#she was like a rugged and tough faith

[starsweepers]

also just noting to myself i really liked the vibe of this side character in the movie so if i ever come up with a new oc potential fc possibilities

[thana-topsy]

Hello! I hope this isn't too much of a loaded question, but do you have any general tips for writing? I'd like to give fanfic writing a shot at some point.

Not at all! I'm always happy to talk shop about writing! As far as general tips go, there are some things that I think everyone could benefit from, so I'll try to condense my opinions and suggestions into A Numbered List. (We'll limit it to 5 suggestions for now).

Read Actively I mean this in the sense of really chewing on whatever it is you're reading. Dig into the meat of That One Paragraph and look for things you enjoy, things that tickle your brain. I'll give an example from something I read recently, which is our lovely @kookaburra1701's newest story "Aristeia" "They crested the final hillock; Mor Khazgur dominated the shallow valley below. When she had been younger, Borgakh had often imagined the longhouse was a lazy cat asleep on a bright green rug, curled up against the rocks of the Druadach Mountains. When the stronghold’s goats were pastured in the glade, they played the role of mice scurrying about under the cat’s nose." I was just ENAMORED by this passage. The whimsy, the rhythm of some the repeating consonants -- stronghold's goats, glade -- and just the imagery it drummed up, reminding me of those fanciful imaginings of my own childhood. So don't just read a lot, but read actively. Read works that inspire you, authors that impress you, and subject matter that's similar to the type of stuff you want to be writing. And think about why you like the things your like, and draw that inspiration into your own writing. Imitate your heroes until you're no longer imitating and it's just how you write.

Accept Constructive Criticism This one is always a challenge in the beginning. The Ego is a powerful little devil, and it'll try to confuse you. It'll tell you that your value is tied to the words on the page. But I'm here to tell you that YOU are NOT the words on the page. Take an objective stance on your prose and your plot. Everyone starts somewhere and (hopefully) nobody ever stops learning or improving. NOTE: Notice I said constructive criticism. This does not mean you should let people tear your work into shreds in bad faith. Listen to people who want to see you improve and also find joy in the craft of writing.

Read Your Writing Out Loud This is kind of self-explanatory. You'll get a really good feel for your own rhythm and flow VERY easily this way. And you'll catch almost any mistakes right away.

Cut All Unnecessary Words This is getting into the technical side of things, but why not? One of the first books I read on the craft of writing (whose title unfortunately escapes my mind at the moment) contained this advice, and it is STILL something I struggle with. Obviously, when you have a character with a specific voice, sometimes they get flowery in their internal speech and observations. I'll use Aiden as an example: "The fort loomed over them, massive and severe. Aiden attempted to judge the architecture and found he wasn’t quite sure what race or nation could have possibly built it. Or when it was built, for that matter. Second era, perhaps? The design seemed more Breton than Nord: austere, angular, and formal. But so close to the Velothi mountains, it could have been Imperial."  I bolded words that don't actually add anything of value to the descriptions here. We lose nothing by cutting them out. But they're how Aiden thinks about the world around him. So I keep them to give shape to his internal processing. I'd say to try to write without these kinds of flavor words first, then start adding them in. Learn the rules before you break them, or break the habit before it becomes the ONLY way you write.

Write Every Day This one is tough in the beginning, but it's so crucial to becoming a better writer. WRITE. EVERY. DAY. Even if it's just 200 words, do it. Make it your little morning ritual or evening wind-down. Pick a time that's just for you and your words. Close all your tabs, put your phone on silent, and just write. Be alone with the world that you are trying to create. And soon enough, you'll find that you can't go a day without writing something. And what a joy that is.

That's my list! I hope you found these tips useful! I also recommend reading books on the craft of writing, too.

Best of luck on your journey! You have infinite possibilities before you.

[meeks-just-wants-to-scroll]

For the ask game:

Micah: 12, 22

John: 6, 8

Oh boy!!

Micah

12- What's a headcanon you have for this character?:

Far too many. I have the bad habit of only giving interesting headcanons to my comfort characters.

A half baked headcanon I have in mind is that Micah doesn’t like dogs because his father would use the threat of being eaten by dogs to whip Micah and Amos into obedience, especially if the kids ever tired on long stretches of walking and fell behind. If Micah Bell Jr ever found a guard dog, he would shove Micah precariously close to the dog, maybe even walk Micah to the perimeter of where the dog’s leash ends so the dog will be barking and snarling a foot away from the kid.

Micah stomachs most of his fear of dogs, coming off as him being an asshole and not liking dogs to look aloof. He will yelp and get away if a dog suddenly gets in his space or barks.

22- If you're a fic reader, what's something you like in fics when it comes to ths character? Something you don't like?:

Woof this is a tough one. I am pretty happy with any fan fic with Micah. I have yet to read a LOT a lot of fan fics on ao3. I’ve read a few on Tumblr (the yn x Micah kind of fics).

I really like when writers accept / lean into Micah being an imperfect, unsexy, sexy man. @amrass is really good at nailing what I mean. He is a bad man! He is fat! He is unhygienic! He is old for the era! He is contradictory and sly! He is somehow a sex god yet also shy as incompetent as a virgin when it comes to genuine flirting! He slouches! I love him for all his flaws and love it when writers find a way to incorporate them instead of brushing them under the rug to make him more conventionally attractive.

John

6- What's something you have in common with this character?

!!!! Hm. I suppose it is being the “middle sibling” , having a parent who loses your trust, and “golden child” feeling.

John and Arthur have always been compared to one another (no matter how much Dutch or Hosea would deny it). Arthur will always be more accomplished because he is older. That is how I feel with my older sibling. I used to be the eldest sibling and I used to be the accomplished golden child (I still am. I still get all A’s) but with me being an adult, I am now expected to reach all these milestone and suddenly have my shit together. John is much the same, being in his 20’s and being forced to be a family man and a pillar of his gang. him disappearing from the gang was bad and foolish, but some days wish I could do the same thing. John gradually becoming disillusioned with Dutch too. This might be more fitting of Arthur, but I was raised so much by my biological mother that I struggled to see her without rose tinted glasses. It was only after she was in the hospital / died that I was able to live without her in my life and unpack what she did. It helped me realize how neglectful and emotionally abusive she was to me and my sibling. Me and John, I think we both had a realization during our long absences.

8- What's something the fandom does when it comes to this character that you despise?

I don’t know. I haven’t been around the fandom (rdr1 and 2) long enough to get an idea of the ins and outs of how characters are treated. From what I can tell, John is treated like a troubled rascal of a man. I feel most interpretations are faithful to the material and have value.

If I had to grab at sticks and pick something to say “this. This is what I dislike,” then I’ll say it is when John is infantalizing in Morston media. Infantilizing characters is my biggest pet peeve in fandoms. John is an adult and much of his story is about maturing. I especially hate when it is used in Morston media because it presses on a bruise when it comes to the fetishization of gay men. Strong dom / sub gay stuff where one guy is treated like an incompetent shy virgin while the other is a buff sexy sex machine makes me frown. It’s mainly just boring to interact with.

Very very few things actually go as extreme as I make it out to be. Most Morston media is fine (I assume). I’m making a strawman loosely inspired by read stuff I’ve interacted with in the past.

[shallowseeker]

I think it's fascinating that Jack appeared to brainwash Kelly and Cas

Regardless if it's that simple or not, this implication often gets swept under the rug even in my own unhinged brain.

It's so interesting to play with, because, one: any bystander would have been scared to watch this mind-whammy happen to their loved ones. Our sympathy for that can get a little lost in the shuffle. It's a beautiful layer to remember to add to the painful clusterfuck that is season 13. (Even if you ascribe that it isn't true and operates on faith, it can certainly look true to onlookers!)

Two: Knowing the extent of how it looked would actually shake Jack to his core. (He doesn't remember everything pre-birth. He remembers Kelly teaching him to talk, feeling safe with Cas, when the bad woman burned, and when the universe screamed.)

But the merest suggestiom that Jack made Kelly love him (right after she tried to kill them)? That he made Cas love him (right after Cas tried to assassinate them)?

No, no, no!

Crushing. This would be Jack's existential crisis--his "is anything even real?" moment.

///

No, Chuck would say. No one can love stuff like you n' me. What you see in them is just the pesky side effect of being us. We compel worship. Tough break, kid. That's just how it is.

[freebooter4ever]

Hello! Another random anonymous but I kept seeing you’re posts about some relationship relating things and saw the negative stuff you’ve said about yourself. Even if they might be teasing jokes about yourself, you might not realize this (and not in a creepy way 😅) but you really are wonderful! I love seeing your posts and you’re personality!

You’re super pretty too! This might sound really random and weird (and I’m honestly probably not getting the right context of anything because I’m sort of confuse about the topic since English isn’t my first language and the events are hard to catch up with) but my grandma has found love when she was in her 50s and has lived a nice life.

I know your situation differ from hers but have faith in yourself. Nothing is wrong with you at all, it just takes time to find the person right for you and when you do, you’ll find someone who deserves you and you deserve them, if you wish to find someone to love of course. But try to remember that you should try and have some more love for yourself, no matter how tough it can get.

Just know that there are people out there and no doubt people waiting to meet you and love you. Haha sorry if this all sounds super weird and awkward, it’s just how the people of my culture see things. There’s always that one person out there who loves you and is waiting to love you 😊

Hi there! Not annoying at all, my entire blog could probably be classified as annoying, this is most definitely not a curated space :). I waited to respond to this cause i wasn't sure how.

First, im really sorry, i should probably tag my insecurity posts with trigger warnings, i know it can be...a bit much. and can hurt other people who read it. The good news is the insecurities usually only happen when im dating and i like...never...date. So as soon as i find a job i will happily go back to 'im too busy to date', and i can shove the insecurity back under the self hating rug. Its like a hornets nest - its only if you poke the nest that you get stung and i keep poking the nest lately.

Second, I apologize if i generalized too much, i am trying to be more aware of myself doing that. There's lots of examples of friends with good long relationships in my life - the friend whose wedding i'm going to has been with her husband for ten years, my other childhood bff has been with her partner for 11, and jelly bean and her husband have been married since 2015 and dating since college (lord we are old). And of the celebrity couples i kinda idolize, im pretty sure only steve ao*ki and recently rami (lol good for him) are the ones with break ups. (i have been REALLY entertained by the sheer sudden volume increase in thirst traps on steve's insta starting around the time nicole got cozy with this new guy and deleted her loving tributes to steve off her account - dont get me wrong i fully appreciate the photos and selfies, enjoying every minute of it but yeah he must be single right now LOL i would feel more bad for him if he hadnt been the one doing the dumping)(it must be hard dating with his insanely fast paced lifestyle though, i dont envy him :( ). So its absolutely a 'me' problem.

My only experiences dating over the years have taught me that i dont have much to offer that someone cant get through friendship (or friends with benefits) - entertaining and fun to hang out with but not pretty enough (or good in bed enough LOL) to be actually worthwhile. At this point its kind of a joke; "its saturday night, why are you calling me, dont you have somewhere to be?" "no, of course not, i was wondering if i could come hang out with your dog"

Thanks for trying to cheer me up? :) i'm sorry i'm an insecure mess!

[1983ram]

LH1983:RAM Episode 1 - Pilot

Summary: Rue places her first call and tries not to worry Bridget as she explains her situation.

EXT. ROAD - NIGHT

We hear the crunching of boots on snow as RUE, a truck driver with gray hair wearing bulky winter clothes over her bulky frame, steps out of her RIG. She takes a second to breathe in the cool snowy air and then puts a cigarette to her lips, puffing on it a few times before heading towards a payphone booth across the road. 

She doesn’t look both ways, not because of the lack of cars, or the fact that everyone seems to have disappeared overnight. RUE simply has faith in the road.

INT. PHONE BOOTH - NIGHT

Once she has paid the required 25 cents, she hits the numbers with more force than necessary, causing the booth to shudder slightly. We hear the dial tone, it goes on for a long while, until finally–

BRIDGET (quiet, audibly smiling) Hi, you’ve reached Bridget and Rue, unfortunately neither of us can come to the phone right now so leave your message after the beep!

There's a long beep, a long sigh from RUE.

RUE Hey Bridge, I- uh… I just finished a job and I’m heading back home, hopefully you get this… I guess I really should head back since something seems to have happened to everybody. 

I mean… even the guy I had to take the parts to, the uh… the dude with the glasses and the fancy suit, he wasn’t even at the office, it was just an empty building! And he- he seemed like he lived there.

(Thoughtful) You think the rapture happened or something? Sorry- I dunno, I know you don’t like it when I get all religious so… I’ll shut that up real quick…

Is it snowing real bad where you are too? Back at home? I know I always worry you when I talk about the weather, you start worrying the weathers gonna run me off the road or something (she chuckles). Honestly, I’m in more danger on those busy roads, all those other reckless drivers, you know me- Er- I guess I would have been in more danger… but now everyone's like gone…

Anyway, it isn’t that bad out here, a lil snow’s not gonna stop me, my rig plows right through it, you’ve seen that. Nah… What I am worried about is this whole… the whole nobody anywhere situation… That’s why I’m gonna get home as soon as I can, gotta get my Bridge to calm my nerves heh… 

Don’t worry, I can already hear you saying (Imitating Bridget) “Please, don’t push yourself so hard! Just get here when you can!” And I won’t… I won’t push myself, after all my old bones really can't take how i used to drive… All that caffeine I used to hammer down as a kid’s gotta have some kinda impact on my life expectancy (She chuckles). And I’ll sleep at night and make sure I don’t forget to eat, no need to remind me.

(Quietly, nervously) I’m um… I did uh… do something a little reckless I’ll admit. My hands… my hand’s been bleeding since this morning, I cut it on accident. I thought I heard someone in this office, hiding or something, so I uh… the door was locked and so I broke a window to get in and see but… I cut my hand on some of the glass. It was a nice office at least heh… I dunno.

We hear her fidget with her bandage, shuffling the phone to a comfortable spot on her shoulder.

RUE (CONT’D) I wish you were here… to like… sew it up or something. I know you hate blood, get faint at the sight of it heh, but… I won't be tough, it's a little bad, but I am keeping an eye on it. I got it covered so it won't bleed too much and won't get worse but… Don’t worry, I think I saw in a movie once they put a rug over some barbed wire to get over it… wonder if that works with broken glass. Might just cut through but… I dunno.

Oh… oh- speaking of movies, you remember all those UFO movies I’d make you watch when we first started dating? I mean- I don't think I need to explain, you see the lights too… right? Real pretty but… Almost like a wildfire or something. They… They seem dangerous but… sometimes I can't help it, I gotta stare. I- I’m gonna avoid it though, wouldn't wanna get abducted after all.

But ah… It… It is getting closer and I should probably keep on trucking on. I’ll call you tomorrow sweetheart… I’ll be there before Christmas, I promise you.

(Singing) “Christmas Eve will find me. Where the love light gleams. I'll be home for Christmas, If only in my dreams.”

RUE’s singing devolves into light laughter, she picks the receiver up and makes a kissing noise into it.

RUE (CONT’D) Love you Bridge, I’ll talk to you soon.

We hear RUE click the receiver back into place, ending the call for the night. She looks out towards her RIG and the snow falling gently and takes a deep breath, she still had so long to go to get home. 

But she had to get there, for Bridget. 

EXT. ROAD - NIGHT

She climbs back into the RIG, sliding her keys into the ignition and hearing the satisfying click as she starts her engine.

We hear her drive off, in search of a place to sleep and something to eat. 

FADE TO BLACK

END OF EPISODE 1

[ladydimitrescusdarling]

Imagine being responsible for delivering food to Castle Dimitrescu for the human residents

Shout out to @shadowphoniex1000 for the prompt for this imagine! Hope you enjoy and the ask box is open!

You had been making deliveries to the castle for several months. In a small wagon you made the trek from the village to Castle Dimitrescu every week. Your legs are strong, there’s a slight toughness to your hands and your shoulders are always aching afterwards

As far as you were aware the food was the staff of the castle so you didn’t ask questions. Perhaps you didn’t want to know

And aggravating the Lady was the mark of a fool

One day you’re a little later than usual. Your wagon had gotten stuck in some mud and your shoulders were aching awfully

This was one of the rare times you encountered the towering Lady Dimitrescu

In a voice as hard as iron she demands an explanation for the delay but once you explain politely with your head demurely bowed she seems to understand

She invites you to stay, the very image of elegance and courtesy. It’s getting late after all and how could you refuse

You sense something darker at play but it’s not your place to question

You’re made to strip of your rugged dirt-strained clothes that smell of earth and sweat as a bath is run for you

As you’re scrubbing yourself clean you suddenly realise you are not alone

“Ah, yes, that’s a far more pleasing aroma, now that you’re no longer smelling like a peasant,” Lady Dimitrescu says, gliding across the room. For all her enormity she moves with such grace

You shrink into the bath so the bubbly water comes up to your collar

She laughs, her golden eyes sparkling. “Darling, you look so tense. Why not let me help? It’s the least you deserve for all your faithful service.”

You’re practically frozen as she kneels down behind the head of the bath, a soft purr in the back of her throat. You flinch as her huge hands curl over your clenched shoulders, practically engulfing them

“So little,” she purrs sensually as she begins to masssge your back and shoulders. “Oh, the things I could do to you...”

[westerosoliviapope]

Scandal Westeros | Councilman Robb Stark

She hates his charcoal gray suit. And that beard. It’s well-trimmed but still too rugged. He'd looked so much like old photos of her father in rich blues with his clean face. Like a classic statesman.

Watching him grow up, Catelyn thought her eldest was the perfect combination of his parents. Her family’s fair features and charisma with Ned’s steadiness and sense of duty. Being the firstborn son of an old family with a powerful name gave him more confidence than either of his parents ever possessed. And that brain of his. He tested into the Storm’s End Military Academy at 15 years old when most applicants weren’t accepted until 18. He would have started immediately if Ned’s death hadn’t thrown their lives into a tailspin. By his 16th name day, he was off to school and by 18 he was leading Westerosi forces into Tyrosh to remove Volantine invaders from their capital. “The Young Wolf,” they called him.

__

“Northerners should know that I’m not afraid of difficult tasks. Of tough, deliberate decisions. On the floor of the Capitol or in my personal life, I’ll never settle for the easy choice over the right choice just because the right choice takes a little longer.”

“Between the olds gods and the new, I have faith there’s a right choice, a true partner and equal out there for me. Until she comes along, I’m married to the North.” He scans the room one more time with twinkling blue eyes and leans into the microphone. “Just promise when she does, you guys won’t mind sharing.”

- Robb Stark as Fitzgerald Grant

[andrewmoocow]

Steven Universe Alternate Future chapter 19: Change your Heart (originally published on July 19, 2021)

AN: So, trying to reform Kevin. Might be a Herculean task to some, but for me, I think I'll try my best. And given that this is almost directly after last chapter, Steven might find this just as challenging since he would continuously resist the urge to go pink and break Kevin's face. But more to the point, let's get things started.

Synopsis: Kevin comes back wanting to become a genuinely better person, but Steven gets suspicious.

Cast:

Zach Callison as Steven, Cactus Stevens

Andrew Kishino as Kevin

Jinkx Monsoon as Emerald

Melissa Fahn as Demantoid

Kari Wahlgren as Pyrope

Jennifer Paz as Laz

Michelle Maryk as Larimar

Deedee Magno-Hall as Volleyball

Auli'I Cravalho as Orange Spodumene

Michaela Dietz as Crazy Lace Agate

Colton Dunn as Mr. Smiley

--

A few days after Steven's faithful visit to the doctor, he went about today trying to keep a lid on his emotions as much as possible as he strolled through the boardwalk, passing by his Beach City friends and tourists along the way.

"Just gotta find something that always makes me happy to take my mind off all that trauma," Steven muttered to himself. He could go to the Big Donut, but something told him it just wouldn't be the same with Dewey running the counter instead of Lars and Sadie. He could also go to Fish Stew Pizza or the docks, but then he would just be reminded of Sadie Killer and the Suspects breaking up. However, there was still one local hangout associated with a friend that hasn't drifted apart from Steven just yet. "Maybe I could give the arcade a shot."

Walking towards the Funland Arcade, Steven found Mr. Smiley just getting done with carrying some new games into the arcade while a poster advertising those games was hanging outside the building. "Just came in: multiplayer version of beloved video game series Undiscovered." Steven read the poster. "Come one, come all."

"That's not all, the good folks at Sumy also have a ton of other classics downloaded too!" Mr. Smiley said to Steven. "Champion of Conflict, Pressure Scramble, Distorted Plastic, all of them GameStation legends! Come try one of them once in a while."

"Well, maybe Undiscovered could help me blow off some steam after the past two days." Steven realized as he stepped into the arcade to play some Undiscovered and pick the series' rugged, hot-shot leading man William Vespucci to play as. However, what he didn't realize until it was too late was that someone else had picked Vespucci's friendly rival Columbus.

"Well well well, been a long while, hasn't it….uh…." Kevin greeted Steven, only to stop short while trying to remember his young one-sided enemy's name. "Ben, was it? You look like a Ben. Or maybe a Finn."

"Hello, Kevin." Steven greeted the bad boy in a strained voice, resisting the urge to put the controller down and punch him in the face. "What brings you here?"

"Well, word on the street is that you've been teaching Gems that once tried to kill you how to be nice to others." Kevin stated. "And I thought, 'hey, why don't I have a slice of that pie?' So that's why I found you."

"Are you sure this is not another excuse to see Stevonnie again?" Steven asked as the game continued. "Because Connie and I are currently abstaining from-"

"Look kid, you were able to get a bunch of sexy galactic terrorists to stop being terrorists, so why not do the same with me?" Kevin suggested with a smarmy grin. "Well, minus the terrorists part. You still get what I mean, right?"

Steven paused the game and turned to Kevin suspiciously. On one hand, the older boy did seem genuine in his offer, but on the other, it seemed like just another excuse to hit on girls. However, Steven did give the likes of Peridot and the Diamonds a second chance, so as Kevin said, he could probably do the same to him.

"Alright, I'll help you." Steven accepted the offer. "After this round of Undiscovered, I'm gonna take you to Little Homeworld to show you around and teach you some basic kindness. But know this, I'm keeping an eye on you."

"Oh, don't you worry, I'm going to be 100% respectful of others the whole way through." Kevin stated confidently. "Now let's get back to gaming."

The two then returned to playing Undiscovered, and they kept on playing for most of the morning until Steven decided it was time for them to go.

--

"So, this is where the magic happens, eh?" Kevin asked Steven as he was driven out of Beach City and taken to Little Homeworld, where he watched many Gems of all shapes and sizes learn how to fit in on Earth and let go of their oppressive pasts. "Is it true that most of these babes were monsters at some point?"

"Yes, they were monsters." Steven answered. "And please don't call them babes, we discussed this."

"I know, but who's to blame for making them all women?" Kevin tried justifying his earlier comment while they got out of the Dondai.

"You know, I never once asked about where the Gem race came from." Steven came to a realization. "Might have to make a note of that later." As Steven looked around the Gem village to see who he can introduce Kevin to first, he could hear a certain voice crying for revenge.

"LET ME GO YOU TRAITORS!" Emerald shrieked while Demantoid and Pyrope tried to keep her from reaching the Warp Pad at the center of Little Homeworld. "I must find our master, she is the only one that can save me!"

"She's been like this ever since we were unbubbled and enrolled here." Demantoid revealed. "While Pyrope and I have slowly gotten more acclimated to the place, Emerald here hasn't."

"Can't you see this tiny slave driver has brainwashed you all?!" Emerald declared with a finger pointed at Steven. "I will never submit to your concentration camp, never!"

"Yeah, she's going to be one tough nut to crack." Pyrope remarked before she got a look at Kevin. "Oh, and who could this be?"

"Name's Kevin, nice dress." Kevin greeted the Garnet with a kiss of her hand. "And I see your little screaming friend's got one eye. Not gonna discriminate, I like that in a girl."

"Kevin." Steven scolded his rival. "I'm teaching Kevin here how to be nicer to folks and less of a pervert. I think he really wants to change, but I'm still keeping an eye on him."

"But I complimented Pyrope's dress. That's gotta mean something, right?" Kevin asked Steven.

"That's a pretty good start, I'll admit, but you gotta do more than that." Steven advised. "Try striking up a conversation with her."

"Okay, I'll see what I can do." Kevin said before turning back to Pyrope. "So, how did you first get here?"

"Well Kevin, it all began when my partner Demantoid and I attempted an uprising against Era 3 using the Light Prisms we owned." Pyrope began explaining her backstory to the human. "We believed the Gem race would be lost without order and sought to install ourselves as the new rulers in place of the Diamonds. However, that would turn out badly and we were poofed & imprisoned, at least until Black Rutile broke us out of our prison to recruit us into her own uprising. But that turned out badly too and we were poofed in the ensuing battle for Earth. Since then, the only other member of Black Rutile's resistance that remained beside the three of us was a belligerent Lapis Lazuli who decided to come here after a Jasper saved her from shattering."

As Pyrope went on, Kevin, out of boredom, rolled his eyes and began to walk elsewhere while Steven crossly looked at him and Pyrope realized too late that Kevin was gone. "Um, where is he?" she asked.

"I'll find him." Steven groaned exasperatedly and walked off after Kevin.

"Pyrope, while you were talking, Emerald had made her escape." Demantoid stated to Pyrope. "I was able to keep her from using the Warp Pad, but that didn't stop her from hiding."

"Oh dear, how could I be so distracted?!" Pyrope exclaimed and raced off with the other Garnet to find Emerald.

--

"Hey cutie, like your curls." Kevin said while trying to hit on a very confused Laz. "What's your name, Baby Blue?"

"Um, Gems here call me Laz." Laz awkwardly introduced herself. "And you are?"

"You can call me the boy of your dreams!" Kevin declared with a flip of his hair, but his advances would have to wait.

"Kevin!" Steven yelled crossly. "You shouldn't have just walked out on Pyrope like that! And you were making good progress too by asking about her story."

"Hey, sorry, she just went on a bit too long." Kevin stated defensively. "And hey, I'm even making a new friend too."

"I was just minding my own business when he walked up and started smooth-talking me, honest." Laz added.

"Well, how about we use this opportunity to give you another lesson?" Steven suggested. "Say you're crossing the street and a woman is in front of a big puddle. What do you do?"

"Tell her to just walk around it?" Kevin answered, causing Steven to facepalm.

"No, you gotta take off your jacket and drop it over the puddle so she can cross." Steven corrected Kevin. "Like in the super old movies. Laz, could you make a puddle?"

"Okay then." Laz complied and generated a small puddle that looked ready to be stepped in with some water nearby. "Well, what are you waiting for?" she asked Kevin. "Just toss the jacket!"

"Seriously?! This is expensive, ya know!" Kevin grumbled while taking off his jacket to spread out on the puddle. "I didn't sign up for this." Once Kevin shed his jacket, he dropped it on the puddle and allowed Laz to cross.

"Thanks, I guess." Laz thanked the human awkwardly before turning to Steven. "See you around Steven."

"You're welcome." Kevin replied with a bow while Steven picked up the jacket. "There, I learned basic politeness. How about that?"

"Yeah, that's a good start." Steven complimented. "Good job Kev."

"Yes!" Kevin cheered. "Wait, did you just call me Kev?"

"Yeah, I didn't know what just happened either." Steven admitted. "Let's go for one more trial for today."

--

At the greenhouse where Peridot usually had her classes, the Cactus Stevens, now freed from Black Rutile's control, were helping Volleyball, Little Larimar, Orange Spodumene, and Crazy Lace Agate with some gardening when Steven & Kevin walked in.

"Oh, hello Steven." Volleyball greeted Steven. "Haven't seen you in a while, how are things?"

"Doing fine, just had a little meltdown a few days ago, but I'm recovering." Steven replied. "And by the way, I heard what happened at that trial on Homeworld. How long were you spying on us for Black Rutile?"

"Since not too long after you faced White Diamond." Volleyball revealed shyly while tears began to leak. "I was only forced to do it by Black Rutile and Holly Blue, though. But can you still forgive me?"

Before Steven could answer, Kevin pretended to loudly clear his throat to get everyone's attention. "It's cute that Cyclops here wants to apologize for whatever, but remember me?!"

"Sorry, Kevin." Steven apologized before introducing him to the Pearl. "I'd like you to meet Volleyball. She was Pink Diamond's former Pearl before getting her eye cracked and later brainwashed by White Diamond. Volleyball, meet Kevin. I hate his guts, but he wants to become a better person so I'm giving him a chance."

"So, your eye is cracked." Kevin gestured to Volleyball's damaged eye. "What's it like seeing with one eye? Does it, like, affect your sense of direction or whatever?"

"Oh no, I get around pretty fine, especially after fusing with Pearl." Volleyball answered brightly. "Ever since then, the crack still's there but you can barely see a pupil now too."

"Cool, cool." Kevin responded, trying to sound interested before he started looking around the greenhouse. "So let me guess, you grow plants here?"

"Exactly Kevin," Larimar said while holding a potted plant in her hands. "Look at the hydrangeas I'm growing!"

"And my daffodils." Orange Spodumene added as she showed off her flower.

"Watching them all grow is the best part!" Crazy Lace Agate cooed while intensely watching the hyacinths growing in her pot.

"Wow, you are all really into flowers, huh?" Kevin wondered while looking over Crazy Lace's shoulder. "I mean, Steven's teaching you all how to be crazy for Earth, so I won't judge."

"See, you're getting interested in what they're doing, and no sign of hitting on them." Steven declared. "Good job Kevin."

"I mean, after you yelled at me for getting bored during Pyrope's story, I just thought I should wise up a little bit." Kevin stated. "Isn't that what humans do or something, learn from mistakes and grow from them?"

"Yeah, that's pretty profound." Steven answered. "Especially coming from someone like you."

"You're right." Kevin realized. "Did I really just change that fast? I mean, I heard you were able to get those Diamonds to play nice with a silly one-liner and they changed just as quickly!"

"Well, not quite." Steven said. "They still got a lot to work out. Everybody does, even you. And me."

"Uh, what do you mean by that, and why do I have a feeling I'm not going to get a good answer?" Kevin asked nervously. Steven sheepishly looked around at the Gems in the greenhouse before taking Kevin away.

"Let's take this outside." Steven declared.

--

Steven took Kevin back to his car and the two drove away from Little Homeworld all the way back to Beach City in complete silence. A silence that Kevin found a bit concerning before the two returned to town before he finally spoke up. "Uh, anything the matter?" he asked. "You've been quiet since we left the greenhouse."

"It's just about what I've been through lately." Steven finally spoke up while stopping the car. "Ever since we last saw each other at that party, I've learned that my mom Rose Quartz was Pink Diamond, went to Homeworld where I saw the Crystal Gems get turned into extensions of White Diamond, nearly got killed by Spinel while all organic life was at risk of being killed by her injector, learned that a sociopathic revolutionary wants to kill me & conquer the galaxy and nearly got thrown off a cliff to my death. And that's only a few notable incidents."

"Wait, thrown off a cliff?!" Kevin exclaimed while the two boys emerged from the Dondai Supremo. "Sociopathic revolutionary? Dang, you been through a lot."

"Yep, and after all that, I learned that I basically have PTSD and my body has been acting really weird lately." Steven continued. "I sometimes turn pink when I get real angry, and more recently my body started inflating out of control a few days ago."

"Yeesh, am I lucky to not have a mom who's a Gem, no offense." Kevin sardonically sympathized. "My parents are usually off doing business or going to fancy parties."

"You know, that reminds me." Steven said as he sat down on the front of the Supremo. "What was your life like? I don't think I ever bothered to ask. Or maybe I hated you too much back then to even think of asking."

"You want my backstory? Well, here goes." Kevin answered and sat down next to Steven. "Just like me, my old man Winston was a real player and a pretty well-off guy. His philosophy of using the right words and moves to win hearts was what won him a wife, my mom Venus, and then came yours truly." He explained. "I was kind of a bit like you as a kid, really sensitive and sweet. But when my girlfriend Sabina ditched me, that was when my dad decided to teach me how to be a charmer. But unfortunately, that didn't win me many friends, especially you. But after spending time with you and helping you get back together with Connie, I just thought it would be time to make a change, but you were too busy to hear me out."

"So, you been wanting this ever since that night?" Steven gasped in realization.

"Yeah, right." Kevin replied. "Then again, like you said, I still got a lot to work out. Which reminds me, what's the status on you and Connie?"

"That's the thing, Kevin." Steven blushed while curling up into a ball. "I tried proposing to Connie so that I'd know what my future would hold, but she said no, and I let it bottle up until the next day at the doctor."

"Wait, you proposed to Connie?!" Kevin exclaimed in shock. "I mean, like, marriage proposal?! Aren't you a little young to get married?"

"Yes, yes I am." Steven replied solemnly. "But still, it was nice getting to talk about it with someone, even if it was with someone I hated in the past."

"You got that right." Kevin declared. "We sure got off on the wrong foot, but even I know you've been through a lot."

"And I know you can be different from your dad," Steven responded. "like how I want to be different from my mom."

"Yeah." Kevin stated before looking at his watch. "Whoo, look at the time!" he realized before hopping off the Dondai's hood. "Got places to be, but maybe we can do this again sometime!"

"If you ever want more niceness tips, you know who to call." Steven said goodbye to Kevin.

"Likewise." Kevin grinned as he walked away. "Catch you later!"

After the two boys waved each other goodbye, Steven got off the hood of his car and began driving it back to the beach house while monologuing to himself. "If I can change Kevin, maybe I could change Black Rutile too." He muttered, but the mere thought of Black Rutile turned Steven's optimistic grin into a tense frown. "Maybe."

--

Well, this has been a more low-key chapter compared to the two chapters before it. But next time, we kick things up again as we move onto Gems' Night Out, which I am so excited to write! We got Amethyst & Lapis as Bond girls, Garnet & Bismuth solving mysteries together, Steven being gaslit by Black Rutile into believing no one ever cared for him & that he must fight back against his loved ones, and Pearl & Peridot mingling with some of the most unique kinds of human known to man: nerds. Like I said, I'm real excited for this.

[wlw-lovestruck-fiction]

Onyx and MC find out that they're having Twins

Written by: @evoedbd

It was a usual peaceful day in the clinic. Sunlight shone through the windows, reflecting the off coloured white walls to bathe the room in a soft, bright light. The air was so light, light enough that one could forgive the beige linoleum floors and the sterile smell which betrayed the calm and gave a hospital vibe. Combatting the sterile nature was a large fish tank, illuminated with gentle blues through driftwood and aquarium plants. The plants waved gently in the currents, joyfully curling around the playful bubbles escaping an ornament amidst the driftwood. The fish danced around their environment, fins occasionally flaring before they dashed off, merrily oblivious to the incoming storm.

Standing guardian to the peaceful waiting room was a lone secretary, stationed behind her large corner desk. Immaculately dressed, as she had been every day for ten years on the job, her occasionally stern gaze held the rabble in line. Under her eye, even the most anxious of patients stayed quiet, perhaps mistaking her for harsh. She was not. These patients who came in were under her care until they met their doctors. For the lives they grew, the secretary owed them a moment of peace. A place to feel safe. Whether it was to hand them pamphlets from her desk with cliche titles such as “what to expect while expecting” or handing them pamphlets to support groups. Sometimes, a simple glass of water or some biscuits were what her patients needed, and she loyally provided, honoured by her small role in helping healthy babies be brought into the world. Though, there was a darker side to her observations. She had to pick out the women at risk, the women in tough circumstances. These women stayed with her, even long after they left her sight. The “unfortunate” accidents which could not be proven as anything but. The husbands and wives who looked just a little bit too angry at being there. The expecting mothers who were too twitchy. The noble secretary kept them all marked, a tiny yellow flag on their appointments.

She had known the moment miss Onyx Wren had come in all those years ago that something was horribly wrong. A lone, terrified young woman who had done her best to be bright and chirpy. She’d talked about her loving boyfriend, how he was so excited for her baby, how he was working extra hard and making her work harder to provide the best life for their coming child. It had come as no surprise when the clinic heard she had lost her baby in a training accident. When the following check-up was under the watchful eyes of her boyfriend. The way he had looked at Onyx still chilled the Secretary to the core, and when she had heard his line of questioning. All about physicality. All about when Onyx could have sex again. She knew. She knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that he had done something horrific, and that Onyx was too scared to speak, too trapped in denial to accept her reality.

Today, the scene had been something entirely different. Onyx had been quiet, terrified even, but she was not alone. With her was a little Asian woman, a hurricane barely restraining herself. The air had changed the moment they stepped in, the Asian woman holding the doors for Onyx, comforting her with amusing faces and gentle touches. The Asian woman hadn’t seemed to care how childish she seemed; her focus was devoted to Onyx. Over her shoulder, a bag containing several textbooks had bounced, textbooks the Secretary recognised as medical schoolbooks on pregnancy and reproduction. That had given her pause. For all the childish energy and wild excitement, the girl had shown, she was so clearly committed. So seriously dedicated to whatever role she was playing for the expectant mother. And Onyx? Onyx, for all her fright, seemed to gravitate to that energy, feeding off it until the two seamlessly worked together, as if they felt the other in their very soul. As if reading one another’s thoughts before they even occurred. It was sickeningly adorable. If only that Asian woman could keep her voice down, then the Secretary might have even been cooing over them.

“TWINS!” The gleeful cry cut through the peaceful din of the waiting room; the roar of a dragon across the countryside. Like the beating of wings, the faithful pounding of footsteps against the floor crescendoed, growing closer and closer. Occasionally, the sound of shoes squeaking from the friction against the floor broke the pattern, or a pause to the steps cued more joyous shouting.

The Secretary cringed, her dedicated typing coming to a halt as she braced herself for the human hurricane. The one she’d read as the emergency contact. Cali Meng Xi.

“Twins! Twins! Its twins! She’s having twins!” Cali continued to shout, leaping and whooping through the waiting room in a flurry of her tie-dyed hoodie and long, powerful legs. The bike mechanic danced, kicking her white high tops into the air with each leap and stride, reminiscent of a frolicking stallion amidst the spring grass. How could she stop? The excitement burning in her body was too powerful to contain, too pure to be tainted by something as cold as rational, mature behaviour or logic. Onyx was having babies. Plural. Not A baby. But BABIES. Twins! Two baby Onyx’s! Double the adorableness in the world. Double the miracles! Her heart was going to beat out of her chest; was going to explode into a shower of rainbow glitter and unicorns delivering bombs of happiness to all. Onyx! Babies!

Behind her, a melodic giggle twinkled. A sound of delight and embarrassment at the same time. Onyx followed at a far more sedate pace, reaching out in an effort to catch Cali’s arm whenever the mechanic was within reach. Of course, Cali didn’t stop bouncing around, her face split by the dopiest grin ever seen. Instead, she took Onyx’s hand, spinning the shorter woman as if they were in a ballroom instead of a waiting room.

“Cali, calm down. Just watching you is making me tired.” Onyx laughed; her voice filled with that undeniable note of happiness. Even as Cali’s behaviour embarrassed her a little, it also filled her with pride. It was evident in the healthy glow of her cheeks, the delighted, adoring twinkle in her oceanic emerald eyes. Her plea was heeded. Cali slowed, sweeping Onyx up into a loving embrace, only to spin her around once again. Onyx simply laughed, kicking her feet playfully before she was gently set down.

“The most beautiful woman in the world is having twins! I love you! I love you all, so, so much! I’m so excited, Onyx. I’m so happy I feel like I’m gonna explode if I don’t let it out!” Cali cried, fat tears of joy rolling down the curve of her cheeks. The truth of her words was evident. Standing still, Cali’s muscles twitched, all rebelling beneath her skin. She trembled, a tangle of energy with nowhere to go. Still, when she lifted her hands to Onyx’s cheeks, Cali was so very gentle. Even trembling, her fingers never became rough as they tucked strand after strand of golden hair behind Onyx’s delicate ear. For all her overwhelming energy, Cali’s hands were nothing but sweet again Onyx’s cheeks, as if cradling her world in her rugged palms. Gently, she lured Onyx into a kiss, the sweetest she could offer. Her lips caressed Onyx’s, pleading, writing her love into every romantic memory. A gesture of such vulnerability offered without fear or shame, unperturbed as to who witnessed such a moment.

The Secretary smiled, surrendering to her impulse to croon over the young women. Even from across the room, she could see the devotion in Cali’s dark eyes, could see how Onyx was her entire world. It was laced through every touch. The tenderness of her hands to Onyx’s barely showing stomach. The love in even the most chaste of kisses, in how Cali pressed them everywhere she could. This hurricane of excitement had no qualms about kneeling to Onyx, to pressing her lips to Onyx’s tummy. About sobbing with happiness. This woman was proud, without being prideful. Intense without becoming domineering. Cali Meng Xi was nothing like the boyfriend Onyx had tried to sell as loving. The longer The Secretary watched, the more apparent it became. Cali’s actions were all for Onyx. Cali wasn’t out to disturb the others, nor was she putting on a show for the crowds. This was her, raw and unbridled, unable to contain herself. She wasn’t trying to seize the stage, she was trying to share her happiness. She was blessing the waiting room with her genuine joy, gifting a glimpse of her soul as she worshipped a goddess in her own life. As she praised the lives growing.

“Six fucking pages.” The doctor whispered as he drew closer, bending down to slide the documentation to the Secretary and keep his words private.

“That woman took six pages of notes. If only all the expecting fathers were as dedicated.” He elaborated, earning a gentle chuckle from the Secretary. The woman gazed into the doctor's eyes for a moment, reading everything he hadn’t said. She watched, assessing for a few moments before accepting the files.

“Miss Wren better put a ring on that girl. They’re perfect together.” The Secretary commented, earning a sound of agreement from the doctor.

Quietly, she flipped to the page, pausing at the yellow sticky dot in the corner. The doctor simply nodded, confirming her thoughts with a smile so large it looked as if his aged face might split in two. The Secretary’s heart almost burst as she worked her nails beneath it, picking and plucking until the label came free. Nothing honored her as much as when she worked it into a nasty ball, then flicked it from her nails straight into the trash. Right where it belonged.

Onyx Wren wasn’t in danger any longer.

[rockislandadultreads]

Books by Lantinx authors for Latinx Heritage Month

(Don’t worry, there are more recommendations to come!)

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

An isolated mansion. A chillingly charismatic aristocrat. And a brave socialite drawn to expose their treacherous secrets. . . .

From the author of Gods of Jade and Shadow comes a novel set in glamorous 1950s Mexico.

After receiving a frantic letter from her newlywed cousin begging for someone to save her from a mysterious doom, Noemí Taboada heads to High Place, a distant house in the Mexican countryside. She’s not sure what she will find - her cousin’s husband, a handsome Englishman, is a stranger, and Noemí knows little about the region.

Noemí is also an unlikely rescuer: She’s a glamorous debutante, and her chic gowns and perfect red lipstick are more suited for cocktail parties than amateur sleuthing. But she’s also tough and smart, with an indomitable will, and she is not afraid: not of her cousin’s new husband, who is both menacing and alluring; not of his father, the ancient patriarch who seems to be fascinated by Noemí; and not even of the house itself, which begins to invade Noemi’s dreams with visions of blood and doom.

Her only ally in this inhospitable abode is the family’s youngest son. Shy and gentle, he seems to want to help Noemí but might also be hiding dark knowledge of his family’s past. For there are many secrets behind the walls of High Place. The family’s once colossal wealth and faded mining empire kept them from prying eyes, but as Noemí digs deeper she unearths stories of violence and madness.

And Noemí, mesmerized by the terrifying yet seductive world of High Place, may soon find it impossible to ever leave this enigmatic house behind.

Hurricane Season by Fernanda Melchor, Sophie Hughes (Translation)

The Witch is dead. And the discovery of her corpse—by a group of children playing near the irrigation canals—propels the whole village into an investigation of how and why this murder occurred. Rumors and suspicions spread. As the novel unfolds in a dazzling linguistic torrent, with each unreliable narrator lingering on new details, new acts of depravity or brutality, Melchor extracts some tiny shred of humanity from these characters that most would write off as utterly irredeemable, forming a lasting portrait of a damned Mexican village. Like Roberto Bolano’s 2666 or Faulkner’s greatest novels, Hurricane Season takes place in a world filled with mythology and violence—real violence, the kind that seeps into the soil, poisoning everything around: it’s a world that becomes more terrifying and more terrifyingly real the deeper you explore it. 

Afterlife by Julia Alvarez

Antonia Vega, the immigrant writer at the center of Afterlife, has had the rug pulled out from under her. She has just retired from the college where she taught English when her beloved husband, Sam, suddenly dies. And then more jolts: her bighearted but unstable sister disappears, and Antonia returns home one evening to find a pregnant, undocumented teenager on her doorstep. Antonia has always sought direction in the literature she loves—lines from her favorite authors play in her head like a soundtrack—but now she finds that the world demands more of her than words. Afterlife is a compact, nimble, and sharply droll novel. Set in this political moment of tribalism and distrust, it asks: What do we owe those in crisis in our families, including—maybe especially—members of our human family? How do we live in a broken world without losing faith in one another or ourselves? And how do we stay true to those glorious souls we have lost?

Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo

In a novel-in-verse that brims with grief and love, National Book Award-winning and New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth Acevedo writes about the devastation of loss, the difficulty of forgiveness, and the bittersweet bonds that shape our lives. Camino Rios lives for the summers when her father visits her in the Dominican Republic. But this time, on the day when his plane is supposed to land, Camino arrives at the airport to see crowds of crying people… In New York City, Yahaira Rios is called to the principal’s office, where her mother is waiting to tell her that her father, her hero, has died in a plane crash. Separated by distance—and Papi’s secrets—the two girls are forced to face a new reality in which their father is dead and their lives are forever altered. And then, when it seems like they’ve lost everything of their father, they learn of each other.

[atiny-piratequeen]

The wildest shit about this is that I trusted at least one of you. Put some faith and comfort into the notion that as someone with a position of power, you'd care and listen to other people's pains and concerns. Your people's pains and concerns. If someone had their own reason why they personally couldn't, there's still more than enough people around that person who could've picked up on why it was wrong instead of just going "I can't understand" and letting that be the shield to all that yall caused.

It was stated that it was a joint effort. Worked on than more than one person. So more than just the one person should've been able to step up and acknowledge that maybe yall fucked up.

People trusted you to fix the problems you caused, as admins thats what you're supposed to do. Not spit in everyone's faces in a scrambled attempt to hide and cover up all you've did wrong, speak to people like their idiots for not fully being on the same wavelength as you when your instructions weren't as clear as you believe them to be ("if you dont like our prompts, you could use your own" was never explicitly stated, but you'd like to act like it was implied and treated people like idiots for not knowing that), insult peoples "critical thinking" and "reading comprehension" skills, when at the same time, you're apparently also not thinking critically or reading when people are telling you that the prompts alone were enough to set off trauma and panic attacks, go out of your way to not even communicate fully with members of your own net with the full, un redacted story as to what happened and why things were canceled, and then one of the admins, again someone in a position of power who's supposed to protect and make sure their people are heard and okay, dumbing down concerns to "keyboard warriors" and people with "too much time".

Yall terminated me and bypassed the three strike system completely, even though nothing I said would have even warranted one strike. Yall falsely accused me of being someone who needed to hide on anon, even though I happily offered to clear my name and send the net an ask to confirm I didn't send yall shit. I still dont know who had it in their rabbit ass mind that I would need to hide on anon to antagonize or talk shit when i said what I had to say TO an admin. TO their face, but if baseless accusations and me "disagreeing" with your event and how its handled is enough to completely terminate me and bypass the rules yall put into place, so be it, I guess.

If we're going the throwing around anon hate accusations, tho, I'll bring up myself how at least two people have said that since they spoke up about this Monster Smash event being triggering to them and not being okay with it, they too, got anon hate.

Gaia had to deactivate yet another account after seemingly being locked out of it/hacked from it for hours, to find her box full of anon hate for having the audacity~ to speak up against the infallible Halloween event uwu uwu.

But I'm blocked, once again, so I cant even see if any of yall have addressed that. Given all the other things yall have swept under the rug and hidden and just spit in the face of, i doubt yall would address that, anyway.

Ksmutclub, I've been with you for years. Ive grown through nets like you that I felt were like family, I've looked up to Admin C for years, praised how she handles tough situations and protects us members and writers alike and I dont know if she's had anything to do with this, or who exactly was right and proper involved, but Im disappointed and honestly still baffled. Yall are not the home I was comfortable being in for years. I hope this Halloween event was worth how many people yall unnecessarily hurt along the way.

[alloutofgoddesses]

 List 10 different female faves from 10 different fandoms

I got tagged by my fav @daniwouldnever! Thank you I’m very excited and honoured. I will admit that this was more difficult than expected. Anyway, in no particular order...

1. Charlie Bradbury - Supernatural

Charlie was the first lesbian I ever saw on screen. She was nerdy and brilliant and a redhead and a total fucking badass. I knew I liked her from the moment she started dancing in the elevator, but was completely in love with her by the time she said “I’m the one who saves damsels in distress around here.” I was able to find myself through Charlie, and I will forever be grateful for that. Also she looks like she gives really good hugs, which is always a required factor of being a fave of mine.

2. Sadie Kane- The Kane Chronicles

Egyptian gods I love this girl. I think when the first book came out I was only one or two years younger than her and I idolized her. Her sass and constant teasing of her polar opposite brother were very familiar to me. I desperately wanted to be able to dye streaks in my hair like her and wear ‘punk’ clothes. What I love the most about Sadie though is her heart. She puts up a very tough front but she wears her heart on her shoulder and would do anything for those she cares about. No offence to her author but my headcanon is that she’s definitely a lesbian experiencing some hardcore comphet. For her sake I hope it wasn’t too hard breaking up with her god boyfriend once she figured it out.

3. Anne Shirley - Anne of Green Gables

For those that aren’t aware, I’m named after this one. It’s my middle name, yeah, but with four letters my mother managed to manifest a daughter with pretty much the exact same personality as the tenacious redhead from Green Gables. Honestly, I don’t mind one bit. If I had to choose a character to be kindred spirits with, it’d be Anne. 

4. Draculaura - Monster High

She’s pink! She sleeps in a coffin! Her style is to die for! She was the first Monster High doll I ever owned! She’s pink! She drinks vegan smoothies and cries easily when she’s frustrated! Draculaura is kind and welcoming and has untreated ADHD! I just really love her okay I get excited.

5. General Leia Organa - Star Wars

I mean. It’s Leia Organa why do I have to explain? She’s smarter than her brother and (ex?) husband combined. She’s the prettiest woman in space. While Charlie was the first lesbian I saw, the Princess was my gay awakening. (With help from Padme too)

6. Nile Freeman - The Old Guard

Again. Why do I have to explain. I love everything about her and every second she’s on screen, but my favourite moment comes after her fight with Andy on the plane. She’s been killed, kidnapped, killed again, had her faith called bullshit, gotten into a fight, had bones broken that healed in seconds, just generally had the rug pulled from beneath her feet in every conceivable way and her external freak out lasts what... thirty seconds? Before she allows Andy to pull her up. Nile’s strength and compartmentalization is insane. She knows it’s not time for her to have a full breakdown, so she doesn’t. She comes from warriors indeed. 

7. Elena Alvarez - One Day At A Time

Ah Elena. Similar ages, sexuality, interests, fathers. I just like her. She’s extremely relatable, and I can’t watch certain episodes without bawling. 

8. Marceline the Vampire Queen - Adventure Time 

As we have established I like vampires. Of all shapes and sizes. They tend to come with tragic backstories and Marceline kind of takes the cake in that regard. She’s very sentimental! She’s mischievous and sings! Her girlfriend is literally Bubblegum! 

9. Aurora/Briar Rose - Sleeping Beauty

Okay, hear me out. A lot of people don’t really like Sleeping Beauty, but I’m here to tell you why Aurora is actually one of the best Disney princesses. 1. She doesn’t even have to do much, she just sleeps for a century. I wish I could do that. 2. She has not one, but two beautiful names. 3. Three fairy godmothers. 4. The solution to the blue/pink debacle is purple I just don’t think Flora and Merryweather would listen to me. 5. Have you heard the original ‘Once Upon A Dream’? That song has drugs in it. 6. Maleficent.

10. Poison Ivy - DC Comics

With the third redhead on the list I can admit I have a type. Sue me, I like gingers. And sexy eco-terrorists who date insane clowns. She just wants to protect the environment, I don’t see what the problem is. 

Alright, I’m outta here. Feel free to participate, especially if you’re: @no-url-idea-tho @thanksgiving-isnt-ur-fav-holiday @little-bird-of-wisdom-2215 @fueledbyprocrastination

[itsuki-minamy]

BEFORE ZERO: CHAPTER 1 "SHIDEN ISSEN" (SWORD FLASH)

Translation: Naru-kun Raws: Ridia

The main forces were on the brink of destruction.

The "Scepter 4" Mobile Task Force, which was urgently dispatched to deal with a person with superpowers, was overwhelmed by the enemy, causing a large number of casualties, forcing the defense.

A personnel transport vehicle rushing to receive a site report is equipped with a late-arrival booster unit, along with "Scepter 4" deputy director Shiotsu Gen.

"How many people are there, Shiotsu?"

Gouki Zenjo, one of the reinforcements, asked from the back seat to the front passenger seat.

Shiotsu replied briefly while receiving the status report from the communication device.

"One person. Hiragi."

"It is not a matter of counting. He is a tough opponent."

Zenjo entrusted his weight to the handle of a Strain control saber. The registered name is "Hekireki”. The specially made blade is long, thick and heavy. It is a substitute that cannot be handled without extraordinary physique and sound power.

"…Interesting."

Zenjo laughs like a beast sharpening his fangs.

"It's not boring."

A member sitting next to him snorted. He is small as a child, but there is no point in drawing on the scale of writing. It is an irreverent attitude.

"You're going to clean up by yourself. Would you like to go?"

A small hand struck the head of his saber. The name of the saber was "Shiden", a special product made from the same material as Zenjo's "Hekireki".

++++++++++

The arrival site had become a mountain of lame tiles.

Three five-story buildings in a downtown area have been completely burned down, one of which has completely collapsed. Additionally, firefighting activities have not been conducted against flames that spread to surrounding buildings. You cannot approach the scene. For a single man who is on the scene.

A man in a black suit sits on a rugged black rock shore against a thick black smoke background.

Eyes bright as a bonfire, he looks around.

"Purgatory" Executive Officer Hiragi Toma.

The red clan, "Purgatory", that even lower-class clan members are comparable in destructive power to other clan executives. Hiragi is the executive, and the current rank is number 3 after the "Red King" and his lieutenant.

He was one of the strongest infidels on earth, except for the "Seven Kings", who had non-standard powers.

His power is individual and equal to a group of combat units. Even if it is "Scepter 4", which is an expert group in different battles, he is not an opponent that can be easily suppressed.

In fact, Hiragi's girth had already been painted with multiple deaths.

The number of ordinary people involved in the structure that quickly collapsed in flames is unknown. Most of them are burned bodies whose identity is difficult to identify.

Some of the bodies that fell around could be identified from the unburned clothing. The guards, general police officers, firefighters who responded to the scene, and the two bodies lying to the left and right of Hiragi were members of "Scepter 4".

Three on the "right" and three on the "left". An unsheathed saber stands out from each back.

A Strain control saber stolen from deceased members pierces the bodies and is deeply nailed to the ground.

The death of the civilian population to be protected and the death of the companions of "Scepter 4" were expected when they arrived. However, what they actually see is a horrible scene that exceeded their expectations.

"…Regrettable."

The moment Shiotsu coughed after seeing the state of the scene.

The reinforcement unit was replacing the injured members. There were some who leapt out of the formation like arrows.

"Scepter 4", Gouki Zenjo, Head of the Mobile Operations Division.

There was anger in his eyes, a smile on his mouth, and the expression of a ferocious beast. The extraordinary blue light flashed on his saber and the muscles of his entire body, turning the body into a meteorite running across the ground.

Zenjo approached Hiragi at a speed that far surpassed ordinary people and nullified the common sense of Strain people. Kick the ground in a low position and use a long saber in the back. The fiery villain and black robes are ready to be cut as he goes.

Hiragi was waiting for him. The moment to burn the lost life. One of the few men in "Scepter 4" that is unimaginable.

"Come on, Zenjo... Demon Zenjo!"

When Hiragi got up and shouted his name, the flame went out from the upper half of the body, burning the suit from the inside. Shoulders, chest, arms and back. A Japanese carving tattoo that was carved on the body when Hiragi became a member of the "Red King" clan and belonged to an antisocial organization. All of them have become wide area burners and put out high temperature and high pressure flames.

Hiragi, who became a human torch, grabbed the sabers caught in the left and right bodies at random. One on the right and one on the left. If he holds both swords with both hands, he will put more effort into the hand holding the handle.

The flames that inhabited the body traveled through the left and right arms and towards the blade of the saber. The condensed power of red talent burns the saber blade, which is the medium of talent, to make it glow red and then more incandescent.

In the end, he waves the saber and throw it away. Right and left. The two blades that have become high heat arrows of light reach Zenjo's body as if sucked.

Zenjo avoided a sword with a slight movement, and struck another unavoidable with his own sword.

But…

The difference between the blade that was thrown in full force and the blade that swayed while running, and the difference in posture, was the difference in power.

He lightly defeated the incandescent blade, and Zenjo's blade shook. The swing of the blade became a swing of posture, and Zenjo's momentum was slightly dull.

Hiragi has already pulled out the next two swords from the left and right bodies and is holding them. It is slightly faster for Hiragi to hit the incandescent blade than Zenjo to reposition.

"I have you, Zenjo!"

At the moment when he stalks...

A small shadow like a child emerged from the shadow of the handsome giant. It appeared in front of Hiragi's eyes, to jump over Zenjo's head. As he twists his entire body hard, use a long blue lightsaber.

"Scepter 4" Mobile Task Force, Akio Minato.

"No!"

In the end, the remaining left blade slammed shut.

Zenjo's sword, which fell into the middle, stopped it.

Thus, for a moment, the situation changed...

A flash of sword spins in midair blowing Hiragi's neck.

Aki fell to the ground, leaving the momentum of haste and lateral rotation, and rolled.

A tall parabola was drawn, and the Hiragi's neck fell a few meters away.

Akio stood up as Zenjo approached his neck and lifted him up. The long Shiden encased in the rear sheath and hitting the hips ending looks like an armed boy. Although she is such a small soldier, the young girl in front of Zenjo, tense and with her arms crossed, she is tough and arrogant.

"It was dangerous, Zenjo. If you weren't there, I would have died."

"No, it was dangerous."

Zenjo, who was inspecting Hiragi's neck, looked up.

"Without me, you would have two parts."

"That is the same as you."

"No, no. Hiragi is a strong enemy, but if you give me a hand, I win. I was the one in danger."

"Don't say regret."

"Right."

He does not resign before Zenjo. In fact, when it comes to combat and fencing, the declaration of good faith is always accurate and there is no exaggeration or fantasy.

But Akio is also bad. Looking back, it seems unsatisfactory.

"What's wrong, Brother Gen?"

"He is the "Deputy Chief", Shiotsu."

Shiotsu, who ran from behind, stopped in front of Akio.

"The "Brother Gen" on the scene."

Ignoring the astringent face, Akio continues speaking.

"That neck is my credit, right?"

Shiotsu replied, deepening the wrinkles between his eyebrows.

"Instead of credit, they're both punitive. Don't be arrogant."

"No, it is bad."

Akio pointed to the tip of Zenjo this time.

"This guy suddenly jumped, so I went into the next one."

"Is no different."

Zenjo argues.

"He just jumped off me. I helped him."

"Both of us. They both have behavioral problems. We will eliminate them later. Return to the transport vehicle."

"But brother Gen."

Extinction and rescue work has begun around the site of the fire. In addition, the work of containment of the remains.

Akio said, looking around at the terrible situation and pointing at the neck held by Zenjo.

"Hiragi from 'Purgatory'. It was really dangerous. If I hadn't acted immediately, there would have been more people killed."

Zenjo nodded with a serious look.

"That's right, Brother Gen."

"Stop calling me "Brother Gen". I have no reason to be called that way.”

Shiotsu said to Zenjo.

"And don't walk around with his neck. Put it in the bag."

"Hm? Ah.”

"Wait in the vehicle!"

To briefly tell the two of them, Shiotsu escaped to instruct on-site personnel and related organizations.

Zenjo and Akio stayed behind. Standing next to each other, they looks like an adult and a child wearing the same saber. Not "like father and son". Two children, a giant and a short young woman.

After a few seconds, Akio said to Zenjo.

"Zenjo. Did you intend to take it to Commander Habari?"

"Hmm? ...Oh, yes. That may be true."

"So you're going to have the commander praise you? You're like a dog."

"Hey, I'm not a dog."

"You're a dog. You are a stupid dog.”

Leaving Zenjo with his neck in his right hand, Akio started to walk towards the transport vehicle.

++++++++++

"It's a dog. It looks like it was a vivid trick."

Two hours later, “Scepter 4” Headquarters, the Principal's office.

When he saw Shiotsu's face at the report, the "Blue King", Habari Jin said with a bitter smile.

"After all, it was the right answer to have partnered with Zenjo."

"Which is the right answer."

Shiotsu does not try to hide the astringent face.

“It is like having two Zenjos. If you don't tighten the reins anymore, eventually you will have a fatal accident.”

"The situation is already deadly."

With a smile on the edge of his mouth, Habari said.

"As far as I know, today's deceased and missing people are estimated to have more than fifty names."

"Six of them are members of my "Scepter 4" Mobile Task Force. If I had tried to control Hiragi with normal tactics, the damage would have multiplied.”

"So is..."

Shiotsu frowned. The wrinkles between the eyebrows get a little deeper.

"Zenjo is correct."

"People with powers are treated by people with powers. That is the importance of the existence of" Scepter 4 "as a security organization. If the Strain is out of the standard, non-standard personnel need to be reapplied."

"Then it is a matter of luck. We are not in a good position to bet while betting on the security organization. This time we were lucky, but if we repeat this many times, it will eventually become serious. It will cause a collapse."

"It is my role as the 'King of Order' to find an opportunity in chaos... but Shiotsu. You are right. I want to reduce the frequency of tremors."

"What does that mean?"

Habari often makes such innocent speeches, but Shiotsu decides to listen honestly each time. Also for this man, it may be necessary to have some kind of reins, he has that thought.

Breathe softly and look out the window, Habari said.

"The reason the fugitive Hiragi Toma appears to be an overreaction to the general questions of police work. It is not the reason. Just like the smell of sake the other day, the wind blew up a bomb on the road and that's it.”

Got distracted? No, that is not the case. Shiotsu responds without breaking his solid stance.

"Oh, there's no reason for their sabotage. We need to be more vigilant about it."

“This is the same as saying nothing. But from a public point of view, we can only say it.”

Habari continues speaking, shaking his feet.

"No matter how vigilant you are, it may not be enough. It is not just Hiragi. They, the members of the red clan, are a swarm of live bombs. This situation continues and the tragedy repeats until a clan called "Purgatory" is dismantled and all its members are under proper control.”

"Hm, that is... but it would not be possible to crush "Purgatory". It is that man who is on top of them."

"The "Red King" Kagutsu Genji."

Perhaps to his dismay, when Habari spoke his name, he felt that the temperature in the room had slightly increased.

As usual, Habari keeps his face cold, cuts out words, and listens to Shiotsu's expression.

But Shiotsu said, feeling the sweat on his forehead.

"What do you mean, Habari?"

"Today's case is considered an important touchstone. We will discuss the new formation and operation of combat units and their effects."

"Stop saying things that you carry with you. Say it clearly."

Even in Shiotsu, the answer has already come out. However, he cannot be convinced until it is clearly said from the mouth of the Blue King himself.

With wrinkles between his eyebrows, Shiotsu looked at the Lord.

"That's…"

Habari smiled radiantly, with a cold look from his murderous gaze.

"That is, there is a rule to kill Kagutsu."

(To be continue…)

[risingsouls]

Conversations: 5

[I finally finished this. They kept wanting to keep talking and I struggled to figure out where to end it :’3. So it’s a dumb end but fitting lolol. I also got to reference the one of my favorite things I’ve written about Vegeta which I will shamelessly plug here.

Also I edited this while like half asleep so forgive me for typos and shit.

Bonus end: Vegeta returns and carried her to her bed because I’m a sap and this is my OTP. ;3;]

“Want anything to drink?” Nabooru pulled the fridge open and leaned down, considering her own options. “I’ve got pretty much anything in here: water, juice, soda, alcohol.”

Vegeta lowered himself onto one of the couches, watching her disappear behind the island’s counter separating the kitchen and the living room. He folded his arms and crossed his right ankle over his left knee. “Whatever’s fine.”

When his day began, even after the tumultuous morning he suffered at Capsule Corp., he never would have imagined he would follow Nabooru home, spend time with her outside of sparring seated comfortably on her couch, or consider staying in the guest room she offered. To spare his pride at least for the first few times (if it became something regular at all; that_ he had yet to decide), he planned to train later than her and return while she slept. However, he had every intention of ensuring she made good on her promise and explain her earlier claim, her motive behind the almost too generous offer.

“Don’t think you’ve gotten out of answering my question from earlier.”

Truthfully, she hoped he had forgotten. She fished out a few bottles of water and considered the coming task at hand. Standing, she closed the refrigerator and opened the freezer, pulling out a barely touched bottle of whiskey. A gift from Nappa.  “Of course you didn’t.” Opening the cabinet, she grabbed two glasses and filled them with the amber liquid. She wasn’t about to tell this particular story without a little help nor would she drink alone. She idly wished she had waited to change from her training clothes to the dull orange camisole and a pair of dark gray shorts; at least that would offer her another chance to stall.

She picked up each glass, holding them by the lip between her thumb and forefinger, and, after a second thought, tucked the bottle of whiskey beneath her other arm along with the pair of water bottles. “You sure you don’t want to change or something? Take a shower?” She placed one glass of whiskey and bottle of water in front of him on the circular table before taking a seat on the couch across from him on the other side. “I could probably talk to Lanu about potentially fixing your armor, too. She’s good at that sort of thing.”

“You’re stalling.” His glare slid from her to the drinks offered to him. He snorted when he caught a whiff of the alcohol. If her attempts to distract him weren’t evidence enough to it, the liquor more than solidified the fact that the story was not one she was fond of telling. It seemed to be their normal vein of conversation if the topic didn’t revolve around fighting. “I don’t have anything here to change into, and I’m not wearing your clothes or some other stupid suggestion you might come up with. Now talk.”

“Have you just been dwelling on this all day?” she huffed, disappointed her every tactic fell flat. She swirled the liquid around in the glass, considering where to begin. “I’ll have to give you a little background to how I ended up in that state of mind…”

She shrugged the stap of her tank top back up onto her shoulder. The story at hand would force her to delve back into her most painful memories. Those that started the unfortunate domino effect that forced her into tough scenarios and even tougher decisions. Many of which she wondered if she chose correctly and the potential alternates kept her up at night. Those loose ends left untied that niggled at her mind and perturbed her.

"You remember how I told you that our king had planned to overthrow Hyrule and likely take it over himself?" 

Vegeta nodded once. Though most of those who thought they knew him best would protest, the Saiyan prince remembered more details about the people around him than he let on. As long as he deemed it useful or the more rare occasions he found it actually interesting. Her story fell under both categories.

Nabooru considered a swig of her whiskey but held off. Her chest felt too tight, even after all these years. It was almost laughable, her claims questionable. A woman whose very purpose in life for as long as she could remember was to serve and protect her people, to pull them from the deepening pit they found themselves in and better their lives and allow them something sustainable that didn't rely on scavenging and scraping by. Who had pride and passion in them, who admired their ambitious but equally passionate king committing the highest crime against the two things she held most dear.

"As his second in command, he trusted me with his plans. It started as a wild dream chasing an artifact I'm still not sure exists that could grant a wish to help us to...something darker. More dangerous. I saw him change right before my eyes over those years. He became obsessed, and the line between helping our people and securing power became blurry." Now she took a drink, the burn of it easily disregarded in conjunction with the pain of memory. "Our relationship aside, it worried me. It all felt dangerous and wrong, a power not meant for us or any other mortal. He not only endangered himself on this quest, but I saw how it could further endanger our people. The Hylians believed we worshipped our kings like gods anyway, so it wasn't a far leap for them to assume that, should Ganondorf fail or be found out, that we would rise up and try to finish what he started. Give them more reason to hate us and incite violence against us with a more solid stance than they held previously.

"Had we not suffered so much in the war, if Hyrule's alliances with the other races remained more tenuous and their hate for us was a little milder, maybe I would have had his optimism in the plan, knowing we could defend ourselves if things went wrong. I hadn't yet fully seen the walls we faced in resolving our differences diplomatically, and that is, unfortunately, where my optimism had lain. We argued plenty about his obsession with the Triforce, but it wasn't until I found out that, in order to obtain whatever he needed to gain access to it, he had attacked the other races when they wouldn't comply. Such show of force when we were all meant to be unified, such violence of degrees that could severely damage whole communities, wouldn't go unnoticed or swept under the rug. That is when I knew I had to stop him." She felt as though she was back in that moment in the Spirit Temple, face to face with Ganondorf for one of the last times. The weight of her decision to defy and actively try to stop him crushing. What that decision meant by their law.

"And I did try to stop him and sabotage his plans. I gave him the impression that, at his warning and what he considered mercy, I was self-exiling myself to avoid execution. I disappeared into the desert for several days before returning to our temple which he had since closed off to use as his base of operations. I defied the orders set that all Gerudo stay away from the temple, information I gathered from Aveil when I returned to the fortress first. None of them knew I had even been technically exiled, likely so he could save face and maintain the appearance that he wasn't up to something they might not like. But, when I returned to the temple, I was captured by his mothers and imprisoned, set to face trial for treason against our king and our people, the only things that truly mattered to me."

Sipping at his own drink, Vegeta didn't miss the twisting of her expression when she uttered the word treason. The pieces of her history were clicking together far more succinctly than they had with the first telling that lacked these more...personal details. He supposed they hadn't been needed to answer his first question about who filled the role of Frieza in her life to answer it sufficiently. He employed similar tactics when he could get away with the bare bones of the information, either to protect himself or avoid discussing matters he didn't care to or found irrelevant. Though he could not relate to her dismay of betraying her king and country, as he never got the chance to do so, and betraying Frieza hadn't required much emotional searching. All he had to fear was death for the attempt, and he never particularly felt alive during that time, anyway. She faced her entire people's scrutiny and the personal shame of turning on her king and by proxy them, which likely called her trustworthiness and allegiance into question. Among other things.

“And yet you weren’t executed, obviously.”

Nabooru sensed the hint of impatience; she supposed she should have warned him the preamble was a lengthy one. It wouldn’t deter her from telling the tale correctly. “No. I was given a trial and we both told our sides of the story. My service to the Gerudo in the past and genuine concern apparently helped me avoid outright execution, much to Ganondorf’s disappointment. He and the Elite instead sentenced me to the Kavi Dorova, a cave that leads to a series of unknown challenges. No one had ever survived it, so it was as good as a death sentence. On the off chance I did survive, I could return to the Gerudo with my rank intact.”

Vegeta snorted. “I take it your king had little faith you would survive, then. Or he planned to strip you of your rank on the off chance you returned despite the judgement.”

“I never got to find out,” she replied, chewing the inside of her lip. She drained her glass and refilled it. “He was gone by the time I healed up after the ordeal. Which is where your question comes into play.

“I don’t know how long I had been down there or how far I had gotten. Each fight was harder and felt more pointless than the last with more numerous and powerful monsters each time. Half of them I didn’t even recognize. I was starving, dehydrated, had sustained more injuries than I could count, and had almost been frozen to death by some ice beast. As I tried to rest, curled around the lone torch in the room for warmth, I was ready to give up. Nothing mattered to me any more. Not my pride or my people, not fighting or my talent as a warrior. None of it had saved me down there and I was ready to just perish. It would be easier than going on. Easier than facing the Gerudo again if I ever escaped that hell."

She rested her back against the cushions. "But...I was never one to just settle for easy. I was too stubborn to let that pit beat me. Somehow, I fought on. I remembered what my people had suffered and, despite the hole they tossed me into and a fair portion of them wanting me killed on the spot, I had dedicated my life to being a Gerudo warrior and protecting them. I convinced myself I had to get back and make good on that promise no matter what they thought of me.

"The last things I remember is nearly being gutted by a Darknut, stabbing him with its own sword, and dragging myself on the ground toward a light. Aveil said they found me barely alive outside the cave and losing a lot of blood. I woke up to finding out Ganondorf had been captured and arrested and that I would have to take over as leader."

The Gerudo's laugh was short, bitter, and she took another hearty swig of the whiskey. A position she never thought she would ascend to since a king sat on the throne in her lifetime. She wanted to feel honored, but the increasingly hostile environment she awoke to made the promotion a bittersweet one. Between a split tribe at home and fighting a losing battle for the barest of scraps to help her people abroad, it was a wonder how she didn't snap and lead them into that losing war anyway. 

"It didn't take long for that confidence to waver. I quickly realized that the monsters down there were far easier to combat than those I found on the surface: I didn't feel guilty about killing them for my survival."

"Guilt is a pain, isn't it?" He smirked at her and poured himself another glass of the whiskey. "I'm sure you would have felt much more satisfied if you tore through the bastards that wronged you like you did those beasts in the pit. I may not have gotten Frieza, but I killed three of his best men who were almost as bad along with the better portion of his special forces."

To his surprise, Nabooru smiled herself, and she laughed softly. "I'm not sure there's a day that doesn't go by that I fantasize about it. That I don't play out potential strategies in my head that might have brought us success. I even drew a few up when I was bored once. Burned them but…" She trailed off and raised her hand, palm to the ceiling. An orange-to-yellow gradient ball of ki materialized atop it. "The others seem happy enough here. Safe might be a strong word, but learning ki has helped us stay protected." 

Save for the one time they all died apparently. The lack of memory of that event still bothered her. Another story she wanted to press from Vegeta if she got the chance.

"If we had this knowledge back then...for our whole existence…" She closed her fist around the glowing energy, dissipating it in a small shower of sparks. "I wonder how things would have been different…"

The prince understood those longings, the constant wondering what could have been done better, what one aspect could change the outcome of his life. Back when he served Frieza and before. In more recent memory. He knew it was all pointless conjecture, and he suspected she did, too. But it didn't stop them from wondering about the lives they, perhaps, should have had.

"Chances are some bastard like Frieza or his brother Cooler would take interest in your warrior race and forced you into their servitude. And if you were lucky, they would leave more than a few of you alive to serve in their army." Lucky. he had come to despise that word since Frieza used it in regards to him not being blasted to bits with the rest of his race. "Lucky might be a strong word, though."

Nabooru sipped her whiskey, glad for the warmth and lightness it began to provide. She should stop, if only for the risk of facing the consequences in the morning, but, as if in direct defiance of her own thoughts, she finished off the glass and poured another. "You're probably right." Shifting to the side, she rested her weight against the arm of the couch and stretched her legs out to the side of her, tracing the rim of her glass with her finger. "Tell me about those guys you killed. Like how you did it. Maybe I can live vicariously through you."

“Is that how that works?” Vegeta snorted and drained his second glass, filling it again to join her on the third round. He wondered at the strength of this liquor. Earth’s typical fare didn’t usually affect him after two drinks. He wouldn’t describe himself as tipsy yet by any means, but he was willing to blame the alcohol for silently turning their casual conversation over drinks into a contest. “Fine.That was the better half of that damn trip to Namek…”

Before everything went horribly wrong, and, when he saw her tilt her head slightly to the side and her lips part to ask what he meant by that, he drew her focus back to the first request. Strange as it was, considering what he gathered from her thus far.

“Let’s see…” He raised a glove hand, casting the bare tips of a few of his fingers a fleeting glare. “I blew up Cui and Dodoria. Blew a hole through Zarbon.” He ticked each one off on his fingers. “I decapitated Guldo, knee dropped Burter in the throat, and blasted Recoome and Jeice to oblivion.” He decided not to mention that Recoome and Burter had been incapacitated by Kakarot in an impressive display of speed and strength prior to his finishing blows. 

“Wow…” None of the names meant much to her, but she had no trouble believing those men who served a monster like Frieza so loyally possessed the same mindset he did. And if Vegeta found issue with them and he wasn’t exactly a glowing beacon of kindness and fairness, unless he was outright lying which she doubted on this, she had no reason to question that they had caused him and perhaps the other remaining Saiyans trouble while they were in Frieza’s service. “Sounds like you did have a good day, then.”

He draped his free arm over the back of the couch. “Did that satisfy you?”

Nabooru had to bite back a giggle, the haze of alcohol in her mind sliding it toward the gutter. “Not in the way I was hoping, unfortunately. But what made the rest of that trip so horrible?"

"Besides Kakarot becoming a Super Saiyan before me and killing Frieza?" He tapped his chest near his heart. "Frieza killed me. Don't give me that look. It didn't last long. Kakarot's idiot friends accidentally revived me with the Dragonballs because they wished everyone killed by Frieza and his men back to life. That included me."

Nabooru did her best to wipe the stunned expression from her face, and her gaze followed his hand. With a chunk of his armor missing, she could just make out the jagged edge of a faded scar. He really just didn't catch many breaks, did he?

She finished off the drink in her hand and set the glass on the table before slumping further into the couch to sprawl out more comfortably on her side. "For what it's worth, I'm glad they messed that up." The words left her lips before she could stop them, and, though she hated how sappy they sounded, she supposed the truth in them made them worth uttering. "I mean...we wouldn't have met otherwise, and I wouldn't have a training partner that could help me improve as much as you have."

“Hmpt, how flattering…” He didn’t doubt her words. With staging her tournament and with those who answered her call, she could have requested a sparring partner from many of the other combatants that would provide her at least entertainment if not a challenge to her unexpected strength. And with Kakarot there as well…

“Why did you ask me over Kakarot, anyway? You had the chance to ask him to train with you, and you didn’t.” 

Nabooru propped her elbow beneath her and rested her head on her palm. The question wasn't out of place; even he begrudgingly admitted Goku surpassed him in strength, so it would make sense she seek out the most powerful person to train with. Instead, she had chosen him. Second place over first.

"It was just a guess, but I figured you would be a better trainer for me. Close to the hardened, take no prisoners style of training and fighting I'm used to. I doubted Goku would push me as far as you could. And after finding out that you and I had a similar story in some ways..." She shrugged a shoulder. "Besides, I guess I'm a little biased still after watching the two of you fight that clown android. I know Goku wasn't exactly at full capacity but...well, watching you tear that thing to scrap, feeling the drastic rise of your energy when you transformed...I guess it just stuck with me after all these years. Not to mention your performance in the Warrior Games."

Vegeta had forgotten she had shown up to that fight, no matter how briefly she remained among their band of eould-be heroes. He had been too focused on dismantling a couple androids to pay her much mind. Perhaps if he had, he would have had a competent sparring partner all this time. Decent company, too. His mindset had been so different back then, more erratic and laser focused on his one goal...would he have even bothered should she have asked him to train with her before she returned to her people that day? After the Cell Games? Had she sought him out before her own tournament?

“You were likely correct. Kakarot is too soft to properly train and spar with anyone. He would be too afraid of hurting you, even though you’ve proven you’re more than capable of taking hard hits.” Nabooru stifled a yawn, and the Saiyan noted her heavy eyelids with mild annoyance. “Are you drunk already, woman?”

She stretched languidly and giggled. “No, I’m just a little tipsy.” A slight fib; she had forgotten Nappa’s warnings and her own singular experience with the liquor he gifted her. The effects of it snuck up on her and caught her off guard each time. “Mind your own business. I’m fine.”

Vegeta rolled his eyes and stood, arching his back to stretch his spine. He finished off his drink and snatched up the bottle before she could try to make herself another. She reached out a whole two second too late to stop him and he snorted. “Your shit reaction time says otherwise.” He strode to the kitchen and slid the bottle back into the freezer. “Drink your water and go to bed. I’m going back out to train and no, you can’t come with me.”

Her whine devolved into another fit of giggles and she flopped onto her back. “Training I can’t help with, huh? Just let me know if you do need an extra hand.”

Vegeta paused with his hand on the door knob, the meaning of her suggestion dawning on him far too slowly. He swiped his other hand over his face. “Don’t be crude. Go to bed.”

She flipped him off with a lazy grin. “Goodnight, Vegeta. Don’t have too much fun without me~.”

He merely groaned in response and slipped back out into the cool desert night, door slamming behind him.

[rvseate]

welcome  to  bee  tries  to  write  a  coherent  intro  challenge  !

(   𝘩𝑎𝑙𝑒𝑦  𝑙𝑢  𝑟𝑖𝑐𝘩𝑎𝑟𝑑𝑠𝑜𝑛  &  𝑟𝑒𝑏𝑒𝑐𝑐𝑎  𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑛𝘩𝑜𝑢𝑠𝑒   )   bopping  along  to  𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐬  𝐟𝐥𝐲  by  𝐭𝐚𝐲𝐥𝐨𝐫  𝐬𝐰𝐢𝐟𝐭  is  𝐏𝐄𝐍𝐄𝐋𝐎𝐏𝐄  𝐁𝐔𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐀𝐍  ,  the  𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐲  𝐨𝐧𝐞  year  old  𝐜𝐢𝐬  𝐟𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐞  thrown  back  to  their  𝐬𝐨𝐟𝐭𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐞  𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠  days  with  𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞  of  her  memories  .  voted  𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭  𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐥𝐲  𝐭𝐨  𝐛𝐞  𝐨𝐧  𝐭𝐡𝐞  𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐫  ,  𝐏𝐄𝐍𝐍𝐘  was  known  for  being  𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬  &  𝐬𝐲𝐜𝐨𝐩𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐜  ,  go  figures  you'd  always  find  them  𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠  𝐧𝐞𝐰  𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲  𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐬  ,  but  grew  up  to  be  𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐜  &  𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐭  .   ✎   𝑏𝑒𝑒  ,  𝟸𝟷  ,  𝑠𝘩𝑒/𝘩𝑒𝑟  ,  𝑒𝑠𝑡  .

𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐬.

NAME  :   penelope  dahlia  buchanan

NICKNAMES  :  penny

D.O.B.  :  june  25,  1989

GENDER  /  PRONOUNS  :  cis  female  /  she  +  her

SEXUALITY  :  biromantic  bisexual

𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐲𝐥𝐞.

BORN  :  san  antonio,  texas

RAISED  :  san  antonio,  texas

CURRENT  RESIDENCE  :  rom  valley  university  dorms  (  past  )   /  san  francisco,  california  (  present  )

NATIONALITY  :  american

SPOKEN  LANGUAGES  :  english

SOCIOECONOMIC  CLASS  :  upper  middle  class

OCCUPATION  :  full  stack  developer

PARENTS  :  glenn  &  tammy  buchanan

SIBLINGS  :  blair  buchanan,  lucille  buchanan,  stella  buchanan

CHILDREN  :  none  (  past  )   /   madison,  3  y/o  (  present  )

RELIGION  :  christian  (  past  )   /   agnostic  (  present  )

𝐩𝐡𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲.

HEIGHT  :  5′5″

BUILD  :   a  little  curvy,  not  much  muscle  definition

HAIR  :  dirty  blonde,  wavy

EYE  COLOUR  :  a  murky  grayish  blue

SKIN  :  fair,  prone  to  acne,  easily  flushed

DOMINANT  HAND  :  right

SCENT  :  vanilla  &  lavender

ACCENT  :  texan

TATTOOS  /  PIERCINGS  :  no  tattoos,  ears  pierced  (  past  )   /   a  simple  hello  world  tattoo  on  her  wrist,  ears  pierced  (  present  )

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫.

STRENGTHS  :  conscientious,  kindhearted,  intelligent,  affable,  humble

WEAKNESSES  :  jealous,  self-conscious,  intransigent,  pessimistic,  dependent

ZODIAC  :  cancer  sun,  libra  moon

MBTI  :  infj

TEMPERAMENT  :  phlegmatic

MORAL  ALIGNMENT  :  lawful  neutral

HOGWARTS  HOUSE  :  hufflepuff

𝐛𝐢𝐨.

penny  buchanan  is,  and  always  has  been,  unremarkable,  at  least  in  her  own  eyes.  a  christian  sorority  girl  from  texas  ?  they’re  a  dime  a  dozen.  not  to  mention  penny  is  the  second  youngest  of  four  girls,  all  of  whom  look  remarkably  similar.  the  buchanan  girls  came  as  a  package  deal.  penny  spent  every  minute  with  her  sisters  growing  up  (  though  many  of  those  minutes  were  spent  at  war  ),  trying  to  ignore  their  parents’  relationship  crumbling  irreversibly  as  the  years  went  on.  it  was  an  open  secret  that  glenn  buchanan  was  not  entirely  faithful  to  his  wife.  but  they  brushed  it  under  the  rug;  after  all,  what  else  were  they  supposed  to  do,  divorce  ?  now  that  wouldn’t  be  very  christian,  would  it  ?

penny  first  discovered  a  love  for  computers  in  her  sophomore  year  of  high  school,  when  she  signed  up  for  a  computer  class  because  the  boy  she  was  crushing  on  was  taking  it.  well,  crushes  fade,  but  her  interest  in  the  ones  and  zeroes  that  composed  the  modern  computer  didn’t.  the  first  week  of  her  first  year  at  rvu,  penny  cried  herself  to  sleep  every  night.  she’d  never  been  apart  from  her  sisters  for  so  long.  not  to  mention  she  stuck  out  like  a  sore  thumb  in  her  software  engineering  classes,  which  were  overwhelmingly  male  (  and  in  need  of  deodorant  ).  

but  she  quickly  found  a  home  in  the  sorority  sigma  delta  nu,  all  too  happy  to  bake  cookies  for  their  bake  sales  and  play  sidekick  to  the  bolder,  more  outgoing  girls,  as  long  as  she  was  part  of  a  sisterhood  once  more.  she’s  always  defined  herself  by  her  relationship  to  other  people,  and  a  sorority  is  right  up  her  alley.  she’s  a  little  embarrassed  by  her  major,  since  it’s  probably  seen  as  pretty  nerdy  and  masculine,  and  definitely  downplays  it  lmao  even  though  she  loves  it  a  lot.  she  definitely  was  more  of  a  follower  than  a  leader,  so  if  another  of  her  sorority  sisters  had  drama  with  someone,  penny  definitely  stood  behind  them  and  stayed  quiet  instead  of  maybe  forming  her  own  opinion.

totally  into  the  bachelor  lmfao.  she's  seen  every  season  and  lives  for  the  drama  of  it  all.  just  loves  reality  shows  in  general.  also  loves  romcoms.  she’s  a  total  hopeless  romantic  who  gets  crushes  on  people  way  too  easily

WANTED  PLOT  !!!  something  i’d  love  is  if  penny  had  a  boyfriend  in  her  college  days.  super  cute,  been  dating  a  while,  people  probably  expect  them  to  get  married.  but  she’s  secretly  cheating  on  him.  the  drama  !!!  up  to  you  how  much  he  remembers  of  the  future.  extra  bonus  points  if  she’s  cheating  on  him  with  a  girl,  im  so  gay  and  so  is  penny

college  tl;dr  :  penny  is  your  average  christian  sorority  girl,  sweet  but  a  lil  insecure  and  dependent,  Confused™  about  her  sexuality,  loves  software  eng  &  actually  really  good  at  it  but  embarrassed  abt  it.  can  be  jealous  and  honestly  a  little  spiteful.  way  too  concerned  about  her  image

after  college  !!  i  imagine  the  boyfriend  finds  out  about  her  cheating  and  breaks  up  with  her  lol.  she  got  a  job  in  silicone  valley  and  makes  like,  a  lot  of  money  tbh.  she  gained  more  confidence  and  independence,  but  still  tends  to  make  herself  smaller  and  stick  to  the  shadows  while  her  coworkers  get  the  glory.  i  feel  like  she’s  had  a  few  short  relationships  but  nothing  super  serious.  definitely  had  an  okcupid  account  lmfao.  

she’s  always  wanted  to  be  a  mother  and  at  some  point  after  a  certain  amount  of  failed  relationships  she  was  like  …  ya  know  what  ?  i’m  gonna  do  this  on  my  own.  so  she  got  artificially  inseminated  and  now  has  the  cutest  daughter  named  madison.  it’s  been  tough  being  a  single  mother,  but  it’s  been  so  worth  it.

after  the  reunion,  she  remembers  some  of  her  future,  but  it’s  very  much  like  remembering  a  dream,  where  you’re  not  sure  if  it  even  happened.  the  only  parts  she  remembers  clearly  are  with  madison.

𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝  𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬.

these  are  all  lame  bc  i’m  tired  i  am  sorry

ex-boyfriend.  like  i  said,  a  college  boyfriend  who  she  was  cheating   on.  pleaseee

college  fling.  the  person  she  cheated  with.  would  love  this  to  be  a  girl/enby  but  would  also  be  ok  with  a  guy.  taken  by  vivienne  hale

skinny  love.  maybe  they  were  just  friends  but  always  lowkey  had  a  crush  on  each  other,  but  it  never  worked  out  cause  they  were  never  single  at  the  same  time

sorority  sisters.  pleeeease  give  penny  her  sorority  sisters  !!  her  girls  !!

hbic.  penny’s  more  of  a  sidekick,  so  i’d  love  a  female  friend  who’s  more  confident  and  outgoing.  think  like,  jennifer  &  needy  from  jennifer’s  body

classmates.  any  other  engineers  out  there  ??  doesn’t  even  need  to  be  software  engineers  lol

childhood  /  high  school  friends.  someone  also  from  texas  who  penny  knew  growing  up

victims  ?  maybe  some  of  her  sorority  sisters  tended  to  be  snotty  and  mean,  and  penny  just  stood  by  instead  of  standing  up  for  their  victims

one-sided  crush.  either  way  bbyyyy

sperm  donor.  i  know  sperm  donors  are  anonymous  but  how  fucking  funny  would  it  be  if  penny  found  out  the  father  of  her  child  was  an  old  classmate

annoyance.  someone  who  irritates  penny

bad  influence  /  good  influence