#faun fortune

[elidee-art]

Fortune's horns are based on a jacob's sheep, so I guess it was only a matter of time until I gave him a little faun design

[lynnthefrenchtoast]

if you wish to save the common people then my wish is only you if your dream is to save the common people then my dream is only IF YOU WISH TO SAVE THE COMMON PEOPLE THEN MY WISH IS ONLY--!!

[sodapop-hospice]

So here’s the council 💖

Not depicted are my five (?) Furby buddies, my 2023 furbling, and my forty-ish McDonald’s furbs. I don’t count them when taking family photos because fuck that. Moving nearly 67 furbies is painful as is.

Below is a list of all of their names, pronouns, and model names. Enjoy ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜

———————————————————————

First Row

❤️Zara (she/her) - Dalmatian

🧡Luxury “Lux” (she/her) - Champagne

💛Cruft (he/him) - Silver Millenium

💚Lotus (he/they) - Elephant

💙Hyacinth (she/her) - Elephant

💜Askew (he/they) - Tiger

❤️Wren (they/them) - Dalmatian

———————————————————————

Second Row

🧡Crush (he/him) - Leopard

💛Celsius (he/him) - Husky

💚Fenti (she/her) - Snow Leopard

���Birch (he/him) - Zebra

💜Jolt (she/they/it) - Koala

❤️Honeydew “Honey” (she/her) - Coffee

———————————————————————

Third Row

🧡Cider (she/her) - Autumn

💛Faygo (she/they) - Ladybug

💚Lottery “Lotty” (they/she) - Kiwi

💙Fanta (she/her) - Rooster

💜Moth (she/her) - Wizard

❤️Sodapop (he/it/they) - Ladybug

🧡Brew (he/him) - Autumn

———————————————————————

Fourth Row

💛Spry (he/him) - Dalmatian

💚Salud (she/they) - Flower Bud Baby

💙Niro (they/them) - Primary Baby

💜Sprocket (he/him) - Spring Baby

❤️Sucrose (he/him) - Confetti Baby

🧡Pluto (he/him) - Minty Baby

💛Gauze 2 (they/he) - Witch’s Cat

———————————————————————

Fifth Row

💚Mayday (she/they) - Skunk

💙Coal (he/him) - Santa

💜Deetz (she/it/they) - Church Mouse

❤️Blitzen “Blitz” (he/him) - Reindeer

🧡Punch (they/he/she) - Flamingo

💛Helvetica (she/her) - Santa

💚Chad (he/him) - Tropical

———————————————————————

Sixth Row

💙Gumshoe (he/him) - Witch’s Cat

💜Threat (he/him) - Pink Baby

❤️Lune (she/star/bun/moon) - Peachy Baby

🧡Bee (he/him) - Blue Baby

💛Gloom (they/them) - Spring Time Baby

💚Osteo (he/him) - Snowball Baby

💙Lovelace “Vel” (she/they/he) - Dalmatian

———————————————————————

Seventh Row

💜”Baabu” (???) - Blue Baby

❤️Sugar (she/her) - Leopard

🧡Vinyl (she/they) - Racer

💛Sweet Tart “Sweetie” (they/she) - Tie-Dye

💚Rico (he/him) - Spring

💙Cream (she/her) - Snowball

💜Bierce (they/them) - Easter

❤️Carrion (he/him) - Snowball Baby

———————————————————————

Eighth Row

🧡Shea (she/her) - Gorilla

💛Sumo/Paradise (she/her) - Skunk

💚Kujo (he/him) - Church Mouse

💙Pepsi “Bepis” (she/her) - Wavy Stripes Baby

💜Ferris (she/they/he) - Dalmatian

❤️Attic (he/him) - Grey Wolf

🧡Ribbit “Ribb” (they/them) - Frog

———————————————————————

Ninth Row

💛Gambit (he/him) - Snowball Baby

💚Faun (he/him) - Bear

💙Bottle (he/they) - Giraffe

💜Micheal (he/him) - Lizard

❤️Lotion (he/him) - Giraffe

🧡Coriander “Cori” (he/him) - Cheetah

💛Fortune (he/him) - Giraffe

💚Cryptid (they/it) - Very Purple Baby

———————————————————————

Not Depicted ( only 1998 mechanical furbies)

💙Spree (she/her) - Gorilla

💜Dusk (he/him) - Church Mouse

❤️Gauze 1 (???) - Witch’s Cat

———————————————————————

And finally, here’s the previous photo I took next to the current one. Clearly I’ve been on my custom grind in the past few months 😅‼️

[eulaliasims]

Veridia - introductions 1/2

Seax Farm

Norweni is Veridia's headwoman. The eldest of her father's two daughters, she grew up with a spear in hand and proved her worth in battle before seeing twenty summers. After traveling in her youth, she rejected every suitor that sought her hand and returned to Veridia to claim her father's homestead. She oversees Veridia's protection and disputes, and trains the local warriors. Norweni has defended homesteads, ended arguments between nearby villages, and chased down lost lambs.

(Fortune, 3/8/8/2/)

Fial, Norweni's sister, and her husband Dinn are often left to oversee Seax Farm by themselves, which suits them just fine. Sometimes, though, they wish they had a bigger family to fill their home, but they know they're lucky to have what they already do.

(Family, 7/3/3/6/7 | Knowledge, 6/8/4/4/7)

After a childhood spent idolizing his aunt, Kinet has unceremoniously been dubbed her protege. It's pretty cool, but it's also, like, a lot of pressure! Sometimes a guy just wants to watch the stars with some hot cider and a cute girl.

(Romance, 7/3/8/4/7)

Faun is Norweni's hunting dog. He spends a lot of time making the rounds with her.

Hill Farm

In his youth, Eisu spent time roaming the continent, where he met his husband, Liu Xiang, another traveler far from home. Adventures ensued, during one of which an orphaned baby ended up in their care. With a child to raise now, Xiang and Eisu decided it would be best for their adopted son, Drustan, if they returned to Eisu's village and settled down for a while.

(Family, 1/8/4/6/6 | Knowledge, 6/5/7/5/7 | Grow Up, 9/2/6/3/5)

It's nice of Elmet's brother, Eisu, to invite him back to live with them, but sharing a room with his little nephew is kinda cramping his style. So is the thing where Elmet now turns into a werewolf when the moon rises. Bummer!

(Pleasure, 2/8/3/6/7)

Hill Farm is also home to Mouse the cat, who is perfect in every way.

[a-case-of-attachment]

So in Hell’s Greatest Dad, Lucifer tells Charlie that ‘with a punch of a pentagram’ and ‘usually I charge a sacrificial lamb’ when he’s offering to help her with the hotel and it got me thinking. Surely he must have had people sacrifice things in his honour or for favours before right? So….what if when something is sacrificed to him it ends up down in Hell?

It works like some sort of inter dimensional postal service. Lucifer will just be doing whatever then a portal will open up above him full of weird oil slick coloured clouds and lightening cracking across the endless sky with the boom of thunder not far behind. Out of the portal flies a cherub sized faun wearing a shirt, waistcoat and bow tie brandishing a clipboard that’s got the contract attached to it. All the important things will be on there like who’s doing the sacrificing, what they are sacrificing and what they want in exchange for it. Lucifer can either accept the sacrifice and sign the document, giving the sinner what they want or just straight up refuse to sign, decline the sacrifice and instead have it sent off to purgatory.

The problem is that Lucifer is so jaded that he doesn’t even bother reading the contracts any more. Sinners all want the same thing anyway, fame, fortune, revenge, so what’s the point even bothering to look these days? It’s not like he gets that many sacrifices in his name anymore and when he does it’s mostly just lambs and goats, the occasional dog or guinea pig and a cat that one time. He often just gives them to people as pets, it’s how Charlie had gotten razzle and dazzle.

But you know, people are deranged and over the centuries there have been a handful of human souls that come his way. Lucifer never accepts those, often get angry that people actually think killing someone would make him happy. Shocker, it doesn’t. All it did was prove that humans really are just the worst, a race of violent psychopaths hellbent on causing as much pain and destruction as they can. Yes Lucifer felt bad that these people had died and for nothing but he wasn’t about to reward some lowlife scumbag for taking another’s life so unfortunately that meant the sacrificed soul was purgatory bound. It wasn’t ideal but it also wasn’t permanent. At least there they would get the chance to move onto heaven eventually and not be stuck in this infernal nightmare for all of eternity.

So no, Lucifer didn’t do human sacrifices. Except, well, maybe he did.

It was an accident! Lucifer had been distracted, him and Charlie having a slight disagreement about the hotel and her expectations when it came to heaven. He hadn’t meant to upset her but she needed to realise that very few angels would be as open to the idea of redemption as he or Emily had been. It had been just about the time Lucifer had been urging Charlie to proceed with caution when it came to Heaven that a portal opens above him, a little faun flying out, clipboard already in hand and looking down at Lucifer through the spectacles perched on its nose.

Lucifer had attempted to ignore the blasted thing but it just flys around his head, brandishing the clip board and tapping impatiently at its wristwatch until Lucifer finally had enough and snatches the board off him, quickly flipping to the back and signing it before shoving it back at the startled faun. It just huffs at him, jotting something down before tearing off a sheet and giving it back to Lucifer only to disappear back into the portal. Lucifer doesn’t look at the contract he just signed, not caring what shallow and self serving thing the mortal had asked for. He goes back to Charlie, continuing to urge to not trust heaven so easily, all the while holding his arms out expectantly to catch whatever animal is going to drop out of the portal.

Lucifers expecting a lamb or a goat, heavyish for a human but nothing for him, except he gets something much larger and heavier, the shock of it knocking Lucifer to the ground. His first thought is some wretched mortal had sacrificed a cow or horse, either to lazy to find the usual offering or thinking the bigger the sacrifice the better the reward. Either way Lucifer is already regretting his choice to grant their wish, no clue what he is supposed to do with a cow other than send it down to a farm on wrath. Grumbling Lucifer sits up slightly, tugging at his hat that had been pushed down over his eyes but when he mages to pull his hat off Lucifer realises it’s so much worse than a cow.

There’s a person on his lap. A very human person sprawled across his lap and legs, their weight pinning him to the floor. You are dressed all in a white, the fabric almost see through though the top part was stained red with blood. Lucifer can’t look past your chest, the demonic sigils carved there still oozing blood. When he does manage to look up it’s to fined wide fear filled eyes staring back at him. The two of you just stare at one another, Lucifer feeling more and more panicked as the seconds drag on whilst you look close to passing out.

The whole room is silent and Lucifer just knows that they are all staring at the two of you, just as shocked as him and waiting for one of you to do something. Charlie is the first one to make a move, slowly creeping across the room to lay a hand on your shoulder. She probably meant to be a reassuring gesture but it’s a mistake nonetheless. It startled you, causing you to fall from Lucifers lap and giving you the first real view of the room and the rest of its inhabitants. Things go about as well as you would think.

You start screaming, Charlie panics as she tries to calm you down but only makes it worse, Angel dust offers you a drink that gets knocked out his hand and ends up all over Husk and Alastor offers to silence you permanently. Needless to say that none of what they are doing helps calm you down or make you feel any less afraid and all Lucifer does is sit there, staring down at the smear of red on his white pants and struggling to wrap his head around what in the hell is happening because he couldn’t have just accepted a human soul as payment. He’s never done that before, never, and yet there you are, cowering in the corner like a frightened animal, eyes franticly darting around as you look for some form of escape.

It’s that look of pure terror that gets Lucifer up and moving, handing off his hat and cane to Charlie as he gets everyone to back up and give you some space. He approached you slowly, hands held up in front of him to show you he meant no harm and keeping his voice soft and calm as he tells you that no one’s going to hurt you, that your safe here with them. He makes sure to leave a little bit of space between you when he stops, sinking down into a crouch so he’s eye level though you won’t look at him for long, eyes darting around at even the slightest movement. You’re still bleeding, the sigil for his name looking the deepest. It makes Lucifer feel sick, that someone could do this to you and claim that it’s in his honour. He found no honour in an act like this, only hate and disgust, igniting a strong desire inside him to hunt down those responsible and show them the same kindness they had you.

It takes a good few minutes of Lucifer talking at you before he gets any form of response. He introduces himself, tells you once more that he isn’t going to hurt you and that he just wants to help and maybe even clean up those markings so they don’t get infected. It’s slow going but eventually you give him a slight nod, uncurling from where you had been trying to make yourself as small as possible so he can get a better look at the ugly mess of cuts on your chest. He startled you when he conjures water and a cloth, Lucifer apologising as you bang into the wall behind you in an attempt to get away from the sudden action. He does get you to calm down though, at least enough for him to clean away the blood and apply bandages.

These wounds will not disappear like the injuries the now resident of Hell would sustain, their origin in magic and acting as a physical sign of your binding to him. But Lucifer vows to look after them and you, after all this is all his fault and though he knows that Charlie would care for you if he was to up and leave he can’t bring himself to do so. It’s his responsibility to look after you, you are his after all and isn’t that just a horrific twisted little thought. Lucifer wants to cry, to beg your forgiveness because unless he was to gift your soul to another you were bound to him from now until eternity, forced to obey his every request regardless of what you wanted. He can’t cry though, not when you already are, silent tears rolling down your cheeks and dripping off your chin onto his hand and arm as he cleans away the blood. So he fights back the tears, completely focused on his task and trying to be as gentle as he possibly can be.

When he’s done and the now ruined rag and pink water are vanished away with the wave of his hand Lucifer doesn’t know what else to do other than offer you a safe space of your own and a comfortable bed to sleep in so he does exactly that. You look terrified when he asks if you would like to go to bed, eyes dropping down to just below his belt. Lucifer might actually be sick when he realises what you are scared is going to happen and he can’t get the words out quick enough to reassure you that he means to sleep and that you will be the only person in the room. His obvious horror at the implication seems to reassure you and you give him a small nod.

You use the wall to support you getting up but as soon as you go to take a step forward your legs buckle and Lucifer has to lurch forward to grab hold of you before you can hit the floor. Your to weak, wether that be from the shock or the blood loss Lucifer doesn’t know, possibly both, but what he does know is you are not going to make it up the several flights of stairs on your own.

He asks before picking you up, waiting for you to give him a nod of agreement before he slips one hand behind your back and the other behind your knees. It’s nothing for him to pick you up but it had you squeaking in surprise, flinging your arms around his neck and pulling yourself tighter against him. Lucifer can’t help laugh softly, assuring you that he was stronger than he looked and that he wouldn’t drop you. You don’t seem to buy it though, your hold around his neck tightening as you hide your head against his shoulder. He can’t blame you for being scared, Licifer looks like a strong breeze would send him stumbling but he supposes that’s one of the perks of being an angel, he’s stronger than he looks.

It’s only when he turns around that Lucifer realises the rooms completely empty except for the two of you. He doesn’t know when everyone else disappeared but he’s grateful for it, not sure how you would have reacted to a room full of weird looking people staring at you. He talks to you the whole time up to your room, telling you where he was taking you and a little about the hotel and it’s residents, though he mostly tell you about Charlie and Vaggie, the only other people he trusts to look after you correctly if he wasn’t around. Lucifer picks a room for you on the same floor as him though a couple of doors down in an attempt to keep you close and also give you some probably much needed distance. He sets you down on the bed, tells you where everything is including his room, just in case you need him before he comes back to check the bandages in a few hours. He does conjure you some sleep clothes though, making sure they were the softest and most comfortable thing you have ever worn. He wants you to be comfortable, to actually feel safe after what you have been through and though he knows the simple kindness he has showing you will not erase that it will hopefully show you that despite what you may have heard Lucifer isn’t all that bad.

Lucifer hates himself just a little bit more after what he does next, crouching down to look you in the eye and telling you that you can’t leave the hotel room unless he comes to get you or you are going to his room and nowhere else. Normally it would just be words but you are bound to Lucifer now and even you don’t want to you will have no choice but to obey him. You stiffen, nodding your head slightly but still you don’t say a word, not even when he bids you good night. He doesn’t even get the door half way closed before he hears you start to cry. He wants to go back, to take you in his arms and apologise for what has been done to you whilst reassuring you that life here will not be as bad as you think. He doesn’t though, wanting to give you time to greave and mourn the loss of your life.

He doesn’t even make it two steps down the corridor before it all really hits him and Lucifer crumbles, sinking to the floor and pressing his hand against his mouth in an attempt to muffle his own sobs. He doesn’t know what he’s supposed to do, or how he’s even meant to care for you correctly. Animals were easy, simple to please, humans not so much. Plus Lucifer owned you, he would have to be extremely carful of what he said because even an offhanded comment would be taken as a command and you could end up getting seriously hurt.

It’s too much, Lucifer not equipped to deal with such responsibility but he has no choice, he has to. This is all his fault after all and he couldn’t abandon you in your hour of need. No he would figure this all out, tend to your wounds and help you adjust to life here in hell. He would help you find a place to call home, maybe at the hotel helping with the sinners or maybe something down in one of the other rings. Just somewhere you could feel truly safe and at ease. Whatever you wanted Lucifer would make it yours, giving you as much a slice of paradise as he can. How else would he atone for his mistake?

[otteranha]

This fandom needs that ole’ ran-outside-in-a-towel-and-accidentally-locked-myself-out-naked trope. Like… freshman year for the Party, pre-Spring break. There's construction being done on the room they normally hold Hellfire and the school won't give them an alternative spot. Dustin, Lucas & Mike convince Steve to let them have Hellfire at his house. Steve isn’t thrilled but he agrees.

Eddie isn’t thrilled either and he shows up early that afternoon to set up and get any gloves-off cruelty between him and Steve out of the way before the kids get there. Only to find that no one is answering the door. What gives, right?- if Harrington set this whole thing up to leave them all out in the cold, man fuck that. He goes around the back of the house, over the fence into the yard and finds Steve—

Steve was about to take a shower when he noticed the hot water wasn’t working. Calling the repairman would mean he’d have to talk to his dad, and he really wanted the hot water now and to talk to his dad never, so he grabbed a towel real quick and checked the water heater in the basement. No problem there. So he just popped out to check the water heater in the pool shed, because maybe it’s not just the house. And he didn’t put clothes on first because he thought he’d only be out there for a second. Except the door swung shut. And locked. His mom moves the hide-a-key periodically for “security purposes” and he has no idea where the damn thing is this month.

Not to worry. Steve's been sneaking out of his house since he was a whippersnapper. He can just climb in his bedroom window. Except he's been home alone for almost a month and hasn't needed to leave his window unlocked since he can come and go as he please. In other news the roof is covered in wet leaves and is much slipperier than usual. Fortunately he doesn't fall that far, nothing hurt but his pride (ok, and his ass will probably be black and blue for a while). Unfortunately when he fell the towel got snagged on the drain pipe and is now stuck on the roof. He'll have to climb back up and get it, then try to find some way back inside before the kids get there. But he needs a second- ok? So he flops back on one of the pool chairs, an arm draped over his eyes, nursing his injured dignity while he regroups.

And that's the scene Eddie Munson stumbles upon. Steve Harrington, sprawled out in all his glory like the goddamn Barberini faun. So a second boy takes a tumble on the Harrington property that afternoon, as the sight causes Eddie to lose his grip and his focus, and instead of vaulting the gate he topples forward over it and face plants on the cement pool deck.

"Shit!" "Fuck!"

"Sonofa- !"

"Holy shit man!" And so forth in that manner as Steve squawks in shock and covers himself. Then it registers who exactly the trespasser is and he abandons modesty and leaps, outraged, to his feet.

Eddie finds that in the face-plant he has bitten a noticeable bit off the tip of his tongue. Now he's standing, staring at a nude Steve Harrington, drooling blood all over his patio. If there's a classical statue of an Adonis posed with hands on hips looking wildly annoyed Eddie doesn't know of it. Any witty remark he could make about late September not being an ideal time for sunbathing au naturale is obstructed by his poor, bitten tongue, so Eddie has to settle for mere communication as he tries to ask Steve what the actual fuck he's doing?

"Came out to check the water heater and the door blew shut," Steve says sheepishly.

"Tho ou theck the plumbinth naketh?" Eddie raises an eyebrow.

Steve points to the roof. "I tried to get in through my window and slipped. Towel's stuck on the roof." A look of panic flashes into his eyes, "Wait- if you're here- what time is it? Oh shit, are the kids on the way?"

Eddie shakes his head. "I came by eahly tho thet uth." He holds up one finger, gesturing Steve to wait, then plucks a safety pin from his vest and kneels to examine the patio door. It takes him only a few minutes to finagle it open and he turns sliding the door wide with a flourish. "Entrez-vous," he asks gallantly, but it comes out "Enthreth-vouth?" and Steve just gives him a confused look as he stalks past into the house.

Instead of dashing up the stairs to dress Steve points Eddie toward the kitchen, while he snags a towel from the powder room in passing- not quite large enough, but better than nothing. Steve gestures Eddie to sit while he hands him a wet paper towel and wraps an ice pack in a clean dish towel. Eddie tends to his bloody mouth, though without the distraction it's an ordeal to keep his eyes from wandering over Steve's physique. Not good. It's not the locker room, no herd to hide amongst, no plausible deniability that he wasn't staring at anyone in particular. Because Steve Harrington is a Rodin, a Donatello, a goddamn Michelangelo. Steve Harrington is killing him. Killing him.

"You can set everything up in the dining room. I'll be upstairs," says the Rodin, the Donatello, the goddamn Michelangelo. "And keep icing that mouth. Last thing I need is for Mike Wheeler to decide he's leading this dog and pony show because you can't do your little incantations or whatever."

He turns and bounds for the stairs. Eddie watches him go. And yeah, that towel does not wrap all the way around. Not even close.

[abbyfmc]

Yandere ¡Freak! x ¡Female! Reader:

Warning: Mentions of kidnapping, murder, yandere behavior, obsessive love, etc.

His name will be Axel (A/N: nothing special with the name, I just picked one at random).

He was in the circus from a very young age; from childhood; he was probably born to parents who worked in one, or started working in one recently as an adult. Depending on his condition, disability or extraordinary ability; He can have different jobs in his role such as: magician, fortune teller, acrobat, illusionist, singer and musician, trapeze artist, dancer, clown, mime, beast tamer, etc.

May have a different rank, status or type of treatment in the circus, depending on the context.

He loves for you to watch his acts at the circus, and if he is in a freestanding tent, he will LOVE it when you go to see his act.

He always does his best in his shows, especially if you are there.

If he is a fairly respected freak: He will get along well with most, or all, of his peers; he would be treated with respect and would use this to put on a friendly facade. *6.1. If he is a fairly discriminated freak: He would be the classic marginalized person that everyone avoids, does not take into account or mistreats, and because of that, he would see you as a light that he does not want to let go under any circumstances.

I have always seen various types of freaks in these kinds of circuses/fairs/carnivals; among them are: *7.1. He who is missing one or more limbs: Has difficulty walking due to the absence of one or more limbs. *7.2. The one with unusual size: He could be someone with gigantism or dwarfism (N/A: something that today would not be the case). *7.3. The one with rubber bones: He is very flexible. His works or shows are mostly acrobats, dancers, trapeze artists, etc.; although sometimes he can work as clowns or something like that, depending on his talents and abilities. *7.4. The one with superhuman strength: They are usually men whose muscles are very resistant and noticeable, being able to lift very heavy people and objects. *7.5. The miserable: Maybe he has malformations on the face or body. They treat him horribly and contemptuously, while they push Axel aside or avoid him. *7.6. Conjoined twins: Axel and his possible sibling/twin are twins who were born almost completely formed, except that they were born attached to each other either on the side of the hip; by the back; through the abdomen, or, they were born with two heads on the same body. It may be the case that only one twin is a yandere(Axel) and the other is not, which would lead to big fights and arguments between them; On the other hand, if they are both yanderes, they would fight or argue about what to do or how to approach you and get your attention, as well as how to eliminate their love rivals.

Whatever his physical condition or ability, he will not tolerate humiliation and ridicule coming from you, because for him, it would be like a very strong betrayal.

He can also be some mythological creature (if we use fantasy themes) such as an angel; a demon; naga/lamia; mermaid/merman, or some kind of faun, centaur, etc. You can have different types of dealings with the caretaker/tamer of beasts/mythological creatures.

HE HATES it when you leave the circus at the end of each performance, or when you like another show or act more than his own.

He would hate for others to notice or make fun of you.

He would also hate that you are with friends, and that you go with them and not with him/her.

He would appreciate your gifts, cheers, applause, compliments and praise from the audience. Axel would really value it.

If he needs a volunteer for his shows, Axel would choose you as long as he didn't involve you in dangerous acts.

If you are a freak like him and you are part of the circus, he would spy on you when you are in your tent, dressing room or rehearsing a show; In addition to being very jealous and obsessive, to the point of not letting others talk to you.

When the circus leaves for another city, he would then beg for you to go with him and if you refuse, he would kidnap you.

If it's a circus in the style of the songs "Dark Wood Circus" or "Circus Monster", then it occurs to me that Axel could have been kidnapped as a child, and was forced to be a freak; and whatever they surgically did to his body, he is forced to perform in shows (so as not to receive punishment) and you would be like a light in the middle of his hell, so he would become obsessed with you . If the circus kidnaps you, they would try to force you to be with them.

In a Dark Wood Circus style context, he would come to see you in your cage, talk to you, and if someone hurts you, Axel will swear to himself that he will kill your attacker without mercy and that… one day they could escape to a better world together.

Otherwise, he will NOT let you run away from the circus…or from him. -The end. So, what do you think about this?

[pupsmailbox]

ANGELIC︰DEVINE ID PACK

NAMES ⌇　abel. acher. achille. adam. adrien. adélie. aelin. alaida. alexis. alice. alya. ambroise. amelia. amour. ana. anahera. andras. angaile. ange. angel. angela. angelesse. angelette. angelica. angelina. angeline. angelique. angelissa. angelita. angeliza. angella. angelo. angelus. angelyna. angie. angé. angélique. anna. antoine. apolline. ariel. astrid. aurora. aurore. azazel. baal. behemoth. berrie. bethany. blaise. blanche. blanchesse. blanchette. blushe. bowette. cain. caleb. camille. capucine. carmen. cary. casimir. cassandra. cassiel. castiel. cathy. celeste. celestine. celine. cerberus. cerise. charmeine. cher. cherie. cherub. choirette. christian. christine. chérie. cielo. claire. claude. cloud. cloudisse. cynthia. cyril. daisy. damien. damon. danni. dina. divina. divinesse. divinette. divinne. donovan. dova. dulcengel. eden. elena. elouan. elysia. emmy. engel. enzo. erebus. eryn. estelle. esther. evangelina. evangeline. evangelista. eve. faith. felix. fiacre. fleur. fortune. francette. francis. gabriel. gabriella. gaby. gemini. genesis. ghoul. giselle. godefrey. grace. gwenaël. halo. heartette. heather. heaven. heavenelle. heavenesse. hel. helena. henri. hera. honoré. hyacinthe. icha. isaac. isabelle. isidore. jacques. jade. jennifer. jin. jocelyn. jordan. joseph. josephina. julia. kage. karine. kasdeya. katie. kenzo. keres. kilian. lacey. lambise. lamia. laura. leila. leilani. levi. leviathan. liam. lightion. lilia. lilin. lilith. lola. louis. lucia. lucien. lucifer. léo. madeleine. madeline. malachi. malvina. mal’akhi. marc. mare. marie. marin. marine. mary. mateo. maxime. melantha. michael. michelangelo. michelle. minerva. mirabelle. morgan. moros. nadia. narcisse. nazaire. nicholas. noah. noelle. octave. océane. odin. olivia. onyx. ophelia. orpheus. pheobe. pinkette. pinkion. piérre. priscilla. prosper. rainier. ramiel. raphael. ravana. raymond. robin. rogue. rosaire. roxxane. ruby. rue. ruelle. rémi. sabel. salome. salomon. samael. samuel. sara. sephora. sephtis. sera. seraph. seraphim. seraphina. seraphine. serenity. seth. skye. soan. softetta. sol. sonata. sophia. soraya. strawbette. sugarette. sylvain. sylvianne. séraphin. tatiana. theodore. timothee. tristan. uriel. ursula. valentine. valerie. venetia. vera. victor. victoria. victorien. vionetta. virtue. vivian. vivien. willow. wingette. wolf. xavier. xela. yann. yasmine. yvette. zacharie. zoe. ángel. ánxela. éloi. étienne.

PRONOUNS ⌇　abo/above. adore/adore. ae/ae. ae/aer. an/angel. angel/angel. angelic/angelic. arch/angel. archangel/archangel. arrow/arrow. aura/aura. ay/aym. ballet/ballet. beau/beau. beauty/beauty. being/being. beloved/beloved. black/black. bless/bless. bless/blessing. blessing/blessing. bloom/bloom. blue/blue. bow/bow. broke/broken. bun/bun. celeste/celestial. celestial/celestial. cher/cher. cherub/cherub. cherub/cherubim. chirp/chirp. choir/choir. clou/cloud. cloud/cloud. cold/cold. cross/cross. crown/crown. cu/cupid. cupid/cupid. curse/curse. dark/dark. deity/deity. delicate/delicate. div/divine. div/divinity. divine/divine. dove/dove. drift/drift. empty/empty. er/ero. ero/ero. ethe/ethereal. ethereal/ethereal. ey/eyr. fai/faith. faith/faith. fall/fall. fall/fallen. fate/fate. faun/fauna. feather/feather. flight/flight. float/float. flower/flower. fluff/fluff. fly/flight. fly/fly. glow/glow. gold/gold. grace/grace. gra/grace. grudge/grudge. hae/haer. ha/halo. halo/halo. harp/harp. he/hym. hea/heaven. heal/heal. heart/heart. heaven/heaven. heaven/heavenly. hell/hell. hol/holy. holy/holy. hush/hush. hx/hxm. hy/hym. hymn/hymn. id/idol. ix/ix. kind/kind. kyr/kyr. lace/lace. lamb/lamb. life/life. light/light. lo/love. lyr/lyr. lyre/lyre. melancholy/melancholy. metallic/metallic. mirror/mirror. mist/mist. misty/misty. mon/mon. moral/moral. omen/omen. peace/peace. perfect/perfection. pink/pink. pure/pure. pure/purr. radiant/radiant. ribbon/ribbon. rose/rose. sacred/sacred. saint/saint. scept/scepter. self/self. ser/seraph. seraph/seraph. seraph/seraphim. shimmer/shimmer. shine/shining. shx/hxr. silk/silk. sin/sin. sing/song. sky/sky. smite/smite. snake/snake. snow/snow. soar/soaring. soft/soft. somber/somber. sorrow/sorrow. spark/sparkle. spirit/spirit. sugar/sugar. swan/swan. sweet/sweet. taint/taint. tether/tether. thorn/thorn. thxy/thxm. thy/thyn. tru/trumpet. unholy/unholy. unknown/unknown. vae/vaer. val/valentine. vio/vior. water/water. white/white. wi/wing. wing/wing. wraith/wraith. wrath/wrath. yellow/yellow. ðe/ðim. þe/þim. ȝe/ȝim. ☀️ . ☁️ . ⛪ . ✨ . ⭐ . 🐑 . 👁️ . 👼 . 🕊️ . 🕯️ . 😇 . 🤍 . 🦢.

[chlorinetrip]

I'm back on my autism induced monster/cryptid hyperfixation bullshit so have TMR characters as creatures

Thomas: Nixie (Nixy, Nix, Näcken, Naiad, Nicor, Nøkk, or Nøkken) – Guardians of freshwater streams and lakes, they are bound to the body of water they dwell in. Commonly spotted alone and are identified by the water continously streaming from their hair and clothes as well as the greenish sheen of their skin. They are amphibious and have legs as opposed to a tail. They are incredibly curious about land dwellers and much like dryads cannot venture far from their pools.

Newt: Dryad – (Because of the straying from the original mythos treefolk is more of an apt name) Originates from Greek Mythos, originally only female however some stories in the modern age allow for them to be male, this is where the term treefolk arises. Very few are sentient, these treefolk can take on a humanoid form and move a short distance from their tree. Treefolk will vary in appearance and personality based on the tree species.

Minho: Dokkaebi – legendary creatures from Korean mythology and folklore. Also known as "Korean goblins", are nature deities or spirits possessing extraordinary powers and abilities that are used to interact with humans, at times playing tricks on them and at times helping them.Legends describe different dokkaebi in many forms and beings with a thousand faces, and dokkaebi often wear hanbok.

Gally: Wraith – Evil spirit who is said to haunt people through negative emotions.

Ben: Púca (or pookha, puck) – Mischievous shape-changing creatures which can take human form. Known for its cunning and wile as well as lies and deception, Pooka's are known tricksters. Considered to be bringers both of good and bad fortune, they could help or hinder rural and marine communities.

Teresa: Harpy – A monster originating from Greek mythology said to have the face of a woman and body of a bird. Currently depicted with a more human body covered in feathers with wings and talons.

Brenda: Gorgon – Snake headed women able to turn men to stone with a gaze. In mythology women are unable to be harmed by Medusa, the most famous of the gorgons.

Winston: Ghoul – Monstrous flesh-eating spirits associated with graveyards. In popular legend, a demonic being believed to inhabit burial grounds and other deserted places.

Chuck: Faun – Humanoid beings with the horns and lower bodies of goats, however similar to Satyr a Faun is more childlike and innocent.

Alby: Satyr – Originating from Greek mythology, a nature spirit with the upper body of a man and the lower body of a bipedal goat with goat horns atop their heads. Typically depicted as a musical spirit closely associated with Dionysus

(I know I didn't add frypan but I have no earthly idea what he would be so if you have any ideas lmk plz)

(also I may be incorrect on some of my descriptions if so lmk so I can fix it)

[hellsgreatestshow]

Introducing Beatrix & Kieran

Name: Beatrix

Nickname(s): Honey Bea, Bea, Trix or Trixie

Species: Nephalem

Job/Title: Fylgja other known as a deity of fate or fortune

Powers: She leans heavily into divination and collecting souls. She uses various mediums to interact with the spirits and hone her magic. She can purify souls and travel freely to Earth where she enjoys focusing on human souls the most. She takes the job of physic and fortune teller on Earth. She can shapeshift and phase through shadows as well.

Name: Kieran

Nickname(s): Ki

Species: Nephalem

Job/Title: Alp or a nature demon with a focus in the dreamscape.

Powers: He is heavily akin to a faun or incubus. He uses dreams and seduction as his primary magic. He can control and project dreams.

@hellsgreatestgame

[chronicallylatetotheparty]

White Liberalism in Carnival Row

Season one starts off well enough.

Vignette's abuse at the hands of her "employers" is hauntingly realistic. Blending elements of classism into the fantasy racism that is the main conflict of the story. The scene where she finds the library she was caretaker of back in Tirnanoc is incredibly pointed criticism of how everything in western museums is stolen.

Philo being the only member of the Constabulary who actually cares about the Fae minority because he is half Fae. Trying, and failing, to change anything from within the system to the point he's arrested for hiding his mixed heritage. And eventually deciding to abandon the Constabulary altogether at the end of the first season.

Piety Breakspear's appropriation of Fae magic to attack innocent people in an attempt to protect her status and power.

Jonah Breakspear and Sophie Longerbane joining forces to turn the Row into a ghetto/concentration camp despite ostensibly being sympathetic and/or apathetic to Fae. Showing how the aristocratic ruling class will do anything to promote their own interests.

And yet the fall from biting social commentary into white Liberalism is present even here.

Agreus Astrayon is a rich faun. Who made his fortune by hunting down his own kind who "broke contract" and tried to escape from indentured servitude. In exchange for his own freedom. And in season two it's revealed that he also convinced others to sign exploitative contracts. Abusing the trust his own people had in him to build his wealth.

Which makes his speal promoting the virtues of assimilation and collaboration that much more grating. Agreus is played by a black actor.

Making the connection between the character talking about "working within the system" and real life black conservatives perhaps an inevitable comparison. Remember that at this time all Fae are forced to live in a ghetto they weren't allowed to leave. A ghetto with such filthy conditions that a plague is ravaging the fairy population.

A ghetto Agreus never had to live in because he had to leave the country after defending himself against a human man in his own home.

Sophie Longerbane is made "sympathetic" by showing her regret her part in making the Row a ghetto... Which comes across as quite shallow and meaningless as it changes nothing about her actions.

But worse, when she's arrested Sophie goes into a rant about how much she's been wronged by the men of the ruling class. And how men are the root of all problems... She says this to Vignette.

A fae who has directly suffered due to Sophie's actions against the Fae.

A fairie whose society is matriarchal.

And instead of dismissing the self pitying oppressor spouting white feminism Vignette is "moved" by her privileged viewpoint.

Philo has an epiphany in season two: all his work as a member of the Constabulary, as a soldier in the Burgue's army, hurt his people and contributed to the oppression they faced... And all that is swept away because his friend is killed.

The New Dawn is an unsubtle fantasy equivalent of Communism. The movement that achieved class solidarity between humans and Fae against the ruling class. Is just Communism.

That is why Agreus' naivety about the virtues of capitalist racism can be portrayed as "in the right". Because obviously rebellion is worse.

That is why protecting the most racist constable on the force is the "right thing to do". Because if you just coddle racists enough they'll realize they were wrong. And hey! At least they're not Communists!

Carnival Row started as a flawed show with potential. But it squandered that potential in favor of white Liberalism that is shown in the actual show to be nonesense.

Because at the end there was nothing stopping the Burgue from reconquering Tirnanoc like they wanted to. There was nothing stopping them from keeping the Fae in ghettos and only letting out "skilled workers" like Sophie planned.

There is no evidence that Philo was actually the illegitimate son of the previous chancellor but he was still given the option of becoming the next one.

The Burgue just suffered it's most devastating "terrorist attack", two chancellor's in a row were assassinated by Fae and we're expected to believe that the Burgue just magically decided to be less racist?

After allowing a race riot to sweep across Carnival Row and a foreign power to radicalize their second class citizens!?

The naivety is astounding.

[dracothelizard]

An anomymous donor for @ofmdaction requested "NSFW. monsterfucker Roach. Roach/ the man with a hook for a head, Roach/ an OC monster, or Roach / monsterous/non-human Izzy would all be welcome options."

Rating: Explicit (GET IT, ROACH)

Additional tags: PWP, Merman Izzy, Canon Era Kidnapping, Monsterfucker Roach, Non-Human Genitalia, Hand Jobs, Blow Jobs, Monsterfucking

Summary:

Izzy groans, hanging his head. “I meant we need someone to cook food for us.”

Roach stares down at him. “You need someone to cook for you,” he repeats, just to be sure he heard it right.

Izzy nods, then lifts his head. His tail uncurls and curls around him again, the tail fin quivering. “We can’t really… we’re all too fucking different. I can catch fish, but I can’t get on land to make a fire and cook it. Manny lives on land and has arms and legs, but he can’t fucking see. The Naga can build a fire, but they keep burning everything to a crisp. The centaurs can pluck fruit from higher trees, but panic around fire. And don’t get me fucking started on the faun. He’s a complete dick."

Oh no, Roach is thrown overboard in a storm! Fortunately, grumpy merman Izzy rescues him. And also kidnaps him to an island where various non-humans live, like Manny, the Man With A Hook For A Head. Roach wonders whether Manny has any hooks elsewhere on his body, and is gonna find out.

[thelamentknight]

What are the sexualities of your TWST OCs?

Let’s see (these are just the OCs that I have shown before:

Carmen: She’s Demisexual/Pansexual

Rosarine: He’s Gay

Ángel: He’s Pansexual with a male preference

Hugo: Don’t know yet

Zixin: He’s Bisexual with a female preference and goes by (They/He)

Inigo: He’s Pansexual with a male preference

Filip: He’s Bisexual with a female preference

Beau: Don’t know yet

Rielle: He’s Bisexual

Fortune: He’s 10, hasn’t even thought about it

Tiago: He’s Bisexual with a male preference

Jasmir: He’s Gay

Minzhe: He’s Bisexual and Trans

Lio: He’s Gay

Fior: Don’t know yet

Faun: Don’t know yet

Marian: Don’t know yet

Miette: She’s a Lesbian

[helmetkeeper]

hai! could i get a playlist 4 a fictive of four from battle for dream island: the power of two? my music taste sux so i need moar stuff 2 listwn 2. i like ska and punk rock and like fiona apple/neutral milk hotel type stuff. ty!

- @fourscorneroftheearth

hello @fourscorneroftheearth !! and sure :]. not exactly sure if i got the ska genre right, but regardless i think you'll like some of these ^_^.

order: song by artist [notes / extra artists] (english translations)

dividers by @/saradika-graphics and @/sweetparty

Nothing {Can Make Me Love You More Than I Do} by The Nite-Liters

Shortenin' Bread by The 3 Pieces

BUZZARD FEATHERS by Compost

Shut Up by Bloodhound Gang

Mata Hari by The Atomic Fireballs

Start Wearing Purple by Gogol Bordello

Have Fun Rotting by Yourself by The Arrogant Sons Of Bitches

People Pops & Fudgesicles for the Hit Factory by The Arrogant Sons Of Bitches

Hard Man Fe Dead by Prince Buster

Come Down {Pomps and Pride} by Lord Tanamo

Dracula, Prince of Darkness by King Horror

Whatever Gets You Outta the House by Death Of Guitar Pop

Caminando por la Calle {Me Voy de Mi Casa} (Walking down the Street (I'm Leaving My House)) by Las 4 Monedas

My Daily Food by The Maytals

Manila by Telethon

Operción Sol (Operation Sun) by Los De La Torre

Guns Fever {Blam Blam Fever} by The Valentines

Mughead Ska [single version] by Llans Thelwell And His Celestials

Soon You'll Be Gone by Blues Busters

Jumping Beans by The Sign of Four

People Funny Boy by Lee "Scratch" Perry [and The Upsetters]

Rude Boy Dreams by The Skatalites

Swing Easy by The Skatalites

Time Bomb by Rancid

2-Tone Army by The Toasters

Ska Wars by Capdown

Stepping Out by Big D and the Kids Table

Ma and Pa by Fishbone

Razón (Reason) by Los Caligaris

The Skinheada Dem a Come by Mr. Symarip

Bullet In The Mattress by The Gadjits

Rat-at-at by The Skints

El Corrent by VADEBO

Temerario by Itaca Band

What Is Love by skameleon [def. my favorite one by far lmao]

We Want Less by Bongo Botrako

Girl Anachronism by The Dresden Dolls

Jesus on the Telephone by Machinery of the Human Heart

Good Fortune by PJ Harvey

Hold It In by Jukebox The Ghost

The Great Gig in the Sky by Pink Floyd

The Reckoning by Dom Fera

Dinner At Eight by Rufus Wainwright

Wicked World by Laura Jansen

Dog by Ben Folds

Walk Away Renee by The Left Banke

Dear Elaine [2007 remaster] by Roy Wood

Rosy Won't You Please Come Home by The Kinks

On the Bombsite by Duncan Browne

How Can I Be Sure [single version; mono] by The Young Rascals

Care Of Cell 44 by The Zombies

Mermaids by Florence + The Machine

Caution Repetitive by Princess Chelsea

Ful Stop by Radiohead

Holocaust of Giants by Rasputina

Mirage by Alexandra Savior

Season of the Witch by Donovan

Morning Sun by Dave Bixby

Waves by Norma Tanega

Spin Spider Spin by Patty Zeitlin

Come Outside! by FESTIVAL

Heavy D by Fire on Fire

Black Is the Color by The Dry Spells

Gypsy Storie by Faun Fables

[usafphantom2]

The crew of a T 38 did much more than just take pictures of the SR 71 . The nose was interchangeable and held together by four bolts. The bolts were rather half-day plus the air pressure was enough to keep the nose on most of the time .Look at the pictures to see one .One of the duties of the T-38 was to act as a chase plane. The Talon pilot had to look over the SR-71 Blackbird while in flight for any damage.

The first order of business before starting SR-71 training was to get checked out in the T-38 Talon aircraft, used as a companion trainer for SR-71 crew members.

One of the duties of the T-38 was to act as a chase plane. The Talon pilot had to look over the Blackbird while in flight for any damage. Col. Richard H. Graham, a former SR-71 pilot, wrote about the time when the nose of his SR became partly unfastened. The nose was only connected with 4 Bolts! The reason for this is… The nose could be switched out to use a different camera depending on the mission.

“On one occasion I needed the ‘pace chase’ aircraft to look me over,” recalls Graham in his book SR-71 The Complete Illustrated History of THE BLACKBIRD The World’s Highest , Fastest Plane. “It was right after takeoff, when my RSO, Don Emmons, and I heard a loud “bang” coming from somewhere in front of the rudder pedals. I was approaching our climb out speed of 400 knots and thought I might have hit a bird. Looking out over the nose, I noticed a large piece of the nose section beneath the aircraft had blown open, still attached, but flapping in the air stream. I couldn’t tell the full extent of the damage because the piece was underneath the nose and all I could see was one end of it flapping about. Joe Kinego, another SR-71 crew member, remembered the ‘funny (then scary)’ radio call Don made back to Beale informing everyone of our problem:

‘The nose is coming off!’ That radio call got everyone’s attention!”

As we have already explained, the nose section allowed the SR-71 to have radar-imaging capability with the advanced synthetic aperture radar system (ASARS), photographic imagery with the optical bar camera (OBC), or a ballast installed. The nose section was held on by faun-massive fasteners.

The T-38 chase aircraft [flown by SR-71 pilots David Peters and Tom Alison] joined up in formation and told us the extent of our damage as we returned to Beale. It was comforting to know everything else was intact. A one-by-two foot metal section of the nose had ripped open while still attached underneath. I always felt fortunate that it happened during daylight. Had it been at night, I’m positive I wouldn’t have been able to see the loose panel and might have discounted the possibility of anything being wrong and continued the mission… you just never know ..

Talking to Lockheed engineers later, they determined there was a good possibility if we had gone supersonic, the entire nose section (which is removable) might have imploded from the supersonic shock wave. That scenario would have probably necessitated an ejection for both of us!”

Written by Linda Sheffield, was previously published in aviation geek club .

@Habubrats71 via X

[poisonousdelights]

PARTIES: Isa (@poisonousdelights) and Kieran (@debauchfairy) TIME: The weekend before Kieran's birthday bash WHERE: The Mushroom Circle SUMMARY: Isa and Kieran play a different kind of drinking game that takes a slightly uncomfortable turn. WARNINGS: Drug tw, Drug manipulation tw (attempted)

Isa knew all the tricks for having a good night out. It was fortunate that she loved to dance and could do so without any of the liquid courage that a lot of people needed to shake their hips in front of a crowd because the girl was broke. But she’d learned over the past couple of years that it was very easy to get drunk without spending a dime. The aforementioned hip shaking helped so much. All she had to do was wiggle in front of a guy who thought he was going to get lucky and the alcohol came pouring in.

She didn’t know why but her favorite place was an Irish pub known as the circle. It wasn’t the best bar in the world by any means but she always seemed to have such a good time. The good attitudes were infectious, the regular staff always so friendly, and some even knew her by name at this point. She always made a point to have a chat with Zachary who sometimes joined her on the dance floor but that night she skipped out on the interaction in favor of her mission. 

Isa was two drinks in, both bought for her by different guys who liked to watch her move. The second guy was still next to her as the last of her cocktail was drained, the girl twirling the straw while she looked up at him. Her hand dragged through her thick hair, running down to push the wavy strands behind her shoulder and bring attention to the skin that her low cut tank top showed. His eyes trailed down, blatantly appreciative, but before he could say anything Isa dismissed him with her next words. “That really hit the spot, I appreciate you so much. I think I’m just about ready to head back to the dance floor though. It was so nice meeting you.” The guy looked dejected but respected her enough to just nod curtly and walk away. A soft laugh left her lips, the girl shaking her head while she pushed the glass to the other side of the bar. “Too easy.” 

—-

Somewhere overrun by fae wasn’t exactly Kieran’s ideal place for a night out but it came with some perks, perhaps the most important being a sense of safety. Aside from the rather strict ban on violence, The Mushroom Circle had a decent track record for keeping out wardens. Not that he was scared, anyone sensible would see the logic behind giving his nose more than a couple of weeks to heal before risking another blow to it. Not that Kieran was usually sensible but… well, he liked the shape of his nose. To a lesser extent, getting punched fucking sucked and he wanted to avoid it if possible. 

Kieran wasn’t here to feed, not tonight, just looking for a distraction and some fun. The black, sheer shirt he had on was a lot but it had taken way too long for the last of the bruises to fade so it was about time he got to look good, even be a lot. Another perk, he didn’t even need to bother exerting his abilities, that part usually taken care of by some other faun. All he had to do was find the least boring people here and enjoy himself for the evening. A drink was a solid place to start and as he waited for the bartender, Kieran took notice of a pair a stone’s throw down the bar. He especially took notice of how completely out of the man’s league the woman was, and it seemed Kieran wasn’t the only one who knew it. She was playing him like a fiddle and might as well have had the poor guy on a leash with how obediently he tracked her movements. Impressive. 

And then the blow. Kieran’s lips turned into a grin at her expert play, leaving no room for argument as he slunk off. Her laugh was the cherry on top - she wasn’t just doing this because she needed free drinks but because she enjoyed it. “You know, I thought the hair flip might have been a bit too much but he was all for it,” Kieran commented, closing the distance between them, amusement clear on his features. “Not that I know much about what works on the straights.”

—

Her body tensed at the voice, for a split second thinking it was another man trying to hit on her without Isa being clued in to their intentions beforehand. Jumpscare tactics were not her favorite. It usually indicated that the guy was too aggressive for her liking and things would go very poorly. But he soon rolled into the ‘straights’ comment and she could feel herself relaxing under his gaze. She playfully let out a relieved sigh, bringing her hand over her heart. “Next time warn a girl. I thought you were going in a completely different direction with that.” 

A grin pulled at her lips, the girl shrugging as she went back to his previous comment. “Hair flipping gets them every time. Especially when you add in a little show of skin. Most of them are pretty simple creatures.” She didn’t feel right lumping every straight guy together but she’d never met one that didn’t enjoy that little move of hers, she would say that much. Though Isa did have the advantage with most of the locals thinking she was ‘dangerous’ or something. For some reason men loved to go for that so she wasn’t sure if the hair toss alone would work.

It didn’t matter, did it? “You probably think I’m an asshole, right?” Guilt was starting to tug at her, something that usually wasn’t a problem until she got caught. Even with the amusement on his face she still felt bad now that someone else had witnessed what she was doing. “It’s harmless. Most of their egos could use a little blow anyway.”

—-

It never failed to amuse, the very obvious shift in women once they realized they weren’t about to have the most annoying five minutes of their lives trying to fend off a straight man who couldn’t flirt to save his life. Kieran truly hoped this stranger would have gotten there on her own even without the blatant exposition and if she wouldn’t have, perhaps she was less intuitive than she seemed. “Please, you think a smarmy straight man has the ability to look this good?” Kieran huffed, finally garnering the bartender’s attention and ordering two tequila sunrises - her performance deserved a drink. 

Humming appreciatively at her explanation, Kieran settled onto the bar stool next to her, intrigued enough to let this stranger be the entertaining company for now. He was curious as to whether she needed strangers to buy her drinks or, as in Kieran’s case when he just didn’t feel like paying for his own things, simply did it because she could. And a bonus, she wasn’t fae. “Simple or not, always fun to see them get played.”

Her attitude changed all of a sudden and Kieran arched an eyebrow, slightly disappointed by her question. Why the hell care what some stranger thought of you? Not that he did think she was an asshole. Manipulative, maybe, perhaps a bit self-centered but neither of those were necessarily negative traits in the faun’s eyes. If people didn’t want to get duped into buying drinks without a reward, they should be harder to manipulate. “Does it matter what I think?” Kieran asked instead of sharing his actual thoughts on whether or not a pretty, young woman was a bad person for cheating the system, so to speak. “And even if I did think you were an asshole, that would be an astounding display of hypocrisy since I am also very averse to buying my own drinks a lot of the time.” 

Sliding one of the cocktails over to her as they arrived, Kieran raised his own with a wink. “To blowing egos.”

—

“You do have a very good point.” Isa nodded, looking his outfit up and down with a sheepish grin. He was right. No straight man would wear anything so daring or fabulous. “Ashamed that I ever thought for a second you were straight.” She laughed softly, turning back to the bar only to remember that her glass was now empty. Did she try to pay for one herself or did she go for a third gentleman? Well, that was a simple answer. She didn’t really have eight dollars to waste on a single beverage.

Okay, so maybe he wasn’t judging her at all if the comment about how fun it was to see them get played was any indication. He then followed it up by stating he liked to play this game too and suddenly the lamia felt a million times better about it all. “I guess you have a point.” She was right before anyway, it was harmless and now she knew she wasn’t the only one who liked to do this. “So, you enjoy the game too, huh?” 

Eyeing the drink that he slid over to her, Isa raised a brow but her smile never faltered. He didn’t like paying for his drinks but then went and bought her one? He must have really appreciated the little show. She raised the glass to mimic his movements before taking a sip, humming appreciatively. “This was nice of you, thank you.” Another sip and then she was backtracking on what he’d said, her eyes glinting with mischief. “So, wait, what works on gay men then? Obviously they don’t like my normal tricks…unless we count you.” Pointing down to the drink on the bar to make a point, her smile morphed into a smirk. 

—---

Actually caring about other people’s opinions felt like a genuinely foreign concept to Kieran as he hadn’t taken stock in an opinion that didn’t align with his own since… well, maybe never. She seemed relieved to not be judged by the faun, maybe partly because of the sense of camaraderie but the worry had been there. Kieran thought his opinion and judgment was quite valuable, obviously, but she had no reason to know that and therefore care. Humans were strange. “I definitely have a point,” he insisted with a smile, relieved that there wasn’t a follow up discussion on morality and whatnot. 

His smile only grew at her question even as he gave a coy shrug, his expression enough of an answer. Yes, Kieran did indeed enjoy this game and most games, for that matter. The ones he could win, anyway. As the tangy sweetness of the drink hit him, he physically waved off the notion of kindness - the drink was simply acknowledgement of a job well done - and with it, the thank you. A thought occurred to warn her, seeing how she was surrounded by fae and clearly not careful with her words but that discussion would replace their current one, which was a bad trade. She’d probably be fine. 

“Trying to steal my moves, are you?” he teased, twirling the straw around the glass. “I could share but… that would make the fun little competition I wanted to propose a bit unfair.” Seeing as this bar was mostly crawling with fae, Kieran was expecting neither a meal nor company to bring home from here, which was fine. Monotony was the antithesis of everything Kieran stood for and he didn’t mind having to come up with new and creative ways to entertain himself. 

—------

“Oh, I don’t need to steal moves. I have enough that work very nicely for myself.” Squeezing the straw of the drink between her teeth, she continued to smile up at him even as she was taken aback by the competition he had in mind. Not in a bad way. No, Isa was instantly curious as to what he would suggest for them even though she had a feeling about what was coming. She mostly wanted to know if there was a bet coming with this competition or if he thought their free drinks while playing was enough of a win. “A competition, huh? I think that could make for a fun time.”

It was no secret that she could be competitive. Camaraderie and sportsmanship had been her thing when she’d been playing basketball back in high school, she’d even gotten acknowledgements in the form of plaques that used to live on her parents walls, but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t try her best to win either. Isa could get really into things like this, something that was proven as she started to prepare already. Her jacket was coming off, the girl slinging it on the back of the chair next to her so she could get another leg up with the shirt underneath. Men loved a nice low cut top. 

“Alright, what are the guidelines? I can’t break any rules, that would defeat the spirit of the game.” She’d always been a fair one too. “And do the two I’ve already gotten count or are you afraid you can’t catch up?” Isa bit the inside of her bottom lip to try and stifle a smirk, the lamia raising a brow in challenge. She didn’t care either way, she just wanted to goad him a little.

—-

Grinning, he finished off a bit more of the drink - couldn’t be holding one for the venture they were about to embark on - appreciating the attitude. “I don’t doubt it. Not as good as mine, I reckon but I’m sure they do,” Kieran taunted back playfully, seeing the glint in her eyes that matched his own at the prospect of a good (mostly honest) competition. 

His look of amusement only widened as she shrugged off her jacket, proving that she knew her stuff as more skin was bared. Simple but effective. Along with the first inkling of fruity alcohol blanketing his senses, Kieran could sense her joyous excitement as it lingered between them. Feeding on her would put her at a disadvantage and he didn’t want to win by cheating. Not this time, at least, he liked her. “A drink gets bought without directly asking for it. Any sort of alcoholic beverage counts. Up to you whether you finish it or not before moving on. First to five takes the prize.” Not that there was a prize - they were playing for free drinks and the honor of it. “If you think you need the head start, you can have it,” Kieran goaded right back, smirking before finishing off the rest of his drink and dragging a hand through the previously stylized hair. 

“Kieran,” he offered her as he stood up, waiting for her name in turn and then shrugging off his jacket. Even if he didn’t have the cleavage to work with like his new friend, the sleeveless top had perks of its own. “May the best seductress win.”

—-

“I can’t wait to prove you wrong.” Isa followed suit with her own drink, realizing it was a good idea to get it down. Not only did leaving it behind get dangerous but it also seemed rude when he had so kindly gotten it for her. She stood, pretending to shake out any nerves that might have set in with a grin, glad that she could be playful with him even as they were gearing up for a competition against each other. Those were the best interactions.

She stopped at his conditions, meeting his eyes with mock confusion. “What’s the point in having a drink given to you if you’re not going to finish it? I would like to make an amendment that everything needs to be finished as you talk to the person…within reason, of course.” She lifted her chin, trying to stifle the grin threatening to pull at her lips. “Fine, a fresh start it is.” Narrowing those playful eyes at him, Isa shook her head as he raked his hands through his hair. The man knew what he was doing. Bedhead looked good on him, not that he needed any help looking handsome. 

“I’m Isa.” And he had muscles to boot. Hmm, maybe she should have seen the whole package before accepting this challenge but she wasn’t too worried about it. It just meant she had to up her game. “Oh, I will.” The lamia gave him a wink before she turned in search of her first target. 

The prospects looked too easy. A man who was clearly getting over a break up if his sullen look and the way he twirled a ring around the bar was any indication. No, he would be a last resort. The over enthusiastic dancer in the middle of the floor trying to dance with whatever woman would give him the time of day. Too desperate for her taste. She liked a little challenge in her men, it made the victory that much sweeter. Finally, she settled on one who had a confident air to himself but had yet to go after any of the women he’d been eyeing. A little challenge but not enough to make it impossible. He was perfect.

And it only took five minutes before she had a drink set in front of her.

He was boring though and she was rushing her way through this first drink. Most of the talk was about him and how awesome his life was so Isa allowed her gaze to free roam around the bar. Her attention was caught by Kieran and his first…or maybe second target, her eyes landing on the way the man was crowding the other. It wasn’t too out of the ordinary but the way the stranger slipped something into Kieran’s drink when he was distracted was. Isa was out of her seat before her challenge could finish his sentence, his protest following her but she was too focused on getting to that table before Kieran could fall victim to something sinister. “Hey!” Her loud voice drew attention from most of the people in her path while she stormed over there, knocking the drink into the lap of the man who was now glaring up at her. “I saw that, you bastard. Do you always get your kicks drugging random people in bars or is he special?”

—-

With the terms of their little game decided, Kieran left his new friend behind with a wink. Isa had plenty of advantages, not just that straight men were generally easier to fool but also the fact of her not sharing his problem of being fae. Sure, not all of them shared Kieran’s extravagant dislike for his kin but they could be very peculiar and he didn’t feel like chatting up someone whose first question might be on what he was. Still, having way less targets to choose from than his ‘competition’ would only make the victory that much sweeter. 

Finding a human - or at the very least, a non fae - luckily hadn’t taken too long. The flexibility of what constituted a drink also came in handy as he gladly split a tray of shots with the first target - price and volume-wise, four shots weren’t that far off from a full sized drink. As an added bonus, his theatrics with the shots (letting a person lick their own hand for the salt was just bad manners) had caught the attention of the second mark. Which was fine enough, he was far from Kieran’s type but for a drink and more importantly, a point, anything goes. If the guy took notice of the way Kieran was subtly scanning for his third drink of the night, he didn’t comment on it. 

It seemed Isa had something to comment on, though. For the briefest of moments, Kieran wondered whether she was here to argue on whether shots counted but as she drew closer, it became clear she was much angrier than anything their game could incite. Which begged the question of why Kieran’s drink was paying the price of her wrath, an explanation arriving in the form of her berating the stranger with the now wet pants. Oh. Oh. The irony of trying to mess with a faun’s free will wasn’t lost on Kieran but Isa’s interference was welcome - his immunity to being influenced only applied to the effects of other fae, not whatever the stranger had tried to spike him with. 

“The hell are you on about, you bitch?” the man argued, defensive as he wiped at the remnants of the drink. Kieran’s eyes narrowed and despite the unease that had settled in his chest, he had no trouble letting his influence wash over the bastard. Even the brief taste of the man’s euphoria tasted wrong and Kieran wanted this over with, quick. 

“I think you want to apologize to her,” Kieran demanded, voice threatening despite the sickly sweet tone. “And then take whatever you put in my drink and have a taste of it yourself.” There were plenty of people watching, Isa’s reaction having drawn enough attention but the words were spoken low enough for only the three of them to hear. The man’s voice was far off when he apologized to Isa, the faintest glimmer of hesitation visible as he dropped something inconspicuous into his own drink and proceeded to down the whole thing. 

—-

For a brief, anger fueled moment, Isa considered pulling her sunglasses down to let stone take over every inch of this creep but she stopped when she remembered that Kieran could get caught up in that as well. Not to mention the other bar patrons staring in their direction. She didn’t need any audience for her ability and had somehow managed to avoid that happening to this day. Besides, it wasn’t the first time she’d been called a bitch and it wouldn’t be the last, her anger mostly fueled by the man’s audacity in trying to get away with the sleaziest of moves he could. 

But then she watched as the man’s anger seemed to melt into a look of pure…elation? Kieran’s words drifted over the chatter of the crowd to her, the lamia letting her bewildered gaze settle on her new friend when the asshole followed the instructions that had been given. What the hell had just happened? How could Kieran turn this around on the other so easily? 

Who cared as long as the creep was subdued?

Isa felt her lips lift, the shock wearing down into amusement. Was it a little terrifying knowing he could have that control over someone, over her? Yea, it was, but if he hadn’t used it on her yet she was pretty sure he wasn’t going to. “That was a fun trick.” Her low voice mixed in with the music but it was enough for him to hear. She held a hand out for him to take, wanting to get him away from the shit stain next to him as quickly as possible even when he’d already taken care of it. “I think me and you have some things to talk about. Have you been cheating this whole time?”

—-

It wasn’t until the empty glass landed back on the table that Kieran detached himself from the man, the taste that wasn’t really a taste still managing to linger on the back of his tongue, stronger still than the aftertaste of tequila and salt. Turning his gaze away from the disoriented figure, he seemed to remember suddenly that he had company who had watched the whole thing transpire. Isa’s expression had just morphed from confusion to enjoyment and Kieran didn’t really care what she thought but he appreciated that she seemed to share his morals on this, too. Even if she didn’t understand it. 

So he accepted the offered hand, not even wasting a glance back at the man still trying to get his bearings. The commotion that started around him did indicate that his antics might be getting him thrown out though, which was a relief. Maybe he’d think twice before attempting shit like that again - not that it was Kieran’s problem and he certainly wouldn’t be worrying about strangers. 

Sure, maybe forcing the man to literally have a taste of his own medicine would prove some sort of deterrent but that hadn’t been why he’d done it. Just revenge, pure and simple. And Kieran certainly wasn’t drawing any parallels between himself and the creep because there was no need - he’d never used his abilities for that purpose. The unease from before was still present so he was more than grateful for the topic change Isa was providing, an easy smile sliding onto Kieran’s lips. 

“I didn’t break any of our rules,” Kieran assured her, letting himself be led to a more quiet corner of the bar, at the same time wishing he had a drink in hand while also unsure he could stomach one with the taste of… wrong still in his mouth. “Where would be the fun in playing if I cheated, anyway?” His smile grew and it helped, distracted him, so he continued. “Alright then, ask away. Only fair that you get answers in return for your heroics.” 

—-

She wouldn’t let go of his hand. At first, it was more subconscious than anything but as they sat down in a quieter area she still held on to it even after the realization. Despite his smile and the way he seemed to slip back into their teasing banter, Isa knew that something like that could shake the most sturdy of people out there and she wanted him to know that she was there. She wasn’t going anywhere so long as he wanted to still be in that bar. “I guess my first question is…are you okay?” She wouldn’t have been. She would still be trying to find a way to hurt that guy if it had happened to her and she was a little impressed that Kieran had shown some control in only making him drink what had been intended for her friend. “We can talk about it if you need to.” 

Heroics. She frowned at that word, not liking that something that should be classified as human decency was called heroic. It was sad that they needed to watch each other's backs like this anyway but getting praised for the help felt wrong somehow. “It was what anyone would do, no need to reward me for it.” Something she hoped was true. Had others seen the man doing what he was doing and turned a blind eye? Because that was screwed up in so many ways. 

Regardless, she did have other questions for him, Isa glad that he wasn’t refusing to answer even if the reason he was doing so wasn’t the easiest to swallow down. “So, you…have some sort of mind control? What are you, an X-men?” A dumb joke, the lamia realizing that she wasn’t sure how to go about the questioning. It wasn’t usually her asking the questions but the other way around. “How long have you been able to do that?” Someone had to curse him as well, right? “And why? What did you do to be cursed?”

—--

Well, that wasn’t the sort of questioning he’d been opening himself up for. “Why wouldn’t I be? You stepped in before I had a drink and he got what he deserved,” Kieran replied nonchalantly, letting his hand slip from Isa’s under the guise of readjusting his rings, a stray lock of hair, anything that needed fixing to complete this very believable picture of composure. He didn’t mind the physical contact, that was hardly ever something he shied from but the implication that he needed his hand held was simply inaccurate. Aside from wishing that maybe he’d done more to exact a just revenge, Kieran was fine and not plagued by thoughts or doubts of any kind. 

For a woman who had jumped at the chance to play a game involving toying with other people, she seemed rather convinced that kindness was an inherent thing rather than selfishness. People, humans or otherwise, were self-serving at their very core. Not to say they couldn’t be kind if they chose to but rarely to their own detriment. Isa had nothing to lose from helping him, she was trying to form a new connection, something useful and that would have been hard to do if the creep had been left unchecked. “Think of it as evening the score, then,” Kieran insisted, unwilling to simply accept it as an ‘anyone would have helped’ kind of situation. And he could tell she was dying to ask her questions, anyway. 

Huffing a laugh at her joke, Kieran leaned back with a raised eyebrow. “Oh no, you’re a geek?” he asked in mock disappointment, letting her ask the actual questions before providing any real answers, even if the part about being cursed gave him pause. “Not cursed,” he started slowly, brows furrowed in slight confusion. “Just born like this. Although it took a bit of time to refine the so called ‘mind control’. It’s more of a… power of suggestion type of deal. With quite a lot of power.” 

—--

Isa bit into her bottom lip to refrain from saying anything stupid. Obviously Kieran didn’t want to talk about it and she would respect that but the concern was clear. She would still be there if he ever did. “Right, I’m just glad I saw it before you drank anything.” He was fidgeting with his appearance but she still stayed quiet, not sure if he was uncomfortable because of her asking when he really was okay or if he did need to talk but didn’t know how. “Do you want a drink? This ones on me and will not be out of my sight for a second.”

She still didn’t like what he was implying. She wasn’t the best person in the world, Ruth’s death proved that, and she could be selfish when it came to having fun but she never expected payment of any kind for keeping someone safe. Isa liked to think she learned something on top of that water tower six years ago…inside that prison for the years that she was behind bars…but his words made it feel like she couldn’t look out for someone else without expecting a transaction of some sort. It made her wonder if she’d learned anything at all. “If that’s what you want.” Because ultimately his feelings did matter here and she would do what made him comfortable no matter how conflicted she was about it.

Mouth opening to convey false shock, she raised a hand to her chest as if she were ‘clutching pearls’ as they say. “Um, that’s queen geek to you. I may read a few comic books here and there but I’m still cool enough to hang out with you, right?” Her hand fell slowly, confusion seeping back in. If he wasn’t cursed then he wasn’t a lamia like herself. She knew there were other things out there, she’d fought a giant ugly bird with a zombie after all, but she didn’t know what else there was. “Born, not cursed.” Which…could happen to lamia too but she’d already established that wasn’t what he was. “Not lamia but a…” She trailed off, allowing him to finish the sentence.

—--

It didn’t quite seem like Isa believed him, not that there was anything to believe except for the truth but she stopped pushing. Good. Kieran enjoyed her company, however briefly they’d known one another, but not enough for him to suffer through more questions about his emotional state. Her puppy dog gaze was pushing it, though. “You’re broke,” he answered simply, hoping the slightly clipped tone would be enough of a hint for her to drop the ‘caring friend’ act. It was entirely unnecessary. 

Luckily, she seemed capable of leaving the doom and gloom of whatever she thought Kieran was supposed to be feeling behind, falling back into the joking atmosphere more fitting for two people who were basically strangers. “It’s a good thing you’re pretty and sly or the comic book thing would have been a real setback,” he told her with a wink. As Isa mulled his words, Kieran risked a glance over her shoulder, catching a glimpse of an eerily familiar face being led through a door to one of the backrooms. He’d heard stories of humans that got brought through there, most importantly that they rarely came back out. The smile on his face turned a touch more genuine as the attention turned back to Isa. 

“Lamia?” he parrotted with a scoff of disbelief, shaking his head. If there were lamia out there capable of anything even remotely close to what Kieran could do then a certain shifter had been holding out on him, which he doubted was the case. The bit about curses was new information, though. “Why would you think lamia? No, I’m fae. Think less reptiles, more magical.” No reason to tell her about the deer part - this information was being provided on a need to know basis. 

—-

“Ouch.” It was the truth but damn that had been blunt. Isa wasn’t hurt though, couldn’t be hurt by something that she’d come to terms with a long time ago. This was how her life was going to be as an ex con. Jobs were scarce and they used her record as an excuse to not pay her as much…not that Alistair ever did that but the ones before had. “I think I can afford ten dollars for a drink but fine. Nothing for you.” She lifted her chin, nose stuck in the air before he was moving on again, choosing to concentrate on the more playful topic. 

Rolling her eyes at his words, she sat back in the booth, relinquishing any thoughts of taking his hand again. It was clear he didn’t want the comfort so she would fully let it go. “For some reason I feel like that’s high praise coming from you. I’ll take it.” Glancing his way, she noticed his gaze was elsewhere, but he was grinning like before. Turning her head, Isa just missed the door to the back room closing. Whatever it had been made him happy and that was good in her book.

Oh, was he offended by that? The few other lamia she had met were proud to be what they were so she couldn’t fathom him not declaring it just like they had. But apparently he was something else entirely. “What is fae? I don’t know what that is.” More magical? Isn’t that what her own ability was? Isn’t that what all lamia were due to a spell? “Sorry, I thought…” She knew what he was and despite not wanting to spread her own abilities around maybe she needed to explain why she was so confused. Fair was fair? She just couldn’t bring herself to say it was her specifically so she compromised. “I just know a lamia who…has a rare ability too. I thought maybe that was what was going on with you.”

—-----

Kieran gave a shrug - hurting her hadn’t been the purpose of the blunt statement, merely a casualty of the mission of getting her to back off. He wouldn’t apologize, worse things had obviously happened to Isa than someone pointing out her financial status and it was reassuring that she didn’t let a single (albeit slightly bitchy) comment get to her. Plus, he had started the night off by buying her a drink. “I’ll get someone I like less with more money to buy me one later,” he said offhandedly, even if he was still unsure another drink was on the menu for tonight. It wasn’t late but it also wasn’t so early that leaving now would be unusual. Maybe checking in on some familiar company tonight was the way to go. 

But Isa could have his attention for a little while longer. 

It wasn’t too much of a surprise when the word ‘fae’ made people blink dumbly at him, the secret keeping part of their culture quite a big one. Kieran didn’t take it as seriously as many others but it still didn’t benefit him to advertise it. “It’s fine,” he said with a wave of his hand, wondering if he even had the energy to explain fae lore. “Pretty broad subject. Didn’t really dress up like this to sit around teaching, though,” Kieran added with a halfhearted gesture at himself, humming a distracted sound of agreement at her words, the buzzing of his phone snatching his attention. The text was neither urgent nor very important but it was exactly the kind of familiar company he had let his mind wander to. Isa had her perks but he didn’t like the idea of feeding on her and since she couldn’t provide quite the same kind of distraction, Kieran jumped at the opportunity.  “Ah, that’s my cue.” He managed to sound at least somewhat apologetic as he stood, offering her a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “I wouldn’t mind a rematch. On the off chance you win that one, maybe I answer a few more of your fae questions,” Kieran told her, ready to hurriedly follow the promise that text held before pausing, as if remembering something. “Oh, and this is a fae bar, just so you’re aware. So no saying thank you to anyone, sweetheart.”