#so I'd rather wipe it and start over lol...........

[bonetrousle]

fooken 'ell my computer is turning 7 years old soon. That's mad. Granted I've made a few changes to it since then, but I wonder how much longer it will tolerate my shenanigans!!

[amazingmsme]

Ruthlessness in Other Ways

AN: day 14, the day we’ve all been waiting for!!! I wanna give a huge thanks to 😈 anon for helping with the title, it couldn’t be more perfect! Poseidon really puts Odysseus through the wringer with this one! I let myself get mean with it, lol. Took a lot of inspiration from the manwhore au, so that explains the sexual tension. Slight warnings in the beginning for mild violence & descriptions of drowning. Other than that, there’s nothing you need to look out for. Hope y’all enjoy, this one was super fun & flustering! Sorry this was later than I planned, I’ve been super busy!

Odysseus was thrown into the water from the force of the lightning bolt, and he plunged deep below the surface with splinters and debris from his ship. He sank deeper and deeper until Odysseus regained consciousness. He opened his eyes and gasped for air, gulping in sea water. He  desperately tried to preserve what air remained in his lungs. He frantically swam towards the surface, but felt himself sinking further. He was caught in a rip current, and he was yanked further below the waves.

His lungs ached, his vision was fading, he was starting to panic as he fought to get to the surface. His head was throbbing, ears popping, lungs about to burst, and finally, they filled with water.

The last thing he saw was a dark shadow swimming towards him. It can't end like this...

~~~

Odysseus awoke with a splitting headache, but he had no time to take in his surroundings before he was coughing up sea water. He wretched and gasped for breath, only then realizing he could only lean forward so far. He felt stone pressed against his back, his arms chained to the wall.

"That's it, hack it up," a cold voice spoke from behind, slapping an even colder hand on his back. Odysseus went stiff, eyes shooting wide open.

"No..."

A deep, sly chuckle sounded too close to his ear for comfort.

"Hello again."

Poseidon grabbed a fistful of his hair, yanking his head back to look him in the eye. He smiled at the pained hiss that escaped his victim, relishing in the fear etched on his face.

"Poseidon! I-" he was cut off with a sharp slap across the face.

"I'm not interested in conversation. I'd much rather make you beg for mercy," he growled, grabbing Odysseus by the jaw.

"Really? I thought mercy wasn't exactly your thing," Odysseus tried to remain defiant and cocky, refusing to give the God what he wants. He should've known better.

"I never said I'd show you any," he sneered, allowing himself to get closer. He grazed his claws over his throat as he let go of his jaw, brushing off the shudder and twitch as fear. What else would it be?

"Please, if this is about your son-"

"You think I still care about that?" Poseidon let out a low, snide chuckle. 

"What?"

"I just don't like you, Odysseus. And your suffering is just so fun to watch," he spoke casually, but wore a downright sinister grin. He pressed his trident against his chest, not enough to pierce his skin, but the threat was there. He drug the weapon down his body ever so slowly, slightly digging into the soft flesh.

He jerked back with a gasp, sucking in his stomach as he turned away, closing his eyes for good measure. Poseidon yanked him around by the hair once more.

"Look at me when I'm talking to you," he ordered. Odysseus forced his eyes open, meeting the God's piercing gaze. His eyes were full of fear and uncertainty, yet he had the gall to smile at him.

He gripped his hair tighter, pulling at the roots until he heard him yelp in pain.

"Wanna tell me what's so funny?" he asked in a low, threatening tone. Odysseus shook his head frantically.

"N-nothing!" he stammered, pressing himself against the wall of the cave.

"Then wipe that fucking smirk off your face before I slap it off," he threatened. Before Odysseus had the chance to answer, a swift backhand was delivered to his cheek. He could swear the webbing between his fingers made it sting even more.

"It would be so easy to just split you open," Poseidon mused, drawing a line down the center of his belly with the blunt tips of the trident. He really needed to learn how to sharpen his weapons better, because all Odysseus could focus on was how bad it tickled.

"Just get on with it then," Odysseus sighed, admitting defeat, squirming against the wall. Regardless of how blunt it was, it was still sharp enough to get the job done.

"No. You don't get the peace of a quick death," Poseidon said, pulling the trident back.

"Lucky me," he mumbled to himself. Poseidon sneered and lurched forward, metal clanging on the ground as he tossed the weapon aside. He slammed Odysseus against the wall, one hand gripping the base of his jaw while the other held him back by the shoulder.

"What was that?" he growled in his ear, warm breath ghosting over his skin. Odysseus gasped and tried to twist away, scrunching his neck. Poseidon's thumb rested on the edge of his armpit from where he gripped his shoulder.

Odysseus bit his lip and tried to turn away, but the hand on his jaw didn't allow it. His eyes were squeezed shut, and his breath came out in quick huffs through his nose. His arms were straining at their restraints as he tried to lean away, but... not in the way Poseidon expected.

He studied his expression, ready to scold him once more, until he noticed where his hand was.

Oh. Ooooh.

He looked back at his captive, a sadistic smile stretching across his face. He moved his hand down, raking his claws over his ribs, noticing the way Odysseus struggled to mask his reactions and pass off his smile as a pained grimace.

Things just got a lot more interesting.

Odysseus felt a chill run up his spine when he heard a slow, deep chuckle.

"Oh this is rich," he heard him say, and the hand around his throat forced him to look up. There was a sick, gleeful kind of curiosity shining in the God's eyes that hadn't been there before.

"What do you want from me?" he managed to ask. Poseidon only smirked.

"At first, I thought I wanted to hurt you. I had every intention of killing you slowly and leaving you to drown. But now, I'm second guessing myself," he said, leaning into the captain's personal space. Odysseus tried to lean away as much as he could.

"W-why the change of heart?"

Poseidon laughed, a contorted, garbled sound. "Humiliation is a far better punishment for you. Wouldn't you agree?"

"What?" Odysseus shook his head, brows knit together in confusion. No. There was no way he meant that.

"Tell me, king of Ithica. You wouldn't happen to be ticklish, would you?" he asked, curling his fingers ever so slightly so they dug into his ribs.

Odysseus choked on a gasp, jerking away from the touch as a blush quickly spread across his cheeks.

"And don't lie to a God," Poseidon added. He relished in the mix of fear, confusion and embarrassment on his face as he shook his head.

"Don't, please! Why that?" Odysseus stammered, pressing himself against the wall and staring him up and down. He barked out a quick laugh when both hands grabbed his ribcage before clamping his mouth shut to prevent anymore unwanted sounds from escaping.

"Because someone needs to break that fragile little ego of yours, and I look forward to watching you scream and writhe," he taunted as he began tapping his fingers against his ribs.

His breath hitched in his chest, and he instinctively twitched away. Poseidon smirked and scratched between each bone with sharp claws, and the first muffled giggles started to slip out. Odysseus tried to hold in his laughter as long as he could, but it was a futile effort.

"Trying to tough it out? Go ahead, it just makes it all the more fun when you finally break." Poseidon raked his claws up and down his ribs relentlessly, pausing to trace and scratch the spaces in between. Odysseus yelped, twisting side to side in his bonds. His breath was labored from the effort it took to maintain composure, and he had to bite down on his lip to stop the giggles from spilling out. Poseidon wrapped both hands around his entire ribcage and dug in with vibrating claws. The reaction was instant.

Odysseus finally cracked with a snort, releasing all the laughter that had been trapped in his chest. It was a rich, full sound, rare to those even among his inner circle, but now it took on a more desperate tone. He leaned away as far as the chains would allow, twisting uselessly.

"Really? That's all it took? I was honestly hoping you'd struggle a little longer," he teased in a purring, almost sultry tone. "But you mortals are so fragile, so sensitive," he slowly walked his fingers up his torso like they were climbing stairs. Odysseus shook his head as breathless giggles poured freely. "So easy to break."

Poseidon's hands jumped up to drill in his exposed hollows, kneading the muscles and scratching delicate skin. He threw his head back, cackling loudly as he desperately yanked on his arms.

"NOHOHO! J-just gohoho bahack to hitting mehehe!" Odysseus bargained, trying to appeal to his violent nature. Poseidon hummed in thought.

"I don't think so. Pain is an old friend of yours, isn't she? You've come to expect it around every turn. At some point, pain stops being effective at getting the point across," his voice was cold and emotionless, yet the sadistic glimmer in his eyes was proof that he was enjoying every second of this. He rubbed circles with his thumbs in the center of his underarms, sending Odysseus into wild hysterics. The chains rattled as he thrashed around, tugging on his arms with all the strength he had. His mouth hung open in a wide smile, nose scrunching as he snorted. His laughter was loud and deep, with a beautifully frantic undertone.

"But I doubt you were expecting this," to emphasize his point, he scratched up and down his exposed hollows, lightening his touch ever so slightly, but compensating by speeding up. Odysseus threw his head back with a giggly shriek, arching his back and jerking away.

"Confusion and utter humiliation are rather powerful tools of persuasion, wouldn't you agree?" he purred in his ear, making Odysseus squeal and scrunch his neck. Poseidon chuckled at the sound, reaching a hand up to flutter under his chin.

"N-nohoho!" Odysseus giggled and shook his head, slamming his chin down for protection. Poseidon smirked and cocked his head.

"Oh? You don't agree?" he asked as he began tracing up and down the length of his arms, from his pits all the way to his wrists. He watched the way Odysseus giggled and twitched as he lightly grazed the skin. His arms shook, muscles flexing as gentle fingers passed over. "It's not eating you alive that I'm doing this to you? That you're crumbling at the hands of a God, able to do nothing but laugh and scream? Your thoughts aren't racing, wondering why I'm not ripping you to shreds?" he taunted directly in his ear, lips ghosting over the skin.

Odysseus hated how true his words were. He clenched his jaw and growled through his laughter, "Shut uhup! Just shuhut uhuhup!"

"You think you're in any position to make demands of a God?" Poseidon questioned, and even his breath tickled.

"NO! Nohoho, I wahasn't-" he cut himself off with a scream that morphed into helpless laughter when the hands moved down to knead at his belly and sides. He twisted side to side, trying to hide his face behind a restrained arm. His hair was a mess, wet and matted to his forehead. Rosy cheeks were carved with dimples, and crows feet wrinkled at the corners of his eyes. He almost looked cute, in an endearing, pathetic sort of way.

"Let me make one thing clear: I'm in control," he taunted, gripping Odysseus by the hips roughly. He yelped and instinctively bucked his hips to get away, snorting and doubling over as much as he could when he gave another squeeze.

Poseidon arched a brow and smirked down at him. "What's wrong, did I find a bad spot?" he taunted, squeezing up his sides and drilling his thumbs in the divots of his hips.

"Nohoho plehease!" he shrieked and writhed in his binding, unable to escape the relentless touch.

"What did I say about lying?" Poseidon chuckled sadistically at his own joke.

"Plehehease, just lehehet me gohoho! Ihihi'm sorRYYYY!" His voice jumped an octave when sharp claws pricked and tapped against his hips. Full belly laughs gave way to shrill giggles, and the sounds he was making amused Poseidon to no end.

"Awww, what a sweet sentiment. Almost as sweet as those giggles of yours," he teased with a sly smirk, sharp teeth peaking out from under his lip. Of course he wasn't actually complimenting him, he only said it to get under his skin. "Too bad I don't care."

Odysseus flushed and stared at him in shock. "I-I dohohon't giggle!" he tried to sound defiant, but the giggles pouring from his mouth negated the effect.

"Denial's a good look on you. Next, I bet you'll try and say you're not ticklish," Poseidon snickered, reaching a hand up to tease his neck and ears. Odysseus snorted and scrunched his shoulders.

"Nohoho!" he tried to deny, shrieking when a claw traced the shell of his ear. "Stohohop! Plehehease, juhust stohohop!" he pleaded, shaking his head.

"That's right, keep begging. Not that it'll help," he let out a raspy chuckle, cupping his face with both hands. Odysseus was forced to look up at Poseidon as he squirmed helplessly, giggling himself silly as he scribbled around his ears and neck. No matter which way he twisted, the tickling never stopped.

"You humans are so sensitive; so fun to toy with," the God mused as his hands trailed back down his body. "So easy to break," he squeezed his hips again just to watch him buck and snort. "And yet, you all think you can win."

"Ihihi'm sohohohorry! I-it wohohon't hahappen again, I swehehear!" Odysseus bargained futilely.

"Oh, but it will. That's just the way it works," Poseidon explained, digging his claws into his thighs. Odysseus gasped and jerked beneath the threatening touch. "You'll get yourself into trouble and try to work your way around it, but you'll always lose." He slowly scratched down strong thighs, earning a ticklish scream and a violent twitch.

"Fuck! Noho, you cahahan't! N-not thehehere!" he begged through growing hysterics. His words only made Poseidon more curious as he began squeezing up and down his legs.

Odysseus squealed and jumped away from the touch, pressing against the wall of the cave and kicking out futilely. Poseidon looked him up and down with a hungry, scrutinizing gaze, evil smirk twisting into a sharp, dangerous smile.

"Awww, what's the matter? Too ticklish here?" he asked, raking his claws down the captain's thighs as he knelt before him. That alone drew out a panicked bark of laughter as he twitched away.

"N-no! Ihihi mehean- shihihit, stohohop!" he cut himself off with a snort as sharp claws delicately traced his inner thighs. Breathy giggles became hysterical laughter as the soft scribbling got faster and added more pressure. He threw his head back, practically dancing in place as he tried to escape the unending torture.

"Just look at you, barely able to speak. How pathetic," he taunted, scratching higher up his legs, enjoying the way his voice changed pitched. He pinched back down the muscle, drawing out a few giggly snorts. Poseidon couldn't help but comment on it.

"Those are some pretty funny noises you're making. I think I'll stay right here," he kneaded deep into his thighs, and Odysseus practically screamed.

"NOHOHO PLEHEHEASE! IHIHI'M SOHOHORRYYYY!" he threw his head back, cackling wildly. His legs gave out, but he was still held upright by his chains. His legs kicked and writhed in Poseidon's grip, his sanity slipping away with each passing second.

"Good," he growled, raking his nails down his inner thighs just to make him squeal. "But I'm not stopping any time soon. By all means, whine and beg, but don't expect it to help much." From this position, his bare, squirming stomach was right in front of his face. He grabbed Odysseus from behind, making sure he couldn't move away before biting his hip.

He let out a piercing shriek, followed quickly by frantic hysterics. He writhed and twisted in his hold, tugging on his arms with all his might. His vision went blurry as tears streamed down his cheeks, and he closed his eyes so he didn't have to watch his own torment.

Poseidon grazed his teeth across delicate skin, stretched taught over the bone. He nipped and nibbled at his hips, allowing his tongue to flick and trace the contours of his waist. That really seemed to drive him mad, so he continued nibbling along his hips and belly while his hands returned to his thighs.

Odysseus wailed in ticklish agony, babbling incoherently for mercy. He couldn't form a single coherent thought, legs trembling from the relentless onslaught.

"Ohoho shihihit- NOHOHO! FUCK- NOHOT THAHAHAT!" his arms strained to hold him up, leaning against the wall for support. Poseidon drilled circles where his hips and legs met, scribbling along the backs of his thighs. His back arched and he tried to jerk away, only for his leg to be trapped under a strong arm.

"Why, is this a bad spot?" he cooed, scribbling behind his knee all the way up the back of his thigh. His muscles quivered with every pinch and stroke, and his voice periodically cut out.

Poseidon slowed his touches to give him the chance to breathe. Odysseus gasped for air between helpless giggles, legs writhing in his grip as his claws scribbled against the sensitive skin. He hiccuped and snorted when he'd zero in on a particularly sensitive spot.

"I asked you a question," he growled, going back to clawing mercilessly, just to remind him how much worse it could be. Odysseus screamed and thrashed.

"YEHEHES OHOHOKAHAHAY? STOHOHOP!"

Poseidon smirked as he slowed back down, focusing on his right leg. Odysseus whined and snickered as the feather light touches clouded his brain. It was almost worse than when he just dug in. At least then his voice didn't sound so shrill and broken.

"Plehehe- staha- stohohohop! I-I cahahan't!" he pleaded through breathless giggles.

"You humans are hilariously pathetic. So weak and soft, unable to hold out against even the softest of touches," he taunted. Odysseus was limp and pliable, yet still struggled, providing a map of his most ticklish spots.

He continued the light scribbling, spidering his way to the tops of his knees. Odysseus snorted and kicked, laughter jumping up an octave. Poseidon smirked, meeting his eyes to flash him a smug wink before digging in. He clawed ruthlessly at his knees and the tops of his thighs, relishing in the resulting shriek.

He leaned in to whisper in a deep, threatening tone, "I hope you didn't think we were done. There's so many places I haven't even tried. And I plan on keeping you here as long as I like."

"What? N-nohoho y-you cahahan't just do thahat!" Odysseus insisted, eyes wide with fear as he frantically shook his head.

"Actually, I can. And there's nothing you can do about it." He grabbed his feet, wiggling his fingers dangerously close to the soles. "Nothing but laugh."

Odysseus was once again sent spiraling into hysterics, forced to accept his fate.

[bbyobbyo]

Everyone thinks Vernon is always at your place because you feed him. While you can agree it's mostly true, there might be more to it than meets the eye.

content: fluff, f2l, mentions of food

wc: 1.6k

notes: me taking a stab at writing lol. i also don't know how tumblr works. inspired by the fact that this man will eat everything in sight regardless if its someone else's food or not. i'd love to cook for him someday ❤

6pm on the dot. You don't even have to check to know who it is.

"Hey, Sol." You look up from the pot you've been stirring to greet your visitor who let himself in. Your apartment's passcode was practically muscle memory at this point.

"Hey, smells good in here," he comments while taking off his shoes, "I mean — it always does but you get it." You give him a little chuckle in response.

You hadn't been friends with Hansol for very long, but when a mutual friend decided to introduce you two to each other, you instantly hit it off. The whirlwind of a friend group you now shared was filled with strong personalities and quirks: Seungcheol was the self-proclaimed "dad" of the group but you'd swear he would whine and complained more than the rest of them combined. Seungkwan, the one who always had a sassy quip to share, but would be the first to cry at Disney movie nights. There was Jihoon, who showed his love exclusively with acts of service but is so tsundere he would rather die to admit he had any kind of emotions besides annoyance. Not to mention Soonyoung, who made it his mission to convince everyone that he was a tiger. No one knew how this bit started but everyone finds it entertaining nonetheless.

Amongst them all, Hansol was just a dude. A normal guy. As funny as it sounds, that's what made you two click so well. Not that he didn't have his own aspirations (and his own fair share of quirks!), but he had always been the sort of person that was along for the ride. Although a little bit clueless at times, you could tell his heart was in the right place.

"I brought dessert, by the way," He plops a plastic bag onto the kitchen counter, his cheekbones pushed all the way out in a smug grin, "hope you like it."

"Aww, Sol you didn't have to!" delight in your eyes as you wipe your freshly washed but still wet hands on your pants and scurry over to peek inside the bag. "Oh my god, this is that tiramisu from that bougie place, isn't it?! I heard the wait times were, like, over an hour. You're insane for this, thank you so much!" You're practically beaming as you put the dessert in refrigerator, promptly turning around to give him a hug. His hands automatically reach around your back as you bury your face into his chest. Man, he will never get tired of the way you smile at him over the smallest things.

"You're always feeding me, so it's like, the least I can do really" he murmurs as you let go, his own smile spreading across his face when you look up at him.

Right. Your relationship with Hansol was rooted in the fact that you both loved food. Cooking food in your case, and eating it for him. It was a match made in heaven, really. In the beginning stages of your friendship, you always noticed how he would always ask for bites of other peoples' food, the way he would eye a bag of snacks if anyone dared to bring them out, the "you gonna finish that..?" that would inevitably follow the conclusion of every meal. The guy was a human trash can with a black hole in place of his stomach. So really, was anyone surprised when Hansol practically attached himself to you that day you brought in those homemade baked goods for the friend group?

After that day, the rest was history. His insatiable hunger and the lack of his own cooking skills (poor dude would be consuming toast everyday if he didn't eat out) made him worship the ground you walked on whenever you fed him. In turn, his enthusiasm for your cooking and willingness to give honest feedback on your experimental recipes made him a regular guest at your apartment, much like today.

Hansol would be lying if he said he didn't feel like he was taking advantage of you sometimes, no matter how much you insisted that it wasn't the case. He always tried his best to chip in for your groceries or pick up ingredients when you didn't have time. He didn't even mind the way his friends teased him for being at your place more often than his own or the fact that you gained your own nickname among the guys as his personal chef. He was happy with your little arrangement, and it also helped that you were so easy to be around.

"Hey, can you help me set the table?" you say as you push a stack of plates and tableware toward him. Your attention is quickly pulled away again as you go to plate the food you've been laboring over the past hour.

The routine is a familiar one: sitting down across from each other with a wide array of dishes and sides in between. You always make him take the first bites; "I already taste tested everything as I was cooking, silly!" you would say, eyes focused and hands tucked under your chin eagerly awaiting his reactions and thoughts.

Today's meal was a hit, as it usually is. Hansol could count less than a handful of times that he didn't love your food, and even then he still ate everything despite you telling him that it was okay if he didn't finish it.

The next part of the routine, however, rivals even the food in his eyes. Both of you are glued to the chairs chatting away, even when all the food is long gone and empty plates remain on the table. Between you two, there was always something to talk about. Tangents turn to into more tangents turn into "remember when we…" turn into "we should totally do…" Hours can pass by before one of you even remembers that there was dessert in the fridge, and even more hours before either of you get up again to go wash the dishes. When that happens, you simply carry the conversation to the kitchen except this time with the gentle running of sink as background noise.

You were like a breath of fresh air from the chaos of his main friend group and someone he felt entirely comfortable with. Except lately he's been wanting to see you more and more. He would catch himself staring at his phone hoping a text from you would pop up, asking him to come over again.

He's embarrassed to admit that you have never hung out one-on-one outside of the walls of your apartment. It was an unspoken boundary that you two saw each other under the pretense of food, a boundary that he increasingly would like to cross.

You're not even looking at him, attention focused on scrubbing away at the pot in your hand, still talking about that awkward encounter with your neighbor yesterday. But the longer he stares at you, Hansol thinks to himself — have you always been this pretty? He traces every part of your form, from the micro expressions you make with your eyebrows as you talk, to noticing the little strands of hair by your face that escaped the ponytail you put it in, and the way your left sleeve is slowly slipping down your arm and in danger of getting soaked.

"...so screw me if I thought that it was none of his busine— Sol...?"

Before he even knew what he was doing he found himself abandoning his plate drying duty and sliding behind you at the sink, your back pressed against his chest as he grabbed your sleeve and gingerly rolled it up your arm once again. Just as he thinks you can't get any more gorgeous, his world stops when you turn your head around and he finds your face inches from his. The way your eyes glisten into his own makes the split second feel like an eternity before pulling away.

"S-sorry if I scared you, just didn't want your sleeve to get wet." adding a nervous chuckle to the end as he returns to the stack of tableware he has yet to dry.

"N-no! It's okay! Thank you for that!" you stammer back, trying not to look him in the eyes to hide the very obvious blush that spread on your cheeks. "Ahaha... yeah so anyways, what was I saying again?" Without missing a beat, he replies "you were talking about how your nosy neighbor thinks we're dating because I come over so often."

"Oh, haha, right..." your voice is barely above a whisper, a chuckle dies in your throat as you realize you've been scrubbing an already clean pot for 5 minutes now. You sigh as you turn off the water and start drying off your hands to put the dishes back in their places.

"I don't mind," he says after a thoughtful pause. It takes a second for you to register the words. "Sorry, what?"

"I don't mind if he thinks we're dating."

You feel like the hearing comprehension part of your brain just reset. "Wait, wha-"

"I think it would be kinda nice actually... if we dated."

After a second too long of silence from you, he was the one with panic with his eyes this time. "B-but only if you want to! Shit, uh, sorry I really didn't mean to make you uncomfortable or anything. Just forget I said anyth-"

He's interrupted by your arms snaking around his neck. "You're hopeless, Sol", you say as you press a light kiss to his lips. "I think it would be nice if we dated, too."

[helloalycia]

𝐕𝐀𝐑𝐒𝐈𝐓𝐘 𝐂𝐑𝐔𝐒𝐇 [𝐎𝐍𝐄] — 𝐉𝐀𝐂𝐊𝐈𝐄 𝐓𝐀𝐘𝐋𝐎𝐑

summary: when you stumble across Jackie after she's just broken up with her boyfriend, you feel a moral obligation to make sure she's okay. Naturally, that turns into something more.

warning/s: none.

author's note: it physically pained me to write soccer instead of football for this lol, a few 'football's might have slipped in out of habit. But yeah, hope you like this! it's a three parter and jackie taylor deserved better oops

also y/bf/n = your best friend's name

two / three / masterlist / wattpad

My fingers fumbled for the catch at the back of my camera, opening it up and revealing the freshly wound up film. As I grabbed it, I barely had chance to think about my next move before the door behind me slammed into my back, knocking me forward and making the roll fly in the air momentarily.

"No!" I yelped, reaching out to catch it before it could hit the concrete stairs and roll away into oblivion.

"Shit, sorry," someone said with realisation as I caught the roll and sighed with relief.

Gripping the roll tighter than ever, I closed the camera and let it hang from my neck as I turned to see who it was. "It's fine, maybe I should stand somewhere other than the entrance to unload my– shit, are you okay?"

My brows furrowed with concern at the sight of Jackie Taylor, the captain of the girl's soccer team. Her presence wasn't what concerned me, but rather the obvious tears on her face that she awkwardly tried to wipe away when our eyes briefly met.

"Yeah, I'm–" she started, but was interrupted by her own sniffling, and she completely turned away in an attempt to collect herself.

This was the opposite of the Jackie Taylor I'd come to know over the years. Having witnessed her rise into captain as I photographed the team's success – the Yellowjackets – for the school paper had given me enough time with her to know she was usually a happy, confident girl. I'd never seen her cry like this before, especially not at school.

"What happened?" I asked gently.

She shook her head, forcing a smile. "Nothing, I just– I broke up with Jeff."

I wasn't sure what to say at first, familiar with her boyfriend but knowing they were known for having their breaks here and there. Still, this looked worse than usual.

"I'm sorry to hear that," I finally spoke, chewing on my lip. "Is there anything I can do?"

She shook her head, straightening up suddenly. "No. But do you know when the next bus arrives? I was supposed to get a ride home with him, but–"

"No, er, I don't really get–" I started, but amended, "I mean, I can check, but–"

"Forget it," she said with a sigh. "I'll figure it out. Thanks."

Without another word, she walked past me and down the steps. I watched her, debating whether or not to offer her a ride since I knew for certain I'd never seen her catch a bus in my life, and it was well after school hours so they might not even be running now. There was also the fact that she was clearly upset, and my conscious wouldn't rest easy knowing I'd left her alone.

"Jackie, wait," I called out to her, pocketing my film canister and jogging to catch up to her. She stopped, turning around, and I pulled out my car keys. "I can give you a ride."

A little surprised, her hazel eyes widened slightly. "Oh. Are you sure?"

I nodded. "Yeah. C'mon."

She silently followed me to my car, getting into the passenger's seat as I did the driver's. It was never awkward between us before, but our exchanges were always limited to greetings, soccer talk or photo ops. Now however, there was a slight tension in the air, mainly because of her situation. She didn't speak except for when she told me where she lived, and after that, I didn't speak up either, not wanting to pressure her into sharing if she didn't want to.

"Thank you," she muttered halfway through the drive, and I glanced over at her to see her watching me apologetically. "Is your camera thingy okay? Whatever I knocked?"

"The film, yeah," I assured her. "No worries. It was just the roll from the baseball game yesterday. So pretty low value considering they always lose."

It was a poor attempt to make her laugh, since it was universally known that the school baseball team were below average, especially compared to the Yellowjackets, but it seemed to work as she let out a quiet chuckle. I smiled, glad she was cheered up a little.

"Well, sorry anyway," she added politely.

I shrugged. "No harm done."

Another silence fell upon us the remainder of the drive to hers, but it wasn't awkward any longer. Once I pulled up outside her house, I tried not to let my amazement at how huge her place was show. I'd always known she was rich, but this was another level.

"Thanks for the ride," she spoke, pulling me from my stupor.

I met her gaze, expression softening slightly. "You gonna be okay?"

She nodded, and I had no choice but to believe her.

"Okay then. Well, see you tomorrow, Jackie."

She smiled a little before getting out the car and heading inside. Despite her feigned confidence, it was obvious she wasn't happy, and I only hoped she would feel better tomorrow. Whatever had happened between her and Jeff hadn't been like the usual, not judging by the state of her.

The next day after school was when I had chance to properly check on Jackie. I was at the Yellowjackets' practice, shooting for the yearbook, and she was there too.

"You gonna make us look good, right, Y/L/N?" Nat, one of the players, asked when she saw me heading on the field.

"Always," I returned with a smile, and she grinned as she jogged away to get started.

My eyes scanned the field before I spotted Jackie by the goal, using the post to stretch. I subtly approached her, not wanting to draw too much attention in case she hadn't told anyone about the breakup.

"Hey, Jackie," I greeted her, making her pause from her stretching. "How are you doing? Y'know, about the yesterday thing?"

She smiled gratefully, nodding. "I'm good, Y/N, thanks."

I wasn't sure if she was telling the truth, but I also didn't expect her to confide in me, so I simply nodded.

"Good, well... if you ever wanna talk about it, I'm here."

"Thanks," she said quietly, smile fading a little. "I appreciate it."

I gave her a genuine smile. "Anytime."

And with that, I left her to it, feeling a lot better knowing I'd at least offered up my help.

The Yellowjackets' soccer game was after school at the end of that same week, and I was paying them a visit beforehand to wish them luck and also gift them some candid portraits they'd asked for a few weeks ago.

When I let myself in their locker room, they were pretty much dressed in their uniforms, some helping each other out with braiding their hair back or engaging in some pre-game superstitions. It always made me smile because they never failed to hype themselves up and it showed.

"Heeeeeyyyyy! Y/N's here with our close ups!" someone shouted, and everybody cheered as I rolled my eyes playfully.

First on the pile of photos in my hand was Van, who I found searching in her locker whilst singing along to a song that was blasting from the stereo in the corner.

"There's my favourite goalie," I greeted, and she laughed as I handed her the photograph in a plastic wallet. "For you. The one you liked in the paper, right?"

She straightened up when she saw it, smile brightening on her face. "Oh, hell yeah, this is so badass! Thanks, Y/N!"

"No worries," I said dismissively, before moving around the room to hand out the rest of the photos.

Everybody seemed pleased with what they got, which was always reassuring to hear since it was supposed to be my best skill.

"Last but not least, Jackie," I said, finding the team captain by her locker, fixing her hair in the mirror that hung inside.

She flashed me a smile as I handed her the photograph. In it, she was mid-kicking a ball into the net, scoring a goal for the team.

"Y/N, I love it," she said with gratitude, eyes taking the whole image in before looking up to me. "Thank you."

I held out another photograph, earning a confused look from her. "It's a little bonus photo. Thought it might cheer you up after everything."

She raised her eyebrows slightly, before accepting the photo and studying it. This one was a photo I'd taken at the Yellowjackets' last game, moments after they'd won. Jackie was cheering with her teammates and I'd managed to take the perfect picture of her as she was surrounded by them, a grin on her face, eyes bursting with excitement. It was probably my favourite of the two.

"You didn't need to..." she started, but stopped herself. And then she surprised me with a hug, wrapping her one free hand around my neck. "I really appreciate it."

Before I could even think to hug her back, she pulled away to give me a heartwarming smile.

"Anytime," I told her, acutely aware of the mild butterflies in my stomach from her gaze, but that was merely because I wasn't stupid and Jackie Taylor was very pretty. "If you're ever thinking about you-know-what, just remember. At the end of the day, he's just some guy."

Her smile widened and then she let out a laugh. "Very true. I won't forget."

I smiled, nodding and taking a step back. "I'll leave you to finish getting ready. Good luck tonight. Not that you'll need it."

"Be sure to get my best side," she joked, turning her head to the left.

I laughed. "Jackie Taylor doesn't have a bad side."

She winked playfully, and I left her to it as I headed out to the field to get ready to photograph tonight's game.

As expected, the Yellowjackets won and I got a lot of good shots in of their winning goals. Even though a lot of the photos were similar to others I'd taken, I didn't mind it as it challenged me to try out different things with my camera, like messing with the shutter speed or even using a double exposure to create cool effects.

After snapping some final shots of the team celebrating on the pitch, I moved out the way of the friends and family who were there with them and focused on changing the roll of film in my camera. Just after rewinding the current roll and opening the back of my camera, I felt someone tap me on the shoulder unexpectedly. Startled yet again, my hands twitched and the roll flew up and out the camera. I managed to catch it before it could fall into the grass, and turned around to find Jackie failing to stifle her laughter.

"I'm sorry, Y/N, I didn't mean to scare you again," she said apologetically.

"Oh, it's fine," I said sarcastically, stuffing the roll into the canister in my pocket. "It's only the winning goals on film."

She sighed through her nose, her lips pursed into an amused smile. "Sorry. I came because the girls wanted a team photo."

I gave her a knowing look. "On it."

After gathering the team together and replacing my film, I took a few photos of them with their medals and trophy before my job was officially done for the afternoon.

"They come out good?" Jackie asked afterwards, as I put my camera away.

"I'd like to think so," I said sarcastically, making her roll her eyes lightheartedly.

"So, the party tonight," she started, piquing my interest. "You're coming, right?"

I quirked a brow. "Huh?"

"It's at the usual spot," she added.

I pursed my lips, unsure how to tell her that though I knew what she was talking about and I'd always been invited, the post-soccer game party wasn't my thing.

"You don't usually come, do you?" she caught on, crossing her arms with amusement.

"It's not really my scene," I admitted.

"Well, d'you wanna perhaps make a change tonight?" she asked, pleading with her eyes. "I'd love to see you there."

I wasn't sure why she suddenly wanted me there – maybe because I'd been extra nice to her recently and she felt she owed me? And I also wasn't sure if she knew the effect she had on people when she gave them her whole 'innocent doe-eyed' look, but maybe she did since it seemed to work.

"Fine," I gave in reluctantly, making her grin. I nodded to my best friend, Y/BF/N, who was sat in the stands as she made notes on tonight's game – she was a journalist for the paper. "Can I bring Y/BF/N?"

"Duh," she said like it was a dumb question. "You're both always welcome."

I nodded. "Okay, I guess I'll see you tonight."

She tilted her head, eyes sparkling with her usual Jackie mischief. "See you tonight."

"I'm so glad Jackie convinced you," Y/BF/N was saying with excitement as I drove us to the deserted clearing where the party was being held. "I've always wanted to go to one of these things, but you always say no."

"I've literally never stopped you," I said, giving her a sideways glance.

"I couldn't just go without you," she said, in a somewhat sweet way which made me feel guilty for never going to one of these things with her.

"Well, feel free to go crazy tonight," I said with a slight smile. "I'm driving."

"Oh, you bet I will," she said eagerly, making me laugh.

When we got there, the party was in full swing. A bonfire was set up in the middle, with a lot of people from our grade hanging about. Some were dancing, drinking and chatting away, celebrating the Yellowjackets' win. As Y/BF/N and I passed a few of our classmates to reach Jackie and the team, I was reminded why parties weren't my scene, but sucked it up for Y/BF/N.

"And there she is!" Nat shouted, spotting me first and pulling me in for a side hug. "When Jackie told us you were coming, I could swear she was bullshitting."

"It's good to see you too, Nat," I laughed.

"And Y/BF/N is out tonight too," Lottie noticed with a smile. "It's nice to have you both here."

"Anything to support the team," Y/BF/N played along, making everyone laugh. "Now, what's a girl gotta do to get a drink around here?"

As Nat tugged her away to find her a drink, Jackie approached my side and nudged me gently.

"I'm glad you made it," she said, eyes doing a once over of me which admittedly made me nervous. "You look pretty. And it's the first time I've seen you without a camera, who knew it was possible?"

I rolled my eyes, though a smile ghosted my lips. Judging from her stifled grin, she was impressed at her own joke.

"You want a drink?" she offered, already about to leave and grab me one, but I shook my head politely.

"Thanks, but I'm designated driver tonight."

"Me and you both," Shauna said, raising her cup of water.

I cracked a smile as Jackie looked back to me hopefully.

"Okay, well how about a dance?"

I tried to hide my surprise, unsure if I could handle dancing with the Jackie Taylor without freaking out. No, I wasn't insanely head over heels for the girl, but yes, I had eyes and knew I'd get nervous dancing with a flirt like her.

"Maybe when a good song comes on," I settled on the safe response.

She studied me curiously. "Hmm. And what's a good song?"

I listened to the music that was on now, definitely not my style, and truthfully answered, "Definitely not this. Maybe some [your favourite artist]?"

She sighed defeatedly. "Your lucky day. I don't think anybody brought that tape."

I shrugged playfully. "Shame."

It was her turn to roll her eyes, feigning annoyance, but she got me a cup of water nonetheless and I stayed to chat with her, Shauna and a few others in her team. Y/BF/N returned with Nat not long later, and conversation soon changed from the soccer game to the paper. I didn't mind, enjoying talking to them about it all, as did Y/BF/N, but then a few of them were after some more fun 'party' stuff, and headed over to get a little more drunk.

Shauna and I, designated drivers as we'd established, stuck together for most of the evening. She watched as Jackie danced the night away with the others, and I watched as Y/BF/N had the time of her life, flirting with some of the jocks. By the time an hour and a half passed and my social battery had completely drained, Y/BF/N was pretty drunk and I knew we had to leave.

I said my goodbyes to Shauna before finding Jackie to the do the same. She wasn't as drunk as Y/BF/N, but definitely tipsy. As soon as she spun around, a massive grin fell on her lips and she hugged me.

"Okay," I said with surprise, receiving a lot more hugs from Jackie Taylor this past week than I had in my life. "I've gotta get Y/BF/N home now, Jackie. Just wanted to say goodnight."

"Thank you for coming," she said, pulling back with a drunken smile, but alert eyes. "And for the photos you gave me. And in general, for being a really great friend."

Yep, definitely bordering drunk.

"Thanks for inviting me tonight," I said, patting her arm before letting go. "I... liked it."

Okay, maybe not, but she was trying to be nice and I had to return the favour.

Jackie Taylor wasn't stupid though, even in this state, and a quiet chuckle from her told me all I need to know. "You owe me a dance."

"One day, maybe," I breathed out, glancing at her.

She smirked. "I'll take it."

Jackie had always been friendly with me around school, but since that week, it was as if she made more of an effort to be. Whether it was saying hi to me in the hallways, smiling at me between classes or chatting to me more whenever I was taking photos, she was more involved in my life. I didn't hate it of course, but it was something new.

One weekend, I was running some errands around town when I decided to finish up at one of my favourite coffee shops and treat myself. Armed with my purse and current read, I headed in and ordered myself a mocha with the intention of settling in the corner of the store and having some 'me' time. Of course, when I collected my drink from the counter, a familiar voice called my name and I spun around with furrowed brows.

To my surprise, it was Jackie waving at me from her table by the window, seated opposite Shauna. It felt a little rude to ignore her, so I headed over and smiled at them both.

"Fancy seeing you here," Jackie said with a grin, before motioning next to Shauna. "Join us?"

I glanced at Shauna, who had a welcoming smile on her face, so I replied, "Oh, er, thanks. Good to see you guys!"

As I took my seat, I left my bag next to me, expecting my reading time to become nonexistent now that I'd joined the two soccer players.

"We're not bothering you, are we?" Shauna asked considerately, making me smile with amusement because she was so different to an oblivious Jackie.

"Nah, you're good," I assured her, before looking between them. "What are you two up to then?"

"Oh, just having a girls day," Jackie answered, leaning back in her seat and flashing me her signature smile. "How about you?"

"Just running some errands," I said with a shrug. "Picking up some more film, getting some stuff for my mum, not much."

"So, I take it you finished the English assignment due tomorrow?" Shauna asked.

"Oh, yeah, got that done weeks ago," I said like it was a silly question, and then I saw the look Shauna shot Jackie and realised. "Wait, you haven't finished it?"

Jackie scoffed playfully. "Oh, come on, of course I have!" When Shauna kept staring at her, she continued, "I just need to write the conclusion."

"And the introduction," Shauna mumbled.

"Okay, yes, fine," Jackie gave in. "But it'll be done!"

I quirked a brow at her. "You not even worried? Mr. C isn't known for his leniency."

"Oh, Mr. C does not scare me," she said with assuredness. "Besides, I reckon I can talk him into giving me a two day extension."

I exhaled, trying not to laugh. "Of course you can."

I was convinced that there wasn't something Jackie Taylor couldn't do, and judging by the satisfied smile on her lips, I think she knew it too.

The three of us stayed there as I finished my coffee, and continued to sit there chatting about all sorts. I'd never really hung out with them properly outside of school, so I was oddly surprised with how well we got along.

Eventually, Shauna checked her watch and was sorry to interrupt our fruitless conversation about the rumours regarding our Chemistry teacher and IT teacher hooking up.

"I'm sorry, guys, but I gotta shoot off," she said with a slight frown.

"Oh, no worries," I said, straightening up, ready to leave the booth so she could leave.

"Aw no, really, Shauna?" Jackie said with a pout. "It's not even been an hour!"

"Hey, I'm not stopping you from staying, but you'll have to catch the bus home," Shauna replied with a chuckle, making Jackie scrunch her nose with disgust.

As I got up, letting Shauna stand, I realised what the problem was and looked to Jackie. "I don't mind giving you a ride."

And just like that, her smile returned. "Really?"

I shrugged. "No biggie."

"Awesome, thanks, Y/N," Shauna said gratefully, squeezing my shoulder. "Can't have Princess Jackie stranded without a carriage."

I laughed as Jackie rolled her eyes at the insult, and Shauna tried to hide her smile as she said her goodbyes.

"It's not that funny," Jackie stated, when she saw the smile still on my lips.

"It kind of is," I said with a breathy chuckle.

She crossed her arms, narrowing her eyes at me lightheartedly. Now that we were alone, I figured now was a better time than any to properly check in on her.

"So, how have you been doing?" I asked carefully. "Since the whole you-know-what?"

Unlike the last time I asked her a few weeks ago, she actually seemed to be doing a lot better, no hint of sadness in her eyes. "Pretty good. Think I might be over it now. You know how boys can be."

I hummed, awkward smile forming on my lips as I suddenly distracted myself with whatever was going on outside the window. I failed to remember how observant Jackie was though.

"Wait, have you never had a boyfriend?" she asked with surprise, leaning forward slightly.

I settled with shaking my head, and she tried to make me feel better by shrugging and sipping her milkshake from the straw.

"You're not missing out on much," she assured me.

I couldn't help but snicker, shaking my head, though grateful for her attempt at putting me at ease. "That's what people who've had boyfriends usually say."

She smiled, cheeks dusting pink when I caught her out, and now it was my turn to assure her.

"It's fine," I said nonchalantly. "Boys are gross anyway."

She snorted with amusement. "Amen. It would just be easier to date girls, wouldn't it?"

I was surprised she'd said that, staying quiet for a second too long, and her eyes widened with realisation.

Suddenly embarrassed, she stuttered, "Oh, you like– I mean, you're– you're a–"

"Lesbian?" I finished with an entertained smile. She nodded awkwardly, and I confirmed, "Yeah, but I don't exactly go around shouting it out. People don't tend to react well when they find out."

She exhaled softly, eyes flittering around the table nervously. "Oh. Well, I won't tell anyone if that's what you're worried about."

I shrugged, soaking in a flustered Jackie for a little longer, holding in my laughter. Truthfully, it was very amusing watching her figure out the best reaction because I knew she was harmless. It would have been easy to embarrass her a little more for fun, but she was clearly going through it with her deep pink cheeks, now matching the colour of her lips.

After a moment of collecting herself, her hazel eyes met mine in an attempt to return to normal. "So, are there any girls you're interested in?"

It was impossible not to laugh now as I gave her a questioning look. "Really, Jackie?"

She nodded quickly, eyes returning to the table. "Right. Sorry."

I giggled at her expression before changing the subject, knowing it would definitely make her feel better. Despite my confidence in my sexuality, a small part of me hoped she wouldn't treat me any different after finding out, and thankfully, she didn't. We still chatted like usual, enjoying each other's company, until she finished her milkshake and it was time to head off.

It might have been the sugar from her milkshake, or just her plain inability to sit still, but when I was driving home, she wouldn't stop messing around with the radio stations, trying to find a good song.

"Oh my god, you're driving me insane," I finally said, making her stop.

"Not my fault the radio is garbage," she said in a knowing tone.

I rolled my eyes playfully before nodding to the centre console. "I have some cassettes. Find something you like and please stop breaking my radio."

She smiled cheekily before doing just that, flicking through the tapes I had. Finally, she decided on some Mariah Carey and managed to keep quiet the rest of the way. Occasionally she'd hum along, but I much preferred that over her touching the radio a million times.

When we reached her house, I pulled up outside and offered her a smile. "Was cool hanging out with you and Shauna today."

"It was," she agreed, before grabbing her purse and resting her hand on the door handle. "We should do it again sometime."

I shrugged, not minding, and her smile widened before she got out.

Leaning her head down to look at me through the open window, she added, "Thanks for the ride. Again."

I cleared my throat, a smile ghosting my lips as I said, "In the wise words of Shauna Shipman, we can't have Princess Jackie stranded without a–"

"Ass," she mumbled, leaving before I could finish, but a smile crossed her expression as I laughed to myself.

I suppose hanging out with Jackie Taylor wasn't so bad.

[vilevenom]

Hello, Anon! Thank you for your prompt!

I've seen a couple of fics where Branch has that conversation with his brothers, and it tends to get explosive. I tried to take a bit more of a calmer approach to it to help with the fluff. I also won't lie, John almost stole the spotlight from Branch, but I managed to wrangle it back, lol

Enjoy!

Things had been going so well. Branch's brothers were all sat in his bunker, clustered around his tiny kitchen table, the surface laden with half empty plates of snacks and various cups and glasses from drinks they had been going through as the evening had progressed. But then, there was a lull in conversation.

"Hey, uh…not to be that troll, guys-" Clay began, interrupted by a quiet snort from John Dory.

"Then don't."

Clay shot John a glare, but continued, a look of concern settling on his face as he looked to Branch. "Look, I don't wanna be the troll to bring the mood down, but I gotta know. It's been bugging me since you said it, Bitty B." He ignored Branch's grumpy "It's Branch", pressing on as he fiddled with his mug of tea. "Did Grandma really get eaten?"

A hush quickly settled over the brothers. Branch looked taken aback by the question, while John scowled at Clay. Bruce looked a bit squeamish as he stared at his own glass of water, while Floyd gasped and sat back in his chair.

"What happened to grandma?!" Floyd asked, turning urgently to Branch.

Branch looked distinctly uncomfortable, swallowing thickly to try and rid himself of the sudden lump that had formed in his throat. "Oh, right. That," he mumbled, pulling his hands from where they'd sat on the table top to fiddle in his lap. He took a deep breath, trying to think of the best way to explain to his brothers what the last two decades of his life had entailed. "Okay. Quite the change of topic," he let out a nervous laugh. His brothers deserved to know what had happened to their grandmother. "I guess I'll just start at the beginning. Uhm…a year or two after you all left, the chef started grabbing one or two trolls at random, rather than just on Trollstice. We never knew when, or even why. I think, in retrospect, the previous Bergen king probably just got greedy and wanted to feel happy outside of Trollstice." He cleared his throat, glancing up at his brothers, who were now all staring at him intently. He flushed, ducking his head back down to stare at the crumbs on the plate in front of him. "So, one day, grandma and I were outside. She was hanging laundry, while I practiced singing." He clenched his fists in his lap, feeling tears well up in his eyes. "I got so wrapped up in my song, I didn't hear her yell. I didn't notice until she was running at me. I looked up, and there was chef. Reaching for me." He paused to take a shuddering breath, letting tears slowly track down his cheeks. "Grandma pushed me out of the way. She got taken, instead."

"Oh, Branch," Floyd murmured softly next to him, his brothers hand landing gently on his shoulder. He shrugged it off out of habit, curling a bit in on himself in his chair.

"If I'd been paying attention, she wouldn't have been grabbed," Branch muttered, his colors dulling slightly as he spoke.

"That's not your fault, B," Bruce said, shaking his head as he put his hand on the table in front of Branch, "You were just a kid." He paused, noticing the way Branch's blue fur seemed to grow a shade duller. "Does the color of your fur have something to do with…all that?" he asked, his voice gentle.

Branch sighed, rubbing his hands roughly over his face, angrily wiping tears away. His brothers should be furious at him for getting their grandma killed, but they were treating him so gently. He was both angry on their behalf, but also relieved that they hadn't walked out on him once again. "Yeah. I turned grey after that."

A collective, quiet gasp went around the table.

"Grey? For how long?" John Dory asked, sitting forward in his seat, "It had to have been a long time, if you're still dark."

Branch glanced up, a sardonic little smile on his face. "I guess twenty years is a long time."

"No way. Twenty?! Branch…" Clay shook his head as he trailed off, disbelief on his face.

"I had to take care of myself, after that. Other trolls thought there was something wrong with me, because I didn't sing or dance anymore. I was never happy. King Peppy was good about telling trolls to leave me alone, but that was a bit of the problem. They all just…left me alone," Branch explained, feeling Floyd's hand on his shoulder again. This time he let it stay. "When we escaped the troll tree, I almost got caught in the tunnels. I was small, and because of my colors I almost blended into the dark. No one really noticed me. Somehow, though, I made it out. I travelled with the other trolls until we found where we would build pop village. I was about five or six when I started digging the bunker."

"Six?! Oh, Branch," Bruce said, tears in his eyes. Branch glanced at him, and he could tell his brother was thinking about his own children, and what might become of any of them if they were left on their own at that age.

"You're made of tough stuff, kid," John piped up from across the table, lifting his chin defiantly as his other brothers shot him glares. "You made it. You persevered, and survived. I'm proud of you."

Branch blinked, shocked by the sudden show of support from his oldest brother. It made something angry and bitter flare in his chest, though. He clutched a hand to his chest, letting out a breath. He sniffed back the tears that had formed in his eyes again, glowering slightly as he looked around the table at his brothers. "It would've been easier if any of you had come back."

At that his brothers all immediately looked guilty. Floyd especially as his parting words rang in his head. He wrapped his arms around himself in a self-soothing gesture, staring at the table as Branch spoke.

"I'm angry, and I'm sad. I feel so bitter about all those years, where it seemed like none of you even /thought/ of me," Branch said, turning his gaze upon each of his brothers until each one, in turn, looked away in shame. He waited a moment for his words to settle, before speaking again. "But…I'm also so happy to have you all back in my life. Even if it's twenty years too late. I missed you guys. Every day."

"Branch," Floyd gasped next to him, his voice waving as tears ran down his cheeks. "I'm so sorry. We're all sorry," he added, glancing at the others, who all nodded in agreement. "I don't have any excuses. I should have come back," he said, reaching out to take Branch's hand. "I made you a promise, and I broke it. And I don't really think there's anything I can do to make it up to you."

Branch gave Floyd's hand a little squeeze, offering a watery smile. "You can. You can stay. You can spend time with me, and we can get to know each other again."

"I would love that, Branch."

"I just want to state, for the record," John Dory piped up from across the table, "I did come back."

Clay rolled his eyes, while Bruce scoffed, but John sat firm, a look of determination on his face as he stared Branch down. "I did come back, and I thought you were dead."

"You thought he was dead? Come on, John, that's a bit much," Clay snorted, shoving lightly at his brothers shoulder. But John just shook his head, scowling.

"I thought you were all dead," John stated bluntly. "I came back after the trolls escaped. The tree was dead, and most of the pods were wrecked. I had no idea you all left Grandma's pod after I did. What else was I supposed to think?"

"You just assumed we all died? Not that we'd escaped?" Bruce asked, arching an eyebrow at John.

"We left when the escape plan was still in talks. A small handful of trolls getting away wasn't unheard of, but the whole tree? I mean, I had a little hope, but what was the likelihood? What would /you/ have thought, finding grandma's pod covered in half dead vines and not a troll in sight?" John half snarled, shooting Bruce a scowl. "But, oh, that's right. You were off on a tropical island, drinking mai tais under the sun and learning how to surf."

"Hey, now," Floyd interrupted as Bruce puffed up indignantly, obviously about to get into a fight with John, "Let's just take a moment to breath. This is all a lot, and emotions are getting high."

Bruce let out the breath he'd taken, visibly deflating, while John huffed and crossed his arms, scowling at the table top.

"What happened after you came back to the tree?" Branch asked quietly, John's head snapping up at the quiet question.

"I looked for you," John admitted with a shrug, letting his shoulders slump and his arms uncross. "I looked for quite a while. I lost track of time, but it had to be for at least a year. The forest is huge, and the village was well hidden. After a while, I thought I must be the last pop troll alive and decided to go see the rest of the world."

"And you…did you go grey?" Branch asked, watching his oldest brother curiously as he reached up to fiddle with his goggles.

"For a little bit," John admitted, "While I was looking for you. Not anything as drastic as twenty years. And I got my colors back. The world is big, and beautiful. It's hard to stay hopeless when you see some of the stuff out there."

Branch smiled tiredly at John, nodding a little. "Yeah. It is. Poppy helped me see that."

"Is she the reason you managed to get your colors back?" Clay asked, leaning his elbows on the table.

"She did, yeah. A little over a year ago, Chef found the village. She kidnapped a bunch of Poppy's friends, and we went to Bergen town to rescue them. We brokered peace with the Bergens, and I got my colors back all in one fell swoop," Branch said with a light little laugh.

"And then you saved the world from the rockapocalypse with her," Bruce teased, grinning.

"That was mostly Poppy, but yeah," Branch returned the grin, startling as John suddenly stood up. He watched as his oldest brother rounded the table, staring wide eyed even as John suddenly engulfed him in a hug.

"I heard you on the radio," John muttered into Branch's hair, "It's how I found out you were alive."

"JD," Branch murmured, reaching up to half return the hug, ignoring the light smattering of tears that were hitting his shoulder.

"You are the coolest, Bitty B!" John suddenly crowed, pulling back from the hug with a broad grin on his face, shaking Branch a little, "Saving the village, then the whole world! Dating the Queen of pop!"

"Bringing us all back together," Floyd added, offering a watery smile as Branch looked to him.

"You grew up into an amazing troll, Bitty B," Clay added, grinning at his youngest brother.

"We're all really proud of you, Branch," Bruce finally added, nodding a little as Branch began to tear up once more.

Branch squawked as John engulfed him in a hug again, laughing as the rest of his brothers rose from their own chairs to join in. "Thanks, guys."

[earlgreytea68]

I am reading the Emily Wilson translation of The Iliad right now. I read her translation of The Odyssey earlier this year and I'm sure the translation is fantastic, but I was really fascinated by how strongly I disliked the story. Fascinated because I'd read it several times through high school and college and I never remember disliking it as much as I liked it as a grown-up.

So I decided to re-read The Iliad just to see. I've read this one before, too, but I think I only read it once. I don't have a very strong memory of it. I'm almost halfway through and here are my thoughts on The Iliad:

This story is basically just endless descriptions of battles in great, gory details. Here is how this one died, and this one, and this one. There are so many battles and so many people dying, I don't really understand what happened for the nine years leading up to this story. Like, did they just sit around staring at each other and then finally decide to fight?

The fighting is so fascinating to me. It's clearly so up-close and personal because there are no guns and so everyone's right on top of each other and have to look each other in the eye as they cut off each other's heads and stuff, and you would think that these people must be cold as ice to be doing this stuff. But then there'll be a random scene where one Greek is about to kill one Trojan and is like, "Hang on, don't I know you?" and they realize their dads were friends and they used to play together and they're like, "Ha! We won't kill each other! We'll hang out when this war is over!" And they shake hands and then...go off and start violently killing other people instead. It's like ?????

The explanation is that the gods make them hunger for war more than anything else, just fyi.

The striking thing about both of these epics is how the Greek theory of the gods erases all concept of personal responsibility. Whenever people behave atrociously, everyone around them literally says things like, "I don't blame you. I blame the evil god that is possessing you right now." On the one hand, this theory makes sense in a world that was clearly so utterly bewildering that they couldn't explain beyond just hand-waving, like, those wild gods of ours, you never know what they're doing! But on the other hand, it's so frustrating that nobody is ever held responsible for any behavior.

None of the characters are likable, not one, in either of these stories. I have hated all of them. I think it's interesting how the idea of a sympathetic character doesn't seem to truly exist at the time these epics were being written, or rather their idea of what made a character sympathetic is very different from the modern idea. Like, I'm sure Odysseus is *supposed* to be someone we root for...but he's a jerk lol. And in The Iliad, I literally hate everyone on both the Greek and Trojan sides. Like, occasionally one of them does something not terrible, but then they go right back to being jerks right after that. I would love that to be a story choice, that you're not rooting for either side to win and you're okay with all these people just wiping each other out, but I think I'm supposed to be on the side of the Greeks. They're just all pretty unbearable people, so I'm not.

The best character so far in the whole thing is Paris hahahaha. He should be the arch-villain of them all, and it's not that I actually like him, but he's at least got some flair to him! I respect him! Like, there's this great scene where everybody's fighting and Hector realizes that Paris is just hanging out at home with Helen, and Hector is like, "Buddy, YOU ARE THE ENTIRE REASON WE ARE AT WAR, BECAUSE YOU KIDNAPPED THIS WOMAN, DO YOU THINK YOU SHOULD GO AND FIGHT????" and Paris is so chill, like, Moi? Fight? You should have said something! I guess I can go out there! And then there's this other great part where he randomly shows up in the middle of the battle to, like, shoot an arrow through this other guy's foot????? Just because he's just that cool in battle???? hahaha he's described as leaning up against a column and he just kind of says, like, "Hey. Diomedes. Little baby. Gonna shoot your foot," and shoots his food, and it's the coolest thing anyone's done in the whole epic hahahaha. And then Diomedes is furious and says that Paris has "stupid hair" hahahah WHAT???? Meanwhile other people are chopping off each other's arms and these two are sniping at each other like this???? I don't even understand this war lol

I don't get Helen and I get that it's because the original Greek writers didn't care what Helen thought about any of this because she doesn't have any agency (although to be fair none of them have agency because only the gods have agency) but, like, I genuinely can't figure out if she wants the Greeks or Trojans to win. Maybe she just wants everyone to die. Me, too, Helen.

I love that Emily Wilson describes Achilles as basically sobbing his heart out because Agamemnon stole his enslaved woman from him. Like, I just enjoy that the Greek concept of masculinity allowed Achilles to sob it out and nobody called him unmanly.

That said, Agamemnon is a huge jerk and I'm annoyed by all the Greeks telling Achilles to get over Agamemnon's insult. Achilles wants to take his ship and go home and the Greeks are like, FOR SHAME. No, this is truly the only sensible thing to do. They should all take their ships and go home. But Agamemnon being like, "I will send Odysseus to apologize to Achilles for me," and Achilles is like, "I do not accept this apology," and the Greeks are like, "That Achilles! He's so stubborn!" Like, Agamemnon can't even be bothered to go apologize in person! It's continued insult afa I am concerned! (I probably don't understand the subtle interactions of Greek society lol)

I enjoy how they're always sacrificing to the gods but the sacrificing involves...them partying and feasting. I think I thought sacrificing meant they killed the bull and left it for the gods, but instead they kill the bull for the gods but then they eat the bull and have a big party. Sacrificing seems like just an excuse for a party, it turns out.

There's this part where Zeus is like, "Hey, if anyone interferes with the humans fighting their little war down there, I will smite you and throw you down into torment and punishment forever, don't think I won't." And Athena is like, "You're a big meanie," and so Zeus is like, "Ha ha, just kidding, love you, kiddo." I was like, .......everything in this society is severely dysfunctional.

So I wouldn't say I am exactly enjoying reading it lol, but I feel like I am learning a lot about ancient Greece and what they valued and found interesting and admired and how that differs from me in my twenty-first century world.

[screamingintothestarss]

wildflowers (part ii)

pairing: fratboy!Hunter x f!reader

chapter rating: gen

chapter warnings: starwars university!au, use of she/her pronouns, strangers to friends to lovers, mutual pining, miscommunication, some angst, almost kissing, sorta cheesy love tropes lol, emotions are complicated

word count: 2.1k

notes: i am so so sorry for the late updates, i’ve had like two projects and an essay due. it’s also midterm week for me! however please enjoy!! ╰(▔∀▔)╯

chapters: i ii iii

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

You spread the cloth across your face, rubbing at pink blotches of makeup sitting pretty on your cheekbone. You think that maybe if you scrub hard enough, you can wipe away the memory of tonight–of him. 

He was so casual with her, so easygoing and flirtatious, and it left you feeling all soured and rotten. He never flirted with you, never throwing you that sly wink and smile you’d seen him give other women. Would you want that, though? To have another guy lick his lips, eyes gliding along your curvature just to see you as another score? The feeling is like a vibroblade in your gut, twisting and screwing its way into your stomach, spilling out dead butterflies and buried feelings. 

“You almost done?” a tinny voice raps on the door and you jump. 

“No, not really,” you grumble, and you try really hard not to let her have it. You’re already trying not to drown in the murky depths of your emotions, and the last thing you need is your pushy roommate pulling you under.

You take a long hot shower to soothe that ache in your chest, much to her chagrin. 

⋆⋅☆⋅⋆

“What's wrong with him?” Wrecker whispers rather poorly in Crosshair's direction. 

“I'd bet it's that girl of his,” he rasps, toothpick bouncing between his lips. Despite the bite in his tone, he can't peel his gaze off of Hunter, those brotherly gears in his head starting to turn. Sure, he'd seen him upset before, like that time he'd cut his hair after losing that bet, or the time he got ghosted by that one girl, but this felt different. It felt like an axe to his chest, hacking away at muscle and bone–it made him hurt. He wished he had the words sometimes, an answer, even, but those circuits weren't wired correctly either. 

Echo's were, however. He always seemed to know what to say and said what needed to be said. He'd cut you open to the core and patch you right back up afterward.

Crosshair taps around on his comm and in no time Echo emerges from his bedroom, adjusting his prosthetic. 

No other words need to be exchanged: it's a silent agreement, an understanding built over years of brotherhood: tight-knit like a warm sweater. 

Echo hums and takes a seat beside Hunter, the leather cushion dipping under his weight. Crosshair and Wrecker quietly clear the room, leaving the two brothers alone.

Hunter doesn't stir, still stuck in the thick fog of your perfume. 

Echo gives him a once over before speaking up; "What happened, Sarge?" 

"You know I don't care for that nickname, Echo," he laughs, and it's strained, the soreness in his chest pulling it taught. 

Echo's brow relaxes. At least he wasn't plagued by that all-consuming grief, the kind that leaves you gutted and slack-jawed.

"You went to that party one way and came back another...my guess is it's something to do with her?" He says it rather bluntly, like a heavy box falling onto the ground with a thunk.

Hunter meets his eyes and nods. His jaw circles, and he clicks his tongue.

"She saw me with someone else," he breathes, "It wasn't...it wasn't like that."

Echo nods, understanding melting onto a stony expression. Hunter didn't need to explain anything further, never with him.

"A miscommunication, then. But I'm guessing she wasn't up for talking about it, eh?" 

"No. She wasn't." It's flat and grainy between his teeth, but there's a buried longing there; he just needed to sift through the sand. 

But maybe you didn't want to be found.

Maybe he should keep you buried, letting granules of sand and dust fill in the cracks of what could've been.

What the hell was he thinking?

Echo sees him falling into his thoughts–dark, deep, and treacherous; but his next words reach out to catch him. 

"Do you like her?"

Hunter pauses and hits the replay button on his memory. …Do I like her?

⋆⋅☆⋅⋆

"Quadratics are pretty simple," you explain, "First, you want everything in standard form, then you need to plug in all your variables and-" you pause, meeting the brown-grey eyes boring into yours. 

"Are you even listening?" Your voice is like spice to his ears, and he doesn't think it's an addiction he wants to shake. 

"I'm always listening to you," he says cooly, and you can't pinpoint what's behind his eyes. It makes your stomach recoil nonetheless. You blow, holding your head down so he can't see the red and pink hues bleeding onto your cheeks. 

He definitely notices.

How couldn't he? 

He's unconsciously mapping your features, scrawling them onto some blank page in his memory. Truth be told, Tech had already taught him everything he needed to know about mathematics, piercing that thick skull of his. But Hunter allowed himself to admit that he simply wanted to spend more time with you, emptying what he could and letting you fill in the rest: all flowery and saccharine-sweet. 

He lets himself slip away for a moment, getting lost in that hazy scent you're always wearing. It's funny; he wasn't one for perfumes or smells in general, but something about yours had him inebriated, stumbling over formulas and equations. You meet each other's eyes, hues swirling together like paints on a palette, and he's tempted to create something beautiful.

He leans in closer to you, sealing in that distance that's been driving him up the walls. Like that evening at the dinner table, you're both magnetized, unable to pull away, and you're about to seal the deal when-

“Hey, I think I reserved this room?” a sharp voice sounds, cutting through the line keeping you both tethered.

“Sorry!”

⋆⋅☆⋅⋆

“I like the way these ones glow,” you say, eyeing a beautiful array of bouquets and arrangements. You and Hunter are stopped in front of a flower shop, its colorful exterior bouncing with pretty plants from all over the galaxy–some of these colors you swore you’ve never even seen before. An elderly Pantoran woman exits the shop, the door sliding open with a ding! 

“Looking for anything in particular?” she squeaks, her voice small and frail much like her stature. 

You peer at her and shake your head kindly, “No thank you, we’re just looking.”

“Nonsense! There’s plenty more to look at inside!” Her veiny blue hand tugs at your arm, pulling you through the door, and you look back at Hunter whose expression is a mix of amusement and…nervousness? He trails behind you both, hands tucked into a red and black letterman jacket.

You ooo and ahh at the various arrangements decorating the shop, but one in particular catches your eye. Sharp for her old age, the woman’s eyes sparkle as she follows your gaze, and then she’s got that iron grip on your arm again, whisking you away to the back of the shop. 

You’d never seen anything like this before. The arrangement is nothing short of gorgeous; dark blues, violets, pinks, whites–a myriad of hues that has you clutching your heart. Its bioluminescent glow reflects in the whites of your eyes like shooting stars, and Hunter watches planetside, transfixed on how your features are framed in the underglow. 

He doesn’t know what to make of the feeling settling in his stomach, all warm and sweet and comforting. He’s staring at you, and he can’t help but to think of that one painting in that art gallery you dragged him to: what was it, again? It was really, really colorful…like…like a field of-

“Felucian wildflowers!” The woman tells you, her wrinkly smile edging ear to ear. 

“They’re beautiful,” you sigh.

“Yeah…” Hunter breathes, paying no mind to the flowers adorning your frame. “Beautiful.”

⋆⋅☆⋅⋆

“What!?”

You’re laughing, a mix of amusement and disbelief that has Hunter fiending–a line under the ocean’s surface, he’ll keep reeling you in until it snaps. 

He scoffs, “Don’t believe me?”

You psh, your frame lazily laid out on the hood of his speeder. “I’m supposed to believe you and Tech used to drag race?”

He mimics you, getting cozy on the hood before looking back at you. “I wouldn’t lie to you.”

You meet his eyes and try really hard not to get lost in brown and grey hues, afraid you might never find your way out again. You’re staring at each other, laid out under a starry sky and the white glow of the moon. It’s as if the light is cradling you, he thinks, holding you with the same adoration he’d give a piece of himself for.

“I believe you,” you speak up, and it’s breathless, the heat of want wafting through your lips. 

“Okay.” It’s all he says before moving closer to you, head all stuffy as calloused hand reaches out for soft skin to-

The chiming of his comlink yanks him straight back into the parking lot, met with a low groan and your giggling.

He does little to hold back his eye-roll as Wrecker materializes onto the comm, his blue figure fizzing in and out.

“Sarge!” The cheerful nonchalance in his tone relaxes Hunter a bit; at least he didn’t start another kitchen fire. 

“Yeah?” 

“We're about to start movie night! You comin’?”

Hunter internally curses; he'd been too wrapped up in everything you that movie night had completely slipped his mind. He knew Omega wouldn't want to start without him, and the thought of her waiting up for him pricked at his skin like thorns.

“We're on our way-” The words slip from his lips before he can catch them, and his eyes flit towards your frame.

“Huh? Who's ‘we’?” Wrecker raises a thick brow, slowly putting the pieces together. “Haw! You're with your girlfrie-!”

Hunter closes the channel.

An awkward laugh stumbles through your lips, rolling around in the tension. You try to keep a cool facade, a blank canvas that he won't be able to paint on, but the way you're fidgeting gives him a few colors to start with.

You're reeling, brain jumping around in your skull trying to find somewhere safe to land; We're on our way.

Four simple words, yet they hold the weight of a thousand stars. We–us. Is that what he thought of you? As a part of him? A cog and screw working together to power this machine of fondness creeping up between you two? It has you feeling so secure and tender, yet terrified. 

You start to remember the shameless looks and wandering eyes tearing him apart on campus, and it leaves you feeling sick. 

Your thoughts wander into someplace creaky and dark, grimy and lifeless. All that sweet heat you'd just felt is swept away by the brittle winds of doubt. 

You remember how close she got to him on the desk, running a hand over his shoulder like you weren't sitting right there. 

Sick

You remember the one who'd throw her hair back, trying to pry his attention from you. They'd been…involved before, and you remember having to suppress that anger boiling in your gut.

Sick, sick, sick

You don't know how to feel or what to think. You want to give him the benefit of the doubt, assume his intentions are pure, and you know they are, but it's why you're so confused. That fear creeps up your neck, and you try to shoo it away. 

“Did you want to come?” He’s asking you, and it pulls you from the muck–but you're still covered in that grime. 

“No, I'm okay,” you breathe, and it’s heavy; weighed down by spindles and thorn branches.

He doesn't press you any further, but he's worried. Did Wrecker's words scare you off? Was he sitting too close? Was…was it something you'd want? His head’s spinning, caught in the hamster wheel of conflicting emotions. 

He could finalize it right now if he wanted: confess to you what you've already etched on the foundations of his heart, slaying that beast of confusion. 

But he can't risk it.

So he plays it safe.

“My frat's throwing a party on the first…I'd like it if you could be there.” He regains that cool huskiness in his voice, and it's got you hot all over again.

You breathe, and try not to let those chilly winds blow you into oblivion. You decide to face toward the sun and give into that warmth; that of trust.

“Okay.”

⋆⋅☆⋅⋆

“Hunter?”

He bristles, and the lenses in his eyes adjust their focus, finding Echo’s concerned expression.

“Sorry Echo, I-”

“Do you like her?” He repeats, his tone less weighty this time.

Hunter exhales, briefly looking away. He knows they both know the answer; he may as well have tattooed it next to the skull on his face. Saying it out loud seemed so final: like ink to a page, there was no room for error–no eraser to smudge the truth away. But that’s exactly what it was: the truth. And Hunter wouldn’t lie to you.

“I love her.”

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

–

–

–

–

[hlficlibrary]

hi! can u recommend some fics where one of them first has a partner(preferably louis) and the other likes them from afar then a breakup happens or smth then l&h get togetherr? (iknow this is so specific but idk how to look for tropes like this using a03 tags😭)

Hi, anon! Yeahhh that's hard to search for with tags! Since you're a searcher, I'd probably go with searching a secondary relationship along with Harry/Louis. You'd have to put in like Louis/OMC and then Louis/other names of a ship. So it'd be kind of tedious. But anyway, here are some fics for you! (lol okay I got carried away and listed 5 of them because I love these kinds of fics)

Too Young To Know by @2tiedships2

Louis blinked awake and quickly wiped the tears from his eyes. This was the second morning in a row he had woken up after dreaming about Harry.

“Babe, what’s wrong?” Eric asked as he held Louis tighter in his arms. Louis liked being the little spoon, except for when he’d rather be holding someone else. Which were the past two days.

Or the one where Harry doesn’t present as an alpha… until he does.

with venom on your tongue by wildestdreams / @thelavendrhaze

While Louis had to try so hard to stay focused and be the best, Harry somehow did the same things with ease and confidence. He hated how Harry glided through life, carrying happiness on his shoulders like it was nothing when it was arduous for Louis. His carefree demeanor made Louis feel crazy.

But that feeling just motivated him to always keep his eyes on the prize. Number one in the class rankings every year and the valedictorian spot the next year when they graduated. He was so close he could taste it. And if the only thing in his way was Harry Styles, then Louis was willing to up the stakes to figure out what made him weak just to beat him.

“Whatever,” Louis eventually said to Liam. “He’s a fucking cliche.”

or a boarding school AU where Harry and Louis are academic rivals until they realize they’re more similar than they thought.

Saw It In Your Eyes by @taggiecb

Harry Styles counts himself extremely lucky that he has landed such a great roommate. It doesn’t bother him at all that his new roommate is gay. In fact, they get along so well that they have formed an extremely close friendship that takes up pretty much all his free time. When Louis starts bringing a new guy home with him, Harry is surprised by how much it bothers him. Is he not as okay as he thought he was with Louis’ sexuality?

Or the one where Harry is an oblivious walnut.

Far Away. by dimpled_halo / @comebackassholes

Harry swallows hard, clearing his throat. “Hi Lou,” he says, looking at Louis reluctantly. He’s even more gorgeous than he remembers, so much, he feels uneasy looking directly at him, he’s so beautiful. Louis looks at Harry, does a quick once-over and smiles, eyes so bright and blue—just how Harry remembers. “Harold!” He gets up out of his seat and embraces him into a warm hug. It’s a friendly platonic hug; one that ends way too soon. Harry wishes it would last longer so that he can breathe Louis in and memorize his new but somehow still familiar scent. It instantly leaves his body aching for more.

Harry returns to London after five years. Stuck in the past with "what ifs" and "what might have beens", he sees that his friends and ex (and possible love of his life) Louis have all moved on with their lives while he finds himself questioning his own life choices, past and present.

Have Love, Will Travel by @kingsofeverything

Rather than spend the summer working at their desks, Louis and Harry are given the opportunity to crisscross the country together in a tiny camper, filming their adventures for a YouTube series.

It soon becomes obvious to their viewers that there’s something more than friendship between them. Eventually, they figure it out.

[multi-fandomdisaster]

So I'm going through old Kings Island Halloween Haunt mazes and scare zones in order to make sure my information is correct for the new lore post I'm writing, and next thing I know, I stumble upon a scare zone I've never seen before with a rather interesting theme: Rivertown Reaping from the 2019 season.

I'm always down for some Rivertown lore (it has my favorite rides in the park, after all!), so the fact that I hadn't found this zone before now is baffling to me, especially considering the fact that I'd looked into Haunt 2019 before for the C.H.A.O.S.: Expedition Orion maze for the Hallow-Tween event! From what I've been able to gather, this was Rivertown Reaping's description:

"Rivertown, a once-thriving logging and mining community, was struck with disaster when a plague wiped out the entire population. Nothing remains in these parts, except a tragic history and the ghosts of those long-since forgotten."

The ENTIRE population???

...so is Rivertown a ghost town...? I always assumed it was a still-active town that just had a rich history of cryptids and supernatural happenings, but to be fair, there's technically nothing suggesting that the town is still alive. Well, except for maybe the irl active train station and operating restaurant. I'd say it's up in the air personally. With how many tragedies and monsters Rivertown has had to deal with over the years, it really could go either way.

What's particularly interesting to me is that Rivertown Reaping now isn't the only time Rivertown has been filled with the supernatural post-tragedy, as later on in 2023 (and again in 2024) we got the scare zone Abandoned, which directly tied into the story of Mystic Timbers and had this description:

"The problem started years ago on the grounds of the newly developed Miami Valley Lumber Company. Men and women, 66 in total, entered the lumber company and were never seen again... at least not the way they used to be. Stepping into Rivertown, outsiders find themselves immersed in a small abandoned lumber village that’s haunted by something mysterious. The forest is overrun by supernatural creatures that have riddled their confines with darkness and despair. Are these the lumber yard workers from days past? And, which of them are evil?"

What is it with Rivertown and going through devastating catastrophes? This poor town can't seem to catch a break lol

I'm gonna look more into this scare zone and see if I can find anything else about it, and then maybe see if there are any other Rivertown tragedies that I don't know about yet. In the meantime, what do you guys think? I'd love to hear if any of you guys have any thoughts on the matter, because this zone is lowkey baffling me a little bit.

[satureja13]

Jack's Therapy Game (From the beginning -> here)

While Ji Ho was logged in in his Therapy game, Jack was preparing dinner and has an eye on Ji Ho through the new opening. And Sai is sitting at the counter, programming the interface for the Therapy Game so they can throw out an early beta version to help other creatures, as planned. He could do this in the therapy room, but it's more important to watch Jack rather than Ji Ho. (lol) Jack: "He's back! Can Ji Ho continue cooking so I can have a quick session? I've already come so far! Two of my spots are already gone and maybe today the third and I'd be pain free after all these months! Please, Sai. Hm, hm, HM?" Saiwa sighed: "Sure."

Jack is so excited to go back ingame and back to Lou ^^' Jack: "Lou and I will have a great day again. Maybe plan another fight at the Arena and then I will meet the Queen again and I will ask her out! Oh, I love this therapy!" Sai is a bit stressed about the release of their game but he's so happy for Jack. He had this painful rash for over 6 months now, after he left his fated mate and Alpha, Kiyoshi. Ji Ho and Jack changed gear and Jack was ready to go.

uhm

He's dead. Lying there in a pool of his own blood. It's still bright red.

'His eyes, they closed and his last breath spoke He had seen all to be seen A life once full, now an empty vase Wilt the blossoms on his early grave

Walk away me boy, walk away me boy And by morning we'll be free Wipe that golden tear from your mother, dear And raise what's left of the flag for me'

What's left of the Flag - Flogging Molly (One of the best songs ever! As if it was written for this scene.)

Oh no.

Meanwhile Ji Ho had put dinner in the oven and started to work on his Siren's Songs. He's still worried that his evil grandfather has his flippers in this and somehow managed that Ji Ho put a spell on Vlad when they first met so he can get a grip on his powers, like Morgan had claimed. They should somehow solve this and make sure they are safe before Ji Ho can start to have a real relationship with Vlad. And he's still afraid that the Council/his grandfather could try to influence his friends through his Siren's Songs. He should use them only sparsely and they should be very careful on the rare ocassions he sings them to calm his friends when they meet on the festivals in the wheel of the year so they can spend a carefree time together. If only for a few hours. But they also should be safe from the Council as long as they are here in the Otherworld.

And while he was lost in his thoughts, Jack showed up again. Ji Ho: "Why are you back this early, you just left?" Time passes faster ingame. Here, in the real world, only a few minutes, so Jack must have stood stunned for quite a while next to his dead body before the game logged him out. Poor Jack. Jack: "Uhm - I'm dead." Ji Ho: "No." Oh no. It just went so well for all of them! Jack getting rid of his pain, Ji Ho finding his King (and his buried down feelings) and Saiwa living happily on his Flamingo Island.

Sai heard them and came over and they had to tell him. Saiwa: "No." Well, getting killed in a therapy game is a big no-no. All the work and months of playtesting for nothing. What was Tiny Can thinking?

They sat in their 'office' where already the first meeting for the Therapy Game had taken place. Saiwa: "This is game over for the Therapy Game. I told you, one little weirdness and it's over." Jack is more shocked than anyone else about his ingame death, but he can't let go. Not being able to see Lou again, and the Queen, and finally getting rid of his pain... Jack: "But Sai, we've come so far. Don't you want to go back to your Island and heal? And what about poor Ji Ho? He could finally get his buried down feelings back and get rid of his trauma. And Vlad and him could finally be together - for real."

But Saiwa didn't budge. And Jack won't let go either. Saiwa: "There is a murder on the loose in the game. We don't know what happened to you and who it was. We can't go back. No way." Jack: "But what if this is part of my therapy? What if Tiny Can wants me to learn something from it and prosper? Maybe the death of the old me is just the beginning of a new, better Jack?" No one craves a new, better Jack more than Saiwa but: "Jack, what if Ji Ho gets killed? That would only deepen his trauma. You did not experience your death, didn't feel the pain and fear and cruelty that came with it. Maybe Ji Ho or me would."

Ji Ho: "But we can exit the game anytime if something happens. Maybe Jack is right. And we could try to solve the murder of Jack. This must have a meaning. Otherwise Tiny Can wouldn't have implemented it. Time only passes by ingame when one of us is logged in, we could plan our log ins to not loose precious time, find clues and look for witnesses and solve the murder of Jack." Jack: "Oh! That would be awesome! A Criminal Therapy Game!" Ji Ho is already two steps ahead, on the case ^^' : "In which area did you die?" Jack: "Uh, I was a bit out. But it looked like the clearing where Lou and I sparred, in the woods near Goldshire. And now that I recall it - it looked like my heart had been ripped out." Saiwa: "WHAT?" His heart? Ji Ho already has a hunch. He told the others about the incident in Saarburg and that he wants to research what has happened when Greg made the wish at the crossroads. That 'their hearts would change'... Maybe someone took it too literally? But who? Jack: "Detective Duath, we have a case!" Saiwa threw up his hands in surrender: "Fine!" Ji Ho: "But none of us is near Goldshire to look after Jack's dead body. You are still on the Island and I want to stay in Saarburg to investigate and I don't know if I'm free to leave whereever I want when we're back at the castle since I'm supposed to look for my King." It was quiet for a while. Until Jack remembered: "Lou mentioned his friend, the owner of Valerian. He's living in the village nearby. That must be NPC Jeb. Maybe we could send Jeb ingame to investigate the crime scene and look for evidence?" Saiwa took a deep breath in. Jeb. They haven't spoken since Saiwa, Ji Ho and Jack left for the beach house after Saiwa broke down. But this was months ago. And they'll have to go home eventually and solve this case too and have a talk with the others so they can live together again. Maybe this was Tiny Can's plan? Bringing them back together before they drift further apart and the happenings of the message from future Jeb take place? Now that he thinks about it again: They also found Tiny Can at that temple in Selvadorada where future Jeb had left them the message... Saiwa sighed: "Ok. Let's go home. Are you ready for this, Jack?" Jack: "I'm ready when you're ready, my friend."

The Therapy Game Master Post with the sessions and places so far is -> here

From the Beginning  ~  Underwater Love ~  Latest Current Chapter: 🕹️ 'The One' from the beginning ▶️ here 📚 Previous Chapters: Chapters: 1-6 ~ 7-12 ~ 13-16 ~ 17-22 ~ 23-28

[roadkillremi]

Hi! I saw your prompt and i just had to join lol

Randy Meeks

6. I can’t lose you again! Can’t you see that?

NSFW

<3

<3 thank you!

"I can't lose you again..."

Randy Meeks X F!Reader

MasterList. 300 Event

Summary: After your small affair with Randy you go back to see him. You confront him about not being able to see him.

Warnings : MINORS DNI, Language, Oral (F receiving), Mentions of shitty boyfriend, Reader pulls Randy's hair, public-ish sex.

You sighed as you walked into the video store. Your stomach was in knots and you were terrified. Randy looked up at you and smiled.

"Hey!"

"Hey.. uh we need to talk.." you tapped the counter softly. He looked around before motioning you to follow him. He took you to the back behind Bradley's.

"What is it?" He looked concerned. You bit your lip, "I... We can't be together.". Randy's eyes widen, "Why?".

"I have a boyfriend, Randy." You looked down. You felt hurt, not because you cheated. Because you love being with Randy.

"oh? The guy who treats you like shit? Cause that ideal. No but I get it, a girl like you can't be seen with the movie nerd. It's how that works."

"this isn't a movie, Randy!" You fussed. Randy seemed genuinely upset, "Leave him.".

"It's not that simple.".

"I should've seen this coming! God, I was so stupid for believing you'd give me a chance!"

"Randy.. I liked being with you but I can't.."

"Why not?-"

"Because I have a boyfriend already!"

"I can't lose you again!! Can't you see that?" Randy raised his voice. You looked him in the eyes, "Randy... I thought it was only a hook up..".

"for you maybe.." he scoffed. You fidgeted, "You really like me?..".

"Yeah." Randy grinned awkwardly. You sighed, pulling him into a kiss. He hesitated before kissing back.

"You're right..he does treat me like shit. I'd rather be with you." You whisper before going back to kiss him. Randy stopped kissing you, "So.. you're gonna breakup with him?".

"Yes. I will definitely, I'll call him when I get home. He just used me for sex anyway.. I never really enjoyed it." You shrugged. Randy took a deep breath, "I uh.. you were my first..". You slightly smiled, "I could tell."

"is that a bad thing?" He slightly panicked. You shook your head no, "It was nice.. It felt genuine..". You kissed Randy before kissing his neck. His body stiffened, "Y/N... I want.. you..". You looked up at him, "I want you too..". He smiled pushing you against the brick wall.

"was that okay?-" he quickly asked. You nodded kissing him, he kissed you back roughly. He parted slightly, "Billy and Stu are gonna lose their shit..". You rolled your eyes pulling him back in. He started kissing down your neck to your clothed chest. He quickly got on his knees and grabbed your wasit band of your jeans.

"Can I?" He gave you a wicked smile.

"Yes" you breathed out. He smiled pulling your pants and underwear down in one move. Your jeans now hug your ankles as Randy looks up at your legs. His eyes go wide before he bites his face in your cunt.

You gasp letting out a soft moan, Randy's big blue eyes watched your every move. His tongue slithered around before entering. He moved his head slightly letting his nose bump into your clit. Your eyes fluttered shut letting him take over. Your hips unconsciously moved against his face. He gripped your thighs tightly groaning into you. Your hand went down into his hair pulling it upward. He let out a soft moan, you chuckled.

"You're a little freaky? Huh, Meeks?" You joked. Randy moved his mouth away from you with a smile.

"You're then one getting tongue fucking behind a video store." He wiggled his eyebrows. You smiled slightly pushing him, "Randy?!!" Bradley yelled from the store.

"Fuck.." he quickly pulled up your pants for you and wiped off his mouth. You laughed, "We'll definitely have to continue this later...".

"Definitely.." he smiled.

[toaber]

I'm going to rant about random genloss theories and shit ok

Let's start with ranboo. His first memory is the cabin right? But that's back when hetch was dying. In a bts thing he said that their memories came back when the mask was flashing. The mask didn't start flashing in ep 3 until they were in the box. It lit up the second hetch appeared in the doorframe to drag them into the box room. I think they gave him his memories back so they'd remember their entire past and beg for us to kill them. I think they would have rathered us kill them because that'd be easier on them. And by them I mean showfall media. And hear me out. We didn't have a choice in it at all. We've already seen that they can bring people back to life. Charlie came back multiple times and said himself that "I can die as many times as I want" (or smth along those lines) in ep 1. It just keeps repeating over and over and showfall can bring them back as many times as they want. Remember the showfall media employee that ranboo killed? That's their job in the show. Every time this happens, every time the hero goes through to save the day, that one in particular gets killed. Why do I say that? That one bleeds wires okay. While we're at it there's another smaller theory I have about security. Security has been rebuilt so many times and has progressively become worse and worse and worse because yk that's what generation loss means, the loss in detail or quality over time. Like if you took a picture of something on a phone, took a picture of that picture, took a picture of that picture, and so on. The quality will drop. That's generation loss. (In case you reading this didn't already know that lol) Anyway security has been rebuilt so many times that it has become a wire monster without much structure. Plus, Ranboo said during the genloss panel at vidcon that there was pieces of flesh in security. That implies that they were once human, but have been rebuilt progressively worse over such a long period of time that the humanity left in them has become nothing but little bits. That showfall media employee has much of it's humanity left, but it bled wires, meaning it has been rebuilt at least a few times before. Another thing is that we don't see anybody but Ranboo and Hetch bleed. Ethan's blood was shown sure, but he wasn't in the frame so how can we really know it's his. Anything could be props for the show. (If we saw anybody else bleed please remind me in the comments btw) I feel like this might be Ranboo's first show. As for Hetch, I'd love to believe he's a good guy, and I kind of do. I just think he's just like the Puzzler probably was. Likely from whatever reality Ranboo was from, just taken and forced to be part of the show. The reason the Puzzler wasn't revived was because he wasn't necessary for the rest of the show. Anybody who wasn't revived was likely revived after the fact with their memories wiped. Speaking of wiped memories, I never got back to that thing I was saying about Ranboo and their memories. I believe that they gave him his memories so that he'd beg for death so they wouldn't have to drag him away and kill him later. The choice was nothing but an illusion. Ranboo was destined to make it to the end, inevitably die and have his memories wiped in the process, and then start all over again. I feel like this was Ranboo's first show. They seem the most aware, the most awake, the most human. Everyone else feels a little robotic. As if they're reading from a script. I feel like this may be Sneeg's second or third show, I think Charlie's been in it for a while, and I think the Puzzler and the one's trapped by him in ep 2 have been there the longest. And remember, as cute as Squiggles may be, he's not on our side. The little man was FUMING when Ranboo broke out of the electric chair. He is nothing but a little bit of comedic relief put there by showfall to keep us company. I also feel like we may be just as imprisoned by showfall as the others. We aren't the ones showfall is entertaining. We're forced to stand behind a one way mirror and watch as our heroes fail again and again and again.

To make us feel worse about it, we're given the illusion of choice. 10,000 chance that we chose the right key and we did? Yeah right Jerma. All those times we had to choose where they went next? He still would have ended up doing the same things no matter what in different orders. Tipping over Charlie's grandma's ashes? What would that have done to change the overall storyline, really. Change a few dialogues? Wow how interesting. Our choice does not matter. Ranboo and the others are stuck in this infinite loop of illusions, fake choices, death, and most importantly of all, entertainment. Hetch said his job is to find people "from your world" to be the puppets of showfall's show. I feel as though the hero of this show wasn't always Ranboo. It could have once been Sneeg, or Charlie, or maybe even WAYYY back it could have been security. As time progresses, people's roles change. Except Hetch. His one role is to find people for the show. I think Hetch may have been one of the first that showfall found for their show. He finds people, tests them, and puts them to work for the viewer's entertainment. Kind of. I mean he's not really the one putting them to work, that's the founder. Kill the founder yk? Remember that? That's the only way to stop the loop. He's the one dragging this on and on and on. The "kill button"? Yeah that didn't do anything, really. He was supposed to make it to the button. Everything happened just as planned, just as it was scripted. I think that the only way for them to break out is for us to get out of where we are trapped and go stop them. Break them free of showfall's control. We're the variety. We make decisions that don't affect the overall outcome of the show and that simply change trivial parts of the entertainment. Forced to sit and decide on things that won't change the outcome. Unless we stop making the decisions they give to us and instead breaking free from the pointless clicking and deciding, nothing will change. The choices they provide us won't change the outcome. To change the outcome, we'd have to make our own choices. For the sake of our heroes and all the heroes that will come to be, break free the actors and kill the founder.

[bastardghoul]

patreon post is flopping a little more than i thought it would and its taking eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeverything i have to not literally wipe my main and every other site i have under the name from existence and just start over on priv but i need to calm down!!!!!!! the point of this was never to experience immediate huge growth it was to roll it out and spend the year working toward growth. im realizing now i should have set up at least the sticker tier as a goal to be met by reaching a certain number of followers but im not really sure if i can go back on that. but maybe i can bc of the floppage lol honestly i dont think anyone would gaf. but it's fine!!! im like. embarrassed about it. direly. it's fine. i can figure that out.

this was always meant to happen alongside getting a job anyway!!! i need to keep reminding myself this. it does not need to be huge right away!!! i'd feel better (exponentially) if i'd heard even a whisper back from any of the jobs i applied to last month and unfortunately my dream of a low stakes job somewhere local (like, in terms of management) seems to be somewhat dead. im going to have to cast a wider net and apply at like. staples. but what can you do. it must needs be done!!!! and idk if im at a place where i want to be applying for real art jobs anymore cuz i kinda want to transition back to just being a hobbyist who does comms for extra cash rather than relying on it fulltime. spending this week doing FANART of all things (rare for me, if you are for some reason reading this and dont know that already) has been really fun and chill because it is just for me and one friend i know is excited about it and i kind of miss having that energy across all my art

plus with the way bsky works right now (no priv, functioning flagging & tag system) i kind of feel like i dont want to be running two feeds anymore!!! not only am i splitting engagement i just dont want to be acting all formal and professional on main anymore. like i said i dont really want an industry job unless it falls into my lap and is something im REALLY excited about working on so i might just. start posting all of my nsfw on main and just using it the way i do priv but keeping my side for vents/posting wips

just generally i think im tired of treating art like a job. ive been feeling like that for a while but not really sure how to navigate the feeling or turn it into something... idk, that i can do something about? ive had more fun doing art for fun than in the last week than i have in months!!!! quelle surprise!!!! and contrarily i feel like i get better engagement and growth AND personal emotional fulfillment when i just. let myself be me and do art and post it instead of fussing about every last detail about how i present myself.

idk. this helped actually. i need to go apply for some jobs ill hate but not worrying about money for a while will calm me down significantly especially if i can still have some free time to draw during the week.

thank you for reading if u did. i love u

[bills-blog-now]

You know, they say exposing yourself to something that makes you uncomfortable in small, controlled (and safe!) ways is actually a good way to reduce your negative responses to it. You know - like exposure therapy and whatnot. What I'm saying is that interacting with art and such can actually be a good way to desensitize yourself, a little at a time. It's good not to overdo it, you don't want to cause yourself serious distress, but a little at a time in small increments, and in controlled fashions, can actually be helpful. Also it's your blog and who cares what other people think about what you reblog, right lol?

Also though - finding other interests can help too! Finding other people/characters that you like can help with moving forward from a past relationship over time. Either way, I'm sure you'll feel better about it eventually. But also according to what I've read, IE. isn't 30 years like, 1 week for you? (Not literally ofc but perspective wise.) So of course, it's gonna take you more time to move on from something. And that's okay, be patient with yourself!

this was a bit of a ramble lol but I hope this makes sense and helps a little bit. take care of yourself!

...Maybe so. It's why I unblocked the tags "Billford", "Stanford Pines" and, "Ford Pines". It still gets to me, but, slowly, I'm starting to get used to the idea of the past being the past.

As for the finding other interests... I have been wondering about who I am much more recently. Like... what defines me as Bill Cipher? Personality-wise, anyway. Just who am I underneath all the bull? What do I like? My dislikes??

I feel like a Goddamn toddler, honestly.

I know that I enjoy the beauty of space. Always have. Her stars overwhelm me, it's only a shame that I've yet to see a proper night sky. Put it on the bucket list of this life, I suppose.

I also know I enjoy science. I recently signed up for a daily science email newsletter, as well as just today signed up for a free month-long trial of Brilliant through a link from the latest Kurzgesagt - In A Nutshell youtube video. (Not sponsored here.) I've already gone through the first 1.0 set of lessons. This brain of ours has not seen much use outside of art for a long while. I plan on changing that.

I know that I'm not as big of a fan of coding or video games as Kevin is... and I enjoy black humor far more than he does, which is saying something.

And coffee is a delight, but black tea is better in my opinion. White tea is a rare delicacy. I should purchase those leaves every once in a while when I get the chance.

...Other than those things, I'm still rather lost on who I am. It's a good start though.

Also, that 30 years equalling 1 week thing... I'd say that it's certainly a problem for us. We have a shit sense of time. Most likely due to the mild brain damage we have... but also, that shit sense of time keeps getting us into trouble. How long ago did we do something? If over 5 hours pass, we're rather lost on when exactly something happened. And DO NOT get me started on our memory after we sleep. Practically a bleach wiped clean new start every. single. time. Ugh.

Also, I get the feeling that I never slept in my previous life. Which made the whole, "30 years as 1 week" thing more... yeah.

...Perhaps i will start reblogging some more art stuff.

[volfoss]

Cordelia faceup take 3 :3

So the second attempt did not even MAKE it online because I wasn't happy with it. The sealant and paint just were not cooperating with me and the pastels were too pigmented. On a whim I wanted to work on it this morning and mixed up a really good pastel color for her blushing, which then inspired me to wipe the old faceup and start fresh :)

^ the boring steps of well. White as fuck -> painted the right color to match the body. This image is showing how it's slightly off from the head cap (which I painted during the initial faceup) but it DOES match the body really well.

My first step with the faceup was starting by using a pale watercolor (peach color pretty much) to map out the moles on the face, and then another sealant layer before I started blushing. The peach watercolor isn't the permanent color for the moles but it helps me map things out (same thing I do with the eyebrows, starting with a lighter color and then building up the color/adding watercolor pencil hairstrokes on top. Or at least I should because some dolls have such thin eyebrows that I have to do only acrylic. But that's besides the point)

^ much more subtle blush color than I can normally achieve with her :) normally it's MUCH too dark but I feel this really subtly brought some life to her face and some warmth (which I always love to add to my dolls with yellowed resin as I prefer leaning into how it looks instead of trying to use cooler colors to counter balance it)

^ added more blushing here, and added the eyebrow vague shapes and slightly more color added onto the moles to help them not blend into the blush as much lol. I wanted her to have a youthful and happy appearance so the flush is helping to me :). The brows were VERY faintly done (to the point idk if they will survive the sealant lmao) and the moles were touched up slightly, as well as the color on the lips more built up. I promise the brows will get darker it's just scary right now bc of how pale the resin is, if I make ANY mistakes it will show up unless I use a super light pastel. And if I have to redo the faceup well. I'll have to repaint the entire head all over again. So I'd rather build up slow and careful than too fast and make a mistake (although I'm sure I'll make plenty of those the further I get lol, esp since I'm doing a lot of this on nearly 24 hours awake <- not a good time to rely on my hands to be steady sadly)

I went a bit silly watercolor mode but I added some pink to the lips (to mix with the more orange-peach pastel color underneath) and added some medium brown on the moles to do their final highlights. Continued to work on the brows and next layer will be the pencils on them, pencils on lips (since the color underneath is pretty much perfect for what I'm going for). And then the eyeshadow time <- dreading this

^ sideways image bc I stay silly okay. And also far too sleepy to edit it. I've committed to doing this all in one go at this point (at the very least to get to a passable basic faceup). This is not a good idea. Just to be clear. I'm very sleepy.

^ eyebrows and lips done :) also did the waterline, I'm really happy with this. Atm unsure if I want to do a ton of pink eyeshadow or what but I think I will add the freckles next and then try everything on the doll to see if I need it. It was one of the features I rly liked about the original faceup so. Honestly unsure. Do firmly think the lips look a lot better here because well. The first attempts lips were supposed to be pretty natural looking and didn't really end up that way. Very happy with brows even if they're not symmetrical because I think for whatever reason everything is clicking on this faceup like by FAR much more than other times. We will see how it progresses tho lol.

With everything put together, it confirms I do def still want to mess with the eyeshadow but due to the physical symptoms I am stopping for the night. Tomorrow tho? Silly style (eyeshadow and eyeliner and probably freckles and gloss on the lips. We will deal w that later tho)

^ eyeshadow layer one and thankfully going at it on a day where I'm much more awake is helpful. I need to keep building it up as both my sealant method + just how pastels work can take some of the color away but I think it's all coming together. Mainly I want to have a darker layer of pink on her eyelids, as I think that'll look nice, and then I have to do the eyeliner <- dreading this step the most of all I fear. At some point I also need to add freckles which I think is also quite scary. For me, I've done a faceup with all over freckles (Theo's) and was happy with it, but I want these just on the cheeks. And I think hand painting them just doesn't look as good as using the brush flicking method. So I have to also figure out a way to cover the areas I don't want freckles on.

Eyeshadow layer 3 or 4??? + freckles. They will not tell you that toothpicks really work well for freckles but they do. I'm going to seal this layer and then keep working on eyeshadow and eyeliner but I'm nearly done :) I might go in after a couple layers of sealant and do the brush method to kind of add the very small freckles in but using a toothpick is a million times easier than a brush (for me at least. But I have very shaky hands so). I added some light pink paint on the eyelids to emulate a slight color change and then did an even lighter color, blending it together with a wet paintbrush. I am hoping to be able to get the eyeliner thinner than the light pink color but we will see :) so far happy with it since I did want a very vibrant pink on the lids :) unsure what ill do with the eyeliner color (I did a copper/gold combo to make it be a bit more natural looking for the first time but i dont think it popped enough so we will see :))

Ended up on deciding on black eyeliner but here's it done :) the watercolors on the lips still need to dry and I need to gloss stuff properly but that will be in its own post once she's all back together :)

[bittersweetblasphemy]

hey sorry you're sick bud. what's your oc with the most tragic backstory? vs an oc with a relatively chill past?

the most tragic? woof that's a tough one. and i'm gonna use it as an opportunity to infodump about a lot of OCs lol

most of my characters have at least some level of trauma. i mean just going through my works (and not touching reader characters):

your First Mate in LLTQ comes from a species known for stealing people away to use as brood queens and where said Queens are usually not consenting, then was sent off to perpetuate that same cycle completely alone for the first time in his life. one has to wonder what he went through to decide your consent actually mattered to him.

Hulo was once a human man whose literal humanity was slowly stripped from his soul and eaten over the course of decades

David's no-contact with his family. mom was neglectful from the beginning and cares more about his half-siblings than him. step-dad is some ex-military jackoff who thinks he's a loser who will never amount to anything. doesn't have many memories of his bio dad who just up and left when he was three

Brizeth and Colovan i won't say much about bc i'm actually going to talk about this in the next chapter for B&D. what i will say is that their childhood was fucked up but also a completely normal childhood for demons like them, so is it really that tragic? 🤔 (and bc im sure people's minds are going there, no, there is no CSA involved despite them being concubi)

Adrian is a fallen angel whose anger got his wings ripped off

Hector watched his first love die

Malak is the bastard child of a palace concubine who very conveniently isn't around anymore so you do the math

Tuq left his herd to live completely on his own due to rampant transphobia

Sasha got his scars from attempted murder via arson by homophobic wannabe monster hunters who were hoping to kill him and Theodore

Viktor's big sister, who he looked up to, was killed by a werewolf hunter

the imps in QR paint a pretty clear picture of the hell (literally and figuratively) they'd lived through before being taken in by Horace

where do i even start with Arro? [1][2][3][4]

but ultimately if i had to pick, i think i'd pick Gage. they were kidnapped and sold into forced sex work where all of their memories of their prior life were completely wiped, effectively factory reset, and they frequently deal with trauma by just erasing memories they can't handle. this includes deleting any knowledge of entire people and friendships because they were either killed or committed suicide, and Gage would rather forget than deal with the pain of missing them.

and while they may not have those direct traumatic memories haunting them, they're perfectly aware of the gaps in their memory and what they mean, which just strikes me as particularly sad.

Chill backstories? I mean,

Willow had a normal childhood and learned her love of gardening from her mom and dad, who she has a good relationship with

Marius came from a decently well off family and just liked having sex enough to make a profession of it

Ahlex grew up in a world with UBI, Universal Healthcare, and where there's always plenty of food and fresh water to go around, so despite being raised by his single disabled mother, he had a pretty easy time growing up

Marble and Button were childhood friends that fell in love as they got older

ignoring the tragedy that led to his current position as Malak's guard, Bic had a great childhood and was being mentored to be a clan storyteller, which is a very highly respected position in goblin clan hierarchy

Nina lived a comfortable life with her mother and father, who taught her the art of monster hunting and also impressed upon her the importance of the honor code she still lives by.

anyone else who i haven't listed either has their chill backstories at least alluded to in their fic (like Melia), or i just haven't given them a backstory yet