#Update: I'm drawing creepy things help

[sysig]

Me: I’m gonna watch a Starkid musical I haven’t seen yet! :D

My brain, apparently: The TGWDLM is looking beautiful this time of year :)

[dearcauti0n]

INTRO POST UPDATE :]

OKAY, Heyo, I'm Lu! [ He/They ] 🎉

I'm an artist, and this account is mostly based on animal jam lore + au !! #phantoms&fireflies

This au is helped by @xhajimehaywirex !!! Great artist as well!

For animal jam based things, I love the lore we get once in a while, I love to search up and plan, write, and draw the concepts for each thing I find.

Been an AJ user since 2011-12 which ever year that was

I used to play both AJ Classic and AJPW; but I don't have a laptop for classic anymore so shucks !

I also do other art things such as different fandoms and original stuff, so you may see some of that on here too:] (cookie run, Skyrim, horror games, sometimes creepy pastas)

Other Art Dump Platforms:

Instagram - @dearcauti0n

TikTok - @dearcauti0n

Have an oc of mine - Goobie the fox :]

[minevn]

Here we go again talking about "Mine" and explaining my absence. For the past month or two I've been questioning myself if I want to put Mine on a hiatus(Which I didn't feel was surprising considering that I've vented about the game so much on this blog, I'm sorry for that). I wouldn't be getting rid of it and I would be heading back to it eventually, but I just needed to step away and really think about what I wanted to do. At this point in time I'm still questioning what I want to do. Long story short Mine won't be getting released any time soon and it needs a lot of work to be done on it, in every way.

I think my biggest issue was rushing into this project. I was so SO excited to just get my story out and talk about my characters and ideas, but I had almost nothing set in stone or planned out. Some of my favorite story aspects I created after I made this blog, granted it wasn't a obvious change since it had to do with spoilers, and story aspect kind of just fit together to make a bigger plot twist. I still love what I've created thus far, but it needs so much work, and it feels weird and off to have changes just happen with the characters and story.

I was getting bored of certain characters and the art style. I won't be getting rid of any characters because even the ones who don't seem that important to the overall plot are still important, but I'll be changing/upgrading character designs. And especially changing the art style. I was really disliking my style for Mine and even more so after the Halloween drawing. I did practice around a bit and I found a style I like, but it's still not set in stone.

This is kind of what I was thinking. The eyes have a more defined shape, the nose is different, the hair is more detailed. I've also been wanted to mess around with coloring and shading. And once again this style is not set in stone, but this is what I'm leaning towards as of now. I want the game to have an anime style for reasons, but I did also try a style that's more mine I guess? Like I drew Yani in the style I draw in the most, the style that's most consistent to me. I mainly did this because one my bestfriends has been helping me sort out my own feelings and she said to at least try a more cartoon style even if the anime style is what I'm aiming for in the end.

I obviously I do like the style, but it's just not what I'm going for, so I was going to try drawing different eyes styles and then I would build a face to match that.

I did like these, but it didn't inspire me and I didn't want these for Mine. So this is what I've been working on for now, I'm trying t build my interest in this story again. I know I've talked about it before, but Yani and Jun's designs are the ones I'm most proud about(maybe Aki as well, if I change anything it wouldn't be too extreme), but the other characters will be getting an upgrade, in design, story, and personality.

Minato in particular. I feel so bad because as much as I like Minato, he feels so plain to me. Like I don't have fun writing him or drawing him. There are things I do really enjoy about him, like his hair style, and his yellow eyes. But I'm bored with pretty much everything else about him, and that's not a good sign, he's the first route, the first character to be released. he needs something to draw in the player, but I don't feel like he has that. I don't know where to really go with him though. I think the fact that he's the least yandere is charming and important, like to lure the player into a false sense of security, almost as if they were just playing a normal visual novel/dating sim with routes, and then the creepy stuff starts mainly happening with the other routes, but obviously I need something to make his route exciting.

In the meantime asks will most likely not be answered until I've figured the characters out more. When I figure out the characters as well, I want to go back and slowly work on updating previous asks to fit the new personality and stories. I'll probably make a poll on how to go about that just in case people want the old answered asks or something. Maybe I could just do something like-

Old: bhjdhsvjagjhasgd

New: VHJDhfdjgshdf

I don't know as of now. I also want to go back and update my 100 followers event drawings, and obviously finish that. Which by the way I am so sorry to everyone who sent in requests, for that event and just in general. Me struggling with Mine's art style has been a thing, even with the refs, there were some refs that I just hated how they turned out(cough cough Hoshi). I also have been practicing with more cartoon(?) styles, so working on a game with an anime style reminds me of my past styles, which I hated because I got those feeling of hating my style or falling behind my peers who were finding their style. I'm a lot better with it now, but I felt like I was falling back into old habits/styles, and it was upsetting.

While I was planning my hiatus, I kept thinking about some of my other game ideas because if I was going to go on hiatus I would focus on another one of my games with a more simple style(Since I wondered if complexity of the style was also an issue for my lack of motivation with Mine), and I do like my other games and ideas and characters, but none of hem were appealing to me like how Mine did. I went into Mine so excited and ready to talk and share my characters, but with my other stories I was just feeling more unmotivated with them, other then "The Magi Academy" which makes sense since that is my comfort story but also I'm gonna work on this in the background since the game is huge.

Another thing I thought about doing while on hiatus was making a test game, where I get used to making games, where I practice. Cause Mine is my first game, but I'm not sure I want it to actually be my first game, but I have no interest in my other games as of now so this game would be simple, a little test to get used to everything that comes with making a game. I'll probably work on this while I'm working on the art style for Mine and the character designs. It will have multiple routes and characters. I wouldn't really call it a dating sim, there will be romance elements but I think more then anything it will be a little "get to know my oc's" type story. Maybe I'll talk about it more if anyone if interested. Although when I make games in the future I'll either make the blogs later, when the game is almost finished or if finished, or at least claim the name and work on them later.

I'd say that Mine is going on a hiatus, at least with this blog, but I will be working on it! Mine won't be getting released soon and when I made this blog I didn't expect Mine to come out this year. Another thing I want to end up doing is dev logs, maybe weekly or monthly, it won't happen soon, but eventually I want to do dev logs. As of now though, I have a lot to think about with the characters and the story/stories. I'll probably work on character personalities and stories before their actual design so I can get back to writing asks, and then I'll be redoing refs and any bigger drawings I've done so far. I also want to have a schedule for answering asks, so I'll probably spend the weekends answering asks and then the weekdays I'll be working on the game, but this is for the future. My ask box and messages will be open though if anyone has any questions :3 I hope that this will help me regain the passion and excitement that I hold for this story, have a great day/night, and thank you for you continued support🩵

[mullet--head]

💜WELCOME EVERYONE💜

Supth!! Ya'll can call me DJ, Blue, Dash, Bolt,(Mullet if you're more comfortable with user based names) and my pronouns are he/him/they :] [I’m 17!!] I am a Sonic the Hedgehog fictokin. (Pls don't call me Sonic if we don't know each other personally, I consider that name very intimate)

I'm a neurodivergent, African American, self taught artist whose trying to teach myself to animate! My current interests are Sonic the Hedgehog FNF/Pico’s School, Spider-Verse, Creepy pasta, UTMV/DR, MHA, TMNT, COD, and Madness Combat. [I'm also a furry/anthro artist!!]

I try to answer asks as quick as I can but sometimes I genuinely forget to, so if you send one in pls keep that in mind :')

My two favorite things are purple and bunnies 💜

💜TWs💜

Some warnings about my blog is that I use bright colors, mild gore, and suggestive themes. I will tag these and provide warnings above said drawings!! If need anything tagged about a certain thing in draw often pls let me know (explanations are not required)

💜MY TAGS💜

#mullet rambles, #mullet reblogs, #mullet draws (art tag), #mullet answers

💜SIDE BLOGS💜

@/mullet--reblogs

@/bunny--fangz (therian based)

💜CURRENT PROGECTS💜

- learning to make animation memes

- learning art

(This section may update)

You can also find me on discord (@/mullet.head)

Don't be afraid to drop and ask and reblogs on my art help a whole bunch!!!

Also my commissions are currently open!!

[hiddenobject-fanblog]

Hey my good friend in hidden-object-games love :D you'll always have a special place in my mutual list for reminding me of so many of my favorite hidden object games from my childhood.

So, on the topic of one of my more recent posts: obviously, since I can't program, I can't literally -make- my own original hidden object game, but what I -can- do is draw and write.

So on the side, I think I'm going to work on a fully original horror story via said art and writings. I'm mostly telling you this cause A: I figured you'd like to know, and B: I'd want somebody I think who'd enjoy it to be able to see it, and hopefully have other people of like-minds that follow both of us see it as well.

I can't help but feel a bit silly writing this, cause by making a hidden object game story in this style, I'm basically removing the two key points of the genre, IE 'hidden object' and 'game' XD. But there's no other way I can pull this off so *shrug*. This'll probably take a while to happen also, since as you've probably noticed I've been doing a lot of RP blogging lately, so I'm a tad busy, but now that I'm starting to get back into my hidden-object grove I wanna see if I can cook something up.

Hey!! If it helps, you can call me 'Rainbow'!

YES!! Honestly, horror and creepy-themed HOPAs are my guilty pleasure, and I seek those out the most when I'm trying to find new games. I can't wait to see a fan project like that come to life! I honestly think fan-made-ideas of HOPA games should be a Thing - I know one would never come to full fruition unless it was a full programed "game" with "hidden object" scenes, but the concept alone should be fun to work with, I think!

Would love to see this! Please send me any updates if you can!

[swimmingclass1978]

About me (it pretty late but what ever) :

- so my name is Ariel / Ane 😃

-im a minor if i ever follow your page and you have some nsfw content then dw it was either an accident or i followed you bc of some regular looking post

-your honor im just a silly guy when it comes to the ghostface mask on women (or particualarly hot men)

-im so desperate for a girlfriend its not even funny

-loyal to one mutal and the other one is low key just there lol

- james/remus/barty kinnes im waiting please notice me

-this is basically a call for help lol

-a hellenic pagan but its new so let me be, no convering christians allowed

-Lady Hecate devotee❤️

-slytherin/ravenclaw but if i like you then im giving kinda griffindor energy? Tho i get tired easily and my social battery is lasting max of an hour, in the end of the day im a slytherin bro all the creepy shit i know is proving it

-I'm fine with any pronouns really but mostly he/she, they is also great but she has a special place in my heart even tho i hate it sometimes and he makes me want to scream and giggle

-so im a girl kisser and ace but i don't think i would date amab people. Its nothing personal just my preference but it also depends. (Idk why i put it here its kind of personal need for me to say)

-my favourite colour is green, but like deep green or like dead green not neon green and i also love deep red and black OH AND PURPLE BECAUSE I SAW A DORCAS FANART IN PURPLR AND OMGOMGOMGOMGOMG

-im a yapper here but irl i don't talk much

-i love love LOVE true crime, canibalism and necrophilia like if you ever gonna ask me how bodies decompose and then listen to me yap im gonna marry you without questions,

-my natice language is polish but i also speak english tho its not as good as i wish it would be. Im also learning spanish (DO NOT ASK ME ANYTHING IN SPANISH ITS SHIT) and im learning latin on duolingo (i blame donna tartt)

-im obsessed with collecting little animal figures/plushies and giving them names????

-i love reading and all the crafty things like painting, drawing and diy and id love to learn book binding one day even if my printer doesn't agree with me (update: i've binded my own fic it went at least bad)

-im also a poet and a writer so i suffer from creativity more times then id like to but i unfortunatelly love it all too much 😔 i don't publish my poems bc i fear they are not very good but i wish to be a published book author one day

-if you are a hater or use any of these tags: anti <character/ship name> or pro <character/ship name> or you are a canon fanatic who can't stand people having fun then dni bcz i dont want any of your toxic bs on my blog or in my dms/asks thank you very much

- if you want to share you homo/transphobic bs then get out and never come back

-adhd

-im a sucker for good no voldy hogwarts jegulus aus tbh, amd anything that contains slytherin skittles or black brothers/sisters, i love them

-i'm an attention seeking whore when it comes to comments under my ao3 fics im not joking when i say this

-classic literature enthusiastist and Balladyna lover literalnie to moja zona wdym ze ona nie zyje? Zyje w moim sercu

Fandoms:

-marauders - ao3 hates to see me coming

-greek mythology

- percy jackson

-good omens, i love them but considering things that have been happening then i dont think we will be getting seson 3 anytime soon :((( (update: nail count your fucking days and pray i won't finf out where you live)

-the poppy war thrilogy (started reading age 9 and kinda reggret it but happily it didn't caused me as much of my mental health as i thought) (dont repeat my mistake tho) (i'm weird now)

- bsd but i cant remember all the names yet I know whats going on so its fine

-TPN in every daydreaming sesion i gotta do an au someone as the main 3 its an addiction to amgst at this point. Also im making a petition on recreating season 2 so it will follow the manga

-The secret history and dps my friends hate me in atumn because of those two

FAVE MUSIC ARTISTS/BANDS: Mitski, Radiohead, Gigi Perez, billie eilish, tv girl, i fear that a bit tyler the creator and chldlish gambino since its winter again (i only listen to him in winter???), the hazbin hotel soumdtrack....?, CZAPEL ROAWR 🗣🗣🗣🦅🦅🦅🦖🦖🦖

FAVE FILMS/BOOKS/BOOK SERIES': Dead Poets Society (book and the movie), 10 things i hate about you, Chłopi (movie and the book), song of the achilles, illiad, lapvona, seven hisbands of evelyn hugo, balladyna kochana moja, prolly more idk its late now,

Current body count: seven kids in my basement, three burried in my garden (i do not have a garden)

I can be very funny believe me 🙏🙏🙏

Im also a charlie kirk hater and a feminist

I do not know math but my esseys and creative writing works are amazing

Kins: Regulus; Sirius low key but its pretty minor (i wanna be him); Pandora; sometimes Barty?; dorcas AND marlene (i dunno how bro it just happened) (pick your favourite gay)

Im happily married to jegulus twilight au with reg as bella that got abandoned in february 2024 (UPDATE: one chapter was added a month ago we are so back) and to a demon james/human regulus au that is still ongoing but id let it tear me appart and i would apologise to the author( im talking about The Devil Tastes Devine by TheBiButterfly on ao3 (it has me in a chokehold tbh))

Ships: jeggy, wolfstar, dorlene, pandlily, marlily, emmary, rosekiller, bartylus, pancas, marylane, lilylane, any marauder lesbians, nobleflower, quillkiller, teddromeda, poppy x minnie (i forgot their ship name), evanreg, jarty, kinda rosekiller + lily, rosestarkillerchaser(any variant of them really), moonwater, percybeth(is that their ship name?), solangelo, (shin)soukoku, any legal lesbian ship thb, i also liked jily in the past but the toxic shippers ruined it for me :( i still love her tho thats my wifey

My ao3 fanfic:

there is a light, i feel it in me: COMPLETE, black brothers angst, jegulus, wolfstar +more, trauma healing, angst/fluff, everything pandora and barty are doing is great i do not make the rules

teaching myself how to die: WIP, jegulus twilight-fix-it-look-alike Au, disabled regulus, vampire james, black brothers angst, slytherin skittles, marauders, angst with happy ending, THE BLACK SISTERS ARE MOTHERING, they are witches fr fr.

Face reveal (bros gonna be blinded by the face card frfr):

Im also a proud owner of this justin biber ahh haircut I thought it was a wonderfull idea few months back and i do feel the best in my skin i've ever felt since my dysphoria went almost 2lvl down but no one want to talk to me at school now i think its not very nice of them tbh im a great person sometimes

Thats all lol have a good time or whatever

[paging-possum]

So one of my friends who makes games (here’s her itch.io, she’s made some REALLY neat stuff AND is currently making some even neater stuff right now that I may or may not be helping with) recently told me about the concept of developer logs. And I heard that and immediately was like… “Well I love talking about my projects…and I’m currently working on a comic.” So I'm making the Milwaukee Protocol devlog! Which will hopefully keep me on track with working on it! I’ll also throw in smaller updates about other side projects at the same time, just for fun. 

Milwaukee Protocol is a horror comic about- you guessed it- rabies. It follows Lyssa (named for everyones favorite virus, lyssavirus) after she gets bitten by a weird animal in the woods and starts experiencing rabies-like symptoms despite the fact that medically, there’s nothing wrong with her. It’s about losing control! It’s about changing in ways nobody understands! It’s about suffering the consequences of completely avoidable choices! It’s about instilling the sheer terror/fascination surrounding rabies that I’ve had since I was a child in other people! I’m not sure how coherent it is, but it’s still being written, and at the very least I’m excited about it.

I’m still writing the script and working on actually figuring out what everything and everyone looks like (something I skimped on for the last comic I made, which I think made it suffer), but I’m hoping to put my all into this one! I’m hoping to have the script done by mid-November, and this is where we are now. 

Thrilling. I know. God I love Notion. I'll hopefully have actual drawings of them next week but it has been a very overwhelming 2 weeks and also im sick so things are going very very slow.

While I figure out how to put this beast together, I'm also trying to put together some search and find pages just for fun- I started one for the Fool tarot card, since it felt like a fun theme to start with. That said, I'm not a huge fan of the composition so I might go back and redraw it. I'm also making a comic for college using a rubber duck as an allegory for having a crush on someone because they make you do weird stuff in art school sometimes.

I'm also listening to a bunch of stuff this week! A lot of Parkdale Haunt, which is a horror podcast about two women and the creepy old house that one of them inherits. Probably not the best when my only roommate right now is a fridge that makes sounds like human breathing, but that’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make for a good horror podcast. 

[uniforestchan]

"You are just an unnecessary creature, which is not a pity to treat brutally!"

How to draw creepy (and soapy). Step 1:

No, what I described is not a cry for help, I'm fine (so far), I just wanted to test the updated brush… In the distance, it turned out soapy again. I hate this kind of thing. Now I don't really know how to fix it.

I also want to add that it may be for the plot in this image.

[aquaburst3]

Ever since that picture of Snow White with the creepy CGI dwarves dropped, I've seen people posting hot takes about Rachel. Here's mine.

I feel bad for Rachel Zelger. She is getting a lot of undeserved flack. Bigots are calling her "Snow Brown" and other hateful things, despite the fact that she's literally a white latina, who is olive-skinned. (Again, I think a lot of it is bigots being angry about "wokeness", but that's a whole other can of worms.) Rachel's position about this specific adaptation is completely understandable.

This movie is shaping up to be pretty bad. Not because of Rachel Zelger. This is already the second time the release date was delayed. I don't think it's just because of the strike. It genuinely seems like Disney is going back to the drawing board multiple times and it's not coming together. I still don't buy their excuse about the dwarves, since they look like they just slapped some CGI figures over the other actors. No one can come back for reshoots, making this even more awkward. Usually movies with this much production troubles never turn out to be good. The same thing happened with Artemis Fowl, and I suspect the same will happen here. I don't blame her for not liking this movie. This wasn't the first time an actor hated the movie that they were in. Robert Pattinson famously mocked the Twilight movies as they were coming out. So why is she any different?

Having said that, I think her comments about the OG animated version were a bit tone deaf. Love it or hate it, Snow White is one of the first full length animated movies ever. If it wasn't for it, the whole animation landscape throughout the world would be different. Hell, this movie along with Carl Barks comics are the whole reason why anime characters look like the way they do. You have to give the movie some respect for that. Her dissing it and brushing off completely makes her come off as disrespectful and like she has zero understanding off the character she's portraying or animation as a whole. The comments she made about the prince, by extension, Jeremy Renner, makes her look even worse. She should've thought through her comments before spouting them out.

Snow White isn't one of my favourite Disney movies. It's certainly a product of its time, and has a lot of issues like not giving the prince more screentime (even if it's understandable why) or it prioritizing random scenes with the characters working or goofing off instead of proper character or story developments. At the same time, I think Snow White's a bit more feminist than what some people are giving her credit for. She is assertive, capable, adaptable and hard working, which are all feminist traits. While I'm childfree by choice "leftist", even I admit that being a mother is a lot of hard work and takes a strong person to do. There's nothing wrong with someone wanting to have a family one day or being like me and never having any at all. Feminism is about choice, after all.

Yes, Snow White as a character needs an update. However, I still think you can do that while also keeping the core of her character and not turn her into a girl boss. That is certainly possible. Vil from Twisted Wonderland is a great example, and he comes from a Disney property too. Despite technically being inspired by the Evil Queen, a lot of his good traits are taken from Snow White and Adam. Like the original Snow White, Vil's hardworking, capable, adaptable, quick on his feet, kind, caring and wants to help out everyone around him become their best selves. He also lacks some of Snow White's glaring issues like her extreme naivety and dumb moments. (Seriously, why did she let in the Evil Queen into the cottage, especially when she was told not to multiple times and the birds attacked her?) But at the same time, he is also incredibly flawed. He's domineering, harsh, impulsive, overly critical, in his own head and super judgemental. These negative traits flesh him out and make him seem more human compared to the original, who was a very flat character. Hell, same can be said about Mary from Once Upon a Time. Disney can do it. They just didn't here.

I think we can all agree that Disney should've casted actual little people as the dwarves, the conservative "media" bullshit making their own movie is fucking laughable and the Disney Princesses can fall in love and be strong characters. Characters like Tiana and all of the other Renaissance prove that. I want more romance in Disney movies again, dammit!

[melodythebunny]

⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆WELCOME to my dreamscape!⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆

(also known as my blog)

｡ﾟ..｡(っ ᐛ )っ 𝖍𝖎

i'm Melody! You can call me Mel if you want. o₍⑅ᐢ..ᐢ₎

-Please read through this before interacting!-

I draw....like...ALOT. No seriously! I can fill up an entire notebook in a short time period. both traditional and digital art...though I tend to have my time to post my digital works.

I also write and love LOVE LOVE! To read. Pretty much a book worm also.

I have a sweet tooth and occasionally I love eating savoury foods.

𖡼𖤣𖥧𖡼 𓋼 𖤣𖥧 𓋼𓍊

My hyperfixtations can be and not limit to:

Wordgirl, Eddsworld, Adventure Time, BATIM, Cuphead, DHMIS, bee and puppycat, and undertale/deltarune

I like to make ocs. Be for a fandom or original work! („• ֊ •„)੭

Speaking of original works...

Im hoping to turn one of my ideas into an animated series someday!

i really post most of my original content on my side blog @the-mis-adventurers (it means alot to me if you do look at my original work) ( ᴗ͈ˬᴗ͈)ഒ

𓋼𖤣𖥧𓋼𓍊𖡼𖤣𖥧𖡼𖡼𖤣𖥧𖡼𓋼𖤣𖥧𓋼𓍊

(ˊ•͈ ◡ •͈ˋ) is okay to ask/do

-art commissions! Only if you want and have the money. Message me about commissions.

-art trades (depends on how busy I am tho)

-collabs/crossovers yes plz!

-rp (also long as it isn't that creepy stuff or adult rps like NSFW, that stuff makes me uncomfortable)

-Art requests are for FRIENDS only. Bc I trust that they will repsect my limits u-u (don't friend me just so you can Free art. (•ˋ _ ˊ•) I AM A PERSON WITH FEELINGS TOO!)

-share headcanons, rant about each others ocs

-tone tags helps with jokes so no one gets confused on anything

❌❌❌ Things I DONT LIKE/accept or have limits with

-venting (venting is OK as long as we KNOW eachother. And we both feel comfortable venting to each it other, keeping in mind that neither of us are professionals/therapist and everyone's experiences are different)

-NSFW, fetishes (this include jokes, asking for me to talk and draw it, rping that, showing any of that to me. ILL BLOCK YOU WITHOUT SECOND THOUGHTS)

-hate talk/speech

-please don't harrass me for art

-trying to bring drama. (I got enough drama to deal with irl )

-Pro shipping and incest (EDIT: including selfcest. Its confusing to me and I don't get it)

keep in mind that if I feel uncomfortable its in my right to block you.

shipsss. Yeah I have ships... (No hate. I understand some of these are considered mid by the vast majority but idc/pos) and I'll update the list over time bc I'm always joining new fandoms.

Experimental cheese (two brains x oc)

star crossed cheese (two brains/Steven x oc)

Bigslie ( Mr. Big x Leslie)

Quesibrent

Plasmarope

whatever the ship between the butcher and dupey is called

tobecky

Whatever the ship between violet and scoops is called

Starco (yeah ik it's mid but I could have written them better)

Jantom (aka the ship between Janna and Tom.)

cherry oreos (if you know you know)

Cherry soda (same with this one)

Dancing portraits

Randy x Theresa (Rc9gn)

edd x coco

Edd x honey(the ship has grown on me)

Eduardo x laurel (depends on the fanon version of they're exes or not)

Eduardo x Claire

(Ik almost nothing about My hero academia but I have two ships) dabi x miruko and izuocha

fluttercord. (I may have fallen out of mlp but this is my forever otp for that fandom)

Sonamy

Silvaze

Tailsmo

Knuckles x Rouge

cherry pie (bob x oc)

Sugar crash (Kevin x oc)

pastel gothic (streber x oc)

deadly love (patty x friend's oc)

inner reflections (Dexter x friend's oc)

Some cool friends/mutuals to check out!

@crazywolf85 @wordgirl-reboot-eva @nyxcharliechaos @animation-is-my-jam @ninjastormhawkkat @drtwobrains @drtwobrainsstuff @professor-boxleitner @oddedd @kagurafernandes @lartmacabre

@earth-420-69. @liloskull343 @pantakichi @bloodthirstypigeon @kadiwright @notsosw3et @peanutbutter-doodles @fluffytimearts @hibiscus-candy @soupsy-daisy @misscreativity94

@luckykaix @spaaceeboyy @lauritanaomystery @sfcabanasstarcgs

Andd A BUNCH of other cool peeps too! 😊

[space-blue]

Right until the finale Vi mistakenly thought her sister was brainwashed to do Silco’s bidding. So when she finally starts to realise that’s not the truth do you think at one point she will confront her for cozying up with the guy who was their father’s mortal enemy and who nearly succeeded in murdering their entire family? Also will she finally agree with Ekko’s accounts of Jinx and join him to take her down?

Hi Anon,

No, I don't think Vi would accuse Jinx of cozying up to Silco. She SAW Silco approach Powder at the end of episode 3. I think she needs/wants to believe he brainwashed her to keep hoping to "rescue Powder", because it's been her one obsession that kept her going in Stillwater... But I don't think her accepting Jinx cared for Silco will mean she will switch to accusing Jinx.

I think she'll realise then that Jinx felt (and was) abandoned and on her own, and if Silco truly loved her, then it's only normal she latched on to him.

It's possible she'll keep making weird excuses for her, like the "you did what you had to, in order to survive" mentality.

A lot will depend of what they decide to reveal about Ekko and Jinx. It's not the same if Ekko offered very early on an alternative life to Powder, and she chose to stay with Silco, vs. if he tried to take her away from a man she already was at home with (like mounting a misguided "rescue" and earning himself the title of Boy Saviour).

Basically, I think Vi accusing Jinx that way would be a regression of her understanding of the situation. It's possible they may chose that route, but I don't think they will. If they focus on the "sister, but until when? How far can you go, as an extremist, before you draw the lines and cut off the sister and make her a stranger" side of their relationship, then Vi has to make some of her own self actualisation. She has to accept she fucked up and that Jinx is a different person who, UNLIKE HER IN STILLWATER, had a life, people who cared for her, helped her, antagonised her, etc.

Jinx had stuff going on while Vi had nothing but bouts of violence, trips to isolation, beatings... Vi is the one who has been stagnating, both herself and in her views of others. Her progressing her character arc should address that and make her come up to her own (updated) decisions.

I assume they'll make her understand things better because she's got the shonen main character vibe to her, so she can't stay pig-headed and be wrong and misunderstanding things forever.

I personally disagree with Ekko's understanding of Jinx, or at least find the way he expresses it creepy... But I'm not sure how his view of her will change, after the bridge, where he "saw" her, and seemingly changed his mind. And then after the finale... Ekko is bound to have his own opinions.

You also have to wonder... Canonically it seems Ekko is pretty against Vi and the way she "betrays" Zaun by becoming an enforcer. If they go along that route, with Vi siding with Piltover, and Piltover cracks back hard on Zaun after the bombing...

Well, I don't see Ekko being particularly friendly to a Cait-Vi team. Last time he trusted them, it went really, really poorly. If Vi tries to justify Piltover's actions, you could see their own friendship crack and be strained.

I honestly have no idea where things are headed for season 2 because I'm not sure how close to game-canon they want to take characters.

With Warwick and a foreign power on the horizon, and Viktor becoming machine herald, I highly doubt that season 2 will look like "everybody teams up to take down Jinx", or at least not for very long. It might start that way, before getting a lot more complicated.

It's all speculation though.

[drilethetoppat]

oh yeah, it sounds like a weird creepy AU is gonna be here,

I think the only thing I can say about my au for now (I'm still developing it and redesigning the characters because it was an old idea) is that Among Us, Innersloth and PuffballsUnited are very important

That is, think of them (Inner and Puff) as Henry's parents and Among Us as his younger brother, now add favoritism and family problems and boom, AU of a crazy Henry (With Henry I mean Henry Henry, the saga exists except for CtM because the AU does not have an ending that could be taken as canon, but I wanted to take elements from each ending that I like, the most notable are: R,TT,VH,TK, and PD, Presumed dead is the only ending so far that I took that is not from CtM, but I repeat, CtM does not exist in general)

The text became very long but I will update with the content or drawings of the AU as it progresses, I am receiving help from my girlfriend with the AU such as naming special characters (just like this Ellry will be a "fuctioned" version of Rupert and Dave) well she also likes thsc, anyway, last notice of the au:

DISCRETION IS ADVISED DUE TO FRAGILE CONTENT!!

I love the thsc fandom, so kind, so creative with ocs or fanart, and the Aus are incredible! I think it's the fandom I'm most comfortable in, but I'm afraid to post content from my Au because it's too weird and it's not even good 😭

Anyway, I love you thsc fandom!!!❤❤❤

[endlessdelirium]

Nothing to see here (or "We can't stop here. This is Bat Country!)

Hello from The Void! How did you get here? Well, I probably liked one of your posts, or I read something you posted that really resonated with me to the point that I broke my silence and actually responded (instead of just lurking like a creepy ghost). Or you're probably like a creepy ghost yourself and saw my username enough times or read one of my comments that made you wonder just who is this moron spouting off all this nonsense? Either way, you thought you'd check out my account and return the favor, or something, I really have no idea why you're here lol.

The thing is, I made this account years ago. I had a couple of irl friends who also had accounts, so I followed them plus a handful of other people from my interests back then. And it was great for awhile, until social media fatigue set in. This was nothing new. There'd be new social media sites that would be trendy for a time, and I'd be curious enough to try it for awhile, until I realize lol I'm not a very social person irl, why would I be better at it online? So I start losing interest until I eventually stop checking in. Even now, I am barely on any social media sites. I keep my Facebook account active because that's pretty much the only way people could get in touch with me if they don't have my number, and I'm on Reddit all the time but I barely post/comment there as well and just mostly lurk (like a creepy, creepy ghost wooohhh. Nah, but seriously, social anxiety is a real bitch!) Other than that, I practically have zero social media presence.

So I'm pretty much done with Tumblr... until Haikyuu dragged me back in. I can't really remember when I entered the fandom, I think I started watching sometime in late 2018 and I've been obsessing ever since. Reading the manga wasn't enough, I wanted more content. The Reddit sub was okay... for awhile. Eventually I wandered back into the wastelands of Twitter and Tumblr, all in my pursuit of extra Haikyuu juice. Yes, there's no point denying it, I'm pretty much an addict at this point. Stop judging me.

The thing is, I'm also incredibly lazy. I didn't see the point of creating new accounts when my old ones are still serviceable. For all intents and purposes, this account is pretty much dead. It's just, sometimes (okay, lots of times) I would scroll through Haikyuu tags and I would find something funny, insightful, pretty, interesting that I just have to like it (or is it hearting something? Sorry, I'm not really well versed in Tumblr lingo anymore) or leave a comment to show my appreciation. Which is all well and good, it's just lately a couple of people have been following my account, which isn't terrible per se, I just find it a bit weird since I haven't posted anything new in years. Really, the only thing I updated was my profile pic, since my account was supposed to be a personal one, and wasn't supposed to be dedicated to just a specific fandom so the pic I originally used was one of my irl head which is just... ick! I don't know what I was thinking. So I changed it because I didn't want to frighten anyone by manifesting my mug in their notifications, and really Hinata's head is infinitely better than my head so it can only be an improvement for my account.

Other than that, I pretty much left everything as is. I didn't have the heart to delete everything. In a way, it's kind of like a time capsule for me, still, I don't really recognize the me who made these posts anymore. I mean, I don't have amnesia or anything. I sorta remember them, but since they were made by a younger version of me, one with different interests and obsessions (I mean still share some of these things with this person, it's just a lot has changed as well, and I've since changed my opinion about some things) there's a sort of detachment as well. Which is why it feels like receiving a jolt of electricity everytime I get a new notification that someone has liked a picture or post. It's like "Huh?", I sort of remember the post, but also not really since it was litterally from years ago made by a younger and more naive me. "Okay, I guess?" is all I can say at the end.

So, what now? I still don't want delete my posts. Even though it kind of weirds me out now, I still like having it as a record. Like "Hey, this was ME! Wasn't I weird? I mean, I'm still weird, but in a slightly different way. Anyway, wasn't I a riot?" I also don't feel like making a new account. I still don't really consider myself active in these parts. I just like scrolling through my tags of interest (like a creepy stalker), liking awesome fan arts, and leaving a comment or two when I couldn't contain myself anymore and I just had to say something. I've also thought about re-blogging things sometimes, but I feel that would tip my account back into a semi-active state, and I don't feel like it just yet. Maybe in the future. For now I kinda like keeping my account as is, as a time capsule when I was still active here.

So, where does that leave you? I still don't really know why you're here, but you're welcome to have a look around. Just remember you're looking at an old account and it would help if you view it like a window to the past. I don't mind if you like anything, just know I only have vague memories of making any of those posts so I can't really discuss any of them now. If you're okay with all of that, then make yourself at home... or not, I'm not the boss of you lol.

Anyway, you're still here? And you read everything? Why? I mean, wow, what a trooper! I gotta reward you with something. You know what, here's a picture of Hinata. Did I draw it? Of course not, don't be silly! I like art, but unfortunately art doesn't like me so I can't draw to save my life. So this here's just regular manga panels of Hinata. But not just any Hinata, it's Third Year Hinata! Why? Why not? I see many itenerations of Hinata on Tumblr including Brazil Hinata, but for some reason I don't see Third Year Hinata get as much love on here. I don't really get it. He is so precious. So here he is!

Bonus: The Duality of Hinata

Thanks for stopping by. Have a nice day!

[kyu-bri]

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@myrtenast3r J \ A \

II

COME LOOKIE PAW I CAUGHT ONE!

*ahem*

A quick giant rundown!!!!

Mami is a well-todo 15yr old girl of the 80s. She is very much in love with her Real Actual Explicitly Romantic Girlfriend Kyoko.

Mamis father is a medical scientist, currently working on a project to create synthetic organs and tissues for ailing people. He has recently teamed his efforts with an engineer with an affinity for Purple. I do not remember if purple guy made the animatronics but in my defense we recast who purple guy is believed to be every year.

Kyoko's father runs a very liberal unorthodox church, that believes in blasphemous things like Gay Is Okay and Abortion Is Not Murder

People murder Kyokos family over this

Mami finds her gfs church burning down, Kyoko the only one still alive- but severely burned and not hanging around for long

Kyoko stops breathing before they get to the hospital, and Mamis father, in panic and sympathy for his hysterical daughter, takes her into his lab and hooks her up on life support, he sets to calcifying her insides and rebuilding her bodyfunctions from the inside out.

The result is calcified balljointed skin and a brain full of electrified wire. Kyoko wakes up stoic and moving stiffly, slowly relearning how to articulate and react. The only semblance of her old self is being able to identify Mami, giving her joy and hope, and Mamis father severe anxiety.

Mamis father is secretly horrified at his frankensteinish recreation of a dead girl, he cancels his research afraid of what people might do if they could become completely synthetic, sentient machines. His engineering partner however, suggests ways to keep his discoveries from going to waste- by using them for entertainment purposes

Mostly headed by his partner, the Tomoe family opens a family restaurant business, quickly becoming renown for its state of the art animatronic technology, and by children for its adorable red showgirl

Mamis parents are killed in a sudden accident, leaving her as heiress to the business accompanied only by her stoic, ribbon covered stage singer girlfriend, and the creepy animatronic mechanic

Children start going missing

Mami discovers her fathers old partner has trained her undead android girlfriend to kidnap and murder children in addition to song and dance. Mami thinks thats fucked up

Dude turns on Mami but Kyoko kills him first.

Mami shuts down the business in grief and becomes a recluse, as some time passes she becomes unable to even confide in her girlfriend, now ex as Mami grows up and Kyokos left unaging with an electric brain that can only learn whats programmed, which would be creepy otherwise

A few years later, Madoka Kaname and timid Homura Akemi break into the closed down business. Homuras fondest childhood memories are of this establishment, and Madoka loves Homura very much.

Mami never figured out how to unteach Kyoko how to murder unattended children

Madoka is dead, as Mami frantically apologizes and scolds RoboKyoko and apologizes for the scolded RoboKyoko, Homura figures out what RoboKyoko is, she begs Mami to make Madoka the same. Mami can't pretend she hasn't learned the technology for different motives.

As she slowly rebuilds Madoka, Homura resigns herself to the same fate. She volunteers herself to become as Madoka will so she might always look after her.

Madoka reanimates somewhat more vacant and robotic then Kyoko, she learns the showtunes quickly though. In contrast, Homura is distressingly more aware, though discernably focussed on her only desire to keep Madoka safe. Mayhaps a side effect of being changed when both alive and knowing what was to come.

Considerably more traumatized now, Mami concludes that these girls need something to do with themselves. She reopens the restaurant.

She hires a security guard for the nightshift

Sayaka needed a summer job to distract her from her teenage angst and was pretty willing to work just for free pizza

The animatronics walking around at night and really wanting to get into her office is a great distraction

Sayaka isn't scared of ghosts nor death at this point though so she eventually confronts them. They just want to play with her. They're very lonely in the dark.

Sayaka suddenly recognizes Madoka as a missing girl at her school from a few months back. Sayaka is aware of the missing children rumors back when the place shut down in 87 and connects some dots.

Mami is here to relieve Sayaka of her post

Kyoko has learned that Murder Is Bad.

She stops Mami from harming Sayaka and forces the girls to come to a truce amongst their arguing. Sayaka has to promise not to tell the police about Mamis zombie performers and Mami not to kill her.

They're both lying

Mami leaves to let Sayaka find her way out. Going to the control room she *accidentally* triggers a security door Sayaka was just then walking through

But swiftly after, Homura prys the door open, and Kyoko lifts the unconsious girl and carries her to the lab. All while a ballet dancing Madoka pirouettes after them singing how everythings going to be alright.

Homura gets to saving the nearly eviscerated Sayaka.

Mami is confronted by Kyokos blankly staring face and does not interfere.

Sayaka is given a beautiful sparkling tail, and begrudgingly Mami installs a gel pool into the pirate themes play area. Though she does manage to communicate to Homura that Sayakas voicebox is much too dangerous to carry over

The building reopens the next week, though pirate bay is closed until they can be sure their new member can behave.

Sayaka is not stoic or stiff, she stays put and behaves largely out of the Depression

Mami does not advertise for another night guard

She gets saddled with one though. Two actually, this angry rich girl is very persuasive but really wants her dull boyfriend to be there to help her out.

Hitomi wants to find out what happened to Sayaka.

Kyosuke does not want to be here.

Djjsisjdisishdisus K THERE WE GO

I'll probably draw shit and update with it + a readmore later lmao

Cliffhanger there so I'm not spoiling the entIRE story if I wanna do anything for it later lmao

[105ttt]

So, I'm kinda new to Cookie Run, so I don't know a whole lot about the characters inpirations and all that so I hope you don't mind me asking, but what's up with Milk Cookie's design? I've seen people say it's problematic but no explanation on why it is, and I just feel a little lost and dumb lol

It’s okay! You’re not dumb! I’m happy to explain. I’m going to put this under a readmore because there’s… a lot wrong with him and his design. I’ll put a summary before the readmore in case you don’t want details.

TL;DR: Milk Cookie’s appearance, being likely based on the Crusaders and having motifs similar to the Iron Cross used by the Nazis, is antisemitic. Milk Cookie talks down to people of color and also destroys their property without their consent, even if he does not mean it in a malicious way. All of his actions are played off as cute or a joke, which is racist because it makes a white man seem like he can’t be blamed for things he did which were legitimately wrong and meanwhile makes the people of color he harasses seem like the ones who did something wrong. His contrast with Purple Yam Cookie in his release update and the other Cookies he meets is also outright racist, even if not intentional.

Disclaimer: I’m not Jewish or a person of color, so my opinions on Milk Cookie’s design as it relates to how it’s antisemitic or his character as it relates to him being racist are not important. You should consult Jewish people and/or people of color for their own opinions on Milk Cookie above all else. The things I’m about to list out are what I’ve heard from Jewish Cookie Run fans, people of color who play Cookie Run, or other minority groups sympathetic to Jewish people who have expressed their concerns about Milk Cookie’s design.

His appearance:

Milk Cookie’s physical appearance is a major problem for many people because it brings up antisemitic imagery. He is likely based on a paladin from Dungeons and Dragons, since Purple Yam Cookie and Mala Sauce Cookie are also based on Dungeons and Dragons classes. Paladins draw their imagery from the Crusaders, which is an antisemitic group from European history that claimed their religion was a valid reason to murder and oppress Jewish and Muslim people. Milk Cookie not only looks like a Crusader, but religion is a major theme in his design. The crosses, white clothing, and the fact that he is associated with Milk Angel all imply this. His story also says he is on a “divine mission” to bring peace to all Cookies, but a religious mission like that sounds dangerously close to the mission of the Crusaders. The crosses on his shield and mace are, as I already stated, also very visually close to Iron Crosses.

While all of this was likely not intentional on Devsisters’ part, it still brings these kinds of associations to mind. This is why many Jewish people in particular are uncomfortable with Milk Cookie’s design and do not like to see him or talk about him. It does not help that he is always smiling and has rosy cheeks, as it makes him seem “cutesy” and “trustworthy” compared to a character like Purple Yam Cookie, who always scowls and has slashes on his face and chest.

His character and actions:

Milk Cookie’s character is racist in that it makes him, a white man, seem automatically more likable and good as a person than any person of color he meets by virtue of how the story portrays his actions and the people around him. From his debut, he has always been portrayed as a “kind”, “gentle” person who does nothing wrong. Even when he verbally and physically threatens Purple Yam Cookie despite Purple Yam Cookie not threatening him at all, he faces no repercussions for it. Later, he stalks Purple Yam Cookie even after Purple Yam Cookie tells him to leave him alone. Rather than being punished for this creepy behavior, he gets defended by Purple Yam Cookie from a giant Jellyworm and later stays at Purple Yam Cookie’s camp (once again, against Purple Yam Cookie’s will). Later, Purple Yam Cookie nearly falls into a volcano, and Milk Cookie saves him by grabbing onto his clothes. As he does so, however, he says demeaning things to Purple Yam Cookie. Rather than Purple Yam Cookie rightfully being allowed to be mad at Milk Cookie, the story portrays them as bonding afterward. It’s very awkward for a black man to suddenly forgive a white man for his creepy, condescending behavior just because he saved his life.

The Dino-Sour Cookie update included a scene where Milk Cookie told Purple Yam Cookie to mind his manners when speaking to Dino-Sour Cookie, which is very condescending. Purple Yam Cookie is an adult, so he should be allowed to do whatever he likes. A white man speaking over a black man and telling him to “watch his manners” is very textbook racist.

In the Mala Sauce Cookie update, Milk Cookie is once again portrayed as more “kind” than Purple Yam Cookie when he scolds Purple Yam Cookie for not offering to help Mala Sauce Cookie with her tribe’s issues. This is once again a case of Milk Cookie talking down to Purple Yam Cookie, as Purple Yam Cookie is implied to have just met Mala Sauce Cookie and therefore is not close enough with her to the point where he should want to undertake the big task of helping her. In addition, Purple Yam Cookie has his own goal which he wants to stick to, and as an adult, he has the right to want to pursue it before anything else. Milk Cookie’s condemnation of Purple Yam Cookie’s choice to focus on his own goal is just plain rude. Later, after the Dragon’s Valley Squad meets Pitaya Dragon Cookie and receives their advice on how to solve Mala Sauce Cookie’s problem, Milk Cookie once again calls Purple Yam Cookie selfish for wanting to continue his quest rather than stay with Mala Sauce Cookie. All-in-all, it’s a big mess.

In the Mango Cookie update, Milk Cookie suggests that he and Dino-Sour Cookie dig into Pineapple Mountain to try to find Ananas Dragon Cookie. Mango Cookie begs him not to do so, as it ruins the island’s landscape and enrages Ananas Dragon Cookie, but he starts digging without listening to Mango Cookie. When Mango Cookie asks what he’s doing, he ignores Mango Cookie’s obvious concern and says he’ll use his shield to defend them all from the Dragon when it arrives. Thus, Mango Cookie’s concern is played off as a joke. The defilement of the island, which is inhabited by Pacific Islanders, by a white man is extremely reminiscent of imperialism in real life, and it would likely make Pacific Islanders uncomfortable that it is played off as a funny story. Ananas Dragon Cookie’s rightful rage about the whole thing is played off as ridiculous too, which doesn’t make it any better.

Milk Cookie compared to those around him:

Every important Cookie Milk Cookie has come into contact with in the Dragon’s Valley story was not white, and almost all of them exhibits traits of racist stereotypes about non-white people that make Milk Cookie look more “perfect” and “likable”. The biggest victim of this is Purple Yam Cookie, but we’ll get to him in a moment.

Dino-Sour Cookie falls into the stereotype of being animalistic. He has sharp teeth and lives alongside dinosaurs, and he even seems to communicate with Jellysaur somehow. Attributing these kinds of characters to a man of color is a classic kind of racist stereotype which tries to make him seem more alike with animals than humans. Simply put, it is dehumanizing. People call Dino-Sour Cookie “feral” because of how he’s portrayed, and that’s… not good when you’re talking about a man of color.

Mala Sauce Cookie, who would likely be Chinese if she were human because mala sauce is a Chinese sauce, falls into a similar stereotype to Purple Yam Cookie. That is, her personality centers around combat. There is also the fact that she’s from a tribe, and her Costume contains motifs like animal skins and dangling golden jewelry which are typically racist when applied to people of color. Devsisters may have been intending for Mala Sauce Cookie to be Mongolian, based on her Costume and her living in a tribe, but that just makes her even more of a stereotype as she’s portrayed with Mongolian stereotypes (like the helmet in her Costume and living in a warrior tribe). Whether Mala Sauce Cookie is Chinese or Mongolian, she is still very obviously a woman of color, and so applying these stereotypes to her is… not good. (And we’re not even getting into how Cookie Run loves to make dark-skinned female Cookies more masculine than the ones with lighter skin, which is a racist stereotype that dehumanizes women of color and invalidates their right to be feminine if they so choose.)

Mango Cookie and Ananas Dragon Cookie both are portrayed as ridiculous for objecting to Milk Cookie’s destruction of the pineapple island, which makes them seem ignorant of “the greater good at hand” and selfish when they are simply trying to defend their home and their dignity.

Purple Yam Cookie has been with Milk Cookie since the beginning, and he is by far the biggest victim of the racism inherent in Milk Cookie’s character. He has always been juxtaposed to Milk Cookie. Even on the title screen for their release update, we see Purple Yam Cookie depicted as “rowdy” and violent, looking at the player with a smirk and wielding his mace, while Milk Cookie in that same screen is partially turned away from the viewer. He is smiling politely, and his mace is nowhere to be seen; we only see his shield. This contrast alone signifies how their different characters clash, and how Milk Cookie is supposed to seem more “likable” and “pure” than Purple Yam Cookie.

Purple Yam Cookie’s character is literally a racist caricature of black men. He is angry, violent, and loud - all the time. Even when he seemingly has no reason to be angry or violent, he shouts, complains about how angry he is, and acts in such a way that the player is supposed to see him as “selfish”. His trauma about the Oven is played off as a joke, claiming that it’s the reason why he’s always angry. The game treats his PTSD as a joke for the sake of making him a racist stereotype. His loading lines in-game are all either about fighting or being angry. He yells in most of his dialogue, emphasizing words that don’t even make sense, just for the sake of making him seem grumpy and rude. He even says things that don’t make sense at all just to keep the angry personality trait! If you equip his Champion of Valor Costume, he claims that “shiny colors” and “fancy clothes” make him angry, and his Costume description contains him yelling at people for complimenting him. He is also depicted with sharp teeth in some cutscenes, which is reminiscent of racist remarks made about black people by white people throughout history, calling them “animalistic” by nature. All of this taken together, combined with the fact that his Skill is all about destruction and that his whole character motive is to fight Dark Choco Cookie to reclaim his title as Champion, makes him into a character you are “supposed” to dislike and view as mean.

Contrast that with Milk Cookie. His dialogue in most cutscenes is polite. He gives encouragement to the player in his loading lines for his Costume. Most of his loading lines are also uplifting and encouraging. He has never been shown to be unnecessarily mad except for once, when he threatened Purple Yam Cookie after hearing he was planning to fight Dark Choco Cookie - and he was not punished for this or made to seem violent by the narrative! Milk Cookie’s backstory is about wanting to thank Dark Choco Cookie, not wanting to fight them. And the fact that he has sprites where he smiles and seems happy, whereas Purple Yam Cookie only ever smiles in canon when he’s being violent, just makes Milk Cookie seem more “pure” and “gentle” to the player. Devsisters likely did not make Milk Cookie and Purple Yam Cookie this way intentionally. It was likely the product of internalized racism, but even so, that doesn’t make it okay or make the racist elements insignificant.

There is probably a lot more I could talk about when it comes to why Milk Cookie as a character is problematic, but these should be enough details to get the gist of it. As I said before, you should consult Jewish people and people of color when it comes to this topic before anything else, but I hope this explanation clears things up.

[hiilikedragons]

I'm soo happy you're back!! I've missed the sacrifice au so much and still think about it sometimes and suddenly I've read the whole thing in a day again. It was one of the first proper long fanfics I read years ago and one of my favs ever!

Thank you so much anon!

“Do you plan on showing mercy any time soon?”

There’s a little amusement in Valka’s voice, a teasing lilt, but Astrid wonders if there’s a more sincere sentiment underlying it.

They’re cradled in the stone windows of their living quarters, sharing a bowl of berries as they watch the aviary. Below them, unaware of his audience, Hiccup has a new dragon prosthesis in his hand, and he’s chasing a Changewing with a torn wing back and forth. Curled up on a rock, Toothless looks on with barely stifled smugness, his tail languorously flicking side to side.

“Giving him hope wouldn’t be mercy.” Astrid replies with a taste of bitterness. “I don’t do anything just because I like watching him squirm.” Though there was a little satisfaction in it. “I do it because I hate him. I don’t want him near me.”

She never would have said such a thing so bluntly to Valka before. When she first came to the sanctuary, she tiptoed around badmouthing Hiccup, worried that it would make Valka angry. After these several weeks, though, they’ve become so close– it’s almost like talking with her own mother.

Almost. Not quite.

“You hated him once before,” the older woman mentions, her tone casual. “How did you overcome it the last time?”

It’s a fair question. Astrid ponders it as she rolls a berry across her tongue. Was it the day he took her to Bulg for the first time, giving her a taste of freedom? Was it learning about his past from his mother? It’s hard to say when she started enjoying his presence instead of despising it.

“Maybe it was just a trick of the mind.” She shrugs, tilting her head a little. “I was a prisoner. I had nobody else.”

“It could be. It’s a possibility.” That’s why she likes Valka so much. She doesn’t judge, and she doesn’t let her feelings blind her to reason. “The best way to find out would be to give him a chance now that you’re free.”

Astrid wrinkles her nose, flicking her gaze to Valka’s face to show her displeasure before glancing back at the bowl. Her fingers flick and dig for the largest, most perfect looking berry. “You want me to forgive him.”

With a heavy exhale, Valka makes a vague gesture with her hand in Hiccup’s direction. “I’m biased. Mothers aren’t very good at seeing the worst in their children.”

Astrid doesn’t reply, instead throwing fruit at her.

The other woman’s laugh is hearty and warm. “I mean it. If you look at him long and hard, you might be able to figure out why exactly you fell for him in the first place. Or–” She shrugs. “You find that it was only your nearness to each other that pushed you two together. Either way, you won’t know until you try talking.”

Astrid feels her eyes roll upwards– not in disrespect, but unwillingness. She unfolds herself from the crook of the stone window and slides down the wall so she can stretch her legs out in front of her. Her jaw tightens as she knots her fingers in the fabric of her tunic, as if she can hold the little life inside just as tight. She glares ahead.

“I’m just… so…” Shaking her head, Astrid huffs like a perturbed dragon. “I’m so angry.”

“Are you angry?” Valka takes advantage of the new space in the window, propping her feet up where Astrid had been sitting. “Or are you hurt?”

“Both? Mostly angry.” The stone behind her feels cold through her clothes and even seeps through her braid. “It’s like there’s this hot coal in my chest, always burning. Always stinging. When he leaves me alone, it’s just kind of sizzling, but when I see him–” Her words lose traction, and she struggles for the right thing to say. “I want to rip it out.”

They sit in quiet for a moment. Hiccup’s voice just barely floats upwards from outside.

After a few minutes of thoughtful silence, Valka crawls out of the window and places the bowl by Astrid. She grabs her staff and walks towards the exit to the aviary. Over her shoulder, she cheerfully says, “All coals burn up eventually.”

It’s well after midnight when Valka rouses Hiccup from his sleep, squeezing his shoulder with a warm hand. He blinks blearly into the dark, startling a little when he makes out the frightful mask of his mother’s helmet.

“I told you not to do that,” he mumbles, pushing up on an elbow and rubbing his eyes with the heel of his hand. “You know that thing is creepy.”

She makes a noise of amusement, more of a purr than a laugh. An evolution after living with the dragons for so long. “Sorry, dear.” Then her tone drops, more serious. “I couldn’t sleep, so I went for a flight. There’s a ship of trackers skirting the ice.”

Toothless must pick up on the sound of warning in Valka’s voice, because he rustles in the corner and yawns, sitting up.

“What’s brought them so close?” Hiccup pats his furs for his flask out of habit before remembering he doesn’t have it anymore.

“Not sure.” His mother glances over her shoulder, as if she’s being watched. “It might be our comings and goings. I’m going to try and draw them away.”

“You’re leaving now?”

She straightens and bobs her head in a nod. “There’s no time to waste. If word of our location spreads, we could be swarmed with trappers in a day’s time.”

He begins to pull his furs aside. “Shouldn’t I go with you?”

Her hand on his shoulder stops him. “No. I need you here to protect the sanctuary if it turns out to be a distraction. If they slip by me or if another ship arrives, I need someone who can organize the dragons and defend us.”

The idea of sleep instantly evaporates. He reaches a hand for Toothless, and he’s met with a scaly nudge. “Do you think I need to get Astrid out of here?”

Valka’s eerie mask tilts back and forth in a display of uncertainty. “I think it’s better if she stays. The ships are still a few days out by boat. No sense in moving her over an unlikely possibility, and if something does happen, she’ll probably be more help to you here.”

He doesn’t entirely agree. The idea of Trappers and Astrid in the same place makes his skin prickle with uneasiness. But he trusts that Valka doesn’t think the ships are an urgent threat. Even more nerve wracking than the idea of nearby ships is the thought of the two of them being alone in a frosty silence without his mother as a buffer between them.

“I’ll hold everything down here,” he assures her. “I’ll send a dragon if we spot anything.”

Once she’s gone, the place feels too quiet and open. Hiccup figures he’ll get a couple more hours of rest before getting up– he might need it in case of an emergency– but he’s wide awake. Instead of staring at the ceiling and sighing, he decides to take Toothless for a late-night flight. It’ll let him keep an eye on the horizon and stretch his dragon’s wings before the rest of the world stirs.

No ships, so far as the eye can see. It allays his fears a little to see nothing but black ocean and blue ice for miles. The ship Valka saw must be rather far out indeed. That makes him feel slightly better about the threat of the sanctuary being found by trappers.

He enjoys his time with Toothless until the sky begins to lighten. Thor knows his Night Fury enjoys it just as much as he does, having been making less regular trips across the archipelago. The cold air that slips through his flight suit is exhilarating, and it helps him think. Everything feels a little bit clearer near the clouds.

There are a few dragons from the sanctuary that are starting to rise and skim the water’s surface for food. They play and dance in the ocean spray, giving Hiccup an idea. He directs Toothless to snag a few fish for themselves and heads for home just as morning light begins to sparkle off the sanctuary spires.

He’s never been a great cook, but fish is one thing he can do with no problem. Catch it, throw it over a fire, make sure it doesn’t fall into the flames. He remembers some of the harder nights with Toothless– back before they found a place to settle– where he was so hungry he would hardly wait for the fish to cook through before tearing into it. These days, since he has the luxury of time, he sometimes tends to let it burn.

That’s probably the smell that brings a bleary-eyed Astrid inside. At first her expression is just sleepy and confused, probably expecting to find Valka at the fire, but she pulls up short when she finds him instead.

“Good morning!” He blurts before she can have a chance to run away. He’s trying to plate a trout that’s falling to pieces, struggling to keep it in one piece. It’s a good thing that blacksmithing has stripped him of most feeling in his fingertips, because he’s sure they’d be blistered by the heat. “Toothless– show the good lady to her seat.”

As rehearsed, the Night Fury stalks behind her and uses his nose to nudge her towards a seat. Astrid makes a noise of indignation but doesn’t object. She watches Hiccup with a sharp gaze, which is only slightly softened by a tinge of curiosity. Her arms stay crossed defensively in front of her.

“Breakfast, to start the day.” He sets the fish on the stone next to her, already sure she wouldn’t take it if he handed it over. His strategy is to keep her distracted with conversation until she slips up and speaks to him. “Fresh pike, caught just hours ago by your favorite offspring of lightning and death. A cup of tea, ready to brew. Mom’s going to be out for a few days, but if you need anything, I can get it for you.”

Without replying, Astrid picks up the plate and sniffs it cautiously. The expression her face pulls isn’t promising. His hands are pouring hot water into a cup of tea leaves, but his attention is fully engrossed by her every movement.

It must be at least slightly tempting, because she picks out a less scorched piece of fish and brings it to her lips. He’s pleased when she doesn’t immediately spit out her first couple of nibbles, but before he can get too excited, her brow suddenly furrows. She sets down the plate with a little force and uses the back of her hand to wipe her mouth.

Instead of waiting for disappointment to set in, he inhales deeply and presses on.

“Fiske’s wife actually showed me this tea. You remember Fiske? His wife is kind of terrifying.” When he steps close to hand her the cup, he can tell that she’s breathing a little unsteadily. Valka tells him to check on her whenever she ends up sick to her stomach, but he’s always pushed away– verbally and physically– whenever he tries.

She takes the cup from his hand, eyeing it warily. This time he stands next to her and watches as she takes a tiny sip. Surprisingly, a minute amount of tension seems to melt from her stiff frame, and she adjusts her hands around the tea to hold it tightly. Wordless, she stares into the fire and slowly nurses the cup.

His relief is potent. He darts back to his own breakfast and sits on the stone bench next to hers.

Toothless curls at her feet and sits his head in her lap for scratchies, which he is granted albeity distractedly. If Astrid notices him using his long forked tongue to try and reach chunks of the fish on her plate, she doesn’t say anything. There’s a weariness to her features that he can’t help but notice out of the corner of his eye.

They sit in silence for a long time, which is more progress than he’s made with her in the weeks since he returned. He’s scared to say something to pierce the bubble of civility she’s decided to wrap them in, worried that the moment he tries to appeal to her that the ice and thorns will reappear.

Eventually, after Toothless has cleaned off her mostly untouched plate, she tilts the cup in her hands back and forth. “What is this?”

It’s pathetic how quickly he jumps at the question. “Raspberry leaf, alfalfa, and dried ginger.”

Astrid nods, handing the cup back to him. Hiccup’s not sure if that means she’s done or she wants more, but he stands and begins preparing a second.

“I’ve been wondering something,” she begins, resting her elbows on her knees and lacing her fingers together. “If you’d never left Berk, do you think we would’ve been friends?”

The thought causes his hands to slow momentarily, but then he’s able to shake it off. “I hope so.”

The first streak of annoyance crosses her features, informing him that his reply wasn’t what she wanted to hear. “I mean, you were spoiled and obnoxious, but I never disliked you. But would I have liked you? Not just like I liked Snot, but could we have wanted each other there the way we did on our island?”

Something inside his chest swells and overflows at the little word our. Such a tiny, inconsequential word, but it’s the first ray of hope he’s felt in a while. Stepping over Toothless, he presses the cup into her accepting hands and sits with his back to the bench, just a little bit closer to her.

“I used to think about it. Pretend that instead of running from Berk, Toothless and I saved it. And everybody learned to trust dragons, and my dad was proud of me, and you fell madly in love with me. Some nights, I would dream it so vividly– it felt almost real.”

Astrid exhales a short laugh into her tea. “I dreamed that I found the nest and killed them all. There was a feast in my honor, with wine and roast and honey cakes.” Her tone is wry. “There were some winters where the shortages were so bad, I’d wake up chewing on my quilt.”

He breathes his own humorless chuckle. She shakes her head and smooths a hand over her hair.

“I just wonder,” she whispers, eyes closed. “Did our attraction to each other play tricks on us? Were we using each other to pretend we aren’t both irreparably damaged? Was there anything that was real between us?”

Hiccup jerks back, surprised by the sharp pain of her questions. He shouldn’t be surprised. He asked himself those same things over and over after taking her to meet his mother for the first time. They were easy questions to ask before he knew what it felt like to have lost her– possibly forever. Now, it’s almost shocking how wrong they seem.

For a moment, neither of them speak. They watch the fire flickering lowly, with the sound of dragons waking and chattering in the distance.

Hiccup risks shifting to look directly at her. If he reached out his hand, he could just barely touch her. He wants to.

“I didn’t leave because I didn’t want you,” he says slowly and quietly.

Her laced fingers immediately clench. “Don’t.”

“I left because I wanted you more than I thought made sense. Enough to scare me.”

“Hiccup, stop.” Her sigh sounds frustrated, and she sits up, holding out a hand as if she can physically block his words from reaching her.

But he can’t. This is the closest he’s gotten to her in weeks, the most she’s let him speak since he arrived. He feels like he has to blurt it out before the door shuts again and they’re back to frosty silence.

“I’ve spent a long time trying to outrun my past. Things I’ve done, things I’ve seen. I wanted to keep it all in the tailwinds where it can’t hurt me. But you– you, Astrid–” He tries to take her hand, but she pulls away. His own hands curl and flex with nervous energy. “You slammed into me. Made me actually want to be still for a while. And then before I knew it, you weren’t something behind me, you were the only thing in front of me.”

“I can’t do this!” She stands abruptly, almost breaking her cup as she sets it down. Backing away, she stabs a finger at him and glares with watery eyes. “You can’t do this, Hiccup!”

“Please, Astrid, just let me explain!” He’s on his feet too, and Toothless whines in sudden confusion. “I was afraid of slowing down, of stopping, of wanting something I wasn’t guaranteed to keep.”

“I gave you everything! What more of a guarantee did you need?”

A flicker of ire ignites under his skin. “Can you really tell me you would have been happy with that life forever? Forsaking your family, your village, hidden away and always waiting on a cliff for me to come back in one piece? Hiding our identities and never really settling in one place? Can you tell me you wouldn’t have wanted out eventually?”

“I don’t know!”

“And can you swear that I could always protect you from my enemies? I have a lot of them. Can you promise you would be safe? Your child would be safe?” Even the thought reminds him of the trappers in the far distance, creeping closer and closer to their sanctuary. It stirs a panic in him that he can’t stifle.

“I don’t know!” Her voice breaks. She paces like a dragon in a cage, eyes of crystal blazing. “I could forgive you being afraid, because I was terrified the day you left. But how can I trust you, Hiccup? You take our future in your hands and make decisions without stopping to consider how I feel!”

“What do you even mean? I’ve spent weeks considering your feelings, trying to repent, but you cut me off at every turn.”

“Because I want you to know what it’s like!” Tears finally spill onto her cheeks. Without even pausing to wipe them away, she takes a few steps towards him. “To believe that you could love someone if they would just let you!”

He grabs her by the elbows. “Then just let me!”

“I told you, I can’t!” Astrid breaks away, shoulders rising and falling in near hysterics. He wants to chase her as she turns away and crosses the room, but there’s something keeping his boots welded to the floor. For several minutes, they both stand in silence. Catching their breaths and sorting through all the words floating between them.

Then she faces him again. The tears are gone. The door of opportunity has been closed. He can see it in her face, the cold detachment and prickly guardedness. It’s as if a wrought iron door is clattering as it rushes to shut between them.

“Give me the dishes,” she says, “I’ll wash them.”

He wonders if she notices the way she holds her hand close to her body, as if it’s itching to cover her abdomen. She’s worn nothing but baggy clothes while she’s been here, and they hang on her frame. It makes her look even skinnier than before she came, and it leaves him forever wondering about their baby. Is she showing at all? Is she punishing him by hiding? His anxiety could choke him with the way it tightens his throat.

“I’ll do them.” He can hear the defeat in his own voice. “I know how to get the Night Fury spit off anyways.”

Astrid doesn’t argue and leaves without another word.

Boom. The wrought iron door slams down.

Hiccup wonders about his dad a lot. What he’s up to. Where he goes. What he would do or say if he knew it was his son beneath the Dragon Rider’s mask. And damn it– he misses him. Even though Stoick the Vast has become famous for his hatred of dragons, Hiccup still misses him.

It takes everything in him to avoid his father’s house, the Great Hall, anywhere he might see his dad’s giant figure and be tempted to watch for a while. And really, he should wait until it’s darker, until the rest of the island has gone to sleep. The sky is only a purplish navy. But he has time on the mind. He has to be in and out quickly, to get back to the sanctuary before Astrid starts to think he’s abandoned her again. He’ll be in for a world of hurt if she notices he’s gone.

Unsurprisingly, the Hoffersons’ door is unlocked. He’s already been watching the village since before sunset– he knows Calder is down by the pier helping tie up the last few fishing boats to come in. Astrid’s mother entered the house several minutes ago, and she hasn’t shown signs of leaving. Now is the best time to move.

He deliberately makes noise when crawling through Astrid’s bedroom window. It’s much safer than going through the front door or wandering downstairs where Calder could walk in at any moment. And it works. After a moment of pacing heavily across the bedroom floor, he hears rapid steps on the stairs. The door bursts open.

Mrs. Hofferson looks slightly disappointed to see him, but she doesn’t have a weapon this time. She doesn’t immediately scream or alert the neighbors or threaten him bodily harm. Maybe it’s because he’s been here before, and he’s the closest thing she has to news of her daughter. Maybe it’s because he has his facemask flipped up so she can see his eyes.

“I’m human,” he says before she can recover from her surprise. Her blue eyes dart to and fro as she evaluates him, just the way her daughter does when she suspects there might be a threat looming. “I’m not a monster, and I’m not a danger to you or your family.”

“Did you find her?” the woman asks, keeping her voice as low as Hiccup’s. He figures she has just as much to lose if he gets discovered. “Do you have her?”

“Not as a prisoner,” he qualifies. “She’s free.”

Maybe it’s not quite the right thing for him to say. Her brow seems to crumple with hurt and confusion. “She hasn’t come home.”

“She can’t.” Hiccup doesn’t want anyone on Berk knowing about the baby. It’s risky even doing this much. “I can’t tell you everything. But she’s alive, she’s safe, and she misses you. I can prove it to you. But I need something first.”

The Hofferson matriarch keeps her chin up, even as it wobbles. She watches him narrowly. “You’re not what I expected. Not what they say.” After a long moment of staring into his eyes, she must decide that he’s safe enough to cooperate with. She exhales a steadying breath. “Well, then? What could the Lord of Dragons want from our humble home?”

Hiccup feels the corner of his mouth daring to turn upwards. “First, I need your promise this stays between us…”

It’s something he hasn’t done in a long time.

He’s practicing a speech.

“And I promise that from now on… I’ll always be by your side.” Hiccup recites the same words he’s repeated over and over since leaving Berk. He’s reorganized them and rearranged them and eliminated them altogether. He’s written and rewritten a thousand different ways to tell his wife that no matter how many times they argue, no matter how much she despises him, he’s not going anywhere.

He has his gift from her mother stashed safely away, and his heart is thrumming with a nervous energy. With the time spent flying across the archipelago and back, he’s had time to think. And despite all the ways she told him– explicitly and implicitly– that she’s not ready to forgive him yet, she did say one thing.

She might have loved him. Once.

It’s a small thing to hold onto. Barely even mentioned in passing. It’s completely possible that any small amount of affection she held for him once is long gone now. But he’s seen the way his mother’s eyes cloud when she thinks about his dad. He remembers the way his father would reminisce about her. Similarly, if Astrid loved him then, she could love him now. It might not be too late.

At least, that’s the hope that he’s holding onto. That and an envelope from Berk.

It’s after mid-morning when the sanctuary comes into view. He’s relieved to see that there are no strange ships nearby, no nervous-looking dragons. Everything as he left it the day before.

Just as they’re approaching the island, though, something happens. Toothless’ ears prick, twitching this way and that, and he draws up in an alarmed loop-de-loop.

“Whoa!” Hiccup reaches out to touch his dragon’s crown. “What’s going on, bud?” His first, most terrifying thought is that there’s an enemy. An intruder. Someone’s breached the sanctuary.

Toothless whirs and barks in response, ducking with renewed speed to enter the maze of tunnels that make up the sanctuary’s caves. He moves so quickly that his rider’s vision is blurred as he dives through the stone labyrinth. Hiccup can feel the tension and urgency in every flick of the dragon’s wings.

They spill out near the top of the aviary, and a nest of hatchlings scatter at the commotion. Hiccup quickly scans the scenery, but none of the other dragons seem as agitated as his. The Bewildebeast is unphased by their entrance, staring intently into the distance. If there was a trapper here, wouldn’t the dragons know before anyone else? Wouldn’t the alpha have sensed approaching boats?

Toothless jerks in the direction of the Bewildebeast’s gaze, and Hiccup is pulled into flight just as he recognizes a pair of yellow and blue wings. Stormfly.

She’s perched near the alcove that Astrid has made into her room. Hopping back and forth with a frazzled energy, the Nadder screeches and flaps frantically towards the wall. His heart hammers against his breastbone as he watches Stormfly scratch the ground in distress.

Hiccup doesn’t have to say anything– his dragon is already zeroed in on the scene. Terror has frozen his blood in his veins, leaving him cold and numb and afraid.

“Astrid!” he shouts, and he’s tripping out of his saddle before Toothless has even properly touched down. Stormfly reacts by hissing and turning on him, using her wings to block his view.

“Hiccup!” Astrid’s voice calls back, sounding thready and strained. “Stormy, it’s okay, let him by.”

Whether she’s obeying her rider or intimidated by Toothless, the Nadder backs down. Just slightly at first, and then stepping aside so Hiccup can see Astrid sitting on the ground, leaned back against the cave wall. Her shoulders are hunched around her, and there’s sweat glistening on her forehead. When she slowly pushes to her feet, she keeps one hand knotted in the front of her tunic. She’s wincing.

“Astrid, what happened?” He’s immediately at her side, giving her his shoulder to steady her. “Is there somebody here?”

“Where were you?” Her accusation says volumes. She was looking for him. Before he can even answer, though, she asks, “When will Valka be back?”

“I don’t know,” he answers honestly. “Tell me what’s going on.”

“I need her,” she insists, letting him lead her over to Toothless. Stormfly’s irate chirping lessens just slightly at the sight of Astrid’s arm hooked around Hiccup’s side. “How far out is she?”

“I don’t know.” The second time he says it sounds even more pathetic. “She could be a couple of days out by dragon by now, maybe less.”

“Frigga,” she swears, looking upwards so she can blink back tears. “I don’t know what to do.”

He shifts her in front of him so that she can lean against his dragon, who is watching with concern and confusion. Hiccup cups her face in one hand and grips her arm with the other. “I’m here. I’m here, Astrid. What happened?”

After a moment of squeezing her eyes shut, clearly trying to not cry, she swallows and exhales slowly. “Something’s wrong,” she says. Her voice shakes. “It feels like– it just hurts. And I’m bleeding. I don’t think I’m supposed to.”

And there it is. His worst fear. Something he can’t protect her from, something he can’t stop. He has no answers, no way to help, and he feels absolutely useless. It’s exactly what he always knew would happen eventually, what he told her he was afraid of.

But there’s something– something else. Maybe something that’s been there forever, or maybe something that just grew there overnight. But it’s a steadiness. A calm that he couldn’t expect.

This is his wife. His child. And all the fear, the shock, the uncertainty that he feels somehow is dampened by the panic in her face. He has to act now, do something, and then he can process his own emotions later. For now, he has to be her husband.

“Here’s what we’re doing,” he begins, hoping his voice isn’t trembling as much as he is. “I’m taking you to the closest village. I’ll send a dragon out for Mom, tell her where we’re going so she can meet us there. Okay?”

Astrid doesn’t argue, doesn’t protest. She holds his eye contact, gaze full of trust, and nods.

“Okay. Now. It’s going to be a few hours’ flight. Do you think you can hang on to me or does Toothless need to carry you?”

He’s going through a checklist in his head: he needs to untie the saddlebags to lighten the load so Toothless can be faster; he needs to write a letter to his mom and find one of her tracking dragons; he needs to get her fur coat and consult his map. His thoughts are racing faster than he can keep up.

“I can manage for a little bit, but I don’t know how long.” In this moment, he can tell she’s forgotten how angry she is at him, how much they’ve fought. She’s holding tight to his shirt and leaning into his arms. “Can you hold me in front? Like the night of the sacrifice?”

“All day and longer,” he promises. When he pries her hand off of his arm, it’s with utmost gentleness and a tinge of regret. “Rest here with Tooth. We’ll be leaving in a minute. I’m sure the baby’s fine.” He’s not, and he hates it, but it seems like the right thing to say.

“You didn’t even want this,” she whispers, and he can see the paranoia slipping into her features, the hurt and the anger. “Why do you care what happens to the baby?”

“Stop.” He squeezes her shoulders and ducks his head to look her straight on. “You’re not doing that to me now. Not when I’m about to do everything in my power to make sure you and our baby are alright. Do you hear me?”

Astrid nods. The doubt in her expression seems to flee. She searches his face. “Our baby?”

He kisses her forehead. Hard. “Ours.”

Such a tiny word.