#augh i love campaign 2 ;w;

[spottedenchants]

WIP Wednesday

Still been chipping away at the first time fic and just got over a big hurdle in chapter 3, so here's a fun chunk from chapter 1 :D

enjoy! :3

--

Essek hums, satisfied, as he rights Caleb’s shirt collar to its position a mere minute ago and returns to scratching fingertips along Caleb’s jaw, through the hair that has grown in well enough to darken the cut of it quite noticeably. Already a beard in appearance after only a few short days, it isn’t yet particularly soft.

But the sh-skritch of it…. Certainly an entertaining sound.

Sh-skritch sh-skritch.

Caleb, still seated lax, his hands folded polite in his lap while he performs his part as the subject of Essek’s study, leans his jaw into Essek’s hand.

“What are you thinking?”

“I’m beginning to better understand the extent of your grooming habits while you were in Rosohna.”

“How is that?”

Essek holds Caleb by the chin and angles his head leftward with care.

“I thought it was a pretty quick shift, from your initial, mm…”

Right, left. Hm. What to call that mess.

Down, and up- ah, notable delineation under the chin here, but a fade here on either side…. The hair spreads farther down his throat than Essek recalls. Caleb must usually keep these portions trimmed.

A combination, then.

“Ensemble, to the style you kept.”

Side and side, a tad bit longer between cheek hollow and ear, less stiff than the rest along his jawline as well. Does length play such a significant role? Though, perhaps here it is also a result of the reach of his conditioner during baths.

Essek scratches a detour through the coarser bits again.

“Have you made use of any oils?”

Sh-skritch.

Wasn’t it Fjord who made a mention of that? Essek briefly considers along the lines of plain logic, but can’t presently dredge up the memory.

Sh-skritch sh-skritch.

“Too rough for you?”

Caleb lets out a little laugh, which Essek easily requites.

“Mere curiosity.”

He can handle Caleb’s prickles pretty well.

He continues his sh-skritching now under Caleb’s chin and Caleb juts his jaw like a happy kitty.

“It’s been a fair while since I have grown it out so much.”

Blatant dodge. Considering Caleb’s original maintenance plan of a continually smooth face paired with the spontaneity of this research, that’s likely a no, then. Though- the tower can easily provide any manner of conditioners, oils, softeners, the like.

But anyway, back on track.

“If your facial hair grows in this fast, it was certainly frequent upkeep to maintain it gone as well.”

Essek turns Caleb front and center, runs a thumb down his chin- hm. Thick as the hair here now is, even his little dimple is only there in memory.

“Quite a deliberate attempt at camouflage, wasn’t it?”

He meets Caleb’s eyes.

“A presentation of conformity, and yet one of intimidating pride and distinction.”

Blue eyes crinkled bright, Caleb gives him half a grin.

“Takes one to know one.”

Essek mirrors the smirk.

“Perhaps.”

“You didn’t think this then?”

“I didn’t know what to think. You all are…”

Idly toying with the fastening buttons keeping down Caleb’s collar, Essek exhales in a slow stream.

He hated them all as much as he feared them, which is to say, with every fiber of his being. Strange, wild, unpredictable lot.

Ah.

“Eccentric.”

Caleb bumps a chuckle, mouth curling quite prettily.

“I suppose, though I would have hoped my own styling put me in better graces, maybe appearing respectful to the locale- those watching.”

Those watching, hm.

Raising his gaze to meet Caleb’s again, Essek inclines his own head.

“Did you have specfic targets in mind, Caleb?”

Caleb shrugs, his face too nonchalant for the dip in his voice.

“The closest eyes, at least.”

“Well….”

Essek gives an equally smooth lean.

He deposits a kiss upon the apple of Caleb’s cheek and darts back with a full grin.

“Despite your best efforts, I at least ended up liking you.”

“I will, in that case, consider my failure a success.”

[myloveforhergoeson]

ash's august 2024 reading round up

find all the books and fics i read (or didn't read...) this month under the cut with a link to the synopsis and my reviews/ratings attached :)

this is just for fun! i'm not a professional, i just like to read <3

booklist:

The Au Pair Affair by Tessa Bailey (18+!)

• review: ugh. this book was so bad lmao. which does pain me to say because i historically have really enjoyed bailey's writing. and i was super excited for this one because i love hockey romance too! but something about it just felt... off to me. perhaps it was the mmc, burgess' protectiveness of this woman he met one time months ago or how much he thought about how they weren't right for each other or maybe i just didn't like him as a character in general. i also didn't like the fmc, tallulah all that much either; i just found her kind of... allowing herself to be a product of her own situations throughout the entire book. i am sympathetic to her previous bad experience with her ex boyfriend and how he treated her, but i also believe there are better ways to draw attention to the fact that "burgess is a strong, violent hockey player and she was abused by her ex, how could they ever be right for each other?!?!" like... does every woman in a hockey romance have to experience this in order to make this dichotomy known? i just would have liked some more originality on that front i don't know. i also think there was a huge missed opportunity for lissa, burgess' daughter, to have helped bridge the gap between the two adults. as tallulah becomes her part-time caregiver while burgess is away, the two of them really hit it off - i think they had the best dynamic in the entire book and i wish there was more about them and how seeing his daughter and the woman he liked getting along inspired burgess or something. but overall. just a pretty flat story to me. i didn't feel the chemistry, i didn't like how burgess treated tallulah like he owned her, and i didn't like that sooo many times each of them thought they weren't right for each other. why? because it was fucking true! there's a reason you're both feeling this! the best part of this book was the ending chapters where they attend the wedding of the mc's of the first book in this series. i was very excited to see josephine again, i loved her so much. the barnes + noble exclusive bonus chapter was literally the best thing in the book but doesn't make the book itself better in anyway as not everyone got to read it lmao

• rating: 2/5 hockey skates

fic list:

1. Assorted works of @selangkir <333

• Continuation of their Jo/Lucy fic!

MY GIVE A FUCKS ARE ON VACATION

i truly cannot get enough of jo and lucy and your beautiful mind... the dynamic these two have going is already making me giddy and i'm so obsessed with your take on this alternate universe where the boys leave instead of jo! the background you're spinning for lucy has also got my attention in such a grip, the scene at jett's party when she's thinking about her brother and how they used to have these kickbacks with all of his friends. the way we don't learn much about her family in btrtv left so much room for expansion, and i just love the direction you're taking it! AND of course the perfect continuation of our GTR au... god, the kendall and katie scene was so funny to me i love how Sibling they really are. the expansion work on kendall is just fascinating too and running a donation campaign on top of that?? augh! tysm for sharing your work w us <3 (and the private post you sent me with your wips... oh augh i cannot wait for what's in store in the future!!)

2. Assorted works of @ceruleanmusings :))) <3

• Big Time Audition - The Masons

.10

.11

.12

Blood Diamond; Year Three

as always, i ADORED your work this month... lord... i thought about big time audition - the masons for like an entire week. the way each girl is introduced and the way it fits them so perfectly had me feeling like i was there in the house with them, tracking through room to room to see what each of them were doing and how you chose to share them with the world. not only that, but micky watching james' audition literally made me fall out of my chair AHH! i just love them so so so much; the 10-12 blurbs were so wonderful. blood diamond year three was also an incredible work - i loved the direction of choosing to have it be purely conversational but it was still packed with so much raw emotion. the last line also felt like a sucker punch to the face i don't think i'll ever forget it.

3. Assorted works of @partiallypearl / @praetoravila !! <3

hold tight

but we're evergreen

her sense of style, it really rocks

jelisa kiss blurb

cause you got me, and baby, i got you

i tried not to face the truth

be my bad boy (be my man)

oh, i leave quite the impression

our human loneliness

show me your colors

ok.... the way i have been so olivepilled this month is just insane. i'm obsessed with her, i love her, she is my special perfect girl. thank you so much for feeding us with all this good olive content this month - i might die without it. everything about her story, from the introduction with her and her sister (wren... loml) and the first time she meets logan, to their ongoing friendship --> relationship dynamic has me SCREAMING. i love the story you are weaving and i'm so thankful to be able to see it unfolding in real time. she DOES leave quite the impression! the two of them make me illlll. ty for letting me send you a million lolive songs and tiktoks this month and thank you for letting me steal her for the wag au!! it will happen again (affectionately). and your lucy blurb was so captivating as well; your take on her life events leading to her arrival at the palm woods was fascinating. i love her so much! your writing only solidifies this hehe

4. Assorted works of @icegirl2772 <33 !!

• Take A Shot In The Dark Chapter 15!

We Do (But Friends Don't)

girl... you should have seen my jaw DROP at the end of this chapter... oh you got me sooooo so sosoo so good. i was throwing parties in my head... screaming... and then i was crying 😭 A DREAM??? so impactful to my health and wellbeing i stg. i cannot wait for the james and neil show down i am so ready for it... and the new addition of we do (but friends don't) was lovely. god i can't get enough of james and kaelyn!! <333

5. Assorted works of @inkameswetrust :)) !!! <3

The Windowsill

The Windowsill (pt. 2)

The Windowsill (pt. 3)

hiii bestie welcome to the reading round up... your kames fic had me screaming and crying and throwing up (affectionately) even if i accidentally started on the second chapter and not the first hehe. the dynamic between james and kendall is so sweet - james being sooo thoughtful and surprising?? hello?? i a puddle on the floor - and the dynamic you created between kendall and his family in the second edition was so cute. the knights are so special to me and i love that you chose to highlight them (even during kendall's james freak out) :)) the third edition was so cute as well! logan and carlos cutting off their conversation... teasing kendall about what happened... omg. the two of them make me so giddy and this fic is making me collect my own butterflies in my stomach hehe and the classic kendall fumble at the end had me rolling... tysm for sharing! i love your work!!!

[stealingyourbones]

Ask the writer ask game! Tagged by @gremlin-bot

1.) how many works do you have on ao3?

8!

2.) what’s your total ao3 word count?

50k!

3.) what fandoms do you write for?

Primarily DPxDC but I enjoy writing DC and I greatly enjoy writing D&D campaigns!

4.) What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Falling in Love (In the Most Literal Sense)

Short DPxDC Prompts

I've Grown a Mouth So Sharp and Cruel (It's All That I Can Give To You)

What the Hell?! (UP FOR ADOPTION)

Dream of a Peaceful Slumber

5.) Do you respond to comments? Why/why not?

I’m simply too busy with my tumblr to respond to people on ao3. If I try to focus on more than one website at a time I’ll lose my mind 😅. I promise I Look at each and every one!

6.) what’s the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending

There’s a sander sides fic i wrote like 8 years ago that had all of the sides get slowly and very brutally murdered one by one in hella graphic detail. I was trying to experiment with descriptors and visuals at that time. Definitely that one. I don’t think it’s on ao3 but it’s somewhere on my old Wattpad account

7.) what’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Definitely Falling In Love (In The Most Literal Sense) or an unpublished eldritch smut horror DeadOnMain fic that’s forever staying in WIP hell. Falling In Love first and foremost has an ending, secondly they get along and it’s cute :)

8.) do you get hate on fics?

Not really. I occasionally get questions or criticism on my tumblr but that’s either advice or someone wanting answers and that isn’t hate.

9.) Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

I have tried my hand at smut before. Mostly smutty scenes with kinda sorta fade to black, solely because I’m terrible at painting a mental picture for the reader so it always flows terribly. I’ve written that eldritch DeadOnMain thing as I said previously, and some of Jason’s matches Malone persona OF ideas.

10.) do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one?

Somewhere in my WIPs there is a homestuck AU DPxDC fic where DP kids are the humans and DC folks (primarily the teen titans) are the trolls. Definitely that one.

11.) have you ever had a fic stolen?

No fics but I’ve been sent asks that are word for word one of my prompts. I just delete those and go on with my day. Idk I don’t have a tiktok and someone’s probably imitating me on there with my prompts so possibly????

12.) have you ever had a fic translated?

Nope!

13.) have you ever co-written a fic?

Yes!! I’ve Grown A Mouth So Sharp And Cruel (It’s All That I Can Give To You My Dear) (eventually I’ll get around to working on it I have so much stuff going on like preparing to move and finals creeping up aUGH)

14.) what’s your all time fav ship?

Ooooo It’s a solid tie between Kon/Tim and Dave/Karkat. One is my current favorite and the other is one that’s been my favorite ship for the longest time.

15.) what’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you will?

I have a WIP in my files that’s a DPxDC Dash/Danny fic where Dash is a bomb disposal tech and Danny just moved into Gotham. I have the entire outline written and almost a solid chapter done but I heavily doubt I’ll have the motivation to touch it again.

16.) what are your writing strengths?

I don’t think I have any, (I haven’t written a full length fic in so long I can’t really tell 😅) but I’m very good at setting tone. Idk what do y’all think?

17.) writing weaknesses?

Dialogue. 100% dialogue. It always feels clunky and unconversational whenever I read it back. I swear the second I start writing talking I forget how conversations work.

18.) thoughts on writing dialogue in another language?

I’d probably throw a simple word here in there of the other language if I’m writing a bilingual speaker or ask a pal to help me with translations because I only know English and I know damn well that friends are better translators than google.

19.) first fandom you wrote for?

Sander Sides! I wrote a solid 500ish prompts for that fandom and like 70k worth of fics. It was what got me into writing and for that I’m so very glad.

20.) Fav fic you’ve ever written?

Definitely my Batman mermaid au. I love it to bits and I’m so proud of the designs and I’m always kinda sad that I’m the only one as enthused about this work as I am. None the less I reread it at least every 3 months and it always makes me smile doing so.

Ooo who to tag… @chromatographic @halfagone @susiron

[wasyago]

hello hello! if u ever do decide to get more into prime defenders, the first seven episodes are a little iffy but i can attest to it getting better (WAY WAY better) after that, and apparently season 2 is even better. so it might be worth getting into at some point if ur interested ^^

also would HIGHLY recommend blood in the bayou if u like horror because. my god it’s my favorite campaign BY A LOT which is saying something cuz i love all the campaigns i’ve listened to so much, but blood in the bayou hits different. it’s run by charlie, very horror based with a really cool premise that charlie executed fantastically, and it’s only got four episodes ^^

either way i’ve finally caught up w riptide and can finally go through your art for it and oh boy it’s literally so so so cool i’m losing my mind, i love how you draw la alma he is so friend shaped

i hope you’re having a great day, and be sure to Just Roll With It! (<- very funny yet incredibly subtle reference. i’m so tired)

hehehhehe i love the reference >:)c always hear it in grizzly's voice in my head ("and just roll with it baybee!!") and also waaa thank you, i love drawing la alma <3 kitty <3 need to draw more of him, but also there's so many cool npc's that i also want to draw aughh not enough hours in a day smh i need twice as much, maybe thrice.....

about other campaigns!

i think someone said in the tags (or replies, don't remember) under my post that first 7 episodes of pd were kinda eh, and it did feel like the first episodes were less serious and less engaging. like, literally my favorite characters after watching them are tide and wavelength, which is like???? one of them barely talked even. but i do believe that it gets better, i saw some of the art and it looks amazing and super interesting!

blood in the bayou. im so absolutely INSANE about. charlie as a dm is SO fucking good im kicking screaming and crying im not normal. everything from the voices he does to the way he explains things and creates atmosphere to the way he treats players and characters augghhbhhbbbbb words cannot explain how much i love it. i LOVE blood in the bayou, its literally perfect in every aspect. the setting, the game, the art (dont get me started on the art), augh augh augh augh--

both of them (and apotheosis!!!) are on patreon tho, which i sadly don't have access to, no matter how bad i want to watch them or to know what happens next. don't want to get into politics much, but. its not that i don't have 10 dollars or however much the lowest tear is, patreon just doesn't work where i live. same as spotify, paypal, steam, and all the other payed services. vpn works for twitter, instagram, ao3, tiktok, but everything that includes banks and dealing with money and paperwork doesn't get fixed by just changing connection unfortunately. it has its benefits, i don't get ads on youtube or twitch, but everything else sucks. and atm the only real way to deal with it is move to another country... (which sounds pretty good, ngl)

[dykexenomorph]

Bela Re8, Karlach Bg3, and\or Isobel Bg3 for the ask game!

not upset just wanna complete the set 👍

this got kinda long so im putting it under a readmore LMAO (character asks!!)

BELA DIMITRESCU:

HOW I FEEL ABOUT HER: HOW can i put this. she is everything to me. i think about her daily.shes my right hand arm. MAN. shes my everything. all of this but she doesn't even make the top ten in my list of favorite resi charas LMAO

WHO DO I SHIP WITH HER: well nobody. sorry for being lame it will happen again LMAO

NON ROMANTIC OTPS FOR HER: IM SORRY IM SO LAME I JUST LIKE HER FAMILY DYNAMIC. BELA HAS NO FRIENDS SHES A LOSER WHAT DO U WANT FROM ME MAN

UNPOP OPINION ABOUT HER: i dunno how to put it but i think the way i generally see/interpret her (and the other two sisters) are so blatantly different from what fanon is (or at least what it was BEFORE i gave up on the re8 tag) tht its my most unpop opinion? if tht makes sense idk its late and im tired

SMTH I WISH HAPPENED IN CANON: I SO BADLY WANT MORE CONTEXT FOR THE WAY THE DIMITRESCU'S OPERATED AND TREATED ONE ANOTHER. like YEAH they were killing maids and being generally dykeish and cruel in that castle but how were they sustaining this. what like. day to day things did they do. were the sisters close or did they just see each other as competition or what!!! im so curious about them it hurts AUGH

KARLACH CLIFFGATE:

HOW I FEEL ABOUT HER: AUGAUGATGALHGALJSFSDLAJ !!! hope this helps :D

WHO DO I SHIP WITH HER: my DURGE!!!!!!!!!!! (real answer though is probably minthara or shadowheart. i love the idea of minthara ALSO going back to avernus w karlach and wyll to help her fix her engine :3)

NON ROMANTIC OTPS FOR HER: WYLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! they have THE dynamic of all time <3

UNPOP OPINION ABOUT HER: the way people baby her is SO stupid and ridiculous. this is a woman who fought in a demon army for TEN YEARS. she saw what happened when elturel fell and did nothing because she was worried about what it'd mean for herself. YES she is a kind, giving, and heroic person NOW, but she hasn't always been (even if her reasoning is understandable). if i see one more person act like she can't understand or cope with some of the more morally questionable things the party encounters along the campaign im going to lose my mind

SMTH I WISH HAPPENED IN CANON: dunno if this counts but i wish we could do more in terms of touching her (for lack of better way to phrase it) in act 1. like let me be silly and use mage hand to high five (or whatever else) her. let me and wyll dump cold beer in her mouth like some sort of shitty frat party. idk its very silly but i want more goofy interactions w her where tav + the party try to find stupid ways around the engine issue!!!!!

ISOBEL THORM:

HOW I FEEL ABOUT HER: NOBODY LOVES HER MORE THAN I DO AND I MEAN THAT SO GENUINELY. ISOBEL THORM THEY COULD NEVER MAKE ME HATE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WHO DO I SHIP WITH HER: im not answering this. come on now. lets get a grip. (aside from the obvious answer i also like her + dame alyin + shart. tht trio is everything to me <3)

NON ROMANTIC OTPS FOR HER: does jaheira count? they were stuck for SUCH a long time protecting last light together in the shadow curse, they had to have ended up being good friends i think?? i think about it ALL the time

UNPOP OPINION ABOUT HER: its hard to have an unpop opinion when nobody thinks about her character as anything other than an accessory for dame alyin. i will give u an unpop opinion when u can give me literally ANY non-alyin related opinion this fandom has about her LMAO

SMTH I WISH HAPPENED IN CANON: GIVE ME MORE SOLO ISOBEL INTERACTIONS PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD. I WANT COMPANION ISOBEL. I WANT AN ISOBEL-CENTRIC QUEST (NO ACT 2 DOESNT COUNT LEAVE ME BE). WHY DO I ALWAYS LOVE CHARACTERS W THE LEAST AMOUNT OF CONTENT

[thehealingwords]

1-4 for Moreau 👀

OKAY THIS TURNED OUT TO BE A DOOZY SO ITS GOING UNDER A READMORE IDSFHSUDFH

1. What influenced or inspired the creation of this character?

i honestly don’t really remember what i was thinking of when i made her! i think she was a branching off from her older sister’s design, but im realizing she’s definitely at least a little inspired by Thomas Blackshear and her design was definitely influenced by me looking up aasimar and getting annoyed seeing blonde haired blue eyed paladins....i also really wanted a lawful good character but we all saw how that panned out IUSHFDISHF

2. What is your character’s relationship with their family? Family is a word which here refers to biological relatives, close companions, and/or the individual(s) who raised them.

biologically? nonexistent since, as far as she knows, she’s the last - but she has her suspicions. 

love and care -wise? she cares deeply about her family back at the monastery, even if she’s too embarrassed to go back. it’ blatantly obvious she has nothing but love for Odi, even if she says mean things about him😔 she considers the main party her family at this point, since the fluctuation of people in and out of the monastery has influenced her concept of family - anyone who fights and rests beside and for her is someone considered family tbh. she just. doesn’t say that bc she knows it takes more than that for some people and she doesn’t wanna freak anyone out UISHFUISDF

3. Who is the closest person to them?

AUGH...i accidentally made the stoic monk a social butterfly so relationships shift every session...like i want to say rose because they literally share a bed so she knows things about moreau by virtue of sleepover talk and vice versa?? but also azar because their heart is the one moreau wants to understand most, since they were friends at the beginning of the campaign and their characters were both great foils for each other, so she’s actively prioritized them over the rest of the party bc she wants to see them living their life without that mask😔 BUT ALSO she and sm has a very sweet burgeoning sibling dynamic forming, and she does love to tease and watch out for him since she considers him her younger brother at this point. he’s also trusted her with his name, and she’s not sure he’s done that with anyone else in the party so she’s holding that close. AND THEN THERE”S MORRIGAN who was her quintessential gay “do i want to BE you or do i want to be WITH you” crush for a hot minute before she realized that she feels a kinship/understanding with morri that was only solidified during Library Cry Time ...i didnt answer the question.

4. What were the conditions surrounding their formative years? 

well! she was raised in a cult trying to bring about the end of the world so there’s that! she was treated well given her circumstances but i can’t really go into that cause it’d be meta >:3c she had to do a soft-reset from ages ~9-13, where she was emotionally stunted but still influenced by her hothead brother (as seen in her reactions with authority). there was a lot of discipline but her home was more lax that other monasteries, so she still dealt w like. teen drama shit UIDHF