#i can't get anything even close to her weapons and so how am i supposed to do Cool Guy Fight Scenes?

[dragonsongmakhali]

me putting on my clown makeup: I will have time to gpose over the holiday

[harrystylesfan2686]

Hello! For the dialogue, number 18 AzrielxReader.

Thank you!

"Stay With Me."

Pairing: Azriel x Reader

Summary: You get Hurt on a mission with Azriel.

Warnings: slight mentions of torture

A/N: hey!! Thanks for requesting! Hope you like this!!💕😭

Dialogue Prompts Masterlist Part 2

○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●

"I, am, tired!" You struggle saying each word, considering you are walking through a storm in forest.

You are on a mission with Azriel, of all people. You have no idea what Rhysand was doing pairing you both together. He knows how the two of you don't get along but he still, put you with each other.

You are currently walking through a woods along Night Court border. You were supposed to meet Eris for some information Rhysand needed against Barron but the basturd didn't show up, instead a storm did. Out of nowhere, heavy drops of rain started falling, covering the forest with dark clouds and muddy road.

You can't fly due to the water and can't winnow because you can't see anything, so, the two of you decided, walking it is. Having no idea where you are going, you have been walking for hours, surely Rhysand would be suspicious by now.

"You complaint too much." You can practically hear Azriel's eye roll following his remark. He might seem quite and kind to other people, which he is, to other people. Not to you though, his entire personality changes when it comes to you. All the kind and quite persona gets replaced with a snarky and bored one. Arguing with you seems to be his life purpose.

You don't understand why. He has always been that way with you. You were so good from the moment you met. You and Rhysand met first, having both being victims of Amarantha, in different ways. You know the horrors Rhysand had to suffer to survive, you didn't nearly spent the same enduring as him but Amarantha kept you with her for her torturing tasks, scaring you body with her anger.

You and him escaped her together and he brought you back to Velaris with him, knowing you haven't got any family left. He introduced you to his inner circle and kept you in as one of Azriel's spies. You were so excited to finally meet the infamous Spymaster, what you didn't expect was the cold expression he had in his eyes after meeting you.

You groan and take the next step heavier in anger, hoping to stomp your foot but your breath leaves you body when you foot gets sucked in a giant hole, being covered with dried sticks and mud. You scream as you fall, the hole bigger than you thought it be.

When you finally fall on the ground with a thug, you stay still for a second and then the pain hits. Quickly starting from your abdomen and spreading to the rest of your body. You feel snips of pain all over your body, having being covered with small cuts by the dried wood, but the main source of pain is into your stomach.

You try to get up but cry out in pain, again laying down. This time you only lift your head to see what causes such immense pain. You gasp when you see black matel, and small sharp teeth like points connected to a thick matel band.

A bear trap. Great. Seems like you are a bear now.

You can't even breath through the pain. It's that bad. The sharp points digging into your skin with more force every second, your blood now starting to pool beneath you. You close your eyes as you feel a wave of dizziness behind your eyes.

"Shit, Y/N!" Azriel's voice comes to you first before you feel his hands coming to your body. "This is going to hurt." Is the only warning you get before his hands dig into your stomach, pulling at the matel. You scream out as it finally get out of you, leaving huge gapping holes and straches that, now, also bleed.

You sob in pain as Azriel throws away the trap and covers your injury with his hand. You turn to look at the thing, large enough campared to half your body. You realize it would kill you if Az hadn't taken it out. Gods, where do people even find weapons so big.

You cry again when Az press on your wound and lefts your upper body to his. The rain pouring only making things worse and he spreads out his wings, as if reading your thoughts, hiding you from the rain and the world.

"I'm going to die, aren't I?" Your voice coming out weaker then you imagined and Az sucks in a breath.

"Shut up. You aren't going to die." Sure, Rhysand will come for you both. And if he doesn't, Az will carry you all the way to Valeris himself if he'll have to. Letting you go is not an option.

"Who will you have to fight with after I'm gone? Hm?" You try to joke, laughing at yourself weakly but Azriel looks mad.

"You're alright. We're getting out of here, you're going to heal and we are going to keep fighting like we always do." The small quiver in his voice spoke more than he wanted to.

"I hope so." Your eyes closing now.

"No, no, no, no. Hey! Hey, look at me!" His hands jerk your face, desperately trying to keep your eyes open and to his. He groans out, thinking of a way to keep you awake and then freezes, saying the one thing that has you so shocked, you don't think of anything else.

"You're my mate."

His hand, that was to your wound clasp around yours, again putting it to the bleeding hole, now pressing with both of your hands, and he looks into your eyes, repeating his words trying to get you to see the truth in them. After a moment, your fingers slightly tighten around his and he almost cries in relief.

"What?" Your voice so weak, it brings tears in his eyes. "How?"

"I'm sorry. I never told you before. I was never strong enough to do so." Your slightly quickened breathing and eyes on his, he takes this as good signs and continues talking, hoping to keep you interested and shocked enough to stay awake until he finds a way to get out.

"From the moment I met you, I've known. You are my mate. The person I longed for all this time. I- I didn't tell you because I was ashamed. Ashamed to admit that you got paired with someone like myself. You happy personality was something I could never keep up to. I could never keep you happy." A tear falls down his eye but he ignores it and keeps talking, keeps your beautiful eyes on him. "I love you, Y/N. I always have. From moment- we first met. From the second I layed my eyes on you. I don't want you to be stuck with me, so I never told. I was a coward, darling. I am so sorry."

The name he called, doing something to you. Making you feel something you haven't felt before.

Your mate.

Azriel is your mate. He has known this, ever since he met you and didn't tell you, but you can't find it in yourself to be angry at him. In a way you understand him. Understand why he did what he did, you wouldn't have told him either, given how you thought of yourself, you wouldn't want to tie him to you forever too. Hel, you probably would have ran away, afraid of what having a mate would imply.

But now, you don't care about any of this. You have a mate. And you will show him just how much you want him. If this is, in fact, your last living moment, you will not waste it. You weakly lift your other hand, keeping one to his, and touch his face. The act taking so much enery, your fingers shaking against his cheek and he can clearly feel it, given that now more tears fall down his face.

"I am proud to call you my mate."

You weakly smile at him. His eyes now shut close and he hugs you to his body, the hand that is to yours, now cluching tighter and the other around your back, his face buried in your neck and he cries harder.

The last thing you hear before darkness sweeps you, is his voice begging you to stay as tears fill your face and neck.

"Please, stay with me."

○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●

[calisources]

IN LOVE AND WAR, EVERYTHING GOES. a sentence meme based around the subject of allies, enemies, war and enemies to lovers and more of the same tropes we all love. change pronouns, names and locations as you see fit. these are all scrambled around.

“Friends ask you questions; enemies question you.”

“You can live safe and be protected by people just like you, or you can stand up and be a leader for what is right.”

“Where do we find allies?"

“War created bizarre allies, while peace itself could be divisive.”

“I promise you, nothing will happen to you.”

“I choose my allies carefully and my enemies more carefully still.”

“People fight wars over ideas.” 

“Wars begin when you will, but they do not end when you please.”

“I was raised in hatred, Roma. I could never be your lover, only your killer.”

“We were enemies, no matter the truths. No matter that I loved him.”

“He’d set fire to the world around him but never let a flame touch her.”

“She's not the type to swoon for pretty lies.”

“The feud keeps taking and hurting and killing and still I couldn't stop loving you even when I thought I hated you.”

“These violent delights have violent ends."

“Men without morals are dangerous beasts.”

“The spiteful, little stars.”

“Death is real. Death is inevitable. Death comes when you're not ready for it. Be ready.”

“I was alive, but I wasn’t living. You took things from me. My soul―my heart.”

“You’re supposed to keep your enemies close. Therefore, it stands to reason that your sworn enemy should be kept closest.”

“When will you see I'm not your enemy, but your weapon. Wield me.”

“Can’t even get out of my grasp? Or is it because you secretly don’t want to?”

“Why are you confessing all of your crimes?”Are you trying to get hit?”

“You're a hero and I'm a monster. There's only one way that story ever ends.”

"Tell me you came to find me. That you changed your mind."

"How--how can you even say such things,on an evening you are meant to choose another as your bride?"

"My sweet nemesis, how glad I am that you returned."

"I hate you so much that sometimes I can't think of anything else.”

“The road for hell for me is paved with everything I would do for you, and that list never ends.”

“You have consumed my thoughts since the moment I met you."

“You have no idea what I could give you."

“If you mean to take me captive, you need only ask. I would come willingly.”

“I see you truly for everything you are and everything you will be and I claim you as mine.”

“I don't think I've ever met anyone as vexing as you."

“Always forgive your enemies; nothing annoys them so much.”

“A wise man gets more use from his enemies than a fool from his friends.”

"We're on opposite sides, you know."

"You're the one claiming we're all villains. There's no black or white, only gray area. We can coexist somewhere in the middle, can't we?”

“A man with no enemies is a man with no character.”

“I smile to myself knowing that they may be dead.”

“I like your savage brutality."

"That's a poetic observation, coming from such a savage creature.”

"And you are mine, Victor Nox. whether you agree is irrelevant.”

“Bitter people are not interested in what you say, but what you hide.”

“Enemies can't break your spirit, only friends can.”

“In order to know your enemy, you must become your enemy.”

“Such a pretty face, but so weak and emotional. Just a regular man, after all.”

[day-drawn-blog]

Jealous over Astarion's affections

Pairing: Astarion x Reader -- This is set in Act I

I got triggered by some flirtations banter between him and Shadowheart and I realized, my tav, if anything like me, would probably feel extremely jealous too. We are not together yet, so do I even have a claim on him? I needed to write down this scenario.

Tags: angst, fluff, sadness, angst, fluff, then maybe eventually smut because I do love that

Part I. Crowned light moon of mine - I found you too soon

Part II : Lace your heart with mine Let your sleeping soul take flight

Part III : maybe tonight I'll rest in peace

Part IV: There is much to do and I still want to live

Part V: Our futures bound, our bodies known

Part VI : These ain't my sins, I broke my chains

Part VII: You are not mine and am I truly yours?

Part VIII : your blood like wine, invite me in

Part IX: I'll welcome my sentence and give you my penance

Part X : I can't go yet...don't let me die

--------

What a day. As you all were sitting down next to the campfire, your eyes couldn't help but wander at Astarion. While you all were fairly new to each other, you noticed, Shadowheart was quite comfortable around Astarion. and Astarion was acting quite familiar around her too. You wished you didn't see that. So you quickly averted your eyes. Every one else seemed to be busy being merry, laughing, drinking and having a good time. So why couldn't you relax?

You stood up, intending to clear your head. Why do you feel such a sharp pang. You don't love him. You barely know him, he may not even be a good person for all you know. What had you hoped? That he would favor you over everyone? But why... is it because, you yearn...

You yearn for him.

Your heart lit up. And then, you remembered, he didn't, yearn for you. He likes Shadowheart. The beautiful Shadowheart. And she is powerful. Of course he would. She was like a dangerous flower. But a flower all the same. And you? Just a nobody, with no past, and a future you cannot envision. Nothing to your name. Except for a sword, bound to you by a pact. Power. To dispel enemies. To fight your way in this madness that has engulfed your world. But they weren't enough. Not enough for him to yearn for you...

You ran.

Through the woods, far away from your friends, and the warm fire. Through the darkness, like your racing mind. Till you were out of breath in a field bathed in silver moonlight. And the world was quiet. And you felt welcome by Nature. And loved. By the world around. There was not a soul around, and you broke down, in tears. As you felt sorry for the state your heart was in. And how brutally it was crushed. You blamed yourself for even getting your hopes up.

You wailed.

Your cries could not be heard by anyone here. You felt grateful for the serenity. You lay on the grass, hugging yourself. Before long, you closed your eyes, and were drifting off due to exhaustion. The day was hard. The night even more so.

Your light sleep was interrupted by the sound of twigs cracking under approaching light footsteps. You jolted up and were shocked at the shadowy figure looming over you. Instantly your hand reached for your Pact Weapon, but the other party - just as shocked initially - cried out in self defense. "Its' me! Astarion! Please, I did not mean to scare you. Please."

You lowered your weapon. But he had some explaining to do.

"I am sorry, I - I didn't realize it was you. I - I thought you were someone else. A bandit. And I, I was going to well... I was hungry."

He took a deep breath. Resolved to his fate. "I would never hurt you. Or any of my friends. I want you to trust me."

"Alright, let's say that is true, what did you want with this.. bandit? You wanted to loot him I suppose." You put your weapon away.

"That's the other thing. I am not sure, if I should be telling you this, but, I am so hungry, and .. and I have been very unlucky tonight, you see."

"Did Karlach not leave you any food? Or were you so distracted, talking to Sha- other people, that you forgot to eat?"

"I, I need blood to survive."

Silence followed. Deafening silence. He looked down. As if he was ashamed. Then looked up at your with pleading yes.

Your eyes widened in disbelief. Incredulous, you couldn't believe you had missed the signs that were there all along. Everything pointed to him being a Vampire. So that boar..... But now what? There is a Vampire in your midst! OMG. Had you just put your entire party in danger?! You and your stupid trusting heart. What now? Should you kill him?

"I never, please believe me, I never hurt people I know. Those who are my friends. But please, I am very hungry, I just need... a little bit.. it will help me fight better, and make me feel like myself, again".

He knelt down. On his knees... "If it isn't too much, I only need a little bit - or you are free to stake me".

You looked down at the sorry state he was in. This man who you were yearning for, on his knees, pleading you. He was pleading for your blood. That was the only problem. You didn't want him to, but wanted him to not be in such a state either. You wanted to help him. There went your stupid kind heart again. You never learn.

"Will it hurt?"

Astarion looked up - incredulous that you even entertained the idea. "What? Oh! No, only a little prick. And I can be extra careful too -"

"Does it have to be the neck? Because I don't want-" "And you don't have to - if you don't want to" He had stood up. He lifted your right hand, and lifted it to his lips - placing a light kiss. "I am more than happy, with your hand. May I?" He looked up. A darkness in his eyes. Hunger? Greed? Deception? Maybe all of it. You nod slightly.

He caressed your hand with both of his, dragging his lips over your wrist sending sparks through your body. This felt so wrong, yet your body liked his touch. You could smell his hair, bergamot. He was taller than you. Lit up in the moon, this man was gorgeous. And dangerous, as he was just about to prove himself to be. You looked away as he bared his fangs. You hated anything piecing your skin. Hoping you don't feel a lot, you closed your eyes, and you did not. It was barely a prick like he promised. You were grateful.

After a while, you decided this was more than enough of a favor. You tried withdrawing your hand. He got the hint. He let your hand go and stepped back, and looked at your with a grateful smile. "Would you like me to...escort you back, to camp?"

Should you let him? Weren't you running away from how he was making you feel. Wouldn't Shadowheart notice? What would she think? But, how could you refuse him. After all, you may never get another chance...to walk with him. Through the woods. Just the two of you. Even as friends. Or strangers. You grasped at what you could get.

You two walked back in silence. Him next to you. Every now and again you would look at him. He seemed lost in thought, smiling. You figured he must be thinking of her. Your heart sank, and the gratitude you were feeling at being able to walk next to him, quickly dissipated to pangs of sharp pain again. What started as a romantic moonlit walk quickly turned into an unbearable awkwardness for you, and you wished you were back already. So you quickened your pace.

Very soon, you could see the warm glow of the fire. What a relief. You just need a hug. From Karlach. Or Halsin. And you could forget about the unceremonious way you let your heart pine for a man out of your reach. And upon reaching camp - you did just that. You forsook Astarion immediately and without another glance at him, ran to Karlach and buried your face in her, lest you start crying again. You didn't care what he did, whether he went back to Shadowheart, you did not want to witness that.

Afterwards when the whole camp had quietened down. You hung around with Karlach, Gale and Wyll. You assumed, Shadowheart was in Astarion's tent. And you dare not look that way. You asked those lingering - what their reason to live was. Did everyone have something to live for? What would they do, after all this was over?

An interesting discussion followed. You felt you got to know your comrades a bit better. It made you feel warm. The cold that was left due to the lack on one was filled by the warmth of many, and you smiled. You liked it. And you liked your new found friends.

Later that night, you lay in your tent, and tried to drive away all the thoughts about how no one would miss you. If you were not there, or how you were not as interesting as some of the others. And as you fought hard, with yourself, you realized, that there must be others like you out there who needed someone to know them, to look at them, and value them. And you realized you had a purpose. You could be needed. You could carve out a meaning for your existence in this crazy world. You wanted to be there for those that needed you. You will be the hero. And that would be the reason to exist, you would love yourself, so you can love those who needed to be loved.

And with that comforting thought you drifted away.

Part II : Lace your heart with mine Let your sleeping soul take flight

[katsona-the-katsequel]

ALRIGHT, BREAK'S OVER. TIME FOR...

P3 Q&A (Part 1)

The epic world of Persona 3 is filled with mysteries that only lead to more mysteries. The familiar P3 characters will answer any questions you may have!

Shuji Ikutsuki (from now on "🤓") and...!

Aigis (from now on "🤖").

🤓: So, here we have me, the leading expert on shadow research and Chairman of Gekkoukan High and...

🤖: I am an anti-shadow suppression weapon, and we will answer all your questions. However, Ikutsuki-san...

🤓: Hmm? What is it, Aigis?

🤖: I believed you fell from the observatory and died.

🤓: Don't be rude, Aigis. This me is a commentator character for the Q&A, not the me in the main story. So anything can happen if I comes back to life, and my personality is a little different. I hope you don't worry too much about that.

🤖: Ah, our personalities are different... so, please stop making puns.

🤓: (Says a pun)

🤖: Ah.

🤓: Ah, Aigis...she wasn't the type of girl to click her tongue like that...

🤖: Ah, enough with the nonsense, let's get started. Otherwise, this 5-barreled Medusa will start breathing fire.

🤓: Hmm, if a bullet like that hits you, it's terrible, so it can't be helped, just kidding.

Well, let's ask a question!

Q: So, what is Nyx's true identity?

🤓: To explain, we must first tell a story. In the distant past, there was a gigantic, celestial-sized lifeform that was floating dormant in space. This lifeform, also known as the "star eater," one day crashed into Earth, where life had just begun to emerge. The probability of this happening must have been one in hundreds of millions, or even trillions. This was the first contact between life on Earth and Nyx.

🤖: Was Nyx born in space? How is it possible that the Earth would not have collapsed in that state?

🤓: The matter that makes up Nyx exists under different laws from the physical laws of Earth. However, the impact of the collision was still intense. The shock caused the pieces of the broken Earth to become the Moon, and Nyx's vibrational spirit resided on Earth, while her physical body resided on the Moon. The problem was with the spirit. The vibrations emitted by Nyx's spirit were enough to negate all life on Earth and nullify it. Naturally, the creatures on Earth, who instinctively desire life even though they were primitive, resisted the vibrations of death. As a result, the creatures on Earth evolved explosively and acquired weapons to fight against Nyx. This was the shared information domain of all life on Earth, commonly known in psychological terms as the "collective unconscious."

🤖: But... why would it be a weapon? Was it defeated by some kind of supernatural power?

🤓: No, no. Life on Earth had sealed the spirit of Nyx within its collective unconscious. The driving force behind this suppression is the power of "repression'' that comes from the fear of not wanting to die or being afraid of dying. There's no irony in the fact that life on Earth has evolved to the point where it has a complex mental structure thanks to Nyx, who is supposed to be the embodiment of death. People may have subconsciously known the truth based on the fact that Nyx in Greek mythology is depicted as a goddess, and in a sense, she is the mother of life.

🤖: It is very profound.

🤓: Come to think of it, it's also thanks to Nyx that I can make cool puns...

🤖: I will never forgive Nyx.

🤓: That's terrible, Aigis... But that aside, as long as living beings, especially humans with strong and complex mental structures, fear death, Nyx was meant to remain subconsciously sealed away. In the main story, it was a shame...oh, just when she was close to being revived to a dangerous point, she was resealed by the power of the Universe that the leader had obtained. Truly, it's a shame.

🤖: He's a man who never learns his lesson, even in death. By the way, what happened to Nyx's body?

🤓: After it merged with the moon, its body, which was damaged in the collision, continued to automatically repair itself. By the time of the main story, the repairs were probably almost complete. However, since it was just an empty shell, it was simply waiting idly until its mind was released from the seal. During the battle with the Nyx Avatar, she was called down to Earth. After she was resealed, she became a quiet moon again.

Q: What exactly was the end of the world that Nyx brought about?

🤖: What was it?

🤓: As I said before, Nyx's spirit, which had been sealed in the subconscious, will be released from its restraints and become free. Furthermore, it will re-fuse with its body, which has become the moon, and regain its true form. This will be the destruction and end of the Earth. In fact, this destruction has come close to happening many times in the history of Earth.

🤖: Is that so?

🤓: For example, when a major war breaks out or an epidemic spreads, apocalyptic thoughts begin to take root among people. People start to hate living. When this happens, the power that holds back Nyx, in other words the fear of death, weakens, and Nyx's release, or the end of the world, approaches. The "prophecies" that I mentioned in the main story are books that describe the end of various eras, and using them as a hint, I found a way to free Nyx. Amazing, right?

🤖: It's amazing, but it's no good.

🤓: (Sob, sob)

🤖: But... how did people in the past, when there was no SEES, stop the apocalypse?

🤓: Yes, that's a good question. In the first place, even if 100 or 1000 people wished for the end, it would only weaken the seal slightly. There are so many humans, after all. It's unlikely that all of them would want to die at once. Moreover, humans unconsciously created a conceptual entity to oppose Nyx, and used it to strengthen their own minds.

🤖: It's difficult.

🤓: To put it simply, that's what we call mythology. It usually depicts a good god defeating an evil god and preventing the destruction of the world, right? The existence of this god stabilized the repressed subconscious and played a part in strengthening the seal on Nyx. However, this has become less effective in modern times with the development of science and technology, and conversely, some people are turning to apocalyptic ideology due to religion. Especially in a society with advanced information technology, a movement towards the end of the world that should only be a local phenomenon, but which is only happening in a small area, can spread across the entire world in an instant. The end of the world in the main story was triggered by Kirijo's experiment, but even without that, the end may have come in the near future. Yes, the end is coming this weekend.

The end is...

🤖: …The Kiss of Athena in my right hand is breathing fire, see?

🤓: Uruuru, how cold. Shall I call Nyx again?

Q: What are shadows?

🤓: It's the road that cars drive on.

🤖: It is a roadway. (Bam!)

🤓: …That hurts, Aigis. Umm, in all seriousness, shadows are part of Nyx.

🤖: Are you sure you're not one of Nyx's minions or a child?

🤓: On the previous page, I explained that Nyx is hidden deep within the collective unconscious of all living things. This means that Nyx is located deep within the minds of all living things, even below the unconscious.

🤖: That's what happens.

🤓: So, imagine if a creature, say Iori, says, "I got a zero on the exam, I don't have the will to live anymore," and unconsciously stops resisting Nyx. What happens?

🤖: I'm sure Nyx will emerge from within Junpei's heart.

🤓: That's right. To be precise, a part of Nyx escapes from the subconscious. That part of Nyx's mind is actually a shadow.

🤖: For a member of Nyx, it's pretty pathetic, isn't it?

🤓: It's just a very small part of it. Other than having some special abilities and the fact that they are basically spiritual beings and normal attacks have no effect on them, they don't have all that much power. However, for the creatures that contain it, the existence of shadows is extremely important.

🤖: What do you mean?

🤓: First of all, because we are destined to carry shadows, fragments of Nyx, deep in our psyches, all life on Earth today has a "lifespan."

🤖: Normally, living things are thought to have a lifespan... aren't they?

🤓: That is common knowledge on the Earth today. The primordial life forms that existed on the ancient Earth. For example, something like an amoeba can multiply by repeating cell division, and will not die unless it is eaten by another organism. I explained earlier that Nyx promoted explosive evolution, but I guess lifespan is the compensation for that. Another important point is that the Shadow that is incorporated into the mind of a living being becomes an important part of its mental structure. The loss of this creature would be equivalent to losing a living being, especially a human being with an advanced mental structure, one's own spirit.

🤖: Ah, perhaps...?

🤓: Yes, the reason why Apathy Syndrome victims are also known as the Lost, is because they become like empty shells due to having lost the fragment of Nyx, or the Shadow, that was contained within their psyches.

🤖: I see.

Q. What exactly does it mean to be "devoured" by a shadow?

🤓: You can probably figure this out by now. In fact, shadows don't eat humans. Humans create shadows, and as a result, the empty shells of the Lost are created. However, as a phenomenon, humans are drawn into the Dark Hour → a Shadow is observed clinging to the person → the victim becomes apathetic. When you see this, it just seems like the Shadow is eating their mind. In the previous chapter, Yamagishi's best friend Natsuki hears something called the "shadow's call," but that is also the voice of the Shadow in her own mind. Those who forget the death that lurks within them and live vaguely will enter the Dark Hour as the Shadow in their mind desires and become an empty shell... it's scary. However, in her case, her experience in the Dark Hour made her prepared to fight death again, and so she was able to avoid becoming Lost, which is a special case. Although very rare, people like this do exist. Wow, humans are... wonderful!

🤖: ...Oh, is that done yet? Let's move on to the next question.

🤓: I'm going to take it back to the lab and disassemble it. Seriously... (tears)

Q. What is a shadow's purpose?

🤖: I can understand this too. They are aiming to revive Nyx. But, according to Ikutsuki's explanation, shadows are also Nyx itself, right?

🤓: That's right. To be precise, their first goal is to return to their original Nyx. As they become small new fragments of power, they first try to combine with other fragments, that is, other shadows. Each time a certain number of shadows combine with them, they gradually regain their original power as Nyx.

🤖: The large, powerful Shadows that appear during the full moon were, by the way, artificially gathered shadows and created in Kirijo's experiments.

🤓: That's right. Even if you don't force them together, if the world becomes filled with anxiety and thoughts of the end of the world spread, it will take some time, but a large Shadow will be born, and then it will gather together and Nyx will be resurrected. That's why they exist.

🤖: And it is in order to defeat these shadows that we exist. Ahem.

🤓: That's what's annoying to shadows. I said earlier that shadows don't eat humans, but there are exceptions, and they attack Persona Users. They have intelligence, and they know that Persona Users will prevent Nyx from being resurrected. Another exception is when a person who gets lost in the Dark Hour is attacked. This is because the person is trying to forcibly combine with the Shadow that is suppressed deep within that person's mind.

🤖: That's quite clever.

🤓: Right? When you think about it like that, don't shadows start to look cute?

🤖: Ikutsuki's eyes are blind.

Q. What do the different Shadow Arcana mean?

🤖: The Shadow Arcana classification refers to the Tarot cards from number 0, The Fool, to number 12, The Hanged Man.

🤓: I'm sure you all learned in class that the Tarot represents human growth, right? The Shadow Classification is similar, it represents the Shadow's mental tendencies.

🤖: The higher the number, the stronger it is, or something like that?

🤓: Hmm, maybe it's a little different? The higher the number, the more mature and advanced it is, but each one is an important aspect that makes up Nyx. When all the Shadows with tendencies from 0 to 12 combine, they transform into the 13th Arcana, Death. This Death Arcana is special, and as its nickname, the Herald of Doom, indicates that Nyx is ready to be resurrected.

🤖: You're talking about Ryoji-san. It's a bit of a shame that we've lost such a great person.

Did you call for me? (Ryoji Mochizuki, from now on "💀").

🤖: Megido Fire!

💀: Ouch, ouch, so hot! Heavy weapons don't suit a cute girl.

🤖: Just die quietly.

💀: Well, well, let me explain from here. The special thing about Death is that I share the will and powers with the spirit of Nyx. I am the incarnation of Nyx, that is, the Nyx Avatar. Now I am the Grim Reaper. I will summon a body that has been assimilated with the moon and become one with it, and then I will become a "star eater" that will cause destruction on a planetary scale, sadly. However, my friend used a trick called the Universe and I was once again sunk to the bottom of the collective unconscious. He is really impressive.

🤖: Are you happy that you managed to avoid destruction?

💀: Well, I guess I'll say nothing about that. See you later.

🤖: Ah, he's gone... He's a surprisingly nice guy. By the way, Ikutsuki-san, what happened?

🤓: (Sob sob sob sob sob) The best part has been explained...

Q. Tartarus, Dark Hour, potential, transmogrification, it's so difficult I don't understand it! Please tell me all about it!

🤓: That's a pretty rude question. It tells you something about the intelligence of the person asking it...

(Junpei Iori, from now on "🧢"): Sorry, I'm stupid! You're always making puns, so how could you possibly be so bold as to say something about other people's heads?

🤓: H-how cruel, Junpei-kun... You don't have to deny me one of the few sources of entertainment in a world where I'm always tormented by emptiness...

🤖: That's right. Junpei is terrible.

🤓: Ah, Aigis~ (tears of joy)

🤖: My most important thing is to give a harsh remark to Ikutsuki-san. It's cruel to take someone else's turn.

🤓: Is that the point?!

🧢: Well, that's fine. Just tell me the details.

🤓: Well, let's get back to the point. (Cough) Some of the items I mentioned in the previous question are closely related to certain abilities of shadows. I'll explain them all together now.

🧢: Certain abilities?

🤓: That's right. It's an ability that can only be used when a certain number of shadows combine. It's the ability to interfere with space-time. As I've already explained, the shadows want to gather together and take back Nyx's power. However, unlike normal living beings, shadows are spiritual beings and cannot act normally in normal space. So they wanted a place where only they could move freely, and they used their space-time ability to create law in the gaps in normal time.

🧢: Is that the Dark Hour?

🤓: That's it! The Dark Hour created in this way is a special space-time that is not interfered with by normal space. Conversely, the shadows cannot interfere with things in normal space. So, this is an explanation of transmogrification, and it is thought to be a visualization of the phenomenon where people who are in a place outside of the Dark Hour are not interfered with at all. The hard metal-like appearance is a symbol of the fact that they cannot be harmed by shadows.

🧢: Hmm, it's difficult after all. So, what is different about people like us who can enter the Dark Hour?

🤓: I'm talking about potential. People with potential simply suppress the Shadow deep in their hearts and basically turn a blind eye to it. Of course, you don't want to be constantly thinking about death.

But there are some people who can face death head-on and yet not be obsessed with it. And among these people, there are some who are able to control the Shadow within themselves, even if unconsciously, and acquire that ability.

🤖: In other words, someone who has gained the power to interfere with space-time, just like shadows, has the potential, right?

🧢: So what about Tartarus? That's the one I don't understand the most.

🤓: Well, that's like an antenna, if you like. Tartarus is the landmark that Nyx's spirit uses to call her body on the moon. So all the shadows that escape from humans in the city gather at Tartarus and try to regain their power as spirits by repeatedly combining with them. As their power increases, Tartarus gets higher and higher, and eventually the body (the moon) descends to reach it, and when it has grown large enough, it merges with the spirit.

Q. Why are only some machines, like Mitsuru's bike and Aigis, able to move during the Dark Hour when time has stopped?

🤓: A certain mysterious substance plays a major role in this, a substance that does not actually exist on Earth: Plumes of Dusk.

🤖: That's the continue item when playing on easy mode, right?

🤓: That's right. In fact, that plume is a thin layer of Nyx's body that was peeled off after it was assimilated with the moon and fell to Earth. In other words, it is a part of Nyx's body. It is called the Plumes of Dusk because it looks like a bird's feather. It has an intermediate property between matter and information, and although it is a part of Nyx, the incarnation of death, it has a vibration closer to that of life. At the same time, it has the ability to interfere with space-time, just like shadows. Therefore, machines that have these Plumes of Dusk built into their core can operate even in the Dark Hour. Kirijo's bike and the Evokers that everyone uses all have these Plumes of Dusk built into them.

🤖: Then, maybe...

🤓: Of course, the Plumes of Dusk are also incorporated into the core of Aigis. In particular, the one inside Aigis is two feathers that have joined together to form an X shape like a butterfly, and is the largest of its kind, called a Papillon Heart. This also allows Aigis to have the same spirit as a human, and is also a source of power. However, it is inside a black box, and the detailed principles behind it have not been made clear.

🤖: It's kind of complicated.

🤓: To face a strong enemy, you need to be cunning enough to even use the enemy's powers.

Q. What was the purpose of the experiment that the Kirijo Group conducted 10 years ago? Tell us about Strega!

🤓: To begin with, the reason why the Kirijo Group started researching shadows was because Kouetsu Kirijo happened to get his hands on a Plume of Dusk, which I explained earlier.

🤖: Was that the case?

🤓: At first, he probably wanted to unravel the mysterious power of the plumes and use it for some purpose. However, as his research progressed, Kouetsu Kirijo became aware of Nyx's existence. This is also mentioned in the main story's scenario. Eventually, he became possessed by the idea of ​​the end of the world and carried out the work to bring Nyx down. That was the experiment that was carried out 10 years ago. To be specific, the destruction that would have required a large number of people to be possessed by the end of the world was supposed to be realized by artificially gathering shadows, forcibly combining them, and creating Death.

🤖: I resolved that issue in an undesirable way, by sealing Death within him.

🤓: Right. That's where I came in, even though I was just a low-level employee. By proactively taking on the task of cleaning up the failed experiments, I was able to raise my status within Kirijo and eventually become able to speak on an equal footing with Takeharu Kirijo. At the same time, I also worked hard to establish SEES in order to search for the lost Death, and even became the squad's Chairman. And then, finally, I found the man who would later become our leader.

🤖: It's absolutely awful. So how did the Strega members come about?

🤓: Oh well, let's just pretend that never happened.

Takaya (from now on "🤡"): It won't be enough to just pretend that it never happened.

Jin (from now on "💣"): Seriously! If you say something stupid, your molars will chatter!

🤓: Oh man, you guys...

🤡: Let me explain for you. In the research on shadows, the existence of Personas that could counter shadows had already been confirmed. However, it seems that the conditions for obtaining such powers were not fully understood. So Ikutsuki gathered children and repeatedly conducted inhumane experiments, trying to create artificial Persona Users. Of the dozens of samples, only a few, including us, survived...

🤖: Why did they bother to use children?

💣: I guess it's because the first Persona User Kirijo saw was that girl called Mitsuru. Anyway, we were failures who couldn't live without relying on medicine. Well, there are people like Aragaki who are unstable even when awakened naturally.

🤡: Anyway, we gave up on Kirijo and escaped with a large amount of the suppressants. The remaining test subjects that didn't escape were all lost during the first expedition to Tartarus. And so, all evidence of the plan to artificially create Persona Users was destroyed and sealed away. But I don't hold any grudges against them. Thanks to them, we were able to get closer to destruction.

🤖: It's truly tragic. As an apology, Ikutsuki-san will be taking care of you.

🤓: That's not true, Aigis...

● Next ->

[mrheymister]

Lost Day, 1889

"Sometimes the world only feels right when daddy comes around." (Read on Ao3!)

The afternoon sun shines strong through the whispering pine branches, dancing shadows cast for the boy who plays under their shade. He peeks from behind the thick trunk of a cedar with a stick clutched close to his chest as though precious. His eyes are blue and much too sharp, tracking invisible targets as they dash between the trees and boulders, carefully biding his time before he himself jumps out of hiding with a triumphant yell, brandishing the stick in his small dirty hands, spit flying from his mouth with his impression of gunshots.

The trees are hardly silent, alive with the sound of birdsong and scurrying rodents. The boy's outbursts still has the effect of disturbing the easy peace. There's a flurry of wing beats and shrieking calls as the birds just above him take flight. To his left he can hear the crunch of leaves and the sharp snap of a twig as a larger animal, more likely a deer than not, flees deeper into the thick green wood.

Apparently satisfied that his foes are vanquished, the boy brings his stick close to his mouth, blowing like it's the smoking barrel of a gun, the way he's seen his daddy do, before clumsily tucking it into his frayed overalls. Some ways behind him, a woman calls his name.

"Isaac!"

He turns towards the voice and seems to hesitate, as though loathe to leave his fantastical battlefield for the simple comforts of home. Another call of his name, however, and he begins to trudge the 10 feet out towards Aunt Maggie's house, the marigold yellow slats like a beacon against the verdant greens and browns of the wild.

Aunt Maggie stands on the back porch, arms crossed and wearing a harried expression. "There you are," she chides when he finally comes into view. "What I tell you about goin' in them woods?"

Isaac walks a little bit straighter, puffs his tiny chest out a bit as he walks up the steps. "You said if a bear don't get me a rattler would, but I ain't afraid of neither, Aunt Maggie!"

Aunt Maggie just shakes her head, loose gray hair swaying with the movement as she suppresses a fond smile. "Lucky you're too small to be worth the trouble," she says, reaching down to ruffle the boy's hair when he gets close enough. "You look like hell, boy. How am I supposed to send you home looking like that? Your momma will be here any minute. Get on inside."

Nodding with a meek "Yes'm," he slinks past Aunt Maggie's skirts towards the open back door, only to be stopped by a hand on his shoulder. Aunt Maggie leans over to pull the twig out of his overalls, barely casting it a glance before tossing it over her shoulder.

"Thought I told you to leave your weapons where you found 'em, Soldier."

Isaac flushes, mumbling out another "Yes'm" before retreating into the shadows of the house, immediately seeking out the boar-hide rug where little wooden horses are scattered on the floor. Aunt Maggie refuses to give him a moment's peace, and she's in the process of scrubbing his cheeks raw with a damp washcloth when there's a light rapping at the front door.

"Mama!" he cries out excitedly, wriggling his way out of Aunt Maggie's claws and leaving the toys abandoned on the floor despite her insistence that he pick them up or so help her God. He bounds towards the door, swinging it open before Aunt Maggie can even right herself, revealing the kind, smiling face of his mother. He barrels into her skirt, earning the faintest little oomph from momma as he wraps herself around her legs like a particularly clingy species of kudzu. She smells like fresh bread and warm stew, the kind of food he never gets at home.

"Missed you too, blueberry," she greets softly with a smile in her voice as her hands come to rest on his shoulders. "The boy didn't give you too much trouble, I hope."

Isaac can't see Aunt Maggie. Can't see anything from where his face is buried in momma's skirt, but he can hear the dismissive wave in Aunt Maggie's voice as she says "Only the usual. He needs to put these damn landmines up before I step on 'em."

With the kind of gentleness only momma can muster, she pries Isaac off her legs, kneeling so she's eye level with her boy. "Go on and pick up your mess," she says, ruffling his hair and smiling at the small laugh it brings out of him. "Thought I was raising a boy, not a pig."

And so Isaac goes back over to the rug, collecting and replacing his herd of wooden miniatures in the woven basket by the bookshelf, only half paying attention to the brief conversation between Momma and Aunt Maggie. He walks back over to Momma when he's done, still standing in the open doorway as she gestures animatedly, telling some story Aunt Maggie hasn't heard before if her guffaws are anything to go by. It takes them both a moment to notice Isaac's return, and when they do Momma just gathers him by his side as Aunt Maggie ushers them out.

"Thanks again, Mags!" Momma calls with a wave as they make their way down the steps.

"See you tomorrow, Aunt Maggie," Isaac says, not because he's particularly looking forward to it but because momma wants him to be polite.

"You two take care now," Aunt Maggie says, watching them from the porch until they're out of sight.

They make their way back, hand warm in momma's and the western sun shining on his face. Home is on the other side of the sleepy shipping town built up on the shore of Grand Lake, the saloon momma works at being a midpoint between home and Aunt Maggie's. Passing storefronts and businesses, their feet kicking up dry yellow dust on the unpaved road. Isaac admires all the shiny baubles in the passing windows, the horses tied to hitching posts out front.

There's a man sitting on their front porch step when they finally round the corner and momma's house pops into view, a palomino mare that could only be his hitched to the post out front. He's got his head tucked into his chest, the brim of a worn gambler’s hat hiding most of his face. There’s an arrangement of wildflowers laid across his lap, hardly a bouquet but tied together with a fine red ribbon regardless. The man must've fallen asleep; he doesn’t stir at their approach and jumps as though startled when Isaac, suddenly recognizing him, calls out, dropping his mother's hand as he runs the rest of the way up the dusty road as fast as his short legs will carry him. The man barely has time to move the flowers out of his lap before the boy clambers into it, throwing his arms around the man's neck and holding there like a vice.

"You was gone a while, daddy," he mumbles into the man's neck. His skin is warm. He smells like sweat and horses and something slightly acrid, just like Isaac remembers.

"I know, son," Daddy mumbles back, standing with a quiet grunt from the weight of the boy clinging to his front. "I'm sorry. Got caught up on the road."

Momma stands besides them now, arms held out in a silent offer to take the boy. Daddy shifts his weight as though about to pass him off, and Isaac just clings tighter for it.

"Arthur," Momma greets him breezily.

"'Liza," Daddy returns with a nod of his head. "Glad to see you and the boy looking well."

Silence stretches between them just long enough to become awkward before daddy suddenly remembers the flowers. He shifts the boy's weight in his arms to rest on his hip before stooping to pick them up. "Got these for you,"

Momma stares coldly at the offered pinks and blues for a moment before some of the ice in her gaze seems to melt. "Hope it's not all you've brought," she says as she accepts the gift with a wan smile.

"'Course not," comes Daddy's relieved reply, rumbling in Isaac's head from where it rests on Daddy's chest. "Brought something special actually, on account of today being a very special day. I think." He reaches up sheepishly to adjust his hat. "Not too sure of the date today, actually."

"Thirty-first of August," Momma supplies helpfully and with barely hidden amusement.

Daddy shifts his weight again and with a bit of effort peels Isaac off to set him down in spite of his protests. "Well then, I guess that makes today your birthday," he says to Isaac's awestruck smile. "What's it, five?"

Isaac nods and watches daddy kneel to eye level, pulling at the shoulder strap of his satchel. He pulls from it a book, new with a rich red covering and gold lettering. Isaac stares at the offered gift warily, suddenly keenly aware of the grime covering his hands.

"New things ain't meant to stay new," Daddy says gently, as if reading his mind.

"I ain't learned my letters yet…" Isaac mumbles, looking up to Momma as though she would offer an escape.

"I know," Daddy says, "Was thinkin' I could teach you. What I know at least. Can barely read myself, " he finishes with a self-deprecating chuckle.

Isaac gently takes the book from Daddy's worn hands and runs a finger over the lettering on the spine. "What's this say?"

"'Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson,'" Daddy says, "Old friend of mine has a copy. Bit too flowery for my understanding, but you're a smart kid."

Momma gestures for the book herself, and flips through it when Isaac passes it over. "How long you stayin' then?" she asks Daddy.

"Couple'a weeks, maybe a month, if you'll have me," Daddy says, "Boys are camped on the other side of the Colorado for the foreseeable future. Hardly a day's ride."

Momma considers Daddy for a moment, then passes the book back to Isaac. "Stay as long as you want, but stay out of trouble, y'hear?" she shrugs, turning for the door, "Lord only knows when we'll see you again. Come on, I'll get dinner started. You can sleep on the couch."

"Hospitable as ever, 'Liza, thank you," Daddy says sincerely, following the both of them inside. "Now, Isaac, about them letters…"

~*~

It's well past late, and Isaac can't sleep, head full as it is of sea-shanties and one-legged seafaring men. Daddy taught him a little bit of letters in between mouthfuls of food, much to Momma's chagrin about table manners. After dinner they took their lesson to the hearth, Daddy pointing out letters and the sounds they made while Momma tried not to look too interested as she cleaned up. When Isaac's jaw started popping with the force of his yawns, Daddy simply picked him up and hefted him off to his room. He tucked Isaac into bed and read him the first couple chapters before extinguishing the lamp and leaving to settle on the couch for the night.

He can still hear Daddy's voice in his head, pitched up and down in strange accents as he read the story, booming with laughter. Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of Rum!

Isaac's evening drowsiness has long since left him. He stares resolutely at the moon hanging in the sky from his bedroom window. Beyond his four walls all he can hear are the crickets, the coyotes, and the wind singing softly through the trees. He wonders what the ocean sounds like. Daddy's probably been there. Daddy probably knows.

Deciding that it can't wait until morning, Isaac pulls on his blanket and lightly steps out of bed, dragging it with him. The floorboards don't creak under his slight weight, but the door does when he opens it. His socks muffle his footsteps as he pads into the other room where Daddy sleeps on the couch, snoring softly under the hat covering his face.

"Daddy," he whispers once, then again when Daddy doesn't stir, giving his shoulder a little nudge.

"Mm, whatsit?" Daddy mumbles blearily, caught mid-snore. He reaches a blind hand to push the hat out of his face. It falls to the floor and Isaac picks it up, offering it back while Daddy's rubs at his face.

"Have you ever been on a boat? Out on the ocean?"

"Not on the ocean," Daddy mumbles after a moment, "Why?"

"What's it sound like?"

Daddy considers for a few long moments, struggling to find words while still half asleep. "Like rain," He decides, "Or really strong wind."

He picks his hat out of Isaac's hands and plops it back over his face, hoping that with Isaac's question answered he could go back to sleep.

Isaac has another request but hesitates for just a moment before trying again. "Daddy?"

"What, boy?"

"I can't sleep," Isaac says plaintively.

"Go bother your momma, then," Daddy grumbles.

A couple of minutes tick by silently, Isaac rooted to the floor and Daddy breathing too shallow to have gone back to sleep. Finally, Daddy pushes his hat up just a little to peek at Isaac still standing there.

"Oh hell," he sighs in a mix of fondness and defeat, "Fine, fine… Come on then."

He shifts on the couch, rolling to lay on his side instead of his back, and gestures to the empty space beside him. Isaac flashes a toothy grin and accidentally knees Daddy in the gut as he climbs up eagerly. It takes a moment for them to settle, Isaac hanging half off the couch curled against Daddy's broad chest, and Daddy's arm slung over Isaac's little body.

He feels cocooned in warmth, his blanket tucked under his chin and Daddy's heartbeat drumming steady against his back. He feels safe. Safer than he's ever known, even in Momma's arms.

Later on, Daddy will hit the road again like he always does. Momma will keep working at her restaurant and Aunt Maggie will keep chasing him around her yard. But for right now, Daddy is here, he is strong and he is warm.

Isaac falls asleep, dreaming of rain and heavy wind.

[quibbs126]

I’ve just been drawing this today because I’m bored

I don’t think I can have free days anymore, because I end up feeling brain dead during them and can’t work on the schoolwork I know I need to do, and by the end of the day I feel guilty about wasting the day despite literally not being able to do anything actually productive

But anyways, this. I mentioned Fantasy Life earlier today, and I have a save file where put Ceres from Evoland 2 in Fantasy Life. I actually originally made this save file some months ago, but I never really played it, leaving it once I found the first save point I could

I only realize now this is like that time I put Descole into Stardew Valley. Hm

I still haven’t gotten much of anywhere in the game, I only just started the Carpenter story. And to be honest, I’m not sure I want to continue because I kind of just want my own character in Fantasy Life, but also I don’t know how to make that. So maybe I’ll just continue with Ceres and see where it goes, or I’ll just delete it

But out of boredom, I wanted to draw her from the game regardless

So the design here is what she looks like in the game, or as close as I made it. For various reasons, including the fact that I can’t add horns or non-human skin tones to my character, or have bicolor hair, I made some changes. Her hair probably also isn’t the most accurate hair I could have given her to her original, but I think it looks good on her

Also as you may notice, I don’t entirely know how I should draw her, whether I should be closer to the game or my style

I’m debating whether in my drawings I should stick to the Fantasy Life skin tone or give her the blue she canonically has. I flip flop on which I prefer

I only realized when I was looking at my other Evoland 2 art how wildly different this color palette is, and it’s probably significantly brighter. I mean for this I was eyeballing the colors from my 3DS’s screen, while I color pick from the Evoland 2 sprites, so maybe that’s a factor

Edit: I am now seeing it on a computer screen, and it looks even more different. Like that hair straight up just looks blue, I can't see any purple

But yeah, I really didn’t know what Life to give her when I made her, I just picked Carpenter because I haven’t done that one in a while. Maybe Alchemist would have been best, but I really don’t know. It doesn’t help that Ceres doesn’t have much of a personality I can make a decision based on. Though in all fairness, I’m not entirely sure what I’d make the other characters either

I’d say Fina either Woodcutter or Hunter, Menos probably a Paladin? (Just not for Castele specifically) Kuro I’d say Mercenary or potentially Alchemist works (though in terms of weapons Menos and Kuro should probably switch), and for Velvet I don’t really know, maybe Miner, Alchemist or even Magician? I don’t know, as far as I can remember, nothing fits cleanly with “archaeologist”

But anyways, maybe if I continue with this, I can basically make up my own personality for Ceres, so I should continue, but I don’t know if I’m motivated enough to do so. We’ll see. Take this in the meantime I suppose. It isn’t much of anything, but it is a thing

Oh also one more thing I forgot but can’t fit elsewhere: I think the storyline idea for Ceres here is that she ended up here post-Evoland 2, but she doesn’t really remember getting here at all, thinking she’s just been in Castele her whole life, until she starts slowly realizing things don’t add up. She isn’t from this game though, especially since I don’t think demons exist to explain why she’s blue

[splendsay]

Gale Dekarios (Baldur's Gate) x OFC

oh hi lol it's me I started another one I KNOW I'M SORRY LISTEN I CAN'T HELP IT OKAY

this one was supposed to be a one shot but I just...love them sm. I couldn't do it. idk how long it'll be, how complicated, we'll just ride this train till we get to where we wanna be, how's that?

.................................................................

Evergreen // Chapter 1: Blue Ink

Rating: 18+ Chapters: 1/? WC: 1,787 Pairing(s): Gale Dekarios (Baldur's Gate) x Original Female Character

Whoever said the pen is mightier than the sword had never held a sword. Of that, and many other things, Alecto Bombarda was certain.

She was well familiar with both. And, in her experience, she'd learned each had its own list of merits. Its own risks. Its own wielding potential. 

"You've really never had anyone read your work before?" the man across from her asked again. The wizard.

She shook her head no, her long hair sliding off her shoulder like a silken river of snow. Everything about her was frosty. Frigid. Skin the color -- and temperature -- of ice. Eyes like a frozen lake. Even the horns curling up out from her head -- white as bone. 

Most people that managed to get close enough to know her would tell you that her personality was perfectly aligned with such an appearance. 

She was cold. Unnaturally patient. Still. 

But she knew no other way to be. 

If she ever felt a surge of something strong -- Unnamable. Uncontrolled -- she'd wield one of the weapons at her disposal. 

An errant poem, scribbled hastily in the margins of an abused little leather-bound journal -- an ancient, hideous relic of younger days. 

Or -- calculated violence. 

Sharp. Quick. Lethal. In either alternative.

"No one's ever asked," she replied simply.

The man's face crumpled in disbelief. "Well, that's...that's just appalling!"

Alecto didn't think so. People were reliably uninterested in anything that didn't concern themselves. Few bothered to speak to her at all, let alone ask to read her innermost thoughts spewed onto parchment. And she wasn't one to volunteer exposure. 

"I'd be happy to have a look at them, if you'd like," the man said suddenly, over the rim of his still full stein -- as though he was only pretending to drink from it. 

Alecto paused. 

"You want to read my poems."

"Why not?" the man smiled -- bright and broad. He was handsome. Human. So very earnest. His chestnut eyes glimmered in the low light of the tavern. He was sincere. Alecto could practically taste his ardor. It was sweet. Like honey. "I've a nose for these sort of things, you know. Scholarly as I am."

Alecto allowed her gaze to pointedly rake down to his toes and back up again. It was true, he exuded a somewhat scholastic nature. But there was an underlying sense of adventure there too. He smelled, not just of parchment, but of ocean air. Wild and open and beholden to possibility. 

"So you've said."

He reached out a hand, then, palm facing the ceiling. An invitation. A friendly offering. One stranger to another. 

"You haven't much to lose, if that's what troubles you. We hardly know one another, after all."

Alecto narrowed her eyes -- a look that usually earned her several hours of solitude. But this stranger merely cocked his head, watching her. Studying her. 

His theatrical arrogance belied the true intelligence beneath. This man was sharp. Seasoned. 

And, for some reason, interested in her. 

He'd been the one to sit down across from her, uninvited. He'd been the one to badger her with questions, unprovoked. He'd been the one to buy her a drink only to refrain from drinking his own. 

Alecto wasn't inclined to let down her walls. She'd built them with her own bare hands. Brick after brick of solid ice. She'd bled for those walls. Killed for them. 

"What's in it for you?"

For the first time, the man appeared -- confused. Again, genuine. Alecto, a rabidly discerning creature, could detect no deceit from him. Not an inkling. 

He retracted his hand, brow furrowed. A small crinkle appeared on the bridge of his nose. His smile faded, the corners of his lips turning downward. 

"Whatever do you mean?"

"I mean," Alecto said coolly. "What about reading a stranger's poetry is worthwhile to you?"

The man thought about this for a moment, stroking his bearded chin. "I suppose," he said finally. "All of it."

There was a beat of silence -- filled with Alecto's bewilderment.

"All of it?" she asked, demanding clarification.

He nodded, further adding to the perplexity of his position. "I've always found it thrilling to partake in the art of others," he said. "Whether through reading or simple observation. Art is inherently designed to be enjoyed, is it not?"

Alecto found herself frowning thoughtfully. "I...I had not thought of it that way."

The man's eyes widened. "You hadn't? How...how, then had you thought of it?"

She focused on the tawny hue of his irises as she replied, working through her thoughts as she spoke. "It's an exercise," she mused. "An effort to make sense of what's happening -- to ground myself in the moment. But also to -- appreciate the moment for what it is."

"Ah," the man affirmed, setting his glass on the wooden table between them. "By rights, I suspect you must be an astonishing poet, just from that evaluation alone."

"Your flattery is egregious."

"Is it really flattery if it's rooted in truth?"

"I suppose that's a question for the scholars."

"Aha! Was that a joke, madam?"

"Another question for the scholars," Alecto hummed, choosing that moment to take a long, dignified pull from her stein. 

The man chuckled, clearly quite pleased with himself. And, despite a decades long track record, she couldn't bring herself to snuff out his light. If anything, it felt nice. The unexpected warmth he'd brought to her evening. 

She wasn't usually one to welcome such a thing. Warmth. 

It didn't mean she didn't want to. She did. She just -- never quite knew how.

But now -- she had a sense that wielding anything but her open mind with this man would not only be fruitless, but would bring upon her something like unhappiness. 

He intrigued her. 

She turned her head to observe the space around them. It was crowded -- had been for some time. Had only gotten more-so as the sun had dipped beyond the horizon line. Easily a few hundred people, sitting and standing and dancing, all in various stages of inebriation. 

She understood now, why he'd sat across from her. Her table was at the far end -- away from most of the other patrons, by design on her part. But it had also probably been the only vacant seat in the place. 

She turned back to find him watching her, the corners of his eyes crinkled slightly.

"Very well," she said softly, dropping his gaze. "You may read one."

She pulled the little leather-bound book out of one of her many pockets -- always in the same one. Just over her left breast. Just above her heart. 

She thumbed through it, but it didn't take long to find what she wanted. She'd opened the book to that particular poem so often that the spine was cracked right to that page. 

It was her favorite. 

It had been a memorable experience. Writing this one. Painful. But -- transformative. Like taking needle to skin to sew up an old wound.

She handed the book to the man, thumb marking the page. 

"The one in blue ink," she murmured. He nodded, silently taking it from her. 

Her heart thudded in her chest. A sensation she was used to associating with physical exertion. She couldn't even admonish herself, captivated as she was by him in that moment. 

She recited the poem in her head as she watched him read, the words long ago embroidered onto the fabric of her being. I am evergreen: Destined to outlast the perpetual cold.  Prickly spines protect my insides, Vulnerable, sticky sweet. The sun casts me in warmth I cannot feel. It's quiet up here; Surrounded by trees My branches don't quite reach. The sparrows are my only friends. Fleeting and flitting and using me For the safety of my essence. Stoic and sturdy and everlasting. Won't someone kind cut me down? Release me from these roots, Free me of the confines of this birthright. Bring me home, String me with lights, And let me die having been in the presence of love.

The man sat quietly for a moment, absorbing. Alecto's thumping heart transformed into clammy skin. Tingling fingers. They twitched involuntarily. As though searching for a spear -- dipped in ink or blood -- either would do. 

"This is a beautiful metaphor," he said finally. Gently. "Sophisticated and -- vulnerable -- all at once."

Alecto's lips tightened. She knew that. That's why she always went back to it. The vulnerability. 

It wasn't something she could effectively produce very often.

A tenseness crept through her shoulders, drawing them back. An already stiff posture became rigid. Her claws pierced her calfskin leathers with ease, digging into the skin of her thighs.

The sting didn't register. Not above the palpable apprehension. Like stones in her stomach.

"You know, it's fascinating," he continued. "Most poets that use such a metaphor do so to portray resilience or fortitude or even power. What you've done here is...far more interesting. Suggesting such a birthright, as you say, is, in fact, a prison, of sorts."

Alecto blinked, surprised at his analysis. At the -- compliment. Entwined with genuine understanding. 

"There are a few moments that are striking to me," he said. "That you chose to use the word 'kind' to describe the theoretical woodsman, chopping the tree free of its confines. Opposite of expectation. And that your tree," he paused, swallowing audibly. "Still so viscerally yearns for connection, despite the circumstances of its life thus far. And despite the -- lethality of such a longing."

Everything in her softened. Melted. Like a pad of butter over flame. She felt hot. Loose. Unburdened. But oh, so exposed. 

He scanned the page again, reading her words a second time, before sliding the journal back to her, eyes returning to her face.

"It takes remarkable courage," he murmured. "To acknowledge such a desire. Even in metaphor."

She accepted the journal slowly. Tentatively. The pale of her fingers stark against its obsidian bindings. 

"Thank you," she replied, her voice all but a whisper. 

"Ah," the man chided. "No, my dear. Thank you for allowing me to bear witness to your art. A privilege, truly. It will stick with me, I've no doubt."

He leaned back then, the wood of the bench creaking delicately, like a sigh. 

"You know, I never asked your name," he ventured. 

"I never asked yours."

He chuckled. And she found herself affixed to that honest smile. 

"My name is Gale. Gale of Waterdeep."

He thrust a hand forward, closing the table's distance between them. She took it, not at all surprised by its warmth against her own cool skin.

"Alecto Bombarda."

His grin widened. 

"I should've known yours would be legendary."

She cocked her head. "Yours isn't?"

He squeezed her hand. "Ah, I intend to make it so."

[howlingday]

NO WEAKNESS

Blake: ...

Ren: (Points Storm Flower at her)

Blake: ...How did you know?

Ren: Your deal. Power like that always comes with a price. What was yours?

Blake: (Turns) You already know.

Ren: (Surrounded)

Blake: Forgive me, but I have to do this. (Presses button)

Ren: (Stumbles) Wha... What did you do...?

Blake: Ether brand neurotoxin. (Blurred, Walking over to Ren) Transfers by touch. You see, Arthur learns from his mistakes, Ren. And as you can see, brute force won't always work.

Ren: (On the ground, Clutching himself)

Blake: It had to be me. It's the only way...

Ren: ...to get... this... close...

Blake: For my father. For my mother. For everything you've done to me. After all this time, I finally know. (Steps on Ren)

Ren: I am... sorry...

Blake: You didn't have a choice. I do. Venom used you, but... I'm no better. The only thing I ever saw was an empty canvas, a weapon for me to hold and to use. I kept telling myself this was for your own good, but... people aren't weapons. They're not meant to be controlled. (Kneels) Finally, you are free. Goodbye... Agent. (Leaves)

Ren: (Dies)

--------------------------------------------------

. . .

Blake: Are you still here?

. . .

Blake: Still hanging on to what little humanity you have left?

. . .

Blake: Agent Lie Ren. The Hidden Lotus.

. . .

Blake: Lurking in the black, even when the page is white.

. . .

Blake: Did everything have to be perfect, or was it just your attempt at having fun?

. . .

Blake: To hide you behind mountains of contracts... Protect you from the harsh reality...

. . .

Blake: You really are the perfect weapon. You're just how Lil' Miss always dreamed you would be.

. . .

Blake: (Giggles) Oh, there's something special about you...

. . .

Blake: Could you even survive outside of this world? You're not a person. The only thing you are is what everyone else tells you to be. And I told you exactly what you are.

--------------------------------------------------

Watts: There he is... I suppose I shouldn't be too surprised since Belladonna did make a promise. I've never seen anyone like you. Honestly, how could she even think of asking me to kill you? Luckily for you, I'm not one to throw away anything useful.

Watts: Ready the serum.

Watts: Losing your memory isn't so bad. You already know that.

--------------------------------------------------

Blake: (Giggling) What's he doing? Is he still looking at us?

Watts: It would appear so. The poor fool just can't accept that his curtain has already fallen.

Blake: Maybe I should take him out on the highway, and drive away once he's out?

Watts: Haha! A classic~!

Blake: ...He was always the most loyal tool. But everything is left to rust eventually.

Watts: I couldn't agree more.

--------------------------------------------------

. . .

Nora: Are you done? The poison is using your fears. Don't let it.

. . .

Nora: ...C'mon. Get up. Let's go for a walk.

. . .

Nora: ...

Ren: She wants me dead.

Nora: Can you really blame her? After what we did?

Nora: But that's not what's going on.

Ren: She chose power. In the end, she's no different from the rest of them.

Nora: You're wrong. She knows Watts is smart, and that's why she's using his smartness against him. That's why she's leaving the rest to you.

Ren: ...But how?

--------------------------------------------------

Blake: You know.

Ghira: Blake!

Blake: (Girl) Coming!

Blake: Take out Watts and I can rip out Venom from its roots. We'll finally be free.

Ghira: (Holding Kali in front of their boat)

Blake: (Running down the pier)

Ren: (Holding the trigger)

Blake: All you have to do is accept the past. Embrace who you were.

Click. BOOM!

--------------------------------------------------

Ren: (Sits up, In a medical bed)

[warsamongthestars]

ONTO TBB - POST-SERIES

I am going to need to sit down, and go through all of the show, and I hope to (energy providing). Mostly to make a review, or series of reviews. Produce a few what-ifs. Someone might want the fanfic inspiration.

( I hope, I'm not going to promise because I am bad at energy, and I'm not going to promise things until I can actually deliver. So let's just say I want to do it, but we'll see if it happens or not. )

Look, I still dont' want to rain on people's parades this close after the Finale, so read at ye own risk. Lots of critical down below.

I would call the TBBshow a waste of time. But its not a waste of time, the reason being is that, I have dedicated an enormous amount of energy, to tearing this show into pieces. It soothes and enflames the rage that lies in my heart.

( Remember, I do love Star Wars, and I love the Clone Wars. And Anger and Fury are what happens when something you love, or something you cherish and care about, gets hurt very badly. And I find that the TBBshow is both the weapon and wound. But its a weapon I can turn against itself. And it is a wound I can remedy. )

Now for my bit thoughts on the finale, and bit thoughts on the show itself.

They're just big bits, because when I want to really tear into the little issues of this show, I will go molecule-by-molecule, atom-by-atom when I do.

I am going to be the fucking Saturday morning cartoon villain, with suit and cape and evil laughs, about it.

So...

One). Fifth Enhanced Clone and Omega wasn't it, remember? You remember that from the first Finale?

I remember. The show didn't.

I 'd like to think it was Emerie. It points it that. But even now, I have doubts.

Because what was the point.

They oh so twittered about Emerie, and that didn't end up much--and I'd know because the biggest TBB Fans here haven't talked jack about her. That's how good her character is.

Just listen to the silence and all those crickets.

Two). Remember how this was supposed to be the Republic becoming the Empire?

They didn't act like it, did they. You could place these scenes in the Clone Wars, and y'know, it would not only still make sense--it would be more pointed on how the Republic had always been the Empire underneath.

Because you don't get the evil of an entire instellar Empire out of nowhere. That just doesn't happen in stories that have any depth.

If it does happen, you're reading a kindergarten story then.

( ... Frankly the kindergarten story would prolly tell it better, honestly. )

THree). They killed Tech, and CX-2 meant nothing.

You can't tell me they didn't have time, because they spent 3 seasons bullshiting and then at the last minute went "Oh shit, we're supposed to have a plot! Uhhh THORW SOMETHING AT THE WALL AND WE'LL SEE WHAT STICKS"

They knew full well how much fucking time they were alloted, because TV time always allows at least 3 seasons unless you have fucked up that royally.

It is by Contract. They Knew, and they still Bullshitted.

They murdered Tech for Shock Value. Oh someone is going to say "But George Lucas didn't Like Tech--so it made sense to kill him!"

I know they're going to say it.

If they didn't want Tech, then they shouldn't have created him. If you didn't want the Apple Pie, you shouldn't have made the damn Universe. When you introduce a vital character, a main character, people are going to care about them, especially upon character development.

So when you kill that character for Shock value, and then made that value meaningless by lack of conversation and perceived impact, then all you've done is spat in the face of everyone who cared about him--who might've identified with him--or felt that they needed a fictional example of grief--or fucking hells, just WANTED TO HAVE CHARACTER IN YOUR FUCKING CHARACTERS.

Tech was the point where my fires started. He was the point, where I realized, there was no hope in this show. Can't repair the character dynamics, can't do anything of significance now.

And by their refusal to allow the characters communication and grief, they stamped Tech into the dirt by the heels of their imperial boots.

CX-2 had all this development, for fuck all. What was the point of the CXs if they weren't going to do jack with them.

Four). Spent an awful lot of time shitting on other ideas.

Every possible guest character that could appear, did appear, and it took away from the story. Worse, it took away from Authors, and Game Makers, and spat all over them with a "Haha this is OUR CANON NOW!"

Cid lost her appeal. Because it was an episodic format, and the series did not stick to an episodic format. Would've been a great minor villian, too fucking bad though.

Phee was a phenomenal character (even if I don't care for Indiana Jones / Lara Croft archetypes), and she didn't go anywhere. She stood nearby Tech, gave him a pet name, and that's it. They wasted her.

( I would say that the shippers went too hog wild--but shippers have always been hogwild. To say that they're overdoing it, means they've been underdoing it. They will go hogwild for "Nameless Twi'lek in Background". That's the beauty of the shippers. Keep shipping folks, the Empire can't take all of us out. )

They killed Scorch. Scorch, from Republic Commando, is dead now. You remember that happy go lucky guy? The one who wanted to go back for Sev?

( HE WAS MY PARTY MEMBER, GODS DAMN IT. I PLAYED THE GAME WITH HIM. )

Well. He can never go back now.

( From the bottom of my gamer heart--I felt like this was the greatest Fuck You of all time. Tech's death was already unforgivable, but this? This is as if you just executed Carth Onasi in front of me. )

( The only way they could've done worse, is if they had made a poor copycat of the deathstar as some star destroyer with a rip off of Darth Revan except he's like, the grandson of Darth Vader or something. And he like, murdered a lot of Jedi again, because they wanted to rip off the prequels... )

Why is VENTRESS EVEN THERE.

Why did we need KANAN AGAIN!?

Oh look, Rex, and... Clones... Fucking wonder what's going on there. I can't imagine that the sequel of the Clone Wars would have anything to do with Clone Wars maining Clones. Can't imagine why they might've been important for the Star Wars audience. They're just CLONES AREN'T THEY ITS NOT LIKE THE AFTER EFFECTS OF THE CLONE WARS WOULD HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH CLONES.

Completely dissed the Chip plot, for victim blaming, and all the victims paid for it. In fact, they even villianized the victims and punished them dearly. Through execution, or dismemberment.

And they just straight up murdered every villian they could get away with, for... no reason. It wasn't satisfying. It was bullshit.

The sheer audacity to fuck Echo up. He was our Audience Surrogate, on par with Ahsoka, and THIS IS WHAT THEY DID TO HIM? Made him a bit player in his own show?

Only gave Fives, one of the most important people of Echo's life, a mere throwaway mention.

Not gonna get into what they did to me boys the Bad Batch, because we'd be here all day. And I've got other things to do.

And finally, because this made me rage so fucking hard.

FIVES) The Spoken Message "Now we can be who we want to be!"

...

ARE YOU FUCKING FOR REAL. WHAT IS THIS SHOW'S MAJOR MALFUNCTION.

The Entire Point of the Bad Batch, was that they were already being who they wanted to be or who they were, since their introduction in Clone Wars. They were Unique Nonstandard Clone with Unique Abilities and excellent character (In the Clone Wars)

And suddenly the show wants to say "Oh by they weren't really being themselves--"

They didn't set that the fuck up. The TBBShow, spent the last 3 years fucking around in the ether. They had plenty of time, and they squandered it, and then they rushed jobbed like kids on final group project day.

If the "Good Soldiers Follow Orders" was the set up, then that is akin to saying "Oh don't worry about being drugged into doing something you didn't want to do, you can learn from the experience of having all your choices forced from you and against your consent, and be better from it!"

We can even take in-story!

They spent, so much time, never once talking to one another, about one another, setting up jack all. In fact, vast majority either followed Hunter's lead or ignored him, and left the Camera--there has never been any "Oh we can be who we want".

Unless you're Omega. And y'know, I tots watched a show called the Bad Batch, because I was totally clearly there for an original character not apart of the Bad Batch.

At the end of all it, I have to ask... what... story were they trying to tell exactly?

The show didn't dedicate itself to anything. It spent so long avoiding dedication that it robbed all impact, and left a constant sense of tension in every episode.

It didn't dedicate to a story. Oh it dedicated to the Rush, the New AND SHINY CONTENT--but that's it. Honestly, if they wanted the feeling of rush, they should've just dedicated themselves to Youtube Shorts, Vines and Tiktok.

I'm not here for the rush of content. I'm here for a fucking story, with characters. I have games that are decades old, I have the original Han Solo Trilogy, far before that fucking film.

And I go back, and I reread and replay, because I fucking love them. And that's what you do with something you love, you return to it constantly, its not a Fad that passes once the rush stops.

But I can only go back to the TBBshow, to take what little is good, And destroy the rest, and plant garden above the ashes.

(There are things good in this show that I want to drag out into the light and into better things. And I know, plenty of people have found that good too, and they have done the same. The sheer dedication of interpretation is a beautiful thing. )

There is no Replay Value here. By all accounts, they turned this into a throw-away show, that I guarantee, in about six months, half the fandom is going to be gone from because there's no substance here.

( I'd be shocked, but also not shocked, if it isn't, but I'm not hopeful here. )

And I'll guarantee to you, my audience, that I am going to be here with a never ending coal-fire in my chest.

Because as a lifetime Star Wars fan, from birth and unto where ever the end of my journey is, it has me--it can have my Love, or it can have my Never Ending Rage, but it has me regardless.

ADDENDUM

There are other things, believe me, I am not finished, but I wanted to get the big points down and out, to air my grievances. Twas an emotional response of sheer fucking unbelievable rage. The fires of mustafar would mean nothing in comparison to fires that lie inside. ( i'm in my darth vader arc. )

This hasn't been a waste of time... But fuck it was a Waste of Story and a waste of characters, and I will never forgive the TBBshow, for the fact that the Clone Wars lead me to love, and the TBBshow lead me to antagonizing rage.

The TBBshow story should've been a tragedy. That would've set some things to rights. If they had just, killed the team, and finally made the Empire into the tragic but villianous threat it really is, then that would've at least, made up for somethings. It wouldn't have fixed the show--S1 and S2 are still bad and no amount of good endings will fix that--but it would've been an anchor for it.

[samieree]

Heimdall x reader (female)

[Probably there will be part 2]

Never enough of him and it was a while since I wrote one-shot with him... But I think it's not bad, so I'm sharing this with you <3

~

You work for Odin and naturally spend quite a bit of time in Asgard. You get along pretty well with everyone, even with Heimdall. Until after a large amount of alcohol after one of the feasts, you end up in a rather intimate situation... From then on, you haven't spoken to each other and it seems that he is avoiding you.  Can this change?

~

“So? Will you finally tell me what happened?” Your closest friend here, one of Valkyries, asked you as you both sat there cleaning your weapons.

“What am I supposed to say? You were at that feast too, you know what it looked like.” You replied with a shrug.

“Come on, Y/n, I saw, just like a few other people, how you and Heimdall left at one point. I may remember your wobbly step through a haze, but you can't lie to me that it didn't happen.” You rolled your eyes.

You didn't want to go back to that moment. Even though you recalled it quite pleasantly, even if you didn't remember much of what you'd talked about, you remembered exactly what had happened.

And you didn't feel obligated to confess it to your friend.

“Yes, we left. And what?”

“You tell me.” You didn't answer anything, just smiled, looking back at the sword you were cleaning from the dirt that no longer existed on it. “Come on, just between us women. I am telling you about my conquests.”

“You say it even when I don't ask.” The fact was that your friend took intimate matters very lightly and simply did what she pleased about it. You didn't judge her, after all, everyone has the right to a different approach to these matters, but you didn't always want to listen to her stories about subsequent bed adventures. “Besides, it wasn't a conquest.”

“Wasn’t it? I can't remember the last time there was even a rumour that he was meeting someone for this purpose.”

“You're too curious. And I don't remember much anyway.”

“Yes I am. Well, at least tell me: Was it fun? You're more of a shy girl…” You rolled your eyes again, as she gave you a nudge.

“Yes.” You replied in one word. The fact was that even though you didn't remember much about that close-up, you knew you enjoyed it. It would be hard not to like the way he touched and kissed you… “Enough about that, we've got a lot of work to do, so we'd better get on with it.”

 * * *

Ever since that conversation, you've felt watched all the time. But when you looked around… There was no one watching you. You felt a little uncomfortable but decided to ignore it. Nothing special happened all day, only when you went home in the evening...

You were suddenly pulled behind one of the huts, hitting your back against someone's chest.

“For an assassin, your eyesight is poor.” You knew for sure who it was when you heard that person's voice.  He hasn't even flashed before your eyes in the last few days, and now he suddenly drags you to a dark corner in the evening? Did something happen to him?

“Or you're hiding well.” You replied, not moving away from your position as your back was pressed against his body, feeling his warmth despite the layers of fabric.

“Did you have fun gossiping with your friend?” Normally you'd just roll your eyes, but you couldn't when he said it with his mouth against your ear, almost touching it.

“So you've been following me all day and eavesdropping right after you've been avoiding me like the plague for the past few days?” He pushed you away from him and as soon as you turned around, you were finally face to face.

As usual, his face didn’t express much emotion and his eyes were piercing. Eyes focused on yours when you didn't even know what he wanted to read from them.

“I wasn't avoiding you. I don't know if you're aware of this, but I have my own work to do.” He said after a long silence, probably noticing that he was staring at you too ostentatiously.

“Do you… Do you care about what happened between us?” You asked directly.

Who knows, maybe not only today, but in the last few days he has also been watching you closely? Did he care if you told anyone about what happened between you?

Which of you remembered more of what happened? Who liked it more?

Seeing that he continued to stare at you and didn't intend to speak, you decided to add something else, even though it didn't quite agree with you.

“You shouldn't worry so much, it was just sex after all... Everyone has desires sometimes, even you.” You said it all, even though Heimdall was slowly moving closer to you with each word you said, and you were backing up against the wall.

You backed away until you had nowhere else to go, and he only stopped when your bodies were almost touching. You tried not to show how this closeness affected you, especially closeness from him. But you couldn't force your heart to slow down or take your mind far away from him.

“Are you suggesting that I desire you?” He asked, taking your chin and lifting it so that you looked him in the eyes before he leaned over to you and all you could see were his eyes shining in the darkness around him. “I'm suggesting it's the other way around.” Yeah, he can read me like an open book…  He moved closer to your ear, as he spoke, his lips brushing your earlobe. “I remember how you moaned under me and begged for more. Now you're doing the same, only silently.”

“Yes, I suggest it.” You answered an earlier question he asked. “Otherwise, instead of simply reminding me of what happened, you'd be making fun of me. And you certainly wouldn't be standing that close.”

After your words, he clearly wanted to pull away, as if to prove that he was above some stupid feelings. But you put your hand on his cheek, holding him close.

You pushed your head away from the wall and pressed your lips together. It was one of the few things you remembered from that night - his soft lips on yours and the rest of your body. Only now it is not just a hazy memory, but a completely clear experience that will stay with you for the rest of your life.

Suddenly, Heimdall jerked away from you, slamming his hand against the wall next to your head. You almost jumped at the sudden change in his mood.

“Never do that again.” He snapped, quickly walking away in the direction known only to himself.

And you stayed there, trying to process what just happened, why did he suddenly reject you? What happened to make him move away so abruptly?

You walked away only when you heard the peasant come out of his hut to see what hit the wall so hard.

But you went in the opposite direction to Heimdall.

~ -> general masterlist -> God of War: Ragnarök masterlist

¿Part 2? With a smut probably?

[toku-fanservice]

Could I request a scenario of SKaRD from Blazar reacting to a reader member who’s got an attachment to Blazar? As in nicknames him, and thinks he’s oddly endearing

Hi! I loved this request so much! I feel like I did a sort of different format than usual, so I hope you enjoy it!

The first time you referred to Ultraman Blazar as "Blazar-chan", you immediately got odd looks from the entire SKaRD team. "What?" you asked. "He's kind of cute, right?"

~

"So, how so I look?" Emi asked you, posing in her newest disguise- a fast-food worker for a fried chicken shop that was almost squished by the latest Kaiju attack.

"Wow! You look great! Like a real part-timer," you exclaimed, admiring the details of her new outfit.

Emi nodded, seemingly satisfied with your praise. "Alright, then I'll be heading out for my recon mission!"

"One thing before you leave," you said, handing Emi a blinking device the size of her entire bag. "Could you take these with you? If Blazar-chan appears, I want to get more readings from him."

"Still Blazar-chan, huh?" Emi asked in a teasing tone. "Aren't you supposed to be studying the Kaiju?"

"I am, I am!" you insisted. "But it's important we get information on Blazar-chan too, right?" Emi gave you a bit of a doubting look but took your device anyway.

"Wilco," she said with a salute.

~

"Teruaki, can you hold down HQ for me?" You asked as you quickly packed your research materials into a large bag. "I'm going out in the field to get readings on Blazar-chan. And on the Kaiju!"

"Please (Y/N), take this more seriously," Teruaki said awkwardly. "You're speaking about a 50-meter alien that we can't guarantee is safe."

"He is safe!" You insisted. "He protected Earth Garon when we were down, didn't he?"

"Even so, it's not professional to refer to him like that! He's not a pet...." Teruaki muttered as you ran for the door.

~

You and Yasunobu worked together closely. The Kaiju data you gathered allowed Yasunobu and the other mechanics to make adjustments to Earth Garon that allowed it to combat its larger enemies better.

"Hey Yasunobu," you said, showing him the data on your tablet. "I'm not sure how the Chief would feel about this, but I have this data on Blazar-chan. I thought maybe we could use this intel to boost Earth Garon's weapons."

"Ohh, nice work!" Yasunobu exclaimed as he looked through your work. "I can definitely use this for Earth Garon!"

"I'm glad," you said, matching Yasunobu's smile. "You always help us so much, I'm glad me and Blazar-chan can give you a hand too."

"Thank you, (Y/N)," he said enthusiastically. Then, looking out of a window, out into the distance. "And thank you, Blazar-chan!"

~

Anri was finishing up her battle record report about the latest Kaiju fight when she saw you, walking to your desk and humming to herself. Being bored and fighting off exhaustion, she thought she'd talk to you a bit to stay awake.

"So (Y/N), find anything new about Ultraman Blazar?" she asks, and smiled slightly as you perked up.

"I did! Due to how close you got to him in Earth Garon, I was actually able to get some readings on his different attacks!"

She nodded idly as you rambled, resuming typing her report. "Oh really? Tell me more."

~

It was a late night at SKaRD HQ. The rest of the team had left one by one, leaving just you and Gento there alone.

You were intensely focused on reviewing footage of your last fight, specifically Blazar's intrusion of SKaRD's combat plans. "Blazar-chan... why do you always protect us?" you mumbled under your breath, slowly moving through the footage.

"He does, doesn't he?" Gento said from behind you, startling you from your work. You gathered yourself enough to nod, and to look back at the giant humanoid alien on your screen.

"He does," you affirmed. "I wish the higher-ups would see he's not our enemy...."

"...(Y/N)," Gento said, looking at you with an intense expression. He clapped a firm hand in your shoulder. "I know the others give you a tough time about caring so much about Blazar, but I think it just shows how kind you are. Don't let them shame you, okay?"

You beamed and nodded earnestly, full of a new determination. "Yes Captain Gento!"

[lucius-morningstar]

Cat Got Your Tongue

Lucius has already started making plans on how to get rid of Valentino. A certain cat confronts him about it and yea.. ------ Husk: You busy. Lucius: Yes. Husk: Well too bad, I need to talk to you. Lucius: If I give you catnip will you leave me alone. Husk: *glares* No. Lucius: Well shucks, guess I'm stuck with ya then. Husk: I know what you're planning. Lucius: Oh yea and what does the little kitty know? Husk: You're going after Val ain't ya? Lucius: ..He told you didn't he. Husk: Well you told him not to tell Charlie, who else would he be able to talk too. Cherri doesn't really want to talk to anyone since her "Happy news" Vaggie would tell Charlie, Alastor would use information, your dad would sure as hell open his mouth and NIffty-.. Well we know she can't keep a secret for shit. What options did he have. Lucius: None, because he wasn't suppose to say shit. I told him to let me handle it but since the walls clearly have ears, do you want to come for a walk. Husk: ..No but I need to talk to you about this anyway so let's go. ---- Vaggie: Weird. Charlie: Hmm, what? Vaggie: Your brother just left with Husk. Charlie: What's weird about that. Vaggie: Well how often does your brother even try to get close to the residents here, lately it seems like he's being more open and friendly with all of them.. No offense. Charlie: No, no offense taken. He is super closed off with others but maybe he's starting to open up again. He use to be great with other sinners until he lost his friends most of em anyway, maybe he's letting himself make friends with demons in the hotel. It'd be a nice change. Vaggie: I guess... Charlie: Relax, if it's anything serious I'm sure Husk will tell us. Vaggie: ... ------ Lucius: So what do you want to know. Husk: What you plan to do and how. Lucius: I'm obviously going to give him an ultimatum. Release Angel's soul or he dies. Simple as that. Husk: You know you kill him out in the open, especially with you know who watching the city, it will invite more danger to the hotel's doors. Lucius: You think I didn't plan for that? Husk: ... Lucius: I'm going to be using Angel's phone to get him to meet at a specific location, a few minutes before he arrives, I'm going to make sure the cameras in said location are taken down, it will take Vox a bit before he can get them set up again so that gives me time to make the offer, let the bitch baby say no and slit his throat out. Husk: You know you can't do it wit- Lucius: With just any weapon I know, I already got one and I'm hiding it. Husk: Did you talk to- Lucius: Yes.. T-they we're not happy and I have to avoid the Carmine place for a while until tempers cool. If I come back and she's ten times more angry then I'll know Imma dad which will give me all the more motivation to kill him. You are not to tell anyone. Husk: On one condition. Lucius: What? Husk: You let me help. Lucius: Nope, I don't work well with others. Husk: Then I'll tell Charlie. Lucius: You two faced cat. Husk: Thanks but it's your own fault. You revealed your hand way too early. Lucius: Fine.. but you're doing a long distance job and I'm the one whose going to take him out. Maybe you can help me take out the cameras. You got wings, do they still work? Husk: Yup. Lucius: Can you be stealthy. Husk: Yep. Lucius: ..Fine then I got a job for ya. Husk: Good. ------ Lucius: So no saying anything to Charlie, got it. Husk: Got it. Lucius: We're not bringing anyone else in on this and I'll be damned if anyone else get's involved. Husk: Uh Lucius. Lucius: What? Husk: *points* Lucius: Wha-..Oh for fucks sake. What do you want and how long we're you listening? Vaggie: Depends what are you two planning. Lucius: Throwing a bachelor party. Vaggie: Try again. Lucius: *sighs* I'm not going to be getting out of this saying nothing now am I? Vaggie: Nope. Lucius: Ugh!

[nikrei]

September Comics Round-Up

Did not make my schedule of one year per week but also 1967 had 17 titles to read so I think that's okay.

Action Comics (336-371) (1966-1969)

The superman understanding of the ancient Greek pantheon/mythos is the messiest bullshit i have ever seen. 1! Never acknowledges that wonderwoman exists! 2! Completely mixes up greek and Roman names for gods. 3! Sooo many randos get upgraded to gods usually Achilles but most notably just now: prometheus???

Superman (183-213) (1966-1969)

Okay one of the oddest conceits that they like to have superman do is, when he needs an emergency Clark Kent double, he finds a random amnesia patient about the same size gets them to dress up as him, and then afterwards cures their amnesia, which almost always wiped out their memories of portraying Clark Kent (i don't think it works that way??) Where is he finding all these people just wandering around?

Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen (91-117) (1966-1969)

Whelp, it's more Jimmy, nothing really new to say.

Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane (63-89) (1966-1969)

They are getting a bit more modern and experimental with Lois's fashion and hair and I'm really enjoying it. On the other hand I had to read, with my very own eyes, and editor letter response that said "everyone knows women can't keep a secret" in answer to why Jarvis gets to know Bruce's identity but Lois can't know Clark's.

World's Finest Comics (156-182) (1966-1969)

I think WF is #1 for number of "imaginary tales" but I particularly liked the one where the Kent's adopted Bruce after his parents death. Jimmy and Dick's friendship continues to delight.

Superboy (127-153) (1966-1969)

I love Insect-Queen Lana more than anything else going on in this run, lana's love of bugs and whole-hearted embrace of the weird body horror transformations adds such an interesting facet to her character I love her. Also it is extremely funny of them to deage ma and pa by editorial order via an alien tv director deaging them to please his possible sponsers.

Adventure Comics (342-376) (1966-1969)

This is starting to get a little bit plotty almost! I'm enjoying it a lot. I'm also enjoying that we are starting to get character building moments out of uniform. The Ghost of Ferro Lad story about had me in tears! However! Save me from anti-feminism sixties story that is supposed to be happening a thousand years from now.

Aquaman (26-43) (1966-1969)

Garth nickname collection: Little Sardine, Sardine, Tadpole, Little Minnow, Minnow. Orm has shown up! I'm really liking him actually his unknowing uncleness to aquababy is v cute and fun. Speaking of aquababy I am expecting him to die any day now I am constantly surprised that he's still alive.

Green Lantern (43-58) (1966-1968)

Loving the artist team on this honestly, everyone is so fluid and expressive, and Hal's waist is snatched all the time. The split into two bodies issue really made me fall in love with plain old Hal Jordan, he's just so good even/especially when he is just a guy. Also, I love it when Hal uses the invisible power lantern as a weapon.

Justice League of America (34-60) (1965-1968)

Same old justice league stuff. Issue 57 is one of the worst things I've read in a while and I'm so not surprised that it hasn't been collected in any trades (judging by its lack of digital colors)

The Brave and the Bold (58-81) (1965-1969)

1967 is truly a guessing game of "which flavor of racist will we be today?" Will we be anti-indigenous? Anti-asian? Anti-black (no, no then we'd have to admit black people exist, better scratch that and make it "anti-robot") I'm so tired they think they're being so progressive with these storylines about "look at how well this culture is assimilating! The mystic old ways of their people are at once the enemy and something to be revered. From a distance tho. Wouldn't want to get too close." Its not just a Brave and the Bold problem but a bunch of it just happened in a row in that title so this is where I'm complaining.

Doom Patrol (94-121) (1965-1968)

Okay I knew it would happen but i still cried when they died... literally took me two pages to go from "la-di-da" to tears damn..... Rita my darling I'll miss you!!! I can't believe that we don't get a reaction comic for Gar and Steve tho.... just bam, they're dead, it's over. People in the sixties u've really let me down by letting it end this way.... more people should have written in.

Hawkman (12-27) (1966-1968)

This continues to be really good! Despite being extremely 60s-brained they try as hard as possible to show katar and shayera as equals in everything they do, its not katar saving her every time (tho he does a lot of the time it is still 60s brained) recommended if you are interested in the hawks and thanagar!

House of Mystery (156-173) (1966-1968)

Dial H for Hero is a v fun little set up, and I am sort of obsessed with Robbie's little catchphrase/ exclamation "sockamagee!" They gave me one (1) issue where his friend who is a girl finds out his identity and gets to try out the dial herself, only to them have her bungle everything and lose her memory of it because she's "just a girl" I hate it here (the 60s). J'onn J'onzz continues in the backups and continues to boot be what i expect. He's investigating crimes now but he is also committing identity fraud to do it (impersonating a millionaire that he saw die)

Metamorpho (1-17) (1965-1968)

Rex <3 Sapphire forever i love them! They really go overboard on the 60s slang in this title to the point where I am really not sure that anyone actually talked like that. The way smaller titles bend over backwards to pretend superman doesn't exist for their plots to work is honestly a little endearing. Rex literally hanging out with the guy in JLA, but noooo aliens are mysterious and uncommon, and the president is Definitely gonna call Rex Mason about them. Not a huge fan of the love triangle introduced, and it gets down right bizarre at the end with a bit of a cliffhanger, but overall worth a read if you are into Metamorpho!

Teen Titans (1-13) (1966-1968)

Rereading because the titans are my darlings. I especially love the little bits at the start of the issue where they are just kids hanging out.

The Spectre (1-10) (1967-1969)

I really love Neal Adam's art it's got a really delicate touch and dramatic shading, and he does figures really well. Also a shout out to Jerry Grandenetti/Murphy Anderson for some truly inspired panel layouts and lettering stuff, you don't get a lot of this back in the 60s. They decided to tell an entirely different sort of story for the last two issues and it is not a neat transition tbh.

Showcase (73-80) (1968-1969)

Some fun character intros for the creeper, hawk and dove, bat lash (surprise fave, what a guy), and dolphin, and some other guys too.

Anywho, that's that for September! Here's how my spreadsheet is looking:

As u can see I have given in and decided to go back and pick up The Atom, so I have that to look forward to in October!

[tobiasdrake]

Let's take this asshole down. Through gambling and... time travel... something. I don't know. I do not understand the plan. Halara's playing this close to their chest.

But I trust Halara and that's good enough. GO TEAM ALARM CLOCK!

...they're excusing themselves from the table. Maybe the draw is the plan? A stall for time?

Whoopsy doodle.

I've always wondered how you're supposed to do that maneuver subtly. It shows up in so many things but it's always so obvious that it's a ruse. But. Is it obvious because I already know it's a ruse? I don't know.

...is... is that the whole plan? Why? Why is that the plan? I am super confused right now. Explain, senpai.

I suppose if we need a weapon you can probably cut him really bad with those glass shards but I don't understand how that helps us right now.

But okay. I'll throw the dice. And he'll throw his loaded dice. And then--

AND THEN THE VENGEFUL SPIRIT OF HIS PAST SINS WILL ENTER THE ROOM.

IT WAS A FUCKING SIGNAL.

^_^ It was a Lucky Day miracle. Gosh, I just feel so blessed. What were the odds that his trick dice would malfunction and that guy that fell from the rooftop would miraculously return to consciousness all at the same time?

What did I tell y'all? My fortune teller was right. It's protective rainclouds and roses ALL. DAY. LONG.

Sorry friend-o but 7 beats 8 and that means I win.

This was a great plan. Halara's the best. I'm glad we got to team up with them after all. Unlike that useless Desuhiko who completely bailed on us before we came into the casino.

Okay I was shitposting but no, Fubuki sincerely doesn't realize what Desuhiko's role in this plan was. XD I generally don't like when the game goes too hard on "LOL Bimbo" for Fubuki but that line was priceless.

Look at her. Poor Fubuki.

Halara's launching straight into the post-case debrief but Fubuki's over there staring into middle distance and questioning reality right now. Anyone could secretly be Desuhiko. How long was the rooftop faller Desuhiko? What if everyone is secretly Desuhiko?

What. If. I'm. Secretly Desuhiko?

That was Lucky Day powers at work! It's like I said. Just because the fortune teller was a paid corporate shill, that doesn't mean the fortune she read can't be real. Fate works in mysterious ways! You don't know!

This is a sweet moment for Halara. We're. Just. Going to ignore that Fubuki had to reload her save a couple of times to make that happen.

It still counts. I think most gamers would agree with that. Maybe not those perma-death tryhards....

WHY ARE YOU TRYING?

I don't think Fubuki would rewind to cheat on purpose in a friendly game with her colleagues. She's not going to go, "Oh, they had a good hand. Well, I'll just hop back in time and fold so I don't lose my chips."

I do, however, think Fubuki would innocently rewind because she shouldn't have given that card away, without even realizing that it's cheating.

Halara, you've created a monster. Still, I suppose maybe I should take back what I said too. Fubuki's got a good grasp of what would be an inappropriate use of her powers in this game. Instead, the real reason Desuhiko can't take her is obvious.

Because it's her motherfucking Lucky Day, y'all!

^_^ This was a good day. I enjoyed this substory quite a bit. Fubuki is, as expected, an utter treat to play as. The rapport between Fubuki and Halara is brilliant, and I want to see the two of them team up more.

100% would play Fubuki and Kurumi team-up spinoff. 100% would play Fubuki and Halara team-up spinoff. Fubuki, Kurumi, and Halara team-up spinoff? Solid motherfucking gold.

With one case where Halara wheels a container into the room as a special weapon to deploy against their adversaries. And when they open it up, Vivia's lying in there, ready to join up with them for this one chapter.

Just one, though. Not because I don't like Vivia. I adore Vivia. But because Vivia's a character who should be used sparingly. His whole vibe is "I will not do anything for 95% of this story. But when I do get up, shit gets real."

This was great. I was so happy.

You can still see Kodaka's disrespect for the character bleeding through. Desuhiko's chapter was all about Desuhiko trying and failing to solve his case, while Halara more or less takes over Fubuki's case for her own good. Fubuki quickly becomes a supporting character in her own plot. That's not great.

But the dynamic between Fubuki and Halara is nonetheless charming enough to carry it. So I had a good time all the same.

[dinogotchi]

Glass Shards & Baker's Regards

Warnings: An instance of self harm via punching a mirror. | Characters: Monsterwyn, Doc (guest character belonging to @/bunquest) | Word-count: 2,416 | AN: lol monsterwyn gets so angry mad at the other dog in the mirror, they're so fucking issues. can you tell my favorite thing to do in writing is write dialogue and nothing else.

(Nov 24, 2022)

Monsterwyn enters the bathroom, their claws and clothes caked in flour. They walk over to the sink, turning it on, washing their claws in it. They look up, and freeze up for a moment, their own face is looking back at them from a mirror. Did this bathroom always have a mirror? They would've noticed before but… 

That's right… I had just eaten… Monsterwyn thinks, I was coming back from having so much blood and gore on me… and I was sleepy… I didn't notice it… since I was trying to get clean… 

Monsterwyn stares for a good few minutes at their reflection, the only sound being the running water of the sink in front of them. 

I'm… Such a mess… What happened to me…. It feels like an eternity since I was that dumb stupid kid who got caught in that trap. And yet… These wounds still hurt me… And I still don't know if this is all just… My fault… For dying in that trap. 

They put a claw over their reflection's face, the water from their claw dripping down from their claw, making the reflection look like it's crying. 

I barely understand what I am… I know what I am called but… There's nothing else I can use… I can't read a thing! How am I supposed to learn it! And this-- This thing! This thing I am, it could've happened to anyone! I didn't ever have to be this! Being a gang leader would have been fine! It was what was supposed to happen! Every single damned night I have to dream about my so-called happy ending… One I never get to have! 

Monsterwyn is growling, their tail lashing bath and forth, very quickly. 

Why aren't I them!? Huh! Why is everything different for me! Why do I have to watch them squander what they have! They don't even know how lucky they are! I can barely make friends here, and they have so many! Why… Am I the monster and they the hero? … Maybe I should've just banished myself all those years ago… Being a cave beast would've meant never having to see my disgrace of a face ever again. 

They take their claw off of their reflection, reeling their claw back as they ball it into a fist. 

Fuck you! Their fist collides with where their face once was on the mirror. Why did you even go after him, he wasn't in that much trouble! You're weak! You're a weakling for showing that weakness in combat! You knew he would be fine but you still stepped in that trap trying to help! This wouldn't have happened if you weren't stupid! It's your fault-- it's my fault that I've become a monster! It's still the same face from all those years ago! I'm no different here! Annie will… She'll get sick of me… I'm nothing but a weapon… Surely she'll find something more useful. 

They're punching the mirror, again, and again, and again. Until all of the glass hits the floor. 

I could have been something else… I should've been… but I can't do anything about it now… I have to just play my part until the end of time.

The door opens, but they don't notice, they're snarling at what's left of the mirror. There's a scream, that's what they notice. They turn to look, it's doc, she's shocked but isn't scared, she just looks… Concerned.

"Oh my god, Maldwyn are you okay? There's so much glass in your claws." She rushes over, backing off a lil when they growl at her. 

"I'm fine, just a lil glass got stuck, not a big deal." They say, growling at her when she gets too close. She wants to heal them, they know that but they don't deserve it. They know they don't deserve it, so why should they let her?

"But there's blood all over the floor… Isn't there?" Doc says, glancing at all the purple liquid all over the floor and sink they were standing at.

They huff, "So what if there is? I don't care, the stuff dissipates on its own anyway. The mess will take care of itself." 

Doc crosses her arms, "So it means you're hurt! Let me heal you, you're one of my patients after all. I can't just let you stay hurt when I can help."

"I can fix it easily though… Why bother healing if I can do that?" Monsterwyn asks her. 

"It must still hurt though… And if you wanna keep helping me bake you should let me touch you up. You don't wanna drop anything because your hand hurts!" Doc insists.

".... I don't know if I still do. I kind of just want to curl up by myself." Monsterwyn says. 

"Awh hey! It's alright! I won't force you to keep helping. You should um… Get all that glass loose first though. Do you want a pair of tweezers or…?" Doc says. 

"No… I'm gonna keep them there. It's normally what I do. I don't usually get hurt like this, it's nice to finally feel something else for a change." Monsterwyn says.

"Maldwyn, stop being silly, come here." Doc says approaching to grab their shoulder and pull them into a hug. 

Monsterwyn starts hissing at her, but eventually quiets down, eventually starting to purr as they expel the glass from their claws. 

Doc gives them a kiss on the cheek when they calm down, "There we go! See it wasn't so bad." 

Monsterwyn's eye widens as she does so, "I… You…. um." They barely get out any words as their cheeks flush red, "I guess it wasn't…." 

"Oh my gosh… Am I embarrassing you? I'm sorry, you just seemed like you needed a kiss for like, comfort. Y'know?" Doc says.

"It's fine I just…. I didn't realize you felt that way about me…. it's been a long time…" Monsterwyn says, their tone pretty solemn as they rub the cheek she kissed. 

"Oh… Like, caring?" Doc hugs them tighter, trying to comfort them more. "Well, you'll have plenty of time to get used to it here! Alot of folks here are probably willing to be friends with you. You don't seem all that bad, you're rather pleasant!" 

"Caring… What an understatement… And I suppose I do… I'm still warming up a bit though…" Monsterwyn says. 

"Hey it's alright, people need all sorts of time to get used to stuff, especially if everything is new to them!" Doc says encouragingly, "Now let's get back to the sweets, they're probably done cooling off by now so we can put frosting on!"

"Oh! Okay!" Monsterwyn exclaims, cheerily following Doc along as they head back to the sweets. 

They both head over to the oven, on top there's two trays of cupcakes, Doc quickly checks them, then prepares to start putting frosting on. 

"Do you want to help put frosting on these? Or do you want to curl up? I'll be happy to show you how to squeeze the frosting onto them just right!" Doc says, smiling at them. 

"Oh… Sure… If you want me too. I guess I'm feeling better now…" Monsterwyn says. 

"Alright! Tell me if you want to stop, okay?" Doc says, handing them a frosting tube, "You sorta do it outside in and like… Snake around a lil in the small space of the cupcake… If that makes sense." She continues, looking a little nervous for a moment before collecting herself. 

"Oh… Okay." Monsterwyn says, starting to try and frost the cupcakes alongside Doc, they're struggling a bit, some frosting falls off, and they hesitate to wipe it off with their hand, taking nervous glances at it.

Doc notices this, and curiously asks, "Hey wyn, y'know you can wipe the frosting off and taste it? You'd just have to wash your hands again."

"I… I know that I just… It's dangerous…" Monsterwyn quietly remarks back. 

"It's dangerous?" Doc questions, well now she's intrigued. 

"Yeah… If I'm not careful I'll poison the frosting… Or the sweets…" Monsterwyn answers, "My claws are poisonous too y'know… Basically all of me is."

"Oh. Huh." Doc says, a little baffled but she collects herself, "Well, okay. I'm pretty sure I've got a pair of plastic gloves somewhere you could use." 

It feels like everyday I learn something new about them. Doc thinks to herself.

Doc digs through her nearby drawers, taking out a pair of plastic gloves and handing it to them. 

Monsterwyn puts them on, looking at the gloves puzzled, "Are you sure these will work? They seem kind of thin…"

"Well, they're better than nothing! It should be mostly fine unless you rip it…" Doc says starting to laugh playfully at them, "so be careful with your teeth if you want a taste of the frosting." 

Monsterwyn wipes off the fallen frosting onto their finger, which they carefully put in their mouth. The taste is sweet, it makes them smile as they take their gloved finger out of their mouth. 

Doc laughs, "You're enjoying yourself! It's tasty, yeah? Just rinse your finger real quick, guess you can dry it off on the towel"

Monsterwyn nods, "Yeah! It's nice… Um… Thank you… For the gloves…" They nervously do what she tells them to.

"Awh, you don't have to thank me, these were like, What? Five bucks for a bunch of em?" Doc says, she's flattered but she knows they'll want to "pay her back" for things she gives them.

"Oh… How much is that in gold…?" Monsterwyn asks, they're really thinking about it as they both get back to frosting cupcakes.

"Whuh!? How much of is that in what?" Doc asks, very obviously bewildered, "Maldwyn… Isn't? Isn't gold really valuable? There's no reasonable way to get me a piece small enough to be exactly 5 dollars! Plus you don't need to pay me back, working at the ZPA pays me plenty!"

Monsterwyn looks thoughtful still, "The ZPA pays you…? Me and Annie made a deal that I would get to eat people and take orders and stuff in return…." 

"What!? Are you… Are you sure that's alright? I can talk with Annie and let you get paid if you'd like." Doc says worryingly. 

Monsterwyn tilts their head like a confused dog, "Huh? But I have plenty of gold in my hoard back home… And lots of treasures and gems…"

"Huh… Well… Um… You should probably…" Doc's at a bit of a loss for words, They seem completely content. Though they should probably at least be getting paid… There's not much in their room besides a few basic furniture items and a whole lot of treasure after all. They surely could use some more… "Well.. if you're happy with it… I guess it's fine… We should at least get you like, an allowance or something, you're a kid, right?" 

Monsterwyn growls at her, "I'm not a kid! I just died when I was one! I'm old enough to do whatever I want!" Their tail lashes angrily behind them.

"Hey, hey shhhh… It's alright…" Doc says soothingly, she's gently cupping their face in her hands as she continues, "You're not a kid, I've got it, butttt, since you look like one… It might look bad for Annie and Zangari if people know you're not at least getting paid a little."

Please don't bite me please don't bite me please don't bite me. Doc thinks frantically to herself as she does this.

Monsterwyn purrs, leaning towards her, "... I guess that makes sense…. Just don't call me a kid again, got it?"

Doc breathes a sigh of relief, sometimes you never know with Maldwyn, "I've got it. we're friends, you don't need to keep threatening me y'know. Now, since there's only one left, let's frost this last cupcake and then we can start digging in, alright?" She slowly lets go of their face, letting them adjust and turn to the cupcakes. 

It's almost like no one ever respects their boundaries with how quickly they turn to growling, snarling and snapping at people when they do one little thing that makes them mad or uncomfortable. Doc thinks to herself, I wonder what made them like this…

Monsterwyn starts frosting the last one, slowly but steadily. Eventually they successfully complete it, and they look to Doc for approval. 

"Yeah! You did great! We did some nice work with these cupcakes! And now, we get the fruits of our labor." Doc says encouragingly, picking up a cupcake from the tray carefully and handing it to Monsterwyn. 

They slowly start to eat the cupcake, their tail starting to wag, smiling at Doc as they start to speak, "This is really good! Did I really help make this…? I can hardly believe it… Usually I taint everything I touch…" 

Doc pats them on the back, causing them to squeak, making her pause for a moment before speaking. 

Oh my god… That was adorable… I must have accidentally surprised them… She thinks, a little enamored with how cute Maldwyn can sometimes be. 

"Awh don't be so hard on yourself, you probably weren't following a proper recipe! And sometimes it's easy to mess something up even if you do!" Doc says to them, hoping to invoke some optimism. She, of course, takes a cupcake for herself and helps herself to it. It's great, they had hardly messed anything up. 

The two of them finish their first cupcakes, and it's Doc once again who breaks the silence, "You wanna watch some tv while we snack on the rest of these?" She asks, "I'm sure there's something interesting we could watch!" 

"Yeah sure!" Monsterwyn cheerily says, going along with her, and helping by picking up one of the cupcake trays. 

Doc picks up the other and they head to her living room to place them down, sit down on her soft couch, and relax. Doc grabs the remote, flicking through the channels until she finds one Maldwyn's interested in.

They casually chat, snacking on the cupcakes, Doc briefly taking a moment to get the two of them something to drink, then continuing to chat. 

Eventually, the day turns to night, and Doc falls asleep. Monsterwyn questions for a moment if they should drink a bit of her blood, so they could fall asleep with her… But they shake this thought away, they can't… They shouldn't… They opt to watch the tv all night instead. Though eventually they decide to at least lean on her, she's warm after all, can't waste it.