#everyone should embrace cringe and just have fun

[mothmangang]

me and some friends have decided to embrace the cringe and make some overpowered self inserts/Ocs so I thought I'd share mine (crk Oc) here cause I need to yap about him so bad even though it's like the middle of the night for me (still a Wip cause my drawing tablet broke)

behold my unfinished creature!!! (his name is Pale Milk cookie) his backstory is that he's the favourite little meow meow of my friend's Witch Oc (Gabriel) who made him as a friend (not to eat). Since Gabriel needed him not to fall apart, they just went fucking ham and made him super powerful and since he wasn't meant to interact with other cookies it didn't matter if he was stronger than even the Beast cookies. eventually he and Gabriel form a father and son bond and Pale Milk starts wanting to meet other cookies this causes a lot of problems cause PM (pale milk) was not baked with cookie on cookie interaction in mind and letting loose on earth bread would be like throwing a live grenade into a fish tank. Even the strongest of the cookies (the soon to be baked beast cookies) couldn't compare to him power-wise so letting him loose would be a very bad idea unfortunately Gabriel can't say no to his little guy and PM is let loose on earthbread fortunately PM is very lazy and doesn't care for fighting or world domination so he just ends up chilling and watching the drama unfold Pm learns that he really likes colors so he dyes his hair and since PM doesn't age every now and then he makes a new identity to keep up the ruse of innocent bystander, although he does like to play direct part in the action every now and then. he takes the side of whoever seems the most fun but will intervene if things get out of hand as to him it's all a game. currently he's playing that part of one of Shadow Milk cookie's minions MISC a few of his past names are vibrant milk cookie dyed milk cookie lactose free cookie false firework cookie if you dunked him in water all his hair dye would wash out and he'd be back to being bleach white his horns aren't real, while he does have horns the big showy ones you see are fake and his real ones are actually quite small he holds zero loyalty to shadow milk and is only following him as an underling since it's fun as he could easily beat smilk smilk is aware of all of this and will stop doing something if Pm seriously says to, which form an outside perspective is pretty weird Pm currently treats most things as a game since to him it is, while Pure vanilla might be genuinely fighting for his life against Smilk, Pm still sees it as a game since he's never really been taught otherwise (big Collector for Toh vibes) he doesn't really try to hide how strong he is unless it would be fun, like if a cookie just straight up asked him if he's stronger than Smilk, he's probably tell the truth (yes he is) he's very easy to bribe, gingerbrave could easily recruit him to fight on their side with the promise of entertainment

[promise-of-soup]

Hiiiii :3, I want to say first of all you WRITE BEAUTIFULLY WTF, I KISS YOUR HANDS FOR CREATING SOMETHING AMAZING. The HC's of Jiro???? THE OS????? Bruh, I love you, I fucking love you.

So, if you don't mind... Could you make out of the same Affection HC's with Yuri??? 🥺💕 Do it and I'll give you my soul and fidelity for the rest of my life, thankyou.

–🍄(or fungi)

AAAAAAAAA yooooo thank you so much 🍄anon! I'm so glad you liked it xD!! also can i just say; you sound like a fun guy (sorry i have chronic "needs to make a pun" syndrome)

Yuri is such a loser (affectionate), I love him so much :( so...

♫Yuri Isami Affection Headcanons♫

♬Synopsis: how does Yuri Isami show and receive affection? Is it true that he likes being called 'sweet'? find out here :3

♬Tags: Yuri Isami, kind of romantic but not inherently, MC with no description, cringe :3, fluff, a bit suggestive for one second, hehehe

♬Notes: I formatted this the same as the Jiro ones, lemme know if you want more characters :3 I'll eventually make like a masterlist thing if we have more than 4 lolol

*＊✿❀°˖✧✿✧˖°❀✿＊*

Yuri Isami has a bit of a reputation around campus... Sure, pretty much everyone knows he's really smart and that he's already published a bunch of academic papers before he even graduated, but he also gets bullied, a lot, for being kind of an oddball, so when it comes to affection, he is a bit cautious... So that no one thinks he's distracted or anything, not because he gets bullied.

˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚ ꕥ Showing ꕥ˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚

He has a modus operandi that is extremly obvious in canon with other things, so I assume it carries out to him showing affection... THIS MAN IS A TSUNDARE.

Alright, so, the very fact he has allowed you to be around him in the first place is a privilege that you should cherish and be thankful for, ignore the fact that he was the one who demanded your company.

When he wants to show affection he begins by finding a way to make you give him affection and then acts like he's doing you a massive favour that you literally begged him for.

In his head, he did that very confidently and slyly, and you can never pick up on it; he tricked you!

In reality he is a stuttering, blushing mess and asked for whatever it was while fidgeting with his hands and looking away -- you'd be evil not to agree ngl

He thinks he's confident with everything else when it comes to affection; in his head he's like "ha-ah! I had embraced MC with a great passion!" and in reality he is shaking and about to cry because the hug is comfortable and you're so close to him.

His favourite form of affection is letting you sit around him while he works, so long as you're not bothering him.

He will text you to come over urgently for a really important thing and then blank realizing he has nothing real to ask you to do, so he'll tell you to sit somewhere and then proceed to stare at you every once in a while as he works lolol, you can tell he's looking at you because he's suddenly sweating a bit and he always clears his throat.

Once more, in his own head he's like "MC has not noticed, in fact, MC is staring at me"

He LOVES holding hands, but is the kind to do it as a designated activity, ie. he would grab your hand, and then stand there holding it for a few minutes, growing more and more sweaty and red, and then he'll be like "Yes, that is sufficent" and let it go lmfao.

When he gets more comfortable and realize you're not going to bully him, his favourite physical affection will transition to hugging.

To him it's sudden, unplanned hugs, but to you, Yuri is approaching slowly with shaken arms and then very cautiously holds you against him for a bit.

He's really sweet, like really really sweet, but he's gone through a lot of mean name calling and dishonest interactions with people, so it takes him a while to feel safe.

Yuri isn't the best at figuring out his own signals, like he feels as though he wants to hug you, but doesn't realize it's because he's sad or anxious, so when you do hug, he suddenly crumbles :((

His highest form of affection is allowing you to see him cry.

Beyond the physical aspect of affection, which as I established, he's a bit slow with, Yuri shows most of his affection from a safe distance using his words.

"Your attire suits you well!" or "You're a competent helper!"

He has enough confidence to say things that are a bit impersonal, but when he gets more comfortable these become, "I enjoy your company" and "You look good" But those are stuttered while he looks away.

Hear me out; hand kisses. IT'S SAFE ENOUGH, so he can do it quite well. He'll grab your hand and slowly raise it to his face, giving you a gentle, barely noticeable kiss on your knuckles, and then look up at you hoping you get the hint and do something further.

That's his way to initiate more contact, he'll do it, and then when you don't move away or call him gross or anything awful like that (because of course you won't), he'll start kissing up your arm until he reaches your face and stops there for even more confirmation that you're alright with it. If you pull him in and kiss him on the lips he will fidget for a second and then kiss you back really intensely.

Guess what? he will still act like you're the one that seduced him into it, of course you did, asdjasskdafhadf

He wants to be affectionate, but it takes him a while to get there, so please be nice to him, but also be patient with the poor guy, he's trying.

˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚ ꕥ Receiving ꕥ˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡

Because of what we've established, Yuri needs you to be more straight-forward with him. Trust he loves everything you do, but he will attempt to push you away at every single turn.

He loves when you show up for him:

Come to the lab and put a jacket over his shoulders, massage his shoulders a little bit, sit beside him quietly and let him put his head on your shoulder, caress his head a bit.

If he falls asleep you better let him sleep and not move, also you're lucky because that's him lowering his guard to the extreme.

He looks so cute when he sleeps, you just wanna kiss his forehead and play with his hair gently, he's literally so so cute.

TELL HIM WHEN HE WAKES UP.

Okay look, praise the f out of this guy.

"You're so sweet, Yuri." , "You've done so well today." , "You're so smart" , "So pretty" , "Good job"

Especially if you give him a quick peck on the head after you say it, or like wrap your hands around him. Depending on his mood that day he might be on the verge of tears, but he'll always mummble a little "okay..." or something and melt into you.

Yuri not only loves praise, he really needs it, so on days he feels better; as I said, he's a tsundare so he'll be like "of course I am" or "ah! your praise will get you nowhere.... good try though." but he's invented a new shade of red in the meantime and is avoiding your gaze.

LOVES when you text him that you miss him or ask when you can come visit, because it saves him time making up a reason, and also he can use it against you because you're the one who begged him to visit.

For proper kisses, you need to give him a clear, verbal warning, otherwise he freaks out and goes "wHAT ARE YOU DOING?" he likes being prepared for it so he can hype himself up mentally before it happens.

You know how I mentioned he'll kiss up your arm? yeah, the little hand kiss he does is how you know he wants more of you, if you cut to the chase and immediately pull him in for a kiss, he'll be soooo happy, because you really really need him, don't you?

Anything that boosts his ego, truly his ego is a front, he's not confident at all, so if you make him feel like he is confident, he will be really pleased.

Pepper. him. with. kisses. he will giggle at this by the way, and he will like it.

Hold his hand, smooth your fingers over his.

Will die if you call him "my", like, he is yours, but you don't have to mention it, it's too much for him to handle :(

"Aww my sweet baby" and he's jumping so high he shoots through the ceiling and then starts walking in circles until you grab him and hug him tightly.

Y'know what you should do? Tell him he's the best and that people who speak badly about him are all losers, make sure everyone sees you hold him, praise him behind his back (he can still hear you and you know this) when defending him in front of other people, deliberately make sure Jin knows you like Yuri, really rub it in his face too lmfao

Basically he is baby.

[minnielvrr]

New Discovery

Lee: Minho Ler: Chan, Han Word Count: 2k

A/N: This is from this poll. Okay so I got a liiittle carried away with this🤭sorry if there are any spelling mistakes😅 Hope you enjoy~~🤗💖💞🩷

It had been a couple of days since Skz discovered that Minho didn’t know what tickling was. Being an only child meant that some of the experiences that might seem like second nature to people with siblings, were a whole new territory for him.

Chan stalked his prey from afar, spying on an oblivious Lino who was busy washing some dishes in the sink. He managed to sneak into the kitchen, somehow not getting found out by his target. The leader waited until Lino set down the glass he was washing, reaching to the side to grab a large metal saucepan, to set his plan in motion. Stealthily, he crept up on the kitten and quickly shoved his hands into the boy’s armpits.

Multiple things happened in the moment that followed. Minho choked on a gasp before screaming bloody murder, jerking away from Chan and dropping the saucepan onto the floor with a loud thud. Then, almost simultaneously, his knees buckled, the unfamiliar sensation sending shockwaves through his body that weakened him significantly. “Oh, you suhuhrprised meheheHEHE! CHAN HYUHUHUNG!!”

Ah, so Minho was sensitive sensitive. Chan had half expected the younger to swat him away. This was going to be so much fun! The leader eased the struggling kitten onto the kitchen floor, his legs framing the younger’s body and fingers still wiggling into soft skin. Minho was giggling crazily when the younger members rushed to the scene of the commotion.

Everyone was concerned and scared… up until Han giggled and pointed a finger at where the leader’s hands disappeared under Lino’s sweater. The second oldest was kicking his feet now, arms clamped tightly to his sides as he borrowed deeper into Chan’s embrace, hoping the strange sensations would go away.

Chan changed spots fast, looking for a satisfying reaction. He knew he would find one, given Minho’s initial response. It was just a matter of time. From Minho’s tummy, to his neck, ribs, while blowing into his ears the whole time. The poor kitten was going insane, twisting away from one hand only to be met with another on a worse spot. There was no reprieve.

“Hyung! Whahahat are youhu dohohoHOHOING?!” His whines turned to shrieks when the oldest moved his hands downwards, now kneading his lower ribs between nimble fingers that had Minho screaming out frantic laughter.

“Plehehease STAHAHAHAHAAHAAP!!” He begged, writhing against the kangaroo’s strong body and finding no escape. “You really don’t know what’s happening right now do you hyung?” Jeongin asked in wonder, eyes wide as he took in his hyung’s giggly form. “I’m tickling you Linoyaaa~. Does it feel good?~” Chan paused, noticing how the kitten’s responses were simmering down.

Something about hearing the word said out loud made him suddenly feel so vulnerable and seeing no other way to hide his reddening face, Lino shoved it his hands. But the red tips of his ears gave away everything he tried to hide from them and showed everyone how much just hearing the word affected him.

And the teasing…the teasing just made everything so much worse.

The break he got was almost as bad as the thing Chan was doing to him. So that was what tickling was. Minho couldn’t lie, it felt nice being able to laugh so much from a few wiggling fingers. But looking up at the smirks on everyone’s faces…. something told him he should keep that fact to himself, at least for now.

“You’re having fun too aren’t you Irino?” Han cooed, smooshing Lino’s face between his hands. Minho averted his eyes shyly. The ace always saw through him so easily.

“Do you want to continue baby?” Channie whispered in his ear, giggling like a hyena when Minho cringed away as even that tickled him. He nodded bashfully, flushing when everyone awwed at him. “Shut up!” He pouted, the spark of defiance returning to his eyes.

But when Chan's hands roamed over his torso, Han now scratching under his chin and all over bis neck, Lino squeaked, a soft sound of surprise. “Tickle tickle tiiickle~~ linoyaa~” Sweet giggles followed the two’s actions, stars glittering in Lino’s eyes as he squirmed around, holding onto Channie’s and Hannie’s hands. “Hehehe, nohohoho~” He squeaked out, utterly insincerely.

Eventually he couldn’t take anymore, sliding down to lay with his head on Chan’s thigh. The two let him go, Hannie tousling his hair and kissing his forehead in cuteness aggression. “Hyung you’re making it impossible for us to ever stop tickling you. Oh my god you are SO adorable!!”

Minho’s face was going to explode, his whole body felt warm from the praise and affection.

And he wanted a liiiittle more~~

“You’re too weak to ti-tickle me jelly arms,” he baited, hoping it would earn him the punishment he wanted. “You think I need to be strong to tickle you? Hyung, you melt when we were only tickling you so softly. I bet even Seungmin can hold you down right now and wreck you like this.” Han replied smugly with a glint in his eyes, Seungmin protesting indignantly in the background.

The poor lee opened and closed his mouth like a fish out of water, unable to come up with a proper reply to that. Luckily, he didn’t have to as Han did indeed rise to his bait. Minho’s arms were soon pinned above his head by Chan, Hannie straddling his hips and smirking down at him.

“I’m gonna tickle you everywhere and I’m not gonna stop until I hear you begging.”

It was all very gentle in the beginning. Light tracing and soft pokes that had Minho gasping and squirming, all the while keeping an eye for any sign of distress from their cute kitten. They wanted to make sure that Minho would enjoy his first time and have as much fun as the kids were having.

Knowing he wouldn’t be able to survive that, Minho taunted Jisung with a cocky, “Ihihis that the best youhu can do?” Han glared playfully down at him, now determined to make the older regret his words. He was not one to back down from a challenge. One look was exchanged and Chan was pulling Lino’s arms even higher, stretching him so much, his back remained arched up, ribs sticking out invitingly.

And Han took full advantage of that, pulling his hyung’s sweater all the way up to his neck. Minho giggled nervously. He was about to find out just how ruthless Sungie could be. He wasn’t known around the dorm as the resident tickle monster for nothing. Han’s fingers kneaded at the older’s waist and he started blowing harsh raspberries on Minho’s ribs.

Then Hannie was going deceptively easier on Minho than he had promised, blunt nails dragged over his ribs, tummy and sides, gently scratching at spots that made him flinch and writhe. Minho shivered, giggling quietly. The featherlight touches weren’t really tickling him anymore as much as it was teasing and he slowly realized that the longer Hannie kept it up, the more hypersensitive he felt.

“Wow, ahahall that brahahagging for this?” Minho taunted, smirking briefly at Hannie’s annoyed expression before it melted into a toothy smile as the tickling continued. “Oh you’re so asking for it hyung.” There was a hint of anger in the ace’s voice. Fingers plunged into his sides quickly and roughly, squeezing and pinching at the sensitive skin.

“Nonononoo! dohOHOHOHON’T dohohoo thAHAHAHAHAHA! IHIHIHIM SOHAHAHA- SOHOHOHORRY!!” The sudden intensity had the kitten bucking up, throwing his head back as he screamed out laughs. Han was really good at this. Loud squeals of mirth drowned out any teasing the younger ones threw his way as they watched from the sidelines. “What’s wrong hyung? Isn’t this what you wanted?”

This went on for a while, Han changing spots every so often to keep the lee on his toes. And Minho was helpless to stop it. Engulfed in boisterous cackles, he squeezed his eyes shut, head shaking side to side as if he didn’t know what to do with himself. “No nohohohahaha not there, ohohoho my GAHAHAHAAD. Ihihit’s sO BAD, AHAHAHAHAHAAHAAHAA.”

Eventually they stopped for a break, Chan letting go of the kitten’s arms in favor of pulling him into his lap and feeding him some water. The second oldest was panting hard, heart still racing. “You okay hyung?” Hannie asked, brushing away the damp hair from Lino’s forehead. He nodded, smiling shyly at the ace.

“Good, cause I’m not done with you yet.” Minho’s eyes widened at that and he tried to crawl away in a futile attempt at escape but the two lers pulled him right back. “Oh no, you’re not getting away that easily. You asked for this, remember?” Chan mused into his ear, fingers pinching mischievously at his waist.

Minho yelped, kicking out at Han who was trying to get closer. “Do you want me to get your feet too?” Hannie asked threateningly, grabbing onto one of Minho’s ankles.

The kitten immediately went pliant, head shaking vigorously. The two lers exchanged looks at his reaction, deciding to file that info for later. They would have plenty of time to put their knowledge and skills to use. Especially now that they knew for certain that not only was Lino super ticklish, but he seemed to love it even more than Han himself did.

This time, Chan sat back with the younger kids, allowing Jisung to handle his bratty hyung. And Han went straight to business, laying Minho down on his back and straddling his thighs.

Experimentally, he placed his hands on Lino’s lower sides, fingers drumming into the bare skin. Minho giggled nervously, watching every motion of Hannie’s fingers with rapt attention. But nothing could’ve prepared him for what he felt when the ace pressed his thumbs right into his hip bone, skillfully massaging ticklish circles into the hard surface.

Lino squealed, fists clenching the fabric of his sweater to keep his hands away. Han noted with surprise. He hadn’t asked his hyung to do that and the fact that he was doing so of his own accord was just too cute.

Hannie projected that cuteness aggression into the tickling, thumbs digging in juuust right to have Minho laughing hysterically. “Tickle, tickle, tickle hyungie~~” He teased, watching amusedly as the kitten turned impossibly redder, his struggles getting more frantic at the use of the dreaded word.

“FAHAHAHAHAHACK, HAHA-HAHAHANIEHIHI IHIHIT TIHIHICKLES!!” Lino bucked up and squirmed violently, all the while trying his utmost to keep his hands away. It was plain how much their cute little kitten was enjoying his new activity.

Lino didn't understand why he felt such a strong urge to twist away from Hannie's hands. He liked this, loved it even. And yet his body reflexively tried to move away.

“NAHAHAHAAHAA WA-WAHAHAHAIT HAHANNIE PLEASE!” He screeched, laughter going silent before coming back full force. “Aww begging already hyungie? I was sure you’d last a little longer.” Han smiled sadistically, drilling his fingers into Lino’s upper ribs, the kitten arching up only to come crashing back down, hands grabbing at Sungie’s ones in an attempt to ground himself.

He twisted his torso left and right but Minho found that no matter what he did, he was helpless to the ticklish sensations taking over.

“PLHEHEHEASE IHIHI CAHAHAN’T, IHI CAHAHAN’T ANYHYHYMORHOHORE,” he pleaded with teary eyes, and feeling a little sympathetic, Hannie eased up, moving his hands up to scribble lightly at Lino’s neck. Sweet giggles escaped his throat, Minho holding on to Hannie’s hands as if his life depended on it.

“Who’s your favorite dongsaeng hyung~~?” Hannie teased, fondly, cooing when Minho immediately answered in a hoarse voice, ”Youhuhu, Hanniehihie ihihis my favorite. Plehehehehease.”

And with that, Sung let up, carefully wiping the tears from his cheeks and cradling his hyung. He rocked the giggly kitten side to side, rubbing his belly to ease the tingles.

“You did so well hyung, I’m so proud of you,” he whispered quietly, kissing the top of his hyung’s head. Minho quickly fell asleep like that, a wide smile and soft blush still coloring his perfect face.

[softaestluv]

Hey sorry to bother you but I was just wondering how it felt when you posted your first fic. I just posted mine and I’m absolutely terrified I’ll get negative comments. So I thought I should ask one of my fav writers how you dealt with the beginning of posting your work on tumblr. Anyways thank you so much for reading this byeee ♥️

Hiiii!

So, I actually posted on ao3 before I posted on tumblr! I think my first post on ao3 was in August and my first post on here was in march (?) It made the transition from ao3 to here a little easier bc a couple ppl recognized my works from ao3!

But, when I first posted I was scared too! Even now when I post I get nervous haha 😭😭 When I first posted on ao3 I tried my best to be a perfectionist, and honestly it kinda weighed down my conscious. Now, when I write I try to improve and make it as pretty as I can obviously, but I don’t push myself too hard to have amazing flowery work! When I worried too much/tried too hard to make it perfect it just wasn’t fun to write, so now I just let it flow as best I can even if it’s not imagery perfection. It’s okay to write basic tropes! Not everything has to be an amazing tragedy lol

I was also scared bc I didn’t want to mischaracterize a character in fic, but at the end of the day it’s fictional characters, and it’s really not that deep. Simon ISN’T an alpha werewolf with an omega reader who has three kids LOL. It’s all meant to be fun! Everything is up to interpretation anyways.

I think posting on ao3 it was a little easier (for me atleast) just bc I felt like it was a little less personal and I wouldn’t have to interact with so many ppl. However, I think that’s the plus about Tumblr! So, many other creators are nervous, overthink, and feel like how you are, including me! I’m constantly afraid I ruined a fic with a chapter update or I’m going to write something that people don’t like. With my most recent update for Nine Lives I literally posted and then logged out bc I was like WHAT IF THE PEOPLE DONT LIKE IT. But it’s a fandom, and a community, most creators are supportive of each other because they get it! It’s also really rewarding to see creators you follow/respect liking your works on here. (I literally know exactly which posts my fave creators have liked of mine lmao)

I think most people won’t leave negative comments especially from a creators perspective because everyone is just trying to uplift each other and talk about the fictional characters we love so much haha!! Everyone has been so welcoming and kind to me!!

I have had a few comments here and there that have been rude, but at the end of the day they don’t gain anything from it. Just block them and move on because there’s so many other individuals who will love your work! You won’t want negative people in your safe space anyways! And the more you write and read the better your work will become, you don’t get better unless you start!

Also embrace the cringe.

[jiniret-writings]

Sweet Nothings

Inspired by Sweet Nothing by Taylor Swift

Genre: Angst, Fluff

Pairing: idol!Bangchan x idol!Reader

Warnings: Reader ruminates over how they're constantly criticized

Comments, Likes, and Reblogs are welcome and appreciated!

On the way home I wrote a poem You say, "What a mind" This happens all the time

They always wanted so much from you. It was like everyone had some expectation of you that you could never reach. Every lyric scrutinized, every dance move analyzed; even the way you walked was up for scrutiny. What once brought you joy started to feel like a chore. It felt like you weren't allowed to have fun with lyrics anymore unless you wanted articles written about how you had "lost your spark".

That was until Chan came along. The first time you met him you thought he would be like everyone else. Especially since he was a producer and songwriter, you were expecting him to give you feedback from the first meeting--as most producers you met did. Instead, he talked to you about your crocheting. It was a little hobby you had that you barely ever talked about, but he remembered it.

You two had a blossoming friendship that turned to more on a drive home from dance practice. You were playing around with a beat and wrote some lyrics that didn't mean much. It was just an in-the-moment type of thing. But when he heard it, he just smiled at you and added to your little bundle of nonsense.

Industry disruptors and soul deconstructors And smooth-talking hucksters out glad-handing each other And the voices that implore, "You should be doing more" To you, I can admit that I'm just too soft for all of it

He never judged you. That's one of the things you loved most about him. You were both idols who got extremely busy and each had your own bundle of problems, but at the end of the day when you two were airing it all out in the open and ranting about everything from a small inconvenience to huge scandals, there was never any judgement. Only understanding.

There were days when it seemed like nothing was ever enough. You'd go live and message on bubble and post on Instagram and weverse and even uploaded a vlog! But there was always something amiss. Some challenge you didn't do or some song you didn't talk about. Your captions were either lackluster or too cringe. You kept a brave face around the fans, and even started doing so in front of staff. It was only when you were with Chan that you could let the facade crumble and hide yourself in his embrace.

They said the end is coming Everyone's up to something I find myself running home to your sweet nothings

You were only 24 but were already reminded of how easy it would be for you to fade into nothingness. Every month a new artist debuted, and while you were secure where you were now, there was no guarantee for the future. One day, the world would deem you too old to be an idol and all you'd have left was your name.

But when you came home, it was like all your worries were silenced. There were no expectations between the two of you other than to just be.

"Be yourself, that's all I want from you", he'd said one day when you'd tried breaking up with him early in your relationship. Just be you.

Everything was something to be celebrated. Something as small as waking up was an accomplishment when you were with Chan. Lazy days in were rebranded to self care days. There was no such thing as a lazy meal because everything tasted better when you were together. Chan was your safe space and you were his. All there was between you two was pure love. You treasured each other as you were, not as you could be.

All that you ever wanted from me was sweet nothing

This has been sitting unfinished in my drafts for a while, but after Chan changed his Instagram caption I realized how I wanted to write this. I hope all of you have someone you can turn to who can just accept you as you are and not for what you can be. You deserve to be with someone/people who don't have expectations for what you need to be. As always, have a great morning, afternoon, evening, and night <3

-Jini

[joonipertree]

thinking about how sometimes, you're 21 and still living with your parents. They're not nice, you don't want to but for whatever reason you stay where they do. And it kills you because the freedom that you crave for should be yours, but it isn't. You want to run away, want to climb out of the box they set you in but being diplomatic is what you settle for.

Dabi lived as a stray for a long time, for fucked up reasons, you could tell from his scars. Would he turn back time? To when he was still Touya? He could still run away, still say fuck everything and leave. But maybe a son needs unbearable proof that his father is not good for him.

There's bittersweet feelings about his scars, you have bittersweet feelings about your dependence on your family. You two meet one day.

It was after a rough week, your legs moved out of the house before you realised it when your mother's deafening silent treatment got unbearable. Her tone, her stare, her cold shoulders shaved you off from the sides. You were infuriated by her childish behaviour, hurting like a child that you no longer were and all you wanted was to either die or get a hug.

You end up running into the League of Villains instead. They were just swarming the streets, looking for fun and probably food. They glared at you, Toga's sharp teeth glinting under the street light. You wondered how wayward you had become to go between alleyways and stalk into an unknown place.

You wanted to die but not that violently.

A sniffle escapes you though, your cheeks streaked with tears that had been flowing the whole way. You let them drip down, let the little warmth from accumulated sadness comfort you. It sat icy cold on you but your hands were stubborn on not moving.

"Ah! A friend, a friend! Maybe they can feed us! Hi! Can you help a sis out--" Toga hopped forward.

"Okay." You said, cringing at the lack of impulse control. They would take your money anyways, at least you could come out unscathed.

Everyone was shocked, even the person who asked but you dug through your bag and took out some crumpled loose notes. Not a lot, not enough for everyone and not enough to be able to keep some for a motel.

(You should've gotten your allowance before----

You should've gotten a job

You should've just stopped being a disappointment)

But, you'd wait for the sun to rise somewhere and figure out if you wanted to go back or not. (It was already extremely unsafe but you'd lost any emotion at that point, fear gone with your tears.)

"Take it." You said while extending your hand to the young girl. She was in a high-school uniform, you wondered if she'd be okay.

"You're a weirdo, thank you so much!" A blonde, masked guy had spoken a bit too loudly for your liking. It made you flinch.

You knew you were making a mistake, knew that you were lost and finding a way back home would take time and that you never wanted to step inside that house ever again. You were being reckless, an idiot but the numbness wouldn't budge and you were still doing this to survive.

"What's a little thing like you doing here, though?" The very obvious leader of the gang said after he was handed the money.

"My mom's being a cunt."

The laughter that followed was surprising but welcomed, you never got to say it. No one around you would approve of it but these strangers seemed to embrace it wholeheartedly.

One person caught your attention, his body leaning against the wall as his chest shook from the strength of his laughter. He was sharp edges, scarred patches and a pretty smile with jagged canines. He was pretty.

"God, needed that. What's your name?" The white haired leader asked.

You introduced yourselves to each other, only the tall guy with black hair and a pretty smile said nothing. You were intrigued, maybe because you'd become used to silence too much. Or maybe it was because his laughter made you curious about how his voice sounded. But initiating conversations with hot people (he was undeniably hot), was never your forte.

It took a while, of them inviting you to eat ramen in an empty parking lot (you knew you were being naive for thinking they wouldn't harm you but they shared ramen with you. It was your own money but the thought was counted.) and the goth guy came next to you eventually.

He stood tall, cigarette hanging from his mouth and back leaning against a wall. You were silent but eyed him, ingraining the shape of him into your head. You wondered if maybe he found you intriguing with that ever-present bored expression on his face.

You hope he did.

"I'm Dabi. My dad's a cunt too."

A/N: wrote this as catharsis but @dabislittlemouse I thought of u too when I wrote it

[snakeautistic]

I don’t like how deeply judgmental of a person I am.

This judgement comes in two strains- one, hatred of things I label as vapid or associate with people who have hurt me. I am insecure about the way someone treats me so I (internally) make fun of their test scores. I want to think, look I am better than them! So I mock them for traits I know aren’t actually fair to mock them for, but are ones I don’t possess so I can feel better about myself.

The second kind is one directed towards people like me. Usually those who are more visually neurodivergent than me. It’s an intense, visceral sort of second hand embarrassment. I cover my ears to avoid having to hear them speak to the class. Every time they do something I know other people will see as strange I scream inside “Stop!! You aren’t supposed to do that!” How can they not tell everyone is making fun of them? Why can’t they just tone it down? … At least I’m not THAT obvious…

I’m ashamed of both of those things. Not only are they shitty to people who haven’t done anything wrong, they only serve to make me feel bad anyway. I don’t really feel better about myself even if I put a more “popular” person down for no good reason, when the truth is I’m still incredibly jealous of their effortless social prowess. It’s not a bad thing for other autistic people to not repress themselves as much as I have. Hell, I’m trying to unmask myself. I shouldn’t cringe at their neurodivergent behavior, I should embrace it. But it’s a hell of a thing to unlearn. I try my hardest to redirect my energy to punching up towards powerful corporations, and only negatively judging people for things they do that are legitimately hurting others.

[huffle-dork]

Long Live the King

Chapter 1: Fallen Swords

Read Fantasy Masks | Read Swapboys | Read the first FM adventure | Other Multiverse Adventures | Read on AO3 (AN: Hello everyone!! I hope you are as excited as we are for a full Fantasy Masks Adventure with the Swaps! Just a quick heads up in terms of timeline this is after SITCV but before SATCV! But that's really all you need to know since this was our second rp like ever! Hope you guys enjoy and strap in! This is a long journey! :3) ◈━◈━◈━◈━◈

“Alt!! These aren’t authentic!!” Chase whines, pulling on his tunic that closely resembled the one he wore the few days they stayed in Glasúil. “They’re gonna be able to tell!! These are machine stitched!” 

Alt rolled his eyes, dressed similarity to how he was before too, phantom mask around his neck. He looked up from the spells he was reviewing, “Chase…I know you’re a superhero. But, neither of us make enough to afford accurately-made, custom, medieval clothing!” 

Jackie grinned from where he was sitting crossed legged on the couch. “Well- I still think you’re both super nerds for already dressing up!” 

The Brody brothers both glare at Jackie. 

Dr. J tsks quietly, shaking his head. “I think it’s admirable,” He said. The good doctor was still getting used to having a voice again, after so long believing he couldn’t speak. So, he spoke constantly like he was trying to be the most model library guest ever. But, at least he was slowly healing from whatever Mag did to fuck with his head. “That kind of passion is rare these days, it should be embraced!” 

“Even if it’s cringe?” Jackie teased. 

Chase threw a pillow at him, “like you’re not cringe about superheroes, dork!” 

“Both of you are cringe! How bout that?!” Alt snapped with a look of annoyance. 

“Ah friends can we please not do the fighting?” Henny asked nervously. “This trip is for ah- bonding… is it not?” 

The other boys looked at each before Alt sighed with a smile. “yeah, you’re right Hen. Thanks for the reminder.” He shot a pointed look at Jackie and Chase. “Iii think I’m done with preparation, if you guys wanna gather round.” Alt says, shutting his book and arranging stuff on the coffee table. The boys all crowded around as Alt explained: “Okay- these bracelets are attuned with runes- they should try to find each other. They’ll glow when one of us are near- and if you press the gem and say loonu then I’ll show you a path to the nearest signal. Blue means you're close, green is far away. It should work there since it’s connected to my magic… that way, we can hopefully find each other quickly! And! I got a universal translation spell on there too- it might struggle a bit but it should help until we can find Marvin…” 

Jackie winces slightly at the name but nods. “Pog~! sounds like you thought of everything, Alt!” 

Alt smiles shyly and shrugs, “Well- we’re kinda experts on this now, I’ll say~!” 

“You sure you got the right code, bro?” Chase asks, watching as Alt pulls out the TRVLR. 

The Glitch nods and smiles, “Yeah. I even tried to double check with Anti… the UF prefix should be correct!” He scrolls through his favorited list and finds the one he’s looking for: UF-0606021FM. 

Bro can’t help but excitedly stim, securing his bracelet on his wrist as he watches the rest of his friends do the same. “Guys this is gonna be so much fun!! We can get fresh air and Jackie, the fantasy Jackie said we can teach you to sword fight like he taught me! And Jay, you’ll love learning stuff from fantasy Henrik and and Henny! I bet you’ll love seeing the language and the sights and-!” 

Alt laughs and nudges Chase playfully, “Breathe, bro. Don’t pass out before we even get there!” 

Jackie grins, “Yeah dude- don’t worry. I tease but… I’m stoked! This is gonna be super cool!” 

Dr. J nods with a kind smile. “I am quite excited to see the place you all have been so enamored with. Maybe learning the history too… if it has any connection to our world here… well… beside the obvious.” He chuckles. 

Henny laughs and prances on his feet. “I am just glad my new ear thingys are working! Hopefully I will not be too lost! I want to experience this new world as best as I can!!” Then he frowns and anxiously messes with his vest. “Though… it will be… strange… without Sahne.”

Alt looks back at Henrik with sympathy. “…I get it Hen… it’ll be weird without Glitches… as much as I wanna bring her it’s just… not safe for them. They could get lost really easily…” 

Henrik sighs dramatically, “yes yes… I know…” he almost whines, crossing his arms. 

Jackie leans over by Alt with a smirk. “at least they’re in good hands though! A nurse’s hands~ which you would know allll about, right, Alt~?” He grins cheekily and Alt blushes before finding the pillow Chase threw earlier and stuffing it against Jackie’s face, pushing him down into the couch. Jackie laughs and tries to push him off. “Hey! What?? Am I wrong?!!” 

Alt glitches away and pretends to check the TRVLR idly, schooling his expression into something neutral. “Okay well- Jackie’s not coming then-“ 

“What?! Hey Alt, c’mon man! I was joking!!” Jackie cries out, hopping to his feet. Then he pauses as he sees Alt trying to hide his grin. “…yer an asshole-“ 

“Love you too, Jackie~” Alt replies cheekily before picking up his bag and securing his jacket around his waist. “Alright gents! We ready?” 

As the group of friends prepares to jump, a shadow slinks across the wall, eyes narrowing. His puppets were planning to jump to another dimension without him? Well… that wasn’t going to happen. Magnificent had a score to settle with that arrogant Royal… he would get that thing’s head on a spike. As his cub gathers everyone around and explains how the jump works, Mag slinks his presence closer… he can’t give himself away too early. Then, that annoying apprentice of his would notice and this would all be for naught. Patience… he had nothing but patience. 

Like a cat stalking its prey, he watched. He waited. He sees the Hero seem to stiffen, looking around the room with narrowed eyes. 

Alt pauses his explanation, just as Henny is taking the glitch’s hand to start a chain with the others. “…Chase? Is something wrong?” 

Luckily for Mag though, Chase looks back at the younger brother and smiles quickly. “Hm? Yeah yeah no it’s fine! Just.. thought I… felt something-“ 

Alt glitches a bit nervously but returns the smile. “Well- maybe it’s the wind? Or nerves… but it’s gonna be fine! We’re prepared this time!” 

Chase laughs, proud to see Alt confident and not paranoid for once. He really was getting stronger and stronger. “Yeah- you’re right. C’mon! We’re wasting sunlight over there- probably!” He takes Jackie’s hand to complete the circle. 

“Jesus… this feels like a prayer circle-“ Jackie mutters, “or like- those sharing things they make the kids do.” 

Dr. J nudges him, “Jackie- Alt probably needs to concentrate. Show a little more decorum, hm?” 

Alt laughs, “It’s fine- this is like second nature now!” He grins with confidence and powers on the device, moving his finger to the jump button and- 

Now’s his chance! As Alt charges his magic into the device, Mag lashes out of hiding and appears in the circle, grabbing Alt’s wrist holding the TRVLR and sinking his magic in to try to get a hold of him. “Going without me, Alt? Well that simply won’t-!”

He expects banter, surprise and Alt attempting to glitch- 

He did not expect the screaming. 

Magnificent startles back as Alt- and soon after, Chase, starts to scream bloody murder, their eyes quickly filing with corruption as their backs arc and bodies spasm like they’re being shocked. The black magic Mag tried to use to control Alt’s magic and the TRVLR goes haywire and backfires- lighting the room up with purple light as it tries to fight Alt’s blue-green. But Alt’s magic is quickly losing, the room growing dark. The apartment fades away into black- and the green orbs that start to appear as the group feels like they’re falling glitch and flicker with static. The black air around Alt and Bro seems to shatter like glass and purple fills their eyes completely. And then… just as soon as it starts- the screaming stops- and the connection starts to pull them apart- taking the now seemingly passed out and glassy eyes Brodys away into the darkness. The air fills with the horrible sound of static. 

Jackie, Dr. J and Henny try to cry out for them- Magnificent covers his ears against the grating sound- And then they’re all falling into fragmented, broken black- tv static and purple staining the way.

◈━◈━◈━◈━◈━◈━◈━◈━◈

When Alt falls into Glasuil- it’s not a smooth fall like all the times he’s jumped before. No, its painful. Something is being ripped from him- rewritten. He falls onto his hands and knees, gasping for breath like he just broke the surface of the water after drowning. Then, he bites back a cry as he curls up towards the ground, his body glitching wildly. But, it’s not how he usually glitches. It’s like… the world- the air around him… is spiking- glitching… fragmenting into him like shards of stained glass. Glitching Into his brain. His being- his soul. Everything is tinted purple. It’s hard to form thoughts at all as he dazedly falls to the ground completely, like a rag doll. His glassy eyes stare out at nothing as purple flashes and glitches in his eyes. And when this phenomenon is done… his eyes seem to gray. They’re still his, still the same colors, central heterochromia and all. But they’re less vibrant. Like… something is missing.

Alt has landed in the middle of a small courtyard garden filled with bushes and flowers. There are stone walls surrounding this green space, with arches leading to the interior of the building. Standing at one of these arches is a pair of helmet-wearing warriors. The tunics they wear over their chainmail are black, with a design of a green-striped shield with a blue circle in the center. Despite their helmets hiding their eyes it’s clear that they’re looking at Alt. They glance at each other, unsure, then back at him. One puts a hand on a sword by their side.

For a scarily long time, Alt doesn’t move, his brain too scrambled to even process where he is or who’s in front of him. Then, suddenly he sits up and gasps again, blinking rapidly as he takes in the garden. He shakily pushes himself to his feet, body glitching just slightly- enough that he doesn’t seem to take notice. “…w..where… am I…?” He asks quietly. Then, he freezes, finally taking in the sight of the warriors. He shakily steps back, eyes wide. 

Though once he’s on his feet… the warriors can recognize a white mask around his neck, marked just like the other Masked Phantoms. 

The moment the warriors see the mask they stiffen slightly. The other one also reaches for their sword. "Fanann keart," one of them says. Which, somehow, Alt knows means "Stay right there." 

There's a faint flash of green light somewhere inside the building. And soon a man walks out into the corridor. He wears fine clothes, including a green cloak with the hood down. Brown hair is held back by a golden circlet. He looks at Alt with emerald green eyes. "Bhuel. Didhui aan." Again, Alt knows this to mean "Well. Hello there."

Alt is trying not to panic, trying to figure out why his heart is beating so fast and his body feels like it’s made of lightning. But his head is so- fuzzy. He… he can’t seem to remember… anything…! Everything feels wrong..! But he doesn’t know why! He feels his breath leave him as the king steps into the courtyard. He staggers back, panic clear in his eyes. “A-aan Rith…!” He whispers. 

And the King is surprised to see… he doesn’t need a translation spell. The boy is speaking Glasish. But, this is a far cry from the last time the king laid eyes on Alt Brody. This boy doesn’t look like the powerful lightning bird he saw before, blessed by the Elders. He looks… lost and confused. And based on what he knows… his mind doesn’t seem fully intact. Something has happened… something had messed with his memories. And fate… has delivered him straight to his castle. 

The King blinks, momentarily confused. Out of curiosity he reaches out to Alt's memories to see what led him here... and finds only scattered pieces where there is usually a continuous stream of consciousness. How... unusual. Something definitely happened, perhaps something magical in origin. But one thing is clear. This man does not know anything. Nothing important at least. An idea sparks in his mind. 

As Alt stares at the king, his fuzzy brain can only register one thing: danger. He can hardly even remember his name… there’s so many of them floating around in his head. But, He knows he can’t stay here! The mask around his neck seems to be the only truly solid thing he can remember… The Masked Phantoms. And the King wants the Masked Phantoms dead. Then, one more solid thing comes back to him. He has magic…! The fuzziness he feels in his limbs that spark like fire confuses him to no end but- he tries to dig into that feeling. Maybe he can use it to get away! His eyes flicker to the empty space behind the King in the corridor- before he tries to appear behind him to run. 

The King reaches out to him but--right, he forgets this man can [imíonosht]. Glishing, as he called it. Alt disappears before the King can reach him. He whirls around, silently commanding his warriors to block off the nearest entrance, but to not appear hostile. They do so instantly. 

"Alt," the King says, trying to sound more calming than he usually does. "What's wrong?" The result is a bit stilted, but the main point--non-hostility--gets across.

Alt stumbles as he finishes glitching and looks down at his fizzling and popping hands with confusion. “W-what kind of magic is this…?!” He whispers to himself. Like he doesn’t recognize it. He stiffens as the king speaks and whips around, looking at him with wide eyes. His hand reaches back on instinct, curling around something in his pocket. It feels weird but… Alt’s brain dimly reminds him it’s a knife. He doesn’t draw it though, he just looks at the King with panicked eyes. “Y..you… you know… my name…?” He asks quietly, as if he’s not even sure of it. This could be very very bad. 

Hazy memories float around his head- he’s crossed paths with the King before. But… he knows his face- his name. He could be killed. He swallows shakily and flips out his knife, then seems surprised for a second at the mechanics of it. But, he holds out the knife at the King and warbles out, “W-What are you playing at?” He tries to growl, but it falls flat. “W-Why are you t-talking like you know me?” 

The warriors tense up again when Alt pulls a knife on their ruler, but the King holds out a hand, ordering them to wait. "Because I do know you," he says calmly. "You don't remember? It was a very brief encounter, and I'm afraid I didn't make the best impression." He flashes a smile, drawing on some of Aodhan's tattered personality to try and make it warm. Again, the result is a bit awkward, giving Alt the impression that this man before him isn't used to genuinity but is trying. "There was a fight. But I have no desire to fight you now. Something is clearly wrong. Did something happen...? Do you remember what?"

Alt starts to lower the knife, even as he stares at the King with a guarded expression. But… that smile- and the concern in his voice. Alt can’t help but let the truth fall from his lips. “I…I don’t.. know-“ He answers quietly. Purple flashes and glitches in his eyes again and he hisses in pain and grabs at his head, dropping his knife. Alt pants through the pain that follows and shakily breathes. “S-something… I-is missing I… I don’t… I can’t remember a-anything…!” Now he starts to sound distressed and scared, his tough mask falling. He grips tightly at his hair. “I don’t know how I got here- o-or why…! Or why my m-magic feels wrong! E…everything feels w̶̓̕r̶̈́͠o̶̜̊n̶͑̽ĝ̶̜!” He shouts at the end, his body and voice stuttering like something electric. But this only seems to frighten him more.

The King frowns. How strange... but... perhaps useful. "It's... it's going to be alright," he says awkwardly. Slowly he reaches out, but stops, unsure if physical touch is appropriate here. It's been so long since he tried acting this way. "Take deep breaths. This is... strange, but we can work with this. Your magic... from what I saw, this is actually how it's supposed to be. Perhaps. We didn't exactly talk about it, but you seemed confident in it last time. 

Alt unconsciously glitches back from the king, eyes wide again. He knits his eyebrows in confusion and looks at his magic, “…strange… I don’t think I’ve seen.. a-anything like this… before. Not in Glasúil…”

“As for how you got here... I'm curious about that, too." The King looks over at the warriors. They'd alerted him about someone in the courtyard. Further peering into their minds reveals that Alt really did just appear there out of nowhere. "I wonder if anyone else came with you..."

Alt feels like he needs to hide. He’s not sure who he should trust… if he can trust anyone. But… what’s the alternative…? He’s not even sure if he can remember anyone else- Brief flashes of other people pop up out of the fog. A wolf masked man in a red coat. A owl masked man in a white tunic. The wizard in the cat mask with the white and gray familiar. The quiet kind man in a rabbit mask who spoke in hands… and the Hunter in the deer mask. The one that looked and sounded like his brother… 

…wait… brother? 

The next flash is a little more intense as images of another brightly colored man appears in Alt’s memories, shining bright like the sun. But… so many of the flashes only leave Alt more confused. Why were his clothes so bright and sleek? Shiny almost? He’s never seen someone dress like that before… that he can remember. But, a recent memory seems to calm down his confusion- seeing Chase smile at him in the simple tunic he always wore. 

“…m…my brother-“ Alt mumbles, “Chase… he’s here somewhere and…” He tries not to let his muddled brain mess with his tongue. The images of the Masked Phantoms flash again and he feels fierce determination at the sight. His friends… he had to find his friends. The Rebels. 

At this, Alt starts to back up again, trying to look for another exit. Even if the king is being nice… Alt knows he’s a rebel. He can’t let his guard down. Then he cringes again as black magic tries to spark up in his eyes, and he gasps, a name falling from his lips, “M-Magnificent…!” He pants and leans against the nearest thing he can, feeling sick. The cruel laughter and pulsing purple that’s invading his mind feels too familiar.. and not in a good way. “…he- he’s… he’s here too-“ 

The King's eyes darken upon hearing that. "Magnificent is here too..." he repeats. Sounds like this is just like last time. But now, the bits of memory flashing through Alt's mind, the confusion about the strange clothes... Alt has forgotten about anything besides this world. How strange. But again, probably useful. If Alt has no memory of his world from before, then he'll have no desire to return to it. Hmm... 

"Well then, I suppose we should find him. I know you may be feeling... confused right now, in terms of loyalties." He nods at the mask around Alt's neck. Judging by his memories, he still harbors fond feelings for those rebels. "But Magnificent is a great danger. It's best if we deal with him quickly." He pushes a bit with that statement, hoping to take advantage of Alt's confused state to get him to listen. "There's also a chance that your brother is with him."

Even without his memories- Alt’s body remembers the fear and hatred associated with Magnificent. He knows that cat bastard poses just as much of a threat to the kingdom as the King… that him and his brother would stop at nothing to subdue him. He blinks and then narrows his eyes at the King, “…you want to… help me?” He asks slowly, looking at him skeptically. But, he does agree… Magnificent can’t be left to his own devices. He goes to pick up his knife and flips it closed, but he doesn’t take his eyes off the king. “…but… maybe… I-if you want to assist me in finding Magnificent then… fine. A… a temporary truce.”

The King nods, trying for another friendly smile. It's a bit colder than the last one, but not suspiciously so. "A temporary truce." He doesn't mind. Truces rarely stay temporary with powers like this. He turns to the warriors and commands them to step to the side so he and Alt can leave. They do so. "We should get started right away, then. I don't think Mag is anywhere is the castle. It may take some time to find him."

Alt nods slowly, still keeping his distance from the King as he rubs his mask. Then, he shudders suddenly, feeling the hair on the back of his neck prick up as the air suddenly feels electric. He glitches back- just in time to see a figure appear in a colorful wave of rectangles that buzz like angry bees. 

The King's eyes widen as he feels the familiar hum of electricity in the air.Then, he gets tackled to the ground, Magnificent pinning him down. His claws dig into the royal’s shoulders as he laughs darkly, magic sparking wildly around him. “Well hello again, Aodhan~!” The mad magician cackles. But, in a flash his expression turns murderous and angry as he lashes out to try to choke the king while he’s down. 

Alt stumbles back, watching with confusion and horror.

The King gets the wind knocked out of him. He looks up into a familiar set of black-sclera'd eyes. "What the--" The words get cut off with the rest of this body's airflow. How did Magnificent get here without him realizing?! Oh, right, of course. The magician can [imíonosht] as well. Just in a different way than Alt. A foolish oversight on his part. The King feels the tightening sensation of suffocation in his lungs, but he doesn't feel the need to breathe or the panic that most would. He reaches down to his belt, fingers trembling in a frustrating way, and draws his seax. In a flash he holds it up to Magnificent's neck, a harmless fragment of lightning arcing along the blade, barely missing Mag's flesh. 

{Kill this body and I'll make you regret it,} he says in the magician's mind.

Magnificent stiffens a bit at the blade at his neck. Then he laughs madly and presses harder, corruption hot on his fingers. {And what will you do to me then, specter? Without a body- what harm can you pose? Sure you can find another host… but no one else will have the power you seek, will they?} He leans in close and growls with bared canines, “I want to see you writhe, powerless as the life is drained from you…” 

Alt panics more. They… can’t kill the King… right? Jackie was very much against that. He panics and then opens up his palm, sending out a wave of magic to try to get Mag off the King.

The magic just barely misses- but it does draw Mag’s attention as he glances at Alt and barks out, “Stay out of this, puppet!” His eyes darken to black pits as the air around Mag shimmers and twists from his magic. “Or I’ll make sure you suffer twice as much as him!” Alt shudders and staggers back, overtaken by fear.

The King narrows his eyes. The green color flickers for a bit--Aodhan is panicking, survival instincts breaking through his control. He presses the blade into Magnificent's neck, drawing a drop of blood. He has to act fast while Magnificent is distracted-- Or... he could try something else. 

{You would,} the King says thoughtfully. {Or... he would.} His eyes flick back to Alt. He's loathe to abandon this body after seven years of work, but if it comes down to it, they're both good alternatives. {And I think we've established that my control exceeds yours.} 

Black spots are starting to dance across his vision. If this doesn't work he has to make a decisive choice. As he speaks to Magnificent mentally, he turns to look at Alt, giving a wide-eyed look, silently pleading for help, reaching out and trying to influence Alt to act despite Mag's threats.

Anger fills Magnificent’s body as the King suggests stealing his body or his cub’s. He roars in rage and magic bursts on his arms, sharp and loud and hot. “Don’t you fucking dare you loathsome little snake!” He spits. 

Alt’s eyes meet the scared eyes of the King and he feels like he’s being pulled along in a fog- despite the fear pounding in his ears. Then, in a burst of magic and green lighting- the body of a brown coated wolf is driving itself into Mag’s side and shoving him off, making both of them roll down the hallway for a second. 

For a moment, the King thinks he's made the wrong decision, as the magic travels down Magnificent's arms and to his body. His back arches in instinctive pain and his grip on the seax slips as it lands on the grass right by his head-- And then it's gone. Magnificent is knocked to the side and the King sits up, gasping, testing the skin on his neck for bruises or other marks. 

Magnificent yells in anger and quickly gets to his feet, spitting in feral rage. “you pathetic mistake!! I should-!” Alt however, in the time it took for Mag to get up, has quickly shifted back to his human form and is looking at himself in disbelief and confusion. He sees Mag towering over him and scrambles back, cowering and shaking. Mag stands there confused. …what happened to his fearless apprentice? The one with such a fearsome bite? …something happened during that jump… it’s almost like… Alt’s forgotten how his magic works. 

The King stands up, grabbing the seax as he does, and looks back and forth between the cowering Alt and the confused Mag. He takes a brief look into Mag's thoughts. "Pardon the intrusion," the King says in a hoarse voice. "But that's exactly it." He looks at Magnificent. "How dishonorable of you, attacking someone who doesn't even remember you." Though, to be fair, the King can't say that he wouldn't do the same under other circumstances.

Magnificent startles and then glares at the King. But slowly he looks back down at Alt. 

Alt tries to hide his shaking as he squeaks out, “I… I sort of- remember you…” 

Mag looks temporary enraged by this and probes Alt’s mind as well. He startles back at the fragmented void that awaits and looks at Alt with wide eyes. “…how… did this-?” He starts to say and then frowns, remembering the burst of static and Alt and Chase screaming and- “…my magic must have affected the TRVLR… and… in turn… messed with his memories.” He kneels down by Alt and lashes out, taking his chin and tilting it back and forth as he searches his mind. “…fascinating… it’s like… he believes he’s from this world….! Oh that is rich~!” He laughs then shoves Alt back, who just glitches slightly and scrambles back, curling in on himself. He feels like livestock… being observed before he’s picked off to be the next meal. 

Mag sighs and then turns towards the King and bares his teeth, “Can’t even take advantage of such a treat.. not when you still need to be dealt with!” He lights his hand with green fire and prowls towards the King once more.

The King backs up, holding his seax in front of him defensively. "Do you really want to do this here, Mar--Magnificent?" This is not the time to provoke the magician. "In the middle of my own palace?" Magnificent hears the shing of metal. The two helmeted warriors are still there. And they've drawn the swords. "Do you know how many resources I can call upon here?" Indeed, he's already mentally calling to as many of his special forces as he can, just in case. "Believe it or not, I don't want to kill you, but I will if I have to." His eyes flick to Alt again. {Besides, with our expertise combined, we can truly take advantage of this situation.}

Magnificent’s eyes flicker towards the guards as they draw their swords. He flashes black pitted eyes towards them and growls. But then he tilts his head towards the King and lowers his magic some. {…is that so…? Hm… this is a rare opportunity… one that might not present itself again.} He tilts his head at the King like a curious cat. {Are you suggesting another alliance, Aodhan?}

The King grins. {That's not my true name. But yes. Whatever happened seems like a freak accident, not something to happen more than once. In fact, to show you how sincere I am about this.} He sheathes the seax. The gesture probably doesn't read the same to Magnificent, without the context of this culture, but sheathing a weapon is a sign on trust. After all, it takes a while to draw it again. {I can tell you my true name. Since I know yours, it's only fair.} Once again, this may not come off the same to Magnificent. But in a land where legends of the Fair Folk stealing names are still fresh in the culture, this is very significant.

Magnificent straightens up, eyes alight with intrigue. He knew threats of the fey… a true name holds power. It’s the ultimate sign of trust. He lifts his head up and studies the King with a schooled expression. {…Alright.} He makes a go on gesture. 

Alt looks wearily at the two men- why does it feel like he’s missing a ton of valuable information right now? …is this a chance for him to run?

A smile flickers across the King's face. And for once, Magnificent gets a glimpse into his mind--truly his, not the mind of this person he's possessing. It last barely long enough for Magnificent to sense that the King is telling the truth. {I'm called Aneirin.} The name comes with a few faint images, buildings that look even older than the ones in this medieval world, blades clashing against each other, faces that mean nothing to Magnificent, metal twisted in the shape of a tree. And then the window is gone.

Magnificent blinks against the images, shaking out his head. The fact that the King also opened up his mind… and the images shown. Magnificent believes him. Besides… when else would get such a perfect chance? His cub was practically begging to be molded back into his perfect little pet. Mag grins back at the King, {Well then, Aneirin. What devious plot do you have in mind for our lost kitten, hm?}

{He looks about ready to bolt, so we need to act fast,} Aneirin says. {With his unique magic, so different from anything else in this world, he could be a valuable asset. Doubly so if this memory loss affected his brother as well. If we could make them loyal to the crown--to us--we could eliminate the rebellion and rule the kingdom for good. Possibly beyond.}

Magnificent’s eyes flash with ambitious hunger. His grin only grows wider. {…you know out of all the villains we met in the other worlds- you truly were one of my favorites, Aneirin~!} The mad magician purrs. {That sounds like a truly magnificent plan~!} He turns his hungry eyes back towards Alt. 

The glitch trembles with a quick buzz of static and glitches and then tries to bolt to his feet. But, Magnificent is faster, lashing out some of his strings and catching Alt by the foot, making him fall on his face towards the ground. He cackles madly, “Now now kitten! You can’t leave just yet! The fun is just getting started~!”

Aneirin grins as well. He walks over to Alt and crouches down by him. "Come now, Alt. We've reached an agreement and we're willing to get you in on this." The green of his eyes seems to glow as he pushes Aodhan's enchantment power into Alt's mind--mostly making way for Magnificent, since he's sure the magician has more experience in this particular matter. "You may not remember this, but we're here to help you. And your brother as well." 

Alt shakes, fearful tears in his eyes as he tries to back away from the King and Mag. "P-Please I... I don't-" Then, he feels his mind go foggy and he feels himself relax just slightly. His eyebrows knit together in confusion, "...you're... here to... help us...?" He shakes his head and tries to build up magic to try to glitch again, " B-But... the Phantoms they-!" 

Then, Alt's attention is drawn towards the bright spiral of magic building up behind the King, swirling with green and purple. His eyes flash purple again. The fight quickly starts to leave his body. 

Magnificent chuckles, his voice echoing as he increases his influence over Alt's mind. Even if it's missing things... he knows this mind and its weaknesses. "The Phantom Masks lie, Alt. After all... where are they now, hm? They left you here... alone... what kind of friends do that...?" 

Alt's eyes slowly start to glaze over and fill with magic. "...the...phantom masks... lie..." He falls easier than ever, his mind missing his usual safeguards. This is almost too easy~!

"Exactly," Aneirin says, backing up Magnificent's words. "It's not hard to put up a front for the short time you spent with them. Did they tell you why they wear those masks? It's to scare people. The citizens of Glasúil have heard rumors of those frightening specters. Ask anyone about it and they'll tell you the same. The Phantoms spoke of an honorable cause, didn't they? And yet they spread chaos in their wake. Their rebellion destabilizes the kingdom. A kingdom which is doing well without them. A kingdom that is strong without them. And they know what they're doing. Why else would they lie about their intentions to you?"

Alt slumps more and nods hollowly. The Phantoms… they’re bringing rebellion to a kingdom that was fine… they’re putting innocents at risk. That makes his blood boil. But he looks between the King and Mag with a lost look in his eyes, “…what… do I… do then…? I… was gonna… protect people… protect my brother… my friends…”

Aneirin grins. "You help me and Magnificent track down those dangerous rebels. Eliminate them once we've found them. You can protect people by defending the kingdom that way." He pauses. "Of course, we'll find your brother first. And then we'll go after them."

Alt’s eyes glow green at the commands, whispering to himself. “Eliminate… the rebels…” Then the green flickers and he winces, something trying to fight in his quickly emptying head. He groans, almost looking like he might break out of trance. “N…no m’friends…!” 

Magnificent tsks and increases the strength of his hypnotism. He kneels down by Alt, taking him by the chin to force him to look at only the spiral. “You will serve the King, Alt. You are now a noble knight, protecting the kingdom for a good cause. But protecting the King and his trusted allies is your number one goal… the second is finding a way to eliminate any rebel who stands in your way. Anything else left in that empty head of yours is irrelevant. Forget… and focus only on protecting your King. And obeying any command he or I gives you. Do you understand?” 

Alt’s mouth falls slack as the suggestions take hold, his eyes filling with magic again with little resistance. Finally, he breathes out, “Yes mu Ríthe…” Mag blinks a bit in surprise- trying to remember what that meant. Then it clicks, My Kings. He giggles, turning to grin at Aneirin, “Oh I love when they add unexpected things like that! Always such a ego boost~” He laughs and then looks back at Alt,“Very good kitten… now… drift. And let all these commands sink into you and mold you into the knight we need… sleep.., and awaken a loyal knight of Glasúil~!” He snaps and Alt’s eyes roll back as he crumples to the ground. Magnificent teleports to his feet and wipes himself off.

Magnificent teleports to his feet and wipes himself off. He looks at Aneirin cheekily and grins, “Shouldn’t take too long for that to sink in.“ 

Aneirin watches this all with fascination. He wonders if there's some techniques he could adopt. But maybe not. After all, this otherworldly magic is so different from the enchantment in this realm. Magnificent will make a fine ally. If he can handle being just a partner and not the sole contributor. Which... the judge is still out on that. 

Still, he smiles when Magnificent grins at him. "You're quite good at this," he says. 

Magnificent smiles smugly, like a cat trying to strut. “It’s my specialty, Aneirin, darling! Hypnosis and controlling the mind are my bread and butter. You have to know when their minds are empty enough… then you can mold it into whatever you want~!” He chuckles sinisterly. 

"So I suppose we wait. And then... well, I wasn't kidding about finding the other one. His... brother. Those powers would also be helpful.”

At the mention of Bro, Mag nods. “…from what I can remember… whatever I did to the TRVLR affected both of them… their other useless friends seemed unaffected. They shouldn’t cause us much trouble before we find him…” 

"So... there are others with them, then," the King mutters. "Let me guess. Jackie, Jameson, and Henrik. Those seem to make up the rest of this little group. I wonder if that's a pattern across worlds. Five, with one separate."

Magnificent nods with a smirk. “Correct. Those 5 plus some antagonist… isn’t always the same person, either. But, they’re all connected across the universes I’ve seen. An Anti… like Alt. And you. A-“ He winces and gestures at himself. “A Marvin. A Henrik. A Chase. A Jameson. And A Jackie. Always intertwined…”

“Hm… I remember having difficulty with your Chase’s mind before, but if he's similarly afflicted, that would help. I could sense that one's mind if we get close enough, but there's no telling where he went." 

Mag growls. “yes… he’s a difficult one. His head is hard to keep under… hard to mold. But… having Alt already under our thrall will help… if he can’t remember anything… I’m sure their annoying sibling bond is still very much intact. We can use that…” 

Aneirin winces, almost unnoticably. Yes, that annoying sibling bond. How useless. But useful for others. The King pauses, looking at Alt while he lies on the ground. "Hmm... something slightly off with those clothes. Can't quite put my finger on it. He'll need new ones, anyway." As he stares, he notices something else. "Is that... a bracelet with words? I don't recognize the symbols. It's not your alphabet, is it?"

Mag blinks and looks down at Alt. He kneels down again and picks up Alt’s limp wrist, studying the bracelet. Then he grins. “Oh ho… he’s learning so many new tricks~!” He glances at the King and then gestures to the bracelet. “It’s runes…  one of our ancient alphabets of magic. Gaelic, I believe. But, I studied these as a novice too. It’s a tracking bracelet… it will lead its wearer towards others with similar energies.” He grins then, eyes glowing as he touches the stone, watching as it lights up with magic. “…which is how… we can find that poor lost do-gooder~!”

The King stays quiet as Magnificent talks, listening to what he knows. He leans closer, getting a better look at the bracelet. His eyes light up--metaphorically--as the stone starts to glow. "Ooo, a very useful talisman. We have similar ones here, though the, ah, 'roonz' are replaced by plain letters or abstract symbols." He straightens again. "But back to the matter at hand. The others. Even if they are useless, they will probably try to find their friends. We should expect that.”

Mag looks back at the King and scowls before shrugging, “Of course but… I wouldn’t worry too much about the ones from my world. Two of them have been my puppets and are easily controlled. Henrik’s magic is primitive and weak. The other two are powerless. Jackie can fight but- he doesn’t usually pose much of a threat.” He looks down at Alt and nudges his face with his shoe. “…we just need to keep a tight hold on our new knights… and they’ll be putty in our hands.” 

At the touch, Alt’s eyelids flutter and he blinks slowly as his eyes focus. Then, he registers who’s in front of him and in a quick glitch, he’s kneeling on one knee and bowing towards Mag and the King. “M-Mu Ríthe!“ 

Mag blinks in surprise and then giggles, “Oh… I could get used to this~!”

Aneirin flashes a smile at Mag. "It is quite... what was the word you used? An 'ego-boost.'" Magnificent returns the grin with a chuckle. 

The King turns back to Alt. "Good to see you awake again, á klaíoh. Are you ready to serve? Because we have someone to find and we wish to go soon."

Alt doesn’t lift his head as he addresses his king, “Of course, mu Ríth. I’m ready whenever you have need of me.” 

"Excellent. Then stand." The King makes a 'rise' gesture. "We will get you a proper uniform and then start our search." 

Alt rises to attention and nods, “Yes, mu Ríth.” 

The King glances at the warriors still nearby. {No need to remember this,} he tells them. And now, as soon as the group leaves the courtyard, the warriors will forget this even happened.

Magnificent takes this time to get back into his clothes from his last visit as well, taking time to smooth down the fabric. He grins madly, “Well… this is gonna be a whole lot of fun~!” 

"It certainly is." Aneirin matches Magnificent's grin with a more subdued--but no less mad--version of his own. "Now let's be quick. I assume the tracking bracelet's glow means the other one is nearby."

Magnificent nods and then looks at Alt. “Alt, is there a seeking word for your talisman? If so, use it now.” 

Alt’s eyes pulse green and then he touches the stone on his bracelet and speaks “Loonu” The bracelet pulses too and then wisps of green-blue magic start to appear in the air, popping up like a path towards the nearest matching energy. 

◈━◈━◈━◈━◈━◈━◈━◈━◈

Bro’s fall into Glasúil was anything but pleasant. Everything is a confusing, painful blur of fuzzy images and broken glass. It feels like it’s rearranging everything in his head. As he crashes to the ground, his body glitches and contorts, eyes wide and glitching with purple as he’s rewritten by the corrupted magic in his veins. He vaguely remembers gasping and yelling. But, soon enough that starts to fade away into the fog. 

But- he vaguely remembers he’s… looking… looking for people. For someone… they’re… important. That’s the only solid thought in his head as he lifts his head up from the coarse wet sand sticking to him. His dull eyes try to take in the sights around him, weakly pushing himself up. “Where… am I…?” 

He's on the shore of a large body of water. There's a distant shore barely in sight, but judging by the curve of this shore he's on an island. To his back, it's crowded with wood and stone buildings. Surrounding him is sand and reeds that vary in size from knee-height to waist-height. Extending onto the water are wooden walkways and floating buildings. Farther, close enough that he can see it clearly but still a bit of a walk away, there is a wooden dock with some attached wooden buildings. A cobblestone roads leads from it off into the surrounding fields. There are... people over by the dock and buildings. He can see them, the distance making them small enough to hide behind his hand. 

Bro takes in all the information around him with a bit of panic. He looks down at his clothes and they feel… off. Why? What was happening? Where he is? Why can’t.., why can’t be remember anything?! He chokes down a panicked breath and tries to breathe, just… gather your thoughts Chase… what do you know? 

…he’s in the land of Glasúil… and considering he’s near a lake… is he near Suilthair…? He… can’t remember if he’s been before… And he knows… his brother. Alt. Anti… the one he’s always out to protect. And last he remembers… was his little brother screaming in pain. 

With this in mind, he staggers up to his feet and makes his way towards the nearest cluster of people. Maybe they’ve seen him! And… and his friends. Yeah… he also needs to find them. The… the Masked Phantoms. He must look like a crusty mess but still he trudges over, occasionally pausing to groan in slight pain as an intense headache attacks his head. But he can push it off. He’s… Bro Fantastic he’s a… a super hero …he’s a warrior. He can handle anything thrown at him. 

As he nears the docks he calls out towards them, “Hwaet!!” He then waves his arm to get their attention as he continues closer. 

The people near the docks are scattered into disparate groups. Some of them turn when he calls out, some of them don't. Everyone is dressed differently, and everyone has bags or boxes of some sort with them. Ah. They're all waiting. Probably to board a boat of some kind, judging by the docks. There are also a pair of warriors leaning by the doorway. They look relaxed, chatting with each other, expressions calm. The nearest group is made of an older man and three younger people who all look alike enough to be related. Two of these group--a young woman and one who looks pretty androgynous--walk over to him. 

"Aan bhfuil tu kear leori?" the woman asks. Something that Bro instinctively knows means "Are you alright?" 

"Did you fall in the lake?" her companion adds. 

Bro meets the others and attempts to smile, “Ah… dia duhui…” He greets. He brushes off some of the sand and shakes it out of his hair. “Nearly… lucky I didn’t fall in head first…” He then looks at the two in front of him and tries to find his focus. “oh but um… I’m looking for someone… my brother. He looks like me but- a lot shorter! And he has some green in his eyes- and… he- oh! He has a white cat mask on- with like… stripes on it. Have… you seen anyone like that?”

"A white animal mask?" the woman repeats. "Like those destructive spirits?" 

The other person rolls their eyes. "Those spirits aren't real, Lila." 

"I don't understand how you can still say that!" The woman--Lila--repeats. "After what we heard in the Leonbhar claim?" 

"They're probably just people causing chaos." 

Lila sighs and turns back to Chase. "Don't listen to Senan, they don't know what they're talking about. But no, we haven't seen anyone like that. Maybe he took the earlier ferry?"

Bro blinks in confusion, “Destructive spirits…?” He asks quietly. “…is that how you all… think about the phantoms?” 

"Phantoms...?" Senan repeats, confused. 

Bro knits his eyebrows together, trying to sort through his thoughts. Could the phantoms really be causing that much trouble…? 

Bu he’s shook out of his thoughts by Lila’s second question. He tries to smile, “maybe… but I don’t think he’d tried to leave the island without finding me first… guess I gotta… just keep looking around!” 

Senan shrugs off their confusion. "Yes, of course, I'm sure you'll find him. Maybe you can ask some of the local warriors. They keep an eye on things around here, maybe one of them saw your brother."

Chase glances at the warriors and gets an uneasy feeling. Guards… probably aren’t the safest thing for him to go towards right now. Even if… he’s missing his mask. He nods his head and smiles politely, “yeah! Of course- well, thank you for your help!” He waves to them and then starts heading further away from that beach. 

Lila frowns, confused, but she and Senan wave goodbye anyway. 

As Chase heads away from the beach and further into the city, it seems like avoiding guards is going to be harder to do than he thought. He can't go two minutes without seeing them, usually in pairs or trios, walking along the streets. Patrolling. The people don't react to them, merely going around them as if this is completely normal. Or... they don't usually react. 

Chase watches the guards warily- as if he’s expected to be recognized. But… huh. Guess he’s managing to somewhat fit in. Where could Alt be…? And the others…? Bro glances at the bracelet on his wrist and perks up, going to study it. Oh… but- fuck! He forgot the word he’s supposed to use… man. If only he could fly-

As Chase pauses to look at the bracelet, another pair of warriors turn the corner. These ones wear helmets. And this time, the cityfolk glance at them uneasily, seeming to speed up their business by just a bit.

Chase notices and feels the change in atmosphere and notices the helmeted guards. Those… seem like very bad news. He glances around quickly to see if he can hide anywhere- he’s just hoping he’s fast-! But as he thinks this, his body seems to react and in a blink- he’s zipped into the spaces between two buildings. He blinks slowly then looks at the lingering energy pulsing in his veins. “Cadé aan… sailile…?”

He doesn't have too long to dwell on it, though. The helmeted warriors continue down the street, glancing into every alleyway as they go.

Bro gasps and stumbles back as he hears the clanging of their weapons and chain mail, trying to see if he can find a way to blend into the shadows.

They pass by the alleyway. One of them glances inside and starts to walk past, but then stops. They nudge their companion, who turns and looks. They nod. "You there!" they call, obviously spotting Chase. "Identify yourself."

Chase stiffens and then swallows thickly, “Um… Chase son of… Kieran-“ He then seems to stiffen slightly as his eyes just slightly flicker with purple. “I mean uh… son of b…Brody, sir.” 

The warrior nods again. "The King has business with you," they say. "Come with us."

Chase’s stomach drops, “T-The King?!” He starts to back up more, panicking. “w-what does he want with me?! I- I’m no one special!”

"We do not ask questions of His Majesty," the other guard says. "And a summons is not a request. If you do not comply we will use force."

Chase might not know much right now… but he knows for sure he does not want to be brought to the King. Every muscle in his body screams this. He glances briefly as the bright blue still pulsing weakly in his veins. …he doesn’t understand what magic this is… but desperate times! Relying on instinct, Chase lashes out a hand, points a finger at the guards- and a volt of blue lighting zaps out of his finger. He takes a moment to look at this in surprise- but then he quickly scrambles backwards and starts to book it down the alley.

One of the warriors gets hit by the lightning and knocks back into the other one. They tumble to the ground but they're up again quickly, running after Chase, shouting at him to stop. 

When Chase bursts out of the alley he's in the next street over. People turn and stare at him as he rushes past, jumping out of his way when they see who's pursuing him. There are also two non-helmeted warriors on this street. They look very surprised, almost too stunned to move even when one of the helmeted ones shouts at them to help. Not that the helmeted warriors need the help. They're gaining quickly. 

Chase is cursing over and over in his head. Fucking Alt! Where is he?! Where are the others?! Why is he being chased when he can’t remember shit?! He serpentines through people and things on the street- trying to get as much distance as he can between himself and the warriors. The warriors are fast… but he feels pretty fast too.

And fast he is. As the chase continues, he slowly pulls ahead, zigzagging through the streets at random. Getting deeper and deeper into the city. People keep jumping out of the way but they literally cannot move fast enough. Thank god that he's very good at dodging around them. A stone wall grows closer, palace towers looming higher.

Part of him wonders how he got so good at running and dodging. The other part of him assumes it’s from being with the Phantoms. They had to do this regularly, huh? …well- s’not like he can remember anyways. 

Chase zips down another corner and then blinks in surprise as he sees… a blue green wisp of magic. …that seems very familiar. Before he can chase that thought, something suddenly appears in front of him like a fuzzy bolt of green lightning. And a seax is held at his throat, two burning green eyes glaring at him. 

The two Brody brothers stare at each other for a second before Alt starts to lower the blade. “Chase…?” 

Chase looks relieved for a second, “Alt!” Then he stiffens and is about to grab Alt to run again when he pauses and takes in his little brother properly. “…what in Elders name are you wearing?!” 

Alt straightens, showing that he’s now dressed in a long black tunic, the king’s crest stark on his chest. His phantom mask isn’t anywhere on him. It feels… strange to see him without a mask. Didn’t he always have one? “Chase-“ Alt says softly, holding up a hand as he sheathes the seax. “just… try to breathe. I know you must be feeling confused right now…” 

“Hells yeah I’m confused!” Bro shouts, “Why are you dressed like you’re a Kings’ warrior?!” 

The helmeted warriors behind him skid to a halt, suddenly seeming unsure. And then they both stiffen and bow their heads... as a man in a green cloak and golden circlet rounds the corner of the street. "Ah." His green eyes light up and there's a flash of a smile before his expression falls again. "Just barely out of range. Of course," he whispers, just low enough for himself and Mag. Then he raises his voice to a more audible volume. "Hello, Chase. Good to see you again, it's been a while. Have you forgotten as much as your brother? You must have... otherwise this wouldn't have been a surprise."

Chase startles as he turns to see the King walking up to him… and Magnificent. “What… what is happening…?” He whispers with wide eyes. 

Magnificent chuckles and smirks at Bro, “Well Mr. Brody… it’s so rare to see you get cornered, isn’t it?” 

Chase fumbles for anything to say. “What… what did you do to Alt?” He finally growls out, blue light shimmering in his eyes. 

“Chase please just- let us explain!” Alt tries to say, grabbing onto his arm. 

But Chase rips himself away and stumbles back. “no! You’re… you’re betraying our friends Alt! The- the Phantoms-“ 

“The Phantoms are the problem, Chase!” Alt snaps, “The King and Magnificent want to help us… they helped me remember- they can help you too!” 

Mag rolls his eyes and sticks out his tongue at the King to show his disgust. Then he sighs dramatically and snaps his fingers, “Enough of the drama- Alt, secure your brother in place, won’t you?”

Alt stiffens, his eyes flashing green. Then he grabs both of Bro’s arms and yanks them hard behind his back and holds them. “Yes, my Liege.” 

Bro cries out and tries to fight his way out of Alt’s grip. “N-No! Alt stop it!” He glares at Mag and the King, baring his teeth. “W-Whatever you’re planning…! O-Our friends will find us- they’ll stop you! Both of you!”

Magnificent giggles and strides over to Bro with a shit-eating grin. “Ain’t that sweet… such a pity though, seeing as you can’t even remember them properly~!” He then snaps and magic blooms behind him and the King, “And we’re gonna keep it that way.” 

The King smirks. "Don't worry, Chase. It won't take long for you to realize your mistakes. We won't hold it against you." He reaches out mentally, clearing the way for Mag. "It's possible to get swept up in a so-called righteous cause. But let us show you the truth now. The truth of where your loyalties should truly lie."

Chase struggles and tries to fight, but his brain is already so scrambled from the memory loss. The King can feel a bit of resistance in Chase’s mind… like an injury messed with the pathways that are usually easier to navigate. But, soon enough the magic fills up his eyes and he slumps slightly, looking up at the King and Mag in a daze. “Where my… loyalties… lie…” he whispers, Mag’s magic digging into his rewritten, open mind. 

Magnificent laughs, this does feel easier than it usually does! Maybe it’ll actually stick… but if it doesn’t. He has a plan. “Yes Chase… the Phantoms have lied to you. You’ve heard it recently haven’t you? They cause nothing but chaos and destruction. A hero like you… a warrior like you… would never align himself with such people, right? You pride yourself in protecting the innocent.” Mag tries not to let his disgust show at saying that. “The kingdom protects far better than the Phantoms ever could… you’ve been deceived, Chase.” 

The magic flickers in Chase’s eyes before growing brighter as his expression gets blanker. He tries to shake his head but… the logic seems so sound. …how was he so blind to it all…? Has he been protecting the wrong people…?

“Yes, Chase, you were on the wrong side,” the King says, reinforcing this way of thinking as Magnificent’s magic sinks in. “But you can make up for it now. Just like your brother. The two of you can help save the kingdom from these threats… if you only remember where you’re supposed to be. By my side, and Magnificent’s. Being the loyal warrior you were always meant to become.”

Green light swells to consume the color in Chase’s eyes as he numbly nods. “…a loyal warrior…” He breathes. 

Magnificent grins, triumphant. Now- to properly mold him~! “Very good Chase… now. You don’t need to remember anything else but your loyalty to the crown. The Masked Phantoms and any other rebels are your enemies. They must be eliminated. You exist to serve the King, a loyal knight. Just like your brother.” 

Chase slumps more, the magic getting brighter. But, then it flickers slightly as his face scrunches up- trying to fight. 

Magnificent growls and goes to grab Chase’s chin, pressing his face close as magic swirls in his eyes. “And… know this, Chase Brody. I know your tendency to rebel… but if you try- if you don’t obey the commands I or the King give you… your baby brother will suffer. I will hurt him. And you don’t want that… right?” 

Chase stiffens and lets out a hurried, breathy, “N-No!” 

The magic increases its pressure- so much so that Bro’s head lolls back limply as Magnificent laughs, “Good answer… then let this all sink in, knight. Be molded into the perfect warrior of Glasúil. And when you awaken, you will know your purpose and be ready to serve. Understand?” 

“Y-Yes… my liege.” 

Magnificent grins wide and then snaps, and Chase slumps completely, falling forward with his head hung. Alt drops him stoically, as if he doesn’t care or even recognize him. 

Magnificent purrs at the sight, “Mmmm… hopefully that sticks. This one is always tricky to keep down… so ironic, considering his brother is my best puppet~!” 

“It’s always strange with families,” Aneirin agrees. “It’s never clear what gifts will pass to who.” He pauses for a moment, looking around to make sure no one saw what just happened. No, this is a thankfully empty part of the city. The warriors who were chasing Chase are still nearby, but he easily dismisses them, wiping the encounter from their minds. “For example, take my oracle. Did I tell you about him last time? I can’t recall. But I used to… employ an oracle, before he ran off with the rebels. No one in that family had the sight before, and yet there he was. Not to mention the way powers fade in bloodlines before suddenly returning.” He sighs just remembering the wait for another enchanter Royal. “In any case, clever thinking there. Now… now we can hunt those rebels down.” His eyes flash with anger. “I was planning on going soon. Some were in this city recently and I believe I know which way they went. Best to move quick before they get too far, I thought.”

Magnificent nods, “Magic always works in strange ways.” He comments. Then, his eyes flash hungrily and he grins. “An excellent idea… having these two to tear the rebels down~! Oh it’ll be such a beautiful sight to see! So much betrayal and drama!” He giggles. 

Aneirin smiles. “It truly will be a sight, won’t it?” Though he does not look forward to the drama in the way Magnificent does, he can’t pretend it won’t be satisfying. 

Mag then gestures for Alt to come over. He grabs the glitch’s wrist and green lines cover over his purple marks. He nods- now he had a way to make sure they kept Bro on a short leash. He then whistles and snaps, looking back at Chase. “Rise and shine, Brody! We got rebels to find~!” 

Chase groggily groans for a second, his eyelids fluttering. But then he stiffens, his eyes flashing green. Then he pulls himself up and bends over at the middle, arm pressed to his stomach to bow to the King and Mag. “Yes, my lords.” He looks up with determination and fire in his eyes. 

Alt shakes out of his light trance and smiles a bit with determination too, the air sparking with his magic. 

As Chase and Alt shake out of their trances, the King turns to them. “Prepare for travel, á klaíohe. Once you are armed and ready we will leave the city.” 

Chase nods and bows properly to the King, “Of course, mu Ríth.” 

The King turns back to Magnificent. “It’s early in the day so we can take advantage of the daylight to travel far. I’ll gather some of my special forces as well—” Then he suddenly winces. “Damn, I almost forgot I need to appoint a regent. How I wish my range of influence was greater. Ah, I’ll just leave it to Thalia. That will help secure more loyalty.” He nods, satisfied. “We will be able to leave quickly.”

Magnificent grins, “Ah excellent… I can’t wait to see the look on my puppets’ faces~!” Then he processes and tilts his head at the King, “Ah your telepathy is limited… interesting. I definitely need to be close but- once a link is made I have pretty good control. Then again- I don’t let them travel farther than our city so…” He shrugs. “We’ll see! But- sounds like we have a lot of preparations to make!” 

"It covers the city, but yes, we will be going too far for it to stay," Aneirin clarifies. Then he smiles. "Yes, there are some preparation, but we will be going soon." He turns around. "Follow me. We reconvene at the castle and then head out." 

He can't wait to smother those rebellious spirits once and for all. They know the truth about him. 

Word cannot spread.

[myrmyrtheorca]

give me your favorite manga or anime of all time. NOW. like, the ones who changed you as a person. if you are okay with questions like that!

HELLO HI I RISE FROM THE GRAVE FOR THIS INCREDIBLE YAPPING OPPORTUNITY

fr tho thank you Lottie for asking me too despite my death apparent, this will be long, I'll put the honorable mentions first as to make it a little more interesting and KHR will be at the bottom for the same reason-

Honorable mentions!

Sailor Moon - love myself some female friendship and magical girls. And women who could kick my ass like Pluto.

Black Rock Shooter - as above, plus vague setting and cool transformations.

Fate series - ok hear me out. I haven't watched the anime and just started the VN, I mostly play the mobile game, but it's about history and there's cute girls in it. Peak.

The Vision of Escaflowne - COOL MECHAS (hasn't finished it)

Yuru Camp - CUTE GIRLS FRIENDHIP AND COZYNESS also relaxing music (hasn't finished it)

Serial Experiments Lain - what the fuck was that

Violet Evergarden - tears? tears in my eyes? stop???

Dungeon Food - I'd have put this above if I wasn't just at the second volume of it, holy shit this is so fun but I feel it will crush my soul soon

Neon Genesis Evangelion

Ah. Lord, NGE. The vagueness of its worldbuilding, the psychological aspects, the occult and religious simbology, and the GODDAMN MUSIC. If you like classical, epic and otherwordly music, I beg you to check out NGE's score even if you're not interested in the anime itself because Shiro Sagisu is a gift from the gods and one of the best composers of our time. The series is a masterpiece. People despise the movies but IMO they do exactly what a movie should do: entertain. Anno embraced the "I'll be cringe, but I'll be free" and went all out on them, as he should have. Also, there's Kaworu Nagisa. Look at him!

Steins;Gate

PLEASE. PLEASE DO AND DON'T DO THIS TO YOURSELF AT THE SAME TIME. I WAS NOT READY. This anime will take your heart, embrace it, warm it up, GRIP IT IN ITS HANDS, CHEW IT AND SPIT IT OUT. Admittedly I played the VN because I wanted to experience all endings and OH MY GOD. It's terrifying and emotionally damaging. I started playing the sequel (Steins;Gate 0) and I had to STOP because it's so gut-wrenching in all the good ways that I need to be in the right spot for it.

Bleach

talk about recent experiences. I live under a rock when it comes to popular anime most times, and I never had the occasion to watch Bleach until recently (still haven't technically finished it because I'm waiting for TYBW to finish releasing to watch it). I... don't know what it is about Bleach that I like so much, but it got me in a similar way to KHR, as in I think about it often against my will and I'm even considering creating an OC for it. I think it's the characters, because the story is pretty straightforward... yeah, yeah it's the fictional men again. Kubo makes handsome men who fight with swords and transformation and everyone has their own powerups and...hhhngh. Look at this batch of cookies.

Ah no, wait, there's Shiro Sagisu again as composer. Almost forgot. *dances aggessively to spanish guitars*

Dr. Stone

I'm not a science brain, totally the opposite. Math doesn't math, geometry is evil and chemistry is wizardry. BUT, I love things that TRY to teach me those things in a funny and accessible way. I still won't understand them, but it was fun trying! And Dr. Stone has that, it's the moment I realize I like it when things are explained to me in that way, especially through media. Plus, fun characters, emotional moments, and cool plot.

Katekyo Hitman Reborn

Fortunately or unfortunately depending on your opinion on the show, KHR was the first ever japanese piece of media (excluding videogames) I've ever consumed. Being a lonely and socially awkward human being, it soon became my personality. It was these fuckers who made me get into manga altogether, I started buying the volumes (but only up to Varia Arc because 1. I didn't have an allowance, everything was done with Christmas/Easter/birthday money and 2. I was so obsessed with the Varia that my goldfish brain lost interest mid Future Arc.) and from there I discovered the pleasure of physical copies. The show has never aired in Italy, so nobody knew what the fuck I was talking about. It was, as many others were for me, a very lonely experience. But it was also the first time I felt... unique? Like, "this is my special little treasure and nobody can take it from me" kinda thing. I was emotionally invested in this show and every small piece of merch I could find like my Varia character songs CD became some of my most prized possessions (UNTIL I STARTED GIFTING AWAY MY SET OF VONGOLA RINGS BECAUSE I WANTED TO BRIBE PEOPLE INTO LIKING THE SHOW) (YEAH THAT WAS. STUPID. BECAUSE IT OBVIOUSLY DIDN'T WORK. AND ONLY MADE ME FEEL MORE LONELY AND RINGLESS) Then, the falling off. I started playing an MMO that also shaped part of my personality and as you often do with things that remind you of lonelier times, I sold my volumes and stopped thinking of KHR... until recently, when I joined this fandom and the spark came back because fuck it I'll be cringe but I'll be free. I got my fair share of flack for hyperfixating on an old anime at 24 years old, but it's one of the best experiences I've ever had. So yeah. KHR was ultimately good for me.

[birb-chirpn]

Hi, I know I usually post art here but I have a lot of words today. (My favorite show just ended :,)) 

Beware: a lot of words

I’ve been a fan since about three years ago and even though I'm considerably new to this show it’s still something that has impacted me in such a meaningful way. I remember seeing edits of this show on TikTok (I’m so chronically online I know) when “Best Served Cold” came out. I binged the entire show in three days. Even though it made me cringe a lot at first, I couldn’t stop watching. I jumped on my bed when Soap started singing in “Everything’s a OJ” and letting out the most high-pitched shrill-sounding squeal I’ve ever let out in my life when Taco appeared in “Rain on Your Charade.” I think there’s something so unique about this show in the way it was produced by literal children (Who somehow got their family members to voice-act for them??!!?) who made a lot of immature jokes and turned into something so beautiful, writing and visual-wise. Honestly, it healed my inner child. I have never seen a show so limitlessly creative and fun that resonated with me and what I believe in so much. Additionally, with a fan-base that is just as much limitlessly creative and fun.

I adore the writing in the show, and I’m pointing that out because I want to talk about my personal interpretation of this Inanimate Insanity’s message. Brian Koch said in a livestream that it was about community and I don’t remember the rest of what he said lol, and I definitely agree with that. Expanding upon that idea, it’s also about how in every community there are different people, and even those you are close to may not be what you expect them to be. You can’t control the others around you and you should embrace that, and if you give them a chance you may even become unlikely friends. What truly makes a strong community is to not have everything be the same/simplified but to embrace and compliment each others differences/complexities and while that means not everyone will agree with each other, it doesn’t matter because you don’t have to be friends with everyone.

 I remember laying my eyes upon the first piece of fanart I saw, (It was very beautiful, trust me. I don’t think that person is in the OSC anymore.) and then I developed a consciousness and realized I could draw fanart if I wanted. I’ve only pretty recently developed the courage to share my work with people.

Thanks to all the people who worked on the show and anyone in the community. The community built around this show is so unique to me and I don’t think I’ll ever be in a fan-base that’s quite the same. I will now force all my friends to binge this show.

I’ve just realized, I’m using the word “I” a lot in this, but what can I (knee slap) say, it’s in the name. Half the stuff I said might come off as nonsense, but at least it’s out there now.

I really don’t know what I’ll post (if anything) once fandom dies out, probably bfdi and Minecraft smps.

[to-know-how-it-ends]

a little bit me -- my poem based on my rant

Just so you know, all of my characters are a little bit me. 

Every story I write is unique, yes, 

each character a complex creature 

of flesh and blood in my mind. 

Sometimes a forced villain, sometimes a selfish hero. 

Never a monster, unless they are perceived to be 

by side characters, but the reader knows the truth (or should) -- 

no one is born a monster. 

Monsters are made consciously. 

But all these characters share a common theme of struggling with their names, with their identity. 

That's where I come in. 

I always knew it wasn't easy to be Jewish 

Being religious, I knew this from a practical standpoint -- 

Kosher food is expensive, we used to joke that non-Jews eat for free -- 

and I knew that antisemitism was real. 

I just never thought it would affect me. 

Looking back, a lot of things I realize now were microaggressions kind of seemed normal, 

like making fun of my skirts,

or bugging me that I couldn't try bacon

and that I wasn't that special,

or not bothering to correct their name mispronunciations of my brother and sister (that I realize now would have happened to me as well if my parents had given me my middle name first instead of my real first name which could pass for Christian if you didn't think too hard).

I honestly assumed they were just jealous. 

I didn't classify it as antisemitism. 

I was just a kid. 

When my world was smaller, 

yet ironically wider to me. 

I'm still a kid, but I'm almost done with that 

And the world is wider in my mind 

But funnily enough, smaller now too 

I talk a lot about when my characters first found out they had to hide. 

From playing hide-and-seek as an innocent child, 

to surprising a friend before a birthday, 

to shuddering behind the door of a closet 

while they waited for the darkness to pass. 

No matter which way, all of them had a moment 

where they learned to conceal something of themselves 

I finally did, too, in the summer after 4th grade. 

I was at a theater camp, real professional actors were teaching us

on a good stage, 

an impressive set, immersive costumes. 

We were gonna perform a play of Snow White for everyone in town. 

It was my dream. 

I realize now it was ironic 

how much I wanted to be someone I'm not. 

But I also know that those costumes and characters, 

like the one of Maureen, the fifth daughter of the huntsman (there were ninety of us they had to cast, you get the idea -- at least I was named) 

brought out my fullest self. 

Maureen was not the one who taught me to hide. 

I remember it like it's happening to me today (in a way, it is) -- 

we were doing an improv thing. 

We had to come up with a cool new superhero to 

act out as, and make up a scene to perform for the whole camp 

on the black box auditorium stage. 

And hey, I was proud of myself. 

My parents had raised me to be proud to be Jewish. 

To embrace my religion, to love my culture and my heritage, 

and I did. 

I do. (it’s important for me to remind myself this)

So I thought it would be no problem at all 

when I named my superhero (one of the first characters I'd ever written) 

Super-Jew, 

a tribute to my father’s Purim costume from years past

blue Magen Davids blazing on silver lace up boots 

as she used her powers of invisible flight 

every time she called out Shema Yisrael. 

Yeah, I realize it’s a little cringe. 

Give me a break, I was 10 

and I was proud. 

No one had ever told me not to be. 

And then I felt my face and ears turn bright red, 

because instead of clapping like they were 

for the other kids’ superhero presentation, 

people were looking at me weirdly  –

the teacher, 

the other kids, some who were older, some my age. 

Eventually some started clapping half-heartedly, 

mostly because the silence was really awkward. 

The clapping made it more awkward.

I don't think anyone else there was Jewish, 

but even if they were, 

I feel like after that, there was no way they ever would have said, 

and no way to know 

if they would have ever said beforehand. 

I was still surprised when 

the teacher called me back 

at the end of the "class" to talk to him. 

I think I kind of knew at that point

I had caused a scene, and he told me so, 

like, "Listen, 

I am *never* gonna tell you to change your superhero, 

but...you know..." 

I did. I said abruptly I would change it. 

I did. 

Turned Super-Jew into some lame mind reader 

who wore hair clips on her ears 

(that killed. don't be like me 

and put claw clips on your ears to avoid microaggressions) 

He said, "No, you don't have to--" 

and he might have been well meaning, too, 

but I got it then. 

Don't be loud about it. 

And I wasn't. 

I wore those ridiculously sharp claw clips 

digging into my raw and reddened earlobes

and acted like a nosy mind reader

on that stage as if there wasn’t anything wrong, and

I really knew what they were all thinking, telepathic or not

and it was just improv. 

That stuck with me for a while. 

I was my character. 

But then again, 

all of my characters are a little bit me.

[eric-the-bmo]

2.) How and when did you get into VtM? 4. What's your favourite clan? Why? 6. Which clan haven't you played/ developed but would love to try? 19. Which character is least spoken about? Speak about them now!

2) I got into VtM when I stumbled upon- this might sound cringe sorry- a tiktok edit of Brennan Lee Mulligan's character Adrian from LA by Night. I was already familiar with Brennan by watching Dimension 20, and he was playing some kind of evil priest? That was awesome! I started trying to watch LA by Night and looking more into VtM, and voila. I'm now a World of Darkness fan. Shoutout to that Adrian edit 🫶

4) I'm incredibly biased towards Malkavian,,, while I'm picky about what's considered a good Derangement for characters, I Love the fact they're connected by a vague hivemind-cobweb, and Malkav intrigues me. Also it's just really fun to say, and it's currently the only Clan i've played the longest.

6) Oooh, I would Very Much like to try playing a Tzimisce! Unfortunately I haven't cooked up any ideas that are good enough to develop into a character, and I have to admit the "alien mindset" part is a tad bit intimidating. But I'm sure I'll get there.

19) Definitely Hazel Pedigree! You already know her a little bit, but for everyone else: Hazel's a pretentious film student from NYC who was on the route of being embraced by a Kindred acting as one of her professors, but was embraced by his rival instead. She diablerized her sire upon the request of her professor, who she viewed as a father figure, and he took her in as his childe. Being Camarilla, they both work to hide the fact she committed a horrible crime. Hazel's a perfectionist- as is the course for Tremere- and very much wants to impress her adoptive sire. She also struggles with the fact she diablerized someone, which might become a Worse Issue now that she's been tasked to join a few other Kindred to hunt down members of the Red List. Some other facts about her is that her eyes are Strange, she has a pet snake, and she's directly inspired by my VtMB character <3 I really should work on her more, but my brain is fixated on other characters

[norbezjones]

24 Days of Gift-Giving: Seventeen Snow Days

Happy December, everyone!

So, @creativepromptsforwriting is doing a writing thing called “24 Days of Gift-Giving” where each day of December has a prompt, so I figured it would be fun to write something up for each prompt!  Feel free to participate too, if you’d like!  It could be a fun writing game!

Like usual, I will be doing these for the characters of my story Romance The Backrooms, a liminal space otome with 5 main love interests. 

Today’s Prompt: Seventeen Snow Days; drinking hot chocolate; watching the snow fall from the window.

Characters: Uri & Kalcal 

Other Info: A Uri & Kalcal story?  That’s very rare!  How exciting! C: Also, Kalcal is AuDHD, so I had to include him stimming at some point.  He’s just like me for real.

__________ 

“Zenobos said it’s called ‘hot chocolate’,” Kalcal said to Uri, tearing open the packet of brown powder.  He poured it into the pot of boiling water that Zenobos had set up above the fire.  “Apparently it’s sweeter than almond water, and has . . . how did he describe it?  A ‘rich’ flavor?”

Uri nodded, watching Kalcal stir the powder in with a stick.  Kalcal then took the pot off of the stove and was about to take a sip of the contents, but Uri stopped him with a, “Wait, don’t!  It’s very hot. . .”

Kalcal blinked and looked down at the pot.  “Oh yeah, right!” he said with a laugh.  “I guess we have to wait for a bit, huh?”  He put the pot down on the ground and turned to Uri, stimming excitedly with his hands, which waved excitedly at his sides.  “You wanna chat while the hot chocolate cools down?”

“Um, sure,” Uri agreed.  “What do you want to talk about?”

Kalcal was now rocking back & forth.  “Well, I’ve always wanted to know how you met Adiel & Glarence!” he exclaimed with a grin.  “After all, Zenobos & I were the last to join the group—you knew Adiel & Glarence way before we did!  So, how’s ya meet them?”

Uri turned away, running a hand anxiously through his white hair.  “Honestly, I’d rather not say,” he said quietly.  “I was a different person back then, a lost person. . . It’s difficult for me to remember that time.”

Kalcal stopped rocking, and for a moment, the cheerful, manic entity actually looked somber.  He nodded, then went over to Uri and gave him a big hug.

Uri hadn’t been expecting that, and he sniffled, holding back tears as he leaned into Kalcal’s embrace.  “It’s ok, buddy,” Kalcal said. “You’re a better person than you were then, with us, right?” “Yeah,” Uri agreed.  He let out a happy sigh.  “I am.”

Then, he cleared his throat, and gently pushed Kalcal’s arms off of him.  “Um, do you want to check on that hot chocolate?” Uri asked.  “Hopefully it should be cooler now. . .”

“Oh yeah!” Kalcal exclaimed, a goofy, excited grin on his face.  He picked up the pot, held it up to his lips, and took a cautious sip.  His eyes went wide, and Uri cringed.  “Too hot?” Uri asked.

Kalcal shook his head and held the pot out to Uri.  “No, it’s not that hot—it’s just that I’ve never tasted something quite like that before!” Kalcal exclaimed.  “It’s so sweet and good. . .”

Uri took the pot from him and hesitantly sipped the contents.  He immediately saw what Kalcal was talking about: the flavor was creamy, smooth, and (yes) rich.  He let out a happy sigh.  “That’s really good.”

“Isn’t it?!” Kalcal exclaimed, hands flapping excitedly.  “I can’t wait for Zenobos to come back and try this!”

A small smile came on Uri’s face.  “Yeah, me too.”

@creativepromptfills

[zaffiri-saffici]

Fic Writing Meme:

Questions 13, 30, 56, 69 please!

13. What’s a common writing tip that you almost always follow?

"Show, don't tell." It was ingrained in my brain years ago, and has refused to leave. And I try to follow it as much as I can because I am someone who already loves playing with imagery and sensations and what a character is experiencing physically in a space to demonstrate what's going on for them under the surface.

30. Do you share rough drafts or do you wait until it’s all polished?

I don't share rough drafts at all unless I have a beta who is reviewing them or a close friend I trust to give me honest feedback. Tbh, I would be embarrassed to share a rough draft solely for the number of typos and occasional brain farts that just show up mid-dialogue or some weird, unfinished, broken narrative structure I'm trying to fix. By the time my writing gets to a beta, I've gone through it at least four times, and I'll go through it at least five more even after their review because I will find things I didn't see earlier that should never see the light of day.

56. What’s something about your writing that you pride yourself on?

I don't spell things out literally all the time, and I love that. My writing is more ambiguous and lyrical in nature, and it has a certain air that can feel a bit mystical, even if I'm not actually writing about anything magic-related. It's a style that is not for everyone, and initially, when I first started writing fanfic years ago, I was so nervous about what people would think because I would look at other stories and go, "Oh wow, this is nothing like that." Once I let go of that outcome, I was able to enjoy it more, embrace it, and just run with it. Also symbols! I write lots of symbolism into my stories and get so excited when people can see it and then comment on it. Like, yay!!! You get what I mean!!!! 69. What work of yours, if any, are you the most embarrassed about existing?

Oh goodness, well, considering I came out of a 10+ year writing hiatus just last year, I can't really think of many I am embarrassed about existing on the interwebs. Most of the stuff I have up online I'm pretty proud of. I will say that there was one HP fic I used to have posted on my ff.net account years ago that was a Draco/Bellatrix oneshot and the dialogue in it was total cringe. You could tell I was a wee 16-year old angsty teenager lmao. We've come along way.

Thank you for the questions, this was a lot of fun!!! @wily-one24

[gizmocrate-werecrow]

What to do when you are a leafling: my annoying friend.

(Ah the dilemma of wanting to Write more olimin chapters and wanting to write corps chapters.)

Dingo watched as the S.S. Beagle flew away alongside the onion. Pom offered him to come along with her but it just wasn't his thing. Dingo could feel a smile crawl onto his face as he walked away. 

DANDORI DANDORI DANDORI! WE SHALL ALWAYS DANDORI AND–

“SHUT UP!” Dingo screamed, everyone, even Shepherd, looked at him in shock. Dingo cringed to himself and could feel the thoughts subsiding once more. He silently prepared himself as Erma walked up to him. Dingo started to run. He climbed onto a rock and started to cry.

He could feel the thoughts coming back to him in a blast. Nothing but Dandori, he had to organize and save time, he had to…

“Hey? Are you okay Dingo?”

Dingo looked around and picked up Jack.

“N-no. I made a fool of myself. How come i seem to be the only one to resist the…well…the thoughts”

“The Connection meant to be like your comms man. We talk to each other and relay messages. So we can cooperate and survive. It's meant to keep us alive.” Jack chirruped. They held the toothpick with happy noises and did a few stabbing motions.

“Wait a moment, does that mean the Dandori thing isn't normal?”

“Dandori thoughts is a normal thing but at this strength. Does this mean someone is messing with it?” Jack said and tilted their head in curiosity. 

Dingo let out a long sigh. The thoughts slipped into his mind again. Begging him to simply do Dandori, find a cave, find a bunch of Pikmin and be a Dandori practitioner. Maybe he should give up…yeah that sounded great to do…Dandori…he should Dandori all the time.

“Dingo? If you’ve got any problems, let me know.” a voice said. Dingo could feel himself blush again, it was Erma again, what should he say? He looked up to see Erma’s lovely blue eyes. He could feel the Dandori thoughts slip away as he looked at her.

“I’ll let you kn-kn-know.” Dingo managed to stammer out before he felt faint, no he should keep himself awake. No screw it! He needed to tell her, he needed to tell her everything!

“You want to know what happened to me. I’ll tell you, it all started when Bernard and I crashed in a place with giant pink flowered trees.” 

–

Bernard wandered around the camp in a daze. The thoughts in his head he knew weren't his. But no matter how hard he tried, it seemed he couldn't reel them into his own sanity. Dandori is fun and the most efficient way to live life. If others were like him then maybe he would have not crashed. He never crashed in his life until now. 

“Santi…friend…why don't we…when the ONION lands…you get someone…and let them embrace DANDORI!” Bernard declared.

“Why–” Santi started

“Because if we make them embrace DANDORI…we can save everyone…if I did DANDORI earlier…the ship…wouldn't crash.”

Santi raised an eyebrow, as annoying as Bernard was, this was completely not his thing. 35 years of dealing with, avoiding and getting annoyed by Bernard has made him familiar with the positive ace pilot. 

“Bernard, are you okay?” Santi said with a hint of hesitation in his voice while light chittering began to echo in his head.

“I'm fine SANTI, I crashed the ship...I…” Bernard started, he hugged Santi tightly. Soft sobs began to sound from the pilot. Santi quietly dragged Bernard away from the general area around the base and to the rock. Oleander was sitting there and kicking their legs while Santi sat Bernard down. 

“Who is that?” Oleander said, coughing a bit of poison out.

“My rival…It’s okay…You can talk to me…Like you always do.” 

“Can you play your flute…for me?” Bernard weakly asked. He looked up with a smile as Santi took the frost covered flute out of his pack. Santi took a deep breath and began to play. Soft music danced around the air, bewitching the ears of those nearby. The thoughts in his head seemed to slip back into only his own. The soft whisperings of Dandori now seemed like a bad dream rather than a horrible reality. Bernard looked up with some sense of a smile on his face. 

“That…feels a bit better….I don't know what came over me.”

“No worries Bernard we’re…ack…Best friends after all.” Santi said with a pained smile that had a hint of warmth to it.

(my idea is that even though Santi finds Bernard annoying due to the whole fate thing. He still cares for Bernard…a little. While Bernard sees him as a genuine friend.)

[miaobae]

I just saw a post from a bi woman saying that people should be allowed to insult women's makeup because it's cringe and I just 😐

No they shouldn't. No one should be insulting anyone's appearance. Self expression in the form of style, makeup, body mods, etc. should all be embraced. Just because makeup represents something negative to you doesn't mean it does to everyone. Let people live and have fun and be and look however they want. No one is entitled to be a dick for no reason.