#hector is fun to play toys with

[buggybadhabits]

Hector cope better challenge FAILED (these are 2 separate events)

[just-an-enby-lemon]

Thinking about the post talking about how The Illiad could be read as Troy Story and I demand and Toy Story illiad crackfic were they are toys from a middle school class, except some belong to the school and others (the ones favored by the gods) to the students.

The war is an elaborated playtime story made by some kids during the year and their free time is just them being toys. Some ideas:

- Odysseus is a Solid Snake action figure but his kid (the nerdy crafty tomboy girl called Athena) has repainted him/made him new cloth clothes he uses over his normal Solid Snake style. Other kids namely Poseidon make fun of Athena for making Ody clothes and giving him a diferent name instead of just calling him Solid Snake( and some umamed assholes about playing with "boy" toys).

- Achiles does not belong to any kid instead he is everyone's favorite toy. Apollo hates him because his action figure Hector from the Troy Royal Family Collection used to be the coolest toy before the school got Achiles from a donation box.

- Helen is Afrodite's barbie doll. She is a special edition rare doll and every girl wants her. She had a fling with school toy Menelaus but Afrodite got Paris as a birthday present and is playing Helen and Paris as a couple (real feelings might arrise???).

- Penelope used to be one of Afrodite's dolls but she gave her to Athena as an apology gift (the girls are frenimies).

- Patroclus is also a school toy and he and Achiles are dating in Toy World. First time the kids played war, Hector killed Patroclus in the make belief world and Achiles refuses to talk to him ever since.

- Cassandra is the only toy from the Troyan Family (is an in-universe cartoon very like Thundercats with a bit lf the new She-ra)Special Edition Apollo doesn't have (tho he gave Paris to Afrodite). He tried to steal her once and was caught by the teacher and grounded. He hates her every since and gives her the worst playtime lines/stories. Only reason he didn't try to break it is cause he knows he'll just be more grounded.

[dootznbootz]

I'm not very fond of Epic AUs where Odysseus adopts Astyanax.

It's fine for a one-off joke or comic and ofc this is just my opinion but... if Astyanax lives (like in Racine's play), he should always stay with Andromache. His actual mother, yk. Not with one of the men who sacked Troy. Zeus' prophecy is bound to happen and Odysseus knew keeping the infant around was a bad idea.

If Astyanax dies, I want to see him in Elysium with his father, finally in a peaceful place and having all of eternity to catch up. Then Andromache joins them (sending her to Asphodel would be too cruel) and they finally reunite.

Would anyone picture Neoptolemus adopting Astyanax ? The son of Achilles, who dragged Hector's body in a chariot. No ? So Achilles' associate doing the same would be weird.

And Odysseus ? I want him CRAVING for a son, waiting for so long until he can express his paternal affection (and always cursing Palamedes even after his revenge 😂).

Him meeting Telemachus all grown up should be his first real shot at fatherhood. It'd be underwhelming if he already had a little boy with him. If Telemachus has a little brother, Penelope should be the mother. Or they adopt another baby together afterwards. No Astyanax and ESPECIALLY NO TELEGONUS !

So yeah, imo Astyanax and Odysseus don't belong with each other. Any thought ?

Headsup: This is just an opinion. My opinion does not matter. If you like this AU, PLEASE don't let that stop you from creating! Just because it's not for me, doesn't mean it's not for you or for someone else :D

I absolutely agree and you absolutely put into words WHY.

There's the term "woobifying" and in some cases...I think that's what people just often do with Epic/The Odyssey. (especially from Epic) I'm saying as someone who is a very soft and fluffy person. I love soft and sweet fics and ideas. I love stuff that makes me smile. But I almost feel as though with certain soft things, you're taking away what makes characters who they are. which DOESN'T make me smile lol

like I think there's more fun in simply a "no-war AU" than the "Astyanax lives AU" xD like, that way, Odysseus is with his family, gets to be a dad, Astyanax gets to live (let's not think too hard about how "no war may have meant no Astayanax")

As that way, they still get to be in character as well.

Penelope and Odysseus for example, are scallywags lol. They scheme and swindle. They giggle and kick their feet when they get extra cattle. They hold grudges. They can be snooty and prideful. They're as full of love as they are full of hate. Odysseus, during the Sack of Troy, in both the Odyssey AND Epic, will do whatever it takes to get home. Like yes, in Epic, Jay has it where Odysseus has to "become ruthless" but I can understand what he's doing with the narrative. Odyssey Odysseus? Um...Iphigenia is proof that Odysseus is already ruthless.

Btw, why is Astyanax the only one Odysseus would want to save with these AUs? What about Iphigenia? Is it because of Epic?

Yes, I DO think Odysseus (and Penelope for that matter) have a lot of parental instinct. I plan to write Odysseus carving lil wooden toys for random kids just as something to do. He does tricks. (ngl, while it seems they weren't around in the Mycenaean era, Yo-yos were a thing in ancient Greece. I just KNOW Odysseus would be the type to do so many tricks. (also string and wood🥹)) He has a soft spot for Greater Ajax's boy. My goober was friends with Menelaus and Agamemnon even before he met Penelope (he saw two exiled guys take back their kingdom and thought "hm??? vulnerable state??? They're very rich?? hehe >:3" but then became fond of them. The reason why he went to Sparta was to help Menelaus with Helen but fell in love himself.) and he's carved lil toys for Agamemnon's kids

He's carved lil Iphigenia toys. She likes Dolphins. He still helps sabotage the letter in some myths and even hypes up the crowd.

Even if it IS just based on Epic, "The Horse and The Infant" and "Just a Man" are HUGE turning points for Odysseus. Or even just a show of character. Like yes, "Odysseus is learning ruthlessness" but he already is ruthless. He literally says "I would trade the world to see my son and wife". AND HE STILL DOES THE DEED! HE WAS RUTHLESS SINCE THE BEGINNING! The Second song in the Musical and it already tells you about Odysseus and what he is willing to do. Is he sad and haunted? Yeah. Still did it.

And I really love that as that's Odyssey Odysseus as well! Odysseus isn't an unfeeling violent villain. He's just a man.

Also...What happens in the Odyssey is no fucking place for a child. ;~; The cyclops, the Goddesses, the monsters? Why should a lil boy be anywhere near that? How did he survive while drifting to Ogygia? Does Poseidon try to keep them together? As no one would be in the state to take care of each other together for that many days.

And in general, in the Odyssey, to me, it's such a huge thing that he literally lost EVERYONE. THAT HE IS ALL ALONE. All of the people who were with him are now dead, and there was nothing he could do. It was already fated.

It's horrible but there's something so poetic in him being the "Sole Survivor", especially after all the hell he went through.

Also yeah, I DO really hate the thought of Telemachus knowing "You took care of this baby when I needed you?". Like my OdyPen have a daughter after he returns as the whole "only one son" and that's already really hard for Telemachus to watch Odysseus be a father for her, regardless of how often and how adamantly Odysseus reassures him that Odysseus desperately wished to do the same with him.

[lazyapperence9754]

The pidgin!AU is an AU where everyone in the main group are pidgin dolls. They live in a funny little version of Faraway that’s small and void of anyone else.

Their “parents” are their creators, all created as either commissions or fun little favors for the now owner of the dolls.

Sunny and Mari-

Sunny and Mari were a pair of dolls created to mourn for the miscarriages their creator (their mother) experienced. Their father did nothing but provide the supplies needed to create them before divorcing their mother.

The two originally came with their own instruments, with Sunny holding the violin and Mari playing the piano. But as the years passed, their little trinkets broke down and rotted away. They still have glue on their fingers where the instruments used to be placed.

Kel and Hero-

Kel and Hero were a pair of dolls created to entertain the creator’s (their mother and father) child, a girl named Sally. Hero was created as the doll that the parents wanted their son, if they’d had one, to be. Perfect, charming, and smart. Kel was created as the “Barbie Doll” for Sally, the doll she could do anything she wanted to.

The two had come with an assortment of trinkets, such as a frying pan and an apron for Hero and a basketball and toy dog (Hector) for Kel. The dog went missing before anyone could even blink, and the ball eventually popped and deflated. Hero is still in perfect condition to this day, while Kel looks like what happens when a Barbie meets a child with a pair of scissors.

Aubrey-

Aubrey was created by a starving artist (her mother) as a commission for money, but when the buyer bailed on her, she fell into such a rage that she threw the doll into a wall, popping off an arm. She had originally came with a nailed bat and a teal bow, but those items were lost over time.

Basil-

Basil was created as a fun little project by his creators (his mother and father), then gifted to his doll hoarding grandmother when they lost interest.

He had originally come with a flower crown and a camera, but those were lost within the depths of his grandmother’s home.

All the dolls were collected and placed into Faraway by an unknown doll collector, going by the name OMORI.

Either from garage sales, dumpsters, and even stolen from homes, the dolls came from anywhere and everywhere.

[blackjackkent]

OK, I thought following Oliver there meant we were going into the Shadowfell, but it looks like it just teleported us elsewhere on the map - we're back over in Reithwin village again.

And Mummy and Daddy are back!

Goodie. Oliver is also here in a shield shell that is labeled "Nightdome" with 300 hit points. So maybe we'll deal with getting rid of Mummy and Daddy first.

At the top of his turn, Oliver (now labeled "Shadowed Spirit of the Land") also summons a bunch of "Shadow Friends" (clones of himself with one HP each). "You should have just left me alone! Spoil my fun? I'll teach you a lesson - just you watch!"

The little clones hit pretty hard, actually, but aren't hard to eliminate at least.

Oliver got mad when we killed off the first big shadow. "Stop that! You're supposed to be playing, not breaking things!"

Look, kid, you're the one who summoned the wraith creatures to kill us. This was NOT our idea.

"You want to play?" he says at the top of his next turn. "Let me show you my favorite toy!"

And then he summons this:

It's difficult to tell in the screenshot, but it's a giant shadow owlbear with 60 hit points, and it's labeled "Shadow Plush" which is adorable in a horrible sort of way.

Shadowheart has been sitting on the Sunbeam ability provided by Lathander's Light for a while and this turned out to be a very good use for it; it almost (but not quite) one-shot the owlbear and obliterated Mummy.

"You're spoiling my fun!" snaps Oliver. "Stop it right now, or you'll be sorry!"

Kid, I'm sorry, you've got to come back and be yourself again. There's no getting around it.

"Why are you doing this?" he snaps, summoning more clones as the owlbear falls. "All I wanted to do was play!"

I went over at this point to start hitting his shield because this seems like it could go on for a while, but it turns out that it's been dropping in health this whole time - I don't think Sunbeam clipped it, so I'm assuming it's been losing health every time we dealt with his minions.

Hector gave it a final smack and it crumbled, which Oliver did NOT like.

"Why couldn't you just leave me a lone? Why can't I just stay here, playing? I had everything I've ever wanted, right here, and you've ruined it!" His voice rises to a strident wail, stumbling back away from Hector and the others. "I'm not leaving! You can't make me!"

Hector sighs, watching him. He wishes it was possible to just let the boy go; his anguish and frustration and confusion are obvious. But they have no choice.

"You have what you want, but not what you need," he says softly. "Thaniel. He's your friend, your kin - he's *you*."

"He's nothing to me!" the boy cries. "He left me here, all this time! I had to do everything for myself!" His voice shakes just a little, betraying the emotion he's been hiding behind his stubborn anger. "Even when it was scary. Even when I was alone. I didn't give up."

Hector crouches down to eye level again, his expression full of pity for the lost soul. "You were very brave and resourceful," he says softly. "Think of how much you'll be able to help Thaniel."

Oliver's eyes flick away; some of the anger fades at the reassurance in Hector's voice...but fear takes its place, a fear that has been lurking deep so he didn't have to look at it directly. "But would he even want me back?" he whispers. "I've changed. A lot..."

Hector reaches out cautiously towards the boy's hand; when he doesn't pull away, Hector grasps it. It feels light and cool, no body warmth, but it is solid in his grip. "Change is good," he says. "That's what growing up is all about. Together, you two will become more than you were before."

There's a long, long silence while the boy considers. Then a smile creeps cautiously onto his face.

"So...I wouldn't have to make up friends to play with anymore? I'd have someone real?" His voice is hesitant, then eager as he warms to the idea. "I'd like that. And he would too, I think. All right - I'll do it. I *want* to do it."

Pale green light weaves around him - resembling Halsin and Jaheira's druid magic, and the strange magic Arabella gained from the Idol of Silvanus. It begins to flood through him, lifting him into the air, consuming him, drawing him back to himself.

"Bye..." he whispers as he vanishes. "And thank you for playing with me."

----

Hector watches the light fade slowly back into darkness again. "Is that it, then?" he asks cautiously. "Will the curse fade now?"

"Guess we'll have to see what Halsin has to say about it." Karlach looks at him sideways and grins slightly. "You've got a way with kids, Soldier. It's a good look on you."

He smiles. "I find they like feeling like they're being listened to," he murmurs. "I just hope we weren't too late..."

[beevean]

You made the right choice. S3 oscillated between being tedious, infuriating and straight up nauseating, and S4 was a complete spit in the face of anyone who still thought the story had a coherent direction, let alone bothered to respect the games (oh, the poor innocent souls who believed N!Hector would "become a badass like in CoD" in the finale...). Also I'm not forgiving the accidental abuse apologism. That is vile.

Mmh. The way I took it, Hector and Isaac are, in short, master alchemists, and they were able to achieve the pinnacle of alchemy through their own diligence, the powers they were born with, and Dracula's own knowledge and magic. They are unique in their art of Forging life, but said art was built from Mathias' research as an alchemist (I like to imagine the two studied on his old books, especially the named "The Secret Arts"). The Tiramisu is the only way Hector has to decipher Sage Eneomaos' inscriptions, but I took it as the Fairy knowing an ancient language (she's called the most knowledgeable race of fairies), not that Sage Eneomaos wrote in a language only a Tiramisu would know, if that makes sense.

Dracula seems to have invented Devil Forging as we know it. Perhaps it was a refined version of the ability to create golems, seen in LoI, with the addition of his own vampire/Dark Lord power. There is definitely a connection between the two games! I definitely have a lot of fun piecing together all the scattered information, it's so cool <3

... for me the real question is not whether Hector and Isaac were the first Devil Forgemasters, but whether others after them existed or Dracula learned how to create demons on his own 😂 guess Hector's betrayal stung.

(very much love your archeology headcanon though! and yes, Hector really decided to copy a time traveller the second he set eyes on a new toy to play with. a king. bet st germain also introduced him to the concept of an electric guitar. too bad he didn't teach him how to play it so he sucks <3)

"There's a reason these two are special and it's not just that They Happened To Exist" unrelated to our point here, but now I'm thinking of how thoroughly the show cheapened Hector and Isaac's relationship. They're supposed to be foils down to the last detail! Friends turned bitter enemies! Instead N!Isaac treats N!Hector with disdain because he thinks he's "a little boy", N!Hector doesn't even remember he has a coworker half of the time, the two have parallel stories until the very end, and they are foils only in the sense that N!Isaac is the coolest dude who ever cooled and N!Hector is a kicked puppy. I'm still so salty that N!Isaac was like "uggggh i don't want to be friends with youuuuu we're gonna die anyway", what a waste :\

The show doesn't even explain why N!Lisa went to Hell, but it feels like a very Christian black-and-white view of the world. She loved a vampire, so she was tainted, right? So, the bishop who executed her was right? Combine this with God apparently giving His blessing to a zombie controlled by a necromancer colluting with a vampire who only wanted Dracula dead to enslave mankind herself, or the stupidest explanation for why vampires fear crosses I have ever heard, and I don't even know what's going on with religion in NFCV, except for the most shallow CHURCH BAD message that I could have come up with at 12. oh, but tell me more about how deep and clever the blue fangs scene is :^)

What pisses me off the most about NFCV is the way it disrespects the original medium of video gaming. The show sets up a potential action setpiece similar to a level from the game (the turning wheel, s1e3 I think) and then just *walks around it*. Everything about the way "Devil Forging" works in the show demonstrates that Ellis didn't even consult a cutscene compilation, much less the game. And sure enough, the fucker admits he never played them. Why adapt source material you've never experienced?

*Captain N* (a show I defend to the death) was better than this. It embraces the action montage, and even if things aren't 1-to-1, they do capture the appeal of the gameplay they adapt. It understands people love the original work. NFCV plows through the formalities of adapting a guy skimming the wikipedia summary of the game and then sits everyone in a basement for a full season.

The only times I felt I was watching an adaptation of Castlevania was in S1, with things like the fight against the Cyclop who petrified Sypha and Trevor falling into the deepest catacombs where Alucard hid himself, and in S4, where the last fight before the final showdown with Death happens in a clock tower, his iconic hideout.

As for the rest, I remember some snarky fans defending the show's wildly different direction with things like "what, did you expect to see Trevor jumping on platforms?" I don't know but it sure as shit would have been better than the trio wasting the entirety of S2 cooped up in a library! Yes, I would have preferred to see them travel through forests and caves and swamps, instead of wasting my time watching N!Alucard being a complete jerk to N!Trevor for no good reason! (and no, defending vampires is not a good reason)

bro. bro not even the vampire killer is treated with respect. it's replaced with the morning star which is a different weapon, and then n!trevor drops it in favor of a knife pulled out of the story's ass. the morning star pisses n!dracula off, but a fucking stick is capable of killing him. are you doing this on purpose.

And don't get me started on Devil Forging. I actually don't mind too much the idea of making it more similar to necromancy, because it would fit with the idea that it's a cursed, disgusting, blasphemous art. I also can concede that the knowledge that Dracula infused Hector and Isaac with his own power is very obscure, vaguely implied in one cutscene in CoD and one panel of PtR, and confirmed in a pre-release interview. But everything else is so less interesting. It's an art that apparently N!Hector was born with for no reason and N!Isaac could study on his own, removing the personal connection between Dracula and Forgemasters. There are other Forgemasters in the world: those two are not special (which also makes me wonder why N!Dracula bothered to hire N!Hector with a lie when he could have travelled some more: I'm sure Miranda would have helped him). N!Isaac eventually becomes so OP he can stibby stabby to create new Night Creatures without any effort. None of the interesting themes about dehumanization or forcing pure creatures to sin are hinted at*. Even N!Hector's unique cavalier relationship with death, a genuinely but interesting childish mentality of "oh no, death is sad! but I can fix it!", is never explored, because the story was too busy making him look stupid and breedable. And to top it all off, Nocturne literally introduces the concept of a Devil Forging machine which is so bad it sucks even in universe.

*the closest thing to this is in S4 with this line from N!Isaac: "You believe you are tools of destruction only because this is how your kind have always been used". Admittedly, it's a cool line I would have loved to apply to Hector and Isaac. But it doesn't quite work because by definition Night Creatures are not innocent, being demons from hell... and anyway he keeps using them to kill people in Styria because N!Isaac is a bastard and unlike Isaac he won't even admit it ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ that line comes off as so self-aggrandizing and I hate how much the show shills him so I won't cut it any slack because I'm petty.

As for Captain N, I will say this: the inclusion of the Poltergeist King is, of course, totally wrong from a lore stand point, but to me it tells that the writers actually read the manual in search of information, and the American manual really was the only resource they had at their disposal at the time. Just like that, they put in more effort than Warren "somehow didn't realize on his own that Mathias Cronqvist was Dracula's human name while reading a wiki page" Ellis.

[captain039]

A wolfs word

Dracula x reader

Castlevania

Warnings: Mature themes

All the Dracula’s! 😂

You watched the strange magic flow around the place, light blue smoke almost. Your change began before you could escape it, groaning and shifting into a wolf before you had any control.

You awoke in an unfamiliar place, the smells different, an unholy amount of death was in this place. You almost gagged from it, you opened your eyes looked around the dark strange room.

“Fascinating” you jumped at the sound of someone's voice. You looked to the blond-headed man in front of you. His eyes studying you. You were naked, having lost your clothes in the shift. You had something around your neck too.

“Wolf in the night” the man mumbled as he stared at you.

You snapped at his fingers as they came towards before scurrying to the wall.

“Maybe still a wolf” he mumbled turning to the large stone table.

“Why does it smell like dog in here?” A woman’s voice came this time and you looked to the door. Long white hair and sharp blue eyes. Her skin was deathly pale yet she looked vibrant.

“Ah” she spotted you a smirk on her face as she walked over, heels clacking against the stone floor.

“Found her did you?” She asked the man as she knelt by you.

“Passed out in the woods” he waved her off looking at something on the table.

“Oh if Dracula could see you” she whispered stroking your cheek. Your eyes were wide at the name as you saw her fangs as she smiled. You forced yourself into the corner, away from her.

“Oh she knows of us” the woman stood and chuckled before turning back to the man.

“Perhaps we should have an audience for this one” the woman smirked back at you before leaving.

The man said nothing as he left also. You thrashed against the collar around your neck, tried to break the chain also but you couldn’t. It smelt of death in here, ripe death.

You looked around the room, it was too dark to see anything. You thrashed some more before you gave up.

The night had come, the pain flowing through your body confirmed it as you changed.

You laid weakly on the floor, your shifts were never comfortable, never controlled.

“Ah the wolf” the blond haired man returned and unchained you from the wall.

“Come on” he had to drag you most the way, your body shaking and aching.

You were placed in front of a large group of hooded people and a few others in front, native looking. You lifted your head and looked at them, all vampires. What did they want from you?

“Why have you called me?” The voice was deep and tired. You looked back eyes wide and tail between your legs as you saw Vlad Dracula.

“I have found something my lord” the blond haired man spoke and gestures to you.

“A scared pup?” The man said eyebrows raised as he stared at you.

“She is half human half beast” the blond said.

“Yes?” The man was unamused by your presence. You thought you might escape, you bit the blonds hand and snatched your chain from him before running behind the large chair. You ran for ages the castle a maze of halls and rooms.

You hid in one, a dim fire but a great hiding spot behind the large table. They ran straight past thankfully.

You shook under the table, trying to bite the chain off, some form of magic held it together.

“Good hiding place��� the door closed after the voice and you jumped. You stared at Dracula in fear.

“I must admit it’s been a while since I’ve seen your kind” he sighed coming to you and kneeling.

“Let’s get this off” his finger nail sliced through the tough leather and the collar fell to the floor.

“You can breathe now” he mumbled picking up the leash and laying it on the table. He sighed and sat in the large chair by the fire.

“Hector is fascinated with animals you see, half human, half wolf was no doubt going to get his attention” the man sighed head resting in his hands.

“I’ll let you out in the morning, hopefully he finds something else to play with” the man grumbled standing up and taking his cloak off. You flinched and held your eyes shut as he came over. But the material fell over you like a blanket.

“Staying here would be best for now” he said going back to his chair and sitting down. You sniffed at the cloak, an odd calming scent coming from it. You stared at the vampire, he was exhausted. This war that’s been raging was all from him, had he given up?

You laid down despite not wanting to sleep, but shifting exhausted you.

You awoke to the soft crack of the fire and warmth. You sighed a little clutching whatever was covering you before you shot up. You cursed hitting your head on the table as you rolled out from under it and clutched your head

“You alright?” You jumped at the soft voice and looked behind your shoulder at the vampire towering behind you. You felt tiny compared to him. You held the cloak tighter faint memories of last night coming back.

“No” you grumbled holding your head, it throbbed, you shot up too fast.

“Why the hell did your pet catch me?!” You snarled in rage as you turned to him. Instantly regretting it as he raised an eyebrow at you. But he smiled, an amused chuckle coming from him which made you flush.

“He is a child, he loved finding wounded pets” he said taunting you.

“I am not a pet nor am I wounded, you should control them” you turned your back on him again and took a deep breath. Your heart was pounding and your body was shaking.

“You were passed out in the forest, it was wounded enough for him” the vampire moved to stand in front of you, his amused smile still there.

“You said you’d let me go” you said quietly hoping he’d keep his promise.

“It isn’t morning yet, nobody’s asleep” you cursed glancing to the closed door.

“I’m much quicker than you pup” he whispered a slight smirk on his face. He was toying with you, this didn’t feel like a tired old man in a war, he looked like he was having fun.

“Shall I fetch you some water and food?” He asked as your stomach grumbled at the thought. You flushed hugging the cloak tighter to you.

“I hope you’ll stay” he said leaving and locking the door. You bashed the door huffing as it didn’t budge. You cursed looking around the room, it was an office by the books, desk and fire.

He came back quickly, the door opening and closing while you huffed in his chair.

“I must admit last time I saw your kind it wasn’t this- peaceful” you glared at the fire at his words as he laid the food and drink down on the desk.

“You should just kill me” you said staring him down.

“Isn’t that the point of this war? Kill everything so it’s only you vampires here” he frowned at your words and stared to the ground.

“Humans must die” he said and you scoffed going to the desk. You smelt the bread and fruit, nothing to off about them.

“I assure you they aren’t poisoned” he said sitting back in his chair. You glared holding the cloak close as you sat and ate a piece. You sighed a little at the delicious taste, you ate some more, stomach settling.

“I am human” you said as he stared at the fire.

“Half human” he corrected making you tsk.

“Still human in me” you snapped huffing.

“You think every single human had it out for your wife? You never turned her into a vampire, she helped people last I checked, many people would’ve been greatful-“ he snarled and moved quickly. His hand held your throat, his harsh panting in your ear. You held your breath, trembling on the spot.

“Don’t ever speak about my wife” he said deadly low.

“You can’t just kill an entire race for what one being did” you hated yourself for speaking as his grip tightened.

“It was more than one” he snarled.

“And they’re dead” you whispered his grip loosening.

“Lives for a life, more now, nobody dares disobey the church, that man is cruel just like you” you felt him question himself, his grip loosening as he panted confused.

“An innocent little girl playing with her mother never knew what happened, nor will she, she will look to her mother in happiness at the life she has now, with the people she has now, praying she can see the days of her adulthood” You felt his grip tighten and stopped.

“What would she want?” You asked turning to him. He stared at you, his eyes red with his previous rage. He let go of your throat, backed away and sat back in his chair hunched over.

You caught your breath, heart pounding, you had just him that he was stupid, in a sense, better words and meaning, but still saying he was stupid.

You watched the sun rise through the drapes, he didn’t move nor did he speak. You had finished your meal and headed to the door finding it unlocked.

“She will see her adulthood” you heard softly as you saw freedom.

[birb-tangleblog]

saw your lovely villain quirin au again, i was wondering, how would it progress? i mean like, would he be redeemed? does varian get saved?

Thank you!! I think I talked a bit on how that AU would go in my responses to some asks on my art account, and imo it'd progress pretty similarly to canon post-S1! 

It looks like I actually deleted the ask where I elaborated tho, so a summary + AU of an AU below!

Quirin helps the Saporians b/c he still wants to see the royal family and Corona burn to the ground, but like Varian does in canon, he has a moment of truth, redeems himself and becomes an ally again. Varian’s saved by Rapunzel, all is well. :>

After Var is freed, Quirin learns from his mistakes and takes a much more proactive approach to the black rocks/moonstone situation, lending his knowledge and knightly skills to the party! He’s a lot more open about his past experience, history, and their DK heritage. The rest of the Tangledads (Edmund and maybe Fred, if/when he gets his memory back since that was... really glossed over in canon) are also more involved in this AU, since the moonstone/rocks/Quirin/Brotherhood/DK/Corona connections are entirely unavoidable at this point.

Another thing that’d change is that Varian's development is set back a year, b/c being in the amber effectively put his arc in stasis. Consequently, he’s a lot more babey here since he wasn’t forced to grow up as he was in canon- but he’s also more determined to prove himself and show his alchemy can be used for good since he hasn’t had the opportunity to do that yet.

Post-series, Var does become Corona's royal engineer, and lives part time at the castle, but instead of remaining in Old Corona, I can see Quirin returning to the DK, probably along with some of the villagers who supported him. He brings his skills as a farmer and leader, and helps with bringing agriculture back to the DK!  Everyone's on amicable terms tho, and Var spends parts of the year in each kingdom- I just think Quirin might feel more comfortable getting a fresh(ish) start away from Corona’s monarchy, particularly after a stint as a villain. (And I’m increasingly fond of the idea of the two of them returning to the DK vs. staying in Corona in any AU tbh!)

ALTERNATIVELY.... an idea I didn't mention before, but toyed with a bit was a more divergent route, where if instead of Quirin getting jailed at the end of S1, he avoided capture, escaped- and pursued the party on their journey to the DK.

(I feel like his grudge is more against FREDERIC than Rapunzel... but he could be going after her for revenge purposes- Fred's daughter being a proxy for his son, eye-for-an-eye thing, + ending Corona’s royal line since she’s the crown princess and heir to the throne.)

I don’t completely know how that’d all play out, other than I think it’d be interesting to have an actual recurring antagonist in S2, with Quirin filling that role. 

Ngl, I also like the idea b/c of the conflict it'd generate for Adira, having to defend the party and go against another person from her past, and making her double down on her ideals even more. Her connection to two rogue knights would call her loyalty into question, and I'm kinda here for the thought of a Hector/Quirin teamup once the group reached the Tree, too??

Like, Hector slapping Quirin with the world's nastiest "I told you so", maybe starting to bring him around to his point of view re. protecting the world from the rocks given what happened to his son? And the two of them working together against their common enemy despite lingering tensions and differences? Black knight Quirin and feral tree man Hector.....? 👀

THAT WAS A RAMBLE but yea, overall I tend to assume it'd follow canon closely, it’s almost more of a roleswap than an AU proper- but I think smth more diff is possible and fun to think about too! I like playing loose w/ ideas and concepts.

[senttotheshadowrealm]

The entire Pixar!

Oh wow, that’s a lot xD I’ll try my best! (I’m gonna send you one when I’m out of class and able to send an ask, I didn’t just steal this I promise :’D)

Top 5 favourite characters: HECTOR, Ernesto, Miguel, Woody, and EVE

 Other characters you like: Slinky Dog!, Barley Lightfoot, Wall-E, Randall Boggs, Ellie Fredrickson, Bruce the Shark (and a bunch of others!) 

Least favourite characters: SPOT, Imelda *prepares for the flaming pitchforks*, Russell, Arlo 

 Otps: Wall-E/ EVE, Carl/ Ellie, Bob and Helen Parr, Ernector (fun to play with in AUs and such, but I don’t think they were actually romantic in the canon)

Notps: Imector *prepares for the stones*

Favourite friendships: Ernesto and Hector (pre-betrayal of course) ,Miguel and Dante, Buzz and Woody, Marlin and Dory, The Circus Bugs  

Favourite family: The Riveras

Favourite episodes: ????

 Favourite season/book/movie: COCO, but the first three Toy Story films hold a special place too. 

Favourite quotes: “I would move Heaven and Earth for you, mi amigo! Salud!”, “Dumb flower bridge!”, “YOU. ARE. A. TOYYYYYY!”, “I am MISSES! NESBIT!”, “To Infinity and Beyond!”, “I don’t know....but whatever I do.... I’m going to live every minute of it!”

Best musical moment: Anything in Coco, honestly. But Remember Me (lullaby) overall, Llorona for sound.

Moment that made you fangirl/boy the hardest: The first time seeing HECTOR‘S PHOTO~ <3

When it really disappointed you: The entirety of The Good Dinosaur. I really don’t know what they were smoking...

Saddest moment: Uuuuuughhh there are so mannnyyyy..... Probably either the Remember Me lullaby or the legendary first 10 mins of UP

Most well done character death: Hector’s lol That flashback scene is cinematic GOLD  

Favourite guest star: Lee in Coco. “What did I miss?”

Favourite cast member: Gael Garcia Bernal <3

Character you wish was still alive: Ellie. Omg. (I was gonna say Hector but he’d probably have died of natural causes by now anyway lol)

One thing you hope really happens: Coco sequel!!!

Most shocking twist: Ernesto’s a baddie. I was genuinely shocked.

When did you start watching/reading?: Lol oh God. I had Toy Story sheets on my first bed when I was 3 so.... young.

Best animal/creature: Pepita! She’s rad!

Favourite location: Land of the Dead <3

Trope you wish they would stop using: Honestly, I couldn’t say. I think Pixar avoids a good amount of tropes.

One thing this show/book/film does better than others: Emotions. Pixar films know how to build worlds and characters and know how to make people care about them.

Funniest moments: All of Finding Nemo is hysterical. But my favorite moment of all time is the bug zapper scene from Bug’s Life. That KILLS me every time! The one skeleton dancing to the accordion music cracks me up, too!

Couple you would like to see: None that I can think of???

Actor/Actress you want to join the cast: No one in particular.

Favourite outfit:I may not like her very much, but Imelda’s outfit is👌  

Favourite item: Ummm....Hector’s guitar???

Do you own anything related to this show/book/film?: lmao oh yeah! Shirts, figures, bedding, a bunch of stuff!

What house/team/group/friendship group/family/race etc would you be in?: Riveras. They’re honestly so supportive and wonderful <3

Most boring plotline:Cars. Like holy crap its a snooze fest.

Most laughably bad moment: Cars 2. All of it. It is so delightfully insane from start to finish that I kinda love it. 

Best flashback/flashfoward if any: Again, Hector’s death scene. Such incredible story-telling, so much history about the characters, so much emotion packed into what is only a couple minute sequence. It’s wonderful.

Most layered character: Oooofff....I gotta say Ernesto. There’s a lot going on in that deranged mind of his. And they’re so fun to ponder about.

Most one dimensional character: Bing bong. He’s there to die. The end.

Scariest moment: Toy Story 3′s incinerator scene. They just...accept death... Having fun, kids?

Grossest moment: Syndrome getting sucked into the plane engine at the end of Incredibles. What a way to go xP

Best looking male: Living Hectorrrr~ <3

Best looking female: Luisa Rivera. She a cutie pie :3

Who you’re crushing on (if any): HECTOR <3 <3 <3  

Favourite cast moment: I like when they used to do those blooper reels at the end of their movies. Does that count?

Favourite transportation: Pizza Planet truck. It can apparently go anywhere.

Most beautiful scene (scenery/shot wise): Miguel seeing the LotD for the first time. Ooof <3

Unanswered question/continuity issue/plot error that bugs you: None that I can think of.

Best promo: I liked the media spots they did for Coco. A lot of them are on YouTube if anyone hasn’t seen them.

At what point did you fall in love with this show/book: Again, quite young xD

Whew, that was a LOT! But it was a lot of funnn~

[thebeastofblackmoor]

Nancy Drew Asks- Send me a Suspect!

Since it seems everyone is cooped up at home, I figured I’d make an ask game of my own to help the Clue Crew combat boredom... Send me a suspect and rb!

Daryl Gray: What kind of car do you drive? Connie Watson: Are you a part of any clubs? Hal Tanaka: Have you ever cheated in school? Hector “Hulk” Sanchez:  Do you play any sports? If so, which one(s)? Detective Beech: Do you keep a journal? What’s in it? Mitch Dillon: Have you ever blocked your number and if yes, why?

Mattie Jensen: Describe the plot of the last TV show you watched. Rick Arlen: What’s your favorite kind of chocolate? Lillian Weiss: What’s the worst way you’ve ever broken up with somebody? Millie Strathorn: Would you consider yourself cluttered or organized? Dwayne Powers: Do you hold a grudge? Ralph Guardino: What is your job?

Rose Green: Do you talk with your hands? Abby Sideris: What is your star sign? Louis Chandler: What’s the oldest thing you own? Charlie Murphy: How many different places have you lived?

Dexter Egan: Did you get in trouble a lot as a kid? Professor Hotchkiss: Early bird or night owl (hoot hoot)? Lisa Ostrum: Do you speak another language? Jacques Brunais: Would you rather have a big or small wedding?

Brady Armstrong: What was the worst job you ever worked? Simone Mueller: Has anyone ever climbed out of your wardrobe? Nicholas Falcone: Have you ever been to a protest? Joseph Hughes: If you had to move away to live with family in another state, who would it be and where?

Joanna Riggs: What’s your favorite exhibit at the museum? Henrik van der Hune: Are you attracted to Henrik? this is a serious question I know a lot of you are or at least used to be.. what was the deal with that.. Alejandro del Rio: What country are you from? Taylor Sinclair: Do you have a nickname?

Red Knott: What’s your favorite animal? Emily Griffin: If you owned a store, what would it sell? Jeff Akers: Do you have any pets?

Harlan Bishop: Have you ever gotten into trouble with the law? Ingrid Corey: If you suddenly got a lot of money, how would you spend it? Joy Trent: Do you consider yourself an optimist or a pessimist? Elliot Chen: If any, what kind of art do you do?

Katie Firestone: What is your favorite kind of sandwich? Holt Scotto: Political alignment? Andy Jason: Sharks or whales? Jenna Deblin: Starbucks or local coffee shop?

Dave Gregory: You got a steady back home? Tex Britten: Have you ever ridden a horse? Shorty Thurmond: Are you a good cook? Mary Yazzie: Have you ever had a secret relationship?

Linda Penvellyn: Are you married? Jane Penvellyn: Favorite mythological creature? Mrs. Drake: Do you have plants? Ethel Bossiny: What period in or piece of history fascinates you the most? Nigel Mookerjee: Do you scare easily?

Emily Crandall: When was the last time you stayed in your pajamas all day? Richard Topham: Have you ever seen a psychic? Jane Willoughby: What kind of accent do you have? Jim Archer: Are you good with money?

Lori Girard: Favorite celebrity? Charleena Purcell: What was the last book you read? Tino Balducci: Do you exaggerate stories?  John Grey: What’s the cheesiest TV show you watch?

Minette: Do you have any tattoos? JJ Ling: Most outrageous lie you’ve told? Heather McKay: Do you care about fashion? Dieter von Schwesterkrank: How many people have you dated? Jean-Michel Traquenard: Where do you do your best work?

Dr. Quigley Kim: Bugs: yay or nay? Big Island Mike: What’s your favorite meme? Pua Mapu: Have you ever been surfing? Malachi Craven: Do you take compliments well?

Ollie Randall: Have you ever been hunting? Freddie Randall: Do you like winter weather? Bill Kessler: Name a place from your childhood that holds a fond place in your heart. Yanni Volkstaia: Winter or summer sports? Lou Talbot: What did you major in or what would you like to major in, if applicable? Guadalupe Comillo: Did you have a “wolf phase” growing up?

Henry Bolet: Are you more goth, jock, nerd, or prep? Renee Amande: Do you have a secret stash of food in your room? Lamont Warrick: Do you have allergies? Gilbert Buford: Describe your best friend.

Margarita Fauberg: Do you prefer to spend time inside or outside? Helena Berg: What’s your favorite city in the world? Colin Baxter: Do you give a single shit about tesserae tiles?? Enrico Tazza: Favorite card game? Antonio Fango: Do you work in an office?

Kyler Mallory: Do you know much about your family history? Matt Simmons: Do you enjoy playing practical jokes? Kit Foley: Have you ever gotten into a physical fight? Donal Delaney: Favorite drink, alcoholic or otherwise? Fiona Malloy: What was your favorite toy as a kid?

Johnny Rolle: Favorite Halloween costume you’ve ever worn?

Corine Meyers: Did you get good grades in high school? Izzy Romero: Were you popular in high school? Mel Corbalis: Do you play an instrument? Rachel & Kim Hubbard: Do you have any siblings?

Scott Varnell: What are you really passionate about? Debbie Kircum: Are you a hard worker? Frosty Harlow: Do you like photography? Chase Relerford: Have you ever stolen from a store? Pa: Do you do any theater?

Yumi Shimizu: Would you consider yourself bossy? Miwako Shimizu: Are you timid or assertive? Takae Nagai: Do you have any traditions you honor? Rentaro Aihara: Are you technical-minded? I was gonna ask if you like puzzles but, um, this is the friggin clue crew

Karl Weschler: Are you a leader or a follower? Anja Mittelmeier: Have you or would you lie on your resume?  Lukas Mittelmeier: Do you like to cause trouble? Renate Stoller: Tell us the best story you’ve got.

Deirdre Shannon: Do you get jealous easily? Brenda Carlton: Are you just the fucking worst? (HINT: No, because you’re not Brenda) Toni Scallari: Do you talk about people behind their backs? Alexei Markovic: Do you break things often?

Abdullah Bakhoum: Do you have high self-confidence? Lily Crewe: Favorite board game? Dylan Carter: Are people inclined to believe you, even when you lie? Jamila El-Dine: Do you believe there are aliens on other planets?

Victor Lossett: Are you strict? Ryan Kilpatrick: What’s your favorite kind of candy? Mason Quinto: Do you consider yourself a logical thinker? Ellie York: What “percent scientist” are you? Gray Cortright: Would you work a night shift?

Clara Thornton: Tell us a story you haven’t told almost anyone. Apparently “have you ever accidentally gotten someone killed?” isn’t an appropriate question for tumblr dot com Wade Thornton: Do you believe in ghosts? Jessalyn Thornton: Do you think spending a night on a haunted island with your best friend sounds like fun? Harper Thornton: What’s your favorite book? Colton Birchfield: How would you get the attention of someone you liked?

Alec Fell: Are you especially witty? Moira Chisholm: Again, since “have you ever accidentally gotten someone killed?” isn’t gonna cut it, I’ll go with: What are your hobbies? Ewan Macleod: What piece of spy gadgetry would you pick if you got to take one home? Zoe Wolf: Do you like to break the rules?

Sonny Joon: Do you doodle? Patrick Dowsett: Are you a good swimmer? Leena Patel: How did you meet your best friend? Kiri Nind: Why did you dedicate your life to being on trashy TV? Do you watch reality TV?

Xenia Doukas: Which fictional character do you relate to on a personal level? Niobe Papadaki: Are you a good public speaker? Grigor Karakinos: If you had to make up a fake identity for yourself, what first and last name would you pick and why? Thanos Ganas:  Do you think you’re intimidating?

Elisabet Grimursdottir: Are you a cat or a dog person? Dagny Silva: What’s your sexuality? Soren Bergursson: If you were a villain, what would be your weapon of choice? Gunnar Tonnisson: What stands out about your physical appearance?

[thewarriorgoddess]

So I dumped a couple more orbs into the Valentine’s banner and snagged Henriette and now B!Edelgard has a disgusting new toy to play with for both Light Season offense and Dark Season defense. Also Gustav showed up too and I have no clue who to feed him to...............hmmmm maybe B!Hector??? 

All in all I was incredibly lucky on this banner to get all 4 of the focus units in such little orbs and I intend on having a lot of fun with these new save skills :)

Now summoning this month has ended and I won’t be summoning again until March’s mythic banner for Bramimond merges and Goat Lady  

[crystalelemental]

“alphakuriboh: I’m fine with this. I am blatantly ignoring the chick I hate most getting that monstrosity and focusing on Morgan getting a fun toy and Hector possibly showing up more in arena again where I can have a free kill.”

That’s fair.  She’s shown up like three times as a 4* special focus unit and I can’t do anything but merge because her fodder sucks, so I guess I have a new option to work with.  But yeah, Sumia’s not really my favorite either.

Morgan’s is fun.  A bit limited since it’s just a proximity Chill, but Smoke stacking is easier than Chill stacking, so I think it works really well for him.  Hector’s refine is nuts though, definitely looking forward to seeing how that plays out.  Halloween Grima and Brave Claude were nuts with their recovery on special activation, and now there’s a third.

[blackjackkent]

Since we're already back here I guess we might as well close out our quest with Sovereign Spaw as well, since we cleared out the duergar it asked us to.

Narrator: It greets you with a harrowing elegy, cheerless as the new moon.

Aw. Poor fun-gi is not having a fun-time.

"The duergar are slain; the rot has been purged."

Narrator: The music shifts - still melancholic, but now streaked with hope.

"((*do you hear? a new harmony. serenity. I name you Peace-Bringer.*))"

Aw. c: Thanks buddy.

Narrator: Fragrant spores waft through the air. Your heart swells with bliss with your every breath.

In a way it's like that night with Gale, when the Weave cradled them and they saw almost into each other's souls. But this...is far more unsettling. He is not sure he likes his emotions being played with like toys - certainly not by this strange creature that is, at best, alien.

So he just holds still, lets the feeling wash over him and trying his best to hold to an inner stillness. This is not true happiness. This is some strange facsimile that he doesn't want.

The creature is still think-speaking, words weaving in with the emotion.

((*Freely you have given to us. freely you may take. the guardian gate is open. go and claime your reward.*))

An image of a dark cave wreathed in purple energy, its vines sliding aside to reveal treasure within.

"((*but before this, I have another boon to ask of you. you have cut out the duergar blight - but not its source.*))

Narrator: In your mind's eye, Spaw shows you a drow, striding among myconid dead.

"((* Nere this one is called. he hunted us - hunt him in turn. bring me his head, and I will know my circle is safe. *))"

"More busywork?" Shadowheart says sardonically. "That's royalty for you - everyone's their servant."

"You're racking up quite a body count," Hector says warily.

"((* I ask a boon, and will give one in return. the drow lurks in the ruins beyond the lake. bring him death and return. *))"

Well. We're going that way anyway. So we'll see what we can do. Hector's really freaked out by the whole situation at this point though.

[beck-a-leck]

Oh, this looks so fun! For the winter prompts how about 15. Ringing in the New Year and 17. Waiting Up All Night for Harvest Moon?

Okay, so I said I was gonna write ficlets, and instead it got a little out of control (as like, all my short fics do, so are we even surprised at this point?)

Anywho, I split the prompts, and since the first one got a little long, I’m gonna post it now and the second one will come soon. Fully story beneath the Read More Line, and no, I didn’t beta this at all so there’s probably typos galore.

Leave Me A Winter/Holiday Prompt! Just pick the characters or fandom or it’s gonna be a surprise.

Read the fic on AO3!

First thing’s first: Waiting Up All Night feat. Trio of Towns. I only ust remembered the cute af part of the Starry Night festival in the game where you get to play Santa for the kids around the towns and I couldn’t not write the story after remembering that!

Six kids scheme to finally do it, they’re finally going to catch a glimpse of Santa when he makes his annual visit on the Starry Night Festival. Santa can’t possibly be crafty enough to escape their ingenious plans. Or is he?

“Okay!” Noel said in her most serious tone, “If we all do our best, one of us is bound to catch him this year.”

The other children gathered around her responded with a chorus of affirmations and nods.

“We’re all a whole year older,” Shalk added with confidence. “I know I can stay up so much later that last year. He’s not getting away from us this year!”

“Yeah!” Alma chirped.

“We have a plan to wake us up, even if we do fall asleep,” Tatsumi said with a sly grin. Beside him, Yaichi nodded enthusiastically if silently.

Colin was the only one at the table to look uneasy with the night’s plan, “I don’t know, you guys… isn’t staying up past our bedtimes and setting up traps the kind of thing that would put us on the naughty list?”

Colin’s worries gave them pause, until Noel continued briskly, “Not at all. He can’t take us off the Nice List for something we haven’t done yet, and by the time we do it tomorrow it will be too late for him to swap out our presents for coal.”

Her sound logic eased Colin’s worry. “You sure?”

“Absolutely.” She turned to Tatsumi and Yaichi, “Tell us about your plan.”

The children bent their heads close while the brothers from Tsuyukusa laid out their plan for an alarm system in low voices. They didn’t want to be overheard by their parents or the other adults around any more than the adults did. Each group had their different conspiracies to keep close to the vest while the Starry Night Festival was fast approaching.

Tomorrow was the festival. And tomorrow night was the night of consensual breaking-and-entering, while the young adults of the three towns delivered specially selected presents to the children. As usual, Santa got all the credit, but the adults didn’t mind. They loved keeping the magic alive in the younger kids a little longer. Already Tigre and Sumomo had aged out of believing in Santa, but they had been roped into the other side of the conspiracy now and happily acted as double agents when the adults needed to know what the younger children were planning.

Each household of children had a plan.

Tatsumi and Yaichi had been surreptitiously putting together an elaborate alarm system; creating a precarious stack of books and toys in an innocuous corner of their room. All that was left to do was set up the carefully laid trip wire before bed. They had, of course, warned their parents about it, because once the alarm was tripped it couldn’t be set up again in time to try and catch Santa and they absolutely did not want a false alarm.

Shizu had warned them that Santa was far trickier than that, and he had his means of sneaking around the house, but she also baited the trap with a snack for Santa. Ittetsu had supervised his sons’ careful set-up of the trip line, and made sure the cat was kept securely in their bedroom before chasing his boys off to bed.

The brothers had utmost confidence in their trap. Santa, magical or not, couldn’t possibly see the black string in the dark room, and with it between him and his snacks (set far away from any doors, windows, or the chimney), the boys knew they would catch a glimpse of him before he had a chance to bolt. So it was with utmost faith in their contraption that Tatsumi and Yaichi settled into bed. They whispered in the darkness, wondering what kind of presents they would get. And Tatsumi couldn’t wait to gloat to the others tomorrow when he got to inform them his alarm system worked like a dream.

 Shalk and Alma had a different plan. They suspected their parents were in on the Santa racket – making sure he got in and out of the house unseen every year, the lousy accomplices. Caolila in particular was very strict about absolutely No Santa Traps, because Santa didn’t like to be tricked, and she was in close personal contact with him. They knew she was, because any time they did something naughty she got that look in her eye and lilt in her voice and liked to say, “I guess Santa will be hearing about this one too, huh?”

And Zahau wasn’t any better. In fact the whole village of grown-ups seemed to have a direct line to Santa! It wasn’t fair! Even Mithra claimed to know him – and Shalk believed her the most, because she had traveled so many places, and even she, whi didn’t know how to tell any jokes took Santa seriously.

So tricks and traps were out of the question. They would have to catch Santa the old fashioned way. Shalk and Alma, at least, were lucky to have each other and share a bedroom, because they could take turns staying awake and listening for the slightest sound of Santa in the house. And whoever was awake would wake the other and as silent as shadows, they would sneak out to catch a peek at him. It was foolproof. Taking turns sleeping meant that neither of them would be too sleepy to stay awake and listen, and without any noisy alarms or traps, Santa wouldn’t suspect a thing, so he wouldn’t run away until after they had seen him and he delivered their presents.

And of course, once they saw Santa and got a peek at their presents, they would sneak back to bed and wait until the morning to open their presents again. Because thy both knew that if their mom and dad found out they had stayed up all night and snuck out of bed, they’d be on the Naughty list until they were thirty. Caolila had been very clear about the consequences of breaking the Santa Rules, but what their mother didn’t know couldn’t hurt them.

Shalk took the first watch, sitting bolt up in bed and waiting silently in the dark while Alma slept. It was two hours before his parents even went to bed. He listened intently as the house settled into quiet. Every little sound made his heart leap. Was that Santa? No, just some villagers walking past outside and talking lowly. A creak of the floorboards! Oh, not, just the dog making a lap around the house. Shalk rested his chin on his drawn up knees as he thought sourly how even the pets were in on the Santa thing, because their dog never barked at him. The darkness and the silence pressed in around him. If he strained his ears he could hear some insects singing outside, and the very distant crash of waves on the beach, he could hear night birds chirping. He heard a lone set of footsteps in the sand, and he sat up again, heart hammering, it was him! Shalk held his breath as he listened, but Santa wasn’t being particularly sneaky ad he struck up a conversation with a flock of birds sitting in a nearby tree. Shalk sighed heavily and flopped back against his pillow, it was just Woofio, not Santa.

His eyes were tired, and his pillow felt so nice. Shalk checked the time. It would be Alma’s turn to watch in an hour, he just had to make it that long, and then he could take his turn sleeping. His eyes slid closed, he was just going to rest them for a minute.

 Colin didn’t have much of a plan, and truth be told, he wasn’t all that interested in catching Santa. He liked the surprise of waking up and finding presents and well… he wouldn’t dare way it out loud, but he wasn’t all that certain Santa had that much magic power in the first place. Sure he snuck in and out of houses without a sound, and he always brought Colin something amazing, but he never really brought Colin what he really wanted. Never ever, and he asked and prayed for it every year. But, Colin supposed, there were some gifts even Santa couldn’t deliver.

Still, he wasn’t going to be the only one of his friends to not try and catch Santa. And he had the best plan of all to prove Santa’s existence. He had been given a polaroid camera for his birthday this year, and it would be absolutely perfect for catching photographic evidence of the mystery gift-bringer. He just had to set himself up in the perfect place to snap a clear picture, and he knew just the hiding spot.

Colin dutifully went to bed without complaint. He kissed his Pa and Grandma goodnight, and listened through Megan’s Starry Night bedtime story, all the while resting his head on his camera beneath his pillow. When the story was done, Megan gave him a final kiss goodnight and tucked him in and closed the bedroom door behind her. Colin waited quietly, knowing his Pa and Grandma would be going to bed on their own shortly thereafter. Farmers didn’t get to sleep in ever, even on holidays, so they went to bed early too. He heard Megan go to bed, and then Hector shortly after, and once he was certain the adults were closed in their own bedrooms he slipped from bed and tiptoed out of his room and downstairs. Santa had always left his presents by the fireplace in previous years, so Colin hid himself behind the sofa. It faced the fireplace, and would provide a sturdy enough base to set the camera on. He took a moment to get everything in frame, there would be no time to aim carefully when Santa arrived, but with the camera in position, all he would have to do was push the button and capture his evidence.

Now all there was to do was wait. Colin didn’t know how long he might have to wait, but he suspected it would be a while. So he sat on the floor behind the couch, and curled up tight. It was a little chilly downstairs with no fire in the fireplace and all the night turned off. He wished he had remembered to slip on his slippers before sneaking down, but he didn’t want to risk going back upstairs for them. He pulled a crocheted afghan off the back of the couch and huddled up beneath it, tucking it around his cold feet. It wasn’t a very comfortable position, but he dozed anyway, snapping awake at the slightest noise.

He stirred fully awake when the clock struck midnight, last he checked it had been just after ten. Panicked, he peeked over the back of the couch, but there were still no presents. He hadn’t missed Santa. Relieved and also a little disappointed that he couldn’t go back to bed yet, he pulled the afghan around him again and prepared to wait some more.

There was a creak above him. Footsteps on the roof? Colin threw off the afghan and prepared himself and the camera, checking the view one last time. It was still perfect. He waited with bated breath for the sound of someone sliding down the chimney. There were more creaks, more footsteps.

Then the light above the stairs flashed on, and Colin recognized the heavy footsteps troding down the stairs. That hadn’t been Santa, it was his Pa. Colin sighed and pulled his camera off the back of the couch and into his lap. It had always been Pa, hadn’t it? There wasn’t a Santa at all, but his father or grandmother sneaking around the house while he was fast asleep.

Colin quickly wiped away the disappointed tears that were gathering in his eyes as Hector’s foot reached the bottom step. “Colin?” his voice was gruff, “What’re you doing down here at this hour? You’re supposed to be in bed.”

The living room light flicked on. Colin stood up, showing his Pa the camera. “I was trying to wait up for Santa.”

Hector frowned at his son for a moment before sighing. “Santa don’t come if he knows someone’s watching. He’s smarter than that. And you won’t catch him on camera either.”

Colin sniffed quietly and looked at Hector, he wasn’t carrying any presents or hiding anything behind his back, he was just standing there in his pajamas and bathrobe and slippers. Hector gestured Colin over to the couch, and he sat down and pulled his son into his lap. His rough thumb brushed gently across Colin’s cheek, where one tear had managed to escape. “What’s the matter, son? What’re you crying for?”

Colin fiddled with his camera for a moment, he almost didn’t want to ask. Whether the answer was ‘yes’ or ‘no’ they were both equally scary options. But he had to be brave, so he sucked in a breath and asked, “Pa, is there such a thing as Santa?”

Hector was silent for a moment, before saying, “Of course there is.”

“So you’re not the one who brings me presents?”

“I most certainly am not.” Hector was smiling now, and Colin smiled too.

“Really?”

“Really. But, if you’re not in bed and asleep, Santa’s bound to try and skip you this year. He’s a busy man after all, and he doesn’t have all night to wait for just you to go to bed so he can bring your presents.”

Colin felt a strike of alarm. “Is it too late?!”

“Not at all, not if you go back to bed now and try your hardest to fall asleep. And,” Hector took the camera from his son’s hands, “I’m going to hold onto this, in case you get tempted.”

Colin leapt to his feet, “I gotta go then!”

“Quietly!” Hector warned in a whisper. “Don’t wake your grandma, she’s good friends with Santa.”

Colin made a show of zipping his lips and then tiptoes as quickly and quietly as he could back to bed. Hector watched him go and waited to hear his bedroom door close. That was a close one. She checked to make sure the front door was unlocked and flicked on the porch light. Santa, when he got around to their house, would know it was safe to enter.

 Noel was absolutely certain, bound and determined, and perfectly confident in her ability to stay awake all night. She had purposefully drank a lot of sugary drinks, because her mom always said they made her hyper, and when she was hyper she was never sleepy. She was practically bouncing off the walls as she brushed her teeth and put on her special Starry Night pajamas.

“Alright,” Miranda said briskly, ushering her daughter from the bathroom into her bedroom. “Go pick the story you want to read to your grandparents, we gotta call them soon before it gets too late.”

This was another Starry Night tradition. Noel and Miranda always called her Grandmas, and in the past, Noel’s grandmothers would read her a bedtime story, but this year, Noel wanted to surprise them with her newly learned reading prowess and read them a story for a change. She already knew what story she was going to read them. She had rehearsed the tale so much she practically had it memorized, special voices and funny sound effects and all. They would love it.

“Okay, phone in my room, let’s go.”

Noel ran from her bedroom to her mother’s bouncing on her big bed while Miranda dialed the phone. The line rang for a moment before it picked up and Noel hear the voiced of her two most favorite old ladies in the whole world. There was a lot of the usual back-and-forth “Hello Mimi. Hello Noel. Hello Nanna. Hello Noel.” and Miranda catching up quickly with her moms, and Noel telling her grandmas all about her life. They were a talkative family, but they all came by it honestly. Finally, after much anticipation, Noel announced that she was going to read the story tonight, something that surprised and pleased her grandmothers.

“Whenever you’re ready, baby girl,” Mimi said encouragingly.

Miranda set the phone receiver on the bedside table. “I think I left the shop light on, you go ahead and read, Noel, and remember to speak clearly so they can hear you through the phone.” She pecked her daughter on the head and scurried from the room.

Noel opened her storybook, cleared her throat, and began reading in a rather loud voice.

“And they lived happily ever after! The End.” Noel snapped her book shut amidst a chorus of applause over the phone line.

“That was wonderful, dear!” Nanna cheered. “I think we might have another performer in our family.”

“Indeed we do,” Miranda chuckled. “Next time y’all visit, she’ll have a special song for you. But now, it’s time for a certain little girl to be in bed. Otherwise Santa won’t be able to come.”

“Well now, we don’t want to miss out on Santa,” Mimi agreed.

They exchanged a great many ‘goodnights’ and ‘goodbyes’ and ‘I love yous’ until finally Miranda returned the phone to the cradle. “Alright, missy, time for bed.”

Noel dragged her feet. “I’m not sleepy.”

“Well, you still gotta be in bed in the dark. You know the rules.”

She groaned. “I’m thirsty.”

“I got you a cup of water when I went to turn off the shop light. It’s waiting on your bedside table.”

She sighed and cast a glance to the still-lit family room. “Can I check and see if Santa came?”

Miranda tutted impatiently, “You haven’t even gone to sleep yet, silly child, how could he possibly have come into the house while you were wide awake?”

Noel was out of excuses. Miranda tucked her into bed and sang her a lullaby and kissed her goodnight. As she left, she turned on the radio so it would softly sing Noel to sleep, then she turned off the light and closed the door.

Noel tossed and turned under her blankets, her strategy to stay awake was, if she didn’t lie too still she wouldn’t get comfy and fall asleep. It was hard though, as her earlier energy had all seemed to disappear and now she felt heavy and tired, and the soft music wasn’t helping much either. But she was determined to stay awake all night. She had to hear Santa arrive.

And she did it! She really did. She stayed awake all night… even if maybe there were a couple times when she rested her eyes and suddenly hours had passed, she knew she didn’t once sleep deep enough to miss hearing Santa on the rooftop. And yet, in the morning, her presents were there and she still had no idea how he possibly could have done it.

[rockshortage]

Could we get 💖, 🍏, 🥝, 💧, 💗, and 🌺?

Absolutely, you can even get a bonus 🌷 because I copy pasted the wrong question and I already wrote out the answer before noticing

💖 Has your OC ever been in love, be it romantic or platonic or otherwise? Who with and did they ever express their feelings or keep it private? How long did these feelings persist / do they still feel this way?

Hector’s not really a romantic love kinda guy so I’m tempted to say no, but at the same time it’s pretty hard to imagine that he’s lived this long and never felt anything like it, despite how distanced he keeps himself from people. So while I leave this open as an option, I’m gonna go into a bit of psychoanalysis and say it’s more of that he doesn’t actually know what the hell romantic love (and love in general?) is supposed to feel like in the first place. Maybe he’s felt it, maybe not, how would he know?

Platonically though, yeah sure. It’s pretty safe to say that is platonically in love with Gage, bestest friend, who feels like his first best friend ever due to his memory issues, regardless of whether that’s actually true or not. The feeling is likely to extend to Butch (and possibly others he bonds with as well), because when Hector does make meaningful connections with people, he goes pretty hard on the attachment and devotion part of things.

🍏 Does your OC have any triggers? What is the history behind these triggers and are they related to any disorders or mental illnesses? In what ways does your OC react to being triggered?

Hmm… a general uneasiness around religious themes and places doesn’t really qualify since he doesn’t exactly know why they make him feel that way. Though if someone were to aggressively preach at him – and at him specifically, and with intent to banish some kind of evil? That could very well send him into a flashback and dig up all those repressed memories. Thankfully that kind of thing doesn’t usually happen. unless, say, the playing pretend is so successful that he does get a vampire hunter after him, and suddenly there’s a guy waving a crucifix in his face and splashing holy water and yelling latin phrases at him and maybe trying to get him exposed to the sun… no fun bad time

🥝 What does a bad mental health day look like for your OC? Walk us through it with them. What kind of things can help them out of this slump and what kinds of things comfort them when they start to feel like this?

Has a hard time getting out of bed and won’t if he can get away with it, but usually there’s some kind of Overboss Duty™ he has to get up for. If it involves going outside and interacting with people, he’ll try to postpone it, and if it absolutely can’t wait, he’ll be irritable, not communicative or helpful and just try to get it over with as quickly as possible. On such days he can’t really get enthusiastic about anything, so not even a fun project can really catch his interest.

To cope, he’ll often just sit on the floor with MAAK (if he can peel himself out of bed), lean against him or just kinda slump himself over him, pat him a little. A fluffy warm animal would also do wonders, but he’d have to go to the zoo for that and usually that’s not a viable option for multiple reasons. Drowning himself in work would be an alternative option, but that’s less of a ‘feel better’ thing than it is a distraction.

💧 What is the earliest memory your OC can recall? Do they know what their first words were or remember where they took their first steps? Do they have any mementos of their childhood they’ve kept such as a stuffed toy or tiny baby clothes?

Since he’s repressed his childhood memories to such a degree that he genuinely can’t remember them – absolutely no memory of first words, steps, or mementos. His first memory would be something uneventful or uninteresting, one image taken out of context. Watching a horse-drawn carriage pass by on the street. A sign in front of a bakery. Observing a Fasnacht parade. Something like that.

💗 What would your OC say is their best feature? Why? What do their friends / family / lover(s) / people they know think is their best feature and why?

Physically, he’s kind of indifferent about himself – nothing extraordinary, nothing bad, it is what it is. He does take some pride in the fact that he’s got a full head of hair, despite his physical age. Mentally, his intelligence and ability to pick up new knowledge pretty quickly.

Others would likely point out things related to his intelligence as well, like his tech proficiency. Diplomatic thinking might also be one - sure as hell isn’t the raider way of going about things, but it has helped with keeping the bosses happy.

🌺 Does your OC have any tattoos or other body art? Does their body art have any specific meaning behind it? Do they have any scars? How did they get those scars? Any birthmarks?

No tattoos, but the thought has crossed his mind every now and then. Scars – yeah, he’s got a bunch. I haven’t really decided what and where past that… but with his habit of getting himself into trouble, he’d actually have quite a lot. And then a lot more that have long since disappeared. One of the most striking ones would be a ‘ring’ around a limb where it was reattached (perhaps the one he lost at the power plant confrontation? so it’s extra fresh and gnarly). Same thing around a finger or two because shit happens right

🌷 In what ways would your OC alter their body if they could? How would they do it using mundane means (hair dye, surgery, make-up?). What is their ideal look for themself?

Like I said, he’s generally ok with how he looks, but he wouldn’t mind being a little taller. And perhaps more muscular, to be more intimidating. Also maybe not be quite as grossly pale because whenever someone sees his face they immediately think he’s feeling ill

For height: big boots with big soles. Not platform, because at that point it becomes inconvenient and glaringly obvious that he’s trying to be taller, but there’s definitely more on those puppies than some tennis shoes.

–Wait fuck hold on, the boots got me thinking again because when I said his height I was thinking of him in his full getup, since honestly his clothes might as well be glued to him, but like without big boot? He’s gonna lose an inch or so

[incandescent-eden]

STORY MASTERLIST

A (not so) comprehensive list of all the things I write about, all of which are subject to change at any given time because I do a lot of refactoring!

LOOOOONG POST INCOMING I write... a LOT, and I have... MANY projects :) Feel free to ask me about any of them! :)

With love <3 Continue reading below the cutoff if you want to know the basic rundown of my worlds and works!

ANGELVERSE:

This universe encompasses all of the angels and demons I like to focus on. Works in the angelverse will likely be about Faraday (formerly known as Efrem), a demon lieutenant, Ezekiel, a young angel, the archangel Uriel, or angel Raguel / angel Sophia (their stories are intertwined).

The main concept I have on Angelverse surrounds Faraday, who has grown into himself as a demon and made something of himself. He finds it impossible to shake who he was before. The question comes up during an important meeting between Heaven and Hell of whether he is truly Faraday or Efrem, his own self that he has shakily become, or the self he inherited from being his father’s son. There’s also brotherly angst between Faraday and Ezekiel, who refuses to let go of the past. (If you look at my old works tagged ‘ezekiel,’ you’ll see Ezekiel used to be a part of Faraday/his ‘ideal’ self, which is why new Ezekiel, separate from Faraday, reads so differently.)

The Raguel and Sophia stories are also closely linked to characters Andromeda and possibly Zachariah. Andromeda’s father runs a cult and has captured an angel in his attic. When Andromeda finds the angel (Sophia), her otherwise “normal” life is thrown into disarray as she starts unraveling threads about her father’s actions as a cult leader. If Zachariah is to be a part of it, he would be living with Andromeda’s family, having run away from his past.

Prominent characters in Angelverse include: Faraday, Uriel, Ezekiel, Stena, Michael, Ramiel, Raguel, Sophia, Zachariah, Ambriel, Ruhiel, Gabriel, Raphael, Luci, Bee, Sasha, Saoirse, and Heather. With the exception of Sophia, all names ending with “el” are angels, while the rest are demons. Also, I say prominent, but like half of these characters are from a bygone era (2018 when I first created them).

TW/CW for heavy religious (Christian) imagery, emotional abuse, violence, transphobia mentions and cult talk. Additional content warning because I tend to write angels as LGBT, but I recognize that some people are not comfortable with this affiliation with Christianity.

LUXTRURA (NOTE: LUXTRURA IS ON PERMANENT HIATUS):

Luxtrura is the name of a fictional country in ye olde European fantasy style, and I haven’t thought of a title for the WIP yet, so I mainly tag it ‘luxtrura’ or ‘luxtruran trio.’ This WIP is a fantasy / dystopian / political intrigue about an uprising in the kingdom of Luxtrura run by an inexperienced king and corrupt nobles all vying for the crown.

Luxtrura (at the current moment) follows the life of His Majesty Devron Fharren, the Eighth Fharren King, who inherited the crown by kingdom decrees at the age of 21. Unlike most kings, Devron has only had seven years of proper royal tutelage on statecraft, having only been named heir to the throne when he was 14. He soon finds he has inherited a kingdom that has been deeply wounded, that his people hate him, and that he has few allies among his own country’s nobles, his friends, and neighboring royalty. Revolution is brewing, and he has a choice to make: to claim his birthright or to help his people.

Prominent characters include: Devron Fharren, Eden Barison, Mili Starr, Plumeria Rwalke, Lilia Tao, Rassaya Tao, Andrea (a mysterious stranger who gives only her first name), Jakob Fiyre, Cordelia Fiyre, Liseline Fiyre, Sonja, and Orange and Rouse (the dragons).

TW/CW for violence, sexual assault mentions, transphobia mentions, political talk, blatant classism, and death.

GLOWING EYES:

A “what-if” scenario where Victor Frankenstein and Dorian Gray had met and become friends and also Frankenstein wasn’t a man and was named Viola and was not a pleb weakling like Victor. Also Dorian Gray is fat because I said so.

This story reimagines the Frankenstein and Dorian Gray cast as students in their final year of the prestigious University of Ingolstadt, with Frankenstein having returned from a year off during which she was suspended for [redacted] reasons. The vibe we’re going for is dark academia, but I don’t think they ever actually do any learning?

Prominent characters include: Viola Frankenstein, Dorian Gray, Elizabeth Lavenza, Henry Clerval, Basil Hallward, Deukalion, and special shoutout to Justine Moritz and Sibyl Vane because I didn’t want to put them in, but they definitely deserved better in the source material.

TW/CW for death, violence, toxic/obsessive relationships, grave-robbing, body part mentions (eyes, limbs, etc), and mentions of the Devil. Basically, if it was a concerning part of either the Frankenstein or Dorian Gray stories, it will still be concerning.

Fun fact, there is a Glowing Eyes playlist that I am NOT too ashamed to share with the public! :D

HELEN OF LEGEND:

A retelling of the Helen of Sparta story that explores Helen’s thoughts and motivations. Who was the woman behind the face that launched a thousand ships? And did she ever even want those ships to be launched? (Spoiler alert: the answer is no.)

Helen of Legend gets pretty heavy handed because I get really mad about people lauding the Greeks as the end all be all of culture, and I’m still really mad about how people dress Millie Bobby Brown up like she’s 25-40, so make of that what you will.

On the bright side, Helen of Legend is a sapphic retelling!

Prominent characters include: Helen, Leda, Menelaus, Clytemnestra, Penelope, Theseus, Aphrodite, Paris, Cassandra, Hector, and Hecuba.

TW/CW for misogyny, implied past sexual assault, sexual assault mentions, mentions of spousal and emotional abuse, people being generally creepy about bodies, people being creepy toward children (Theseus), cities burning, subtle classism, and death.

OF DANCERS AND DREAMERS:

A musical about Anne-Marie, a non-binary Vietnamese lesbian born into a wealthy family, and Jules, a Tunisian baker’s daughter who is working her way into the Paris ballet. Anne-Marie wants to be a designer, but their mother, Mme Trinh, has other plans. The year is 1884, and it was hard for the Trinh family, as immigrants, to establish their foothold in society, and Mme Trinh will not have her child throw away the family’s hard work. One day, while at the ballet, Anne-Marie becomes smitten with Jules, a ballerina with the most dazzling smile. They find solace in sharing their passions with one another and become friends, each eventually realizing they have fallen for the other in a time that is unfriendly to both of them.

Prominent characters include: Anne-Marie, Jules, Victor, Mme Trinh, and Amandine.

TW/CW for subtle homophobia, classism, mental illness, and parental guilt tripping/emotional toxicity.

THE LYRE EFFECT:

A play about life after death, and what it means to live and love. This play follows Patroclus upon his death, desperate to return to Achilles. He meets the reluctant Eurydice, embittered by decades alone in limbo halfway between life and death. Together, they almost throw someone off a boat (is it really murder if they’re already dead?) and have a chance to tell their stories, stepping out from the shadows of their more famous lovers.

I took a lot of liberties with this, so Orpheus is a woman (wlw OrphEurydice), and I would like for both Achilles and Patroclus to be played by trans men, and for all of the characters to be played by non-white actors.

Prominent characters include: Patroclus, Eurydice, Achilles, Orpheus, Apollo, Hades, Charon

TW/CW for talk about death

SPEED ROUND (OR: THINGS I WRITE ABOUT THAT AREN’T AS AMBITIOUS JUST YET/AT THE CURRENT MOMENT):

Here Lies Forever - a story focusing around two young people, Medb Flaherty and Virgil Sutherland, growing up at an orphanage amid war, abandonment, and sickness. Medb is a blind writer who dreams of traveling the world with Virgil, her best friend since their teen years, but when the war strikes too close to home, Virgil leaves Medb and their peaceful student life behind to join the army. Unwilling to let go, and recognizing the pain Virgil is in, Medb takes it upon herself to save Virgil, the both of them haunted by the ghosts of their pasts.

On the Corner of Maple Street - short stories about the lives of Sarah and Evangeline together, two lesbian women who met when Sarah was 28 and Evangeline was 31. Sarah was a toy maker and Evangeline was an actress. They have a son named Oliver, who’s now in his forties, and they’re grandmas to all the neighborhood children. They live on the corner of Maple Street :)

Partager Un Reve - short stories, often romantic, about two circus performers, Alyona Ledbedeva (who does aerial silks) and Li Mey Ri (an acrobat). They’re cute together, there’s not really much to say here.

Claire  - there’s a really old novelette floating around on my account and you can find it if you search Claire, but like it’s OLD. An 18th century French lady who contracted TB and died but was brought back by a necromancer named Cecil (Cecil is the character of my friend @sinnabon-cosplay !) and is now immortal. Fun times with Claire and Anthony usually involve lamenting the fact that they’re stuck as teenagers.

Miscellaneous - miscellaneous demon and monster characters like Alexander, Felicity (both vampires), Sparrow (succubus/Heather’s youngest sister), Zephyr (fae, husband of Spar), Lycan (she’s... a werewolf), and so on. Not really connected to a plot

Performing Possumhood - uh this was a play I wrote with my friend @holdingonmyheartlikeahandgrenade for a 24 hour play festival, it’s about a guy named Thomas who becomes herald for a kingdom and then on his first day of work, the king dies, and his son becomes king, except the new king??? is a possum???? and like no one does anything about it, so Thomas just feels like he’s going insane, poor guy (also everyone else is named Thomas except the king, whose name is His Majesty King Parthur Pencildragon of Alpacalot)

Nordic questing team - I’ve literally written nothing for these fools, but I’m tempted to make it into a dnd campaign! The characters I have are Val (short for Valnotte) (she’s a nokke), Hanne (human poison seller who wears an eyepatch just because), Fur (short for Bjorgolfur, he’s a werewolf who left his pack because he was too good at being alpha wolf but he didn’t want to be alpha, he wanted to press flowers and have a cute little cottage by a cliffside with a pretty garden damn it), and Bo (full name: Boscobel Blue, he’s a cow boy. Literally. He has cow ears and a big septum piercing and a tail. Also he’s a shepherd. His sheep are carnivorous :))) Make of that what you will)

Alice x Secret Garden - another play but where Alice Liddell and Mary Lennox are 18 years old and find themselves in Wonderland, after Mary is jaded from the end of WW1 and is frustrated at her friend Dickon’s marriage proposal, and Alice runs away, trying to retain her childhood as best she can

Retellings - I do myth and fairy tale and folk retellings! :) You can search ‘Tithonia’ for my sleeping beauty retelling, and I wrote Orpheus and Eurydice a while back. Still working my way through Icarus :’) Also ‘Mermaids Can’t See’ is a retelling of the classic mermaid story but written as a ??? field guide? journal entry? notes about mermaids?

If there’s a work you want specifically about a character, I always tag characters, and I also will tag character introductions and pictures/references of them as “beanpuff char[]”!