#full of mystery and snarky characters!

[fetchingsapphic]

Do you like web series, gay people, and mystery? If yes, you’ll LOVE Roman Tragedy, the best web series around!

If you liked web series like Carmilla, High’rd Help, and All For One, then Roman Tragedy should be your next watch!

I am a producer for a 6 episode web series, and we would love it if you checked us out! We released our first episode a few weeks ago and are releasing weekly on Fridays at 8pm ET. If you’re interested, you should definitely click the links below :)

Roman Tragedy is a 6 episode web series following a group of friends as they recount the night one of them is murdered.

Here’s the link to check us out: https://youtube.com/@RomanTragedyWebSeries

You can also check out our Instagram to keep up to date with all things Roman Tragedy: https://www.instagram.com/roman.tragedy.official?igsh=MThpc3Q4c3BzZ3poMg==

Have any questions about the series? Send me an anon, and I’ll answer anything about the show!

[colourstreakgryffin]

I had a silly idea, what about an Cheshire Cat!reader x Alastor? (Feel free not to do this dearie ( ·∀·) )

Haha. OMFG. A Cheshire Cat would really match with Alastor well! So, thank you, Lady Beelzebub! I’ll try this out!

Alastor- A Little Game

Vaggie has been so frustrated. Charlie has been trying to ease the crew. Husk is on the verge of murdering somebody. Niffty is annoyed that her cleaning equipment is gone. Angel is quite amused by what’s going on and Alastor is very invested in the cause

Lately, the Hazbin Hotel has been dealing with a suddenly appearing invisible menace causing pranks after pranks nonstop; locking or trapping up doors, stealing items and storing them high up, whispering out in the halls at night

Alastor didn’t suspect he’d ever run into the culprit of all this trouble but he has. After Charlie had been giving Vaggie a calmdown pep talk, the Princess politely asked Alastor to check around the hallways for any more prank remnants, the Overlord did so, just to see what he may find… and he made a incredible discovery

A floating cat-like sinner with magenta and pink colouring, most importantly, a big Cheshire wide grin. A rival of Alastor’s own smile and with almost half a body, as if cut in half

The sinner was in the midst of setting up a trap consisting a big silver bucket full of thick blood over the top of Alastor’s own hotel room door, but they’ve been caught in the act

And Alastor doesn’t plan on dealing out punishment… he’s too amused

“Ah… you must be the little troublesome beast causing so much disrupt in this Hotel?” Alastor asks almost immediately with literally no malice towards what’s been going on, his transatlantic accent smooth and almost making his voice sound more friendly and warm than he actually is as this cat sinner… or otherwise, you

Just giggles under your breath and disappears into thin air properly with the wide grin floating in the air for a few seconds almost magically before dissipating with you

“And if I have?” Your voice rings out after a few more seconds of silence, disembodied, invisible. You can’t be tracked with eyes but Alastor’s powerful magic can pinpoint where you are by detecting your own demonic magic, sharply looking over his shoulder to be greeted with your floating head

Just your head… no body, it’s like before when it was half of your torso. Now, it’s just your head. Your magic is a lot like the storybook fairytale character, Cheshire Cat

But that’s because you’re the most Cheshire Cat person anybody will ever met. Alastor couldn’t help but be so amused by you; you’re skilled, you’re snarky, you know what you’re doing and you’re resourceful, good at planning

Able to have avoided being caught by everybody in the Hotel for months now and you’re lucky enough to have been caught by the one member who enjoyed the chaos and madness the pranks caused

“I believe you must avoid the others if so” Alastor proclaims, almost mysterious and still silky in that radio-laced but classy and dapper tone as you tilt your head confused. For the first time, you’ve been snapped out of your mischievous chaotic demeanour

You suspected him to bark, to growl, to be annoyed so him not is so odd to you but quickly brushing it off, you manifest your whole body into frame. Cute fluffy striped cat-like ears flicking and long fluffy cat-like tail curling around, almost like a coil spring

You couldn’t really understand this Overlord, something you don’t like. You’d prefer people to be confused by you, by your style of insanity and madness, by your enjoyment of causing so much disorder and high-tension emotions

You were about to speak, basically floating over his shoulder before Alastor beats you to the punch. You can’t tell if you’ll like him or despise him with the way he speaks, almost condescending

“If you’re going to make my project topsy-turvy, I suggest do a better prank”

[theflashjaygarrick]

Today I want to talk about Cassandra Cain and the 'silent asian' trope.

From what I have read the silent Asian trope is seemingly a manifestation of the far older 'inscrutable Asian trope in Western culture and fiction. The inscrutable Asian trope positions Asian characters as the perpetual foreign other in comparison to a ''familiar' whiteness or Westernness. They are mercurial, mysterious, and 'exotic', hyper-competent and alluring but cold. Considering the white, Western gaze in which American media is created, these Asian characters are therefore constructed to be as distant and mysterious to the audience as they are to the characters. And it is in this way that Cass, even when she was (largely) silent challenges this trope.

I'm going to be analysing issue #2 of the Batgirl 2000 run. (it'll be a long post so I'm going to put this under a keep reading.

Cass is undoubtedly mysterious to the other (largely white) members of the Batfamily but through Batgirl 2000s the reader is made very aware of who she is. This is achieved through close narrative focus wherein the reader is more mostly supposed to be seeing the world from Cass’s perspective, not her from other peoples perspective.

This disparity between the inner world the audience is privy to and the external impression of her is made explicit in issue #2. We see explicitly that Babs finds Cass unknowable.

Cass’s shrug is snarky and she is smiling and looks pretty pleased with herself. But Barbara cannot understand what she means, and condescendingly berates Cass for not learning language and therefore not being able to talk to her like a ‘normal person’. Here we have a blatant case of the inscrutable Asian trope, but we aren’t meant to be seeing this story through Babs’ eyes. We’re seeing it through Cass’s.

Damon Scott’s art style here emphasises dynamic and clear expression over looking pretty or normal. Thus allows the reader to see the world through Cass’s eyes where the important information is equally communicated through pose and facial expressions. What would be micro expressions becoming macro expressions through Cass’s eyes. See how Babs’ friendly smile contorts into an exaggerated frown one panel apart. See again the smug and satisfied look on Cass’ face that in universe a skilled detective cannot decipher.

the characters in this (of all genders) are allowed to be expressive even when it is not attractive. The close ups are centred around their faces and their bodies in a way meant to convey emotion and unspoken thought, not sex appeal. Like compare this depiction of Babs and Cass to how Oracle is drawn by Ed Benes in birds of prey.

And unlike the inscrutable Asian Cass is allowed to be bold, opinionated, and snarky when silent. She’s allowed to have emotions so clear on her face that the reader can identify them beneath a full face mask. In a world where casting directors are still saying they don’t hire Asian actors because they ‘can’t emote enough’ drawing an Asian woman as one of the most expressive dc heroines is important.

In the rest of this Cass goes to find a missing man who she saved earlier in the issue. Oracle has located him in an abandoned derelict prison and Cass immediately throws herself into the situation. By the time she gets there however the man is already about to die. He’s been beaten too bad for anyone, even a Batgirl, to save him. And when he dies Cass stands there watching as the light leaves his eyes. She becomes brutal, although not murderous. And he when he dies he gives his wife the last letter he ever wrote. He asks this Batgirl to gave his final words to his wife.

Of course Cass does. And sees the tears drying in the widow’s eyes as the woman reads what he said (we don’t know what, Cass does not either). No other well meaning words or gestures can bring the relief and peace to that woman that his letter did. Seeing for the first time what the written word can mean to people Cass goes home to Oracle’s watchtowers and begins to try to learn to write.

And there we are one again introduced to the external perspective that sees Cass as unknowable. Who cannot begin to imagine what about seeing a man die after failing to save him would encourage her write when she never was interested before.

But we know. To the audience she is not inscrutable but instead a traumatised yet perfectly understandable young women. We are walked through her motives. see the world filtered through her point of view. Even with her speaking two words throughout this issue it is hard to call her silent.

[bleedingichorhearts]

𝐈𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐥𝐞 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐁𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭

𝕬𝖚𝖙𝖍𝖔𝖗: A very lecherous gift for you authors and readers.

𝕾𝖚𝖒𝖒𝖆𝖗𝖞: You have been tricked into believing one of your bonded’s needed your help, and they do, but it turns out it was much more. Way much more.

𝕬𝖉𝖉𝖎𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓𝖆𝖑 𝕹𝖔𝖙𝖊𝖘: Hura, Darsas & Blasius are bonded to the reader only for this despicable story. This is not canon.

𝕿𝖆𝖌𝖌𝖊𝖉: @kit-williams(It is almost exhausting to wright for 4 characters. How did you do your lovely Raven bois?), @egrets-not-regrets, @bispecsual, @gallifreyianrosearkytiorsusan, @sleepyfan-blog.

𝐒𝐞𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐝 𝐎𝐂’𝐬: Hura by @/gallifreyianrosearkytiorsusan & Darsas by @/sleepyfan-blog.

TW // Smut, Foursome, Breeding, Boobies, Marking, Overstimulation, Tentacles.

|°ᴛᴀɢ ʟɪꜱᴛ ᴀᴘᴘʟɪᴄᴀᴛɪᴏɴ°| |°ɪᴄʜᴏʀ’ꜱ ᴀᴏ3°| |°𝕄𝕒𝕤𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕃𝕚𝕤𝕥°|

Oh, how you should have known better than to trust one of your fellow friends that had called for you. Telling you that one of your lovers, mates, spouses, bonded has not been feeling well. Especially Hura, an Astartes of great strength and mystery to him as well as an Apothecary: A Astartes skilled in medicine.

So, the Astartes medic should have been alright, right? Though, by being a loving spouse. You choose to be ignorant of how your friend said those warning words to you. All full of snarkiness and hidden amusement, and yet… You continued on to see how your lover was doing, checking up on him. Fearing no one would help him despite being a well known Astartes.

Oh, how you should have known from the start.

“Hura!” You cry, arching your back into the bed as the Apothecary has his hand positioned lightly on the back of your head, pushing you down and keeping you pinned into his mattress. His huffing, hot breaths painting across that back of your neck as you can feel how his cock twitched inside of you, spilling his warm seed deep into your womb. His lips then nibbling; biting at the back of your neck.

“So sweet, little mouse.” Hura purrs down at you, gently into your ear. Sending a shiver down your spine. His form thrusting a few times when you do, gaining that little bit of extra friction while he groans. Pumping more of his seed into you. “Coming to my aid.”

“Perhaps, I shall call for you more often?” The Death Guard Apothecary thinks to himself. His breath tickling your neck as he started up again, slowly thrusting in and out of your marked walls. Your body completely melting underneath him as you bite into the sheets, muffly moaning into them. Not really expecting him to go at it again after a round or two, maybe more? “You seem so willing, so pretty…”

Hura doesn’t seem that he is quite done with you. Not at all actually… He can finally breed you with almost reckless abandon while you were just trying to help him with his situation after all. Walking into him at the wrong time. A time where most would prioritize this certain situation and should take a leave for it.

Admitly, you didn’t know what you were getting yourself into at first, but with a couple well played coos, praises and soft words towards you. You eventually inch closer to him, and he had you right where he wanted you. Nude and willing to provide relief for him.

The Apothecary can feel you withering underneath him, moaning and crying out for him, biting into the sheets below you. Pleasured tears running from your eyes as you didn’t expect such intense of an intercourse from a gentle Apothecary like Hura himself. It was not many times he would be so sexually driven to the point where he was rough and deep like he were to… like he was trying to breed you. Yet here he was, going at you once more, again and again. Driving your mind numb with your only thoughts about being him and only him.

Oh, such a sweet thing you are. You should know their breeding times. He has taught you all this before. Some have these… primal, sexual desires; the need to breed while others were more… normal as they can be. Telling you how overwhelming it can be for a baseline human like you. How most do not stop until they are satisfied with how well they stuff you with their mark, their kin and Hura the Apothecary was no exception to these delicious whims.

Soon as you entered through the doors of his quarters he doesn’t hesitate to lure you over. Cooing and talking to you softly, getting you ever closer to him before he snags you. Bringing you into a very intoxicating kiss. A kiss that has you buckling your knees and falling right into his hands. If you were to refuse the kiss, (which you didn’t.) He would have let you go, let himself suffer the primal drive of an aching cock. Though, he could always ask the other bonds to see if they can provide him the relief he craves for…

He groans again, pressing himself up against you more, squishing you lightly into his sheets. His own armored chest pressing gently up against your back, completely covering you in him: his scent, his mark, his body. Enjoying how well you taste on his rotting tongue as he continually nibbles and kitten licks all over your skin, pleasing his senses well.

“You are like the nectar out of the Garden of Decay.” He rumbles, his chest vibrating through his armor. His tongue giving you a lick at the back of your neck before returning to his mouth, savoring your taste with a hum. His nose coming in to nuzzle into the side of your neck, inhaling your scent. Comforting him that you wouldn’t leave him any time soon. That you would be stuck with him until he is finished with you.

“Rightfully sweet and savory.” He mumbles, purring into your skin. Shifting a bit against your back so you cannot wiggle without him allowing you to do so. One of his hands grasping at your hips while the other holds him from absolutely squishing you beneath his armor and weight. “I wonder if you taste just as good from the inside just as you do out?”

He knows the answer to that one, but he can’t help question it over and over again, like he almost forgets your taste, and by Nurgle he will swear that he won’t. It’s why he has to come back for more. To feel you move and rut into his face while his tongue explores the depths of your baseline anatomy. Drinking up anything your body can give him.

His body shivers as he climaxes again, nuzzling into you more. His hand on your hip keeping you in place as he can feel you shiver and whine; whimpering into the sheets. His cock twitching and stilling all the way inside of you, keeping you full of him.

Tucking his head into your neck. He snuggles on top of you all while keeping track of how much you can take from him. If you need any water or snacks for him to provide you with… your more fragile body. Listening to your stuttering breaths and slobbering moans you voice through his sheets as he purrs lightly at you, comforting you.

“You are doing so well for me, little mouse.” He praises, raising up a little from your body to look down at you properly on his bed. Keenly observing how your body was pinned tightly beneath him and how you were shaking slightly. His Apothecary side coming out just a bit. “Do you need any water, any food? Would you like to continue?”

“N-no, just want you.” It takes you a moment to respond considering his cock was still inside of you practically cockwarming you, and he had just railed you like… three times or more? “Always want you.”

“Oh, such sweet words my little mouse.” He can’t help but purr down at you. Placing his gauntlets on your ass and giving it a little squeeze. “Don’t let Blasius hear you say that.”

“Don’t let Blasius hear what?” Another, masculine voice comes out of nowhere. A figure of armor walking into the room and closing the door behind them. Restricting access to those who were not permitted in Huras quarters.

“Ah, Darsas…” The Apothecary coos at him, not at all bothered by his sudden appearance. In fact, it pleases him more to know that his other bond was doing okay. “How are you?”

“I knew I felt something… primal going on here.” Darsas comments, either ignoring Huras question or too enraptured with that was going on in this room. His form kneeling down on the side of the bed; next to you. His gauntlet coming up to gently pat you on the head.

“Should have told me you were in your season, Hura. I would have also provided you.” Darsas states to him, looking up to the Apothecary while still patting your head. “I know how you are during your time of… need.”

“I would have summoned you, but it seems little mouse had wanted to aid me…” Hura responds, gently squeezing your ass again. Thrusting a little bit inside of you. Hearing you whine out and push up against Darsas gauntlet on your head.

“Is that so?” The Psyker hums, looking down at you. Inching a bit closer so he can caress your head, going from your scalp to your jawline; gently hooking your chin with his armored finger, making you look up at him. His dark brown, almost black eyes taking in your hazy, blissed out ones from beneath his helmet.

A tiny crack sounds out from Darsas while his helmet spits where his mouth would be. Not splitting up into different sections of a mouth, simply just like taking off a piece of his helmet. Showing his mouth littered with needle sharp teeth, and a long tongue escaping his mouth, rolling like a snake before slowly drags it up your cheek, tasting you. His saliva staining your skin with his smell.

“Such a sweet little mouse, isn’t she?” Hura asks Dursas, gently massaging your ass as he thrusts slowly inside of you. Groaning a bit as he can feel you tighten around him.

“Hmmm, very sweet.” Darsas agrees with a hum, moving his tongue along your face. Going from your cheek, jawline, chin then your lips. Prodding at them, asking you to open up. Purring at you when you do. His tongue evading your mouth, taking it over. Swirling around your own, trapping it. His saliva mixing with yours, and it is a bit more thicker and hotter.

You try and recuperate with them, but it hard when you have a medic in his cycle behind you that has railed you multiple times already, and you can’t remember how many times. Then, you have the Psyker in front of you, making your mouth his. Tasting you for all your worth, making sure not to leave anything untouched.

“Darsas…” You manage to moan out, muffled by his tongue. Your shaky hands coming up to grasp tightly at his helmet. Unsure if you wanted to push them both away because of their intensity or not… They were being so soft with you, going slow and letting you recover before starting up again. It was almost like they had found an infinite cycle to fuck you at a rewarding pace.

“Yes, little flower?” He purrs, pulling his tongue out of your mouth and licking the excess saliva from your lips, making sure you stay clean. Knowing how Hura can be…

“I— hah! Fuck…” You curse and shiver, grasping onto his helmet more harshly, tucking him into the top of your chest. Another wave of bliss over coming over you while your body shivers and melts into him. A thick warm feeling going through your nerves and womb as Hura coos down at you. Leaning over again to nip at your shoulders.

“Pretty little mouse.” The Apothecary praises in your ear, giving you a couple more thrusts, making you rock into Darsas as the Psyker rumbles lightly at you. His gauntlets gently coming up to rest on the sides of your torso, liking the feeling of your naked breasts being pressed up against his helmet. “So helpful, so tasteful, all ours…”

Darsas purrs into your chest. Once again agreeing with Hura, shaking his head a little bit. His tongue coming back out to slot right between your breasts, lapping at you slowly and curling around the curves of your chest. His gauntlets squeezing your sides lightly as he can feel your breath stutter at his sudden actions to feast on you.

The Apothecary breeding you chuckles, leaning back up to trace the spine of your back. Pressing his armored fingers gently into your back, up and down. Watching how you keen into his touch, very sensitive to both of them. He wonders how much longer you can take before you need to take a very needed, and rewarding break; in other means, grateful aftercare.

Hura attention snaps up to Darsas as the Psyker suddenly whines. His Apothecary senses going wild that something may have happened when he released that Blasius had somehow came into his room. The more… animalistic Death guard pulling Darsas back gently from their little mouses’ chest, rumbling deeply down at him, giving the Psyker a gentle nuzzle to the side of his helmet.

How did Hura not notice the other Death Guard, his other bond come in? He was sure he would have noticed him, but he supposes not. The cycles does tend to make some oblivious to their surroundings, but very aware of the bonds.

Either way, he is strangely happy that he had all his bonds around him. A content purr coming out of him as he watches the two other Death Guards nuzzle on one another. Though, he not one to leave out his little mouse. His gauntlet coming down to grasp at her waist and pull her back into him.

She gives him a little whine at the sudden movement. Her hands coming to grasp back at him. Nuzzling into his vambrace when he wraps his arms around her front, keeping her up against him as he was still inside of her walls, cockwarming her. His nose nuzzling the top of her head before kissing her neck.

“Look what you have done, little mouse.” Hura coos into her ear, making her shiver on his cock. His gauntlets slowly tracing her front up and down. “Made us all eager.”

“Can you go one more round, little mouse? Hmmm?” He asks, still aware that you were just a human. He didn’t want t break you, and that would leave a heavy mark on him if he did. He was an Apothecary, not so much of a killer… unless he had to be.

You not sure if you could go another around. Sure, you loved the sex, but it can go on for too long and put a strain on your body. Plus, you know better to but upfront with all your Death Guard’s. Especially, with Hura. No one ever plays with the medic unless he wants to himself.

“I-I’m not sure.” You stammer tiredly, but still buzzing with almost numb pleasure while you glance at Blasius and Drasas. Both of them getting into a bit of a power struggle with their tentacles. Trying to see who would fold first, and with Blasius having more tentacles than Drasas… it is an unfortunate advantage for Blasius as he uses them to wrap around Drasas own and under the poor Psyker armor. A surprised sound coming out of Drasas then a heavy gasp when Blasius uses everything in his advantage to dominate. One of other tentacles coming out to go under Darsas helmet and drag along where his hair would be. Knowing just what makes any of his bonds, partners tick.

If he wants to breed, he’ll make it happen with all the best advances. Using everything out of a book or a… specialist is such matters. Though, the whole room is a bit lucky Blasius is not in such a mood, not they wouldn’t finding it rather exciting…

“That’s alright, little mouse.” Hura hums into her ear, nuzzling just right below her earlobe. Glad that she wasn’t going to try and push herself, even with him in such a… “horny” state. Learning such a word from a peculiar Emperor child. “We always have tomorrow.”

“T-tomorrow?” You hesitate to even recite that word back to him. Your mind trying to comprehend doing such heavy acts again tomorrow. Your walls tightening around him at the thought…

Hura laughs lightly at you then rumbles when he feels you tighten around him. His body shifting a bit to hit your g-spot in return in a teasing manner. “Yes, tomorrow. You are not leaving my quarters untill I dismiss you.”

You can’t help but groan at his words, leaning back into him more. Sometimes, you hate Apothecaries like any other normal person and Astartes alike… So bossy… “You’re going to have to give me a doctor’s notice…”

The Apothecary laughs at you again, nuzzling into your neck before he slowly lifts you off his hard cock that was going to be that way for a few weeks… His hands adjusting you carefully up against his armor and heading for his bathroom. “Of course, little mouse. Let’s leave these too to… explore for themselves.”

You nod at that, grateful that Hura is always so caring. Your body snuggling up into his arms as you catch a brief glance of the Blasius and Darsas. Their armor shifting as Blasius hisses at the Psyker to stay still. He is just trying to tease the hell out of his second most sensitive lover. :(

[happy74827]

The Little Things

[Gideon Graves x Female!Reader]

Synopsis: Sometimes all it takes is a little bit of love to turn things around.

WC: 2756

Category: Heavy Angst, Happy Ending

I’m actually very proud at how this turned out.

『••✎••』

Gideon had always been a character that you were fascinated by. He was mysterious, powerful, and, of course, had an ego to match. Despite how he seemed to others, you always saw something else behind that sly smile of his. You always felt like there was something about him that you were missing. Something that drew you to him like a magnet.

Oddly enough, the two of you had met through Ramona, and though you were intrigued, you also hated him. The moment you two met, you couldn't get away from him quick enough. The guy just rubbed you the wrong way.

However, you couldn't deny that he had a charm to him. As much as you hated it, you found yourself staring at him sometimes. You couldn't help it when he was around. His aura always made you feel nervous.

Julia had told you that you were living a true "life of the cliche,” and as much as you wanted to tell her that she was full of shit, there was some truth to what she said.

There was something about the man that always made you look twice. You didn't understand what it was, but he made you feel some type of way. It didn’t help when he would seek you out, going as far as to con his way into being with you.

He knew how to push your buttons. So, you knew it would only be a certain amount of time before he found a way in. And thus, that enemies-to-lovers story was written.

The two of you had started off rocky, of course. You always fought, mostly about little things and the occasional heavy blowout. It didn't help that you and Gideon had very different personalities or the fact that he was the most narcissistic person you knew.

But right when you started to smooth out those cracks, it all changed come after the events with Ramona and his league of assholes. He became more work-driven. Less of the Gideon you were used to. You were kind of proud of him for that, but at the same time, you hated that he changed so drastically.

The Gideon you knew was full of snarky remarks, a subtle asshole with a sense of humor, and of course, the constant flirting. You liked to think that that was the Gideon you liked and knew.

The man in front of you now didn't give a shit about anything that wasn't work. He worked until he passed out and only stopped when someone dragged him away from his desk. He even slept there sometimes.

You didn't like how he had become. It hurt you. He wasn't the man you knew anymore. The man you knew was gone, and it made your chest ache.

"Hey," you say softly, coming up behind him and setting a cup of coffee on his desk. He turns his head, his gaze falling on you. You watch as his brows furrow before he looks at the cup of coffee.

"What's this?" He asks, raising a brow.

"It's just a cup of coffee." You reply, sitting across from him at his desk and pulling a sketchbook out of your bag.

"A cup of coffee?" He repeats, picking it up and taking a sip. His brows furrow as he continues to stare at it. He grimaces.

"Too hot, but yeah, coffee. It's the liquid gold of the earth." You smile.

"Liquid gold?" He asks, taking another sip and wincing. "I don't see it."

You shrug, flipping to a blank page in your sketchbook. The old him would’ve said something witty back. He would've made a joke at the expense of your taste in coffee. He’d probably be looking you up and down and saying something about how he knew what he liked in his coffee.

Instead, he was silent, his attention going back to his screen. You look at him for a moment, his fingers flying across his keyboard.

"Do you even sleep?" You ask him, and you swear that you hear him sigh.

"Not when I can help it." He replies, not bothering to look at you.

"Gideon-"

"You shouldn't be here." He cuts you off. You purse your lips together, sighing. When he looked at you for a split second, just a fraction of a second, you could tell that there was something wrong. He had deep bags under his eyes, and it was obvious that he was exhausted. He looked pale like he was sick. You don't think he's slept for the past few days.

"Why don't we go home?" You ask him. "We can work tomorrow."

"No," he says, not even bothering to look up at you.

"You can't keep doing this to yourself," you tell him, standing up and setting your hand on his shoulder. He flinches. "You can't keep pushing yourself to the point of collapse."

"I'm fine," he replies.

"You aren't." You insist. You glance around his office, seeing papers scattered everywhere. He didn't even try to hide the fact that he was overworked.

"I am, and I can't keep this up." He replies.

"Keep what up?" You ask, and when you glance at him, he looks tired. You can see the dark circles under his eyes and his brow furrow as he types away.

"I can't keep you up." He says after a moment, not looking at you. You blink a few times, furrowing your brow.

"What do you mean?" You might ask, but you're already pretty sure what he's referring to. He sighs, running a hand through his hair, stopping it midway, and shaking his head. He slouches in his seat.

"I mean that this is all pointless, isn't it? Why try when the world is ending? Why try when I'll just die alone? When there is no one who cares about me and no one who gives a shit about me." He says, his words bitter, laced with exhaustion. You can see his expression fall. His hands go back to the keyboard, and you furrow your brow as you watch him.

"Gideon..."

"I don't want you to care about me," he snaps. "Why would you want to?"

"I want to because I do care," you tell him. You sigh softly. "Unlike Ramona, I don't see you like that."

"Do not mention her to me. Don't." His tone changes drastically. You watch as he shakes his head. "Don't talk to me."

"Gideon, what's wrong?" You ask, kneeling down beside his desk. You reach out to him, but he smacks your hand away, a look of fury on his face. He glares at you, but you can tell there's something behind his glare. You can see how broken he looks. How much he needs someone right now.

"You're useless," he says bitterly, and it hurts you more than it should. You open your mouth to respond, but he stops you, not wanting to hear it. "Don't say anything."

"I don't want to leave you like this." You tell him, and you can see the way his expression falls.

"I don't care what you want," he tells you, but you can see the way his lips part and the way he looks at you. You watch as he averts his gaze from you. He stares at his screen, his brow furrowed. "Go home."

"Gideon-"

"Please," he says, and the desperation is in his voice. "Just... go."

You watch him for a moment, the pencil in your hands still. You let out a heavy breath, looking down. He wasn’t going to budge; you knew that now. He was set in his ways, and he wasn't going to let you in. You know him well enough to know when he's set in stone.

You sigh, setting your sketchbook and pencil back into your bag and slinging it over your shoulder. You shake your head at him, your gaze soft. "You know where I'll be if you change your mind."

He doesn't reply to you. You press your lips together as you turn on your heel, walking away. You know that he isn't going to find you. He's going to sit there all alone and work himself to death.

You know that no matter how you try, he's going to find a way to push you away. You know that he's going to do what he wants, and he's going to be stubborn.

So you decide to give him his space. You decide to go home and leave him alone. You don't know what you were thinking, coming into his office with coffee. He would never say it but you were hoping you could help.

Maybe if he let his walls down, he would feel better about himself. You know it was too much to ask, but it's what you wanted.

You decide to let him work. You'll just be here, waiting for him to come to you. It's all you can do. It's all you can do to show that you care for him.

That's all you can do, right?

A couple of hours pass by, and you're sitting in your bed, a mug of tea in your hands. Your sketchbook is open in front of you, and you sigh, pressing your fingers to your temple.

You really need to draw something to get out of your headspace, but it doesn't help. It's been an hour, and there are still no new pages of art. The most recent drawing is still the one you drew of Gideon.

He was in his usual attire with his katana against his shoulder. His eyes were glued to the ground in it, a small smile on his lips.

You drew it back when he was still… him. The old him. You were scared to give it to him at the fear of him laughing in your face. Now, you were afraid that he wouldn’t even care.

You sigh softly. You know you have to face the reality that the man you've always liked won't be the man he was again. Not for a while, anyway.

"What am I going to do with you, Gideon?" You murmur, your voice thick with sadness. The tea you were drinking didn't taste as good as you hoped it would. It tasted bitter to you now, and it didn't sit right with you.

You let out a soft sigh and lean back against the headboard of your bed, closing your eyes. You lay there in silence, waiting for the morning to come.

It wouldn't come.

Not with Gideon still overworking himself at his desk. At least, not until he noticed a small piece of paper beside his keyboard. It turns out that when you opened your sketchbook, an old drawing came tumbling out without your knowledge.

It was a super old one, probably one of the first you did of him. You weren’t even talking at that point, just staring from afar as you tried to figure out why you were so attracted to this guy.

You still don't understand, honestly.

But as Gideon stared at the drawing, the insane amount of stress that was on his shoulders seemed to lift for a moment. He glanced towards the door before going back to the drawing, staring at it.

The amount of detail that you put in the drawing shocked him. He almost felt as though he was looking in a mirror—a mirror of his old self.

You got everything right. His hair length, the outfit, the color of his eyes, even the tiny scratches on the lens of his glasses. It was almost eerie how much you got right.

It's the little things you notice about people. The little things you remember.

He remembered that you said that.

You had been in a rather philosophical mood that day. He remembered it because it stuck with him. He'd forgotten that.

"Damn it.” He murmured, folding up the drawing as he glanced at the door. He stared at it for a moment before gently setting the drawing in his pocket. "Why am I like this?"

He knew that you were probably asleep by now, maybe curled up with a cup of tea, but he sighed, reaching over for the telephone.

He was right; of course, you were asleep. But you weren't asleep long.

"You always did have an eye for detail."

He spoke to himself, but you heard enough to know it was him. You didn't move from your place, however. You stayed still as a statue, your eyes closed.

"Gideon?” Your voice was a soft, almost fragile whisper. It was soft, yet it felt like it echoed throughout the entire room. He smiled, but you couldn't see that.

He fell silent for a long time. It seemed like forever, but you knew what he was trying to do. He wanted to hear your voice.

He was desperate for it.

“Yeah,” he replied, a hint of vulnerability in his tone. “Yeah, it’s me.”

There was a slight pause. You didn't reply for a long time. You lay there in the dark, the quiet and the sound of static being the only thing you heard.

But when you spoke, you sounded the same way he did, almost a bit fragile and broken, your tone thick with sadness.

"Why are you different? Why?" You ask, your voice wavering and cracking. You sit up, setting your sketchbook to the side, your fingers gripping your comforter as you wait for him to reply.

He did, and after a moment, his voice was quiet, soft. "I— I don’t know. I really don't."

There was a moment when you couldn't breathe. He sounded so broken and so desperate to be around someone. You wanted to drive back where he was. You wanted to give him the hug you knew he wanted.

"Come home." You say softly.

There was a moment of silence, not an uncomfortable silence, but more of a thoughtfulness. You weren't sure what he was thinking or if he would respond. You were about to pull the phone away from your ear, but you heard his voice again.

"Okay."

It was such a simple answer, but it meant so much to you. It made your heart skip a beat. Your lips parted slightly, but no words came out. It was like you were in shock, frozen solid as you sat in bed.

"For what it’s worth,” he said softly. You can almost picture him looking up at the ceiling with that look in his eye. The one you always saw when he thought about the past. The one where he was vulnerable. Where he didn't feel like the strongest man on earth.

Where he didn't have a mask on.

“I didn’t mean it when I said you were useless. You're not… useless. You're the only one who cares enough to try, and I didn't realize how much that mattered to me."

“Gid-"

"I don’t… say this often, but when I’m wrong, I'm wrong." He says, and you feel your chest ache. He pauses. "So, uh, I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry," you murmured.

"You deserve better than what I've given you." He tells you, his voice soft.

"Yeah, I do, but I also want you." You confess. "I just want the you I knew before all this bullshit. Even if you were a bit of a dick.”

He laughed softly at your response. "Oh, trust me, I'm still plenty of that."

You laughed softly. You felt yourself relax slightly. He was starting to come back to you, slowly but surely. You smiled softly as you settled back in your bed.

"Forgiven?” He asked after a moment.

"Forgiven." You confirm, and you hear him sigh softly. He's relieved.

You can picture the grin on his face. The one that he wore when he thought he had you wrapped around his finger. It's a nice grin. It makes your heart flutter.

"Hurry up and get back to me." You tell him. "I wanna sleep. You woke me up."

"Alright, alright, fine. I'll see you soon, love." He replied, the nickname making your cheeks flush. He always seemed to know exactly what to say, but now you feel like he's letting his walls down.

"I love you too," you say, and you swear that you hear him sigh softly like a weight has been lifted off his shoulders. He hung up, but now you didn’t mind because he was coming back to you. The old him was coming back to you.

And you couldn’t wait for it.

[solar-wing]

⚣ BatBro with his BatBros 🦇

⚣ 🦇 A/N → Ah, my first full installment of BatBro headcanons. Where does the time go? Anyway, as we progress throughout these headcanons, you can imagine the characters slowly getting older too. By, the time we get to the end, the reader is at least 18 years old making Damian anywhere between 18-19 years old, since he's a few months older.

⚣ 🦇 Summary → Going from the life of an only child, to having 4+ siblings, can't be easy. Especially when most of those siblings brothers, and those brothers come from a family a crime-stopping vigilantes. What was your mother thinking in leaving you with your dad?

REBLOGS are very appreciated! REPLIES to, I love hearing your thoughts 💛

⚣ ENJOY 🦇

I find it funny that no one has ever thought to take advantage of the fact that Bruce Wayne has created a habit of popping up with a new kid like every couple of years. They could try to offer up their kids to him in hopes of cashing in on the Wayne family's wealth.

And he actively turns away all of them, even if he is tempted a couple of times. At least until he gets to you. Everything was normal until your mom decided one day she was done being a parent and just dropped you off at the front gate and left when you were 9 years old. This is also around the same time Damian ended up in Bruce's care, so you both were now dealing with the fact that you've suddenly got a father you never knew, as well as a brother. Well, brothers, since Bruce did somewhat actually have children before he had you guys. 

She left a note along with your other belongings that said “Trust me. He yours,” with nothing else. Bruce could only stare down at you with that usual grim, but pondering look he had while you just stared back at him. 

“I’d thought you be taller,” was your first sentence towards your dad. One that was vaguely familiar to the billionaire as he rolled his eyes and led you inside the manor.

Obviously, Bruce ran a DNA test and confirmed everything to be true. You were indeed his son, snarky remarks and all. You and Damian must share that quality.

Speaking of, since you and Damian were blood-related, you have a more special bond with each other. Even if he bullies the shit out of you.

Hiding your toys and games all around the manor, stabbing your favorite teddy bears and various stuffed items with his knives and daggers, and I'm just going to throw in that you have a love-hate relationship with Scooby-Doo now.

You love the cartoon, but Damian took advantage of the fact that you may not do well with scary stuff and would make his own costume versions of the villains from the show and chased you around the house with them. They were horrifying and disturbing enough to even unsettle Bruce a little, so you could imagine the early childhood trauma you endured.

People think your fear of clowns stems from the Joker. No, it's from Damian.

It’s always from Damian.

Plus, since you and Damian are around the same age, you both end up in the same grade at the same school. So he always keeps a look out for you and protects you from any bullies, while you teach him how to be more sociable and friendly towards others.

Now, if Damian's closest relationship with another brother outside of you is Dick (who you along with everyone else agree that he is basically Damian's second father), I imagine you have a close relationship with both Jason and Tim for various reasons.

You and Tim connect because you both have very intellectual and detail-oriented minds. You watch Scooby-Doo, so you obviously have an interest in mysteries as well as the Red Robin personality. Whenever he is having a hard time connecting dots to a case or a puzzle, you simply come in, take one look and somehow figure it out. Sometimes, you’ll even just make a random statement that ends up being the key to what Tim is looking for.

Tim and you both have an interest in video games, you a little bit more than him. It was because of you that he even really got into them. Before, when it was just you and your mom, you didn’t have anyone to really play with, besides whatever friends you could find online. So having someone you could play with, especially in person now made you and Tim’s bond that more special.

Also, you’ve made it your responsibility to make sure the guy gets adequate rest and sleep and doesn’t drown himself in caffeine.

“Timothy Drake! It is way past your bedtime. Off the Bat-Computer and upstairs into bed young man.” You yelled, marching downstairs with an amused Alfred towing behind.

Your father and siblings all watched from the sidelines as well, all amused at the sight of your young, tiny body, yelling at a slightly older and taller teenager as if you were his father.

“Um, I’m older than you,” Tim responded while holding on to what had to be his 5th coffee of the evening.

“Do I need to repeat myself?”

“Master Tim, with all due respect, I’d do what the young lad says. He’s already started unplugging and cutting the cords to every coffee and espresso machine in the manor.” Alfred said from behind.

Tim looked at you in horror while you stared at him the look on your face very much communicating a ‘try me if you want to’ message, and that’s when he noticed the pair of scissors in your hands.

“OKAY! I’M GOING! I’M GOING!” Tim shouted, sprinting out of his seat and up to his room. Your brothers were quietly laughing until you turned your head right to them.

“And, what are you three laughing at?! Get to bed right now.”

Now, it was their turn to question you. Cause Dick and Jason were full adults and even though Damian was only a few months older than you, well that was it. He was older than you so he bossed you around, not the other way,

“Woah, there little man. Jason and I, we’re grown. We don’t have bedtimes.” Dick said.

“Yeah, squirt.” Jason voiced right behind Dick with his arms crossed.

“Watch yourself, little brother,” Damian warned.

You raised a subtle eyebrow at them while your father and Alfred both looked at you with curiosity.

Alfred, however, had a little more amusement to his look since he already knew where this was headed.

“Dick, I will never have another brother movie night with you again, and I’ll start going to Jason for brotherly advice instead of you. Also, I’ll tell Kory you were being mean to me.” You threatened your oldest brother.

Dick was both hurt and fearful because how could you even threaten him with something that awful and quite frankly, plain rude and ridiculous. He gave way better advice than Jason! Also, he knew Kory absolutely adored you ever since Bruce brought you to the tower that one time and would not hesitate to put him on punishment as well if she even thought he was being mean to you.

Jason was holding a smug look at your threat toward Dick, that is until your eyes landed on him. “Jason, I know where you keep all of your limited edition books, especially your prized signed copy of Pride & Prejudice. We certainly don’t want that getting in the wrong hands, now do we,” You said, turning to your second oldest sibling. Jason was surprised, and slightly impressed, though also terrified. How could you know?!

You turned to your blood-related brother, who held a bit of an overconfident look as there wasn’t anything you could have over him that would have him actually following your orders. “And Damian, I’m sure you don’t want dear old Dad to know what happened at school last week, now do you?” You said, playing slightly with your fingernails while ‘innocently’ rocking back on your feet as if you weren’t blackmailing your siblings. For noble reasons, of course. They need their sleep!

Your brother was both shocked and angry at your statement. How did you even know about that? The look on his face, well, let’s just say it wasn’t friendly, not in the slightest.

But, to no one’s surprise except your dad, all your siblings silently trudged upstairs without another word.

Bruce looked at you and Alfred with a raised eyebrow as you turned back to face your brooding father, only now you could see his brooding look had a hint of questionable curiosity and amazement. 

“You too, daddio. It’s bedtime, yo.” You rhymed. Apparently, not only was everyone’s sleep tracker, but you had a bit of flow with it too. Someone should get you a record deal. 

You gave your dad a slight hug, your head barely reaching above his waist. You still had growing to do! You’d get there eventually.

Walking back toward the entrance, you also made sure to stop and give the butler a fist bump since he was your secret partner-in-crime. How else would you know where to hit to get your brothers to fall in line? with a slight hug to his side before heading back towards the entrance. 

“Thanks, Alfred,” You said!

“Anytime, Master Y/N.”

Bruce eyed you both suspiciously before he realized what was going on as he watched your small body bounce up the stairs.

“Really? You’re in cahoots with my son, Alfred?”

“Why, Master Bruce, I’m offended. I’d say it was more of a beneficial partnership. Cahoots is for the reckless.” Alfred responded jokingly.

The age-old ending to every mystery novel plays out again, the butler did it.

Though, Bruce was still impressed by how easily your brothers listened to you without a second thought. It takes him a few tries just to get a sentence through their head, and that’s if they were actually listening to him that time.

“Wow, he got Jason to listen to him? I still can’t get Jason to greet me without looking him looking like he wants to punch my lights out.” Bruce commented.

“He has your commanding tone, sir,” Alfred said before backing up the manor himself, “I wouldn’t let Master Y/N catch you back down here, though. I heard he’s got some especially dirty leverage on you.”

Bruce suddenly decided to look at the clock, “Guess it is a little late,” He muttered before rushing upstairs himself.

Speaking of Jason, your relationship with the second adopted Wayne kid had more of a special touch. The Red Hood persona was the brother you really looked up to. You liked and respected how he branched out and followed his own path. Of course, Dick technically did the same, but considering everything Jason went through, he had to be one determined fucker to return to the very life that killed him. And, even though you don't necessarily agree with his 'strategies', you were always standing in his corner.

Though, Jason didn’t take well to you at first. In fact, because Damian left such a bad taste in his mouth after they met; when you two were introduced, he literally ran upstairs and screamed at Bruce about how he was the biggest hypocrite in the world for all those lectures he gave him and Dick about using protection. Richard silently agreed, also remembering his first meeting with Damian. 

Determined to not live with a Damian 2.0, and also thinking he was saving you from a life full of trauma because, in his mind, no one deserved to be raised by someone like Bruce Wayne, Jason attempted to take you down to child protective services. 

Your father was very unhappy when he got a call from CPS later that day and he could clearly hear you sobbing on the other side of the phone just as Jason walked through the front door. He was not the least bit ashamed, at least until you came home and he saw how upset you were.

He apologized and decided to give you a chance, thinking since the whole ordeal actually had you crying, you had to somewhat have a soul, unlike Damian. After some time, you got really close with each other. 

Jason taught you how to fight and defend yourself. He’d read you stories at night from some of your favorite books as well as your own, and he’d always get Damian to back off if he decided to pull another one of his scare antics on you. 

Your second eldest brother was your get-out-of-jail card too, whenever Bruce punished you for something. Though, sometimes, it may have just been better to take the punishment than let Jason pull you into whatever shenanigans he was planning. Considering the fact you and he managed to put an entire city without power for two nights somehow.

"How did you two manage to short-circuit the entire electrical grid in New York?" Bruce asked with you two standing side by side, looking like you just finished sleeping on top of a giant summer barbeque grill.

You both looked at each other before turning back to your stern-looking father, Damian mirroring his expression with his arms crossed and tapping his feet.

"Would you believe us if we said it started over a debate of how to eat fries with ketchup?"

Bruce slapped his forehead to his palm while Damian called you idiots. Tim got that curious look on his face, and Dick couldn't stop laughing for 15 minutes.

Now, your eldest brother, he was definitely someone you could count on no matter what. Being the oldest and having the most Bruce experience out of everyone, he always helped you deal with your Brucie problems or ‘daddy issues’ as you'd like to say.

Truth be told, every kid in this family had daddy issues.

As mentioned before, Dick was your movie-watching buddy, he helped you with your homework and always assisted with any life issues you had going on. No matter how many times you may have threatened the Nightwing persona with such, you always went to him for advice, and there was never really a moment you could think of where you regretted it.

He also helped you learn how to be more agile and light on your feet with your fighting. While your second eldest brother taught you how to use brute force and strength in situations, he gave you the acrobatic style of lessons. Where Bruce and Jason were direct and serious, Dick taught and showed you how to be more of the opposite.

And, whenever Jason wasn't around to get Damian off your back, you'd go to him since he was basically his second dad.

You and Dick together were like two chatty Cathys on drugs. One moment, you could be talking about the movie you were watching, then you’d get into a debate over onion rings vs french fries, somehow landing in politics, somehow ending up in a political debate only to end with the "Are we even real" conversation. And for whatever reason, you swore you could hear Tim itching in his seat whenever that conversation came up.

That boy goes down a lot of YouTube rabbit holes at 2 AM when he’s bored on patrol or not doing anything.

Now, one brother on their own was one thing. Two? Someone was calling the police. Three and you may have to check if your life insurance policy is still good. All four? Pray.

Since you now were officially the youngest, a title Damian was actually happy to pass on despite his warnings to Bruce, that meant you got the most of the teasing, even if it mostly came from your blood-related sibling. But his version of teasing tended to leave you with trips to your therapist so you could do without them.

However, one rule all your siblings and family stuck by, no one, and I mean NO ONE, not even in the Justice League or Titans/Young Justice teams, could mess or pick with you except them.

Everyone in the family was very protective over you. You were surprised to see even Alfred was on that list, though you learned quickly the butler was not one to be fucked with. 

You distinctly remember that one time the Batcave got invaded and Batman made you hide in one of the saferooms, you saw on one of the video monitor screens Alfred whacking the shit outta them with just a rifle.

For that reason, among others, you took a mental note to be careful with how you complimented his cooking in the future.

But seriously, if anyone messed with you, and your family found out, Hell itself would be scared of what would break loose from your home.

A bully from school started picking on you and calling you names and you didn't tell your brothers about it, wanting to handle it on your own. Besides, you could defend yourself. They taught you well.

Until the fateful day you came out as gay, bi, pan, etc., and he called you names that your father wouldn't even repeat, and that man had the title of a playboy.

Well, word spread around the school and got back to Damian, who went back and told your other brothers.

By the next day, Dick had shredded every thread of that boy's confidence. Tim hacked the school files, got his address, and framed him for changing grades in the school. Jason used said address Tim got to pay a trip to the kid's place and shot bullet holes in all his clothes when no one was home. And well, let's just say Damian almost went to jail.

Of course, Bruce was pissed when he found out and had to intervene, but when Damian admitted the reason he nearly got arrested, your father upped his allowance.

Only God could imagine the terror that would unfold the day you started dating.

Oh, and they all call you babybird which you despise.

Don't even get me started on your sisters.

BONUS:

☀️ | Bat Family | ☀️

☀️ | Masterlists | ☀️

[witch-hazels-musings]

love professed

warning: sfw, fluff (kissing) | premise: how they hold your face when they kiss you & what their lips feel like (headcannons) 

includes: albedo, alhaitham, ayato, baizhu, childe, diluc, itto, kaeya, kazuha, kaveh, thoma, scara, tignari, xiao, zhongli 

character x gn reader |  anthology

how they hold your face when kissing -- 

cheek, jaw, etc. with one or both hands

thoma, itto, zhongli, kaveh, diluc, kaeya, albedo 

he wants to hold you in his hands, each palm against your face is a way to protect you, shield you from everything else. this touch is an overwhelming reflection of his love for you

one hand or two its all the same -- it can be fun, filled with laughter as he draws you in or tender, reverence surrounding you as your lips collide - quick or lengthy, he doesn’t care; each and every one are perfect 

the back of your head 

diluc, kazuha, alhaitham, thoma, childe, kaeya

he can’t stop himself - not when it comes to you. his hand slides to the back of your head sending shivers up his arm as he pulls you toward him. he doesn’t want you to leave - not yet, not when he’s finally found you

he likes to see your face, eyes closed, waiting, as his fingers push against your head, as his free hand finds the bend in your back or your bottom lip as you breathe to steady yourself. he hovers, completely smitten until he can’t wait any longer 

your chin 

childe, scara, ayato, kaeya, baizhu, diluc

it makes his heart pound. from the snarky shake he gives you as he grips your chin, pushes your cheeks together to make your lips pucker, to the surprise in your eyes when he lifts, pushes your face up so he can look at you - all of you - don’t hide from him

his smile is missed when you close your eyes but he’s sure you can feel it when he presses his lips to yours - can you also feel his undying love flowing through his fingers and into your skin? can you feel him --- 

your hand, rest against your forehead

albedo, xiao, tighnari, zhongli, thoma

he’s reserved. making sure this moment is accepted, private - he won’t kiss you in public, but if he does the fingers he wraps around your hand are a request. a ‘if you’ll have me,’ sort of plea as he waits for your reply with a squeeze of your hand

the touch of his forehead to yours is a pull of courage. wanting to feel you, be grounded by you before he tilts his head to make the connection - one he never imagine he’d find in his long, solitary 

how their lips feel --

full, chapped, but so warm

diluc, childe, itto, kazuha

his kiss is overpowering. heavy, impatience laced with every press of his lips to your own. you can’t breathe but you don’t mind - you part your lips and welcome him in. you have know idea the affect it has on him. he seems demanding, pulling your close, pressing in harder; it’s your fault he’s become incoherent at the taste 

each kiss feels hot against your lips. his are dry; from being outside and taking little time to care for his own needs, but the texture makes your body shiver - he asks for another, and another, each time his lips grow warmer, gentler as if they are adjusting to not hurt you, as if they are being hydrated by you. he’s carnivorous and you are his first, last, and every meal 

slender, posh and cool to the touch 

kaeya, alhaitham, ayato, baizhu, zhongli

there’s an alluring, amorous sensation when you kiss him. the sudden touch of cool as if you are being kissed by the dew the of morning - calm, mysterious, rejuvenating. there’s caution in the connection but only for a second - a curious pause before diving in. he’s got experience but doesn’t mind letting you catch up 

his lips have a hint of a smirk - even when his face is relaxed. they are firm, fine - making you question if he kissed you at all. you’ll pull away to see if he’s mocking you only to find his eyes glassy and greedy, begging you to return for more. and you do because those icy lips feel like velvet and you yearn to be shaped by them 

narrow, firm, and a bit clumsy 

xiao, scaramouche, tighnari

his kisses a laced with hesitancy. they are hard, helpless as they connect with yours until the innocent kiss turns into an impatient and insatiable one - you’ve invited him in, offered an invitation he struggles to refuse. after all this time alone -- what have you done to him? 

his lips feel wet; at times you wonder if he’s tucked them in but as the kiss goes on they become more prominent - searching, seeking as if he’s lost in the dark unsure where you’ve gone. you cup his face and he steadies. these kisses are stubborn, starving, that when you break away he’s breathless and you can’t help but go back in; unsatisfied 

soft, warm, helplessly thoughtful 

thoma, albedo, kaveh

kissable, these lips are that and more. loveable connections that make your heart pound, skin burn. gentle kisses that leave you giddy and greedy. like the setting sun, you run toward the horizon knowing that once you catch it you’ll feel alive again - he’s pliable - but, as he opens his eyes to check in, take stock in what's in front of him, he realizes ... so are you 

its like kissing a ‘just out of the oven’ loaf of bread. sweet and savory; the heat spreads from your lips until it reaches your ears. there’s something tantalizing about him, the taste of him, you lean in for more and he catches you. these lips are proficient, provocative, moving exactly the way you need them too until the two of you break away and fall into a fit of embarrassed laughter - these lips have never known such joy 

[sublimecatgalaxy]

Can I has a Joel x reader request where he ends up picking her up along the way(saving her) and she just kinda sticks around. She's good at medicinal herbs and foraging. speaking of WHY ARE THERE NO CHARACTERS LIKE THAT IN ANY POST APOCALYPTIC SHOW/MOVIE like that should be a course. Idk I want it to be fluffy like a clicker or an infected is running at her and he gets rid of it

I love this idea for sure, I hope you like it :)

"You're a fucking botanist?"

That was the first thing Joel asked me when he found me stranded in the country side of Wyoming, a young girl attached to his side when he looked down at the botany book in my hands and the array of flowers and twigs around me.

He almost shot me. Of course he didn't tell me that till weeks later, when we were finally settled in with his brother and the rest of civilization back in Jackson. He claimed that he thought I was infected by how much I was shaking but my claim was that it was nearly negative five degrees and my anxiety was skyrocketing as soon as I heard him step on a twig twenty feet away from me.

He saved me from freezing to death and getting mauled by a clicker and insulted my career in the same five minutes.

"Well botany was useless until the end of the world, huh?"

"I like to think that we were always useful, just not in obvious ways."

"Are you alone out here?" The girl asks with a kinder smile than the expression the mystery man is giving me, his eyes drooping low to look over me and my backpack to my left. She steps past the frightening man to step between the two of us, giving the man a hesitant but kind look before turning back to me.

"Yeah, just little old me." I shiver, teeth chattering as another blow of wind sweeps right through my bones, chilling me to my core. She frowns and pulls her jacket tightly around her chin before reaching into her pack to pull out a small blanket, tossing it onto the ground in front of me.

"Joel, can we keep her?" She asks as I scramble to wrap the blanket around my shoulders, already feeling ten times better than I did before.

"I'm not a stray dog." I giggle, looking at her with a teasing look and she nods bashfully, understanding how she came off.

"You practically look like it." The man mutters and I frown, heart panging as I lean down to smell my shirt and I have to be honest, it does resemble that of a wet dog.

"Ouch, when was the last time you showered, old man." I tease but his stoic expression sticks as his shoulders lift in a brief shrug.

"A week ago." He adds matter-of-factly and I feel envy swim in my belly at the thought of a snarky, unkind man like him deserving a hot shower, a shower that I would kill someone for.

"You guys are mean." I huff before looking to the girl with a smirk. "I like you." Before anyone else can say a word, Joel's eyes flicker past me and to the tree line and I feel my stomach drop at the frightened look on his face.

"Joel-" The young girl starts but Joel holds a hand up to her, taking a step towards me and I let him push me behind him and into the arms of the girl with a huff.

"I got it, Ellie." He mutters, holding the knife carefully in the air as the clicker approaches us and I look away in time as I hear the sound of the knife sheath itself into the skull of the monster in a split second. I take a breath, trying to regain my balance as I wobble a bit.

Between being scared by them and then the clicker, my heart needs a full restart.

"Jesus." Ellie whispers, head whipping in my direction as my butt hits the snow, head lolling between my knees while I try to catch my breath. Joel is in front of me in a moments notice with my backpack at his side, his hand carefully reaching out to rest on my shoulder, catching my attention.

"You okay?"

"She should come with us." Ellie whispers to him and he nods, reaching up to rub at his jaw as I feel my head start to spin, nausea bubbling in my throat.

"Yeah, she should." He whispers, pressing the back of his hand to my forehead before clicking his tongue, looking to the kid. "C'mon kid. Show her the ropes."

Ellie's laugh snaps me out of my thoughts, the fond smile on my lips returning to a normal thin line and I feel eyes on me as my head turns. Ellie and Joel are looking at me, forks in the air as they share a careful look and a laugh.

"What're you thinking about?" Joel asks with a curious, calm smile, a completely different expression than what he gave off when we first met. He's no longer stern and guarded around me, instead softening a bit and he's finally allowed himself to laugh around me.

"When we met." I shrug, nudging him with my elbow as I take a loud slurp of my soup, but the mellow tone is torn to shreds by Ellie's crude laugh, her spoon slapping down on the table while she looks between the two of us.

"You mean when you guys fell madly in love?" I feel my cheeks warm at her observation, an honest one at that, and I feel the butterflies return to my stomach as I sneak a glance at Joel who's blushing as red as a fire truck.

"Shut it, Ellie." He mutters and her eyes roll, hands raising in surrender.

"Oh I'm sorry for calling out the elephant in the room."

[erisweekofficial]

Today we are celebrating the Amazing @the-darkestminds! 🤩

If you've ever wanted to dive into an Azris fic, we SUPER recommend her fic Autumn's Shadow which you can read on tumblr or ao3. This fic features enemies to friends to lovers and is so achingly soft!!

Definitely read this fic if you love stories that balance sensuality with tenderness and also feature a super unique plot full of mystery 👀

Read more to learn why @the-darkestminds started writing for Eris and what to do if Eris gets sick!

Would drew you to creating content for Eris? And especially for Azris other than any other ship for him?

I have the most fun writing for characters whose stories are largely untold. Angst/pain/hurt are my favorite themes to write and Eris fits into that mold well for me. There are no shortage of characters in the acotar universe with traumatic backstories, but to me Eris feels particularly tragic. We know he’s abused by his father, has likely been forced to wear a mask for his entire life. He cares about Lucien but is unable to show it in any open, meaningful way. He clearly cares about his Court and people, and yet he's treated like a supervillain by the main characters of the series. I think he’s extremely lonely. He doesn’t have an inner circle or a family he can trust. There’s so much to work with when it comes to his backstory because it hasn’t yet been written, which makes it extremely fun to fill in the blanks, specifically the events that shaped him into the male he is today. A lot of room to write about his pain and suffering. lol Because of this, I think he pairs well with Azriel’s darkness. They may appear completely different on the outside: Eris is snarky, bold, well dressed, vibrant, etc, whereas Azriel is brooding, quiet, always hidden in the shadows…but I like them together because they both have an inherent darkness to them. They’ve both known suffering. In my mind, they are able to draw each other out of it with lots of tension and passion. 

How do you choose which scenes or moments to focus on?

Again, I have the best time writing angst and pain, so I try to focus on scenes that depict how his suffering has shaped him as a character. We’ve only been told snippets of his past, so I like to fill in those gaps and try to portray what his suffering might’ve looked like. I decided to write one fic for Eris Week that focuses on when his childhood trauma first began, and another oneshot depicting his grief as a grown male. I swear I love him! 

What role do you think fan interactions play in your creative process?

A HUGE one. In fact, the only reason I ended up posting the first chapter of my azris fic was due to the lovely @unanswered-stars expressing interest and asking to be added to a tag list!  I absolutely love getting feedback on what I write and it motivates me to keep going. I’ve had people share their thoughts and theories, ask questions and wonder about certain elements of the story that in turn have given me ideas for later chapters. Their support is everything and I am a much better writer for it.

Eris is sick! What are you doing to help him get better?

Calling Azriel

Also: Can you give me a name for one of Eris's brothers? And also for one of his dogs?

One of Eris’s brothers is named Jasper. He is the second oldest after Eris and is featured in one of my Eris Week fics. One of his hounds is named Sol. Eris acquired this hound shortly after Lucien was forced to flee to spring and wanted something to remind him of his youngest brother. 

[prodigy-if]

[[DEMO]]

Hiraeth Academy. A home for genius children. All types of prodigies from across the globe have gotten their start there. 

Of course, while the house may seem like a fascinating and wonderous place on the outside, anyone who has actually lived there knows the truth. It’s an odd place full of dark secrets and mysteries that shouldn’t be unraveled.

There is a reason why all former “students” never return after all. A thing that keeps them driven away. A thing that keeps them from even thinking about looking back once they step through those doors. Wanting to go back is the last thing on any former inhabitants list.

You of all people would know. Leaving seven years ago and not looking back was the single best decision you ever made. You would never even think about considering going back.

Until now that is.

Rated 17+ for graphic depictions of violence, death, alcohol use, explicit language, suggestive content, mature themes.

Play as a former “child prodigy” who’s life has gotten flipped upside down. Again.

Uncover the mysteries of Hiraeth Academy and it’s mysterious headmaster.

Explore and navigate complex relationships with five different ROs.

Customize your character’s personality and appearance.

Look back onto your past in order to solve a decades long mystery.

Learn about the complex history of both the academy and it’s former students.

Try not to let the past catch up with you. It won’t let go once it does.

Most importantly: Remember to always follow the rules. They were put in for a reason after all.

Marlon Nikitin [He/Him]

Your former “academic” rival. He also happens to be the last person you spoke to before you left the academy. It’s been years since you’ve last saw him and he seems just as abrasive as ever. Despite the time that has passed, it seems his competitive spark is still as strong as ever. Although, despite his seemingly indifferent attitude, he seems equally as invested in learning the secrets of this place as you are. If not more.

Cyrus Quinn [He/Him]

Another former “student” of the academy, Cyrus practically disappeared off the face of the earth after leaving. You remember him as being quite laidback and snarky, an odd demeanor for an inhabitant of the house to have had, but he had always been kind to you despite not being particularly close. He seems to have kept this attitude into adulthood but every now and then you get a glimpse of something darker hiding beneath the surface.

Naomi Adams [She/Her]

Your former best friend and assigned “partner” at the academy. Her calm demeanor made her an easy source of comfort in what was otherwise a chaotic life. You haven’t spoken since you left the academy, and during that time she seems to have...changed. She’s more anxious and on edge. Perhaps rekindling your friendship is the only way to see what secrets she may be hiding.

Isla Wright [She/Her]

Isla was always a difficult person to understand. She was an endless source of energy and was constantly fluttering in and out of people’s business. The type that was everyone’s friend but very few people actually seemed to be hers. For as well as she knew everyone else, it was difficult to get a read on her. This isn’t something that has changed into adulthood. In fact, Isla seems to be even more difficult to understand than before. 

Kieran Naught [Gender Selectable]

The only member of the group who did not attend Hiraeth Academy. They are a local private investigator who is looking into the death of the former headmaster. Kieran can be described as distant at best and as paranoid at worst. Usually, you couldn’t care less about some wanna be detective investigating the school (it wouldn’t be the first time after all), but they seem to have taken a distinct interest in you. Whether it’s genuine curiosity or suspicion, you don’t know and you don’t particularly want to find out.

[cosmosnout]

KH OC WEEK 20204

Day 3: connections

This took a bit longer than meant, but with the amount of things I wanted to include, it felt important to take my time.

Shiro’s part focusses a lot more on the relationships between them and the canon characters, while Aiko’s, Merin’s, Viktor's, and Tähti’s parts focus on the relationship they have with each other. (And some additional canon characters.)

Also there’s a lot of text here so sorry about any spelling mistakes haha.

Shiro

Xehanort (young)

Helped Shiro to get out of the realm of darkness and is helping them to recover their memory.

I am a firm believer that despite his cold demeanor, Xehanort has the capability of expressing other emotions outside of being a snarky jerk. He just needs to be around the right kind of people to bring that side of him out, and Eraqus and Shiro are exactly the sorts of people to make his brain cells die. /pos

Xehanort’s interest in becoming Shiro’s friend is due to his dreams as a boy of a mysterious child who he believes to be Shiro. (Some lost childish part of him does genuinely wish to be their friend, but he is also quite interested in Shiro’s connection to the keyblade war.)

They spent a couple years peacefully as friends attempting to recover Shiro’s memories, before Shiro uncovered Xehanort's true plans and the two ended up parting ways to fight on the opposite sides. They’re so divorced LMAO

Shiro feels quite betrayed and thinks their friendship was just a plot to get information out of them, while in reality their friendship was still genuine despite Xehanort's hidden motives.

They have a very bittersweet relationship.

Like when you just have that one person who sees right through you and you could just sit in complete silence for forever and still have a good time.

But oh my god do they also just bring out the worst in each other LMAO.

Xehanort is still a snarky bastard 99% of the time, and Shiro is so ready to throw his snarkiness back at him. It is remarkable if they get through a conversation without one of them trying to piss off the other one.

Anyhow they are so doomed by the narrative.

I’ve had a difficult time defining the relationship between these two, but in recent years since becoming aware of my own feelings as an aroace person, I feel like queerplatonic is a really good way to put it. I think that there can be strong emotions and love held between two people without it necessarily having to be romantic, and that’s just as wonderful as any other relationship.

Aqua

The first person Shiro came across once they emerged in the realm of darkness.

Shiro has a lot of admiration towards her and hopes to meet her again!

Shrio definitely has a little crush on her haha

Roxas and Xion

Shiro’s keyblade apprentices!

adopted little siblings

Shiro fought relentlessly to keep both of them safe but ended up failing as they both returned to Sora.

Losing them was a big wake up call to the organization's true nature and Xehanort's sinister plans.

Namine

Little sister<<3

Shiro took one look at her and was like “yup anything happens to her and I’ll make everyone's life a living nightmare”

Got Namine her crayons and sketchbook

Was very devastated when she had to return to Kairi.

Axel/Lea

Pyromaniac besties

Co-paretning Roxas and Xion (platonic)

They became good friends during their time in the organization, and they made an oath to bring Roxas and Xion back after Axel’s recompletion.

Shiro tutors him and Kairi on keyblade wielding, during their time in The Secret Forest.

Ephemer and Skuld

Childhood Bestfriend

Shiro has foggy dreams and visions of the both of them. (They truly haunt Shiro’s life like it’s a full time job)

Even once called Sora “Ephemer” by mistake. They were both extremely confused.

Shiro is actively trying to find them.

Aiko and Merin

The two start off on a bad foot due to a misunderstanding that led to Aiko and Viktor leaving their homeworld. Aiko thought Merin was the one to invade their world with darkness and ended up chasing after her through a dark corridor. In reality, Merin and Tähti were running away from Ansem (SOD) and happened to pass through their world.

Aiko and Merin ended up becoming separated from Viktor and Tähti and end up begrudgingly teaming up to find their families .

During their time together, they end up eventually becoming friends and even end up getting into a relationship together later on.

Their opposite personalities seemed like an issue when they first met, but they grew to love and learn from those differences and they’ve really helped each other to grow as people.

Viktor and Tähti

Viktor was at first very frustrated to be left to babysit a child, but switched into big brother mode pretty much subconsciously.

They’re a funny little duo since they’re both terrible fighters and are pretty much constantly just running for their lives.

Viktor appreciates Tähti’s quiet personality and knows to be patient with them.

Tähti also didn’t care too much about Viktor at first, but seeing him make an effort to keep them safe reminded them a lot of Merin.

Other friends!

Tähti, Namine and Xion!

Tähti met Namine during one of her visits to Ansem’s lab, and after some encouragement from the others, Tähti manages to strike up a conversation with her.

The two have a shared interest in art and like sharing their work with each other!

Tähti also got introduced to Xion through Namine, and despite Tähti’s antisocial nature, the two ended up quickly becoming good friends. (Nothing is as strong as the bond between two neurodivergent teenagers)

I like to think Kairi hangs out with them occasionally, but also she’s kinda busy trying to find Sora :’)

Viktor and Ienzo

Met post kh3 and became quick friends over their similar personalities and shared interest in tech.

Everyone around them was very excited that they were finally making friends. (Ansem and Aiko wiping a tear out of the corner of their eye)

Merin and Vanitas

Weird little brother creature thingy kinda

They met briefly while Merin and Aiko visited the realm of darkness.

They had a short confrontation where they fought with Merin winning.

Didn’t have the chance to talk much outside of that, but I think they have a secret mutual respect for each other due to being similar beings.

Merin and Isa

Got introduced post kh3 and ended up befriending each other as Viktor was spending more time with the apprentices.

They match each other’s tired energy

They like to just kinda sit back and watch as their friends mingle.

@khoc-week

[guess-that-ship]

S12 Round 1

Survivors of Literally Everything

cw: spoilers

Character A and Character B meet after Character A kills a monster, waking up to Character B standing over him, and his first thought, despite the fact that he has no idea where he is, is that she's pretty. Eventually, they get sent on a quest together, and at first don't get along (although much later it's revealed that she developed a crush on him during this quest). However, being put in a number of near-death situations ends up bringing them together, and they become close friends. A couple of years later, Character B is kidnapped, and Character A puts his life in danger countless times just to save her. Sadly, just when he manages to save her, he finds out he's essentially cursed to die in two years.

Character A and Character B, over the next two years, manage, with the help of many allies, to tip the stakes in their favor, just a little. The thing is, tensions have been brewing in their fantasy world, and after barely escaping death for an even higher number of times, full-out war breaks out. When the final battle ends, it turns out that Character A wasn't the one cursed to die after all, that it was a very complicated guy they'd been fighting the whole time. This all ends in them finally kissing.

But it isn't over yet. Shortly after this, Character A mysteriously disappears. He finds himself somewhere completely unfamiliar, with no memory, apart from one thing: Character B's name, and he knows he has to find her. Character B is tirelessly looking for him as well, to no luck. After making a deal that almost costs him his life, Character A regains his memory, before he, Character B, and a few more people are plunged into a second war, somehow even deadlier than the first. They end up being thrown into hell, because Character A refuses to let go of Character B's hand as she falls. Somehow, they survive, and after all the dust has settled, they finally go and start a semi-normal life.

Imperial Frenemies

Sugar and Spice first met many years ago, when Spice was brought onto their team. Both were cold and jaded, but Spice was younger and more cynical, while Sugar was snarky and cunning. While the two disliked each other, there was a begrudging respect between them. One day, their team took on an impromptu job, seeking to acquire some powerful assets. The job ended with the team torn apart…but Sugar managed to acquire the prize, giving it to Spice as a token of trust.

The two went their separate ways, with both focused on securing their criminal empires. Spice focused on outright conquest, and used his connections to begin arms production. Sugar aimed to strengthen her social network, while looking to augment her inner circle through scientific means. The two became enemies of sorts, but bore a begrudging respect.

But one day, while seeking revenge on someone who wronged her, Sugar wound up with Spice again. The two initially butted heads, but found a common ground in their past. They decided to combine their resources to try and accomplish their goals, deciding to stand against their common enemy together. They would still butt heads and decry how the other had changed, but as the sun rose after they came face to face with that foe…their empires awoke to a new world…one without either of them.

[furbygoblinxiv]

Ok now to be annoying about a completely different flavor of Zelda: That cartoon from the 80s that has aged so poorly I take psychic damage every time I watch it (which has been multiple times (I have problems)). A few months ago when rewatching and being sick of the Link's personality from the show (his best feature is how funny the "Well excuuuuse me, princess" line is) I was like "I wish the quiet kid from the games/art was here instead" and accidentally thought too hard and made an au/rewrite of the cartoon lmao.

Anyways Zelda cartoon au where cryptid boy Link saves the post apocalyptic Hyrule of loz 1 and chills in the castle with cartoon Zelda to defend the triforce pieces that they have while trying to find the last piece before Ganon can find it, stumbling across the sleeping loz 2 Zelda along the way lol. Hijinks ensue as he teaches Zelda the brawns to back up her girlboss and he gets an adventure buddy because its dangerous to go alone and Zelda with her boomerang and crossbow goes hard. I think a monster of the week style plot works for the earlier Zelda games, but an overarching plot could coexist with that since that is kinda how games work lol.

As per usual here are a bunch of slapdash barely related sketches of my ideas with my expanded thoughts below bc I think it'd be fun to share:

I look at the official art of Link being a quiet determined little dude with a backpack of tools and wish that that was represented more. Like look at him! What a guy! Imagine giving a quiet puzzle solving 14 year old a sword, lethal magical weapons, and a wasteland to explore! I would love a show about that! In terms of other characters, swap out that annoying fairy character, put in a Navi clone, at least Navi didn't have a crush on Link🤮. Ganon can stay the same so long as he was always a demon pig and was never a Gerudo man because unlike Nintendo, I do not want to imply that the only prominent man of color in the series has only one big braincell thats just screaming "EVIL" on loop. But! Keep Zelda the same, I love her so much in the cartoon, she's obnoxious in a slay girlboss way, maximum vibes. By virtue of not having a paper thin plot, most other characters that were fine get fixed by proxy.

I think plot wise? It takes place a few years after the first game. Initially, Link saved the royal family and they started rebuilding that area of Hyrule, and Link traveled around to help people. One day, Ganon's minions start making attacks on the castle to steal the triforce pieces back to revive him fully, and a Zelda who greatly admires Links steps up to defend the place. Eventually, Zelda requests Link return to help defend the castle while they search for the mysterious hidden third triforce piece in order to combine the full thing and wish for peace in Hyrule. Link agrees and the hyjinks begin.

IIRC the og Link backstory was that he was the son of the hyrulean queen and the elf king or smth? In the manga? I didn't want him to be hylian royalty but I wanted to keep that cryptid vibe, hence why I have him related instead to the great fairy and the kokiri. He just leaves the forest/cave one day with literally nothing to go save Hyrule, what a chad. I think it'd be funny if people describe Zelda as feral due to how boisterous and headstrong she is, especially out on the field, but Link is the quiet version of wild that you don't notice at first. She is openly intelligent and snarky in comparison to "says 3 lines a day, bombs first and asks questions later, explore under every rock and bush" forest kid Link.

It would be fun though if "rushes into danger" Zelda resonated more with the triforce of power and "solves dungeon puzzles for funsies" Link with the triforce of wisdom, then they both resonated with the triforce of courage upon finding it. idk tho lol

I also think two different young Zeldas coexisting with each other after one awoke from a cursed slumber would be really funny. Like that's gotta be so awkward, especially if one has the fighter girlboss slay up to 11 and the other just woke up from a coma to her family gone and her kingdom destroyed and just kinda wants to read books and drink tea in peace. Imagine being the same age or older than your great (great?) aunt. Or imagine if the old lady Impa nursemaid to Zelda 1 Zelda was the young Impa nursemaid to the Zelda 2 Zelda. Wild.

If I wasn't incapable of remembering to finish writing wips I'd write that series lol. Alas, this is all I can pull for now.

I'd love to call this propaganda to go watch the show but maybe don't because its yikes. This is moreso propaganda for someone to make a Zelda cartoon show instead of the movie that I sense Nintendo is plotting to make. Also, if you've read this far, I should mention I also will probably be posting art from some of my actual long term Zelda aus beyond just expanding on the cartoon, though I may continue to do that if my train of thought continues on these tracks.

[moxiebustion]

I'm not even remotely religious in any way, but I am begging people who are going to write about a character going into a monastery/nunnery whatever to please, please, please read some of the Cadfael Chronicles before you cast an entire population of people as fire-and-brimstone, self-mutilating, repressed, fanatical zealots.

For the uninitiated, the Cadfael Chronicles was a long series of medieval-set (specifically set in the 12th century) murder mysteries where the gumshoe role is taken by a monk who is well into middle age, a skilled herbalist and a former soldier and sailor who joined the Order late in his life (which for one, did happen!).

Now, there are some dated things about the writing that bears some examining; Ellis Peters (psued for Edith Pargeter) first started writing then in the late seventies (the last book was published 1994, a year before her death), and while she was a fantastic amateur self-taught scholar (she was so good she got an honorary degree from Birmingham University, having never even been to any higher education than high school) she is writing about the time of the Crusades and the Crusaders who invaded Jerusalem and she doesn't really delve that deep into the implications of her characters being involved in that, even though the characters are portrayed as the good guys, especially the titular one. But it's very possible most of the scholarship she had available for research at the time was all Western perspectives, which, you know, history is written by the winners, etc. She has a writers bias towards her protagonist, so of course he is framed fairly glowingly, though not without flaw.

But whether she had a view on the moral implications of the Crusades or not, the way she wrote medieval Britain and medieval Wales is absolutely textually fascinating because she doesn't flinch away from the fact that yes, Britain at this time was a feudal serfdom with slaves included, and was hard on marginalized people, chock full of patriarchy that did affect the lives of her female characters or that the Church was a big landowner themselves, and there was plenty of political tension and violence due to an ongoing civil war, but nonetheless the town the Chronicles are set in and the monastery where Cadfael lives is portrayed as a community.

Seriously. They don't just pray and whip themselves for 'bad thoughts'. The monks can be funny, snarky, and shy, and ambitious. They can be irreverent - yes, even about God, that thing that they are meant to be the most reverent about. They can have petty rivalries, they can annoy one another, even the Abbot, and not be sent for a backbreaking penance. They aren't thumping on bibles and telling people that if they don't make the cut that they're going to burn in hell.

They care. They take care of the children left in their charge, whether they're rich scions there to get an education or some poor thing left on their doorstep. One monk, in charge of the children, expresses real and genuine concern over a new novice that is having horrific dreams, worried that he has suffered a tremendous hidden trauma (he's right) and they're all concerned about what they can do to help him. A pair of teenagers literally fuck on one of the altars and the reaction from Cadfael is rueful amusement at young people's folly, not disgust or anger. They collect alms for the poor, redistribute everything given to them to help people survive. They crack jokes and show each other kindness and...

... look, I'm not saying that there weren't and still aren't zealots in religion. No religion is really innocent of that. And yeah, those zealots have done some pretty heinous things when they're put in charge - see Witch Burnings, Various Inquisitions, Crusades, Terrorism, etc. But I do wish writers wouldn't write about religious life like everyone who ever entered it was either a complete bag of bible-thumping assholes or just miserable all the time.

For one thing, that's really boring. Religion is a way we can tell stories about the complex reality we live in and the rules we think are important when dealing with other people. To reduce all that potential down to Miserable, Repressed, Self-Harming, Witch Hunting Jerks is intellectually lazy at best.

For another thing, you are losing the opportunity to portray a fundamentally queer experience. I don't mean they were all fucking (although some of the proscriptions that they felt the need to write down would rise your eyebrows - hand holding was apparently banned at one point); I meant that this was a group of people that took themselves out of the amatonormative status quo entirely and dedicated themselves to something that wasn't marriage, children, mercantile endeavors or anything 'normal' like that. That was, at the very least, a queer experience with clear queerplatonic overtones (not to mention, there were FTM trans monks that literally went on to sainthood, chosen gender kept intact).

And also? It just isn't historically accurate. Plenty of men and women actively chose a life outside the norm because they wanted to serve god and the community. They're just a group of people, all living together, making space for one another, all trying to serve people in whatever way they can. These people were less raging witch-burners and more Jedi without the lightsaber.

In the Cadfael books, they have brushes with zealots and they're reviled as bad guys every time. One (in the very first book) more or less fakes a whole-ass vision to manipulate the order to go to Wales and try and acquire a Welsh saint's bones and ends up doing even worse things because he believes he is destined for greatness and will get it by whatever means necessary. The head of the mission (who edges close to zealot territory himself and fully buys into the con for his own benefit) tries to buy the saints relics and causes a massive diplomatic incident as a result of this insult that makes him look like an idiot.

The other zealot that gives them trouble is a priest appointed to run the church. This man is as big a bible thumping, hellfire and brimstone dickhead as you might always picture a medieval priest to be and he is uniformly despised by both the monks and the township at large because his zealotry and strict adherence to only the letter of religious law and nothing else actively harms the community.

He's so hated, in fact, that when he (spoilers) dies, the reactions of all and sundry is mostly just relief that he's gone.

The Catholic Church has a lot of sins that it forgets more than it reckons with, but that doesn't mean that life in a monastery was all hair shirts and self-mortification, every abbot a little dictator. People have lived just fine in small communes for a lot of human history and they didn't all have small-minded tyrants continually cracking the whip. Most of them didn't.

I know it's an easy shaft to mine angst from, shoving people into an oppressive environment that they must either endure or overcome. And yes, the way we write about religion is sometimes a product of working through a complicated and traumatic relationship with it. I'm not trying to say any writer can't or shouldn't write that because your art is always supposed to be about putting parts of yourself out there, about telling the world a story about how you see it; and if you're working through something, if you need to tell a story about the scars that zealotry absolutely have and do leave, go for it, more power to you. That's a story that should and must be told.

But if your character is going into a monastery, try to remember that humans are social creatures. We make friends more than we make enemies. Even under intense tyranny, we make allegiances and form bonds and find ways to make the world were in a little bit more bearable wherever we can. And we tend to show each other compassion and mercy, even when we don't always like each other. It's true today, and it was true then too.

Monastic life was a queer experience that happened right under the noses of the dominant power structures for centuries. I think there's a story or two to be mined from that as well.

[kvalenagle]

Okay, I've been summoned to Tumblr by cute Satra and Lei fan art, so I should probably introduce myself and my books. Hello! I'm Vale, and I write creature fantasy as K. Vale Nagle. If you like interesting gryphons, you're in the right place: aquatic diving petrel/fishing cat gryphons, poisonous hooded pitohui/tiger gryphons, pretty gyrfalcon/snow leopard gryphons, intimidating Haast's eagle/saber-toothed tiger gryphons, soggy sandgrouse/sand cat gryphons, and a lot more. My series are epic fantasy using mostly real (though sometimes extinct) animals, free of humans but full of queer characters, intrigue, large battles, and ecological apocalypses. My cover art is by Jeff Brown, with interior graphite pieces by Brenda Lyons and gryphon chapter headers by Kittrel (whose chibi hearts you may have seen). I also have a short story collection (best read anytime after Starling, book three) with a beak-cute lesbian gryphon love story with terror birds, a Gryphon vs. Nature blizzard apocalypse tale, a Christmas-y story, and something pretty close to zombies. I've also written a full novel set in the world of Dire by John Bailey called Coldbright which can be found in the Tales of Feathers & Flames anthology. If you like GryphIns but you want something with more mystery, almost horror, as told through the eyes of a snarky little opinicus and his dire gryphon ex-boyfriend, it's a great read this time of year. I love and appreciate all the fan mail, fan fiction, fan letters, and people reaching out about this series. I'm a little slow replying, as I started writing the series right after getting diagnosed with a catastrophic autoimmune system. The treatments are pretty intense, and it's easiest for me to spend my time and energy writing. I used to have a few pen names across several genres, but for the most part, all of my energy goes into finishing up GryphIns. I'm married to dragon author Glenn Birmingham, so if you've seen us posting pictures of our cats and thought it's strange they share a name, they're the same cats. And that's about it. Just a queer author writing gryphony books when I'm not walking my cat. A few common answers to questions: Q: There are sometimes typos in social media, why is that? A: Catastrophic APS means I've had a stroke (and associated memory loss), so when a copy editor isn't coming up behind me, there'll be doubled words and typos from time-to-time. I used to worry about them, since they don't look good if you're an author! But I'd rather reply to fan letters and kind posts. I think if you've read my author notes at the back of my books, you know to expect a few doubled words here and there. Q: When you say a queer author, what do you mean? A: Since people ask about own voices and I have a lot of lgbtqia+ characters in my books, I'm pan, demi, trans, and genderfluid. I'm lucky enough to have a lot of queer friends and first readers who make sure I don't mess up any characters. Q: When's the next GryphIns novel coming out? A: Some years, I spend a lot of my time fighting health insurance battles, and it slows me down. Pridelord (#8) is currently in line edits. It's twice as long as Eyrie and three times as long as Coldbright, so it's a pretty big book! It shouldn't be too much longer. You'll know it's just about time because you'll hear James Scott Spaid talk about narrating the audiobook. Q: How many books will there be in GryphIns? A: I'm famous for underestimating how many books it takes to finish a series. My other pen names all wrote short stories and standalone novels, so my proposal for GryphIns originally had five books. Jeff Brown is wrapping up the cover for Saberbeak (#9) and Nighthaunt (#10). If I end up needing one more book to finish, though, don't be too surprised.

[storyofmychoices]

Shadows and Deceptions: A Royal Murder Mystery (Masterlist)

In the heart of Cordonia's grand ballroom, an eclectic cast of characters gathers, their lives interwoven as a result of a shocking turn of events. Trystan Thorne, the exiled prince with a taste for mystery, Olivia Nevrakis, the snarky Duchess skilled with daggers, Tyril Starfury, the noble elf Lord a defender of the realm, Amalas, the enigmatic spy queen, and Prince Hamid, the charming and formal imperial prince. Amidst the grand party of the birth of King Liam's third heir, Princess Ariana, the joyous celebration is broken by a piercing scream, a dead body, and a room full of royal suspects.

Each section begins with a quote that provides some insight into the story. Most are by famous fictional detectives. Each post includes two sections (ie: I & II, III & IV, etc)

I. Every man at the bottom of his heart believes that he is a born detective. (John Buchan)

II. Have patience and endure; this unhappiness will one day be beneficial. (Ellery Queen)

III. From now on, it is our task to suspect each and every one amongst us. (Justice Wargrave)

IV. Truth arises from the seemingly irrelevant. (C. Auguste Dupin)

V. --- In the Ballroom with the Dagger? (Clue inspired)

VI. Put two and two together... sometimes the answer's four... and sometimes it's twenty-two. (Nick Charles)

VII. When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth. (Sherlock Holmes)

VIII. It is not the past that matters, but the future. (Poirot)

Series Information:

Books: The Royal Romance Series, Crimes of Passion, Desire & Decorum, Blades of Light and Shadow

Characters: Trystan Thorne (M, race not mentioned), Marguerite Thorne, Olivia Nevrakis, Queen Amalas, Maxwell Beaumont, Daniel, King Liam, Tyril Starfury, Nia Ellarious, Prince Hamid

Pairings: Olivia Nevrakis x Queen Amalas ; M!Trystan Thorne x (no gender given) MC (mentioned) ; King Liam x Riley (mentioned)

Total Word Count: 6,600

Rating/Warnings: Teen, mentions of blood, stab wound, knives/daggers (no graphic descriptions)

Series Video Edit

The loveliest and talented @secretaryunpaid created little mini videos/gifs for each section and edited them together into what would be an amazing commercial for this series. Check it out: