#➤ t h r e a d ┊ ❛ is that the wind or some furious vexation? ❜

[o-sachi]

─── Sachi's Selfship Event ✦

Heya, here's my event for my 500 followers milestone. It's been fun writing my silly thoughts and sharing it on this blog. Thanks for all the support y'all have given me. But, as I've mentioned in my last post, I'll start writing on a different blog.

eermmm... update?

✦ The Event ───

Basically, you tell me about your selfship and I give you a set of headcanons based on the SFW alphabet (see content under the cut for the alphabet). For moots and followers that I recognize, I’ll do 10 letters. For everyone else, 8 letters. And for anons, 6 letters.

For fandoms, please keep it within Blue Lock, Wind Breaker, Mashle, and Kaiju no. 8!

✦ Instructions ───

Send me an ask containing the following: your chosen character, your chosen letters, your likes & dislikes, love languages (receiving and giving), hobbies, interests, basic description of your appearance, picrews, random facts, some of your own lore about your selfship, etc. —literally everything that can help me write a more accurate set of headcanons

* Since some people might not be comfortable sharing their info, I’ll keep the asks in my inbox and tag you on your post instead. But if you’re on anon, I have no choice but to answer the ask.

✦ Rules ───

1. Do not rush me with your request. If you’ve sent me an ask, I’ve definitely read it.

2. Only one selfship per person!

3. Do not include any nsfw information in the ask that you will send me.

Note: Depending on the amount of asks I get, I might not be able to fulfill all of them. Of course, moots and followers take priority!

Fulfilled Letters !

✉️: Letter for Lumi ✉️: Letter for Candy ✉️: Letter for Amy ✉️: Letter for Rye

✉️: Letter for Maru ✉️: Letter for Chiya ✉️: Letter for Miro✉️: Letter for Jei

✉️: Letter for Mari ✉️: Letter for Luvlyycy

Check under the cut for the letters you can choose from ~

These are just general descriptions for each letter, but based on the info you'll give me, I can delve into it deeper and provide stuff beyond what is written here.

A - Affection How do they show their affection for you? Do they get bouts of cuteness aggression?

B - Best Quality What they think is/are your best quality/ies and why

C - Comfort How do they comfort you when you're sad and down?

D - Dates What kind of dates do you two like to go on? How frequent?

E - Early Relationship How did you two get together? What was it like when you were just first starting out?

F - Fights What do you usually fight over? Do you quarrel often? How do things get resolved? Who says sorry first?

G - Gifts Their favorite gift that they got from you or a gift they've given to you. Do they like receiving gifts? If so, what kinds?

H - Hugs Are they a hugger? What kinds of hugs do they prefer? What about cuddling?

I - Intimacy What makes you feel connected at a deeper level? What kind of romance do you have?

J - Jealousy How jealous are they? How do they deal with it?

K - Kisses How do they kiss you? Do they like kissing?

L - Laughter What are your inside jokes? What do you usually laugh about together? Who's funnier?

M - Memories What is your most cherished memory together?

N - Nicknames Do they like nicknames? If so, what do they like to be called or what do they call you?

O - Other People What do other people think about your relationship? (Family, friends, co-workers, etc.)

P - Patience How patient are they? Who's the more patient one between the two of you? What happens if they lose their patience?

Q - Quirks What are some quirks you adopted from each other? Or what are the quirks that only come out when you're together?

R - Rituals What are some things in your routines that you like to do together? Is it common or unusual? How frequent is it? Is it a daily, weekly, or annual thing?

S - Support How do they show their support for your hobbies and interests? How involved are they?

T - Time Apart How do you spend your time apart? Who caves first? Who handles it better?

U - Uniqueness What sets you apart from other couples?

V - Values What are your shared values?

W - Wildcard Random headcanon about your relationship

X - XOXO What are the little things that they do for you? Do you notice them or maybe they go unnoticed?

Y - Yin & Yang How do you complement each other? How do you make them a better person? Or how do you make them happier? Are you two opposites or are you more similar to each other?

Z - Zrandom (sorry ran out of ideas, forgive me) Pick a theme or any topic and I'll make a headcanon for it :)

Again, for moots and followers that I recognize, I’ll do 10 letters. For everyone else, 8 letters. And for anons, 6 letters.

[adateur]

THE SMILE IS ACTUALLY returned for once despite the fact the topic is slowly rolling around to the whole fucked up incident that happened with the narwhals. before dimitri can even comment, the announcer mentions that unlike with the narwhals, the iguanas will be saved, which really does explain why the so-called monthly updates and newsletters stopped coming to his apartment. "huh," his face falls flat and he cocks his head to one side. "you know, i almost didn't come to this shit because i didn't feel like sinking eddies into a lost cause, but at least now I have an answer about narnar. little guy probably never even saw the sea.." something about that actually hurts moreau and he has to take a deep breath, turning his attention back to the woman who first introduced him to the damn events in the first place. a common hobby shared, something in common that dimitri doesn't want to fuck up tonight. "anyway, how have you been?"

Alongside the well-dressed crowd, the director offers a perfunctory series of soft claps. Despite a calm demeanor ( and tiredness lining her eyes ), the speaker’s words easily engage her somehow still hopeful heartstrings. At least Night City is trying to do its bid for the environment, but how she dislikes thinking these events have become somewhat of an unsubstantiated chore — and that Agent Moreau might actually be correct in his opinions for once. Eyes corner at her former security guard, who hasn’t changed one bit — still brashly offering his opinion despite himself. 

“I suppose you could make a phone call to the charity and ask.” The answer is offered with a pleasant enough smile and a small lift of one shoulder. “Or surely, the newsletters must mention something about Narnar.” Messages likely filtered out of her inbox by her assistant. “But good on your memory. The story must have gotten to you.”

[starsetven]

Avery’s nsfw alphabet below 🔞18+ only.🔞

A = Aftercare (what they’re like after sex)

Avery gets snuggly and affectionate afterwards. He’ll offer you a warm damp towel if you need it, otherwise they’ll opt to cuddle. He’ll leave lots of soft kisses to your forehead

B = Body part (their favorite body part)

Your stomach and your thighs.

C = Cum (anything to do with cum, basically)

Their cum is sticky and salty. He shoots Small loads, usually blanks

D = Dirty secret (pretty self explanatory, a dirty secret of theirs)

They fantasize about you a lot- especially while baking. He really wants to incorporate whipped cream into foreplay >- >;;

He owns a lot of fantasy toys :)

E = Experience (how experienced are they? do they know what they’re doing?)

Somewhat experienced! They’ve had a couple partners in the past, so they know their way around the body :)

F = Favorite position (this goes without saying)

the lotus blossom

G = Goofy (are they more serious in the moment? are they humorous? etc.)

Avery is more on the serious side for intimate activities, but he isn’t against being a lil silly

H = Hair (how well groomed are they? does the carpet match the drapes? etc.)

They keep up with manscaping, so his happy trail is usually non existent. His skin is soft and it makes them smell like his vanilla body oil :)

I = Intimacy (how are they during the moment? the romantic aspect)

He’s Very gentle and attentive to your needs. Lots of soft kisses and words of affirmation, brushing your hair out of your face- etc

J = Jack off (masturbation headcanon)

Not usually, they don’t have a high drive. On the rare occasion he does jork it, it’s because of you :)

K = Kink (one or more of their kinks)

Breath play, cosplay, spanking, and sensory deprivation to name a few

L = Location (favorite places to do the do)

The Kitchen counter

M = Motivation (what turns them on, gets them going)

Gentle touches and lingering loving gazes,

and booty shorts.

N = No (something they wouldn’t do, turn offs)

Extreme Degradation, such as calling them crass names or putting emphasis on their body in a disrespectful manner. They don’t really care for power play.

O = Oral (preference in giving or receiving, skill, etc.)

Oral isn’t really their thing! They don’t mind giving, but receiving makes him a little dysphoric

P = Pace (are they fast and rough? slow and sensual? etc.)

Avery is slow and sensual

Q = Quickie (their opinions on quickies, how often, etc.)

Quickies aren’t his style

R = Risk (are they game to experiment? do they take risks? etc.)

They don’t feel comfortable doing it anywhere remotely public. He’s an incredibly anxious person, they would get too trapped in their head about it :(

S = Stamina (how many rounds can they go for? how long do they last?)

A couple! They tend to wind down after the first round- so it’ll take some down time before he can go again

T = Toys (do they own toys? do they use them? on a partner or themselves?)

They have many toys, so many that they could fill a warehouse /hj

He likes to rotate them out every once in a while, his favorite his tentacle model :)

They really like the idea of using one that glows in the dark on you just to watch it disappear :)

U = Unfair (how much they like to tease)

Moderately! They aren’t mean for the most part! Sometimes he does enjoy watching you squirm a little <3

V = Volume (how loud they are, what sounds they make, etc.)

As quiet as a church mouse. This man is very breathy with their moans. You’ll hear a lot of sudden soft gasping with every new sensation <3

W = Wild card (a random headcanon for the character)

He’ll cosplay your favorite character and fuck you in it 🧍‍♂️

X = X-ray (let’s see what’s going on under those clothes)

5.6 inches, slim and curved!

Y = Yearning (how high is their sex drive?)

Moderate! They like cuddles more :)

Z = Zzz (how quickly they fall asleep afterwards

So fast. Cuddling after sex is their favorite part <3

[absolem0]

. B A S I C S ∙ ✦

Name: Sol Adventus Nicknames: none Age: 26 Nameday: 7th Sun of the 3d Umbral Moon Race: Raen Au ra Gender: Male Orientation: tbd Profession: Warrior of Light

. P H Y S I C A L     A S P E C T S ∙ ✦

Hair: off white since the end of Shb (dark purple/blue, almost black before) Eyes: Odd eyes due to light corruption- left eye dark teal, right eye light teal. White limbal rings, white pupils. Skin: brown Tattoos/scars: light corruption marks all over, one scar down the chest on the left side Addition: Unusually long tail from birth, only got longer in Shb

. F A M I L Y ∙ ✦

Parents: Raen father from Thavnair (dead), Raen mother from Kugane (alive) Siblings: Older sister (dead), younger brother (missing) Grandparents: grandmother on mother's side, both grandparents on father's side In-laws and Other: None Pets: only his chocobo Eshu Addition: almost always accompanied by Midgarsormr (not the big one, the little one). Since EW - by blue starbird and "mount" Arion.

. S K I L L S∙ ✦

Abilities: Archer, naturally evolved into Bard. Is proficient White Mage. Over expansions gets experience (willingly or not) with other classes and can be reluctantly considered an "all rounder". Bard and White Mage being his only main jobs. Has a high affinity to wind aspected aether. Hobbies: Fishing, hunting, carpentry, poisons, aetherology.

. T R A I T S ∙ ✦

Most Positive Trait: Reliable, protective Most Negative Trait: Avoids emotional conflict (sometimes even physically)

. L I K E S ∙ ✦

Colors: Black, white, light blue, green Smells: ripe fruits, "forest" smells, the smell of "cold snowy weather in the morning", warm wood that has been on sun. Textures: cool touch of the blade of his dagger, feathers, thick but soft fabric, paper. Drinks: Tea, juice, likes trying out new (non alcoholic) drinks wherever he goes.

. O T H E R    D E T A I L S ∙ ✦

Smokes: Never tried Drinks: Prefers heavy drinks, but in measured amount. Doesn't get drunk easy, and rarely feels relaxed enough to. Drugs: Had some hand in hallucinogenic poisons, but was quickly dissuaded from venturing deeper into that territory. Mount Issuance: Eshu, grey colored chocobo. Has enough experience to help out in any battle, enjoys chasing small critters. Been Arrested: By all laws of Gridania he should have been arrested for illegal hunting, but somehow never was. And afterwards who would be arresting a Warrior of Light.

Tagged by @nights-at-crystarium :D Tagging @shirtlesslizard @ksilberne @shavothehusky if you're feeling up to it :3. And also I am tagging my every ffxiv follower who sees this post, feel free to do it!

[love-and-deepspace-wiki]

Moments Usernames

Throughout the game, various usernames ars shown in the following places: "Public Account" in-game articles, dark web interfaces, Linkonopedia, Glint Reviews, and Bounty Hunt levels. I've compiled a list of each unique username that has appeared thus far, just in case there's some interesting subplot going on there.

A short post about each them will (eventually) be linked to their list entry, detailing which in-game article(s) they've commented on and any concrete details revealed.

Moments "Public Account" Usernames List:

Numerals & Symbols

23QEB$1@@L?s

3Melons1Day

A

A Bite-Sized Buddy

Abbotsford

A Cloud in the Wind

Adonmov

Akso Hospital Official

AksoHospitalAssistant

algernon

algorithmSupreme_

Alvin

always_comfy

B

baking_soda

bbhunter

BeepBoopBeep

BirdPics

bittermelonislilsweet

Brushingteethdaily

C

CapybaraArabypac

ChillAmericano

Circlette

Cleanyblobbu

ClearGaze

Cloud Mountain, Misty Poem

Coldcallin

craycray

D

DairyPup

Deepspace Times

Don't Use My Tissue

DoReMiFaSo

drinkmorewater

E

Eeeeeeek >O<

Ee I Ee I Oh

F

Fainting Cat

Famous_Art_Critic

Fire_in_the_Hole

FishiesHere

FleetColonel

Foodieblobbu

Frontline Movies News Stop

Fun in Linkon

G

going2bedearly

Grilled Bread

H

H_Kakashi

Haha

Have you captured the aurora today

Hunter_Know_It_All

I

I Really Want To Eat Mango O_o<

IdeasOnTheWay

ImDummy

K

KOdPenguin

King_Remote

KittyWhale

L

Lady Nono

LittleSheepie

Lizio Auctions

M

ManyPeaches

Me@105Degrees

Mr. Spicy

Mystery Teller

Mystyblobbu

N

Not A Frog Prince

O

OmegaOMG

omom

orange_marmalade

P

PigThatHmphs

Planet Lab

PresidentHuntersAssociation

PridefulWaves

PrimeWind

Providence

Q

QuantumSocialite

R

Remind me to get back to studying when you see this.

Rocketship_Pie

RulesAreRigid_SoAml

S

Salty Soda

SciaticNervnecrosis

SeptChestnuts

Shark's Secret

Sizzling Hot Dog

sleep_late_wake_early_4health

Slobbyblobbu

So Very Cold

SplishSplashPat

spinspinseven

Super Monster

SuperMonster

SuperRollerCoasterTycoon

Sweetie

T

Tiana

The Little Star Chasing The Moon

The Superman You Called Is Offline

Tower_of_Wisdom

Twinkle Toys

U

Unlucky_MD

UrInterwebPal

User586741

V

Venus

VitA&Cfan

W

Waiting For Coins

Wavesof Pride

Who Touched My Parrots

Y

Yaoyao

Z

Zhang_Eclair

[lollybliz]

ME FR RN IM. HELP. OW.

History, Repeating (But Aether Dies Instead)

Prompted by @lollybliz who wanted to know how it would play out if Aether died in my fic History, Repeating.

Keep reading

[drinkyourvillainjuice]

Mal NSFW Alphabet? O.O

Looks like the doors are opened up on these, huh?

Well, here we go...

Forewarning: this is another level lewder than Wil's one.

A = Aftercare (what they’re like after sex)

Cuddly. Annoyingly self-satisfied.

They're definitely gonna check in on their partner while couching it in a tease.

B = Body part (their favorite body part of theirs and also their partner’s)

Mal's a little indifferent to their own body. They can switch things around. Their partner? Depends which part makes them squirm the most.

C = Cum (anything to do with cum, basically)

It's fun when things get sticky ;)

(the cleanup is not so fun. but at least it was a good time)

D = Dirty secret (pretty self explanatory, a dirty secret of theirs)

Has definitely boned in some places that one probably should not, including at least once somebody else's bed. Like, not on purpose per se. but you know. heat of the moment.

E = Experience (how experienced are they? do they know what they’re doing?)

Most experienced in the cast. They strike out a lot, but hey, if you don't shoot your shot, then you don't know.

F = Favorite position (this goes without saying)

Bending over their partner, pressing their front into their partner's back, a hand between their partner's legs.

G = Goofy (are they more serious in the moment? are they humorous? etc.)

0% serious. They're gonna fool around, and their partner's gotta come prepared for that.

H = Hair (how well groomed are they? does the carpet match the drapes? etc.)

Depends on their mood ;)

I = Intimacy (how are they during the moment? the romantic aspect)

Not especially lovey-dovey but they're used to hook-ups so they only warm into being intimate over time and once they know their partner wants that.

J = Jack off (masturbation headcanon)

ehhh they will but it's usually more fun for them with a partner.

K = Kink (one or more of their kinks)

"I wonder if I can make them cum in their pants..."

L = Location (favorite places to do the do)

Bedroom is usually best. Look, the floor might be fun in theory, but your knees are gonna start feeling real rough on the hardwood after a minute or two.

M = Motivation (what turns them on, gets them going)

Being with somebody they like. A partner who talks/emotes during the act. Not taking things too seriously. Turning the table/getting it turned on them.

N = No (something they wouldn’t do, turn offs)

Very picky about what they'll do with their power before the deed and a fairly hard no about during.

O = Oral (preference in giving or receiving, skill, etc.)

Would rather give than receive, and knows what they're doing.

P = Pace (are they fast and rough? slow and sensual? etc.)

Very fast when excited, obnoxiously slow if they think they can wind up their partner.

Q = Quickie (their opinions on quickies, how often, etc.)

Yes.

R = Risk (are they game to experiment? do they take risks? etc.)

They don't mind experimenting at all, variety is the spice of life.

S = Stamina (how many rounds can they go for? how long do they last?)

Their biology is a bit of a cheat code here. They've been known to go off real fast if they're particularly horny, but they're usually good to go again before too long.

T = Toys (do they own toys? do they use them? on a partner or themselves?)

They have a couple, but they like body on body better.

U = Unfair (how much they like to tease)

OFF THE CHARTS.

V = Volume (how loud they are, what sounds they make, etc.)

They talk a lot during sex. Like a lot a lot.

Mal: Oh? Why don't you try shutting me up?

W = Wild card (a random headcanon for the character)

Dion's accidentally walked in on them more than once and they find it excruciatingly embarrassing and feel deeply apologetic for it

X = X-ray (let’s see what’s going on under those clothes)

Psssh. Wouldn't you like to know.

Y = Yearning (how high is their sex drive?)

Literally has the highest libido of the entire cast.

Z = Zzz (how quickly they fall asleep afterwards)

If permitted to cuddle, they'll start get snoozy before too too long.

[willtheweaver]

Alpha-write

Thanks @agirlandherquill this sure does look interesting

Rules: For every letter of the alphabet, comprise a sentence/short paragraph beginning with that letter

A- “All systems go. Let’s she what this new ship can do.”

B- Barely anything was standing on the planet’s surface. All around were huge craters and mountains of crumbled rock and dust. What water there was was as corrosive as hydrochloric acid. What kind of weapons could do this, and what kind of people would turn such tools of death on themselves?

C- Candles, beeswax, 50 count, the label said. So why was the box so heavy?

D- “Don’t move!” I stopped when I heard those words. Fearfully, I looked down at feet. One of them was right on top of a rune trap that was concealed in the leaf litter.

E- Everywhere was the sickly sweet smell of death.

F- Faith shall ne’re forsake me, when iron proves as feeble as flesh.

G- “Goblins can’t resist shiny stuff, you said!”

“Well if you weren’t a cheapskate and put some of your jewelry in the trap, we would have caught him!”

H- “Hake, extra crispy. Chips with salt and vinegar, extra curry sauce on the side. What does it all mean?”

“I believe that is his Friday takeaway order.”

I- Inside was totally different. Whereas the exterior was a grey and austere cube, the interior of the building was bright and decorated to the point of being gaudy and over the top.

J- Just lost contact with the rearguard. Radar has picked something up. It’s—[remainder of transmission incomprehensible] /end recording.

K- Kelp! If I could just make it…

L- “Ladies and gentlemen, remain cool, this is a robbery! Handover all of your valuables and no one—hey! You with the Nickleback shirt! That is not cool!”

M- “Must I remind you that it was your idea to drill holes in the bottom of the ship?”

N- “No man is more accursed than he who violates the sacred law of hospitality.”

O- “Open the door!”

“No.”

P- “Purple was never my color anyways.”

Q- Quiet. No wind, no sound of birds. Nothing.

R- Rust covered the steel beams and rebar sticking out of the cracking and failing concrete.

S- “Single malt, aged twelve years, heavy smoke with hints of seaweed. This was distilled in Islay.”

T- The order came up. Three shots espresso, ten ounces 2% steamed for exactly eighteen seconds, one pump vanilla, three caramel, one chocolate hazelnut, and the foam has to be cold and not mix with the coffee. WTF!?? I wanted to quit them and now.

U- Union pamphlets were everywhere. No doubt about it. Their meeting place had been found.

V- “Velocity is still over 5000 kph! We’ll burn up in the atmosphere unless we find some way of slowing down!”

W- “We’re with Witness Protection. You are in grave danger.”

“Me? I’m just an ordinary person!”

X- “X-rays can’t go through lead!”

Y- “You had to say something, didn’t you?!”

Z- Zzzzzzzzzzz.

“How can anyone sleep so soundly in a time like this??”

Whew! Made it through that one!

Tagging @diabolical-blue @darkandstormydolls @leahnardo-da-veggie @poethill @honeybewrites

@theeccentricraven @splashinkling @smudged-red-ink @mysticstarlightduck @eccaiia

@corinneglass @tildeathiwillwrite @fortunatetragedy and open tag

[multifandomfix]

Jack Frost Fluff Alphabet

A = Aroma (What do they smell like?)

He smells like vanilla and peppermint.

B = Babe (What would they use as pet names? Do they use them a lot?)

He’s a sucker for pet names and will use them often. He’ll have a whole host of holiday/winter themed ones on hand, but he’s a fan of the classics as well.

C = Cuddles (Do they like to cuddle? How would they cuddle?)

You have to (quite literally) warm him up to the idea of cuddling, but once you do, boy does he love it!

D = Domestic (Do they want to settle down? What would they think about living together?)

Settling down definitely isn’t the first thing on his mind, but you could get him to come around to the idea in time.

E = Emotion (How affectionate are they? How do they show affection?)

He mostly shows his affection through flirty jokes and some lighthearted teasing.

F = Flirt (How do they flirt? Are they smooth or awkward?)

He can be a pretty smooth flirt if he really puts in the effort to be.

G = Gifts (Are they a gift giver? What kind of gifts do they give?)

He isn’t big on gifts because he never seems to know what to get you, but on the rare occasion he does decide to get you something you know it always comes from the heart.

H = Hugs (Do they like hugs? How often do they do it? What are their hugs like?)

He’s really not all that fond of hugs. He doesn’t mind them as much coming from you, but it’s not his favorite form of affection.

I = I Love You (How fast do they say the L-word?)

It’ll take him a while. He’ll have to get past those walls he’s built up to let you in, but when he does say it, he’ll say it with his whole heart.

J = Jealousy (How jealous do they get? What do they do when they’re jealous?)

Oh he can get insanely jealous. It melts that icy exterior of his and boils his blood to see you laughing or flirting with someone else.

K = Kisses (What are their kisses like? Where do they like to kiss you?)

His kisses are usually very spontaneous and can get a little heated. He’s also a big fan of kissing the insides of your wrists.

L = Little ones (How are they around children? Would they want some of their own?)

He’s not the best with children, though they do seem to like him. He’d never really considered having his own, but if you’re looking to start a family with him, he could really start to picture it.

M = Meet (How did they meet you?)

He met you at the beginning of winter when you rushed out to see the first snowfall and he was so charmed by your adoration of the season that he couldn’t help but introduce himself.

N = Nurture (Are they good at taking care of you if you’re hurt/sick?)

Frankly, no. He’s not great at it. He usually winds up making things worse. It’s not as if he doesn’t want to help you though.

O = Out (What’s a typical date night with them like?)

He loves giving you the whole winter experience. Things like taking you to see the northern lights, snowball fights, ice skating, etc.

P = Propose (When do you/they propose? How does the proposal go?)

He proposes on Christmas. Claims that you saying yes would make the holiday less awful for him. It’s actually quite the romantic proposal, despite him trying to make light of it.

Q = Quirk (What small habit/feature/quirk do they have that you find especially endearing?)

The way he always seems to be warm, despite basically being coldness personified.

R = Routine (What does a typical day together look like? Routines, schedules, habits?)

With Jack there is no routine. He likes to whisk you off with him in the middle of the day, or surprise you with breakfast in the morning. Routine bores him.

S = Security (How protective are they? How would they protect you?)

He can be pretty protective. Overprotective perhaps. You often have to remind him that you know how to handle yourself.

T = Try (How much effort would they put into dates, anniversaries, etc?)

He puts in a pretty decent amount of effort for anything he’s serious about doing, but if it’s something he doesn’t want to do, that effort will be greatly reduced, unless you provide him some incentive.

U = Unique (What’s something they’d only do for you?)

Deal with Santa. It’s his least favorite thing to have to do, but if you asked him for a favor and he had to go to Santa to do it, then he would.

V = Vulnerable (How long does it take them to feel comfortable being vulnerable around you?)

A good while. He’s not so easy to get to open up, but once you’ve made that first crack, it can all come spilling out of him.

W = Wardrobe (What would they wear to impress you?)

His usual suit is pretty impressive already. It’s sleek and sexy, but you like seeing him in anything blue. It just makes him look so good.

X = Xtra (A random headcanon for them.)

Jack is a terrible cook, but he does make excellent homemade ice cream.

Y = You (What are some things they would like in a partner?)

He’d like someone who would defend and support him. He can sometimes feel insecure, and to have an advocate would make him feel so loved.

Z = Zzz (What are their sleep habits?)

Jack is a light sleeper. He’ll be the first awake at the slightest of sounds. He’s also a sleep cuddler.

For 🧪 Anon

Jack Frost: @phantomofclownery, @creativegenius22

[toothpastecanyon]

Return, to the Scene of the Crime - Chapter 8

Playing human again, Alcor makes it longer than he usually does. He's in college now, juggling classes, family, a curious vampire, and a strange, increasingly sinister web of mysteries weaving themselves around him. Without his omniscience to guide the way, he'll have to work hard to get to the bottom of this before it spirals out of control.

See most updated version on Archive of Our Own.

______________________________________________________________

Lucy Ann almost forgot how picky demons who weren’t Alcor were. She was out of practice, but then again, why wouldn’t she be? For the last three thousand years, she’d had a demon who was easier to summon, more powerful for just about any task, and about as harmless as any demon could be.

Now here she was, covered in blood and grumbling as she cut open some gizzards and cast their stones onto the forest floor. In earlier eras, she’d consider this a shockingly easy summon, but now she’s like, where’s his business card?

A snort. “You’ve gone soft, Sagar,” she said, shaking her head as she got to her feet. Then she cleared her throat, and started the incantation:

“Dens et os, carnem et sanguinem, cor et iecur et pulmonem, Te magne oozer, Brianus Paulus Duck!”

And with a quiet yet unsettling squelching, her distant second choice for a demon stepped dripping into his circle. Lucy Ann gave a grin.

“Brian! Long time no see, buddy. You’re looking good - are those new eyes?”

Brian the Organ Duck wasn’t the chatty type, but he gave a pleased little clucking and ruffled his ‘wings’. Lucy Ann tried to keep the smile on her face as she got caught in the splash zone.

“Cool, cool… yeah, so, I got a deal for you.” And that got his attention; it always sent a shiver down her spine to see how still even a minor demon got at that word. “There’s a bodysnatcher at this college. I want you to tell me who it's in now, and I want you to tell me the identity of whoever it switches into at the moment it switches. You can’t alert the bodysnatcher, and you gotta tell me discreetly; you know how the Isles are.”

Brian bobbed his head, but still stared at her expectantly. She rolled her eyes.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m not forgetting. Look, you can have all the organs you want from this pile.” She stepped aside to reveal a sizable number of dead animals. “Hope you appreciate it - haven’t hunted this much since the Bronze Age.”

She watched him peer over, clucking quietly as he examined them. Then he extended a wing.

“It's a deal, then.” Lucy Ann shook it, and felt a veil of pulsing capillaries wind themselves around her wrist for a moment before letting go. She watched the animals behind her melt into the Earth. “Alright, now for your end. What are you…? Oh, you’ve got a phone?”

Brian did, indeed, pull out a phone and make a new contact. He motioned to her.

“Oh, uh, hang on a sec, what's my number again?” She caught him rolling his eyes. “No, hey, I usually know my number, okay? This is a new phone. Alright, here it is - you ready?”

Brian dutifully took her number down, and then started texting… somehow. A moment later, her phone pinged with a text from ‘666’ with the picture and name of a student.

She grinned, but Brian was still typing.

> [S O M E T H I N G E L S E]

“Huh?” Lucy Ann looked blankly at the text, and up at him again. “Something else? What do you mean?”

> [A D D I T I O N A L I N F O R M A T I O N]

“Okay… what additional information?”

> [🤝?]

Lucy Ann groaned - of course, a price. “Fine. What do you want?”

Brian sent her a long string of different organ emojis, followed by a winky face. She scowled.

“I don't have time for this, Brian - I already spent hours hunting for the first batch!”

> [👨🫀🫀🫀?]

Human hearts. She rolled her eyes. “No. Forget it, I don't need to know.”

> [🫀🫀🥺?]

“Yeah, wow, such a discount.” She shut her phone off. “Look, if you aren't gonna make a serious offer, I gotta go.”

That was evidently the lowest Brian would go; with a quack and an affronted shake of his tail viscera, he vanished from the circle. Lucy Ann rolled her eyes, but as she wiped away his circle she couldn't keep a little pit from her stomach.

She was falling for it. Brian was playing a classic demon’s trick: implying there's something left out to get a second bite of the apple. It'd only waste her time to take it - odds were he'd just tell her the bodysnatcher's favourite drink at the Midway Bar, or something else stupid and irrelevant.

A scowl. But dammit, you couldn't deny it was a good trick. If she’d had more time she'd have taken it just for peace of mind… ugh, was she rushing?

Was there really something she'd missed?

Lucy Ann hesitated there. She really tried to think it through, to figure out what Brian could possibly tell her that'd make a difference in the exorcism…

…

But all she could see was the first grey lights of dawn poking through the trees. Lucy Ann shook her head, and took off at a fast walk to the university.

Whatever it was, it was nothing extra bindings couldn't solve. And she'd bring tape to shut it up - god knows what it'd try to say around Dipper.

And most importantly, they'd corner it before history class. She’d already been planning to ditch Xiaofan - as sensible as she seemed, no one could fuck up an exorcism quite like a freshman demonologist - but if she really did miss something, well, Dipper was her trump card.

Best not for a demonologist to be there if she needed to play it.

Lucy Ann reached into her pocket to brush against a little piece of paper she'd inscribed with Alcor's custom circle. She shivered, and picked up the pace.

The university was in sight; she was just behind Dipper’s dorm. Emerging from the bushes, she made her way to the front door.

A college student was sitting on a park bench, staring deadeyed into a soup bowl of coffee. He barely acknowledged her bloodied appearance.

“Morning, Brad.” She passed by the table. “How’s that group project going?”

He gave the slightest shake of his head.

“Yeesh, good luck. Can you badge me in?”

Robotically, Brad reached into his pocket, pulled out his badge, and held it out in her general direction.

“Thanks, man.”

After badging in (and tossing it back to Brad) Lucy Ann made her way through the small crowd of early risers, down the hall to Dipper’s room.

She was feeling better about her plan; really, you should be careful about any exorcism, but bodysnatchers were a real one trick pony sort of demon. They weren't ever that powerful; indeed, they physically couldn't be. They spent more time out of the Mindscape than any demon except Alcor, but unlike Alcor, drew no strength from their presence there. And though they could possess freely, souls were still firmly out of reach without a deal.

She'd be able to repel it if it tried to possess her, and she was sure it wouldn't dare try with Dipper. Without that, it only has its human vessel's strength to bear, and that was a pitiful weapon indeed to a vampire.

Lucy Ann rounded the last corner, snorting at the thought. Yeah, whatever, Brian. She didn't need his deal; her and Dipper would have this taken care of before-

“Hey,” said a voice as Lucy Ann opened the door to Dipper’s room. “Yeesh, that happened to you?”

“Marsh?” Lucy Ann saw her splayed out on the floor, and blinked. “Where’s Dipper?”

“Oh, yeah, he told me to tell you he’s gone out.”

“Gone… out?” Lucy Ann’s eyes widened, and then set into a deep scowl. “Did he say where?”

“I think to his parent’s house.” Marsh watched her groan and drag a hand down her face. “You okay? You don't look, ah, real happy about that.”

“Oh, I'm okay. I'm great!” Digging in her pocket, she grabbed her phone and jabbed in her passcode. “Noo, Dipper’s the one you gotta worry about. I'm gonna kill him!”

______________________________________________________________

Dipper was almost to his parents’ house when he got the call. He hesitated for a moment before answering.

“Morning, Lucy Ann!” And silence; he gave a nervous laugh. “So, uh, I take it you're back at the dorm?”

"Yes.” Her tone was clipped. “I am. Where are you?”

“I'm going to my Mom and Dad's. I tried to call you, but I couldn't reach your phone - I've finally got a lead on the jewelry store guy!”

“A lead?” She sounded interested for a moment before pulling back. “Well that's great, but it's gonna have to wait. I need you here for the exorcism.”

“I’ll be back before History.”

“No, you don’t- ugh!”

Dipper frowned. “What?”

“I was…” Lucy Ann lowered her voice. “I was kind of hoping we’d catch this thing, like, right now.”

“Now? You told Xiaofan-”

“I know what I told Xiaofan.”

“Yeah? So I don't understand-”

“Okay! Okay okay okay,” she said, and sighed. “Okay, we can still salvage this. Do you know who Annabelle Strotts is?”

“Who?”

“Brown hair, uh, really big glasses?” A pause. “You don't know who she is? What classes she takes?”

“No, I don’t know everybody in that lecture hall. You hang out with me every day, you should know I’m not exactly a social butterfly.”

“Alright, alright, you don't need to bite my head off.”

“Sorry, it's just…” Dipper gripped the steering wheel. “You know, this is kind of the problem when you never loop me in on stuff! How was I supposed to know we were doing this before History when you explicitly said -”

“Yeah, okay, point taken! When can you be back?”

Dipper made a face. “I'm nearly at their house.”

“Yeah, but we gotta do this thing today,” she said, and he rolled his eyes. “So how long’s it gonna take you to come back?”

“Lucy Ann… Marsh’s stolen car is right by my parent’s house.”

“Okay-”

“So he's right by my parent’s house.” Dipper spoke slowly. “So this is kind of a high priority for me, okay?”

“Oh, my god. So you're doing the exact same thing that almost got you shot last time.”

He scowled. “N-no, I'm just- I'm checking on my family, okay? I’m not charging in, I’ll wait for you.”

“Dipper-”

“I think you were right! You were right, earlier, when you said I should take the jobs I want to do, a-and I've been avoiding this for weeks!”

He sighed, rubbed his ear.

“I've just been taking safe jobs because… it really rattled me, what happened. A-and I promised Mal and my parents I wouldn't look into it anymore, but I can't get it out of my head.” Dipper gave an angry chuckle. “I don't want to get it out of my head, I-... I can't let him get away with this! What he did to me, and Marsh, a-and you, even if you’re fine! Everytime I think about him I just think about how he got away with everything and I, I get so mad, you know?”

Lucy Ann didn’t respond. All that spoke back was the ringing in his ears, the incessant, unending eeeeeeeee that had become the unwanted undercurrent to every single thing he did or said or thought, and maybe it’d go away or maybe it’d be with him forever. And someone did this to him, you know?

Someone did this to him, and Dipper felt his hands tighten on the steering wheel.

“So I’m going to check this out.” He said, quietly. “You don’t need me for the exorcism anyway. You already figured out who it is, and you’ve done this thing a million times. And you clearly think I’ll just get in the way, so, you know, this works out for you, I guess.”

“Dipper…”

Lucy Ann seemed at a loss for words. Dipper saw the turn-in coming up, and flipped on his signal.

“I’m just pulling in now, I’ll talk to you later.” A pause. “Good luck with the exorcism. Sorry, I didn’t mean to ditch you.”

“No, no, you didn’t…” Lucy Ann sighed. “Alright, Dipper. I’ll make it work. Just… be safe, okay? You’re my friend.”

The way she said it, like she suddenly wasn’t sure it was true. He felt a twinge.

“You’re my friend too,” He said, coming to a stop and taking the key out of the ignition. “I gotta go, but… yeah, we’ll talk later. We’ll… yeah. Bye.”

There was a heavy feeling in him as he hung up, and he stayed in the car for a second, staring down at the phone. That had been… harsh. He’d been harsh. He didn’t think he was wrong, but… he could have said it better. He’d been feeling so off lately, like his own mental models for how he thinks he’ll act got knocked out of sync and were struggling to recalibrate.

eeeeeeeeeeee, said the little buzz in his head, and he rolled his eyes. Gee, he thought, what could have possibly caused that?

Another moment, and then he sighed, stuffed his phone away, and opened the car door. He’d talk to her later; for now, there was nothing to do but put it out of mind.

The lights were on inside the house - good. Shoes crunching in the gravel, he made his way to the front door, and rang the bell. Immediately, he could hear his mother’s murmuring voice.

“...do you think that is, Ronnie?” She said, getting closer to the door. He watched it open, watched her face flash from surprise to a smile that made him feel like he was home. “Dipper! Well, what an unexpected surprise!”

“Hi Mom!” Dipper gave her a hug. “Sorry for dropping in so early-”

“Oh, no, no, not at all! Your father and I were just having breakfast - come, come!”

She motioned him into the dining room, where his Dad was picking at a piece of buttered toast.

“Hi, Dad, it’s so good to see you!” Dipper gave him a hug too, and looked around. “Where’s Mal?”

“Tch!” His Dad threw up his wrist, and said something indiscernible in words but crystal clear in tone. Dipper snorted, but, looking to his mother, he found no audience.

“Everything okay?” He said, and watched her try for a smile.

“She’s been…” She set out a plate. “a little testy as of late.”

“Oh, no! You guys had a fight?”

His Dad grumbled and banged his arm on the table. His mother’s smile thinned. “She’s just having a hard time. We all are… but how are you doing, sweetie! What’s the reason for the drop in, is it…” She tapped her chin. “Ohhh, who was that girl you were asking about last night?”

“Xiaofan?”

“Yes!” She snapped her fingers. “Yes, I’m sorry, I hadn’t seen anyone with that name, unfortunately.” A pause. “Or, fortunately, I should say! Wait… you meant alive, right? Because i didn't check-”

“Oh, hah, yes! For sure alive!”

“I'm glad to hear that! But, did she lose someone close to her, or…?”

“Um…” Dipper wasn’t really sure how to approach this. “No, just… you know the forest behind our house? Some of my… friends, they were there recently, and I think Xiaofan… she dropped something, yeah.”

“They were in the forest outside our house?” Her eyebrow quirked up. “Why?”

Dipper cringed; not only was he lying to his Mom, he was doing it badly. “Uh, you know college, college kids! They do dumb stuff, right, like… go hang out around funeral homes at night!”

“Well I certainly didn’t do that when I was in college.” She looked over to his Dad. “Did you ever do something like that, Ronnie?”

He looked up at her, grinned, and winked. She tutted at him.

“Oh, of course you did. I guess I was never in the sort of crowds that did those things; I’m surprised you’re taking after him on that.” She looked down at Dipper through her glasses. “You’re keeping up your grades, I hope?”

“I am! A-and I didn’t do that, I just, you know, know someone who did that.” He shrugged. “So, uh, you haven't seen anything weird around there the past few days?”

“I can't say I have, but I haven't been looking, either.” She put a hand on his shoulder. “I'll try and keep an eye out for you, dear. Now, what would you like for breakfast?”

“Breakfast?” He blinked. “Oh, no, no, I ate at my dorm. I was actually going to go see Mal… uh, if that's alright?”

“No, no, go see her, she'll appreciate it - deep down, at least.”

That was an unusually snarky tone from his Mom. He cleared his throat. “So, she's in the crematorium?”

“Oh, yes. Just… make sure you knock first? She's become quite particular about knocking.”

“Um, okay?” Dipper half expected her to start specifying a code he had to knock, but that seemed to be it. “I guess I’ll be back soon.”

And so he started across the hall, the light of the morning streaming through the windows and catching swirls of dust in golden sunbeams. Despite the calm, though, he was a little apprehensive of the door fast approaching.

Testy, her mother had said. That was a good word for Mal - she wasn’t like that all the time, but when she was… oh, boy. And it sounded like a bad fight they’d had last night, too, like the blowouts he used to hide in his room from when they were teenagers.

And with that in mind, he stopped in front of the door. Maybe this wasn’t a good idea, he thought. She probably wasn’t in a super question-answery mood right now. Maybe he should-

“Boo.”

“Wh-!” Dipper flinched at a voice, at a sudden hand on his shoulder. And there Mal was, stepping out of the shadows, a wry smile climbing her face as he whirled around to face her. “Mal!”

“Yeah, me.” She raised an eyebrow. “Are they seriously complaining I ask them to knock now? Ohhh my god, I’m so evil, I make them use basic manners!”

“You were there?”

“I heard your car outside.” A snort. “At first I was like, I told that fucking priest to stop showing up an hour before we open, but then I saw it was you! How’ve you been, dummy?”

“Uh, good!” He felt her go in for a hug, and squeezed back. “Yeah, good! It’s nice to see you, Mal.”

“Oh, that’s good to know. For a second you didn’t look too happy, there.” She let go with playful smack of his shoulder. “Loosen up, will ya? Mom and Dad have you acting like I’m gonna kill you.”

“Hah, sorry…” Rubbing his shoulder, he made a face. “But uh, is everything alright? I haven’t seen Mom like that since…”

There was a bright, iron shine in Mal’s eyes; she’d squared up, and crossed her arms, and though she was still grinning at him, there was a threat in there, a look that seemed to ask, do you really want it to be that kind of visit?

Dipper trailed off. And then he cleared his throat.

“Uh,” he started. “You, um, done any new glassworking?”

And with that, Mal was all smiles again. “I'm so glad you asked, bro! Get over here!”

Slinging an arm around his shoulders, Mal led him into the crematorium. There was a body pulled out of the freezer, clouding eyes meeting his as they passed, but Dipper hardly paid it notice on the way to her glassmaking kiln.

“Hey, Dipper, check this out.”

Mal rummaged in a cabinet, pulled out a plate, and held it out to him. With a smile Dipper made to take it - but then it suddenly dropped, and he yelped and sprang backwards as it-

As it bounced once and settled upside down. And Mal was laughing.

“Your face! Hah!” She leaned down and picked it up. “Look, and it's completely fine!

“Wh-, what?”

“I enchanted it.” She banged it against the edge of the counter, and he watched blue sparks flare up within the glass. “See, it doesn't break. And now I can give you a plate you're actually happy with, yeah?”

She handed it over to him; he took it with a crooked smile. “O-oh! Oh no, you didn't have to-”

“Oh, don't be like that, it was a fun challenge. What else am I supposed to do around here, right?” With a bit of an edge to her laugh, she leaned against the counter. “And hey, speaking of how there's nothing to do around here, what's the occasion? I know you didn't come for my glasswork - as stunning as it might be.”

She winked at him, and Dipper gave a nervous chuckle. “No, no - I mean, thanks, this is really cool, but, uh, I guess I'm here because… you remember yesterday?”

“Yeah man, I remember it like it was yesterday.”

“Haha, funny.” He rubbed his neck. “I mean, you remember when I was calling about-”

“The Xiaofan girl, yeah, yeah.”

“Yeah! Um… So, you know how college kids do weird things?” He looked up at her, blinked, and backpedaled. “I mean, maybe you wouldn’t because you're not- wait, I-I mean-”

Luckily for him, Mal only snorted. “You're a real master of tact, Dipper.”

“Sorry.”

She pushed off the counter. “No, no, I'm more offended you were gonna try and sell me that weird lie about kids hanging out in the forest - I mean, come on, even they barely bought it.” Crossing behind him, her arm settled down on his shoulder. “I wanna hear what this is really about.”

“I…” Dipper grimaced. “I can't.”

“Haha, what? Are you actually not gonna tell me?”

“I’m sorry, I promised Xiaofan I wouldn't tell anyone.” And before she could respond: “A-and it's not like a small thing, she could get in big trouble if it got out!”

“And you think I'll tell someone? One, ouch, and two, who am I gonna tell? The stiffs?” Her tone softened. “You wouldn't come down here if this thing wasn't eating you up. Come on, I’m your sister. I wanna help.”

Dipper hesitated. He looked over at her��� and then he sighed, and dug around for his phone. “Okay, okay - but you gotta promise you won't be mad, alright?”

“Why, am I gonna be mad?”

“Well… you know how you kind of didn't want me to do anything dangerous after the whole thing with the jewelry store?”

“Oh no. What have you gotten into this time?”

He gave a nervous smile. “There might, uh, might be a demon at school?”

“A demon?!” Mal's whole face darkened. “Seriously, Dipper? You can't be messing with that shit! If it doesn't kill you, you'll get thrown in jail!”

“I didn't summon it-”

“But this Xiaofan did, didn't she?” Mal stalked  around the room, suddenly agitated. “That's why you're asking about her, she summoned a demon in the woods, didn't she?”

“No, no, no, it was a bodysnatcher, it possessed her!” He unlocked his phone. “And it took some weird pictures, look.”

“Bodysnatcher,” Mal grabbed the phone and started scrolling. “Tch, yeah, sure. How do you know there's even a demon?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, she seems real obsessed with you, doesn't she? How do you know this whole thing isn't just an act?”

“Act? What? No, no, she's-”

But he didn't get any further. He heard a strangled sound from Mal, then a clatter as his phone struck the ground.

“Wha- hey!” Dipper picked it up, checked the screen. “Careful with my phone, Mal! Mal?”

Mal… she didn't look well, all of a sudden. The colour had bled out of her cheeks, and she swayed a little in place, staring at him with wide, haunted eyes.

“Uh, Mal?” Dipper felt a panic rising in his chest. “Mal, what's going on? Are you okay!”

“I-” She caught herself on a counter, seemed to shake herself. “I-I'm okay. Sorry, just… just got really dizzy there for a second. Sorry.”

“You really scared me there, you looked like you were going to pass out!”

“Yeah, yeah, I…” She thought for a moment. “I guess, I-I didn't have dinner last night.”

“Have you had breakfast?” He frowned as she kept bracing herself on the counter, and moved in closer. “Look, just - just sit down on the floor for a minute, I'll get you something to eat.”

“Thanks. Thanks, Dipper.”

“Of course…” He went to the door, but paused in front of it. “I don't know if I should leave you alone.”

“Dipper, really, I feel much better already.” She managed a washed-out smile. “Just give me a second to… Just get me some toast, okay? Please.”

“Okay, I'll be right back.”

With a frown, Dipper quickly shuffled back across the hall. His mother was setting up chairs in the viewing room with his Dad; she waved to him.

“Are you leaving?”

“No, uh-” He started walking backwards. “Just getting Mal some toast!”

Ducking into the kitchen, Dipper stuck some bread in the toaster, waited an eternity for it to jump up, and slapped some butter on before hurrying back.

A part of him was a little scared he should've stayed with her - she really didn't look good. He was worried he'd come back to her passed out on the floor, but he opened the door to see her leaning against the counter, looking at her phone. She glanced up and flashed a smile.

“Oh, sweet! Thanks, Dipper!”

“Here you go…” Dipper frowned at her. “You should sit down.”

“Nah, nah, I'm-” She took a bite. “feeling mush be'er!”

“Eww, close your mouth!”

“Wha’ you ‘alkin bou’?”

He snorted. “And now you're just annoying me on purpose. I guess you really are feeling better.”

“Wha- hey!”

She swatted his shoulder, and they both laughed. Mal took another bite, swallowed, and set the toast down.

“Anyway,” she said. “Sorry about that. You were showing me some photos or something?”

“Oh yeah!” He spotted his phone on the counter, and picked it up. It opened to the shot of the house. “You saw this one, right?”

“Yeah, that’s pretty creepy.”

“That's not the creepiest part.” Scrolling to the car images, he held it out to her. “Look at that!”

“Uh… at what?”

“At-” Dipper double checked it was the right image. “at the green car! Where’ve you seen a car like that before, Mal?”

“Iunno.”

“It's the car the jewelry store guy escaped with! It was all over the news, remember?”

“Oh yeah, that.” Mal raised an eyebrow. “The thing you promised me you'd drop, right?”

Dipper sighed; he knew she'd say that. “Mal-”

“You nearly got yourself killed the last time you poked your nose into this thing. I don't want you getting hurt.”

“I know, I know, but… I can't just bring these pictures to the cops!” He scrolled through them. “If I do, they'll ask where they came from, and they'll find out about the demon and Xiaofan will get into huge trouble!” A grimace. “Me too, maybe. Heh, Xiaofan almost thought I was the one who summoned it because it’s so focused on me.”

“She what?!” Mal’s head snapped up. “She's trying to pin you for this shit?”

“No, no-”

“She's trying to blackmail you into helping her!”

“No, no, no!” He put his hands up as she started pacing back and forth. “Mal, it's not like that! I'm happy to help-”

“Oh, yeah, you're juuust helping, for now.” She scoffed. “Until this idiot gets herself arrested. How's her story going to change when she's looking at fifteen years minimum for unlawful summoning, huh? You might find yourself taking a starring role. And after all you did for her!”

Dipper made a face. “You're being… really paranoid, Mal. She wouldn't do that.”

“Oh, yeah? You know that for sure?”

“She seems nice-”

“Lots of people seem nice, that doesn’t mean anything!” Mal glanced away. “People can hide all sorts of things. No, no, I gotta get out ahead of this.”

“What are you talking about?”

Mal looked back to Dipper, paused, and smiled. “We gotta get out ahead of this. You say you can't take those photos to the police because of Xiaofan?”

“Yeah, and I'm not going to.” Dipper crossed his arms. “Look, I don't know what you think she's going to do, but she came to me for help. I'm not going to rat her out for something that she didn’t even ask to get mixed up in.”

“I'm not saying you should, jeez! I'm saying, if you can't use those pictures - take yourself some new ones.”

“Huh?”

“Go out into the forest, find the car, and take your own photos.” Mal grinned at his confusion. “Then you can wash your hands of this thing without getting her in trouble.”

“Go out- what?” He blinked. “But the guy's going to be near that car! I thought you wouldn't want me going anywhere near the forest.”

“I, ah, doubt he’s there.” Mal brushed past him to stand next to an urn on the counter. “The car looks abandoned - it's more likely he dumped it way out so no one would find it.”

“But what if he didn't?”

“Well, that's why I'm coming with you.” She rolled her eyes at his shocked expression. “What? If you won't stay out of trouble, the least I can do is follow you into it. I'll be your backup!”

She smiled at him then, and despite all his questions, Dipper couldn't help but feel a warmth at that. “Well… thanks, Mal! I really appreciate that, but, aren't you busy?”

“Eh, it's gonna be a slower day today-” she started, and then caught herself. “Or actually, you know what? There are a few things I should do before we head out.”

“Oh. How long is that going to take?”

“Aren’t you raring to go.” Mal snorted. “It'll go faster if we split up some stuff. Listen, uh, there's this urn delivery I gotta do today. It's just a twenty minute drive, and by the time you get back, I bet I'll be done.”

“That urn?” Dipper walked over. “I'm not really dressed for this.”

“You still got most of your clothes in your room, right?”

“Oh, yeah.”

“Yeah. Go throw on a button-up and you'll look fine.”

“Right.” He backed up. “Uh, alright, then, sounds like a plan! Be back in just a second!”

“Yeah, you do that!” Mal watched him go, waving breezily after him as the door swung shut… and then letting her fingers curl up into a fist, letting her smile sink into something hollow and cold and furious. “You do that, you… ffffucking idiot. Goddammit!!”

Oh, yeah, real slow day ahead of her, huh? No, no, she had to bury this quick. But how? Come on, think!

Mal paced around the room for a moment, muttering and swearing under her breath. She stopped by her kiln, leaned against the counter, and stared down at the cabinet she’d padlocked.

An idea hit her, there. At first it sounded drastic… but you know what?

Dipper was way too close to home. He needed a different lead to follow, and this might be the perfect way to give him one.

[elizabethrobertajones]

Frog Time

I'm so bad at tagging people so consider yourself tagged if you want to be :)

B A S I C S

Name: Bounding Frog (redacted roe language name because I forgor)

Nicknames: Frog

Age: 18-22 (ARR-EW)

Nameday: 23rd Sun of the 5th Umbral Moon

Race: Hellsguard Roegadyn

Gender: cis woman

Sexuality: Bi

Profession: She has a summer job working with the hippo riders, although that doesn't pay as well as adventuring, so she's looking forward to Dawntrail and doing more than delivery runs.

P H Y S I C A L     A S P E C T S

Hair: maroon and light pink

Eyes: maroon and light pink

Skin: brown

Tattoos/scars: I headcanon the single choice of tattoos per face for roes are meaningful somehow - I chose coming of age, getting her Adventurer Name, and leaving home, so those were fresh porple swoops over her cheekbones in ARR :D I've only known her as long as she's been Frog and looked like this.

The scar on her nose is from being underhand punted like a rugby ball by an older brother back when she was an orb shaped child. Since adventuring the regular healing has stopped her getting too scarred up from any misadventures.

F A M I L Y

Parents: Notable members of their remote mountain community, maintaining an important set of Arcanima wards around an aetherically dangerous geological fault. Of course, they're good at their jobs so this wasn't very scary as an upbringing. They're a lovely couple and make a hell of a bowl of soup. All else I know about them is they're very supportive and Frog writes to them regularly.

Siblings: like six rowdy older brothers. She was very spoiled by this squad of bodyguards tbh. (Ignore the previous comment about one of them maiming her, they DO love her even if they saw her as a cannonball under other circumstances.) A couple of them left to be mercenaries, uncertain if for Garlemald - they don't write home as thoroughly.

Grandparents: Probably, tbh. We're getting out of my limited perception of Hellguard culture and history but I think I can say the remoteness of their village is an excuse for nothing too terrible to have happened to any of them :P

In-laws and other: She was sort of starting to think of Edmont as a potential in-law and he began acting like it after Events so she's acquired some without marrying. He DID also adopt Aymeric informally, so now she's courting him it's coming back around!

Pets: Multiple, even not counting animal sanctuary beasties. Some she drops by to visit where they're being looked after once she'd raised them or sheltered them for a while (the baby hippo was donated to the hippo riders thankfully before he got too large and hungry for example). Others live at the free company house getting spoiled by the staff. The free company is named after the baby tapir who is the best and cutest. :)

S K I L L S

Abilities: In character, she has yet to find something she isn't good at after a couple of false starts. (ooc is much more of a mess depending on my ability) As an all-jobs all-crafts all-gatherers weirdo she's genuinely alarming to contemplate.

Hobbies: crafting/gathering/fishing is more of a wind down respite than a career calling for her. Canonically she's finished the fishing log... ooc I haven't by a long shot :P She also loves visiting bars and pubs across the world that she's visited to drop in on old friends, or go on foodie tours of places she's liberated. They stole G'raha being a foodie traveller in the dawntrail trailer from her actually.

Kinda always wanted to do a in character review of all the drinking establishments in game.

T R A I T S

Most positive trait: determination and everything that went into being strong enough to do the end walk, which did feel like a culmination of all the positive things they ascribe to the WoL. Since she's living the life of box art Meteor with no plot deviations or alterations except what I can put into the downtime and spaces between cutscenes, I can't argue with times when they REALLY show the admirable heart of the WoL.

Most negative trait: She's not going to say no, so if you need a favour just stand near where she wanders by routinely and look forlorn and you WILL get helped to within an inch of your life.

L I K E S

Colors: royal purple, dark reds and deep blues

Smells: fresh baked anything. Probably also the fresh morning smell when she gets up at ass o'clock to do stretches or whatever gross things morning people do.

Textures: G'raha ears >:)

Drinks: black coffee, red wine, milky tea

O T H E R    D E T A I L S

Smokes: tried it with the Vath and hated it. Still has no idea if Fogweed is a drug or not.

Drinks: socially and merrily with a bottomless liver.

Drugs: nothing harder than caffeine and alcohol.

Mount Issuance: her sweet blue chocobo is called Turbulence and threw off everyone who attempted to ride him before that.

Been Arrested: not outside MSQ run ins with the law

[icehearts]

Esca Reynault

— B A S I C S

Name: Esca Reynault

Nicknames: Lady Belladonna (derogatory), milady (also derogatory), milady (affectionate???)

Age: Early-to-mid 20s.

Nameday: 7th Sun of the 4th Astral Moon. (7/7)

Race: Midlander Hyur.

Gender: Cis female; she/her.

Orientation: Bisexual.

Profession: Alchemist by way of the Alchemists' Guild of Ul'dah, botanist by way of her father's tutelage, reluctant shopkeep of the family plant nursery-cum-apothecary

.

— P H Y S I C A L A S P E C T S

Hair: Long, chestnut, well-kept. Usually swept up in a ponytail or pinned back and out of the way.

Eyes: Tigerseye brown. Inscrutable.

Skin: Fair, unblemished; the complexion of one raised in comfort and relative luxury.

Tattoos/scars: None to speak of.

— F A M I L Y

Parents:

Mother - Leopoldine Reynault, the youngest daughter of a minor house of Ishgard. Members of the Reynault family have historically been employed by larger noble houses as retainers, midwives, maids, cooks, in-house chirurgeons, groundskeepers, among other roles. Father - Warrick Caraway, a Studium-educated botanist and horticulturist with a specialization in environmental, plant, and soil sciences. Part of his ongoing post-graduation research involved evaluating the aetherial qualities of the soil in the various Calamity-affected Coerthan regions, and developing methods to encourage the growth of more diverse foliage and flora that could withstand the recently altered environs.

Siblings: None. She's an only child.

Grandparents: None to speak of. Her parents' union was not approved by either family involved, so Esca's grandparents on both sides remain quite distant.

In-laws and Other: Silas ████████, a Garlean ex-patriot who acts as a sort of older brother figure for Esca.

Pets: None to speak of.

— S K I L L S

Abilities: Alchemy, of course, botany, and she's rather savvy with a needle too. She's no seamstress, but Esca can mend an article of clothing or even stitch up a wound if need be. She has some aptitude for spellcasting, primarily wind- and water-aspected magicks. Her mastery over such magicks is lacking, to say the least, and Esca has little patience for things she can't control.

Hobbies: Reading, tending to the greenhouse, concocting experimental solutions and potions. Hunting down the ones she thinks are responsible for her mother's suspiciously sudden illness. Daydreaming about how she'll pay them back for humiliating her family. Honestly? She needs more hobbies.

— T R A I T S

Most Positive Trait: Diplomatic.

Most Negative Traits: Deceptive.

— L I K E S

Colors: Blues, whites, blacks. Silver and gold.

Smells: Fresh air, delicate florals. Nothing overpowering.

Textures: Smooth silk, gauzey cotton, weathered leather.

Drinks: Mulled tea, coffee, mint lassi.

— O T H E R D E T A I L S

Smokes: Never.

Drinks: Very rarely. Alcohol makes it a little too easy for the mask of composure to slip off, so she tends to avoid the stuff. Plus she tends to be an emotional drunk, and that can be embarrassing.

Drugs: None.

Mount Issuance: A snow-white chocobo affectionately named Ambrosia.

Been Arrested: Why? Do you think she's guilty of something?

Tagged by: @paintedscales @sealrock @shroudkeeper tysm <3

Tagging: YOU! 🫵 That's right YOU! If you haven't done this yet but want to, consider yourself officially tagged!

[sprinklepartyfall]

So, in light of this, and finding out Bloodmoon died apparently, the brainrot began, enjoy.

@o-i-w-u pspspspsps-

The trick board.

(Spirit/Monster?) Bloodmoon twins x Reader

[Insignificant Warnings: This is medium-long in length, I did not proofread this, it basically gets cut off as a cliffhanger at the end.]

In a far off timeline, the world was shattered. Chaos from the breakdown of the leaders and the cowardly actions of the followers. Luckily, you never liked people, so you were already pretty skilled at avoiding them, yay anti-social behavior-!

As a lone survivor, you learned pretty fast that most easy things were probably a trap made by other survivors. You had been currently walking around a store, sneaking around the people already there to grab supplies and go. That was before you heard them... talking to themselves? To air maybe?

Once you got a closer look, it seemed they'd been trying to use an ouija board... how someone could find one was a mystery, and why they would keep it was beyond you. But it was funny that they tried, and quite clearly failed to talk to whatever ghost or demon they were trying to find.

You stuck around, mostly since they were arguing and, well, it was over something stupid and you needed entertainment. That was when you got one idea, it only seemed to be three people... so you stole the ouija board while they were distracted, causing quite the fright when they noticed. Chaos was one thing that would never leave the broken world you lived in, and that was somehow a small comfort for you.

You'd left the building, walking through the shadows with your newly acquired item as the yelling of panic fades behind you. Was it mean? Yes. But was it funny? Hell yeah. The board, along with its little planchette, was under your arm.

You walked to an abandoned park nearby, climbing up a tree burgrudgingly so you wouldn't be spotted, and set the board down. You didn't expect it to work, so you didn't bother trying, unlike the probable ghost that made it quite clear it wanted to talk. You nearly fell out of the tree when you saw it start moving, firstly because that was definitely not just the wind, and Secondly because that's not how it worked...

The piece went to the 'hello' area showing this was happening whether you wanted it to or not, you did not get a say in this. But of course, after a couple minutes of stunned silence, the spirit spoke again; 'R-E-S-P-O-N-D–T-O–U-S' that wasn't comforting, that wasn't comforting at all, there were MULTIPLE.

"...Hi..." You mumbled out warily, panicking a lot more internally than externally. 'H-E-L-L-O' The spirit spelled out, even though there was a spot that already said hello- 'Y-O-U–L-I-V-E' The spirit pointed out, making you tense even more, maybe you were just insane? That would probably be... worse actually... "I am." You responded hesitantly, glancing around to make sure you weren't about to die some cruel death.

'W-H-Y–T-E-N-S-E' oh gee, you wonder why, it totally isn't the fact you're probably haunted or cursed now. "No reason." You stated simply, because you aren't going to be a jerk, that would be rude. "Who are you?" Your tone was polite although with a hint of anxiety, which was probably not fine. Most people would run from this... in fact, you would have been too, if it weren't for the fact you were in a tree, and would probably just lay there in defeat if you fell.

'B-L-O-O-D-M-O-O-N' You had to pause at that name, it wasn't common at all and definitely didn't scream "I'm friendly!" But you were probably stuck with it in some way now. "...nice to meet you." You responded politely, how else were you supposed to react to this? You were an anxious introvert and this was a potentially bloodthirsty ghost, not a great combination.

'Y-O-U–S-M-A-L-L' they pointed out, in which you weren't actually THAT small... so how tall was this ghost?? Apparently, much taller than you. "Okay... why are you... talking to me?" You asked, ignoring the strange spirits words. 'Y-O-U–L-O-O-K–F-R-A-G-I-L-E' the spirit responded, a sudden chill running down your spine as it spoke. "...is that a good thing to you?" You responded sheepishly, tilting your head slightly as you spoke. Instead of an answer, however, the planchette was thrown at your head, hitting the tree behind you. A few small bits of bark fell from the trees trunk, and you felt so thankful that you tilted your head out of its way.

"Nope, nope, nope, nope-" You started repeating as you moved to get up, you were ready to climb down and run now, but that was before you were grabbed by something... maybe someone.

You yelped, yet it was muffled by a cold hand over your mouth, another wrapped around your waist as you were pulled into the tree. Your eyes wideneding before shutting completely, a dizzy feeling overwhelming your senses as you were taken away.

Once you had regained your senses, finally opening your eyes, you were met with a void and... a face strangely close to you. You flinched back, now noticing the feeling of someone holding you from behind as they had chuckled at your feared reaction. "Other, they are finally awake." The one in your face stated with a grin.

It seemed like it was themed after the moon, yet showed no sign of silver aside from the silver star on its chest... it had various shades of red adoring its large form. It was a good four, maybe five feet taller than you and god was it intimidating. It looked like some sort of beast, claws, sharp teeth bared in that eerie grin it showed you. It looked... scaly in a way, its skin looked rough with the fading scars along its chest, arms, and left hip. It wore some sort of navy blue robe of sorts, yet it didn't cover much of its appearance like most would, more so just... kept it warm, maybe?

"Indeed other! It seems they survived!" The one that held you, or 'other'? Spoke, its excitement clear. its appearance quiet similar to the other creatures, the only differences being its star was gold, it had less scars, and it felt a bit fuzzy...

"They seem confused." 'Brother' spoke, its voice holding clear amusement as it held your chin up. "Yes, but I like them like this." 'Other' stated mischievously, squeezing your form in its grip, earning a slight squeak from you. "W-where am I‽" you blurted out, finally choking out the words stuck in your throat.

"In a void." 'Brother' stated bluntly, its grin widening slyly as it looked you up and down. "But- no- why-" You stammered, trying to lean away from both of them, but you couldn't move much... you were trapped with them. "Relax, little human! We won't hurt you, much~" 'Other' teased, pressing you further into it with a smug expression. "I-I can't stay here! I need to go back!" You exclaimed, trying desperately to reason with them, but it only earned chuckles of amusement. "No, no. You can' leave..." 'Brother' trailed off, both their grips on you tightening possessively...

"You're ours now, human."

————————————————————————

[Oh my god, I contemplated giving up like three times while writing this. This is what happens when I get a prompt and make it up as I go. My notes app says this is like nine pages long too.]

[punsmaster69]

16/MAR/20XX

slowly, that heavy purple door is opened. the human leans all their weight onto it until it's open enough so that they can just barely squeeze through.

snow crunches beneath their boots as they carefully step out, seeming shocked by the sudden cold.

the human presses on, slowly treading the tree-lined path. constantly, they're looking with fear at the trees around them - as if they thought something was going to jump out at them.

keeping a distance, i follow patiently behind - making a few quick observations as i do.

they're shaking - stick in hand. the shaking doesn't seem to only be the result of the weather.

they haven't been in snowdin long enough for that to be snow on their clothes.

weirdly, there's a strange upset look they've had since exiting that door.

...

𝘾 𝙍 𝘼 𝘾 𝙆 .

i disappear into the trees. the human whips around. their expression goes from... apologetic, almost?

upset to a look of fear.

getting a better look at their face, they're noticably pretty young. can't be older than thirteen, maybe.

with more hesitation, they approach the looming wooden bars.

stepping less lightly, i make my footsteps audible as i approach them. the human freezes entirely.

"H u m a n ."

"D o n ' t y o u k n o w h o w

t o g r e e t a n e w p a l ?"

"T u r n a r o u n d a n d

s h a k e m y h a n d ."

slowly, they turn to face me.

i outstretch my hand towards them.

they shakily meet a hand with mine.

i firmly grasp onto

the fabric at my sides.

somewhat thin, cold to the touch. extremely familiar.

a stream of moonlight illuminates my bedsheets. the light enters through my opened curtains. my curtains, which flutter around with each breeze that comes through the open window.

realizing i should close it, i find myself already sat upright.

for once i decide to not mind the effort. tossing my sheets aside - shuddering from the immediate blast of cold wind - i slide my legs over the side of my bed.

along the floor, i sweep my feet against the carpet. eventually, my foot makes contact with a slipper. i slide it on and find the other not long after.

it's nearly silent when my feet hit the carpeted floor as i pull myself out of bed entirely.

this journal is one of the things i knock over while blindly tapping my hand along the top of my nightstand, trying to find my phone. the phone itself is included in what falls. i'm not too concerned, since it isn't a tall height to fall from as well as there being carpet to soften the landing.

what i 𝘸𝘢𝘴 worried about is also softened by the carpet - it dampens the noise made by accidentally knocking random objects off my nightstand.

another blast of cold wind reminds me what i was doing.

upon stepping forward, my foot catches something on the floor; nearly tripping me. my phone flashlight reveals it to be a shirt haphazardly tossed onto the floor. didn't inspect it close enough to be able to say which one exactly. using my foot, it gets tossed just as haphazardly to the other side of the room.

light pointed at the floor, i avoid any more self-made hazards while making my way to the window. unfortunately, this isn't a sound dampened by anything.

more fortunately, not a sound is heard from the other room as i wait in total stillness.

i'm careful to go slower than before as i silently close the curtains and make my way back to bed.

...

i sit quietly for some time, covering up with my sheets once more - yet not lying down.

tap, tap.

it takes a few moments for me to locate the journal again on the nightstand.

deciding to write this very entry, i use just my phone light. less noticable than a lamp, if not a bit more of a hassle. which, again, i decide i don't mind for now. papyrus would definitely notice the light if he's not in bed - not a gamble i'm taking.

i'd usually not mind having someone with me after an odd dream, but.

...not really a nightmare.

a memory?

but, that's not how things happened.

not exactly, at least.

when i first went to shake hands with the kid, they didn't wait to turn like that.

...

i had a few thoughts about it at the time. one of them being the feeling they were that anomaly in the reports...

well, it 𝘸𝘢𝘴 true. wasn't a wrong feeling.

but, frisk isn't timid like that kid in the dream. they turned around because i'd made it obvious someone was there. not some repeat thing.

.....

or...?

eh, scratch it.

it's not important.

not anymore.

even if there was truth to that dream, they fixed it in the end - one way or another.

's all that matters to me.

[nonnieapple]

⛈ ☂️ Peach Pit, 5- Long Season Through☂️ ⛈

• (Akura-ou x g/n reader x Tomoe)   • r a t i n g: m a t u r e • 1 5 2 3 w o r d s  •  p o s t e d 21.01.2024    🌧  navigation 🍑 previous chapter 🍑 next chapter • s u m m a r y: you're a peaceful farmer in the mountains during the sengoku period. someone starts stealing your peaches, and the thief turns out to be a chaotic oni, and the events that ensue flip your life upside down. • c h a p t e r s u m m a r y: an opportunity presents itself in annoying hues. TW: fire mention, (a copious amount of) alcohol(ism) (being ingested). .

The sound of a shovel hurling through the air and hitting a mound of mud made the birds in a three-hundred and sixty-shaku radius take off flying in a petrified haze. 

  Your mood was a rotten peach decaying in the mud. The amount of negativity surrounding you could summon a miasma. 

  You sat on the grass, hanging your head low. Last week had been tough. You didn't feel the same after what happened in the town. He stopped it, but he was so close to not. If not for your tears, everyone would've... 

  You pressed your hands into your temples. You focused on your breathing. Even writing hadn't gone well today, your strokes were lax and the words wouldn't flow. Neither did cooking go well. You ended up eating a ridiculous amount of bread and pickled plums. 

  You wouldn't need to eat for another century. And when you tried reading, your eyes and mind wandered far from the page. 

  A shadow obscured the dim sun. 

  You looked up. 

  A bold red shadow against the blue sky stood above you. Great. The last person you wanted to see. 

  "What do you want, oni?" You asked with a small voice, cracking throughout. 

  "Come with me, crazy human." He reached out a claw to you. It was framed by black, chrome feathers.

  You took it, and he lifted you easily. A soft reminder of his power. His hand was hot. 

  "Cool." You stood, waiting patiently for him to do some magic. 

  He rose a brow.

  "You're not going to argue with me?" 

  You shook your head. 

  "Take me away from this wretched place. I'm done." 

  After a delay, he smirked, flashing his razor-sharp shark teeth. 

  Instead of fog, everything swirled with black wind, like a thick smog that prompted you to cough. 

  You stood in a worn down castle, once abandoned but now lived in again, taken by force, made evident by the damage and odd decor. It was incohesive, cobbled together, the most expensive treasures and baubles someone had stuffed in corners and stuck on walls. 

  Akura kept walking. You tapped your foot in place. 

  "Huh? Aren't you coming?" 

  "Nah. I've decided to stay and rot here 'til I die." You smiled. 

  "I decide who rots and when in this castle. Move," He ordered.

  You didn't budge as he softly pressed on your back. Your sandals shuffled. 

  "Tomoe has your dagger. He's here. You could, you know, get it back." His hair ghosted over your neck. 

  Your eyes lit up, and you felt determination coming back to you. 

  "Really?" You began walking, his hand still on your back. 

  "Really. But don't think it'll be easy." He laughed behind closed teeth. You felt a chill run up your spine as his claws brushed your skin. 

  The castle was far from empty. It was filled with servants and goons of Akura-ou. You assumed that's what they were. Or maybe they were Tomoe's? 

  Your destination had been a large room with a few floor-to-ceiling windows and various tables. At one with three chairs, in the middle chair, sat Tomoe. Portuguese chairs, carved intricately. Such luxury. 

  Next to him on the table were several flasks of sake, sake cups, brushes, and... ink... and paper. How peculiar. 

  A sparkle. Your dagger was lying in his lap. His tail swung quickly. 

  "You're back quick." 

  The door closed loudly. It shook the walls. The room smelled of incense- standing in the other corner of the room- and... alcohol. And pine, and a subtle cherry smell. So much was going on, and your brain had trouble processing it, including the unusual spirits on either side of you. 

  "I don't like dragging things out."

  You plopped down in one of the other chairs, Akura-ou in the one opposite of you. 

  You inspected the table, glancing up at Akura and Tomoe with owlish eyes. 

  "You get your dagger if you win," Akura said, nodding over to Tomoe. His ears perked up. 

  "You and Akura-ou will drink undiluted sake until you're as drunk as can be. Then, you both will attempt to write [the kanji for] "melancholy rose". The one who manages to do so- will keep the dagger," Explained Tomoe. 

  Your joy faded as quickly as it came. 

  "Drinking with a yokai?! That's damn impossible!" You tangled your hands in your hair. Tomoe smiled. 

  "We'll see." Tomoe glanced to Akura, and their eyes met, smiles matched in mischieviousness, one face demonic, and one ethereal. 

  You inhaled. 

  You smiled smugly. 

  "Fine. I take your deal." 

  The first drink was a puppy. 

  The tenth was a hellhound biting off your head. 

  Some time after that you had stopped counting. 

  You groaned, hot face held in your shaky hands. The alcohol burned in your stomach all the way back up your throat. Your mouth had started to numb. You could see well enough, but your body was loose, and each movement seemed so much more broad and intense. You laid your head on the table. You kept feeling the fabric of your clothing with your fingertips. 

  Akura had a lightly flushed face and kept needlessly fixing his hair. You had an... uncontrollable urge to go for a run. And to knit. You never knitted. Or went for runs. 

  "How drunk are you?" Asked Tomoe, watching you with disinterest. Akura-ou flipped his hair, and it hung from his horns. He attempted to fix it, only managing to tangle another piece of hair on his golden disc earrings. He growled. 

  You tried to lift yourself. Your body was heavy. You huffed, clinging to your chair. 

  You gasped. 

  "Drunk... enough..." You sighed, folding over. Your hair obscured your vision. Akura-ou's eyes were glassy and squinting at a corner in the room. 

  You stared at him through your hair. 

  "How are you drunk? When you drank at the festival... you downed what seemed like bottle after bottle with no issue-" You forced out between breaths and nonsensical hums. 

  "I drank only.... a glass.... or two. The rest was... juice." He tried to lean back, almost falling and catching himself by gripping the table. 

  A screen was placed between you two. His horns still peeked out from behind. 

  You were given a brush, ink, and a piece of paper. You inhaled, trying to focus and pull yourself together. You only made yourself dizzier. 

  The melancholy rose kanji... the shapes were vaguely in your mind. One was like a chicken coup with a skewer on top. The other was like a wise old man squinting... or something like that. 

  You were thankful you had eaten a lot that day, as it seemed you were faster to sober up. Akura... by his shadow, it seemed like he wasn't writing at all, only swaying back and forth like a maple sapling in the wind. 

  You made your best guess with the parts of the kanji you remembered. You cringed. And empty page- a writer's worst nightmare. Shapes swirled before you and your world spun as you felt nausea rise in your throat. Your body felt weightless and you felt yourself floating away into a reverie. 

  You closed your eyes. A while ago you wrote something with those exact words. You audibly hummed as you thought and your face scrunched in frustration. You wished you could shove your hand into the deepest parts of your brain and retrieve the memory and slap it on the page. You bit your lip. 

  You opened your eyes. The page stared back expectantly. 

  "Don't look at me like that." 

  It didn't reply. You huffed, tapping your brush. 

  Your hand trembled as you dipped the brush into the ink, and set it down on the paper. If you never tried, you'd never win. And you couldn't miss the opportunity. So you steeled your nerves and wrote like you weren't drunk and being scrutinized by sly purple eyes. 

  You placed the final stroke, checking the writing. It was as close as you were going to get. You chewed on the inside of your cheek as sobriety came creeping up to you. 

  The screen was removed. 

  Akura was in the middle of falling asleep over what was... well, it could've been an abstract painting, it could've been an ink spill, it could've been a hallucination; it was many things- but it wasn't "melancholy rose". 

  You looked down at your paper. You hadn't fared too badly. 

  Tomoe's eyes widened. He banged on the table. 

  "Akura! That's abhorrent!" He pointed a grey claw at the paper. Akura ou hummed incomprehensibly in response. Tomoe stared at him with disappointment. They switched places. Akura was shoved out of his chair and into Tomoe's. He didn't seem to mind. He was in a place far away now. Rest in piss. 

  Tomoe sat down. He placed the dagger on the table. Your hand reached towards it. He spawned fire in his hand. You slapped it away. The fire faded. Tomoe looked surprised. 

  "I... HATE... fire," You mumbled angrily. You glared at him. 

  He tapped the table. 

  "I request a rematch, with me." 

  Tomoe poured another cup of sake. 

  Things were never as simple as you wanted them to be, huh? 

[squidlykitten]

D A Y T H R E E

Alt Prompt: Shivering

His breath hung heavy on the air, thick clouds drifting before clouded eyes. It was cold. Far too cold for a vincam, let alone one of his size and age. The mud sucked hungrily at his boots, fighting him for every step of the slog, sending cold lightning jolting up through his leg, though his hip, down to his feet.

His lungs burned and the air felt jagged upon his tongue, scraping down his throat with every desperate gasp. One foot. And then the next. Forward… Forward.

His company was long since behind him, small still forms lay tangled in the freezing mud. He had tried to drag them onwards. Tried to keep them close. But the wind had claws sharper than he did, it's howling voice louder than any Command. He couldn't save them. He never could.

Bodies and bodies and bodies and blood -- red eyes frosted over, purple mouths opened in final, desperate gasps, magenta paths carved into the snow and the muck, a bloom of color against the featureless landscape of gray and white.

Soon, he felt, it would swallow him whole.

He stumbled, knee seizing up as hemolymph thickened, pumping sluggish through the slowing thrum of his pulse. Onwards. He dragged his leg heavy behind. Onwards. His chin hit the earth and so he crawled, claws digging deep trenches in the mud. Onwards. He heaved another, aching breath. Onwards.

He had to reach the base camp. Had to signal the flotilla. The Soldiers-- there might be some capable of saving. Some lives not yet snuffed out. Just… sleeping. The torpor would keep them safe. Hold them close.

He could felt it like a memory, like a friend, like a whisper. If he just laid down to rest, if he just stopped, only a moment… The aching could fade. The struggle could end. He could feel phantom warmth licking at his fingers like flames, hot and painful, if he just removed his gloves, removed his robes. If he just laid down to rest…

He yanked his arm from out of the mud, pressed onwards, clawed onwards. He only needed to reach the signal. He only needed to reach the light. KJ had long since gone silent within his head, running low-power in an attempt to preserve his warmth. That whisper in the back of his mind was not his friend, not his reason, but something else. Something deeper.

Something calling him Home.