#feel free for whatever length

[katabay]

original thief series basso & garrett :)

ngl, it's about quality over quantity for me. an npc can have a total of three minutes of screen time, but if they have a cool name, they can live rent free in my head and I'll spend several hours trying to decipher drawable features from a blurry screenshot of pixels

there is a vague hint of a story here, and that's because every time I try to play thi4f, I get incredibly frustrated with how Not Fun the game play is. like, is the story good? well. but it has a PLAGUE. that should've given it instant 'I'll replay this once a year' status in my heart, but the game play sucks so bad that I've never finished it. I can't believe Not Fun gameplay beat out my obsession with narrative plagues.

anyway, the idea is basically if the original era had a game with a plague centric narrative and some other stuff I liked out of thi4f thrown into a narrative blender, with a heavy dash of horror thrown in because some parts of the thief games were scarier to me than entire dedicated horror genre games.

⭐ places I’m at! bsky / pixiv / pillowfort /cohost / cara.app

[glacialswordsman]

@inblazes | closed starter.

Tink, tink, tink.

With every step Kaeya made into the otherwise peaceful night within the city of Mondstadt, the little spheres that decorated his anklets clinked against the metal. It wasn’t a loud sound by any means, as Kaeya was generally light-footed, but any trained ear would still be able to hear him as he silently walked the paved paths of the city that led out the gates.

Restless—he was terribly restless. Ever since Kaeya’s return from his getaway with Ajax in Sumeru, things felt…off. Initially, he was content to be home, all his worries having been left behind in the Nation of Wisdom all thanks to that darling man with ginger hair. He and Ajax have gotten closer ever more as they spent weeks together, away from their duties and away from everything that had been haunting them. It was just the two of them, salvaging their relationship and coming out stronger than they had ever been. Together. It was well-needed, no matter how much Kaeya had believed he didn’t deserve any of it.

It was evident in the way he had been smiling so brilliantly once he returned to Mondstadt. It was so apparent that he was able to see the expressions of relief many folks wore when they welcomed him home. He did notice some…apprehension, lining some of their faces, and honestly it should have set off alarms in his head the moment he felt something was off. However, he paid it no mind, as he was instead reveling in the feeling of practically walking on air compared to the previous months.

Ever since his most recent fight with his br—…

... With Master Diluc.

Recalling it sent a sharp pang through the Alberich man’s chest, yet he recovered quickly and pressed on as he headed towards the Angel’s Share to indulge in a few drinks and catch up with the usual barflies, as well as Charles—and that’s where those feelings of restlessness began.

Stepping upon the worn, dirt roads towards Starfell Valley, Kaeya winced as he remembered the day of his return.

He remembers swinging the door of the Angel’s Share wide open, gleefully calling out to Charles and announcing his return—only to suddenly freeze in his spot as his eye didn’t catch familiar brunet locks, but instead a mane of flames. His jovial expression fell immediately and instead gave way to something else entirely.

Shame.

It was as though a bucket of frigid, glacial waters was dumped right over his head, the air surrounding him shifting and becoming absolutely chilling towards anyone nearby.

Kaeya felt like he had been glued to his spot for ages, yet in reality, it was only a few seconds. However, it was a few too many. He had been caught off-guard and failed to slip on his mask quick enough, fumbling with it before finally donning it with a cordial smile towards the Ragnivindr man.

It seems his time in Sumeru made him lax.

He had approached the bar and ordered a bottle of Dandelion Wine to take back home, even offering his greetings to Diluc, before leaving the Tavern altogether to return home.

The guilt of that interaction, though, was not the only thing that made him restless. There was something stirring, something that he couldn’t quite put a finger on—but it made whatever had been docile up until now start howling within him. He was frustrated, feeling as though his every instinct had dulled since his vacation. It all became clear, though, once he thought back on Ajax and realized that what he sensed during their very first encounter is what he's sensing now. The Abyss.

It’s not the Chasm, no. It’s not as though something had been unearthed—but rather, it felt as though something had been…

Completed.

Even the Ordo caught onto some strange movements regarding the Abyss Order, and while normally they would be more cautious on how to tackle this situation, Kaeya was more than willing to investigate it for them. It was, admittedly, a little suspicious of him to take up such a job on his own so quickly, but he needed to know. He needed to put some of these tumultuous feelings within him to rest, and the only way to do that was by understanding what was going on. Thus, the reason for his late-night trek towards the Thousand Winds Temple, in search of someone that may have the answers.

[narilily]

WHO: Nari & @xespietamayo

WHERE: Lavender Lane

WHEN: April, 2023

Slowly but surely, they were starting to see customers -- friends stopping by to see what little seedlings they could get their hands on, newcomers who were looking to get bulbs to plant as soon as the ground thawed, or even a few stragglers just wanting to green up the inside of their house. And Nari? Well, she was in her element. Doubly so when she saw a familiar face and felt herself grinning. "Hey, gorgeous! Long time no see!"

[inursoulkitchen]

Headcanons of hangster as girl dad's, please. I love all of your hangster headcanons!

OB MY GOD IM SORRY THIS WAS LATE!!!

They actually KILL ME as Girl dads because it’s so true

Jake would be an absolute natural at it because he grew up with his mom and 4 sisters and then, later on, 3 nieces (and 3 nephews). So he’s pretty great with kids, especially girls. Jake loves all things barbie and will actually correct their daughters if they get something from the films wrong. He loves combing their hair and braiding it in different ways, making sure they look nice and put together for school. He loves encouraging them in their interests (soccer?? he’s gonna be cheering on the sidelines all day long. horse riding? baby jake is already a professional. ballet? you best believe he’s buying them the cutest damn outfits ever). he’s so great with calming them down aswell. when his and roos girls were babies they had a habit of crying as soon as they were put down so for the first couple of months they would simply fall asleep against jakes chest because the minute they would turn into him they would be out like a light. (bradley is NOT jealous but that’s his spot and he can relate to the comfort it brings.)

bradley would struggle a bit more as he grew up an only child and never really had any interaction with kids bedsides jakes nieces and nephews as he got older. but as much as he struggles, kids and animals all seem to love bradley regardless if he doesn’t really know what he’s doing. i can just picture bradley not having a CLUE how to hold a baby either and jake nearly breaks down crying when he first witnesses it. He also probably panics when the girls start crying at first and just holds them out in front of him and stares really scared and unaware of what to do. but he would get so so much better because he loves his girls so much and would just want to know how he can make them feel better and would do anything for them. as he gets older they take full advantage of bradley’s slightly longer, and curlier, hair and will tie it in whatever way they see fit.

jake, their daughters and bradley sit in a line in front of the couch with jake doing the girls hair and the girls attempting to do bradley’s, copying what jakes doing and pulling multiple strands out in the process. but you will not hear a peep of complaint out of bradley even when they move onto the eyeshadow.

bradley loves taking his girls on different adventures and this includes them following him whever he is going that day. to the beach and teaching them how to swim and stand up on a surfboard. at the grocery store and letting them sit high up on his shoulders picking out the cereal they want. to work for the day and showing them off to all his colleagues.

this is so long and i’m really sorry😭😭😭

and when bradley finally settles to teaching and therefore is home a lot more often than jake i can just imagine him being such a lenient parent in comparison to jake like letting the girls have sweets and stay up slightly later and sleeping in the bed with bradley and when jake comes after a deployment it is CHAOS in the house.

[scumbag-the-hedgehog]

@galaxofmuses

Crisp, cool air. Soft green blades of grass moving in waves. Another idyllic zone. Probably full of total wimps practically begging for an ass-kicking. But Scourge didn't have time to waste terrorizing random civilians, he was here for the main course. Pretty much every zone he scoured, he could find some version of the blue blur. And this place looked like it was up Sonic's alley. Popping the shrinking warp ring back into his jacket pocket, he took a few stretches, cracking his knuckles before looking out at the horizon over his tinted shades. Time to do a little scouting. A devilish grin plastered on his face showing off a mouth full of dagger-like teeth, the hedgehog took off, kicking up a cloud of dirt as he started hunting down the newest version of his nemesis.

[fatesown]

@phantomrune. // starter call. // accepting.

"Tell me. What do you fight for?"

[scndor]

@ashedrose ⊹ plotted starter

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐈𝐒𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐌𝐀𝐊𝐄𝐒 𝐇𝐈𝐌 𝐔𝐍𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐘. it hardly feels as though they are still in westeros most days. when he is by himself , he feels far too alone. and when he is not , he feels like an outsider. watched too carefully.

sandor supposes he should be grateful for the shelter and the freedom it offers while he figures out what is next for him. little of him is expected and the lack of purpose is wearing at his own sanity. sandor would have preferred to drop margaery off and return to kill his brute of a brother before the coming war claims his life first. he cannot , however , go back to kings landing , not while cersei rules. not while his brother stands as her shadow. no , gregor is untouchable now. sandor would find a way eventually. his fate is written in stone and sandor finds it in himself to be patient.

sandor prefers to stay indoors these days. the reason behind that choice is not one that he cares to dwell on. when the sun begins to set , he allows himself out on one of the upper balconies — one he has found margaery returning from on more than one occasion. nice view of the sunset , or something he supposes. his heavy footsteps announce his entrance , soles of his boots scraping against the solid , rocky ground that is found all throughout the castle. upon spotting her on the balcony , he walks over to stand beside her. eyes mostly down and not out. and this is becoming a habit of his — finding her. she is more like home than anyone else around and he supposes he can accept that she brings him comfort. why he desires this comfort more frequently each day , he cannot say.

❝ do you actually enjoy watching the damned sunset or do you do it because you're playing a lady? ❞ sandor asks quietly in hopes of keeping the conversation between the two. like embroidery , he thinks. there's no way women actually enjoy embroidery. but they sit there and they do it. got to be an act. something to remind the world that they're ladies , as if it would ever forget.

[howthesleeplesswander]

surprise starter for @greedbent because Baizhu saw my other muses bothering his "secret" crush and refused to be left out 😤

"I have a prediction. Would you like to hear it?" Changsheng's voice floated into the front room of the pharmacy from somewhere up in the rafters. She hadn't shown herself once since he'd begun work that morning; Baizhu had assumed she'd been with Qiqi or Gui.

"Well, don't leave me in suspense," the doctor replied airily. Faced with a break in patients for the afternoon, Baizhu had begun filling prescriptions. Even while conversing, practiced hands moved of their own accord: one adding leaves and petals from the trays of mint and qingxin beside him to a large medicinal cauldron, while the other worked the milky substance within beneath a starsilver pestle.

Naturally though, Changsheng did exactly that. He'd nearly forgotten she'd said anything by the time she divulged her 'prediction.' "Sssomething tellsss me that today isss about to get interesssting."

Baizhu hummed, attention fixed on his work. "Oh? What makes you say that?"

Her answering snicker came from directly above him. He paused as Changsheng dropped onto his shoulders so he wouldn't spill anything. "You'll sssee sssoon enough," was all she said as she adjusted her coils, and the doctor shook his head fondly. With her affinity for the vague and riddled, sometimes Baizhu wondered if his companion wasn't some long-lost adeptus in disguise.

Minutes passed with only the scrape of the pestle along the cauldron's base to fill the silence. Then footsteps sounded on the stairs leading up to the pharmacy—but there was something...unique about them. Not just a rhythmic tap-tap of shoes on pavement, but with an additional tone layered in unison. Metal on stone. Tap-tapclink.

That could only mean...

Ah. Well, in all fairness, Changsheng was rarely wrong about these things.

Baizhu didn't look up until the steps arrived in the entryway. To anyone else, the sight of a man clad in all black, gazing into their shop with such intent, sharp eyes may be cause for alarm. But Baizhu simply smiled, hands pausing to give his newfound visitor his undivided attention.

"Why, Kaz, what a pleasant surprise. How nice to see you." Likely not a sentiment heard often, but it was entirely sincere. He pointedly ignored Changsheng's muttered 'I told you' that tickled his ear. "Is there something I can do for you? Oh—unless you're here for your 'prescription'?"

The code word was second-nature despite there being no one else in the pharmacy to overhear. With a grin so pleasant adorning his features, the doctor certainly appeared to be speaking of a legitimately prescribed medication, rather than the special-ordered poison that currently sat fermenting on his kitchen counter. "It's nearly finished, but I'm afraid it needs another hour or so to infuse for maximum...potency." There was a dark edge to the chuckle that rolled in his chest. "We must be sure it's strong enough to take care of the problem, mustn't we?"

[lounaticm]

🍓

🍄 (yes I did this on purpose)

🍬 (yes I am enabling you)

☁️

🩷(not on the list just wanted to spread some love 😊)

🍓- How did you get into writing fanfiction? --- I kind of just... have always been doing so. From the moment I first started adoring certain shows or movies or books as a kid, I've been writing fanfiction. In fact, it took a very long time for me to even learn the term 'fanfiction' and realize "Oh. That's what this is. Neat!" (I believe I was very early teens when I first saw the term online.) From the moment I first started writing stories (which came about very shortly after I first learned how to write at all) there was only a short year or two time where I wasn't writing fanfiction. (Hell, my mom still has those short, one page stories I'd write back then. I don't know if it was simply a typo on my part or if I was just really morbid, but they almost always ended with 'And they died.'😂)

🍄- Share a headcanon for one of your favorite ships or pairings. --- (lol, of course you did. And for that, I'm going to give more than one heh~)

Well, I'm not sure if I've stated so here or not (I know I've certainly shared with my best friend over Discord) but I imagine the DA and Damien pretty much fell in love at first sight. And my rendition of the DA doesn't believe in love at first sight lol, yet still got steamrolled with it anyways, realizing what the feeling was just two hours after they met - but being in denial of it being anything more than a crush for months after. Clearly, Love At First Sight took offense to the disbelief lol

Damien's cane and mayor ribbon were a gift from the DA upon winning the election. The ribbon was just a cheeky joke, there was no thought or intent that Damien would go on to actually wear it beyond a few hours after having it pinned to his suit in congratulations by a grinning DA once news arrived that he'd won. Yet, he went on to wear it all the time - regardless of what few people moaned and complained that he was 'bragging' or the like. It came from his Little Monster, so of course he was going to keep wearing it.

As for the cane, it has a sword inside - but only Damien's close friends and family know of it. The DA gave it to him as a covert means of self-defense (though he never had any need to use it) as Damien learned swordsmanship growing up for fun. (Yeah, I'm not the first person to imagine that Damien's cane is a sword cane, I know. In fact, I used to not care for the idea, but it quickly grew on me lol)

🍬- Post an unpopular opinion about a popular fandom character. --- (Oh, I LOVE being enabled to talk about this ssfvsfvsfvf thank you! I don't know if this is actually unpopular, or simply not spoken of/depicted as much, but)

Dark is NOT evil, cruel, cold, or manipulative.

He is miserable and depressed and drowning in guilt over what happened to the DA (regardless of the fault not being his) and wants revenge on the Actor - though he's quickly lost most drive to actually track the bastard down.

Not once has he ever harmed the viewer character. He's been cryptic, yes, and a little creepy in Date (though I take that portrayal with a grain of salt these days, as he wasn't properly developed as a character yet, it being his first canonical appearance and all) but on that same point, he showed to care more about the viewer's feelings over having shot someone than Mark did. If you listen to his dialogue (or read a transcript) when he and Mark are trying to convince us who to shoot, nothing he says is a lie. In Heist, he seemed only to want to wake the viewer up to the nature of what was going on, stuck in the Actor's games. He nudged us in the right direction with the clues to be found at each ending.

And with the inclusion of the implications given at the end of ISWM, he may have set the entire string of events of AHWM in motion deliberately to get a chance to speak with us to try to help us. Why else would he very likely seemingly attach the warp crystal to that box, which we would then after go to try to steal? Why else would he then simply pull us aside - separate us from Mark - and speak to us, rather than use the opportunity to try to get revenge on the Actor, who was right there?

Being the "villain" has never been his goal.

☁️- What made you choose your username? --- Okay, so. My mom gave me the nickname 'Lou' when I was in my mid-teens. There's no basis upon my name at all for why she did so. Even she doesn't know why she gave me the nickname. (She's just rather silly like that lol) At first I hated it, asked her not to call me that, but it just kept happening and I realized that it would undoubtedly continue to happen - not maliciously, mind you - so I kinda just gave in and had the thought of 'oh, I could make it into a different spelling of the word 'lunatic'.' cause, yeah, edgy teen lol. And I became very fond of it, making it my username across many websites and accounts. I always pair it with either the number 13 or letter 'm', cause 13 is my favorite number and 'm' is the first letter of my birth name lol

~~~

Oh boy, I get rambly. 😂😅 And you are entirely too sweet. 🥺😊 Thank you so much for sending in all the asks that you do, I really appreciate it.

Tagging @kiwibubbles5 because I figure you'll wanna see me rant about our boy lol... again...

[here-there-were-dragons]

every time i think the "staff can do no wrong and any form of complaining or expressing literally anything other than "yaaay love it <3" with no further comments is bashing and literally evil we should never say anything that could even potentially be interpreted as mildly critical ever because ~some artist who worked hard on this is probably reading the forums and might feel bad if we ever express anything but praise~ also we must be constantly positive at all times unless we're passive-aggressively shaming someone for having an extremely polite and apologetically worded criticism and if you ask the staff for literally anything you had better be prepared to preface it with 3 paragraphs of apologizing for breathing air" attitude is bad on tumblr, i take one look at the forums, and holy fucking hell is it SO much worse on site

[shopcat]

i feel like i've never ever said i've just implied it but my special interest is animals and zoology LOL obviously ... but in the way that it's incredibly long lasting and it's just like a part of me it's my bones so it kind of runs in the background like a tabbed program but sometimes i stack something else on top (keep a program open maybe...) or have a fixation/particularly strong interest i honesrlt can't tell the difference sometimes. my last spin was st of course but a:tla is like a return to my childhood one that lasted a couple years and was always a normal interest regardless ^_^

[sanguinelupus]

@the-last-doppelganger

There isn't much that brings shock to Klaus anymore. He has lived far too many lifetimes to be surprised by anything or anyone. The curse of eternity is the absence of wonder; he now knows why the people he was born into worshipped the gods they did, why each story had a purpose, why the seasons change. None of it is mystical or spiritual at all -- even though at one point in his life, he truly believed it so.

Klaus no longer expects good from people, either. People are deceiving, and only serve their own purposes. He is one of those people. Which is why Klaus is not shocked in the slightest to find Elena alive and well after he has spent months attempting to find werewolves to turn into hybrids, only for them to die shortly after. Her living through the ritual was never supposed to happen, and now Klaus's entire plan is ruined. His goal for the last thousand years has been rendered utterly useless by this band of teenage sycophants and their baby vampire protectors.

It angers him, but it does not shock him.

There is one aspect of the current situation that has managed to surprise him, though. There is something different about Elena's presence that he cannot place. Klaus managed to know exactly where she was in town the moment he arrived, and not because of an educated guess. He knew precisely where she was, and could feel her presence the moment he stepped foot in the same building. It's how he managed to take her by surprise so easily, as ironic as it is.

Even now, as he waits for answers from the witch, Klaus can sense every move Elena makes before she makes it. His eyes follow her, study her, even as she is unaware of him doing so because she is so focused on Stefan. There is something different here, but Klaus is not going to focus on it when there are other more pressing matters at hand.

It's only after the situation is resolved that he finally allows his mind to drift back to the shift he'd felt. Stefan is fixed, Tyler is a hybrid, and Elena is safely tucked into a hospital bed as her blood is drawn for him. The smell of it is far more potent to him than it had been when he'd drank from her that night, and he only has a moment to ponder on it before he senses her waking from her sleep. He senses it well before it actually happens, which has him tilting his head at her as she wakes.

"Careful, love," he says, questioned look still on his face as he stands over her. "You're now precious cargo. But what do you say we have a little chat, hm? I've some questions for you, if you don't mind."

[occkalt]

At first, Kat was over the moon when the ritual seemed to actually work.

It was hard to hold back her excitement! After all, she'd fully been expecting it to be a scam, just like the rest of them - so when she got over the initial shock of realizing that yes, she wasn't dreaming, and this really was real, she'd practically leapt for joy with a grin on her face before skipping along to explore the world she'd found herself in.

Now, though... It's been a while. An hour, maybe? And Kat hasn't run into anyone yet, but more importantly - she doesn't know how to get home. She followed the ritual instructions exactly, so she should be safe, and there should be a way back, but... what she's been seeing is nothing like what she was expecting. It's cold, and dark, and she doesn't know if she's landed herself in a place where everyone's just asleep in their houses, or if there's no-one here at all to begin with...

...It's scary. She doesn't want to admit it, so she kicks her fear aside as best she can - after all, she knew the risks coming in, and no-one said that her goal was going to be easy to achieve. When she reminds herself of what she's accomplished, the warm buzzing of triumph in her chest is almost enough to ward away the cold. But... she does need to find shelter, soon.

Suddenly, she sees someone - a human-looking individual, even! - and suddenly she brightens up. As she approaches, the rush of nervousness still runs through her veins, but still...

"Hey! You're... Are you from around here?"

@g0ir ( starter for annie! )

[sunfollows]

a small starter for @lucidrims !!

"so ... here's the thing. i have this thing with my friends in a few days, and i kind of maybe, accidentally implied that i'd be bringing someone. so .. um. is there any chance you'd wanna go with me ?? there'll be free food !! great atmosphere for pictures or whatever too." he hesitates, fidgeting a little. "i will literally do anything you want. seriously."

[thervnaways]

( ready, set, @thekoolkat​! )

                                      “you know what pisses me off?” brooklyn takes a deep breath, though seemingly already seething. hand curls in on itself, as if crushing an invisible can, while she grits her teeth. “when people think they can tell me what to do. like--” before she can go rant about everything that bothers her about said specific thing, she looks back at the other with an expectant gaze. “you get what i’m saying, right?”

[swiftscion]

Star Walkin’

The night sky is a black canvas, painted over with falling streaks of iridescent color. Tonight, during this very special occasion, meteors flicker and dance over the heads of Fodlaners. They are the paints that make up a bustling scene overhead, a masterpiece made by the hand of the cosmos. They earn the attention of every starry-eyed child in the region, and their parents too. Many have decided to stay up to watch the phenomenon. Among them is Larcei of Isaach. 

She had always found a close connection with celestial bodies. The prided Astra of her home borrows both nomenclature and resemblance to a shooting star--the technique comparable to a blinding streak of light crashing against an opponent. But more than that, the stars have been her guide. As her search for her mother continues, they are all that remains certain in life. They will never change, they will always have their place in the sky to lead her wherever she must go. Larcei owes it to them to be out and about during a meteor shower.

Some students lay in grassy fields, others sit amidst the dust of the training grounds, and the shyer ones merely watch from their windowsill, but the Isaachian has snuck onto her own spot: Star Terrace. It is a little-known secret of the monastery, but the perfect place to watch events like these unfold before her. 

Only, she is not alone.

A second student, known of by Larcei, seen around in the hallway once or twice, beat her to the punch. Hilda Valentine Goneril. How she got up there remains a mystery to her, but not one she’s willing to question. Instead, she is just now returning with a platter of snacks from the kitchen stores. They’re leftovers from Midsommar; sweets that won’t go bad no longer how long they’re left out. Someone has to polish them off, right? 

“I’m back!” she chimes, returning to her place on the terrace, setting the plate between them. “There was still a lot left, surprisingly enough. Help yourself! I’ve grabbed a bit of everything.” 

//starter for @delicatevalentine