#combine advisor oc

[hlvraiyaoi]

I hate animating but I love my OCs

[aprilcolours]

blackheart

A/N: OC is Visenya, daughter of Rhaenyra and Daemon, second eldest child after Jace and before Luc. She rides Vermithor, the Bronze Fury. This is about SHOW Benjicot Blackwood NOT book!! The three seconds we’ve seen of him at least lol <3 Valyrian is translated at the bottom

part two - part three - part four

—

When Vermithor landed, a slew of muck and water sprayed into the humid Riverlands air. Visenya the Second wrinkled her nose and brushed some of the mud specks off her riding leathers. 

She reassured her dragon, “Sȳz, jikagon arghugon,” and slid promptly off onto his shoulder, before deftly sticking the ten foot drop to the ground. The marshes were full of tents, troops mustered from across the realm to gather here in this central region, where the flags waved black. She had made sure to land a little ways away, wouldn’t want to crush any of our own now would we, she thought with a slight smirk. 

She was the daughter of the Rogue Prince, and carried herself as such. There was a latent danger in the way her lithe form prowled forward, a ferocity to the confident tilt of her shoulders. Despite her stature as a young woman, and a slight one at that, she cut an imposing figure. 

The bannerman watched her approach, most tilting their head in recognition at least, some falling into deep bows. She stalked through the lines of troops, searching for the central war council. 

Visenya had flown to the Riverlands a fortnight hence, to guard their troops from a possible attack by Vhagar, to see her mother’s will done in the strategizing, and for a third purpose that was known only to her and her mother. At the center of a camp, a large table had been brought forth, encrusted with maps of the region and the current positions of hosts. Gathered around the table were a group of knights and lords sworn to Rhaenyra: Lords Darklyn, Staunton, Massey, and a group of young lords that had come to be known as the Lads: Lord Kermit Tully, Ser Oscar Tully, and Lord Benjicot Blackwood. 

Benjicot Blackwood had come into his lordship quite recently, with the death of his father mere months ago at the beginning of the war. Despite this, he had already made a formidable reputation for himself as ruthless, bloodthirsty, and a force to be reckoned with. He was not necessarily physically imposing, favoring a lean build, but he had a certain gleam in his eye. Almost rabid, Visenya had thought to herself with a small laugh. 

She looked at each of the gathered as she reached the table, daring any of these older men to show anything other than submission. Each of the lords bowed, averting their eyes. Bar one. Lord Blackwood always held her gaze as he bowed, eyes gleaming and a crooked smile playing at his lips.

She raised a brow, unimpressed. 

It only seemed to make his smile curl even wider. 

“The Western front has shifted closer, your Highness,” Lord Massey informed her. Visenya finally tore her eyes away from the Blackwood to observe the map. Indeed, the Green host mustered at Lannisport had crept closer in the night. It now dared to encroach on the edges of Tully land. 

“The numbers mustered are not insignificant,” Lord Darklyn added. 

“They are when compared to the whole force of the Reach that soon converges upon us from the South,” Lord Staunton argued. The combined Tyrell, Hightower, and Florent host was decidedly large. 

“A problem only made worse if the Lannisters are allowed to join them,” Darklyn shot back. It was clear this argument had been happening for some time at this point. 

As she considered the map and heeded the advisors, Visenya felt a certain piercing dark gaze boring holes into her. She did not indulge him further with another look, but she could feel the unending weight of his stare as it did not abate. 

“We march on the Lannisters,” Visenya declared, voice carrying high and clear. The council ceased their squabbling. 

A short silence descended, as the Lords who disagreed weighed whether they would be endangering themselves if they expressed their opinion. 

“We will cut them off at Lydden, before they can turn southwards,” she continued, gesturing to the spot on the map. “Darklyn is right, they cannot be allowed to join the Reach. Lannister forces will have supplies from Lannisport, so they will not have been affected by the blockade. Time is our greatest ally at the moment. We have the whole of the North marching to us,” Visenya spoke plainly and matter-of-factly, but at this point she smiled slightly and tossed her silver braid over one shoulder. 

“Furthermore, the Green houses are well… green. The longer they wait, they longer they have to ponder tales of fearsome Northmen who need neither food nor sleep, to whisper legends of Rhaenyra the Cruel and her fleet of dragonriders,” she paused to shoot Blackwood the barest hint of a grin, “to hear word of Bloody Ben and the carnage they march towards.” 

The Lads laughed and jostled Ben’s shoulders. 

“I hear he slew fifty men in a single evening over his cup of tea!” Ser Oscar teased, voice mockingly high. Blackwood ducked his head and laughed, rustling the other two men back. 

“The flower knights will quiver and shake their way back to Highall,” Visenya finished, looking to the council members for dissent. 

“What of Vhagar, your highness?” Lord Staunton asked, “The kinslayer will surely come calling.”

Visenya tilted her head. 

“That is why I am here,” she answered. 

With that, and a few more details of the march agreed upon, the council was adjourned. As he began to walk towards his troops however, Visenya called out to him,

“Oh and Blackwood?”

Ben turned back to face her, taking the address as an invitation to step closer. Closer than any other dared step. She had to tilt her head back slightly to look him in the eye. 

“Be sure to give them something to talk about,” she commanded. Her voice did not falter even as she felt her heart begin to hammer in her chest. 

With a lopsided grin and another bow, “I swear it, my lady.”

—

The battle at Lydden was a roaring success. Vermithor made sure to roar it across the skies. Together, Visenya and her dragon burned whole battalions and paved the way for the Black troops to carve through the Lannister forces. It was not without its casualties to the numbers, but still a resounding victory for the Queen. 

In the aftermath, they had landed in a small forest slightly away from the troops, who she could hear were already carousing. Visenya used the flat of one of her blades to scrape dried blood from Vermithor’s scales. 

“Messy business, isn't it,” a voice rang out from behind her, with his signature teasing lilt. Ben stood at the other edge of the clearing, grinning, also covered in blood and mud. She turned, raising an eyebrow at his antics. 

“What I thought was courage I see now might be stupidity,” she responded with a teasing tone of her own, “to approach a dragon on your lonesome.” 

He approached further, despite her warning, and like a moth to a flame she was drawn closer. 

“Ah but I am not alone, am I?” He said, almost breathless still from the battle they had just fought. They drew near together in the center of the clearing. “And my princess is a great dragon rider who would not allow harm to befall me,” he intoned in a low voice. 

“Ha! I have left court only to find flatterers in the fields,” she replied. Perhaps the bloodlust had gone to her head but Visenya ignored any thoughts of impropriety, choosing to match his grin with one of her own. “

“What is it you want, Lord Blackwood?”

Surprisingly, his expression shifted. The giddiness receded, and what rose upon his features then was a simmering focus. It was not unlike the expression he wore in the midst of battle. After a heartbeat of tension, Benjicot Blackwood stepped even closer. Gazing down at her with that signature glint of crazed gleam in his eyes, he confessed, 

“Since meeting you, your highness… my desires have become uniquely singular.”

Even with her years of courtly training, Visenya could not hide her shock. Or her blush. 

“Let none say you are not bold,” she whispered, stupefied. He chuckled slightly and noted,

“So you think me both bold and courageous.”

“Did I say that,” she teased breathlessly, still gathering her bearings.

“You did,” he replied simply, eyes dark and hooded. 

He was enjoying watching her on the back foot for once, she could tell. She felt a flicker of temper rise and latched onto it. Visenya leveled her haughtiest at look at him and remarked, 

“Our surroundings are hardly appropriate for a marriage proposition, do you not think Lord Blackwood?”

Her indignance only seemed to amuse him further. 

“On the contrary, my lady, they are perfect. Together, we have won a great victory and live to see another day. In war, this is the best one could hope for.” 

She considered his words, considered the whole of Benjicot Blackwood and his proposition. 

Certainly an unconventional choice, she thought. I think mother would like it. 

She considered her third purpose for venturing out across the realm: to seek a husband.

And she kissed him.

Benjicot Blackwood kissed like he was drowning man and she was air itself. He kissed like she might change her mind at any moment and he would make every second count. He was all teeth and tongue and grasping pulling hands at her waist, her arms, her face. 

“Do not get blood in my hair,” she broke away to command, voice breathy but firm.

His laugh echoed into the night. 

—

A/N: Truly insane that I wrote this and he's not even in the show yet lmaoo

Sȳz, jikagon arghugon - good, go hunt

i will post this on ao3 too, and i might add more if i feel so inclined!!

[internet-rat]

"Let them look"

Part 1 of: Aemond Targaryen x Hightower OC (This fic takes place before the king dies, but both characters are 18)

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Leilana Hightower had not been in Kings Landing since she was a child. Still, she did not come unprepared. She had exchanged letters with her favorite cousin for years. Aemond had spared her no details of the happenings in the court in his letters. His penmanship was beautiful for someone who would rather wield a sword than a pen. He was always eager to know her thoughts on different matters. It made her feel like he saw her as an equal in many ways. Her aunt, the queen, had invited her to stay at court when she was 18. Leilana entered the great hall where a gathering of courtiers, advisors, servants and royals were gathered. Wine was served and someone played a lovely tune on a lute. Somehow the tune felt foreboding to Leilana. She had chosen to wear a modest but elegant green silk gown. Her dark brown hair hung in elegant ringlets which flowed down her shoulders. She behaved demurely but with poise, like she had been taught. She was nervous though. It was her first time around so many people. She decided to observe quietly from a shadowy area of the room.

Aemond Targaryen's lilac eye, the one not adorned by the sapphire or shielded by a patch, scanned the Great Hall. The shimmering light of the wall sconces cast flickering shadows over the revelers, and a melody of clinking goblets and idle chatter filled the air. His silver hair fell in a long, sleek curtain over his shoulders, a stark contrast to the dark, regal attire that hugged his muscular frame. The atmosphere was thick with tension and merriment, an odd combination that only a Targaryen celebration could muster.

His gaze was like a hawk’s, predatory and unyielding, surveying the flock of nobles until it alighted upon the shadowy nook where Leilana Hightower stood. Despite his wild disposition, the sight of her catalyzed a certain restraint, a reeling in of his impulsive nature. As he approached her, the subtle clink of his armor and spurs announced his presence before his deep voice broke the silence, making her heart flutter. It was him.

"Leilana Hightower," Aemond addressed her with a half grin, one that bespoke irony - the son of Alicent and niece of his mother crossing paths amidst the throes of potential strife. "It is unlike a flower of Oldtown to wilt in the shadows. Or perhaps, you found the luminary gathering too blinding?"

He stepped closer, his good eye reflecting the subtle hues of the dim surroundings, taking on a soft, almost hypnotic glow. While his stance and tone exuded confidence, there was also a hint of conspiratorial kinship in his demeanor. It was almost as though he was unable to hide his inner joy of seeing her here, after all these years. She had grown more beautiful to him than ever. He had to make sure he did not stare at her in a disrespectful manner.

"Tell me, cousin, what thoughts occupy your mind on such a celebration?" Aemond continued, his voice low, yet laced with an unexpected gentleness. "Or is it that you, like me, find pretense tiresome?"

Aemond reached out with one gauntleted hand, slowly, to allow her to adjust to the notion of his touch, and offered a goblet of Arbor gold, the rich golden color of the wine a stark contrast to the darkness that surrounded them. His gesture was simple yet loaded, a symbol of the respect he held for her.

They could speak plainly with one another, at least in their letters. She decided now would be no different. She took the wine goblet gently, letting her fingers graze his just a little. She replied in her thoughtful voice, deciding to voice her thoughts to him.

"I think a war is coming."

Aemond's eye narrowed ever so slightly at her touch, an unexpected flutter of something undefined stirring within his chest. War. The word hung in the air between them, weighty and potent. His fingers lingered just a breath longer than necessary before retracting, the cool metal of his gauntlet a sharp contrast to the warmth of her skin.

"Aye, Leilana," Aemond's voice was a whisper, rich with the undertones of impending conflict. "The drums of war beat in the hearts of men and women alike within these walls. Can you hear their rhythm? It is a melody that speaks to my blood, to the dragon within."

He took a measured step forward, closing the gap between them. His very presence was like a looming storm cloud, dark and charged with energy. His eye locked on hers, seeking, probing for the depth of her understanding.

"But war," he paused, leaning in closer, so close that his words were for her alone amidst the din of the feast. "War is not just a clash of swords and shields, my cunning cousin. It is a dance of shadows and whispers, of secrets and allegiances."

His words curled into the shadowed corner where they stood, a secret shared in the open yet hidden from all but her. Aemond was known for his prowess in battle, his ambition, his unquenchable thirst for glory—but in this moment, he was also unmistakably a Targaryen, with all the political acumen that bloodline entailed.

"And what role will the rose of House Hightower play in this dance, I wonder?" he mused aloud, his tone almost teasing now, but his gaze remained sharp, hungry for any glimpse into her own schemes and intentions. "Will you bloom in the light of the flames, or will your petals fall underfoot in the chaos to come?"

His words were a challenge and an invitation, an enticement to join him in this game of thrones, where every move was perilous, and every player risqued destruction—or unimaginable power. Aemond's hunger for such power was insatiable, and he sensed a kindred spirit in Leilana—one who might rise to the occasion and claim her place amidst the strife, a queen of the battlefield in her own right.

Leilana had already joined the game a long time ago, when she decided she would aid him. Her wits could calm the impulsive storm which roared in his dragonheart. She placed her hand gently on his arm and smiled her small smile. Her voice was low and soothing.

"You know I will always support you in any way I am able to..."

Aemond's posture shifted ever so slightly, the tension in his muscles easing at her touch, though the radar of his attention never waned. The contact made him feel safe in a way he had not expected. Her letters had been of comfort, but her presence was even more potent in so many ways.

"Your support," Aemond began, his voice a deep timbre of velvet and steel, "is not something I take lightly, cousin." He paused, his gaze holding hers with an intensity that was both piercing and strangely vulnerable. "It is a treasured blade in my arsenal, especially when wielded by someone as... capable as you."

His words were a testament to the respect he held for her intellect and poise, qualities he found most valuable in the great game they were all unwillingly part of. The Targaryen prince was a man who seldom offered praise, but when he did, it was earned and genuine.

He lifted his free hand, the metallic sheen of armor catching the light as he traced a finger down the delicate fabric of her sleeve, not quite touching her skin, but close enough for her to feel the heat of him. It was a rare gesture, uncharacteristic of Aemond, who was often guarded and withdrawn—a man known more for his ruthless ambition than tender moments.

"In truth, Leilana," he said, leaning in so that his breath fanned lightly across her cheek, "your loyalty could be the beacon that guides me through the impending storm."

His words were almost a whisper, a secret confession of dependency in a world where such admissions were dangerous. It was clear that her presence, her alliance, had become something of an anchor for the volatile prince. For someone who rarely allowed others into his orbit, who found solace in the thrill of battle and the unyielding back of his dragon, Vhagar, Aemond's openness with Leilana was a stark deviation from his norm.

"But should that storm break," he continued, his eyes narrowing with undeniable determination, "I will need more than just your support—I will need you- ah, your cunning, your insights... your power."

The air between them was charged, and Aemond stood steadfast, a tower of strength and ambition, extending an invitation to not just stand beside him, but to join him in the very eye of the hurricane that was to come. It was an offer of partnership, a recognition of her potential to be as much a player in this deadly game as any man, as any Targaryen. And in the heart of Aemond, there stirred a fierce desire to see just how brightly the Hightower rose could shine amidst the fire and blood that was their birthright.

They had always gotten along well, ever since they were children. She would never keep secrets from him, and would keep him informed on any intel she had about the Hightowers and their dealings. They had the same grandfather, but he did not entirely trust Aemond. But she did, and she always appreciated how he saw her as an equal in a sense. He did not treat her like just a woman, but as someone who could hold her own in this world. Secretly she had romantic feelings for him as well, which made her loyalty to him even stronger. She replied gently.

"You shall have all of it."

Aemond felt the weight of her words anchoring him to the moment, as though binding him to an oath. Her loyalty was a prize more valuable than any jewel, more potent than the strongest of wines. He had long recognized they were of the same essence, two halves of an ancient Valyrian coin, equal in measure and equally as rare.

"Then I am richer than the Lannisters and more fortified than the Night's Watch," Aemond declared, the hints of a rare, genuinely pleased smile playing at the corners of his mouth. His voice resonated with a sense of triumph, not just for the allegiance she promised, but for the human connection so seldom embraced by him.

His good eye fixed upon her with an intensity that betrayed his tumultuous inner storm—a storm she seemed to quell with her mere presence.

"And should the day come when I take what is rightfully mine," he said, his tone fraught with the promise of power and retribution, "your place shall be at my side, not as a mere shadow or whisperer of secrets, but as a force recognized and revered."

Aemond was not given to such assurances, and fewer still would he make in the presence of another soul. But with Leilana, there was a bond, an understanding that went beyond the machinations of court intrigue or the lust for dominance. In her, he found a kindred spirit.

"Come," Aemond commanded softly, the word less an order and more an invitation. He extended his arm, offering it to her with a deference that could be construed as protective, or perhaps possessive—a gesture that belonged to a world outside the political chessboard where they both played their pieces. His eyes held a question in them, and they seemed softer. A softness only reserved for her.

"Let us step away from the shadows and into the light," he continued, urging her to join him in the view of all assembled. "Let them see the unity that will shape the future of the Seven Kingdoms. Let them see the power that lies not in dragons or swords, but in the alliance of two minds that together are unbreakable."

His gaze never left hers as he waited for her response, the offer hanging between them like a covenant—a pact that could elevate or destroy, a gamble that Aemond was willing to take. For in Leilana, he saw not just a cousin or a confidant, but perhaps, the very reflection of his own ambition and the indispensable ally in the war that lay ahead.

Despite her poise she could not quite suppress the blush that painted her pale cheeks once he said her place should be at his side. She was not sure if he meant it the way she hoped. At least the words leaving his lips could make her dream. Maybe he saw her as more than a friend and ally. She smiled her soft smile and gently interlocked her arm with his.

Aemond felt the subtle warmth against his skin beneath the cool steel of his armor as Leilana's arm slipped into his—an affirmation of their unspoken pact. Her blush did not go unnoticed, a rare bloom of color upon her otherwise pale visage, and though he made no direct acknowledgment of it, there was a glimmer of satisfaction in his eye. Aemond Targaryen was not often moved, but the sight stirred something within him, a smoldering ember he seldom allowed to flare.

He inhaled the delicate scent of lavender that wafted from her, a soothing counterpoint to the iron and smoke that often clung to him like a second skin. Together, they stepped forward into the throng, their entwined arms a silent declaration of unity and intent. Whispers followed in their wake, the nobility keenly observing this display that could very well shape the political landscape in the days to come. Aemond was acutely aware of the eyes upon them, the speculations and predictions that would be born of this moment.

"Let them look," he murmured to Leilana with a hint of defiance, though his words were for her ears alone amidst the din of the feasting hall. "Let them get used to the sight of us, together."

[littlelostmabari]

Day 2: Armor

Ok maybe I am doing #Veilguard30, whoops. Cullen / Non-Inquisitor Mage OC, established relationship.

Rating: T (lyrium addiction, references to death)

Word Count: 1500

I wrote this thinking about Saoirse from my fic One of the Good Ones, but her name doesn't appear. The POV is not described other than she/her pronouns. Inky in this universe is (spoilers) a bit of a shit. Also don't @ me about Cullen w/ a mage, it makes sense in OotGO 🙃

"The Commander sleeps in his armor."

He'd heard the joke before. Every day. For weeks.

He heard it as he stomped across the battlements to the Herald's Rest for a bite of stale loaf too early for even the kitchen staff to be awake. Someone whispered as they left his office late into the night, when the only other waking minds were the soldiers too ill-behaved or unlucky to be posted during daytime when visiting nobles could bear witness to their antics. Varric mentioned it offhand on a random Thursday in Wintermarch when the Commander had stormed through the main hall of Skyhold to another inane meeting with the advisors and this woman who liked to call herself Inquisitor.

The dwarf thought he was original.

No, Cullen Stanton Rutherford, Commander of the Armies of the Second Inquisition, former acting Knight-Commander of the Circle at Kirkwall, formerly of Honnleath in Ferelden, did not sleep in his armor.

The truth was, he barely slept at all.

She closed the door, gently clicking wood and iron to shut herself away from the moonlight. Inside, three pairs of candles lit every available surface. One pair flickered on the table closest to the ladder to illuminate the path for runners between this office and the atrium of the elven apostate. Another pair were dimmer on the desk that she sometimes occupied when she helped him with supply ledgers.

The final pair, and the ones most frequently replaced, lit up the large wooden desk that formed the center of the Inquisitions armies. That desk was storied with symbolism and the weight of the duty of — oh who was she kidding. The desk was heavy as shit, and she knew because she and Sera had tried to stuff a small wooden wedge underneath it and their combined strength could barely shift the dust that accumulated along the edge. Fortunately the Iron Bull could be bribed.

Anyway, what was she looking at? Oh right, the candles.

Or more truthfully, the man whose face was lit up by the flicker of light. He was sitting, at least, a hand mulling about his three-day-old scruff. The shadow of yet another piece of paperwork struck an odd angle against his cheekbones and across the side of his nose, such that the emotions across his mouth and jaw were unreadable.

He hadn't looked up when she entered, but that wasn't unusual. Even this late at night, patrols and runners moved through his office with stunning regularity; unless something registered a threat or asked intentionally for his attention, he rarely got distracted by the doors anymore. She normally would take her time moving about the office, decluttering, dusting, replacing books back onto bookshelves in the way he had taught her because no, alphabetical order does not suffice, otherwise Genitivi's works would be too far away from the rest of the Chant.

Tonight, however, his hand wasn't just mulling across his three-day-old scruff, and he wasn't just holding yet another piece of paperwork up to the light. His fingers dug into both paper and flesh, tearing where they could and intenting where they couldn't. Eyes wide, she stepped carefully into his vision before moving closer. She was desperate not to startle him.

"Cul," she said softly, her murmur just barely louder than a whisper. "Is everything okay, sweetheart?"

His eyes betrayed him.

His hand fell from his mouth, leaving small red splotches and soft lines where the leather and the seams of his gloves dug into the skin of his cheeks. He dropped the list onto the table, and sat back with a smile that would have looked natural to those who did not know him. He stretched and rolled his shoulders in an effort to relieve the tension in his back and spine, but the creak of leather in need of conditioning suggested that he had spent too long hunched in thought. The wood of the chair legs scraped against stone.

"Hey, Pup, you're early," he murmured in return, one hand leaving his lap and stretching out, welcoming her to take its place. She obliged, sweeping one leg in between his and perching on his left thigh. She could enjoy at least this one of the only parts of him not covered in steel.

"I'm late, Cul. The three bell patrol just came through, and you," — she clicked a nail against his breastplate — "are supposed to be in bed."

He grimaced at the thought of his tardiness, but his eyes betrayed him again. They looked into her face without seeing, and then back down at the paper.

"Those we lost at Adamant," he answered the question she didn't ask. "Inquisition and Wardens."

She reached lingering fingers across the desk to the paper and pulled it just close enough to see that the list was too long. She reached a little farther and flipped it upside down in an attempt to hide it from his gaze, but the list only continued on the other side. He shared her grimace.

"Too many mistakes," he whispered, as if saying it made it reluctantly true. "The Inquisitor didn't bother with the battlements, and sentenced all the Wardens she met to death. Even those willing to lay down their arms. The report from Straud was damning". He made to slam his fist down on the table, but hesitated in the nighttime hours. "If I had been… if I had been at my best, Pup. If I had been focused…"

She pressed her lips gently to his forehead and let them linger. A small incantation left under her breath when she finally pulled away, and she could see the ripple of restoration magic echo down from his forehead to his neck, through his torso, and down to the hands that had started to shake.

"Lyrium might have saved a couple of them, Cullen." Her eyes looked deep into his, where the wrinkles looked ever so slightly shallower. "But you are saved without it. And the Inquisition needs you, Cullen. The best version of you."

"And I am better without Lyrium."

A couple years ago the statement would have been snarled with a snide grin or a sing-song lilt. He would have mocked her, while in the throes of withdrawal. Today it was emboldening, a mantra. He didn't quite yet believe it, but he no longer thought her entirely wrong.

She held him, palm against his cheekbone and fingers nustled in his hair, her forehead to his, until he found his way back to her glade of calm. Then, wordlessly, she rose with her hand on his, and moved them both away from the desk and towards the ladder, and with four candles snuffed, he followed her up into the loft.

The routine was a nightly ritual when they were both at Skyhold in the cramped attic they shared. When either slept alone, they each found themselves a little lost in the moments before bed, missing the parts of their night where touch was shared.

He never let her remove his boots and cuisses. They were almost always filthy, and he thought more of her than to have her wash his feet (even as she protested that they were his feet so she loved them anyway). His hands worked the buckles at his shoulders, where she was just barely too short to reach comfortably, while her nimble fingers worked their sisters on the sides of his torso. He would watch as she removed his bracers, breathing in the scent of her hair. Sometimes he let her remove his gloves, but more often than not she would ask him to pull them off with his teeth while he watched her climb into their bed. There was something primal about him ripping the final pieces from his body, sometimes wrapping items like his fur pauldrons around her, that made her dizzy with need.

But tonight was quiet in both mind and spirit. She brushed her lips against the parts of skin that she uncovered, replacing them with the gentlest of fingertip touches as he placed the pieces on the armor stand with ritual born of unannounced spot checks and stern commanding officers. The rest of his armor, clothes meant for the laundry and leathers in desperate need of new conditioning, were piled neatly next to the stairs for attending to tomorrow.

The moonlight she had shut out so long ago peeked in through the hole in the roof that neither of them wanted to fix. The oblique angle spread a path of silky white across two bodies that tangled themselves together under lightweight blankets, weaving legs over and under and arms across chests and under necks until neither knew where they ended and the other began. With her restoration magic quieting the simmering under his skin, sleep came quickly.

The morning did too.

And, as he did every morning, the Commander of the Inquisition's forces woke before the sun. It had no chance to gleam across steel and fur, even through the hole in the attic roof, until it was already on his body and he was striding across the battlements for a bite of stale loaf.

[gordon-freeman-phd]

My Half-Life OC's (will be updated occasionally)

Brock Fuentes: A headstrong but cowardly guard working at black mesa with a mean streak to compensate

Richard Montague: A mycologist working at black mesa who dorms with Gordon. he is anxious, reserved, and very lonely

Jill Pobst: A guard working at black mesa, she is overly stern and aggressive to better fit in with the largely male guard population

Isiah Poole: A janitor working at black mesa, he minds his business (somethign that saves his life when it comes to the borrowers living at black mesa) and is generally a chill guy with a fondness for pet rats

Knipex: a borrower living at black mesa, theyre an engineer and eventually become friends with Isiah after being helped by him

Timmy: A young boy born during the 7 hour war, hes adventurous but is learning caution as he grows up under the combine and has a pet cat named Bagels

Bagels: Seemingly a regular cat, bagels is suspisciously intelligent with reddish eyes that seem to glow under certain contexts and seems rather fond of fucking over the combine at any given opportunity

Angus: A scientist on a xen exploration team, he becomes very lonely after getting stranded in xen after the rescas and becomes reliant on the zombified corpse of his lover Ed

Ed: A zombified scientist who is taken care of by Angus, over time he becomes a gonome

Lazăr: A combine worker/construction strider handler, during the rebellion he takes his assigned strider and skedaddles 🏃‍♂️

Galvanizer: A rollermine that got shocked just enough to scramble its programming so that it doesnt target much of anyone, eventually becomes somewhat of a pet to a rebel aligned walhammer oc named 1020 of one of my friends, its name is it (made up) combine technical term which 1020 calls it

Fred Otten: a long suffering guard who just before the resonance cascade lost his temper with a plaintive scientist and shot him dead, as the resonancr cascade begins, he pairs up with the now murdered scientists timid friend (an oc of one of my friends) to escape the facility

Robert Briggs: a nurse working at black mesa, just a stand up guy who loves his wife and makes it a habit to befriend lonely folks, richard included

V-8751: an alien grunt who survived black mesa and after many years of wandering by itself now resides on a outlander farm caring for cattle and doing its best to make nice with the outlanders despite the social differences between their two species and its growing guilt and feelings of isolation

Fletcher Lamb: a outlander living on the same farm as V-8751, born in scotland with a background in cow hoofing but now spends most of her time sewing and repairing clothes given his difficulties standing due to a spimal injury during a portal storm following the rescas, but he uses his hoofing skills as an excuse to socialize with V-8751

Cicada: a vortigaunt also living at the same farm as V-8751 who due to a brain injury at the hands of a crowbar weilding maniac during the resonance cascade, often struggles with catatonia as it withdraws into the vortesence

Felix Kessler and Alexis: a pair of metrocops who perform above standard but are perpetually disliked and skipped over for promotions due to their obnoxiously toxic attitudes to others and eachother but refuse to be paired with anyone but eachother because everyone else is worse

Antoine-Valery Veilleux: A resistance allied outlander who travels been outposts with supplies and any communicaes that cant go over radio waves. He has an ever growing collection of chihuahuas who cruises at every settlement and outpost he goes to, taken woman or not

Damned Crows: a sapient crow living at white forest who enjoys fucking with the resident humans, in particular a man named Magnusson

Rafał Lewkowicz: A citizen in city 17. His job is keeping the advisors being held in the citadel healthy. He has a developed an obsession with the advisors after having been shown visions of worlds and knowledge far beyond the comprehension of humans and longs to understand them

The Tor: Once a community leader among other vorts under the nihilanths reign and forced to be a commander during the rescas, he now roams without access to the vortessence with ex-farmers due to a teleportation accident in a portal storm

[kh2prologue]

oc-tober day 18: swap

booed off the stage for posting comically symmetrical sibling designs. here's the messiest sketches alive of sol and astrid in a role swap where they both take sinclair's place as "the royal heir." though this certainly looks and is ridiculous i do have things to say about it, and also i haven't thought about roleswap in a while. SO

first off! as a general introduction, these designs were drawn for my general WB roleswap in which the main three all switch origins with one another. i won't go into it here, but that means that the book 2 characters switch places as well. instead of having them rotate, I combined the twins and had them both switch with sinclair.

sol and astrid become the prince and princess, and sinclair is the royal accountant or some such nonsense... a trusted advisor to princess astrid, and also the twins' personal spy.

it didn't make that much sense for one of the twins to become royalty while the other wouldn't. and while, in retrospect, i could have gone like, servant of evil style laugh out loud oliverism, it didn't really suit the tone. so instead, i had them both switch with sinclair, who is now stuck filling the role of both "untrustworthy ally" and "unassuming palace employee". the way this would probably shake out is that sinclair would have been sending anonymous tips to the main trio throughout the book 2 equivalent, while also making regular appearances in person. when their identity is revealed, it would be a whole question whether they actually were helping the trio (going against the twins' plans) or drawing them into a trap... and honestly, they wouldn't be clear on it themself. they'd keep plausible deniability, wanting power for their own but also unwilling to give up the relative security they have. trying to play both sides to this extent would doom them in the end, and in the endgame they'd probably get cast aside by astrid... sad!

ANYWAY, regarding the designs - i played up their symmetry on purpose. the symmetry in their original designs was meant to be subtle, slight matching elements that connected them despite their being introduced separately. i've mentioned this before, but sol and astrid being siblings is something of a "twist" in my story... the two are met individually, and their connection only becomes clear later on. but in this story, they are meant to be seen as a pair. they WOULD be seen as a pair, by everyone they met. so, i went full sillymode on their symmetrical elements, gave them the same color scheme, etc.

the premise of the roleswap part 2 would be that sol and astrid are ostensibly in a succession battle for the throne. the two are twins, both qualified in their own ways - sol being more outgoing, ambitious, and magically talented; astrid being better at social networking and having an implacable demeanor. the two are encouraged and expected to outdo one another, and told only one of them can take the throne.

but, in actuality, the two don't actually care about all that. they find it all ridiculous, and they play along for appearance's sake while deciding they only really have loyalty for each other, and are content to rule together. which means, coincidentally, they might just have to find a way to take it for themselves, rather than playing by the rules. sol has an draw to orion here that mimics sinclair's interest in eve - he becomes a part of things, probably.

in their original designs, sol's earring is the same stone that astrid wears around her neck - under her dress, where it's hidden, because she doesn't really wear jewelry that would make her stand out, and the gem is bright. in the same way, i had sol's loyalty to astrid be rather obvious - the moon brooch on his shirt. astrid's is more hidden - her hairpiece, if it was taken out, would be shaped like a sun. (if you've only now realized they're sun/moon coded in my mind... i'm sorry. astrid's first drafted name was luna.)

final bits i feel like i must address. "so is green not sol's natural hair color?" okay, if i was completely honest with myself - no, i don't think there would be green hair in his universe. sorry. why wouldn't sol magic-dye his hair in this world? well, for starters, he sort of makes his outfit and appearance flashy in canon to suit being on stage - his eyes are actually colored in duller in this picture, closer to how it'd look if he didn't deliberately let the light shine a certain way through his glasses. it suits the sort of magic he does, and it suits how he gets to act. but he'd be more toned down by necessity here - he and astrid know that, to some extent, their actions reflect on one another.

alright anyway if you made it this far here's other doodles i did for this roleswap before <3 bye

[aurasoulhikari]

Zexal Month Week 4 Day 21: O is for Originality

@zexalmonth

Ok ladies and gentlemen I'm about to go all lore OC headcanon on what happens when you find out that Don Thousand used to be an Astral being and that flipping Galaxy Eyes Tachyon Dragon was actually a benevolent Number before Don Thousand screwed him up!! Screw you Don Thousand!!! Anyway! Hope you guys buckle up and enjoy!

When the Universe was born the Numeron Dragon had shed its tear preparing for its imminent death. When the sound of another roar emanated for the Numeron Dragon to hear. And to its shock appearing before it was another dragon, but this dragon was cloaked in a beautiful crimson red aura brimming with life. It was then the Numeron Dragon realized that this dragon was the physical embodiment of the sacred Dragon Star. The Crimson Dragon had sensed the Numeron Dragon and wanted to come to its side in its final moments of life. Touched by this he Numeron Dragon asked the Crimson Dragon to spread life to the planet where its tear had fallen and to become a guide of sorts for the denizens there while also helping it hide its own existence.

The Crimson Dragon accepted this task helping the Numeron Dragon gather the power of the Numbers in order to hide its existence and leave a record inscribed tablet to find the key to the Numeron Code bearing witness to the birth of the Dragons of Light and Time. Upon doing so the Crimson Dragon realized that while with the Numbers there was still no guarantee that no one would find the truth of the Numeron Dragon. And so suggested the idea to the Numeron Dragon of creating a deity, a sacred priestess, to protect the secret with the three Dragons of Light and Time. The Numeron Dragon accepted this idea and decided to use the power of a spiritual parallel world combined with the powers of the planet where the Numeron Code resided for it and the Crimson Dragon to create the deity as its final act. They came upon another dimension and with their power they created a goddess of Harmony and Chaos, a giver of life, to which they named Elysia.

Elysia became a consistent existence that watched over the two worlds and became able to see the souls of one planet come to the other being reborn as the other world’s denizens. She would at times help guide these souls when they stray or help them take shape upon reaching the parallel world. And in time she witnessed the parallel world flourish to life by the denizens witnessing the crowning of rulers would create its godhead to help guide the new rulers of the world. But she worried about her own duties. Though she stood with the dragons that hold the secrets to the Numeron Code and its key she worried if she could manage alone. It was then one of the three dragons, the one closest to her, suggested she choose two people of the parallel world to share her burden and assist her.

She accepted this idea except instead wished for the two Dragons of Light and Time to choose their partners instead. The two dragons agreed to this and went to the parallel world where the Dragon of Light chose the King which as the Dragon of Time chose the King’s closest advisor. While stunned and shocked by the turn of events the King and his advisor took this in strides and agreed to work with Elysia. The King became known as the Lord of Legend protector of the legends surrounding the Numeron Dragon while his advisor became the Dragon Tamer protector of the three Dragons. Together they worked alongside the Queen and godhead and helped the world prosper, welcoming other new entities to the world, while at the same time watching the planet where the Numeron Code rested and would then dubbed the two worlds Astral World and Earth.

But as time moved on Elysia began to sense the energies of Astral World weakening much to her worry and realized the timing was of the same time humans with strange power from Earth were reincarnated as Astral beings. It was a power unknown to her that she would dub it the name Chaos. She held a meeting with the King, Queen, Godhead, and advisor of Astral World in regards to the situation. The Godhead had declared that it had to be the Chaos that was weakening their world and should be purged but Elysia disagreed wishing to find another way. The King agreed, seeing that a purge would only endanger the denizens of Astral World. They would agree to hold on making a decision until they could learn more. But over time Elysia and the King began to notice changes in the Advisor and even Elysia noticing Chaos emanating from the Advisor. When she and King confronted the Advisor of this, that was then they realized the Advisor had changed. The Advisor began to speak how the Chaos was a means of true evolution, true power that transcended humanity itself that they could wield. He saw it as a usage of the living as much as the deceased souls, even the Universe itself.

Elysia was against this for life and death must be separated and colliding them would result in discord. Their responsibility was keeping peace, stability, and harmony but what the Advisor was suggesting was utter domination. The Advisor snapped at her claiming she can only say such things because of her own power and abilities. But he and the King were different. Elysia disagreed stating she never desired dominating the Astral beings or humans for that matter like what the Advisor was suggesting yet he remained adamant claiming that they were beyond that, that they were meant to rule. It was then that Elysia and the King realized that the Advisor was corrupted by his Chaos and was no longer the one they called their friend. Before Elysia and the King could stop him the Advisor summoned the Dragon of Time and they were horrified to witness that the Dragon of Time had also been corrupted by the Advisor's Chaos and began to unleash its destructive powers against them. They were quick to defend themselves when the Godhead came to join them and demanded for Elysia to see the truth that Chaos was too dangerous for their world.

Torn and heartbroken Elysia knew what must be done for the sake of the remaining denizens. Using the power granted to her by her creators she dispatched all the denizens who carried Chaos and forced them all back to a smaller parallel world including the Advisor. The Advisor screamed swearing vengeance against them all before he disappeared along with the Dragon of Time. Elysia collapsed having never exhausted her power like that before. The King rushed to his friend's side asking if she was alright, but she only warned him that they must prepare for war. For a horrible battle was about to begin, one that would shake their very universe.

[spoofymcgee]

star trek fic recs:

(i've never done this before so bear with me)

TOS:

- Spoctoria series by @waldorph and @screamlet

WC: 78k / Rating: Explicit / Status: Complete / Relationship: Spirk, Spock & Sybok, Spock & T'pring / Genre: Longform Plot, Falling in Love, Royalty AU

Summary: "Spock is heir to the Federation throne, Jim is Prince of America because his fucking brother abdicated, and the Klingons are on the verge of blowing shit up--a love story."

(listen. listen. literally anything by these two authors will be the best thing you've ever read. but this series? blew my fucking mind with how good it was. something about the the way jim and spock are written, combined with the setting they're in and various bits about the universe is just so delightful. it's been three months and i still think about this series every day)

- The Longest Year series by A_Noone and Hinya_O_Elena

WC: 140k / Rating: Explicit / Status: WIP / Relationship: McSpirk / Genre: Longform Plot, TOS Structure, Self-discovery

Summary: "Leonard McCoy has been through some shit. A terrible divorce, losing his kid, and terrifying life-long spooky weirdness due to having his psionic potential catalyzed by God-Knows-What in high school. When his best friend, James Kirk, finally took command of the Enterprise, things seemed to be looking up -- right up until that damnable green blooded hobgoblin got involved.

This is the Second Year of the Five Year Mission as it could have gone, with angsty romance, harrowing adventures, metaphysical revelations, and McCoy discovering that James Kirk and Spock care more about him that he'll ever know."

(this is one of my favorite hidden gems. it manages to pull of first person pov so excellently, it's dry and witty and funny, the plot is constructed really well)

- To Catch a Fish by Darksknight

WC: 15k / Rating: Mature / Status: Complete / Relationship: Spirk / Genre: Crack, Humor, Fluff

Summary: "Spock’s realized that while he treasures his deep friendship with Jim, he’s come to desire more. He sets out to tell Jim of his feelings, but finds the task... considerably more difficult than he'd first imagined it to be."

(spock is in love with jim. all that's left is to tell him. unfortunately, jim's having a little bit of trouble getting that through his head, so spock has to figure out how to say it in human terms. it's. it's great, go read it. spock catches him two fish and literally sweeps him off his feet, sarek quotes spice girls, and. just read it, please. i promise you won't regret it)

- love is an affliction by WerewolvesAreReal

WC: 5k / Rating: Teen / Status: Complete / Relationship: Spirk, McSpirk / Genre: Crack, Humor

Summary: "“A condition – you're sick? With spontaneous flowers? How do I get rid of them?”

“You do not."

(Or: Hanahaki disease is not fatal, but it is exclusive to Vulcans. Honestly, death would be more dignified.)"

(DROP WHAT YOU'RE DOING AND GO READ THIS RIGHT NOW. it's the funniest fucking fic on the entire internet, and i love it with a passion. all of the author's stuff is excellent, especially their fic Ni'Var, but this one lives rent free in my head and i love it beyond words)

- Compromises (The Bridge Between) by purpleeyesandbowties

WC: 30k / Rating: Teen / Status: Complete / Relationship: Spock & OC, Spirk / Genre: Character Study, Coming of Age, Self-discovery

Summary: "There were only three Vulcans at Starfleet Academy. One was a professor. The other was a third year science student, finishing up two credits before a mid-year graduation. The last was T'rin. There had been other Vulcans in the past, but all had graduated before T'rin enrolled. They were all Science track. T'rin was Command track. Her advisor, S'chn T’gai Spock, recommended she enroll in Introduction to Vulcan: Language, History, and Culture, co-taught by himself and a Professor James Kirk.

In which there are cats, classes, compromises, and an unacceptable number of highly emotional conversations.

(i have a fuckin huge soft spot for old married spirk, but that aside, t'rin is the best y'all. i love her so much. she's so cool)

AOS:

- Graduate Vulcan For Fun And Profit by @lazulisong

WC: 15k / Rating: Teen / Status: Complete / Relationship: Jim & and OC, Spirk / Genre: Humor, Character Study

Summary: "It really does take a village to raise a Jim.

The members of the Kelvin's crew watch over Jim as much as he lets them."

(hhhhh this fic made me feel so many things. the characters are written so well and the structure of the writing is so cool. everything by lazulisong is excellent but this fic in particular is my favorite)

- Sacra Familiae series by Joules Mer

WC: 22k / Rating: Teen / Status: Complete / Relationship: McKirk, Pike/Boyce / Genre: Character Study, Relationship Study, Slice of Life, Recovery

Summary: "It makes the skin on the back of his neck prickle— the strangeness of it. There’s a lassitude in his limbs and a tightness in his chest and as a confused shock of jumbled memories and pain come back Chris hears a heart monitor give a little blip of alarm and can’t help but wonder, Am I dead?"

(this series contains some of my favorite pile fics ever. it manages to capture his character so well and the relationships in it feel so fleshed out despite the fact that it's fairly short as a series. it's sweet and a little sad and it made me cry a bit)

- hexagons impromptu trek week 2k21 series by @hexagon

WC: 23k / Rating: Teen / Status: Complete / Relationship: Pike & Kirk, QPL McKirk / Genre: Character Study, Slice of Life

Summary: “"You’ve been so brave, James,” he whispers, and Jim lets out the slightest exhale of shock, his mouth falling open.

or: captaincies and self-doubts and chris finally getting to tell jim he's proud of him"

(this is, hands down, my favorite st slice of life fic. no contest. the dynamic between pike and jim is. indescribable, but it did make me cry quite a bit. the relationship between mccoy and kirk is happy dance worthy, and i don't say that lightly)

- Everything That Disappears by @sagesiren

WC: 20k / Rating: M / Status: Complete / Relationship: McSpirk / Genre: Character Study, Relationship Study, Slice of Life, Falling in Love

Summary: "Jim dropped his duffel and grinned at him. “You’re still calling me ‘kid,’ even though you have a kid now? I love the hair, by the way,” he said, coming over and running a hand through it before turning, smiling down at Jo in the high chair. “This her?”

“No, she’s the decoy kid. I’m hiding the other toddler somewhere else,” Leonard said, rolling his eyes at him.

Or, the one where Leonard is fresh out of gender affirmation surgery, given custody of the daughter he didn't know he had, and in an open relationship with Jim where they don't tell each other anything about their partners."

(ahhhh!!! this fic. just. all of it. jo is such a realistic baby, which is a weird holdup, but i hate when kids are talking dolls instead of the tiny little dumpster fires they are in real life. bones is written delightfully well, the twist at the end is so good and all around an excellent fic)

- VaYehi series by @trekkele

WC: 10k / Rating: Gen / Status: Complete / Relationship: Jim & the bridge crew, Jim & Spock / Genre: Character Study, Slice of Life

Summary: "Every starship Captain has their quirks.

This is less about Kirks, and more about what lies at the heart of it.

In which Jim has his secrets, McCoy is overprotective, the crew learns something new, and Spock is curious. Of course he is."

(these are my absolute favorite jewish trek fics ever. the bridge scene in the first one lives rent free in my head and i actually spent all of wednesday afternoon drawing it instead of studying for midterms. i love the examination of jim's relationship with his judiasm–how he's proud of it but scared of people knowing. it really touched a thread in my heart)

[dreamsy990]

hey u have ocs? information?llllong post? please if u have like. info on them? or just doodles idk

hi sorry this has been sitting in my inbox for a while bc i keep forgetting it exists but uh!!! sure !!!! theres not much interesting stuff here though so im just gonna ramble in whatever order i feel like. unless theyre like a group or something

so copper and omen my wof ocs probably have the least to say? because i dont have any sort of story for them at all. copper is a silkwing with some anxiety issues and omen is her girlfriend who has VERY bad trust issues. not sure how they get together but i think maybe omen couldve helped protect copper from a disaster and thats how they met? which sort of plays into omens main thing, which is that she's a nightwing who was hatched under a bloodmoon. so within wof lore as stated by our lord and savior tui t sutherland, she can see the future, but only disasters. in my head shes kinda a cassandra or goosefeather figure where shes almost always right about her visions unless something is done explicitly to prevent them from coming true, but nobody believes her. idk i have way less for copper than omen but they are a pair and im not allowed to seperate them.

my other significant wof oc is frostbite. does he exist in the same universe as copper and omen? maybe idk. they might have a cool adventure together with some other characters if i ever feel like it. tbh all 3 of these guys were just design practice for me so all story is just kind of random thoughts. anyways so frostbite was actually adapted from an old character from an rp group i was in. originally he was an icewing/nightwing and a weird old man who hides in the woods and definitely does murder. but hes basically a completely different guy now so thats mostly irrelevant. anyways so the half nightwing part became half leafwing (not on purpose i just forgot he wasnt always a leafwing). and i have a very, very rough idea for his story. for context since idk how much you know about wof, icewings have a caste system for aristocrats called circles, numbered 1-7, and your ranking can change based on how much you "embody the ideal qualities of an icewing", so theres a lot of pressure put on icewings to be as perfect as possible. anyways, i think frostbites dad was probably in the first circle when he had an affair with a leafwing. normally that would probably be enough to get him kicked out of the aristocracy entirely, but somehow (probably through a combination of being close to the queen, maybe as an advisor or maybe just an old friend? as well as having been high ranking for his entire life before that) he was allowed to return along with the son he had with that leafwing, but as punishment dropped to the bottom of the seventh circle. and frostbite is that son! cursed to never feel fully like an icewing, and always struggle to make himself seem worthy of being there at all. hes pretty hotheaded (NOT a very icewing trait, as others love to point out) and while he definitely knows hes getting much harsher treatment than others get for no reason other than his leafwing side, hes still trying his best to fit into society. its not exactly going well for him because it feels like no matter how perfect he is, thats always at least a couple steps behind the worst "real" icewing. anyways, something happens, i dont know how, but he manages to get out of the ice kingdom for a bit, and probably goes on an adventure with some friends, and realizes just how fucking stifling that place was. and then he never goes back. idk hes sort of like winter if he had more daddy issues.

ummm. colorux isnt real. ok but actually colorux is a joke oc i share custody of with ridragon. she is a gremlin, gay, british, and a member of organization xiii. shes probably friends with luxord because luxord is also british. thats it.

MY DND GUYS NATHAN AND DUST!! i have a lot more for nathan so. dust is a tabaxi paladin with an oath of devotion. the campaign she was supposed to be part of was a war one, so i wasnt sure how much rp there was gonna be, so i only came up with enough that i would have something to work with if it ever did happen. so that mostly means her personality. shes probably autistic, she struggles to hold a conversation very well, and very much leans towards the stoic side, although she loves collecting shiny things whenever she can and if you get her talking about her collection she can talk for hours. she also has a strong sense of justice (hence the oath of devotion), and will try to do what she thinks is right no matter the cost. thats dust!! fun fact about her she was NOT inspired by dust from dust an elysian tail them both being cat people and paladin equivalents and having similar personalities and the same name. that was actually a complete coincidence which i think is hilarious.

nathan is probably the one i have the most story for!! so backstory about them, i made him up on the spot for a dnd campaign that sort of fizzled out. i had forgotten to make a character sheet so i just found a list of premade ones and boom!! nathan. theyre a drow rogue and i made them specifically to fit as few rogue stereotypes as possible. i like to think he grew up somewhere around upper middle class, with no real reason to get into crime since it's not like he needed anything in particular, but he was a stupid kid with stupid friends and too much time on his hands!! so he and his best friend who does not have a name im so sorry. my brain is saying maurice and i think thats funny so their friend is named maurice now. anyways so nathan and maurice started doing petty crime as a passtime!! they were pretty good at it too, if you asked them. and then something went wrong. i dont know exactly how it would happen, but somewhere along the line in their stupidest crime yet, things went wrong, and nathan panicked, and ran away, leaving maurice all alone to deal with the cops. what happened? nathan doesnt know. but it fucked him up man. its been like 30 years and hes STILL beating himself up about it. he became a lot more cowardly, avoiding risk and running away from things whenever he can, they try to avoid getting attached to people so he doesnt feel bad when he instinctively pushes them in front of danger so he can avoid it, and hes just generally a disaster. also theyre scared of spiders. i love them.

and uhhh that just leaves angie, rea, and charlotte. so for context, my original idea for these guys was a sort of depressing game about accepting the inevitable, but theyve honestly become way more sweet since then so!!!! angie and rea are reapers, and their jobs are to guide the dead to the underworld. and theyre also roommates! but not gay. angie is aroace. rea is probably aspec too now that i think about it. little bit of fun detail about them, angie tends to take jobs where shes guiding assholes, and she loves trying to make their trips as terrifying as possible. shes not good at being empathetic!! rea on the other hand. is terrible at being scary. so she mostly gets jobs with kids, and she goes through as much effort as she can to make sure they're NOT scared. kind of opposites to angie but idk i think theyre cute. anyways, charlotte is not a reaper. shes actually just a little girl, probably 8-10 or so. reas job is to guide her, but when she gets to charlotte, she realizes charlotte's not actually dead. shes on the edge, she could slip over at any time, but shes not dead. rea realizes if she brings charlotte to the underworld there's no chance she'll ever be able to wake up again, but if she doesn't, then maybe charlotte has a chance. so instead, she takes charlotte home with her, to the inbetween. so oops!! surprise child aquisition. personality wise, charlottes probably that sort of sassy little kid. you know the type. she isnt scared of angie in the slightest!! actually, shes not scared of ANYTHING, if you ask her. idk theyre a fun little trio in my head

theres probably someone else im forgetting buut if im forgetting they cant be that important. anyways im not really in a drawing mood rn but i might add art later. but idk my oc tags are literally just #name (oc) so just do that if you wanna find my art of them. i dont draw them much. also i need to redesign some of them. ALSO I DONT HAVE A CHARLOTTE DESIGN FUCK.

[thewingedbaron]

Character Introductions for Owlcatober!

Owlcatober is right around the corner! I'm hoping to do a lot of writing for this one, so I figured it would be a good idea to reintroduce my three oc's that may (or may not) be taking the spot light for the month. I don't know how often I'll be doing the prompts or even what characters I'll be using for them yet so I'll just give you a little look into each!

Any and all of my prompt writing will be under #TWB Owlcatober and linked here once the month get's going!

Character Intros under the cut.

Allix is my first knight commander. He started out as a bounty hunter looking for bigger scores in the world wound, much like Greybor but without the assassin evil bits. However, upon discovering his powers, Allix became an unwilling angel, adopting the powers of heaven despite his clashes with lawful alignment and authority. He would eventually give up his powers and instead opt for the legend route, proving to the world and the gods that a mere mortal could challenge them any time he liked.

Allix was an Arueshalae romancer (my wife), and always strides to see the best in people. His ride or dies were Seelah, Sosiel, Arueshalae, Ember, Nenio, and Lann.

Vysk is my most recent knight commander, a sable company marine turned Atza. She's still figuring out this whole "Commander of the Crusade" thing, and isn't exactly thrilled to find herself at the helm of such a massive operation. She originally traveled to the world wound after her commander, Commandant Marcus Endrin was "killed" for trying to assassinate the Red Queen Ileosa Arabasti from the City of Krovosa. While she had no hand in the assassination, the Red Queen decided it would be easier to purge the ranks of the Sable Company f anyone loyal to the former Commandant. Vysk has been on the run ever since.

Vysk is not far enough for a romance path yet, but her chaotic nature leads alligns her with her ride or dies, Seelah, Sosiel, Woljif, Arueshalae, and Ulbrig. Her hippogriff is named Jester for his daredevil nature. (He really likes hard caramels for some reason).

Finally, Silus Von Valancius, the newest Rogue Trader of the Valancius dynasty. Silus was surprised to recieve summons from Theodora, given his... lifestyle. Silus was born on a voidship, and was rasied as a raider and pirate in the far off systems of the Imperium. In time, he killed, lied, and stole his way to his own ship, captaining a crew of void raiders. At the time of his summons, he'd developed a small criminal empire of pirates and smugglers, but that was nothing compared to what awaited him.

It's rare to find an honest pirate, but Silus has always found that the right combination of threats and trust will carry you much further than backstabbing every compitent person around you. See that your crew is cared for and they will care for you. He ultimately strayed down the Iconiclast path, creating an empire that would outlast him even in the face of the harshest compeition.

Silus had a fling with Jae, but ultimately fell in with his Aeldari Advisor Yrliet. His ride or die party consisted of his bullwark Abelard, Cassia, Pasqual, and Yrliet for most missions.

[quoththeowl31]

So Emilia was originally an OC for Varian and the 7 Kingdoms from Disney's Rapunzel. (VK7 was a concept for a spin off graphic novel that didn't get approved sadly)

Emilia was a Saporian girl around the same age as Varian who would act as an antagonist towards him and his friends over most of their journey. Her goal was to take the totems for herself in order to access the Eternal Library in hopes to find a way to break a curse she had accidentally unleashed on her village.

She and Varian would eventually have a moment where the two agreed to help each other and she'd become team medic/magic expert. Of course she's able to break the curse.

I came up with a spin off of the spin off that would have her coming to Corona to undergo training to become a doctor/advisor under Rapunzel though it's not without its own challenges.

As she was Saporian (and the younger sister to Andrew/Hubert), she had a lot of animosity towards Corona and faced a lot of prejudice from Coronans. Much of her arch would bring to light that no, Saporia didn't just join Corona, Shampanere betrayed her people for power and Saporia was annexed and the repercussions of the conquest are still felt to that day.

Emilia in many ways was the flipside to Varian and they were also meant to represent Demanitus and Zhan Tiri. When they combined their talents, it led to amazing results but when they were fighting each other, it was like watching an unstoppable force vs an immovable object. They had the potential to go down the very same path Demanitus and Zhan Tiri went when they were partners.

The difference was they had friends, especially Hugo.

There were a lot of ideas I had. Such as Demanitus not being the true founder of the Library and how vital the Great Tree was to the rest of the world.

But that's a lot of Emilia's original background.

[zoannearts]

Happy WIP WEDNESDAY everyone

This last week I have been really fixated on my fantasy world building project and have had lots of ideas for pieces I have wanted to make so start many many sketches some more developed than others, i have also started writing out the lore more i have so much knowledge of my world already especially since its a semi collaborative project with my partner, but I need to start writing it all put for people to read and know. I will be posting that at some point here, on my unvale and on my toyhouse

From top to bottom left to right

1 and 2- some sketches trying to design outfits for my oc’s Castor and Maya and how to represent their cultures within their clothing, they are both characters who are from one culture but then spend a lot of time in another culture and I want to figure out what that will look like for them as the cultures combine and clash.

3- Maya and the watcher -I have had this idea in the back of my mind for a long while and I have big plans for it I want it to be a fully rendered painted piece that represents on of her higher powered spells really excited to work on it more when I am a little less busy

4 and 5 - A portrait of Maya and her Beloved Imperas Beiti (keylas) inspired by the murals of Theodora and Justinian, i really wanted to make a full body pieces inspired by those but decided for now to just make specific icons for them as a portrait representation of them for my unvale/toyhouse etc maybe in the future I will do the full mural for both of them with my other ocs that fit as the advisors in the background (such as Stratkos Beiti taking Belisarius’ place)

[plaguery]

here is my promised dmc oc, romy sears. she is like if a torture device was friend shaped.

these two pics are about a year old now and certainly far from favorites but they show off those tattoo details that the first missed!

she is a post-dmc5 character, remotely working as an advisor of sorts for devil may cry through morrison's adept scouting and by way of her demonological expertise, intel on possible jobs and if she's feeling generous, her casting abilities.

at the time of joining the devil may cry ensemble, she is a thirty-one year old with about two decades of intensive autistic special interest studying and training behind her. a witness to a horrific devil attack at age eleven, she was somehow inspired and propelled into demonology and magical pursuits. her constant, reckless infodumping to helpless shop patrons and workers at her regular haunts made her a name in town to anyone who wanted to work with or against devils, leading up to morrison cracking down on her and setting up a devil may cry exclusive romy deal.

her cover and home base (tag 'home' as literal) is the antiques shop she owns and operates at the very edge of town on the mostly abandoned, eerie but alluring, bramford street. mixed in with your average porcelain antiques are demonic artifacts and 'possessed' items—particularly, dolls. these devils that she has personally conjured and bound are considered friends, while she considers herself a 'caretaker'.

despite her fondness for the demonic, she teams up with devil may cry out of financial need and for the mental challenge that she figures it will present. you can guess that her morals are... pliant.

she is a cheery, talkative, and strangely elegant thing, but do not mistake that for extroversion. more a lively hermit, most of her hours are spent at her shop and she can only be pulled away for the sake of necessity or for furthering her aims of gaining knowledge/'friends'. social skills seem to be something that comes and goes for her: politeness quickly becoming intrusion into personal boundaries, chatter somehow turning every stranger in the vicinity away, picking up on heavily layered context while missing basic cues.

as she'll tell you, pride is her favorite of the cardinal sins, and you'll find her pride in her knowledge, fashion, hair, and accessories. the tuft of white in her victory roll is her favorite badge of honor, as it has grown over the years from exposure to the demonic. most notable though are her golden, clawed fingers: custom prosthetics that she acquired after losing her fingers in a conjuring gone wrong.

if the antiques shop didn't tell you, she loves vintage and is most often seen in 40s or 50s inspired styles. the true mark of devotion is the trans-atlantic accent that she taught herself as a teenager and uses to this day (no, she will not admit to it being taught despite it inherently being a completely fabricated accent).

fun facts:

if she gets close enough to someone she will reveal that 'romy sears' is in fact not really her name and that she started using it after getting disowned at eighteen for accidentally setting her family trailer on fire with her first successful conjure & bind. she will not divulge her true last name but her given name is rosemary. 'romy sear(s)' is just the anagram treatment.

'rosemary', making it an anagram, and the name 'bramford' for the street are references to rosemary's baby. she has never and never will give birth and shes more akin to the creepy neighbors but i love references and she loves taking care of devils!

when she does leave the house, she is rarely seen without a multiseat stroller, seating a select few dolls for that day. as a caretaker, she figures it's important for enrichment purposes to get them out of the shop regularly.

the whole doll schtick is actually the whole inspiration for her character. i started simply with the idea of combining one of my favorite internet browsing activities (looking at haunted/possessed doll listings) with post-dmc5 fuckery.

objects moving and strange noises are part and parcel for the shop. however, there is also a bit of a time vortex due to the massive concentration of the demonic in one spot. it makes the veil between realms thinner but not by too much. it's helped by romy's many wards and charms around and throughout the shop but time still moves differently and is always off by around 5-25 minutes depending on circumstance.

if you read this far, thank you :) i really love her in all her freakishness. im (slowly) trying to work on a written intro* (i guess.. fic) with her. despite all i already wrote there is much more i already have in my mind. questions are welcomed if you happen to have them!

*here's a sneak peek of that ;)

[you-feelin-lucky-punk]

New OC List

(This will be long)

Phoenixfire/Phoenix (he/him) [Decepticon]

Scorpion (she/her) [NAIL]

Paranoium (she/her) [NAIL]

Bluelight (he/him) [NAIL]

Oracle (she/her) [NAIL]

Fuse (he/him) [NAIL]

Talon (he/him) [NAIL]

Stat (he/him) [Decepticon]

The Betrayers

(There will be a * next to characters I don't have a lot of lore for yet, but you're still welcome to ask questions about them, the answers just might be boring lmao)

Heavycast (he/him) [Leader]

Nightscope (he/him) [Head Scientist/Engineer]

Grimwar (he/him) [Battle Advisor]*

Slipjaw (she/her) [Second in Command]

Spartan (he/him) [Third in Command]

Killstreak (he/him) [Brute]

Havoc (he/him) [Medic]

Sky-High (he/him) [Honorary Nurse]

Psych (he/him) [Therapist]

Aeromine (she/her) [Arms Dealer]

Parallax (she/her)

Incendiary (he/him)

Nitroflame (he/him)

Turbocharge (he/him)

Aphelion (she/her)

Perihelion (she/her)

Torrent (he/him)

Timewarp (he/him)

Sidewire (he/him)

Skystrike (he/him)

Airfire (he/him)

Highwing (she/her)

Shocktrap (he/him)

Augment (he/him)

Mayday (he/him)

Hardfist (he/him)

Hydroblast (she/her)

Off Beat (he/him)

Mayhem (he/him)

Twitch (she/her)

Paradox (she/her)

Trickshot (he/they)

Zeppelin (they/them)

Interceptor (he/him)

Double Deal (she/her)

Whisper (they/she)

Stratus (he/him)*

Recoil (he/him)*

Barrage (he/him)*

Pummel (he/him)*

Turbine (he/him)*

Ironblade (he/him)*

Dirtstorm (he/him)*

Retrofight (he/him)*

Flatswitch (he/him)*

Blockade (he/him)*

Topflare (he/him)*

Flash Back (he/him)*

Starstruck (she/her)*

Lightdance (she/her)*

Monody (they/she)*

Vixen (she/her)*

Mystic (she/her)*

Sunways (she/her)*

Spectre (she/her)*

The Combiners

(Still part of the Betrayers)

OBLITERATOR (he/him)

Sidearm (he/him) [Right Leg]

Conquest (he/him) [Right Arm]*

Vanquish (he/him) [Torso]

Thunderbird (he/him) [Left Leg]*

Zephyr (he/him) [Left Arm]

ALPHA MAXIMUS (they/them)

Omega (they/them) [Right Leg]*

Gamma (she/her) [Right Arm]*

Epsilon (he/him) [Torso]*

Theta (she/her) [Left Leg]*

Delta (they/them) [Left Arm]*

[herearedragons]

i don't know your inquisitor so giving a broader option list for the dai codex prompts - 3, 6, or 11?

DAI Codex Prompts

I ended up combining two of those!

3. writing found in your OC’s trash can + 11. slander written about your OC

(These pages have been confiscated from an “independent investigator” visiting Skyhold. Upon questioning, the investigator - at first assumed to be a Venatori spy - admitted that the purpose of his visit was to collect material for a publication about the Inquisitor.)

…those of us who were impressed, perhaps even captivated, by the Inquisitor’s performance at the Winter Palace are in for a heartbreaking revelation.

The display of intelligence and humanity, I found out, was no more than a ruse. Every word of conversation was scripted, every gesture pre-planned - and not by Inquisitor Adaar himself, but by a circle of well-equipped individuals dedicated to maintaining a respectable image for the Inquisition’s puppet leader. In reality, the Inquisitor is unable to uphold the simplest of conversations without the guidance of his advisors, and even struggles with the Trade tongue.

While unfortunate, this discovery does explain how a half-Qunari mercenary was able to charm his way through the Orlesian court - and, perhaps, explains why I have not been able to gain an audience with the Inquisitor during my stay in Skyhold.

I was, however, able to have a conversation with several members of the Inquisition, all of whom wished to remain unnamed out of fear for their well-being. For, indeed, in addition to struggling with communication, the Inquisitor is prone to sudden fits of rage…

(The rest of the document continues in a similar manner. At the end of it, in a different hand and a different color of ink, a note is written: “Interviews mostly fake. Found the guy from the only real one. Do you want him? - Weaver”)

(The last page in the collection is extremely crumpled and, once again, bears different handwriting. The investigator admitted to bribing a member of Skyhold’s staff to gain access to the Inquisitor’s trashcan, from which he retrieved this piece of paper. It seems to be the base for his entire work.)

WINTER PALACE BATTLE PLAN

Commit to memory, use to navigate conversations during the ball.

Thank the Maker for Josephine.

(A flow chart of conversation beats follows, describing when and how to change the subject, ask questions, and end a conversation appropriately, all while taking into account the other person’s title, age, marital status and current outfit.)

(Underneath it, a list of phrase templates is meticulously written out, with parts of the sentences left blank to be filled in as necessary.)

“A bold choice of [prominent outfit element]”. I hate this

“My apologies, I’ve already promised a [dance/conversation] to someone else.” (can be a lie)

“This reminds me of [title] [name]’s words. [compliment the person being quoted but imply that you disagree with their opinion]” How in the Void do you compliment and disagree at the same time

(More examples follow, many of which have comments written next to them in small letters and then crossed out. Most of the comments seem to be expressing frustration.)

[whosplayerthree]

So this post from seven years ago blew up all big right outta nowhere. It's funny cause mutuals are now reblogggning it like "eyyy i know this person. Hi person!" And hi to you to.

But in a way, a small little way, in a way I dont feel too strongly but still feel, its kinda sad that it resonates with others so much.  And that I’m still this way so many years later (outside of dnd).

So you know what you know what you know what you know what????? I'm gonna change this trend. I will be the change I wanna see in the world. Below the read more are a list of some ocs and 1-3 sentence summery for each of em. If you want to know more, send an ask.

Towk-Tawk Voidsealer: Human wizard who used to be a spider, and now is very excited about adventure.

???: Once a servant/member of the Secret Advisors of the Silhouetted Queen, now some sorta stitched together scarecrow person.

Unnamed supervillian scientist: She's got a suite and sunglasses and can light on fire and thinks she is cooler than she actually is.

Barbara The Bandit Queen: She is Big and Buff and is (unfortunatly) as cool as she thinks she is.

Rottam Hale: A lil middle aged lady kobold cartographer who accidentally gets possessed by an Ancient Evil Overlord named Empress Vile.

Mulberry "Mul" Myrcliff: Chill guy who wants to have a chill time and they certainly are not haunted by an Evil Sentiant Star.

Bri 'Caus: Buff captain of a Dnd Spaceship, loves tea, and was manipulated into a deal with a magical talking bloodthirsty sword.

Cryesavchik: Sentient dumpsterfire warlock who was once just ripoff dnd junkrat but has become so much more.

Plynn: A lil melodramatic alien that looks like a rabbit combined with a chuchu from wind waker, whomst inadvertantly saved their world from an alien invasion, but unfortunately that resulted in an unwanted perminant houseguest (said invading alien).

Jaques DeBonhare: Rabbit furry cleric of trickery who is known for telling bad jokes, and on a quest to eat one of every monster in the world.

Unnamed depressed alien: Lil guy who just wants to do their normal beurocratic space-wormhole management job, but gets put on "congrats on figuring out wormhole technology! welcome to the intergalactic neighborhood!" duty, and their day just gets worse from there.

Pluck Fireflame: The most anxious thief who talks like a valley girl you'll ever meet. In some incarnations is a ghost who is just as anxious if not more so.

Shape-shifting evil sorcerer empress: Like it says on the tin. Got sealed away in some pottery hundreds of years ago, was accidentally released in modern day, and is all like "holy shit indoor plumbing?????".

Reuben: A big ol all powerful big bad monster guy people would summon into a world when they wanted to take over it. Got tired of that and chose to retire. A pretty chill old man type now, who happens to be a large pig that's on fire.