#This is peak dark cobras to me

[zappedbyzabka]

Give him his 40 cents back

[theonlyhonoredone]

My Man

Pairing: Ryomen Sukuna x Reader, Modern AU

Warnings: none

Summary: a sneak peak into your relationship with Ryomen

Masterlist

You’d met Ryomen Sukuna at a house party your freshman year of college. A hundred thousand people warned you to stay away but you never listened to a single one. It didn’t matter what they said because he was enchanting. Sure he was cruel and crass, about as far from prince charming as one could get, but that didn’t matter to you. Always living on the basis of forming your own opinions and giving second chances you overlooked every red flag and let him slot himself into your life without any fight. Slowly but surely he let you in too, letting his tough exterior melt away in favor of a much softer man. 

He kept that part of him hidden away from everyone else, it made you feel special. You were the only one that got to see his real smile, hear his real laugh, to fall asleep next to him. One day he promised to clean himself up, just a bit, if you’d be his. He’d stop seeing his other girls, he’d commit to just you. That promise had sent your heart soaring. It didn’t matter when everyone pointed out he was doing the bare minimum, you knew for him it was much more than that. You didn’t need anyone else to understand your relationship anyway, that was between you and Ryomen.

“I love you,” his chapped lips would mutter into your burning skin late at night, “I love you, I love you, I love you.”

He chanted it like a prayer while you called out his name. Teary eyes burning as you squinted at the ceiling of his old Torino Cobra. So close to touching heaven you’d swear you could hear the angels singing. He’d take you there a hundred thousand times if you asked. He’d let you hang on that crux for the longest minute of your life before he’d bring you crashing back down to earth. It burned like some divine flame, you screamed his name as he drowned himself in you. Once you were back with him he’d ask if you were satisfied, his smile smug and his voice low. 

Under the cover of darkness you’d redress and crawl onto the roof of the car. He’d lay out a blanket for you to lay on and wrap you in his jacket when you began to shiver. A star map you’d had since your childhood was laid out in front of you both. Ryomen would lay his head in your lap while you pointed out different constellations. He’d stare up at the sky, focused much more on the sound of your voice than anything else. Truthfully he was jealous of the stars for holding your attention over him. If he had it his way he’d pluck them all out of the sky and hide them so you’d never look at anything but him with that pretty twinkle in your eye. 

“Stop talking about the stars and lay with me,” he’d demand once the jealousy became too overwhelming.

You’d giggle and fold up the map before laying beside him, your head on his chest and an arm thrown over his middle. He’d wrap you up tight in his arms and press his lips to the crown of your head. Eventually your hands would grow cold and you’d slip them under his shirt. He’d hiss as you warmed yourself on his skin, he always accused you of being cold blooded but never dared push you away. No, he always wanted you as close as possible, he had from the moment your eyes met. He swore he’d keep you with him until the end of time and he had no intention of breaking that promise ever.

[theguildawards]

Hello guildmates!

The Nomination Period is now closed! Below the cut you will find a complete list of all the fanart nominations received for The Guild Awards this term! The mobile-friendly version can also be found in a Google Doc here that has the complete list!

You can find the list of all the fanfiction nominations here!

If you do not see your nomination, or you find issues with the links, please reach out to us as soon as possible!

We are going to give you 2 weeks time to enjoy all the pieces nominated for this term! We strongly encourage that when you view a work of art or read a fanfiction, please reblog or leave a comment to let the creators know how much their work and talent is appreciated!

The voting period will begin November 15th and end November 29th at midnight PST!

In order to be able to vote, you will need to login. We will be posting the link to the voting form on the first day of the voting session.

Got a question? Check out our FAQ Google Doc or send us an ask!

Message one of the mods directly: @classysassy9791 @phoenix-before-the-flame @kiliinstinct @ratretro @phoneboxfairy

Thank you to everyone who nominated for making this term absolutely wonderful and happy voting!

[please reblog to help spread the love of these amazing creators!]

FANART

Best Action/Adventure

"True Heavenly Body Magic: Sema"  by @robboyu

"Team Natsu" by @astral-fairyy

Best AU/AR

“...and she took my breath away” by @kaleilaart

“the haters can’t stop me” by @captainuranium543

“Cobra’s forms” by @thehiddenrewrite

"Compilations and Requests: 13. Castle"  by @gymjunkie412

"✨witches AU✨"  by @fantazi13

"Happy Gajeel Day" by @gajeeyenjoyer

"gratsu frozen au" by @jiwasaissappy

Best Canon 

“Troubled Trio” by @dravendraws

"Red, The Colour of Life" by @pencilofawesomeness

"For the first time... I'm scared of Natsu's flames..." by @marisashinx

"untitled" by @g0ldenlumiere

Best Angst

“Stay with me” by @acejk-arts

“Happy Rogue Day🖤🐸” by @oryu404

Best Dark

“God’s Gift” by @phoenix-before-the-flame

"Acnologia Eats Irene"  by @love---mandy

"Manipulation upon Manipulation" by @werewolfcave

Best Humor/Parody

“Glowstick Mode Activated” by @castkorb

“comedically jacked baby” by @captainuranium543

“He tried his best😔” by @acnologias-ass

"Ora? Ora!"  by @fantazi13

"Pay back" by @shiiro-arts

"average dragon slayer meetup..." by @philophobic-honeybee

Best Kiss

“Untitled” by @lidiscr

" 🌱🌿" by @gajeelenjoyer

Best Romance

“a soft Lokana” by @artsophiehml

"Nali Commission" by @minnimayhem

Best LGBTQ+ Romance

“Day 1: Cursed” by @mintyfreshi

“Causing problems and sucking face” by @phoenix-before-the-flame

"I know what you tell your friendssssss" by @zqttixx

Best Character

“Lucy in a starry dress” by @firapolemos05

“My first fashion icon was Lucy” by @hyun-illus

"Mavis Vermillion!" by @kuratamashi

Best Duo/Pairing

“my girls <3” by @fourclovermoon

"Fairy Tail Platonic Week: Day 5" by @pencilofawesomeness

"Leave this to us" by @celestialrayna

Best Group Depiction

“Team Natsu” by @ars-de-elysium

“Team Saloon” by @zai-doodles

“It’s nice to have a family” by @classysassy9791

Best Manga Coloring

“💚A SIGH OF RELIEF IN NATURE💚” by @fairy-edits

“FT Big Project” by @fairy-tail-trash

"My Character Design is Peak" by @fairytail-multishipper

‘"Fairy Tail/Lolu Colouring" by @almaween

Best Redraw 

“The Sky Sisters” by @cloudindeed

"Natsu Redraw" by @mintyfreshii

"erza redraw" by @raptortier

Best Overall

“Art Contest” by @pencilequipped

"Like Some Kind of Supernova" by @ziidoodles

"Inktober Day 4: Spell" by @kaleilaart

[barbieheart]

♡ FERAL ♡ part 2: SCREAM

modern yandere!childe/tartaglia x dog hybrid!fem!reader

DARK CONTENT WARNING

TAGS: dead dove do not eat, yandere, creep behavior, rape/non-con/dub-con, sexual content, sexual slavery, poverty, master/pet dynamics, hybrids, animal death, afab reader, fem reader, blood, violence, gore, depression, ptsd, panic attacks, suicidal thoughts, suicidal attempts, stockholm syndrome, kidnapping, pregnancy, breeding, abortion, miscarriage, modern teyvat

♡ Part II: SCREAM ♡

Your heartbeat pounded in your ears and it felt as though time had slowed. Childe’s leather-clad hand felt bitter against your mouth, held so tightly around your face that it hurt. He slowly began to drag you backwards towards the car he’d arrived in, much to your horror. He was going to kidnap you.

With every ounce of strength you could muster, you began to struggle against Childe’s grip. Like a cobra, his hold seemed to get tighter the more you wiggled and squirmed, proving your attempts useless.

The ginger man chuckled in your ear, his amusement alight in his eyes. You felt insulted under his condescending tone.

“Hah! You’re such a wiggly girly, I like that, but now’s not the time.” A small pinch pricked your hip, and you yelped around Childe’s hand.

You shivered in disgust, your movements dwindling as your energy was sapped. Your head felt like you’d been hit by a truck. The rain had seeped through your clothing; you were cold.

Consciousness was harder and harder to grasp as Childe dragged you closer to the awaiting car. You thought you heard a car door open and another man’s voice, but it echoed uncomfortably in your skull. Your rapid blinking did nothing to ward the vignette that clouded your vision. A seatbelt was strapped over you and a warm blanket draped your shivering figure. You let yourself slip into the dark depths of sleep, much too exhausted to fight any more.

Have you finally died? Was this the blissful nothing you were given after fighting so hard for so long? The ending you deserved. Finally, death greeted you with cold hands, and you could release your worries from-

“Hey, girly? Come on, wake up.”

Son of a bitch! Childe’s teasing voice had to bring you back to your mortal world. The numbness faded into a throbbing pain in your head. You tried to speak, force words from your mouth, but only mumbles came out.

“Poor girl, must have gone a bit heavy with the tranquilizer!” His laugh reverberated in your sensitive ears, leaving a quiet ringing. He was way too loud, and way too close to you.

Upon taking in your new surroundings, you found that you were sat in the backseat of a luxury car. The neon lights of the city passed by, dizzying you further, so you looked away. The light sound of rain against the roof of the vehicle was the only pleasant sound. Childe was disturbingly close to you, an arm around the back of your neck and a cocky grin spread across his features.

The driver seat held another familiar face. 

That was the deep-voiced man that you had met outside the Liyuean restaurant earlier that afternoon. His golden eyes were focused on the road.

Next to the deep-voiced man was a smaller male in the passenger seat. Dark haired with teal bits, this individual peaked your interest. From the narrowing of his bright amber eyes that bore into you, to the pointed canine ears that sat atop his head, you knew a hybrid when you saw one.

The male hybrid tore his gaze from yours when you made eye contact. You spotted the pretty collar around his neck, its glittering geometric pattern easy to pick out in the darkness of the vehicle.

You didn’t speak for a bit thanks to the heaviness of your tongue. Once you did, your voice was full of venom, hatred.

“Where the fuck are you taking me?” You hoped your fear didn’t come across as strongly as you thought it did. Your aggressive language made Childe shake his head, his smile ever present on his face.

“A good girl doesn’t use such vulgar language. You see, Xiao here is a good boy. You could learn a few things from him!” Childe reached forward to ruffle the hair between Xiao’s ears. You saw the way he bristled at the ginger’s touch.

“Fuck you.” You replied, your ears flattening against your head.

“Whoa, now!” Childe laughed, his blue eyes twinkling at the challenge. “We’re gonna have to beat that attitude out of you.”

“You’ll never!” In an act of dramatic rebellion, you reached for the handle of the car. You must have been going about seventy miles an hour at this point, but you’d chance your road-rash injuries.

You pulled on the handle, but the piece of plastic gave you no satisfaction.

“Child lock,” The deep-voiced male spoke softly. You couldn’t pinpoint any particular emotions in his tone, but it still enraged you. You frantically pulled at the handle, eyes wide and face twisted in desperation. “No, no, no! Let me go!” You screamed. Before you knew it, tears were streaming down your face, anger and anxiety flooding your system.

“Hey, hey…” Childe’s words were gentle, teasing even. “I’ll give you a good home. You’ll never be hungry, you’ll never have to beg again. Okay?” He pet your hair, his hands a bit rougher than you’d like.

The car slowed down as it entered a parking garage. Darker without the streetlights and neon signs from the city, your tearful eyes searched for any exit you could manage once your captors would let you out of the car. Once parked, the deep-voiced man approached your door, but Childe stopped him with sharp words.

“Zhongli, she’s a spicy one.” The ginger rounded the vehicle, opened your door, and grabbed for your wrists. He was much faster than you, successfully wrapping a single hand around both of your wrists and dragging you from the car.

Childe was rough as he dragged you to the elevator, your gaze finding the exit and feeling it slip through your fingers. You truly felt helpless as Xiao closed in on you from the rear, blocking your view of your only escape.

The elevator ride felt longer than the ten seconds it took to reach a floor - a floor number you wish you had paid more attention to - but it must have been high up. The large window at the end of the corridor looked out across the city, at least fifteen floors up.

You felt nauseous thinking about how high up you were.

Zhongli fished a ring of keys from his pocket and opened a door, revealing a lavish home decorated with expensive-looking items. You were pushed into the room and you collapsed to the floor from how disoriented you still were.

The door shut behind you, blocked by Xiao and his stern expression. Childe, grinning and squatting down next to you, didn’t make you feel any better.

“Welcome to your new home, girly!”

[ieatadoptmepets]

Part two of my favorite quotes/scenes from diary of a wimpy kid: rodrick rules <3 (divided more or less by the ad breaks hulu puts)

"Can you bring me back a cobra? I want to teach it to dance" [weird dancing] -Fregley

When Rodrick pulls up to drive Greg home from school and Ben is in the passenger seat just staring blankly with that same stupid ass mouse face

Them driving casually with Greg and Rowley thrashing around in the back

Okay this isn't a quote or scene but I want to personally thank every costume designer in charge of coming up with Rodrick's outfits. Devon Bostick is a blessing to this earth (I sound like one of those kinda fans who call grown men pookie and babygirl but who cares) and he looks good in everything not to mention that everything they choose is absolutely peak character design that fits rodrick perfectly not to mention the subtle characterization it gives and adds to his personality

"Wake up in the morning feeling like P. Diddy-" -Rowley

Every time where Mr. Jefferson takes Rowley home from Greg's house and says nothing

The compilation of Greg's malicious compliance of being honest: "I'm sorry Mrs. Gillman, but my mom isn't *in* the house right now"

Frank aggressively wiping the chocolate off Greg's pants

When Rodrick pulls off his mom's skirt off of Greg and the little girl yells that he shit his pants because I love her voice and her pronunciation of it

The entire church scene because Rodrick is hot as fuck (thank u costume designers<3)

The compilation of Susan going through seven stages of grief over that incident cause she's so real for that

Rodrick's party outfit with the brown jacket 🤤

"Keep quiet or I'll lock you in the dryer" [mocking Greg] "gReEeG" -Rodrick

"Whatever you thought, I already thinked it" -Rodrick

Rodrick freaking out comically over his mom calling

Greg joining the call and that whole fiasco

I also realized that Rodrick must've put on eyeliner after he locked Greg in the basement and he's so real for that. There's that one fic where Greg is trans but no one talks about how clearly closeted Rodrick is

Manny jumping on the bed with a defeated Frank in the background of the phone call

"I mean not really" -Rodrick, talking to a girl at the parry I mean he says it so weirdly I love it

"Yeah, yeah, I know" -Rodrick, right after the girl leaves because I don't just like any dark aesthetic characters that are so deep in the closet because of the writers, they have to be a little pathetic and embarrassing too

Every party scene with Ben or loded diaper cause they're so fucking stupid I NEED THEM

The party photos, especially of Rodrick cause duh

[valanvar]

━━ VALANVAR / ✷ SAURON, LORD OF THE RINGS, ONE RING TO RULE THEM ALL. ANNATAR, THE LORD OF GIFTS, HALBRAND, THE NECROMANCER, THE ONE ENEMY, THE DARK LORD OF MIDDLE-EARTH.

INDEPENDENT,   MUTUAL   EXCLUSIVE   AND   SELECTIVE   BLOG   FOR   SAURON/HALBRAND/ANNATAR FROM J.R.R TOLKIEN'S THE LORD OF THE RINGS AND PRIME'S THE RINGS OF POWER. HEADCANON BASED AND UNAFFILIATED WITH THE MAYORITY OF THE TOLKIEN PURIST FANDOM.   CST + 3.   SHE/HER.   WRITTEN   BY   CALI. (#) MAIN VERSE SET ON THE RINGS OF POWER TIMELINE.

psa:   due to the nature of the show's lore and the exploration of sauron's backstory and multiple verses, this show contains adult mature material. nsft will be tagged accordingly but topics like: torture, death, body horror, the groteque, luciferian imagery, evil vs light, power play and more are at play in this interpretation. sauron is pretty much OP during most of his existance though his disguises keep him unknown.

And after what seemed endless thirst and hunger… I saw it. His servant's face. Sauron's face. And it was beautiful. He offered me wine, red as a blood moon. He offered me wine, and on that dark and nameless peak, I drank it. I drank it all.

temporary rules under the cut:

1.Cali. 25+, I run many blogs across many fandoms, mostly A Song of Ice and Fire and Cobra Kai. GMT+3 timezone. I have a job and I study so replies are sporatic.

2.  My  interpretation  is based on Prime's Rings of Power and what I know of the Tolkien lore through the movies and the wikia. I am not that knowlagable on the lore besides the movies and trilogy book and the hobbit. What I know of his backstory is from reading entries and forums and my own interpretation. Do not come after me if I get something wrong because it might as well be my own interpretation of the lore.  I follow mainly the Rings of Power continuity and the movies and the lore I know, which I am aware the main fandom might not like, but bare in mind, the show is approved by the Tolkien state and things are simple, if this does not appeal to you, do not follow. And if I ever bore you, please softblock me.

3.  Best way to interact with me is through memes or discord talk. I am a middle ground roleplayer meaning too much plotting puts me off but also I enjoy having a base of what we will do together. This blog will be crossover friendly, specially with ASOIAF fandom and similar high fantasy shows.

4.  I usually format my things with a post divider, icon and then the reply, with a few words highlighted or cursived and double spaced. If you need me to stop doing this, let me know, as I am aware it can be hard to read to some people.

5. Galadriel  x  Sauron  is the main ship on this blog and it does involve topics like power play, toxic behavior and dark vs light. The attraction between them is obvious and might have some evidence in the text itself and it is obvious on the show, favoured by both actors who play them. Other ships will be accepted but do know that they have to be discussed prior to being written as Sauron is prone to manipulate those around him to gain favor and what he desires, and this will include making someone fall for him if he must.

6.  Softblock  if  you  unfollow.  Reblog  from  the  source.  Don't send anon hate and if you have a suggestion, do send it with kindness. As well, remember, I am not Sauron. I am not evil, at least my therapist tells me. I'm a english as a secondary language teacher, not a man who wants to conquer middle-earth. Separate writer from muse please.

7. Heavely affiliated with Mari's Galadriel as well Saint's muses on this fandom and others. They are my friends and we built together. Do not come at me for having friends. I practice mains and affiliated but not exclusives except for certain dynamics so I am always open for plots.

[plagues02]

A Father's Comfort

Summary: Hearing from two of his children that his other daughter was avoiding them, Crocodile decided to go check on Gator. Characters: Gator(OC), Sir Crocodile, Nefertari Cobra Word Count: 578

The room was dark when he stepped in. The only light was the few strands of light coming from the lowering sun, peaking through the curtains. The only person in the room was in the very corner, knees pulled to their chest with a large jacket over their head.

The man closed the door behind him before crossing the room. His footsteps echoed, only to stop when he stood in front of the young girl. She didn’t react, nor did she react when he sat down next to her.

The man let out a sigh as he reached up to take his cigar out of his mouth. He blew smoke in the air before glancing over at the girl.

“So this is where my coat went,” Crocodile spoke, looking over at the cigar in his hand. “Kiki told me you said no to going out with her and Vivi and said you didn’t feel like taking a bath with them when you get back.”

Gator tilted her head a little. The top of her head poked out between the fur of his coat, but she still didn’t speak.

“...”

Crocodile placed his cigar back in his mouth and stared ahead at the wall; the room fell quiet again. It felt like minutes passed when Crocodile glanced back at Gator. Gator shifted closer to him, pressing herself into his side. He wrapped his arm around her, his hook pressed against her side.

“Want to talk?”

Gator looked up at her, using her hand to pull his coat close. It was off of her head. Her eyes were puffy and red, and her hair was disheveled. Her shoulders drooped.

“Gator,” Crocodile reached his hand up to hold her face. His thumb traced the small scar under her eye. “What are you thinking?”

Gator avoided eye contact, but she didn’t pull away from him.

“Why did I have to be born a boy?”

Crocodile’s eyes softened. “You’re not a boy, Gator. You know this.”

“Then,,, then why do I have a boy's body?”

Crocodile stared at them before letting out a small sigh. He shifted his body to pull the young teen into his lap. Gator curled against his chest, pressing her face against the fur of the coat. She inhaled the scent of smoke, taking comfort in it.

“...I don’t know,” he finally said, running his fingers through her hair. It was tangled. “Some people are just,,, born wrong.”

“,,But why me?”

“Why you? Why was I? I don’t know, Gator,” Crocodile took his cigar out of his mouth. “Yet we were. I am still a man, just as you are still a woman.”

Gator looked up at him. He leaned down and pressed their foreheads together. She took comfort in the silence, closing her eyes.

“Should I ask Terracotta to bring dinner to you?” Cobra poked his head into the room now lit with a few candles.

Crocodile looked up at him then down at the teen in his arms, still using his coat as a blanket. He rested his hand on her back with a small smile before looking up.

“Yes,, she’s had a rough day. Thank you, dear. Oh, and tell Kiki and Vivi that Gator’s fine.”

Cobra nodded. “Of course. Should I expect you late tonight?”

The warlord rested his head against his daughter’s head. “Yeah, she’s not waking up alone.”

The king nodded and gave a small smile before leaving the room, closing the door behind him.

[sophia-sol]

I don't know what songs "work" "together" this is just a bunch of songs I personally like that worked for the story I was trying to tell about bing-ge. does it sound good played one after the other? it does to me!

1. Work This Body - Walk The Moon

It was a strange place and a tender age, I was just a babe in school Saw them roll their eyes at me every time that I thought that I was cool Well, God knows I was no chosen one, that just wasn't my plan Yeah, it's just a matter of time, honey, it's just a matter of time

It's just a matter of time!!! baby binghe on qing jing peak is gonna SHOW EVERYONE what he can do, just you wait!!!

2. You And I - The Duhks

And when you fall Don't look for me to blame You hold the key For the higher you think of me Then the better your world will be

teen luo binghe is bitter and angry at all his mistreatment and he IS planning the fall of everyone who hates him. how else is he going to make it through the misery?

3. When the Chips Are Down - Anaïs Mitchell

And the first shall be first And the last shall be last Cast your eyes to heaven You get a knife in the back Nobody's righteous Nobody's proud Nobody's innocent Now that the chips are down

luo binghe and og sqq in that final moment of betrayal

4. Long Way Away (Intro) - clipping.

I'll follow the stars when the sun goes to bed 'Til everything I've ever known is long dead I can't go back home 'cause I want to be free Someone tell the others what's become of me

falling into the abyss

5. Bahnhof Rumble - The Chemical Brothers

[insert intense techno beats]

ABYSS MONTAGE

6. Teeth - Lady Gaga

Got no direction (No direction; I need direction) Just got my vamp (Got my vamp; uh-uh) Take a bite of my bad girl meat (Bad girl meat; oh, take a bite of me, boy) Show me your teeth (The truth is sexy)

luo binghe is here, he's out, he's ready to take over, he just wants to FEEL something, maybe the next girl --

7. Love Me Tonight - Great Big Sea

Are you on my side My dark and lonely side I'll make it worth your while I'll give you every reason why

his rise is meteoric and if you know what's good for you, you'll support him

8. You're Not In On The Joke - Cobra Starship

I only show you what I want you to see I got my t-t-t-tongue in my cheek

luo binghe's in control of his image as emperor. it's on purpose. it IS. there's definitely no other side of him he wishes people could actually see!

9. Princes of the Universe - Queen

I am immortal, I have inside me blood of kings (yeah, yeah) I have no rival, no man can be my equal Take me to the future of your world

wait how long is this status quo going to last. he's been doing this forever. it's not fulfilling. why isn't it fulfilling. what else can he do? what else is there? is he going to have to keep going forever?

10. Look Into the Mirror - Johnny Clegg & Juluka

Ah - when I see your face (Look into the mirror) - I remember Ah - I feel afraid (Look into the mirror) - can you remember Yela - wolala - hum wo siti yelele hala I see you I know the other you

hahaha meet bing-mei and SUFFER <3

[broodparasitism]

2022 A Year In Review

I was tagged by @laufire - thank you! Assume the top 5 isn’t in any specific order, I can’t rank things well. I also skipped the podcast/comics question, since I don’t do either Top 5 Movies you saw this year: 

Nope

Lake Mungo

Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me

The Thing

Carnival of Souls

Top 5 TV Shows you watched this year:

Severance

Twin Peaks

Better Call Saul

Breaking Bad

Atlanta

Top 5 songs of 2022

I Luv The Valley OH! - Xiu Xiu

Satan, Luella and I - HMLTD

Handsome Devil - Parenthetical Girls

Bad Feeling - Cobra Man

House of the Risin’ Sun - Bob Dylan

Top 5 albums

Xiu Xiu does the Music of Twin Peaks

Fetch The Bolt Cutters - Fiona Apple

Caprisongs - fka twigs

Dance Fever - Florence + The Machine

Rubber Soul - The Beatles

Top 5 books you read this year

The Locked Tomb series by Tamsyn Muir

Things We Say In The Dark - Kirsty Logan

Convenience Store Woman - Sayaka Murata

The Lottery and Other Stories - Shirley Jackson

Fingersmith - Sarah Waters

Top 5 TV/Movie/Book characters of 2022

Dale Cooper from Twin Peaks

Jimmy MacGill from Better Call Saul

Ianthe Tridentarius from The Locked Tomb Series

Natalie Waite from Hangsaman

Keiko Furukura from Convenience Store Woman

5 positive things that happened in 2022, no matter how small!

I came up with and began to draft a new WIP!

I began my master’s

I finished the first draft of Wormwood

I had my most productive reading year in a very long time

I discovered a new favourite tea shop!

[zappedbyzabka]

Do you have any songs that remind you of Johnny, daniel, or any ships that you have? Like for me, dancing in the dark by Bruce Springsteen is peak young lawrusso vibes and I wanna cry whenever I listen to it

Love your account btw ❤️❤️

Yesss I do💕

Johnny:

Real men by Mitski (of course. It’s also a lawrusso + Kreerence song to me.)

Thursday Girl by Mitski

Change-Deftones

LawRusso:

I Will by Mitski

As The Sun Sets by Sorry

Space Song by Beach House

Don’t delete the kisses by Wolf Alice

Beautifully Unconditional by Wolf Alice

Daniel- Rises the Moon. Head over heels.

Kreerence:

Formidable cool by Wolf Alice (cobra husbands too.)

Step On Me by The Cardigans

Liquid Smooth by Mitski

Cobra Husbands:

Sour Times by Portishead

Washing Machine Heart by Mitski

I have more but these are just what come to mind.

Disarm by Smashing Pumpkins

[writefightandflightclub]

Jake “it’s nice to be nice” Lockley): *pinning a man to the wall in a dark London alleyway, teeth and eyes glinting like a knife lick, words frothing from his wild mouth* This will not happen again. Do you understand me? Your mistakes end now. No more chances. You understand what you did, yes

Man: *sobbing* p-please just let me go, I’m sorry! I’m so sorry!

Jake: *his head swaying in front of the man’s terrified face like a cobra, voice all sing-songy* say it with me then, okay? One more time, and you’d better get it right, or there will be… consequences. *dramatically slams a photograph of the man’s new kitten into his chest*

Man: *whimpering helplessly*

Jake: say it!

Man: okay! Okay! *stuttering* His name is… S-

Jake: *raises his eyebrows ominously, mouth snarled down, indicating the man had better not mess up now*

Man: *a huge gust of breath* Steven! It’s Steven!

Jake: *clicking his tongue, wagging his finger, the other hand still fisted in the guy’s polo* and what else did we talk about?

Man: *grasping for the answer, eyes wide and darting from side to side* with… with a “v”! Steven with a “v”!

Jake: *releasing the guys lapels and a huge relieved breath. dusting off his palms, tonguing lazily at his bust lip and tasting the iron tang with a wolfish smile* Alright then. Glad we cleared that up. *jauntily adjusts his flat cap, smooths the lapels of his coat* It’s a little thing, yes? So simple for you not to call him Sam or Salvador or something else. But it makes him sad when you get it wrong. So it ends here, yes?

Man: *nodding profusely, palms raised, body sliding limply down the brick wall in relief*

Jake: Good, very good. *grinning brightly at the man now, lighting a cig and bouncing it hands free between his lips, his smile slipping into a menacing snarl, eyes narrowing and all shadowed beneath the brim of his peaked cap* And you make sure everybody else at the gift shops knows it. *he slips his hands in his pockets, and he saunters off into the fog, whistling a jolly tune*

Bonus under the cut

One week later:

Steven arriving home, seeing a kitten in a cardboard box on the counter of his living area.

Steven: oh my god, look at this kitten?! *baby voice* My heart is going to explode, yeah? Look at your precious little nose. *gushing, picking the little bundle up into his arms and squealing in delight* Where did you come from, ey, little fella? *looking into the mirror* Boys, where on Earth did he come from?

Marc: what did you do, Jake?

Jake: no es mi problema. I warned him there would be consequences.

Marc: *putting a palm to his face in the reflection* not this shit again.

Steven: *meanwhile, baby voicing kitten, kissing its little head repeatedly with loud mmm noises and delighted smiles* oh I properly love you, little fella. My heart.

Jake: *an aside, to Marc* but look how happy it makes him, osito.

Marc: *observing, resolve slowly wavering*

Steven: oh my days! *gasping in wonder with a hand planted on to his chest* I just saw.. oh my god, look at your lil toe beans!!

Marc: *finally cracking a smile* Alright. Fine. Alright.

Marc: …

Marc: Guess we have a cat now.

[likeastarstar]

12:00 AM- Jungkook

(A/N: warning; smut ahead. happy birthday jungkookieeeeeeee!!!!!! Also new limited edition jk layout for my BABYY)

Jungkook couldn't get enough of you.

There was no such thing as too close, wanting to be molded against your skin at all times. He said it was because it was where he belonged, not that you minded. He was the same in bed, loving it best when you he had you in his lap, legs wrapped around his waist and arms around his shoulders in a lotus position. It's how he had you now, a hand running down the length of your back.

"You're perfect," He mumbled against your lips, kissing you in a way that made you forget what planet you were on for a moment.

It was sloppy and wet, tongues gliding against each others' messily. You dragged a finger down the side of his neck, all the way to his arms. It was hot in this room, the two of you had been at it for awhile now. You could feel the sweat start to bead on his skin, stretching your palm around his tattooed bicep as you felt him flex and twist under your grasp, tightening his grip around your body.

He was like a cobra, winding himself around you with an almost bruising embrace, you his all too willing prey as long as he kept fucking you the way he was now. At this point, you two were so twisted around each other in every sense of the word that you were sure- this was it. This was where you belonged.

He kept the roll of his hips deep, meeting the slow circling of your hips at just the right angle to where your clit grinded down on him with every thrust.

Jungkook's skin was soft against yours, smelling of clean linen and lavender. You wanted to commit him to memory, to know nothing else beside what he felt like against your body, what his cock felt like pulsating in your pussy as you clenched around him.

He pushed into you particularly sharp, causing you to throw your head back in pleasure. The palm of his hand caught the back of your skull, cradling it there as his lips went to your neck, caressing the skin there, gliding his tongue along your carotid.

"You feel so good inside of me," You gasped, barely able to make fully formed sentences, "Please don't stop."

"I won't," He assured, punctuating his sentence with a series of quick thrusts, burying his face in your chest. He mouthed at your breasts, smiling against the skin when he heard you moan. "Fucking love your pussy- taking me so well."

You were so wet you could feel yourself drip down his thick cock and onto his balls, the sound of his skin hitting yours only getting more lewd with each snap of his hips. Jungkook was all you could focus on at a time like this- the way his abs flexed as he thrust into you, the look of concentration on his face while he stared at your pussy tightening around his dick. Jungkook was precise in all matters including you, every move deliberate and on target. He was so fucking sexy and he was all yours.

You pulled your face up to his, kissing him with a fervor you hadn't felt for anyone else and never would. "Fuck, I want this forever."

"Then you have me," He nodded eagerly, kissing you as he quickened the motion of his hips. "You're all I want."

You smiled against his lips, moving your hands up to grip his shoulders and shove him backwards, watching him lay back on the bed with a soft grunt slipping out of him. He looked up at you with peaked curiosity, hands immediately sliding down to your ass and gripping the flesh there. You grinded down on his hips, liking the view from where you straddled him. His hair fanned out around him, pink lips parted in lust, dark eyes tracking your every movement.

"Just lay there and let me do all the hard work, birthday boy." You smiled, adjusting your legs to ride him better.

Jungkook smirked up at you and nodded, throwing his head back as you started to bounce up and down on his cock, "You spoil me baby."

He deserved it.

masterlist.

[miszswan]

MEET SAGE

sage celeste harlow ( born 8th July 2002 ) is an American actress, singer-songwriter and dancer. She is the younger sister of rapper jack harlow, has another brother by the name of clayborn harlow, is also known for her association with photographer urban wyatt, is the longtime girlfriend of cobra kai star xolo maridueña and is best friends with newcomer whitney peak.

The youngest Harlow first made a name for herself when competed in the thirteenth season of So You Think You Can Dance and came in third place when she was only 13.

Her fame didn’t stop there, while the girl may be one of the best dancers of this generation she’s also a gifted actress. The world truly discovered this when the hit Netflix show Stranger Things debuted on the streaming service.

Critics have repeatedly said that her performance as the whimsical Margo Harrington on the show has constantly managed to go beyond their expectations. From the first season alone, Sage has proven that she doesn’t only have impressive dance skills but is also apart of the group of actors that will be the future of the film industry. She along with the Duffer Brothers have teased how dark season 4 will be for all the characters.

Apart from playing one of the most beloved characters on the critically acclaimed streaming show, one of her other most prominent roles which also happened to be her debut role would have to be her role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Persephone Thorsdottir. She was casted as the demigoddess in 2011s Thor. She’s continued to appear as the same character in all the Thor films, Avengers Endgame and is set to play a major role in Thor: Love and Thunder. According to rumours there may be a movie or series based of her character coming up.

Most people assumed that acting and dancing would be where the teenager would limit herself but Sage has proven to be a tripple threat. In 2017 the teenager dropped her first single One Day which blew up on YouTube, she then continued to drop singles and even an EP in 2019 but gained more recognition in the music industry when You Broke Me First released.

It doesn’t end there, apart from being one of the few tripple threats in the entertainment industry, Sage is also well known for her loving sibling relationship with the rising rapper Jack Harlow and for her relationship with the Cobra Kai and soon to be Blue Beetle star Xolo Maridueña.

Over the years as Sage gained for attention people loved to see her interactions between the rapper and his ‘baby’ sister. Over various interviews the two have mentioned many time their incredible relationship and how they’re grateful for it.

As for her puppy love relationship with Hispanic actor, their friendship started when Harlow was 16 and the officially became a couple a year later in 2020. Since then the couple have kept their relationship pretty private but

𝐁𝐎𝐑𝐍  8 July 2003

𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐘  American

𝐄𝐓𝐇𝐍𝐈𝐂𝐈𝐓𝐘   white

𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐈𝐃𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄   Louisville, Kentucky and Atlanta, Georgia

𝐎𝐂𝐂𝐔𝐏𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍  actress, dancer, singer-songwriter

𝐘𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐒 𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐕𝐄    2011 - present

𝐂𝐇𝐈𝐋𝐃𝐑𝐄𝐍 not applicable

𝐒𝐏𝐎𝐔𝐒𝐄𝐒  not married dating; xolo maridueña

𝐅𝐀𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐘  

brian harlow ( father ) maggie harlow ( mother ) jack harlow ( older brother ) clayborn harlow ( older brother )

𝐀𝐅𝐅𝐈𝐋𝐈𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒  

xolo maridueña ( boyfriend ), whitney peak ( best friend ), chris hemsworth ( best friend ), stranger things and mcu cast ( good friends )

𝐅𝐈𝐋𝐌𝐎𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐏𝐇𝐘

Thor ( 2011 ) . . . . persephone thorsdottir

Thor: dark world ( 2013 ) . . . . persephone thorsdottir

So you think you can dance ( 2016 ) . . . . herself

Stranger things( 2016- present ) . . . . Margaret Harrington

Thor: Ragnarok ( 2017 ) . . . . persephone thorsdottir

Avengers: Endgame( 2019 ) . . . . persephone thorsdottir

𝐔𝐏𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐑𝐎𝐋𝐄𝐒

Thor: Love and Thunder( 2022 ) . . . . persephone thorsdottir

A/N: this may vary from one shot to one shot, if you see her in anything else let me know <3

Masterlist

[obnoxiouslylongandboring]

Sirene

Featuring snapshots of the three most important road trips in Zemo and John's journey of working together.

Le notti a cercare buone stelle

Ritrovarsi in mezzo a strane sorti

Quanto siamo storti

HARKANSA PASS, ROMANIA

John loosened his grip on the steering wheel, leaned back into the leather-clad seat with a sigh. He took his eyes off the road briefly to look at Zemo from his peripheral vision. The wind was whipping through the man's hair, throwing it up into a wild brown halo, strands nearly shining golden where it was struck by the sun. Zemo's face had regained some color since their trip started two hours ago. The shadows had faded from his cheekbones and under his eyes, leaving the barely noticeable smattering of freckles behind. He had started slouching slightly in his seat like a cat, squinting against the setting sun.

The trees were whizzing past them, behind them, in front of them. John had wanted to track some of them down with his eyes, a stray bird there, an oddly shaped trunk there, but they sped away as soon as they came, leaving him disoriented and dizzy.

He asked if Zemo was comfortable, and that seemed to rouse the man out of some daydream, who had to blink several times to get the dazed look out of his eyes and process John's question, before nodding. Zemo seemed to struggle with himself, lips opening and closing wordlessly a few times, then came a hesitant question after a while, torn away by the wind, "Do you need me to take over?"

"At the next stop," John replied. The next stop would be a few hours away, but Zemo didn't need to know that. For good measure, he reached over and gave Zemo a little pinch on the back of the neck just to see the man squirm. "Thanks for asking."

"... Likewise."

John tilted his head slightly to make sure Zemo could see his smile.

The road around them was wide enough only for two cars, and that was enough since not many cars came around this road. The sun was setting, the clouds were low. They were paper-thin wisps in the distance, but dark sinking little pieces of debris above his head that looked like concrete rubble. They were so solid and impenetrable that the sunlight clung to their edges, never sinking in, making them a beautiful red. John thought beautiful, beautiful, beautiful over and over again till he thought he would pass out with the wonder of it all, the landscapes he imagined as a child.

In front of them, the mountains were falling away, the sides of the high cliffs were fading, the layers and layers of dirt and rock giving away. John found himself almost missing what had gone, the stupid little yellow trees perched on the side of cliffs, or the huge huge walls beside him as he drove, like they were carving a path through, and how the rays would slip out from the peaks of the cliffs, would splatter the hood of the car in yellow, and they would play with him, mischievous, slipping away into complete grey one second, and blinding him like a laser the next.

Yellow, yellow, like autumn, stretching up and up so high and high that if he lifted his head up all the way to see the tops, he would lose sight of the road. And he'd be so enraptured and hypnotized, eyes held up to the sky, not paying attention to their direction anymore, maybe not even caring.

The road swerved left and right in staccato in front of him.

"It's odd, John, to choose a road like this..." Zemo says.

"It's odd?"

"Not many roads are like this one. Not many roads, especially not roads to deliver vibranium..." Zemo murmured, trailing off. For a moment, the illusion was shattered and John was reminded of the six kilograms of vibranium in their trunk, his soon-to-be shield.

"Maybe odd wouldn't be the right word for it," The other man rectified. He was smiling. "Magnificent is a more apt description."

So the walls were falling now. Beside him, Zemo sits up a bit straighter, leans forward in anticipation. The moment their view clears, beside him, he hears a shaky gasp of wonder- beautiful, echoing his own thoughts.

Zemo looked like a child seeing fireworks for the first time.

It took a few seconds for him to realize that he had forgotten to revel in his own wonder and joy, or throw up his own love to the light, that first experience, the wonder and mystery beyond every singing of it, as your world opened up and drew you in; one gate closing and one gate opening, in a little bubble, a snow globe. He had missed it. He had missed the half-second that would lift the air from his lungs in a roar.

It wasn't the splendid view that imprinted itself into his retinas, it was another man's joy.

He tastes something bittersweet at the back of his throat.

He put his gaze back to the road, continuing to drive, but then Zemo tugged at him insistently. "Stop, stop," Zemo whispered. So he pressed on the brakes, the car rumbled to a slow stop. Zemo reached over, turns the ignition off, and without any other words he opened the car door and steps out.

The crunch of boots on a rock-and-asphalt road was a welcome relief to the hum of the engine. He moved out of the car, went to stand beside Zemo. And that was when he hears.

Everything was silent. Pure silence. Then it began. The wind started to pick up into a howl over the hills, darting through the trees and bushes, and all the around them there was such a loud overwhelming rush of leaves, the groaning and creaking of trunks, that John felt that the world was nearly trembling apart in his hands. The two of them were so minuscule in the large expanse of landscape, yet he felt completely in control.

And in front of him stretched mountains long and unending and ceaseless, fading away into the clouds, and at the closer slope of the valley, winding down roads, the sides were painted with trees, tall towering spikes of green shooting through the land like needles through a needle cushion, so tall that even in the distance they appeared huge, and if you were to stand under one of them you could not raise your head high enough to see the top, the trunks that you could not wrap your arms around, everywhere you looked half your vision would be smothered by wood and bark and pine needles.

They were the most beautiful brilliant shade of hunter green, like oil paint, a stark contrast to the yellow-green of the soft meadows below. That shade of yellow-green was like if he looked at a grass field of canola flowers and backed away far enough until everything blended together. Down in the winding roads, there was a small little farmhouse, red and dainty, its shadow cast long against the ground by the sun's rays. John was reminded, and he looked back, at his own shadow, both of their shadows. A little smile played on his lips as he realized that their height difference was made more apparent by the sunset.

In the distance, the mountains were the pale shade of blue cast over by the clouds. Blue and golden mixed in with the sunlight. Ah. Maybe he had an epiphany then, for John thought, blue. It was blue that he was smelling, blue and golden in the air all around them. He looked to Zemo again. There was the hazy swirl of pollen in the air, settling on his eyelashes and his nose, blown from the flowers down the valley. He was coated with it, that invisible perfume.

John laughed. "Pretty," he said.

"More than pretty," Zemo said. "It's magnificent."

John smiled wider and wordlessly turns to the horizon again.

The sun touched his skin, his face, leaving his back cold. It was just a saturated red bloom across the horizon line now, fading into the mountains. And it became dark so quickly, so soon, that John was surprised when he looked at Zemo once again and saw that the other man's pupils were black and dilated like a cat's. The trees seemed to grow taller in the darkness, stretched by their shadow. The grass shined wet and oily with the moonlight. The world became a lot bigger, as the blackness of earth merged into the blackness of the sky, spiraling into galaxies and constellations above them.

He pointed to Zemo the Big Dipper, the Cassiopeia, and finds Polaris, the true North. They were stars that he'd trace in the war zones, above the sound of gunfire, to get him home. Then the Orion, and to Mintaka, the first star to rise in the constellation. Through all this, Zemo listened silently, occasionally nodding or asking questions.

He draped a blanket over Zemo's shoulders. He let his hands linger there, tracing the edge of the fabric, then slipped one hand under his purple turtleneck, resting at Zemo's trembling hips. There were bruises there, in the shape of his fingers. Some yellow and fading, some new. This was more intimate than usual, tonight, a new game that Zemo wasn't used to. But it would be back to normal in the morning, and John would remember that there was nothing gentle about Zemo, nothing redeemable for all his cruelty and vengeance and loathing. And Zemo would hurt him, over and over, taking him apart bit by bit, only to lie in bed shaking and shuddering, screaming John's name as he came, snarling hurt me, make me feel it, in a twisted form of self-punishment.

But for now, he could savor the moment. Those pretty eyes hold his own, nearly black in the darkness. John knew they were the true shade of brown, pools of honey in the light.

Maybe poison or aphrodisiac would be more accurate, for who he really was.

He couldn't resist - "Pretty."

John didn't need gentle. He's learned that gentleness is only a disguise for something more insidious. He needed madness and sin. Zemo was both in spades, and pretty as a striking cobra.

"Flattery will get you nowhere," Zemo laughed hoarsely, but pulled him down into a kiss nonetheless.

Inspiration and images were taken from:

Zion National Park, United States (Utah)

Black Canyon of the Gunnison, United States (Colorado)

Trollstigen, Norway

Transfăgărășan road, Romania

Karakoram Highway, China-Pakistan

Images were taken from Google, not owned by me. Harkansa Pass is not a real location.

[theriverpersonshadow]

Lamia Drama/Deltarune Semi-Crack Fic

The not-awaited, not asked for Lamia Drama X Deltarune crackfic that absolutely no one wanted, but might now find they want!

I played Deltarune Chapter 2 and just decide to write some silliness for fun. This is extremely non-canon to everything involved. Spoilers (kinda but not really) for DeltaRune Chapter 2.

Warnings for swearing, an extremely brief moment of existential dread, and one sexual joke.

As always, the species of lamia I use come from @vex-bittys

If this is your cup of tea, maybe buy me a Kofi?

           Susie stared up at the sign in front of them. “Kris. This…. Is this a fucking pet shop???” Susie said. The sign said “Caring Coils” and had a picture of someone part skeleton, part snake.

           “No! It’s a spring shop!” Lancer said. What else could “Coils” mean?

           “U-Um… I… I don’t know where this building came from???” Ralsei said. As far as he was aware, they had seen neither snakes nor springs on their journey, but apparently this was in Castle Town now! Somehow!

           Kris walked in. It was surprisingly bright for something in the Dark World, eerily similar to what it’d be like in the light world, but given that the main inhabitants seemed to be the apparent offspring of Jockington and Sans, just… What was even happening here.

           “Are these, like, half skeleton, half snake?” Susie said, walking up and knocking on the glass holding the Mamba. A dozen or so snakes suddenly tackled the glass, hissing at her. “Okay, not gonna lie, that’s kinda cool. You think they bite?”

           Kris just stared at the sign on the glass enclosure saying “Please Ask Before Handling – We Bite – Highly Venomous” until Susie got the hint.

           Regardless, Susie hummed, seriously contemplating sticking her entire hand in there anyways. “Hey. Hey Noelle, you dare me?”

           “SUSIE NO!”

           “C’mon, does venom even work on monsters?”

           “Hah! Clearly you know nothing. Monsters do not have blood and nerves to shut down the same way humans do,” Berdly said, strolling over to the Mamba enclosure. “They don’t even look that tough. Look! They’re worm- AAAAAAAAAAAA;LKJSDFLK;JDFA!” He had stuck his hand in there and immediately gotten himself bitten by like 13 Mamba. He flapped his wings, running around the room and sending bitty Mamba flying absolutely everywhere. Tiny battle cries filled the room as they chased after Berdly.

           “Um… Kris? Should we help him?” Ralsei said, watching the chaos.

           Kris answered No, deciding to instead head into the back. Unlike the skeletal-snakes who were snake sized in the front, this area seemed inhabited by skeleton-sized skele-snakes. Kind of. Most were shorter than Kris, except one Cobra who zipped directly by them with a weaponized mop in hand. Kris peaked back – looks like the cobra dude was mopping up the little skelesnakes. Cool, that’s been settled.

           They got a few odd looks as they browsed the area. It had snake things, and child things. Presumably for snake children, which most of these seemed to be. If not for the supplies and price tags, it’d be easy to mistake this place for an orphanage – which Kris could understand, who would want a Sans X Jockington baby?

           Oh hey, that one might be an adult. A particularly grumpy looking  skele-snake looked them up and down, them immediately flipped them off, “Oh great, I thought I was done with human shit. Or whatever the fuck you are.”

           Kris flipped him off back. What meaningful dialogue.

             Meanwhile, Ralsei was trying to figure out what he should do. In the few seconds Kris had left, Suzy had broken another enclosure completely and even more snakes were running around, not at all helped by Lancer and Rouxls mistaking the new lightners(?) for worms and trying to eat them. Berdly had been swiftly knocked out by the tiny swarm.

           Thankfully, something answered Ralsei’s prayers. He didn’t expect his newly found angel to be a 12-foot-something long version of the things causing chaos, but he literally started mopping up the little ones and depositing them into boxes. As soon as that was done, he gave them all an exhausted, withering stare, “Why. Just… why.”

           “Worms are tasty!” chirped Lancer.

           “These are not worms, we’re lamia,” the new person said. He sighed, straightening himself, “Where are my manners. I’m Nikolai. Apparently the rest of the staff disappeared, somehow, and I have no idea where we are, so forgive me if I’m a bit… in need of several of wines.” His “staff” uniform had been replaced by gold and white robes… and a small golden nametag declaring him “staff”.

           Rouxls pushed himself to the front. “I sympathizeth with thee mostly fullily, thine fellow worker of high class and generallyeth most terrifying stature.”

           “… I think I’m having a stroke,” Nikolai said.

           “Hey Yooooo. I Heard Someone Was Wanting Wine (alcoholic)? I Have Some Battery Acid Right Here!” the Queen said, holding her glass cup of battery acid. It exploded in her hand. “Oops Lol (amused)”

           “… I… I give up,” Nikolai said, laying his head on a table. Several of the bitties were chirping and giving praises, trying to tell him not to give up, but the Mamba were also trying to knock the box they’d been placed in off the shelf by all ramming the side of it at once. The chaos refused to be contained any longer.

           Ralsei looked at Nikolai sympathetically, going over and patting his back, “H-Hey, it’s okay! I’m sure between the two of us and Kris we can keep… order… Oh dear.” Everyone had scattered. It seemed that only The Queen, the unconscious Berdly, and Noelle remained in the room with them.

             The Queen looked into the bitty Papython tank. “Hey Is That You Trousle?”

           Trousle looked up at this new lady with the cool glasses, nodding.

           “Sorry You Came Eleventh In The Dragon Cards The Deckening Mini-Tournament Game But Dang Getting That Much Out Of Like A Billion People (Exaggeration) Is Dang (Damn) Impressive!” The Queen said.

           Trousle’s eyes widened, how did she know that?

           “Oh Yeah And Here Is This (based on search history: Sexy Dom Bitties).” It was a small domino with Mettaton legs sticking out from it.

           Trousle was silently screaming, but being him had the perk that he didn’t have to hold in his screams! They were silent by default. So he was just screaming and completely blush-colored in the face.

           “Oh And Emo Thrash Metal (based on search history: Emo Thrash Metal).” She deposited a small broken chunk of the Thrash Machine that had thrashed her giant robot’s ass which was inexplicably wearing eyeliner and had “it’s not a phase mom!” written on it.

           Meanwhile, Susie had joined Kris in flipping off Hux, and then Liam came.

           “Tch. I don’t know what you troglodytes think you’re doing, but we’re closed. Get out,” Liam hissed, putting himself between Hux and the intruders. They were not closed, but could you really be “open” when you had accidentally planeshifted to another dimension without the majority of your staff?

           “Yeah! Fuck off!” Hux hissed, throwing a double birdy.

           “YOU GUYS WANNA GO?!” Susie yelled, foaming at the mouth and drawing her axe. Liam looked injured, but if he was going to go around picking fights, she wasn’t going to stop him!

           “Oh please,” Liam said, rolling his eyes and crossing his arms, smirking far too smugly. “I would obviously win.”

           “OH IT IS ON!” Susie said, surging forwards. She and Liam both turned out to be too adept at dodging for this to go much of anywhere, and Hux and Kris just spent the fight insulting each other even after Susie and Liam got so mutually carried away they left the battlefield.

           Lancer had found some new kind of paradise: a plastic hammock full of dubious, blueberry snot flavored salsa! He paid no mind to the other person using the weird spa, just jumping in and plopping into the vat of goo.

           Oozy blinked owlishly at Lancer, then started laughing, “Kid? Kid, what are you doing?”

           “I’m claiming this spa as mine, you minty fresh bundle of mouthwash.”

           “Um… This… is my bed?”

           “No it’s not! This is a hammock, not a bed!”

           “… can’t argue with that logic,” Oozy said, shrugging. He wrapped lightly around Lancer, purring. That said, he couldn’t quite resist the urge to tease, “Wow, easiest snack ever.”

           “Thanks!” Lancer chirped.

           Rouxls Kaard then skidded down the hallways without ever adjusting his Trademark Pose, “HALT WORMTH! THEE SHALSTH NOTS EAT MINE PRINCETH.”

           Oozy, being a little shit, looked Rouxls in the eye as he lightly pressed his teeth to the back of Lancer’s head and audibly said, “Nom.”

           “NOOOOO! UNHAND HIM, THINE UNCLEANETHEST OF HEATHENS!”

           “Naaaah.”

           “I’m slimy!” Lancer chirped.

           Meeeeeeanwhile, Keith was laughing maniacally in a mix of sheer disbelief and genuine amusement as he dodged kicks from a living checkers piece, a small army of Pawns at his side. Too bad they weren’t from the same game.

             Some of the Queen’s butlers helped Nikolai and Noelle clean up the storefront from the burst of chaos (and Berdly). They still weren’t sure how they got there, but y’know what, even Nikolai cannot contain this, so he lets the kids who are old enough play around the area with some supervision.

           The Mamba immediately flock to the Dojo, Liam leading the charge, to prove their superiority over all. Berdly gets his ass beat there again. There are Papython in the bakery and Kings in the café, and, well, just lamia generally everywhere.

           A lot of the younger ones flock to Seam. Every child’s dream come true: a giant plush toy that can actually talk to you and he’s kind of just a big fluffy grandpa!!!

             Eventually just Kris and Hux are left inside, locked in a battle of wills and insults.

           “Like you’d even know what it’s like to not have fucking control of shit! To always be told what to do and what to be, and if you can’t, no one gives a fuck about you!”

           Kris: Act:

           Understand.

           They understand, they understand far too well.

           …

           Kris: Act:

           Kidnap.

           The snake boy is going home with them now. He screams, but he does not get a say in this. Bye.

[comparativetarot]

Death. Art by Nicola Allan, from Faunabelle Tarot.

The Egyptians believed that every night, the Sun-God faced the serpent of death as he travelled through the underworld Duat. In his battle with his ophidian enemy, the Sun went through a rebirth. He became new again, ready to rise up and over the horizon to illuminate a new day once again.

In Faunabelle tarot, a cobra sits atop of the journeying Sun symbolizing the renewal we often go through when we venture into our own personal Duat—a place of darkness and sometimes chaos—but one where there is opportunity to begin again.

UPRIGHT: Just like the Sun rises in the morning and sets at night, everything has a beginning, a middle and an end. Summer starts and ends. School starts and ends. Flowers grow, bloom and fade. So do friendships. Endings are a natural part of life just as beginnings are. When Cobra Death slithers by, something is coming to an end. Even though it may hurt to say goodbye, I let go and give thanks for the time it was part of my life.

UPSIDE DOWN: I'm worried about the changes ahead of me. I like things just as they are. Why can't they stay this way forever? When Cobra Death peaks out upside-down he admits he was scared when his skin started to shed. He thought life would be horrible without it! But then, when a new layer grew back, he had more room to slither in. "Trust the process" he says, "everything is working out just as it should". When I let go of the things that want to leave, I make space for all the good that wants to come.