#this isn’t a WIP or anything just felt like sketching her

[cuteniaarts]

Baby girl. Baby

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

Don't Speak 22

Warnings: this fic will include dark content such as dubcon/noncon, obsession, stalking, manipulation, reclusive behaviour, disordered eating, dissociation, and other possible triggers. My warnings are not exhaustive, enter at your own risk.

This is a dark!fic and explicit. 18+ only. Your media consumption is your own responsibility. Warnings have been given. DO NOT PROCEED if these matters upset you.

Summary: Reader is a reclusive loner who ventures down to the library on a simple mission. Her task is complicated by the man she meets there. (f!short!reader)

Character: librarian!Andy Barber

Note: So Tuesday was a mess.

As per usual, I humbly request your thoughts! Reblogs are always appreciated and welcomed, not only do I see them easier but it lets other people see my work. I will do my best to answer all I can. I’m trying to get better at keeping up so thanks everyone for staying with me <3

Your feedback will help in this and future works (and WiPs, I haven’t forgotten those!)

Love you all. Take care. 💖

Dr. Kemp leans forward, elbows on his knees as he watches you. Patient, intent, he listens without distraction to every word you say. His attention is almost eerie but only because you’re not used to it. He hangs off of every word.

“I don’t hate Amber,” you frown and hug your legs, only then realising how small you’ve made yourself in the chair, “I love her… I just don’t know if she ever loved me.”

He nods and sits up, dragging his fingers down his chin as he props an elbow on the armrest. He presses his finger against his mouth as he hums thoughtfully. He drops his hand and smiles.

“Are you worried about if she loves you or… are you afraid that you don’t deserve her love? Or anyone’s?” He prompts gently.

You bit down on your tongue. You lower your chin as you think. Your heart plummets deep as your skin tingles hotly.

“Both,” you admit.

“It���s like I said, sweetheart, you have to love yourself first. Then you will see how others can love you,” he drapes one leg over the other, “but we should unpack your relationship with your sister a bit further. We can’t do all that today, but we can start.”

You nod and cup your chin. You make yourself sit up and look at him. You push your feet over the edge and straighten your back.

“Codependency. It’s very toxic. Amber has her flaws, as we all do. What you’ve pointed out about her isn’t out of the question but I don’t know her, I can’t diagnose her. But I can help you draw boundaries and make sense of things,” he explains, “you feel that you were a burden, that you were entirely helpless without her. Did you ever consider she felt the same way? That she attached herself to you because otherwise, she felt useless.”

You look above him and examine the curtain. That’s easier than looking him in the face. You put your hands in your lap and wring them tightly. No, you never thought of it that way because that can’t be true.

“Why… why would she feel like that? I give her nothing. I’m…”

“Now, let’s stop right there,” he raises a thick finger, “what did I say about talking about yourself? Be kind.”

“Yes, Doctor,” you murmur, “I’m sorry.”

“You don’t owe me an apology, you owe yourself one.”

You bow your head guiltily. The more you talk to him, the more aware you are of all your bad habits. Isn’t this supposed to help you feel better? Not feel worse?

“It’s work, it hurts and then it feels good,” he says, “but the important thing is that you keep going. You keep the progress up, even if some days we don’t take a step forward, he have to keep looking ahead.” He lowers his hand over the end of the armrest, “I think this week you should write about Amber, try to get your thoughts out. Along with your other homework which is…”

You blink at him and give a dumb look. He smiles, “be nice to you. I want you to write down everything you do all week to that end. Baths, moisturising, reading a book, sketching something, anything that makes you happy.”

“Okay,” you grip your knees, slowly trailing your hands up to tug down the pleats of your skirt. You’re not used to it, you almost forgot you were wearing the thing, “I’ll try.”

“You’ll do great,” he encourages, “you already have done so much.”

🕊️

You're exhausted after the session. Almost despondent on the drive to Andy's as everything Steve said swirls in your mind. A thousand thoughts to add to your already overcrowded head. 

"Honey," Andy's voice cuts through your trance, "are you okay?"

"Uh, I'm sorry," you say, stunned to find the car parked in front of his house, his eyes boring into you with concern, "yeah, I'm fine."

"Oh, you haven't said a word," he slides the keys free of the ignition, "and you weren't responding."

"No, no, it's... I was thinking."

"Ah," he nods, hesitating to get out of the car as he hovers his hand against the door, "about... did Steve say something?"

"Um, just about stuff," you reply evasively, "nothing big."

"Well, you now I'm always here for you, right? That you can talk to me too?"

You nod and fake a smile. He's nice and all but you can't tell him everything. You can't even tell Steve everything you put in your journal. Somethings are meant just for you.

"I know," you murmur, "is it alright if I lay down for a bit. I'm really tired out."

"Sure you can, dove," he reaches over you caress the crease of your skirt, "just for a little. You don't want to waste the day."

"I won't," you promise and pull the handle on your door.

You turn and hide your face from him. He's right but it still irks you. Sometimes he can be so bossy. You've done what he wants. You're doing the therapy, so why can't you have one day to just burrow away.

🕊️

You spend your time alone staring at the ceiling, all tied up with Andy’s suggestion. Don’t sleep the day away. Sigh, now you can’t even close your eyes. You’re too worried about doing just that.

After a few hours, you give up, hoping to find some solace in a cup of tea. You can pop out and assure Andy that you’re awake. Maybe you should work on the painting. He must be getting impatient for that as well.

You pull on a loose wooly cardigan, the one with the patch sewn into it, and hide your clingy t-shirt beneath it.  You come downstairs and pass the archway of the living room. The TV is lit up with the menu but Andy’s nowhere to be found.

You hear him. You go further down and peek into the kitchen. Something tinkles against porcelain as you watch him pour the contents of a bag into a bowl. There are several set out already, on a neat wooden tray with two glass bottles of soda.

“Um…” you step into the doorway. “I… was going to put the kettle on.”

He looks over at you and smiles. It’s only then you notice his clothing. A pair of thin plaid pajamas and a navy blue sweatshirt. He looks cozy. You’re not used to that. He’s all buttoned-up and tidy.

“Oh, sure,” he says, “I can get some tea out… but er,” he sets the bowl with the rest, “you kinda walked in on my surprise.”

“Surprise?” You wonder.

“Yeah, uh, I was thinking we could do a movie night. Your choice,” he presses closed the seal of the M&Ms bag and puts it at the back of the counter. “I got all these snacks and some soda if you like, but if you want tea instead–”

“Oh,” you bat your lashes.

“Oh?” He sounds nervous as he echoes your syllable.

“I… I wasn’t expecting this. I…” you fold your arms over your stomach, “you really… did all this?”

You tiptoe forward and raise your chin to see onto the tray. He grins proudly as you near and see the assortment of snacks; trail mix, chips, gummies, chocolate…

“Pretty simple but I figured maybe it would be fun.”

You suck your lower lip in and look up at him. His eyes are shining, almost hopeful. He did all this for you. He actually wants to spend time with you. He was even excited about it.

“It’s wonderful,” you say, “I hope… I hope you don’t think I’m ungrateful. Only surprised.”

“Of course, honey,” he slides the tray off the counter, “let me get this.”

He carries the spread across the kitchen and you trail him into the front room. You linger at the threshold as he sets down the snacks on the low coffee table. The room smells of raspberry. You hum at the scent and notice the candle already lit on the table. The lights are dim as the flame lends a flicker to the space.

“Like it?” Andy looks up at your audible sniff. 

“Smells nice,” you assure him.

“Well? You gonna just stand there or find something to watch?”

“Oh, uh, yeah,” you scurry over as he holds out the remote.

You sit on the couch and he drops down beside you. As you sit forward, he leans back, his arm stretched out behind you carelessly. You flick through the title cards of all the movies, intimidated by the endless selection.

“What kind of movies do you like?” You ask, almost embarrassed to choose one yourself.

“Whatever you like, dove,” he says.

It feels like the back of your shirt is moving, just along the bottom. The sensation is so light and you’re too nervous to look at Andy. You put your elbow on your knee and cup your chin. You guess it doesn’t really matter. You choose a title your recognise, not recalling what the movie is about.

“Don’t forget to dig in,” Andy sits up.

“Er, okay,” you put the remote down and take the bottle of soda. You read the label in the low light. It looks fancy. You try to twist the metal cap off but it threatens to cut into your hand. “Ow.”

“Here,” Andy reaches over, “let me.”

He grips the neck and pops off the metal lid with ease. He hands it back to you and takes his own. You thank him under your breath and hover your mouth over the top. You take a sip, the bubbles tickling your nose.

“Mmm,” you hide a cough at the carbonation, “ooh, pretzels.”

You reach for one of the twisted treats. He chuckles as the credits play and he takes a rippled chip. You bite into a pretzel and focus on the screen. He’s sitting so close. You glance over, there’s lots of couch free.

You nibble nervously as the opening scene plays. You focus on the dialogue, not quite picking up on everything. The movie’s much more serious than you expected. You finish a handful of the dry food and wash it down with soda before flopping back.

You squint at the screen and try to untangle the furling plot. It’s kind of boring. You hide a yawn in your cuff and keep your hand to your mouth. The scene shifts and suddenly a bed frame rocks, knocking against the wall as the camera pans down to reveal the two bodies writhing on the mattress.

Oh my! There’s always one of these scenes.

You fight not to close your eyes. You’re mortified as you stare wide-eyed, the room hotly silent except for the activity on screen. You can hear Andy’s breaths and your own. His foot moves as he adjusts his leg and you flinch, almost expecting him to move closer. No, why would he do that?

The scene finally ends. That was torture. Amber always lets you fast forward through those ones. You lean forward to hide your discomfort with another swig of soda. Andy clears his throat but doesn’t comment.

You munch on a mixture of sweet and salty, your stomach squirming. You’re just going to make yourself sick. You recline again, eyes burning and itchy as they threaten to close. No, you don’t want to upset Andy. You can’t fall asleep.

The man and woman argue in the street. You don’t know who would ever do that. Those sorts of conversations are better behind closed doors. You don’t really get relationships; they seem confusing and stressful.

You arch your back, stretching out a kink in your side and a snort from beside you makes you flinch. You don’t look over, not until it comes again. Andy’s shadow sits with its head back, nose to the ceiling as he snores. Oh no, he fell asleep first!

You’re almost happy it’s him. You were so afraid of doing so, fearing at how he might react. You just think it’s funny. This movie really is boring.

You giggle and call his name. He doesn’t react. You call again, “wake up.”

Still nothing. You chew your lip and raise a shaky hand. You touch his arm, poking him with two fingers. You repeat his name. He’s now waking up. You nudge him hard and he slips, first one way then back towards you. Before you can react, he folds over onto your lap.

His weight hits your legs and you squeak. You don’t think as you grab onto his shoulder and try to shake him. He’s so heavy! And big. The difference between you is obvious but even more in that moment. He is immovable, like a boulder crushing you.

“Andy,” you say, “please, wake up.”

He bends his arm and grips your knee, nestling in as he snorts deeper. He must be exhausted. He drove you all the way to therapy and then got all these snacks together for movie night. And now, he can’t even enjoy it. All for you. All his effort spoiled because of you.

You deflate and sink back into the cushions. You kick your legs and try to wiggle free of him. You can’t seem to get out. You surrender and look at the screen. You guess you’ll finish this darn movie.

[frozensoapbubble]

No real WIP, but a rediscovered Pixane scene

I was tagged by @fabrowrites to do a WIP challenge!

Rules: post the names of all the files in your WIP folder regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous. Let people send you an ask with the title that most intrigues them, and then post a little snippet of it or tell them something about it! And then tag as many people as you have WIPs. This isn’t just for writing either. Sketch titles? Comics? DnD campaigns? If you have an unfinished project, it counts!!

Now, first of all I'm extremely bad at tagging (kinda reluctant to impose myself on people who've never heard of me because I'm usually so quiet here), so I've decided that whoever happens to see this post, just go for it and join the challenge (and feel free to tag me)!

Second, I checked my folders and realized I've got various files with a mix of disconnected scenes, fragments, summaries, meta ramblings, even sketch titles, but hardly any of them can be called a WIP that I intend to finish. They have names like "Silly", "Fragments", "Ways to get a kiss", and "Sketch ideas" ...

But ...

... I also found an interesting Pixane scene, set shortly after Seabound, and when I started perusing it, one sentence leapt out at me: “You have downregulated large parts of your emotional circuits, haven’t you?”

Ouch. I wrote this literally months before we got a Crystalized trailer or any other leaked content, so my scene is playing out differently than what we now know happened in canon. But I'm just putting it out here for all the Pixane stans who would have liked to see a bit more internal conflict with regards to that emotion regulation thing than what the writers cared to acknowledge on screen.

Functional

Post-Seabound, Hurt/Little Comfort, 837 words

The monastery was quiet when the two nindroids walked down the hallway; quiet except for some faint noises coming from Lloyd’s room. He had hardly appeared outside since Nya’s memorial and avoided to go back to his usual training routine. Instead, the green ninja had taken to tinkering with an old jukebox and tested it with a record that Cole had once bought on a whim, because it reminded him of old times and the moments when Zane had used his funny switch.

“HELLO, MY BABY. Hello, my honey …” the jukebox suddenly blared, making both Zane and Pixal jump. They heard Kai swearing in the next room, while Lloyd muttered an apology and hastened to switch the offensive music off.

“He mentioned that the volume control gets stuck easily,” Pixal said stoically.

Zane nodded. “I’ve noticed.”

His voice was as calm as hers. They entered his room, and she gave him a sideways glance when she closed the door behind them.

“It doesn’t seem to bother you.” She turned round fully and looked into his eyes. “You have downregulated large parts of your emotional circuits, haven’t you?”

“I …” He dropped his gaze. “Yes. I have.”

“I understand. Me too. I’ve done it before.” She paused and looked at him, a hint of fondness appearing on her face as if she dimly remembered the feelings she used to have for him.

He automatically took a step closer to cup her face with his hands, but pulled away when he felt the coldness of her skin. His hands were cold, too. Everything was cold. He had numbed the pain and the grief, but he couldn’t feel anything else, either. Touching her skin was supposed to elicit a reaction in him, to make him feel warm, and happy, and confident. It didn’t.

He turned away. Perhaps they were better off like this.

“I promised Jay to take him down to the sea tomorrow,” he said with a slight shrug. “I … I cannot do that if I feel too human.”

“I know. I was with Kai the other day. He needed assistance repairing his bike, not someone whose voice would glitch and whose hands would tremble whenever we’d use one of Nya’s tools.”

Zane looked up and decided to make another attempt. He gently took his companion’s hand. It was as cold as his, but at least the cold was better than the emptiness. He didn’t quite know how she felt about it. At any rate, she didn’t pull back.

All of a sudden, the music started again.

“HELLO, MY RAGTIME GAL. Send me a …” This time, they heard Cole angrily knocking on the wall as well, and the music immediately broke off.

“A kiss,” Zane whispered, his eyes fixed on the floor.

“Yes,” Pixal said quietly. “But you know it won’t feel like … it should. Not unless …”

She did not finish the sentence.

“Unless we reactivate our emotions.”

She nodded.

He gave her a quick glance. “If you feel like … allowing yourself to cry,” he said slowly, “I wouldn’t mind. Don’t be ashamed of it.”

There was a silence.

“Just tonight.”

“Yes, just tonight. Tomorrow we will be droids again.”

She hesitated, and then suddenly wrapped her arms around him. He didn’t know whether it was her body or his that began shaking, whether the stifled sobs came from his throat or hers. He held her so close they both had difficulty to breathe, but she didn’t seem to mind. She clung to him and hid her face in the crook of his neck, and he silently sobbed into her hair. It took minutes before either of them regained a little self-control. Finally, he loosened his embrace a little and tilted his head back to look at her.

“It’s bad, isn’t it.”

“Yes,” she said simply. “I cannot imagine what our human friends go through.”

He nodded without making an attempt to smile. “They must find their own way to cope. We cannot advise them. Grief is individual.”

“But we can be there for them anyway,” she replied.

“Oh yes, we will. That is what we were designed for.”

He ran a hand through her disheveled hair and tucked a silver strand behind her ear. “But tonight is about us.”

She raised her hand, and he closed his eyes when she gently touched his face. “May I?”

This time, a little smile accompanied his nod. She stood on tiptoes and gently brushed her lips against his cold cheek. Before he could return the affectionate gesture, a heavy clank, followed by Lloyd’s angry outcry, disturbed the silence of the monastery once more. A door banged open, and Jay was heard screaming at the top of his voice, hysterically demanding everyone to be silent and respect the needs of those who happened to be grieving, thank you very much.

The nindroids looked at each other.

“They need us,” Zane stated, his expression becoming blank again.

Pixal nodded, emotionless, and opened the door.

“They need us functional.”

[seavoice]

I need to ask about i dont believe in an interventionist god for the directors cut. it made me bawl

Hey, thank you so much! Since you haven’t mentioned a particular aspect of it you were curious about, I’m going to ramble a bit about Adam/Luke and Annabeth’s meeting, since it’s the main part of the fic. If you have anything specific though feel free to shoot another ask!

Oh man, i don’t believe in an interventionist god is a (relative) oldie but it is very close to my heart. It was one of those ideas that came to me randomly in the middle of another story and I just had to put it down in full before it became one of my many, many half-written WIPs. I think it got written in one night, because I was worried if I second-thought it, it would never get written. It’s a fairly hairy idea lol, so. 

I had a lot of fun sneaking in as many easter eggs as I could before the “reveal”. I struggled to find a balance between how much I was writing about this guy called Adam Tartal and how much I’m writing about a Luke Castellan reincarnation, because on one hand, I’ve sketched out a life story/motivation system for essentially an OC, and that is always hit or miss with fanfiction. But on the other hand, one thing that I’m not the biggest fan of in reincarnation fics is having the reincarnated person still being too much of their former self! I wanted Adam to have a rich internal life separate from Luke, while still having some minor character details that were familiar to the readers.

It made sense that Annabeth–still in her first life–would be reminded of Luke, but Adam in his second wouldn’t be able to place her. It’s bittersweet, but ultimately less painful than remembering and yearning something that cannot be true anymore. He’s not even her doctor, or a primary care-taker on her team, and it’s just that one half an hour in another life that he gets to be with her. The idea of a reborn person being remembered forever only for his first life--like it is some truer life in some sense—always makes me feel sad, which is why Luke’s name isn’t mentioned at all anyway in the story; out of the people in this fic, that life only mattered to Annabeth and Thalia, and it felt like an injustice to have that history hang like a shroud over Adam or the people who know Adam (is this a little insane of me to feel so strongly about this? perhaps).

This was my favorite part to write. Annabeth tells him about the Greek Underworld and they end up talking about her impending death; she's not dying yet but still:

He tried to keep his tone light. “So, the aim is to make it to these Elysian Fields?”

“There’s another part of this Underworld I didn’t tell you about. Isles of the Blest,” she said. “Rebirth. I think...I’ll try thrice.”

Despite himself, Adam felt himself smiling. “Overachiever.”

It’s supposed to mirror this part of The Last Olympian between Luke and Annabeth, with the roles reversed:

Luke gazed at Annabeth. "You knew. I almost killed you, but you knew . . ."

"Shhh." Her voice trembled. "You were a hero at the end, Luke. You'll go to Elysium."

He shook his head weakly. "Think . . . rebirth. Try for three times. Isles of the Blest." 

Annabeth sniffled. "You always pushed yourself too hard."

One final goodbye for Annabeth, a happier one, in another better life.

[hilarychuff]

5, 9, 17?

5. Do you have any writing superstitions? What are they and why are they 100% true?

hmmmmm do i have any writing superstitions

i mean i don't think it is like bad luck to write out of chronological order but i do think like... fat chance you'll be writing the same exact story you anticipated by the time you get to the part you were writing in advance. i talked about that a lil here too

maybe that is not true for others though like maybe if you have a really clear idea of what you want to happen you can do that but for me it is just a recipe for having to kill your darlings probably

that said again i do like to jot down notes for what i'm working towards so that i can do a lot of plotting/potential problem solving/sketching out chapter lengths (specific to i carry it in mine really bc of the perspective swap) at once and the way i write my notes is p entertaining to me

9. Do you believe in ghosts? This isn’t about writing I just wanna know

i answered that one before too!! here it is

????¿¿¿¿ i don’t know tbh!!!! i believe some things are def unexplainable and i don’t like to think that when you die you are just dead. personally, i have never had any kind of ghost encounter that wasn’t probably just some like sleep paralysis nightmare. i have friends who have their OWN ghost encounters and not just in a one-off kind of way, but then you also read all those things that are like “old haunted houses actually plagued by carbon monoxide leaks probably” and it’s like well that makes a lot of sense lmao.

reading an article about the original/real conjuring house with the perrons was v fascinating though, i’ll say that. not that they couldn’t have all collaborated on that together but i am certainly of the mind that we do not know all there is to know or all there ever will be to know about the world around us!! we’re still learning! regardless though i love a ghost story or piece of ghost media.

to add: i did also recently meet a 10 year old who told me in the middle of a VERY serious conversation that she can talk to ghosts and later in a serious follow up conversation she told me that her mom can too and whatever my take on the supernatural may be, i definitely believe that she believes it

17. Talk to me about the minutiae of your current WIP. Tell me about the lore, the history, the detail, the things that won’t make it in the text.

hmmmm ok i have a couple things in the pipeline right now 

i haaaaave 

1) ideas brewing for howl 3. as far as i’ve gotten, can’t decide if i want to tell any of it from jon’s perspective. that feels very breaking dawn in the twilight saga to me lmao but also sidney is not in so much of scream 3 that it feels like it might be a good narrative adaptation??? but haven’t committed to anything yet. i have an idea of the basics of who is ghostface/why but haven’t figure out yet a) how to make it not super obvious (tricky for howl 2 and i managed by mostly keeping things off page which worked imo only because it was a faithful adaptation if you only stick closely to sansa/sidney’s perspective) b) the actual details of like..... how it would work in practice 

2) i carry it in mine. i’ve started writing the next chapter!!!! which is a jon chapter. and which maybe had like one particularly worthwhile moment in it but i decided to split a sansa chapter into two chapters which meant i needed a jon chapter to go in between. and he’s got thoughts brewing!! but i didn’t necessarily have a lot of action steps for him. and he just had a mainly thoughts chapter. so for a long time i was like.... idk what to write here i’ll come back to it later. and now i have revisited it more and i’m like.... wait what about THIS. something that felt obvious but i hadn’t considered it before. and now i’m like???? does that change the potential narrative??? do i want to update what happens next to accommodate that potential change? is there a way to have that update while also neutering it so it doesn’t have a larger impact??? the next jon chapter is also potentially more thinky and reacty. idk i want to give them equal weight and not do jon a disservice just bc i am a sansa gal at heart but also it just so happens that right now sansa is at a more action packed part of the story!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ugh

3) i have some finished au graphics that don’t have blurbs written for them yet for various reasons one i haven’t figured out the like surrounding cast of characters necessarily for the “ft. a as x, b as y, c as z” part at the bottom of them. i also haven’t gotten around to writing the blurb at all but i don’t think that’ll be the tricky part. 

i am always like hesitant to say what they are in advance bc i am a lil gremlin hoarding ideas lmfao look at me being so cautious literally why and for what 

anyway i also have another that was fully done but i had two final versions i couldn’t pick between and @loulanorth very sweetly let me bounce some ideas around and i think after much Contemplation™️ i finally decided which one is THE final one but now i have to write the blurb

i have another one where honestly the finished version of the graphic has been in my drafts for fully seven months. it’s one where i think i really want to actually write something for it, and i started the other day. but then i was like “idk if this is how arya would actually respond” and it threw me for a loop. idk i find myself like... i was telling @chdarling yesterday that i think when writing my obstacle is not with getting the words on paper so much as it is with knowing what the characters would do. i want to find the objectively correct answer but also sometimes there isn’t a single objectively correct answer. but what if there is!!! i want to find it!!!!!! and then sometimes it’s just like. ok sigh. maybe you can wait until it comes to you. wait out the contemplation percolation stage. but then other times.... does it really matter???? what if you just picked one that suited the story you are trying to tell and then fleshed out why they feel that way. doesn’t that work??? idk. letting it percolate a lil longer just to see

and then then i have another finished graphic but again some of the background casting/mechanics haven’t been fleshed out yet so i can’t write the blurb until i figure out all the moving parts

ALSO not jonsa or sansa related at all, i also have a marauders era mediator au that i started back in like 2015 that i started rewriting in maybe like 2020 that i don’t want to publish any of until i am at least caught up to where i was but also have no incentive to work on really because nobody is waiting for it so lmao. but that one is fun and i like to think about it when i’m feeling marauders vibes. but in adapting the mediator series framework i just have ideas for a larger overarching character arc/romance and it would take SO LONG TO WRITE!!!! that it’s almost like. anyway!!!!! maybe it’s just fun to have ideas!!!! lmfao 

[chibitantei]

@ofhope sent:

He'd never had a sibling, before. Nevermind a little brother, and then a little sister. What did siblings like? What did little sisters like? Naoto was a phenomenon -- a reminder Galo often gave, normally with a flourish and an improvised name, and Naoto deserved something just as phenomenal!

It took time and effort, but the best things did. Took blueprinting; took WIPs, took erased pencil sketches and refined ones. What would be useful to a detective? It took many designs, but at some point, Galo'd settled on a... well.

"Dude, you have no idea how long I've been waiting for today," hands tucked none too subtly behind his back, Galo all but clambered over, bubbling and ready to burst with excitement! "Which means it's gotta be your birthday! Which I like, knew, because what kinda' family would I be if I didn't know your birthday?!"

First time he'd used that word, but it felt right, so Galo continued.

"WHAM!"

Brought into her vision, a mini-Mech, donned in patchwork blues. Made to replicate ravens, crows (Galo didn't know they were different; I mean how could they be?), the little raven-crow fluttered above his palms to further illustrate its groundbreaking epicness.

"THE CLUE ELIMINATOR OF MASS AWESOMENESS! This 'lil guy isn't so little, she can store recorded memos in her own specialized data bank! She isn't WiFi compatible nor does she have Bluetooth, so anything you put in here?" plank-plank against her metal noggin, "Confidential info!  She has, like, a million-byte of storage too, so you don't gotta' worry about her running out anytime soon. Oh!"

Hastily reaching into his pocket, Galo retrieves an important object: a hat that maaay look a little too familiar, except a lot heavier and a lot less cotton.

"You gotta' name her, though. And! And and! I'm taking you BOTH out for dinner, dessert, whatever'll fill you up! My treat! Today's alllll about you, so don't hold back!"

Naoto's Birthday | Open

Crime didn’t come to a halt when it was her birthday, but today, it seemed it did. No meetings to sit through, no notes to be taken as Grampa spoke and everyone took him seriously. As he promised whenever he could, there would be a birthday dinner, celebration that he was around to see her grow another year older, and a small present.

So when Galo excitedly brought her over to his not-so-secret hideaway, Naoto wasn’t sure what to expect. But those doubts would be knocked away by his signature, bombastic way of hyping things up. From hands that were obviously hiding something behind his back to the grand gesture of showing off a...

Naoto blinked once, just to make sure she wasn’t just seeing things.

A robotic corvid, made of steel with wires and circuits keeping it together. It hovered over his palm, light as a feather, and even the knock against its metallic noggin couldn’t dissuade Naoto from analyzing it as best as she could. How much time went into it, what made it tick and so forth. For a brief moment in time, it was like she was seated at a desk many years in the past, eagerly and carefully taking a radio apart. 

To top it off, a hat reminiscent of her own, except much smaller and much more uncomfortable to wear. Not for her new robotic companion, though.  Her palm outstretched, and the little corvid fluttered over. The other hand graciously accepted the extra addition.

Needed a name, as Galo pointed out.

“I’ll have to name her later.” She was never good at this sort of thing, especially if it was on the spot. “Quite the useful little thing, isn’t she?” Of course he’d know, he made her.

Made.

Another commonality.

Not related by blood and yet... what could she describe Galo as but an older brother?

“Well, there is a nearby restaurant I like...”

[fenheart87]

Tall Cappuccino

Felt good to finish something and it started the ball rolling on other WIPs that I've been neglecting. Enjoy this humorous one shot based off my mom and her best friend creating a "coffee code" to talk to about cute guys and it backfiring. Did not work as well as it does for these two though.

“Girl, you need to get over Greg-” Alya started, opening the door to the coffee shop and holding it for Marinette and a few other customers.

“His name was Fillippe.”

“Or whatever his name was and get back out there! You are so sweet and beautiful and your parents have the best pastries in Paris-”

“Are you proposing marriage to me or my family?” Marinette frowned playfully when Alya reached out to pull her ponytail.

“Hush you, my point is we need to scout for potential dates for you. We can treat it like undercover research, a much better version than those schemes from our lycee days. Oh, we can have a codename for the hot guys we see so we’re not obvious about it. So where do we want to start looking?” The reporter stepped in line, glancing at the menu with half hearted interest.

“My dreams?” Marinette scooted forward so a barista could pass through, the balance of that many drinks was an amazing feat.

“I’m just saying you need to open your horizons and take a chance. You could get any guy’s number you so much as smile at and while I’m glad you don’t use your powers for evil, you need to use them to snag a boyfriend.” “All lies, do you think the caramel mocha will have caramel or just be a poor imitation?” Marinette pondered aloud, scanning the drink specials but not impressed by anything.

“You’re so coffee obsessed… Hold on a minute, what if we made a code using coffee to scope out some guys? Then maybe you obsession for coffee will lead you to true love instead of just a heart attack!” Alya grinned at her suggestion, not in the slightest put off by the dark glare coming from the shorter woman.

“Fine, since you’re so adamant about it, you buy me coffee every time we meet up to find my ‘perfect cup of coffee’ and you have a deal.”

“See, you’re already getting into it!”

The agreement took a couple weeks before they could actually start looking as both women had jobs that kept them busy and spare time didn’t match up often. A couple weeks later saw Marinette walking into the coffee shop named The Brew and savoring the rich smells of freshly crushed coffee beans. Alya had texted her that she made it first and had ordered a large cup of the newest creation for her and to not be late if she didn’t want cold coffee. Spotting her friend’s red hair, Marinette made her way over to the table and dropped herself into her chair.

“You are a zombie before coffee, it’s kind of creepy.” Her best friend pushed forward the cappuccino topped with whipped cream and sprinkles. “Drink up, I need your brain working to remember our code or we’ll never get anywhere.”

“I told you not to over plan it and you did anyways didn’t you?” Alya nudged the drink closer until she had to pick it up to keep it from falling in her lap. “Fine, three minutes.”

“I know girl, now you enjoy that and I’m going to get you a muffin and I want a scone.”

Marinette eyed the drink in suspicion but took a sip anyway, it was mocha with chocolate chips. Sighing in relief that the sprinkles were harmless decoration, until she would get to the part where she risked inhaling them with her coffee, the designer took a few more drinks. Slowly she could feel the warm feeling spread, her mind finally kicking in gear and half of it planning out her work for the day and the other half worrying about what insanity her best friend cooked up.

“Okay, so you like cappuccinos the best and you like chocolate chip muffins. Cappuccino is like an 8-10 and muffin is 5-8, hot chocolate can be a 3-5 and water is anything less. That’s how we can judge the drinks and get a better idea on what your perfect drink is.”

“You are terrible but okay, free coffee is hard to say no to.”

The first day was a total bust, no Alya I’m sure I’m not interested in girls, and they tried two coffee shops before they had to get back to their lives. Meeting up whenever they could was nice because it brought them closer instead of being too busy to talk longer than a few short calls or messages here and there. Although Alya enjoyed sending pictures and asking for a coffee rating of random guys, to which Marinette would reply with the matching emoji and sometimes even send some artfully taken pictures back.

A random Tuesday found them back at The Brew and for once Marinette beat Alya to the coffee shop. Deciding as it was midday and not early morning, she could wait for her coffee supplier to get there before ordering, Marinette found a table. Pulling out her phone to check for any updates from her best friend, and seeing none, she pulled out her current draft sketches and set to fixing or modifying the parts that didn’t blend with the look she was going for. Every so often the bell would ding and draw her attention, even going so far as to take a picture and send it with an emoji to Alya who was still stuck at work.

“Okay, this isn’t working but why?” The designer mumbled to herself, attention broken easily as she needed a distraction and turned her gaze to the door. A mistake because the man that walked in was stunning in the subtle smokey way, ripped jeans and well loved hoodie complete with steel toed boots. After her designer side was satisfied she skipped to his face and lost her breath. Blue, blue eyes brought out by the blue tipped hair and easy smile as he waved to the baristas in greeting. Quickly she opened her phone and texted Alya a hastily typed CAPPUCCINO. In perfect but dramatic timing her best friend loved so much, Alya walked in right as she sent that text.

“Hey girl, sorry to keep you waiting. There was an issue with the main story and printing and it was a nightmare! You didn’t have to wait to get a coffee, I would’ve paid you back.” She took off her jacket and hung it on the back of the chair along with her reporter messenger bag. “Oh well, I’m here now so what do you want today?”

“That tall cappuccino.”

“You and your obsession girl I swear. Should I surprise you with the flavor?”

“Nope, I want that tall blueberry cappuccino.” Marinette tried to hint towards the cute guy who was giving his order at the counter.

“Tall blueberry cappuccio?” Alya studied her for a moment, following her eyes to the blue haired stranger. “Oh, oh, got it! Good taste girl, you sure want the blueberry cappuccino? Different from your usual tastes.”

“Were you not the one who said I need to broaden my horizons and try new things with an open mind?”

“True, well then I’m hungry so I’ll be back.” Alya joined the line and left Marinette waiting anxiously. To distract herself, she focused on her sketch that was being stubborn. A ding from her phone had her admitting defeat and putting away her sketches in the folder she carried. Turning on her phone, the designer saw a picture message from Alya titled hot cappuccino. Clicking on it, the picture loaded to show a very fine rear encased in well loved black denim which happened to be the exact same pants her tall cappuccino happened to be wearing. She was going to kill her best friend.

"They don't have any muffins but you can share my scone if you want." Alya returned to her seat, offering the scone to Marinette who declined.

“Excuse me, I overheard you mention that you were interested in the tall cappuccino with blueberry so I thought I would bring you one.” Said tall blueberry cappuccino had stopped by Marinette’s side of the table and waited with a smile, with drink in hand. Alya pursed her lips in amusement, hiding her laughter by taking a sip of coffee. The designer’s desperate look of ‘oh god why me, help!’ was missed by the stranger as his name was called for the rest of his order.

“One scone and croissant roll for Luka, who had the order for the blue caps!”

“Ah, that’s me,” He smiled at the dazed woman, setting the drink down. “I hope you enjoy the drink. It’s a favorite of mine and Joel makes it the best if you want to order it again. Have a good day ladies.”

“Alya!”

“Mm, very nice cappuccino.”

“Alya, no! You just can’t leave me like that!”

“Babe,” Alya looked around and lifted her feet to look under them, “where exactly did I go?”

“You know what I mean!” Marinette groaned and hid her face behind her hands. “I totally had no response and I was not expecting that at all. He must think I’m lame.”

“There’s always the next cappuccino or you can always reorder the blueberry.” The reporter relished in the drawn out groan from her best friend, finishing off her scone.

The pair ran into Mr. Blueberry Cappuccino a few more times over their next several outings to scope out possible dates or let Marinette vent about her failed ones. The Brew was becoming a second home and the employees were starting to remember the woman and their orders. Today they even had their favorites prepared only to find out it all had been paid for.

"What?"

"Already paid for honey, someone must think you're cute." Joel winked in a flirty way, making Marinette laugh as his boyfriend smacked his shoulder on the way by.

"Uh-huh, what makes you say that exactly?"

"Well honey, not just any man buys a pretty lady a drink. And not just any man continues to do so when his lady of interest is missing a very big clue." Joel smiled and waved to an elderly couple as they left, turning to grab some muffins for the table of six for the kids. "He's not being very subtle and I feel like you don't know when someone is into you versus just likes what he sees. So, pay attention to your drink this time and please make or break his heart."

"Whatever you say Joel, whatever you say." The designer finally took her drink back to the table where Alya was already working.

"Sorry girl, I have to edit these and figure out the order by tomorrow. Any good drinks lately?"

"Bunch of water, glad to finally get a taste of my cappuccino again. Can you believe they won't let us have anything but water? Like I get it around the fabric and materials but not even in the break room." Marinette ranted waving her hands slightly until she knocked over her cup. "Oh! Geez I am such a klutz."

"Girl, when are you going to find a good luck charm to counter all that bad luck?"

"You know that's not it!" She hurried to clean up her mess, a barista dropped a rag on the table as they passed by with a tray full of muffins. Carefully she cleaned up her minor spill and waited off her cup only to notice there was a blue smudge on the outside. Taking a closer look, it seems like smeared numbers. A ten digit number. "I think it's good luck disguised as bad luck because I need to be more creative and get out of my own head. I'll be right back!"

"What? Marinette, what the heck?" The reporter watched in concern as her best friend went up to the counter and waved Joel down to ask him a question. Said barista laughed loudly and patted a disappointed Marinette on the head and gave her a refill.

"Someone has been trying to get my attention but since you always buy my drink per our agreement, he can't pay for it so he asks Joel to leave his number on the cup. Which I've been throwing away without noticing. And he won't tell me who it is!"

"Oh? Mysterious admirer vying for your attention using the thing you love the most in this world? Well do go on." The tanner of the duo teased, smiling at the half hearted smack to her arm.

"This just means I need to come here as much as I can and catch him. Or make Joel tell me."

"Marinette?" The new voice caused her to turn around to see Juleka whom she was partnering with for her latest project.

"Hey Juleka, did everything fit okay?"

"Yeah, just like always. I thought your coffee addiction was only an early morning thing?"

"Oh no, this girl could drink twice her weight in coffee and still accept another cup." Alya butted in, laughing as Marinette turned a bright shade of red.

"Why don't you go get us refills, you're not working on your project anyway."

"Fine." The reporter sighed playfully before heading to the counter.

"Sorry, best friends are always crazy."

"No worries… So what's your favorite drink so far?"

"Blueberry cappuccino, haven't really given it a fair try though since I only got a couple loo- sips before I had to leave."

"Uh-huh, a tall blueberry cappuccino huh?" Juleka glanced towards the counter where her brother was ordering, his stupid hat covering his signature hair and shot a quick text to change their order. "Ever going to try again?"

"Maybe? I seem to have attached an admirer, Joel has been writing his number on my coffee cups."

"Yeah he likes to play cupid. Kind of like how he helped me find my strawberry frappe." The dawning look of surprise turned to embarrassment very quickly. "Also, if he doesn't man up and give you his number directly, ask me and I'll straighten him out."

"Okay?" Marinette squeaked out but she was very confused as the up and coming model sashayed to the counter. A tall man moved to let her reach for a couple cups and left him with a stern glare.

"So any idea on how you're going to grill Joel as to who your mystery guy is?" Alya inquired, resting her hip against the table.

"I have no idea. I guess il just wait until my tall blueberry cappuccino shows up again." With a sigh, Marinette began packing up her papers only to be stopped by a cup sitting directly in the middle of her papers. A large drink, the blue swirls and aroma of their dark roast cappuccino tickled her senses.

"Hey so Joel told me I should uh man up so to speak and introduce myself." The designer's gaze followed the cup to the hand holding the cup, up an arm and right into the mystery guy's eyes. Who happened to be her tall cappuccino. "I uh must confess I knew about the whole code thing from the first day and I tried to have Joel help me out by putting my number on your cups but since I never got a text or call, I figured either you weren't interested or hadn't realized."

"Do you know how small he writes? It's impossible to read tiny alien chicken scratch."

"Yeah he did that on purpose. Sorry about that but I'd still like to get to know you, if you're still interested in a certain tall blueberry cappuccino?"

"Cappuccino is my favorite."

"Well Luka is your top favorite then."

"Good, Marinette is yours."

[mxanigel]

A happier moment in Neri's past

[WIP. I don't know whether this'll stick, but I've enjoyed imagining Neri having at least one relatively happy relationship experience as an apprentice mage in the Circle. And I needed that experience to be with a female mage, for Neri's sake and for my own.]

9:25 Dragon, Cloudreach

A head full of brown hair invades my field of view, curly ringlets bouncing between me and the stolen sheet of vellum on the table. “What’cha doing, Neri?” Rosalind asks.

“Sketching.”

“So not studying.”

“Not studying, no.”

“Does Enchanter Leorah know you’re slacking?”

“Would I be slacking if she did?”

“Probably not,” she laughs.

How that sound adds color to my world, I can’t explain. But it sends the corners of my mouth twitching upward into a smile. “What are you doing, Rosalind?”

“Taking a break.” She wrinkles her nose. “You know I want you to call me Rose.”

“Right. Sorry. Habit.” Her name is so pretty. Why shorten it?

Rosal—Rose sighs. “What are you drawing this time?”

Originally, I planned to attempt her portrait, but without the inspiration in front of me, it proved too difficult. Especially since I want to surprise her with it, so I must do it right. “Blood lotus.”

“Why are you drawing that?”

“Because it’s what I was studying earlier, and if I’m caught, I could make the excuse of sketching it to better understand the plant.”

Rose’s eyes bore into mine. “It doesn’t sound like you wanted to draw it, though.”

“It’s better than reading the same dusty scroll for the tenth time.”

“Fair.” She plops onto the bench next to me and bumps her shoulder against mine. “What are you doing after dinner?”

“Whatever Senior Enchanter Sweeney asks of me.”

“After that.”

“I’m on duty tonight, Rose. No fun for me.”

“Aww. I was hoping you’d be free.” She folds her arms onto the table and drops her head onto them with an exhale that might be audible across half the library. But her next words are quiet, too quiet. “Benedict won’t stop badgering me to meet up with him, and I’m running out of ways to say no.”

Andraste’s flaming sword, not him. That apprentice has a bad habit of hearing either ‘yes’ or ‘yes, but later’ anytime he asks a girl—always a girl—to meet with him. An act far from the innocuous event the word implies. “Tell him to meet me instead.”

Rose’s head jerks upward. “You can’t be serious.”

I shrug, begging the Maker for it to appear utterly casual. “I’m fine with it. And it’s worth it if it means he’ll leave you alone.”

“Do you really think he’ll give up, just like that?”

“Wouldn’t hurt to try, right?”

She squints at me, her nose suddenly inches from mine. “Are you interested in Benedict?”

“Not particularly.”

“So why—”

“Because you aren’t, and I don’t mind, so that’s better than you dealing with it,” I hiss.

Rose’s jaw drops. “Neri, that’s sacrificing yourself. And I’m not okay with you sacrificing yourself for me.”

“It’s fine.”

“No, it isn’t—not if I’m not fine with it.” Her eyes blaze with a fury I’ve never seen from her. In fact, I’m not sure I’ve ever seen her angry. Exasperated, irritable, but never truly angry. “I’m going to tell him I’m busy. You’re not going to say anything. Or, if you do, it better be that you’re busy too.”

“Well, that is true on my part—”

“After you help out the senior enchanter, you’ll be busy with me.” And then she grabs the collar of my robes, yanks me forward, and kisses me.

Maker, the softness of her lips is ten times better than I ever imagined. She somehow smells faintly of strawberries and sunshine. I want to lose myself in these sensations, yet my rational mind invades, and I pull away. “That… I… this is, uh, unexpected.”

“But not unwanted. Right?” Her eyes shine as she manages a bashful yet worried smile. “Tell me I didn’t misread your signals.”

I was sending signals? I’ve certainly thought about her, a lot, more than anyone else near our age, but I never dreamed she would notice, let alone be interested. “N-No, you didn’t. I, uh, I’ve definitely considered it, but I never would’ve acted on those feelings, not unless I thought you felt the same.” I blink. “I didn’t realize, you know. That you thought about me like that.”

Rose scratches her cheek. “Honestly, I didn’t realize it myself until you offered to meet with Benedict in my place. When it occurred to me that I’d rather be the one you’re meeting.”

My body flushes with warmth. Andraste preserve me, how am I supposed to focus on my evening tasks now? “Are you sure about this?”

“Need me to kiss you again to prove it?”

I vehemently shake my head. “You do that again, and I won’t be able to wait until tonight.”

Rose giggles, her cheeks reddening to match her nickname. “Do you know the alcove next to the stockroom?”

“That’s…a popular spot. We may need an alternative.”

She pouts. It’s adorable. “Behind the second set of bookcases in the library—”

“Way too open. Someone will hear us.”

“You expect to be loud?”

My face heats up as if flames consumed it. “Uh… well… just in case…” Then a wicked thought occurs to me. “I’ll be helping the senior enchanter sort supplies in one of the storerooms—the one with the herbs, on the east side of the tower. So he gave me a key. There’s no way he’ll stay to work with me the entire time. Meet me there after the ninth bell.”

Rose smiles and then gently traces her fingertips down my arm. “I can’t wait.”

[ehwaryuns]

night skies

hiiii i finally finished a wip ✨

can be found at https://archiveofourown.org/works/31956910

---

Bam woke up with a start. As it always did on Friday mornings, his alarm clock went off at exactly 4:45 AM, loud and annoying enough that he wasn’t so inclined to go back to sleep.

He got up with a groan, crossing the room to turn it off. He both cursed and was grateful to Hwaryun for telling him to put it on the other side of the room so he would be forced to wake up faster. Sure, it worked, but Bam was very much not a morning person and grieved the loss of sleep. He’s just glad the walls were thick enough that the blaring didn’t wake Wangnan up.

However, there was a reason he made himself get up so early on Fridays: he had work to do.

---

The bell above the door jingled as the first customer of the day walked in, yawning as he did. Aguero didn’t know much about him, but he did know that the man was cute (adorable, some might say) and alternated between sugary sweet drinks and the strongest coffee they had to offer, depending on what day it was. Today was Friday, which meant today’s order would be as caffeinated as possible.

Aguero gave the man a sympathetic smile as he approached the counter. “Early morning again? Same as usual?”

The man nodded. “A large quadruple shot mocha, iced,” he rattled off tiredly, rubbing leftover sleep from the corner of an eye.

Aguero entered his order into the register, accepting the man’s payment with a smile and making his drink, as he always did on Friday mornings at approximately 5:07. He thought, as he always did on Friday mornings at approximately 5:07, I’m gonna do it this time.

However, as soon as he turned around to retrieve the sharpie he intended to use to write his number on the cup (cliche, but effective), the man caught his eye, giving him a sleepy smile, and Aguero’s heart skipped a beat. So instead of going through with his meticulously laid out plan, he just smiled back and pulled a stack of lids out from under the register, putting them in their designated spot on the counter as the coffee was brewing, mentally cursing himself all the while. Just as he’d done for the past seven Friday mornings.

Technically, he was supposed to ask the man’s name to write on the cup, but the first time he had come in he was the only other person in the shop so Aguero hadn’t really felt the need to do so, and he was in too deep to break the habit now. It’s been almost two months and he can go on until he gave the man his number, dammit.

Once the drink was ready, Aguero handed it to the man, whose golden eyes crinkled as he smiled another one of those warm smiles that made Aguero’s heart threaten to pound right out of his chest. “Enjoy, and have a nice day,” Aguero managed to say in a calm, normal, not strangled or high-pitched voice.

“You too,” the man rumbled before turning and walking out the door, taking a sip as he left.

Aguero braced himself on the counter once he was gone, taking a deep breath to calm himself down. Dammit, he thought. Next time for sure. Just as he had thought to himself for the past seven Friday mornings.

---

His coffee wasn’t as sweet as he usually liked it, but it woke him right the hell up, so Bam figured it was a fair trade.

Luckily, Bam was the only person aside from the driver on the city bus at the early hour of 5:23, so he didn’t have to worry about getting weird looks from other people for being up so early, visibly being a college student and all. Instead, he got to relax with his coffee, counting the stops in his head as he gazed out the window.

At one red light, Bam was met by the sight of a sprawling night sky spray painted on the side of a building, blues and purples and black swirling together and shot through with white streaks. He smiled, recalling the morning he had done that particular piece- it had been bracingly cold, but it was worth it, seeing his handiwork turn out so beautifully.

All too soon, the bus lurched back into motion, and the mural was left behind.

---

Bam got off the bus a few stops later, looking around for a good spot as he readjusted his satchel.

He was downtown, it seemed, with its brick buildings and curio shops and artisan restaurants galore. This was the perfect place.

He started wandering around under the guise of window shopping, though it wasn’t too long until he found a relatively clean alley to duck into. After checking to make sure the coast was clear, he pulled out a can of spray paint from his bag and started tagging.

He lost himself in his art, recalling the sketch he had designed in his sketchbook the previous night; he watched how the cyan faded into cerulean, cerulean faded into black, and black seemingly melted into the brick wall right before his eyes, just as he had envisioned. It looked damn good, he had to admit.

This particular night sky spanned half the wall, depicting a galaxy as viewed through a copse of trees, lines as sharp as Bam could make them forming their silhouettes. He stepped back for a moment to admire his work once he was done, breathing in the crisp morning air that was shot through with the chemical smell of the paint, before pulling out a can of bright red. In the bottom right corner, he left his signature: the letters JVG with sharp angles and a thin kite shape next to it.

He left before the paint stopped dripping, cans safely tucked away in the plastic-lined pocket in his bag, and checked the time. It was just after 8, which gave him enough time to get back to campus in time for his first class of the day, which was unfortunately at 9:30. It was a good thing he woke up early.

---

Bam slid into his seat moments before the professor walked in, thanking his lucky stars as he did. Beside him, his best friend Hwaryun raised a delicate eyebrow. “Almost late again, are we?”

Bam huffed, setting his bag on the floor next to him. “Whatever, miss half-an-hour-early. Missed you.” He leaned over to kiss her cheek.

If she saw the speckles of paint on his forearms when he pulled his sketchbook out, she wisely didn’t say anything.

---

It was Tuesday afternoon, just after peak hours, and the coffeeshop was painfully boring.

Aguero flicked yet another straw wrapper at his coworker, smirking as it hit its target-- the back of Hatz’s head. The shorter man flinched and turned around, glaring daggers at Aguero. He simply waved a few fingers, a mockery of a greeting.

“You better stop that, or I swear--” Hatz threatened, only to be cut off by the merry sound of the bell above the door chiming.

They both turned to look, and Aguero’s heart jumped into his throat.

The man came in--the one with chestnut-colored hair and honey eyes and the cutest smile when he’s tired from waking up so early--accompanied by a woman with long, bright red hair. Aguero distantly wondered if she dyed it.

The man brightened up when he caught sight of Aguero, pausing in his conversation to wave and shoot him a smile that rivalled the sun.

“Oi, quit staring and take their orders,” came from behind him.

Aguero shot back a low “piss off, I’m working on it,” before positioning himself in front of the register. “Hi there, I can take your orders when you’re ready.”

The woman observed him, crimson eye surveying him critically, before she gave a coy smile. “I’ll take a medium green tea, and a large strawberry pineapple coconut milk latte.”

He nodded, writing on cups what was to fill them before passing them off to Hatz. “That’ll be right out. And you?” Aguero asked, turning his gaze to the man he totally isn’t crushing on.

“I’ve been wanting to try that funnel cake frap,” he said, leaning over the counter conspiratorially. “Is it any good?”

Aguero leaned towards him, playing along. “If you get it with heavy cream instead of coffee, it’s fantastic.”

The man nodded decisively. “Then I’ll take a medium, extra whip and extra strawberry, if possible.”

Aguero would put all the freeze dried strawberries in the world into this man’s drink if he asked. Instead, he just gave a smile and pulled out another cup to mark.

Once the drinks were paid for and Hatz was busying himself, the redhead came back up to the counter and said in a low, husky voice, “you’re in Ehwa’s study group, aren’t you?”

He blinked. “How did you know?”

She just gave him another one of those knowing smiles. “I’ll be bringing Bam by for a study session soon. Don’t miss it.”

Before he could say anything, she was sashaying her way back over to the man--Bam, he guessed--and sitting down just in time for the frap to be called out.

A study session, huh? He idly thought as he started to restock cups. Seems innocuous enough.

[roggenmuhme]

Exam Season

The Diamonds x Reader Summary: As the semester draws to an end, finals are approaching and you struggle to balance studying and your relationship with the Diamonds. Wordcount: 4.3k More than open to criticism; this is my first time writing in years and I’m ESL, so I’ll take everything I can get.Feel free to chat me up on discord and on here … I'm happy to exchange sketches and wips, I got plenty! imbutahumblefarmer#5583 "You guys, I'm fine!"

It was your third time saying this exact same sentence while White Diamond strained herself to take up the whole screen in front of you. 

Coupled with an awkward laugh, everyone would have figured out that you were lying by now. Everyone except for the Diamonds, of course.

They were a strange trio; completely unrecognizable from when you first had met them. In the place of the terrifying space dictators who had tried to squish you like a bug at Garnet's wedding were now three socially inept women with too much free time and nothing to do. 

And they were endearing in their own way. Just like now.

An exasperated sigh could be heard through the connection, the screen whisked away by large, yellow hands. (White's stunned gasp was pointedly ignored, however.)

Yellow Diamond's face appeared in full on your little gemtech tablet, a curious Blue peeking over her shoulder. Her features were rough as always, one could be quick to assume that she was bored, but you knew better. 

By the way her eyes narrowed, she didn't buy your shtick at all. A cool, calculated gaze met yours and you prepared yourself for the scolding that was about to come.

"... If you say so", her answer sounded oddly clipped, even for her. 

Letting out a deep breath, you tried your best to smile at her and you could feel how fake it looked. Yellow just blinked at you, a hand leisurely supporting her cheek.

"Haha, yeah", you said in another attempt to calm them. They barely understood what university was, and if they caught wind of you being miserable, they would come and flatten your faculty. Or something. You didn’t want to deal with that. “It’s all over in two weeks, then I can come over… if I pass, that is”, you mumbled the last part under your breath, mentally freaking out a little. Only two weeks left … it felt like forever and nothing at all at the same time. “Two weeks?! That’s so long!”, White’s whine sounded off-screen, prompting Yellow and Blue to give her curt look, Yellow’s face contorting for a split second. “Are you serious?”, you had to suppress the laugh that bubbled in your throat. Whatever they did, they always put you in a better mood, intentionally or not. “You guys are thousands of years old, this should be like a minute for you, theoretically.” Yellow blinked at you again, her full attention shifting back to you. “We are aware. But every moment without you is torture.” This time, you laughed for real. Despite Yellow’s deadpan, she could be the cheesiest one of them at any given time. “Guys…!”

“Oh, but it’s true!”, Blue’s soft brogue interrupted your fussing. Yellow turned the device to face her, giving you two a moment. “You know we love you”, she smiled at you. You could feel yourself melting at the sight. “I miss you, I really do. I’ll get Steven to warp me to you immediately after the last exam, I promise.” It was the most you could do and it would already complicate things. But you couldn’t stand to see them like this. This seemed to be enough for Blue at least. She gazed at you in silence for a moment and nodded. With a flurry of colors, your eyes were burned by White’s pouting face again. “If you must, but not a second longer!” You sighed, grinning at her. “Of course.” A gaze at your wrist watch nearly made you recoil in horror. It was way too late already and you still had to do some revisions on unit 23! “Anyways, I really have to sleep now. Y’know, my organic needs and all...” You were a bad liar, but it did the trick on White. She looked like a moping child after their toy had been taken away. She made the most disappointed, dramatic noise while pushing the device from her to give you a look at the others. Blue gave you a little wave, still smiling sweetly. “Okay guys, I’ll call you the day after tomorrow, alright?” They nodded in unison, biding their goodbyes. Before you could switch your screen off, Yellow opened her mouth for one last message. “If anyone is giving you trouble, tell us.” With a hasty bow of your head and one last wave, you pressed the off button, your room now considerably darker again.

Your wrist watch beeped. Back to work.

Nervously tapping your pencil on an old worksheet, you tried to figure out a way how to solve the problem - you didn’t understand it back when you discussed it in class and you still didn’t understand it now. Your wrist watch gave a short beep, your signal to call the Diamonds in fifteen minutes. The break was more than welcome, maybe thinking about something else would give you a fresh eye. Tugging at your hair with a hairbrush, you hummed absentmindedly. You hadn’t really done anything today or yesterday that was worth reporting, but that never stopped the diamond’s from calling you. They simply did the talking themselves. Checking your appearance one last time in the mirror, you gave yourself a satisfied nod. Your eye bags had seen better days, but there was nothing you could do about it right now. Your thoughts were interrupted by a sudden, stark white light coming from your window. Turning your head comically slow to the source, you had a gut feeling who this could be. One of White Diamond’s eyes peaked excitedly into your studio apartment. It widened when you gave a hesitant wave. Your gut was right. “Hello, starlight!”, her voice was loud, too loud for 10 pm on a weekday. If the sudden arrival of three giant aliens didn’t get you in trouble, this would. When you didn’t answer, she brought a nail to the glass, impatiently tapping it. You were lucky it didn’t shatter on impact. “Darling”, she sang. “Come out, we came all the way to see you!” You had to shake yourself out of the trance you were in - you knew how clingy and protective they were, but this was new. Making your way to your window, you could already hear the noise rising in your neighbor’s apartment. Great. You just hoped they wouldn’t terminate your lease for this. When you finally opened the window, White’s massive hand plucked from the ground and plopped you into her other one. Indeed, all three stood in your parking lot, now hunched over to get a better look at you. “Hi guys”, you squealed, straining your neck to meet their eyes. Three faces beamed back at you, their total lack of situational awareness really showing. “Instead of calling you, we decided to visit you instead! A nice surprise, isn’t it?”, proclaimed White proudly as if she had just solved all of mankind’s problems single handedly.  Blue and Yellow nodded enthusiastically next to her. You probably should be mad, but how could you? “Look, I really appreciate this”, you sighed. “But we really have to go somewhere else - people are already waking up. And it might get me in trouble.” That got you a collective ‘oh’ out of them. “Where is the ship anyway?”

You didn’t know how they managed it, but they had found an empty space large enough for the leg-less space giant. Apparently, they had walked the rest of the way and without damaging anything at that. You felt a little proud. The mental image still made you chuckle. “Okay guys, why did you come in person?”, you crossed your arms, while they sat around you in White’s head. “I thought we had a deal - I call you every 48 hours, you stay on Homeworld.” Blue and White evaded your eyes at your scolding tone, but Yellow held your gaze steadily. 

"It was fairly obvious that you were not well at all despite your insistence otherwise",  she offered her hand for you to climb on, and you did. "You have to take care of yourself, you are very fragile."

Now it was your turn to avoid her stare, feeling guilty. She was right, but you just didn't have the time. There was so much material to go through, so much to memorize. What could sleeping two hours less a night do? It was only for a short period of time, anyway.

And even if you struggled with anxiety and exhaustion, you didn't want to burden them. It was bad enough that you were gone for the semester, telling them how you really felt would be overkill. 

But now the jig was up. You should have known that Yellow was an expert when it came to observation and you had probably hurt them even more with your lie.

"I'm so sorry", it was like someone had opened the valve and now you were pathetically blubbering. "I just… didn't want to worry you, is all."

Seeing your distress, Blue immediately pulled closer to you, a tentative finger rubbing the crown of your head. 

"Little one, you know you can tell us everything. We care for you and want to help you", she cooed at you, shooting you a smile.

"You organics are so weak to stress, apply a little pressure and - poof - you just break", declared White, a finger up in the air to call attention to her great wisdom.

The stroking on your head stopped abruptly, replaced by shaking. 

"Don't… say that", Blue voice was trembling, clearly on the verge of crying. As if on cue, you and Yellow scrambled to console her.

 "Don't worry, I'll be fine. It's just a little difficult right now", you turned to her, smiling.

"She is an excellent specimen and very durable, Blue", Yellow's tone was a bit more pragmatic, but honest. It was also a nice compliment, coming from her.

"Yes, this isn't the first time I'm dealing with exams", you reached out to pat her finger. "It's going to be okay, even if I don't pass."

"... really?", Blue looked at you with big, questioning eyes. "Please don't lie, you know I couldn't stand to see you - "

A shuddering breath followed. "Stars, I can't even say it."

You were scooped up by her hands and pressed against her soft cheek. 

They were all experts in dramatics, but Blue was especially sensitive when it came to your mortality. The first time you had explained your lifespan and the many ways one could die to her in detail, you weren't allowed to leave her for a week. She had known how short human lives were, but this! Unacceptable.

She even made you eat nothing but mush during those seven days, too afraid of this 'choking'. 

In the end, you talked her out of it. But it was a big factor when it came to your living situation. They wanted to spend every moment with you, savoring your presence. 

You tried to reciprocate the cuddling by embracing her as best as you could. She let out a soft sigh, holding you a little closer. After a minute of silent embracing, she reluctantly put you back in Yellow’s hand. “We’re always there for you, no matter what”, she told you in a gentle tone, the other two nodding in agreement. “If you need me to talk to one of these organics, darling, don’t hesitate to tell me!”, exclaimed White, a smile stretching her cheeks in the most unnatural way. A mental image of her hunched over one of your professors in their office made you a little… uneasy. “Thank you, but I can do that myself”, you laughed nervously. White didn’t look too satisfied with your answer, but seemed to accept it.

“And if it becomes too much, you’re always welcome to move in with us”, added Blue, making you flush. It wasn’t the first time you got that offer, but it was just too sweet. “M-maybe in a couple of years”, you stammered, which earned you a grumble from them. You coughed, feeling a little awkward to change the topic so suddenly. “Ehm, thank you guys - I don’t want to be rude, but I have to get back to studying pretty soon.” “But it’s already dark outside! Isn’t that when humans sleep - oh”, Blue said, suddenly struck by an epiphany. “Oh no, we kept you from sleeping!” You shook your head vehemently. “No, no, we don’t go to sleep the second it gets dark, guys. I think I might have explained this to you before. But I still have some stuff to do.” Of course it was White who interrupted the stunned silence first. “You don’t have a little more time for us? We came all the way...” Yellow joined in, her voice a little louder than anticipated. “Can’t you study here? With us?” “Guys, you can’t just park your ship here - without asking anyone - and keep it in this place for days! I’m gonna get in trouble”, you panicked a little at the thought. The only spot where this gigantic humanoid vessel could be placed was Beach City. Nobody would call the police or worse, the government, over this. “So you have to leave,” this hurt more to say than you’d like to admit. “Or you have to go to Steven, if you want to stay.” All three of them pulled incredibly sad faces, and Blue was close to crying again. You would be lying if it didn’t pull at your heart-strings. “We’re here to make sure you take care of yourself, spark. You’re packing your things and then we’ll stay at Steven’s house and help you study”, Yellow nearly shouted at you. It wasn’t malicious, just her expressing her genuine concern. A relic of times now gone. You thought about it for a second - you could take your books with you, as well as your laptop and notes. Classes were over for now, you only had to attend the exams in two weeks. Technically, you could do it. And with the look they were giving you and all their efforts to make you feel better, you agreed. How could you say no to your giant space ladies? Especially when they were bending over backwards to comfort you. Steven was even more surprised to see the four of you two hours later. You had texted him on the way, but it had been left unread. The Diamonds didn’t really care for announcing their visits, but even this was a bit sudden. After White had explained everything to him, he simply slinked back to bed, planning on discussing the logistics of the situation in the morning. You were allowed to sleep on the couch, but not without the protest of the Diamonds. You loved falling asleep with them around, though regarding the circumstances they would probably dote on you until you were wide awake. They also tended to fight over who got to be the one you would sleep on, and you didn’t have the nerves for that right now. When you left the beach house the next morning, you were greeted with the sight of the three of them practically camping in front of the deck. They had missed you that much, it seemed. 

“Good morning, guys!”

You were greeted by various nicknames and excited faces, White the first one to scoop you up. Behind your back, Steven groaned in his cup. “So, what have you planned, darling?”, her voice was chipper as ever, her bright eyes burning your retinas. Maybe Steven was right and it was just a little too early, but no take-backs now. “About that...”, you scratched your cheek in slight discomfort. “I have to study the whole day.” White’s fell immediately, clearly stunned. “I told you yesterday - I have things to do, but you can keep me company. Maybe even help me?” She blinked at you once, the gears in her head clearly turning. Then she gave you an eye-watering smile. “Whatever this studying is, we’ll help you!” You groaned internally. How many times had you explained it to her already?

 It went better than you initially expected. The weather outside was nice and warm, the beach calm enough to simply set up a little picnic blanket with your books and notes. (You left your laptop inside, not wanting to get sand into it.) Surrounded by three (surprisingly silent) giant figures watching your every move, you got to work. It was a little awkward at first, but you fell  into a routine soon enough. Each of them had her own unique way of helping you; Blue would simply nod and smile when you tried to regurgitate the material to her, White would go on a tangent whenever she recognized something you were talking about, earning her a warning glare from Yellow. Yellow herself would try to quiz you on whatever notes you had pulled up on your gemtech tablet (they were surprisingly resistant to sand). It quickly became one of the most successful days so far, you were impressed. Being with them kept you grounded, they were like a calming aura to keep your anxiety at bay. And they were extremely helpful. It was almost comical, you had to admit. At the end of the day, you were finally able to pack up your books and enjoy the evening with them. It felt good to know that you had managed to get so much done today. You were strangely at ease, their presence strengthening you. You did worry however, that this routine might get boring for them - it wasn’t like the nice things you did usually, it wasn’t playful, entertaining or relaxing. You didn’t want to force them into staying with you, you didn’t want to bore them. With a sigh you shouldered your tote bag, still too caught up in your head. Your sudden shift in mood didn’t go unnoticed. “Little one, are you alright?”, Blue crouched down next to you, her soft eyes glowing in the dusk, her form crowding you in shade. 

You looked up to her, a little unsure on how to word your feelings.

"It's just", you opened and closed the fist around your bag straps. "Did you enjoy today? Was it dull? I-I still have two weeks to go and it's gonna stay the same, pretty much."

She sighed, her tense shoulders slacking. 

"We enjoy your company", she gave you a smile. "We haven't spent time with each other in such a long time, starlight. If we were able to accompany every second of your life, we would."

She offered you a hand and you happily jumped on it, a little flustered at her words. They were so serious, so heartfelt. Sometimes you did forget that they were older than civilization on earth, that they would outlive you by eons. 

"Thank you, Blue", you peered up at her, a relieved smile appearing on your face. "Your company helps me so much, you know? It would mean the world to me if you stayed with me until the exam."

Luckily for you, Steven had given you permission to stay on the beach - you were also allowed to sleep on the couch, but you knew you'd have to stay with the Diamonds. It was the least you could do to pay them back, even if it was just this little thing. 

And this was exactly how you spent the last days leading up to your finals, either sprawled on the picnic blanket on the beach, sitting on the deck with your laptop or, when the weather didn't allow it, lounging on the couch or on the ship. You were surrounded by Blue, Yellow and White at all times, each of them trying her best to help you with the material. They kept you on track, making sure you didn't procrastinate too much (even if that meant less cuddles) and nipped any self-doubts you had in the bud. 

Even as the date got dangerously close, they still patiently calmed you down. When your panic got too bad, one of them made sure to keep you close, either putting you into her lap or patting your head. At night, they talked to you until you fell asleep and woke you up better than your little phone alarm could ever do. You knew that even if you didn't pass, it wouldn't be the end of the world. 

Still, you were an anxious mess when the first exam rolled around, your mind a thousand miles away as you got ready to go to uni and to give it your all. Not even the Diamonds were able to calm you down, but you knew you just had to get it done and over with. The week was a blur, days blending into each other, your head always buried in a book. You were lucky that they had stayed behind with Steven, only calling you at the end of the day. While the fussing had been helpful beforehand, now it would only hinder you. 

Before you could really settle into a routine, finals were over, leaving you with a weird emptiness and a restless feeling. Now all you had to do was wait for the results, a special kind of torture in itself. 

The Diamonds noticed how absent you were, but no amount of well-meaning words could shake your nervousness. You didn't mean to cause them any further stress, but it was tough to keep your mind off things.

When the results were finally posted online, your heart threatened to burst out of your chest, your mouth dry and your hands shaking. You knew there was nothing you could do now, but the thought of weeks of studying going to waste was nearly unbearable. A dozen scenarios ran through your head, not one overly positive. 

Once the browser had pulled up your account, the answer was a simple click away. You had to steel yourself by gripping the edge of the table - the Diamonds were waiting outside impatiently, you knew they would lose it if they saw you like this. 

With one last breath, you closed your eyes and did what had to be done.

The page was on full display in a matter of milliseconds, your eyes frantically searching for the right column, moving erratically up and down. 

Finally you found what you were looking for: you had passed. In a moment of disbelief, you reread the page again, but it was there in tiny black letters.

It was like someone had knocked all the air out of you with a single hit, your heart wasn't done with beating fast, but at least some of the nervousness slowly dissipated.

The realization took a while to settle in as you deflated in your seat like beach ball slowly losing air. You stared at the wall, a smile cautiously spreading on your face as if you were afraid that too much joy would nullify your results. But after a solid minute, not even your stress-addled mind fog could hold you back from jumping out of your seat in joy.

Busting through the door, you cheered loudly while you ran across the deck, immediately focusing all attention on you. Steven had distracted the Diamonds to give you some time and space, but at the sound of your happy shouting they instantly turned around, faces unsure for a second.

You raced through the sand, arms in the air, relieved laughter pouring out of your mouth like a steady stream. It was probably not the most flattering or mature look, but you couldn't care less. 

"I passed!", with one last cry you came to a grinding halt in front of them, only to jump up into the air. "I did it! Ha!"

 Blue's face was the first to soften into a tender smile, her expression clearly full of pride, followed by White who looked at you in excitement. 

Yellow only blinked at you for a moment before she erupted in delighted laughter and scooped you up without a word, her eyes beaming with glee. It was rare for her to lose her composure like this, but that made it all the more sweet. You shot back the biggest grin you could manage, positively vibrating in her palm.

"We're so proud of you, little one", Blue's voice came out as a gentle sigh, stress falling off her back you didn't even know she had felt. It made you stop for a moment, finally grasping how your situation had affected them and how much they cared for you. 

You teared up in an instant, the sudden change of feelings giving you whiplash, your heart suddenly bubbling with love and gratefulness. It was unbelievable how lucky you were, you realized.

At the sight of your sniffling face, Yellow brought you closer to her, her eyes full of warmth. It was as if she was shielding you from the others for just a moment of privacy.

"No reason to cry, spark", her tone was as soft as the look she gave you and did exactly the opposite: you couldn't help but let some tears slip down your cheeks, babbling about how happy you were to have passed and to be with them, while she smiled at you in slight amusement.

The moment was interrupted by an awkward Steven coughing not-so-subtly into his fist. 

"Okay, I’ll, uh, leave you guys to it?", his voice reached a clumsy high, he clearly felt like he was disturbing something. 

The Diamonds didn't really notice however, they just happily sent him off and turned their attention back to you. You were showered in affection and soft words, they were genuinely happy for you and even more ecstatic to have you all for themselves for a couple of weeks. As you listened to White ramble on and on about what she had planned for you during this break, you felt the pressure lift itself from you. All this stress had been worth it and now you were rewarded with all the love you could ever ask for. You knew that this was where you belonged.

[falling-pixie]

Fanfic WIPs

Gonna start posting snippets of wip fanfics I'm doing! Good ideas but not fully fleshed out. Inspired by @buginateacup and how they talk and go through their work 💙

Roxanne after ‘The Rain Scene’

Hurt, discomfort, self loathing, anger, sadness. She feels everything and more about the situation she’s been through. Megamind has tricked her and she is hurt. More than hurt. From her perspective she’s been toyed with and perhaps seen as just part of Megamind’s games. He thought she was dumb enough to trick and it turns out he was right. She wants to believe how sorry he looked in the rain, eyes cast downward and pouring what looked to be his soul into the streets. She wants to believe. The man she thought she knew, she would have believed. The man, forlorn, and broken down to the saddest expression she had ever seen him make, is something she is struggling to believe.

Walking into her apartment, drenched to the bone, freezing, and mentally exhausted, all she can think of is the man she left in the streets. Walking away from her slowly, defeated and when she had turned around, it almost convinced her to call out to him. Which, keeping her pride, she had not. 

Turning the lights on, she sees the scene of her apartment in disarray, from her early escapades. She now knows it was probably formulated and directed by Megamind himself, sitting with her in her own apartment. Roxanne is furious. She thought she had figured it out with her partners help, the evidence of Titan was sitting in front of her face. Now she realizes he had probably goateed her along in the right direction, not thinking her smart enough to look at his floating ideas as a whole, not smart enough to figure out his real plans of building a superhuman. Not smart enough to realize who was sitting beside her.

Stepping forward, one of the papers hanging from her ceiling flutters into her face. Roxanne bats it out of the way, only to step into another cloud of sketches. With a flurry of emotional rage she grabs them out of her face, ripping them down. Her hands grab at the air, tangling themselves in red string, as she yanks them down in clusters. Every little drawing is a drawing from him. Every string hung up was one they had put up together. They fall down like streamers. Her frustration wells up in her chest and she lets out a loud cry of pain, falling down to her knees. 

This welling emotion lodges itself in her throat and spills on to her face in tears. The anger from before vibrating into cold, ugly dejection. Roxanne had put her trust in her partner and had that trust thrown back in her face. She had shared her own ideas, her own thoughts with him. He had been laughing behind her this entire time, not taking anything she said with seriousness. Like she wasn’t worth the effort of getting to know normally. Isn’t that just the problem. By the end of their relationship, because more than anything she knows it is over, Roxanne had almost been willing to hand over her heart to him. She stepped out towards him and instead of him reaching back she felt like she had been slammed into a wall. 

Her chest fills itself with air, hard and rugged, and by the time she exhales her whole body aches. Roxanne is so very exhausted, mentally, emotionally and physically. Shivering on the ground, cold and damp, she pushes herself off the floor with a fighting effort. Nothing left about the night could hurt her any more than it already has. Roxanne drags herself towards her cabinets, grabs a bottle of wine, no glass, and retreats to her bedroom, not once turning around. 

Ok but I legit just wrote this all out and I’m kind of proud. I had the small basic idea: Roxanne comes home, angrily rips the mobiles down, cries on the floor, and goes for her wine to drink into the night. 💔

[enby-hawke]

i'd love more background info on Brhis if you would care of share 👀 especially on how she came to be a templar, and what hallmarks are of her relationship with solas and with cullen 👀👀

I'm going to go ahead and take this opportunity to show off a sketch of my Brhris that I'm working on!

Eeee thank you for asking about Brhris. I've actually been plotting out a fic that I need to find energy to do cause I have so many WIPs but Brhris and Solas and Cullen's love triangle is living in my head SO MUCH!

So Brhris didn't find much to like about templars at first. She didn't have a high opinion after her clan was hunted by them but she knows from experience fighting them that they were some of the deadliest warriors in the world. When Corypheus attacked and he was a mage and not only that but a Tevinter Darkspawn magister, Brhris was terrified. She considered the other options Reaver and Champion, but Brhris is more a defensive fighter and while Brhris doesn't necessarily think blood magic is evil per se, she was taught to be wary of demons offers, and that path felt like it might lead to ruin for her. Brhris considered the Champion readily and asked Cullen a lot of questions about being a Templar as she weighed it against being a Champion. But why she became a Templar was simply for it's purpose. Corypheus is a mage and the best way to fight a mage if you're not already a mage is being a templar. She thought she could be like Cullen and put down the lyrium once her purpose was done. She never thought she might have to turn it against her former lover, Solas.

Now the love triangle between Brhris and Cullen and Solas is a messy one. Brhris had a lot of prejudices against Cullen at first, and he didn't give her much reason to change her mind. He is a militaristic man who is very Chantry and hasn't examined his opinion about mages, and Brhris sees the importance of magic as it is an important part of her heritage.

She was drawn more to Solas at first, and tried her best to get along. They had a lot of lively debates and discussions about elves and Dalish politics, and though Brhris felt a close kinship and found Solas mysterious and attractive, his arrogance and unwillingness to see how far the Dalish have come constantly frustrate her. With Solas she often feels like she's being spoken to as a child and struggles to get him to see her side. That isn't to say that Solas hasn't had his mind changed by her, but the relationship between Solas and Brhris is rather explosive at times. Her temper and his temper and both their stubbornness often get them shouting at each other or Brhris or Solas storming off stringing elvish curses at each other. But when they get along they are amazing together. Their chemistry on the battlefield shows it best. Brhris and Solas might not always be in sync with each other, but ultimately they believe in the same things, even if they go about it differently. It does hurt Brhris a lot though that Solas doesn't consider himself one of her people, and with Sera's rejection, it often makes her feel very lonely in Skyhold.

Cullen and Brhris started out just as explosive. She was quick to judge and snark with him, but Cullen being Cullen could snark right back, and they weren't sure when the fighting turned to flirting. Brhris started out her journey feeling closer to Solas but as Solas starts to Solas, Brhris starts to question if this relationship is right for her, and Cullen is there to confuse things.

I do things a little differently with my arc. When Varric told Brhris about Kirkwall and what Cullen took part of and how he took part in so much murder of mages, Brhris confronted Cullen, fully intending to use her position to replace him. She still wanted to get his side of the story, because she believes that hearing all sides before making a decision is important. That's when Cullen confessed about the Ferelden Circle and how he was tortured, how that colored his mistrust of mages and how he still struggles with that prejudice. How he realizes that those actions he had done were unforgivable and how he struggles with the guilt until it swallows him some days. He tells her if she thinks he is an irredeemable man then he must be and will respect her decision to replace him. That's when Brhris asks what he has done to make reparations to those he had hurt, and Cullen admits he thought the damage was too great to try. Then Brhris asks if he's a man that's willing to try. Cullen says he wants to be.

Brhris tells him that she is keeping him on the basis that he does and that if he doesn't, then they will revisit this discussion. Cullen approaches Brhris later with his plans that he coordinated with Josephine to contact mage families he had hurt and see if there's anything the Inquisition can do to help them. He also started writing some letters to each of the families, but he wanted Brhris' opinion of them before he sent them. Brhris was touched that he valued her opinion so highly, and found out through those letters that Cullen was much softer and genuine than she gave him credit for. (she expected to do a lot of correcting) After that incident, it was very hard to deny that there were growing feelings for Cullen as Solas and her relationship started to veer into the breakup territory.

While I haven't seen the canon scenes for the breakup scene with Solas I have seen fics. My Brhris is going to get angry at Solas for suggesting he take away her vallaslin. She's going to refuse. And then he dumps her and she thinks for a long time that's why. I don't think she realizes that was going to happen anyway.

Cullen holds her as she cries about the breakup, reminding her that she didn't do anything wrong for wanting to keep something so important to her heritage. He tells her he admires her for having such strong convictions.

I don't know how exactly the fic is going to go after that, but I know as Solas and Brhris get more distant Cullen and Brhris get closer, but Solas is always kind of like in the way of them really solidifying.

I think in trespasser enough time has passed that Brhris and Cullen are in an almost relationship. Like everyone else says they are dating but if you say that in front of them they will get cutely embarassed and say they are good friends. They have lunch together. They always work together. They always ask each other for each other's opinions before going forward with plans, but neither one has made the move to try to push the relationship forward.

Cullen finally gets the courage to ask Brhris out when Solas comes back and throws everything out of whack again, but this time I think Brhris is older and is willing to put herself against Solas for the world even if she knows it will break her heart. And I think at that point her relationship with Cullen will have built enough that she will end up choosing him, just because he chose her back and accepted her for who she was and didn't try to change her.

Thanks for letting me rant about Brhris. I love talking about my OCs and her story is just one of my favorites.

[anokaiwritingblog]

Oh hey. I forgot I have a writing blog. Here’s a WIP of my short story collection for my creative writing class. It’s a WIP for one of my major ideas I want to do.

Once every century, it is said that the planets of the solar system align perfectly. In a perfect row, they cast upon the ultimate shadow upon one another; opening the gates to other realms far from our own. It was said that the fallen god rose from this gate and set his sights on destroying our system just like his own. But where evil went, goodness was sure to follow. Out from this gate came the Holy Maiden and her summoned knight. Together, they sealed away the fallen god and cast light back into our system. The two understood that the battle was far from over. “Catch a fish for a man, he would eat for a day. Teach the man how to fish, and he eats for a lifetime.” Despite their love for each other, the Holy Maiden and her summoned knight agreed to go on separate pilgrimages to spread their teachings. The Holy Maiden remained in our system and founded us, the Holy Order, to pass on her teachings and traditions to future Holy Maidens. Her summoned knight, on the other hand, returned into the gate and spread his words to the numerous realms behind the gate. With their sacrifice, we have prevented the fallen god’s awakening over a thousand times…​

“Ay yo… so, like… cool lore but like… pretty cringy not gonna lie. You lost me at the “aligning of the planets” bit. It went from horoscope bullshit to cliched pre-teen novels with a bit of a JRPG elements in there,” a voice spoke out, breaking the breathtaking spell that weighed heavy in this beautifully painted dream.

The wind blew soft through the empty courtyard as no one said anything. In a walled-off garden stood seven bodies, each facing each other in a circle with a pond that separated each figure. Each stood on their own path that was surrounded by the water on each side but behind. A mini pier if you wish to imagine. The water was clear, yet the light was too blinding to see past the surface. All seven figures were outlined well enough to show that they were all women, yet a shadow covered their faces to remain a mystery to one another. Sitting above all this was a pink-haired woman. Her hair was braided back and looked far too youthful to be talking like an elder. Her prink eyes scanned each woman to search for the back talker, a glare like a dagger and on edge. Despite that, she kept an icy façade.

“Who cut me off? Head Nun of the Holy Order?” the pink-haired woman spoke up, looking down at the crowd of women below her.

“Uh, me.”

Slicing through the air, the Head Nun’s eyes locked on to the woman who spoke up; her hand raised slightly while maintaining the image of being smaller than what she was. Her limbs were tightly held together like a defensive turtle yet flashing a Chester cat grin in reception of the attention. “No offense lady but I felt like I heard this exact same plot with some gacha game I played last month. Can we just skip all this tutorial nonsense to get to the fuckin’ point already?” the woman continued, her blunt and straightforward words not matching the lowkey appearance she was trying to give off.

“Oh! You played Fate/Grand Order too? I’ve been trying to pull Gilgamesh for my team for months,” the woman on the right of the back talker chimed in. Though she was covered in shadow, the third party was animatedly clapping her hands together in excitement that she found a companion who played the same game.

“Eh, I stopped after two months. The drop rates are insane for that game and you don’t get enough of the in-game currency. I prefer Epic Seven since you actually win the gamble in summoning a strong hero-“

“Silence!”

Slamming her hand against the armrest of her chair, the Head Nun demanded all attention back onto her. The sound of flesh against marble echoing throughout this supernatural courtyard. Zeroing in out the outlier, the Head Nun sized her up before letting out a scoff. Receiving this judgmental look was a young woman of 21 years. If she never stood by herself, she might have blended in with a crowd with her rather ordinary looks. Brown hair, matching brown eyes, and a pair of glasses. Tell that description to any sketch artist and they would draw any other woman. One in five women look exactly like her. Was that statistically correct? Of course not, but most would believe it these days.

The nun craned her neck over these seven girls, peering down with arrogance. Who would have thought that the bold one in this group wasn’t the goth but this… loser. Despite not being affected by the spell, the rebel was overseen like the shadow of her chair or the tree’s. “Are you done speaking over me?”

“No, actually. You aren’t hurrying the fuck up and you rudely cut me off from having a pleasant and stimulating conversation from my neighbor here,” the woman said, “If you aren’t going to tell me what my horoscope is, I don’t want to hear another hour of lore.” From her sides, the woman could hear the reactions from the other girls who listen in to this back and forth. Some ‘tsk’ from her disrespectful actions while others acted a bit shocked. Of course, there were those who snickered from the show while one seemed to be rather disinterested. Tough crowd… To be fair, she wasn’t normally as blunt as she was today. She knew when to keep things to herself but quite frankly, this lady was going on for the last hour about prophecies and cosmic evils. This nun sounds like those writers who only focus on worldbuilding and not writing their story.

“Hurry up? We’re talking about the end of the world- YOUR world. This “lore” is vital. People’s lives are at stake with this information, Two,” the Head Nun said.

“Shit, really? Then why don’t you act it? Literally… no agency. This is the part where a creative writing teacher tells you “show don’t tell”,” Two answered right back; sarcasm dripping from every syllable. She wanted to correct the hag. Her name was Mia, but she understood there was anonymity for a reason. She was tactless, not stupid. Well, Mia would argue she had some tact, but her patience ran thin do this grossly, mishandled magic society. She thought those campy young adult books with groups run by idiots were meant to be… you know, fiction?

It all started right when Mia got to bed. She just got home from a long shift at work and all she wanted was nothing more than lay in bed. And that she did once she took an evening shower before bed. It was normal, everyday stuff for the third-year college student. She had school tomorrow and Mia just wanted to rest her aching body. As soon as her head hit the pillow, she opened her eyes to a completely new world. Looking around, she found herself not alone. There was one other person with her face covered and the pink-haired woman as well. Mia was greeted as “Two” and was told to wait for the other five to show.

That was an hour wasted in waiting and add in the additional hour for the hefty speech, we got our recipe for an irritated Mia. She didn’t go to bed just to stand up for two hours for some fantasy bullshit. Any other time? Sure. It’s cool. But now??? WHEN SHE HAS A TEST TOMORROW?! INCONVENIENT! It killed Mia since this was pretty fucking cool and different from the norm. Everyone dreams of being picked the chosen one but, come on… this was too predictable. If you read a fantasy book or consumed any fantasy media before, then you know what’s going on.

“Rude child. This information isn’t something as trivial as a novel,” the Head Nun spoke, looking down at Mia like a haughty teacher.

“I’m gonna assume that we’re all candidates in being chosen as the new Holy Maiden. We chose our knights or whatever. Compete and whoever wins must reseal the fallen god then tada! Happy ending! Yay!” Mia said. She even raised her hand at the ‘yay’ portion of her phrase. “Listen dude, I play too many games and read a shit ton of books for this. Can we please not do this while I’m in my pajamas?” Mia said, practically begging to be released from this mild inconvenience.

“… You guys weren’t exactly chosen. The universe brought you to us…” the Head Nun spoke, not really arguing with what Mia said. There was a cocky grin on Mia’s face as she just couldn’t help but find it funny how she got some otherworldly person tongue-tied.

“A lottery system huh… sounds about right. An NPC like me wouldn’t be chosen normally… I’m way too smart to be a main character,” Mia thought. She glances to the side for a moment before back on the show.

“Well… I’ll work with Two on this point and speed things up. Time is of the essence,” the head nun spoke, acting as if she was graciously fulfilling Mia’s wish. At this point, Mia didn’t care. Whatever helped the nun feel powerful or whatever… “As Two pointed out, all seven of you are candidates for becoming the new Holy Maiden. You will come into this realm three times a week for your lessons to strengthen your magic and during your regular days of the week, you seven will compete with one another. Your knights are the extension of your magic. When one knight trumps the other, they prove you are the strongest magic user and your defeated candidate is knocked out of the running. This continues until the last one is standing,” the nun explained, “We have hidden your faces and names from each other to keep you guys from cheating and attacking each other when you aren’t ready for combat. If you wish to fight, it’s up to you guys to discuss how to go about it.”

“A battle royal? I thought dystopian novels where kids kill each other in a game was out of fashion? I mean- they already got the Mirai Nikki vibe with the covered faces in the central hub…” Mia thought. She laughed under her breath with mild amusement at the situation. She decided to keep her thoughts hidden now as she surveys the competition. She wasn’t sure if she was going to take this seriously, but she thought she should start hiding her thoughts on the matter now. “The Head Nun never said we couldn’t figure out each other’s identity and jump them… nor any etiquettes of battle… how curious,” she continued her train of thought as she waited for the nun to finish.

“We’ll now do the summoning ritual. One, please kneel down and place your hand into the water to help your knight rise,” the Head Nun spoke. One looked around confused by the order, but she soon nervously did as she was told. She knelt and placed her hand inside. There was a good pause before One jolted. Slowly, One stood up to her feet as a tall figure rose from the water. Just like the girls, his face was hidden from everyone else but his master, no doubt. But his figure was very much noticeable.

“YO! Did you just summon a furry?!” Mia exclaimed before bursting out laughing. She pointed a finger at the girl next to her in a mocking fashion. While she couldn’t see the competition, Mia could at least see a pair of fuzzy dog ears on the knight’s head. But despite her words, Mia knew that, realistically, this knight was most likely a beast man or even a werewolf. She simply didn’t want to lose this chance to taunt her competition.

“Two! Please restrain yourself and respect your fellow maidens and their knights,” the Head Nun spoke. The pink-haired woman coughing into her hand to break up the interaction. “Now, for the love of God. Please shut up, kneel, and summon your knight.”

“Damn, at least ask for my consent before forcing me on my knees,” Mia muttered before kneeling as instructed. She felt rather stupid but seeing how the first maiden got a knight, Mia decided to just trust the action. She submerged her hand in the opaque lake. It was wet alright. Yet despite being in spitting distance to the surface, Mia couldn’t see past her reflection. “Come on RNG don’t fail me now. A hot guy would do wonders for my mental health,” Mia joked, “I hope re-rolls are free.”

On the edge of non-existence and existence, a subconscious mind rose to consciousness once more. He drowns in nothingness and breaths in hopelessness.

There was no sky nor ground to define his abysmal prison. Not even a memory to keep him company.

A hand reached out from above. A hand surrounded by light and a promise of warmth. He attempted to reach for it, yet he was restricted from moving and was forced to watch another steal the opportunity from the shadow. He watched the pair of hands meet and just like that, the light was gone.

He sank deeper into the depths of this unholy waiting room.

Yet again, a hand was extended from the dark with the temptation of freedom. Cautious to reach for it after the first time, he looked around for others who wished to take it. Many came and all walked away. No one wanted to take this hand.

He made an attempt to take it, if only to escape, but found that he was unable to pry himself free. Defeated, he decided to give up on the opportunity. It was pointless anyways.

Left unheld, the hand does not reel empty handed. No. Instead, it curled its fingers until one finger remained up.

One big ‘fuck you’.

What the fuck? So much for an inviting presence. Who did this person think they are? It wasn’t like he didn’t try to take their hand. But seeing this middle finger dangling in front of him like a fishhook with bait, he reached for it once more to drag the hand down into the depths with him. He was tied in place but after some furious tugs, he was freed with a pop.

Taking the hand, it became evident that the one getting snatched wasn’t them but him. Curled fingers shifted forms into a vice grip around his wrist upon skin contact. The dark veil that covered him were ripped off in that instance. Lights, sounds, textures, tastes, and smells flooded his senses as he became a person once again.

Planting both feet on the ground, Mia used both hands to reel up her prey. This summoning was nothing graceful like the girl next to her. It was primal and chaotic as Mia’s partner was floundering under the water. So much for a knight in shining armor. This guy isn’t fighting any dragons anytime soon if he’s having difficulty wrestling against an inanimate substance.

Letting out a battle cry, Mia used all her strength to bring her knight to the surface and onto the pier with her. It wasn’t his entire body but enough of it was on land that it was easier to drag the rest of him out with less trouble. Mia fell backwards on her butt and was slightly out of breath after that intensive ritual. Shiiiit. Carrying a body is a lot harder than it looks kids! Don’t trust what you see on TV. The more you knowミ★

Mia was the image of ‘tired’ with her slightly flushed cheeks and skewed. Fanning herself, she patiently waited for the man she pulled out to make the first move, yet he was belly-down, still as a door nail. For someone who had a lot of energy to fight against help, he suddenly became as complacent as a kitten.

Oh fuck... he isn’t dead, is he? Cause that’ll be pretty awkward ngl ┐(´-｀)┌

Mia leaned forward to inspect what she pulled out. She lifted his pale arm to search for a pulse. It was cold to the touch and she couldn’t tell if the steady thud she felt was his or an echo of her own. Upon letting it go, it limply fell to the ground with no flinch from him. Crap. Don’t tell her that she accidentally pulled out a dead body?! Well, Mia knew that pulling trash can happen during fishing mini games but she thought that this more of a “guarantee knight summoning” deal. Mia refused to believe that she waited five humiliating minutes waiting just to pull out a corpse. She wants a refund, god damn it!

Moving his head, Mia planned to check his pulse from his neck to double check if he was dead. There was no resistance in the action, yet she found herself meeting a pair of responsive red eyes peaking from between snowy white hair. The two of them stared at each other for a moment as they both seemed like caught criminals in the middle of a crime. The man’s chest raised up and down as he breaths; a piece of evidence that doesn’t escape Mia’s attention. He’s…

“HE’S HOT!!!”

Scrambling to her feet, Mia put both her hands in the air and let out her victory screech to the worried silhouettes surrounding her. No wait- she should be yelling how he was alive, not his appearance. Yet here she was, doing a victory dance on top of her knight in a pair of polka dotted pajamas. Give her a pitchfork and a tail then you got the image of an imp dancing on a grave. “Bro! He’s so hot... Edward Cullen lookin’ ass- I mean, not like the musty looking Robert Patterson version but how you imagine he look like based on the description,” Mia explained to anyone listening with a wildly inaccurate and vague description of the man. She waved her arms animatedly as she gossiped with her peers with the person in question crawling to his feet.

“Dude, that should be the last of your concerns,” Five said.

“I think you should make sure he’s okay…” Seven said, joining Five in expressing concern.

“Whoa there! You can’t really blame my maiden here for getting hung up on my dashing good looks. Dead or alive, you’ll notice my face first before anything else.”

Laying a heavy hand on Mia’s right shoulder, the man wrapped his arm around the woman to stand in solidarity it her. Surprised by the action, Mia tilt her head to the side to look at her knight to judge which side he was playing on. She locked eyes with him once more but not on accident this time. His touch was uncomfortable, yet she doesn’t push him away. They were a pair of souls with two different goals yet had a silent agreement to meet in the middle for the moment.

“Good to see you again, Catherine. You hardly look over two thousand years old,” Mia’s knight said, being the first to break their line of sight to look at the Head Nun. The nun sneered as the source of her stress doubled over the course of ten minutes.

“Ashley…” the Head Nun said, nearly hissing out the name. Her knuckles were turning white due to how tightly she held onto her armrest.

“Ash,” he corrected her, with equal amount of distaste in return. Ash was smiling but he on edge just like the Head Nun. But this rivalry was interrupted when Mia pinched Ash’s hand to catch his attention. He looked back down to receive Mia’s disapproving expression at his brief quip with the Head Nun. It seemed hypocritical that Mia was suddenly policing his attitude considering she was flaunting on the competition, but Ash clocked on what’s making her step in. “It’s okay,” Ash said, leaning down to whisper into Mia’s left ear, “This was just between me and her. No one heard me use my name. Not like it matters.”

“I’m just disappointed that you don’t have a chainsaw arm,” Mia whispered back, pretending she never had that concern by throwing out a seemingly random thought. Ash stared at her as if she was insane and as if to say ‘what are you talking about’ with expressions alone. “What? You never seen the Evil Dead franchise?” Mia whispered, “Not a fan of zombies movies?”

“You watched me rise from the depths, fight other knights, and you’re asking me if I’ve seen a movie?” Ash said, in disbelief at her question yet finding himself amused by it at the same time.

“I take it that you don’t have Netflix in the void then.”

Watching the duo snicker and conspire with each other like a pair of high school delinquents, the Head Nun rubbed her forehead as a migraine began to surface. She was losing control once again thanks to double trouble. Even the other girls who were patiently waiting began talking among each other. “Oh my god… like I thought, this was the worst combination I’ve ever seen in my lifetime…,” the Head Nun muttered to herself. She covered her face as she shook her head slowly as if she was contemplating something. “I didn’t realize it would be this bad… Out of all the times for that guy to make an appearance, he had to end up with her,” she continued muttering before ultimately lifting her head to look down at Mia and her summoned knight. The Head Nun needed to separate them. “Ah, Two? I don’t mean to disturb your… fun. But you summoned one of the more… troublesome knights considering his background. I’ll allow you to “re-roll”. How does that sound?” the Head Nun spoke, her voice sickening sweet and obviously fake.

Mia and Ash quickly turned to look at each other for how their partner would react. They wordlessly conversed with Mia gesturing the two of them then to the Head Nun. Ash’s only reply was an uncaring shrug but ended up nervously shaking off the water that stuck to his hair to appear distracted. “Yeah… no deal, Howie Mandel,” Mia said, trailing off for a moment to gauge last minute expressions from Ash before turning her full attention on the Head Nun. “You doing that makes me want to stick with Mr. Abominable Albino even more,” she said.

“Abominable Albino?” Ash said. He had a hand over his chest and appeared almost offending by the alliteration. He was hardly offended by being called such a thing but the fact that Mia wasted a braincell to make an awful pun in the middle of a fantastical end-of-the-world scenario.

“Whenever some untrustworthy figure makes some inflammatory comment about one of the leads, they’re obviously doing that to cause aa divide between the leads for their own benefit,” Mia continued as she ignored Ash’s offense to her words. She waved her hand in the air as if to disperse the fog of misinformation. “You even had a mini aside moment where you muttered to the readers that there’s something more about Ash!”

“Pardon?”

The Head Nun looked completely lost as Mia’s rambling turned to the meta and spoke about invisible audience members. But just like Ash, Mia ignored her words to continue her spiel. “And even if he’s a piece of shit. Worthless. Good for nothing. Pathetic. Dead weight. Only a pretty vase-“

“Okay. I think she gets it already,” Ash said, cutting in as the terms began to pile in his heart. He squeezed Mia’s shoulder to have her move on to the point.

“I will never give him up,” Mia said.

“And... why is that?” the Head Nun asked, wringing her dress in fear that Mia figured something out that she wasn’t supposed to.

“Because he is hot. I made that pretty clear since the beginning,” Mia said. She held her head high and mighty with not even a hint of shame. For a moment, Ash was about to feel touched by Mia coming to his defense. Touched enough that it would make him loyal to her and act as a spark to a turbulent but heartfelt young adult love story which would turn into a mildly popular trilogy with an eventual movie deal before fading into obscurity. But the curtains closed on that sparkling yet oddly specific future as Ash realized that he was stuck with the weird kid. “I mean- I guess I value him as a person too… or something. Power of belief or whatever inspirational term author’s like to use to tug on heartstrings.”

[depizan]

100 Days of Writing

@the-wip-project‘s 100 days of writing

Day Ninety-Three: Think of your favorite characters (from your WIP or from an interesting source material) and identify who leans more towards Hero and who leans more towards Heroine. Sketch out how they influence each other and what direction their stories could go.

I still find these monomyth concepts to be a bit like literary astrology, not to mention word soup half the time, however the stuff about going it alone vs connections did make me think about a few things.

This is going to be a long one!

The first thing to come to mind was the climax of the movie Labyrinth (you know, from the 80s, starring a young Jennifer Connelly, a lot of muppets, and David Bowie).

Throughout the movie Sarah collects an odd assortment of companions on a journey that has a lot of fun with fairy tale and fantasy tropes. (Some played straight, some not.) At the climax, she tells her companions she has to face the Goblin King alone because “that’s how it’s done,” something that always felt weird to me both because she had spent the journey collecting all these allies and because the movie seems to have a message about fantasy and what’s important that doesn’t quite sit well with suddenly doing the Hero’s Journey straight. (Granted, people have a lot of different ideas about what the movie’s themes/messages even are.)

But it felt like part of the whole “you have no power over me” showdown should have included not playing by “the rules.” The movie, over all, doesn’t. Why should Sarah?

The second thing to come to mind was that, for all that it’s supposed to be directly the Hero’s Journey, Star Wars... doesn’t do it right. Like, ever. (Not the originals, anyway.)

In the first one (A New Hope), Luke only succeeds in destroying the Death Star because Han’s connection to him and Leia (and probably a certain amount of “you idiot”ing from Chewbacca) got him to turn around, come back, and save Luke. That’s not being a lone hero.

In The Empire Strikes Back, Luke goes alone to face Vader and... pretty much fails utterly. He’s only saved from this by his Force connection to Leia. (Interestingly, he originally went to Cloud City to save his friends, but then seems to get distracted by Vader’s presence and decides to go face him instead, making it seem like choosing the Hero’s Journey over the Heroine’s Journey was a mistake.) Also, successfully escaping Bespin is very much a group effort.

In Return of the Jedi, Luke goes to confront his father - not to fight him, but to convince him to change sides again. Which works. The Heroic showdown part...not so much. Luke doesn’t win against the Emperor, though he is saved from him by his father. And it is wildly unclear whether any of that served anything beyond getting his father to choose family over the Emperor. (I mean, Lando and Wedge blow the place up, which would’ve happened regardless of who won. That should have been fatal to the Emperor, regardless. (AND NO PALPATINE DID NOT “SOMEHOW” SURVIVE. WHAT THE FUCK, ABRAMS.) So Luke didn’t save the day, in any appreciable sense. He did something that was meaningful to him (and his family). That’s not to say what he did didn’t matter, it just didn’t matter to the “defeat the Empire” plot.

Even the prequel trilogy seems really ambivalent about the whole lone hero thing, and I think a case could be made for it being a critique of the Hero’s Journey. “Actually, this kind of thing fucks you up a lot and also maybe isn’t the best thing to model a religious order of peacekeepers on.”

But that’s also why I feel like these monomyth things are kind of astrology for fiction. Loads and loads of people feel like Star Wars IS The Hero’s Journey. Lucas may have intended it to be. (Not even Lucas himself knows what he intended. He’s said so many different and contradictory things over the years. Yegad.)

I, personally, am not much into the whole lone hero thing. My fic tends to prioritize connections - having them, making them - over any kind of mano a mano stuff. There are several moments where the more traditionally protagonisty thing to do doesn’t work out very well, though it does put people in a position to try talking. Which works.

I suppose one could argue that the main characters of my WIP (that I ought to be working on...) are all... well, they’re not on the Hero’s Journey because they’re a bunch of criminals, but they are aiming toward something more alone. Jezari wants to get her ship back, dump Corso on someone else, and get back to her life of less-than-legal cargo hauling. Corso wants to get his blaster back, be heroic, and get a girl. (Or something like that.) Risha wants to get “Nok Drayen’s riches” for herself and is only working with other people because it’s not a one person thing. They’ll pick up Bowdaar freeing himself.

To varying degrees, they do get what they want (or some of it), but they also end up forging connections and becoming a crew, becoming friends. And we all know the real treasure is the friends you make along the way.

[misssunflowersandsangria]

Work in Progress Wednesday

Creators: work on or post something from your WIP. This is your weekly reminder to get something down on paper (real or virtual). It’s also a chance to share your progress with your followers and give them a sneak peek of what’s to come!

Fans: leave a comment on an unfinished fic and let the writer know how much you love it. Reblog an artist’s sketch and let them know you can’t wait to see the final product. Send someone an ask cheering them on!

Feel free to repost this image!

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Hello all!  I’ve been feeling...well I’m not too sure honestly.  Writing has been a little weird these last few months weeks so I wanted to use this just as a way to motivate myself a little with what I’ve already come up with and hopefully, it will push me to write/finish some of those WIPs.  Be gentle these are still really rough ... and if I do get around to writing them I might change some stuff around...

There are so many different stories that I’ve started that I might never finish so I wanted them to live somewhere.  

There’s a few ShikaTema, SaiIno and one ChoKarui (also some starts to my Lemonade Series so be aware of titles/notes)

**I’ll update this as new ideas come about.  They will appear first in the post. 

Previews after the cut. 

Knots (Part 3 of “Ties that Bind Series”- ShikaTema, Suna Sibs)

“I’m worried, she’s really sick.”

“Maybe it's like ya know.  That time of the month.”  Kankuro’s voice dropped to a whisper. 

“You idiot.  You absolute moron.”  Temari's voice shot back through the layers of blankets. 

“I think she's okay.”

“Temari, are you okay?”  Gaara asked carefully.  

She nodded her head.  “I’m fine.  Everything is just fine.  Why do you ask?”

“Well you’ve been locked in your room for days now.  You haven’t snapped at anyone or called me stupid.  We’re getting concerned.”

She sighed, taking a deep breath seeing the worry clear in their eyes.

“Shikamaru proposed.”

Their expressions brightened.   “Temari! That’s great, congratulations!”

“We should be celebrating.”  Kankurou stared at his sister curiously.  Gaara was right.  Something was wrong.  “Why isn’t Nara here?”

“I couldn’t say yes.”

Their eyes shot wide open. “Temari?”

“Shikamaru needs to be in Konoha and I couldn’t leave you two and Suna.  Who am I if i’m not Temari of the Desert?”  She knew that she made the right decision.  She couldn’t just leave her brothers and Suna because of something as trivial as love right?  This was the right thing to do.  She assured herself but then why did her heart feel like it was tied up in knots?

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Candles (SaiIno-One Shot)

The concept of birthdays had always been foreign to Sai.  He’d never learned the actual date of his birth and never realized that such days were cause for celebration.  So much of his past and the circumstances by which he’d become part of the Root were shrouded in darkness.  The one person that could tell him when his actual birthday was, was dead.

 There were little events that were celebrated in the Foundation.  Completion of missions, not dying on said missions were the two events in which he could remember “celebrating.”  Other than that there was little else that would be cause for celebration.

Once he started becoming more a part of the village he learned early on that birthdays were actually important milestones.  Whether they were small, intimate gatherings of close family and friends or large, elaborate events, birthdays were something to celebrate.  They were time markers and allowed the celebrant to reflect on all their past experiences and look forward to all the wonderful experiences that lie ahead.  Perhaps that was why birthdays were never celebrated.  No one in the Root had a clear memory of their past.  Each mission could be life or death so it was foolish to believe that there was a future to look forward to.  

Still, as he began to settle actual roots, and the path in which he wanted to walk a birthday seemed like an important element to have.  Everyone had a birthday, he deserved one too.  The actual date though was to be determined.  There were few actual dates that held any value so selecting a random one out of the year was difficult.  It also seemed strange to arbitrarily pick a date as well. 

“Ino?  I have a request.”

“Of course Sai, anything.”

“Would you mind sharing your birthday with me?”

“What?”

“I don’t know when my actual birthday is.  Such things weren’t considered important.  One day I’d like to find out but for now if you don’t mind I’d like to share my birthday with you.  It’s not something that we need to announce or even really recognize but I’d like to have a date, a number that I can put down.  I feel like the day I met you I was reborn in a sense.  That my real life started.  I can  understand if you don’t-”

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Stolen (Multi Chap AU ShikaTema ):

Shikamaru watched her closely and saw the shift in her eyes.  Where she’d been terrified initially he noticed a kind of calm and peace.  He released the shadow binds around her wrists but sent more to surround her creating a maze of shadows and lines. 

“Don’t fear the shadows Temari.  Learn to dance amongst them.”

Temari with focused eyes and a determined spirit moved gracefully between the lines.  She landed in pockets of light and moved swiftly before she could become trapped.  He watched on enchanted as she leaped and moved effortlessly avoiding what he threw at her.  It was as though she was floating, gliding in the wind above the darkness.

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**

Runways (Model AU ShikaTema):

Unrestrained raged swirled in Shikamaru’s normally soft brown eyes as he held Temari’s shaking body.  His glare was heavy on the cowering figure trembling on the floor. 

“My family will bury you.  I will make sure that you never work in this industry again.”

Temari was taken aback by the ice in his voice and all she wanted was for this night to be over and for life to return to normal. “Shikamaru...”  Temari’s voice quivered in a frighteningly unfamiliar way and his protective hold tightened.

“I’m sorry-” 

In spite of himself, Shikamaru laughed off the worthless attempt to quell his anger.  “It’s far too late for apologies.  I suggest that you leave now. That you make it so that no one remembers your name or face because by the time that I’m done you will wish that you never crossed a Nara.”

*

**

Stalemate (Mafia AU, ShikaTema)

Shikamaru’s midnight eyes surveyed the crash of sweaty bodies moving and pulsating to a heavy beat. He took a long drag of his cigarette overwhelmed by the sheer number of people and heavy bass. It wasn’t often that he made the trek out here often depending on his associates to check on their businesses.  His father told him though that it was important for the king to be seen by his people.  

For a while, his family had to operate in the shadows.  That was no longer the case.  The Naras, Akimichis, and Yamanaka’s ruled this area.  Government officials, police officers anyone who had “power” were all on their payroll.  Very few things happened in this city without them knowing.  Everyone knew who they were and they no longer tried to hide it.  

When he was younger he’d complained constantly that this was a drag. He never wanted to become the head of the Nara crime family.  It wasn’t his choice, it was his destiny.  Still, he grew into the role and had accomplished more than they’d ever dreamed. 

He didn’t delight in the benefits of being an infamous crime boss. The club was far too loud. The women who threw themselves at him were too troublesome. 

His eyes continued to scan the room before they fell upon one person his heart began to beat wildly. From where he stood he could tell she was a striking blonde but there was something different.  Something was drawing him towards her.  He studied her for a while.  Becoming increasingly frustrated as she flirted and smiled at the club patrons.  His hands clutched painfully around the balcony railing as he tried to keep his anger in check. 

He called his security detail over.

“The blonde bartender, bring her to my office.”

“Yes sir.” 

*

**

Protective Instincts (Mafia AU, SaiIno, Mafia Princess Ino, Bodyguard Sai *same universe as “Stalemate” ^)

The tension in the back of the SUV was suffocating.  The air heavy, anger rolling off of the man sitting next to her. 

“Sai...I-”  Ino began before being cut off.  

“Don’t, I’m barely holding it together right now.  I just need a minute.”

A beat of silence passed. “Are you mad at me?”  She pouted and despite how angry and upset he was Sai shook his head.  

“No, I could never be mad at you.  I’m mad at your actions and the stupid risks you take but no, never at you.”  

Satisfied with his response and sensing that he was calmer Ino crawled into his lap settling her head against his chest.

He knew that he should push her away.  It wasn’t necessarily appropriate for her to be this familiar with him but she melted so perfectly against him. He felt whole when she was in his arms. 

“I’m sorry Sai, I should have told you.  I just wanted a regular fun, night out.”

“But you’re not a regular person.  You put yourself at risk.”

“Sai, it’s one of our clubs, nothing was going to happen.”

“I can’t take that chance, Princess.  I knew that I shouldn't have taken the night off.  The person on your guard tonight is fucking dead.”

Her eyes widened feeling guilt crash over her.  She still had to learn that her decisions had very real consequences.  “Sai, no.  Please, it’s not his fault.  I snuck out.  I manipulated and orchestrated the whole thing.  Please don’t take it out on him.”

“Ino.”

She forced his gaze to meet hers.  “I’ll deal with my dad if it gets to him. Please.”

“Fuck, fine.  He and I are going to have a talk for sure but that will be all.  I promise.”

Ino sighed in relief knowing that he’d keep his promise.  “Thank you.”

“Why did you take tonight off?  It’s not like you.”

He took a deep breath his fingers pushing back stray hairs away from her eyes.  “I just needed a break, Beautiful.  Clearly, it didn’t last long.  I can’t take my eyes off of you for a second.”

She relaxed into his chest.  “I like your eyes on me.”

*

**

Obscura (NSFW SaiIno- Lemonade Series) -Idea courtesy of @ promptmaker 

Sai grinned as Ino moved into the next pose. She was a natural in front of the camera and seeing that smile always made him happy. 

He’d purchased the camera recently as an attempt to explore a new artistic medium. Especially now that he had memories worth capturing. Ino happily volunteered to be his subject. He was thankful that after this he’d have a whole set of photos of his Light. 

“Great job Beautiful these look incredible.” He complimented her drawing her into a kiss. 

“Thank you, Sai.”  She paused for a minute before her eyes lifted back to his a playful look in those baby blues. 

“I have an idea for a for pictures if you don’t mind.” 

He nodded excitedly about the prospect. He enjoyed any time that they shared together.  “Of course not Beautiful, whatever you’d like.  Let me just adjust these lights.” 

When he turned back around he was surprised to see that she’d removed her top and was now leaning forward her breasts heavy and exposed.  A mischievous smile across her lips.  

“Fuck.”  He breathed.  So she wanted those kinds of pictures.

*

**

Main Course (NSFW ChoKarui- Lemonade Series -Idea courtesy of @ promptmaker

“I made you all your favorite food and this is what you want to do instead.”  Karui teased Chouji her honey eyes glowing with anticipation.  

Chouji grinned as his mouth descended over her delicate neck.  “I think that you’re mistaken Sweetheart.  You are by far my favorite thing to eat.”  She could feel his grin against her skin.  

“Besides, if you didn’t want this to happen you would know better than to make yourself look so appetizing.”  He countered his hands grazing over the skin that the apron left exposed.

Goosebumps erupted over her skin her breathing coming out in short pants.  “Well, perhaps we should have dessert first.”

*

**

So that’s what we’ve got folks.  Actually even just making this post is inspiring me to finish/write!  Are there any that you’re interested in reading?  thank you for getting this far and for supporting me. 

[slimy-vore-bog]

Luz the Owl Beast

Alternate title: A Witchling and her Cursed Crush

Guess who’s back with more vore? (Hint: it’s me)

Silliness aside; I decide that I’m going to post 2 versions of this story. One with drawings and one without. It’s because the drawings sorta takes away from the “tension” Or at least the fear... It’s safe vore, but Amity still thinks she’s going to die, and the drawing are a little silly compared, because it’s mostly seen from the outside (basically how Luz sees it, and she never meant to hurt Amity)

Also the drawings literally aren’t ready yet... I only have 3 finished and 3 WIPs in sketching phase (and more I haven’t even started)

This is Luz’s design here: Owl Beast Luz There is additional information in the description. (keep in mind I drew her foot wrong; it’s supposed to be longer)

Additional Details About My Current Projects

Anyways... This story contains: Feral pred Luz and prey Amity, half-sized vore (I think? I can’t figure out if it’s that or less) unwilling prey, eager pred, some lumity towards the end, explicit language, mentions of digestion, mentions of fatal (again, I don’t write that) animalistic pred

(Also, sorry for the boring title... I couldn’t come up with anything more creative)

word count: 3.8 k

***

“Luz?” asked Amity, carefully opening the door to her crush’s room. “Are you in here?” She hadn’t seen the girl for days at school, and she was starting to get worried. I hope she’s okay...

She paused when she heard a snarling and growling. What the hell? she couldn’t help but think, as there sounded another annoyed growl. “Luz?”

She squinted into the dark room, her eyes widening as she saw a beast slamming its head against the floor before writhing in pain. Its mix of feathers and fur were the same dark color as Luz’s hair, and Amity immediately realized who it was. “Luz!”

She didn’t think about her own safety, as she sprinted into the room. What happened to her? Why is she hurting herself? Oh, Titan, she isn’t cursed, is she? “What happened to you?!”

Lots of panicked thoughts travel through her, as she placed a hand on Luz’s side, but a giant pair of wings she hadn’t noticed spread out and flung her into the wall. The impact knocked the wind out of her, as she was left gasping for breath.

She coughed, trying to make her breathing normal again. “Lu-” She drew in a deep breath, watching the beast her friend had turned into struggle to stand up, using her wings to balance. “Luz?”

Luz eventually got up on all four of her legs, growling at Amity, before she pounced.

Luz was heavy. Amity was too scared to keep her eyes open, but she could feel the beast sniff her curiously, before a rough and catlike tongue raked across her face.

Her heart stopped beating for a second, as Luz licked her again. Shit. SHIT. Luz was out of her mind. It probably wouldn’t take long before the beast Luz had turned into, decided that Amity was worth making a meal out of.

“Luz!” she called out, as the rough tongue scratch her skin again. It felt like fingernails getting dragged across her face. “Let. Me. Go!” She tried to get her arms out from under Luz, but she felt her tighten her grip on them as she moved. She stopped, looking up at the beast’s face, before she licked her again.

Amity do nothing but watch in horror, as Luz opened her fanged mouth as wide as it would stretch. Stretching it to the point that Amity’s head would have no problem fitting in there.

Luz used her pawlike hands to shove Amity head into her mouth. Amity couldn’t even scream anymore, as Luz’s jaw locked around her neck. She squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for the beast’s fangs to sink into her neck.

But the bite never came.

Luz opened her mouth a little and shoved her farther in, swallowing her head in one gulp.

No! Amity’s eyes widened, writhing in Luz’s hands, trying to her arms free. NONONONONONONO! She kneed Luz in the chest, trying to get her to cough her back up. I’m not getting swallowed alive by my crush! She kicked out after Luz again, but the beast grabbed her leg before she could hit her.

Luz shoved more of her down, and Amity felt a rumbling noise vibrating through Luz. She quickly realized, to her own horror, that Luz was purring. And it was loud. Amity hated every second of it.

But her attention was quickly snapped away from it, as Luz gulped once again. Amity was already in to the end of her torso. SHIT! She squirmed, trying to fight against the crushing pressure of Luz’s throat, but it was even tighter than she had expected. It felt as if she was locked in place. Her squirming definitely wasn’t enough to make Luz sick. If that is even possible…

She tried to kick her leg, but she only pushed herself farther into her gullet. Wait, maybe this could work! She writhed again, trying to use Luz’s hand to her advantage. If I could just get my leg like this… she bent her knees, using her support against Luz’s to turn in her throat. She got one of her arms out in front of her. Yes! She could still do something! Maybe it wasn’t as hopeless as it looked to be? If I could just use her hand to pull myself back up then-

Just as the plan was forming; Luz let go off her, tilting her head back.

Amity felt Luz jerk her head forward, as she swallowed. Amity felt her own heart pounding louder than it did before; she could feel the entrance to Luz’s stomach with her extended hand. And then she realized how truly fucked she was.

Luz repeated the motion. Amity’s head entered the stomach; she could already feel the other end of it. Oh, Titan, I’m going to die in here… There wasn’t much else to think but one thing. Fuck! She slammed her hand into Luz’s gut. “Fuck!” She cried out in frustration. She blinked, making the tears she had been holding back roll down her cheeks.

She was slowly squeezed the rest of the way into Luz’s stomach. Don’t think of it as Luz… She was forced to curl up in the small and tight space. Her arms were locked to her sides, as Lu- the beast’s stomach began kneading her.

Amity felt everything turn around. What is happening? Did she- Did it just lie on its back?

Even through the feathers, fur, skin, and muscle; Amity could feel L- the beast rubbing its belly. It purred even louder than before, which Amity hadn’t thought possible. She hated the beast Luz had turned into. “Let me out of here!” she screamed at it. She tried to stretch the beast’s stomach, in a desperate effort to make it sick.

But it was apparently already stretched to its fullest with her in there, because it didn’t budge more than an inch. She could barely move, only being able to shift a little bit. I’m going to die… She curled up even tighter around herself. Luz is going to kill me… She couldn’t avoid the fact that this beast that had eaten her was her crush. The loveable idiot, who was willing to fight grom for her and the best friend anyone could ever ask for… had eaten her.

But she couldn’t stop herself from having a slim hope that maybe there was still a chance Luz would snap back to herself and let her out. She wasn’t going to attack Luz; she couldn’t bring herself to hurt her, despite everything. “Luz, please…” she spoke quietly. Amity was starting to feel exhausted. It was sweltering inside Luz’s body, and her adrenalin had run out. “I don’t want to die in here…”

She gently brushed her hand against the slippery flesh thinking about how much Luz meant to her. The stomach was initially slimy to the touch, but after a few more brushes where she got used to the slime; she felt it was also soft and squishy… Maybe this would be a rather peaceful way to die, if she could pass out before the acids kicked in. A realization hit her. Wait… She furrowed her brow. Shouldn’t I feel at least a bit of burning? She hesitated in casting the light spell, but she eventually did it. The stomach lit up in a flash of blinding light, making Amity have to squeeze her eyes shut for a couple seconds.

When she could open them again; she examined her hands. They weren’t the tiniest bit red. She kept turning her hands and staring at them in disbelief. She turned her head towards where she was pretty sure Luz’s head was. She took a breath, trying to figure out, if the air was limited or not.

It was uncomfortably hot and moist, but it didn’t seem like it was unbreathable or limited. Her air supply should definitely have been running out by that point, if not completely depleted. How is this possible? She got a sudden burst of energy, realizing she wasn’t going to die. But she didn’t know what to do about being trapped in Luz’s gut. She felt Luz roll over on her side. What side was even up? She couldn’t figure it out anymore, but she decided not to dwell on it.

She gently rubbed the inside of Luz’s stomach. It grossed her out, but she figured she could get Luz’s attention that way. “Luz?” she carefully called out. “I know it’s safe in here…” she started, hoping that she could understand her, “but I would rather not stay.” It was uncomfortable to be curled up like she was; her muscles were starting to ache already.

Luz made a weird rumbling noise in response, before she got up on her legs. At least Amity was pretty sure that was what she did. She couldn’t really feel exactly what she was doing; she had to guess. But after a couple seconds, she could both hear and feel Luz stomping around.

“Where are you going?” She wasn’t sure if Luz could speak, but she still asked.

She only got a weird screech in response, as Luz picked up the pace and began running.

She tried rubbing Luz stomach again, wondering how sensitive it was. She didn’t regret punching it if it was sensitive, but she was a little curious how much Luz could feel. There was a crash that snapped her out of her thoughts. She sighed, even from the inside of Luz’s stomach she could hear something break. She pinched the bridge of her nose in disappointment.

There was another crash, before Amity could have sworn that she heard someone’s voice. Right, Luz lives with Eda and King… Amity strained her ears, before she heard them scold Luz. “And what are you doing out of your room? Did you break the door again?” It sounded like Eda.

Amity felt a bit shocked… Did she even realize Luz had her in her stomach? “Eda!” Amity called out, pushing against Luz’s stomach, trying to make it more obvious where she was. “Help me out of here!”

It was silent for a few seconds before Eda began laughing. “You ate someone?” She snorted, before continuing her laughter. “That sounds the kid who helped you defeat Grom!” She took a moment to catch her breath. “Let me guess; you went to check on Luz, even though Hooty told you not to?”

Amity’s face reddened in humiliation. That was not how she had expected this to go. “The bird tube wasn’t giving me a straight answer!” she shouted out at the grown witch. “All this strange shi-” She wasn’t sure Eda was okay with her swearing. “-ssstuff about,” she paused for a second, before mimicked his annoying screeching voice, “‘a dangerous beast roams this house, enter at your own risk!’”

“That sounds like a pretty clear message to me,” replied Eda, before she continued to mock her in a higher pitched tone. “A dangerous beast? What could that possibly mean? Let’s go inside and find out!” She began laughing again, her voice changing back to normal. “That one was on you, bird food.”

Amity heard Luz growl at Eda. She wasn’t sure why, but for some reason Luz seemed to take offence to Amity’s new nickname. I actually think I’d prefer being called ‘Mittens’ for once… But she didn’t say anything, as Luz let out a strange screech.

“What?” The annoyance in Eda’s voice was clear. “You ate her and you’re a bird; that’d make her bird food.” There was a pause, before she continued. “Unless you don’t like being called a bird? Eh, that’s fair, I guess.”

But Luz still growled, as Amity felt her press her hand against her belly.

She shoved against it. “Luz, it’s tight enough in here already!” she shouted, pushing harder against her hand. “Don’t squish me!” She couldn’t help but laugh. This is so weird… She thought a bit more about her situation and bursted into a full-on laughing fit. She was incredibly tired, but that only made everything funnier. I can’t believe Luz ate me! Despite her embarrassment from the mocking; she knew Eda was right. I was so concerned about Luz, that I got myself eaten! She couldn’t stop laughing.

Luz began purring again, letting go of her belly.

Amity still laughed, even when Eda spoke up again. “You should get back to your room, kid… Maybe let your friend out too; I think she’s going crazy.”

Luz only purred louder, letting out a strange rumbling meow. Amity was starting to feel exhausted again; getting crammed into a tiny and hot space, not being able to move did that to her. She felt like she could pass out any moment. “I’m tired…” she muttered, not sure to who. Her laughing fit was starting to die down again. She took a deep breath, relaxing into the stomach. If it wasn’t so unbearably hot and tight; it would be pretty comfortable.

She managed to turn to lie on her back. It was a little better, but not much. She thought about the fact that this was Luz’s stomach. She blinked. It was really strange to think about the fact that she could have been dead… Or that she thought she was going to die just a few minutes ago. She had been pretty sure she would have ended up as an owl pellet. She shivered from the thought. Don’t think about that… Her thoughts changed, but not from owls, Is Luz even an owl?

She decided to ask. “So, what is Luz exactly?” She had to be part cat, that was for sure. The purring and the tongue gave that away.

“Some sort of cat-bird, don’t ask me…” Eda trailed off, as a sad tone took over. “And we don’t know who did this to her, if you were going to ask…” There was another pause, before she changed the subject. “I’m not helping you out of there; you two figure that out on your own.”

Amity didn’t bother responding. She had to spend a long time in Luz’s belly. She sighed, as she tried to stretch her cramped up legs. She closed her eyes, feeling how tense she had been, when she let her shoulders relax. She hadn’t meant to, but she fell asleep.

 She woke up to Luz’s snoring, not surprised to still be in her stomach. Alright, I’m done with this… “Luz!” she yelled, giving Luz’s belly a shove with her foot. “Let me out now!”

There was a grumbling from her friend, before she began purring again.

“Alright, you’re cute, but let me out!” She only realized what she said a second later. “I mean, no, you’re not cute! You’re…” She couldn’t come up with anything. She had been just about to insult Luz, but that wasn’t okay either. “Well… maybe some people would call you cute, but I don’t think you are! At all!” This isn’t going well… “Or, well, maybe a little bit, but not that much!” You need to shut your mouth… She felt her face reddened, as she wished she was stuck in Luz’s belly. She couldn’t leave, if she wanted to.

The purring stopped as Luz spoke. “What?”

Amity was absolutely mortified. “Nothing!” she spoke louder than she meant to. “Just let me out!” Her face was reddening even faster. “Please, I need to get back home.” She hadn’t told anybody she was leaving; she was pretty sure her parents wouldn’t let her go out to check up on a human. And her siblings would definitely tease her for it.

Luz sighed, “but it’s so nice to have you in there…” Again, she felt Luz’s paw-hand press against her.

“Well, it’s not nice to be in here.” She pressed out against her hand. “I can barely move!” Knowing that Luz could reply really made her want to lash out at her, but she let her off easy. “How did you even know I wasn’t going to die in here?” After she asked it; she wasn’t completely sure she wanted the answer… It couldn’t be good.

It was quiet above her for a few seconds. “I- Well…” Luz hesitated, moving her hand away again. She sounded nervous. “Don’t worry; I knew! I just… It’s a long story… Or maybe just an awkward one? I don’t really want to tell it.”

Amity didn’t know what to think of that. “Can you let me out?” She could deal with the rest of this after she was out of there. “It’s incredibly uncomfortable to stay in here.”

“Alright… I guess I’m feeling a little fuller than I would like.” There was a horrible retching sound above her, as Luz started gagging.

She coughed her up surprisingly quickly, but that was probably do to her being an maybe-owl and cat. Those animals were almost built to throw up things they couldn’t digest. Or in this specific case, wouldn’t.

Amity tried to get some of the slime out of her hair, but she knew that it wasn’t coming out before she took a bath. Her eyes widened. “Uh, how do I explain this to my family?” She looked up at Luz, gesturing to herself. It was still strange to see Luz like that. All big and… so unlike herself. The only similar thing was her eyes. But those were still so much bigger…

Luz snapped her out of her trance; her voice was still the same too. “You know, we do have a bathroom.” She put her hands in under herself like a cat.

Amity looked at Luz for a few seconds. “I don’t have any spear clothes; I didn’t plan on being eaten today.”

“You could borrow some of mine, if you want?” She got up on her legs, stretching out her body, before walking over to where she kept her clothes. I should stretch too… She used one of her hands to grab some clothes for Amity. “Or maybe you don’t want to take a shower here?” Luz watched her with the clothes in her hand.

Amity looked up at her. “No, I don’t mind taking a bath here,” she said, trying to get some more slime out her hair, but was drying already. “I just don’t know if I have time for that.” She had no idea what the time was, but it was probably late. So she had to make a choice… Bathe and be extract late or not bathe and get home earlier but have to explain herself. “Actually, I’m going to get clean.” She got up; being a tiny bit wobbly on her legs.

She stretched out, before she took a deep breath; she had almost forgotten how good that felt.

Luz held out the clothes to her. Amity felt hesitant to take them. “uhm, I’d rather not those get ruined too…” she replied, gently pushing against Luz’s hand. “Can you leave them outside the door?”

Luz nodded, quickly licking Amity’s hair.

Amity pushed her face away. “Don’t do that.”

Luz backed away. “Sorry, I just wanted to brush your hair.”

“Okay…” Amity gave her a weird look, before walking out the door to find the bathroom.

 She quickly got cleaned up and dressed, going to Luz’s room once again.

Amity still felt a little sticky, but not enough for it to be noticeable. She nervously rubbed her neck before speaking up. “So…” she started, trying to figure out how to say what she wanted to. “Thank you for the spare clothes…” That wasn’t actually what she wanted to say, but she couldn’t really figure it out.

Luz blinked at her. “No problem!” She lied down in front of her. “Kinda owe you, after ruining your other ones…” She scratched her ear hesitantly. “And you look pretty cute in them.”

Amity froze. Did… Did she just call me cute? Her face flared up in a bright red blush. “Thank you,” she barely managed to squeak out. She immediately turned away from Luz. That thank you didn’t sound right… She pointed to the door. “I’m going to leave now…” She looked up at Luz. “I hope you figure this thing out.”

Luz gently grabbed Amity’s arm. “Wait, I want to tell you something.” Amity looked into her eyes, nervous as to what Luz was going to say. She let go of her, before speaking again. “I really like you… There’s something I feel about you that’s not how I feel about Gus or Willow… Or anyone else.”

Amity held her gaze, as her heart pounded faster. “You like me?” she watched Luz; she didn’t want to assume she meant as anything more than friends. Sure, she said more than Gus or Willow, but that could just mean she saw her as a best friend. “I really like you too.” That was true, no matter how Luz meant it. Amity felt a small pang of courage, but it disappeared as she opened her mouth. She couldn’t just say she had a crush on Luz.

They both stared at each other for a while.

Luz was the first to break the silence. “That’s good… But you know what I mean, don’t you?”

Amity swallowed. “You like me as… As more than a friend?” She hoped she didn’t make it too obvious that was what she was hoping for or that she sounded like she thought that would be a terrible thing. Amity gathered her courage again. “That’s what I mean at least…”

“That’s what I mean too.”

Amity stared at her. What exactly were they supposed to do now? She took a moment to decide, before she hugged her.

Luz hugged her back gently, as she began purring. “I wish you could stay here…” She started purring again after saying it, clutching Amity closer.

“Yeah, but I have to go.” However; she didn’t let go of Luz. There was just something about hugging her that felt great. Not the fluffy feathers, or the hug; those weren’t that great. It was the fact that she was hugging Luz back for once, and she didn’t want to let go. But she knew she had to get back. She let go of Luz. “See you later.”

Luz let go of her too, but she frowned. “I don’t know if that’s a good idea while I’m like this…”

Amity paused, trying to adapt Luz positive attitude. “Well, maybe we can fix it together?”

Luz smiled. “That’s sweet of you, but I don’t think it’s even possible…”

Amity thought about it. “You know, I didn’t think humans could learn magic, but you did it anyways. I think we can figure this out!” She wasn’t sure she believed it was possible herself, but with Luz; there was no saying what would work.

Luz perked up. “You really think that?”

Amity nodded. “Yes, but I really have to get going. Let’s meet up tomorrow!” She waved, before she walked out the door.

***

That’s the end; I hope you enjoyed reading it! <3

As always; a couple notes:

Luz had eaten King before; that’s how she knew. He did almost impale her with his horn, but she got out of it alive (and so did he)

Luz didn’t like Eda mocking Amity; that was why she growled. (I think it’s obvious, but I feel like I should point it out, because I never stated it in the story)

I think that’s all I want to mention? This was originally supposed to be a short drabble, but I got inspired... Whoops...

Hope you have a nice day/night and thank you for reading! <3

The second version will take a while before it’s done, but I while get it done eventually!