#WHY ARE THEY SO HARD TO DRAW UHG

[dxkjf]

KINDA SPOILERS FOR TFONE?? KINDA

Idk I think IFHY is themmm IDK

Just a messy sketch I might clean it up and make it prettier one day

[reverieblondie]

Can you write something spicy involving rolan and spanking? Why am I obsessed with spanking rn

So when writing this I tried my best to channel my inner @lemonsrosesandlavender which I would like to dedicate this to them for their birthday! enjoy the drabble! Now lets spank that brat!

Brat Taming

It had been the longest day he'd had in a long time. It seemed as if everyone in the City was in need of his magical expertise today, asking his every nonsensical question or worst, the ones that were completely obvious. Thinking back on it threatens a headache to boil forth. Uhg-

Rolan undoes his collar as he walks through the portal to the tower. All he wants to do is get to his room and release this irritation the best way he knows how…

He practically runs up the spiraling stairs, taking two at a time, to get to his room as fast as possible. As he passes different rooms, a noise makes him pause. It's Cal and Lia laughing (nothing unusual there), but what is unusual is the sound of the third laugh, and it's a laugh that makes his ears and tail twitch. 

As soon as he gets to the lounge room, where the laughter erupts, he pauses at the sight and leans against the door frame. Sitting around the fire are his siblings and Tav. The mere sight of her is enough to make a growl roll from his throat as he eyes her. 

Rolan straightens his posture before walking in, not even sparing her a glance. "I thought we said we would warn each other before having… guest." 

The trio turns to look at Rolan as he strides through the room. 

"Don't be like that, Rolan. Tav dropped by for a surprise visit. I guess the portal still works for anyone who's passed through it before," Cal says with a smile. 

Rolan only hums before stopping in front of Tav, "That is something to be fixed then." Rolan says with a sneer, causing Tav to furrow her eyebrows at him. 

"Can't just have people wandering in here on a whim." Rolan draws dully before turning on his heels to leave. "Keep the noise down; some of us have worked all day and need to destress!" he snaps before side-eyeing Tav, something none of them miss. 

Lia frowns, "What's up his arse? Forgive his grumpiness, Tav, don't let him bother you." 

Tav watches as Rolan leaves her face unreadable. "Let me go talk to him… maybe I could help…" 

Rolan hears her following footsteps, but he doesn't bother to turn around until he's at his room's door. " Are you following me now?" 

When he turns, he's surprised to see how close she had gotten without him noticing… practically on his tail… Rolan swallows, trying to keep his edge as he looks into her unwavering eyes; he blindly reaches for his doorknob till suddenly, tavs hand is grabbing his shaking hand and the knob at the same time. She steps closer. "Why are you such a damn brat?" 

Rolan whimpers in his throat as her words go straight to his cock. Tav twists his hand so his door opens, and she wastes no time leading him inside and slamming the door closed. He feels his body tingle at the slam, and before he can work up the never to challenge her more, she's grabbing him by the collar, her lips so close to his he dares to lean in to kiss her, but Tav pulls a fist full of his hair keeping him back and making his hard cock throb.

Tav leans in and breathes against his neck, making him shiver with a high-pitched whine; she smirks before giving his throat a nip, making him grip her waist. The feel of her teasing drives him mad. 

"You stand there and talk to me as if you didn't send me a sending spell to come and fuck you." 

Rolan moans as she talks in his ear; she's right… She's been sneaking into the tower and having him at her mercy for weeks now. Rolan has long admitted to himself that he's addicted to her and craves her mere presence everyday. Tav knows what he needs… when to be soft to him, when to tease, how to touch him, how to get him to be open and vulnerable, and when to put his bratty ass in its place. 

Tav's tongue licks the side of his ear, and he moans at the feeling of her slick little tongue; his toes curl at the memory of her rimming him with it not even three days ago. Gods, she's perfection. 

Rolan feels one of Tav's hands travel down his abdomen to where his cock sits hard and straining in his trousers. He hears her hum as she softly caresses his confined length, pebbling and twitching for release. Then, with a quick shive, Rolan stumbles back and falls on his bed; he's practically panting as he looks up at her. Tav looks as dominant as ever as she looks down at him through lidded eyes. "Turn around and drop your trousers, brat." 

Rolan bites his lip as he quickly unfastens his belt and bends over on his elbows, tail raised high and trembling as he exposes his ass to her. Tav traces the soft underside of his tail causing him to shudder a moan. She smiles, "Ready to be punished?" She leans down, pressing her body against his back as she massages his tail's base. "Ready for release?"

Rolan growls Tav's name, "Yes! Gods, just spank me already, you damn tease! Ah-"

Rolan isn't even able to finish his rant as Tav slaps his ass, sending a delicious sting to rush through his body, making his length ache and leak on the bed. His firm ass flushing from the harsh impact. 

"Count." 

"Rolan swallows, "I… won't last…" 

Another crack on his ass makes him dig his claws into the sheets, his back arching in pleasure. Tav caresses the warm flesh, "it wasn't a request." 

Rolan hums, swaying his head as he stills and lifts his tail. With silent confirmation, Tav spanks him again, causing Rolan to keen, "One!" another slap, "Two!" two more in quick secession, Fuck! Three, four!" 

By the time Tav gets to eight, Rolans practically fucking his leaking cock against the mattress. His hips rutted faster and harder the more Tav spanked, drool dripping past his lips at her teasing his taut hole. Rolan's eyes water as the tenth crack sends a painful pleasure past his peak. He moans so loud as he pistons his hips.

Tav grabs his hair and arches him up, "You sound like a whore archmage…" She reaches around and starts to palm his glass-hard cock, so hot and drooling at her touch. "Are you ready to let go of all that tension?" Tav speaks so sweetly into his flushed ears. 

Rolan hums a whine as he buckles his hips into your hand faster, "Yes! I need to… I've wanted this, wanted you all day. Fuck!" Rolan's cock pulses at his own desperation, and then his orgasm crashes down on him like a ton of bricks. His whole body shudders as his cum leaks down, dripping and making a mess all over the sheets and himself. 

Tav kisses on his sweaty neck moving her hands up and down his body as she watches him ride out his orgasm.

Rolan slides down to his knees, his eyes shut but with a smile on his face despite the burn to his backside. She always knows exactly what he needs… it makes him fall for her more by the day.

"Th-thank you," he pants with a smile, resting his head against the bed. But his moment of calm is short before his chin is lifted to where Tav sits naked on the bed. Tav smiles coyly as she spreads her legs. 

"Don't thank me yet. You still need to make up for being such a brat." 

Rolan licks his lips as he looks up at her dripping slit and the coarse hairs that decorate Tav's mound. An excited smile curls to his lips as he moves closer. "Of course…" 

Rolan buries his face between Tav's thighs as he breathes her in and licks her cyprine. Definitely falling in love…

[factual-fantasy]

21 asks! Thank you! :}} 😶‍🌫️

I mean this in the nicest way possible.. but crossing my boundaries/going against my wishes is still bad even if its in private/in secret. Please just don't make any kind of fanart based on my stuff. I just want interactions. 😔

@neo-metalscottic

Hello! My days been a little rough, but at least I haven't seemed to catch that cold yet! <:D

As for the Sun and Moon.. I'm kind'a on the fence about my AU ngl. I don't want a repeat of Octonauts where people just yoink all my ideas and copy all my designs. So atm I'm not open to sharing anything I've made for them.. sorry <:/

As for your Mario ask, the clown cars are a thing! :0 They just are shaped a bit differently and Bowsers doesn't have a goofy face in his XD its the koopalings that painted faces on their mini ones.

@aamin-original

Google translation: "I love your character! It is very original and looks very charismatic! I hope you see this message, I really want you to continue drawing, you draw very beautifully."

:DD Thank you!! Though I don't know when I'll post next.. getting my Octonauts art and my original characters traced has been pretty frustrating.

@obtainedtinyteeth

Uhg, such a shame that you found me through stolen artwork. But hey there's a master post here for all my FNAF stuff so.. there's that.

Also thank you <:))

I have not, so I have no opinion on the story or characters <:/

Sorry, but atm I'm not really open to talking about the plans for my AU. I'm keeping it all private until further notice..

@beryl-shade

I'm not really open to talking about my AU right now.. But I can talk about the NPCs :0

When it comes to the background/crowd NPCs like the candy land citizens, as seen here-

They are not as sentient or as advanced as Gummigoo and his buddies. They don't have unique bodies, personalities or names, they are just bare bones NPC coded to just stand in the crowd and follow a script.

Same as he does in canon. He's just Caines goofy A.I. assistant :0

@glitchhayden418

I have no idea what you're referring to <XD

@paulacooks

I'm not open to sharing much, but I will say I have plans to make Jax more likable. He's so rotten in canon <XD

@jdsstudio

Now why they'd have to go and bring Mike back 💀

Hate to say it but the decision is final, I've had enough of tracers and thieves. I plan to only draw Octonauts in private.

Thank you though <:) I'm doing my best to take it easy.

@rockyztownesys

SCREAMS AAA THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! :DDD This was the major mood lifter I'd been needing <:)) Thank you so much

@rainwwatermelon7

Ah sorry, but I wouldn't be okay with that.. but I mean props to you. Just taking it, coloring it and sending it back without asking would be much worse.

And thank you! :D I'm glad to hear that you like my artwork! :DD

@milk-powrit

Not really sure how those episodes would play out..

@chromchill

Even then, just use free bases or show/movie screenshots. That's how I learned.. but yeah I get what you're saying. That's not nearly as bad as tracing and posting it as your own.

@somcdonaldsamirite

That would definitely be something :0

@kind-of-human1

I wont share much. But I can say that Caine was always like that/was capable of being like that. As time went on in the circus he kept leaning further and further away from "haha I'm a wacky A.I. ringmaster! :))" and more towards "these people really need my help to escape this place- and I gotta do what ever I can to comfort them in the meantime"

@carsaadi

Hello! :D So far I've drawn Caine without canines because its already hard enough to draw his "face"/expressions as he is. Adding sharp teeth would just complicate his face and make it even harder to draw expressions..

Plus so far I'm liking the vibe all flat teeth gives him. He still feels like a goofy cartoon character. Meanwhile adding sharp teeth makes it look like he's trying to be realistic... if that makes sense..? 'm more for cartoony <XD

@caronaro-flipaclip

1: I cant think of anyone who'd say that <XD

2: He might tease Ragatha, but he doesn't bully her and he doesn't bother Gangle at all.

3: I imagine is sound about the same as it does in canon! :0

@asperanna

Other than knowing its gonna have the light and dark looking sky kids from Eden, I cant actually grasp what this season could possibly be about...

I'm excited for it none the less! :)

Also as for the two sky kids themselves- the scene with them in Eden always makes me feel something 🥲

[cookie-crumblr]

What would happen if we ignored Ezra and didn't care what he did for a day?

SORRY ITS TAKEN ME LITERALLY SO LONG!!! TYSM FOR THE ASKS!!! ily all 💋✨

He’d get so angry.

So toxic,

ecstatic and sad all at the same time.

!!!MINORS DNI!!!

CW: GN!Reaader, no body descriptions for reader, not proofread, explicit language, violence, NON CON SA. VIOLENCE AGAINST READER. names used against reader(Cunt, ), assault, loud “noises”, general bullying against reader!

Status: Not even close to dating

“Fuck off! Just, leave me alone already!!” You stormed off, leaving him somewhat dumbfounded with a lust filled smirk cemented to his face.

He fixes his jaw.

“, finally” He swaggers away in the other direction, for now.

Later~

“Are you still ignoring me, Y/N?”

You pick up your things and go to move seats without a word.

He watches you through twitching lowered brows, gaining annoyance as a ripe little cherry on top of everything else he’s been feeling since you left in a huff this morning.

Ignore him will ya? Welp, he’ll just have to make it harder for you to do so.

He moves seats too.

You move seats again, before, “Y/L/N, You’re disrupting class. Either stay seated this time, or get out.” The professor says.

Fuck.

Well now you’re stuck next to him…

You sit on the side edge of your seat as far away from him as possible, in fact only one freakin butt cheek is even on the dang thing. You’re even facing completely away when, he start rapping his fingers against the desk. His head is in his hand.

“Uhhhhg just stop already!” He moans. He’s so loud, you’d swear his noises are way more disruptive than you moving seats maybe if you just—

“Sit back down, or leave.”

You groan loud and draw it out. HES WAY LOUDER! Why is he NEVER in trouble???

Whatever. only … Fuck… sixty more minutes… Gods why are courses so long!

He huffs loudly next to you and blows some strawberry blonde hair out of his face.

It’s too bad he’s so hot, his looks are wasted on such a nasty dude.

A hand slaps your thigh and grips your inner flesh tightly to where it stings! “Ow!!”

“Shhh!” the professor turns from the screen toward your direction.

“Sorry Sur…” UHG. Whatever.

“Pfft,” He’s laughing. He’s seriously laughing at you!

You know what! Fine. You will leave. And you do.

Ezra follows you to the hallway.

You speed up and try to go hide in the restroom.

Once inside you sigh, but relief is cut short when the door opens.

You clamber into a stall, Fuck fuck FUCK. No! now you’re alone with him! Oh shit. Oh no. Oh gods…

*SLAM! BANG! CRASH!*

You jump. You think he kicked in a stall door, it sounded like it flew off its poor hinges. You cower with your whole body scrunched on top of the toilet.

You realize you’re shaking.

You cover your own mouth to silence yourself but—

*BANG-CRASH!*

You muffle a whimper but you know he heard you.

“Y/N~ I know you’re in here,”

*BANG-CLANG-CRASH*

FUCK!

There’s only one left before yours…

*Flick*

Huh? A lighter…

You smell cigarette smoke, and a tear forms at the corner of your eye. He’s just toying with you as always, he has to be… Right?

“Y/N~” He’s cooing in an almost sing-songy voice. “If you come out now, i’ll give ya a reward…”

You wipe your face, and steel yourself for a second…

Okay… Fine.

It’s probably better than whatever he’d do to you if you keep cowering until he inevitably gets to you, in two more kicks.

You open the door.

“There~ That wasn’t so hard wasit?” His voice is so gentle right now, but it does little to calm you.

You turn your head in defiance.

“You really wanna do this, huh? Ignorin’ me or whatever,” He flicks away his cigarette and you can’t hold in the air that leaves you in actual relief, that’s one less weapon against you.

He closes the distance in a single movement, grasping your face by the cheeks and squeezing them. “Y/N. Look at me.”

You don’t.

“Look. At. Me. Now.”

You remain stead fast.

“You finally got s’m balls, eh.” He smiles and drops your face with a soft uncharacteristic caress to your jaw.

You break and take a quick glance at him.

“ahhh, you want that, huh?” He brings back that sweet voice… “You want me to be all lovey and soft huh?” Your heart thumps in your chest hard. He doesn’t mean it, he’s not gonna change and you know it. “Too Fuckin’ bad” He grabs your face again before throwing it down, he grabs your body next and throws you down onto the dirty bathroom floor.

“Please!!” You cover your face with your arms, but it’s no use hes on top of you, pulling your arms away from you, ripping open your legs and pulling them up on either side of him.

His buckle is loud in your ears as he undoes it, before your hearing cuts out, did he punch you? Your whole head hurts and your vision is fuzzy.

Your skull must’ve bounced off the ceramic tiles.

He punches you again, he’s not using his full strength but it might still knock you out.

“Stupid cunt, you think you can ignore me?” He spits.

“Please, Ezra!!! Sto—op—p” You’re choking out sobs but you can barley hear yourself as if your in another room from your own body.

He spits on his own dick and spreads it around before entering you, at least he’ll give you that.

It still hurts.

He’s rough, not caring that your already damaged skull is continuing to bounce off the floor.

eventually you’re out cold. It’s a small mercy. But a mercy nonetheless.

When you come to you’re still on the floor, naked and afraid as people surround your battered body and snap pics and laugh.

“Aw shit, they’re awake” one says.

“Damn” another adds.

You grab your stuff and bolt, new tears streaming down your puffy face.

[mintytealfox]

I've been meaning to ask but what are some headcanons for Dragon!Norton?

AWE HEEEELLLLLLZZZZ YEEAAAAA I DO 😈👏👏👏👏

when it comes to the 'lady knight Alice' version of Dragon!Norton this is what I've got~

-He was born a cute wittle dragon baby from an egg so I can have that cute wittle baby dragon content LOL (I need an excuse to draw baby dRAGONS) -His mom was out of the picture but his dad was there until Norton was 8 and could take a human form so he dropped him off with lameo human Benny for protection only for the dad to never make it back. -So Norton spent a LOT of his time human actually. But Benny not being a very good teacher at all and mostly leaving him to his own devices and found he had a knack for finding gemstones and precious minerals. Benny seeing the opportunities here and taking advantage. (Cause I am still sussy about Benny, I am throwing him down the 'he not okay' bin for using Norton -squints at Benny-) -as the years go by Norton is pretty run down from always diggin for gems and such. When 'old enough' he would be 'rented out' to help dig and search for Benny's 'friends' as well. They weren't his friends just people doing business with Benny and to get Norton to go with them he would call them 'friends' and how 'we always help our friends' 😑 and would always caution Norton to 'never ever show what you really are. Keep it all hidden' 🤡 so the main way he can protect himself is not an option, and if he doesn't realize his true worth and potential then he can't rebel 🙃. uhg I hate this Benny so much. -But there comes that time when Norton figures it out and the quiet rebellion begins and he can finally bring a mountain down on all the people who used him and then abandon Benny cause YEA 👏👏👏 -Him a big big dragon by the time of Alice rolls around. And he is causing all sorts of problems for any and all people who happen to live near where he decides to hunker down. He is not too keen on sleeping in caves and prefers laying in groves big enough for him and just out in the plains. But he does have a hoard and keeps it at the very top of a particular mountain so he doesn't have to be underground in any capacity. -His hoard is difficult to get to for peoples, but not impossible so Norton is sure to be aware of his stuffs. -He cannot stand people after the whole Benny fiasco, until Alice pops up and his is like 'she is interesting, not sure if I want to take her armor to gnaw on or if I want to actually know her' lol and that is when he starts using his human form again. -Since he had to spend so much of his growing up life in human form its like his dragon form is rebelling when he returns to human form again. Making his body hurt and feel uncomfortable when he is in human form for too long. And that is why that tail and horns of his keep popping out when his emotions are riled in anyway. -When he is upset steam shoots from his nostrils ppffff. It is so hard for him to hide that he is a dragon now, but if he doesn't feel safe, and can't reveal he is a dragon for whatever reason, then he is on his 'A-game'.

I am sure I have got LOADS more but this is what is on the top of my head 👏👏👏👏🤣

[dutifullyshamelessearthquake]

…I am worried there aren’t enough words to express how much I LOVE 🩷THIS🩷FIC🩷 OH MY WORD I- I!!!!!!- it’s pure and complete melt. Oh my heart Cyno just when you think he can’t get any cuter I just - Miserable Day, Warm hugs is my new Roman Empire for the next lord knows how long (probably until another amazing earth shattering fic comes out 😭😭) the level of fluff and softness and the cooing?? Nari softly cooing?????????? HELLOO??? I’m gonna die. Okay. Breathing.

everything about this fic was so abundant in sickfic and comfort it’s insane. Cynos disposition this time around was so delightfully new!!! I mean he clearly felt terrible. Just, wretched, him describing feeling like he’s on a *boat* AFTER having already thrown up?? That’s some serious sick tummy stuff right there, and it just seemed like it was. Not. Budging. I ADORE how unusually emotional Cyno was 🥺🥺🥺🥺and I won’t say what but the reveal as to why was just absolutely the most precious thing 😭

all the little details, the super snuggly Cyno, the rainy day, his weepy eyes, and the slowly worsening nausea. Tighnaris smart and gentle attempts to help and his just overflowing caregiver energy??? The green robe 😭😭😭THE LITTLE FOX PLUSHY???!!!!! AAAAAHHHHHH also also also Cyno finally breaking (and finally puking even tho it didn’t seem to help him at all poor thing) was just chefs kiss x1000 I LOVE.

uhg just so indulgent and cozy I can’t- I am re reading this until I can no longer look at my screen damn it. 😤 and you best believe I gotta draw stuff from this. I mean PLEASE Cyno- it’s one thing to be sick but to be that sick with out rest and also just so sad 😭.

hold him. Hold him forever 🥺

You have no idea how happy this ask made me, I've already read and reread it about three times since I woke up this morning 🥺🩷

This fic just over all felt like it wasn't my best work, so hearing that you loved it so much just makes me unreasonably happy!! I'm so happy to know that, even if it wasn't what I had pictured in my head, it was still enjoyable and somebody still really liked it! Thank you so much!!

I really went hard on poor Cyno here 🥺 I wanted to just capture him feeling really really bad, like he's just feeling way too poorly to have any of his walls up. His stomach was just really sick and not planning on feeling better anytime soon. (Not gonna lie my brain ran away with this, I was thinking "He's really sick, what if he's really really sick, what he keeps going downhill and this leads to an ER visit...." I'm not sure if I'll actually write that as a follow up because part of me just wants to keep this soft and cozy, but part of me is definitely tempted to dig deep into the angst.)

It wasn't even originally my intention to have Cyno be sad outside of feeling sick and miserable, but he just. He decided he was going to be sad. So I took it and ran with it and made it a plot point! He was just really feeling like the world was against him by the end of it, somebody hug him 🥺

Don't get me started on how much fun I had just making this COZY! I was having so much fun with that. I just, I'm in love with the mental image of sickly Cyno curled up in this dressing gown that's one, just way too big on him (because an oversized robe is a comfy one, Nari probably deliberately bought a slightly big one) and two, obnoxiously bright green and with a flower pattern, like it's so visibly Tighnari's and not Cyno's but that makes it all the more precious. And of course the fox plushy makes a return!! It's an official character now

Ahh I'm just so happy you enjoyed it so much!! Omg art would absolutely make me squeal, but of course no pressure, we don't push ourselves here!

Thank you so so much again!! 🩷

[mandiemegatron]

(This is @laidenbreecatchall I wish Tumblr would let us use side blogs for asks 😔)

Oh my goodness congratulations on 900 followers!!!! I'm so happy for you that's so sick!!!! 💕💕

I got real excited about the give away too I went back and read my fav fics of yours to see which was #1 to me and my goodness 😤😤. I know I love the way you write but forget the details why until I'm reading your work again and just 😖💕 you write them so human and your dialogue is so natural and smooth, it's so so good. I do love Law, my lovely brooding bias, so my thoughts are mainly how you write him and gUAH!! Sometimes I feel like some authors condense him down to his tropes where you make him feel like a person and keep his intentions and motivations in mind. It's believable and I think in character of how your write him, at least in my mind it lines up perfectly with how I see him acting.

But my faaaaaav!! Was ✨Breathless✨!! cause OOAAAHGGGGGUHHH!!!! I love hands. I will not lie. Love em. Love his. And like it's so simple but such a tender intimate moment you wrote with the hand massage and mmmshdifudbhdufhf AND YOU WRITE HIM SO SNARKY AND CUTE!!!! AND WHEN HE LAUGHS!?!?!?!? ARRAAAGGG I WANNA HEAR IT I WANNA SEEEEE IT.... I should draw it 👁️👁️. Many fics make me all giddy and warm but this one gave me butterflies. Uhg. I adore it. I adore you. Your voice also comes through in your writing it makes it so fun and sweet and personable. It gives the writing this lovely charm I adore in your work.

Congrats again on 900 that's so incredible!!!! ✨💕✨💕✨💕

( PUNK HAZARD SPOILERS FYI. I'm gonna go read your Doflamingo fics now cause I haven't yet and I'm so curious. Cause I've just started dressrosa and... I won't lie I'm kinda loving him. I know he's crazy, and he walks stupid, and he dresses silly but when he kicked smokers ass I was like 😳🫡 *tucks hair behind ear* Sir do you need anything. That's neither here nor there or on topic. That's all byyyyyyye 💕💕)

RYEEE 😭😭😭😭💖💖💖💖💖💖 my dearest rye you are such a fuckin wicked sick, awesome human and I'm honestly so like honored and like starstruck that you're not only mutuals with me but you also enjoy my work ?!?!?!? Like dude I could actually cry, I am obsessed with your work and I just literally go !!!!!!! whenever I see you post something 😭😭😭😭😭 STOOOPP I'm actually gunna cry, this is SO sweet of you my dude 😭😭😭😭💖

SMOOCHING YOU BC I FUCKIN LOVED WRITING BREATHLESS!!! I'm pretty sure that was either my first or second time writing him and I just see him as this snarky, silly but serious dude like I just want to see him happy and content you know 😭😭😭😭😭 THE MANS HAD IT HARD ENOUGH 😭😭😭😭😭 god the HANDS.... 🤪🤪🤪🤪🤪 I too love them, if you couldn't tell 😭😭😂😂😂😂

Ooooo ~ 👀 hehehheheh I really hope you enjoy the Doffy pieces, I have it so bad for that man 😭😭😭😭 like sir you do you need a DOG ?! BARK BARK 🤪🤪🤪 f in the group chat for you reaching dressrosa, good luck forgetting about the crazy flamingo man 😈😈😈😈😈

Thank you SO much Rye for everything, I'm so happy and truly blessed to have your support and friendship 😭😭😭😭💖💖💖💖💖 thank you thank you !!! Your star has been added to your name!!! 💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖

@laidenbreecatchall

[heckolve]

some teens having some not great times

[jangofctts]

PLEASE I NEED ANOTHER TASTE OF YOUR NEXT FIC

uhg fiNE--here U GO SLUTS

nsfw content ahead!

The shake of your head is too weak for him to catch. That and his other set of fingers dipping under you body to slide your clit between two digits. Your arousal flares up hot and bright, and orgasm right within reach—teetering over that edge. Fuck it feels so goddamn good. Everything seizes up, throbbing and left hanging, near painful as Adrian pulls his fingers from your soaking cunt. You snarl and bite out profanities that would make even Harcourt blush. Motherfucker is edging you.

Before you can twist around and latch your teeth into his flesh, the flat of his palm swings down to crack hard against your ass. You gasp and instantly still, stinging nerves echoing from the point of contact. “C’mon, babe—it’s a give and take kinda deal—tell me what you want.”

The taste of blood fills your mouth as you bite down on your bottom lip, spine going rigid as Adrian touches his fingers to your clit once again, drawing sickening slow circles around the throbbing bundle of nerves. Maybe, you think, it’s not so bad falling apart. Giving yourself up like martyrs give their hearts to the sky. Ache, fear, want, somehow right even in its cataclysmic end. A way that tastes of blood and ash, gunpowder and the lingering scent of Adrian’s bubblegum chap stick. He prefers grape, you don’t know why you know this, but you do.

Your heartstrings are far more intertwined than you care to acknowledge.

[sashi-ya]

{+18} – Cherry Blossom & Tangerines – Trafalgar Law x Y/n – Part 4

Modern AU. Trip to Jeju Island, SK. No spoilers.

Female reader. No physical descriptions. Everybody is +18, canon ages. Chopper is human.

Tw: NSFW, Bondage, soft sub/dom relationship. Fluff.

A/N: Everything included of Jeju Island is pure research. Excuse me in advance if there is something that’s not 100% accurate! Keep in mind is purely inspired ♥

The drawing was inspired on a draw base I found at Pinterest, I couldn't find the artist of the base, so if you know it please tell me ♥

AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/31059467

» List of parts: {P1} {P2} {P3} {P4} {P5} {P6}«

Word Count: 4.3K

Chapter 4

Outside, the storm was hitting really hard. The thunder sounds mixed with the waves going violent and some lightings sneaked through the little windows the beacon had. The temperature on the coast had lowered considerably, but inside our love nest, our skin began to heat more and more.

Law slid a hand through my thighs, and slowly lifted my dress. His warm hands traveled through my leg, feeling his fingers burying on my skin as he went up. I got his grey gaze fixed on my eyes; an almost perverse smile garnished his face.

He grabbed the inside of my thighs, firmly, almost violently. A piercing sight that screamed how he wanted to devour me showed on his eyes.

Law smirked, planted a kiss on my lips, and then whispered into my ear, “We haven’t discussed anything about kinks yet, right?”. I gasped, my breathing was already uncontrolled, but I managed to answer a strangle “We… didn’t”. What kinks does this man have?...

“Don’t be afraid, we are not doing anything you don’t want, ok?. I like, sometimes, to have control over others”, he said, and the ghosting breath over my neck and ear made my body squirm. “You do?”, I mumbled. “I do, almost as if you were entering my room… my operation room. Do you want to be controlled, Y/n-ya?”. Of course, I want to, I’ve been waiting for this, Law. “Yes… master? sir?” I asked, and made him aware that I was clearly into that type of sexual dynamics.

“Good…”, he said, now with a bigger smile and a burning eyes. “Stand up, and do as I say. If something makes you uncomfortable, please, tell me. Is that right?. Oh, and Sir it’s ok”, he ordered me.

“Yes, Sir”, I said as I got up from the pillows on the floor. He sat on a little single couch that was suspiciously placed just in front of the spot he had ordered me to stand on.

Law crossed his legs in the most seductive way, unbuttoned the first five buttons of his shirt and said, “Good, baby. Now, undress for me -slowly-”. He told me pointing at a specific spot next to the spiral staircase of the lighthouse.

I had decided to completely surrender to him, he was now, my master. I did as he said instantly. I took off my dress, sliding the soft fabric material over my sunburned skin. I was still in my swimsuit, and stopped for a minute wondering if I had to take that off too. “I love your bikini, but I want you completely naked for me”, he told me, turning his head to the side checking every inch of my skin, every curve.

When I was finally naked, he raised his right tattooed hand and marked me with his index finger to knelt in front of him. I did as he moved his finger, almost if he had some sort of power capable of moving my body.

He stood up, approached me and began to untie his swim shorts. I thought he was going to take the shorts off, but didn’t. He simply took the cord of them, and the shorts slowly became loosen and got lower enough to be stopped by his hip bones, but letting my eyes admire the little happy trail of hairs in the middle of his perfectly V shaped abs.

“Give me your hands”, he commanded me, looking down at me. “Yes”, I gasped. “Yes, what?” he said, frowning. “Yes, sir” I corrected myself quickly as I showed him my hands. “Good, baby girl. I love your wrists, you know?”, my master said caressing them sweetly. Until all of a sudden and with an almost savage movement he brought my hands back and began to tie them with the cord of his shorts on the handrail of the staircase.

“There you go… now I got you completely for me. Are you ok with this? just tell me if you don’t” he said in a sexy tone mixed with true respect for my boundaries.

Truth is, that I love bondage in all of its forms, so I was more than ok. “I’m good, Sir”, I answered him, this time with a lascivious sight.

Law took his shirt off and after worshiping my body for a few seconds, he went straight to my breasts, also kneeling in front of me. “I’ve been wanting to do this since the other night. God, I love your boobs”, he said while massaging them, sometimes brushing his palms over my hard nipples. The tingling sensation that spread around my whole body but that finally concentrated on my core, made my eyes roll back.

He was now using his tongue over my nipples, tracing little circles around them, sucking, biting them. My knees hurt, my wrists too as I moved squirming for the pleasure his skilled mouth gave me. Yet, the pain didn’t bother me, it was only raising up the arousal I felt for that man.

“Get up”, he dictated me. I knew what it was coming, I knew it well. I struggled a little, but my hands were properly tight pretty up for me to stand up with no problems.

Law looked at me from head to toes, and bit my neck fiercely. Again, the pain just made myself even more horny. “Uhg Law…” I groaned. “Spread your legs”, he said and used his right leg to separate them with a simple movement.

A finger, two, three penetrated inside me, up, down, back and forth. Of course, he knew where the critical points of a woman's pleasure were, he knew the anatomy to perfection. The rhythm of his technique increased, and as my legs became weaker for pleasure, he placed his hands over my carotids.

The faster the fingering, the harder he pressed the sides of my neck. I had dreamt of being choked with those inked hands since the first time I saw them.

“L-Law.. I’m- coming…” I said as I tried to gasp for air. “Oh… you do?” he said, teasing me, and when I was about to reach the climax he suddenly stopped. “I don’t want you to cum so fast, baby girl”, he said planting a kiss on my neck.

The frustrating feeling of not being allowed to finally release all the accumulated pleasure, made me instantly beg to him with my blushed cheeks, filled with burning blood, “Please, sir, let me finish”.

“Not yet, baby, why are you rushing? We have all night”, he said as he knelt down. His face was now next to my sex. Law hugged my hips and placed his cheek over my lower stomach. “I want to taste you first, darling”, he said and started kissing my overly sensitive skin, lowering his mouth until the entrance of my cunt. “Mmh, I bet your legs are a little bit tired, why don’t you try sitting over my face?”, he said grabbing my ass pushing me closer to his face. “I like to be in control, but hey, having the pussy of a goddess like you over my face, it’s just too good”. And as he said so, he pulled me even harder so I couldn’t keep composure and let my whole body weight fall over his face. “Good”, I heard him mumble, while helping me place the back of my thighs over his shoulders.

Using his tongue and mouth, he devoured my whole sex. I couldn’t help but brush my fingers through his black hair, pulling some strands as I reached the peak of pleasure. “Come for me, baby”, he said and the knot on my lower stomach finally unleashed. It was the first time a man made me squirt, so I got a little embarrassed, yet, Law enjoyed every last drop of it.

“Very good, baby girl. Your taste is just wonderful… ready for the second round?”, he asked me as he stood up. I noticed the hard bulge on his loosen swim shorts, and thought on how I wanted him to fuck me right there.

Law untied me and ordered me, “knelt there, over the pillows. I want to fuck your mouth, baby”. I bit my lower lip anticipating the sweet taste of his cock and headed to the pillows, “Yes, sir”.

“Open big, show me your tongue”, he ordered me while letting his shorts fall to the floor and revealing his erect member. I licked my lips and opened my mouth, sticking my tongue out waiting for him to feed me with his manhood.

He had his dick on his hand, slowly approaching the tip of it to my tongue. I licked it and tasted his fluids, delighted, looking up at him as I did. That probably sparked the fire inside him because I saw how his gaze turned from calm to one more primal, more desire driven. He grabbed my face, putting one of his hands under my mandible and the other on the back of my head, and penetrated my mouth merciless.

I took every thrust, gaging, drooling. Tears running through my cheeks, and my sight fixed on his. His little moans, groans, almost shouts of pleasure played like a symphony for me. I was all about being completely submitted to his pleasure, I enjoyed it, I wanted him to cum all over my mouth and chest.

He was about to finish, when he stopped. “Good job, baby girl. But now, I want to fuck you hard and cum inside you”. We shouldn’t, I thought, but I didn’t have the power to say no, inside of me I wanted him to impregnate me with his warm fluids.

He pushed me softly and I laid down over the pillows, Law was now above me. He didn’t take too much time and plunge into me. He alternated quick violent thrusts with slower, and gentle ones.

Beads of sweat ran through our bodies, his hard cock spreading my walls, our breathing getting faster, my nails carving into his back’s skin, his hands grabbing hard my hip bones while fucking me. Some kisses, some moaning without taking our lips apart, breathing his warm breath. I was being sent to heaven, or hell, who knows.

“I. Want. To. Fuck. You. Every. Night. From. Now. On.” he said with every deep deep thrust. I could only moan a simple, “uhm, yes Law, please”.

I lowered my eyelids, threw my head back and surrendered to an intense orgasm, followed by my master, who filled me up with his thick, creamy love juice to a hard moan.

We remained like this, covered in sweat, spellbound with the scent of our bodies, with the pulsating feeling that we still had in our sexes. I had the height of Law’s body over mine, feeling on my neck how his breathing slowly returned to normal, was heavenly.

A few minutes after, he rolled to the side, covered his eyes with his forearm and said, “I mean it. I want to fuck you every single night from now on”. I sighed, “that’s a proposal that lacks romanticism, but I’ll take it. You fucked me good, doctor”.

He uncovered his eyes, looked at me, and pulled me closer to his body, “Don’t worry, I haven’t made any proposal... yet”.

“What?... did he…” my thoughts got interrupted with Law placing his arm on my back, pulling me even closer. “come closer…” he commanded me, and I laid my head over his naked chest. His soft, hairless, tanned, tattooed chest made the perfect pillow, I wished I could use it every single night from now on.

Relaxing to the sounds of the storm that was no near to be over, we finally fell asleep. But, the sexy time wasn’t over yet because a few hours later, I woke up being spooned by Law, and even him being asleep I could feel his erection over my ass.

I was exhausted, and yet, I couldn’t help but grind myself against him softly, and if it happened to wake Law up... oh well.

And it did.

Half asleep, half awake, Law lifted my leg and caressed softly my entrance but without penetrating me, with his member on his hand. With a sleepy voice, he whispered from behind, “you are insatiable, right doll?”, and placed a kiss on the back part of my shoulder.

I wanted him to sink deep inside of me, I wanted him to fuck me, fast. He played with his member and the juices of my arousal, lubricating it, while stroking it with his hands. His breathing over my nape, the random kisses he placed. His hand over my breast, squeezing hard. It was like a sweet torture to me.

“Just fuck me already, Law”, I begged him. “heh, your wish is my command, baby girl”, he said and in a single movement he buried himself into me. “Mhhh…”, I moaned in response, loud, relieving.

Law grabbed my face, squeezing my cheeks, introducing his index finger inside my mouth as he fucked me from behind. “Suck it”, he ordered me, and I licked and sucked the “E” tattooed finger. “Good girl”, he said, and brought his hand over my clit. Without stopping the plunging, he traced circles over my pleasure point, making the stimulation even stronger.

After a few more rounds of intense pleasure, our bodies finally fell into exhaustion.

A sunray sneaked through the skylight of the lighthouse and hit directly into my face. I slowly opened my eyes. Law had his arm over my waist, hugging me from behind. I moved on the sly, trying not to wake him up. It was pretty early yet, so I let him sleep a little bit more.

I remembered I hadn’t sent any messages to my friends since last night, so I searched for my phone hoping it still had some battery left. The screen was covered in notifications from my girlfriends, so I rushed to the chat group to tell them I was ok. “@SunflowerDr > I’m fine, -more than fine- I’m sure the boys have told you where I am. I’ll tell you the details when I come back. Don’t miss me ;)”.

“Morning…”, I heard Law saying with a sleepy voice, rubbing his eyes with his forearm and yawning. A few wrinkled blankets were covering his legs from under the belly button. I traveled my eyes over his anatomy, following every inch of it, every inch of his slightly dusky inked skin. I approached him and flopped down on the pillow bed.

Resting at his side, we both looked at each other, “Good morning”, I said. He placed his hand over the side of my head and brushed softly my hair.

I kept admiring the sharp facial features that drove me crazy. His alluring grey eyes, the little eye bags around them, how the sun from the past days has tinted his cheeks a little bit red, his sharped snub nose, the enticing lips and the facial hair he had that made my heart burst in … perhaps… love?.

I’m not sure what he was thinking, but the look in his eyes made me feel at peace.

“It looks like the weather has changed, right?” He spoke. “Uhum, the sun is shining today”, I replied. “I know there is no fancy shower in this place, but we could use the sea. But first, I want to show you something”, he told me, a little worried about the lack of luxury the beacon had. I didn’t mind it at all, I mean, this place was prepared for me with cute details. A night at a luxurious hotel wouldn’t hit the same.

We then stood up, I simply threw my dress over my naked body, and he did the same with his swim shorts. “Let’s go”, he said grabbing my hand and pulling me to the stairs. We climb the spiral staircase up to the last floor.

“Be careful”, he told me, still holding my hand. We entered a room with glass walls, metal floor and a big lamp in the middle of it. The scenery ahead of us was the endless East China Sea. The waves shined as pretty crystals because of the clear sky that allowed the sun to be fully bright. A few seagulls danced in the sky and some ships far away in the distance seemed to be exploring the vast sea in front of us.

I was mesmerized, I loved it. Law grabbed my waist from behind, hugged me and placed his chin over my shoulder as we enjoyed the view.

I had never felt this way before, I felt happy, at peace, I trusted that man with closed eyes even though I didn’t really know him. Every time he hugged me it was a comforting sensation, I felt as if I was being protected from every bad thing in this world. The touch of his skin energized me.

After some minutes enjoying the scene we decided to head outside. I put my bikini on, and headed outside. It was warm enough for us to swim, and the sun had heated the almost white sand that burned our feet. So, we ran to the sea. Law and I submerged into the clear blue water, refreshing our bodies.

We were alone on the beach, as if it was still really early in the morning. I splashed some water on Law’s face, and he responded doing the same. We played like teenagers in love.

“Come here”, he said and pulled me closer to his body. He kissed my lips, laughing, happy. I hadn’t seen him so cheerful since I met him. I’d forever cherished that content expression in my heart.

Law sent the guys a text, asking if they were still at home. Franky told him they had already left home, and headed to Jeju Stone park. We decided to come back to the house, buying something for breakfast on the go and changed clothes.

While in the car, before starting the engine, Law opened the glove box and took off the little bag that I saw yesterday. “Uhm, I saw this little thing on the pharmacy counter, so I bought it… for you”, he said, a little embarrassed and handed me the packet.

“What?? a present? oh my god, thank you!!” I thanked him while opening it, excited. Inside the paper bag there was a little keychain with a plastic slice of tangerine hanging from it.

“I know it’s not something sophisticated, but it reminded me of the time we went to the market, where you fed me the little tangerine slice… I had to fight the urge to kiss your sweet fingers”, he confessed. If you only knew, my dear Law how much I wished for you to do it… “It’s just beautiful, Law. The fact that you bought it because it reminded you of something so little that happened between us, makes me so happy. You are such a man. Thank you, for real”, I said and planted a soft kiss on the tip of his nose.

“I’m glad you like it”, he expressed, still a little shy, started the car and we left the beach.

The stress became busier, the sun peeking through the cute little white and pink sakura flowers, we rolled down the car windows so the warm breeze could hit our faces. The radio blasting a song called “Memories”, that I thought was from a certain anime.

We finally arrived home, I entered the code on the entrance and we headed inside. We discussed what our plans were going to be for the day. We ended up deciding that we would be visiting Jeongbang falls, after visiting a tangerine farm where they let you pick them. My ankle seemed to be a little bit swollen, yet it didn’t hurt at all, so it wasn’t a problem, as long as I kept it bound up and took the anti-inflammatories.

“Law, I’m gonna go and take a shower, do you prefer to go in first?”, I asked innocently. “I’d prefer to take a shower with you, but it’s your choice”, he said with a smirking face. “Come, then…” I said to him, biting my lower lip.

After a refreshing shower - and a little more of intense sex - we got dressed and hoped on the car again. We headed east, to a more rural zone where the typical tangerine farms were.

An old lady and her husband welcomed us and explained everything about tangerine culture. They gave us a pair of gloves, two baskets and some pruning shears to cut the twigs.

“Mmm why are tangerines here so sweet?”, Law asked with his mouth full of the citric juice. “Close your mouth, you are going to stain your shirt” I said laughing while rubbing a tissue over his mouth. “You know what else was sweet and drippy last night, babe….?” he said, arching a brown. “Shut up, there are children in here…” I said, with burning cheeks pushing him softly.

We spent the whole morning there, tasting and cultivating the tangerines, and taking pictures on little hidden spots specially decorated with props for photo taking all over the farm.

Suddenly some notifications sounded on my phone. I unlocked it, and saw that Law had tagged me on a specific post. He uploaded two photos. In one of them I was picking tangerines unaware he was taking a pic and the other one of us with our mouth full of tangerine, smiling. The comments began to appear, Nami, Vivi, Robin, the guys, his family, everybody was commenting on how cute we were -and I was-. He was showing me off, and nobody could seem to believe how big Law’s smile was, how happy he looked…

I reached for his gaze, and smiled at him, no words needed…

We said goodbye to the old couple there and drove to the waterfalls. It was a little bit crowded, because that is a popular tourist spot as is the only waterfall that falls directly into the ocean in all Asia.

The landscape was really pretty, a big stream of crystalline water fell into the ocean, and at the coastline you could see “haenyeo” -sea women-. They were female divers that harvested a variety of mollusks, seaweed and other sea life from the ocean.

Also, according to ancient beliefs, a holy dragon is said to have lived under the falls, and its spiritual water could cure any type of disease. Law suggested me to submerge my foot there, in order to relieve the inflammation of my ankle. And, even the both of us being practically doctors, we were so in love that believing in magic wasn’t hard for us, so I put my foot there and waited.

A few minutes later, Law took off the wet bandages of my foot, planted a sweet kiss over my ankle, and helped me to put back my sandals.

We watched the sunset on the shore. Everything felt like it was a dream, maybe like those fan fictions I used to read back at home. I felt like the luckiest girl alive in the whole world.

We headed to the car, and drove home, as the night fell over us. Law was driving silently, yet with a big smile that reminded me of Rosinante’s. I gazed at my foot and realized that my ankle wasn’t swollen anymore. “Oi, doctor, my ankle isn’t inflamed anymore. Maybe the water really does miracles… or maybe it was just your kiss… who knows?”. He turned his face at me, “I have powers, healing powers, the power of a special fruit!!”he said jokingly. “You wished, haha”, I said, and both laughed.

We spent the last part of the way thinking how to deal with our over excited friends about all of this. We found no way besides just smiling at them.

Everybody was already at home, the blue Hyundai Venue, and the white Tucson were parked on the entrance. “Are you ready?”, I asked Law who seemed to slowly fade his smile. “No, I’m not, but let’s enter anyway”. I learned how Law hated being the center of attention, so I could feel his “pain”.

“FINALLY!! THE HAPPY COUPLE HAVE ARRIVED!!!” everybody shouted at us, clapping, laughing and smiling at us. “Stop it guys, oh lord”, I said covering my face with my hands.

“We were thinking about going to a karaoke bar tonight, what do you guys think? “asked Robin to us. Law didn’t speak, but smiled when I looked at him, so I agreed with my friends.

I went to my room and my girlfriends plus Chopper followed me. “TELL. US. EVERYTHING.”, said Nami, closing the door. I threw myself into my bed and said, “Calm down, I’m gonna tell you everything, but first let me rest”.

We got ready for the night, my body did hurt a little, but I wasn’t going to lose a single minute of my vacations, my friends, and of course Law.

We only took two of the cars, Law and I weren’t used to drinking so we were going to be the “designated drivers” for the night.

We drove to the busy tourist district of Jeju city, Tap Dong Lo, full of lights and nightlife. We parked our cars and started walking looking for the perfect karaoke bar.

Law sat next to Zoro on one of the couches the bar had. I could see how my pretty tanned skin crush wasn’t at all comfortable with all of the loud music, but still chuckled at Luffy and Usopp trying to hit notes on their turn to sing.

I was enjoying the night, dancing with the girls when I saw a girl approach Law in a suggestive way, and sat next to him. Law smiled at her, and gave her a hug.

“Who the f… is she?....”

Part 5

[booooo-ks]

Question.

How the heck is one supposed to draw sonic 😂😤

(Small blue drawings are traces to help get the anatomy.

I hate him, but love him. Why so hard 3 draw 😢

Uhg

[lady-of-the-lotus]

Xue Yang, still alive and disguised as Xiao Xingchen post-canon, pulls a vulnerable Lan Xichen into his destructive orbit with the promise of raising Meng Yao from the grave. Did somebody say #friendship goals?

“We got him back,” he says. His voice is hoarse, as if he’s spent all night screaming. “That pocket-sized prick is back, and that deluded blue idiot will do anything to keep him here.” Nothing from Xiao Xingchen's spirit-trapping pouch. He reaches over to where his robes are jumbled beside the bed, pulls a few closely-written pages from his inner robe’s qiankun sleeve. “See, I have it all here, you know I do—” Still nothing.

Tumblr Ch. 1 Ch. 2   Read on AO3! - M - XueXiao and XiYao

Chapter 3    

Xue Yang is waiting for Lan Xichen when the Clan Leader steps back inside the manor.

“A-Yao,” Lan Xichen is murmuring to himself. “A-Yao. A-Yao. A-Yao…”

Oh, for heaven’s sake.

“Not if you don’t get back in here.” Grinning, Xue Yang waves him into the courtyard. The warmth has faded from his qiankun sleeve, the past half hour is a blur, but he feels more like himself than he has in months.

Happy, too, in a bright, marrow-deep way, which isn’t something he’s much used to.

Lan Xichen glances over his shoulder at the road. Xue Yang steps around him and closes the manor gates.

“Where did you run off to?” he asks, bolting the heavy doors. His arms and legs are still tingling, blood rushing in his ears. “The main event is about to begin.”

Lan Xichen follows him into the hall. His eyes widen as he drinks in the naked body. Chang Ping is an oozing mass of red and pink and yellow, exposed bone and ruptured fat and flayed muscle, a beautiful monstrosity glistening wetly in the lamplight.

The corpse’s eyes are missing.

“Not bad, if I do say so myself.” Xue Yang wipes his blade on Chang Ping’s inner robe, still grinning. “Considering how out of practice I am.”

“Did you have to—have to—”

“Give him the full experience?” Xue Yang laughs. His laugh is a bit too high and a bit too long. “I needed that resentful energy, my friend. Do you think I enjoyed torturing the good Chang Ping?”

Lan Xichen glances at Xue Yang’s left hand.

Xue Yang wags a playful finger at him. He feels like he’s glowing, still filled with that sharp clear brightness. “What his father did to me had nothing to do with any of this. But believe me when I say he was just as guilty.”

“His father? I thought it was Chang Ping who…” Lan Xichen shakes his head. “Never mind. What do you need the resentful energy for?”

Xue Yang points to the floor beneath the swinging corpse. Drawn in blood on the floor is a large, complicated array. “Three guesses. Now, I’ll be back in just a minute; I have something to take care of—”

“I sent the servants away.”

The grin slips from Xue Yang’s face. “You what?”

“I sent them away.”

The brightness fades. “And why did you do that? Pang of conscience?”

“I needed someone to deliver a letter to my brother. That’s all.”

“Suicide note?”

“Suicide is forbidden—”

“So is murder.”

“I could never do that to my family, or demean the gift of life given to me.”

A gust of laughter escapes Xue Yang. “We’ll get there eventually,” he says, shaking his head. It was foolish to think Lan Xichen would have let him kill the servants.

One more reason to bring Jin Guanyao back. Lan Xichen, he knows, will not be able to say no to his precious A-Yao.

“What do you mean?” Lan Xichen asks.

“Not the suicide, my friend. Don’t worry. I want you whole and healthy...” Xue Yang pats his arm reassuringly. “We have time.”

“Time for what?”

Xue Yang flashes a smile. One of his innocent ones this time. “Time to bring back your friend, of course .”

“What now?”

Xue Yang takes Jin Guangyao’s spirit-trapping pouch from Lan Xichen. “Your hand.”

He pricks Lan Xichen’s finger and uses his blood to draw a number of talismans, festooning Chang Ping’s body with the thin slips of yellow paper.

He picks up the spirit-trapping pouch he’d used to capture Chang Ping’s resentful energy, grips it in the same hand as Jin Guangyao’s pouch, and produces his copy of the Stygian Tiger Amulet.

Lan Xichen almost keels over. “That’s—”

“We know what it is.”

“But—”

“Don’t worry. I don’t use it often enough to go the way of Wen Ruohan or Wei Wuxian.”

“But—”

“Do you want me to continue or not?”

Lan Xichen ducks his head and steps back.

Black smoke twines around Xue Yang’s fingers. He sends the amulet flying at the corpse, drawing a rapid-fire sequence of glowing red symbols in the air, then opens Chang Ping’s spirit-trapping pouch and reaches inside.

A blast of resentful energy burst free of the bag, sending Lan Xichen flying across the room. He knocks over a brazier, sending dozens of candles rolling across the bloodstained floor, and slams his head on the stone tiles.

Xue Yang releases a second burst of dark energy so strong he blacks out for a moment. Every bone in his body feels like it’s been turned to soup, a giant fist crushing his skull. Any second now there’s going to be a pop and the floor will be splattered with gray pulp and white shards of skull—

A murmuring sound.

He looks up.

A small white body lies curled inside the array.

Lan Xichen is beside the figure. “…A-Yao?”

Jin Guangyao sits up. He’s shivering and naked in the lamplight. “...Er…er-ge? Zewu-jun….?”

It worked it worked it worked—

Lan Xichen drapes his outer robe around Jin Guangyao. “It’s me, I’ve brought you back—”

Xue Yang sneers. His heart is hammering against his ribcage and his hands and feet are numb. “Actually, you just stood there and goggled at me and passed out.”

“You’re back, you’re back—”

A-Yao slumps forward.

Lan Xichen’s eyes are wide, face white. “What happened? What happened?!—”

Xue Yang shrugs. “How should I know? The last time I did this I killed the man as soon as I confirmed I could do it. Was just trying to see if I was doing something wrong.”

Lan Xichen draws in a deep, shaky breath. “He’s fine, I know he’s fine—”

Xue Yang shrugs again. “I’ve done my part. The rest is up to him.”

Lan Xichen carries Jin Guangyao to one of the bedrooms and settles down beside the bed, eyes never leaving the little snake’s face.

“How many days will it take for those servants you let escape to reach Cloud Recesses?” Xue Yang snaps his fingers in Lan Xichen’s ear. “Are you in there? How long do we have until those servants tell the Lans where we are?”

Lan Xichen starts. “With no detours, on foot, two weeks.”

“Then we have that long until anyone comes after us on their swords. Unless they meet Lan cultivators on the road—”

“I told them not to speak to anyone.”

“As if they’d follow your orders if it were convenient not to?”

“I’m the clan leader.”

“Not of their clan… Doesn’t matter. We need to get moving anyway. As soon as your dimpled little friend is on his feet, we’re out of here. Wake me if anything important happens.”

There’s another bedroom down the hall. He locks the door behind him, removes his robes and shoes and lies down on the bed in just his trousers. Rests Xiao Xingchen’s pouch on his bare chest. Lays Shuanghua out beside him, pressed up against his side. Sets Jiangzai within grabbing distance.

“We got him back,” he says. His voice is hoarse, as if he’s spent all night screaming. “That pocket-sized prick is back, and that deluded blue idiot will do anything to keep him here.”

Nothing from the pouch.

He reaches over to where his robes are jumbled beside the bed, pulls a few closely-written pages from his inner robe’s qiankun sleeve.

“See, I have it all here, you know I do, you were with me when I found it, when I copied it all out—”

Still nothing.

“Daozhang?” He sits up, back to the wall, staring down at the pouch. “I know you can hear me…”

Still nothing.

Worn out from the ritual, he eventually falls asleep, propped up against the wall with the papers scattered across the bed and Xiao Xingchen’s pouch cradled in his lap.

He’s up at dawn. His body aches as if he’d been trampled by a dozen horses, but his head is clearer.

Ridiculous, any worry. He had simply been too tired to focus on the pouch last night, too exhausted to pick up on the subtle motions of the pouch, to sense Xiao Xingchen’s reassuring warmth…

It’s not that Xiao Xingchen disapproved of what he had done. How would Xiao Xingchen even know, if Xue Yang hadn't told him?

(Besides, he’s done far worse over the past eight years.)

And it certainly isn’t that Xiao Xingchen can’t communicate with Xue Yang. For years now he’s felt the pouch hum, felt its warmth—

Years.

He drags himself out to the discussion hall in time to watch Jin Guangyao evaporate in the pale morning light.

“A-Yao!” Lan Xichen leaps forward, snatching at him, but it’s too late.

Jin Guangyao is gone.

“Well, that didn’t go as planned.” Xue Yang yawns. He’s known this moment was coming, known Jin Guangyao would fade with the morning sun, knows that he’ll be back that night, but he takes no pleasure in Lan Xichen’s anguish. Odd, that. He’d expected this all to be more amusing. “He say anything interesting?”

Lan Xichen seizes him by the throat, hoisting him off the floor with his tremendous Lan strength. “You little rat, what did you do, you promised me A-Yao back—”

Xue Yang desperately struggles to pry Lan Xichen’s fingers from his throat, but Lan Xichen’s grip is like iron.

“U—gh—uhg—”

Lan Xichen flings him out the door so hard he bounces twice and rolls down the discussion hall steps. The Clan Leader’s handsome face is a nightmarish mask of itself, twisted by rage and hate and panic.

Xue Yang stands slowly, choking on his swollen Adam’s apple.

Lan Xichen flies down beside him. “What did you do, you repugnant little liar—”

Jiangzai appears in Xue Yang’s hand. “I brought him back!” Blood spurts from his tongue as he speaks. “I swear!”

“You bastard, you lied to me—”

“I told you, I’ve never done this before! I swear I did my best! Do you think I wanted this? I need that dimpled little madman too!”

Lan Xichen hits him so hard that Xue Yang is knocked on his back. He draws Shuoyue, but Xue Yang has Jiangzai up, pointing at Lan Xichen’s throat.

“Lay one more finger on me,” Xue Yang rasps, “and it will be the last thing you ever do.”

“As if I care—”

Xue Yang spits blood. “I’m the only one who can get him back, and you know it!"

Lan Xichen freezes, then slowly sheaths his sword. “You have until tonight.”

Rubbing at his bruised throat, Xue Yang grins, a grin full of teeth. “Anything for you, my friend.”

* * *

Xue Yang locks himself in the discussion hall all day to work on getting “A-Yao” back. Spends most of the day napping on the Clan Leader’s chair. The corpse has begun to rot, but he doesn’t mind. The smell of rotting meat, combined with the familiar surroundings, brings him back to happier times at the Chang Manor.

“We’re almost there, daozhang,” he mumbles as he falls asleep. Not directly to the pouch. He doesn’t dare take it out. “Just a little bit longer…”

He wakes at moonrise, just in time to add a few more lines to the array, forcing Jin Guangyao to reappear in the empty hall with Xue Yang instead of beside Lan Xichen, to whom he’s been bound. (A mistake, the binding, but it’s too late to rectify now.)

Jin Guangyao reappears in a shower of silvery sparks, still wearing the oversized clothes he’d borrowed from Chang Ping’s wardrobe.

“You did this,” he says to Xue Yang. Only his timbre and over-enunciation are as Xue Yang remembers. The old cloying obsequiousness, the sticky politeness, have been scrubbed away. “You brought me back.”

“Guilty as charged.”

“Why?”

Xue Yang shrugs. “Zewu-jun’s fault, really. You know, if you want to apologize for trying to kill me, now would be a good time.”

Jin Guangyao ducks his head at him. “I explained that to you when you returned to me to beg for help in restoring Xiao Xingchen, Chengmei. You know I had no choice, and that I ordered my men to let you survive the beating.”

Xue Yang rolls his eyes. As if he’d bought that bullshit eight years ago, either. “Whatever. You still owe me, big time.”

Jin Guangyao ignores that. “Zewu-jun seems rather out of sorts.”

“Zewu-jun stood by and watched me a torture a man to death, if that’s what you mean. Let me kill a good dozen others, too. What’s with that look? I thought killing people made you happy.”

A slight return of Jin Guangyao’s old fussily polite manner. Xue Yang had always thought that Jin Guangyao had been relatively open around him, hadn’t been afraid to snap at him on occasion, to complain about Koi Tower’s bottom-feeding snakes, but now Xue Yang sees that the face he’d shown him during their partnership had merely been another of the former clan leader’s masks.

“If I wanted you dead, you would have been dead,” says Jin Guangyao, granting him a full bow this time. “I thank you, Xue Chengmei, for granting me renewed life.”

Xue Yang snorts. “Blow it out your blubberhole, Lianfang-zun. Save it for that blue fool out there.” He flings open the discussion hall’s doors. Lan Xichen is pacing back and forth before the hall. He was already too thin to begin with, but he seems to have lost another ten pounds over the past twelve hours.

“Your little friend is back,” Xue Yang says shortly. “I’ll be packing. We need to leave this place.”

He turns and heads off. The melting way that dimpled little scorpion turned his stupidly huge eyes on Lan Xichen makes him want to run them both through with a sword.

Lan Xichen, daring to lay a hand on him—

“What did you do, you repugnant little liar—”

He should have known that was coming. Shouldn’t have been so surprised at Lan Xichen’s treachery.

Xue Yang rubs at the bruises on his throat. The Lan Clan Leader had to have been part of the decision to beat Xue Yang to death all those years ago. It was foolish of Xue Yang to ever think otherwise. Stupid, stupid—

They reach Yueyang at dawn, slowed down by Jin Guangyao, who is far weaker than Xue Yang had expected.

The little snake disappears as the sun’s first rays touch him, his face a mask of pain.

“It hurts him,” Lan Xichen says, turning to Xue Yang.

Xue Yang tosses a candied peanut in the air, catching it in his mouth. “So? What do you want me to do about it?”

“Anchor him here. Do something !”

“You’re the scholar. You’re the expert on ghosts.”

“On getting rid of them! You’re the one who knows how to—to work your wicked tricks—”

“Ah, the second they’re no longer working in your favor, they’re ‘suddenly wicked tricks.’ ”

Lan Xichen frowns as if he has no idea what Xue Yang means.

Hypocrite . He wants to punch himself in the face for ever thinking Lan Xichen was any different than the rest. Hypocrite, hypocrite—

A stab of fear. What if this all means that Lan Xichen is not, in fact, a suitable subject—

No. No. Lan Xichen is still “pure.” Still “good.” He can’t help being born so high that the execution of a criminal meant nothing to him, can’t help being raised by the Lan to think that any cultivation deviating from the norm is “wicked”—

He knows he should take Xiao Xingchen out, tell him about his progress. Knows he should ask Lan Xichen to leave their shared room to give them some privacy, but instead Xue Yang goes to the innkeeper and orders several jars of wine.

He’d spent the trip to Yueyang coming up with an alternate explanation of Jin Guangyao’s return for the daozhang. Xiao Xingchen, he knows, would not approve of the lingchi.

He knows that’s why Xiao Xingchen had abandoned him the other night. The daozhang must have sensed something. That was all. Simple disapproval.

Xue Yang can explain everything. Explain how whatever Xiao Xingchen thought he’d sensed, it had been wrong…

But instead he orders the wine.

“I thought you don’t drink,” says Lan Xichen.

“Everyone has to start sometime. Besides, if you think I can put up with you and that dimpled weasel making eyes at each while sober, you are gravely mistaken.” He takes a deep drink from the wine jar. “Just go and ask him.”

“I beg your pardon. Ask him what?”

“ ‘I beg your pardon,’ ” Xue Yang mimics. “Just ask the dimpled little freak what he needs done.”

“Needs done?”

“Are all of you Lans this dense? This is demonic cultivation. Everything is the opposite of what you know. The thing that would normally set his spirit at rest will instead bind him to this world. No more disappearing and reappearing.”

“No more pain?”

“I can’t answer that. But I’d guess not.” Xue Yang finishes his first jar of wine. It’s disgusting dry wine, but he’s not drinking it for the flavor. He takes a sip from the second jar. It burns his bruised throat and he chokes, coughing up a mix of wine and blood from his pierced tongue.

Fucking Lan.

“Not that we can fix what’s wrong with him up here,” he adds, tapping his head. “Guess being locked up for a year with an angry ghost who hates your insides isn’t a lot of fun.”

“What do you mean?”

Xue Yang ignores him, just stretches out on his bed and closes his eyes. Just have to wait for him to fall asleep, then I can take out Xiao Xingchen, explain everything to him—

But when he wakes in the middle of the night to a quiet room, he instead unsheathes Shuanghua and lays it beside him, heating the metal to body temperature using a Wen talisman, and goes back to sleep, pressed closely up against the blade.

They tell him the news in the morning: “A-Yao” has selected Wu Shen, a Yunping merchant as the target of his revenge, the thing Lan Xichen believes will anchor the little freak to the world of the living.

Xue Yang knows he should be happy, knows this is exactly what he’s been wanting, knows this is important progress, but the joy he’d felt at the Chang Manor is gone, and there’s no recapturing it.

It takes a week to reach Yunping City.

Seven nights for Xue Yang to sit with a cold lifeless pouch in his hands while Jin Guangyao lies warm and breathing next to Lan Xichen.

It’s not that Xiao Xingchen doesn’t want to communicate with him.

And it’s not that he can’t .

Xue Yang is certain of this.

For years he’s felt Xiao Xingchen stirring in his pouch, communicating with him, listening to him—

It’s simply that now that they’re so very, very close, Xiao Xingchen is preserving his strength so he can assist Xue Yang when the moment comes.

That’s all.

He doesn’t say much to Jin Guangyao during this time. He talks, of course. A lot. But that’s different than truly saying anything.

Except for one conversation they have on the third night, when Jin Guangyao is still communicative, before the clan leader fades fully into himself and stops speaking.

“What do you plan to do after Wu Shen is dead?” he asks Jin Guangyao. The little weasel is lying beside Lan Xichen, who’s fast asleep. Jin Guangyao’s hands are clasped tightly over his chest, as if lying still and corpselike on his back brings back bad memories.

Jin Guangyao darts a quick look over at Lan Xichen as if to make sure he’s truly asleep. “What do you mean?”

“Shall I repeat myself and wake him up?”

Jin Guangyao frowns slightly. “I heard you. But you know good and well what will happen to me.”

“And yet you asked that deluded blue fool to kill that merchant for you.”

Jin Guangyao is staring straight up at the ceiling, knuckles standing out white and sharp on his tightly clasped hands. “He won’t do it.”

Xue Yang snorts. “If he doesn’t, I’ve wasted a lot of time.”

“I beg your pardon?”

Xue Yang stretches, running his fingertips down Shuanghua’s textured white hilt. “Bringing you together, I mean.”

“That makes no sense.”

Xue Yang gives a silent little shrugging laugh. This is the first time Jin Guangyao has really sounded like his old self. He’d never been fooled for a moment by the other man’s cloying, ingratiating manner. Jin Guangyao is a condescending, vicious, arrogant bastard, and Xue Yang appreciates that.

It’s the false humility and veneer of politeness that he can’t deal with. Beat someone half to death and leave them bleeding out in a ditch—behead his sworn brother—assassinate his father—this Xue Yang can understand. But show your face while you do it, is how he sees it. Don’t hide behind a mask of gentility!

“It doesn’t matter,” says Jin Guangyao when Xue Yang just keeps laughing. “He won’t do it.”

“Are you certain?”

Jin Guangyao glances over at the man asleep beside him. It’s sickening, the way he’s been making eyes at Lan Xichen. “He won’t.”

“And if he does?”

“Then…” Jin Guangyao trails off. “He won’t.”

Whatever. Better for Jin Guangyao to believe the utter bullshit he’s spouting. Wouldn’t do to have him trying to stop Lan Xichen.

Just a few more days now.

* * * *

“Dinner first, I think,” says Xue Yang as they settle into their inn in Yunping. “Can’t practice demonic cultivation on an empty stomach, now, can we? Zewu-jun? No? Suit yourself. Meet back here in an hour, and we’ll head out.” Xue Yang heads downstairs.

The smell of fried vegetables and dumplings wafts from the inn’s kitchen, but Xue Yang is too nervous to eat.

That’s a first. Being too nervous for anything is a first.

Instead he shaves and fixes his hair, braiding it like Xiao Xingchen used to for him and looping it up to be bound by the silver hairpiece he’s saved all these years. Puts on his best robes. Cleans his nails and teeth and polishes his sword.

He looks in the small, grainy mirror stuck to the room’s wall, then looks away.

He’s still not sure why he avoids mirrors. You’d think he’d want to see Xiao Xingchen’s face—

He turns away and heads out to the address Jin Guangyao had given him.

But not before taking a small detour.

A risk, the detour. But a necessary one.

It’s snowing out. It coats his hair and robes, but he barely notices the icy wetness.

So close. So close—

The name “Xiao Xingchen” gets him through Wu Shen’s front door, but he has to wait a good fifteen minutes before anyone actually sees him.

He paces the small, over-furnished study as he waits. Dark red curtains, dark red floor, dark red hangings. Like slitting open a monster’s belly and crawling inside , Xue Yang thinks. He fidgets with the brush set on the desk, spilling ink on a stack of letters. He’s debating whether to sweep the whole thing onto the floor or just leave it there when Wu Shen bustles in.

“And what can I do for the daozhang?” he asks, bowing.

Normally Xue Yang would enjoy his, take his time playing with the mouse he’s caught, but he hasn’t the time or inclination tonight. Within seconds there’s a silencing spell slapped over Wu Shen’s thick blubbery lips and he’s tied up with a spirit-binding rope, being hauled out the window up into the snowy sky.

Xue Yang makes straight for Guanyin Temple with just one more detour. Lan Xichen and his precious A-Yao are there, as expected.

Xue Yang dumps Wu Shen in the snow at their feet.

Lan Xichen stares at the purple-faced man on the ground and then looks quickly at Jin Guangyao, who stands utterly still without a trace of emotion on his small pale face.

“Let’s go inside,” Xue Yang suggests. Jin Guangyao, it seems, is ready to stand there frozen all night, and Lan Xichen is more than happy to stand there staring at him.

The temple’s ceiling is half cratered, the entire place turned upside-down, but the damage isn’t as extensive as it could have been. Humming, Xue Yang limps around the temple, lighting the surviving candles with his Wen talismans. Normally cold and damp weather means pain, but tonight he barely notices the stiffness in his leg.

He’s still doing this when Lan Xichen, like an idiot, removes the silencing spell.

“—sue you all! Unhand me at once! What is the meani—”

Lan Xichen, in a rare display of good sense, replaces the silencing spell.

“ ‘Unhand me at once’?” Xue Yang snickers. “If you don’t kill him, I will. Dammit, get back here—” Wu Shen is rolling quietly towards the door. Xue Yang flies after him and shoves him flat on the ground with his foot, sending a stab of pain up his bad leg.

“He’s all yours,” he says to Lan Xichen.

They’ve been building to this point for a full week, but Lan Xichen still manages to look stunned.

“Our dimpled friend can’t do it, or it would just create more resentful energy,” he lies. “You know about these things from your studies, don’t you, Lianfang-zun? Tell the man.”

Jin Guangyao ducks his head in agreement, eyes still fixed on Wu Shen.

Xue Yang prods Wu Shen’s belly with the tip of his sword. Wu Shen gives a silent eep of indignation. Strangely, he seems more angry than scared. “Better hurry, Zewu-jun, before I give it a shot myself. ‘Unhand me at once’—”

Jin Guangyao looks up for the first time. “Er-ge?”

Lan Xichen’s sword is in his hand.

“Take my advice,” says Xue Yang, leaning on one of the few surviving columns, “and get it over with quick. Don’t try to have fun with it this time. I mean, I did my first time, but—”

He jumps as Lan Xichen takes Shuoyue and rams it through Wu Shen’s heart. He’d expected to have to do a lot more talking.

Lan Xichen releases the hilt, leaving the sword sticking up out of the dead man’s chest, and staggers backwards. He’s shaking all over, as if he’s about to pass out—

Jin Guangyao turns to Lan Xichen.

“I didn’t think you would actually do it,” he says, very softly. “Xichen, I…” He grips Lan Xichen’s sword hand. “Goodbye, Xichen. Find m—”

And then he’s gone, a handful of sparks fading into the flickering dimness of the temple.

Lan Xichen’s mouth falls open, arms dangling limply at his sides, a wooden puppet with no strings.

Xue Yang looks up from where he’s using Wu Shen’s blood to draw an array on the floor. “What went well.”

“Did you know?” Lan Xichen grabs Xue Yang’s throat. “Did you know he’d disappear? You told me it was different for demonic cultivation; you told me it would bind him here—”

“Better question to ask is if he knew,” Xue Yang chokes out.

“If—if—”

Xue Yang pries Lan Xichen’s nerveless fingers from his throat. “It was a test. You failed it. Gave in right away, as I understand.”

“I—”

Xue Yang’s bruised throat aches as he laughs. “You were the better part of him. Supposed to be the better part of him. Moonlight in the darkness and all that bullshit.”

“You—you lied to me!”

“I suppose all the beads were put in the looks bucket when you were made,” Xue Yang grins, “without a lot left over for brains.” He clicks his tongue. "What else did you expect from someone as repugnant as me?"

Lan Xichen collapses to his knees, clutching at the tiles as if trying to ground himself, his fingernails scraping the stone.

And then he’s back on his feet, swaying, a paper funeral doll hanging from a string. His knees buckle slightly, as if the melting snow has soaked his paper limbs.

“Why did you do this?”

“About time you asked.” Xue Yang removes a torn book page from his qiankun sleeve, waves it at Lan Xichen. “You really should have asked more questions, my friend.”

Lan Xichen snatches at the page, stares at them with unseeing eyes.

“The ritual calls for the corruption of a soul of so-called equal purity in order to create a proper vessel,” Xue Yang explains. “Not exactly easy to find a person like that in this stinking world. Not to mention access to the Lan library and Inquiry.” He shrugs. “You were the very obvious choice. Too bad you didn’t intentionally kill those Lan cultivators when we left the Cloud Recesses and those Nie guards, or I could’ve saved a lot of time.”

Lan Xichen’s voice seems to come from somewhere outside himself. “Are you going to kill me?”

“Kill Zewu-jun?” Xue Yang twirls a strand of hair around his finger. “I can’t take you down on my own. But I figure they can, which is why I invited them. Right on time, too—”

He takes the page back right before Lan Xichen draws Shuoyue and flies at Xue Yang. His movements are erratic, nothing like his usual impeccable swordsmanship, and Xue Yang easily spins out of the way with a laugh.

“Clan Leader!”

Six Lan cultivators have come floating down through the ceiling. They drink in the dead body, the frenzied look on Lan Xichen’s face, the blood on the floor—

One produces his guqin and begins to play.

Lan Xichen bares his teeth and turns on him, slashing the air with Shuoyue.

An arc of blue light, and the cultivator and his guqin lie in pieces on the ground.

“Zewu-jun! This is not you—”

Lan Xichen attacks.

Xue Yang stands back, watching the battle. His own swordsmanship is good but, despite his time with the Wen and Jin Clans, it lacks polish, and he knows he’s no match for Lan cultivators.

And they, it seems, are no match for Lan Xichen.

But it’s still six against one, and Lan Xichen is not himself. Holds his own well enough, parying and thrusting like a graceful blue whirlwind, but he’s bleeding heavily—

Xue Yang squints in the flickering lamplight. Not all of the blood blooming over his gauzy blue robes are from wounds inflicted by the Lan cultivators. Blood is spurting from his mouth, streaming from his eyes, squirting from a hundred little wounds appearing suddenly over his body as he—

Oh, for heaven’s sake. That’s all he needs right now; an honest-for-goodness qi deviation when he’s so close —

A stab of panic. The ritual would heal all inflicted wounds, but what if it didn’t heal qi-derived wounds—?

What if Xiao Xingchen woke up in a body that was bleeding out —

Forced to relive that nightmare a second time—

The last Lan cultivator falls but Lan Xichen continues to hack and slash and spin at the empty air, whirling and swinging and roaring, a beautiful, savage creature in blue and white, fighting phantoms until blood loss forces him to his knees.

It’s almost...pathetic.

Xue Yang can’t remember the last time he’s used that word to describe something other than Lan Xichen.

Pathetic.

He looks down at Lan Xichen. The man kneels at his feet, bleeding heavily.

“Shall I do it, my friend?” he asks Lan Xichen. His voice is almost soft.

Lan Xichen stabs upward with his sword, slashing Xue Yang’s side open like a gutted fish.

The floor rushes up to meet Xue Yang, slamming itself against his skull.

Fuck, the bastard must have struck an artery—

Wet heat, spreading over his side, his leg—a rapidly-spreading puddle of red as his pounding heart pumps the blood from his body—

Lan Xichen is kneeling, staring down at his hands. The hands that killed his precious A-Yao.

Waiting.

“You’re welcome,” says Xue Yang, blood spurting over his chin, and he plunges his knife deep into Lan Xichen’s chest.

Lan Xichen sprawls out on the stone tiles.

His vision blurred, he can just make out Lan Xichen gazing up at him, blue robes soaked with crimson, sword lying just out of his grasp in the pool of red.

Still. Peaceful.

Desperately he claws his way over to the center of the array on his hands and knees, slipping in the blood. He’s bleeding out fast—both him and Lan Xichen—

—and if Lan Xichen is already dead this has all been for nothing—

All for nothing, all for nothing—

He flops down on the array, struggling to focus, keep his rapidly fading thoughts from drifting down into the darkness rising up around him.

Warm. Too warm. And cold. Too cold.

He might still be able to heal himself yet; seal his gushing veins, seal his meridians, keep himself from bleeding out, use the last of his spiritual energy on that—

No point. No point. No point in surviving this without Xiao Xingchen. This is it—this is his last chance—

A kaleidoscope of colors burst through the darkness. He struggles to breathe, to inhale the colors into his lungs as if they’ll give him the strength to drag himself forward, but he’s lost all awareness of his mouth, his throat, his lungs, lost all control of his limbs.

A loud cry from somewhere in the misty darkness, startling him back to himself.

Summoning the last of his strength, Xue Yang reaches deep inside himself, seizes every last scrap of spiritual energy, and releases it into the array, choking out the words of the incantation—formless, gibbering words as his tongue flops uselessly in his mouth.

The warmth intensifies.

Heat, now. Uncomfortable, burning heat. Or it would be, could he feel anything—

His eyes have gone almost completely dark, but he can see a vague blue-and-red blur in front of him.

The blur moves. Sits up, then falls over, heaving itself towards him.

“Daozhang?” gasps Xue Yang with the last of the air in his lungs.

“Chengmei?”

A looming face appears in the misty rainbow-shot darkness, a pale white splotch streaked with red.

“Ch-chengmei? I heard your voice—Xue Yang!”

Xue Yang tries to drag himself towards the face, but his body won’t respond. The face is almost gone now, subsumed by the whirling rainbow lights, a thousand dancing, dying fireflies.

“What did you do to Chengmei? Is this his blood? I can’t remember anything—”

Numb limbs quivering, Xue Yang raises himself up onto all fours and struggles blindly towards the voice. He needs to speak to the face, needs to know he’s whole again. Needs to explain, needs to reach him, needs to—to—

He dies before he gets there.

* * *

Thanks for reading! tbh I never know if anyone reads these tumblr posts so a kudos on Ao3 would be much appreciated <3

[factual-fantasy]

25 asks! :00 Thank you! :}} 💖

I would like to yeah :0 for now I'm just kind'a goofin around and drawing whatever. Also thank you!! :DD I'm glad you like it! :}}}

I don't think kid Gregory and Vanessa would realize that the other is a younger version of the guard that's pursuing them.. They would just think they have the same name.

What would be confusing though is who went into who's world. If Little Vanessa went to little Gregory's world, she would be so confused. "Where's Bonnie and Foxy? Why do Roxy and Monty look so different..? Why does the entire BUILDING look different..??"

For adult Gregory going into the kid Gregory's world.. it'd be the same thing. "Why is the building so different and where is Bonnie and Foxy?... Also why is there this random gal that has on a security uniform and why is she in my office-"

Thank you! Happy new year to you as well!! 🎉🥳🎊

YOOOO THAT'D BE SICK!! :DDD Also I love all the puns XDD

Yeah, that post is outdated and should not be followed. My pinned post has all the up to date information. 👍

(Also thank you! :D)

That's a thing?? Man. I'm not sure what to think. I was never super into Bendy.. I guess I just hope that the fans get what they're hoping for? <:D

Or at the very least I hope that the people who made Bendy have the freedom to put what ever they want into the movie. :}

Thank you so much! :DD As for my favorite character from my AU specifically? I'd say its a tough pick between Freddy and Foxy.. I thiiiiink I'll pick Freddy XD I just love him man 🥺

@skeletormasterofevil

N-No.. she was so young...💔

@underfalls-36

XDDD That's hilarious, also thANK YOU SO MUCH!! :DDD

Calico Jack? I don't think so.. scurvy is caused by a severe vitamin-C deficiency. And sailors usually got it becuase they didn't have fruits and vegetables on the ship.. But it looks like Calico Jack has gotten shipwrecked quite a few times in his life. I imagine he's been stranded on islands for a few weeks at a time where he ate nothing but fruits, Veggies and fish. Not to mention his time in the Amazon where he likely had access to all kinds of fruits.

Natquik though? Its possible.. out in the Antarctic his diet was probably mostly fish.. although it seems that real arctic fox diets don't really demand many fruits and veggies.. Still, Natquik seems more likely to have contracted scurvy at one point then Calico Jack :(

:DDD THANK YOU! And boy do I have a lot of that XD

I do have many theories/headcannons yes!.. Although I think I'll keep those tucked away in my brain for now- :x

@citrusfruitman

(Post in question)

XDD I sat on the first ask for a while because I was intending to draw something for it. But I'm realizing now that I might not ever draw it so--

What was going on in that drawing is an evil Undyne threw a spear at the group while they were passing by. Seam was struck in the head by it and was killed.. hence the blood splatter on her face. (My darkeners bleed)

BUT ITS OKAY! Through some uh... very dark methods- Frisk was able to reset to a few moments before and pull Seam out of the way. Then she got into a brawl with the evil Undyne no doubt <XD

I have, and uh, I'm not so sure about the whole "in character" thing.. or at least its not the character I imagined Fazbear Entertainment would be- <XD

It just means they're both rough and tough and their hands get beat up a lot. Kwazii gets them beat from scraping them on stuff and dealing with dangerous creatures while on missions. And Calico Jack gets them from scraping them on stuff and.. dealing with dangerous creatures while on adventures XDD

@spinelfan11

XDD I have now! What an odd specimen..

(Also thank you! :DDD)

@milk-powrit

Its hard to explain exactly why I don't like them.. But I don't like them-

I guess it feels kind'a.. mary sue-ish..? If that makes sense? Or at least having all these sans' that act nothing like the original sans is kind'a off putting? I guess? Not to mention loads of them are shipped together- uhg idk- Its hard to explain but I don't vibe with them personally. So I didn't add them to my au :/

@abaroo

OOOO THAT'S A GOOD IDEA!! :000 I like how it creates a spin on Grillby and River. While Jevil intentionally grabbed Grillby's hand and saved him, and River was dragged along by mistake.. Frisk CHOSE to follow Jevil, it wasn't his doing at all this time. That's a really cool thing to experiment with!

I'll have to look into this idea, thank you for sharing! And thank you for the complements! AND happy new year to you too! XDD

@the-great-bonkings

XDD For receiving hugs? I'd say he's about a 11/10 sometimes, maybe a 6/10 other times. Its harder to hug him comfortably if you're significantly shorter/smaller than he is. But if ur the right size his hugs will just fix all your problems 🥺

As for giving hugs? It might be about the same. But I can see him giving them out only to people he's really close to. Otherwise a tender yet professional hand on the shoulder seems more his style.

XD And I see the prompt there, perhaps I'll have to draw that sometime!

@tanileaf

YOU LIKE? :DDD THANK YOU! I'M SO GLAD!

Aww shucks 😊 Thank you!

@khoiazo

Whaaaat?? Nooo Its not traumaaa,,🥺 its character development!😇

TRUEEEEE

I do! I'll have to post more about them sometime-- 👀👀

@cudlycorncornsworthcoberson

WAAAA THANK YIOU SO MUCH!!! IM SO GLAD YOUY LIKE MY OCTONAUTS SILLIES 💖💖😭💖

[cumbercookiebatchs]

Guitarist Grantaire

Just because I love him and I’m trashing on Les mis, Grantaire and Enjoltaire.

- Can play lots and lots of instruments, (piano, sax, violin and drums) but he’s awesome with a guitar;

- He’s really good at singing, too;

- He’s in a band with two other guys. Les amis don’t know (yet) about this, except Ponine. It’s not a secret, it just never came out;

- The band’s name is “Minority” cause they all love “Green Day”;

- They play in a suburbian bar;

- The bar’s name is “Blue” and is rather big for a bar;

- The bar’s costumers love them;

- On Thursdays and Saturdays they have a lineup, on Tuesdays they go with audience’s requests;

- Grantaire is always joking on stage, singing even when he doesen’t know the lyrics, while the drummer and the bassist  always manage to play everything;

- Once, someone asked for “Here I am,” and Grantaire only knew half of it, speaking on the guitar solo:

“ I’m sorry, I hope you don’t mind me acting like this up there. My mates are so professional and then there’s me, and I hope you’re not disappointed because”

– the lyrics starts again – 

“ Here I am, this is me, there’s nowhere else on earth I’d rather be” 

 and everyone goes wild.

.

.

- He’s an ass about love songs:

“You know, I’ve had a special request tonight” and he’d be  walking on the stage, hands moving all around, “this boy comes to me, asking a song for his girlfriend because today’s their anniversary. Ten minutes later his girlfriend shows up and asks for the same thing” he stops walking “Thing is, that song is horrible, but I’m a good guy so I’m gonna play it nonetheless because love is awesome and I love love”

 And then

 “We need to do this the right way. Both of you, I want you in the middle of the dance floor. Make some space you people, let them dance together while we drown in our despair”

 And then

 “Susan, Susan can you hear me?” (the light technician)

“Susan, I want a blue light on them. Can you see them? Yeah, there, a little on the left…no, my left Susan, not your left.

“Yeah, there. Good? Let’s do this”

.

-“Ariana Grande? Who asked me to perform Ariana Grande? You know how high her voice is? Do you want me to choke on my vocal chords? Are you trying to kill me?!”

.

One of those nights, Les Amis find themselves there, thanks to Courfeyrac :

“Guys , we have to go to this bar, my friend told me the alcohol’s cheap and the singer is hot. Please please please let’s go.”

- Enjolras didn’t  want to go but they bribed him because “we voted Enjolras, shut the fuck up and come with us” “uhg”

.

Whoops

-“ Grantaire’s the sexy singer?!” – Joly“

What the fuck” – Courfeyrac“

No way”- Bousset

“ That asshole never said a fucking thing. I’m gonna smash his head” – Jean

“Calm down, Jean”- Bahorel

“He’s really good. We could ask him to perform. We could draw in more people”- Combeferre

“Uh”- Enjolras

“That asshole”- Jean

“Jean, stop.”- Bahorel

“You really didn’t know?!”- Ponine

“You did?!”

.

- After the performance,  they all move toward R who’s drinking at the counter with the rest of the band

- Jean is the first to arrive, hitting  him on the back of his head. 

Grantaire whips around

“what are you doing here?”-R

“you’ve been holding out on us! Liar!”- Jean

“What do you mean Liar?! I didn’t lie about anything!”-R

“Shut up, asshole”- Jean

“Jean, please calm down”- Bahorel

-You never said anything, why?”- Enj

“I didn’t mean for it to be a secret. We just never talked about it”

“You’re really good”

p>

-They love you”- Courf

“Naah, they just like the music”

“Yeah, no. They love you. I love you too, now. Also, I’m attracted to you, now. That’s so strange”

“That’s disturbing. Courfeyrac, stay away from me”

“Meanie”

- Tuesdays nights at the bar become a common thing. Les amis like messing with Grantaire asking the most absurd songs.

- One night Enjolras asks for “La Marsaillase” and Grantaire laughs so hard he falls down. 

- Grantaire subtly flirts with Enjolras while on stage. Enjolras can tell he’s flirting, but can’t tell with who, so he gets jealous and grumpy. Meanwhile Grantaire thinks he’s offended or something.

- Courfeyrac wants to smash their heads on the bar counter.

-In the end, Grantaire sings “Last night on earth” and then says: “Enjolras, that was for you, you obvious man”.  Enjolras blushes. Courfeyrac screams. 

[writinandcrying]

could I get a matchup for bnha? I'm a 5'0 tall straight girl who likes to draw. play guitar, and sing. I'm pretty reserved, quiet, and depressing to be around but when someone actually gets close to me, I'm sarcastic and mean (in a "nice" way). I'm not easily fooled or stepped on when I talk to people and I dont tolerate people who are fake or stupid. I'm also a nihilist.

Why are y’all so perfect for the 1-A girls but you are all straighties??? I can’t hANDLE this omfg

But i respect your preferences ( although know Jiro has the BIGGEST FAT CRUSH on you just letting the word out ) I ship you with...

Shinsou Hitoshi

Uhg I love shinsou so much. He deserves the world. Tbh he didn’t think much of you when he first met you ( but that’s just who he is ) but when he hears you singing and playing guitar for the first time oh- OH. My god, broadcast from his heart you make him go boom boom boom, he blushes so hard like literally he thinks he is the dumbest for not appreciating you sooner, he likes you are a bit more reserved, thinks is soothing being around you, would def make some time and hear you out if you needed on a bad depression crisis, he know how hard it can be and not even talking about like romantic relationship, he would literally be such a good friend for you about your depression and such, would push you if you don’t want to do things but would check upon you every know and then, would ask if you have been drinking water, eating properly, he cares and shows in his own laid back way, but knows he cares so much about you like for real. He loves that you are sarcastic, loves your humor so much he lets himself go around you, it just comes naturally for him and he loves you for it, he sort of follow your nihilist ideas but he believes deep down life has to be a meaning, or at least wants to, otherwise being a hero isn’t really worth it. Your relationship is very chill and the level of trust is 👌🏼👌🏼👌🏼 10/10

Hope you liked it

Requests are open! Headcanons and match ups only

[vegetacide]

Whump●tober -Shaky Hands

Veg-notables: So I decided that this one needed a revisit as the aftermath of 10.Unconscious intrigued me.. I intended to take a break today.. oops.. failed. 

@gumnut-logic  ::sneak attack…::

Obligatory whumptober stuff: @whumptober2019 @la-vie-en-whump

Blanket warning: Post brain explosions.. With residual ouchiness and discombobulation

Characters: Virgil/Kayo...

Whumptober - TaG’verse

Previous post for this can be found HERE 

1. Shaky hands

Enjoy…

oOo

The fight to regain consciousness was a grueling task as Virgil’s brain sluggishly began to turn over and his internal dialogue fought to crawl back to the land of coherent thought. The first snips of reality peppering in and out of cognizance were in a weird tableau of hazy screen shots that left him confused and utterly disoriented.

The first thing to really registered in the slow moving molasses of his mind was the soft pad of retreating steps.  The sound stood out in sharp contrast to everything else for some reason but he just couldn’t muster the energy to figure out why. No sooner had the thought entered his mind, than it was briskly whisked away with the invasion of light flashing over his closed eyelids.  

The residual ache behind his twinging optic nerves thrummed along with his heartbeat and forced him to shut down anything too complicated to process. Which didn’t leave him with much to work with except maybe breathing.  

Uhg,  what the hell? 

Shielding his eyes as the bright afterimages swirled about the inky darkness he wanted to marshal something from his flagged system to seek out and destroy the invasive luminescence.  Unfortunately that would involve ambulation and that too seemed beyond his current abilities.

A twing again.. Right, stick with breathing..   

Cautiously, he cracked open gritty eyes. Blinked repeatedly at the sting as they instantly began to water. A quick, foggy eyed glance about told him what he needed to know; location.  He was in his room, though how he actually got there was a blank in his memory.

From what little he could remember, he had been on the flight deck of Two running post flight checks when the first inclination of an oncoming migraine started to present itself.  After that, things grew very murky.  Tiny little blips of colour and texture.  A hard, cold surface, ebony richness, the scent of jasmine,  a soft lilting voice, a warm breath across his skin then there was nothing. 

Reaching up a hand to rub at the tension at his brow, a tug on his arm forced him to open his eyes again.  “..shit…” He softly cursed as he took note of the IV line and his eyes traced up the line to hazily take in the bag of saline hanging above the headboard. 

He’d really done it to himself this time and he was not looking forward to sorting this mess out once he was back on his feet.  With the way he was feeling though that was still a while off.   

Drawing in a deep, fortifying breath, Virgil heaved his torso off the bed with herculean effort and almost immediately regretted the action when the room started to spin and distort.  Maybe not one of his best ideas but considering what had transpired over the last so many hours he didn’t think he could possibly dig himself in any deeper than he already was. 

Swinging his legs off the side of the bed,  he leaned forward to rest his head in his hands, elbows braced firmly on his knees. He was intent on getting his ass out of bed and across the short distance to the his ensuite bathroom but as he looked up he almost groaned at how far away the door appeared to be. The temptation to just return to the soft confines of his bed was growing proportionately to his waning strength.  

Staring at the bathroom door just five feet from him, he willed his body to heed his mental commands.  Feet firmly planted and he readied muscles to bunch and push off when a hand landed on the back of his neck and a quiet voice whispered in his ear.

“And where do you think your going?”   

Flinching as the figure behind him scared the living shit out of him, Virgil found himself thumping to the floor with a not so very manly yelp.   Pressing his hand to his racing heart he cursed vehemently. 

“Well, good morning to you too.”  Kayo smiled leaning over the side of the bed and looking down at him.  “Don’t let Grandma hear you swear like that or she is liable to wash your mouth out with soap no matter what state your head is in.”

With the easy grace of someone who knew how to handle herself, Kayo unfurled herself from the bed and crouched down beside him.  “Come on, I’ll give you a hand.” 

All he could manage was a grunt.

Kayo tutted and ducked under his arm to help him up. He sometimes forgot how strong she wasn and in moments like these he was grateful for the practiced ease in which she used it. 

Settling him back on the edge of the bed, she unhooked the saline bag from the quick release.  her eyes concentrating on the task a little too hard for his liking.

There was a pensiveness about her that he knew well.  She was brooding and trying to figure out the best way to broach a subject that she was unsure of.  Not a good thing considering he had a pretty good idea what the content of her musings was.  

Reaching up he rubbed at the bridge of his nose and once again contemplated hermitting himself away for the next century. 

Her cool hands took hold of his forearm and pulled his hand away from his face.  Checking over the catheter, she made sure the valve for the quick release was securely closed and the small bit of line was fastened in place with an extra strip of medical tape. 

“Bathroom.”  She ordered and tugged on his arm

Back on his feet once more Kayo shuffled him off into the bathroom. She stayed a pace behind as he entered the cool confines of the tiled space and as she passed through the door, she adjusted the lights to low knowing his eyes would be sensitive to it for at least the rest of the day.  

While he took care of business, she turned the shower on and adjusted the controls. The muscles across his back tightened as the tension in the room grew  with each passing second. “In you get.”  She said once she was satisfied with the temperature but didn’t meet his eyes.

He obeyed with little complaint. He really didn’t have the energy to put up much of a fight and besides the idea the warm water washing away the sweat and easing his tired muscles did sound appealing.  

Looking down at himself he realized that he was still in his arming tunic from the other day and with a snarl he pulled it up and over his head. His boxer came next though the act of ditching those took some effort as he wobbled like a drunk on one leg. Kayo steadied him with a sturdy arm and he gave a nod of thanks. 

Naked and shivering as the cool air touched his sweaty skin he dragged in a breath, got a whiff of himself and instantly paled.  A lovely combination of sweat and vomit mingled in his nose and he winced as his stomach gave a retaliatory squeeze. 

Biting down on the impulse to toss his cookies again; like really there was anything in there to bring up, he forced his body to move and stepped under the warm spray of the shower. 

Soap, shampoo, rinse, repeat. Stand like a statue and drown.. Was that possible while in the shower?  

The stall door opened and Virgil groggily opened his eyes.  Probably not possible, he mused. Wow he really was out for lunch still. His thoughts were sluggish and random and head felt like it was floating above his body.  

“Out you get.”  Another order and she still wouldn’t meet his gaze. 

Damn it.

Stepping out she dried him off and wrapped a towel around his waist before leading him back to bed. He had to admit the shower was a good idea, it had helped a little though it had sapped what little he had left in the tank on reserve. 

A clean muscle shirt and boxers followed and she pulled back the sheets, an open invitation to get back in. 

Effort expended, he did as she silently asked and sank back into the softness of his bed.  

God, he was tired and he hated the lethargy that was going to dog him for the next few days.  This episode had been a bad one. He knew he had over extended himself but what choice had he had.  Lives had been at stake and if he could do something about it he was duty bound to step up to the plate, consequences be damned… or so he had thought. 

Pushing the pads his fingers into his eye sockets and tried not to let the continued strained silence get to him.  In his state, though his patience for waiting it out lasted a whole of thirty seconds.   “Kay…”

“I wish you wouldn’t push yourself so hard.”  She plowed right over him.  Flattened him by the tone of her voice, the worried edginess to her usually pleasing lilt. 

Crap on a cracker..  Virgil pulled a heavy breath into his lungs and the exhaustion weight down on him.  He was tempted to look and see who had placed the house on his back but the answer to that was obvious.  Himself.

Whatever his intentions at the beginning of all of this….several days ago, he hadn’t  intended on scaring her.  

He kicked himself with a groan. “Kay.  Look, I’m sorry I worried you.  It’s been a hard few days and I didn’t plan this…”

“That’s exactly the problem.”  Her green gaze shifted and lasered in on him.  “You push and push and push and completely forget that you’re human.”

She turned away from him, fusing with the saline bag as she hooked him back up again. Her handling of the IV rough and it was obvious even to his foggy brain that she was uncomfortable revealing this part of herself even to him.  “Do you know what it was like to see you like that?”  Her voice was a whisper but he heard it loud and clear as if she had used a bullhorn.  

With a bit more effort than he cared to admit, he grunted back to his feet and stepped towards her.  Reaching out he caught her hand in his and was dumbfounded to find it shaking.  

Words caught in his throat, he pulled her to him and wrapped her in his embrace. “I’m sorry.” He whispered in his ear, his voice rough as her shoulders quaked. Shit  “I’m sorry. God, I’m sorry. I’ll try harder but please don’t cry.”  

Her shoulders silently shuddered under him, the only sign that she would give of her distress and she buried her face into his neck. Her willowy arms encircling his waist and holding on tight as she tried to rein in her rampant emotions. 

Christ, he’d done it this time.  She never cried. He’d really scared her this time for her have become this upset.  

He would rather deal with her ire and scathing tongue.  Her anger was something he knew how to handle and something he much preferred. Tears though? From her?  He was at a complete loss.  

He would do better. He had to.  

He swept a comforting hand down the length of her back and brushed a kissed across her crown.  An unvoiced promise in his actions, he would do anything to make this right again. 

Energy flagging, he pulled her down to the bed with him and tucked her into his side. Comfort and sleep first then they would tackle figuring this out.  He would figure this out. 

The fading ache behind his eyes gave a little thump.  A friendly reminder of what happened when he neglected himself that he wasn’t soon to forget.   

After this he was sure he was going to have to contend with his big brother… Something that he didn’t look forward to considering the state that Kayo was in. 

Shit.... 

The End.

oOo      

Next post can be found HERE

The Master List of prompts can be found HERE