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berystraw · 5 months

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Love Leaves Scars: Plot Twist of the Century

[L.L.S Masterlist] | [Main Masterlist] | [G.H Masterlist]

Warning: Skye is a warning yall

Pairing: Oc!reader x Grayson Hawthorne

W.C: 2.3k

I observe as the sky is bathed in a soft hue of blue, and the sun emerges from its slumber. The sky is adorned with wisps of clouds and the graceful presence of birds, infusing it with vibrant life and color. A gentle, chilly breeze brushes against my skin, causing a light shiver to ripple through me. I draw my blanket closer, taking solace in its warmth, as I savor each sip of the steaming coffee I have brewed. All the while, my gaze remains fixed upon the ever-changing canvas of the sky, as well as the graceful movements of the birds.

"You're awake quite early," I hear Asnid's morning voice raspily remark. "Good morning," I greet her warmly, setting my mug down on the table of the balcony. Asnid settles into the vacant chair opposite me, reaching out to take a sip from my mug. "From what I recall, you're not one to wake up early, Vers," Asnid remarks. "I found it difficult to sleep last night," I confess, my voice tinged with vulnerability. Sleep has evaded me ever since our arrival here, five days ago.

"Is the bed not providing enough comfort?" Asnid inquires, her concern evident. I assure her that the bed is perfectly adequate. It's simply that the memories I have tried desperately to forget persistently haunt me, even within the realm of my dreams. Ever since I turned twelve, I have been unable to dream at all, and I can't even remember the last time I ever did dream. Yet, sleeping within Hawthorne House has reawakened my ability to dream. Alas, these dreams are far from pleasant—they can rather be described as nightmares.

"Are you nervous about the will reading?" Asnid speculates. "Why would I be nervous about something like that? Im sure Tobias Hawthorne included me in that will for one of his games," I reply. But deep down, is that truly the case?

I turn away from Asnid and fix my gaze upon the captivating vista before us. Hawthorne House, perched upon its expansive estate, commands attention. The forest surrounding us sways in unison with the whims of the wind.My eyes remain on the scene, for a moment, I felt a semblance of peace wash over me. A semblance, but not quite complete.

"We should eat breakfast, Verity," Asnid suggests, rising from her seat. Reluctantly, I tear my eyes away from the captivating view, following Asnid downstairs to the dining area. The long table is adorned with an array of breakfast delicacies—varieties of bread, succulent fruits, and a tempting assortment of treats. It is a veritable feast, brimming with flavors that screams sugar rush. "Good morning, Miss Verity and Miss Asnid," one of the maids greets us before departing to the kitchen.

I pull out a chair for Asnid, then take my place beside her. It doesn't take long before the remaining occupants of Hawthorne House begin to trickle into the dining area, joining us for breakfast. However, one person is noticeably absent.

"Where might dearest Grayson be?" Xander inquires, his mouth full of bread. "He left yesterday for some errands and hasn't come back," Nash replies. My eyes meet Nash's, and he raises an eyebrow inquisitively. I simply lower my head, focusing on the food before me. Silence settles upon the room, punctuated only by a small exchange of words.Everything remained silent until...

"I'm home!" a voice rings out, shattering the tranquility.

As Skye Hawthorne enters the dining room, the atmosphere shifts. The three grandchildren momentarily pause their eating before resuming.

"Good morning, boys, did you miss me?" She ask while giving a three of them a half-hearted hugs before her attention turns to me. Her eyes light up, and a sly smirk forms on her lips.

"Verity Rosewood, long time no see, my dear," Skye greets me, approaching with enthusiasm. I rise from my seat and reciprocate the hug she offers. "Oh, how I missed my favorite future daughter-in-law," she remarks, planting a kiss on my cheek. I resume my seat as Skye takes the one beside me.Just great.

Skye then turns her attention to Asnid, "Well, who is this pretty lady over here?" Asnid, taken aback by the question, blushes deeply and introduces herself politely. "I'm Asnid, nice to meet you, Miss Hawthorne," she responds with a sweet smile. Skye attempts to return the gesture, though a fleeting expression of disgust betrays her true feelings. Skye possesses a talent for feigning kindness, concealing her true emotions.

Concerning Grayson's whereabouts, Skye poses the same question she asked her sons earlier. Nash provides the same response he shared with Xander, indicating that Grayson ventured out on errands and has yet to return. Skye then shifts her attention back to me, "How are you, Verity? I've missed you, my dear,"

"I've been doing great, actually," I reply, offering a sweet smile as I continue to enjoy my breakfast. Skye's hand delicately tucks a loose strand of hair behind my ear, further blurring the boundaries of comfort. Such a sweet but fake act. "Where is Zara? Shouldn't she be here when the will reading starts?" Skye queries, indulging in bread and fruit as she awaits an answer.

After excusing ourselves from the table to give the Hawthorne family their privacy, Asnid and I walk away, leaving the dining room. I can sense Skye's gaze following us until we leave the room.

"Who is that lady?" Asnid asks once we are out of earshot. I reply, "That's Skye Hawthorne, the second-born daughter of Tobias and the mother of the four grandchildren." Asnid murmurs her suspicion, "She seems like bad news."

"She is, so be careful," I warn her. Asnid nods obediently, understanding the potential dangers. We decide to minimize our interactions with the Hawthornes by staying in our room until the will reading commences.

As I assist Asnid in zipping up her dress, she raises a question. "Do you think the Avery girl has arrived by now?" I consider her inquiry and respond, "If she hasn't, it means we'll be staying here even longer until the next scheduled will reading." Asnid then confides, "I kind of like it here." Our eyes meet in the mirror before us. I cannot deny that I share a similar sentimentI couldn't say that I didn't feel the same. It's hard to enjoy staying in the house that haunts you even in your dreams. It's hard to enjoy staying in the house which makes me remember memories I choose to forget. It's hard to enjoy staying in the house where you met your first love.

"I'm glad you enjoyed your stay here, hon," I offer a small smile, which she reciprocates. Words alone would not suffice to convey the depth of my disdain for this place—the unsettling feelings it evokes, the memories it forces me to confront, and the sight of the man I once loved.

Our attention is diverted to the sound of a knock on the door. "Asnid? Verity? You need to come down now," Nash's voice reaches us from the other side. Asnid responds, "We'll be out in a minute!" She places a hairclip in her hair, and I patiently wait as Nash's footsteps fade away.

"I'm done! Let's go!" Asnid exclaims, grabbing my hand as we make our way down the stairs and into the Great Room. As we enter, the room is already filled with people, although the main event has yet to commence. Oren, Tobias's head bodyguard, stands by the wall, strategically positioned to observe the room's exits. The Laughlin family occupies one side of the room, while Zara and her husband engage in conversation with the lawyers, Grayson at their side. Nan sits at the front right of the room, with Xander irritating her incessantly. Skye occupies a solitary seat, and the remaining Hawthorne boys are seated together.

"Let's sit beside them!" Asnid whispers to me with excitement, suggesting that we sit beside the two unfamiliar girls in the wingback chairs. One of the girls had long brown hair while the other had short blue hair. Eagerly, we take the seats beside them. The girls turn their attention to us as we settle in. Asnid takes the initiative, extending her arm and introducing herself. "Hi! I'm Asnid! What's your name?" she asks cheerfully, and both girls shake her hand. The brunette girl introduces herself as Avery, while the one with blue hair is named Libby.

"Oh! You're the girl mentioned in the will too!" Asnid exclaims, pointing out Avery's connection. Avery nods in acknowledgment. "Do you know why? Were you mentioned too or are you related to these people?" Libby asks. "Honestly we're as confused as you are. I'm not mentioned but Verity is," Asnid says before linking her arm with mine2 and reassures them, "We're not related to the Hawthornes, don't worry." I observe as Libby visibly relaxes. "Finally, someone who isn't 'richy rich'," she exhales, prompting giggles from Asnid.

Deciding to engage in further conversation, Asnid moves to sit beside Libby while Avery takes Asnid's previous seat. A"Were you dragged into this as well?" Avery asks. "Yeah, sort of," I chuckled. "Do you have a history with them?" Avery shoots another question. I hesitated to give her a truthful answer but eventually still did. I nodded my head and told her how I used to play with the four Hawthorne grandchildren when we were young.

Avery responds, "Good for you, because I don't." Tobias Hawthorne you sick old man. "Even in death, he likes to play stupid games," I sigh, expressing my frustration. Avery begins to offer a reply, but her words are cut off by one of the lawyers in the room. "Now that everyone is here, it would be wise to start," the lawyer announces, and the three of them position themselves in a triangle formation, signaling the beginning of the proceedings.

The lawyer, whom I recognize as Alisa's father, begins by stating that we are gathered to hear the last will and testament of Tobias Tattersall Hawthorne. He explains that per Mr. Hawthorne's instructions, his colleagues will now distribute letters that he had left for each of us. The other lawyers begin to walk around the room, handing out the assigned letters to each person.

I receive my letter, and I notice that Avery has received hers as well. From the corner of my eye, I see Asnid staring at me with a worried expression. I turn to her and offer an assuring smile. I mouth the words "I'm fine" to her, and she nods, redirecting her attention back to the lawyers. "You may read the letters given to you once the will reading has concluded," The lawyer instructed.

The lawyer proceeds to explain that Tobias had stipulated that all individuals mentioned in his will must be physically present, and we have all fulfilled that requirement. The reading of the will officially commences.

"I, Tobias Tattersall Hawthorne, being of sound body and mind, decree that my worldly possessions, including all monetary and physical assets, be disposed of as follows," Mr. Ortega reads aloud, ensuring that everyone in the room can hear his words.

The room is filled with a palpable tension. Everyone is on the edge of their seats, their hearts pounding against their chests and their breaths held in anticipation. The silence is so profound that the ticking of the clock is audible.

One by one, each person present in the room is given their share of Tobias's fortune and assets. When Skye and Zara receive their share, they engage in a heated sibling dispute, creating a disturbance in the middle of this crucial event. Mr. Ortega intervenes, calming the two down and emphasizing the near impossibility of challenging the will. Now, it is time to address the grandsons.

"To my grandsons, Nash Westbrook Hawthorne, Grayson Davenport Hawthorne, Jameson Winchester Hawthorne, and Alexander Blackwood Hawthorne, I leave..." As Mr. Ortega's voice resonates through the room, the tension reaches its peak. Zara mutters bitterly, "Everything," expressing her discontent with the situation.

"Two hundred and fifty thousand dollars apiece, payable on their twenty-fifth birthdays, until such time to be managed by Alisa Ortega, trustee," Mr. Ortega continues.

Another eruption of Hawthorne family drama ensues, triggered by these words. The wealth distribution becomes apparent: the grandsons receive their allotted amounts, the two daughters receive Tobias's belongings and five hundred thousand dollars, Nan receives her daughter's jewelry and a yearly sum of one hundred thousand dollars, Oren is bequeathed a toolbox and three hundred thousand dollars, and a mere one hundred dollars are designated for the Laughlin family. "Please, everyone," Mr. Ortega held up a hand and everyone stopped talking all at once. "Allow me to finish," The room goes silent once again but this time everyone turns to me and Avery sitting beside each other.

"Please, everyone," Mr. Ortega raises his hand, and the room falls silent once again. All eyes turn towards me and Avery, who are seated beside each other. The anticipation hangs heavily in the air.

"The remainder of my estate, including all properties, I leave to Avery Kylie Grambs," Mr. Ortega announces. The room fills with a mixture of surprise and astonishment. Libby and Avery's eyes widen at the lawyer's words. I can feel the weight of everyone's gaze upon me, waiting for the rest of the will to be read.

"All remaining monetary assets and worldly possessions not otherwise specified, I leave to..."

My heart races uncontrollably, pounding against my chest, clamoring to be set free. The sound of my own heartbeat drowns out all other noise. My ears feel as though they're ringing, overwhelmed by its deafening rhythm. I struggle to draw a breath, feeling as if my lungs are suffocating, desperate for air. Every fiber of my being cries out for help, for relief. I cannot bring myself to meet anyone's gaze, not even Asnid's. In the midst of my distress, I sense Avery taking hold of my hand, offering a small measure of solace. Yet, it is not enough to quell the tumultuous screams and cries echoing within my heart.

"Verity Quinn Rosewood," Mr. Ortega finally utters my name, and the world around me seems to come crashing down.

Taglist: @whysosmugwitch

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best-character-named-x-poll · 8 months

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Best Character Named X Poll

I'm doing a series of "Best Character Named X" polls where all the characters have the same first name but are from completely different media, feel free to send in name/charcacter suggestions, I'm posting one poll a day. New polls scheduled for 1:30PM BST everyday.

If your favourite character is not included in the poll very sorry i have either never heard of them or actively chose not to include them as theres only 6 characters per poll. Characters will only count of that is their first name, surnames do not count. Official characters in canon only, please do not submit OCs.

Round 320: Camille

Round 321: Olaf

Round 322: Dana

Round 323: Tim

Round 324: Daisy

Round 325: Quentin

Round 326: Flora

Past Polls

Poll Ideas under the cut

Names that I have a complete list for*

Rebecca, Steve, Victoria, Katherine, George, Diana, Andy, Nora, Angel, Judy, Jo, Miranda, Pearl, Malcolm, Jamie, Tam, Klaus, Luna, Delilah, Claudia, Juliet, Jonas, Celia, Katya, Cynthia, Corey, Minerva, Ebony, Miriam, Percy, Bianca, Amara, Cleo, Cecil, Mabel, May, August, Francis, Matilda, Deborah, Jared, Kendra, Ophelia, Liesel, Fitz, Aurora, Ramona, Orion, Kala, Madeline, Anastasia, Kit, Marian, Lena, Polly, Cora, Leah, Jules, Irene, Laurie, Laurel, Hilda, Valentine, Joe, Monty, Skye, Walter, Marissa, Hope, Oberon, Lorna, Ace, Calvin, Bridget, Ulrich, Roger, Stella, Lenore, Wanda, Winona, Hannibal, Newt, Aiden, Oscar, Dorian, Dorothy, Una, Marnie, Mirabel, Dora, Olympia, Toby, Chip, Fearne, Axel, Gil, Bo, Rue, Leslie, Isabelle, Agnes, Luther, Sally, Delia, Richter, Scarlet, Bernard, Ray, Nigel, Selina, Harley, Blue, Missy, Perry, Paige, Duke, Tao, Gemma, Cornelius, Wendy, Apollo, Celeste, Clyde, Summer, Esther, Cole, Kieran, Melody, Vivian, Haley, Prudence, Ralph, Azrael, Lauren, Molly, Pauline, Athena, Darcy, Stan, Dana, Lee, Red, Stuart, Cliff, Gabriel, Octavia, Tsukasa, Anita, Esme, Ella, Heather, Riley, Pyrrha, Rupert, Ada, Orlando, Blair, Parker, Ike, Yukari, Tanya, Briar, Amber, Akira, Irma, Marlene, Trixie, Harriet, Letitia, Koichi, Katrina, Echo, Annette, Nami, Dale, Rod, Nina, Carina, Wade, Alucard, Rosemary, Lance, Yuki, Elena, Donatello, Puck, Callie, Moe, Hunter, Poppy, Titania, Fox, Melinda, Terry, Jackson, Melanie, Sunny, Dee, Clive, Freya, Randall, Caeser, Marina, Sasha, Dawn, Zain, Ron, Edith, Candy, Carlos, Raiden, Tara

Names I have an incomplete list for (welcome to send character suggestions)

Richter, Yasmin, Chase, Tina, Rudolf, Melvin, Melissa, Adele, Adeline, Jem, Dolores, Jude, Ginger, Bellamy, Jacob, Reese, Nemo, Addison, Adelaide, Candace, Abraham, Ragnar, Destiny, Hero, Drew, Raphael, Wallace, Jean (feminine), Cheryl, Shane, Tegan, Matthias, Liam, Ellis, Dennis, Josie, Mike, Bailey, Eden, Giselle, Suki, Keith, Wilfred, Blaine, Pam, Brianna, Sabine, Roman, Kalina, Mindy, Monet, Zara, Marcus, Elias, Mira, Glen, Farah, Faith, Enid, Ross, Antoinette, Elodie, Mallory, Kay, Renee, Willow, Albert, Howard, Oswald, Clem, Jace, Howell, Rowan, José, Christian, Ravi, Dev, Valerie, Norma, Tristan, Jolene, Yumi, Sakura, Carol, Carrie, Casper, Septimus, Rosalind, Rosamund, Rosie, Rosa, Gerald, Geraldine, Gerard, Ariel, Ariadne, Anya, Ida, Rocky, Mal, Solomon, Sol, Vera, Vincent, Nolan, Sage, Jojo, Calliope, Roxy, Roxanne, Silver, Noel, Noelle, Stacy, Lloyd, Alba, Virginia, Eva, Amos, Petra, Marla, Dante, Gretchen, Rhydian, Russ, Tate, Tatum, Morris, Ambrose, Doug, Grant, Graham, Aaron, Ivan, Paris, Doris, Rain, Sora, Wayne, Helga, Garth, Constantine, Sonny, Courtney, Jamal, Niall

Feel free to send more suggestions

*subject to change, you can still submit a character if there is no strikethrough if you think theres a character that its an absolute crime i dont add. Please don't suggest anything for the names with a strikethrough as they are polls that are already in my queue waiting to be published.

#best character named x #poll #poll game

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dndfantasygirl · 3 months

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Amongst the Stars (Chapter 2: Secret Keeper)

Rating: Mature Word count: 2.8k Pairing: Astarion x Female Tav (named)/OC Warnings: violence, strong language, innuendo, slow burn, little sister, Astarion needs blood

Summary: Skye helps Astarion satiate his hunger.

*Link to AO3 Post

*Link to Previous Chapter

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The next day came fairly quickly as the party awoke to the chirping of birds and the sun gracefully shining its rays over their camp. After packing up, they continued on their trek. Skye was sure to separate the gith and the cleric, lest they tear each other apart...which would've been highly entertaining to Astarion. He did quite enjoy their bickering.

The air genasi glanced over at her younger sister, who was dressed in a tunic bluer than the sea, adorned with golden accents along the poet sleeves. The tunic seemed to be enchanted with a protection spell, as a faint, radiant aura emanated from it. Around her neck was a teal collar, separate from the shirt, fastened with a golden amulet. The amulet bore their circle's emblem, beautifully engraved in sapphire at its center. She wore simple black leather pants and brown boots that matched her sister's.

Skye stopped walking and knelt in front of her sister. "Your pigtails are crooked," she muttered, taking out one of the golden fasteners and adjusting it to match the other.

"Skye," Misty warned as her face began to flush in embarrassment.

"Chk, you have terrible priorities," Lae'zel grumbled from the back of the party.

"Well apparently, you've never been a little girl, Lae'zel," Shadowheart said with a smirk. The gith looked over blankly before rolling her eyes.

"There." The air genasi stood back up after she was finished and continued walking. She scanned her surroundings for a moment. "Wait a minute. I know where we are," she mumbled, turning to the others with a soft smile. "We're near a druid grove."

Yet, as they approached, the situation quickly turned sour. A brief argument between a druid and a tiefling was abruptly interrupted by a horde of goblins, followed by a menacing bugbear and a snarling worg. Instinctively, Skye assumed command, directing Shadowheart, Misty, and Astarion to take the high ground, while the rest moved in close.

Both the cleric and the rogue were impressed by the young air genasi's remarkable skill with a bow. She inhaled, aimed, exhaled, and released—each arrow striking its target with flawless precision.

Astarion's crimson eyes were drawn to the battle below, where Skye secured her quarterstaff to her back and extended her arms. In an instant, her body began to glow, her joints shimmering like stars with luminous lines connecting them, forming a living constellation. A glowing blue shortbow appeared in her hand as she opened her eyes, now radiating with a golden light. She pulled the bowstring taut, a radiant arrow materializing in the notch. With a steady exhale, she released it, watching as the arrow set one of the goblins ablaze in radiant fire.

Skye glanced behind her to check on her sister, only to be confronted by her worst nightmare. A goblin was sneaking up on Misty while the trio above remained focused on the targets below. Taken off guard, the air genasi quickly aimed a radiant arrow at the vile creature, but was struck across the back with a club. She shouted her sister's name in a desperate warning, but Misty didn't comprehend the danger. Instead, she aimed an arrow at the goblin attacking Skye.

Misty jumped at the sound of an arrow whooshing past her ear, striking a target behind her. She turned just in time to see a goblin collapse to the ground. Whirling around, she caught sight of Astarion, who was nonchalantly pretending he hadn't just saved her. She offered him a soft, grateful smile in thanks.

Below, Skye maintained her starry form, aiming a radiant arrow at the goblin attacking her. Her shot struck true, disintegrating the creature in a burst of white flames. Panic gripped her heart as she looked up at the cliff and saw the aftermath of the attack. She sighed in relief and exchanged a knowing glance with Astarion. Though he wouldn't admit to rescuing the little wisp, she was deeply grateful nonetheless.

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Under the stars in the clearing, Skye reflected on the day's events. They had been welcomed into another circle's grove after defending it from a goblin horde. They had also recruited another infected person to aid in their quest. But most importantly, Astarion had saved her sister's life. She hadn't known Astarion long, but she was certain he was an ignorant, self-absorbed asshole. So why had he saved her sister? Surely, he had other motives. Perhaps he was simply protecting his own hide from her wrath.

Her thoughts were broken by a sudden growl of frustration. Sapphire curls sprung up with her as she rose to her feet. She followed the sound of the noise deeper into trees, where she found the vampire spawn breathing heavily, staring at the path in front of him.

"Astarion?" She paused in her steps as the rogue's body tensed. "Are you alright?"

It took a moment for him to respond, before putting on his usual charming facade. He pivoted to face her with a practiced smile and a clasp of his hands. "Darling! I didn't even see you there. I'm just out for a hunt."

Skye narrowed her eyes skeptically and began to circle him like a predator stalking prey. She observed as his facade slowly began to crumble, revealing a look of misery. It dawned on her as she recalled Astarion's performance in battle earlier: the only arrow he landed had been the one that saved her sister's life. He was clearly struggling to feed.

The vampire spawn couldn't handle her scrutiny anymore and placed his hands on his hips. "Alright, fine. I'm not as fast as I can be and I've been having trouble catching food."

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Skye offered, rubbing her arm awkwardly.

"Hmm..." Astarion scanned her over for a moment, with a hand on his chin. "Perhaps, there is. I'm too slow, right now. Too weak. If I could have just a little blood, I could think clearer. Fight better."

The air genasi threw her hands up defensively. "Woah, woah, woah. I was thinking more along the lines of finding food for you, not becoming a living snack."

"Ahh, Skye, my dear. Your offer is generous, truly. But you see, catching food—while commendable—would only delay the inevitable. I'm...in need, and feeding from willing donors is far less...messy, shall we say? It's a simple exchange, really. A moment's discomfort and you go unharmed, with my gratitude to boot."

Crossing her arms over her chest, Skye shifted uncomfortably, trying to look anywhere but at him. Astarion approached her, hesitantly placing his hands gently on her shoulders, sending a shiver down her spine as she finally glanced up at him.

"I understand your hesitation, believe me, but imagine the relief it would bring me. A quick sip, and I'll be stronger to aid our cause, to protect you. To protect Misty. All of us, really. You're a compassionate soul; you can see this isn't about mere hunger. It's survival, for both of us." They stood there, locked in an intense gaze until his hands slowly dropped back to his sides.

Skye replayed his words in her mind, sensing his partial honesty and the underlying manipulation. Despite her reservations, his points struck a chord. His hunting was becoming sloppy; just that night, they'd stumbled upon an exsanguinated boar while scouting outside the grove, forcing them to divert the party's attention. She groaned inwardly. She couldn't believe she was actually entertaining the idea.

The air genasi let out a loud sigh. "Fine." The vampire spawn's crimson orbs lit up instantly, but before he could open his mouth to say anything, Skye interrupted him pointing a finger accusingly at him. "But one drop more than you need and I'm driving a stake through your chest."

Astarion's grin faded slightly at the seriousness in her voice. He nodded solemnly, his gaze locking again with hers. "Understood."

"Alright then. Let's get this over with," Skye muttered in irritation. She shrugged off her cerulean leather overcoat, revealing a pleated white blouse underneath. With deliberate movements, she removed the matching choker embroidered with golden vines and set both garments aside, never once breaking eye contact with Astarion.

"You know, under different circumstances, darling, this encounter might've taken quite a different turn," he purred, a flirtatious glint in his eyes, his sharpened canines catching the light.

Skye suppressed a shocked reaction to his words by clearing her throat and looking away. "In your dreams, rogue."

Astarion chuckled softly at her response. "Now, let's make ourselves comfortable, shall we?"

The air genasi reclined on the grass, her breath catching as she watched Astarion straddle her. They locked eyes for a moment, tension crackling between them. Eventually, Skye cleared her throat.

"So, are you going to drink from me, or are you just going to sit there and stare at me like I'm on display at Sharess Caress?"

The vampire spawn's expression softened, his gaze shifting to something more contemplative. He reached out with a gentle hand, brushing a stray lock of hair from Skye's face. "You have my word, Skye," he murmured. "I'll be as gentle as I can and I won't take more than I need."

The druid held his gaze for a moment longer, searching for any hint of deception. Finding none, she nodded slowly and tilted her head to the side exposing her neck to him. Astarion's expression softened further as he leaned in, his breath barely a whisper against her skin. With utmost care, he pressed his lips to her neck, his fangs piercing her skin with a gentleness that surprised her.

Nevertheless, it still hurt like a bitch and she couldn't stifle the pained whimper that escaped her lips as she instinctively wrapped an arm around him. He gently cradled her head to the side with one hand, while the other rested on the grass beside her. As he continued to drink, she felt her heart race and an odd sense of release washed over her. Gradually, she relaxed into him with a soft hum, beginning to lose sensation in her arm.

"Astarion, that's enough," she whispered weakly as she started to regain her senses.

Her words were enough to break him from his trance, and he pulled back, licking his lips. "That was...delicious."

"Don't get any ideas," the air genasi warned, pressing a hand to the new wound on her neck.

Astarion picked up her coat and choker before extending a hand to her. Skye hesitated, her gaze shifting between his hand and his eyes. After a moment, she tentatively accepted it, allowing him to help her up. As soon as she released his hand, however, she began to stumble. The vampire spawn swiftly caught her and swept her up into his arms.

"Astarion, put me down," the air genasi protested, weakly pushing against his chest.

"If I were to do that, how would you get back to camp? You can't even walk."

Skye groaned softly, and the forest fell silent around them. She could have sworn she felt his crimson eyes locking onto her multiple times as they walked.

"This is a gift, you know?" He muttered uncomfortably. "I won't forget it."

Then, her eyelids felt heavy and everything went black.

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Letting Astarion bite her was the worst choice she could have made. She was thankful he didn't abandon her in the forest when she lost consciousness, but it was still a terrible idea. Now, she felt woozy and lightheaded, possibly even a bit disoriented—all the symptoms of blood loss. Lovely.

At the moment, she was absentmindedly helping Misty with her hair, a ritual they'd maintained ever since the girl's hair had grown long enough when she was just a babe.

"That's a pretty nasty bite," Misty's voice echoed in her ear. Skye's golden eyes widened as she realized she had forgotten to put her choker back on, leaving the two puncture wounds on her neck exposed for all to see. "How'd a spider that big sneak into our camp?"

A hand quickly covered the young genasi's mouth. "It's not that big of a deal," Skye whispered. "Don't send the party in a panic over large spiders."

Before she knew it, the party's cleric was already trudging over. Skye rolled her eyes and released her hand from her sister's mouth. "Go practice your spells. I'll join you in a moment." Misty nodded skeptically and walked over to a secluded part of the camp.

"So, I couldn't help but overhear you have a rather nasty bite?" Shadowheart asked with her arms crossed after she reached the air genasi.

"Apparently, it was a large spider," the air genasi deadpanned, her indifferent facade masking the rapid beat of her heart.

The cleric leaned in and tilted Skye's head to the side, inspecting the wound closely. "That's certainly a vampire bite."

At that moment, Skye caught Astarion's horrified gaze as he glanced up from his book, trying to appear nonchalant. Despite how much he sometimes irritated her, she had made him a promise, and she always kept her promises. She turned back to Shadowheart, whose impatient eyes were blazing with curiosity.

"There's no way," Skye finally said, causing the cleric's brows to raise skeptically. "I would know if a vampire bit me."

Shadowheart studied her blank expression with one of her own. Her gaze then swept over to the person most likely to be a vampire. Fortunately, she didn't catch his worried look because Misty began to call him over to show him the new cantrip she had learned. Astarion, usually disinterested in watching her practice, seized the opportunity to escape.

"If you say so," the cleric replied. She incanted a few words, placing a hand against Skye's neck. A blue energy washed over the air genasi, healing her wound and restoring her to her normal self. "Just be more careful in the future," she advised, standing up and walking away.

Skye released a breath she didn't realize she was holding and walked over to Astarion, witnessing a surprising sight before her.

The vampire spawn, who usually had a strong dislike for children, was sitting next to her sister, showing her how to properly sharpen her dagger. The corners of Skye's lips twitched with amusement. Noticing her presence, Astarion stood up and cleared his throat.

"Sis, look how sharp this is." Misty proudly displayed the ragged blade with a wrapped hilt in front of her.

The older air genasi studied the weapon in front of her, impressed at the sharpness. "Very nice, Mist." She glanced over, noticing Astarion had yet to move. "Hey, I need to have a quick word with Astarion and then we'll start your training."

Misty nodded with a mischievous smile as Skye gestured for Astarion to follow her. After they'd walked further into the forest, the vampire spawn broke the silence. "Thank you...for not telling Shadowheart about-"

"I promised you your...secret was safe with me, and I don't break my promises," the air genasi interrupted with a shrug, gently brushing at the gravel on the path with her foot. She stopped and turned to give Astarion a sincere look. "Look, the party is starting to get suspicious. They're eventually going to find out."

Astarion blew out a breath and ran a hand through his hair. "Trust me, I know."

"I think it's better to tell them before they find out themselves," Skye suggested.

The vampire spawn grew silent, staring at her blankly. After a moment, he nodded, albeit hesitantly. "You're right," he admitted softly.

Feeling a surge of guilt grow in the pit of her stomach, Skye reached out and placed a comforting hand on his arm. He flinched slightly, pulling away from her touch as if she had seared him. The air genasi let her hand fall to her side, looking away in embarrassment.

"You protected my sister from being killed by a goblin," she continued, her voice soft but earnest. "You could've ignored her, pretended like you never saw her... but you didn't." She finally met his gaze, relief filling her golden orbs. "And for that, I'm entirely grateful. So, I promise you, Astarion, as long as I'm alive, I will protect you."

For a fleeting moment, she glimpsed the vulnerability behind his mask, a flicker of gratitude in those shimmering crimson orbs of his. But as quickly as they appeared, his defenses snapped back into place, replaced by a practiced grin. "That's all I'm asking."

Skye nodded, a twinge of disappointment flickering across her features at his hardened response. "Now was that all?"

The air genasi managed an annoyed smile, gesturing back toward the direction they had come from.

#astarion x tav #astarion #astarion and tav #astarion angst #astarion fanfic #astarion ancunin #baldurs gate 3 #bg3 astarion #bg3 fanfiction #bg3 tav #astarion x oc #astarion x female tav

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the-loveliest-lotus · 1 year

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Kloktober 2023: Day 8 - Mermaids or Monsters

Featuring Vater Orlaag x my OC Lucy Skye Desmond, and the Siren song from 'O Brother, Where Art Thou?'

Vater Orlaag had been the stand in captain of his ship since the ship’s captain Salacia had been seriously wounded in the last battle. A group of rival pirates had put up more of a fight than they had anticipated, and they had left the battle with quite a bit of damage to the ship.

These waters were uncharted, and there had been rumors of sirens and mermaids in the area. Though, in all of his years on the high seas, he had never actually encountered one in spite of the rumors of them in other areas that he had sailed through.

There was a flash of regret at his own hubris as he heard music coming from a group of rocks on the horizon. There were nine figures there, and a melody so haunting that it wrapped around his spine and gripped at his heart like a vice, compelling him to move as though his limbs were no longer his own. There was one voice that stood out, a feminine voice that called to him.

♪Go to sleep you little babe, go to sleep you little babe

You and me and the Devil makes three

Don't need no other lovin' baby♫

The other men were already jumping overboard and he found himself in the water and swimming toward her before he could even think about what he was doing. As he came upon her, she was lounging on a rock, her hair and her tail were a brilliant rainbow, and her eyes the deepest blue. As he got closer to her, he wondered if he could drown in the depths of her eyes alone, and he found that he wanted to drown if only it was by her hand. She ran a hand with sharp claws through his long red hair and he let his eyes drift shut as her beautiful voice led him further into the depths of her spell.

♪Go to sleep you little babe, go to sleep you little babe

Come and lay your bones on the alabaster stones

And be my ever-lovin' baby♫

She ran a taloned claw over his bottom lip, a little half smile playing on her lips. “What are you doing in our waters, sailor? Don’t you know what kind of danger you’re in?”

He shivered at her touch, his pupils wide and a burning need consuming him. “We lost a battle, we were headed back to Tortuga to get our ship repaired.”

She laughed, the sound warm and stoking the flames within him. “You’re a long way from Tortuga, darlin’.”

“I’d rather be lost in your beauty than be anywhere else, I’d let myself drown in your eyes if it meant moments with you,” he felt drugged, consumed by something that he didn’t understand, but he had never wanted anything more in his life.

Her eyes widened slightly. Oh, she wasn’t used to them sweet talking her either, not like this. Usually, they were back to screaming the second that she stopped singing. As if on cue, the melodies around her ceased and his shipmates started screaming as her companions revealed themselves. But he just kept gazing at her with awe and wonder. She put a claw under his chin and drew him into a kiss, and it felt like white hot fire under his skin. She wrapped her arms around him, and with webbed fingers and sharp claws sunk into his shoulders, she dove with him into the depths, kissing him until she took the last of his breath away. He gasped at the water as he felt the pain and anguish of his body transforming, but he held her gaze, letting himself drown in her eyes as he was reborn.

Quick note: The nine mermaids were Lucy, Nathan, Pickles, Murderface, Toki, Skwisgaar, Dick, Charles, and Magnus. Because why not?

#kloktober2023 #kloktober 2023 #vater orlaag #lucy skye desmond #mermaids #sirens #mtl oc #metalocalypse oc

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fluffyxai · 1 year

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Another naku redesign! And this one came out of the blue!

I actually had done some drawing experiments for crystal a little while ago on the side whilst doing my radio show but I couldn't find them so I just started fresh. Kinda glad I did too because I reeeeally like how this ultimately turned out. Especially compared to her last official redesign

I feel like I really managed to bring her to life and I'm so proud of this lil cutie. Also like, looking at that old picture (first off why did I list her species as 'usagi' and then explained that it meant rabbit. (I literally did a keikaku meme before it was a meme).

but also like, her ref sheet is the most vague and noncommittal thing I think I've ever read XD It's almost mysterious how bland I managed to make her. I mean, likes "having fun and making memories"?

Also I don't think I need to list why I made the OC omg past Xai, and you even missed the space at the beginning. Unacceptable. But don't worry I gotchu.

I feel like I better understand now that you can make a 'plain' character but still make them interesting. So hopefully the new and improved Crystal is better. Also while in the previous character redesigns (so far Ruby and Jake before now) had colourpicks on their refs, I didn't bother with Melody cus a) it wasn't on her original so I kinda wanted it to match and b) everything's pretty easily colourpickable from her image on the ref anyway, the only thing that isn't at all is her eyes, but the eye ref is really just for my art style. So make her eyes turquoise and you're good. However if yo udo want a version with the full colourpick it does exist.

Now I feel motivated to do the others! I'm on a mission to redesign them all after all.

I feel like I want to do Ichigo or Leo next. Though Melody I've done some sketching for already (which I also want to scrap and restart) and she's at least been touched on recently. Zane already HAS a new design I just need to make him an official ref. Skye will be interesting to get to. And then... Xai!

But until then, hug a bunny. (with consent)

X^'

#anthro #furry #bunny #naku #redesign #oc #characte design #ref #cartoon #toon

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starlitfunkster · 4 months

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Wanna make Gifts?

Simple, follow the rules and then draw the OC's that I have! You can draw them with my favorite characters if you want…

No NSFW or art meant to harass those in minority groups.

Don't ship the Child OC's with canonically adult characters, because that's gross.

There is no third rule. Have fun!

Sonas: They can all be viewed here! They also may not be up to date.

U.B. Aigul Ari???? Cookie Amelia Starson Neapolitan Cookie Agent Angelika "Angel" Deuces Ann "Arianna" Mellodee Aria the Otter Strawberry Jam Aria (PT) Eclipse Arianna (Osomatsu-san)

DA Sonas: Ann (FNF) (Minus) Shooting Star Annabelle Rose Alia / AllofUs (Not posted yet for suspense) Sylvia / Syrus Bloom (Still not designed yet, folks) Bonbon Brione the Seal (WARNING OLD ART) Citrus Bum Berry the Leprechaun

Cookie Run OCs: I'll only show the ones that are on the DA gallery! There's too many otherwise. Lava Cake Cookie Milk Choco Cookie Mystic Cookie Gumdrop Cookie Ruby Cookie Honeydew Cookie Moonshine Cookie Choco Chip Cookie Konpeito Cookie Gelatin Cookie Diamond Cookie Nightshade Cookie Chai Honey Cookie Cleric Cookie Powder Sugar Cookie Sandstorm Cookie Gouda Cookie Sugarsnap Cookie Cherry Soda Cookie Tangerine Cookie Hypno Cookie Blueberry Cookie Cherry Bonbon Cookie Jelly Imp Cookie Fire Agate Cookie Spider Onyx Cookie Ghost Pepper Cookie Honey Barbecue Cookie Chili Oil Cookie Mewberry Poptart Cookie Yakisoba Cookie Pina Colada Cookie Biscuit Bunny Cookie Sugarheart Cookie Peanutbutter Cookie Orange Creamsicle Cookie Wispy Ramune Cookie Cherry Tiramisu Cookie Blueberry Float Cookie Orange Bonbon Cookie Warabimochi Cookie Honey Cake Cookie Ligonberry Cookie Fizzy Monarche Cookie

OSC OCs and Sonas: Just linking to the gallery because I have so many. Ace o' Spades Bixbite Blooddrop Card Board Bubble Bottle Tulip MePhone 5S+ Crowberry Bamboo Weather Dolly Hydrangea Yogurt Jellybean Kiwi Scarf Honey Bear Pluggy Choco Bar Sketchbook Sweet Heart Will-o-Wisp Cat-Bell Dime Stylus Cakepop Sparkler Shardy Dividy Star Lamp Maki Lemonade Flan Mochi Cakey Gachapon Capsule Lotus Sugar Cookie Log Urn Amethyst Popcorn Mop Organic Milk White Wine Grater Scythe Candle Waterbowl Cup Canned Tuna Pillow Oil Red Velvet Cake Mug Frozen Yogurt Gelato Pineapple Smoothie Jello Wizeria Pyramid Caboodle Starsong TV Sun Moon Clipboard Rocket Sunhat Bowtie Rachel Tanner Bubble Tea Citrusy Melody Torch Fiddle Silver Trophy Harold Mana Pierre Theodore Willow Antennae Bonba Cerissa Caramel / Mal Picoso Charlie / Cherissa Star Bailey Carrot Cake Sarah + Sleipmir Mahou

Newgrounds OCs: Quartz Ice The Dragon Tic-Toc Angi Strum Flora (Starcatcher + Minus) Mizuiro "Skye" Blue

Bomberman OCs: Yureibon Sister Bomber Prose Bomber Creature Bomber Spark Bomber Archer Bomber Lilac Bomber Lily Bomber Seabon Hydro Bomber Adne

Misc. OCs: Divaer Foreet Xoxiph Boxaer Erasi Muggy Citrus C. Acetate Marshmallow Cotton Candy Orange Juice Salmon Doughnut X Starla (+.EXE counterpart) Myra SINNERZ Various HSR OC's (Mandy, Xero, Mr. Wobbles, Armstrong Dasher, Gladseed the Flower, Dhalia Dog, Chick, Prince Foof Cat II, Juno, and King Cobra) Sushi Pack OC's (Ika Ura, Ado Cado, Nori Umi, Ebi Ura, Teri Sauce, Soy Sauce) Sir Adne Maxwell Ink Sugar + Pop Chai Teacup Twisty Parka the Red Panda Lost.FLA Baritone.MP3 Lantern Woman Water Lancer Soleil + Luna Mika the Usamimi Infernoct Spectra Locke The Yasu Sisters Ora Fluke Ingenua Yoddle Rumble Triviatopia OCs (Hana, Marty, Alyx, Michaela, Perditta, and Botch) Zodiacs (Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpius, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces) Golden.RE Arianna (Southpark Sona) (I only have her Mystical AU set up. I need to make the others that people pay attention to..)

#promotion time! ~ promo #augh!! ~ too many ocs

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theminiartblog · 2 years

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OC Tag List

An A-Z near alphabetical list of almost all OCs featured on this blog. Will update periodically as the collection surely continues to grow. Bold = Titles

Aaron Ae Alice Academy AJ Moon Akuro (binch) Alle Graw Altea Amaryllis Angel Apollo Apple Blossom Ararat Edevane Artemis Ash Augustine Aurelia

Band of Misfits Bashful Bastion Batonette Beauty Beta Black Blackout Club, The Blank Blaze Blue Bon Bounty Trio Boy Verena Brando Buttercup

Caara Mellow Castello Cherry Blossom Chroma Cisza Clara Tin Con Creator, The Cynthia

Dahlia Dante Dawn Daya Dayton the Daycare Assistant DivideBetwixt Doc D’oro Dopey Dot Down Deep Dreamcatcher

Ebboni

Fang Fauna Faust Flower Children Foodies Frostheart Fugitwins Fukiko Fusion Meme

Gekido Ghost Vision Grumpy Golden

Happy Hana Hé Hel Howl Hush

Illyana Ivan the Eye Thief Ivy

Jason Jakob Jay Cardinal Jean Jotunn Josiah Julie

Karma Kalapana RPG Karma Fortuna Karo Kelpsie Kemuri Suu (Smokescream) Kennedy Keye Kidd Finnegan Klover Fortuna Kouhei Kymali

Lashawn Johnson Lifeline (@lifelinexblog) Lilium (Lily) Littol Alex Lucky Chance

Mara Marrion Magesty Mars Mary Mason McKnight Melody Merci Michelle Douglass Minds Intertwines (@mindsintertwines) Mint Chip MMM (Mini Mitsuru Morning) Momo

Nala Nega Newt Nero Nico Nina Noah Palm Null

Oceanis

Patty Panda (Pandemica) Pansy PB Pep Perris Palm Pho Phoboes Pieta Plaid Porcelin Prince Professor Palm Prumyse

Quash

Rai Gratin Roki Rose Tinted Glasses Roy Ruchi Rune

Sage Sam Scilla Setsuna Shift Shiseka Simon Sinne Sirius Skye Sleepy Sneezy Sora K. Stardew Farmers Stormspirit Super Awesome! (@superawesome-rp) Sunflare SquadDawgs

Tabby Crevan (Tabby) Takamura, Hiro Tama Go Tamp Down (@tampdown) Táng Taylor Trickster Triton True Sight Torent Torte Haire Toru T’wanda Twi and Lan Tyler

U-

V4MP Venus Veran Vigil Viper

Weather Fighters Wesley White Wren

Xavier

Yin Yuko Yumemi

Zephyrborn Zeta Bones

#oc #mini chats #long post #lemme know if you want this under a readmore #about 168 characters and missing several

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noelle666 · 2 months

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Pathologic fanfic - A Little Mouse. Part 1

I have a brainrot for several days, a strong one, I need to put on a paper. I'm sure it might be interesting only to me and maybe to 1,5 groundsmen but anyway it's mostly for me cause... I just can't hold it anymore.

There will be two parts (for one the story in my head is too big).

Part 2 is here.

Daniil Dankovsky x fem OC Events soon after Pathologic Bunch of other OCs (because we need scientists) Definitely will be some OOC because I don't really remember Daniil's personality and events of the game related to "Thanatica" but I read the article on Pathologic wiki so... Hope it helps.

A train arrived to the Capital; Daniil heard a train conductor's voice saying goodbyes to passengers. The young man was sitting and looking though the window: the city was the same and different at the same time. Was it an influence of the Steppe? Or were Aglaya's words true after all? No, no, she was bluffing, she definitely wanted Bachelor to work on the edge of his abilities and stress could've been a nice tool in that situation. Thanatica still stands, one cannot break it easily with brutal force, the scientist was sure of it. He blinked and stood up - no sence of postponing the inevitable anymore. He took the tram which will bring him "home" if this "home" still exists.

In 20 minutes Dankovsky arrived to the destination. It is here. It stands. Thanatica is alive, the light and shadows are seen through the windows, which means it was not closed and collegues are still working. Daniil entered the building, and scared and worried men and women surrounded him: they were interrogated, yes, but members of the Inquisition left Thanatica as sudden as they arrived. Scientists were feared they've been watched, they acted carefully while their leader was far away fighting mysterious illness not by his will. But after all Aglaya was bluffing. Thanatica will always be alive. And now it is also free. Bachelor quickly checked his cabinet - some documents were not on their places, but nothing strange here - collegues might've used them for their research. As for the other detailes, everything looked as usual. Inquisiton would've turned everything upside down but it seemed such actions were not needed. Daniil talked to scientists left in charge and left the building. The day was on the way to its end, and a little rest won't harm.

The next day Bachelor arrived early in the morning, as he usualy do. With lots of energy, he studied almost every centimeter of his cabinet merely to yet again make sure nothing is lost or destroyed. Then, he checked laboratory and spoke with his closest collegues: Alexey Martynov, a bulcky, tall and calm man who can be found either among flasks and reagents or on the porch smoking a sigarette at least five times a day, and Maxim Grachov, talented, sharp-minded, popular with women and sometimes very annoying towards Dankovsky (to such an extent Bachelor was ready to punch Grachov to his smug face). If anything or anyone can be a measure of any changes, these two could be perfect examples: if they act as usual even on the brink of catastrophe, it means the disaster is not that bad. Thankfully, they were working as they always did, so nothing wrong with the laboratory too. Collegues shared recent news, and Bachelor left them to came back to his cabinet.

Hours passed unnoticed, skyes turned very dark and rain starded pooring mercilessly. "And I don't even have an umbrella", - thought Daniil. He could've stayed and sleep on a couch as he did several times but decided to go home. "Maybe I am lucky and won't get too wet". On a porch he saw a young woman he's never seen before: short, long brown hair decorated with light grey ribbon, dark clothes, large cane umbrella. She looked at Daniil, and Bachelor noticed her face looks a little bit dollish: fair skin, big blue eyes. The young man looked up to the skyes and then down to puddle on the ground. He was ready to go but saw a small elegant hand holding umbrella right in front of him.

"Please, take it. You are a scientist, you must not get sick".

"What about you?"

"I... I am as it is", - the young woman handed over her umbrella to Daniil and quickly went away.

"What a strange specimen", - Bachelor's gaze folowed an unknown new aquaintance up to the moment she dissapeared in a wall of rain. He opened his "sudden present" and went to a tram station.

The next day Dankovsky visited Thanatica's archive, the only place, as he thought, his new aquaintance could be: she didn't look like a person of science (Daniil's insight always could tell it), and only couple of people far from thanatology were working in the building, here, in the archive. The lead archivist, Olga Konstantinovna Voronova, greeted the young man: a middle-aged woman, stocky build, melodic voice, a person very picky and attentive towards little things. Daniil asked her about a young girl who probably works here, and, as expected, his suspicions were confirmed: the name was Martha, she started working as junior archivist the day after Bachelor departer to the Town-on-Gorkhon.

"A fussy lass, thinks quickly, responsible, polite, very good handwriting. She left the archive several minites before you arrived, went to Grachov to get some analitics or analisys. She works hard, you know, stays until late evening. She lives somewhere close to Thanatica, comes here by foot, I think. I will tell her to visit you".

"No, thank you, I'll come again by the end of the day".

Late evening, the most part of thanatologists left their working places, only few of the most stubborn ones (or those who had no one at home to wait for them) were staying occupied with researches and experiments. Rain started floading the Capital again. Daniil was walking through the coridor towards the exit and the archive located near to it: door was slightly opened, Bachelor noticed a light of lamp standing on the farest table at the cornen or the room and a silhouette of a young woman writing somehing in a notebook. It was so quiet once could hear a fountain pen scratching paper.

"A little mouse", - Daniil said these words barely audible, he knocked the door and entered the archive. Martha raised her gaze and almost jumped out of the chair.

"Good evening", - Daniil greeted her and put an umbrella on a table, - "This is yours. Thank you for lending me this umbrella".

"Oh, it's nothing, really. But... It is raining again and you..."

"Please, do not worry, I cannot allow myself use your kindness once more. And, as I can see, you also have no umbrella with you today".

"Oh... I can manage".

"Chances to get sick raise each time you walk under rain. I cannot allow people who work here waste their health so easily. I have a compromise, if you allow it: I can accompany you to your house. I owe you a little service, after all, and I don't like to have debts. It will make us even".

The young woman nodded, she changed a white robe, the same every Thanatica's member was wearing, to a coat and turned the lamp light off. Daniil and Martha left the building, they passed two residential blocks and went into the yard dimly lit by street lights. The young woman stepped on a porch, turned around and looked at her companion, standing next to her, too close it could've broken every boundaries of decency but in their case such closeness was necessary. She was about to thank Daniil, even though their little travel was silent, when a bright lightning cut the dark skyes and thunder rolled overhead in a deafening wave; rain had no plans to stop, on a contrary, its power grew much stronger.

"Please, come inside!"

Martha quickly closed her umbrella and opened the door, she was holding it waiting Bachelor to come in, and he had no other choice but to follow her lead.

"It seems luck abandoned me. Oh well", - Daniil thought to himself.

"Feels like the weather hates us now", - Martha looked through a window next to the entrance door, - "Please, follow me. My apartment is on the third floor. I'll make you tea to warm you up and wait out the downpour".

So, that's it, so easily and quickly. Usually young lady could've invited a man to her apartment only after several meetings or dates, well, if it was a lady of strict morals. Daniil recalled Eva Yan who, in a middle of a night, was very generous allowing him to stay at The Stillwater, an intruguing, charming and loving, very opened and ahead of the time (in a way) young woman she... was. Was. Bachelor shook off the memory and followed Martha. She definitely was not like Eva, she's strickter, more humble (at least it was his first impression), but they both had the same desire to care about the others. At least the young woman walking upstairs right in front of Dankovsky wanted to care about him for some unimaginable reason. Or maybe there was no reason at all - human's soul and mind are tricky things.

The young woman took keys out of her bag and opened two locks, she entered dark coridor and pulled the cord of the lamp on the wall to the left - a "beacon" appeared in the middle of thick darkness.

"Come in. My place is pretty humble, but please, make yourself at home. Oh, and it is not necessary to take off your shoes".

The girl was cunning: yes, rooms of her apartment were rather small, but there were three rooms which, for many, looked too posh for a single tenant. Martha neatly took off her coat, changed boots to slippers and went to a living room to turn the light on; the young woman opened wet umbrella and put it on the floor next to a window and went to another room to the right of the entrance coridor.

Daniil entered a living room, small yet cozy passage room, big window on the right, furniture on the left: a book shelf, a little couch for two people, a table, two chairs and a commode the wall above which was decorated with a small painting of flowers in vase and a clock. The young man came closer to a book shelf, he started studying it: mythology, art albums, philosophy, floriculture brochures, classic literature both domestic and foreigh, gothic literature, et cetera, et cetera.

"Are you hungry?' - a familiar voice distracted Bachelor from contemplation of books. - "I have a raspberry pie, it's a bit dry though since I made it yesterday, but edible. And... I can make some open sandwiches".

"A pie would be enough, thank you!"

Daniil took out one of albums and sat on a couch to occupy himself while the mistress of this house is busy with late dinner preparations. Time was flowing in a odd manner, maybe because of rain, maybe because the atmosphere of that little flat somehow distorted the perception of reality; even ticking of wall clocks sounded blurred. He finished wathing half of the album when clocks' mechanism became alive, and sonant "ding" filled the space - half past nine. The last tram departed from the nearest to Thanatica station at nine and the closest one will arrive only at eight in the morning. "Uh, stuck in another adventure. Out of the frying pan into the fire", - Dankovsky closed his eyes and sighed trying to focus and think about the plan of further actions. Some part of his mind was sure the kind young woman will allow him to stay since rain has no desire to stop, but backup plan is always needed, just in case. He heard soft footsteps: Martha entered the room holding a tray with two cups of tea, two plates with pie pieces, sugar bowl and cutlery - with all this in her hands she looked even smaller than before. Dankovsky stood up and helped her, the young woman smiled confusedly, she led him to the bathroom so the guest could wash his hands. They had dinner in silence although it didn't feel awkward.

"You haven't told me your name", - Bachelor took last sip of tea out of a cup and looked at Martha. The woman's cheeks turned pink.

"Forgive me for being impolite. Martha. Martha Kuznetsova".

Of course he already knew the answer, but was curious about the reaction.

"And, I suppose, you know who I am".

"Oh yes, you are the founder of Thanatica, a brilliant scientist mister Dankovsky, Daniil... sorry, I can't recall your patronymic".

"Just Daniil".

He continued asking Martha questions: how she learnt about Thanatica, why decided to work there, other common and harmless questions about her hobbies. It did and did not looked like an interrogation at the same time; the young woman wasn't sure her interlocutor was truly interested in her, his collegues told her Daniil Dankovsky is a very passionate person regarding thanatology and science in general, he is a workaholic and even though he can get along with some people, they are not very interesting to him. Or so people said. For her person in front of her didn't look like a souless machine: Bachelor was looking at her attentively with his dark amber eyes, smiling faintly from time to time. Martha had no abilities to analyze people but believed every person had at least something good inside - you just need to find it, like a well hidden treasure.

Another single "ding" broke the line of conversation - half past ten, time to go to bed.

"This is a guest room. I've never had guests before since the moment I moved into this apartment, but do not worry - the room is clean and not dusty. If you need to use bathroom, please, feel free, you will find clean towels on a table next to a sink".

"No worries, Martha, I am a very humble guest and don't need much".

The young woman nodded and left her guest. Daniil took off his crimson jerkin, slightly unbutton white shirt, took off his boots and laid down on a bed which looked new and felt new. She was right, no one ever slept here. Does she have any friends? Family? Daniil's gaze was piercing white ceiling; after some time his mind was ready to dive into a slumber when he heard soft knocking. He got up and opened the door: Martha was standing right before him, her hair was loose, she definitely was preparing to go to sleep too. She was holding something in her hands.

"Forgive me once more for bothering you, but I completely forgot. here, it is an allarm clock. If it won't bother you, tell me when do you usually wake up? So I could get up a bit earlier to make breakfast".

"Martha, you already did so much for me. I owe you once again".

"What? No! No, no, I am doing this not to make you my debtor but because I merely wanted to help a good person".

"You think I am a good person?' - Daniil chuckled.

"Yes", - Martha answered firmly.

Daniil smiled again: what a strange specimen indeed.

"Eight in the morning. But please, no breakfast. Tea will suffice".

The young woman smiled.

"Good night, mis... Daniil".

"Good night to you too, Martha".

Dankovsky lied down to a bed again and closed his eyes; a rithmic sound of falling raindrops worked as lullaby, in several minutes Bachelor's mind was swallowed by a deep slumber.

#pathologic #bachelor pathologic #daniil dankovsky #oc #original character #мор утопия #бакалавр #даниил данковский #fanfic #fanfiction

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cannibalsrider · 5 months

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thank you for the tag @icarusignite

1. How many works do you have on ao3 (or masterlist)? 3 but there's more on wp an here lowk id link but struggling

2. What’s your total ao3 word count? - 17,529

3. What fandoms do you write for? - jjk, haikyuu ,one piece, house of the dragon, percy jackson, blue lock,succession

4. Top five fics by kudos -

blood bound aemond targaryen x oc

2. i bet on loosing dogs suguru geto x oc

3. night shift harwin strong x oc

5. Do you respond to comments? - lowk not rlly cus don't get many on them for ao3

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? probably I bet on losing dogs its not finished but it'll have probably one of the saddest endings cus its in the jjk universe

7. What is the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? that'd probably be night shift because of the planned ending

8. Do you get hate on fics? - not rlly

9. Do you write smut? - very little

10. Craziest crossover? - not done any yet

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen? - no

12. Have you ever had a fic translated? - no

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before? - yeah fallen stars with @skye-cat-creations

14. All time favorite ship? - id have to say suguru getou x mina ieiri because of the dynamic between those two in hidden inventory arc

5. What’s a wip you want to finish but doubt you ever will? - both of my sucsession fics

16. What are your writing strengths? - id say maybe character descriptions and backstory when writing

17. What are your writing weaknesses? - dialogue def and writing some male ocs tbh

18. Thoughts on dialogue in another language? - id say if it works for u I'm glad!

19. First fandom you wrote in? - House of the Dragon

20. Favorite fic you’ve written? - def fallen stars because the planning I did with the whole world map idea with it before we finalized all the details together

tagging @blackhairedvisenya @lovequinnswp

#fanfiction #cannibalsrider rambles guys #tag game

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bluerosesburnblue · 6 years

Photo

So a while ago I made bios for my Hogwarts Mystery avatar, Seren, and her older brother. I figured it was only fair to do one for my KHUx keykid, too, especially since I made her first (and actually made her a character instead of just a self-insert weeks before I made Seren)

Now, in honor of Kingdom Hearts III coming out in 23 days, here’s some info about my starlight girl

Name: Blue. It’s a nickname (Yes, she has a real name that is not my name, I just don’t want to say it quite yet. I guess I can give you a hint, though. Starts with an “S”)

Union: Vulpes

Title: Unchained Starlight (“Light’s Apprentice” before the Keyblade War)

Top Keyblades: Starlight*, Divine Rose, Missing Ache

*Like most KHUx avatars, Starlight is her Keyblade’s default form

She always introduces herself as Blue, and then appends “It’s a nickname” to the end in a single breath. It’s almost a running joke among people she knows now. The Moogle Shop owner will call her Miss Itsanickname just to rile her up

So, just a general headcanon, but my personal timeline is that it takes about three years from the start of the Foretellers recruiting for the Keyblade War to happen

They recruit people anywhere from ages, like, 11-19. The Keyblade War was fought primarily by people from ages 17+ (the “older kids” and people who joined as kids but were adults when the war happened) and the Dandelions had a disproportionately large number of “younger kids” from ages 11-14, but people of all ages participated in either the War or the Dandelions

So Blue joined up at age 15 almost as soon as they started recruiting, right in the middle of the age group, and was about 18 by the time the war happened

I also headcanon that most of the kids in Daybreak Town were, like, runaways or abandoned or just otherwise had nowhere else to go (which is why the town is solely populated by unsupervised kids) who found themselves drawn to the light of Daybreak Town

Blue was of the “runaway” variety, and didn’t have any real friends back home. Small town, the “friends” she did have only really hung out because there were few kids in town

Her first real friend in town was @anheiressofasoldier‘s keykid, who went by “Heiress” at the time. Based on how anheiressofasoldier and I met, I imagine that Heiress dropped a journal with her writings in it somewhere in town, and Blue found it and dropped it off at the Moogle shop’s lost-and-found. Heiress hunted her down to thank her and one thing led to another and then Blue became a part of the party Heiress was in and that was that

Personally headcanon her as the youngest person in the party at the time, which makes her eventually being one of the oldest Dandelions and oldest “member” of the Sewer Squad more significant

Player is canonically kind of quiet. Blue doesn’t really go out of her way to chat with people, she mostly keeps to herself. But if you’re her friend, well, get ready for just a constant stream of philosophic ramblings, dorky Keyblade facts, and rants about the Moogle shop

Snarkmaster extraordinaire. Her Chirithy had to get his tendencies from somewhere, after all

Dramatic statements delivered in a deadpan tone. Most of her sense of humor is just downplaying the weirder things that happen to her

Flip-flops wildly between being a pretty chill, helpful, and quiet person and being THE MOST DRAMATIC PERSON YOU HAVE EVER MET IN YOUR LIFE depending on how emotional she is in the moment

Wise well beyond her years. Always has been, but it becomes more pronounced the older she gets and the more open with advice she gets

She probably keeps a few plants in her room. Strelitzia would’ve liked them

Her big thing is Keyblade forging. Crafting Keyblades? Designing the weapons? Running around town for days trying to get the right materials for just one more refinement to her perfect recipe for each keychain? Yuuuuup

Headcanon that she’s the one who created the design for the Missing Ache Keyblade in a fit of sadness after Ephemer fails to show up for their meeting (because it’s unlocked in Proud Mode three missions after he disappears). She started designing it while waiting for him at the fountain about an hour after their meeting time

“Chirithy please, I just need one more Electrum Ore.” “You haven’t slept in two days please stop.” “But I’ve almost got it, buddy!”

She might be the last person left in the Dandelions who knows anything about creating and refining Keyblades and keychains

She frequently takes her forging materials to the fountain or up on the rooftops to work, just because the scenery helps her relax. The Keyblade is a weapon of the heart, so if your heart’s at peace, you’ll get the best results

Related, she likes heights. If you can’t find her, she’s probably on a roof somewhere, either reading, Keyblade crafting, or watching the sky

Would probably die for her Chirithy and then realize later that if she dies so does he and she instantly regret everything. He is, no joke, the best friend she’s ever had and she loves him more than anything

She’d really love to collect souvenirs from every world that she visits, and was really disappointed when the ones that she picked up disappeared when she got back to Daybreak Town. It only made sense later, when she learned that the worlds she was visiting were illusions

I could see her deciding to try foods at each location she visits and deciding to collect recipes on her travels

She’s probably a decent cook. She does live by herself, after all

The fact that she’s not actually visiting other places is the most disappointing thing to her, because she’d love to travel and it turns out she hasn’t been

The Moogle who runs the Moogle Shop is her eternal rival. He makes some really good food and drinks, but his medal banners are NONSEEEEENSE and she refuses to spend money on them. They are constantly heckling each other about it

Clothing-wise, she hates skirts and she hates having her fingers covered. She sighs dramatically every time her reward clothes have a skirt, and cuts the fingers off of any pair of gloves she owns. She used to hate midriff-bearing shirts and sighed when she got them, but tried one out when she got older and they just kind of stuck as part of her style after that point

Started wearing hats to hide her face and her little spiked piece of hair that she was super self conscious about (“It’s the one piece that won’t stay down!”). Stopped wearing them after Ephemer saw her take her hat off and told her the little spike was cute

Frequently throws her Keyblade during fights, and one of her favorite combat techniques is throwing it and letting it fly around and hit things while she goes in for some magically enhanced punching and kicking. Her Keyblade is out of her hand as much as it is in her hand during the course of a fight

Most of my commands tend to be either ice or thunder-based, so I’d say she specializes in Blizzard and Thunder based techniques, with some light-based magic attacks and dark-based physical attacks on the side

She’s good at changing up her battle style on the fly (based on Player’s ability to easily swap Keyblades and employ magic, power, and speed attacks on any setup in any order)

That being said, she does favor magic, then speed, then power in that order

Very hard to keep down. If she were in a main series KH game, she’d get Once More and Second Chance pretty early on and maybe even Auto-Life by level up

The encounter with Nightmare Chirithy deeply affected her, because it really was the personification of all of her sadness, anger, self-loathing, etc... and yet it made good points that made sense to her and were honestly things she’d been thinking of for a long time. She took its talk of relying too much on the Foretellers’ powers to heart and started training herself to use her own power not long afterwards

She respected Ava a lot. Even when she was starting to get frustrated with all of the Foretellers for just doing what their Master told them to without question, she still had faith in Ava, and spent at least part of the War trying to convince her to just help her stop the fighting, and it broke her heart when Ava refused to help, but told her she was proud of the Keyblade Wielder she’d become

Blue used to actively reject her darkness at the start, but as she started questioning the Foretellers she started being more conflicted about it, shoving it down until Nightmare Chirithy became a problem. She spends a lot of time post-War in a weird depressive state where she can’t remember the war but still feels the emotional effects of it and can’t figure out why, and will eventually become this post once she comes to terms with her emotions post-War. She enters into an almost Riku-like state of being chill with her own darkness, though in her case it’s more of a “just let the emotions happen and use whichever element matches” thing

I’ve named her Spirit after Missile, best doggo and top Pomeranian from Ghost Trick, and I’ve been trying to make the spirit look like him ever since. In-universe, the Spirit dog’s name is Missile thanks to the Blast trick

Ephemer took a liking to her pretty fast because she was the one person who wasn’t even a little lost during his infodumps. And she contributed to his theorizing. She was practically perfect friend material

Mentioned that I ship Ephelayer recently, but I honestly can’t see Blue developing romantic feelings for him unless she sees him again and gets to know him better. She knew him for a day, and while she liked him a lot, that’s not grounds for a romantic relationship. I think of it more as a “they could be good together in the future” sort of thing. As long as Ephemer communicates with her

Ephemer was really special to her, because he was probably the first friend that she actively made on her own. Heiress was the one who hunted her down, but Ephemer was the one that she went and saved on her own and befriended on her own. Which is why it hurt so much when he didn’t show up

Headcanon that meeting Ephemer happens about two years after recruitment starts, so she was 16/17-ish when that happened, and he was about the same

Since time moves weird in the datascape, she may actually be physically older than him at this point since he would have entered it first, about a year or two before the war

Skuld is also one of the best friends she’s ever had, but she can’t remember most of their time together post-War, so she’s not entirely sure why she misses that black-haired girl she barely knew

She starts off as pretty awkward and shy, but by the time the war comes about she’s the Ultimate Big Sis, helping out all of the younger kids and being really nice to the kids who come up to her asking for help

She’d probably have adopted Strelitzia and Ven as younger siblings in a heartbeat

Strelitzia’s crush wasn’t romantic, it was definitely a “cool older kid” crush. Strong “I wish that person was my sibling” vibes. Especially since Blue and Lauriam are probably close in age

I... am not sure that she even knew the Sewer Squad before entering the datascape, so that’s all with 18-year-old, tired and jaded post-War Blue

Her memories being rewritten have actually messed her up way worse than Ephemer, Skuld, and Chirithy were expecting. She can’t remember how old she was at any given point during her time in Daybreak Town anymore, who her old party was (since... I think Player’s whole party canonically dies in the war? So they’ve gotta get erased before Player starts questioning what happened to them), what her life was like before Daybreak Town, or even that Blue isn’t her real name (the last one being what tips Chirithy off that they may have messed up). Her sense of time no longer exists, either

She also sleeps a lot more after the war, which worries Chirithy a lot

Even though they’ve overwritten her memories of the war, the scars still exist in her heart. So it’s honestly worse that she can’t clearly remember, since now she just feels extreme guilt and grief with no discernible source and hides it behind a cheerful facade most of the time since she, like... can’t even justify her own sadness to herself. And she can’t fix the problem by dealing with the trauma because she’s not even sure the trauma existed

She’s not technically a Dandelion, but believes that she is because it’s how her memories have made sense of the whole thing

I called the Sewer Squad her surrogate younger siblings in my post about the Halloween Event, and that’s true. She’s older than all of them, and not even technically a member of their party. She’s an honorary member, and they call her the team Big Sis whenever she joins them

How she takes getting her memories back is going to entirely depend on the situation she remembers them in

#liz art #kingdom hearts unchained x #kingdom hearts union x #khux #keykid #blue (it's a nickname)#i blame my ocs sunny and skye for the fact that all of my avatar characters have to have names that start with s now #but my pokemon avatar saga who i have never mentioned on this blog is technically the one who started the trend #saving the name for something closer to kh3 release date

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eddiesblklvr · 3 years

Text

BABY MAMA. | FEZCO O’NEILL

PAIRING: fezco (euphoria) x blackwoman!oc

SUMMARY: after a long sickness and a missed period, valentine finally realizes what’s wrong with her

WARNINGS: pregnancy (she’s 18 fez is 19), cursing, mentions of vomiting

WORD COUNT: 1.1k (she a lil tiny)

A/N: i want to write more for them so send requests if you want :)

SKYE’S NAV. | FEZCO O’NEILL M.LIST | REQUESTS

for about a month, valentine has been feeling terrible. throwing up constantly through out the day, feeling lightheaded, stomach cramps, feeling nauseous after smelling certain things, and some of her favorite foods made her want to throw up. apart from the obvious symptoms, her period was late, and that scared her.

she was too afraid to tell her boyfriend, so she told his little brother.

“what the fuck you mean you’re pregnant?” ash asks, sitting up in his bed as he looks at her like she’d grown two more heads.

“just come with me to the store, please?”

“why do you think you’re pregnant?” he asks her, narrowing his eyes in confusion. valentine sighs, not really wanting to get into all the feelings she’s been feeling for the past month.

“my period is late. c’mon, get up and get dressed.” valentine’s begging at this point, her eyes pleading for him to do as she says.

“okay,” ash sighs as valentine thanks him and closes the door, giving him time and privacy he needs for him to get up.

“ain’t no fuckin’ way.”

“which one should i get?”

“i don’t know, i ain’t been pregnant before,” ash responds, not really noticing how easily pissed off she could get now.

“ashtray, i will kick your lil’ ass down this isle.”

“i was just playing, damn,” ash tells her, “i saw those clear blue commercials on tv, get those.” valentine takes his advice and grabs three clear blue pregnancy tests before walking down the isle to self checkout. she didn’t want to feel judged by the workers for obviously being a possibly pregnant teenager while they scanned the tests.

once they were home, valentine made sure that fez still wasn’t there, him having left earlier that morning.

“im’a be on the couch when you get done,” ash tells her after walking her down to the bathroom and making sure she was okay.

valentine nodded, closing the door while ashtray walks back down the hallway. she quickly unboxes all three of the pregnancy tests, reading over the instructions to make sure she uses them correctly.

after peeing on the sticks, she sits them down on the counter of the sink and situates herself before opening the door for ash.

“ash?”

“wassup?”

“could you—“ she takes a shaky breath before continuing, “could you come sit with me, please?” she doesn’t get an answer but a few seconds later she sees him walking down the hallway towards her.

she sits down on the toilet and sets a timer for 5 minutes, while ash closes the door behind him and sits on the floor beside her.

he hears her sniffling every few seconds but he didn’t really know what to do. he doesn’t know how to comfort people or make them feel better, having himself closed off at all times, but he rests his head on her knees, silently letting the terrified older girl above him know that he was there and that it would be okay.

valentine jumps a little when she hears the timer go off. she doesn’t make a move to stop it of flip over the tests, just stares wide eyed down at him, so ashtray makes the decision to do it for her.

he stands up, grabs her phone from her hands and turns the alarm off. he looks at valentine and sees her still looking up at him as he flips all three of them over. after looking over them a few times, there’s a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. that’s all the confirmation she needs before she’s sobbing into her hands.

ashtray put the tests back on the counter and wraps his arms around her. for as long as he’s known her, he’s never seen her crying this hard. he didn’t know if she was upset or if she happy about the pregnancy at this point, it was hard to tell.

after a few minutes, she was finally able to calm down. she doesn’t know how she’s going to tell fez, she doesn’t know how he would react. she just hopes he won’t be upset or kick her out or something like that.

fez, valentine, and faye, dead asleep, were sitting in the living room watching a movie. val wasn’t really watching it, she was too worried about telling fez that she was pregnant with his baby. earlier in the bathroom, she made the decision to tell him that night when he got back home. she thought about it and she realizes that she was being irrational. of course fez wouldn’t be upset or kick her out, they’ve talked about having starting a family before. she knew it was just nerves, but there was still something in the back of her mind that made her scared of them still being a possibility.

he’s noticed her change of behavior all day, how tense she was when he smiled at her or even touched her hand. while she was scared of breaking the news, he was scared that she might’ve been losing feelings for him.

“val,” he calls out, causing her head to turn and look at him, “what’s wrong? you been acting, like, weird all day.” he rubs over her calf and thigh as he looks at her, his blue eyes soft and if you looked harder, you’d see the hint of fear he had in them. he gently pulls her over his lap, helping her straddle him.

fez rests his hands on her hips and waits for a response. he looks down and comes face to face with her breasts, confusion becoming clear on his expression. “aye, how did these get, like, bigger?”

valentine let’s out a soft giggle, sliding her hands from the back of his head to rest on his freckled cheeks, his beard tickling her palms. she looks noticeably nervous, biting on her bottom lip, looking everywhere except his eyes, playing with the chains around his neck, some things she does when she gets nervous.

“i found out why i’ve been so sick,” she says in a whisper like tone.

“yeah?”

“mhm,” she nods, taking a deep breath, “i’m pregnant.”

fezco stared into her eyes for what felt like forever. she saw tears brewing in his waterline and a smile tugging on his lips, making her finally relax.

“for real?” he asks her with a shaky voice, his hands clinging tightly to her hips and waist. valentine nods, not knowing if she would be able to talk without crying again. even through she probably will again as soon as fez does.

“you sure? you not bullshittin’?”

“yes, i’m sure! i took three of them and they all said i am.” she sees tears falling down his cheeks, making her wipe them away before pulling his head onto her chest.

the two of them stay that way for a while as fez rubs, kisses, and talks to her stomach.

“i love y’all so much, mama. swear im’a protect y’all with my fuckin’ life.”

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fitzfangirl · 3 years

Text

🔥🔥🔥Hot as Hell🔥🔥🔥

Leopold Fitz x OC

OC: Jennifer Russo, a SHIELD probie trying to prove herself in order to become an official member of Coulson’s team.

A/N: Takes place during the episode “Seeds,” but references the episodes “Aftershocks” and “Laws of Nature.” Grant is not a double agent, but Fitz still had a drowning accident. Skye has already undergone terrigenesis and is now called Daisy. Includes flashbacks.

CHAPTER 3: Melt my Heart

(chapter 1) (chapter 2)

Previously: Jennifer underwent terrigenesis and now her hands can heat up. She thaws out a frozen Donnie and the team is tasked with solving this mystery.

Daisy lead Jennifer to a plane. She called it The Bus. She could see the fear oozing from Jen’s pores. Daisy reassured her, “No one is going to hurt you.”

“No, it’s not that. It’s just that I’ve never been on a plane before.”

“Seriously?”

Daisy guided her into a white box, like one of those moving pods, but with a window. Jennifer wasn’t claustrophobic but didn’t like the feeling of being locked in a cage. Her guard went up. “Who are you? What is SHIELD?”

“We try to protect people like you from the world or from yourself.”

“People like me? What is happening to me?”

“You’ve experienced what’s called a bio-morphic event. Short version, your DNA changed.”

“Long version?”

“I’ll have Fitz-Simmons explain it to you.”

“Why aren’t my hands glowing like before?”

Daisy knocked on the box. “It’s poly-tectic adaptive materials, to neutralize powers. So you’re safe in there and we’re safe from you.”

“Powers? Do I have super powers? Like an Avenger?”

“Not quite. What do you remember right before this happened?”

“Uh, I had lunch and took my pills.”

“Fish oil?” Jennifer nodded.

“Jen, you went through a process called terrigenesis. It’s caused by terrigen crystals. The fish oil supplements were contaminated after the crystals leaked into the ocean.”

“Fish oil pills? Shouldn’t this be on the label? May cause you to turn into stone and burn shit down?”

“All Inhumans have different abilities. I can cause earthquakes, or tremors with my hands.” A young woman in a grey lab coat appeared. “This is Simmons.”

“Hello, Jen. I’m going to take a blood sample if that’s alright. I suggest you rest while I run this and then we can discuss the findings. OK?”

“Sure.”

Daisy brought Jennifer to the lab. Simmons and that blue-eyed boy from before were there. Simmons started, “We separated your DNA using gel electro—.”

“—phoresis. I did that in high school. Daisy said my DNA changed?”

“Your DNA didn’t just rearrange, Jen, it contains extra macromolecules.”

“Am I like GMO corn?”

“That’s quite an apt simile.”

Daisy explained what the Kree did and why, which did not sit well with Jennifer. She started pacing. “So my whole life is a lie? I’m an alien? Nope. You’re all lying. I am Jennifer Russo, my family is from Italy, I have a brother and sister and we all look alike.”

Jen’s cheeks and hands turned red. “Jen, you have to calm down,” Daisy cautioned.

“Am I a monster? There is something very wrong with me.”

“No, you’re just different now,” the young man interjected. He came forward and addressed Jennifer. “You’re just different now, and there’s nothing wrong with that. You still have your family’s genes, your culture, your memories, and relationships. Now, you have something extra.”

“What’s your name?”

“Fitz.”

“Thank you, Fitz.”

Jemma led Ward, Daisy, and Jennifer to the “Boiler Room”, a non-stop club, complete with billiards, a bar, bright lights, and blaring music. So many people. She felt the tightness in her stomach and her body froze. The team spread around to talk to students but Jen left to get some air. She wandered the campus, feeling small around so many people. Smart people. They probably looked down on her, the way she did to others when she was in the top 3% of her class. Why was she with SHIELD? She never spent a day at the Academy before today. Her throat and chest tightened and she balled her hands into fists. She tried some deep breathing to calm down. She relaxed when she saw a familiar face. “Agent Weaver.”

“I didn’t get your name, Agent, you’re with Coulson’s team?”

“Oh I’m not an agent, at least not yet. Jennifer Russo.” She offered her hand to shake. “Can I talk to you?”

“I’ve already disclosed all that I know in this investigation.”

“I’m not talking about that. I want to ask you about Agent Fitz. Let me buy you a coffee.”

Jennifer grilled her with questions, trying to uncover everything she could about him. What he researched, what he created. “But what was he like, you know, as a person?”

“He was kind, quiet, and shy. Didn’t have friends from what I saw, well not until he paired up with Jemma Simmons.”

That was a punch to the gut. Jennifer would never stand a chance against her. “No uh,” — Jen looked side to side — “girlfriends?”

“That is none of my business, he was my student. This conversation is highly untoward.”

“I’m sorry ma’am. I’m still trying to get to know everyone and he’s the only one I can’t figure out. I’m sorry. Please don’t tell Coulson. I know my place. I don’t belong here at the Academy. Lord knows I couldn’t have been admitted here anyway.”

Weaver took pity on her. “Miss Russo. I don’t know your background or your education, but I saw you save a young man’s life today using your bare hands. You fit in just fine at SHIELD.”

Jennifer’s heart swelled. “Thank you.” She began to walk away.

“Oh Miss Russo?” Jen turned around. “Never saw him around girls. I think he was afraid of them.” She smiled warmly and walked away.

“Now let’s see what you can do,” Fitz began, staring at the tablet in his hands. Various objects were set on the table. Fitz was assessing Jennifer’s abilities. She started by melting ice cubes and boiling water. Fitz, already impressed, smiled, “I’ll come to you next time my tea gets cold.” She touched paper, wood, and different metals. The paper ignited and Jen looked terrified; the memory of the pizzeria flooding her mind. “It’s OK, I got it.” He extinguished it in the glass of water they used moments before. She was more careful with the wood. She was able to burn some markings on it. “Go on.”

“What?”

“See if it will ignite.” She shook her head. “It’s alright, I’ll put it out. We’ve handled far more explosive things in this lab.” That calmed her, and she smiled.

“You know, once I set a petri dish on fire in microbiology class. Well, it was either the petri dish or the beaker of ethanol. So long ago I can’t remember.” They shared a laugh. Jennifer crushed an empty soda can and it transformed into goo. Her hands didn’t heat up enough to melt down other metals like she did the soda can. Some metals she could soften or bend, depending on the thickness. She was able to bend a thin metal pipe. “Like Superman,” she joked. She had little to no effect on stronger metals, however.

“It appears your not as hot as you look. I mean, your hands are not as hot as I thought. Sorry, I seem to have forgotten how to speak the Queen’s bloody English!” Fitz blushed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

“It’s OK, Leo. Do I make you nervous? Maybe I’m too ‘hot’ to handle,” she flirted. Is it OK that I called you Leo? Everyone here calls you Fitz.”

“I’m used to people calling me Fitz, it just sort of stuck, but you can call me Leo if you want. Just not Leopold, please.” She nodded in agreement.

“So what were you saying about my hands not being as hot as you thought?”

“The temperature of your hands has reached a threshold of about 1500 degrees Fahrenheit. Anything with a higher melting point, you will have no effect on.”

“But how did I set fire to the paper, and those curtains?

“Because your hands reached beyond their flash point, which means they ignited once they reached the ideal temperature.”

Fitz disclosed his findings to the team. He called it Thermal Manipulation. She can generate heat when in direct contact with an object, but up to a certain temperature.

“What about the fire?” Daisy inquired.

“While she cannot generate fire, she can ignite substances with a low flash point, such as paper or fabric. That’s why the curtains caught on fire. My report will expand on the full extent of her abilities. Furthermore, Jen and I theorized that she can burn through flesh, however, it would seem highly unethical to test that hypothesis on a live specimen.”

“So no holding hands then, Leo?” Jennifer couldn’t help herself.

“Uh-well…” He tugged at his collar.

“Oh, I did find out that I can’t burn myself,” she disclosed, as she pressed a gold finger to her opposite arm.

Stay tuned for chapter 4...

#agent fitz #leo fitz #leopold fitz #AoS #agents of shield #Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.#leo fitz fan fiction #leopold fitz fan fiction #iain de caestecker

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dndfantasygirl · 2 months

Text

Amongst the Stars (Chapter 5: The Spark)

Rating: Mature Word count: 2.7k Pairing: Astarion x Female Tav (named)/OC Tags/Warnings: violence, strong language, innuendo, slow burn, little sister, Necromancy of Thay, fluff

Summary: Astarion and Skye discuss what they should do with the Necromancy of Thay. The sisters get into an argument.

*Link to AO3 Post

*Link to Previous Chapter

----------------------------------

Skye was confused over a man of all things. She was next in line to lead her circle. Men shouldn't have had this big of an impact on her. Surely, she was just tired, right?

In all honesty, it wasn't until they ran into a matriarch spider that the exhaustion finally set in. At some point, she was bitten by the giant arachnid and began to see three of everything. She was poisoned and didn't have an antidote. So, she dealt with it like she dealt with everything: she shrugged it off. Or at least, attempted to.

The air genasi heard a voice behind her, desperate and loud. Gods, the voice was loud. Her ears were ringing. Blood was soaking through her light armor. She turned her head to the source of the voice, causing her vision to go entirely black. She felt someone drag her over to safety and felt a bitter liquid pour down her throat. When she opened her golden eyes once more, she saw Shadowheart analyzing her.

"Good to see you're back to your old self. We need you." The half-elf stood up and extended her hand toward Skye. The air genasi took it, allowing Shadowheart to pull her to her feet. "As much as I hate to say it, you should thank Astarion. I had no clue you were bitten until he shouted for help," the cleric explained as they ran back toward the fight.

That was where the confusion set in. Sure, he saved Misty several times but not when his life was in jeopardy. It was her fault for getting bitten. She glanced behind her for a moment to make sure her companions weren't struggling and noticed Astarion was surrounded by baby spiders. Although they didn't cause much harm by themselves, getting swarmed by them was dangerous and Astarion knew this, yet once he saw her face grow pale, he stopped what he was doing to shout for help.

Once they joined their two other companions, Skye was ripped from her thoughts as Astarion was lying on the ground unconscious, still getting attacked by the baby spiders. A loud yell escaped from her mouth as she began to release arrows at the spiders. One by one they fell and she was finally able to reach her companion. Just as Shadowheart did to her moments earlier, Skye, pulled him to safety. She placed her hands on his chest and uttered a few words.

A light blue aura surrounded Astarion as she exhaled, watching the slightest bit of color return to his pale face. His crimson eyes fluttered open and she stared back, wondering why he'd done what he'd done.

----------------------------------

True to the journal's words, the key gem was found inside the depths of the well, a swirling amethyst pulsing with dark power. After retrieving it, they returned to where Gale and Lae'zel had set up camp. The wizard had just conjured a fire as Misty chased Scratch around the tents.

Skye walked over to a slab of stone Gale was using as a study table and slung her bag on top of it. She pulled the amethyst out of it and set it next to the fleshbound book. The air genasi took a deep breath, feeling a familiar cold presence approach from behind.

"Well," Astarion breathed as he leaned against the makeshift table. "Aren't you going to put the gem inside of it?"

"I still don't think this is a good idea, Star," Skye admitted, fidgeting with the amethyst. She could feel the magic pulsating within the gem, resonating with the dark aura emanating from the book. Her fingers traced the intricate patterns on the amethyst's surface, trying to calm her racing thoughts.

Astarion's eyes flickered with a hint of amusement as he studied her hesitation. "Oh, come now, darling. Where's your sense of adventure? Besides, it's not every day we get our hands on such a... unique artifact."

Skye sighed, her gaze shifting to the book. Its cover, made of some kind of grotesque, leathery material, seemed to pulse as if it were alive. She knew the power it held, the risks involved in merging the gem with the book, but she also knew they might not have another chance to unlock its secrets.

Gale looked up from his notes, sensing the tension between them. "Skye, you don't have to do this. There are other ways we can approach this problem." He turned to Astarion. "Like destroying the tome."

Skye appreciated Gale's concern, but she also understood the urgency of their quest. They had been searching for answers for too long, and this book might hold the key to everything. Taking a deep breath, she steadied herself and nodded. "No, we need to do this. It's the only way."

Astarion's lips curled into a satisfied smile as he watched her resolve harden. "That's the spirit. Now, let's see what secrets this little gem will reveal."

With trembling hands, Skye positioned the amethyst over the book's cover. The gem seemed to vibrate with anticipation, and she could feel the energy building between them. As she lowered the amethyst into the book's central socket, a blinding light erupted from the contact point, enveloping them in a surge of raw power.

Skye closed her eyes, bracing herself against the force, and when she opened them again, the book had changed. The gem was embedded in its center, pulsating with a life of its own. She handed it to Astarion who nodded in thanks before walking over to his tent.

Misty approached her as she kept her eyes on the vampire spawn's retreating figure. She had to poke her sister to get her attention. "Don't tell me you're falling for the vamp, sis."

The air genasi's cheeks flushed as she turned away from her sister. "No, that's not what's going on." She quickly composed herself before turning back around. "We found the gem. Astarion convinced me to merge it with the book."

"Ooo! What'd you guys find?! Spells? Secrets-" The younger genasi's eyes grew wide in excitement. It almost scared Skye.

"I haven't got a clue, Mist," Skye interrupted, patting her sister on the shoulder. "Go get ready for bed, I'll be back in a few minutes."

As soon as Misty was out of sight, the air genasi straightened her shoulders and walked over to Astarion's tent. She noticed his brows furrowed in concentration as he began to read the book they had just unlocked. The eerie purple glow of the fleshbound cover illuminated his face, casting strange shadows across his sharp features.

"Come on. Come on. What are you hiding?" Astarion whispered as he turned a page. "Can you summon the dead? Bring them back? Can you...ugh." He let out an exasperated sigh. Skye furrowed her brows, approaching him slower. "Can you shut up and let me read?"

"Astarion? Are you okay?" the air genasi asked cautiously, holding a hand out.

"What?" the vampire spawn jumped. "Oh yes, yes. I-I'm fine." Skye raised a skeptical brow as she continued to study him. "I was just perusing this little find and WILL YOU SHUT UP?"

The air genasi looked up at him in concern. "Astarion-"

"Forgive me," he interrupted after regaining his composure and closing the book. "This book reads you more than you read it."

"That sounds dangerous, Star," Skye held out her hand again. "Maybe you should leave it alone-"

"No, Skye." It was one of the first times he had spoken her actual name. Not darling. Not my sweet. Skye. That meant he was serious. "There's something in here. But the voices - the spirits in the book won't let me see it." Astarion took a deep breath. "I barely opened it when they started whispering from the shadows. Now every time I open it, the voices surge back into my mind. I can't reason with them - they exist to protect that book-"

"Then, stop reading it!" the air genasi finally shouted, her frustration boiling over. She lunged forward, attempting to grab the book.

Astarion's reflexes were quicker, and he pulled it out of her reach, holding it protectively against his chest. "No! There's something in here - I know it."

The golden orbs of Skye's eyes softened as she gazed into Astarion's. He was scared. Desperate. He didn't want this. He needed it.

She slowly relaxed and let her arm drop back to her side. Both of them took a breath.

"Someone went through a lot of trouble to protect this tome. It has to be something more than a book of cantrips." The vampire spawn looked down at the book once more. "Still, I doubt this will help us with our parasites. Maybe it's best to put it aside for now."

"Star, what are you hoping to find in there anyway?"

Astarion took a deep breath, placing the book on the table behind him. "It's a book of necromancy, full of secrets about controlling the dead, returning the dead to life, and who knows what else." He took a step closer to Skye. "Whatever's in here, it might give me an edge over Cazador. Or free me from him entirely."

Oh. It all started coming together. Skye's mind raced as she began to understand the depth of Astarion's desperation and the potential significance of the book. The power it promised was dangerous, yes, but it also held the promise of liberation for Astarion from his centuries-long torment.

"Although I can't make any progress as long as those spirits remember their mission. It seems to be all they know," Astarion continued, his frustration evident. He must have seen how upset Skye looked because he gave her a reassuring smile. "Still, if nothing else, maybe I could beat him to death with it."

Skye let out a small, tense laugh, appreciating his attempt to lighten the mood despite the gravity of their situation. "Well, that would be quite a sight," she said, shaking her head.

The flickering light of the campfire cast dancing shadows across the air genasi's face as she rocked on her heels, biting her lower lip and looking anywhere but at Astarion. She could feel the tension between them, the unspoken words and lingering doubts.

"Well," she finally said, breaking the silence. "I should check on Misty. Goodnight, Star."

Astarion opened his mouth to say something, then closed it, seemingly at a loss for words. He nodded slowly. "Goodnight, Skye."

As she turned to leave, she felt his gaze lingering on her back. She paused for a moment, her heart aching with the knowledge of his pain and the burden he carried. She wanted to say something more, to offer him more comfort, but the words eluded her and she continued forward to her sister's tent.

----------------------------------

The next day, they finished looting the blighted village by the early evening. They set back out on the path to the goblin camp, where their rescue mission awaited them. And Skye, being Skye, managed to find another stray (or in this case strays) to help, much to Astarion's dismay. It turned out the old woman from the grove was a hag and held the sister of two brothers captive in her hut. The air genasi offered to help the brothers, but they refused it. Instead of accepting their refusal, Skye pressed forward and it irritated Astarion to death. If it weren't for the fact that she was a strong fighter and was absolutely head over heels for him, he would've left then and there...but he couldn't afford it. So he reluctantly followed, grumbling along the way.

After walking a few miles they decided to set up camp and Skye told her sister that it was too dangerous for her to join this mission. Obviously, that didn't bode well with Misty and the two sisters got into it. The younger genasi set off deeper into the woods with her bow as her sister followed from a distance. Astarion let out a loud sigh and decided to follow, secretly curious to see where this was all leading. He found Skye peeking through a maze of tall trees, listening to the thuds of arrows hitting a tree. The vampire spawn purposely stepped on a twig to make his presence known.

The air genasi whipped her head toward him in alertness, relaxing when she noticed it was him. She returned her attention to her sister with a sigh. "You know she's pissed when she starts aiming at trees."

Astarion stood behind her watching as Misty's impeccable aim kept sending arrows flying at a target she'd carved into the tree's bark. At one point, she had even split an arrow in two. "You know, darling, she'd make an excellent rogue."

A hint of a smile crept onto Skye's face as she let out an amused scoff. "She's got the attitude of one, too," she quipped, eyeing him in the corner of her eye.

"Excuse me, but my attitude is reasonable with the situations we're thrown into," he retorted, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

Skye chuckled softly and turned to face him. "Am I being too harsh? I only want to keep her safe."

The vampire spawn blinked at her. Was she being too harsh? Astarion knew hardly anything about children, but it was common sense to not allow a child to come along to battle a powerful hag, right? "I'm not the person you should be asking, my sweet."

A hum escaped the air genasi's mouth as she looked back at her sister, who was aggressively losing arrows into a nearby tree. Each shot landed with a solid thud, the young girl's frustration evident in her forceful movements. Skye's heart ached, torn between the need to protect Misty and the desire to nurture her sister's growing independence.

"She's just so determined," Skye murmured, more to herself than to Astarion. "She wants to prove herself, but I can't let her get hurt."

The vampire spawn shifted awkwardly beside her. He cleared his throat, his usual confidence faltering. "I mean, it's... understandable. Wanting to keep her safe, that is. I wouldn't... know much about raising children or anything. Obviously."

Skye turned to him, a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "You don't say?"

A nervous laugh escaped from Astarion's mouth as he ran a hand through his hair. "Yes, well, I suppose it doesn't take an expert to know that taking a child into a hag's lair is a terrible idea."

Skye's smile widened, appreciating his attempt at sincerity. "You're right. It is a terrible idea. But sometimes I wonder if I'm being too overprotective. Misty's stronger than she looks."

Astarion nodded, though his discomfort was still evident. "Perhaps. But strength isn't everything. Wisdom and experience matter, too. And she has you to guide her, which is more than most could hope for."

Sincerity was uncharted territory for him, but in order for his plan to work, it seemed he must at least attempt it. If he continued down this path, maybe just maybe, his plan would work after all.

Skye turned her attention to her sister, who was still diligently practicing her archery. "I'll talk to her tonight. Find a balance between protecting her and letting her grow." She smiled, glancing back at him as the weight of her worries lifted slightly. "Thank you, Astarion. For everything."

If the vampire spawn's heart could beat, it would be pounding out of his chest. That smile she gave him stirred something unfamiliar within him—something he never felt before. Something he couldn't quite put a finger to. But for once in his damned existence, he felt a genuine smile creep onto his face.

#astarion x tav #astarion #astarion and tav #astarion angst #astarion fanfic #astarion ancunin #baldurs gate 3 #bg3 astarion #bg3 fanfiction #bg3 tav #astarion x oc #astarion x female tav #astarion x tav fluff

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criala · 3 years

Text

Instinct

Fandom: Until Dawn

Pairing: OC x Canon (Eventual)

Summary: The return to Blackwood Mountain only a year after the disappearance of Hannah and Beth has a feeling of uncertainty in the pit of Skye's stomach. Is it because of how awkward this reunion could be? Or is it her gut trying to tell her something?

Prologue

Washington Lodge 1:30

The empty bottle was placed down on the counter, a groan escaping the one who set it down. Blue-green eyes were unfocused, and long, black hair hung to the young woman's mid back.

"D... Done!" One of her hands shot up in the air, before slamming down onto the counter in front of her. The force jostled the empty glass bottle, causing it to fall over on its side and roll right off the counter. It clanked against the floor, but didn't shatter against it.

"That a girl, Skye!" A slurred cheer came from her left, followed by a hand clapping her on the shoulder. "Told ya I'd show you how it'sh done!"

The weight caused Skye to tilt to the right, almost far enough for her to fall out of her seat, but she managed to not topple out of it. Sluggishly, she looked to her left. "Josh... Tha's not nice..." Her voice was starting to slur just as much as his was. "I ne-nearly fell over!"

A fit of laughter escaped him, pulling his hand back so he could pick up his bottle and down the rest of it, not that there was much left in it. He slammed it down, and it tipped over, landing on its side. It didn't roll any farther though.

A groan came from across the bar, followed by a light thunk. It caught their attention, and one look over showed that a blond male was now laying with his face against the counter.

"Chrisssh, are you okay..." Skye tried to reach over to shake his arm, but she couldn't quite reach, so she ended up just kind of wiggling her arm on the counter to try to reach him.

"He'sh fine." Josh waved his hand dismissively in Chris' direction, or at least tried to. It turned out to be more of a flail, his hand slamming down on the table as a result. Set off balance, he swayed for a moment, before settling in place in his chair once again.

A few giggles burst from Skye, her hand lifting to her mouth to try to cover it and muffle her giggles, but it didn't work at all. "'S what you get!"

"What'sh that mean!" Josh wiggled a finger at her, only causing her to giggle that much harder.

"Nearly knocking me over!" Skye shook her head at him, only to groan as everything started to spin.

Thunk.

"Joshh?" Skye turned her head, albeit slowly because the room still hadn't stopped spinning, to see what made the noise.

Josh was now slumped over the counter, face to the cool surface.

"Okay, night night..." Skye pushed herself up from her seat, wobbling as she slid off of it. "Couch..." She stumbled her way away from the bar, in the direction of the couch in front of the fire place. After almost slipping and falling on her face, she made it to the couch and collapsed onto it on her stomach with an arm hanging over the edge.

"Comfy..."

Within seconds, sleep claimed her.

2:00

"Hey... Did you see that?" Beth called over her shoulder, trying to see through the slots of the shutters on the window. "Dad said it'd just be us this weekend."

There was no reply to what she said, causing her to look over at the bar. "Josh?" She moved away from the window to find Chris passed out on that side of the bar.

She rounded the corner to find Josh on the other side, passing out as well. She reached out to pick up the empty bottle beside him and look at it. "Once again, dear brother," The bottle was placed back down, and she grasped his shoulders to jostle him. "You've out done us all."

All that came from him was a groan, and he remained slumped over the counter.

A glance over her shoulder showed Skye on the couch not too far away, in the same position she was originally in. "And you took her down with you."

A piece of paper on the bar caught Beth's attention, and she grabbed it, tilting her head slightly to read it.

Hannah

You look so damn hot

In that shirt…

But I bet you’re even

Hotter out of it.

Come to the guest room

At 2:00am :)

Mike

XXX

"Oh my god. What'd our naive sister get herself into now?" Beth asked, turning her head to look at Josh. With a shake of her head, she set the note back down. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw something move by the window, and she ran out of the room to find the others.

6:00

The feeling of someone shaking her shoulder was what pulled Skye out of her drunken sleep. Slowly, her eyes fluttered open. Everything was blurry and unfocused, but after a few blinks and a minute of waking up, it cleared up.

"Mnn..." Another shake of her shoulder reminded her that she hadn't woken up on her own. Her gaze drifted over to find Sam. "Sam...?" She pushed herself up into a sitting position, hand pressing to her head as the entire room spun around her. "What's going on..?"

The words that next came from Sam's mouth were enough to knock any sleepiness right out of her.

"Hannah and Beth are missing."

"Wait, what?" Her eyes widened, and Skye jolted up from the couch, swaying somewhat in the process, but thankfully, Sam caught her arm to stabilize her. "What happened?"

"A stupid prank." At that, Sam sent a look over her shoulder, before focusing on Skye again. "I'll fill you in later, but we're going to go look for them."

"Of course." Despite being a little wobbly, Skye didn't hesitate to follow Sam.

The others were already getting ready to head out, lacing up boots, pulling on coats, hats, gloves. Sam was already dressed and ready to go out into the snow.

Skye, albeit slowly, pulled her shoes, then her coat. As she zipped her coat up, her attention finally drifted to look over everyone else.

Chris and Josh looked like they felt as bad as she did. There was something more to Josh's expression than just hungover though. Upset, concern, worry. Skye couldn't imagine how he felt right now. Sam looked worried and perhaps a little annoyed, but determined. Ashley seemed to be avoiding eye contact with Josh and Sam. Jessica seemed normal, but there was a subtle hint of something beneath that. Skye couldn't place what it was at the moment. Emily's lips were in a tight line, her expression giving almost nothing away. Mike's hands were shoved in his pockets, shoulders somewhat hunched down into himself, gaze on a window. Matt was rubbing the back of his neck, appearing to be a little awkward.

"Everyone ready?" Sam asked, taking the time to look over each person present.

Each gave their confirmation with a nod or a 'yeah'.

"Let's go then." Sam was the first one out the door, followed by Josh and Chris. Ashley went out shortly after, followed by Jessica and Emily. Matt scooted himself out as well, leaving only Skye and Mike left to leave.

Skye reached up to rub her face, breathing out a sigh before looking to the door once more. She caught Mike's gaze, and there was something in his eyes that was gone almost as soon as they locked eyes.

Remorse? But for what?

A few seconds after making eye contact, Mike was out the door, giving a brief glance over his shoulder. Perhaps making sure that she was keeping up with the rest of them, given her sluggish movements.

Skye was out the door last, letting it close behind her as they began their search. Unfortunately, despite hours of repeated searching, there was no sign of Hannah or Beth.

#until dawn #cri writes #mike munroe #josh washington #sam giddings #chris hartley #emily davis #ashley brown #jessica riley #matt taylor

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akp-1327 · 4 years

Text

dear diary // chapter six

Hey! Here’s the next chapter! Also, before you delve into it, I just wanted to inform you about how gloomy this chapter is. It’s a major turning point for the series, though! I hope you enjoy and thank you for reading. ❤️

As always, find the series masterlist here to catch up! :)

Pairings: Ajay Bhandari x f!MC (Charlotte Parker), Skye Crandall x f!OC (Leila Maciel)

Word Count: 4.4k

(*) Warnings: mentions of bankruptcy and dementia.

(Buckle up for an emotional roller coaster, everyone...)

“Hi, Ajay.”

Charlotte looked worse than she had this morning when she was dealing with her hangover. Now, as she stood helplessly in front of me, she looked like she was about to cry.

“Charlotte, are you alright?” I asked, knowing what her answer would be right off the bat. With a purse of her lips, she looked down at the floor and slowly shook her head. She finally met my eyes and let her own fill with tears, her walls slowly crashing down.

“No, not really.”

I instantly waved her in and closed the door. Rory was out with a few friends that had just arrived on campus, so I probably wasn’t going to see him until morning. That was okay; Charlotte didn’t look like she was ready to leave anytime soon when she was perched on my bed, wiping desperately at her tears.

“What happened?” I questioned softly, coming to sit beside her.

I wasn’t usually the crying-on-the-shoulder type, so I honestly felt out of place in this situation. Although, despite my inexperience, she answered.

“When I got back after our coffee trip, Leila and I got into a huge argument about what happened last night.” Charlotte sniffled, her voice breaking as more tears rolled down her cheeks. Without knowing what to say, I wrapped a hesitant arm around her shoulders to try and console her. I felt her tense up underneath my arm, leading me to assume I went too far.

I was about to pull away before she huddled closer to me, leaning her head on my shoulder. Of course, I tried my best to ignore how my heart started to thunder in my chest at the action, but that’s unimportant right now.

After a few beats of silence, I found my voice again. I still didn’t know whether or not I’d been doing this whole ‘consolation’ thing properly, but talking seemed to alleviate her emotions, even if it was temporary.

“Did she apologize for what happened?”

Charlotte shook her head, wiping her tears away with the back of her hand. “No. I guess she was angry at me, too.”

“Why?” My eyes widened and my embrace around her tightened by just a fraction. It was such a small movement but I could tell it was something she noticed by the way she wrapped her arms around me, clinging to me as if I’d disappear.

“She thinks that I’m dependent on her protection,” Charlotte said, her voice still unsteady, “and...and I just...” She broke down into sobs, her shoulders heaving and her arms tightening around my torso. Yet again, I had no idea what to do, so I frowned,

Just this morning she’d been upbeat. She was fatigued, sure, but she was herself nonetheless. Now, she was the complete opposite. It...well...it hurt my heart.

(Dammit.).

I failed to muster a response before she started to speak again.

“I didn’t tell you about my parents’ diner, did I? About what happened?”

I started shaking my head when she pulled back to compose herself. It was barely a second before she crossed her arms tightly around herself. She was silent in deep thought for a minute, her eyes trained on Rory’s unmade bed across the room.

“You don’t need to tell me if you don’t want to.” I muttered softly, though she sniffled and looked back up at me. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so much hurt, so much pain, so much despair, in my life aside from her eyes in that moment. The blue irises that gazed into mine were overflowing with such a depressing sadness that I was rendered speechless.

Of course, she had beautiful eyes. She had a beautiful smile, too. Everything about her was just beautiful, even when she was at her lowest point like this.

“I do want to,” Charlotte breathed, nodding to herself in a way that seemed forced, almost as if she’d reminded herself that she wanted to, “you’re the best person I can talk to.”

Things with Leila, her best friend, must be seriously messed up. It’s been about two weeks since we met and she’s already crying on my shoulder.

I nodded wordlessly in understanding (because I still couldn’t find the right words to say) and let her continue.

“The day I got here, I called my mom. She told me how their diner had gone bankrupt,” Charlotte said, her voice now clear and consistent, “then, to top it all off, the building got condemned. It’s never really been in the best condition, but it’s always been like that. We’ve never had the best finances, either, so we couldn’t get anything permanently fixed.”

She buried her head in her hands. “I don’t know what to do, or what to think. I basically grew up there, y’know? It hurts to hear, but it hurts even more to know that I’m not at home with my family. And then everything with Leila and the stress of classes starting soon...”

“Oh my god,” I whispered, surprising her (and myself; I mean, I finally found my vocal chords!), “that sounds like a living hell.”

Charlotte cracked a wry laugh, immediately easing the growing knot in the pits of my heart. Even if it didn’t sound like her usual chortle, I deemed that it was better than her sobbing into my shoulder.

“Oh, I can assure you that it is.”

“What a poor, poor reassurance,” I sighed, “can I give you some advice?”

I watched her nod solemnly before I started.

“For starters, you’re strong. I don’t think you’re dependent on Leila’s protection because you wouldn’t be here if you were,” I said, watching her reaction carefully. It had been my job as a director to read people’s character and emotion and give them advice on how to improve; these circumstances hadn’t been much different...besides the fact of not literally directing her around.

“Second. You need to know that it’s okay to feel. It’s okay to share your emotions and opinions. You don’t need to bottle everything up all the time, especially when something big like this is bothering you.” I heard (and felt) my voice soften. I don’t exactly know why - maybe it was because of how calm the moment felt or because I didn’t want to worry her - but I did know that she was listening carefully because of her newly-formed expression of confusion.

“How did you know I was holding everything in?” Charlotte questioned. I simply smiled.

“I’m a director, remember? I know lots of things.” I teased, watching an unconvinced smile spread across her features. So I sighed and told her the truth. “I have lots of experiences with keeping my emotions hidden from the world. Plus, from what I’ve heard, you’re the instituted older sibling; I just happen to know all about that.”

“Oh.” She breathed. It sounded vulnerable. “That’s very observant of you, mister director.”

(Why are my cheeks starting to heat up? Whatever. Um. Advice. Respond to her. Um.)

“Not observant,” I corrected, giving her a tender and understanding smile whilst ignoring my growing sheepishness, “experienced.”

And then I watched as the silent wish I had in my mind came true; she smiled. It was such a brilliant thing; I couldn’t move, think, breathe, or function like a normal human being for a whirlwind of a second. It was something alleviating, breathtaking, and mesmerizing all at once.

“Ah, right. You have lots of...experience.” Charlotte laughed, giving me a thankful look before rubbing at her eyes. I just noticed how exhausted she looked and instantly felt guilty for keeping her awake. It was almost half past ten and I knew she was a night owl, but her eyes were growing bleary and she let out an occasional yawn.

“I do.” I hummed, gingerly reaching for her hand. I don’t really understand why I did; it just seemed like the right thing to do in the moment. To let her know I was here for her. “And if you need to talk about anything else like this, I’m here. Okay?”

Her cheeks burned bright pink when I grazed my thumb over the back of her hand. I’ve noticed that her hands are always impossibly soft and comfortingly warm.

“Okay.” Charlotte nodded. A moment of silence passed, and then another, and then a whole two minutes passed without any conversation; it wasn’t awkward or weird or anything, but it had definitely been different. The air between us seemed to thicken. Her blue eyes looked up to meet mine again and I immediately knew why the moment had felt so different. Emotions like vulnerability and relief swirled around her irises.

She trusted me.

We continued to gaze at each other for what felt like hours, mindlessly but also knowingly, before she cleared her throat and pulled away. I took my hand back and the moment ended.

I immediately missed the warmth of her hand in mine.

“Thank you, Ajay. Seriously.” Charlotte breathed, standing up. “I owe you one.”

I smiled and shook my head. “I disagree. I was just doing what nice friends do.”

Charlotte rolled her eyes but still grinned. “Nice friends accept an offering from another friend.” she winked, pulling me into a hug so quick I barely had time to react. She was halfway out the door before I processed her quick embrace. “I’ll get you coffee or something sometime and I can promise that you’ll never see it coming. Goodnight.”

Before I could retort, she was gone with a flourish. She closed the door softly, leaving me with my thoughts.

August 23rd, 2020

Dear Diary...

Wow. Three entries within the span of a month? Wow, I’m genuinely shocked. Anyway. I have something to say, and I think it might be urgent...in a sense.

Charlotte. Remember her? Yeah. I think something’s happening with our...friendship. And in a really good way. Over the past couple days, she’s been looking at me differently. Talking to me differently. Smiling at me more. She even pokes my arm...which has never happened before? It’s far from usual, but at the same time...I’m getting used to it.

The more I think about it, the more I realize that I shouldn’t be letting myself do this. I shouldn’t be letting myself grow closer to her. With every passing day, I keep allowing myself to spend time with her in the way that will eventually kill me. I know what’s going to happen: she’ll audition for the show, get a lead part, and forget about me. I’ll be heartbroken...again.

I don’t know what these feelings mean. Wait. Maybe I do, actually; I just don’t want to admit the truth to myself because the truth scares me. A lot.

So. That’s really it. Unless you want to hear about my “home life” problem? Well then, do I have news for you. I haven’t visited Amma, Mo, or Jim in almost a year and have been purposefully putting it off out of the fear that they won’t accept me as their family. (This is basically stemming off the fact of me “spending lots of time” with my dad over summer...)

Anyway. That’s about it. I’m seriously considering the thought of not directing the show this year so I can actually breathe with the whole Charlotte situation, but I don’t think Olson would like that. He always says that I’m the “most qualified” and “better seasoned” student he has.

Why must everything in my life be so confusing?

Ajay

The air had slowly grown colder over the next week, signaling flannel season. Pumpkin spice season. Spooky season, as Rory called it. It was finally September; the start of autumn and the school year.

Erin asked me to go shopping with her at a local craft store. She needed new autumn decorations and, by some sort of force, I just happened to be the only one free on the last Saturday before class officially started on Tuesday. So here we were; walking into a large corner store I’d never seen before with a small basket on Erin’s arm.

“Look at all of the leaf garlands...” Erin smiled, pointing at all the aisles. She eagerly looked around at all the decorations. I, in all honesty, could spend the entire day in this store. It was so tranquil.

...But don’t tell anyone that.

“Ajay! Look at this!” Erin held up a small pair of purple and orange striped witch legs with black boots. “It’d be right up Skye’s alley! We could hang it outside the door.”

Without further explanation, she tossed it into her basket and proceeded to the next aisle with Halloween decorations. She glanced at a few before continuing on. Erin isn’t a Halloween person; she doesn’t get scared easily, but she just doesn’t like how cheesy the holiday is.

“You seem to be doing better,” I said nonchalantly, showing her a miniature pumpkin that looked like a paper weight. She took the pumpkin but didn’t respond until she placed it in her basket.

“I am.” Erin said just as casually. It was quite...infuriating, to say the least.

We continued to walk around the store, the odd encounter almost forgotten until we got to the fake flower aisle. Erin took a faux orchid into her hands and looked at it wistfully, twirling the plastic stem between her fingers.

“These...are my grandma’s favorites.” She whispered, her voice faltering.

Oh, no.

“Erin?” I questioned, watching as she shook the emotion away and put the orchid back. It was faint, but I watched several emotions flash through her eyes. Pain, grief, longing.

She walked away from the orchids without looking back and instead picked up a yellow rose further down the aisle.

“I could cut the stems off of these and decorate a stick wreath with them. Maybe add a few orange cosmos and red daisies? Oh, and maybe--”

“That’d look nice,” I hummed, cutting her off. She took some artificial baby’s breath and added it to the mix, not meeting my eyes.

Clearly she was ignoring what had happened with the orchid.

I remember Erin talking about her grandma all the time - the amazing woman in her life that had been a philanthropist within her community. I don’t remember her name, though I do remember that Erin adored her just as much as she adored Erin. The latter would ramble on and on about all the people her grandmother inspired (herself included) and loved to talk about how her grandmother taught her about living her life to the fullest.

Then, unexpectedly two summers ago, Erin’s notorious grandmother forgot about her birthday. Then she forgot her wedding anniversary. Then, unbelievably, she forgot about her career that she used to talk so much about. She had no recollection of what she’d accomplished, though when someone reminded her and talked about it in vivid detail, her memory would kick back in and she’d act like nothing ever happened.

The memory lapses continued over the course of freshman year, but she still fought to remember the people closest to her. It stayed that way for a while, but you could tell that it was becoming increasingly difficult for her to recall certain things.

Then, right before winter break of sophomore year, she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.

Erin talked with me about it all throughout the entire course of break. How her grandma was put on all these medications and needed to be moved into a nursing home for daily care. How Erin was terrified that her grandma would forget about everything she ever loved, ever knew, ever experienced. She had every right to, as well; it was scary, especially for Erin. Her grandma was like her safe place, her shoulder to cry on. It could all be taken away.

Erin’s heart slowly broke as she watched her grandma’s strength slowly wither away. By the start of the summer, Erin’s grandma couldn’t even walk because she’d gotten so frail. The last time Erin and I talked about it, everything was as good as it could’ve been.

But by Erin’s mention of the orchid, I’m guessing it hadn’t been an easy summer for her or her family.

“Erin,” I said suddenly, catching her off-guard as she looked for a wooden wreath, “it happened, didn’t it?”

I absolutely hated and regretted the blunt delivery, but she seemed to understand. She looked down at her shoes and grimly nodded.

“The week before I arrived on campus, I took one last visit before school. I held her hand for a while and hoped, but she...didn’t remember me. No matter how many times I said my name or showed her pictures...” Erin breathed sadly, holding her palm up to look at. It shook the tiniest bit.

That’s why she’d been so...cold for the past couple weeks. Her grandma forgot about her. Not willingly, but, forgot about her nonetheless. This was what she was scared of most, and having it come true...

“I know this doesn’t help in the slightest, but I’m so sorry, Erin.” I whispered, placing my hand on her shoulder thoughtfully. She took a deep breath and shrugged.

“It’s not your fault, Ajay. It’s no one’s fault.” Erin whispered, failing to keep her voice even.

Erin shook her head again and sniffled before she took a small wooden wreath, gently placing it into her basket. She walked away after waving at me to follow her towards the register.

After the whole situation with Erin, I just needed to relax. I got back to the dorm and started to get all my school supplies organized. It was just the therapy I needed. Rory even joined in when he got back from who knows where and played random songs from musicals he loves. I can’t even name them all.

We talked about things, too. Serious things, like my tobacle with Charlotte. I didn’t go into much detail, but I could tell Rory picked up on a couple things. He knew me too well. Even throughout all of that, I didn’t mention Erin to him. I debated it, but then I remembered that it wasn’t something I should share. When she was ready, she’d say something. And, clearly, that wasn’t right now.

It was at least half past eleven when we decided to call it quits; or I decided, since Rory had been passed out on top of his blankets.

Before I settled in for bed, I sent a text to Charlotte.

I hadn’t heard from her all day. This wouldn’t have looked out of the ordinary to anyone else, but she usually sends these stupidly funny memes about theater throughout the day. I don’t even know where (or how, for that matter) she finds them.

Ajay: You okay?

It was nearly thirty seconds after I sent the message when she responded.

Charlotte: leila and i are still iffy but i’ve been alright. i’m pretty exhausted but overall okay...ish :)

Charlotte: how are you?

I really, really wanted to share how I was feeling. Not just about Erin’s struggles or my own, but about her. But, first of all, I was not going to be “that guy” to confess over text. Second of all, I didn’t even know how I would confess. I couldn’t turn the weird notions I had floating around in my mind into words.

Even if I could, I still doubt I’d tell her.

Ajay: Tired, as always. Also, would it kill you to capitalize your words?

I knew she’d have a witty response to this. She always had one to anything thrown her way. I quickly learned that it was one of her most quirky traits.

Charlotte: YES I WOULD, GRANDPA! I WOULD DIE OF UTTER SHOCK FROM PRESSING THE CAPS BUTTON ON THIS VERY SCREEN ALL THE TIME! YOU’RE GONNA ATTEND MY FUNERAL AND GIVE A SPEECH ABOUT HOW AMAZING OF A FRIEND I WAS BECAUSE YOU JUST KILLED ME.

Such a dork.

Charlotte: there. hope that resolved the problem. oh, and i hope you can afford my funeral, you murderer.

Such a cute dork, one could say.

Ajay: Not especially to all of that, but I guess I can let that one slide. But I better not see any lowercase nouns on your audition form once the show rolls around.

And that’s the reason that’d always hold me back. Whenever I thought I’d worked up enough courage to actually formulate some thought about these feelings I had for her, I’d remember that she was a theater kid, and I don’t allow myself to get involved with them. Not after what happened with Kelly.

Charlotte: you really think i’m that unprofessional? how rude.

Charlotte: plus...i don’t even know if i’m doing the show yet. i feel like it might burn me out. i’m a workaholic when it comes to school.

A familiar feeling of hope lightened the dead weight of stress on my shoulders. I may actually have a chance; well, a chance without making myself relive bad memories.

Ajay: I guess that makes sense. If you’re interested, auditions are on the 14th.

Charlotte: would you have a bias towards me because i’m your friend? 😉

Of course she’d ask that. Why wouldn’t she? This was Charlotte; she was the most curious person I’d ever met.

Ajay: Absolutely...not.

Charlotte: gosh diggity darn it. not even for me? i thought we were...like...besties or something. you hurt my fragile feelings. 🤧😭

God, why is she so cute?

I couldn’t stop myself from laughing out loud and had to hold a hand to my mouth to contain it before I woke Rory up. The last thing I wanted was his snarky question about why I’d been laughing while he was still half asleep.

Ajay: Apologies, but it’s against the rules.

Ajay: Also, how would we be best friends when we’ve known each other for a little over a month? I don’t even know your favorite color or movie or animal. Oh, and even your birthday? This is all stuff that best friends know about each other.

Charlotte: green 💚 she’s the man ⚽️ penguins 🐧 December 28th, 2001 🎉

Charlotte: you?

I was playing a dangerous game here; I didn’t know if I wanted to win (stay friends and hold in my feelings forever)...but I didn’t know if I wanted to lose (tell her how I felt...eventually; once I knew), either.

Well, I guess you only live once, right?

Ajay: Green, The Bicycle Thief, octopi, and August 2nd, 2000. Relatively basic.

Charlotte: OMG HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY!!! (ignore how it’s sept 4th please) 🎉🎉🎉 the big 20, right?

Ajay: Sadly, but shhh, I’m still 19 at heart. Don’t tell anyone.

Charlotte: my lips are sealed 🤐 and i have a question; it’s almost midnight. why’re you awake?

Stress? Was stress a good answer? I think it was. She didn’t have to know what I was stressed about. It was general but also just specific enough to pass as a viable excuse.

I don’t think it’d help if I confessed that some of it was because of her, either, so that was another good reason to just give a simple answer.

Ajay: Stress. Why’re you awake?

Charlotte: same reason. i also haven’t been sleeping well, if at all, since leila went to stay in skye and erin’s dorm.

Ajay: Wow, since your argument? That was more than a week ago. Erin hasn’t said anything and I haven’t heard from Skye in a few days.

Charlotte: leila has always been a bit dramatic when it comes to holding grudges. but, anyway, i should let you get some sleep. but before you go, do you wanna do something tomorrow? i think we both could use a break.

That sounded like an amazing idea. Just taking a breather from everything that’d been happening in my life. But...

Ajay: I was thinking of going to visit my family tomorrow.

Maybe this was just another one of my excuses to stop me from letting these feelings grow. I didn’t want to get my hopes up; there was still a possibility that she’d audition for the show.

Charlotte: oh, that’s okay! another time?

But, then again, I wasn’t exactly sure if I wanted to win or lose this game. And it’d be nice to have someone there with me.

Ajay: Would you want to do something tomorrow?

Charlotte: ...is this your way of asking me to go with you to visit your family?

Ajay: Maybe.

Yes.

Charlotte: well, as long as it’s alright with you, i’d love to tag along. if you wanted me there.

Ajay: It’s definitely alright. Is ten okay? It only takes like...half an hour to get there. Maybe we’ll stop and get coffee or something before we go.

Charlotte: cool beans! you know exactly how to persuade me. see you at ten :) please try to sleep well!

Ajay: Ditto.

Boom. Just like that. Simple as pie. I was going to visit family that I hadn’t seen in a year...with Charlotte.

Tomorrow.

Yeah, there’s no way in hell that I’m actually getting any sleep tonight.

Awesome, wow. Cue ‘The Reynolds Pamphlet’, because I felt like Hamilton at this very moment...an absolute idiot.

Still, it might be nice, right?

Might. It just might.

It will be nice...with her company.

Ajay: :)

Walking to Charlotte’s dorm the next morning felt completely different than the last time. I vividly remember the walk; it was quick and painless. I had little to no butterflies fluttering around my stomach. I wasn’t hyperventilating. I wasn’t trying to wipe the sweat from my hands as I marched down the stairs and up to her door.

My hands didn’t shake for a second that night, but now...I couldn’t find a way to keep them still.

That party brought us closer together than I ever thought imaginable. That party basically sparked this entire flame. It’s what made me realize that Charlotte could never be just a friend. She’d felt like something more for...for a while; sometime during the party, it just kind of became a thought.

Even that night when she was showing her raw emotion, her concern for her family, her frustrations with Leila...it opened my eyes to what I could tell her with such honesty. It made me humor the thought of becoming the type of person to share my deepest and darkest secrets with someone.

This someone, somehow, just weaseled her way into my life without any warning.

Everything fit into place and everything was put into perspective the longer I went over the “what if’s” and “what could be’s”. The weird notions in my heart were now scripted...and there wasn’t a way to take their roles away. There wasn’t a way to write them out or scribble over their lines with pen.

And...let me just say...this terrified the living hell out of me.

Putting myself and my already damaged heart out there and on the line again...didn’t seem worth it. It didn’t seem like something I could handle if it went wrong. But you know what seemed worth it? The slim chance that she saw me the same way, that she wanted to be something more.

Now, as I stood at her door, the ever increasing rate of my heart pounded in my ears. I hoped I could admit these thoughts to her today. Or do something that could give her a hint.

It’s crazy how something small, like a feeling that you had for a split second, can manifest into a overwhelmingly large tower of impending doom in such a short period of time. It felt like I had a small, irking suspicion that I liked her at the party, but...I knew for a fact that I liked her now. A lot more.

Dammit.

#high school story class act #ajay bhandari #erin ward #rory silva #skye crandall #mc: charlotte parker #oc: leila maciel #ajay x mc #skye x oc #choices stories you play #chapter six 🥳#warnings: mentions of bankruptcy and dementia

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