#Check out Jessamine

[leckiestrikes]

in another life

[ice-creamforbreakfast]

Poppy - A Collab by Ice-CreamForBreakfast & Surely-Sims

::Download:: (Patreon - Free)

You know I never pass up a chance to delve into 60s mod fashion, so when the wonderful Surely-Sims asked me to collab on this set for her character Poppy, the answer was always going to be yes!

This collection of seriously sixties (and like one eighties dress but shhh) fashion is perfect for that dinner party, stakeout or just looking better than Beryl at the local potluck.

Item descriptions below:

Wolfsbane Dress - A suspiciously 80s, woven mini-dress with diamante detailing and contrasting colours. Did you time-travel to the future for couture? Naturally.

Daphne Set - A sweater and pants set, perfect for day to day comfort while still looking better than Doreen Parker who works the reception at the local doctor's practice.

Foxglove Dress - A sleeveless mini-dress with a pleated hem and bow detail on the neckline. Perfect for a summer garden party, but breathable enough for a casual heist.

Heliotrope Dress - Why bother keeping up with the Joneses when you can simply make Marjorie Jones jealous enough to curse the day you were born. This button-down, belted dress is simple, chic and classic.

Larkspur Dress - The Larkspur Dress shows just enough while leaving the rest to the imagination. Made with a fine, but surprisingly sturdy fabric, you can be sure that your secret weapons remain concealed.

Cardosanto Bikini - Looking for fun in the sun, with enough space to conceal your throwing stars? The Cardosanto bikini has you covered. The belt ring? Emergency parachute cord.

Daffodil Sunglasses - Why bother with rose tinted glasses when you can see the truth (and through walls) with these floral frames?

Hyacinth Hair - Cleaning up the scene of a crime, but want to look chic while doing it? Look no further than this flippy 'do with a rather fashionable bandana!

Triffid Sunglasses - These sunglasses look really cool. That's it! No secret powers....or are there?

Nightshade Gloves - Not only are these heart-cutout gloves incredibly stylish, they don't leave fingerprints anywhere! Jessamine Earrings - These fabulously mod earrings make a statement, but could also take someone out...so don't whip your head around too quickly.

Holly Earplugs - Block out his snoring while tuning into your favourite bugged phoneline to lul yourself to sleep with these very stylish earplugs.

Holly Earrings - Love your Holly Earplugs, but prefer to hear what's going on around you? These earrings are perfect for you. Sadly they can't pick up radio signals, but they can pierce skin!

Oleander Earrings - These earrings will set you squarely on the list of Oasis Springs' most stylish sims! If they don't, simply take them out and throw them at the journalist who dared to write the list.

 Looking for more? Grab Surely-Sims' part here! And check out the amazing Plott Legacy while you're at it

[yanderenightmare]

please give us more of the blogs you like<3

Blog Recs

Alright then, since you asked so nicely, I'll put in the effort and just go through my entire following!

Keep in mind that some of these blogs may be inactive, but their old works are definitely worth taking a look at!

Not all of them are yandere, but they are satisfying nonetheless, so check them out!

Also, most of these blogs, and blogs in general, write for fanbases with specific characters. I follow mostly people who write either BNHA, JJK, or Haikyu!! So, if you like that, you'll probably like most of these.

Other than that, sorry, I won't be writing anything specific for each blog. I suggest just checking them out one by one. I'll make an exception to my delete later rule and leave this post up for good, so take your time, people!

My epic mutes:

@mrsdarkandyandere7 @gojosprettyprincess @yandere-romanticaa @deathofacupid @elsecrytt @delulustateofmind @madamechrissy @jay-joy113 @depravitycentral @yanderedrabbles @dcsiremc @lymtw @yanderecrazysie @kachowden @moyazaika @suiana @misstycloud @kakushino @envy-of-the-apple @temptacioun @ozzgin @justabratsworld @eevwrites @moechies @youryanderedaddy @moshimochis @aquadenks @ghostsy @cheesecakethots @cursingtoji @mostlyheinous @the-grimm-writer @dilfhos @wilderuby @shaisuki @lewed @dabislittlemouse @ectologia @mamayan @call-memissbrightside @saintshigaraki @dj--owlixx @athanatoz @yanstan @emperorwriter @its-makonom @unicreamuwu @starcrossedyanderes @sems-diarie @iwasei @ssplague @seiyasabi @potatoes-is-are-food @hotwings0203 @after-witch @tomurasprincess @shinkun @tainted-wine @bat-eclecticwolfbouquet-love @shorkbrian

Others who also slay:

@casuallyanidiot @gojosoups @what-the-dark-has-foretold @fangdokja @manmuncher777 @frid4y @yeyinde @running-with-kn1ves @ridingthatd @bratbby333 @lamefish @lxnarphase @chososcamgirl @spacelabrathor @angelltheninth @romantichomicide95 @prettyboykatsuki @ceilidho @quarterlifekitty @lady-lauren @zeninsama @specialgradefckr @monstersholygrail @monstersflashlight @depravityfever @arias-diaryy @uvobreakmylegs @shumidehiro @dear-yandere @stickyspeckledlight @the-saltiest-saltine @teabutmakeitazure @sqoa @mellowwillowy @bunnis-monsters @cumtastiics @onmyyan @whore-ibly-hot @allurilove @jessamine-rose @webism @heich0e @lesinquietes @jaegerbby @killsaki for old fics and @kis4kis for new @ghostbeam @bunnirabbits @meo-eiru @yandere-sins @yandere-writer-momo @amusedyan @wri0thesley @kiiozawa @strafepanzer @suguann @alottieluv @suguwu @streimiv @hawnks @katsukikitten @miggiisdumb @iwaasfairy @of-a-darkness-untold @doumadono @jazzthatonewriterchick @kingkatsuki @crybaby-bkg @crikeygatormate @willowser @thecowboykatsuki-anon @cyancherub @oh-katsuki for old fics and @woahjo for new @touyaz @libiraki @angelatsumu @animeyanderelover @yanderemommabean @weebsinstash @inkykeiji @morgana-ren @humanitysfandomhoe @pbelfz @korpuskat @minnie-mei @love-toxin @obscureamor @villain-hotline @ddarker-dreams @your-yandere-kiss @seijorhi @yandere-daydreams

@yanderenightmare-reblogs

[mikawa13]

Every time I look at fanarts of TID I have to take a deep breath because some of the clothes aren't completely period accurate, so I wanted to try to draw them with more accurate dresses.

Charlotte did not take as long as I expected, probably because I always imagined her style in a more simple and elegant style.

I used Cassandra Jean's design for the gear and tried to adjust it a bit following the Codex's information about older versions of the female gear having a skirt, but I just decided to make that padding around the abdomen and hips longer and simulate a skirt (but not too long to not reduce the mobility), whereas the male gear would be shorter and the way that Cassandra Jean did it.

RIP Charlotte, you would've loved jumpsuits QUEEN

(February 4, 2024)

Little Miss Barbie x Regina George (1878 Edition)

Jess was a bit more complicated because she does care about her appearance more and has a more intricate style. And normally I try to not add a lot of detail with Victorian characters because Queen Victoria didn't like makeup and found it vulgar, so women usually went for a natural look. Jessamine paints her dark circles whereas Charlotte naturally has them for obvious reasons. ☠️

Low-key, I loved doing Jessamine's ghost form.

And please let's not talk about my strange doodling attempt with the electrum lace design on the parasol. Halfway through it I started telling myself Henry is not a fashion designer and he tried his best to mimic a lace design with the electrum and hide some runes for her protection.

(February 13, 2024)

I will be honest, I struggled with the color of the dress because I do not imagine Cecily with a plain color dress, but not too intricate as Jessamine's. Everything looked too blue at first and I switched so many colors until it ended up like that. And don't get me started on the hair... It felt ✨WRONG✨ to give her a historically accurate hairstyle considering everyone gives her straight hair down.

So in my head her hair IS straight, she just has to appropriately wear it up. But nothing too complicated. And it's worth mentioning my memory is starting to blur out a lot. I had to check her wiki for the weapon and whatnot, and I found that she was petite and thin. In my head she was about Tessa's height. But I barely remember a lot from the books by now.

But I did try to make her look closely similar to Will. And I think she does look like a female, better, version of him. Also, if you're wondering why she's not wearing the necklace: I didn't realize I didn't add it until I finished coloring the dress and by that point I was so sick of it I left it like that. I had the sketch of the necklace, I just forgot to put it with the dress. 🫠

(March 2, 2024)

Gideon is so lucky. 😩

The suits might discourage me from doing the men because there's not really much difference aside of small details of how each man wears it. But anyway... Back to Sophie.

The damn maid dress. It's simple. It is ten times simpler than Jessamine's dress and YET I was struggling with it. And don't get me started on the scar.

The wiki said it was a big, silver, scar on the left side of her face from the corner of her mouth to her temple. I had an existential crisis trying to figure out how to do it, because in the other set ups of these drawings, I depict them like they're facing me, so the portrait wouldn't have shown the scar.

And it's a problem because I also suck at drawing scars. The first try looked fine but it wasn't silver, then I did this and in one part I guess it's fine because I didn't want to make a pretty scar when it's supposed to be bad and shocking for the time period. But a part of my brain thinks it looks like the fungus from The Last of Us. ☠️

Anyways. You may be wondering, "why didn't you do the Shadowhunter gear?" And it's a simple answer... I wanted to see her in a pretty dress. Of course, I could have done the portrait with the maid dress, the middle with her fancy dress, and the second full-body drawing with the gear but I didn't think about that until 10 minutes before posting. 🫠 And that gear is COMPLICATED (Not really, I'm just tired after the dresses).

(April 10, 2024)

If you are wondering why there is a huge time jump from the last fanart to this, I had a really bad art block and the frustration from the inaccurate dresses brought me back lol

Unfortunately I am currently in another slump 🫠

The next one was supposed to be Tessa but the dresses really frustrated me and I never even started the sketch. Idk if I'll ever finish it. I hope so, but don't get your hopes up.

[itsthecline]

WHERE’D ALL THE TIME GO?

CHAPTER ONE

ִֶָ 𓂃⊹ ִֶָ new summer , new camp , new people. you were beyond ready to take on the next few months , but you had to get through your first day before that comes.

word count 7.7k

warnings profanity , mentions of underage drinking , sexual innuendos , mentions of a cult.

CAMP JESSAMINE was going to be your permanent summer camp , you decided. just the drive to get to the campground was a perfect time. your best friend , taylor , was with you— with some persuasion , and the weather was perfect. the windows to your car were rolled down , stereo to the highest volume as it pumped out the tune of your favorite songs.

you and taylor were the type of people that listened to very specific songs that would only ever make the best coming of age movie soundtrack. it was something very special to the two of you ; romanticizing your lives through music.

as you turned onto the driveway before the parking lot in front of the administration building , two weeks by grizzly bear was playing. taylor reached over , twisting the volume knob to lower it as she took in your surroundings.

“this looks much better than skyline ridge did,” she pointed out , leaning out the open window just a bit.

you laughed at the welcomed diss on your old camp. “i don’t think that’s a tough standard to beat , but i do agree. this is a lot nicer,” you replied , rolling to a stop in the gravel lot. there were several cars already parked— some of the staff showing up to help orientation along.

the radio cut silent as you killed the engine before you reached over and grabbed your tote bag. “we need id’s and..?” taylor trailed off , looking through her own bag.

“just our id,” you reassured her, “lets go check in.”

you both clambered out of your car , not having stood on two feet for several hours. your heart was pounding as you made your way to the front door. it was decorated with a banner above shouting, ‘welcome to camp j!’

with one hand clutching taylor’s , you push the door open and step inside. there’s a line of tables with staff members behind them , helping some new staff members sign in and get instructed on where they’d be bunking for the summer. you were silently praying that taylor and you would be close to each other if not paired up.

“hello! welcome on in , guys!” it was a blonde girl , probably your age , waving you two over. her hair was the perfect amount of curled and flowy for it to look naturally effortless , and her smile was practically blinding you as you walked her way. she looked like the human embodiment of sunshine. “hi , what are your names?”

“y/n,” you answered before clarifying, “y/l/n.”

the blonde didn’t even need to look down at the clipboard in her hands before letting out an excited squeal. “ah! you’re my newbie!”

taylor laughed for a moment before covering her lips with a hand. “and me? taylor mcmahon?”

“ooh , you’re with cleo,” sarah— if she was wearing the proper name badge, answered with a smile, “she’s one of my best friends. our cabins are actually pretty close to each other , too. she’s probably in the dining hall right now getting our dinner set up for tonight , but i’m sure you’ll meet her soon. actually , i’m almost done for my shift of signing people in , so if you wanted i could bring you guys around. introduce you to cleo and kiara. she’s another one of my friends who works here.”

while sarah talked and got papers ready , you could feel a good summer coming in your veins. you and taylor were paired up with two best friends and wouldn’t be staying that far a part , and the girl you were paired with seemed plenty nice.

“i think we’d love that,” you smiled back , picking up a pen and filling out the small sheet handed to you. meanwhile , taylor’s eyes were elsewhere.

“who is that?” without looking up , you know she found a boy to ogle from across the room, “and can he be my newbie?”

sarah chuckled for only a moment before she cut herself off. “oh,” she spoke , eyes landing on katherine’s latest find. “that’s—“ you didn’t really listen to who it was , focusing on your form to get it out of the way as fast as possible.

any allergies? no. any food allergies? no. any health conditions that require medication? no. favorite color? green. favorite drink? probably coffee? you finished filling the blanks before slipping the branded pen into your pocket.

“here you go,” you cleared your throat , handing sarah the slip of paper before picking up your bag from the floor, “anything you need to give me?”

sarah grinned , noticing you wouldn’t be a newbie newbie , just someone who hadn’t been to camp jessamine before. “just your name badge , some t-shirts , the cabin key , itinerary , and list of campers!” it was all handed to you in a packet , badge and lanyard laying on the top of it, “let me grab taylor’s and we’ll head over to the cabins.”

taylor took her own packet and lanyard , slipping the blue loop over her neck with a smile. “you know what , y/n/n? i think you were right : this will be a good summer.” her eyes were still trained on the guy at another set of tables.

looking at him now , you could actually scan over him. camp jessamine t-shirt a half size too small , making his arms budge out of the sleeves just a bit ; buzzed hair ; beyond tall ; perfectly tan skin. “you can have ‘im , babe,” taylor started, “i’ll take his friend.”

your eyes shifted ever slightly to the right , taking in the dark skinned boy that just entered the building , immediately going to his friend and dapping him up. “i don’t date guys from camp , tay. that’s like rule number one.”

“you guys ready?” sarah’s voice cut through your conversation.

“let’s go!” taylor beamed , hooking her arm in yours.

leading you back outside through a different door , sarah began her tour. “so we were just in admin , and that is the gymnasium,” she pointed across the way at another bigger building. it had an outside court as well , giving away its title. “over here is the dining hall , so we’ll stop in for cleo.”

she was smiling the whole time , as if this was some paradise , and you couldn’t help but hope that’ll be you next year. “how long have you been a counselor here?” you wondered , looking all around you all while following sarah through the grass.

“forever,” she simply answered, “i think my first actual memory is from this camp. i went every summer growing up ; a lot of us did. the next move was to obviously start working here,” she continued to explain , slowing her pace just a little for you two to keep up. her eyes noticed how you and taylor were trying to take everything in. “and here we are!”

ever the welcoming committee , sarah opened the door and let you walk through. “sare , who you got with you today?” a boy spoke up , heading your way. she quickly kissed him on the lips before ‘presenting’ you and taylor to the few others in the dining hall.

“y/n , taylor , this is john b , cleo , kiara , and pope,” she introduced everyone , pointing at each of her friends, “guys , this is y/n and taylor. y/n is my bunk buddy , and cleo you get taylor!”

“alright , come here , girl! let me check you out,” cleo hyped taylor up before pulling her in for a hug, “i’m not the newbie anymore , y’all.” the last bit was directed to her friends.

you all laughed at her words , knowing almost all of you had felt that feeling before. “were y’all headed to the cabins?” pope had asked , breaking up the chuckles.

“yeah,” you nodded, “sarah wanted to stop and grab cleo before we settle in.” as you answered , your eyes took in the group , sizing them up in a way to get your read on them.

“yo! new chicks just came in and they are hot! saw ‘em with sarah getting—“ two swing doors opened , a guy walking backward through them with boxes in his arms. when he turned and saw the three extra people in the room , he quickly shut up. “hi there! uh— there’s actually like , i don’t know , four other sarah’s who work here,” he lied , stumbling over his words as everyone laughed.

“right , okay. well , that’s jj,” sarah groaned , clearly unimpressed despite her giggles, “j , this is y/n , my roommate. and this is taylor , cleo’s roommate.”

the blonde swiftly flipped his hat to be facing backwards after putting the boxes down on a table. “nice to meet you , ladies,” he smirked , reaching his hands out crisscrossed for you to both shake. being polite , you both meet his hands , shaking them with smiles.

“nice to meet you , jj,” taylor smiled , catching the fact that he was perfectly your type ; catching that fact that you were blissfully aware that he was perfectly your type.

“hi,” you managed to speak , cheeks flushing bright and ears getting hot, “well , we gotta go— gotta go get , um , unpacked,” you stuttered , pointing to the door and stepping away, “sarah?”

your new friend was grinning ear to ear watching you drown , but she quickly came to your rescue. “see you guys later,” she chuckled , coming and grabbing your shoulders before pulling you away. she led you out the front door and to one of the several golf carts. “so that was something.” sarah couldn’t help herself but laugh a little when you were alone.

“i’m going to kill myself if i talk like that all summer,” you joined in on making fun of yourself, “is everyone that volunteers here that hot?” you questioned , thinking back to the guy you saw signing people in.

“yeah , that’s a perk for sure. something in the water on the cut made those pogues fine,” sarah agreed , turning the golf cart on whenever you threw your bags down in the back.

“okay , first of all : what’s the cut? and secondly , what’s a pogue?” you asked , turning in the seat as sarah took off in the direction of your cabin. neither one of those words seemed too endearing.

sarah looked back at you and took a deep breath. “well , we’re all from this island : kildare. on said island , there’s the nice neighborhood which we call figure eight. then there’s the not so nice neighborhood which we call the cut,” she explained as you listened intently, “all of them are from the cut , sparing kie. she’s a born kook.”

“so if you’re from the cut , you’re a pogue , and if you’re from figure eight , you’re a kook?” you recalled , still not entirely understanding the classist labels.

“it’s dumb , but yeah,” sarah nodded simply.

you took the answer for what it was and focused ahead of you. you could see the cabins now. they were set in five half circles , three cabins in a group. in front of them was a fairly large fire pit with handfuls of chairs littered around the area.

“which one are we in?” you questioned as sarah slowed to a stop.

“we’re in cabin number six! cleo and taylor are going to be in four , and kie is in five,” sarah answered , grabbing one of your bags to help you inside.

“these are nice,” you gaped , stepping into the cabin. there were six bunk beds , three on either side of the building. a bathroom in the back , and another door next to it.

“our room is back here,” sarah announced , moving through the cabin towards the last door, “ta-da!”

you set your bags down at the end of the bed that was still available and looked around. sarah had set up her side of the room already , fairy lights across the ceiling , posters on the wall , and her bed all done up.

“okay , these are really , really nice , dude,” you echoed yourself , amazed at how much more money is clearly put into this camp than your last.

sarah waved you off, “eh , it’s whatever,” she laughed, “just kidding. it’s actually insane how fancy this camp is. even i can admit it.”

“my last camp was an actual dumpster fire compared to this,” you admitted , starting to unravel your bedding to make the room seem homier, “packed cabins , shitty food , bunch of old people for camp counselors. jessamine is an upgrade.” sarah sat down on her bed and listened to you with a smile. she liked you already , that wasn’t hard. “and you all seem actually nice too. that’s another perk on top of how hot you guys are,” you continued with a laugh.

jj. you hated you were still thinking about him. that’s not how you ever want your summers to be. summer flings were not on your list of things to do in your twenties. you wanted to completely focus on yourself and getting to where you wanted to be in life. no blonde surfer boy was going to change that.

“so… you’re still picturing jj in that pretty , little head of yours,” sarah read your mind , holding back a cheesy grin when you turned to her.

“i don’t date boys from summer camp,” you simply said , going back to making your bed. the two of you stayed in silence until you had finished setting up your bed and unpacking. you fell into the mattress with a sigh.

sarah’s position on her bed matched yours , completely sprawled out and exhausted. “i feel like this is the first time i’ve gotten to just chill in like a week,” she huffed , staring up at the ceiling.

“yeah , me too,” you agreed, “me and taylor were on a road trip just before we came here , so i’ve been cramped in my jeep for way too long.”

“wait— how old are you?” sarah questioned , sitting up on her elbows to look over at you.

“nineteen. almost twenty,” you answered , copying her actions, “you?”

“twenty…” she replied with a smile, “which means i’m no longer the baby of the group , so thank you for that.”

“it’s okay. i’m used to it,” you mused, “youngest daughter of six. taylor is older than me , and most of the friends i’ve ever made have been too. nothing new to me.”

it was true ; you were quite used to being the ‘baby’ of whatever group you were around. you grew up that way. as much as you hated it , you did get away with a lot more. such as doing what you’re currently doing. your dad was pissed when he got the email you sent him one morning. it was the day you officially packed all of your things and left home. he had decided you were to be a doctor— what kind? he didn’t care , but a doctor nonetheless. you , however , wanted to travel and experience everything you possibly could while snapping pictures and showing the rest of the world. not exactly an easy thing to come to a compromise on.

that was two years ago.

“well , i hated it. the guys would make fun of me all of the time,” sarah laughed now , it not being as sore of a spot for her, “but that makes taylor… twenty?”

“—one,” you finished for her, “she’s like my best friend and big sister all in one.”

“don’t you already have five of those?” sarah recalled , furrowing her perfectly groomed eyebrows.

you looked away for a moment , fairy lights catching your eyes again. “technically , but i don’t really think blood is what makes family,” you shrugged , pushing yourself to sit up entirely, “show me around some more?” it was an obvious attempt at changing the subject , but it worked.

“wanna see the ponies?”

AFTER ABOUT two hours of sarah showing you around the camp grounds , you found yourself back in your cabin. it was nearly three , so you still had some to yourself before the counselors’ meeting started up before dinner.

you hadn’t seen taylor since you split up at the dining hall , so you were by yourself since sarah had to help with some administrative duties. with your free time , you made the decision to start setting out the things you brought for the girls you’d be mentoring for the summer.

daisy.

amber.

noah.

celeste.

miranda.

kylie.

the first thing on the list was making the covers for their journals. you had pressed three-d stickers on the front , spelling out all of their names. you set the books down on the dressers , pairing each with a disposable camera and pack of pens.

in the bathroom , you had set up a box of essentials. twelve teenage girls in one cabin? it was needed. you hung up a cuter shower curtain , laid down a better floor mat. you were happy with the way everything looked so far , so you moved back into the living area. you set out the mini projector you brought , coloring books and markers , card and board games , bracelet making kits. you were just making the cabin more lived in with plenty of things to do.

you had your headphones in , listening to your own music while you got everything set up. lost in your own world.

“excuse me!”

you jumped , hand clutching your chest as someone pulled one of your headphones from your ear. “holy shit! wow! sorry,” you breathed out , turning to face the person who disrupted your jam session.

“no , i’m sorry,” he replied with a chuckle, “i’m looking for sarah. last i heard she was here , but i guess not.”

“oh , yeah. she went to admin,” you answered , pulling the other headphone out and draping the wire across your shoulders, “i can tell her you stopped by…”

“rafe,” he finished for you , reaching a hand out, “i’m sarah’s brother. cabin seven.”

you nodded with a smile , reaching your hand out for him to shake. he took your hand in his , engulfing it entirely. “y/n. sarah’s roommate. cabin six,” you replied, “just do you know.”

“won’t forget it,” rafe assured you , taking a look around the room, “i like what you’ve done to the place,” he added as he inspected the hanging plant you had hung up.

“i think it’s good for campers to live in a cozy place while they’re away from home,” you explained it , hands coming behind your back as you rocked back and forth on your feet, “i don’t know— it might be dumb.”

“nah,” he immediately dismissed you. he shook his head and looked at you again with a soft smile, “s’cute. see ya around , freshie.”

your eyes trailed after him as he left the cabin , most likely in search of his sister. “see ya , vet!” you called after him , smile still gracing your lips, “jesus , something is in the water around that island.” somehow , rafe looked even better up close than he did when you first got a glimpse of him earlier.

“so you met rafe?”

another voice pulled you out of your thoughts this time. taylor. “thank god,” you sighed , moving to the bedroom and flopping on your now made bed. taylor laughed to herself , following in suit and cuddling up next to you. your arm draped over her stomach , holding your friend close.

“what’s going on , bug?” she asked , dragging a loose lock of hair out of your face, “talk to mama.”

“i think i miss my sisters?” you hummed , staring off at the wall lazily, “which is ridiculous. most days , i would rather go back to cult skyline , but i don’t know. sarah and i somehow brought that up for a moment , and i haven’t been able to stop thinking about it.”

“okay…” taylor nodded, “do you want my advise or or me to just listen?” god , she knew you so well.

you just sighed deeply , letting all of the air in your lungs leave your body. “i just wanna sit here for a second. take a minute before the kids get her in two days,” you shrugged.

the two of you laid in bed for a while— you weren’t sure how much time had passed until your phone started going off to let you know it was nearing five. you groaned , reaching over a sleeping taylor and grabbing your phone to shut your alarm off.

“tay , time for the meeting,” you spoke , nudging her awake. she groaned , stretching out her body as she came to. “let’s go meet everyone else.”

“yeah , yeah. i’m coming,” she promised , pushing herself up as you did the same.

despite taking the golf cart to the cabin , the walk back over to admin wasn’t all that bad. cleo had met up with you , formally introducing herself to you. it wasn’t long before you were sat around another fire pit the camp had with the rest of the camp leaders.

“all right , everyone! how we doin’?” the woman still standing clapped her hands together , and you recognized her as marsha , the person you were communicating with before you got to jessamine. everyone applauded , hooting and hollering in excitement. “okay , okay. so to start summer off , i just wanna go over a few rules. i know— i know , boring rules. boo. however , once i get them out of the way , all of the fun begins so…”

“she’s just like meagan,” taylor leaned over and whispered to you , referring back to one of the administrators from camp skyline.

you chuckled under your breath before facing back to marsha as she continued. “… no letting kids have sex , no letting kids do drugs or drink alcohol , no letting kids sneak out around camp by themselves in the middle of the night , and finally : absolutely no fraternization between counselors!” she made it a point to shout the last rule louder than the others, “cameron , maybank , i’m looking right at ya both , okay?”

the boys smirked to themselves , a few other guys patting their backs. you were sat somewhere in between them , getting a chance to look at both. jj was laughing with john b , smacking each other back in forth in argument as to who was the bigger camp slut. they agreed on the blonde.

and rafe , he was with his friends you hadn’t met yet. they were dapping him up , congratulating him on his many conquests over the years.

“now that we’ve all agreed on not fornicating on property , let the games begin!” marsha smiled, “you all know how this works. for you newcomers , you’ll pick up just fine. get with your cabin mate and check your emails. scavenger hunt begins… now!”

everyone shot out of their chairs , finding their partners if they weren’t already sat with them to start the game. when you got to sarah , who was only a few chairs away , she already had her phone pulled out with the email pulled up.

“okay , so this is what we do every year on the first night of camp,” she started , handing you her phone to look at the list, “winner gets to have their cabin get their meals before everyone else does for the first two weeks. it actually gets pretty intense.”

you laughed , handing the phone back to its rightful owner and smiling. “let’s win then.”

“alright! i like you a lot , miss y/n/n,” sarah replied , bumping your shoulder with hers. she started walking , so you kept up with her. taking advantage of the golf carts , sarah plucked the keys out of the cup holder and started one up. “we gotta start at the end. marsha thinks we don’t know , but she puts the list in order of location. the further down the list , the further it is from home base.”

“sounds like we’re going to come out on top then,” you commented, “drive faster.”

“back to the ponies we go,” sarah nodded , pushing her foot down on the gas pedal.

you sped off , passing several counselors that were on foot , including rafe. he was with the boy from check in that taylor was checking out and another blonde.

“sare , you know that shit’s practically cheating,” rafe yelled at his sister , causing her to slow down to a complete stop.

“really?” sarah feigned innocence. her big , brown eyes practically sparkled as she looked at rafe.

you leaned forward to look past sarah and at the guys standing next to your cart. “i don’t think marsha ever said that it’s not allowed,” you chimed in , pretending to think back in time, “so we’re gonna go win real quick , and we’ll see ya when we’re passing you in line for dinner.”

it was almost despicable how sweet your smile was compared to your competitive words. rafe eyed you up and down , not bothering to hide his gaze. “sounds like sarah’s already rubbing off on you , sweetheart. better get away from her before it gets worse,” he joked, “have you met kelce and topper yet , honey?” his hand pointed back to his friends , who were impatiently waiting for rafe to shut the hell up.

“no , she hasn’t,” sarah answered for you, “and also screw you. have fun losing again this year!”

with that , sarah hit the gas and drove you away from her brother. her hand flew up , waving bye as she laughed along with you. “god , please don’t take anything that boy says to heart,” she advised , looking over at you with a serious expression all over her face.

“what do you mean?”

“well…” she started, “y’know how marsh called him and jj out for being camp’s biggest whores? she’s not kidding. i love jj , and i love rafe , but those boys can’t keep it in their pants to save their lives. and they’ll say pretty much whatever to get into someone else’s. that includes sweet talkin’ you like rafe was trying to do with his ‘honey’ and ‘sweetheart’ and shit,” she continued explaining, “just be cautious.”

you nodded slowly , taking her words as gospel. every summer camp ever has one or two counselors that fuck like rabbits , but it was your luck that you found them both attractive here. good thing you had your one rule. no dating boys from camp.

it was simple and definitive.

it was clear you and sarah were going to finish before the rest of the counselors by the time you got to the last scavenge point on your list. it was at the fire pit by the cabins in plain view. sarah took a quick picture of you standing next to the fire and holding up the medallion that was placed on the bricks. finally , you were able to hop on the golf cart and head to home base.

“so there’s this party the counselors do every first night of camp , and i think you should come,” sarah spoke up as you steered your way passed the others.

“there’s not a party on the itinerary,” you replied , already having the next few days memorized.

she laughed at you gently , patting your thigh. “babe , it’s not exactly something marsha knows about,” she explained, “it’s , like , a right of passage for the leaders to get drunk off their asses before the kids come. i mean , we usually have kick backs on the weekends , but this welcoming party is much different.”

“different how?” you asked , furrowing your eyebrows, “party’s a party.”

“well , it’s bigger. every single leader comes to it. hangouts on the weekends are usually split up amongst us and our little groups , so this one is the party.”

“yeah , sure. i mean , it would be dumb to miss out on it,” you chuckled with a shrug , pulling up to the administrative office you had been in hours and hours ago.

the blonde let out an excited squeal , yanking you into a hug before hopping off the cart and running into the building. you stayed still , waiting for her to come back out. “first in line , baby!” she shouted , raising her fists into the air as soon as she stepped out the door.

you cheered and laughed with her , turning the golf cart off and getting out. “i love you , sarah cameron,” you confessed , pulling her into a hug.

it was only one day , and you were convinced she might be your person. she had divulged you into all of her stories and drama and didn’t feel the need to hide anything from you so far. she gave you space when you wanted it earlier. she was good. “i love you too,” she replied with a smile, “lets go gloat!”

AFTER SARAH rubbed the win in her brother’s face , while you stayed back and watched it , you met up with the pogues. thankfully , taylor was still with cleo. you immediately pulled her to the side.

“okay , you’re pulling me,” she grumbled , stepping along with you.

“there’s a party tonight,” you stated.

“yeah , there’s one every year. they were just telling me about it,” taylor shrugged, “we going?”

“well , yeah , but on top of that rafe was flirting with me,” you blurted out , cheeks rosy from the thought of the interaction before and after the game.

taylor nodded slowly , glancing back at your new friends before looking in your eyes. “what about jj ‘perfect for you’ maybank?” she asked , nodding to the blonde boy , who was trying to wrestle with cleo.

“no , no. that’s the point. i don’t want anything to do with either of them,” you groaned , dropping your head back for a moment, “so i need you to cockblock if anything happens.”

“all summer? why don’t you just put on a frickin’ chasity belt?” taylor whined.

you rolled your eyes. “just for tonight. hopefully , rafe will catch on , and leave me alone. as for jj , i’ll just be his friend.”

“just lead him on?” taylor corrected you, “he was already bothering me about you. asking me all sorts of questions.” there was a smile in her words , trying to push you to go for it like she always did when it came to the cute boys at camp.

“not happening,” you simply stated , shaking your head, “just cockblock this once , and i’ll , like , suck your dick or something. i don’t know , just help me. because my roommate’s brother giving me slutty eyes and smiles the three times i’ve met him is not on my agenda , taylor. especially after sarah told me he’s kind of a douchebag.”

“okay , okay. you’re so uptight,” taylor agreed, “and now that you mention it , cleo and kiara were saying the same sort of things ‘bout him , so fine. i’ll cockblock.”

just as you two finished up , jj called out to you. “ladies , c’mon! dinner time!” he waved you both over. taylor sent you a look before jogging to catch up with the rest of the group. you headed that way , noticing jj stayed behind in wait. “i see congratulations are in order,” he smiled at you , walking in step with you.

“it was all sarah , really,” you smiled coyly.

he was cute. taylor was right about that. his unruly blonde hair shoved under a beat up , red cap. combat boots pires with a cut off tee. you hated that you were so obviously eyeing him. even more when he said something again.

“you can take a picture you know.” there was a smile evident on your face , eyes gentle as he looked at you like you looked at him.

you just blushed , walking a little faster. “dinner smells good!” you commented , opening the door and rushing in to find sarah or taylor.

you all went through the line , shoving yourself in between the girls so jj couldn’t talk to you. sarah and kiara led you to a table , and you were able to eat. you didn’t even realize how hungry you were until you were sat down.

“cleo , i think i’m in love with you,” you groaned , taking another bit of the sandwich.

“girl , this is nothing,” kie cut in, “you should’ve been here last year. she went all out!”

“i was trying to make a good first impression,” cleo shrugged with a smile , like her cooking skills were mediocre and not something you’d dreamt of before.

“so…” john b started, “taylor told me you guys used to go to some camp in tennessee?” his question was directed at you.

you nodded , covering your mouth as you swallowed the oversize bite you just took. “mmhm,” you hummed, “skyline ridge.” you answered.

“how come you came here?” pope asked this time.

“turns out it was a baby cult,” you admitted , feeling your ears turn hot at the statement. it was kind of embarrassing how you didn’t realize until after. but who’s to blame you? you were a kid. “like , it wasn’t obvious until you left , you know?”

“kinda like the kooks!” jj pointed out with his fork.

taylor shook her head, “no , it was a little more established than your classist island drama , jj.”

“yeah , it was bad , but who cares? we’re here now,” you smiled simply.

soon enough , you all finished your meals and split up yet again to get ready for the not-so-secret secret party. sarah and you were alone again , trading clothes and trying to find a good outfit for each other.

“hey , so i know we just met and all,” sarah began , shyly twist a skirt in her hands, “but i could tell there was something bothering you when we were getting dinner. everything okay?”

god , she was so sweet.

you paused , adjusting the shirt you had switched into before looking at her. “taylor’s convinced i should get a boyfriend this summer. specifically jj , and i’m just , i don’t know , that’s just not for me.”

she nodded , perching on the edge of her bed. “why not?” it was an innocent question.

“i don’t stay in one place too long ever. i think summer camp is the only place i’ll stick around for longer than a few weeks,” you answered , sitting on your bed to face her. clothes were scattered around the both of you , but your eyes locked and it was all left behind. “ever since i ran away , i haven’t stopped to look back. there’s no reason. i travel the world and do my own thing. boys just drag ya down,” you think you explained it well enough.

“i think the right boy could lift you up , if you let him,” sarah philosophied with a sneaky smile, “on that note , i’m gonna go meet up with john b. i’ll see you at the party , y/n/n.”

you waved goodbye , watching her walk out the back door and skipping over to cabin eight. you took a deep breath , mulling over all of the options your friends had been giving you all day.

by yourself , you finished getting ready. to be completely honest , you didn’t know if you wanted to go as much anymore. it was dark , and you didn’t know your way through these woods enough to go alone. you could easily just cozy up in bed and read a book.

a knock at the door pulled you out of your thoughts. you rushed over , opening the wooden slab as you poked your earring through its hole. when the door opened , it revealed none other than rafe. “hey,” he greeted you , waiting for you to invite him in before he moved. he watched as you put another earring in.

“hi,” you replied , moving to the side to let him come in away from the bugs, “looking for sarah?”

he let out a chuckle , nodding his head. “yeah… she said she’d go on a beer run with me,” he explained , shoving his hands into his pockets after closing the door.

“she left for the lake , like , twenty minutes ago,” you grimaced , continuing to get ready while rafe stood in the cabin area. you shrugged on a crocheted cardigan and stood in front of him. “how do i look for my first party?”

his deep blue eyes scanned over your figure , taking their time to drink you in. your legs were exposed as you wore a pair of shorts you obviously cut yourself. the bralette-esque top sarah let you borrow covered hardly anything. the cardigan was your saving grace for any modicum of modesty. his fingers found his lips , rubbing them almost in an attempt to physically stop any nasty comments from flying out.

“you look real good , freshie,” rafe complimented you, “uh— i’ll let you get to the party. see ya,” he stammered out , reaching for the door handle.

“oh , well i can go with ya. since sarah ditched you,” you offered up , promptly getting him to stop opening the door. you don’t know what changed in the last minute for you to go from wanting to stay in for the night to wanting to join the camp whore on a beer run , but it was already offered.

“if you wanna. i mean , it’s just a beer run , so it shouldn’t take long,” rafe nodded, “i’ll have you back to your little pogues in no time.”

“you guys and your kooks and pogues,” you rolled your eyes , running back into your room to grab your phone and camera, “you do realize you’re all nobodies outside of that little island , right?” you questioned him , brushing past his body to slip out the door.

“you wouldn’t understand,” rafe sighed , following you outside before taking the lead to his truck.

“try me,” you pressed. you were walking passed everyone— going against the grain. you both waved to a few of the people who said hello first , and then your eyes lock on jj’s.

he was walking with pope and kiara , but his eyes were trained on your movements and who you were with. and you don’t know why , but your heart actually stung a little bit when you saw him tear his eyes away from you , going back to talking to his friends like nothing happened.

nothing did happen.

it’s a beer run with a fellow camp leader. big deal.

“so?” you nudged rafe with your elbow, “what’s this big thing between kooks and pogues my tiny mind just don’t understand!” you were being theatrical , and rafe chuckled a little bit before shoving you a little in the direction of his truck that came into view.

“it’s always been that way. the island was always the rich and the poor,” he began to explain, “but i think right now is the most polarized it’s ever been. i mean , we’re getting into fights all of the time. jj got arrested for sinking topper’s boat a couple of years ago! it’s all eye for an eye back home.”

rafe stopped to open the passenger door for you before moving around and climbing behind the wheel. you buckled up and looked at him. “you know that saying though?”

“hmm?” he hummed.

“if it’s always eye for an eye , eventually everyone is blind?” you mused , waiting for him to pick up on it.

“okay,” he rolled his eyes now, “you don’t get it.”

“no! hey , don’t pout,” you pointed at him when he focused more on the roads than the conversation , which usually you’d be grateful for a responsible driver , but you can only assume he usually isn’t. “it’s not me making fun of you as much as it is telling you there is a big , big world out there that doesn’t give a damn if your from the cut or the loop or whatever the fuck you call it.”

“figure eight,” he corrected you , fixing his pouty lips into a smile as he glanced at you again.

“whatever— do you have a fake? if not , i do , so we can get the beers,” you changed the subject.

and he laughed at you. “baby , i don’t need a fake id.”

“oh , well , okay. how old are you?” you stuttered at the nickname. what was with this man and terms of endearment?

“twenty-three.” he leaned over and gave you the biggest , toothiest smile.

“old man,” you scoffed , pushing his head away from you, “you should be old enough to realize that—“

“that the stupid generational rivalry is pointless. yeah , yeah,” he finished for you, “just let me buy you some drinks for the party and be happy about it,” he joked.

“oh , i don’t drink,” you shook your head.

that’s what got him to look at you fully. “shit— sorry , i didn’t mean to offend you. it’s just , i don’t know , you offered to come with me , so i guess i just assumed,” he rambled off as you started giggling.

his brows furrowed in confusion , not understanding what was funny or why you were laughing at him. “i’m kidding , ray,” you laughed , patting his head gently, “of course i drink. why else would i have a fake , doofus?”

with the relief that you weren’t actually making fun of him , rafe was able to laugh along with you. he did take notice of the nickname you gave him , though. “ray,” he whispered.

“like sunshine , ya know? it’s an oxymoron,” you explained, “and it could easily be an actual nickname for you , so it’s perfect.”

“ray like sunshine,” rafe echoed with a nod, “how exactly is that an oxymoron?”

you looked at him with a sly smile. “you’re not exactly cheery.”

“uh uh!” he argued back, “i can be cheery as fuck!”

you let out a belly laugh , tilting your head back , and rafe thinks he’s met his maker when you do. “i would looooove to see you be anything but flirty with me or grouchy with sarah. truly , i’d enjoy it,” you remarked , shifting your seat a little.

“there’s a lot you haven’t seen from me yet,” rafe remarked , proving your point of only ever being cheeky or grumpy.

“exhibit a,” you pointed, “i’m gonna start keeping count.” the two of you chuckled as he pulled into the parking lot ( of what you assume is ) the closest liquor store to camp.

“c’mon , honey. you’re mrs. rafe cameron if anyone asks,” he included you in his little scheme as if it was a necessity to this beer run. he hopped out of the truck , opening your door once again for you to slide out and land on the ground. “after you,” he smiled , opening the business’ door.

“okay , my ray of sunshine husband,” you playfully scrunch your nose , walking into the store. he was already trying to be ‘sunshiney’ after your comment.

you paused when you stepped in , waiting for rafe to drag you through the store as you’d never been. “follow me,” he simply said , grabbing your hand like he’d done it all his life , like you weren’t two total strangers. it was that moment that made you realize you were starting to break your own rules. well , maybe you didn’t realize it realize it , but in the back of your head? you did.

he lead the way to the back cooler , stepping inside and grabbing a case of beer and one of the seltzers. “you want anything specific?” he looked over to you , seeing you standing in the door way , holding yourself tight at the temperature change. “c’mere,” he gestured to himself and opened his arm.

despite yourself , you moved quickly to him and snuggled into his side. his hand ran up and down your arm , trying to warm you up. “grab whatever you want , and we’ll get outta here.”

your hand reached for a case of ciders , but you paused to look up at him for approval. he nodded and grabbed it before you could and ushered you out of the cooler.

“id please,” the cashier spoke monotonously , looking at you and rafe like you were idiots.

“marco , i literally come here every year. we have this conversation every year,” rafe groaned , digging in his pocket for his wallet.

“and up until two years ago , you were just another jessamine shit head underage drinking,” marco joked , nodding to you, “id , hon.”

“oh—“ you started , but rafe cut you off.

“hey , she’s good,” he nodded , sending marco a message you couldn’t quite read yet, “mrs. cameron isn’t old enough yet. she’s just along for the ride. right , baby?” he continued with his lie , wrapping his arm around you again and squeezing you tight.

marco rolled his eyes , knowing rafe was going to slip him a crisp if he just processed the purchase. “have a good night , y’all,” he grumbled. you muttered a small reply , waving meekly as rafe set a hundred dollar bill on the counter. he tapped it once before grabbing the cases of drinks.

you held the door open for him this time , seeing as his arms were full. “m’lady,” you jested , even bowing before him as he walked through the exit with a scoff.

“shut up,” he chuckled , shaking his head. he set the drinks in the back seat and opened your door. “git on up,” he tapped your back before closing the door— only after making sure nothing of yours was in the way.

rafe wasn’t too sure why he was being all gentlemanly with you. maybe it was because he wanted to prove you wrong when you said he was just a flirt or a grouch. maybe it’s the way you were someone that didn’t know him yet , and he could be someone else for once.

hell , wasn’t that what summer was for?

the drive back was calm. you and rafe just chatted , asking each other questions and really listening to the other one’s answers.

you couldn’t help but think to yourself that maybe everyone else had got it wrong. rafe had depth. you listened to the way he talked about his work , his aspirations , his ideologies. he wasn’t just some camp whore you were so easily labeling him earlier.

“you know what , hubby?” you hummed , hand out the window , surfing the air. your head was rested against the seat , but you turn to look at him with a smile on your face.

“what ever is on your mind , dear?” he replied , goofy smile matching yours as did his tone. the ongoing joke between you two made you giggle before continuing.

“i think you might be one of the most complex people i have ever met,” you confessed genuinely , sweetly almost. and like it wasn’t the best , most heartfelt compliment anyone had ever given rafe , you turned forward again , closing your eyes to just feel the wind passing you by.

rafe held back a grin to himself , mimicking you and just focusing on the road to give you a quiet rest of the ride back. the peaceful kind of quiet rafe didn’t even believe existed.

a/n here it is! please let me know if you hate it or love it or have ideas!!! also: tea me posting this earlier than i expected:)

taglist @sabrina-carpenter-stan-account @viennafantasies @cnnamongrl @embersfae @enchantingexile @urbrunettebombshell @wearemadeofstardust0 @psychicnatural @ecstqzy @ssqra @st4rkeyl0ver @shincidios @xoxo-ada @lmaolmaos @lilyhyperfixates @courta13

[fancyfeathers]

What yan blogs do you like? Did you have any inspirations or something?

There are definitely a few that I REALLY like, like checking for updates daily because god knows I have too much time on my hands lmao. But when I do read I normally read fandom content in bulk so it really just depends on who updated and what my current hyper fixation is, but I do have a few constant favorites.

@yandere-wishes is required to be in this list, like one of my first mutuals and it tends to be that we share a wavelength on our current hyper fixations for fandoms. Like we both started to write a lot of DC content currently and I am so here for it. They were also one of my first tumblr blogs I followed before I even started writing so like when we became mutuals I actually cried, well not really cause I have constant dry eyes but still.

@lavandulawrites I love their genshin content, especially the Capitano content but that’s because I love that man. She actually wrote like my favorite genshin fic, which I highly recommend.

@jymwahuwu they have a bit more of darker content, which they state in their pinned post, so if you like that sort of content then I highly recommend their posts but I know it’s not everyone’s cup of tea but it is certainly mine when I want that darker vibe. I really like their Honkai Star Rail content (which I really need to start writing for) but I think they write a little Genshin content.

@couldeatthatgirlforlunch another DC author, probably one of the writers that sent me down the DC rabbit hole cause after I read some of their Justice League content I went to go dig up some of the old comic books that my dad gave me when I was a kid. I also really like the way they write Hal Jordan as a yandere and I really like my Green Lanterns so…

@lycheeloving I really love their Justice League/Batfam content as well, some of their content loosely inspired my own. I also love another LGBTQ+ author which is another reason I really like their blog.

@blughxreader their Batfam content is peak and their artwork is peak, I am pretty sure they are on break right now, but still go check out their content.

Then other blogs I recommend are @jessamine-rose @viridwns @yandere-writer-momo @yandere-daydreams @yandere-romanticaa @nikovraskol

I just didn’t have enough energy to write a paragraph for everyone because I am really sick right now and I am most definitely missing a few people but I will definitely update this list at some point 😭

Plus my girlfriend/cowriter, Kitty, who also posts on this blog on occasion may have her own recommendations.

[ash-halloran]

Empress Jessamine Kaldwin, from Dishonored!

If you like this, please check out my other work on here!

[edgeray]

(That reminds me, I've always thought about it, but would you guys like a post where I recommend my favorite Arlecchino fics from other authors for you starving simps ^^?)

About this yes sure!

Arlecchino x Reader Fic Recommendations (From Tumblr Writers)

by the way, these fics are in no particular order of what I like the most, these are all just my favorites that I wanted to share (and of course, none of them from me). This will include series, oneshots, headcanons, blurbs, drabbles, etc. most of these come from my tag #edgeray.reblogs. All of these are SFWs, but I could do a NSFW rec list too if someone wants it.

I forgot to add @chucapybara in my last reommendation post of writers T^T, so forgive me. chucapybara does not accept requests either, so do not request from her! For this reason, I'm going to put her works here first. She has a few more works besides the two listed below, but those are my favorites from her <33. Check her out, her writing is so gorg 😍

monsters

soft mornings with arlecchino [f!reader]

Now to the other recommendations. The writers which I recommended in the prior post will be put first out of convenience, and only from writers that do have a fair amount of works (it's hard to pick one favorite out from a few works ^^, hence why).

bring me the sun by @servalisms | short, fluff

phantom!arle (fem! reader) by @megistusdiary | short

fathers day arlecchino by @knavesflames | oneshot, fluff

hanahaki!reader x arlecchino pt. 1 | pt. 2 by @aetherdoesthings | oneshot series, hurt/comfort

bassist! arle and photographer!reader by @liliewrites | oneshot, fluff

Red Sky at Night, Shepherd's Delight by @jessamine-rose | headcanons

heart-to-heart by @vulpe-fox | headcanon(?)/oneshot, emotional rollercoaster

affections by @abros1an | short, hurt/comfort

Buried angels and that odd wish to live. pt. 1 | pt.2 by @deathbxnny | oneshot series, hurt/comfort

hollow by @kana-de | oneshot, angst

Arlecchino being comforted by her s/o by @eluxcastar | oneshot, hurt/comfort

One of Repetition by @eluxcastar | oneshot, angst

and her heart is a bird on a spit in her chest masterlist by @thecoffeelovingfreak | oneshot series, emotional rollercoaster

possessive arlecchino w suggestive fluff by @queenphanessa | short, suggestive

umm hopefully that was enough because this took me a few hours to compile lol. enjoy some of my faves.

[yandere-romanticaa]

Not a req. or anything, but I've been curious lol, do you have any genshin yan writers you'd recommend?

This is just a list that I came up with on a whim, there are quite a few people I like and sorry if you don't see yourself on the list! 👉👈

@yandere-wishes is a multifandom blog which is a big bonus to me but her Genshin stuff is good. Very diverse, I'm always left wondering who'll be tackled next.

@yandere-sins, another multifandom blog but I like to reread their stuff. Very fun and easy to go through!!!

@harmonysanreads is peak when writing about the Sumeru cast but I enjoy seeing Lyney on this blog as well.

@teabutmakeitazure has a yandere mafia childe fic that I ADORE, it's so perfect and fun, 100/10!

@ddarker-dreams probably needs no introductions but is still worth mentioning. It's fun to go through those shorter posts about multiple characters at once. It's like eating popcorn, easy but good.

@throwaway-yandere has a lottttt of good fics followed by their own art. Unfortunately they don't write as much anymore but I think their fics are worth mentioning.

@wri0thesley has a lot of beautiful fics that are sort of like poems to me. I could go through this blog for HOURS.

@cinnamonest has some darker content that might not be everybody's cup of tea such as incest and hard misogyny but they're all darkly amusing. If you can handle that, have a peek.

@jessamine-rose has a lot of great fics about the Harbingers which are very well detailed and great to read. There are also some other things that aren't for Genshin but they're all so <333

@wishluc is pure fun and indulgence, mwah mwah. Check them out please <333

@angelltheninth has a plethora of diverse Genshin content. You won't ever get enough.

[lgbtqreads]

Hi, I recently read Alison Rumfitt's book Tell me I'm Worthless and I loved it so I requested her other book brainwyrms from my local library. But i was wondering if there are any other trans or lesbian horror books.

Sure are! If you like her stuff, check out Gretchen Felker-Martin's as well - Manhunt and Cuckoo, and there's also The Woods All Black by Lee Mandelo - trans horror but with a male protag (and historical). A little further away, Hell Followed With Us by Andrew Joseph White and Old Wounds by Logan Kisner are YA trans horror. And in lesbian, check out My Darling Dreadful Thing by Johanna Van Veen, The Wicked and the Willing by Lianyu Tan, We Ate the Dark by Mallory Pearson, Yellow Jessamine by Caitlin Starling, and Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield.

[jessamine-rose]

Note:: Kakegurui XX Episode 10 spoilers

Kakegurui AU ft. Kirari! Ayato x Sayaka! Thoma. Specifically the Tower of Doors arc………Ayato shocking Thoma by jumping off the tower with him, only for them to safely land in a garden of pure white lilies…….Thoma re-swearing his allegiance to Ayato under the full moon…….with the knowledge that Ayato, despite what his mindgames may suggest, holds a special place in his heart for Thoma.

A pure, loyal person like Thoma isn’t safe in their academy, after all. So Ayato will keep him by his side, see to it that Thoma will remain as his dog and no one else’s Housepet.

[starlessea2]

Wild-flower [Astarion]

Chapter 2 - More Interesting Times

Summary: Out of all the strange things to happen to Jessamine that day, the tadpole is the first, the knife at her throat is the worst—and Astarion comes somewhere in between. A/N Make sure to read chapter 1 first, and encourage my slow ass to continue with empty words and mutual love for this pasty man. Masterlist

The beach pools under Jessamine’s fingers. There’s a gash, two-to-three inches long, across her palm. Beneath her, blood congeals with sand. “Ughh…”

As she pries open her eyes, she's met with a splitting headache—far worse than any hangover to date. She retches, and what leaves her is a mixture of bile, saltwater, and iron. It burns on the way out.

“Are you done?” a voice asks.

Jessamine blinks. There’s someone nearby but she doesn’t have the energy to startle. Her response is slow, and if there had been an enemy lurking, she would have quite frankly begged them to put an end to her misery.

But the voice calls out again, this time in her mind, and instinctively, Jessamine’s eyes comb the beach. She spots the figure fairly quick. A little ways up from her, pinned beneath debris from the Nautiloid… It’s Shadowheart. 

Memories flicker one by one. Mindflayers, pods, parasites. Terror grips Jessamine’s mind, but she does her best to squash it down. With a few deep breaths and mental coaxing, she fumbles to her feet. “Wait there—” she croaks, “I’m coming.”

There’s a pained laugh a few feet away. “Not as though I can go anywhere.” 

As her boots sink heavily across the beach, Jessamine anxiety builds. When she reaches the other elf, she’s glad to find she isn’t injured. Rather just stuck. Half-buried in sand, Shadowheart’s face floods with relief at the sight of her. A heartfelt thank you travels through their mental connection, but Jessamine doesn’t quite know how to respond to it.

Instead, she studies the debris. It’s a big, sturdy-looking sheet of metal—probably torn away from the ship. With one glance at the thing, Jessamine just knows: this is going to take some magic.

So she gets to work.

Her and Shadowheart don’t converse; there’s a mutual understanding that the pair of them feel like utter bollocks. But fortunately, it doesn’t take Jessamine too long. With a conjured mage hand, and some good-ol’-fashioned-lifting-with-her-knees, Shadowheart’s a free woman once again.

“Jessamine, right?” Shadowheart turns to her, face still a little flushed. “Let me see.” 

She grabs Jessamine's hand to inspect her gash; it’s crusted with sand and oozing in places. Shadowheart grimaces. “Te curo”, she incants, and in a haze of green light, the wound seals itself up neatly. 

Jessamine gawks. “Cleric,” she says.

“Sorcerer,” Shadowheart counters.

Jessamine blinks. Despite the odds, a snort escapes her. It’s ugly and unladylike, but it manages to pull a smile out of her companion. And Jessamine’s glad for it; she’s pretty certain if she doesn’t laugh, she’ll cry.

“I must not have been paying much attention to your abilities on the Nautiloid,” Jessamine admits. She studies her palm with awe: when she clenches her fist to check for pain, there is none. No scar left behind, either. “Thanks for that,” she eventually says.

Shadowheart shakes her head. “It’s the least I could do. I wouldn’t have exactly blamed you if you’d walked straight past me in that damned pod…” she pauses, taking a glance at the devastated beach. “Or here,” she adds.

Jessamine nods. But in truth, she’s still uncertain whether any of this is real. One moment she’s en route to the Blushing Mermaid, ready to trade a performance for a day’s keep. The next: astra-terrestrial abduction. 

And to think, back home, Jessamine had the gall to consider her life boring.

The thought stirs her stomach. Whilst Jessamine isn’t sure of the date exactly, there’s no doubt in her mind that her absence has been noticed. Her family’s definitely worrying. If she had to guess: her father is furious, a search patrol’s likely turning Baldur’s Gate upside down, and her sisters were probably squabbling over her room at this very moment (it has the best view). 

But there’s little she can do about it here. After all, she isn’t even sure where here is.

With one glance at her companion, Jessamine knows she’s come to a similar realisation. A few moments of shaking sand from their boots, and the two of them are spurred into action. Shadowheart locates her mace before it’s snatched up by the high tide, and Jessamine begins to prompt her with questions about her past—her pointy little artefact. 

“What exactly is it?” she asks. But despite her earlier efforts, the cleric isn’t inclined to answer. 

After a few back-and-forths, they find themselves in a stalemate; Shadowheart’s a terrible liar, and whereas Jessamine would usually prester, her head is pounding, her mind’s mush, and the sun’s in locked combat with her eyes.

So they set off walking. 

As the sun beats overhead, the pair stagger across the coastline. They rummage around for clues to where they might have ended up: a fisherman's basket, a note looted from a corpse… Shadowheart is discerning with their finds, but Jessamine can’t shake the feeling she knows this place. The landscape seems familiar, despite being a far cry from the woodlands she calls home.

She lets herself be guided by the feeling, and maps the carcass of the Nautiloid alongside the cleric. They inspect the burning wreck together, but it's only when a scuttling sound grows near that Jessamine starts to wonder what she’s gotten herself into. 

“Gods—” Shadowheart starts, her face twisting into disgust, “it’s those brains.”

Jessamine curses with equal disdain. In an instant, they’re once again surrounded by the grotesque creatures from the ship. Jessamine steals herself. There’s an incantation on her lips, but before the words leave her, Shadowheart has already punted an intellect devourer half-way across the coast. As Jessamine watches it hurtle through the air, she makes the decision to never cross the cleric. She definitely has some bottled-up rage, she thinks.

Thankfully, it doesn’t take them long to clear up the remnants; they were half-dead from the crash, and didn’t take kindly to their spells. So they make it out of the wreckage in one piece, and continue on in their journey. 

They walk in step, and soon, sand turns into planes. They find themselves traversing rocky cliffsides beyond the beach, seeking refuge from the sun. Jessamine’s mind is in poor shape, but it still questions the scenery—tries to search for it within the depths of her memory. So when she comes upon a mountainside with the words ‘Emerald Environs’ etched into it, the realisation hits her. She recalls a scarred face, a grove, and a trip undertaken when she was still a child. 

“Shadowheart,” she calls out to the other elf. But her words fall away as she they happen upon yet another oddity.

A hand. It waves frantically, trying to get their attention. Except, it seems to be protruding from some sort of portal, swirling deep within a rockface. You wouldn’t need to be a sorcerer to feel the weave oozing from it, the arcane energy thrumming through the air. Jessamine approaches with caution. She hears mutterings of a voice coming from deep within. 

“If—you’d be so kind—grab my hand—” The words are distorted, soaked with urgency.

Beside her, the cleric shakes her head. Jessamine ought to know better, but something is stirring inside her. She’s always had a knack for ignoring danger, so it’s no surprise she finds herself approaching the portal. 

It’s a stubborn thing, but by channelling some of her own magic through it, Jessamine coaxes it to cough up a man. Gale of Waterdeep—wizard.

The introductions are brief; the worm does most of the talking. Gale extends his thanks, and Jessamine quips that everyone she encounters seems to be stuck in one way or another. 

Then she finds herself in the same predicament.

Her face is in the dirt; it had happened in a split second. She tries to struggle but there's weight at her back, and a threatening voice near her ear, “Move, and I won’t hesitate to spill blood.”

The cool press of a blade makes itself known against her jugular. Jessamine stills. The pressure is so great that if she were to swallow, she fears her throat would be cut. So she lets her saliva build.

“Okay now, let’s all just take a moment to calm ourselves—” Gale’s attempts to disarm the stranger fade to nothingness as blood pools in Jessamine’s ears.

She lets her body go limp. All resistance leaves her. Whilst her companions negotiate in her stead, Jessamine counts the seconds to calm herself. The knife is cold on her skin, but beneath it, her blood burns hot. Her magic is disturbed.

“Let her go,” Shadowheart barters, “We’re not mindflayers, for godsake!” 

Her captor flinches at the word, and Jessamine realises there will likely be such an opportunity again. She strikes her elbow up into the man’s gut, making him loosen his hold enough for her to break free. They tussle on the ground; magic sparks at Jessamine’s fingers as his knife nicks her jaw.

“Peru-” Jessamine starts. But one look at his face, and her incantation dies on her lips.

He hasn’t blinked once. His gaze is cold and calculating, yet behind that, Jessamine notices something frantic. It’s a look she’s seen in the rabbits in the forest—or in the eyes of a deer at the end of an arrowhead. And somehow, it’s equally as familiar. 

“Astarion?” she gasps.

The pressure on her neck eases somewhat, as something registers faint behind his eyes. That’s definitely Astarion, she thinks. In the sunlight, he’s far paler than she recalled, but she’d never mistake those eyes. 

“Astarion, it’s me,” she says quietly. 

Prying her hand out from under him, she coaxes him into lowering his blade. It takes a few seconds—he’s beyond cautious—but his face eventually softens. Then it reanimates into a different expression entirely. 

“So we meet again, little flower,” he says, in that coy manner of his. “And to think, I was ready to decorate the ground with your innards!”

There’s a smile on his face, but doesn’t quite reach his eyes. It unnerves Jessamine. In the light of day, she can see clearly that he is no longer looking at her with desire. Nor interest, she is certain. There’s only two things she can discern for sure, and that is fear, and intent.

“I—” she starts.

But something unlocks a door in her mind, and a rush of thoughts overcome her. They flash by in series: threads of magic, the snarls of wolves, a ballroom soaked in blood, and her forest—

Jessamine blinks; the connection is severed.

“What in the bloody hells was that?” cries Astarion. He is on top of her still, pristine in comparison to her dirt-covered self.

“That, my friend, is an illithid parasite,” states Gale. He taps the side of his skull before continuing. “Courtesy of the slippery devil, it seems we’re all privy to each other's thoughts. For the meantime—at least.”

Shadowheart lets out a scoff. “I’d be less inclined to call him a friend whilst he’s got Jessamine on the ground,” she remarks. “But then again, the two of them do seem rather well acquainted.” 

The pause that follows is loud. Jessamine lets out an indignant noise which prompts Astarion to find his feet. 

“Apologies,” he says, dusting himself off.

Shadowheart scowls. That’s perhaps the most genuine thing to leave his mouth, Jessamine hears her think.

Astarion must not have caught it, since he doesn't react. Instead, he tucks his dagger into his holster before offering out his hand. “Take it love, unless you prefer to roll around in the dirt?” 

His tone is teasing, but it stokes Jessamine’s pride as a former youngest daughter. She finds her own footing instead. 

The elf shrugs. “My name’s Astarion,” he says, turning to introduce himself to the rest of the group. “I was a magistrate in Baldur’s Gate when those things grabbed me.”

That explains the garb, Jessamine thinks. His tunic is lavish—far more expensive than the loose blouse he’d worn at the Flophouse. And what business did a magistrate have with her? They were meant to be proper, no? Her cheeks grow warm at the thought.

More introductions follow, and whilst Jessamine still can’t bring herself to look Astarion in the eye, she’s keenly aware that Shadowheart’s watching her, and that Gale likely has a million questions (but not one he’s brave enough to ask). 

Jessamine avoids their stares.

“So to summarise…” Gale says, clearing his throat. “Wizard,” he points at his chest before turning to Shadowheart, “cleric with a slightly dubious background.”

Shadowheart rolls her eyes but does not disagree.

“One dagger-inclined magistrate. And the sorceress who kindly rescued me from certain demise.” Gale throws a wink Jessamine’s way, to which she nods politely in return. “Now am I missing anything?” 

Shadowheart opens her mouth but it is Astarion who speaks first.

“A sorcerer?” he asks. “Colour me surprised. With all that talk of a performance, I would have taken you for a bard.” 

So he does remember.

Jessamine wants to smile, but when she recalls their conversation in the Flophouse—how she acted around him—she can't bring herself to.

That night, she hadn't been in the best headspace. And that had been before she let the wine take over and make her into some giddy, ridiculous thing. Her lips draw into a thin line at the memory. “In another life, perhaps.” 

Astarion quirks a brow but doesn't press.

“More importantly, since we’re all up to speed with our…” Jessamine searches for the word, “dilemma,” she chooses, “then we agree that we need to get to a healer, yes?” 

There’s a chorus of replies ranging from obvious to unamused. 

“Well, I know of a grove nearby. A renowned druid lives there.”

Shadowheart shoots her a look. “And you never thought to mention that before now?” Her eyes are untrusting, despite all they’ve been through.

“It only just came to me,” Jessamine admits.

She wouldn't to let herself feel guilty. It was a half-truth, after all, and Shadowheart was keeping much more than that from her.

Before either of them can speak, Gale claps his hands together, gathering everyone's attention. “Never the matter,” he says. “Why not show our companion here a little faith? I say we head to this grove.”

Jessamine is thankful; he doesn't ask too many questions.

“First we should look for Lae’zel,” she counters. “A gith—we fought our way out of the Nautiloid together.”

Gale hums in response. “A gith,” he says slowly. “I shall add that to the list.”

By the time they set off again, shadows had started to fall over Faerûn. There were sores on the bottoms of Jessamine's feet, and the occasional wriggling behind her eye. But despite her condition, the sun still set in the west. The sky changed its colours as it always had, and the tide retreated in preparation for a new day.

And when Astarion falls into step beside her, Jessamine realises that he too has become another unchanging factor of her life.

“So…” he says, giving her an obvious once over. There’s blood on her shirt, bile on her pants, and she’s pretty sure he noticed her picking part of an intellect devourer out of her hair a few moments prior. “Quite the day, hmm?” 

In spite of everything, Jessamine feels herself laugh. “I shouldn’t have wished to live in more interesting times.” 

-

< previous chapter / next chapter >

[graedari]

your marked heart au has my entire heart rn... (pun intended). do you know if anyone's written fic of it?

Hello lovely!

I don't currently have any writing for my specific AU of Marked Heart yet! I do plan on possibly undertaking the task of writing for it but I have to iron-out the concrete timeline and details in it before I'd feel good writing my ideas out. However!

@kaijuborn did writing a piece inspired by my art but took their own liberties with the idea of a Marked Jessamine idea! (which is one of my favorite AUs to explore!) You can check out their fic here!

In the meantime please enjoy a small doodle of Daud and Jessamine in the AU bc their dynamic is everything to me <3

[nightlilly0110]

Was talking to @cinnakincat earlier and it bothers me so much that we do not get more of Corvo and Emily just talking with The Outsider. D1 Corvo I will let slide because he doesn’t have any lines at all other than pained grunts and other noises but really the only other acknowledgment we get from him about The Void is him saying that it’s familiar to him at the beginning of D2 and that The Outsider “might as well show himself.” The narrative kinda just lets us sit with the fact that The Outsider just dipped after the first game, went to go check in on Daud for the DLC and then fucked off until D2. AND IT BOTHERS ME. ESPECIALLY CONSIDERING DEATH OF THE OUTSIDER HAS HIM AND BILLIE TALK TO EACH OTHER.

Kinda long post, more under cut

Corvo has been Marked for 15 years at the beginning of D2. Low Chaos was the canonical ending for D1, which also prompts the dialogue from Outsider that Corvo is “fascinating” as he’s a break in the patterns of violence and hunger for power he’s seen in his other Marked and just humanity in general. You would think he’d want to keep tabs on Corvo if he was that interesting.

“He can see the future, like when he was telling Corvo about the end of his life in D1, so he wouldn’t want to hang around.” False, because if he could see the certain, unchanging future, he a) wouldn’t have called Corvo interesting because he would have known which choices he’d make b) would have seen Delilah coming (which he didn’t, considering he says “I thought [Jessamine’s death] was the end of the excitement).

“He’s a god, so he lost track of time.” I don’t really think so???? He was human once, and again, he finds Corvo interesting and can’t predict his actions. You’d think that would be more of an incentive to hang around in case something unexpected happens.

“Corvo doesn’t care about The Outsider.” Yeah, see, this is the problem - I DON’T KNOW HOW HE FEELS ABOUT THE OUTSIDER BECAUSE THEY DON’T TALK. We can say he cares at least a little bit, I guess. He has the option to take back the Mark in his route in D2 and has no qualms about using it against Delilah even before she revealed herself to be a witch. I think he would at least feel grateful for the aid (this is LC Corvo we’re talking about so he’s more easy-going).

And then with Emily, her staying silent makes even less sense. She describes what happened in the throne room as “something [she] can’t explain.” The Outsider introduces himself to her as “a friend of [her] father’s.” After she’s Marked she exclaims “All the stories. They’re true.” All this implies Corvo told her absolutely nothing about The Outsider in 15 years (understandable, considering the Abbey). And she doesn’t have a single question about any of this???? Do you not have questions for god? Do you not want to know about the freaky new tattoo you got? Or how it matches your dad’s who has apparently had his for a decade and a half? Like I get she’s worried and probably freaking out about all of this but like you have nothing to ask???? At all????

It’s a very weird choice to have a character present in all three games and be a huge factor into how the game is played and only have him have a back and forth with only one of your protagonists. Yes, Death of The Outsider is probably the game where he is more human and therefore more likely to be on an equal footing with Billie, but still YOU HAVE NOTHING TO SAY TO GOD?!?!

[icedjuiceboxes]

New dishonored au bc I'm insane okay:

Billie being DH1!Emily royal protector

So.

While heirs to the throne get to choose their royal protector at the age 11, Jessamine and Corvo decides to let Emily choose her a year early. Especially with Corvo about to take his trip across with the Isles to find aid for the plague.

Hiram Burrows overhears this. He drags Billie lurk into the Tower and fabricates all the documents that says shes been with the watch for some time. Well accomplished- even saved the high overseer Campbell's life at some point. It's perfect- bring in Daud's right hand man to do recon right at the source in plain sight.

Corvo and Jess are none the wiser- Corvo double checks Billie's background, but finds little to argue with when he has testimonials from Burrows and Campbell. She's not a bad match, young, full of energy. can keep up with Emily.

Emily was tempted to argue with the choice, especially since she didn't get to choose, and worse of all Burrows picked Billie- a man Emily hates with all the fury a ten y/o could muster. She was tempted- but excitement won over being petty. And it did helped Billie mindlessly made a comment about Burrows, throwing him under the bus in favor to win Emily over.

So that was it. Billie joined Emily's side, and by extension, the empress' side as well while Corvo traveled the isles.

Emily showed Billie all the best hiding spots in the Tower, and all the ways she sneaks away to get away from lessons. When Billie wasn't needed, she reported back to Daud, every little detail the young empress was so kind to share.

At some point Delilah meets with Billie, knowing what she plans to do. They can all get what they want. Billie just needs to bring Emily to her after the assassination.

Despite learning to enjoy Emily's company and the life the Tower brought, Billie went through with it.

That day. Corvo came back early. It didn't stop them though. It was going to happened. Billie stood with the three in the gazebo, watching the waterlock. Emily was the first to point out the approaching whalers.

When they appeared, Corvo was quick to draw his sword. Billie simply stood in front of Jess and Emily, it wasn't time to drop the facade. Corvo was a force to be reckoned with, he didn't need Billie's help regardless.

When Daud showed up though. It was over. Time to drop the act. Thomas held Corvo in the air. Daud came face to face with her, the Empress behind her and Emily hugging her legs.

She stepped aside, taking Emily with her. As Daud took Jess by her neck, Billie was just barely quick enough to cover Emily's eyes, she being frozen in a state of fear and shock. As Jessamine's body fell to the floor, Billie's hand slipped off Emily's face. Emily stared up at her, emotionless and barely just choked out "You lied." Emily was spared the sight, but she wasn't oblivious to the sounds to put together what conspired.

Billie barely just managed to transverse in time with Thomas and Daud as Emily said those words.

Billie was still in charge of Emily after she and the whalers returned to HQ. Emily fought Billie, and had punch hard enough to leave bruises, before breaking down and screaming and crying and pleading for answers on Billie's betrayal. And then she fell asleep, exhausted. Billie had a choice. She could hand over Emily to the Pendletons, and follow Burrows plan. Or hand her over to Delilah, who powers Billie been borrowing over the last few months.

In the dead of the night. Billie left with Emily for the Brigmore Manor.

Long story short Delilah was insane, and Billie had to get Emily out. She regretted choosing Delilah, not that the Pendletons was a much better choice. She was stuck in between a rock and a hard place.

So there was Billie Lurk alone with Emily. Ally to no one. Burned every bridge she had. The whalers. The coven. The royal family.

Emily had no choice but to go wherever Billie took her, up against the whole entire city of dunwal.

[no-light-left-on]

thinking still about how the Heart calls the Whalers 'puppets' and the amount of mystery there is around them, when playing as Corvo and perceiving them through the Heart, in comparison to how they are in reality.

we see them talk to each other in a manner any people would. they consider insubordination, they talk badly of Daud behind his back, we have Billie betray him. there are some that are loyal, yes, be it because they believe in Daud or because they see gain in this path, but by no means are they a monolyth.

however, we do hear from the Heart about a 'fog that surrounds them and hides their secrets' and it is even confirmed, by Billie (and also Galia in the books) that leaving Daud made them 'think clearly for the first time in years'

I've seen a couple theories and I do want to dive into each, to an extent.

there's the suggestion of the Heart talking badly of them, calling them mindless drones that only kill out of hatred and hurt. which, valid. the Heart also says certain things about Daud, 'why did you bring me here? do you expect me to forgive him?', so it's not unlikely that their attitude towards human lives and their willingness to kill for Daud is repulsive enough that the Heart does not see past it

another option is that the mindless puppets is more of a metaphor and is meant to talk about how the Whalers are, in a sense, a cult. which would be incredibly interesting to explore if we had more information on how the Whalers function. now I do want to point out that by cult I do not mean it in a Secluded Religious Organization but as a sociological thing. a literal cult if you will, with a leader that charms their followers, the seclusion and all the unhealthy attitudes of losing oneself to the group. and, that does check out - the loss of individuality, they are as one, following someone's orders without hesitation, someone they would die for. there are a lot of unsavory implications here (if you know how cults work, you probably had some cross your mind already), but arguably Daud is not charming enough to be a proper cult leader. the appeal is the magic, and his excellent skills as an assassin and a leader. maybe it's because of the time we see the Whalers at, right before a collapse, but Daud is regularly doubted and we see a lot of insubordination. the Whalers are not necessarily loyal to him because of who he is as a person. they want the power, they want the influence, maybe the protection, and the things keeping them from disobeying are fear, rather than loyalty.

the third thought or theory is, then, that many of these symptoms can be explained by the influence of the Void. we know the Void affects people, both physically as we see with Delilah's Witches or the Eyeless, as it influences them mentally, if the high numbers of people going mad because of their worship are something to go by. if, then, the Whalers are bound to the Void through Daud, it only makes sense that they would be influenced by this link to something that messes with people's brains. Galia saying she feels better after her Arcane Bond faded could easily mean that the influence the Void had on her has faded, and the creeping madness of it has subsided significantly.

all of these most likely come into play. one of the Heart's lines in dh2, if we point at a Witch, is reciting some of the recipes the Witches chant before quickly apologising. we do learn significantly more about them than we do about the Whalers, of course, possibly because Jessamine has more ill will towards the Whalers than to the Witches. still we see the Void affect the Heart. there is also a notion that the Witches are 'not quite human' due to their Arcane bond.

there's no real conclusion. it's just interesting