#The current Bear Polycule line up is:

[kakusu-shipping]

The current full Bear Polycule line up, height (mostly) accurate

[tulipanthousa]

How about *all* of the numbers?

3, please!

-🦷

3 had the next most so lets do them next!

for reference, this one is loosely based on the common side-blotched lizard

There are two types of males (alpha/beta) and two types of females (beta/omega) and then one hermaphrodite sex thats socially considered male/men (omega males)

Alpha Males - high sex drive, larger size, tend towards having large packs. this ones not along tradition a/b/o dynamic lines, in that alphas are generally considered pretty dim/"thinking with the wrong head." they mostly work physical jobs like construction or trades like plumbing or crafting, and are usually pretty anti-social to anyone not in their pack.

Beta men and women are typically monogamous or polyfidelitous, but still live in packs, which are often made up of multiple beta/beta couples. most people in this verse (probably 60-70%) are betas.

Omega "Males" – hermaphrodites, so they can sire or bear children. very little sexual dimorphism with omega women, most omega men can pass as men or women. VERY looked down on - current science (subject to bias just as our science is) theorizes that omega males resemble women so they can sneak into packs and father children on the sly. less shitty scientists point out that its just good sense to have a sex that can reproduce with any other, from an evolutionary standpoint - more options to pass on your genes! in the past 30 years or so theres been a movement for it to become more mainstream and accepted for them to identify as nonbinary instead of the societal stereotype of being a "failed" man.

omega women are as mentioned above, indistinguishable from omega men except for the genital situation. both types of omegas generally have multiple births (2-3 usually, rarely more - a single birth is noticably odd) and are more territorial than betas.

Most Common Pack Set Ups

Alpha male with many betas

a large group of betas in monogamous pairs or polyfidelitous polycules that share communal home and childrearing

a group of omegas who live together but may or may not be involved with each other (these are sometimes called pseudo-packs or "survival packs," because it's difficult to afford to live without a pack)

less common pack set ups can include just about anything you can imagine but these are the ones people typically make assumptions to

stereotypes say that Alphas prefer betas and betas prefer other betas because omegas are sneaky, histrionic, and underhanded.

[actualbird]

Hi Zak! I really love your writing style and interpretation of the ToT characters. You show so much depth and understanding and reading your work is always a treat. My question is, how do you find the motivation to write so often and develop all your ideas? All I have is a backlog of Dramatic scenes in my ideas doc and I can't figure out how to add enough plot to even make them into oneshots.

hello, anon ヾ(＾∇＾)

thank you so much for your kind words!!! im glad my fics are enjoyable :D

as for your question......hm, i think i have a lot of things that motivate me to write a bunch at the speed i do, so heres all of the motivators i can think of

a big emotional one is that....i feel palpable physical anxiety when i havent Created A Thing in a While, HAHA. and my brain's definition of "a while" is anywhere from a week to one day KJBKJS. i feel happiest and most like myself when creating and having created. this emotional motivator is v important to me bc it helps me relieve negative emotions and experience positive ones.

my brain never shuts off!! ever!!! it's throwing new ideas at me 24/7 and leaving the ideas in my brain where nobody will ever get to see it......thats Agony For Me. i write so much because i wanna be like EVERYBODY, LOOK, LOOK AT THIS CONCEPT!! DONT LEAVE ME ALONE TO THINK ABOUT THIS, THINK ABOUT IT WITH ME!!!

people tell me that my writing makes them happy or makes them laugh or gives them some kind of benefit. this is hugely rewarding for me and pushes me to make more because i want to continue to make things that people can benefit from

i write my stuff because......nobody else will. like, the stuff i enjoy is somewhat niche. i wanna see smut but it's a comedy at the same time. or i wanna see the nxx team being stupid but also being a loving found family. i wanna see nxx polycule dealing with a voyeuristic pet bird. the stuff i want....NOBODY ELSE IS GONNA WRITE IT, theyre all way too specific, so i have to be the one to write it!!!

I Just Love Writing. ive been writing fiction for more than a decade now (exactly a decade, if ur going by my ao3 fics) and it's something i'll continue doing for the rest of my life. sorry to sound cheesy, but it's deadass my passion. it's what i chose to study and major in college, it's what i do at my current job, and it's what i do in my free time. i love writing, so i do as much of it as i can.

so theres a bunch of motivators that keep me trucking on like crazy!!!!

but theres a second question here, right? i think? or am i misreading? you also ask kinda how to develop ideas/plot, yeah? because huge mood at "backlog of Dramatic scenes" tbh thats how most of my fics start in my brain HAHA.

so heres how i personally develop ideas

the dramatic scene/s (or just whatever "seed" of a fic, be it a badass line or a stupid joke in dialog) in the head? i write that down immediately. no matter what is going on, i grab my phone and scribble that thing down on a notepad. i have woken up at 2am just to blindly wordbarf an idea into my diary discord, lemme get u an example actually, heres the message:

and this single message resulted in the fic "The NXX Investigation Team In Their Natural Habitat, Unhinged: A Documentary by DAVIS"

so like no matter how un-fleshed out the idea is, get it down!!! make the backlog in ur head a backlog somewhere outside of ur head so that it doesnt disappear bc a lot of the time, those ideas need to like.....simmer. i often need to put an idea down and let it rest for a while for me to understand the concept more and then start building around it. case in point: that message was sent on November 16. the first chapter of nxx docu fic was posted November 19......okay that wasnt a great example, it only simmered for 3 days BUT MY POINT STANDS

onto the plot!!!

i personally add plot by going through at LEAST TWO STAGES OF OUTLININING. this is gonna make me sound insane, but bear with me.

OUTLINE ONE: WORDBARF

this is the barebones shit. like tbh, all i put in this outline is as simple as premise, conflict, resolution. THATS IT. example of outline one of "how Puppy Pierce© conquered the world":

barest bones in the world but theyre still bones aka, theyre whats needed for a story. there is a premise, conflict, and resolution. fiction comes in all kinds of forms, but these three are the easiest and most noticeable building blocks. keeping these blocks in mind always helps me get from concept to story.

i move on now to

OUTLINE TWO: embellish the wordbarf

this is where i go insane because based on outline one, i expand as much as frigging possible. the outline one for puppierce is as short as u see above and my outline two based on it is 864 words long. this is where i get detailed and lay down scenes, sometimes i lay down the exact dialog as well. heres an excerpt of outline two from the same fic above:

BONUS: a list of things to Keep In Mind.

this is something i only do with fics that delve deep into emotions and themes but it's very very helpful for me because it allows me to have like...a guide to look towards whenever i feel blocked or stumped, it realigns my trajectory to where i want it to go. i do this in the beginning before outline one and two. heres an example from the fic "it's only ever a seed planted from outside in":

and once all that is done, tadaa!! everything is built!! and then i do the Actual Writing bit JBJKFGS

i hope this is helpful somehow? a lot of my writer friends have told me that both my motivators and my writing process is fucking insane but sdjkbkgjsd insane is what works for me. i hope you find what works for you :')

again, thank you for lovely ask!! if ever u have questions on like, writing process or story development, dont hesitate to hmu!!! my degree in creative writing has to be useful for something HAHA.

hope u have a nice day!!

[nochiquinn]

campaign 3 episode 13: ball pit

who else is terrified that dorian being at the ball is going make his parents aware of where he is and they're gonna pull some fuckery to make him come home and that's how robbie leaves the game

trying to explain to my partner how every week we're all going "is this it? is this how robbie leaves? how are they going to hurt us???"

it is not a healthy relationship

"god help me....nord vpn" A Mood

unironically want those fidget spinners tho

laura ur sweater

laura's sweater right after the caleb comic came out

oh NO

BEAR HUG

my birthday's coming up. just sayin.

"you're halfway done!" don't remind me

"midnight tonight" false

still  not over matt's ponytail in the intro. is that a weird thing to focus on? probably!

"you've proven to be somewhat creative" true "and capable" mmmmmm

"everyone dies" "us or them?" yes

man I need to finish leverage

"was that obscene?" "yes" "I'm sorry"

"these two are really charming" YEAH they are

"I'm not as good at lying as I thought"

mala: 24 of your exandrian hours

"it's not because my feelings are hurt that you don't want to go on a date with me"

"what is this plan about?" "we're all fucking"

liam has a whole secret b plot to get the group into a polycule

at dawn we poly

"they know exactly what they're doing" yeah each other

METAPIGEONS

"it's the same plan!" "but better"

taliesin

"it won't be in my hand, I'm tucking it back" .....chetney

"if you want anyone to become suddenly punched we excel at that"

"have you ever tried putting them in your mouth" laura immediately bursts into giggles

the collective age of the table tonight is 12

sam

burt reynolds is always with us

I am only picturing lovm!elf!matt as the check clerk

thigh dagger

oh NICE

I BELIEVE IN YOU

give him a little orange zip tie, it's fine

god I love them as a group

like I love all of them always but EXU crew + imogen is winning my heart tonight

this might be a niche reference but any time a ballroom with big chandeliers is described I just picture the lobby of the renaissance waverly hotel where they used to have AWA

oh imogen's gonna have to roll for overstimulation isn't she

"there's a sharp thing over there, good to know" "currently being held by someone" "they're holding it for me"

everybody find your overstim buddy

"all of those are the same shape" "...none of those numbers you named look the same"

very "I don't respect literally any of you" vibes

they all know better now, they just remind travis of his own backstory

C POP

someone draw chetney in a jolin tsai getup pls

I want a phd in weird-ass dreams

it's full of politicians, they're all evil

copernicus and maude was my favorite nick jr series as a kid

can't believe laura murdered robbie in the parking lot

WAIT

HE????

[percy voice] new money

UNPROMPTED WHISPERS

PERCEPTION CHECK WHISPERS

sam: shit my other job

CYRUS

you ABSOLUTE DUMBSHIT

fantasy electric slide

this plan can only go well

and then a dragon descends from overhead

well that felt rude

"apparently anxiety pays off"

"oh my god I wish I could drink"

invisible prop work

all pronouns!

ONLY MAUDE REMAINS

fantasy cha-cha slide

robbie making me revisit my thing about Dudes With Ponytails

"hey STUPID get in the corner"

"I dropped an oops stone!" dkfjslk

CAN they get some sage??

LinkedIn dance

"I don't know if it's luck so much as you cutting in line"

you are not invited into the cule

oh god it's being a polyam person on a dating app

"nothing good comes from 9th level magic"

here we gooooo

YE

imogen's gonna explode their heads

marisha has forgotten how to chair

forgotten how to chair AND the notebook

robbie why do you EVER gamble on a roll, it NEVER works

propose to me by launching a ring across the room or don't bother

mala: pandemic proposal

excellent comeback fearne, a+

I was wondering if eshteross was seeing this shit

lmao poor robbie

mercury is in its gatorade this week I swear

oh NICE

I zoned the fuck out, has ashton stabbed anyone yet

rude

well now it's just foreplay

[john mulaney voice] and now I've thrown him off his rhythm

well rip cyrus

I just want to take this moment to defend myself and say that just bc I stated a fear at the beginning of the episode that doesn't mean I manifested it to come true

I didn't do this, cyrus was stupid all on his own

was emoth six kobolds in a dress

the shadow fucks!

MATTHEW

[broomballkraken]

Title: A Dullahan and a Firewolf Walk into a Café...

Fandom: Cafe Enchante

Pairing(s): Kotone/Canus/Ignis

Word count: 3309

Warnings: None

Summary: ...and they eventually fall in love with the sunny and upbeat owner. This is a cause of tension between Canus and Ignis, who are normally the best of friends...that is, until they realize that they are in love with each other as well.

Enchanté had always been a place where Ignis could escape the constant fighting and the bitter cold of Bestia. Relaxing in the quaint café atmosphere with a nice drink and a filling homemade meal was always something that he had looked forward to.

This time, however, he was feeling anything but relaxed.

Ignis’ grip tightened around his glass of soda as he stole a glance to his right, where Canus sat sipping on his smoothie, his discomfort obvious due to the deep blue color of the flames that were ever-present around his neck.

They were currently the only regulars present today; Il was locked in his room playing the latest otome game, Misyr had business in the demon world, Rindo had offered to escort Kariya to his checkup at the GPM, and Kotone was off shopping for groceries. The fact that Ignis was alone with Canus only made this awkward silence between them more deafening. There was also a palpable tension in the air, and it had everything to do with the beautiful human who owned the café.

Ignis would be the first to admit that he had been wary when Kotone had taken over the café. Enchanté was his escape from the constant fighting in Bestia, and he didn’t know if it would be the same without Souan. However, he soon realized that his worry had been unfounded, because Kotone’s Enchanté was every bit as cozy and welcoming to non-humans as her grandfather’s had been.

It was even more so actually, as unlike Souan, Kotone had shown great interest in visiting the non-human worlds, even though she had ended up in the middle of a few terrible situations, especially in his own world of Bestia, and Canus’ home world of Medio. She had helped Ignis break free from his fate of becoming Vanar, so it was no surprise that he had fallen in love with her along the way, and luckily for him, she felt the same way.

This had surprised him, because while they all were helping Canus deal with the threat that Yggdrasil posed to Medio, Ignis watched as Kotone and Canus fell in love with each other. He had never considered the fact that she could be in love with two people at the same time, but that wasn’t really a problem.

No, the problem wasn’t that they both loved Kotone, it was that Ignis was also in love with Canus, and he didn’t know what to think of that. In Bestia, the beast-folk took on one mate for life, and Ignis had never heard of anyone forming a polycule of any kind before. He wasn’t sure what humans thought of that, and from what he had gathered about the fairy customs concerning romance, he really couldn’t fathom a guess at what Canus’ thoughts about it were either.

The more Ignis thought about it, the more he realized that he had probably been in love with Canus far longer than he had with Kotone, and he had just been too dense to realize it. He didn’t need to see Canus’ face to know that he was attractive; his kindness, loyalty, and passion for protecting others was more than enough to cause Ignis to fall in love with him.

When Ignis had found out about the horrible burden that Canus had been forced to bear for Medio, he had felt physically ill at the thought. Someone as kind-hearted and gentle as Canus had no business being forced to kill innocents against his will. Ignis had been more than happy to lend a hand in burning that bastard tree Yggdrasil down to nothing but a pile of ash.

Canus had been a big part of helping Ignis out with his own bullshit trauma, and Ignis really couldn’t thank him enough for helping Kotone keep him from passing that point of no return. They had developed a very close bond, and Ignis had realized that the line between friendship and love had been blurred for a long time. Now that he knew that line had indeed been crossed, he didn’t know what to do about it.

When Kotone had confessed her love for him, Ignis thought that would solve his problem once and for all by overwriting his love for Canus. However, those feelings persisted nonetheless, and it only confused him more when he found out that Kotone loved Canus too.

Ignis’ patience with this dilemma was wearing thin, and he knew that he needed to talk about this with Canus. He hated this awkward air that lingered between them now, and he decided that he was going to put a stop to it right now, one way or another.

Ignis downed half of his drink and slammed his glass onto the counter harder than he needed to, startling Canus. “Ugh, alright, we’ve gotta talk about this already,” he said, waving his hand in front of him as he turned to face Canus head on. Canus stiffened and he turned as well, letting out a deep sigh.

“Indeed. We have put it off for far too long.”

“So, you love Kotone, and I love Kotone.” Ignis decided to not beat around the bush at all, and he continued when Canus nodded, “And she loves both of us.”

“Yes, she has told me as much.” Canus crossed his arms over his chest, and his flames turned a radiant yellow in color, causing Ignis’ face to heat up at how pretty they were. “It was easy to fall in love with such a gentle, caring soul.”

“Yeah.” A soft smile crossed Ignis’ face as he placed an elbow on the counter and rested his chin on his hand. “She’s so compassionate, too much for her own good sometimes. Kotone really pulled us both out of some really dark places, huh?”

Canus’ flames flashed dark blue briefly, and Ignis winced as the awful memories resurfaced briefly. They both really had been through hell by being forced to kill against their will, albeit with different overall circumstances. All of their friends had been a great help, but Kotone had been at the center, for both of them, and had been a key factor in giving them both a happy ending to their ordeals.

“But,” Ignis continued as he worried his bottom lip between his teeth, “is it really okay for her to be with both of us at the same time?”

“Hm, I believe so. Human relationships are varied and complicated. I have read in a few of the romantic magazines that Kotone has given Titania that some do in fact form polyamorous relationships.” Ignis was curious as to why Canus was reading those magazines in the first place, but he decided against asking about it. Instead, he sighed and crossed his arms over his chest.

“Tch, humans are stranger than I thought...I guess I can live with her being in love with both of us…” Ignis trailed off, failing to hide the disappointment in his voice, not at the fact that he had to share Kotone, but that he also wanted to be with Canus. Ignis wasn’t sure if he could stand to watch Canus give Kotone affection when he wanted it badly from him too.

But Ignis would try, because he loved them both, and if he had to suppress his feelings for Canus to make them happy, then he would make that sacrifice, no matter how painful it was. He stole a glance at Canus out of the corner of his eye, and even though he couldn’t see his face, Ignis could feel Canus’ intense gaze boring into him as the flames around his neck suddenly turned a light pink in color.

“...Yes, but with that being said...I do believe that I may have similar feelings for you as well, Ignis.”

Ignis had unfortunately been in the middle of taking a generous swig of his drink, and it immediately ended up all over the counter as choked on it and spit it out. His coughing fit was eased when Canus smacked a firm hand to his back a few times, and Ignis finally managed to squeak out a response after he wiped his arm over his mouth.

“...H-Huh??”

Canus lifted his hand to his invisible face and cleared his throat, his flames turning an even deeper shade of pink. “I, ah...I’m in love with you too.”

Ignis just stared at Canus, with his jaw hanging open with shock. He couldn’t help but wonder if fairies possessed some kind of mind-reading magic that he wasn’t aware of, but the thought was pushed from his mind as an incredible warmth erupted within his chest. Canus...really felt the same way about him, huh? Ignis definitely hadn’t expected that at all.

“If you do not feel the same about me, that is...quite alright.” The flames around Canus’ neck betrayed his actual feelings as it turned a deep shade of blue, and Ignis frowned at the sight. “I will suppress my feelings for you and we can focus on making Kotone happy-“

“Whoa, whoa, back up. Don’t just assume things without hearing what I have to say first,” Ignis interrupted, pouting as his eyes narrowed, “Because, ah, actually do, kinda, maybe feel the same way…” Ignis fumbled with his words and his voice trailed off at the end, and Canus just stared at him.

“I...don’t understand-” he started, and Ignis let out a frustrated noise as he shook his head.

“Gah! I love you too, alright?” he blurted out, his gaze falling to the counter as he rubbed at the back of his neck. He heard Canus suck in a sharp breath, and Ignis almost didn’t hear it over the roaring of his heartbeat in his ears.

“O-Oh, you...you do, really?”

“Yes, really.” Ignis forced himself to look back up at Canus, “I’ve...loved you for a long time now, actually.” He swallowed thickly and sweat began to bead on his forehead as Canus stared at him, before his flames turned a bright yellow.

“I am so happy to hear that, Ignis. I...was honestly scared to tell you, given your relationship with Kotone.” He paused and rubbed at the back of his neck sheepishly. “I didn’t know if there would be room in your heart for me.”

“Oh fuck that, Canus,” Ignis said with a roll of his eyes, “For you, there was always a place in my heart. I was just too dense to realize it sooner, you know. You’re just...really easy to love.”

Canus’ flames turned a dark blue as he let out a deep sigh. “I never really thought that I was deserving of love, back when I was doing my duty as the Fairy of Death, but you and Kotone made me realize that I was wrong, and I cannot thank you both enough for that.”

Ignis snorted and shrugged his shoulders. “I mean, I’m surprised that you two still gave me the time of day after the bullshit you saved me from...but I’m really glad you two didn’t give up on me either.” Ignis smiled as Canus’ flames turned pink again, and he hoped that this wasn’t a cruel dream, because damn he never felt so goddamn lucky and loved in his entire life.

Canus reached across the counter and placed his hand over Ignis’, causing the latter to make a strangled noise in the back of his throat, while his cheeks turned a bright pink in color.

“You are rather adorable when flustered, Ignis.”

“S-Shut up.”

Canus laughed as his flames turned a lime green, and that was enough to cause Ignis’ face to flush an even deeper red while his heartbeat quickened considerably. He couldn’t stop a smile from crossing his face, however, and he entwined their fingers together as he gave Canus’ hand a light squeeze. His smile morphed into a grin when Canus’ flames turned pink again, and even though Ignis couldn’t see his face, he could just tell that he had the brightest of smiles on his face.

Suddenly, the bell at the door rang, prompting Ignis and Canus to look to see who would enter…

---

When Kotone pushed open the door to Enchanté, she hadn’t expected to see Canus and Ignis sitting together at the counter, and her eyes widened when they both turned to look at her. It had been very awkward this morning, when she had served them their drinks and quickly made up an excuse to rush off to the marketplace. She knew that she was the source of the awkwardness between them, and that made her feel immensely guilty.

She didn’t know how it happened, but she had somehow managed to fall deeply in love with both Ignis and Canus. She knew that it wasn’t fair to them to not pick a side, but her heart kept telling her that it was big enough for the both of them. Kotone was honest about her feelings when she talked to them, and they seemed fine with her also being with the other. However, she couldn’t help but feel like it would be better if they all could be in one happy relationship, but she had no idea how likely that was…

That is, until her gaze wandered to the counter, where Ignis and Canus’ hands were clasped together, and she let out a light gasp as she hurried towards them, as they both shot up from their seats.

“Ah, K-Kotone!”

“Er, hey…”

Canus and Ignis both turned and greeted her nervously, with the former’s flames flashing between dark blue and pink, while the latter’s eyes darted anywhere but to meet her own. A smile slowly spread across Kotone’s face when their hands remained clasped together in spite of their flustered states.

“You two are holding hands!” she blurted out, and Canus’ smoke flushed completely pink and Ignis glanced down at their entwined hands, before they both finally looked at Kotone.

“W-Well, yes...We, ah…” Canus mumbled, his free hand fiddling with his collar as he stumbled over his words.

“Ugh, we found out that we love each other too, okay?” Ignis interrupted Canus to blurt out a blunt explanation, and Kotone giggled, her chest flooding with an immense warmth. Knowing that they all loved each other equally was a dream come true, and Kotone couldn’t contain her happiness as she pulled Ignis down for a kiss, and then did the same to Canus.

“That’s wonderful!” Kotone exclaimed as she stepped back, and she looked back and forth between them a few times. Canus and Ignis just stared at her, looking a bit confused at her eagerness. She laughed and placed her hands on her hips, raising an eyebrow at them.

“Well? Are you two going to kiss now?”

Kotone brought a hand to her face as she tried to suppress another giggle when the two men before her bristled at the suggestion. They glanced briefly at each other before quickly turning away, Ignis’ face flushing a bright red to match his hair, while Canus’ flames turned a deep pink.

“Um, I...suppose that would be the next logical course of action…” Canus mumbled as he sheepishly rubbed at the back of his neck.

“Y-Yeah, but...this is...embarrassing…” Ignis crossed his arms over his chest, his fingers digging into his skin.

“Oh?” Kotone cocked her head to the side. “But you two kissed me just fine.”

“T-That’s different!” Ignis sputtered with a firm shake of his head, “You already knew how we felt about you. Canus and I just confessed our feelings for each other…”

“Oh, then all the more reason for you two to have your first kiss now!” Kotone drove her point home by smacking her fist into her other hand and smiling sweetly. The sincerity in Kotone’s words must have reached them, because Ignis and Canus both fixed their gaze on her, both nodding as the former swallowed thickly, and the latter took in a deep breath and let it out slowly.

“...R-Right...”

“...U-Understood…”

They turned to face each other, and the comically serious expression on Ignis’ face combined with Canus’ stiff posture had Kotone snorting as she tried not to burst out laughing. Ignis stared at the ‘empty’ space above Canus’ neck with an intense look, his eyes narrowing as he slowly lifted his hands up.

“...Can’t even tell where your lips are…” Ignis mumbled, a grumpy pout crossing his face as he lightly smacked his hands against the spot where he thought Canus’ cheeks were.

“Ignis...there’s no need to hit me.” Canus’ flames flashed a dark blue in color, before snapping back to pink in an instant. Ignis opened his mouth to respond, probably with a snarky retort, but he froze when Canus’ hands moved to cup his face. Kotone watched the scene unfold with great interest, and a gentle warmth seeped into her cheeks when Canus lowered his face to Ignis’ and guided his lips to the proper place. She hadn’t really been sure if these two would love each other as much as they loved her, but looking at them now wiped all doubts from Kotone’s mind, especially when she saw Ignis’ lips curl up into a smile.

When they pulled away from each other, Kotone did not fail to notice the fond looks that the two men exchanged, before Ignis’ face scrunched up and he scratched at his chin.

“Huh, strange…”

Canus jerked backwards as his flames immediately turned a deep shade of blue. “Was it...really that bad?”

“What? No, that’s not what I meant at all!” Ignis quickly explained, shaking his head as he grabbed Canus’ hand, “It’s just...you’re ah, warm…” Kotone giggled at the exchange and nodded.

“Yeah, Canus’ kisses are always warm to me too,” she chimed in, and Ignis joined her in laughing when Canus sputtered, embarrassed, “It’s a bit strange that we can’t see your lips though.”

“I, ah, do have them, it’s just that no one but I can actually touch them, or any part of my head for that matter. But,” Canus’ flames turned a vibrant yellow as he placed his hands on Ignis’ and Kotone’s shoulders, “I...can feel how soft both of your lips are against mine and...it is a pleasant feeling.”

Kotone smiled brightly and laughed as she wrapped her arms around both of them, hearing them both make a startled noise as she pulled them into a tight hug. “I’m so happy that we all feel the same about each other! I really love you both so much!”

“Ah geez,” Ignis grumbled, and Kotone glanced up to see that his pouting face was flushed red, “I, er, love you both too.”

Kotone felt a rumbling chuckle roll through Canus’ chest, and she giggled when he leaned down and placed a kiss on her cheek, before doing the same to Ignis. “I love you both as well, with all that I am.” His arms wrapped around both Kotone and Ignis and he pulled them against his broad chest. “I never thought that I would return to Enchanté to find not just one, but two people who I’ve come to cherish more than anything else.”

“Ugh, that’s so cheesy,” Ignis grumbled, hiding his beet-red face against Canus’ chest, but Kotone still caught the beautiful smile that was on his face, “Thanks for loving me you two, in spite of all the bullshit I’ve put you through.”

“Of course, you both are so easy to love…” Kotone said, letting out a content sigh as she melted into the embrace of the two men that she loved the most. As they stood in the middle of her Enchanté, Kotone would forever be thankful for the dullahan and the firewolf who walked in one day, and changed her life for the better.

[voiceless-terror]

"person a and person b go through a haunted house together - person a loves all things spooky and person b is terrified" for Tim and Martin?

Let it never be said that I don’t fulfill a prompt. Here you go! A bit later than I wanted but I hope you like. Great month for some spooky shenanigans. This is Season One nonsense, and a bit of fun archives polycule though its not center stage here.

“You’re going to love this.”

“I’ve already told you I absolutely will not, but okay.”

Martin doesn’t know why he lets himself get in these situations. Always eager to please, always has to say ‘yes.’ But Tim was begging and of course Martin couldn’t say no to those eyes.

Besides, Sasha outright refused and Jon locked himself in his office as soon as the question was posed. So that left Martin- good ol’ agreeable Martin.

Never mind that he hated jump scares, that he couldn’t sit through any horror movie without screaming or fleeing the room. He was in the wrong line of work, honestly. He’d think of quitting but he couldn’t bear the thought of leaving any of them behind. You’re doing this for love, Martin reminded himself rather dramatically. For Tim.

“This is supposed to be the scariest haunted house in the Greater London area. You have no idea how lucky we are.” Tim was rubbing his hands together gleefully; his excitement was adorable and Martin tried to focus on that instead of his mounting anxiety during their hour-long wait. 

“I’m going to close my eyes the entire time, Tim.” he reminded the man. “You know I hate this type of thing.” They were fast approaching the front of the line- too fast, in Martin’s opinion.

Tim threw an arm around his shoulder and gave him a messy kiss on the cheek. “And I greatly appreciate your sacrifice. You truly love me, unlike the others.” The others being Jon and Sasha, who were currently waiting in the beer garden with the apple cider donuts Martin had been promised as a reward. “Really taking one for the team, Blackwood,” Sasha had remarked with a cheeky grin. “Good luck!”

A bored teenager took their tickets, gesturing them forward with a lazy hand. “Please remember not to touch the props or the actors. Move at a steady pace throughout the house. Have a spooktacular time.” The monotone strangely comforted Martin; perhaps it wouldn’t be so bad after all.

How wrong he was.

They were greeted on entrance by a chainsaw-wielding zombie; Martin let out an ear-shattering shriek while Tim cackled maniacally. Things did not get much better from there.

He was nauseated from the amount of fake blood in the “doctor’s” office. The spiders that intermittently dropped from the ceiling tested even his love for arachnids. A particularly worm-y display left them both a bit rattled. But Tim kept a hand around his arm and that made everything slightly better. 

They were almost to the end; Martin could see the exit in sight. He abandoned all of his earlier caution and started to drag Tim towards the light, eager to leave this hellish nightmare. Before he could reach the end however, a figure stepped directly into his path and raised a gleaming, silver knife in the air.

Martin would like to think he acted on instinct. He let out a guttural yell and his hand unconsciously formed a fist before he remembered the one rule of the house- don’t touch the actors. Martin was nothing if not polite.

So his body automatically turned and hit the next closest thing, which happened to be Tim’s face. His nose, to be precise. And then there was yelling from all sides; Tim in pain, Martin in effusive apologies, and the actor himself in shock (and a bit of laughter).

“I am so, so sorry Tim!” Martin was ushering them out to Sasha and Jon while Tim pressed a towel to his nose. The actor was very accommodating, helping them to the back to their ‘first aid station.’ “It happens more often than you think,” he said. “Though usually it’s to us.” Tim groaned in response.

“It’s fine,” he replied in a nasally voice. “Honestly, I’m kind of proud. You have a vicious right hook.” Unsurprisingly, this didn’t make Martin feel any better.

“What happened to you?” Sasha jumped up from the table upon seeing them and immediately began to fuss over Tim. “C’mere, sit down.”

“Are you alright, Martin?” Jon inquired anxiously, burrowing into his side and handing him a cup of hot cider that he took gratefully. “You look upset. Was it very scary?”

“Oi! I’m the victim here!” Tim replied in mock outrage. “And Martin’s the one who did it!” He winced as Sasha poked at his nose.

“Wha- really?” Jon replied, turning to look at Martin with an impressed stare. For some reason his face was turning a bit red-it wasn’t that cold, but Martin drew him closer all the same. 

“I said I was sorry! You’re the one who forced me to go in there, I didn’t mean to-”

“Wow, Martin! You got him good.” Tim gasped at Sasha’s words. “Oh hush, you’ll heal just fine. Doesn’t look broken.”

“Sadistic, the lot of you. Stop fucking smiling, Jon!”

“I’m not!” Jon replied, smiling.

They went home shortly afterwards, Tim snoring away in the backseat with his head on Sasha’s shoulder. 

“He’ll be fine,” Jon assured him from the passenger seat. “You know he wouldn’t put up half as much fuss if he were actually hurt.” He gave Martin a glance from the corner of his eyes. “You can really handle yourself, though.” The words were mumbled and embarrassed.

“Yeah,” Martin replied with a smirk. “Reckon I can.”

[commander-passiflora]

Toril and Friends!

So here’s that fun little info post I promised about Toril, my norn Commander, and her partners! These are similar to the little blurbs on my characters page, but go a little more in depth than I’m able to there.

Toril Dragonslayer (Tainesdottir)

Toril Tainesdottir grew up in Hoelbrak and came from a long line of Raven shamans, so it was expected that was what she would become. When she was instead chosen by Bear to fight for her people and to become Tyria’s champion, it left her family more than a little shaken. At times, she doubted her path, but her connection to the Mists as a revenant made it easier to maintain her relationship with Bear and keep focused on her goals.

After defeating Zhaitan, many of the Norn (skaalds especially, and even more especially her partner Auslog) began referring to her as Toril Dragonslayer, and she eventually took up the name for herself. She saw it as a way to distance herself from the history and expectations of her family, who openly disapproved of her choice to pursue the dragons.

While her public persona is carefully crafted, ensuring she is perceived as a tough, no-nonsense leader who stares death in the face without fear, underneath it all she’s the biggest softie. She may try to hide it, but in truth, she would do anything to protect those she loves, from her guildmates in Dragon’s Watch to her partners.

Toril is bisexual and polyamorous, with (currently) three partners: Erlend Holgerson, Auslog Iceshaper, and Solana Aksim. She’s married to Erlend, but sees all of her partners as being of equal importance.

Erlend Holgerson

Erlend was born and raised in Lion’s Arch by his mother (a weaponsmith and his teacher) and his father (a Lionguard). He’s often treated differently by other Norn because of his unusual upbringing and the ways in which it shaped him.

Erlend has a shop in LA, crafting weapons of all kinds for any adventurer, hunter, or hero who seeks him out. His work is prolific the world over, with people coming from as far as Elona to commission him. However, he’s far from a fighter, preferring to offer support rather than a sword of his own.

He met Toril years ago, before she became the infamous Commander of the Pact, when she purchased a set of swords. She was the one to make a move, asking if he’d like to share a meal with her. Naturally, he said yes.

While he often worries for Toril’s safety, Erlend supports her in her endeavors and is incredibly proud of her, often going out of his way to talk about his wife whenever possible. Others have teased him for this, of course, but he’s always thought it’s more their own jealousy than anything else. Basically, he’s been chugging that Respect Women Juice his entire life and he’s incredibly in love with Toril (*John Mulaney voice* AND THAT’S MY WIFE), and he makes sure everyone knows it. 

Erlend is straight, asexual, and monogamous, but doesn’t mind that Toril has multiple partners because, in his own words, “Nothing could keep that woman from loving everyone she meets, no matter how much she refuses to admit it.” He wouldn’t want her any other way. He also has a bad leg from an injury he sustained during Scarlet Briar’s attack on Lion’s Arch, and uses a cane on days when it hurts particularly badly.

Auslog Iceshaper

Auslog grew up in Hoelbrak and trained as an elementalist. She and Toril met early in both of their lives, and quickly became close friends. Often, people joked about never seeing one without the other, as they spent most of their time together. Eventually, they both confessed to wanting their relationship to change into something more romantic, and have been together ever since.

Auslog is notorious as one of the best ice sculptors in Tyria, using her powers as an elementalist to aid her, as well as occasionally fulfilling the role of skaald. She was the first to refer to Toril as the Dragonslayer, and many other skaalds followed along. With many people coming to her homestead to commission her, she worked unofficially with the Order of Whispers for years, feeding them important information about prominent clients. 

When Toril formed Dragon’s Watch, Auslog decided to abandon her homestead and her sculpting to tag along. A fierce fighter, her skills as an elementalist quickly became invaluable to the guild. 

Auslog also became close with Braham during her time in the guild, eventually developing a romantic relationship. Toril sees Braham as her best friend and supports their relationship entirely, and was in fact the one to push both of them to admit their feelings. The three of them often spend their time between missions together, just hanging out and being pals and swapping kisses while cuddling. However, Toril has a strict rule about them actually telling anyone she partakes in the hanging out and being pals and swapping kisses while cuddling, which is mostly a joke actually. Mostly. 

Auslog is a bisexual, polyamorous, nonbinary trans woman and a proud part of their little polycule. She tends to be a bit emotionally reserved at times, but much like Toril, loves deeply and often.

Solana Aksim

Solana, a human thief, grew up in Elona. For quite a while, she served as a spy for the Order of Shadows, eventually moving to Cantha to monitor the situation there and send reports back. Her time in Cantha was traumatizing, to say the least, and when she finally made it home to Kourna, it took her years to recover. She resented the Order for sending her, eventually leaving and offering herself as a mercenary to anyone who could afford to pay her. 

When she first heard tell of the Commander’s appearance in the Crystal Desert, she was intrigued, and even more so by the deeds of heroics travellers shared. When Toril’s guild came to Kourna to fight Joko, she knew she had to introduce herself, and was absolutely taken with the norn. 

Solana just kind of...inserted herself into Toril’s life, and the Commander took notice. As their relationship developed, Toril not only grew to love Solana, but also saw a goodness in her that had been suppressed by her own disillusionment with her former life as an agent for the Order of Shadows. At Toril’s encouragement, Solana began training as a sunspear, eventually taking up the role of head of the Sun’s Refuge guard. She often misses her love terribly, but sees her dedication to protecting the Refuge as a way to connect with her and honor their bond.

Solana is a polyamorous lesbian, but for the most part prefers casual encounters outside of her relationship with Toril. However, she’s open to finding other long-term partners, she just has a very hard time trusting. She also has severe PTSD from her experiences in Cantha, which she’s slowly working to overcome.

[kakusu-shipping]

It’s been a minute but here’s another full line up of the Bear Polycule, along with their sources for anyone who’s new here and curious.