#i imagine they'd make a mean soup

[ruidus-born-chetney]

girl help i'm having thoughts about ashryms again

[thegnomelord]

oh my lord... mentioning merfolk finally pushed me into sending in an ask for you, so hai!

im a huge marine bio nerd and i could probably ramble about that kinda stuff for awhile so im gonna keep it shorter and stick to sharks, aka my favorite species... i apologize for the very long ramble incoming

id imagine that the kind of shark makes merfolk vary heavily - you have smaller, less aggressive sharks (bamboo sharks, nurse sharks, leopard sharks), then you have dogfish which are aggressive small schooling sharks (that actually have venom from what i remember), and the big bois that are mean like bull sharks, oceanic whitetip sharks, great whites, ect. also you have basking sharks and whale sharks which are big ass chill lads. as much as i love them having a tail instead of legs, i think there'd be two "forms" of merperson, one with legs and a tail and one with just the tail. im mainly referring to the ones with legs and tails when i talk about them

like i was saying, the kind of shark species a merperson (or mershark, ill start calling them that) makes them differ between general personality, strength, size, ect ect. bigger sharks are more popular due to their strength, aggression, and speed, making them very useful in the military. smaller guys also have their advantages - its just that a bull mershark would have a much easier time in the military compared to a lemon mershark. although bigger lads are definitely more of a pain in the ass to work with if they grew up in the ocean over on land, cause i like to think most mershark (and merfolk in general) prefer living in the ocean. smaller sharks are easier to control, as they tend to be less prideful and stubborn compared to the bigger species. oceanic whitetip would be especially bad due to their aggression and pride, they're probably the most aggressive species of shark in the ocean

then when it comes to mating/courtship rituals... they don't do any of the fancy things like a werewolf, harpy, or dragon, they're rather direct. sharks in the wild don't court, typically when they meet another shark of the opposite gender they mate due to how rarely they meet other sharks, although mersharks would probably have small courtship rituals. it's pretty simple, just spending more time around who they want to court. i also think it'd be really cute if they gave the person they were courting a shark tooth of theirs that fell off as a memento of sorts. when it comes to mating, male sharks bite as a ritual. not as hard as they'd bite prey, but definitely enough to leave scars. shark mating is pretty rough, but mersharks would probably tone it back a little bit, though there will be times when their instincts slip.

mershark are also oblivious as fuck to other courting rituals if they grew up in the ocean. almost no shark species really have courting, so they don't have instincts when it comes to someone courting them, and they don't have the same socialization that a mershark that grew up on land would have. i just think mersharks are very interesting and very cool <3

thank you for reading my insane rambling about sharks and sharkpeople... once again, sorry for the long ramble, but i had to share my thoughts

Oh god anon this is some GOOD SOUP and as a fellow animal nerd I absolutely love hearing weird animal facts and all I can imagine is just Ghost and Sharkmer reader being absolute idiots lol :D

CW: NSFW at the end, short and quick bc brain isn't braining but this concept of your anon is so cool!

Like Ghost initially thinking all monster courting rituals are complicated as fuck, and the info he finds on the internet doesn't help one bit. And you, having grown up in the ocean, have no fucking clue he's trying to court you in some convoluted way.

You'll spend days just existing next to him, or very gently nibbling on his fingers, which, in your mind, makes it very clear you want to mate, but all Ghost thinks is that you want to eat him. And the next thing you know he's shoving an energy bar into your mouth and walking away and you're left confused.

And Ghost, bless the poor fool's soul, eventually gets lured into the waters by your sparkling eyes and wide grin of sharp teeth. The same teeth bite down on every piece of his skin, not enough to actually hurt him, but your teeth marks litter his thighs, his ass, all across his chest and especially around his pecs, from shoulders down to his biceps and anywhere you can reach while you stretch him.

God the sex is one of the best he's ever had, his usually cold body warming up from the proximity of you and the warm waters you're in as you slowly fuck both of your cocks into him, having stretched him open until he was unable to beg between his hiccups. And he's so pretty beneath you, rough groans as he rubs his cock while you move your hips in a slow rhythm, your dicks pushing in and out, in and out, brushing against his prostate until he was close to losing his mind with how you stretched him beyond imagination.

Some of your teeth end up lodged in his shoulder, and when you finish mating him you tell him to keep them, making them into a necklace he now wears around his neck.

[oliversrarebooks]

The Rare Bookseller Part 79: Oliver's Questions

tw: mind control

Previous > Masterlist > Next

October 1925

A knock on the door startled him out of his thoughts. "Oliver? May I come in?" It sounded like Emily.

"Sure," he said, not especially in the mood for talking, but wanting to be out of his own head for a moment.

He heard the click of the door unlocking, and Emily pocketed the key as she walked into the room. "Vivian thought maybe it'd be a good idea for me to check on you. How are you doing?"

"I'm managing."

"Have you heard your master -- your former master's voice?"

"No. But I will tell you if I do." The least he could do for Emily and Vivian was to try to resist and let them know right away. Purposefully betraying them after they'd gone through this effort to save him was unthinkable.

"I think I might understand a little about how you feel, you know. Defending Alexander even though he's a monster."

"You do?"

"I mean, Jessica was awful through and through. She robbed me of everything and treated me like a housecat. I'm glad that she's dead. But still, sometimes… I think a part of me misses the certainty." She curled in on herself a bit. "I don't know what I'm going to do now that I'm freed. It's back to nasty jobs that pay peanuts, while trying to find time and energy to make art good enough to sell, I suppose. Struggling every day. I guess it was nice not to struggle for a while, even if it was a terrible situation."

"Yeah," said Oliver. "I understand. I wasn't struggling like you before the vampires, but it still was nice to feel like I had a purpose, even if it was feeding a vampire."

"I think if Jessica had been just a little bit nicer to me, the way Alexander was to you, I would feel a lot more conflicted," she said. "But you know that he didn't really care about you, right? I don't think monsters like that can feel real feelings."

"…Yeah." Even if she were right, it was a bitter pill for him to swallow.

"If Alexander really cared about you, he wouldn't have put you through all of that with his sire. He would have protected you, or stood up to him, or hidden you away, or something. Instead, he told you that he'd never let you free. That's what you said, wasn't it?"

"It is."

She must be right. It wasn't as though Oliver hadn't had that same thought, even while enthralled. His show of being caring was always a convenient lie to keep Oliver happy and docile.

But then, he thought of how tenderly Alexander had cared for him after he was blinded, how he reassured Oliver and soothed him to sleep with his song. He thought of Alexander by his bedside when he was sick, feeding him warm soup and wiping his forehead with a cool washcloth. Small comforts, perhaps, but more than Oliver had before.

"I suppose… a part of me wishes he did actually care about me, and that's why I don't want Vivian to kill him."

"…I get it," said Emily quietly. "I'm sorry I was so harsh on you earlier, but honestly, I do understand. I once had a lover… it's a shameful story, but I guess you've seen me in the lap of a vampire, so it's not like I have any dignity left. I once had a lover who showered me with gifts and affection, and made me feel like I was someone special -- when he was sober and in a good mood. When he wasn't, he was a nightmare. You can probably imagine it. And it took me such a long time to understand that if he truly loved me, he wouldn't treat me that way, not ever. Even when I did, it took me even longer to leave, because I wished he would be someone different, someone who actually cared."

"I'm sorry that happened to you."

"Don't be. Lesson learned."

"You shouldn't have had to go through that to learn a lesson," said Oliver. "But I do understand what you mean. I'm not sure if it's quite the same since Alexander certainly wasn't my lover, just…"

What was Alexander to him, exactly? His friend? His master? Neither of those could really captured the unwavering devotion, the powerful draw he'd felt.

The draw he was feeling even now, knowing how manufactured it was.

Tears sprang to Oliver's eyes as he was overcome by a wave of deep sadness, and although he'd been sad all night, this felt both foreign and strangely familiar, feelings that weren't his own, a sense of loss and melancholy and grief coming from far away, tethering him to…

"Oliver, what is it? You've gone so pale."

"Alexander. I can feel him. I think he's calling to me."

"Oh, no -- I'll go get Vivian right now." Emily rushed from the room.

It wasn't like a song, now. It was comprised of images, emotions. The library, cold and dark, Alexander weeping and calling him back. Oliver tried to push it away -- nothing more than a jailer upset that his inmate escaped. But he couldn't truly believe that, not with Alexander's own emotions clouding his mind.

"Go away," Oliver whispered to the empty room. "Leave me alone. Stop tormenting me with this."

"Emily said you've heard your former master?" Vivian was standing over him with furrowed brow.

"Yes, I'm sure of it. I can feel what he's feeling. It's almost unbearable."

"That's the blood connection." She looked out of the window, where the sky was growing lighter. "The sun will be up soon. If you can endure it until then, the vampire's power will fade when the sun rises. Do you think you could do that?"

"I think so." He didn't seem to really have a choice, not unless he wanted to betray Vivian and go running back to the manor.

"It'd be best if you could stay up for most of the day, to start to get used to a human schedule again. I can find ways to keep you busy and take your mind off things. And then when night comes around, I could give you something to make you sleep, so that you don't have to endure vampires intruding on your mind. How does that sound?"

Oliver nodded. "I don't think I've ever really thanked you for your help. You don't need to do all of this for me."

"It's my job," she said. "Besides, no one else has ever provided me such a treasure trove of information about my sworn enemy. It's been well worth it."

Oliver anxiously watched the sky outside his window, feeling as though the sunrise might never come, as though the vampire's power might endure forever. But of course the sun rose once again, and as Vivian predicted, Alexander's feelings faded away as the sun crested over the buildings.

He was exhausted, but found a second wind of energy helping Jenny prepare breakfast and eating a sizable portion of it himself, along with ample coffee. Emily overslept and dragged herself down the stairs just as they were about to clean up from the meal, pouring and chugging what coffee remained.

After breakfast, Vivian assigned Emily and Jenny chores, in particular taking care of Bobby, an erased thrall unable to care for himself. Oliver was reminded once more of all of the grievous harm of the auction house, even if he himself had escaped the worst treatment. Lily had done those things, and Alexander was more than complicit.

"What would you like me to do, Vivian?" he asked, more than eager for some work to quiet his mind.

"I was hoping you could accompany me to the grocer's and the butcher's, to restock the pantry. It would help to have an extra set of arms to carry back the food."

Oliver looked at Vivian's arms, recalling her struggle with Alexander. She was clearly far stronger than Oliver, and he suspected that needing someone to carry bags was an excuse to make Oliver feel helpful. Regardless, he thought that the fresh air would do him good. "I'd be happy to help."

"Great! Here, there's some spare coats in the closet. See if one fits you."

Soon enough, Oliver was out the door, blinking in the midday sun. He'd had so little sun, especially since he'd been sleeping in Alexander's room instead of his own. People were bustling about on the sidewalk, a mailman was making his way down the street, and all of the shops were open. The leaves were beginning to fall from the trees, but the foliage that was left was drenched in reds and golds. Oliver realized that he hadn't actually been outside during the day since his capture.

"You must have missed this," said Vivian as they walked to the grocery store. "Ordinary human life, I mean."

"I guess I did." In the light of day, it was a lot easier to put the world of vampires behind him as though it were all a bad dream. Under Alexander's spell, he didn't realize how much he had missed being able to simply walk down the street to a shop on a crisp fall day. He thought of sitting in the park among the autumn trees, reading a book and watching the people walk by, as he had liked to do on breaks. How much had the vampires stolen from his mind, to make him forget all of this, to make him content without it!

Even the ordinary grocer's was a delight. He'd always had plenty of food in the manor, and Alexander had bought him whatever he put down on a list, but there was a simple pleasure in looking over the grocer's wares and choosing it all himself. Vivian was mulling over whatever was cheapest or on sale to feed herself and the thralls back in the safehouse, and Oliver trailed along, carrying her purchases and making suggestions.

In the harsh light of day, with a clearer head, it was easier to see the vampires for what they were -- monsters who had stolen his life from him.

And yet, there was still a nagging part of him who felt like he didn't quite belong here, not any more. Not now that he knew that vampires and their establishments were all over the city. Not when he'd been getting so used to being on Alexander's arm, serving him and accompanying him.

He'd been the perfect thrall, supposedly, and although Alexander could have just been saying that to keep Oliver mollified, Oliver really couldn't deny how comfortable he'd felt in the role. Even as he was enjoying a sunny afternoon in the city, he couldn't shake the feeling that he was just playacting as a normal person. Alexander had convinced him so swiftly and so thoroughly that he belonged as a thrall that Oliver feared he might never be able to shake it.

But didn't that mean Vivian was right? Oliver would never be safe as long as Alexander and his sire were out there, beckoning him to return. And even if Oliver himself managed to escape, Alexander would only take some other poor soul and turn him into his slave. Leaving him alive would only be condemning person after person to be ripped away from the world of humans and trapped in the dangerous world of vampires.

The thought of Alexander taking someone else as his thrall made him sick.

If Alexander really was going to spend decades or centuries taking human after human, it would be wrong to leave him alive, wouldn't it? As much as that made rational sense, he couldn't accept it.

"Penny for your thoughts?" she said as they carried the groceries home.

"I was thinking about what you said before -- about how you need to kill Alexander. I confess that I still don't like it, not at all, but maybe… maybe it is the right thing to do." His heart ached from betrayal even as he said it, unable to convince himself.

"Thank you. I know it must be a hard thing for you to consider," she said. "I do understand your reluctance, at least a little bit. I did see you in your gilded cage. I saw that he treated you decently."

"He did." Oliver couldn't help but be mortified at the next question he wanted to ask, but he knew he needed to ask it anyway -- the question he'd been turning over and over in his mind since the ritual. "Vivian, you know a lot about vampires, right?"

"I'm not the world's foremost expert or anything, but I like to think I do, or else I'd be dead by now."

"Do you think it's possible -- god, this must sound ridiculous to you. But do you think it's possible for a vampire to care about a person? Not just for their blood, or as a servant, but actually care for them as a friend?"

"No," said Vivian immediately. "Maybe that's not what you want to hear, but no, they can't."

"I thought that's what you'd say."

"I've seen a lot of vampires in my time. Some of them treat their thralls well, like Alexander. Some of them beat their thralls, or chain them to the wall, or erase their minds to make them as helpless as a baby. Some of them don't keep thralls at all, but prey on people they find on the street, or in their places of business. The circumstances are always different, but there's one thing every vampire has in common -- they all prey on innocent people. No matter how gentle a vampire may seem, they still desire human blood above all else, and are driven to keep humans as their possessions."

"I see."

"You were a very prized possession of your master, I don't doubt that. He did value you. But if your happiness were actually his concern, he wouldn't have taken you from your bookshop. He wouldn't have had to hypnotize you into believing you were happy if he could actually make you happy. Don't you think so?"

"I suppose so," said Oliver. "I think you're probably right. It just hurts to realize. I guess a part of me…"

"A part of you what?"

"Never mind." He didn't actually know Vivian that well, and couldn't bring himself to say it, how a part of him wished that someone else in the world actually did care about him. "I suppose I'm also apprehensive, because if I'm to be free of Alexander, what should I do with my life now? That must sound terribly pathetic."

"No, it doesn't. Most thralls aren't sure what to do with themselves once they're freed, especially if they've been enthralled for years, or if they've been under a very deep spell, like you were."

"What do they end up doing?"

"Some of them return to whatever they were doing before they were taken, of course. But for a lot of them, that's not really possible. Being a thrall seems to change them in ways I don't even fully understand. And for those who have spent years or even decades in a vampire's service, the ordinary world of daylight is as foreign as the surface of the moon," she said. "Some of them are so lost that they end up in a madhouse or prison, or worse, find themselves a new vampire master. I can't say hunters look too kindly on thralls who are rescued, only to sell themselves back to the god damned auction house."

"I won't do that," said Oliver, wishing he actually felt as confident as he was trying to sound.

"Good. If you have the stomach for it, and are interested, sometimes former thralls become part of the hunter's guild. You see, one of the things that makes it difficult for thralls to return to their lives is the fact that no one believes them or understands the experience they went through. In the guild, you'd be surrounded by people who know all about vampires and other supernatural creatures."

"Oh, I don't think I could do that. I've never been the slightest bit athletic. I could never fight a vampire, even a weak one."

"You wouldn't have to fight. The hunters get the glory and the spoils, but there's a lot of other work to be done. If you have an education, they could use people capable of doing research."

"Research, hm…" Oliver couldn't deny that that might be a good fit for him, with his expertise in rare and unusual books. He wondered what sort of rare and interesting books the hunter's guild might hold. "Vivian, if you kill Alexander, what would happen to his library?"

"When a vampire is killed, it's customary to split the spoils among the hunter who killed it, the guild in general, and any thralls left behind. We'd each be entitled to a portion of what Alexander owns."

"I see." Even if he could accept that Alexander must die, it felt absolutely ghoulish to talk about splitting up his possessions. "If you were to kill him… do you think you could make sure that his library ends up in good hands? There's an absolute treasure trove of rare information there, one that would take multiple human lifetimes to recreate."

"Of course! I think you'd be uniquely qualified to catalog it. The guild would want their share, but they would be glad to accept an expert's opinion. And I'm only interested in money and things that are easy to sell. I'm not the reading type."

"Maybe… maybe that's something I could do, then." Something to distract from the guilt he felt pre-emptively, both for betraying his vampire master and for being one of the thralls lucky enough to be rescued when he wasn't even sure that he wanted it.

Previous > Masterlist > Next

Thanks for reading! Next week, Vivian and Oliver both lose their patience.

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[miasmaghoul]

Dessert First

Kinktober '24: Day 1 - Foreplay

Pairing: Swiss/Cumulus

Rating: E

W/C: ~1.8k

Contains: flirting, intentionally cheesy and mostly food-based banter, making out, groping, heavy petting, fingering without penetration, (Cumulus has a big clit pass it on)

Huge shoutout to @kroas-adtam for this year's prompts!

“You're so fuckin’ pretty.”

Cumulus blinks, leans back to look out the hotel bathroom door with a raised eyebrow. Swiss grins at her, offers a wink and a little finger wave. He's laid out on his side on the bed closest to her, head propped up on one hand, the picture of relaxation in a pair of worn flannel pants and nothing else. Cumulus looks at her reflection in the wall-sized mirror; she's fresh from a too-hot shower, face still flushed and curls pulled up into the messiest approximation of a bun she could manage. Dressed in an old pair of Aether's boxers and an oversized tee, toothbrush still in her mouth, she can't imagine pretty is the word for her right now. She gives him a soft snort as toothpaste dribbles down her chin, but Swiss doesn't seem put out in the least. 

“I mean it,” he assures as she spits into the sink, rinsing with a handful of water. She hears the mattress creak, the dull thud of footsteps on low-pile carpet, and as she straightens up strong arms loop around her waist. “You're gorgeous, Lu.” Swiss plants a kiss on top of her head before resting his chin there, smiles at their reflection, and it's so infectious that Cumulus finds herself smirking too.

Read the rest below, or on AO3!

“Sweet talker,” she accuses, and Swiss doesn't even try to deny it. She sighs, letting her head rest against his broad chest. Breathes in the fading aroma of his spicy cologne and the lingering remnants of the joint they'd shared before her shower. A moment of quiet peace, interrupted only by the distant hum of the air conditioner. 

A moment is all she gets, of course - this is Swiss, after all. It's no surprise that his hands go from holding to fondling, a broad palm pressing into the softness of her belly and skilled fingers teasing the curve of her hip. Cumulus gives the back of one hand a gentle smack, rolls her eyes as she goes back to brushing her teeth. 

Swiss, never one to be dissuaded, occupies himself with the self-imposed task of feeling up every inch of her he can reach. Her stomach and hips, her thick thighs and unbound breasts. They may sag without a bra, but she's yet to have any complaints. Least of all from the ghoul at her back, whose half-chub is currently pressed up against the cleft of her ass while he cups her tits through her shirt. 

“So warm,” he muses, stubble grazing her throat when he leans down to kiss behind her ear. “Startin’ to think I should've joined you after all.” Cumulus rinses one more time, shaking off her toothbrush and tucking it into its case as Swiss casually rolls her stiffening nipples between his fingers. 

“It's not my fault you couldn't take the heat,” the ghoulette smirks, reaching for her nightly facial moisturizer. “You know it's boiling or nothing.”

Cumulus gasps as she squeezes some cream onto her palm, a response to Swiss dragging the tip of his tongue down her throat. He follows it with a nip to the spot where it meets her shoulder, and Cumulus shivers as she applies her lotion. 

“‘Scuse me for not wanting to turn to soup.” Swiss tucks a finger into the collar of her tee, tugging it to the side to trail kisses down to her shoulder and back again. He presses his nose to her skin, taking a deep inhale. “You smell like…what is that, cupcakes?”

“Vanilla, coconut and shea butter,” Cumulus corrects, but Swiss isn't exactly wrong. She knows she smells good enough to eat - insists on it always - and judging by the way Swiss throbs when he sniffs at her, he agrees. The ghoulette snorts. “Y’know," she teases, wiggling her ass just because she can, "you're awfully hard for a guy who said he'd be asleep before I even got soaped up.”

Swiss grunts, gives her nipples a pair of firm plucks that make Cumulus gasp. 

“Can you blame me when you look like this?” 

One hand remains on her breast, but the other moves to rub slow circles into her belly. It drags her shirt up, exposes pale skin decorated with the prettiest stretch marks. His fingers slip under the fabric to trace a pair of them, ticklish, soft flesh twitching under his touch. Cumulus bites the inside of her cheek to hold in the sound that tries to escape her, resting back against his chest with a soft sigh. 

“I bet you say that to all the ghouls.”

Swiss smiles at her in the mirror, cheeks dimpled

“You callin’ me easy?” 

She flashes him a grin, tongue poking between gapped teeth, and a quick burst of want flows through her pelvis.

“No, I'm calling you a slut!”

Swiss gives her the most offended look, but it's betrayed by the sparkle of mischief in his eyes. It's a shimmer the ghoulette is all too familiar with, and with a giggle Cumulus reaches up to poke him in the cheek. 

“C'mon, playboy,” she coos, “it's past our bedtime.”

The ghoulette squeals when, with unnatural speed, Swiss’ groping hands move to spin her around at the waist and hoist her up onto the vanity. He spreads her thighs and crowds in close, Cumulus’ tired eyes going wide as toiletries fall over all around her. Swiss plants his palms on the countertop, leans in until they're nose to nose, and when he licks his lips it's the ghoulette's turn to throb. 

“What about my midnight snack?” 

Rough fingertips find her leg, drag over the exposed skin of her knee and along her plush inner thigh. Swiss’ eyes never leave hers as he slides them upward, digits disappearing into the leg of her boxers. 

“Don't want me to go to bed hungry, do you?” He leans in closer, until she can smell the weed on his breath. “Cupcake?”

Swiss winks, clicks his tongue, and Cumulus’ eyes flutter when his probing touch finally reaches her most tender of places. A single finger teases her folds, Swiss’ cock visibly flexing in his pajama pants when he finds the beginnings of slickness there. The ghoulette lets her shoulders sag, reaching up to get small, soft hands on his chest. 

“Cupcake, huh?” 

Cumulus’ mouth curls up at one corner as her fingers glide through his chest hair. Manicured nails scratch over muscled shoulders until she can cross her arms around Swiss’ neck, and the ghoulette's lips part when he circles her clit with the tip of that slippery digit. They're so close now, Swiss’ mustache tickling her upper lip with every passing breath. His other hand moves to caress her cheek, knuckles tracing the soft line of her jaw, and Cumulus licks at one when it follows the curve of her lower lip. She lets her legs fall further apart, gives Swiss space to slip a second exploratory finger between long lips, and the pair of them groan when her clit twitches.

“Well, you have been a good boy tonight,” she lilts, low, and a dark spot blooms near Swiss’ waistband. “I suppose you deserve a treat.” 

The ghoulette closes the gap between them, and Swiss has his tongue in her mouth before their lips even meet. Not that she minds, of course - it's easier to suck on that way. 

She loves when Swiss gets like this; it's slow and decadent, messy in the best way. Cumulus hooks a leg around his hip and the ghoul groans into her mouth, oh-so-gently pinching her clit. She shivers with every touch, dragging her nails across his shoulders until she can get both hands in Swiss' hair.  

All the while, Swiss’ probing fingers grow slicker and slicker. He doesn't slip them inside, not yet - just takes his time petting from her clit to her pucker and back again until every part of her swollen sex slips through his fingers with no resistance. Only then does he break the kiss, still holding her face, a string of saliva stretching between their reddened lips. 

“You're so wet,” Swiss rasps, as though she can't hear the evidence of that herself. Can't feel the dampness soaking into her boxers, no doubt leaving a sticky spot on the stone counter below. Cumulus huffs, leans in to give his lip a tug with blunt teeth. 

“Of course,” she trills. “The best part of a cupcake is always the frosting.”

She's sure that the way Swiss drools and humps the edge of the counter is involuntary, but it still makes her stomach swoop. 

“Oh yeah,” he agrees, voice gone thick. “Can never have enough, myself.”

The very tip of one digit teases her entrance, and Cumulus lets out a soft oh. 

“Sometimes I just eat it with my fingers.”

The ghoulette sighs when Swiss pulls his hand away entirely, dragging the backs of his fingers along her thigh and leaving a shiny trail behind. He holds them up to the light, stretches her slick between them, and Swiss’ eyes roll back when he licks them clean. 

“Fuck, you taste so good,” he moans, unabashed, and if Cumulus wasn't wet before, well…

“Plenty more where that came from, sugar,” the ghoulette breathes, buzzing all over. “You shouldn't let it go to waste.” 

Swiss doesn't need to be told twice. In no time he's gotten her out of those boxers and dragged her ass to the edge of the counter, kneeling before her with those glorious thighs hugging his ears. The ghoul looks up at her with dark, hungry eyes, and her fat clit pulses.

“Go on, baby,” she murmurs, sinking her fingers back into his tight curls. Cumulus’ other hand wanders up her shirt, finds a taut nipple to play with as Swiss reaches around her legs to spread her open with both thumbs. “Do a good job and maybe I'll let you turn me into a Twinkie instead.” 

She winks, Swiss’ entire body spasms, and with a deep, deep groan he sinks his teeth into the meat of her thigh. Sucks in a mark that she can already tell will be the loveliest shade of purple come morning. He laves at the dents his teeth leave behind, staring only at the place she's gone all pink and puffy. Her clit stands at attention, so stiff the hood has slid back nearly all the way.

“If you do,” Swiss rumbles, kissing up to the crease of her hip, gaze heavy, “then I can lick out the cream filling.” 

The ghoul’s golden eyes flash, and Cumulus throbs hard when his unglamoured tongue rolls from his mouth. He drags it through the damp curls surrounding her twitching length - so big and excited now that Swiss could probably suck it like a cock if she asked him to - and when the forked tip of that devilish tongue grazes the base it throbs so hard her thighs shake. Cumulus sags back against the mirror, crosses her ankles behind Swiss’ back, and gives him her darkest eyes and sweetest smile. 

“Only if you promise to feed it to me after.”

[alexxncl]

‼️NIGHTBRINGER LESSON 33 SPOILERS‼️

masterlist | all lessons | season 2 | lesson 32 | lesson 34

slight og lesson 16 spoilers

normal and hard spoilers

see i knew he wouldn't rat them out completely. he completely left out the details of the pacts and feeling used and would've taken the blame if mc and solomon hadn't stepped in to fully explain the situation

(i made a whole post about time soup here)

omg in-game name drop the devs remember the lore

i hate mephisto. have i mentioned how much i hate mephisto? bc i hate him /j

in all seriousness, we love a petty bitch. but why is it his WHOLE personality. that, and ass kissing. like we get it, you love diavolo and wanna date him and kiss him and hug him blah blah blah STAND UP

satan :((((

i wonder if he feels remnants of homesickness that he can't recognize as homesickness bc of the way he was formed. what if he's feeling homesickness right now in the timeline mc is from and is now able to understand how his brothers felt after the fall?

what if this is the first time the boys in the og timeline have felt homesick since the fall? yes, mc has left before, but there was always a guarantee that they'd return, or at least a possibility that mc could summon them. but now? there's no guarantee, and there's a time crunch

ASMO 😭 they're so unserious i love them

levi thinking he was gonna die trying to apologize and dia standing there like 🧍🏾

oh they definitely know. and if both dia and barbatos don't know, barbatos obviously knows. bc why else wouldn't barbatos suggest portaling mc to the human world himself? and i bet lucifer's wondering the same thing given his confusion on how fast the conversation came and went

got to see my wife, i can die happily now

WHY IS THERE NO AFFINITY FOR HER GODDAMN IT

or the other side characters ig but i care about her more

SEE SEE I TOLD YOU!!! nightbringer you sneaky bitch

oh that's scary...real scary. if belphie's got lucifer this fucked up, how strong are his powers ??

WAR FLASHBACKS

also this means he didn't lose control of his powers, he's choosing to only subdue his brothers, which is even scarier imo. like there's no way mc doesn't have some kind of ptsd from what happened in lesson 16 of the og game

imagine seeing your best friends, your found family, your partner(s) sobbing over your dead body while someone you thought you trusted is maniacally laughing at the scene, proud of murdering you

and then imagine the same person lunging for you to try and kill you after he already killed another version of you

and then imagine this

what if he wants to hurt them again? what if he wants to lock them in the attic he claimed to know nothing about in the earlier lessons? what if he feels some strange connection and sense of familarity related to it, some strange invisible force pulling him towards it and making him do the very thing that happens to him in the future?

and then BAM, they get dragged into his mindscape against their will, unsure if they'll make it back out alive, if they make it out at all

as a certified mammon lover ofc i had to put my 2 cents in

i really, really wish we got more moments of him in big brother mode. we know he cares about his brothers and will do any and everything to protect them and give them what they need, even if it means being the butt of every, and i mean every, joke

but i'm also scared that the devs are gonna use this as a way to paint belphie's breakdown on him like they did with levi's, and like they do with literally every other inconvenience or negative incident that happens in the game. every time mammon does something good, every time he tries to help, he still ends up being the butt of the joke. i just hope we can move past that with the end of belphie's breakdown

[wexhappyxfew]

Margie and Benny in the camps screams the prompt “you can rest now, you’re safe”. Love your stuff!!!

HI SWEET ANON!!! margie and benny in the camps absolutely screams 'you can rest now, you're safe'!!!!!! thank you for the love and support omggggg!!!! <33333 it means so much!!!! :D this prompt was just so. them. like insanely them. i haven't written a whole lot for these two....they've been hidden in the background (and are very much a duo that snuck up on me), but i've wanted to explore them more recently, especially when i put out this duo as a prompt option - and i can't say how excited i am to do more for them!!!! please enjoy!!!

always, always, always

(a/n): margie and benny you are so special to me, margie and benny you are so special to me. this was just ....i am so insanely soft for these two right now. just two people who are in a situation they couldn't entirely control, yet are living on, in the best way they can, despite it. the yearn, the ache, the want. sobbing. absolutely sobbing.

You can rest now, you're safe. You can rest now, you're safe. You can rest now, you're safe. You can rest now, you're safe. You can rest now, you're safe.

Hearing it more times than she could even count, she took double that to convince herself that she actually was. Her entire body ached, everything hurt, she felt like she was sick with three different types of illnesses that all made her head ache, her nose run and her stomach feel crummy, and to even shift her head made her dizzy.

Convincing herself she was safe on top of that took every ounce of energy left in what she could call her body. She was so thin, so sickly, she wondered how she had even survived to this point - how she had even made it.

After getting separated from Lieutenant Bradshaw, Lieutenant Carlisle, and Kennedy, she was sure she'd be gone for good until she'd run into that German family and they'd all but kept her locked in that room until the Germans had come for her.

The only thing keeping her grounded in her spiral of thoughts was the gentle hand that slowly ran down from her sweaty forehead, over her tangled, dirty-blonde hair, before starting over again, and repeating that same motion over and over as she lay there with tears in her eyes, staring at the ceiling of the bunk above her. She could hear things going on around her, quiet voices - staying soft as if being loud would bother her - and the clang of pots and sloshing of water.

Someone was cooking.

The smell made her queasy.

"How's she doing, Benny?" she heard Bucky's voice say somewhere above her. She could imagine him - hands on his hips, that cold and detached look on his face.

Bucky Egan cared for all of the crew - of course, in his own way, that is - and it seemed now, in this camp, that was heightened and when one of the crew was down, he'd make sure someone paid for it.

Somehow.

"Okay as can be for now, still burning up," Benny whispered quietly from somewhere right next to her, his gentle touch that had previously been moving across her head, gone - please keep touching me, keep me grounded, keep me alive, please, "that soup ready yet?"

"Hambone's almost done." Bucky said firmly, his voice a bit louder than Benny's making her grimace the slightest bit. Bucky hesitated it seemed before his next statement. "She say anything yet?" The room grew a bit quieter at that notion, and she heard a small, grieving sigh escape Benny.

"No." Benny whispered, "Not yet."

What was Margie supposed to make of all this?

What she had seen, what had been done to her, what she had experienced, what she had been forced to be told?

Forced to say?

Her slow, shallow breaths were the only consistent part about her entire feeling right now. And it even hurt to breathe. She heard Bucky walk away, and the hand brushing across her head returned, slow, smooth and ethereally gentle.

With what the past week had been, she couldn't remember a touch as gentle as this. There was something in her where she couldn't get the words right in her mind. She couldn't get her brain to string a coherent sentence together that would make sense in this moment. And trying to say something in this moment could be pointless.

"You can rest now, Margie, you're safe, we gotcha." Benny whispered quietly as he continued to brush his fingertips over her sweaty forehead and over her hair. We gotcha, she repeated in her head, a few times over to convince herself it was true. We gotcha.

Somewhere between 5 seconds and 15 minutes had passed, with Benny's hand still slowly smoothing back her sweaty hair, when she began to smell something reminiscent of food, and her senses seemed to come to her.

"Mind grabbing her a bowl?" she heard Benny asked someone; there was a following mumbling and shuffling of footsteps. Lying there made her feel almost worse than if she was actually sitting up and acting normal - and that was the thing right? She would try to act normal, like nothing was bothering her, that whatever she had just experienced had never happened and she'd try and play it off. Because that's what she usually did and she was usually pretty good at it. But lying here now, she couldn't muster that inside herself.

"You should eat, Margie." she heard Benny whisper from somewhere above her head again. The thought made her want to vomit, but she knew she did need food - just from the way her body and mind ached, and her stomach seemed to scream out for some sort of food.

"I'll help you sit up." Benny said, and she felt his hands move to her elbows. And almost as if on instinct, she flinched, turning to look up at him with wide eyes, her heart racing as she tried to control it by holding her breath, but was miserably failing.

Something behind his gaze flickered in a saddening way that made her want to go back and act like she was fine, just so she didn't have to see that shift in his eyes. But lying there, looking up at him, she knew she couldn't go back, she couldn't change a damn thing. Benny had shifted back a bit, his hands hovering just over her arms this time, his gaze steady on her own, his body evidently tense.

It was so painfully different than the last time they'd seen each other, since being back in Thorpe Abbotts. She'd been so….different. In more ways than one. And noticing that change in herself hurt more than anything.

Staring at Benny, who was staring back at her made her think that he was definitely seeing a different person from the Margie Harlowe back at Thorpe Abbotts. That made her want to be sick.

"You okay?" he asked her quietly, his voice barely above much more than a trembling whisper. Margie stared at him there on the cot, frozen in place. Her entire body seemed to go into a panic just at his questioning, at his worry. She slowly nodded. She wasn't convinced of it herself, but she nodded despite it - for Benny and for the food. He continued to watch her as she saw someone else come into her line of sight.

It was Lieutenant Bradshaw.

A part of Margie wanted to breakdown at the sheer sight of Lieutenant Bradshaw right then and there - her glorious face, covered in grime and scars, her hair pulled away from her normally bright face, her eyes still holding light despite their dulled nature in a place like this. Annie Bradshaw seemed to have that effect on people - you saw her and wanted to breakdown with sheer relief that she was right there alongside you.

"Here, Benny," Annie said, handing the bowl of soup to him, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder in that comforting and confiding way she always seemed to do when she could read a situation as easily as she normally did. Margie watched Annie look towards her, a far-off look in her gaze that made Margie's insides twists.

"Hey, Margie," Annie said, stepping forward and crouching beside the cot, "you doing okay?" Margie stared at Annie and tried to nod; it was admittedly a fair attempt at being confident in herself and her emotions, but staring at her command pilot made tears well in her eyes.

"C'mere Margie," Annie said, leaning forward and slowly helping her sit upright, gently touching at her shoulders and arms to help her sit up, "there you go." Annie smiled, weakly. "Sometimes you just need a good sit-up and a warm meal." Margie watched as Annie looked to Benny and nodded.

"And no doubt, you have the perfect person to be here and make sure you get your fill," Annie said softly, looking back to Margie with another one of her gentle smiles, reaching forward to squeeze Margie's hand, "you're safe, Margie." Annie's smile saddened - she had the most beautiful smile and seeing it fade hurt Margie's heart.

"Please know that."

Margie blinked away her onslaught of tears and managed a weak nod. Annie squeezed her hand extra tight before glancing at Benny and giving him a knowing look. Margie watched as Annie slowly stood to her feet, and smiled at her again.

That smile could win the war in Margie's eyes.

Slowly, Lieutenant Bradshaw faded back again to the group, getting her own fill of soup and settling in to her spot at the table. Margie looked towards Benny in the chair pulled up beside the bunk she was in and immediately noticed the grip he had on the bowl of soup and the quiet look on his face.

"It's not bad." Benny said with a small smile growing onto his lips before disappearing, "The soup. That is. It's….there could be worse."

He attempted another smile and Margie could feel a sense of comfort overwhelm her being - the realization that she was surrounded by people that wouldn't let her get hurt nor even hurt her. She wasn't back in that room, she wasn't there, she was with the people from the 100th who were like family. She was with people that cared. She was sitting right there with Benny. She was safe.

Watching Benny made her feel a jolt of guilt suddenly - he was sticking his neck out for her, trying to get her to feel better and more comforted in anyway and all she could do was sit here and stare, motionless.

Looking to Benny again, she watched a small smile grow encouragingly onto his lips and she couldn't help herself - she managed a small smile back. Sure, her face was a little more hollow, her eyes sunken in, cheeks gaunt, but she could see a fondness grow in Benny's eyes - just knowing she had smiled a bit.

Margie looked down at the bowl of soup, wringing her hands together in her lap, and slowly nodded. He was right - there was so much more that was worse than a bowl of soup.

For a moment, sitting there with Benny across from her, the matter of a week changing her into this new enigma of a person, it was almost like she was meeting Benny again for the first time - with that charming look in his eyes, that warm smile, his easy-going comfort that was like wrapping a warm blanket around yourself on a stormy day.

But he was still Benny DeMarco.

And he was still sitting there in front of her.

Still looking at her like she didn't feel like a completely different human being.

"Here," Benny said, stirring the soup with the spoon, before pulling some of it up into a spoonful and holding it out towards her, "let's just get some of this in you." Margie watched him and slowly nodded again, parting her lips the slightest bit and allowing him to drop the soup in her mouth. Whatever it was, it really wasn't horrible. That or she was just more hungry than she had originally thought.

Benny sat there with her, in that quiet and content silence, listening to the general chatter and clanging of dishes and people behind them in the bunk room, spoon-feeding her the soup until it was virtually gone.

Margie took down the last spoonful and then looked to him, her body feeling the slightest twinge more alive than she had been just a few minutes ago. She watched him turn back to the table behind him to place down the empty bowl, before he turned back to look towards her again and smiled.

Ever since she had tumbled in here, clinging to Major Cleven's jacket, tripping over her feet, in hysterics, reaching blindly for comfort, Benny had been there. Immediately by her side, now gingerly smiling, watching her like she was a precious being, like she didn't look like she had just been six feet under. Eyes welling with tears, Margie wrapped her arms around herself and bit back her lip.

"Margie…." Benny whispered softly. She could tell he wanted to reach out and touch her, hold her, let her know he was there, but the last time that'd happened, she'd flinched and he had retreated, looking defeated and deflated all at once. Looking up at him, Margie nervously tucked her lose hair behind her ears and met his gaze through her red-rimmed eyes.

"Thank you, Benny." she whispered quietly, her voice sounding dead to the ears - he still smiled.

God, Benny DeMarco would always look at her like that wouldn't he?

It seemed at the sound of her voice - she was actually speaking, she could actually get her thoughts coherent for once - that the realization made his entire body freeze. Margie did want to reach out towards him - she yearned for a touch that she knew wouldn't hurt her - but her thoughts would trail back to her past week of life and she'd retreat into herself, wishing she could cocoon her body into a ball.

And it seemed he wanted to do the same, watching her with such a desperate and pleading look - but he seemed to be thinking the same - she'd flinched the last time. He would hesitate. Margie stared at the space between and then looked at him again.

"Truly." she whispered, her voice sore, "Thank you." Benny's hands twitched, like he was about to reach out just to try to find a way to hold her. But he held himself, he watched her and slowly nodded, jaw slightly slack.

"Always." he said quietly.

Always, always, always.

And when someone said always - Margie believed them. Despite this war, this death, this terror, the grief, the horrors of it all, the blank promises of safety or normalcy or life - she would believe them.

She would believe him. In him.

Always, always, always.

[underratedgrapeju1ce]

are you ever gonna make Giovanni x Bucky art that doesn’t depict them being very…aggressive towards each other…like them hugging or kissing (passionately) or something or is it just always gonna be toxic yaoi?

tl;dr for this long ass ramble: gios not a romantic guy, bucky probably is, shenanigans and character growth ensues

full rant under the cut ⬇️⬇️

at his core giovanni is not an affectionate character at all. any softness that he would exhibit would be acts he think may be comforting or helpful, usually masked with a dry comment.

for example if bucky got sick, i imagine gio would make some comments about how he needs to take better care of himself, probably make fun of now stuffy his nose is, and then make him homemade soup. i feel like bucky gets a lot of mixed messages.

and if they do end up officially together, a lot of other people would say something about how cold or mean gio seems to be, how he must not be a good partner. bucky would probably whisper that he's really a sweetie at heart (which is. a stretch, but hey love is blind)

gio will say mean things, but at that point in their relationship bucky knows he either doesn't mean it, or says it to mask his affection. in public gio plays up the "cold asshole" thing, but even if hes a naturally brash or unfiltered person, he does eventually get more comfortable with small shows of affection.

gio does not admit hes wrong until he is absolutely, BEYOND A DOUBT proven wrong. him and bucky probably mutually deny ANY feelings for each other until literally everyone else is like "dude for gods sake you're both pining so hard and its getting annoying" and even then they're both like "fuckkk whyd it have to be YOU."

even when they're dating, they dont lose their competitive streak with each other though. gio isnt romantic until bucky does some gesture, then HE needs to do it BETTER. i imagine olive has to settle them down before they fight each other affectionally.

gio would definitely need character development to be more comfortable with himself enough to have a decent relationship with anyone, especially bucky who wears his heart on his sleeve. i think they'd be interesting together purely for their "opposites attract" and "bitter rivals" dynamic, and their relationship is interesting whether or not its romantic

...is this anything?

[firefly--bright]

ur probably kinda sick of writing for th b99 au but can I request some fluff hcs pleeeeaaaseee I need something to balance out the angst

IM NOT SICK OF IT detective kirstein brainrot

- it's become like a tradition for the two of you to spend your dinner time together. it could be a really simple meal, sometimes some boring takeout but it would do, considering that almost the whole day was spent apart. soft music would be playing in the background while jean washed and cut the veggies, you'd boil some stock and get started on the noodles, you saying "she ramen on my soup till I noodle-" "she ramen on my noodle till I soup." "right, sorry, my bad." "yeah. get it right." and sometimes Connie crashes and then soon enough sasha and marco are also there and you're watching those terrible horror movies with cheap jumpscares. jean is a fucking crybaby about it you cannot convince me otherwise

- he's sitting beside you on the couch and Connies making fun of the ghost, sasha remarks on how bad she must smell which starts a whole debate between her and marco about if the outfit that people had on when they died was the same outfit that they'd have to spend their death days with, and jean is fully immersed in the movie, clutching a pillow and you try not to laugh at how he shifts closer to you. "it's fucking freezing in here." he says. "are u sure you're not just scared and want my protection?" "I'm. a grown man I don't know what you're talking about- FUCK." the last bit of his sentence was interrupted because the main character saw two glowing eyes in the corner or smth. grown man my ass. he holds you extra snuggly while falling asleep that night

- which is crazy considering his profession but it's so personal to me actually

- anyway, going back to the last post - he gets so pouty and clingy when he gets an unserious injury. like imagine he gets a cut on his thigh because he scraped it against a railing while chasing someone and he's exaggerating the story SO MUCH. "yeah and so I did a BACKFLIP-" "oh you can do those?" his chest puffs up, "yeah. duh. i can do a lot of things. and then I chased him down this alleyway and there was this grandma in one of the windows that saw me handcuff him and cheered for me." "I'm the grandma." you said, to which he replies, "yeah I like older women anyway." "WOW."

- he's arguing with eren on the job ALL THE TIME. back to when you two met, eren was looking around your appartment Just In Case and jean was SUPPOSED to be asking you relevant questions like "where were you yesterday morning?" to which you answered "I was in my room, getting ready for the day." "oh? I'm sure you looked great-" "oh." "i mean, like, I'm sure - like, you look great right now too. i mean, you. yeah. you're 👍" "thank you, detective." and eren has to butt in, "sorry, my partner usually just mouths off without thinking- "I do NOT." "thats why we call him hors-" "KILL YOURSELF YOU FUCKING BIRD."

great introduction, jean. he's kind of surprised that you even acknowledged him, IN PUBLIC CAUGHT IN 4K because he was so sure he blew it (he kinda did but it was really amusing and you kinda just wanted to talk to him because seeing him flustered was really funny and cute)

also!! bonus texts ;)

:D

(final hc - he listens to the most cuntiest songs while solving stuff. like he's filing paperwork while listening to 360 by Charli xcx)

[freya-howlett]

Picnic - Inside Hyrule series pt. 4

Content: In the Hyrule after the Calamity, you have to be careful on where you decide to have a picnic.

Author's note: I miss Guardians, don't you?

Y/N. No shipping, simple draft.

Inside Hyrule series is a a series of oneshots, in no particular order about YOU in the world of Zelda! Just imagine... how it'd be to have adventures with your favourite hero and princess? How it'd be to travel alongside Link? Do not expect a cool, intricate plots, it's just something to help you (and me by writing and imagining it) to relax and have a nice moment.

Divider by: ᴛʜᴇᴛᴀᴇʏ (Tumblr)

"We should really take a break, my legs are killing me," you almost begged to Link as you put your hand on a trunk to support you as you moved your feet to relief pressure. The boots you were wearing were comfortable enough for hiking, climbing and running, but that didn't mean that you were freed from the pain of traveling tirelessly.

Your adventure partner had been walking a few steps in front of you for a while. You had suggested a break a few kilometers ago, but either he ignored you or didn't hear you at all.

The usual jovial Link had been really quiet since the moment he had a flashback near the Royal Ancient Lab Ruins at North Hyrule Plain. Every single time he was reminded of everything he lost it made him go into a silent, depressive mood. Something that happened more often than not. You tried to help Link, but the truth is that it was too painful, even for you since you also lost there, even more so because he knew everything used to be special to him and he didn't even remember what it was.

"Oh, sorry," he quickly said. "I was lost in thought."

"It's okay," you responded, clearing your throat. "Why don't we make a picnic or something?"

"Sounds good," he shrugged. "Lunch is on me, I have some special ingredients I could use."

"Special ingredients you don't want me to ruin you mean," you chuckled.

"You said that, not me," he chuckled back.

You both chose a small grove close to the Hyrule Garrison Ruins as the picnic place, it was covered enough to eat in peace while protected from the hot sun. As Link prepared dinner in an improvised fire and a pot, you cut two trunks to use the logs as benches with Link's axe, then you took the little chestnuts that fell from the leaves. They'd make good dessert for later.

You had to admit Link was an excellent cook that could do a lot with scarce ingredients, but it was still a surprise to watch the warm, creamy, tasty-looking soup he had prepared with a hearty radish, a voltfruit, hydromelon and a bottle of milk.

"Remember Ashai?" he asked as he stirred the soup.

"Oh, yeah, the 'Voe and You' class teacher," you answered, taking your boots off while sitting on the log, the grass was pleasant on the soles of your feet. "It was such an interesting experience."

"Well, she gave me this recipe. She also has cooking classes."

"Really? I didn't know, why wasn't I there?"

"You were Sand Seal surfing with the kids," he shrugged.

"Oh, right. Those kids do know how to surf on sand since young."

Link passed you a bowl with the deliciously hot soup, the steam giving you a whiff of the tastiness. He sat at your side and you noticed he was waiting for you to eat first.

"Go on," he smiled. "I want to see how good is it."

"So you're already sure that it's good, uh?" you smirked. "Alright..."

Your mouth was flooded immediately by the sweet taste of the pink cream and the soft cut vegetables. You could taste each one of them, creating a balance that your tongue was grateful for.

"So... it's good," Link laughed, watching your expression and spooning his own soup.

"Very much so, I won't doubt you again," you smiled.

As you ate, your body felt more revitalized. You didn't ask because you didn't want to lose your concentration while eating, savouring every single bite, but you assumed the soup had some health properties. You weren't a stranger to potions and food with attributes that could help in your journey, like allow you to bear extreme temperatures. That or you had been starving more than you thought and your body was reganing energy.

"Thanks, Link, you just saved my life," you complimented him. "I'm not full yet so I'm gonna have seconds."

"Go ahead," he replied with his mouth full.

You stepped forward to the pot and grabbed the soup ladle when a faint red light, a laser, appeared illuminating the tree in front of you.

"Hey, Link, take a loo..."

Your whole body went down, pushed suddenly, and your face hit the ground, but the leaves and grass saved you from hitting yourself hard. There was an unexpected surge of heat and blue light, and the trees in front of you fell, burning. A heavy weight was on top of you and you felt Link's hand on your head, clutching you down. The dirt that entered your tongue resulted in an awful contrast to the previous delicious taste from the soup.

"What's wrong with you!?" you exclaimed, frowning. Link didn't seem rushing to get off you and now the soup was completely to waste! Now the big hearty radish was lying on the grass. However, a metalic, mechanic sound was heard behind, and a beeping followed by the same red laser appeared, pointing exactly in front of your face at the ground.

"Go, go, go," Link muttered as he raised to his feet and pulled your arm with so much strenght that you thought he'd tore it from your shoulder. That's when you saw it: a gigangic, spider-looking machine that was now pointing his laser directly to Link's back, shining in red, color of malice.

"Uh..." you muttered.

Before you knew it, Link grabbed you from your waist and behind your legs to carry you over his shoulder and run away without much effort. The machine immediately changed its aim while moving its legs forward.

"What the fuck is that!!?" you screamed, clinging to Link's shirt. The beeping sound got faster and the machine shot a blue laser that Link managed to avoid only for a few centimeters, hitting a Fallen Guardian and burning the grass and moss growing around it. You understood then what it was and cursed yourself for not recognizing it before, how the hell were you supposed to fight that away?

"They're faster than I remember!" Link exclaimed as he rushed to hide in the ruins. His statement was proven true when the Guardian shot another beam, but this time it hit close to Link's feet and the resulting explosion made you both fly in the air a few moments before hitting hard the ground. Link didn't let go of you, so you both rolled on the dirt until you stopped. Half of you was lying on top of him as he had tried to break your fall with his own body. You both growled in pain while you moved off him, a sharp, deep pain whent through your nude ankle when you were about to stand up.

"I can't..." your voice was hoarse. Link glanced at your foot quickly, as the Guardian was again pointing at you both with the laser.

"Fuck..." he muttered as he pulled you and helped you reach behind a wall of a destroyed tower. The quick steps to that place made your ankle scream in pain and you fell to the ground, panting.

"That thing is gonna keep following us, I'll have to get rid of it," Link said, rushing, pulling the sword he didn't remove from his back. But that was all he had. It wasn't even a good sword, just one he had found at an abandoned outpost. The Guardian made some metalic noises, it wasn't going to be long before it found you both.

"You don't even have a shield," you complained, putting your hand on your ankle, that action itself hurt like hell and you started to feel it swollen. It was probably broken.

"There's no choice," he stated and moved outside the safety of the wall. You saw the red light reflected on the skin of his face and golden hair. "I'll keep it here, you find a way to escape!"

That didn't sound like a plan. Link didn't know what he talked about most of the time, why would you listen to him now? You didn't know about this life of his, but his past lives had the Triforce of Courage, not Wisdom. Fighting was his thing, not strategy, and the latter was what you needed the most right now.

As you listened to Link's shouts, you used the wall to support yourself and walk, ignoring the ache, to the shambled interior of the tower, where a pile of bones rested with some flies around. However, among the corpses and rotten meat (you realized soon it was from an animal's, probably work of Bokoblins), there was a single Wooden Bow and three used arrows. How lucky.

Hopping on one foot, you took them all and moved to the ruined staircases to get close to the single square that used once to be a window. You went up the stairs sitting while putting one of the arrows on the bow. The sound of metal against metal, the constant beeping and explosions was all that there was around. Link wasn't going to make it alone and unequipped. When you peeked through the window, Link was hitting with all his strenght the Guardian's legs in a desperate attempt to incapacitate it, but it didn't take much for the machine to grow them back and keep on advancing. Everything had a weakness, but what was that thing's? Link had managed to fight Guardians off back when he was a soldier, such a disgrace he probably didn't remember how to do it. You definitely didn't know. You saw the single eye, maybe that one? If it wasn't, at least you'd make him stop shooting.

You aimed at your target and shot an arrow. The machine stopped for a few moments before continuing and you repeated the same process.

"I told you to leave!" Link yelled as he hit the Guardian's leg with the sword.

"Since when do I listen to you!?" you screamed back, shooting another arrow and incapacitating, again, the machine only for a few moments.

"You should've this time! This motherfucker's gonna kill you!"

"And you!"

"Why can't you ever list-!?"

Link was interrupted when the Guardian slapped him hard away with the leg that had just grown, throwing him to the ground. You had no more arrows left and your eyes moved to an abandoned, rusty Traveler's Spear stuck in stone wall. You had to use your whole weight to unpin it and then you climbed the destroyed wall. Link's sword was meters from him on the ground, having been smacked out of his hand, and the Guardian had managed to pin him down with his leg and claws. The beeping sound started again and you saw once again how the laser pointed at Link's head while he struggled in vain to get away. You had to act now.

"Hey, over here!" you yelled as you threw a laying rock, rubble from the wall to the Guardian, which caught its attention. You saw Link's scared expression when the machine this time was pointing at you.

"No, go away!" he shouted, but you ignored him. When the Guardian raised his single eye to properly aim at you, you jumped from the wall with your hands gripping hard the spear and used all your strength to stick it inside its eye, sucessfully, just as Link had taught you. The Guardian instantly started to malfunction, moving and turning around erraticaly as you hung from the spear with both hands; however, your sweat was affecting your grip and you prepared yourself to fall painfully to the ground, except that once you slipped Link catched you, ran, panting, towards cover and put his hand on top of your head when the Guardian finally exploded, only leaving metal clinking behind.

You both were breathing heavily, covered in dirt and sweat, and you peeked over Link's shoulder, clutching his shirt in a fist.

"Is it over?" you asked.

"Seems like it," he responded, breathless. He removed his arm under your knees when you moved your good leg to go off him, then you sat on the ground with his help and Link followed you tired.

"I told you I had it," he rubbed his eyes. You frowned at him when you recognized his frustrated expression.

"It didn't seem like it," you objected, raising an eyebrow. Slowly, the pain in your ankle was starting to flare up now that the adrenaline was disappearing. "A thank you would be enough, you're welcome. You taught me some battle techniques, didn't you? Why don't you ever trust me?"

"You could've died," he pointed out.

"And you too."

"So? Does that matter how? I was technically killed by one of those shits a long time ago," he exclaimed, you were slightly taken aback.

"And Zelda saved you, don't waste that opportunity," you slapped his shoulder, still frowning.

"Opportunity for what?" he rebutted, opening his palms, his hands resting on his knees. "To watch what my defeat caused to this place? To wake up with all my friends, who I don't even remember, all dead? The princess captive who knows where? The destroyed...?"

"Hey, hey, okay, I get it," you shushed him. "You lost a lot, great. But now you're here and, yeah, and even when you won't be getting everything back, at least you have a second chance to redeem yourself. Don't let Zelda down." You patted his shoulder. "You aren't alone, I'm right here and, see? I saved your ass," you stated, firmly. You wanted to find more comforting words for him as Link didn't seem convinced at all, but your ankle was really aching. "But, right now, I'm gonna be cargo for you," you complained, rubbing the injury. Link sighed.

"Let me see."

You removed your hand so Link could check the extense of the damage. As he grabbed your ankle softly, you kept talking:

"You've been looking after me all this time," you spoke, softer this time. "Although you're not in the best shape to take care of someone. You've always done that," your voice trailed off at that one, the image of all his past lives you met before appearing on your mind. "Now It's my turn, let me enjoy my moment in peace, okay?"

Link half smiled and shook slightly his head.

"Seems like it got a bit crushed with the fall, but it isn't broken, you'll just need some rest," he responded, standing up. "Let's go to Hateno."

You nodded, pushing your lips together, and took the hand Link was offering you as support to raise to your feet.

"I hope you have more ingredients for that soup. That stupid Guardian didn't let me finish my lunch," you complained while putting your arm over his shoulders, Link was already sliding his finger through the map in the Sheika Slate.

"Alright, I'll see what I can do," he chuckled.

[orangepanic]

Hey Orange! What are some of your favorite Irosami headcanons? Please share. ^.^

Thanks for the ask! Though this is quite the question since I've got about a billion headcanons for these two. But considering they don't speak to each other in the show, Asami is somewhat underdeveloped as a character (especially in later seasons), and Iroh has all of 2 minutes of screen time, the majority of their relationship is based on headcanons. So here are a few things that I like that I think are fundamental to my understanding of why this relationship works.

Iroh being a nerd: We all know Asami is a nerd. A pretty, successful, socially well-adjusted nerd, but a nerd all the same. So, her compatibility with Iroh is largely based on my belief that he, too, is a gigantic nerd. He reads tons of history and studies old languages and when he can't think of anything to do he often picks up a book. He enjoys puzzles and pai sho. He likes solving problems and gets irritated when he can't. More than any of this he's a thinker, an intellectual, and even with slightly different interests I can see him and Asami connecting well in the idea space. It's why one of my most common starts to their relationship is working together on Republic City reconstruction. I want them both to nerd out about traffic signals and then kiss.

Asami being in touch with her baggage: Asami goes through a lot of shit in LOK that seems to bounce off her like teflon. Death, danger, betrayal, responsibility, loneliness. In canon she's barely affected. But in a relationship with Iroh I think these events have more of an impact. She expects anyone after Mako to leave her, so Iroh has to put in the work to convince her that he won't. His ability to do that is I think one of the reasons they work so well as a pair. Iroh is as dedicated in love as he is in everything else, and after everything that's happened to her Asami needs a partner who will well and truly put her first. He exudes steadiness and loyalty.

Putting others first: One of the things I love about this pair is how selfless they both are and I think this forms the backbone of their relationship. On screen they both risk death to protect others and are the quick problem-solvers in the group working to figure out how best to do so. Iroh runs to the top of the tallest tower, making himself a target in order to get a better shot at the planes. Asami flies a biplane against a hoard of dark spirits when she really has no business in the water tribe civil war at all. Putting themselves in harm's way for the greater good is in both their DNA, and I also think they'd bring this to a relationship in a way that's important. These are two people who spend so much time taking care of others that nobody takes care of them - but what if they did this for each other? They're the kind of couple who can look at one another and say "I'd die for you" and mean it but when no death is required this turns into "I'll make dinner even though it's not my turn because you're tired" and "you look like you need a back rub" and quite a lot of very generous sex that's focused on the other person's pleasure. I want this for them. They deserve it.

Foodies: For no reason in particular I think both Asami and Iroh are insufferable foodies. They grew up rich. They're still rich. Asami spits out Gommu's trash soup. So they can and do afford to be choosy. I love this headcanon for them because it allows them to go on all kinds of fun dates, from fancy restaurants to exotic street food to delicious hole-in-the-wall joints to new openings around town. I think arts and culture are a big part of their lives, too, and imagine them balancing work and quiet time with a vibrant city life of restaurants and plays and gallery openings. It's also why I almost always keep them in Republic City. I think they'd both love the multicultural aspects of such a melting pot of a city as opposed to palace life in the Fire Nation.

[lizhly-writes]

that guy was so innocent lmao. just imagining him peering at current transmigrator yhr like "what happened to you, dude??" and our yhr deadpanning, "i got a backstory" lol.

in my head (even tho u said he has no issues), original draft yhr is kind of buying deep into toxic positivity ("if you just focus on all the good things happening right now you can outrun nihilistic existential despair and not think about the dark fate hanging over your head!") + dissociates from reality by considering him and everyone around him "just characters in a novel, it's kinda funny everything that happens, bc of course it would, this is a novel setting meant to be entertaining!" and now i want to him and current yhr to interact longer in a setting where they are siblings. lol

I think it makes sense if neither of them get to be Yang Haoran, because that's just going to be deeply confusing for everyone.

So we'll have Yang Haoyi (current transmigrator) and Yang Haolun (original draft).

Anyway.

"Does it bother you?" Yang Haoyi said, chin propped on his hands, watching his brother voraciously consume some cheap serial he'd picked up from the bookstore.

"No," Yang Haolun said. He rolled over on the bed so he was right-side up again. "Sorry, does what bother me?"

Even without context, it was a fair answer. Very little bothered Yang Haolun. Yang Haolun was a very peaceful in person, in general. He had a certainty about himself that Yang Haoyi would occasionally find himself jealous of.

"You don't remember anything at all," Yang Haoyi said. "Does that bother you?"

There was a pause. Barely noticeable, but still, it was there. "You mean that I don't remember anything about my past life except for some webnovel," Yang Haolun said.

At a young age, they'd realized something was wrong with them. Yang Haolun had been born with the bone-deep certainty that the world around him was playing out some sort of story, and hadn't kept it secret. Yang Haoyi, conversely, had been born with the bone-deep certainty that there was something wrong with his life, and had concluded that it was his brother's viewpoint that was the missing piece.

This seemed to be proven right, when Yang Haoyi could recite snippets of story that Yang Haolun had never told him. As they had gotten older, though, Yang Haoyi began receiving disconnected bits and pieces of some past life that went along with the story. Yang Haolun, in contrast, had never remembered anything of the sort.

In his place, Yang Haoyi could truthfully say he would be bothered. What it did it mean, living out a life and remembering nothing about it except for some random story? Did it mean that your life had been unmemorable? Did it mean there was nothing there at all you wanted to remember?

"Wow, you're thinking really hard about this, huh?" Yang Haolun said. "Drinking Meng Po's soup is the natural state of things, isn't it? The majority of mankind doesn't remember their past life, and they're not mad about it, so why should I be?"

"I remember," Yang Haoyi said.

"So you do," Yang Haolun said. "Congratulations, you're very special. Do you want a prize? I can get you... one ice cream. That'll take up my entire week's allowance, so you better be grateful."

[cuddlepilefics]

SKZ Season Greetings - 3

First Snow

Considering how contagious this cold seemed to be if it could take out so many people in such a short time, Chan made sure the members all wore masks when they returned to check on their sick friends. He doubted the masks would actually keep them from falling ill but it was worth a try despite the congestion already having settled at the back of his sinuses. Minho too had been clearing his throat a lot during the last hour of their adjusted schedule, so Chan didn't have much hope for the group to stay healthy. There was simply no way their immune systems were in any shape to fight off infections with how overworked and rundown they all were. "I really hope Innie finally managed to get some sleep", Minho mumbled, running a hand through his hair. He had been the one to stay up with Jeongin for most of the previous night but no matter how tired he was, the image of their maknae crying because he just wanted to sleep but felt too awful to kept haunting him. Giving the dancer a reassuring smile, Chan hummed: "I'm sure him and Changbin are resting well. Don't worry too much." It was hard not to worry though and Chan wasn't as sure as he wanted the dancer to believe, yet there was nothing they could do but wait till they got home.

Making sure his mask was properly covering the lower half of his face, Minho unlocked the door to his dorm and let the members in. They had contemplated to split up the dorms differently to avoid contagion but the only two members who hadn't been overly exposed yet were Hyunjin and Felix, so they decided to just cross their fingers and hope for the best. At least, some of the stress eased when they found both Changbin and Jeongin asleep on the couch, so they took turns showering. Hyunjin and Jisung went back to their dorm to shower and promised they'd take a trip to the store to stock up on sick supplies in case their friends' cold would spread. Jisung had been incredibly quiet all day, which Chan wasn't too concerned about. Frequently having their schedule overthrown and rearranged at the last minute put all of them on edge, so it was no wonder that the rapper had started to withdraw. Minho had gone straight to the kitchen, smiling when he realized there was soup on the stove. He hoped their friends had actually eaten something but he doubted it since the pot was almost filled to the brim.

When Chan joined Minho in the kitchen, he found the dancer staring intently at a spot on the wall, clearing his throat. Minho was tightly gripping a glass of water as he tried to rid himself of the irritation in his throat. "You good?", Chan asked softly after Minho sipped some of the water. The dancer nodded, his voice slightly scratchy when he replied: "Yeah, dunno why my throat's so dry all of a sudden." – "Well, you spent a lot of time with Innie last night. Wouldn't be surprised if you were coming down with the same thing", Chan hummed, giving the other a long look to determine if he looked unwell at all. Shrugging, Minho reminded: "So did Seungmin in the late afternoon and you and Jisung spent a lot of time with Changbin. Are you feeling alright?" – "Honestly?", the leader whispered, avoiding his dongsaeng's eyes, "I don't know. My head and sinuses hurt and I feel pretty rundown. The latter could just be our busy schedules but.... It might all just be me imagining things because I know how likely it is that we caught it, so unless I start running a fever I will convince myself it's all just in my head." – "I get what you mean", Minho sighed, finishing the rest of his water, "Guess all of us will have to take it easy for the time being and try not to freak out too much."

To keep himself from freaking out and reading into the sensations within his body too much, Minho busied himself with making dinner. Cooking was a little like therapy to him and now that he had some time on his hands, it was easy to lose himself in the task. A hearty meal would surely cheer his anxious dongsaengs up, besides, their bodies could all use the nutrients to hopefully stay healthy. Felix had joined him at some point after taking a shower, not wanting to stay alone and grateful that his hyung allowed him to help. Seungmin had showered too at this point and was in his room, while Chan had set up his laptop at the dining table to get some more work done. Minho's head shot up when he heard a door being shut with more force than would've been necessary. Glancing towards the living room, he saw Jeongin alone and luckily still asleep. No sooner than the bathroom door was shut behind him, Changbin broke into a painful cough. Yeah, no wonder the maknae's ribs felt sore if he's been coughing like this all night.

"I'll go check on him", Chan sighed worriedly, fetching the rapper a glass of water before making his way to the bathroom. The leader's heart ached when he saw the tears in his friend's eyes. Setting down the glass on the sink, Chan patted Changbin's back and hummed: "That doesn't sound good." – "Innie's worse", the younger choked out, wiping his eyes as he tried to catch his breath. He gratefully accepted a drink and after clearing his throat a few times, he was able to stop coughing. "How have you been? Did you read my text?", Chan asked quietly as he took a seat on the edge of the tub. Washing his hands, Changbin splashed some cold water on his fever-flushed face before taking a seat on the closed toilet lid. Holding his head in his hands, the rapper admitted: "Didn't know you texted me. Slept for most of the day after we turned on a movie. The coughing only really started now and I finally get what Innie meant when he told me his ribs ached. Gosh, that was exhausting."

After Chan had updated Changbin on their situation, he walked the rapper back to the living room, smiling when Jeongin woke up for a moment and reached out his arms. Slipping under the blanket, Changbin pulled the maknae into a hug and looked at Chan expectantly when the oldest felt their dongsaeng's forehead. Chan's grimace was enough for Changbin to know that Jeongin was still incredibly feverish and the blankets probably weren't helping with that but he had been so cold earlier.

Felix and Seungmin had already started to lay the table, while Minho finished up preparing dinner, glancing at the clock. A smile spread on his lips when the front door opened and Hyunjin and Jisung shuffled into the dorm. Kicking off their shoes, they shook the snow out of their hair before setting their shopping bags down. "Woah, it's snowing?!", Felix gasped, dashing over to the window to take a look outside. Blowing into his frozen hands to warm them up, Jisung smiled: "Yeah, it just started while we were on our way back. Got cold quickly after the sun went down." – "Go wash your hands, so we can get a hot meal into you", Minho instructed as he saw his dongsaengs shiver, "We can unpack those bags later."

Jeongin had woken up from the commotion and sleepily sat up, rubbing his face into the blanket. "Hey there", Changbin whispered, tightening his arms around the maknae, "You feeling a little better after your nap?" The younger only shrugged, looking around the dorm and realizing their friends were back. While Minho went to check on Jeongin, Chan and Seungmin plated the food and already started to serve it. That was also when Chan realized that they wouldn't have had to put on masks because they'd have to remove them for their meal anyway. Suppressing a sigh, Chan accepted that there wasn't much they could do and that he'd only be able to deny the increasing headache for so long.

Though Changbin and Jeongin loved Minho's cooking, they decided to have some of the soup Changbin had made earlier as their throats felt too swollen to swallow anything solid. At that point, Jisung softly spoke up, awkwardly requesting: "Could I have some of that soup too?" – "Are you okay, Hannie?", Minho frowned worriedly as the younger stared down at his hands. Not daring to look up, the rapper nodded and whispered: "My throat's just been a little irritated all day and I'm not really hungry anyway, so...." – "Hang on", Chan frowned as he got up to grab the other a bowl, "Is that why you've been so quiet today?" – "Yeah, talking hurts a bit, so I tried to keep it down", Jisung mumbled, picking at his nails. Placing a bowl of soup in front of the rapper, Chan smiled sadly: "You could've told us you weren't feeling well, you know." – "I thought my mind was making it up and it wasn't too bad", the younger breathed, "It only really started to hurt when I breathed the cold air on our way back." Gently, ruffling Jisung's hair, Chan went back to his seat and instructed. "Go to bed early, yeah? It'll be a quiet evening anyway, so try resting before you start feeling worse."

Changbin had taken Jisung along to watch a movie with him and Jeongin after they had confirmed that he was running a fever too. When the others had cleared the table, Minho caught Chan swallowing a pill and raised his eyebrow at the leader. "The headache's only getting worse", the oldest admitted, finishing the rest of his drink. Biting his lip, Minho hummed: "You said unless you develop a fever you'll convince yourself it's nothing. I think now would be a good time to take your temperature because I don't like that glassy look in your eyes. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if you caught it too. You don't look good." He didn't want to remind the Aussie that he probably had the worst immune system out of all of them from how much he often overworked himself and he didn't have to. Closing his eyes, Chan rested his forehead against the kitchen cabinet and sighed: "I guess. What about you? Your voice sounds hoarse." – "Throat's a little irritated but that's about it for now", Minho shrugged, giving his only hyung a crooked smile, "Go take your temperature and get some rest. We'll be fine. Even if all of us catch it, which is not all that unlikely, we'll be fine. Don't think too much." The older nodded before composing himself to go and take his temperature.

As Chan stared at the reading on the thermometer, there was no denying it any longer. Hyunjin and Felix were unloading the shopping bags onto the dining table when the leader returned, a frown etched on his face. "What's wrong, hyung? You look frustrated", Hyunjin asked with a small pout. Biting his lip, Chan sighed. "I am frustrated. Frustrated because I'm sick." – "Aww, no", Felix hummed sympathetically, "Maybe you wanna go join the rest of our sickies. I think they're about to start a movie and you usually like Disney movies." The leader visibly perked up at that and padded over to the living room. Having overheard their conversation, Jisung already poured his hyung a cup of tea and patted the spot next to him, ready to share his blanket with the older.

Hyunjin just finished up restocking the medicine cabinet in the bathroom when Seungmin joined him, a bundle of laundry under his arm. He had gathered Jeongin's sweaty bedsheets and started a wash load while Minho put fresh sheets on Jeongin's bed. The dancer also used the opportunity to slip into his own room and change his clothes. He had started to feel a little cold, especially after watching half of the group cuddle up together under multiple blankets. Glancing out the window and watching the tiny snowflakes drift to the ground, Minho decided it was time to wear his Christmas sweater. Despite their circumstances, he smiled a little as he made his way back to the common area.

Hyunjin and Felix had put everything away and were discussing Christmas decorations when Minho joined them in the kitchen. Stirring a large pot of hot chocolate, Felix turned to the older and asked: "If we'll all be out off work, which doesn't seem so unlikely with how many are sick already, do you think we could decorate the dorm this year, hyung? We've been too busy last year but I'd love the holiday aesthetic. If it bothers anyone, I can limit decorations to only my room but I think it'd be a lot more fun if we did the whole dorm." – "I don't mind if you want to decorate the rest of the dorm too", Minho shrugged pulling up a chair, so he could sit down while he watched his dongsaengs. "Neither do I", Seungmin piped in, returning from the bathroom, "And I highly doubt Innie does. If he wasn't feeling so bad, he'd probably insist on helping you decorate." – "Maybe wait till tomorrow though", Minho hummed and pulled his legs up to his chest, his voice a little scratchy, "I think Jisung's already asleep and it won't take long till Chan's out too, so we should let them sleep and I think decorating is more fun if you listen to the right music." Felix could only agree, thinking back to the Christmas playlist he had compiled over the past few weeks.

With Hyunjin's help, the Aussie started to transfer the hot chocolate into cups. Hyunjin walked off to bring Chan, Changbin and Jeongin theirs so their leader wouldn't miss out due to being asleep like Jisung. Minho gratefully wrapped his hands around the warm cup when Felix handed it to him, the warmth making him sleepy in his seat. He really wanted to join his friends for some cuddles and he doubted he had anything to lose because he already felt like he was coming down with something but as long as he wasn't confirmed sick, he should be a good role model and not 'risk it' on purpose. Thanking Felix for the drink, Minho retreated to his room to huddle under his blanket, ready to go to sleep as soon as his cup was empty. Seungmin too headed to his own room and settled into bed early, telling his friends goodnight. Realizing that almost everyone was asleep or seconds away from falling asleep, Felix pulled Hyunjin along to his room and th pair got comfortable on the Aussie's bed. While they sipped their hot chocolate, they discussed how they'd decorate the dorm in the morning before dozing off in each other's embrace.

[cinnabun-faerie]

Random FFXIV OC headcanon...cause my OCs are random and really I don't know who shares the single brain cell. They'd make their own organization (like the Scions) and call it SOUP.

The meaning: Sorta Organized Uproarious Party

They're loud, noisy and sorta organized 🤣

And I'd imagine the SOUP's headquarters is not far from the Scions' headquarters. They even acquire a closer location when the Scions' headquarters changes.

Update: The fact that I made a whole side blog for my OCs! Aetheric Storybook: the SOUP Archives. 🤣

[maxwell-grant]

If you had your say, what villains would you want featured in future venom movies?

With the stuff they have the rights for and aren't saving for future/solo movies, within Venom characters, who is there to pick from? They did the Future Foundation for the first movie, they got to Carnage in the sequel, they've set up Pat Mulligan/Toxin and we're probably gonna either get that or Knull in the next one. They can't scale down to one of Spidey's billion crimelords or someone like Sin-Eater who at least kinda has something to do with Venom, they've set up world-threatening symbiotes as the baseline. Toxin is just nothing, there's nothing there, the most you can get out of him is by having him be We Have Spider-Man At Home, and they already set him Mulligan as Venom's Javert. Combine those two, pit Eddie against a jerk Spider-Man who goes Carnage sometimes, I guess it's something? Knull is a Thor villain who took the wrong turn at Albuquerque, I can't imagine how they'd do him for these movies without just pulling the trigger on a Venomverse outright, and there's been a lot of talk about how the next movie's gonna set up that, or a multiverse, or the Sonyverse, and I'm boring myself to sleep just talking about this.

They both suck and are big idiot nothings, and none of the prior guys were really good to begin with. Knull is a little more tolerable in my book because Al Ewing and the new game made decent enough soup out of it and Tradd Moore's art sold me on him a little bit, and Woody Harrelson playing Biff Tannen was by default the most entertaining Cletus Kasady has ever been aside from AXIS, but "occasionally amusing" doesn't equal good or even mediocre, and that's the issue with these movies in a nutshell. An occasionally funny schlub protagonist and offscreen promises can't make up for all the crap everything else, and Let There Be Carnage wore my goodwill towards even that real thin. I really did try to like it.

Don't get me wrong, I like that those movies exist. I'm still probably gonna drag my friend into the next one. I hate most Venom comics but I'm incorrigible Venom trash. If we have to put up with those films and a Madame Web every now and then as the price to pay for Sony keeping the rights and keeping Spiderverse and the games just as they are, then by all means keep them coming. But man, I did try, I seriously combed through Venom and the other symbiote's rogues galleries and supporting casts to try and find an answer for this, and all the characters I found were A: dogshit Venom / Spider-anciliary characters that don't have much of anything worth it to them, and B: halfway there Spider-Man leftovers who are better served just not having anything to do with Venom movies, so I guess the option I'd go here is for them to just make new ones. I mean, movie Carlton Drake was basically an original character and he was, okay I don't even remember a thing about that guy but he was probably better than Cletus because it's really not that hard to come up with a better villain than Cletus Kasady (who at his best just elicits a chuckle) and dirtbag CEO with the cops on his side is the kind of thing you want a character like Venom to be fighting so, I guess lean more on that.

I guess I'd put Venom against symbiote tech cops that he can kill and eat without complication and have those follow him around while the actual plot is about some dumb errand or personal conflict he runs, but I don't think the villains are really the missing piece here. Venom is a terrific Spider-Man villain, but as a protagonist he is frequently deeply lacking, and as a movie franchise has like two things going for it, the titular character and the humor of a couple low-stakes absurd comedy scenes like the lobster tank, so I'd take those and throw the source material in the trash and have them go through something like the fake sequels of 22 Jump Street, just put the character in dumb problems that they can try and solve in dumb ways and do their dumb comedy routine in, Venom as a vehicle for dark parody as an extension of what he was made to represent. Treat the movies less like they are steps in a cinematic universe or character pieces and more like genre films that get infected and corrupted by a monstrous violent walking alien apocalypse and the schlubby journalist meathead in a co-dependent relationship with said walking apocalypse.

Venom In Space. Venom Goes to Hollywood. Venom In The Hood. Venom Surfs The Web. Everyvenom Venomwhere All At Venom. Not even joking, if I could make a Venom musical / Little Shop of Venoms I'd do it in a heartbeat, and it would end with similar destruction. Because make no mistake, this is a Laurel and Hardy thing only to them, and to everyone else it's an escalating horror film with some kind of destruction left at the end, because that's what happens when Venom runs rampant and Spider-Man isn't there to stop them or at least keep them in line.

Venom is not just a parody, he is a rot at the heart that never stops growing, and even if Eddie Brock can strive to be a better man and even be a decent one, even if he and the Symbiote can bond as losers trying to be better, neither can escape the nature of what Venom fundamentally is, with a million new Carnages and Riots and Agonies and Screams and Viruses and symbiote cops and serial killers popping up every minute as a reminder. You can't really come up with a Venom-specific villain that's going to be greater than Venom himself already is as a Spider-Man villain, so I'd just lean into that. And then maybe, when and if it's time to finally deliver on that Spider-Man or Sinister Six encounter, they find themselves arriving too late after we've had enough movies to laugh at this idiot schlub and his predatory living cancer buddy while the world they've been protecting has been turning more into this. We put this world not in the hands of Spider-Man, because we have the full rights hope in overcoming hardship to be our better self, but in the claws of Venom, because we are fucking stupid.

[alexxncl]

‼️NIGHTBRINGER LESSON 46 SPOILERS‼️

masterlist | all lessons | season 3 | lesson 45.1 | lesson 45.2 | lesson 47

i'll probaboy be moving my baby sister into college when this queues up 🥲 sob sob

slight lesson 76 spoilers

we love to see more of a lighthearted lesson

ah yes, siblings 🫶🏽 levi is me, i am levi

i also love the fact that luci, mams, levi, and simeon are all working together to help mammon

it's clear how much they all adore him even if they're shitheads sometimes (read: most of the time)

anyone else having war flashbacks to cocytus? no? just me? kay.

see now they're just making up words bc what are we talking about 😭 also love how they didn't bother to make a 2D CG picture for it bc it's never gonna be mentioned in another lesson after this point

...i'd have to kms

imagine every step you take leads to a blood curdling scream...everybody's dying idc

"dear, sweet henry 1.0" my ASS

homeboy didn't even remember you when y'all were trapped in that made and had to get charmed by asmo 😭

...unless that was his way of telling levi to make new friends, just like the way he left levi in the anime bc levi had no friends outside of henry

but i also wanna see the full extent of mammon's power 🧍🏾 the devs need to stop giving us cut scenes every time my man steps up to fight a monster

that's hilarious actually

imagine some lower level demon actually ended up getting eaten bc they couldn't beat the monsters and the "research" was all in vain

leave it to me to read too far into things 🤞🏽

example x of mammon being lucifer's favorite and most trusted brother

regardless of how dumb mammon thinks a task is, he'll do his best to get it done as perfectly as possible if it means keeping up a good image for lucifer or making lucifer happy. lucifer knows this despite rarely, if ever, admitting it to himself, mammon, or anyone else, and that's why he trusts mammon with serious shit when the situation calls for it

granted, the speech mammon is giving probably wasn't orchestrated by lucifer, but the way it goes still reflects on him and diavolo, and mammon knows better than to make his big brother and the future demon king look bad in front of who knows how many people

MAMMON SIMPS HOW WE FEELING????

they absolutely would've fucked backstage if he wasn't up next for his speech /srs

they fucked in the back of class and they'd do it again BOP BOP

also mammon's speech being "get off your lazy asses and go touch grass" was easily the best idol about this lesson. 10/10 writing

about the first screenshot, why is nobody in-game verbally commenting on simeon wearing his angelic clothes ??? didn't he stop wearing them as soon as he fell from grace in the og timeline ?????

or maybe this is a result of too many time soup shenanigans. maybe his body can't tell if he's human or still an angel

but it's clear that everyone's noticed something's off with simeon even if they haven't said anything to him verbally, which is why luke was so hellbent on mc asking simeon if he was okay. but nobody's outright saying anything bc this mf will deny any and every concern thrown at him with a smile on his face. he won't even tell mc what's going on, so lucifer had to step in

ending the hard bonus chapter like this was VILE but in the best way possible

[dark-twist-fairytales]

(Sarnax converting the first expedition whilst Keagen, their damn messiah, makes the 2nd one want to fight them)

Yeah, when he ate proper food for a longer time he was quite shocked when his body got much bigger.

He asks Clayton about it after some time travelling togheter.

Clayton : well, fire genasi require much more food due to how fast they burn through calories.

Keagen, whos never even heard the words fire genasi : oh.

(One of the few positives of living for centuries was that Clayton could finally study different races with extreme care, who cares how long it takes, he has forever!)

He'd like the food from Inari whilst I think he'd like the sweets from Breeg. Him trying sugar for the first time and getting a massive sweet tooth (bet ur ass when Clayton finds out he indulges in that a lot (this man gave most the kids they met toffee))

Cooking is like a basic skill every Azran knows, especially since they all go on their adventures, so wherever Vin goes he picks up recipes from the local cuisine. (He has a cookbook ranging from mild soups to the spiciest meats you could imagine)

(I kinda like the idea of Victorias kin being from Barovia but moving when they were young, having some memories of what it was like there.)

Pfft- Exactly. But, I mean, that would work to the cult of Gherix's favor. If Keagen has a strong attachment, then coming back and informing them about fire requiring more fuel to burn if it wants to stay alight, that being both physical and metaphorical for them. In a way, he is still the messiah in their eyes, and the messiah teaches lessons old and new.

Clayton teaching then about anything they want, essentially, is just awesome. I'm giving Lich Clayton the nickname "Walking Wikipedia" (a little inside joke/nickname my sister has given me for the information I know).

Oh, yeah! Sugar would probably be considered a delicacy/a rarity just pure, so having it in a different form is even better.

Micah's hunting mixed with Juni's farming and fishing, they'd be able to find basically anything for Vin that grows in the area for a delicious meal. Better than making hardtack when they have the ingredients to make more.

I do like that idea, honestly. And, it would make it easy to pull them towards the statues with vague memories and possibly knowing family/friends of family in Barovia.