#that this is it for them - on Voyager they at least had hope...but maybe that hope was an illusion the entire time...maybe- Oh! Chakotay's

[bumblingbabooshka]

If 'Resolutions' happened with Chakotay & Tuvok they would have made a beautiful home down there on that planet. It'd be Better Homes & Gardens material by the time they left. If it happened with Tuvok & Janeway it'd just be the captain running around barefoot chasing a monkey while Tuvok grew flowers and made comments about her not tracking dirt into the house after he just cleaned the floors.

[malewgtfstories]

The Dark Bottle Challange

Before anything thanks to maletfgrowthblog and doughydude. Thanks to both of their contributions this story was made possible. Check out their pages. Now let us have fun.

On a gloomy Saturday Tristian was tirelessly awaited for his package to come. Tristian was an "influencer" who would do anything to get at least one more follower. He was desperately looking for a new way to get subscribers. Unfortunately, he hadn't even reached 5 subscribers. He heard of a new trend going around. Which infatuated him. He knew if he hopped on the train in hopes he would receive his wanted stardom. The trend consisted of people ordering a unique box for each person who ordered. It was called "The Dark Bottle Challenge". Inside the box, there was a dark bottle that contained a drink whose content was unique to the one who ordered it. If you were lucky you could gain muscle, hair, or maybe nothing. If anything it's more likely to be just a regular old drink. I mean what harm could one drink truly do, right? 

Tristian got his package and waited to open it. He got excited thinking of all the followers that would come with one package. To not spoil the fun he set up his camera and lights and pressed "start live". He was enthusiastic he had seen many people doing this trend gaining thousands of followers for doing this very trend. He saw one person join the life. He began;

"Hey guys welcome to a new unboxing video. Today we are doing the 'The Dark Bottle Challenge'. Something "many" of you guys have been desperately awaiting for. Now let's start the challenge".

On camera, Tristian had a chill face, but that is so far from reality. Deep down he knew whatever was in this drink could potentially cause him irreversible changes. But I mean hey anything for a few views am I right? Even through all his fears he ripped the tape off the box as he held his breath. One drop of sweat fell on the reflective surface of the black glass bottle. He slowly inspected it. 

"So guys this is the infamous bottle. We will now see what will be my side effects for taking it. Guys don't forget to subscribe and share the live. Now let's have fun."

Tristian slowly uncapped the bottle and gulped it all down. He felt a shiver down his spine. His taste buds felt like they went through a voyage of flavor. It tasted like a triple chocolate cake. He felt ecstasy. He looked at himself and felt as if maybe he got lucky. That is when someone new entered his live. It was someone he had never met before. He entered the chat and it read; "How'd you like your package?" 

"How do I like my package? Well, I suppose it was not as bad as I hoped it was. Thought I did wish something had happened. Now I won't get views. Ugh... I ordered this because I needed to catch traction. I spent all that money for nothing." Tristian said with a snarky attitude. 

"Well I believe it will begin to work soon." the mysterious stranger replied.

"Huh?" Tristain was confused as he saw no change YET. The changes began slowly with his once lean body gaining piles of lard. Triatian was scared, but deep down he knew this was what he desperately wanted. Anything that was clickbait to gain some traction was all he needed. Little did he know what he was gaining was something more permanent. His stomach started to balloon out with fat. To the point, he would never be able to see his feet. He just ballooned up like a pig. His smoothed figure erupted with nothing but a sea of fat. He now had love handles which made him embarrassed. Yet when he grabbed them he got the same shiver down his spine as before. With his gigantic gut stuck out his legs had to grow to support his massive weight gain. His things and ass exploded outwards and took up more room than necessary which made his old shorts pop away. Leaving him only with his jockstrap. His face rounded and he received a double chin something he never expected to get in life. He tried to flex his now bigger arms which gave him the appearance of having muscles but to the touch it was as soft as a marshmellow. Any abrupt movements made his whole body shake like waves. He got turned on by this but his dick had shrunken from a staggering 7 to a mild 4. He had to jerk off, but it was much harder with his fupa in the way. Tristian was a tig as a kid. This was something he had never felt before. When he looked back at the live he expected to see hundreds if not millions of followers.

To his dismay, his follower count went up by one. Now the only thing he saw in the chat was.

"Eat you fat fuck"!

"Our little piggy needs to eat up."

"A big boy needs to eat to stay big"

Tristian knew the consequences. There was no turning back. He was now permanently stuck in the body of someone who seemed to be fat their whole life. This was his life now and from the looks of it, he was getting quite comfortable in his pig body. He was now a feedee for all of eternity. Permanently only being able to use a 3XL. To be honest he might even outgrow that at this point. At least he got what he wanted, one more follower. Don't forget be carful for what you wish for.

[obae-me]

I am so sad that I'm not a Solomon fucker, because if I was, I would have actually cared about the Bon Voyage event. It's kind of cute, but I am very apathetic towards good old Sol. What are your thoughts on it?

Sorry for getting to this late! I wanted to actually complete the event before I responded, and I got to it very last minute! (Since I have low-key kind of hated the events lately. I hate spending 2-6 minutes doing the songs only for five lines of text as a reward, it's almost painful, but anyways...)

Now, Solomon as a character, I love. I was very meh towards him in the original Shall We Date, but they really started working on his character towards the end, and in Nightbringer they really pulled it home! Now I love Solomon! Before, he was just kind of some sketchy little sorcerer that they usually brought in to help solve plot devices- and don't get me wrong, he's still like that, but we definitely get a deeper look into *why*.

He's an immortal human whose desire for power and knowledge was so great, he somehow went head on with nearly the entire Devildom, convinced Barbatos to make a pact with him, and then made Barbatos show him every experience he could, at least, that's what I remember from the lore dropped thus far. And what do you usually get when you get a human that knows and sees too much? A broken human. A human who feels like there is no purpose left. A human with mixed morals and a shattered ego.

Now, this part is just my own personal thoughts and theories, but Thirteen talks about how Solomon's soul used to be beautiful like MC's, but then it became ruined. I imagine it's because he 'flew to close to the sun' and it nearly broke him. MC has hope, has love, has so much to learn still, so much to give. I imagine when Solomon learned and saw everything he could, he had hardly any hope left. Nothing was new to him anymore. He spent so much of his life seeking knowledge, and once he finally got it all...what was left? It corrupted him, surely. But then, clearly, somewhere along the line, his new purpose was to protect and stand for the human realm. Then his dealings with demons began.

The game always talks about how Solomon is now closer to a demon than a human. But I think that's because he *had* to "become" a demon. He has so many pacts, had so many exchanges with the Devildom, he had to learn how to survive amongst them. The way he withholds key information until the crucial moments. The way his "accidents" always seem to line up in his favor. The way his generous actions typically end up satisfying something of his as well. Exactly what a demon does. Exactly what someone would learn spending so much time around demons. I mean, that's exactly what MC learns how to do throughout the entire game! Play it smart, do whatever you can to earn the Brother's favors, and get their pacts. And then when MC throws that concept out the window and does things just to be selfless and then gets their pacts anyway? It almost breaks the "law" of the world that Solomon has come to know.

I'd like to think that maybe that's the reason why Solomon was sent to live with Simeon and Luke in Shall We Date. He needed to learn how to be around other beings, and maybe being around angels could correct some of that.

Now, about the event, the event was actually pretty cute. And while I have my general complaints about the events being very short and shallow, this one wasn't the worst of the bunch. Solomon getting some of the demon brothers together to give you a really nice dream is such a cute thing to do (even if he went behind your back to cast a spell on you). And also I'm not sure if it was stated specifically, but I'm like 98% sure MC and Solomon shared a bed at the end there, which is really adorable. I love sleepy bed cuddles.

This kind of ties back to my insights into his character, where he's spent so long being around demons that he's not really sure how to be a normal human anymore. He spends so much of his time planning and prepping how to do something for you when all he really needed to do was ask. All he wanted was a cute little date and to watch the sunset with MC and went through like a 100 step plan just to get it. And MC's little options to scold him for his schemes is really adorable in my opinion. Essentially it boiled down to them just saying "just ask next time, you idiot!". And Solomon being one of the smartest characters in the game being so lost and confused in terms of relationships and romance is really...very cute, which is why I think I like the concept of his character so much. I love when super overpowered characters have weaknesses like this, or learning new lessons.

I also loved the concept of just Lucifer, Asmo, Luke, Belphie, and Satan all just really hamming it up for MC. They preformed for them all just as a little thank you, and when they clarified, it wasn't really for anything huge. Shopping, helping them with decisions, just spending time with them, that was enough to fully convince them to pick up this dream-world-improv. Which...is really sweet.

Man I love these boys.

[brownbearwrites]

stay here by my side (pt. 2)

read part one here!

pairing: atwow!neteyam x omatikaya!reader neteyam and the reader carry out their plan to mate, and find themselves re-experiencing their almost-forgotten memories word count: 1.8k notes: I was so blown away with the response I received to the first part of this series, that I wrote this second part faster than I've ever written anything before, haha! I've been thinking about continuing this story even beyond this part, and maybe even making it span for the entirety of atwow. would you guys be interested in that? please let me know, and I truly hope you'll enjoy this part!

The fallen leaves crunch under your feet as you and Neteyam make your way through the forest, the stars above you illuminating your path to the Tree of Voices. His hand is warm and solid against yours, the gentle squeeze of his fingers a silent sign of reassurance. The two of you had decided that there was no time to wait. You were to bond before Eywa tonight. This way, there would be no possibility of Neteyam’s family getting wind of the plan—after all, the thing you wanted least of all was for them to find out, and prevent you from joining them on their voyage.

In front of you, Neteyam brushes aside a low-hanging tree branch, finally revealing the awe-inspiring Tree of Voices to your eyes. You feel your breath momentarily catch in your chest as you take in the view, your feet slowing to come to a stop. No matter how many times you visit this place, it never becomes less impressive to you. Neteyam turns his head to face you, a sudden flash of worry gracing his features. 

“Are you still sure about this?” he asks you.

You look up at him, a warm smile on your face. Leave it to Neteyam to worry about you even in moments like these, when you’re more confident in your actions than you’ve ever been before.

“I am,” you answer him truthfully, “there is nothing in this world that I want more than to be your mate. If we are right, and Eywa grants us our wish, I will be the luckiest girl in all of Pandora. Of course, I’m a little scared of what is to come. But I know that, whatever may happen, we’ll be able to overcome it together. As we always have done”.

The corners of Neteyam’s mouth quirk up at these words. You have to push down the urge to cry when you see the look of utter love and adoration which has formed on his face. By Eywa, you think, he becomes more gorgeous every day.

The two of you gingerly make your way closer to the Tree of Voices, its bioluminescent light bouncing off of your skin as you tread the thick roots which lead to the center of the tree. The plants beneath your feet light up in a gentle green glow. You find yourself giggling as you hop from place to place, your feet filling the spots that Neteyam’s had just lifted from. At the sound of your antics, he turns around. Laughing, he takes a handful of large steps backward, increasing the distance between his footsteps to the point where you are forced to jump to close the distance. For a while you are successful, but your legs tire quickly, and you eventually stumble. Neteyam’s warm hand encircles your upper arm, preventing you from falling.

“Careful, my love”, he softly warns you.

Before long, you find yourselves in the midst of the neural queues of the tree. Neteyam trails his hand through a cluster of them, the lilac glowing tendrils swaying from the movement. You watch as he seats himself on the plant-cushioned earth—his large green eyes looking up at you, silently asking you to join him. You sit in front of him, your knees brushing together. For a moment, the two of you just sit in silence as you take in the view surrounding you. You take a deep breath, relishing in the serenity of the moment.

Neteyam rests his hand on your thigh, and you once more return your focus to him. You watch as his other hand reaches to the back of his head, pulling his tsahaylu to rest over his shoulder. You bite your lip to suppress a smile as you follow in his example, holding the very end of your braid between your fingers, feeling the neural tendrils within move with the desire to create a bond.

“We can still turn back now,” Neteyam says, though you can clearly hear in his voice how much he does not wish to do so, “We won’t have to live with the knowledge that Eywa has rejected our bond, if she decides to do so. We will save ourselves from this despair”.

“If we do that,” you answer him, “I might live the rest of my life without experiencing Eywa’s disapproval, that much is true. But I will also have to live without you. And there is no despair greater than that”.

At your words, Neteyam leans in, resting his forehead against yours. You can hear yourself beginning to purr, causing Neteyam to let out a breathy chuckle. His hand reaches up to cup your cheek, softly kissing your lips. You lean into the kiss, chasing Neteyam’s lips for another peck when he eventually pulls away. You’re both grinning by the end of it, your faces matching in their blushed-purple hue.

“Ready?” you ask, gesturing at your queue.

Neteyam gives you a determined nod, reaching for the end of his braid before bringing it up toward yours. You watch as the tendrils of your respective queues reach out toward each other, tangling together until they finally become one. The feeling is indescribable. It is as if every single neuron in your body simultaneously comes alive for the very first time. An intense warmth fills you from within, relaxing your muscles as if you had been dunked into a hot spring. Your vision blurs and you feel yourself instinctually reaching out to clasp onto Neteyam—your arms wrapping around his shoulders as you bury your head to rest in the crook of his neck, gasping at the unfamiliar feeling. Neteyam’s arms snake their way around your middle, his fingers digging into the flesh of your lower back.

For a second, it is as if you had lost all of your senses—silent darkness enveloping your entire being. Your initial instinct is to panic, to fight against this all consuming nothingness which you now find yourself wrapped up in. You feel your legs twitching, the urge to yell out to the world growing in your throat. 

But then, breaking through it all, you feel a small hand grabbing hold of your own, it’s grip strong and resolute. You feel yourself blink, your unprepared eyes squinting against bright sunlight when you open them again. Suddenly, you’re no longer seated underneath the Tree of Voices anymore, with Neteyam’s arms wrapped around you. Instead, you’re on the bank of a river, a seven-year-old Neteyam tugging you into the water with him. You let out a shriek of laughter, the cool water splashing around your legs.

“Catch me if you can!” Neteyam yells out before darting away from you.

You shake your head in disbelief, but chase after him anyway. Laughter rumbles in your chest, the warm afternoon sun shining on your face. Beneath your feet, you feel sand and small rocks kicking up as you thread the water.

Suddenly, the river is gone. The grassy ground beneath your feet is softer, yet more solid. Neteyam is no longer running ahead of you. Instead, he’s keeping pace with you, his fingers occasionally brushing against yours. He looks to be a few years older, maybe thirteen, at most. The surrounding forest is strewn with flowers; spring appears to be in full bloom. Your feet come to a stop as you crouch down, the beads of your top now pressed up against your knees. Your hands reach out to a small yellow flower, carefully plucking it from the forest floor. You rise back up to your full height, turning to find Neteyam watching you closely. You walk up to him, your free hand coming up to brush the braids near his temple to the side.

“Stay still,” you hear yourself tell him.

You tuck the delicate flower behind his ear, adjusting the braids around it until you’re satisfied with your handiwork. The backs of your fingers graze against the angle of his jaw.

“You look pretty,” you announce to him.

Neteyam’s responding laughter suddenly comes from much closer than you had originally expected it—your head now cushioned on his chest. Your eyes glance about, taking in the domestic interior of the Sully family’s hut. It’s dark, but in the very corner of your vision you can take in the silhouette of a Lo’ak-Kiri-and-Tuk shaped dogpile. A freezing cold breeze washes over your skin, explaining the cause of your shivering form. The memory of this night is much clearer in your memory, resulting in a startling level of familiarity.

“You always do this, my love” you hear Neteyam’s deepened voice exclaim, “the temperature drops just the tiniest bit, and you immediately come over to huddle against me for warmth”.

“I can’t help it that my circulation sucks,” you answer him, pressing your cold toes against the warmth of his shins. “Plus, I enjoy cuddling with you”, you shyly add.

At your words, Neteyam pulls you closer against him, his hands splaying out to cover the exposed skin of your back. The sheer warmth he exudes quickly working to lull you back to sleep. You let out a satisfied sigh, allowing your eyes to fall shut. Below you, you hear the familiar sound of Neteyam’s purring.

“I like cuddling with you, too” Neteyam confesses, causing you to fall back asleep with a soft smile on your face.

When your eyes blink open, you’re almost shocked by the sheer difficulty of such a simple task—it takes a minute before you adjust, the leaden weight of your eyelids slowly dissipating. Before you, Neteyam appears to be experiencing the very same thing, his eyes glassy before they finally seem to zero in on you. The awareness of what had just happened dawns on you very suddenly. You allow yourself to laugh, an immense feeling of relief now washing over you. Eywa had shown you happy memories, beautiful moments which you had shared with Neteyam over the many years you had known him. This could only mean one thing; Eywa approved of your bond.

The next few hours went by in a blur. You remember the sheer glee which flowed through the newly created bond between you and Neteyam—a feeling which, even with its novelty, you welcomed with open arms. You’re aware of the fact that the two of you had shared a passionate kiss, both of you relishing in each other's presence. At some point, the second part of the bonding ritual had begun, causing both you and Neteyam to once more fall into a deep dreamlike state. This time, however, you did not dream of days gone by. Instead, Eywa granted you a peek into what your future might hold; a dizzying show of scenes which you could not yet assemble into a coherent narrative. The only discernible constant through it all is the unyielding presence of your Neteyam by your side—a reality which you accept wholeheartedly, with a grateful smile on your face.

[captainhattersvoyagerstuff]

Why I Still Love J/C

Okay, I just really have to get this off my chest. There are people who don't like Chakotay, or won't ship him with Janeway because of the actor or the bad way Native American representation is shown. Now if you just plain don't want to mess with the character, don't like him, whatever, fine. But please don't let something an actor said or did keep you from loving a character or a work he was in. And don't ignore bad representation - try to improve on it.

I love J/C because I look at what is on screen. Their chemistry and caring relationship is incredible and inspiring to me. Everyone is welcome to their own ships, but that's the only one I have because it just seems so obvious to me. But I keep hearing people gripe about Beltran, or the representation. You can fix that, or read work that is fixed. It's called fanfic. If you're into the fandom at all you can see that fanfic Chakotay is not just like Chakotay on screen and definitely nothing like the actor.

The actor who played Icheb did some very bad stuff, but I hardly hear anyone say they won't use Icheb in a story because of this. So why Beltran? Why can't we just ignore these people instead of calling attention to them over and over? I'm not saying justify what they did, but remember they are real people with their own faults. They played a role, and even the most enthusiastic Star Trek actors are not as in love with the show as its fans are. It's hard to understand it, but it's true. I've watched podcasts with Tom and Harry's actors. They had forgotten many episodes, and didn't even know people didn't like Threshold. Why? Because this was a job for them. Maybe they enjoyed it, but it was still a job.

As far as representation goes, yeah they did an unbelievably horrible job, it's there from the beginning when Paris says racist stuff about "Indians". So I try to research, find stuff that is more accurate hopefully, or at least more respectful. It's a challenge, but worth it because there isn't enough good literature about Native Americans. And as far as Chakotay's character goes, there was, like so much of Voyager, wasted potential. So I try to add in that potential. Many fanfic writers do this wonderfully. I can recommend so many. His background in the Maquis, his faith, etc. We have that power.

TL;DR: If there is a ship you love, or a character, I really hope you don't let actors or bad writing turn you away.

[hiccupmistress]

Beware MAJOR spoilers for season 3 of Star Trek: Picard

Something about my Star Trek fandom that I’ve talked about elsewhere but only ever really hinted at on Tumblr is how and when I first got into Star Trek. Strictly speaking, my first encounter with the franchise was when I would have been about 11 or 12, I think. A TV channel was showing a one-per-week marathon of all the Star Trek movies (Nemesis was out by this point, but 2009 was still a ways off). I was too young to really appreciate it at the time, I guess; I have small memories of seeing bits of Search For Spock, Voyage Home, First Contact and Nemesis during that TV marathon, and I liked it, but I didn’t get that into it at the time. I saw the 2009 movie when it came out, but as someone with only a little bit of Star Trek experience, I simply enjoyed it as a summer blockbuster and moved on with my life.

But then around 2011, a friend on Steam messaged me asking if I liked Star Trek - apparently some online game had just gone free-to-play, and the friend wondered if I was interested in trying it out. Since I had a passing familiarity with the movies and remembered enjoying them as a kid, I figured why not and then my whole life changed forever.

Star Trek Online was (and still is) full of so many pieces of lore and information and references to past shows that it utterly piqued my interest and prompted me to start watching all the shows.

As a result of STO being my main introduction to Star Trek though, be it in its original 'Odyssey Class' configuration or its (non-canon) 'Yorktown-Type' refit configuration, the Enterprise-F is "my" Enterprise, in much the same way as those who grew up watching the early movies call the Constitution-Refit “their” enterprise, or those who grew up watching TNG call the Galaxy Class "their" Enterprise and so on. That was the big hero-flagship when I was getting into Star Trek for the first time. There was a point (like a decade ago) in the game where you could go see the Enterprise any time you wanted by looking out the window in the ship requisitions room on Spacedock. I remember standing there and being in awe of it as it loomed over the requisitions room.

I am THRILLED that Star Trek Picard made the ‘Oddy’ canon. Yes, it was disappointing that "my" Enterprise was sidelined after about 30 seconds on screen; we'd known for some time that the Enterprise-F was to be slated for "early decommission" in Picard season 3, and I'd gotten used to that fact, but I wasn't ready to see an Enterprise-G quite so soon. I actually briefly went through the stages of grief over it, not going to lie, but I've made peace with it now.

I look forward to seeing what adventures Captain Seven and First Officer Raffi have on the Enterprise-G (Star Trek: Legacy?), and I'm hoping that at some point, we might get a show, or at least flashbacks, set on or around the Enterprise-F during its prime (maybe Prodigy, since its about the right point in the timeline, as per Terry Matalas and Dave Blass’ lore about when the canon version of the ‘F’ launched).

As much as I would have liked to see more of it in those episodes, the Odyssey Class Enterprise-F, "my" Enterprise, will forever be part of Star Trek canon now and I am so grateful!

[sleeplesssmoll]

hiya, back with an arcanist query here.

the jessica trailer got me wondering, just how big is the suitcase crew so far? it seems by the time the green lake folks are recruited, we already have matilda, x, and eagle around. there are also voicelines from other characters implying theyre already in, like zima ("there are not many poems... like the orange one says") and mesmer jr ("...the girl with the potions..."), although they couldve been recruited at any point in time. it just gets me so curious who joined when! 😄 at least i want to know how much it's grown since green lake but we can only speculate. this also feeds into my desire to see the other arcanists get involved in the story, main or otherwise.

like you said with the jessica posts, vertin provides the arcanists with a new path, one outside MV or the Foundation. so another curiousity of mine is how she recruited the others i.e. their motivations for joining her!

My theory is bluepoch just gave us a lot of characters to play from the start with but there is probably a canonical meeting for them (at least I really hope so) that we'll get through events and main story. That being said, I wonder if the people we already know will have an official event where they move in. For example, Matilda storywise is still working at SPDM but maybe she'll get assigned to Vertin's department? Or perhaps she'll be someone who stays in the Suitcase for certain cooperative missions? Ngl I want french ducky to make official appearances in the Suitcase.

If I had to list people currently living in the Suitcase as of right now cannonically, I think it'd be:

Vertin, Sonetto, Regulus, Sotheby, Druvis, Jessica after her Discipline training, Apple, and Horrorpedia. Blonney might join after she graduates from college or when she misses her bambi lol

The list will grow as we see Vertin recruiting. This game is different from others I've played in that we see the start of the crew. Usually there is an established guild or something but we see in real time Vertin's army expanding from her very first member!

I love the way the crew interacts with each other too! An An Lee is trying to terrorize my ghostly babies! I need to see Vertin meeting Tennant and Eternity. And Rabies! VOYAGER! Ahh so many people!

[nom-central]

XURK1TREE 👀 it's on nof my faves aughh

The Ultra Beasts were curious, yet dangerous visitors to the world unlike anything anyone's ever seen. Humanity sought to understand these alien creatures, but found that their native dimensions were dangerous for normal people to traverse.

That's where they came in. They were designated Ulysses.

A research android built to explore Ultra Space and collect data on the worlds within and the beasts that lived there. Equipped with their own team of pokemon in case they tried to attack, Ulysses was sent out on their maiden voyage into the unknown. They were instructed to return if things proved too dangerous, but they were built for this job and they would see it through. Chalk it up to the emotions they were programmed with, just in case they met any other people in Ultra Space.

Traveling was just as unpredictable as the studies showed. Ulysses wasn't sure where they ended up- their arrival in this Ultra World was rough, and only after running a diagnostics check to confirm nothing was damaged could they examine their surroundings. It was dark here, but strangely well-lit. The sky was a deep, dark blue near constantly lit by flashes of lightning, with thunder booming to announce each strike. Odd buildings dotted the landscape, monolithic and glowing a gentle blue. They didn't see anything around yet, but...the air was practically buzzing with electricity. It was uncomfortable to their sensors, and they didn't quite come prepared to deal with overcharging... The best solution was to move through quickly, find the beasts, gather data, and leave. Easy 20-minute expedition!

The buzzing in the air grew louder, almost painfully so, and the robot had little time to react to lightning striking VERY close to their position. Warning symbols flashed in their vision, the electricity was getting too much for them to handle and they had JUST arrived! Ulysses ambled away towards a rocky outcrop that provided some cover...but the storm likely wouldn't let up, and too much exposure would damage them and potentially deactivate them for good. It would seem they weren't nearly as prepared as their creators would've hoped...outside of the overflow of electricity, shame filled their circuits at the thought of their first mission being a failure.

Outside of the warnings flashing over their vision, Ulysses could pick up on movement. A sign of life in this barren place could only mean one thing- an Ultra Beast! What approached was easily twice Ulysses' size. It appeared to be humanoid in shape, but closer inspection revealed that its body was made of countless cables and wires, bound in some spots by glowing white bands. Its hands were purely metallic and sharp at the ends, looking like claws. Its head resembled a starburst, or maybe some kind of spark- visual analysis was a bit difficult due to their current state, but Ulysses recognized it as UB-03. A thick cordlike tail wagged behind it, and it was drawing ever closer to them...

Ulysses could note that its head was flashing at them. It was too rhythmic to be just random- could this be how it communicated? It wasn't like they understood, but they were in no position to do anything...they could feel some of their limbs shorting, causing them to jerk erratically. The beast flinched back, before drawing closer. A curious hand reached out, watching electricity jump between its finger and their body. After a moment of what seemed to be deliberation, it got closer. It didn't seem hostile at the very least-

Suddenly, Ulysses found themselves being hoisted up by the back of their suit. While it still didn't seem hostile, it was still well over twelve feet tall. It lifted the robot up a bit above its head, which tilted around a bit as if it was studying them. Then its other hand came up, moving towards its torso which was strangely "unbound" compared to the rest of its cablelike body. It opened itself up, wires parting and opening into a space that it was now lowering them into. Were they being...consumed? Ulysses was helpless to stop it from doing whatever it wished. At this point, it was preferable to being out in the harsh elements.

They were lowered into a loosely bag-shaped space, and the cables that parted to accept them inside moved to trap them. The inside of the beast was just as strange as the outside- the space shifted and pushed against them, with the internal cabling being covered in a light layer of some sort of slime. Blue lights traveled along the cables that surrounded them, particularly where their body touched the rubbery surface of the cables. Ulysses could feel electricity draining from their body...could it be leeching power from them? The warning symbols faded away as the excess electricity was leeched from them. As observed, this beast seemed to feed on electricity...the lightning strikes outside would likely keep it well fed. It wasn't likely it could digest them...but when was it going to let them out? Pressing at the cables did nothing for the research android. It wasn't drawing any more power from them, so this position allowed for some extensive data collection for the time being.

[leewritestoomuch]

I saw your hyoga request and it’s truly a shame not many people write fanfics of him since I love him so much.

I was wondering if you could write smth along the lines of hyoga and a chemist reader having this sort of enemies to lovers kinda romance and in the beginning it’s all rocky but maybe during their trek in South America everything changes :) sfw ofc

This is my first time requesting so I don’t know if I’m doing this completely right so I understand if it is ignored. Thanks :))

Enemies to Lovers with Hyoga

This isn’t head canons but it flows like head canons and I don’t know if I like it 😭 I’m sorry, I hope I’m just being critical of my own work and it’s actually good.

Why should he be expected to save your life if you’re in danger? It’s pathetic. Truly. He’s frustrated, beyond it actually, that you don’t know how to handle an animal threatening you in the forest. But, as much as he hates it, you’re his ally. And admittedly, you can use chemistry to your advantage in just about any situation needed.

He finds that respectable, so he won’t kill you, but he questions himself for helping you out of a dangerous situation. Especially since he hasn’t liked you very much since his and Homura’s attack on Ishigami village some time ago.

You were the first person he saw, and you ran scared. He found it pathetic, because doing that with an animal, in most cases, would get you chased down and killed. So he followed you like an animal would. He stabbed you, and in order to get away with your life, you threw some sort of chemical in his face. That dirty trick, arguably much better than being stabbed, however, gave you enough time to get away.

He opted to move on to dealing with Kinro, but you stayed back, wounded and hiding. It’s smart, but you’re truly pathetic, he decided.

He should have taught you a lesson about running from a predatory animal, but he didn’t feel that he owes you anything. So why did he help you now?

He goes on thinking that over for months, between the voyage from Japan to New America. And it’s during that time you decide to ask him and the other guys to help you train. Your expression of interest in learning to use a spear, and maybe even his technique, had caught his attention.

So during that time he teaches you to use the spear even a little bit, he begins to notice there is just something about you. He doesn’t know what it is, so he pushes it down. He’s not one to go easy on you, so every day you have new bruises from getting hit with the blunt end of a practice spear. He often gets you and Mozu to spar, but of course, Mozu beats you.

You have no hope of ever beating either of them, lest it be pure luck or a battle of wits.

He takes a certain amount of interest in the way you are a master in your own field, but he catches you asking to learn other people’s skills even a little bit. He knows you have no real plan to be a spearman, but the skill is a nice thing to have. And he can respect that.

So during rest times, you finds himself near you, then eventually, throughout the days, talking briefly with you. Eventually, you two are having actually conversations. And he finds himself more interested in you than he ever has another person.

You often talk his ear off about chemistry. He hasn’t taken chemistry since high school, and he isn’t interested in the least, but he doesn’t mind it too much. You explain why there are always chemicals in your bag, and why they’re sealed so well. And eventually he asks what you threw in his face.

You explain it was harmless, but would burn a bit. He smiles.

“Ah, so just a bluff?” He smiles beneath his mask

“More of a distraction, but sort of.” You answer, looking out at the sea past the walls of the ship deck.

Eventually, you two become an unlikely couple. And the only way anyone would find out, is when he expresses his confidence in your abilities by addressing you as his partner. Unless, you were rather talkative and told everybody.

More often than you’re sparring with anyone, you’re discussing matters with Dr. Xeno and Senku, sometimes Chrome too. You help them find answers when you can, but often you and Chrome don’t fully understand some of the science they get into.

On foot, in South America, is where you two would find yourselves aware of your feelings. You spend most of your time side by side, or on the same motorcycle. And he realizes your arms around his waist aren’t something he minds at all. Your head rests on his back.

For a while, it’s just understood during this time that the two of you aren’t just friends or allies, but there is no word from either of you. No word until he calls you his later, and it’s just understood. He assumed as much and you don’t mind.

[writeblrgarden]

PLANT GROWERS - MEET THE WINNERS - RAE

Meet Rae, who got third place in our grow a plant event in november! Rae goes by she/her, has a second degree black belt in kendo, and you can find her at @koala2all. She has been writing for about 30 years, primarily YA fantasy.

Tell us about the WIP you'd like to talk about today.

I'll be talking about The Pirate Knight. Being a pirate is all Nonie has ever wanted. Freedom, camaraderie, and a beautiful girl in port to welcome her back. But returning from a lucrative voyage, she finds her home in shambles and her bonny lass missing. Desperate to find her, Nonie makes a deal with the god of the sea. In return for helping return her lost love Nonie vows to become his holy knight, saving the weak and defending the helpless. Together with a cynical sorcerer, a naive orc, and an ex-girlfriend from a rival ship who promises not to rest until their mission is a success, Nonie sets out to prove that she can be a hero in time to save the love of her life. But when a world changing secret is revealed, Nonie will need the help of her friends to navigate the tempest.

Describe your writing process. Do you like to plan everything or are you more spontaneous?

I'm more spontaneous. I usually start a bit backwards actually. I know how I want a story to end, then where it begins, and the rest is a matter of figuring out how to get from point A to point B. Music plays a huge part in my process, as well. I often get inspired by a song for a set of characters or a situation, then I try to figure out where it can fit.

What have you found to be the most challenging and/or rewarding about writing?

The most challenging part of writing for me is that I often feel like I don't know what I'm doing. I'm just kind of winging it, writing stories that make me happy about characters that I enjoy writing about… but up to a year ago I didn't know what a beta reader was. My background is in theater, so I know how to frame a story in three acts… but without the background in creative writing, the imposter syndrome is real!

Below the read more is more of our conversation with Rae

What inspires you to write?

Books were such an escape for me when I was little. All those amazing worlds and vivid characters really helped me through some tough times. And that's what I want to share with others. The world is a hard place right now. I want to give readers a place that they can escape to, with characters they can empathize with as they face trials and overcome them. And maybe take a little hope with them when they're done.

Share some advice for other writers.

The best advice I ever got was from a Terry Pratchett quote. He said, "The first draft is just you telling yourself the story." I am definitely the type of person who dreams of the first draft coming out absolutely perfect. When it doesn't come out that way, I can tend to get a little frustrated. But after I heard this quote, I realized that the first draft is going to be rubbish. That's okay, and that's what editing is for. First, I just need to tell myself the story.

What do consider your writing strength?

Dialogue and worldbuilding are my strengths, for sure. I have such a strong sense of the world my characters find themselves in. My favorite technique is to not explain too much to the reader, but let them come across the world naturally as the characters navigate through it. It's my favorite way of experiencing the world of a story! Dialogue writing is so much fun. I love bantering with my friends, and imagining the banter between two characters is just as entertaining. I myself am a bit snarky (in a delightful way, of course) and that tends to make its way into at least one of the characters speech patterns.

What has been the nicest compliment you've received or what has been the toughest criticism you've received?

When I finished my first novel, I sent it to a knitting acquaintance of mine who happened to be a book reviewer as well. It was nerve wracking, since I had only let friends and family look at any of my writing before, but I had dreams of publishing and wanted to make the story as good as I could before I started sending it out. Her review came back glowing. Four out of five stars, and compliments about the worldbuilding, the characters, the plot, the dialogue. It was such a good feeling!

What do you love the most about writing?

My characters, and sharing them. I love making characters… ever since I was little. I get such a kick out of giving a character a backstory, and then seeing how they grow through the course of the story. Sometimes they really surprise me! And seeing them become important to the readers is really exciting, too!

[oohnotvery]

Throwing Good After Bad (Chapter 3)

Scully

Scully fiddles absentmindedly with the gold wedding band around her finger. Wind whips wildly at her hair and she shivers at the cold breeze coming off the ocean. Her boots shift awkwardly on the beach and she momentarily considers taking off her shoes just so she can feel the sand between her toes. It’s a familiar, comforting feeling, one she could use right about now.

They arrived at the island five hours ago by boat and ever since, she’s been trying to make sense of their place here. Joe and Mulder made quick work of divvying up duffel bags and suitcases between their two cabins while she and Lydia stood by watching their boat—and only transportation off the island—disappear into the rough surf.

While the sea breeze coming off the waves is refreshing, the campsite itself is eerie. A set of four cabins has been set up a few hundred feet from the beach, close enough that when she’s inside her cabin, she can still hear the surf. A thick forest has grown up around the campsite and although she isn’t afraid, she clings to her bear mace as she walks the path from the beach back to the cabins. Their boat captain warned them of the dangers of Black Sands Island—the grizzly bears are scary, he had said, but the people are scarier.

Who the hell would choose to vacation here?

A long gravel pathway connects her cabin to Mulder’s and she stares at his door for a long minute, wondering whether she should go make sure he’s playing nice with Lydia. On the boat ride over from Seattle, he wasn’t the least bit interested in making nice with his new wife. Rather, to her amusement, he had spent much of the voyage trying not to heave over the side of the boat. Instead of babysitting her partner, however, Scully decides to clomp back to her shared space with Joe. She should probably get to know him better, but she spent most of the boat ride worrying over Mulder's sick stomach. 

Joe is quite nice, if not a little shy. He seems uncomfortable being in her personal space and she appreciates that he is aware of the awkwardness of their situation: practical strangers, forced to share a one-bedroom, one-bath cabin on a remote island.

Their cabin doesn’t boast even a couch, so she’s resigned herself to the fact that she’ll be bunking with Joe. Their bed is happily queen-sized, but even this is too small for her comfort level. As she walks towards the cabin, she’s thinking about the large recliner in the middle of the living room. She could probably get decent sleep on it.

She opens the door and yanks off her boots. Sand cascades off them and onto the doormat and she frowns. Even as a little girl, she hated the feeling of sand in between her bedsheets when she visited the beach with her family. She hopes Joe doesn’t plan on tracking sand all around the cabin.

“Doing some whale watching, Danielle?”

Mulder’s voice catches her off guard and she jumps. Sly as a fox, her partner is lounging deep in the recliner, his feet propped all the way up, a wicked grin on his face.

“Just getting a feel for the local flora and fauna, Floyd,” she responds with an eyeroll. She glances around and, not seeing Joe, quirks a questioning eyebrow at Mulder.

He shrugs. He’s not here, he mouths.

She walks up to him and balances on the arm of the chair.

“This place gives me the creeps,” she says under her breath. From the beach, she could really sense the remoteness of their situation. On the boat, they passed a few nearby islands but once she stood on the sand and looked out to sea, all she could see was more ocean.  

Mulder tosses a few sunflower seeds in his mouth. “You think Kersh intentionally sent us out here to get murdered?”

Scully shakes her head. “I think he cares about Lydia and Joe too much for that.”

Mulder looks up at her. “Ah, but maybe they’re our killers. Better watch yourself tonight as you’re cuddled up in bed with pretty boy Joe, Agent Scully.”

That earns him a smack to the back of the head. “Shut up, Mulder.” She looks around again and glances at her watch. “Where is he? We’re all supposed to be present for the briefing in half an hour.”

Mulder shrugs carelessly, but behind his feigned nonchalance, she can tell he is on edge too. She shifts slightly and nudges for him to scoot over. He shifts over to make room for her and she shuffles into the open space in the large recliner.

“How are we supposed to find out anything about this Black Sands Community, Mulder?” she asks, closing her eyes. “I walked around the beach for almost an hour and didn’t see anything except wilderness.”

She feels his head shake. “Kersh sent us on a no-win mission, Scully. He just wanted to piss us off for a few days.”

She kicks his leg with her sock foot. “Are you not interested in the possibility of ritualistic sacrifices?”

Mulder taps her leg back. “You read the briefing, Scully. The evidence is slim-to-none. The folks who reported any knowledge of human sacrifices were crackpots. It’s all just the typical rumor and conspiracy you always see attached to a heavily protected, cloistered religious community.”

Scully opens her eyes in disbelief. “Did you and I switch bodies on the boat ride over here, Mulder?”

He grins toothily and cracks a seed between his teeth. She grabs a handful of seeds from his open palm and fiddles with them. “I’m just saying,” he says, “I wouldn’t put it past Kersh to dump us here for a few weeks, just to make us feel bad about ourselves and our place in the world.”

Scully worries her lip. “But then where do Joe and Lydia fit in?”  

“They’re just here to ruin all our fun.”

Scully can’t help the feeling nagging at the back of her mind. “You’re wrong,” she murmurs quietly. “This isn’t just some pointless assignment intended to personally offend you, Mulder. There’s something going on on this island.”

Mulder twists his head and their gazes meet. Squished into the recliner together, their noses are just centimeters apart.

“I can feel it,” she breathes.

Mulder studies her for a long minute, his expression turning serious, and then he nods.

**

It’s dark outside by the time Joe returns to the cabin, Lydia striding in after him. Embarrassed by their proximity, Scully shoves Mulder off the recliner and greets the other agents with a smile.

“So, are we just waiting on him now?” Joe asks, glancing apprehensively at the door.

Everyone nods and Scully swallows.

Him.

Mulder glances around the room, his gaze full of authority. “Everyone remember your cover?”

Joe, Lydia, and Scully all nod. She spent the six-hour plane ride to Seattle poring over every detail of her character, Danielle Parsons.

They stand in silence for a long moment and Scully starts to suggest that they get to know each other better before he arrives. From the few moments she’s spent with Joe, she knows only a few details about him—that he’s a former fireman turned federal agent, with aspirations to serve as a congressman. She knows next-to-nothing about Lydia, except that the woman is good-looking, quiet, and doesn’t get seasick.

Before she can make her suggestion, however, there is a sharp rap at the door. Mulder shoots them all an expectant glance and Scully notices that everyone seems to stiffen slightly. Mulder gestures for them all to settle down before he strides to the door and opens it.

In the threshold stands a young man, his hair covered by a thick gray beanie, his lean, tall body dressed in jeans and a flannel shirt. He smiles openly at the four of them and Mulder motions for him to come inside.

“Hi, everyone,” the man says with a cheerful voice, “as you know from your travel agency booking, I’m Evan, and I’m going to be your guide for the next few days on the island.”

Everyone nods. As part of their briefing, Scully learned that Evan is the liaison between the Black Sands Community and the campsite. From what she understands, he is in charge of making sure they have food, water, and entertainment while they’re staying on the island. And making sure they don’t get too close to the Black Sands Community.

“Nice to meet you,” Mulder says, and as Evan enters the cabin, Scully rises to greet him.

“So,” Evan says, staring down at a clipboard in his hands. “I’ve got Jack and Danielle Parsons and Floyd and Lauren Merryweather.”

Joe immediately moves to Scully’s side and his large, warm arm wraps around her waist, drawing her in. Mulder’s eyes seem to travel with the movement and Scully watches in amusement as he briefly fixates on Joe's hand at her hip.

“I’m Jack, and this is my wife, Danielle,” Joe explains, extending a hand to Evan.

Mulder makes a half-hearted attempt at similar pleasantries, placing a hand near Lydia’s back and guiding her closer to Evan, where they introduce themselves as Floyd and Lauren.

Scully notes that Mulder can’t seem to decide how to interact with Lydia, and seems to think that hovering close to her—but just out of touching range—is how a husband treats a wife. She makes a mental note to pull him aside later and give him a tutorial on how to touch your significant other.

“So, you’re here on vacation, I see?” Evan says with another glance at the clipboard. Scully assumes from the briefing that Evan knows only the basics about the four of them—their names, home states (California), and travel dates. “Well, you’ve really come to the right place,” he explains excitedly, and by the gleeful look in his eye, Scully wonders if he’s confused Black Sands Island with Hawaii. “We’ve got sea kayaking, fishing, hunting, hiking, snorkeling, wildlife viewing. The island is regularly named one of the best places in the area to spot humpback whales. We even had a pod of orcas come through recently.”

“Lauren and I are big whale aficionados,” Mulder pipes up unconvincingly, and to her credit, Lydia nods eagerly.

“We’d be interested in getting out on the local hiking trails,” Scully adds. She’s eager to map out the island and find out where the Black Sands Community is located. At her side, Joe shifts and his hand slips slightly lower on her hip.

“Of course,” Evan says with a wide grin. “We can do all of that. If you like hiking, I’ve got a real treat for you tomorrow. But first, I want to fill you in on some ground rules. I’m sure you know you’ve been allowed to stay here at the generosity of our friends, the Black Sands Community. Now, the Black Sands is a very religious, very cloistered community, and that because of that, visitors can only access certain parts of the island.”

Scully cocks her head. “Are you not part of the community?” She had assumed from the briefing that their local guide would be involved with the group.

He shakes his head. “No,” he says with a too-friendly smile. “I’m from Vancouver, but I live here part-time running the local wildlife and sea kayaking tours.”

Mulder glances at her and she lifts her shoulders slightly in a shrug. It might be to their benefit to have an outsider’s perspective.

“Tomorrow,” Evan says, interrupting her train of thought, “we’ll be joined by Grace, a friend of mine who was born and raised in the Black Sands. She’s going to accompany us for a waterfall hike that I love to show visitors on their first day. It really showcases some of the best parts of the island, but to get there, we have to pass through some zoned-off areas. She’ll be there to help us navigate the protected bits.”

His eyes dart around the room, landing on each of them in turn. “I must emphasize, we are here because of the kindness of the Black Sands Community. It is imperative that we respect their authority over this island. This means that I kindly ask you to stay around the campsite when we’re not doing other activities. We’re mostly surrounded by jungle and sand, so there’s not a lot of exploring to do around here anyways.”

His eyes move to linger on her for a long minute and Scully starts to wonder if he saw her wandering around the property earlier.

“In that same vein,” Evan continues, his eyes moving on, “I’ll be checking in on you all in the mornings and evenings, just to make sure you have everything you need.”

Mulder’s eyes dart to hers and they exchange a knowing glance. In other words, I’ll be checking on your whereabouts constantly.

Evan’s lips stretch into a small smile. “So, friends! Any questions?”

[aliensunflower-fics]

CHANGING FACES Chapter 6: Arrival

[ Prefer to read on Archive of Our Own? Link HERE! ]

[ Previous Chapter - Next Chapter ]

After years of dealing with each other Lila Rossi win’s when she  convinces Hawkmoth that Marinette is Ladybug. In order to throw off  suspicion and keep the Miracle Box safe Marinette and her supportive parents leave Paris and head to Gotham of all places. In this new place  away from her friends and her unhealthy routines Marinette is forced to  confront herself and change for the better. Helping her on her journey  is a surprising new friend and potential ally. When Alya missing her  friend learns about the chance to win a free trip to Gotham she  convinces the class to work hard to qualify. When her new life clashes  with her old one will Marinette be able to hold on strong to her new  confidence or will she crumble under the pressure?

( This fic will be for the most part comedic, fluffy, and sweet, with only a bit of seriousness to tie it together. With only the mildest salt  because I don’t think the class or Adrien are bad people just that they  can be naive and selfish thanks to the canon writing. I hope you enjoy  reading this work and have fun with me on this journey. )

CHAPTER 6:

Arrival

Marinette had never been so happy to be on solid ground. The plane ride had been… Turbulent to say the least not to mention long leaving Marinette to agonize and worry the entire time that maybe while she was busy up in the sky Hawkmoth would strike luckily the freak of a villain seemed busy and so the flight passed without the need to use Kaalki which was a great thing as Marinette was unsure just how precise the power of voyage was. 

As the small family of 3 disembarked from the plane with their meager belongings Marinette breathed in the fresh air with relief it was chilly and barely light out … She was tired, yes, but she was also giddy and a strange sense of freedom was filling her with every step she took. There was no Hawkmoth here, no purple butterflies no constant need to lock her own emotions into vault, no more need to lie to her parents, no more Bustier telling her to be the classes shining example, no more Lila whispering lies behind her back, no more Adrien too shoot her longing puppy dog stares as he waited for her to ‘forgive him’ when he had never bothered to apologize. 

She was free. She was safe? … Well as safe as one could be moving to a city known for its killer clowns and freaks in masks. Not that Marinette wasn’t prepared for that, her training with her own mother and the Amazon’s of Themyscira for the last few years had transformed her small unassuming body into a weapon. Not to mention the new magical training the Kwamis were giving her, Tikki especially pushed for more training once she started learning just how awful some of the villains of Gotham were and she made Marinette promise that if the Joker so much as even looked at her she would not hesitate to transform him into a cockroach. Technically it wasn’t murder so she figured Batman would be fine with it.

As they moved through the airport presenting their documentation to the necessary people Marinette’s excitement only grew with her fingers twitching with anticipation as the polite woman welcomed them to their new home and they exited the security clearance area into the wider airport. Her eyes scanned the crowd eagerly until they landed on the group of 3 men chatting amongst themselves. She let out a squeal and started running, catching the men’s attention as she flung herself at them in joy. Jason however acted fast and caught her first wrapping her into a tight brotherly hug and lifting her off the ground and away from Dick and Alfred.

“Woah there jelly bean you trying to take the old man out? Lucky I caught you huh!” 

Marinette snorted and rolled her eyes trying to squirm out of Jason’s grasp so she could hug Alfred and Dick who was looking rather put out.

“Oh please Alfred’s not frail he’s like Grandma Gina he will live forever at this rate and be healthier then all of us.” 

Tom and Sabine chuckled at the scene as they walked over with their meager bags and proceeded to hug Alfred and catch up while Dick tried to pry Marinette free from Jason in order to get his hug that Jason had so rudely stolen. Marinette meanwhile dangled from Jason’s arms with an amused and exasperated look on her face. She’d missed her ‘brothers’ greatly and was happy to see them again. There was just one thing, one tiny little thing…

“When did you freaks get so tall!”

The sudden comment had both boys stopping as they seemingly for the first time paused to take in Marinette’s appearance. Sure they had seen pictures of her and video chatted plenty of times but this was the first time in years where they had physically been around her and now that they were… 

“I think the better question here is why are you so short.” Marinette gasped in faux offense squirmed out of Jason’s grasp clutching her heart in mock betrayal. 

“How could you say such a thing… Dick is my favorite now.”

The oldest Wayne grinned and accepted his hug while sticking his tongue out at Jason who was playing the part of the dramatically betrayed. 

However now that Dick was hugging his little sister he could not help but blurt out. “God you really are short.” 

Marinette squawked indignantly at the comment. “What no! I’m normal it's you two who are the-” She gestured at them with waving arms. “Alfred! What have you been feeding them and where can I get some!” 

Alfred chuckled and opened his arms calmly to accept the warm hug of his god daughter. “I’m afraid I haven’t been feeding them anything unusual; they simply sprung up like weeds.”

Marinette huffed and puffed up her cheeks. Stupid genetics.

“Ah don’t feel too bad jelly bean Dickie here isn’t even THAT tall, just wait till you meet Kori in the flesh now that's tall.” 

As the group moved its way out of the airport Marinette recalled the measurements she’d received when designing Kori’s wedding dress, not to mention the pictures that showed the beautiful tan woman towering a full head over Dick at the altar. Maybe it was something in the water of Gotham that made people tall. Considering all the supervillains she would not doubt it.

“When will I finally get to meet Kori and Mar’i face to face anyway? I wanna hug my cute little niece already!!!”

“Why? Because she’s the only one not taller than you?” Jason snickered before letting out a surprised yelp as Marinette playfully punched him in his side with a pout. She had some surprising strength in that arm of hers.

“Later in the week, they wanted to come pick you up with us but it was so early and your parents told us your new school was giving you a week off to adjust to the new timezone before classes start.” Honestly it had been a hectic night with Mar’i refusing to sleep determined to go with Dick to the airport but eventually she fell asleep clutching Silkie and so Dick had left alone.

“What school are you going to anyway, jelly bean? Maybe I can come pick you up sometime after school for some lessons in self defense at my gym.” Mostly he wanted to see her flatten some of the men twice her size; he knew Sabine had been training Marinette since she was young and he was eager to see what his little sis was capable of.

Marinette smiled at the thought. “That sounds nice, as for my new school mom and Alfred arranged it for me, I think it's called Gotham Academy.”

Marinette missed the way Dick and Jason whipped their heads around to glare at Alfred. Gotham Academy wasn’t a bad school, in fact one could easily say the opposite: it had great staff, good facilities, and it had accepted Marinette on a full ride scholarship thanks to her high grades and many achievements. The problem was the school was also full of a bunch of rich leeches, but worst of all it had Damian. Now both older Wayne’s could admit they loved there little brother even if Jason would deny it to keep his cool reputation but Damian had a bit of a bad track record with first impressions. Not to mention the fact that the 3 Wayne’s had already discussed how best to introduce the Dupain-Chengs to the rest of the family so they could all be one bigger happier family and they had agreed to wait and while and let them settle in before dropping the bomb that was the Wayne family and more specifically BRUCE on to them but if Marinette met Damian at school and got a bad idea of him… Things would get complicated.

Alfred however unlike the younger two Wayne men was not worried. He had a feeling that Marinette and Damian were just what the other needed right now. Yes, he’d heard many things about Marinette’s situation from her parents. What she needed now was someone to bring out that bold Marinette he knew was waiting for a chance to shine. And as for his youngest grandson while he had been doing much better and had made friends he was still hostile and wary Marinette however might be just what he needed. The old man chuckled with a warm smile. 

“I think you will like Gotham Academy very much, Marinette.”

—-----------------------------------

Damian Wayne had a reputation. Since his first ever day at school at the age of 10 after he’d moved in with his father the young heir had… Problems with other students. His personality was icey and his training too deeply ingrained that school and him had not gone well. Yet his father refused to let him skip or be homeschooled, determined that with time school would help him develop his social skills. For the first few years Damian was alone he shoved people away and did only what was required waiting for the day when finally his father would see that school was beneath him and he could achieve so much more without it.

At 13 that reputation evolved. And not for the better. Damian had been so sure of his own intelligence and his own superiority that he failed to notice that viper slinking through the grass. A girl, the same age as him, unlike other girls who had failed to approach him due to the obvious attempts, Lila had been more subtle. Instead of acting interested in him she acted unfazed she even began dating Jon the only person his age Damian was close to. He’d let his guard down thinking that she was nothing but a simple sweet girl. But he had never been more wrong. 

Somehow the viper had found his weakness, somehow she knew that deep down under all his posturing he felt insecure, unloved, unwanted, and she prayed on it. She made him feel strong, she made him feel special, she made him feel wanted, she used lies to paint Jon the villain and herself the victim so that Damian would save her and fall deeper into the strange infatuation that clouded his mind. She was a snake. And worst of all he had not even discovered her lies himself; it had been sheer dumb luck overhearing her plot her schemes that had revealed the truth to him.

But by that point it was too late. The vipers poison had already spread and Damian Wayne’s reputation fell from just ‘ice king’ to ‘monster’ even after the lawsuit even after proving her lies and sending the snakes father to jail. Even after he had proven himself innocent… The reputation clung to him. It was a stain that would not wash off, even after Dick convinced him to go to therapy and his attitude improved, even after he fixed the broken relationship with his family, even after he broke out of his shell and made friends in his school, the stain was still there and every action he did and didn’t take only made it worse.

It's not that Damian wasn’t trying, because he was really. He tried to be polite and courteous; he tried to make a good impression. But somehow someway it often seemed to go wrong, though it did not help that his peers were a bunch of rich kids who tended to be overly sensitive, at least in Damian’s eyes. It did not help that Damian was self admittedly a little… Overly blunt and honest not to mention how sensitive he was about girls flirting with him, he knew he’d not fully recovered from the Vipers poison and so even now 3 years after she was gone he was on high alert constantly on the lookout for lies and manipulation. And this… alertness of his had led to again more then a few terrible first impressions. 

To put it simply, Damian was aware that whenever a new student was joining the school bets were made on how fast Damian Wayne would manage to offend them. So when the teacher announced that come next Monday a new student would be joining the class a young girl all the way from France no less a ripple of excitement went through the class as once more bets were being made. This time however Damian Wayne was determined to make them all lose. He would be polite, and courteous he would not snap, not say anything un-intentionally mean, he would be normal, he would simply ignore the new girl and all would be well.

Which is why of course his Teachers asked him to give the new girl the school tour. He was one of the few who spoke French and they were unsure how good the girl's English was so they wanted to play it safe and coincidentally all the other students who could speak French just so happened to be too busy to help the new student. Damian seethed he knew it was a lie, they just wanted to force him to interact with her for their little bets. Fine then! A Wayne is not so easily defeated. He would be a perfect gentleman, he would not offend the girl, it would be fine. He would prove to himself and everyone else that Damian Wayne might be the Ice Prince of Gotham but he was no brute. Bring it on Monday Damian Wayne was ready to meet the new girl.

( Thank you again for all the patience and support! I tend to update slowly due to well... The need to keep food on the table and my finances have been especially tight lately so I was struggling but things are getting better now so hopefully I can write more often in the near future. This first chapter was more to establish some stuff I know its a little short but it felt good to get back into this fic with something a little neater sweeter and smaller. Hopefully I have more up soon! )

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[keigosprince]

Tywin Lannister/Velaryon!Reader Preview

“My lady, the ship is here”

Y/N said nothing, only sighed. A fortnight ago, the Battle of Blackwater took place. So much had come from this petty war for that stupid iron chair. That chair had cost her and her younger brother their father…and Y/N her freedom. Being the eldest child was a wonderful position to hold…if you were a man. Y/N had been the first born. The first born, followed by many dead babes until her brother was born. She loved him with all her heart but at this moment, she wished she had been an only child a few years more. Then maybe she wouldn't have been sold off to Tywin Lannister. Sold is a strong word, more like captured and her brother and mother didn’t have the means to fight off Lannisters. They had won the war of five kings and now they were going to reap the benefits of it, her included.

“I’ll be right out Mia” she sighed again as she rose from her pillows and smoothed out the wrinkles in her skirts. She knew what her duty was to be when she was informed of her next destination. She had been sent away from Driftmark for protection by her father before he went off to battle, leaving her mother and brother back at their keep by the sea. She guessed it was a well calculated move on her father’s part…Tywin Lannister just happened to calculate the same plan and came up with a counter just in case. Her ship had been on its way to Essos until a random storm happened and when it ended she found herself in front of the Lannister navy on its way to Dragonstone, where she was currently being held. This keep didn’t have anyone occupying it since it was on an island and isolated from the rest of the realm of Westeros. The perfect place to keep a “defenseless” hostage until you are ready for them to come to your main location.

Rubbing her forehead to keep a migraine from coming on, Meleys picked up her skirts and started to make her way into the room she was being held in. "If anything, I hope I at least survive my time in the capital until I can make it to Casterly Rock”. That was one thing she didn’t mind about this situation. She grew up at Driftmark, surrounded by the sea and all things nautical and sea related. She learned how to sail when she was only seven and went on her first long voyage with her cousins at age three and ten. She knew how to wield a sword, drink a man 3 times her size under the table, and handle a ship on her own. She would at least have Lannisport to look over like she did Spice Town back at Driftmark.

Looking in the mirror to make sure her silver locs were properly tied up in their half updo bun, she let out one final sigh and made her way out to the docks.

—--------------------------

Tywin Lannister was not a man to be kept waiting. He understood that sailing took time, however the longer this hostage was out of his sight he would stay on edge. But then again Tywin Lannister was always on edge. Alert at all times, never letting a stag, wolf, or dragon keep him from slippingHe sat at his desk, filling out the last of the letters needed from the small council concerning the casualties and collateral of this latest war. A war that gained them everything and more. His family just had to keep it and the legacy would be secure. Tywin sighed at the thought of his family. His three current children and grandchildren couldn’t be trusted to carry on the family name.Tommen and Myrcella MAYBE but not the rest. 

‘Here’s to hoping this new bride of mine can fulfill her duty properly' he thought,

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

(Its a WIP, I may change things later. I just wanted to go ahead and give like a small preview and get the idea out. If you dont wanna insert your own name then I gave her the name Meleys Velaryon because ya kno...Red Queen and all. And just to remind everyone...this is a HOTD Velaryon so SHE BLACK)

[swanmaids]

Elwing/Eärendil, 40

40. because the world is ending

And it is sung that she fell from the air upon the timbers of Vingilot, in a swoon, nigh unto death for the urgency of her speed, and Earendil took her into his bosom; but in the morning with marvelling eyes he beheld his wife in her own form beside him with her hair upon his face, and she slept. - The Silmarillion, of the Voyage of Earendil and the War of Wrath.

~

Elwing awoke screaming. She thrashed within Eärendil's hold in his cramped cabin bed as the waves rocked the boat beneath them, and he pulled back and stood up, giving her room to move. There were too many thoughts racing through his mind at once.

How had she come to be here? Was she badly hurt? Where were the boys?

~

When he had first beheld the face of his wife where the bird had been, he had wept with relief. The sight of the great albatross with the nauglamir clutched in its beak had been a horror, for the jewel was ever around Elwing’s neck, or in a locked box beneath the floorboards in their bedroom - she would not have relinquished it while she lived. Eärendil had sobbed into the feathers of the bird, despairing.

Then the image of the albatross had shimmered as though in a dream, and before him had laid his sleeping wife.

~

Elwing's screams stopped almost as soon as they had begun. She sat up suddenly, her dark hair damp with sweat and her face leached of all colour. Eärendil felt his chest ache- he longed to rush to her side, to give whatever comfort he could, but years of waking up to Elwing's nightmares had told him that at least right now, she would not wish to be touched.

She stared around the cabin, eyes wide and wild. "Eärendil!" she cried, as their eyes met, "Eärendil, we've failed. They are lost..."

Eärendil suddenly felt very cold.

"Elwing, beloved -"

She stood up from his bed, swaying a little on her feet, and clasped his hands in hers.

"The Fëanorian...beasts... they came upon Sirion by night. They wanted the jewel. They broke through our defences… there was so much killing. Eärendil! The boys!"

In Elwing's great distress, through their ósanwe, Eärendil could feel a glimpse of the carnage himself. He could almost feel the heat of the burning boathouses, could almost smell the gore in the air. But the boys! Where were his sons?

Elwing shook, but she forced herself to continue her tale.

"I sent Idwen and Elemmakil with the boys - to hide, somewhere, anywhere! I took the jewel, and I ran, in the opposite direction. I thought that the light might draw them away. But they must have been spotted. I reached the cliff, and then one of the - of the sons of Fëanor - it was the bloody minstrel - and he said -"

She broke off, and collapsed into his arms in sobs. Eärendil clasped her to his chest, cradling her head in one hand, and their minds melded once more.

~

The minstrel standing before her, sword unsheathed, blood on his weaponry and mail, even in his hair.

We have your children. Your city is lost. Can we not make one trade?

We have your children.

Twin boys snatched from their nurse in a slaughter. Twin boys thrown into the snow to die. Elwing has been here before.

Elwing stepping backwards. The rush of the air as she falls. The sea rising to meet her, the burn of salt in her lungs.

And suddenly, grace, unwanted and unlooked for.

The rise.

~

When he came back to himself, Eärendil was sobbing like a child. Something within himself was splitting in two, or maybe into a million pieces. Only the solid, breathing form of his wife as he held her kept him from flying apart. He breathed in her scent as he kissed her hair, if only to remind himself that they both still lived; here at the end of all things.

In the quiet darkness of Eärendil's cabin, they might have been the only two people left in the world.

"Eärendil," Elwing whispered, barely audible, "what do we do now?"

~

Yet Eärendil saw now no hope left in the lands of Middle Earth, and he turned again in despair and came not home, but sought back once more to Valinor with Elwing at his side. - The Silmarillion, of the Voyage of Eärendil and the War of Wrath.

[dingusbalingus]

Olimar's Voyage Log: Day 1

My name is Captain Olimar.

While traveling through space on an interstellar vacation, my ship was struck by a meteor. The collision had knocked me out, but when I awoke I found myself on the surface of a strange planet. Though I appear to have been mostly unscathed from the impact, the same cannot be said for my ship, the S.S. Dolphin. My diagnostics indicated the Dolphin had lost 30 of its most critical parts across this planet's surface upon entry into the atmosphere. To put it simply, I've been stranded here.

To make matters worse, my atmospheric sensors indicate this planet's environment contains high levels of poisonous oxygen. The life-support systems in my suit are able to keep me alive for now, but without a means to recharge them they won't last for much longer than a month. If I can't repair the Dolphin by then....

....There is hope in this dire situation, however. Shortly after I came to, I discovered a curious bulb dormant in the ground. When I approached it, the thing shot up from the ground as if it were waiting for me, and firmly planted long, slender struts into the soil below. Though I haven't a clue as to what this object even is, whether its alive or simply a machine, it resembles a vegetable on my home planet of Hocotate that we call an onion, thus I've taken to calling it an Onion, as well.

After this discovery, a second discovery immediately presented itself. The Onion had sputtered a seed shortly after its awakening. This seed took root in the soil and, after a brief moment in time, rapidly grew into a developed sprout. This sprout emitted a soft glow, and it swayed back and forth without benefit of wind. I don't know what exactly, some instinct or gut feeling, but something compelled me to uproot the plant from the soil. And when I did, I discovered something most extraordinary....

....what came out of the soil was a living creature, not a plant. It sported a leaf on its head supported by a long stem, and featured a pointed proboscis at the end of its face. The shape of this creature resembles the Pikpik brand carrots on my home planet that I adore, so like the Onion before it I've taken to calling this creature a Pikmin.

Despite my harrowing circumstances, I could not help but be intrigued by this Pikmin... It stared at me longingly, as if awaiting my beck and call. I quickly surmised a few key things about these Pikmin. The Onion seems to act as an incubator for Pikmin seeds. A local variety of flower near our location yielded a nutrient-rich pellet, in which the Pikmin seemed to instinctively know to harvest by the Onion. This is how the Pikmin reproduce; soon enough, I found myself with a small army of Pikmin under my command. The Pikmin seem to have a natural inclination toward cooperation, they form groups to perform tasks that would be impossible for an individual. Using their skills, I was even able to retrieve the Main Engine, the single most important part of my damaged craft. It was a stroke of pure luck I even found it nearby.

Nightfall on a foreign planet frightens me a bit, so I decided that the safest thing for me was to head for the sky. Though I obviously did not expect escape from this planet to be feasible at this point in time, I can at least hover in low orbit above the planet's surface. What I did not expect, however, was the Pikmin to follow suit. The Pikmin's Onion miraculously followed me into the stars. Perhaps the Pikmin cannot survive overnight on the surface, or maybe they've decided to join me for other reasons. Regardless, It seems they will help me again, tomorrow.

A dense forest is visible on the surface below. As it holds the keys to my survival, I name it the Forest of Hope. I explore it tomorrow.

[tea-earl-grey]

i find it really interesting that in Stardust City Rag neither Raffi or Rios knows who Seven is in relation to Starfleet or Voyager, just that she's a famous ex-Borg Fenris Ranger. because based on everything we know Voyager was one of the most famous ships in Starfleet and both Raffi and Rios are from a time when Voyager's journey was still news.

maybe part of this is just a headcanon but i would find it likely that Voyager's journey and miraculous return was so celebrated because the rest of the Federation was recovering from one of the most devastating wars the quadrant had ever seen so to have a Starfleet ship and its crew surviving and thriving against all the odds was a symbol of hope in a dark time. not to mention that when they made it back, they did so in a spectacular fashion dealing basically a killing blow to the Borg. it would make sense that Starfleet would capitalize off of Voyager's fame and basically turn the crew into celebrities – we know at least that Tom Paris did a tour of the fleet in Lower Decks so it would follow that other crew members would do the same or write books or have elevated status in some way (it certainly seemed like Janeway did in Prodigy).

but evidently that fame didn't include Seven and i would hazard a guess that was due to deliberate exclusion (i mean we already know that Starfleet excluded her from becoming an officer). if Starfleet tried to turn Voyager into a symbol and embodiment of Starfleet values (to boldly go and all of that) then Seven doesn't neatly fit into that picture as she is undeniably still connected to the Borg and rejects parts of her humanity (and unlike someone like Icheb who seemed more at ease with putting aside his Borg nature). so Starfleet and the Federation at large just push her to the side of the "official" Voyager narratives despite her being an important part of the crew and instrumental in them getting home. and anyways, i don't think Seven would ever want that sort of attention so she never made an effort to write herself back into those narratives. it was easier to not draw attention to herself especially after joining the Rangers and facing outright hate for being ex-Borg.

anyways. just. many thoughts on how Seven is perceived and known in the Federation.