#I think they might have looked better before adding all the shine. BUT I kind of like both. Maybe I should make two more that aren't shiny

[lucalicatteart]

A few silly little small sculptures that I made with some of the leftover clay from the main one I did recently

[blue-mood-blue]

I’ve grown to appreciate the aus where Shen Yuan enters the story as “Shen Yuan” - same name, probably similar face, generally able to interact with PIDW as himself and change the story through his added presence. I like the sense of “if only you’d been here, things might have been better the first time around” of it all.

And I was thinking, it’s a funny coincidence in that scenario that someone named Shen Yuan gets put into… another Shen Yuan. What are the chances? What a weird twist of fate that Airplane would pick out the name that his most dedicated critic could slip into seamlessly.

What about a version where it’s not coincidence at all?

Airplane goes to school with a kid named Shen Yuan. He’s prickly and hard to approach and a little intense, but Airplane is persistent. In fairness, Airplane is relentless - and maybe it’s a good thing that they end up being friends, because they’re a little too much for anyone else to handle. They balance each other out. They’re the “weird kids” in class and they’re okay with that, because even when they don’t have any words for it, they know they’re not like their classmates, not really. That’s okay; they don’t want to be.

Recesses and breaks are consumed with the elaborate stories that Airplane wants to tell, and all the holes Shen Yuan pokes into them. It’s not mean-spirited, though, even though Shen Yuan isn’t the kind to temper his words. It’s passionate. He cares about those stories the way Airplane cares about them, and it can’t be mistaken for anything else when they lean together conspiratorially across the lunchroom table. They’ve both got notebooks filled with details and characters and monsters. Shen Yuan’s practically got a whole bestiary sketched out in wobbly childhood attempts at art, entries fervently scrawled beside them. Airplane prattles out plots nonstop, always with the promise of shining eyes and being asked “what happens next?”

They come up with a whole world together. Airplane’s going to write about it someday. Shen Yuan is going to read every word.

Shen Yuan misses school. Shen Yuan starts missing school a lot.

Airplane goes to the hospital room instead. He doesn’t think to worry, because Shen Yuan is okay - that’s what he says. He looks okay, and he’s a kid, and it doesn’t feel real that anything bad should happen to a kid. He doesn’t think to worry. He doesn’t think to say goodbye.

It’s one of the older Shen brothers who catches him on the way up to the room one day, in the hallway just outside - snaps at him to go the fuck home, and when Airplane hesitates, pushes him into the elevator and tells him not to come back. “Tells” is a generous way to describe the way the words come out - a growl, a hiss, the sound an animal would make when a hand got too close to a wound.

(It’s not fair to name a villain after him, even if the name never really comes up in the story. He wasn’t trying to be mean. He’d lost a brother minutes before, and he was getting his brother’s friend out of the way so he didn’t have to… see. It isn’t fair, but then, none of it is fair.)

Death feels very real after that.

The notebooks get shoved into a closet, and it’s not until Airplane’s moving out and one falls on him from a high shelf that he thinks about it again. He’s written things, lots of things, but nothing as ambitious as this - nothing as important. It could be good, he considers. He’d promised. Shen Yuan wanted to read it.

The problem was that no one else does, not for a long time, not until Airplane has whittled himself and his art into a corner and into such an unfamiliar shape that he has to wonder how it’s still his own face he sees in the mirror. He has to eat. He has to pay rent. Shen Yuan would yell at him, but Shen Yuan isn’t there to yell at him, and who cares. Who cares if it could have been better? The people who actually are here love it, and it’s paying his bills, and sometimes stories don’t go the way they’re supposed to and the world is fucking unfair. It doesn’t matter.

(It does. But he shoves that thought away along with styrofoam cups and soda bottles to the bottom of a garbage bag.)

Authors are not gods and their power is limited, but Airplane exercises just a sliver of what he’s been granted and gifts an inconsequential sort of immortality. He thinks about making him a rogue cultivator, maybe the kind that goes around documenting beasts and compiling his findings. He thinks about making him someone too powerful for death to touch, or too important to threaten, but when Airplane looks at the world he crafted and everything that’s become of it, it feels like the kindest thing he can do for Shen Yuan is a childhood where he’s loved, and a death that’s peaceful. What does it say about that world, that he’d kill off his best friend too early again instead of making him live there?

(The best writing he ever does is the only, shining moment of humanity that his scum villain ever displays: a lament about death that comes too early, about a brother gone too soon. The commenters praise him. The commenters flatter over how real the emotions feel. The commenters don’t get any response from Airplane on that chapter.)

Death is incredibly real when it comes for him too early, too, still hovering over his keyboard with the story technically finished and incredibly incomplete. Airplane could tell himself that’s because the written version can never be the version in the writer’s head, always shifting and with every possibility still on the table, but he knows better than that. The System knows better than that, with its condescending message about “improving” his writing and “closing plot holes” and “achieving his original vision”...

…and he’s a child again. He’s a child in his own story, he’s Shang Qinghua now without the benefit yet of a peak or cultivation or anything, and maybe he’s a little bitter, and a little scared, and…

And Shen Yuan - with longer hair, with robes, with a couple of older kids watching him from across the street, but undeniably the prickly little boy who used to sit down imperiously across from him and tell him everything that was wrong with the chuck of writing that had been handed to him last period, but with that smile that said he was only invested because he knew it could be better and they were going to make it better - marches up to him with a fire in his eyes and a frown that warns of a coming tirade.

“You told it wrong,” is the first thing he says.

Shang Qinghua wants to ask how him how he’s here, how this is possible, or maybe laugh because, yeah - yeah, Shen Yuan has no goddamn idea how wrong he got absolutely everything.

(Shang Qinghua wants to say “I missed you” and “why did you leave so soon” but he’s here now. He’s right here.)

“I know,” he says instead. “I’m sorry. It all kind of… spiraled out of control.”

Shen Yuan frowns, but then it dissipates the way it always does, and his eyes shine with ideas the way they always used to. “That’s okay,” he relents, grabbing for his hand. “We’ll fix it. We’ll make it what it was supposed to be.”

[hawkins-losers]

yesss we want the elvira x eddie

This has been on my list since season 4 came out... Forgive me for writing it 2-3 years later (how long has it been since season 4 came out? Feels forever ago)

Happy spooky season! I miss writing for these characters

—

In girl world, Halloween is the one night a year when a girl can dress like a total slut and no other girls can say anything about it. 

Early in October, you decided to test the waters by making Eddie watch a movie with a character you had been thinking of dressing up as this Halloween. Witches were always your favorite, but you wanted to see his reaction first, see if he would like it. 

Although you doubted this character left any men unbothered.

Your dress was a little risqué, the deep plunging neckline making the girls shine. It took a few trials and errors to get the makeup right, but you finally got it and made your way to Eddie’s house. His jaw was going to drop. 

When he opened the door and saw the Mistress of the Dark standing there, he nearly choked. ‘’Jesus Christ," he breathed, the sight making blood rush south.

A smile of satisfaction bloomed on your lips. ‘’My appearance is kind of a shock to everybody.’’

Eddie quickly pulled you inside, not wishing for his perverted neighbor to use you as material to rub his cock and saggy balls. Those tits were his to stare at and touch and suck…and fuck.

‘’Are you trying to kill me looking like that?'' He lets out a low whistle as his gaze continues to roam over your figure. 

You leaned in closer, letting your voice drop to a sultry purr. ‘’I thought of wearing her spider bra with the tassels, but figured that might actually kill you on the spot.’’ 

Eddie’s eyes darkened, and a grin tugged at the corners of his lips. ‘’The spider bra?!’’ he repeated, vividly remembering the specific scene from the movie where Elvira wears it. ‘’Fuck.’’ 

‘’I even practiced the twirling she does with it,’’ you added, a wicked glint in your eyes.

Eddie groaned. ‘’I’m gonna have that image in my head all night…’’ He moved closer to you and gently placed his hands on your hips as he looked down at you, a smirk on his lips as he imagined you in the spider bra. ‘’Do we have to go to Harrington’s party?’’  

He would much rather stay here and have you to himself. The costume could stay on, he can work around that.

‘’Of course we do, we promised Steve we’d be there,’’ you said, taking Eddie’s hands off your body so he wouldn‘t try to convince you to stay in. ‘’And I told Robin I would help her with Vickie. I can’t let her down.’’

Eddie groaned once more. He felt like a child who got told ‘no’ after asking if they can get dessert before supper. 

‘’I didn’t say we can’t find a room at Steve’s and have some…fright-night fun.’’ 

Your voice was laced with a suggestive promise, which made the corner of Eddie’s mouth curl in anticipation. ‘’Now, you’re talking, Mistress of the Dark,’’ he breathed, leaning in, his lips hovering just a breath away from yours.

But before he could kiss you, you slipped from his grasp and took a step back. ‘’Where’s your costume? Steve said it was mandatory.’’ 

Eddie, still in his regular band tee shirt and jeans, held up a Michael Myers mask and pointed at a lump of blue on the couch. ‘’Here.’’ 

You raised an eyebrow, crossing your arms as you gave him a once-over. ‘’Your work mechanic overalls and a Michael Myers mask? That’s the lowest effort one’s ever made for a Halloween costume,’’ you scoffed, shaking your head. 

A creative person like Eddie could have done so much better. A few weeks ago, he talked about being Aragorn from Lord of the Rings. He would have looked damn good as a rugged ranger, with a sword and medieval warrior attire. Maybe then you would have agreed to skip Steve’s party. 

He rolled his eyes. ‘’Oh come on, it’s not that bad. Michael Myers is a classic, babe.’’ 

Halloween and its antagonist were a cult classic, but costume wise, it was unoriginal. There’s probably going to be at least three other Michael Myers at the party. 

‘’If by classic you mean a very common and lazy costume, I agree.’’ You grabbed the overalls and pushed them at Eddie’s chest. ‘’Now, hurry and put it on. I need to get there before Robin starts to drink and the word vomit gets unstoppable.’’

—

Taglist: @broadway-or-noway @violetsleftfist @thelaststraw3  @cursedandromedablack  @Slashersimpfor  @savagejane1   @wh0reforbucknasty   @eddiemunson-slut   @slvdsjjk  @hehehehannahthings  @dreamdancers-world  @eddiemunsonbby  @notbeforelong  @lexi-2004 @violetrainbow412-blog  @tatespillows  @alwayslexii  @lilygreennn   @milkiane  @imahomeslice  @bunnygrl16 @cwritesforfun @marauders3rawh0re  @your-mom21 @parkersmyth @voguesir @milkiane @andrewgarfields-girlfriend @lilygreennn @alexxavicry @charlie-chick  @wandamaximoffs-deadchild  @horrorstreet  @rmeddar123  @pastel-abyss-x @lil-tracys  @luvmybbies  @chloepricesgrafitimarker  @inluvweddiemunson @i-like-trains @kittenfrostt @simp-for-slasher @m-rae23 @kenzi-woycehoski @amberputh  @sea040561 @wayfaring----stranger @amberputh @starstruckspring @nluvwitheddiemunson @yourfavoriteakutagawakinnie @kiszkathecook @Original_babababoo @kittenfrostt @yourfavdummy @kenzi-woycehoski @violetsleftfist

Eddie Munson taglist: @nighttwingg @yourfavoriteakutagawakinnie @heizenka @eddiemvunsongf @Eddie_munsons_girlfriend @magicalchocolatecheesecake @eddiemunsonistheloveofmylife @avril-reblog-cave @Fandomfaeryreads @harrys-tittie @straycatarang @fourlokiss  @eddiemattress  @ghoulishlygrey   @paola-carter @bubsonnobx @pauldanoswifereal @ofherscarlettwitchways @kiszkathecook  @truewdw1 @bubsonnobx @ohhrexella @Dreamtiara @pastelbabygirl19  @steves-robin @eddiemunsonbby @jenlouvre @bonked-beyond-belief2  @tvserie-s-world @bootlegmothman420 @courtmr @chrisxevans-seb @satinselenite @thikkiesixx  @jennilynn63  @nia-um  @welcometohellfirw @strangermarvelgirl @sugar-simz @fandomloversvaries @miakatharinaa  @julsss321 @m1rkw00dpr1ncess  @Minksblog @soph69420world  @ameliakf13 @nancewheelersworld @parasadic-blog @nluvwitheddiemunson @veniceb1tch88 @ali-r3n @Luv.eddie @stephylovesmayahawke @ruinedbythehobbit @sweetheart-im-the-boss @jusstdreaaming @hoeformunsonandhargrove @buckyswhxre @tomspidertingle @stormyparker @thechoiceslookgrimm @ilikechocolatemilkh @bbylyneth @bobafettsleftglove @princesseddie @yourfavdummy @xbreezymeadowsmunsonx @rosaliesrealwife @munsonswhore86 @eddiescvmslvt @slightlyvicked

[greenboyfriend]

pick an image! (tarot card reading)

image source image 1: a purple blob with many holes across its membrane, and a divot separating itself in two. hopefully, looking at this thing, you don't contract trypophobia. image 2: another wonderful blob, this time in blue. many little orange spikes peek out across its surface. the contrasting colors really make this image pop! image 3: less blob like, but still blob-ish, this yellow lad has many spindly arms. the better to hug you with, my dear!

1.・。.・゜✭

although you may feel like you've reached the pits as of late, the empress assures you that there are many, many good things ahead of & around you, so long as you lean into the energy of the chariot. you need to stop feeling like the victim! sure, you may be, but there is a time and place for self pity, and now is not it. some of you- though not all- may also be acting as a martyr, letting others step all over you. this must change! if you're unsure of where to start, going out into nature may help you find balance. it might also be a good idea to enjoy the things you do have at the moment, and you'll find that you have more than enough of what you need. your current challenge is to embody the chariot! maybe you're resisting it a bit, it's ok, we've all been there. but this has the potential for great results! fixate on your goal and use everything in your power to propel yourself towards it. it may take some time, and you may have to take multiple steps to get there, but that victory will be oh so sweet. you will have to resist your impulses to get angry, or for some, to put others before you. but the 9 of pentacles nails the point home: you need to do what is best for YOURSELF, using your own methods. you're already set up to succeed! just keep your head level, and resist the urge to give them a piece of your mind. i promise, once you've reaped what you're sowing now, it will be twice as satisfying as lashing out.

(10 of swords, the empress, the chariot reversed, 9 of pentacles)

2.・。.・゜✭

you're holding out against something. you're saying no, refusing, struggling!... im sorry to be the one to tell you, but you've gotta give it up. look, im all for resisting authority, but within this situation, rescinding your position will be beneficial. think of it as taking a step back in order to take two steps forward. you're going to have to go in the total opposite direction, to put others first and try to see things from their perspective. know that you're operating from a safe place, too, and that, no matter how things go, you will be protected. you may even be blissfully unaware to some of the worse aspects of this situation. you will need to find a solution that lasts. you don't have to do this on your own, whether you need help with resources or anything, asking for help is completely ok. it may feel like a sacrifice to change your mind, but this is the path that will leave you with a clean conscience. this situation likely has to do with family.

(7 of wands reversed, ace of pentacles, the hanged man, 6 of cups, 10 of pentacles)

3.・。.・゜✭

much like those who chose image two, you will also be or already are doing an about-face, where you overturn old priorities into the new. it seems like this is going to take a lot of tinkering to get just right, and will require that you have the perseverance to see it through. it won't be easy, but, as the king of pentacles' energy shines through you, anything can be made possible! being committed to your task and able to adapt as your situation changes will serve you well. don't be afraid to admit you were wrong, to ask for help from multiple places, or to take a rest after getting knocked down. this is all part of the process. the queen of cups gives you the added strength of patience, kindness, and a finely tuned intuition. pay attention to your dreams and immediate gut reactions, and use them as building blocks to further reach your goal. if you're like me, who wants all the questions to be solved as soon as they appear, taking your time and allowing yourself to wait for the perfect moment is not always easy-- but take this as a means to strengthen your resolve. we are all prone to different skillsets, patience being one of them. maybe finding help in this area would prove useful to you?

(king of pentacles, the hanged man, temperance, 9 of wands, queen of cups)

thanks for reading! if ur interested in getting an in depth reading with me, send me a dm or an ask!

[baileypie-writes]

Hello! My name is Korey! I've recently been seeing your blog pop up whenever I search for veneer stuff and when I tell you I am STARVED for content- (I understand that there might be more content out there but I haven't been able to find any ;-;) I personally love your headcanons and the way you write everything and I was really hoping if you could do a Veneer x Male reader? And don't worry!! I read your rules so I have a basic idea for the story!!! You can do headcanons or a one-shot, either one works!!!

So; Masc!Reader is like a tall intimidating guy that dresses rather formally, often in reds whites and blacks. HOWEVER! They are SUCH a softy. Like, they have the voice that could scare anyone but they love stuffed animals and like dressing up in cute animal onesies!!!

When Veneer first met this gentleman, Reader would often keep to himself at first because he didn't want to accidentally scare him, but Veneer is immediately head over heels just because he sounds and looks cool. But as soon as the Reader says that they love bunnies and start opening up more he is just SWOONING-

And when Veneer starts ranting about how he thinks Reader is cool to Velvet, she is just; "That guy?? He's terrifying-"

I'm so sorry if I made the request too long, please let me know if you need more info or if you can't do this request! I will definitely understand!!!!

A/N ~ Aww this idea is so cute! Love all the details you added! I decided to do headcanons, cause it’s better for me to get all my thoughts down. Hope you enjoy!

~Veneer with an Intimidating, but Soft Boyfriend~

Fandom: Trolls 3: Band Together

Reader: Male

Relationship: Romantic

Genre: Pure fluff

Warnings: None!

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

~ I feel like Veneer is naturally drawn to tough looking guys. So obviously, he likes you the moment you meet. He thought that you were just too cool! He wasn’t scared like most people are, he just wanted to get to know you!

~ When he finds out that you’re actually just a big softy, he falls for you ten times harder. Like, you’re just so cute to him.

~ He’s in love with your voice! He barely texts you, because he prefers calling. He just wants to hear you!

~ You love plushies? Well guess what, you’re now getting a new one every week. Veneer is big on spoiling you, so be prepared to not have any room left on your bed. Plushies everywhere!

~ Veneer buys you guys matching animal onesies. Multiple sets, in fact. Each with a different color and animal theme. His personal favorites are the rainbow unicorn ones.

~ Sometimes he forgets that most people perceive you as scary. He’ll get confused when people are nervous around you, until he remembers how intimidating you look to them. So he tries his best to make people see you as you truly are: kind and caring!

~ He personally loves how you dress formally. He thinks it makes you look so handsome(not that you’re not already). Sometimes he wears the same style so you two match.

~ Veneer sees you as his Prince Charming. His night in shining armor. His soulmate. And he calls you all of these things as nicknames. His sister hates it, thinking it’s super cheesy. But he couldn’t care less.

~ Secretly want you to carry him around bridal style. It adds to the whole Prince Charming thing. If you actually do it, he’ll literally swoon.

~ Veneer loves how much taller you are than him. He loves when you lean down to kiss him, or when he has to stand on his tip-toes to reach your lips.

~ Before she met you, Velvet created an image of you in her head based on what Veneer says about you. Let’s just say that she was surprised when she did meet you. You were definitely not what she was expecting. You? Sweet and soft? How?

~ Velvet is honestly confused on how Veneer isn’t scared of you. She finds you terrifying. She physically jumps when you just ask her a simple question because your voice sounds so scary. Veneer doesn’t get it at all.

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

~~baileypie-writes

[lifblogs]

Better Late Than Dead

Fandom: The Bad Batch Rating: Teen and Up Audiences Pairing: Tech/Phee Word Count: 1268 Summary: Tech arrives on Pabu for the first time since he was rescued from Dr. Hemlock, and put his mind back together (mostly). A special someone is there waiting for him. AUTHOR'S NOTE: Disclaimer, I have PCS (Post-Concussion Syndrome) so this story could be a mess, it could be great. I don't know, but I tried, and I had fun. First story I've written since I hit my head. I am sooooo nervous about it for some reason. This fandom seems like nothing but kind, though. If you read it, thank you. READ ON AO3

Tech paused getting off the ramp. Once he stepped off onto Pabu he would no longer just be on the Marauder with his family. He would exist in a public space, with people who… might not understand, who would see him differently. He was different.

There were some stares from the crowd, but he couldn’t track all of them, faces blurring and disappearing as he watched. But maybe those eyes were still on him.

Subconsciously, he touched the back of his head, feeling the metal plate there that replaced part of his skull, felt the lines where his scalp had split, where either through injury or one of his many surgeries his brain had been exposed. His new and enhanced left eye (replacing the gouged one from Plan 99) searched the space before him frantically, but he tried to take in what the right saw first: bright, blue skies with white, puffy clouds; a calm ocean for kilometers on end; happy people in colorful clothing—survivors, every one of them. How could such a place exist when he’d been through such horrors in Hemlock’s dark labs? Now it was like this beautiful place only half-existed.

The beauty was what his right eye saw. The left one… He hadn’t had a chance to reprogram it yet. Most of what he saw through it was a dizzying array of heat signatures, structural integrities, and the best places to shoot a target. According to his eye, everyone was a target. This was all superimposed over his regular vision from his right eye. The confusing signals to his brain usually left him with the feeling as if his eyes were being scooped out (half a phantom pain and reminiscent of his real horrors), and it would throb up into his head. With the metal plate added in, he had more headaches than he could manage on most days.

Still feeling anxiety churning in his gut; cold, clammy fear gripping the back of his neck and stripping him bare, he held up his new datapad. Tech decided to do a quick check of his metabolic system, and the absorption levels of his various injected pain meds, and their half-lives. This was done through a chip implanted at the base of his skull. Unfortunately that had required an extra surgery, seeing as that hadn’t fit in the area where he’d needed his skull repaired.

His datapad beeped quietly, and a yellow bar showed up near the top. He’d need to re-inject his left hip soon.

Tech glanced up, the real galaxy around him becoming too real. Coming towards the ramp with a hesitant smile and shining eyes was Phee.

His heart suddenly seemed too big, blood somehow beating hard all across his torso, even as it crawled up his throat. Phee. He really had thought of her, even remembered one instance of Hemlock torturing him for mentioning her name. He shuddered, his mechanical left leg shifting in a way that seemed too obvious and inhuman to him.

Tech wasn’t the same.

Am I even Tech?

No, no. You’ve… you’ve been over this already. Done the work. I. Am. Tech.

And he had thought about Phee in what he had thought would be his last moments. He’d surprisingly had the time to think about a lot of people.

He’d thought about his last-minute realization, and he’d mourned what could have been. And now… there she was. Here he was. Pabu. Safety. Phee.

Tech took a deep breath, tried to swallow back his fear, and stepped down the ramp, all too aware of how he looked now. Feeling clumsy with this changed body, he struggled to put his datapad back on his belt. One last thing to put between this moment and the next, the inevitable.

Phee met him at the bottom of the ramp, letting him step off. For a moment the voices around them dimmed, but neither of them spoke.

Oh no, she’s horrified. She’s disgusted. She’s—

“You look different.”

Blunt, as always.

“Oh.”

“I think I like it.”

“You… do?” Tech asked, caught off guard as he usually was with her. (How could anyone script conversations with a flirtatious, bold pirate?)

She shrugged. Was she… crying?

Some of his vision blurred. His eye malfunctioning? No. His right one. He was crying.

Hesitantly, she touched his shoulder. Tech jumped a little, but let her warm, assuring touch stay there. He wondered what that hand felt like—strong, calloused.

“It’s you, isn’t it?”

Was this him? All these differences, and injuries, and modifications?

Well, he was still Tech, so he supposed that made the plate in his skull him, the chip, the cybernetic leg, and eye. Still… Tech. Just different. A new Tech.

“I suppose.” He was surprised to hear himself speak.

“Then of course I like it! But I have a bone to pick with you.”

Tech almost backed away, startled, as her finger prodded against his chest.

What bone?

What—Oh!

“Seven months?!” she went on, voice raised and rough. “I don’t see you for seven months?! And all I could get out of Mr. Face Tattoo was that you were ‘indisposed.’”

“Sorry I’m… late,” he got out, as if that somehow summed up everything that had changed his life, that had even affected hers.

That’s when a sob left Phee, and her tears spilled, and she cupped Tech’s scarred face in her hand. It was calloused, just like he’d thought it’d be. Something about her touch was reassuring and invigorating all at once.

And it was kind.

Tech hadn’t realized how much he’d needed someone outside his family to support him until that moment. It left him weak in his right knee, and he might have trembled.

Phee sobbed again, and then got out with a smile bright enough to rival the stars, “But still—better late than dead, I always say.”

Tech held her hand against his face for a second, marveling at the feeling, her words. Then he wasn’t sure who pulled who into an embrace, but suddenly she was flush against him, her heart beating fast, chest moving with her sobs, a wild scent of ocean salt, island fruit, and some kind of warm spice surrounding him. With his chin tucked against her shoulder, and her head resting against his he learned her hair was a softness he’d never felt before.

“Though of course you had to lose one brown eye on me,” she joked. He was surprised when it didn’t hurt, not from her.

“I’ll try not to lose the other one.”

“You’d better. What am I supposed to call you now? ‘Brown Eye’ doesn’t sound romantic.”

“We could… make it romantic,” he ventured, voice a soft murmur against her.

Phee laughed, and pulled back, patting his cheek. “Honey, I’m not sure you know what romance is.”

For the first time since Plan 99, months and months ago, Tech laughed—something he’d thought he would never be capable of again. And, he thought, maybe he’d like to do it again. With Phee.

“I’m smart,” he assured her, watching as she wiped away her tears, wishing he could do it for her. He went on, surprising himself, “I’m sure I can learn.”

Phee took his hand in hers, and Tech was startled by how much he enjoyed that her hand was smaller than his.

“Well, come on then,” she said, starting to drag him along, towards society as a whole new person. “You’re gonna have a lot of studying to do.”

Tech smiled, somehow, as he followed her, leaving just a little bit of that dark lab behind him.

[blitzsicedcoffee]

Ficlet: Are You Ready?

Timeline: Two years after Apology Tour, Blitz and Stolas's Wedding day.

Blitz paces back and forth in their apartment bedroom in Pride, if he went any faster he'd be making a rut in the carpet.

Loona knocks, "Everything okay in there?"

Blitz laughs nervously, "Yep!"

She walks in, covering her eyes. "You can pull your hand down, I'm decent" he says and she uncovers her eyes, widening them.

"Dad....you look..."

"Like a nerd? Like I should've chosen a different color? Fuck did the cake get there yet? Why did I let Stolas go ahead to the venue without me!"

Loona smiles and walks over, straightening his bow tie, "Because you've been hopelessly anxious about this whole day". He sighs and drops down his arms.

"Loonie what if we just reschedule?" He winces and she laughs, "The guests are already there, Dad. Waiting for you", she points to him and he holds his chest.

"Are you..good?" She asks and he sits on the bed. She sits next to him and he puts his head in his hands.

"What the fuck am I doing Loonie?! We've been through so much together but it still seems surreal that I'm about to marry a prince! I mean- me!" He says, pained.

She laughs, "Well, he isn't a prince anymore". Blitz rolls his eyes, "You know what I mean. He deserves better".

Now she rolls her eyes, "You really believe that? That sounds like something you'd say two years ago".

He rubs his arms, "Yeah...no. No I don't think that anymore. I'm just making an excuse. I'm just so nervous Loonie".

She smiles and pats his back, "Therapy's been good to you dad. But I want more family, so come on, let's finish this".

He returns her smile and grabs her hand and she pulls him out of the apartment. He presses his crystal and they walk through, and his eyes widen. The venue in Gluttony is beautiful. Loona might have pulled a few strings.

There's a deck on a shining lake leading to an arch with flowers of all kinds, ones that Stolas himself used to cultivate. There's a reception area with all their favorite foods, a dance floor, it's everything they wanted.

"Loonie this is..."

"Is it too much? I told Bee it was a low-key wedding but she's really into these sorta things so she insisted also on the giant heart shaped picture of you two made out of cheese" she points to it and Blitz laughs.

"Loonie it's perfect", he kisses her on the forehead and takes his place at the arch. He looks around and blushes, feeling all the eyes on him. Fizz waves from him and Ozzie in the second row and he waves back.

Then everyone goes quiet. A soft and gentle lyre tune starts and Blitz realizes his hands are shaking and rubs them, putting them half behind him. He stares at the doors leading to the building where Stolas has been getting ready.

Loona and Bee walk together arm in arm and bee sits in the front row while Loona stands by Blitz. Then comes Via, arm in arm with a best friend Blitz and Stolas have met. She stands on the other side of the arch, smiling at Blitz. He gives her an anxious smile back and can feel the tears behind his eyes.

Keep it in...just a little longer..

Then comes Vassago arm in arm with Andrealphus. Blitz was hesitant to invite them as Andrealphus betrayed them so badly, but Stolas insisted he wanted Vassago there, and unfortunately they are now a packaged deal. Vassago takes his place next to Via as Stolas's best man.

Finally, at the end of the train before Stolas is Millie and Moxxie, hand in hand they nod to all their friends in the audience. Then they part as Moxxie sits in the front row as Millie takes place next to Loona as Blitz's Best person. He was going to ask Fizz, and to be honest Fizz has told him he wishes it was him. But Millie has helped him through so much, we all grow and become different people, ya know?

Finally, a certain owl peaks through the doors. The song intensifies, and Stolas steps through in a suit similar to Blitz's with purple and blue stars but he has an added velvet cape and a veil train pulling behind him. He walks elegantly down the aisle deck, towards the arch. The Gluttonous sun shining on his eyes.

Blitz can feel that he is already a blubbering mess. And he can feel Moxxie and Fizz crying also on his behalf. He just stands there watching this regal creature approach him at the archway.

"Hello Darling", he says with a soft voice and wipes a few tears of his own, then before Blitz can wipe his face on his sleeve, bends down and wipes his eyes with a hand talon and kisses his cheek. The audience awws then there's a small clap from behind them.

"You look so beautiful", Blitz says, looking up at his owl.

Stolas beams, "Only because of you".

"Alright! Let's get this show on the road, shall we?", pipes Lucifer, opening a book. Ozzie rolling his eyes and whispering to Fizz, "He wouldn't be able to take a hint if it slapped him in the face", Fizz giggles then puts a hand over his mouth as Blitz looks to him smiling and smiles back, waving.

Stolas puts a hand on Blitz's cheek and he returns the favor with a hand on Stolas's waist.

"Are you ready my dear?" Stolas asks.

"More than anything", Blitz replies.

[not-a-space-alien]

K&J x MMSS 4: Valen & Jim Part 5B

Part 5 of the "B side" universe for AU4. You can check chapter 4B for clarification on what this means if you're lost, lol.

K&J masterlist

MMSS masterlist

K&J x MMSS crossover masterlist

To be added to the taglist, contact @whumpsday

Warnings: Blood, aftermath of torture, suicide attempt

***

Jim comes down the next day with a light knock on the wall. "Valen? How're you doing?" He hopes Valen's healed some. That maybe the blood that's made him such a desirable victim finally did some good. "You sleep well?"

Valen pokes his head out from under the blanket sleepily.  He is starting to look a bit better.  He nods fuzzily, not coming out from his nest.

"Good, good. I'm real glad. Lookin' better, too. You'll be all better in no time. So, my sister and her friend are both coming over today to give you some more blood, do you remember them? From when you dropped me off?" Jim's hoping the fact that Valen knows they're hunters won't scare him, but he's met them before and they didn't hurt him, so hopefully it'll be okay.

Valen perks up.  More blood?  Truthfully, no, he doesn't remember them, but he's so excited about getting more blood.  He nods, eyes shining.  Yes, more blood, please.

"Great! How about in the meantime, you can grab a bath, and I'll bandage up whatever's still not feeling great. Liz is also gonna take all the silver shit and the outside lock off the door, so you won't have to worry about that while you're staying here. You wanna grab your other clothes and come upstairs? I already closed all the blinds and curtains last night." Jim informs him.

Valen is feeling so much more hopeful than last night.  He's rested, and fed--even if he probably shouldn't have done that part, and he has clothes, and oh, he gets to take a bath.  He still can't move very fast, but he excitedly gets up to follow Jim upstairs.

Jim makes sure to grab the writing things before leading Valen up to the bathroom. "Alright, here we are. I'm leaving your writing stuff right out here so you can grab it on your way out. Come out to the living room whenever you're done." He's so glad Valen seems to be in better spirits today.

Valen has a real bath, his first in years.  Not a freezing cold spraydown with a hose.  It's wonderful and warm, and he gets himself clean.  He's starting to let himself believe that maybe good things can happen to him again.  He washes his raw face and bloody, skinned wrists gently.

When he's done, he steps out of the tub and pats himself dry with the towel provided, then dresses himself.  They're his clothes.  It's grounding and humanizing in a way he hadn't thought of.  They're his clothes, from the before times, being given back to him, to pull him back up to earth.  These are Valen's clothes, and he's wearing them, so he must be Valen.

Valen combs his wet hair with his fingers, looking at himself in the mirror, and goes out into the living room.

"Looking awesome, bud. C'mon and let's get you wrapped up." Jim pats the couch, gauze already in hand. "Just your face and your wrists, or anything else too?"

Valen pats himself down, but they'd been leaving him fresh for his new warden, so his wrists and face are pretty much the only things that need to be wrapped up.  The only other thing that hurts currently is his stomach, still far too hungry to be comfortable, but even that's lessening.

Valen sits down on the couch, touching his face, his wrists, and then giving a thumbs up.  He wants to smile, but with the state of his face, that would probably just look worse, if anything.

"Gotcha." Jim gently bandages both, making sure to leave an opening for Valen's mouth so he can eat later. When was the last time Valen was touched gently? He knows how it feels to ache for the kind touch of another person. "Do you think you could handle a hug?" he asks when he's done, knowing it might be pushing it in his starved state.

Valen's watery eyes light up.  A hug, a hug, yes, yes, yes.  He wants one so bad.  He can't bite if he wants the muzzle to stay off, he has to not bite.  He vibrates on the couch, extending his arms feebly.  Yes, yes, please, hug, hug.

Jim is scared. Valen may mean well, but he's also a vampire, and being bitten on the wrist was bad enough. But he needs to give his guy a hug so bad. He reminds himself he can always push Valen away if he needs to, like he did yesterday. This isn't Kane. He's had 10 years to get over it, he should be better by now.

He enters Valen's arms, wrapping his own around his thin frame in a warm embrace. "I've got you. Everything's gonna be okay. Promise."

Thank you, thank you, thank you.  He leans into the hug, vibrating, excited.  Jim is so warm, and so welcoming, and so soft, and so vulnerable, and so, so, so delicious-smelling-

Before he even realizes what he's doing, he's bitten down in the crook of Jim's neck.  As soon as his mouth floods with the taste of blood once again, he remembers he has to not bite and pulls away, falling off the couch and to the floor, whining.

Jim freezes up and goes quiet again. It's on the wrong side, because he would never let anyone's face get close to his scar, and the fabric of his turtleneck wets with blood. He trembles and cries, sitting there on the couch completely tense, letting out soft sobs.

Valen sobs too.  I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry.  Stupid, stupid, stupid.  He'd even fed already, yesterday, and he still hadn't been able to resist biting.  He's ruined it, and maybe he'll be punished, but even worse, he probably won't be hugged again.  He half-stumbles, half-crawls over to where the writing materials are and quickly scribbles out I'm sorry, and holds it up to Jim.  He stays on his knees, holding it in front of his face with trembling hands.

Jim takes a good minute to get to a state where he can respond. It helps that he was expecting this might be a possibility, it's not out of the blue like the first one. He took a risk and it failed.

He reminds himself he's okay. He's not very hurt. He's not food, Valen stopped, he's not being taken back. It was just a bite. He used to do this every day and it was worse, then.

He takes a deep breath and looks over to Valen, crying holding up a sign reading I'm sorry with shaking hands.

"It's- it's not your fault." Jim says quietly. "B-bad call. On me. I'm just gonna change shirts and take a breather real quick, okay?" He grabs the medical supplies he'd just used on Valen and scurries away to his bedroom.

Valen watches him go with despair.  Everything had been going so well.  Jim said it's not his fault, but his sister is coming over, and maybe she and her friend won't be so nonchalant.  And he wouldn't get any more hugs, now.

Still crying, he pulls the blanket off the back of the couch and pulls it over himself, curling up in a ball and hiding himself under a nearby chair.

Jim dresses the wound, changes his shirt, and tries his best to calm down. He returns downstairs about 10 minutes later, much more calm. He got bit and everything's still okay.

It's apparent that Valen has not spent their time apart calming down. Jim sits back on the couch. "Hey, you're okay, Valen. Everything's still okay. I'm not gonna hurt you. You can stay there if it makes you feel safer, but nothing bad's gonna happen if you come out. We're all good. More than good."

Valen peeks out from the blanket.  Jim looks okay.  He crawls over to the coffee table, taking his pencil in an unsteady hand and writing Thank you for the hug I hope we can hug again sometime when it's safe and then sliding it over to Jim.  He then crawls back under the chair, not panicking or trembling, but still feeling more secure balled up and tucked away

"Yeah. Yeah, man, just, I'm gonna need a little. You know what, though? Laken loves hugs. Maybe you can ask them for one after you feed from them." Jim suggests. "Sorry for freaking out. I've just got baggage about bites."

He smiles a little, remembering something. "You know, when you picked me up that day, I thought for a minute you were gonna make me your bloodbag. Y'know, before that was cleared up. And you know what I thought about it? Honest to god? 'Oh, this won't be so bad.' You were so nice that was what I thought about potentially being kidnapped a second time."

Valen lowers the blanket from his head, eyebrows raised.  Really?  Maybe Valen really had used to be a really nice person, one who could hug people without biting.  He mourns the loss, averting his eyes, keeping them on Jim's feet.

Valen hears them approaching before Jim does, two humans. There's a knock.

"That's gotta be them." Jim says as he gets up to answer the door. He makes sure the sun won't shine near Valen before opening it all the way.

After they all exchange greetings, Liz asks, "Where is he?"

"Hiding under the chair. He's real easily spooked. Be gentle with him." Jim says. "C'mon in. Valen, you wanna come out? Liz and Laken are gonna give you some blood."

Valen crawls out tentatively.  There being multiple humans in the room is scary, and he barely remembers these new ones.  He'd been scared of Jim before, but now that he's more scared of the newcomers, Jim feels very safe.  Valen kneels behind Jim's calves, poking his head out from behind the human to look at Liz and Laken.  But not making eye contact.  No, never eye contact.

"Hi, Valen." Liz says softly, heartbroken by the sight before her. Hunters did this. To Valen, of all vampires. The one who gave her her brother back. She speaks as if Valen will break if she talks too loudly. "I'm Liz, if you remember. It's nice to see you again. I wish it were under better circumstances. How are you feeling?"

"Sup." Laken adds with a friendly wave. "I'm Laken, Liz's hunting partner. You ready to get your blood on?"

Valen looks at Liz's hands, which is as close as he dares get to the face, and nods when she asks him how he's feeling.

You ready to get your blood on?  Why can't these humans just talk normally, so he doesn't have to anxiously second-guess what they mean?  Laken means they're going to feed him, right?  That's right, they'd said they were going to give him more blood, right?

He moves himself up into a crouching position, daring to look a little excited.

Wait, back up.  His sluggish brain hadn’t processed what they were saying.

A haze falls over Valen's brain as he looks at Laken again, processing what they’re saying.  Hunting partner, they'd said hunting partner, right?  Are...Are Liz and Laken vampire hunters?

Then he does remember that, fuzzily, that when he'd come to hand Jim off, Liz and Laken and two other vampire hunters had been there.  Hunters, hunters, hunters, that's right, they're hunters.

He drops back down onto all fours, cowering behind Jim and whining in fear.  Jim will protect him, right?  Jim said he wouldn't hurt him.

"Oh, hey, Valen, you're okay. You already knew that, you said you remembered them?" Jim says, confused.

Liz goes to step forward, but Laken grabs her hand and shakes their head. "Space."

Liz nods, staying where she is as she speaks to Valen. "We're not going to hurt you. You- I owe you everything, Valen. You gave me my family back. Plus, what those sorry excuses for hunters did would be fucked up either way. You're safe here."

"It's all good, man. You seemed pretty excited about blood, right? I'll go first." Laken offers, crouching and holding their arm out to Valen. "Don't even worry about it."

Is Laken telling him to bite them?  That can't be right.  They're hunters.  Hunters, hunters, hunters.  He tries to listen to what Liz is kindly saying about owing him, but it feels like he's scrambling to try and climb a slippery staircase to fight upstream and internalize what she's saying.  His eyes dilate with fear as Laken holds their arm out to him, and he shuffles backwards a little bit.

He gropes at the table for his notepad and pen, and he quickly scribbles out Biting is bad I won't bite again I'm sorry I won't bite again Im sorry I know better, underlining and circling words and phrases seemingly randomly to emphasize.

"No, Valen, it's okay. You've got permission this time, it's fine." Jim assures.

Liz puts 2 and 2 together from the this time, her eyebrows raising. "He bit you?"

"Yeah, it's not a big deal. He's trying his best." Jim smiles down at Valen. "No one's mad at you."

"Yeah, c'mon. I wouldn't pull the rug out from under you like that. You can go ahead." Laken encourages.

"It's allowed." Jim adds.

Valen presses himself into the wall away from Laken, shaking with terror, still looking at Liz, that surprised He bit you? still hanging threateningly in the air in his mind.

"Why don't you guys give us a minute? Maybe you can go work on the door?" Jim suggests.

"Alright." Liz agrees, looking at Valen sadly. "Whenever you're ready. None of us are gonna hurt you."

The two of them head to the basement to start removing all the silver from the door.

Jim crouches by Valen. "What do you want, bud? You're not a prisoner anymore, it's up to you now. How can we help?"

He fumbles with the pen, picks it back up, and writes.  Liz is angry at me for biting you?

"No, she's not angry. She was just surprised. She knows you didn't mean to. Do you want me to check?" Jim asks. He'd been lying about it being not a big deal, but he's sure Liz got the message: act like it's not a big deal. It was an accident, after all.

Valen shakes in a heap on the ground.  No way, there's no way a hunter would see what Valen did to Jim, biting him so severely he almost fainted, and think it wasn't a big deal.  Why wouldn't Liz be angry?  She must be angry.  He's going to be punished, he always is.  He's going to fuck up badly enough to be sent back to that hell eventually, he knows he will, no, he already did, he's just waiting for them to realize, realize he deserves pain and pain and pain, never ending ever ever.

He grasps the notepad firmly and writes Please kill me, fat tears rolling down his cheeks and wetting the bandages.

Jim reads the note and gives a heavy exhale, sitting next to Valen so he's against the wall, too. "No, man. I'm not gonna kill you. You wanna die 'cause you're scared? Is that it?"

He whimpers and writes:  I can't take any more pain.

"No more pain. How about that? It's over. It's really, really over, I promise. I'm not gonna hurt you, Liz and Laken aren't either. All we wanna do is see you safe and healthy. No pain." Jim says.

Maybe Valen will believe this eventually, if Jim just repeats it enough, but he can't right now.  He just can't.  His imagination races.  He can picture so, so many ways this could go wrong.  He can't do this anymore.  He can't keep worrying and trying to figure out how to handle things, how to help himself.  Jim and Liz and Laken are telling him they're trying to help him, but all he can feel is the dread of being the center of attention of a group of humans, of hunters.  What hope does he have?

Jim's not going to kill him.  He has to do it himself.  He drags himself over to the chair he'd been hiding under before, wrapping his weak hands around the leg to try and snap it off to fashion a wooden stake, still weeping.

"Hey, fuck, nonono don't." Jim removes Valen's hands from the chair, holding them gently in his own. "How about this. Give it one month." By that time, Valen will have been back home in vampire territory for weeks. He'll probably feel a lot safer, and Jim won't be able to stop him anyway. "Can you do that, you think? Give life as a free man a shot for one month?"

Valen keeps his eyes on the wooden chair.  How does Jim expect him to believe he's a free man?  How does Jim expect him to believe he'll be able to last an entire month without pain, without messing up, without biting, without getting trapped back somewhere where he won't get this opportunity again?  He tries to go for the chair again, more feebly this time, knowing he can't really fight Jim off.  Why hadn't he just waited until later when he was alone and could get away with it?

"Valen, please." Jim doesn't let go of Valen's hands. "Just, just give it a shot. Please? I promise nothing bad's gonna happen. I won't let anyone hurt you, swear on my life. I know you've been through hell, but it's really, really over, I promise. I can't- you know I can't watch you every second, so just, please. It'll be okay, I'll make sure."

Valen shakes in Jim's hands, hanging his head and letting his hair fall in his face.

"I bet you'll feel a lot better with some food in you. It's not gonna fix everything, but everyone feels better after eating. Nothing bad happened to you when you bit me, right? And this is with permission. Or if you want, maybe they can get the blood in a cup or bowl or something for you? What sounds good?" Jim asks, releasing Valen's hands so he can write.

Valen wipes his eye, trying to make his swimming brain comprehend what Jim is saying.  A cup, a cup is good, yes.  This way he doesn't bite.  He writes down, Biting is bad.  A cup sounds good.

"Cup it is, then. You're gonna be just fine." Jim doesn't want to leave Valen alone after his very recent suicide attempt, so instead of going to get Liz and Laken, he calls out. "Hey guys! Valen's ready to eat!"

Laken appears out of the hall. "Alright! Order up."

"Can you try and get it in a cup for him? He's nervous about biting." Jim says.

"Sure thing." Laken gives Valen a thumbs-up.

Valen is starting to come down from the despair a little.  He's getting a thumbs-up.  That's good.  He gives a little whine and lowers himself down, his head on Jim's leg.

Jim cards a hand through Valen's hair while Laken goes to the kitchen. "You're okay. Everything's gonna be fine."

After about a minute, the smell of blood emanates from the kitchen.

Valen perks up at the smell, shaking like an excited dog.  He crawls forward, wringing his hands and leaning towards the kitchen door expectantly.

Jim follows behind him a bit nervously, but looks away from where Laken is draining blood into a mug.

Laken smiles. "Just got started getting this for you. If you changed your mind and wanna nibble, that's cool too." they say, letting their blood trickle into the mug.

Valen stays kneeling on the floor, clearly trying to wrangle the excitement off his face, trying not to hope, but he's aimlessly flapping his hands with excitement, trying to stay still, trying to stay on the floor and wait for Laken to bring it over, trying to control himself.

Laken keeps going until the cup's got a good amount in it, then slaps a large band-aid they had ready over their arm and brings the mug over. "Cuppa Laken, hope you enjoy." they say with a grin.

Valen stands and holds his hands out eagerly to take the cup from Laken as soon as it's within grabbing range, whining as he downs the cup.  He keeps it over his mouth as the remnants dribble down, then he eagerly lowers it down and swipes his finger on the inside of the cup to lick off the remaining blood.  He holds the cup when he's done, not daring to look at Laken, just looking down into the cup.

"Yay, I'm delicious." Laken says with a lighthearted laugh.

Jim rubs Valen's back. He's glad Valen is finally feeding, and that he doesn't have to be the one to provide it. Hopefully he'll be well again soon. "You feel a little better now? Still got a refill waiting, too."

Valen's gaze snaps back up, excitement returning, vibrating.  A refill, he gets a refill?

He looks to Laken, then to Jim, and accidentally makes eye contact, then whines and lowers his eyes back down to Jim's feet.

"I'll go get Liz." Laken says, patting Valen on the shoulder and heading off.

"You're doing great. See, this isn't so bad, right? Everything's okay now." Jim knows full well that everything doesn't just become okay after you escape. But it definitely gets a hell of a lot better.

Liz joins them. "Door's about halfway done. Stuff's easier to take off than to put on. Sorry if we scared you earlier, Valen."

Valen nods, eyes wide.  She's apologizing to him.  That seems wrong.  He should always be apologizing to everyone else ever, for existing.

Liz takes the mug, drains blood into it in a similar fashion, and hands it back. Jim is tenser this time. This entire feeding endeavor is a little much for him, but he doesn't want to leave Valen alone, since Valen seems comforted by his presence.

"Here you go. Hope this is enough." Liz says, pressing the mug back into his hands.

Valen squirms excitedly while Liz prepares the blood for him.  He downs the second mug the same way as the first, licking the inside clean.  He retrieves his writing utensils and writes Thank you, showing it to Liz and Laken.

"You're welcome." Liz says with a smile, while Laken gives a "No problem."

"You still want a hug?" Jim asks quietly. "I'm still uh, taking a break from 'em, but Liz and Laken would probably both be down."

Just as Valen had started to calm down again, his interest is once again piqued, giving an excited little jump, starting forward towards them then stepping back, rocking from foot to foot, nodding vigorously.

"Aw, c'mere!" Laken wraps their arms around him in a warm embrace. Liz laughs and joins in, giving him a group hug. Jim declines to join in, but he does ruffle Valen's hair.Valen starts crying again, and for the first time in forever, they're happy tears.  He holds the hug for an absurdly long time.  It's okay, he's okay, there are people who care about him and want him to feel okay and will hug him.  It's almost inconceivable.

***

@barebarb

@cc1010foxy

@emcscared-whumps

@gt-daboss

@hurtpluscomfort

@jakersdaboss

@lolrpop

@melancholy-in-the-morning

@pigeonwhumps

@secretwhumplair

@some-thrilling-heroics

@starfields08000

@t0rture-me

@thecyrulik

@thejinglingcourtjester

@vehan-tikkun-olam-and-stuff

@whuarri

@whump-cravings

@whump-my-heart-away

@whumpycries

@wolfeyedwitch

@whump-addict

@why-not-ask-me-a-better-question

[mysoulspiralbound]

drew the Omori party in outfits a little more fit for their adventures than there pj's

explanations, dnd classes, close up's, and Mari & Basil under the cut

Omori is the party's bard, despite looking and acting like a rogue. as both an artist and a poet, i thought bard suited him better. working with his monochrome color palette was a challenge, but i'm really happy with how it turned out. a fun fact is that me wondering where the heck omori was keeping a knife on his person (combined with my horror at him running around deep well in his socks) is what inspired this design series. i'd like to imagine that Mewo is his familiar.

Aubry is a barbarian based on her focus on strong attacks and her ability to channel her anger into large damage. i tried to keep the shaping and color of these designs mostly the same, though obviously more embellished, as she's literally running around barefoot in a nightgown in cannon. sturdy gloves and boots are an adventuring must, and i picked her meteor hammer cause i think it's her coolest weapon. i will never understand why Sweatheart's pillow somehow deals more damage.

Kel is a kind of trickster rouge — he's not great at stealth, but he's got the highest dex of the party and he's not bad at traps. he's got a lot of colors in his shirt which was kind of a challenge, and i really went back and forth on what player class to give him. his pouch is for additional amo, and his gloves are based on archers globes, since he's the only one who uses ranges weapons in the party. if i redoing this, i would might get rid of his undertunic and/or leg wraps. they were added for protection, but i feel they're mostly just cluttering up the design.

lastly, Hero is a paladin, based both on his healing abilities and his knight in shining armor energy. i picked pink as his accent color cause it contrasted best while still remaining in the omori pallet. his pj's were the hardest to match into a proper adventurer's outfit, so Hero's armor is largely independent of his canon design. the rose on his chest is a reference to his charming personality, the chivalry expected of knights, and his flower from basil's garden. it's also there to fill space, as his design was looking a little to plain otherwise. his kitchen knife is gold to match his little sparkles and to avoid having it blend too deeply into his armor.

Basil definitely has some strong "your princess is in another castle vibes, so that's what i went with for his outfit. he's got his classic flower crown, and i tried to put as much plant imagery as possible into his dress. i switched the princes gloves for gardening ones in his redesign, as well as changing how the dress layered so the lacing didn't run all the way down the garment. the frills on his sleeves and hem are designed to look like petals!

last but not least it's Mari! i've kind of got two versions of her, but i do very much like both. first, i drew her as a wizard, based a little bit on gandalf's habit of showing up, lending the party a helping hand before disappearing to do "important wizard stuff." she's important and helpful when she shows up, but ultimately, the party has to do things on their own. her spell component pouch and her staff both have her picnic basket theming added, as it's symbolic of her healing abilities and the safety she provides the party.

the other version i drew of her leaned more towards cleric based on her role as healer. she'd be a deeply religious figure, possibly having it be revealed later on that she's more powerful than the party knows. i incorporated her picnic pattern here as well, and kept the style of her shoes, since she is literally the only one of the main six who wears them in the dreamscape. like wizard!Mari, her necklace and the ribbon around her head are both callbacks to the ribbon tied around her neck in her original design.

[neonscandal]

This week is Sk8 3rd anniversary.... So for celebrating, can I ask a few things :

-Who are your fav character from this series? Why?

-What are your fav moments from this series? -What are your opinions on this fandom's famous ships : Reki/ Langa, Cherry/ Joe, Adam/ Tadashi?

Season 2 and an OVA are coming (eventually)! Which is more than we can say for other series' so I'm going to remain delusionally hopeful. I think it'd be nice if, instead of announcing long awaited continuations, new seasons dropped like Beyonce albums. Without warning and like an unexpected blessing. Just like this ask so thank you for reaching out!

FAVORITE CHARACTER

Sk8 has a wonderful band of idiots who I adore but Cherry is, by far, my favorite. Most specifically through the interactions he has with Joe because they are just so catty and mean to one another but you just know it belies an affection from their entrenched history together whether you consider them a ship them or not.

I love that Cherry had this rebellious era and continues to do so as a respectable adult while juggling such a disciplined craft and career. Like, that dichotomy is just 😘👌🏾. Goals, honestly. He maintains this split by ensuring that his S persona and his everyday persona remain mutually exclusive similar to how Adam conducts himself. Which, now that I'm thinking about it, might be kind of sad but he is, somewhat, of a man of contrasts.

Like, the way his talents splinter is so interesting. He is a founding member of S wherein he remains a threat, an established and respected calligrapher... plus, I feel like he customized Carla himself. What a nerd! Plus, Cherry is so gender. ✨

THOUGHTS ON SHIPS

Reki & Langa - idiot x idiot, I love it? But also, how silly to show someone something you love so intensely only for that love to envelope them so completely. Both in how they receive your hobby but also in how they just become a part of your life. Plus, Langa sees Reki's strengths that he takes for granted and its so necessary because they both think the sun shines out of each others' ass. Also, I see them as a reincarnation of AshEiji from Banana Fish.

Cherry & Joe - Yes. Was that not evident from above? Yes. They fight like an old (and sassy) married couple and then will have a moment of saccharine sweetness that's just... too much. There's also a hilarious sense of patience Joe must have to adapt to Cherry vs. Kaoru and its more evident because there's who the pair are when they are around others, regardless of who the others are, and then who they are when they're alone. Like, why put on the act, guys? Just kiss already.

Adam & Tadashi - As long as it's consensual, I guess, but I'm sure Tadashi could do better.

Oka & Shadow - Okay, but go with me here. Please thank the chokehold umikochannart had on keeping this ship sailing before they wiped their IG of all evidence.

Adding a few other artists guaranteed to give you the brainrot because I fell down a rabbit hole while looking for umikochann and fan artists deserve so much appreciation for covering the spread when we are awaiting new content so go follow them and join their patreons, buy them a kofi and bark on all their posts because we are not deserving of their labor: angrymorilas, bunbun.ji, @pochiikou and @ratcarney IG.

These artists are my gift to you. As a gift, that means that we should love and appreciate the people whose talents enable us to experience the characters we love even more and be thankful for, however long the stretch, the time that our favorite characters and ships were their muses. And to subsequently not be a prick when their muse changes.

⚠️ Spoiler warning for S1 of SK8 the Infinity anime.

FAVORITE MOMENTS

"Push me, Reki." - needs no explanation.

Reki defending Miya's honor - When you see Miya's backstory, his isolation is really sad and makes him vulnerable to Adam's predation but Reki punched well above his weight to defend Miya and it effectively brought the kid into the fold and I loved that. And that's on the power of friendship. ✨ Reki really subjugated everyone in that friend group and is not appreciated enough for it.

When everyone cockblocked Joe - Not every show needs a beach episode. This one does.

Sia La Luce after hours - the fact that Kaoru, after being bride carried by Joe, broke out of the hospital just to go running back to Joe is just so... beautifully chaotic and unexpected. Add a zest of Jonah Scott murmuring "We're not alone, right, Kaoru?" and I am undone.

When the might of Reki's rain wheels kicked in - Overcame insecurity by utilizing the gift he'd had all along? AGH. So perfect, so proud.

When Reki's laughter melts into that of young Adam's - only because that was really sweet

Not in the show but: sharing this series with my niece and nephew and them loving it just as much as I do. They're pretty young so the Venn Diagram of "Shows I Love" vs "Shows I Can Share With Them As A Discerning Adult" has a pretty narrow overlap. So imagine my surprise when my nephew randomly makes a SK8 joke or observation or when my niece drew fan art of Carla? We also sing and dance and laugh during the intro and outtro so I hope they remember the series affectionately when they're older.

[lopez-richter-fangirl]

Starkid innit: the most magical experience

It took me a full day to even begin to know where to start with this post and then took me all day yesterday to type out. Normally to do one of these posts after a show I frantically note down everything I can remember in the interval and as soon as I can afterwards, but I was too overwhelmed by this show to even do that. And thank god so many people filmed so much of the show so I don’t have to rely on memory for all the little things. This will be kind of stream of consciousness thought dump of everything that made this experience so incredible, feat. a lot of Feelings. It’s much too long! Over 2500 words - you’ve been warned!

Looking at all the pictures and videos from the show, it feels surreal that I was there in a way that I don’t think any other shows I’ve gone to have. Maybe because I can’t believe we finally got a full UK Starkid show. Maybe because it was Starkid selling out the fucking London Palladium, twice (and the added production value that came with that). Maybe because we got the concert premiere of new stuff alongside iconic moments included from previous concerts that I’ve watched a hundred times and now got to see live. Whatever it was, I still can’t quite believe it and I’m so grateful I got to be there. And my GOD was luck on my side getting a front row centre seat in that ticket hell 🙏😭

Right from the staple sing-along outside the theatre before the show the excitement was as palpable as you’d expect from a crowd where so many people had been waiting such a long time to see these people live. And I think a lot of Starkid fans but especially international fans have had the feeling of isolation that comes with being a fan of a relatively “niche” group (though their popularity is only growing), so to get to be in a room full of people who understand the references and scream as soon as the opening notes of a song play is the best thing

Starting with tgwdlm feels like an excellent choice being from the show that created a new wave of fans while still catching some of the people who might not be caught up with the newest shows. And I know we had it at jangle ball too but love love getting to see Brian and Meredith be part of the hatchetfield stuff

And having NPMD songs performed live for the first time was just as exciting and special as I was expecting!! Was not expecting HSIKM WITH some OG choreo but I am grateful for it. Jaime messing up the Literal Monster lyrics at the matinee is 100% understandable and I thank her for that because Lauren cracking up at the complete nonsense lyrics she made up was too good. Love the OG choreo there including Lauren grabbing Joey for no reason whatsoever 😌 Slay of Lauren to bring out the Ruth voice too. Jeff gave a killer performance of NPMD and we understood the assignment with the Richie part

And Together 😭 TOGETHER 😭😭 I said that was a song I’d absolutely love but was definitely not at all expecting them to play so I got UNBELIEVABLY excited seeing it on Mere’s playlist and it was EVEN better than I imagined 😭 Angelic!!!! I love women!!!! Seeing their friendship shine through on stage is so special and Lauren supporting Mere through the lyric mess up in the matinee and also her laugh were the cutest things. And then from the front row at the evening show I don’t think I even breathed. They sounded amazing in the OG show but EVEN better now and I truly could not be more grateful to them for putting that on the setlist. A literal dream that I will be thinking about for the rest of my life. I still can’t believe it. AHHHHHH!!!!!!

Happy we got Our Doors are Open cause I love that song!

Jaime singing Harry but dedicated to Nori was very cute and making that a flashlight moment is one of the sillier things we’ve done

So glad Clark got his moment with I Was where we all sat in enraptured silence listening to his magical voice and some never before heard lyrics

I will be so honest and say there was the tiiiiiiiiiniest part of me sad when Joey started introducing Sidekick because I knew that meant my Status Quo hopes were dashed. However had I not seen it at homecoming I probably would have been rooting for Sidekick because it is the better *performance* for Joey, he absolutely owns the stage and it was still a delight to hear it again, and with his continued vocal improvement. Audience participation on point too of course. And when I saw Lauren standing in the wings before he started I knew I could not let myself keep looking over there but shoutout to everyone who did get footage of her being the proudest wife there is

Oh lordddd the Rogues Medley update we’ve been praying for (even if not in the way I expected). I had a feeling that’s what was coming when they started Not Over Yet based on the interview Brian did but to hear that transition into Feast or Famine was crazyyyyyy. Rogues Medley is such an iconic piece of Starkid history and it’s so cool that they gave us that. Fucking of course Brian fucked up the verses in Not Over Yet but he is a master at styling it out and him making Lauren laugh with that song feels like time honoured tradition (okay I’m just thinking of that leaky 2017 performance). First Feast or Famine in concert was so good although Joey and Lauren leaning on each other at EVERY little duet bit… relax babes. And Rogues, I knew if we got it we’d have Lauren doing the harlots and the hussies bit and I still did not adequately prepare myself

Brian calling Meredith wifey in We Got Work to Do was gold. SO so so happy to hear climate change, they did that because I stopped myself from spending a stupid amount of money to go to jangle ball. Still obsessed with Lauren’s little riff. And her moves? HOT. And we LOVE Meredith’s music getting so much love as it SHOULD

The forgotten songs section was hilarious but could have been about 20% shorter Brian was not wrong about them milking that bit Biggest of shout outs to the person who yelled Boy Toy for Lauren to respond “don’t make me do that” and I believe the same person who yelled fucking Airport 4 Birds and had her momentarily stunned. Her rendition of Hideous Creatures was heavenly no joke. Brian doing his soundcheck song did not read so well at the matinee lmao but I personally thought it was perfect. And Lauren joked about the open vibe but genuinely I love that they were confident enough they could do some obscure songs and not have an absolutely dead audience. Can’t believe we got TWO MAMD songs although they really should have let Joey sing Even Though (I know it wouldn’t have been *funny* okay)

What did not need to be even one second shorter was the shirt bit. No notes. Especially Brian trolling Lauren with “roll on the floor like Draco”

Back on top was amazing, they all sounded so good and again, love to see the Ani music getting recognition. And at the evening show I was watching Lauren do the choreo in the wings which was absolutely adorable

What if I now write the entire length of this post just about Granger Danger lol. Didn’t even realise until this post that they had the two OG Starkid couples back to back (at least I’m going off the order of the setlist I saw on twitter I do not actually remember the order lmao) Their whole “brand new song” bit was everything to me, I really could watch them riff off each other for hours. And honestly it was the perfect thing to do KNOWING what the reaction would be to the two of them coming out because what fucking else would they be singing. Apart from the person who genuinely thought we were getting Priceless because they forgot Granger Danger existed, you know who you are. As in my other post, I had said I wouldn’t mind if, as long as I got to see one married Granger Danger live (which I then did), they stopped singing Granger Danger, but that was only if they were getting sick of it and on the condition they did in fact replace it with Priceless. But I will NEVER get sick of watching them do it (even if the heart eyes on stage continue to make me a little sick) and I love that they do still have fun with it. The universal excitement with those opening notes is the best thing. Continuing to say “it gets different” was funnier than it should have been, they are comedians. And how far back she leaned on him at that evening show was truly insane and I thank them for giving me one of my new favourite pics (even if Lauren laughing and Joey’s hand going back to make sure she wouldn’t fall made me want to sobbbbb). 15 years of this song and it’s still getting more iconic and you all know how deeply special it is to me and I’m so happy to have gotten to see it again. King and queen of Starkid for real for real

Corey Show Stoppin Number was CRAZY he killed it

Jaime’s speech before Not Alone was incredibly special and I think Darren would agree that the song actually ended up exactly where it needed to be. But her saying she’s been singing it for 15 years of course had me thinking about the same thing for granger danger which is absolutely not something I was emotionally strong enough for in that moment!!! But blessed to get the beautiful harmonies and as always the audience singing Darren’s parts is the best

Superfriends is ofc so fun and Jeff nailed the Robin parts (unlike someone else there might have done (sorry Joey)). And again, there’s something so nostalgic about seeing it with that classic choreo too

And mashing it up with WANNABE oh my god. I did see someone say they didn’t know why they did that song and I’m like,, do you know how to have fun?? I get it we’re there to hear Starkid songs but this isn’t like a once in a lifetime situation (love that performance but it was a song for them not the audience and they knew it lmao), it’s actually perfect for Starkid. “Friendship never ends” you’re fucking right it doesn’t, 15 years of making stuff with your friends. And I’m being so serious when I say it’s one of my favourite performances they’ve ever done. I also might never get it out of my head and I’m fine with that. The accents? The boys in the back? The dancing? Brian? And then Brian and Joey?? (and ofc the evening performance where Lauren was touching Joey after “if you wanna be my lover” and where he put his hand on her back as she was stepping up on the stage and I once again wanted to sob) It was JOYFUL

And then GBTH as the encore we all knew was coming because no way were they leaving without singing that one. Whatever some people might have to say about it, it is SUCH a special song to hear in a room full of Starkid fans, and especially this version where we sang the beginning. No doubt they couldn’t have imagined performing that song on a stage like this when they were singing it in Studio 1, but it’s so deserved because they’re all absolute superstars. And their friendship and the fun they have onstage together has remained so integral to what makes them work and it never gets any less special to witness. I love that after over a decade of singing this song they STILL get the words wrong and it doesn’t even matter because we’re singing it so loudly. I love the sheer power Lauren radiates every time she sings her part and her happiness when we scream ours. And then I watched her smile looking out at the audience during the train part and I’m just so proud we were part of making this show so incredible for them and proud of them for doing it 😭 Singing happy birthday to Jeff in the middle was really cute too

Also, can’t believe we got to witness the most INSANE shirt pic happen live??!!? A shirt pic in front of a crowd of 2000 people, I keep looking at it and I’m like how is that not photoshopped?? But it’s real!! I was there!! And it’s honestly the most Starkid move of all time to perform their sold out Palladium concerts in matching pyjama shirts. Ngl there was a tiny part of me that didn’t want the matching shirts because I wanted to see the Concert Fits but I didn’t even need to worry because Lauren still came to serve. Hottest girl I’ve ever seen but also just the cutest human. And her hair looked so good too. (Jaime was also serving with the sparkly tights and cowboy boots)

Clearly they’re such a well oiled machine and the show ran SO smoothly that they were ahead of schedule and ended up doing a little more vamping in the evening than at the matinee. Why they chose Together (Lauren and Meredith are “too old” to want solos), Clark’s explanation of I Was originally being a solo (thank god because I felt insane at the matinee thinking ‘I’ve never heard these lyrics before’), even more references to Brian’s lack of solos. But the fuck ups in spite of that rehearsal really are just part of the Starkid charm. We love it, they know we love it, there’s no pressure to make it perfect which means all of us are just having *fun* together. But none of that takes away from how genuinely talented each and every one of them is

I do also think there’s something to be said for Brian and Lauren being the producers. They’ve really been through it all with the company and they know what works and how to serve people’s strengths. And of course we can trust Clark to put together an incredible setlist (yes there was a distinct lack of certain shows but I do think all the songs they did were a really good showcase for them and everyone had an opportunity to shine)

And Lauren of COURSE nailed the choreo for the whole show, it would be impossible for her not to. Honestly cannot reiterate enough how much of a queen she was in every aspect of this show. So fucking proud of her!!!!!!!!!!

And because this post wouldn’t be complete without mention of the M&G, Joey remembering my nameeee bearing in mind this is only the second time I’ve met him in person where he’d actually know me and yes the first time was only 7 months ago but I still don’t know how he recognised me there either. He seemed so proud to remember it too. And I knowww it’s not special to me he just has a good memory for that but the fact is he DOES make you feel special and I love him!! The best man. And I’m glad I got to give them the bracelets I made, Lauren’s reaction to seeing hers said precious angel was the sweetest and I really am trying to be normal about Joey only wearing the one from me (but it said Diane’s dad and was in michigan colours so… I think I nailed it) It was the sweetest thing seeing how many bracelets some of them were wearing during the show though

All this to say I fucking love Starkid and I love the community they’ve created. As soon as I saw the crowd outside the theatre (which was phenomenal!!) I knew it was just gonna be one of those days it was too overwhelming to talk to many people and while the people I did talk to were lovely I think I gave out a grand total of 8 bracelets which is my second biggest regret. But @pazazzalil and @laurenlpz, meeting up with you was like being with old friends even though we hadn’t met in person in 5/6 years. Love you both (and maybe we can actually get seats together next time)

And as one last little note, while it did feel extra special having people who have been with the company for all/the majority of these last 15 years, I have loved seeing the newer Starkids being so proud of their friends 🥺

I don’t know how I’m ever getting over this show. There was no way it was going to be bad with how highly anticipated a UK show was but it went way beyond my expectations. Pure magic. And I really do believe that after that it won’t be long before they’re back here, and I can’t wait

[tadpolesonalgae]

sticking to the headcanon that feyre has a baby face bc it tickles my heart to think that when elain or nesta sees feyre sleeping/painting/just zoning out or smth for a flicker of a moment it feels like they're looking at their baby sister no different from their teenage years and their heart feels molten to think about everything they all went through and how their little sister fucking died and elain would just goes up to feyre and kisses her forehead and feyre just kinda looks at her with a confused smile, or if it's nesta she'd probably just abruptly get up and leave just to come back with a blanket to drape over a sleeping feyre and ugh can u tell that im obsessed with the messy dynamic of siblings that have never learnt or have been allowed to be soft with each other yet they can't help but care about each other deeply and have moments where that love shines through-

(sorry it's just whenever i see fics taking place around acosf and that inevitably jagged relationship between the sisters gets portrayed (whether directly or implied) i feel so many things that i feel like im going to explode bc... i wonder if seeing nesta drowning herself in alcohol and sex maybe reminded feyre of her time utm when she was essentially forced to get drugged/drunk and had no one to protect her from being sexualized by a bunch of strangers, or if nesta's knee jerk reaction towards lucien was so violent bc it felt like just another fae male trying to take away one of her younger sisters and the last time that happened they came back having already died, or if elain finds comfort in nuala and cerridwen so easily bc being able to bake or tend to the gardens together is something she wanted to do with her sisters back when they lived in the cabin...🥲)

Oh my gosh I think I would have liked to see something like this in a bonus chapter? I saw someone making a post about how Elain made a point to say how both her and Nesta failed Feyre in letting her go out into the woods and Feyre just wanting to start again because of how their situation was forced on them so it made things much more complex in their relationship and added way too many struggles for them to have a chance to get through it peacefully/happily :/

It feels also believable they might do something like that too since the whole family seems kind of unable to express themselves verbally and—as someone has nicely pointed out before—seem to only show their love for one another through acts of extreme sacrifice.

Even better if Feyre doesn’t understand what’s going on, just every so often she notices this weird softness popping up from both of them and she’s like ??? But also it’s nice and she wouldn’t ask them not to do it.

And I hadn’t thought of those parallels before but it’s kind of sweet to think those might be reasons behind some of their instinctive reactions—from having seen others suffer or experienced it themselves in a similar way and instinctively wanting to protect/prevent someone else from experiencing it too? There’s so much about the books that I’m almost happy wasn’t touched on because it leaves it open for discussion and will allow creativity to thrive!!!

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Naomi Novik's Scholomance trilogy: When Rousseau comes to Hobbeswarts

The Scholomance trilogy is Naomi Novik’s take on a “school for wizardry”:

It.

Is.

Superb.

Novik takes a belt-sander to all the crumbling tropes left by lesser writers to reveal fresh wood beneath, fashioning something breathtakingly new:

https://www.naominovik.com/category/scholomance/

If you’d like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here’s a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/03/29/hobbeswarts/#the-chosen-one

Here’s the premise: the wizards of the world live in constant peril from malificaria — the magic monsters that prey on those born with magic, especially the children. In a state of nature, only one in ten wizard kids reaches adulthood.

So the wizarding world built the Scholomance, a fully automated magical secondary school that exists in the void — a dimension beyond our world. The Scholomance is also an extremely dangerous place — three quarters of the wizard children who attend will die before graduation — but it is much safer than life on the outside.

The Scholomance’s builders all hail from “enclaves” — magical palaces that have also been built in the void — and the enclave kids are the elites of the school, just as their parents are the elites of the world. Outside the scholomance, every “indie” wizard dreams of a place in an enclave, where they and their children might find a modicum of safety.

Inside the school, the indie kids suck up to the enclavers for four solid years, in the dim hope that they and their family might earn a place as second-class citizens to the enclaves. Indeed, the only reason the enclaves allow indie kids to attend the Scholomance is so that they will be servants for their own children, and cannon-fodder to stand between them and the monstrous hordes.

The Scholomance is a cross between Lord of the Flies and Harry Potter: an adult-free, highly lethal environment with no adults, where interactions between kids are strictly transactional. There is no love, nor honor — only the brutal logic of how much each person can bargain for from the others around them.

By the time I’d read the first couple chapters, I was thinking of it as Hobbeswarts, a place where life is “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.” Novik’s school for wizards is a place where the supernatural is very definitely “red of tooth and claw.”

Enter the protagonist, Galadriel “El” Higgins, whose mother is a legendary indie healer who raised her in a yurt in a Welsh forest commune after she graduated from the Scholomance already pregnant (El’s father died in the final graduation battle for their year, sacrificing himself to save his pregnant teen girlfriend and their child).

El isn’t just an indie, she’s a “loser kid”: one of those indies who is looked upon with contempt by the enclavers and unlikely to find a crew who will protect her through her years of schooling — let alone the lethal “graduation,” where seniors battle their way through a dense cloud of malificaria, who devour fully half of the kids who survive that far.

But El isn’t an outcast because she’s a weakling with nothing to offer to her social betters. Far from it: El is, if anything, too powerful — so powerful that when she casts even minor workings, they cause major damage. While other young wizards are given low-powered defensive spells by the Scholomance, El is handed apocalyptic superweapons that can raze whole nations.

El does her best to hide all this, but something shines through. She gives off the kind of “evil sorceress” vibes that make her a social pariah. That sinister aura, combined with her prickly character, quick to anger and slow to forgive, leaves her isolated through her first two years of school.

And then, as the story starts, El has a run-in with Orion Lake, the golden boy of the ultra-powerful New York City enclave. Orion is one of the school’s best fighters, and he alone among the student body seeks out malificaria to kill, leaping to the defense of weaker kids and demanding nothing in return.

After Orion defends her, repeatedly, from monsters she was prepared to deal with herself, she treats him to the kind of tongue-lashing that only an evil-sorceress-in-waiting who has spent years on the periphery, cordially loathing the popular kids, can dole out.

This is the meet-cute that begins El and Orion’s journey to graduation and beyond, as they perform a kind of social magic trick that has no supernatural component, inadvertently and haltingly bringing solidarity to the Scholomance, in a kind of Rousseauvian revolution that could transform the lives of the entire student body — and perhaps the whole wizarding world.

I first read Novik’s fiction last year, devouring her nine-volume Temeraire series, a retelling of the Napoleonic Wars in a world where dragons are real. The Temeraire books have it all: swashbuckling hand-to-hand combat; grand, sweeping battles; a huge cast of beautifully realized characters; a brilliantly wrought geopolitics, and a through-line that is fantastically tight, plotted to a fare-thee-well:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/01/08/temeraire/#but-i-am-napoleon

I had neglected the Temeraire books because I am generally not a fan of historical fiction, nor high fantasy, nor military stories, but Novik found depths in all three of these forms that I had never imagined, innovating fresh angles that transformed me into a true believer.

The Scholomance series performs the same trick. Novik’s handling of the geopolitics and class warfare of the wizarding world — revealed through the subsequent two volumes as she progressively widens the tale’s aperture — make JK Rowling’s attempts look like they were scrawled in crayon. By a toddler.

This is true all the way down to the micro-level: Novik’s thrilling innovations in high-stakes combat-school battle-tactics make Ender Wiggins look like a piker (and also makes me wonder if there’s some intentional wordplay in the rhyming surnames).

And when it comes to complicating the “chosen one” trope, Novik leaves Rowling and Card so far behind in her dust, they basically disappear.

As for the cosmic horror of the void and the monsters that it spawns, Novik out-Lovecrafts Lovecraft, in a manner to rival such great post-Lovecraftian subverters as NK Jemisin:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/01/09/the-old-crow-is-getting-slow/#i-love-ny

Novik is part of a longstanding and brilliant tendency in genre that refuses to cede all the best, most engrossing tropes to racist pigs like Lovecraft, warmongers like Card, and bigots like Rowling. She wrestles these ideas out of their hands and works them, revealing the poverty of those reactionary writers’ shriveled imaginations.

I read the Scholomance books as audiobooks, listening to Anisha Dadia’s superb narration as I did my physiotherapy laps in the pool each day:

https://libro.fm/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&q=scholomance+novik

I was delighted to discover DRM-free editions on Libro.fm that would play on my cheapo underwater MP3 player:

https://sewobye.com/products/waterproof-mp3-player-for-swimming-underwater-sport-waterproof-headphones-clip-mp3-player-sewobye-8gb-shuffle

When I finished the final book yesterday, I literally gasped aloud. As with the Temeraire series, Novik’s intricate plotting manages to sprout from a small personal tale to a world-shaking planetary-scale upheaval, and nails the landing in a way that is nothing less than dazzling.

What!

A!

Writer!

Have you ever wanted to say thank you for these posts? Here’s how you can do that: I’m kickstarting the audiobook for my next novel, a post-cyberpunk anti-finance finance thriller about Silicon Valley scams called Red Team Blues. Amazon’s Audible refuses to carry my audiobooks because they’re DRM free, but crowdfunding makes them possible.

[Image ID: The covers of Naomi Novik's Scholomance trilogy in sequence from left to right: The Last Graduate, A Deadly Education and The Golden Enclaves. Each has a kind of brushed-gold effect frame around a solid rectangle on which is a woodcut-style figure (in order: a keyhole, a book, and a portal with an eye showing through it. The rectangles are, in order, forest green, black, and brushed gold.]

[siriannatan]

Left at the Altar - ScottfWhip

This is what happens when I watch too many videos about crazy wedding stories.

Shout out to that one lady who carried on with her wedding party even if her fiancee ran away.

Scott had no idea what to do. He stood on the stairs to the chapel. Just informed by one of his fiancee's... ex-fiancee's groomsmen he was stood up. On his wedding day. What was he supposed to do? Go in and tell everyone 'Sorry, Jimmy liked his best man better...' That'd just make it all feel even more sad.

"You okay?" Scott jumped to his feet turning to see another of Jimmy's groomsmen. Old friend, fWhip if he remembered the introduction. He was becoming painfully aware of how little he knew about Jimmy and his friends. Butt fWhip was cute and seemed genuinely upset with Jimmy and worried.

"I'm holding it together but I feel that if I have to come in and tell everyone  I'll fall apart," Scott confessed, messing his hair. He held back so far but Jimmy was already twenty minutes 'late'. It was a shock no one left yet. 

"You got somewhere to hide? I can say it or... You can just leave, Jim's the jerk here," fWhip offered with a shrug. "Not the first time he ditched someone, but... he never escaped a wedding before... Just go home if you can't stand staying, I certainly won't blame you."

"Jimmy took our ride... ugh... What a mess..." Scott grumbled, thinking about possible hiding spots.

"I... It's dumb... I could give you a ride. Quickly text my brother so he can explain it, he owes me a big favour... It's dumb," fWhip mumbled as the murmurs from inside got louder as everyone wondered what was going on.

"Offering to help me escape my own wedding? Sure, why not," Scott shrugged. He might as well let the day go completely crazy.

fWhip nodded and ran off for his ride. He was soon back with... a freaking motorbike. "I only have one helmet," he gave Scott an apologetic smile as he offered the one helmet to him. "We should hurry. I just texted Sausage that you approve guests knowing," he added and helped Scott with the helmet. He was never on a motorbike.

But now he was on one. Desperately clinging to fWhip. Only realising they're both in damn suits. He had a hard morning, okay. Very form-fitting suit. And fWhip looked unfairly nice in his. Full black nicely contrasting his pale complexion and copper-ginger hair.

fWhip didn't take him directly home. First they went for fried chicken sandwiches. "I know how weddings work, I was my sister's best man. You must be hungry," fWhip explained at the parking lot. "And people might go to your place to look for you," he added as Scott slowly realised that fWhip took him to a spot farthest from the wedding venue.

Scott just nodded and let fWhip handle the breakfast and everything. Himself just sitting down. For the first time looking at his phone. Nothing from Jimmy. Some worried texts from family. 'Too tired, couldn't handle it, will deal with everything tomorrow,' he responded to a few most important people before turning his phone off.

"Got our order," fWhip smiled awkwardly, taking a seat opposite of Scott. "I'm really sorry about Jim... he's..."

"Jimmy? I felt something was off since morning. He wasn't answering my texts," Scott sighed staring daggers at his phone as if it could dare to come back to life on its own. "You said it's not the first time he did something like this?"

"Prom. Totally ditched me. Apologized profusely a few days later but I would not let us be more than just friends... I really didn't think he'd do it on his wedding day," fWhip confessed, staring at the order number screen. "I only met Tango at his bachelor party, it didn't seem like they were that close..."

Scott sighed. He was about to say something but their order was called. As they ate Scott swapped the subject to try to get to know fWhip. He was, kind of, his knight in shining armour. Or on a shining Harley, at least.

And what a knight he turned out to be. It only took Scott three days to settle all remnants of the wedding with fWhip's help. As it turns out he's a lawyer. And this wasn't the first wedding he had to help 'clean up'.

Three years later, Scott got proposed to again. By a handsome lawyer with a Harley motorbike, a cute smile, and tattoos.

[concussed-to-pieces]

Fandom: Boku No Hero Academia/My Hero Academia

Pairing: (Eventual) Pro Hero!Mirio/AFAB Villain!Reader

Rating: Holy shit M.

Summary: As an individual with a pretty unimpressive Quirk, it hadn't taken long for you to stray from the straight and narrow. Until, of course, a certain pro hero from your past turned up on your doorstep…

A/N: Welcome all, welcome to our first installment! I will never get over the Hassaikai arc. If you would like to be added or removed from the tag list, please let me know 💚 Enjoy!

Tag List: @hijackser @nonstop-haikyuu @zombiexbody @buttons-beads-lace @swift-omg-no @ectoplasmictoast @tartimaar-bloggeth @plaguedoctorsnake

[!TRIGGER WARNING!: This installment contains graphic depictions of gore, emotional duress, mentions of death and financial hardship. Stay safe!]

You blinked. Rubbed your eyes, then checked again.

Nope, still there.

You shot backwards with a stifled swear, raising your hands in a defensive stance. "How the hell did you find me?" You snarled, noting as you did that you were probably not in as much trouble as you had originally thought.

The shining paragon of heroism currently slumped in the hallway of your apartment complex…well, he had definitely seen better days. His normally-pristine white suit was stained and torn in multiple places, and even as you watched a few more polycarbonate pieces clattered from what was left of his yellow visor. He finally raised his head to look at you and you were stunned to see tears gathering at the corners of his eyes.

Despite that, Lemillion still mustered up a smile for you. "Hey, I uh…I need a favor. Didn't know where else to go."

Flabbergasted, you did the only thing you could think of, which was shutting the door in his face. You began the process of locking it all over again, your hands trembling as you did. "What the fuck," you hissed, resting your forehead on the worn wood. Before you could turn the last lock, however, you found yourself hesitating. 

Didn't know where else to go. He had looked like he was in a real bad way. Clearly he was desperate, if he had made his way to your previously-unknown address. You heaved a massive sigh of frustration, then jerked back the latch bolts and yanked the door open once more.

"Oh, you're back! That's great. Sorry to be a bother." Lemillion sounded like he was torn between laughing and crying, as if he couldn't even believe what was going on. When you seized his arm his breath hitched and you realized belatedly that it was blood his suit was stained with. The lighting out in the hall had always been pretty poor; you could be forgiven for missing a few details.

"Get in here before someone sees you." You muttered, relaxing your hold to something a bit more delicate. Granted, you knew damn well that he could phase free of any grip you might have had on him, but this was a show of trust on his part so you grudgingly relented. He leaned heavily on you while limping through the doorway, his left hand holding the tattered remains of his suit closed at the hip on his right side. "Sit on the bed, I have a lot of junk on my chairs so that's kind of it."

"I'm sorry about all of this, I-I just–" Lemillion tried to start up again so you gestured curtly in his direction before beginning to secure the door.

"Be quiet," you growled, slamming home that final satisfying latch. "I don't know what happened, and I don't care. Is all of this something that can be handled here or do you need to get to a med center?"

"I…" Lemillion paused, then admitted, "I'm not…really sure." He glanced up at you through what was left of his visor, smiling again after a second. "Glad I made the right choice, though."

"Did you, Golden Boy? Because all I have to do is send one simple text and it's over for you." You retorted sharply, reeling internally from how blasé he was being about this whole affair. "We chalking this incredible trust up to a head injury?" 

He laughed and then grimaced, a few tears making their way down his face. "You…might be on to something," he groaned, finally peeling his hand away from his side. 

You felt your stomach lurch at the sight of the mangled skin on his torso and you shuddered, fighting back the urge to get queasy. "Shit, Lemillion, what the fuck." You snapped, "you compromise my location-"

"I didn't know where else to go!" The young man cried. Those same words he had said in the hall, laden with fresh desperation, but you weren't having it. 

You fired back, still trying to keep your voice low, "literally anywhere but here, Golden Boy! What the fuck do you mean?!"

"It was the Hassaikai, I--I got shot with something," Lemillion babbled, his voice cracking, "some kind of Quirk remover, w-we knew they were developing it but we didn't think they'd advanced to the point where it was functional and now I…so my Q-Quirk is…" He broke down into tears, burying his face in his hands.

"Holy shit." You said weakly. "Man, I…look I know we aren't on the greatest terms, but I'm sorry."

"Nighteye is dead because of me." Lemillion sobbed, "I wasn't able to…I saved Eri but I couldn't–"

Fuck. "They got Nighteye?" The young man simply nodded in reply, clearly too distraught to answer verbally. You swore again under your breath, eyes darting to the door nervously. If the Hassaikai were serious enough to take out an experienced pro like Nighteye, it would be small potatoes for them to end you and the wounded Mirio. "Okay, okay. It's okay. It's alright. Is there someone you can call or-"

"I can't go back! I can't--Nighteye–" the hero choked out hysterically, coughing and then gripping his wounded side. "Please, I–" 

"Shh." You hushed him curtly, holding up a hand. "Shush. Cry, do what you have to, but you need to keep it down. I…I'll see if I can get a house call." 

Lemillion reached out, stained fingers grasping at the hem of your shirt. "Help me." He begged, tears continuing to spill down his face. 

Shaken, you replied, "Hey, I'm gonna', okay? I just don't want my neighbors to get suspicious." 

His face fell and the grip on your shirt tightened while he appeared to stare at the floor. "Thank you." He finally said thickly, releasing you. "I didn't know…I've never had to–" His words trailed off, head lolling to the side. It was quickly followed by his entire body, the young man appearing to lose consciousness. You rushed forward, catching his shoulders and managing to ease him flat on the bed. 

There was blood smeared on your blankets. You puffed out a breath, thoroughly wary and more than a bit confused. Then, you fished your phone out of your pocket and scrolled through your contacts.

"Hey Jund, I need a favor…"

…

The aforementioned Jund was a dark-haired, solidly-built man with a propensity for smoking indoors. He showed up as you were still in the process of scrubbing away the traces of blood in the hallway, having the audacity to raise an eyebrow at you. 

"Yeah, it's bad." You answered the unspoken query softly, opening your door and ushering him into your apartment. "Ah ah, put out the butt. No cigs in my hovel." You chided, waiting until he grudgingly stubbed out the cigarette in the proffered ashtray before you continued, "so like I said, I'm not a hundred percent sure what happened. He passed out on me, but-"

Lemillion abruptly lunged through the doorway of your bedroom, the young man nearly falling flat before he grappled the frame until his knuckles whitened. "Get away from them!" He yelled, taking a wild swing at Jund. 

The large man caught his arm, giving him a withering look. "You're just going to hurt yourself more, idiot." He gruffed out. "I ain't here to do anything but help. Don't get your panties in a twist."

You, for your part, put your face in your hands. Your embarrassment was all-consuming. "Can you tell we dated in high school?" You mumbled through your fingers to Jund, who snickered.

"Dating Lemillion? I didn't peg you for the goodie-two-shoes type." The older man said with a sidelong grin.

"I was young," you stressed the word. "Neither of us were exactly established in our career paths back then, either."

"Yeah, yeah, I bet." Jund teased, forcibly walking Lemillion backwards into your bedroom. "Now listen squirt, because I'm only gonna' say this once," he growled at the hero who was continuing to struggle against his hold. "I'm gonna' help and it's gonna' suck. You come at me again and I'm leaving. Got it?" Jund then tipped his head towards you. "Look, they called me here. They trust me. I'm not on anyone's side here, and I'm not gonna' rat anyone out. Consider me a…temporary ally."

Lemillion thrashed again and then went limp, glaring at Jund while clutching his side. "Fine." He panted eventually. If looks could kill, Jund would have been six feet under.

"Wonderful. Now shut up and let me work." Jund beckoned you closer, tapping your arm. "Roll up the sleeves and I'll get started."

…

Mirio wasn't sure how he was still conscious. His eyes kept sliding closed and he forced them back open, uncertain of where he was. Was he on the street? In the stairwell? No, no, he was sitting down on a bed. 

You had let him in?

You had let him in. 

Relief made his shoulders droop. He was safe then, at least for now. 

Pain shot through his core and he jerked upright, eyes flying open once more. You were there though, hands on his shoulders to steady him even as he writhed. "Easy, easy." You breathed, shooting a look to the side. "Almost done, Jund?"

"There's still a shell in his shoulder." That man grunted and Mirio felt something grate against bone, the hero arching his back in an unintentional effort to escape the agonizing sensation. 

His breath hitched, then seethed between his gritted teeth. Mirio fought the urge to continue thrashing, his entire being screaming to get away from the source of the pain. 

You gripped tight on his shoulders, that mild discomfort helping to ground him ever so slightly. "It's okay," you murmured, your voice oddly quiet. "Almost there." Mirio sobbed out an exhale, his fingers clawing for purchase on the blanket beneath him. You shifted then, scooping his hands up and holding them tightly to your chest so he couldn't move. "Almost there." You repeated firmly.

"Done." Jund said abruptly, the tall man making his reappearance. His hands were stained with an odd purple hue, the color nearly turning Mirio's already empty stomach inside-out. To say nothing of the bullet he held pinched between his thumb and forefinger, its hypodermic needle tip gleaming dull red.

The hero retched, flinching when he realized that your own hands were the same violet shade. You hadn't seemed to notice, simply thanking your large compatriot. 

Jund brushed you off, telling you in a no-nonsense tone that, "you'll need to eat soon, the damage was extensive." 

"Yeah, I can tell. I'm pretty light-headed." You admitted with a wry smile. "Doesn't help that I started with an almost empty tank. Ketchup packets and hot water are a poor substitute for tomato soup."

"Guess I'll be waiving my fee then." Jund grumbled. "Again."

"Wait, I have-" Mirio's hands felt like lead as the young man fumbled with the side of his utility belt. He finally managed to extract a few wrinkled bills, which he pressed into your palm. "I can get more, I'll just need to be careful. Security on my ATM cards and stuff." He tried to explain, the words thick and difficult to say. Exhaustion dragged at him even while he watched Jund shake his head.

"Keep it. The fee is a joke. I only charge the big shots who can afford it." The older man pointed out, "you're a fugitive, from what I can gather, or bare minimum you're in some deep shit. Save those dollars for when you'll need them, kid." He then tipped his head towards you. "Buy them some real food and lay low so you can heal."

…

Jund's Quirk, while wildly useful, took a heavy toll on him if someone wasn't able to share the burden. The lanky man waved off your offer of a beverage before he left, simply giving you the instructions to, "force him to take it easy for a few hours." He also carefully placed the bullet into a ziplock bag you provided, his face troubled.

Mirio had fallen asleep relatively soon after Jund had finished, the younger man still arguing the merits of paying his 'fee' even as his voice got softer and softer. Once Jund departed you took a moment to heave a sigh, then straightened your shoulders and got to work. 

The blankets would need to be washed, and while it might be paranoid to think that you may already be under surveillance, you weren't about to risk leaving your apartment with your bloodstained bedclothes. The shower would have to suffice.

Slinging your two light summer blankets into the bathroom, you then rummaged around in your combination broom closet/linen closet/general catch-all storage closet for your laundry supplies. A stain remover for sure, but you'd have to dissolve it before adding it to the fabric as the rinse water would need to be cold to help lift the blood. 

Ugh. So you'd need to find a container for the stain powder (one that could be rinsed out or disposed of), and then you'd have to run extra water for the whole endeavor. Ugh ugh ugh. You doggedly got to work, grumbling mentally the entire time you swished and scrubbed at your blankets in the bottom of your shower. 

At least the powder worked, despite your annoyance over the process. You ended up arduously wringing the blankets out and draping one over the shower door while the other took up a sprawling residence stretched between your two kitchen chairs, which were both laden with the buildup of your junk mail. With that particular trial managed, your stomach rumbled. 

The clock on your stove was still blinking 12:00 from your last power outage, when you had finally given up on trying to keep it current. You checked your phone for the time, and then resigned yourself to rustling up something to eat.

You were up to your waist in a lower cabinet chasing down an eye-laden potato when you dimly heard the sound of someone clearing their throat behind you.

You froze.

"Can I ask where your cups are?" Mirio, how was he even able to move. 

You nearly brained yourself on the lip of the cabinet door in your haste, quickly turning to face the young man with your hard-earned prize in hand. "Upper cabinet by the sink." You answered his question, your voice faltering a bit.

Mirio looked awful. His nose was red, and his eyes were bloodshot with lurid purple circles beneath them. Despite his appearance, he just nodded and then used the counter like a crutch so he could limp across the kitchen. "I'm still…pretty sore." He explained, like he assumed you wouldn't know.

"Mirio it's been less than four hours since your lung was unpunctured, you're lucky if all you are is sore." You chided, moving to open the cabinet for him. His hand landed clumsily on top of your own on the handle and the both of you flinched, Mirio moving back a step and you yanking the cabinet open. "Uh, sorry. Just a little jumpy." You tried to apologize, the reality of your situation catching up with you. A hero (former hero?) had come to your residence in search of aid. What the hell kind of mess was this?

You quickly filled the cup from the tap, handed it off to Mirio and got to work cutting the eyes out of your lone potato. 

"Whatcha' doin'?" Mirio asked after a moment. 

"Trying to figure out how to feed two people with one sad legume." You grunted as your knife caught on a particularly stubborn eye, then huffed in frustration when you accidentally nicked your knuckle. "Ow, dammit."

"Hey, easy." The blond man admonished, continuing, "look, just take what I've got. We can go to a corner store, pick up some stuff."

"Excuse me, 'we'? Golden Boy, you're the one who came here all in a panic over being spotted!" You pointed out.

Mirio blinked down at you, seeming confused. "Yeah, but your Quirk can change how I look. So it's fine."

Ah. So that had been why he sought you out. You weren't sure why that deepened your irritation, but you found yourself setting your jaw and digging back into the potato. Abruptly the knife sank into a mushy spot and your heart sank as you realized the potato had gone bad. "Come on, fuck's sake." You swore under your breath, chucking the offending tuber in the trash and resting your hands on the counter.

"Did…did I say something?" Mirio asked awkwardly. "Wait, wait, did you lose your Quirk-?"

"No, I didn't." You cut him off, dropping the knife in the sink and washing your hands. You then turned, giving his face a hard look. "I just won't be able to do anything about the bruising. You know I've never been able to change skin or mask injuries." 

"Oh. Well it's a relief that you haven't lost your Quirk." Mirio's smile looked hollow and wrong. "Was kinda' worried there." His eyes strayed to the ziplock bag on your counter while he spoke.

You placed your hands on either side of his face, furrowing your brow in concentration. Your Quirk allowed you to change superficial things like hair or eye color and hair length, as well as offering limited control over more advanced things like bone structure. It was relatively simple to soften Mirio's striking features, masking the well-known hero with the guise of shaggy dark hair and smaller eyes. One final adjustment of his cheekbones and you nodded to yourself, content with your handiwork. It had taken you ages just to master working in vague symmetry, so as not to leave the subject of your Quirk stuck in the Uncanny Valley for the hour of use you could provide them.

"We still need some sunglasses to hide that bruising." You mused aloud, turning to your kitchen table and shoving the majority of your junk mail aside to unearth your lone set of shades. "Throw these on and we can make the run."

…

Forty minutes later Mirio sat impatiently on your bed. You had refused his offer to help, stating that since he had paid for the food he shouldn't need to prepare it. "I can cook, y'know." He called at your back, a little entertained by how nasally his voice sounded. You must have altered the shape of his nose. Those sunglasses had nearly slid off his face numerous times.

"I remember well what you considered cooking." You snarked dryly, "I was in the hospital with food poisoning for three days, Golden Boy."

"I'm also not fourteen anymore, Sunshine." Mirio retorted, his old nickname for you rolling off his tongue before he could think. "I've needed to keep myself alive. Can't exactly fight villains when I'm stuck in the bathroom, now can I?"

"Well I certainly couldn't, but knowing your overachieving ass I'm sure you'd manage somehow."

He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but you seemed irritated. Mirio grimaced at himself after a second of thought; of course you would be irritated! He had just shown up at your doorstep while you were clearly trying to lay low and pretend to be an ordinary member of society. The life of a villain wasn't an easy one, and while he didn't agree with it he wasn't entirely devoid of empathy. You had always been pushed to enter a career of public relations regardless of your own wants or needs, to the point where the pressure became too much and you had dropped out of high school. After that, you had essentially vanished from social media and the public eye.

Seeing you in the field, recognizing you in the field and realizing that you weren't pursuing a lawful career…it had been sobering. Mirio knew that it would hardly be the first time he may have to engage with someone he had known in his youth. The world was a hard place if you lacked an attention-grabbing Quirk. He just hadn't expected you to be someone he would trade blows with.

Despite the clear mismatch of the two of you, the organization you partnered with had clearly trained you well. You consistently managed to evade Mirio, even with his considerable strength and powerful abilities. The few times you had engaged him head on, you met him with such ferocity that he was left stunned. Whatever had happened to you through the years must have been…difficult. At least, he hoped that's all it was.

The only reason he had your address was because he had been looking up old classmates in the city database out of boredom. He couldn't really say why he had never turned you in.

Well, that was a lie. He could, but he brushed it off as bias. Plus, it wasn't as if your particular villain gang was up to anything more nefarious than petty robbery or the occasional smash and grab. With the Hassaikai on the loose, resources had been stretched pretty thin!

The Hassaikai.

Mirio's fists clenched tight on his thighs, the young man staring at the floor. They had succeeded, sure, but the loss of Nighteye, his own hand in his mentor's death…

Togata hadn't realized he was crying until he felt you tug his chin upwards. The look you gave him was inscrutable and felt like it went on forever, the former hero forced to sniffle and wait for you to let go.

But all you said was, "dinner's ready," and Mirio wasn't sure if he imagined the sympathy in your eyes before you released him.

"Sorry," he apologized on instinct, rubbing his eyes. "You must think I'm pretty dumb, huh?"

"I think you coming here was pretty dumb." You allowed stiffly, passing him a bowl. "You being upset about…stuff, is totally fine."

"Is there anyone-" Mirio paused, swallowing a bite before he continued, "in your group with any sort of analysis capabilities? For the bullet."

You snorted, shaking your head. "Sorry, no. You probably knew that already though."

"Figured it wouldn't hurt to ask." The hero exhaled, thinking hard. That complicated things immensely, to the point where he was essentially out of options. His stomach twisted, threatening to make his dinner reappear. Oh sure, he had known deep down that there was no point in running from the scene. He had known that he would eventually be tracked down and made to answer for his hand in Nighteye's demise. He had just been hoping there would be more time for him to mentally prepare, more time for him to grieve the loss of his Quirk and his mentor. 

But it seemed that time was not on his side.

"I'll have to turn myself in, then." Mirio said quietly. "The bullet is really important evidence and while I'm…not really ready to face the music, it would be pretty selfish of me to hide out and endanger you further just because I'm being a coward."

You turned to look at the window, squinting in the dim light of the morning. "How about you sleep on it, then decide?" was your reasoning. "There's not much you can do in your current state. Get some rest first, screw your head on straight, and then you can decide. You're probably pretty fragile right now." An unexpected sob fought free of Mirio's throat, like the finishing touch on your sentence. You made a gesture, as if to say, see? "You need rest. For real this time."

"What about you?" God, he hated that his voice sounded so weak. 

"I've got enough time for a quick nap, my shift doesn't start until ten." You stood up, stretching with a groan. "Can't believe I had to stay up all night to deal with this."

"I…I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking clearly." 

Your hand landed on his head, rumpling the hair that was slowly returning to its regular blond hue. You didn't actually say anything, but Mirio got the impression that he might be forgiven.

Part Two

[helix-enterprises117]

Halo Reloaded: Dusty

Based on this prompt.

Corporal John "Dusty" Matthews was having what you might call a 'bad day.' One minute, he was on a routine sweep in a supposedly abandoned sector, and the next, he found himself accidentally teleported onto a Sangheili battle-corvette. As far as Dusty was concerned, being aboard an alien ship without so much as a "by your leave" was less than ideal. He wasn't an explorer or a diplomat; he was a marine, better at shooting things than discussing intergalactic relations.

As he tiptoed down a corridor that looked more like an art gallery (if art galleries were designed by giant, war-loving aliens), he hoped his standard-issue boots didn’t squeak too loudly on the sleek metal floor.

Then she appeared. The door at the end of the hall slid open, and out stepped not the hulking warrior he expected but a Sangheili who could only be described as regally striking—tall, with the poise of a dancer and the kind of natural command that made Dusty straighten up without thinking. Her armor was less 'battle-ready' and more 'ceremonial chic,' inlaid with stones that sparkled even in the dim light.

"Is this translator working? Okay, listen," she said, her voice firm but surprisingly melodic. It was the kind of voice that made you want to agree first and ask questions later.

Dusty looked around, half-expecting cameras to reveal this was some bizarre reality show. Finding none, he focused back on her as she continued. "I need you to pretend to be my boyfriend so that my parents can get off my back."

"I’m sorry, what now?" Dusty blurted, his response a mix of confusion and disbelief.

The Sangheili princess sighed, her mandibles flaring slightly in what Dusty guessed was frustration. "It's quite simple. You, a dashing human marine, are my boyfriend. We met during negotiations, fell in love despite our differences, and now you are here to meet my parents. They won’t pressure me into any advantageous but loveless unions if they think I am already committed."

Dusty processed this, his mind racing. "You want me to... help you trick your parents? With all due respect, ma'am, I'm just a marine, not an actor."

Dusty scratched his head. "Just a quick question—why me? And what makes you think I won't just turn tail and run?"She stepped closer, and he instinctively took a step back.

"Perfect!" she clapped her hands together, causing Dusty to jump. "A marine is straightforward, honest. That’s exactly what we need. Less acting, more being yourself. Can you do that?"

"...Sure. But if we're going to do this," he said, adopting a more serious tone, "I need to know your name. Can’t be lovebirds if I don’t know who you are."

"Thelara," she answered quickly, extending a hand, which he shook, noting again the surprising gentleness in her strong grip.

"And how exactly do we sell this fairytale romance?" Dusty asked, trying to ignore the absurdity of his situation.

"Just follow my lead, compliment me often, and look like you're enjoying yourself," Thelara instructed, already walking back towards the way she came, expecting him to follow.

"Compliment you on what, exactly? Your... shining personality?" Dusty quipped, a smirk tugging at his lips.

"That’s a start. Oh, and try to look smitten, will you? Like you can't believe your luck," she added over her shoulder.

Dusty attempted a smitten look, which felt more like a grimace. Thelara glanced back and chuckled. "We might need to work on that."

As they approached what Dusty assumed were the royal quarters, he couldn't help but feel a twinge of excitement bubbling up alongside his apprehension.

Playing the part of a lovesick human in an alien court wasn’t exactly covered in basic training, but then again, neither was accidentally teleporting onto an alien flagship.

"Stick close and let’s not screw this up, okay, Dusty?" Thelara whispered, as they paused before a grand door.

"Lead the way, Princess," Dusty replied, mustering a confidence he didn't feel. He figured if he was going to pretend to be in love, he might as well enjoy the performance. After all, how often does one get to romance an alien princess?