#[ i'm lurking on here a little bit now 8) ]

[despairforme]

Why can't he be a cool fantasy character??

[eye-f0r-an-eye]

vessel's pre-venue jitters [nsfw - gn!reader]

-had to pause writing my lewis fic cause i listen to sleep token while i write and had a wicked idea pop into my head. now i can't stop thinking about vessel having mad anxiety before a show and the reader, who's also in the band, helping him calm down-

(i did not plan this out, i wrote it all on the spot, i just needed to get this out of my brain - i'm still prioritising my lewis fic)

word count: 887

cw: nsfw, swearing, sub!vessel, dom!reader, oral sex (m!recieving), reader's anatomy is not mentioned, no use of y/n, first fic posted! - author doesn't know what else to put here????

god i want him to mount me like thatfjsgtrwdsgvfyuiuh

you were a part of the band and served as a second guitarist next to iv, and you were always quite close to vessel - in ways that the others would always tease you about. although, you kept assuring them that there was nothing between you both, even when you used little petnames with each other.

you were searching for vessel right before a show to seek validation for a quirky idea you had about a little something you could do on stage. you never made rash decisions on the spot for fear you'd mess up the performance, very unlike the others.

you find vessel, still in one of the dressing rooms behind stage rather than getting ready to go out and perform.

you then notice that he's facing away from and has got his head against the wall, muttering small things to himself, and shaking slightly.

you approach to ask him what's wrong, to which he jumps a little, clearly not expecting you of all people to find him here.

"just... gimme a minute... get out there, i'll follow later..."

you're not having it. you make him sit down and notice the light sheen of sweat on his neck, which is already testing the integrity of the black body paint coating his skin. and he hasn't even done all his little dancey dances yet!

you ask him again what's up with him, kneeling down in front of him to appear less intimidating. he simply sighs. his shaky hands reach for yours, searching for that anchor to ground himself.

"just a bit nervous, love..." he mumbled as his hands interlocked with yours. "dunno why..."

you do your best to comfort him but none of your words seem to work, he always has a negative thought step in and frustratingly deflect your consolation with it's iron shield of self-deprecation.

as the time ticks quickly and you've now likely just less than 10 minutes before you have to go out on stage, and you definitely can't let him go out there like this. you need to release his tension somehow.

it's in this moment when you abandon your value of not making rash, on-the-spot decisions.

you slip your hands out from his, roll your mask up just above your nose, and begin make quick work of his belt, which ultimately made him panic a bit more.

"shit- w-what are you doing?!" he tried to stop you, but you simply swatted his hands away and began to shimmy his pants down his thighs.

you shushed him, telling him to just lay back and focus on the sensations. you assured him that you'd ease his nerves.

was it his fault that he trusted you?

he definitely goes commando under the costume, fucking fight me, i will die on this hill. he's also like 7-8 inches, yet you still believe you can take him all when you watch the length of it roll out like a red carpet.

you feasted on both his fat cock and the little moans you illicit out of him with stripe you lick up his long shaft, enticed as you witness him go from soft to rock hard after mere moments of you touching him.

your hand rested on his thigh while your other was tenderly fondling his balls as you suckled on his swollen, leaky tip. it was a struggle for him to keep quiet, who knows who could be lurking outside the unlocked door of the dressing room.

he could probably pass it off as him practicing his vocals should anyone have heard him.

his hand came up to nest on top of your head, gripping at the fabric of your mask as you slowly begin to take an inch of him into your mouth.

he struggles not to buck up and fuck the ever-living shit out of your throat.

you make quick work of him, taking as much of him in as you can, wasting no time in sucking him off. he softly whimpers out your name.

he finishes quickly with a loud stifled moan, you made it hard for him not to when you're bobbing up and down on his length like that, your tongue flattened, and your cheeks hollowed to optimise his pleasure.

he shoots his fat load deep down your throat, you swallow it all gratefully. your mouth pops off his cock, which is beginning to soften as he pants. he's certainly a lot calmer now.

however, he doesn't know if he could look at you the same while performing without getting hard again.

you may have eased his nerves but what have you done to his mind?

he tucks himself back into his pants, you pull your mask back down over the bottom half of your face, and you both leave the dressing room without uttering any words to each other.

vessel has a bit of a haze clouding his head while you regroup with the rest of the band, who are definitely smirking at you both for being gone until last second.

"you two snogging back there, or what?" iii teased you, making ii and iv giggle.

vessel was a little embarrassed, but he ignored it, finding comfort in the fact that they didn't exactly know what it was that you two were doing.

you simply told them to get fucked as you all began to flood onto stage.

hey, hoped you enjoyed this! i haven't read it over, i wrote it all on the spot and am now posting it. please let me know if you have any icks or recommendations on how to make this better!

thank you for reading!

-leo :3

[migwayne]

Getaway

task force 141 & gender-neutral reader

fluff, shenanigans & disgruntled dad price 🫶 r being a softie, little to no physical descriptors

word count: 1955

please god. pls show up in the tägs i'm reposting this for the 5th time

Rain poured down gradually harsher on a rare uneventful night at the base. The pounding of heavy water droplets could be heard all over, grey clouds slowly blending into the darkening sky as the hours went by. It was time for a smoke break (a break from doing not much else really). The air was significantly cooler as you stepped outside, reaching the point where your breath was visible. As comfortable as you could be, you scooted close to the walls to evade the pouring water and lit a cigarette hanging loosely from your mouth, inhaling slowly. 

Not much else was going on today on the base, obviously, everyone seemingly occupying themselves in their room to their liking. Soap or Kyle occasionally dropping by, exchanging a few words or silly jokes before retreating. Some more company wouldn't hurt on a day like this when you're left to your thoughts for longer periods than you could handle. 

That's why when you noticed a small figure approaching you from your peripherals, you turned in interest hoping for a bit of company again. It was a little calico cat, seemingly around 8-9 weeks old, taking slow steps towards you, the poor thing's fur drenched in water. Only when you made eye contact with the kitten did it start meowing loudly. 

"Ooh, you poor baby are you cold?" The cigarette dropped quickly, and lowering to the kitty's level as much as you could, you took a few steps towards the little cat. With the baby voice you were speaking, you bet your teammates wouldn't even recognize you. It didn't seem too frightened, but then again the poor thing seemed to be barely standing, its little body shaking at the cold temperature. 

"Oh shit, I'll warm you up okay?" It didn't budge as you hastily take your hoodie off, hung over one arm before you finally decide to risk picking the kitten up with the other, gently placing it down your lap, still squatting. The little furball doesn't resist as you wrap the soft black hoodie loosely around it. With the kitty safe and secured, you quietly enter the base once again, hoping no one is lurking about. 

"How the hell did you get here kitty? Where could your mom be...?" You thought out loud while navigating the dimly lit halls, hoping to stop later by the small kitchen area to prepare something edible for the little cat. Your focus was on getting her dry and warm though. Thankfully, you didn't run into anyone on your way back to your room. Procuring the fluffiest (and clean) towel you could, you unwrapped the feline on the bed, before wrapping her right back in the soft fabric, drying the fur in slow and gentle motions, even resulting in soft purrs. 

"You're lookin' much better now, ain't that right?" you spoke as you scratch the animal's soft-furred head gently. 

"You stay right here and I'll get you something to eat, you got that Private?" The cat kept on purring, seemingly safe and sound enough, for now, to be left alone for a few minutes. You hoped no one came looking for you in these later hours now and be welcomed by another whole living breathing being that wasn't you in your room. 

The kitchen area was still barren thankfully, and you deemed it safe to prepare some scrambled eggs, having learned some time ago that milk wasn't actually that great for cats to consume. It didn't take long thankfully, and with the eggs on a small little plate for the kitty, you powerwalked back to the safety of your own space. 

"Hey, ______!" 

Fuck!

Slowly turning around, you could see Kyle just barely step into your room uninvited. Literally any other time you wouldn't have minded, since he was used to you doing the same pretty much every other day. Goddamnit.

Of course, he noticed the hesitation in your movements and was further puzzled by the small portion of scrambled eggs held in your hand because of course he would. 

"What's with the egg?"

"Is that what you came here to ask me?" 

"Uh, no, I just think I left my charger in here, will you let me look?"

"You know where you left it?"

"I dunno man, on the bed? Or the bedside drawer, will you just let me look?" he asked, you could sense a little impatience in his voice as he did. His attention quickly snapped downwards though, as he felt a small tug of something at the leg of his pants. That's exactly when you noticed your little rescue cat was not on the bed anymore. 

The look on Kyle's face told you everything... He was not impressed, to say the least. That's why it was a pleasant surprise to see him gently pick up the kitty. That didn't mean he liked you bringing it in here, you knew that all too well...

"What is this?"

"...Uh, a cat..?" 

"I know it's a damn cat, how and why is it in here?" 

"...I brought 'em in here, duh. Okay Gaz I wasn't gonna let the thing out in the pouring rain, what was I supposed to do?" 

That one got him. He didn't seem to want to continue arguing, so funnily enough he just started babying the kitten in his arms along with you in silence. It was quickly back to purring loudly from the affection.

"Did y'know... calico cats are almost always female?" Kyle shares unexpectedly while bundling back the kitten into the towel, all three of you sitting back on the bed. She seemed to be on the brink of sleep now in the midst of all the pampering. 

"Wha? How'd you know that?" 

"Just a lil' fun fact..." he replied with a smirk. "So seriously, do you actually plan on keeping 'er here? What about when we're sent off to god knows where in a matter of days?" 

He has a point... somberly feeding the kitten bits and pieces of scrambled egg, you come up empty on that front. 

"But Kyleeeeeeee, she's so cute! I'll just... ask around first or something..." you stated as the kitty was scooped in your arms once again.

"I'm going to name her... Kyle MacTavish Riley Price." 

"Pfttt no you won't..." Kyle protested lazily at the name.

"Fine, you will not be part of her name then." 

"Dude, seriously you can't keep her in here for long... just wait 'til someone tells Price..." He said in finality, arms now crossed, eyes still on the undeniably cute kitten though.

"Pssht, what's he gonna do?"

"Who tells me what?" 

At the voice of a new person in your room, you tried to hide the little furball behind yourself as delicately as possible, hoping the cat was not seen. 

Fuck. Kyle didn't close the door.

In peeked Price, with a questioning look on his face, but seemingly in a good mood as of now at least. Of course, the way you quickly swiveled with arms behind your back didn't escape him, it was not very subtle. You knew there was no way around it now.

"What's with the hiding Sergeant?" He inquired, head raised towards you in a suspicious nod. 

"I-uh--"

"You better not lie." His voice was now serious, audibly so, as if he was giving out orders on the field.

As if the tension couldn't climb higher, a soft 'meow' was heard, and of course, Price immediately knew before your hands presented the little creature to him. Head hung, knowing the jig was up, the kitty was now held out towards him. You couldn't deny, you were a little curious to see the captain's reaction, barely hiding a smile while glancing up at him. 

His eyes widened momentarily, then a hand raised to pinch the bridge of his nose in that usual disapproving way of his. 

"Kid... do I even hafta tell you?" Pose mirroring Kyle's, who still stood next to you, Price crossed his arms in a mildly-annoyed dad manner. 

"...Pet ownership-"

"Pet ownership in quarters is forbidden. So explain to me what this is." 

"Dad-" Kyle snickered "I mean captain, it's goddamn pouring outside, and this little thing just walked up to me soaked to the bone, I couldn't possibly just leave her out there, could I? ...We could make her our mascot?"

"We don't need a mascot. We're a task force, not a damn sports team." He eyed the little cat, now held securely to your chest wrapped in the fluffy towel. He was your captain first and foremost, but not a heartless one...

"Just... let me take care of her 'til I find her a home? Could Laswell take her?" 

"Laswell's not gonna come down here for a cat of all things!" His voice raised now, almost laughing at the suggestion. At the sound of the commotion two new heads came into view behind him, now every member of the task force congregating in the vicinity of your room.

"We gettin' a mascot?" came Soap's voice, before noticing the kitten, bundled in the towel relaxing in your arms.

"Swatch at thes wee bairn!" He slinked carefully around Price, looking at the cat adorningly. 

"Don't you swear in front of her." The cat mewed softly in perfect timing, as you placed a palm gently on her head, covering her ears. Nonetheless, Soap was now petting her too, and she definitely enjoyed the attention. 

"Aye aye, shut up..." 

"Children, the lot of you..." 

"Just gimme one week Captain? Please? I can't just throw this little baby out..." Pleading to Price, you lifted the kitty to your cheek, hoping to amp up the groveling just a bit.

Hearing him sigh you were tempted to jump in joy, knowing the captain's resolve was broken. Brows furrowed, finger pointed, and patience dwindling he took one final look at the furball.

"She stays in here, clear? If I see her anywhere outside yer room, I'm personally throwin' her out, got that?" 

"Yeah yeah, got that..."

"Watch it." and with that, Price made himself scarce. The rest of the team still stayed though, Ghost stepping into the room, finally getting a better look at the calico. He was the other one whose reaction you were curious to see. Kyle was watching the cat curiously again, as Soap entertained her with a loose string he pulled from the towel. Her little paws were trying to squeeze around the string tightly, but it was slowly pulled from her again and again, earning a smile from everyone in the room (even if no one saw Ghost's.) 

"What are you actually going to do with this?" He piped up to break the silence after a few moments, as he gently scratched the kitty under her chin. 

"Not this, her! Kyle MacTavish Riley will go to a good home as soon as I uh.. find one..." Kyle no longer seemed to be affected by the name, and Soap laughed at the sound of it heartily. Ghost, of course, tried to look serious as ever under his balaclava. 

"Oh no, you named her already? Fuckin' hell..." 

"She's no longer Price anymore?" 

"Alright, alright, go back to your room if you hate her so much why doncha?" 

"I didn't say hate..." 

"Did you call Price Dad?" 

"Johnny shut up right now or I swear to god--" you were quickly cut off by a headlock- 

"Aye, I'd like tae see ye try, Sergeant."with the headlock now turned into a tight hold over your chest, you hung in his hold with stretched-out arms, much like you'd see the little cat do in the past few hours.

Meanwhile, in the Captain's office...

"You're calling me about a cat right now?"

"She's really cute Kate..."

[dragonform]

Lurking on some Ninjago communities is driving me batty, so let me just get this out here.

"oLd NinJaGO wAs BetTeR"

"JuSt LeT nINjaGo dIE"

Look, buddy. Lemme tell you a story. (Buckle up, this is gonna be a long one.)

Last year, my kid Ry was six years old. Prime Ninjago age. He had already started watching Lego shows, and in fact already loved the dragon sets from Ninjago (we got him the sets for 4+ years the moment he was old enough to follow the instructions), but was a bit hesitant to start the show because some of it looked scary.

We started with Dragons Rising, because it was new at the time and Netflix was pushing it. As we watched, we got the sense that there was a lot of history behind it. My husband and I already knew Ninjago had been around for a while, having seen the sets in shops. So I looked up the history of the show to see how much we needed to catch up on.

"15 seasons!?" I yelped to my husband.

"Has it been around that long???" he responded.

We were happy, of course, that Ry had found a nice long Lego show to watch (we generally love Lego shows in this house, they all seem to be of much higher quality than other kids' tv shows out there. But I digress.)

We started from Season 1. Somewhere around Skybound (yes, ok, I know), it dawned on me that not only was Ry enjoying the show, I was enjoying the show. The scenes looked ridiculously cinematic, larger in scale than what Lego Minifigures should reasonably deliver. The action and fight scenes were ridiculously complex and fluid for little square plastic people. The faces far more expressive than what's basically an emoji printed on yellow plastic should allow for. And the characters and writing? Light years more compelling than any Hollywood superhero movie in recent memory.

"This show is ridiculous," I said to my husband, amazed.

One year later, we've collected almost all the sets we could find, and Ninjago is officially our favorite show in the entire household. Not Dragons Rising. Ninjago. All of it, from beginning to end, including the pilots and Day of the Departed (in both English and Chinese), all of it. Ask Ry if he prefers "old Ninjago" or Dragons Rising, and he'll tell you old Ninjago without hesitation. But he will cheerfully rewatch DR anytime. (We're rewatching DR S1 for the fourth time as I write this.)

What I'm trying to say is, you (imaginary OG Ninjago fan) may not like Dragons Rising, but it's how kids nowadays are discovering old Ninjago. To say it should end just because you don't like the changes? Is basically saying you're so selfish you don't want to share your childhood with the kids of today. Old Ninjago isn't going anywhere. You can rewatch it anytime. I hate New Ducktales because I grew up with Old Ducktales (jeez, now everyone knows how old I am) but I don't wish they never made New Ducktales. There's a whole new generation waiting to discover the same joy and wonder you felt watching your favorite shows. Let them watch it.

And before you say my kid and I are the exception, have you been to Legoland lately? The Ninjago rooms and ride haven't been updated since the Tournament of Elements. That's 2015 - almost a decade ago. And you know what? At our Legoland, the Ninjago rooms still go for a premium because the demand is so high. The Ninjago ride still boasts one of the longest queues in the whole of Legoland. The kids' t-shirts sell like hotcakes.

Just yesterday, at the mall, I watched a random girl, about 8 years old, sit down and pull out a copy of The Book of Elemental Powers (released in 2021) and read it. Ry has a copy of the same book.

Kids nowadays love old Ninjago AND new Ninjago. I don't know who needs to hear this, but it's right here for whoever does.

Ninjago is amazing and I wish it many long years ahead for the generations to come.

[sasheneskywalker]

batfamily fic recs which are told through unusual formatting

a hat fashioned from tin foil by discowing (ameliafromafairytale) nightwang @karakurachou – 8 hours ago jason todd is alive and faked his death so he could become robin: a conspiracy theory thread

Batfam conspiracy theories meet social media.

T | No Archive Warnings Apply | No Relationships

occam's razor by BeatriceEagle r/SolveIt • Posted by u/Phalangefier 3 days ago

It's the fifth anniversary of Jason Todd's death

Today is the fifth anniversary of the day that Jason Todd and Sheila Haywood were murdered, so I thought I would post a write-up unifying all of the information that we have on the case. There have been a lot of posts about Jason over the years, but this case is so weird and has so many branches to it, I don’t think that anyone’s ever compiled all of them in one place.

T | No Archive Warnings Apply | Dick Grayson & Jason Todd

Send to All by kerosceene I, _______________, hereby acknowledge that this form represents my wishes should I contract phytoaphrodisiac-induced delirium (hereafter referred to as “PAID”) during engagements with or while apprehending Dr. Pamela Lillian Isley (“Poison Ivy”).

-

The bats have a sex pollen release form. Because of course they do.

T | No Archive Warnings Apply | Tim Drake & Bruce Wayne, Stephanie Brown & Tim Drake, Barbara Gordon & Dick Grayson, Clark Kent/Bruce Wayne, Tim Drake/Kon-El | Conner Kent, Jason Todd & Bruce Wayne

Batman Hits the Red Hood with His Batarang by redboard (Ink) Batman hears whispers of a new crime lord in Gotham, trailing blood and carnage in his wake. The Red Hood is skilled and ruthless, and quickly seizes control of the drug trade, seemingly for his own ends.

Red Hood, after years of planning, your moment has finally arrived. Why have you come?

An "Under the Red Hood"-themed tabletop game, for one or two players. You will need colored dice (or a dice roller), your imagination, and, optionally, a friend who has as many feelings about Jason Todd as you do.

(Yes, I'm serious. This is not a bit.)

T | No Archive Warnings Apply | Jason Todd & Bruce Wayne

#Justice4Gotham by Havendance So, uh, Hi. I’m still alive. I didn’t die of the clench (barely). I’m kind of sorry for disappearing on you for so long but life just got really busy and I didn’t really have time to chase after Batman and Robin anymore. I’m not sure how many of you guys still check this blog, but if you are out there, I’ve got a big favor to ask you all.

On June 27th at 7:03pm, Gotham City was hit by the worst earthquake the east coast has seen in, like, ever. And now we could really use your help.

[Or: When you run out of things you can do, there’s always yelling at the world from the blog you made when you were ten.]

T | No Archive Warnings Apply | No Relationships

Night Blogger by AnonDude There's a blogger catching the internet's attention with a long, insane, and twisted tale. The problem is, he seems to persist under the impression that he's just a random anonymous blogger looking for advice on his relationship. That's all.

QuillsNFrills: I like your first entry! But I'm a little unsure as to what genre you're aiming for here; it seems a little confused and all over the place. It's clear you want it to be something more lurking under the guise of a simple relationship blog, but is that…mystery? Thriller? A dark romance? Sci-fi/fantasy/magic (with the…whatever is going on with BF's head)? I'm also kind of wondering if I'm reading right that maybe there are hints this isn't a reliable narrator? Maybe that will continue…eyes. Anyway, keep up the good work! – April 15, 2023 –

BlueberryPancakes: this […] only continued to get MORE wild, and despite the "clearing up"…I still don't know whether to believe […] it's supposed to be an obvious red herring and this is all an Experience^tm, or whether this is really OP's life. – April 17, 2023 –

M | Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings | Tim Drake/Jason Todd

A preliminary examination of potential significant others (last saved by T. Drake) by Betty, Elf_Herself, Petra thefourthvine wrote, "I want the story where someone sits down and thinks that, and lists every single person in the canon (probably in some kind of database, with numerical codes and assigned weights for each category and stuff) and weighs all the pros and cons and finally, after a lot of careful deliberation, selects a candidate for the position of Significant Other."

This is the first step in that process.

G | Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings | No Relationships

[gamebunny-advance]

Doodle Dump: Misc. Edition

Time for misc. doodles~

Notes under the cut.

1: "Ikigusare Idols". Like many people, "Injection Girl" randomly appeared in my Youtube feed, and I was admittedly charmed by them. It's like they're from a bygone era, but they just put out another music video last month. Currently, my favorite song is "スーパーZ指定ガール". (Content warning for mass violence in the lyrics.)

2-4: "Clown Doll Redesign". So, since I've started doll customizing as a hobby, I tend to lurk on the Dolls and CustomDolls subreddits on the lookout for inspo and info. Not too long ago, someone posted asking for advice/critique on their doll ideas. So I sketched these (and some notes on the original design, which are not included here) as a response. In the end, I never did reply because I don't actually have a reddit account, and I thought it would be weird to make one solely to criticize someone, so I'm just posting them here.

My main critiques were that there wasn't a lot of contrast in their color choices and that the blue and red hair seemed random when the rest of the design was pink/green. So, my main goal was to increase the contrast between the pink and green, so the different patterns would stick out more and to unify the pallet a bit more. The skintones differ from the reference because the doll they said they were going to use was a G3 Frankie Stein, who has bluish skin and a prosthetic left leg, so I'm not really sure why their sketch uses the original green skin or why the silver leg is on the wrong side, but it is what it is.

The first 2 are straight pallet swaps, but the 3rd is based on a second design that the OP made. They originally asked for users to pick between the two. Most people said they preferred the blue and yellow design because it was more cohesive, but the OP replied that they really wanted to make the pink and green one work somehow, so that's why I focused on using that one as the base, but I still included a version with the alternate pallet and patterns.

Here's a link to the original thread since I'm kinda reposting their art by including it with sketch. Just maybe avoid linking back to me >_<;

5-8: "Music Junkie Soundwave". In a similar vein, there was another user on the subreddit that wanted opinions on a potential Transformers fashion doll line, citing a video that one of their friends made on the idea.

Now despite having a limited knowledge of Transformers, and I'm still pretty green to the fashion doll world, I wrote a whole-ass dissertation on the idea because magical girl/boy robot dolls are totally something I'd be into.

But, for a similar reason to the clown doll, I didn't want to make a reddit account just to critique someone (though I still have the original response in my drafts).

When I finished writing that response, I decided to sketch how I would go about the idea as it'd been proposed, and created this Soundwave doll idea. Admittedly, he's very inspired by Giacomo from Pokemon Scarlet/Violet (never played it, but I do like some of the character designs in it). I dunno if the overalls are a little dorky, but I couldn't think of another way to represent his chest-deck in a meaningful way.

9-10: "Kingsley and Mamuta". I tried to make some human? designs for them, but it's not going great. I really wanted Mamuta to still be monstrous, but designs like that aren't my strong-suit... Kingsley I'm just not satisfied with yet.

11: "OC Line-Up". Just a few OCs of mine. From left to right: Carol, The Prince Formerly Known As Frog, Shapeshifter, and Fizz.

12: "Rival". An idea for a rival to Kun3h0, ala Shadow the Hedgehog and Wario. I made another sketch recently that goes in a very different direction, but I kinda want to finish that so I haven't included it in this dump.

[jadeglas]

Wow, it's been a hot minute since I was last here in an interacting, not lurking way, but let's try this again!

I'm Jade, a 30-something year old mama and storyteller cleverly disguised as a grown ass woman. I have trouble with consistency and I hate being in charge, but I promise I can tell a good story.

Things have been gradually getting to be too much over the past ... 8 or 9 months or so? I have a bad habit in which I'll set reasonable goals and schedules for myself, get bored at the difficulty level, and start increasing the intensity of too many things, too quickly, without giving myself time to adjust to anything properly, and then wonder why I feel like I'm drowning. It's something I'm working on.

There's this app called Sprout? It helps. You get a cute bird friend to help encourage you to complete tasks and take care of yourself. Message me if you're on Sprout, too, and you want a friend!

So yeah, I'm a mama first, always. I started working part time at my youngest gremlin's preschool, but I'll be backing off that a little bit soon, so that should give me a consistent day to create.

My original stories that I first started telling everyone about? They've changed so much! I have a different structure, now, and so many potential new stories to write. The same premise, though - A world in which a small portion of the population has superpowers. A country in which you either register your superpowers with the government so that you can use them legally (sanctioned), or don't register them, gaining the title non-Sanctioned, and risk imprisonment or worse if you're found out. And of course, the theme to the series is action/thriller romance in which the villain (or vigilante) gets the girl, because heroes are nice and all, but at the end of the day, don't you want someone willing to burn the world down just to see you smile? I'll go on more about it in another post, don't want to make this one drag on too long.

Oh! And I started a business, bc of course I didn't have enough I was trying to do already, but it's already registered and legal and everything, even if I don't have my own website up yet. I've been learning about how to put websites together, so if you have any questions about that, feel free to drop a question to me! Once I get over the imposter syndrome, I'll be wanting to work with authors, especially romance authors, and I know Squarespace best, but I know a lot of "best practice" stuff that's helpful for any platform, too.

So yeah, if any of this peaks your interest, feel free to say hi. Like I said, I'm inconsistent and trying to work out why I'm not getting notifications that people have been messaging me? I set an alarm to help me remember to check that regularly, so communication should improve (if you have messaged me and are waiting on a response, I'm so sorry!)

And if you're a writer, too, tell me about what you're working on! I like most stuff and I'll be happy to gush about your fic with you, fan or oc!

Take care of yourself, ok?

~ Jade

[imnobodyuknow]

Surprise!!!

Well, I hate to tell y'all this, but...

I wrote another fan fiction!

Yep... And if that wasn't cringey enough, it's one about my favorite Ace Attorney ship!

And did I happen to mention I'm a bit of a hopeless romantic?

Dang, I'm just diabolical today. 😐

But for those of you who don't mind fanfiction, ships, and a bit of non-canon romance (and have played through both of the Ace Attorney Chronicles games), please enjoy a brand-new short story featuring two characters from my first one -- Ryunosuke Naruhodo and Susato Mikotoba!

I was hoping to have it ready by Valentine's Day, but I don't mind having a little extra time to polish things, so I'll just say "oh, well" to that. 🤷‍♂️ Now, without further ado...

***The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles Spoilers Ahead!!!***

A Moment of Warmth

A short story by the Co-Mod

Dedicated to anyone struggling to stay positive (and every hopeless romantic out there)

5th December, 8:08 pm

McGilded Park

(Ugh…  We sure picked a lousy time to visit this place again.  London winters are the worst.)

The young man slumped over on the bench in his brown wool coat, crossing his arms and hating the bitter cold with every fiber of his frigid being.  He was grateful to be able to rest after the long trip from Japan to Great Britain, which had ended with a loud greeting and a sorry attempt at playing the violin from his eccentric British detective friend.  He was also grateful to be in an open space with no sound, save for that of a light wind blowing.  And at the moment, he was especially grateful to be alone.  He had met many friendly people here in London, but as a defense attorney, someone who had to deal with some of the worst cheaters, liars, and cold-hearted murderers on a regular basis (and had already seen more than his fair share of them), he was all too happy to be the only person in the vicinity.

He wished he knew of a better place to find solitude, though.  The only other quiet locations he could think of were the office of Prosecutor van Zieks and the house of the Garridebs, and he was never one to intrude unnecessarily.  Much as he loathed the biting cold, he preferred it over the chaotic company he was accustomed to here.  Being a Japanese in the Great British Empire had brought about a number of bizarre events in his life, some good, others not so good.  He was grateful to have established a reputation as Ryunosuke Naruhodo, a skilled defense attorney, and was equally grateful that his close friends Kazuma and Susato, also Japanese, had themselves achieved good standing with the people of London.  He was well aware that respect and social standing were often difficult to come by for outsiders to this nation.  All things considered, he and his friends had been truly blessed during their time here.

Even so, he was struggling to feel grateful for much else at the moment.  The cold weather and the dark sky above him reminded him of how cold and dark the human soul could be.  In just a single year as a defense attorney, he dealt with criminals liars of many different sorts—one of which had tried to frame him for murder—and he was well aware that this was only the tip of the iceberg when it came to the evil still lurking in Great Britain, his home country of Japan, or any other land populated by people.

“Haah…  People…” he muttered to himself.  When he was younger, he’d read all about evil villains in books, both real and fictional, but seeing them with his own eyes had been an entirely different experience.  Not only were they less fun to observe in person, but they often had a way of leaving one with a somewhat less hopeful outlook on life, as well as the future of the world and humanity.  And then another thought came to him – with all the new gizmos and gadgets being invented that were making possible things that were previously impossible, who could say what would happen if one of them were to fall into the wrong hands?  What new sorts of horrible crimes would be concocted and executed, and how many would suffer for it?  The thought made him shiver…although it didn’t make much difference in the cold winter weather.

On the other hand, he had been lucky enough to become someone who, with the help of friends, both old and new, was able to stand against the evil schemes of the wicked and put an end to them.  He’d never thought of himself as a hero, but somehow, he’d found himself in the position of being one now, at least in the eyes of his clients.  The smiles on their faces and words of gratitude always seemed to make everything he’d been through for them feel less like a trial and more like the end of a thrilling adventure, or like reaching a long journey’s destination.  It was those bright moments that truly made his efforts worthwhile in the end.  But even so, unlike the fictional heroes he’d read about, he knew he would never save an entire town or city from a dastardly villain’s evil plot.  Whether in Great Britain, Japan, or any other nation, all he could do was save one person at a time, and often only by sheer luck.  He was simply a cog in the machine known as the legal system, and one cog could never be strong or efficient enough to keep the machine from breaking every now and then.

But regardless of what he was able or unable to do, he knew one thing for sure – he needed a break from people.  Why else would he be out in the freezing cold, if not to get away from society and spend some time by himself, after all?  Sadly, he couldn’t say that he felt much better now that he was alone.  All he felt was the coldness of his surroundings, which only served to remind him of the coldness in the world and in pe-

“Naruhodo-san?”

He turned his head quickly in the direction of the familiar woman’s voice he’d just heard.  Standing only a few feet to his left was the concerned face of his judicial assistant and friend.  She wore a pink wool coat with the same design his coat had, though a bit fancier.

“Susato-san? Wh-What are you…?”

“I…could not help but worry when I saw that you had come out here by yourself.  And in the freezing cold, of all places.  Is there…something wrong?”

“Er…  N-No, of course not!” he answered with a sheepish grin. “I just…wanted to be alone for a moment, that’s all.  Heh…”

Her face grew more concerned.  “I see…  But…why out here?  You could catch a cold in a matter of minutes!  And besides, isn’t it rather uncomfortable?”

“I…  Well…  Uh…”

He paused for a moment, trying to collect his thoughts.  Why was he out in this frigid park?  Sure, there were no people here, but it hadn’t done much to relieve his inner stress.  And it wasn’t doing much for his outer self, either.  What had even been the point?

“…There is something wrong, isn’t there?” Susato asked with even stronger concern in her voice.  “What is it, Naruhodo-san?”

He struggled to find an answer.  She certainly wasn’t wrong, but what could he possibly say?  That he was sick of people?  That he’d rather be alone in the frigid cold than be near even one of them?  He wasn’t sure if he even had a good reason, for that matter.

“I-It’s nothing…  Really…”

He turned his face away, hoping she would believe him.  After hearing nothing from her for a few seconds, he assumed she’d decided to leave him alone and rejoin their friends in the comfort of their warm and cozy flat.

(Haah…  I hope I didn’t leave her feeling too concerned abou—)

“Naruhodo-san.”

“Ah—!”  He jerked his head up and saw her standing in front of him, looking down at him with an unsatisfied gaze.

“I have never known you to do something so rash without a reason.  Will you kindly tell me what it is that has brought you here?”

Realizing he had no choice, he let out a deep sigh, a large white cloud spewing from his mouth.  “It’s…sort of hard to explain.”

He paused for a moment to collect his thoughts before looking down cheerlessly.

“I guess you could say I’m…feeling overwhelmed right now.  I can’t put a finger on why that is, but…I thought it might help if I could just get away from the clamor of people talking, laughing, and shouting…”

He heard Susato’s shoes in the snow as she gently stepped closer to him.

“I’ve never really been someone who hates being around others, but…I guess they get to be too much to deal with sometimes.  It’s almost like…they wear you down over time, like a horse that’s pulling a heavier load than it’s used to.  Does that make sense?”

“Yes, I think so.”

“Gyuh—!”  He jumped as he noticed her sitting right next to him.  How had she done that so quietly?

She remained in silent thought for a moment, looking out into the distance, before turning to face him again.

“Is that all?”

“Ah…  Mostly.  There’s also…”  He gave another deep sigh.  “…the bad feeling I get when I think about the malice and cruelty people are capable of.  It’s not as though I wasn’t aware of it before, but…it just makes me wonder…if…”

“If…?”

“If…there could be malice and cruelty inside everyone, only a few layers deep?”

“Inside of everyone?”  Her eyes widened at his words.

“Well…maybe not a lot of it, but…enough to make anyone resort to criminal deeds, given the right circumstances.  Enough to change them from a person to a heartless beast.”

She stared at him in silence, not moving a muscle.

“Look at Kazuma, for example.  He said himself that there was a demon inside him.  One that almost drove him to murder.  He said that it nearly consumed him, in fact.”

“Well…  Yes, he did, but…he managed to conquer that demon in the end, didn’t he?  At least temporarily?”

“Sure, but…”

“But what, Naruhodo-san?”

He thought for a moment.

“I…used to think there were some in the world who had no such demon.  I’ve come to terms with being wrong about that, but…”

He let out another deep sigh.

“…I never suspected there would be so many whose demons had conquered them.  It almost seems like a disease that no one is immune to.  I suppose that doesn’t necessarily mean everyone will catch it, but…to realize that even those with strong hearts and minds can be overpowered by the evil inside of them…”

He glanced over at Susato, who was still giving him a motionless stare.  Looking toward the ground again, he continued, “I do apologize for sounding so gloomy.  I’m not usually this negative, am I?”

“I was just about to say that,” she answered in a harsher tone, now wearing an unhappy glare.

He turned his head to her, wondering where this sudden tone had come from.  “Eh?”

She put a hand on her hip.  “I have seen you pout, slouch, groan, and sigh on many occasions, but not once have I ever seen you speak in such a horribly negative tone.  And I must say, it does not suit you well at all!”

He stared at her for a moment before sighing again and slouching, “Sorry…  I can’t help it if I’m overwhelmed, can I?”

“And now you’re doing all four at once!  Will you kindly get ahold of yourself, Naruhodo-san?”

“…You make it sound so easy.”

“It has never been too challenging for you in the past, has it?”

“Hm?”

“As I recall, you have been overwhelmed on several occasions before now.”  She held up a pair of tightly-clenched fists as she continued, “Yet you have always been able to pull yourself together when it counted, even when it seemed as if all hope was lost.  And that is precisely why you are known and loved by so many today!  Surely you haven’t forgotten?”

“…”

“…”

“…I…guess that’s true…”

“Then prove to me that you have not lost your resolve,” she shouted.  “And do it now!”

Her words shook him out of his depressive state, if only slightly.  But he knew he couldn’t disappoint Susato, no matter how pessimistic he was feeling.  Sitting up straight, he paused, took a deep breath, and vigorously slapped his cheeks.

“Hah…  That’s a little better.”  He looked at Susato again and saw that she was still wearing the same glare, apparently still not satisfied.

“O-Oh, right!”  He quickly stood up and, with a look of confidence and determination, pointed his left arm straight in front of him, as if accusing some invisible witness of lying.  “OBJECTION!!!”

Susato giggled.  “There it is!  I was sure your resolve hadn’t left you entirely.”

He sat back down with a satisfied smile, feeling refreshed, and a bit warmer than before.  “Thank you, Susato-san.  I think that was just what I needed.”

She smiled sweetly.  “Do you understand now, Naruhodo-san?  Overcoming your negativity was as simple as that.”

He grabbed his chin and thought for a moment.  “I suppose so, but…what else did that achieve?  My mood might be a bit better now, but it’s not as if I’ve slain anyone’s inner demon by doing that, is it?”

“Oh…!  There you go again!” she groaned.  “And you were looking so content just a moment ago.”

“Ah…!  Sorry.”  He grinned at her again, unsure what to say next.  She closed her eyes and huffed through her nose, looking almost like a dragon exhaling smoke.

After a few moments of awkward silence, she spoke up again.  “I’m not unfamiliar with being overwhelmed myself, you know.”

(I can see that...) Ryunosuke thought to himself.

“And do you know what I prefer to do in those instances?”  He turned and gave her his full attention.  With a warm smile, she continued, “I prefer to be around familiar faces.”  He gave her a look of uncertainty, wondering what she meant.  “Being among company reassures me that I am not alone in dealing with my inner struggles, and it reminds me that I have people to help me calm down should my frustration ever get the better of me.”

(Assuming you don’t execute a Susato Takedown on any of them, that is,) he thought with a smirk.

Her eyes fell as she placed her hand on the bench next to her and added with a frown, “I suppose that’s a bit easier for us women, of course.  We’re more social creatures than men, after all.”  She looked up at him plainly.  “But if you prefer to be alone, it would worry me much less if you were to do so indoors.  I believe I speak for Sholmes-san and Iris-chan as well.”

He looked at her idly as he considered what he should do.  He doubted his mood would be improved much, if at all, by rejoining everyone inside the flat, but he hated the thought of making them all worry about him, and his solitude didn’t seem to have helped much, either.  If anything, it had only made his inner turmoil even worse.  But he still wasn’t sure what choice would be the better one…or at least the more tolerable one.

He sighed and muttered, “All right, I’ll go back in.”

She smiled.  “Thank goodness!”

“In a few minutes, though.  I still need some time to think.”

Her face dropped as she gave an unhappy sigh.  She looked down and saw his bare hands resting on his legs.  “Well, you certainly won’t be letting your hands freeze solid in the meantime!”  She quickly grabbed his hands and clasped her gloved fingers around his bare ones.  (Honestly…) she thought.  (How can you manage to be so careless?)

He stared at her hands, taken off guard by her sudden gesture.  Looking up at her face, he saw her staring down his hands as if trying to win a staring contest.  Even more alarming, though, was the strength with which she was gripping his hands.  He knew she had strong hands, but he was sure he’d never seen her grab anything so tightly or focus so intensely.  What on earth could have brought this on?  Was she afraid he might get frostbit if she didn’t squeeze hard enough?  Whatever her reason was, the warmth her hands provided was both comforting and pleasant, so he decided he may as well let her continue until she was satisfied.

But then he noticed something different.  The coldness he’d been feeling in every part of his body seemed to be slowly dissipating, starting with his hands.  It was almost as if he were holding them in front of a warm fireplace.  Almost as if…Susato’s hands were a warm fireplace.

He gazed at her hands.  He began feeling nostalgic and thinking of all she had done for him with those hands – helping him find clues during investigations, searching through evidence to help him put together the truth in the courtroom, taking careful notes and finding just the right information at just the right time, and writing letters to him when they were separated, using the most beautiful calligraphy he’d ever laid eyes on.  She’d also used them to flip him upside-down on several occasions, of course, but he’d gotten used to it over time, strange as it was.

And now here she was, using them to create warmth, both in his hands and in his heart.  It dawned on him then that he’d been spending so much time thinking about the cold and cruel people in the world that he’d forgotten about the ones who made the world a warmer place – those who gave of themselves without expecting something in return, those who used their talent and skill to benefit others rather than only themselves, and those who dedicated their lives to fighting crime and protecting those who fell victim to it – fighting the coldness he’d been so focused on earlier.  He’d been lucky enough to meet and befriend so many of those people: the professor at his university, Dr. Mikotoba, his famous detective friend, Herlock Sholmes (also known as the Herlock Sholmes), Sholmes’s brilliant daughter Iris, the pickpocket turned detective-in-training, Gina Lestrade, and even his close friend Kazuma, whose heart may have been tainted by bitterness, but who had changed course in the end and become someone for him to look up to and admire once again.  And, of course, his trusted friend and judicial assistant, Susato Mikotoba, who was now putting all her focus into warming his hands, as if it was her job.

A smile slowly spread across his face.  A moment ago, he’d been talking about malice and cruelty existing inside of everyone, but after knowing, befriending, and working side by side with this young woman for almost a year, he struggled to recall her saying or doing anything malicious or cruel at all.  She was certainly far from perfect, and even had a bit of an aggressive streak at times (one he had been on the receiving end of quite often, in fact), but if there was anything evil in her, it must have been buried under so many layers that no one would be able to dig their way through to it in a hundred years.  What was easy to detect in her, on the other hand, was an extraordinary collection of good and noble traits: kindness, grace, humility, respectfulness, virtue, faithfulness…  Not to mention, she was certainly rather beautiful.  In short, she was the personification of an idealized Japanese woman, or as they said in Japan, a Yamato Nadeshiko.  Now he was beginning to wonder…just how on earth had he found and become such close friends someone like her?

He became nostalgic once more and remembered a more recent moment between the two of them at Port of Dover, just as he was preparing to begin his trip home.  It was a moment he could recall with perfect clarity, as if it had happened yesterday.  He remembered the sun peeking over the horizon behind her as she asked him, firmly but hesitantly, “Um…Naruhodo-san…”  He had looked at her quizzically as she mumbled, “…the path you’re going to follow from now on…  I wonder if I might follow it at your side.  Un-Unless I’d be a burden?”

Her question had left him almost speechless.  He’d been under the impression that she would stay in London with Kazuma and the friends they had made there, and instead she wanted to go back to Japan with him and remain his judicial assistant?  Not only that, but she’d already discussed her decision with Kazuma, who fully supported it?  And she had waited until just now to ask what he thought about it?  What was he to do with this situation?

Oddly enough, however, his response had come to him quite easily.  Without thinking, he had answered, “With you by my side…no trial would seem too daunting.  So, if you’re willing, I’d be honoured if you’d come with me.  Together we can take on the world!”  Her response had been a sweet, humble smile – a smile he had come to love seeing every time it appeared on her face.  It was one he had seen on no other face but hers.

Now it occurred to him just how different his outlook had become between then and now.  It was almost inconceivable that the man who had just been brooding over coldness and cruelty was the same one who had once believed he could take on the world with his trusted judicial assistant by his side, and that no trial would seem too daunting.  Those words repeated in his mind as he stared at Susato’s hands, still linked with his.  “We can take on the world…”  “No trial would seem too daunting…”  It seemed like an era had passed since he’d spoken them.

“Ah…  Thank you, Susato-san,” he whispered.  “I believe my hands are warm enough now.”

She loosened her grasp and gently pulled her hands away from his.  “Then I trust you will keep them firmly tucked into your coat pockets until you come inside, yes?”

“O-Of course.  Thank you.”  Without hesitating, he slipped his hands into his coat pockets, fearing something much worse than frostbite if he disobeyed her.

Now he was utterly perplexed.  His ponderings about the evil in the world had all made sense, he thought, but why on earth had he been so fixated on them?  Why had he completely forgotten about the good he’d seen in others, and acted as if he was entirely unfamiliar with love, compassion, virtue, and everything else that made life and people enjoyable?  Why, he was sitting next to someone who exemplified those things almost perfectly!

That’s when he realized what it was that had kept him from falling into sorrow and despair as he had traveled the bleak road of the defense attorney – it was her.  Well…her and those like her in his life – his family, his friends, and the strangers who had shown him compassion and courtesy.  Even if such people seemed to be few and far between right now, he couldn’t deny that he had the pleasure of knowing quite a few of them – people with warm, friendly attitudes, whose very presence could melt even the coldest of hearts, if only for a moment.  Perhaps this is what Susato had meant by being “among company”?  That the antidote to being overwhelmed by the coldness in people was to be around the warmer ones?  If that was true, then…perhaps being alone had only served to make things worse for him.

Turning to Susato, who was focusing her eyes on his hands as if preparing to shove them back in his pockets should he dare to take them out, he smiled with gratitude as he realized she had done him yet another great favor.  His thoughts took him to the past again as he remembered Kazuma’s words: “Ah hah hah hah hah hah!  Your fine judicial assistant has everything in hand as always, I see.”  He chuckled to himself.  Was there anything she couldn’t do?  It was now clear to him that of all the people who had made his life warmer in one way or another, none had done so quite so well or so consistently as Susato Mikotoba.  She was truly someone special.  A “special someone” in his life, as he’d heard some of the children of London say.

(Special someone…) he repeated in his mind.  His smile slowly disappeared as his thoughts started taking off in a new direction.  He could easily describe Susato as his trusted assistant and close friend, of course, but…could it be possible that she had become something more to him?  Someone he could see himself sharing the rest of his life and career with?  Someone…he could marry?

(Ah…!  Slow down, Ryunosuke!  Don’t get carried away!)  Without thinking, he placed a hand on his forehead and grabbed his temples, and was soon met with an icy stare and a gloved hand grabbing his wrist.  “Ah, s-sorry!”  Instantly, he put his hand back where it was and resolved not to take it out even partially until he was back indoors.

Special someone…  This wasn’t the first time the thought had entered his mind, but…would it be practical to enter a courtship with his own judicial assistant?  There were no laws against such a thing, as far as he knew, either here or in Japan, but would it be proper?  Would anyone object to it or find it strange?  Would a judge find it problematic for future trials?  And most importantly, what would she think?  Would she be comfortable being known as his “special someone”?  For that matter, would he be comfortable with that title?  Even if it was mostly used by children, he had to admit it had a rather nice ring to it.

(Special someone…  Special someone…)

“Special…someone?  Who is that, Naruhodo-san?”

“Agh—!”  (Do my lips still move when I think?)

“I’m afraid so, Naruhodo-san,” she answered with a giggle.

“Haah…”

Now he was faced with a new problem – should he try and come up with a bluff about what he’d meant by those words, or consider sharing his true thoughts with her?  He wasn’t sure how well he could pull off the former, but the latter sounded a bit improper, to say the least.  She did seem to be in a better mood now, but even so, if he were to suddenly bring up the subjects of courtship or marriage, it would sound like something straight out of the blue to her!  The question now became one he had often dealt with in the courtroom: What was the most prudent way to continue forward?  His eyes darted between her and his lap as he pondered.

Suddenly, his questioned was answered when he noticed her smiling warmly at him again.  He could almost hear her saying through her expression, “You don’t have to answer if you would prefer not to.”  And once again, he could feel the warmth inside him that was somehow ignited by her smile, melting away every worry and care that had plagued him.  With his mind now put at ease, he decided upon a solution that would let him express himself honestly to her – rather than discussing the subject of courting her, he would simply express his gratitude for all she had done for him.  She deserved it several times over, after all.  There was no harm in letting her know how much he appreciated her as a judicial assistant and friend, was there?

“S-Susato-san…  I…  Th-That is…”  She looked at him intently, waiting patiently for him to gather his thoughts.  He cleared his throat and tried again, “I…just wanted you to know that I…I’m very grateful for everything you’ve done for me.  I mean…truly, very grateful!”

She giggled and tilted her head cutely.  “How nice of you to say, Naruhodo-san.”

He took a deep breath, now feeling grateful to the cold weather for making his cheeks flush so that Susato was unaware that she was making him blush.  His words gradually started to flow better as he continued, “I…really owe a lot to you.  You saved me from a Guilty verdict…you helped me grow as a defense attorney…and you’ve provided so much help and moral support for me along the way.  I…”  He glanced at her for a short moment.  “I feel very blessed to have someone like you in my life.”  His eyes popped open as he realized how that last part could be easily misconstrued.  “Erm…  As a friend, I mean!  Ha ha!”  He took another glance at her and saw that sweet smile again.  (That was a close one…)

“Hmm…” she answered, sounding just as pleased as she looked.  “I appreciate that, Naruhodo-san.  Truly!”

His fingers tapped inside his coat pockets as he wondered what he should say next, or if he should say nothing at all.  He’d already told her all he had to say…or at least what he felt comfortable saying.  Should he leave it at that, or add a few more words of gratitude?  She surely deserved more than that much, didn’t she?  But what could he possibly add to that without venturing too close to the borderline of confessing his love?  And for that matter, was he even sure he was in love with her, or was this just a passing fancy?  Bringing up the subject without 100% certainty could lead to disaster…

He thought for a moment before finally deciding to leave well enough alone.  Besides, Susato had been completely silent for the last few seconds, so it was probably safe to assume that she wasn’t hoping for anything more.  If she was, then she surely would’ve—

“Was…that all you had to say, Naruhodo-san?” she asked curiously.

“Uh...!”  His body tensed up as he struggled to come up with an answer.  And just when he thought he was home free!  Now what was he going to say?

“Ah…  I…”

“…”

“…”

She looked away for a moment, closing her eyes.  What Ryunosuke saw next, he would never forget as long as he lived – as she opened her eyes and looked directly into his with a peaceful, inviting smile, she appeared to him like a sunrise in human form, dazzling him with its beauty, brightening the world around him, and filling him with the warmth of the morning sun.  Once again, her expression seemed to speak to him, saying, “I know you have more to say…but you may feel free to take your time saying it.”  (Could it be…?) he wondered.  (Does she know what my true feelings for her might be?  Does she…  Does she feel the same way?)

And then he heard another voice – it was his own this time, or rather, the voice of his instincts, speaking the same words he had heard many times in the past, especially in court.  Words that had never led him astray.  Words that had often given him just the push he needed to make it through to the victory he’d been striving for.  Words that, when he chose to listen to them, had made all the difference in his life: “This is it, Ryunosuke.  It’s time to move forward.”

His doubts melted away once more, giving way to numerous new feelings – excitement, anticipation, gratitude, disbelief, and overwhelming joy.  Could this really be happening?  Could a day that had been so dreary become one of the best days of his life?  Or perhaps the best?  Was this the day fate had chosen for him to discover his ultimate soulmate?  His “special someone”?  Before, he might have laughed at the thought of it, but could it really be possible?  Was it no longer just a fancy?  Was this woman…his destiny?

All he knew for certain was that his instincts had already spoken their peace, which could only mean one thing: There was no going back from here.  The only question now was, how should he take the first step in this unexpected journey ahead of him?  He took one more deep breath and thought carefully about what to say.

“…”

“…”

“…Do you…remember what I told you…the day you offered to go with me back to Japan…as my judicial assistant?”

“Yes,” she answered with enthusiasm.  “I remember those words quite well, in fact: ‘With you by my side…no trial would seem too daunting.  Together we can take on the world!’”

“Yes, that’s it!”  He knew there was a bit more to what he had said, but this was hardly the time to worry about details.  “I…  I’m…”  She gazed at him with the eyes of a child listening to a fascinating story.  “I’m starting to believe that…maybe…those words have taken on a new meaning since then.  Th-That is…  I…”

He looked down toward his hands, which no longer had one bit of coldness left in them.  “Um…  Do I have permission to take my hands out for just a moment?”  She looked toward his hands, then back up at him…and gave him a silent nod.

In one quick motion, he took out his hands and gently placed them around hers.  Lifting them up slowly, he looked directly into her eyes.  “I love you…Susato-san.  You’re the sweetest, kindest, most admirable young woman I have ever met.  You’re…truly very beautiful, inside and out!”  She gazed at him silently, still holding her gorgeous smile.  “Perhaps…if you’re interested, we can be by each other’s side in a different way?  Perhaps we could…take on more than just trials in the courtroom together?  I’d…  I’d be truly honoured…!”  He took a moment to admire the warm light that seemed to be shining directly on him from her lovely eyes.

Unsure of where to go next, he waited in silence for a moment before suddenly letting go, tucking his hands back into his coat, and turning himself forward.  “That was…all I had to say.”  He was overjoyed to have finally gotten these words off his chest, but now he wondered if he might have said the wrong thing, or picked the wrong time to say it…or how he could even be sure one way or the other.  But just then, he heard a sigh from Susato that seemed to blow these worries away, followed by a light giggle that slowly grew louder.  His muscles tensed up as she opened her mouth to speak.  (Here it comes…  The final verdict…)

“I…”

His heart skipped a beat.

“…would be truly honoured as well, in that case...”

(…Did…  Did she really…?)

“…Ryunosuke.”

(She…  She just called me “Ryunosuke”!)

He felt her hand on his lap.  “I’ve had the thought cross my mind occasionally, too…especially since that day.”  He slowly turned toward her, giving her his full attention.  “I…knew you were only speaking to me as a friend and colleague at the time…but there was still a part of me that wondered…if there was even a small chance that those words might be prophetic…  A sign of things to come...  If perhaps…there could more between us than a close friendship and a shared passion for justice.”  She giggled with a wide grin.  “I…always felt so silly when I let myself entertain those thoughts.  But now…”

She found the part of his coat containing his hand and gently grabbed onto it.  “…I see that my intuition was right…once again.”  Her warm smile returned as she looked deep into his eyes, making his smile grow like a rose unfolding in the sun.

“Was it…everything you were hoping for?” he asked.

“Hmm…  Yes, it was.”  They gazed at one another for a few seconds, although it seemed more to them like a few hours.  “Well…” she added, dropping her smile and touching a finger to her chin, “That is, until you lost your nerve and put your hands back in your pockets.  That part was a bit unexpected.”  They shared a nervous but hearty laugh.

He looked down for a moment, then back up at her.  “I’ll…try to do better in the future, then…”

She closed her eyes and sighed contently before looking him in the eyes once more, and finally, she spoke the words she’d only been communicating through her warm smile until now.  “I love you as well…Ryunosuke.”

He looked into her shining eyes and returned her smile again.  “It seems as if my intuition was right as well, then,” he whispered.  “I truly am blessed to have someone like you in my life…Susato.”  He gasped lightly as the shared warmth between them suddenly became a fire burning deep inside them.  At that moment he knew this would be a day he would never forget – the day when a moment of warmth sparked the beginning of a lifetime of pure joy.

(Hmm…  So this is love, is it?  A feeling this warm could bring us through even the coldest of London winters…)

Their special moment lasted for another minute or two until Susato quietly broke the silence.  “It’s getting rather late, Ryunosuke.  Shall we head back now?”

He nodded.  “Yes, let’s.”  They rose from the bench together, still holding their mutual gaze.  Ryunosuke began shivering a bit as the coldness caught his attention again.

“Ah--!” he shouted lightly, quickly straightening himself.  “I almost forgot to make it official, ha ha!”  He pulled his hands out once more and gently took her hands again.  Focusing intently on her eyes, he asked her tenderly, “May I have the honor of courting you, Susato?”

She gave a heartfelt smile and answered plainly, “Yes, you may.”

His heart and soul filled with warmth as he pictured the romantic endeavours awaiting him and his incredible new lover!  What adventures would they share as a couple, both in court and elsewhere?  Where would they travel together?  What engaging conversations would they have about their likes, dislikes, and interests?  What did the future hold for the two of them as they took on the world together?  Just the thought of it all lifted his spirits to heights he’d never known before.  All he knew for certain was that they had much to look forward to as their separate lives became one life shared between them.

His thoughts turned to the present as he began wondering what he should do next.  His plans for beginning a courtship with Susato had stopped short of anything beyond gaining her approval, unfortunately.  “So…um…” he muttered, looking away awkwardly.  “Do you suppose we should…do something to signify our courtship?”

“Hm…  What sort of something, Ryunosuke?”

“Um…  P-Perhaps…”

“…”

“…Perhaps a kiss?”

She jumped back a bit in surprise.  “Kiss?”

“Y-Yes!  Only a short one, of co--”

She pulled her hands away and placed them on her hips, giving him a dissatisfied glare.  “If you think for one moment that we are going to do that before we have had at least three outings…!”

“Ah, s-sorry!  I…guess I got a little ahead of myself there!”

She responded with a huff.  “Honestly, you men…”

(I must be sweating bullets right now…) he thought.  (I sure hope it doesn’t freeze.)

She softened her expression and spoke quietly, “You needn’t worried about that, Ryunosuke.”

“Huh?”

“Sweat doesn’t freeze in this sort of weather.  You’d have to travel somewhere much colder for that to happen.”

“…”

“…”

“Haah…  I did it again, didn’t I?”

She giggled loudly.  “I’m afraid so.”

He scratched the back of his head for a moment.  Looking at her apologetically, he asked, “…Perhaps a hug, then?”

She nodded and stepped closer to him, her smile becoming warm again.  “That I will gladly accept.”

As they fell slowly into a loose but heartfelt embrace, Ryunosuke began to feel as if, somehow, everything was right with the world.  But even it wasn’t, he felt more prepared than ever to face whatever challenges lie ahead for him.  No…not for him.  For them.  With this courtship, they had become one singular force for good in the world, whose strength, wits, and passion would make them practically unstoppable!

(Perhaps it’s only wishful thinking,) he thought, staring at the snowflake-filled sky above him, (But I’m beginning to think that perhaps…miracles do happen.)

5th December, 10:15

Sholmes’s Suite

The door creaked open as a half-frozen Ryunosuke shivered his way into the flat, holding tightly to a warm-faced Susato.  Looking at them, one might have thought they were drawings in a children’s book depicting the difference between cold and warm.

“Good heavens!” Iris shouted, jumping back and placing her gloved hands on her cheeks.  “Is Runo all right?  He looks like a walking iceberg!”

“He’s all right,” Susato answered calmly.  “He just needs a moment to warm up by the fireplace.”  She turned to him.  “And perhaps a few blankets as well.  Will that help?”

He nodded slowly, teeth chattering loudly.

“Well, I hope you’re happy now.” Iris grumbled as she crossed her arms.  “Your tea and cookies are stone cold, and I baked over three dozen cookies, so you won’t be getting any warm ones for quite some time!  Honestly…what were you thinking?”  She glared at the two of them as they hobbled their way to the fireplace.

“W-W-Well…” he began.  “I-I j-j-just n-need…needed a bo…a bobent t-to…”

Susato chimed in with a sad smile, “I���m afraid we’ll have to wait until he’s completely thawed out before he can answer properly.”

            “R-R…  *ACHOO*  Right…”  Susato pulled off his coat as he gently sat on the floor, inches from the glowing fireplace.

“Well, I hope he stays a bit closer to home the next time he wanders off,” Iris huffed.  She turned to Ryunosuke and added, “And I also hope you don’t expect me to be your nursemaid while you’re recuperating from your cold.  Hmph…”  She walked off with a pout, leaving them with their plates of cold tea and cookies.

Susato went to hang up their coats and fetch some blankets as Ryunosuke sat waiting for the fire to put an end to his shivering.  He heard her gentle footsteps as she approached him and draped several blankets over him.  Her presence next to him seemed to add to the warmth he felt from the blankets.  She sat down on the couch next to him before placing a hand on his shoulder and rubbing it tenderly.  He gave a quiet sigh in response.

“We seem to have left a bee in Iris-chan’s bonnet, hm hm!” she quietly remarked.  They chuckled softly.

He gazed at the small dancing flames in front of him, smiling as they warmed his face.  Turning to see the glowing face of his “special someone,” he admired the reflection of the fire in her eyes.  (It was worth it,) he thought to himself.

THE END

[quickdeaths]

GET TO KNOW YOUR ADMIN !!

name — Bryn

pronouns — She/Her.

preferred comms — Discord for sure! I'm on Discord basically all the time and I try to be pretty responsive to things. If you unlock the secret friendship tier, I will also bother you with memes/ship inspo/random conversation/etc. but even if you don't want that, it's got a big window and a search bar so it is infinitely better for plotting than anything else. That said, I do tumblr IMs too, if necessary.

name of muse — quickdeaths.tumblr.com/muses there's a lot of them take your pick

experience in RP — I started out 17-18 years ago on the forums for a D&D webcomic. Eventually I checked out of that scene, bounced around LiveJournal, had a cup of coffee in Gaia Online, and then came to Tumblr around 2012ish. Was pretty off-and-on here until 2015, and I've been part of the furniture here ever since. I've done a few things on Discord and through Google Docs since, but I think for better or worse, I'm just Here Now.

best experiences — Meeting my girlfriend will always be #1! We met here on tumblr and even though she doesn't RP as much anymore, I'm always going to be thankful for the things we wrote, and how RPing together helped us become friends, and then girlfriends. After that, all the things I've done with people that were long-term and plotted, with mutual investment. I've been doing this long enough now that even people who've left or who I fell out with, I still have a lot of fondness for those stories, as well as the long-term stories I'm doing now.

pet peeves / dealbreakers — The number one ultimate pet peeve for me is people dropping threads without personally notifying their partners. Not everyone lurks on dash, and it's easy to miss posts, and when people say things like 'gonna drop some of my drafts,' it's easy to feel like you've been put in a limbo state. Hiatuses are one thing but dropped threads like that just drive me crazy. Super long wait times on replies (I'm talking like, consistently 2-3 months or more) are rough for me too. Lack of communication as well, especially when it comes to choosing a muse(s) to write with.

muse preference ( fluff, angst, smut ) — Angst > fluff > smut for me. I'm an angsty bitch and I love the drama. I like drilling down into character flaws and weaknesses and forcing them to Go Through It and confront things they don't super want to confront, so I'll probably never get tired of writing angsty stuff. I like fluffy stuff too, but a bit more sparingly just because sometimes I think it can get a little circular. Smut... to be honest, I'm not against writing it if a plot calls for it and it makes sense for characters but I've had a handful of rough experiences in the past with people, and it's an area where I'm not very confident as a writer. You will never see a spicy sideblog from me though, I will simply put it on dash like a shameless heathen.

plot or memes — plots plots plots. Honestly, I would never do memes at all if it weren't The Culture here on tumblr. I never know who to send for, or from, when it comes to multimuses, I worry that the ideas aren't interesting and can't sustain long replies, and they don't usually inspire me. Plotting is great because you can figure out a dynamic, whether there's any preexisting knowledge, maybe a general direction you want things to go, etc. Almost everything I've loved doing has come from plots, but I'll still be offering both forever.

long or short replies — have you seen my blog i should be locked up and the key thrown away. I have lost the ability to write a reply under 5 paragraphs and with Certain People Who Know Who They Are I get up to like 8, 10, 12, occasionally some deeply unhinged 33 paragraph drabbles. I don't even have a good excuse really, it's just what feels comfortable for me to write. It lets me do all the inner world stuff that I use to round out my characters in a scene and contextualize them, while still (hopefully) having enough action and dialogue to respond to.

best time to write — It depends. Late afternoon/early evening is probably best, but later evening is fine too. Sometimes I will start a Particularly Ambitious Reply late late late and get too tired to finish it, and then finish it when I get up in the morning, and that seems to work for me too.

are you like your muse — Not really, I don't think? Although I guess that's for other people to judge. I try to give all my muses traits that I can relate to on some level, or at least one thing that feels connective between us, but I honestly think I'm too boring to be a very good RP character. I think Rio is probably the character I'm most similar to, but even then, I think it's more superficial similarities like hobbies than much else.

Tagged by: @more-than-a-princess Tagging: i will fill this in later, if you are seeing this post then i forgot to fill it in and that means it is a runabout, you can steal it, no one will ever know

[little-miss-losing-her-mind]

Rules

1. Here, we follow the golden rule. Treat other’s as you would like to be treated. No malicious intent, no spewing hate, no treating others poorly. If you decide to be mean to me, or the kind folks on my blog, you will be gone before you can type another word. I do not tolerate rudeness or childish, bad behavior on my blog. I have no problem blocking any of you. I’m doing what makes me happy, so it’s not your place to interject and be an asshole. Thank you <3

2. No minors. There will be adult content on my blog, including but not limited to smut, drug use, smoking, various dark themes, etc. I do not want minors interacting with this content. Please respect that! If I find any minors lurking around, I will be blocking you, please understand.

3. This blog will be multi-ship and multi-verse. I’m always down to discuss a ship and give it a go. Very little is off the table. I also don’t keep Chrissy in one specific verse, I’m open to any time and any point in plot (for the most part).

4. This blog is OC and Crossover friendly! My only caveat is I need well-developed OCs/no Mary Sues or Gary Stus please (if you don’t know what I mean by that, look it up <3)

5. I am semi-selective, so I will explain to you what I mean by that. I don’t do asterix’s or one-liners in roleplay. This is different than chatting in character. You don’t have to talk in long, elegant paragraphs when simply interacting with Chrissy, but in a roleplay, I need a little bit of something to go off of. Like a para or a few or just like some general content works! And you can make it as long as you like, but please know that the longer the reply, the longer it is likely for me to take.

6. My only triggers are very graphic depictions of gore and vivid descriptions of medical stuff. Brief mentions and vague descriptions are ok, just nothing graphic, please!

7. I do not mind multiples of the same character a single bit! My heart does not belong to one blog alone, and I can, will, and would love to write with multiple versions of the same character!

8. Please know that I am a full time student and I also work part-time as well as have a life. If I’m not replying quickly enough, have a little patience! After a few days, feel free to gently ask if I’ve gotten the reply but please be kind. I’m trying!!

9. I'm always down to talk in dms ooc as well. Message me, don't be afraid! I promise I don't bite and I love making new friends!!

This list may be updated at any time, but that’s all for now!

[missfiggy]

writer ask (if so inclined) number 19 and 24! hope you are starting to feel better!

Oooh, thank you, luvvie! It's really lovely to be back.

And thanks for the ask, you're making my Covid-filled days pass much more quickly.

19. Tell me a story about your writing journey. When did you start? Why did you start? Were there bumps along the way? Where are you now and where are you going?

Well I wrote A LOT as a kid. Storytelling was one of my main past-times, and I received an awards for children's fiction from a local bookstore when I was about 8 that I'm still really proud about. In 5th grade, some kids were making fun of me for being such a nerd and ripped up one of my manuscripts. I put away writing fiction after that to try and fit in.

I really didn't come back to it until my late teens, when I was processing a lot of trauma and some neuro-spicy diagnoses. I think like a lot of other people being able to run back to and hide in HP in some was saved my life. That's when I found @bcdaily and her genius take on Jily. Her works are still a safe place for me when the world feels like its out of control. I'm so grateful to her for the amazing fiction she's put out in the world. I absolutely know when things get too dark, I'm going to reread the 'Think of Me' chapter of Comm and feel okay again.

I wrote Jily on my own but never published. Then when the pandemic hit, welp, things once again were dark and I ran back to Jily, my beloved. I stan @clarewithnoi so hard and after reading her fics and lurking on her blog for ages, she encouraged me to start posting my own stuff. And now here we are.

24. How much prep work do you put into your stories? What does that look like for you? Do you enjoy this part or do you just want to get on with it?

This is where I get a little crazy. I do a MASSIVE amount of prep. I have character profiles on like 50 characters in the Deerstalking universe, I know their family trees, I have ASW and two sequels plotted and hope to add 2 more to that. I have school calendars, mood boards, found actually real estate to provide analogues for where the characters would live, character playlists, etc. It's a bit much. I also have every day of the 1975-1976 school year written out with a lunar chart where I write down plot events to make sure I'm not making any major timeline slips. 😂😂

The benefit of this is that when I disappear for a bit, it's really easy to slip back into the world and pick up where I left off.

[chijidragon]

Hey, You. You're Finally Awake.

Hello there! Welcome to my personal hellscape, don't know how you found your way in. I thought the forcefield was holding up quite well... But nevermind that! You're here now and that's what matters!

Call me Chi. This is my main blog, it's a bit of a hodgepodge of everything that catches my fanciful. I kinda reblog whatever fandoms are in my sphere at any given moment, pretty things, and the occasional useful education material. Once every leap year I might even post some art or stories. If anything strikes your fancy from fandoms, to pretty things, to my simply dazzling personality, my inbox is open. I tend to mostly lurk otherwise.

As far as fandom spheres go... I'm presently (technically) active in the Final Fantasy XIV, Undertale, and Starbound spheres. In so far as they're always lurking on my mind and I frequently consume / write Fanfiction, headcanon, or play them. These three are not likely to change anytime soon. XIV has been going strong for 8 years, Undertale recently I believe hit it's 4th year anniversary. And Starbound is the baby of the group with a little less than a year under its belt, though it's a repeat on/off for the last few years.

While those might be my main spheres, I do engage in and generally enjoy quite a few more. Some of which include, but are hardly limited to : Cult of the Lamb, Rune Factory, Fatal Frame, several SMT spin off series, Warcraft 3, Starcraft 2, Until Dawn, The Quarry, Nier, Minecraft, Slay the Princess, Fullmetal Alchemist, Ouran High School Host Club, Blue Eyed Samurai, Criminal Minds, and so much more! I occasionally watch anime, but generally prefer to instead split my time between games and writing.

With all that having been said, should you choose to stay I hope you enjoy your time here. Take a load off and relax. I've got some fresh tea at the ready and there's a seat for everyone at the table.

[bleachanimefan1]

Hallowed Fangs Part 8

The Swamp,

The group began to return back to the camp, meeting up with the others and started to unpack to rest for the night. As Vex was spreading out her bedroll, she heard footsteps approaching her from behind. She turned around to see Astarion. "There you are, I was just thinking about you. And that delicious moment we shared the other night."

"When you bit me?" Vex pointed out, standing up. Astarion nodded, smiling a little.

"The very same. I've had this condition for two centuries, but truth be told? You were my first." Vex's eyes widened at what he said. "You mean you've never bitten a person before?"

"In all these years, I've only fed on beasts. Drinking the blood of thinking creatures is a different thing entirely. You were delectable. And now I just can't help but wonder how the others taste." Astarion smirked a little.

"They might not be as open to the idea as I was." Vex told him.

"Alas. It doesn't hurt to ponder the question though. Take Gale, for example. He strikes me as someone whose blood is rich, refined like a well-aged brandy. But the gith? What in the hells would she taste like?" Astarion questioned, wondering.

"Something exotic, surely? And Amnan liqueur?" Vex smirked, laughing a little, playing along with him.

"Ohh, that sounds very appealing. I'm almost convinced." Astarion said.

"This is still all theoretical, right?" Vex asked. 

"Absolutely. A mere thought experiment. So-in the spirit of theoretical questions-if you had to take a bite from one of them, who would it be?" Astarion asked her. 

"You, of course." Vex immediately told him. Astarion smiled and acted dramatically in surprise.

"Oh, I'm flattered. Who knew you had such taste?" He smirked. "Unfortunately, all this talk is getting me hungry. I'd better find something I can actually sink my teeth into."

"Happy hunting." Vex told him.

"There's nothing that tasty lurking in the woods but I will make do. Sweet dreams." He told her before walking off in to the woods to hunt.

"I think we took a wrong turn somewhere." Vex told everyone. 

"How can we take a wrong turn? You're the one with the map!" Lae'zel shouted. They had drifted a little too far from the village and now ended up into some uncharted lands in the wilderness.

"Well, if you're so great at survival skills then you have a look!" Vex retorted. Lae'zel snatched the map out of Vex's hands, glancing over it, muttering to herself. "Well?" Vex asked her. "See anything familiar?"

"No. Nothing's familiar to me." She murmured. 

""We'll get back on track. There's got to be some kind of path or sign or something to tell us where we are-" Vex spoke before she stopped hearing noises up ahead. "I hear shouting up ahead."

Everyone quietly sneaked over to see what it was and saw two men, arguing with Ethel, the elder woman from the Grove.

"Lads for the love of all that is holy, I've never clapped eyes on your poor sister." She spoke.

"Drop the act, hag. You was the last to see Mayrina." Johl glared at her.

"Just let her go. Please." Demir pleaded. Vex walked a little closer and Ethel peered over the mens shoulders. The two men now noticed the party as well, keeping them back.

"Thank goodness you're here, sweetie. I-I don't know what's come over these boys." Ethel said, asking Vex for help. Vex could see something in the woman's eyes. She lying. She was hiding something. Something that she didn't want these men to know.

"Stop this! We...we won't ask again." Demir hissed.

"Lower your weapons, I know this lady." Vex told them.

"Sweetie, be careful!" Ethel cried out.

"She's with the hag!" Demir shouted.

"Don't just stand their gaping, get her!" Johl shouted. The two men pulled out their pitchforks and lunged at Vex.

"What the hell!?" Vex exclaimed.

Vex quickly dodged out of the way from their swings and quickly pulled out her sword. Astarion, Lae'zel and Shadowheart pulled out their weapons as well rushing over to Vex to help. Astarion aimed his crossbow at Demir, killing him in one shot. Johl cried out for his fallen brother and charged at Astarion. Vex swung her sword, blocking the pitchfork. Lae'zel quickly darted to the side and charged at Johl swing her sword at him. Johl dodged out of the way and Shadowheart quickly fired a firebolt at the man, incinerating him. His charred body fell to the ground with a thud. Vex turned back to Ethel to see her covering her mouth in horror.

"Oh my stars. I-I didn't mean for this to happen." She spoke.

"What happened? It sounded like a heated argument." Vex asked her, walking over. The others followed behind her wondering as well.

"They're looking for their little sister, Mayrina. She's...staying with me for a bit." Ethel explained. "I promised that I wouldn't breathe a word of her whereabouts. Come look for me at my cabin." She snapped her fingers and vanished into a cloud of green smoke, disappearing.

"It's been a while, but do all ladies act like this?" Astarion asked.

"Only when they're hiding something." Vex spoke.

The party continued following the path until they came upon a small lake. There was a brown basket lying on the ground with a note. Vex walked over to it and picked up, reading the note. "Have one on me. Love, Aunt Ethel." Vex opened the lid to see a couple of juicy red apples inside. She picked one up, examining it.

"Does anyone get the feeling like we're being watched?" Lae'zel asked.

"Nothing seems out of the ordinary." Astarion replied. Vex took a small bite out of the apple. Her eyes widen when she tasted something foul and a metallic. She quickly spat it out. 

"What's wrong?" Shadowheart questioned.

"Don't eat the apples. They've been poisoned." Vex said. Shadowheart's eyes widen in shock.

"And you just took a bite out of one!"

"I'm fine. I've been trained to be able to withstand certain types of poison." Vex assured her. Suddenly, everyone saw a glimmer and right before their eyes the lake transformed, the wilderness turned into a smelly swamp. Vex saw several creatures walking up ahead. She hopped over the small broken bridge, avoiding the water. She was not sticking her feet in that diry water. Everyone followed her, hopping over the bridge. As they got closer, Vex saw a diminutive creature sporting a red hat glares then hissed at her. Vex recognizes the redcap-a fey creature known for it's bloodlust.

"Argh. Baaaaaa." The creature is pretending to be a sheep? She decided to play along, so the creature wouldn't be suspicious.

"Baaaa." Vex bleated back at the creature, causing Shadowheart and Astarion to snicker. There were several more redcaps prowling around the swamp. Making to the other side of the swamp, Vex saw a small cliff and climbed up it to see a hunter, sitting near a small campfire.

"Ah, stranger. Forgive the aroma." the man said.

Vex and the others nearly gagged as the foul smell hit their nostrils. There was a smell of something foul-metallic and sickly sweet in the air.

"Powdered iron vine. An old hunter's trick. Most monsters will think twice before making a meal out of me." the man said.

"You're a monster hunter? I'm surprised-I thought all Gur were vagrant cut-throats." Astarion smirked, narrowing his eyes at the hunter.

"Pardon me, but who or what is a Gur?" Vex asked.

"A mystical and dangerous people, we travel the land, never settling in one place. We steal your chickens, curse your crops, seduce your daughters-your friend here has heard it all, I'm sure. I wish I had half the power settled folk think my people possess. Alas, I am a simple wanderer. A simple wanderer and monster hunter. But I am no witch doctor or cut-throat." The Gur hunter explained.

"So what monster are you hunting?" Vex asked him.

"Something terrifying, no doubt. Dragon? Cyclops? Kobald?" Astarion questioned as well.

"Nothing so dramatic. I'm hunting for a vampire spawn. His name is Astarion, but I fear he's gone to ground. I hope the hag of these lands can help me flush him out, if I can afford her blood price." Vex saw Astarion's eyes went a little wide a little, his body tensing up, his back going stiff as a board.

"And when you find this 'Astarion', you'll kill him?" Vex asked the Gur.

"Not this time. My orders are to capture him."

"Oh, and bring him where exactly?" Astarion asked.

"Baldur's Gate. My people wait for me there." The Gur spoke.

"Only a spawn? Pity. Not like it's a real vampire." Vex smirked. Astarion shot her a glance as if telling her to shut up.

"I don't know. I'm sure a vampire spawn could still rip your throat out if he felt like it." Astarion retorted, smirking.

"Or maybe they'll coming stalking and bite you in the middle of the night." Vex prodded.

"You will not let that go will you! I said I was sorry!" Astarion shouted at her.

"Is everything alright?" The hunter asked them. Vex smiled. "Yes, everything's fine." The Gur stared at the two, suspiciously.

"He's right, unfortunately. They are only weak when compared to their masters. During the day we have the advantage. But at night, when they hunt? You will not find a more deadly quarry." He spoke.

"Yes, I'm sure they can creep right on you." Vex smirked.

"We've all survived so far. Let's focus on that." Astarion replied.

"It would be wise to post guards at nights. The threat is real." the Gur suggested. 

"Indeed, it is. We should do something about this threat. May I?" Astarion turned to Vex, smirking.

"Be my guest." Vex nodded. Astarion's grin went wider and snapped his head back towards the Gur. Astarion pulled out his knife then slowly began to stalk towards him. The hunter's eyes went wide with shock and started to back away.

"It-It can't be! You're the vampire!" He exclaimed. The Gur quickly grabbed his crossbow, firing it at Astarion. A net flew out, ensaring Astarion inside of it. As he struggled to break out of it, Astarion saw Vex and the others standing in front of him, fighting off the Gur. Lae'zel charged at the Gur slashing at him with her sword. Shadowfired a firebolt, but the hunter jumped out of the way. The hunter fired a few arrows, aiming for Astarion. Vex got in the way, knocking some of the arrows back. Lae'zel swung her sword again, hitting the Gur in one blow, finishing him off. Astarion growled as he tried to break out of his bindings but they were wrapped around him tightly. Shadowheart walked over to Vex.

"To speak truthfully, I'm a little surprised you chose to shield Astarion." 

"Let's just hope it doesn't come to bite me later." Vex told her. "Why don't you guys go on ahead and we'll catch up." Shadowheart nodded and her and Lae'zel walked on ahead, leaving Vex and Astarion alone. Vex walked over to Astarion, who was still trying to get out of his ropes. "Need a hand?"

"It would be nice, if you don't mind." Astarion spoke and Vex bent down and cut off the ropes. Astarion stood up.

"Why was that monster hunter after you?" Vex asked him.

"Not anymore. Which is all that matters, really." Astarion quickly answered.

"But why was he after you? What did you do?" Vex questioned him again. 

"I didn't do anything! I was kidnapped-just like you. It seems Cazador wants me back." Astarion explained.

"Who is he?" Vex asked.

"Cazador Szarr is a vampire lord in Baldur's Gate. The patriarch of his coven and a monster obsessed with power. He turned me nearly two hundred years ago. I became his spawn and he became my tormentor." Astarion spoke.

"Are you sure Cazador's behind this?" Vex wondered. Astarion nodded.

"It was him, I'm sure. Only he would know to send the Gur after me. It was a group of Gur that attacked me that night in Baldur's Gate. I would've died had Cazador not appeared and saved me."

"He appeared when you needed him? Sounds convenient." Vex spoke.

"Maybe. Maybe he was just drawn to the smell of blood. The point is I have history with those barbarians. Cazador's sending a message. He's reminding me of his power. Even in the middle of nowhere, he can reach me. And he wants me back." Astarion said.

"Don't worry-you're safe with me. As long as I'm around, he can't get you." she told him. Astarion's eyes widen a little before making a small laugh.

"Safe?" He spatted out. "You think I'm safe? Do you know the power a vampire lord possesses? He can change shape, turn into mist; call wolves to do his bidding; shrug off blows like they're nothing. He could walk into our camp tonight and you with his bare hands. And you'd be lucky if death was the worst thing that happened to you."

"You have a point. What do you suggest?" Vex asked. Astarion paused for a second in surprise. 

"First, we have to-uh..." he drifted off, thinking. This was the first time he was able to do anything freely for himself. "I don't know. If we kill his lackeys, he'll just send more. We just have to be vigilant. Keep our wits about us. And kill any monsters on sight."

"Okay. We'll be careful." Vex replied. Then she noticed a strange look in Astarion's eyes. Was it hunger or lust? She couldn't really tell. "Is there something else on your mind? I can tell you want to say something. Do you need to feed again?"

"Not at the moment, darling, I was just thinking about you. Remembering our time together, the things we've shared-and I don't just mean that lovely neck of yours. I'm growing to like the whole package, honestly. And you clearly like me too, so..." Vex's eyes widen a little.

"So?..." She played along to see what he would say.

"Don't act coy now. I could feel it as I was getting lost in your neck. Your little shakes of excitement. You enjoyed it, didn't you?"

"Yes, I did. Are you suggesting something?" Vex smiled, crossing her arms.

"A quiet evening for once. Perfect for two people who'd like to take some time to themselves, if you catch my meaning. And I do mean sex, to be clear. We've been waiting long enough." Astarion said. Vex thought for a moment. He right though. Everything has been stressful recently these past few days.

"All right, but where will we go?" Vex asked.

"Let's find our own little piece of nowhere. Somewhere we can lose ourselves and forget all this madness. There's a secluded place nearby that should do nicely. Wait until the others are asleep, then come and find me there."

"I'll see you there." Vex smiled. Astarion smirked.

"Indeed, you will, my love. I can't wait." Just before the two of them left, Vex stopped.

"Oh! Before we leave, I got you a present!" she smiled. Astarion stared at her, wondering what it was.

"What is it?" He asked her. Astarion's eye widen a little in surprise when Vex gave him the Gur's enchanted crossbow that she had looted off of the hunter. She was trusting him with a weapon like this?

"It's a lot stronger than your crossbow. And we're going to need every advantage we can get. Do you think you can put it to good use?" Vex told him.

"Thanks, darling. I'll treasure it." Astarion smiled.

[tarabyte3]

That is so valid of you. ❤️ Because dear fucking god 🥵

(This got way too long for a comment response, so I decided to do a whole post response to share my own Andy journey for everyone.)

I've always had a *bit* of a crush on him after watching the interviews and "making of" in the special features of the Extended Editions of the LotR because he was so funny and physical. In that "Oh, Andy Serkis is such a great actor! Very talented. Seems like a cool dude" way. (Yes. I am a fucking idiot.)

So any time I saw he was in a movie afterwards, I would go, "Oh, Andy Serkis is in/worked on this?? Definitely watching that. Also watching that interview I see on twitter/Facebook/YouTube for sure. Just because he's so brilliant and I like hearing him talk about movies. Yeah..." Which is why I saw King Kong, Adventures of Tintin, and Rise of the Planet of the Apes in theaters 😅 Or why I immediately watched The Ritual on Netflix because he was an executive producer (incredible movie btw), and why I was so hopeful for Snoke as a big bad in Star Wars (��). Or why I've seen some of his random other movies before. (Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll hit the non-performance capture Andy itch and my love of biopics about messy, disaster musicians lol)

But I am also a grey asexual/Demi romantic, so I don't always realize what "oh, I think that person is interesting" means. Little physical crushes, sure. But the BIG crushes where it's not just physical attraction, but an admiration/affection for a person? Then I am a dumbass. Gillian Anderson was the same way for me, and she is my other big celebrity love. Adored her since the late 90s, didn't realize why until like 2016 ("I just love Scully, she was a big influence on me growing up" 🙄🙄 I had like a dozen Gillian posters, y'all 🤦🏻‍♀️). With my own husband I didn't catch on as to why I looked forward to talking to him more than I did my other friends.

It also meant I didn't even realize I was bisexual until I was like 30! Aka I should ask myself more often: "hey dumbass, why's that do you think?" Because being on the ace spectrum can be really frustrating and confusing. 😭

I remember being intrigued by Andy during Age of Ultron and Black Panther like "oh 👀" but I didn't think much of it. (Again, my brain and libido need to warm up like an old CRT monitor or I need to be slapped in the face with it like hitting a TV to get an antenna signal to clear up.) I also didn't see The Batman right away, but only because I've been burned out on superhero movies. (I'm a few years behind on Marvel content except Hawkeye, who is my favorite comic book superhero so I made an exception for the semi adaptation of Matt Fraction's Clint and Kate).

It wasn't until Kino pushed Melshi against the wall in episode 8 of Andor that I had the glass shattering moment of "AW FUCK. WAIT I THINK HE'S HOT? I HAVE HAD A CRUSH ON ANDY SERKIS FOR HOW LONG?! HOW DID I NOT KNOW THIS."

...this probably explains a lot about "I Want You to Show Me Weak" for some of you, actually lmfao.

But once that veil was lifted from my eyes, I had like, 20 years of screaming to do. I screamed a lot at my IRL friends, my online friends, and my poor husband. Then I wrote fanfiction. And when that wasn't enough, I dragged my ass here to step out from lurking after hiding in the Tumblr shadows for over a decade to scream into the void.

So here we are! Now I have some awesome new friends and mutuals I can scream with and I appreciate the hell out of you all. ❤️ I'm late to the party because I can't read directions, but by god, I got here eventually.

So anyway, here's Wonderwall some gifs. 😉

This was the one that did me in (not quite the first time I watched it, but the seeds were definitely planted). I've always loved Andy because of his involvement and with "The Lord of the Rings" films (as I love everyone involved with them), so there was already a great deal of affection built in.

Then two years ago I decided to do a rewatch of the entire Marvel catalogue (since we were in yet another COVID lockdown) and when I got to "Black Panther" this time I instantly went "Oh. OH FUCK." Even just his fucking swagger kills me. And since then we've gotten Alfred, and then Kino?? My god, man can a girl have a break??? 🥵 (Spoiler: I don't actually want one)

[nxs-aliens]

new simblr?(!)

if anyone is reading this, hi! i've been playing sims since i was 8 and i've lurked a little bit on simblr but i've barely ever posted anything. i've been wanting to share more sims stuff for a while, so here we go now!

i'm v, i'm 22 and pronouns are they / he

mostly sims 4 posts, also love sims 2 and 3 so i might also post those later on?

i'll be posting challenge / legacy gameplay as well as some cas and builds, currently playing a not so berry save

maxis mix / match

disclaimer: i have no idea what i'm doing here

[oneslimybastard]

The Nunpire AU Masterpost

Aka, that one AU I fucked with a little bit that got me some attention on twitter, where Piers pokémon was a nun... but also a vampire! Yay!

From 2020 baby. I'm just really tickled by the idea of this Very Obvious Impostor with no one really questioning why they're there. Oh, the one walking around in a sexy Halloween costume? That's just Sister Piers, he never comes out during the day, he probably just gets sunburnt because he's so pale so we don't worry about it. Yeah no he's a guy, why? He's gay and devoted to our lord, amen, so the sisterhood sees no issue with having him be part of it.

I also made it part of the lore that his particular method of hunting was to play a ditzy innocent nun who'd gotten lost, then he'd get down on his knees and just suck 'em dry like a packet of coolaid ripe for M I L K I N G.

For the lord of course, amen, ave maria.

The increasing amount of corpses with Suspect Bitemarks on their wieners was what initially sent off alarm bells in town that there might be a vampire lurking around, so the ~Demon Hunting Agency~ just sent out ya boi Raihan out to deal with it, because I was way into kbnz at the time so Why Not Shippify It (still am for the record, the fixation has just died down)

Raihan was a weredragon you see, because why keep things simple when you can follow your heart? I never drew him more than once in his dragon form though which is kind of a disgrace because I still kinda fuck with it. It's very Todd Lockwood but in these gaudy colors of bright orange and dark blue, it's a fun color scheme, and I like the proportions I came up with for it. Also I got some compliments on his Hat, which agreed, the Hat is pretty Neat.

I didn't really consider the world building that intensely beyond what would make my ape brain go Unga Bunga, so he kiiinda had sealing magic or something but could also puke? Fire? He could do what he needed to for Piers' silly little vampire ass to end up in Magic Holy Bondage, that was the point, that was the ends to the means.

Similarly, I made it a Thing that if dragons like Raihan started to munch on demon hearts they'd get more powerful — but also addicted. Because if you can't tell already, I have a little thing for blood and violence and liked the idea of this dragon man trying really hard to not eat his way into Piers' ribcage to just gobble that heart up.

Piers for the record was kind of into it, and they made a deal that when it was time for Piers to just peace out for good, Raihan would get to eat his heart: because vampires are demons, their souls are tied to hell, but if you get eaten by a dragon your soul will get entrapped within them instead, which was a bit more appealing than eternal punishment for the crime of just kinda being born.

The last related thing I drew for the Au (as far as I can remember at least lmao, might be some other doodles scrambling about that I've forgotten about) was mainly inspired by VtM brainworms, where I just played with the idea of Piers having access to Blood Sorcery, because that term is fucking metal.

I did doodle some more stuff but for other ships in the same universe (mainly huntershipping) but only like. Three things. And I never really posted them anywhere nor do I intend to do so ,':)

Cus my fixation just kinda fizzled out like it usually does so I stopped drawing for it, and now I'm just kinda sitting here on a phat pile of Lore my brain spawned in because I can't help myself. Things got real cursed real fast once my Ghetsis-enjoying burst out into full bloom and I began to ponder what he'd be up to in there 8) spoiler alert: no fun very bad time for Natural Harmonia Gropius, 0/10 do not recommend.

But that's the Nunpireverse! I still like it, and might flesh it out with more art one day, right now it's mostly just a testament to what my brain looks like on self-indulgence run amok. Cross-dressing nun-vampires with dragon-shifter men and also blood kink shenanigans out the ass.

Cultured and refined tastes, you see.