#those traits didn’t magically vanish because my romantic life changed and I got out of a bad situation

[unofficialadamtaurus]

Fans who love the character Adam could’ve been 🤝 fans who love the character Blake could’ve been

I literally started watching RWBY explicitly because someone told me I was exactly like Blake (this was when volume 2 was wrapping up) and I connected to her so much. I have complicated feelings about Adam (ie I saw him as Blake’s abusive ex from the get go even before it was confirmed due to coincidental similarities to a real life situation and projection but retrospectively love his character and want so much more from it) and I feel great kinship with Adam fans like you because of how mishandled these two characters were

I will maintain until the day I die that Adam’s weak writing also weakened Blake’s. Like sure, who’s gonna argue against a “kill the stalker abuser ex” story (ignoring the racism with Herculean effort)…but it could’ve been so much more. Breaking cycles of abuse while recognizing the humanity in the monsters that cycle creates, not boiling down solving racism to just “kill the crazies and nicely ask your oppressors to stop,” giving Blake a moral and physical challenge to overcome that would likewise flesh out her backstory, the list goes on.

Instead he dies a pathetic hate sink’s death and she becomes arm candy. Stellar stuff, no notes 🫠

[hournites]

I just thought of a weird, but funny Hournite/Stargirl fic idea/prompt: Yolanda misses out on a JSA mission thanks to her parents & when she see everyone the following day all of the JSA’s personalities have been inverted. Rick is really bubbly & dorky, Beth is bitter, angry, & goth-like, Courtney is sarcastic, mean, & very Queen B. Pat tells Yolanda that the Shade was trying to steal the Wizard’s wand & the ensuing chaos caused the sides of their personalities that the three of them usually never show to turn into their dominant traits. While Pat’s searching for a cure to this problem, Yolanda’s forced to watch dorky Rick swoon over an oblivious & bleak-minded Beth, all while Courtney makes fun of all of them while flipping through fashion magazines & complaining about her broken nails. So... yeah... Yolanda has her hands full lol. Love to hear your thoughts on this!

This got out of hand...

Invert

~.~

While most days as a member of the Justice Society of America consisted of many fun surprises, there were some days Yolanda had no word to describe. Yolanda dropped her school bag at the table downstairs at the Pit Stop, then climbed upstairs. Taking in the scene unfolding in front of her, she realized today was one of those no word days.

Beth was curled up in the corner of the couch, legs drawn up to her chest with a book, wearing a scowl so jarring, Yolanda had to think back to the time she’s ever seen such an expression on Beth's face. Yeah, probably never. What’s weirder was the way Rick’s hanging over her shoulder, leaning against the couch and rambling about his car. He was in a regular t-shirt with the sleeves rolled up to look like a muscle tank, biceps on full display. It was almost like he was showing off, trying to impress her. And it would impress Beth, Yolanda was pretty sure. But she wasn’t even looking at him.

“….Hi?”

Only then did Rick notice Yolanda. He brightened up with a wave. “Hi! You missed a lot.”

“I see that,” she answered slowly. “What exactly...did I miss?” And where’s Courtney? “Did something happen yesterday?”

Beth snorted. “You could say that.”

Yolanda frowned when Beth didn’t elaborate.

“The Shade got hold of the Wizard’s wand,” Rick explained, grimacing a little. “We think we got, uh, spelled? I can’t put my finger on what exactly. We’re just different. I feel different, I mean. Like, I think this might be the longest sentence I’ve said to you? And I’m not even done. It’s not bad, it’s just weird. I’ve been trying to convince Beth to go outside with me for the last half hour.” He shook her shoulder. “C’mon, Beth. Please?”

“I’m reading,” she groused.

“You can read in my car and we can go for a drive? I’ll take you out!”

“Yeah…” Beth considered his words. She looked up at him, and Yolanda took a step back. She was wearing thick black eyeliner and her book had covered her matching dark lipstick. “Maybe later?”

“Yes!” Rick cheered, pumping his fist. “It’s a date! Great, I’m excited!”

“Wow...Beth...That’s quite the makeover…”

Beth shrugged. “Yeah. It’s new. I like it.”

“She looks great, doesn’t she?” Rick gushed. He sat at the other end of the couch. “So do you want to go to dinner on our date?”

Yolanda turned around so Rick won’t see her reaction to his desperate crush. The second-hand embarrassment was getting to her, if Rick was his regular self he wouldn’t be nearly this obvious. She’d always known Rick sort of liked Beth, but she’d never seen him so vocal about it. Rick was the type to bury his feelings, even romantic ones, until they explode. Not actively pursue them.

She climbed back downstairs and ran into Courtney. “...What did I just watch?”

Courtney’s hair was straightened and styled up in a high ponytail.

Great, Yolanda thought. More random makeovers.

In all honesty, Courtney looked absolutely beautiful, but any appreciation Yolanda could find in herself to compliment her vanished when she got a good look at the meanness on her face.

Courtney snapped pink gum obnoxiously with a hand on the waist of her sweats. “Are you talking about Rick and Beth?” She rolled her eyes. “Yeah, it’s pathetic. I’ve been avoiding them.”

Yolanda narrowed her eyes. It was not like Courtney to insult their friends. “I was going to say weird...Rick isn’t pathetic.”

“If you say so. Well, you know what is pathetic? The fact you let your parents make you stay at home. We needed you last night and now everything’s messed up because you had to be a goody two-shoes.”

“Don’t talk to me that way, Court.” Yolanda pushed her aside. “You know it’s not easy. If I disobey them they’ll only hate me more. I love my mom, Court. I don’t want her to alienate me.”

Courtney shook her head. “I don’t really care. Hearing you complain about your mom and dad gets annoying. They suck. We get it. Get over it?”

Yolanda blinked back tears. “You don’t understand what it’s like!”

“Oh my god, are you actually crying?”

The hurt in her chest squeezed. Yolanda almost couldn’t breathe. Courtney had always been understanding to her, she’d let her vent and express her emotions, she was a compassionate person, it’s what she’d loved about her best friend so much. But her personality and behaviour resembled nothing like the Courtney Yolanda cared for. “Screw you, Court!”

She sped out of there, wiping at her eyes with the back of her palm.

“Yolanda!” Someone called after her, but she didn’t want to be here anymore. She understood her friends were under the influence of some magic, but she couldn’t stomach the way everything had flipped upside down. “Yolanda! Wait!”

She slowed her pace and turned around when she saw Pat jogging down the sidewalk with her forgotten bag. “You forgot this.”

“They all changed, Pat! Especially Courtney.”

Pat sighed. “I know. I was going to find you but Zeek called and got me all wrapped up in some nonsense, I wasn’t able to warn you on time.”

“So it’s true? They’re spelled?”

“Evidently. The good news is, Mike and Jakeem apprehended the wand back early this morning. We just don’t know how to use it.” He leaned in and gave her a half hug. “Why don’t you head on over to our house? Barb’s also been taking this whole mess pretty badly. We can figure out next steps this afternoon.”

Yolanda nodded, she couldn’t imagine what Courtney’s mom must’ve felt to see her daughter lack any empathy. She took her bag and started to make her trek to the Whitmore-Dugans.

They had to get to the bottom of this, she knew that. But witnessing the inversion of her friends accumulated a dark cloud over her head the longer she thought about it.

What if she was there during the mission last night? Yolanda couldn’t help but wonder what life would feel like unburdened.

What if I didn't care about what others thought about me? What if I didn't feel so cautious and careful about what I do or what I say? Or trusted everyone I met with ease again?

What if I had the chance to feel free?

[mythopoeticreality]

well, I... John Uskglass?!!??!?

Well, if you insist….xD

How I feel about this character

I mean….*sweeping gesture towards blog* I suppose you could say have something of an appreciation for him?

xD Nah, But seriously, from the very moment he appeared on that snowy Yorkshire moor in front of Childermass, I’ve loved this guy. Forget the scene, he stole the whole book! I love the mystery that surrounds him, how much of an enigma he is; I love that he is this incredible force of nature, this legend, this being that seems so Fae at times and so inscrutable. I love how absolutely extra he is? This inclination for melodrama developed over years of growing up in Faerie: Why just walk into a room when you can materialize out of a chaos of ravens? Why simply refuse to learn to read when you can create your own writing system, one that more easily aligns to your own way of thinking?  Why take your vengeance for your parents deaths out on the one guy who did it, when you can conquer half an island? The man has two modes: “Cool Arrogance” and “Sinking Coastal Yorkshire Villages Into The Sea” and I kinda love it? (though, just to make things clear, I don’t actually approve of the drowning of Coastal Yorkshire Villages, no matter what allies they’ve made in their quest not to pay their taxes. In case it needs to be said)

Most of all, I love how incredibly human The Raven King can be as well. There’s compassion – offhanded, a second thought, of course, yet still there–  in the way he heals Childermass before he vanishes again. There’s humor in his parting words to Childermass, “You are wrong, he is not dead” – a dry, ironical sort of understatement, that the man can’t even hear, you can nearly picture the smirk curling at his lips as he says it! And there’s care in all that he does. He set in motion a plan three centuries in the making, manipulating who knows how many events, all for the sake of England, for his Kingdom, to bring magic back. John Uskglass is a teacher, he gave magic to England and it spread through his own students. John Uskglass is an explorer, building the King’s roads and traveling to countless realms in search of more Knowledge, more Magic.  Yes, of course all of these traits are twisted and filtered through a more Fairy lens, why wouldn’t they be? He was raised by these beings! He’s not fully human – but he’s not entirely Fae either. He’s this strange mixture of both that neither can really understand. It’s isolating, it’s lonely, and it’s fascinating. I just…love the Raven King when he’s shown as a person?

And I just…love how he’s presented in the book? We don’t see him until that scene at the end, but by that point in the book, you’ve heard so many legends and stories and Historical anecdotes about him that you just…feel his presence over the whole story? By that point, you know about his conquest of Northern England, and of his youthful Arrogance, refusing even to learn how to read, because what could he possibly gain from doing so? You’ve heard about how he gradually became less arrogant, less like a Fairy and More like a Man after ruling his Kingdom for so long and how he did eventually learn to read – how he decided that engaging with the thoughts of others was worthwhile after all! You hear about his Strange Fae nature in the Raven King Ballad, how he’ll spirit away unsuspecting people to his realm in Fairy. You’ve read about his cruelty: the incident with Henry Barbatus, the Yorkshire Village he sank into the sea. You’ve heard rumor of his multiple returns to England: Riding off of a Fairy Road and blessing the family of the Farmer at the end of it who gave him food and a horse; Guiding back home the daughter of a Newcastle Glovemaker who had wandered her way into Faerie; As an omen of ill fortune for a group of shipwrecked basque sailors. You even know the names of those close to him: Thomas of Dundale, William of Lanchester, Catherine of Winchester.

But in the end, how much do you really know at all? Do you know if any of these tales are true? If they are then they only open more questions. What are the other sides of these tales? Who were those others with the King when he departed from the Fairy Road, the one who vanished along with it with the morning mist, who the Raven King so blithly told the Farmer not to worry about? How did the Glovemaker’s daughter find her way inside the Raven King’s house? Did she just stumble upon it or did he bring her there? And why?

It’s fantastic.  You get all of these glimpses of the character, and you can’t help but build an image from them in your mind. But it’s never a complete image.  Never full, you can never really understand the Raven King any more than any of the characters in the book can.

(So um yeah…apparently I have *alot* of feelings about the Raven King. xD) 

All the people I ship romantically with this character

 Alright so my main ship for this guy is actually John Uskglass/England, take that in whichever way your imagination is inclined, because yes I probably mean it that way. Honestly, when you see how Happy all of Nature is when it thinks Stephen is the Raven King and that John Uskglass is returned? It’s just really cute?! How can you not?!

On a more Human level, as I’ve said before, I do actually picture John Uskglass as being pansexual, and as per his fairy upbringing, rather more casual about his sexual relationships. That said….I actually have very few ships…with like…named characters, for Uskers? Maybe it’s because I do see his affairs as so casual most of the time, or maybe it’s just because he’s so isolated a character. I dunno. Black Joan is the one character  that’s a definate yes. If she’s anything like her son, she’d be shrewd and cynical and the sort of person who can hold her own against the Raven King. I have to admit I definitely love that sort of fairy-tale like trope of this Great and Powerful King, and this relatively ordinary thief falling for one another as well. So yeah, definately here for Black Joan/John Uskglass. Otherwise? Hrmm… I need more Raven King Ships. Any one got any suggestions?

I will say that when John does fall in love, he falls hard. He doesn’t like it. It’s such a soft, vulnerable feeling, and placing your heart into someone else’s hands, to be broken at any moment? It’s foolish, so far as he’s concerned. He is a King in Faerie, after all, he cannot afford to be vulnerable. So he tries to deny any feelings he may develop for a person, even to himself. If you do get him to the point of  admitting it though, I will say he can be absolutely doting. 

My non-romantic OTP for this character

Okay, so I’ve talked about this before, but I do headcanon Thomas of Dundale and John Uskglass as having grown up in the brugh together, pretty much. Thomas –like the naturally born extrovert that he is ;) –  kind of attached himself to John and over the years became something like an older brother to him? I can’t help but picture him as being very protective of the young Raven King, and, having been taken at an age where he could remember things, where he had developed a more human sense of right and wrong, Thomas helped provide something of a balancing point against the Fairies as John was growing up. Thomas encouraged those more human aspects of John’s character, and he was there to talk to about these aspects of himself, these more human instincts, that John might not have understood so well growing up surrounded by Fairies – empathy, compassion, caring. And that bridge that Thomas provided was so important later in John’s life, after he returned to England. It wasn’t merely language that Thomas was translating, but culture, an entire way of thinking that John didn’t fully understand yet. I mean?! Their relationship is just so important to me and how can I not love them?!

And yet, on the other hand…There’s also William of Lanchester? I mean, he’s specifically marked out as The Raven King’s Favorite and Most Trusted servant, and I can’t help but picture this guy as the most Eternally Tired man in all of Northern England. xD  William is the sensible,trustworthy, reliable one and that’s such a beautiful contrast to John Uskglass? Part of me loves the idea that a big part of why John trusts William so much is because William will say ‘No’ to him. He won’t flatter or stay quiet if he feels he needs to speak against John (see: Henry Barbatus). Does that mean John will always listen? That he’ll always appreciate William’s input? No, of course not (also see: Henry Barbatus) But he will get the truth, and that is important too.

And again, on the third hand, I really do love the whole relationship between Catherine of Winchester and John Uskglass as well. I love the idea of the Raven King as a teacher, and Catherine herself is just really awesome? And the idea of even John Uskglass being impressed at her dedication to magic, of how much he finds himself valuing her as a pupil, and growing to care about her over the coarse of their relationship, just…as a person? I feel like John Uskglass does most easily connect to other people through magic and through teaching, and I like to think that Catherine was one of his favorites…

Ughh. I can’t choose. Let’s go with all four of them hanging out in 13th century Newcastle. Yes? Yes. Good! 8D 

My unpopular opinion about this character

I’m not sure. I don’t…think I have any unpopular opinions? What are the popular ones? Are we all in agreement that the Raven King is a Melodramatic Goth Nerd and That is Why We Love him?

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon.

I want just…more in general? I mean, like more, like a whole series of historical novels focusing on the intrigues and plots surrounding the Raven King’s court. I want to see him interacting with all of these historical personages, reacting to like historical events happening, how magic and his presence changes that past? It would be *amazing* and I want it so badly!

…so  I’m prolly gonna have to write it myself xD

[two-plus-two-is-four]

The lovely @thelordofshadows suggested that I answered every question, probably after recognizing how hyped I was about Apaera, so here I go!

Answers under the cut because this is going to be a loooong post.

01. What is their favorite food? Overall, she prefers fruity sweets like baked apples. She especially likes anything cinnamon flavored. If desserts don’t count, then a fish stew.

02. Do they have a fear of an animal? If so, what animal? Not really. Unless the animals are corrupted somehow.

03. What do they wear to bed? Pants and a loose long sleeved shirt. Might layer a nightdress underneath for extra warmth.

04. Do they like cuddling? She’d be caught dead before admitting it to anyone, but yes and that says a lot.

05. Do they have a secret handshake with anyone? She prefers absurd questions or phrases, to identify people in disguise.

06. What do they look like? She has pitch black skin and hair. Her eyes have a silver iris and she is usually shrouded in darkness.

07. Do they like chocolate? LOVE chocolate!

08. What are their good and bad traits? Her good trait is her empathy, for most things living. Her bad trait is her stubbornness.

09. Do they have any artistic talent? Not quiet artistic, but she does know how to play a few melodies on the flute.

10. What is their favorite room to be in, in the house  they live in? The tallest part of the tower where she can gaze out from

11. Do they believe in luck? Yes, and she actually considers herself to be quiet fortunate. Lady luck isn’t always sweet to her, but she respects the ups and down as a bigger part of the chaos she thrives in. (As answered previously)

12. Can they do magic? Yes, she can cast the spells she’s blessed with. Usually illusion magic.

13. Do they believe in dragons? It’d be harder not to.

14. What is a pet peeve of theirs? When the person she is talking to vanishes.

15. What was the last thing they cried about? Besides from pain, the loss of someone important enough to stir up emotion inside her.

16. What is their sexuality? Generally uninterested, both sexually and romantically, so asexual aromantic. Before her transition to the being she is currently she hadn’t given it much thought.

17. Do they have a best friend? If so, who, and what makes them their best friend? Life long friendships are difficult for her. Besides the few she connects with during their life, probably someone with the same lifespan as her. A certain tiefling comes to mind.

18. Have they ever been in a romantic relationship? No, since her crush short of died, unfortunately. Her feelings are quiet numb either way.

19. What does their relationship with their family look like? Are they close? Distant? Ect. Her family by blood, she has long lost contact with. She doesn’t really recall them anymore, besides her little sister who she still thinks about from time to time. Her found family she is quiet close to, despite all of them having their own paths in life.

20. Do they have a pet? She had a few pets in their earlier years, but it was apparent to her that her lifestyle wasn’t really suited for an animal.

21. Do they have a familiar? Not for a while, no.

22. Are they a supernatural being? Yes, quiet a strong one too. A shadow.

23. How do they usually wear their hair? Short, with the sides shaved. Sometimes on a little horse’s tail.

24. Can they play an instrument? If so, what instrument and what can they play? As previously mentioned, she knows how to play the flute.

25. What type a high schooler are/were they? If she ever went to high school, she’d be a mix of a jock and a goth.

26. Have they ever been in a physical fight before? If so, with who? Who won? Quiet a lot, actually. Some she has won, some she has lost, but she survived all of them but one.

27. What is their favourite holiday? Midnight.

28. If they could have one wish, what would they wish for? Depending on her age, either for her soul to be complete again, or, after certain events, to aid a certain someone in which ever way they’d need, if you catch my drift.

29. Do they wants kids? If they already have kids, do they want more? She doesn’t want kids of her own, but she does like taking care of kids and spending time with them.

30. Do they have a job? She has worked quiet a few jobs here in there over the years.

31. Do they know how to drive? Like a cart? A carriage? Nope, but she can ride a horse.

32. Do they get stressed out easily? Quiet the opposite, if she is stressed out then shit are really going down.

33. Did they ever dye their hair before? If so, to what colour? Did they like it? As part of a disguise, perhaps, but never permanently. She didn’t really mind it.

34. Have they ever broken the law? Never, I swear to Cyric.

35. Do they own a plant? A little pot with a nocturnal lily.

36. Have they ever rode a horse before? Yup, in quiet a few trips.

37. What is their favorite gif?

Is there a reason for this? Yes, absolutely.

38. Do they get along with others easily? Yes, when she doesn’t tease around and poke at them

39. Do they have any tattoos? Not yet, not against it thought. Perhaps once she finds something special enough to her.

40. If I wanted to draw them, what would be distinct physical features that I would have to know to draw them correctly? Her eyes, the whites are actually black while the silver iris has a purple tint to it. Other than that, her nails, which she uses as a martial art’s weapon. Like claws.

41. What is their favourite breed of dog? All dogs are good dogs, but if she was to pick one, she’d go with something fluffy, like a samoyed or a husky.

42. Do they live with anyone? If so, who? She used to live with the people that trained her, then those that she trained. Monks and other shadows.

43. Where is their dream vacation? Somewhere across the great sea. Exploring is an acceptable vacation activity, no?

44. Do they know more than one language? Other than common, she speaks halfling and dwarvish. Over the years, she has also picked up thieves’ cant  and hand cant

45. Are they a quick learner? When survival depends on it. Though her wits are sharper than her memory.

46. Have they ever won a contest before? If so, what for? What did they win? Contest for worst sacrifice ever?

47. If the world were to end in 24 hours, where would they be and who would they be with? If the world was to end in 24 hours, that means someone’s plan went terrible wrong, so naturally, she’d be by someone’s side, trying to stop the world’s end.

48. What does their room look like? Unmade bed, desk filled with papers, pens, ink bottles, a half melted candle. Lot’s of clutter, spell components everywhere. Cloaks, hats and boots, all organized neatly in some corner along with other equipment. Little trinkets with emotional value pilled up high next to the gear.

49. If they could have an extinct animal for a pet, what would they have? Not an extinct animal, but she wouldn’t mind a pseudo-dragon.

50. If they got called out by someone, what would they do? Admit her mistake an try her best to correct it as soon as possible.

51. Have they ever shot a gun before? Prefers crossbows.

52. Have they ever been axe throwing? A few times, not their weapon of preference.

53. What is something that they want but can’t have? Her feelings to be returned by their crush and her soul to be whole again.

54. Do they know how to fish? Yes, she finds it quiet relaxing.

55. What is something they always wanted to do but too scared? Confess, though it wouldn’t make any difference. She is convinced that he already knows.

56. Do they own their own baby pictures? Nope, but she has an idea who would if she ever wanted them.

57. What makes them standout among others? The shadows leaking from her skin. Now if we are talking about other shadows, her empathy.

58. Do they like to show off? Perhaps..

59. What is their favourite song? Choir Noir - Shadow Moses Beneath the Mask (Cover by Adriana) Leonard Cohen - You Want It Darker

60. What would be their dream vehicle? Doesn’t really have one, teleporting through shadows is fine with her.

61. What is their favourite book? Lot’s of favorites over the years, couldn’t really name one.

62. Who, in their opinion, makes the best food? Anyone willing to cook instead of spawning food with magic.

63. Are they approachable? It depends on what she is doing at the time, but most times, yes.

64. Did they ever change their appearance? She sees no point to it, besides disguises.

65. What makes them smile? Hanging out with humans, listening their tales, about their lives, their every day worries. Old friends.

66. Do they like glowsticks? .. Doesn’t need the light exactly.

67. What is something that is simple, but always makes them smile? Dogs.

68. Are they a day or night person? Night person. 110%

69. Are they allergic to anything? Nightbringers and all other worshipers of Shar.

70. What do you, the creator of this OC, like most about them? Her unbreakable will and the tendency absolutely wreck havoc where that is needed. To be sacrificed to a cruel god who feeds of your pain and misery and at that instance decide that instead of caving in your misery, you will instead become the worst sacrifice they’ve ever received by laughing at their face.. Idk man, I think that takes some balls. (As previously answered)

71. Who is their ride or die? Again, a certain tiefling comes to mind.

72. Do they currently have a significant other? If not, are they going to get one later one? I mean, a girl can hope.

73. What attracts them to another person? Freedom, knowing that the people around her will never hold her back.

74. Who is one person that can always make them laugh? Drasek Riven, he doesn’t even have to say anything. He can just be there.

75. Have they ever partied too hard and their friends had to take them home? Yes, not a fond memory of hers’.

76. Who would be their cuddle buddy? Whoever would be brave enough to recognize that she is actually touch starved.

77. Who would cheer them up after a long day? Usually, she is one to stay alone, so when she is in need of company, she’ll just start up a conversation with a stranger.

78. If they had a nightmare, who would they run to? By now, she is used to nightmares, but if she could, her brothers and sisters are who she’d go to. She wouldn’t say anything, their company is enough to calm her most of the times. When not, meditating in an empty dark room usually helps calm her down.

79. What object to the care for the most? It’s not the object it’s self but the information in it. A small book with maps of all the places she has visited.

80. Do they like other people’s children? Yes, love to hang out with them and love to look after them. The little sprouts are really entertaining.

81. How would they react if someone broke into their home? Three stunning strikes? They are bound to fail at least one. Questions will be asked afterwards.

82. Does anyone make them have butterflies in their stomach? Nope, surely not, she is a coldblooded thousands year old being. Of course, there is no one in this plane that makes her feel that way.

83. What is something that they are good at? Taking care of others, listening, paying attention to their reactions.

84. What is their neutral expression? A little scary, but she usually smiles.

85. Do they like to cook? For herself and for others.

86. What is something they can’t leave home without? Her mask.. Even if worn around her writs, she still needs the security of being able to cast spells.

87. Who is someone that they rely on? The asshole who gives her her spell slots.

88. Do they liked to be tickled? Hard pass. Dislikes when people touch her out of the blue.

89. Have they ever been a sword fight before? Is it considered a sword fight if she wasn’t holding a sword?

90. What is a joke that they would find funny? -Then perish- jokes.

91. Do they have a place that can go and turn off their brain? Usually any room without much light, otherwise, a closet will do.

92. What was their childhood like? She doesn’t remember a lot of it, but she know she was happy. One of her few memories is of her and her little sister playing explorers in their mother’s garden. The years after turning to a shade she also considers a short of childhood or at least teen hood as she had to readjust and find new balances in her life. It took her a while to figure out how to care for people again when she could hardly feel anything, but little by little she managed to give up her spite. Those years were the roughest for her.

93. What are they like as an adult? After her second “puberty”, she learned to be quiet more free spirited, relaxed and easy going thought with certain events that happened in her life span, her spite towards a certain group of individuals reignited.

94. Do they take criticism well? Most of the times. She wants to generally improve herself.

95. Have they ever jumped out of a plane? Well.. Not a plane, no. But I can imagine her jumping off of a floating city.

96. Who do they like to make jokes with? The bastard that gives her her assignments.

97. Have you ever drawn them before? If you are comfortable with it, would you post a picture?

[everbrilliantheartbreaker]

Fanfiction Reader Tag

Tagged by @eyeliner-vampire  ♡ ♡

Fanfiction Reader Tag!

1. When did you start reading Fanfic (How old you were or how long ago)?

When I was probably...11 ish? so like 13 years ago

2. Do you have an AO3 account?

Yeh (LadyWisteria)

3. Do you read WIP (work in progress)? Why or why not?

All the time. I’m not picky about this at all. I’m a simple person. I see fic I think I’ll like? I read. doesn’t matter if it’s finished or not. I’ll make up my own ending til it is lol. also authors need that encouragement. finishing stuff is hard

4. What time of day is your ‘fic reading time’?

Usually late at night (like 1 a.m. and later..much later) but sometimes I’ll waste an afternoon instead (2 p.m. ish til I either have to go to work or I finish the fic)

5. How much time do you spend reading fic per week?

Not remotely as much time as I used, that’s for sure. Anywhere from an hour (if I’m rereading That favorite fic) to 2-4 hours if my friend has sent me a longfic again.

6. Do you listen to podfic (fanfic recorded like an audiobook)?

I...didn’t even know this was a thing tbh, so no. Sounds very neat but also I don’t listen to audio books anymore bcus my attention span re: audio input has gotten so bad over the years I can’t focus for more than a few minutes. 

7. What’s your favorite fic genre to read?

AUs AUs AUs. and fantasy. and fantasy AUs (although good long AU fics are harder to find). I am a very simple person. I see magic mentioned, I read. I also read a lot of romance fic (proving once again that fanfic writing is often better than mainstream original writing, bcus romance is one of my least favorite YA/movie genres). I don’t read as much of them but I also love mystery and paranormal fics

8. Are there any genres that you tend to avoid?

Super angsty no happy ending type stuff. “Major Character Death” is an automatic nope lmao (unless the summary looks reaallyyy interesting or it was recc’d to me). Tragedy is definitely Not my thing

9. What tag(s) do you track?

I don’t track any fic tags (I stopped tracking tags at all since Tumblr changed it from “keeping track of new posts in said tag” to “dropping random posts from that tag into the middle of your dash, and usually the same three”)

10. How do you find new fic?

Nowadays I mostly just read what friends send me or the new stuff a very few writers I follow post, but sometimes I also come across stuff through Twitter or Tumblr and curiosity wins out

11. How do you organize your fic bookmarks?

I..don’t? Is this a thing people do?? If I wanna reread something I either search through my bookmarks by title/author or just. filter by fandom. 

12. Do you subscribe to authors or stories?

Yeh. I only keep up with a very select few of them though. altho part of that is due to several of them being people I followed on fanfic.net years and years ago and never unfollowed, even though our interests may no longer be the same. (the other part is me going “oh I’ll read that later” and then just. never doing it.)

13. What is your favorite fanfic trope?

fake dating and bed sharing are always good

everyone is gay. also Good

14. What kind of plot line are you always here for?

“everything’s the same but they’re soulmates” (oh my god they were soulmates)

mafia AU

MAGIC

I really like in-between scene fics too. the events and character interactions that happen off-screen. I like writing those

15. What can an author do to make you love them?

write about my faves frequently

cool AUs

write about minor characters

good sense of humor

16. What can an author do to make you avoid them?

not into mpreg fics

a/b/o fics make me super wary I usually pass on those, even if the summary looks mildly interesting. they’re rarely if ever done in a way that isn’t rapey and gross

don’t care for fics period that have rapey scenes but you’re supposed to find them romantic

adult/minor ships

characterization is a big deal to me so if I don’t like how they handle the characters, especially faves I probably won’t be back

17. What do kudos mean to you?

when I get one I have a few seconds of “oh someone kinda liked this thing I wrote” and then I carry on about my day >.>;;; (I do appreciate them tho)

18. What kind of commenter are you (No comment, short comment, keyboard smash)?

I don’t comment as often as I mean to or wish I did, but when I do they’re loong comments (I’ve passed the AO3 character limit at least once kshg)

I tend to quote favorite parts and then react to them, and I like to theorize and ask questions about character’s thoughts at a certain part or what author imagines happens before/after the fic

19. Have you ever stopped reading a fic? Why or why not?

Yes. Once because I stumbled into a very sexually explicit fic when that was. Not at all what I was expecting (I was also very young lol), I think there was a very few I quit because they were boring or very poorly written, but most often I “quit” a fic for the same reason I don’t do audio books anymore lmao: because my attention span is sht and my motivation and commitment are extremely fickle things. I either forget or just wander away for a bit and then forget. Often I mean to come back and finish it; it’s just a matter of how long it takes. (I also second hand embarrassed out of a fic so hardcore that it’s been a whole 9 months since I’ve touched it khdfgd)

20. Have you ever read a fic more than once? What is it about that fic that makes you want to read it again?

YES. This requires like a minimum 4 separate posts to really answer but:

Behind Bricks and The Penance of a Killer by Deathbelle

this person is my fricking favorite author ever and these are two of my fricking favorite fics ever, I must’ve reread Behind Bricks 6 or 8 times now and Penance is the BokuAka-centric companion piece to my favorite fic of all time that I always wanted 

Mending Bonds and If the Heart Breaks, Does That Mean There’s No Home? by RussianSunflower3 

Mending Bonds is soft found family fluff centering on a very minor fave of mine and If the Heart Breaks is very angsty found family fluff that also focuses on some minor characters and it always hurts my heart but the ending and the soft middle always heal it right back up (“[Hanamaki] has a heart big enough for everyone in the world, and then some.” ohhhh my godd)

Boiled Frogs by ReginaGalaxia 

this one is. a really hard read centered around emotional abuse and manipulation and hoooo boy it is a rough read especially if you’ve experienced any of that personally but it’s so well written and the character dynamics are great and in its lighter moments it’s fricking hilarious. 

(bits and pieces of) The Roost by Ugglabarn 

 bits and pieces only bcus Roost has a lot of very heavy dark content that I’d have to be in a specific mood to reread the whole thing because it hurts my heart way too much but also it’s one of the best Fukurodani-centric longfics I’ve ever read (PLUS AN AU..!!) and I love love how they write the characters and how much focus there is on the minor members and ships and in its lighter moments Roost is also really funny the most recent chapter was hilarious

Expensive Hotel by Crown_of_Winterthorne

smut. explicit smut. excellent explicit smut with loving polyamorous boyfriends and plenty of consent discussion and kissing. my entire jam right there

Class 1-A Whomst? by Ya_Boi_Hal

this is the funniest chatfic I’ve ever read in my life and the first good chatfic I ever read. absolutely hysterical. also has some really good serious content in the middle and some Aizawa dialogue that punched me right in the feels. 12/10 will read again. sometimes I just randomly say “Mineta whomst??” and cackle to myself

and back in the day it was:

The Flame of Betrayal by DataIntegrationThoughtEntity

I guess traitor! Tahu was a popular trope back when Bionicle fandom was at its peak?? and not everyone liked it apparently but I enjoyed this fic greatly every time I read it it was well written and had interesting OCs and I am actually highly tempted to go reread it again

and Asleep Beneath a Wheat Field by Feline Freak

this was a very peculiar little OC-centric one shot that was also very sad and I don’t know why it grabbed me like it did but I remember rereading it 3 or 4 times at least

21. Do you like sequels?

The fics I like don’t usually come with sequels but The Penance of a Killer is one so Yes

22. Do you like dabbles?

I guess? I haven’t read too many I don’t think but hey, more fic is more fic. Who’s gonna complain about that?

23. What do you wish more fic authors would do?

Write about minor characters more

24. What do you wish more authors would stop doing?

that thing where they latch onto one facet of a character’s personality - or worse, one that fandom made up - and write them as if that’s the only trait they have

25. Do you like one-shots or multi-chapter?

Multi-chapter. I mean both are great obviously but the majority of my faves are multi-chapter and obviously if I like a fic I’m gonna wanna spend as much time in that universe as possible

26. How long do you like chapters to be?

Usually I feel the longer the better. once in a while I’ll hit one that’s so long it’s kind of distracting but extremely rarely

27. What’s your favorite POV (point of view) to read (first, second, third)?

Third

28. What do you think of OC’s?

I didn’t use to care for them very much but as I started reading fic by more advanced writers I found several I really liked. have a very small list of OCs from recent fics I’ve read I would actually kill a man for I love them so much

29. Do you download fic?

No, but seeing as my absolute favorite Bionicle fic vanished off the face of the earth several years ago and I cannot find anything about it an y wh ere sometimes I think about saving my faves. I never got to finish reading that fic and I am absolutely devastated every time I think about it. 

30. Tell me something else about your fic reading! Anything else!

best thing is when my friend and I buddy read a fic and send each other our favorite parts

Tag!

@yaelathewordsmith and @samantha-girlscout  ♡ ♡ ♡

[reuska]

6, 18 and 42

6. Something they instantly liked about the place?

The landscapes and architecture. Shortly followed by the fact that all the knightly traits were still alive in that place. You know, honor, chivalry, selflessness, bravery… Especially in men, that was very attractive to her. And made her feel even more like a complete trash. xD

18. How are their tactician abilities discovered?

It was Chrom’s doing. Besides Sharena who’s universally friendly, Chrom was Reuska’s first friend in the FE realms. While the Order (mainly Anna and Alfonse) perceived her as a complete disappointment and a joke of a Summoner, Chrom’s first impression of her was completely different. He was Reuska’s first summon and he eavesdropped on her as she was arguing with Geir (seemingly with herself). She was refusing to perform the summoning on a country’s ruler, that was strongly against her morals. But Chrom was in a difficult stage of his life, three years after the war, feeling like a prisoner in a golden cage and mourning for his lost wife. The more Reuska tried to talk him out of going, the more he wanted to rebel and do just that. But he saw that she was putting his country’s interest before her own and that earned his respect. Besides, something about her demeanor reminded him of Skara and it felt intriguing and refreshing to him. That’s their dynamics in a nutshell.

Well, and during the first stage of her stay, Reuska spent her time by just slacking around, feeling like a miserable piece of trash, only summoning when possible. No one wanted more from her, no one expected she would be capable of more. She was already framed as a useless human being. Well, not at summoning, she made an impression by bringing Chrom so early, but that was pretty much all.

At some point she got a short introduction to basic strategy, just so she would not mess up and go in someone’s way. I’m not yet sure who would teach her, maybe even Alfonse, out of obligation, but certainly someone else with him.

Since the strategy is not decided by just one person in my HC, but a war council consisting of important royals and commanders, Chrom one day suggests they should invite Reuska as well because she is crucial for the whole thing. It doesn’t exactly meet with an excitement on neither side but the invitation is made and as much as Reuska doesn’t want to go (she always tries to avoid any exposure of her uselessness), she would feel even worse to refuse. She feels really bad at the meeting, trying to stay back, out of sight, only imagining what a bother she must be for everyone. It gets worse when Anna starts to present her strategy plan because Reuska just can’t see any sense in it. As she is listening to Anna’s presentation, she’s making faces: frowning, raising eyebrows, raising her lips… and Chrom notices. Skara used to do exactly the same thing when she didn’t agree with something which makes him ask Reuska what’s wrong. As happy as she can be, Reuska has to admit that even though she has been introduced to the strategy basics, she still fails to understand the positioning in Anna’s plan. That sparks some interest in the council and Reuska is asked, by Anna herself, to explain.

Well, and Reuska burns down the whole plan. One by one, she points out gaps in the troop positioning, unconsidered scenarios,… and she’s completely oblivious. She’s seriously convinced she’s just exposing her lack of knowledge, making herself look like an even bigger idiot.

I don’t have to add she made an impression that day… ;D

42. How will their story end?

That’s a long and detailed story, get ready xD

Nearly at the very end of the Feh story, whatever the final battle will be, Reuska makes an attempt to summon Skara - to make Chrom happy, as a thank you for everything he has done for her. She almost suffocates in the process but she actually manages to bring Skara back from the void (in a really bad shape, skinny, almost bald) which sparks a negative reaction among most of the Heroes as they fear that bringing back Skara brought Grima back as well. Alfonse is not part of the opposition, he freshly discovered the true nature of his feelings for Reuska so he tends to make excuses for her, besides, he’s worried about her as she has been unconscious ever since the summoning. The final battle draws near and neither Reuska, nor Skara have awoken yet so the Order has to leave them behind in a base camp. When Reuska finally wakes up, Skara is already conscious and the two talk. It turns out, to Reuska’s horror, that Skara is still Grima as well. Even though the Fell Dragon is under Skara’s control now, she has changed, becoming more “grima-ish” (more selfish, little caring about the greater good, she only cares about her closest ones). However, upon talking with Reuska who’s strikingly honest in her terror, Skara takes a liking of her and decides to join her cause. She summons the dragon and the two women fly on its back to the battlefield where they side with the Order and kick the final villain’s ass.

There is this moment of happiness when Reuska hugs with Alfonse and he whispers to her that she did it, she won the war. But since the war is really over, Geir’s curse is finally lifted and the original summoner finally materializes in front of them. It’s not a happy meeting, though, as he immediately informs them that together with the curse, his unique ability to open a portal to Earth is vanishing as well and they have literal seconds to send Reuska back. He opens the portal and Reuska has to choose. She’s still paralyzed by the sudden turn of events so she looks at Alfonse and he, just as paralyzed, says “Go!”. So she leaves. The portal closes and it’s over.

This pretty much breaks Alfonse. We all know how badly he took Bruno’s disappearance and he had already developed a tighter bond with Reuska during the years of war. And that doesn’t even take his romantic feelings in account. And worst of all, he can’t handle the guilt that he chased her away himself (as he sees it). (It’s not hard to guess why he did it, in the limited time he had, he thought more of her than of himself and he didn’t want Reuska to miss the chance to get back home.) He drops his Order membership, stops his daily sword training and locks himself away from the world in a library and his study and rarely comes outside. He begins to study magic which he always had a decent affinity for but never liked. Generally he gives up all the things he loved and takes on things he hated - to punish himself and keep twisting the dagger in the wound. He doesn’t really care much about his appearance, he lets his hair grow, that’s why my older Alfonse has a ponytail.

This takes two years. In that time, while Alfonse is emo in his quarters, Geir is actually working hard to find a way to Earth to fix things (this all is ultimately his fault, it all goes back to his failure hundreds years ago). After two years he is finally successful and approaches emo Alfonse with his findings which kicks up the emo boy (well, emo man now) back into a hopeful mood. They need both Askran and Emblan royal blood so they are joined by Veronica and together travel to Reuska’s home city. Luckily, Geir knows the place a bit thanks to the years of him “living” in Reuska’s mind so they manage to find her and she, overjoyed, accomodates them at her place. What was two years in Zenith was only four months on Earth but it was still very painful for her. And Alfonse, similar to Reuska after entering the FE realms, experiences a heavy case of suddenly lowered self-esteem. He loves the place, all the technology, science, knowledge - but it also means a painful realization that his own world is stuck with its development and has been stuck for centuries. Suddenly he’s certain that they all must have seemed like savages to Reuska which kind of complicates his initial plan to confess, grab her and live happily ever after. He is certain she would never willingly leave that wonderful place and go back with him. And Reuska never considered the option that Al could actually love her back, so she thinks they just came for a visit to properly say good bye and will leave soon. So the two dance around each other in a denser and denser atmosphere, they actually even have a fight because of all those unspoken things. And then they finally have a proper, honest talk, confess and after a round of getting parent’s consent (it’s an honor issue for Al) they leave for Askr and marry. Yaaayy.

They have three children, Geir, Zacharias and Alice. After Zacharias is born, Alfonse becomes the king (this version counts with either of his parents being alive at the time - might change) because there is a tradition of handing over the rule once the successor successfully fathers at least two of his own successors xD Geir (named after “uncle Geir”) is an impudent pacifistic healer and that kind of person you really, REALLY don’t want to get into an argument with because he won’t stop. But he’s a direct, just man and a good king material. Zacharias is a technical mind and the family black sheep. All he thinks about is Earth (they occasionally visit their granparents) and he doesn’t care about his Askran heritage, training and studies. He would probably be a green mage but… he studies physics texbooks from Earth instead. And once Alice profiles as an another ideal, responsible royal child, he makes a scene that he’s moving to Earth and eventually gets an unhappy consent from both his parents (Al is especially salty because that’s what he would do as well if he could) and leaves for Earth where he becomes a mechanical engineer (with the support of Reuska’s parents).

After Geir marries and has his own two children, Alfonse gives him the crown and that’s when Reuska can finally tell him that they are moving to Earth as well. She knew Alfonse never stopped loving that place, no matter what she told him, and that he dreamed of living and studying there. She waited for Geir to start his family because she didn’t want Al to be impatient with his son and giving up the rule. Alfonse is thrilled and SOOO happy when he’s finally told about the plan :). So the two finally go back to Earth. Alfonse gets his degree in astrophysics and becomes a professor. He might give it a try as a local politician too, I’m not yet sure. They travel a lot and stay in touch with Zacharias and his family. Interesting note: they are about the same age with Reuska’s parents when they leave Askr (the time difference).

Phew.

[whereisthefood123]

A Fine Life

This fic was inspired by the amazing art of @bluuesparrow / @moineau-bleu! Happy birthday blue! I hope you had a wonderful day full of surprises and best wishes! Hope you enjoy this fic! You are an incredible friend and I’m so happy to have met you through our mutual love for Gajevy haha

Quick reminder! Blue is offering art commissions! And I’m involve along with some other awesome writers with a special offering to write a drabble for an additional $1 with said commission. Go check the details out!

Pairing: Gajevy

Words count: 5.5k 

Rating: T

FFnet

Seahorses are among those species that mate for life. Once one dies, the other will soon die too. They can’t live without the other. That’s why people say seahorses die from heartbreak.

Levy’s life was something most people wanted for themselves. She had a beautiful apartment with a nice view to the oldest district in Magnolia; she had her dream job at the local library and was a part-time Literature teacher at a nearby high school; her social life wasn’t bad either since she had some friends to hang out with every once in a while.

Levy’s life was definitely fine, but she always felt like something was missing in it.

This feeling would come back from time to time, but Levy would just shrug it off and move on with her daily routine, which was exactly what she was about to do on this beautiful Saturday morning.

She sat by her coffee table with a cup of tea in one hand and her favorite book in the other one. The morning light filtered through the open window of the balcony as chatter and movement could be heard from the street below signaling the awakening of the city.

Time flew by as she got lost into the world of words and magical beings. Oh, how she wished her life to be as exciting and full of adventures as her books would tell; to live in a far land fighting for what it’s right and falling in love with a brave warrior was something Levy’s heart yearned for.

Love was by no means a foreign concept to Levy, but it had been so long since someone had made her heart skip a beat with a piercing gaze that she wondered if she would ever find someone for her, someone to walk hand in hand with her through life, someone to share a cup of tea on a Saturday morning.

Someone like him.

Her book remained open, but Levy stopped reading as her mind wandered to a time where her life felt as intriguing as an eternal mystery and as exciting as an eternal adventure. Her reminiscence took her back to the moment of her life where she felt complete, where commodities didn’t mattered, where she didn’t worried about what the future might hold.

Her mind took her back to the time where she was by his side.

A loud noise from the street broke her reverie. As she came back to reality, she realized she spaced out more time than she should and it was getting late to do her customary errands.

She quickly threw on her white sundress with a matching headband and put on her grey sandals. With her red satchel secured over her shoulder, she locked the door to her apartment and headed out to the convenience store down the street.

As she walked by the edge of Magnolia’s river, her pace slowed down to take a moment to enjoy the warmth and chill of the autumn afternoon. Children ran past her and Levy followed them with her gaze until they disappeared down the road. It reminded her of a time when she was younger and enjoyed running after the sunset trying to catch up to his pace which always seemed almost impossible.

“Wait for me!” she would complain.

“Not my fault yer so short, gihi!” he would mock her, but he would always slow down on his sprint for her.

Levy shook her head in disbelief. Why was she thinking so much about him today? Truly, she could never get rid of those fond memories, but it was a rare occasion when she would be daydreaming so much about the past.

Twenty-two years back (“But who is counting?” she would say), life was bright and uncertain, and she believed herself to be capable of taking down any obstacle on her way. All because of him. He had made her big and strong and helped her build up her self-confidence. Without him, she wouldn’t be where she was right now.

But she was dealt a bad hand in life. They had been played unfairly by circumstances, leaving her standing today alone by the riverbank thinking about the what if and wondering where would she be if life had shown any mercy on them.

A heavy sigh escaped her lips.

“Twenty-two years and it still makes me feel this way, huh?” she mused with a sad smile gracing her lips.

Her reflection on the water looked back at her and for the first time in years Levy allowed herself to remember every single detail of him. She could see him in the water standing next to her reflection. His gentle smile, his unique laugh, his soft gaze reserved only for her to see. She could almost feel the warmth of his touch and the taste of his lips-

Levy stopped herself mid-memory when the reminder of what could have been squeezed her heart painfully. There was no use living in the past when nothing could be changed.

Finally, she resumed her walk to the grocery store and forced her mind to focus on what she needed to buy for the weekend once she entered the store.

As she carefully scanned the shelves on the third aisle to the left, the bell by the door rang chirpily signaling the entrance of a new customer. Levy didn’t look away from her task at hand, but her eyes widened when said newcomer talked with the cashier.

“Oi, do ya sell cat food?”

It just couldn’t be, could it? Her mind surely was playing tricks on her. But the voice was so similar. Even with the years gone by, she could definitely identify that voice anywhere she would go. The rough tone, his way of speaking, she could practically hear his tongue clicking in annoya-

“Sorry sir, we don’t.”

“Tch.”

Her breath hitched and her motionless hand hovered over the shelf forgetting which item she was going to grab. Was this really happening? Maybe she fell into the river and all of this was a cruel dream ready to vanish as soon as she woke up on the sidewalk or in a hospital bed. Or maybe she died in her sleep and she went to the Afterlife. Or maybe-

“Fine. I’ll just take a couple of those then.”

She placed her hand over her chest trying, and failing, to steady her heartbeat. If she was indeed unconscious or dead, she wouldn’t be feeling how her heart was trying to hammer its way out of her chest or how her breath quickened in sudden apprehension and excitement.

“Twenty-two years, Levy,” she chided herself at her foolishness.

It was so dumb to look his way with the slim chance that it might be him after all these years. Besides, even if life had been generous with Levy on this day, what could she expect after so long of not seeing him? It was stupid enough that she had been daydreaming about him today, but to expect with little hope in her heart that he might be looking her way, in that same way her books described the protagonists’ romantic encounter, was completely delusional.

Before she could come up with many more reasons on why this was bordering insanity, Levy’s curiosity got the best of her. She moved down the aisle a couple of steps until the counter by the entrance door was on her sight line.

And there she saw him.

There was no mistaking him, even with his back turned to her. Any other person could think that the man by the counter and the one from her memories were two completely different individuals. But for Levy, it was as clear as day that this was the man that she had missed for so long.

His raven locks had grown longer and wilder with the years, but she could bet they were as soft as when she used to comb her fingers through his unruly hair. He was taller and his back was broader, showing that life had been good to him making him even more handsome than she had last seen him. But what really gave him away was his stance; the fierceness and cockiness that seeped into the air by just his mere presence in the room were something so unique about him, and Levy could clearly remember how these traits caught her attention back on that first day she saw him entering that long-forgotten classroom.

Then, he looked to his side fishing something out of his pocket and that’s when Levy saw his ruby eyes deeply focused on finding the desired change to pay for his items. Oh, how she remembered those eyes when they used to look at her with so much love and tenderness under the starry night sky after they confessed their love for each other. His face had much more piercings now and she wanted to laugh wholeheartedly at how they fit him perfectly.

Her eyes welled up with happy and fearful tears. Her heart was being torn apart by so many conflicting emotions at that moment, in that same way it had been ripped down to pieces so many years ago. The what if’s from the earlier reverie came full force now that he was standing there by the counter of the convenience store she visited on a weekly basis. Had he been living close by this whole time? Had she been so unfortunate or distracted to see him on the streets she walked through day after day? And why was life being so cruel with her by shoving him right in her face to make her soul fly high up and come crashing down at the same moment?

“Twenty-two years,” she reminded herself once again as she finally mustered the strength to tear her eyes away from him. When she turned around, Levy focused her gaze on the shelves in front of her, trying to calm down the raging emotions that made her feel that she might explode at any second. All because of him.

With her back turned to the counter and her eyes fixed on the type of cookies she should buy, she missed how his eyes widened when they landed on her.

Gajeel’s hand stopped in his search for jewels in his pocket and his throat went dry at the mere sight of her. Because it couldn’t be her, could it? But his mind reminded him that no one else had sky blue hair as bright and wild as hers. Most men would be fooled by her petite stature, but he could distinctly see her womanly curves that time had accentuated even more. Oh, he remembered how good it felt to touch her skin and kiss her lips. And nothing had ever compared to how heavenly it was to hear her laugh.

And by God, he had missed her so much.

As his eyes stayed trained on her, he saw her fidgeting slightly with the strap of her satchel. The way she shifted nervously from one foot to another didn’t go unnoticed by him and he wanted to laugh stupidly at how cute it was that he could still read her so easily.

Her mere presence in the store brought some sense of calmness and warmth to his chest. His arms twitched as his instincts screamed at him to run up to her, to embrace her tightly against his chest and to bury his face into her blue locks as he would finally scream “Yer here! I found you!”

His younger self would have mocked him for being a total sap, but time had showed Gajeel that reputation could go to hell. He had learned that there was no time to miss one-in-a-lifetime opportunities and his instincts were always right when one of these rare chances would appear in front of him. Sadly, he didn’t knew this lesson twenty-two years ago.

He took a moment to notice how his heartbeat was racing a mile a minute and how his hands were sweating buckets. Nervous didn’t do justice to describe how Gajeel felt at that moment. What would happen if he decided to follow his instincts and go talk to her? It had been so long since last he had seen her so maybe she wouldn’t even remember him. Or maybe she saw him already and was intentionally avoiding looking his way, after all no one could take that long to decide which cookies they preferred.

Those last thoughts tugged at Gajeel’s heart painfully. The mere fact that she was there had already made a mess of his emotions and thoughts, but thinking she might not want to see him, thinking that she might have forgotten all about him, about them, was too heartbreaking.

He knew he should be listening to his instincts but his feet remained rooted on his spot. Fear froze his whole body in the same way it had done it that unfaithful summer afternoon when he waved her goodbye.

He should man up and talk to her. He should let her know how happy he was to see her again. He should hug her and tell her how much he had missed her smile and warm spirit. He should-

“Sir?”

The clerk’s voice snapped his attention away from the blue haired woman on the third aisle to the left. Gajeel’s confused expression must have said miles about his wandering mind. With a gentle smile, the employee nodded with her head to the items placed on the counter, indicating that he was yet to pay for his purchase.

Gajeel remembered then what his hand was doing in his pocket and finally fished enough jewels to pay for a bottle of water and a pack of gum.

“Keep the change,” he grunted absentmindedly. He looked back over his shoulder in search for the petite woman only to find that she had walked down to the next aisle away from him.

Again, Gajeel pondered on whether to go talk to her or not. He looked at the entrance of the store and back at her for a moment. There stood the woman he loved, the woman he had missed for so long, the woman that he promised to himself to never let go off again.

Then, Gajeel did something he hadn’t done for twenty-two years. He ignored his instincts and walked out the store, trying his best to disregard how his heart clenched painfully with every step he took.

“Please come back soon!” The ring of the bell by the door and the clerk’s cheerful farewell finally got Levy to turn around in time to see the entrance door closing behind the man she oh so wished would never leave again.

Small steps carried her to stand by the counter but her eyes remained fixed on the door. Her mind weighed her options on what to do as her throat tightened in an uncomfortable knot. Her heart was bursting with a raging need to run to him, cup his face in her hands and kiss him fiercely like her younger self used to do. But her rational self argued that it was foolish to expect the fire to still be there. He might not even recognize her now. Had he maybe seen her and just plain ignored her presence? Because who could blame him if he did? Who could blame him if he hated her with all his guts? It was all her fault. The day they parted, everything had been her fault.

A dejected sigh escaped her before she handed her items to the clerk of the store.

“I’ll take these, Jenny. Thanks.” She placed the jewels on the counter to pay for her groceries. All she wanted to do right now was to crawl back to her apartment as soon as she could. To that lonesome apartment.

“Is everything alright Levy?” Jenny questioned as she noticed the sadness behind Levy’s eyes.

The blue haired woman tried to utter a simple yeah but she felt as if she said anything she would break down crying in front of poor Jenny who had no need to see her as an emotional mess. Instead, Levy limited herself to smile a little bit in response.

She quickly grabbed her single grocery bag and exited the convenience store waving goodbye to Jenny.

She took two steps into the sidewalk before freezing on the spot. Her heartbeat sped up instantly and she tried her damn hardest to not look to her right.

Leaning against the wall next to the entrance of the store, Gajeel was downing the contents of his water bottle looking by the corner of his eye at the blue haired woman that stood rooted to her place. He tried to act it cool but his stomach churned in nervousness at not knowing what to do or say to her.

“Looks like it’s gonna rain.” If he could, Gajeel would have punched himself hard on the face for uttering the lamest ice-breaker he could have come up with. Why was it so hard to start a simple conversation with the woman he loved?

“It’ll cl-clear out s-soon enough…” Levy tried to ease down the awkwardness between them, but her stuttering and her lame response had the opposite effect. Now, all she wanted was to run and hide from embarrassment.

Finally, both turned to the side to face each other. Their eyes connected shyly as if afraid of not knowing what to do or what to say. The embarrassment in each other’s face was something they didn’t expected at all.

And they laughed loudly.

That’s when the tension between them was lifted. That’s when they realized it was silly to be so fucking nervous about this encounter. It was them after all; they never chose the smoothest response or used the most charming pick-up line. Their romance had bloomed out of awkward conversations, shy glances and unmeasurable teasing.

As they recovered their breaths, they closed the distance between them until they were barely two steps away from each other.

“I barely recognized ya,” he lied but he needed to save some face before he would combust out of embarrassment.

“Me either.” She laughed lightly keeping her voice steady so he wouldn’t notice her obvious lie. Levy took a moment to appreciate his appearance from up close.

Had he been sculpted out by God’s hands himself? The white shirt left almost nothing to imagination as the fabric strained above his bulging muscles. His black jeans and studded combat boots complemented his casual yet sexy look amazingly well.

Levy blushed when she noticed she had been ogling him but Gajeel didn’t say a thing about it, secretly enjoying that the petite woman seemed to take a liking to his physique.

“It’s good t-to see you. Y-you look great!” She smiled sweetly at him trying to hide her embarrassment though her stuttering gave her away.

Either way, it was Gajeel’s turn to blush at how cute she looked smiling so beautifully at him.

“T-thanks.” He scratched the back of his head bashfully, looking to the side for a moment before looking back at her again. “And you look… Err… pfft…” It wasn’t that Gajeel didn’t took the same time to admire Levy’s appearance but it was physically impossible for him to tell her how beautiful and radiant she looked. Instead, his throat only let unintelligent noises come out from his mouth while his hands gestured to her vaguely. At that moment, Gajeel wished for a lightning to strike him down and kill him instantly to save himself from the incredibly embarrassed situation he got himself into.

To his surprise, Levy giggled and her blush dusted her cheeks with a slight pink tinge.

“Thanks!” she said between giggles and he smiled warmly remembering her inhuman ability to understand his weird way of complimenting others.

“Wow, it’s been a long time since last we see each other, right?” She bit down on her lower lip to stop herself from blurting out the exact number of years that had gone by since she said goodbye to him.

“Twenty-two years.” His eyes widened when he noticed he had said that outloud and Levy was staring at him dumbfounded.

“Did he just-? Does he really-?”

“I-I mean. It’s been sorta twenty years, right?” His voice took on the high-pitched tone by the end of his sentence and he averted his eyes from her.

“R-right.” She also looked to the side feeling a weird sense of happiness.

Because, who’s counting anyways? Apparently, both of them.

“So, uhm,” she shifted nervously from one foot to another when their eyes connected once again, “what brings you to Magnolia?” She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear shyly, looking up at Gajeel through her eyelashes.

For a moment, Gajeel remembered the day he met her, when she introduced herself and looked at him the same way she did right now; he remembered how his heart decided at that exact moment that this was the woman he would love for all eternity, and up to this day his heart never faltered in that decision.

“God, does she have any idea on what she does to me?” His stomach fluttered with dozens of butterflies at how cute she was. He blushed again when he noticed she was still waiting for his answer.

“I-I’m on a tour…” he blurted out.

“Huh? A tour?” Her head tilted to the side and the fluttering in his stomach increased ten-fold.

“W-with my band! I’m on a music t-tour with m-my band!” He practically yelled at her from the embarrassment, catching the attention of some passersby. Gajeel just wanted to crawl into a hole and die in that instant.

“Oh! That’s so cool!” She chirped happily and almost bounced up in excitement.

Gajeel’s embarrassment dissipated at her joyful reaction.

“And you still look cute when flustered,” she murmured behind her grocery bag but he heard her loud and clear. Gajeel’s face turned tomato red and he could feel his ears burning intensely.

“S-shut up!” he yelled in a sort of threatening booming voice but it only added to Levy’s amusement as her body shook with her loud laughter.

God, it had been ages since she had laughed like this. And it just came out naturally to do so with him. She remembered how much her younger self used to laugh everyday whenever he was around.

“Tch.” He pretended to be annoyed by her laughing fit but it was endearing to hear that beautiful sound that seemed to drown out any other sound from the rest of the world. Whenever she laughed his world seemed to fade into nothingness until the only thing existing there was her.

“What about ya? Whatcha doing here, Shorty?”

Levy calmed down and wiped away a single joyful tear from her eye. Her eyes seemed distant as she pondered about his words. “Shorty…” she whispered quietly and Gajeel cocked an eyebrow questioningly.

Levy looked at him straight in the eye and a frown scrunched up her face while her cheeks puffed out in feigned annoyance. “Shorty…” she mused again as if getting used to the sound of that word.

Then, her frown turned into a kind smile and her eyes shone with nostalgia and joy.

“It’s been awhile since last anyone called me by that nickname,” she said.

It was Gajeel’s turn to frown now as he crossed his arms over his broad chest.

“I was the only one that called you that.” He couldn’t understand why he suddenly felt so jealous that someone else might have used the teasing but endearing nickname he had given Levy so many years ago. It had been twenty-two fucking years. Of course she might have met someone else along the way! She was smart, beautiful, kind and so many wonderful things that it was a miracle that there wasn’t a huge pile of guys throwing themselves at her feet right now. It was silly to feel like this, but Gajeel couldn’t-

“Exactly.” She smiled again and the conflicting emotions inside Gajeel’s heart disappeared.

With a smirk on his face he asked again, “so, whatcha doing in Magnolia?”

“Oh! Right!” She laughed nervously at forgetting his original question focusing instead on the nickname. She cleared her throat lightly. “Well, I live here now.”

“Do ya now?” He quirked a studded eyebrow and smirked at her genuinely surprised about this turn of events.

“Mhm!” She hummed happily. “I work at the local library down the street. And I’m part-time teacher at a high school too.”

“So what about ya Shorty? Whatcha want to do when ya grow up?” He remembered he asked her one winter afternoon after classes.

“Simple really! And don’t call me that! Working in a library would be my dream job! Oh! And maybe teaching Literature to kids? Yeah, that’s what I want to do!” He smiled when he recalled her answer word by word and his chest swelled up with pride at knowing she had achieved her dreams.

“Seems like life has treated ya well.” His voice was soothing enough to warm her whole body.

“I could say the same about you, mister rockstar.” She teased him and equaled his smirk with one of her own.

“Gihi, damn right!”

They laughed lightly, feeling happy to see the other had fulfilled their life dreams. The smirks faded and turned into gentle smiles as they allowed themselves to get lost into each other’s gaze.

It felt so right to be talking like this. People and cars rushed past them but they couldn’t even care about anything else than the person in front of them. It was so easy to get lost into each other’s eyes and to feel the quickening of their heartbeats with every breath they took. They weren’t quite sure why life had brought them together today, but both knew this couldn’t be just a coincidence, could it?

A truck’s horn buzzed loudly on the street and their bubble full of peace and warmth popped. They averted their eyes to the side, feeling embarrassed to have been so engrossed in their thoughts and memories but also felt quite content to have fallen into that comfortable and familiar silence they both had missed so much.

“Uhm, well…” Levy’s voice brought his attention back to her. She wanted to talk more with Gajeel. The only thing on her mind was that she yearned to learn more about his life, about what he had done for the past twenty-two years… about whether he had missed her all this time as much as she had or not.

“Ask him out!” her heart screamed. “‘Let’s go to the movies’ or ‘How about dinner’s on me tonight?’ ANYTHING Levy! Just don’t let him go again!”

“Yes?” he questioned while looking intently at her. His efforts in deciphering her emotional turmoil came empty handed.

“Say something Levy! Please!!” She swallowed thickly and licked her lips trying to form the words she wished she could say.

“It was nice seeing you, Gajeel.” She extended her free hand to him and bit the inside of her cheek when she noticed the taken aback expression on Gajeel’s face.

“No! What are you doing Levy?! Don’t let him go!” her mind and heart screamed but Levy turned a blind eye to their pleas.

“Yeah.” He breathed out as he took hold of her hand. Levy’s mind noticed how easily it was for his hand to swallow up her small hand. Amusingly enough, they seemed to fit perfectly like that.

Gajeel felt a strong tug in his heart. He didn’t wanted to say goodbye. Not yet- NOT EVER! It had been so long since he felt like he belonged somewhere and he was sure that that place was by her side.

Before Gajeel could registered what he was doing, his hand pulled Levy towards him and his other arm wound up around her waist.

She was shocked at first when she collided with Gajeel’s firm chest but soon enough she let herself melt into his embrace. Her free arm circled his midsection as her other hand tightened its hold on her grocery bag as if it were her lifeline to reality. Levy leaned into him until her ear was pressed against his torso. She closed her eyes enjoying the warmth of his body and the steady beat of his heart that seemed to calm down the emotional war that had raged on just moments ago in her heart.

Gajeel tightened his hold on her when she leaned willingly onto him. He buried his face into her sky blue locks letting her ink-and-paper scent waft through his senses and making everything else become irrelevant.

This is where they belonged, in each other’s embrace, enjoying those little details about the other that sped up their heartbeats a mile a minute.

Everything around them disappeared to them. The convenience store, the street, even the sidewalk below their feet and the sky above their heads, everything was gone in the instant they let themselves enjoy the loving embrace.

The way they held each other reminded them of the many afternoons they hugged in the same way before the sunset or under the shade of their favorite tree. It reminded them about their first shared picnic in the park and about the many times he walked her home. It reminded them about happier times full of laughter and promises of eternal love.

A gentle breeze shook them out from their reverie. He loosened his hold on her and Levy leaned away from him slightly. With flushed cheeks, their eyes met one more time and in the other’s eyes they saw the glint of raw emotions dancing like flames within their souls. They could see the purest love and a burning passion capable enough to melt any metal on the face of the Earth, but an intense fear was distinctly present in their eyes as well. Fear of rejection, fear of opening their hearts to be beaten to the ground by destiny’s cruelty… fear of knowing what to say but not being able to say it.

“Please, ask me to stay…” Levy wished Gajeel would say those two words in that moment, but it was incredibly selfish of her to ask for that.

When he averted his eyes to the side, Levy felt as if her whole world came crashing down. At that moment, she realized he wasn’t going to say it, he wasn’t going to ask her to stay and he wasn’t going to stop her if she decided to go.

“Take care, Gajeel.”

His eyes snapped back at her and widened in sudden shock. Everything felt like a deja vú. Even her forced smile and the dimming of the spark behind her eyes. It was exactly the same as twenty-two years ago.

He had played over and over again in his mind the words he should have said that time. He knew each letter, each sound that should have been uttered by his mouth that could have changed their fate. Now, as history seemed to repeat itself, he knew what to say.

“Don’t go. Stay with me, please.” His mind repeated.

“Same. Take care, Shorty.” His mouth betrayed him the same way it had so many years ago.

Not wanting to feel the heartache of watching her go a second time, he turned around first and started walking away feeling numb on the inside.

Levy stood rooted for a moment, trying to come up with anything to say to make him stay.

“Just tell him! Just ask him to stay!” But as much as her heart pleaded, she knew she couldn’t act selfishly. He had his life, an amazing and exciting life. What could she offer to him? She was at fault that their lives had taken separate ways; it had been her decision. How could she ask him to stay after she was the one who pushed him away twenty-two years ago?

With a final sigh and pain in her heart, she turned around and walked the opposite way from him.

Gajeel heard her light steps as the distance grew between them. He couldn’t understand why he wasn’t stopping her. Why did he just turned around and walked away?! Was he such a wuss to do the most daring thing he had had ever done in his life?

Many people considered Gajeel’s life to be amazing. Even better, it was a life many people envied. Living as the lead guitarist of a famous rock band, traveling across the world on their multiple tours and enjoying his time with his teammates who were cool enough that Gajeel even dared to consider them as his friends, all of these were dreams come true that others couldn’t even wrap their minds around them.

Yes, Gajeel’s life was definitely fine, but he always felt like something was missing in it.

And as much as he had tried to shove that feeling to the back burner, today he knew what it was which his life was missing. Or better said, who… Levy.

He didn’t notice when he had stopped walking away. He didn’t notice when he turned around abruptly and opened his mouth to call for her. But he did noticed that she turned around at the same time and also opened her mouth to call for him.

“Wait!”

A/N: Thank you very much for reading! I hope you enjoy this! Again, don’t forget to commission blue for her amazing art!

Random fact, I created a Spotify playlist for this fic. In case anyone wants to hear it you can PM me (though they are all Spanish songs)

WTF (Where’sTheFood?)