#I was looking up ideas for the combat cane

[s0fti3w1tch]

This is a ref for Leo I have for an upcoming fanfic, but this is probably generally how I'll draw post-movie ROTTMNT Leo half the time now.

Also Leo uses a cane because I use a cane because of injuries sustained— not too severe, but mobility aid is needed to make things easier after that

He still has his other blades, but this is to showcase the more headcanonny art. And yeah, on the combat cane, the height adjustments are replaced with buttons to (1) active the shocky-shocky! and (2) detach the top. I'll probably update it bc I think Donnie would go ham on upgrading it for Leo.

And out-of-context spoiler for the fic:

[orcelito]

Gencon is very busy...!!!

Ummmmm highlights of the day..!!!

I maybe bought 4 Naruto figurines. Thankfully not individually expensive (though perhaps a little expensive all together...) see I wanted Sasuke but I also wanted Kakashi and I couldn't have Sasuke without Naruto and well it would feel wrong to have the 3 of them without Sakura and so I somehow. Got all 4. Haha. I'll most likely post pics later, whenever I end up opening them. I'm still at the convention center rn lol

(Putting the rest of this under a cut bc it got a little long lol)

I was on the field of the Lucas Oil Stadium, aka the stadium that the Indianapolis Colts play at. I've attended all of One game here (not professional football, it was a high school game lol) so I've felt the size of it, but it's still fucking crazy being on the field. It's so BIG...... and obviously they've got the grass covered rn, but it's still pretty cool!!!

I maaaade dice!!! Pretty precise process it seems, & definitely would require a Lot of work (after the sanding and the painting etc etc). I do still wanna get into it, but if I wanted to spring for stuff like the vacuum chamber or the pressure pot...

Yeah, it'd get expensive. Add in the fact that I don't have a good place to do this away from the cats & it really is not feasible to start rn. But!!! Eventually!!!! I think I'd really enjoy it. I just need a dedicated workshop space where I can spread out without worrying about poisoning my cats lol.

Here's some cool game set stuff I saw in the event hall. This picture is maybe... hm... a fourth of the event hall? And then when you consider that the vender hall (connected to the event hall, though it's closed right now) is maybe 1.5 times as big as the event hall?? Give or take a little...

Aka just imagine booths upon booths upon booths... I'm gonna have to take a pic of it tomorrow. I was there too briefly to think about taking a pic. Honestly I maybe managed to get through like a tenth of the whole vender hall in an hour of wandering. It's fucking huge. And So Many Dice... I bought one set of 14 (I think it was) dice. Aka an extended set. And then I got a random set bag of dice (just a basic 7). And then a d20 with a cat on it. And a dice of LETTERS. Aka I guess a d26 (I totally did not have to double check that there were 26 letters in the alphabet)(I have 702k words written & posted to ao3)(😂😂😂 I'm very tired) but with letters instead of numbers. And it's glow in the dark!!! And I found some hxh buttons, and a mighty nein poster, and uhmmmm. A cute lanyard. And that's all I bought. Which really is such restraint for me. (Omfg I just saw a dragon cosplay)(someone just dressed as a dragon)

OH YEAH I saw a fucking. Persona 5 Ryuji cosplay. Hanging out with the biker lady from Durarara. Featuring the Ryuji holding her scythe hfksbfmd which was such a funny image. I was too shy to ask for a pic but just trust 🙏 i saw this

Anyways yeah the only real big thing I bought is the naruto figurines. I'll show pics later once I got the stuff again (I dropped it all off in the car earlier)

Omfg literally as I've been sitting here (on a bench at the side of a main hallway) someone stopped by and gave me a handmade bracelet !!!

DND's 50th anniversary!!! So cute!!!!

[inbarfink]

Ace Attorney Lawyers Ranked By Their Abilities in Physical Combat

Winston Payne: I’m pretty sure the average Tumblr user could kill Winston Payne with their bare hands.

Sebastian DeBeste: Look, the only reason why this wimp ranks higher than Payne is because he is so sopping wet pathetic that there is a significant chance that his opponent will just start feeling bad about kicking his ass and punch themself in the face instead.

Klavier Gavin: While Klavier is a physically fit young man who is known to keep his cool in extreme situations, he is also a giant law-abiding nerd who has never thrown a punch at anything that isn’t an inanimate wall. It probably wouldn’t be that hard to shove this guy into a locker.

Miles Edgeworth: Look, Miles is an even bigger locker-worthy nerd than Klavier. Anytime anyone, friend or foe, suggests a violent solution he just gets freaked out and begs for them to follow procedures. And no AA Lawyer is more easily thrown off his rhythm and startled than he is. He might have some bulk under the magenta and frills (or at least some impressive leg muscles from climbing 12 flights of stairs every day for like seven years), but he has no idea or will to actually use them in a fight. However, he did try and stare down a man who was aiming a gun at his back that one time and managed to keep his cool throughout all of this.

So like, he’d probably talk a big game and try and intimidate his opponent into not engaging - but if that won’t work he will get his ass thoroughly whooped. And then he’d try to sue them, which is what his threats were about all along.

Apollo Justice: Actually a considerable step up in power-levels from the previous ones. Apollo might be smol, but he is Done With Your Shit and this gives him Strength. Not to mention that one time he successfully tanked an explosion. His famous Chords of Steel can also serve as a tactic to confuse or weaken his enemies.

Kristoph Gavin: Although he is primarily known for his schemes and poisoning, he did kill a man with a single blow to the forehead with a bottle, showing he does have some decent upper-body-strength to use in a fight. And being known as ‘the Coolest Defense in the West’ means he can keep his calm even during hectic combat. But he’s also very pretentious and his constant pontifications might just be the perfect opportunity for someone to smash his face in.

Blaise Debeste: Okay, look, is Blaise a scary tall man who successfully stabbed a woman to death with a candelabra and constantly carries around a deceptively-powerful lighter and has like, implied, motorcycle gang background? Yes. But also I think anyone who encounters Blaise Debeste face-to-face is overcome with such bloodlust rage that it might give them an edge in the battle against him.

Mia Fey: Mia ranks fairly high on the Battle Scale considering the one time she was faced with a violent altercation she just tried to escape and it… didn’t end well.

However, in the two times we get to play as her it’s also clear that she wants to Punch. All of the Things. While Apollo is fueled by being Done With Your Shit, Mia has righteous anger - so I think in a situation where she is actually prepared to do battle she would be able to throw a few decent punches. Also assuming we are talking about Mia while she was still alive, there’s also her Spirit Channeling powers to account for. While we’ve never seen them on screen, Maya told us they are “first rate” and I believe her. Maybe she could channel the spirit of a great warrior to try and get an edge in combat?

Manfred Von Karma: While he also has the same Bloodlust-Inducing-Factor as Blaise, and he does seem less physically fit even though they’re about the same age - I feel like his cane could do more serious damage than Blaise’s lighter. And he has that dangerous fucking Stun Gun on him to easily neutralize opponents. Plus, he did tank that one gunshot he got in the shoulder. Manfred’s opponents might have Rage on their side, but also you cannot underestimate the power of his sheer Spite.

Godot: On one hand, Godot has shown an ability to keep his cool in very dangerous situations. He can smash a coffee cup with his bare hands and barely react, showing that he’s decently strong and resilient to pain. And he is yet another proud (?) member of the exclusive “Lawyers With a Body Count Club”. And while stabbing a waifish, 155cm college student (and part time-poisoner) in the back isn’t exactly the most epic demonstration of battle prowess in the history of Anime Lawyers - he did it (and moved the body and doctored the crime scene and prosecuted in court) while tanking a knife slash in his face, showing his pain-resilience once again, as well as general tenacity that would also be useful in battle. Also, he can summon an infinite amount of hot coffee mugs at will, which must make for a decent improvised long-ranged attack.

On the other hand, his health is also heavily implied to be deteriorating and that he’s basically dying over the course of the final case… possibly due to all of that physical exhaustion. If a fight goes longer than just a single backstab, I feel like these health complications are gonna harm Godot’s performance.

Phoenix Wright: Okay, so this is actually the hardest one to place. I keep flip-flopping on where to put him, especially compared to Mia, and Apollo. Because unlike most other lawyers currently ranked below him, he is a disaster when it comes to being on the offensive; Phoenix Wright is a total wimp who has never returned a punch in his life. However, he is also almost supernaturally durable, unbelievably lucky and deceptively strong. If a solid iron door, a raging freezing river and a speeding car didn’t manage to take him down, what chance does a fellow human, even a more combat-capable one, have???

Calisto Yew: She’s not even a real-lawyer! She’s a Secret Spy who successfully pretended to be a Lawyer for years! She’s got a gun, she’s got a knife, she's got crossbow bolt as hair decorations, she probably has some combat training from her time in Interpol… While she’s clearly more specialized for espionage and infiltration, and not as physically strong as Lang, she’s still got an impressive advantage over most of the regular people who went to Law School. In fact, her skill with barefaced lies and manipulation might also be a skill she could use in a fight to catch her opponent off-guard.

Nahyuta Sahdmadhi: Nahyuta is, in fact, one of the few AA Lawyers to canonically participate in what I would unambiguously call a ‘fight’ (rather than a ‘murder’), when he single-handedly disarmed and apprehended a Defiant Dragon rebel in the sorta-canon ‘Spirit of Justice’ Prologue video.

Like, that rebel guy probably isn't the world's greatest warrior, but the Defiant Dragons have been around for enough time to give their members at least some basic self-defense/combat skills… more so than the average lawyer on this list at minimum. And Nahyuta very easily crab-stomped him. Showing that he has strong nerves, some amazing reflexes and the martial art skills to knock a man unconscious with a single blow. Not to mention the seemingly supernatural skills with his prayer beads, which he already uses as a sort of ‘weapon’ in court. Also that... thing he did to Apollo's bracelet that one time.

Nahyuta might be just straight-up Magic, that's pretty OP.

Franziska von Karma: Look, Franziska might not have official martial-arts, guns, or Literal Magic Powers - but what she does have is sheer determination and force or personality. Franziska von Karma has been intimidating grown men since she was a 149 cm tall 13 years old with a riding crop (I mean, one of those men was Miles, but still…..). She had once whipped Phoenix Wright into unconsciousness in a temper tantrum, and like I already mentioned that taking him down is quite a feat. She is also very resilient - while the shot to her shoulders was designed not to kill her, being up back on her feet doing investigation stuff a day after is still very impressive! Her whip might not be as dangerous as a sword or a gun, but she will not relent until she defeats you.

Simon Blackquill: Let me just give it to you straight, Simon Blackquill is 1.88 meter tall, he owns a katana and a trained attack-hawk (giving him both short range and far range advantage), he can break solid metal chains with his bare hands, he can cut your hair halfway across the room with a feather. Not to mention how he could probably use the whole psychological manipulation in battle to intimidate or goad his enemy. There’s not even a lot of funny or interesting points to bring up, he is literally an action movie character who just happens to also be a lawyer.

Athena Cykes: Athena Cykes is the strongest lawyer. One day, she’ll be stronger than whales. I believe in her.

[puripurin]

Yan! Llama Hybrid x SheepHybrid! Reader

— Recently, on the farm, a bunch of coyotes and wolves started to snag some sheep hybrids into the woods when they would get too close to the fences. It has gotten so bad that they would do it in broad daylight.

The owners decided that they would introduce a new addition to the herd to combat the coyotes. A male Llama named Lumi. All of the sheep were skeptical at first because they all thought that it was a little odd that the new sheep would have such a long neck and a lot bigger in size, but soon enough, they couldn't help but warm up to him.

Lumi, on the other hand, was still in his awkward phase. He'd recently entered into adulthood and was feeling sad and lonely without his parents there to guide him, but it wasn't until he saw your gorgeous curls and your small little tail that wagged in excitement. Just in that moment, he'd decided to be your life-long mate and started the process of courting you.

You did not give a shit about Lumi. You only cared about the coyotes that ate the rest of the flock. You wanted to start making sacrifices to grow your cult of small critters such as squirrels and rabbits.

This was because you heard from a passing by sheep hybrid that was being transported to another farm about how you could obtain everything you wanted if people devoted their lives to you.

However, you didn't expect Lumi to be so dedicated to you that he'd easily deciphered your messages to your devout followers and your weekly gatherings.

As you walked out of the dead of night, with the intention of killing a coyote that night. But it was oddly still, as if it was waiting for something. The trees didn't ruffle against each other, and the cool wind was nowhere to be seen

You stiffened up and silently walked back. If one of the other sheeps found out about this whole cult thing you had going on, you'd be ousted and killed by the coyotes instead.

But, you were immediately thrown down and turned over. Your eyes widened in panic and started to attack the person who held you down silently, only to realize that blood was dripping on your face.

"My love, I've killed one of those tainted and unpure coyotes for your sacrifice. I would hate to see your delicate hands get stained with something unworthy of your desire... but why... Why do you yearn and look at someone else with interest other than me? ... Only I shall be your eyes and ears, my love..."

Random and barely edit post after months of not posting. I was watch yt shorts and i came across a video abt guard llamas w sheeps. Its been on my mind for 3 weeks and i started this 2 weeks ago. I only decided now to finish it.

You can see the point where i went fuck it because i had no idea what to do with the reader's background so i was like "Ooh maybe they want to smash the coyotes... what's close to smashing coyotes... Cult." Cult leader YN it is.

Anyways below is for the rest of people who want to know what happened after that incident.

I feel better about my dog's death, but we weren't able to get him back due to the poor weather and the fact he was last seen in a drain. So there wasn't a proper burial, but I'm happy that we didn't end up with 2 losses. We had them since they were puppies, and its upsetting that the younger one died, but i understand why they had to kill him.

He's a dangerous breed of dog even though he's docile most of them time. He was a cane corso, and my older dog is a rottweiler and pitbull mix. So not the most safest dogs to be around, but what are you gonna do when your country is busy locking up a man for money laundering bcs they shit at their jobs.

Right, if I'm not lazy enough, I'll go back and redo every one of my ocs bcs im on the verge of deleting them all from embarrassment. Then that will hopefully be a small week long event for my tumblr as im not used to those things. But this might take months.

Also, no won't do kinktober, im lazy, and smut isn't my forte. Anyways bye-bye, see yall when my coffin feels too stuffy~

(soz if this is shit as well bcs i didn't do a whole lotta explaining abt Lumi's behavior)

[thescarletnargacuga]

JUST KISS

A HARLEQUIN AU SHOWTIME ONESHOT

Harlequin AU credit: @tadc-harlequin-au @iamespecter

A/N: I'M SORRY! I could NOT get this idea out of my head for the life of me! Inspired by the marriage scene from Pirates of the Caribbean!

WARNING: violence

~~~

Chaos consumed the ruined City of Circuits. Hordes of crazed puppets swarmed the town square where Pomni, Caine, Kingr and the others were making a stand. Explosions rocked the earth. Buildings crumbled, burying dozens of enemies, only for dozens more to climb over the rubble. Thick smoke blotted out the sun.

Blasts of energy from Caine lit up the smogged sky. He kept an eye out for Pomni, fighting by his side. The situation was looking bleak. No matter how many enemies were cut down, more took their place. Surrounded on all sides, even with his allies, this could very well be their last stand.

Caine slammed his cane down and sent an electrified shockwave out, sending enemies flying and giving him enough time to grab Pomni's arm. "Pomni!!"

Pomni almost stabbed him out of reflex. She stared wide eyed at him.

Caine looked her dead in the eye. "Will you marry me!?" He shouted over the pandemonium around them.

An enemy bared down on them. Caine diverted it's attack with his cane and Pomni shot it in the face. She looked at Caine like he had finally gone insane. "I don't think now is the best fucking time?!?" She held tight to Caine's arm and used him to swing around to slash two enemies in half with her sword.

Caine reeled her in close, holding his cane out and electrifying an enemy. "Now may be the only time!" He blinked with her to another part of the battlefield, where they were a little less overrun. "I love you." He still has to let go and arc lightning from his cane to five enemies.

Pomni's sword ignites with energy as she sends a wave of gold light through a large enemy, slicing it clean in two. She grabs Caine's forearm as she takes his words in through the intense atmosphere.

Caine was breathing heavily, his voice raspy from exhaustion. "I've made my choice...what's yours?"

Pomni gazed into his eyes, a smirk on her face. "KINGR!!"

Caine furrowed with confusion.

"MARRY US!!" Pomni shouted to the former general, who was currently tossing enemies left and right.

"I'M A BIT BUSY AT THE MOMENT, LITTLE ONES!!" Kingr shouted back, his oversized hands crushing and tossing a half dozen enemies. He then punched out the support of an unstable building, collapsing it and blocking a route into the square.

Caine grinned and twirled Pomni to his other side. They dance into enemies on both sides. She energizes her gun with soul magic and laser blasts an enemy point blank. Caine summons three balls of lightning and controls them with his puppetmaster strings, sending them through enemy after enemy until the electrical energy dissipates. He backs up to Pomni. "Kingr! Now! PLEASE!!"

Kingr rolled his eyes. "FINE THEN!!" He swept his arm over a pile of rubble, clearing away any enemies, and stood atop it.

Caine put an arm around Pomni from behind. His cane joins her sword in stabbing an enemy. She looks back at him with a sharp toothed grin. He smiles at her.

"DEARLY BELOVED WE ARE GATHERED HERE TODAY-" Kingr punched downward with both fists, sending a shockwave of rubble and earth to keep enemies back from his perch.

Jax swung his hammer against one enemy, domino throwing three others. He hadn't heard Caine and Pomni but he definitely heard Kingr. "What the fuck??" He activated the spikes on his hammer and slammed it down onto another enemy's head.

"-TO JOIN TWO SOULS IN HOLY MATRIMONY!!" Kingr growled with frustration from being interrupted and crushed an enemy in his hand.

Caine and Pomni danced across the battlefield. Arms never unlinking. They cut and carve their way to the square center. Caine holds her close, face to face. "Pomni, dearest harlequin, do you take me to be your husband?"

Pomni, hyped on the energy of combat and genuine excitement of his question, nearly squeals her answer. "I do!"

Caine almost laughs at her out of character giddiness. "Great!!" They have to separate to avoid an attack.

Pomni carves her sword through the enemy. "Caine Puppetmaster, do you take me to be your wife?" She takes his hand again, he twirls her. She cuts down an enemy and he blasts two more. "In sickness and in health? Ah!" She ducked, he electrified. "With health being the less likely!!"

Caine blinked away with her again to give him a chance to properly hold her close. "I do." He poured his whole soul into those two words. He wished to tell her again that he loved her, but he had to move with her to avoid a tossed enemy from Z.

"AS GENERAL, I NOW PRONOUNCE YOU-" A shot to the face interrupted Kingr again. He swung around and batted the enemy away. "YOU MAY NOW-" He was grabbed from behind by a large enemy. He wrestled them to the ground. "YOU MAY KISS-" He took a punch to the face, cracking his skull mask. He returns to the favor by destroying the enemy's entire head.

Gangle had control of a large enemy, Ragatha on the shoulder. They were just as confused as the others on what was going on with Kingr. Then Ragatha saw Caine and Pomni take down two enemies together, their gazes locked.

"JUST KISS!!" Kingr roared as he pummeled another enemy.

They didn't hesitate. Caine held Pomni in a bow, blue energy engulfing his entire being. Gold energy surrounded Pomni as she held around his neck. They met in an intense, yet loving kiss. Their energies intertwined and blasted out from them. The violent shockwave of light and electricity vaporized every enemy within a large radius. Their allies taking cover.

Caine held his wife with reverence. Kissing her like it was the last time he'd ever get the chance. Pomni returned his passion tenfold, wordlessly vowing her devotion to her husband. As the energy wave faded, they breathlessly parted.

For the first time, there was tenderness in Pomni's eyes. "I love you."

Caine could be slain on the spot and die a happy man. "I love you, too. In this life, and the next...forever and always."

[astr0exe]

K9 [COD MEN (POLY??) X M!READER] CH1

Ch.1 , Ch.2 , Ch.3

CAS’ MASTERLIST !!

reader is transmac and autistic cause i said so :)

AO3 VERSION : K9

SUMMARY: The boys meet someone new. He seems cool but his dog seems to enjoy ripping people apart.// The boys meet the K9 trainer

(first time transferring my AO3 work to tumblr so)

(my writing is also quite shit but hey ho)

( i project so so bad with this character)

(pls give me feed back)

CHAPTER 1

Soap's POV :

The Captain dragged us into a meeting and we have no idea why. I was busy watching Princess And The Frog after working out for ages, I just wanted to relax after so many back-to-back missions.

"Thank you all for showing up I do appreciate it, I know we are all probably tired, however I thought this was important to discuss before you saw them around the base." Huh saw who around base? Is someone new joining? I glanced around the room and caught Gaz's confused eyes.

"See who sir?" I asked cautiously, "___ they are the K9 trainer and his callsign is K9 because of this. He has a fully-grown perfectly trained cane corso who is with ___ at all times. If any of you are scared of big dogs then I am sorry because Bucky is huge. There will be a meeting introducing you all do not worry but I thought I should give you a heads up. Dismissed." Answered Price.

Whilst walking next to Ghost in the hallway I couldn't help thinking about what Price said. I don't even know what a cane corso looks like. Oh well, when I get to my room I'll find out cause Google is my friend. "Hey, Lt. Do you know what a cane corso looks like?" I questioned, "I think I have an idea, pretty sure they grow up to 70 cm (27.5 inches) ish and weigh up to 50 kgs (110 pounds) They are massive dogs." Ghost murmured.

I could feel my eyes bulging out of my sockets at the thought of a dog that big.As I finally got to my room, I instantly looked up what a cane corso looked like and I think I shit myself. I have to meet one of those tomorrow.

Time skip : meeting K9 and Bucky

We all sat in the common room for our introductions. Me and Gaz were playing uno whilst Ghost was just watching us like a babysitter would with two children whilst we were waiting for Price and ___. Slowly we heard footsteps, they sounded heavy like platform boots, you could hear heavy breathing coming from Bucky and mumbling muffled talking from K9 and Price. The footsteps gradually increased in volume until Price walked in along with an awkward-looking guy. He wore large combat boots which had to add at least 3 inches to his height, and a large leather jacket with lots of patches on ranging from band patches to quotes. Oh and a trans flag. Nice. His belt was studded like he bought it in the 2000s with added chains which actually looked heavy, he had black eyeliner on and a face mask. If he wasn't like 5"7 with his boots on I'd say he was terrifying.

After I finally stopped staring at this Greek god of an emo boy and got my shit together I noticed his dog, Bucky, who was eyeing everyone wearily as if at any point we would attack him or ___. With how intimidating they both look I think they suit each other.

"Um hi I'm ___ or K9 and I'll be training dogs you take on missions and sometimes taking the dogs on the missions myself. Nice to meet you all. As you all know, this is Bucky, he won't hurt you." He giggled towards the end and oh my god it's like I heard heaven gates open and when I gazed around the room I knew everyone felt the same with all the wide eyes and stuttering introductions.

"Well these are my boys, Lt. Ghost Riley , Sergeant Soap Mactavish and Sergeant Gaz Garrick. Boys this is Sergeant K9 he will be working with you as he described he will also be living on base and training with you lads so I expect them to come back to me feeling welcomed into the Taskforce is that clear?" Demanded Price. "Yes Sir." We all responded in unison.

As I observe K9 and Bucky I cant help but smile at how at ease he seems with his dog. I think he is gonna fit in perfectly.

[klaunee]

Helluva Boss Sin Concepts

Been working on these concepts for a little while and was hoping to share them before the new episode dropped but I underestimated when it would be released. :'D

Nonetheless here are some rough concepts for my personal interpretations of the unseen Sins. They're very rough and I'd need to work more on them to fully capture the ideas I had in mind but I wanted to share them nonetheless. Haven't seen the episode yet but I'm going to go watch it after I write all this out.

Design notes below the cut. (long post!)

Each Sin is inspired by a different circus act since this motif is already incorporated into the canon designs of the other Sins. They're all meant to look like rulers, so I tried to factor crowns/capes into each design in some way.

Satan

Satan's overall design is inspired by circus strongmen! His outfit and physique are mainly inspired by Louis Cyr.

His other inspiration is the red dragon in Revelation 12. This dragon is described as having seven heads, so I wanted to incorporate seven head symbols into his design.

I wanted him to have a ball and chain as a weapon and as a symbol of punishment. The idea is that he carries a ball which is so heavy that no other demon in Hell can lift it. Normally he walks with a slow gait to suggest that he's burdened by the ball and chain, but it's actually a powerful weapon he can wield. Initially this ball and chain was a separate element (top left) but I'm considering having his tail built like a flail instead (somewhat inspired by Anklyosaurs).

He's meant to look like a thorny devil because I thought that was funny and would help incorporate the idea of the dragon from Revelation 12 having many "horns".

He's also meant to look like a longhorn cattle to fit the Western motif in the Wrath ring. His cape is meant to look like the poncho worn by Clint Eastwood in The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly to further this motif.

Somewhat unintentionally, his horns look like flexing arms.

It's up to viewer interpretation whether he is wearing a striped undershirt or if his chest is just sticking out.

He ended up looking sort of like a luchador/masked wrestler, but that wasn't intentional. However I think it's fitting and I might run with it if/when I finalize the design.

Belphegor

Belphegor is meant to be a magician! She has a top-hat and a lab-coat with coat-tails. The patterning of her fur is meant to look like a tuxedo, though the cummerbund and bowtie are (probably) actual clothing. The giant syringe is meant to be like a cane (I'm imagining her moving like a sleepier Fred Astaire when engaged in combat).

Her other main inspiration is goats, and by extension Baphomet.

I wanted her to look like a lop rabbit to suit the magician theme but she is 100% a goat. Her ears are inspired by Gulabi goats and her tail isn't an actual cotton tail, it's just a goat tail curled to the side.

Hypnotic spirals are a major shape element here.

Even though she looks more "angelic" than the other Sins, she is absolutely evil. My idea for her is that she's a scientific genius who synthesizes drugs with the ultimate purpose of creating a society which is so streamlined and sedated that she never has to do anything.

I definitely intend to make drastic changes to this concept. I want to make her look more like a nerd/loser, as she's intended to be a reclusive shut-in. I might give her swirly glasses in the end.

The giant syringe she carries is her weapon. Her primary method of attack is probably either to sedate her opponents or cause them to see illusions (or perhaps a mix of both).

Leviathan

Leviathan is meant to be a puppeteer/ventriloquist. Their abilities stem around manipulating their environment (including possessing other entities), but their entire body is essentially a puppet act as well. The idea I had in mind was that Leviathan was born as a weak sea krait-like creature who went into hiding out of fear. It wasn't clear who the prince of Envy was for a while, so Envy demons fought each other for control of the ring. Eventually one demon assumed control, at which point Leviathan parasitized that demon and assumed its body for their own. Leviathan's body contains millions of souls which they have consumed since the creation of Hell, which were then turned into plankton-like organisms. Leviathan can use these souls to manipulate the environment (as visualized by the green "fish" at their side, which are actually comprised of several smaller organisms).

Leviathan's design is inspired by several sea creatures, namely sea kraits, oarfish, dragonfish, and lampreys. Their overall theme is also inspired by whale falls, the remains of whales which attract several other organisms and create small ecosystems.

Leviathan can swim, fly, and move like a serpent on land without having to modify their tail to be like legs. My idea for the Envy ring is that Envy demons assume mermaid-like forms while in the Envy ring but can assume legs outside of it. However, Leviathan is always in serpent form.

At first I was going to make Leviathan green but I realized by the appearance of the rings in that one app that was shown a while ago that they would probably be purple. But I still wanted to incorporate green into the design.

The "fin" on their back is comprised of fire.

[ashessonfire]

hey if your headcanon requests are still pen, could you do something with nina x reader who has chronic pain?

Nina Zenick x (Chronically ill) Reader - Headcanons <3

- Pairing : Nina Zenick x Chronically ill! Reader

A/N - Hello loves! I am back, and I have so many works almost ready to be shared, so please wait for me! Hopefully this does Nina justice since it's my first time interpreting her character in my writing. (feel free to let me know how I did ) I will be trying to post as much as I can before I move into uni, so get your requests in soon or it may be a long time before i get to them XD

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Although Nina's Grisha abilities do not mainly lie in healing, her heartrender skills are exceptionally welcomed to combat your chronic pain

Early on in your blossoming relationship, your condition is brought up during the start of a flare up

Nina is relieved, somewhat, to know she can soothe an ache, or lift a sharp note of pain with her powers

Running her fingers along your tender skin, she would ease out as much as your discomfort as possible, strings of soothing words distracting you from the process

Nina is not a healer however, and as much as she wishes it, she cannot remain by your side constantly

So, she comes up with small solutions to brighten your day, and distract you from the discomfort your condition brings you

Evidently, Nina loves her food, and would always cook or bake whatever your heart desired when your body began to throb

"I know you only asked for the soup, but look at the crust on that bread huh?"

I can just picture her serving up heaps of steaming meals and snacks, catering to your every need in an attempt to steal your attention

Another method I can picture the brunette adopting is talking

It is well known within the crows, and the entirety of the Dregs, that Nina loves to talk

On several critical heists, she had been bruised by Kaz's cane thumping against her legs to quieten her chatter

So I don't think it would come as a surprise that she would try to talk your pain away

Some days, she would huddle close to you under a mountain of blankets, arms wrapped around your body as her powers numbed the pains into dull aches

Leaning towards your ear, she would recite tales from Ravka, twisting beautiful folk tales into iridescent pictures in your mind

Depending on your mood, she could talk for hours about her childhood, Ravkan folk tales, her training as a Grisha, and occasionally an hour or two of foreign languages

Although her tales could not physically extract your pain, her love and care would be more than enough to distract you from the worst of it

Nina would go to the ends of the earth to bring you as much comfort as she can, and facing the wrath of Kaz Brekker was nothing in comparison to your needs

No matter the time of month or day a flare up came, Nina would storm into his office and demand a cut of her paycheck, just so she could buy you the best medicines available

After this became more than a regular occurrence, Kaz began to set aside sums of Nina's money just to stop her visits to his office

Knowing that you would have the very best pain medication whilst she was absent gave her some peace of mind, although being by your side always calmed her more

Nina often feels guilty that she cannot do more, but with her warm embraces, and gentle love, it gets easier to deal with the struggles of your pain <3

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P.S : As a chronically ill person myself, I just wanted to say that my requests will always be open for ideas like this, and my private messages are open for anything. If anyone is experiencing any form of chronic illness and needs someone to talk to, I am here for you!! It can be super isolating and difficult, especially when those around you cannot understand your struggles. Hopefully this post can find all my spoonie crow fans!! <333

[bullet-prooflove]

StolenMoments!Series Part Two: Christmas in Afganistan - Vostanik Sabatino x Reader

Tagging:  @kmc1989 @novamariestark @words-and-seeds

Part One: First Date

You end up in Afghanistan over Christmas.

You’ve been embedded in the country for over a week now, using your contacts to track down a terrorist cell with ties to an attack back in LA. In the past you’d worked with humanitarian groups, delivering a very specific form of aid to villages in the region. You’d built a lot of trust amongst the natives; it gave you access to information that the military personnel you worked with couldn’t get their hands on.

You’ve been living in a makeshift base, created especially for the task force that you’re a part of. On the outside it looks rundown and ramshackle however inside it’s the equivalent of huge modern-day motorhome, with up-to-date tech, hot running water and internet speeds that rivalled the ones back home.

The place had been haphazardly decorated for the Christmas season before you got here, there’s tinsel around the whiteboards, fake candy canes hanging on the equipment lockers and a makeshift tree has been put together in the corner by a would-be carpenter. Someone’s managed to dig out some multicoloured lights, wrapping them around it. It’s magical in its own way.

You’re the only one staying over the holidays, Granger has sent the other members of the taskforce to Istanbul for some R&R. You’re the last one in, so you get to man the fort in their absence. You’ve been on your own for a couple of hours, reviewing the latest intel and making notes when the door opens and Sabatino steps inside.

You haven’t heard from him since the night he left for Washington. He looks a little more rugged than the last time you saw him. His jaw is lined with stubble, his face more weathered. His clothes are filthy, the remnants of the Afghan desert clinging to his hair and skin. The expression on handsome features tells you he’s just as surprised to see you as you are to see him.

“I need a shower.” Is the first thing he says to you. You smile as you take a sip from your coffee cup because you detected just the hint of a blush across his cheeks when he stepped past you.

You have more coffee brewing when he steps out of the bathroom. He’s wearing a t-shirt and combat pants, his hair still damp from the hot water. He tosses his dirty clothes into the laundry hamper in his bunk room before he follows you into the kitchen space, opening the fridge and pulling out a variation of food.

“I’ve been living off the land for the past three weeks, tracking our targets through the mountains.” He explains as he opens a container and pops some veggies into his mouth. “If I have to eat another rodent, I think I’ll become one.”

You push the mug of hot coffee towards him, and he picks it up gratefully, his dark eyes fastening on yours as he takes a sip.

“When they said they were bringing in someone with local connections I had no idea it was you.”

There’s something in the way he says it, an undertone in his voice. You read the tension in his body, the way his shoulders hunch just a little as he averts his gaze focusing on the containers.

“You don’t want me here.” You realise.

He sighs before he places both his palms on the work surface and tilts his head up to look at you. There’s a torridness in his eyes, it builds like a storm before he finally allows himself to speak.

“The last guy who had your job, I found his body.” He pauses for a second, allowing you to process that information before he continues. “What I didn’t find was his head.”

 “He was tortured.” You conclude and Sabatino nods his response.

“I don’t want that to happen to someone that I…” He catches himself before the words can slip out of his mouth. “I don’t want the same thing happening to you.”

It’s an admission of something that the two of you can’t talk about. Realistically he’s known you for a total of seventy-two hours but in his heart, it feels like a lifetime. If something were to happen to you, if he found you brutalised the same way that Sanders was, he doesn’t think that he would be able to recover.

“Are the risks any different than you going out there and tracking them over the mountains?” You ask him pointedly.

He hates this and so do you, you’ve worked with each other in an urban setting before, where you have resources and back up, but Afghanistan is a different playing field. The thing is you’ve both been here before, you know the pitfalls, the dangers, the consequences. You’ve survived Afghanistan before and so has he.

“It looks like we’re both in the same predicament.” You say when he doesn’t respond, setting your coffee mug down. “Because I actually give a shit about you too.”

It shouldn’t warm his heart but it kind of does. He sees the honesty of it in your eyes as you look up at him. He lives in a world of deceit, where everything has a double meaning, where every move is a manipulation and then there’s you. This beautiful, spirited woman who says what’s on her mind and means it. He can’t help but fall in love with you just a little more in that moment.

“Hey.” He says quietly as he reaches for you. He wraps his arms around your body, drawing you close. You fit against him perfectly, the same way you did the last time, when he kissed you during that stakeout. “Despite the circumstances I am happy to see you.”

Your palms chase up the muscles of his back, soothing over the fabric of his shirt as his lips brush over your hairline. Christ he’s missed you, he’s forgotten how good it feels to have your hands on him.

“I’m glad to see you too Nik.”

Love Nik? Don’t miss any of his stories by joining the taglist here.

Interested in supporting me? Join my Patreon for Bonus Content!

Like My Work? - Why Not Buy Me A Coffee

[indecentpause]

Find the Word Tag

@oh-no-another-idea tagged me to find the words stone, brick, iron, and wood! thank!

I'm revisiting The Most Beautiful Puzzle for one last readthrough and check and then it should be ready to start sharing in full!! :D for now have some excerpts :)

stone rock:

[Josselin]’s already primed you on what to look for, but you don’t know who was here last or how long ago or what for. You’re mostly there to drive and make things look convincing. Josselin backtracks to the wall where you parked and drops into a crouch. You try to be useful by overturning rocks and leaves with your cane, but you won’t be able to see anything not immediately obvious, and there’s no way you can crouch or kneel. From the sidewalk, a man calls, “You guys need help with something?” You look up. A guy your age, maybe a few years older. Unassuming. Crew cut brown hair, t-short and jeans, average everything. The only thing that stands out is his shiny black combat boots. “Oh, he just dropped something. Thanks, though!” The guy lingers a moment. You offer a wave, trying to politely tell him he can go on his way. He offers a wave back and moves on.

brick:

[Josselin] sighs and lets go before you can ask him what he’s doing. With a huff, he rubs quick and hard at his shoulder where the officer was touching him. “I was okay,” he says softly. You offer a weak smile. “You’re still okay!” you say, trying to be supportive. “He just needs to get his paperwork in order. It’s technically private property, so they probably have to just make sure everything’s sorted. Josselin leans back against the brick wall of the building, mumbling to himself in annoyance. You join him.

iron:

“Okay, so, what’s this about a baseball bat?” “I keep one under my bed,” he explains again. “I have mitts and baseballs and stuff too, to make it look like it belongs there. Just in case. So it doesn’t look like I was planning to use it as a weapon. But I could get you one, if you wanted. And maybe a tire iron to keep in your car, if you didn’t want a bat there? People keep tire irons in cars, right? I’ve never driven a car.”

wood:

For a moment, things are quiet. Occasionally, you hear the Inspector and Pascal’s feet one the hardwood floor upstairs. Familiar and Grandpa are purring. Crackerjack has fallen asleep under the table. Your phone rings, loud and shrill in the quiet room. All three cats jump and dart under various pieces of furniture. It buzzes on the table and continues to ring a second or two more until you finally grab it. An unknown number. You send the call to voicemail.

tagging @drippingmoon @calicohyde @jezifster @winterandwords @digital-chance @tc-doherty @anoelleart to find the words grey/gray, heavy, bright, and strong/strength

[its-jaytothemee]

Until I Met You - Chapter 16

Chapter 16: Whizbangs

Pairings: Halsin x Tav

Word count: 5,236

Rating: Currently M, will be Explicit in later chapters.

Read on AO3

Previous Next

Summary: Our heroes continue searching Grymforge, hoping to find the enslaved gnomes and the drow Nere. An unexpected complication keeps them from exploring the rest of the ruins. Part 16 of the slow burn fic. Tav and Halsin POVs.

Tags: Slow burn, mutual pining, hurt/comfort, emotional hurt/comfort, fluff, eventual love confessions, eventual smut, angst, implied past rape/non-con and abuse, graphic description of injuries, brief suicidal thoughts.

A/N: Enjoy a more combat-heavy chapter! Only a few more left until the Act 1 story is completed :) I'll hopefully have another chapter ready to go by the weekend. Thanks for continuing to read, and I hope you're still enjoying the story <3

The next room they entered burned as hot as some unholy combination between Avernus and Phlegethos. Pungent aromas of sulfur and ash wafted over them as lava flowed freely on one side of the chamber.

“Soldier.” Karlach nudged Tav with the bottom of her sword. “Another scrying eye.”

The unsettling purple orb floated around the room, whispering screeches rolling off of it. Suddenly, it spun around to face them. The eerie slit in the middle narrowed into a pointed oval, like it was attempting to stare into their souls.

Gods I hope this one wasn’t connected to the goblin camp.

Angry yells mixed with pained cries pulled her attention past the scrying eye. A group of gnomes was chipping away at a large pile of rock. This had to be the cave-in they were warned about.

“Heat up some rocks. Let’s see how the little pricks do when we strap fire to their legs.” The duergar overseeing the digging gnomes spat the words out before turning to face Tav and her companions.

“Move, hoon. I don’t have time for drugnin’ outsiders.”

“Charming.” Gale pursed his lips and glared at the duergar. Upon closer inspection, Tav noticed she wasn’t wearing shoes. Rather inconvenient considering the temperature in the chamber. Her eyes flitted to Karlach’s boots, thinking that this must be the slaver Thulla stole them from.

“You better make time for a True Soul.” Tav commanded, Astarion gave an approving snort at her tone.

The parasite squirmed with anticipation in her mind, but fell still a moment later, disappointed. The duergar was not hosting a mind flayer tadpole.

“A True Soul, eh? Useless lookout could’ve told me. I’m Sergeant Thrinn.” She rolled her eyes before turning her attention back to the rockslide before them. “Glad you’re here to take responsibility though. Tunnel’s collapsed with True Soul Nere stuck inside. It’s filled with poisoned geysers. We don’t get him out soon, it’s both our heads.”

“Clearing that rubble will be no easy feat. Any ideas?” Tav didn’t want to give anything away, she had a couple of satchels of smokepowder that they had picked up on their travels. Looking around the chamber, she counted at least eight duergar. If they could get them out of the way, they could deal with Nere much easier.

“Not a one – unless you count tacking aboleth fangs to my whipping cane.”

The other duergar overseers were shouting threats and obscenities at the gnomes.

“Keep crying for your sister, and I’ll personally rip off her head when you dig her out!”

“You fail to get that True Soul out and I’ll have you licking your own blood off my whipping cane!”

Tav heard the crack of a whip, followed by a pained cry from one of the gnomes. Shadowheart let out a shocked gasp at the sound. She heard Karlach snarl beside her as well as huffs from both Gale and Wyll.

“Ngh, it hurts.” Shadowheart hissed behind her.

Eight duergar against the seven of them? She liked those odds.

Tav’s face twisted into a half smile, half snarl.

“Karlach, love?” She never took her eyes off the duergar in front of her.

“Yeah, soldier?” The flames raging around Karlach’s shoulders rose with each syllable. Tav’s lips twitched up further into a smirk.

“Whizbangs.”

Karlach’s foot collided with Sergeant Thrinn’s chest not a moment later, sending her careening into the nearby lava. A fitting move considering she now wore the boots stolen off the duergar. She screamed in agony as the lava melted flesh from bone.

Seven to seven.

The other duergar stood gaping at them for a moment, stunned by the surprise attack from these “True Souls.” Tav and the others wasted no time taking advantage of their shock.

“Karlach!” Tav yelled as she drew her bow. “The scrying eye!”

“On it, soldier!” Karlach grabbed the orb and flung it into the lava next to the duergar. The orb quickly disintegrated, taking away their ability to call reinforcements. Once the scrying eye was taken care of, she turned around to take a swipe at the other duergar overseer. The other duergar at the end of the room still stood in place, shocked by the sudden treachery.

An arrow came whizzing past her shoulder, the feathered end grazed her armor. Her eyes followed its trajectory to find a duergar up on a walkway.

“I need to get up there!” Tav pointed to the balcony where the lone archer was trying to pick them off.

“Tav!” Gale ran up to her side and slapped her on the shoulder. Suddenly, a power was coursing through her legs. She felt like she could leap over the towers of Wyrm’s Crossing. “Jump!”

An excited smile took over her face as she crouched before pushing her body off the ground. She soared through the air to land behind the archer above them.

“Hey there!” She yelled before shooting a thunder arrow at their chest, sending them soaring over the edge. The body landed with a nauseating crack.

Six to seven.

From up above, she would be able to easily help pick off the remaining duergar. Her arrows whistled through the air to find the slats in their armor. One found the husky duergar in the middle of her companions, ensnaring them in a large vine. With him restrained, Lae’zel was able to strike him down with ease.

Five to seven.

The other overseer that was with Sergeant Thrinn muttered an incantation and turned his gaze to Tav. She felt a pull on her mind, the familiar feel of someone trying to gain entry, but not using the tadpole.

Another mind master.

She closed off her mind, blocking his spell.

“Got another charmer!” Tav called on the tadpole to tell her companions as she fired an arrow in his direction, it bounced off the pauldron of his armor before clattering to the floor.

Karlach let out a growling scream as she began to rage. She picked up the mind master duergar and heaved him to the edge of the lava where Gale was recovering from being shot by one of the other archers. He spun around and unleashed a wave of booming energy, hurling the duergar into the lava alongside his ally.

Four to seven.

The remaining duergar rushed at them in a desperate attempt to overwhelm them, but they had the advantage now in both numbers and skill. The duergar made the mistake of grouping up together, making them easy targets.

Tav launched another arrow, one that shattered on impact into a mess of thorns to hit all four of the advancing enemies. Astarion followed up with a series of quick attacks, dropping one of them to the ground.

Three to seven.

Wyll called forth a swirling tornado of magical daggers right in front of them, giving them no time to react as they ran straight through the spell. The churning blades ripped through the duergars’ flesh, felling two more.

One to seven.

The last duergar emerged from Wyll’s attack ragged and barely standing, where Shadowheart was waiting. With one final wallop with her mace, their last enemy collapsed, their blood seeping into the crevices of the chamber floor.

They took a moment to look around, making sure they hadn’t missed any enemies. All Tav saw was a group of terrified gnomes, all huddled in a corner and clutching their mining tools. She clambered down the ladder to rejoin her friends and address the gnomes.

“It’s okay, you’re free now.” Tav’s breathing was heavy. “You need to get out of here.”

“Not without the others trapped in the tunnel.” A white-haired gnome stepped up to tell her.

“But what are we going to do about the drow?” The gnome with a leather hat and a nervous voice asked.

“Leave Nere to us.” Tav turned her attention to the collapsed tunnel.

“I know you.” One of the gnomes in the back walked up to greet her. “The mascot of my misfortunes.” The bald gnome stared up at her with his hands on his hips.

“…Barcus, right?” She recalled meeting him when they saved him from a group of goblins that had tied him to a windmill.

“The very same.” The other gnomes seemed to relax a little during their interaction. “Now, if you’ll excuse us, there are gnomes trapped behind these rocks and we need to free them.”

Tav pulled the pouch of smokepowder from her backpack and held it up in one hand with a smile.

“Good thing you let me take that pack of yours, huh?”

“Oh, yes that should work just fine. Very decent of you.” She set the small pouch close to the pile of collapsed rock. Even contained in the drawstring bag, its ashy, smoky scent filled her nostrils.

“Alright, everyone back.” Tav shooed them away from the tunnel entrance. “Gale? Care to do the honors?”

“It would be my pleasure.” He smiled as the fiery magic danced around his fingertips. “Ignis!”

The thin bolt of fire sailed through the air to ignite the smokepowder, causing a massive explosion and obliterating the rocky obstruction. Not a moment later, they heard coughing and the gut-churning smell of poison wafting out of the tunnel to mingle with the hot, hazy air.

“Beldron!” The gnome with the hat ran out from behind her to greet one of their liberated friends.

The three gnomes that were trapped behind the rubble scrambled out from the poisonous cloud, coughing and stumbling over their own feet. A drow came stomping out behind them, also choking and gagging on the acrid air flowing around him.

Nere.

The three slaves that had emerged cowered at the edge of the lava, nervous eyes darting between her group of adventurers and Nere.

Tav could hear Karlach’s ragged, heavy breathing beside her as she came down from her rage. Shadowheart’s familiar magic swirled around them as she muttered the healing spell under her breath, preparing them for another battle.

“Finally.” Nere hissed once he was able to catch his breath and turned his ire toward the group of trembling gnomes.

“Worthless slaves. Your incompetence has been my ruin.”

Tav took a step forward, ready to start yet another fight.

There’s no reasoning with men like this.

“Nere. Does not. Fail.” He spun around before he threw his hands out in front of him and sent a wave of thunder at one of the slaves. The other gnomes cried out in surprise.

Knocking her into the lava.

“Stop!” Tav screamed as she ran up to him. “No more innocents will die today.”

“You care for the weak? Tell me, True Soul,” he spat the words back at her, “was it you who slayed Nere’s servants? Or is there another sane explanation?”

A familiar squirm in her mind let Astarion commune with her without Nere hearing.

“Play. Along. Tav. He may know how to get us into Moonrise. You’re the one who is desperate to find a way to pass through the shadows. Don’t throw away your chance playing hero to a few slaves.” His judgmental hiss caused her to grit her teeth.

“I can’t.” She whispered the words out loud.

Karlach let out another battle cry, ready to rage once more. The flames rising out of her skin were stronger than Tav had ever seen them. Had she slipped a soul coin in when they weren’t looking?

“Mother. Fucking. WHIZBANGS!” Karlach didn’t wait for the others to join, she made a huge, arcing swipe at the drow. He backed up and avoided the worst of her attack, but she still left a deep gash on his arm.

“So be it.” Nere snarled. He started an incantation as he turned his attention to Astarion.

Lae’zel took a swing at the drow, catching the same arm Karlach had injured previously. Nere cried out in pain, but still finished the incantation.

Astarion grunted behind them as he gripped the sides of his head. A moment later, he stood up straight, his red eyes hollow and unfeeling.

Gale and Wyll started hurling spells at Nere, Eldritch Blasts and Fireballs soared through the air. Yet Nere kept his concentration fixed on their pale friend.

Meanwhile, Astarion lunged at Lae’zel while she still had her back to him.

Gods he’s fast.

Tav heard the squelching sound of his fangs biting into her neck, eliciting an angry growl from her. Lae’zel cracked Astarion over the top of his head with the pommel of her sword. She could hear the smack of the metal against his skull even from across the chamber.

“Lae’zel!” Tav screamed. “Why did you do that?!”

“He bit me!” She yelled back as Astarion staggered back from her in a daze. “I told him what would happen should I find his fangs anywhere near my throat, istik!”

“He’s charmed! Try not to kill him before we can disrupt the spell, will you?” Tav took another shot at Nere whose focus was fixed on Astarion. The arrow sunk into his shoulder, breaking his concentration, and pushing him back a few steps…right into Karlach.

She brought her sword up over her head and drove it down hard, stabbing it into the spot where Nere’s neck met his shoulder. He let out a few more gurgling gasps before collapsing to the floor. Karlach took her sword back with a grunt, the flames around her had grown even taller. Astarion stumbled a bit as he regained control of his mind.

“She hit me!” Astarion shrieked as he rubbed the small knot forming on the back of his head. “Fucking murder hungry gith…didn’t even taste good.” He started muttering under his breath.

“It’s okay, buddy. I’ll take care of it.” Tav smiled fondly as Astarion pouted at Lae’zel. No longer under Nere’s charm, he was back to his snippy self. She cast a quick healing spell to ease the headache, giving him a quick pat on the shoulder when she was done.

“That’ll have to do for now, I’m all out.” Her fingers tingled as she tried to cast another spell but produced no magic.

She was going to inspect Nere’s body when she heard a cry behind her, followed by a loud thud on the floor. When she turned around, Karlach had collapsed and was now writhing in pain.

“Karlach!” Tav yelled and ran over to where she was laying. “What happened? Are you okay?”

“Unhh…” Karlach groaned and thrashed as she grasped at her chest, her nails starting to scratch the skin raw. “Too much…”

“What’s happening?” Gale’s voice was ripe with panic.

“I don’t know! I don’t know!” Tav hovered protectively over her friend as she tried to find a way to help. The gnome slaves had moved off into a corner, trying to decide whether they were safe.

“…Heat…” Karlach’s tears fell from her eyes to mix with the sweat pooling beneath her face and neck.

Tav looked around frantically, trying to find a way to help move her. Being so close to the lava must have put her engine in overdrive. But how could they help get her out? Another screaming sob from Karlach startled her out of her thoughts.

Oh, fuck it. This is gonna hurt.

Tav took a deep breath and grabbed Karlach’s arm to wrap around her neck. Even through her thick gloves, she could feel the heat pouring from her skin.

“No, Tav…you’ll burn.”

“You’re not dying here, Karlach.” She growled back. “You guys get Nere’s head; I’m getting her out of here.” Gale and Wyll nodded their understanding.

She managed to wrap one arm around her shoulders, her skin met the nape of Tav’s neck causing a grunt of pain from her. But she mustered all of her remaining strength to drag Karlach down the stairs and closer to the docks. The heat coming from her arm was unbearable.

How in the hells does she live like this?

Karlach’s arm continued searing the back of Tav’s neck, leaving the smell of burning flesh in their wake. She felt her skin split as she turned her head which sent a sharp pain down her back. The white-hot burn brought tears to her eyes, but she kept a firm hold on Karlach. Sweat dripped from her face and neck, stinging the wound and causing another cry of pain from Tav. The other hand helping to hold up her torso was starting to burn even over her clothing and through Tav’s gloves. Karlach’s other arm came up to grab Tav’s for support. Once again, the blinding heat cut through armor and clothing alike to meet her skin. Hot enough that she could feel blisters starting to form under her gloves and armor. The sensation could only be compared to being boiled in a pot of oil. Surely the Hells themselves couldn’t even be this hot.

“Almost there, Karlach.” Tav grunted as another spike of pain ripped through her neck and up into her head.

She dropped her at the bottom of the stairs where they had arrived earlier. The sudden motion tore Karlach’s arm from her neck, ripping away part of the skin that had seared to her bicep. Tav screamed as she felt blood start to trickle down her back. Dark spots clouded her vision, and she tasted bile at the back of her throat.

Despite getting away from the lava, Karlach was still spasming on the floor beside her. Deep gashes lined her chest from where she had clawed at the infernal engine below. The glow beneath her skin raged against its fleshy prison – beating and pounding against the walls of her ribcage. Blood streamed from the scratches on the surface, the trickles sizzling and popping along her scalding skin. The heat coming from her body was rising with each passing moment along with Karlach’s cries.

Out of the corner of her eye, Tav saw a bucket. She scrambled over to grab it before filling it up with the lake water. She took the entire bucket and dumped it on Karlach, a satisfying hiss of steam rose up from the flaming tiefling. Just to be sure, she filled it again, and dumped another bucket full of water on her. Afterwards, her breathing seemed to slow, and the flames calmed down to their normal level.

“Better?” Tav asked, out of breath.

“Much Better. Thanks, soldier.” Karlach gasped as she pulled herself up to one knee. Tav nodded in response, causing her to wince. She moved her hair to the side to keep it from brushing against the fresh burn.

“Oh shit…oh fuck…oh shit, Tav.” Karlach puffed. “Oh soldier, that’s a bad burn. I’m so sorry…” Tears started streaming down her face again.

“It’s alright, I’m sure Shadowheart can take care of it. I knew the risks, love.” Tav grunted as she tried to lean back.

The position of the burn made it difficult to move her head or shoulders without searing pain ripping through her upper body. Even when she didn’t move, the edge of her armor sat right over the most painful section. When she took off her gloves, she noticed that her hands were blistered as well.

“I…I need to get this armor off. It’s rubbing the burn and making it worse.” Tav sucked in a sharp breath through gritted teeth.

“Here, let me.” Wyll had joined them at the docks. He untied the straps holding the armor at her shoulders quickly. Lae’zel came to the other side of her to help him lift it off over her head. They made slow, gentle movements, careful not to bump the burn as they removed it.

“Okay, let me take a look.” Tav heard Shadowheart behind her and felt her small hands brush against her back. “This is bad. I can help alleviate some of the pain, but I really think we should have Halsin look at this. Unless you want some nasty scarring.”

“Do what you can for now, we need to get back across the lake anyway.” Tav took a few steadying breaths to help work through the pain.

Involuntary tears streaked her cheeks as Shadowheart slowly gathered her thin tunic and pulled it over her head, once again taking care to not brush it against the burn. Her healing spell took some of the sting out of the wound, but she could still feel the heat radiating from her neck.

“Where are the gnomes?” Tav asked.

“They’re on their way down. They’ll be heading across the lake as well. A couple of them wanted to speak with you before we part ways.” Gale explained.

“Very well.” Tav breathed the words out. “Can you see if they’ll meet with us at our camp?” Gale nodded before dashing back up the stairs.

“Okay, that’s as far as I dare heal this for now.” Shadowheart stood up and brushed herself off. “We need to get her to Halsin.”

***

Halsin did his best to wait patiently in camp for the others. He took the time to meditate and prepare more potions and elixirs for everyone. Not to mention bond with the small trail of new animal friends he had gained. Today, that included Lunari as Tav had opted to leave her in camp since they were unsure of what dangers the ruins held.

Despite his best efforts, he remained distracted for most of the day. He was anxious to find out if his instincts were right. Hopefully when they returned today, he would know if they had their path to Moonrise Towers.

The familiar shuffle of the group’s footsteps whisked his attention away from the herbs he was grinding. They definitely seemed exhausted. He noticed Karlach was keeping her distance from the others, not walking close by, but keeping a solid four or five paces between her and the nearest person. Her face was stricken with grief, and her chest lined with claw marks caked with dried blood. Tav was leaning on Wyll as they walked, her eyes looked glazed over and her face pale. Half of her armor had been removed so she was currently shirtless. The delicate undergarment she wore was soaked through with blood and sweat. And was that…a gnome with them?

Oak Father preserve me, what happened?

“Welcome back,” Halsin walked up to Tav, “where am I needed?” He offered his arm out to her to give Wyll a break. She winced as she shifted her weight to him, and he caught a glimpse of blackened skin on her neck.

“Tav’s burn is severe enough that I wasn’t comfortable healing it fully.” Shadowheart spoke up, then looked over at Karlach.

“Karlach, those gashes don’t look good.” Halsin could see how her burning skin had already irritated the cuts.

“Me? I…I’m fine. Just take care of Tav, yeah?” Karlach wiped some tears from her face as she turned to walk away.

“Karlach…” Tav reached out toward her and Halsin saw that the palm of her hand was burnt as well, though not nearly as bad as her neck. Additional burns lined her forearms, small white domes dotted along her pink skin. She flinched at the movement. “Please let him take care of you too. It wasn’t your fault, love.”

She stopped and sniffled a few times before she turned back around. Based on the short interaction, Halsin guessed the burns on Tav’s body came from Karlach.

“Please.” Tav pleaded. Karlach nodded and followed them over by the fire where Halsin already had some potions set aside.

“Okay, first let’s get you two cleaned up.” He guided Tav down to the ground so she could sit comfortably. Karlach sat across from them, head hung low.

He grabbed some cloth from his bag and some carafes of water from their supplies.

“I’m sorry, Karlach. You’ll have to do this part yourself.” He felt guilty making her clean the wounds on her own, they looked painful. But seeing the burns her skin inflicted on Tav, he knew it would be safer this way.

“It’s okay. Thanks.” She took the damp cloth from him and slowly cleaned the excess blood from her chest. When had he ever heard Karlach’s voice sound so small? While she worked on her wounds, he turned his attention back to Tav. Lunari had wandered over and curled up next to her.

“Alright Tav, this will sting a bit.” He placed one hand on her shoulder as he pressed another cool cloth to the burn on her neck. The small cry that escaped her lips was like a dagger in his heart. One of her blistered hands shot up to grip his hand on her shoulder, causing another gasp from the pain as she yanked it back down to her lap.

He heard another couple of sniffles from Karlach.

“Here, let me see those hands.” Halsin left the cloth on her neck as he moved around to kneel in front of her. He held them gingerly in both of his, muttering the simple incantation to heal the burns. As he watched the blisters fade, he thought back to that first morning in camp when he did the same. The pull in his chest threatened to come back and overwhelm him, but he couldn’t think about that right now. He needed to focus on their wounds.

He was careful to concentrate on the palms for now, he would worry about the burn on her neck once she could use her hands more comfortably.

“Thanks, that helps.” Tav relaxed a little as he started on her neck again.

Once he removed the cloth, he was able to inspect the mess of blackened skin just below her hairline. As his hands moved across her back and shoulders, he remembered their first time in the Underdark, and how embarrassed she was by her lack of clothing.

“Tav, did you want me to find you a blanket or shirt to cover up with?” He asked.

“No, that’s okay. I’m still burning up from our time at the fortress.” Her drenched skin confirmed that.

“Very well, let me know if you change your mind.” He finished cleaning the wound before going to check on Karlach. The gashes in her chest looked a little better now that the blood had been wiped away. He looked over the wounds, careful not to touch her.

“Now that these are cleaned up, I think a simple potion will be sufficient.” He grabbed one of the fresh potions he brewed this morning to hand her.

“I’m fine.” Karlach sniffled again as she snatched the potion from him. “Just…just help Tav. Please…”

“She’ll be fine, Karlach.” A poorly timed sharp breath from Tav undercut his assurance. “I’ll get her patched up in no time.” She nodded and stood up to go to her tent.

“Karlach!” Tav called out but then hissed again.

“Easy…” Halsin jumped back over to her. “Try not to move much, Tav. It’ll split the skin further. Don’t worry, this shouldn’t take too long.” She let out a resigned sigh.

He examined the area one more time before starting any spells. Her shoulders and back were streaked with blood and pus from the wound splitting and blisters bursting. He grabbed another cloth to clean her up some more. With every pass, her skin seemed to cool. She stopped sweating profusely and seemed to relax a bit. For a burn this severe, Karlach’s skin must have been in prolonged contact with hers.

“Okay, Tav. Take a deep breath…” Halsin brought his hands closer to the worst of the burns at her neck. He felt her take a long inhale as he started the spell. She pushed the air back out of her mouth with a forceful exhale. For some reason, healing burns always seemed to be a more painful process. The skin beneath his hands started to slowly lighten from a black color to a deep red.

“Good lass, that’s the first one finished. Another deep breath…” He squeezed her shoulder, but her breath caught this time. “Are you alright?”

“Yesyesi’mdefinitelyfine.” The words shot out of her mouth and ran together, he could barely make them out. Once she finished talking though, she was able to get another deep breath in. He noticed the faintest flush flowing across her chest.

They repeated those steps two more times before Tav was able to relax, her breaths no longer a sharp gasp as the wound healed further. The skin was now a light shade of pink, and most of her blisters were gone.

“Do you want to tell me what happened?” He asked as the familiar hum of magic flowed from his hands into Tav for another pass.

“There was a lot of lava around the fortress.” Tav started with a sigh. “Coupled with the fighting, the heat must have been too much for her engine…” She trailed off as she looked back at Karlach’s tent.

“And the burns?” He prompted.

“She was in too much pain to move on her own. I had to drag her away.” Tav shuddered. “I really thought she was going to die, Halsin.” She tried to hide a quiet sniffle with a cough.

“Tav, that’s…” He sighed as tears stung his eyes, her boundless loyalty to her friends still caught him off guard. No wonder Karlach felt so guilty. “That was an incredibly brave and selfless decision.”

“It was nothing.” She rubbed her eyes. “I’d do it again in a heartbeat.”

“Yes…yes, I’m sure you would.” He said softly. She had proven time and time again her willingness to put herself in danger to help others. Who else did he know that would burn their skin almost beyond repair to drag a new friend to safety?

They sat in silence for a while as he finished mending the burn. Tav’s breathing was relaxed and her skin unburnt after a couple more spells.

“There we are my friend. How does it feel?” Halsin asked.

“Much better. Thank you.” She reached back to rub her neck.

“Anytime.” He took a seat next to her.

“We definitely found the stronghold you were looking for.” Tav smiled lightly as he whipped around to face her.

“Truly?!” He couldn’t hide his eagerness as he grabbed one of her hands. She squeezed his back in response.

“Yes…it’s a huge Sharran fortress.” She turned to look at him, a pained look on her face. “Grymforge.”

Grymforge…

“You mean it was real?” He asked. “I remember hearing stories, but I never made the connection that it would be the hidden stronghold we sought.”

“Neither did I.”

“Does that mean…” Halsin swallowed hard before continuing. “Does that mean we’ll be leaving for Moonrise tomorrow?”

“Not yet, we still need to explore the ruins a bit. We still don’t know how the cult has managed to pass through the shadows. Plus, the others really want to go look for this adamantine forge.” Her attention was pulled back to Karlach’s tent.

“Go ahead, Tav.” He nodded toward the tent. “You can always catch me up later, I think Karlach needs you right now.” A relieved smile spread over her face.

“Thanks, Halsin.” She stood up and her hand slipped from his as that endearing blush came back over her face. “I guess I should probably put some other clothes on…”

He had almost forgotten she was shirtless. Now he strained himself to keep his eyes from wandering as she walked away from him.

Yesyesi’mdefinitelyfine.

What in the hells was that all about?

[itashiro-writing-corner]

New muse incoming

So I've been toying around with yet another RWBY muse idea (not my fault the verse is fun to make characters for despite the state of canon, but who cares about that we're here to have fun). You may have seen my posts about an Alice in wonderland like character. The problem has always been how to make a character like that especially with a pesudo reality warping semblance the original idea had. Well I think I found a solution to that. The new "original" semblance (will explain later) will be one that allows her to shrink and enlarge objects in her vicinity, roughly within 10 ft of her, and of course no effect on living things nor anything only held by other living things. It has to be her touching it or not touching anybody for it to work. This is based off of the real life condition where people perceive things to be of a different size than they actually are. So this semblance has a variety of uses in and out of combat.

To explain my use of the word "original" with her semblance to make it closer to the reality warping idea I originally had I figured her semblance could be corrupted to a degree where it starts to affect things in a different way. This would be due to a magical entity warping her mind, and soul technically, and as a result she is bestowed some magical abilities not unlike that of a maiden but it's more tied to her insanity and differing personalities and she has no full control of it most of the time. How this is done (besides magic) is due to part of her consciousness being lost to the realm of the Ever After (I believe it's called). I will admit I haven't seen vol 9 yet so my knowledge is iffy. But from what I can gather it's basically like a Wonderland setting so that's my main angle on this. The powers she gained allows her to manipulate some objects as she perceives them. She can think a steel board is fragile like glass and can shatter it like it is. She can think her cane (her main weapon) is a special kind of candy so it tastes like candy. Occasionally she can bring some things to life, or rather summon them from the Ever After to her location through advanced magic. However, this is only available to her second personality. She can do a lot of perceived impossible things but she isn't all powerful as she just perceives the world differently so she interacts with it in a different way. She can still be beaten like anyone else it just takes some creativity and understanding of her odd way of thinking.

So with that said our new Alice muse will be coming to the main blog after some final adjustments. If this sounds like something fun let me know. If you feel like there are problems or you want something clarified, don't be afraid to straight up tell me so I can tweak it a bit. I'm looking for constructive criticism as this is a rough concept to work with given the confines of the verse and lore, which I try to respect to some degree. But that's what makes this endeavor fun.

[exorcisticlute-archive]

Lute x Alastor Fanfiction

Another one :) @tunedradio

NSFW {Blood mention, death}

————————————

Lute walked right next door to Alastor’s room as she knocked on the door to wait for an answer. She hummed to herself looking down at her hand and fidgeting with her fingers. She knocked once more and no answer. “Alastor?” She called out opening his door slowly. She hated walking into rooms without permission but she was worried. It was empty as she squinted her eyes and entered more into the room. Everything was in place nothing out the ordinary. “He said he would be here this morning” she felt her foot step over something as she looked down.

It was a very modern watch. “He despises modern technology…” flipping it to the back she saw the very familiar logo that belonged to Vox. “That motherfucker!” Her feathers ruffled up a bit as she stormed out of his room closing the door behind and quickly running out of the hotel. Thankfully she had wings so she could get to the vee's studio with no interruption. As she flew through the smog her eyes scanned the city just incase. Nothing. Approaching the building she landed kicking in the glass door which shattered.

There were other demons and sinners sitting in the lobby who got startled and ran into a corner. The receptionist jumped in her seat looking annoyed. Lute didn't waste time and stormed inside. "Where the fuck is he!" Her loud voice echoing down the halls. Her gold eyes passed the receptionist as she headed past her only to hear her high pitch voice speak up. "Excuse me you need to sign in" Trying to sound professional as the fallen angel turned around and darted her eyes.

"I'm not sighing up for shit until I find his little flat ass face!" Her hands slammed on the counter seeing her confused still. "Vox you dumb motherfucker!" Angrily she threw a near by vase and stomped off as the receptionist hit the panic button under her desk. One by one Lute kicked down doors In hoping to find Alastor. The first floor was a bust so she made her way to the second floor quickly. The cameras in the corner only zoomed in on her closely watching where she would head to next.

"Wow she has quite the character! Dedication to get you back huh" Vox's eyes bounced around the multiple screens that laid out in front of him as his arms were behind his back. With one foot he turned it he could spin easily to face Alastor who was tied down to a chair with blessed rope and away from his cane. His powers were very limited and didn't say much only glaring towards his direction while keeping a smile on his face. "Oh you have no idea what you got yourself into" The radio demon spoke hearing Lute's voice getting closer and closer.

The two other security guards looked at each other and nodded getting ready to fight if she was to find them. Out of the blue debris was flying everywhere from the wall where lute had managed to break through. She growled seeing her eyes glowing yellow and seeing her shadow through the dust. Slowly it cleared and you could see more of her. Lute finally got rid of her old exorcist outfit and found her own style. She kept her combat boots but wore black leggings with a dark grey body suit that had long sleeves. There were chains around her waist and a collar around her neck. A few ear piercings on her right ear. Her halo slightly distorted and her black wings with her feathers ruffled up from being mad. Lute also had horns sticking out that once belonged to her exorcist helmet that became permanent on her.

Taking a few steps up with the watch still balled up in her fist she threw it at Vox hitting him in the face making his jump. "What the fuck! Kill her!" His hand pointed at her while the other rubbed where the watch made contact with him. Both of the muscular hounds started to charge towards her with knives in their hands. Lute looks around trying to think of a game plan quickly. Pushing herself up and using her wings to give her an extra boost she jumped over them and saw Alastor.

A smile spread on her face making her way over to him. "Alastor!" She screamed almost near him but was stopped as she felt her leg being grabbed. Her head looked down to see it being held down as they pulled her back and threw her into a wall. Her back hit it as she fell down onto her stomach. Groaning a bit she got on her hands and knees pushing herself up to a crouch position. The biggest disadvantage was height and how buff they were.

It was a challenge but at this point lute didn't care. She picked up a piece of wood from the debris that was sharp enough and stood back up. She ran to one of the demons and quickly moved to the left making him miss her as she jabbed the wood into his side making him scream. She smirked seeing his blood drip from his body. "Don't fuck with me!" She warned. Her upper body was pulled back as her hands reached up for her collar that was now choking her as the other hound pulled on her collar. Vox stood aside next to Alastor while eating popcorn.

"Man I have you now and I'm about to have one of heavens fallen angels" He munched on the popcorn. A huge grin on his face seeing Lute struggle in the arms of one of his guards. "Imagine the money Valentino is going to make from just selling her to strangers" Whispering down to him just to rile him up as he placed duck tape over his mouth to not hear him. He could sense the aura he was generating as it was mainly angry and vengeance type, ready to kill vibe.

Lute scrambled in his arms as she felt his other arm wrap around her smaller body. "This one is a good one Vox" The guard grinned down as his arm was feeling the curves of her waist and his hands explored a bit too much. Alastor took mental note as his eyes just said it all when he witness what the hound said and did. Lute pulled foreword enough to break off the collar from her neck leaving red marks along the front. She leaned down to bite his arm letting her teeth sink his skin drawing blood out.

Immediately he drops her while clutching his arm and whimpering in pain. The other hound charges at her again swinging for her head but Lute dodges It and moves back a bit. Her eyes notice the long stretch of window and had an idea laid out in her head. Vox had growled getting a hold of Alastor as his face glitches a bit from anger. With the radio demon in his hand he walked over to tell other side of the room where the large panel window is at.

Lute had enough as she grabbed her angelic sword and flew right into the demon hearing her blade puncture him. It was enough to send him back into the glass falling right through. The glass shattered as bits of pieces of it flew everywhere in the room. She covered her face for a brief moment and looked up to see Vox holding Alastor in his hand and near the ledge of the building.

“Let him go!”

She wields her sword and aims it at him not making a move quite yet. She knew they hated each other but lute never knew the full story. She didn’t want to pester Alastor about it but it was clear Vox had a deep hatred relationship for him.

“I waited this fucking long for this moment! He’s going to disappear once and for all!”

With one easy push he sets Alastor off the ledge still wrapped up in blessed rope. Lute lets out a scream as she threw her sword to the side and started to run after him. She tripped feeling Vox’s hand around her ankle causing her to fall to her ankles. Her head turned to see him grinning and laughing as she tried shaking him off but no use.

“Let him fall to his death!”

The angel kicked and fought as she managed to be out of his grasp in no time. She didn’t hesitate she jumped off the building and tucked her wings in giving her an advantage to fall faster. As she got closer to him she opened her wings up slowly extending her arm out to reach for him. So close. Such little time. The ground was coming up closer than expected.

Pushing her body down more the best she could she managed to wrap both her arms his body pulling him in. Her wings opened up completely as she flapped them twice and moved up so they wouldn’t hit the floor. It was a very tight save as she held onto him tightly. Her nails somewhat digging into him as she was breathing a bit heavily. She sets him down and cuts the rope off as she was still finding her composure.

“It’s okay I’m still here”

Alastor straighten himself out and then opened his arms to her as she couldn’t help but started to cry. She went right in for his hug as her arms wrapped around him tightly. Lute let the tears fall as it got into his clothing.

“I’m sorry… I thought… I thought I was going to lose you”

Alastor had given her a reassuring hug as she calmed down a bit more sniffling a bit as she felt his hand wipe away her tears.

“Don’t worry you won’t ever have to worry about losing me”

[thescarletnargacuga]

MONSTER

A HARLEQUIN AU SHOWTIME ONESHOT

Harlequin AU credit: @iamespecter @tadc-harlequin-au

Special thanks to: @sirrockem

A/N: This takes place after the events of "The way of the combat Harlequin"

WARNING: hurt/comfort, puppet nudity (not explicit)

~~~

Pomni tucked Cade into bed. "Try to get some sleep, you had a big day."

"Mom, if I see those marionettes in my dreams...I'm not too big to come sleep with you and dad, am I?" Cade looked at his mother with pleading eyes.

Pomni ran her hand comfortingly over Cade's head. "No, you're never too big to come to us for comfort. We'll always be here for you."

"Okay... goodnight, mom. Love you."

"Goodnight, Cade." Pomni gave him a kiss and left his room, leaving the door cracked to let light from the hallway inside.

Pomni slowly walked to her room. Today's events still plagued her mind. How hard she went on what she considered low level enemies. Cade's face afterwards. The very fact that she had to tell her own son that she wasn't a threat to him...

She accepted the fact that she was a killing machine a long time ago. If the idea of her directive ever bothered her, she stamped it down. It was a distraction she couldn't afford when she was on a mission.

First mission, seek and destroy....and protect? Her broken directive misguided her to the puppetmaster.

Then, missions to defeat the B.O.S.Ses. She HAD to send them to the void before they were reborn in their new forms.

But she found the moral quandary of her bloodlust harder to ignore the more enlightened she became. She was more aware of what combat felt like to her, and how much she craved it like a drug. She didn't just want to fight, she needed to. The joy she got from facing a worthy opponent was unmatched for the longest time.

Then Caine happened. His kindness, his patience, his temperament, his love for her made her feel another joy she didn't know even existed. She rationalized with herself that her urge to fight could be used only to protect and that lie became truth to her when she told it to herself enough.

She protects her city, friends, and family with her urge....but it's still an urge. She still gets antsy when she doesn't see combat for a long enough period of time. She still finds herself wishing to wander to find an even bigger and badder enemy. As much as she is her own person, she still has her vices. It wasn't until her son feared for his life in front of her that she realized how toxic it could be if left unchecked.

Pomni shut herself in the master bedroom and took off her belt, holding the sheathed sword gingerly as if it would come to life and bite her. "I'm being ridiculous...." She tried to tell herself, but her hands trembled. She dropped the sword on the floor next to her side of the bed and sat down, head in her hands. "I can control it..."

She didn't look up when Caine entered the room, dropping his cane and coat. "Ugh...those marionettes caused more trouble than they were worth. Eight puppets need to be rebuilt and revived, and security demands for the east side have gone up. We're spread thin enough as it is." He flopped on the bed next to Pomni. "How's Cade?"

Pomni took out her hair tie, letting her longer hair drape her shoulders. "Better...we had a talk."

"....are you okay?" Caine sat up, hearing the despondent tone in her voice.

Pomni took a moment to answer. "...Cade wasn't afraid of the marionettes. He was afraid of me." She held herself in an attempt to self-soothe. "You should have seen his eyes..."

Caine wrapped an arm around Pomni, holding her close next to him. "He's never seen you in actual combat. It was just a lot for him to take in."

"He wouldn't let me touch him!" Pomni almost sobbed. "He thought I would hurt him next, like I was some out of control monster!"

"Hey..." He gently held her chin. "Look at me...you are not a monster. Your detective is not your fault, and you've made leaps and bounds to use it the way you see fit, not the person who programmed you. You are Pomni: the woman I love, the mother of our child, the protector of the City of Circuits... Not one of those things makes you a monster."

Pomni had no more tears. She was spent; physically and emotionally. "Enjoying combat does, wanting it as much as I do..."

"Were you happy to see the marionettes today?" Caine asked seriously.

"....no."

"You wanted to protect Cade and the city?"

"...yes."

"Pomni, you're not what you think of yourself. Cade was frightened, anyone would be, but he doesn't hate you. No one hates you."

Pomni gave a dry laugh. "Jax might..."

Caine chuckled a little. "Jax is a special case." He looked Pomni over, she had cleaned herself off a bit before seeing Cade, but there were still dried oil stains on her clothes and skin. "Let me get you clean. You'll feel a little better refreshed."

Pomni had no energy to argue. She let Caine lead her to the bathroom and remove her clothing. Caine ran a bath as hot as Pomni could stand and gestured for her to get in while he got a cleanser and washcloth.

Pomni sank into the steaming water up to her shoulders and closed her eyes. The stress of the day melted away as her body relaxed. She let out a content sigh as Caine gently bathed her. His ungloved metal hands felt cool against her synthetic skin. Pomni leaned her head back to rest against the edge of the tub.

Caine gently scrubbed away the oil, his movements deliberate but soothing. When he finished, he focused on her hair. He brushed it out, removing the tangles and wayward strands. He loved to pamper her like this, especially when she needed it like today.

Caine left a quick kiss on Pomni's forehead. "I'll let you soak. Let me know when you're ready for bed." He got up to leave but Pomni grabbed his hand.

"Join me." As much as Pomni enjoyed the water by herself, she didn't want to be alone right now.

Caine didn't need any convincing. He stripped down and eased himself into the bath behind Pomni. He held her in his lap, leaving small kisses on her neck and shoulders. "I love you." He whispered to her.

"I love you, too." Pomni mumbled back sleepily. Between the warm water and Caine's embrace, she felt relaxed enough to rest. "I'm sorry..."

Caine furrowed. "For what?"

"That you still have to deal with my bullshit."

Caine smiled warmly and kissed her cheek. "My love, I married you. I took a vow to deal with your bullshit for the rest of my life."

Pomni smiled a little. "My condolences."

"Keep them, just give me everything else." He hugged her tighter.

"All yours." Pomni yawned. "Thank you, for this."

"My pleasure, dear." Caine held her as she drifted off. He enjoyed the bath for a little longer before blinking them both into the bed, dry as a bone. He tucked Pomni in and held her to him as he found sleep.

[mikk1n]

I just saw that beautiful illustration you posted about your oc Moira and it sparked my curiosity immensely. What's her backstory and what's her relationship with Admiral Havelock? I'm so intrigued👀 great work!!

Aww thank you so much!!! Moira is very near and dear 2 me

The fine details of her arc/story are still being planned out (she's going to feature really heavily in the Havelock backstory/biography fic currently in its planning stages), but her deal is basically, tl;dr: "Don't ask what you can do for the white Gristolian cishetero patriarchy, ask what the white Gristolian cishetero patriarchy can do for YOU."

She and her family moved to Dunwall from Morley during the famine that followed the Morley Insurrection, and she meets Havelock while living there (I think by this point he'd have already become a midshipman, but I have to take a look at his timeline again). They develop a genuine relationship and care about each other deeply, but part of the reason why she wanted Havelock specifically was his potential; they both have working class backgrounds, and while he wasn't a high-ranking officer yet, he had the potential to be one, and playing their cards right could mean elevating their wealth and status. The connections he could provide her as a military officer would also be invaluable; it pays to know the right people in Dunwall. Her family is understandably not pleased with her choice to marry a Gristolian sailor so soon after the Insurrection, but her parents baby her and her older sister wants Moira to at least have an out if Havelock turns out to be a massive piece of shit, so once it's clear that no one can change her mind, they don't try too hard to dissuade her (they do grumble though).

Moira plays officer's wife for Havelock, maintaining the family's reputation while also running her own tailoring business, using the connections she makes through her own resources and through Havelock's to propel both Havelock's career and her own. She eventually owns a shop in Drapers Ward, and her Social Game skills contribute to Havelock's promotions over the years. Even though Havelock is thoroughly loyal to the Empire, and it's dangerous to their reputation to openly believe anything else, Moira still believes strongly in Morleyan independence and I'm seriously toying with the idea of her becoming a spy for Morley at some point. She sees beating Gristol (and its class system) at its own game as the key to liberation, and she's fully willing to play any and every side against each other to achieve what she wants. She is a schemer basically lmao.

Anyway! Some Snapple cap fast facts:

She dabbles a bit in magic, making protective bonecharms for herself and her family that can be sewn into bedding or clothing.

Moira loves peaches, and her favorite perfume is a peach-based scent that's produced in Bastillian (Havelock picks up a bottle every time he's sent there).

She survived fucked up Dishonored scarlet fever as a child, and developed lupus as a teenager. She frequently uses a cane to get around.

She and Havelock are both bi and in a polycule with their friends, Penny Whitaker (my partner's OC, a civilian archaeologist) and Josef Vlasák (my OC, Havelock's childhood friend and designated Navy Blowjob Brother).

She's very good at singing :>

Her favorite colors are earth tones, particularly green.

Edited 2 add: She did not see any combat during the Insurrection, since the location of their family home meant they were out of the way of any fighting when Gristol made landfall in Morley, but her father and sister both fought in the war. They are, understandably, the most opposed to Moira marrying Farley.

Thank you for taking an interest in Moira! I don't talk a lot about my OCs but she is very near and dear to me, and I wanna draw her more. (My partner and I are also planning a Call of Cthulhu campaign with them and I am fully planning to draw a bunch of art for it. Vibrating with the force of a thousand suns.)

EDITED 2 ADD AGAIN I'm also heavily toying with an idea for an AU where instead of getting kicked out of the Navy, Havelock gets whacked post-Jessamine assassination and Moira starts the Loyalist Conspiracy (in canonverse she dies in...well currently 1818 but that's subject to change, she is dead before 1837 though). Ofc her goals are different than Havelock's :)

[dowhatteverer]

Pyrrha redesign! This started out as an idea for a different AU where Pyrrha survives the fall and Jaune dies and after Ruby's silver eyes defeat Cinder they're both taken to Atlas and Atlas gets an entire revamp because it was kind of disappointing in the actual show- but then I realized that I don't have time to work on two Ruby AUs because I have a original book I'm supposed to be writing and decided that this would just be Pyrrha's remnant city design because I thought the more tomboyish look for with my new "everything on team JNPR is a tomboy/tomgirl because it was weird that they weren't when their entire concept is because their character allusions crossdressed" thing.

Ok so Pyrrha has gotta be one of if not my favorite designs in the show. Her outfit is only practical in some parts while the rest was clearly designed because sexy warrior makes weebs swoon, but the color composition, the leg armor, the head piece? Just generally being a very gorgeous character? Perfection! I wanted to keep all of my favorite elements in this design but change it up a bit so she's more protected and not as sexualized, but still very beautiful.

The leg piece as you can see is a mobility aid. I thought that since I'm letting Yang keep her prosthetic arm, I might as well give Pyrrha a limp from a damaged foot (because this was originally for a completely different AU where her leg got injured and she lived) and this is a transformable brace that she uses during combat, but it's very taxing on her knees because it makes her legs uneven and it attaches to her calf so it won't put pressure on her foot, which can get sore very quickly. So whenever she's not in combat, she uses a cane. Yay for more disabled characters!

Team JNPR aren't going to be super important to my AU because I want to focus on Qrow, Ironwood, and Penny and having team JNPR still be the B team would be just too many characters to keep track of. But I still want them to be present in the story.