#unless we get the substitute for a month

[lured-into-wonderland]

Apologies for disappearing just after the New Year, but going back to work drained me from all the energy. It's been a constant overtime and I am working this weekend as well. January appears to be tough at work, so I am not sure how much I can be here.

But will always be happy to chat or plot on discord, if that's something you'd like.

[purple-babygirl]

don't call me daddy III

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x little!f!reader

Word count: 3,840

Summary : In a world where littles are openly themselves, they volunteer to help and be helped by willing caregivers. In spite of himself, Bucky finds himself stuck with one and to keep the nagging away, he has to learn how to be around her with everything that that entails.

Warnings: Bucky is less mean, age regression, period blood, intrusive thoughts, crying, Bucky's PTSD & nightmares.

A/N: Here you go, beauties💜 Thank you for your patience, please enjoy xx💜tell me your ideas about how we should proceed with these two if you have any💜

~

She shifted again on the couch, the discomfort in her abdomen turning more and more into a sharp pain by the minute.

Sitting up to rub sleep out of her eyes so she could go to the bathroom, she felt the dampness in her underwear and quickly realized what was happening.

She didn’t need to go to the bathroom; it was something else.

Oh, no.

It was her period, and it has made a huge mess on her clothes and possibly the leather couch. Bucky’s leather couch.

He was going to be so mad at her.

Unless she got up before he came home and cleaned everything up, right?

She took a deep breath, leaving the couch to look for pads in her bag, only to find nothing.

She forgot to pack her pads? Oh, no! What was she going to do now?

She was in so much pain and she was literally bleeding. She didn’t know if she should change first, clean up first or try to find painkillers first.

It was too much.

But, of course, as if all of this wasn’t enough, her little mind closed up and she was standing in the middle of the room, crying, when she heard his key turn.

“Bucky,” she called out, panicked and nervous.

She could see the shock on Bucky’s face, but given his previous behavior, her small mind translated it as anger; anger directed at her, “I had an accident.”

“What happened?!” Bucky dropped his jacket on the floor and ran to her, holding her by the shoulders, checking for wounds on her face.

“I—” she hiccupped, clearly scared of him again, she didn’t realize he wasn’t angry at her, but rather scared himself.

“What is it?” He asked again, shaking her shoulders before frantically searching her arms and hands.

“Period,” she sobbed, her voice quavering.

She felt so bashful, but also annoyed because she didn’t want to want or need Bucky’s help. She wanted to give him the space he’s wanted ever since he’s gotten her.

She didn’t want to tell him. She wanted to help herself.

“What?” Bucky genuinely had no idea what she was talking about.

“It’s that time of the month. Period.” She bit her lip, “I need pads.”

“So you’re not hurt?”

She looked at him with confusion for a second before shaking her head.

She heard Bucky mumble something that sounded like thank god as he hung his head down.

“Well…Okay, do you wanna get dressed?” He suggested with a sigh, letting her arms go.

“I can’t go anywhere like this,” she cried more, embarrassed at her state. She couldn’t believe she forgot her pads back in her room at the institution.

“Okay, okay, I’ll go!” Bucky said quickly, surprising her and himself by bringing a hand to her cheek.

She closed her eyes in fear, but whatever harshness she was anticipating never came.

Bucky’s thumb stuttered as it wiped away her tears, “I’ll get them.”

“Really?” She sniffled, slowly opening her eyes.

“Yes, go change into something clean and come back to tell me what pads… look like?”

Bucky has never done this before and he frankly had no idea how he was going to do shopping for period pads.

She nodded, hurrying to the bathroom with her bag.

She thought she’d use toilet paper as a temporary substitute until Bucky’s gotten her the pads in order not to ruin anymore clothes.

She lined her underwear with the tissues as best as she could before collecting her bloodied clothes in hand and opening the door.

“I— ehm— could you please start the washing machine for me?” she timidly asked, holding her stained clothes behind her back.

“Why?!”

“I wanna clean my clothes.” She swallowed, shifting on her feet uncomfortably.

She remembered well enough that ice cubes on bloodied clothes made it easier for the stains to come out. Maybe she should tell him about that.

“Leave that for now. I’ll do it.” Bucky waived his hand, wanting to go and get her what she needed.

He couldn’t imagine what periods were like for women, and in her state? He felt like she shouldn’t be going through this at all.

“But the blood—”

“It’s okay. Leave them on top of the hamper.”

She wordlessly did as told before coming back out, rubbing her tummy as discreetly as possible.

“Are you in pain?” Bucky asked, moving to sit down.

She nodded quietly before shouting, “no! Don’t sit there!”

“Why not?!” Bucky frowned and she grimaced before grabbing a couple of tissues.

She wiped the stained couch a couple of times before running with the tissues to the trash.

“Oh.” Bucky swallowed as she ran to wash her hands.

He didn’t think he’s ever been in a similar situation in his life and if he has, he certainly didn’t remember. But Bucky knew he wasn’t disgusted; only worried for her.

He couldn’t remember the last time he was worried about someone and it made him uneasy.

As she dried her hands, she was dreading leaving the bathroom because she didn’t want to hear Bucky’s scolding about how she’s gotten his couch dirty.

Tiptoeing back into the living room, she had her hands back on her sides, desperately rubbing where her ovaries were to ease the piercing pain.

“I’ll get you some painkillers as well.” Bucky nodded, his frown never leaving his face.

He probably didn’t know, but his normal face as well as his intense stare were screaming I will kill you and it didn’t help her.

“Thank you.” She bit her lip again, eyes casted down.

“Here.” Bucky grabbed his jacket from the floor, hand fiddling with the pocket, “eat this.” Bucky brought a chocolate bar out of his jacket’s pocket, “I got it for you last night but you were asleep.”

“How did you know I was getting my period this morning?” she tilted her head innocently.

“I didn’t. I— I was gonna give it to you to—” Bucky stuttered.

To say I’m sorry

“To say good job during the visit yesterday,” Bucky sighed, the lies heavy on his unaccustomed tongue.

She took the chocolate without a word.

He was manipulating her again, wasn’t he? Probably just trying to build credit for the next visit.

“Mrs. Morrison isn’t coming the rest of the visits this month. She’s coming next month,” she informed him, disappointment evident in her tone, before leaving the chocolate bar on the coffee table.

I know, he wanted to say, but he didn’t want her to know he listened in on their conversation.

Bucky merely nodded, trying not to show dejection.

“Let me grab a pen so you could tell me what you need.” He got his new notebook out of his back pocket and sat down next to her.

“Can’t we just ask for it to be delivered?” She suggested, wanting to get away from receiving Bucky’s help, especially with something so private.

“Well, I’m offering to get them, aren’t I?” Bucky snapped, slightly losing his patience again.

He was internally mad he had to lie. Why couldn’t he just say he was sorry? And why was he feeling like he needed to protect her against the pain of this monstrous monthly visitor?

Her eyes teared up again as she stood up and started giving him the details about the brand and type of pad she used without an extra word.

Wow, she didn’t even want to sit next to him now.

Bucky understood, but he wished things weren’t the way they were. He wished he wasn’t the way he was.

Only now did he realize, she’s been a literal saint to him all along and he was all but the most ungrateful person she could’ve ever crossed paths with.

~

At the store, Bucky stood in the middle of the long aisle with his notebook in hand on the verge of crying because what was all these brands? Why did you need so many colours? And how did any of those have wings?

He needed to get back to her with those pads as soon as possible but he couldn’t because he didn’t know which was which.

She’d told him the ones she used had a pink package, but there were at least 4 groups of those coloured pink, different shades too.

Two women noticed Bucky’s dilemma and pushed forward to where he stood.

Oh shit, he looked creepy, didn’t he?

“Can we help you?” One woman asked with a smile as she stopped her cart by Bucky’s.

“No— yes. I don’t know.” Bucky shook his head sheepishly as his cheeks grew red.

He's never done this before. He never thought he would either.

He didn’t want people to think he was a pervert, but he couldn’t leave without bringing her home those pads.

“For your girl?”

“Yes!”

Well, that was a fast yes.

The blonde woman looked at Bucky weird before laughing to the brunette next to her.

“First time, huh?”

Bucky nodded, blushing deeper.

“What did she tell you?” The brunette asked knowingly, not wanting to embarrass him more.

“Here, I wrote it down.” Bucky showed them the page where he had the description for the pads scribbled down haphazardly.

“Aww that’s so sweet!” The blonde woman put a hand on her heart, making Bucky smile awkwardly.

“We’ve been married two years and she’s never took down notes of my words!” She gently elbowed her wife.

“I don’t need to because I know what you want by heart!” The brunette defended before going to look at the pad described in Bucky’s notes.

“True,” the blonde standing with Bucky giggled, “your girl is gonna appreciate this very much.” She nodded with a smile.

Bucky faked another polite smile in reply.

Ah, if you only knew…

“Here, that’s the one you’re looking for.” The brunette handed Bucky two baby pink packages, “just in case.”

“Thank you so much!” Bucky was eternally grateful for the couple for saving him from going in an endless journey down that aisle.

“You’re welcome,” the brunette sang, pushing her cart away with her wife.

“Don’t forget to get her some ice cream!” The blonde shouted to Bucky.

 Bucky saluted with a chuckle, walking with purpose to find the ice cream fridges.

Enough stalling. Today was the day he made everything right. He was going to apologize even if the words killed him.

~

“Thank you.” She hastily grabbed the pads and a clean underwear and ran shyly to the bathroom to put them to use.

Bucky just changed his clothes and waited outside so he could ask her what she wanted to eat and maybe properly apologize this time.

He waited and he waited and there was nothing but silence.

She wasn’t coming out.

Now, he didn’t know how much time it took for girls to use those things, but he felt like she’s taken enough time.

Could she be in trouble? Was she too mad at him to leave the bathroom?

“Hey, everything okay in there?” Bucky knocked on the door, unknowingly making her drop the pad as she jumped.

“Y—yes!”

She was trying hard to remember the steps to put on the pad, but she kept messing it up, her mind just too little to function properly.

“Are you sure?” Bucky called for her again.

“No.” She opened the door with tears in her eyes because she was about to ask for Bucky’s help for the millionth time when she wasn’t supposed to; didn’t want to.

“What is it?” Bucky asked, his voice unconsciously caring and worried.

“I don’t remember how big me puts it on and the pain won’t go away and my underwear is all messy again,” she sobbed without breathing, covering her face with her hands when she was finished.

“Okay, okay, let me help,” Bucky suggested, feeling dumber than ever because he had no idea how to do this either, but he felt so bad for her.

“Mr. Barnes is a man. Men don’t get periods,” she whimpered.

So she was back to calling him Mr. Barnes… good job, Buck.

“We’ll look it up online. Sam showed me how before.” Bucky found himself reassuring her as he guided her out of the bathroom and back to the couch.

“It’s here.” She pointed to the drawings on the side of the package describing how to stick the pad on one’s underwear, “but I still can’t do it.” She shrugged helplessly, crying more.

“Oh, okay!” Bucky took a look at the package, trying to understand what to do, “I can do it. Let’s get you something to eat so you can take the painkillers first.”

Wait what? He wasn’t going to let her ‘figure it out’ and feed herself?

She nodded dumbly as Bucky led her to the couch.

He heated up some pizza from the box he brought last night and got himself a piece too when his stomach started making sounds at the smell.

“Here.” Bucky set her plate in her lap and his on the coffee table.

She raised her underwear to him and he discreetly took it from her, trying to avoid being inappropriate.

Was this the first time he was consciously holding a female undergarment in seventy years? Yes. Yes, it was.

He attempted to follow the steps on the packaging as he removed the thin paper on the pad, revealing the sticky side of it.

He pressed the pad on the inside of the underwear and stared at it hesitantly, “now what does that paper cover?” He removed the shorter paper, revealing two more sticky parts.

“Wait, is this side supposed to stick to your body?!” Bucky asked, horrified at the idea.

“No.” She shook her head.

“Are you sure?” Bucky asked, trying to find a use for the upper sticky part of the pad.

She nodded without a doubt because she knew that nothing was supposed to stick on her skin.

“I think…” she started, gaining his attention.

“Hmm?” Bucky looked at her for clues before bringing his gaze back to the underwear, determined to do it right.

“I think it’s upside down…” Her small voice stated cautiously, fearing Bucky’s anger.

“Huh.” Bucky examined the underwear with an open mouth.

After another half hour, the pad had lost its stickiness and was no longer useable.

She’d finished eating both her slices of stale pizza and took her painkillers, but Bucky was still going at it.

As she sat down looking at how determined Bucky was to help, she didn’t understand.

He was probably just feeling bad because she was bleeding, right? That must’ve been it because like he had told her, it was impossible that he’d suddenly want to be around her.

She looked at his plate and saw his food untouched. He didn’t eat a bite, too focused on the pad project.

She was mad at him and didn’t want to talk to him, but she felt really bad. Maybe she could help him without talking to him?

Without thinking too much about it, her hand was grabbing Bucky’s slice, raising the tip to his mouth so he could eat.

Bucky temporarily looked up from the underwear in his hands, speechless at her gesture.

She looked away, not wanting to meet his beautiful eyes because she was ‘mad’ at him.

Bucky bit back a smile, quietly taking a bite, “thank you.”

She nodded indifferently, head still turned away, hiding her own smile.

It was the first time Bucky has ever thanked her since they’ve been together.

But that didn’t really matter because Bucky still didn’t want her help, right? She was just doing this because he was helping her with her pad. Or at least that was what she was telling herself.

When Bucky was finished with his pizza, she took the empty plates and walked to put them down in the sink.

All of a sudden and before she could hold it in, a fart has escaped her and exploded aloud in the quiet room.

Bucky stopped trying with the pads and just stared at her silently for a second.

And then she was choking up again.

“Why are you crying now?” Bucky shook his head, not wanting her to cry, but she took it for frustration.

“Because it’s embarrassing and yucky,” she sobbed, covering her hot face with her hands as she plopped down on the couch.

“It’s not embarrassing or yucky. It’s human,” Bucky told her, leaving the underwear for a second to touch her hands.

“Mr. Barnes is not mad at me?” She sniffled, allowing Bucky to hold her hand.

“No.” He rubbed the tears off of her palms before handing her a tissue for her face.

“Do you think I’m disgusting?”

“No,” Bucky chuckled, amused that that would be her concern as she sat there literally oozing blood.

“Really?”

“Did you think I was disgusting when I was sweaty fresh out of a nightmare and you hugged me?”

“No,” she answered without hesitation.

Bucky remained still for a second, just cherishing her for everything he’s never noticed before, “it’s like that, too. I’m not disgusted.”

“Thank you, Mr. Barnes.” She smiled gratefully.

It was a really short smile that Bucky could’ve easily missed it.

But he understood. He’d take what he could get. He had plenty to make up for.

“I’ll just look it up.” Bucky shook his head finally giving up on the pad project, resorting to his phone for help from YouTube.

Women’s lives were hard.

~

Ten more minutes and Bucky was enthusiastically yelling, “Yes! I did it!” while raising a feminine piece of underwear in the air.

Too soon, however, his excitement was deflated when he saw that her reaction and expression didn’t match his.

All she did was mutter a polite thank you, Mr. Barnes as she took her fixed underwear and went to the bathroom to change.

He knew why and he knew he shouldn’t expect anything less.

She’s let him off the hook many times and he couldn’t expect her to do it forever.

No matter how kind or innocent, she was only human.

Inside the bathroom, she was thankful for Bucky and proud he’s managed to do something that she was sure he’s never done before, but her feelings were still hurt.

Bucky made her feel unwanted again after she had almost forgotten what that was like. He made her feel like she could never be loved for all that she was, or exactly as she was.

She didn’t understand him. She didn’t know when he hated her and when he didn’t. She didn’t know if he was nice or mean.

And she hated these games. They confused her too much and that was the last thing she needed, especially while little.

And even if she made everything okay again and let this, too, go. It wasn’t what Bucky wanted. She couldn’t keep ignoring his wishes forever.

And so their night continued in silent TV watching and more cold pizza consumption; and instead of being familiar, the quietness was scary to Bucky.

The way she looked so blue gnawed at his insides because he knew he was the cause of it.

She didn’t try to poke at him, made sure she didn’t accidently touch him and only spoke when necessary and she called him Mr. Barnes all over again.

Is this what it would’ve been like had she conformed to his rules from day one?

So what? Why was he upset about that now? Wasn’t that how he’s been ever since he came back to himself? Why wasn’t it comfortable anymore? Silence and solitude were what he wanted, right?

Bucky wanted to talk to her before bed, to hopefully end this agony, but she quickly gave him her back after swallowing her painkiller.

“Listen—” Bucky started, gaining her attention.

She looked like she knew what he was going to say and so she did something that goes against everything polite she’s ever learnt; she cut Bucky off.

“I’m sorry about ruining Mr. Barnes’ couch. It won’t happen again,” she apologized first.

Couch? He wasn’t worried about some leather couch!

“That’s not—”

“I’m also sorry about making Mr. Barnes go shopping for me when I promised I won’t annoy him no more. I promise not to do that again.”

“It’s—”

“And I’m sorry for interrupting just now.” She bit her lip, unable to not apologize for something that she knew was wrong.

Bucky stayed silent, however, so she assumed she’d covered what he wanted to reprimand her about.

“Good night, Mr. Barnes.” She gave him her back again, pretending to have instantly fallen asleep.

With a sigh, Bucky went to his makeshift bed as well, swearing that tomorrow morning was apology time. It was final.

~

She wanted to be strong, but she just couldn’t bear Bucky’s thrashing and his suffering any longer.

She wished she could only give Bucky what he wanted and not care, but instead, she was going to give him what he needed, what she was here for and knew how to do.

She got on her knees by his shaking body and patted his flesh shoulder gently, still resisting calling his name.

Bucky woke up with a loud gasp to find her concerned eyes pouring love onto him.

Without a word, she began wiping away his tears with her sleeve, her other hand patting his shoulder to calm him down.

“It was just a bad dream,” she whispered, wishing she could hold her daddy close and make all his fears go away.

Yes, he was her daddy even if he didn’t agree.

“Sorry, that’s embarrassing,” Bucky chuckled, trying to make little of the fact that his nightmare was so horrifying that he was crying in his sleep as he wiped at his own cheeks.

“It’s not embarrassing. It’s human.” She echoed Bucky’s words and that was when he felt it; her warmth flooding his heart and body, surrounding him in gentle waves.

He looked up to meet her gaze and saw only care and compassion reflected back. He wanted to drown in those eyes; hide from everything that was hurting him.

And for the first time in decades, Bucky decided to let himself receive kindness because maybe, just maybe, he deserved some.

Before she could register, Bucky leaned in carefully, his forehead was on her shoulder and his arms at her sides as he let himself cry.

Her eyes were wide, not believing herself as her heart pounded. Bucky was seeking comfort. From her.

Without much thinking, she wrapped her arms tightly around Bucky’s larger body with an unspoken vow not to let go any time soon.

“I’m here, Mr. Barnes,” her small voice whispered, hands going up and down his back in slow, loving strokes.

Bucky shook his head on her shoulder, “no.”

“Bucky?” She quickly switched to his first name, but he shook his head again, raising it this time to lock eyes with her.

“Call me daddy.”

part IV

~

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[0w0tsuki]

Hey can we stop pretending like the only feasible reason that a trans woman would not like the term femboy is because she's some puritan anti-kinkster or somehow against men being able to dress femininely?

Like perhaps maybe the group of people who had to go through a phase of having to figure out and explore their femininity while being perceived by society as a man DON'T WANT to police the way men are able to present and express their genders? Like maybe WE DON'T want to make things even harder for transfem eggs. Like maybe we might have an interest in protecting transfem eggs and are speaking from the harm that we experienced as eggs ourselves?

Like maybe it might have to do with the fact that outside of Tumblr your average femboy is a trap fetishist? Like did we all forget the memes of "trying to figure out if the Astofolo icon is a trans woman or a fascist?"

Like some of us were discovering our transness during puberty in the early 2000s. You remember the early 2000s right? Where South Park and Family were at the height of their cultural influence, the R slur was a substitute for stupid, and bigotry was so common that "traps are gay" jokes could be made in polite company without having to worry about backlash. So imagine what kink spaces were like. Especially when you're a teenage trans girl just discovering herself.

I personally was so damaged by that experience that I began to believe that my gender-no my EXISTENCE was a fetish to be embarrassed and humiliated by and to be reviled for. I genuinely did not engage in relationships because I believed I was going to have to give in and tell them that they fell in love with a sex object. I did not believe that I was worthy of love. And it took YEARS of working through that for me to be comfortable with transitioning.

And after I worked through that I still have to deal with them. They haven't left kink communities they had their roots in. To this day there's a kink website I frequent that has community suggestions for tags IE: Unless the OP of the work goes back to delete this feature, anyone can "recommend" deletions or additions to the tags of the work. This is in place to make the proper labeling/searching/blacklisting of kinks easier to help curate content. In practice though it allows transmisoginists to basically graffiti any transfem artwork they come across. And let me tell you Femboy tags are getting added on right after they replace F/F with M/M on a transbians t4t work. And it happens so frequently that I have to check in about once a month to these trans tags to inform the most recent victim about what's happened to their works.

And outside of kink spaces I go into fandom spaces where I have had to deal with trap fetishists positioning themselves as fucking lore scholars when they harass trans positive folks about the Correct and Moral gender of the transmisoginistic character that they've got a fap folder dedicated. I got to see someone rise to twitch fame off the back of trap content turn into a “femboy icon” because he gave some of the trap money to trans charities and has a trans girlfriend. Who is still making trap content by the way.I've gotten to see reddit lose their absolute goddamn minds when the term Trap was banned from r/anime, shitting themselves so hard about it that they made their own separate website with transmisogynistic wojaks on the home page and everything. And then I got to see the fucking Bridget Debacle.

The reason I always talk about Bridgets trans confirmation is that it's the most widely recognized recent event where the exact shit I'm talking about was on full display. The reason why her being confirmed as a trans woman was such a big deal for trans girls was not just because she was one of the anime caricatures with her own folder in the trap enthusiasts masterbation portfolio. It was because she was GROUND ZERO for original coining of the word trap. And the EXACT same guys who deemed her a trap were now coming out in DROVES fuck EN MASS. But this time as self appointed femboys. We had so many examples of fucking Astofolo icon twitter facists trying to drudge up any type of left sounding argument using the femboy identity after having their initial arguments revolving around mistranslation were debunked. Crying that transfems were “stealing femboy representation” and trying to say that it was an “antitransmasculization force feminization trope” unironically. You know the cry of “Let men be feminine!!!!” y'all always bring out in defense of femboys. THAT'S who you're parroting! THAT'S who you got it from! We have had direct evidence of former trap fetishists dawning the term femboy when it became less cool to be openly transmisogynistic and then started appropriating leftist language to give their transmisogynistic arguments an air of legitimacy.

Like y'all need to understand that this magical space we got here is a FUCKING BUBBLE. Femboy communities in literally every other online space are former trap/sissy communities and are fucking cess pits of transmisoginy. I have seen posts by people who's only experience being around femboys was on Tumblr go out and check a place like r/mildfemboys to be horrified by the obsessiveness of the transmisogyny the femboys they interact with. And the femboys here aren't much better by treating being forced to acknowledge that these people exist and that is a still very active part of their community even if they don't personally interact with it as a personal attack on them and their gender presentation.

Y'all just want to pretend it doesn't exist and treat the idea that a Transfem might not WANT to interact with YOU(OH GOSH!!) because of it like it's some sort of personal judgement instead of something you're just going to have to accept happens when there's a large portion of people who share that title who are responsible for traumatizing them. But y'all got to go one step further. Y'all who go on about how femboys are our closest allies and about how “femboys and transfems are actually closer than transfems want to admit”. Y'all treat femboys like they're out little fucking brother in the queer community and it's our personal fucking responsibility to leave behind any personal baggage at the door in order to make them feel welcome.

Y'all can't handle the fucking idea that a trans woman might not be comfortable with sharing community with someone who's average member would call her a trap while jacking off to her selfies if he thought he could get away with it. That's she's not interested in playing the Astofolo icon game with them. Y'all gotta create a backwards narratives where she is against her own interests, where she is for making it harder for eggs in the future instead of you know. Asking for better from the communities those eggs are drawn too.

I have been forced to fucking put up with femboys in nearly every online space I've ever been in. And I

Am sick and fucking tired

Of putting up with femboys

[the-likeable-wizard-mack]

What do various urban fantasy races do for vacation (destinations, activities, etc)?

MODERN FANTASY MONSTERS: SUMMER VACTION 2O24

Let's get one thing straight. This ^^ is the wizard fit for the summer. Get your sandals and Bermuda shorts!

☀️The Return of Orc BBQ’s. YES. Summer is the time to break out the grill and meats of all kinds because it’s a bbq of legendary proportions. Imagine a whole outdoor block party and two Orcs are competing not in hand and hand combat but, for who has the best dry rub or best sauce recipe. 

☀️I already talked about this in my other blog @the-wizard-writes but, for an interesting vacation spot, imagine touring magical places like a regular tourist. Wanna travel to the fae wilds safely? Take a guide that will show the strange and wonderful creatures that inhabit the environment! But, also be mindful of the fae rules unless you want to be trapped in the fae realm forever. But, in a post that I made a while back I sort of pondered on the concept of touring the nine circles of Hell, each realm having their own climate and environment such as the Gluttony circle being traditionally known as having rain and ice….Who’s to say that some very over enthusiastic (and greedy) demon and or human won’t open a ski lodge there? ☀️Witches and Wizards going out onto the water using their broomsticks to surf rather than using a surfboard. Some of them might even use special potions as sunscreen to make them tan better. ☀️Werewolves hanging out by bonfires roasting meat having fun with their pack mates bringing in the season by hanging with those who are close to them. Imagine the dilemma of said werewolves wondering if they can make smores like Werewolf 1: “...Can..Can we even eat smores?” Werewolf 2: “I’m not sure…I mean, there’s chocolate in it?” Werewolf 3: “Just make it without the chocolate then.” Werewolf 1: “But, the chocolate is the best part!” :( 

They found a better substitute to be safe…That substitute being peanut butter and they are absolutely having a ball with it. 

☀️Vampires who despise the heat and stay in their house all day sulking blasting the AC. They hate that they can’t make popsicles out of blood since it “Just doesn’t taste the same.” So basically they become more pissy and complain about how they wish it was cold again so they can go outside. When they do have to go outside they are detected out in all black wearing shades and have umbrellas. 

☀️Dryads and Nymphs absolutely go to music festivals during the summer. They’re vibe fits exactly with the people that would go to something like Co*hella or Woodstock. You’ll see them post pictures of them traveling to said music festival for some old indie artist wearing their music festival garb sitting on the grass posing with friends.

☀️Merfolk being extremely protective of their territory during the summer months due to people littering in their ocean or lakes. Sometimes bigger merfolk might play pranks on humans thinking that there is a shark or some sea monster and scare them out of the water. 

☀️Summer festivals that happen around town that get the whole community together. Imagine a whole festival during the summer that’s just to celebrate bringing the community out and just to celebrate different cultures. A different multicultural species celebration for everyone. ☀️Witches create different infusions of iced tea with certain potions i.e experimenting with different concoctions to make the tea have magical properties such as making you more alert or maybe makes you faster. 

☀️Pool parties! POOL PARTIES!   >Werewolves that shake themselves off like dogs no matter which form   >Water Nymphs who sometimes spook people by blending into the water.   >Larger species (Orcs, Ogres, Dragons, Giants) being used as diving boards with smaller species jumping off of them. >Witches doing fancy tricks jumping into the pool. 

☀️Imagine catching fireflies in the summer night and accidentally catching a fairy then catching fireflies with said fairy after you profusely apologized. They take you to a hidden grove where there were not only fireflies but, other cute fae creatures that glowed in the sunset of the summer sun. 

[its-leethee]

What kind of magic does the Jailer use, and what is her connection to the Key of Aaravos?

I have thought for a while that perhaps the Jailer is neither a primal nor a dark magic user, and that she utilized the Key of Aaravos to serve an important role in his imprisonment. Now, there isn't a lot of overt evidence for my hypothesis here; this is a ramble of pure speculation. I'm going to do my best to present the dialogue and canon-consistent logic to support my thoughts. Here goes:

The prevailing opinion in Xadia is that "human magic" is akin to trickery and sleight of hand. When confronted with Callum's claim of being a primal mage in 5x07, Nyx dismisses his boast reflexively: “I’ve seen ‘human magic.’ Fake ropes, false doors, birds and rabbits stuffed into clothing.” To her, it's common knowledge that humans can't use real primal magic, and her derisive attitude shows she doesn't have much respect for human magic either. As for dark magic, Nyx doesn't even mention it at all; as Lujanne said in 2x01, "we do not call that practice magic. It's an atrocity."

But human magic has one more specialty: creating and solving puzzles. The mechanical devices and riddles guarding the secrets in Kpp'ar's labyrinthine house and the rock-stone puzzle hiding the staircase to Viren's dungeon are story-significant examples of the types of innovations created by human magic. In 1x03, Ezran solves the rock-stone puzzle to reveal the staircase hiding Viren's dungeon. Callum answers the riddle posed by Rex Igneous in 4x08, "having knowledge isn't knowing knowledge…. He has a map!"

So neither a primal mage nor a dark mage would resort to puzzles and riddles, the gimmicks used by magic-less humans. So let's now consider the Jailer.

During the post-season four Discord Q&A, Aaron Ehasz states that the Jailer is a "mastermind of prisons and puzzles."

In episode 5x05, Archmage Akiyu tells the story of how she met the Jailer and introduces her as "a human mage." Akiyu goes on to explain:

"The archdragons had given the Jailer a daunting task, to design a magical prison that could hold a Startouch Elf. She needed my powers to craft the prison itself." (emphasis mine).

It stands to reason that a competent dark mage, with the notoreity to catch the attention of the archdragons, could bring that kind of power into her grasp on her own. So why would the Jailer seek out the powers of primal archmage, unless she couldn't wield that power herself? Furthermore, knowing the prejudice that the archdragons hold against dark magic--all of humanity was driven out of Xadia for refusing to forswear its use--I don't believe the archdragons would ever condone cooperating with a dark mage, even to quell an existential crisis like a demi-god bent on world destruction.

Akiyu tells us one more intriguing thing that the Jailer said:

"'The puzzle is the real prison,' she told me with a proud smile," (again, emphasis mine)

There's another word besides "magic" that we can use to describe the practice of creating and solving puzzles: cryptography; the art and science of creating and breaking codes and ciphers. The terms code and cipher are often used interchangeably, but their meanings are technically different. Basically, a code uses arbitrary substitutions while a cipher uses an algorithm.

Now, if you wish to solve a puzzle, you're going to need all the pieces - and if you wish to solve a cipher or code, you're going to need a key.

More than one use has been hinted at for the Key of Aaravos. We've heard Rayla refer to it several times as a toy and a game piece (1x04, 2x07). In the book two novelization, Callum notices that the Key left marks on the ground that appeared to point toward Xadia (we get a glimpse of those lines in early episode 2x07). In 4x07, we get suspiciously up-close framing of the Key when Callum asks, "is there no primal gem for star magic?"

And a few months back, one of the TDP creators shared on Twitter about a season 6 scene that was eventually cut. In the scene, Callum holds the Key up to a symbol on a wall and says, "I'm gleaming the cube!" (if anyone remembers this twitter convo and can provide me a link to this, I would be so grateful)

This is the Key feature we're all most familiar with: its glow. When exposed to a source of magic, the corresponding primal magic symbol on the Key lights up. This is why I think one of the potential functions of the Key of Aaravos is as a cryptographic key. If it were held up to a magic-infused symbol, the glow effect would reveal the primal magic source - and in this way it could be used to decode a secret message.

In cryptography, a key is the series of words, symbols or phrases that contain all of the basic information you need to decode or understand a specific coded message. Both the sender and receiver of the coded message need to know the key in order to create the coded message or decode it into plaintext - to lock or unlock the meaning behind a cipher or code.

I can't speculate on the exact nature of the secrets that she encrypted with it, but the Key can literally shed light on the solution! It was a toy that was repurposed by a the Jailer, magicless human mage and mastermind of ciphers and codes, to protect the secrets of Aaravos and his prison.

Exactly what secrets it will be used to reveal remains part of the Mystery.

if you're interested in learning more about cryptography, this page has links to a lot of my favorite resources

Recommended reading for more Key of Aaravos and the Jailer theories:

the post that initially enabled my crazy train of thoughts, thank you @beautifulterriblequeen

super rad analysis of the Jailer's unique character design by @kradogsrats, who also authored one of my favorite alternative hypothesis for the real function of the Key of Aaravos

an amazing thorough and detailed Key analysis, by @raayllum and another very interesting conversation about the Key here

Special thanks to @raayllum for answering my random Akiyu and Jailer questions, and to @self-spaghettification for giving me the push I needed to bring this essay together!

[sidewalkscienceguy]

Today was my last formal day of teaching. I resigned back in March, before spring break. I don't post much on my personal account, so unless you follow Sidewalk Science Center, you don't hear too much from me.

SSC is on a steep climb, projected to more than double our 2023 revenue, with 155% more anticipated events in 2024 compared to 2023 (225 vs 145). We now have 14 employees: 12 educators and 2 Event Coordinators, covering events that span 110 miles of Florida's coast.

Put simply, it's a lot, and teaching has been interfering with my ability to properly perform administrative work and event coordination for SSC, where I've been falling behind emails and calls. It's certainly a full-time job, anywhere from 40-60 hours per week, seeing upwards of 3,000-5,000 people per month across 20 events each month.

Teaching was never the goal, just a walking stick to get up the mountain of starting a business - and a nonprofit, at that. I've been running SSC for nearly 6 years, and while we've still got kinks and shortcomings and things to iron out, we've also integrated ourselves into local communities, meeting kids and families outside the classroom, outside the museum, outside the work hours.

Around here, SSC has sort of stopped being strange to people. Many know to expect us. Many tell us that they look for us at the park. Some have traveled from other states and added us to their itinerary. We're just a table, a team, and a commitment to providing access to resources they likely don't have at home, at a place and time when it may otherwise be difficult to take your kids and families to educational institutions.

I've been building a dream. I'm a writer at heart, and an educator in mind. Creating these experiences not only for people at the park, but for our employees, too, who now have avenues to teach and reach a whole new audience. Traveling and experiencing things we otherwise never would? That's all part of it.

I'll still substitute teach to supplement necessary income, but without formal teaching in the picture, I can dedicate a vast amount of time I've never had for Sidewalk Science Center before, all while knowing it's to a point where this is a viable route to follow. I'm nervous, of course. I'm quitting a guaranteed financial safeguard. But trusting that I can now utilize 8 extra hours every day, rather than squeezing it into 2 or 3? I really feel like this is the best choice.

Really, the SSC team has made this life-change possible. SSC is a place where you can project your passion onto the world. You're not teaching, you're inspiring. When people have conversations with our educators where passion shines through above all else, you can feel the joy or learning flood through them. It's so important to find people who understand that this is not a job, it's a lifestyle, and we've only just started living it.

If you feel so inclined, you can leave a tax-deductible donation for us here (we are a 501c3 nonprofit corporation): www.donorbox.org/ssc-2024

To all our endeavors.

[elderberries-and-honey]

Winifred fell in love with the twins the moment they were born and that love only intensified during her time spent at home just the three of them.

Little Ozzy was a quiet newborn, and hardly made any kind of fuss unless he needed changing. But as time went on, it was clear something was wrong with Flora.

She had difficulty swallowing, latching onto her mother's breast didn't seem as natural as it was for her twin and she rejected any kind of substitution milk. Soon, there was a noticeable difference in their size - poor Flora undoubtedly not getting enough nutrients.

Around their two month mark, Flora became terribly ill - her skin hot to the touch. "She's burning up, Lawrence. We must send for a doctor." Winifred whispered after their littles finally fell asleep.

Both of them already felt in their hearts what was to happen. A solemnity clung to both of them as they began to dread for the worst.

Dr. Gregory Hawkins arrived the next day and joined Winifred in the twin's bedroom while Lawrence waited with little Ozzy for Valerie and Beth to arrive; it was decided their poppet would stay with the ladies for awhile.

He paced back and forth, not being able to sit still for longer than a few moments. Before the two birds had arrived, he could hear a shrill scream pierce through the home.

Clutching Oscar tighter, he already knew what had happened. Holding his son in his arms was the only thing keeping him steady.

As soon as Valerie and Beth arrived, Beth took Oscar into her arms straight away. Valerie, however, paid no mind to the little one and went straight to Lawrence. They too had clearly heard the sobs of a broken hearted mother from outside.

"Lawrence, I," Valerie began, trying to keep it together. "We love you." She finally said, hugging him tightly. "We do, Lawrence, and we'll look after Oscar for as long as you need." Beth added.

"It seems only yesterday I was 'ere comforting your Mam when your brother passed on, you was just a baby so you probably don't remember..." Valerie reflected on the memory, sighing. "Well, we should be making our way."

With that, Lawrence watched as they both left out into the winter cold, taking little Ozzy with them.

next / previous / first

[vivaciousofficiall]

Lets Talk: HYPERGAMY

DISCLAIMER: This isn't a get rich quick, scam-a-sugar-daddy-today, femme fatale type of  blog. This blog is for grown, powerful, embodied women. Women who are breaking generational patterns. Women that have been told their standards are too high. Women that know in their hearts they are destined for more. Women that are ready to do the inner work. If you are looking for tips on how to get a sugar daddy to pay your rent for the month, respectfully this isn't for you.

 This is for the Blair Waldorfs of the world.

Lets get into it.

Hypergamy essentially is raising your dating standards.

Vivacious's definition of hypergamy: The act of dating in such a way that increases your quality of life.

If you are dating a scammer, drug dealer, etc. Granted, you may be dating someone with means but that could never be a hypergamous relationship. At least in my books. Why? because in exchange of money you are giving up your peace of mind, morals, integrity and so much more. Is that really increasing your quality of life? NO. That is substituting one problem for another. So yes you can date a rich man and it would still not be considered a hypergamous relationship. This is  why a lot of women marry really rich men and are still unhappy.

In addition, there is this misconception that unless you are dating/married to a millionaire you are not considered hypergamous. This is also false. As i mentioned earlier, hypergamy is all about levelling up. Asides money, your partner should be inspiring and encouraging you to take your life to the next level. Does he have an amazing work ethic that you just swoon over? Do you admire his leadership skills? his selflessness? his sexual discipline? Is he capable of being a loving father? So your daughters know how they ought to be treated? Its the whole package.

Hypergamy isn't a fairytale.

A lot of women think they can simply just sweep through life doing the same things, being the same person & attract a provider/hypergamous relationship. The chances of you attracting and maintaining such a relationship with the same attitude that attracted your dusty ex is slim to 0. In order to change our lives we must first change ourselves. This is a new beginning. Leave the old baggage at the door. Your levelled up man also wants a levelled up woman. This may be hard to hear but if you are broke and unable to provide for yourself FIRST, you have no business looking for a man. If you are attachment style isn't leaning towards secure, you have no business looking for a man. If you constantly need male validation and cant stay alone without landing in another unserious "situationship", you have no business looking for a man. You cannot skip the process. If it was easy everyone would be in a hypergamous relationship. EXERCISE Get your journal and a pen Write down the qualities of your dream man Write down the qualities of your dream self Slowly start embodying your list. (this is how you attract him)

Hypergamy requires you to be delusional.

It can be a very lonely journey, especially at the beginning.

When you decide to level up and date better you are going to get a lot of resistance. This could come from the dusties you once entertained, your old friends who still entertain said dusties and worst of all, yourself. The version of you that still thinks its unattainable. The truth is that most people settle because of limiting beliefs. Due to what we see around us.  Unfortunately the new norm is cheating, lying, broke, untrustworthy, insecure men. So people will call women with high standards delusional and if that's what you have to be then so be it. 

Prepare for this and don't take it personally. However if you choose to let fear get to you and you start entertaining that dusty, just know you are saying NO to the man of your dreams. Walk in faith not fear. 

EXERCISE

Get your journal and a pen

Write down the qualities of your dream man

Write down the qualities of your dream self

Slowly start embodying your list. (this is how you attract him)

Reject any & every man that doesn’t meet your standards

XOXO, Vivacious 

[theprinceofnothingatall]

My sister and I @makemeanangelpure are going to lose

Starting tomorrow really on July 30. I have a surgery tomorrow so I don’t eat or drink anything tonight past midnight. It’ll be a good starting day. I’ll be too tired from medicine and the procedure to want anything but we need to finish what we have in the fridge. Celery, cherries, tangerines and apples. I can boil baby carrots for her. We have a premade salad that can be for when those are gone. We’re going to be mostly vegan. Been admiring the lifestyle forever. Maybe one day or not at all I’ll go 100% we’ll see. So most any snacks if at all will be vegan. I’ll allow Quaker rice cakes as a substitute for crackers as an over all healthier option. Drink almond or oat milk when we can. Get one substitute creamer and one that a more fun flavor even if it has dairy in it. I’m thinking I’ll allow meat thrice a month and it can’t be a repeat. Like it can be steak, chicken, fish. Typically this will be a special meal at home or we’ve gone out for an event. I won’t be wasting my meat omad on fucking McDonald’s or Cane’s the good shit. Not all Alchohol is vegan but I’m not gonna worry about it and just try to keep drinking as a Friday-Sunday thing if I want. Of course if there an outing that’s special mid week where they drink I’ll get one too. Drinks are fun I just won’t abuse it. Upping the water intake is going to be important so I will be bringing water in a water bottle and put lemon slice in it or some shit to make it taste nicer. No eating will be done at work. Per usual, they’re going to try and tempt and force onto me donuts and breakfast tacos, but I won’t budge and keep drinking me lemon/fruit water. When my mom died I got into a habit of putting Cajun seasoning on everything and I mean fucking everything like even salad and a white chocolate macadamia cookie for Christ’s sake. Well we still have 2-3 containers of that. We can have it on something once-thrice a month. Eventually it’ll run out. By then I’ll just not use it anymore. We’ll be doing three days of work. It’s a physical job. I’ll go to the gym Fridays with my bro and once a week with out partner. I’ll tone out nicely and get strength and a flow back after surgery. Sucks. We were only better from the flu about two weeks before this kidney stone thing happened. I want to get her those Harley Davidson shoes for $75. If they’re still there when we make progress hitting 107, I’ll get them for her. We gotta hurry alright? Before they’re gone alright? There you go, good motivation right there. I can get one of the cd’s I’ve been looking at there forever.. or a new pair of vintage jeans. We’ll be going to that con in December. No spending after those shoes, unless it’s for con supplies. Save all you can otherwise. 4 months to prepare. In 4 months we can have completely different bodies.

We can look how we do in our heads. Baby sister, don’t you want that?

[tisaolin]

could I request a fluff alphabet for jade, if that's not too much 💚💚💚💚💚

I almost just kissed you ❤️ I love Jade fr👹

JADE FLUFFY ALPHABET HC❤️

Pairing: Jade

Rating: G

Warnings: floffy❤️

A-Affectionate (how affectionate are they? How do they show affection?)

Jade is one of THE MOST affectionate kombatants!! She’s not really big on doing the absolute most to show her love but she is loyal to the bone and has the upmost respect for you so will defend your honor❤️

B-BEST FRIEND (what would they be like as a best friend? How does the friendship start?)

HAVE YOU NOT SEEN HOW SHE IS WITH KITANA?? SHE IS THE MOST LOYAL BEST FRIEND EVER!! She values your friendship more than anything and wouldnt want to hurt you or end the friendship at all. I feel that you guys met through kombat. Maybe you beat her or maybe she beat you, either way, she seen your potential and offered to give you a few tips and the BEAUTIFUL friendship blossomed from there.

C-Cuddles (Do they like to cuddle? How would they cuddle?) Jade LOVES CUDDLING!! I feel like she prefers spooning more, I also imagine her as a big spoon because she likes the feeling of your skin underneath hers (non sexual).

D-Domestic (Do they want to settle down? How are they at cooking and cleaning?) Jade is the definition of independent but I think she would be delighted to settle down with you, and im POSITIVE that Jade is a good cook but we all know she’s good at cleaning, JUST LOOK AT HER.

E-Ending (How would they be if they had to break up?) Jade would be devastated and I HATE seeing her in any kind of pain SO DONT BREAK HER HEART👹

F-Fiancé (How do they feel about commitment? How quickly do they get married?) Jade is estatic to show her commitment, because when Jade wants something, she gets it and right now she wants you. Jade isnt one to rush things so she would take her time getting married, 6 months top?? She gotta make sure everything is perfect 🤷🏾‍♀️

G-Gentle(How gentle are they, both physically and emotionally?) Jade is VERY Gentle, she can never hurt someone she loves unless they deserve it, emotionally, she can be hard on you but it’s only because she wants the best for you, she’ll never take it far, nor will she take out her anger or frustration on you.

H-Hugs(Do they like hugs? How often do they do it? How are their hugs?) Jade loves hugs, I feel like she hugs you almost everyday, if she doesn’t hug you she substitutes them with kisses. Jades hugs are like a family member reuniting at the airport or drinking hot soup on a cold day, they’re full of love, compassion, and Warmth.

I-I love you(How fast do they say the L word?) I think she wont say it until she knows she can really trust you. And when she says it, she doesn’t beat around the bush. She just says it.

J-Jealous (How jealous do they get? How are they when they’re jealous?)

Jade isnt one to get jealous, she trust you too much. But if she does get jealous, it will have to be ALOT! I mean full on physically flirting with someone else. When Jade is jealous, she tends to shoot dirty looks at whoever you’re with, eventually she’ll just walk up to you and be clingy while mean mugging the person until they leave.

K-Kisses (What are their kisses like? Where do they like to kiss you? Where do they want to be kissed?) Jade kisses are like butterflies, they leave you feeling all fluttery and melted. She likes to kiss your hands and anywhere on your face. Forehead, nose, cheeks, lips, anywhere. Jade LOVES to be on her cheeks! It makes her flustered and blushing.

L-Little ones (How are they around children?)Jade is a CHILDREN MAGNET! I imagine her sitting in a chair with little children infront of her as she reads them stories (like they did in kindergarten) now, if she wants kids? Thats a story for another time.

M-mornings (what are they like in the morning?) OOOH!! She up early in the morning. Doing what exactly? Most likely exercising or doing something to keep her entertained.

N-Nights (what are they like at night?) Jade’s a early bird more than a night owl so during the night she’ll be resting or relaxing in some way.

O-Open (When would they start revealing themselves? Do they reveal it all at once or slowly?) Jade doesnt open up to anyone so once she realizes she can truly trust you, she’ll open up to you slowly but surely 😘

P-patience (How easily are they angered?) It takes alot to make Jade mad at those she loves. But for someone else, she can get mad really quickly, whether thats hurting her loved ones or just being really stupid.

Q-Question (Would they or their partner initiate the talk to commitment in a relationship? Who asked who to be their partner?) I feel Jade takes on the more responsible role in the relationship (no hate) so I feel shes the one that initiated the commitment talk, I also feel like she was the one who asked you out because she doesn’t beat around the bush.

R-Remember (What is their favorite memory in your relationship?) Jade’s favorite memory would be probably her staying the night at your house for the first time!

S-Security (How protective are they? How do they protect you? How would they like to be protected?) Jade is protective to the core, she dislikes anyone who dishonors you, disrespects you, hurts you, anything!! So she will fight for you! Jade’s an independent queen, she dont need protection😜

T-Try (How much effort would they put into the relationship?) Jade isnt BIG on grand things but she does put alot into her relationship, she wants to give you the best because in her eyed youre deserving of it.

U-UUUHH (what is an awkward moment in the relationship?) I think this happened in the beginning of the relationship when you accidentally walked in on Jade singing in the shower.

V-Vanity (How concerned are they with their looks?) I dont think Jade would really care about how she looks facial wise. She may dress nice but I dont think its for the approval of others so why care? But she does like to receive compliments every now and then. If you are the one who’s concerned for your looks, Jade is devistated, she wants you to be happy. She’ll do all she can to assure you that you’re beautiful (bcuz u r 😘❤️)

(E)X-tra (random headcannon) Jade’s a catlady and you both adopted a cat together 🙀

Y-You (How do they talk about you?) WITH THE UPMOST RESPECT 😤✊🏾She respects you too much and she’ll be damned if she lets anyone talk badly about you.

Z-Zzz (What is a sleeping habit of theirs?) smiling in her sleep☺️

[legacieswcrp]

Would you mind explaining more about how character cool-downs will work, esp at the beginning of the rp? It sounds like an interesting system. 👀 Glad there won't be any hard limits bc I already have three different concepts rotating in my head like a rotisserie chicken.

Ah yes, the OC rotisserie, my old friend. ♡

"Cool-downs" may have been the less apt term to use in retrospect, but essentially you can create OR drop one character once between each monthly world update announcement. This is mostly to keep staff pressure light and provide ample time both for new characters to set up and for outgoing characters to get all of their loose ends accounted for, but also to encourage players to think carefully about which characters they bring and hopefully avoid falling into the "revolving-door" cycle of making and dropping characters that gets the better of a lot of WCRPers. Making new characters is fun and exciting, but with Legacies we want to keep the story and the world front and center with as consistent a cast as we can comfortably manage.

That said, we do have space on the server for AU drabbles, character/story drafting, ClanGen save sharing, and so on so you can still tap into that new character hype when you want to! Rapid character turnover isn't something we consider a bad thing, it's just not what Legacies' RP proper is built for.

Submitting a character into active play and removing an active character from the RP setting/roster are bound to monthly limits. Creating adopts for others to pick up is totally free rein, and adopts can be very simple to make if you want them to be - our only requirement for adopt listings is that all adoptables must be stated to be sufficiently closely related to an active approved character; close family (including mentors, apprentices, and found family) and friends are fine, but nespring, grandparents, cousins, etc are not adopt material at Legacies unless they have a clear close bond with an established character. This is so we keep plenty of room for creating family trees between players, and so we don't flood the RP roster with unplayed NPCs. Picking up an adoptable character to RP, however, is also limited to the monthly timeline, since that is functionally the same as submitting an OC. Normally, you can only do one of these three things one time each month, unless you specifically need to gut your roster for essential activity purposes (in that case, just ask staff; we'll usually be happy to help!)

For example, if you choose to drop an active character in June, you can't pick up a new adopt or drop a second character until July. You can ask adopt makers to hold their adopts for you, though, and while there aren't currently rules about this specifically, we are going to encourage that sort of patience and flexibility when it comes to adoptions specifically because the timeline for roster edits is so slow.

There are some exceptions to this timeline, though:

Newcomers to the server can make or claim two characters in their first month. This isn't just for server launch, but for all future openings.

New faction openings will give all current players the option to create one "freebie" character in or related to that faction without any impact on their roster timelines.

Certain RP events may introduce new adoptable characters or openings for plot-specific character roles; these also function as exceptions to the standard roster timeline, but require staff approval before starting. Some characters of this nature may be temporary to the RP setting and tied specifically to the plot that introduced them, while others may be or become long-term residents - ultimately these details are down to whoever is running the event.

Other players dropping plot-essential characters is a major point of staff concern at Legacies that we hope to address by giving players the option of creating substitute characters - not copies of the absent characters, but new faces filling similar relationship and story roles where they are needed to keep RP accessible to everyone - in the event of a drop, character death, or other major plot event that might otherwise render an associated character or storyline difficult or impossible for others to safely play. These special staff-assisted plot adopts will never be bound by roster timelines so that the players who post them may get back to the action as quickly and smoothly as possible.

Kit births do not qualify as extenuating events in the RP, and kit claims function as standard OC submissions and adoptions on the same timeline as other standard characters. This is because Legacies runs in-RP litters as player or staff-run adopts, with the actual kitting only happening once adoptions for the litter are closed.

That said, the roster timeline is not a hard 30-day wait - creating a character at the end of one month doesn't mean you'll have to wait until the end of the next month to make another, you can make your next submission or drop as soon as the next monthly RP update goes live (something we will endeavor to always keep within the first week of each month). We just ask that you don't add or drop multiple times in a single month, as both can be complicated affairs that require a lot of attention and writing work for involved and affected players.

[punchdrunkdoc]

Part 2, Chapter 10

Summary: After the events of S3, Matt Murdock is trying to once again balance life as a lawyer and a vigilante. But he’s been scarred by loss and betrayal - will a mysterious new neighbour help him heal? Or will her secrets drag him back into the darkness?

Notes: This is a slow burn romance with an original female character, told in 3 parts. There is mystery, intrigue, action/violence and angst - all the good stuff!

Also available on AO3 and Wattpad

Masterlist

Reference pics

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This is a longer chapter than normal...because lots of sh*t goes down!

Enjoy!

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PART 2

Chapter 10

Yelena jumped off the counter and stalked towards Volkov. “How?” she barked. “How are they tracking us?”

He just smiled.

Her hand shot out and she backhanded him viciously across the face. His head snapped back, but when he faced her again, that damned smirk was still in place.

“HOW?”

The smirk stretched into another savage smile. “Project планктон.”

“Project Plankton?” Yelena translated, sounding confused. “What the fuck does that mean?”

Volkov didn’t answer. And for the first time since he’d stepped foot in the mansion his unflappable countenance faltered. His smiled slipped and he frowned.

“Answer me!” Yelena demanded.

He didn’t answer. Instead, his eyes rolled back in his head and he started jerking and twitching against the restraints.

“He’s seizing!” Sofia yelled. She ran over to him and shone a pen-torch in his eyes, flicking the light back and forth.

“He’s faking,” Kira said.

“No, Melina warned us this could happen.”

“Stabilise him,” Yelena barked at the medic. “We still need answers.”

“No, we need to get out of here!” Inessa objected. “You heard him!”

“And go where? They’re tracking us somehow.” Yelena turned to Anya. “Is there anything about Project Plankton in Dreykov’s files?”

Anya was already scrolling through her ever-present tablet. She didn’t look up from the screen as she bit out a quick, “I’m on it.”

The Widows crowded around her as she searched through the terabytes of information she’d spent the last few months decrypting. “Got it. There’s a single reference to Project Plankton in a memo from 2013. It was a theoretical nanite programme one of the scientists suggested to Dreykov.”

“Theoretical?”

“Well, it was theoretical when this memo was released. Maybe it became practical in the years since, and Dreykov kept it off the books.”

“Nanites?” Calina asked. “As in nanotechnology? That’s well beyond theoretical now. It underpins all of Tony Stark’s latest Iron Man machinery.”

Katya started rubbing her arms. “And they’re inside us? These nanites?”

Anya finally looked up, her face grave. “Do you remember the injection they gave us all after Yelena disappeared? They must have realised they needed another way to keep track of us after she managed to dig out her chip.”

“How do we get them out?” Calina asked, trying to resist the urge to scratch at her own arms. The though of still having Red Room tech inside her was making her feel nauseous.

“We can’t dig them out, that’s for sure,” Anya said. “There’s a reason it was called Project Plankton. Plankton are tiny organisms carried around on tides and currents. The nanites are in our blood.”

“Can we block the signals?” Calina asked.

“For one of us maybe, but not all of us. Not unless we had a jammer the size of a Buick.”

“Fuck,” Kira spat. “So we’re stuck with them?”

“I didn’t say that,” Anya replied. “I just said they couldn’t be dug out. But there is a way to remove them. It’s mentioned in the memo: plasmapheresis.”

“Plasma-what?” Yelena said.

“Plasmapheresis,” Sofia repeated, using her medical knowledge to explain to the group. “Plasma exchange. You remove a person’s blood, circulate it through a machine which filters out the plasma and anything harmful that’s present in it - in this case, evil little robots - and then the blood is returned with a substitution fluid.”

“Is it safe?”

“Yes, but the bigger question is, how the hell are we going to find a plasmapheresis machine before Volkov’s men find us?”

“That’s your new task,” Yelena ordered. “Calina and Anya, help her with anything she needs. The rest of you start implementing lockdown protocol. I want this place turned into a death trap for any motherfucker who comes looking for Volkov.”

 ———

 Calina tightened the strap on her thigh holster and then checked the clip in her gun. The weapons were just a precaution, in case they ran into any of Volkov’s men. The actual mission was a quick in-and-out bit of grand larceny. Anya had found a private clinic just over the border in Georgia that offered plasmapheresis treatments.

And they were going to rob it.

“Keep in contact,” Yelena ordered, as Calina, Anya and Sofia finished arming themselves. “I’ll send a text every 30 minutes. If I miss a check-in, you’ll know the mansion is compromised, so stay clear.”

“No,” Calina said. “We’ll haul ass back here to provide reinforcements.”

“No, Calina. We need at least some of the group to be safe. In case any of us are captured, we need a team to mount a rescue. From a new base, with no nanites in their system.”

“Has there been any progress on the new base?” Katya asked from her seat at the dining table. She was rigging up a set of trip-wire devices that would be planted in the garden outside.

“We’ve found a place to rent. The money’s been wired, we’re just waiting on confirmation from the broker. Its in Maine, so I hope everyone likes lobster.”

“We’ll finally be living the high life,” Katya joked - or tried to. There was too much tension in her voice to make it believable.

Calina powered up her phone, ready to receive Yelena’s check-ins. But it started ringing 30 seconds later.

Anya groaned. “You have to do something about that. Now.”

Calina nodded and slipped out the front door. She took a deep breath and hit the answer button. “Matt, you need to stop calling.”

“Calina? Thank God,” he breathed.

It had been less than 48 hours since she’d heard his voice, but she’d missed the deep rich sound so much. It made her long to be back in his apartment, sat in the armchair next to him as they talked about books and courtrooms and everything and nothing.

Was this what homesickness felt like?

She buried the feeling. And the grief at the knowledge that it would never be like that between them again. “Matthew,” she said firmly, her voice as cold as she could manage. “Please stop calling. I need this phone line open and I need radio silence for the next few hours.”

“What do you mean? What’s going on? Are you in danger?”

At that moment, Anya, Sofia and Inessa exited the front door. They jogged passed Calina, and Anya called out to her over her shoulder. “Calina, we need to go! Get your ass in the van.”

“I have to go,” she said to Matt. “Stop calling. I mean it.”

“Wait-”

She hung up. Then stared at the device. A part of her - a small, hopelessly hopeful part of her - wanted it to ring again. She wanted some proof that Matt would keep fighting for her. Some proof that his incessant calling had nothing to do with guilt, and everything to do with love.

But the phone stayed silent.

She ignored the irrational pang of hurt. All it meant was that he was respecting her wishes - especially since he thought she was in danger.

She slipped the phone into one of the pouches on her belt and joined her team mates. Inessa was their get-away driver. She looked ridiculously tiny behind the wheel of the large transit van but she backed out of the driveway and onto the main road with ease. Within minutes they were speeding down the highway towards Augusta.

They arrived at the clinic a few hours later, long after the staff had gone home for the night. Inessa parked a block away and the four of them scoped out the street, checking for CCTV cameras and assessing the level of foot traffic.

“Does anyone else feel guilty about stealing from a medical facility?” Inessa asked from the front seat. “People are gonna arrive for their treatments tomorrow and be turned away.” 

“The anonymous $100 000 donation I just made into the clinic’s checking account should lessen some of the pain,” Anya replied.

“Okay. That makes me feel better.”

Calina smiled. It made her feel better too. But she couldn’t help teasing Anya. “Shouldn’t you have waited until after we stole the machines? What if it goes wrong?”

Anya shrugged. “Then our last act as free women will have been one of charity.”

Anya’s off-hand remark went down like a lead balloon.

Free women.

None of them were really free. Even now, there was probably some lackey in Volkov’s ‘faction’ monitoring 4 green dots on a screen and wondering why they’d taken a detour across state lines. That monitoring - that subtle, distant form of control - meant that none of them were truly free.

Their lives would never be their own until they got rid of the tracking devices.

“Let’s get this done,” Sofia growled, echoing Calina’s thoughts. “I want these fucking things out of me as soon as humanly possible.”

The other three women nodded.

Then they went and got it done.

 ———

 At a few minutes after midnight, Anya took a seat next to one of the machines. She was the first one to undergo the procedure.

And she hadn’t volunteered.

None of them wanted to be first - and not because they doubted Sofia’s medical knowledge or were worried about the process. No one wanted to go first, because as soon as they were cleared of the nanites, they would have to leave the compound and start making their way to Maine. They would have to leave their sisters, while the threat of Volkov’s men descending on the mansion grew more and more imminent.

It was Yelena’s plan, and she wasn’t budging on it.

“Sofia says it is going to take 2-3 hours for each exchange of blood,” Yelena had explained to the group as they’d sat around the large dining table. “There are 15 of us in the compound. I don’t have nanites in my system, so that leaves 14 of you to be treated. Even using both the machines that we stole, its going to take more than half a day to treat everyone. Which means, we’re at real risk of not being finished before Volkov’s men arrive.”

“All the more reason why we should stay after we’re treated. Stay and fight,” Kira objected.

Sofia jumped into the debate. “There’s a risk of side effects from the procedure. Dizziness, nausea, low blood pressure, muscle spasms, and more. Not ideal for a combat situation.”

“We need to establish the new base,” Yelena continued. “Like I said to Calina earlier, we need Widows who are free of trackers who can come rescue the rest of us if the worst happens. If we all stay here and fight, we might all lose - especially if you guys aren’t in top form from the procedure.”

“But-” Katya began.

“No,” Yelena said firmly. “This isn’t up for a vote, or even a discussion. There’s no time.” She paused to look at the women around her, and Calina could have sworn there was a hint of tears in Yelena’s eyes. “I know you guys think I’m too controlling sometimes. And too bossy. But I care about each and every one of you. I want us to survive.” She met Calina’s eyes. “And I want us to thrive, and be happy. That can only happen when we’re truly free. This is the best way to get that freedom.”

She’d received several nods of agreement in response. But most of the women around the table just looked resigned, their tight lips and frowns expressing their displeasure. 

They’d pulled straws to determine the order of treatment, and that was how Anya - and another woman called Viktoria - found themselves being hooked up to the machines as the other widows watched.

Viktoria was done in just over two hours. Anya took a little longer - more plasma in her system, according to Sofia. But by 3am, the two of them were nanite-free and on the road heading north.

And another two Widows took their place by the machines.

This process repeated itself throughout the morning. As more and more Widows left, the mansion got quieter and quieter, and the tension felt by those left behind ratcheted up higher and higher. The clock on the wall of the make-shift med bay ticked louder and louder, the noise acting as a constant reminder of the passing of time.

Time they didn’t have.

By midday, there were only six widows left in the house, and each one of them was painfully aware that Volkov’s men could be battering down the doors at any moment.

Sofia calmly disconnected Inessa from one of the machines and helped her to her feet. The smaller woman swayed and clutched at Sofia.

“Are you okay?” Calina asked. She was next up in the chair, one of the last two Widows to be treated.

She’d drawn the shortest of straws, but she hadn’t complained. The Widows were a team - and they were all working towards the good of the whole group - not any one individual. It didn’t matter that she had people that she cared about back in New York - like Alma, her elderly neighbour. And Foggy and Karen.

And Matt.

It didn’t matter that she had more of a ‘life’ to save than the other Widows. She was just one of 15 today.

And it wasn’t like she was planning to return to that life anyway.

Inessa straightened up and waved off Calina’s concern. “Yeah, just a bit woozy.”

Calina nodded and took her seat. She’d already unzipped and pulled down the top half of her Widow suit, leaving her in a black tank top. She stuck her arm out and Sofia got to work inserting the cannula. The medic had gone through her own procedure hours ago but had stayed to make sure everyone else got treated properly.

Katya was sat next to her, finishing off her own plasma exchange. She gave Calina a smile. “Hey, Calina, how’s it going?” she asked, as if they were grabbing a drink at a cafe.

Calina laughed at Katya’s attempt to lighten the mood. “Not bad. You know, apart from having had only five hours sleep in the last three days.”

“And apart from finding out you have tracking robots in your blood,” Katya added.

Calina continued the game. “And apart from knowing that a strike team of Red Room operatives is about to descend upon us at any moment.”

“You guys are hilarious,” Yelena mumbled sarcastically. She’d been prowling from one side of the room to the other for hours, her head buried in a tablet which was linked to the security feeds from the exterior of the property. A stockpile of weapons was laid out on the table behind her, and every so often she would grab a gun and pace with it in her free hand.

She was wound tight. And obviously not in the mood for humour.   

Inessa laughed though, in between gulping down a litre of water. Evidently, plasmapheresis made you thirsty. Kira was the last of the six, and she was guarding Volkov while she waited for Katya to finish and free up her machine.

Volkov had recovered from his seizure but they hadn’t resumed his interrogation. Melina had advised against dosing him with any more of the serum, and between arranging the new base, securing the old one, and treating the Widows, none of them could spare time to torture answers out of him the old-fashioned way. The plan was to take him with them when they left, and resume his questioning on the road.

“You’re done,” Sofia announced to Katya half an hour later.

“Good,” Yelena said. “Katya, you and Inessa grab your things and get out of here.”

“Nope,” Katya said. She zipped up her suit and tightened the bands holding her tightly curled hair in place.

Yelena straightened up. “What do you mean, ‘nope’?”

“Inessa and I already discussed it. We’re not leaving the four of you here alone. You’re going to need firepower if Volkov’s men arrive in the next few hours, and even if they don’t, you’ll need help securing Volkov in the van.”

“Katya-”

“No, Yelena. You and Calina risked everything to get me out of Seoul and save me from the serum. I’m not going to leave you both behind.”

Calina could tell by the firm glint in Katya’s eyes that she wasn’t going to back down. Yelena could obviously see it too. “Fine,” she said, relenting. “Go down to the basement and relieve Kira. Tell her to get her ass up here stat - she’s the last one in the chair. Inessa, grab your weapons and take watch upstairs.” She passed an earpiece to each of the remaining Widows. “All of you, stay on comms and stay alert.”

“Got it, boss.” Inessa scampered out the room and Katya followed behind her.

Yelena glanced at the clock and checked the clip of the latest gun to have made it into her hands. Calina’s own weapon was in her lap, and she had to resist the urge to clench it in her hand like a scared child with a security blanket.

“It’s going to be alright,” Calina said.

Yelena scoffed. “You don’t believe that any more than I do.”

“Okay, maybe not. But if the worst happens, just know that you tried your best, Yelena. You gave us a home, and kept us safe, as best you could.”

“Says the woman who abandoned that home the minute she could.”

Calina sighed. “I don’t want to fight about that again, Yelena.”

Yelena rubbed her forehead. “I know. I’m sorry - blame it on the stress. For what its worth…”

“What?” Calina prompted.

“For what its worth, I’m glad you got those few months of happiness. Even though it didn’t work out, I’m glad you got to try.”

Calina gave her a small, sad smile. “I’m glad too.”

The two women fell into silence…and watched the second hand of the clock tick and tick and tick.

 —��—

 The warning came 90 minutes later.

Inessa’s voice crackled over the comm line. “Five blacked-out SUVs spotted on the coast road. They’re coming this way - fast!”

Yelena jerked upright. “Shit! Here we go. Sofia, where are we on the treatments?”

She checked the two machines. “Calina’s receiving the last of the plasma substitute. Kira…Kira still has two pints of blood left to clean.”

Yelena hooked a sniper rifle over her shoulder and barked out her orders to the three women in the room, as well as the two listening in on the comms. “Kira, you stay hooked up to that machine as long as you possibly can, you hear me? We’ll try to buy time. Sofia, as soon as Calina is done, disconnect her, then you stay with Kira. Inessa, head to the basement - help Katya get Volkov to the van. Calina will cover you when she’s able. I’ll be on the roof.”

“On it,” came Katya’s reply.

“Heading down now. ETA on the strike team is 2 minutes,” Inessa updated.

Yelena ran out of the room. The moment the door closed behind her, Calina started tugging off the tape holding her cannula in place. “Get this thing out of me,” she hissed to Sofia.

“No, you need to finish,” Sofia said firmly.

“Are the nanites out of my system?” she bit back.

“Yes, but you need the rest of the plasma transfusion. If you stop now, your blood volume will be low and your blood pressure could plummet.”

Yelena chimed in over the comms. “Listen to her, Calina.”

“No. I’ll take the risk. I need to be out there providing backup.”

When Sofia still didn’t move, Calina took matters into her own hands. She yanked out the cannula. The plasma substitute in the tubing started leaking on the floor but Calina ignored it. She got to her feet, bracing herself on the arm of the chair as her head swam.

Sofia curse under her breath and grabbed some gauze to stem the blood leaking from Calina’s arm. “Stubborn zhopa,” she muttered, as she taped it into place.

Calina slipped her arms into the top of her suit and zipped it closed. She primed the Widow’s bites on her wrists, slotted her gun in her thigh holster and grabbed one of the semi-automatic rifles from the weapons cache. Then she paused in the doorway. She looked back at the other two women in the room and gave them a tight nod. “Stay safe.”

“You too,” Kira replied.

“We’ll see you in the van,” Sofia said.

Calina nodded again then took off running. She could hear the distant crunch of gravel as the cars barrelled up the long driveway. Then a muffled pop-pop-pop, as Yelena fired on them from her sniper’s nest on the roof. She must have hit a tire, because there was the sound of a crash as a car spun and collided with something.

Five SUVs, with four-to-five men per vehicle, meant a strike team of at least 20. Possibly 25.

Not the worst case scenario. Six Widows could easily take them on.

But one of those six was still hooked up to a plasmapheresis machine. One was standing guard, and another two were securing an asset.

That left just Calina and Yelena.

Two Widows to stem the tide of two dozen aggressors.

Calina reached the second floor and used the butt of her rifle to smash out the glass from the small window at the front of the property. Then she crouched down, her sights fixed on the bend in the driveway - the bend the convoy would be rounding any second now.

She took a deep, calming breath, and tried to ignore the slight dizziness the action caused.

Two against 20.

Piece of cake.

 ———

 “KATYA, INESSA, ARE YOU IN THE VAN? DO YOU HAVE VOLKOV” Yelena’s shout was barely audible over the gun fire. She’d taken up a spot a few windows down from Calina after sniping the men fleeing from the crashed vehicle. They currently had the occupants of two of the other SUVs pinned down at the front of the mansion, but the whereabouts of the other two cars - and the teams of men inside - were unknown.

It was worrying Calina...but not as much as their immediate situation. There were eight men outside exchanging gun fire with them. At the moment they were trapped behind their cars - nowhere to go but into a spray of bullets.

But Calina and Yelena were running low on those.

“Negative!” Katya responded. “There are at least ten assailants in the house. They’re between us and the garage.”

Shit. The missing teams had infiltrated the mansion somehow.

This was bad. Very bad.

They needed to get out of there.

Now. 

“New objective,” Yelena yelled. “If you can’t extract Volkov safely, kill him. Your freedom is the top priority.”

“Got it.”

Yelena swapped her gun for the tablet and updated the other Widows on what the footage showed. “There are three men in the kitchen, two have entered the living room. Two are coming upstairs to us and the rest are heading towards the med bay.”

She tossed the tablet to the floor, holstered her gun, then called across the room to Calina. “Cover me. I’m going to deal with these assholes out front.”

“What?” Calina yelled. “How?”

Yelena hooked her leg out the window frame and winked at Calina, “Trust me.”

Then she disappeared. 

Calina laid down covering fire as Yelena hit the ground and rolled, but within seconds her rifle clicked empty. But it didn’t matter - the men weren’t firing on Yelena. They started chasing her instead as she bolted around the side of the house. They must have been under orders to retrieve rather than kill.

Calina threw down her rifle and prepared to follow Yelena out the window. But just as she grabbed the sides of the frame there was a massive explosion outside, and the blast wave rocked the house. The ceiling rained plaster and all the glassware in the ornate display cabinet to Calina’s left shattered.

“What the hell was that?” Calina shouted down the comms.

“Someone must have tripped the mines I planted,” Katya yelled. Then grunted. A thud sounded, then there was the familiar crackle of a Widow’s bites.

“It was me,” Yelena responded. She sounded slightly winded. “I led those idiots right through the tripwire. I’m on my way to the medbay.”

“I’m coming too,” Calina called. She jumped out the window and hit the gravel below. She absorbed the landing on bent legs and rolled to soften it, but she still felt a jolt through her recently injured knee.

“You’ll have to go through the house - the path around the side is nothing but flames now,” Yelena said.

“Understood.”

Calina unholstered her gun and slowly eased open the front door. She swung into the foyer, gun outstretched as she cleared the four corners of the room.

Empty.

She made her way - crouched and silent - through the next door and into the living space.

Not so empty.

Two men in black combat armour and grease paint were at the far end of the room. She shot the closest one in the head and he dropped to the ground in an instant. The other spun and fired at her. She dove to the ground behind the sofa. She felt a bite of pain in her side as she landed, but ignored it. She could hear the man stalking towards her so she detached one of the taser discs from her wristband and slid it across the oak floor into his path. Bolts of neon blue lighting erupted from the device and latched onto the mans right leg. He seized as the voltage pierced through his body.

Calina jumped to her feet and ran passed him, following the sound of gunfire deeper in the mansion.

“Katya and I made it to the garage,” Inessa said over the comms. “But we lost Volkov.”

“Shit,” Yelena responded.

“It gets worse. We heard him call in for reinforcements - apparently there’s a second wave of strike teams on standby just off the highway. They’re on their way, so you guys have to get out of the house NOW!”

Calina raced down the corridor and rounded the corner at the end - where she almost collided with another assailant. She ducked under his swinging arm and pounded her fist into his side. They exchanged a volley of hits and kicks in the narrow space, Calina falling to the ground after a brutal punch to the face. But she used it to her advantage - she grabbed the knife from her boot and struck upwards, impaling the man in the gap in his armour between his abdomen and thigh and puncturing his femoral artery.  He collapsed to his knees and she followed up with a stab to his neck. He hit the floor face first and she crawled passed him and staggered to her feet.

Her cheek was throbbing and her her knee was on fire. She was also getting more and more light-headed, and she assumed she was feeling the effects of her aborted plasma transfusion.

She staggered down the hallway just in time to see the last of three assailants crumple to the floor in a pile of his slain teammates. The sound of gunfire coming from the medbay in front of him stopped, then the yelling began.

“Kira, no!”

“Yes. You have to go!”

“What’s going on?” Calina asked, stepping over the bodies and into the room. Three women whipped around to face her. Sofia looked distraught. Yelena looked angry.

And Kira looked…sad. “Calina,” she said. “You have to get out of here. Take these two and RUN!”

She was still hooked up to the machine. Which meant the treatment hadn’t finished. Calina realised the implications straight away and she met Kira’s eyes with horror.

Kira nodded. “I still have the nanites in my system. If I go with you, they’ll track us. If I run on my own, they’ll find me.”

“We’ll come for you, you know we will,” Yelena pleaded. “We’ll-”

“No, Yelena. I won’t go back to them - even temporarily. I can’t do it. I won’t.”

Inessa’s voice came through the comms. “You guys have to leave NOW! We’re in the van on the coast road - head out back and down the hill and meet us there. The second wave are coming up the driveway. They’ll be there in seconds. MOVE!”

Kira unhooked herself from the machine and grabbed the belt of grenades from the table of weapons. She pulled the pin on the first one and held the trigger. “I’m letting go of this in 90 seconds, Yelena. You’re either in the house when that happens or not - you decide. But I’m not leaving.”

Yelena paused for a split second before nodding. She grabbed Kira around the neck and pressed a quick kiss to her forehead. Then she turned and ran. Sofia quickly followed.

Calina lingered for another moment, her eyes locked on Kira’s.

She didn’t know the other Widow well - they were different ages, and went through training at different times. But in this moment, she saw herself in the other Widow. She understood Kira’s decision, and recognised the conviction the other woman felt.

She too would rather die by her own hand, than risk being under someone’s control again.

She nodded to Kira, and received one in return.

Then she turned and fled.

She’d just made it out of the back door when she heard the sound of several cars pulling up to the front of the house.

And she’d just reached the bottom of the garden when the force of the blast wave from the explosion behind her lifted her off her feet.

She tumbled to the ground and rolled down the steep hill that led to the coast road. When she stopped, she heard someone shout her name, the syllables muffled as her ears struggled to recover from the sound of the detonation. She felt a set of hands grab her under the arms and pull her to her feet. “Calina, get up! Come on!”

It was Katya.

She staggered onto the road, held up by the other Widow. The van was idling on the deserted road, the back doors open. She clambered inside and collapsed onto the floor with a groan. The doors slammed shut and then they were moving, speeding away from what remained of their home.

“Is everyone okay?” Inessa called from the driver’s seat.

There was a chorus of positive replies from the three other women, but Calina couldn’t seem to find the strength to answer. She felt…strange…as if she was in a tunnel, the light around her slowly narrowing to a far off point.

“Calina,” Sofia called, panic suddenly in her voice. “You’re bleeding!”

“Wha-?” Calina whispered, struggling to keep her eyes open.

Sofia’s hands came down on Calina’s side and she pressed firmly.

Calina reared up as the shock of the pain jolted her from her daze. She looked down to see the right side of her suit was dark and wet with blood. It spilled from between Sofia’s fingers.

“What’s going on?” Yelena yelled from the front of the vehicle.

“Calina’s been shot,” Sofia answered.

She’d been shot.

She remembered the bite of pain as the man in the living room fired at her.

Then she remembered nothing at all…as the world went black.

———

CHAPTER 11 

@hollandorks @yanna-banana @stilldreaming666 @tearoseart-blog​ @acharliecoxedfan @freckledbabyyy​ @chezagnes

[lampmanliveblogs]

…sigh. Alright, what is this ship called? Veesha? Vasha? Mee? Mashee?

(trying to get a screenshot where Masha’s hand didn’t look super awkward in the foreground never needed to be this difficult)

And hey, just saying, I get the feeling that Masha, if anything, would be even more interested in you if they knew you were a shapeshifting snake girl from another dimension Vee. Just saying.

Masha figures out that the symbols is supposed to be a rebus with images substituting words. The thing I thought was a soundwave in front of the ear was an H, spelling out ”hear” (or possibly ”here”).

Based on this revelation, the witchlings (as soon as Masha conveniently leaves the frame and thus can’t hear what they’re talking about) figure out that the bottom three symbols spell out ”Titan’s blood.” Which is what I guessed this map was leading them to all along, so that’s not a huge revelation for me.

But let’s go back to the top half of the rebus. Eye Hear. Which can spell out a few things. I hear. I here. Eye here.

Looking at the map again, I notice that the red line seems to go from the Eye symbol to the X that marks the spot, which makes me suspect that might have something to do with things. Maybe there’s some eye symbol they need to look for where the titan’s blood is hidden. The portal door has an eye on it, so saying ”Eye here” and then marking the spot makes sense… kinda. I dunno, maybe it’s only in my head.

Otherwise I’m not sure what it’s supposed to mean yet. I hear… hear what?

You know I gotta screenshot some cute stuff.

Let’s see… we’ve got the kids watching a movie and… I think that might be a reference to Hocus Pocus?  No wonder Willow and Amity both aren’t looking too impressed. Whatever you do, no one read these girls Roald Dahl’s The Witches.

It also looks like Luz honored Eda’s wishes and went on a beach episode together with Amity. It’s must’ve been an experience, swimming in a non-boiling sea for the first time.

We also have the river rapids, with Luz looking ecstatic, Amity, Vee & Gus being in various stages of panic, and Hunter stoically to the side. Can’t tell if he’s nervous but doesn’t want to show it, or if he’s just kinda unimpressed. 

I am confident in saying he’s definitely panicking as he’s being attacked by a swarm of bees, as would most people. What did you even do to piss them off, Hunter? Oh, and it’s a nice detail that the flowers Willow is tending to in the picture is the same kind as she has taped in the photo album.

I see my snake daughter thriving and I’m loving it.

I feel like the fireflies might be a call-back to the lightning bugs Luz used to charge her phone back during season two.

I’m gonna pretend that the leaf taped in the album is the same leaf that Vee used to tickle Willow’s nose in the picture, even though it clearly isn’t.

Amity continues to be this episodes punching bag as we see her struggling to make perfect circles during glyph training and getting flustered when Willow photographed her and Luz sharing a milkshake.

Nice bit of continuity: that vase Gus is juggling with is the same vase we saw Camila use in Reaching Out. An even nicer bit of continuity is that there’s a different flower in the vase than the one Camila put there in Reaching Out. Since that was a few months ago and most flowers don’t last that long in vases. Unless they’re lego flowers, like all the ones I have.

[smolghostbot]

GT July - Caught

I knew what everybody else was going to do for this prompt, but decided to mix it up rather than post the ol' First Meeting trope

(It works out well because tomorrow's prompt…)

Word Count: 600

Character bios in my pinned post.

CWs: None that I can think of at all.

========

How long could she go without mentioning it? Clearly Patch hasn't said anything, but he has to know that she knows, right? Maybe it's not… as weird for him? Is she being insensitive?

Mel tried to bring it up gently a few times, asking him about his little pulleys he'd set up. Except for the… odd material choice, it was actually pretty detailed. It only made sense, as the small creature had been working on it for practically the entire month he had been here. It was a platform, almost like a cable car, stretching from the countertop where his outlet room was, to the floor. Supporting it was an almost impressive amount of engineering, considering it was mostly made of office supplies and a few nails. And…

Okay, I have to at least ask him, Melody thought as she walked into the kitchen. "Hey, Patch, are you around? Do you have a minute?"

They knew from the light outside his room that he was home, but it was still polite to ask. She could hear rattling around in his room, before he showed up, a strange guilty expression on his face.

"Listen, I need to ask you about something that's bothering me. Nothing wrong! You're not in trouble! Just, uh…" Melody stammered, trying to think of the words.

"So… I know you like to, y'know… find your little materials wherever you can. And that's fine! I support that, and I support you. I've even ignored it when you take stuff from me, you know?"

Mel could tell by the nervous look her tiny roommate was giving that he had an idea where this was going. They took a deep breath and composed themself before getting to the point. "But dude, we gotta talk about my hairbrush, though. Really?"

Patch instantly got nervous, eyeing the rope he had installed recently. He turned to Melody and gave his best look of fake confusion and a shrug, to her amusement. For as long as she has known him, Patch has worn his heart on his sleeve, he couldn't lie to save his life.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about, Patch. Unless you just happened to find rope in my exact hair color? After my brush mysteriously cleaned itself? Is there really… you could have like… asked me for help, or… something. There are materials that would be so much better… and less… from my body?"

Mel seemed to be at a loss for words, which was unfortunate since she usually had enough words for the both of them. Patch was nervously fidgeting with one of his ears, completely flustered as he realized that Melody must consider this a faux pas of some sort. Finally, the human awkwardly spoke again.

"Listen, I gotta head out to work… but look, I… don't feel like you have to take everything down, I don't want you to destroy all of your hard work, just… going forward…?"

After a second that felt like a year, they both nodded in an awkward agreement at this compromise. "Cool, I'll… see you later, then."

Melody went off to work, and Patch resumed his renovations to Mel's counter, considering what changes would be needed to uninstall the current ropes and find a substitute that would offend his roommate less. Later that evening, Melody wordlessly placed two rolls of dental floss by Patch's little improvised door. One the classic white, and one a teal color, reminiscent of her hair color.

[laytonkissmarrykill]

welcome to laytonkissmarrykill!

requests & submissions go into my ask box. i’m currently undecided on whether i will use child & ambiguous/“debatable” characters (while changing the original kmk prompt) but i’m erring on the side of ‘no thanks’. i’m perfectly willing to have a discussion about this as i am still unsure.

i allow characters from all games, including the pw spin-off, but if their picture/information is not readily available on the wiki or similar i expect at least a screenshot of them of some sort — and proof of their age, if needed. ocs are allowed, and the same rules apply to them (“provide an image” and “adult only for now”. picrews, other people’s art and commisions are allowed as images as long as you credit the original artist, and as long as the original artist has said you can use their image. i will catch you up on this.)

also, to stop this blog from running out of content: characters can be resubmitted. generally i will cherrypick as to whom i choose to reappear, but as a general rule of thumb, leave it at least two months before resubmitting, and five before bullying me about it! (bullying here of course being lighthearted, please.)

there is only one mod, so be patient!

i have a pl sideblog that i’ve been trying to get into the habit of using more — @transaltava — so go follow if you want to read my musings (of which there will likely be very little).

personally i don’t really care what pronouns you use for me — same with titles, names, etcetera. i’m also fine with being tagged in polls to boost reach as long as they are pl related.

i have a discord account, as well as a main tumblr. don’t ask me for them unless we are friends, please.

if you make a rb speaking in the tags, i will not screenshot them for propaganda, no matter how eloquently your speech is written. please make your comments in the text field so that i can reblog them and spread the word!!

“can you substitute kiss for fuck?” “can you substitute kill for attack?” and similar questions… yes!!!!! however, these count as special requests — i may cherrypick thusly

ps;; please rb this if you have some form of following!! i really want to get this blog off the ground…

[astral-athame]

((Life for me has pretty much been: Wake up at 8am. Desperately try to get more sleep until 9 (usually I doze off for, like, 2 or 3 minutes at a time and that's it). Get ready for work. Leave between 9:30 and 9:45. Work from 10-1:30-ish (it's supposed to be until 1:15 but I'm never out of there on time). Get home around 1:45. Leave for work part 2 around 2:30. That goes from at least 3-7, usually closer to 7:20 when I finally leave (sometimes stay until 8 or 9). Get home between 7:30 and 7:45. Make a quick dinner, shower, etc. Around 8:30, watch Ba.tt.le.st.ar Gal.act.ica with a couple of friends (if things work out, this couple may eventually be more than just my friends, but we'll see how that goes ^^;) until about 10:30, then chat with them for a bit after that, usually until almost 11. Bedtime routine (wash face, brush teeth, etc etc). Then stare at drafts until midnight when I realize I need to get to bed because I know I'll be up earlier than I need to be. Then the weekends have consisted a lot of babysitting, running errands, and trying to finish unpacking here and there because it's been 4 months and finding time to unpack has been a pain in the ass with everything that's constantly going on. Also, I spent 3 hours on Saturday putting together a kitchen cabinet- thankfully we have extra screwdrivers because the phillip's-head screwdriver they included was such bad quality that it was messed up and unusable less than half an hour in because the metal of it was so soft -_-

ANYWAY- Work both shifts the rest of the week (except Friday, but only because I don't have to do the second shift, still have the first). Saturday we're going out for my dad's birthday (which was actually last week, but we couldn't make things work for going out last weekend like we'd wanted to). Saturday night is also game night, as usual. Then Sunday I *should* have some free time, but I also desperately need to get some cleaning done that's being semi-neglected throughout the week. So what I'm saying is Sundays are chore days.

If things go well, I should, soon, only be working the first shift in another week or two (with the second shift just being Fridays and when absolutely needed)? Right now both my sister and I are stuck doing the second shift every night (and have been since before mid-winter break last month) because the custodial staff is down two people (one girl broke her leg and has been out since October, I think? And the other has been on temporary (paid) probation since early February while they consider whether or not to fire him and go through all the legal jargon of all of that). But they should be coming to a decision about that soon, I would hope, which would mean that if he gets to come back, then we won't be working nights unless someone calls out. And if he doesn't come back, then they should be hiring someone to fill his place so we'll just have to wait until someone snags the job (hopefully, in that case, they'll offer it to my sister first because usually they try to offer it to substitutes and she really wants it, but we'll see). They're also slowly running out of budget for substitutes, so, that's something to consider, too.

ANYWAY- TL;DR: I've basically had no writing time / personal time and that's why I've not been around. Hopefully work stuff will calm down soon because leaving the house around 9:30am and not really getting to be home until usually after 7:30pm (sometimes 8:30pm or 9:30pm) has been exhausting ^^;

I'll try to be around on Sunday (probably focus on Rogue's blog because I've been writing the fic in my head at work most nights so I have a lot of muse for her AND her blog has been sorely neglected for at least a few months now WHICH MAKES ME SO MAD AT MYSELF). If I can even get one or two asks done, then I'll consider that an accomplishment at this point!

I'm so sorry about the long absence. I'm sorry to everyone for neglecting replies. I'm sorry to everyone I was writing with and haven't had the time / social and physical energy / emotional capacity to reach back out to in a while. That's on me. I dropped the ball on that. I've never been good at ooc communication anyway, tbh. I was really hoping things would be a little bit calmer after I moved, but instead they went in exactly the opposite direction and haven't really slowed down any since November. In fact, they've just gotten more hectic over the last few months ^^;

I adore you all so much and I really do hope that I can get back to writing soon. I've been missing it (and all of you) terribly.

Take care and I'll try to be around soon <3))