#I hope their relationship will get fleshed out a bit more in Shadow of the Erdtree

[warriordragonart]

I find the connection of Miquella likely being Torrent’s former owner - the Spirit Calling Bell being entrusted to Ranni by Torrent’s former owner - Miquella being depicted alongside three wolves in a statue - and Ranni having the Lone Wolf Spirit ashes to be really interesting so here’s a dubiously canon compliant headcanon based on that!

[avocado-writing]

crawling in as per your bg3 request..

astarion with a tav/reader that’s just constantly cold, like shivering a little bit all the time and their hands & feet are just. ice cold

rating: T

pairing: astarion x reader

“Good gods, you’re freezing!” Astarion complains as his hand accidentally brushes yours before it jolts back in shock. You groan. 

“I know.”

“Even more than me, and I’m practically a corpse.”

“Yes, thank you, Astarion,” you mutter through your gritted jaw. You’re having to clench your teeth together in order to prevent them from chattering, although unfortunately you’re having little success. As if in apology your paramour shifts in his cocoon of an embrace around you, bringing you against him tighter.

This is a new level of cold, even for you.

You always run on the chilly side. You can often be found scooted up close to the fire when you make camp, or tucked in the corner of your tent with extra blankets on top of your bedroll. It’s always been bearable, a bit funny, even - something to joke about with your travelling party - but that was until you got to the Shadow Lands. 

You haven’t been able to feel your fingers or toes for days. It’s torture. The sun doesn’t shine in this place so of course there’s no warmth. You can get a good night of sleep at Last Light Inn where Isobel’s magic keeps it at bay, but on the road? Well, there’s no hope. You’re reduced to a shivering wreck. 

Though Astarion complains, he has been trying to help you where he can. Right now he’s holding you in his arms, attempting to warm you up with his nonexistent body heat. Acting as if the pair of you are just normal lovers and not two weirdos thrown together by fate while attempting to stop a mindflayer invasion. 

A scant few weeks ago he’d have been offering to warm you up in a rather more physical way; with him buried inside of you, lips ghosting your neck, hands on whatever willing flesh he could find. But your relationship has changed, now. Evolved. Become something more, something solid and real. He’s not so eager to dive beneath the covers - at least like that - and you wouldn’t ask him to. You’ll give him all the time he needs. 

It’s nice, what’s happening between the two of you. But at the moment you’re turning every cuddle into a mass of shivering limbs. 

Astarion sighs again. But then he speaks and it’s gentle. 

“You know, you could ask Karlach to come and act as your hot water bottle. I’m sure she wouldn’t mind. Or maybe that druid, Halsin - he’s been looking at you like he wouldn’t mind cuddling up…”

Though he tries to joke you can tell there’s an undercurrent of self-doubt in there. You harrumph and settle deeper into his arms, opting for a simple retort:

“I don’t want them, I want you.”

You feel him still against you at that unexpected flash of affection. Process it. Then he slowly extricates himself from your grasp. 

A little whine slips from your throat and he pats the top of your head. 

“Now, now. Stay put, pet, and I’ll be right back.”

You grumble but do as you’re bid. He steps out of your tent and you have no choice but to remain as a frozen little ball, foetus-curled and chilled to the bone. It’s a relief when he returns with more blankets and a pot of tea, likely brewed over the fire pit outside. 

“Where did you get—?” you begin to ask, as he tucks the extra bedding around you.

“Well, Gale is fast asleep, he won’t notice he’s missing them until the morning,” Astarion reasons. You laugh, not sure if he’s joking or not, but not really wanting to know the truth - you’re holding onto this even if it was pilfered off the camp’s resident wizard. 

You watch as Astarion pours you both a cup from the little metal teapot. Steam rises soothingly from it, warming up the tent interior. It makes sense he has one for you, of course, but…

“I thought you didn’t like drinking tea,” you say. What you mean is, I thought you didn’t like drinking anything that wasn’t blood. 

“I don’t,” Astarion sighs, but brings the cup to his lips and chugs it down anyway. It must be far too hot to be comfortable, and you’re about to ask what he’s doing - but then he reaches out to untangle your hands from where you have them vice-gripping the edges of your blankets. He folds them in his own, softly and sweetly, then brings them to his mouth where he breathes out a long, slow stream of tea-warmed breath into your palms. 

“Oh, Astarion…” you whisper, finally able to feel your fingers for the first time in days. You feel him smile against your hands. 

“Mmm, I wouldn’t get used to it,” he tells you in a way which suggests he wouldn’t really mind you getting used to it at all. 

taglist: @ghosti02art @sadandanxiouswtf @yeethaw13 @trappedinlimbo15 @infinitely-kate @dhampling @wereallbrokenangels @tilldeathdonugget

[skittlesfics]

something soft

name: something soft

pairing: Joel Miller x gn!Reader

word count: 1212

summary: Settling down in Jackson has given you and Joel back a lot of things.

content/warnings: FLUFF FLUFF FLUFF, established relationship, Jackson!Joel, vague references to outbreak difficulties, unbetad

author's note: OMG, so I have been writing Joel fics/Pedro character fics for over a year now and have been too much of a coward to actually post anything. I decided to finally suck it up and join an event so that I was forced to post. This is a valentine for @beskarandblasters . Hope you enjoy! Happy Valentine's Day, y'all. -

Joel’s hand was warm where it wrapped around your ankle, his thumb stroking idly at the skin just below the joint as he turned to the next page of his book. It was a large-type Western that you had looted from an old library as a joke – but one that he became more appreciative of as the strain of years on alert made it harder and harder to focus on smaller script at night.

Many things were different now that you were settled into Jackson proper, but this was definitely one of your favorites.

Quiet moments out on the road meant that Joel was planning your next move or that all three of you were gathering energy for whatever horror was to come next. There was no space for leisure or relaxation in that quiet, even if there were rare moments of levity dappled into the shadows of survival. Here, though, in Jackson, you were both learning to let the quiet in.

Joel pushed his thumb into your ankle a little harder, just enough to pull you out of your reverie. Those memories were a dangerous path that you both had trodden too many times; He could see the spiral starting in your expression even before you knew it was there. When you lifted your eyes to meet his gaze, he smiled, sliding the bookmark Ellie had drawn for him as a Christmas gift into place. (Holidays were another thing that Jackson had given back to the three of you.) You let your eyes get drawn to the sketch of the astronaut floating over something that vaguely resembled the moon. I’m reading a book about anti-gravity. It’s impossible to put down!

“Got something to show you, if you’re amenable.” He said after setting the book down carefully on the fraying arm of the couch. His voice was rich and low, thick with an emotion you couldn’t quite place. His tongue darted out to wet his lips, his eyes seeking something in yours. If you didn’t know any better, you might have said that Joel Miller was nervous.

You couldn’t hold back your own soft smile, swinging one leg off of Joel’s lap in an attempt to sit up. He held onto your other ankle for a moment, tracing idle circles into your flesh with his thumb before realizing his error and releasing you.

You sat up and bookmarked your own novel. Well Read Mother Clucker is what yours said, with a drawing of what you supposed must be yourself as a chicken. “I suppose I’m amenable.” You answered, nudging his shoulder as you stretched to loosen your taught muscles.

He huffed, fond smile still crooked on his lips, and stood.

“You stay right here and close those pretty eyes. Give me a minute.” He commanded. He pushed himself up with an audible complaint from his knees, a soft grunt marking the effort in the motion that he had hidden from you for so long before Jackson. You bit back your giggle, letting him believe that the sound blended in with the staccato crackles from the wood in the fireplace.

With your eyes closed, you tried to map Joel’s path through the room. You could hear his footsteps leading away towards the kitchen, the board next to the dining table groaning in protest. He didn’t say it, but you could already hear his grumble. Gotta fix that come springtime. That was a new thing in Jackson as well, planning for the future in this one place. Building a home. The thought brought a warmth to your chest that distracted you from his next movements.

Firelight danced behind your eyelids, and you let yourself sink back into the couch, shifting into the pocket of warmth Joel had abandoned as you heard him open a cabinet door. It creaked only slightly – the China cabinet perhaps? You wondered if he had finally listened to your complaints about chipped plates and managed to loot something whole to eat off of. Or maybe he’d managed to find another bag of stale coffee out there somewhere to replenish your dwindling supply. Practicalities that felt like luxuries.

Joel didn’t leave you waiting long. You followed the path of his footsteps back to you, tilting your head towards him even with your eyes closed. He leaned in and pressed a soft, warm kiss against your forehead, reaching out to cup your cheek before straightening again and placing something on the coffee table in front of you with a heavy clunk. The plates then?

“You can open.” He said, sinking into the seat you had abandoned in pursuit of his warmth. “It’s not much, but…”

You weren’t sure if he trailed off or if your brain simply stopped processing sound as you opened your eyes to reveal a small red crock speckled with white and black spots. There was a clumsy ribbon tied out of strips of sun-bleached red fabric from God-knows-where around it, but inside. Delicate, carefully crafted roses were arranged in an explosion of natural wood tones. If it weren’t for the colors, they would have appeared lifelike, almost. You reached out, carefully stroking one of the petals. It was nearly translucent, but undoubtably wood. He had made them.

When you looked over at him it was through watery eyes. He was watching you, expression impassive, betrayed only by the slightest quirk at the edge of his mouth.

“You made these?” You asked, breathless.

“’s hard to get fresh flowers in February up here.” He explained with a shrug, like that explained it. Like it hadn’t taken hours of painstaking labor to shave each individual petal out of wood that he had cut down and prepared with his own hands. Like he hadn’t filled your heart to bursting.

He opened his arms and you slid into his lap, throwing your arms around his shoulders and squeezing tight, like he might try to get away. A low chuckle rumbled in his chest as you rained kisses across his face, one large hand finding your hip and resting there, the other finding your chin to pull you in and kiss you properly. It was a slow kiss, soft and reverent, like he wanted to memorize the press of your lips against his, the soft sigh you let out against his mouth, the way your body relaxed into the warmth of him.

“They’re beautiful, Joel, they’re everything.” You whispered finally, dropping your head down to rest against his strong shoulder.

“They’re alright.” He deflected, cradling you against his chest, “Next Valentine’s Day, I’ll get you something nicer.”

It struck you then, the date. Another thing that Jackson had given back to you was a calendar to go by. You hadn’t gotten used to tracking the days as the passed yet, more focused on the weather than a number. But of course Joel would notice, especially after he saw what Christmas had done for you and for Ellie. Valentine’s Day here, after the end of the world.

You burrowed your face into the warm cotton of his shirt, knowing that he would feel the wetness of your happy tears against his chest and not caring. He held you there, pressing a kiss against the crown of your head. Something simple, something soft, something yours.

[deadmarygolds]

Knock

A/n: Yerrrr we’re back at it again with another toxic Sukuna fic! I can’t help it, the guy is stuck in my brain and I’ve gotta ride the wave.

Content Warning: Abuse mentioned, abusive relationships, stalking, home invasion, lots of cursing on the reader’s part, not proofread. Sukuna being himself, non-curse AU

You awake suddenly with a gasp, eyes instinctively darting around your dark room, searching all corners for whatever it was that roused you. Cool satin sheets are trapped in your tight, startled grip, the textile straining so hard against your nails that you swore it would rip. Slowly, to the tune of your heartbeat returning to its normal rhythm, you unwind your fingers and will your body to relax. It must’ve been a dream, one forgotten the moment you opened your eyes.

That had to be it.

Knock Knock

The blunt, loud thunk of flesh against glass grabbed your attention by the hair and dragged it towards the large floor to ceiling windows to the right of you. Windows that were the sole reason you’d chosen this apartment. The bounty of natural light seemingly too good to pass up influenced your signature to glide onto the lease with barely a second thought.

Knock Knock Knock

Whoever it was, or whatever it was didn’t seem too concerned with the noise, like being caught trying to break into a single young woman’s apartment was the very last thing they had to worry about. You squint, eyes studying the thin barrier between you and whatever the fuck that was, but you can barely see. Like the darkness outside somehow became denser, concentrated right in front of your window during the one time you really, really needed to be able to peer out. You frown, annoyed, and crawl out of the cool embrace of your bedding before cautiously padding across the soft white carpet.

You don’t bother turning on any lights, it would only introduce reflections to further hinder your ability to see outside. Instead, you lean against the glass with your hands cupped around your eyes, hoping to spot something mundane to explain the sound away. Maybe that fat, suspiciously intelligent raccoon finally figured out how to get your attention. The idea nudged the corners of your full lips upwards into the tiniest of smirks, a meager laugh beginning to bubble up from your belly-

BAM BAM BAM BAM

“Shit!,” you squeal as you jump back and stumble, landing haphazardly on your ass. The deafening hammering on the window doesn’t stop, though really you’d never even be able to tell the difference between that and the hammering of your heart as you finally got a good look at who the fuck was pounding on it. Pale pink strands shadowing darker ones underneath were plastered to his wet forehead as Sukuna stared back at you with nothing short of pure malice glinting in his brown eyes. Brown eyes that looked more like neon crimson paired with the grin that unfurled on his devastatingly handsome face.

He was soaked, like he’d been lurking outside your home in the torrential downpour all damn night.

“What the fuck?!” Again you’re shocked into action, scuttling across the floor until your back hits the bookshelf behind you. Somewhere far off you can feel the thrum of books being rattled in their shelves and hear the soft thump of something, probably a rogue manga, hitting the floor beside you. You pay it no mind though, not when your orbs are locked in the stare down of your life.

Sukuna, who’d been savoring the very evident fear painting your expressions with a bit too much enthusiasm, lifted his fist and rapped against the glass again, though this time with his scarred knuckles. “Open up,” he mouths and repeats the motion. You don’t move a muscle, instead choosing to sit in avid terror at the impossible situation playing out before you.

Sukuna was supposed to be in prison. He was supposed to be in a prison across the fucking country. He was supposed to never be able to find you, you’d made sure of it. Hell, your half assed parents had even went out of their way to fund your move, promising that they’d help keep you safe. You’ve changed your name, your identity. New socials, new ID, even a new birthday. His ex girlfriend didn’t even exist anymore.

So how the fuck was he staring at you right now?

Your phone. The police. You need to call the fucking cops right fucking now.

Urging your body to move, you scramble to your bed again, your hands searching the sheets frantically for the device. But just as your fingers brush the cool surface of the screen, the sound of straining and then breaking metal reverberates through the air. You bolt, running past him just as Sukuna managed to slide the now broken window up. It’s like your limbs know the grave danger they’re in as you barrel down the short hallway towards the only other locking door in the place; the bathroom. The decision to put off actually decorating your home turned out to be both a blessing and a curse.

There was nothing to impede you, but that also meant there’s nothing to impede the man who now casually strolled out into the hallway behind you, either.

You slam the bathroom door hard enough that you’re more than certain every neighbor around you heard it, and twist the lock firmly. You resist the urge to press your body against the wood in an attempt to keep him out, instead choosing to wrench open the bottom drawer of your counter and fish out one of the few things you’d acquired for protection. A hunting knife with jagged, razor sharp edges that fit snugly in your palm. Gripping it tightly in hand, you back into the wall opposite of the door, pushing yourself against the plaster and tile so hard you could meld into it and become one.

Father God you wish you could just melt into that wall.

Sukuna spares you his usual taunting, instead going straight for the kill and battering the door open with just one powerful kick with his combat boot.

And there he was, six foot something and massive. Looking every bit of the God he and his complex thought he was, the pinkette flexed his hands as he stepped over the broken bits of door and lock that now lay scattered to dust and rubble on the cool linoleum. His grin hadn’t wavered even the tiniest bit, not even when he spotted the knife in your hand.

“Long time no see, Poppy.” You physically cringe at the nickname as it rolls off his tongue, the sound assaulting your ears like nails on a chalkboard. Poppy like the flower, the flower that produces opium but way stronger.

“Like heroin,” he’d mused one night after maybe the third or fourth time he’d bloodied his knuckles and your face, “I can’t quit you, and I can’t get enough.”

Your phone clatters forgotten to the floor and you desperately grip the handle with both hands. You’re shaking so hard that you’re sure you wouldn’t be able to stab anything effectively, and tears begin to blur your vision and streak your cheeks in their wake. Sukuna’s grin widens into a full on snarl.

“When did you turn into such a weak little bitch?” He steps forward and you press back harder, “Running to the fucking pigs, ratting me out over one little fucking fight?” A little fucking fight that left you with three broken ribs and a punctured lung. One look in the mirror would confirm that your nose hadn’t healed right, either.

“We could’ve worked things out, talked like adults, but you ran away like a fucking pussy, tail tucked between your legs and all.”

He’s on you now, so close that the very tip of your knife is buried snug into the cotton of his still wet band tee, threatening to puncture skin and delve into his stomach. Your hands itch to push it in further, but you’re frozen. You are unhappily reminded of just how big he is as Sukuna bends over you, caging you in with arms corded in taunt muscles thicker than your calves.

“What do you say we try this again?” He whispers softly, lips brushing the skin and tasting the tears on your cheek. His breath smells like mint and tobacco.

He’s sober.

He’s never been sober when he’s angry like this.

“Tell me why you want to leave me, Poppy?”

[whatyadrawin]

The Fruit After The Flesh 18+ -CHAPTER 2-

Masterlist

Approximately 2,663 words

Pairing: Thomas Hewitt(HeadCanon) x AFAB reader

This chapters Warnings: Moderately strong language

A/n: This is the chapter giving more context and backstory to the Hewitts and the rude farmhand. Things pick up from here and will continue to keep on that exciting trajectory but remind yourself that I am the lord of the slow burn lol, I like building up to the fleshy bits. The artwork is what's keeping these chapters from coming out so quickly, I didn't want to go full flat color this time but goddamn my ADHD symptoms are making shit a lot harder to focus on so please have patience, I assure you all it is worth it. Please enjoy and keep an eye on the masterlist linked above for updates.

tag list: @fan-goddess

Chapter 2

The next day came with less heat than the first, the sun was frequently blocked out by thick white clouds that rolled against its light causing brief shadows to lay on the land. You started unpacking more and more things from the container you shipped to the house before you moved, making sure that everything that you needed was properly put away. Eventually it was time to head over to Luda Mae’s house and you wanted to make sure to look presentable for tea time. Thoughts of what her family was like raced through your head, you especially wanted to know who the mysterious masked man was. You slipped on a nice pink sundress that you made yourself, you covered your shoulders with a white cropped cardigan and some white sandals that were comfortable to walk in.

You decide to visit the farmhand again in an attempt to make friends so he wouldn’t be so hostile, you grab your things and head down before you make your way to Luda Mae’s home. You spot him tending to a peach tree and you walk over.

“Hey there, I don’t mean to bug you when you’re busy but I just wanted to see if you would take a break and chat for a bit?” you tried to use your friendliest smile.

“Ya can’t see I’m busy girl? Why don’t you go screw off with your riches and leave the farm to the only person caring for it all these years!” his words were so needlessly callous, but you continue,

“I know you’re busy but why don’t you tell me what I can do to help? It doesn’t have to all land on your shoulders anymore”

 He laughs to himself and says “Why? So, ya can just fire me when ya get the hang o’ things? Women can’t do this kinda labor, why dontcha just sit there and look pretty”

The sexism was shocking but you didn’t want to let that garbage stop you “I understand you are upset from the change but I assure you I just want to be friendly and helpful”

He turns to you with a smug look “What kinda friendly we talkin’ ‘bout here?”

You get creeped out as he stops his work and looks at you in a more predatory way, but you persist,

“I just mean you don’t have to worry about doing all the work by yourself, I can help you, and by friendly... I just want to have a civil professional relationship with you, nothing more”

“Thinkin’ ya deserve some kinda good treatment huh? How ‘bout me? Don’t I deserve compensation for the work I did all these years? I ain’t talkin’ bout wages neither”

You wonder what he means by that, so you try offering solutions “What do you need? Maybe I can get you a better living situation or more tools to make the work easier?”

He didn’t like anything you had to say, “Ya think it’s just that simple? I like where I live, I like being left ALONE!”

You feel a knot forming in your throat, being treated like this was so hurtful “Ok, well, I’ll leave you to it then. Have a good rest of the day”

He made you feel like shit, all the memories of people bullying you and your old friend were coming back and you just wanted to get away. Your heart was racing with anger and the familiar feeling of an old depression started to creep back in.

You start making your way towards Luda Mae’s home and hope that the walk calms your nerves and lifts your spirits enough to enjoy the rest of your day. The sun was peeking out from behind the thick clouds and brightened the dry road before you, tiny little white flowers sparsely lined the sides of the road and made you smile. You closed your eyes and made your mind blank, only listening to the gentle wisps of the wind rustling the tall wheatgrass, and the crunch of dry dirt with every step you took, some birds could be heard in the distance chirping cheerfully. You felt like you were in a different universe where time stood still and it was just you and the earth around you.

Shortly, you arrive at Luda Mae’s property, she had a wire fence blocking the four grazing cows in and there were a lot of cars sitting in a lot near the main house, it seemed odd but you just assumed maybe one of them was a mechanic. You walk up toward the barn and hope to see that mysterious masked man but the barn is empty minus some clucking chickens strutting around. You make your way up to the door and knock, an older man answers it, he looks you up and down and smiles,

“Well now, I didn’t know it was my birthday” he says. You can hear Luda Mae yell at him to shut up and let you in. He drops the smile and waves you in, making you walk closely to get past him. Luda Mae meets you as you walk in and she introduces you,

“Sorry ‘bout him sweetheart, this is my brother Charlie. Come on in dear, I can’t wait to talk with you, Loretta brought some real good tea for us to enjoy” She gestures for you to follow her and you speak to Charlie as you pass through,

“Nice to meet you Charlie, I’m Y/N*”

He smiles as he looks at you saying “Mhmm, I’ll remember that” you feel a shiver of discomfort after he says that.

You follow Luda Mae through the house which has very old furnishings, its large with high ceilings that are dotted with large fans to circulate the air; The décor was definitely very dated but kept clean, the furnishings may have once displayed wealth in a past long gone. In a large living room, you see a man reading a newspaper, Luda Mae stops at the doorway,

“Hey Monty, turn ‘round a sec”

The man was older, he turns around peering through his large thick glasses “Yeah?”

“I’d like you to meet the young woman who took over Tilly’s orchard!”

He sets down his paper and tried to turn to face you better “Oh! I didn’t know Tilly had children?”

Luda Mae replies “No, this is Y/N, she is a distant relative of hers”

You make a shy response “It’s nice to meet you sir”

He smiles “Well she’s real polite ain’t she? Nice to meet you too kiddo, I’m uncle Monty”

Luda Mae guides you over to the back porch which has Loretta already seated at the table. Luda Mae waves to her and says,

“Loretta, this is Tilly’s family, the one I told you ‘bout”

Loretta was a big woman, her cheeks were rosy and full, her dyed black hair was perfectly styled up into pin curls remniscent of another time, she smiled and said “Well, now ain’t she just a pretty little thing!”

Luda Mae gave you a smile and sits you down in the chair next to Loretta, you set down your basket and go to shake her hand saying “It’s really nice to meet you Loretta, my name in Y/N”

Loretta smiles and Luda Mae asks what you have in the basket you brought. You lift the basket onto the table and show them the fruits you picked for them today. Luda Mae claps in approval saying,

“That is so kind of you to bring some fruit over, I ain’t had a good peach since Tilly passed.”

You still weren’t quite sure about the way Tilly had died, you did not get much information out of the Lawyer and the files said there was no reason for an autopsy since she was so old. You ask Luda Mae and Loretta about it

“I don’t want to open old wounds or anything but, do either of you know how she died? I never got a proper answer”

They both looked at each other and Loretta answered “Well now Tilly was very well liked by everyone who knew her, she lived here a while you know. While yes, she was old, she was still in good shape and the sheriff’s department in the next town over didn’t give us any details, just said it was from old age and left it at that”

Luda Mae chimes in “I am suspicious that Dover did it”

“Luda Mae!” Loretta shouted in shock.

Luda Mae crosses her arms and continues “That farmhand has been a cruel and unappreciative man for as long as I remember, I tried to tell her to get rid of him what with all his talk about taking the orchard someday, but she was too kind-hearted and wasn’t able to keep up with the demands of caring for the trees. She was always looking for the good in people, even the evil ones. Bless that woman.”

Loretta nodded in agreement that Tilly was kind, she looked at you and said,

“You know, Fuller was doing well in the past, there was big business in cattle and meat packing. Everyone was makin’ good money ‘til the ranchers died and their property managers sold off the cattle to northern companies, that killed this towns economy. People were leaving in droves and so was the money.”

Luda Mae looked out into the field and added “It got to the point where we all had to resort to terrible things just to survive, but there was no way I’d let my family starve.”

Loretta gave Luda Mae a stern look, her eyes wide, she cut in “That is until Tilly decided to plant a bunch of fruit trees from the seeds of the fruit she bought from the store. The Texas sun made those little sprouts explode into full size trees, and she had us all fed by the fruits they made, we didn’t have to just survive no more, we were able to live normally again. It was all thanks to her”

You smile at the fact that someone from your family was regarded so highly, it gave you a warm feeling. Luda Mae pours you some tea and follows up with,

“Tilly made sure that we had animals to provide us with bounty, everyone shared what they had, even before the trees were makin’ enough to bring in money, in return we gave her the manure for the trees.”

Loretta looked antsy, she changed the subject “Well now, that’s enough of those depressing times.”

Luda Mae and Loretta started talking about the town and how things used to be, you sat listening to them for an hour until you noticed the mysterious masked man. He was heading toward the barn and you could see him tending to the cows inside, he was even bigger in person, his body looked like it was used to working hard, his muscles were large but had no hard edges as if his strength was supplemented with a rich diet full of American cooking. The man was brushing the cows, plumes of dust and dirt would fly out from each swish of the brush. To see him close was astonishing, you felt like you were seeing a new kind of human, he was so gentle with the animals and yet his appearance was very intimidating. You tried to look and see if you could get a glimpse of his face but his back was turned to you.

Luda Mae notices you looking and says “I see you’ve noticed my boy there”

You snap out of your trance and blush in embarrassment, she laughs and adds,

“He’s a real handsome one if I do say so myself, his name is Thomas. He’s real shy, but as sweet as they come. He’s a good boy, extremely helpful with managing the animals and taking care of the property.” She pauses and puts her hand to her chin “You know, he’s ‘round your age and its high time he meets someone nice, I’m gonna call him over.”

You felt butterflies for the first time in years, you quickly respond “That’s ok, he looks pretty busy, maybe he should be left alone”

Luda Mae smiles “Come now dear, he can come say hi, it ain’t no bother” She calls out to him “TOMMY! COME SAY HELLO TO THIS NICE YOUNG LADY!”

Tommy looks up quickly, he spots you on the porch and freezes.

Luda Mae yells after him again, “THOMAS BROWN HEWITT, YOU COME HERE RIGHT QUICK! DON’T BE RUDE NOW!”

He furiously shakes his head, turns and runs into the barn out of sight.

Luda Mae sighs “I’m sorry sweetheart, he really is a very nice boy, he’s just awfully shy, especially ‘round pretty girls, the poor dear”

You felt a wave of relief that someone else was maybe as anxious about meeting new people like you were, you reply “It’s ok, I’m sure I’ll meet him when he’s ready”

Luda Mae gently places her hand on yours “I’ll make sure of it, he needs to make some friends, it gets mighty lonely ‘round here. With someone as sweet as you I’m sure you two’d get along just fine”

Loretta takes a final sip of tea and gets up saying “Well, time for me ‘n Monty to head home, thanks for the conversation, Y/N, it was a real treat to meet you”

Luda Mae thanks Loretta for the tea and says goodbye, she then turns to you and says,

“Well, I know you probably want to get back to that orchard, please don’t let that prickly pear Dover get to you, Tilly kept him ‘round because he worked hard, no matter how awful he behaved, just let him be, pay him and ignore him the rest of the time. If you make friends with my Tommy, well, I’m sure Dover won’t be a terror”

You get up from your seat and say “Luda Mae, am I in danger with Dover?”

Luda Mae puts her hand on her heart and says “I’m so sorry for scaring you dear that was real thoughtless of me. I’m suspicious of Dover yes, but there’s no way he will hurt you, none of us will let him”

You thank her for the tea and leave from the back porch making your way towards the barn hoping to get a closer look at Tommy. When you reach the barn doors you see Tommy on the opposite side of the barn facing the open doors fiddling with some hay. The butterflies are welling up in your stomach making you feel sick with excitement, you stand there watching this enormous man whose back was extremely wide and his forearms were thick and scarred. You were struggling to take in as much of his image as you could before you could quietly sneak off, just as your eyes started travelling down south, he turned around and saw you.

“I-I’m sorry!” you squeaked as you bolted off down the driveway.

You felt so embarrassed at being caught watching him, you hoped he didn’t think poorly of you. You spent the walk home trying to calm the butterflies and stop blushing -I can’t believe how creepy of me that was, he is going to think I’m a freak!-. When you get home, you see that Dover was in his small house watching something on a small tube tv with a large bunny ear antenna. You feel sad that his accommodations are so meager and decide to speak with him again tomorrow to try just one more time to get in his good graces, you always believed that you could kill them with kindness, especially in the event that he really was a danger as Luda Mae said, then you would want to be in his good graces. You start to make dinner and think to yourself -I hope I am able to properly meet Tommy-.

Next chapter-

[pixelmensupremacy]

Hi Mai 💗 Could I request “hey, lean down a little- i want to give you a kiss.” with Connor? The cuteness is 💕

A/N: Thank you for requestiing this, dear! I got kinda wild writing this. I hope you enjoy it!

Word count: 0.5K

Warnings: GN!reader, Deviant!Connor, not proof read, kinda suggestive, so MDNI

Bright amber was set ablaze on the circular diode on his temple, his brows were furrowed together- a mimic of shock and confusion he had picked up from (Y/N) along his infamous path of deviation. The call of his name immediately anchored his attention to the familiar voice he had registered in his CPU- the one of his beloved partner he associated with nothing but the best of sensations, intense, yet inexplicably pleasant. Cocoa brown pupils were focused on them as they were standing on their tip toes, their hands latched onto his shoulders, balancing their weight against his.

“May I help you?” thirium raised to his cheeks as he questioned, his arms reluctantly rested on the small of their back- yet another human-like interaction he became accustomed to throughout his experience with the whirlpool of sensations called deviation and even so more throughout his relationship with (Y/N). They stayed silent and instead tightened their hold on his shoulders, bringing him closer to them as much as they could, yet his lean, slender figure was still towering above them, throwing a shadow- shaped after his flawless features- across their face.

“Hey, lean down a little- I want to give you a kiss.” Their voice was quiet, demanding, yet assertive all the same, clearly giving out the invention behind their strange antics. Connor was frozen; his CPU froze, causing him to blankly stare at them as they gazed back at him in anticipation, a glimmer of innocent expectation shone behind the (E/C) of their irises as their finger nervously fidgeted with the collar of his dress shirt.

“Okay.” The words were barely audible as he himself was a tad bit reluctant to the motion that brought him so many different and intense emotions; despite having been in a committed relationship with (Y/N) for as long as he had come face to face with the experience of emotions, Connor was still getting used to the different aspects of intimacy and kissing was one of them. The pillow soft flesh of their lips brushed against the synthetic ones of his own, sending electric shockwaves across his systems. They hummed in delight, only enhancing the already intense sensation, yet their fingers slithering in his neatly combed back locks was the last string that brought him to the edge of blissful oblivion. An uncontrolled gasp drowned in the base of his vocal box, muffled by (Y/N)’s tongue pressing against his unintentionally stimulating the sensors of his synthetic tongue.  Even if he wanted, Connor coulnl’t battle the strong sensation of bliss that washed over his system akin to a tidal wave of pleasure that flooded his program with alerting notifications, warning him about consequences he could care less about now that his partner’s soft, muffled hums resonated against his sensors. He found himself cling to their smaller form, lifting them off the ground and instead bringing them closer to him; the warm of their skin pulled him in akin to a moth to a flame. He enjoyed himself- maybe a bit too much.

divider credit

[theyandereonmyoji]

Myoji-san, I'm so happy you're writing for sth :D !!! thank you for your lovely works - the quill petting one was so adorable and nicely fleshed out. Still can't get over Shadow being low-key needy for pets and finishing work earlier for it... I also hope your day is going nicely. I was wondering if I could respectfully request a love triangle hoho ( Shadow -> MC -> Silver ) ? I'm wondering how you'd write these two competing for the time & affection of another. If this is not something you'd like to write I completely understand, though I do so look forward to any of your future posts :･ﾟ☆

Rivalry: Yandere Shadow the Hedgehog and Yandere Silver the Hedgehog

Awww thank you so much! Don’t worry, love triangles are totally allowed! Also, I have to say that a couple of people have been asking for Silver content, so I’ll probably write headcanons for him really soon. Anyways, hope you enjoy! CW: mentions of potential murder

These two couldn’t be any more different at first glance. Shadow is the overly stoic type that keeps you at arm’s length (or tries to anyways, doesn’t really work as well as he thinks it does) and Silver, a hedgehog who’s somewhat naive and wears his heart up his sleeve, especially when to come to how much he loves you. However, they do have something in common, and that’s they will do anything, and I mean anything to keep you safe. These two have just suffered too much, one watched his best friend get murdered in the past, and the other was born in a future that was ruined from the start, they just want to have someone they can hold on to in the present, and that someone happens to be you.

Shadow’s more closed-off nature makes him a bit jealous of just how openly Silver can express his feelings towards you. The fact that you two are able to share so much with each other, that he can get so close to you without a care in the world, it’s something that Shadow wishes he could do, and loathes about the time-traveling hedgehog. He has come to terms that your relationship with him could never be like that, and he’s willing to do anything to keep you safe, no matter the cost, yet seeing how Silver has the same resolve as him and can allow himself to stay close to you, he loathes it. If Silver knows any better, he should stay away from you, lest he wants to be considered a threat to your safety.

Silver is willing to admit that Shadow is the stronger one out of the two, and he can’t help but envy a bit how reliable Shadow can be towards you. It doesn’t matter how big or small the issue might be, he’s not only willing, but also able to help you with literally anything. It makes him think: If you have Shadow in your life, then how could you ever spare a single glance at him? He wants to be your hero, yet how could he ever be if you had no need for someone like him? One thing is for sure, those thoughts are not going to stop him trying his absolute best for your sake, and who knows? Shadow might be a lot more dangerous than you think, so why go to him when you got Silver? He will never leave your side, ever.

You know how there’s that stereotype that girls pretend to not hate each other in front of others while giving each other death glares in private? Yup, that’s them. It all seems so normal while you’re around, hell, they don’t seem to mind that the other is there. However, the moment you have to go to do something and leave the two, they’ll start confronting each other. Shadow will state how inexperienced he is and that how could he ever keep you safe if he can even beat Shadow in a fair fight. Silver would get angry easily and point out how dangerous Shadow can be towards you with his dubious moral compass and that out of the two, he was the one that tried to destroy the world.

Stuff would rarely get physical, and even if it did, you would never find out. Obsessed with you as they may be, they’ve silently agreed to never involve you directly into any disputes they might have, whether it is one-upping each other in their efforts to have you pick them over the other, or just throwing hands in a good-old fashioned brawl. You might notice the small signs of their rivalry, like Shadow giving off Silver a smug look when you ask him for help, or Silver giggling towards Shadow a bit when you let him hug you, but it’s rather subtle and when you try to question it, both of them will go out of their way to deny any of that, even covering for each other sometimes. 

Honestly, I see this rivalry going one of two ways. Worst case scenario, things will escalate so badly that they will eventually fight each other to the death, with the winner being able to live out the rest of their days alongside you. On the other, and most likely scenario, these two might be able to set their differences aside, and focus on what is truly important: protecting you at all cost. Rivals as they might be, they both are man enough to recognize that the other hedgehog has something they need but severely lack. They both want what is best for you, and even if still argue about who’s doing they job better, at least it’s a scenario where no one dies…you will have two overly powerful, protective and possessive hedgehogs though so good luck with that.

[seth-whumps]

sillies round two: the royalverse

let's introduce SOME MORE OCs. this time? team whump. you get four of them. and they're magic!!!!

PICREWS AND VIBES UNDER THE CUT LET'S GO FOLKS

INTRODUCING:

Minnow (any pronouns)

Sometimes called Minnie by those close to her, Minnow is a pond nymph guarding a beautiful clearing in a forest surrounding the kingdom. They are cheeky, smiley, and ethereal--but of course, being fae comes with consequences. He cannot interact with iron, and if you give her your name, you're a little bit screwed.

Minnow however is currently a little bit screwed herself--because a human called a monster hunter on her, and they got stuck. However lucky they are, someone came to his rescue:

Coronacht Price (he/him)

More often than not shortened to Corrin, or further, Cor, he is a monster hunter for hire in a group called the Golden Thread. It's a bit ironic, though--due to the fact that he is only half human himself. He is fae touched, and his gift was to give into kinesthetic awareness in exchange for losing his sight temporarily (he can go blind and feel his surroundings, which makes finding hidden beings much easier).

He is one of the best, so when a fae is spotted in the forest, they call him in. But of course, his bleeding heart makes him release the pond nymph from the trap, and help him calm down. Now, he's got a fae in his debt. How the chips fall, he supposes.

Winter Monroe (he/him)

His full name Frederick Winter Merrick Monroe, but if you call him anything but Winter, you have a very high likelihood of being stabbed. A prince of the royal family that rules the yet-to-be-named setting, Winter was the second in line to the throne. That is, until his sister goes missing.

With his sister's disappearance, it becomes clear to Winter that royalty is corrupt as fuck. He hates every second of it. There's so much in the shadows he only caught glimpses of previously, and now, no matter how much he tries to help, everyone regards him with the same disdain. He is aware of his privilege, but he really just wants to help. So to get away from the corruption, he sets off on a quest to find his sister, with his loyal knight:

Frey Donigan (relaxed they/them)

Sometimes called Donnie, Frey is Winter's closest companion and most trusted ally. His personal assistant, and assigned guard, Frey has spent years with the prince, teaching him and protecting him in danger. However, Frey has a small secret--they are not who they say. Frey works for a group of criminals and smugglers, rebelling against the throne. They were sent to infiltrate and become the inside man for their ring of criminals.

Unfortunately for them, Winter has a charm to him. And Frey finds themselves catching feelings and is now stuck between confessing in more ways than one, or pretending nothing ever happened, on both sides. And now, they're on a quest to find a kidnapped princess. They're starting to feel cornered.

--

FOR RELATIONSHIPS: Send me asks! Let me know what pairs you want me to flesh out first. The intention is to end up making them all fall in love in one way or another. Lots of royalty, lots of magic, lots of crazy situations. Send me asks about anything about them actually i want to mess with them :>

anyway new sillies. i know it's a LOT but. i adore them. i hope you love them as much as I do.

PICREW: ななめーかー｜Picrew

also thank you to @slash-tj for helping me name them all you're a genius

[malinaa]

2023 WRITING REVIEW

tagged: no one i just wanted to do this and i forgot about it soz </3 tagging : board of directors i'd tag u here but this is mostly fic-based so sorree... anyway if u have already done this my b.... i wld like to see ur post tho @evcndiaz | @brimay | @usignedupforthis | @seek--rest | @posallys | @dustorangeheartssnowman | @adhd-merlin | @queerofthedagger

number of stories posted to ao3: 34 ±1 bc i updated a fic from a while back <3

word counted posted for last year: 90k... a feat (i wrote more but it was ofic so add like maybe 10k to that)

fandoms i wrote for: alex stern series, merlin, house md, pjo, spidey, hunger games, doctor who, & the grisha trilogy

pairings: merthur / arwen / mergwenthur / mergana, darlingstern, hilson, percabeth, petermj, everlark, tenrose, malina

stories with the most KUDOS: jealousy, jealousy (house md) with 522 <3 BOOKMARKS: except my life (merlin) with 137 <3 COMMENT THREADS: rip current (pjo) with 38 <3 *technically the answer to all of these is tested with torment but that's a fic i updated so i don't reallyyyyyy count it

work i'm most proud of (and why): thread of gold (arwen, bbc merlin) because i don't exactly post 2nd person fic and tbh most people HATEEEEE 2nd person fic AND i got people to enjoy it. HA!

work i'm least proud of (and why): coffee drinker (gen fic, bbc merlin) because it was just a promptfic and i didn't even really feel like posting it but i wrote it so i might as well yk?

share or describe a favorite review you received: any review that quotes a line but this one from judas kiss (arwen, bbc merlin)...

THIS. IS. WONDERFUL ❤️❤️❤️ *creates bookmark with gusto* I LOVE that you dug into what it might have been like for Gwen while she was under that enchantment! It was so creative to have her past memories blurring with glimpses of the present during the enchantment. I *felt* her disorientation, and it *hurt*. I felt so bad for Gwen all over again! 😭😭😭 That aspect of this story could have been a fantastic standalone one-shot in its own right, but noooo, you raised the bar and KEPT GOING and made it even better!!! I love that you showed Gwen and Merlin staying friends after Gwen becomes queen, and I love how she confides in him and how he immediately drops everything to go look for the offending piece of jewelry. The bit about Arthur’s incredulity at Merlin’s method of testing the enchantment was a great dash of humor, and I love that you fleshed out the concept of the enchantment to be something the others could experience so that they could truly *know* that Gwen had been innocent. And don’t even get me started on how much I love Arthur’s “Forgive me.” I love how he doesn’t think twice about humbling himself in front of everyone because his focus is solely on Gwen, consumed by the urgency of doing the right, honorable, and loving thing in that moment. You write Arthur and Gwen’s relationship so beautifully. 💕 Well done; I hate you (/affectionate) for all these feels. 🥰🫂👏

a time when writing was really, really hard: august through october... idek why i was literally in agony not writing

a scene or character you wrote that surprised you: writing jj in spider-man: homewrecker because i've NEVER written him before (in my memory) and i was like. Hello .

a favorite excerpt of your writing: cannae lie i have a few favs so... killing is a love language (mergana, bbc merlin) Heartbreak snakes up his throat, constricting him at the sight of her. Morgana’s beauty is incontestable even like this, but her hatred wore her down to her bones. Gone were the full cheeks and rosy lips, the perfectly combed hair, the wardrobe that would put princesses to shame. Now, her face is sunken in, her hair a curled storm, her dress is merely black rags at this point. thread of gold (arwen, bbc merlin) Your father’s presence is larger than life. Larger than love. It looms. It casts shadows long enough to hide every hope and dream you’ve ever had for yourself. the boy and the girl (malina, the grisha trilogy) Memory fractures into shards. Real or not real? There’s Mal in the meadow. Mal buried beneath the hanging tree. Mal cold in her palms. There’s a sky darker than night. Her hands bloodied. A knife lodged in his heart. Her knife. His blood. Her fault. She killed him. She loves him. Her fault. Rest her head on his still chest. Her fault. No heartbeat. Her fault. No warmth. Cold light spilling from her palms. She killed him. The Saint’s only true worshipper martyred.

how did you grow as a writer last year: my hopes from last year was that i finally finish a multichap fic.... 😭 does a short 3-shot count. besides that i wrote more consistently and i'm finally Used to my writing style. i think.

how do you hope to grow this year: hell if i know if i could write something longer than 20k that'd be great 😭😭😭😭

who was your greatest positive influence this year as a writer (could be another writer, beta, cheerleader, etc.): the board.... @rosesau / @bipercabeth / @stellwood fnh...... i'd tag katie but she absconded from tumblr smh. anyway hi freaks n geeks

anything from your real life show up in your writing last year: oh i don't even know. nothing ig

any new wisdom you can share with other writers: bro idek the more i write the more writing becomes fundamentally so hard to talk about ... sorreeee

any projects you're looking to starting (or finishing) this year: IF I DON'T FUCKING MAKE PROGRESS ON MY PLAY I WILL BASH MY HEAD INTO A WALL. THIS CAN'T KEEP HAPPENING. ATLAS AND VIVIAN YOU WILL BE WRITTEN ON THE PAGE INSHALLAH

[peacexatxlast]

Hi! I was curious if you could write a few headcanons (or make a one shot, whichever you prefer) of Jackson Rippner with a goth partner? Of course, Jack's not exactly as ordinary as he comes off at the start of the movie, but I've wondered how he'd be with an s/o that's just a bit more out there than he is, and how he would take in aspects of the subculture (the music, fashion, goth clubs, etc.) as a goth myself. I'm super excited to see what you come up with. Thanks 🖤🦇⚰

Hello! Thank you for the ask; this was really fun! I did some googling on the subculture itself (mainly the clubs because I didn’t know they had actual clubs for it and that was super, super interesting!!) so here’s my thoughts on how he’d react based on what I’ve read and such. I hope you like it~ xx

Warnings: mentions of scars, sexual content ish, dark themes (he’s a terrorist so~ mentions of murder and stuff ahhahah), stalkery Jackson?, super hot and sexy goth gf, overall 18++

First, let’s address the very pretty elephant in the room: tattoos. Taking it from the scar scene where Jackson is almost entranced by the raised scar tissue on Lis’ chest~ he’d love any tatts you have, if any.

Intrigued, completely mesmerized by the inked flesh, he loves to kiss and lick and nip at the flesh.

Skull tattys? A bat tattoo with the rib cage showing? Pretty finger ink? He loves it! 10/10 obsessed with your ink. If you have lyrics tattooed, he googles the lyrics later and listens to the song.

Leading to music:

He really doesn’t hate it. Actually, he kinda like the overall vibe of it.

He was very iffy at first to listen, thinking it would be annoying screaming music that made his ears bleed… but then the songs you showed him?

He felt like he was being transported back in time to a dark castle, laying on the dusty marble floor. He swore he could see you standing above him in all your glory with candlelight casting shadows across your pale skin, whispering the dark secrets of his sins. To put it lightly: it was an ethereal experience.

He really likes “the sanity assassin” by Bauhaus. (Ironic? HAHAHAHHA absolutely)

First time you played it for him, he snatched your phone and put that shit on repeat. First time he heard it in a club? He grinned wildly.

He loves the architecture of a goth club. You couldn’t get him to dress up for it, which you were worried was an issue while being there because some people are all about the non existent ‘dress code’, but Jackson as you have learned very early on in your relationship, is very persuasive.

The dude can get along with anyone. His presence, his aura, those terrifying blue eyes that can either be the sweetest sapphires welcoming you with a warm glimmer or the coldest, most dangerous icy ocean swallowing you whole. Thankfully, you’d never been on the receiving side of his death glare, and you don’t ever want to.

Some people gave annoyed stares at the man, but really, he didn’t look too out of place with his stance (and the way he was clinging to you like a baby koala). He ignored the stares at him, more focused on the starving ogles placed on you. Then, you saw a side of him you’d never seen before: murderous gazes. All for your honor? Talk about a knee bruiser ;)

He enjoys sharing in the things you like. Before meeting you (properly) Jackson had done his research on the goth subculture. He wanted to know how to talk to you and get to know you without looking like a moron. Of course he had seen you first, figuring out your name and address so he could see how you lived and what you did. He was thoroughly surprised that you didn’t live in a bat cave and sleep with a coffin. You were normal! Just incredibly hot and intimidating. He loved it.

He’s never had trouble speaking with women, but he found himself nervous to approach you. After all, what if you didn’t like him and thought he was boring?!

He was anything but boring, but obviously he couldn’t tell you that at first. Then he’d have to get rid of you, and he really didn’t want to do that! Jesus, you were so exciting it was almost unbearable to wait so long until he got the balls but then-

You came up to him first!

Okay… maybe… he was staring a little bit at the gothic style store he’d followed you into. Maybe you found it creepy or weird or endearing? He didn’t know, only smiling sheepishly as you approached him.

“Can I help you?” You we’re so bold, it nearly knocked him on his ass. And your sass? That was so sexy.

“Actually, you can. You look more qualified to assist than I, don’t you think?” His grin was so confident, so assure of himself. And yet he was kind and easy going. His bright, piercing stare devoured you.

“Are you looking for a style change?” Unsure, you nervously chuckled and glanced down at his modern dress. He dressed well in your opinion. Like a hot casual professor almost?

“Ah, no, I don’t look good in chains.” He smirked, “well, maybe, actually, it’s for someone special. And, she kinda matches your style. Would you help me find someone she’d like? What do you suggest?” And there it was…. You’d spent an hour and a half meandering about the store talking to this unbearably handsome man. He asked you everything and anything, getting to know you and the gothic culture you adored. He complimented your clothes and eyes and lips painted a dark color… it was so unfair he had girlfriend! After all, he was buying something for her…

Finally, sadly, your meeting had to come to an end. You helped him pick out this incredibly amazing dress for his stupid girl… and outside the store, he smile and thrusted the bag in your direction.

“So you’ll wear this Saturday? I’ll pick you up at five-thirty?”

The rest was history really. You were so shocked and happy it was hard to get out the three letters, ‘yes!’ Cheeky bastard was so sly and sauve, you melted, agreeing to meet him without a second thought. And of course, the date went extraordinarily well, the dress fitting perfectly because “oh, she actually has almost the same body type as you. Just get your size and it should be fine.”

And taking it off after the date? That was his favorite part.

[moonstonediamond]

Okay so I know I said I was working on my D&D story, wich I am, but I had finally finished this OSD idea that @thegreatpapyrus759-blog had from the Nightmare tournament. They commented on @calcium-cat post about how they would like to see someone make a fic about OSD Nightmare taking care of Dream and passive Nightmare. So I wrote my Idea of how I think it would work out.

Disclaimer/Background info: In my interpretation this passive Nightmare is the "manifestation" of Midnight's lie to Dream. Basically this Nightmare/Nighty had to deal with the villagers chopping down the tree and being taken away from Dream, but it also didn't play out exactly how Midnight described it. I already planned out a few chapters but I'm not 100% sure if I'm going to turn it into a full series. Also the, I guess I would call it a preview of Chapter 1 happens after Chapter 8 and before Chapter 10 my reason for before chapter 10 and not 12 all goes back to how I already planned a few chapters and there's a certain character from chapter 10 that would really help me flesh out Nighty's personality and relationship with the other Characters and would help explain his reaction to later advents example being the advent in Chapter 12.

Now with that out of the way I now Present to you (Still working on the title) OSN a OSD AU.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Waiting for Midnight and the gang to return is dull, and Dream’s ability to keep himself busy is mediocre. He had colored enough to fill an art museum; playing by himself had already gotten boring, and he hadn’t dared to touch the board game he and the guys were playing.

*Portal opening*

“Midnight!” Dream excitedly exclaims as he promptly sits up to the familiar sound.

Dream rushes over excitedly to see the guys, but his excitement is short-lived as there is just an unfamiliar-looking portal in the middle of the room.

“Midnight?” Dream called

No response

“Crossy?”

No response

He called for Dusty, Kiki, and Rory but still no response.

Dream waited for a bit, but no one walked out. Dream started to get anxious; who or what was on the other side? Why are they taking so long to exit the portal? Is the person good or bad? Are Midnight and the guys on the other side, and if they are, were they in trouble… was he going to lose them too?

These questions kept spinning around in his head until he couldn’t take the uncertainty; he walked up to the portal fully prepared to walk through… except he wasn’t fully prepared, it was more half prepared. He stopped just a few inches from the portal when new questions formed in his head.

What if it’s dangerous? What if the portal closes behind him? Would he be trapped on the other side? Will Midnight get mad at him for leaving the castle again?

Dream paused for a second before coming up with a brilliant idea. He doesn’t have to fully walk through; he could just poke his head through, so he is technically not leaving the castle.

So that is what Dream did.

__________________________________________________

In an instant, a gust of cold air hits Dream’s face; he looks around, barely able to make anything out past the portal’s light. The only thing illuminated was the cracked, mossy stone brick floor.

Dream opened his mouth to call out, but someone spoke up.

“I already said I don’t know.”

The voice sounded desolate, somber, and timid. Like whoever said, it had lost hope, but most of all, it sounded… familiar.

Dream took a step out of the portal.

“N-nighty?” Dream felt a bit hesitant.

After a moment of silence, Dream heard a creaking noise, like someone was standing up from a creaky bed. A figure, around the same height as Dream, stepped forward from the shadows.

“D-Dream?” Nighty sounded shocked

“Nighty!” Dream exclaimed as he ran over to “his” brother to pull him into a hug, but Nighty stopped him, backing further into the dark.

“How did you get here?”

Dream paused for a second; why did Nighty back away?

“Through there” Dream pointed to the portal before looking back at Nighty, trying to look closer at his facial expression.

The shadows cover up most of his face, but based on how dim and wavy his eye lights are…

"Y-you have to go." Nighty's anxious-sounding voice snapped Dream back into the conversation.

"What?"

"You have to go, Dream." Nighty sounded a bit more stern, "It's not safe."

"Well, I'm not leaving you here." Dream grabs Nighty's hand, causing him to flinch as he gets pulled toward the portal.

__________________________________________________

Nighty shields his eyes from the sudden change in lighting; he shifts his feet against the hard floor. We’re not outside.

"Nighty!" Dream's voice shouted, sounding concerned

Nighty flinches quickly, opening his eyes, ignoring the stinging pain as he looks around; I knew they wouldn’t have made it this easy; of course, they would...

"Nighty, you're hurt!"

I’m… What? Nighty looked at Dream, holding his scarred arms; Oh right… Nighty was relieved that it wasn't the villagers.

"Yeah, I’m-"

"I'll be right back." Dream interrupts as he lets go of Nighty's arms, leaving him alone.

Nighty moved his arm to try to stop Dream, but he was too fast. He looked around the room he stood in the middle of. There was a couch and some other stuff unfamiliar to him.

He looked behind him where the portal would be, but it wasn't there.

"I'm back." Dream announced as he walked over to Nighty with a small box in his hands. "I found the band-aids."

Nighty watches as Dream takes a small handful of dino band-aids from the box and starts to open them, placing each one over every scratch, scrape, and scar.

"Thank you," Nighty mumbled once Dream was done.

"You're welcome." Dream grind, he looked at Nighty’s expression, pain. Dream wanted to hug Nighty, but…

"Where are we?" Nighty mumbled, quickly looking away from Dream.

"We're in Midnight's castle," Dream answered, pretending he didn't notice Nighty avoiding eye contact.

"Midnight?" Nighty's tone shifts sounding apprehensive, eye lights glace toward Dream

Dream nods as he starts to talk about Midnight and the guys and how nice they are.

Nighty waits until Dream is finished. "Where are they?" His tone doesn't change

"They went out, but they'll be back."

Nighty doesn't say anything; he is still scared.

"Do you want to play?" Dream asks, feeling more anxious to help Nighty

After a few seconds, Nighty nods.

Dream smiles and takes Nighy's hand showing him to his room.

I hope this works.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So this is basically what I have so far, if I do end up making this a series I'll probably edit it if I think it needs to be, also I don't really think I need to explain this but I'm going to just incase, the words in italics are when a character is thinking, I don't use italics for every thought I just use it on the ones that the Narrator/I don't mention is a thought.

I'm still working on my D&D story I'm just currently working on the notes and revamping/changing the character sheets, notes, and world building. I'm hoping it would make my job a lot easier when writing the story.

Also I drew a quick little drawing of Nighty to go along with the story and there are some lore in the drawing as well as hidden details that connects to the lore.

(Teal Words: Chiped Tooth, Arm Scars and Palette)

[shivvroys]

don’t let go of my hand - shivlina?

thank you for the prompt! hope u like it <3

read below or on ao3

"Don't let go of my hand."

everybody else can eat my dust

shall we make believe they’re chasing us?

---

It’s not the camera lights flashing from blocks away that makes her ask the driver to stop the car before they’ve reached the venue. Not the deafening noise of her blood rushing in her ears, or the way the corset of her dress is digging into every goddamn rib. It’s none of those things.

Karolina turns to look at her.

“We don’t have to do this, Shiv.”

She starts picking at the ugly pearlescent nail polish the stylist had insisted would elevate the look. It chips off in miniscule, unsatisfying bits.

“It’s not that. I just—need a fucking breather.”

She knows the excuse is paper-thin, that she’s been walking on red carpets before she’d learnt how to walk.

Karolina sighs, tapping the driver’s seat.

“How long would it take to drop me home, Ray?”

“The fuck?” Shiv turns to look at her. “We’re here, Karolina. Now you wanna go home?”

“We need more time—”

“You mean I need more time.” Shiv scoffs.

Karolina sighs, turning briefly to look out of her own window. The weather’s turning, too.

“Well, do you, Shiv?”

She watches the blinding spectacle unfolding not far from them, and asks herself if this is a sacrifice she can bear to make. If she’s ready to take this thing and thrust it into everyone’s selfish, open arms. Say “Here it is world. Eat it whole!” and pray the light shining over it won’t reveal it to be a mere shadow. Something they’d dreamed up in the dark, hungry for love and feverish.

 Karolina doesn’t look at her with disappointment, which hurts more than it should, because it means she’d already come to terms with it.

“And you’re, what, totally cool with it? You tell baristas to mind their business when they ask for your name, but you’re excited for People Magazine to know who you’re fucking?”

Karolina rolls her eyes, twisting the rings on her fingers and refusing to meet Shiv’s eyes.

“They already do, though, don’t they?”

Shiv nods, staring down at her hands. They’ve already had this fight, though the wound has yet to scar over, which makes it ripe for the picking.

“Yeah, and that’s my fucking fault too, right?”

She’s mature enough to not blame Karolina for not understanding, even if she can’t help the knot settling in her throat. Even though Karolina knows what it’s like to be someone’s before being one’s self—how hard it is to become a person after you’ve spent a lifetime being a daughter—she could never know what it’s like to be everybody’s. To only ever see a real park, with real kids, when your father needed to look human. To have grown men guess your bra size before you’d even bought your first one. To let those fucking cameras turn your own mind into a lens.

Ultimately, Karolina knows how to light the fire behind the paparazzi line, but Shiv’s felt the lick of those flames. The unrelenting scrutiny, the stiffening of the spine and careful arm propping—lest the flesh of her arms betray their shameful biology.

She lifts her gaze, begging Karolina to let them take the easy way out. To take the bait and let their bodies fight it out on the battleground they know best. This car, the walls of their apartments, the soft sheets Karolina buys laundry perfume only from a small boutique in Poland for. Places they’ve stuck their own flag in and claimed, with no great eye in the sky bearing down on them.

Not some dirty red carpet where every oily-faced motherfucker gets to lay claim to them. Where the space between Karolina’s collarbone and the freckle behind her ear isn’t a journey to make, but a number of pixels on someone’s screen. A publicly traded relationship with the whole fucking world as a shareholder. The numbers just don’t look good.

Karolina’s carefully controlled voice shakes her out of her thoughts, right as she’s about to draw blood from a hangnail.

“It’s just the situation we are currently in.” she says. “They’re already going through my trash. This is just a formality.”

“And we’re formally…” Shiv laughs nervously.

Karolina sighs again, raising a hand to rub the bridge of her nose. The dim light coming from outside hits the blush on her cheekbones like a ray of sun caressing a rosebush. A goddamn masterpiece painted by the sky, and Shiv’s meant to feel guilty for wanting to keep it all for herself.

“I’ll just go home.” she taps Ray’s shoulder, nodding at him through the driver’s mirror. “Next time.” she adds quietly.

Shiv motions for Ray to keep the engine turned off, as Karolina huffs out an annoyed breath, leaning against the rear door.

“Karolina. We’re right in front of the fucking place. We have the stupid fucking dresses on, the make-up—”

Karolina cuts her off with a glare. “Do you need me to say it’s my decision, Siobhan? Fine, I don’t want to do this. I want to go home.”

Ahead of them, some A-list must have arrived, as a dizzying wave of lights starts flashing.

Shiv turns to the light dimming besides her.

“I need you to understand what you’re getting yourself into. Once you’re out there, you’re theirs, Karolina. Anything that sells, they’re gonna want to take from you. And this—” She gestures between them. “This fucking sells.”

Though Karolina purses her lips, throwing her a pointed look, Shiv recognizes a glint of fear in her eyes.

“It’s different when it’s happening to you. I’m just trying to…”

“To what?” Karolina whispers.

“Protect you.”

Karolina turns her face away from her, staring straight ahead. Her jaw tightens, and Shiv watches the lights reflect in her eyes as they glaze over with tears. Like a compass, her eyes follow instinctively, and she has to tear her gaze away to stop herself.

Beside her, Karolina twists her rings, occasionally taking a sharp breath, as if abandoning a thought on its precipice. They sit there, watching as cars periodically stop ahead of them, before a flurry of camera flashes erupts. Despite the usual roar of traffic outside, Shiv can’t hear anything except the rhythmic whisper of Karolina’s breathing.

A shrill ringing slices through the silence, startling them both. Shiv takes her phone out of her clutch.

“It’s Sarah.” she sighs. “We’re way past late.”

She silences the phone, but lets the call keep going.

Karolina takes a steadying breath, before turning to her.

“Tell her we’re almost there.”

Shiv frowns. “You’re sure?”

She waits for a small nod, before picking up the phone. Even with voice isolation, she can make out the chaos surrounding Sarah. The call ends with a sharp click.

“You’re sure?” she asks again.

“About that?” she nods towards the venue. “No. But it’s a part of being with you.”

Shiv doesn’t say anything, waiting for the other shoe to drop. Karolina frowns, like Shiv’s missed the point entirely. Then, she smiles.

“And I’m sure I want to be with you.”

“Uh huh.” Shiv chews the inside of her cheek, nerves lit on fire.

She knows Karolina is straightforward, and always chooses her words carefully. More importantly, she knows words have meaning for Karolina. That they aren’t just there to fill space, but are the very knife carving that space. So when she says she is sure of something—not positive, or hopeful, or inclined to believe—then she’s sure. And she hopes Karolina knows that Shiv is the opposite. That if she opens her mouth everything but the truth will come out. That her shaking hands are dirty, but they’re the most honest thing about her, and when they reach out it’s as close to a promise as Shiv can make.

“What about you? You sure?”

In the only language that’s never betrayed her, Shiv reaches a hand out between them. Karolina grabs it, interlocking their fingers and turning her wrist around until it’s her own palm resting against the stiff leather of the console.

“Just—don’t let go of my fucking hand.”

“I won’t.”

Hours later, when she can finally breathe again and the safe walls of the car are wrapped around them once more, she looks down to see their hands are still interlocked.

A woman of her word.

[dumbsmoothie]

I can't help but be curious on how you came up with the concept of Eir, especially for your fanfic One's Duty? Also do you have any head canons for Eir?

When we fought Titan, the first thing that I thought was, "Imagine being a normal person who is nearby." 😂 At first, (nameless) Eir was just a stand-in for conversations where I would joke about in-game events.

While Joshua was my favorite character, I was very underwhelmed with his certain parts of his story. He was lurking in the shadows, helping Clive, had been supposedly doing research for years--and for what? We didn't really learn anything about what he had actually been doing! It made a bit more sense when the Ultimania came out and confirmed that he had been in a coma for years, but it felt like insult to injury when he was blindsided in the end as well.

When I first saw Jote with him, I was so interested to learn more about her as well. A character that appears to be a cute gijinka of a Tonberry? Surely, I would learn more about her when we are reunited with Joshu--haha, no. I had thought that she had been older than Joshua and perhaps only served him while traveling due to her skill. When the Ultimania came out, we learned that not only was she much younger, but she had been serving him since she was a child herself. That made Joshua's actions seem a bit colder, but only because the game itself immediately drops her for the most part. The simple pat on the shoulder at the end is a bit unforgivable though. 😂

So, I started focusing a lot on what Joshua may have been doing, why Jote is the way she is, why their relationship is a bit weird, and so on. It was a bit dull, though. Clearly, Joshua had made progress at a snail's pace. Jote had willingly allowed herself to be locked in the friendzone.

That's when "normal person" became Eir. Not only did I want her to be a part of the journey, but I also wanted her to follow the game's theme of finding hope even in despair. She'd be a person who tries her best to smile to keep everyone else in high spirits because she knows how much the weight of depression can hurt.

Her backstory was created through trying to help make things make sense. "How would she meet Joshua?" She's an ordinary person, so it would have to be by chance. It'll be a little funny is she just runs right into him. "Why would he want to help her?" As shown with Mid, that gentlemanly side of him is still very much ingrained. "But he could just walk away after that." She is used to people being shitty, so she'd be a bit intrigued to talk to him, and he may be too polite to just walk away. "So, she'd be willing to trust him just like that?" No, that'd be boring too. Let's make her a Bearer, and she thinks she has met a fellow Bearer! She would have to be unbranded since she walks around freely, however. "How was she able to avoid being branded?" Cid, Martha, and others are proof that there are people willing to help Bearers.

That's when her "brother" and village were fleshed out. Those backstories helped shape her personality as well. They also helped me decide on her name! The goddess/valkyrie can be tied to medicine and healing. Her father had studied to be a doctor. She actually doesn't like her name all that much, which is why she had chosen many other names when tricking people. When she finally learns that it actually has meaning, she comes to appreciate it. With her "brother," I wanted to solidify that she is not one who will be willing to sit idly by when someone she cares for is throwing themselves in danger--which will help provide healthy tension between her and Joshua.

For the concept of her design, I wanted her to be cute or conventionally attractive. It needed to be believable that she could trick people! I also wanted her to struggle with it a little. She gets warm easily, so despite having long hair, she always ties it up. She wears a dress, but because she generally lacks poise and isn't afraid to brawl or climb trees, she wears shorts underneath. Since Joshua and Jote each had animals they were likened to, I gave her small "bunny ears." Despite trying to move forward, she is still stuck in the past by clinging to her "brother's" coat.

In general, I wanted her to be fun but balanced in as many ways as possible. I also wanted her to still be able to relate to both Joshua and Jote while also being different enough to explore other sides to them as well. I hope that it is coming across well in the story!

I'm honestly not sure if I have any head canons for her that won't be shown either in the story or on here at some point.

I apologize for the rambling, and I hope I answered the question enough! 😂

[p5x-theories]

May I share a hot take/rambling? While Riko for now its my favorite, i feel like focusing the arc on Kataya takes away screentime from her.

Its not *too* bad, after all Riko fits a pretty popular anime archype, rich anime girl good at school and with a lot of pressures its quite common. But at the same time, showing her relationship with her dad in a 2 minute flashback its a bit Meh.

Compared to Makoto, who we see her relationship with Sae a lot, or Haru, who we see interact with her dad and fiancee multiple times, even if her arc too dosent foxus too much on her; Riko feels a tad bland. I hope her confidant will explore more her personality beside 'smart rich girl'

Honestly, I hope this doesn't come across as rude (because I really don't mean it that way!), but I'm surprised she's your favorite right now if that's how you feel about her, heh! It sounds like you don't really like what they're doing with her, so I'm not sure the plot/her arc is going to suddenly pivot to something you like better, if that's how you already feel about it.

I do think you're looking at this the wrong way, though. Makoto's relationship with Sae, and Haru's relationship with her dad, are kind of core relationships to their characters, and notably both cases are their relationships with Palace rulers. Riko's dad isn't the Palace ruler of this arc, Katayama is. Katayama is repeatedly shown to care about Riko's wellbeing, and her Shadow is what finally breaks Riko down and makes her acknowledge she wants genuine relationships and love. Riko's dad is shown twice: once in Katayama's flashback, where he reiterates that dedicating herself to being the perfect heiress is what Riko wants, and then later in Riko's flashback right before her awakening, where a very young Riko comes to him for praise after doing well on a test, and he just tells her she needs to do better. Katayama's relationship with Riko, and her influence on Riko, is the core relationship of this arc (from what we've seen so far); Riko's dad is just presented as part of the reason she repressed herself so much in the first place. We haven't seen any desire from Riko to connect with her dad emotionally; we have seen her acknowledge how important Katayama is to her, and it's her motivation for her awakening and reason for investigating Akashi in the first place, really.

Do you see what I mean? It's possible her Confidant will focus more on her relationship with her father, but we've already been shown he was always this bad. It's not like Sae or Okumura, who became worse over time and partially due to outside pressures. Riko's dad seems to have been this way for as long as Riko can remember. Riko's dad doesn't matter to this story arc; he's simply one aspect informing Riko's present personality. Katayama, thus far, has been the Sae/Okumura equivalent you're expecting Riko's dad to be, and considering it's her Palace, I don't really think that will change. It doesn't have to be a direct family member of Riko's to be an important relationship; in fact, I think it's more interesting because it isn't.

I do agree that she's the "smart rich girl" archetype, but I don't think starting with a trope necessarily means the character is bland. Her awakening certainly made her stand out to me compared to the other smart/responsible girl teammates in this series (who aren't always the rich ones, which is the only reason why I drop the "rich" there- I'm including Makoto, for instance). Obviously, we're going to get to see more of her in the story as it progresses, and in her Confidant, and that'll flesh her out more, but she really hasn't felt "bland" to me right now, so much as just a character that we're in the middle of being introduced to, heh.

[panzershrike-pretz]

HIIIIIII PRETZ! which of your ocs would fit "the tradition" by halsey? really interested to see who...

HEY BLUUUUUU, SO SORRY I TOOK SO LONG- O had to get in the mood for new music and finally inspiration struck. SO

First of all, this somg is fucking amazing?? Why did I take so long to actually listen to it??

Anyway this turned out longe than i expected so to the depts of the "read more" it goes

Going off of voice alone, I could very well see this as a voice claim for Juni- but the song doesn't fit her. It actually made me think of Emma!

I'm still working on her sheet, but in short, before Emma ended up with her current family she did have some troubles in her past; with her biological family, former relationships and life in general.

"Oh, the loneliest girl in town is bought for pennies of prize

We dress her up in lovely gowns, she's easy on the eyes

Her soul is black and it's a fact that a sneer will eat you alive

And the buyer always brings her back because all she does is cry"

Right off the bat I knew this song would fit her. Emma was born to a wealthy family around the 1900's, all of which were magic - except for her, so she always felt that loneliness. She dressed up pretty, to be shown off by her dad, but at the end of the day she was very very miserable. She felt like the main attraction of a circus whenever her dad would show her off-

She grew out of it tho, and so did her powers as they developed! (By almost burning her half brother alive by accident but oh well. Sometimes tou gotta blow up un flames at the dinner table) and then she became more confident in herself and her ideals.

"So take what you want, take what you can

Take what you please, don't give a damn

Ask for forgiveness, never permission

Take what you want, take what you can

Take what you please, don't give a damn

It's in the blood and this is tradition"

^ the last line makes me think of her magical-pureblood lineage, and how she was seen as lesser because she didn't have powers for so long.

Ok, funny thing is. Emma was a thief for much of her life after she ran away from home (away from that family). She lived in the slums of France for a couple years as she took upon herself to try and get a chance to get away from Europe (her plans were to travel to Brazil, so she could study the magical plants found there; she was on her way to be a Magical-herbologist)

... But as First World War happened she saw herself having to deal with it and her plans were cut short. She decided to enlist as a nurse ans so she did, until she found herself falling head over heals for this stupid haunted soldier man who needs a name but i'm a lazy shit :> (and they were hunted down by the Creatures of Shadows until they were found and rescued by Miss Seagull but that's besides the point)

"You can take it back, it's good as gone

Well, flesh amnesiac, this is your song

And I hope what's left will last all summer long

And they said that boys were boys, but they were wrong"

From my interpretation of this bit, I can connect it with her brief (?) relationship with The Guy (nameless bitch), as in- she was so so in love and he. Fucked Off one day,,, left my baby there to feel sad and alone again (yeah she had the other peculiar children with her but It Wasn't The Same).

She was stuck there on a Time Loop for all of about 80(?) years. 80 years of everyday being the same summer day, unable to move on from her love until the loop colapsed and they were forced to flee- and her mind came crumbling down on her because while she was stuck, he mooved the fuck on and grew old and fucking died (this bit here was inspired by MPHFPC, so yeah,,,)

Anyway she's still a thief :3 but now she gets paid to do it :3

Here is my analysis of the song + character- i'd say it fits only past Emma, as she's now over it (fucking finally-), but its still Emma nonetheless

Here, have this doodle of Emma Crying Over A Man and Ottilie being so done

Ottilie the Olorotitan is the official psychologist. She can't take it anymore-

[beanieman]

WRITE THE BG3 PARAGRAPH! (Only if you want to ofc)

Well....since you asked I guess I have to. (I have been wanting to write a BG3 paragraph since the game came out.)

BG3 is so good. I've never seen a game have so many choices that have effects on both the story itself and your relationship with your companions. You can a 100 different versions of the same game and it'll feel like a new experience every time. Plus I love how open ended your player character and how you can truly make them your own.

My Tav is an elf bard who can talk herself out of any situation. She's mostly a good person, but every now and then she has a chaotic lapse that throws the party into unimaginable situations. Like when she brought down the entire creche trying to grab a rare weapon that was not supposed to be touched. However, the chaos in her life suits her just fine because she has an entertainer background and honestly she just lives to have fun. Which is partly why she romanced Astarion even though she considered Karlach or Shadowheart for a bit there. (She is a pansexual queen.)

More Undercut

Also, outside of the player character the companions all have such good stories. Every single one of them are so fleshed out and easy to get attached to! Even though my party ended up being Astarion, Shadowheart, and Karlach, I'm still really attached to Gale, Wyll, and Lae'zel even without experiencing their stories fully. Which just means I need to do another playthrough to give them a time to shine.

Also Act 2 has the best writing in any video ever in my very biased opinion. It's fantastic how you're introduced to the shadow curse and then all of your companions stories start coming into focus while you're faced with trying to heal the land and finding the Nightsong. Also also the song that plays when you free the Nightsong?? Cinematic genius. The entire OST is a 10/10 though, including in The House Of Hope. Having one of the main villains give a full Disney performance while you fight him was such a good idea. I don't know who decided to do that but they need a raise.

So if you can't tell I clearly have plenty of thoughts about BG3. I'm going to leave a screenshot of my Tav here because I genuinely love her and kind of want to write something with her as the main character.