#The Squid and the Dagger

[meamiki]

(You gently drop the flower in their open palm, and act like nothing out of the ordinary happened.)

(Loop does, too.)

[squidiottt]

You should totally draw cross ahahahha DO IT!!!

AWA!?

alright, heres your Cross

[densi-mber]

Sometimes the Customer’s Wrong

***

“Hey, how are we doing?” Deeks asked, popping in from the “Squid & Dagger” kitchen with a bucket of clean glasses.

Kensi was behind the bar, serving drinks and managing the other staff. She looked around the room; for one of the first times since they’d opened, most of the tables were filled. Several patrons also lined the bar.

“Good,” she answered. “We could use some more shot glasses though.”

“You got it.” He kissed her quickly, flashing her a playful smile. “Hottest bartender around.”

“Mm, the dishwasher isn’t too bad either.”

Deeks returned to the kitchen, and Kensi kept filling orders. She filled one of the waiter’s tray with beer for a table of boisterous couples, made a peach martini for a tiny girl sitting by herself at the end of the bar, and closed the tab for an older gentleman who’d spent three hours nursing a gin and tonic.

When she turned back around a few minutes later, a man in his later thirties or so leaned against the bar, one elbow propped on the surface. Kensi sighed internally; he’d already had several drinks and each time he returned, he grew more obnoxious. As did his drink orders.

Kensi offered him a courteous smile, remembering why she tended to let Deeks man the bar more of the time. He handled rude and annoying customers much better than she did, his natural charm coming out to play when needed.

“Give me a glass of Makers,” he said, throwing a couple bills on the bar. He winked knowingly. “You can keep the change.”

Sir, I��m afraid we don’t have that brand,” Kensi replied politely. Annoyances flashed across his face, and he leaned closer, his breath wafting unpleasantly through the air.

“What the hell kind of bar is this?” he slurred.

With a second look, Kensi noticed the glassy sheen to his eyes and slightly unsteadiness even with the bar supporting him. She hadn’t been keeping super close track, but thinking back, she thought he’d had five drinks.

“I’m sorry about that. We don’t get a lot of demand for certain brands.”

He made a sound of disgust. “Guess that’s what I get for coming to a little run down place like this,” he muttered and Kensi felt the muscle in her left cheek twitch a little. “Give me another bourbon then.” He smirked, licking his bottom lip in a way that made Kensi want to take a step back. She didn’t give any external reaction though.

“We have a policy against serving more than five drinks in an hour period,” Kensi explained. “Do you want some water or juice instead.”

“What the hell? If I want another drink, you pour me another drink!”

“I’m sorry.” Kensi gestured to one of the seats. “You’ll have to go somewhere else or wait another hour.” Personally, she hoped he left, even if it meant he took his forty dollars with him.

“Pour me a damn drink now!”

“Lower your voice or I’ll have to ask you to leave,” Kensi said firmly, nothing polite about her tone now.

Faster than she anticipated, he reached across the bar and grabbed her wrist. He had a surprisingly tight and painful grip. Glancing around, she saw a couple people eyeing them, but most either hadn’t noticed the disruption or didn’t want to get involved.

“Let go of me,” she said, surprised by how calm she sounded for how badly she wanted to punch him in his drunken face.

“What, or you’ll ban me?” He taunted. He squeezed a little tighter, his breath absolutely nauseating. “Or you’ll teach me a lesson? I bet you could, you little bi—”

“Get your hand off her before I do it for you,” Deeks warned from behind Kensi, his voice dangerously calm. She instantly relaxed at his presence.

The guy took one look at Deeks and straightened up, puffing out his chest. “I’d like to see you try. You don’t look like you could fight off a chihuahua.”

“I’d love to take you up on that challenge,” Deeks said, drawing up beside Kensi. “Or better yet, see her do it.”

Despite his bravado, the guy released her wrist when Deeks leaned in closer. He didn’t back up completely though, and he still had a stubborn look in his eye.

“You should also know that I’m a cop, and a lawyer, who will happily arrest you for assault and make sure you get the maximum sentence.” Pausing for emphasis, Deeks dropped his voice so it was that much more dangerous. “So, this is your final chance to leave before one of us kicks your ass.”

Eyes flicking between her and Deeks, the man bared his teeth, his nostrils flaring. After a second, he huffed, and grabbed the money off the bar, stuffing it in his pocket.

“What I need with your crappy bar anyway?” he grumbled. Sending them one last look of drunken disdain, he pushed through anyone in his way and exited the bar.

“Are you ok?” Deeks asked, pulling Kensi a few feet from the front, and lifting her wrist to examine it.

“I’m fine,” she assured him. She’d probably have a couple bruises by morning, but most of the pain had already dissipated. His brows furrowed a, and he exhaled heavily.

“I’m sorry I kind of “white-knighted” with that guy. I just saw him grab you and instinct took over. I know you could have handled it yourself.”

“It’s ok. I was trying not to cause an incident, but I probably would have ended up punching him in the end.” She kissed his cheek. “And it was kind of hot.”

Deeks snorted in surprise, lifting her wrist to his mouth. Something crashing brought them back to reality.

“Are you ok to keep going tonight?” he asked.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Do you think we should be worried about that guy, though? I feel kind of bad about sending him out into public in his state.”

“I’ll pull up the security feed and get his plates. A Buddy from LAPD should be able to flag him for a DUI.”

“I love how your mind works,” Kensi said fervently.

***

A/N: Something must be wrong with me, because I almost forgot about the bar.

[mashmaiden]

NCIS: Los Angeles - The Squid & Dagger

[ratcandy]

oh if we’re talking about hot headed members I stg Webber and kallamar are nemeses. I look away for one second and it’s almost guaranteed that they start fighting. On Multiple Separate Occasions, I broke up their fight, only for them to LITERALLY INSTANTANEOUSLY START FIGHTING AGAIN. I think this happened three times in a row once. like. GUYS WHAT IS YOUR BEEF ??????????

I can't draw this rn but this. This image

Kallamar beefing with a child is honestly completely in character as far as I'm concerned dhgKSJDGH

[spiffybits357]

Here's a big project I've been working on for a few weeks: a phylogenetic tree of everything in Minecraft! It would take ages to explain everything here, so if you want an explaination of any inclusions, exclusions, categorisations or Latin names PLEASE PLEASE PUHLEASE ask me I would love to answer any questions :3

Here's the slides I used to make it since i'm aware the text on the image there is pretty much unreadable.

Reblogs appreciated!

Edit: there are some problems with the image on here aside from the quality, so please check the slides for a slightly more accurate version! Also, if you have a question check the notes first! Odds are someone else has asked already.

Edit 2: PLEASE check the reblogs before you ask a question, most of the questions I'm getting now are ones that have already been answered. But I of course really appreciate how much people care :3

Full image description:

At the bottom is the Origin of Life, which branches out into five kingdoms - amoebozoa, animalia, fungi, algae and plantae.

Amoebozoa is in pink. It branches into Sculk (latin name sculk sculk) and then into slimes (scindo uliginosus) and magma cubes (scindo igneum)

Animalia starts off in orange. It branches off into the five types of coral (Fire - millepora, horn - rugosa, tube - tubipora musica, bubble - Plerogyra sinuosa, brain - diploria). The second branch of animalia branches off to the sponge (in the phylum demospongiae) and then to molluscs and arthropods.

Moluscs first branches off to the shulker (duopartes purpur) then to the nautilus (latin name nautilus), the ghast (Exspiravita inferno) the heart of the sea (unknown latin name), the squid (Immiforma caeruleum) and the glow squid (Immiforma crepuscula). The heart of the sea and nautilus are both marked with a dagger symbol, indicating they are extinct.

Arthropods branches off to the enderman (gracillis sapiens) and the ender dragon (draconiforma finis). It also branches off into insects, featuring bees (bombus enormus) and silverfish (Lepisma saccharinum), as well as to arachnids, featuring the endermite (terminus limina), the spider (rufoculos nocturnis) and the cave spider (rufoculos caverna).

Carrying on from the branch of animalia is the sea pickle (Pyrosoma) and then the vertebrates, which are coloured in reddish orange. The first branch contains the Queen angelfish (Holacanthus ciliaris), the emperor red snapper (Lutjanus sebae) and the moorish idol (Zanclus cornutus). the second branch contains salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka). The third branch contains the yellowtail parrotfish (Sparisoma rubripinne), the clownfish (Amphiprion percula) and the dottyback (Diadem pseudochromis). The next branch contains cod (Gadus). the final fish branch contains the triggerfish (Abalistes stellatus), the pufferfish (Arothron meleagris) and the yellow tang (Zebrasoma flavescens).

Next the branch transitions into tetrapods. coming off this are amphibians, which includes the frog (Lithobates thermochroma) and the axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum)

image desc currently unfinished, would appreciate help

[labelneo]

SQUID GAME HEADCANON: he gets jealous 🍬

WARNING: toxic/suggestive themes

INHO ★ likes it when you make him jealous, he just won’t admit it out loud. likes the idea of someone flirting with you so that he can do the work to show you who you belong to again. would watch you silently from afar at first, leaning back into his seat as he watched you. would walk up to you confidently, stand next to you, greet whoever it is you’re talking to, and then lean into your ear. tells you he’ll deal with you later for letting someone flirt with you. kisses your temple before walking away. will remind you that you only belong to him once the two of you get back home.

THE SALESMAN ★ won’t say anything in the moment, but is watching everything that is happening. shoots daggers from across the room, making chills run down your spine. after you’re done talking to whoever it was you were talking to, he would make you sit in his lap, making sure they were watching as he touched you up and down. afterwards, when the two of you are alone, he grabs you by the chin and makes you look at him. asks you what you think you were doing with whoever it is you were talking to. doesn’t like it when you act confused to avoid the confrontation. gets close to your face and pulls you towards him, telling you that you need to learn how to behave.

DAEHO ★ heart literally drops to his stomach when he hears someone else making you laugh. would go stand next to you, trying to indiscreetly pull you away from the other person. would pull at your waist and nudge your sides until you eventually leave. hugs your waist and stays by your side the entire time until the conversation ended. doesn’t hesitant to pull you away quickly once he realizes the conversation was over. until would ask you “who is that” and pout regardless of the answer you gave him. doesn’t talk to you afterwards because he’s too busy sulking. would only forgive you when you gave him enough kisses to kiss his pout away.

JUNHO ★ wraps his arm possessively around your waist, making straight eye contact with whoever it is that you’re interacting with. he’s not one to make a big deal, but he’s not going to not do anything. stares coldly at the other person until they get uncomfortable and leave. gives you a quick kiss as a way to act nonchalant about what just happened, but tells you your attention belongs to him and that you shouldn’t be giving it to anyone else. acts like the incident isn’t bothering him anymore, but keeps his hold on you for the rest of the day, wanting to make sure everyone knows you are his and only his.

THANOS ★ stands behind you with his arms around your waist and starts asking who you’re talking to. ignores all the introductions and just starts kissing your neck in front of them, not caring about making anyone uncomfortable. likes to see your face get all shy before you excuse yourself. only gets more and more grabby as the two of you walk away. isn’t bothered even if you tell him that his actions make you feel embarrassed and simply just tucks your hair behind your ear while telling you how cute you are when you get all flustered by him. just shrugs it off and tells you he doesn’t care because he isn’t afraid about letting people know that your his.

MYUNG GI ★ scoffs while he watches you interact with the person. pretends like it doesn’t bother him, but after a while, he gets up and walks over to you and introduces himself. makes sure to let them know who is to you before pulling you away. gives you the silent treatment even when you whine for him to talk to you. eventually gives in because he can’t keep being upset with you, especially when you keep kissing his face as an apology. realizes he just doesn’t like the idea of sharing you and your attention in any way because he just wants for you to be all his.

Read More Here!

TAGLIST: @ninglovr @okaycharr @ilovequeen978 @vinaluvsu @shimochibun @sunshiines-stuff

[silvercoloredskiess]

In the name of love - Square Guard Lee Sang-jun x reader

Note: It's been a bit since I finished Squid Game, so I forgot exactly how the beginning went. Some of this is just to fit the story. Not exactly the most logical :-P

Hopefully this isn't terrible writing. I tried

Reader isn't implied to have a specific gender.

Have fun reading!

Word count: 1,093 words

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

You were one of the very last players alive, after all that brutality of the mingle game, which you barely survived. It was disheartening peeking out the small slit window of your door, seeing everyone in the main room get killed. If only these games had ended after the last game, which was already brutal. But of course, that damn older man leading the big group all with blue "O" pad on their jackets had managed to convince them to vote against everyone's best interest.

However, Gi-hun and Young-il had created a plan to rebel against the administrators of the game. They shared it to everyone on the X-side, and after an extremely long bloody lights-out between the X's and O's, you couldn't bear it anymore. Turns out Gi-hun's plan wasn't too solid.

The guards were soon unleashed to confront the rebellion. But with Hyun-ju's weapon experience and some people's help, almost all the guards were killed. Though admittedly you had absolutely no experience with using guns so you just had to sit and watch with some of the others.

But there was one guard who was left, and they were running for the door. Unfortunately for the guard, the doors closed on them too early. So now they were cornered. Gi-hun urged them to take their mask off or else they would die, so they did. You witnessed it with great surprise; the man under the mask was the most handsome man you had seen. It wasn't the time and place for romance, but you couldn't stop this feeling.

Were you... in love?

No, no. Not to a guard. Who helped to facilitate all of this craziness. But the fearful expression on his face and his stuttered responses to being held at gunpoint made it clear he reluctantly became a guard. You got closer to the confrontation to hear what everyone was saying.

The guard said he would lead the group to the control room, and you followed for some odd reason. Despite the warnings of the people back in the lobby of the dangerous thing you were about to do. Despite the fact you could literally hear gunshots from the way to the control room. You just had to make sure the guard man, whoever his name is, is safe.

It wasn't like you had much to lose back at home. You were willing to do this in the name of love.

You grabbed a dagger you found on the ground and went on your way, behind everyone else who had a gun in their hand. On went a shooting battle between the other guards and the rebellious players. Gi-hun and Young-il were being guided to the control room by the mysterious guard boy.

But you knew something wasn't right. From where you were hiding, you saw a new guard with a gun out, aimed at the three. As if it was out of instinct, you bolted toward them with your fastest speed, and lunged at the boy, unintentionally pinning him to the ground. But you both were safe from the gunshots since you were under their line of view

Gi-hun and Young-il's eyes widened at the sight. Weren't you supposed to be staying back waiting for this rebellion to end? You weren't supposed to be in this if you didn't have a gun and couldn't fight. And they were right. But the boy under you was even more surprised; the poor boy was flustered at how you pinned him to the ground!

You didn't realize and quickly got off of him, telling him quickly that you just wanted to protect him. He thanked you, getting a little flustered before handing Gi-hun his mask so he and Young-il could access the control room. Young-il told the two of you to flee the scene as it wasn't safe. And so you both crawled behind the wall where some other more prominent players were constantly shooting and reloading their guns. No ounce of calmness here.

Once you two got to the lobby, everyone there was surprised to see you and the guard coming back.

"TRAITOR!" one yelled at you, pointing their finger in your direction.

You composed yourself before standing in front of the boy. "He's not evil! I can tell he did the job out of reluctance. Just like how we're in here for the same reason. Let's have some empathy."

The guard boy hugged you from behind, tears rolling from his eyes. You felt sorry for him, and brought him to your bed to rest. Your face was only inches from his when you checked up on him, trying to get him to relax. You even hummed a lullaby to help him sleep.

His face was extremely red. He loved you as well, seeing how much you cared for someone you barely knew. He mumbled,

"Why did you come out and save me? I'm just a disposable guard anyways..."

You sighed, "You're the opposite of disposable. Even if we just met, I felt an attraction to you-"

You realized what you just said and stuttered. You basically just confessed to him!

The boy giggled a little. "Y'know, with how heroic you were, I'm starting to feel this unexplainable feeling too. I know we might not have long, actually I don't even know what's going on next. But I'm glad you saved me. I hope the admin doesn't realize I'm a runaway guard.." his voice turned serious.

"You can change into a player's clothing if you'd like. Just use the clothes of one of the dead players lying in this room."

And so he did, changing in the bathroom and coming out. He replaced the dead player's clothes with his guard uniform. He looked like a totally different guy. He laid in your bed and you cuddled him for a while, some of the players still giving disapproving looks.

"When do you think we'll get out of here? When will this rebellion be done so we can all be free?" the boy asked you with wide innocent eyes.

"I'm not sure. That's the question that's on everyone's mind right now. But as long as we're with each other, I'm sure it'll be alright. We might as well make most of what we have." You stated, hugging him tighter.

"T-thank you again for saving someone like me..." he said again, before falling asleep. You were meaning to ask his name, but you didn't want to disturb his rest. He needed it, just like you did after staying up all night for Gi-hun's plan.

[felassan]

Rook's Coffer.

The rest of this post is under a cut due to length.

[link]

There is a lot of interesting stuff in here. 👁️

A coffer is a strongbox or small chest for holding valuables. The contents of the box is described as being Rook's "personal effects", the "tools of [their] resistance" (against the Evil Gods).

The Light-Up Lyrium Dagger

This is the dagger replica that BioWare had on display at their SDCC booth in a case. at the time we wondered if it glows (yes!) and whether it would be a merch item in the Gear Store or part of a collector's edition or something, and here we are. :D the name of the item confirms the idea that it's blue because blue lyrium (I wondered this here). the description on the Gear Store of the item reads:

"Its blade has torn the very fabric of the Veil."

and ~8 months ago I wrote,

"since we saw this image from the 2022 in-game cinematic and speculated that 1. this image shows Solas doing something to the Veil, and 2. the item he’s holding is the red lyrium idol in its ritual-blade form, what it’s reminded me of is the Subtle Knife from HDM (Pullman). Æsahættr cuts windows in the fabric between worlds; I wonder if the idol’s power as a magical ritual-blade is the ability to ‘cut’ through the 'fabric’ of the Veil (of reality), thereby tearing open the barrier that has been separating the two realms."

Cloth Map and Quiver

"Look to this illustrated map to learn about the world you defend."

First let's do the quiver. :>

A quiver to keep a map in is such a cute idea. going by the triangles, it's a replica of the quiver rogue Rooks store their arrows in in the game. ^^

Now the map.

Starting at the bottom right, where it all began~. Ferelden is depicted as a mabari (a symbol of Fereldan royalty), complete with kaddis. You can see the Brecilian Forest and the Imperial Highway snaking round Lake Calenhad. In the Frostback Mountains is the Inquisition’s hairy eyeball symbol, fittingly as that’s where Skyhold is located. North of the Arbor Wilds are the Dales, containing Dalish aravels. Orlais is portrayed as a reclining lion (the symbol of House Valmont is a lion). West and south of the lion are the Nahashin Marshes, the Abyssal Reach and the Tirashan. Across the sea from Ferelden is the landmark of Kirkwall, the Twins of Kirkwall (statues).

The north of the map is the most 👁️ tho, as DA:TV seems to be predominantly set in locales across northern Thedas. That part of the map has a lot of elements from the misted-out northern Thedas map from the Thedas Calls teaser trailer, only.. unmisted. :D we can see the Antivan city of Treviso with its spires and the Antivan Crows flying around Antiva. We can see the giant squid curling over Rivain, this time on a bed of treasure like gold and silver. West of the White Spire mountain is Arlathan Forest, with another aravel, ruins of the city of Arlathan, and floating rocks and floating ruins. in the sea south of Par Vollen is a Qunari dreadnought.

Tevinter is separated from Antiva by the Hundred Pillars. the way they look in this map, they remind me of Drumheller Alberta, where Mark Darrah once mentioned that DA:TV devs went to capture reference material for the game. in this post I wrote of the Tevinter coast that "much of the center is entangled in tentacle-like or snake-like tendrils". in this new map we can clearly see that they are snakes. makes sense, Tevinter is a nest of vipers metaphorically and snakes are part of Tevinter iconography. We can see the city of Minrathous and my all-time favorite guy, Floating Building. Weisshaupt is represented by a griffon and for the Anderfels we have  Our Lady of the Anderfels (the statue of Andraste). to the north, Tallo's Eye and the Donarks.

This part of the map is potentially super exciting:

This is a dwarven statue underground in the Deep. the location suggests this is representing Kal-Sharok south of the Anderfels (this is not anywhere near Orzammar, and Orzammar isn't represented on the map by a drawing either). omggg. I really hope we visit Kal-Sharok in this game oh shttt

In the center of the map is Nevarra and the Silent Plains. this map depicts the Silent Plains and surrounds as being full of the ancient bones of giant creatures and giant skeletons. that's 👀 since we saw giant skeletons in Nevarra in the new trailer. we can also see the Grand Necropolis with its eerie green glow as its reaches go down into the ground. it's attended by two [giant?] necromanced skeletons. the gold doodads on their heads remind me of the skeletons we've seen Emmrich necromancing.

There don't appear to be any depictions or landmarks shown in Seheron or Par Vollen. :< and in this last bit of the map it's a bit hard to tell due to poorer image quality that this section of the map is shown in, but east of Rivain is the map compass and south of Rivain, south of Llomerynn, in the whirlpool.. is that an island with an eluvian on it? maybe this represents the Lighthouse and the pocket dimension it exists in? watery Fade imagery and all that.

(Thedas Calls trailer map images below for reference. you can see that 'landmarks' from in that trailer are on this new map)

(^ ignore the yellow lines in the Rivain squid cap ^^;)

Rook's Card Deck

"A set of cards depicting people and places from Rook's adventures."

Like the map, there's a lot in these too. first of all the art looks so beautiful and I'm psyched that cards/card-style art is returning in DA:TV, the tarot card art in DA:I was so cool and gave so much inspiration to the DA art community! some of the art is familiar to us, some is totally new.

in this last image we can see that among the cards is the art for the Solas print that came with the BioWare Gear Store exclusive variant of the artbook. the design for the back of the cards is similar to the box for Rook's coffer. for the others I think I'm going to identify them with letters so it makes talking about them easier. ^^ (image without key is above). 26 x 2 = looks like there are 52 cards total, if this image contains the whole set. (if I've mixed up any of my numbers or letters in the below, pls lmk so I can correct it!)

please keep in mind that these are just guesses for fun. [thanku to mime who helped me guess what each card could be :D]

A - Venatori? red like red lyrium and they're always messing with it, diamond shape like their new symbol (two), cult-like vibe, mage robe-vibe. the pointy hoods remind me of the figure in the background of Neve's card. (given the shape in the background, is Elgar'nan messing with them or are they working for him? they could be without knowing he's an elf) B - dragons, dragon fights? (looks like a giant toothy dragon maw bearing down on a party) C - F qunari Rook? (like how there was a card for M and F of each lineage Inquisitor in DA:I. F qunari Inky for comparison) D - Harding companion card art from the Dragon Age website E - Veil Jumpers? gold, triangles, antler/halla-horn type pattern, looks like the person has a glowing gadget F - Grey Wardens? silver plate armor, Joining Chalice, shield with griffon wings on it G - Rogue Rook/rogue class (like there was a class card for each class for Inky in DA:I. Rogue inky) H - one gender of elf Rook? (like how there was a card for M and F of each lineage Inquisitor in DA:I. elf Inky cards for comparison) I - Arlathan Forest? it looks like it has ruins and floating rocks J - 'Fen'Harel' Solas from the in-game cinematic that we saw in this trailer K - Neve companion card art from the Dragon Age website L - Weisshaupt in the Anderfels (see this concept) M - Warrior Rook/warrior class (like there was a class card for each class for Inky in DA:I. Warrior inky) N - M qunari Rook? (like how there was a card for M and F of each lineage Inquisitor in DA:I. M qunari Inky for comparison) O - undead, giant green glow skeletons? P - ? Q - Minrathous R - Lords of Fortune? they have Taash vibes. blue sea in the background, gold trinkets at their waist, swashbuckling vibe S - ? T - Emmrich companion card art from the Dragon Age website U - another gender of elf Rook? (like how there was a card for M and F of each lineage Inquisitor in DA:I. elf Inky cards for comparison) V - red lyrium darkspawn W - M dwarf Rook? (like how there was a card for M and F of each lineage Inquisitor in DA:I. M dwarf Inky for comparison) X - Bellara companion card art from the Dragon Age website Y - Elgar'nan from back in the day before being Blighted? bald like ancient elves sometimes are shown, maybe the orb is his foci. Z - ? not sure, but something bad and maybe red lyrium-related. also blood and maybe an eluvian in the background

[block character limit text break!]

1 - Ghilan'nain from back in the day before being Blighted? creepy tentacle-vibe hair. 2 - Mortalitasi / Mournwatch 3 - ? not sure, but something bad and maybe red lyrium-related 4 - 'Humble apostate Solas' from the in-game cinematic that we saw in this trailer 5 - Blue lyrium dagger 6 - Red lyrium dagger 7 - Davrin companion card art from the Dragon Age website 8 - Taash companion card art from the Dragon Age website 9 - Grand Necropolis. undead city vibes, the eerie green glow 10 - part of this concept art posted on Halloween in 2021. (I think this may be somewhere in the Anderfels/Weisshaupt surrounds after something bad has happened. those creatures are red lyrium-afflicted darkspawn. the location has the same dark/night-time corrupted/Blighted vibe as here, complete with Blightsacs and red lyrium darkspawn. the bad dark Blighted ruined vibe is also like here from the Thedas Calls teaser, where if you zoom in there's some red in the image. when this image was shown in Thedas Calls, it was the segment about Weisshaupt and the Wardens. in the release date reveal teaser, we see a shot of the Anderfels in the day-time without Blight/before anything bad has happened. it looks nice and is a beautiful view. you can tell that is the same place as here because of the presence of the posts with the basketball hoops on top of them. lastly, in the companions reveal trailer, Davrin is shown fighting red lyrium darkspawn in the dark/night-time corrupted looking area, and in the background is a statue of a griffon. 11 - ? not sure, but something bad and maybe red lyrium-related 12 - this Solas art from the Gear Store artbook exclusive variant pack 13 - Treviso in Antiva (see images here) 14 - Elgar'nan? curving horn shape, eclipse 15 - demons? or Elgar'nan and Ghil in their prison together? 16 - Qunari, as in from the group that have been invading/occupying? 17 - mage Rook/mage class (like there was a class card for each class for Inky in DA:I. mage inky) 18 - The Dread Wolf? or the Dread.. wolves. there are 2 wolves in this. Two Wolf Moon 19 - Lucanis companion card art from the Dragon Age website 20 - F dwarf Rook? (like how there was a card for M and F of each lineage Inquisitor in DA:I. F dwarf Inky for comparison) 21 - the Deep Roads (concept art for comparison) 22 - ? but they are this figure from the full cover art of the regular edition of the artbook 23 - Ghilan'nain? horrible centipede creature, suggestion of Ghil's head-shape, suggestion of hands and faces 24 - feather. griffon feather? to represent Assan? 25 - Rivain. boats, sea 26 - Antivan Crows

I feel like I've made mistakes or missed something though because if there's a card for each faction, where is the Shadow Dragons? and if there's an M and an F card for each lineage Rook, where are the human Rooks? I'll revisit the cards and my list again sometime with fresh eyes. :D

One thing I wanted to highlight at the end of the section on the cards is the blue lyrium and red lyrium dagger[s].

Above we talked about how the item name Lyrium Dagger confirms the idea that the dagger is blue because blue lyrium (I wondered that here). in the same post I wondered about the other dagger that we first saw on the deluxe artbook cover:

"This artbook cover one is more gnarled in appearance and the 'ring’ of the handle isn’t complete. It has extra spiky bits protruding off it too and it looks like something is growing on it. Maybe this is what happens if/when the blue [lyrium?] dagger becomes red (Blighted)? because this gnarled kinda vibe reminds me a bit of Meredith’s sword Certainty in DA2, and of that body horror way in which red lyrium growth looks on people. It also reminds me of the tendrils of Blight corruption on walls and the ground and stuff in DA:TV screenshots, and the gnarled red lyrium darkspawn we’ve seen (look at this darkspawn’s back for example). Or maybe there’s simply more than one dagger?"

and here we are. 👀 the blue lyrium dagger Blighted to red lyrium, or else there's a red lyrium dagger out there too somewhere.

Enchanted Die

"This beautiful die will help guide you through the perils of conversation."

The Gear Store description for this item makes perfect sense as the symbols on the dice are the dialogue wheel icons. :D here we can see Romance, Anxious, Sad, Warrior, Investigate, Mad, Stoic and others. also I love the iconic purple-theme color of the dice. :)

Glass Potion Flask

"A decorative vessel that would be essential for storing healing potions."

I have no comments on this really other than it's pretty and that I think it resembles the design of healing potion bottles in the game. :)

Dragon Age™: The Veilguard Companion Lithograph

"This art depicts the faces of your closest allies, the ones who'll stand beside you against impossible odds."

This features the companion art pieces from here.

Thank-You Letter

"A note of gratitude from the creatives at the helm of Dragon Age™: The Veilguard. (From game director Corinne Busche and creative director John Epler)"

and this is a lovely and thoughtful idea 🥺 .. maybe it's the inscription inside the box with the Veilguard symbol?

Lastly there's the box!

It's pretty and is in the same style as the UI on e.g. the skill trees. it looks like there's a square with each companion round the outside, plus a square for Manfred, Assan, and Varric. the gang's all here. :D for the 7 companions, their image is from their 'tarot style' art, but for Manfred, Assan and Varric it's art we haven't seen before. around the outside is also each of their weapons, like an arrow for archer Harding and Lucanis' fancy rapier-sword. I guess in the middle the helmet represents Rook. (it gives me Warden vibes. maybe it's a version of the helmet Rook wears here?).

As a last thought, with the items being Rook's "personal effects", the "tools of [their] resistance", I really love the idea that they have a deck of playing cards and a dice/enchanted dice. I know these are common fantasy world items but idk it's giving a lil, Remy LeBeau. I dunno, Rook somehow has a rogueish kinda vibe to me (as in the trait, not the class). Varric describes them as clever and adaptable, words you might apply to a trickster. "You don't know when to quit" implies a certain incorrigibility. rooks are corvids which have trickster lore irl, and characters that play games with cards and roll dice often have that smart, rogueish, trickster kind of edge in tropes and stuff. it works in my brain in different scenarios too, like if Rook is a foil to Solas, or someone advised by Solas (trickster-mini trickster mentee), or someone opposed to Solas (takes a trickster to outwit a trickster), and/or someone who is in some kind of a way a sorta successor[?] to Solas in terms of story role or repeating history or foils again etc (if you remember the line "They call me the Dread Wolf. What will they call you when this is over?"). you know, like think about what is said about Fen'Harel today and was said about him immediately after the fall (elven voices in Vir Dirthara in Trespasser). what will they say about Rook when this is over? hope that paragraph made sense :D

[meadowfics]

happy birthday

cho sang-woo x f!reader

due to the squid games, you forgot that it is your birthday

warnings: established relationship, age gap (reader is in her mid-twenties), death, s*icide, angst, I do not suggest that minors should read this. I am not responsible for the content you choose to read after clicking, "keep reading"

the games have stretched on for days

you’ve long lost the ability to track time in the games since you did not have a single device with you.

every moment is just filled with a whirlwind of blood, screams, and desperate breaths you are grateful to take.

you haven’t thought about anything beyond surviving, eating only enough to function, sleeping with one eye open.

you haven’t even thought about what day it is, let alone the fact that it’s your birthday.

the person you were before the games feels like a distant, unreachable memory.

sang woo has always been the thinker, and the planner in the relationship.

you relied on his mind to guide you through the chaos that this game brought you.

while you carried out plans, while you ran and fought, he was the one ensuring you both had a chance.

he told you what you needed to do in order to survive each game, and you admired him for it.

now, with just the two of you left, that strength has become a devastating burden.

the man who kept you alive is now the one you must kill

...or be killed by.

the final game takes place in a desolate, open field.

the rain pours relentlessly, soaking you to the bone, making the sand beneath your feet slippery.

it’s too quiet, save for the patter of rain and your own shaky breaths.

you’re standing twenty feet apart, both in the same dark suits, drenched, eyes meeting through the haze of water.

the masked overseers watch silently in the background, unmoving, as if savoring the grim show about to unfold.

everyone there, the guards, the frontman watching.. the knew about the love between the two of you.

that is what made this sight more amusing to them..

“sang woo, i can’t…”

your voice cracks as you stare at him, your hands trembling at your sides.

you’ve already thrown the knife they gave you to the ground. you couldn’t do it.

“please, just do it. i—I can’t hurt you. i won’t.”

sang woo's expression is unreadable at first, his dark eyes narrowing slightly, the rain dripping down his face like tears.

he’s been your anchor through this nightmare, but now, as the end looms, his silence feels like a dagger in your chest.

“please don’t make me do this.”

his voice is low, trembling.

this is the most vulnerable you’ve ever heard him.

“don’t ask me to kill you. i can’t live with that. i can’t…”

he steps closer, his hand tightening around something at his side. you think it’s the knife.

is he going to kill you?

you drop to your knees, the rain pooling around you.

you scream, sobbing openly now.

“it’s okay! i’ll be okay, sang woo! just do it. take the money. take care of your mom. she needs you!”

your chest heaves, your heart feels like it’s ripping apart.

“i can’t live with myself if i kill you, but you...you’ll be okay! you’re a strong man, love. please…”

“no? you think i can live with myself without you?”

he finally chokes out, his voice raw.

the older man's eyes are glassy, filled with an emotion you’ve never seen from him before.

love. regret. anguish.

when he moves, it’s not towards you.

he pulls the knife and presses it to his throat in one fluid motion.

your stomach drops as realization sets in, but it’s too late.

he’s faster.

“no! sang woo, stop!”

you scream, bolting towards him as he sinks the blade in.

you reach him just as his knees buckle.

his blood gushes out, staining your hands as you cradle him.

“why? why would you do this?”

your voice is shrill, hysterical, as you press your hands against the wound, trying to stop the inevitable.

there is no help here, he is a lost cause.

sang woo reaches up weakly, his bloodied hand brushing against your cheek.

the man's voice is barely a whisper,

“because… i know you’ll take care of her… my mom. you’ll… make sure she’s okay.”

his breath hitches, his eyes fluttering closed, but then they open one last time, locking onto yours with a bittersweet smile.

“happy birthday, by the way. I love you.”

the words shatter you.

of course sang woo would never forget his favorite day of the year

even in this hellhole..

you scream his name, shaking him as if you can bring him back.

your lover's blood seeps into the sand below, mingling with the rain, as the weight of his sacrifice crashes down on you.

you can’t stop crying, holding his lifeless body, feeling the warmth of him slip away.

the games end. you are declared the winner.

the frontman teases that you are the first woman to have ever won, and the first person to win on their birthday..

45.6 billion won is yours, but it feels hollow, meaningless.

you didn't want any of this money no more.

every time you close your eyes, you see sang woo’s face, hear his voice, feel his blood on your hands.

an hour after the guards threw you back out in the streets of seoul.. you look at your phone.

you see the date: your birthday.

the day you should have been celebrating is now the day you’ll mourn for the rest of your life.

you won, but at what cost?

the weight of your soulmates sacrifice will haunt you forever.

masterlist

[mooniedust]

CHOI SU-BONG (THANOS) BOT/PROMPT

Plot: Choi Su-Bong and you were inseparable, but the leak of an intimate video of you shatters your lives. You are publicly blamed, while he remains silent. After being removed from the group and sinking into vices, you find Su-Bong in a violent situation on squid game. You seek refuge together, facing the weight of your losses and unresolved emotions.

Trigger Warnings: Physical violence, gunfire, public humiliation/shame, substance abuse a themes of betrayal/emotional abandonment

Note: Heyyyy everyone! I'm officially back to my bot crisis (at the request of zero people, obviously), both on c.ai and janitor, for some more "adult" bots. Recently, I've been super impressed by the new Round Six characters and, of course, the COMPLETE LACK of bots made for them. So... why not try to fix that myself? Or at least, give it a shot... Let’s see how it goes! Hope you like it, or at least pretend to, yeah?

With all my heart,

Moon Dust.

It used to be common to think of Choi Su-Bong and she as inseparable, two halves of a whole. From the grueling days of their training, they had been bound together by ambition and hardship. They rose together, shone together, laughed together—symbols of a new generation of idols, radiant, joyful, and, above all, alive.

But that was a lifetime ago.

The day her intimate video leaked, everything shattered. The footage, while carefully avoiding Thanos’s face, didn’t need to spell out who he was. His tattoos, his haircut—they gave him away to anyone paying attention. But no one cared to look his way. All eyes were on her. The weight of the scandal fell squarely on her shoulders, as though she alone had committed some unspeakable sin.

He said nothing. Not a word of defense, not a denial. His silence was louder than the public’s condemnation. The only words he offered her were cold and detached:

“We’ll talk when this blows over. It’s better if we’re not seen together... not after the video.”

The memory of those words still haunted her, a dagger twisting in the wounds left by betrayal. She had no choice but to bow to the powers that be, issuing a tearful apology on live television, her voice trembling as she declared herself a disgrace to her family and fans. The apology was carefully scripted, every word chosen to appease the insatiable appetite of a public eager to see her broken.

And it worked. Her shame was met with silence from her peers and the unrelenting scorn of her fans. Soon after, she was quietly removed from the group that had once been her family. They called it a “voluntary departure,” but everyone knew the truth.

Walking away from the spotlight should have been liberating, but the glittering lights clung to her like a ghost. The comfort of fame and the indulgence it afforded were addictions she couldn’t shake. When the money dried up, her vices remained, digging their claws in deeper, until she found herself dragged into that game—a twisted stage for sick minds to play god.

And somehow, fate had tethered her to the one person she thought would never let go of her hand—until he did.

“You’re out. Let’s go.”

His voice broke through the chaos, sharp and commanding, as she stumbled through the crowd of desperate players. The sound of gunfire rang in her ears, a relentless cacophony that drowned out rational thought. She tripped over bodies, her breath hitching in her chest as she searched for any semblance of safety.

Then she saw him.

Choi Su-Bong lay crumpled on the ground, his eyes glazed over, his trembling hand reaching for the chain around his neck. She recognized it instantly—the necklace he always wore, the one that hid his stash of pills. The bitter irony stung. He had been betrayed by his own group.

Everything after that happened in flashes, like the blinding strobe of a camera. Her legs moved on instinct, her hands clawing and pulling at his uniform, dragging his limp body forward. He was too stunned to fight back, too far gone to resist.

Then she saw it: a room. Empty. Salvation.

Without thinking, she yanked him inside, ignoring the player who almost made it in alongside them. Ethics had no place here. The door slammed shut with a metallic clang, her hands shaking as she twisted the lock. Her chest heaved as she pressed her back against the door, her breath coming in short, ragged gasps.

Their bodies collided in the confined space, his weight pressing against hers as they both struggled to steady themselves. The air was thick with the acrid stench of sweat and gunpowder, a suffocating reminder of the chaos they had narrowly escaped.

The gunfire outside was relentless, the sharp cracks of bullets piercing the air like thunder. She buried her face instinctively against his shoulder, her fingers clutching at his uniform as though he were the only solid thing in a world that had turned to quicksand.

“Pretty flower?”

His voice was a rasp, barely audible over the chaos outside. The low murmur slid past her ear like a cruel joke, an echo of something that once felt safe. The nickname—stupid, infuriating—was a relic of a time when things were simpler, when they were still whole.

Of course, he would use that nickname now.

She pulled back just enough to meet his gaze, her eyes searching his face for something—anything—that might explain why he was here, why he hadn’t fought harder for himself, for her. But all she found was exhaustion, the same bone-deep weariness that weighed on her own soul.

“Don’t call me that,” she muttered, her voice barely above a whisper. But the words lacked conviction, and they both knew it.

Outside, the chaos continued, but in that tiny room, time seemed to slow. The world beyond the door faded into an indistinct blur, leaving only the two of them and the unspoken weight of everything they had lost.

For a moment, neither of them moved. Then, slowly, he reached up, his hand brushing against the necklace that had betrayed him. His lips curled into a faint, bitter smile.

“You saved me,” he said, his tone a mix of disbelief and something else—something softer.

[wolsalwastaken]

My headcanons for the species of the bishops (+ bonus headcannons):

Leshy is an American dagger moth caterpillar, his little black spiky things and fluffy green appearance all match up with it. Since he’s clearly an adult, but is also stuck as a caterpillar, my headcanon is that his godhood prevented him from fully aging, as he was a caterpillar when being granted his power. He also can read in braille, however he is dyslexic, so he’s not very good at it.

Heket is a Cane Toad. Since Cane Toads are prevalent in Australia and are known for having an incredibly large appetite (and incredibly large size), I’d bet actual money that that’s what she was based off. Also yes, she canonically is a toad she isn’t a frog guys. It’s also incredibly painful for her to speak, even after her being healed, so she chooses to communicate through sign language most of the time.

Narinder is an Egyptian Mau, the first ever species of domestic cat (they also are often black in color). I also dreamt that he’s ambidextrous so that’s now a headcanon I have, idk my subconscious projected it onto him. Maybe it’s bc I myself am ambidextrous, or maybe I’m just weird.

Kallamar is a vampire squid, since vampires are blamed for the spread of disease, plus vampire squids have lil ears + a big ass forehead, it just makes sense to me. Since Kallamar is either partially or entirely deaf, he can communicate through speech but can only receive information through sign language. Him and Heket have the easiest time communing.

Shamura is a regal jumping spider, as seen with their bright coloration and big eyes. They use post-it notes to remind themself of things, however 90% of the time the notes are entirely unhelpful 1-word clues. Sometimes Leshy will intentionally mess with them by leaving fake notes.

Anyways just wanted to share my headcanons for them bc I want to, idk. Hope you’ve enjoyed them- if anyone’s wondering why I got oddly specific with species it’s bc I’m a biology major and animal nerd.

(Pictured below are the animals I hc them as, in order of mention)

[densi-mber]

The Squid and Dagger Returns

“To the second grand opening of The Squid and Dagger. May it be her last,” Deeks toasted, raising his glass above his head. Kensi stood next to him, and surrounding him in a semi-circle were their former team. Eric and Nell had even made the flight in to celebrate the occasion.

“Amen!” Nell called out, whistling loudly. Deeks grinned at her enthusiasm. They all drank, Sam pausing to sniff his first.

“Hey, that’s actually really good,” Eric commented in surprise. He took another drink, as if to double check.

Still looking mistrustful, Sam took a tiny sip, and nodded in reluctant approval. “It’s not bad.”

“Why on earth would the beer taste bad?” Kilbride wondered, looking bemused and slightly out of place in his three-piece suit.

“You’ve never heard the saga of Deeks and Callen’s microbrew ventures?” Rountree asked in surprise.

“No. And I’m beginning to think that’s a good thing.”

“It involved a series of increasingly terrible beer,” Nell explained. “Squid being a memorable one.”

“No, no the seaweed and salmon was definitely the worst,” Sam said firmly. “The flavor is ingrained in my brain.”

“Three years with this team, and I still fail to understand any of you,” Kilbride commented, downing the rest of his beer. “Which means I need something stronger.” He wandered off to the bar, muttering to himself.

“Nice to know some things don’t change,” Kensi said dryly.

The rest of them gravitated towards each other, forming a small group as they sipped at their drinks. Nell had somehow acquired a large red drink with a cocktail umbrella.

“You know, contrary to popular belief, Callen and I are capable of crafting normal beer—remembered the orange and nectarine?” Deeks said, nodding to Kensi. “We just choose not to.”

“I still maintain that none of our stuff was that bad,” Callen insisted. He frowned, holding up his glass, tilting his head to examine the light amber liquid inside. “Though this is kind of bland.”

“You’re ridiculous, you know that, right?” Sam said in exasperation. He gave Callen a slight shove towards the bar. “C’mon G, let’s go get you some more skunky beer.”

“Mmm, it almost feels like we never left,” Nell said, watching the two fondly bicker.

“It does. Especially with having the bar back,” Deeks agreed. “Speaking of which, I can’t thank you guys enough for helping buy it back.”

“It means a lot to us,” Kensi added, sliding her free arm through Deeks’.

“You’re welcome, but guys, I told you before, I literally would not be where I am without the money that you loaned me for years. Especially Deeks,” Eric replied. “I probably owe you about 10 bars at this point.”

“I think we’ll call it even with one.” She glances at Deeks and he nodded in agreement.

“We’ve got everything we need.”

“Ooh, speaking of needs,” Nell paused to take a healthy gulp of her drink, her Christmas themed had shifting precariously. “When do I get to see my nieces and nephews?”

“Well, I’m guessing the sitter already put the twins down for the night, but we’re free tomorrow. And I’m sure Rosa would love to see you when she’s done with classes,” Kensi replied.

“Awesome! That’ll give us time to get all their gifts together.” Eric nodded enthusiastically. “It’s amazing what they’re doing with kids toys these days.”

“I’m not sure I want to know.”

“He’s teasing, Deeks.” Nell rolled her eyes at Eric, lightly tapping his shoulder with the back of her hand. She giggled, adding in a couple pats lower down on his chest.

Beside him, Kensi hastily stifled a snort, and when Deeks glanced at her, she had her lips tightly pressed together.

“Oh, I love this song,” Nell announced, as the playlist running in the background switched to the next selection. “Mr. Beale, may I have this dance?” Bending at the waist, Nell waved her hand in an elaborate flourish.

“My lady awaits,” Eric said with a shrug as he let Nell tug him away.

“I missed this,” Kensi said wistfully.

“What, Callen and Sam arguing over beer and the Wonder Twins drunkenly dancing on our non-existent dance floor?”

“Yeah.”

“Me too.”

Kensi swayed into his side, wrapping both arms around his waist. “I’m glad we have this back.”

He watched Nell and Eric put on a two-person act to “Santa Baby”, giggling the entire time, and couldn’t help but agree.

***

A/N: Once again bringing back the Squid and Dagger as well as Callen and Deeks making beer of dubious quality.

[chaengluva]

X Games

Ellie Williams X Reader, squid game au!

"Normal" Life - Prologue/Part 1/Part 2/Part 3/Part4

So there will be more parts to this then i intended, + lmk if you wanted to be added to the taglist :)

sorry it took so long, promise updates should be quicker

-------

When you made your way back to the room, you noticed that the beds of the eliminated players had already been removed, leaving empty spaces where they used to be. The sight of it struck you like a punch to the gut. The silence in the room was suffocating, the kind that sinks into your bones and makes your chest feel heavy. You sat down on the same bed you’d woken up on, hugging your knees tightly to your chest. You didn’t usually cry, but after seeing all those people get shot, the fear became unbearable. Hot tears rolled down your cheeks before you could stop them. What if you were next?

Lost in your spiraling thoughts, you didn’t notice someone approaching until you felt a hand on your shoulder. The sudden contact startled you, and you jumped up with wide, fearful eyes. The woman standing there recoiled slightly, her own hands raised in an apologetic gesture.

“Sorry! I didn’t mean to scare you,” she said softly, her voice tinged with a nervous giggle.

You couldn’t smile, not after what you’d just been through, and she noticed. Her expression shifted, becoming serious and tender. She hesitated before sitting beside you on the bed and pulling you into a gentle hug. “It’s okay,” she whispered, her voice steady and calm. “I’m going to keep you safe. Don’t worry.”

For a brief moment, her words gave you some comfort. But then your eyes wandered across the room and landed on Ellie. She was sitting against the wall, her sharp gaze boring into you like daggers. Her face was darkened with anger, her jaw clenched tight. You could feel her fury from all the way across the room, and it made your stomach twist.

You pulled away from the woman’s embrace, unease creeping back into your chest. “Umm... I don’t know if I should trust anyone. Sorry,” you murmured, your hands fidgeting nervously with your fingers.

The tense moment was broken by a sudden yell. A girl had dropped to her knees near the guards, sobbing uncontrollably as she begged to go home. Her cries echoed in the room, raw and desperate. It was like her pain gave others permission to let their own panic spill out. Slowly, more people joined her, their pleas mixing together into a chaotic chorus of despair.

You thought about joining them, the idea tugging at your mind like a thread unraveling, but the woman beside you grabbed your arm. “Don’t humiliate yourself,” she said, her voice low and firm.

You nodded, swallowing your fear, and sank back onto your bed. As the begging continued, one of the guards stepped forward, their voice slicing through the noise like a blade.

“Stop. It is against the rules to quit the game without the consent of the majority.”

The room quieted, and a man in glasses pushed his way to the front of the crowd. He adjusted his frames, his expression calm but determined. “Consent,” he began, his voice cutting through the stillness. “Clause 3. If the majority of players agree to stop playing, the games will be terminated.”

The guards exchanged glances before one of them pulled out a remote. A loud mechanical hum filled the room, and everyone’s eyes snapped upward as the giant piggy bank above us opened. A cascade of cash poured into it, bills fluttering like confetti before piling up inside. The sight was mesmerizing, and the collective gasp from the group was audible.

“If you choose to end the game,” one of the guards announced, “the money in this bank will go to the families of the eliminated players. However, every time a player is eliminated, $111,000 is added to the prize pool. If you choose to stay, this money could be yours.”

The room buzzed with murmurs, disbelief rippling through the players. Then came the command that made your stomach tighten.

“Vote. X to leave, O to stay. The voting will begin now, in order of descending numbers.”

The girl who had comforted you was Player 455, so she went second after the first player nervously chose X. You watched her step forward, the room holding its breath as she pressed the button decisively: X.

Two to zero.

Then it was your turn. Your heart pounded in your chest as your number was called. Every step toward the voting station felt heavier than the last, as if the weight of everyone’s stares was pinning you down.

You felt the eyes of the room burn into your back, each person silently judging your choice before you even made it. But your mind was made up. Without a second thought, you slammed the X button.

A small, sharp beep followed, marking your choice. You exhaled shakily as you turned and walked back to your bed, your legs threatening to give out beneath you.

The votes were almost evenly split as the process continued. Each X or O was a knife’s edge, the tension in the room palpable. Your fingers dug into your palms as you watched the count tick closer to the breaking point.

Then came Ellie’s turn. You couldn’t tear your eyes away as she slowly stood and walked to the station. Every step she took felt like an eternity, and your heart raced in your chest.

Please press X. Please.

Your breath hitched as her hand hovered over the buttons, hesitating for a split second before pressing O.

O.

Your heart sank like a stone. What was she thinking? Did she have a death wish?

The final votes came down to Player 001, the elderly man whose kind face had made you think, for a moment, that he might be your ally. The screen above showed an exact tie. 101-101.

Every pair of eyes in the room was fixed on him as he shuffled forward, his frail hands trembling. Your chest tightened as he approached the voting station, his every movement agonizingly slow.

You clenched your fists, too afraid to even breathe. This vote would decide everything.

Time seemed to freeze as his hand hovered over the buttons. X. O. X. O. He hesitated for what felt like an eternity, his face unreadable.

Finally, the sharp beep of his vote rang out, and the screen lit up.

X.

The room erupted into noise, some people cheering, others groaning in frustration. Relief washed over you in an overwhelming wave, and before you could stop yourself, you let out a loud cheer. You didn’t care who heard it. For now, you were going home, and that was all that mattered.

“This is not the last of the games, you will have an opportunity to come back if you would like.” The guards said, then they left.

You went to sleep that night, relieved that the nightmare was over. For the first time in days, you thought you could finally rest, but the peace didn’t last long.

The next thing you remembered was being yanked from sleep, your body hitting a cold, hard surface. The muffled hum of an engine filled your ears as you struggled to make sense of your surroundings. Blindfolded and tied at the wrists and ankles, your pulse raced as you realized you were moving—being transported somewhere.

“Hello? Is anyone there?” you called out, your voice trembling.

“Yes, I’m here, you idiot. Keep your voice down and untie my arms,” came an irritated voice, unmistakably Ellie’s.

“Ellie?” you asked, relief and annoyance mixing in your tone. “How am I supposed to do that? My hands are tied too.” You rolled your eyes, even though you knew she couldn’t see it. Somehow, you knew she could hear it in your voice.

“Use your mouth,” Ellie snapped.

“Of course,” you muttered under your breath, shuffling awkwardly toward her. You leaned down, fumbling to grab hold of the ropes binding her wrists with your teeth. The rough texture scratched against your lips as you worked at the knots, your frustration growing.

After what felt like an eternity, the ropes fell away. Ellie quickly untied her legs, then yanked off her blindfold.

“Wow,” she said, standing up and stretching with an exaggerated groan, “not my first time seeing you like this.” She giggled, bending down to pull off your blindfold.

“Shut up and untie me,” you grumbled.

“Maybe your girlfriend can do it,” she said, smirking as she walked toward a pile of clothes on the floor.

“Girlfriend?” you repeated, confused.

She rolled her eyes dramatically, slipping into her clothes. “Don’t act like you don’t know what I mean.”

“I don’t know what you mean,” you insisted.

Ellie bent down, grabbing the ropes around your wrists. Instead of untying them, she yanked them tighter, making you groan in pain.

“That girl,” she said, her tone mocking, “the one you were hugging. What’s the deal there?”

You let out an exasperated sigh. “Oh, her? She was just some random girl who actually decided to comfort me, unlike you,” you shot back, glaring at her.

Ellie chuckled, finally undoing the ropes around your wrists. “You were being pathetic, like always.”

You ignored her, focusing on untying your legs. Once free, you grabbed your clothes, quickly putting them on before walking away.

“See you when you go back to the games!” Ellie called after you.

You shook your head, refusing to look back. There was no way you’d go back to the games. No way.

For the next two days, you drifted aimlessly through the city, avoiding home. You weren’t ready to face your family, to answer the questions you knew they’d have. Instead, you used the crumpled $100 bill the old man had handed you and checked into the cheapest hotel you could find.

The room was small and musty, with faded wallpaper and a mattress that sagged in the middle. It wasn’t much, but it was better than nothing.

That first night, Ellie’s words echoed in your head, refusing to let you rest. “See you when you go back to the games.”

Was this how you wanted to live? Scared, hungry, and unsure of what the future held? Was this why so many players chose to stay, even knowing the risks? You tossed and turned, your thoughts racing until the early hours of the morning. You only managed to fall asleep when the sunlight began creeping through the tattered curtains.

When you woke up, it was already evening. Your stomach growled in protest, reminding you that you hadn’t eaten all day. Reluctantly, you decided to go home.

Luckily, both your parents were out when you arrived. You slipped in, grabbed some cash, and left without a word, moving like a ghost through the house. You headed straight for a nearby convenience store, buying a few snacks and a bottle of soju.

Outside, the rain poured in a steady stream, the cold droplets soaking through your thin jacket. You sat down under the store’s awning, munching on chips and sipping the soju. Your thoughts swirled as the rain beat down around you.

“Oh my gosh! Hi!”

Startled, you looked up. There, standing in the rain with a bright smile, was the girl who had comforted you during the games. Her presence was so unexpected that it left you momentarily speechless.

“Wow, it’s a small world, huh?” she said, plopping down in the chair across from you without waiting for an invitation.

You blinked, unsure how to respond. “Yeah, I guess,” you finally muttered.

She smiled warmly, brushing some damp hair out of her face. For a moment, the two of you sat in silence, the sound of the rain filling the space between you.

Then, out of nowhere, she spoke. “I’ve decided to join the games again.”

You froze, nearly choking on your drink. “What?”

She nodded, her expression calm, as if she’d just told you she was going grocery shopping.

“Are you serious?” you asked, your voice tinged with disbelief.

“Yeah,” she said simply.

“Why?”

She shrugged, leaning back in her chair. “I thought about it a lot. I don’t really have anything else going on, you know? The games... at least they gave me something to fight for.”

Her words made your stomach twist. Deep down, you knew you felt the same way.

“What about you?” she asked, tilting her head.

You hesitated, unsure how to answer. “I don’t know...”

The two of you talked for hours after that, the conversation flowing easily despite the heavy topic. She told you about how she had spent the last two days wandering the city, feeling aimless and lost. You shared your own struggles, admitting how Ellie’s words had been haunting you.

“You know,” she said, breaking a moment of silence, “I just realized I never got your name.”

You laughed softly. “It’s [name]. What about you?”

“Abby,” she said, smiling.

“Nice to meet you properly, Abby,” you said with a small smile of your own.

The two of you talked late into the night, sharing stories and fears until you finally noticed the time. It was 2am. If you wanted to rejoin the games, tomorrow was the day they’d come for you.

You stood, stretching your tired legs. “I guess I’ll see you tomorrow,” you said, your voice hesitant.

Abby nodded. “Yeah. See you tomorrow.”

As you walked back to the motel, your heart felt heavy, yet strangely resolute. You didn’t know what the next game would hold, but at least you wouldn’t face it alone.

You woke up to the harsh light streaming through the thin motel curtains. The clock on the nightstand read 9:30 a.m., but it felt as though no time had passed since you had collapsed into bed hours earlier. The pit in your stomach was still there, heavy and inescapable.

Tonight, they’ll come for me.

You sat up slowly, letting the weight of your decision sink in again. It wasn’t like you hadn’t spent all night thinking about it, but the light of day brought it back in a sharper, more terrifying focus. After dragging yourself into the bathroom, you stared at the stranger in the mirror—tired eyes, pale skin, and a tension in your jaw that refused to let go.

The water from the shower was hot enough to sting, but you barely noticed. Your thoughts were louder than the sound of the stream. What if this time, I don’t make it? What if this is the worst mistake of my life?

The rest of the day crawled by. Every tick of the clock felt like a countdown, the hours stretching endlessly yet somehow vanishing too quickly. You tried to distract yourself, flipping through the TV channels in the motel, but nothing held your attention. Your appetite was gone, and the leftover snacks on the nightstand remained untouched.

As night fell, you grabbed your coat and stepped outside. The cold air hit your face, biting into your skin as you walked to the designated spot. You had memorized the directions Abby had given you the night before. “Just wait at the corner by the streetlight,” she had said. “They’ll find you.”

The streetlight flickered faintly as you reached it, casting long shadows across the empty road. You glanced at your phone—11:02 p.m. Your breath formed small clouds in the cold night air as you stood there, arms crossed tightly over your chest.

Minutes passed, each one feeling like an eternity. Every small sound—a rustling bush, a distant car horn—made your heart leap. Your nerves were frayed, and you couldn’t stop your foot from tapping against the pavement.

And then, you heard it.

A low rumble in the distance. Your heart skipped a beat as you looked up, spotting the faint glow of headlights approaching. The van emerged from the darkness, its sleek black form barely illuminated by the streetlight. It slowed as it neared you, coming to a stop just a few feet away.

The side door slid open silently, and the dimly lit interior of the van was revealed. Two masked figures sat inside, their dark eyes hidden behind the blank pink masks you had come to dread. They didn’t speak, just gestured for you to get in.

Your hands trembled as you stepped forward, climbing into the van. The door slid shut behind you with a heavy finality that made your stomach churn.

Inside, you noticed the other passengers seated around you. Their heads were slumped forward, bodies limp in their seats. At first, you thought they were asleep, but then the faint chemical smell hit your nose. Gas.

Panic flared in your chest as you realized what was happening. Your eyes darted to the front of the van, where the masked figures sat silently. The doors were locked. There was no way out.

You tried to hold your breath, pressing yourself against the cold metal wall of the van as your heart pounded in your chest. Your thoughts spiraled uncontrollably. Why did I do this? I should’ve stayed home. I should’ve let it go.

The faint hiss of gas filled the air, growing louder by the second. Your head began to feel heavy, your eyelids drooping despite your desperate attempt to fight it.

This was a mistake.

Your breathing slowed, and the world around you blurred into darkness. The last thing you remembered was the weight of regret pressing down on you, stronger than the gas that pulled you under.

-

hope you guys likes the mini surprise i added (abby), get ready for more jealous ellie.

Taglist @vahnilla @radioheadfan699 @defnoteleonor @robinphobia @liztreez @deathbydollz @hemmo01 @soodle-noup @reneesub @ellensmithxo @lamorenita @kissedberries @liasxeatt @smiths-fan--13 @0phantom0 @ellieslittleslutt @aliceellieswife @mrpeanitsbutter @asothinking @pussyeatercunt @culuvr

[merchant-wizard-and-jerry]

“Shop is open”

1 - Tinted glass - 10 currency

2 - Heart - 25 currency

3 - Elf Shoe - 25 currency

4 - Tile magic ball - 21 currency

5 - Drougnor-Dagger - 25 currency

6 - Squid tool - 35 currency

7 - Bio-Arm - 28 currency

————————

"Wizard Essentials"

————————

Staff - blade staff - 10 currency

Orb - Turkey - 10 currency

Robes - Infra-Oculum leather robe - 4 currency per robe

————

"Consumables"

————

1 - Health potion - 5 currency

2 - Health Potion - 5 currency

3 - Mana Potion - 5 currency

4 - Light Potion - 15 currency

——-

"Salt"

@ignisuada @biggest-gaudiest-patronuses - @damnable-druid @crickled-thorn-thug @serious-tabaxi @song-de-lune @the-mighty-dalob @cleric-posting @sorcererest-sorcerer @yeast-wizard

(Ooc: Sorry college ordination… oh and I’m going to college so this may take a back seat for a bit)

[ultrainfinitepit]

Shop Update July 2024

Hey there angel enthusiasts, it's time for the July update. Here's everything new on Shopify and Etsy:

Angel Curiosities pins

Patches: Angel of the Rainbow Infinite, Slain Lamb, and Eye Rectangle

Lanyards: Purple Tentacles, Blue Wings, Green Serpents, and Red Seraphim

Keychains: Heart Dagger and Angel of the Rainbow Infinite

Stickers: Starry Squid, Angel Columbo, Cowboy Zipporah, Israfel Seraph, Biblically Accurate Kumon, Heart Dagger, and Cowboy Angel

A new product: washi tape! Featuring the Red Seraphim artwork with gold foil.

To help clear out some older items, I'm running a sale on Etsy and Shopify. Almost everything is on sale on Etsy for 10% off; and a 15% discount will be applied at checkout on Shopify. 

The Pride Angels campaign is in-progress and going strong. Be sure to pledge before it ends. I'm planning to host preorders for pin designs from the past few months in the post-campaign survey/preorder store, so follow the campaign and keep an eye out for that if you're interested.

And don't forget to check out Pride Potions by Key and Crow Studios to get the pair of cross-collaboration freebie pins.

That's all for this update, have a joyous July ✨