#but there was also so much to figure out in getting it together logistically too

[squeakadeeks]

one...MILLION knives 🤨🔪🔪🔪🔪🔪🔪🔪🔪🔪🔪🔪🔪

HOOOOHOHOOHOHO hatchi matchi this beast is finally finished!!! I seriously underestimated how much work was involved in this costume between hand-cutting the HTV on the bodysuit, rigging the hood, draping the coat, and individually vinyl wrapping almost 120 foam blobs -_- Trigun means a lot to me (like seriously, i've been posting about it for years and it was my very first anime) and Knives's new design is just so unique it really inspired me to make it irl.

I'm happy that I finally got to manifest my interpretation of Millions Knives after crunching for so long on him !!!!!!! enjoy !! !!!!! (also cosplay tutorial/guide coming soon 🥺)

[kittenintheden]

Smut Writing Tips

I could go on for 600 years on this so I cut myself off at seven basic tips for improving your smut writing. I don't know how to name this something that isn't suggestive so fuck it we ride at dawn etc. If you're having trouble writing smut/improving your smut writing, here are a few things that might help? I'm not the ultimate authority, do whatever you want, take what serves you and leave the rest, etc.

1) Get in touch with what turns you on. You can take this literally or figuratively. You don't have to be sexually active or even sexually aroused to write smut! It's not required. But you should know what gets you going, you know? Because whatever you're into, there are other people out there who are into it, too. Writing the things you're passionate about translates to the page. If you're disconnected from what you're writing, it's going to read that way.

2) Practice by translating a personal fantasy to text. THIS IS FOR YOU ONLY. Unless you like it enough to share? But this is an exercise to get you past the initial discomfort and embarrassment of writing sexy scenes. Many of us have romantic or sexual fantasies, even those on the ace/aro spectrum. When they live in our head, they feel safe. When we put them to the page, they suddenly EXIST in a space where someone else can theoretically perceive them. Getting comfortable with that takes a little bit of work/practice.

3) Try writing from the POV of the subject of the reader's desire. When I smut, I write from my OC's POV sometimes, but more often... I write from Astarion's. That's intentional. It's hot to feel DESIRED, to feel WANTED. Being in the subject's head means that the reader is experiencing that desire for themselves. There's power and sexiness in knowing you're making someone feel that way.

4) Physical description and positioning is great, but how do they FEEL? If you've ever heard the term "male gaze," you know it's frequently applied to visual media, especially where the subjects are treated as objects to be observed rather than people with interior thought and feeling. Smut WRITING gives us the opportunity to both describe the actions taking place and also the internal responses of the characters. It's not just what goes where, it's how that makes the body feel, the mind, the heart. It deepens the scene. Not everything needs to be "making love," but the tension and character interaction are still vital.

5) Realism is a fine base but it's not required. Look, there are a lot of smut tropes out there that are not REMOTELY based on reality and we love them anyway because a big part of this style of writing is the FANTASY of the thing. Like, yes, it's going to take some readers out if you're describing a position that's not physically possible. That's something that should be workshopped. But like. People come here for sex pollen and knotting. It's okay to be a little weird. Just consider the fantasy logistics.

6) Sometimes a little humor or awkwardness adds to the experience. Not everything has to be peak romance of the highest order, you know? Sex is messy and weird. If the participants can be a bit messy and weird together, it's both character-building and endearing. Don't be afraid to be like, oh this resulted in fluids and now we have to take care of that.

7) The tension is as important as the cumshot. Yeah I said that. An important piece of writing burning-hot smut is properly building tension. You can do that in a few words or many words. The ANTICIPATION, the WANTING, the not-quite-there-but-god-I-wanna-be of it all. It makes the release that much sweeter.

[suzukiblu]

WIP excerpt for @qwertynerd97; Billy adopts Conner and it actually goes pretty good!

Lynn picks the smallest bedroom of the three, which Billy thinks is a little weird because he would’ve expected him to want either the biggest or second-biggest one, since the biggest is the biggest and the second-biggest gets the best light, especially in the morning. Then again, Lynn’s sort of a teenager, so maybe he wants to sleep in? And Billy guesses he probably doesn’t think he needs a lot of space, since he doesn’t really own anything much yet? 

Well, they can always switch stuff around later if Lynn changes his mind, he figures. 

Billy decides to take the biggest bedroom for himself, since that makes the most sense to him. It’s not that he needs the space either, obviously, but if they do end up using the spare room as a place for Lynn to do stuff he likes in, Billy figures he’ll appreciate having the windows in there while he’s like . . . doing crafts or playing games or whatever he likes to do with himself. Or ends up liking to do, at least. 

He leaves Lynn to get settled in his new room and to set his stuff up however he likes and maybe move the furniture around a bit if he wants, and then peeks into his own room and feels a little . . . weird about it, actually. He hasn’t actually had a bedroom in a while, much less a bedroom that was really, like . . . his bedroom, and not just the latest foster family’s or children’s home’s or . . . or just whatever. 

It’s–weird, yeah.

Billy stares into the very empty bedroom that he has nothing to put inside except his own half-empty backpack, which is currently sitting in a corner at the Rock of Eternity, and then closes the door and goes to wait in the living room for Lynn instead. 

He’ll worry about the room later, he tells himself. 

He sits down on the couch to wait and figures that once Lynn’s settled in a little, they can make lunch together, maybe, and then maybe just watch some TV or a movie or something? Something quiet and not too demanding but still occupying, so there’s no pressure on Lynn to talk to him if he doesn’t wanna, but he can if he does wanna. And then maybe over dinner they can have the “no” conversation, and also work out some of the house rules and stuff. At least the basics, anyway. Billy doesn’t expect to figure them all out first thing, if only because there’s probably stuff he hasn’t thought of yet or stuff that’ll just come up later. And it’s a lot to put on Lynn all at once, too, so he doesn’t want to overwhelm him or anything. 

Well, he guess it’ll just depend on how Lynn handles those conversations and everything, so . . . yeah, they’ll just have to play it by ear. They’ve got some time to settle in–Billy’s off-duty for the League for the week and the logistics for the sidekicks’ team are still getting worked out, apparently, so Lynn is too–so they don’t have to cover everything tonight. They couldn’t even if they tried, Billy’s pretty sure.

He really wants to make this apartment a nice home for Lynn and a place that he can feel safe and secure in, though. He’s worried about what’ll happen if Lynn doesn’t ever feel comfortable here, or doesn’t get along with him long-term, or if he dies–who’ll take care of Lynn if he dies, he means. He still needs to talk to Batman about that.

Billy did ask what would happen to Lynn if he dies to Batman when they were first discussing all this, since obviously being a superhero is the kind of job that tends to get people killed or at least injured enough to be out of commission for a while, and Batman had gotten very quiet for a moment and hadn’t really answered. He’d said they’d talk about it more later, though, depending on who else in the League Lynn got to know and felt comfortable around. So . . . that’s good, at least, Billy thinks. 

Well–it’s better than Lynn ever ending up stuck with or taken advantage of by some asshole like Uncle Eben, so . . . it’s good, yeah. Not that anybody in the League would ever be like that, obviously, just–yeah. 

Billy just doesn’t like the thought, that’s all. 

Really doesn’t like the thought. 

Lynn doesn’t come out of his room for a lot longer than just rearranging some furniture and unpacking half a backpack should take, and lunchtime kind of passes by. Billy assumes Lynn’s just anxious or worried or nervous, at first, and then wonders–does Lynn know he can come out of his room? If he spent all his time at Cadmus stuck in a pod and not allowed to come out for anything . . . 

Shit, Billy thinks, and tries not to wince. 

“Lynn?” he asks, glancing down the hall towards Lynn’s room but not bothering to raise his voice–Lynn has super-hearing too, after all, so there’s no reason to shout and maybe startle him. “Do you want to make lunch together in a bit? Oh! Or we could order takeout, since it’s kind of a special occasion?” 

“. . . what’s a special occasion?” Lynn asks quietly, not raising his voice either. He sounds like he’s in his closet, so Billy guesses he’s still unpacking after all. 

“Um, well,” Billy says, a little sheepish. “People don’t get new family members every day, right? So I think it’s special, at least.” 

“Oh,” Lynn says. “Um. Yeah. Okay. Let’s do . . . that.” 

“Cool,” Billy says with a grin, resisting the urge to bounce in his seat on the couch. Not very convincingly dad-like, even if Lynn isn’t in here to see him right now. He still wants to make sure he’s acting as dad-ly as he can; get himself in the habit and all, same as the “totally normal adult human” secret identity practice. “I know some good local places, if you know what kind of food you like yet?” 

“The snack cake,” Lynn replies, his voice still quiet, but also a little abrupt. He doesn’t say anything else. It’s not much to go off, but Billy figures it’s a start. It’s not like Lynn’s had time to try much food, right? But the snack cake was strawberry shortcake, and he’s pretty sure the diner a couple blocks over makes actual strawberry shortcake, so they could order from there and get some for dessert? And maybe, like, some pie or cobbler or something else that Lynn could try, if he likes sweet things and fruity desserts. 

“How about we order burgers or sandwiches, then?” Billy suggests. “I know a diner that makes strawberry shortcake that’s pretty close.” He doesn’t really eat at restaurants, usually, but Batman did give them a lot of money and it is a special occasion, so . . . 

“. . . fine,” Lynn says, and then Billy hears the closet door slide shut. 

Not exactly a ringing endorsement, but it’s not a “no” either. Which, uh . . . might still not be really “fine” or really “no”, but–well, they’re gonna work on that.

[mysterious-moonstruck-musings]

Buried Secrets Masterlist || Main Masterlist

Hello my lovelies!

As I’ve recently mentioned, I’ve started planning and researching for my next fic adventure, Buried Secrets. Not to worry, I do still plan to finish up with our dear dancing Dieter before I officially begin to post this one. However, I am currently working on the characterization for Frankie and Mya in addition to developing the plot outline so that I have some time to stew on it.

Something fun that I did for Closed Position was a ‘Meet the Characters’ post. It really helped me get to know the characters a little better while also introducing them to you all before we dug into the story. So, without further ado, let’s get to know Frankie and Mya a little bit!

About Frankie Morales in Buried Secrets

Frankie wasn’t in the best place after he and the guys came back from South America. He felt a lot of guilt over what happened to that fucking asshole Tom and the men who were killed in the small village where he crash-landed the chopper. He still has it in his head that he took the first shot that was the beginning of Tom’s demise. Because of that, he had a little slip up and relapsed. It only happened once, but it was enough for his lady to leave him. Especially since she was already angry about him going to South America.

After losing his family, he realized he needed to get his shit together and figure his life out before he spiraled any further. He worked to get his pilot’s license back and also had the brilliant idea to start a private security business. He managed to convince Santi, Will, and Benny to join him in the new business venture.

Thus far, the business has been lucrative, allowing them to expand and take on able veterans who needed employment. They have created a pretty sizable team as a result. Benny and Will typically handle the day-to-day people part of the job while Santi is in charge of logistics. Frankie is the boss and gets final say on everything. If his gut tells him it’s a bad idea, he no longer hesitates to shut things down. He’s not willing to take unnecessary risks.

In order to keep himself busy (and away from drugs) Frankie helps Benny with his MMA fight training. He spends lots of time in the ring sparing and working out with Benny to keep his friend focused and in shape.

When Frankie isn’t training with Benny, he’s working on an old muscle car that he recently purchased. It needs a ton of work, but he’s got the time and needs the distraction. When he’s not working on his car, he’s with the guys at the local bar. He often plays darts to unwind and usually tries to keep his drinking to a minimum, if he even drinks anything at all. It’s on these nights when the guys reminisce and talk about Tom. He was an asshole, but he was still their captain and brother in arms after all.

Frankie has also begun to spend a lot of his time at the local gun range. He’s found that something about it helps calm and center him. It allows him to clear his mind and focus on hitting the target rather than his painful memories. In a strange way, it gives him a small piece of military life that he’s missing as a civilian.

Frankie often thinks about the money that they left in the mountains of Chile. He knows that the money could change all their lives in ways he can’t even fathom. He lays in bed at night going through every possible scenario for getting it back, but everything he comes up with feels too risky. He’s too afraid of losing another one of his teammates. So, he lets it fester. It’s a splinter which is slowly infecting his soul. It makes him angry that they lost so much for nothing. It dictates every decision, often forcing him to take the safest route on all things out of fear and makes him second guess his choices. It's a touchy topic for him that he immediately shuts down each time Santi brings it up.

Even though Frankie is now free to be with others, he actively avoids it. He is lonely but doesn't feel he is in a place to pursue anything serious...or casual for that matter. He is completely taken off guard the day Mya Carnahan waltzes into his place of business asking to speak directly to him regarding the specialized security services he offers. She makes him question everything about himself and what he knows about women.

About Mya Carnahan in Buried Secrets

Mya is going to be a little different than all my other OFCs. While they are all badasses in their own way, Mya will definitely take the cake. However, she does have somewhat of a shady past.

Mya's first choice of profession was in law enforcement. During this time, she joined the forces' SWAT team, allowing her to learn many special skills. She eventually gets caught up in a whirlwind romance with one of her arrestees, Damien, who turns out to be a rather charismatic individual that is involved in selling black market antiquities.

As Damien lures Mya deeper into his world, her love for history grows. She takes advantage of the large sums of money she begins to rake in as a black market dealer and puts herself through college in pursuit of a more reputable profession in archeology. She wants to be the person to find the artifacts, and maybe collect some things to sell on the side too.

As Mya delves into the myths and legends of ancient civilizations, she learns about the lost city of Paititi. She becomes almost obsessive over it, convinced she knows where to find it. It becomes her ultimate end goal, she only needs someone to fund a proper expedition to test her theories.

It's because of her relationship with Damien that she gets tangled in a mess that she can't find her way out of. In a transaction gone wrong with a prominent crime lord named Miguel Collazo, Damien runs off with the money and the artifact that Collazo wanted to purchase, leaving Mya to deal with the fallout. She makes a deal with Collazo, agreeing to lead an expedition to find the lost city with promises of finding a treasure like no other. Collazo agrees to be her benefactor for the expedition, with the guarantee of consequences if she doesn't deliver.

Through all of her past experiences, Mya learns how to become somewhat of a chameleon. She can present as a proper and sophisticated antiquities dealer, or she can suit up and handle business. She has a knack for blending in and manipulating situations in her favor to either get what she wants or save herself. In some cases, it’s both.

Mya has been trained to handle a wide variety of weapons and in mixed martial arts. Her favorite hobbies include knife throwing, rock climbing, and riding her motorcycle. She also loves research and solving puzzles. She is intelligent and very good at all aspects of her job, however, she can be extremely stubborn and fiercely independent to a fault.

As you can imagine, Frankie is not prepared when this woman walks into his life. Mya has his head spinning from the beginning and frustrates the hell out of him. Especially when she defies him, insisting he is there to protect her team and not her (because she can take care of herself). These two are so much alike, which creates an interesting dynamic and causes them to bump heads, A LOT. However, they can't help but to be attracted to each other. As we progress through this little adventure their relationship evolves, and they do eventually fall for each other. They will do whatever necessary to keep the other safe as both of their pasts collide, causing all hell to break loose.

I'm really excited to dig into this one and do something a little different. Are you excited yet? How are you feeling about these characters and the plot so far? Do you have any predictions or conspiracy theories (you know I love it when you all come at me with those).

In case you missed any of the teasers/asks that had other little tidbits of info, feel free to check those out HERE. I’ve also started my typical nonsense with collecting vibe posts for this fic (I know how much some of you love those). You can find them HERE.

Until next time, 💜Mysty

🔎P.S. There is a fun easter egg from one of my favorite adventure movies in this post. If anyone can guess it...I will give you another little teaser. 😏

👉 Tagging anyone who interacted with the masterlist and/or teaser post(s). Feel free to shoot me a DM if you would prefer to not be tagged for this fic going forward.

@2birdsofafeather @72scsuze @76bookworm76 @a-beautiful-but-sassy-world @almostfoxglove

@angelofsmalldeath-codeine @annalovesflorida @anniet852 @ashleyfilm @ashlovesdrpepper

@auteurdelabre @avastrasposts @biggetywitch @bitchwitch1981 @bluestar22x

@bunniboo0015 @burntheedges @captainredspade @chaoticfestninja @cheekychaos28

@christinamadsen @copperhalfcent @darkheartgatita @diabaroxa @din-cognito

@elisabethloves @fifitheragertot @for-a-longlongtime @girlofchaos @guelyury

@harriedandharassed @hisandsnakes @imdrinkingpedro @jackie923 @janeie87

@jeewrites @jensensational71 @jessthebaker @jessthebaker @joels-darlin

@kate-skates @katw474 @kels976 @lady-bess @gwendibleywrites

@ladyofmidlo72 @lizzie-cakes @madnessofadaydreamer @maggiemoo1892 @mandeepandee1997

@maried01 @maryfanson @missladym1981 @misstokyo7love

@notyouraveragemochii @nova-starlite @olafsmiles2020 @oliveksmoked @harrysrosetatto

@owlhypnosis @pasc4lfuzz @pearlthegurl @plancommence @purplewis44

@rav3n-pascal22 @readingiskeepingmegoing @runningmom94 @ryuzakemo128 @sandaltoesocks

@sherala007 @sjc7542 @southernbe @stevie75 @stileslvr

@sub-aro @sundaze29 @survivingandenduring @suziesc @the-strawberrythief

@thethirstwivesclub @timpletance @tiredandtwitchy @titlee78 @trulybetty

@tupelomiss @weho2kcmo @willcw-tree @xchar1 @yep531

@yesjazzywazzylove-blog @yopossum @yopossum-loves @yorksgirl @beefrobeefcal

@papipascaaaal @shadowpandas @tangled-tumbler-blog-blog @you-give-aspirin-headaches @jollybhie 

@sunshinehaze1 @diamondclit0ris @midnightbabylon @nerdieforpedro @cheyennerenee10

[ragnarlothcat]

I know I’m a chronic overthinker but I’ve been in the same fandom for three years or so now and I was reflecting that writing seemed so much easier when I first started out. Just looking at my output since 2021 shows a clear trend: I’ve been writing much less and it’s been taking me way longer.

I figured that I’d gotten a little burned out and that three years is a long time to focus solely on the same two guys making out and that there’s a limit to the number of situations I can put them in before I start to get bored. But I don’t think that’s quite my problem because even now, a million years later, I have ideas for dozens of fics and AUs that would be interesting to explore or funny to write.

No, it’s that I’ve let the larger fandom overwhelm me and it’s left me constantly second-guessing my writing. And I don’t mean that I’ve gotten nasty comments or asks, because I haven’t! All the other fans have been consistently wonderful and fun people with really valuable insights. And it’s not that I’ve been obsessing over stats or comments or worrying about going against popular headcanons. I mean, I’m just as excited as anyone else to see an AO3 email in my inbox but I’m also perfectly happy posting niche fics for an audience of me and my three weirdest friends.

It’s more that after so long engaging with other fans and other fics and the general meta, I’ve ended up writing too self-consciously. I’ve read so many interpretations of canon events, analyses of characterization and comparisons between fiction and real-world politics over the years, and I’ve enjoyed them because I genuinely care about these stories and these characters! I like seeing what everyone else thinks and then considering their points of view, no matter how bewildering they might seem at first.

But now it feels like I’m writing almost defensively, like I have to justify every choice I’m making based on this enormous and contradictory body of information. Three years ago I’d have written a scene in a few thousand words and moved on to the next plot point with my momentum intact. Now I’m constantly wringing my hands over things like physical details (I guess he’s not exactly a redhead) or broader social implications (is this trope misogynistic?) or finicky logistics (these locations are too far apart for this scene to make sense) or controversial character nuance (does writing this guy as a kind, doting husband make me an abuse apologist???) and the result is that I’m paralyzed with indecision and a ridiculous need to support everything I write with a lot of context that isn’t especially fun to write or, I suspect, especially fun to read.

I’m aware that this problem is entirely in my own head and that no one has asked me for any of this. And it’s not that all those questions aren’t interesting and important things to contemplate. But I miss the days of sitting down at my laptop and going “wouldn’t it be funny if these dorks played a video game together?” and then writing exactly that.

I don’t know. Were my fics better three years ago? I kind of doubt it. I’ve looked back at some of them and if nothing else I now have a better grasp of what tense I’m supposed to be using. But I definitely had more fun writing those older stories, which maybe feels more important.

[glorious-spoon]

your way or nothing at all [9-1-1 | Eddie Diaz | 1/1]

1500 words character study | mild angst | weddings | background buck/tommy, eddie/marisol | pre-relationship buddie | not quite a feelings realization for eddie but he's getting there

-

In the quieting dark, Eddie lingers by the tables, the empty chairs pushed together in a cluster for a conversation long since abandoned. It's late enough that people are starting to filter out into the night, and pretty much everybody left is crowded at the open bar or swaying on the dance floor. At the high table, Maddie has Buck's suit jacket draped over her shoulders and her cheek tipped against Chim's shoulder, and he's looking down at her with a dopily besotted expression that Eddie can clock even from here.

It makes him feel like—something, some kind of nostalgia for the wedding he never got to have with Shannon. That whole day felt like being hustled through a play that he never learned his lines to. Shannon was three months pregnant and deep in the throes of vicious morning sickness that was not improved by the catering or the stress of the day, so he spent their wedding night holding back her hair in the honeymoon suite his parents paid for and trying desperately to feel like he had a single fucking clue what he was doing. Trying to feel like a man and a husband and a father-to-be and mostly feeling like a complete fraud.

They deserved better. Both of them. Now, in this moment, after this day, it soothes more than it stings to watch Maddie and Chim hold onto each other so easily.

The song changes, and he watches a swirl of motion on the bar side of the dance floor, the particular energy that's easily identifiable as Buck even before he emerges from the crowd. Normally, maybe Eddie would gravitate in, but Buck's got a hand linked together with Tommy's, and they're laughing, and so he stays where he is. Just watches.

It's sweet, a little fumbling as Buck very obviously tries to figure out the logistics of slow-dancing with another guy. Tommy says something in a low voice and settles a palm on his hip, and Buck ducks his head, laughing, and leans into him.

It's sweet. It is. Eddie's throat fucking aches.

He doesn't know why, not really. Maybe it's the smile on Buck's face, wide and giddy and almost embarrassingly bright. He never smiled at Natalia like that, or Taylor. Maybe Ali, but the truth is that back then Eddie wasn't looking for it. Back then, he was so caught up in everything with Shannon, and he and Buck were barely more than friendly coworkers, as strange as that idea seems now.

He probably smiled at Abby like that. Eddie wasn't around for that relationship, only the aftermath, but he can imagine it. You don't hurt that badly when someone leaves you unless you really fucking loved them.

"You would not believe the line for the bathroom," Marisol says from behind him, and Eddie jolts like he just grabbed a high-voltage wire. He tries to spin it into something graceful as he turns to face her, but he's pretty sure it doesn't work, and also pretty sure that he shouldn't be feeling quite so jumpscared at the sight of his girlfriend. His heart is pounding. He rubs his knuckles against his sternum, and Marisol asks, "You okay?"

"Yeah," he says. "Sorry. You startled me."

"No, it's fine." She smiles at him, and it's pretty. She looks pretty, in a blue dress that looks black in this light, little metallic threads picked through and glittering. It hugs the curves of her body in a way that Eddie feels obligated to notice, and so he does, and when he looks her in the eye again she's smiling wider, and that's pretty too and Eddie—

Eddie still feels like a fucking fraud.

"I got you a beer," Marisol says. She's got a glass of wine in her other hand. White wine, lipstick marks on the rim.

Eddie smiles back and takes the bottle she hands him. "Thanks."

"I wasn't sure what you'd want." She grins at him, flirty. "You'll have to tell me if I made a bad guess."

He sips the beer. It's a lager, hoppy and astringent in a way that leaves a bitter aftertaste on his tongue. He takes another drink and smiles around the grimace his mouth wants to make. "It's perfect. Thank you."

The pleased relief in her smile doesn't make the lie feel any better. He takes another sip and sets the bottle down, and Marisol settles her hip against his chair, close enough that he can feel the warmth of her body. Close enough that he could wrap an arm around her thighs and pull her into his lap, if he wanted to do that. He shifts forward instead, leaning his elbows against the table, and she lets out a quiet sound and sets her glass down to sit in the chair next to him. The music switches over from Christina Perri to what Eddie is pretty sure is Savage Garden, and on the dance floor Tommy says something that makes Buck laugh and pull him closer.

"They're cute together," Marisol observes. "Buck and, um… Tommy?"

Eddie's fingers twitch on his beer bottle. "Yeah."

"I didn't know that he was, you know…" she trails off. Eddie looks over at her, and she adds, "Not that there's anything wrong with it! I just, I thought he had a girlfriend."

"They broke up. He dates guys too," Eddie says, more emphatically than is really necessary. Like this is a truth that he's always known instead of something Buck told him two weeks ago in the loft, quiet and careful like he was afraid of how Eddie would react. Like he was afraid of Eddie.

It was a date, we were on a date.

So it's new for Buck, too. Not just him. But still.

It feels like something he should have known.

"Okay," Marisol says. The corners of her mouth tighten, and she takes a pointed sip of her wine. "I didn't know that, is all."

I didn't know either, Eddie imagines saying, but the words strangle themselves in his throat just the same as, Actually, I don't like lagers, and, I don't really want company tonight, did. He wonders how the hell Buck does it—just opens his mouth and lets the truth spill out. Eddie can only manage that when it's for other people. Never for himself.

"Sorry," he says out loud. "It's been… a day."

Marisol's face softens a little, and he feels like shit about that, too. It has been a day, is the thing. He woke up in a bathtub, more hungover than he's been in at least a decade, and after that was a wild goose-chase through the desert to retrieve Chim in time for the wedding, and all that is plenty of reason for him to be off his game now. It's just that somehow it also feels like a fucking lie.

On the dance floor, Buck has his cheek pressed to Tommy's. He says something, and Tommy's shoulders shake with laughter, and then they both turn, moving easily together into a kiss. It's quick and tender, and Eddie abruptly feels like the worst kind of voyeur for watching it happen. He turns his head away and finds Marisol looking at him.

The music changes again. TLC, he's pretty sure, because Chim is deep down a very basic Gen X music kind of guy. Or maybe it was Maddie's pick, who knows. Anyway. It's a little more upbeat, but still slow enough to dance to.

"You, uh." He clears his throat, and finds a smile that feels almost right. "Come on, you wanna dance before they close it all down? They're playing our song."

"This is our song?" Marisol asks, but she's laughing. "I don't even think I was born yet when it came out."

Eddie shrugs and holds out a hand. "It could be our song. Maybe for tonight it's just a good song to dance to."

That must have been the right thing to say. She smiles, sets her wine down, and slips her hand into his, letting him tug her to her feet. They wind their way through the chairs to the dance floor, and under the string lights she settles easily into his arms. 

I know you're gonna have it your way or nothing at all, rasps the singer in a sweetly smoky voice, as Eddie closes his eyes, and sways, and breathes, but I think you're moving too fast.

I think you're moving too fast.

He breathes in, and out, and opens his eyes. Marisol smiles up at him, and he smiles back, then cuts his eyes away. There are still a handful of people left on the dance floor with them: Athena and Bobby, swaying together like they're in their own little world, a couple of Buckley cousins with their dates. Buck and Tommy are gone, though, and Eddie almost cranes his head through the crowd to see where they got to before he catches himself.

"To tell you the truth," Marisol says. "I really don't think this is our song."

"Alright, well, we can find another one," Eddie says, and she laughs and sways into him, and he holds onto her, and when he closes his eyes, it's fine; it all feels fine.

[talk-danmei-to-me]

♡ Danmei Fanfic Nightclub Update ♡

First off, happy Monday everyone! Four more sleeps until the danmei fanfic club opens for business (if the logistics all work out this week)

So far (please let me know if I am wrong and I will take you off) the following blogs that will be taking fanfic requests are:

@talk-danmei-to-me

@ihavedonenothingright

@yiling-laozu-is-loml

@everytimewetouch-dot-mp3

@etherealiity

@isolapyrena

@sunbunnyyy

@fiftysevenacademics

@scholomancefan

If every blog could send me the following information, I can put together the main post which will serve as the menu:

(I'm using myself as an example)

Ships: Ranwan, Hualian, Beefleaf, Wangxian, (Ximang pending)

Fic Requests: Smut, AUs, Angst

Will not write: -

Timezone: BST 7pm-Midnight

I figured listing personalised timings and timezones would be easier so requesters can work out when to put requests in based on their own timezone. Also, it's just too much maths for me.

If you're happy to write any pairing in a danmei, just list the danmei itself.

Anyone who hasn't already expressed an interest, but wants to join the party, just comment expressing your interest and completing the menu entry listed above.

The only rule is you have to be 21+ because I am old and it's my idea 😜 no children allowed!

Finally, please vote here on what you want the main tag to be so we can all use the same ones and really live out the fanfic/club meme that inspired this. Most popular tag wins. I'm also not the best at titles so if anyone has a genius idea, please vote the third option and leave your suggestion in the comments (readers/those planning to request fics please vote too!) If there are a lot of alternative suggestions, I'll re-run the poll tomorrow.

Depending on how quickly we can get the logistics done, we could be opening for business on Friday 😁

[in-my-loki-feels]

🤎 multiple kisses / kisses all over / kiss after kiss - if you're still doing these for the ask game!

Don't think too much about logistics or this probably falls apart. I just went with my first thought, which turned into this sappy mess. 🙈

(I'm also counting this as a bingo fic but all of that will be at the end.)

🤎 multiple kisses / kisses all over / kiss after kiss

Mobius had never been to space, but he supposed that it might have felt like this: drifting through nothingness in a bulky suit, witness to the most beautiful sight he’d ever seen—well, second most. Either way, the screens at the TVA hadn’t done it justice. It was breathtaking, vibrant green and blue and purple ribbons of light, and somewhere deep within was possibly, hopefully, the god who had saved them all. 

He knew this could be a fruitless endeavor, and maybe even a one-way trip, but he’d had to try. After waiting so long for a sign, what could he do but go look for one himself? Especially after O.B. had told him he’d possibly found a way to reach the Citadel at the End of Time, a place Loki had described but Mobius never expected to see for himself.  As he drifted closer, Mobius could see that the tree before him was made up of countless glimmering timelines, all woven together to create a slowly shifting, shimmering Yggdrasil. The Tree of Life. The connection between the Nine Realms, and now all of time, he supposed.  Mobius wondered how exactly he’d get inside. He’d told O.B. he had a plan but the truth was he was making it up as he went along. He’d had to say that to get O.B.’s help to make it this far. He couldn't rely on O.B. for everything. Just as Mobius thought he’d have to raise his hands or bump face-first into the tree, the timelines slowly parted before him, allowing his momentum to continue carrying him forward.  The inside of the tree glowed with as much light as the outside. It didn’t seem entirely hollow but there was definitely space for him to float forward. There were also scattered pieces of black rock that had veins of gold running through it. A larger chunk looked like it could have been a piece of a window. It took Mobius back to the moment he’d received the file that changed his life forever, standing in the golden light passing through a stained glass window.  His foot bumped into something and he came to a stop. It was difficult to see in his cumbersome suit, but when he moved his foot around it felt like something stable. It also, strangely, felt as though there were gravity now. Mobius lifted his other foot and found another surface just above the first. Stairs? Slowly, laboriously, Mobius ascended the steps.  His breath caught in his throat when he reached the top and saw a familiar figure seated on a golden throne. Mobius’ legs shook with exhaustion and anticipation, but he forced them into motion so he could cross the space between them.  Loki looked ethereal surrounded by the sparkling, swaying timelines. He still held some in both hands, but the rest seemed to be woven into his cloak, stretching out all around him. Loki’s hair moved as if nudged by a gentle breeze, but Mobius couldn’t feel anything inside his suit. Loki’s eyes were open, glowing the brilliant green of his magic, but as Mobius waited, there was no sign he saw Mobius at all. He was silent and still, the guardian of all of time now. Always.  Mobius couldn’t stay in this stupid suit any longer. If his skin was gonna get peeled off at least he’d have one last look at Loki unobscured by a window pane or dirty helmet. He fumbled with the heavy latches, not wanting to remove his gloves just yet. Finally, the clasps snapped open and he was able to turn the helmet enough to unlock it. With shaking arms, he lifted it off his head. 

Loki looked no different than he had through the visor: motionless, bathed in the light of the timelines he protected. Mobius stared long enough to realize he hadn’t turned to spaghetti or had his skin peeled off. He waited a few more seconds just to be sure then decided if it was safe enough for his head it would be safe enough for the rest of him. He hurriedly stripped off the rest of the suit and then approached Loki.  He’d had no plan for what came next and still didn’t. All he knew was there was a growing need within him to touch Loki, to know he was real. He started with Loki’s hands, so cold they seemed as if they should be frozen stiff. Mobius was able to take them in his—careful not to brush the timelines—and press a kiss to each knuckle. He kissed the back of each hand, then turned them over and kissed the pale underside of each wrist. When he looked up, Loki’s eyes were still unseeing, or all seeing perhaps. He was the guardian of the timelines now. The God of Stories, but what of his own?  Mobius swallowed down that bitter thought and gently set Loki’s hands on the arms of his throne. He reached out to cup Loki’s face and found his skin was just as cold here.

Mobius leaned forward to press a kiss to the crown Loki wore, made of the same black stone threaded with gold that floated around them. Below that, he placed a kiss on the center of Loki’s forehead. He kissed both brows, then each cheek and then hesitated before placing a gentle kiss on Loki’s lips. They were as cold as the rest of him, so Mobius kissed them again and again until he felt he had transferred some warmth. Loki’s mouth remained still against his, but what else did he expect? Even if Mobius’s vision was a little blurry when he pulled back, he didn’t mind. This was still more than he thought he’d ever have when Loki locked the doors against him and Sylvie and walked out onto the gangway alone.  Mobius brushed his thumb across Loki’s cool cheek and wondered if he could chafe warmth back into Loki’s hands without disturbing the timelines. Then Loki blinked.  Mobius’s heart stopped. He waited, counting the seconds in his head. At thirty, Loki blinked again, then after a shorter wait, a third time. The green glow remained in his eyes but his gaze shifted a fraction to focus on Mobius, instead of looking through him.  Loki blinked one more time, a slow brush of dark lashes against pale skin, and then his eyes widened ever so slightly.  “Hey there,” Mobius said in a thick voice.  A tear escaped the corner of Loki’s eye, rolling down his cheek to land on Mobius’s thumb. Mobius felt his own eyes overflow as he leaned forward to press another kiss to Loki’s lips. This time, he felt a gentle tremor against his mouth before Loki kissed him back.

This unintentionally mirrored an idea I had for a longer bingo prompt fill (which I still may do!) but I'm going to go ahead and count it towards the "citadel" and "together at the tree at the end of time" squares. @kcscribbler @lokiusbingo Bingo card here!

Also shoutout to @thosegayoldmen for planting this idea in my brain a month ago. It never let me go!

[tired-fandom-ndn]

I completely agree with gravecest having a breeding kink but I'm so obsessed with an AU where they break into the house and learn that their parents decided to try one more time with having kids and they run into a baby in their parents new place, clearly left to fend for itself while their mom was doing that grocery run. So many mixed emotions about being replaced but also knowing that even with this one they were fucking up, and wanting to prove they were better than their parents by raising the kid together (which also sells them as "Mr. and Mrs. Graves). And also makes them weird dark mirror reflections to A Series of Unfortunate Events :)

ANON YOU GET MEEEEEEEE

But god, the Graves parents completely restarting EVERYTHING. They have new jobs, a new house, new lives, why shouldn't they have a new child too? A perfect, normal child for their new, perfect lives? One that isn't fucked up like their other two, because obviously the problem was that Andrew and Ashley just Weren't Right, the Graves parents would never consider that their own parenting could've played a role in how their children turned out. Everything will be right now.

(They adopt instead of trying to have another on their own; pregnancy sucks and the agency was more than happy to help a pair of grieving parents start over.)

Except babies are loud and they're gross and they're annoying and they're so needy. They can tolerate working from home on alternating days, because they don't have an older child to dump their baby on and a babysitter is just a waste of money, but neither of them like it and the baby is left to cry in its crib more often than not, the monitor turned off because it's just so annoying. And sometimes Mrs. Graves just needs a break. Babies are sturdy, it'll be fine if she just runs out for a quick grocery run, 30 minutes, an hour at the absolute most.

When Andrew and Ashley find the baby, it's obvious that this isn't the first time it's been left alone like that and that the abandonment isn't the only way it's been neglected. The nursery is half-finished and nearly empty compared to the master bedroom and living room, it needs a diaper change badly, and it clearly hasn't been washed or fed as regularly as it needs to be. This baby is an uncomfortable look into their own childhoods but somehow worse and it makes both of them see red.

Keeping that baby is so fucking stupid, they both know it would be smarter to leave it at a hospital or on a neighbor's doorstep, but. . . they want so badly to be better than their parents. They want to prove that they're capable of the love and kindness that their parents refused to give them, and it'll sell their story better! People are always more sympathetic to a young couple with a baby, even if it'll be more expensive and make them more vulnerable. Their parents had enough basic supplies, formula and a car seat and a baby carrier and all that crap, that they won't have to spend too much of the money on baby stuff right away at least.

(Andrew is frantically googling infant care and trying to figure out the logistics of raising that baby, meanwhile Ashley has a dozen tabs about inducing lactation and thinking about how the more like a "real" family they seem, the harder it would be for Andrew to abandon them.)

At dinner, Ashley gives the baby a few tiny sips of broth from the soup, wanting it to experience something it wouldn't get a chance to later, consuming their shitty parents like its older siblings and new parents get to. Andrew just sighs and reminds her to cool the broth first and not too much, damn it Ashley, it's not old enough!

[alexturne]

I'm having a lot of thoughts and idk if I've fully thought it all out, but I needed to get it down and try to work out how I feel about it all..

I genuinely don't think this whole "discourse" is what's happening. I'm sure they just really wanted to do the whole bit with the strings and that's all.

Nothing to do with Alex and Miles being less close than they once were. Nothing to do with their relationship being less profound than it has always been. They're super important people in each other's lives and there comes a point when you've been that for someone for so long that it no longer requires constant reconfirmation. Their friendship is so solid, so deeply rooted within them both, that they don't need to perform together to assure themselves that they're good. There's no question. They're friends, and they always will be, no matter how much time passes, they'll always be there for each other. I have no doubt about that.

And they asked Miles to come along, they knew they could count on him to make it and do an amazing show, even on short notice. And Miles was there watching, having fun, riding the high of his own show, and I bet it doesn't hurt him the slightest bit not playing 505 with them. And neither does Alex not joining him for a tlsp track. And it's just very fun to watch Miles do such a great job on such a massive stage and to watch Alex (maybe) send some inside jokes his way, and definitely acknowledge his presence more than he has for any other opening act.

Miles has enjoyed playing a couple of the more Miles centric tlsp tunes during the last year at his own shows, and he probably just took them off the setlist when they figured out they wouldn't have the time/energy to rehearse and work it all out. And to not lead anyone on and create false hope that Alex might show up. It's been a long time since they've done it. And Alex is the sort of guy who has probably forgotten his own lyrics, and would require more time and brain capacity to practice to get it in order. Or something else that is perfectly reasonable.

Like, I'm all for delusions but I guess I'm just saying that I don't think it's that deep. They're friends. Close friends. Very important to each other. (Maybe more if that's how you choose to view it). And I bet they don't even think about the shows in the same terms as we do, every little thing doesn't matter as much to them as it does to us. Not everything is a "sign" and there are so many pragmatic and logistical reasons that play into a tour like this that we know nothing about.

I bet Alex is exhausted, excited for the tour to be over and to get to go home and rest, I know I would be! Even if he has loved every bit of it, I would be completely worn out and just ready to go home. But I bet they were also so excited to have the strings and they wanted to really have them shine during the set. It was their show. The Monkey's show, and they finally had the chance to let the vision they had for the album come to life. What an amazing end of the tour.

I won't get too much into why they haven't utilized the strings sooner, because they obviously could've and I don't get why they didn't, and maybe they could've skipped the strings on 505 and had Miles up for it instead. It would've been incredible. So much potential. A lot of fans would've been pleased bout that, and I know they'd enjoy it and have fun playing together too.

But they didn't, and even if I would love to know the actual reason, I'm choosing to let it go and assume there is a very logical and reasonable explanation, and not some big dramatic fallout going on. I can be disappointed about not seeing them, but I don't think it "means" anything in the grander scheme of things.

Miles could've played with them (assuming he doesn't for the last one either), and I won't get into that discussion too much either, because ofc they could have done it together, but so many things had to work out and maybe Miles just wanted to do his own thing. Maybe they never got around to having the conversation, maybe something entirely different happened. We don't know.

And yes ofc I'm disappointed that we didn't get to see them together, I won't deny it. I would've loved it, both as a fan of their music and performances and as a tiny little happy milex lover, my shipper and fic writer heart would've been so so pleased about it. But we didn't get it this time around, and that doesn't mean that their friendship is over or that they hate each other or that they're not close anymore or that they don't love each other anymore. And it doesn't mean that we won't ever see them play together again.

I think they would love to perform together again, but I would assume they also have so many other things they love to do too. So many other things that require their energy. Even together, but also just their personal dreams and wants in life.

They're both into the idea of tlsp being back someday, but as it has always been with them, tlsp will return when the time is right, when it happens naturally. That's the beauty of it. It's something that just happens and that's why they both love and enjoy it so much, I think. It's about freedom and spontaneity, it's without boundaries, it can't be planned or controlled, it's a beautiful chaos between two close friends who love to make music together, and who are incredibly talented at it. But they're also artists who have other ambitions. Other projects they love.

And their friendship doesn't depend on tlsp releasing new music. It is a product of their beautiful friendship, but the friendship came first. Them not writing together right now actually says absolutely nothing about the current state of their friendship. Which we have seen signs of being as healthy and strong as ever, if a bit more private than it used to be. And that's fine. They're super private people, and honestly I would have much more reason to worry for their friendship if they suddenly started posting about it all the time and parading each other around. They're not like that and they never will be and that's fine.

Anyway, back to the topic at hand.

Yes, they're being dumbasses - both the band and our dear milex boys, throughout the whole tour - with not utilizing the strings earlier on the tour, not playing more of The Car on the setlist, not skipping more of AM, not taking advantage of ALL THAT POTENTIAL. They could've done the strings for Glastonbury, it would've been perfect. They could've easily included Miles in a few more gigs (it was sooooo lovely when they did), these last ones in particular, and it would've been so beautiful and meaningful and they would've had so much fun with it - they could've made so many better decisions than they did. The whole tour came with some question marks. We can all agree on that. They're being stupid and they seem to not always think very far ahead, and sometimes forget to use their brains, and I assume that's why they end up not having time to rehearse and work things out sooner, and that is honestly just so dumb of them. They could be doing so much more and I hope some things will improve next time.

But either way - the tour is over and I've loved every second of it.

The new album is super gorgeous and it finally got the string section it deserved. What an amazing finish to the tour. I sincerely hope they will be bringing a lot of The Car back next time around.

Deeply in my own heart I wish we would see Alex and Miles on stage together again soon, but at the same time, I wish Miles the very best with his own work, he truly deserves all the success in the world. And I hope Alex will get some well-earned rest and time off. I hope he will go free of paparazzi and find peace and quiet after this insanely taxing year, and I hope he finds bunches and bunches of inspiration for new songs. I hope tlsp will be back sooner rather than later and I hope they're happy.

I've loved getting to follow the tour, I've loved being on here freaking out with you guys, and I will miss getting to see their little faces everyday. Truly.

But I think it's so well deserved for them to take a break and I hope they will be back soon.

[steviesummer]

Dealing with Demodogs

written for @steddiemicrofic's December prompt - ‘pine’ also works for today's prompt for @steddieholidaydrabbles - 'Royalty AU' wc: 508 | rated: G | cw: none | tags: pre-Steddie

“Dustin, I though you said you knew the way?” Steve could hear the unfamiliar voice carry through the pines surrounding his home.

Dustin’s voice he knew. “It’s your kingdom, Eddie, shouldn’t you know every place and resident?”

“I’m sorry, did you just suggest that anyone could know everything about the Enchanted Forest?”

Steve’s eyebrows rose, not at the realization that King Eadwine of all people was apparently searching him out, but that Dustin, usually so intelligent, would make such a basic mistake. He may not have been from here originally, but Dustin was usually more knowledgeable. In any case, he apparently had royalty approaching, so he might as well meet them at the door - if only because it made him look all knowing. Especially because Dustin hadn’t quite figured out his little trick.

He heard their arguing quiet as he put the kettle on and opened the door just before they could knock. “Come in, I’ve just started tea.” When the duo just stared at him for a moment, a small smirk found its way onto his face. “Unless I am wrong and you weren’t here to ask for my help?”

That seemed to shake both of them from their shock. “Tea sounds wonderful.” King Eadwine accepted, following him inside. He shooed two of his cats off the table so they could sit.

“So, what seems to be the problem?” He asked. “Unless the problem is Dustin, in which case I can’t help you, Your Majesty.”

“Hey!” Dustin objected, but the King grinned, clearly familiar with the younger man’s quirks.

“Please, call me Eddie.”

“Steve.”

“I wish it were as simple as Dustin’s ego, but alas, I am here to request your help on a slightly more serious matter. There have been reports of strange creatures along the Southern border. Dustin said you had helped him with something similar in the past - four legged with no eyes or fur and their head opens like a flower full of teeth?” Steve frowned, knowing exactly what Eddie was referring to.

“Demodogs. How many?” He mourned the loss of the lighter atmosphere, but shifted easily into crisis mode, already thinking about logistics.

“There have been 5 sightings, though only three seen together at a time. We can’t be completely sure, of course, but it does seem to be a fairly small group of them.” Eddie explained, before Dustin jumped in.

“Max and Lucas went ahead to get more information, but you were the one who actually dealt with them last time. And you know how we only thought there was one but it ended up being a whole pack. I don’t think the situation is the same, but better safe than sorry, right?”

Steve remembered the entire experience far too clearly. So much for an easy favor. He sighed, getting up. He waved Eddie and Dustin off. “Finish your tea. I’ll get my bat and a few other things. I’ll have to let Nancy and Robin know I’m gone as well. The sooner we leave, the sooner its done.”

[dandylovesturtles]

100 Feet and A World Away Lore Post

I said before if I won the first round of the TMNT AU Competition I'd put up a lore post of my separated (kinda) AU called "100 Feet and A World Away," which is really more of a reward for myself because now I get to ramble about my babies.

This is an AU I've been building in my head for some time and do eventually want to write a fic about. When? I do not know I have soooo many things I'm in the middle of right now but! hopefully! eventually!

So for now here's just some lore because I can't contain myself, I have to talk about this eventually haha. Like releasing a pressure valve.

without further ado

100 Feet and A World Away (a separated (kinda) AU) (aka the Shape of Water AU)

cw: dehumanization, child abuse (not by a parental figure), brief dismemberment (caused by Donnie, not TO him)

Backstory

quick note: in this AU the age gap between April and the boys is bigger than in canon because it just made things logistically easier; April is 20 and the boys are their S1 ages (15/14/13)

everything up through Lou Jitsu escaping with the boys from Draxum's lab happens as in canon

a few years later (when the boys are about 5/4/3), Splinter goes out to get supplies, leaving the boys in what he thinks (hopes) is a safe place (he doesn't have a lot of choices). He comes back to find the boys have disappeared.

he won't know what happened to them for 10 years

they were spotted by a human sanitation worker, who called animal control, who were like "what the hell is this" and got a Shady Military-affiliated Corporation involved. The boys are taken to a lab to be studied and, once their sturdiness and combat potential are observed, trained to be used for combat by the US Military.

the boys didn't go quietly, at least not Raph and Donnie, who viciously bit and tried to run; they were shocked and sedated. Leo, who had Mikey, saw this and decided to comply because he didn't want them to hurt his little brother. Mikey was too young to understand what was happening so his reaction was mostly just to cry.

Splinter had told the boys never to talk to humans, and the boys take this to heart, hushing up and never speaking to the humans even once they're taken to the lab. As a result, the humans know they have large brains but still assume they only have the intelligence of an ape at best. They treat them like animals, really the comparison I keep thinking of is the raptors in Jurassic World lol: something scary but with the hopes that they will eventually act like attack dogs.

to be clear revealing they could talk wouldn't have helped them much so it's for the best

the boys are given serial numbers when they arrive at the lab but the scientists call them by numbers as a shorthand based on the order they were processed in:

Mikey is Turtle 1

Leo is Turtle 2

Raph is Turtle 3

Donnie is Turtle 4

because Raph and Donnie acted aggressively, the scientists were afraid they would attack each other as well as Leo and Mikey, so they decided to isolate the two of them. On the flip side, because Leo and Mikey were more docile and Leo kept holding onto Mikey, they decided to keep the two of them together. An experiment in isolation vs socialization

as a result, the boys have not seen each other for the last decade, with the exception of two Incidents that I won't be detailing in this post (gotta keep a few secrets lol)

the boys are put through harsh training in an attempt to "tame" them and train them to attack/kill soldiers as ordered. they're also run through tests to determine things like their mental capacity and problem solving skills. there's no like medical testing/experimentation on them in this AU though it's mostly like if they do bad they get shocked and also the scientists/trainers don't really have compunctions against hitting them or muzzling them.

when not in training they live in their own zoo-like enclosures inside sterile rooms, much like the one in Shape of Water which is part of why the AU is the Shape of Water AU lol

MEANWHILE

April is an aspiring investigative journalist who just saw her first success uncovering some shady dealings in a supposedly non-profit organization

she receives a tip about something strange happening in an otherwise normal lab and testing facility just outside NYC's city limits

she's expecting to find illegal animal testing or bioweapons research

instead she finds Turtle Four

Donnie

has been isolated this whole time and as a result is more than a little feral, but not so much that he can't talk. he just has absolutely no sense of social etiquette (my inspiration is the bit in Rat Flu where he says "Make him say yessssah" and HEY BOY IT'S ME THE PS5-)

also he's still autistic but he hasn't learned to mask at all so he acts in a way the humans find weird and unsettling

thinks the humans around him are all idiots and he's so much smarter and better than them. basically his canon superiority complex has ratcheted up to 100 because he has no respect for these guys at all

makes regular escape attempts so lab security just keeps adding more and more obstacles (like an electric fence around his enclosure and steel doors to the room)

probably could have escaped by now but he always doubles back for his brothers and that's how he always gets caught by The Hunter

not as good with tech as his canon counterpart but only because he hasn't been allowed to read or study anything while he's been stuck here, so he only knows as much as he's pieced together messing with things in his enclosure and observing the humans. he's learned a LOT even this way (which is why he knows he's a genius!) but his thirst for knowledge is immense and he wants to get out so he can read books! break things and put them back together! use the internet!

has built up an entire imagined scenario of how things will be once he finally does break himself and his brothers out of there and I'm sure that everything will go exactly how he's expecting and there will be no hiccups at all :)

no longer has any attachment to the name Donatello and thinks of himself as Turtle Four, though he does remember being called Purple too

thinks their dad has abandoned them and doesn't really have any hope that he's looking for them

has a lot of scars on his body from his many many escape attempts and punishments, but most noticeably a scar along his jaw on the left side of his face

Leo

has been with Mikey this whole time so is still much more socialized, lucid, and "human" acting compared to Donnie

has poured all his energy since coming here into being Mikey's Big Brother and making sure things are safe and comfortable for him, being upbeat and positive for his sake, trying to make him laugh and keep him happy to the best of his ability, and generally just doing his normal canon thing but pushed to 11

this façade is the only thing keeping him going and god help him if it cracks

the scientists realized early on that it's easier to get Leo to comply if they threaten/hurt Mikey so Leo is scared of going out of line and just a big ball of guilt 24/7

due to An Incident he has a scar on the right side of his face that matches Donnie, and he doesn't particularly trust Donnie as a result. wishes he would stop his escape attempts because it makes the scientists cranky and they take it out on him and Mikey

still insists their dad is coming for them, if only to keep Mikey's hopes alive

inwardly pretty sure they're going to die here

is the only one who has seen Raph since their initial separation and refuses to talk about it

I'll Keep These Feelings Inside And Then I'll Die

still fully associates with the name Leo

Mikey

fully aware that Leo's putting on act for his sake, but if being a Big Brother is what he needs to keep going then he'll be the Little Brother he needs

knows it's unhealthy but what are they supposed to do?

feels guilt for being used as leverage against Leo

fascinated by humans even though he knows they hurt him regularly

once he saw a scientist doodling and his mind expanded by 1000%. the scientist drew him eventually and he's wanted so bad to do art ever since

the previous bullet point sounds like it's leading to a wholesome interaction but it is not, I'm sorry I mislead you

not as sure that their dad will save them as he lets Leo think he is; he has faith that their dad loves them and is still looking for them but also thinks Donnie is right that they should be helping themselves so they can get back to him

generally has more faith in their brothers than Leo does

can destroy you but chooses not to

still fully associates with the name Mikey

Raph

has gone full savage; it's a defense mechanism

his memories are still there, but they're so deep in his mind he currently only accesses them as vague feelings and sensations

still knows his family by scent, if not by sight

gentle giant when he's surrounded by Familiar Smells, very very aggressive when surrounded by Unfamiliar Smells

he's so dangerous the scientists don't interact with him much, which doesn't help the situation

thinks of himself as "it," when he thinks of himself at all

uncovering the real Raph would take a safe place and time and patience and he isn't getting any of that here!

April

was just trying to live her life man

dating Sunita but presently bummed that Sunita has rejected her suggestion that they move in together (it's because Sunita hasn't broken the whole "I'm actually a slime monster" news to her yet and isn't sure how, but April doesn't know that so she just thinks Sunita isn't as serious as she is)

when she meets Donnie he scares the absolute shit out of her at first

her first instinct is to get away from this whole mess ASAP, but then she realizes Donnie is just a kid and she can't just leave him in there

then he reveals he has 3 brothers and no he is NOT leaving without them

what has she gotten herself into...

is undoubtedly and irrevocably Big Sis April by the end

Splinter

never once stopped looking

finally found a lead that seemed legit but would need a human to help him get inside

found out about a young intrepid reporter looking for tips........

and that's all I'll say now ;)

The Hunter

basically the evil Robert Muldoon (from Jurassic Park)

I haven't named him yet sorry

his job is to catch the turtles if they escape, and he also participates in their training

fully aware that the turtles are more intelligent than they let on, thinks this just makes them more exciting to hunt

Donnie is basically his archnemesis (having a 14-year-old archnemesis is kind of cringe though bro)

will hurt them and doesn't feel bad about it

is missing a finger thanks to Donnie (I did say this was a Shape of Water inspired AU lol)

This was probably a little thin in places so if you are interested and have questions ask me! Wheeeeeeee~

[dragon-communion]

Okay so. Not to toot my own horn, but I am generally really good at lore and fleshing things out and stitching plot holes together. Maybe I just need to actually beat Mohg and play the DLC, but like. My favorite thing to read and write is high fantasy politics, okay. I love succession complications and noble infighting and the conflict between hubris and actual resource management. I've had way too much fun arguing with myself about the logistics of Malenia's march to Caelid. I read pre-Byzantine legal documents for fun.

So.

Miquella's decisions for the DLC are so ass backwards to me that I am chewing on the goddamn walls. I'm not even getting into the character decisions (though those are also baffling), but the logistics of it. Necromancy is cool, go for it, but in terms of how he's using propaganda and his resources in general?

Miquella. Sweetheart. Where's your fucking regent. There are still pilgrims coming to the Haligtree. Your sister was going to war. Who's in charge when you're gone, Loretta??? What's the chain of command?

I will hold back on my rant about food because this is a videogame, but also. He's running a city-state at the edge of the goddamn arctic, where's the farms, did he just plan on growing hundreds of thousands of grains of wheat from his own head or something?

The lordship thing. Ranni makes it clear that she doesn't need or want a lord, so we can assume her apotheosis does not require one. Marika has two lords- Godfrey, who is being chewed on by the leader of all beasts to restrain his bloodlust, and Radagon, who is part of her in one way or another. We also have another textual Elden Lord before them, Placidusax, who seems to have been intersex but that's really the only note I have.

So all of the true Elden Lords in game have something a little odd about them, but between the three of them (and us) there's no true pattern beyond "armed and dangerous". And, as stated, Ranni seems convinced she can do her business without any lord at all.

So with four Elden Lords to compare against, the whole vessel thing has to be a lie. It's unnecessary. Hell, he could've picked Leda and had done with it, she fits the Red King archetype just as well as his other options.

I can see Miquella wanting to cover his bases by making sure he has a lord so the godhood thing works- he's probably more worried about his curse getting in the way than Ranni is- but like. Unless he's so immature that he's unable to adapt his plans and insists on marrying for love, the shitshow with nuking Radahn and seducing Mohg just does NOT add up.

With all the resistance Radahn put up, sacrificing soldiers and forcing Malenia to bloom, I cannot believe he was willing by the end of things. And if Mohg has the perfect body for pandering to the preferences of the country Miquella wants to rule, why not just stick with that?

I am. Really frustrated. It is very difficult to apply logic to this when his very actions counter every reason I come up with. We could handwave it as him being a child but... that feels really cheap and somewhat unsupported by the fact that he was clever enough to figure out exorcising gods. I don't know.

[littlecactiguy]

and we're finally back with a Malevolent 'John is a horse girl au' writing exercise! (should I come up with a better name for this au? probably. Will I? no.)

here's the first scene if you're interested

also here's a bedsharing one

I'd also like to start branching out more with writing these characters, so I'm open to suggestions if anyone has any.

.

“It’s no trouble. I’ll—”

“I’m fine, Arthur,” John snaps, his voice full of warning.

Used to it, Arthur opens his mouth to continue pushing, but the weight of a hand on his shoulder stops him. “Maybe go sit down, yeah?” The horse riding instructor they hired tells him quietly.

Arthur considers arguing, but John has taken his momentary distraction as opportunity to mount his horse. Arthur hears no sounds of distress, or the horse bolting off, or John falling off, or something else bad happening, so he acquiesces. He feels his way to the bench by the side of the arena and sits. Then, he twitches. One foot beating out a rhythm against the ground.

His attention is keenly tuned to listening to the hoof steps of John’s mare. The animal is, that is to say, her personality fits John. Perhaps a little too well. Despite being a quarter horse (a breed with a reputation of being easier to work with, according to Arthur’s research), she’s stubborn, and perhaps somewhat too clever for her own (or John’s) good. Not that Arthur dislikes her, he never would have agreed to the purchase (and all their money is still in his name while they figure out the logistical elements of setting up a legal identity for John) otherwise. It’s simply that it took so much to get here. To be separate. Their own individuals finally.

Arthur would much prefer John didn’t injure himself or die within the first six months of having his own body.

“You’re very protective of your partner.”

It takes Arthur a beat to realize he’s being talked to. The voice of the instructor had come from his right, so that’s the direction he turns his head. “Oh, um, yes, I suppose.”

“In my experience, and don’t take this the wrong way, but it’s usually the other way around,” the instructor goes on, and Arthur is scrambling to figure out how he deduced everything until the man adds, “The seeing partner worries about the blind one, I mean.”

Ah, right. That. John’s departure from his body not heralding the return of his sight had been a disappointment, but Arthur, at that point, had grown used to not having his eyes. It had been more of an adjustment to stop addressing John as the voice in his head, especially when he wasn’t actually in the room.

That said, he’s been without his sight longer than John has had his own body. All things considered, Arthur doesn’t see his concerns for John as unfounded. Their time together, if anything, may have perhaps permanently skewed John’s perception on how much damage a human body can reasonably take.

“Look,” the riding instructor continues on, oblivious to the thoughts in Arthur’s head. “He’s going to fall off—”

“What?!”

“Let me finish. Yes, he’ll fall off. It may not be today. It may or may not be tomorrow. But, it will happen. You can’t ride horses and not fall off at some point and, most of the time, if you’ve prepared for it, you’ll be alright.”

You have to trust him, is the quiet undercurrent Arthur hears in the words.

You have to let him go, the twisting whirlpool of doubt in Arthur’s gut rebels against.

[stuck-in-the-ghost-zone]

@intertexts BEHOLD. NEW HAVEN WARDS: THE WIBBY AND DAVID DYNAMIC ESSAY. this got way too fucking long 2 put in ur inbox so im making a post about it. ENJOY THE STICK FIGURE VIOLENCE <3

okay im just gonna start from the beginnign here and try not to get too sidetracked as i go (<< me when i lie) um. so. still not entirely clear on what williams trigger event would be so that may change how some of this works out logistics wise. but just assuming it would be SOMEWHAT similar to pd- william dies/has his near death experience and is Changed By It. in obvious ways that are impossible to hide. his parents find out because he had been missing for days and presumed dead so when he came back home covered in mud and dried blood and Different, everyone kind of broke down. they know about his powers from the start. william hates them (the powers, not his parents) but his dad especially has always been very supportive of capes and urges william to use them for something good! his mom, who has always grieved the lack of a relationship between her two sons, brings up the suggestion "hey, you know what! yeah! your older brother just so happens to live in a city with a really good cape population, maybe you can go live with him for a bit while you go to school <3" (<< this is also going off the assumption that the general public doesnt really. understand. capes much. his parents dont know theyre signing him up to be a child soldier and die before 40. they love him so much and just want the best for him- if they knew about all that they wouldve never even made the suggestion. but they see how much his powers are hurting him and theyre grieving the death of their youngest son who is still. awake and sitting in his bedroom. and i dont think any of them know how to deal with that)

william, not really having a place to argue from or another option to even consider, reluctantly agrees. hes too caught up in the fear and worry and unpredictability of his powers to even imagine himself as one of the heroes. but he goes anyway. and lives with david. its just as painfully icy as you imagine- david never signed up to be a permanent babysitter, i imagine theres a lot of. phonecalls overheard through the walls of his apartment of david on the phone with their mom asking if this was some sort of punishment. david spends all his time at his office and never takes time to even get to know william. he still takes care of him- he has the money for a penthouse apartment and keeps groceries stocked- but its not like theyre having cozy family meals every night. this does wonderful things for williams mental health obviously. which im sure makes his powers feel so much better (<< this is sarcasm). they dont talk much. obviously. william knows david works for/runs a branch of some tech company but thats about the extent of his knowledge and he never cares to ask further details than that. theres a little bit of resentment there on williams side (william wisp, known jealous petty little bitch- "i thought you were the first good thing to come out of deadwood"). david is someone who's important and has his life together and william is. in his own mind. a freak.

after joining the wards program and meeting dakota and virion and such. william IMMEDIATELY decides he is going to spend less and less and less time at davids place. and so the fucking. chasm between them grows. mutual good riddance. (they dont hate each other. theres just. not a whole lot of care there. but theyre still family, yknow?) and its just like. the BARE MINIMUM amount of contact. william stops by davids place to like. get stuff from his bedroom. uses davids apartment as storage for things he can't keep at the wards base (are teen superheroes allowed to smoke? i imagine that cant be good for their public image). so its not like they totally cut contact theres just. even less of it than there was before.

and then william learns about the SIGNIFICANT importance of keeping your cape and civilian identities separate. any villain who learns who you are behind the mask can be a threat to not only you but also your family. william, who loves his parents very much and knows they love him back, wants to protect them at all costs. conveniently, he doesn't live with his parents anymore. his current guardian just so happened to keep their mom's maiden name. so what does he do! bam. easy fix, change your last name to match with your brother. satisfies the heroes a little bit because its that extra step harder to connect william with people outside the city, AND its not suspicious on the civilian side either because. i mean he still matches surnames with his family. surely this will not come back to bite him (foreshadowing). i think it would be PERFECTLY in character and slimy for david to get a kick out of this name change btw. its been weeks since theyve spoken full sentences to each other but the next time william goes back to the apartment david is there at the kitchen table and just kind of laughs at the paperwork like "aw, little brother, i didn't realize you liked living with me that much. im flattered" etc. etc. eugh

behold! i can call him wibby now. awesome. so cool. anyway.

blahblah whatever whatever. im saying for au convenience david lives in new haven even though in pd canon he technically lives in freedom city. don't worry about it. HOWEVER. this becomes important. new haven wards are like?? vaguely sometimes in contact with the wards of the nearest settlement with a significant cape population- freedom city! this is alan, x, cantrip. I think they probably have like. fun friendly sparring matches sometimes (like the cage matches where they first met but like... legal. and mario kart!) but aren't close enough to be Friend Friends. freedom city wards uncover some shady underground company using illegal research (nhw equivalent of harttawa? dying 2 link this back to mark somehow bc im always thinking abt him but i KNOW u have plans for him already and im dying 2 know them) to give people artificial powers (connected to cauldron in some way but not obvious about it. ill explain this more in a minute) and guess who this gets linked back to. our one and only lovely wicked david bell. freedom city wards don't know williams connection to him since they wouldn't know his civ name. I don't think he would tell them. i also don't think they would actually TALK to David here like they do in canon, i think the heist goes a little more successfully and he's not actually physically THERE so all that happens is that they sneak in and see a bunch of files/papers. and william makes the connection with David's name and maybe picture. but the whole. killing a bunch of guards still happens. "its okay they're villains" etc. i don't know who would run freedom city wards program but they're more. loose about the rules than in new haven. which is why xavier and cantrip are Like That.

anyway on the way back to new haven william is REALLY shaken and dakota and virion obv pick up on that right away (i think they'd also know OF williams brother but not a lot of details bc he never talks about him.) william tells them that that was David and doesn't know what to do etc etc . I think he avoids the apartment for a looooot longer than he usually does because he doesn't want to accidentally run into David there and have to confront this. I think he's probably shell shocked by the idea a little- david is VERY MUCH against the hero program and doesn't like capes at all and is very vocal about that fact (this is pd canon too)!! why the fuck would he be working with the company that gives people powers and Makes More Capes! even though his mystery solving brain is going into overdrive thinking about the reasons and details and minutae of this discovery, william is also chronically avoidant of all his personal problems so i don't think he does any digging into it yet. until. well. the freedom city wards go missing

they on the other hand DID do a lot more digging into this. and david caught on to them and we end up with the scene in the basement . this is where I'm gonna get sidetracked bc there's a lot of information I'm thinking about at the beginning of all this

when william/vyncent/tide get there it's a very similar scene to in pd. x and cantrip are chained up, david has allen cut open on a table. william is. HORRIFIED. maybe even moreso than in pd.

x is even more immediately hostile to william when he and cantrip wake up because part of the information they uncovered in doing their own digging was the fact that david and william are related. and this pisses x off SO BAD because william never told them. and I think he uses wills secret identity against him and that's part of the reason william is SO DESPERATE to stop him. Just imagining that scene in the hallway at the beginning where they're screaming at each other and x just goes "that's your fucking *brother?* you're related to that monster and you never thought to, yknow, share that little bit of information with us?! william bell?????" and as soon as x says his name william just SNAPS and swings the axe at him .

anyway. back to the basement scene. david does his whole manipulative villain monologue with a scalpel to Allen's heart and we learn David is the head of an offshoot branch of cauldron (thinking about like maybe where they sell the vials to people under the guise of experimental medical treatment? for their own research purposes on how the vials affect people. real unethical shit! I feel like I need 2 learn more about cauldrons motivations before I set this in stone though) . anyway. we also learn here that david Has Fucking Powers. I don't know exactly what those would be right now but I think they would be pretty... inconsequential and at a really low power rating, but just that fact alone is enough for him to almost lose william completely.

this whole time william is just full of this icy dread and betrayal, but as SOON as david reveals he has powers that all just snaps to rage. comparable to that feeling where you've been bullied for something for years and then one day everyone decides that same thing is cool now. ("how long. how *long*, david? did you have these powers while you shunned me, sat on the phone with mom in the other room complaining about how much of a freak your little brother is? how *painfully sad* it is for you to share an apartment with the corpse of your baby brother, trying to get mom to pity you enough to take me back and get me out of your hair?")

and ofc david being who he is has some sort of slimy manipulation that saves his ass and gets william back on his side. tide and virion being there they immediately see right the FUCK through it but I think william would be compromised enough at that point that he wouldn't be thinking clearly enough to listen to them. (also side note . like I said I'm VERY undecided on what davids powers would actually be but the two ideas I've been bouncing back and forth are a) some kind of medical Thinker which is how he knows how to put allen back together the right way or b) some kind of Master which makes the manipulation thing worse <3. so maybe wibby is compromised bc davids using his powers on him. if it's the second option. smile!)

anyway wibby goes on his nightmare arc. right. even more fucked up bc of what x says to him about his identity. I actually think a lot of this stays the same but just with the addition of context and also the thing I said yesterday about the guards radioing to each other to evacuate.

everything happens pretty much the same with cantrip and he and virion getting back to the office only to find everything totally wiped clean already. william still does the Nightmare Thing in davids apartment afterward. still undecided in whether or not their parents will be there? I guess it depends on what we do with the trickster. (oh god I haven't even thought about the trickster irt new haven wards. fuck!) . I think actually I'm leaning more toward having them NOT being there? because I think william reigned himself in because he didn't want to scare them too much. and this is worm world i don't WANT wibby to reign himself in at all. I want him to go fucking nightmare apeshit.

btw this whole time? virion stays with him and it scares the SHIT out of him. he's still going to stay because ... this is william. this is his best friend (gay) and he HAS to trust that he knows what he's doing. I think afterward william stands up, david still unconscious on the floor, and there are silent tears streaming down his face and there's this expression of rage and betrayal and grief on his face that virion has NEVER seen on another person. so he reaches out to put a hand on his shoulder or maybe offer a hug (which in my mind is HUGE for him bc I've been imagining virion being SUPER careful and sort of avoidant about physical touch bc of his powers) but then william goes to brush his hand away as he walks out of the room and there's just the briefest moment of skin to skin contact. and it only lasts for maybe a second but virion gets this BURST of williams powers and it's terrifying. he can see and feel and hear and know *exactly* what william just did. it goes away almost immediately but the force of it is enough to throw virion off balance for a second as he processes it and when he comes to again he is just. shaking. and he doesn't say anything to william but he *knows* now and he doesn't know what to do with that information. hes scared out of his fucking mind but he's also. sad. he's REALLY fucking sad his best friend (gay) just had to do something like that. and he's not good with words so he doesn't say anything but he stays there. he stays by williams side despite everything. ughahhvhh

uhhhh final note. pain and suffering. william gets a whole Fucking Complex about sharing a name with david after this. but he still doesn't change it back to wisp because he knows x knows his identity now. which means he doesn't know how many other people could know, how many other people x will tell out of spite as a way to get back at him (<< william wisp paranoia WIN) and it's. LEAGUES better that any potential enemies would come after david and hurt david. (in fact he probably privately wishes for something like that to happen. hed never say that out loud though). using his name as a kind of shield even though it hurts like hell to be connected to his brother like that.

anyway! yeah! wisp-bell brothers torment nexus or whatever!

[eldritchtouched]

Updated "Mohg and Miquella were working together" theory

I wrote a post a while back about my theory that they were, but with rumblings about the DLC possibly coming out soon (some weird stuff on Steam DB updating over the last day), I wanted to compile some of the other stuff I've noticed that's just strange since then as I've gone back through the game.

Before DLC drops and either completely tears this to shreds or not, too, just because.

Because, it turns out, this is a fucking rabbit hole.

Miquella's men know he's gone.

This is actually rather interesting. In the Haligtree soldier ashes, it's explained that the exploding soldiers are Miquella's men who were despairing because of the Haligtree rotting away and Miquella being gone. Their holy light within them that explodes is specifically to lead Miquella back to the Haligtree.

All of the soldiers who are like this in the game are found on the exterior portion of Elphael. They are well-aware he's not there anymore.

But, mind you, they do not leave the Haligtree. Unlike a lot of the other factions, which do have individuals wandering around, they are staying put. They don't send out anyone to search for him. The implication is that they were told to stay there.

Miquella's promise to Malenia.

Miquella made some unstated promise to Malenia. It's heavily implied, though not outright stated, that it has to do with him returning. But the implication that he knew he would be gone, well, in light of other things, raises questions about what "gone" actually meant. Not "oh, I'm going to become a tree person" gone, but "I'm physically not even in the same part of the continent" gone.

The Albinauric guarding the teleporter.

There's an Albinauric in the Consecrated Snowfields guarding the teleporter to the Mohgwyn Palace. Interestingly, this Albinauric uses the spell "Discus of Light." Certain spells are used as a mark of character loyalties, and the Discus is one of them, with Albinaurics following Miquella using the spell version and the Cleanrot Knights getting a weapon art/skill version of the spell on weapons.

The Albinauric guarding the Mohgwyn portal is loyal to Miquella.

The Snowfield Ghost's weird implications.

There's a Ghost in the Consecrated Snowfields who apparently tried to confront Mohg when Mohg took Miquella. But there's some odd implications in the ghost's dialogue.

He knew Mohg's name, meaning Mohg was already familiar to him. Yet also didn't feel afraid of confronting Mohg at all, like he didn't expect to be killed. There's also how his issue seems to be the idea that Mohg as an Omen has cursed blood, so him touching Miquella and possibly sullying Miquella with said curse.

Logistic implications of Mohg taking Miquella and Elphael's layout

While the Snowfield Ghost is a whole thing, the logistics of getting through Elphael, which is very heavily guarded, unnoticed, is quite ridiculous. Everything is guarded too heavily for a Tarnished to sneak through (so you're pretty much forced to fight unless you can figure out how to run past everything) and I'm expected to believe a 12 foot tall Omen man could?

And that Miquella's men wouldn't immediately try to hunt Mohg down, if all their buddies were just straight up dead or them seeing Miquella being carried off? They're fanatics willing to blow themselves up at the hope of bringing Miquella back.

Miquella's abilities as St. Trina, and their implications.

Miquella is St. Trina. St. Trina has certain abilities under their belt. The ability to give people visions in their sleep, the ability to make people sleep, and a seeming ability to enchant people. Malenia is currently asleep, awaiting Miquella's return.

If Miquella was not where he wanted to be, he could easily send Malenia a dream, to get him out of where he currently is. And yet, she remains asleep, waiting at the foot of the Haligtree.

Miquella rewove his cocoon.

A lot of time has passed since Miquella was removed from the Haligtree. And, in the opening where we see the various happenings leading up to the game- Miquella is taken out of the first cocoon. And, with the Snowfield Ghost, he was very visibly Miquella, not a giant cocoon, when Mohg carried him away.

So, despite everything, he rewove his cocoon in the middle of the Mohgwyn palace grounds and went back to sleep.

Sleep/guard parallelism

There are two things in the game world which parallel Mohg's guarding of Miquella's cocoon.

First is the Albinaurics on the palace grounds. It's an infamous farming spot, that there's a few wandering "blood" Albinaurics guarding the place, and a bunch of other Albinaurics which are sleeping.

Second is the owls and their eggs. There are owls in the Lands Between and they're the only wildlife which does not attempt to move to get away from the player- they can't move, they're incubating eggs. Killing them gives you the "slumbering egg" which will never hatch (with the implication that killing the owl and removing its source of heat kills the egg in the process). The eggs are a symbol of sublime slumber (and slumber is often used to allude to Miquella's current thing) and the eggs are useful for crafting anti-sleep items.

Miquella's ties to blood magic

Miquella himself was dealing with a lot of blood magic. He grew the Haligtree by feeding it his blood. He's the origin of the Sacramental Bud, which is a plant both grown of blood and which has buds that are engorged with them.

There's also the land octopus situation. The land octopuses seem somewhat attracted to Miquella's stuff, like in "St. Trina's hideaway" or the path to the Haligtree. The adults also drop their ovaries when killed, which are described as being white, but are colored instead by human blood, because that is how they reproduce- they feed on human blood.

Item placement more generally.

Item placement is often heavy with implications in FromSoftware Games, in part because their whole thing is environmental storytelling. It's something I adore, which is also why I love Morrowind's design, too.

But one thing that shows up, curiously, is how often the game wants you to associate Mohg and Miquella together, including Miquella as St. Trina. Bloodroses and other Dynasty things are often near nascent butterflies, Trina's lilies, and Miquella's lilies. Sacramental buds grow in the Writheblood Ruins.

The two merchants who sell Trina's Lilies and St. Trina's Arrows also sell Bloody Fingers, and the one who sells one of the Fevor cookbooks also sells the spirit ash which inflicts bleed buildup (Fanged Imps).

(Incidentally, the Fanged Imps are sometimes joked as being a couple by other players. They're also one of the answers to the Albinauric Rise puzzle. Either summon them to fight the spirits guarding the Rise, or bewitch one of the pair with a Bewitching Branch/use crystal darts to fight the other.)

Spirit Ash mechanics stuff

...The only way to get spirit ashes (which are heavily associated with Miquella, what with Torrent and the implications of the spirit calling bell being his) to actually target anything? Use the ritual blood pots associated with Mohg. Considering how the AI gets so borked with ashes, having them specifically target an enemy is quite important, yet it's only tied to one item.

Likewise, the only way outside of upgrading spirit ashes to actually get them to be better? Use Mohg's rune.

The constant overlapping design motifs between Mohg and his followers, and Miquella and his.

There's a LOT of design things which overlap between them.

Dolores's design is basically a combination between the two of them.

Lilies (associated with Miquella/St. Trina) are found on both his own items and among his followers and found in the designs of the Sanguine Nobles and Mohg's clothing.

Roses (associated with Mohg) also show up on Malenia's prosthetic (depicting a stylized rose) and a not yet fully bloomed rose is the pommel of the Sword of Saint Trina.

The leaves on Malenia's prosthetics are the same design as the crossguards of Eleonora's poleblade.

Miquella's "braid/coil/infinity/helix" motif that shows up everywhere on his stuff and with his followers is littered throughout Mohg's clothing and, as another pointed out to me, the Bloody Helice.

A sun-like flower shows up in several items made by Miquella/his followers. It's found on the Pulley Crossbow and both the Sword of St. Trina (on the blade just above the crossguard) and St. Trina's Torch (above the head on the depiction of St. Trina). This motif also shows up both on the Sanguine Nobles' outfis, and along the clasps of Mohg's robes.

Both actively oppose the Frenzied Flame. Mohg's shade guards where one can get to the Three Fingers. Sleep, magic Miquella developed, is decidedly placed in opposition to Madness in terms of how the magic works, as calming agitation.

To be honest, it all reminds me of the weird incongruities between the story Robert Baratheon presents (which is the "official" narrative that everyone believes happened) of Rhaegar kidnapping Lyanna. There are implications with all the incongruent details, like Ned's perspective being oddly opaque in places, the Kingsguard at the tower instead of guarding Rhaegar, and the unspecified promise. And then the GOT show confirming the general aspect of what's going on in the books (that Lyanna and Rhaegar had eloped).

NGL I do hope my theory is right on a meta level, because GRRM using the same twist twice in consecutive works in the same subgenre with an overlapping audience and both being very popular in their mediums? Actually catching people out with it? I honestly would find it both really funny, and also respect the absolute audacity.