#Lemme know what you think!

[chxrrylungs]

hi can i ask what deans cutie mark means in the my little hunter thing? :)))))

absolutely!! figured i'd give all three of them an explanation to the best of my abilities

[lena-in-a-red-dress]

Alt Assistant Pt 7 (finale)

Kara reflexively keeps her distance from Lena, for all of two days, until she realizes that while respecting Lena's boundaries is important, she does not have to respect any boundary set by Lex.

She comes to this conclusion late Sunday night, and makes a point to be in the office early to make her point. She's lucky Lena's already there, plugging miserably away at a spreadsheet R&D had sent to her the Friday before. Kara plunks down her boss's coffee of the desk, nearly sloshing it, and scowls when Lena turns her gaze up at her.

"You don't have to do everything your brother tells you," she says, far more scathingly than she intends. It backfires when Lena interprets her tone as petulance.

"I hardly think two days without sex warrants a tantrum Miss Danvers," she responds coolly. Her gaze returns to her computer. "Nor do our trysts qualify you to pass judgement on my relationship with my brother."

"I know you better than you think," Kara snaps. "And living under Lex's thumb isn't a good look on you."

At that, Lena's gaze snaps back up with razor sharp precision, skewering Kara to the spot. Her jaw tightens. "My respect for my brother--"

"Isn't respect!" Kara bites back. She knows she skirts the limits of Lena's goodwill, but she can't help the anger and resentment that bubbles up. "It's control, and you know it."

At that, Lena's scowl deepens, but her focus skitters away, proving the veracity of Kara's accusation.

"You are your own person," Kara pushes. "And you're capable of making your own decisions."

Lena's moment of concession evaporates with a scowl. "Get out."

It's enough to make Kara see red, but she manages to keep her temper in check.

"Fine," she clips out. She turns on her heel and marches towards the door, only to pause with her fingers wrapped in a fist around the handle. "And maybe you should think why Lex has such a problem with you being fucking happy for once."

With that, she yanks the door open and all but slams it shut behind her when she leaves.

----

Prepping a charity gala isn't easy-- or fun-- when they can hardly stand to be in the same room together without snapping. It involves a lot of "fines"s and "just get it done"s and "yes, miss luthor"s, but it eventually culminates in a lavish, extravagant affair that the guests seem to enjoy.

Kara hovers in her floor length gown that snugs in all the right places, yet leaves her arms bare to give her room to actually work during set up, and now cools her down as she takes a moment to breathe.

She knows Lena is here, by way of a curt text received an hour ago, but has yet to actually see her in the throng of well-dressed patrons. She does see Lex though, who somehow manages to look smug even as he glowers at her. It's nearly halfway through the night when Kara finally catches a glimpse of her boss.

Her mouth promptly goes dry.

Lena's dressed in a black chiffon dress that hugs her hips. When she turns, Kara sees the thin straps that leave the ivory skin of her back largely bare-- and the long silver chain that dangles against Lena's spine.

The vision is so distracting that it takes Kara a long moment to notice that Lena had turned towards a tug on her wrist, and that it was Lex who now gripped it tightly.

Kara watches their heated exchange of hissed words until Lena finally wrenches her wrist free of her brother's grasp. Lex's features darken as he issues what can only be a final warning before taking his leave. Lena watches him go for a long moment before finally turning.

Their eyes lock.

In that moment, Lena is laid bare-- Kara can see the shock of their unexpected connection (Lena has been avoiding her), and registers the brief up-and-down of Lena's gaze as she's scanned by wide green eyes. Then, Kara sees that dreaded word again: don't.

Only this time it's not directed at Kara, but rather inward, a silent scold towards Lena herself, combating the flush of desire written clear across Lena's cheeks. But then, almost as soon as it appears, it's eclipsed by a sudden hardening of Lena's gaze, now resolute as Lena comes to a conclusion known only to her.

Kara stares as Lena marches towards her, determined and unflinching. She barely has the time to grin before her arms are full of Lena, and warm hands sandwich her face fiercely as she's kissed long and deep.

When Lena comes up for air, breathless words come tumbling out.

"You're fired," she says. Their foreheads rest together, and Lena's hands have yet to move from where her thumbs rub gently against Kara's cheeks.

Now, Kara does grin.

"About time," she growls, and pulls Lena into another searing kiss. Kara senses the eyes on them, but doesn't bother to look to see if Lex's is among them.

Screw them, Kara thinks, savoring the taste of Lena's lips and the glide of their tongues together.

Screw them all.

[renatogpadilla]

Bright Ideas

To say she was surprised that Lux actually came back would be an understatement.

Jinx was beginning to think she'd put up that little target range outside her hut for nothing when the neigh of a very nervous horse reached her ears.

The glowy girl strode up to her with an air of... Scholarly whimsy. Like when you go to class and find out the fun teacher took the place of your most hated class. Like she was excited to learn.

Jinx had to wonder if she'd ever looked like that when she watched her sister shadow-box with the rest of the kids back in Zaun... She probably had. It wasn't often she wondered what she would look like today if she had learned to throw a proper punch back then, but there were moments.

And now, here came this little blond meerkat of a girl, with an absolute stallion at her back. White as a sheet and with two beady black eyes that seemed to go on endlessly into the void of the creature's soul... Or maybe that was just Jinx's imagination. Every time she tried to hold eye contact, Starfire neighed and turned its head away nervously.

"Once, I was the greatest criminal in two whole cities and brought upon Marshall Law by virtue of just existing nearby..." She thought, missing a little bit of those days... And the company they brought. Just a little. "Now, I freak horses out. What an upgrade."

"Hello, Isha." Lux said. "You look in good spirits."

Gods, it's barely bright, how is she THIS SUNNY this early?

"Flashlight! You didn't chicken out!" There was genuine surprise there. Most girls that ran into Jinx felt the imperious need to bolt in the other direction...

Most girls... Some didn't. Some got close. And when you're a walking jinx, whatever gets close has a tendency to explode eventually...

Focus. Don't think about that. Why would you even think about her at a time like this?

"It wouldn't have been very ladylike of me to refuse such a rare offer." Lux said. She... Didn't quite know where that came from. There was a buzzing in her today. She threw in a curtly bow, just because.

Isha answered in kind, albeit more mockingly.

"Consider me surprised AND excited!" Isha said. "Alright, Your Sparklyness! Let's see what you've got! Feast your eyes!"

She made the most showgirl presentation hand motion she could muster towards the makeshift firing range. A bunch of metal targets and dummies, cobbled together for the express purpose of being lit up by a girl Jinx had met only last night. What an honor.

Lux put a hand on her heart. "Oh, Isha, it looks lovely!" There were even little faces painted on some of them to make them look more menacing.

That was NOT the reaction Jinx had been expecting. Usually people felt like her little art exhibitions were scary or uncanny... This girl was either secretly a freak or in desperate need of getting out of the house. Did she live in a house? Maybe she lived in a castle like some fairytale princess made to give her author some semblance of excitement... Or Vi a wet dream every once in a while. She'd caught her looking at those story books in ways nobody should look at anything in public as kids... She just wished that princess kink (if that's what it was) hadn't led her to- Wait, she had been going somewhere with this train of thought. What station was this again? This was not her stop.

"Isha?" Meerkat eyes. Say something.

"Wuzzat?" Smooth, Jinx. Professional.

"Target practice? Isn't that why I'm here today?"

"Oh, yeah! It is!" Jinx got excited now. She'd get to see how dangerous this girl really was! "Here's what I've got: You knocked me on my ass while panicking, right? Well, that ain't easy, so I got curious to see what that glow of yours could do when you're actually trying. This is all you!"

Lux didn't know how excited she was about this precise moment until it was here.

To Lux, it saw an opportunity to let go... To let herself shine for once without regret or care of what others thought... A chance to be free and discover what that was like for once. But it was also kinda terrifying. What if she glowed too much? What if she hurt her new... Friend? Teacher? Experimenter? Huh. She hadn't thought of that. She'd go with "friend" for now. That felt the most appropriate.

She just hoped Isha didn't mind a little premature sunning.

She took a few steps forward, to the rim of the range, took aim at a dummy with a little metal top hat and what looked like a cupcake painted on its chest and attempted to shoot it.

Full disclosure here: Lux had never attempted to actively hurt anything before. Every time her magic had manifested, it had ALWAYS been in self defense.

Which might explain why, when she actually took aim and "fired", all that came out was a little stream of dancing sparkles. Not enough to hurt nothing, but they looked pretty! They splatted harmlessly against the training dummy and with a soft glow, silently disappeared.

Isha let out a chuckle. "Not bad! Maybe with A bit more practice you'll manage some sunburn!"

"It's not as easy as it looks." Lux retorted. "Every time I've done it I've felt something incredibly strong. Survival instinct, or anger or just... Something raw. I guess that's the best way to put it... It's harder when I push it."

Isha's face didn't get any softer, but she did seem to be turning some gears in her head.

"Okay, that's a start." Isha told her. And she let a huge grin grow on her face. "So we start raw!"

"Excusez-moi?" Lux HAD to have heard that wrong. Whoah. Accent slip... Reign it in, Luxanna.

"Bless you." Isha responded. "How did your powers first manifest? What made you light up the first time?"

Oh, that was an ask... Probably the scariest moment of her life at the time.

"I was..." Deep breaths, Lux. "I was out riding when it got late. I lost track of time, so I took Starfire here through a shortcut through the woods. I wasn't supposed to, but I wanted a thrill. Young and impressionable, you know?"

Yeah, she knew. She nodded and let her continue.

"I learned the hard way that some rules are there for a reason. Star and I were set upon by a pack of wolves." She was not exactly happy re-living that particular memory. "They chased us deeper into the forest and eventually knocked me off the saddle. I remember their breath, their fangs... One pounced on me and next thing I knew, the pack was gone and there was light coming out of my hands."

That had been the day Lux discovered she was a Mage. The day she started hiding.

Isha took a little while, looking pensive, or trying to, at least, until she finally spoke up.

"Well, I have an idea. But you're probably not gonna like it."

Don't be 'think about the fangs'. Don't be 'think about the fangs'! Lux thought.

"Think about the fangs."

Fuck!

"Isha..." She didn't notice how much she was trembling.

A supporting hand reached her shoulder.

"I know what it's like to come face-to-face with something traumatic." Especially when that something has fangs and claws and acts on survival instinct, she thought, but she wasn't going to bring up her dad now. Or ever, if given the choice. "But the thing about fear is that the moment always looks brighter in hindsight. And you, Lux, actually have the power to make things brighter! The fangs can't hurt you now. You're in control." She was REALLY glad nobody from Zaun could see her now. She had a psychopathic reputation to uphold!

Seemed to do the trick, though.

"Can't hurt me." Lux said, more to herself than to Isha. And then she sent her mind back. Back to that horrible moment of adrenaline-fueled fight-or-flight state from back when she had no fight in her yet...

Her breathing got faster. Shallower. Jinx thought she might be having a panic attack. Lord knows she knew the signs! "Um, Lux? Listen, you don't have to go that hard, maybe this was a bad-"

Then she hit the deck as fast as her Shimmer-enhanced reflexes allowed her. It happened instantly! Lux turned around, the palms of her hands starting to glow and then...

Well, funny thing about light: It doesn't usually make noise! Jinx had no frame of reference for when to get up... Until Lux's voice got to her.

"Isha? Are you okay?" She sounded guilty... Like her letting loose wasn't the whole point of being here today! "I'm so sorry, I hope... Gods, I really hope you didn't spend too much time on that."

Jinx got up, turned around, and faced the firing range. Or rather, the sunburnt, steaming, borderline-calcinated ash-splatter that used to be the firing range...

It was like a nuke went off. Whatever wasn't dust, or a black mark on the floor of the forest, was melted and twisted in ways Jinx couldn't replicate without a forge and a good few hours' work.

It was at this exact moment that she realized that she was NOT letting this girl go without learning to focus that. No way in Hell. There had been a LOT of facets of her life that blew up in her face (in fact, most of them did. It was honestly a miracle when one didn't), but if Lux decided to go nuclear one day... Jinx was powerful enough to tank several hits from the Atlas Gloves, her sister's "overdesigned bitch-mittens" that gave her super strength. She could move at speeds the eye couldn't track for short bursts of time. Hell, she could be put through a brick wall and walk it off like it was nothing... But an angry Lux?

She would NOT walk away from that.

"Well... She said, suddenly feeling like Fishbones was about to need an upgrade... "We can work with that."

[kvothes]

do u have any spn fic recs in which theres an important presence of angelic grace and the like. ur fic which was awesome and indeed v mary oliver I have wrestled with the angel and I am stained with light and I have no shame has made me crave a lil bit more. thank you for all ur work etc

MARY OLIVER I HAVE WRESTLED WITH THE ANGEL AND I AM STAINED WITH LIGHT AND I HAVE NO SHAME!!!!!!!!!!!!! yeah lemme see what i got in my bookmarks :)

hold me fast and fear me not by starry_eyed_guttersnipe - cas trueform transformations! love this one

Love Languages by tiamatv - less grace more soul but very good

I said show me something by ilovehowyouletmefall - mind/soul melding

closer (isn’t close enough) by fleeceframe - grace healing

Just A Touch by sobsicles - cas’s grace is personified!

the home we make together by vaudelin - dean injects himself with remnants of cas’s grace to get him out of the empty

[juduseye]

Sova x Chamber WIP under the cut :D

Paris at night was a sight to behold, the city drenched in gold and shadows, its streets glistening under the warm glow of lamplights. Sova had been to the city a couple of times in the past, but only in passing, never to stay. His memories of Paris were hazy, tied to fleeting moments of transit—airports, train stations, dimly lit street corners seen from a distance, always on the move, never stopping to absorb the atmosphere. But now, here he was, not slinking through the streets like a fugitive but strolling like any other traveler, albeit with a purpose.

It was only yesterday that Brimstone had called him into his office for what he expected to be just another post-mission brief. But when he entered, there was Chamber standing beside Brimstone already, arms crossed, a serious face betraying nothing of what he was thinking. Brimstone immediately launched into a new mission brief for the two of them. The mission itself was straightforward, not particularly dangerous—scout a specific sector of Paris that Omega Earth agents had been active in, report back any thing of use, intervene if necessary. Simple reconnaissance. But the mission was to last a couple of days, and Sova’s skills made him the perfect match to pair with Chamber, the team’s resident Paris native.

A day later, they had found themselves dropped off in Normandy, where they boarded a sleek train bound for Paris. The city greeted them as night began to fall, wrapping the streets in a cool, twilight embrace. And now, as they walked through the quiet streets toward their hotel—a six-star establishment in one of the city’s most opulent quarters—Sova couldn’t help but feel slightly out of place.

“Six stars?” Sova had asked earlier, incredulous, when Chamber had sent him the hotel link while they sat in the plush, first-class seats on the train. “I didn’t know hotels went past five.”

Chamber had chuckled at that, “They do in Paris. Only the best, mon petit ami.”

But that was to be expected when Chamber had handled everything—the hotel, the train, even ensuring their luggage was sent directly to the room ahead of their arrival. When Sova had suggested taking a car from the station, Chamber had waved the idea away. “I want to stretch my legs,” he had said, his voice carrying that air of easy confidence. “Besides, Paris at night is something you need to experience in person, not drive through.”

They had been walking for a while now, passing through the quiet streets, the hum of the city alive around them. Chamber walked with purpose, but there was a lightness to his steps, a sense that he was taking in the city as if it were an old friend. Recollecting pleasant, old memories that only him and the city were privy to. Sova, however, was growing impatient. They had a mission, and though Chamber seemed at ease, Sova couldn’t shake the feeling that time was slipping away. As they neared an intersection, Sova glanced around, scanning the buildings and mentally replaying the route he had memorized back on the train.

“We were supposed to turn there,” he muttered, keeping his voice low but clear enough for Chamber to hear.

Chamber checked his watch, unbothered. “Yes, but we are taking a small detour.”

Sova barely contained a frustrated huff, his patience thinning. He was tired, eager to reach the hotel, and yet here they were, wandering through the streets like aimless tourists, like they didn’t have a mission. But he bit his tongue and continued walking beside Chamber, unwilling to voice his annoyance just yet. What on earth could this detour be worth?

After a few more minutes, Sova had had enough. He opened his mouth, about to speak up when Chamber suddenly gestured for him to follow, leading him through a narrow alleyway. The walls seemed to close in around them as they walked through the dim, winding path, Sova’s senses sharpening as the urban noise faded. His instincts flared, alert to every shift in the shadows. But when they emerged on the other side, the alley opened up into a secluded, grassy area, hidden away from the bustling streets of the city. The atmosphere changed instantly—peaceful, almost serene.

Sova blinked, surprised by the sudden change in atmosphere. It was quiet here, almost peaceful, and as he walked forward, the cityscape stretched out before him in all its glory. He stepped forward, the sound of his shoes muffled by the grass, and approached the thin metal railing that separated them from the Seine below. 

The Seine’s waters shimmered faintly under the night sky, the river winding its way through the heart of the city like a vein of silver. The buildings on the other side rose tall and proud, their windows flickering with soft light. It was beautiful, Sova had to admit, though he still didn’t see the point of this detour. Couldn’t this have waited? 

He glanced over at Chamber, who stood just behind him, checking his watch yet again. He looked up and caught Sova’s gaze, a soft smile tugging at his lips. “Right on time,” he murmured, his voice carrying a note of satisfaction. He tilted his head toward the view behind Sova. “Look.”

Sova turned, and his breath caught in his throat. The Eiffel Tower, barely visible before, suddenly came to life. Sparkling golden lights began to cascade from its peak, twinkling and glittering down to its base like falling stars. It illuminated the night with a brilliance that was almost otherworldly, casting a warm, golden halo over the city. The lights danced across the skyline, reflecting off the water and casting long shadows that seemed to move in time with the flickering glow.

For the first time, Sova found himself truly speechless. He had seen the Eiffel Tower before, of course, but never like this. Never so close, never with such intensity. He didn’t even know it lit up like this. He turned slowly to face Chamber, whose eyes were already on him, watching his reaction with quiet satisfaction.

“You planned this,” Sova said, his voice low, almost accusing, but there was no anger behind the words—only awe.

Chamber shrugged, that familiar smirk playing on his lips. “I wanted you to see it like this. It’s different when you take the time to enjoy it, non?”

Sova looked back at the tower, the golden lights still shimmering, casting a warm glow over them both. He took a deep breath, the cool night air filling his lungs, and for the first time since they had arrived, he felt at ease.

“You may be right,” Sova admitted quietly.

They stood in silence for a few moments, both taking in the view. And though Sova had come to Paris for the mission, at that moment, he found himself grateful for Chamber’s detour. Maybe it was worth the extra time walking.

“Shall we?” Chamber asked eventually, his voice soft but full of warmth.

Sova glanced at him, his lips curving into the faintest smile. “Yes,” he said. “Let’s go.”

[madamairlock]

Tried something new with this, courtesy of @caitylove's title suggestion!

[5ivebyfive]

shut up and drive - chapter three: your lips are movin'

Trini is looking forward to start her new career as a rookie cop. She isn't the best at relationships, so she goes out one night just looking for a thrill. Then she stumbles on a scene that is not her scene at all and more thrill than she asked for, and she meets a woman that is the most annoying, obnoxious woman she's ever met. A woman she wouldn't go for in a million years. At least...that's what she thinks.

[dollopheadedmerlin]

Yall are gonna learn about my OCs now

I'm planning out a book that takes place in a universe where Mimes, Jesters, and Clowns are all types of peoples, their markings a part of their skin instead of makeup and their cultures twisting aspects of entertainment into ritual.

This is Humor, the Jester

He's an idiot.

Jesters live most often in small settlements and communities. They have the most potent and versatile magic, though it varies from person to person. All jesters, however, have the innate ability to conjure bells made of gold, which is unique to them. They use this in their culture, gifting them to each other as signs of respect or gratitude. You will often see a newborn baby with only two bells, from either of it's parents. Or perhaps a few more if they have a larger family. But as they grow, they earn more bells and adorn them to their clothing.

Any village of substantial size will have gathering tent where ceremonies are hosted (name giving, unions, funerals, etc.). Often these are run by the Ringmaster, which is an assumed position by the member with the most bells. This is because the more bells someone has earned, then more their people respect them. So overtime the most helpful or kind or wise member of the group will become akin to a village elder and wordlessly assume the roll of Ringmaster. They often have the most powerful magic of their group, since possessing strong gifts lends to aiding others. It is not a guarantee, however, as there are other ways to earn bells than magical feats. Some Ringmasters are simply very knowledgeable, or strategic.

Humor is very much not the Ringmaster of his group. He is an entertainer, often wearing face paint that resembles the Queen's markings and mocking the higher class in performances riddled with warnings.

This is because the Queen has exhausted all of the natural resources of gold. So the only way to obtain gold now is to steal from Jesters, as their bells are the only renewable source. But, as bells are very important to their culture, the jesters do not give her gold willingly, so she has been known to pillage jester villages and settlements to steal their riches.

Clowns make up the majority of the upperclass, most of them living in the City or the Circus. They value beauty above all else, the queen being obsessed with her own appearance, spending her days standing in her throne room, surrounded by mirrors as others do her bidding.

Clown society has curated a taste for certain traits; bright, saturated colors, symmetry, detailed markings, large, dark eyes, as well as a few specific features such as "masks", "gloves", "socks", blush, and red noses.

Those who do not fit these standards are mocked at best, and actively targeted at worst. There are those who do not agree with these standards and will purposefully "ruin" their markings with modifications, but they are often arrested for their protest.

This also leads to the want of pretty things. Which is why the queen hoards gold, melting it down into fanciful adornments and decor for herself and her castle.

Mimes, on the other hand, are typically nomadic. They arguable have the strongest magic, but it is more restricted. They are able to make indestructible invisible structures by mining where they wish to place them. These structures remain indefinitely until the mime who placed it mimes it away, or the mime is no longer able to actively manifest it. These structures rely on the concentration or meditation of the mimes to exist. So if a mime if knocked unconscious or leaves the area, the structure may vanish.

Their markings only appear in grey, black, and white. And they have no vocal cords, instead speaking a form of sign language. They do not have spoken names. Their names in sign are often comprised of movements tracing a prominent marking of theirs. For example, the mime above would have a name that looks like tracing two fingers along the lines that start above their eyes and then tapping the cheeks where the lines turn into dots. A mime with two recognizable dots on either side of their nose, may have a name that appears as rubbing two circles into that spot with two fingers. If perhaps a mime is known to have a large, flower like marking on their chest, miming a bloom coming from your chest could be the sign for their name.

Because of their magic, the Queen has employed many of them in her castle, most commonly to run the dungeons. The mimes are often coerced into working for her, with hostages or threats to their communities, so they work dutifully, even if they secretly support her demise.

They maintain the cells in the dungeon, putting up their impenetrable walls in shifts to keep in prisoners. Few dare to let convicts escape, as the punishment for doing so is incredibly dire.

When they are left to live freely, mimes typically travel in groups, needing no shelter or belongings, aside from scavenging for food. They mime roofs above their heads when it rains, and lay upon invisible platforms to sleep, taking turns keeping watch to warn for danger, as well as keep the structures in place.

They also have tails, because why not

[prouvaireafterdark]

another Sunday, another sneak peek at my ethics professor Louis (with grad student Armand POV) fic, featuring some devil's minion this time because WHY NOT?

***

Armand lets out a long, resigned sigh. “Come here.”

Daniel crawls up the length of Armand’s body until he’s lying in the cradle of his thighs. Armand guides Daniel's head to his neck and wraps his arms around him, enjoying the way Daniel sinks into him, eager for any warmth and affection Armand is willing to give him.

It’s easier to speak this way, with the weight of Daniel’s body tethering him to his own, his head tucked under Armand’s chin so he doesn’t have to meet his eyes.  

“I need him to want me,” Armand sighs. 

Daniel goes very still on top of him, the gentle tracing of his fingers over his skin ceasing altogether.

“Dr. du Lac, I mean,” he clarifies hastily. “As a research assistant.”

Daniel relaxes, letting out a slow breath.

“To get away from de Romanus,” he spits the name like poison from his mouth.

“Yes,” Armand says simply. 

The silence between them is deafening as Armand braces for the inevitable.

“I still don’t get why you won’t let me write an exposé on that creepy fucker,” Daniel complains. “I’m an investigative journalism major and the editor of the school paper for Christ’s sake, it’s literally what I’m trained to do.”

There it is.

“We’ve been over this, Daniel,” Armand sighs, exhausted from this conversation already.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, he’s an important scholar, he has tenure, you don’t want to rock the boat since you’re new to the department, I get it,” he says, agitation clear in his voice. “But he shouldn’t be allowed to pull the shit he’s pulled with you with no consequences. I mean, shit, you had bruises on your arm the last time we hooked up and I know you didn’t get them from falling into a doorknob.”

“You were high, you don’t know what you remember,” Armand shoots back, almost automatically, and he regrets the words as soon as they come out of his mouth.

[isadora-greenhall]

DnDads Halloween Week 2k23

Day 1: Watching horror movies

Okay, so I’m giving up getting this finished today, but I’m gonna post what I have so far! It’s a gothcleats date night where they watch a beloved creepy kids film together.

Under the cut so it’s not too long 🫡🙌🏼

(Tentatively titled) Too Close to Home

They’d been planning on going to a fancy restaurant together for their one year anniversary, but about an hour before they were going to leave Linc had received an email regrettably informing them the restaurant had lost power in the storm, and wouldn’t be up again until tomorrow. Lincoln had been relieved — the place wasn’t really his style — and when he’d told Scary she’d looked relieved too.

“Sorry,” Linc had said. “Do you want to head home, or…?”

She’d scoffed. “No? It’s our anniversary?”

Our anniversary. He loved the sound of that. “Well, we could watch a movie?”

Scary’s eyes shone at that. “Ooh, something spooky?”

“Well, we don’t really have horror movies…”

“I didn’t say horror, you dork,” she said affectionately. “Spooky. Like Over the Garden Wall. Man, I love that show. Those pumpkin freaks? Pure nightmare fuel.”

Linc led her over to his family’s DVD collection - Marco had a thing for physical media - and had a quick flip through. Nightmare Before Christmas? No. Paranorman?Nah. Corpse Bride? Maybe. Labyrinth? He moved his body in the way of that film so she wouldn’t spot it — they’d tried to watch it together once before and Linc had found himself getting more jealous as the film went on, because of the way Scary was glued to the screen each time David Bowie and his stupid tight pants were on screen. Not that he could fully blame her…

Then he spotted it. “Coraline!” He pulled it off the shelf and showed it to Scary. “What do you think?”

She looked blank. “Never seen it.”

“What?! I love this film, super creepy.”

She smirked at him. “Is there an orange cat in it?”

“No! …A black one…”

She laughed. “Okay, sold.”

Linc slipped the DVD into the player then they cuddled down together on the couch as the haunting opening of the film began. He could feel Scary beside him, watching awed as the doll was altered to turn into the girl on the cover — blue hair, a yellow raincoat.

She sat, silent and rapt for so long…until Coraline found herself in the Other World and met the Other Mother and Other Father, at which point Linc felt her stiffen beside him. And as the film went on she seemed more and more tense. Lincoln had no idea what went wrong - he was sure she’d love this film, it was edgy and dark and was made in the “coolest animation style ever” (Taylor hadn’t spoken to Scary for a month after she’d declared that). He didn’t know what to do - she hated it when he made decisions for her, and she hadn’t said she wanted them to turn the film off yet.

But then the Other Mother revealed her true colours, and Scary made a small, anguished sound, and Linc decided to call it. He paused the film and turned to her. “Are you okay?”

She didn’t answer for a second, just staring at the screen. Linc winced when he realises it was paused on a shot of the skeletal form of the Beldam, grinning viciously, hands reaching for the girl with dyed hair.

She pulled her knees up to her chest and tugged the shirt down over them - Linc tried not to wince at how that would stretch his shirt. “I just…it hit too close to home, alright?”

“In what way?”

Scary looked like she wanted to die rather than admit it. She waved a hand vaguely at the screen. “An angry mom, a pathetic dad…people changing. Becoming worse. I don’t know, man.”

[alicevandrusen]

I just needed to go home for a while.

[tinylittleclaws]

Hopping on the wolf train :]

[inkskinned]

she's singing in another room and my dog is asleep at my feet. my grandma asked me why i haven't found a man yet and i laughed. oh, you know. i like my house clean.

my girlfriend is also my man is also "my partner" if i'm in a professional setting. yesterday we went to a ren faire and a man mimed at me - you're together? and at my delighted nod, his baffled, you're gay? made me laugh. a woman with rainbow hair said i love the two of you together. you're both so beautiful it's absurd.

my dad introduced my partner as my "..... friend. or whatever" the other day. he knows we're dating. in the same way, i was never able to get my sister's husband to stop saying that's gay like it's 2008. he still uses the word fa***t, and my sister's defense of him has always been well, he's just kidding.

my lover and i dance to old music in a tiny kitchen. we judge new music together and take food critique very seriously. we watch love is blind before we fall asleep and agree that if they had a queer season, it would be bloody but also make for excellent tv. of fucking course queer people would know someone for only 2 weeks and agree to get married. what are you saying.

at a bar with friends, a man puts his hand on my wrist. got a boyfriend? and yes, i do have a boyfriend, she's amazing. i am texting her while i wander around a gas station named after geese. i am visiting a swing state for a wedding. in the candy aisle i overhear: she's actually like a lesbian it's disgusting. two teenage girls with packaged sandwiches in their hands, giggling. no literally, like. i'm not, like. okay with her being there while we're all, like, naked and changing.

my girlfriend and i tailgate, drink gin and cider out of cups. from the frat group beside us, a man corrects himself with one of his friends: bro, i mean, nonbinary entity, and it makes everyone around him laugh, myself included. he razzes his friend the same way i would have killed for at 19 years old - like nothing happened, he continues: you apply sunscreen like an alien. he does a little sassy (and fairly accurate) dance interpretation of the motion. his friend is laughing so hard they're crying.

i am lucky, i live in a safe neighborhood in a safe state. my masc passenger princess comes up from DC. i drive her for an hour to where all the leaves are a violent arrangement of color. we walk along the trails, letting autumn into our blood. in this part of the state, there's a lot of pickup trucks and trump signs. when we chastely kiss before getting into the car, i accidentally make eye contact with a woman holding her child's wrist. she looks disgusted. she looks fucking pissed.

two hours later my girl and i are eating dinner on a patio, soaking in the last warmth of new england sun before the chill of winter sets in. we are giggling and trying to talk through plastic vampire teeth. at another table, i see a young woman sit up straighter. i watch her watch us. she blushes and takes her partner's hand from across the table. shy, like the taste of evening has just become something deeper.

it's worth it for this moment, i think. my lover is still humming the same song she's been singing for four days straight and i don't want to kill her for it. her guitar is beside my bed. her toothbrush is in my bathroom. in a few moments i will make us lunch. we are lucky enough to have found each other. it is lucky enough to be in love.

[renatogpadilla]

So much for a Witch:

Lux' goose was well and truly cooked.

Not only was this woman CLEARLY Not Okay™, she also, as it turned out, wasn't even a Mage at all.

"Yeah, the whole 'Witch of the Woods' thing is more of a nickname thing." The catscratchy voice of Isha the not-a-witch said. "People were scared of all my silly little tricks and just stuck that on me, so I just kinda ran with it."

Lux had been in Isha's hut for about an hour now while she calmed down, and so far she had far more questions than answers.

As it turned out, the reason the Mageseekers hadn't bothered with her (beyond being scared shitless, of course) was because she didn't actually do or possess any kind of natural Magic whatsoever.

Random explosions in the woods? Apparently a little contraption called 'Chompers': Small grenades with mechanical teeth that she was quite adept at making. Random bolts of lightning in the middle of a clear-sky night? That was Zapper, the little humming 'gun' of her own invention that shot electricity to paralyze whatever she was cooking for food that day.

As a matter of fact, almost every single thing in the woods that went bump! in the night could be attributed to one of her inventions.

Lux would have been impressed if she hadn't been trying to suppress a panic attack for the last 30 minutes.

The hut itself is nice, though! She thought to distract herself.

Just as scrappy inside as it looked on the outside, it was composed of exactly one big wooden table in the middle of the room, a couch, if you could call it that, and an equally ramshackle excuse of a counter where she kept the cups and other small utensils. Bits of metal trinkets hung around like small chimes with different patterns and little faces painted on them. There was a wooden door (if you could call it that) that Lux assumed led to Isha's room.

All in all, the place had some character for a one-person hut in the middle of the woods.

Still, it wasn't helping that she had been completely wrong about the kind of person she was here to meet. Lux had come to the woods thinking she would meet a kindred spirit. A fellow Mage, seasoned and unflinching, that might maybe teach her how to control her powers!

She had NOT expected to meet a mad tinkerer in the middle of the woods who wasn't even that far from her own age. She was, definitely more chill than when she first met her. Still a little jumpy, but sprawled out on her couch, Isha looked almost... Relaxed? Like there wasn't a worry or care in the world that could get to her.

If nothing else, Lux had to admire the confidence.

"So... Luxanna, right?" Isha's voice was like that of a cat playing with her food... Lux nodded her head.

"Call me Lux." She took a sip from her cup of tea. She was almost afraid to ask what the tea was made of. "And I'm sorry to bother you. I thought I was walking into something entirely different."

"Heh. If I had a nickel."

"Listen, miss Isha-"

"Just Isha's fine. No need to get formal. You're gonna make me feel old."

"Alright... Isha. I can't tell you how imperative it is that nobody knows what I just did. If the secret comes out, it could put my entire family in danger."

"What, the glowy thing? That's all you, though, right?" She answered, sitting up. She put Zapper aside, finally. Lux hadn't noticed at which point it had stopped glowing.

"Well, yes, it is innately mine, but..." How does she even explain it. Isha was definitely not Demacian... "It's not something I can entirely control."

Isha got up and sat on the table (ON the table, mind you) next to her. Definitely close to her age, now that the hood was off. Maybe a year older, tops. From this close, Lux noticed her middle finger on her left hand was mechanical. There was a story there Lux stopped herself from asking.

"Well, I can understand that. So you came out here looking for guidance and found a crazy lady living in the woods! That sounds like it sucks. So what, you tryin' to get rid of the glow?"

That question seemed to strike a nerve... "No! I... I don't think I am... I just want to learn how to control it... How to hide it." Oh, but did she? It was a part of her... But it was so dangerous!

Isha's legs swung from the table carelessly. She didn't say anything, but her eyes said that she wanted to pry. Gods, that violet was PIERCING into Lux's soul...

"Well, you're outta luck there. I can't really help you with that." Magic wasn't her strong suit. She was way better at fixing broken machines than people. Hah! There was a funny thought! Her, of all people, fixing someone! Yeah, sure. That'll be the day... "I know what it's like to walk on eggshells, though. Must feel like shit."

Lux genuinely couldn't tell if she was trying to mock her or make her feel better... And did this girl just... not blink? Ever? She felt under a microscope. She couldn't think of something to say. She just stared at her tea for a little while.

"Have you tried embracing it?"

The words themselves weren't entirely unexpected. But them coming from the girl sitting on the table was a surprise Lux wasn't ready for.

"Well, I've tried to learn what I can. But it's not as simple as deciding I want to glow every second of every day... My family... My older brother, he hunts Mages for a living. He knows about me, but it rends him in two having to choose between his duty and me. If I were to be fully outed, he'd lose everything he's ever worked for. Not to mention we'd both be imprisoned for treason..."

That's right, Lux. Make it about Garen. Don't talk about yourself at all. Why would you? What good is it thinking of yourself that much when others depend on you so much?

Something changed in Isha at that point. "Oh, Gods." She thought to herself. "Overbearing older sibling sworn to hunt you down? Yeah, I know how THAT feels..."

She was beginning to relate to the little glowing girl in her living room... That could be a problem...

But maybe (and she REALLY wished she didn't feel this in the moment) maybe it was something she could fix.

"Tell you what. If you've nowhere to stay tonight, you can sleep on the couch." She said it non-chalantly, but Lux still perked up like a meerkat. Damn, her eyes are HUGE, thought the not-witch.

"I couldn't possibly trouble you."

"it's no trouble. Call it... Professional curiosity." She REALLY wanted to see how much damage that light of hers could cause... Helping the girl was secondary. Yeah. That was it. She was in it for the chaos. That's all it was. When was it ever anything else? "Tomorrow, when you wake up, we can explore that little light of yours."

The words "little light" made something in Lux twist and churn, but she knew Isha meant well. Nevermind what Sylas called her in their own time...

"Is that really right with you? You don't even know me." She HAD to ask... Maybe this was another trap.

"I don't mind either way. I'll be real with you, Flashlight, I've been here a while now and you're the most interesting thing that's happened so far. I REALLY shouldn't get involved with this, but what can I say? I see something go 'boom!' and I just gotta see what makes it tick."

That was... disturbingly reassuring. Lux thought she might be going crazy... But maybe it was just the tea.

"I appreciate it, but my horse will be wondering where I am."

"Suit yourself. Maybe you can bring it around next time."

"Next... time?" Lux was beginning to think Isha might actually want to help. "You're asking me to come back?"

"Sure! Like I said. You're interesting. And I'm nothing if not prodigiously inquisitive." That's right. Big words. Sound important.

"Then I suppose", said Lux, sipping the last of her tea and getting up from the only chair. "I could risk visiting again, if you really want to talk more."

Jinx saw her outside, and made the glowy Demacian girl promise to not tell anyone where she was as she left. Couldn't have anyone interfering with her research, after all... But she'd give Pow-Pow and Fishbones a good polish, just to be safe.

And as Lux left the woods and made it back to Starfire, she wondered if her curiosity was about to lead her into more trouble than it was worth... Or maybe, at the very least, it would lead her to a strange new friend.

And she WAS curious about those little gadgets of hers...

[shslpunkartist99]

At first I was gonna do whatever Symbol I could think of

But what if

Tarot card Leaders

[noornight]

Long distance besties. This definitely happened after the third movie (source: trust me bro)

Based on this