around every girl I'm with, this is essentially my sister for the summer."

Dina raises her hands in defence "Sorry, my bad, I was unaware since you failed to mention that you have my old friend living with you." Ellie looks like she's going to say something but Dina speaks up again before she has the chance to "Let me give you my number."

Wordlessly, I hand my phone over to Dina who fills out her contact information and then gives my phone right back to me. I study Dina's face and her mannerisms, hoping that something might bring me back to my childhood which has been wiped away by every upper and downer you could put a name to. Something about her seemed familiar, maybe we had been closer friends than I thought.

I nod along to whatever she and Ellie are saying, chiming in random bits of dialogue but my mind is stuck on the two of them side by side. They're what I could've been if my family never moved us away and I hadn't turned my brain into sludge.

The life I could've had.

 Ellie smoked from what I knew, maybe Dina or Jesse were into something a little more hardcore. Hardcore? If hardcore qualifies as drowning in a concoction of cough syrup, Vicodin, codeine, and Gatorade to balance out the flavour of self-destruction. The bottles I swallowed to sleep, I showed up to almost every lecture high. Here I was handed what was nearly a good life and I tossed it away for something with a sweeter taste than a stable job and proper education.

The horrors I've committed. No good deed will ever outdo the bad that I have unleashed upon this godforsaken earth. From my clouded brain, paralyzing thoughts come to life to curse myself, the nightmare no mother would wish for her child to endure. 

Relapse after relapse, I would fall sick with the thought of how many times I had to relapse until I was finally clean and that bitter flavour washed from my mouth.

"Are you okay?" Dina asks with a smile and furrowed brows "We kind of lost you there."

It's one in the morning and I want to drink wine then slip beneath the rapid waters that will gladly pull me under and claim me as theirs.

Instead, I opt for a class of water. As Dina had said earlier, she wanted to get a bunch of friends together but the second we got home, I showered and locked myself away. Echoes of laughter and chatter drifted through my window.

I slip down the steps that lead to the kitchen. Outside the rain has finally dissipated and Ellie, Dina, Jesse, along with a handful of people I don't know crowd around a bonfire. The kitchen is illuminated only by moonlight, the moon hung over me as I poured myself water from the tap, a dead thing over a dying thing. 

I have seafoam in my veins and centuries-passed sunshine that induces my craving for some pills that will put me to sleep. Three months completely clean and yet that doesn't end the yearning for the drugs that comforted me more than any human ever had. 

The door cracks open and in comes Ellie, she's laughing and from the uncontrollable giggles, drowsy gaze, and slightly disoriented walking I can tell that she's been smoking. "Hey," She smiles at me, reaching passed me to grab a mug with Garfield on the front and fill it with water but she doesn't take a sip, she just sits it down on the counter behind us and stares at me.

Our faces only inches apart, I contemplate her next move. This close I can smell the marijuana on her and I almost want to scuttle upstairs and light a candle. Ellie hugs me, wrapping her arms around my midriff and letting her head find its resting place in the crook of my neck "Are you okay?"

"Mhm" She hums "I'm just glad you're here, whatever the circumstances are, I'm happy that you're helping me with the boat," I'm carrying almost her full way, and she's slouched against me "I love you man, I know you don't remember a lot from when we were kids but we had a lot of fun together."

"Thanks, Ellie," I give her a little pat on the back "That's really nice of you."

She peels herself away from me, using the counter to lean against instead. She looks me up and down, having an intense staring contest with my pyjamas "Do you wanna come out and smoke with everyone?" She's shed her tank top and thrown over a gray hoodie to shroud her from the oncoming cold.

I shake my head, no "I don't mess with that stuff."

"That's smart," She says "Have fun in your room, stowaway, I'll see you tomorrow to work on our boat," With that Ellie leaves without grabbing the Garfield mug she came in here for.

A/N: Hey, y’all. I’m aware I have a million open docs, I assure you they are all getting some love but I needed to come back to my roots and write some angst. These are some issues I have struggled with and I feel that it’s important to bring attention to it so it’s not taboo.

[aliceintheworld]

PURE ATTRACTION | JJK | TATTOO ARTIST

Pairing: TattooArtistJungkook X NaiveReader

Summary: "I shouldn't be watching a man undressing, especially not from the house next door."

Warning: Intolerance, toxic religion, parental relationship, Jungkook taking off his clothes 😮‍💨🤲 very dumb reader.

A/N: This is my first fanfic on Tumblr and my first BTS one. I know, it's embarrassing. The story isn't that great, and it probably shouldn't be the first one I post here, but the characters took on a life of their own without my consent, and I've been writing this since 2022 (fuck), so here we are. Please keep in mind that English is not my first language and that the reader is extremely annoying. See you on the next chapter! Thank You.

Next Chapter

Chapter 1

I organize the things from the bazaar as I go through the accessories spread out on the table. It's a calm easy task and I've done it more than a thousand times, so even with my eyes closed the job is done masterfully. My mother is next to me, quietly, listening to music on an old radio that she refuses to throw away. It seems that, since it's a radio she got as a teenager, the object has a deep meaning for her and she doesn't even like the thought of exchanging it for something more modern. I hum along too, trying to tune my voice in some parts where the music gets harder and the notes get higher.

Usually on the weekends, every Sunday, my mother and I go to church and the bazaar after the service, to raise money and help the pastor's project. Pastor Leen is a good man and always helps everyone in need, so this semester, during these last months of the year, he has been focusing on the animals that live on the streets. Everyone in the community who goes to church participates and helps in whatever way they can, whether through donations or fundraising, like my mother and I do. That’s why we gathered some clothes and items for the church bazaar, and with the sales, we can do our part. It's exhausting, but rewarding in the end.

During the week, I study at the university in my town and work at the library, so there's not much time for rest, but I like having a busy life. Although I know that, for some people, my idea of a busy life might not seem busy at all. At twenty-one, I’m supposedly supposed to be somewhere else in the world, enjoying my youth and partying with my friends, but strangely, I never wanted that. Whether it’s because of my mother, who always instructed me not to follow that path, or because I’m just introverted, I’ve never gone to parties or had adventures that I could look back on later. The most out-of-the-ordinary thing I've ever done was drink beer when I was eighteen and regret it the next day, feeling guilty for being influenced by a friend.

I’ve never left this town. I’ve never dated. I’ve never been to a party. I haven’t done many memorable things in life. Sometimes I wonder if I’ll regret not having these experiences someday, but I’m so tied to the way I live my life that it’s hard to change, even just a little. Habits are hard to break, whether for better or worse. I’m pulled from my thoughts when the store door opens and Mrs. Jeon walks in with a smile on her face and two heavy bags in her hands. I quickly get up intending to help her, but my mother is faster.

“Good morning, Eunji,” Mrs. Jeon greets my mother, letting out a relieved sigh as the weight of one of the bags is lifted from her hands. “Good morning, Y/N, how are you?”

“I’m fine, Mrs. Jeon. How has your week been?” I ask, taking the other bag from her. I peek inside and notice that it’s full of men’s clothes, judging by the size and the predominantly dark colors.

“Radiant, actually. My son arrived in town last night,” she says, her smile widening. I’m surprised because I didn’t know she had a son. Mrs. Jeon moved to town six years ago, and I don’t recall any son visiting her or her mentioning him. This is the first time she’s spoken about it, at least in front of me.

“Your son, Jungkook?” my mother asks, curious, and our neighbor nods, still beaming. “Doesn’t he live in Seoul?”

“Yes, he does. But he’s been expanding his business, and I invited him to visit, and coincidentally, he decided to open a branch here,” she explains, tucking a strand of dark hair behind her ear. My mother instantly flashes a smile. An interested smile that I know all too well.

Of course, because I’ve never dated, my mother is always trying to set me up with someone. Not that I want her to. I never asked her to make all this effort, much less to convince the church ladies to introduce their sons just because I’m single. It’s embarrassing, as if I’m not capable of finding someone on my own without my mother’s help, but she doesn’t listen, even when I had an honest conversation with her asking her to stop trying to play Cupid.

"What kind of business?" my mother asks, and I try not to roll my eyes. For a woman of God, she worries way too much about money and status. It's a controversial topic that has led to arguments between us in the past.

"He's a tattoo artist. He owns a tattoo studio in Seoul," Mrs. Jeon explains with a proud smile, and my mother's face immediately turns serious. The charm of a potential son-in-law is lost. Of course, no one is ever perfect enough for her—or for me, in her eyes.

I love my mother. She’s strong, and many times I look up to her when making important decisions, but she judges people too harshly. Ever since she joined the church when I was younger, she’s changed. She changed her clothes, the way she speaks, and even her thoughts. I can’t even remember what she was like before, and even though all these changes were a support for her after my father passed away, some aspects of the situation still bothers me. The fact that she believes people are going to hell just for having different opinions and ideas is one of them. Of course, I don’t argue with her about it and rarely express my point of view. If she knew how I really thought, I’d be a princess locked in her room, with no peace and even less freedom than I already have at home.

"He's a tattoo artist?" my neighbor nods, not noticing the bitter tone in my mother's voice. I decide to step in, anticipating some sharp comment from the woman beside me.

"Mrs. Jeon, thank you so much for the clothes and for your help. Just today we had three customers, and the clothes you donated sold very quickly," I interject, changing the subject. The tension in my shoulders eases as my neighbor shifts her focus to the bag in my hands.

"Oh, no need to thank me. I want to do as much as I can to help the animals. I adopted a puppy last week and I’m in love!" she says, placing her hands on her cheeks with joy, and I can’t help but smile. Mrs. Jeon is one of the few older people from the church that I enjoy talking to.

"What’s his name?"

"Gureum. He’s an angel," she says, forming the small size of the puppy with her hands.

"Gureum? Don’t tell me he’s all white," I guess, laughing at the name.

"He is!" she laughs with me, jingling the keys in her hand. "Anyway, I hope we get plenty of donations this month. I can't wait to see the results of our work."

"That’s true, Misuk. This month the winter will be harsher, so we have to act more quickly this year," my mother continues, and the conversation shifts to the church project. I feel more relieved as the minutes pass and Mrs. Jeon leaves. Not because of her, of course, but because of the situation itself. My mother is very straightforward and usually says what she thinks, no matter who it hurts. I don’t want my relationship with our neighbor to be ruined just because my mother doesn’t know how to hold her tongue.

"Did you hear what she said?" Eunji asks, her eyes wide, one hand on her chest as if she’s deeply shocked. "Her son is a tattoo artist! Do you think he has those awful marks all over his body?"

"Probably, Mom," I sigh, trying to focus on the clothes Mrs. Jeon just brought. "And Mom, don’t talk like that. She’s our neighbor."

"Even so! Y/N, that only happens when parents don’t know how to properly guide their children. How can a mother, who goes to church, let her son go down such a horrible path in life?"

"We don’t know how her son lives, and it’s none of our business, Mom!" I try to keep calm as I fold a large black T-shirt, but then I remember that before organizing the items, we have to wash them, and I couldn’t be happier about that.

Usually, the clothes are washed at our house, and my mother still has to stay at the bazaar for a while longer. Honestly, I don’t want to be around her listening to how good of a mother she was just because I go to church and don’t have a tattoo on my arm. It irritates me, and it’s hard not to let her notice, but for the sake of peace, I try my best, nodding and agreeing with all the nonsense she says.

"Mom, I’m going to take all these things home and get everything ready for the bazaar, okay?" I try to force a smile, but my face feels stiff. My head is throbbing, and I can’t wait to get home. I’ve been out of my room all day, and there’s nothing more exhausting than that, at least for me. She murmurs in agreement, probably annoyed that she can't keep talking badly about Mrs. Jeon’s son, but I don’t care and just leave.

I regret it a little halfway home because the bags are heavy, and even though the distance isn’t long, it’s hard to carry all the clothes by myself. I arrive home out of breath. The sky is overcast, with dark gray clouds covering it, but I’m sweating as if I just ran a marathon. I laugh a bit at my lack of fitness, promising myself that I’ll start the morning walks I keep putting off, and I head to the laundry room to start organizing the clothes.

When I open the bag, I’m surprised by the items. Not only are they of good quality, but I’m also certain they don’t belong to Mr. Jeon. He dresses well, but not in this style. I can hardly imagine him wearing black jeans or a heavy jacket. I’m intrigued by who the owner might be, but I don’t waste time pondering it, too tired to unravel mysteries that aren’t even important. I leave the laundry room once everything is organized and head to my room, throwing myself onto the bed.

My room isn’t particularly special or different, but what I love the most about it is the bookshelf filled with books covering almost the entire wall. It was my dream from a young age to get a job and buy every book I was interested in, and luckily, that’s been possible since I started working at the library. It’s the perfect job for me, even if it’s temporary. I’m studying literature to become a teacher, and I can’t wait to start working in my dream job.

I sigh and pull my phone out of my dress pocket, too lazy to take off my clothes and go shower. I groan, placing my hands over my face, knowing there’s no escaping it after being out of the house all day. There’s no way I’m going to bed like this. Reluctantly, I get up and untie my hair, which falls in waves, heavy against my neck.

I bend down to grab the hem of my dress and start pulling it up, feeling even more tired. Today was such a long day. I can’t wait to go to bed and sleep until tomorrow. I take off my socks, lifting one foot behind the other, and as I head to the towel inside the wardrobe next to the bed, I unhook the bra that’s been bothering me all day. The relief is so immense that I let out a sigh, touching my breasts with my fingers and playing with my nipple, hardened by the cold air.

On my way to the bathroom, I stop and look at the window when I notice that the neighbor’s window—the one that had never been opened until now—is, in fact, wide open. I need a few seconds to realize that there’s someone on Mrs. Jeon’s balcony, and worse, it’s not her on the other side. It’s a man. The most handsome man I’ve ever seen in my life.

I hide behind the bookshelf in my room, afraid that he might think I’m spying on him, but for some reason, I keep watching him with curiosity, hypnotized by the way he moves around the room and among the furniture. His dark, wavy hair falls over his face when, out of nowhere, he starts pulling his shirt over his back, taking it off lazily while focusing on the phone in his hands. He gives a small smile, almost as if he subconsciously knows the effect he’s having on me. My heart beats hard against my chest, and my breathing quickens; my mind fills with fantasy images of his pink lips and large, seemingly soft hands.

He is... gorgeous. Different. With tattoos all over his body. One of his arms is completely covered in designs, and his chest is adorned with images that I can’t quite make out. My mouth waters as my eyes roam over his strong back and shoulders. His pale skin glows under the dim light of the yellow lamp, and it’s hard to catch my breath. It’s like observing a work of art. A forbidden work of art, I know. It’s wrong. But I can’t convince my mind that I should stop. The man, still a stranger, smiles at his phone as the screen lights up his face. Unlike his body, which exudes sensuality and is intimidating, his smile is sweet and gentle, and the most charming I’ve ever seen. He tosses the phone onto the bed, unbuckling the leather belt around his waist and deftly undoing the buttons of his jeans. That’s when the trance that literally had me delirious breaks. I slam the window shut, desperate at my own madness.

What was I doing? How could I have seen a stranger stripping like a complete pervert? I feel so bad, guilty for having crossed the line and done something as wrong as this. I gulp, covering my face with my hands. I let out a tortured sigh and feel my heart racing uncontrollably. I am sweating, as if I had done a heavy workout, when in fact, I had been standing still the entire time. I peek through the gaps in my window to see the room in Mr. Jeon's house, but I can't see anything anymore and I don't have the courage to open the curtains and try to look at the man again.

It's the first time in many years that I have felt something like this. Could it be desire? I can't remember the last time I felt anything like this. I recall having a small and first crush on a boy at school, something innocent, when I didn't even know what it meant to like someone romantically or as a friend. This was, throughout my life, the only consistent experience in recent years. It scares me that suddenly I feel something different for someone, even if it's minimal. I let out a sigh and cover my face, embarrassed by my own behavior. To make things worse, I'm not even wearing clothes. I rush to the bathroom and close the door, staring at myself in the mirror. I am so dazed that even my cheeks are dark red. I close my eyes tightly and head to the shower, trying to let the water wash away my thoughts. It doesn't work. I spend the whole night gazing at my bedroom window, full of images that I can't forget or erase.

I have a normal day after the almost exhausting night. I study in the morning about different approaches with children on the autism spectrum, which I find completely interesting and complex, and then I work in the afternoon at the college library on campus. This is actually great because I can study even during my work hours with free access to all available books, which has saved my life in recent months. The first semester of classes was tough, but this second one has been terrible, with piled-up assignments and deadlines that are almost impossible to meet, at best. My life has revolved around this routine, and the ordeal of exams hasn't even started. On my way home, I stop at a convenience store to buy something to eat and bike towards my house, which, honestly, isn’t very far but is extremely tiring.

I get home exhausted, collapsing on the sofa almost immediately. My mother appears from the kitchen with a serious face and a tense expression, as if something very grave had happened.

"You won't believe who invited us to dinner." she comments, placing one hand on her hip.

"Who?" I ask, just out of courtesy. Besides not being hungry, I'm not interested in the subject, too stressed with college stuff to pay attention to my mother.

"Misuk."

"And what's the problem, Mom?" I roll my eyes. Until yesterday, my mother had no problem with our neighbor, and now she acts like the woman is forbidden or not good enough to be her friend.

"Did you forget, YN?" she asks, crossing her arms. "Her son, the one from Seoul, will be at the dinner."

I turn pale, my mouth dry. How could I have forgotten this? College has consumed all my thoughts during the day, but I would never forget that man. The man I saw through the window is Mrs. Jeon's son, I suppose. I concluded this after spending the whole night mulling over my thoughts and reliving that body and face, which I can’t even recall without blushing. I’ve already eaten at college and feel satisfied, but the first thing I do when my mother mentions the dinner is smile.

"I’ll go with you." I affirm, unsure. If my heart raced so much from a distance of Mr. Jeon's son, I can't imagine what will happen if I see him up close. But I'm so curious that I can't avoid it. I want to see him. I want to prove that everything I felt last night wasn’t just a product of my imagination tainted by romance novels.

"The truth is, I wanted to cancel the dinner."

"You didn't cancel, did you?" I ask, trying not to sound too desperate. My mother shakes her head, which makes me sigh with relief.

"No, but I'm curious about the guy. I want to see what he's like and make a better judgment about him. I just ask that you don’t get involved with that kind of person. He’s a tattoo artist and lives alone, so young. Who knows what he does alone in a city like Seoul." she says, and I agree with a noise in my throat.

I’m also curious about him, Mom, but not for the same reason as you. I stay silent as I go upstairs to my room. I look for some slightly nicer clothes without much expectation but I don’t have anything different from conservative or old. I feel sad for no reason and convince myself that it doesn’t matter what I choose to wear; a man like the one I saw last night will never be interested in me, no matter what I put on. I quickly shower, then, after my mom calls me from downstairs, I look at myself in the mirror, staring at the dark blue dress that goes down to just below my knees. I roll my eyes and simply go, with little enthusiasm.

My mom has a bowl with a freshly baked cake, and after saying it's for the neighbors, we head out. It’s the house next door, but the short walk feels like an eternity to me. My heart races as we approach, and I let my mom lead the way, walking ahead. She knocks on the door with three taps, and we don’t wait long before Mr. Jeon appears. He’s a man in his fifties, but very handsome and friendly, wearing a long-sleeve shirt and comfortable house slippers. He smiles at both of us, still holding the doorknob and giving us space to enter.

"Good evening, Eunji, good evening, Y/N." he greets us. I nod, a little embarrassed. Unlike Mrs. Jeon, I don’t see him often, as he is very busy with work and doesn’t attend church regularly.

"Good evening, Yejun."

"Good evening, Mr. Jeon. Thank you for having us." I smile, genuinely grateful. I truly like the couple, as every time I see them, they always treat me very well.

"What a polite girl, isn’t she?" he says to my mother in a joking tone, then looks at me kindly. "You don’t need to thank us. We love having you two here. Please come in and make yourselves comfortable."

"I brought a cake for after dinner." my mom says with a smile. "Where is Misuk? I want to give it to her."

"She’s in the kitchen, finishing organizing things. Shall we go there?"

I follow them in silence, having little to do. My mom is more accustomed to the environment, as she comes here a few times for church meetings. I take a few steps toward the kitchen when a noise on the stairs catches my attention. Then he appears, and like magic, everything I felt before resurges, ten thousand times worse. I catch my breath as I see him slowly descending the stairs. He is much taller than me and different from what I imagined, now up close.

His eyes are dark, bright and large, which strangely complements his sharp jawline. His lips are a beautiful pink that makes me run my tongue over my mouth, enchanted by their apparent softness. Pink is now my favorite color. He exudes a powerful aura with his heavy clothes and his body built like a big mountain towering over me, but when he smiles, I am captivated. His smile is sweet, friendly, and inviting, making me want to get closer. However, the thing that catches my attention the most is the eyebrow piercing. My God. What a man.

"Hello, how are you?" he says with a boyish smile, and I blush instantly. I try to maintain a mantra in my mind, repeating several times: calm down, calm down, calm down! "My name is Jungkook, are you my mother’s neighbor?"

"Y-yes." I stammer and almost instinctively close my eyes, frustrated with myself. He smiles even more, squinting his dark eyes as if he finds me amusing.

"Nice to meet you. What’s your name?" he asks with a soft voice, and I feel embarrassed for not having said my name earlier.

"My name is Y/N. Nice to meet you." This time I don’t stammer, but I speak so quietly that I fear he might not have heard me.

"Nice to meet you, Y/N. My mom talks a lot about you." he says, confirming that yes, he did hear me.

I open my mouth to try to say something, but suddenly my mother appears. I don’t know whether to feel relieved or disappointed. I wanted more chances to talk and discover new things about him, but all I was managing to do was look like an idiot who hasn’t left the house in years, completely antisocial. My shoulders slump, and I follow my mother to the dining room in silence, feeling embarrassed. I can almost feel Jungkook’s presence behind me, but I don’t have the courage to turn around and glimpse his expression. I almost automatically remember him taking off his clothes, showing the tattoos that are now hidden, and I flush even more, almost choking on my own saliva.

"Good evening, Y/N!" Mrs. Jeon smiles at me, already seated at the table. I feel guilty for almost drooling over her son earlier but I smile, greeting her in the same way.

"Good evening, Mrs. Jeon. The smell of the food is delicious, as always." I say, seeing the vegetables on the table and the meat next to it that looks divine. If I hadn’t eaten earlier, I’d be attacking the food, with respect, of course.

"Always so sweet, Y/N." she smiles. "Please, have a seat. Jungkook, sit next to her." she requests. I try to not choke again, just nodding, watching the man I am incredibly attracted to sit to my right side.

His parents and my mom engage in a lively conversation, and I try to pay attention in case they ask me something, but the truth is, I can’t follow along at all. Jungkook eats in silence and occasionally answers my mother’s questions, which I’m sure are meant to gather more material for judgment when we get home, but I can’t follow any of the reasoning. Besides being handsome, polite and kind, he also smells good.

With the clothes he wears and the tattoos decorating his body, I would swear his perfume would be woody and strong, but it’s quite the opposite. His scent reminds me of spring, or nature like a field full of flowers. It’s a scent I could absorb all day. Lost in thought while I play with the fork on my plate and the cabbage kimchi I served myself, I don’t notice him coming closer to me and my ear. My whole body shivers with his breath. I try to not make it too obvious, but I think it’s in vain since I hear his soft laugh even closer to my neck.

"Do you want to go to the kitchen, Y/N?" Jungkook asks in a whisper so close that I look around just to make sure no one is watching, especially my mother, who seems to have already formed a prejudiced opinion about him.

"Why?" I ask in a whisper, confused.

"I want to ask you something." he smiles crookedly, which makes me even more disturbed. I nod, still unsure about what I’m agreeing to. He quickly stands up, and I almost instantly follow him. When we get to the kitchen, he turns around quickly, watching me attentively, crossing his arms over his chest.

"W-what do you want to ask me?" I swallow nervously.

"I was thinking whether I should talk to you about this, but after meeting you tonight, I think it’s for the best, anyway." he says with a serious face. His previously relaxed attitude changes completely, as if all the fun from earlier had drained away.

I become worried, my mind filled with questions, until something occurs to me. What if last night, somehow, he realized I was watching him? My body turns to jelly at the thought, and my heart beats faster as I look at his face. I would die, seriously. I would fall to the ground and never wake up again. My hands tremble as I wait for his question.

"Are you and my mother very close?" he asks in a whisper, this time with a weak voice, looking at his own intertwined hands. I nod in agreement, even more confused. Since Mrs. Jeon moved to my city, we’ve become something like friends, despite the significant age difference. I consider her, even if mistakenly, like a mother.

"Yes. I think we have a close relationship. Why the question?" he shifts uncomfortably. He tries to smile but can’t. I am worried but silent, waiting for his answer.

"My mother is sick, Y/N." he says quietly, with a weak voice. My eyes widen at the news. I never imagined this is what he wanted to talk to me about. From his seriousness, it seems to be something very grave. "That’s why I came to the city. She had depression years ago and last month she tried to take her own life for some reason."

"She didn’t tell anyone, I’m sure." I say as much as I can, still shaken and shocked. Mrs. Jeon seems so happy lately that I could never imagine something like this. My eyes fill with tears, but I try to contain the flood of emotions inside me, embarrassed to act this way with a previously unknown person.

"I know. I was shocked when I found out." he explains, running his fingers through his dark hair as if he were tired. "She wants to spare people from the situation, but I wish everyone could know and support her. She shouldn’t be thinking about anyone’s well-being right now, except her own. That’s why I came to Busan, to take care of her."

"I understand." I whisper with a lump in my throat. I want to take his trembling hands and assure him that everything will be okay, but I don’t have that much courage. I wish I were casual and authentic and had the ease to simply say what I’m thinking. It’s the first time that not being this way makes me upset and sad. I wish I could be someone else right now. I wish I could help more.

"I apologize for bringing this up so suddenly. I hope I haven’t ruined your evening. I’m sorry." he smiles awkwardly, puffing his cheeks, and a previously hidden dimple appears. His face turns red and I can’t help but like him even more.

"Don’t worry. Really. Thank you for telling me the truth. I want to help in any way I can. I'll try to keep her company more often."

"Thank you so much, Y/N." he smiles, with his eyes shining. "I knew it was a good idea to tell you the truth. I knew I could count on you."

Ask for a TAGLIST in the comments.

[lmk-oc-competition]

LMK OC COMPETITION - ROUND 2

click to see full image

Xīnghuā belongs to @shatteredstarsart

Lǐ Nà belongs to @violina08

Learn more about them below the cut!

Xīnghuā:

Xinghua aka a silly shadowpeach fan child that mostly just a silly goober who has the defense skills of a potato.

She's 7 but that doesn't mean she's hasn't had her fair share of trauma, from as little as being kidnapped to almost being killed by her older brother, Fu Xiao (endipuff on tumblr) and having her arm broken! Dont worry though, she can still kick ass because she is the Long Arm Gibbon (insert OSP as source here), she can make a sword out of no where to stab anything she wants... except she won't because she's a little shy.

Lǐ Nà:

╭── ⋅ ⋅ ── ✩ ── ⋅ ⋅ ──╮

ೃ⁀➷ __ʙᴀꜱɪᴄ ɪɴꜰᴏʀᴍᴀᴛɪᴏɴ__ ꜰᴜʟʟ ɴᴀᴍᴇ:Lǐ Nà ɴɪᴄᴋɴᴀᴍᴇꜱ / ᴛɪᴛʟᴇꜱ: Flashy ᴀɢᴇ: +20 ᴘʀᴏɴᴏᴜɴꜱ:she/her/herself ꜱᴇxᴜᴀʟɪᴛʏ:Poly/Pan

ೃ⁀➷ __ᴅᴇᴛᴀɪʟꜱ__ ʜᴇɪɢʜᴛ:5'3

ᴀʙɪʟɪᴛɪᴇꜱ: she can cause lighting in every second but that will cost her much of her powers, at first Lǐ Nà is struggling to control her powers but by the time she uses it, she also gets used to the power and in the end she can control it perfectly.

ꜱᴛʀᴇɴɢᴛʜꜱ: she isn‘t weak but not SO strong at the same time. but the flashes she can cause can burn really bad, she’s can be really smart in serious situations but not always.

ᴡᴇᴀᴋɴᴇꜱꜱᴇꜱ:When someone puts her friends in danger or threatening them, but she can’t help them, nor the people she wants to help. She wants to save everyone,||but who saves her.?||

ᴘᴇʀꜱᴏɴᴀʟɪᴛʏ: Lǐ Nà since she was a little child, she’s quite enthusiastic and all fun! But sometimes she can be really emotional! Doesn’t matter what she can always cry, even if she sees some kitties. She acts like a little child, she needed attention, also Lǐ Nà can also range. There may be situations where she wants to kill someone so bad for hurting her loved ones. She’d do everything for them.

ꜰᴇᴀʀꜱ:Thinking that she’s not good enough…Thinking that she can’t save everyone, thinking that her friends may just turn away from her, ignoring her, despite her..She also has a big fear of spiders and insects!

ʟɪᴋᴇꜱ:she absolutely adores animals for example kitties, their silly cute lil faces are just so cute to her! Lollipop is her favourite snavk, she can eat it whenever she’d like. If someone is baking her the chocolate cake she’ll gift the person soooo many things! she’s nice to people who are nice to her!

ᴅɪꜱʟɪᴋᴇꜱ:Spiders/Insects, she also despises sudden loud noises. It also annoys her when people and underestimate her.

ೃ⁀➷ __ʀᴇʟᴀᴛɪᴏɴꜱʜɪᴘꜱ__ ꜰᴀᴍɪʟʏ / ʀᴇʟᴀᴛɪᴠᴇꜱ: she has a mother but she doesn’t know her at all, her name is BeiPan(背叛).

ꜰʀɪᴇɴᴅꜱ: The whole town are her friends! but especially MK and Sun Wukong !

ʟᴏᴠᴇʀ(ꜱ)*: none yet! (yet…heheh..)

ᴇɴᴇᴍɪᴇꜱ: The Lady Bone Demon, the bull king family and BeiPan.

ᴀɴʏ ᴇxᴛʀᴀ ʜᴇᴀᴅᴄᴀɴᴏɴꜱ ʏᴏᴜ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ꜰᴏʀ ᴛʜᴇᴍ?:

• Lǐ Nà likes holding hands or hug! Thats making her feel safe:3!

•A grandma in her village raised her, and her village she was born in was helping her and treated her like treasure

•she isn’t really a fan of apples and bananas, its just not what she would always eat

•She always has lollipops with her

╰── ⋅ ⋅ ── ✩ ── ⋅ ⋅ ──╯

[dumbbitchenergy17]

Where the Wild Things Are - Chapter 2

Chapter Two: You Say You Are Holy

Plot: Wild men or monstrous infected creatures, the world is wild and ravaged by Cordecyps but some are raised in it and flourish becoming a wild thing.

Word Count: 2.7K

Pairing: Joel Miller x Platonic!Teen!Reader, Ellie Williams x Platonic!Reader

Warnings: canon-typical fighting/violence, injuries

—————

You say you are holy, And that Because I have not seen you sin. Aye, but there are those Who see you sin, my friend.

Time seemed pointless, with the small window you could at least tell when the sun rose or set. You weren’t going to leave your dwindling hope died by the fourth day. Sat in that cell your only contact with the outdoors was random strangers who ran the place and brought you food that only ended with the food all over them as you screamed threats at them. Maria and Tommy felt like they were hit a dead end, you didn’t interact with anyone unless it was to scream and curse them out until they ran out of the jail with their tail between their legs. You seemed to be just getting started and the rumors had spread through Jackson of a crazed girl in their town jail. Many people urged the council to just kick her out of Jackson and end this madness but the fear of the raiders that have slowly gotten closer and closer to Jackson was the only reason they didn’t release the girl. Tommy had visited you multiple times whether it was to bring food or to speak with you but he was met with silence and he too soon fell victim to the food getting thrown at him.

Tommy sighs leaving the building the remnants of the cold chicken noodle soup still sticking to his once-clean clothes and pieces in his hair. Curses shaking his hair to try and get some of it out knowing he will have to go home and take a shower to get it all out. “New look.” Joel leaning against one of the post comments as his younger brother lets out a sarcastic laugh.

“Funny.” Tommy sighs not liking the smell of soup stuck to his body, “Be happy it was cold soup.” Joel comments and Tommy nods. When this first started they had made the mistake of bringing you hot soup. Poor William was able to protect his face but the burns on his arms were not great.

“Just don’t get it, she’s gotta understand the reasoning here.” Tommy sighs and Joel shakes his head.

“You have to stop treating her like she’s a guest. The reality is you have her here against her will. Drop the hospitality bit,” Joel says before producing an apple, “She doesn’t want a full meal she won’t get one.” He enters the jail ready to be the bad cop to Tommy’s good cop bit. Tommy waits outside before he hears a curse coming inside and Joel coming out his hand held over his eye a grimace in pain.

“She threw the apple at you,” Tommy says and Joel curses once more pulling his hand away revealing the quickly forming shiner from getting an apple chucked at his face. He had entered ready to put the fear of god in you but all he got was an apple to the face and some sharp curses thrown his way. “Little shit.” Joel curses when his fingers touch the quickly bruising skin being careful around his still sensitive nose when you had broken his nose when you escaped.

“Let her starve for all I care,” “Joel, this isn’t the QZ we aren’t animals. She is to be treated with some human respect.” Tommy retorts but knows he was right, he wasn’t sure how she was still alive. It was a real roulette on what days she silently accepted the meal and ate or what was getting tossed at someone. It was leaning on the latter and it was making him a bit nervous how you weren’t allowing yourself to eat. Tommy pinches his nose in frustration he didn’t know what to do with you, “I’ll talk to Maria there has to be something we can do.”

The cell was silent as you picked at the broken chunks of apple you chucked at Joel’s face. You found great pleasure as you kindly accepted it before it quickly was thrown at his face. Curses spit from both people before he stormed off in a rage. You were sure it was driving Tommy and Maria up the wall, you weren’t going to make it easy for them. They were keeping you here against your will and you weren’t going to sit all nice and polite waiting to be set free.

You hear the doors open as footsteps draw closer and you assume it’s Joel ready for round two. “I didn’t think you wanted another black eye you old fuck..” Your voice trails off expecting Joel or Tommy pretty much anyone except the young girl you fought when you first got here. The socket of her eye was black and blue but she doesn’t seem to mind the very large bruise. Her brown hair is pulled back in a ponytail a few hairs framing her face, the small scar going across her eyebrow, her clothes cleaner than yours and her size while yours was a mixture, with the pair of converse on her feet. The two of you are silent as she reaches into her back and you tense up before she pulls out two books and a smaller item. She tosses one of the books as it lands a bit in front of you. Looking at it silently as she flips open her beginning to read hers you lean forward seeing the graphic design on the cover, ‘Savage Starlight’ was the title.

“The hell is this?” You ask and she looks up at you through her similar one with the same title but the cover is a different design.

“It’s Savage Starlight..you know the comic.” She says and your silence has her keep talking, “You never heard of it, yeah know ‘Endure and Survive’ that Savage Starlight.” She deepens her voice when saying ‘Endure and Survive’ and you glare at the comic before you.

“Never fucking heard of it.” You retort and her eyes widen comically, “You have not lived then, best fucking comic ever.” Her hand reaches through the bar pointing at the comic in front of you, “This is the first one. The plot may be a bit confusing but it all makes sense when you read the second issue that dives into the backstory.” She scooches back leaning against the wall across from you flipping open her comic and beginning to read it.

“Why are you here?” You speak up after a minute of silence and she looks at you,

“Wanted to see if you were really as scary as everyone was saying, plus Joel told me to avoid seeing you but that only pushed me more.” She says before she grabs a small bag filled with tiny brown pieces grabbing one and popping it into her mouth. Holding the bag out for you, “Want one, they’re good.” You stare at the clear bag in her hand seeing the pieces of food and your stomach audibly growled. The girl smirks slightly and pours some pieces into her hand before putting them through the bars and you watch in shock. She had no fear interacting with you like this, you inch forward holding your dirty hand out as she pours the food into your palm before eating her own.

“Name’s Ellie.” She says eating another piece as you retreat to the wall looking at the food before grabbing a piece and putting it in your mouth. The sweetness hits your tongue instantly your eyes widen as it melts on your tongue and you quickly put another piece in your mouth to bring back the taste. Ellie watches the wonder in your eyes as you eat the food, “It’s chocolate. One of the people here makes some homemade, it’s like milk, sugar, and this bean called cocoa to give it that taste. People used to eat these all the time when things were normal.”

You nod finishing the chocolate the sweetness still on your tongue a pleasant food you wished to taste more of. You watch Ellie stuff her comic back into her pack and the empty bag of chocolate before she stands, “I’ll try to bring more next time.” She doesn’t move to take the comic as she moves towards the door, “Finish that one and I'll bring the second issue.” Her hand grabs the handle before you call out to her.

“Y/n!” She looks back at you as you sat up slightly, “My name is Y/n.” Ellie gives you a smile before leaving the room and you’re alone once more. You couldn’t describe the feeling in your chest, you weren’t sure you could remember the last time someone gave you something or was just generally kind to you. Looking at the still-untouched comic reaching forward grabbing it and beginning to read quickly pulled in by the plot.

Ellie was able to receive more chocolate the next day returning with the second issue as well and she gave it to you taking back the first one. You both ate the sweet in silence before she read her comic re-reading for probably the twentieth time. She noticed you didn’t read in front of her only watching her with cautious and sharp eyes but when she soon returned the next day you would be accepting the third issue. The conversations were one-sided Ellie happy to fill the silence by talking about anything and after multiple days of quiet, you soon were responding with one-word responses even going to a few sentences. You had learned she was sixteen and for her birthday Joel had taken her to a museum and she stood on a dinosaur, she was originally from Boston coming over here after some mission though she never told you what. She talked about Sally Ride and how she wanted to be an astronaut and see space, she would talk about comics all the time. Her vocabulary is filled with a curse every few sentences. Ellie after much time found out you were eighteen, from Kansas City, you didn’t explain how you got over here to Jackson. Those two small facts were held with the most security and though the young girl pressed for more about your likes and dislikes the things you were passionate about she was met with silence.

Ellie mainly led conversations droning on and on as you silently listened putting in your two cents every once and a while. An unlikely friendship. Well, Ellie said you two were friends but you didn’t agree or disagree with the label. You grew up not speaking to people especially ones your age for most of your life. It had been about three weeks soon pushing towards a month inside that cell and Tommy and Maria noticed to change in you. You still didn’t talk to them but when food was brought by someone there was no screaming or cursing or food getting thrown at them. They weren’t sure where this shift in attitude had come from but they weren’t going to reject this changed behavior though Joel was more skeptical of the motives behind it.

“So I’m thinking of leaves and a moth going down my arm it’s gonna look sick as fuck I can already picture it. I have this friend Cat, she does tattoos she’s got a whole bunch over her.” Ellie explains very enthusiastically speaking with her hands. You nod silently imagining as you watch the girl sketch away in a book her idea. “You ever think about getting one?” She asks glancing from the book and pencil in hand and you shake your head.

“I don’t think it would look good on me.” You shrug, the new clean clothes on your body feeling nice. They actually fit you, unlike the clothes you had stolen from places or crudely altered to fit your body. You were never more grateful for a shower though someone stood right outside the stall to make sure you didn’t try anything. But clean skin and detangled hair were a dream. The warm water was a savior for your tense muscles you would have stayed there for hours if you hadn’t been given a time limit.

“Nah you’d look badass. I can see you with them all down your arms, look sick as fuck.” Ellie leans against the metal and you shake your head at her absurd fantasy. She seems finished with her drawing sliding it through the bars so you can see and you scoot forward. Ellie had once started on the opposite side to soon be sat right beside the door to the cell. You had made slower progress getting about halfway to the door still hesitant.

“Like this! I gotta show Cat but she’ll touch up some things but this is gonna look so sick-shit!” Ellie yells as her head is pulled back and you sit up seeing the pain on the girl’s face.

“Crap my hair is stuck,” You look and she’s right, part of her ponytail was between the hinge of the rusted metal door, “It’s not that much but I don’t think you could pull it free…” You explain having a much better view than the girl who’s half-twisted.

“Just cut it needed a trim anyways.” She says her hands patting her pockets before pulling out the switchblade and holding it open for you. You stare at the weapon before slowly taking it in your hand. “Come on hurry I’m gonna get a crick in my neck.” She urges and you sigh taking the weapon and feeling the weight. It’s been weeks since you had the safety of a blade or gun in your hand to keep you protected.

“Just…don’t move.” You say before moving to the hinge where the hair was caught. Trying to figure out how to cut her hair free you start to bring the blade to her when the door slams open and you jump tightening your grip on the knife. Joel had only caught just a glimpse of Ellie on the ground a pained look on her face and the weapon in your hand before he bursted in.

“Ellie!” “Joel?!” The man rushes over and grabs the arm with the weapon pulling it forward so you slammed into the bars letting it go. He twists your arm as you cry out in pain your face pressed against the bars as you try scratching at his face. Trying to resist but he keeps twisting and you were certain he was going to break your arm. Ellie yells from the ground and your screeches alert Tommy and Maria who were about to come in with lunch finding the scene before them.

“Joel!” Tommy quickly pulls his brother away as you retreat further into the cell. Blood spills from your nose when you slammed into the bar. Clutching your throbbing arm your eyes frantic, adrenaline flooding your veins from the attack. “She had a knife! She was going to hurt Ellie!” Joel yells glaring at you as Tommy holds him back.

“She was helping me!” Ellie says to Joel, Maria frees her from the tangled section of her hair now shorter than the other. “She wasn’t going to hurt me!”

“You mean again! She’s dangerous what were you thinking!?” Joel now free from Tommy pulls the girl away from the cell being a block between you and the girl. The man doesn’t let the girl defend herself or you as he grabs the girl’s pack pulling her out of the room leaving Tommy and Maria to see the cold expression on your features.

“Kid..” “Get the fuck out.” You cut Tommy off as you find they make no action to leave, “Get the fuck out! Fucking leave! You fucking bastards fuck you!” You scream grabbing Ellie’s sketchbook and chucking it at them as they dodge it and you kick the remaining breakfast at them barely getting on their shoes, “Get out! Get the fuck out! Fucking leave!” The two rush out your screaming not ending until you are certain they are gone. Your blood boils but the air is thin as you struggle to catch your breath your body hitting the wall as you slide to the ground. Your nails dig into your palms not even registering the pain and the blood in your palms as you are left alone once more. The slow progress the girl had made was now lost.

[thermitetermite]

I return from the grave for one night only to post a Helluva Boss AU. Enjoy my delulu AU about a Christmas tree capitalist clown spider demon and his adopted cyborg clown son.

Also there is swearing and mentions of Fizzaroli's accident.

Mammon being a half decent step-dad AU

Mammon hears about Fizz much earlier though the grapevine (Paimon complaining to all royal demons about how his son got rid of all their shit bc of some clown kid)

Interested, he attends a show in disguise.

He finds that Fizz is good. Like, really good! Dollar signs start popping up in his head. Also the little bugger kind of reminds him of himself.

Immediately asks to buy Fizz from Cash Buckzo. He refuses at first because Fizz is his star but with strong negotiating tactics (money and threats) he caves.

Fizz is nervous about leaving his only home behind but is excited to be "adopted" by Mammon! His hero!

It's giving bought by One Direction vibes

At first Mammon was planning to just train him to be a child actor/clown, give him a TV show and pawn him off to someone to actually raise full-time. He wanted to be the convenient step-dad, not a full time parent!

That changed after the first couple nights with Fizz living in his mansion.

It started with Fizz handing him a red balloon horse.

"Alright, not bad kid, but can ya make a balloon unicorn?"

Fizz ran off to attempt to make it. That'll keep him busy for a few hours, guess that meant he could make some calls and... He was back already with the completed unicorn.

"Give me another!"

"Uh, alright ya little bugger, why dontcha make a Quevie?"

This back and forth happened for the next few hours, with Mammon judging the balloon animal, giving a few pointers when he messed up, and Fizz making the next animal he asked for.

Damn, this parenting shit is easy.

It eventually got so late that Fizz fell asleep on the couch trying to complete a kangaroo.

Sighing, Mammon picked Fizz up and carried him to the bedroom he hired someone to decorate. He tucked him into bed and finally after an entire day was able to make a call.

However, the first call he made wasn't to the networking company or his broadcasting station. Instead, it was to Lucifer, his self proclaimed best friend and a successful parent.

"What is it Mammon? Do you have any idea how late it is?"

"Yeah, yeah. I just had a quick question for ya. What do children eat? Cereal? Oats? Ice cream?"

Needless to say, Lucifer had a long talk with Mammon about how to raise a kid, stating it'd be hard work.

After hanging up and going to bed, Mammon had only one thought on his mind. To raise this kid better than any of the other Sins could. His boy would be talk of the town and the best clown in all of Hell.

That first week of parenting went about as well as you'd expect.

Mammon had the approach of being "The fun step-dad" which included eating candy for every meal, teaching him swear words and showing him how to do all the tricks he thought a capable child could do.

(These tricks may or may not have included tax evasion and driving)

Speaking of, Mammon insisted on bringing Fizzaroli everywhere. Including work.

"Mammon, sir, I'm sorry for filing the paperwork for the expansion of LooLoo Land wrong- is that a child?"

"Yeah, this is my boy. Look attem. Ain't he talented!" Cue Fizz hanging off one of his arms. "Whatdya think Fizzie? Should we keep or fire him?"

"Fire!"

"You heard the boy! Off withya, ya bloody cunt!"

"Bloody cunt!"

Mammon would belly laugh whenever Fizzaroli would copy his swearing or accent. When is children swearing NOT funny?

Mammon's definitely the type to have tons of pictures in his wallet of his kid. Fizzaroli does get a TV show, lots of interviews and the spotlight often but whenever someone asks Mammon about him he immediately opens the photo wallet.

(He would kill anyone who even touched it)

Of course he still has some of the Mammon-ness we know, bribing and pushing Fizz to do shows, acts, commercials and more, causing Fizz to start getting overwhelmed.

Then one day Fizz's accident happened (it's a canon event)

Mammon practically broke down Belphagor's door when he got the news Fizz was hurt, demanding his boy get the best treatment in Hell.

Mammon didn't sleep for the entire time Fizz was in that hospital bed, sitting beside him for days at a time just thinking about how he nearly lost him. He couldn't lose him.

When Fizz woke up/was stable, Mammon was there during his emotional moments. When Fizz asked if Mammon would replace him he scoffed.

"Fizzie, why would I replace you? You're in recovery right now. A break. Yer fans are dying to see that Fizzie face when you get outta here. You're more popular and more in demand than ever. You do the recoverin and I'll show you the huge profit we return."

Mammon to English translation: It's stupid to think I'll leave. You'll be able to return to the stage, I'll make sure of it. You'll get better and I'll be here with you.

Fizz eventually recovered but needed limbs so Mammon sent a request (demand) to the best mechanic in Hell, Asmodeus. If anyone could make limbs for his boy it'd be that rooster fuck.

Of course just because Mammon had faith in him didn't mean he wasn't picky in what he delivered.

"Can ya loop your arm like a bendy straw?"

"Uh, no."

"Then it's not good enough for you!"

Mammon practically sent Asmodeus a list of limb adjustments and upgrades that needed to be done every other week. All other times he had Fizzie trying all these different therapies, practicing with his limbs, and occasionally try doing a trick. (Not clown car driving after last time). Eventually he was mostly satisfied with the work and to celebrate "Ozzie not *HONK*-ing up" he started teaching Fizz how to play the guitar.

Cue a bit of a time skip of say 7 years.

Fizz has his hands in nearly every facet of entertainment. News, sports, cooking competitions (which he surprisingly sucked at), and of course comedy. Fizz didn't want to say it but doing so much had him tired, stressed, and anxious. He was doing this for Mammon, the person who gave him everything. He couldn't just let him down. He'd seen what happened to those that failed him. All those people who got fired for mistakes they made. He couldn't fail.

At the same time Mammon wants to get into the robot doll industry. Not sex dolls because he can't stand the thought of his (boy) brand being sold like that. Instead personal assistance robots that have all the features. It can make coffee, teach you yoga, be a parent, etc. but of course he needs the mechanical help of Asmodeus again.

Once again Fizz is taking trips to Lust to oversee the production of the robots. After 2 years of this the robots are completed (a huge financial success) and Fizz asks Mammon if he can stay with Ozzie.

Mammon is surprised but ok with it as long as he visits and does a show every now and again. Especially guest judging the Clown Pageant.

He doesn't realize Fizz and Oz have a thing until the Clown Pageant (his final one in canon)

Once it comes out, oh boy, Mammon goes full demon mode. Shit gets ugly. Mammon goes on his normal rant (minus the "raised you like the son I didn't want" part) and Fizz, unwaivering because he's seen this a million times, retorts back with all the anxiety Mammon caused. The acting and shows. How it weighed on him. How he was so scared of fucking something up and getting kicked out.

"I'd never kick you out! You're the crown jewel of my empire! My runt turned pick of the litta! I made you in my image! If I pushed you hard it was because you could be better! I raised you! You've got my training in your back pocket so I knew you could be a better clown than I ever was! All of this was for you!"

Eventually Mammon breaks down and asks why Asmodeus. He's worried about their relationship considering he's known Asmodeus since the beginning of hell.

"Why do you need to date him when you have my empire! If you need money, we have it! If you need companionship, we can buy it! If you need power we have that too! We built this empire! Your talent brought in a fortune and you've seen how to run the business! If you need your own power or your own space you can have it!"

"I'm not with him for any of those things! I know I have everything else here! But I love him Mammon! He takes care of me. He's kind, sweet, handsome, and supports me even on my roughest days. I love him."

"...he makes you feel safe?"

"Yes."

"He treats you good?"

"He treats me amazingly."

"You love him?"

"With all my heart."

"...ok."

"Ok?"

"I... Respect your decision. I'm going to make it about me but please bear with me. I know I haven't been the best at raising you. I can be overbearing. And clingy. And I pushed you to do a lot of things that were hard or uncomfortable or er... greedy. I haven't been the best influence on your life but I did my best and if I had to I'd do it all over again."

"Mam..."

"Up up up, let me finish ya little shit. You know I have a hard time letting go of things. And I was kidding myself when I thought I'd have ya forever. I forgot how fast ya implings grow up. I thought I could keep ya safe and smilin but I couldn't even do that right. The second most painful thing I experienced in my life was gettin kicked from heaven. The most was seein you in that hospital bed. I've been smotherin ya since. Yer my boy and I wanted better for ya. Thought I could protect ya if I pushed harder. Taught ya more. Did more shit with ya. But in the end you were always gonna have ta leave ta find a life of yer own.

Mammon paused, taking a familiar but heavily deflated remnant of a red horse balloon from under his hat

"I'm at least glad ya took somethin after me. Yer greedy like me and ya landed the best bachelor Hell has ta offer. I... I don't want to let ya go but... Ya need to do this. Live yer life kid, and live it better than me."

The fucking stadium was in tears (me too tbh)

Before Fizz could say anything (he was choking on his words) Mammon extended a card with his sigil on it.

"Remember I'm always here. Please... Call me if ya need me."

Fizz wrapped his robotic limbs around Mammon, bringing him in for a tight hug.

"I love you, Dad."

Mammon cried on that stage, hugging the son he always wanted.

[utterentropy]

Heart and Mind are at peak iPad kid age in my AU (they both spawned in December of 2013), and despite the fact that their species ages RAPIDLY once they're civilised (they're fully mature at three years old, both physically and psychologically) they spawned at a time where it would've been much easier for Cameron (Whole) to hand them iPads and be done with it.

…And he's right. He did give them iPads. Though they had strict screen times and also he restricted the websites they could go on, especially after the fact that while Mind's search history was just seventy Google searches of the same sentence with slight variations about Bionicle Heart's erm… lemme just show this meme drawing I made a month or two ago

…Ya.

Anywho, Heart and Mind as idfants were dumb and impressionable and would probably be extremely easy to kidnap considering they were so full of love they would run up to a random stranger and immediately place their hand on their shoulder and stare into their soul (ha I just capitalised "soul" instinctively) and Cameron would have to rush over frantically and go "STOP NO!!! STOP TELLING EVERYONE YOU LOVE THEM!!! I'm sorry that's how they tell people they love them they're very weird–"

As a result, the idfants played inside for the most part or at a relative's house and were always supervised when they played outside.

However, once Heart and Mind reached juvenid age, per an id's life cycle they developed mouths! And now they could talk and more importantly bite people.

Cameron decided to start letting them walk around the neighbourhood on their own (well, with each other) and would hand them about forty or fifty bucks and let them roam free and go on little adventures. This meant that while Heart and Mind were definitely acclimated to technology and associated phone screens with curing boredom, most of their childhood memories were spent walking around town, eating at restaurants, playing in parks, walking through malls, having fun at block parties, hunting small animals (they still have instincts), exploring forests, going to friend's houses, helping around the neighbourhood, etc. and they became very well known around the community for being total sweethearts that were unusually docile and polite for being little kids.

Cameron would regularly get calls from local businesses that they were some of the best customers they've gotten, and Cameron was very awkward and nervous about it but it had to have felt good to know he raised them well.

And yes this is a Chonny's Charming Chaos Compendium AU, it's seriously canon-divergent but these are HMSW still. Heart and Mind in my AU are anomalous wild animals that became sapient upon being raised alongside humans, and Cameron (Whole) raised them after they spawned from him… …well, at the very least this is the SEPARATION AU of @nkgrimmie and my's CCCC AU, technically speaking in the Main AU they live in a mindscape per usual but I personally prefer the idea of HMSW just being strange nonhuman weirdos going about life in a sleepy Christian town in semi-rural Australia.

Yes I will explain my AU in every CCCC post I make I GOTTA LET PEOPLE KNOW THAT THIS IS BARELY CCCC

[despazito]

wish script doctor bc i feel like this movie could've been a lot stronger with some things altered. like i dont even think it needs a complete story overhaul, a handful of changes could make it much tighter imo

asha does not live so close to central rosas, but a village on the outskirts of the kingdom, and this will be her first time venturing to see the mythical king in person.

not all wishes are equal in this magic system. selfish and shallow wishes do not contain much power, but noble and selfless wishes are very strong. (also i don't see the point of forgetting your wish you made?)

the grandad was animated way too in shape for 100 years old, make him weaker and frail. hell, put him on his death bed to raise the stakes.

perhaps have asha's grandfather be an esteemed but very humble scholar or medicine healer whose dying wish is to establish a library or hospital for the local people (or something). asha believes that if she meets with king magnifico herself, she can convince him to grant her grandfathers' wish. she believes she can do this because an old childhood friend of hers now works in the castle as his aid.

asha travels to rosas and meets her friend dahlia. expecting her to be very close to the king, dahlia sheepishly admits to being a much lower ranked servant who hardly ever sees the king in person, but still sneaks asha in to show her around the castle because she's such a fan of magnifico + introduce asha to all her friends/coworkers.

have dahlia be the only primary friend, relegate the rest of the lot to the background. we don't need much time with them all, use it to strengthen other relationships.

asha attends a wish granting ceremony and magnifico does not grant grandad's wish. after the event asha uses a sneaky corridor that she just learnt to ambush magnifico and plead her case to him. away from the crowd he goes mask off and tells her to fuck off, asha narrowly escapes his guards.

defeated, she sings her I Wish song and we meet the star.

instead of the short guy, have valentino play the grouchy foil. valentino hates the star, and they have slapstick together. hell if disney wants to be meta, have him resent the star for turning him into a funny talking animal or something.

dahlia is the only one who believes asha when she tells her about meeting the wishing star. the other friends think she's some kind of lunatic from out of town until they see the star for themselves.

have queen amaya be equally self absorbed as king magnifico and together act as an evil couple like in the concept art. she enjoys the luxury of being a self-made monarch and throws lavish balls and pampers her shitty cats or something. make them evil and campy together like mink stole and david lochary in a john waters film (we've had a villain based on divine, now its their turn)

alternatively, amaya can still have a redemption, but later on in the third act. perhaps she's vain and perfectly content with a certain level of fraud until magnifico crosses a line. have magnifico explain to her long ago that he gets strength from the wishes, but he only culls the shitty wishes bad people make. amaya thinks its reasonable that he crushes the wishes of bad people and people who "deserve" it. but selfish wishes aren't as powerful, and as magnifico begins to crave more and more power, he begins taking more innocent wishes to power himself. maybe he finally crushes the wish of some sick kid or asha's grandfather and that finally snaps amaya into realizing what they're doing has become completely irredeemable. i know disney is allergic to writing romance now so have asha stay single and instead take some time to explore this romantic relationship.

asha & co. defeat magnifico with the power of friendship or whatever, maybe even have the final final part of the battle be between magnifico vs amaya as asha rushes to care for her grandfather after his wish was just crushed. or magnifico goes full magical sorcerer and explodes asha's family home or something

everyone in rosas realizes they don't need magnifico to live their dreams and together (with some pitching in from a now queen-regent amaya) asha is able to build the library/school/hospital/insert public service building her grandad always wanted. amaya hangs the magnifico mirror above her cats' litter boxes. the end

[hsslilly-blog]

I want to know everything you're willing to say about Blair

omg okay, i'll try to be concise. here's their family tree and here's some design notes. the rest is under the cut.

blair (they/she) was born in an apainn/appin, in the scotland highlands on may 13th, 1997. full name: blair marina stewart. they have a gaelic name as well (bhlair maired stiùbhart). their parents are called james and eleanor, and they have an older brother as well; his name is colin and he's four years older than blair.

since an apainn is a very small town, with a super tiny population, she spent a lot of time with her brother around their family property. they'd herd sheep and take care of the other animals, and spend a lot of time at port appin watching the ferry. they were in a band together, with both of them playing the fiddle. blair also plays the piano, is very keen on tap dancing and they know how to knit. besides english, they speak scottish gaelic and they learn scots later on. they're left handed.

their family moved to glasgow in the first half of 2009 so blair could attend secondary school and colin could attend college. getting used to this different environment was very hard for blair and they struggled a lot. blair didn't understand their peers and they often felt alone. she had only two friends: moira stirling and aiden douglass. to make matters worse: colin and blair got involved in a very bad car accident in 2009 when he was driving them around (without authorisation), in slippery road. colin passed away and blair ended up with a broken arm and the scar on their right eye. this torn their family apart and their parents divorced in 2010. blair stayed with her mother, and then later on in 2013 they moved to the u.s. (right before the start of high school story prime).

they were raised roman catholic and their family frequented church. catholic guilt is a theme in blair's character and it's present in every single aspect of their life. from their identity, to their actions, to their choices, to the friends they make, to the words they say. guilt, fear and shame move blair. they stopped attending the church on their 16th birthday.

besides that, blair has issues with self-image and they've had an eating disorder from the time they were 13. being an overachiever, they push themselves too much and they have very unhealthy coping mechanisms. they're still mourning their brother as well, as it was something they felt they never got the chance to. a lot of survivor's guilt. they're riddled with anxiety, which makes them a very neurotic individual. they want to help everyone all the time and they want everyone to feel happy/comfortable/safe/welcome, which it's not something 100% possible to do and they end up getting overwhelmed.

blair is non-binary and bisexual, and while they're out to their friends, they're not out to their family. they don't have a good relationship with their mother. they were close to their father.

regarding high school story: i've mentioned before, but i see the game taking place in 2013 and it's set on blair's third year of high school. their best friends are autumn (of course) and payton, and they're really close to nishan as well. they're a nerd in game. they're in the cheer team and in the math team. they start dating wes sometime after the heist at hearst <- this causes them shame and guilty and everything else due to the... dynamics of their friend group.

i think that's it. there's probably more i can talk about, but i think this paints a good picture of their character. i can answer any questions about them and/or expand further on anything i've shared here!

[lolahaurisfw]

: ̗̀➛ Leah: Fluff Alphabet

A = Admiration (what do they absolutely adore about you?)

Your connection to nature/the valley. Leah is all about simple, healthy living. And she loves that your actions reflect the things she views as most important: hard working, living off the land, homemade healthy food, caring for animals, and raising a family.

B = Body (what is their favorite part of your body?)

Your hands. No matter the size, your hands are on the stronger/rougher side due to farming, mining, and building all day. And she loves it. She loves the way it feels when your strong hands grab her hips or hold her waist. It makes her feel so secure and safe. 

C = Cuddling (how do they like to cuddle?)

Little spoon, or resting her head on your chest while your lying on your back. She also loves to sit on your lap during movie nights. 

D = Dates (what does their ideal date with you look like?)

Since most of your time is spent doing your own thing outside the house, i feel like dates would lean towards more involving you in her interests or blending the both of yours together. 

Picnic in the woods, painting the sunset near the beach tidepools, relaxing on Ginger Island with a pina colada, movie nights on rainy days, dancing and having some wine at the Saloon, camping in the secret woods, new restaurants during your trips to her home city, or having some alone time in the bath house ;)

E = Emotions (how do they express emotion around you?)

She’s usually very straight forward and emotionally mature. She’ll tell you exactly what she feels, especially if you two are having an argument. Clear communication is important to her. Of course there will be times she may just blow up or give you the silent treatment (pretty much only if she finds out you gave another woman a gift) but you’ll always make up before bed.

F = Family (do they want one? If they do, when?)

I honestly feel like she could go either way. If you don’t want kids, she’s perfectly fine with that! You have barns full of animals and a cat/dog anyway. But if you do want a child or two, she’s also happy with that. If you have to adopt, i could see her leaning towards having a girl preference (imo she gives girl-mom vibes). If you’re able to get her pregnant though, she’ll obv be happy either way. But since she has to carry the baby, she’ll only want one, maybe two, kids.

G = Gifts (how do they feel about gift giving? What are their habits when it comes to this?)

She enjoys giving and receiving gifts. I wouldn’t go as far to call it a major love language for her (i HC her love language to be acts of service), but if she sees something that reminds her of you, she’ll get it. She also isn’t very materialistic herself. So i can imagine she doesn’t really expect or crave getting gifts. Though she’ll never complain about receiving a new plant or art supplies :0)

H = Holding Hands (when/how do they like to hold hands?)

Anytime. She loves holding your hand, it’s such a small but intimate act of love. You’ll always hold hands during your nature walk and walks into town. During romantic dinners, she likes to reach over and gaze into your eyes while gently stroking your hand with her thumb. Or when going to bed. If you’re spooning her, you’d hold hands under the pillow in front of her face.

I = Injury (how would they act if you got hurt?)

Her initial reaction is panic. Heart racing, hand shaking, feeling that rush of icy cold fear shoot through her body. 

But as soon as she realizes you’ll be just fine, she relaxes a bit and goes right into nurse mode. Cleaning the wound, getting you pain killers, wrapping up anything needed, or in the worst case, rushing you to Harvey’s clinic. 

And once you’re better, she does not hesitate to scold you for being so careless lol.

J = Jokes (do they like to joke around with or prank you? how?)

Pranks aren’t really her thing. Her jokes are more in the moment. Like if you or a friend said something funny, she’d quickly build off of it and make the joke 10x funnier. She also loves a good cheesy pun. The more eyeroll-inducing it is for you, the better.

K = Kisses (how do they like to kiss you?)

Quick peck on the lips before your work day begins. Deep, passionate kisses after getting in bed for the night. Nose kisses while dancing at the Luau. Kisses on the cheek as a form of pda. 

L = Love (how do they show you they love you?)

Acts of service! Repairing fences around the farm, watering the cat/dog, feeding the barn animals or cleaning their pens, making breakfast and dinner, helping keep the house tidy, helping with the crops, etc… 

M = Memory (favorite memory together?)

The day you met. She honestly cherishes it more than your first date, proposal, or wedding day. Not to say she doesn’t value those days, but she considers your first meet to be especially close to her heart because it was essentially the beginning of your relationship. 

N = Nightmare (what is their worst fear?)

You dying or nearly dying in the mines/in combat. She hates when you go to mines and volcano because she dreads the idea of getting a call from Harvey that you’ve been in an accident. 

O = Oddity (what is one quirk they have?)

Snorts when she laughs really hard.

P = Pet Names (what do they like to call you?)

Feminine Partner: gorgeous, dove, sweetheart.

Masculine Partner: handsome, big guy, darling.

Either: dear, love, hun. 

Q = Quality Time (how do they like to spend time with you?)

Deep talks on the couch, cleaning together, candle-lit bubble baths, sitting on porch and daydreaming, foraging in the mountains, breakfast in bed, cooking your favorite foods together for dinner.

R = Rhythm (what song reminds you of them?)

Olivia Rodrigo: Lacy

Cavetown: Juliet

Wabie: Hey Lover!

S = Secrets (how open are they with you?)

Leah’s an open book, i can’t really imagine there’s anything she’d keep from you. Maybe just little white lies? Like if you got her a gift she didn’t really like, but didn’t HATE either. Or if you loved a certain dress or shirt you had, but she hated the pattern.

T = Time (how long did it take you to get together?)

At least a year, probably closer to two. She likes to take things slowly and enjoy the “getting to know eachother” stage. Especially because Kel was toxic, she wouldn’t want to just jump into something and end up getting her heart broken again.

U = Upset (how do they act when you’re upset?)

Very comforting. If you’re okay with it, she’d love to hold you, talk about it, and bring you your favorite snack. But if your the type who prefers to be alone, she’ll give you space while periodically checking up on you. 

V = Vaunt (what are they proud of? Do they like to show you off?)

Obv very proud of her artwork, she loves showing you every new piece she makes. I don’t think she would show you off though. She’s very low-key, and Elliot is her only friend in town anyway. Of course she’ll make sure everyone knows your together (to keep anyone from trying to flirt with you) but she see’s no reason to make a spectacle of it considering everyone in town will you together almost daily anyways. 

W = Warrior (how do they feel about you fighting? Would they fight for you, beside you, etc?)

Leah does NOT like it when you have to go fighting in the mines. She really wishes you would leave the monster hunting to Rasmodius and Marlon. But would SHE fight for you? Oh absolutely. I could see her being a defensive, quick-tempered person in the heat of the moment. 

I don’t think she’d go in the mines though. But more so she’d fight another person for you if need be. You saw how she punched her ex to stand her own ground. Now imagine if someone was making you, the love of her life, upset or uncomfortable. Hands are being thrown without question. She may be a very kind and relaxed person, but don’t mistake that for being passive and timid. 

X = X-Ray (how well are they able to read you?)

Like a book. Leah is incredibly intuitive and observant. She can easily sense a change in your energy or demeanor. If you have a hard time expressing negative emotions, she’ll feel the shift but might not say anything. She’d be more likely to do an act of service for you or give you a gift, just so you know she’s there and you can feel comfortable talking to her.

Y = Yes (how would they propose to you?)

Basically her 10-heart event. On a warm spring day, she’d write you a letter inviting you to the woods for a suprise. When you get to the meeting spot, you see a table with a beautiful spread of homecooked food waiting. 

Starfruit wine on ice. A salad with Pierre’s fresh veggies, topped with goat cheese from Marnie, and sliced truffle. A loaf of french bread with seasoned truffle oil for dipping. A whole, small baked carp with sliced lemon. And two glazed poppyseed muffins for dessert.

While you were eating, you both reminiced about early memories of your relationship, told funny stories from eachothers past, daydreamed about the future, and caught up on todays events. Taking breaks from talking to admire the other and hold hands.

Eventually the meal was finished. The scent of pollen in the air was heavy as pink petals danced past your face and landed on the table. Leah had eventually migrated to your side of table, resting her head on your shoulder as you both looked out at the forest and small stream running just a couple feet in front of you. The silence between you was apparent, but comforting. 

“Y/N,” she began as she lifted her head up, looking you in the eyes. “When you first moved to Pelican Town, i honestly never expected anything would happen between us.”

She took your hand in hers and continued. “I was still a bit hesitant about getting into a  relationship, after what happened with Kel.” Leah paused for moment and smiled. “But after a couple months of getting to know you, i started feeling something i’d never felt for anyone”

She shifted to sit in front of you, both of your faces glowing with pure love and happiness. “Y/N… what im trying to say is,” she reached into her overall pocket and pulled out a long, velvet white box. “I love you… Will you marry me?” Leah giggled and teared up as she opened the box and revealed a sparkling blue shell attached to a silver chain.

After you said yes, you brought eachother into a tight hug. Laughing and crying at the same time as you kissed passionately. It wasn’t the first time the two of you had kissed, but it almost felt like it. 

Things are going to be a bit different from now on… 

Z = Zen (what makes them feel calm?)

Walks through the forest or mountains, sitting on the beach, cuddling in bed with you, listening to Elliot play the piano, sitting outside the community center while having a snack, the museum, morning showers, watching the rain from her bedroom window, the bus rides to and from Zuzu city (i HC she visits her old friends and family in the city), the boat ride to Ginger Island, putting the kids to bed, painting.

[stardewthoughts]

Marnie

This is going to be both headcannon and discussion, this is no end all be all, this is my opinion and I’d love to hear yours

Firstly I would like to point out that, one of the generally accepted “biggest flaw” in marnies character is her shop schedule, and that’s fine you can feel that way, but if you stop and look at it as you would an actual person, it makes sense ( this also requires ignoring sdv immaculate conception of animals)

Marnie runs the only (vanilla) ranch/farm centred around livestock in the valley, meaning her job as a rancher is quite important both for the community and the local economy. Now anyone who knows about raising livestock (especially dairy animals) it’s a tiring time consuming job, from milking, shearing, collecting eggs, cleaning out stalls and pens, feeding, health checks and the like, most of which would eat into her mornings and evenings, which would only worsted in spring-early summer when animals are most likely going to be giving birth. And she does all this with only some help from Shane and a little “help” from jas.

On top of that Marnie still has a social life to maintain, meeting up with friends and Lewis, both to help her mental and emotional life and health but also for their sakes. Throw in the fact that Lewis is (clearly) leading her on, her mental and emotional health need some extra care.

Throw all of that on top of raising jas and keeping Shane alive, Marnie has a very full schedule to begin with. Logically her shop isn’t the priority, it’s a side business at best, selling materials and tools to neighbours (mostly you) as an extra income. Logically to me atleast, it makes plenty of sense Marnie needs to leave her shop often

All that being said, I myself have some issue with marnies character

For instance, marnies main character traits are she loves animals and she’s lonely, which is seen through much of her dialogue, otherwise there’s not much else to her, for the most part that’s it, otherwise it’s idle chitchat about the town or local goings on

She’s timid, quiet and honestly a tad naive, which could make a good character but I don’t feel it makes her one, throughout my entire life, growing up in an agricultural setting all the women I’ve met have been brave, outspoken and honestly a little terrifying, I’ve genuinely seen some face down a charging bull and stopping said bull in its tracks with little more than a stick and a bored look, but with all that they could still be calm quiet and reserved, and I feel that, that’s what marnies lacking

She had the background, the setting and the chance to be a strong, outspoken woman, with thoughts and feelings that go further than lonely animal lover, but she never did

Personally I see that as a massive oversight, to what could have been a great character, what do you think

[kinkprincess98]

Day 24: hucow

After a long night of being used by Sir's friends, I am dragged to the milking barn. I groan as my udders sway heavy with milk. “Now, I haven’t milked you in a full week. You missed your milk quota the last two weeks, and if you miss it again today, I’ll have no choice but to sell you.” I moo in reply, whining. You hook me into the milk machine, taking your time to fondle and grope my udders and teats. Once I am secured on all fours and my nipples and connected to the machine You slap my ass hard and watch as my face contorts into a pained expression. “Aww, I know it's uncomfortable. But that’s what happens when you go a while, not being milked. Now do a good job, and I’ll get you the feed you like for dinner.” With a final pat to my ass, you walk away.

I moo as I see you come back hours later. My nipples are achy and sore. My udders are unable to give any more milk. I look up at you, hopeful as you check how much milk I have made. “Well, girl, it looks like you met today's quota and then some. Wasn’t so hard, was it.” You pet me roughly before unchaining me from the bench. You keep me on all fours and pull me to the pen by a rope leash. You set up my trough with a familiar slop only given when I have done good for you. I lap it up eagerly and moo my thanks to you. You wait for me to finish the meal before locking me in the barn to sleep. “Good night, my needy cow. I have some buddies coming in from out of town tomorrow, and I invited them to breed you as much as they want. So get some rest. A few of em’ are insatiable.” You chuckle to yourself and lock the door, leaving me to curl up on a makeshift hay bed to sleep.

I am startled awake by loud laughter. I scramble up and find you and 8 or 9 men standing around the pen watching me and making jokes. You unlock the pen and lead me to the barn again. This time restraining me into a breeding bench. My ass and cunt raised and legs spread lewdly to expose my holes for use. “Okay boys, have at her. She’s already sopping wet and dripping” I shiver feeling your finger run along my slit “Be as rough as you like with her. She’s just a dumb animal after all.” You leave with a few of the men and a few stay back and wait for their turn. Ths first to push into me is huge and stretches my cunt painfully. And then starts the long day of being bred and used by you and your friends. A good cow is happy to be bred though. How else will it make milk and be allowed to stay with Sir.

[lennsart]

what is the autism fic about?

this is starting to feel like bullying-WHOSE FEELINGS ARE ETTING HURT???

and b*tch are you okay, is someone having a breakdown in there omg FEED ME

Ooooo you really sniped two of my most dark fics out of the three you chose 😂

I've already answered about "This is starting to feel like bullying" so I'll answer for the other two !

Let's start with the softer one :

- The Autism fic

"The Autism fic" is about... What's in the title ! lmao

It is also one of the Legend-centric one, but everyone has an important role and will get their moment to shine :)

Directly from my notes :

"Everyone is autistic 🎉

Legend has been raised to hide and mask it, and is ""conditionned"" to think it's rude to let autistic traits show

So at first most of the Links are like "wow, what an asshole"

[...]

Time and Wars are going full parents mode, they want everyone to feel comfortable in the group, so they try to protect them from ableism... which Legend does without knowing what it is

So they don't get along well

Actually it's like :

Know they are autistic and what it means :

- Warriors (spent a lot of time researching trauma response and the way the brain worked after the war (firstly to help his friends))

- Time (learned the terms during the war)

- Four (not the exact word, but he knows about neurodivergence)

Know they are "different" :

- Hyrule

- Sky

- Legend

Never really thought about it :

- Twilight (when he was a rancher it perfectly met his needs (I'm sure petting goats when you're overwhelmed is like THE remedy) and afterwards, some people were rude in castletown but he thought it was because he was a villager)

- Wind (is seen as a hyperactive and curious kid but not really more)

Wild is special because he knows, but also think it's because of the 100 years sleep thing ? And who cares, he saved the world and spend most of his time alone anyway."

I have the story planned out and a few scenes written, but it's mostly ideas and random scenes, it's far from being done (and not the wip I'm working on right now !)

Basically, in the downfall timeline people get more scared of difference and intolerant (maybe even because the fallen hero was autistic and they're like "well look how that turned out", but it's... A pretty sad idea). So Legend has been raised to hide it, and have constently been told that the way he acted (stimming, questionning social cues and stuff) was rude, unproper, and more importantly, dangerous for him.

I'll put the beginning here, because it summarize the whole thing pretty well, but I'm sorry for the length of this answer zhehhzehbhbezhez

Snippet :

"Apparently, the weirdness was a hero thing. 

Legend was quite puzzled upon this discovery. He had thought his whole life that the weird was a 'him' thing, and a bad one. That what was natural to him was very rude and that he needed to change it.

[...]

He was used to conceal.

He was used to act, smile and look in the eyes and laugh with everyone else. He was used to control, checking every few minutes if his hands were still and quiet. He was used to pretend to be like everyone else, and to be able to release those barriers when he was home, to collapse for an hour or so in his room, in the dark and under his covers.

Somehow, when he traveled during quests, he got surprised to note that he was less tired from a day of walking and exploring than from a day in town. Somehow he felt more like himself when he was alone on the road and bouncing on his feet when he saw a fun animal that he had never seen before.

Somehow, he had associated that feeling with travels.

And he was quickly understanding, as he spent time with other heroes, that he should have associated it with being alone.

He couldn't rest. Well, no, he could rest, they slept on the road and they didn't overwork themselves, but he couldn't rest like he did at home. 

Because everyone would see, and it wasn't because they had some of the weird that they would accept all of his.

The first few days, he managed. He had met the heroes while in a bad mood, and didn't bother to force any smile he didn't want to. They categorized him as grumpy, and not only was that fair, "grumpy" was an incredibly easier role to act on than "agreeable".

(Probably because it was less polite, but... It was a bit late to be, and they didn't seem to mind too much.)

But after a while, it started to wear him out.

He joked less and mocked more. He was more tired and thus less considerate. He didn't manage his tone as well, nor his facial expressions.

He played with his rings a lot (which was an acceptable way to let out some steam, he had found out while observing adults in town, but only as long as it didn't become obsessive). He felt frustrating needs to just gesticulate nonsensically until his body felt less stiff, less foreign, more... Right.

He didn't feel right, was what it was.

And he resented the other heroes for not making any effort."

- Bitch are u okay

I want to clarify one thing : when a wip have a funny title, most of the time they are speaking to me !

"This is starting to feel like bullying" meant bullying towards Legend, that I kept writing whump about.

So the question "bitch are u okay" is directed towards ME, and the answer is no :D (at least when I started writing this)

This is legit the heaviest wip I worked on :)

To put it simply, Legend is depressed, very much so, and Dark Link feeds off the heroes' negative feelings. This doesn't mix well as you can guess !

The first part of the fic would be a descent to hell. Poor Lege is already struggling, and the more he tries to make an effort and do things, the more he feels like he messes up. So why try at all ?

I think I have written about darker themes, but the fact that this is often Legend's POV makes it kind of... Hard to read, in a way ?

I only write on this wip when I'm either in a good mood and know it won't affect me, or when I struggle and need to vent, no in-between because then it would make me feel down.

And, yeah, Legend is having a breakdown in this one. A big one 😅

But what is important to me is that the second part of the fic is about healing. It's about how having a good support system helps, how healing isn't linear but progress is always progress. It's not just a vent fic, I want Lege to get better, dammit !

The thing is, I like "healing" as a theme for my fictions, and the next long fic I plan on posting also speaks about this (with a twist). I just don't know if I should fuse those two fics (but I'll lose some of what makes them special in both cases) or if I should just assume that I'm always writing the same stories in different fonts 😆

I don't have a big snippet for this one, but just to set the tone, it starts like this :

" It's just one of those days.

Legend wakes up, barely opens his eyes, and suddenly, existing is too hard.

Getting up and eating and talking with friends sounds like torture. Having to wait for the night to be able to curl up under his covers is already an ordeal, and for Nayru's sake he's not even out of his bedroll yet. "

(I'm sorry for the length of this post oh my god now THAT is rambling)

[maggicktouched]

@burnnouts

The Northmen did not deny him entry. He was certain they wanted to---with the ground encrusted with frost and monsters pulling children from their beds under cover of darkness---but he was not a man easily denied. Nor unprepared to be an unexpected guest during a time of peril. Three hundred men accompanied him, over half of them in their bear forms. They came with carriages pulled by hulking, four-legged beasts covered in thick curly fur that each sported an enormous horn on its nose. He had also acquired all manner of horses on his way from the southern portal to Westeros; they'd likely need them during the evacuation process if all went to plan.

He had not filled his carriages with people, but rather with gifts. Food, mostly, but furs and cloth as well. There was some gold, he was a rich man, after all, but what good was gold in the dead of winter? It wouldn't keep a fire burning through the night or fill a belly if there was nothing left in the stores. He had brought enough food to feed both his men and the mortals for a couple of weeks. Between his own stores and theirs, surely they'd make it back to the gateway without anyone going hungry. He detested the thought of anyone laying down their head without a full stomach.

Without an excuse to deny him, and potentially frightened by the large party of armored bears, the Lady of Winterfell had opened up their doors to him. She was quite pretty---and quite displeased by his lingering presence within her castle walls. But their king had gone to some Wall, and Karl would not leave until they spoke man to man. Maybe he'd give him a proper brawl like a real king, or maybe they'd just talk. All that mattered, at the end of the day, was getting him and as many people as he could convince, to come with them and make a new home in the heartlands of Bygghlaða.

Karl was sitting in the square of the town just outside the city walls, carving tiny wooden animals and handing them to children brave enough to approach him when a young man came to inform him that the King had returned and would see him. He grinned, raising up to his full height, and brushing the snow from the fur of his cloak. The younger man was not a child, but standing side by side with the Bear King, he almost looked like one.

As the guards pulled open the doors to the Great Hall, he could see a twinge of fear on their faces. Finally, this mysterious man from gods only know where would reveal his true intentions, and even if he hadn't been quarrelsome thus far, that didn't mean he would not be when everything was brought to light.

Karl pretended not to see. He strolled into the courtroom with his head high and shoulders squared, four of his own men following at his heel, and when he saw the young king upon his throne, his smile only broadened. A visible shock passed over the faces of his men as Karl, their proud king who was a great leader and proven warrior, bent his knee and bowed to a child on a stone chair. After a moment of stunned silence, they followed his lead, but Karl's humility was not long lasting. He stood a second later and spoke to the young king in a tone like he was greeting an old friend.

"You are King Robb! At last! At last! We meet. I am honored." He called in a booming voice that echoed in the thin air. He placed a hand on his chest. "I am Karl Pallson, King of Bears. For you, I have come great distance. I bring gifts---food and wine and good fur. Come! Bring the wine! I make it myself."

He motioned to one of the men behind them, who darted back out of the Great Hall.

"We can sit?" He asked, walking over to pull a chair from a table anyway. It creaked under his weight. "I will sit. You are handsome king. That was true. A pretty man. You can fight, yes? Bears we fight as greeting. No swords, no claws, no armor. Just men. Fists. We can fight, handsome king. Or we talk. Both ways I am happy."

[unexpectedbrickattack]

Ngl I'm kind of dillydallying around my own SDV fixation and i'd KILL to see what your brain is doing to this game like i for one would eat up dat stuff UP . . .

I love the way this is phrased; genuinely 😭💖 like im a force of nature tearing through any new interest like its made of wet tissue paper 💥💥💥

I thought about it some more and i will (eventually) make an sdv blog. Its going to be a mess having all my interests on one dashboard (im lazy and i dont want to sign in and out all the time for diff accounts lol) but i need sdv stuff in sight or ill explode. For now tho i will ramble about random hcs rattling around in my brain

- The valley is FULL of magic, but not alot of Magical Beings that utilize that magic. If the residents of pelican town knew more about magic, there would be alot more wizards than just. The Wizard.

- Everyone in pelican town has some kind of latent magic, or at the very least, an affinity or sensitivity to magic. I like to think that magic builds in very secluded corners of their world and the area including (and surrounding) pelican town is simply one of those places.

-(sorry, i am just obsessed with Places and Magic) I like the idea of your farmer being drawn to pelican town bc they have a bit of magic in them. The letter is just A Letter, but it is the desire to see this town that makes them leave their old life behind. I am obsessed w the idea that the magic in the farmer craves the valley bc it sees the valley as its home, and by extension, the farmer sees the valley as their home. The people of pelican town rarely leave bc the magic in them sees the valley as their home always. The biggest examples of this are Kent, Demetrius, Evelyn, Emily and Shane. The huge exceptions to this (still workin on it) are lewis and sebastian; lewis bc i see him as a normal, non-magical being trying to wrangle the weirdness of this town, and sebastian bc his feelings of isolation and not being understood propels him to crave the world outside of the valley. (That changes a bit if u befriend him/romance him)

-(shane is weird bc hes super depressed and lonely but his happiness comes from his new ‘ragtag family’ (his words) and his very Not Normal chickens. The animals of the valley love him bc he loves them and he becomes tied to the valley bc of it. Marnie has always loved the animals of the valley and some of the love they had for her definitely rubbed off onto shane, who very openly admits he loves the chickens 💙)

-I wasnt very fond of the idea of purple=magic but i think that was bc i often saw it as a way to tie-in the wizard and abigail. I am still trying to get through the friendships for everyone but rn it doesnt feel like theres any connection between them (and caroline). But. I do like the idea of odd, unnatural colors coming through bc of magic. Alex and Pierre having normal brown hair; Haley and Sam being true blondes. BUT. Shane and Jas having purple-ish hair. Emily and Caroline have blue toned hair. Even vincent have pinkish hair 🥺💖 (and dare i say….sebastian with purple/black hair like shane 👀…maybe he has more magic in him than hed like to believe). Abigail doesnt count bc from what ive seen, Caroline laments about her daughters dyed hair. “When she was younger it used to be chestnut brown” which…awww she took after her dad lol.

- LAST THING. This is not an hc i am just mad about this. I cannot believe the game doesnt allow u to befriend Marlon. What the fuck. What the fuck !!! I love him!!! I want to be friends w the chill monster slayer! Im a monster slayer too!!! Let me give him gifts !!! Fuck ! 😭😭😭💥💥💥💥 Also. I know how to write old man yaoi. They shouldve let me do a romance path for willy, clint and marlon. And the wizard i guess but someone already did that. Linus doesnt count bc hes ascended the need for human romance; hes one w nature (read. aroace). And we (linus and willy and the farmer) already co-raise leo so that counts for something i think 🤔