#fallen-juniper-leaves

[nonsensical-pixels]

heyyy everyone! a whole 2 months after i started on it, i finally come to you with my answer to @atomtanned's request for max20's garden at home set to be converted to the sims 2. it is not the entire set, i might go back and finish the missing pieces (mostly set deco) later; but for now, enjoy 31 new gardening-themed items for your games! 🌿 this set takes up a lot of file space, too much file space for simfileshare, apparently, so this download is hosted on mediafire only. to make up for this though, i've also uploaded the lot i used to preview all the items! you can grab it from the link below. aside from the cc in the preview, the only other thing it requires is a brick floor by @lordcrumps. collection file and readme are included, as always. more previews and info are under the cut.

this conversion would not have been possible without @tvickiesims and @lamare-sims' garden center collection, from which i cloned and edited the planters in the set from. so shout out to both of them, their set goes amazingly with this one, so be sure to grab it too!

DOWNLOAD: CC SET | PREVIEW LOT 🍀 (warning: large file size)

again, credits go to max20 on patreon for the original ts4 meshes & textures, @tvickiesims and @lamare-sims for the planters i cloned the ones in the set from, and @honeywell-mts for their original garden plot, too. you're all amazing 💞

Close-Ups

click on the previews to enlarge them! * i forgot to picture one of the planters in particular, the 'planter my mother frame', but you can view all the items in max20's original item list.

Items Included

Bath For Bird and Not Only -> 642 polys Big River Rocks -> 440 polys Clover Grass -> 1 swatch, Terrain Paint Columnar Juniper -> 1464 polys Columnar Juniper Short -> 1464 polys, repo'd to Columnar Juniper Dry Fallen Leaves -> 1 swatch, Terrain Paint Flowerbed Good Wood -> 1980 polys Garden Arch Good Wood -> 2308 polys Garden Gate Good Wood -> 3408 polys Gardening Table -> 1992 polys Hydrangea -> 3056 polys Lilies -> 1098 polys Log For Chopping Firewood -> 352 polys Mini Greenhouse -> 676 polys Outdoor Water Faucet -> 984 polys Planter by Handy Wendy -> 188 polys Planter Good Wood -> 438 polys Planter My Mother Frame -> 434 polys Planter with Bevel Good Wood -> 345 polys, repo'd to Planter Good Wood Pots by Handy Wendy -> 285 polys Potted Plant by Handy Wendy -> 464 polys River Rock -> 118 polys River Rocks -> 188 polys, repo'd to River Rock Round Bench Good Wood -> 1968 polys Seedling Starter Kit by Handy Wendy -> 508 polys Set of Watering Cans by Handy Wendy -> 1084 polys Side Bush -> 366 polys Swing Chair Good Wood -> 3786 polys Table Good Wood -> 236 polys Tulips -> 672 polys Wheelbarrow by Handy Wendy -> 1040 polys

Things to Note

The ColumnarJuniperShort is repositoried to the ColumnarJuniper. The RiverRocks is repositoried to the RiverRock. The PlanterWithBevelGoodWood is repositoried to the PlanterGoodWood. The Planters are functional. They're cloned from tvickiesims and lamare-sims' garden planters, which are edits of Honeywell's pots. Any garden plants included in this download do not have seasonal states. I tried to add them and gave up almost instantly. They do have overgrown states, though. The GardeningTable is purely decorative, no slots either. Some textures may be a bit blurry when you zoom in on them. No clue why, it might be like that in the OG download too :/

if there are any issues that you find with this set, please don't be afraid to let me know! happy simming, and when you download this, do keep in mind,

( @4t2ccdatabase )

[sacrifesse]

┣▇▇▇═─ AUTUMN iD PACK 〰️

🍁 ︵︵ REQUESTED BY ANON ᶻ 𝗓

🍁 ︵︵ TAGGiNG @id-pack-archive ᶻ 𝗓

✙ ︵︵ SYSTEM NAMES : the court of fallen leaves , the fallen leaves (system/collective/etc.) , the cozy crew , the amber hues system/collective/etc. , the harvest system/collective/etc. , the sweater system

✙ ︵︵ NAMES : amber , redd , harveste , aspen , hazel , forrest , hunter , maple , rowan , asher , aster , marigold , sienna , archer , ash , birch , branch , casper , cedar , crimson , eve , goldie , hawk , juniper , leaf , lilith , linden , luna , maize , november , oakley , october , opal , pine , poe , raven , rory , sabrina , september , willow , crow , raine ¹

¹ names that certain alters of the darling stars use

✙ ︵︵ PRONOUNS : red reds , orange oranges , yellow yellows , amber ambers , hazel hazels , maple maples , syrup syrups , apple apples , cider ciders , branch branchs , gold golds , leaf leafs , corn corns , maze mazes , raven ravens , crow crows , pumpkin pumpkins , warm warms , pie pies , rain rains , sweater sweaters , 🎃 🎃s , 🍁 🍁s , 🍂 🍂s , 🧣 🧣s , 🧶 🧶s , 🍎 🍎s , 🌽 🌽s , 🥧 🥧s , 🕯️ 🕯️s , 🍄 🍄s

✙ ︵︵ USERNAMES : crims-n , crimsonne , junipurr , cozycider , rainydreams , amberain

✙ ︵︵ TiTLES : prn who is cozy , the cozy one , the one of autumnal hues , prn who talks to the aspen trees (in the dead of night) , prn who plays in the leaves , the wind that shifts the autumn leaves , the master of the corn maze , prn who is as sweet as maple syrup

✙ ︵︵ LABELS : sofition , autumn bigay , autumn conceptum , autumn sapphic , autumn uranic , autumnlovestelic , autumnforestscenestelic , autumn lesbian

✙ ︵︵ GENDERS : autumngender , autumnbeastgender , autumn coyote , fallcandlic , rusticfoxgender , autumnbeastic , autumntempic , sumtumngender , autumnpupgender , foilagevisuic , autumnosic , autumngender , autumngender / fallgender , fallgender , fallgender , tsukic , autunottpio , pervigilogender , snorpupcomfic , ntumnedzian , bleedautumnine , autumnraingender , cardiautumnale , autumnlexic , fallexic , pompoenian 🍄🍁🍂emojic , autumnameic , fantasmookean , pictibarkbor , autumnactioconic , shuunomugender , tomnanian , corvautumnaesic , autunostic , autumnian , pompoentjean , autumncolesic , occasfestic , naturautmnale , mutfolesque , ponciaesic , genderarryire , fallbloomic , autumnlunashroomale , kaffeebohnegender , auttemografiaen , tortumnset , autumnauraix , autumncatgender , autumnwristoryian , autumndirtbagian , fallcat , autumnfoxic , autumness

[PT: autumn id pack. requested by anon. tagging id-pack-archive. system names. names. pronouns. usernames. titles. labels. genders. /END PT]

[respiratory-kristem]

Kris AU/Blog Masterlist

Tags?

@ilovefukuchi @fukuzawa-armeddaddyagency @justsigma-bsd @currentlyeatingrocks @futuremafiabossdazaiosamu

@paintedgrilledcheese @juniper-bunch

@duckduckgoose-exe @casinoownersigma @fedya-the-rat-god @reaper-beneath-the-moon @oscarsgallery

@sugarthebee @trashlike

Main timeline (My main Kris blog) - You're here!

Age changes: Baby - @/amongstthegrassandblooms 11 post incident - @/let-the-river-take-me 11 pre incident - @/please--leave-a--message Teen - @/mymachete-ismybestfriend Dark Era - @/metwitheternalsilence Adult - @/tankof-coffee-and-disappointment

AUs: Raised by Mafia Boss - @/there-might-be-demons Vessel - @/a--mortal--vessel Military - @/anobedientmuttawaitingorders Permanently Fused - @/cutthestringscontrollingme King of the Demons - @/kingkrisofthedemons Fem - @/coconut-shampoo-aisle-seven Cat - @/hissingatmycaptors Doctor - @/justmeneedlesandall Bill Cipher - @/thedemonisalwayswatching FNAF AU - @/theforgottenpuppeteer Insane Gameshow Host - @/hosting-theslaughterhouse-live Streamer - @/strawberryscentedvisualnovel Haunted AU - @/ademonofahuman Gods and Goddesses AU - @/thegod--of--insanityandchaos Death - @/intertwinedbeautifulvines Older 14!Kris - @/clickclickgoesyourdeath Haunted VHS tape - @/pointto-thestoreineedatreat Evil Doll - @/thebunnytoldmetodoit Mafia Boss - @/iwanttowatchthebloodseepthrough Proxy/Creepypasta - @/ilivetoservertheoperator Fallen Angel - @/myfallfromheavenwasnotpainful Broken - @/themurderousmuttofsweden Court Jester - @/thecourtjesterrr BEAST - @/a-blindsided-assassin Mafia Executive - @/sparkingviolenceamongstcomrades Alt Mafia - @/withthemafiauntilmyfinalbreath Decay Of Angels - @/unclip-my-wings Hunting Dogs - @/justice-and-coffee Guild - @/ihateamericabutineedmoney [LAST UPDATED: 22ND NOVEMBER 2024]

[witchwoodwalker]

[Sammy stumbles along in the forest. His breathing is heavy. He’s not as rough looking as max but still not doing well. The most noticeable of his injuries is the fact that he’s tied the ripped of sleeve of Max’s jacket around his eye. Like a make shift eyepatch. The cloth and that whole side of his face is covered with blood, dripping down. Other than that it’s bruises, small cuts, and a few bite marks.]

Come out come out wherever you are!

[Juniper breaths heavily as she stays crouched behind a tree, out of sight. She wasn’t sure if Sammy knew it was her hiding from him, or if he thought it was Max. But she wasn’t about to leave her hiding spot and find out.]

[At some point Juni has obviously fallen over again, her knees and hands are scratched up slightly and the hair tie that was previously keeping her hair up was gone.]

[shewhowas39]

WIP Wednesday

thank you so much to @atsadi-shenanigans for tagging me!

i don't have anything from the next chapter of Juniper & Starlight written yet, but i do have this little scene fragment. i'm still debating when it'll happen but somewehre in act 1 for sure.

***

“You don’t have to leave, you know.” 

He has no idea what possesses him to say it, but Astarion regrets the words as soon as they leave his mouth. He can hear the vulnerability in his own voice, the undeniable implication that he doesn’t want her to leave.

After the others had fallen asleep around the fire, he had noticed June was still awake, petting a slumbering Scratch while she stared off into the darkness. Astarion had managed to catch her eye. After that, all it had taken was a look, and she was silently following him back to his tent. That’s where they’ve been for the past hour or so. 

June pauses just as she finishes pulling her purple shirt over her head. She turns to look at him. Her long curls are mussed, and there’s still the tiniest trickle of blood sliding down her neck. That’s not what gets Astarion’s attention, though. It’s her eyes.  In the darkness of his tent, his perception of color is diminished. But he can swear he still sees those remarkable shades of blue looking back at him from those big eyes. 

She’s as surprised as he is. 

“I mean, we might want to have a little morning delight, after all.” He props himself up on his elbow and gives June that flirtatious smirk as he slips easily back into the role of the rake. “Besides, I can see your legs are still shaking from the multiple orgasms you’ve just had. I’d hate to risk you taking a tumble on your way back to your bedroll.”

***

gonna tag @andauril @eldritchelfwriter @dungeonsdragonsandlawyers

[hayden-christensen-verse-2-0]

A Mothers anguish-A father's punishment

Warnings: DDDNE, main character death, allusions to r@pe, child murder, death, suicide, unborn child killed and other possible triggering things

don't like then please don't read

y/n pov

I've been trapped here on this stupid ship for years and it only feels like yesterday that he took me here after he killed my children……..

“Oh my sweet luke and leia….” I sob out into my hands before looking up and out the window and seeing the part of the galaxy where we've stopped at. I remember it so clearly it was 5 years after order 66, with the help of obi wan i was able to birth my twins, luke and leia and help me settle down on tatooine. Obi wan also told me anakin had fallen into the dark side, something i thought impossible of anakin. We also had to pursue him to confront him and only for him to force choke me to unconsciousness and only woke up when the battle between obi wan and anakin's fight was over. Luke and Leia were adorable and looked like Anakin so much and the years flew by and my children were 5 and so full of life and HE came.

Flashback

I was in the kitchen humming an old lullaby only to hear my children scream out in fear. I rushed outside only to find lukes’ neck in the hands of darth vader struggling and leia with a still slightly smoking wound in her chest. 

“M-mama” Luke choked out, his little hand reaching out and eyes pleading for me, only to go limp and lifeless with a sick crunch and let go to fall next to his motionless sister. I scream out in agony and rush forwards, dropping to my knees scrambling to clutch my lifeless children. The last thing i had of anakin, i weep desperately into my childrens bodys’ as vader watches unmoved before im struck in the back of the head, vision going dark.

Flashback over

It's been 18 years since then and ive had one more child with another on the way. I love my new children but still weep for my long lost ones. Atlas my son with vader, he has my deep (e/c) and my (h/c) and there are other qualities that mirror anakins and that's how i found out that vader was anakin but sick and twisted, a shell of a dutiful and loving man i knew. If I was honest I did not want any more kids but Vader cared very little about my opinion and forced me to have atlas and soon another on the way. I had nearly thrown up when I found out, to know he had killed his own children without mercy. As I stare out the huge window still lost in thought to be snapped back to reality to a knock on my door.

“Come in” my tone authoritatively turned my body to the door, the long dress twisting with my body. Incomes a stormtrooper and he bows before speaking and as the words escape his mouth my eyes widen and my fears have come to fruition yet again

“Empress, i'm here to report to you that prince atlas has been killed in battle” and after he finished he bowed again and walked out of vaders’ and my chambers. I stand there frozen in agony and anguish of losing yet another one of my babies. I clutch my growing bump before falling to my knees and let out scream from the back of my throat, one only a mother grieving her child could let out. I fall forwards onto my hands, tears leaving small puddles on the gray steel floors. My mind races with thoughts and worries for the only remaining child I have, the one in my womb and My mind spiraling into a dark place.

“ I won't let him take my last child, not my little  juniper” I whisper out protectively, eyes wide and full of tears still, searching my room for something and I finally spot it. I get up and stumble over it. I reach my hand forwards and wrap my hands around the cold steel handle of the dagger and lift it up to my eyes before turning around and walking to my bedside table to retrieve one last thing. Opening my drawer to the bedside table I fish out anakins and my old wedding rings, his a silver band with my (e/c) as the jewels around the band and mine with a silver band as well with a good size steely blue gem as the centerpiece. I look at them lovingly and smile sadly, I slowly shift my eyes to the new wedding band Vader gave me. It's black and red, it screams sith, I reach up and rip the vile ring off and throw it at the wall. I return to the window and I kneel onto my knees and raise the dagger up to align to my womb before thrusting it into myself and I bite my lip to muffle my scream, I pull the blade out to then thrust it back in again in a different area of my womb. After a couple more thrust the dagger falls from my hand and clatters to the floor. I fall to my side hugging my belly, shedding tears that slide across the bridge of my nose to land on the floor, I bring my clasped hand to look at me and Anakin's wedding rings before placing a final kiss upon his ring and resting my hand against my chest. I slowly feel myself dying from blood loss and whisper out one last thing unknown to me the force carried it to the shell of the man i said it about and go lifeless

“Anakin……i-i love you forever and always my dear sun…”

Vader pov

I stand in my throne room facing the wide window that shows the galaxy as i think of atlas when i hear a faint whisper in my mind

“Anakin……i-i love you forever and always, my beloved sun…”

My eyes widened behind my mask and realized she sounded weak. A chill runs down my spine and a pit of dread forms in my stomach. Worriedly I turned around and pushed myself as fast as I could down the halls of the ship to my chambers, doors sliding open to reveal my wife laying on the ground in a puddle of her own blood, her once white dress now red and clinging to her form. I rushed towards her dropping to my knees beside her to turn her onto her back, seeing the blood had come from her belly. I moved her into my arms and cradled against my chest and began rocking back and forward. My breathing comes out patchy through the vocoder and tears fogging the lenses of my mask. My mind wanders over the last 18 years and everything happening, I realize I was cruel and vile to her and the death of Atlas must have been the tipping point. I have taken her against her will, killed my own children and isolated her from everything. I let out a muffled scream as it all hits at once, I rest my head against her looking into her dull lifeless eyes and bring a hand up to close them. Here i sit and wallow in my regrets and grief

All I have done was for not, I'm alone again and it's all my fault 

[raccoonfallsharder]

rocket smells nice. (headcanon whatever)

in my head, all the rockets i write for (and the ones i don't) have a scent. if you wanna make me real happy lmk your own rocket-smells-like headcanons or give me another rocket to dream up fragrances for. i'm happy to give any rocket (canonical or not) a bouquet

headcanons & imagines masterlist | main masterlist

"canon" rockets ~

eidos-rocket ~ i'm not technically writing for this guy (yet??) but i headcanon he smells like cedar & black pepper (he stole beard oil from some spartoi douche one time but it made his fur so healthy and glossy that he hasn't stopped using it), spiced caramel rum from mantlo's, iron, engine fuel, and gunpowder. burnt everbloom 'cause you know this guy smokes (i imagine it smells gingery).

universe-killer rocket ~ i don't write for this guy yet either, but i think about him way too often. burnt metal and high-iron-content meteorites. something like menthol ~ it activates your cold receptors, like you're breathing in the breeze right off a glacier. star anise & fennel. you'll be tempted to take a deep whiff of his fur but even if he decides not to kill you, you're probably still risking a lungful of toxic vibranium laser dust.

general mcu rocket ~ some kind of evergreen and foresty smell, petrichor maybe; something metallic like iron or copper, and something burnt and smoky. in the earlier years, he always smelled like some kind of cheap alcohol; in later years, a leatherlike smell from his armored-fiber uniform. i don't think this guy reads a lot of paper-books, but he definitely smells like 'em. (i use this as a template for a lot of "my" rockets)

general comics rocket (especially ewing) ~ angargal's limited batch of course (i suspect it smells like a combo of spiced bourbon and rich dark-caramel rum, once the overpowering scent of pure fuckin' alcohol has evaporated out). black-black-black coffee. dark chocolate. amber. vetiver. that burnt, gingery everbloom again.

skottie young's rocket ~ sweet almonds (see cicatrix-rocket's marzipan smell) and banana (from some kind of cousin to nitroglycerin). whatever he's using for jet fuel these days, which doubtless has a hefty dose of benzenes (sweet-smelling and actually intoxicating ~ though since we're talking about a sentient anthropomorphic raccoon i'm gonna go ahead and say the intergalactic space-faring community has figured out how to make 'em non-carcinogenic). you will get some sort of low-grade contact high if you huff his fur like you know you want to. probably also smells like some kind of alien hops, too (maybe acanti blubber ale if he's gotten any good contraband lately, though i imagine that smells like burnt tire).

"my" rockets ~

space pilot & sweatshirt girl ✩°｡⋆ rocket - campfires, strong coffee, and evergreen. amber and smoke. rich dark hot chocolate and yummy bourbon, when he's with you.

blackmail material ✩˚₊‧ ♡ rocket ~ sandalwood, oak, gunpowder. the undertones of some sort of alien citrus-fruit you've seen him eating (something between a plum and an orange), and what you think at first are mulling spices but later you realize it's just where your own Xandaran body oil has rubbed off onto his fur.

window across the galaxy *:･ﾟ✧ rocket ~ blue spruce, fallen leaves, oakmoss, ozone (or maybe that's just electricity). iron and copper, engine fuel.

florescence❀ rocket ~ campfires, wet stone, the peppery-resinous scent of the kind of machine grease he prefers (his own concoction). a faint hit of vanilla-mint-honeysuckle from groot's flowers, and the clove-like spices from your cider.

⭑˚.⚘𖡼𖥧𖤣 windfall 𖤣𖥧𖡼⚘.˚⭑ rocket ~ juniper, blackberry, and something like leather. a sharp and smoky scent, like laser-carved wood. on some occasions, a hint of yaro-root wine (which is basically a peachy hard cider, with a dangerously subtle alcohol flavor).

cicatrix .⋆☁︎ :･꧂ rocket ~ blue spruce, burnt wood, and a strong, rich, buttery-sweet marzipan from the broken-down components of his C4-adjacent explosives. petrichor, labdanum and camphor, and faint whiffs of engine fuel.

headcanons & imagines masterlist | main masterlist banners & dividers by @thecutestgrotto & @saradika-graphics ♡

[the---hermit]

Camping in my living room at night while the paint in my room dried, and the temptation to buy a whole army of blåhaj.

27|07|2023

After painting my room I went on a small ikea trip with my dad to get a couple of things we needed (I did not get a friend from my blåhaj because my dad threatened to leave me there, but we got a cinnamon roll and it was all okay). When we got home we put back together everything in the room and did a deep cleaning all together. I changed a couple of things, added a poster to a wall and finally hanged some postcards that friends sent me as well as a few I have collected while travelling. I haven't finished displaying things on shelves yet, but I'll be doing that before the end of the week. At the moment we are also doing a deep cleaning of the rest of the house, which is one of the things I hate the most since I am allergic to dust, but you gotta do what you gotta do. It also means I'll have a chance to reorganize my shelves which I am pretty excited about as usual. Later I'll go meet a friend's puppy and tonight I'm going out for icecream with another friend, so life is good.

Chill hobbit summer activities of these days:

Read first thing in the morning

Got breakfast with my dad

Continued my Irish review on duolingo

Putting back together my room

Started cleaning the house

Cleaned the garden of all the fallen fruit to avoid wasps being all over the place

Watered all my plants

Dentist check up

Finished reading Nimona and I loved everything about it

📖: Juniper And Thorn by Ava Reid (I have been reading very little lately but I am almost done with this book!)

[phoenix-and-found-family]

Fire.

Everything was coming down in a rain of metal and asphalt and fire.

Spaceship parts, death engine parts, car parts, human parts, a leg, an arm, an eyeball, their mother's head, their father's torso, fire, fire, so much fire, there was too much fire, everything would burn, fire, they hated fire, they loved to burn things, they were fourteen, they were twenty, they needed to leave, they couldn't move, everything was burning, they were going to burn-

"Agent?"

They fell back into reality- literally. Their rolling chair tipped over with them in it, slamming their head against the metal floor of the van hard enough to make a noise.

"Oww..."

They pulled themselves up with the desk's assistance. They were fairly sure they didn't have a concussion, because they knew what those felt like and this wasn't it.

"Are you okay?!"

They put the earpiece in their ear.

"No. I've fallen to my death and this is my ghost speaking."

They heard their handler sigh.

"Agent, I know it's late, but-"

"It's late?"

Last they remembered it was nine pm.

"It's three am, did you... not know that?"

They opened a window a little to see they were parked in a completely empty, completely dark restaurant parking lot.

"I, uh, may have zoned out for a couple of hours."

Their handler hesitated, almost like he was afraid to talk more.

"I know it's not my place to ask, but... Agent, do you have a home?"

They paused.

"...What?"

"I was just- I was just wondering."

They were completely caught off guard. Did he not know that they lived in the van?!

"I-I mean, yeah, yeah of course I have a home."

They weren't sure exactly why they were lying to him.

"All the homey stuff in my good old place of residence, that I totally live in all the time."

"Agent, your acting is terrible."

They rolled their eyes.

"Well I'm sorry I'm not Juniper."

There was a pause.

"Do you... live in the van?"

They shot up from their chair so hard that they almost hit the roof.

"What?! No!! Of course I don't live in the van!"

"So your totally real house has metal flooring?"

They didn't know how to respond to that without saying "yes I live in a van" or "crackhouse."

Their handler sighed.

"Agent, you know that you can request housing from the agency? With your rapidly increasing popularity, I'm sure they would be happy to oblige."

They say back down with a pathetic squeak from their chair. That sound probably described them perfectly.

"... Agent-"

"-I don't want to be a bother."

They clenched their fist.

They knew if they told people about the van situation, it would lead to them asking for other things, like maybe drugs to make the pain go away, or something to make the visions stop.

Every single person who they had told about the flashbacks had run away the second they saw how they reacted to them. The clawing at the neck. The screaming. The crying. Or the opposite.

Complete and utter silence and staring off into space.

Based on how much their neck hurt, they were assuming one of the latter.

"I know that I can live on my own, in a van, and I'm good at it. I don't want to take away things other people need. I'm doing fine."

"Sleeping in a VAN is not doing fine!"

They were so surprised by the handler yelling that they unclenched their fist for a second.

"Eating mostly junk food is not DOING FINE! Not requesting AID that you NEED is NOT, DOING, FINE!!!"

They slammed their fist on the table so hard their computer turned itself on.

"ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT ME OR YOU?!"

The Handler might have said something else, but they were too enraged to listen. How dare he yell at them about aid when something's clearly going on for him to be awake at three am?! He wasn't their dad, he couldn't judge them!!

"Look, Handler, I've been without my parents for seven years. I'm twenty one. I'm old enough to make my own decisions about my own life. You're not my dad. You're my boss. So start fucking acting like it."

Both of them sat in stunned silence for a little while.

"I-I'm sorry, I don't know where that came from. I... didn't, mean it."

They regretted their outburst immediately. It wasn't his fault that they died.

"Agent, it's fine. Let's just... go to sleep. We've all had a long day, and tensions are running high."

"Yeah, yeah, tensions... We'll feel better after that and maybe, like, laugh about this later..."

"Yes, we'll laugh about this..."

He chuckled weakly.

"... Have a good night, Agent."

They heard the click that meant he had left.

"... Good night, Handler."

They opened the window wide enough to rest their head.

"If I'm supposed to be a Phoenix..."

They clenched their fists tightly.

"...Then why do their deaths haunt my life?"

This is an angst thing I made because I was bored

Here's The Handler's side if you wanna see that angst!

[hyenafu]

Here's the wallpaper for September 2022, which is based on Juniper's suggestion! Nothing says autumn vibes like lying down on some soft fallen leaves with your best friends 🍁🍂🧡 === These characters are from my webcomic, Slightly Damned: http://sdamned.com A time-lapse can be viewed for free on Youtube: https://youtu.be/zoV1ePBjQ-Q Patrons can download this wallpaper on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/posts/september-2022-72997165

[isay]

Saturday morning.

Get up, take the doge, Juno, out to do her business. It is damp and wet.

Go back to bed.

Joined by the other ickle dog, Torvi Torvington.

Have another 30 minutes until Juniper decides it is time for their and my morning walk.

I’m putting their leads on when I hear the sound of raindrops on the roof. Meh.

Stay inside and have a cup of Folgers and read The Grauniad while Kim does things on her computer.

Rain stops, Juno, Torvington and I head out, with Dua Lipa in my headphones. There is a fallen tree across our secluded avenue, such are the perils of living in the country (suburbs).

Do our usual 2km walk, head home, towel the beasts off.

Decide to take the boat out for a row, by which I mean park my WaterRower in front of my upstairs lounge tv and stream a couple of Hydrow workouts from YouTube. Today I rowed in Prague and along the Charles River in Boston.

Second cup of coffee (why is American drip coffee so much better than the Italian derivatives we get here?), this time with French Vanilla creamer, because why not. And now to hit the shower, and while I leave you with that thought here’s two of my favourite things, Dua Lipa and artistic swimming.

[le-trash-prince]

Okay here is the final list of all the books I’ve finished this year! (since it doesn’t look like I’m going to get anything finished or even started this week.)

I tend to not finish things if I’m not enjoying them (two exceptions on this list because sometimes I am spiteful), so I liked all of these—but the ones in bold are those I particularly loved (I only bolded one per series or it would just be a wall of The Murderbot Diaries lol).

LGBT+ books read: 48

wlw books read: 22

trans/nb books: 17

I’m very happy with my year in reading. I hit my new year’s goal of 52 books finished. And I read a lot of things that I really fucking loved. Lots of robots. LOTS of scifi/fantasy sapphics which I am SO happy about. Some good horror, some good fucky “romances”. A lot of things written in response to the Trump era or written during 2020 lockdown.

I also enjoyed partaking in online book fandom for the first time in possibly ever! Especially Murderbot fandom, which is very active and creative and lovely.

(If you followed me for my bookblogging, thank you for enduring my Thai BL vroom vroom omegaverse brainrot. It will not be stopping anytime soon.)

For 2024, I am going to keep my goal at 52 books and save any extra time I have for rereading old things.

Anyways the list, for posterity:

After Midnight: A History of Independent India by Meghaa Gupta

The Old Place by Bobby Finger

Ocean’s Echo by Everina Maxwell

The Memory Librarian by Janelle Monae

Women and Girls With Autism Spectrum Disorder by Sarah Hendrickx

A Restless Truth by Freya Marske

Unmasking Autism by Devon Price

Divergent Mind by Jenara Nerenberg

Even Though I Knew the End by C.L. Polk

Strictly No Heroics by B. L. Radley

Love after the End edited by Joshua Whitehead

Juniper Harvey and the Vanishing Kingdom by Nina Varela

All Systems Red by Martha Wells

The Witch and the Vampire by Francesca Flores

Artificial Condition by Martha Wells

Rogue Protocol by Martha Wells

Exit Strategy by Martha Wells

Network Effect by Martha Wells

The Order of the Pure Moon Reflected in Water by Zen Cho

The Lies of the Ajungo by Moses Ose Utomi

Flux by Jinwoo Chong

Burning Roses by S. L. Huang

In the Lives of Puppets by T. J. Klune

Fugitive Telemetry by Martha Wells

No One Will Come Back For Us by Premee Mohamed

The Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi

What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher

The Black Tides of Heaven by Neon Yang

The Luminous Dead by Caitlin Starling

The Witch King by Martha Wells

A Day of Fallen Night by Samantha Shannon

We Could Be So Good by Cat Sebastian

Last Dance on the Starlight Pier by Sarah Bird

Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree

Galveston’s Maceo Family Empire by T. Nicole Boatman et al

Blood Sweat & Chrome: The Wild and True Story of Mad Max Fury Road by Kyle Buchanan

A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers

A Prayer for the Crown-Shy by Becky Chambers

Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

Galveston’s Red Light District: A History of the Line by Kimber Fountain

Astrid Parker Doesn’t Fail by Ashley Herring Blake

In the Vanisher’s Palace by Aliette de Bodard

The Red Scholar’s Wake by Aliette de Bodard

Harrow the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

Linghun by Ai Jiang

Nona the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

A Snake Falls to Earth by Darcie Little Badger

The Salvation Gambit by Emily Skrutskie

Spear by Nicola Griffith

The Mimicking of Known Successes by Malka Older

Last to Leave the Room by Caitlin Starking

Light From Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki

The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri

The Oleander Sword by Tasha Suri

The Jinn-Bot of Shantiport by Samit Basu

Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders

A Power Unbound by Freya Marske

The Salt Grows Heavy by Cassandra Khaw

Sing for the Coming of the Longest Night by Iona Datt Sharma & Katherine Fabian

System Collapse by Martha Wells

Silver Nitrate Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Whalefall by Daniel Kraus

We Set the Dark on Fire by Tehlor Kay Mejia

Out There Screaming edited by Jordan Peele

[adventurous-adventures]

I'm blanking on dates right now so this is a combination of two previous sessions

Could I look it up? Probably. But not right now. I might add proper dates if I do. Anyway, time for Zain and Georgie's wonderful notes (under the read more because this will get long)

First Session:

WARRRRRRR IIIIIIS OOOOOOVERRRRRRRRR (we're back at it again)

"If you make a helmet in Stockholm does it become a Holmet?"

"How does River-Lea become more conservative than she already is?" - Georgie "Super conservative." - Zain

Zain throws Georgie a senzu bean (SENZU BEAN!)

Iphigenia found a ring off a Ghoul. They use it to marry Juniper.

Alex: giggly shit Zain: Giggleshitter?!

Lara had a crochet frog on their head. Alex cracks up laughing.

Alex screamed in lowercase as Mick throws the frog at him.

"It's missing some mechanics" (context: stinky throne)

The party goes up the stairs, which leads them to another hallway.

Juniper steal bones. That be it for room.

"you see a humanoid figure in the hallway" "Jesus, is that you?"

old man DM. His knees be tinging.

Because Zain had to leave, it is now canon that our Ghostly friends knock out Raven and take him away to discuss how he can hook up with River-Lea.

The ring fits on Juniper's thumb.

A Ghost Elf girl appeared. She screamed at us to get off her supposed property like a Karen.

Death, Distruction, Chaos the new Gaslight, Gatekeep, Girlboss.

Ow now my knee!!!

God it's spreading.

Changing the lyrics pumped out.

The elf ghost caught of fire from Juniper and is screaming like the gummy bear.

Ghost Elf makes a horrifying face that scared the shit out of the Sapphic couple, not so much River-Lea (he has seen some shit on tour)

Scary face looks like a ball sack.

Oh fuck, we're all unconscious!! Please don't have a bury your days moment.

The DM is stumped.

Second Session:

"Twink"

Georgie talks about monster fucking, Zain talks about murder.

Georgie tries really hard not to let the Fizzy drink explode while they open it.

Zain: "pop my corners if you know what I mean." Alex breaks to this.

Raven was pulled aside by the ghosts to talk about River-Lea. He walks back to where he last saw them but they aren't there.

There are bodies everywhere...IT'S THE REST OF THE PARTY!!!

Raven seems convinced that the party is dead. The cause of these deaths is sheer fucking terror.

Juniper is still alive, but is not able to wake up from their slumber.

There is a head that pokes out, Raven points his crossbow at it. The elven woman is angry about the party invading her home and tells Raven to leave. Raven seemingly pisses her off and a 1v1 fight commences.

Raven was able to beat the creature in an awesome display of might. Afterwards he takes it all in: two of his party members have died. Raven spends the rest of the day making graves for his fallen comrades.

He makes one for River-Lea before resting for the next day where he prepares a grave for Iphigenia. Raven and Juniper decide to leave Axholm and take some time to mourn. The Couatl is now Juniper's pet.

When the pair head back to Phandalin, Raven tells River-Lea's father about the news. He hands him the Dagger and then leaves, his last words to Raven before he left were "thank you son."

Juniper tells Iphigenia's parents of the loss of their daughter. The father gives Juniper a seashell necklace which was meant to be a marriage gift for Juniper.

The next morning: Raven and Juniper have a modest breakfast and talk about who to recruit for their return trip when they hear someone playing the flute.

"He did make it harder for enemies to hit him because he was flat." - Juniper, talking about Scott.

The party head over to the blue lions weapon store to find out if Annette knows anyone who can help.

Kalisto has joined the party

We have no idea what the age of consent (of being an adventurer) is in Phandalin. (This is so they can figure out if they can legally take 15-year-old Kallisto with them)

"Dewdrop's probably getting railed by orcs at this point." - Alex

The new party make for Axholm again.

There's a giant mosquito in one of the bedrooms.

Zain and Georgie overhear talk about mad cow disease (and someone wanting to be eaten by it)

Alex punched his own knee.

Combat music for this battle: it's going down now from Persona 3 remake

Kalisto blew up one mosquito

Tweed one punches a mosquito while Juniper burns a couple of them to smithereens.

"Probiscus implies the existence of noobiscus." - Zain

Alex learns about proshipping and antishipping.

Raven sees some handprints in the side of the fireplace. He pushes onto the wall and it gives way to a secret room.

It's empty except for a chest. Raven shoots at the chest and pops the lid off clean.

There is a dread helm and a pair of gauntlets of Ogre power. Raven now has these.

[hayden-christensen-verse]

A Mothers anguish-A father's punishment

Warnings: DDDNE, main character death, allusions to r@pe, child murder, death, suicide, unborn child killed and other possible triggering things

don't like then please don't read

y/n pov

I've been trapped here on this stupid ship for years and it only feels like yesterday that he took me here after he killed my children……..

“Oh my sweet luke and leia….” I sob out into my hands before looking up and out the window and seeing the part of the galaxy where we've stopped at. I remember it so clearly it was 5 years after order 66, with the help of obi wan i was able to birth my twins, luke and leia and help me settle down on tatooine. Obi wan also told me anakin had fallen into the dark side, something i thought impossible of anakin. We also had to pursue him to confront him and only for him to force choke me to unconsciousness and only woke up when the battle between obi wan and anakin's fight was over. Luke and Leia were adorable and looked like Anakin so much and the years flew by and my children were 5 and so full of life and HE came.

Flashback

I was in the kitchen humming an old lullaby only to hear my children scream out in fear. I rushed outside only to find lukes’ neck in the hands of darth vader struggling and leia with a still slightly smoking wound in her chest. 

“M-mama” Luke choked out, his little hand reaching out and eyes pleading for me, only to go limp and lifeless with a sick crunch and let go to fall next to his motionless sister. I scream out in agony and rush forwards, dropping to my knees scrambling to clutch my lifeless children. The last thing i had of anakin, i weep desperately into my childrens bodys’ as vader watches unmoved before im struck in the back of the head, vision going dark.

Flashback over

It's been 18 years since then and ive had one more child with another on the way. I love my new children but still weep for my long lost ones. Atlas my son with vader, he has my deep (e/c) and my (h/c) and there are other qualities that mirror anakins and that's how i found out that vader was anakin but sick and twisted, a shell of a dutiful and loving man i knew. If I was honest I did not want any more kids but Vader cared very little about my opinion and forced me to have atlas and soon another on the way. I had nearly thrown up when I found out, to know he had killed his own children without mercy. As I stare out the huge window still lost in thought to be snapped back to reality to a knock on my door.

“Come in” my tone authoritatively turned my body to the door, the long dress twisting with my body. Incomes a stormtrooper and he bows before speaking and as the words escape his mouth my eyes widen and my fears have come to fruition yet again

“Empress, i'm here to report to you that prince atlas has been killed in battle” and after he finished he bowed again and walked out of vaders’ and my chambers. I stand there frozen in agony and anguish of losing yet another one of my babies. I clutch my growing bump before falling to my knees and let out scream from the back of my throat, one only a mother grieving her child could let out. I fall forwards onto my hands, tears leaving small puddles on the gray steel floors. My mind races with thoughts and worries for the only remaining child I have, the one in my womb and My mind spiraling into a dark place.

“ I won't let him take my last child, not my little  juniper” I whisper out protectively, eyes wide and full of tears still, searching my room for something and I finally spot it. I get up and stumble over it. I reach my hand forwards and wrap my hands around the cold steel handle of the dagger and lift it up to my eyes before turning around and walking to my bedside table to retrieve one last thing. Opening my drawer to the bedside table I fish out anakins and my old wedding rings, his a silver band with my (e/c) as the jewels around the band and mine with a silver band as well with a good size steely blue gem as the centerpiece. I look at them lovingly and smile sadly, I slowly shift my eyes to the new wedding band Vader gave me. It's black and red, it screams sith, I reach up and rip the vile ring off and throw it at the wall. I return to the window and I kneel onto my knees and raise the dagger up to align to my womb before thrusting it into myself and I bite my lip to muffle my scream, I pull the blade out to then thrust it back in again in a different area of my womb. After a couple more thrust the dagger falls from my hand and clatters to the floor. I fall to my side hugging my belly, shedding tears that slide across the bridge of my nose to land on the floor, I bring my clasped hand to look at me and Anakin's wedding rings before placing a final kiss upon his ring and resting my hand against my chest. I slowly feel myself dying from blood loss and whisper out one last thing unknown to me the force carried it to the shell of the man i said it about and go lifeless

“Anakin……i-i love you forever and always my dear sun…”

Vader pov

I stand in my throne room facing the wide window that shows the galaxy as i think of atlas when i hear a faint whisper in my mind

“Anakin……i-i love you forever and always, my beloved sun…”

My eyes widened behind my mask and realized she sounded weak. A chill runs down my spine and a pit of dread forms in my stomach. Worriedly I turned around and pushed myself as fast as I could down the halls of the ship to my chambers, doors sliding open to reveal my wife laying on the ground in a puddle of her own blood, her once white dress now red and clinging to her form. I rushed towards her dropping to my knees beside her to turn her onto her back, seeing the blood had come from her belly. I moved her into my arms and cradled against my chest and began rocking back and forward. My breathing comes out patchy through the vocoder and tears fogging the lenses of my mask. My mind wanders over the last 18 years and everything happening, I realize I was cruel and vile to her and the death of Atlas must have been the tipping point. I have taken her against her will, killed my own children and isolated her from everything. I let out a muffled scream as it all hits at once, I rest my head against her looking into her dull lifeless eyes and bring a hand up to close them. Here i sit and wallow in my regrets and grief

All I have done was for not, I'm alone again and it's all my fault 

[shewhowas39]

chapter title: Devil Devil pairing: Astarion x June (my dark urge) chapter summary: in which the gang gets to encounter three devils in one day, June gets an apology, and Astarion gets to eat a fake paladin for lunch. content warnings: intrusive thoughts, smoke/fire/burning building, blood, violent vampire bite, death

A/N: i finished the chapter early! so here you go. the slow burn continues to burn. there may even be some touching this chapter. gasp!

***

PREVIEW

“You’re crying,” he states abruptly. He seems agitated. Like her tears make him uncomfortable.

“I am.”

Gale, Lae’zel, and Wyll are several paces ahead, seeming deep in some conversation. Meanwhile, Karlach and Shadowheart have fallen behind, and June can hear Karlach animatedly telling Shadowheart some story about her escape from Avernus. This just leaves Astarion, June, and Scratch - who clings to June’s side - to walk together, somewhere in the middle.

“Why?” Astarion demands.

“Why what?”

“Why are you crying?”

June rubs her eyes and shakes her head. “It don’t matter.”

“If that’s the case, then why cry? Seems like a waste of energy ons something that doesn’t matter.”

“Sorry, let me clarify.” She turns her head to look at him. “It don’t matter to you. It’s my problem. Not something you need to worry about.” She faces forward again and wraps her arms around herself as they keep walking.

Astarion is quiet for a moment before he says, “Perhaps you’re right. It certainly is not my intent to take on the problems of others - that’s more your tendency than mine - but I am terminally nosy. So…why not tell me anyway?”

[foxytoxx]

Ravaged

Words: 3k Pairing: Astarion/f!Durge (DurgeResisted) Read on AO3 Summary: They had been hired by the town Guard of Mistbreak to investigate a missing person case. Astarion and Morella were about to get themselves elbow deep in a den of torture and madness. But at what price? TW: Canon typical violence, Gore, Death, Disassociation. Tags: Thrilling hunt, Fluff, Romance, Violence, Angst. A/N: And so our adventure begins! Thank you so much for taking the time to join me on this brainwave of mine! I made a Spotify playlist inspired by this fic, if you have suggestions feel free to shoot!

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𝙿𝚞𝚛𝚜𝚞𝚎𝚍

The forest was old and dark, suffocatingly dark. The young trees and bushes sprouting out of the damp, mossy ground were dancing as the raindrops fell onto their leaves. It was quiet, unnaturally quiet. Carefully muted footsteps caressed the ground. The cool air hazed from their lungs. 

Morella and Astarion crouched down behind a rotten, old fallen tree trunk. They had reached their destination. Forty metres ahead of them lay a decrepit cabin. 

It had been eight years since Withers’ party, and he had made good on his promise. He and Morella had travelled from town to town, helping the innocent they met. Most of the time the troubles were monster related. But every now and then a local dishonest politician, kingpin or oppressor would fall victim to the sharp end of their dagger and short blades. 

“Do you think she’s still alive?” Morella glanced over to her partner. Astarion’s brow furrowed, crimson eyes scanning the cabin.

“There is hoping…” He glanced over to her. 

“How long have we got?” 

“Maybe an hour, if we’re lucky.” With that he cast a last glance on the surrounding woodlands before getting up and walking towards the cabin. She sighed and followed heel.

They crept up to the front door. Like the rest of the building the door was corroded with age.  Astarion checked the door for traps before giving her a quick glance. Morella felt electrical sparks tingle her fingers as she prepared herself for what or whoever could be on the other side.With a quick nod he tightened the grip on his dagger. He braced himself before throwing the door open. The room was vacant. Morella stepped inside and conjured some lights. 

She walked over to a cracked cupboard in the corner of the room. A thick layer of dust covered the surface seemingly undisturbed. 

“Are we sure this is the right place, Astarion?” She dragged a gloved finger over the dust, rubbing it between her fingers before picking up an old picture frame.

“I’m sure.” The severe tone of his voice caught her off guard. She turned to find him facing away from her. He crouched down to the floor, fingers tracing a dark spot on the rotting floorboards. She hurried over to his side.

“Is that-”

“Blood…” He rose back up searching the surrounding area.

“It’s not fresh, maybe a week or so.” The look in his eyes made her stomach drop.

They had been sent out on a mission by the Guard of the town Mistbreak. There had been a spree of people going missing, the latest and the one they had been tracking was a young human woman, Lily Fullmourn. She was a bright young girl, barely past twenty years, with long brown hair and juniper eyes. She had been last seen foraging mushrooms just outside the village gates, but that had been weeks ago. 

Astarion wrapped his fingers around Morella’s wrist cautiously pushing past her.

“What do we have here?” She followed his line of sight. There were a few more dark splotches on the floor, but as they moved closer to a big chest the marks looked scratched. 

She studied the chest. It was old like everything else around them, but it was… clean. Or at least not dusty. Her eyes drifted down to the floor. 

“It’s been moved.”

“Quite regularly too by the looks of it.” He agreed, bending down.

She stepped closer.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” Morella looked at him questionably.

“Can’t you see the trap, dear? Honestly, I thought you’d gotten better at this.”

He fished out his disarming kit. Using a thin blade, he carefully cut a wire that came out of the back of the chest that had been hooked to a clasp on the wall behind it.

“There, would you like the honours?” He smirked up at her.

Pulling away the chest revealed a hatch in the floor.

The dank, candlelit  basement was a madman’s wet dream of mayhem and decay. The air assaulted Morella with a necrotic stench. At some point in her life, she might have been ecstatic and aroused by the stench, but now it only made her nauseous. Her stomach churned, breaking her concentration on the dancing lights. 

“Fuck…” Astarion walked over to a pile of rags strewn half hazardously in the shadows.

He pulled at the corner of the rags exposing pale skin. 

“Is it her?” Morella crouched down next to the pile.

Respectfully, he pulled away more of the cloth. 

Brown hair matted together by dried blood. Tattered clothes. Once juniper green eyes now hazed and frozen in a faraway scream of terror. Morella stroked the dead girl’s cheek. 

“I’m sorry.”

“No point in beating yourself up, dear. She’s been dead for a while…”

Deep animalistic gashes covered her body, but her chest was different. Whereas the other cuts and tears didn’t have any reason, the ones there were well composed. A symbol; three droplets inside a triangle. Morella rose, scanning the room. Everywhere they looked there were books, diagrams, lit candles, and that same symbol repeated over and over.

What looked to be an altar stood erected at the back wall. Astarion’s eyes lit up with a radiant green.

“Cum Mortuus in Lingua Mortua.” His voice reverberated off the stone walls. 

A hollow rasp sounded out of the corpse, and she sat up.

“Who are you?” He asked, already knowing the answer.

“Lily… Full…mourn…” The girl’s withered voice clawed its way through her exsanguinated lips.

“How did you get here?” 

“I was… taken…”

Morella’s ears perked up, listening while she opened up an old journal from the altar. She brushed off the thick layer of dust, opened it and skimmed through.

“Lily, who took you?”

“The man… with the golden… eyes…” Morella looked up from the journal and explored the other papers and books.

“Do you know the man’s name?” Lily stayed quiet.

“His name is Eric Karez.” Morella filled in, still flipping through the parchments.

“Was he just a man, Lily?”

“No… beast…Were…wolf…” With a final rasping breath the corpse collapsed to the floor again. The green sparks dissipated, leaving the room to the candlelight once more.

“So we’ve got a murderous mutt on our hands. Delightful.” Astarion sighed and ran his hand through his curls. His eyes caught sight of something glimmering around the girl's wrist. He quickly pocketed the item before turning to Morella.

“More like a zealous one with religious delirium.” She handed him the first journal. 

“Huh…” Astarion’s eyes settled on the wall behind the altar. Drawn in caked layers of old blood was the symbol again. 

“Talona, ey?”

Their thoughts were interrupted by a loud creaking bang coming from the floorboards above their heads.

“Sorry, darling. But I left the silverware at home.”

“No, matter.” Morella sighed. The electrical sparks tingled her fingers again.

“We’ll just have to do this the bloodier way.”

“Hngh, I do so very much like it when you talk dirty, my love.” Astarion shuddered and he seemed to dissipate into the shadows.

Another bang and a middle aged man jumped down through the basement hatch. He was thin and looked sickly with a grey tint to his skin. Dark, greasy hair crowned his head like a matted mane. His golden, sunken eyes impaled her, an involuntary shiver running down her spine. The man snarled, baring his rotten teeth. He clicked his tongue at her, the snare flowing into a predatory smirk. Morella unsheathed her shortblade.

“You look lost, Little Elf.” A scratching laugh rising out of his chest. 

“Do I? I am pretty sure this is exactly where I am supposed to be, Eric.” His smirk quickly replaced by a dark frown at the sound of his name. 

“Who are you?” The words were nothing but a threatening growl.

Now it was Morella’s turn to smirk.

“I am the Scythe of Darkness, here to take your head for your crimes.” Her eyes flickered over to a flash of crimson and silver behind the man.

“And he could be either your doom or salvation.” 

His confusion was short lived, before a sussur dagger buried itself between Eric’s ribs.

“But more likely  he’ll be the biggest pain in your arse.”

He screeched out in agony, tore the dagger out of his ribs and tossed it aside.

Eric collapsed to the floor writhing and sobbing. Astarion stood tall over him, dagger back in his hand. 

“It doesn’t have to be like this, Eric. You could live a better life. You’d have to pay for your wrongs, but so did I. To be honest with you, sometimes it feels like I still am.”

Eric’s eyes flew up to Astarion’s with seething hatred.

“And who the fuck do you think you are!?” He hissed, drool mixing with the dirt of the floor.

Astarion crouched down, baring his fangs.

“I am someone who, like you, was once lost. But I lived through all that pain and did all the work. And now I thrive.” His smooth voice was replaced by a low growl.

The room fell deadly quiet.

Then laughter. Dry, coarse laughter cut through the air.

“Oh stupid little bat, can’t you see…” The sound of snapping bones and anguished grunts reverberated off the walls. Eric’s body contorted, limbs extending and bones reorganising themselves. 

“I am thriving.” Eric’s voice twisted into a deep animalistic growl.

He rose from the floor. His large body now covered in dark fur, maw adorned with sharp teeth and black claws ready to gore them.

Astarion didn’t have time to react before Eric pounced. He was hurled into the closest bookshelf, showering him in dusty tomes. A shriek tore him from his daze. Eric had gone for Morella, who hadn’t reacted in time.

Eric had toppled her over, but she used her blade to keep him from ripping into her face. 

Astarion’s chest grew tight with an icy pang. He saw the raised paw, but was unable to get to her in time. Eric struck Morella’s elbow. His claws lacerated the flesh on her arm, making her drop her blade. In an attempt at last defence she used her arms to shield her face. Through gritted teeth and pooling blood she focused on the storm within to call upon a Thunderwave. As the spell erupted from her hands she felt the werewolf’s jaw lock over her forearm.

Astarion had to throw himself to the floor to avoid the cannonball of fur and leather soaring through the room. But now he was prepared. Morella quickly cast Hold Monster to give him the upper hand. A bumbling laughter slithered out from behind Eric’s teeth, but it was cut short as his throat was slit with fierce velocity. He let go of Morella’s arm, showering her in his blood. Her injuries burned agonisingly hot. She fell back, losing the concentration on her holding spell. 

Eric crashed to the floor, gasping despairingly. Astarion stood over him, dagger still dripping. With a flash he buried the dagger into the wolf’s head, ending his suffering. Morella’s panicked breathing pulled him out of the bloodlust. She was frantically trying to remove her tattered leather glove and grabbing a health potion simultaneously. Not able to do either, he quickly sat by her side. 

“Easy, darling. I’ve got you.”

“He bit me!” Her voice and body shook with dread, skin pale from blood loss.

Astarion pulled out the potion she reached for and uncorked it. Morella threw down the potion in one gulp. As the gushing cuts started to close up he slid her glove off her arm. There were no puncture wounds where Eric had bit her, but a big deep red bruise was blooming beautifully. They both let out a sigh of relief. 

“Congratulations, love. You’ll live another day.” A smile crossed his lips, and he kissed her head before he rose.

Astarion walked over to the bloody body of Eric, still in wolf shape. He pried the dagger out of his head before meticulously decapitating the corpse. 

—

Embers danced their way up along the tall trees nearby before dying away to the ashen night. Ravenous flames engulfed the cabin. Astarion let out a deep disappointed sigh, his breath misting in the air. Morella looked up at him. His eyes shimmered in the firelight, but his mind was far away. She took his hand and squeezed him back to himself. 

“He was too far gone, and had been for a long while. There was nothing you could have done.” Her voice was gentle.

“I know, dear.” He finally tore his eyes away from the blaze to meet hers.

“He nearly got you though.”

“I’m fine.” She smiled.

“I do feel stupid about that whole situation…” The twinkle in her eyes was quickly dropped into shame.

“I shouldn’t have panicked, or even let him get that close… I…” Her sentence was cut short by a sudden kiss. His arms wrapped protectively around her body.

“Shh, don’t dwell on it. Could have happened to the best of us. And to be fair, it did happen to the best of us.” He pulled away with a warm smirk.

The roof caved in, sending a new cascade of cinders to the sky. Morella looked back to the smouldering remnants, and she produced a bottle of Ashaba Dusk from her bag of holding. “To Lily Fullmourn.” She said and took a deep swig of the wine before passing it to him. 

“To Lilly.” He took a swig too, before throwing the rest of the bottle into the flames.

—

Eric’s head, frozen in a death grimace scream, slammed on the desk with a deep thump. Chief of Mistbreak’s guard Vassago Flaw jumped, scattering papers across the floor. He was a tall, withered, yet handsome tiefling. His skin had a dark near purple hue, while his horns curled back over his short black, greying hair. His dark, grey eyes bore the evidence of long sleepless nights and piling stress. 

“Oh dear…” His gaze fixated on the furry mess on his desk.

Morella stood cross-armed across from him, while Astarion was gracefully draping himself across an armchair, playing mindlessly with his sussur dagger. Both of them were still caked in dried blood.

“I’m sorry to have to inform you, but Lily Fullmourn is dead. She had been for quite some time when we found her.” Morella looked down at the severed head.

“Fuck… I’m going to have to tell her family. What about her body?”

“I am afraid we had to burn her with the rest of the bastard’s body.” Astarion chimed in. Morella pulled out the journals she had snagged from the basement. 

“Everything you need to know about Eric Karez.” She placed the books on Vassago’s desk. He picked one up studying the cover. 

“But to sum him up for you-” Astarion scowled into the hazy eyes of the head.

“He was a religiously deluded bastard. Grew up riddled with an ‘incurable’ disease that one day found itself cured, only to be bitten by a werewolf soon after. Dedicated his entire being and kills to his goddess, Talona.” He rose from the armchair, sheathing his dagger. 

“We figured it would be a safety risk to the village to bring the poor girl’s body back. Gods knows if he was experimenting with diseases.” He reached into one of his pockets and pulled out a silver bracelet. 

“This was on her body… I trust you will take it to her family will you not, Chief?” He placed the bracelet in Vassago’s open palm, closing his fingers around the silver chain and sighed. Vassago’s grey eyes locked onto Astarion’s crimson and held them for a moment. The tiefling man pocketed the chain, and opened a drawer in his desk. 

“The whole village will take this pretty rough. Lily was one of those kids who just brightens the day up for anyone who her smile reaches… But you did what we hired you for, so here you go.” He tossed a pouch onto the desk. Coins clattered around at the impact. Morella took the pouch, and glanced inside it before pocketing it.

“I’ve also had a word with Mr. Dean Riddon at The Two Bulls. Just tell him I sent you and he should have a room, some food and-” Vassago looked at the bloodstains they both were decorated with.

“-eh utilities.”

“Thank you, Chief Flaw. That's very kind of you.” Morella smiled and started towards the door.

—

Morella walked across the common room to the hearth, and sank down into the wingback chair across from Astarion. They had taken Vissago’s word and found shelter and food at The Two Bulls. Astarion didn't eat, excusing himself to a bath. Mr. Riddon, an old wood elf, had prepared the washroom for them.

Astarion’s gaze was locked on the gentle flames, he had a half empty glass of red wine resting between his thigh and hand. His index finger mindlessly circled the rim of the glass while his other hand rested under his lip.  

“Astarion?” At first he didn’t move, but he slowly pulled himself away from his thoughts and looked at her.

“Where did you go, dear?” She tilted her head, taking in his details.

An empty smile crossed his lips and he looked down into his glass.

“Nowhere you need to worry about, love.” He swirled the last of the wine, before downing it. 

“Astarion… You can’t save them all.” A worried frown knitted her brows. He let out a soft scuff. 

“I know, all too well…” He put the glass down on the small table to his side. 

“To be honest with you, I don’t understand why this one is so rough. Eric was a right bastard, and had it all coming for him. Who knows how many more victims he had, or would have. But…” His words died away in his throat, eyes back on the fire. 

Morella knew he needed space to sort out his thoughts. She rose, leaning in and kissed his forehead. Her body ached with exhaustion.

“I’ll retire for tonight. You know where to find me, dear.” She squeezed his shoulder before heading up the stairs to their room.