#amber gray plays the orange

[threetrenchcoatsinatrenchcoat]

Dave Malloy has announced he's next going to be writing musical adaptations of that really old movie with the train, the encyclopedia britannica 1955-1971, roblox, the classic joke "knock knock who's there orange you glad i didn't say banana", the kalimantan borneo cave paintings, the smell that passes through your dreams when you are almost asleep and think of the first time you felt truly unsafe, and Ghost Quartet by Dave Malloy

[r3starttt]

TO SETTLE

PAIRING: Caitlyn x reader

SUMMARY: domestic night with cait

CW: none just 2.1K words of fluff, very self indulgent

AN: Creds to 2rusty_wings2 on twitter <3 I’m so obsessed w their art and I might be writing more fics for it cos it’s just gorgeous and cute and cozy and UGHH love fanart

TAGLIST: @Kaimythically @lewd-alien @greysontheidiot @jolyne @sapphic-ovaries @tlouloser @prwttiestbunny @visobsession @kiki5gigi @thesevi0lentdelights @lvlymicha @stickycherritart @rob1nbuckl3ys @femininologies @dinakisser @viajeros--sin--destino @GodessAgrona @patronagrona @halle5s @abvisionss

The house seemed alive with its unyielding chill, a cold that clung to the walls and seeped into the very bones of the structure. Despite the fires blazing in every available hearth, their flames crackling and dancing with futile energy, the warmth refused to settle. The floors remained icy underfoot. The walls, aged and unyielding, refused to drink in the warmth

Your fingers, hidden within the sleeves of your sweater, grew stiff, the chill clinging to them with relentless persistence. Even bundled in layers of the warmthes clothing couldn't fight against the chill, as though the house itself were whispering it's cold right against your flesh.

Outside the frost-covered windows, the sun slipped behind snow-draped trees, leaving the sky smeared in bruised hues of gray and violet. The day had been silent, wrapped in the eerie calm that only snowfall could bring.

Each step you took reverberated softly through the expansive halls, the sound hollow and faint, swallowed by the oppressive stillness.

The air was steady, as if the house were holding its breath. And so, the faintest sound drew your attention—a soft, deliberate patter of paws on the cold floor behind you.

The rhythm matched your own footsteps, a quiet shadow trailing your path. You slowed, waiting, and soon felt the familiar brush of warmth against your leg.

Glancing down, you saw him—the young Doberman, his sleek black coat catching the dim light, his amber eyes bright, almost matching the quiet hue that illuminated the house. The orange shadows coming from every room matching his growing frame pressed against your loose pants. You quietly crossed your arms over your chest as you surrendered to his guidance.

The two of you moved as one, your steps falling into sync with his. The puppy led you with his small form confident and his tail flicking gently with each stride.

Your eyes followed him until you saw where he was headed—a dark wooden door slightly ajar, the glow of firelight spilling through the crack and pooling faintly in the corridor. The warm, amber hue seemed like an invitation, its promise of comfort beckoning you forward.

The puppy slipped through the door first, his movements quick and eager, nails clicking against the cold floor. The sound was sharp but not unpleasant, breaking the silence with the rhythm of the unmistakable chaos of his arrival—a series of hurried steps.

You linger for a moment longer in the doorway, allowing the warmth of the scene to wash over you. The air is thick with the scent of burning wood, mingling with the faint, familiar musk of the dogs and the faintest trace of Caitlyn’s tea, still steaming on the small table beside her.

The green sofa dominates the room, its almond tones matching the small Doberman who had claimed his space with all the entitlement of royalty. His back paws, still slightly too big for his body, scrabble briefly before finding purchase. With a triumphant sigh, he sprawls out, his little frame draped dramatically over Caitlyn’s lap, his eyes fluttering shut as though the effort of climbing up had exhausted him entirely.

You suppress a smile, watching as Caitlyn shifts to accommodate him—yet again. Her movements are practiced, resigned, as though this routine has played out countless times before.

The puppy stretches, his head resting heavily against her thigh, and lets out a soft, exaggerated huff of contentment. It’s almost comical in its melodrama, but then Caitlyn mirrors him, exhaling a quiet sigh that carries the same note of fatigue and surrender.

Like mother, like son, you think, a soft chuckle escaping as you lean against the doorframe. The older Doberman, lying on the opposite side and beside her, seems equally put out by the new arrangement.

Once content with resting his chin on Caitlyn’s inner elbow, he’s now forced to shift lower, his head settling just below her arm with an audible groan. “How dramatic,” you mutter under your breath, shaking your head. The sight before you is disarming in its simplicity, a snapshot of domestic warmth that feels all the more precious because of how hard-won it is.

“You’re late,” Caitlyn remarks suddenly, her voice breaking the silence without disrupting its calm. She doesn’t look up at first, her gaze focused on the book in her hands. “There’s no space for you anymore.”

Her tone is teasing, a playful edge that makes you smile.

When she does glance up, she lowers her glasses slightly, peering over the frames to get a clearer look at you. The faint smirk tugging at the corner of her lips is unmistakable, matched by the quiet glint of amusement in her eyes.

“I didn’t know I was expected,” you counter, your brow lifting instinctively. The words come out with a practiced ease, your banter slipping into place.

Caitlyn’s smirk widens, her shoulders shaking slightly with a chuckle that she doesn’t bother to suppress. She shifts her focus back to her book, the firelight catching the curve of her scar and the skin around her once wounded eye as she tilts her head down.

From where you stand, you can see the faint lines of concentration on her face, the way her brow furrows slightly as she reads. Her glasses reflect the steady motion of her eyes as they scan the page, moving with a kind of intensity that tells you she’s completely absorbed.

She’s further along than the last time you checked, the book already halfway finished. You can tell she’s enjoying it by the way her lips press together, a faint smile playing at the corners when she lingers over a particularly interesting passage. Her fingers, which had been idly resting against the spine of the book, now trail absently through the puppy’s soft fur, stroking the small Doberman’s ears with a tenderness that seems almost unconscious.

The room falls quiet again, save for the occasional crackle of the fire and the rhythmic sound of her page-turning. You let yourself relax against the doorframe, crossing your arms as you take in the details—the way her robe pools around her, its deep blue fabric catching the light; the loose strands of her hair that have fallen forward, one tucked behind her ear; the delicate rise and fall of her chest as she breathes, calm and steady. This is a rare kind of peace, the kind you’ve learned not to take for granted.

For a moment, you hesitate to step further into the room, as though doing so might disrupt the fragile perfection of the scene. But then Caitlyn glances up again, her gaze catching yours. She doesn’t say anything this time, but the faint tilt of her head and the softening of her expression are invitation enough.

Caitlyn had that rare look of peace now, a serenity that had once seemed so unattainable. There was a softness to her tonight, a tangible comfort in the way she sat—relaxed yet poised, her every movement unhurried and deliberate.

You let your gaze linger on the smallest details, those that seemed to carry the most weight. The way her lips pursed slightly in thought, her bottom lip caught between the faintest gap in her teeth as she concentrated on the book resting in her lap. Her fingers, delicate but strong, turned the pages with an almost reverent care, their movements slow as though savoring each word.

It was a scene you could never have imagined not so long ago. Life had been chaos, a whirlwind of battles fought and sacrifices made. There had been no space for these quiet nights, no room for stolen moments where time seemed to pause.

And yet, somehow, you had found your way here—to this, to her. You felt it in the air, in the way your heart settled at the sight of her so at peace, in the privilege of noticing the little things: how she had claimed your white polo again, insisting it was warmer than her own, how her hair caught the light just so, how the smallest movements of her hand spoke volumes about the gentleness she rarely let the world see.

You stepped forward, your movement slow, deliberate. The old floorboards creaked beneath your weight, but the sound only added to the intimacy of the room. Her voice broke the silence, soft yet firm, halting you mid-step.

“What’re you doing? Come here,” she said, her tone gentle but commanding. She closed her book with a single finger marking her place, her other hand patting the small space beside her. The invitation was clear, even as her slight smirk hinted at the unlikelihood of you finding much room there. The large Doberman, sprawled on the cushion beside her, lifted his head at the sound of her voice but quickly settled back down, his chin resting heavily on the edge of her lap.

You hesitated, eyeing the crowded sofa. “There’s no room,” you murmured, half-protesting, though the pull to join her was undeniable.

She didn’t respond, only murmured something soft to the puppy in her lap as she gently nudged him further onto the cushion. He groaned dramatically, his small body shifting just enough to make space. You stifled a laugh at his theatrics, shaking your head as you lowered yourself onto the armrest first, testing the waters. But her expectant gaze, the slight arch of her brow, left no room for lingering. With a resigned sigh, you made your way onto the sofa, squeezing into the impossibly small gap beside her.

Her warmth enveloped you immediately, the soft fabric of her robe brushing against your arm. She set her book and glasses aside, her hands moving to cradle yours before you could fully settle. Her fingers, warm and gentle, wrapped around your own, their touch soothing in a way that words could never match.

“Better?” she asked, her voice carrying that familiar mix of snark and sincerity.

You nodded, unable to suppress the small smile tugging at your lips. Leaning into her, you rested your cheek against her shoulder, letting the steady rise and fall of her breathing ground you. The puppy shifted in your lap, his small body radiating heat that seeped into you, melting away the remnants of the cold that had clung to you all evening.

“I told you it was cold,” she added, her voice soft but teasing, her fingers brushing lightly against the back of your hand.

“You’re always right,” you murmured, your voice muffled against the fabric of her robe as your eyes rolled by the forced admission.

A quiet laugh escaped her, and for a moment, the room seemed to hold its breath, the fire’s glow wrapping around the two of you like a protective cocoon. You closed your eyes, letting yourself sink into the warmth, into her.

This, you realized, was the kind of moment worth fighting for—the kind you’d never let slip away again.

[apiswitchcraft]

altars for greek gods (pt.2)

this post includes zeus, hera, poseidon, hestia, hephaestus, dionysus, ares, demeter, and athena. for part 1 including hades, persephone, artemis, apollo, aphrodite, hermes, and hekate click here, for the titans and protogenoi click here.

keep in mind that this is largely UPG, new age stuff, and historically accurate offerings to the gods include meat, wine, grain (specifically barley), honey, and incense (myrrh and frankincense).

colors can be used for candles, banners, decor, whatever you want

ZEUS

Colors: white, blue, and grey for association with the heavens, yellow and black for association with storms. gold because he's the King of the Gods

Offerings: rain water, oak, olives/olive branches/olive leaves, vervain, cinnamon, laurel. images of himself or lightning bolts are particularly recommended for Zeus

Crystals: diamonds, gold (i think pyrite, aka fool's gold, would be offensive), turquoise, lapis lazuli, celestite, iron/steel, any quartz

Animals: eagle, bull

POSEIDON

Colors: blue and white for association with the seas, gray for association with storms, brown for association with the earth/earthquakes

Offerings: coffee, mint, ocean water, salt, seashells

Crystals: coral, petoskey stone, abalone, opal (especially water opal), blue calcite, aquamarine

Animals: horse, bull, dolphin, hippocampus

HERA

Colors: red, pink and white for association with love and marriage. gold because she's the Queen of the Gods.

Offerings: iris, rose, patchouli, coconut, cypress, maple, peacock feathers, pomegranate

Crystals: pearls, garnet, citrine, diamonds, lapis lazuli, topaz, opal, moonstone, rose quartz

Animals: peacock, cuckoo, cow

HESTIA

Colors: red, orange, and yellow for association with fire, brown or white for the hearth/home.

Offerings: tea/coffee (especially if you drink it with her), pine, bread, cider, apples, anything on fire, cinnamon

Crystals: amber, jade, garnet, ruby, carnelian, sunstone, amethyst, honey calcite

Animals: donkey, pig, crane

HEPHAESTUS

Colors: red, orange, and yellow for association with fire, metallics for association with metalworking.

Offerings: spicy things, hot beverages, handmade things, dragon's blood incense, seashells, anything on fire

Crystals: metals, fire opal, honey calcite, obsidian, hematite, carnelian

Animals: donkey, dog, crane

DIONYSUS

Colors: purple and green for association with grapes/wine, leopard/tiger print for his holy animals

Offerings: grapes (or any derivative), alcohol, cinnamon, ivy, pinecones. there's a particular emphasis on non-physical offerings with dionysus, like playing music, partying or sex/masturbation

Crystals: grape agate, leopard jasper, crazy lace agate, tiger's eye, garnet, rose or rutilated quartz, amethyst, jade

Animals: panther/leopard, tiger, bull, serpent, dolphin

ARES

Colors: red and purple for association with war

Offerings: spicy things, yarrow, chocolate, basil, cinnamon

Crystals: bloodstone, garnet, red jasper, smokey quartz, black tourmaline, hematite, metals, obsidian, carnelian

Animals: eagle owl, barn owl, poisonous snakes, boar, vulture

DEMETER

Colors: green, brown, and yellow for association with the earth/harvest. black for her ruthlessness

Offerings: oats and grain, anything baked, flowers, spices (like cinnamon or cloves, allspice is good too), leaves that have begun to change colors for fall, mint, poppy

Crystals: jade, tree/moss agate, carnelian, amber, aventurine, rutilated quartz

Animals: serpent, farm animals (especially pig), gecko, turtle-dove

ATHENA

Colors: white and grey/silver for association with wisdom. red for association with war

Offerings: anything handmade, olives/olive oil/olive branches/olive leaves, snake shed, cedar, cypress, cinnamon

Crystals: metals, celestite, fluorite, lapis lazuli, bloodstone, obsidian, iolite

Animals: snakes and owls

[crazyunsexycool]

A love as sweet as honey

The Rogers Family's first Halloween

Pairing: Steve Rogers x Reader

Word Count: 2.5k

Warnings: Fluff, kissing, The Barnes Family

A/N: I hope you guys like this!!! It's just a fun (I think it is) and fluffy extra for our other favorite family...

Series Masterlist

Steve was never one to celebrate Halloween before. Sure he would dress up but it was mostly with a last minute costume that Sugar shoved in his hand. This year he was very excited to celebrate though. As soon as Bee was born he already had a family costume in mind. 

You weren’t one to celebrate Halloween either but seeing Steve so excited made you excited. He didn’t tell you what the costume was though. Steve would only let you know on Halloween day. 

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

“Here you go.” Steve hands you a garment bag. “Please go get dressed while I dress myself and Bee.”

You just shake your head and grab the bag. Finally you would find out what Steve had been working on for the last few weeks. You hear Bee cooing as Steve asks if she’s ready for her very first halloween. 

You’re confused by what you find. There’s an amber colored dress. The dress was made to look like it was dripping with teardrop shaped beads all over. There were also some shoes that made it look like the dress dripped on them. Finally there was a headband with a honey dipper floating in what seemed to be amber colored resin. The jewelry was little honeycombs and bees. You giggled but got ready, excited to see how Steve and Bee were dressed. 

“Are you ready?” You call out as you walk towards the living room. 

“More than ready.”

You laugh when you finally set your eyes on Steve and your daughter. Steve smiled proudly at his costume. 

“A beekeeper and his Bee, that’s cute.” He was dressed like a beekeeper and he had Bee strapped to his chest dressed as a Bee. 

“And his Honey of course.” Steve smiles as he snakes an arm around your waist and pulls you in for a quick kiss. 

“So I’m just supposed to be a drop of Honey?” 

“Yup. Now, we should get going before we miss out on all the fun.” Steve ushers you out of the door.

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

The halloween fair was in full swing. Kid friendly decorations were everywhere. As usual everyone that worked at the compound was there dressed up in all types of fun costumes. There are orange and purple lights hung up all around, carved pumpkins creating a path from the outer edges of the fair. Stalls for activities filled the area along with kiddie rides and food stands. Halloween music was played through speakers. Bee kicks her feet and coos while her head turns from side to side. 

You and Steve make your way through the crowd. There are kids and parents running around trying to do as many activities as they can. The three of you are having a great time just walking around and taking in the sights and sounds. Towards the center of the fair, there’s  a DJ booth and dance floor. Before you make it any further you’re stopped.

“Who are you supposed to be?” Steve asks as he looks down.

“Am Wednesday.”

“The day of the week?”

“She’s Wednesday Addams.” You inform Steve with a smile.

Standing in front of both of you with an annoyed expression on her face is Charlotte. She’s wearing a black dress, two braids and there’s a hand on her shoulder. 

“Wednesday Addams? With a hand on her shoulder?” Steve looks concerned. 

“We’re going to have to watch the Addams family so you understand. The hand on her shoulder is a character called Thing.” You tell him before getting closer to Lottie. “That looks so cool. It’s almost real. How did you- AHHH.”

You scream when Henry turns visible. Meanwhile the Barnes kids and Steve laugh at your reaction. 

“Sorry.” Henry says through his giggles.

“You’re two characters, smart.”

“Yeah, I’m Pugsley and Thing.”

“C’mon.” Lottie says as she starts making her way to her parents. 

You and Steve follow her through the crowd until you reach Bucky and Sugar. 

“You guys look amazing.” You say.

Bucky is dressed perfectly as Gomez in a black and gray striped suit and Sugar is killing it as Morticia in a long black dress, an equally as long black wig and Morticia’s signature makeup. In her arms is Peanut dressed as Pubert, the youngest Addams child. 

“Us? You guys look so cute.” Sugar gushes. 

“It was all Steve’s idea.” 

“It was easy to come up with.” Steve smiles brightly. 

The team slowly gathered around. Clint, Nat, Wanda and Vision were dressed up as ghostbusters. Sam was dressed as Dracula. Tony and Bruce didn’t really dress up. At least that’s what it looked like.

“Why didn’t you dress up?” Sugar shakes her head at them. 

“We did.” Tony looks down at his The Flash graphic t-shirt. “I’m Sheldon Cooper. Bazinga.” 

“And I’m Bill Nye.” Bruce fixes his bow tie. 

“Mama can we go now?” Lottie points towards an entrance. 

“Yes we can sweet Angel. Make sure you have your basket. Henry you too.” 

Bucky hands the kids their baskets and holds one up to you. “For Bee’s first Halloween.”

“Thank you.” 

The Barnes’ lead the way to the entrance Lottie pointed at a  big sign that read ‘Trick or Treat Lane’. Parents were lined up with their kids to get their candy. There were employees all standing next to boxes of candy, handing it out to all the kids. 

“Twick oh tweat.” Lottie holds up her basket. She looks bored to be there but she’s capturing Wednesday Addams’ character perfectly.

“Trick or treat.” Henry’s next. 

You watch as Steve excitedly walks up to the first person with Bee’s basket in hand. 

“Can you say trick or treat, Bee?”

Bee just blows a raspberry and kicks her feet. The group goes down the very long trick or treat set up grabbing full sized candy bars and filling the kids baskets. Once that’s done everyone goes their separate ways to enjoy some of the other activities. 

“Let’s go to the pumpkin station.” You pull Steve along and he happily follows you. 

“Hello. Take a seat and we will give you each a pumpkin. You can either carve or paint your pumpkin just make sure you put all the tools back once you’re done.” The attendant explains. 

Steve takes Bee out of the baby carrier and sits her on the table. She immediately grabs the small pumpkin and starts smacking it. 

“Are you excited Bee?” You ask as you lean over to look at her. She smiles and coos while she pats the pumpkin in front of her. “Alright, let's get to painting.”

You and Steve spend a few minutes painting and laughing at Bee’s reaction to everything happening around her. She’s a very curious child. 

“I need your hand honey.” Steve says. 

“What for?” 

“You’ll see.” Steve takes your offered hand and you shudder when you feel the cold paint being slathered on. 

“Alright, what do you think?” 

Steve turns the pumpkin around for you to see. It has his handprint in one color, then your handprint over his and finally Bee’s little print over yours. 

“Aaww Steve, that’s so cute.” You lean in and give him a quick kiss. “I love it.” 

“Now let me see yours.” 

“Oh it’s not as good as yours. It’s just a little Bee and her keeper.”

Steve smiles again. You love to see him like this. Happy and carefree with Bee in his arms. He makes you swoon when he flashes that smile in your direction. 

“It’s a great pumpkin Honey.” 

After the pumpkin painting you both went off to find more games. You played Witch’s hat ring toss and won a little stuffie for Bee. Steve played the wheel of doom which had different dares on it. He had to eat a bug, a fake one at least. You entered the family costume contest and came in 2nd place. Steve insisted on having some pictures taken of the three of you at the Photo Booth. 

“Where to next?” 

“Steebie!” You both turned to look for Charlotte in the crowd. “Come dance.” 

You find her at the edge of the dance floor with Henry holding Peanut. This time you carry Bee as you make your way to the kids. 

“You wanna dance with me sweetheart?” 

“No.” Lottie shakes her head. “I wanna dance with Bee. I can hold her. Here.” She holds up a bag of goodies for Steve to take, which he does reluctantly. Then Lottie holds her arms out for Bee. 

“Make sure to support her head, Lottie.” 

“I know. I take good care of her.” Lottie smiles at a babbling Bee. “Let’s dance Bee.” 

With careful steps she gets to the dance floor while Henry takes Peanut and follows Lottie. Clint’s kids and Sam’s nephews were already on the dance floor. The Monster Mash came on the speaker and Steve wrapped an arm around your shoulders as you both watched the kids. Just as she promised, Lottie takes care of Bee while bopping along to the music. The other kids keep a protective semicircle around the youngest kids so no one accidentally bumps into them. It’s very sweet to watch. After dancing along to another song Lottie brings Bee back to you. Steve takes her and places her back in the baby carrier.

“Ok, I need a caramel apple.” You tell Steve as you take his hand and start dragging him in the direction of the stand. 

“Whatever my Honey wants, my Honey gets.” Steve chuckles at your eagerness for the sweet treat. 

You run into Sugar, Nat and Sam all waiting in line for an apple too. 

“Cara mia.” Bucky says as he appears out of thin air. He takes his wife’s hand and leaves a trail of kisses from her hand up her arm and ending on her neck. 

“You two disgust me.” Sam mutters. 

“I think it’s cute.” You counter. 

“That’s because you’re in love too.” Sam argues as he takes another step closer to the stand. 

After everyone got their treats you took a seat at one of the picnic tables. Steve looked over at your apple and how it was covered with almost every topping.

“That is a lot of sugar.” He murmurs as he watches you take a bite. 

“I’ll be fine. There’s an apple underneath, it balances out.” 

“Tell me that after your sugar crash.” Steve jokes but lets you have your treat. Instead he focuses on Bee and your friends. 

The kids make their way to the table to drop off treats, prizes and other things before they go back out and get lost in the crowd. Bucky now has Peanut sitting on the table, face to face with Bee. They babble and coo at each other while you and Sugar finish your apples. 

“What are we doing next?” Sugar asks as she gets up. 

“How about the haunted house?” 

“We can’t take the kids in there.” 

“Here, give me Bee.” Sugar tells Steve. “You guys go first and take your time, have fun.” 

“Are you sure?” You ask her but she only smiles as she coos at Bee. 

“Yes, go have some one on one time.” 

“Thanks, we’ll be back soon.” 

Steve takes your hand and leads you into the entrance of the haunted house. By the sounds of screams you can tell that it’s actually scary. Steve looks back at you to make sure you really want to do this. You nod and he walks in. The lights are either low or flickering.

 You held on tightly to Steve’s hand and still you screamed your head off when the first person popped out to scare you. After that you were really on edge. Every time you thought you were in the clear something or someone else would catch you off guard. By the time you walk out you’re sure the whole fair heard your screams. But still you laugh with Steve as you think back to how good you’d been scared. 

Bucky waves you off when you come back to get Bee. He tells you to do a couple more things just you and Steve. While you’re both reluctant to leave Bee behind, you eventually give in and run off to do a few more things. 

One of those things is apparently make out like teenagers in a dark corner of the fair. 

“Steve.” You giggle between kisses. “We’re gonna get caught.” 

“Who cares? I don’t.” Steve replies. His lips barely leaving yours, his hands roaming your curves. 

But he isn’t the only one craving touch. You are too and reciprocate every touch and kiss. Still in the back of your mind you thought about how mortifying it would be if someone found you.

“Steve?” 

“Yes, Honey?” 

“You really don’t care if anyone finds us?” You pull back only to see Steve’s lust blown eyes looking down at you. 

“How would you react if someone said ‘I saw Captain America making out with someone behind a building’?” 

You smile, “I wouldn’t believe them for a second.” 

“Exactly.” Steve leans in and places one more kiss on your lips. “But we can stop and go back.” 

You pull him down by his neck. “A few more minutes won’t hurt anybody.” 

~~~~~~~~~~

“Seems like you got your treat.” Sugar murmurs as you pass by and you can’t help the heat that creeps up your cheeks. She just laughs as you take Bee from her.

“Should we go get daddy, Bee?” You rock her as she leans her head on your shoulder and yawns. “Yeah, let's get daddy and go home. I think we’ve had enough fun for the night.”

“Have a good night, Y/N.” 

“You too, Morticia.” 

Steve is easy to find. He’s talking with Clint, Bucky and Sam about watching some game. When you get close enough he smiles at you and the sleeping little Bee in your arms. 

“Ready to go?” He asks.

“Yeah, she’s already asleep.” 

“It is past her bedtime.” He says, “I’ll see you guys tomorrow. I gotta get my girls home.” 

The guys say their goodnights and let you go on your way.

 It’s a quick and quiet walk back home. You take Bee up to her room and change her out of her costume and into some cozy pajamas. By the time you’re done getting Bee and yourself into comfortable pajamas Steve is already on the couch with the basket of candy. You sigh as you sit next to him and take the piece of candy he offers you. 

“So what should we watch?” He asks as he turns on the tv.

“We have to watch my favorite halloween movie, Hocus Pocus.”

“That’s the one with the witches that are sister’s right?” 

“Yeah.” You smile up at him. “Have you seen it already?”

“No, but I’ve heard about it.”

“Perfect. After that we can watch The Addams Family. That way you’ll get why Bucky and Mags make perfect sense and Gomez and Morticia.” 

“Whatever you want, Honey.” 

Steve pulls you in close. The two of you snuggle as you introduce him to the Sanderson sisters. Overall the first Rogers’ family Halloween was a sweet success. 

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[sunlightmurdock]

could I request thunderstorms and pillow forts with BBB!Bradley and cozy? 🥹

A Rainy Day | Boxer!Bradley x Bambi

spookweek masterlist | fic masterlist

synopsis: after plans are soiled, Bradley thinks of something the two of you can share on a rainy day.

warnings: mentions of terminally ill parents, upsetting childhoods.

…

The disappointment on your face is palpable, a deep frown etched into your features as you stare out of the window. Today was one of Bradley’s only days off with the pick-up in clients recently. It had been marked on your calendar as Pumpkin Patch Day for four weeks now.

Lightning flashes, followed by a threatening rumble of thunder somewhere beyond the window.

Bradley scrubs a hand over his jaw and sighs softly.

“Maybe we could do something inside instead?” He offers up weakly, knowing how much effort you had put into planning today, and how excited you had been for it.

You turn your head and look at him over your shoulder. He can tell that you try to look optimistic for him, but there’s no hiding the clear sadness.

“Like what?”

He looks around the apartment. Wracking his brain for ideas, he quickly realises that his upbringing didn’t exactly prime him for this sort of planning.

“Is there anything else you liked to do as a kid? — What do kids do for fun, anyways?” He’s almost talking to himself for the latter part of his question, staring at the carpet. He’s trying. You can appreciate that much.

That had been your whole reasoning for this. There was so much that Bradley hadn’t gotten to do as a kid — his mother had been sick, and the closest thing he had to a father ran a boxing gym that simply wasn’t a suitable environment.

“Oh!” He thinks suddenly. You lift your chin and give him your attention. “You know one thing I really liked to do as a kid?”

This perks a real reaction, enough for the big dog on your lap to lift his head and look quizzically toward your boyfriend, like he’s listening too.

“You know the scene in the movie Hook where Maggie Smith is reading to the little girl and they’re in that fort? — My mom and I used to build stuff like that when she was too sick to go out.”

Your face twists, you frown morphing from disappointment to pity at once — but he doesn’t mind the pity, not from you. He knows you just want more for him. It’s just that all of his stories are so… sad.

“You would build pillow forts together?” You ask quietly, trying to imagine him all small and buried under blankets and pillows, tucked under his mother’s arm.

“All the time.” She was too sick to go out a lot. But, this isn’t one of his sad memories. He finds a smile and pushes himself out of the armchair. “Come on, I’ll show you how.”

His first instruction is to find all the blankets that you can — he knows that you’ve got plenty. By the time you return with arms full, you find that he has somewhat deconstructed your living room.

The couch is pushed way back and the coffee table is now by kitchen island, the couch cushions are on the ground and there’s a lamp right in the middle — with its lampshade discarded.

As you open your mouth to question his changes, he steps over to you and kisses the top of your head, scooping up your mass of blankets. “Perfect, and then we just want to drape them over the lamp — and over the back of the couch, and prop this up over here.”

There’s a method to his madness, clearly, as you watch his little plan start to come together.

Another idea sparks in his head as he’s busy positioning the blankets. “You want to light some candles? — We can play monopoly or something.”

“I don’t play monopoly with cheaters.” Comes out of your mouth more quickly than you had intended, making his head whip towards you. His lips twist upwards, brown eyes narrowing playfully.

“Fine. How about a movie?”

With the candles lit, your small apartment seems abundantly less gray. It’s more shades of orange and amber now with the flickering light and the soft glow of the television.

Bradley’s awkwardly curled within the ‘fort’ with you on his chest and his arms around you. His chin rests atop your head and you can tell that this is one of those times that he really lets himself relax.

It’s not quite as easy for him to fit into the pillow fort as it had been when he was a kid, but it brings back a strange and sweeping sense of nostalgia.

He’s quick to pull you against him, curled up and watching a movie meant for kids, his thumb trailing patterns just under the breach of your t-shirt.

He’ll let you take him to the pumpkin patch someday, and he’ll appreciate your planning and make sure it’s a good day — but there’s nothing that beats this.

…

[enigmaticexplorer]

I Yearn, and so I Fear - Epilogue

Masterlist | Previous Chapter

General Summary. Nearly a year since the Galactic Empire’s rise to power, Kazi Ennari is trying to survive. But her routine is interrupted—and life upended—when she’s forced to cohabitate with former Imperial soldiers. Clone soldiers. 

Pairing. Commander Wolffe x female!OC

General Warnings. Canon-typical violence and assault, familial struggles, terminal disease, bigotry, explicit sexual content, death. This story deals with heavy content. If you’re easily triggered, please do not read. For a more comprehensive list of tags, click here.

Fic Rating. E (explicit)/18+/Minors DNI.

Chapter Word Count. 4.2K

A Like without a Reblog will result in an automatic block.

Three Years Later

28 Melona

“Another year, Wolf’ika.” Cody paused on the grassy path and appraised the orchard. “You should be proud of this.”

Wolffe flashed his vod a smile. “I am.”

In the six months since Cody last visited, the citrus-star trees had matured past their two-year adolescence into adulthood. Their trunks had thickened into sturdy structures larger than Neyti’s body; the lowest branches skimmed Wolffe’s head.

Wolffe and Kazi had planted the twenty seeds together but the orchard was his responsibility. Hours researching Ceaia’s nutrient-rich soil, speaking with local farmers, tilling the soil, and caring for the seeds paid off. The orchard produced bunches of citrus-stars monthly. Enough for his family. And enough to sell at the local farmer’s market. 

“I’ve added a new beehive,” Wolffe said. He gestured to the end of the row where an amber hive hung from a branch, well hidden among the dense cluster of leaves. It was his fifth hive. And his most productive. “It’s done well.”

“To know that you did become a farmer…” Cody chuckled his incredulity. “I didn’t think it was possible.”

Wolffe inclined his chin in agreement. 

While Kazi worked at Outlook Harbor’s Museum of History and Neyti attended school, Wolffe spent his days out here alone: tending the orchard; nurturing the garden’s assortment of fruits, vegetables, and herbs (for both meals and Nova’s research); monitoring the bees. ‘Til Fox interrupted. Then his quiet and solitude were ruined. 

But the early morning hours, after his run, he had to himself. Just him and the lazing leaves and the humming bees. 

“Kazi and Neyti?” Cody asked. They hadn’t been at the house when he landed half an hour ago.

“Weekly lessons at the museum,” Wolffe said.

The lessons began two years ago when, intrigued by Kazi’s translation work, Neyti asked to learn the ancient Ceaian language. Kazi agreed with a casual smile. But Wolffe had seen her hidden delight. Her excitement. He was well-studied in her subtle tells, after all. 

“I’m meeting them later,” Wolffe added. Cody arched a brow, and he shrugged with a chuckle. “I don’t know where we’re going. They want it to be a surprise.”

The gray of dawn cast the orchard in foggy darkness, dulling the pale orange of the trees’ fronds. Wolffe reached for a leaf larger than his hand and rubbed it between his fingers; the fuzzy trichomes tickled his palm. It brought a half-smile to his face.

They continued forward, turning at a fork in the path where, frowning, Cody nudged a pink bush with his boot.

“Neyti and Steiner like to play here,” Wolffe explained. He smiled. “I couldn’t say no. And they’re good for the bees.”

His vod shook his head fondly. “And Fox?”

Wolffe ducked beneath a branch. “You could ask him.”

“I could.” But he wouldn’t. 

Cody returned to Coruscant the week they completed renovation on the lighthouse. The decision had gutted Neyti as much as it angered Fox. Fox had expected them to remain together. To settle down and remove themselves from the threat of the Empire. To live out the rest of their lives in relative peace. But Cody disagreed with Fox’s sentiments. They argued; they parted on bad terms.

Every few months, Cody visited. He spent most of his time painting with Neyti, helping Wolffe with the garden, hiking with Nova. During those brief visits, Fox disappeared to the lighthouse. He avoided meals. Avoided any interaction with Cody. For Fox, Cody’s decision to leave Ceaia—to leave his vode—was a betrayal. 

A year and a half dredged by before Fox begrudgingly apologized. Cody accepted the apology with characteristic understanding. Wolffe knew the fight had weighed on Cody; just like he knew Fox would never understand Cody’s decision. 

But Wolffe understood Cody’s decision. Cody threw himself into work to deal with his guilt, and working with Rex and the clone network provided an escape. 

Wolffe also knew that Cody couldn’t remain on Ceaia. Not after Daria’s death. He hardly blamed his vod. The nightmares still haunted him on occasion. Nightmares where Daria and Neyti deboarded the transport at the Naboo spaceport without Kazi. Each time he awoke sweaty and panting, reaching for Kazi. 

Touching her, feeling her heartbeat in her wrist, sliding his finger along the tattoo of his initials—W.E.—on the inner skin of her fourth finger—it freed him from the nightmare’s lingering grasp. 

He didn’t blame Cody. Not one fucking bit. 

“Fox helps with the garden and orchard. But he doesn’t like the bees,” Wolffe said. Cody smirked in amusement. “He’s been spending a lot of time carving the fence.”

Nearby, a detailed dragon prowled the top of the dark-wooded fence protecting the orchard. Cody admired the carving. “And the annals?”

Last year, the annals evolved from Fox’s personal project to a museum-financed publication. It was Nova’s idea: an admitted desire to publicly preserve the stories of the vode he’d lost. 

“They deserve to be remembered,” Nova had told Wolffe and Fox late one night while he paced the carpeted basement. “And not just by me. But by the people they protected, too.”

Kazi had recently started her job at the museum (as a translator of the dying Ceaian language, she was scribing some of the oldest scrolls on loan from the Library of Xand), and reached out to the museum’s director. 

A few private meetings led to an agreement: Fox would organize his interviews into a chronological timeline, and the museum would publish the stories into three annals. They would be the first historical record of the War. The only record from the soldiers who fought in it. 

“They’re coming along,” Wolffe said. New interviews continued to appear every few months thanks to Cody’s efforts to connect various men with Fox. “The first two years are almost complete.”

Cody gave a pleased nod. 

The path veered to the right, toward the house. Low-hanging leaves tickled their hair and brushed their shoulders. They passed through the gate, wandering deeper into the forest, the tree cover thickening. The smell of burning wood drifted on the breeze; they followed its scent.

“I have another interview,” Cody said. At his smug tone, Wolffe snorted. “From Rex.” 

Wolffe blinked his surprise. “He agreed?” 

Cody smirked. “I convinced him.”

“You’re next,” he said. Cody rolled his eyes, and he shoved his vod in the shoulder. “Stop being a prick.”

“You haven’t done it,” Cody retorted.

“Did it last week.” He winked at his vod’s appalled look but soon sobered, shrugging. “It was time.”

“Fuck.” Cody scrubbed a hand across his jaw. Weariness lined his eyes and forehead, and he let out a deep sigh. “I’ll…think about it.”

Nearing the front of the house, the low voices of Fox and Nova discernible over the crackle of the fire, Cody motioned for Wolffe to halt. He angled his head toward Nova. “How’s he doing?”

“Nova’s a grown man, Cod’ika,” Wolffe said gently. “He’s making his own life. And he’s doing a damn good job at it.”

“I know,” Cody murmured. “I thought that…” He cleared his throat and straightened. “I’m glad he’s doing well.”

Wolffe was surprised when Nova decided to stick around after Cody left. Throughout the War, and after, he’d remained loyal to Cody. The type of loyalty only the best commanding officers earned from their subordinates. Wolffe had once earned a similar loyalty from his men. Before Order 66. Before he bailed on the Empire. Before he fled his own men trying to gun him down for betraying orders.

But Wolffe quickly realized the reason behind Nova’s decision: Nova was ready to move on from the past. And that meant parting ways with Cody. 

Within a few weeks of Cody’s departure, Nova applied for a researcher’s job at the local med center. There, he began researching a medicinal alternative to bacta. A solution to the Empire’s control and restriction over the healing aid. (Kazi gave him Daria’s old research books for inspiration or potential leads.)

The work kept Nova busy most days but he seemed to enjoy it. Neyti had even shown an interest in his work. Some afternoons, after school, he took her to the med center and let her help with his experiments. 

“You know,” Wolffe said, clapping a hand to Cody’s back, “there’s a place for you here. Whenever you want it.”

“The Rebellion needs me—”

“You need the Rebellion.” Wolffe levelled a hard look at Cody. “But it won’t clear your conscience.”

Cody squared his shoulders. “Yeah. I know.”

Wolffe offered him a grim smile and then made his way toward the sputtering fire. The embers glowed in the darkness of the evergreen and sequoia forest; the flames kept the early morning shadows at bay.

For the next two hours, Wolffe and his vode downed glasses of whiskey, swapped stories they all knew, and played rounds of sabaac. Nova won; Wolffe was convinced he’d cheated. 

As the forest lightened, the whiskey warming his blood, Wolffe tugged a sweater over his head, nodded to the others, and then started the trek to the docks. He was unsurprised when Fox followed.

The grassy cliff path spat them out at the shore. The low tide revealed bubbling sand pockets, a burrowing crab, and the booted footprints of a woman and child who’d passed through earlier. 

“Three years,” Fox said, surveying the faint sunrise with a pensive expression. “A lot has changed.”

“It’s what you wanted,” Wolffe remarked.

“Yeah.” Slowly, his vod rolled the sleeves of his maroon sweater. “Never thought I’d end up on an ocean planet again.”

He chuckled. “It’s better than Kamino.”

“Anywhere is better than there,” Fox said. The vitriol underscoring his comment wasn’t lost on Wolffe; he knew Fox’s feelings well enough. Adjusting the cuff of his right sleeve, Fox cleared his throat. “Thanks.”

Wolffe gave a wordless grunt of confusion. 

“For getting me off Coruscant.” Fox motioned to their surroundings. “This is a good place to retire.”

He snorted. “Only took you four years.”

“Fuck off.” Fox halted, running a hand through his hair, observing Wolffe with hesitant solemnity. He sighed. “I’m…grateful to be here.”

Wolffe nodded slowly. “Me too.”

He took a moment to breathe in the fresh air, to watch the sun cresting the oceanic horizon, to grasp Fox’s shoulder and give him a firm shake. Fox threw him a grin. One of those knowing grins he used when they were boys and was about to challenge Wolffe to a particularly ambitious dare. Wolffe hadn’t seen Fox grin like that in a long time. He’d missed it.

“Give my love to the women,” Fox said, shoving his hands into his trousers’ pockets. He backed away a step. “And don’t drown. I’d grow bored without you.”

Wolffe rolled his eyes and turned away. 

A jog along the shore brought him to the docks. Scents of freshly baked bread, citrus fruits, and spiced soups wafted from the colorful buildings. Younglings sprinted the walkways. Sailors shouted orders as they prepared their ships. 

Regardless of the earliness of the day, Outlook Harbor bustled with life. Wolffe nodded to the woman at the bakery (she sold jars of his honey), shook his head at a small boy begging for a cup of shaved ice (he could relate to the father’s fond exasperation), and lifted a hand of acknowledgement to the elderly florist (she liked Kazi and Neyti). With a sharp turn, he strode down a familiar dock— 

“Daddy!”

He broke into a wide grin.

Legs dangling over the side of the sailboat, Neyti waved, her smile toothy. Beside her, Fluffy thumped his tail in greeting. The moment Wolffe boarded the boat the anooba knocked his head against his legs. He gave the canine a scratch behind his ears. 

Over the years, Fluffy had matured into a calm yet protective force. A good soldier. Wolffe would know; he’d served with plenty of them. 

“Hey, kid.” Wolffe kissed the top of Neyti’s head. Her hair was tied back in her classic double braids, the style he’d perfected with hours of practice on Kazi. “You ready?”

“Yup. Mum let me raise the sails.” Neyti nodded at the main mast. “We were waiting on you.”

While Neyti finished a glass of lemon juice, Wolffe inspected their work. Unnecessary thanks to Kazi’s expertise but he didn’t want to feel excluded from the prep. “Where is your mom—”

“It’s about time.” Kazi strolled from the cabin space beneath the deck, a bouquet in her hands, her hazel eyes beaming with mirth. “Happy life day.”

Wolffe grinned. He couldn’t help himself. The morning sun seemed as eager about Kazi as he felt. It cast her in a pinkish hue that made her skin glow. She kissed his cheek; his skin burned beneath the touch. 

With an easy smile, Wolffe accepted the bouquet. Gray and long-petaled, the flowers complimented the wolf on his sweater and the socks he could see peeking above Kazi’s boots. The socks he’d given her long ago—the gray a claim to his pack.

Under the pretense of smelling the flowers, Wolffe scrutinized Kazi. He liked her like this: a carefree, dimpled smile; hands casually tucked in the back pockets of her trousers; an adventurous twinkle in her eyes. Seeing her like this…fuck,it inspired different wants within him. 

He wanted to hold her close and smell her lavender soap. He wanted his head in her lap while her fingers played with his hair. He wanted to sit on their porch and listen to her talk about her translation work. He wanted to taste her, pleasure her until she was sated and pliant. He wanted her naked beneath this soft sunlight so he could admire every toned muscle and delicate plane of her body—

“Are you going to stare at Mum all day or can we go?” Neyti jumped to the deck, piercing him with an exasperated frown. Wolffe rubbed the back of his neck. “Your surprise won’t be waiting all day.”

“Demanding, much?” Kazi flicked their daughter’s forehead. Neyti responded with a sheepish grin. Chuckling, Kazi shared a private, knowing smile with him—that damned smile he’d beg on his knees for a glimpse of—and then started for the docking line. “Come on. Neyti’s right—we want to get there in time.”

Navigated by her skilled captain, the sailboat chugged through the harbor’s dark blue waves, passing through the breakwater where two dragons sat on guard: the twins, Bellu and Xap. Most harbors, Kazi once told him, were protected by the twins.

For the lateness of the summer, the ocean was well-tempered, sincere in its embrace of salty wind and bobbing waves. While Wolffe stood at the helm with Kazi wondering where they were going, Neyti and Fluffy leaned against the bow’s railing, searching for sea creatures.

Soon, their billowing sails brought them to their destination: the clear waters of the islet. 

Wolffe chuckled his appreciation. Both his wife and daughter knew the islet was one of his favorite places to visit: a lush forest with foxlike creatures that often attempted to nick his broken wristchrono; a clearing with a bubbling stream that could ease the worst tension from him; and the turtles—docile creatures he liked to swim with. 

Anchor dropped and wetsuits assorted, the islet’s shallows welcomed them. They swam among iridescent corals. Seaweed swayed at a lethargic pace, pearlescent seashells blinking like stars among a sandy sky. 

After a lunch of cubed melons, peppered cucumbers, vegetable cheese sandwiches, and a dessert of Wolffe’s favorite cherry pie, they returned to the waters. 

Awakened by the sun’s rays, the turtles emerged from their caves. The youngest was Neyti’s size; the largest neared Wolffe’s height. Dark brown geometric shapes decorated the turtles’ domed shells and long flippers. Their delicate heads poked curiously at the humans. 

Wolffe took photos of Kazi and Neyti swimming among the bale. He had a large collection of photos at home: some decorated the wall in his and Kazi’s bedroom; others adorned the main level’s mantelpiece and bookshelves. 

The photos were proof. Proof that he’d survived. Proof that he’d got to live out his dreams. 

The holorecorder swapped hands. Kazi snapped photos of him and Neyti; Neyti, with artistic flair, captured a few of him and Kazi. Both broke into giggles when Kazi snapped a photo of a turtle biting his foot. He grinned along with them, even if his toes ached. 

Eventually, the white, billowy clouds of afternoon gave way to golden-dappled clouds of evening. Pale white hummingbirds whizzed among the islet’s shores and the sailboat. Curled near the hull, Fluffy watched the tiny birds with intrigue.  

While Kazi sat alone on the shore, studying Daria’s old necklace and the photo within its locket, Wolffe joined Neyti on the sailboat’s railing. Beneath their hanging feet, the turtles lazed. Neyti peeled a citrus-star. An even split and she offered half to Wolffe. He accepted with a small smile.

“Good day?” Wolffe asked.

Neyti grinned. “The best.”

“Any new painting ideas?”

“Lots. Steiner and I are going to the lighthouse to paint tomorrow.” She plucked a citrus-star piece into her mouth and then scrutinized him. “You have a request.”

“Clever girl,” Wolffe said. Her smug smile earned a low chuckle from him. 

Reaching into a pocket of his tossed-aside trousers, Wolffe retrieved his wallet and a small photo tucked within. A photo of him, Kazi, and Neyti in front of the lighthouse last month. 

He remembered the moment clearly. The night’s constellations were winking into existence. Gentle waves were lapping at the shore, the temperature cool. He was staring at Kazi, holding Neyti’s hand, when he was struck with the reminder that this was his life. That he was married and had a daughter. That his vode were alive. That he was alive. It was hard to believe, sometimes.

“I’d like a painting of this,” Wolffe said thickly, showing Neyti the photo. “Think you can do that?”

Neyti narrowed her eyes as she appraised the image. “Is it for Mum’s life day?”

“Yes.”

“I’ll do it,” she promised. 

He nodded his thanks and carefully tucked the photo back into his wallet. 

After a minute of silence, interrupted only by the rocking waves and the whizzing hummingbirds, Neyti peered at him. “Did you like your life day?” 

Wolffe considered his daughter for a long moment. 

Over the years, she’d grown taller. Most of her adult teeth had come in, though one gap remained. (He hoped it took a long time to fill.) While her quiet nature continued to shape her curious yet shrewd outlook, her sharp wit and stubborn attitude persisted, especially during sparring lessons with Fox. 

She still enjoyed her princess stories. She still enjoyed learning new dragon lore. He and Kazi still read to her in bed. 

But Neyti was maturing. And he was keen to appreciate each moment of her childhood he had left.

Slipping a piece of citrus-star into his mouth, Wolffe knocked his elbow against Neyti’s. “I couldn’t have asked for a better one.”

As night swarmed and sharks began their hunt, they returned to Outlook Harbor. 

A blanket sprawled, bellies warm with vegetable curry, buttered flatbread, and chocolate-covered honeycomb, they settled among the sailboat’s deck. Wolffe accepted a pair of earplugs from Kazi. Neyti nestled herself between them. 

An effervescent display of fireworks lit the sky. Streams of silver and gold complimented the swooping figures of dragons. Regal purples and bottomless blues emphasized the dragons’ idiosyncratic prowess. 

The world silent, Wolffe split his time between watching the show and observing Kazi and Neyti’s reactions. 

Neyti watched the fireworks with a dimpled grin of awe. Kazi spent an equal amount of time watching the displays and studying him. At one of her subtle glances, he tapped the side of his head and winked. He felt an innate satisfaction at her small smile and relaxing posture. 

Later that night, locked in their bedroom, entangled on their bed, Wolffe held Kazi closer to his chest. They were both shaking, their breaths ragged. He could still feel her cunt fluttering around his oversensitive cock. He stifled a moan against her shoulder. 

Heat thrummed beneath his skin. His mind worked slowly, dazed by his orgasm. Instinctively, he brushed a hand down the smooth skin of Kazi’s spine. Her soft exhale tickled the hair curling around his ear, her thighs flexing around his waist.

“Good?” he asked. 

She gave a tired yet content nod and ran a finger along the silver bar piercing his nipple. He shivered at the sensation. His cock twitched inside of her. The corners of her lips quirked in amusement. He offered her a lazy grin. She repeated the touch once more, kissed his cheek, and then maneuvered herself from his lap to the mattress.

Wolffe quickly followed, kneeling between her legs, staring down at her. She was…fuck, she was more beautiful than those rare, sunny days on Kamino. 

The moonlight caressed her body in warm shades of amber: the flush to her cheeks, the blackness to her eyelashes, the curves of her breasts, the muscles of her arms. Her unbound hair crowned her head like faded autumnal leaves. Her eyes were dark, bliss-filled. 

He surveyed her, his mind blank of coherent thought. All he knew was that he wanted to stay like this for a long time.

“You’re staring,” Kazi murmured.

“Mm-hmm.” Settling himself atop her, he twirled a strand of hair around his finger and then placed a kiss on the underside of her jaw. “Say it.”

She skimmed a palm along his biceps; he trembled at the touch. “I love you,” she whispered.

A kiss to the sensitive spot behind her ear followed. At her breathy sigh, a warm feeling fluttered behind his ribcage. He murmured, “Again.”

“I love you.”

He swallowed and then lowered his face to hers. His mouth brushed the white scar near the corner of her eye. “Again.”

A finger tipped his face back; her eyes danced with affection. “I love you.”

Wolffe smiled at the promise in her words. Their lips grazed. He curled his fingers into her loose hair; he breathed against her skin, “I love you.”

As he deepened the kiss, Kazi brought him closer, her hands trailing across his back. He shuddered beneath her wandering fingers. His cock throbbed. A quiet moan broke their kiss. He pursued her neck. Warm skin welcomed his mouth. 

He took his time, tracing the lines of her collarbone with his tongue, sucking long and slow on the underswell of her breasts, skimming his fingers across her ribcage, her throat, her face. 

One hand played with his hair; the other massaged his shoulders, the back of his neck. Deep kneading eased the stiffness from his body. A teasing caress of his earlobe made him groan. 

Their kisses slowed to lingering; their touches turned drowsy. 

Wolffe pressed his forehead against Kazi’s, squeezed her hip, and then lowered himself onto his back. Extending an arm behind her head, he glanced at the nightstand. Atop his trusted notebook sat his present: a silver, sleek wristchrono.

He’d been eyeing it for months. Hell, he should’ve known that Kazi would notice his subtle glances at the shop window each time they visited the harbor. 

Wolffe trailed a finger across the tiny, cursive inscription on the ‘chrono’s band: So you can always find your way home. He blinked away the burning sensation behind his eyes.

“Thirty, Wolffe,” Kazi murmured, tracing the initials inked into his fourth finger: K.E. “How does it feel?”

“It doesn’t feel real,” Wolffe admitted. He skimmed his thumb along her shoulder. “I…never thought I could have this. And now…” 

Years training with his vode, years believing he’d die on the battlefield, years fighting alongside his men, yet he outlived them all… 

He’d never understand why he’d survived. He’d never understand why he’d been allowed to experience this—finding Kazi, raising Neyti, starting his own farm. But he’d learned long ago that he couldn’t control fate. And those men who’d died—they’d want him to live the life they didn’t get to. He owed them. And he’d make the most of what he was given. 

“I’m glad this is real,” he said quietly. “Real fucking glad.”

A thoughtful hum sounded from Kazi, and she peered at him: hesitant yet curious. “Do you feel alive?”

Wolffe thought back to years ago, to stars reflected among a stilled lake’s surface, to lightning bugs flickering among an overgrown jungle, to hazel eyes rounded with vulnerability and soft lips he wanted to touch, to a quiet conversation he’d never forgotten.

“Yeah. I do.” He let out a chuckle, surprised by the swiftness of his answer. Surprised by the truth behind it. He searched Kazi’s gaze. “Do you?”

A slow smile lit her face, wide and dimpled and so full of life. “I do.”

For a long time, Wolffe basked in her smile and the heat of her body curled against his, and when she kissed the side of his throat, he turned his gaze to the skylights. The Dancing Dragons twinkled, their central star bright in the night sky. Kazi nuzzled her nose against his jaw; he mapped the tattoo on her spine.

“Tell me the story, Kazi,” he murmured. “Start from the beginning.”

He felt her smile against his neck. As she started to speak, he closed his eyes, sinking into the mattress, relaxing into the lavender scent of her hair and the sleepy lilt of her voice: 

“Every night a female dragon soared amongst the stars.”

Masterlist | Chapter 31

A/N: For a deeper look into this story and its characters, check out the Behind the Scenes.

Artwork of Kazi, Wolffe, and Neyti by the phenomenal @pinkiemme!

[herald-divine-hell]

Work in Progress

Tagged by the wonderful @aymayzing.

Tagging: @this-is-something-idk-what, @noeldressari, @lordwoolselytaxservices, @bigfan-fanfic, @leliwardens, @thebookworm0001, @gaymingbinosaur, and anyone else who wishes to do this!

This is for Day 3 of Leliana Week. Still working on it but decided to post this now while I do.

Amayian Trevelyan set up camp as furthest away as he could before the gray sphere of light barely touched the trims of his tent, nearest to the thicket of trees, blackened by shadows and silvered leaves blushed violet by strays of moon-twined twilight. Leliana observed as he worked. Despite his scrawny arms, with thin fingers too long for his palms, he worked with quiet diligence, mouth and brow unmarked by thinness or furrow. With the way the boy stared, she thought him as the rumored Tranquil, snipped of thin connection to the fade, with the way his amber eyes were smoothed of expression, like a droplet of flame kindled steadily, becoming neither too fierce or too quiet to be a wilted flame. But then he spun a small snarled twister of ice for them, and all such thoughts became dashed away—even if she did find him a little unnerving. Iron tones folded over and over so not even a chip of emotion of any sort could be heard. The precision in his actions, as each twist and coil of his fingers were bound tight by small chains, mechanical in a certain light.

But there seemed to be one thing he disliked - fire. There was just a hint of something close to the edge of fear that slithered across his gaze when the wood caught with flame, aided by Virevas’ trickling spell; and as he lifted his cabin nearer to the shadows, on that very narrow gray rim where waning twilight met casted firelight, Leliana’s suspicions were all but proven. 

And something close to amusement tickled in her chest, and something lifted up her lips in a murmur of a smile as he tucked some cleaved wooden logs under his arm and stepped evenly, but perhaps a touch gingerly, into the light. Having settled herself on a hewn tree trunk, wide enough for her to nearly lay upon if she so desired, Leliana slide an oiled-soaked cloth along the string, humming a quiet song to herself as she watched Amayian skirt himself around the flame, a flash of frustration tracing his narrow features as a finger of fire and ember spun out from the scarlet-golden whirls, as if he was near enough to begin to scold them for their silliness. Traces of golden thread shivered along his black curls, brushed close to the ends of his ears and one of the few things unruly about this seemingly dour boy. An orange glint flushed his olive tan skin, paler than perhaps it should be. Possibly from the Circle. It gave it a certain life to it all, a vibrance that seemed a feeble thing for the boy to grasp. Shadows played along one edge of his hooked nose, perhaps a bit too big for his features currently. His lips were also perhaps too wide, as well. But in time, Leliana had a touch of a feeling that he would grow into it. Now, will he notice anyone else interested is another thing. 

“You can settle it here” said Leliana, tilting her head a little to her side, where a small stack had been gathered by Sten and Alistair already. Both lingered near the edge of the camp, stalking the perimeter, Sten all frozen vigilance and Alistair all bored disinterest, save for a half-shattered branch that looked nearly to collapse at another hard gust of wind. From the way the wind gathered with ice spear-points, more wood would never hurt. And Maker knows that he seems utterly lost if he has no task to do. It was cute in a way, almost endearing. 

Amayian froze, half-turning so his gaze could still examine the fire so no teasing crimson silk could wrap around him without his knowing. The shadow of a furrow at his brow smoothed away as he took a moment to…to do something. Gather his thoughts? To see if there was some jest involved? Leliana was not entirely sure. 

At last, he found his voice. “Thank you, Sister Leliana.” He stepped over, a touch more assured with more gathered darkness to his right. He settled himself on his knees as he laid them on its barked-side, and returned his hands to his lap when the deed was done, body still angled so the fire could be glimpsed at the corner of his eye. 

“Just Leliana will do.” Her fingers slowed the stroking as the Orlesian took his measure. And Amayian met her stare, with those guileless scarlet-golden eyes as quietly kindled as a hearth’s flame. They certainly are pretty eyes. So smooth and shimmering that she could have seen her reflection become born in them, garbed in robes of red and yellow and jeweled in russet crowns. If he never grew into his features—if he remained thin and lanky with his head too big for his shoulders and his nose and mouth and eyes too big for his narrow face, Amayian Trevelyan had his eyes. Though something deep within herself told Leliana that he likely did not realize the tool himself. 

A small shadow of a crease slid between his brows before fading away, as if dashed away by a gloss of firelight. 

[signorinavongola]

𝐁𝐑𝐎𝐎𝐂𝐇 𝐀𝐒 𝐀 𝐒𝐈𝐆𝐍 𝐎𝐅 𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐄 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐂𝐓

This is just my random idea for Hibari @fightingthetides

On the terrace of a Florentine café, where the scent of freshly roasted coffee mingled with the fragrance of blooming orange trees, Tsuna sat. Her white dress perfectly complemented her calm aura, and the pinned brooch with its subtle sheen added a touch of detail so characteristic of her style. Yet, the brooch wasn't merely an accessory—it was a gift.

She caught movement at the edge of her vision but didn't react immediately. Measured, deliberate footsteps stopped beside her table. Without lifting her gaze, she already knew who it was. That quiet presence, always like a shadow, surrounding her.

Perhaps he was surprised to see her there…

Tsuna finally raised her eyes. Amber met steely gray. She saw as his gaze briefly flickered to the brooch—just for a moment. The faint glimmer in his eyes betrayed that he had noticed. She didn’t speak, though. Instead, she let a soft smile play on her lips, as if it could say everything that needed to be said.

Words weren't necessary. Tsuna knew he didn't expect thanks, and she was certain he wouldn't have accepted them anyway. In his world, there was no place for exaggerated courtesies.

Her sources had told her he would be in Italy for a few days. It had been months since they last saw each other, even when she had been in Japan. And so, she found the time to see him, even if only briefly. This was how she was showing her favour and respect for him—silently. Just as he did, in the form of a box sent anonymously at the bottom of a package from Haru.

[collectorofsims]

The Gemstone Legacy Challenge

Enjoy drama filled game play? Ready to help your Sim through generational trauma? Enjoy The Not So Berry Challenge? Well then welcome to The Gemstone Legacy Challenge!

Think of it as the Not So Berry Challenge, but with less packs required to complete it. Before we start with the requirements of each generation, we should probably go over some of the rules first!

Much like The Not So Berry Challenge, each heir/heiress must represent the color of each gemstone. You do not have to make the skin match if you choose not to, but you must do it in another way (ex: hair, clothes, makeup, etc.)

Spouses' colors aren't a big deal. If you want to make them match, more power to you, but it's not required.

You can use the freerealestate cheat when getting a home, but it can only be used once for each generation. You may also use a money cheat, but only if it's going towards something that is part of the challenge (ex:buying a required item)

Unless it's required of the generation rule, you can choose where to live.

Lifespan has to be on normal settings, otherwise it's not really a challenge.

There's no specific gender you have to start with, but the first generation has to be able to reproduce.

Each name must match the gemstone the generation is signed to (you can name them that particular gemstone as well if you so desire)

Every aspiration must be completed before you can start playing as the next generation. Careers only get fully completed if it's stated in the generation's rules.

Generation One: Amber- Orange

You're new in town, which means you're pretty lonely. But that's all to change once you start going out and meeting new people! You just want to take life one step at a time, not feeling any kind of rush. You go at your own pace and march to the beat of your own drum.

Career: Freelancer (any of your choosing)

Traits: Self-Assured, Cheerful, Lazy

Aspiration: Friend Of The World

Rules:

Must have at least one child as an Adult (though the child can be born while you're a Young Adult)

Collect all 24 Gemstones

Master the Charisma skill

Throw birthday parties each life stage for self and child(ren)

Generation Two: Amethyst- Purple

You grew up with a parent who was well known, but was never well off due to laziness. You feel like you missed out on having the finer things in life, but certainly don't plan on continuing to do so. You may be a parent, but your child(ren) are an afterthought sometimes.

Career: Style Infulencer

Traits: Creative, Materialistic, Self-Absorbed

Aspiration: Fabulously Wealthy

Rules:

Must marry into money (ex: one of the Landgraabs or Goths)

Transfer all the money from the spouse's original household when moving them in to yours

Master the photography skill

Master The Style Influencer career

Start having child(ren) as an Adult

Have at least one affair after you're married (could be a short one or years long one, you choose)

Generation Three: Beryl- Teal

Growing up, you weren't noticed much, making you resent children (even though it's your parent(s) you should probably be mad at). You were practically raised on computers and gaming and have made them your whole life. Even though you have no desire for children, your spouse does and because you love them so much, you agree to have one, though you'll ignore them anyways by throwing yourself into your work.

Career: Tech Guru

Traits: Hates Children, Genius, Geek

Aspiration: Computer Whiz

Rules:

Marry a Family Oriented Sim

Only have one child

Master the Tech Guru career

Have a low relationship with your child (you may use cheats if need be)

Master the Logic skill

Be Best Friends with your spouse

Generation Four: Diamond- Gray

You've worked so hard to earn your parent's love, but they avoided you like the plague. To make up for it, you worked your way to the top to become a beloved actor/actress, which is how you met your spouse. As soon as you hit it big, you only associate with others like yourself, forgetting all your childhood friends and even your parent who's love you wanted the most. Perhaps you're better off without them?

Career: Actor/Actress

Traits: Ambitious, Outgoing, Snob

Aspiration: Aspiring Star

Rules:

Marry another Actor/Actress

Master the Acting Career and skill

Master the guitar skill

Have triplets (you can use cheat for this)

Stop contact with generation 3 at career rank 3

Move to Del Sol Valley as a Young Adult

Generation Five: Jade- Green

Being in a set of triplets and having famous parents, not only were you never bored, but you were also never alone and now all you want is peace and quiet as you practice your secret love of baking. You leave your old town and move to Oasis Springs because SimsGod knows nobody wants to go there.

Career: Astronaut

Traits: Loner, Neat, Gloomy

Aspiration: Nerd Brain

Rules:

Master the Astronaut Career

Have a failed marriage to a Sim with the Slob Trait and 2 failed relationships before that

Master the Baking skill

Have woohoo with an alien resulting in a pregnancy

Generation Six: Onyx- Black

If the dictionary had pictures, yours would be in there next to “Black Sheep”. You never really fit in with the rest of your family. Maybe because you're half alien, or maybe because unlike your parents, you want nothing to do with space. You like Earth and everything it has to offer and don't understand why your parent wants an escape so badly.

Career: Politician

Traits:Clumsy, Loves Outdoors, Dog Lover

Aspiration: Friend Of The Animals

Rules:

Have one of each pet (varies on the packs you own)

Master the gardening and pet training skills

Join the Speak For The Trees cause

Marry a Cat Lover

Master the Politician career

Generation Seven: Pearl- White

Despite your parent being super busy running the country, they never forgot to value their time with you and your pets. For that, you value family and love and all around togetherness, which inspired you to want to protect and serve the local families like yours, but sometimes your passion can make you a little hot under the collar.

Career: Detective

Traits: Active, Childish, Hot-Headed

Aspiration: City Native

Rules:

Move to San Myshuno

Master the Detective career

Master the Fitness and Logic skills

Marry a neighbor in your apartment complex

Conceive a child in a closet or observatory

Generation Eight: Ruby- Red

Your parents were never shy about showing each other affection as you grew up, but something about that made you uncomfortable in flirty situations, making it hard for you to find love despite wanting to find someone to spend your life with so you fill the void with food.

Career: Culinary

Traits: Foodie, Unflirty, Glutton

Aspiration: Master Chef

Rules:

Master The Culinary career (Chef branch only)

Have one science baby with your best friend

Never get married until your child is a Young Adult

Master the Cooking and Gourmet Cooking skills

Generation Nine: Sapphire- Blue

Being raised by a single parent made you tougher than what people expected. Unlike your parent, you have no problems in the romance department and thrive in any romantic setting. You're not sure who your child's parent is, but all you know is you love them unconditionally and would do anything for them.

Career: Secret Agent

Traits: Romantic, Erratic, Noncommittal

Aspiration: Villainous Valentine

Rules:

Get married 3 times before you're an elder that isn't from where you grew up

Master the Singing skill

Have an affair during each marriage that results in a pregnancy

Leave someone at the altar twice

Be Best Friends with your next heir/heiress (you choose who it is)

Generation Ten: Topaz- Pink

You and your parent are best friends. Growing up you wanted to be just like them, however you are nothing like them and realize that pretty quick. So you move away to find yourself and start anew. As you find yourself, you reconnect with your highschool sweetheart who never stopped loving you, picking up exactly where you left off.

Career: Writer

Traits: Bookworm, Family-Oriented, Perfectionist

Aspiration: Big Happy Family

Rules:

Ghost your highschool sweetheart as soon as you become a Young Adult

Leave someone at the altar as a Young Adult

Master the Writer career

Master the writing skill

Move to a different place from where you grew up

Marry your highschool sweetheart after you reconnect

Adopt an infant

[theverynothumankai]

More About My Nonhuman ‘Types

Theriotypes:

Vancouver Coastal Sea Wolf: They’re a rare, semi-aquatic subspecies of wolf. They live almost entirely/exclusively off of aquatic animals. Personally, my favorite food is salmon. I have lots of reddish-brown undertones, with contrasting dark brown/black fur and warm gray fur. I am very fluffy. 

Canada Lynx: They’re one of the four living species in the genus Lynx. They are specialized to hunt snowshoe hare, but can eat other things when that is not abundant. I do adore snowshoe hare. I am quite large and fluffy, with giant paws and legs. 

Red Fox: They’re the largest of the true foxes. They live mainly in the Northern Hemisphere, but adapt very well and are seen in many different habitats. They are omnivores, which means they eat both plants and animals. I love birds and eggs especially, but will not deny some tasty berries. I am very friendly towards humans, so I’m a bit domesticated. I am quite fluffy, yappy, playful, and vibrant orange/red.

Nurse Shark: They’re a small, bottom-dwelling, slow-moving shark that is native to Atlantic and Eastern Pacific oceans. They are known to be calm and docile. They eat lots of crustacean, as well as squids, octopi, and some fish species. I am dark brown, long, and very content. I love humans, I love the sea, and my favorite food is squid. 

Snow Leopard: They’re a large cat that is native to the mountains of Central and South Asia. They have big paws that keep their weight well distributed on the snow, and their fur is spotted white-grayish. They eat blue sheep, ibex, Himalayan tahr, marmot, pika, hares, small rodents, and game birds. They tend to be alone, they can’t roar, and they are quite nomadic. I personally am gray and white with lots of faded black spots all over, and I’m quite fluffy. My paws are huge, as well as my thick tail. I love sheep loads, and I love rolling around in the snow.  

Maned Wolf: They are a large canid native to South America. They have long legs, red coats, and raised black manes. They actually are neither wolf nor fox, but a distinct species. They are omnivores, and they eat rodents, armadillos, birds, eggs, fruits, and plants. I have very long legs, black socks, deep red fur, and am very long and angular. I love birds and plants especially. I will very happily be the creature of your nightmares, but just know I actually quite like to socialize and will definitely cuddle on sight. I love to play with my fellows, and tag is my favorite game in the world.

Norwegian Forest Cat: They are a large long-hair domestic cat bred in Northern Europe. They are known for their muscular builds, diverse colors, and double layered fur. They are known to be tough and able to endure long, cold winters. They eat (or need) high quality animal protein. I’m very fluffy and varying shades of orange, with hints of white here and there. I love the snow, the outside, and climbing things. Fish is my favorite, and I love hunting them and mice too.

Coyote: They’re are a medium-sized wild canid which is native to North America. They are nocturnal, and hunt in packs. They are very visual predators, but also use scent and hearing. They are omnivores, eating both meat and plants/fruits. I love howling and the night sky, and playmates. Humans spook me a bit, but I also am curious towards them and often test my limits interacting with them. I have reddish brown, with gray and white here and there. My ears are pretty big. I love the rain.

Side-Striped Jackal: They are a canine native to Africa. They specifically dwell in woodland and scrubs. They are omnivores, and they eat insects, fruits, small vertebrates, carrion, and plant material. I love howling, the night, and I have incredibly large ears. Thunderstorms scare me, and I love the woods. Humans are my best friends, and I am incredibly playful. Carrion is my favorite.

Dhole: They are a wild dog native to Asia. They are known to be great swimmers, runners, and jumpers. They have auburn fur, amber eyes, black tails, and upright rounded ears. They are hypercarnivores, and over 70% of their diet is meat. Personally, I love deer and rabbits. My face and neck is very fluffy, my coat is thick, and my eyes are gentle. I feel a lot of peace and contentment as a Dhole.

Kintypes:

Raccoon: I look like a regular raccoon, but with small gold feather wings behind my shoulders and little straight gold horns at the top of my head. I love human junkfood and sweets, so chips and ice cream. I also adore fruit. I am very fluffy and pretty darkly colored. 

Dragon: I’m a SeaWing/SilkWing hybrid, and I grew up around SkyWings/was raised by SkyWings. I have dark blue, almost black, scales with hints of purple in them. I have webbed talons, gills that allow me to breathe under water, and antenna with fins on them that I use to sense vibrations in the water. I have bright white glow-in-the-dark scales all over my body, as well as bright white glow-in-the-dark freckles on my snout and spots and stripes on the edges of my wings. I have four wings that are the shape of SeaWing wings, and I grew up with wing buds like SilkWings do. I’m a vegetarian, but will eat meat if I must. I love the sky, and flying, and I often forget that I’m not a SkyWing due to being raised by them and treated the same as them. I am a great fighter due to being raised by them, though. I’m also a great swimmer since my wings allow me to have more momentum. I cannot spin silk, but can speak aquatic. I mostly am in the sea now, because my SkyWing family is now gone/out of my life somehow. 

Dragon: I’m a Night Fury/Light Fury hybrid. I can shift the colors of my scales to be either white or black (or along that spectrum) for camouflage or preference. When I’m not using them for camouflage, they’re usually a combination of white and black. I love the sea, the snow, and fish. I love to loaf, play with humans, and play in the mud. I had really bad tears in my right wing, which rendered me incapable of flying for quite a bit, until humans patched me up and I was able to heal and eventually fly again. I’m not too sure if I have a rider or not, but I do know I like to hang around humans. 

Dark Fey: I’m a Forest Dark Fey, from the Maleficent movies/universe. I have dark brown wings, brown horns, pointed ears, and love the forest with my whole soul. I find peace in trees, love my fellow Fey, and adore to fly. 

Avian: I’m a feather-winged human-looking creature with a feather tail as well. I’m still not sure what my wings/feathers look like, but I do know I enjoy flying really high in the sky and running around on all fours.

Hearttypes:

Whale Shark: They’re the largest known species of fish, and are endangered. They’re found in tropical oceans around the world, and are known as gentle giants of the sea. They eat krill, jellyfish, and crab larvae. I see them as my family, and I would protect them with my life. I wish I was one, sometimes feel I may be, but know I am not. I love them loads. 

Flickertypes:

Hylian: Hylians are a race of humans, although they are different from them. Hylians have pointed ears, are usually shorter, and have some magical abilities too. I mainly look like myself, except with pointed ears and am much more adventurous and nomadic. 

Orphinki: Orphinki are an OC species of mine. They’re like large lizards, except with feather manes, wise eyes, extra long tails, and colorful scales. They live for hundreds of years on average, and there are many types of Orphinki seen in many different habitats/environments. I am a Woodland Orphinki, have green scales and green and brown feathers, and love to eat fruit. I don’t like humans, but more in an afraid of them way. 

Sable: They’re a species of marten, they’re fairly small, and they’re omnivores. They’re found in the forests of Asia. They eat smaller mammals and hares, as well as other things. I’m quite small, have little black and white markings on my face, and love to eat hare. I am ferocious, yet playful and friendly at the same time. I will bite you very hard, but it is purely friendly 90% of the time. 

Owl: I’m all kinds of owls, but often connect with the bigger species, and the Barn and Snowy owls. I love to hunt (mice especially), I love the night, and I’m fairly curious of humans. 

[faytelumos]

Writeblr ROYGBIV

Rules: Find each of the ROYGBIV colors in your WIP.

Red:

It was still light out, and the rain had let up significantly. [Syfreth] took me to the tree line south of the village, and there seemed to already be some things there. I hesitated for a moment when [my friend's] parents looked up at me. They were both there, holding each other, and [their] dad's eyes were red and wet in the rain.

Orange:

I looked down at the fire, the flicks and flickers of orange light underneath the cover. The smoke was still sweet, and it swirled together above the cover and into the rain. I swallowed again and rubbed my eye. [My friend's] dad knelt down and sat back on his ankles, and he cried quietly.

Yellow:

"Hey!"

We both turned, looking back to Toler's voice. He scrambled and loped over the forest floor and up to us, holding his hands in his front coat pouch instead of keeping them out like he was supposed to.

"You're going to trip!" Ia said, already walking back to him. He just smiled at her, his face flushed and bright.

"Look what I found," he announced, completely ignoring her, and drawing a hand from his pouch. The fistful of vibrant, yellow-orange was like a flame in the forest, and I rushed to his side, my mouth already watering.

"Cloudberries!" Ia gasped, eagerly cupping her hands together.

Green:

The leader shifted his balance in the entrance to the Dome. We were all lined up in the order we'd come back in. The two hunters and Eeteh were in front of me. We had lines painted on our faces in black and green, mostly on our foreheads, down our noses, and over our lips. The man who had painted my face also put lines under my eyes. But everyone still had the smudges on their foreheads they'd received after getting into the spring.

Blue:

Ohrik crouched down and pulled away some rocks from near the base[ of the tree]. "Look, look," he said, waving me down. I crouched next to him and looked where he was pointing. There were bunches of shiny little bugs, skittering about between the wet parts of the rocks. Their backs glimmered many colors, red and green and yellow and even blue. Ohrik reached down and let some crawl onto his fingers. They looked like seeds walking on eyelash legs, and he held his hand up so I could look closer at them.

Indigo Violet Purple:

"How… bad is it?" I asked. I moved to get to my feet and stood stiffly. Every part of me was sore and stuff now. He held up my underfur for me to hold, and I did. The white of my skin was sharply colored by dark, purplish red where the harness had hurt the most.

Thanks for the tags, @tildeathiwillwrite and @dyrewrites! I didn't expect to easily find these colors, since this particular world is always gray and rainy. But I suppose that makes the colors we do see all the more striking!

Tagging @afoolandathief, @amethystpath-writes, @annakayy, @gummybugg, @kaatiba,

@those-damn-snippets, @serenanymph, @surplus-of-sarcasm, @written-in-starlight, and anyone who wants to play!

Also tagging @thelazywitchphotographer and @mr-orion; I think this is the most number of words I've posted of my WIPs at any one time! :0

Bonus Round!

From Hhamath's story, which is much more colorful:

Red:

Paesha struck, and my heart stopped at the booming sound of Lutem's roar as she lunged.

Ræs, Mæpe, and Athetæm fell from Lutem's bodily assault, and I tumbled when her tail hit me in the chest. I scrambled to my feet in time to see her fangs and teeth buried deeply in Paesha's neck, red flowing over orange, Lutem's eyes wild.

Lutem thrashed as Paesha tried to bite her, fangs dripping amber, and I turned to Mæpe where she lay screaming on the floor.

Orange:

"Darling," she breathed, and her voice was sweet and soft. "Don't you recognize your mommy?"

I flinched again. It was like being struck by a boulder running downhill. Mother. This was my mother? The bright orange scales, the voice, the dread—

"Get away," I breathed, backing further into the wall. She looked at me, unblinking, twisting her ears to me but keeping them low.

"What?"

Yellow:

Nevermind that the sun was edging nearer the horizon and the day had begun its first attempts at cooling off. But outside, against the sun-faded green of the building, its deep blue accents and shingles, and the bright purple and yellow floral displays, I was sure to stick out from far down the road.

Green:

Athetæm and Ræs entered just as waiters were moving about the tables. Ræs was wearing the same shirt, vest, and trousers he had worn to our house for dinner. We had managed to put a new style on Meva's outfit despite using the same piece from the same event, but Fethu, Athetæm, and I were all wearing new and fancier clothes. Athetæm had a dark cream under guard to complement his dark complexion, and a light blue, silk cover that had frills around the neck and on the cuffs of his long sleeves in the front. Fethu wore a light green dress, open down her back, with soft pink accents and ribbons. I had dug out my typical garb for fights: a midnight green cover and cape with yellow-green ties. It had been a gift from Athetæm, and I had learned to trust him when he said the contrast with my unnatural coloring was eye-pleasing.

Blue: *

His hand was shaking slightly as he touched the lid where it was most worn. He turned his head to look at me, and his eyes were wide and reddened. He was… so scared. He smelled absolutely terrified.

Before I could ask him anything, he turned to the box and opened it. Inside was more blue silk, plush and soft-looking. This was a jewelry box, but instead of a necklace, it held a vibrantly colored rat skin.

I had seen mouse skins before, ones that had been dyed green or gray to contrast with the ink their messages were written in. But this was not the same caliber. This skin, on top of being surprisingly large, was dyed a lurid, shimmering blue, with golden highlights running down the spine. The edge of it, where Ræs delicately held and handled it, were worn to the point of being nearly bald. Ræs turned around slowly, gently manipulating the little hide to rest fur-down in his hand, exposing the golden lettering tattooed into the rat's inner skin.

He handed it over with the same care and delicacy he used to handle Mæpe. I took it gently in my wings, staring down at it, sure that I would never in my life hold a more expensive rodent skin.

"Can you read it?" Ræs breathed.

Indigo Violet Purple:

An Usevæ stood in the doorway, her head slightly lowered, one claw raised as if to step forward. She looked very much as if she were trying to be unobtrusive, but she was so large that she had needed to open the door almost all the way to get her shoulders in. She was staring at me with wide eyes and perked ears, and even held the forks of her tongue out slightly from her lips, her orange scales seeming muddled in the purple-ish light of the main library.

---

* In this world, people use tanned mouse skins to send little messages, because of a story/folktale where a mouse carried a letter. Common practice is to paint the message on the underside, and the receiver will wash the message off after they've read it and reuse the skin for a new message when needed. They're hard to make, and normally associated with love letters and secret meetings.

[dark-overlord-of-rainbows]

Drawn Apr 30 2023 I reused a bunch of my old character designs and some adopt I and my friend had never used to throw in this universe so I was redrawing some characters I haven't touched in so, so long... Not all of them, also idk why some are cut off like that? this is an old edit If you've attacked me on artfight before there's a chance you've seen a couple of these before I remember some of the ways I was trying to vary their looks but man so many of them have soft faces and big round ears.. I guess I still default to that but I've been trying to work on it a bit more since... still not perfect but y'know To be fairer to myself from back then though, this might've been my first time trying to vary the shape of the ears of a bunch of characters that weren't splatoon characters (Splatoon was actually indirectly the reason for me starting? More specifically: Because I was drawing splatoon characters during artfight, I noticed how differently people were doing their ears, and so I practiced varying my own characters ears with my cephalopods first based on the different styles I saw) and this is also missing quite a few of the other characters that I had done here, some of whom I did branch out a little more. And to be clear! I think there is some stuff I did well and can pull from again, I'm just not as proud as I once was. Anyway I'll talk about the parts I do remember since I was playing with style here

The one at the with the grey/purple eyes at the top, I don't think I had ever really used a palette like that. Sometimes I want to give a character eyes that - depending on the lighting - looks different colours (some people have this irl, people with eyes that are ambiguously gray/blue/green for example), so I was kinda wondering if making it like a gradient (that'd change which colour is more dominant) would work as one way of representing that? with another character (different universe) I've also tried making the eye one colour and putting the shine of the eye as a different colour instead of the white that everyone else got (it was also done a little different) With the character here just an ambiguous, in-between grey/purple would work (although if I'd done that I'd totally have forgotten my intention with them because I was so bad at writing this crap down.) but the other one I mentioned it wouldn't work because it was supposed to go between blue and red, and if I just did an inbetween colour... well, that's just purple. I didn't want it to be purple. ever. Liam up there (second from top, brown hair) is drawn with my right (non-dominant) hand (Sorry yes I'm one of those left-handed weirdos...) I wanted this cast to be a little more whimsical~ As an aside it is always very funny seeing people talk about challenges drawing with the non-dominant hand and refer to it as a "left hand drawing challenge". Lefties winning The blond with the hazel eyes, well, I kinda just realized I've never given any characters hazel eyes (amber as well). I was trying something else with the eyes there since they're the only one with that.... it kinda looks like a chip out of the iris? it's not the shine but it looks like how some artists do the shine out of the eye. not sure They were also an adopt I never used. The lower orange haired one's the only one without the outer outline for the eyes as well... With Ciara (lower right, red hair) and Aaron (her brother, not pictured) I'm not sure if I was specifically going for sectoral heterochromia with them? I've drawn Eliza before with yellow, albeit human not cat-like eyes before, but this is technically a return to form for her I can't remember what I was thinking with anyone else. did not realize I'd be mostly talking about eyes here either

[yanci-indigo]

Hii, usually I am very shy showing this particular piece but, I kinda need some help regarding my wip designs of Lucio's parents:

So this guy here is Dakila, aka Lucio's dad, Dakila means "great or large" it could also mean noble. At first I am lowkey nervous I was unintentionally gonna end up making him look like a fusion of freckle and Nico.. Thank goodness it didn't?.. Obviously it's not fully colored yet, the orange parts are the markings.

He's based on a visayan leopard cat. (Or maral cat for short.):

Questions:

1. Now I do needed some advice or help whether I should simplify Dakila's markings. (Since I can imagine he be difficult to animate, that's just what I think.)

2. I have Lucio's Mother concept design, her name is Amelita. She's a Filipino domestic shorthair.. So could you suggest a breed for her please? If you can.

However I may or want to have her breed mix, since I made Lucio having a darker brownish beige color. Amelita's fur color is supposed to be warm brown, Dakila on the other hand has like an dark orangish color fur, with shades of brown.

So I am like in a crisis and my mind is debat4ibg whether or not I should just make Amelita a grey cat instead- Or brownish gray..

3. Another problem for me is Lucio's eye on my design is a Cooper yellow, while Dakila eyes are either dark brown or black. (Maybe it's just the bug pupils.) And I haven't decided what color Amelita would have. And I pretty much attached to Lucio having yellowish eyes so whoops..

Okay here's young Lucio btw: Its not 100 finalize but this what I think he'll look like when hes young.

And a old design concept:

Amelita:

And Lucio's older brother, Ezekiel:

That's all. Have a good day/Night. ^^

HIIII @mivant03 AHHH I just got home from swimming, and I read this as I took a break hihi.

Anyways, I have a lot to discuss here so let's start!

First off, I love your ocs as I started analyzing each of their designs. Ngl I also have a crisis when I drew the parents of my OC Amber especially her mother lmao. And yes, character designing can be frustrating too huhu (⁠〒⁠﹏⁠〒⁠)

I am not good at explaining stuff or giving advice, but I will try anyway because yes. of course. absolutely. why not?

Answers:

1. Since you have your reference for Lucio's father, I suggest you keep it simple. You can keep the dark brown streaks on his face to accentuate his features and to makes his design more unique. It also gives him the fierce look of a wild cat too. (Don't worry I don't see the fusion there ✧⁠*◍。)

2. I can't think of any cat breeds for Amelita, except a leopard cat, since there is not much wild cats in the Philippines huhu. Like when I researched it, there are like two wild cat breeds only native in Philippines.

Amelita as a Puspin is also fine too, since you can experiment her color patterns (more like a cheat code lmao). In fact, there is no specific color for Puspin as their color patterns are diverse (I mean EVERY COAT PATTERN EXISTS! ✧⁠\⁠(⁠>⁠o⁠<⁠)⁠ﾉ⁠✧) so there is not much of an issue if you play around on her design until you feel content. Amber's mom is a Puspin too with a tortoiseshell coat (black and orange fur).

I like the idea of Lucio got the genes from Amelita, as her genes are dominant while Dakila is a recessive one. I also like her to be brownish gray as it suits her more than the brown. It would be a nice detail that fits to their offspring.

(It's like genetics but it hurts our creativity AAAHHHH ༼⁠;⁠´⁠༎ຶ⁠ ⁠۝ ⁠༎ຶ⁠༽)

3. I love the concepts you made for the family. The breeds were mixed up, which it made sense since there are streaks from Dakila and the coat color from Amelita.

Also make Amelita's eyes warm yellow, since she would have a brownish gray fur just to contrast the hues and darkness. (It's up to you if you want to change her design)

Anyways that'll be all, I hope this will help you and forgive me if it's messy or anything huhu. All of these were my opinion and good luck on your piece!!! And take a break as well, mwah! YOU GOT THIS!!! ꒰⁠⑅⁠ᵕ⁠༚⁠ᵕ⁠꒱⁠˖⁠♡

[anoddworld]

Heya Tumblr! After I played some Crystalline Universe (that roblox steven universe rp game), I was thinking of like a SU/Cookie Run type AU. It's also like late at night when I'm writing this so forgive me if I make like 0 sense at all lmao

So Gingerbrave, Wizard, and Strawberry will be our main characters, since they are in canon. Instead of one of them being like a powerful diamond type character, I think that they'll be humans. Instead of the Ancients and/or Beasts being the Diamond Authority, I think the Nature Guardians -- Wind (Green Diamond), Frost (Snow Diamond), Storm (Yellow Diamond), and Moon (Blue Diamond) specifically -- should be! There are more Diamonds, but they aren't apart of the Authority (for plot reasons idk yet).

Stardust (Black Diamon/Onyx) is going to kind of like the Rose Quartz/Pink Diamond expy, though different. He stays on Earth with the humans and learns valuable lessons of friendship and stuff from Gingerbrave and Co! Milky Way (either a ruby or maybe a sapphire?) and Space Doughnut (a Rose Quartz) were two old members of his court and are still with him! I will not separate my trio!

Elder Faerie is the White Diamond expy. I think it's fitting because of the Silver Knights Oath. Silverbell is a pearl and Mercurial Knight is an amber (yes ik not a gem, but look i think it's cool). EF's not evil at all, he's just doing what he believes is best for both his planet and his court.

The Ancients and Beast fall into these courts: Pure Vanilla (Angelite) and Shadow Milk (Aquamarine) are in Blue Diamond's Court, Dark Cacao (Onyx) and Mystic Flour (Morganite) are in Snow Diamond's Court, Golden Cheese and Burning Spice (Jaspers) and Hollyberry (Rose Quartz) and Eternal Sugar (Spinel) are in Yellow Diamon's court, and White Lily (Sapphire or Pearl) and Silent Salt (Amethyst) are in Green Diamond's court.

Idk about a general plotline, but I think a fun Planet Mercury plotline (bc i am the CEO of this ship) would go something like this:

Through a series of hijinks, a rejuvenator falls into the Earth crew's hands. They hold on to it in case of emergency. Of course, an emergency happens. Mercurial/Amber attacks them for whatever reason and they're forced to use to the rejuvenator on him. However, he's under that weird White Diamond Spell thing, but at this point no one knows who he works for. So when they poof him and his gem turns from gray/white to orange, there's a lot of confusion. They bring him back to their base of operations and wait for him to reform. When he does, he is nothing like they expect. Instead of the terrifying and battle hardened commander they grew to fear, he's an extremely pleasant and gentle Gem who's job is to look after the Kindergartens and scout. Amber also immediately starts calling Stardust/Onyx "My Diamond", seeing through his disguise, and asking when the work shall begin. Onyx tries to find where Amber's real Diamond is, since he can see the White Diamond insignia on his uniform, but is largely unsuccessful. Looks like they got an amnesic with them for a while!

When Amber finally regains his memories, he's really confused. These are his enemies, why had they treated him with such kindness? Why did he feel so conflicted about returning back to his Diamond? What the hell happened???????? Guess we'll never know huh? lmao

[allthecolorsotherainbow]

Descriptions

Adding onto my previous post about the SOULs!

Basil (Bravery):

Basil is 5’8” with light brown skin. He has freckles across his upper arms and cheeks, and his eyes are a vibrant amber. He wears silver, wire framed glasses which have a crack on the bottom-right corner of the left frame. His hair is curly and light brown in color, going down to the middle of his neck. His clothing as of falling consists of a white t-shirt, jean shorts which have a tear running along the bottom of the left side of them, long dark gray socks, and black, worn sneakers. He also has a small, black backpack which he keeps on his back and an orange bandana.

Petula (Patience):

Petula is 4’8” with tanned white skin. Her left eye is an icy blue while her right eye is a glossy white. Her hair is straight and blonde, tied into low pigtails that go to her shoulders. Red ribbons are used to hold the pigtails in place. Her outfit consists of a light gray shirt that has a rainbow symbol on the center of it, with a pastel blue jacket alongside a light blue, knee-length skirt. She has fluffy, white, knee-high socks along with dark gray crocs. She holds a toy knife from a play set.

Briar (Kindness):

Briar is 6’2” with dark brown skin. Her eyes are emerald green. Her hair is back and tied up in beaded braids, the beads being a dark, transparent green. It goes down past her mid-back but above her waist. Her outfit consists of a white, short sleeved crop-top alongside ripped jeans, black socks, and white sneakers. She has an apron tied around her waist and burn scars littered across her hands and upper arms. She holds an old, rusting frying pan.

Pine (Perseverance):

Pine is 5’4” with white skin. Their eyes are a pastel purple and their hair is long and wavy, dyed indigo. Their hair goes down to just around their mid-back, left loose. Their outfit consists of a navy blue sweater along with turquoise shorts. They wear black, thick framed, rectangular glasses that are used to help tuck their hair behind their ears. They don’t have shoes, instead just having dark yellow socks that are turning black on the bottoms due to dirt. They hold a well-loved notebook and a purple mechanical pencil.

Cozbi (Integrity):

Cozbi is 5’11” with light brown skin, dark brown freckles littered across his nose, cheeks, arms, and legs. His eyes are a dark blue, though they are mostly covered by his hair. His hair is short and wavy, going down to just above his shoulders while dark brown in color. Their outfit consists of a dark purple, long-sleeved shirt with a large star embroidered into the center of it along with a dark blue skirt that has crocheted stars hanging off the edges of it in a circle around the entire skirt. They also have black tights and light purple ballet shoes. They mainly use their ballet shoes during a fight, but hold an old quarter-staff.

Clover (Justice):

Clover is 5’2” with tanned white skin. Their eyes are a dark, mustard yellow. They have long, dirty blond hair which is tied into a low ponytail tied up with a yellow hair tie. Their hair goes down to just past their neck. Their outfit consists of a milk chocolate brown long-sleeved shirt along with a dark brown, sleeveless vest along with a belt with a golden buckle and dark blue jeans. Their shoes are short, brown boots that add another inch to their height. Alongside their outfit they wear a cowboy hat and a yellow bandana with blue spots. They wield a toy four-shooter loaded with rubber bullets.

Frisk (Determination):

Frisk is 5 feet tall with light brown skin. Their eyes, when open, are bright red. Their dark brown hair is close-cropped to their chin, unevenly cut. Their bangs are clearly hand-cut, uneven and choppy and slightly covering their right eye. Their outfit consists of a blue and purple striped shirt along with shorts that go to just below their knee. They wear light and dark brown sandals and have bandages littering their face and knees. They carry a stick that they had snapped off a tree branch.

[morriscribbles]

Merzen's heavily polluted atmosphere means their skies range from yellow in the Valley of Ruin and beyond the crown, to amber around Smallbrooke, all the way to a muddy gray-orange around the Unification. However, their sunsets are a shocking- if slightly hazy- bright blue.

Bonnie has been wandering the Valley for years and has come to find a lot of beauty in an overwhelmingly dead and hostile landscape. No matter where she is, if there's nothing else there, there's always a sunset to enjoy.

i haven't done any traditional art beyond a sketch or maybe some lines in a long damn time. and so i've messed up severely in some areas. maybe later i'll come back through and do a digital cleanup, as it is i just played with some sliders to make the colors prettier. uncropped version under the cut because i do like how it looks with the rough edges too: