#And I worry that asking about it will ironically put a target on my back.

[butteredpenny-reblogs]

Me: *makes a post applying too much critical thinking to a video game*

Also me: What does proship mean? What does shipping mean?

[jinwoosbabyboo]

Nika's Open Mic Night!

𝕎𝕖𝕝𝕔𝕠𝕞𝕖 𝕥𝕠 𝕞𝕪 𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕤𝕥 𝕠𝕡𝕖𝕟 𝕔𝕠𝕝𝕝𝕒𝕓/𝕣𝕠𝕦𝕟𝕕 𝕣𝕠𝕓𝕚𝕟

Calling all the LADS writers of Tumblr

Please read → Everyone and anyone is free to join. Write something for the prompt and tag someone who you'd like to see participate. You can do it in a reblog to this post or make your own post. Your character can be a self-insert, your MC, or an OC If you make your own post please add me in your taglist or tag it with #nikasopenmicnight I love reading you guys work. I'm going to be making an ongoing list with links to all the stories of everyone who chooses to join. There is no deadline have fun !

Okay I'll shut up now here's the prompt

the prompt: running into your main lads man (boyfriend) while you're out with your second favorite lads man (as a friend) and how they would react. [Credit: Anon]

I'll go first....Who's next?

This was supposed to be a quick trip, in and out, get what I need and leave. I should’ve gone to a different store because I knew better than to think I'd make a ‘quick trip’ to target. Dumbass. Nothing was ever a quick trip when me and Raf hung out. So here I am buying all new decor for my library at home. Rafayel stood by giving his opinion even when I didn't ask for it “How many blankets does one girl need?”

“There’s no such thing as too many blankets” I giggled as I squat down to chose a fluffy red blanket. I knew Sylus would like this no matter how much he likes to act like he doesn't care for them I see how he throws one over his lap when it’s within reach. “Thinking of me?” I jump at the sudden sound of his voice looking up to see his tall frame looming over me. It wasn’t uncommon for him to pop-up on me considering he has my location. I couldn’t help the smile that split my face in two as I looked up at him. I stood up and shoved the blanket in this direction. “What do you think?” His hand gently ran up and down the fabric, but his intense stare was fixated over my shoulder “It’s nice”

I turned to see Raf giving Sylus a just as intense stare, but instead of a frown like Sylus he had a smile on his face. His smile didn’t reach his eyes and I could practically feel the lightning cracking between them. Am I in the middle of some kind of pissing contest? Men. “Sylus stop being rude he's my friend” I poked him in his side which made him jolt, but he finally looked at me. His gaze softened slightly as our eyes locked. “Princess i’m not doing anything” He poked me in my forehead and I swatted his hand away; he knows I hate when he does that. “Don’t play dumb” I scowled at him and all he did was give me that sexy ass smirk. Sometimes I wish he was ugly …. no I don’t. Sylus put his gaze back on Rafayel and pulled me impossibly close to him by my waist. “Apologies if I'm interrupting, but we have an appointment with a tailor that we can’t miss”

Why is he lying? This is the first i’m hearing of said appointment. I struggled in his hold trying to pry his fingers from my waist, but he gave me a few small squeezes making me snort with laughter.

Raf didn’t even try to argue he threw his hands up in surrender “No worries I have paintings to finish” he grabbed his items that he tossed in the cart, gave my nose a pinch along with a quick “I’ll talk to you later” and sauntered off. The second Rafayel was out of sight I managed to wiggle my way out of Sylus' iron grip “What appointment are you talking about?”

“There isn’t one I just didn’t like the way he looks at you” He said in a matter-of-fact tone as if I was supposed to know that. “How exactly does he look at me?”

“The same way I look at you” I narrowed my eyes at him inquisitively; he returned the same look and I knew he was mocking me. “So you don’t trust me” It was more of a statement rather than a question.

“And here I thought your deductive reasoning skills were improving” he shifted his weight as he crossed his arms over his chest. “I trust you sweetie I don’t trust him he wants to be more than a friend” something was off although he seemed annoyed I could tell that it wasn’t me he was upset with. All of his tells were on full display by the way he avoided eye contact with and how his fingers absentmindedly tapped on his bicep. “Are you jealous?” I teased poking his chest repeatedly. He glowered at me as I tried and failed to stop the evil grin that spread across my face. “You’re enjoying this a little too much for my liking”

“You’re so cute when you're jealous” I reached up to pinch his cheek but as always he grabbed my wrist before I could even get close. “Enough” he’s so sick of my shit, but it’s not like he’s going anywhere. "Don't worry no one can steal me from you"

tagging w/ no pressure ;

@who-mentioned-rhys-larsen @irandial @ollieneedsamilkshake @phoenixiaxia @luxis-journal

@deepspacenova @world-of-hearts @comatosebunny09 @leighsartworks216 @awesomephilosophus

@ersharyzst

[lil-binuu]

𝑫𝒐𝒏’𝒕 𝒕𝒐𝒖𝒄𝒉 𝒎𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔

~ 𝐼𝓈𝒶𝒶𝒸 𝒻𝒾𝒸

Isaac saves you from a creepy client

requested by: @mitsukitsume and @someonelol1872

560 words

sorry for the long wait mls! i hope you enjoy! <3

“Just go through to that room and I’ll bring the documents.”

You could hear Isaac in the hall say to the new client who had come through the door. You were in the kitchen and preparing Isaac his usual whiskey when he came in.

Since he was a new client, Isaac wanted to handle meetings himself for your own safety. While you would help with cases, Isaac felt a lot more comfortable if clients didn’t know about you. This way, you wouldn’t be targeted if anyone wanted to get to Isaac and he was always wary around new people.

“Ah, good afternoon. You must be Isaac’s housekeeper?” He asked.

You nodded, “What can I make you to drink?”

“I see Isaac likes his whiskey, I’ll have the same.”

You turned around to pour the same drink into another glass, but stopped when you realised it was chipped. Can’t serve a client that…you thought.

“You must’ve been working here a while, right? If so, you must be looking for somewhere else to take your services.”

You ignored the man’s attempt at conversation, choosing to focus on the drink instead.

"Isaac is lucky. You seem well trained, I could do with someone of your expertise."

You kept your back to him, hoping that he'll stop his comments if he doesn't get a response. You opened the overhead cupboard where the glasses were. You reached up to take a glass and felt another arm behind you.

“Please, allow me.”

You turned around to see the man taking the glass for you.

Surprised, you tried to step away only to stumble over your own feet.

“Woah, careful.” The man laughed, taking your arm to stabilise you. It would have been a nice gesture if this stranger wasn’t so close to you, practically breathing in the scent of your hair.

You smiled awkwardly, uncomfortable and wanting to get out of the corner he had pushed you into. Taking the glass he picked up and trying to move out of his grip, he stopped you abruptly, placing his arm as a barrier in front of you.

“Don’t be in such a rush.” He teased. “I want to get to know you.”

A sudden wave of sickness washed over you. The heavy feeling in your gut making you want to throw up. Your heart hammering with dread as he leaned down closer to your eye level, disappointed to see your eyes fixed on the floor.

“Didn’t anybody tell you it’s rude to break eye contact when someone is talking to you?”

He lifted a hand to correct your gaze, only to be stopped. Isaac’s iron grip and his eyes that flared so furiously, making the man freeze.

Isaac placed himself in front of you, pushing the man backwards to shield you while maintaining his tightening grip.

“Didn’t anybody tell you it’s rude to touch somebody else’s things?” Isaac growled back at him.

It’s safe to say Isaac dropped the client immediately, only, of course, after sending him to hospital with a black eye. You pretend you don’t know that Isaac digs up shit about him, and puts so carefully in his blackmail file to use whenever he pleases as a quiet act of karma. (I think it’s become his new hobby) I mean, keeping you safe is his priority, so what do you expect?

sorry it was so short!! originally i made this but was gonna make some changes to make it much more angsty but i struggled to write that stuff into the scene as it went too off the plot so i just decided to stick with this! i hope you enjoyed reading, please feel free to request me anything (but just know i only really write for elias x) and don’t worry i’m going to be working on my next fic soon!

[soupbaddie]

A Day With the Pavel Family

*only suitable for mature audiences, 18+*

While this story is fine for 13+, future parts will not be.

This story contains spoilers pertaining to Najuma and Hodari quest lines.

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"Hey! Your dad said you were wanting some tea, so I brought you some sweet leaf."

Najuma had just barely made it out of her room, still yawning, before I started talking to her.

"Oh! Um.. thanks! This will be great after dinner tonight. Thanks, Em."

I couldn't get out a reply before she took off out the front door, saying something about not wanting to forget her newest idea.

I sat back down on the couch and picked up my book. I had spent the last hour reading, waiting for Najuma to wake up. I started my day early in the hopes of getting a sernuk before it was too hot to hunt. Luckily it didn't take me too long, so I came here right after and got straight to reading.

"Hey, darlin'."

I was so lost in my book, I didn't even see or hear Hodari come through the door.

"What are you doing here so earlier? I don't usually see you 'til lunch time," he said, while giving me a grin.

"I could ask you the same. You should work while it's still cool out. Also, how did you know I was here?"

He nodded toward the door and said, "I saw Najuma come out of here with a pep in her step and I knew that meant she'd seen you."

I looked down and smiled as he made his way to the couch to sit by me. He put a hand on my thigh and I could feel a tingle move up my leg and to my spine. His touch always felt so new and made my heart race.

"What can I do for you, darlin'?"

"Oh. Nothing," I replied. "I was just out and thought I'd try to make the day easier for you by getting some steaks for dinner. Lucky for you, I was successful." I looked up at him and he was already looking back at me.

"You know you don't have to do that for me," he said quietly.

"I know but now it's one less thing for you to worry about."

"Well, I really appreciate it, Ember. You take good care of Najuma and me."

He gave my thigh a light squeeze and I felt a wave of nerves run through me.

"I wish I could help out more but, I'm a better hunter than I am a miner."

He chuckled. "Well, how about you join me in the mines today and I can give you a few tips."

"I'd like that."

He stood up and grabbed my hand to help me up then led me out the door.

I waved at Najuma as we made our way towards the mines. She smiled and waved back but I knew she was upset that she couldn't join. I was slowly convincing Hodari to let her back in the mines but it was taking more time than I'd hoped.

As we got closer, I started to feel some nervous energy creeping up inside of me. I had been working on my skills and was really hoping Hodari would notice. I didn't want him to feel like all his help in the past had been ignored. He had more patience with me than he should've and I felt like I needed to prove that I was worth the work.

"Alright, Ember, let me see what you got."

I swung the pick above my head and using the weight of it, came back down on some iron in front of me. It didn't do much but at least I hit my target this time.

"Not too bad, darlin'. You're getting better at this. Move your legs further apart, they're too close together. Now give it another swing."

I pulled back the pick again, and with better balance, was able to come down with a little more force.

"That's it. Nice swing, Em."

I let out the breath I had been holding and gave him a nod. When I went to hit a third time, I swung back too fast and lost my balance. I dropped the pick in the hopes of moving my hands in time to catch myself. Before I hit, I felt Hodari catch me.

"Take it a little slower next time. There's no rush," he said as he helped me back to my feet.

"I know we just started, but I think I'll take a break. That pick is always heavier than I remember. I'll come back once I catch my breath."

He gave me a nod of approval and I took off to find some shade. I sat under a tree close enough to the mines to see Hodari at work. He was great at his job and all those years of hard work really showed. He was strong. I could feel it when he caught me. He held me like I didn't weigh more than the pick I was swinging. I sat back and admired him. His face was so still and focused. His stance was firm and unmoving in a way I knew I'd never conquer. And his arms, his chest...

I got a weird feeling in my stomach and turned to look at something else. Any time I really stopped to look at him, these feelings would come. I wasn't very familiar with them. Existing was still pretty new.

When I arrived here, I had no idea what being human meant. I knew the basics of being alive, but I had almost no memory of where I came from or what I was before arriving. Everything I did and saw were firsts for me. The foundation of who I was was there, but nothing was built on it.

I pulled a book out of the bag I had been carrying. It wasn't the one I had thought it was but it would do.

"Stalking Prey for Beginners," I read out loud. Not as entertaining as the romance novels Caleri introduced me to but still good enough to keep me reading.

After some time passed, Hodari made his way towards me wiping sweat from his brow.

"It'll be dark by the time we get back. Don't want to keep Najuma waiting," he said.

I hadn't even realized it had gotten so late. I'd spent the whole day reading this damn book... and occasionally staring at Hodari.

"Oh, I'm so sorry. I never went back to help. I got lost in reading."

I looked down, a little embarrassed, and he chuckled.

"You know I don't mind, darlin'. I'm glad you found some time for yourself to relax. You deserve that. "Now let's head back." He grabbed my hand and we walked back to the house.

Najuma was already inside waiting for us. She was at the table writing notes about her latest creation. She had yet to tell me what it is but I knew she would when she was ready for a test subject.

"Hodari, you go clean up and I'll start prepping dinner. Once you're done, I'll go next," I said.

"Sure thing, darlin." He kissed my hand then headed outside.

"So, what did you get up to today?" I asked Najuma as I started washing some potatoes.

"Oh, the same as always. Wait until dad is out of the workshop then get started on my latest projects."

She paused then said, "I found one of your books. But don't worry, I won't tell my dad."

I felt my face get hot and turned to her. "You didn't read it did you?" I started to panic.

She let out a laugh then said, "No way. I'm not into your romance books. Seeing you and my dad is gross enough."

A breathed out a sigh of relief. Thank goodness she thought it was just some dumb romance novel. I'd hate to find out it's my fault she was introduced to smut.

Once I had calmed down, I got back to prepping the potatoes while waiting for Hodari to come back.

"Go ahead and get yourself cleaned up, darlin'. I'll take it from here."

He walked in smiling while rubbing his hair with a towel

"Oh! Perfect timing. The steaks are ready for the grill and that's definitely your job."

He laughed and took the steaks outside to cook. I followed before heading for the outdoor bathing area around the house. I washed the dirt off my skin and out of my hair and tried my best to get all the dust out of my clothes. It wasn't perfect, but I felt so much better and much more presentable.

By the time I was done, dinner was ready and the table inside was set. We all sat and enjoyed the meal.

Najuma told us about how Auni was bothering her again about joining him in bug hunting. Hodari talked about a promising new mine. To everyone's surprise, he asked Najuma to join him in checking it out and to come up with a game plan for getting it open.

He's getting there. This is a step in the right direction. I know he's having a hard time letting her back in but I think he's starting to see that keeping her from her Path is only making their relationship worse.

"I'm gonna make some tea. Do you want to try some, Em?"

"I would love some! Thank you," I replied.

She had an excited smile on her face as she got out another teacup.

Once brewed, she brought me the tea. It smelled earthy yet sweet with a hint of mint. I took a sip, and it was delicious. I know Najuma could tell I liked it because she reassured me there were plenty of leaves for another cup or two.

We all sat in silence for a while. This was pretty typical of the Pavel family and I didn't mind. I enjoyed the comfortable quiet that came with being around them.

"Thank you for trying the tea, Ember. My mom and I used to enjoy a some after dinner together. It's nice being able to do that with someone again." Najuma said quietly as she spoke into her cup. I reached out my hand and placed it on her forearm.

"Thank you for sharing something so special with me, Najuma. I'm honored," I said.

She gave me a shy but happy smile and we went back to our tea.

Hodari reached under the table, put a hand on my knee and gave it squeeze. When I looked to him, he had a soft, happy grin on his face. If he wasn't proud of me for the mining, he was for this moment. 

"Well, I'm going to bed!" Najuma said as she hopped from her chair and made her way to her bedroom. We all knew she wasn't actually going to sleep but at least she pretended to.

"Don't stay up too late, now. I want you up bright and early to check out that new spot," Hodari said, but she was in her room before he even finished.

He let out a sigh and I stood up from the table.

"Leavin' so soon, darlin?"

"Not unless you want me to stay a little longer. And if you do, might I suggest we move to a more comfortable spot? Like the couch?"

"Of course I want you to stay. I can't seem to get enough time with you."

We made our way to the living area and sat down. He put his arm around me and I laid my head on his shoulder.

"I saw you lost in that book today." Hodari said.

"The hunting one?" I asked.

"No, the one you forgot on the table."

I felt my face get hot. I let out a nervous laugh then replied, "Oh, that? Its nothing. Just a dumb romance book." I was too embarrassed to look at him.

"Well, I won't 5 it didn't look like nothin'," he said as he gave me a sly smile then let out a chuckled.

"So what're you plans for tomorrow, Em? If you're in the area, you're welcome to come by and say hi. You know I'll always make time for you."

I looked up into his eyes and something inside me was begging me to ask him if I could just stay forever. Not only do I hate the long walk out here but I hate always having to say goodbye.

He could tell something was wrong because his expression changed to concern when he said, "Is there something bothering you, darlin'? You can talk to me."

I couldn't even look at him when I replied, "I was wondering if you'd ever be interested in letting me stay the night?"

He started fumbling for words.

"Well, I, um, I haven't really thought about it."

I knew he was lying, but I could see a little bit of fear in his eyes.

"It's okay. I don't want to push you. I know you want to take this slow, and I understand that. But, I want you to know that I'm ready whenever you're ready."

I leaned in and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"I'm sorry, Em. I'm scared. I'm scared to get close again. I don't want to get hurt, I don't want to hurt you, and I especially don't want Najuma to go through that kind of pain again... From someone leaving... I know I shouldn't worry, but I want to make sure I'm doing this right."

He paused then quietly continued, "When I gave you my pin, I knew I wanted us to be forever."

He was no longer looking at me at this point, so I put my hand on his face and gently turned it towards me.

"Hodari, I will never know how it felt, to go through what you did, but you don't need to be afraid. There is nothing you could do that would make me want to leave." I took a deep breath. "And I decided, long before you gave me your pin, that I wanted to be with you during this life and the next."

I could see the sparkle of a tear in his eye before he leaned in and pressed his lips against mine. His kiss was gentle and it set my chest on fire. All I could think of was him. I was lost in his kiss as the room around us disappeared.

I felt one of his hands cup the back of my head while the other found its way to my hip. He kissed me deeper and I couldn't get enough. I kept one hand on his face and placed the other over his heart. It was beating fast. Faster than I would've expected from someone so stoic.

I don't know how much time had passed before we were interrupted but the creak of a door.

We both jumped in surprise and turned to see Najuma sneaking out for her nightly session in the workshop.

Hodari gave her a disapproving look then said, "I'm just gonna pretend I don't see you sneakin' out right now. But don't forget you have a busy day tomorrow."

Najuma slipped out the front door without saying anything.

Hodari let out a sigh.

"Sorry 'bout that. I should've known she'd be out here soon," he said as he rubbed the back of his neck. He'd never admit it, but he was embarrassed. Admittedly, I was too.

"It's alright," I said. "You need to be getting to bed soon, anyways. You also have a busy day tomorrow, and it's getting late. I'll stop by breakfast in the morning."

I stood up and made my way towards the front door. I needed to get going or it would be the next day before I even got home.

"Ember, wait."

Hodari stood up and made his way towards me. He took my hands in his.

"Why don't you stay here for the night, darlin'?"

I gasped. "Are you sure? Like, totally sure? I don't want to make you uncomfortable if you're not ready."

"I'm sure."

"Okay... Well, I can just stay on the couch if that will make you more comfortable."

He gave me a flirtatious smirk before leaning in close to me. I could feel his breath on my neck when he whispered in my ear, "I'll get my bed set for two."

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Hey! If you've read this far, you're a Saint. This came out so much longer than planned. This is my first time writing something that wasn't required of me. I'm still learning and would love feedback. Criticism is welcome as long as it's nice because I take everything personally. If this gets a positive response, I'd love to write a part 2, but it will be NSFW. Let me know, and thanks for reading!

Feel free to share because I'm too scared to 😅

[empiresgleam]

Sneak peak of the forthcoming Chapter 8 of Empires Gleam, in which Merlin has gone back in time to save them all, and ended up in a friends-with-benefits situation with Arthur. Mutual pining while having sexy trysts all over the place... chef's kiss.

----

"Ready? Pull!" shouted Arthur, drawing his bow.

Merlin flicked a hand and a clay disc ricocheted into the air. Arthur took the shot and felt in his bones that it was flying true towards the target. But at the last second the disc zinged out of the way and the arrow landed harmlessly in the grass.

"Sorry? Should I go easier on you?" asked Merlin, with an innocent smile.

Arthur glared. “I can't handle anything you’ve got, Merlin.”

Merlin smirked and crooked a finger to pick up Arthur's arrow and float it back to him.

"Again," sighed Arthur. "Ready? Pull!"

This time, the arrow hit the clay disc dead on, but Arthur knew enough about Merlin now to anticipate the second surprise disc. He whipped a dagger out of the top of his boot and threw it, managing to hit the second target mostly by sheer luck.

Merlin's jaw dropped open.

"Arthur, ye gods," he said.

"That's what happens when you’ve been trained to kill since b-" said Arthur, but was cut off by Merlin's mouth landing hotly on his.

Afterwards, when they were lying on the grass, letting the night air cool their heated skin, Merlin asked, "Do you want to tell the others about this place?"

Arthur looked around the aerie, at the neat acres of mossy grass, the high stone walls covered in thick ivy that looked a hundred years old, the blossoming trees, the cozy outbuildings. He took in the whole massive arena, ringed with iron braziers, a fire burning merrily in all of them, giving a warm tone to Merlin's skin that matched his eyes, which were more often gold than blue here.

"Not right now. But eventually," he conceded. "Only because it seems a shame to let all your hard work go unappreciated."

Merlin pressed his face into Arthur's shoulder, pleased as a cat at this simple compliment.

"But not now, right?" Merlin said. "It's too– too– convenient to give up."

"Right. Exactly," said Arthur, with a shiver. Convenient. That's all it was.

------

Then there was the quiet summer morning when the unicorn stepped out of the trees.

Merlin looked at Arthur's raised crossbow, looked at the unicorn, remembered a labyrinth and a beach and a riddle of poison.

Arthur put a finger to his lips.

Merlin tackled him into the dirt.

“Wow, unnecessary,” said Arthur. “I wasn’t going to shoot it. I remember the story of the prat and the unicorn.”

“Couldn't risk it,” said Merlin. “Can't rest my whole fate on whether you are or are not a prat.”

He was lying heavy on top of Arthur, panting.

Arthur said, “You know, I’ve heard that unicorns only appear to virgins. If you’re so worried, we could make sure that neither of us ever sees one again.”

He grinned, thrust his hips suggestively, and reached up for a kiss.

Merlin tasted salt on his tongue and remembered the smell of the sea, sitting across from Arthur, two goblets between them, deciding who would die to save Camelot from the unicorn’s curse.

Tomorrow, instead of making a noble sacrifice for each other’s lives, they would probably trade furtive kisses in the armoury.

And– momentarily– horribly– Merlin wished he’d let the unicorn die.

“No!” Merlin pushed off Arthur and got to his feet roughly. “It’s getting late. Let’s get back.”

He felt the pressure of Arthur’s gaze, but avoided it all the way home.

------

New chapters coming soon to Ao3.

[madschiavelique]

Can I request a Karlach x fem reader (she/her pronouns)? I would love a little angst where reader's faith begins to wane in the party because she thinks they aren't staying focused on removing the tadpoles from themselves. I would love it to end with with some fluff or smut where tav comes back to Karlach and the team.

Thank you for all of the work your putting into these requests.

i might have derived a tiny bit from the request but i hope you'll like it!! i have no idea if it's good or bad i have no perception

─ . 𝜗𝜚‧ pairing : karlach x fem!reader

─ . 𝜗𝜚‧ content warning : angst, but don't worry comfort afterwards, fem!reader (although i think it could be read as gn!reader), no use of y/n

─ . 𝜗𝜚‧ words : 1,5k

( not proofread, english is not my first language ☆)

You looked at your full glass of wine. It had only been served to you once all evening, while your companions themselves were on their third. The dark, almost black crimson of the liquid reflected your seriousness and concern, sawing your forehead in anxious frowns.

You had reached Baldur's Gate not so long ago, you had never been so close to your objectives, and yet what had you done when you arrived?

You'd wandered into a circus.

A circus, as ridiculous as it gets, was the first thing on your agenda. You had the end of the world to save, were close to the city that had been your target for months, and this was the first thing the group went to?

Admittedly, it might have helped the crew relax to have a moment without having to worry about whether they'd turn into octopuses in the next few minutes, but for your part, you couldn't get the objective out of your head.

You still had so much to do before you could even scratch the surface of your objectives, like finding the grave of the madman locked in a medallion found in the Underdark, confronting Gortash and Orin, or even finding the remains of Dribbles who were scattered who knows where.

You had so much to think about. You hadn't even reached the drawbridge that would take you into the city, too busy in the meantime neutralising enemies in the circus.

Night had fallen on the camp for a while now, and all the companions were discussing the various things they wanted to do once in the city. Astarion wanted to take revenge on Cazador, Gale was desperate to get to Lorroakan's tower, Wyll needed to see his father, and your real objective seemed to get lost in all this.

You had moved slightly away from the camp, watching the town from your campsite, sitting on a large chopped log. All the days ahead would take you horribly slowly towards The Absolute. 

“What's got you so worked up, soldier?”

You didn't need to turn around, Karlach's warm, high-spirited voice was easy to spot. Given your departure from the group earlier in the evening, it was probably only a matter of time before she came to see you.

Karlach cared about you, and you about her, more than you would have thought. A cold sweat ran down your spine every day as your eyes inevitably landed on her beating heart, staining her chest orange.

You had almost come to hate that colour. Every day the sun bathed the world, morning and evening, with its golden caress, and marked with a hot iron seal one less day in the rest of those Karlach could live.

Another annoyance that would keep you from the Absolute, another problem that could lead you to lose more than just a friend, to lose a lover…

“Worked up?” you feigned, as if the remark were ridiculous, “I'm not worked up.”

She giggled behind you, and walked over to sit next to you on the log, towering over you slightly. You could feel her gentle eyes on you, a small smile on her face as her gaze returned to the horizon.

“You look tenser than Gale when he has to hear someone massacre ‘literature's accuracy’,” her claws mimicked the signs of quotation hooks in the air.

You smiled, crossing your arms over your chest as you recalled the day when Gale, too banged up from the day, had asked Karlach to read aloud to him an extract from one of his books taken during the trip.

“He'd be ready to pounce on anyone in seconds if that happened,” you sneered.

“But you're not pouncing,” she remarked, “you're brooding, or more like, looking super anxious.”

You turned towards her, finally meeting her gaze. “Am I now ?”

“Yeah you are,” Karlach laughed softly, gently nudging you with her shoulder.

For a brief moment, there was silence again as your eyes watched the glow of the city in the distance. You were already wondering what order to go through tomorrow, what equipment to change, what food to stock up on...

“Hey... Are you okay ?” questioned your lover, obviously noticing the annoyance on your face. “Wanna talk about it ?”

Her warm hand came to rest on your shoulder, bringing you back to reality much less abruptly than you might have thought. Her warmth softened you, wrapped you up like a comforting blanket, and eased all your worries.

“It's just,” you shrugged, “the Absolute has been haunting us for months, we have never been closer to it before, and yet we can't help but go do so many other things beforehand?”

Your head fell back, closing your eyes as if to banish from your mind the countless quests that awaited you once you had passed through the city gates. As if your mind didn't even have the power to think about anything else, just to detach itself from the addictive thought that a worm had latched onto your brain and was planning to turn you away from humanity at the slightest misstep.

“It's like at times I can feel the thing just- writhing in my brain, trying to go deeper and deeper to what's left of me and clasp its nasty teeth on it until I'm one of theirs.”

Your head fell into one of your hands, pinching the bridge of your nose as if that would bring any relief.

“How many quests will it take ? How many more enemies will we have to bring down for there to only be one remaining to end ?” Your chin rested on your palm, eyes once again on the city and the multitude of problems it would single-handedly bring.

Karlach was silent for a moment, but you could feel her gaze on your profile.

“Didn't know this had you all so worked up, little one,” she said, giving you a gentle nudge. “But get it this way: do you know how long some of our champs have been waiting for an opportunity like this to happen?”

Your eyes found the floor, for you felt very stupid. It was probably true, the opportunity of a lifetime, to put down the past once and for all and move on. If you had never been so close to ending your most important objective, it was the same for them.

Some of them had waited years, decades, some even centuries, to even get close to what they wanted most in the world. Who wouldn't want to tick every box on their list of the most extreme things to do when they were all dangerously close to death's door? Who wouldn't seize the opportunity to act and finish off whatever bitterness still resided in their hearts and wish a complete farewell to what had tormented them so much?

Karlach came and took hold of your chin to turn your face towards hers, her gaze full of gentleness.

“Don't be mad at them for shooting their shot, they've been weaponless long enough.”

You grabbed her wrist, bringing her warm palm against your cheek as you sighed at ease.

You knew who was waiting for you in town, who she had to see, who she had to kill. Gortash was on Karlach's list, and therefore on yours. Your eyes rested on Karlach's chest, the orange glow of her heart beating through her ribs and over pouring on the black of her bra.

One look at that contraption was enough to make your own veins boil. Karlach had her revenge too, and you weren't going to stop her getting it.

“If you were on the edge of death’s cliff, wouldn’t you want to get all the things you didn’t have the courage to do before standing on it ?”

You felt her hand on your back, gently rubbing it. You knew how getting closer to death made people want to be alive more than ever, and you couldn’t take that away from them. Not when you wanted to pass every last minute with Karlach, not when you wanted her to find relief in the death of her tormentor, not when you wanted to do anything other than fight.

“You're right, love,” you smiled, winning her eyes, “there's been so many things to think about lately and all I want is for all of you to come back out of this in one piece.” You sighed, kissing her palm before pressing your cheek against it again. “It's my priority to keep you all alive.”

She smiled, and all your worries seemed to vanish like a dandelion scattering in the air. She placed a kiss on the tip of your nose, pressing her forehead against yours.

“I promise you we will outlive this, okay?”

You didn't feel any destructive heat from Karlach. So much had been done with her flames to make them violent, starving them and letting them devour everything in their path. From the inferno, you felt only a soft, comforting, free warmth.

“Okay.”

Karlach came and placed a kiss on your forehead, holding you close. No matter what happened, you would do everything you could to allow everyone to do what they had to do, each step bringing you a little closer to an end, victorious or not.

[dlatl98]

There is no truth here.

"Dear Lord of Eregion. I am sorry to have invited you to such an inappropriate time and place. However, considering the difficult situation I was in, I dare to ask for your forgiveness." "Why are you being so snobby?" "….Am I still your lover? You have betrayed me both inside and out?" "No, what I meant was, why are you being so polite to a prisoner in the first place, but I have never betrayed you. You were the only one who betrayed me." "How can you say such a thing?"

Sauron stood up immediately. The iron chair was thrown to the ground. For now, Celebrimbor was sitting on a cushioned chair. He would soon be seated on another chair, as his uncle had explained. Sauron muttered rapidly.

"I never liked elves, but I was relieved that at least when I married an elf I wouldn't have to worry about my spouse's infidelity, and then I was the first to endure an elf husband's betrayal! Should I have expected that? You've always been one to pursue the unknown and the new. Your family too! Your great-grandfather was the first elf to remarry, your family was the first to murder their own kind, and your uncle was the first to successfully commit suicide. And now it's your turn? The first to betray a husband?"

Celebrimbor felt a little relieved. It seemed that his uncle’s fate had been less cruel than he had imagined in his heart. Or was Sauron lying even at this moment to exaggerate his own suffering? Before that, there were too many flaws in Sauron’s logic.

“That’s impossible. I may be versatile, but I can’t betray my non-existent lover.” "……." "I don't have a husband. Many people misunderstand, but the core of an elven marriage is not sex, but the oath to Eru. Even if you don't sleep together, if you call Eru together and swear to accept each other as your spouse, it's marriage. I've never sworn to Eru with anyone. In fact, since the person who take my first never existed, I could be called a virgin. Because no one can claim my first. Isn't that amazing?"

Sauron can kill people with just a glance, so it is an exaggeration to say that Sauron's gaze that glares at Celebrimbor while he is alive could capture people. In any case, his logic must have struck a chord with Sauron. The target of his betrayal changed. "…You stole the technology I taught you." "To be more precise, it is a technology we discovered together." "We may have refined it together, but it was something I discovered. And you cannot ignore my contribution and share in the development process. No, you contributed to my technology." "What do you have to say about me making my own things with my technology?" "It is my technology. You should have informed me, and you cannot hide it from me. Tell me where you hid the rings, especially the three rings." "Don't be ridiculous! Then give me the One Ring first! According to your logic, ownership is created just by contributing to the development of the technology used, even if you did not contribute to the production process, so the One Ring is mine! Give it back!"

Sauron was about to shout along, but his expression changed to one of placating sobriety. "The One Ring is mine. Unlike your technology, which is subordinate to mine, the technology to create the One Ring is entirely mine, and I have put my power, my very being, into it. This is me, and I have no master. But…"

Sauron stroked Celebrimbor's still intact cheek. The black iron gently touched the delicate flesh. "You may not have the Ring, but perhaps you can have me. Tyelpe, I am the Giver. There is so much I can give, so much I would give, if you would only ask. I have forgiven you, My precious, and let us be reconciled. Accept my forgiveness. But tell me just one simple thing. Where are the Rings? You do not need to bring them to me. Just tell me where they are and I will go and get them."

Celebrimbro pulled back his chin. "You are mistaken. It is you who should be forgiven, not me. You who turned our precious technology and discoveries into monsters. You who made everything ours your own, destroyed it, and corrupted it. You are still trying to deceive me with your cunning tongue. Do you really want to make me your accomplice?"

"Perhaps lovers and accomplices are not so different, My precious. Think about it. Even if you stand up to me here bravely, someone outside will say it was your fault in the first place. They will blame you for welcoming 'Annatar' in the first place. Those fools who think that their feeble strength and innocence are protected when they are not tested will not think that you could not see through my transformation, that the High King and Lady rejected me simply because they were narrow-minded, and that they have enjoyed a life thanks to the generosity and courage that made you accept me, and the development of Middle-earth. They will blame you and make you my accomplice just because you were my lover. To them, you are already my accomplice. And if you tell me where the rings are, as a predestined surrender, they will forget that you held out, fought and resisted for them, and they will blame you again. Didn't your uncle tell you? Your defeat is fixed, your accomplice is already in progress, and you will receive no reward, but only a stigma. That's all. This is already going to happen to them, so how about just making it easier for you?"

"Are you a lover or an accomplice who wants to be with me now?"

“As I said before, the two are no different. If you sit next to me and they kneel to you. And even if you don’t, even if I tie you up and torture you, to them you are already my accomplice. Why should you suffer for those people?"

The voice that came out like a sigh was heartbreaking. “……If that’s all I can give them.”

The metal fingers extended like snakes and dug roughly into his hair. He pulled. His head fell back violently, and their eyes met. “Why should you give them something?” “If only I could lessen the price they pay for my misjudgments and arrogance. If only I could give them a little time.” “You give them something, and you apologize to them, but you give me nothing, and you apologize to me for nothing.”

The voice that gnashed his teeth was so familiar that he wanted to laugh. In fact, he wanted to cry. On the list of people Annatar thought of, there were people he had to lose, even if Annatar didn't know them. There were those he shouldn’t have lost. Before they parted, he hadn’t heard his father’s soft voice for too long. He was always angry. It really seemed like it was time to part with him, too. “I gave… to them… and to Annatar. But it was a void, and what I gave was scattered into thin air. There is nothing left for me now.”

"My precious, Trust me. There is always more to lose. There is a floor beneath the floor. There is always a further fall. My treasure. You still have a choice.”

The cold fingers dug deeper into his head. "Love, or death. All or nothing." "……."

"Actually, this isn't even a choice. Tell me. It's just whether it's early or late. I'll know it all someday. You know that too."

"…always…you were like that. You were always too obsessed with the outcome. You were always too hasty. You would overlook the precious moments and treasures hidden in the process and period. You are Maia, not a fragile life like an elf, but a true immortal. You could have just waited to head towards that star with everyone, but in the end, you decided to go first and get the star, and trampled everyone who was clinging to it and everyone in your path with your iron feet. After all, Who will you enjoy it with when you get the star? Who and why are you doing this? Is it only you for you? It will be only you."

"That might not be the case."

"......"

"It could be us. Tyelpe. Think about it. Maybe this is for everyone you are trying to protect. You are by my side, giving me advice and sharing everything with me. You can truly protect the world. You can protect me. Don't abandon everyone, yourself and me, now because of your empty pride. There is nothing left for you to protect your pride. If you take my hand and reign as the Lord of Lord, you can truly help everyone." "No, that can't be." "……."

Celebrimbor glanced at the hand holding his head, then glared at the other hand, the one with the ring. Even though he was just a miserable captive, he didn't even try to grab the ringed hand. "You're wrong. We don't exist. Rather, I'm the first elf to have my husband taken away. It took my husband away." “You are the one who betrayed me!” “Is there anyone left for me to betray? Take off the One Ring and give it to me. Show me if there is anyone out there who has taken it off!” "No!" "Look at that!"

A look of miserable satisfaction flashed across Celeborimbor’s face. Sauron growled, letting go of his hair and hastily hiding his hand. “I cannot trust you. Let me trust you first. Tell me where the rings are!”

Celebrimbor gave a short, harsh laugh. "Oh my Valar, I thought you were teasing me and I clapped back, but you're starting to believe your lies. You were a shameless liar before, but you never fooled yourself! You started a war when I made three rings. At the same time, you're not a fool, you knew that if you started a war, I'd take those rings away. There is no place where the rings are less than here, but you attacked here, so you don't need them. You came to catch me because you knew that I could make a ring that wasn't stained by your hands, and that I could, by chance, develop further and make a more dangerous ring. You came to kill your rival. You could never let me live. You were afraid of me! And you began to believe the lies you told to hide it. Poor me. If you had just admitted that you were afraid of me, that you couldn't control me and that you were afraid of my abilities, I could have died cleanly. I wouldn't have been tortured to answer questions you didn't even know about, but now you've deceived yourself and I'm going to die in torture and pain.

Next to you? You can't let me live. You had to kill me, so you made up excuses that I betrayed you, and you made up false possibilities, things like I could have been by your side, to make me out to be a terrible traitor who deserved to be killed. And now you believe it! And you're even trying to fool me! To better deceive yourself! You have lost the ability to check and criticize yourself. The ring has consumed you. Now when I sleep with you, I'm sleeping with the ring, right? Is it like sleeping with dead metal, not even a living thing. I'd rather sleep with an orc than you! At least they're alive!"

he thought he would regret saying it because it was such a mean thing to say, but he ended up not having to regret it. The enraged Sauron grabbed Celebrimbor by the collar with both hands and pulled him up. His throat was choked, his breath caught in his throat. It was something that matched the painful satisfaction he felt looking into Sauron’s burning eyes. “If you wish, I can do it. If you choose everyone but me, I will let you sleep with them all. If you betray me so, I will let you betray me. If you choose everyone but me, everyone alive to you, I will let you wallow with them even after you are dead. I will give you everything you choose. If you choose me, godliness, and true life, you will have it all. If you choose everything but me, betrayal and death, you will have it all. I will kill you and kill everyone. I will let you sleep with everyone but me, who you love so much, alive and dead! Shall we start with the Orcs? There are many who would like to have fun with the Elf Lord.”

Celebrimbor laughed breathlessly. He looked up at him, holding his hands as he dragged him by the collar. He glared. “Do as you wish! Who cares? But I have a suggestion. If you are not afraid, do it all yourself. This is our business. Let us not involve others. Let us see the end for ourselves. Otherwise, you are a coward.”

Of course, according to what he said, he is already a coward. But the final provocation seemed to have been useful. Celebrimbor felt his final satisfaction when Sauron himself grabbed him with both hands and dragged him to the torture chamber.

[our-transmasculine-experience]

im about 99% sure im trans but ive been struggling to do anything about it or come out for a while. admitting something like that to my friends (even though two of them are trans themselves) and asking for something from them feels reallyyyyy revealing in a way ive been struggling to get past because ironically i think them understanding it so well it would make me feel more open. my mom has that middle aged woman mentality of “we hate men” and while i know she doesnt actually hate men she definitely holds some views against them and makes negative comments about testosterone and such, and im worried coming out will not only come with misunderstandings but also her seeing my differently. my sister has always been weird about trans people and while shes queer herself and has trans friends the way she talks about them sometimes makes it feel like she doesnt really see them how they want to be seen (shes also makes half joking remarks about how “am i sure im not nb?” but when the idea of me being a trans man comes up she gets weirdly adverse to it, even if she claims its a joke or not serious). my dad has a lot of concerningly right wing views and has made transphobic remarks before and im worried if he finds out its only gonna cause problems. doing anything at school about it would make me feel like i put a target on my back and i dont think i could handle that. theres also that percentage of doubt thats still there that im not actually trans and will be causing problems for no reason and the idea that ill never be seen how i want or be happy with myself so why even bother. sorry for rambling but i really just wanted to put my concerns down somewhere.

i’m so sorry to hear that. this sounds like a really difficult situation and i really hope things get better for you. if you did come out, i’d come out to your friends first to see how they handle it. i’m sure they’ll support you!

best of luck!

[luxe-pauvre]

This promise, however, is mostly false. It’s what the philosopher Plato called a “noble lie”, a myth that justifies the fundamental arrangement of society. Plato taught that if people didn’t believe the lie, then society would fall into chaos. And one particular noble lie gets us to believe in the value of hard work. We labor for our bosses’ profit, but convince ourselves we’re attaining the highest good. We hope the job will deliver on its promise, and hope gets us to put in the extra hours, take on the extra project and live with the lack of a raise or the recognition we need. […] Secular, 21st-century residents of wealthy countries don’t worry much about whether we’re God’s elect. But we’re still trapped in the Calvinist cage. We are anxious to demonstrate to potential employers, and to ourselves, that we are work saints. Like divine election, this type of status is an abstract condition that we cannot assign to ourselves, but one we hope others will recognize. When our status anxiety wells up, we reach back into our culture’s religious heritage for a balm: hard, disciplined work. For example, Tristen Lee, a millennial-generation British public-relations worker, tells a too-familiar story of how long hours, lack of sleep, no real time off, and excessive rent keep her in the grind. “I throw my absolute heart and soul into” work, she writes. “I am so obsessed with reaching some notable level of success and hitting my financial targets, that I’ve forgotten how to actually enjoy life.” Lee says she feels as if she has “something to prove – but to who?” To herself, Weber would say. Lee’s experience is the 21st-century echo of 16th-century Calvinist theology. She has internalized the all-seeing judgment of a society that values her only insofar as she works, so she feels a need to assure herself of her worth. But there can never be enough assurance; in the present-day work ideology, your accomplishments matter less than your constant effort toward the next accomplishment. “What is the end result?” Lee asks. “When does the constant agonizing stop? At what point do we reach satisfaction in life and think ‘fuck yeah, I’m really proud of what I’ve achieved and how far I’ve come’?” Well, never. That’s what it means to be in an iron cage.

Jonathan Malesic, Your work is not your god: welcome to the age of the burnout epidemic

[mslanna]

Forever Is All Today

Epilogue of Be My Guest now up on AO3 Thank you all so very much for your support and encouragement, 🤗

Don't you ever tire of it? Wyll asked about Avernus. But the answer was no. If Tav woke up entangled in varying limbs of their devil every morning for the rest of their life, it wouldn't be one day too many.

Raphael's tail wrapped tightly around their ankle, arms and wings thrown over their body haphazardly – the devil doesn't sleep often. But when he does, it is a luxury without compare.

And Tav receives visitors in the House of Hope now. If any desire to come. But over time the uneasy tolerance whittles down. Astarion was the first, naturally. With no day and night in Avernus, he wasn't restricted by the time of day. Something he now doesn't have to worry about any longer.

Tav thinks of the thin line of chain links of pale silver on his pale skin. Testing that out had been adrenaline inducing. Setting their friend out into the sun, prepared for the worst with healing spells and potions. The utter exhilaration when nothing happened at all. The look of sheer joy on Astarion's face. That day they celebrated with all festivities the day had to offer.

His visits to Avernus became fewer, but never stopped. And Tav spent most of their days in Faerûn anyway. Travelling with an enthusiastic Astarion. Visiting Gale. The hustle when Duke Ravengard announced his retirement in favour of his son. And of course, the panicky wedding preparations because Karlach rather be damned than have a politically accurate, aristocratic wedding.

Now that had been a day to remember and a night to match. Raphael even agreed to make an appearance, however short. His presence did not cause a brawl. His congratulations were accepted. He danced with Tav and that memory burned brightly under their skin whenever a waltz played.

Life is good, even as Raphael prepares to conquer Stygia. The five hells he rules reluctantly accepted their fate, his ambition is far from sated. And Stygia is an easier target than the hub of infernal bureaucracy or judiciary.

Someday he will scheme and plan to overthrow Asmodeus himself. But Raphael is wary. He wants eight hells united behind him when that campaign starts. Tav made their peace with never seeing him as archdevil supreme. They have today and every day of their life.

Tav yearns for this moment to last forever. Free. Happy. Cherished by the one they love. Raphael's face is heavy on their chest, his horns snug against their face. The familiar scent of ash, iron, and horn balm is home. Tav sighs and runs their fingers through the devil's hair.

"You are sad." Raphael reads them like the cheap novel they are in his presence. "What for?"

"That this isn't forever." Tav closes their eyes to concentrate on every impression of their body.

The devil turns his head up and Tav feels his breath under their chin. "Says the one who argued ferociously about the true beauty being transient. We can pick up that battle any moment."

"I am transient," Tav chuckles. "I must die."

"Do you now?" Raphael props himself up and stares his human down with black eyes ringed with fire. "Do you really?"

Tav hears the promise in his words, the temptation. "After my soul again?" They raise a brow. "Forgot how that played out the last time?"

"Never." He leans down to kiss their lips gently. "But why not give it to me while you are here anyway?"

"Raph-" he stops them with another soft kiss, barely a touch of his lips to theirs.

"Hear me out."

Tav sighs, looking into eyes that hold their universe in their black holes. "Alright. For a kiss."

Raphael obliges and if the long, tender exploration of their mouth is to put Tav into a lenient mood, they let it slip. Tav drinks in the taste of him, luxuriating in the weight of his body and heaviness of his kiss.

When he pulls back, they cradle his head with both hands. "Let's hear it then."

"A deal." Raphael smiles and runs his index finger over Tav's lips. "You grant me your soul for as long as I love you."

Tav chuckles. "I will still die, love."

"Not if in return, I grant you life for as long as you love me."

Dumbfounded, Tav stares up at their double-dealing devil.

"No need to answer right away." Raphael leans down, his breath caressing their face. "Let me bring some more arguments to the table."

When his mouth touches against Tav's lips again, soft and yet demanding, they know that this isn't an argument they can win. But they can make the devil work for it. With a grin, Tav wraps their arms around him and pulls him close.

[cutechickdgaming]

cutechickd Service Announcement for my fellow fricks

tl;dr: Research before reblog

Recently I’ve been tagged to a reblog-this-please-don’t-scroll-spread-awareness type of post. Don’t worry, xjumbled-up-brainx, I don’t blame you 🫂. You @���ing me did encourage to make this post, after all :D.

Context: Someone found a Twitter post about creating a new flag (r*pesexual, and yes, I fully agree that is abhorrent, ironic or not). I looked through the reblogs and replies of the OG tumblr signal boost post, and I see a lot of general agreement that the Twitter post was satire and bait like “superstraight” (thing is, satire should be FUNNY, not glorifying sexual crimes).

It does make sense to me, some people (like “4chan grifters” as some people said in the discussion) do want to take the opportunity to slander LGBTQ+ with disgusting filth like this for ammunition, though yeah I understand the possibility people unironically (aka not trolling) believing in flags like this, just like...UGH...MAP-pride. I lean more towards thinking actual r*pists wanting to hide in the shadows and not put a proud label on themselves for everyone to see and (rightfully) target.

A major point I need to make in this post is thinking twice to resist the pathos attraction of these signal boost REBLOG PLEASE posts. Pathos is arguably the most effective rhetorical appeal, however it can be the most unethical of them all. All the reblog text with bright rainbow colors, enlarged Times New Roman font, and such are so easy to catch, leaving you barely any time to think if there’s a catch.

What if the enemies want attention? Should you give publicity to these trolls so easily? Is there a more effective and non-panic-provoking way that could better render these awful “-sexuals” obsolete?

These are decent standard questions to ask yourself. I’d rather take a step back and make a plan to deal with the problem at hand within my power than reblog something that’s gonna disrupt my escapism silly Tumblr (the RB thread looks as long as that one Dream tweet that started the “I’m not reading allat” thing) because some Internet rando tried to grab me by the figurative reins and told me I’m going to hell if I don’t do it.

Like actually

Buddy, this is not the Old Testament (/hj, coming from a Christian).

Ahem, I think that’s enough for me to show you why I don’t really like these “Don’t scroll past this!!” “BOOST!” “This is IMPORTANT!” posts, it’s WAY too much emotional demand, like it actually gives me distress, and I don’t want that for the rest of you guys. It makes choking someone by the neck look like a nice casual massage.

I’ll end it here. If you spot any dangerous people like actual r*pists and p*dophiles who are out (or fantasizing about) to harm real people, make sure they get legal consequences, like reported and handed over to the authorities. Those scum need discipline and shame via effective action.

[viky2318]

Blep

Maddy got up way earlier than usual. She was 100% sure she heard a sound. Not another intrusion… The one from Fresh, last week, already had been enough stress. The whole time she was ready to summon her staff and cut off the skeleton's head. She quietly sighed and got up. She slowly got out of the room, making sure to not wake up the others. She heard again the noise (it was something falling on the floor), this time followed by someone cursing. It was coming from the kitchen. The cat walked in front of the room and peeked through the opened door. There was an Error Sans with an outfit that resembled Ink’s one, and a huge digital pen on his back. Differently from many of the usual Errors, he wore his glasses. The skeleton picked up the iron pot he accidentally made fall down and put it on the table. “Oh darnit, someone might have heard this one” he murmured. The skeleton looked around (for a second Maddy risked getting caught), then commented: “So… we’re right in the mouth of the wolf, aren’t we? Heh, we can do this. Right Penny?”. Geez, if this wasn’t a strange guy. It was, like, an Error swapped with Ink. Who was the fool that created this demon? And most importantly, how did he find their place? Maddy decided to go warn the others, but the door of the kitchen suddenly opened completely and the guy saw them. Oh well, she tried. The skeleton half smiled and said: “So you are one of the so-called ‘Alternative Killers’, aren’t you?”. Maddy tilted her head a bit in confusion. “Uhh, sorry? Who are those guys? Never been in a rock band. It sounds like a rock band’s name…”. “Don’t play dumb, murderer! You and your friends go around killing alternative versions of Sans, without any distinction! And I'm here to stop you all” he stated. “Aahnnnnnn”, Maddy nodded. “You are talking about us! Who the hell gave us this name? It honestly sucks. Was it Fresh? He probably also told you how to reach this place… That damn asshole... Listen, tiny SwapError. Don’t risk your life with us-” “I’m not him! My name is Template!” the skeleton interrupted her. The cat heard someone moving. The others must have heard them, good. “Oh well, Template. Your shouting just burned down your only possibility to take your time. Right now I'm in a VERY good mood, so you have time to disappear until the others arrive" they declared. The skeleton stood still, apparently not wanting to go away. In a few seconds, Grillby came down. He saw the guy and stopped. "Who's the kid?" he asked. The cat smiled and answered, summoning their weapon: "our next target, apparently. He decided to play the hero and 'stop' us. By the way, what do you mean by 'stop'? You want to kill us, or just beat the hell out of us? I'm confused". Shortly after Muffet came. Template took the pen from his back and held it like a sword. But before anything else could happen, Sam appeared.

They seemed about to ask something, but then they saw the skeleton. Template immediately exclaimed: "Sam! it's been a while, isn't it? Wait, why are you… Oh! They kidnapped you!? Don't worry, I'll beat the hell out of them!". Sam smiled and shook their head. "no, no! No need to hurt anyone. They are helping me. They're good guys" they explained. Maddy looked at the two of them. Sam knew him? And wasn't trying to kill him, nor was annoyed by his presence?! Who was this guy? Muffet and Grillby looked as confused as them. "Please everyone, put down the weapons. We don't want to hurt each other, do we?" Sam said. Maddy reluctantly made her staff disappear, and the skeleton put his pen on his back. The human took a deep breath, then asked Template: "Now, dear friend. How did you find me? And to what do I owe this visit?". He immediately explained: "I wanted to find those murderers that keep going around killing alternative versions of Sans! Fresh a few days ago told me where to find them and I took a little time to organize a plan. It seemed like a familiar timeline, but I forgot it was this place. And honestly, I wasn't expecting to find you here! You work with them?". Sam sighed, some sort of sad, melancholic tone in their voice.. "I see. Well, you can't understand something that has never been explained to you. We could say… I'm their manager? Dunno how to put it down, honestly. I organize the thing and they help me make it real. Want to take a seat?". They and the skeleton got in the kitchen, and Sam made him sit down before taking a seat themselves. Maddy immediately stood in front of both of them and stated: "We clearly need some explanations, Sam. What is happening? Who's the kid here? Why aren't we killing him like the others?". Sam smiled. "oh c'mon Maddy! You sound like you like killing people! He is Template, an old friend of mine" he explained. "A friend? A Sans? Weren't they, like, the cause of all the suffering and stuff?" Muffet asked. Sam made them sit down and quietly gave them explanations.

"You see, to understand clearly you have to know that I didn't always exist, nor I was born and grew up like a normal living being. I just… appeared. I was alone, in the middle of nothing and at the same time in the middle of everything. The Void. But not just any void. An Undertale timeline's Void. The only other thing there was an old boomer doing nothing the whole day, and he wasn't much of a talker. So I decided to try to escape. And, yeah, I failed. A lot of times. I started asking for help, begging. Losing hope. That's how he found me. He helped me get out of the Void, and showed me what was outside of it. He explained to me how this world worked and helped me discover my abilities. After some time I left his place to discover the multiverse by myself, and I never saw him again. It's kind of hard to meet a specific person accidentally in the middle of the multiverse…". Template huffed. "You could have paid me a visit!" He commented. "Oh. You're right… Sorry" Sam awkwardly answered. The skeleton looked at the human with concern. "Seriously though, what's this all about? Killing innocents… you've never been a cruel person!". Sam held back the laughter, but was also a little annoyed by the comment. "pfft- sorry? Cruelty? Who's being cruel? Truth to be told, I'm doing exactly what you usually do. I just extended it to the whole problem. Sanses condemn these realities to eternal sufference with their mistakes and choices. But if we eliminate them, the spotlight will be moved to someone else and the creator will come back creating beautiful things, as they did at the beginning of everything!". Template clearly felt a little offended by his sentence. Offended and scared. "W-what? Sam, this doesn't make any sense. Not everyone is evil! Just because the creators use mostly Sans as a base, doesn't mean he is the problem! I'm sure that, no matter which character they will use, there will be some good and some evil creations. Just look at me, or at Ink! We aren't evil, nor do we want people to suffer or to-… Sam? Are you listening?". The gray human was silent, a sad aura coming from them. They sighed again. "You really don't see the problem, do you? This huge quantity of the same character is the problem. For the creators it's simple to take a story and modify it a little, and if you can't repair a thing the only way to change it is to make it more broken. That's what they always do and will keep doing until they won't have any more base corpses to tear apart. Even your dear Ink is one of a messy demon. Don't you remember how many times he let people suffer for fun? Do you think a good person would let it happen?". The skeleton got serious and exclaimed: "Sam! Listen to yourself. You are talking about a massive massacre! And you don't seem to care about getting your hands dirty. This… this is wrong. I'm sorry friend, but if this is the path you choose to walk in, then I'll let you know that it's the wrong one. I don't want to be your enemy, but if you force me to then I'll fight". Sam smiled again, but this time it was a strange smile. "Heh. You protect your kind, and this is understandable, but then you pretend to not see the problem when I put it right in front of your eyes. You… You kill them too. You find destruction pleasant, but deny it. You deny your own identity. I tried to ignore all of your defects, always did. But now that I think of it… you're like all of the others. A hypocrite. I welcomed you in my house, in the middle of the night, even if you were about to kill my coworkers. I was hoping you would have understood". They got up and typed something on their keyboard.

"but I was wrong"

Maddy- LV 3̵̧̘̥̙̻̝̱̯͚͔̽͂̃̌̔̔̏͊͆̚̕͝͝0̴̢̡̡̡̨̧̨̨̛̩͍̪̯̣͕̝̪͍͈̯̖̠̯̰̘̤̼͎̠͎̭̜̱̥̗̦̻̥̺͉̯̂͂͑̒̿͒̉̆̒̽͐͂͐̆̊̋̈̉͌͑͂̋ͅͅ

*̶l̶o̶s̶t̶ ̶s̶e̶l̶f̶ ̶c̶o̶n̶t̶r̶o̶l̶

*Went back to sleep

Muffet- LV 1

*Memory hole

Grillby- LV 1

*Too tired to remember

End of the chapter

Template © @unu-nunu-art

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[bueckerrss]

if looks could kill - ines bettencourt

summary𞠬: two spies, same mission.

warnings: N/A

pairing: x oc

tags: @patscorner @pbueckerslover @cosmopretty @st4rrzynight @authentic-girl03

masterlist | main masterlist | taglist | spy au

the sound of sirens rang through the empty halls, “turn right!” connie said into the earpiece as she nodded her head as she took the directions connie told her, “summer you’re not alone, another dot just appeared on the screen they’re five feet behind you!” summer stopped in her tracks and listened carefully for the sound of footsteps.

the sound of heavy breathing could be heard from the end of the hallway, “con tell me the closest hiding spot” she whispered pressing her ear piece “two doors to the right” connie replied as the sound of the keyboard clicking was heard from her end.

sliding into the storage unit summer slightly peeked through a small crack in the door as a girl approximately 5’9 her back towards the girl in the storage unit, in all black, she spoke into a bracelet “all clear sir the target isn’t here” she left towards the other end of the hallway, sneaking out of the room summer quickly change her black clothes to a long red dress, she let her hair down, her long black hair falling into loose curls. walking back to the venue she grabbed a champagne glass from the passing waiter, taking a seat by the open bar.

eyes scanning the room, “who am i supposed to be looking for?” summer whispered into the earpiece.

frantic typing is heard before connie’s voice rang “you’re looking for jeremy paterson, he has brown hair and brown eyes” she nodded her head, she stood up mingling around before she accidentally bumped into someone, “oh my i’m so sorry!” she replied before looking up at a girl with a beautiful smile “it’s okay don’t worry, i’m anna” she replied “i’m um lele” summer responded, as an agent fake names were a must.

-

“lele seriously?” snorted connie as she sipped her coffee in front of summer, “well i couldn’t be like ‘hi im summer a secret agent who’s here on a mission!’ now what kind of first impression is that?” sighed summer as she let her head fall onto the table.

“well did you at least get this anna girls digits?” asked connie as she looked at the sorrowful summer, “no, she was too beautiful for me to not stumble over my words” mumbled summer into the table “oh my gosh, let’s hope you find this girl soon and actually get to ask her out! i can’t deal with being like this because you fumbled”

“stop i already feel bad as it is! i mean we spent the whole night talking even danced before calling it a night, yea sure i still kept my mind on the mission but with a girl like her in front of me was difficult.” sighed summer as she placed her chin on her palm. “anyway have any new details about the mission come in yet?”

“actually yea, you have to go to a gala tonight hosted by our targets parents.” she said moving her computer to show her the information, “okay, what’s the attire?” “masquerade” she said biting her donut.

“does that mean we have to go-” “shopping? yes” finished connie as she closed her laptop.

-

“i swear my hair is gonna be fried by the end of this mission” sighed summer as connie stood behind her curling iron in hand “well beauty comes with a lot of consequences, im almost done anyway!” she said letting go of the last strand of hair and hairspraying the hell out of it.

“now we’re just missing the red lipstick and then your mask and we’re done!” connie says as she gets the lipstick from her vanity and grabbing the mask from her nightstand, “alright all done!” she says stepping back and admiring her work.

“alright here’s your mask and earpiece i’ll be in the van giving you instructions and letting you know if anyone is suspicious or what not” she said giving summer her things.

“alright time to head out” said summer as she put on her mask and put in her earpiece. as she stepped into the mansion she looked around mapping out the place absolutely star struck by the beautiful scenery and how well the house was built the cream marble of the floor feeling smooth on her feet. as she looked up she saw those beautiful brown eyes, the same eyes she saw the other night.

“lele?” the girl asked looking at her with a soft gaze “hi!” she smiled as the girl recognized her.

a/n: new mini series? 👀 i promise ill actually put effort into this one and ill actually try to finish it and not leave it as discontinued 😭

[meetupdollc]

This is a work of fiction.

Title: Covert Smear Campaign

Note: Alix was sent a copy of this blog so they knew exactly what information was being put up online.

No one has told me to take down this blog.

Once I had reconnected with a person I'd known previously - Alix.

I knew this person had a controversial past.

There was questionable and unloyal behavior towards multiple friends, associates, ex partners etc. and somehow at the same time Alix managed to turn a lot of their peers against them.

I knew, ironically through Alix, that others had made a blog post, comments on the internet about Alix in order to protect themselves against a smear campaign.

Alix was a fairly honest person. Honestly confessing the immoral things they had done.

Alix told me a story about how they had lost friends due to a college drama and I had bought their story. People had been saying bad things about them behind their backs.

It never occurred to me why they would have any reason to personally attack me. This wasn't a person who I knew very well anyways.

Alix was charming, with dark hair, came from a good family and knew how to say the right thing to people.

They had found a partner eventually who was a bit older, charming, knew how to say the right thing to people, and well to do. Others had been impressed by Alix's charm and appearance and it made the partner feel special.

There had been odd things said to me during this very early time towards me by this partner when I stayed with them in their apartment in Manhattan which I didn't reveal to others until years later.

Over time they had married.

One day after they had married this person’s partner started to contact me on social media.

At first I didn't know what to make of it. There was threatening language they had used, several insults while also being nice and considerate at the same time. I simply thought they were angry at me for some reason but didn't feel like dealing with it nor analyzing them.

They texted me "seems as if you do not really like your friends".

Alix's partner continued to text me on social media for almost ten years.

They began to worry that I was on to their behavior.

Overtime I realized that I was likely their target.

This person had likely only reached out to me on social media originally to understand where I stood with them.

Even though I didn't know them too well they seemed to have some reason to contact me.

Very possibly Alix had asked this partner to contact me to control me.

There were several psychological tactics they had used on me. I had reacquainted them with some peers, James, and they had began to get them to turn against me. Alix had tried to dig up dirt on me from. James had attacked me privately in order to impress Alix.

Alix wasn't a dumb, naive, or inexperienced person.

They knew how to word things so that they couldn't get caught.

I heard (ten years later) from our peers that it had been a serious situation with James. Alix had been playing mind games. James had believed they had a chance with Alix.

Many had made posts on the internet complaining about Alix's behavior so they were aware that they had enemies.

The partner told me once on vacation in a threatening tone "John is your mortal enemy". I simply didn't care at the time as I was not close to James but thought it was so bizarre. This partner was being groomed by Alix.

Whenever I angered them their eyes would turn cold.

I had been informed on a hiking trip by another peer of mine, Taylor, that there was a social media post made and the post sounded a lot Alix. The post was "A person from my youth had turned my friends against me. I saw that they had recently married on social media."

Overtime even Taylor became seduced by the charm, wealth and status of these individuals even while trash talking both of them.

Years passed, and during the pandemic I began to question why Alix's partner continued to text me frequently with sometimes threatening language like "you're too egotistical" while also showing concern.

I could certainly guess that Alix had said something to this partner. These comments were really weird and coming from someone I knew extremely little about.

I became afraid as I knew Alix's partner was a wildcard, was older, had power and influence, and could come after me if they needed to. They wanted validation.

One day I simply deleted this person from my social medias due to their questionable language. They still contacted me after a few months had passed even though I deleted them and acted nice again.

I questioned why they still contacted me even though I made it obvious did not want to speak to them however thought maybe we should put this behind us.

It appeared I was dealing with something formidable.

I began to reveal the odd language in the apartment from years ago to several of our peers who immediately turned on me.

I could already see that this was going to turn out badly for me. They couldn't believe that someone so nice could act this way.

These people knew how to target vulnerable people, knew how to isolate them from one another.

Although Alix was not able to uncover anything substantial about me, Alix had still gossiped and told this to their partner in order to start a smear campaign in the event they needed to.

Many of their peers had begun to plot against me.

They flocked together for some reason.

During the pandemic the person who had made the anonymous post all of a sudden reached out to me to hang out.

Out of curiosity I asked them about the social media post made years ago. They confirmed to me the post was about Alix. Alix had decided one day they didn't like this person much and started spreading rumors.

They told me that "some people are master manipulators".

They said it seemed like these people were testing me.

It was certainly odd that their partner would behave in this manner towards a person they barely knew.

Alix was extremely skilled in pitting people against each other, and used charm and appearances to confuse others.

Others emotionally invested in this person.

It was clear there was a pattern of behaviors starting from a young age. Alix selected targets, set them up, and turned peers against them.

They told me "Don't resent others when a relationship ends."

They didn't want me to reveal their odd behaviors.

By chance, I had been informed about the topic of lovebombing and started to research the topic.

Things began to click in my head. I found an article about the smear campaigns that would begin if a relationship didn't end well. It matched up with everything that these two had been doing for the past ten years.

Still, they said it was completely untrue the things I had said.

If they had not continuously threatened me for ten years I would not have ever taken to the internet to write my story.

These games would never end unless I took the time to fully explain myself in this blog.

It was certainly an annoyance but I feared would develop into more over time.

They began to spread rumors about me to people we mutually knew.

People were scared of them for a number of reasons.

It was all a set up.

To protect myself i had sent a large number of group messages out with ridiculous and negative things to get a rise out of them. For nearly one year I had been sending spam with no responses.

I knew that with the nature of this person that they could do some reputational damage. I realized that Alix had set me.

They told me that they had collected and documented evidence and were planning to talk to a lawyer even though the things were just petty arguments.

Alix chose targets that had past trauma.

A predator on the prowl.

Somehow they convinced people to do things for them.

I had explained the situation to others who had never met Alix or didn't know Alix well and they agreed they sounded terrible, but also said they needed some kind of help.

To those who knew Alix they couldn't strip away the feelings, the memories, and the bond of friendship. They said my accusations were baseless, hearsay, and just school dramas.

Alix's best mate said these things were "hearsay" and "baseless accusation" I knew that the others would not speak up for themselves.

These people did not have personal identities.

They just went along with anything that sounded right.

They asked for physical evidence of the conversations I had, but I would not provide any to protect my sources and this was also just "petty" school dramas.

After some time of complaining via messaging the partner had given up as well.

When I looked back I realized I was walking into a trap the moment I agreed to meet Alix.

There were many memories of good times, feelings of warmth and comfort, but at the same time odd behaviors, threats, and things said in private.

I couldn't believe the reality of the situation.

As I recalled the memories with these people, I all of a sudden remembered a time where some of us had gone on a trip together. Alix's partner had explained to us then that they strongly believed in the existence of spirits and ghosts.

They had told me that one late evening driving down a road on the outskirts of London that they had seen a person on the side of the road.

This person had two faces.

[madafact]

for the worms..

i have been to the other side, and it is muddy.

so a year is creeping up on us and what a year it has been. like crusty, iron stained sheets from conceiving with a virgin, a future lays somewhere in the mix. surely a few cumstains to paint the picture, and eventually a divorce, a new Instagram account, and a change of hair color... WHY NOT?

sorry...

ill get off my literary masturbation station and get to stepping with a catch up. today is may 4th, I am in my van In San Diego. here is how and why I got here..

losing Anthony only began the intertia of losing most of what I call people. friends, family, familiarity. its all gone into the cultural soup ripe with cyanide and other long sleep inducing ingredients.

terrie is barely hanging on. her 93rd birthday is on June 8th and that's when she is choosing to call the reaper. her party of all the years is coming, and you're not invited...don't worry, neither am I.

i asked Gregg to kick out the renters, to me its inappropriate that they live in the house of a dying old woman. but again, I was told to get the fuck out..lol. having strangers by your dying bedside is the stain on the bone china that just keeps giving.

gregg is a fucking wreck, an absolute lost aimless, swinging at air screaming at clouds, blaming his son kind of wreck. jaws of life have no purpose here, there will be no grateful set of lungs retrieved from this mess.

i cashed out my retirement to be able to survive, after spending nearly $7,000 on getting Anthony's things back from New York and the subsequent sheep dog guarding of his memory. but money is not the crucifix. love and support are the nails putting me up against this cross.

all I wanted ever was a place to call home. the feeling of not having to fight to feel welcome, a willing invitation is literally the call of the wolves, signaling a meal is slowing down its escape. I can't explain to you how promoting love in the halls of despair only causes the inhabitants to slam their doors shut, locking each subsequent lock with more force than the last. a small way to show you a massive fuck off, you're not welcome.

terrie used to have a house filled to the ceiling with shit. each room a pyre of UNOPENED letters, coupons to closed stores, and I'm willing to bet the skeleton of some poor creature who was mistaken thinking it was a shelter. Anthony and I literally tackled this monolyth over many years, slowly digging our personalities out from the weight of shame. why else would you bury your feelings, and physical body?

so long story short, I have a massive landing spot for trauma and anxiety and it comes in the form of cluttered areas, UNOPENED letters and trash. gregg chose to move all of his trash, failed correspondence and hopes and dreams right into that spot. essentially telling the child inside of me, YOU ARE NOT SAFE.

so sitting in my van in San Diego I find myself baffled. I lost my brother to careless menial people and now alcohol is targeting what ever is left. no invitations to Costa Rica, no notions of bar grand openings. I wonder what Anthony thinks of his "friend group" now?

i feel farther from Anthony when put next to these people. I feel like Anthony gave less than two fucks about me. now with all this familial self immolation its been proven. poor Anthony was just an object, even to his own father. an idea. a cause. not a person screaming out for love.

so, before I start my next verbal litter box, I'll tell you the end.

terries dying,

gregg has prostate cancer and drinks daily.

the house in oceanside is in jeopardy more than its ever been.

and I'm in my van by the side of the freeway in san Diego.

as Anthony drifts farther and farther into the ether...

love you

miss you

forever.

[c4rdsharp]

Luck don’t you feel like you haven’t had a youth? I’m not just talking about childhood. I mean young adulthood, too. I know you’ve got a lot of work on your plate, but you’re forever physically young. Take advantage of that.

Luck bit back the words rising in his throat, an acidic taste. if he held onto them long enough, they might just burn through his skin & vocal chords, leaving nothing behind but a painful ache of vitriol & remorse. However, nothing good would come from spitting them out without thought, carelessly, like a machine gun without a target. " . . . i did not ask for your advice. " The stranger was speaking out of turn. They didn't know him. The self - assured conjecture of this person, like they knew what was best for him, ticked him off. It was some form of arrogance, to be sure, to tell him to take advantage of his eternal youth. Like there was anything to be taken advantaged of. People speak fondly of youth, but they forget that carefree and careless are but one & the same word. Just merely different connotations, perspectives. There was no actual better happiness in experiencing youth, it was just simpler. It was an excuse to not have to think or worry, to wave your hand aside at all the damage you've caused by your thoughtless actions. It was an excuse for the impulsive & mindless, in which self - gratification was above all the Holy Right. While it can be freeing to some, it was a dangerous drug to others. Luck may have been physically young for the rest of all time, but that gave him no excuse to start throwing caution to the wind. If he did . . . what sort of person would that make him, to assume his actions & wants were above those the needs of others -- no, the needs of the family. " i would advise to watch your tone. you are not in a place to be making demands of me, even if those demands are under the pretense of my supposed benefit. only family or physicians may make such requests of me -- in which, i am actively seeking their counsel. how i choose to spend my time, from here or now onwards, are none of your concern. be more mindful to whom you are speaking. " i had put down my youth in order to pick up the remnants of my father's legacy. i am not so foolish as to know what i have given up. to regret something of that nature . . . Although his face maintained its cool iron fury, an emptiness ached in the boughs of his stomach. Like stepping on a precipice and seeing nothing below but endless void & darkness. That kind of pitiless drop Luck got when thinking of the word eternity. . . . what does that make of me then, if not my father's son?