#also...... hope those fools release fools gold

[alexxgaskarth]

.

[miniy00ng1]

Not Yours pt.3

Five Hargreeves x Female!Reader

wc: 1896

warnings: swearing, fighting, death, lmk if i missed anything

part one, part two, and masterlist!

hii lovelies! i really loved writing auntie y/n and stanley in this chapter! im 95% sure next chapter will be the last, but i also thought part 2 would be before i started writing it lol. also at this point i think this is a semi slow burn??? but anyways i hope you enjoy, please give me feedback, and pls ignore any grammar errors! thank you <3

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It turns out babysitting your new “nephew”, who was also babysitting you, was a lot more fun than you thought it would be. Stanley told you that he needed to practice his karate skills and you decided to help him. Using your powers you change your appearance to mimic the boys, “Watch and learn Stanley.” You do a series of attacks as well as blocks. The boy looks at you in amusement, “This is so sick Auntie Y/N! I looked badass.” You switch back to your previous look, “No Stanley, I looked badass. You still look like a fool, keep practicing and you’ll get there eventually kid.”

“Oh shit, they’re here.” You hear Luther mutter from a table nearby. You look towards the door and see your siblings, minus Marcus, walk through the doors of the hotel in their matching outfits. “Have we always looked that stupid wearing those outfits?” You question aloud. “Nah, they look stupid but I bet you looked sick wearing that Auntie.” Stanley replies, standing next to you. “Stanley, I need you to stay out of the way okay? They said it was going to be peaceful but knowing them, I highly doubt that. So go hide or something and no matter what, don’t come out.” You usher the boy to the side of the lobby while he complains the whole time, saying that he could help. 

Once the boy is out of the way you join the two groups of siblings. “Give us the briefcase.” Allison spits out, glaring at the Sparrows in front of her. “Not until you give us Marcus and Y/N.” Ben replies with just as much venom. Allison grips your arm tightly, dragging you over to your siblings, “There’s one of them. Show the briefcase and you’ll get the other.” Ben grabs your arm and passes you off to Sloane who examines you quickly for any signs of injury. “That wasn’t the deal. But since you can’t seem to produce Marcus, I guess the deal’s off.” Your eyes widen in realization of what’s about to happen and you shout, “Run!”

A yell from behind the Umbrellas distracts everyone, in comes Stanley with a molotov cocktail, “Molotov this, bitches!” Diego whips around at the sound of his son’s voice, “Stanley! Not now.” The boy stops his tracks and drops the molotov cocktail causing it to shatter and ignite a nearby sign. You watch as your siblings begin to power up while the Umbrellas are distracted. Diego is fast on his feet and tosses Stanley behind the bar out of harms way before Christopher uses his powers to stun the Umbrellas bringing them to the ground. Ben waves his hand, signalling to finish the Umbrellas off. You fall to your knees and squeeze your eyes shut, not being able to watch the family be killed.

You then hear screams of agony but they’re not coming from the Umbrella Academy. You look up to see an elderly man release a vibrant gold pulse from his body, knocking Ben and Fei to the ground and killing Jayme and Alphonso instantaneously. “Fall back!” Ben yells in pain, rushing out the door with Fei and Christopher. You look in horror at the mutilated bodies of your siblings who have been left behind and crawl over to them. You let out a scream of anguish as you grab ahold of their hands, bringing them to your chest and letting sobs rack your body. Sloane wraps her arms around you from behind, crying into your back. You gently unwrap Sloane’s hands from your body and move out of the way, letting her hold your dead siblings. You rise from the ground slowly before turning and running full speed at the man who murdered Jayme and Alphonso. Viktor manages to grab ahold of you before you can attack the guy, “Let me at the bastard! Let me go Viktor! I’m going to kill this monster!” You struggle against Viktor’s grasp before Diego takes over leading you out of the lobby and into an empty room.

Sloane joins you minutes later with Luther. “Get the hell out of here Luther.” You hiss teeth clenched together. The man nods and leaves you two alone. The two of you are sitting on the couch holding each other, you stroke Sloane’s hair while she sobs into your arms. “I’m so grateful you’re alive Sloane.” You whisper in her ear. Sloane nods her head and proceeds to cry harder. The girl pulls away from you, “Do you think I could have a moment alone please?” You nod getting up to leave, you glance at the crying girl once more before leaving.

You decide to roam the halls to empty your head. You’ve cleared four floors before running into someone. Stanley rushes out of a room clearly panicked, “Oh hey Auntie Y/N. What’re you doing on this floor? We should go to level five, I heard it’s got a great view!” The boy grabs your hand trying to lead you away from the room he just exited. You pull your hand out of his grip and make a tutting noise, “Absolutely not kid. You’re being suspicious. What the hell did you do?” Stanley looks at you as if he’s about to cry, “I swear I didn’t mean to! It was an accident, it just went off.” Stanley opens the door to the suite and there lies Klaus Hargreeves with a hole in his chest and no signs of life. “Please don’t be mad at me Auntie. Oh my god, what am I going to do. I’m going to go to jail.” The boy cries. You hush him, “Don’t worry kid, I’m not mad. We’re going to fix this. First, I need you to find acid, we’ve got to dissolve the body and get cleaning supplies too–there’s a lot of blood. In the meantime, I’ll wrap the body in the carpet. Do you think I can pretend to be Klaus and myself for the rest of our lives?” You send Stanley on his way and get to work.

After half an hour, Stanley returns with Diego, “Holy shit, what did you do?” “It was an accident! Auntie Y/N and I were going to take care of it! You said you wouldn’t be mad at me.” Stanley whines. Diego’s eyes dart between you and Stanley then at the bottle of acid in Stanley’s arms. “You were going to dissolve the body?” Diego exclaims in realization. “It was her idea!” Stanley exclaims, pointing his finger with accusation. “What the hell kid? You kill someone and I try to be the good guy and help get rid of the body and you snitch on me!” You throw your hands up in exasperation. “It doesn’t matter whose idea it was, we’ve got to move him before someone finds out.” Diego states with a sense of urgency. The three of you manage to get Klaus’ body into the elevator. It’s quiet and awkward in the enclosed space but not for long. Klaus jerks awake taking in a deep breath of air. You all scream at his sudden movement. “I thought you said he was dead puta!” Stanley yells in distress. Diego grips his heart, “He was! And now you know Spanish? Klaus we thought you were dead.” Klaus nods his head looking down at his chest. “Oh thank goodness, I thought I was going to have to be you for the rest of my life.” You let out a sigh of relief and help Klaus out of the carpet when the doors open. You all walk out as if none of the past hour had occurred and beeline towards the bar where the rest of that Hargreeves sit.

“Fuck Five, pour me a shot.” You say exhausted. Lila and Five explain their findings at the Commission and how the world will be ending in a couple of days. “Make it a double, would you Five?” You tune the siblings arguing out as they follow Viktor to question him more about Harlan. You happily stay at the bar downing a few more shots before grabbing the full bottle. Five and Klaus join you back at the bar taking your bottle and pouring shots for themselves. You pay no mind to the conversation between the brothers until Five gets up and tells you that you’re going on an adventure.

The two of you end up at a sketchy bar where Five tells you to wait for him outside.It’s not long before he rushes out and forces you onto motorcycle. You snake your arms around his middle as he speeds off. You guys finally arrive at a trailer getting off of the stolen bike to speak with whoever Five was following. Five approaches the lady sitting on a couch outside of the trailer, she seems to be giving him a hard time so you take it upon yourself and go invisible. Once invisible, you waltz right inside the trailer only to see a very familiar face. “Pogo! I’ve missed you so much!” You say with excitement, wrapping your arms around the chimp. “It’s been a long time indeed, even longer as I still can’t see you.” The chimp replies, reminding you that you are still invisible. You show yourself, a big smile on your face. “Five come inside. I can’t believe you didn’t tell me we were chasing Pogo the whole time.” You call out to Five, motioning from the door to come in. The woman from earlier looks at you confused, wondering how you managed to sneak into the trailer. 

You sit down on a small couch at the front of the trailer so Five and Pogo can talk. Five shows the tattooed skin to Pogo, explaining everything that’s been going on. In return, Pogo gives Five information on Reginald and his schemes. “I guess we should get a move on and get that thing inked on me.” Five says sighing and moving to sit next to you on the couch. “Are you sure about that?” Pogo questions. “I don’t think destiny really cares if I’m sure or not.” Five states blatantly. Five has already taken off his blazer and it loosening his tie. “Um…Five…Where is that tattoo going?” You ask blushing as he now starts to work on the buttons of his shirt. Five leans close to you and whispers so only you can hear, “Aren’t you eager to find out Darling?” 

Five blinks you back to Hotel Obsidian where you are immediately bombarded by a freaked out Diego and Lila. They drag you to the room where Klaus died and talked about an alternative hotel with monster samurais. In their whole explanation, they also mention that Stanley was kugelblitzed right it front of them. “My poor, poor sweet nephew. Curse the damn thing that took him. Five you have to figure out how to fix this, the thing ate my nephew.” You cry, clearly upset that the kugelblitz got Stanley. Five looks at you strangely, trying to figure out when you became so close with the boy. Luther and Sloane enter the suite asking the four of you to meet at the Sparrow Academy in an hour as Ben has called for a family meeting. You agree on behalf of everyone in the room, hoping to figure a way to get Stanley back.

taglist:

@ohmyitsfaith @clairoscharm @mel-vaz

[taylorswiftandx]

Taylor Swift and Myth/Legend/Fantasy

Note: huge thank you to @meandmypagancrew who collaborated with me on this post! This one is very subjective - I ultimately chose to include references specifically relating to the story elements of religion/myth/legend/fantasy/tales, in order to determine what to include here versus what appears on TS and Religious Words/References. TS and Literary References may also be of interest.

'Taylor Swift'

Picture to Burn: State the obvious, I didn’t get my perfect fantasy

'Fearless (Taylor's Version)'

White Horse: I’m not a princess, this ain’t a fairytale

The Best Day: Don’t know if Snow White’s house is near or far away

The Best Day: It’s the age of princesses and pirate ships and the seven dwarves

Today Was A Fairytale: Today was a fairytale

'Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)’'

Long Live: I had the time of my life fighting dragons with you

Superman: I watch superman fly away

'Red (Taylor's Version)'

State Of Grace: These are the hands of fate, you’re my Achilles heel

'1989 (Taylor’s Version)'

You Are In Love: You understand now why they lost their minds and fought the wars

Now That We Don’t Talk: You part the crowd like the Red Sea, don’t even get me started

Suburban Legends: I didn’t come here to make friends, we were born to be suburban legends

Suburban Legends: I had the fantasy that our mismatched star signs would surprise the whole school

'reputation'

I Did Something Bad: They’re burning all the witches even if you aren’t one

'Lover'

(no myths/legends)

'folklore'

invisible string: Isn’t it just so pretty to think all along there was some invisible string tying you to me?

invisible string: A string that pulled me out of all the wrong arms right into that dive bar

mad woman: And women like hunting witches too

'evermore'

willow: As if you were a mythical thing

champagne problems: Your Midas touch on the Chevy door

gold rush: My mind turns your life into folklore

ivy: I wish to know the fatal flaw that makes you long to be magnificently cursed

cowboy like me: Now you hang from my lips like the Gardens of Babylon

'Midnights'

Anti-Hero: Sometimes I feel like everybody is a sexy baby and I’m a monster on the hill

Labyrinth: Lost in the labyrinth of my mind

Would’ve Could’ve Should’ve: I would’ve stayed on my knees and I damn sure would’ve never danced with the devil at nineteen

Dear Reader: When you aim at the devil, make sure you don’t miss

You’re Losing Me: I’m getting tired, even for a phoenix

'The Tortured Poets Department'

So Long, London: I saw in my mind fairy lights through the mist

But Daddy I Love Him: Screaming, "But, daddy, I love him"

Guilty as Sin?: These fatal fantasies giving way to labored breath

Guilty as Sin?: If it's make believe, why does it feel like a vow we'll both uphold somehow?

Guilty as Sin?: What if I roll the stone away? They're gonna crucify me anyway

Clara Bow: Beauty is a beast that roars down on all fours demanding more

The Albatross: Locked me up in towers, but I'd visit in your dreams

How Did It End?: My beloved ghost and me, sitting in a tree, D-Y-I-N-G

I Hate It Here: And in my fantasies I rise above it

thanK you aIMee: I pushed each boulder up the hill

thanK you aIMee: So I pushed each boulder up that hill

The Prophecy: Cards on the table, mine play out like fools in a fable, oh, it was sinking in

The Prophecy: Poison blood from the wound of the pricked hand

Cassandra: So, they killed Cassandra first 'cause she feared the worst and tried to tell the town

Cassandra: I was in my tower weaving nightmares

Peter: Forgive me, Peter, my lost fearless leader

Peter: And the shelf life of those fantasies has expired

Peter: Lost to the Lost Boys chapter of your life

The Bolter: But none if it is changing that the chariot is waiting

The Manuscript: He said, "No, just a good samaritan"

Other Songs written by Taylor

Beautiful Ghosts: Is this hope just a mystical dream?

Crazier: I was trying to fly but I couldn’t find wings

Official Alternate Releases

Cassandra (Clean Version): When it's "Burn the witch" they're shrieking

[headfulloflettuce]

The Human Who Fooled all Of Prythian

12. The Day Fern Died

Warning: abuse (because we didn't have enough reasons to hate Beron already)

Hello! I present thee with a new perspective within the story : D 

Also I named Eris’s three brothers and the Lady of Autumn Court, because I can’t keep them nameless throughout the whole plot.

As for other announcements, this can also be read on ao3 :D

“Father it’s impossible for a human to have escaped.”

“Are you questioning me?”

“Of course not, but we must consider the situation logically-”

“Oh I am seeing the situation logically.” Beron turned to face his son, his eyes feral from anger, “You allowed your toy to escape with a prisoner. Do you realize how that looks?”

“I am sure she isn’t actually gone-”

“She sure looks fucking gone.” Beron snarled, another guard that was on duty last night going up in flames. Screaming.

Eris kept a calm gaze, glancing at his mother who was trembling.

He really had to drag the whole family out for this?

“What do you have to say for yourself, Eris?” Beron’s voice was eerily quiet as he gazed at the empty cell. 

“I have no defense father.” Eris bowed, lowering his gaze. 

“So you’re admitting to being an idiot who just permitted his human toy to make a fool out of all of us?” Beron growled. 

Eris yelped, having no time to react as his father grabbed his head, slamming him into the wall of the dungeon. Eris went still as a flame was held close to his face.

“Next time I will ensure that the soldiers standing guard are not so careless as to abandon their posts.” Eris said, his ears ringing from the impact.

“Nex time…” Beron chuckled, slamming his fist into Eris’s stomach. 

Eris gasped, the flames licking Beron’s hand sending a searing pain through his body.

“Tell me son, will there be a next time?”

Eris’s eyes widened as a wave of flames sent him flying into another wall. His three brothers quietly stood to the side, looking anywhere but him or Beron.

“No sir.” Eris said, sat up, grabbing his side. His tunic had turned red from the burns.

“Did I give you permission to get up?” Beron’s smile disappeared, tilting his head to look at his eldest.

Eris froze, “No sir-” he cried out as he felt flames envelop his body. Not enough to kill, but enough to hurt. To mutilate.

“High Lord, please-”

He could hear his mother’s voice crying, begging. Begging never helped with Beron, yet she tried anyway. She always tried for his and Lucien’s sake. 

“Silence woman!”

“Your son did nothi-”

“Demitri hold your dolt of a mother back.”

“No!” Hestia was pulled back by Eris’s second youngest brother.

Eris gritted his teeth as the fire got hotter. His own abilities stirring in his veins, begging to be released, to fight back. 

Not yet.

Eris forced his flames down. They screamed in protest wanting to burn the man he called father to the ground.

It wasn’t the right time yet.

“Please!” Hestia cried, pushing Demitri away, grabbing Beron’s arm, hissing as the flames hit her instead.

“Would you rather get hurt in his place?” Beron broke eye contact with Eris to look at his wife.

She shook her head.

“No…please…anything. I’ll do anything. Just don’t hurt him.”

Why would you say that mother?

“Anything?” Beron smirked, his hand surprisingly gentle as he stroked Hestia’s cheek.

An expression of fear flashed across Hestia’s face but was quickly replaced with resignation.

“Anything.” she repeated.

“Hmm…” he hummed, running a hand through her auburn hair. 

Eris could see the wheels turning in his father’s head. 

“Alright.” a wicked smile spread across Beron’s face, his voice mockingly sweet, “I’ll indulge you just this once darling.”

His mother retained a neutral expression, but her discomfort was visible in the tension of her body.

“As for you.” Beron’s voice turned cold, looking down at Eris, “You better hope that human is still within our grounds, as you are going to hunt it down like you were supposed to in that damn forest or I'll personally ensure that you repay those 11,000 gold you wasted on it with your blood.”

“Yes sir.” Eris responded, his voice even. Rage bubbled under the surface as he watched his father drag his mother away. The bastard always knew how to get to him. It wasn’t by hurting him, it was through their mother. 

Granted, Eris wasn’t about to complain that he didn’t get tortured again. The last time he sustained a little too many injuries for his comfort.

Meeting the Night Court’s inner circle after getting tortured sucked.

Eris stood up, wincing as the burns ached. He hated how his legs trembled.

A sign of weakness.

Aurelius sauntered over, “You know if you had let me have the toy, none of this would have happened.”

Eris withheld a snarl. Aurelius had always been like this. Barks like a dog when Beron isn’t around, yet obedient as a pup when the High Lord was present. 

Aurelius was a coward.

Just like me.

“Hell, I would have treated her better than you did.”

“Lies. You kill them once you beat the remaining desire to live out of them.”

Aurelius snorted, “If they can’t handle a little beating, why let them live? Survival of the fittest and all that. Besides, you literally had her whipped. Just admit you enjoyed watching her squirm.”

Eris narrowed his eyes at his brother, “That whipping was a mere punishment to remind her of the consequences to undesired actions. It wasn’t torture.”

It was.

Eris had been trying to convince himself that it had been necessary, but the more time passed the more he thought that argument was weak.

“She would have lived a comfortable life under my care. I think she was too pretty to kill quickly. Seriously, why’d you give a thing like her a job?”

Tasks keep us sane.

Eris walked past Aurelius, ignoring him.

“You know, you should really be more talkative with your own kin.” Aurelius laughed, pulling out a knife to try and stab Eris in the back.

You forget Aurelius, that you are not Beron.

Eris dodged, despite his injuries, grabbing Aurelius by the arm and slamming him into the ground.

I don’t have to bow down to you.

Eris kicked his brother in the ribs, making Aurelius cry out in pain.

Mother will probably lecture me about this.

‘You shouldn’t hurt your brothers.’

Wonderful ideology mother, but it falls apart when those same brothers try to kill me or Lucien.

He grabbed Aurelius by the hair, slamming him into the wall for good measure, leaning into his brother’s ear.

“Keep your eyes and grimey paws off of things that don’t belong to you Aurelius.”

Aurelius struggled, a small whimper escaping as Eris summoned a ball of fire, holding it close to his brother’s neck.

“I need to hear an answer brother.” Eris crooned.

“Y-Yes.”

“Good boy.” Eris released him, making the flames disappear, watching as Aurelius scampered away. Rowan and Demitri had long disappeared.

Eris sighed. He would need to check in with the two later. Demitri would probably be off sulking in the garden while Rowan would probably go train.

He made a stop at his office, taking off his bloodied tunic and pulling out fresh bandages. Carefully disinfecting the wound and cleaning off the burnt skin he wrapped them around himself. He was lucky to have an affinity for fire, the injuries were way less severe than they could have been otherwise.

 Eris got dressed in more proper attire, leaving to investigate Fern’s trail.

Eris was many things. A sadist, a politician, an heir; but he was no idiot, regardless of what those Night Court pricks claimed. 

However, seeing an empty bed and no sign of Fern made him reconsider that title. Eris felt one of his dogs gently nudge his foot, pushing him deeper into the room.

If you could even call it that. 

The room was more like a closet. There was just enough room for a tiny bed and a small side cabinet. Eris sat down on the mattress, wincing from pain. His father always knew how to send a message.

Eris sighed, this situation was bad. Beron was pissed, his brothers had the leverage for once, and the fact that a human escaped was a serious insult to their family’s power. Not only escaped, but managed to break out with a fae prisoner. It was honestly laughable. Eris cringed, recalling how the guards responsible for the mistake had been burnt alive. One by one.

He looked around the ���room’. No human was supposed to be able to escape.

Yet she did it. Were our defenses truly so terrible that even a human thwarted us?

He closed his eyes. 

She smiled back, her green eyes full of hatred. No, sadness? Emptiness? He could never pinpoint what she felt.

‘So you’d rather be a coward.’

Eris had to acknowledge the human’s bravery. To be able to speak her mind despite her circumstances, Fern was either a saint or extremely stupid. 

‘If you fix this, I will give you a kiss.’

He laughed. Such naivety. As if something so simple could motivate him. 

Eris opened up the cabinet to find a medicine ointment and countless bloody bandages. He frowned. 

How much blood did she lose due to her punishments? I treated her after the worst of cases, it shouldn’t have gotten this bad.

He gently picked up the bandages, examining their matted state. Why not throw them out? Why keep-The realization hit.

She was reusing them.

Eris had to stop himself from gagging at the thought.

How the hell did she not die from an infection?

He looked at the bandages closer.

Wait…these aren’t bandages. It’s a sheet?

Eris looked at the bed next to him, lifting up the thin blanket - small scraps of the sheet below had been expertly torn up into rectangular shapes.

To be used as bandages.

His grip tightened around the bandage, one of his hounds licking at the dried blood.

Eris put his face into his hands - she hadn't deserved that injury. She was still recovering from her previous burns.

It was my fault.

She didn’t deserve any of the scars she carried.

I should have been better.

Eris couldn’t tell if he was thinking of his mother or Fern.

Eris had left the room, stuffing one of Fern’s dresses and the bloodied rags into a bag, his hounds following him. 

It was a perfect time for a walk.

The sun had come out, letting its rays cast beautiful shadows in the hallway. Eris smiled, the soft scent of cinnamon wafted through the air as the maids prepared snacks for the remaining guests from yesterday’s ball. Eris felt a small laugh escape him. He loved Autumn, its colors, its bold nature and foods. At the same time he hated its attitude, its brutality and cruelty. 

What a wonderful heir I am, so conflicted about my own damn birthplace.

Eris paused as he stepped out onto the palace grounds, walking past the training fields. He could see Rowan swinging a sword, practicing on a dummy. Eris couldn’t help the small smile on his lips. Rowan had always worked hard, trying to impress their father, their mother, and eventually his brothers.

Beron didn’t care, only showing satisfaction because it meant another pawn could bite an enemy if necessary. Their brothers saw his training as another challenge, and mother…

Eris was no fool. He knew his mother had favorites, not that he blamed her. However, such favoritism hurt kids that hadn’t asked for any of this. Eris quickly shoved such thoughts down into the back of his mind. Empathy had no place in the game of politics. Eris tilted his head, observing Rowan’s swings. He had come a long way from his childhood, becoming a masterful swordsman. 

If only their own parents could see that.

Eris walked to the forest, his curiosity taking over as he had his hounds try and follow the human’s scent. The trail was direct at first, a clear line to the Winter Court’s border through the mountain pass, yet the further they walked the more the dogs paused trying to relocate the scent. 

Fern got lucky.

Normally a scent would remain for longer in colder temperatures, but due to the winds and overnight snowstorm in Winter Court finding and tracking the scent accurately became harder.

Why Winter and not Spring?

Spring would have been an ideal escape route. The variety of flowers and plants would have hidden hers and the fae’s scent well.

You should thank me human, as I am feeling generous.

Eris dropped the maid dress he brought onto the ground, stepping on it, covering it in mud. 

If you were truly smart Fern you would have done this yourself. 

He looked at his dogs, gesturing to the dress, “Play.” 

They obeyed, bounding forward jumping on the dress and biting at it, leaving scratches and tear marks. The perfect disguise for a struggle.

“Back.”

The hounds immediately stepped back, watching Eris as he leaned down and rubbed the bloodied bandages onto the uniform as much as he could, adding water to the dry blood to let it come off. Stepping back he looked at the dress, nodding in approval.

Eris stared into the red forest before him.

I envy you Fern.

He breathed in, letting the sounds of Autumn wash over him. He could almost hear Lucien’s voice in the trees as they played hide and seek. Rowan’s cheers when he caught a deer the first time Eris took him hunting. Aurelius and Demitri fully prepared to wrestle a brown bear that Eris was trying to spook away using fire. Their mother’s voice scolding them gently as they ventured too deep into the thicket.

You’re free. 

Eris wished he could fly.

Free to do what you want. Free to go home.

He exhaled.

I have a duty to this Court.

A mantra he had ingrained into his heart. 

Or was it Beron that had beaten it into me?

Eris turned back, dragging the dress along the ground, whistling for his hounds to follow.

“The human is dead.” Eris’s voice was cold as he stood before his father. He always hated Beron’s office. Despite the warm colors it felt too saturated and cold.

“Dead?” Beron raised an eyebrow, “What is your proof?”

Eris threw the maid dress onto the floor, “This. I am sure you can smell the human stench on it.”

Beron nodded, the human scent coming from the dress was undeniable.

“My dogs tracked her down. It wasn’t too difficult.” Eris smiled, channeling all the charm he possessed, “The poor thing had been going in circles. Truly a stupid human.” he mocked for good measure.

Feed his ego.

“So you disposed of her?” Beron stared at the dress.

“I couldn’t sully my own hands, father.” Eris chuckled, “I gave that honor to the hounds; they were hungry for a midday snack. Although, I am worried they’ll get indigestion now.”

Feed his violent impulses.

Beron smiled, satisfied by the result, “Good. A dead human is better than a living one. Now what of the fae?”

“Ah…” Eris scrunched up his face, “I am afraid…I couldn’t bring back any evidence.”

“Why is that?” Beron’s voice hardened.

Eris chuckled, “My dogs left none.”

“Perfect.” Beron purred.

Eris couldn’t tell if Beron bought his surface level lie, or if he was playing some other game.

For my fucking sake Fern, I hope you live and never return to this hell.

Next: Chapter 13 - Welcome to Winter Court

Back: Chapter 11 - Up-And-Coming Actress

Masterlist

Tag list: @rcarbo1

[bartholomew-junior]

@azriel23 here it is! sorry for the wait!

1 . i think the fact that felix was able to give an npc so much depth is v impressive, and he has so much swag. he’s a coward in battle and very emotionally open and just kind of helpful and kind, and i feel like in an environment like in the bellowing wilds, those traits would be overplayed and downplayed respectively, which makes him feel like a “”less useful”” person, which gives him issues surrounding his worth which he later takes the time to resolve (most mentally stable fools gold group member) and then later helps masika. aghh. i think the trans ohio jack hc is also cool

4 . old kind of pulp novel that’s the size of a hand that kind of rips off indiana jones but once u read it u have a transcendent life experience cuz the author’s worldbuilding is fantastic. basically the marrying of the indy jones aesthetic and dnd. i think it would kick ass, especially if u give every1 their respective aesthetic.

9 . i feel like this man’s politeness caused by his anxiety mixed with his overall laziness would make for a,,, very confusing combo? like i’d trust him to organize the fridge and help me w work, but i dunno if he could efficiently clean up his messes, but he’d def keep to himself and his side of the apartment. yes, i’d def room w this guy cuz he’s atleast polite about it and he has good vibes.

12 . earlier, i mentioned the trans ohio jack hc, which i think is good and fun, but the thing with xanu where he just,, pushed jack along in finding the foreclaimers for god knows how long keeps nagging at me. like,,, do you think jack felt like a fish out of water once xanu’s influence was removed? i would if my “”life’s purpose”” was just taken out via my abdomen. anyway i think offscreen erina brews jack’s testosterone cypionate and doesn’t bill him for it.

23 . uhhhhh this one from ep. 4. no reason other than vibes and the fact his expression is comical

summary: he’s a fungi (get it. fun guy) and i hope when the full dating sim releases people speedrun romancing him. for fun.

[alyjojo]

Next Major Life Change 🏃🏻‍♀️ - April 2024 - Scorpio

Meditation: You had a halo of pentacles 🪙 surrounding you, and everything you touched turned to gold. You had a joyful time skipping about and turning random things into gold, some of which were more along the lines of mischievous & playful, but also helpful to those that needed it. When you would try to pick up the golden “riches” you’d created though, they’d turn to sand in your hands. I’m getting heavy 8th House energy here, your natural domicile. Taurus rules over finances, real estate, 2nd House - what’s MINE - and their North/South Nodes have intense lessons regarding hoarding and needing to share. Your riches are meant to be shared, we, us, whether by marriage, inheritance, the stock market & sales (other people’s money), and the like. Scorpio NN/SN has intense lessons in releasing possessions & people, death & transformation - finding peace in a more minimalist way of living - because materialism never was your style. At the end of the meditation, you were sulking in a corner, not using your gifts, because you couldn’t see that it’s by doing for others that you get to share in the abundance you create…just don’t touch it 🤷 Or…claim it?

What It Is: First Light 🌅, Discovering Truth 🔍 (bottom), Birth (Venus Cancer) with Axe 🪓 rev, 4 Cups, The Fool, 10 Swords, The Moon, Resistance (Mercury Taurus), Fear

“Beginning a new cycle.”

“You stand in the light of truth.”

“If you want to be free of fears and phobias, then you have to understand why they exist, and make peace with them.”

There’s a very positive message here, and it’s acknowledging you’ve been betrayed, hurt, never even saw this shit coming. You’re at the doorway of a new beginning, or just having walked through it, you’re resentful and resistant to it - because you didn’t choose it. You were forced. Everyone knows to not try and force a Scorpio to do anything, but Spirit can, and will, because 4 Cups shows you wouldn’t have. You’d have chosen to stick it out with something that wasn’t in line with what’s meant for you…it was The Devil and you didn’t even realize it. Still probably don’t, not to its full extent, but you will - Discovering Truth becomes more prevalent with time, and you’ll see that this new beginning was necessary for your happiness. For now though, you’re kicking grass at Spirit with your arms folded, sitting in a corner, “not using your gifts”, because you’re upset at how things have changed in your world, it’s a form of mourning what is lost…it’s normal. There’s a lot of fear in you about what comes next, you don’t trust people and you probably don’t even trust Spirit at this point, because wtf. You’re meant to be where you are right now, resistant, pissed off, resentful, all of that, it’s part of it. Birth with the Axe 🪓 rev shows to not cut off everyone around you, don’t cut off family and the people that truly love you - because one person (I assume) hurt you. If you have kids, they could play a role in your healing as well. Some of these fears could involve children, that could take many forms, only you’d know.

Why It’s Happening: The Hermit, 9 Cups, 3 Wands, 2 Cups

You’ve been alone, even when you’re in a crowd you’ve felt alone. Getting more in tune with Spirit, even if you’re cursing their name, you still have the hope that there’s something out there for you that will make you forget about this bs, and there is. Not yet. You’re waiting for your dream person, your soulmate, connection, everything you’ve ever wanted in the form of some person - I’m not getting anyone in particular I just assume it’s open to interpretation. All of your alone time and energy has been spent fixated on love, waiting for love, your dream person is going to show up one day and you’re over here sitting by yourself with your arms folded - resistant to even leaving the house to make yourself available to them. To even find you. How are they supposed to? They’re not going to climb through your window, and if they did you’d probably SHOOT them because AHH 😱 Didn’t I get that message for you before? 😆

Advice: The Devil rev with Pearl of Wisdom, The High Priestess, The World, Queen of Pentacles rev & Capable

“You can deal successfully with whatever challenges and circumstances arise.”

Love isn’t where your head needs to be, it’s keeping you stuck. Allow it to surprise you, I’m getting that you don’t have a choice otherwise. The focus needs to be more on acceptance of this betrayal situation that’s still heavily affecting you, releasing that Devil to the wind and seeing that this happened *for* you, not *to* you. The right person can’t come in with this other one hovering in your energy, they’ll pick up on the ick vibes and bounce. They need you as you, happy, whole, independent, working on yourself. Spirit is being secretive with The High Priestess, because even in readings people don’t gots ta know about your business. You know what’s toxic, you know what keeps you stuck, that’s what the Pearl of Wisdom is about - your own intuition basically telling you to “get your shit together”, and do it for you. Financially, you could have a hard time and the focus needs to be on work, that was the message I was getting before I even started shuffling. Work and bettering yourself, doing things for yourself, feeling secure in yourself, by yourself. Queen of Pentacles rev is describing you, upright she cooks, cleans, works her butt off, she’s scheduled, structured, and resourceful, she handles anything life throws at her and makes it look easy. Rev she could be doing things only for what they give her, materially focused with little effort, greedy, and she does not got this - she just lets her responsibilities fall to the wayside like it’s not her job - The World shows this ending, and Capable shows you have everything you need to make something a success, you can flip this Queen’s energy at any time, just decide to and do it. You could have been dealing with some toxic Capricorn energy in another person or have this affecting you/your chart somehow - The World shows once that ends, consciously, your new beginning waits.

Separately - Ace of Cups, King of Cups, The Star & Accomplishment 💙

“Remember past accomplishments as a way to overcome present self-doubt.

The side note here is very uplifting. Ace of Cups (new love) is coming to King of Cups (healthy & mature you), that will bring healing and show you your right path (The Star). Some could meet a Twin Flame that changes your whole life, they tend to come in like a wrecking ball, when they do. Not everyone, most will be meeting someone that makes them see why this had to happen, which is Spirit’s whole point. Why settle for a cup when you could have the whole ocean? 🌊 That analogy is specific for someone. It starts with a Cup and you’ll see how amazing things can be, you’ll feel proud of yourself for having gone through this and everything you’ll accomplish, and you’ll be a much happier, healthier, more mature version of you - one that is worth the effort to deeply love. King of Cups is nothing to sneeze at, he is a caretaker of the heart and will protect his and yours too, some of you could be meeting someone like this, could be another water sign. It’s Scorpio energy. You’ll see much more clearly what it is you want and deserve, from a mature & wise perspective, and you’ll keep moving in the directions you’re meant to move - and no one or nothing is against you, you have all of the spiritual support 💯

[doctorweebmd]

Emoji asks! ✨️⛔️💖💌 And don't worry about talking too much--I love hearing about process, so the longer the better, tbh!

👀 ahhh anjum i hope you don't regret those words this I...uh.... listen this got away from me but also. THANK YOU. it was a blast. sincerely. and also i'm sorry ahead of time.

✨️ - Give you and your writing a compliment. Go on now. You know you deserve it. 😉

Uh. 😳 Wow this question made me realize how much easier it is to criticize your own writing than it is to compliment it. Thank you for this question my self-critical ass needs it lmao

I'm definitely a more character-driven writer, so my focus is on making their emotions as real as possible. I want it to feel like you can see through their eyes, like you can feel their pain, or their excitement, or their fear. I want people to feel really connected to characters through they very human emotions. So I tend to focus a lot on that - on character self-reflection and detailed descriptions of everything and anything that come with certain emotions. its one of the reasons i'm fond of writing pretty detailed and emotional porn. i dont want it to feel like a 'fade to black' scene from a movie, you know? or a scripted porno. i want to portray that nervousness, the embarrassment, the jitters and thrills of first times - something that doesn't have to look 'perfect' but still be beautiful. i think that's kind of the strong-point of my writing.

for that same reason, i take a lot of pride in trying to keep characters as 'in character' as possible. keep their personalities consistent and consider what they would do or how they would react IF that still stays true to them. i really try not sand them down or take away their sharp edges to fit a story, rather make the story fit around the characters. does that make sense?

i think my humor is pretty solid. and the storylines are engaging; some even pretty unique, although nothing world-changing. also, low key, i'm probably one of the best writers in the sskk fandom right now. and YET. these bitches are sleeping on me. smh

⛔️ - Do you have a fic you started, but scrapped?

Ooh, yeah, a couple! Most notably:

Fools Gold. Yikes. I really do hate leaving fics unfinished but I have minimal interest in continuing it. If you wanna know how it ends... (spoilers for a fic that may never be written) The tape recorder data gets accidentally 'erased.' Shinsou gives a different code to Katsuki and Kirishima, and by them having different dates on their secret codes and a planned sabotage going wrong, we know that one of them is the traitor. There's a lot of dissent but Izuku believes its a mistake. We find out that Katsuki was always jealous of Izuku's life - he hated modeling, and actually took one of his online classes not that long ago. They get closer, more marathon sex, real feelings, etc. Izuku confesses to Katsuki, but Katsuki's like - no, I have to be with your dad, I'm so close to my goal, and Izuku is shitty, making an ultimatum. Katsuki still leaves him. Kirishima to the rescue, he asks him on a date, they kiss, Katsuki is livid. As Kirishima and Izuku get closer, Kirishima confesses that he's the traitor, and that Izuku needs to stop what he's doing. Izuku doesn't, gets framed for everything, stock prices of the company go into the TANK. But. You see. Mei actually buys like all the stocks and they end up majority company owners, then they release all the proof GATHERED BY KATSUKI that his dad is guilty. Izuku gets all his money, dad goes to jail, Izuku and Katsuki travel the world on a sail-boat, they invest in all their friend's businesses and everyone's happy except Hisashi cause fuck him. The end.

A character study internal monologue of Katsuki's death (lol.) 400 words of eh.

Intersecting Lines Sequel - 500 words of also eh. Five years after Izuku defeats Sovereign, he gets a distress call from Cosmix saying that Leviathan was undercover and has since gone missing. Izuku and Katsuki travel to America and ALSO go undercover, uncovering a huge conspiracy and temporarily being pitted against one another. This is 100% never gonna happen.

Uh... I forgot I even started writing this one? 2.3k words. Quirkless!Izuku Shiketsu AU who is the #4 hero, Izuku is an asshole to Katsuki and he's into it, they start hooking up in an unhealthy and violent way and play mind-games with each other by dating each other's friends and just being awful. i actually think this was my first iteration of zero-sum.

Those are the only ones i've scrapped!

💖 - What made you start writing?

I all started the day I was born, 199 -

Just kidding. I think my story is much like other people's stories on here. I was kinda a lonely kid. I'd spend all my free time making up stories by myself, reading books, drawing. I got super into anime as a preteen and would visit roleplaying chats (i think it was yahoo chats... anyone remember that?) and play Sailor Senshi with my friends and created OCs and started writing my own manga (lol) The first actual 'story' I think I came up with was age 12-14ish? It was an self-insert OC in a Sailor Moon x Dragon Ball Z crossover universe. I posted it somewhere maybe on livejournal? And one person really liked it and we became penpals (no stranger danger just my 12 year old unsupervised ass giving out my address to randos online) and we sent each other letters and I sent her updates and we talked about the story and it was so much fun!

Actually this made me break out my memory box, a couple of USBs and my external harddrive to see what I still had saved and WOW. Its just. I found one of the letters she sent a picture FROM 2004!!! YOU HAVE TO BE KIDDING ME LISTEN TO THIS LETTER:

Dear Anna, Hi! Greetings from Connecticut. Hope you like my drawing. It is a drawing of how i think Sailor Eternity might look like using your description of her. Hope you like the drawing..... I love your story. I am dying to know what happens when Queen Serenity goes and sees Serena and Siera. And whats more interesting, when Neo-Queen Raye sees Sabrina.... AND SHE CALLED US BEST FRIENDS?! Betmarie if you're out there...

But you see when you're a teenager, anime becomes lame so you hide it to fit in. Around this same time, my 'dream' of being a 'writer' was getting actively discouraged. It was cute when you're 12. Less so when you're 16 and looking at colleges. So i stopped drawing and watching anime and got 'adult interests' like depression, underage sex, dying my hair, hating my home town, obsessing over emo music, and overall being a self-destructive nuisance.

Anyway, the earliest 'original' fiction I can find is from 2008, and around this time things started to get really really dark. Everything I can find from around this time is... just so damn depressing. I'll spare you the details, but at a certain point I just... stopped.

And you know? I missed it like a limb. I hated that I couldn't write anymore. It felt like something was missing. But there's college, and med school, and dating and life just kinda... happened.

And then. I move across the country, alone, to start residency. I start consistently taking antidepressants. The work is hard but the time I have is my own. The sun is shining. The ocean is at my door.

And. The words come. Just sometimes. In spurts. But it feels so good, because I honestly thought I lost it. That I could never get it back. I actually wrote a blog post about it in 2019:

But for this past week I’ve been writing. Listening to music. I told Kevin about feeling so good, almost like I’m manic. But I’m not - I’m just happy. Holy shit. This is what happy feels like. My job and my self-hatred truly made me blind to it.  Sitting alone in my 1 bedroom apartment away from everyone I’ve ever known. This is what that Anna always wanted. This is the dream. Not the checkmark accomplishments that I can put on my resume. This is it.  Maybe I’ll finally take those voice lessons. Maybe I’ll buy an electric piano and try to learn. I have only one life and I just got so off track.  I can still be that person. 

So! Anna is re-exploring her interests from the before-times. Cringe is dead and joy is within reach. You know what she loved? Anime. Wow, I sure hope one of the biggest animes in 2019 isn't My Hero Academia. Oh wow, I REALLY like it. Haha. Did you see Deku vs Kacchan part 2? Hooboy. Hey did you know that there's a second my hero academia movie called Heroes Rising? We should see it in theaters! Yay fun nerdy anime time. Oh my GOD. what a movie. i have stars in my eyes. I love these kids. It would sure be a shame... if I started writing.... about them...

One month later the pandemic hit. Obviously I worked during all of it while inpatient because of my job, but otherwise, we were stuck indoors a lot. Cue Intersecting Lines. Day in and day out, for two months straight, I would write it. You see, like pretty much everybody else, i HATED unfinished fic. I promised - swore, even! - to never post something unfinished. So in May, I drop Intersecting Lines on ao3 all together. 130k of just... whatever the fuck. It was a perfect storm of everyone being online at the time, the fandom being smaller, and probably the fact that it was finished, but, for ME, it felt like it 'exploded.' Like. People were reading it. Commenting. Enjoying the OCs. Even making fanart?! I started chatting with a couple other people and reading other writers works and commenting and it became such an enthusiastic and supportive community and I've been running off that high ever since!

Intersecting Lines to My Brothers Keeper to Battle of the Bands and it was just more and more fun! Then Izuku Midoriya dropped the fuck out of UA and I'm like "!!!! HOLY SHIT. WHAT IF KATSUKI GOES CRAZY TRYING TO FIND HIM." I had essentially finished 3 very long fics, i had super supportive friends and a tiny bit of a reader base, and even though I was scared shitless about it I'm like 'bet' and Zero-Sum Game was born. I was scared to dig into those old feelings, pry open those old scars. It was terrifying. It was catharctic. It was everything.

Following it, I felt... free, in a way? Like I didn't have to be scared of writing anything anymore. Like I could do whatever the hell I wanted because I really was a 'writer.'

So here I am. Still writing whatever. I have no goals or ambitions or plans for the writing itself. I just wanna tell stories and I hope that they resonate with some people. I hope I can do this shit forever I'm so serious.

.....anyway that's my entire life story. wow. i am SO sorry lmao that was too much. i took such a detour to find all this stuff.

💌 - How do you feel about comments and feedback?

oof. just like everyone else i love them so so so much. 🥺 i actually reread them relatively frequently and LOVE it when people engage with the story itself, like the PLOT! and the THEMES! and the MOTIFS! i LOVE it when people make me think about my own work. or ask about things that i straight up forgot about. or point out a plot hole that i sheepishly have to admit i forgot about!

or that it makes people feel things! making people cry is probably the biggest compliment you can get as a fic writer. but also laughter! but also staying up until ass-o'clock reading!

even if its just a keysmash it just makes a switch flip in the brain that this is a real human being, who is reading this story, who is reaching out to me and i'm reaching out to them from words and feelings across oceans and years and experience. just seeing the 'numbers' depersonalizes it a lot, you know?

for feedback, i probably echo most other people. if i ask for it, particularly from writing friends who are qualified to give feedback, then i really appreciate it. if its unsolicited, its kinda shitty. its anime porn on a fanfiction archive - not a creative writing course or the new york bestseller list. its not that deep. i'm doing this for funsies and for free, so if my stuff isn't to someone's liking, i would kindly invite them to read something else. there is. so much. other. stuff. come on now.

okay at the end of the day, no one owes me anything. i spent years and years being a lurker and even now, having written an embarrassing quantity of fanfic, i STILL don't do a great job of leaving comments. its okay. no one should feel pressured to. its nice but not necessary.

but ALSO. i need my EGO STROKED PLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASE

who said that

ANYWAY. wow. this is so embarrassing I worked on this for WAYYYYYY too much time. with a huge detour to tear apart my closet for my memory box and USBs. but it was so so fun. gosh i wish i still had a copy of that sailor moon x dragon ball z crossover fic. i'm sure it was horribly cringe but YEAH, what DID happen when Neo-Queen Raye sees Sabrina?

I guess we'll never know............

[eilinelsghost]

I was sick this week, so I went ahead and projected a whole ton of wooziness into this fic to give you all some domestic fluff of Finrod and Bëor being a sweet old married couple.

It's not technically part of Atandil, but it's Atandil-adjacent. Basically this exists because @actual-bill-potts can have a lil' scene of Finrod and Balan as happy husbands, as a treat. You can also read it on AO3 here.

------

Balan swayed as he fastened the line of clasps along his sleeve. The tunic had been a gift from Nóm not long after they first arrived in Nargothrond, while Balan was still overwhelmed and near drowning in the unfamiliarity, the formality and ritual of court an endless mystery. Nóm had commissioned a full set of robes within those first weeks, delivering them with the giddiness and self-deprecation of one who knows the gift extravagant, but cannot help bestowing it nonetheless. Balan could see still the mixed riot of the other’s expressions passing over his face as he outlined the craftsmanship of each item, then how he dismissed them just as quickly; embarrassed at having called attention to the decadence in his eagerness to show how he had instructed them.

They were each designed after the traditional Atani style, yet wrought from the lavish fabrics that arrayed all in court which lent them a strange combination of familiar and otherworldly. Balan treasured them above all else he owned—the tangible mingling of his heart and Nóm’s, a tapestry of their combined histories. 

This that he wore now had ever been his favorite. It was a rich, red cloth, heavily woven but light in heft, and various iterations of a twelve-pointed sun were worked across its folds in gold thread. By Elven craftsmanship the embroidered patterns caught the light about them and threw it back, gleaming and dancing in the caverns’ torchlight. So that all might see thee as through my gaze, Anarinya, Nóm had said when Balan first wore it, and the sudden blaze in his eyes convinced Balan at last of the hope he dared not suspect.

He fumbled again with the clasps, then clutched at the wall as the room buckled beneath him. He breathed as Estreth taught him—a full breath in, air eased out slowly through pursed lips; another breath in, a careful exhale. He felt the nausea subside as he repeated the pattern and slowly released his grip on the wall, regaining a passable imitation of steadiness. The fever had come on a few hours past but he would not yet give way. Nóm had been frantic with concern the last time he fell ill and Balan could not countenance worrying him till the feast was past, not when the Doriathrim emissaries had only arrived that day. He forced himself to chew on another strip of willow bark. It pricked at his nausea, but if he could bring the fever down then surely it would subside as well. At least long enough till he could retire without raising interest.

He wrapped the sash about his waist and focused on the series of knots. Up, around, down and through, loop back under the first and hold till the second weaves through. Then down, around, up and…oh gods all, he was falling.

He caught the mantle this time and held fast. This was never going to work.

“Balan!” Nóm appeared in the doorway without warning and was beside him in an instant, slipping an arm beneath his and supporting him firmly as he wavered. “Ai, melmenya…” his voice was both affectionate and scolding and he rested his free hand over Balan’s forehead, slipping into Taliska. “You shut me out whenever you think I’ll worry. But you little fool, that serves only to tell me there is cause for concern. How long has this been?”

“The fever came on after the noontide meal. A few hours perhaps?”

The other’s palm was cool upon Balan’s head and he leaned against him in relief, calmed by the fingers searching across his head, hovering upon his neck, moving down over his heart. It mystified him what the other learned from this ritual, but Nóm’s face eased as he completed it and he brushed the hair back from Balan’s eyes with the hint of a smile. “You’ll live.”

“And you’ll offend Thingol’s emissaries if you don’t hie hence.”

“They will wait,” Finrod said gently and lifted him lightly in his arms. Balan rested his face against the other’s neck, comforted despite himself, and made no protest as he was carried across the room and laid to rest upon his bed. A servant entered as Finrod was loosening the half-knotted sash. Nóm must have rung for him as he entered, Balan realized, though it all had the air of a dream—these uncanny creatures appearing and disappearing, moving soundlessly through the haze while he swam, no while he sank through this twilit cavern.

“Lord?”

“Bring word to Gildor that I have been unavoidably detained. You may tell him the cause, but let him speak as he sees fit to the others gathered. I am unlikely to join them till the morrow. Then send Celiel to me with what supplies she needs to treat a fever.”

“Yes, lord,” he said, and then was gone.

“This is foolish,” Balan mumbled as Finrod undid the clasps of his tunic. “Thou shouldst leave this to the healers and attend to thy duties of state.”

“Mm, perhaps.” He eased one arm loose from the heavy cloth and then turned Balan gently to free the other. “But am I not thy wedded lord? I am permitted some foolishness for thy sake.” Finrod set the ornate tunic aside and removed the undershirt that clung, heavy with sweat, against the other’s skin. Then he drew the bedclothes up to cover him and leaned down, kissing him once on each eyelid. “Sleep,” he said as he smoothed back the matted hair, “and I shall stay by thee till the morn.”

A quiet melody drifted from Finrod’s lips as he dipped the end of his own sash in the nearby basin and returned to sit on the edge of the bed, wiping the sweat from the other’s face until his breathing steadied and slowed at last into a fitful sleep. 

Balan dreamt of Thalos, all throughout the fevered hours; of the pines beneath the mountains, of the tumbling waters and the clear voice that rippled too through the night air, beckoning him out from his long slumber. And whenever he woke, he saw him waiting there—the king’s silhouette against the hearth, his beloved’s face glowing as he sang once again in the firelight.

[imsosocold]

A very (un)comprehensive review of the TOH Season 2 Finale: 

Me: This episode is our finale to this little series. We’re taking a long break after this, I can’t handle making these, it took like fourish days to do so. I do hope to release an OPM MA arc review eventually. I chose this episode in particular because it at least resembles a finale, unlike the season 1 finale. 

Lomes: The fact you complimented this episode means we’re going to insult it purposefully more.

Me: You foolish fools-

Lomes: Check out this castle, it’s so boring. Where’s my Luang Prabang?

Sunniva: I want it more to be like the Sagrada Familia.

Jorah: I don’t care if it’s not canon accurate or not, Belos should wear outfits in the same style those saint statues do.

Me: I haven’t been this scared since you’ve last taken control of my tumblr account.

Sunniva: What happened to the wild witches and demons like Hooty?  What did the witches think would happen on the Day Of Unity? Taking over the human realm?  

Lomes: If the latter is true, Belos’s hatred makes more sense.

Me: It’s white boy stuff and white boy stuff doesn’t make sense.

Lomes: Dana is a white girl so it’s white girl stuff.

Sunniva: Stop blaming Dana alone, there was a whole team-

Lomes: She’s the big guy, and besides, she did the same to Belos, our favorite mysticist-

Sunniva: Dana is a real person-

Divorce arc no fun </3

*******************************************************************

Jorah: Okay, what is Belos planning do once he goes to the human realm? Is he planning to stay in it or just checking it out before he dies or something? Did he not even know, like the Collector implied?

Sunniva: I like the idea of him going to live in an eco village.  

Lomes: He was going to take down the rich and him being defeated leads to a Trolley sort of problem- 

Me: Belos is letting Jesus take the wheel on that one. But yeah, they should’ve at least elaborated on his plans more.

*******************************************************************

Jorah: Belos does not take well to family abandonment.

Lomes: The series writers killed Kiki long before this. The fact they conveniently made her know all this supposedly secret information just made canon events so much more confusing.

Me: Kikimora is a real figure in Slavic mythology, like how the TOH Titans bears similarities to the Titans in Greek mythology. In universe, did the Boiling Isles influence these myths or, somehow, was it the other way around?

Sunniva: The fact we know these questions won’t ever be answered and yet we ask…

Jorah: It’s All Futile.

Me: It’s All Pointless.

Lomes: William Gold is cooler than Wilbur Soot.

…

*******************************************************************

Me: Stop doing thumb wars, you’re missing the episode. 

Lomes: We need stimulation. 

Me: So do I, and I only get it from people liking my content even though it also makes me disgusted and uncomfortable! At least talk while doing it, silence makes me incredibly uncomfortable and I myself struggle to fill it myself. I am constantly searching for what I need from others.

Lomes: Bro who asked.

Me: I will force you to watch more series with me, like the anime version of Turnabout Big Top.

Jorah: That’s the good one!

Lomes: You’d suffer, since you would have to write our reactions and organize them and deal with your hyperempathy.

Me: I wish I had a whip, I like hitting and breaking things.

Lomes: You would probably hit yourself.

Me: Yeah, I would, but that makes it more fun.

Sunniva: Guys, we are missing the plot! And I just lost…

*******************************************************************

Sunniva:  Belos is still an asshole even when trying to convince people. 

Lomes: You are what you eat.

Me: “ I’m gonna give all these witches lobotomies!”

Sunniva “Stop it… get some help…”

Jorah: The fact even Steve left meant his plan was doomed from the start, Belos should’ve focused on getting him back.

Lomes, while throwing a Swedish Fish at me: I found Steve the Ceasg!!

What happened next stays in Oakland baby.

*******************************************************************

Me: I don't think Belos being cocky is a good enough explanation for his actions, specifically for all the times he loses, in my opinion. His desperation makes sense but it’s not fleshed out enough to feel justified. I like the idea of him knowing Luz is lying and just saying anything she can to avoid turning into stone but taking her hand anyway. Because Luz wasn't much older than he was when he first came to Isles and even he had moments of temptation. She was stranded alone with nowhere to go and was taken in by a wild witch who taught her black magic. Sure, she's "crazy" in his eyes but her "sense of reality" has been warped but if she can go home maybe she still has a chance to be saved. Plus Belos heard her apologize to her mother before in the season 1 finale and he wouldn’t want to break apart a family. Anything to potentially save a human life. Sure, Belos still gets tricked because he didn't expect her to have a sigil, but it then becomes a mistake he made due to being merciful for once in his life.

Jorah: You are so right. *Places something in my hand.*  Have a Sanrio copper penny.

*******************************************************************

Lomes: The Collector returned from the shadow realm!  [ Noelle’s] home.

Sunniva: It’d be cool if they were from the celestial realm.   

Me: Our northern circumpolar star! Play honeysuckle lavender butterscotch!

Jorah: Mad favorite gendervoid. 

Lomes: Mae is the ultimate gendervoid.

Jorah: Imagine if the Collector was so bright he overtook the screen until all the characters’ eyes adjusted to them.

Me: Imagine if there was a moment where Cole and Belos just paused to look at each other, being in the same plane and being able to see each other’s full forms.   

*******************************************************************

Lomes:“ I need you back Cole, how else am I supposed to get the waiter to realize I asked for no pickles.”

Jorah: Awww, look at him and his jelly bean toesies!~

Me, watching Belos get splattered: It’s a better death than he got in the finale, especially if we are viewing the Collector through the lens of them being a representation of wild magic.

Jorah: I thought the Collector wasn’t trying to kill Belos, splattering was a non lethal yet tortuous punishment. They still cared for him, with all the memories of centuries spent with him, in the sense they wanted to understand why he did that. And for Belos to have somebody know how he is and face betrayal similar to what Caleb did to him yet still want to stay, it’d be something irreplaceable. 

Sunniva: I like the idea that Belos will never go away entirely, like the toxic ideologies he’s supposed to represent, methinks.

Lomes: Pog. I don’t think there’s anything to this story. 

*******************************************************************

Lomes: I'd take this for the permanent finale, however dark it is. 

Jorah: You are a fan of the likes of Replica.                         

Sunniva: Even if it’s not well written, TOH needed a happy end.

Lomes: I don’t care if it’s better for society or people or whatever to have a happy end, I care about good writing, morals attached or not. 

Jorah: Yeah, art should exist for its own sake and trying to censor and cut it up to make it palpable to others insults its existence.

Sunniva: Nothing exists in a vacuum-

Me: Guys, guys.

I just  realized… TOH is bad. Not DSMP bad, not Daganronpa 3 bad, not even OPM bad, but… bad.

Sunniva: Acceptance is the first step.

Me: This is the last of the TOH stuff for now, thanks for coming along for the car ride but it’s over now.

Jorah: Back to the void we go. Schrodinger’s existences. 

Sunniva: Check out the Coffin of Andy and Leyley!

Lomes:Unfollow Noelle.

Baiii

[jacksgreysays]

Went on a quest for frosted lemon cheerios, decided to write a little silly ASMR monologue to send in to The Empty Bowl podcast:

Hello Dan, Justin, and my fellow sailors of the vast, milky sea. My name is Sofia and I’d like to tell you about my harrowing quest for gold and glory: ie, the limited edition frosted lemon cheerios.

To set the scene, I currently live in northern California and in the way of many Californians I do not often grocery shop—or, at least, not at stores that carry American cereals. Several episodes ago, Dan expounded on the merits of the limited edition frosted lemon cheerios with such enthusiasm even in ASMR tones that I knew I had to try it. With that, and my own life long obsession with lemon flavored foods, I began my search.

Like any fool at the start of their journey, I underestimated the trials and tribulations I would go through:

The first grocery store I tried, Safeway, I arrogantly assumed would have the treasure I sought. But when I went to the cereal aisle, I did not find it. Classic, frosted, apple cinnamon, very berry, chocolate strawberry, strawberry banana, all of these were present, but no frosted lemon—not even an empty gap in the shelves to show that Safeway even stocked it. Disheartened, I left, but the siren call would haunt my dreams.

A few days later, I tried another grocery store, Lucky’s. Despite its name, this again ended in failure. A few days after that, I tried Target thinking, perhaps, it’s a matter of regionality—that the far reach of Target would guarantee the presence of that which I sought.

And again, failure.

Possesssed, I researched online for more details on my white whale—I even considered buying from Amazon, but at thirteen dollars a box plus shipping, I would not make that deal with the devil. And so I followed the trail of clues: I knew definitively it had been released at Kroger’s but there are no Kroger’s in my area. I knew there was a connection between Kroger’s and Ralph’s, but when I searched for a Ralph’s in my area the only hint of it was a former Ralph’s that had been replaced by a Walmart. In desperation, I went.

For a fourth time, failure.

I considered: would I have to live my life absent of frosted lemon cheerios or would I have to sell my soul and give in to Jeff’s foul domination of e-commerce?

This dilemma tormented me until I remembered: for Mother’s Day I would be traveling to southern California with its own set of regional grocery stores.

And so I went to the land where Ralph’s still existed, and as if a sign from the cereal gods themselves, when I walked through those sliding doors the cereal aisle was directly in front of me. In the cheerios section I was again presented with the same varieties as before, but there was a strange gap in the shelves above my eye line. Straining, I saw it: a single box of frosted lemon cheerios stood. Finally, my quest was complete.

But then, as if to reward me for my perseverance, a second box was revealed. However, with it a final test: it was placed so deep into the shelf, it was out of reach. Thankfully, my sister, taller and thus with a longer wingspan was also present, but even she had to use another box of cereal to knock it down enough to be within her grasp.

And so, riding the high of success, I bought three boxes of cereal that day: the two boxes of frosted lemon cheerios and the one box we used to reach them which was, thankfully, blueberry cheerios and which I hope will be a good mix in for those good, good complementary flavors.

After having consumed an entire box of frosted lemon cheerios, I can confirm that all the heartbreak and effort was worth it.

[saradrewitt]

The Six Demons of Elsewhere

CON “SILVER  JAW”

Fun facts and just little things I thought of when I began writing for IMIE (Copy and pasted from the IMIE Docs) Visual character design notes Edition!!!

Con is the only character if the official series that we do not see, his only appearance is in the spin off comic Chlorine and for good measure. In my opinion I thinks that if he managed to survive events in Chlorine it would no doubly be a quick resolution for IMIE. Not saying he’s op but that man, this fucking beast is one who takes revenge and power very personally. The one thing about characters I write for stories is that I always hope I leave more than enough room for readers to come their own conclusions. To me as a writer it just makes it more fun for those who are invested. 

When I began working on Con, it was just a matter of what was more important to share than what exactly his purpose was. Con was a character that appeared in the Hourglass music video by Set It Off sporting a grey suit, black bowler hat, and a weird obsession with selling Cody some weird shit in his coat, eventually handing Cody a old watch and disappearing. The man looked desperate, hungry for a sale, and borderline chaotic, and I thought that “yes, make this man fear death and in doing do selling his soul in desperation for immortality.” Con is a representation of the fear of death, the slip into eternal sleep, thus selling his soul in order to stay among those who are living.

In the beginning Con was just another Elsewhere resident that was forever devoted and loyal to Nox, ready to drop anything for his maker’s wishes. But after a certain amount of drafts of Chlorine he turned into another soulless human turning his life over for immortality. Con is a character that personally battled death nonstop. Inevitably meeting his eventual reality in a life he deems much better than before. 

Written character design notes from the doc, most of these were after writing and the initial (somewhat) release of his design on my instagram. His first design release here. After releasing that I went back to design and write more for him. These were the design notes I wanted to add before working on him again.

In the mv he constantly had a toothy grin, so replace the human teeth with sharp teeth, some teeth with gold and silver. Consider that he may like to bite people who knows he’s good them teefs.

Likes to sell pearls, watches, and jewelry second hand so perhaps this could be a habit from his past life selling secondhand goods to people as if they were new. 

Main color pallets range from silver, rustic gold, copper, and black (grey, disgusting whites, and faded blacks).

Consider using steel/metal/iorn elements for his character. 

1910-1930s impression, consider historical events involving the great depression for backstory.

Gerard Butler Voice claim????

Here are his official notes for his character! Enjoy!

Con was originally from Scotland before he moved into the United Sates, in around 1910. 

Escaped death from mobs and accidents in the vehicle assembly lines too many times to count.

He hates the idea of death he completely rejects the idea that one day he will fucking die (everybody dies babe you ain’t special).

He gotten himself into too much trouble when it came to some of the mafia clans in his city, he was known to con them out of money and supplies in order to survive.

Con played may roles in groups as the eyes and ears, he was loyal to no one so him having constant and sensitive information was dangerous. He still managed to get himself out of trouble by constantly double-crossing his superiors.

Weirdly enough despite his accent, he can mimic any male voice and accent he can hear, which was perfect when he wanted to mess with people or fool for his advantage. 

No one could trust him but at the same time he also never lied to them either. 

One time he was tortured by a mob member and got one of his K9s ripped off, he didn’t say another word unless he wanted to eat mushed food for the rest of his life. 

Never knew his father because he died before his birth, his older brother died in a accident, his half sister died during her birth, then after Con became a young man, his mother died. Con was constantly surrounded by death, thus he wondered why he was subjected to remain alone. One of the reasons why he emigrated to the States was because it seemed he may have a better chance of survival. 

No one really knows how he met Nox, he tells a different story all the time. From pocket-picking him at the pub, to him saving his life, all the way from him telling people that Nox was so impressed by him that he begged Con to join (”Well that’s a fucking lie” -Nox, probably at some point).

After his contract, Con just decided to just be 100% more unhinged since no none was really going to stop him. Finally he can be himself and not get arrested for biting people. 

He’s more animalistic since his death, he growls, snarls, and cackles demonically, not for show but just because he’s been given the freedom to so.

Absolutely LOVES Elsewhere, he loves everything about it. The food, the people, the atmosphere. He misses Elsewhere when it was in constant Midnight, but he loved current Elsewhere as well when the new look was pitched to Nox. Did he suffer from constant eyestrain yes but beauty is pain. 

Honestly despite him dying (weird how he had to die in order to live forever), this was the best thing that happened him and he does not regret it one bit!

He gets along with the rest of the demons well but he really likes keeping to himself, it’ hard having to be everywhere and nowhere at the same time. When he does spend time with the others it will most likely be with Ego or Lux. 

Con, Lux, Ego, and Lady Luck have never had the displeasure of having/being imprisoned in Nowhere.

Honestly this man has never been better now that he can’t die. Yay, no death! Crisis averted! Well for now at least but that’s future Con’s problem. 

Con likes to steal, he can’t keep his hands off of shiny things to save his life, this is mainly why he managed to join mafia groups because of his sneaky fingers. 

Still steals in Elsewhere but it’s petty theft because he’s spiteful like that. He’ll steal your entire stationary set if you so much as forget to give him his favorite pen back-  “IT WAS A GIFT FROM NOX YOU FUCK’EN DICK’EAH, GIV’ET BACK!”

As low on the profile he is in fieldwork, this man is the most unhinged out of the six. If Nox is so much as lightly irritated one word would set Con to completely destroy his targets. Man is unhinged he’ll bite and rip out your jugular if you were so much as an inconvenience. 

Nox offered immortality and Con gave his soul away, forever loyal and grateful for the devil who granted his only wish.

Out of all his demons, Con was the only one that Nox trusted when it came to loyalty, he won’t admit that he might have grew attached to him because of it. But this is Nox we’re talking about after events of Chlorine he doesn’t even want to entertain, “human emotions”.

[rpgse7enx4]

All that glitters is not gold - The realities behind the image/story/object (a real life aspect): Battle Of Karbala City Hall, 2003/04 Iraq War - By RPG.

Karbala City Hall, 2004.

20 Bulgarian Rangers, 34 Polish Sappers and a unit of the Iraqi Police defend a government building; regarded as the center of Iraqi politics in Karbala. A brutal 3 day onslaught ensued as the Mahdi Army, a pro-Saddam militia, set their eyes on what they considered outsider occupiers.

Snipers, riflemen and army mortarmen locked their sights on the Mahdi Army; and as they fired rockets at their stronghold, they were met back with heavy machinegun fire. The sky lit up with tracers, which reminded many citizens of the first days of the invasion; night became day and day became night before the contingent could get any sort of rest...the battle was continuous in nature.

The Iraq War, especially from the years 2003-2004, were very uncovered; many countries joined the "coalition of the willing", of a term coined by George W Bush, where the main hope was to make a statement about 9/11 through any means and eliminate of Al-Qaeda and pro-Saddam militias "haunting" the Iraqi population.

The truth about the true intentions of politicians during the aftermath can be considered questionable, where people started to speculate whether the government started the war deliberately; with a plan to set up an event in which would cause fear and despair.

Also, it is good to take into fact that the Iraq War had its controversies; such as those of the death toll of Iraqi civilians in collateral to those of actual threats, and the way in which some soldiers were accused of war crimes charges based off rules-of-engagement disputes. The Gulf War, in 1991, showed that the ways of traditional warfare were phasing out, and that computer-aided methods took their place in prevalence. During the initial invasion, it is stated that when the US undertook the first set of sorties they aimed to dispose of nuclear weapons (in various documents relating to weapons of mass destruction, and Saddam's position in the trading, proliferation and manufacture of nuclear devices release to WikiLeaks); Saddam's properties were thoroughly searched, including his palace where US personal encountered gold-plated weapons, gold bullion and stacks upon stacks of US dollars and Iraqi Dinars.

In relativity to the Battle for Karbala City Hall, and the events that occurred when the Bulgarian FOB "India", the war took a toll on countries that had only just started to adapt to the NATO/EU "climate"; making relations with former partners difficult, and amounting stress upon the governments of such nations to regulate themselves with NATO standards. Alternatively, it could be said that these countries only went to war not to participate with the American coalition but as independents wanting to free the world from the shadow that is terror...a probable cause for this could be the influx in propaganda released by certain terror groups in the Middle East during the early to mid 2000's, showing civilians, military personal, pilots and politicians in situations indescribable.

The "fools-gold" scenario for this is that the objective was clear, but the actual situations weren't; this could be classified as a blanketed lie. As countries were affected by the war both relations-wise and politically, the hidden influence of certain countries took their grip.

RPG-7

[studioninilong]

The Type of Art You Support

I am an artist influenced by many things.  Let's just say 'life' in general.  So the Visual Art you are Supporting is a result of those inspirations.  I have other artistic gifts that will be showcased here but for now we will focus on the Visual Art.

My STYLE is somewhere's between comicbook, manhua, & semi real.  It can be suggestive but my pieces here are always SFW.

Each Illustration has a story that goes with it...so hopefully you'll get to know the story as you view, recieve, print, or hang each piece.  I have a minor in creative writing so there's poems, scripts, and such with each uploaded piece.

Don't let AI fool you, Actual Illustration takes a long time to produce, hence why I'm even setting up this Patreon.

Each MAJOR piece (like the one above) takes about 24-50 hours to complete.  Which I can do in a week if I do not have other obligations.  So the goal of this Patreon is to do art WEEK IN/ WEEK OUT so you get a full plate of art every month.

--------------During Launch--------------------

Round One: FIRST 108 PATRONs get BOTH or your choice of one of these!

Art Card Series.

Primo: I'm designing a board game.  Well it's already designed, I'm just working out the kinks and visuals in order to put it into full production.  Sooo, I'm releasing artcards of the play-pieces that will ONLY be available here.

Segundo: I figured some ARMYs would appreciate my Planetary (134340) Series in artcard form rather than the GIANT %(&! 24x24 pieces going up in Esty.  Sooo, they are now a part of ROUND 1 for free Launch materials.

I ship these out once you become a patron.  Well I sign them and number them first, then pop them in the mail!

Round Two: The FIRST 224 PATRONS receive a LOTUS ENAMEL PIN

So Studio.Nini's emblem is a cross inside of a lotus.  Ask me what it means later cuz there's a long drawn out story and it involves Martial Arts.  Anywho, getting Lotus Pins made...in Studio.Nini's colour palette and gold...cuz i like gold.

When the second round begins...you new folk AAAAAANNNNND the First Round folk get Pins shipped out to you, if you're still an active patron.

Round Three: The FIRST 613 PATRONS receive a sticker variety pack (3ea)...because I like stickers, and you better like them too, HA.   (Ok if you haven't figured it out by now...this space is lighthearted.  I'm a pro at what I do...but I enjoy having fun with friends...........and you better enjoy it also or you're going to have an AWFUL time here, HA!)

When the third round begins, OG peeps get the Launch freebies from before AND these sticker packs.

....and as a special incentive....If you pledged IMMORTAL throughout the run of all rounds....you can ask me for a commission...............and it's yours.  No Holds Barred.

INTERACTIVITY

Voting on which Lady Dragon piece I do next is where our online interaction begins.  I'll be posting three (3) to choose from and you can vote on which gets done next.  Hopefully we'll have fun with that process since I will also be streaming the PAINTING PROCESS with you.

https://c10.patreonusercontent.com/4/patreon-media/p/post/74302843/e922453260c7424d9ddc21e18b2772c1/eyJ3Ijo4MjB9/1.png?token-time=1695772800&token-hash=5qFFjVatRgxERL4z3kEnc7V9kZX6Ezx9ft6KzFU7NjM%3D

The MINOR pieces appearing on this site take anywhere from 4-12 hours.  Those are like the character pieces above or landscapes, cityscapes...conceptual pieces.

FREEBIES

Milestone and monthly giveaways like Stickers, pins, journals, and of course...

ARTCARDS:

Well I only do one type of fan art, really. Bangtan Sonyeondan art.  And boy do I have alot of it done.  So for those who are ARMY you get extra art love.  These artcard freebies are only in physical form...so you'll get artcards (4x6 / 6x9) in the mail if you want those freebies each month. 

So, I do hope you enjoy the space.  I'm constantly beautifying it to make you all feel welcome!

And thank you again for your support!

[fridge-reviews]

Curse of the Dead Gods

Developer: Passtech Games Publisher: Focus Entertainment Rrp: £17.99 Gog.com, Humblebindle, Steam, Epic and Origin Released: 23rd February 2021 Available on: Gog.com, Humblebindle, Steam, Epic and Origin Played Using: An Xbox One Control Pad Approximate game length: 22 Hours +

They say that great power can be found within the temples of the dead gods, but only if you can survive the many curses they lay upon you. Within those halls you'll find the twisted remains of all those hopefuls that came before you. If you truly feel you can brave all these and survive... then you are a fool, but such is the way of fools.

Curse of the Dead Gods is a isometric roguelite game in which you attempt to work your way through three temples to gain powers beyond mortal reckoning. That really is about it when it comes to the story, however, I've found that being light in the story department is a strength for most roguelite games (with the notable exception of Hades). Most players don't want to be bogged down with a complex narrative and simply want to get back into the action and in that regard this game doesn't disappoint. The temples of the dead gods are sealed shut with no natural light apart from a few lit braziers, well that and your trusty torch. However, you have a choice to make you can either have your torch out and illuminating your way or your weapons. Both light and darkness have their benefits and drawbacks. When in light you can see hidden traps and have (slightly) more warning of upcoming enemies, but in the darkness your attack damage increases significantly, in fact certain builds rely upon you fighting in the darkness rather than the light.

Your character (whose name I only found out was Caradog when doing some research) has stamina points, five of them actually. One of these stamina points is depleted each time you dodge, use your secondary weapon or perform a finishing attack (which is the final attack in a string of them with your main weapon) and using your two handed weapon drains two stamina points each time its used. These points regenerate quickly after use and can even be earned by performing a perfect dodge, meaning you dodged out of the way at 'just' the right moment. Each time you go through a door you gain corruption which will start to fill a gauge in the bottom right of the screen, when it fills up you are 'gifted' a curse upon entering the next door. These curses add additional rules that make the game more challenging. You can have five of these curses which range from being mildly annoying through to deadly, however its the fifth and final curse thats the worst usually directly affecting your health (like draining it away).

At the end of some rooms you will find altars where you can make an offering, the various altars relate to weapons, relics or attributes and they will accept an offering of either gold or blood. Expending the gold will use the gold (that doesn't stack between runs) you've gained to purchase what you want, an offering of blood increases your corruption instead.

Normal enemies will sometimes drop crystal skulls, weapons or relics when they're killed. The occurrence of these drops happening is influenced by your Perception attribute. If you kill a champion (end of level boss) they will drop jade rings, crystal skulls, relics and weapons (and if its your first time killing them they also give blood emblems). Jade rings, crystal skulls, and blood emblems carry over from playthrough to playthrough and you spend them to upgrade your characters situation in the underworld. Normal enemies will sometimes drop crystal skulls, weapons or relics when they're killed. The occurrence of these drops happening is influenced by your Perception attribute. If you kill a champion (end of level boss) they will drop jade rings, crystal skulls, relics and weapons (and if its your first time killing them they also give blood emblems). Jade rings, crystal skulls, and blood emblems carry over from playthrough to playthrough and you spend them to upgrade your characters situation in the underworld. Now you may have noticed that I've made no mention of the enemies dropping gold, that's because they don't, but that doesn't mean you can't get gold from their deaths. This game rewards the player for skillful play with its 'Greed Kills' when you chain kills the greed kill counter will appear and start to count down (it lasts approximately two seconds) the more enemies that die while the counter is on screen the greater the multiplier becomes. If you take damage during that time though, the greed kill timer disappears.

As you play you'll find relics and weapons that will grant bonuses if they are equipped. However, you can instead choose to offer them up to the gods who in turn will reward you with a reduction in your corruption, gold or sometimes a increase to an attribute.

I've mentioned attributes a few times now so I should probably explain what they are. There are three attributes, Constitution, Dexterity and Perception. Consistution increases you maximum health, dexterity increases your damage with weapons and perception influences how often enemies will drop items. Inevitably, your character will die either to an enemy or a trap, and when that happens you're sent to the underworld, its here that you can spend the crystal skulls and jade rings on blessings, unlocking weaponry and improving your starting arsenal. Thus improving your chances at success in your next run.

The game comes with an 'assist mode' that can be activated in the system menu. Turning on this mode will allow you to customise the difficulty of the game somewhat, for example you could increase your stamina or remove the final curse. However, activating this will stop you from gaining achievements (if that matters to you) and will put a permanent marker on your save slot, I know a lot of people who would find that very off putting.

My thoughts on this game? It's pretty damned good. I liked it enough to purchase the soundtrack and even when I finished the game I kept coming back to try my hand at the daily challenge events that appear. So yeah, I recommend it.

If this appeals to you perhaps try;

Hand of Fate 2 Hades

----

If you’d like to support me I have a Ko-fi, the reviews will continue to be posted donation or not.

[bivwifeybunny]

hey ! can i request a sapnap smut?? like sex on the first meeting type of vibe and maybe make it in the car? :-) any kinks u like. thanks

-🍄 anon

Paring(s): Sapnap x Reader

Warning(s): Smut (Minors DNI!!), car sex, degrading, praise, overstimming?, fingering, hair pulling, marking (hickeys), I think that's it?

A/N: hi 🍄 anon! thanks for becoming my first anon! i'm so happy everyone on my blog is giving sapnap so much love. he's my favorite boy (as if you couldn't already tell lol) and i love to write for him and show him some love :) also im so sorry but I'm literally so bad at writing long smut scenes... like- ugh it annoys me that it's like "they fuck and they cum and that's it"- lol so sorry in advance if the smut seems short but it's currently 4:30 am and I don't have the energy to care anymore. hope you enjoy <3 gonna go pass out now

You stared at the glass in your hands, turning it slowly as your mind raced.

Should I say something? No, it's too late to say something. But if I don't say anything it'll just continue to be awkward. But the longer you sit here thinking about it and not saying anything the more awkward it's getting. Oh who am I kidding I've been sitting here for the past 10 minutes not saying anything just staring at my drink like a loser. Why did those idiots have to ditch me and leave me alone with him? I don't even know him that well.

You had gone out for a night of drinking with a few of your friends. They informed you they invited another friend of theirs that you hadn't known but you assured them it was fine only after making them promise they wouldn't leave your side.

Liars. As if sensing your own inner turmoil, the boy sitting across from you, Sapnap, if your memory serves you correct, spoke up.

"Hey, I know they kinda ditched us, so what do you say we get outta here?" He asked with a sweet smile.

He sensed your hesitancy and his lips morphed into an awkward smile. "You don't have to, I was just wondering..." He muttered as a pink blush dusted his cheeks.

Cute. You thought to yourself before making up your mind and sending him a smile.

"Sure, why not?" Your eyes wandered over to your friends currently flirting with each other. hands wandering. "I have a feeling they're not gonna come back any time soon anyways." You commented as the two of you made your way over to his car.

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

Now Sapnap was attractive. Only a fool would say otherwise. Back at the bar, there were plenty of distractions to keep you from staring. But now in such close proximity, you felt you couldn't keep your eyes off him.

His natural cinnamon scent calmed your nerves, and you allowed your eyes to linger longer on his bulky frame. His deep blue button up hugged his torso, top two buttons left unbuttoned, and sleeves rolled to his forearms. Your gaze wandered down his arms, past his shiny gold watch and to his hands, which currently occupied themselves in turning the steering wheel.

And just as your eyes wandered, your thoughts weren't far behind.

God his hands are beautiful. I wonder how his thick fingers would feel str-

"You alright there?"

"Hm?" Your eyes quickly switched over to his face, to find him looking at you out of the corner of his eyes. "Oh- Oh, yeah I'm fine. Just zoned out."

The chuckle he let out sent a shock to your core. He laughed like he already knew what you were thinking.

"Just wanted to make sure, I mean, for a moment there I thought I had a pretty girl starin' at me." He smirked, glancing at you through the rear-view mirror and sending you a wink.

Now if that didn't have you rubbing your thighs together just to relieve some pressure you weren't sure what would.

You had two options. Be bold and potentially fuck a very very hot man? Or ignore the comment, go home and sit on your couch binging anime till you pass out.

...fuck it.

"And what if I was?" You boldly asked.

Your eyes focused on his lips as his tongue darted out to wet them before releasing another chuckle. "Well then I'd have to do something about it, wouldn't I?" He turned his whole attention onto you as he waited at the signal.

The red light cast a sinful glow onto the two of you, highlighting all of his already breathtaking features.

You subconsciously leaned in closer, gaze focused on his lips.

"Then do something about it."

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

His hands cupped your face, one moving to run through your hair as your lips danced. He dropped his hand down to your thigh pulling at it, signalling for you to climb onto his lap.

You pulled away and climbed over the center console, knocking a thing or two onto the floor.

His hands rushed to your hips to steady you as you sat on his lap. Your lips reconnected and your hands roamed over each other's bodies.

It was messy and desperate, tugging at the buttons of his shirt, as he fiddled with the zipper of your dress. Your hips rolled against his, pulling a groan out of him. After what you said to him, he had never pulled into a parking lot so fast in his life. He was itching to ruin you and he was gonna get what he wanted no matter what he had to do.

He pulled away to tug your dress down, pulling off his shirt as well.

"You're so fucking sexy. So fucking beautiful." His mouth attached itself to your neck, kissing and biting as it traveled towards your breasts. You arched your back, pushing your chest further towards his mouth.

"God you're a desperate slut, aren't you? I could see the way you were eyeing me at the bar. I bet you were fantasizing about how good I would fuck this pretty little pussy, weren't you?" He taunted, hand traveling down, pushing aside your panties and teasing your entrance.

You let out a whine and nodded your head. "Mhm- was thinking about how good you'd fuck me- how good you'd fill me up- fuck-" You moaned as his two fingers dipped inside your dripping pussy.

"Already so wet? Did you get this worked up all for me? Just by thinking about my cock?" He scissored his fingers, searching for that spot inside of you that'll drive you crazy.

He smirked as you let out a sinful moan, letting him know he found it. He continued to pump his fingers in and out of you at a rapid pace, thumb rubbing your clit, making your moans grow louder and louder as he brought you to the precipice of your orgasm.

"C'mon princess, cum all over my fingers." He coaxed you to your peak, your hands gripping his shoulders as he worked you through your high.

He pulled his fingers out of your cunt, bringing them to his mouth and sucking them clean. "Taste so sweet baby. Now let me give you what you've been waiting for, yeah?"

He quickly made do with his belt and pulled his pants and boxers down just enough to pull out his weeping cock. He stroked himself a few times, thumbing at the tip before lining himself up at your entrances. He rubbed his tip through your sensitive folds a few times, making you whine out and buck your hips.

"So impatient, baby. Well come on then, if you want it so bad, take it." He leaned back, hands meeting behind his head.

You reached down and lined him up with your entrance before slowly sinking down. The two of you moaned in unison, the stretch was heavenly and his cock filled you up deliciously.

You steadied yourself with your hands on his chest as you took all of him inside you. After a moment of adjusting to his size, you lifted yourself up on shaky legs and began to slowly ride him.

His hands returned to your hips, guiding your movements as little groans and whines escaped his lips.

"C'mon pretty girl, you can ride my cock faster than that. Are you already tired just from my fingers?" He taunted, grip tightening on your hips as he began to pound into you.

"Gotta do all the work myself? Don't worry, princess I'll make sure you're fucked dumb on my cock by the time I'm done with you." He grunted, lips finding their way back to your breasts, licking and sucking, leaving a trail of purple as his lips traveled.

You moaned loudly, fisting his hair in one hand while the other steadied yourself on the car window which had fogged up during your activities.

One of his hands snuck in between you once again and began to toy with your clit as his thrust became more sloppy and rushed as he chased after his orgasm.

"C'mon baby, you close? Cream on my cock, make a mess, pretty girl." He groaned as your walls fluttered around him, squeezing him so nicely and milking his cock as you both came.

Your head fell to his shoulder, both of you panting as you slowly came down from your highs.

"Man I'm so glad they ditched us."

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[storiesforallfandoms]

oh captain ~ jack sparrow;pirates of the caribbean

word count: 2488

request?: yes!

“Can you do a Captain Jack Sparrow smut where the reader has a kink of calling Jack her captain”

description: in which she loves to call him her captain, even in the most intimate of situations

pairing: jack sparrow x female!reader

warnings: swearing, smut

masterlist

It all started as a joke.

I came aboard the Black Pearl in search of my sister, Elizabeth Swann, and her secret lover, Will Turner. It was no secret that they were travelling with notorious Captain Jack Sparrow and, although my parents did not exactly like Will Turner, they had sent me as a way to tell Elizabeth that they were giving her their blessing to marry Will.

Of course, the moment I - a single, young maiden that had often been described as “beautiful” by my suitors - stepped on to the ship, the captain himself couldn’t keep his eyes off of me. There was many a moment in which Elizabeth had to actually tell Jack that he was being too forward or too crass with me. I liked to play along with his games as well and would tease him back. My favorite way of teasing him was to call him “Captain” in a sarcastic manner.

The first time I said it was in response to Jack’s very bossy tone as he told Elizabeth and I to do something. “Oh, of course, Captain.”

I could see a fire light in his eyes even then as he looked at me. “What did you say?”

“Well, you insist that we on the boat here refer to you as your supposed title,” I had told him. “I was just saying it. I thought you would like that.”

“The way you said it,” he pointed out. “It wasn’t very...crewman like.”

“Oh, my apologies, Captain.”

The fire ignited in his eyes again, but he decided to leave it be this time and to go on to yell commands at his other crewmates.

That’s how it all started. It was just a joke, a way to poke fun at Jack without being too harsh. I used the nickname almost every time I saw him, and almost every time I could see a look on his face that was hard to understand.

That was, until I found myself bent over his desk moaning the original teasing nickname repeatedly.

I never expected to find myself falling for Captain Jack Sparrow. Elizabeth had told me many a story about his attempts at courting beautiful maidens, including herself despite her love for Will. The stories led me to believing that Jack was just a man who wanted to use then leave a woman. I wrote him off as nothing more than a scoundrel, a pirate captain. Oh, what a fool I was.

No one on the ship knew of our love affair, especially not Elizabeth. I loved my sister dearly and I knew she would never judge me for who I had fallen in love with, however I also knew she couldn’t keep a secret from our parents for the life of her, and the last thing I needed was to break my parents hearts by telling them that their youngest daughter had fallen in love with a pirate.

That’s why I continued to use the teasing nickname in such fashion in front of my sister, but every time I used it, I could see that spark of desire in Jack’s eyes.

There was one day that we were on course for some sort of treasure that Jack was dying to find.

“It’s been lost for hundreds of years,” he was explaining to Will. Elizabeth and I were trying to help some of the crewmen and overheard the conversation that both men were refusing to tell us. “Wealth and riches beyond your wildest dreams. You could buy over Elizabeth’s parents with that sort of money.”

“I don’t think anything could buy over Elizabeth’s parents at this rate,” Will joked. “But do you really believe it to be truth? I’ve heard it’s nothing but a - ”

“A pirate’s tale,” Jack finished. “A way to lead pirates to their deaths? I’ve heard those stories, too. But there’s only one way to find out.”

“Mad man is going to get us killed,” Elizabeth whispered to me. “He only cares for the riches he may get, he doesn’t think of the countless lives he’s risking.”

“Of course he doesn’t,” I responded. “Anything that will shower him in gold and recognition is his top priority.”

“What are you two talking about down there?” Jack called from his perch at the steering wheel.

Elizabeth and I shared a teasing glance before Elizabeth responded, “Just about how smart you are, my dear captain! This journey can only go right!”

Jack raised an eyebrow at the obvious sarcasm in Elizabeth’s voice before his eyes landed on me.

“We were discussing how much recognition you will get once you find this totally real treasure you’re looking for,” I said. I paused a moment before giving Jack a brief smirk as I added, “Captain.”

He shuffled a little, trying to make his lust seem like he was just annoyed with me and Elizabeth. I couldn’t help but smirk triumphantly at him before turning back to Elizabeth, who was also giggling.

“You both doubt me,” he finally said after a long stretch of silence, “but I’ll show you both, and this whole boat, that I am right and this treasure is real.”

He came down from his perch and walked into the room that was designated as “his office”, his eyes meeting mine for a split moment. “I’m going to study the map for some time, please do not disturb me.”

What he really meant was, No one else come disturb me, I will be fucking (Y/N)’s brains out.

I felt myself becoming tingly between my legs, a regular sensation that Jack was able to get out of me. I tried to keep a light look on my face, but it was hard to do so when all I wanted was to follow him into that room.

“You two should be kinder to him,” Will said, although he, too, was laughing. “He’s been kind enough to let us travel with him.”

“After trying to get under mine and (Y/N)’s skirts for a few months,” Elizabeth added. “He knows that we like him and that we are grateful for him. It’s just so easy to tease him sometimes.”

Tell me about it, I thought to myself.

“Maybe we should leave the captain alone to his mapping for a while,” Will said, wrapping an arm around Elizabeth’s waist. It was his only silent way of asking Elizabeth for what Jack was trying to get from me.

“Perhaps we should,” she responded and gave her husband to be a light kiss on his lips.

The two left without another word to me, which was alright by me. It meant that I didn’t have to make up an excuse as to why I was “disturbing” Jack when he asked me not to.

Once I was sure they were too busy with one another to notice me, I turned and raced for the door. I hastily did mine and Jack’s secret knock before shoving the door open. I was shocked to see that the room before me was empty - the desk where Jack usually sat waiting for me was empty, and there was almost no sight of him at all.

Before I could even consider why this had happened, the door slammed behind me and I felt someone take hold of my throat and shove me against the closed door. Jack’s lips met mine and I felt the familiar explosive feeling I had whenever we kissed. His hands were already roughly pulling at my skirt, trying to pull it up around my hips.

“Someone is impatient,” I breathed against his lips. “You told everyone not to disturb you, remember? You don’t have to be so fast and so rough.”

“But if I take you quickly once, I can take you again before anyone notices that we’re even gone.”

His dirty words ignited a fire in me. I giggled as he picked me up in his arms and laid me down on his desk. The poor thing had seen more of our action than any actual work that Jack had ever done. I was surprised that it was still standing after all this time.

I took hold of the back of Jack’s neck and pulled him in for another kiss. Our lips moved so perfectly with one another as his hands trailed up my bare legs, his cold rings leaving shivers where they trailed. I pulled at his pants, trying desperately to get them off. He chuckled against my lips, the vibrations running through my entire body.

“Who is the impatient one now?” he asked.

“Not like the great Captain to leave a girl waiting in her desire,” I teased, hoping the nickname would be used to my advantage.

Lucky for me, I knew that was the one thing that could break Jack. He roughly pulled at the strings around the back of my dress, causing it to loosen and fall off my body completely. Once my dress was a heap on the floor, Jack pushed me onto the desk so I was laying on my back. I watched as he undid his pants and pulled them down just far enough for his hard member to pop free. Just seeing how hard he was from the little amount of teasing we had been doing was enough to make me start dripping in anticipation.

I gasped as I felt him pushing himself into me. No matter how many times we had sex, I still continued to be shocked by how big he was. He made my eyes roll into the back of my head just by filling me with his hard cock.

His hand found my hair and he roughly pulled me up so my body was pressed against his. “What’s my name, love?”

“Captain,” I breathed, dying to move my hips against his to get some sort of friction between us. But I knew that would only result in him punishing me for being naughty.

My response earned me a few slow thrusts. I bit my lip as to not moan too loud, but it was hard to keep quiet during one of our rendezvous. They were often few and far between, leaving the two of us very pent up and needing of release when the time came.

“Say it again for me my pet,” he purred.

“Captain,” I moaned, wrapping my legs around his waist to pull him as closely as I could. “Oh, Captain.”

The grip he had on my hair tightened as he began to thrust into me more, now going at a quicker and more steady pace. I pressed my lips to his to try and muffle my moans, which were now starting to become loud enough for anyone who would be passing by to hear.

I moaned out the name a few more times, which led to me being laid back over the desk yet again with Jack leaning over me, his thrusts so rough now that the desk was being moved. I arched my back against him, trying to get him as far into me as he could go. One of his hands was gripping my thigh while the other was wrapped around my throat, pressing slightly against the sides every now and then, and causing me to feel lightheaded.

Jack was always able to hit a spot in me that made my brain turn to mush and my eyes roll back into my head. I could barley think straight when he was pounding that spot relentlessly inside of me, especially at that moment when the only thing I could feel was waves of pleasure rippling through my body.

I managed to pull my thoughts together enough to utter out a sentence, “I’m so close, Captain.”

“Let me feel you come undone around me, my pet,” he said. I could feel him twitching inside of me, indicating that he was close to finishing himself.

My fingers curled into the desk as I felt myself hitting my climax. My entire body seemed to curl in some way as I felt myself contracting around Jack. His hands slipped under my arched back, pulling my body up to press against him as he did his final thrusts and finished inside of me.

The aftermath of our love making rarely lasted long in fear of being caught. Jack held me for a short amount of time, kissing the top of my head and whispering sweet nothings into my ear, before he finally had to pull away from me and begin to redress himself. I pulled my dress back up.

“You mind tying me back up?” I asked him, turning around to present my still bare back to him.

He laced the strings through their proper holes and tied it tight enough that it would stay up, but not too tight to cause discomfort.

“Do you really think you’ll find that treasure you’re on route for?” I asked him once he was finished. “Do you think it’s real?”

“I choose to believe every treasure is real until proven otherwise,” he responded. “I know everyone on the ship thinks that I’m leading us to our deaths, but I truly believe there is something waiting for us at our destination.”

“Well, if you believe it then I believe you,” I said. “What do you plan on doing with your riches once you get them?”

“I’ll share them amongst the crew,” he started. “There’s supposedly enough to keep a dozen men from having to work for the rest of their lives, and I have just a little over a dozen men on this ship. What I keep for myself I’m going to use to get a better ship. The old Black Pearl is starting to see her end I’m afraid. And, with whatever is left, I intend to buy you a rock so big and so stunning that any royal woman would be jealous of it.”

He lifted my hand to his lips and gave my knuckles a soft kiss.

“You intend to marry me?” I asked him.

“Of course I do. Why do you seem shocked to hear that?”

I chuckled. “Well, the stories I’ve heard about the great Captain Jack Sparrow, none of them made it sound like he would ever settle down with a woman.”

Jack smiled and wrapped his arms around my waist, looking lovingly into my eyes. I could get lost staring into those beautiful eyes of his.

“A man must know when the right woman has come along,” he told me. “Especially a pirate. And the moment you stepped foot on my ship, I knew you were the right woman.”

“You sweet talker,” I said before pressing my lips to his. “When you do get me that ring, just know that I will say yes.”

“Of course, my love. And I cannot wait to have you to sail the seas with for the rest of my life.”