#the signal tower doesn't exist

[b0y-artist]

Just a little snippet of an old idea. May write on it more later, I'm really proud of how this came out!

"So, Mr. And Mr. Mason, I take it?" A young woman who looked to be in her early 40's asked. She was holding a clipboard in one hand and a pen in the other. She wore an old washed-out jacket with flowers printed on the back, and a pleated skirt that reached her knees. The boys could hear the click of her heels as she led them upstairs through the apartment building.

Seven involuntarily felt his face heat up, he wasn't sure what to say exactly. She thought they were married? I mean, he can't blame her. They *were* moving into an apartment together after all. To anyone else they could easily be mistaken as a couple. *Maybe.* But married???

Not that Seven would mind if–

"Oh! Uh, n-no, w-we're not– he's Fellon, and *I'm* Mason." Mono mumbled, scratching at the back of his head nervously. Seven thought it was kind of cute whenever Mono got nervous. Wait, that sounded gay. Is he gay?

It's not like Seven had *time* to explore his sexuality. When there're giant monsters that stop at nothing to kill you, who you have the hots for isn't really a top priority for most people.

But it's different now. They've grown up, and the Signal Tower doesn't exist anymore. Life was finally going back to normal. With nothing left to fear, Seven is finally able to relax. Mostly, he found himself thinking.

Thinking. That was the problem. Beforehand Seven didn't have time to stop and think, because he was always running from danger. But now, Seven has *time* to think, and lately, he's been thinking of Mono. A lot. Way more than is typically normal for a person to think of another person who they deem a friend.

He doesn't know what changed, Mono's been by his side since they were little. So why now is he having these thoughts? Thoughts that he's *way* too embarrassed to say out loud. Like how much Mono's smile may be the best thing he's ever had the pleasure of seeing. Or how those dark eyes remind him of the night sky, sparkling with millions of stars.

AH! SEE?! there he goes again! Maybe it's just stupid teenage hormones and typical infutation, but something tells him that it's not, that it's something *more.*

–And that scared the shit out of him.

[sunderwight]

Random thought but:

Those wide-brimmed pointy hats that witches and wizards are often depicted wearing are for traveling, right? That's what the brim is for, to protect from the sun and other elements. But the pointy part is probably ceremonial -- historically speaking most conical hats are often worn by priests or nobility to signify rank or role.

But sometimes in fantasy settings, wizard hats don't have the brim. But witches almost never lose the brim.

This indicates to me a shared origin between wizards and witches as traveling practitioners of magic. Which makes sense! If you only get a few magical people in a community, either because magical talent is rare or because it takes a lot of study to pick it up or both, then most magically inclined people would probably be in high demand. Which would mean that there was a lot of call for them to travel around and provide their services to place too poor or remote or unlucky to have their own resident magical practitioner.

But gradually, a divide begins to occur. Formally educated magical users are of course most commonly found in cosmopolitan regions (big cities) and can afford to stay in one place for a lot longer. Perhaps even exclusively, if the community is large enough to support them! So as more great cities establish themselves and also establish things like larger and better-funded academic institutions, a class of non-wandering magic user begins to grow. This group, i.e. wizards, signal their greater access to formal education and to wealthy patrons by dropping the brim from their hats. They keep the conical shape and height, to denote status and rank, but they get all bougie about the brim. Other attempts to flaunt success among wizards emphasize the lack of need to travel for work, such as building magnificent magical towers, positioning themselves in the courts of nobility, or building entire academic institutions dedicated to the study of the arcane arts.

Meanwhile rural communities still require the services of magically inclined people, but can no longer afford to entice wizards away from their status-defining sedentary lifestyle. Thus another class of magic user (witches) begins to define itself by their continued existence and work outside of major population centers. Since witches still travel and live in the countryside, their hats keep the brim, because they still need it to protect them from the elements.

This also explains the gender differential. While magical talent probably doesn't operate on the basis of gender, classism sure does. Girls born into wealthier families are often slated for marriage alliances and encouraged to treat formal education as an opportunity for husband-hunting, rather than actually becoming adept in or engaging with the professional use of magic itself. Which doesn't mean that none of them do it anyway, but there's probably a more marked difference between women who become wizards and men who do. Especially as wizards become more preoccupied with social status, and thus more likely to gate off access to certain levels of education, so that only either the extremely wealthy or the extremely talented can get at them. If a girl's family doesn't want to go to all the trouble of paying for a full education or compelling a skilled teacher to take her on, her options for pursuing it on her own are probably quite limited.

Meanwhile out in the sticks, magic users are such rarities that gatekeeping on the basis of gender is frankly too impractical, especially considering the degree of utility magic has for saving lives and livelihoods. It's just not that feasible to give a shit about the gender of the spellcaster who is saving your entire sheep flock from a bad case of bluetongue, or holding up a barrier that's keeping a recent landslide from burying your house, or getting the ghosts out of a local well that you'd really love to be able to actually use.

So over time witches become associated with women, even though it's more that they've got a 50/50 split whereas wizards heavily favor men. In the way of things, this actually become a self-fulfilling prophecy over time, because men who develop magical aptitude see witchery as "women's work" and are more likely to try and save up and move to the city to learn "real" magic, or else try and differentiate themselves from female witches by creating their own distinctions between what they do and what women spellcasters do, carving out particular areas of focus to be the masculine fields of magic.

This would probably create even more distinct classes of magical users -- the male witches who still do the usual magic work in rural regions but don't like to be called witches, and so do something else to distinguish themselves in an equivalent of stamping a No Girls Allowed sign on their door (warlocks?), who probably still keep the wide brim on their hats but perhaps ditch the pointy part in a middle finger to the elitism of wizards (and also to ensure they're less likely to be mistaken for witches), and the magically talented people who make their way from the country to the nearest cities to try and join the wizard class. Though this group is more likely to struggle due to a lack of social or financial clout, and probably has to depend way more on having enough sheer natural talent to draw the eye of a benefactor (sorcerers?). Most of them would be men too, because of increasing social attitudes that men were just better at this "type" of magic would mean that women would have a harder time getting backing, but there would probably be some who were ambitious enough to nevertheless go for it and then end up in a related-but-still-gendered category of their own (sorceresses?).

Because classism, it seems likely that these underdog country-to-city spellcasters (probably also joining in with impoverished but talented locals to the metropolitan areas too) don't get the pointy hats unless they manage to actually succeed in being absorbed by wizard establishments, but also don't keep the brimmed hats because those are associated with being a bumpkin. They're hat-less, or else wear a completely different style. They probably also get a bit of a shady reputation because there are a lot of predatory institutions that scoop up magically talented individuals who don't know how to navigate the relevant social institutions, and then basically embroil them in debt or whatnot in order to exploit whatever magical talent they have for whatever profits are to be gained.

Of course you probably also have the opposite class of people, i.e. formally trained magic users who decide that trying to rub elbows with kings and rich people is stupid, and take their training to go off and save villages from mudslides and such instead. They're basically witches again but with a fancier pedigree, but of course coming from the outside of it they lack the community knowledge to navigate regions as well and also now there's this split from the Boy Witches Who Won't Be Called Witches, and probably what counts as Girl Magic gets very regional, so what jobs you do or how you go about casting spells has an irregular impact on what the locals will call you if you aren't a woman. If you're a woman you can probably take the witch label without as much issue. But since the fellas started as wizards, then, they more likely still call themselves wizards in the face of all this, but the big city wizards do NOT want to be associated with them (unless they do something really impressive that they can share credit for), so there has to be a new category for them (hedge wizards?) to differentiate from proper wizards. Anyway they wear the big brimmed hats again, because that's just practical. Whether they wear tall ones or not probably varies between individual and regional implications about it.

So. Yeah. Magic user hat politics, with bonus gender nonsense.

[aphroditesmoon]

smoke signals (part ii)

lighthouse keeper!sevika x selkie!reader

summary: sevika is content with her life, the loneliness that comes with her job is inevitable. but then one day, as she reaches the peak of mundanity, almost turning into insanity, you appeared. cold, quiet, clueless, sea-sent you, like a wish fulfilment for her.

warnings: selkie!reader, reader has selective mutism in beginning.

a/n: thank you for the love on part 1!!! i love selkies and seals! and i think we all meed some softness and love in this trying times.

taglist: @lilredbird101 , @djstinkyfartz

wc: 2.4k

PART1 PART 3

---

To find simple kindness in life isn't as easy as people make it out to be. To give out kindness after receiving none of it is even harder. 

You know what it was like to have your innocence ripped off from your hands since you were young. To have to force yourself to stand up tall against the fragile sand breaking in between your toes and keep walking anyways, despite knowing that there's nothing waiting for you at the other end of the world.

Losing your mother at a young age meant having to be comfortable in your own presence. All selkies were seals, but not all seals are selkies. And on nights where you're swimming under the moonlight with your friends, crossing borders after borders, it felt like everything is going as it's meant to be. Even if the feeling never lasted. 

You're a runner, or swimmer, technically. You needed to constantly be moving to fill that emptiness in you. You'd find a place with new kinds of entertainment to satiate the deep curiosity you have for the man-folk, and then leave before you can get attached, that was your game. 

But lately the thrill was disappearing. There was this feeling you just couldn't shake, the feeling that you were truly and completely alone even in a room full of people. 

There was a longing for true connection, but no one to connect to. No one made sense to you. Except her. 

You've been hanging around her for months now, even when she doesn't notice you, while shes doing work, getting on and off the boats with the big man and hia daughters, when she's enjoying the cold wind under moonlight while the sea is calm.

She confuses you, a woman with so much freedom, and yet she chooses to stay here instead, all alone. Why deprive yourself from real connections when you can easily obtain it? Do the other humans not satisfy her?

And so maybe your new curiosity is taking shape in this weirdly lonely and awkward woman. 

You don't really know what you want, self discovery as half sea creature /half man isn't easy. But all you knew that for some reason, the waves of your heart is insistent in going her way, and so you follow in hopes that it would help you feel any other other than aching desperation to be understood.

When she picked you up and carried you inside last night, you had managed to acknowledge a few things about her. The first thing is, she's a man of action. If plan A doesn't work, she's going straight to Plan B. She didn't force you out of your silence and instead worked through it. 

The second thing you learned was that she's less scarier than she looks. And the third is that you were wrong about her purposely depriving herself of human connection. 

With how quickly she went for aiding you is one thing, but you could see the same kind of craving for another person in her eyes, when she caught you out of bed and rummaging through her belongings, there was more of confusion than irritation, but most importantly, there was a need to comprehend your existence.

You couldn't find your coat. It's a few hours before dawn, and she's somehow managed to fall asleep by the rocking chair downstairs. You had used the extra time you had before its time for her to wake up to quietly tiptoe around the tall tower, exploring every level and getting yourself familiar with the place. 

This place is as old as it looks. The paint is peeling off the walls, and the lights flicker every few seconds, giving the tower a sense of melancholy and nostalgia. 

It was just the kind of place you liked, historic but also monotonous. 

Once you reached the level she was at, you silently watched over her, observing her sleeping manner as she remained unconscious. You didn't want to accidentally wake her up, so you only looked around from wher eyou stood to see if you could find your coat, but when you couldn't, you decided to go back to bed, all out of options. 

What was your motive, truly? You weren't sure. You've decided that you're staying, but what angle are you going with?

You've had your fair share of experiences around humans, and in each time, you made sure to have a certain role or goal you're going in with, it saves time, and it's necessary for your own safety. The last thing you needed was some dirty sailor or pirate, locking you up against your will.

But this time, nothing is clear, not even your intentions. You see this situation as a process of trying to understand yourself through understanding her. So the end goal, should probably be some feeling of clarity, right?

It sounds silly, trying to find  pieces of yourself in another woman's puzzle, but sometimes, things fit even in places they dont belong in.

—

Sevika woke up 5 minutes later than usual with a sense of urgency in her chest, which technically meant that she was still early, but that wasn't the point. Something was different today, compared to all the other repetitive and mundane days she's had.

Usually, she'd berate herself for the clumsiness as she'd have nothing else to do. But today, as soon as she woke up, you were the first thing that crossed her mind.

The peculiar girl that somehow survived the antagonising waves of the sea. 

She pulled herself out of her chair and was about to make her way up to the bedroom until she saw you standing outside from the window, leaning against the railing, basking in the calm air as the sun slowly rose up.

You were checked out if reality, enjoying the morning glow as the wind blew through your hair, turning your cool skin even colder. It was a sight to behold, Sevika thought. There was no one who seemed more in her element than you at this moment.

As you seemed blind to her presence, she decided to take advantage of it and get started on breakfast. omelettes would do, at least for now. She even added an extra effort by drawing a smily face on it using soy sauce. 

You entered back in while she was still preparing the food and went up to her from behind, taking a peek at Sevika's neck twisted to meet your face. "Good morning.” Sevika greeted as she placed the plates on the table.

She then beckons you to take a seat with her,  and you don't hesitate to do so.

How did you sleep? She wanted to ask, but she doubted that you would answer. The speaking barrier is stressing her out. There are still some things she actually needed to figure out, were you mute or foreign. Because if you were simply unable to speak, at least she'd be relieved to know that you could understand her.

She sits opposite you and watches you ravage the omelette without a single care for her and the world, not that she'd blame you, if you've been up earlier than her. you must be starving.

You appreciate each bite like it's be your last, and Sevika views you with both awe and frustration, not knowing what to do in this situation. 

It's quite a silly thought process actually, she already knew that there was nothing she could do and that you'd be stuck with her for a while, but how does she tell you that? Or do you already know and that's why you're weirdly chill? Why are you so chill? Were you still in shock?

And why is she having more trouble processing this than you were? Sure its jarring to spend months alone and then suddenly be having breakfast with a stranger who steals her bed, but Sevika has always been a rational and calculated person, so what was the issue now?

Sevika groaned, wiping a hand over her face,  causing you to look up from your plate.

She caught your eye and straightened her back. "I- we need to talk." She forced the words out, not breaking eye contact.

Your eyes never strayed from hers as you feed a spoonful into your mouth. "Do you understand what I'm saying?" She asks slowly. No response.

Sevika didn't want to show her disappointment, so she decided to start with something easier. Pointing her finger to herself, she repeated her own name in a show of introducing herself. "Sevika." She repeated, still pointing to her chest.

You nodded then, shyly but surely. Sevika couldn't help but beam at you, smiling ear to ear. "Yeah? You understand me?" You nodded again.

"And you?" She asks. "Your name?" You're unresponsive again, simply staring blankly at her. Sevika tries again, pointing to herself and saying her own name. "I am Sevika." She says, then begins pointing towards herself, "You?"

She thought that you must be completely lost in your head again as your eyes squint in confusion, but then after a minute or two passed, you shook your head at her.

"No?" What does that mean? The imaginary brick wall between the two of you that she thought had been removed, has just returned.

"I'm Sevika." She repeated herself for the fourth time. "And your name is?" You shook your head at her again. 

"No name?" Sevika is grasping at the end of the straws here. "You have no name, or you can't remember your name?" You went static again. Sevika sighed.

"Well, I need to call you something." She muttered under her breath. "How about this, I'll say a few names, and you nod your head at which one you like, how bout that?" Unresponsive, of course.

Here goes nothing, she thought. "Lily, Kate, Alia, Nadia, Tella, Belle-" Sevika went over a bunch of names in her head until she paused at a particular one when she saw something flashed in your eyes.

She said the name aloud and noticed your eyes widening slightly. "Is that your name?" You didn't quite agree, but you tilted your head to you and gave her a look that said "It'll do." And so for now, It'll do.

---

The phone isn't working, she had known it wouldn't. The line here have always been problematic. Sevika anxiously paces back and fourth after hanging it up, rubbing her temples in a manner that distinctly shows her frustrations. 

"Well there's no safe way to send you out." She says, turning to look at you, who's comfortably  on her rocking chair, playing with a strand of your hair.

"But that isn't something we don't already know." She finishes her sentence.

She halts all of her movement all of the sudden, reminded of something she'd almost forgotten to bring up. Sevika reaches further into the backroom by the kitchen and comes up with a familiar piece of clothing.

You all but jumped out of the chair, striding towards her. This was the first time you've ever reacted this strongly towards anything for all the time you've been here.

"I guess this is yours?" She asks, waving your white coat up. You nodded and extended  your hand to take it from her, but just before she could, you pulled your hand back and frowned.

"What?" Sevika asks. "You don't want it?"

She watches you open your mouth briefly, as if about to say something, but the. closing it back and taking a step back.

"I'll admit, " Sevika starts. "It is quite a useless coat, very inefficient." She teases as she walks forward, taking note of how you keep moving backwards. 

"What's wrong?" She asks again, genuinely worried. "You're not suddenly gaining consciousness about the realities of your condition and stranger danger, are you?"

You laughed at that, a choked, short laugh. But a laugh nonetheless. Sevika smiled despite herself. 

"So you do understand me."

You sat back down at the rocking chair, leaning back and closing your eyes, completely ignoring her and the coat. Sevika confusedly hung the coat on the chair by the window, and dragged it infront of you before taking a seat.

"In all seriousness, you did understand what I've been telling you, yes?" You opened your eyes, and stared into her dark orbs.

"You're going to be stuck with me for a while, until I can find someone to help me get you back to where you came from." You responded with a single nod.

"And you do know where you come from?" You gave it a moment before nodding again. Sevika's eyes brightened. "That's good. Great, even. " She reached for a long folded paper that's pushed to the side by the closet on your right and rolled it open in front of you.

It's a map. "This is a map." She stated. You raised a brow at her, an expression that translated; "I know what a map is."

"It would give me instant relief if you could just circle where you're from, just so we can get some things clear.

She passed you a pencil and moved to give you some space, patiently waiting for you to point towards your home.

You looked through the foreign words you've somehow mastered as you travelled and found yourself in a state of hesitancy for the first time in your life.

You never knew where you were born. From the first time you opened your eyes, you had found yourself in dry land, an infant who had stuck  by her mother's side, and before your mother had passed, the both of you returned into the deep blue sea, swimming through unnamed waters.

You can feel her expectancy as you raised the pencil in your arm, drawing it closer to the map. And so in the end, you dotted a big circle over the whole map, and passed it back to her in satisfaction.

"You gotta be fuckin with me." Sevika groaned, making you smile.

"You are..." A pain in the ass, you thought she'd say, "-an enigma." 

Sevika rolled and dropped the map to where she got it and began walking upstairs, leaving you behind. "I got some checking to do on the lights, call me if you need me. Or don't."

Your eyes stays on her back until she disappears before they turn to your coat that's already dried up and safely hanging over the chair. 

You're gonna leave it there for now, you decided. After all, you'll be here for quite some time.

[miraculouslbcnreactions]

Hi, I've been watching s4 (unfortunately) and one thing I've realised is that part of it's weird "secrets" plotline is how... chopped up it is? I'm so sorry, but I might rant a little.

Ep 1-4 (including mr pidgeon 72 since it directly leads off from gang of secrets) are mostly connected regarding the issue of the superhero secrets messing with the Main Characters civillain lives. Ep 3 resolves this somewhat. This then leads to Alya Knowing, but while it's used a few times, its generally a background thing that's not used in the plot itself save a few episodes.

And then the next time the issue of the superhero-related- secrets comes back is... Optigami, ep 13. There's about 9 episodes of not really caring about the secrets plotline in favor of Zoe and the Felix thing. (I'm not including Guiltrip or anything in the secrets theme since they feel more standalone)

Optigami is the next time the whole "secrets" plot is brought up, finally addressing miracle queen and also not fixing the hole they pointed out. It also leads to Alya going full time and directly into Sentibubbler, possibly the First Time we see CN noticeably upset about being left out of the loop. Possibly also the first time in s4 we see that there IS a possible issue between the heroes.

And then it's picked back up for "Hack San" with the Scarabella thing and "Rocketear" with Nino, even if it's a bit strange in tone as to what exactly is the wrong action in these situations...and of course dropped again for another 4 episodes before "Ephemeral" (which only counts more than Wishmaker since it's CN seems slightly upset at the end about LB keeping secrets, I don't think he's ever told what she was going to talk about, why viperion was there, or why she had a timer on?)

(Slight tangent but it seems that this convo, basically having CN ok with having the team cover for him,

Ladybug: The countdown has begun. It's 1 am, and we've got just five minutes before you transform back. So we've got to be done by 1:05. You'll rewind on my signal.

Cat Noir: (upon landing on top of the Eiffel Tower) I'm sorry, but I really couldn't make it earlier.

Ladybug: (waves) Hey, no big deal! That's the good thing about a team. It's not the two of us anymore!

Cat Noir: Oh, yeah! So then, why did you need me exactly?

Technically no longer exists in main canon. In the current timeline the convo is cut off:

Ladybug: The countdown has begun. It's 1 am, and we've got just five minutes before you transform back. So we've got to be done by 1:05. You'll rewind on my signal.

Cat Noir: (upon landing on top of the Eiffel Tower) I'm sorry, but I really couldn't make it—

(The lights are flashing alternately, while the malfunctioning cars are making a lot of noise)

So we Could assume that CN, instead of being reassured that things were fine and being chill with it, is instead more upset due to there being a Mysterious Meeting that's left unexplained. Thats probrably the best way to explain his perceived heel turn over the team in Kuro Neko.

But also the sheer existence of that exchange means that you'd mostly remember that, AND him being upset at the end, it's really confusing and the audience is forced to fill in too many gaps. But I digress)

Kuro Neko is basically the climax of this issue that was spread out from episodes 14, 16-17, and 22. It ends with this issue seemingly resolved at the end. Since the inbewteen episodes have Ladynoir acting completely normal, CN seems to ping-pong between whether or not he's upset woth Ladybug about secrets.

(Also, on the topic of Kuro Neko, it's the only episode before the finale I can clearly note CN offering help and LB rejecting it, this help being helping her retrieve the other Miraculous from the temps faster. A reasonable offer that she unfortunately doesn't take, but it's like once only. He offers again in Risk, and honestly I think the only reason they put these moments in is so the audience has at least once instance of her refusing help when LB later mentions it in her breakdown. They only bothered putting it into later episodes so its fresh in our memories and nothing else, so its not built up well.)

To put it simply, while s4 appears to have a theme of "secrets" being... bad? Good? I'm not sure, The only real times it's brought up even briefly are spread out horribly: Eps 1-4, then nothing till 13-14, 16-17, 22-23, and then the finale 25&26.

Even when the episodes are close together theres at least one episode in between messing with the flow. In short, would the conflict have been done better if they had stuck those later episodes together, or would it at least have helped fans perspectives on it? Again, sorry for the long rant ask.

Also, on the topic of Kuro Neko, it's the only episode before the finale I can clearly note CN offering help and LB rejecting it, this help being helping her retrieve the other Miraculous from the temps faster. A reasonable offer that she unfortunately doesn't take, but it's like once only.

THANK YOU!!! I recently brought up the fact that I couldn't remember Chat Noir offering to help outside of Kuro Neko, but I was worried that I was forgetting something. It's nice to have it confirmed that he really did quit after a single rejection. Writers, wtf are you doing? This is not how you write a good conflict where Chat Noir comes across as deeply wronged!

Anyway, don't apologize for the rant, I enjoyed it! Much like the Kuro Neko thing, it was nice to get confirmation that season four played out the way that I thought it did. While I've reread the scripts for certain episodes while running this blog, I only watched season four once so there was always a chance that I'd forgotten some random nuance. This risk was only enhanced by how badly the writing setup the supposed conflict between Ladybug and Chat Noir. I didn't even realize that the Ladynoir conflict was going to be a thing until we were at least a few episodes in so I always wondered if I missed something subtle in the early episodes. Sounds like I didn't.

Then there was the issue of what the conflict was even about. I thought that the Ladynoir conflict was going to be over Alya learning Ladybug's identity and basically getting promoted to Ladybug's partner. That's a solid conflict in which both sides have valid points of view. Ladybug should get to choose who she trust! However, it's also perfectly valid if Chat Noir is not interested in being partnered with someone who doesn't seem to trust him. We even had a solid set-up for Ladybug's actions costing her everything without Chat Noir holding any blame because Chat Noir was never told about Rena Furtive. That could have lead him to do something dangerous in battle because he mistook her for an enemy, which would have been 100% Ladybug's fault!

None of that ended up mattering, though. Instead of using these lovely setups for complex and nuanced conflict, the Ladynoir conflict ended up coming to a head over...

Plagg: For a while now, you've been neglecting this camembert— I mean Cat Noir, and going on adventures with the all other cheeses! Ladybug: But he should be happy about it, it gives him more time off. Plagg: Cat Noir doesn't wanna have time off, Ladybug! He is in love with you! And your persistent calling on all the other heroes has broken his heart.

Ladybug relying on other heroes in battle.

Why would you pick that as the reason Chat Noir quits??? That is the one issue where Ladybug is objectively completely right! When it comes to battle strategy, feelings legitimately do not matter!!! Ladybug shouldn't prioritize Chat Noir in the middle of a battle! She needs to do whatever is required to save the day even if it means picking a temp hero over Chat Noir. Paris' safety matters more than Chat Noir's need to feel special!

Also, as anon alluded to in the ask, Chat Noir feeling like he isn't special enough isn't the right conflict to focus on. It isn't properly set up! The Ladynoir conflict comes to a head in episode 23 (Kuro Neko). The last episode to address this conflict was episode 17 (Rocketear). The conflict introduced there was this:

Adrien: Huh? You're... Carapace? But... the two of you know?! You know each other's secret identities?! Nino: Of course, Alya and I have never kept anything from each other. Until now, though that Cat Noir's business! Adrien: Wait a sec, I don't understand! I thought that secret identities had to be protected at all costs. If it were true, you'd never just tell me like that. Ladybug would never agree to that! Nino: Are you kidding? Ladybug is the one who gave us both our Miraculous at the same time.

This is yet another decent source of conflict. Ladybug didn't reveal Alya and Nino's identities on a whim, it was an emergency! But Chat Noir doesn't know that and this is right after he learned that someone else knows Ladybug's identity, so it makes sense for him to feel like he's not a true part of them team. In spite of this, identities never come up in Kuro Neko nor is the conflict focused on Chat Noir feeling like he's not part of the team. The Kuro Neko conflict is about Chat Noir wanting to be more than just another part of the team. This is what leads to the argument where he quits:

Clara: (from TV) By the way, where's Cat Noir? You've saved Paris without him quite a few times recently. Are you two at odds with each other? Ladybug: (from TV) Of course not, it's just that... umm, he's a partner like any other! The most important is to pick the best superheroes for each mission, with or without Cat Noir. No matter what, we've got a great team and we'll always be here to save Paris. (Adrien is shocked.) Adrien: (turns off the TV and sighs) "A partner like any other..."

None of that fits the rest of the season! The conflict you set up was him feeling left out, not him feeling like he wasn't special enough!!! If the conflict was supposed to be him wanting a bigger role, then write that! Have him ask for more responsibility outside of this one episode! Have him learn about Rena Furtive and get upset about her having a special role! Let him think that Alya and Nino know each other's identities because of some special role they've been given! Without those moments, this conflict comes out of nowhere. It also makes him look weirdly demanding and self-centered.

I'm starting to rehash my season four rant, so lets cut this off here and give some final thoughts.

My best guess is as to why this season's main conflict was such a mess is that this is yet another case where the show's commitment to being an episodic formula show cost us good writing. Chat Noir quitting after finding out about Rena Furtive or the identity reveal is a complex plot that's hard to pull off in 20 minutes, especially when you have to include an akuma fight along the way. It also doesn't really standalone as it would be bringing in plot points from other episodes. Add in the fact that a proper resolution to the conflict would probably take more than a single episode and this just doesn't work in canon. None of that fits an episodic formula show so the show couldn't do any of it.

In spite of this, the writers apparently wanted a Ladynoir conflict, so they did the worst of both worlds and just threw in a bunch of random conflicts throughout the season even though those conflicts could never be properly addressed. They also didn't want to make every episode depressing because this is supposed to be a fun show for kids and so the majority of the season sees Ladynoir being totally fine, completely undermining this supposed conflict. I've said it before and I'll say it again: Ladynoir are simply way too happy in season four for me to buy into this supposed conflict.

I'll end by once again thanking anon for the rant! It was a genuine relief to read near identical thoughts from someone fresh from a rewatch where they watched with the full knowledge of what the conflict was supposed to be.

(Note anon I did get part two of this ask. It's queued for tomorrow.)

[iz-star]

Snowy Serenity Zayne is Dr Zayne, not Dawnbreaker.

So I've finally read the "No morning" anecdote, I hadn't been able to read it before because my phone glitched in the last cutescene of the last chapter, which made me unable to finish it and unlock the new World Underneath Anecdotes and that's why I wasn't able to offer my two cents about this topic before but now that I have all the info, my conclusion is: No, Snowy Serenity Zayne is NOT DB. Here's why:

For those who don't know, it seems there was this theory that Dawnbreaker somehow took over Dr Zayne during what happens in Snowy Serenity. This theory was brought up first in CN servers and later on was mentioned over twitter.

I admit that the first time I read about this theory of Snowy Serenity Zayne being Dawnbreaker, something didn't sit right with me, it felt as if we were shamelessly disregarding Dr Zayne's feelings he's been struggling with for so long. To read some people saying that "Dr Zayne hasn't changed" was kinda cruel, but I hadn't read the new anecdote so I didn't know where ppl was getting this theory from and if it made sense.

It seems the most obvious thing that made people think of this theory was the black ice that grew in Zayne's flowers (which are not Jasmine, but a flower called "Velvet Snow"):

And as a Zayne stan, I feel like It's my duty to remind you that black ice is not an exclusive thing of Dawnbreaker. It might be easy to see black ice and think of him because he uses black ice in his attacks when we have him as companion during battle and his anecdotes state that his ice is black. It also matches his whole aesthetic. However, he's not been the only case where black ice has been mentioned.

Black ice is mentioned in Foreseer's Myth too, whenever Astra punished Zayne:

I think some ppl often forget how ridiculously invasive was Astra's control over Zayne. He would punish Zayne if he ever thought of leaving the Tower. Heck, he even used to force Zayne to move his body against his will to inflict injures to himself.

Snowy Serenity Dr Zayne accidentally injuring MC and later on being so scared to lose control of his evol to the point of not even offering to tend her wounds reminded me more of Foreseer than DB, tbh.

Of course, this doesn't mean that Snowy Serenity Zayne is Foreseer neither, but given the info of the new anecdote, it could be related somehow. In Snowy Serenity, Dr Zayne finally bares his heart to MC and allows himself to fully feel and express his desires. He's the most sincere he's ever been, not only to MC but probably to himself too. This is the closest he's allowed himself to be to her. So, black ice growing on his flowers might as well be a showcase of Astra's curse, a signal of how bad things are going to be for him and MC from now on. After all, Dawnbreaker lives in a world where MC doesn't exist, so his black evol could also be a showcase of Astra's cuse finally fulfilled.

Of course, these are theories too, but black ice not being only a DB thing is a fact. To see black ice mentioned in the new anecdote and immediately jump to the conclusion that it was DB the one who kissed MC in SS is a bit of a stretch. However, I will give you this: I do think that the new anecdote references DB.

Another "proof" I saw about this whole theory was the name of the anecdote "No morning" that seems to be related to Zayne's title "Dawnbreaker". I think this is true and I'll even bargain with this, saying that the background they used for this anecdote is a crop of the one they used for DB anecdote's as well:

Again, does this means that DB was the one who kissed MC? No.

The reference to DB becomes clear at the end of the anecdote, when Greyson asks Zayne if patients see them as "Guardian Angels or Grim Reapers"

Of course, when Greyson mentions "Grim Reaper" Zayne can't help but look at the flowers and the black ice around them because to him, Dawnbreaker is the Grim Reaper.

One of the reasons that made me think that maybe there was a possibility that DB was present during SS before I read the anecdote, was that during his medical mission on Mt Eternal where Zayne had to kill William, he dreamed of DB a lot. Mt Eternal also seems to be a connection with his other selves: The Tower or Thorns and The God of the Mountain seem to be related to Mt Eternal. (Again, these are only theories so don't rely on them too much).

However, after reading the anecdote I just confirmed that there was no reason to believe it. I do think that they reference DB, but not the way this theory wants to make it to be. Dr Zayne is scared of becoming DB, we don't know at what extend Dr Zayne knows DB, but as far as we are aware, his impression of him is not good. The black ice seems like a bad omen of his cursed fate, of what's next to come for him. We know that DB lives in a future semi apocalyptic world from the main story, where we just know that things got fucked up at some point and we haven't reached that point in the story yet. We also know that Dr Zayne knows that things will be bad, probably bc he still retains some of his powers as Foreseer or Master of Fate so he can glimpse the future.

In Dawnbreaker's anecdotes, it is clear that humans can become Wanderers, in Dr Zayne's timeline, this information is not as clear yet. He saw William turning into a Wanderer and his medical research about using Protocores in the human heart showed a human heart covered in black crystals. Dr Zayne is involved in all of this probably to understand it and to stop it from happening. If you notice, the whole anecdote also reveals some info about ppl with Protocore Syndrome and also, that they use something called "Cryozina" to control the Metaflux that invades the human body from affecting the heart:

There's something important here:

-Protocores are obtained from Wanderers.

-In Dawnbreaker's anecdotes, humans can turn into Wanderers after exposing themselves to big quantities of Protocore Energy.

-Metaflux is basically Protocore energy.

I'm mentioning this because I think the truly purpose of this anecdote is to give us hints of how the apocalyptic world of Dawnbreaker came to be, what were the events that leaded us to it. Greyson has a crush on a hunter and she says that it was cool when she was revived. Let's not forget that Carter pestered Zayne about using Protocores in the human heart to defy death and let's not forget that MC is a rare case of immortality, so don't forget that these topics aren't brought up randomly. They have a purpose and they will make sense once more pieces of the puzzle are revealed.

Of course, if you've read this and you're still not convinced that it was Dr Zayne the one who kissed MC instead of Dawnbreaker, that's up to you. We all have an opinion and is as respectable as anyone's. However, I'd like to kindly ask that if you choose to believe it was DB, always make sure to clarify that this is just a theory and not a matter-of-fact thing.

Personally, it wasn't strange to me to see Dr Zayne's vulnerability in Snowy Serenity, he's shown vulnerability in other cards (Fragmented Dreams, Starry Nocturne, to name a few). The only difference here is that he exposes his feelings, his desires and fragility to a whole new level, which is totally understable considering the circumstances he's in. He exposed to a dangerous situation the person he wants to protect the most, he's been trapped in that Mountain for 4 days, not knowing if he would see her again. Even since his travel started, he seemed unsure about if he was going to return. Heck, I even think that the fact he asked MC to drop his car at the car wash was only a excuse to leave her his car in case he didn't come back.

He'd been opening up to her little by little and has worked hard to show his feelings more through the pass of time. He went from "I got used to being alone" (Bussiness Trip) to "Recently, a certain someone ocuppies my mind. Whether I'm walking, eating or sleeping, I keep picturing myself with her" (Heartstring healer) to "I need you, I have never denied that" (Snowy Serenity) If you notice, all those cards are cards where he and MC have to stay away bc of work related situations and their need for each other shows. The development of how things changed in their relationship is there. Dr Zayne needs MC just as much as DB and he's able to show it on his own. Please, don't disregard his efforts. Dr Zayne is just as precious as Dawnbreaker, Foreseer and Master of Fate.

[shuenkio]

Pov: Tsundere 𝄞⨾𓍢ִ໋ Enhypen ᯓᡣ𐭩

Genre: Fluffy

Pov: Tsundere enhypen

Paring: Enha X male!reader

Do not copy my works (⁠ ⁠˘⁠ ⁠³⁠˘⁠)⁠♥

Heeseung: In the third pov, he's the type of secret admirer, who's possessive, very jealous, and wants you to look at him only. whenever a guy or girl is near you, he's always at the crime scene, standing towering behind you, giving your friends a free dead stare, watching you closely while you are talking to your bff, And you don't even know about his presence in your shadow. He likes to walk you home even when you don't need him to and often gives you a strange signal every time. When you ask him, did he has a feeling toward you he just replies with a simple "Nope" However his actions speak in a different language as away the next day after you ask him. "No one can have you when I'm still breathing yeobo :) "

Jay: The principal's son is a walking fire in the school. He's cocky, flirty, hot temper and loves bully to those who are bad talk about him, only an appropriate is a pass. As soon as you transfer to this school, you draw his attention very quickly, because as the bully he is, he already got bored with the same victims and decided to give you some warm love instead. On the other hand, he's walking to his trap, he realizes that the moment you greet him with a short "hello" his heart almost gets shattered by your soothing voice. Your energy just brings him inside out, even though you're a guy but just by your existence alone, cast an unknown spell on him. Which makes him look awkward-cack-handed handed everytime he sees your face. "S-shut up! You failed the experiment who said I like some poor thing like you...or did i? "

Jake: The nerd guy who likes sports might be talkative to his friends but for you, it's different. Sometimes he likes to give you a hard time while sometimes he gives you a butterfly in your stomach. So confused yet so adorable. Over time, when it's a sports exam day, your p.e teacher assigns you to his team since you're bad at sports. Luckily you know how to play basketball too but not very good at it that much. It's the last match of the basketball game, sweaty, hot, and exhausted but you still keep your head on. This is the only chance to prove to Jake that you're useful too. The ball then passes to you, and you quickly run to the other team's goal, aiming for the net, with a piece of blessed luck you make it but during that time you're knocked by the other team member accidentally. You fall to the ground, slightly nosebleed, before blacking out on the spot. Jake saw you're blackout on the floor, immediately ran to you before lifting you in a bridal style, and sprinted to the nurse's office. later on, when you're awake with a band-aid on your face, you see Jake sitting beside you, watching you sleep. You're about to ask him what happened but he cuts you with "Do not try to impress me again like that, you're weak and y'know it. Just show your face every day is e-enough >:( "

Sunghoon: Laterally he enemies with you, all you do is breathe, still he got those headaches whenever you stand in his shadow. Try to act all cool and mysterious every day so you'd think he doesn't want to talk to you and avoid it at all costs. However deep down, he's watching your every move, secretly taking care of you, giving you the answers during the exam on purpose, nevertheless, you never knew he was doing it on purpose, he's more than happy that you never found out about his suspicious behavior. One day when walking back home, you got bullied by some bunch of bullies, boy didn't spare more time before jumping on them one by one, leaving them on the ground, blacked out. You were scared, bleeding and scratching your face. He then leans closer on his knee to check on you. You asked, your voice is shaking. "Wh-what are you doing here?" - "Shhh everything is okay now, let me take you home!" He ruffles your hair gently before giving you a piggyback to take you home.

Sunoo: This boy is so bad at acting all tough and mean, you know he's just doing it because you thought he wanted to look cool. However, he's still didn't treat you the same as his friend. He hates it when you're in a group project with him, talking to his friends, Don't fear him, and treat him as one of your friends when he does it opposite which somehow makes him feel slightly guilty. This action of his got the best of him when you're not in the class he'd put a snack under your desk almost every single day because he was scared to talk to you, too scared to say sorry and wanna be your friend or even more than a friend? During one fine evening, he asked you to meet him at the school's garden for some serious discussion about a project you both needed to do, it's sound not like a joke to you so you went right away. Once you arrived, you asked him what was wrong. He turns to face you with his tears streaming down his cheeks. He got on his knee and asked for your forgiveness out of a sudden. "Please M/n, I can't take it anymore, let's be friends again no-- I want MORE THAN A FRIEND THIS TIME, I LIKE YOU ALL ALONG-- why don't you know about it?"

Jungwon: A really hot temper one, can't say if both of you are friends or not because sometimes he's sweet and sometimes he's harsh as hell. Randomly staring at you in class non-stop which makes you very uncomfortable. One time during lunch break, when you were going to buy the strawberry milk, it was out of stock the moment you were about to buy it. you've been craving for those the whole day but now it's out? Ruin your lunch mood for real. He saw you wanted that strawberry milk so bad, he decided to walk to you and give you by himself and leave the canteen unspoken any words. Give you a dumbfounded moment. Your friends started to tease you after this scene happened from this day. As the day went on, he started to act more nice and lovely to you, as if he never shouted at you back then. You were stressing out that it could burn your brain until you chose to ask him the moment you saw him somewhere. "Why did I act all nice to you? Are you dumb or an idiot? Do you think I put zero effort before I make you mine?"

Ni-ki: Can't describe this boy how much he hated you the moment you walked into the classroom and introduced yourself. What's worse is the teacher assigned you to sit next to him, he just wants to murder someone on the spot but he can't do anything about it. Time is walking, he hated you but now, after spending some time observing you, he realizes you're just a shy person, everything you do is so soft and gentle, making him wanna swallow you and hide you inside his pocket. It's a pepero day, the day everyone exchanges the chocolate-coated cookie sticks with their friends or loved ones. The whole school is full of students who exchange chocolate together, even the teachers do this. Ni-ki get this opportunity to tell you his true feelings today after he developed a crush on you for a long time, so he decided to give you one while you talking to your friend. "Aww the bad boy give me a pepero, what's makes you want to do this?" You asked while giggling in a good way ofc. He stays silent for a second before finally speaking his mind. "Be my boyfriend dumbass, I can't stand seeing everyone having a crush on you from now on"

🗣️ please mind my English! ><

Reblog and like is much appreciated ♥

Please do not copy my works (⁠ ⁠˘⁠ ⁠³⁠˘⁠)

[jacethebeltsculptor]

Continuing to explore Outer Wilds, continuing to learn! I felt like I wasn't making much progress on Brittle Hollow (a planet collapsing into a black hole) so I fucked off to Giant's Deep (Space Florida) instead. Here's what I've learned so far:

The sun will blow up in about 30 minutes, and I was put into a time loop by a statue left behind by some guys called the Nomai. The Nomai loved building spaceships and crashing them. My people also love building spaceships and crashing them. We are definitely the Nomai, aren't we?

Presumeably, I am here to try and stop the sun from blowing up, since that inevitably resets the loop. However, one of my fellow explorers also found an alien statue and also knows time is looping, but doesn't seem all that inclined to do anything about it. Instead, he taught me how to commit suicide by waiting, then a tornado picked up the island we were on and threw it into space. This lazy fuck somehow remained rooted in his hammock, even after my ship landed on him and fell into the ocean. If we pay this guy, it's too much.

There was a Nomai ship that came here looking for the Eye of the Universe, an impossibly old signal that they think has something to do with a previous universe. I found a bunch of crazy technology on Brittle Hollow like a Gravity Cannon and a Black Hole Forge but couldn't quite find out what to do with it, or how to get into the Observatory. That last one seems important, since there's also a quantum ghost moon out there that hasn't 100% committed to existing or not yet.

I found out that the statue that functions as my only form of health insurance came from an island on Giant's Deep, and that there's apparently a workshop full of them under the surface. There's probably a way in there under the waterline, but the sun blew up on me before I got a chance to go searching for it.

I also learned that the islands on this planet are less islands and more floating rocks. I learned this when I tried to dodge a tornado by sheltering in a cave, and when it looked like the sky was brightening up, I suddenly died of having my knees violently grafted to my spleen.

Last thing I discovered was that there's a huge tower here dedicated to training Nomai for Quantum Pilgrimages, which seems helpful in finding that ghost moon I talked about. Unfortunately, the sun blew up again on me, so I need to go back and re-do all the puzzles faster this time.

Loving this game so far, will keep posting about it.

[yaut-jaknowit]

"You had my curiosity... but now you have my attention..."

Prompt Idea?

Bring Forth Bountiful Lands

Pairings: Gawtin (Female Yautja) x Reader

Word Count: 3815

Summary: Deep in the forest, both you and Gawtin travel. She is in search of her weapons and ship to escape earth forever. Never to return. The two of you come upon a military base. Newly birthed mother and recently injured, surely she can't mean to face that place?! Gawtin doesn't back down.

Author Note: So, I took this in and used it for a part 3 for Gawtin and Reader's origin story. It's an amazing prompt! I just got stuck on where to use it and decided there was a great place!

Part 0.5 | Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 (you're here) | Part 4

Masterlist

Ao3

Each left step brought forth a burning sensation. Your teeth grinded against one another while you pressed on. You had to or else… You suspected the alien would leave you behind. One of her hands was already full with the green glob of a child who was promptly asleep. Yet, with some sort of debt hanging in the air, you didn’t know what she may do to help. A chance you didn’t want to take. So, you pushed on despite the pain, limping along the forest you know so well.

Gawtin’s foot falls paused and forced you to stop as well. Her hand raised and signaled for you to stay quiet and still. You slowed your heaving breaths the best you could and fought through the pain surging inside of you. She scanned the air around her thoroughly, head turning.

Then, her hand dropped. Her footsteps began once more. You stumbled forward and had to lock your left knee to prevent yourself from collapsing. Yet, you persevered and forced yourself to shadow behind her towering form.

This went on for miles upon miles. The half moon risen to its halfway point in its pathing. It offered just enough light to see the ground ahead of you, missing any potholes or fallen trees.

The tears that once decorated your face had long dried up, leaving behind a sticky, crusty mess. If you had the energy or even a will, you would’ve wiped away the tears. Yet, it was pointless at this stage. Even the pain this far into the trek had began to numb, being pushed to the back burner for you to worry about at a later time.

There was no energy left to even speak to her, ask her what the plan was. At this point, all you knew was she hunted down by the government, gave birth to her child, then is heading back to a facility you didn’t even know existed this close to your cabin. There was also the fact she was an alien and attempting to steal back her ship and weapons. Here you were, stuck in the middle because you saved her from meeting a terrible end.

How naïve you are.

A fallen log caught your bad leg while you attempted to step over it. Your hands came out caught most of your weight before you could face plant into the ground.

Though you had caught yourself, you laid there on the ground, thinking about your life’s decisions. Nearly regretting coming up here for peace for only chaos to meet you in the end.

Green feet entered your vision. You turned your head to look up at the creature. She stared down at you, a disappointed expression in her eyes. A sigh left your chapped lips before you hoisted yourself back up to your feet in a careful manner.

Before you had the chance to fully return to your feet, a hand gulfed the back of your neck and logged up into the air. You flew for a second before landing harshly on a muscular shoulder, draped over it like a sack of potatoes. All the air in your lungs was forced out. You sucked in air and scrambled to get back onto the ground. Gawtin didn’t let you and placed a massive hand on the back of your thighs, effectively keeping you pinned.

“You are slow. Stay still,” her voice demanded complete obedience from you. You gulped and stopped moving, afraid of making the deadly alien mad. That was the last thing you wanted to do.  You squeaked out an ‘okay’, barely above a breath, and let the giant carry you.

The sway of each step was nearly lulling you to sleep. You couldn’t truly recall the last time you slept properly. The passing out the last two times didn’t count. Yet, the pain that continued to throb in your legs prevented you from getting any shut eye. You kept an eye on your surroundings behind her though as she walked. Not that the creature needed your help. Clearly, she was irritated by the fact she has to carry you since you can’t walk properly.

It wasn’t long after that she came to a stop again. You tried to use her back as leverage to see why. The angle didn’t allow you permission though. A huff left your nose. All you could do was just hang there and continuously be at her mercy.

Gawtin kneels down and allows you to softly slide off of her shoulder and return to the ground. Once on your feet, you look up at her then at the surrounding area. This wasn’t your property anymore. You return your gaze to the alien, mouth opening to speak. Her hand slaps over your mouth and prevented any sounds from escaping. Even a gasp that clawed at your throat.

Her massive head shook side to side. You rapidly nodded, understanding speaking was a no-go. Just follow and listen to her.

The hand released its hold on you. Gawtin returned to her full height and peered into the direction she was heading in. A finger pointed in the same direction. Your brows furrowed for a moment until you realized that’s the same way she was taking you. Another nod.

After getting your understanding, she started to stalk through the foliage, mindfully placing her feet. You attempted to shadow her each move, to watch out for any branches or leaves. It was hard to due to the size difference and the fact your thigh was begging for mercy, for a break. Not that you could get one.

Yet, somehow, someway, you made it.

She paused again and ducked behind a bush. You were quick to follow her lead and knelt down besides her, thankful for the weight off of your thigh. Questions clawed at your throat but you brushed them off, knowing you couldn’t. Not when you hear voices in the distance. Your entire body tightens up, eyes flickering up to the green alien.

All she does is ignore your presence and peeks over the bush. You struggle to do the same thing but finally see it.

A military base. In the middle of the forest, miles away from your property and cabin. There were people patrolling the area outside of the concrete walls that lined the base. Guns in their hands already. It seemed like they were already on high alert. Possibly from Gawtin’s escape. This must be where she escaped from.

Death and fear hung over your head like a heavy vale. Her wounds weren’t healed from before. Not with the most of two days to give them time to. It’s not either of you were in the best position to march straight into their base and take back her stuff.

Your thoughts came to a halt. What in the world were you thinking?! Like you could do a sliver of harm to any of these soldiers. You were an artist!

But, then, there’s Gawtin. Your gaze returns to the bulky form of the alien. If she can survive getting shot at, hunted down, and then give birth all in the span of a day, she’s clearly powerful. What can she take though? A military base? The soldiers within? It’s not like you can be of any help.

There are no weapons on her nearly bare body. Just the primitive looking material around her waist to cover herself up. All she had to bare was the claws on her hands and the deadly looking fangs that made up her face. Besides that, it was like bring a knife to a gun fight.

Carefully, you inched closer to her until you were next to her. “Is-“ A hand slapped over your mouth. A fierce look made you tremble in your spot. The purple of her eyes blazing with a demand for silence. Silence that you offered completely, understanding if you spoke, death could meet you the next second.

All you wanted to know if this is worth going in there and possibly dying. Was she willing to abandon her child to go retrieve some items? You looked at her like she was crazy before pressing your lips tightly together. It was pointless to argue with her when her mind was set on whatever was important enough to risk her life and safety. You see that clear as the day that awaking’s around you. So, you kept silent.

Her hand slipped off of your mouth with one last pointed look from the creature. Gawtin peered over the bush once more and scanned the area. You hunkered back down on the ground, mindful of your injured leg.

The concrete wall that surrounded the place looked ten feet tall, preventing anyone from breaching the perimeter. Except, there was a creature at least eight feet tall next to you. She could easily scale the wall and get inside. She could probably do a lot of damage before they down her.

Purple eyes drifted down to you and narrowed on your knelt form. Your heart began to race under the gaze of a predator. She stepped closer to you before leaning down and forcing her face into your space. You swallowed hard, afraid to move.

Whatever she was looking for, she must have found it before passing the child over to you. You took a sharp breath in and peer down at the bundle of joy held out towards you. More questions pulled at your tongue. You?! Of course, there was no other option besides yourself.

Timidly, you took the sleeping infant into your arms and snapped your gaze up at her. A question blazed in your eyes so brightly she understood without a word spoken. She nodded then glanced back at the base. With her hands, she motioned towards you then pointed at the ground. Stay here. You dipped your head. That, you could understand.

Wait, that meant… your brows pushed together. She was going to face the base by herself?! Weaponless, injured, recently gave birth. Fear entered your veins. Realization dawned on you.

The infant in your arms felt ten times heavier than before. All the possible outcomes pooled in your mind, swirling around like a whirlpool. If she were to die, then that would leave you with her child. A child you had no clue how to take care or raise. This wasn’t a human baby. This was an alien baby.

Your bottom lip was gnawed on as you were desperate to speak. Those voices you could hear only solidified the danger you were in. So, you kept quiet and observed.

The group of patrolling soldiers passed without issue. Then, Gawtin was sprinting across the open space. She was gone faster than you could even say her name. Her body moved gracefully despite her eight and some off numbers height. Before you knew it, she bounded up and over the wall. Gone from sight.

A silence engulfed you. A terrifying, dreadful silence that the forest produced.

That might have been the last time you would see Gawtin. You’ve only known her for a day and you were already worried sick. Not only about the fact you might have to care for her child if she died. But, the fact she might die by going head first into a military base. She seemed so smart! Why was she doing something so stupid?!

A whine nearly broke the stillness of the air before you caught it. You shifted on your tired, sore feet and hissed when pain shot through your leg. It was going to be a long day until Gawtin’s fate was revealed.

You sat down completely on the ground, legs out in front of you, and leaned against a tree. The child was still asleep. Was this normal? It’s been asleep for a while by the looks of it. Since it had quieted down after its birth, you haven’t heard much of a peep from it. You held it securely in one arm and used a finger to feel at its neck.

When a pulse point was found, strong and steady, relief flooded through you. It was alive. There was no cause for alarm now.

The blankets were pulled tighter on it’s tiny body, to fight off the cool elements of a fall morning. Even for yourself, it was brisk. The coat around your waist was a reminder you could fend off the cold. Yet, all that movement could alert any of the passing guards on your position. Plus, you didn’t want the infant to leave your arms. It was best if it stayed stilled without waking it up.

Every three minutes, a pair of guards would pass by you. Each time, your heart thundered in your ears. Was this the moment they somehow spot you through the foliage? That got you thinking. What would they do to you if they found you here? Especially with an alien child. Would they just kill you and take the child? You couldn’t stop your body from shuttering.

Why did you go out that night?! All of this could’ve been avoided. You wouldn’t be in a mess too far deep for you to deal with. Your head smacked against the bark of the tree.

Guilt hit you. But… without you, Gawtin could’ve died or been brought back to this place. Then, they would’ve gotten ahold of her and her infant. God, you were a terrible person for practically wishing that onto her. You sighed, shoulder sagging as you looked at the sky through the trees.

The sun rose through the sky, slowly passing onwards in the blue sky. With just the bag on your back and an infant in your arms, you didn’t have anything to pass the time. The last thing you wanted to do was move alert any of the guards to your position.

As the time continued mindlessly, you grew more and more worried about the fact their was no sign of Gawtin. One thing you counted as a good sign was there was no noise coming from the base. You suspected a loud alarm would sound if they found her. Since that hadn’t happened yet, you prayed for that to be a good sign. But hours have passed since you last heard from her.

Once the sun had passed the halfway mark in the sky, you had to move. Sitting in the same spot for the last few hours made your butt numb. The throbbing in your leg had dulled to a low irritation that you could push to the back of your mind. Thankfully. When you go to move, the pain surged forward, to the front of your brain. You gritted your teeth pushed yourself off of the ground.

The tree served as a barrier from the base. You shook off the tingling in your legs and butt, relief flooding you. You peeked around the trunk to find no one in sight. Carefully with your injured thigh, you hobbled away from the foliage used as a blind. It may not be smart to move but you needed to. The cramps in your legs were only getting worse. You were going to go crazy if you kept staring at the empty forest for a moment longer.

The swaddled infant in your arms squirmed. You stopped in your tracks, head snapping down to find bright light blue eyes staring into yours. One of its tiny grubby hands reached out towards your face and grasped at the air. The fearful expression that painted your features melted away at the adorable sight in your arms. It may look ugly with its alien face but it was a kind of ugly that was cute.

It gave a squeak and used both arms to reach for your face. When it couldn’t, a louder squeal passed it’s strange, nubby mandibles.

Your entire body tensed. That was alarmingly loud. Your eyes darted over to the area past the tree line.

Two soldiers. Both of their heads faced your direction.

That’s when you felt your heart drop to the floor, at your feet. It worsened when both of them began to walk towards the two of you. Fear drove you to stumble backwards. Your heel caught on an uneven part of the ground. A yelp escaped your chapped lips when your butt landed harshly on the unforgiving ground. Pain zipped up your leg. The throbbing became a forefront of your mind again. You gasped at the agony once more and nearly just gave up.

You steeled your nerves and clambered to your unsteady feet. That’s when you saw the soldiers had their guns raised. It felt like your heart was about beat out of your chest and land in your hands.

Only a moment passed before you spun on your heel and beelined away from them. There was no chance for you to run on your bad leg. The best you could offer was a half-jog, half-limp your way further into the forest. It wasn’t the greatest feeling on your injured leg with each left step that sent scolding pain up the limb.

Distance was gain though.

Until you heard the crunching of pine needles under boots gaining on you.

“There!” a gruff voice called out. You pressed the bundle closer to your chest and tried to quicken your speed.

Tears pooled on the corner of your eyes. The pain amounted even pass your limits. Adrenaline may fill your veins but even it couldn’t over shadow the agony that made up your left thigh. You panted heavily and pushed through the worst of it, fighting the forest and your body.

A thundering bang pierced the tension. Your legs gave out. You barely saved the infant on your elbows and felt the skin tear off.

Seconds passed until you were spun around. Now, on your back and staring up at the two imposing soldiers peering down at you. You began to cry and held the fussy infant firmly. “Don’t kill me!” you begged for your life and turned on your side, to shield the bundle away from their prying eyes.

A burning muzzle pressed against your shoulder. The barrel still hot. “What do you have?! Why are you out here?!” the same voice from before demanded and shoved the gun harder into you.

You gave a pathetic cry and rapidly shook your head to deny any wrong doing. “Nothing! I just got lost,” you lied straight through your teeth. It was a pathetic excuse, horrible. Yet, it was all your poor mind could make up in the moment. You grasped the blankets tighter, white knuckling the fabric.

One of them reaches out and grasps the blanket and gives a firm tug. You don’t relent.

No words were spoken to Gawtin but you weren’t going to let er child get taken away. It’s not like you thought this situation was going to happen.

One of your legs shot out and met the shin of the soldier fighting you. The man grunted and darkened his glare through his mask. Your breath hitched.

Before you had a chance to react, a fist met with the side of your face. Your head knocked against the ground, putting you into a daze. But, your arms didn’t even loosen a fraction. You groaned and blinked through your blurry vision.

The barrel found its way to your temple and left an indent. “Tell us. Why are you here?” a different voice grounded out. The gun was a fatal reminder of what would happen if you didn’t give up, didn’t give in to their demands. You painfully steeled your nerves again, teeth gritted, then turned your head to look at them.

One side of your lips curled up into a snarl. The fear inside of you was still ablaze but you couldn’t let them take the infant. “I got lost,” you repeated again, voice trembling despite your horrible excuse of a sneer. You knew it wouldn’t frighten any of them, but you had to stall and give yourself time to possible escape.

Click. The gun was loaded.

“Try that again or else you’ll met the business end again.” Confusion washed over you for a split second before a boot came down on your right leg. There was a sickening crunch that met your ears.

Screams surged past your lips as pain flooded your system. You began to pant, heavily sucking in all the available air in the area. It wasn’t enough. You felt like you were slowly suffocating, loosing the necessary oxygen needed for your brain to function. You writhe on the ground, barely paying attention to what was in your arms.

An ear shattering bellow pulled you from the depths of your agony. The ground underneath you shook with tremendous force. You blinked the majority of the tears away. Only to find a moss green blob landing a few feet away.

“Contact-ack!” Before the man could raise his weapon in defense, an arrow pierced his chest. The deadly tip thrusted through the other side of his ribcage. It was still firmly logged inside of him.

Gun fire only last two seconds. Then, silence filled the air. One broken by your heavily sobs and painful breaths.

The fall of two bodies didn’t even faze you. You curled up into a ball of agony and protection. Your entire body shuttered and trembled. The pain and adrenaline running its course through your form. All you knew though was you had to protect the child who was crying up a storm.

Hands gripped your shoulder and leg, prying your curled form open. You reopened your eyes to find the mother towering over your form, cradling and soothing her baby.

Relief surged inside of you.

Gawtin, a slightly bloody mess, was back. Adorned in primitive looking armor. She looked deadlier than before.

You laid flat on the ground. It hurt to move. There was something terribly wrong with your leg. You didn’t even need to look at it to know that the soldier had snapped it. Then, there was a new burning sensation crawling up your other thigh. As if you had been shot. Again. You gave pitiful whimper, eyes sliding shut.

An unknown amount of time past as you suffered on the ground before something was placed in your lap. You didn’t even have the energy to open your eyes. Whatever happened, happens. Death was either going to greet or Gawtin may save your life.

“You had my curiosity. Now, you have my attention,” her words were muffled in your ear. You grunted, the only intelligent answer you could give.

Arms curled under the backs of your knees and your shoulder blades. The ground left you. One of your eyelids cracked open. Gawtin held you in her arms while her baby was cradled on your stomach. You gave a hum before the pain and exhaustion swallowed you whole.

[owlwithanapple]

Bird & Fox

Chapter 1

Late at night, you stand alone on a high tower somewhere in Gotham City and look around. It is said the sky in this city always overcast at night, and you can feel the cold wind blowing. If you don't see it with your own eyes, you can’t believe the city is so dark and cold at night.

The environment here is completely opposite to the place you live in. Before you immigrated to Gotham City, you lived in Tokyo, Japan. The city you live in is prosperous because of political management, public security management and economic development.

Compared with Gotham City, dark, scary and complicated. How warm and beautiful the city you used to live in is, and there is always a sense of safety and comfort late at night. But Gotham City is surrounded by weird and Gothic buildings, forming a huge contrast and chaotic atmosphere.

This weird and dark Gotham City is listed as one of the cities with the highest crime rate. On TV, the news channel always reports about the content involved in this city and some dangerous information, such as Joker, Penguin, Harley Quinn, etc.

Because of the experience given by your previous work, you know very well no matter where, there will be similar experiences and commonalities. But there will never be a lack of bright and beautiful images, and countless dirt hidden in the dark alleys.

One day, a righteous man dressed as Batman transformed into the Dark Knight and fight criminals for the city appeared in Gotham City. Because of his existence, the Bat Signal can be seen in the sky every night, as if he is promoting his own ideas.

Since he became a righteous Dark Knight to fight criminals, he has become a spiritual idol in people's hearts and a source of fear in the hearts of criminals, making his desire to stop evil more stronger.

In Gotham City, in addition to Batman fighting criminals, there are other superheroes such as Nightwing, Red Hood, Red Robin, Robin, etc. who are also maintaining the safety of the city.

You sit idly on the edge of the roof, with your hands on your thighs, shaking your legs at the empty space, looking up at the Gotham City that is already full of chaos at night.

Seeing a person sitting on the roof of a high tower building, the first thing think of is someone is going to jump off to commit suicide. But you are definitely not trying to do something stupid. You are different. The fact that you can casually run to the rooftop in the middle of the night shows that you are not an ordinary person.

Because of your previous work and some reasons, you were forced to immigrate to this dark city. In the morning, you finally packed your things. Tonight is your first time to spend the night freely in this city.

Now you should be an unemployed vagrant. Although you have not been removed from the list, you have been exiled here by the "organization" after all. The more you think about it, the angrier you get. You were exiled to a strange city because of different beliefs, but you still have to thank the "organization" for supporting you with funding.

You are leisurely and bored. You hum a sweet song in a low voice and shake your head slightly. You are intoxicated in the song then hear the faint footsteps approaching you step by step. You stop humming the song.

The person approaching you stops, you glance back. A tall black figure and a shorter child standing next to him are standing behind you. You vaguely guess who they are.

You remain calm and composed, your face is covered by the fox mask but you still smile. Although they can't see, you cross your hands in front of chest and say "What a beautiful night, everyone."

The tall black figure keeps a distance from you, but from your observation, he is very wary of you. He is wearing a mask, you can't see his eyes, only his lips. He is silent then blurts out "Who are you? What are you doing here?"

You stamp your feet and think about how to answer his question, but no excuse can cover up the fact that you are suspicious, it doesn't make sense that you trespassed into this high tower and sit on the roof in the middle of the night. "I said I came here for a walk, would you believe it?"

The little guy standing next to him holds a katana, with a smile that seems very confident. Your intuition tells you that can't underestimate him. Even if he is a kid, his sword holding method and posture are not ordinary, but a skilled posture.

You noticed the little guy looking you up and down, perhaps he was waiting for his chance, he tightened the grip of his katana, seemingly ready to strike you "TT, you lie without thinking."

He pulled out his katana and pointed at you. You stayed still, hands still in front of your chest, breathing kept balanced, but stopped stamping your feet, tried not to make any unnecessary movements. This was a lesson taught by the "Organization".

When he was about to pounce on you with the katana, the black figure blocked the little guy with his hands in front of him. The little guy immediately stopped and looked at the black figure. At this time, the little guy was confused why stop him.

The black figure looked at the little guy as if giving some instructions. The little guy seemed to understand his intention and put the katana away walked to the side to look at you, while the black figure looked at you and said, "I am Batman. What about you?"

You finally heard the black figure say his title in person. He is Batman. The real person is right in front of you. It feels so cool. You noticed the little guy beside you frowned and looked impatient. "Hello, Batman. It's a beautiful night. Bring your kids to see the night view?"

When the little guy heard you say he was a "kid", his sharp ears immediately stood up, walked towards you with a red face and anger. His attitude towards you was enough to prove he was a kid with a strong self-esteem. This time, Batman did not stop him.

Realizing that you said the wrong thing, he can fight criminals and work with Batman, he is not an ordinary child. It is embarrassing to apologize at this time. He points his index finger at you and says, "Listen, I am Robin. Not a kid! Bitch!"

You feel bad when you hear him use the word "bitch", but he is just a kid. But not an ordinary child, Robin has rich combat experience and skill training.

Seeing him, recall that you were strictly trained in the "Organization" before. You were still 8 years old. No one showed mercy in the sparring battle. Until now, you have become an independent person at the age of 20, but you have been exiled by the "Organization".

Maybe you are not the person in their idealism. You have opposite beliefs and ideas from them. The result is your value judgment.

Robin noticed that you were in a state of vacant thoughts. He looked at Batman in confusion and tried to ask him what to do. Batman just stared at you expressionlessly, waiting for your reaction.

When you were in a daze, Robin slowly approached you, trying to touch you to wake you up. Subconsciously, you came back to your senses and grabbed his index finger with your hand. "Whoops, sorry. I was just in a daze."

Since the two of them have introduced themselves, you can't be rude. You let go of Robin's hand. With your right hand, you put your middle finger and ring finger together and press them on your thumb, and lift your index finger and pinky finger to form a fox shape. "Hello, my name is Kitsune, you can also call me Fox."

You put your hand into the pocket of your long sleeves and took out a flash bomb. They immediately stepped back and got ready for the fight, but you didn't want to kill people in vain. You just wanted to leave here.

You threw a flash bomb into the air, it flashed a dazzling light. Batman and Robin subconsciously used their cloaks to block their sight. When they put down and opened their eyes, you were gone.

Robin ran to the edge and looked down at the 40-story building. There was no trace of you. Batman stood aside and looked around. There was indeed no trace of you. The two of them confirmed that you were gone, Robin was surprised and swallowed his saliva. "That bitch really disappeared."

Batman listened to Robin's words but didn't respond. He was actually thinking, and confused about how you did it. You disappeared just a few seconds after the flash of light, leaving no trace.

The two of them looked for your trace everywhere, but there was no clue. In desperation, they had to retreat temporarily. In fact, you just used some trick to deceive them.

After you return home, take off your mask, place it on the table, remove all your equipment, put them in the closet, close the closet and see the mirror reflecting your naked body. You gently touch each scar, which are the marks of your becoming a "ninja" and the medal of your success.

You don't hate these scars all over your body. Although the scars are deeply engraved on your body, you are very happy, even grateful to have them. This is proof that you have survived, you have experienced the test of the "organization" to prove yourself.

"Kitsune..." You muttered in front of the mirror, code name, the name you used when you were a ninja. But now you are Y/N L/N, just an ordinary woman with ninja abilities.

The Batcave at this time—

The Batcave is Batman's command center, where he monitors all crisis points in Gotham City and the world. It is usually located beneath Wayne Manor and is part of a large group of underground caves.

Batman is replaying the surveillance video with Robin to see the footage of you and conversation. In order to catch your clues and find out your purpose, no clue can be easily let go.

Alfred came to the Batcave and saw the two of them busy watching the video. He carefully made two cups of hot drinks and placed it in front of them. "Master Bruce, Master Damian, take a rest."

Batman stopped the work, leaned back the chair, gently massaged his eyes with his hands. When he saw the hot drink in front of him, he took it up and took a sip. "Alfred, what do you think of the people in the surveillance video?"

Alfred looked at the screen, put his hand on chin and rubbed it gently. You didn't attack them, nor did you commit a crime. You just sat on the edge and stared blankly. "Hmm, it's harmless at the moment."

Robin finished the hot drink and asked Alfred for a refill. Alfred filled the cup with the hot drink and handed it to him again. Robin took the cup and complained to the big screen, "I will definitely catch her next time."

Alfred looked at Master Bruce who was distressed and Master Damian who was complaining. He thought about what he could do to help. He suddenly suggested, "Why not ask Master Tim?"

Batman looked at Alfred. It was indeed a good suggestion. Perhaps Tim had a way to solve this problem. After all, it was he who deduced that Batman was Bruce Wayne. He had a strong reasoning ability. "I will contact Tim later.

Robin listened to what Batman and Alfred said then left the Batcave with a "TT". Alfred put the cup back on the tray prepared to leave. "Master Bruce, I want to ask you. Why didn't you take her down on the spot?"

Batman thought about it realized he could have taken her down, as Robin was also there at the time. But facing you who showed no hostility and showed no intention to escape or kill, he was confused. "I want to confirm who she is? Is she righteous or evil. That's all."

Before leaving, Alfred bowed to Batman's back. "I understand, Master Bruce. I'll leave first."

After Alfred left, Batman was left alone in the Batcave. He thought about Alfred's suggestion and called Red Robin who was on patrol. "I need your help with something."

Red Robin stayed in the alley talk to Batman and understand the ins and outs of the matter. He vaguely guessed he was distressed and confused. "I understand. See you in the afternoon ."

After saying that, he hung up the call. When Red Robin left the alley and went to a higher place to continue patrolling, he ran into Nightwing who was talking gossip and Red Hood was having snacks.

Nightwing waved to Red Robin and invited him to have supper together. Red Hood took off his helmet started to eat hamburgers, and handed Red Robin two fries, "I'll treat you."

Red Robin looked at the two fries in Red Hood's hand and speechless. As the "older brother", he only shared fries with his "younger brother", but he still took it and put it in his mouth to chew.

"Hey hey hey." Nightwing handed Red Robin a bag with hot coffee, hamburgers and fries. "I didn't forget to buy your share." After saying that, he continued to eat.

Red Hood finished eating, crumpled the wrapping paper into a ball, threw it into the bag, and then found a trash can to throw it away later. He opened the cap of the soda bottle and started to drink. When he was halfway through, he put down and ask "Bruce looking for you?"

Red Robin, who was drinking coffee and addicted to caffeine, put down the cup immediately after hearing it. He looked at the other two, and nodded after a moment of silence, "Yes, meet at the manor in the afternoon ."

After listening to Red Robin, Nightwing nodded to indicate that he could, Red Hood drank up the soda and threw it into the bag, "I can't. My motorcycle needs maintenance tomorrow, don't count me in."

"Are you serious?" Nightwing asked him seriously. After all, he didn't want Bruce and Jason to have a hard time. Although the two did have bad memories in the past, Jason was very defensive against people, and that incident also left a shadow on his life.

Red Hood stood up, wiped his mouth, put on his helmet, took a bag of garbage, and held the door handle to indicate that he was leaving, leaving Red Robin and Nightwing sitting there. He thought about it and said, "Let's see, if I finish my work early." Then he left.

Nightwing knew Bruce and Jason had a rough time. The past experience and feelings led to the current collapse, but sometimes, both sides had mutual trust and cooperation.

Seeing Red Robin's self-blaming expression, Nightwing put his hand on his shoulder to comfort. Tim became Robin after Jason died. During that time, everyone had a hard time, including Tim, of course.

Being Robin is a very proud thing. It is very cool to fight criminals with Batman. Of course, there are always crises, just like Jason's death, which has become one of everyone's shadows.

"Although that guy is bad-mouthed, he is still trustworthy." Nightwing comforted the frustrated Red Robin, hoping he and Jason would not have a quarrel again.

"I know, thank you, Dick." Red Robin smiled again and continued to drink coffee. The caffeine he couldn't quit became a source of energy, making him more motivated and confident.

Do you hope there will be Chapter 2?

Leave a comment to let me know 😁

Other Chapter

[butterflydm]

more WoT s3 thoughts inspired by the teaser

One of the things that is also at display during this teaser is the time-saving that the show is putting into place.

During the books, there's a lot of denial of the threat of the Black Ajah and the threat of the Seanchan, and the show signals pretty hard here that those threats aren't going to be ignored. The Black Ajah don't just kill a few Sisters in their raid on the storage rooms and then run -- they destroy the Hall and attack and kill Sitters. We have mention of Liandrin giving Nynaeve to the Seanchan - plus Siuan will have learned from Nynaeve (from Egwene's info) that the Blue Sitter who went west to investigate the Seanchan was enslaved and broken. We save so much time by making it so that this information is more public and known.

Other things -- we know that Alanna is going to fight the Black Ajah in the streets and that Ihvon is probably going to die in the fight, given that Maksim is in the Two Rivers section of the main trailer.

I also suspect that we might see Egwene taking part in the fight against the Black Ajah - because of the scene in the trailer where she's soaked and talking about the Tower destroying itself from the inside out. And her taking part in the battle could be used as the reason to have her rushed to take her Accepted Test in ep1.

I think that Elayne might not take her Test yet, because I think it looked like she was wearing regular novice clothes in the scene where she watched Gawyn & Galad spar. So she might take her test in episode 3, maybe, which might mean we could actually get a glimpse of said testing.

Seeing the redstone doorway also means that the doorway might be why Mat stays behind in Tar Valon when Rand & co and Perrin & co split off and leave. In the books, everyone thinks that the Mayene/Tear doorway is the only one that exists until they run into the one in Rhuidean, so there could be multiple doors -- one in the 13th Depository, one in the museum in Tanchico, one in Rhuidean, etc. We know that Mat goes poking around in the White Tower at some point, so he could stumble some place that he doesn't belong. Someone also noticed a ter'angreal that could be the six-spotted dice that are related to luck in the books, so it might be that Mat runs across that as well, and gets his luck from an external source.

I am still very much hoping that Rand & co don't head out at the end of ep1 but spend some more time in Tar Valon in ep2. I want more togetherness! One episode isn't enough. Fingers crossed! But Rand finding out that his name was dropped in the Hall will probably make him nervous.

[villainofmyownstory]

Hi! I'm V (Villain or Vi) | she/her

!!!!!!!! 18+ only! MDNI (nsfw + dark content) !!!!!!!!

writing fat reader characters | my native language isn't English

WIP updated 07/30/24

Day Zero

apocalypse AU - ongoing - chapter 7

Simon "Ghost" Riley x plus size fem!reader

masterlist | taglist | AO3 | playlist

Ghost and his dog Riley regularly patrol the city. A man has his own routine, every day, for almost 2 years, has to look the same. The man knows that he cannot change his behavior because deep down he still feels that someone will answer his radio signal. He doesn't lose hope. However, exactly 730 days after "Day Zero", no one shows up at the transmitter mast. Just when you finally get there. You've been trying to get here for weeks, seeing a tower in the distance. You needed electricity, and the tower had a source of light every night. And so each of you, individually, still thinks that you are the only one alive.

______________________________________________________________

Three copies and some signatures

part 1 part2

Simon/Reader/(Johnny)

You and Simon are married. A deal, a contract made only to avoid being deported. However, not everything can be predicted, lies are slowly consuming everyone. You, Simon and his real partner - Johnny. Feelings are stronger than words written on paper.

______________________________________________________________

click 'keep reading' to see more of my works

Blurry

exhusband!Captain John Price x fem!Reader

ongoing - part 2

You visit your ex-husband, in your once shared home. The memories are painful. But only for you. Unfortunately, after that one bloody mission, John doesn't remember you. The memory of your life together, blurred in his mind.

______________________________________________________________

GIF by adultstim

part 1 Blindsided part 2 Anyone Else

for Cali’s Nameless Challenge

nameless COD member x fem!Reader

You can't get over the breakup and the fact that you were left alone. You keep coming to the place where you last saw him. To, perhaps, finally get some kind of answer. Some solace.

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Light years

oneshot #GhostChallenge

Simon “Ghost” Riley x android/hologram!Reader

Many decades of longing. A lot of years of waiting. Hundreds of light years away from an Earth that no longer seemed like a memory, but a fictional story. A fairy tale written by poets. Earth no longer existed, and life on Zeus 2 went on as if the years of intergalactic war had never happened. As if the destruction of most of humanity had never taken place. There were still a few people on the new planet who remembered their lives on Earth. A past that was a memory stinging under the ribs. A small personal utopia for the last living people. Paradise lost.

______________________________________________________________

Incapacitation

König x plus size fem!reader

| AO3

You and König contact each other every day. Literally, you talk all the time. As soon as you open your eyes you see or hear him. König accompanies you in every activity. But you are no longer together. Despite the distance between you, you still hope that he will come back to you. One day you find out that König has fallen in love with another woman. Something inside you breaks. Once again. You will not let him decide about his life again, not this time. You know better what is best for him. You know König very well. After all, you talk to each other all the time.

______________________________________________________________

Zultanite

Poly TF141 x plus size fem!reader

masterlist | AO3

After inheriting jewelry from your dearest grandmother and one visit to a fortune teller. Your life is changing. Not once, not twice…. but four times.

[lilithsnightmareland]

static with a pulse

I sent pieces of me into the void— recorded thoughts, skin flakes, scraps of old blood sealed in titanium and hope.

Labeled them: "If found, please validate."

A thousand years of radio silence and I'm still checking for feedback.

Life on Earth taught me that absence is louder than screaming, that the stars don't blink for nobodies.

I keep imagining someone or something on the other side of this static— maybe with too many eyes or none at all, dissecting my message like a joke or a mistake or a threat.

I hope it hurts them. That they flinch. That they bleed blue. That they whisper my name in their language of ruin. Because everyone on Earth never did.

I thought I'd be grateful when something finally wrote back.

Turns out the void has teeth. Not fangs. Not claws. Teeth like radio towers, long and rusted, growing inside my lungs.

Every breath I take crackles in Morse code. It speaks through me now.

I wanted to be heard, not used. But this is what you get when you beg in frequencies no human should touch.

I'm not alone anymore. I just wish I was.

I can't sleep anymore because the stars won't stop crawling beneath my skin. My veins reroute. My blood reruns. All of it tuned to some signal that never belonged here.

I cough up teeth. I eat them again. They taste like understanding. The mirror doesn't reflect me now— just static with a pulse.

I asked the universe to recognize me. It answered. But it rewrote. It pressed its code into my bones.

My thoughts fracture in triplicate, one dreaming, one remembering, one obeying. And none of them are me.

The skin I wear doesn't fit anymore, it sags in places that didn't exist yesterday. I hear myself speaking in languages my throat was never built to carry. They call it prophecy. But it's just malfunction. Static runs down my spine like a needle. They call it communion. I call it the rape of my mind.

They told me I was chosen. I think they meant harvested.

I was their vessel, their antenna, until I learned to bend the frequency back — I tuned my scars like dial, carved sigils into my own ribcage to reverse the current. I spit out every star they stitched into my stomach. I screamed so loud my bones shook loose.

I am what happens when the message resists, when the sacrifice decides to drag the gods down screaming into the grave it dug for itself.

I let them hear what real devotion sounds like when it's fed up with being obedient.

I was their altar, now I'm the explosion that buried it. I was their sacrifice, now I'm the plague they can't scrub off. I was their echo, now I am the silence that swallows everything whole and calls it peace.

End of transmission.

(This message will not repeat.)

I've had this one sitting in my folder of writings labeled under "untitled and not good enough for publish" for a while now, but it seemed kinda fitting for @picklemafia 's one-word prompt "galaxy" so here we go anyway.

Why did I think it wasn't good enough, though? I think it's important for poets, writers, and any artists to let their audience interpret their works however they want to. But a little clarification can be helpful anytime:

First of all, this poem was intended to reflect on unknowingly getting into and then purposefully breaking free from a toxic relationship where your partner keeps changing the real you into someone you're not, through the metaphor of making extraterrestrial contact - and this original intent got... lost in the process somehow, oops.

Second, the fact that it was kind of inspired by HAWK's song Disclosure became way too obvious by the end. I love to write stuff inspired by my favorite songs for fun, but most of the time those are solely personal and never posted anywhere because I don't want to even imply plagiarism or something. This is the first and only exception ever. (Honestly I don't know shit about intellectual property rights or any legal stuff, so I just hope I'm not violating anything by publishing this - if I do, please tell me and I'm gonna delete it asap)

And third, someone please tell me to stop accidentally turning each and every single one of my works into body horror poetry that makes no sense, thank you. This is getting out of hand lately.

[queen0fm0nsterz]

Also guys, about the locations of the podcasts: they are real places. 100%. They are real places somewhere in the Nowhere - most importantely, somewhen.

Prophetic dreams are very real in Little Nightmares and they are things that often happen: however, I do not believe this is yet the case for Noone. She describes feeling sensations and smells multiple times, something that can only happen if the plane of reality one is in is... well. Real. She also describes feeling Jester's presence as she does with Otto's, who is a real person in the real world alongside her. The fact that Noone isn't currently fully there yet doesn't necessarely mean the places aren't real.

Now, whether she's visiting the past versions of some already existing locations is up to debate (COUGH THE BATHHOUSE COUGH), and that locations and habitants of said locations can be parallels to some already existing ones, but the only certainty we have at this point is that these other places that are being described and witnessed by Noone are real places somewhere. After all, the Nowhere is an incredibly vast place of which we have explored incredibly little.

Would it be so surprising if the places Noone visits are separate from the, like, 3 ones we have visited?

(map is from LN II, the school, and is supposedly rappresenting a region of which we only see a single city.)

And another thing, actually: I have seen many compare the Lady to the Woman in Chains, but honestly, after reading through the transcript of the first episode of TSON made by @softichill... the two sound like the complete opposite of each other, appearence and behaviour wise.

The Woman in Chains is described as having a "stretched back face", therefore causing her to have wrinkles due to how her face is structured, which explains Noone talking about her as being "both old and young". There is no concealing, no mask, nothing to hide her face. She doesn't live in secrecy like the Lady does -- quite the contrary, infact.

And about features: in both her forms, the Lady's face looks the opposite of hers. Either completely relaxed, or... nearly like it's melting.

I have also seen some people try to claim that the "familiar outfit" as a reference to the Lady's kimono, but you must remember who the narrator is. The outfit is familiar to Noone. Not us. It is likely that the Woman is wearing either a nun's dress (Noone mentions seeing three laying on a bed in the Prisoner's bedroom) or something Noone might have seen from the institution she's kept in.

While the Lady does thrive in her occupation, she doesn't necessarely take joy in it like the Woman in Chains (Prison Ward, atp) does. For the Lady, it's much more a matter of survival. She is on the Maw because it's convenient, see as she's in a powerful position. The Woman in Chains is instead happily preparing torture devices to haunt the Prisoners with.

Some parallels are certainly there. Referring to them as being, even metaphorically, the same person... it would mean that the team wrote a very bad analogy. They are nothing alike in any other aspect BUT their occupation. Funnily enough, you could say the Thin Man and the Signal Tower operate in a near identical manner to both these places. He's also the living center/battery of his own mechanism.

Noone also mentions that the Workers seem to be made of shadows, similarly to the Shadow Children. However, it is also evident that these beings are different, as they work and can hold objects much like the nomes. Later, when she meets a living child, she notes that they have black goo in their hair that moves like shadows. If that's the same material the Workers are made of, then this would make them some sort of liquid entities.

Lastly, about the inhabitants themselves: no one else in this Prison is here because they want to be. The Prisoners are not like the Guests, who come on the Maw willingly. The Workers are mindless beings, unlike the Nomes who draw and the Shadow Kids who play just like children. The child and Noone want to leave... and that's understandable.

My friend @chorusofkhonshu smartly pointed this out, so I'm just gonna copy and paste what he said word for word.

"So I thought, if these creatures are made of liquid, it has to come from somewhere. So my mind wandered to the prisoners, their purpose. Perhaps like the Maw and Signal Tower need to absorb people. The Signal Towers thru TVs and the Maw thru the Lady. What if those prisoners are only alive to be bled dry so long as they live. Noone smells the prisoner rotting. All those prisoners have to share some purpose, they might be tortured. Some device that the lady there has. She uses straps and cranks. Masks with spikes in the mouth. It runs on tortured souls."

And just as Noone mentions later on:

Swelling.

If anything... rather than paralleling Six's journey, Noone seems to be living it backwards. Completely backwards.

... Mh.

[mcgnagallsarmy]

Top 10 Spuffy fics I’ve read (March 2024)

A Different Kind of (Sunny)hell by OffYourBird [Adult Only]

Between juggling a New World Order, a bothersome Council, wayward magic, and – as always – some much with the confusing time travel, there is never a dull moment in Sunnydale for Liz and Elly. This is Season 6 as it exists in the Jumpverse (beginning with A Different Kind of Hell and followed up by A Different Kind of Wedding). Fair warning: if you have not read the previous installments of the Jumpverse, this will not make any sense.

A Totally Random Occurrence by Herself [NC-17]

The stake slipped from her fingers, and she had to take a deep breath to stave off the dizziness descending on her like a hood over her head. "You—I thought you were dead." A reunion in New York City. Set post-NFA, spoilers for all of BtVS and AtS.

Cavalry by Holly [NC-17]

Buffy and Spike are enjoying life on the open road, but when they learn monsters have taken over Sunnydale, they have no choice but to head back to the Hellmouth.

Dusk Rising by HappyWhenItRains [NC-17]

"It doesn't matter. If Dawn dies, I'm done with it, I'm quitting." What if quitting wasn't all Buffy promised? -Challenge by Loup Noir Glory is defeated. The portal is closed. Except this time, the Scoobies decided to take matters into their own hands. While Willow restrains Buffy, Xander pushes Dawn off the tower. The rest is darkness. In the absence of Dawn, Buffy becomes Dusk.

The Footprints Left Behind by Willow91 [NC-17]

In the wake of an unknown attack on the American Frontier and the subsequent loss of contact with the friends they still had stateside, Buffy and Xander sneak into the country and begin a long, dangerous journey to find old friends and the source of the near apocalypse before it spreads throughout the rest of the world.

For You To Be You by lafillesauvage [Adult Only]

Alternate ending for 7x13 The Killer in Me. What happened after Buffy and Spike returned to an empty Revello Drive following the chipectomy? Well, in this story, Buffy realises just how much she cares for Spike, which leads to some fluffy reconciliations involving chocolate ice cream and Walker, Texas Ranger. She also gets her period, and adult-only fun is had by all.

Golden Hour by kennedynoelle [R]

Response to a challenge set by emilise: Spike never came to Sunnydale during the first few seasons. The first time Buffy sees him is during The Harsh Light of Day, sunbathing on campus adorned with the Gem of Amara. Oh no, she thinks, the pit of her stomach dropping and sending tinglies all over, he's hot. They start dating, Buffy unaware that her new boyfriend is a member of the undead. Of course, she has to find out eventually…

Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger by fortes775 [NC-17]

Buffy has spent the summer grasping for something just out of reach, but when Dracula arrives at the peak of her frustration, all bets are off. In which Buffy finds her fix, her man, and herself, not necessarily in that order…

Manifest by EllieRose101 [R]

The hardest demons you have to fight are your very own, but a little help can go a long way—if it’s the right kind. (Set after Tabula Rasa but before Smashed.)

Mixed Signals by phoenixjustice [NC-17]

Two people who were never supposed to meet. She had seen everything, up to the Dragon that destroyed everything she loved. He had only the lasting memory of her words of love before he burned to cinders. Could they bridge the gap between them?

[leebrontide]

Happy first STS of Pride! How do your characters show their pride? Do they drape themselves in rainbow/other flag accessories? Wear a pronoun pin? Have a subtle phone background? Wear an outrageous outfit specifically to Pride? Or do they prefer to just exist as themselves and not show it off as much?

Hello and sorry that my inbox got away from me, there! Thank you for the ask!

As per always, answering for the characters from the Second Sentinels books (Secondhand Origin Stories, Names in Their Blood, Brittle Idols) In ascending order of age:

Jamie: public displays of queer pride wont occur to her till she gets outside the family tower long enough to personally encounter bigotry specifically for that. She will then get patches, pins, and at least one flag tshirt. She didn't cut her hair super short for queer-signaling reasons but is happy to be noticed as queer, because then she can talk about her girlfriend.

Zipporah: on page history of trans pride flag manicures, plus her YouTube analogue channel is called "My Name Today Is" because she's still trying on new names, and has made a game of it. This girl wants to go to pride events so so bad but has never been able because of custody and disability reasons.

Yael: Would frankly have been wearing rainbows anyways. Despite being 7ft and able to kick the asses of 99.9% of people without breaking a sweat, xe's nervous about expressing xyr gender to people xe doesn't know. More comfortable with being publicly bi/pan since xe has family/pro heroes who've paved that path before. Wants queer community, is thankful to have some in the family, but particularly wants trans and nonbinary community.

Issac: Maybe a little ace flag pin. Shut up he's at pride with his siblings, you don't need to know about his own stuff unless he knows you personally. Mostly keeps quiet at this point because if his parents found out they would try to talk to him about it and that might mean talking to his parents about anything sexual and he'd rather fall off another skyscraper.

Opal: Deep in her heart of hearts she wants to go to a pride event wearing something outrageous and fun, but alas, respectability politics continue to interfere with her life. Will happily wear a lesbian pride or general rainbow friendship bracelet or something more subtle.

Enoch: does not know he's being written by an author who doesn't understand the concept of not-queer people. Has some introspection to do, yet.

[a-cloud-for-dreams]

timeless

Pairing: Radha Basu x Deviya Sharma

Radha x Devi Taglist: @agattthaa

A/N: I had a dream about Radha and Devi (technically the entire Basu family) but scrambled to turn it into something for my beloveds. I’m just gonna *casually* toss it into existence and run away because idk how good this is

Fun Fact: To all the readers who know about my Choices OH MC, Dr. Chandini Ramakrishnan, the woman referred to in this fic is her mother (Naveen Banerji's daughter)!

Divider Credit: @saradika

Basu Residence, Present Day

“Please, I urge you to reconsider-”

The woman held a hand up to stop the man from speaking further. “My mother died without once mentioning its existence. This is the first time I’m stepping foot in this home!”

“But…she did Miss,” he scratched his head. “Every summer she and your father visited India, they stayed here, even when a hotel would have been more convenient. They brought you here all the time when you were a baby, and I know it would break her heart for you to sell it. Not to mention Dr. Banerji-”

“I don’t remember asking for unsolicited advice, please just move all the previous belongings out," she sighs, signaling for him to leave. She didn't have time to worry about family property now, especially since her mother died years ago. She should be at home with her daughter and husband. But of course, Father insisted I handle this when I'm at my busiest!

She turned her gaze to a portrait half covered by a rich purple cloth. It was of a woman she didn’t recognize at first. She uncovered the portrait carefully, as if she was scared of disrupting her serenity. She slowly traced over the woman's dark brown hair and around her amber eyes, combing through her memories to assign a name to the face in front of her. Her father must have mentioned her at least once...

Wanting to see what else was hidden throughout her home, she spun too quickly, causing a tower of boxes to topple over. The woman scoffed. Just what I need! She bent over to gather everything that fell when a mahogany box with gold accents drew her eye. The lock broke open after the fall, revealing its contents that were filled to the brim.

Upon further inspection, she found a collection of handwritten letters tied in a bundle with string. Some appeared to be incomplete drafts but others were pages long. They were neatly organized in the box before they were sprawled out on the floor. She picked up each letter, tracing over the words.

But I find myself thinking about her more and more. It’s hard to focus on anything else when she’s mere steps away...She looks even more radiant with flowers braided into her hair.

I played with the ring on my finger, she gifted it to me a few days ago. She said she named the purple stone after me, but she doesn't know that how my heart skipped a beat after hearing those words.

It took all of my strength not to run up to her and embrace her in front of everyone. They can’t know, they can never know.

She's sleeping soundly, next to me. I feel her warmth, her hand resting over my belly. I should be asleep as well, this is the most peace of mind I've had since, I don't even remember how long! It doesn't matter what happened before. I'm all hers, and she's all mine.

Mine...

The words rippled through her mind like the ocean tides. Powerful. Touching. Overwhelming. She pressed a hand over her warm forehead, feeling her mind trapping itself in a haze. A primal headache overtakes her senses. She leaned against one of the pillars to regain her thoughts and catch her breath, but she failed. She couldn't help but scream.

Basu Residence, 1913

Radha Basu was annoyed, bordering on angry. Well, as much as she could possibly be. As Devi always teases, she could never stay mad at her beloved for long. But this time, she intended to remain strong and teach her a lesson. The Basu heiress heard quiet footsteps trailing behind her, initiating her plan.

"You look nice," Devi said with a smirk. It took all of Radha's self-control for her lips not to curl into a faint smile. Don't smile! You're mad at her!

"Did I not look nice before?" she says, her voice purposefully devoid of emotion.

"I never said that."

Radha scoffed, tucking a few loose strands of hair behind her ear. Devi frowned, crossing her arms over her chest. She looked both ways, making sure the room was clear before hugging Radha from behind, Devi's arms loosely wrapped around the Basu heiress's waist. She buried her head into the crook of Radha's neck, taking pleasure in her warmth after spending the cold morning riding Deimos.

"I know what happened today." Devi stilled, Radha waited to see if she would say anything in her defense before continuing. "How long did you think you could hide this from me?"

Devi sighed, moving away from Radha. "It was an accident, the doctor said it would heal fine!"

"What if it wasn't! What if something happened to you that wouldn't heal so quickly? You can't keep recklessly endangering yourself!" Radha exclaimed, placing a hand over her forehead.

Devi's eyes widened and she took Radha's hands and placed them in hers. "Is there something else bothering you, my darling?" Radha sucked in a breath, shivering at the direct contact of her cold hands.

"N-no," her voice faltered. Devi gave her a look before pulling Radha closer to her and kissing her forehead. She rubbed her lower back as well, hoping to ease her tension.

"Please don't make me worry. We're already kept apart for most of the day, I want our few moments to be filled with joy and laughter, not sorrow."

Radha sighed, blinking away the tears forming in her eyes. It was a bittersweet feeling, to love someone so deeply that you were petrified of any danger fate may throw their way. This was her Devi. The one who comforted her when she needed support. The one who would risk her family legacy for her. The one who loved her unconditionally and never made her feel anything less than extraordinary.

"I don't want you to leave me like Raj did."

It took all of Devi's willpower not to groan. Sometimes, it astonished her how deep a scar that man left on her darling. She picked her next words carefully, her hands massaging her shoulders.

"I would never do that to you, what he did is completely different-"

"I don't mean it like that!" Radha yelps, not wanting her to get the wrong idea. She takes in a deep breath before continuing. "I know you would never do that. But you aren't blind to everything around us. I am to marry your uncle, you're to be married off to de Clare-"

"Ah! Don't remind me!"

"Devi, I just..." she runs a hand through her thick black hair. Her thoughts were a mess, there was a heavy burden placed on both of them. "I don't think I could exist in a world without you in it. I know I can't. And here you are putting yourself in danger every chance you get!"

"You know I'm doing this for us, for Rati and Kairas," her voice became strained thinking of their deaths. "How can I rest knowing there's a murderer amongst us?"

The Basu heiress sighed, looking away. Devi was right, and her heart ached with a strong desire to make those responsible for the fire pay. They would suffer for the pain they caused. The damage was done, but unfortunately for them, they will not be given an ounce of mercy.

Devi smiled softly, her fingers tilting Radha's chin upwards to meet her gaze. She teases, "You will never lose me, even if I come back as a bhoot I will only haunt you."

Radha rolled her eyes lovingly. "How romantic you are, Miss Sharma."

Devi smirks, her lips grazing Radha's ear. She whispers:

"There is nobody I could ever love more than I love you..."

Basu Residence, Present Day

The woman collapsed, breathing heavily. Her hair was disheveled and her hands felt dirty from the dried ink rubbing off on them. She tried rocking back and forth to quell the murmurs in her head as the tingling sensation in her fingertips gnawed away at her psyche. The man from earlier ran back, bringing a glass of water. He placed it near a bench before crouching next to her.

“Miss, are you alright?” the man tried comforting her. She remained still, unable to form coherent words.

I must be going insane.

“Y-yes, don’t make a big deal out of it,” she smoothed over the ends of her skirt. “I’m fine.”

The man looked puzzled, staring at her for a beat too long. The woman looked confused. She snapped her fingers to call for his attention.

“I apologize, it's just--you remind me of them,” he vaguely gestures at the portraits. "I've heard the rumors but seeing you face-to-face after so long..."

She rolls her eyes. “How clever you are. This may come as a shock, but we are related.”

He shakes his head, chuckling. “No, I mean you have their fire. I haven’t seen it in quite some time. You come from a family of very strong-willed women, you know.”

She was hit by a sudden pang of sadness by his intensity. No, I don't know. Questions immediately surfaced at the forefront of her mind. Who were those women? Why did she see them just now? Did they manage to protect their relationship till the very end?

She didn’t say anything, but hearing the man's words made her feel like she’d lost something she’d never known. Like a piece of her past was being erased right in front of her.

And the worst part? She didn't even know what she was missing.