#as per usual I'll give some of the lore here

[lizarr7]

The final batch: Ozlem. Salem absolutely slaughtered me with those antlers. Queen of Extra.

[y-rhywbeth2]

Lore: Dating, Marriage, Sex, etc

Part 1/2

Link: Disclaimer regarding D&D "canon" & Index [tldr: D&D lore is a giant conflicting mess. Larian's lore is also a conflicting mess. There's a lot of lore; I don't know everything. You learn to take what you want and leave the rest, etc etc etc]

DnD isn't exactly a dating sim, so most of this lore comes from mining Ed Greenwood's answers to questions, but since his answers are apparently canon unless and until contradicted in published realmslore, here you go.

It's mostly in regards to human culture (and the Heartlands, Waterdeep etc at that) but I'll throw in some demihuman stuff here and there.

So sexuality, and the norms and moral values Torilians build around it: More tolerant and kinkier than Earth, for the most part, and still not a perfect bed of roses. (You won’t face legal oppression; you can get called slurs.)

Attitudes in the Realms

Dating

Sex (and a bit about contraception and conception)

Sexual Orientation

Polyamory

Cut for space and expected in the follow up: marriage, sex work, religion, and the absolutely deranged shit going on in some noble families.

-

Attitudes about relationships in the Realms

The long and short of it is that the root of Toril’s mainstream attitude towards sex and relationships draws from the sexual revolution of the ‘60s and ‘70s.

Cultural variations on and subversions of these norms occur, but the rule of thumb, especially as it applies to the video games is as follows:

Sex is not a terribly big deal nor innately taboo; pseudo-puritan attitudes are solely the province of some old high priests on a few religions in a minority of a minority. Virginity and the loss thereof is meaningless unless you're nobility.

Pretty much anything is legal so long as all parties involved are capable of giving and gave consent on most of the planet (though legal isn’t the same as ‘approved of’).

Of course TSR, and later WotC, fell very much on the side of ‘we can’t publish that!’ So it got massively obscured. It only really came through now and again, usually in sly little hints that could get past the radar/editors, becoming more obvious with 4e and 5e (Although Sune and Sharess were flat out stated even back in 2e to ignore gender when they’re in the mood to seduce mortals, and we'd already had Mystra saying that gender is basically just a costume for gods (which Mask illustrates.))

The Realms itself still has bigotry to go around, of course, but generally it's the clergy of a select few gods and the nobles who'll make a fuss about such things, and the latter only in regards to their own social circles and inheritance shenanigans. A traveling merchant who encounters a culture that practices forms of relationships he personally disproves of was probably raised to be polite and keep the slurs unsaid; diversity encourages trade, offending your neighbours does not.

What is and isn’t morally acceptable to an individual is determined by church doctrine and dogma (which determines many of life’s aspects, including love and sex and what's good or bad (chastity vs promiscuity, monogamy vs polygamy, whether procreation is mandated or not or even a sin, if loving people instead of despising them is a sin or not, and what acts are taboo))... and all that as interpreted by the local priests, who may not agree with their fellows’ interpretations. Some gods declare chastity a sin and want you to engage in as many romantic and/or sexual relationships with as many different people in as many different ways as humanly possible. Loviatar mandates BDSM and Ilmater doesn't frown on it either.

Most deities probably aren't going to discriminate. Gods see the universe in terms of their portfolio: what aids it is good what opposes it is bad. Most portfolios aren't terribly impacted by mortal love lives and hormones so I suspect the vast majority of gods could not care less, and, as per Faiths and Avatars, the gods 'generally try to be as liberal as possible to try and attract as much worship as they can.'

With Toril being polytheistic all of these gods are due respect and conflicting dogmas are just a fact of life. Several times a day a person is likely to be confronted with a choice – usually a minor one – where one action will serve some gods and be a sin in the eyes of others, and the rule of thumb is that everybody accepts you can’t please all of them all the time. You live according to the gods you favour above all others and respect the faiths of those you don’t: you expect that people will mind their own business and do them the same courtesy.

In the majority of the realms, including the cities and realms of the Heartlands, Silverymoon, Waterdeep and etc, at least, people are open minded and tolerant. A rule of thumb is that cities are more liberal and rural areas more conservative, but even then their norms and values don’t necessarily match the modern earth norms that might spring to mind; the nuclear family unit is not necessarily seen as default and polyamory is very common in some villages.

Largely, there’s not a whole lot of emphasis put on identifying your sexuality or making it a big part of who you are: most Torilians wouldn’t understand the point of drawing attention to sexuality outside of occasions where it’s actually relevant. If you were visiting Baldur's Gate and pointed out two men getting married at the temple of Tymora the people around you would be utterly confused about why you felt the need to single out the gender of the couple.

‘Individuals may find [queer relationships] too much for themselves to handle, but the laws and general attitudes of society don’t frown on it.’

You may have to ‘pick your neighbours and friends’ to live comfortably, but that’s significantly easier to do on Toril than Earth especially because you should have no reason to worry about persecution or discrimination under the law for deviating from whatever moral code a particular priest might be espousing.

Bastard children and wedlock don't cause a fuss so long as you're not a highborn (or found to have cheated on your partner, one assumes).

Contraception is widely available and family planning is emphasised; you are firmly encouraged to use it in a dangerous world where famines and disasters mundane and supernatural mean babies at the wrong times can lessen the chances of survival (for you and them).

-

Dating

Somebody who catches your eye is 'glim,' as in 'oh no he's hot' or 'she's well fit' or whatever. A Torilian who's very attractive is 'right glim.' As in they're 'glimmering.'

A term for a pair of lovers is 'brightbirds.'

Your 'fancyman,' 'fancylad,' or 'fancylass' is what your disapproving relatives will call your lover that you insist on seeing for reasons that escape them.

Waterdhavians call the target of their affections their 'rose,' which may get confusing as in other dialects a 'rose' is the slang term for a submissive woman in a Dom/sub relationship.

Red and black are considered the erotic/'sexy' colours. Garments featuring black lace and leather in particular.

Many priests, curiously, seem to find potential partners more attractive if they get a tattoo of their deity's holy symbol.

You can advertise your interest by wearing an artificial rose pinned to one shoulder: red signals that you're looking for a long-term romantic partner and black shows you're looking for sex. If the rose is made of steel then it indicates you're looking for a partner of the same gender. Wearing multiple roses indicates you're looking for multiple partners, but you might expect some raised eyebrows or comments if people think you're being overconfident. It's very rare to see women doing this looking for men, since it's thought of as a 'man thing' (wlw doing this to seek each other out apparently don't count to said men).

Sunites, as devotees of the goddess of love and beauty, are available for matchmaking services, advice and make overs.

Dancing - especially erotic dancing - is a large part of courtship trends across the cultural board. Which might tie in to the fact that all the goddesses of lust and love - Sharess/Zandilar, Sharindlar, Sune, Sheela Peryroyl, and to a certain extent, Lliira - are dancers or have dancing as a thing within their faith. Lliiran clergy give dancing lessons, and Sharessans and Sunites probably don't mind teaching either.

The only description of what a one might wear if one is feminine and wants to dress up and look fancy in human culture - the equivalent of a 'little black dress' - is a simple black gown with a high collar and plunging neckline in the front (the latter of which is optional). It's matched with a sash and boots and some small jewellery. If you want to 'dress down' the gown is pinned open to expose either bare skin or the underlying chemise (if you're going for a 'classy' look it'll be lacy and white).

Dwarven courtship involves a slow exchange of crafts made by ones own hand (this can be tools or physical artwork or things like poems and songs, the point is to illustrate your skill and the care you put in). You send it to the dwarf you're interested in, and hopefully they respond in kind. You then spend years doing this and slowly getting to know each other, eventually moving in and seeing if you can settle into something that can last past the initial spark before tying the knot.

Elven courtship apparently involves poetry, songs, and yet more erotic dances.

Drow have courting games called 'spider hunts' usually played at festivals by young drow, which are basically hide-and-seek.

-

Sex (and a bit on procreation)

You can't just fuck somebody right in the market square, but borderline public sex hidden on a rooftop, or ducking into an empty alleyway is pretty common and tolerated behaviour. You are, however, encouraged to keep your shenanigans off the streets lest you 'scare the horses,' take yourselves home or to the nearest festhall/brothel, and keep your 'public displays' limited to appropriate festivals (Greengrass, for example, which is a fertility festival and usually involves dropping all inhibitions for the day).

Lingerie comes in black and red and lace clouts (underwear) and dethmas (bras) which can be readily bought in most cities. Lace-up boneless corsets and shapewear are available as unisex garments.

Sex toys named as existing include whips, dildos, clamps and 'tingling creams.'

I've heard something about halfling orgies, but have found no details beyond 'exotic food.'

And in the Realms you're more likely to say 'rutting' rather than 'fucking' when being vulgar/casual about sex. Unlike 'fuck' it doesn't seem to double as a curse.

If you're considering bedding a priests be warned that as gods are said to derive power from having their name said aloud priests tend to call their gods name in bed. Fervently. The enthusiasm and emotion behind it is supposed to have a positive effect.

Elven foreplay involves sensory deprivation and ear nibbling.

Contraception, as mentioned, is stressed upon. People are concerned about plagues, famines, monsters and other concerns that lead Faerûnians to place a lot of importance on family planning. Contraception is generally delivered via divine magic - a cleric or druid can render you temporarily barren/sterile, guarantee conception or freeze a pregnancy at its earliest and least detrimental stages to be resumed at a safe date. People can ensure that their children will be born in times when it's best for them to be born. Elves have apparently mastered birth control, and it's basically impossible to get a child from an elf when they don't want one.

You can also ask the gods nicely and if you make sufficient offerings the deity can also rearrange your organs a bit to change the way you procreate (or possibly allow you both methods). Generally people will ask the deity they have the most positive relationship with, but Sune and Lliira are the favoured choices in the pantheon. Of the gods not recommended are Bane, Shar, Malar (whose idea of the perfect transformation is lycanthropy) and Selûne (who gladly supports you, but she's considered too mercurial and everchanging. She's not one transition she's eternal, ever shifting transition beyond the human physical endurance or mental comprehension.)

Arcane magic can manage physical modification via transmutation and glamours, which people often play with either as part of exploring their gender identity or just for fun, but transmutation via divine magic is vastly superior at allowing you to be fertile after the change if that's a goal. Arcane magic struggles with that. Arcane magic that allows for surrogacy and sort of IVF apparently exists, having been invented by a pair of liches that wanted a child for whatever reason, but I don't know how commonplace that is.

-

Sexual Orientation

Most people freely experiment in their youth, working out their preferences. Heterosexuality is the default, with bisexuality making up a sizeable second place and other sexualities constituting a fairly sized but unremarkable minority.

Obviously, the Isle of Lesbos does not exist and so neither does the world ‘lesbian’; Toril doesn’t have Earth’s terminology, it has its own words. It should be noted that some can be used in a derogatory fashion, although, considering reality, they could very well be reclaimed or have been stolen terminology twisted into slurs. The given terms, in Common, are:

Thruss - Lesbian Liyan - Gay man (elvish slang loanword) Praed - Gay man (gnomish slang loanword) Tasmar - Bisexual (masc.) Shaeda - Bisexual (fem.) (elvish slang loanword) 'No-thorn' - Asexual

Butches (‘harnor’) and effeminate mlm (‘dathna’) are liable to get scorn for their gender presentation more or rather than their sexuality.

-

Polyamory

In some lands (unspecified which ones) it's unremarkable and even expected for a relationship to be open by default.

While obviously it's not socially acceptable to jump into anybody's bed with no consideration of your partner's feelings on the matter, it's not a foreign idea to see love and lust as separate concepts.

In rural areas one can find villages that definitely don't follow the nuclear family model with mixed families living under one roof, and symbolic polygamous marriages may factor into the traditions of some seasonal festivals.

[an-indecisive-nerd]

It looks like magic has won the poll by a landslide, so that'll be the first lore drop we're posting!

I'm going to be primarily focusing on humans and how they gain magic, though I will touch on the other species and how their inherent magic works. I'll also be discussing vessels and prime vessels briefly.

Alright so, all magic on my worlds come from the gods, one way or another. There are ways to try and gain magic without the help of the gods, but you have to search out of universe for that.

Here's the process for how you would go about getting magic:

First and foremost you have to go to the high priest(ess) of the god of power (also known as Darkness) and tell them you are prepared to go through the ritual to gain your powers, and you acknowledge and accept the risks and responsibilities of this.

The ritual begins at sunrise on the nearest day that'll have a new moon, unless it's a day of sacrifice.

At sunrise you go to the edge of the forest. There'll you'll meet the followers of the god of power, as well as anyone else you've invited to participate, which usually includes all the others who follow your god.

What'll happen after you arrive is you'll be marked, given a tattoo of a rune of power at the base of your neck. Then there'll be a ceremony, a speech making sure you're aware of what you're getting yourself into, a contract you sign acknowledging that you're prepared, and a blessing from power's branch of followers.

The rest of the day is given over to you saying your goodbyes in case you don't return, mentally preparing yourself, and praying. Those you invited to watch your ceremony spend the day praying for your success, or at the very least, your survival.

At nightfall you return to the edge of the forest. You'll find the entirety of the Order there waiting for you, unless you specifically requested to do this alone. You cannot bring anything into the forest, you'll be given ceremonial robes, and everything else you must leave behind. With one final blessing, you enter the forest. Once you've disappeared into the trees the spectators will leave, and no one may enter the forest until you are pronounced dead, or reimerge, seven days later.

The power branch will stand vigil around the forest while you complete your trials. During this time they will not eat, drink, or sleep. Your life force will be what sustains them. Should you perish, the weakest of the branch will faint. The followers of power will announce your death, and your body will be found and returned. Unless this happens, the followers of power will not leave their posts, no matter how weak they feel. They will wait to see if you recover.

Meanwhile in the forest, your trials have begun. There'll be seven, one from each of the gods. (Creation and destruction don't get involved, death, life, and love aren't introduced for a good while). You'll have one trial per day. The first will be from the god you follow. The last will be from the god of power. The trials are unique to each individual, and those who have already been through them aren't allowed to discuss them. You get your powers if you pass all seven trials. Keep in mind that passing and surviving are different things.

Now then, you've survived all your trials and are nearing sundown on the seventh day. What happens now? If you didn't pass, you just make your way out of the forest and give everyone the bad news. You are allowed to retry if you'd like, but of course you have to wait until the next new moon.

If you did pass however, your god will appear in front of you. They'll place their hand over your heart and pump some of their energy into you.

All magic is a special type of energy. In order to use magic, you have to draw from this energy. You can find it anywhere a god's influence touches, so from the gods, from nature, from yourself, from pretty much anything. Of course, in order to actually do anything magical, you have to be compatible with magical energy. This basically means that the gods gave you permission to use magic and jumpstarted you with a bit of their own energy.

Now then, you'd think that if your magic came from a god, you'd have the same or similar powers to the god. This is not the case however. When the energy a god gives you enters your heart, it passes through your soul like it's a kind of filter. Passing through your soul causes the energy to take on a form of its own, changing to suit you. This also affects where you're best able to draw magical energy from.

For example I have a character named Eris. She follows the goddess of water, but she wields ice magic, which she has a much easier time using in cold environments, because she draws her energy from the cold, which matches her energy.

However, there are exceptions to both these rules.

The first exception are the followers of power. They tend to gain powers with no easy source of energy.

For example Eris can draw power from cold, snow, ice, whatever. However Mark, a character in the power branch, his magic is invisibility. What do you use to power invisibility? I'm sure you can come up with plenty of creative answers, but nothing really stands out as the "right" answer.

This is what makes power followers the strongest members of the Order. They have learned how to manipulate energy to use their magic, even with no viable energy source.

Another exception is healers. On every world there is one healer. They're chosen mostly by the soul filter system, but there always has to be one per world and their can't be more than one.

Exception no. 3 is vessels. Vessels are people whose magic does match their god's. This happens when their personality and beliefs align just well enough that the energy remains unaltered, or just altered slightly enough for the wielder to have some little quirk.

For example, my character Jaelynn, who follows water and has her goddess's water powers. However, whenever she uses said water abilities, the water always comes out boiling hot and she has to actively work at cooling it down. She's capable of it, she just has to beat her natural predisposition.

And finally example number four, by far the most important one plot wise. Prime vessels.

Prime vessels are a god's right hand. As such they are given a lot more power than the average person, and I do mean a LOT more. They're given so much power to make them prime vessels that they're always chosen when they're on the brink of death, so that their body immediately puts the energy into healing/sustaining themselves instead of getting overwhelmed.

Prime vessels also have the same power as their god, not because their personality matches, but because the amount of energy that gets pumped into them completely overwhelms their soul's filter.

There's no real defined limits on what kind of magic you can have, so anything you can think of is probably a thing somewhere.

As for other species that actually have their own magic, they have their own spark of energy within them, and their species comes with its own separate filter for that, tied to their body instead of their soul. While the soul filter is located over the heart, the race ones are located elsewhere.

For example, in vampires their filter is located over their eyes. A vampire's eye colour will tell you what kind of abilities they have. There are three mutations that can happen with this filter.

Mutation one: The filter is missing. That person wouldn't be able to use their species' magic

Mutation two: The filter is affected by an outside source, usually the person's particular circumstances. This mutation is the sort of thing that would be the cause of someone's magic not working right because they're stressed. On certain worlds/for certain races, there are things that will ALWAYS mutate their filter.

For example, Royal vampires have red eyes, and special abilities that come with them. Non Royal vampires can't have red eyes, and only Royals in specific positions have them.

Mutation three: This is the rarest mutation, where the soul filter somehow shifted to overlap with the species filter. This causes someone's species magic to alter in accordance with their soul filter and become a mix of their species magic and their specific magic.

In species where the species filter has a physical representation, such as a vampire's eye colour, that will be altered too.

For example, the natural vampire eye colours are blue, purple, black, and red if you’re a royal. A vampire who has this mutation however could end up with green eyes, or some other eye colour that's out of the ordinary.

Alright, that's pretty much everything I can think of that I have on magic! Hope y'all enjoy!

@thelovelymachinery @unforgettable-sensations @littleladymab @megamijadeheart @my-bright-legacy

@ominous-feychild @thecomfywriter @wyked-ao3 @anamelessfacelessnerd @differentnighttale

@mysticstarlightduck @the-letterbox-archives @leahnardo-da-veggie @paeliae-occasionally @tr4sh-p4nd4-404

@lovey-dovey-wovey @sidon0isnt0here @damonk13

[drjohndisco]

Unexpected Confession

Pairing: Basil/Jack (+ Sprig)

Rating: M

Warnings: suggestive language/sexual innuendos, swearing, kiss descriptions, implications of past (non-consensual) mind reading.

Word Count: 1k+

Summary: Jack has a meeting he needs to get to, and Sprig ruins a quiet moment (as per usual.)

Notes:

1) I'm finally done!!! Woohoo!! (<- note from a guy who hyper-focused on this piece more than he probably should have.)

2) I haven't written dual perspective in ages, so I have no idea if this actually worked or not. Also, yes, I am aware that neither Basil's or Sprig's lore hasn't been explained (yet), please just roll with it. (The most important things here are that Basil (who is an alien with low level empathic abilities) works on site as a computer tech/on-call scientist, and that Sprig (a sentient mass of plant tendrils with eyes, but no visible mouth) can feel/always know of Basil’s location — due to previous shenanigans.)

[ Basil's lab - 18:00 ]

Basil

‘What do you want? I already thanked you for getting me out of jail.’ Basil asked, looking up at Jack, who was standing on the other side of the table. He was exhausted, and not particularly in the mood to talk to anyone. ‘Please, just go away. ’

‘No, I won’t. Because then I wouldn’t be a very good friend.’ Jack replied, sitting down on the chair across from him. Basil’s chest ached at the usage of the word friend, but he avoided the sensation. ‘You’ve been here for hours, go and get some rest. The base can keep ticking along without you.’

‘Sure,’ Basil laughed derisively. ‘And fish on your planet have wings!’

‘Uh, actually…’ Jack started. ‘There is a species that….’

‘Don’t fact check me.' Basil groaned. ‘It’s bad enough when Daniel’s around.’

'Fair enough.' Jack conceded.

Then Jack’s pager beeped - making him pull it from his pocket and look down at the message.

‘Oh, great! Another meeting’s been scheduled for about ten minutes from now.’ He complained, looking back up at Basil.

'What's this one for?'

‘Apparently they still need me to tie up some loose ends in terms of this whole attempted murder situation of yours.' Jack said, standing and pushing his chair away.

'How fun!' Basil intoned sarcastically. Then their eyebrows crinkled in confusion. ‘Aren’t you going to leave? You know what you’re like with time.’

'Just follow me to the doorway and I'll quit buggin' you.' Jack explained, beckoning him forward.

'Is that an order, Sir?'

'It is.' Jack stated, before turning and beginning to walk out.

'Fine.’ Basil grumbled, taking some of the paperwork from the table and putting it into their lap, turning the chair to the left. Then they begrudgingly scuffed it along the ground, following Jack. ‘Are you happy now?’

'Sure.' Jack replied, but stopped and looked back at Basil from the doorway.

‘What?’ Basil questioned.

‘You’re not going to kiss me goodbye before I go?’

It was a friendly jibe, and rationally Basil knew this, but that didn't stop him from pulling Jack down by his lapels - kissing him hard.

‘Damn.’ Jack murmured admirably under his breath, hands finding their way into Basil's hair.

Shocked by Jack's unanticipated reciprocation (and the strong emotions that came with it) Basil broke the kiss.

Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit!

Come on, fucking think of something!

‘That….was a one time thing,’ Basil said after a moment - in an awkward attempt to deflect from the situation at hand. ‘Now, I’m just going to go and give these…to someone else who may need them.’

Basil then quickly picked all of the papers up and stood -- not particularly caring whether Jack was even listening to him -- before walking (as calmly as they possibly could) past Jack and out of the door.

Jack

Jack absentmindedly pressed a hand to his lips, as he watched Basil go.

Did I do something wrong?

Then, quietly, Sprig chuckled. Hearing this Jack closed his eyes in desperation.

Of course we had an onlooker.

(But, there’s nothing I can do about that now.)

‘He’s dropped all of those and is running for the lift, isn’t he?’ Jack sighed, not even bothering to look for Sprig (who was currently attached to the outside of Basil’s empty desk plant pot.)

‘Yes, he is.’ Sprig replied. ‘Go and get your bitch, Colonel.'

[ Basil's lab - 18:05 ]

Basil

'Hey,' Jack said gently, as he shut the door behind him. ‘Can we talk?’

…How on earth did he get down here so fast?

The base elevators can’t be that good, can they?

'What is there to talk about?' Basil snapped, as Jack strode over and sat down on their bed across from them. ‘I’m the one that screwed up, just go to your meeting and leave me alone!'

He's too close, I feel like I’m going to vibrate out of my skin.

'I can't, I postponed it.' Jack replied. 'It'll happen tomorrow now.'

'Is that supposed to make me feel better?' Basil retorted.

'No, and I didn't expect it to.' Jack admitted. 'But that's not the point! The point here is that I'm sorry, Basil.'

‘Well, you shouldn’t be!’ Basil said, voice quavering. 'I've ignored what you obviously feel for Sam! That line shouldn't have been crossed!'

‘Damn it, B!’ Jack groaned, exasperatedly raking a hand through his hair. ‘Don't you get it? You're not Carter - and I don't want you to be! My feelings for her don’t affect my feelings for you! Our kiss should have told you that!'

Oh.

'I’m an idiot.’ Basil muttered.

‘Is that supposed to be news to me?’ Jack teased.

‘Oh, do shut up.’ Basil said, before bridging the gap between them; so that they were standing between Jack's legs, hands resting against his hips.

Jack

Jack, to his surprise, found that he had indeed done as instructed. 

(There was no sarcastic remark on his tongue, for once.)

‘May I?’ Basil asked. ‘Kiss you, that is?’

‘Yes, please do.' Jack replied, voice uncharacteristically shaky.

Then, before Jack could blink, Basil had shifted their hands - lifting his head and cupping his face - subsequently initiating a second (and far more passionate kiss).

Closing his eyes Jack kissed them back fervently; wrapping his arms around Basil’s waist to hold them steady as he pulled them closer, before slowly reaching up and snaking a hand into their hair.

Oh, I never want to let them go.

Basil

Eventually, after what seemed like a mere blip in time to Basil, they pulled away from Jack slightly – moving so that their forehead rested against his.

Fuck, this man can kiss! 

(I feel like I'm on fire!)

'Are you okay?' Jack questioned, looking up at Basil.

'Yeah, I'm fine, just a bit tingly.' Basil replied. 'But that will pass.'

'Aw, I'm flattered I could make you feel that way.' Jack joked.

Basil opted to not dignify that with a response.

Then, suddenly, Sprig wolf whistled loudly - shattering the silence.

(He had apparently been watching from a spot on Basil’s bookcase, unnoticed, for some time.)

Startled by this noise Basil let go of Jack and fell backwards, landing on the carpet with a loud thud (and a muffled yelp.)

[ 18:07 ]

Jack

'Oh, fuck me!' Basil cursed angrily, sitting up and hitting the carpet with his fist.

‘Woah, hold your horses, cowboy!’ Jack laughed, as he leaned forward and offered a hand to help them. ‘At least let me buy you a drink first.'

‘Jack, you know that’s not what I meant.' Basil said, grabbing hold of Jack's hand – using him to slowly return to a standing position.

'Honey, are you sure about that?’ Sprig taunted, sliding across the floor so he was positioned next to Basil. 'I've been inside your mind, and, honestly, some of your thoughts made even me blush. Which, if you think about it, is quite a high bar.'

'Sprig, stop being an ass!' Jack yelled, interrupting him.

In response Sprig poked his tongue out at Jack, annoyed.

'Very mature.' Jack said, in a voice reminiscent of a tired father. 'What are you, twelve?’

‘I’m far older than that, but I doubt your tiny brain could comprehend my true age. It'd explode before you even got close.’ Sprig replied, snidely. 

'Oh, well done.' Jack goaded. 'Took you a long time to come up with that, did it?'

'Actually, now that I think about it, it is the one advantage your lover here has over you.' Sprig continued, ignoring Jack's comment. 'Although so far it doesn't seem to be doing Basil any good. They did fall for you, after all.'

Jack opened his mouth to reply, but stopped when he noticed the icy look in Basil's eyes.

'Huh. I didn't peg you as being the submissive type, Jack...' Sprig sneered. 'Basil, on the other hand, however...'

Basil

‘Sprig, if you don't shut up soon, I'll go and get the wood chipper!’ Basil threatened.

'Oh no, so frightening! However shall I go on?' Sprig responded, raising a tendril to where Basil assumed his chest should be, and gasping mockingly. 'Goodbye, cruel world!

Then he disappeared with a pop, showering Basil with leaves.

‘Well someone must have woken up on the wrong side of the flower bed this morning.’ Jack noted, after a beat.

'Oh, you didn't...' Basil groaned, shaking their head to remove the debris. ‘I think that may have been one of the cheesiest things I have ever heard you say.'

'It's all part of my charm, sweetheart.' Jack replied, grinning. 'I know you love me for it.'

Yes, Jack.

(Yes, I do.)

[chernabogs]

Lil post abt a rundown of how I write fics / what I'll write bc I had a friend go 'Ames what exactly do you allow' 😭 real...

No NSFW writings from me (I only write that in my game for my main; I don't like writing NSFW in general, and twst is just not an area I'll personally touch)

That being said, I will touch on darker content. I post warnings at the top of every fic I write, so please read them and decide if it's something you're in the headspace to read.

My x Reader are always x Gen/Neutral unless specifically asked, and even then I'm a lil flexible. I like to keep the genders vague so any reader can feel like they can insert themselves in the fic (the interactive fiction curse fr)

I usually do subtle romance if romance is to be involved (the exception being the Monody series and a few others). I like to keep that vague too bc ik some people love a good platonic fic (real 🤌). If asked outright, I can be flexible on this part.

I don't write ships between canon characters in any romantic sense unless the game itself implies they're together (like Meleanor and Raverne, for example). If I'm writing char in a fic, they're usually just guys interacting LMAO

I'll put my own lore in fics at times, simply because twst only gives us so much to work with. Nothing I write is gospel (tho in my brain it is)

I loveeee love char expos. Love digging into chars brains. Love headcanon reqs, love all of that. I will write you like 4k of a character just thinking while drinking coffee, and this is a threat 😭

If you ever see me rb a prompt list, don't be shy to send in someone you don't see works for on my masterlist (altho it's 99% Dia rn fjdjcj)! I love writing other char, love stretching my brain. It keeps me young(ish).

As a warning, I write a lot when I write (averaging over 2k per req). If longer things aren't your cup of tea, that's ok! There are a ton of amazing fic writers in this fandom, so no one has a shortage of what their vibe matches!

The usual: I reserve a right to delete asks I disagree with. Not here for terfs, racists, homophobes, etc. I block people who post things I disagree with (incest, rape/SA, etc) and will not negotiate the matter. If I don't like what I get, I'll usually delete it without addressing at all. Running my main taught me over many years to just... not bother LMAO.

I'll add along rules as situations come up, but these tend to be the general!

For basic info about me:

I go by Ames (She/Her) and I'm 24

I write a game called Attollo which takes up most of my time, so twst serves as my little outlet for stress! (If you're interested in Attollo, note the 17+ age restriction and the warnings at the start of the game)

I'm in a masters degree in statistics and finishing that up soon. I work full time meanwhile over the summer, so things are hectic!

I have 2 cats (ask me about them, affectionately dubbed 'Smelly' and 'Charlie') who inspire me when I write Grim

I adore the Dia Quartet, the Staff, all our single parents in the game (Maleficia I see you 💕), and any lore they give us. I play JP and EN so spoilers are in fics and on this blog!

[doyoubelieveinwhateverr]

Hades Oc: Chloe, Pomegranate Nymph & Head Gardener of the House of Hades

Extra doodles, screenshot edits and excessive character lore below the cut

Chloe is the Head (only) gardener of the House of Hades and one of the few underworld nymphs in existence, specifically borne of a pomegranate tree.

Taking the form of a young girl, Chloe is soft-spoken and keeps to herself, content to carry out her gardening duties. She will indulge in light conversation with whomever approaches her (usually Zagreus) but will rarely initiate interactions.

Giving her nectar will prompt her to give Zagreus the Pom Parer, which would allow him to upgrade two boons of his choice once per floor when he gets a Pom of Power.

Completing her bond will earn Zagreus the Chthonic Companion, Pom Pom. Using this summon allows Chloe to plant spiny pomegranate shrubs on the field that can ensnare enemies and inflict chip damage. Completing her bond involves having the House contractor build a rooftop garden for her next to the training area. (Garden could also be used for "date" interactions with other characters, much to her chagrin.)

It would probably never come up but she is capable of fighting, her gardening sickle as her main weapon and a switch made of a thorny branch as her back up, as well as some magic with her pomegranate seeds.

The tree Chloe was born from was one accidentally planted by Persephone when she choked and coughed up a pomegranate seed she was eating and lodged into the grounds of the garden. Thanks to Persephone's power, it had the magic needed to spawn a nymph, making Chloe Persephone's daughter and Zagreus' half sibling on a technicality. However, Chloe formed long after Persephone left and thus no one seems to have made the connection; as far as anyone is concerned, Chloe just appeared in the garden one day and became their gardener, and she would prefer it to stay that way.

Relations:

Zagreus: One of the few members of the House she regularly speaks to. She respects him as her Prince but also considers him a friend. She has her own opinions on how the people of the house speak to and of him.

Hades: Respects him as a god and master. Her personal opinions are best remained unsaid.

Persephone: Has mixed feelings towards the queen of the Underworld. On one hand, Chloe's glad she has returned but on the other, the fact she ran away in the first place makes Chloe believe she is irresponsible and unreliable.

Skelly: Very pointedly tunes him out

Dusa: The mutual respect had for a fellow tender of the House.

Achilles: Likes his voice and how he calls her 'lass'.

Megaera: Doesn't get to speak to her often but admires her whip proficiency. Often practices similar moves in secret with a thorny branch.

Hypnos: Always seems to be sleeping when she sees him.

Thanatos: They sometimes exist in the same space in companionable silence.

Nyx: Greet each other respectfully when passing in halls and Chloe ensure that the flowers in Nyx's corner are always fresh.

Charon: Business partners, they have a shared side hustle involving Pomegranate Wine being "exported" to the surface. Hades does not know of this.

Olympian Gods: Keep those things FAR away from her! (Her words)

Major Dialogue:

First interaction: Oh, you're back. Didn't go well?

Give Nectar: You're giving this to me? Thank you, your highness. It's not much but you can have this, I hope it's helpful. (Pom Parer get!)

Give Ambrosia: I don't think I can finish all this by myself but I'll try! Here's something I think you'll like, too. (Pom Pom get!)

Max Bond: I was never fond of the way that... certain members of this House spoke to you, or of you. It seemed so unfair when you had done nothing to deserve it beyond just not being what they wanted. As just a gardener, there was never anything I could do to help but for what it's worth; I was always on your side, Prince.

Chthonic Companion Summon: A bountiful harvest!

Chthonic Companion Summon (Hades): Ah! Sorry Prince, but not happening. / I better not get yelled at for this.

[umemiyan]

Hiii robin! If you're cool with it, I wanted to ask, is there a certain moment with your selfships when you realize you ship with them, or is it a slow process that just kinda happens?

hi romy!!!! ❤️

tbh it kinda depends and i'm not always totally sure LMAO i'm a little all over the place with it. like a lot of the time i have a hard time deciding and i'm trying to create a classification system in my head akfjofijwe tho it probably shouldn't be that deep my brain just loves to cling to systematization and gets frustrated when it can't properly execute it lmfao. but anyways i shall try my best collect my thoughts and describe how i perceive my tendencies!!

i'll put it below the cut bc i always ramble lolol

there are definitely some ships where it was more of a slow progression and i had to eventually be like "yeah okay this is what it is" because it was getting to the point where they weren't going to leave. i could easily envision more in-depth scenarios between them and myself and/or lore that just seemed to naturally spring up and i just kept thinking about them all the time.

i'd say megumi is a good example of the slow-burn. he honestly wasn't the kind of character that heavily struck me when i first watched the anime and started reading the manga; in fact, i recall being like "oh great, another little hateful emo boy" LOL (historically they're not usually the type i'm drawn to). but i got to know his character better over time and realized that like. damn. i have rather intense feelings about this guy adjewoijfwof

toji and jean were a bit more on the "slower" side of development as well i suppose. and not "slow" in the sense it took several months or years or anything (i've only been self-shipping for about a year) but it was something i had to ease into a bit more i guess.

i actually hated toji at first but then the daddy issues kicked into overdrive and i eventually started catching feelings LMFAO and jean was my first self-ship ever. he's the first one where i felt comfortable enough to imagine myself with someone like that <3 i hadn't really truly done anything like that in years, but i loved his character so much that i was starting to actually insert myself in reader stuff rather than completely detaching like i used to. i could see myself with him.

suga, on the other hand, was the kind that hit me like a freight train. maybe it's because i'm more comfortable with self-shipping now, but it was easier for me to realize it and take it to self-ship level pretty quickly. not only was i obsessed with him from pretty much the first fucking moment, but the subsequent relationship daydreams have been insane LOL i mean i gave it a little bit of time because i hate the idea of being overly impulsive and irrational due to infatuation but uh. i fucking love him lmao

katsuki is..... *sigh* idk. he also kind of hit me like a freight train, at least with the daydream scenarios and whatnot, and i was hoping and praying it was just a phase (still kind of am) but i guess i've sort of accepted that it's not. or it's at least a longer-lasting phase than most lol idk. but i can't stop thinking about him and i'd rather just go ahead and call it a self-ship instead of continuing to try and wait it out or deny it. the brainrot is bad

ANYWAYS sorry for being unable to shut the fuck up as per usual lmfao but yeah!!! i tried to give some examples of how this shit works in my mind. right now i guess i'm sort of organizing things by how regularly/consistently i think about a character over time and with what degree of ease i imagine myself with them in several scenarios, but this is by no means the sort of parameters i think everyone should use when it comes to this. people should do whatever the fuck they want i just take shit too seriously sometimes and wish i could be more chill actually instead of trying to create a classification system for everything in my brain 😃 but here we are

[pinkyjulien]

🌈 Queerness in CyberPunk 2077

I wanted to make this post earlier this month but got caught up in modding shenanigans, as per usual~

BUT! It's still June, still pride, so here it is :>

▶ DISCLAIMER

All of this is my analyses, headcanons, of different characters, some of them not confirmed at all in anyway or form! I'm a queer man myself, but I do not claim to know everything about queerness and being queer, everyone experience the game and interpret the characters differently 🤲 This is only my opinions, based off canon game events, clues, hints, as well as developpers's tweets, streams, files datamining etc etc Please do not see this thread as an attack, or as something invalidating! I'm more than curious to heard what you think about my personal analyses, if you agree, if you don't, and why! If you think other characters also display hints of queerness I'd love to hear it too! 💙

This picture is an update I did in 2022 of lil collage I did back in 2021~

I posted the first version on Reddit back in 2021 and it created this whole "what do mean JOHNNY is GAY?" (because a rainbow behind a man automatically means he's Gay and nothing else right) and a lot of biphobia over his character in particular (gasp- THE rockerboy?! Biseggsual?? In my viddy game??)

▶ You can look at the thread here and have a lil laugh

SO, NATURALLY, after doing the 2022 collage, I went and uploaded it to reddit once again! Because triggering bigots and seeing them stumble over their own tongues trying to debunk everything is really funny ✨

However, I instantly muted the thread and let it rot in its own sauce for some days, weeks, only coming back to it later and Oh Boy 👀

I did a thread on Twitter last year exploring everything that was said on the thread and explaining why I put certain characters on it

Thought it'd be cool and fun to re-explore that and share my thoughts with y'all here SO LETS GET BACK TO IT 😌🤙

▶▶▶

I'll mainly paste screenshots of what I already said on my twitter thread, but I might add some things there and there!

Damn I was kinda pissed off back then HGHFHGF but yeah, this is also the reason I won't ever make any straight or super straight flags I do not headcanon Delamain as Asexual, as there isn't any confirmation anywhere that he's interest in that kind of interaction or not, but I'll come back to him later!

Goro being canonly Queer is often missed, and this surprises me, considering he's one of the popular character! He is interested (or not) equally in both Fem and Masc V, giving he's replying to them the exact same ways! This isn't something done randomly by the devs :)

As said in the tweet, there isn't any direct and clear evidence of Mitch and Scorpion being a couple! Their relationship is heavily queer coded and queer people are more easily picking up on it than non-queer peoeple (and that's normal) Gay men have called their male partner Friend, Best friend and Brother through history maaaany many time, and that's part of my interpretation of their relationship too, especially giving they're both veterans who fought in the same war. The poem Mitch wrotes during "I'll Fly Away" (heavily implied) is romantic and gay coded, the gay novel in Mitch's tent (confirmed to be on purpose) is what we call environnemental story telling, it's subtle but adds to a character's backstory and lore! As for the datamining, I found a Mitch awkwardly explaining to V that no, Saul doesn't have any say in whatever he's doing with Scorpion stuff "because.... because... eh, that's just family stuff"

Note on Delamain here because I've heard it even caused some drama here on Tumblr that I said that? He uses He/Him to describe himself, the Main Entity, but multiples of his splites entities uses She/Her, meaning he's literally Non-Binary in how his entity is formed (I find it really cool for an AI ngl ngl) However if my headcanon offended anyone, I apologize! and I'd love to hear others interpretation :3

There isn't any open and visible MLM gay couple in Cyberpunk 2077! Bouncing off ElvenBeard's amazing analyses and thoughts on Kerry's sexuality, he can be seen as Bisexual (confirmed by RTAL themselves) and Homosexual (confirmed by the devs before and after the game released) he can be Both and Both are correct depending on how you view his character and how he grew from his past relationship (Bisexual with a masc preference, Bisexual who have to heal from his marriage, Gay man who realized his sexuality later after a wonky marriage, etc)

The whole "Responsability=Wife" Takemura take angers me to no end, taking its roots in heteronormativity- We see Goro care for his job above all else, to me that's what his "responsability" is and always was; his job

Nothing more to add here- Jackie's only relationship we see in game is with Misty, this doesn't confirm nor deny anything! (However with how he react to V pushing him, lip-bitting and all regardless of gender, I can totally see him as being queer)

AND That's about it!

It was interesting to dig into that thread last year and thought I'd share that here, as a refresher that Johnny is Bi, Takemura too, and smaller characters like Mitch and Evelynn still have clear hints of queerness to them ✨

I really like how CP77 touches on queerness, it feels realistic, it doesn't feel forced; which, sadly, create this problem of "UH?? This is pure LIES" if a character's sexuality is not splattered in your face, which then create the "Ugh why does it have to be forced down our throat" complains

Something something, lesson here is that people will always complain about queerness, be it loud, be it subtle, so fuck it! Scream it, go apeshit over small details, over-analyse everything cause chances are: this is intentional!

More Characters

I later noticed that Regina have a naked lady tattooed on her forearm, and since we know nothing is done randomly in CDPR's video games, makes me think that she might be sapphic in some way ✨

Mateo is also one of my fav "potential queer", how he could be a trans man, but there isn't anything really to support that other than that one interaction with V

▶ Link to the updated collage Reddit Thread

▶ Link to my Twitter breakdown

[gren-arlio]

Are all of these gonna be character specialized? Maybe, not sure myself.

Welcome to Episode 6 of (Tottemo) Waku Puyo Extras. (Feat. A lot of Kikimora.)

(Yeah, this time it's not from the Waku Puyo Manga, but from the Totally Puyo Puyo Manga. Or the Tottemo Puyo Puyo Manga, either name works. I swear the Waku in the title is losing more relevance as time goes on.)

Hello, one and all, it's that guy who translates a niche video game here again, and welcome to Part 6 of (Waku) Puyo Extras, the filler section where I ramble about something Puyo related and give some old evidence to back it up. I know I'm a little late, but hey, that's high school for ya.

If you've been keeping up with this filler show of mine, you know that I typically post about a character, have a small video to translate, and...idk something wacky. And today, you'd be a little mistaken. Unfortunately, due to time restraints, I wasn't able to really...do a short video. My apologies. I did say that my schedule would be really messed up due to school, and now I'm finally feeling the effects.

To make up for it, this'll what we cover today:

Some stuff about Kikimora because why not, she's been in so many videos and episodes that she deserves it. I'll speak about things like her origin, Waku Puyo Dungeon: The Video Game, and the Waku Puyo Manga.

Talking about a Disc System Game. At least the one that has Kikimora.

Talk a bit about the Tottemo Puyo Puyo Manga. The thing itself mostly shows odd Puyo SUN characters, so people like Lagnus are there.

From now on, expect a lot more inconsistent posting. Obviously I'll post still, just...not as often. Hope you understand.

With those precautions and tales told, hope you enjoy.

-----

Ah, Kikimora Lore.

You don't exactly expect a lot from this character, and frankly, I don't blame you, but I'm here today to speak about our (probably not) favorite maid in Puyo, Kikimora. If you've seen my posts, you noticed that she appears quite often in translations and random stuff in general, even though she's usually a minor NPC. Won't be covering every game she's in, but I'll mention a couple.

So, what're her origins?

Well, it's not SUN, actually. Surprisingly, it's Madou Monogatari: Michikusa Ibun, released in 1994. Here...she's just kinda an enemy. Nothing more, nothing less. Quite a simple introduction.

Now, we reach the introduction that most people know her for, Puyo Puyo SUN, which was released in 1996. Here, you meet her in Arle's storyline, where she's just cleaning, as per usual. Why outside is anyone's guess, but after seeing Arle walk along the sidewalk, she legitimately sweeps her off the ground, and then runs around with her, who's in shock. I mean, I'd be shocked too.

So, 2 introductions in and she's put...nothing special in these, to be frank. Maybe she really isn't that gre-

Holy shit I'm actually speaking about Waku Waku Puyo Puyo Dungeon again.

As the local Waku Puyo guy, fortunately and also unfortunately, there's...actually a good bit to speak about with her, which is fairly surprising.

First, she's in every single route, and you don't exactly fight her. She's an usher who helps guide people around the area and tell them what to do and where to go. Here... she actually does have a good amount of character compared to back then.

(Image of her and the entire map of the game, featured in the games manual.)

Here, she partially retains her cleanliness personality, but she's now awfully kind about it, I'd assume it'd be for professional purposes but still, power to her. She isn't as...angry, as her past self, (I'd count Puyo-N because she did get really upset that Arle called her old.) and even in the Waku Puyo Manga, she's still very much kind to Rulue when she runs into her, merely giving directions of where she saw Satan.

And back to the game itself, she's a little more than just happy and angry, she thankfully unlocked more of the personality skill tree and got the ability to be sad as well. Throughout Schezo's storyline, there's moments in times he calls Kiki useless for not being able to help her, and as anyone would, gets really sad about hearing that, and in some situations, starts to cry, causing Schezo to apologize. It's fairly interesting how they basically gave a character with little screentime back then not only the screentime she got, but to expand on it to feel multilayered as well? Nothing short of impressive.

The final game I wish to cover is a bit of a niche one; Kikimora's Clean-Up.

Usually with Disc System games, there's a good bit to talk about, but unfortunately, this ain't one of the games. The game stars Kikimora, and your goal is to...clean the floors. Simple enough, while having a Pac-Man like feel to it.

There's several floors and the goal is to get all the green, icky stuff out while avoiding enemies. You can launch your broom at them, taking them out, but you won't be able to clean until you get the broom again. Getting hit makes you lose 30 seconds, lose all your time, you lose a life, and if no lives, game over. It's actually more difficult than it seems.

Finally, after a lot of floors and possibly dying, you finally face the final boss of this game: Black Kikimora, who makes the floor dirty.

After beating her, congrats, you've beaten the one game Kikimora is the protagonist in. Give yourself a pat on the back and maybe some lunch.

Unfortunately this game doesn't have much in terms of lore, but it's an enjoyable game nevertheless. Here's a link of some gameplay.

Now how about the Tottemo Puyo Puyo Manga? What is it?

I'm glad you asked. To compensate for being unable to publish a video for y'all, I decided to speak a little bit about this goofy manga. So what's it about?

Unlike the world of Waku Puyo, this doesn't have a full storyline but rather sporadic storylines that have absolutely nothing to do with each other. They're purely on the comedic side. As well, the designs that were chosen, along with the artstyle itself, are based on Puyo SUN, what with how the characters' designs are drawn most notably Arle, Schezo, and Lagnus.

Since the storylines don't connect and are all separate, characters can pop in and out like nothing ever happened, or just...randomly waltz up like Lagnus himself did. (Which I cannot show because 10 image limit.)

Here, featured is Kikimora getting an injury from making a mistake, and Arle heals her before telling to take a break for half the day, SHOCKING Kiki. She starts saying how some areas aren't clean, and Arle volunteers to help, which makes Kiki beyond happy, and leads to us getting Arle in a maid suit trying her best to clean.

Unfortunately, due to that said 10 image limit, I cannot post a lot at once. (Wish it was like 15 instead,) but honestly, I'd recommend it. While you might not understand what's properly going on, (Believe me, I'm there to a point.) the visuals themselves kinda make up for it, and hey, if you do translate them, there's a 90% chance there's an incredibly silly and funny story to go along with it, like Schezo somehow making an amusement park. (My favorite Foreshadowing; The ones in gag mangas.) I'll post a link of some of the books here.

Hopefully this'll suffice. Again, my apologies for not really posting a video, I'll have one done sooner or later (aka about 2 weeks.)

Here's the final 2 images I've been saving up.

(Minor context: Kikimora kinda lured Arle into a job before surprising her with a party.)

With this, that'll be all this time.

See you next time.

[that-one-lotr-orc]

One post gotta be the first

So, for me Reddit finally died. As a programmer who is generally in favour of making stuff available for as many people as possible, they did right by that for many years. Giving everyone who wanted that access to it was generous of them, and made it a very fun platform. Random bots everywhere, apps catered to whatever preference people had, even -dare I say it- the tiniest bit of the wild-west-internet that once existed. But they got to greedy, flew to close to the sun, whatever analogy you want to have for it. I don't fault them wanting to make money off that, hosting is expensive, but the way they lied to everyone, attacked the Apollo developer for outing their lies, "riding the storm until it died out", it was too much.

So now I'm here, hopelessly lost in land I only got glimpses of on r/tumblr. I don't even know why I write this. I doubt many people will read it, or even see it. It's my first Tumblr post, and it probably will be very rambly, incoherent, and missing any kind of red line. The shortest answer to "Why I wrote this?" is probably "Because some google doc in '#tumblr help'" told me to post stuff!".

And I'm bad at posting stuff. I never done it. In the olden days, when forums were all around, I was a lurker. I'd read about everything, posted when I actually had something relevant to say, and shut up otherwise. I was known within the communities, generally active in the adjacent msn/skype groups, but not on the main spam threads in the forum.

When the forums began to die out, I got on Reddit. My account is 11 years old now, I've been using it almost hourly over the last 6 years, and it has a grand total of 9 posts. There's a bit more comments in that, but it's probably basically nothing compared to the average comments per hour spend on other accounts.

Why do I tell this? Because I might change that here. I've been lurking around Tumblr for the last few weeks, and the interaction and people are way different than I'm used to. Honestly, it's refreshing, and nice to see. But entering a new environment, one has to adept.

And I've been stuck too long in my old habits! I am often hesitant to contribute to anything, because I never did. I don't write, because I never wrote. But having a new environment, new people, new interest around me makes me wanna try out new stuff. And who knows? Maybe I'll like it, maybe I'll find people who like what I write, and I'll have more stuff to interact with.

And maybe I don't. Maybe I'll feel too unsure, too self-conscious, to change my lurking habits. I'm fine with that. I got other places to interact about my passions. Most of them are through Discord-groups nowadays, others through the few still-existing actual forums out there, but they still exist.

That's my last thing. I don't know what I even write about. Some of my interest are too different from the usual Tumblr-niches to have any kind of following. While typing this I had a look at the "enlisted game" tag, which has a grand total of 1 active poster. I had some looks at the different Magic the Gathering tags, but (as I expected), most of the people in there are about more about the lore of the game than I do. That's fine, I got my spike-talking places, and I will probably lurk those tags anyway.

The one place I'll probably feel most comfortable is the Brandon Sanderson-aligned tags. I'll be there, maybe even contributing, once I finished the last books (or I find the appropriate tags to block, I probably gotta look into that).

That uncertainty makes me circle back to a point a made a few paragraphs ago. I can explore, I can try out new stuff. Maybe I'll try to add to some of the punk tags here, maybe I'll hop onto some of the computer science tags and see if I can wordvomit there, maybe I'll go to something completely new! I can go exploring again, discovering things I never saw before, and that makes me eager.

[k--havok]

🖊️ for the ask game, for any oc you'd like!

🖊️Body writing? What would they write on their partner(s)? What would they want written on them?

Okay so! This is actually an idea that was floating around for Waking into Divinity! I even wrote a oneshot about it, so I'll go ahead and share that here! It's not writing per se, but demons in Waking into Divinity have special paints they can use on their bodies to amplify or nullify certain feelings and such. There are shapes and specific things they write on themselves in their demonic language, but usually it's related to poetry, sayings, or wishes for good luck.

The oneshot below is a little old in terms of lore, so there are some terms or some worldbuilding that is no longer relevant to the story.

Word count: 6,291 Warnings: Mentions of sex, mentions of violence, old writing Rating: 18+

--

Rylie sighed, smiling to themselves as they scrolled through old pictures on their phone. They leaned back against the couch, lost in their own thoughts. 

“Dinner,” Casrath said as he set a plate down in front of them. “Baked salmon sitting on a bed of asparagus with a glass of chardonnay.”

Rylie glanced up from their phone. “That looks amazing, Casrath. Thank you.”

Casrath grinned at them. “Anything for you, Rylie. I hope my skills have continuously improved for you.”

Rylie flushed. Keeping their phone balanced on one of their knees, they dug into the meal. Their eyes shone as soon as they took a bite of the fish.

“This is amazing. Like… really amazing.” They greedily dug their fork in for another bite. 

Casrath chuckled, his own blush gracing the tops of his ears. “Thank you, Rylie. That means a lot to me.”

As the two ate, Rylie continued to glance at their phone, still smiling, and continuously swiping through pictures. 

“Everything alright? You’re usually not this quiet.”

“Just enjoying the meal. And-- well, looking at some old pictures is all.”

Casrath tilted his head to the side. “Old pictures?”

“Yeah. When me and my parents went to DisneyLand when I was younger. See?” 

Rylie passed over the phone to him. “Um, don’t mind my clear awkwardness and growing pains, okay? I was 16 at the time.” 

“You were precious,” Casrath said, flipping through the pictures as well. In all of them, Rylie wore one of the biggest grins he’d ever seen. A pair of mouse ears sat atop their head in most of them. 

Younger Rylie had the same beautiful jade eyes, the same cute nose, and that same dazzling smile. Their hair may have been much longer, and their clothes a little ill-fitting, but that didn’t matter to Casrath. 

“I loved the Tower of Terror. It was my favorite ride there,” Rylie said. “Everything was amazing, actually. One day I’ll go again.”

Casrath chuckled. “I would take you there, then. If that is what you wish.”

Rylie shook their head, but their grin never fell. “Thank you, Casrath. I honestly miss it… even though I’ve only ever been there once.” 

“I understand all too well, trust me.”

Rylie nodded slowly, finishing their food and their wine. They swirled the last dregs of chardonnay around the bottom of the wine glass. 

“Hey, Casrath? Do you ever miss Hell?”

“Why, of course. You, and Earth, are most welcoming. But Hell is my home.”

A small tinge of red spread across Rylie’s cheeks. They pointedly looked away from Casrath, and swiped through their phone without really seeing the pictures to give their eyes and hands something to do. 

“So-- so I’m guessing… bedding me… isn’t the only reason why you want to take me, right? Or-- or is it?”

Casrath snorted. “That is merely one of many, many reasons, Rylie.” Scooting closer to them, he tapped his knee against theirs. “I would love to show you the lands I’ve conquered, the beauty of my keep, as well as some of the more mystical places. It is not all fire and brimstone, as you put it. There is much beauty there, and is as diverse as Earth, if not moreso.”

“I don’t think I can even imagine all that, but I’d like to try.”

“One day, you won’t have to even imagine,” Casrath murmured. He pressed a tender kiss right above Rylie’s ear. 

A shiver of delight raced down Rylie’s spine, but they tried to ignore it.

“What do you miss most?” Rylie asked instead.

Casrath rubbed his chin between two fingers. He relaxed back on the couch. “That… is a difficult question to answer. I miss many things, none more than another.” He wrapped an arm around Rylie’s waist, pulling them closer to him. 

Rylie could fight against his kisses, but not his touch. Never his touch. They sunk into his warm side, sighing softly. Casrath felt sturdy, strong, and simply comfortable. Although hard muscle covered every inch of his body, when relaxed, he made for the best of pillows. 

“Well, what are some of the things you miss right now? Like… I dunno. On your average Hellish day--” Rylie bit back a small laugh at their own joke, “--what would you be doing after dinner?”

“After dinner? Hm… let me see….” Casrath fell back into his thoughts. He idly rubbed circles with his palm across Rylie’s small love handles. 

“I suppose, after dinnertime, I would see to it that everything is as it should be. No incoming attacks, no major or sudden calls from Court, and I would retire and find whatever entertainment I seek in that moment.”

“What sort of entertainment is that?”

“Sometimes blood sports--”

Casrath paused at Rylie’s horrified look. 

“--I would not be participating, merely watching. It is a common and popular pastime in Hell.”

“Do, uh, demons actually, you know, die?”

“Well… yes. Of course.”

Rylie blinked slowly. “You know, I’m not ready to unpack that right now or process it. I’ll do so later. Uh, what other entertainment is there? That’s, um, not violent?”

“Well, of course there is popping some bottles of wine open and inviting some friends to the keep for a round of drinks. Sometimes I fly across my land, see whatever sights interest me most. Other times, I wish for more…” Casrath paused, and even his hand halted against them. “I suppose carnal pleasures is a fine descriptor.” 

“Ah, sex. Of course.” Rylie rolled their eyes.

“It is not always sex, Rylie. Sometimes I merely like watching--”

“Wait, so you’re a voyeur?” 

“Hm? No, no, you misunderstand me.” Casrath chuckled at that. “Why would I watch what I can have for myself?”

“Some people are into it,” Rylie said with a shrug.

“And that is fine for them, but no. I prefer… watching dancers.” 

Rylie blinked. Then blinked some more. They sat up and away from Casrath, turning in their seat to peer at him. 

“Wait, there are strippers in Hell?” 

“Dancers,” Casrath corrected, “is our term, but yes I suppose so. There are many dances that are performed. Some are separate from myself, and I merely watch. Other times… there is a more active role.” 

Rylie debated with themselves whether or not they wanted to pursue the conversation. Did they really want to know Casrath’s preferences when it comes to inhumanly beautiful demonic dancers?

Unfortunately for Rylie, their curiosity was one hell of a drug. 

“Um, how so?”

“Sometimes I have my concubines dance atop me. Other times, I dance with them. It is… a sensual experience.”

For a full second, Rylie’s brain short-circuited. Concubines. Dancing. On me. With them. Sensual.

Casrath frowned. “Is everything alright? Are-- are you overwhelmed?” Casrath scooted away from Rylie, giving them their distance and personal space back. 

“A-- a little bit,” Rylie admitted softly. “I don’t know whether to focus on the dancing aspect, you joining in, or the fact that you have concubines.” 

“Well, what would you be the most comfortable talking about?” 

“Um, the dancing. Definitely the dancing. Is there, like, poles?”

Casrath chuckled. “No, not exactly. There are many forms of dancing, and all have different requirements. However, no matter the form of dancing, we utilize different paints.”

“Paints? Like on your body?”

“Yes.” Casrath closed his eyes and leaned on his fist. “The paints are usually imbued with magicks. Or, other times, laced with special berries or dyes with… other properties.”

“What sort of properties?”

“Usually the paints enhance pleasure. But other times there are more functional uses, such as giving better stamina, cooling effects, and the like. Some grant enhanced swiftness, and others speed.”

“Sounds like a better use would be for, like, fighting then.”

“They can be used for battle, yes. Our paints--fa’loth is the term--have many, many uses.”

Casrath’s expression--so serene and graceful--pierced Rylie’s chest. Sometimes, they forgot just how far away home was, and how many amenities he was used to having were simply not available. 

Rylie couldn’t quite imagine Hell. They couldn’t imagine the scope of his land, the size of his castle, nor much at all. Everytime they tried, Lord of the Rings inevitably popped into their mind. 

But Rylie was certain Hell was no New Zealand. 

“Yes,” Casrath murmured, more to himself than Rylie. “That is most likely what I would be doing right now.” After stretching his arms out to the ceiling, Casrath climbed to his feet and gathered their empty plates and wine glasses. “But, for now, it is time to do the dishes.”

“Here, let me. Since you cooked,” Rylie said. And before Casrath could object, they took the plates from his hands. “How about you go… and I dunno. You could always go to the club if you want to dance.”

Casrath tilted his head to the side. “Are you certain? I thought you preferred my stay here, rather than out with others.”

Rylie blushed a little at that. “Well, it sounds like you still have some energy left. And you know me, I’m always tired.” Rylie bumped their forehead against his shoulder. Casrath towered so tall above them, that his shoulder was all Rylie could reach with their hands full. 

“If you insist. But I shall not be gone all night long. I shall return before dawn, and before you wake.”

Rylie smiled at Casrath. “That’s no problem. Now, go and get ready.”

Casrath chuckled at their impatience. “Perhaps you are simply wanting some quiet, alone time inside. In either case, I do not mind.”

Rylie smiled at Casrath, but didn’t respond. 

It was true that sometimes, they did indeed want their quiet time alone. But tonight?

Tonight, Rylie had a plan tumble its way through their thoughts. 

As soon as the dishes were washed, Casrath gone, and Beepers settled in for the night, Rylie curled on top of their bed with their laptop. 

They didn’t mention it to, well, anyone really, but they had taken pole dancing classes before. Only a handful, before the cost outweighed their food budget. Their curiosity had taken hold of them during that time, and since their parents had already moved by then and weren’t watching their every move, Rylie thought it would be a fun activity they could try.

Fun was the best descriptor for their time pole dancing. The second was exhausting. The last, expensive. But all of it was totally worth it. 

They didn’t have a pole in their apartment to dance on. And besides the basics, they didn’t know too much. But with the slight knowledge of exotic dancing as a backbone, Rylie figured it wouldn’t be too hard to google around for some tips on lap dancing. 

Rylie didn’t bother to pretend it was the wine causing them to think in such a way. Living for so long with someone so incredibly handsome, who had the best kisses and touches, and who always knew what to say to make their knees weak left Rylie reeling. 

Their stomach twisted with a mess of butterflies and nerves as Rylie fought to keep their focus on the task at hand. They didn’t have long, but they wanted to do this impromptu… dance routine right the first time. 

Getting up from their laptop, Rylie dug through their dresser before finding, stashed at the very bottom, a set of Victoria's Secret lingerie with tags still attached. With it in hand, they meandered into their bathroom. They didn’t keep much makeup on hand--they barely had a use for the stuff. However, after digging through one of the many messy bathroom drawers, Rylie dug out an old set of Halloween makeup hidden beneath cotton swabs they did indeed use inside their ears along with the extra free toothbrushes as given by their dentist.

Rylie barely glanced at the date as they tore into the red, orange, green, and black body paints and glitter. Glitter held no interest for them, but they greedily grabbed the red, orange, and black.

Rylie avoided looking at themselves in the mirror as they undressed. They couldn’t afford losing their courage and confidence now. Not after tasting phantom kisses on their lips and with heat already pooling in the lowest pit of their stomach. 

Keeping their head down, Rylie cut the tags off the unused lingerie. An impulse buy with the aid of Jess whispering terrible decisions into their ears as well as a sale, Rylie regretted it as soon as they had gotten home with the little lacy number. Black on black, the bra had not just loops of lace and frills, but an underwire with plenty of padding. Unlike their sports or even balconette bras, this one had a deep plunge in the center. The underwear matched, of course, with high-waisted black straps separate from the lacy piece. As the only thong in their closet, Rylie found themselves more than a bit mystified as they slipped it on over their rear. 

A deep sigh worked its way between their lips. They wiggled and squirmed as they fought to get the unrelenting bra over their head without having to undo the strap in the back. 

Rylie hated the “swing it around” method. It always rubbed rough against their skin and nipples. 

Still keeping their head down, Rylie bit their lip. Did they dare look up into the mirror?

They already know what they would see. A fat slob. Unproportionate, with a belly that hung just a little too over the hem of the panties. Their breasts already felt off in the plunge bra as well. It felt like every movement would cause them to pop out in the front. And already, the tops of their breasts were spilling out. 

Rylie sighed through their nose slowly before peering up at themselves. 

Flush with heat and wine, Rylie froze as they stared at themselves. 

Indeed, their hair sat messy atop their head. Their skin remained blotchy. But the underwear didn’t hide in their chub rub or thick thighs. The high bands accented their hips, while simultaneously the black color slimmed their ass and breasts down. 

The bra was ill-fitting, but for once was too tight, not way too big. Victoria’s Secret was always weird in its sizing, Rylie supposed. They turned around, and bit their lip at the sight of their entire exposed butt. 

They had to admit, it did make their ass look good. And although the bra shoved their breasts up an uncomfortable amount that Rylie was not used to, they found that they didn’t… hate the set as they so vehemently thought they would. 

In fact, although the bra was ill-fitting, the thong remained surprisingly comfortable. They already didn’t feel the string, and it reminded them of not wearing any underwear at all, almost. 

Rylie smiled softly at themselves in the mirror. “Who knew,” they murmured to themselves. 

Grabbing the black Halloween makeup first, Rylie tilted their head in thought as they squirted a little of the paint onto the tip of their finger. Not dry, but definitely getting up there in age. Best to use it now then later, they supposed. 

In a way its saving money. Rylie chuckled. 

After debilitating a little too long at themselves in the mirror, Rylie decided to use the black on their eyelids in a mockery of eyeshadow. Afterwards, they grabbed their cheap eyeliner and slapped it on as well. 

The green of their eyes popped against the black background of their eyes and… outfit. They hesitated before adding any more. What else could they do that wouldn’t look too stupid and costume-y?

They stood alone in the bathroom for several minutes on end, going back and forth as to what to do. A quick Google search also brought nothing useful to the table, either. Rylie couldn’t quite understand what Casrath wanted and would look for. 

Furthermore, they didn’t want to assume. It was his culture, not theirs, after all. 

After a short and quick two-step pace in the bathroom, Rylie gathered up the costume makeup and instead left to the living room to put them on the coffee table. 

Digging out a packet of tea lights Casrath bought just in case the power went out again, Rylie set them up around the apartment. Checking the clock, Rylie waited another ten minutes before lighting all of them.

Several sat on the bar guarding the kitchen, four boxed in the line of costume makeup they left on the table for Casrath to use as he wished on them, and several more on the windowsill and next to the TV. After flicking the lights off, a hazy glow rose from the little candles, bathing the room in small and smokey clouds of light yellow. The flames flickered and danced, casting soft and playful shadows against the walls and furniture. 

Rylie bit their lip as their heart thudded in their chest. It had taken them nearly three hours. It was almost time. 

Their hands shook as they sat on the couch, curling one leg under another and leaning back. Rylie couldn’t quite fight the urge to bounce their leg. Biting their lower lip, a sudden small wave of nausea grew as the minutes stretched on. 

Perhaps they had too much wine to drink. Way too much. Or perhaps it was somehow laced with something. Casrath would never do something so devious. Or would he?

No, Rylie shook themselves, he would never. 

A tide of gooseflesh rose across their arms. They shivered. The candles brought barely any heat, and Rylie never liked sitting in practically no clothes at all. No insulation meant no heat. 

As a child, Rylie never thought through their decisions. They would always act before thinking, and would sometimes act through several steps of a process before realizing how wrong they were. Such as in science class, when they measured their baking soda and vinegar wrong to the point where the mixture bubbled over and across their table. Or, even worse, when they thought Maxwell Grant liked them since he kept pulling on their ponytail. Just the idea of a boy liking them, at that time, caused them to have a crush. 

The fallout of their confession of that elementary school crush still sometimes popped up in their nightmares. 

Now, Rylie found themselves sitting on a precipice. If they didn’t stop now, didn’t blow out all the candles, run into their room, change, and clean up quickly, the point of no return would come and go without them. And they would fall. 

Muscles tensed, Rylie sat up. All too soon, however, that familiar creak of the front door echoed through their apartment. 

Panic surged through them. Gripping the edge of the couch, Rylie’s eyes darted around. Grabbing a blanket off the end of the couch, they flung it around themselves, blocking the sight of their body as Casrath poked into the apartment. 

He blinked slowly, looking around at the candles before his eyes settled on Rylie. A soft smile tugged at his lips. 

“What’s all this?” he asked. 

Tongue-tied and still vibrating with anxiety, Rylie shrugged, unable to form words. They tugged the blanket tighter around themselves. 

Casrath moved smoothly over to their side, gliding across the carpet. He took off his leather jacket and hung it next to theirs on the wall. 

Rylie couldn’t stop their eyes from drifting to how his plain orange tee-shirt hugged his biceps all too tightly. Their body, already heated, flushed further. The fact that he wore his jeans way too low on his sculpted hips also didn’t help. As Casrath sat besides them, Rylie caught the whiff of alcohol on his breath.

But no musk. No sweat. No stench of sex clung to his body like a second skin. No lipstick stains covered swollen lips. Besides a soft blush and his easy smile, nothing else seemed out of place. 

Casrath eyed them and the costume makeup on the table. He shifted closer to Rylie, wrapping an arm around them. 

“Your eyes are mesmerizing in this light,” he whispered to them, his voice dark and husky. “And you painted them.” His fingers caressed their cheek, leaving ghostly trails of heat. 

That damned frog remained in Rylie’s throat. They nodded, unable to meet his gaze. 

Casrath hummed to himself. His fingers traveled lower to their neck, and he traced circles all the way down to the soft spot between their throat and their clavicle. 

Rylie tensed as Casrath thumbed the erogenous zone. A shiver danced up their spine. 

His eyes, heavy-lidded and dark with desire, flashed. “May I kiss you?” 

“Yes,” Rylie finally said. Their voice came out cracked from disuse and nerves. 

Casrath leaned in, dusted his lips over theirs, before dipping his head down and kissing at that small spot he just thumbed. 

Shocks of desire raced through Rylie’s body. A small sigh escaped and they tilted their head to the side, allowing Casrath further access to their throat as he bathed them in small kisses. His tongue darted out, swirling against every particular sensitive spot, leaving Rylie wanton. 

Their speechlessness finally broke, Rylie licked their lips with their dry tongue. “Cas?” 

“Hmm?” he murmured against their throat as he nuzzled them. 

“R- Remember our conversation from- from earlier? Today? Before you- Before you left?”

“Of course. I remember all our conversations, Ree.” 

Rylie’s brain short circuited again briefly. Mentally shaking themselves, they continued, “well… I know you miss your home and- and such and- well- you see. You see, I wanted to- wanted to do something nice for you. And you know, I thought. I thought, um--”

Casrath leaned in and silenced them with a long kiss. His tongue darted against their lower lip. 

Rylie moaned, and Casrath swallowed it gleefully. He nipped their tongue as Rylie tried to return the previous gesture. 

They pulled back with a small gasp, their face glowing pink, and peered up at him shyly. 

His voice, deeper than before, resonated with a dark timbre. “Will you be dancing for me, Rylie?”

Rylie nodded, unable to find their words yet again.

Casrath released them, and stood up to push the coffee table away from the couch to allow Rylie plenty of space. As he did so, he picked up the costume makeup. 

“I- I didn’t quite know what- what you wanted so… I know its not the same and the makeup is old but….”

Casrath held out a hand for them. 

Rylie hesitated. If they stood up, the blanket would fall away. They gulped. 

“Do you trust me?” he asked. 

“It’s not a matter of trust.”

Rylie hesitated again. 

“It’s a matter of tempered expectations.”

Casrath sighed through his nose. “What do you think my expectations are?”

Rylie looked away, frowning. “Whatever beautiful men, women, and enbies you had in Hell. Stronger, faster, with more stamina than any human.” Rylie scrunched up their nose. “Probably fitter and more flexible too.” 

Casrath’s hand remained hovering in the air. 

“And yet,” he said, “I have never had the pleasure of my tal’rith dancing for me. Nor the pleasure of a human doing so much to accommodate my needs and understand my culture. 

Rylie shrugged again. “That’s… that’s just the bare minimum, though.” 

“Not to me,” Casrath said. 

Rylie stared at his proffered hand, their heart thumping hard in their chest, and a bead of sweat rolling down the side of their temple. A burst of energy coursed through them, tensing their leg muscles. Far from the type to run, Rylie knew that, in that moment, they could have sprinted with ease. 

Rylie slid their hand into Casrath’s.

No more running. 

Rylie pulled themselves to their feet with Casrath’s assistance. The blanket fell away, revealing every inch of skin. Immediately, Rylie looked down at their bare feet, their entire face glowing in another blush as a second bead of sweat traced down the back of their neck. 

“Rylie.” Casrath’s fingers tilted their chin up. His eyes bore into their own.

They bit their lip, gulping again, shivering and sweating at the same time. 

For once, Casrath struggled to speak. He opened his mouth, then closed it again, then breathed their name a second time. His eyes roamed over their face before dropping to the rest of their body. Rylie tensed, curling their shoulders in on themselves, and crossing their arms over their pelvis. 

Breasts were breasts. But any further…. 

Casrath gathered them in his arms, pulling them close to his body before diving down to press a kiss against their lips. 

This kiss-- oh.

Rylie gasped, parting their lips for him to explore their mouth. They moaned again, pressing their own tongue against him to taste him back. This kiss-- this kiss had heat. It had teeth, as Rylie took the initiative for the first time, and nibbled on Casrath’s lower lip. 

This time, it was Casrath who gasped. And as he pulled away slightly, Rylie pressed onward. A surge of confidence filled them as they pressed their tongue into his mouth. 

Casrath’s mouth ran hotter than their own. The tips of his fangs brushed against them as they tasted alcohol on his breath, the scent of ash, and something woody and natural beneath. Almost like pine, but just off enough to give them pause. Casrath did not proceed in the opening Rylie gave him, but continued to allow them to explore his mouth just as fervently. 

All the while, his hands traveled down their back. He stroked their hips, running his hand from the top of that second black band, down the flesh it pinched outward and accented, and further down to their lower hip and leg. His hands circled back around, and ghosted up the round hill of their ass.

Rylie tensed for a squeeze that didn’t happen. 

Pulling away, Rylie gasped as the need of air overcame their own desires. They panted, staring up at Casrath with wide and wild eyes. 

The strange and sudden confidence didn’t diminish. It still worked its way through them, touching every nerve. For once, Rylie didn’t allow their brain to run freely ahead of them. They acted before thinking, grabbing Casrath’s hands and spinning the two of them around as to switch their positions. 

Casrath fell back against the couch, sinking into it. He spread his legs out and stared up at Rylie. They recognized that look of lust and hunger, with his lip partially curled, exposing a bit of his fangs. 

Perhaps the wine from earlier had been a good idea, Rylie mused for just half a second before realizing, with one last thought, that they had almost forgotten the music. 

“Casrath,” Rylie murmured, and the voice which came from their mouth was unrecognizable to them; dark, heavy with want, and smooth. “Would you mind putting some music of your choice on? Something… slow.” They tossed their phone to him. 

Casrath easily caught the phone mid-air. After a bit of fiddling, a low, sultry tune slunk its way out of the tiny speakers. Piano-based, but with a hint of string and a saxophone. He set the phone down to the side. 

“Perfect,” Rylie said, and they proceeded to shut the rest of their thoughts out. 

They placed their hands on Casrath’s knees, and slid their body between them. Shifting their weight from foot-to-foot, they shook their hips back and forth. 

A long sigh escaped from Casrath’s nose as Rylie used their fingers to walk their hands up his legs, bobbing their head and shaking their hips in-time to the slow, waltzing music. Before their hands reached his crotch, they let go, standing back up to instead drag their own fingers down the side of their face, and then further down the side of their breast. 

Rylie allowed their eyes to fall shut and submitted themselves to the will of the music. They continued to dance, following altered steps of their previous pole-dancing class. The steps remained small as they danced closer and closer to Casrath, trailing their own hands down their body, across their face, chest, and hips. 

As they opened their eyes, Rylie reminded themselves that they were not the flexible type before trying to fling their leg over his shoulder. Instead, they slid their leg against the outside of Casrath’s, leaning forwards, and planting their knee next to his hip. 

Rylie sighed softly against Casrath’s lips, which now were only a few inches away. 

Casrath fidgeted. His eyes continued to roam over their entire body. His chest rose and fell in his own hard pants as he sat, tensed as a bow string. 

Rylie shot him a cheeky grin. 

That broke Casrath. He lunged forward, hooking his fingers around their hips, and dragging them onto his lap and into another dizzying kiss. A growl mingled with a purr rumbled in his chest, nearly drowning out the music. He ravaged Rylie’s lips, but rather than submitting, Rylie’s own deluge of an attack met him. 

They bit back harder, rubbed their tongue just as hard against his, and kissed his lips just as swollen as theirs. Rylie locked their fingers behind his neck, leveraging themselves to better position themselves on his lap. 

Casrath shifted beneath them as well, pulling them ever closer into his chest. Rylie’s knees sat outside Casrath’s upper thighs and their clothed crotch sat right above his own. 

With their heart still beating hard in their throat, Rylie pulled away from Casrath to gasp for air. Their hands and body no longer shook with unwarranted shivers. 

Casrath’s purr remained, and he rubbed circles into their hips with his warm palms. The touch was neither soft nor too rough. 

They sat back, peering down at Casrath with their head cocked to the side, barely a thought sparking in their mind. 

Casrath stared up at them with ever darker eyes. That demonic orange flame within raged, but for now, remained contained. 

The music, that soft piano, teasing string, and playful sax, still swirled around the both of them. 

Rylie smirked. Catching the beat of the music, they shifted their weight back and forth, a slow start to build to a full gyration. 

Casrath released a long, low moan at Rylie’s machinations. As Rylie rocked their hips back and forth along Casrath’s crotch, they trailed their fingers across his clothed chest, tracing nonsense shapes into the fabric. They watched, enraptured, as his eyes fluttered close and his lips parted yet again as another moan escaped from him. 

Heat pooled in their lower belly, and Rylie felt something unfamiliar, but all too knowable, shift beneath them as he hardened. It brought yet another smirk to Rylie’s lips, but this one a little more uncertain. 

When Casrath’s eyes flashed open, Rylie braced themself to be flipped around, for those lips to crash into theirs and for him to seize and conquer them. But instead, Casrath leaned in, and traced his nose against their own. His hands left their hips as he picked up the fallen costume makeup from the couch, and popped the lid open.

“May... I- I paint you?” Casrath breathed against their lips. His words bled into his heavy pants. 

Rylie merely nodded. 

Casrath squirted orange paint onto his fingers. He rubbed his fingers together, smoothing and thinning out the paint, before reaching up to brush his fingers along Rylie’s neck. 

Rylie shivered as the cold paint met their heated flesh. 

Rylie couldn’t see what Casrath was doing, but they could feel his fingers as he painted long, jagged lines down either side of their throat. He curled those lines toward their clavicles, before lifting his fingers, and then painting an unrecognizable, geometrical symbol. 

Casrath continued his own machinations, trailing his fingers to continue similar symbols on Rylie’s shoulders and down their arms. Rylie glanced down, watching as Casrath curled the paint around their biceps before drawing the same symbol on the back of their hands. 

The symbol was a simple one; a polygon with 6 sides, and yet in a shape similar to that of a Valentine heart. A dot between the sqggggggggggggguncertainty hitting them like a freight train. Up to this point, without a mirror, Rylie easily ignored the presence of their stomach. They didn’t have to look and see how it hung over the hem of their panties. Nor did they have to pay attention to how it already pressed forward and into Casrath’s own muscular front before even their breasts did. 

Not that they wanted that. A flatter stomach by itself would have been fine. 

Slowly, Rylie squeezed their eyes and shook their head back and forth. No. Not right now. Not when they had been on top for so long--

“Okay,” Casrath murmured, and his lips ghosted against Rylie’s once more in a tender kiss. The cold touch of his painted fingers brushed along their hips and thighs. “Is this better then?”

Rylie nodded. They leaned their forehead against Casrath’s. Carefully, with Casrath guiding their hips as he painted them, Rylie started to gyrate their hips once more. 

It was hard not to brush against his erection. Contained by thick denim against the side of his leg, everytime Rylie found themselves accidentally brushing their wet panties against it, Casrath shuddered. Using his shoulders as leverage, Rylie once again caught the wave of the looping music, and dove back into their wicked dance. 

Rylie played with Casrath’s hair as he decorated their body further with the red costume makeup. This time, he added details to the orange markings, crossing over the previous orange lines in twisted and detailed filigree. Casrath traced a line of red following their temples down to their jaw, curving beneath and connecting it to the orange alongside the sides of their neck. 

His heavy breathing continued to billow against their face with every shared touch. 

And as Rylie found themself lost within the sensation of his hands and the music, a soft moan slipped past their lips as they continuously ground against Casrath’s need. 

Then, he started to grind back. He snapped his hips upwards, rubbing himself back against them. 

God. 

Heat pooled in their own core, winding it tighter and tighter. 

And as Casrath reached around to grab a massive handful of their ass, squeezing hard and pushing them down against him harder, Rylie found themselves whimpering softly at their own need. 

Their eyes flashed open. They were not the fittest, and as such, already their hips and knees were beginning to hurt with the effort of keeping themselves upward. 

Casrath didn’t close his eyes, nor did they leave Rylie’s form. He raked his sight up and down their body as he continued to squeeze and fondle their ass, pressing them further down into him. He leaned in, but rather than kiss their lips, he instead nipped their clavicle before moving downwards to press the flat of his tongue against the tops of their breasts. 

He dragged his tongue in a long, sizzling lick across the top of their chest. He pressed another kiss between their breasts, right where their cleavage began. 

Rylie threw their head back as Casrath dragged another moan out of them. 

“We- we need to stop. I- I mean. I don’t want to but--” Rylie panted. 

A growl rumbled in Casrath’s chest, but with a long sigh, he pulled back. His eyes remained dark, his eyebrows drawn in, and his mouth parted in heavy breaths. 

“Yes. Yes, I-- if we do not….”

Casrath wrapped his arms around Rylie. He shifted their weight, tucking them into his chest. He buried his face into the top of their head, breathing deeply. 

“...If we do not, I will not be able to stop myself any longer from taking you right here,” Casrath murmured. 

Rylie flushed, but they nodded. “Oh.” They bit back their words, their begs for Casrath to give in for once. For him to flip them around, pull off his pants, and for him to fuck them right into the couch. 

No, Rylie told themself. We can’t. Not yet. It’s not time yet. 

“You-- you are a devious one, Rylie Hill,” Casrath said with a small chuckle underlining his words. He easily picked Rylie up off his lap to instead tuck them into his side rather than on his noticeable erection. 

“Only sometimes,” Rylie said. The smirk didn’t drop from their lips. “I- I don’t know if I did anything right. I’ve never really given anyone a, uh, lapdance before. But- but I wanted to do something nice for you. I don’t know.” They looked away as their senses came trickling back, and with it, embarrassment. “Sorry if I was heavy.”

“Rylie….” Casrath leaned his cheek on the top of their head. Picking the blanket up off the ground, he draped it over the both of them before turning the music off and hugging Rylie close. 

“You were wonderful. I do not have words in this language to explain how much what you did means to me. Nor do I have words to express just how much I enjoyed you.”

Rylie flushed. “Um, I don’t think you need words….” they glanced down at Casrath’s now covered lap. 

Casrath chuckled. “Indeed. But no, you are not heavy to me at all, Rylie. I am much stronger than I look.” He nuzzled the top of their head. “I- I know you will want to wash up soon, but- but do you mind staying here, with me, for a little longer?”

Rylie smiled softly. “Oh, Cas….” They turned, and pressed the smallest of kisses against his lips. “I don’t want to leave yet either. I can wash up in a little bit.”

Casrath’s purr grew louder. He picked Rylie up to put them back in his lap, but this time he held them almost bridal-style -- settling their head against his shoulder. 

“Perfect.”

[f1nns1deblog]

Welcome back to another F1nn-ventures recap! Like in the Japan trip and Belle collab posts, I'll be presenting not only this week's new photos, but also a bit of the lore and fan reactions to provide context for why TWO posts from the f1nn5ter subreddit hit r/all yesterday!

First, let us return to a time nearly lost to the mists of history: May, 2020.

(I won't be doing a readmore on this post, sorry mobile scrollers!)

Two different gamer bros from two different countries have had the same idea: dress up like egirls and troll people on omegle. One of them is our boy F1nn,:

and the other is self-trained voice actor and professional YouTuber Natt:

In a moment of pure serendipity, they ended up in the same chat room, resulting in this viral clip:

(You can also check out the full version in Natt and F1nn's videos!)

F1nn and Natt went on to become good internet friends, with Natt popping in on F1nn's streams fairly regularly. (Natt also knew CottonTailVA before she met F1nn!) This year, Natt finally had the opportunity to visit the UK, so naturally he and F1nn planned to meet up irl.

Meanwhile, F1nn's chat loves "walking streams", where F1nn would occasionally live stream while walking around in public in "girl mode" as a dono goal. He started doing this at the beginning of the pandemic when it was late at night, so there were rarely people around to see him dressed up. After moving to his first (and current) house and getting yelled at by his friend MeowRiza, a trans woman, about reasonable safety precautions, walking streams were informally removed as a dono goal option.

Chat, of course, didn't give up hope. The idea of having a friend along to act as a body guard was raised, and it was suggested that F1nn go out somewhere safer, and perhaps do a video instead of being live. This topic came up again in F1nn's 2/18/23 stream, at which point everyone knew that Natt would be visiting in May. Natt was hanging out in chat during the stream, so an agreement was reached: F1nn would go on a "date" with Natt in full girl mode in London, IFF chat hit a dono goal of $15,000.00.

Chat smashed the dono goal in under 45 minutes.

(Check out stream timestamps 4:10:00-4:50:35 for the speedrun!)

All of that brings us to the events of this week (so far!).

On 5/18/23, Natt tweeted that he was in the UK, and on 5/20/23 F1nn posted a photo to his instastory of the sign at the Milton Keynes rail station. We knew they'd be meeting up soon, but not exactly when or what, if anything, they'd post about it.

On 5/21/23, Natt tweeted:

As per usual, the tweet was posted to the subreddit by (one of our new stream mods!!!) Barbie_secretstanner (who also posts F1nn's tweets here to tumblr! but I can't seem to @ them bc tumblr sucks sometimes):

I've included a screenshot of the post to show that Barbie indicated that this was a tweet by someone else, and she included a link to the original tweet as per typical subreddit archiving standards.

The reddit post blew up, relatively, because of how much chat has been anticipating F1nn being in girl mode in public, which led to it landing on r/all, where multiple lovely, supportive people apparently thought that someone was genuinely posting a selfie before their first date, as evidenced by comments that complimented F1nn's looks and encouraged him to have a good time. Natt also received some replies on twitter to the effect of, "She (meaning F1nn) looks cute, good luck bro!"

Next, F1nn posted this photo to his instastory:

Along with a short video that included Natt saying hi in his "girl voice" from across the hotel room they were both in. (To which we all said, 👀👀👀.)

This was followed up by F1nn tweeting:

which was posted to the subreddit by u/ECCOBLAST:

to which dudebros on twitter and reddit responded with ESSAYS about feminism, trans people, and dating norms in general, as they all immediately jumped to a diverse number of completely incorrect assumptions.

They said if women wanted equality then this is what they deserved, and gay men shouldn't expect hetero dating norms to apply just because they're pretty, and trans women should expect their dates to "see through" their chosen gender and be treated accordingly, and even that if F1nn was really a dude a birth then yeah, but because trans men are just self-hating cis women the "real" guy (Natt) should have paid the bill. There were even a few well-intentioned folks who said Natt was a shithead for bringing up F1nn's AGAB over his (presumed) actual gender!

The one assumption they had in common was that this was a post about a real date made by someone genuinely complaining about an actual comment made by a random guy that they were now putting on blast on the internet.

This firestorm of opinions was only somewhat calmed by Natt and then F1nn's replies to F1nn's tweet:

Which brings us to today! Nothing new has been posted so far by either of them, although I am typing this up before F1nn's usual posting time. We are anticipating a video to be made and hoping to see Natt on a F1nn stream, but editing takes a while and we have no clue what Natt's overall schedule is while in the UK, so we'll just have to wait and see if we get any more updates!

[plasma-studios]

out of curiosity, how do you outline/write your utmv fics?

it depends whether it's a longfic or oneshot, or short chapt fic!

for oneshots, I usually just have a gist. for instance:

in a night of passion, the entire outline was just Dream and Cross fuck and it is fluffy. i mean, in the process angst did make it's way into there, but that's the point: in oneshots, it's always better to start off with a gist and let it evolve as it's written for me:D

for short chapt fics, I have a general goal (something like a gist) and a specific goal (anything ranging from a specific line of text or moment that I really want to include); for instance:

for deicide; undetified, my general goal were scenes of Dream accompanying Ink as his body slowly broke down and my specific goal was to make my way up to Ink's last words. everything else in that fic was built up after writing those two goals to give it more fluff and weight:D

for longfics, it's a little more complex! i'll need a main idea! it usually isn't very complex, but it has to be interesting enough:)

after that, it's basically balancing rambling and structuring, and doing it messily is better than never doing it, right?

for instance, Immortals & Empires:

obviously, many things have changed since, but the core idea is the "Empire AU". and, of course, the dreamtale angst at the beginning.

from there, i wrote down the motives of the most important characters (or: the characters I simped for the most and so wanted to get started writing about the quickest:

(i changed writing sites, quotev to google docs so that's why there's a theme change lol)

i never did actually finish writing the motives of the other characters. partially because i was lazy and partially because the writing momentum, yknow?

from there, i did a bit more brainstorming. heres an example of lore in its early stages:

1 did end up in the fic, but the rest didn't, apart from the second part of 3 lol.

I did a bit more brainstorming on the Dreamtale twins, went on to flesh out Ink and Error's strength and weaknesses, the history and background, etc etc-

then, once all that was fleshed out, i started planning the fic chapter by chapter. by then, i had decided on 3 acts + 10 chapters per act, which means I knew i would have 30 chapts; so i typed out Chapter 1-30 and started coming up with a coherent plot!

while i was doing that, I made notes of any sudden ideas I had. that was actually extremely useful and later developed into plot points, both major and minor. i can't actually show a screenshot because it'd be a MAJOR spoiler for the ending lmao.

after i outlined the plot, I began writing, and that was that:)

(if im being honest, some of the plot I outlined just didn't make sense. i had covid-19 when i outlined it lol, so maybe that's why? but geez sometimes I had to go back and correct it when I was writing Act 1 and 2; but it all turned out great in the endx) )

while I was writing, I definitely lost motivation sometimes because of burnout. when that happened, i went to spotify; started thinking AU ideas, and if all else was lost, i changed the font i was using in google docs.

im serious. it does wonders, i swear.

ANYWAY- I hope I answered your question, anon! thank you for the ask:]

[frogcraftingg]

hi! I hope it's ok to ask this but. Ive been wanting to do more MC content and came across your stuff, which has inspired me more to do more content! I was wondering how much success you see posting on other platforms to promote your YouTube channel and all? Ive been doing shorts on YouTube, along with posting on TikTok and Instagram, but a lot of people state that YT shorts are unreliable if my main goal is long form content... Ultimately I'm looking to build a community around my stories I tell on Minecraft. And I'd love to hear from someone with more experienced in the area I'm interested in!!

Hi! Such a great question!

I'm a bit newer to trying to promo my content via different places, so I'll give you the short version and then explain.

TLDR: I'd say there's some success to be had in cross-promoting, though I've had the most success via Instagram first and TikTok second, but I follow trends and try to apply them to my niche, or show off different bits of my worlds and promote my videos on the worlds that way. It has varying success.

Explanation: So I wanna start off by saying I don't post ANY short-form content on YouTube. Similarly, I stopped posting anything except for Let's Play/SMP content + the occassional tutorial as that's pretty much what I want to make and the audience I want to build. Posting short form (as well as long form) content to YouTube can be tricky because those videos can pop off with a certain audience but then other types of videos can have trouble getting to the audiences you want them to (i.e., less regular watchers than usual watching the videos). I think there are people who have success but I've not caught on to what that is, exactly. I think it's easier to convert people over if they like to watch long form rather than short form content.

TikTok can be hit or miss. TikTok imo really values educational and/or highly entertaining content. There is room for story content, but it has to grip people right from the first second and as an amateur storyteller (me, I'm just starting out on that journey haha) that is very hard to do!! I really look up to people like GeorgeIRL (this video is my favorite), but most of my success there is about the packs I use and recommending other packs/mods. I've had a few other random videos/memes do well, and sometimes I do have people come into Twitch streams/find me on YouTube and recognize me from TikTok. If I have a trending video about my hardcore world or whatnot, I will usually reply to comments saying I make videos (link in bio) if they are interested.

Instagram is where I've personally seen the most success, as it has a really untapped market for Minecraft imo. I apply trends via the reel sounds there to my niche (like this video here or another example that popped off) and this has definitely brought people to my YouTube and Twitch channels in the last month.

I wish I had more info on storytelling specifically for you, but as far as rates for getting people to one place to another.... Conversion rates, no matter how good your content is, are usually pretty low, I'd say maybe 5-10% max at their "best." Even with a combined ~90k on TikTok/Insta, I definitely don't see those numbers on Twitch or YouTube yet (via live-views, views per video, subscriber/follower counts, etc).

I didn't really try to promote my bloodlines content as it's lore-based but also new to me, so i wasn't 100% sure how I wanted to present it. I may have better feelings in the future once I get the hang of insta reels a bit more on how to do it.

As far as pure numbers go though...Truthfully, the best conversions for me have come from Twitch and I think there's a lot of room for storytelling and creating a world (together) there that people enjoy, though I did also have a lot of luck there with the twitch recommended algorithm and live-streaming in general based on the start circumstances that I had.

Overall though I love that you are doing something fun and including a story in your worlds, it's absolutely amazing. Wishing you the most luck, let me know if you wanna chat anymore about anything!

hugs!

[cheerstotheelites-if]

Can you give us a short snippet of how a magi battle in cheers to the elties will look like, just to get an idea?

you can choose the magic type and the experience of the magi yourself

Oh absolutely! Writing Magi battles are always fun for me. I do have some old ones that I've written before making this IF, so I'll share those instead.

Forgive me if the writing is a bit clunky, for any grammar mistakes, and for any outdated stuff, this was from February of last year before I did some lore rewrite.

Here are the characters and their magic:

Eiliane (or Eli): Astrology; Moderate Rudyard: Fungi Druid; Master

Under the cut as per usual!

Additional context: This is in and during a Magi Gala

=-=-=

Another battle.

Magic blast off each other on the stone floored battlefield.

Another duel.

Eli stumbles back, coughing into her shoulder upon inhaling some of the spores of the mold sprouting from the ground. Her vision began to spin and blur, the wine and shrimp she had earlier wanted to launch out of her stomach with each increasing cough.

What did she bring herself into?

The atmosphere is thick with tension from the long duel that's occuring. It's already been a good near half hour since its started, and things weren't already doing well for Eli from the get-go.

A few feet before her stands a disheveled man with long, messy, jet black hair and pale beige skin. He wears a dress shirt, untucked and unironed with its sleeves pushed to his elbows. A black tie hangs loosely from his neck. His black slacks was also messy, not even pleated or ironed. He's barefoot like Eli, his dress shoes laying on the side after being tossed away.

Dark red eyes watch Eli as she succumbs to whatever she inhaled. His eyebags and stubble gave him a more menacing look as he stares. He walks over, hands lazily tucked into the pocket of his slacks as Eli fell onto one knee and still coughing.

This man is Rudyard Villan. An alchemist and a fungi druid from Burnwood.

"Are you done?" He asks, bored and unimpressed, and grabbing her head and knees her in the eye. The arcana Magus falls back, glasses breaking on impact and a few shards getting stuck into her cheek. The glasses fell off, frame now broken from the knee jab. "And here I was, looking forward to something like your duel earlier."

Eli didn't reply—she couldn't reply. Whatever is happening to her, it's getting worse. The urge to throw up is stronger than ever, her head is pounding, and her vision is fading in out. Even with all of that, she slowly gets to her feet, stumbling. The shouts of her Familiar Howl landed on Eli's deaf ears.

"EILIANE, STOP!" He yells, his worry and anxiety spiking upon seeing Eli this way. He has to do something. He wants to do something, but the rules of the duel prevent him from doing so. It is unwise to break the barrier when a battle is happening.

Damn the rules, he curses in his head.

Eli looks into Rudyard's eyes, swaying as she stood. "You want a battle?" She asks, voice raspy from a growing inflamed throat, "let's get serious then."

Rudyard cocks his head to the side, eyebrow raising. "Oh? Show me then."

Eli scowls at his gesture, before throwing whatever remaining cards she had left. Rudyard simply dodges them by simply moving from one side to the other, unimpressed still.

"That old trick again?" He frowns a bit. "Trying to summon limbs and hold me down like the swordsman?"

"If only it were that easy." Eli charges at him, despite the things she's feeling growing worse.

Rudyard leans back upon Eli's attempt to punch him. He quickly steps back from her second attempt, swiping his hand close to her face, a cloud of spore following. The symptoms increased, her joints hurt all over, and why is everything slowly becoming numb…? It didn't stop her from flicking two of her fingers towards her.

Rudyard furrowed his brows in confusion at the gesture, but his answer soon came to him when a sharp crack erupts, coming from him as something tightly grips him. Something broke, and it's definitely his. His upper arms are broken. Pain quickly takes over his senses, and he held back the urge to scream in pain. He's right on Eli summoning limbs to grab him, but he didn't guess that she'll do something this brutal.

Another flick of Eli's fingers, and Rudyard is slammed onto the barrier behind her with the force of a jet crashing onto the ground. More cracks were audible as Rudyard is crushed onto the wall. Eli lowers her fingers, and the fungi druid is dropped onto the ground.

She stood there for a while, before falling onto her side with a faint thump onto the ground.

Tensed silence hung in the air, unsure on who's won even though the answer seems so obvious. Before a winner could be declared, Rudyard slowly shifts and gets up. The fungi all over the battlefield seeped into his fingers, and appear to be… fixing every broken bone he possess with sickening cracks and twitches. It wasn't long until he's good as new. He sits up eventually, before looking at Eli.

Footsteps approached her, as she fought to stay conscious. She can't move even if she wanted to. Everything in her body is failing her, and she can barely even breath, it being shallow and slow. Rudyard's feet came into view, and she can't react when he pulled her up by the hair. The stinging pain that she's supposed to feel is merely nothing. Dark red eyes gaze onto her barely open dark orange ones, its spark of life slowly dying.

"So this is Top 1's protigé? Is this what the Valenstine family can do?" Rudyard sighs, and shakes his head, "you really had me, Eiliane. You almost did, and I'm disappointed that you didn't finish me off when you had the chance." He shakes her a bit, as if her now limp body is a ragdoll. "Is throwng cards your only strategy? How boring and predictable." With a sneer he drops her, breaking her right forearm with his heel as Eli numbly takes the pain. A sickening loud crack came from it.

He rubs his neck, his exasperation growing to pissed off anger. "It's time I put you out of your misery, Valenstine."

"You bastard, don't you dare." Cold words escaped Howl's mouth, already in his human form now and glaring at the fungal Magus with cold murderous hatred. "I'll fucking kill you if you do that, you piece of shit." Rudyard looks at Howl, staring back with the same coldness.

He continued to stare, slowly raising a hand as mold grew from under his feet and made its way to Eli. "Make me, you useless fuck. You only stood there while you let your master get beaten up. The hell kind of Familiar are you to let it happen?"

Howl was just about to get into the battlefield to beat up the living shit out of Rudyard, when—

"Rudy!" A female voice calls out, and Rudyard quickly looks over at where it came from. There stood a woman with bright pastel blue hair, looking at him in horror.

"What are you doing…?" Her voice is softer now in disbelief, as she glanced at the dying Eli then back at Rudyard who was standing over the Valenstine.

[pigstepping]

Happy Saturday! Here's another batch of fic recs featuring Techno. As always, these works are all complete, over 1k words, and around 5k hits or less. I'll tell you rating, archive warnings, main characters, and word count. In return, you go give the authors your kudos and comments! I promise it will make their day :)

As per usual, please check tags for content warnings. And we're off:

The Thing With Feathers by Misterghostfrog

M || Graphic Violence || Non-trad SBI || 11k

Techno mourns Wilbur and Tommy during the zombie apocalypse, but Phil can’t quite bring himself to let them go. I call this genre "hopeful horror," because it takes some genuinely unsettling elements and transforms them into something thoughtful and uplifting. Emotionally grounded, with subtle but impactful worldbuilding (and no MCD!)

the grass at home by CRINGEJUM

M || No Warnings Apply || TwinsDuo || 14.5k

Techno and Wilbur are the only two humans in an alien fighting ring. Nice long space AU with plenty of hurt/comfort, trauma bonding, and a handful of really gnarly fight scenes. Be aware that the author posted more detailed TWs for this fic in the end notes, so if you’re sensitive to heavy topics I recommend checking there!

everything you touch (it dies) by Anarchy_and_Piglins

T || No Warnings Apply || Boreal Trio || 1.5k

Techno copes (or doesn’t) in the aftermath of Ranboo’s death. Beautiful prose, horribly sad, just pure catharsis. The way this author portrays Techno’s grief in the context of all of his prior trauma hits like a train to the chest. Also features some achingly gentle emduo comfort. Highly recommended if you just need a good cry.

Eyes Wide Open by ImperialKatwala 

G || No Warnings Apply || EmDuo, SBI+ || 4k

Techno, in desperate need of money, climbs a mountain to kill a monster. He discovers that the situation is a little more complicated than he was led to believe. Featuring lonely, competent, self-sacrificial Techno in a fantasy setting with some mythology-inspired lore, and Phil being a great dad and an all-around good guy <3

platonic physical intimacy speedrun, any% by noseances

G || No Warnings Apply || EmDuo || 3.5k

Techno does the most intricate rituals imaginable to ask Phil for a hug. The characterization in this one is awesome and so very relatable, and the author nailed Techno’s internal monolog. It’s also fucking funny. Regulars of this rec list will know that I’m very picky with fluff, but this one feels true-to-life and accurate to the characters.

Enjoy the technoblade!

(Previous batch here)