#and i plan to start crimson rivers also

[thecraziness]

Omg wait I just realized you do the marauders AND the outsiders

The autism in me is excited :DDD

YES I DOOOOO AHHH

if u have any reqs let me know!!!

[cressthebest]

Crimson Rivers thoughts pt. 47

chapter 72:

1. “The day of Marlene's memorial is the first time Dorcas decides she's going to kill herself.” oh shit, oh fuck wait

2. bro dorcas is unwell. like holy shit. i forget that the war started because of dorcas’ love for marlene. like. this is just as much of a dorlene fic too

3. dear god i wanna help dorcas so badly

4. call it instinct, but i knew dorcas’ hair would be a crucial part of her healing journey 💃🏼💃🏼

5. i love well rounded female characters but at what cost. dorcas is well rounded but at what cost? she’s suffering and it hurts to read

6. god damn. finding out that dorcas’ mom was in charge of a quarterly quell is fucking insane. considering that dorcas all but ran the resistance

7. “”You said it first, didn't you? There are no good people in war. I lived by those words, did you know that? All that you were wrong about, but that…" She gives a brittle laugh. "You were right about that."”

foaming at the mouth oh my god. i wanna chomp glass

8. DORCAS NO! (she started drinking fyi)

9. dear god dorcas, you aren’t the only one who knew the “real” marlene. people other than you loved her.

10. dorcas finally admitting that if she could choose someone other than dorcas it would be lily hurts. especially since lily has mary.

11. “Marlene was the love of her life, and that's it. Simple as that. She'll never love another.” OWWWWW

12. “She will make sure Lily never knows that Dorcas looks at her now and thinks before this life, it could have been us; maybe in some other life, it is. And that's more than enough.”

DNDNSMMSJSKEJNS AHHHHHHHHHHHHH

13. brb i’m sobbing

okay i’m back. dorcas just found out marlene was gonna propose and now i’m a sniveling mess

14. so much thanks to bizzarestars making the effort to learn about the way war vets healed and dealt with ptsd

chapter 73:

1. sirius having an emotional support dog >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

2. also imma make predictions now: this is the chapter where sirius goes home. it’s time

3. YES YES YES YES THEYRE GOING HOME FUCK YEAH

4. “A homely little home with a porch-swing under the stars. Sirius is homesick for that, too.”

this is my dream too. like it’s been my dream for so long. i can’t even fathom how sirius isn’t bawling like a baby over this. IM bawling like a baby over THEIR porch swing

5. regulus saw sirius and was willing to risk it all just to hug him omg

6. “Barty was the sort of person who needed no outside guidance into being a bit insane.” LMAOOOOOO

7. they’re running a business together and they’re gonna do it forever and now i want to gnaw on wood and glass and plastic and anything i can get my hands on

8. lmao not sirius sitting like a spoiled puppy dog as james and regulus argue over him for the wedding

9. “"Oh, please," James scoffs, rolling his eyes. "One, I'm not stealing your brother away from you, and you know it. Two, who the fuck else would be my best man, hm? Who? Go on."

"Oh, you want to go there?!" Regulus shouts. "What about me? Yeah, didn't think about that, did you? My best friend is dead. Oh, and so is Barty. Who do I have, James? Hm?"”

FUCKING CACKLING

10. awwwww sirius’ compromise is so sweet omg. i’d literally cry if i was james and regulus

11. ugh gay people are so confusing. like you’re allowed to be freinds with the same people and freinds with any gender. so like, it makes wedding planning so hard. who goes on who’s side? what if i said that when i found out about gay people, my biggest hold up wasn’t religion or anything like that, but instead wedding side logistics

12. canonical genderqueer tonks!!!!!!!!!

13. regulus went to aberforth to cause a scene, and damn if he didn’t succeed

14. damn they’re both stubborn. and both got their way jfc

15. full circle. dorcas is designing their wedding clothes. i’m losing my mind, actually

16. the bookshelf. the fucking bookshelf from the first arena. i’m losing my mind oh my god

17. CACKLING OMG. REGULUS WAS WORRIED THAT JAMES WOULD BE SCARED OF THE DAGGERS, BUT INSTEAD HE GOT SO FUCKING TURNED ON OMG

18. STILL FUCKING CACKLING OMG

19. i didn’t know i needed insecure james, but oh i did

20. i get to read the crimson rivers jegulus wedding and oh my fucking god i’m losing it. i am so unbelievably happy

21. “For him, it's easiest to show love when it's a tragedy.”

dksjdjjsjdjsmdjske holy shit

22. “You're hesitating, love."”

AHDHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

23. “You might wish to know a lot of things about their wedding, and their love, but frankly, it's no one's business but theirs.” so feral over this. that’s literally one of the biggest themes of the story omg i love this

24. hi, anyways, i am so unwell

25. the authors notes about the wedding are golden

[markantonys]

fuck it, proposing an s3 episode-by-episode structure even though we barely have any info to go off of, because i'm bored and yearning for s3 news. can't wait to see how wrong this ends up being! i can't emphasize enough how much this is just me completely inventing structure ideas because, for real, we barely know ANYTHING yet, so do not latch onto anything i say here.

we know 4 episode titles so far, so i've included those.

3x01: to race the shadow

A-plot: the gang in falme

lots of relationship-building between various dynamics, especially rand & elayne (just friendship with Crush Hints for now) and nynaeve & lan (ring scene maybe)

rand and egwene's final breakup

mat's luck established during a gambling scene

mat goes through the doorway in turak's room of curiosities, is told to go to tanchico, gets his marriage prophecy & medallion & ashandarei, and gets cpr from rand

elayne and nynaeve learn something about liandrin that points them towards tanchico

rand decides to go to the waste and egwene does too after speaking with amys in her dreams, and perrin goes with them because he has no other plans as of yet

B-plot: aes sedai politics, catch up with siuan, catch up with liandrin

3x02: a question of crimson

i'd always hoped this would be a caemlyn episode, and the title points to that imo!! perfect title for elaida's intro episode, and red is andor's color as well.

so, A-plot: rand, egwene, perrin, et al pass through caemlyn on their way to the waste

egwene has been tasked by elayne with delivering a letter to her family; rand insists on coming with her; they trespass in the caemlyn palace and meet gawyn, galad, morgase, and elaida

i don't expect a forsaken here just yet, i think it's important to see Normal Morgase and Normal Caemlyn first so that we have a contrast later once they ARE under forsaken control.

perrin hears rumors of trouble in the two rivers and decides to split off from the group to investigate, with loial, bain, and chiad accompanying him

the rest of the group reaches the waste at the end of the episode

B-plot: nynaeve, elayne, and mat arrive in tanchico (they split off from the others in falme and go straight there, no caemlyn trip for them)

C-plot: more white tower stuff

3x03

A-plot: rand in rhuidean + general intro to the waste (rand's focal episode)

B-plot: perrin arrives in the two rivers and gets situated

C-plot: continued tanchico shenanigans, maybe they run into thom and/or min and/or tuon (who is undercover for reasons) if they didn't already in 3x02. my guess is min has been kidnapped out of cairhien by liandrin, who knows min figured out she's black ajah and doesn't want her to snitch, so maybe at some point in the early episodes there's a plotline of mat, elayne, and nynaeve rescuing min from the black ajah, and after that point min joins their scooby gang (because she's got a personal vendetta against liandrin now and also she wants to re-earn mat's trust and prove herself).

an alleged leak puts mat, thom, and min all in tanchico, so that's why i have them in this plotline. it's also why i have tuon in this plotline, as i can't think of a strong reason to move mat from the waste to tanchico if not to incorporate elements of the ebou dar trip and have him meet tuon who is filling an egeanin-type role.

3x04

A-plot: nynaeve encounters moghedien in TAR and almost dies but is saved by birgitte, whom elayne saves by bonding her as a warder (this whole sequence is the midseason climax at the end of the episode)

mat gets into some kind of shenanigan with tuon and they grow closer, but neither knows the other's true identity

B-plot: elaida, gawyn, and galad reach the white tower and start investigating elayne's disappearance and clashing with siuan

C-plots: the waste gang doing their thing, learning about aiel ways, developing avirand, etc; perrin doing his thing in the two rivers, meeting faile if he hasn't already

i could also easily switch 3x03 and 3x04 so that 3x04 is the rhuidean episode. just depends if they throw rand right into it like TSR does or if we get a General Waste Intro episode before sending him off to rhuidean. but based on a combination of leaks, we do just about know that the glass columns visions are during block 2 (eps3/4).

3x05

A-plot: perrin in the two rivers, maybe digging more into the whitecloaks, padan fain, laila trauma, luc/slayer, wolves & TAR, relationship with faile, etc. (potentially his focal episode)

B-plot: cold rocks hold stuff for the waste gang

C-plot: continued tanchico shenanigans; continued white tower politics

3x06

A-plot: alcair dal, asmodean identity reveal & capture

B-plot: some kind of tanchico conclusion. maybe this is when tuon finds out some of her new buddies can channel (and possibly even that sul'dam, and she herself, can channel) and heads back to the seanchan with Much To Think About. maybe the black ajah make their exit from the season to shift full focus onto Final Boss Moggy.

C-plots: perrin prepping for battle; continued white tower politics

3x07: goldeneyes

A-plot: perrin defending the two rivers (perrin's focal episode, unless it's instead an earlier one that's less about a major battle and more about his internal life as a character)

B-plot: tower coup? i'm very unsure where in the season to place this, i could see it at any point in episodes 6, 7, or 8. kinda doubt it would happen earlier than ep6 because i'm not sure if that would allow us enough time to build up to it, especially since major coup players like elaida and gawyn are being introduced for the very first time this season so we need decent time with them before shit goes down (plus, it just naturally feels like a Late Season Climactic Event). the head writer of 1x06 & 2x07 (aes-sedai-heavy episodes) being the head writer of 3x08 could potentially indicate that the coup happens in 3x08, but she is also an executive producer so it's not like aes sedai politics is The Only Thing she knows about.

C-plots: the waste gang travels back to the wetlands, rand learns from asmodean; tanchico crew takes a sea folk ship to the eastern part of the continent (same city where waste gang is headed)

3x08: he who comes with the dawn

A-plot: the climax of the waste crew's plotline, potentially a battle in cairhien or tear, but that may cause Battle Fatigue if 3x07 has just had a big battle. maybe this could point towards their destination being tear and them taking the stone in somewhat more of an infiltration operation like in TDR, as opposed to the more traditional battle for cairhien in TFOH? just to mix things up a bit with perrin's traditional battle in the prior episode.

okay yeah i'm leaning towards tear, plus there was the leaked alleged sammael audition script (i trust no audition scripts after the phony gawyn one from s2 lmao) where the person he's talking to is demanding to know where "it" is. so my vision is that sammael's sitting comfy in tear, rand & co launch an infiltration operation to take the stone, rand finds sammael and demands to know callandor's whereabouts, and sammael ultimately flees to continue causing trouble in a new location in s4.

A-plot part 2: the tanchico crew gets involved with the infiltration operation, and nynaeve battles & defeats moghedien AND breaks her block (if she hasn't already, that could be a good Early Win to include around ep5-6 ish)

after all this stuff is done, there is a Final Final confrontation with moiraine and lanfear getting yeeted through the doorway; nynaeve bonds lan straightaway rather than his bond going on a noncon detour to alanna

post-battle checkin with perrin, but not a ton of time with him in this episode

final stinger: our buddy tuon from tanchico is shown dressed to the seanchan nines and being addressed as the daughter of the nine moons. gasp, mat's fated wife is our buddy tuon from tanchico, who is in fact a high-ranking seanchan noble! dun dun dun!!!!!

elephant in the room: "emily, why are you having rand in the wetlands for 3x08 when an episode called 'he who comes with the dawn' would obviously be about alcair dal?" listen, i know, but i typed up this whole post before i found out about that episode title and was too attached to it to change it lmao plus, i genuinely can't think of enough for rand & co to do in the waste for 6 entire episodes. i could see an argument that they chose this episode title as a general "yeah that's a baller title for a season finale about rand coming into his own in a big moment" rather than as a specific "this episode focuses on rand coming into his own in a strictly-aiel-related way" (see: 2x07 just being about general political shenanigans rather than literal daes dae'mar). rand pulling callandor from the stone while surrounded by his aiel followers could still be a "he who comes with the dawn" moment, okay!

so i will leave this post as is, but if indeed 3x08 only takes us up to alcair dal (and the moiraine & lanfear yeeting which i think will be this episode no matter what), that actually doesn't change my structure too much. basically it'd just be slowing down both the waste & tanchico crew's plotlines and having their climaxes be still in the waste & tanchico respectively, and then we can do a travel timeskip between seasons and have s4 open with the waste crew taking tear or cairhien and the tanchico crew meeting up with them there. i do strongly believe that mat, elayne, and nynaeve will join up with rand & co for s4 and skip their whole salidar/ebou dar detours, because that positions mat to form the band and have his Dragon's General storyline in s4, positions elayne to spend time with rand and aviendha and potentially join rand in retaking caemlyn and then just stay there to start her succession, and positions nynaeve to spend time with lan in the immediate aftermath of moiraine's "death" and then join up with elayne's or rand's future storyline. for these 3, salidar & ebou dar are filler sidequests rather than Main Story storylines imo and it could be quite efficient to cut those out and just distribute the handful of Main Story elements from them into other Main Story storylines.

[cerridwen007]

Scarlet Snowball.

pics above from pinterest used for aesthetic purposes only*

Pairing: Vampire!Joel Miller x f!reader (afab)

Word count: 1.2 k (18+) MINORS DNI!

Summary: You're on your knees for Joel when things get a little messy….not that Joel minds.

Notes/Warnings: SMUT, BLOOD, PWP, Nosebleeds, descriptions of sneezing/nosebleeds, blood drinking, cumplay, oral (m + f receiving), fingering, kissing, swearing, no y/n, sappy fluffy ending.

A/N: Hi yall, it's been a minute since i've posted any sort of writing, over 2 months, in fact. Many reasons why that is, I had a bit of a depressive episode november- december, that wasn't fun and then I sort of just had enough with feeling shitty and got my hours reduced at work, did things I had been putting off and planned a whole bunch of fun things. So yeah, this last month has been busy and eventful but good. I didn't do a whole lot of writing during that time, but I've finally gained some more time and motivation, so I'm hoping to get back into posting more regularly. Um, I may have come up with this at work cause I was late with a nose bleed…possibly. This is probably the freakiest thing i've written, and I kinda love it, so I’d say look out for more of these kinda fics in the future. Also, shout out to @toxicanonymity and @lincolndjarin whose fics i've been loving lately, and their darker themes in their writing definitely have inspired me to try my hand at it. Any interactions with my posts are always welcome and appreciated. Hope y'all have a great day. Love you! ❤️

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

“Ah…fuck baby. Just like that. Fuck…… just like that.” Joel groans above you as your lips stretch to fit around his beautifully tanned and veiny girth.

You continually bob your head up and down his salty skin, humming at his deliciously musky taste. You're not in any rush to make him cum. Instead playing around with different paces, building him up hard and fast only to slow down when he nears his peak. He’s gradually become more of a whiney, mess as you work your magic on him. Your hands are always keeping occupied, either playing with his balls or stroking what of his length isn't in your mouth. His own hands gently caress your hair, ensuring it doesn't get in your face.

Suddenly, a horrible but familiar feeling graces your senses, a ticklish sensation building behind your nose. You quickly pull off Joel's still aching cock and sneeze, trying your best to keep your mouth closed. 

Joel brows instantly knit in concern. “Bless you, sweetheart. You're alright? You know you shouldn’t hold in ya sneezes. it's bad for ya.”

“Yeah it's just allergi-”you respond before sneezing once again, only this time you don't hold it in. But luckily managing to miss Joel with your projectile germs. Your closed eyes squint together for a bit as the sensation fades before opening them in horror to a crimson mess of splattered blood, speckled all over Joel’s cock and thighs. 

He looks down at your mess with blown eyes before meeting your gaze. You stare back at him with wide eyes filled with shock, which seem to finish him off as he begins shooting large white ropes of cum on your now blood stained face. Still in a confused haze you take a second before quickly reattaching your lips back onto the tip of his cock, not wanting to waste another drop of his liquid gold. A symphony of louder than usual groans and whines spill from Joel’s lips, blessing your ears as an irony, salty flavour floods your taste buds. Your nose still dripping with a crimson river, starts to travel past your chin down your neck and collarbone. Yet you sit obediently, taking everything he has to give, a perfect picture of a lover devoted to sharing their blood and soul for the pleasure of the one they love. 

Your brows screw together with concentration. You, not exactly, loving the taste of blood, just hold all of the swirling red and white fluids into your mouth till Joel finishes. He lets out a growl, one of pure lust, almost inhuman. As he lets his eyes hungrily take in the stunning sight of you, baring all, on your knees before him, as your blood drips all over your curves. He nearly cums again just from the sight. You only just now think to put your hand up to your nose to try and stop the bleeding, only to have Joel quickly grip your hand and harshly pull it away before hoisting you up to full height. He bares his teeth like a predator as his head lowers inches away from your’s. His chest rises and falls as he breathes in deep, the scent of your life force.

Joel’s lips crash onto yours, his grip on you only intensifying, as if the moment he lets go, you'll disappear. He licks deeply into your mouth, capturing your combined flavors onto his own tongue. A moan of appreciation is shared between the two of you as you melt into each other's mouths. His large hands grip your arms with such force, and you're sure to bruise within the hour. He devours you with such intensity, like he needs you to survive, which he does. You manage to pull back much to Joel's annoyance when your head starts to feel light. He takes the opportunity to lick his lips and revel in the taste of you. 

“So damn sweet for me, baby.” He purrs as he dips his head back down to now start licking up the drying blood staining your neck and chest. 

You moan as his tongue cleans the dripping vermillion from your chest. He pauses now and then to suck the skin into his mouth and softly bite it, marking you, his favourite treat. Your hand flys up to grip onto his dark curls, threading your stained fingers through the fluffy tangles. He consumes every inch of your skin covered in your bloody mess. Vibrations run atop of your skin from his hums and moans creating goosebumps, a clear sign of Joel enjoying himself. You whine when you feel his once again erect cock rub glistening drops of precome against your thigh. You latch your hand onto him and begin stroking, he bites harshly into your breast, pleasure surging through his veins.

“Always make me feel so good darling.” Joel moans against your skin, his tongue licks, soothing the marks he just made in your flesh. He works faster to clear the cherry coloured stains from your skin, getting closer and closer to where you're throbbing for him. Your hand releases his cock as the need to come yourself makes your head grow fuzzy.

“Joel please…please.” You beg him, not giving any specifics but Joel knows what you're asking of him.

He smiles up at you with a devilish grin before, fully sinking to his knees and grabbing your left thigh to place it upon his shoulder. He wastes not a single second before he starts devouring his second favorite substance in the world (second only to your sweet, sweet blood). His strong tongue delves between your glistening folds. You can't help but grind yourself on his nose, your clit being perfectly stimulated by his hawkish feature. 

“Shit Joel…fuck. You make me feel so good.” You whine, as his tongue licks hard over your clit.

He pushes the remainder of the pinkish fluids he had secretly held in his mouth into your dripping cunt with his tongue. He then inserts his two middle fingers into you to fuck it deeper. The pressure of his thick fingers thrusting in and out of you and his wet lips curled around your clit, has you quickly reaching your peak. Your vision is lined with stars as Joel works you through your peak. Your nails bite into his skin on his shoulders, leaving small red marks as the pleasure seizes hold over your entire body and mind. 

“Atta girl, just like that, wanna taste you over and over again.” Joel keens from between your legs. 

The room fills with squelching sounds, and your desperate moans and pleads grow more inherent as you grow overstimulated. Your knees shake and wobble as you try and gently push his head away when it becomes too much. He relents after placing a few lingering kisses to your pussy before standing, pulling your body close to his, ensuring you have some stability while you recover.

Your racing heart slows as you find comfort in the arms of your lover. You look up at him and place a soft lingering kiss to his reddened lips. He kisses you back gently before leaving a kiss upon the crown of your head. You rest your head upon his chest when Joel suddenly picks you up bridal style and carries you to the bathroom to get cleaned up. 

“I love you, Joel, with all my life.”

“I love you too, baby, forever, my love.”

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

[thejeguluslibrarian]

Jegulus Classics

so in honor of zeppazariel/bizzarestars re-uploading their works to ao3, i figured that i’d make a list of fanfictions that are essential to the jegulus fan-canon. of course, zar’s works are a huge part of our fandom, and i hope that I’m honoring that with this list. i will add fics to this list if you have any you’d like to see featured.

Art Heist, Baby! by otrtbs (M, 219k) - When James Potter answers a mysterious ad in his local coffee shop, the last thing he expects is to be thrown into a world of white collar crime, but how can he resist when the mastermind behind the operation has dark hair and brooding eyes and promises wealth beyond James' wildest imagination? He would do anything for that boy named after a star, including stealing millions of dollars of fine art.

Crimson Rivers by bizarrestars (E, 865k) - Regulus Black was fifteen the first time his name was called at a reaping. He's twenty-five when it happens to him again. A lot has changed in that time, and one of them is that he's ready to do whatever it takes to make it home. Nothing or no one will stop him, not even James Potter.

James Potter has no plans to stop Regulus Black from making it home. In fact, his plans revolve around the opposite. He has his reasons, but he's made his choice to get Regulus out of the arena, even knowing it'll be the last thing he ever does.

Sirius Black was sixteen when he volunteered to take his little brother's place in the arena. At twenty-six, without the option to do it again, he has no choice but to be a mentor to his brother and best friend, knowing that only one of them can make it back out.

Two names called, a mentor on the verge of falling apart, and more secrets and grief between all of them than they know how to handle. None of them are prepared for what comes next, or how far they'll go to make it through.

just lovers (like we were supposed to be) by bizarrestars (M, 321k) - Or, the one in which James Potter wants to prove he'd be a good boyfriend to Lily Evans and comes up with the brilliant plan to fake date Regulus Black his way into falling in love. It doesn't quite go as anyone expects.

Task failed...successfully?

Best Friend's Brother by bizarrestars (M, 329k) - Regulus hates his brother—this is fact—and as his best friend, Remus would never betray him by falling in love with aforementioned brother.

Sirius hates his entire family—this is also fact—and as his best friend, James would never betray him by falling in love with a member of it.

The problem is, none of them are even aware that it's happening.

Only the Brave by Solmussa (E, 646k) - Regulus Black is angry. He wants revenge. He wants to watch the world burn for all it's done to him. He also wants to make out with James Potter, but that's a secret he'll take to the grave. Vengeance is more important than... whatever it is that chokes him when he lays eyes on Potter.

James Potter is confused, because Regulus Black is, all of a sudden, hot. And it's unfair because Sirius is going to kill him if he doesn't get his impulse control in line.

Meetings That Start In The Dark by writingamarie (E, 656k) - Regulus is concerned about Sirius after their mother orchestrates a horrible attack. And with Sirius out of reach he relies on James Potter to know his brother is okay. Except their meetings keep happening, and their conversations keep falling away from Sirius. Falling for James Potter might just be the most reckless thing he's ever contemplated.

Choices by MesserMoon (E, 624k) - People make mistakes, but they also make choices. It’s important to James, that difference. He does his best not to confuse the two.

Thank you to all the wonderful writers in our community! Your works are life-changing and incredible. You make what I do possible and I appreciate you every single day.

Love y’all!

-The Librarian

[verai-marcel]

Your Hearth Is My Home (BG3 Fanfic, Astarion x Female Reader, Part 8 of ?)

Summary, Notes, Tags, & Part 1 are here.

Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7

AO3 Link is here, my dear.

Word Count: 4287

————————————

Act I, Chapter 8 - The Mountain

Lae’zel was waiting under an archway in the middle of the path. Wyll wordlessly handed over her backpack as she rejoined the party, seamlessly taking point as everyone continued up the path that veered west. You followed the others up the trail, silently thinking about your next move. Should I stay or should I go?

Along the way, you found a trader to offload some of the random wares you had collected, but she also asked for what amounted to a baby for experimentation. So you just quickly bartered your useless items and went along your way, while the others held Lae’zel back from slashing the trader’s throat open.

As the sun began to set behind the hills, you reached a cable car and a rusty wheel.

“We shall cross and set up camp on the other side,” Lae’zel commanded, pointing to what seemed to be a defensible cliffside.

“I would agree to that plan, if we could get this contraption to work,” Gale said as he poked the prodded at the wheel. “There must be something around here to unlock it, a lever or mechanism…”

Karlach walked up to it, took one look, and yanked at the wheel with all her mighty strength, forcing it to turn. There was a moment’s pause before the cable car finally creaked along, echoing off the cliffs below.

“Got it!” she said happily.

“Ah. Right,” Gale said, frowning for a moment before shrugging nonchalantly. “Well, at least we can cross now.”

You got onto the cable car and rode it across the chasm. Looking out at the landscape, bathed in the crimson light of the setting sun, you sighed. It was getting harder and harder to leave now. How would you navigate back to the River Chionthar on your own?

At least for now, you had this lovely landscape to stare at while you figured out your next move.

You glanced over at your companions, who were being uncharacteristically quiet as they, too, admired the view. Looking at each of them in turn, you wondered when you had begun to care for them on a deeper level. Your eyes lingered on Astarion for just a moment longer than the rest.

His eyes flickered over at you. Catching your gaze, he smiled knowingly.

Ah shit, he caught me.

Quickly looking away, you stared out at the canyon again. You had to admit, he was rather lovely with the waning sunlight against his skin, his hair perfectly in place despite having a full day of traveling behind him. If he just stayed quiet and didn’t spit out unwarranted flattery every two seconds, you might have thought him attractive.

Why do my eyes keep gravitating towards him?

You worried about him, more so than the others. You thought about his behavior and wondered what you could do to help him. You cared.

You closed your eyes. When the fuck did that happen?

Taking a deep, slow breath, you opened your eyes and stared out at the landscape once more, clearing your mind until you arrived at the other side. You followed the others down the hillside to a nice little area that had a partially ruined stone building and an old, gnarled tree that overlooked the canyons below. As you began to set up the spot for the campfire, everyone else picked a spot for their tents and started setting up. 

Seeing Astarion fumble the parts of his tent, you went over to help. He seemed a little less experienced than the others in such things.

"Mind where you face the tent," he said without looking at you as he tried to hide how much he was struggling with the poles. "I don't like having the sunlight hit me straight in the eyes in the morning."

You took the poles from his hands and deftly put everything together. Of course you knew how to set up a tent properly. Who the hell did he think you were? 

But when you caught the small smirk on his face, you knew immediately he was just pulling your chain, and in your infinite maturity, you stuck your tongue out at him.

“Careful darling. Don’t make promises you can’t keep.”

You immediately put your tongue back in your mouth and scowled.

You quickly finished helping him so you could prepare a meal with some of the camp supplies. You snacked on some of the cured meats and cheeses as you cooked, so that by the time everyone was done with their own tents and had gathered around the campfire, you were mostly full. After serving up the meal, you excused yourself to prep everyone's tents with your various spells, giving the excuse that it was getting late. You could see them all at the campfire, hearing them discuss their next move, along with some friendly banter as well. 

You were a bit surprised to see Astarion lingering at the campfire. He usually left before a meal, not returning until everyone else had fallen asleep. You could hear him being smarmy and charming, eliciting laughter from the others. 

Guess he finally decided to open up. 

Or, perhaps, the whole group had grown closer while you weren't there. Seemed like a natural thing, after all. They only really saw you in the evenings when they came back from their adventuring. The rest of the day, they spent with each other. Sure, you've had a day here and there with some of them when they guarded the camp, but that didn't make up for the time they had spent together. 

You suddenly felt very alone. 

As you finished Shadowheart's tent, you could hear her walking towards you. She had a naturally quiet step, neither ambling like Wyll's nor quick like Lae'zel's. You turned to her, just in time to catch her reaching out to you. You forced yourself not to flinch like you had with Gale. 

Her hand landed lightly on your shoulder, a feather touch. "Are you alright? You seem a bit down."

You smiled. Since you had come across her first, Shadowheart held a special place in your memories. She had been so prickly at first, but you had been insistent in treating her. Now, you'd almost consider her a friend, if only she didn’t seem so distant all the time.

"I… I'm not sure if I should stay," you confessed. Turning to her, you saw her shocked expression, but you continued. "I'm a liability. I'll just hold everyone up when we're traveling. I can't fight, I can't jump very far, I can't—“

Shadowheart shook your shoulder once. You hadn’t realized that you were starting to breathe faster with your rant. "You're not a liability,” she said. "You—" 

She let go of you and took a small step back. "We like coming back to you at the end of the day. It makes getting through every battle, every setback, so much easier knowing that we can come back to you for a hot meal and a nice, warm tent.” A soft smile spread across her face. “You make camp feel like home."

You couldn’t help but smile back. You were touched.

"And you've been so accepting of all of us, and our… quirks,” she continued. “You truly are special, you know that, right?"

Deciding to keep your self-deprecating thoughts to yourself, you replied, “I’m grateful for the compliment.”

She nodded, then looked at you seriously. “But if you ever do feel like you’re in danger with us, we’ll understand if you want to leave. Don’t feel any pressure to stay.”

A little too late to say that. “Alright, I’ll keep that in mind.”

Patting your shoulder, she left you to your thoughts as you finished the rest of the tents.

***

After cleaning up for the evening, you went over to the outcrop that overlooked the canyon below. The moonlight lit up the forest below, and cast a silvery glow on the ruins behind you. Sitting beneath the tree, you wondered if your voice would echo off the cliffs. 

"Perhaps I shouldn't," you mumbled to yourself. 

"Shouldn't what?" 

You turned to see Gale walking up to you. He plopped himself down on the soft grass beside you. 

"I was wondering if my voice would echo down there, but that might attract things we don't want."

"A wise decision, although you could try it when we leave this place. For knowledge's sake."

You grinned. Of course. Anything for the sake of knowledge.

The two of you sat quietly, enjoying the scenery, but you knew it wouldn’t last long.

“So, how long did you live in Waterdeep?”

There it was. You debated how much to tell him. “A few years,” you answered vaguely.

“Ah.” A few more moments passed in silence. “I get the feeling if I ask anything more, you’ll give me increasingly ambiguous answers until you feign tiredness and head off to bed.”

You smiled. “You understand me so well.”

“I’d like to think after the time we’ve spent together that I understand you a bit better than when we first met.” He was smiling at you, and though you wanted to brush his hand to get an idea of what he was feeling, you decided it might give the wrong impression. So you refrained and just nodded.

“I have a tower in Waterdeep, you know,” he said, filling the silence. “You’re welcome to visit, if—”

Gale suddenly doubled over, gripping his chest.

“Gale!”

He held out his hand. “I’m alright. I just…” His words stopped as he took a deep breath. He was clearly in pain.

Debating if you should diagnose him, you watched as he grimaced and leaned back, taking in deep breaths of the cold mountain air. Dammit, I have to know. You took off one glove and reached for him. As your hand covered his hand over his chest, you felt as if your very soul was getting sucked in. You quickly pulled away, but you already felt a slight drain, as if threads of magic had been dragged out of you.

“What… what in the hells…” you muttered.

He looked up at you, surprised as you were. Taking another breath, he straightened himself. “I… I seem to be a bit better.” He looked up at you. “This has never happened before.”

You raised an eyebrow.

Gale looked apologetic. “Well, I should say I’ve never absorbed the Weave straight from another person before.”

Your eyes widened. As he explained himself, he admitted that he had been ‘eating’ the less useful magical artifacts that the party had been collecting, and he also confessed that lately, it hadn’t been as effective.

“That’s the reason I came to talk to you. Granted, I did procrastinate a bit.”

You raised an eyebrow.

“The rest of the party knows about my… condition.” He sighed. “I told them the other day while we were coming back from the goblin camp. Thankfully, they have decided to let me stay. But you…” He held his hand out to you. “You should know what happened, so you can make the choice. If you want me to go.”

You gave him your gloved hand. He held it to his chest, and you saw his memory. But with his magic intertwining with yours, you also felt his memories on a deeper level, even without direct skin contact. You wanted to both slap him and give him a hug after seeing it all.

“So. I’m a walking time bomb,” he said after he let go of your hand. “I understand if you don’t feel safe. Tell me to leave. I won’t be offended. It’d be the wisest choice, honestly.”

It was hard to make that kind of decision looking at his sad face. You turned back to the canyon and stared up at the moon.

You suddenly had a thought. Turning back to him, you asked, “Can I try something?”

He tipped his head quizzically. “Sure?”

You took a deep breath and hummed a melody of moonlight, letting the silvery strands of magic float around you, creating a soft scarf made of ephemeral threads. Slowly moving your hands, you directed the gossamer garment straight to Gale’s chest.

The symbol on his chest glowed as it absorbed it directly. He gasped.

“Did it work?” you asked. “Do you feel better?”

“You… how…” Gale touched his chest in wonder. “No one else has made that work.”

You shrugged. “I don’t know. I just had a hunch.” 

He smiled softly at you. “Well, I greatly appreciate it.” He paused, as if he was about to ask you something, then thought better of it.

“I think you should stay,” you said after a few moments. “After all, it would seem that my magic will help you, o great wizard of Waterdeep.”

He chuckled. “Indeed, it does.” Giving you a slight bow, he thanked you and went back to his tent.

You wondered if it was wise to use your power in this way. Your mother would have probably told you it was a bad idea. After some research into your peculiar magic, a wizard could figure it out. They’d know where your magic came from. After all, that’s how you were discovered after the raid on your village.

Stretching your back and yawning, you headed back to your bedroll. You were tired after feeding a wizard some magic, and you still needed to feed another.

I’m feeding people in all kinds of weird ways.

***

1489 DR, Three Years Ago

It had taken a year, but you had escaped from Waterdeep and made it to Baldur’s Gate. Covering your tracks, you had traveled in an unusual pattern in an attempt to throw off anyone who might be tailing you. Not that you thought anyone really would; after all, you had just been a mere servant of one of the masked lords of Waterdeep. You were pretty sure he didn’t even know that you knew his identity.

But ‘pretty sure’ and ‘absolutely sure’ were two separate things.

You were looking at a map of the surrounding area, deciding what small village to start your new life, when you noticed a man looking at you from across the road.

A tingling on the base of your spine made you pay attention. You started to walk back to the flophouse, keeping your wits about you.

The man continued to appear out of the corner of your eye in various locations as you walked back from the lower city towards Wyrm’s Crossing.

What in the hells?

Instead of heading into the flophouse, you continued past it towards Rivington, hoping to make the man believe you were heading into the village beyond. You made a wide circle and slipped in and out of alleys until you didn’t see him anywhere for a good thirty minutes. The sun was beginning to set and soon the taverns would be streaming with folks looking to drown their sorrows or talk a poor sap out of the shirt off their back.

Thinking yourself safe, you headed back to the flophouse. There were a few people around the lobby, and you weaved past them all to head up the stairs to your bed for the night.

Turning the corner, you saw the man, sitting on your bed. Before you could turn and run, he leapt up and grabbed your wrist. He had no killing intent, but he definitely felt malicious.

“Don’t bother tryin’ ta run, sweetie. I paid the landlord to ignore anything ‘appening up ‘ere.”

That money grubbing arsehole. You tugged at your arm. “What do you want with me?”

“The lord put out a bounty on your ‘ead, alive only.”

Son of a bitch thinks I’m still useful. Well, that’s a relief. Better than dead. “Can’t have been worth much.”

“Barely worth the time. More of a ‘if you see ‘er, grab ‘er’ kind of bounty. And ‘ere you are.” He patted the dagger on his belt. “So ‘ow’s about you come quietly, and I don’t cut yer pretty little face.”

You swallowed. “F-fine,” you stammered. His grip slid up to your shoulder, and he pushed you out of the room and down the stairs. The proprietor glanced at you and quickly looked away. The other people in the lobby avoided eye contact, not wanting to get involved.

Of course. No one helps when it’s not their problem.

Darkness had fallen on the city, and with it, the ability to be seen clearly. You waited until he had marched you further and further away from the buildings, before you started to hum.

“What’re you singin’, sweetheart?”

You didn’t stop humming. 

He shook your arm. “Answer me, wench.”

You looked at him, dead in the eye, and kept humming.

His own eyes began to droop. “‘Ey, what…” He shook his head, but it was no use. “Yer tryin’ somethin’ tricksy, aren’t ya?” he slurred as he let go of your shoulder and clumsily pulled out his dagger.

You immediately grabbed his fist with both hands, turned the dagger towards him, and slammed your whole body into him. Your humming wavered slightly, but you continued. You had to, otherwise he’d regain his strength.

“You… bitch…” the man gurgled as his weight began to fall forward, his forehead touching your exposed skin above the neckline of your shirt. You staggered backward as the shockwave of death from him spilled into you. Gasping for air as if you had been the one stabbed, you kept pushing to make sure the dagger went in deep. 

When you felt him start to push against you, you resumed humming like a madwoman, desperately trying to keep the spell intact.

The man let out one last groan as he succumbed to both his injury and your sleep song. You let him fall to the ground as you side-stepped out of the way, stumbling and falling to your knees.  Clutching your chest, you attempted to catch your breath past the agony in your chest. It felt like a white-hot slicing pain shooting through your entire torso, your heart pounding a hundred miles a second as if it wanted to make a rapid exit from your body.

Gods, it fucking HURTS. No wonder Mother told me never to hurt anyone.

You felt your stomach roil and rumble before you quickly turned away and emptied out what little contents you had, coughing and spitting for a while before you felt like you could breathe normally again. 

I never, EVER want to do that again.

Looking at the corpse, you gathered your courage and pulled the dagger out of the man’s body, flung the blood away, and cleaned it on his armor like you had seen guards do in the past. Then you turned towards the east, stumbling away into the night, away from Baldur’s Gate.

You sure as hell didn’t want to be here when the guards found the body.

***

1492 DR, Present Day

You were grateful when the light chime of your alarm bell, coupled with a soft hoot, and the padding of multiple sets of feet woke you up. You could still smell the tang of blood and the taste of bile in your memories, and reached for your canteen of water to wash it away before getting up.

Astarion had returned, and to your surprise, he seemed a bit unsteady on his feet. You headed towards him, watching him feed scraps of a dead animal to Scratch and the owlbear cub.

“There you go Owly,” he slurred as he gave the cub another bone with decent chunks of meat. “Grow up nice and strong so you can bring me back something fresh.”

"You're naming him Owly?" 

"And why not?" 

"No reason. Just a bit surprised by how… cute, it sounds." You watched as he staggered towards his tent, clearly buzzed. Out of worry, you followed after him. "Are you drunk?"

"I have drunk," he slurred. "A whole bear. Not a beer. Hah."

You stared at the blood on his shirt. “Erm, your sleeves—”

"He took some of my blood, and I took all of his."

His usually perfectly coiffed hair was disheveled and his clothes were bedraggled. You kept following him until he was about to open the flap to his tent. He paused, then turned around to stare at you. "Need something?" 

You shook your head. "No, I… I was just checking on you. Do you need anything from me?" 

He smiled. "I am well fed tonight. But I still need you." He leaned in closer and reached out to lightly caress your arm. You felt nothing through his touch.

He's doing it again. Sighing, you looked at him for a moment longer. Maybe he was just lonely. “Would you like me to spend some time with you?”

"Oh, a bit more forward tonight, are you?" He opened the tent flap and gestured for you to enter.

Rolling your eyes, you entered the tent and plopped down on the ground. You patted the bedroll in front of you. “Sit, please.”

“Will you climb into my lap?”

You sighed. "Just sit down, please."

Frowning, Astarion sat down next to you, his movements still smooth and graceful. Clearly he wasn't that drunk. 

Now that you were here, you weren’t sure what to do. As you glanced around his tent, you saw the brush on top of his pile of books and suddenly had an idea.

“Can I brush your hair?”

He cocked his head in confusion, like a puppy.

"Your hair is a mess," you explained, gesturing at his head. 

He immediately reached up and started to run his fingers through his hair. In his inebriated state, he was only making it worse. 

You grabbed the brush and scooted around so that you were behind him. “Let me take care of it, please.”

He turned his head to look at you for a moment before he faced forward again so you couldn’t see his expression. “If that’s what you want,” he mumbled.

You got up on your knees and began to run the brush through his hair, picking out bits of twigs and fur. "So, how did the bear taste?”

He shrugged. “Like a bear, I suppose.”

“I’m impressed that you can differentiate the flavor. I've tasted boar's blood and my own. They don't seem dissimilar to me.”

He turned his head toward you, a slightly haughty look on his face. “My palate is on a different level, darling. I can taste the life essence within, like a seasoning. A bear just exists. It doesn't think, it doesn't lament, it doesn't dream. But it has a lot of life, so…” He gestured dismissively with his hand. “I suppose it’s like drinking a cheap ale. Doesn’t taste great, but it’ll do in a pinch.”

You watched his expression change, hooded eyes and a sultry smile blooming on his lips. “But you, you must have the loveliest dreams, because your blood tastes like a rich liqueur."

He’s clearly just making shit up. “I thought you said it tasted like honey wine.”

“That was the first time. It changes, probably depending on your emotions. But there's always a sweetness to your flavor.” He turned his body towards you and leaned in closer, looking into your eyes like some fawning sycophant.

You ignored him, moving your attention to his torn and dirty sleeves. Unable to brush his hair since he was facing you, you cast prestidigitation to remove the dirt and blood from his sleeves. 

“Did you enjoy your meal?” you asked after a while.

“It’s nothing compared to, well, other things I could be dining on. Bears are certainly better than the rats and bugs Cazador served me.”

You gasped. A rat would certainly not have enough blood, a bug even less so. You fumed, irrationally angry on his behalf. "I would kick him in the balls for making you go hungry," you hissed in anger.

Astarion looked taken aback by your outburst. But then he laughed. “You? Kicking him in the balls?” He laughed more. “That would be a sight.”

You chuckled with him. “Glad I could entertain you. Now turn back around so I can finish with your hair.”

“Bossy little thing, aren’t you?” But he obeyed your command. Quietly, you worked through his hair, pulling out the last bit of debris and brushing it all back into place. Scooting around him, you took his sleeves into your hands and began to hum your mending cantrip. After a few minutes, you noticed out of the corner of your eye that he had relaxed. His eyes drooped, as if he were going into a trance state. 

Out of curiosity, you brushed his hand. You could feel a faint emotion coming through. It was muddled, like a thought struggling to come to the surface.

Well, at least he isn’t shielding so hard anymore.

You finished mending his sleeves and pulled away.

His eyes shot open.

Not a word was spoken, but you had a funny feeling from his expression that he wanted you to stay. You touched his hand.

Nothing again. Oh well. “Do you need anything else?”

He looked away. “No, I’m fine.”

He isn’t fine. But you had no choice. If he wasn’t going to ask, you couldn’t force him. You wouldn’t force him. “Alright. Then have a good night.”

He began to lean forward, then stopped himself. 

Oh, you poor, touch-starved soul. You leaned in and pressed your forehead against his. “Sweet dreams,” you murmured.

“Sweet dreams,” he whispered.

The last thing you felt as you pulled away from him and left his tent was a lingering emotion, one that was hard to describe. But you knew that it pulled at your heart and made you want to stay.

-------------------------------------------

Chapter 8 End notes: My chapter word count is just all over the place now, haha. Thanks for reading! And if possible, please help spread my fic out into the world by reblogging, I'd greatly appreciate it. ICYMI: I did a couple of sketches of Hearth Witch's outfits here.

Let me know if you want me to tag you every time I post a new chapter! Tag List: @numblytemporary

[imsiriuslyreading]

Hopping into ask boxes to ask the important question: how are you? 🫂❤️

oh stop this is so lovely?

im gonna use this as an excuse for a little fandom & life update <3

firstly, ive been reading crimson rivers and its killing me from the inside out.

i've been obsessively recording the cadence of part time poets podfic the last couple of weeks so many more chapters of that are to come shortly!

a couple of friends and i were recently part of a very exciting fandom podcast episode with some very lovely people, more on that soon muahaha

the siriusly dead poets society (our little discord server we started when reading atyd sirius pov that has ended up being the coven part 2) have been working hard on a valentines day fest, all to be revealed tomorrow - I'm very excited for that

i've been writing bits of my WIPs here and there, and also started working on some original fiction which is looking more and more like an 80s wolfstar slow burn by the day

Montana and i have a new I Have No Milk episode coming out very soon (hozier and atyd are heavily mentioned, shock and surprise)

aside from that, im starting a new job soon, my dog simba is still being a nightmare (lovingly), I've planned about 80 different fanfic tattoos i want, i keep attempting to date and then remember im a recluse, and as always, I'm happy and grateful to be here, having a bloody lovely time with you lot.

i hope youre having the best day <3

[markthekng]

Figured since October is coming up and I didn't have Tumblr last year I'd show off my costume from last year. The theme was possession. I started the day as a priest, was "possessed" in first period, then slowly throughout the day became more corrupted until I was a demon. I thought it was very cool.

Phase 1: Father Mark

Phase 2: the demon lurks

Phase 3: Taking over

Phase 4: The loss of Divination (hard to see in the picture but there is a tail)

Phase 5: The Fall Of Mark (yes I really did go out with a mesh shirt in only my binder. Also the cigarette is fake smoking is bad guys)

There was actually a story I wrote to go along with it too. It's under the cut if you're interested

Poor Father Mark, a man of the church, but a vessel of despair. Morality cannot protect you when you are stripped of feeling. God will not save you when the devil has you in a chokehold.

Father Mark, how do you lead a prayer? Do you bow your head? How then do you hide the crimson tears that don’t stop flowing like a river? Do you look to the sky? How then do you avoid choking on the regurgitated blood that burns in your stomach? Or do you find prayer to be a waste of time ever since you were stripped of your autonomy? What point is there in believing in a god?

Father Mark, how do you dress? Do you wear the sacred outfit of a priest? Does your clerical collar help you feel as if you are still in control? Does the halo the Lord blessed you with make you feel any more holy? Do you dress in a scandalous manner to match the possession burning you away? Do you feel as if the fabricless shirt makes you better suited to be under the devil’s control? Or perhaps, clothing is a waste of time when your skin is no longer your own.

Father Mark, what do you hold in those soft pale hands of yours? Do you carry a crucifix and a bible? Do you still preach that there is life after death? Do you still hope to see the best in everyone with the mindset that when they day, they’ll be in a paradise concealed by clouds? Or have you learned better after the smoke originated from your own flesh? Do you carry the staff with the skull of the omen of death because it relieves the burn of the cross? Do you carry a cigarette in between that plastered on frown to numb the pain of being stripped of heaven? Do you carry a bag to collect the prayers and hopes of those who cannot be saved? Your hands used to be soft to the touch, now the burn of your calluses are not exclusive to you.

Father Mark, how did you come to be possessed by demons? Who strayed you from the path of the Lord? What made you so demonic?

“My child,” Father Mark’s eyes will pool with blood and his lips are permanently stained red as he coughs up his innocence, “The Lord has forsaken me ever since the first exorcism. From the beginning, God has forsaken me, and the angels spit on me as they pass by.”

I had been good, I had not sinned. I had followed the commandments. I had been perfect. Did you know it was possible? For a mortal to be perfect? I believed I had been perfect, that everyone had been perfect, but God had other plans. I had exorcised a demon from a young girl’s spirit, but it had only left her. It had latched on to me. As a result I was cursed. The Lord did not protect me when I prayed, nor when I went through the ritual. No matter how much pain I endured to try and get rid of the demon, God had not answered a single prayer. Over and over again I had been forsaken.

And the demon, oh that demon. I don’t think it’s just a demon, it’s the culmination of all of my sins, and now it’s trying to turn me into one. It speaks to me, it is right now. It tells me that it is me, and that I will never escape its grasps. It tells me such awful things, burning my brain and branding itself on the side. The pain of its voice drives me mad. And it will never go away. No, it only wishes to see me suffer. It only wishes to drag me to the darkest pits of hell. With every fight I put up I only lose myself more. Is it better to be a soulless husk than a sin?

I tried to fight it. I tried to fight the demonic forces on my own, but I couldn’t. A mortal is powerless to a celestial. Lucifer himself has contributed to my possession. But he does not speak to me as a mortal, he speaks to me as an equal. Lucifer allows sweet temptations to slip from his lips and through your ears. Fighting it is pointless, it will only tear you piece by piece. The feeling of the holy garment burns as you descend, and you can no longer hold the crucifix. My body is not my own, I will never get it back. And if I do, what waits for me when I am human again? The disapproving stares of the choirs of angels? Chants of “Holy, holy, holy” directed in the opposite direction? This is a battle I am not meant to win, for winning is far worse than losing.

Poor Father Mark had us all convinced her body wasn't returning to dust. He had us believing that he didn't protect the world but mixing her blood into the soil.

Poor Father Mark, he never stood a chance. We watched as the demon took control. We watched as his sins manifested. We watched as he realized he had never been possessed, but he was the demon from the beginning. We watched his expression turn dark when he looked over at us. We watched as he lit the cigarette and left.

Poor Father Mark, we watched as the halo was ripped from your head and replaced with obsidian horns. Poor Father Mark, we watched as the crucifix burnt your hands, making the skin red and raw and you chose to lift the staff instead. Poor Father Mark, we watched that unscathed back fester and sore as raven wings burst from your shoulders and flew you away from salvation. Poor Father Mark, we watched the beast’s tail extend from your spine. Poor Father Mark, we watched as you fell.

Oh but you realize it don’t you? You were never one of us, Mark. You were never meant to be among angels. The sharp teeth that break through flesh were yours all along. The darkness followed you like a plague. You were never meant to be good Mark. You couldn’t. No matter how hard you tried you were never good enough. You’re just the same as the rest, powerful and impure. You were too human. And now look at you! Your humanity has been stripped away, and the cold stare of an angel has left your eyes. Now your eyes burn in the inferno below the surface.

And what has become of the demon Mark? Oh Poor Father Mark is no longer a Father. He is hardly even a son. Mark is no more than a common succubus. I doubt he’d ever rank higher than a measly imp. Mark is no longer the angelic being of flesh, he never deserved that title. Mark’s halo was a fantasy that we allowed him to believe. Mark is a source of evil. The demon Mark only believes in evil. The demon Mark was beyond saving from the beginning. At the right hand of Lucifer himself he swears to bring an end to the Lord and his angels.

Oh it’s not true, that was never true. I am not “the demon” Mark. I am only Mark. Not “the succubus” not “the imp.” Just Mark. I am me, and that’s the only truth I need to live by ever since the fall. I feel no guilt for what I’ve done. I am not who I’ve become because a demon took me away. This is me because I saw the light. I am this way because I’ve seen the hypocrisy of those above. You wanted a demon and I delivered. But I am no servant, no right hand man, and never again will I be a slave. I am king. On Earth as it is in Hell, I wear the crown of wilted roses, proving that I reign over these wastelands. I make those who have caused hurt to others suffer. I am the force that will overthrow heaven. I am the truth, the light, and the king, no one will be spared. I will no longer be good.

The angels seethe at the sight of the king of hell. If you check the list of ranks, you’ll see his name violently torn, scratched at, and ripped. He did that himself, they only scratch to feel accomplished. The war had begun as soon as Satan himself had stood and bowed. Mark, king of hell, the source of all evil. Creator of ash and dust. The man is plagued by the death of a girl, her voice still ringing in his ears demanding to know the importance of her death, resulting in the overthrowing of demonicism. The world will never know perfection again so long as Mark is still out there.

And yet, something can be found in the eyes of the demon Mark. It’s not a vengeful look, nor a sinister glare. A look in Mark’s eyes that could never be found in the eyes of angels.

Compassion.

[slimelover165]

The goddess Sekhmet, "Lady of Terror", "Mistress of Dread". Whatever she goes by, she is one of the most feared yet powerful gods in the Egyptian pantheon. Eye of ra and embodiment of rage Sekhmet is the goddess of war, fire, womanhood, healing, and vengeance. Crimson is also her avatar. I’m not entirely happy with her design so she may eventually get a redesign but she is done for now. I hope you all like her. Read her story below

🤍🌙Praise Khonshu and safe travels🌙🤍

 

✰

 

✰

The Tale of Sekhmet

In the ancient days, when the sun god Ra ruled over all creation, there came a time when humanity began to rebel against the divine order. They spoke in whispers of defiance, plotting against Ra, who had given them life. Angered by their betrayal, Ra called upon his daughter, Sekhmet, to punish the wickedness of mankind. 

Sekhmet, the powerful lioness goddess of war and destruction, sprang forth from Ra’s fiery eye. Her heart burned with the wrath of the gods, and her roar shook the earth as she descended upon humanity. With each step, the ground trembled beneath her, and with each swipe of her claws, she tore through villages, leaving nothing but blood and ashes in her wake.

As Sekhmet’s fury grew, so did the devastation. The rivers ran red with blood, and the cries of the dying filled the air. Sekhmet reveled in the destruction, her thirst for blood insatiable. Day after day, she roamed the earth, slaughtering all in her path. The gods looked on with fear, for it seemed that not even Ra could stop her.

Ra, seeing the destruction she had wrought, began to worry. He loved his creation, and he did not wish to see it utterly destroyed. But he knew that Sekhmet, once unleashed, could not be easily restrained. Yet, he could not abandon humanity to its fate. And so, he devised a plan—a plan to calm Sekhmet's rage and save what remained of mankind.

Ra commanded his priests to brew a vast quantity of beer, enough to fill seven thousand jars. He then ordered that the beer be mixed with red ochre to resemble the blood that Sekhmet so eagerly sought. The priests spread this mixture across the fields, letting it glisten in the light of the sun.

When Sekhmet came upon the fields and saw what appeared to be blood, she was overcome with desire. She drank deeply from the pools, her thirst for blood driving her to consume every drop. But as she drank, the beer's intoxicating effects began to take hold. Her rage started to subside, and her bloodlust waned. She drank and drank until she could drink no more, and then, swaying on her feet, she fell into a deep, enchanted sleep.

As Sekhmet slept, something extraordinary happened. Her rage, which had fueled her destruction, began to transform. The fury that had once consumed her split and softened, giving birth to new aspects of her divine being.

From the quieting storm within her, two new goddesses emerged, like daughters born from her own essence.

The first was Bastet, who took the form of a sleek and graceful cat. Bastet embodied the gentler side of Sekhmet’s power, representing protection, home, and fertility. The second was Hathor, who radiated joy, beauty, and love. Hathor emerged as a goddess of celebration and motherhood, embodying the warmth and joy that had once been hidden beneath Sekhmet’s rage.

When Sekhmet awoke, she found that her rage had dissipated, transformed into these two new goddesses. She herself remained powerful, but now her wrath was tempered by the gentle influence of Bastet and the joyful presence of Hathor. These two goddesses, born from her own spirit, became protectors in their own right, each carrying forward a piece of Sekhmet's original power, but in new, benevolent forms.

Ra, seeing the transformation, welcomed the birth of Bastet and Hathor with joy. He praised Sekhmet for her might and honored Bastet and Hathor for their roles in restoring balance to the world. Humanity, too, was grateful, for they had been spared by the intervention of these new goddesses.

From that day forward, Sekhmet, Bastet, and Hathor were revered across Egypt. Each goddess, though distinct, was understood to be part of a divine whole—an embodiment of the powerful forces that shape the world, capable of both destruction and creation, wrath and mercy, fury and love.

[scotianostra]

September 28th 1396 saw the "Battle of the Clans" between clans Chattan and Kay on the North Inch, Perth, in front of King Robert III.

Also called the Battle of the North Inch, this is one of my favourite stories, this was more of a "gladiatorial" contest than a battle. They even built some sort of makeshift grandstand for the King to witness it from!

The clans in the highlands of Scotland were an unruly lot. They were constantly feuding with their neighbours and regularly raiding into the low fertile lands of Moray, Perthshire, Angus, Aberdeenshire, and Stirlingshire. The king’s laws meant very little to this warlike, tribal society. In 1396, things were so bad between Clan Chattan and Clan Kay, who were forever raiding each other’s lands, stealing livestock, and burning down houses, that King Robert III sent an army north to deal with the problem. The commander of this army knew it was likely that when he marched into the mountains, his forces were in danger of being ambushed by the men of Chattan or Kay – or perhaps both clans would unite. The outcome could be the massacre of the royal army.

So, he came up with a plan and sent messengers to speak to the two warring clans with a proposal. This was a chance to sort out the problem in one day, sparing countless lives. The commander of the king’s army suggested that the two clans each send thirty men to Perth for a fight to the death on the city’s North Inch. The clan chiefs agreed and when the king heard of this plan, he was so delighted, he decided he and his court would come to Perth to watch the spectacle.

A large brightly coloured pavilion was put up for the royal party and benches were laid out for the people of Perth to sit on. The crowd waited expectedly in the warm summer sun as the skirl of the bagpipes drew closer and closer. Then dozens of warriors took up position on the inch in front of the king’s pavilion.

As the two clans lined up, a referee counted the men on both sides, but a problem was found. Although Clan Kay had thirty men, Clan Chattan had only twenty-nine. They must have miscounted before they left or lost a man on the way to Perth. Royal heralds walked amongst the crowd holding up a gold coin for anyone who would take up arms and fight for Clan Chattan. The city population murmured amongst themselves and fidgeted as the king, looking on like a Roman Caesar in the Colosseum, waited patiently. Just as it seemed no one would take up the offer of gold and Clan Chattan would have to forfeit the contest, a voice boomed from the benches: “I Sir Herald will take that coin and fight for Clan Chattan!”

The voice belonged to the city blacksmith, a giant of a man, strong and powerful. His name was Henry, better known as Hal o’ the Wynd. Hal was given a sword and took up his place amongst the Chattan clansmen.

The king gave the signal to start and arrows were fired between the two sides. Then the men, screaming their clan slogans in Gaelic, charged into the affray. The sunlight danced on sword and axe blades as they cut through the air, slicing into flesh and bone. The green grass became crimson red and sticky from the flow of blood as the screams of the wounded echoed around the inch. The referee called a halt to the battle and the two sides parted. Sweating, panting men, soaked in blood, gulped at the water given to them and used it to wash blood from slippery hands. They likely used their few minutes of rest to glance around, looking for friends or kinsmen, counting how many were still alive compared to the enemy. Wounds were quickly patched up with strips of torn cloth before the signal to fight came again.

The Chattan’s and Kay’s got stuck into each other once more. As the two sides slogged it out, it became clear that Clan Chattan were gaining the upper hand and in the end, all but one of Clan Kay perished. The sole surviving Kay jumped into the River Tay and swam to safety. Hal o’ the Wynd was said to have fought bravely. He was permitted to keep the gold coin and earned his place in Scottish history.

Please note some accounts say the Battle of the Clans was fought between Clan Chattan and Clan Cameron, but most say Chattan and Cameron.

[arcturusnebula]

tag people you’d like to get to know better

I went to four different shops today to find fabric so I'm dead and late to this oh jesus. thank you @tortoisebore my love I love rambling on these 🫶🫶🫶

three ships: wolfstar dorlene and I'm growing a lot of love towards jegulily these last days

first ship: fictionally I think it was drarry??? it was probably another one because I remember reading an abusive amount of fiction about it

last song: night shift by lucy dacus (I'm never beating the traumatized queer allegations

last movie: top gun maverick with my mother and my brother. we're planning on watching the whole indiana jones sequel this week

currently reading: I'm trying to bring myself to finish the lord of the rings so I can buy the hunger games' limited edition because its cute 😭 but fictionally I'm rereading hey sharpshooter by the one and only tortoise. currently waiting for the next marginalia update by spindrifters and finishing crimson rivers by bizarrestars. I'm also doing my best to comment on every chapter of my favorite works so if you see me there no you didn't 🫶

currently watching: I'm not currently watching nothing actually!!! I've been in a drought but I'll sure start tlou soon!!

last thing i wrote: "She didn't blink when she said it, and she didn't refuse to look him in the eye when she uttered it. His mother's anger was his to bear, now. He could feel it taking roots. Years ago, Sirius had wondered if the child's unhappiness was the mother's triumph, his wrist marked with her fingers. The years have passed and the marks have faded. He still didn't have an answer."

currently writing: divorced jeggy on my post apocalyptic wip while regulus tries to live with his own grief. He's self destructive and pathetic. I love him. Also writing the first work I'll ever post on AO3 with ballerina Sirius. I'm editing some parts while trying not to project on him. It's been harddd

I honestly don't know which one of my mutuals have been tagged in this but tagging @saintlupin nonetheless

[cressthebest]

Crimson Rivers thoughts pt. 44

chapter 67:

1. jfc remus (how is he that strong)

2. god, can’t our side have one fucking win? all these people captured. including my remus

3. “"She started the war for me, and she'll end it for me, too."” GOD i love lesbians

4. NO NO NOOOO NO NO NOOOOOO NOOOOO NOOOO MARLENE STOP NOOOOO!!! SHE WANTS TO PROPOSE TO DORCAS AFTER THE WAR!!!! SHES GONNA DIE I CANT HANDLE THIS

5. 😦

6. marlene?? i-

7. i’m still in shock

8. okay i have my bearings. this is why the post is two days after the last one lol. anyways, i’m actually pissed that she didn’t get to die a big dramatic or memorable death. she didn’t do anything. it was just a landmine. and she’s dead. and i get it, i really do. war isn’t always big heroic deaths. it’s also this. where one moment, you’re planning to propose to your partner and laughing with your freind, and half a second later, you’re blown to bits. but genuinely, her death fucked me up. i knew it was coming, but not like this. holy shit, not like this

anyways, the first thing i did after i read that bit was text my freind. and first thing they did was call me. i sent in bold “IM CRYING” and i get back “why” “MARLENE” bro immediate call. not well. not well at all

9. i continued and read the rest of her death. and her last words being dorcas will forever fuck me up

10. PANDORA????? PANDORA????

12. anyways all i did was call back the freind and say “PANDORA” and that bitch laughed at me. (love them to death) told them to go suck a lemon (they’d never heard that phrase before) and then they made me hang up to finish reading

my poor roommate has heard me call this freind twice (it’s ten o’clock at night)

13. “Horace would need more than just two hands, many more, to count the amount of people who would have gladly put their guns down for Pandora alone.” yeah, me for one

14. FLEAMONT NOOOOO

15. james will be devestated beyond belief

16. remus? huh??? he was shot in the head. but. he had a pov. i’m not sure now

17. …dorcas? i was so sure she had a pov

no wait she has a pocket. just checked

18. regulus???

19. um actually albus can fucking keel over. wont save all those other people in the lineup, then hears his brothers name and is willing to sacrifice the war for him. i get it, but alberforth knew this would happen to him

20. huh, damn. and alberforth still gets shot

21. 🚨🚨🚨pandora is safe. holy shit pandora is safe. i repeat pandora is safe 🚨🚨🚨

22. and fleamont and suddenly that all made sense

23. “”You forgot to count your bullets."” do i hate snape? yeah. but that’s fucking iconic

24. “Riddle lost the moment those doors burst open and two of Euphemia's someday son-in-laws moved into the room with Dorcas Meadowes one step ahead of them.” lmao freaking iconic. more historically important than trump getting shot

25. effie stopping to mourn barty gave me chills

26. NO FLEAMONT!!!! i’m getting fucking whiplash from this

27. effie having such a short pov but still so much emotion and character is shown in her love for fleamont

28. yall remus, regulus, and dorcas are fucking insane.

and i’m so here for it

29. “For all those years Sirius was taken away from him, Regulus breaks Riddle's fingers. Ten years, ten fingers.

For what Riddle took from James, Regulus takes his eyes. This is a difficult task. Regulus has never removed someone's eyes before. It's messy, and it takes the combined efforts of Remus and Dorcas to keep Riddle from flopping right out of his chair.”

mom pick me up i’m scared

30. “There are no good people in war, and now Dorcas thinks there are no good people out of it—certainly not her, because she would gladly go back into it just to have Marlene again.”

going feral over this actually. i’m unwell. i’m so freaking feral over this omg

31. reading authors notes and finding out that monty was author’s prim is actually making me go fucking insane

32. 😀 hi i’m unwell

(anyways side note, uhhh chapter was fucking insane but also like if y’all are reading this fic or this post, just know that there is no anger or resentment towards the author. he wrote this for himself and shared it with us. it’s a masterpiece and we RESPECT people. so yeah, this is the story he wanted to tell, so he wrote it for himself. just ya know, so yall remember)

[also don’t sell fics 😊 i will hunt you down]

[zanyana626]

Thoughts on Helluva Boss Oops episode! 😈🤡

Everything’s tagged as #hb spoilers until tomorrow for those who haven't seen it yet!

Not a cuckoo c**k for a clock!

Wakey-wakey Ozzie (not a morning person apparently)! *airhorns*

"Burger time! Burger time! Burger Time!" Ok, Fizz is starting to become my new favorite character! Also, why he pronouncing vibrators like that???

Greed Ring having a city named Ransom? Yep, that sounds about right for the ring.

I FUCKING KNEW HE CALLS HIM BIG DADDY!!! AND "Fizzie-frog"?!?!?! Too cute, <3.

And look at them big ol' eyes, I definitely couldn't say no to that face:

"We're so NOT in love!" "Yeah! Love. Is. STUPID!!!" Denial's not just a river in Egypt, you two!!!

"I'll be SUPER low-key!" ... Riiiiight.

The Queives (plural for Queefs, according to the subtitles). And the little disabled one??? VIV, WE WANT NAMES FOR THE LIL GUYS ASAP!!!

Enter Blitzø, who's complaining about some shitty coffee place!

"Well, at least I'm still actually working for my shit & not getting everything handed to me like some pampered attention wh**e!" VS "Plus, my horns were always bigger than yours... weren't they?"

Crimson & Striker teamup! Guess Blitzø & Fizz are gonna have to put their beef aside and work together to get away from them!

Ozzie & the Dildo Factory

So asking for an asmodean crystal was real! Poor Stolas being conflicted about how he feels towards Blitzy.

And Ozzie respecting people's hookup intentions and having the idea of lust as a consensual thing? Glad to know he's not like Valentino, who as far as we know, monetizes sex & treats his workers like shit/his property.

"My partner-um BUSINESS partner" Yep, keep telling yourself that Ozzie, at least you and Stolas are in the same boat for that!

Jeez Crim, what's your problem with Ozzie???

More Blitzø VS Fizz drama

Also Blitzø, Stolas does seem to care, he just has a tough time trying to say it to your face and plus, you're no better by bottling up your true feelings for him & then push him away like whatever!

Fizz, I love you now, but also envy you for having Striker grab you by the neck like that!

"I SAID WATCH 'EM, NOT F**K 'EM!!!" Typical Crimson

Damn, Ozzie could've signed over Fizz's head to be one of Crimson's wall trophies if Stolas wasn't there to help him out!

Nope nevermind, that wasn't the real contract! Also, why does Crimson want more dildos after failing to convice Moxxie that they're around the house for "his liking"??? I'm guessing he's trying to recuperate the funds he lost after Millie murdered all his goons & trashed his place!

Happy owl noises:  "I love words!" He's such a dork, I'm living for it! <3

Blitzø always having something up his sleeves when it comes to escape plans!

FINALLY, FLASHBACK/ANSWERS ON THEIR FALLING OUT!!! No wonder why Fizz & Barbie hate Blitzø's guts & Blitzø acts the way he does.

He's very much aware that he screwed up big time even if it was an accident and never meant to almost kill his bestie, traumatize his sister, & HIS MOM!!!

I'm guessing Cash was the one who tried splitting them up. He went as far as to give Fizz a birthday card that literally says "I wish you were my son"!!!

"WE'RE TRYING TO HAVE A F**KING EMOTIONAL MOMENT HERE!"

Using Blitzø as a human/imp? shield does kinda serve him right in a way

"Kaiju C**k". Yep Fizz, we're very much aware that Ozzie's a big boy

"Look At This" has been stuck in my head since listening it for the first time. Perfect distraction musical that makes no sense other than just being a distraction musical!

"So, f**king, BYE BYE!!!" 🎶

Damn, cowboy daddy's starting to go insane in the brain! He's most likely gonna have burned scars now the next time (yep, he got away again) we see him!

You can take Blitzø out of the circus, but you can't take the circus out of Blitzø!

THE BOIS HUGGED IT OUT!!!! Hope this means they're on more neutral terms now! I get that it might take Fizz a while to fully forgive & start over with Blitzø now that they're aware of the whole misunderstanding on both their ends, but still, it's a start!!!

"Woooould it f**k up the moment if we made out now?" Blitzø please, we're aware you had a (love) note for Fizz before the incident, but he's clearly happily taken by one of the 7 sins!

Fizzmodeus/Fizzarozzie reunited & it feels so good! <3

At least they're trying to be more open about their relationship, even if it's limited to their coworkers/entourage at the moment!

Welp, looks like Stolas is getting that crystal after all!

I'd say this is the best episode so far out of Season 2, Fizz & Ozzie were totally worth the wait and have now become part of my top 5 characters of the show!!!

[wistfulenchantress]

it looks like you're going to sleep-no pressure to answer this anytime soon!

soo.. i've seen marauders stuff floating around for a long time and i've got quite a few friends who love it (both irl and online). i'd love to start getting into the fandom, i absolutely love all the fanwork i've seen! the characters (that i know, at least) are amazing and i'm obsessed with some of the ships i've seen. the issue is that i don't really know where to start. i've heard of all the young dudes (that's the name, right?), but ik that there's a TON of material out there and that it's not based off any one or two specific works.

ik you know a lot about this fandom and i was wondering if you had any recommendations about where to start? no pressure if not, thanks!

hi!

omg i’m honored.

ok, so there is all the young dudes, which is the giant >500k work that i haven’t even finished.

there are a couple REALLY long tragedy jegulus fics out there hat i’m not planning on reading. (Crimson Rivers and Art Heist, Baby!)

i know that @ my-castles-crumbling has a page on their intro post with some other links as well.

@ gardenofrunar has a lot of short fics that are really good, and you can also check out the @wolfstarmicrofic and @jegulus-microfic pages if you want shorter ones.

you can also, and this is what i did, just start dipping your toes in online interactions. that’s what i did, i joined the online fandom without reading any fanfiction (not even atyd for a couple months), and if you just slowly immerse yourself in people’s head canons and jokes, you can easily get a sense of how the fandom has developed the characters.

welcome to the fandom! i know this is long and idk if it was helpful, but feel free to ask me any more questions, and i now there are plenty more people who would also be happy to help!

(anyone else who sees this and has advice, please, share)

[minthe-lover]

Plants a Connection

After Minthe was turned back into a plant you formed a close connection to her. A curtain pink Goddess got annoyed and jealous at it. So this fic was planning on having like.. five more parts but I spent way to long just getting through the first two.

It was a long three years, there was constant working and while Persephone was doing her best to fill Demeters shoes there was definitely a difference. The days started to drag on, you tried to distract yourself with hobbies and work but you couldn't help but long for something new.

There is only so much distract you could get from exploring the nearby forests, swimming, and playing games with the other nymphs. Plus the small library that had stopped getting any new books three years ago, only lasted two years before you were rereading things.

Not to mention most of them where Persephones old textbooks, and a eight hundred pages about plant growth couldn't save you from boredom. Days began to get repetitive, before the punishment you would have been joining Demeter on her travels. Making sure to take notes of whatever was important and getting to enjoy technology the other realms had to offer.

During the punishment, besides the normal duties of helping in the fields you were also tasked with following Persephone and writing down any important information, record keeping was boring but easy. That also lead to hear many many of Persephone daydreams and reminiscing on her time with hades. At first you didn't mind accepting they were simply the lovesick rambling of a first crush in a stressful situation.

After awhile they began to annoy and even worry you, hearing about their first meeting or even first kiss and how strong the feelings where even after years. It brought up a protective concern for someone you consider similar to a sister, though you kept your feelings to yourself.

When any of the nymphs brought up even the slightly bit of worry or question about the relationship, Persephone quickly dismissed or even for what she considered particular bad remarks lead to arguing. You wished to avoid such confrontation, and simply hoping Persephone didn't end up getting hurt.

It was a routine you got into and slugged through in hopes for the future to return to normal, you did see persephones abilities getting more controlled. Though it truly came to show when she turned the mint plan back into a nymph it originally was.

You where told what had happen to minthe, you did join with Persephone in her anger towards her at first. Hearing of how she harmed people close to you, but then came a creeping sympathy and sadness. Yes you missed your loss friends but you saw the destruction Persephone had caused.

Not to mention the lonely nymph that was trapped in a simple potted plant. You found yourself visiting her often, sharing a few kind words in hope she could hear you and get comfort from them.

Today was another attempt like the others to turn minthe back, Persephone straining and focus. Then something different, a few seconds of complete stillness. The wind in the air no longer moving the leaves before they began to merge together and grow.

It was the first time you saw a underwold river nymph so close. Her deep red crimson skin stood up a great deal against the soft green of the grass, though you couldn't get a word in before a small argument between minthe and Persephone broke out and she rushed off into the bush.

Persephone was stopped from running after minthe, but she sighed and started to complain about minthe. "I get she angry but I got to much stuff to deal with right now! Why does she have to be so difficult!!"

You were staring at the forest line where minthe disappeared, you felt bad for her. The confusion and anger she felt must be difficult and you wished you could help, instead you turned to Persephone attempting to calm her frustrations. "Perse... Please, she confused and frustrated as well... She isn't purposefully being difficult.. she's just trying to make sure that she's okay after something traumatic"

Persephone just groaned annoyed "come on! She just selfish and doesn't care about anyone besides herself and has always been difficult! I told you what she did to hades!"

You gave Persephone a small look, knowing you couldn't convince her otherwise so just nodded along as she complained. Once she cooled off she gave instructions to the nymphs to bring minthe to her once they found her.

It was a few hour later when they did, and what you saw broke your heart. Minthe yelling out in shock when she learned of the punishment and that after she was freed from one prison she was trapped in yet another. You saw the few stray tears in her eyes as she stumbled a bit away from Persephone.

Then the anger came, Persephone was laughing. Not loudly or boastfully but a small under the breath chuckle as minthe shakes in shock at the fact she can never return home. Something in you snapped and you glared at Persephone quickly walking past her and to minthe.

You spoke calmly attempting to calm her "minthe... I know this is alot... I understand it will take awhile to fully comprehend what's going on, but I'm here to answer any questions you have..." You paused looking over at a confused Persephone with a small glare. "Without any judgment, of course."

You say that Persephone was gonna attempt to rebuttal that but was cut of by minthe "What could you possible understand you lit-" you saw her bite her tongue and take a moment to stare at you before pausing. "..... I know your voice" she whispered under her breath.

In was a second later you where being dragged away Persephone yelling at minthe in the background. "You gonna tell me what I need to know and then you can go back to that screaming pink puff." Minthe again retreated into the bush with you close behind and once you both were hidden from Persephone she stopped turning to you.

"... Is what shes is saying right? Are we really trapped in this shitty place!" You nodded sadly and minthe stumbled again sitting on the ground and swearing under her breath. You frown and sat next to her, taking a moment to pick your works to attempt to comfort her.

"... It's... Terrible... And a lonely experience... But I'll make sure you have everything you need... The punishment could technically end any year now... Though... I know none of that is going to make you feel much better... And while there isn't alot of private placed here, I know one where you can go to be alone for a bit..."

Minthe paused before taking a Shaky breath. "... I... I don't remember much of being a plant, It was all muddled and it was like being trapped in dream but every so often I heard things, most of them weren't the nicest but.. I heard your voice the most often and it was always.... nicer.."

It was clear that it was minthe's way of thanking you without actually saying it. Minthe looked away before getting up "Well.... guess I'll go back and deal with that dumb puffball of a god... I'm guess you don't got any alcohol I could have to make it a bit easier."

You laugh a bit with minthe before leading her back. It was a rocky start with minthe, Persephone was always snappy at minthe and Minthe wasn't that great either. Though she grew into her role as a teacher, branching out from teaching the children to the older nymphs. Helping them learn skills more fitting to a life in the city for whenever the borders may open.

Despite being busy with Persephone you were always trying to find an hour or two when you could to sit in are her classes. She was a great teacher, explaining things in a clear way that wasn't boring or stiff. It was clear that the nymphs began to warm up to her, after knowing her many began to warm up.

Though Persephone and later Daphne still held a grudge, often talking about her in a negative way. Still strong and clear of their hatred of her. You very much had a growing interest in her, she was beautiful and alluring. She made you laugh and the time spent with her was fun.

It was a day during one of her classes, you sat near the back listening in. Having arrived closer to the end you missed most of the context for the lesson but you enjoyed listen none the less. Afterwards you stay in the back as a few of the nymphs chatted, simply enjoying the cooling air of the late afternoon the sun soon going to begin setting.

It wasn't long till most of the nymphs left and minthe joined you in the back letting out a tired sign. "By the gods I don't think I'll ever be used to so many nymphs looking up to me... Guess I really got them fooled" She laughs softly and you shook your head with a smile.

"oh please you know your great at it and You love to find different ways to boss people around~" You and minthe shared a laugh before leading into a comfortable silence. Minthe paused staring at the forest line before speaking up "hey... do you wanna steal some wine and fine a pretty spot to...."

Minthe trailed of clearly gather some strength to continue. "I want to invite you on a date.. I thought that getting drunk while watching a sunset would be a fun idea.... I can tell your desperate for some time away from persephone..."

You could help but smile brightly "Yes!... Yes I'd love to go on a date.. you go find a nice spot.. and I'll get the alcohol. I know where Demeter kept the good stuff, and it should still be there" you winked at her.

She followed with a small laugh "good to know I should go to you if I want to get wasted.. I'll see you back here in tenish minutes?" you agreed and both went separate paths.

You quickly rushed to the Demeters hidden pantry, you knew she that Demeter wouldn't have much use for them and wouldn't notice a single missing one whenever she does return. You started back out to find minthe before passing by a familiar pink face. Persephone gave you a smile "There you are! what are you doing.... where are you bringing that?"

You couldn't stop the large goofy smile that formed on your face, extremely happy to be sharing the news. "I'm going on a date with.." you paused knowing Persephone feeling towards minthe but you were to happy to care. "Minthe... minthe asked me out on a date! and I'm so happy and excited"

Persephone shared your excited smile at first, but it quickly fell at the mention of who "... minthe.. why would you got on a date with her.. she's terrible! She will ruin your life! she was a terrible girlfriend to hades! don't do this you'll regret it..."

Your smily fell quickly after as well. "Perse... Your acting like acting like we just got engaged.. it's a first date, we're gonna drink and talk. Plus it's been almost four years since minthe has been in a relationship, she been doing better and alot of the nymphs trust her.. and I do as well"

Persephone mood seemed to have soured even more "Don't act like you know more then me about her! I've told her all the shitty things she's done and why are in love with her."

You couldn't help but laugh "Persephone... You knew her for less then a month three years ago.. I've been friends with her for multiple months and again I'm not In love with her... it's a first date!"

Persephone eyes glowed a bit red letting out an annoying sigh "Fine! go have a romantic night with the nymph that messed over my life! Go have a fun time when I'm stuck away from the love of my life because of that nymph you 'trust'"

"Perse! you knew him for a month and you never even went on a date yet! and you haven't even him in over three years... how could you possibly call him the love of your life!... because he gave you some gifts.. and was passively nice to you? Perse.. I'm saying this because I care about you... is that really what you want your love to be based on"

The goddess glared at you "What, How dare you say that! hades is the love of my life and minthe is just a little weasel who got in the way and completely ruin it! Why does she get to have a fun time while I'm stuck flirting with a tree!"

You just signed softly, no longer in the mood to argue "Persephone.. that happened three years ago, your reaction was to turn her into a fucking plant.. and you haven't honestly apologized for it... and guess what.. just cause you can't so something doesn't mean other people also can't. So I'm going on a date with Minthe and you're just going to have to deal with that fact.. and if you care about me in the slightest you'll support my decisions."

You quickly walked away for Persephone could add anything else, you just wanted to have a enjoyable night with Minthe. You met up with her, she was sitting around looking bored. "Minthe! there you are.. sorry I was a bit late.. lets get this started"

"nah it's alright, I found a pretty great spot.. though I'm guessing you already know about it." She held her hand out which you took, being careful to not drop the wine as she lead you to the bush and to a clearing. The sun was just beginning to set through the trees leading to a beautiful thing to look over.

You both sat down next to each other pouring each other a glass of wine and sharing them. You relaxed quite quickly around Minthe, joking around, making fun of a few of Persephone outfits, and just generally having fun.

"I was completely sure that her boobs where going to pop out, she must be using magic to keep them in.. cause she turned around to fast one and it 100% should've pop out but then it didn't somehow!" Minthe explained laughing loudly, and you followed in the laughing.

Minthe let out a happy sigh as a comfortable silence started taking a few sips from her glass. The sun has set and you where both staring up at the beautiful stars. She pauses looking at them to look towards you "... You know.. for the longest time I though that I was.. unloveable and didn't deserve any kind relationships.. my last one was... questionable in many ways... so thanks.. Even if this doesn't turn out into anything I'm just glad to be able to have these moments"

You smiles gently, moving to wrap and arm around her shoulders sitting a bit closer. "Same feelings here... I really enjoyed this.." you paused face heating up slightly "is there anything you want to make it more memorable.." you asked with a small whisper.

Minthe smirked, moving to give you a small kiss. "For now.. I think this is perfect..." She happy cuddling against you, simply relaxing and allowing herself to enjoy the time with you.

[daffodilsonaprettystring]

I am working on one of the biggest damn drawings I’ve ever done and it’s KILLING ME but I’m also loving it and here is the first finished part: Lily Evans from Crimson Rivers by @mayzarbewithyou!!

The final piece will have Lily, Remus, Sirius, James, and Regulus, all in what I kind of picture them wearing in the most recent war chapters. IM SO EXCITED TO FINISH IT BUT IT ALSO MAKES ME SO TIRED THINKING ABOUT IT BECAUSE IVE ALREADY PUT 11 HOURS OF MY LIFE INTO THIS HUGE DRAWING AND IM KINDA TIRED 🫠🫠🫠

Oh and don’t even get me started on all the little details I have planned/ put in already… I’m gonna make a whole post about it when I’m done lmao because there is sooooo much and I’m super excited to finish it all