#i just want convex hurt/comfort

[ishtyleq]

where is the cubscar fic where scar comes home after last life, lonely and hurting, and cub comforts him?

has anyone written anything like that, please, i need it

[xoxo-ren-xoxo]

Thinking about your Grumbo apocalypse AU again. Thank you for the Convex crumbs, I appreciate them :]. /silly

Anyway! Grumbo is so ill in this, and that makes me insane. Both are like. "I care for this person so much that I'd change fundamental parts of myself." While also freaking out about being with the other in any way.

Like. Here's Mumbo so scared by this monster! This thing that kills his kind! But, Grian is so nice to him. He cares. Mumbo isn't used to the idea of friends and people loving him and caring and. How can something made to kill him love him? How can he sleep in the arms of the enemy, knowing that others would have died for every nearing one of these creatures? Is he giving up his humanity by living with the Outsiders? Would society ever except him again?

Or Grian freaking out about not being human enough! He wants Mumbo to care for and love him, and see him as a friend, as he sees him, but Grian is so hurt that Mumbo is scared. He forces himself to be so human, despite it hurting, and that's terrifying. He's becoming something that is painful to be, because he wants his friend happy. He's no longer a monster, an Outsider, but he can never be human.

They're so just. I want you to be happy because I love you, and so I'll became what you want, at the act of destroying myself in the worst way possible.

Sorry for the long ramble. Your goofy AU is just ever haunting.

ohhh my god this is so trUE

they are incapable of being normal about each other...

for mumbo, the story is about learning to be comfortable going outside his own rules. becoming more spontaneous and less fearful of the unknown. yes, some of his fears are totally valid - but he shouldn't let those fears dictate how he treats grian. he's sort of in this 'it'll be okay if grian just pretends to be human. then we can have a normal life' mindset that will NEVER work out. they try it! multiple times! it does not work!! mumbo needs to change in a positive way so that he can access a happier, better life (with grian!). before this change, he wants everything to be a certain way, so much so that he misses opportunities (like making friends for example).

for grian, it's all about accepting himself. he loves mumbo and is so willing to change for him (where mumbo is more resistant to true positive change) but that change is forceful and it hurts him. it is also *not needed*. grian *doesn't* need to change for his life to be better, mumbo needs to accept him how he is - and, more than that, grian has to accept himself for what he is. he can't mimic humanity like pearl and martyn can. he *also* struggles to be content without mumbo. he has to accept that he is between worlds, human and monster, and that it is okay to be different like that.

grian meeting scar helps his journey, mumbo talking to cub helps him realise he's being a bad (boy)friend. (also, I think seeing how different cub and scar are and how they work together regardless definitely helps mumbo understand...).

they both have to consult an outside source to fuel their growth as people. something something narrative parallels.

anyway, they probably work it all out in the end.

i mean, grian does kill people sometimes but like that's not really something that can be helped--

[frozenjokes]

Boatem Ghosts - Pirates SMP/Hermitcraft AU

in which the crew of The Flying Jellie die (all povs)

in which the crew of The Flying Jellie come back (primary Mumbo and Scar pov)

note: these reference sheets were written before the fics with completed, so some details are slightly inaccurate

These fics are primarily about grief, surprise, surprise! Attachments you don’t understand. Not knowing how to live without people who hurt you. Living without closure. Learning to find happiness, even when you can’t get the last laugh. Mumbo does not want to kill Scar, or even see him suffer, but still, he can not move on. When the rest of the group’s focus is entirely on Murder, he feels isolated, choosing to find comfort in the man that took his life months before. Scar wants control, but his past mistakes are quite literally haunting his every step. Every day he loses more and more; his body, his friends, his own mind. Scar wants them gone, his ghosts, but at the same time, he just can’t seem to let go. It’s killing him. It’s killing him and Mumbo both.

The main story is done, but I am planning an epilogue to Signing Back In (convex piece) and a prequel to Signing Off (Scar meeting and recruiting his crewmates)

[mcytrecursive]

Nomination Overview - Space AU

We have had over a hundred source materials nominated already, so it's time to start looking at some of the works that people intend to request or offer! And the first one to look at is Space AU, which has been nominated 8 times, ranging in length from a 2847 word one-shot to a 299,349 word epic.

Title: Out To the Galaxy Steady She Goes  Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/48639868/ Fandom: Hermitcraft SMP Author: TheDepressedCanary (FPSCanarussia) Characters: GeminiTay, ZombieCleo, PearlescentMoon, FalseSymmetry,Xisumavoid Length of the work: 28,277 Genre: Action/Adventure, AU, Family, Friendship, Space AU, Space Fantasy (SciFi/Fantasy cross, not sure how to tag it) Type: Fic Summary: Sailing ships cross worlds and stars, hunted by pirates and monsters. Ancient ruins sit undiscovered, concealing long-forgotten secrets. Space is vast and full of wonder. Pearl, in grief, clutches at every opportunity. Gem just wants to know more. Cleo - well, who can say? Yet the stars are not kind, and every journey holds its dangers.

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Title: Space Mining AU Link: here and here Fandom: 3rd Life SMP Creator: wszczebrzyszynie Relationships: Team Ranchers, Cledubs, Ethubs, Scarian, Treebark, Convex brothers, ImpSkizz, Flower Husbands. Zedaph, Doc, Pearl and Gem are also characters. Everything mentioned as platonic, except romantic Jizzie. Characters: Tango and Jimmy Genre: Action/Adventure, AU, Drama, Post-Apocalyptic AU, Space AU Type: Art Series Summary: Space Mining AU. Tango was an engineer, became a wanted terrorist after he blew up Callisto, a moon where he was doing illegal skulk mining. He blew it up alongside other miners after finding out that skulk is alive, parasitic and infecting people, but he ended up being the sole survivor of the explosion, and the skulk wasn't completely sealed off. He ends up living with Desert Duo for a while (a pair of also dangerous criminals), and that's where he meets Jimmy. It kind of all goes downhill from there.

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Title: He Has a Soul Made of Stars Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/35533927/chapters/88583056 Fandom: Dream SMP Author: NobleDragon Relationships: Wilbur Soot & Technoblade & TommyInnit & Phil Watson, Ranboo & Toby Smith | Tubbo & Wilbur Soot & Technoblade & TommyInnit & Phil Watson, Wilbur Soot & Philza, Wilbur Soot & Fundy Characters: Wilbur Soot, TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), Technoblade (Video Blogging RPF)Philza, Ranboo (Video Blogging RPF), Toby Smith | Tubbo, Fundy Length: 16,875 words Genre: Domestic/Slice-of-life, Family, Found Family, Hurt/Comfort, Space AU Type: Fic Summary: And the heart of a galaxy. There is something in the vents of his ship, stealing their food and walking around at odd times of the day. Phil was going to catch that animal and cook it up for dinner if he has a say about it. Wait...it isn't an animal, but a sentient? And it's probably scared and hurt with no one to take care of them? Well...that changes things. Or: I'm going to make Phil want to found family something he hasn't even seen yet.

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Title: free falling love addict Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/52783816 Fandom: 3rd Life | Last Life SMP Series Author: moonieangel Relationships: Grian & Scar, Grian/Scar Characters: Scar, Grian Length: 2847 words Genre: AU, Space AU, Relationship Study Type: Fic Summary: Grian's curls each knuckle, pressing it down, watching silently as the metal plates whir, clicking into place, as each finger tucks down in short, jittering ticks. “Yeah,” he says after a moment. “It's wonky.” “Well,” Scar says, “I could've told you that.” Grian grins at him, and there's a thrum of excitement in it, a sort of childlike enthusiasm to play with a machine. Scar had seen it precede the bursting of bombs. // Or, a fic where Scar is a cyborg whose arm is damaged and Grian is the mechanic who owes him. Or maybe the other way around.

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Title: Lifeline AU Link: https://archiveofourown.org/series/3156309 Fandom: Hermitcraft SMP Author: SlashMagpie Relationships: Impulse & Tango, Impulse & Pearl, Bdubs & Etho, False & Stress, Impulse & Skizz, Pearl & Tango Characters: Impulse, Tango, Pearl, Etho, Bdubs, False, Cleo, Skizz, Ren Length: 299,349 words Genre: Action/Adventure, AU, Fantasy AU, Horror, Modern AU, Time Travel, Space AU Type: Fic Summary: A science fantasy AU about a species of body-snatching aliens attempting to take over the Earth and the ragtag bunch of misfits trying to stop them. Based on the Lifeline series of mobile games.

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Title: if - then - else Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/45779260/chapters/115204942 Fandom: 3rd Life SMP Author: Anonymous Relationships: Etho & Tango, Bdubs & Tango, Bdubs & Etho & Tango, Jimmy Solidarity & Martyn Littlewood, Jimmy Solidarity & Tango, Martyn Littlewood & Scott Smajor, Martyn Littlewood & Tango, GeminiTay & Pearl, Jimmy Solidarity/Scott Major, Bdubs/Etho Characters: TangoTek, Bdubs, Etho, Martyn Littlewood, Jimmy Solidarity, Scott Smajor, GeminiTay, Mumbo Length: 69103 words Genre: Action/Adventure, AU, Romance, Slow Burn, Space AU, Sci-Fi AU Type: Fic Summary: Tango wakes up in a hospital with no memories and a moderately concerned pair of crewmates. Along with a few of the others in the same ward as him, he attempts to recover his memories, navigate a few significant obstacles, and figure out just how he got here. OR a space opera au that started as something very self indulgent and slowly developed a plot bigger than the walls of the hospital it began in. now with space chases and strange new planets!

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Title: Among us AU Rating: E-rated Link: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2478559 Fandom: Hermitcraft SMP Author: Tunfisken Relationships: Etho/Grian, Tango/Grian Characters: Grian, Etho, Tango, background appearances by other Hermits Length: 19,899 words Genre: AU, Smut, Space AU Type: Fic Summary: Air was rushing through the ventilation ducts, and there was a faint hum of machinery from the dormant medbay scanner. Ever so often, the lights overhead would flicker. His stomach was cramping, and Grian curled in on himself on the bed, trying to ignore the hunger that clawed at him. The imposter didn't want to die.

[1watermelontea]

pinned post: will be prone to edits!

hi, you can call me melon—they/he/it (all fine)

i’m a hermitshipper & i write fanfics. i exclusively ship the characters, not the people. you can find my ao3 attached below:

more-in depth descriptions of my currently published fics under the break:

Chasing the Horizon Line

co-authored with @nine-of-diamonds! a seablings fic with a dash of scarian. gem moves to aurecove, a seaside town, to be the new lighthouse keeper. turns out she may have bitten off more than she can chew with this place—between spreading rumours and missing persons, gem and grian become unlikely friends. merfolk and land dwellers are not meant to interact, evidently. hurt/comfort with themes of feeling lost and wanting to find where you belong. gem & grian -centric povs (swaps multiple times each chapter)

Crosscurrents

co-authored with @nine-of-diamonds! oneshot side story and mostly prequel to chasing the horizon line that explores 4 times that aurecove citizens met mers, and 1 time that a mer met a land person. has main characters you don’t normally see—like joe and stress—and duos you scarcely see, too. humour, through and through, and we thoroughly bullied bdubs throughout the entire run of it. five different povs in total.

There Must Be A Catch

co-authored with @nine-of-diamonds! oneshot attached to the cthl series following skizz’s pov. throughly crack. i cannot describe it in words.

Walking the Line

co-authored with @nine-of-diamonds! the second mainline instalment of the cthl series. solidaritek with a notable dash of flower husbands. three years after moving to lunere, jimmy and tango are doing dandy, until jimmy’s past comes back to bite him. when jimmy goes dark, tango is left scrambling to figure out what’s happening. it only gets more complicated from there. angst & humour with some timeline jumps. jimmy & tango -centric povs (swaps multiple times each chapter)

Set On True North

co-authored with @nine-of-diamonds and @crabbri! oneshot side story directly following the events of walking the line. gem and grian find a way to sort out their mer memory problems. humour with some beautiful prose in there. gem-centric pov.

A Week in the Life of “Detective” Scar

co-authored with @nine-of-diamonds! a scarian oneshot wherein grian is pearl’s assigned watcher, and scar is very interested in knowing what’s going on with these new faces! however, the fact that scar can see grian at all is incredibly weird, and now scar’s losing sleep trying to figure out why only he can see this cute guy. lots of convex in this one, too. deeply unserious but very fun. scar-centric pov with some sprinklings of jellie’s pov.

But There Was Nothing

oneshot following the aftermath of secret life. lizzie relives memories of other lives, but telling what is real and what stories she's just telling herself to stay sane is a challenge. all she has left is the void. mostly canon compliant lizzie-centric pov.

Frost Focus

rancher duo. can be read platonically or romantically. watcher!tango + canary!jimmy decked out 2 au oneshot wherein jimmy and tango are trapped within the walls of the deepfrost citadel, cursed to eternally watch as players scour the depths in an attempt to win and free their friends. at last, pearl's diligence might serve to open the door for them. tango-centric pov.

Reverie, Revelry

solidaritek. assassin au. tango’s employer would benefit greatly from the sole heir to the solidarity family fortune being removed from the equation, so this assassination is high profile, to say the least. the only issue for tango is that, well, he fell in love with him. now to figure out how to deal with that, on a time limit. fluff with a decent lot of implied sexual content. tango-centric pov. shorter fic compared to my others.

Here’s To The World Where You Do

scarian. a fantasy au wherein scar, grian, scott, and jimmy are caught as members of a resistance against the current monarch, ren. however, with assistance from some undercover rebels (or by other means), they manage to escape. action! betrayal! false identities! there is a lot of violence in this one. angst with a happy ending and lots of lighthearted moments between the horrors. scar & grian -centric povs (swaps each chapter)

MORE IN THE WORKS 🎊🎉

[inaris-mage-of-storms]

Hello beloved readers! Scrolling through my writing tag whenever I want to reference something is, uh...no longer feasible unless it's really recent. Solution? Masterpost! :D (MCYT fics only though, because my YYH stuff is from 5+ years ago and I don't expect I'll be free of this blockman brainrot anytime soon.)

In Progress

The Canary In The Gold Mine - series masterpost }{ Empires S2 }{ Flower Fwhimmy }{ When Scott is arrested for theft and left languishing in a Gobland prison cage, he finds a beam of hope in a little yellow bird. Over time, he finds even more in the arms of his canary and their goblin king. }{

Complete

Strawberry Wine - series masterpost }{ Empires S2 }{ Flower Husbands }{ There was something about summer on the savanna that Jimmy found nostalgic... Once, a young farmboy fell in love with a vibrant traveler. Years later, a proud sheriff fell in love with a colorful king. Or he would have, if he had ever fallen out of love with him in the first place. }{

Untitled Scarian - Tumblr }{ Hermitcraft S9 }{ Scarian }{ Scar’s elf ears twitched whenever the corners of his eyes crinkled in amusement, Grian noticed. And he was certainly amused at the moment, perched on Grian’s lap as much as his long limbs would allow, knees pressed into the cushion and hands on Grian’s shoulders, watching a blush bloom across his target’s face. }{

Wildflowers and Roses - Tumblr | AO3 }{ Empires S2 }{ Flower Husbands }{ There were so many things Scott loved. He loved silk sheets and pretty clothes and delicious food. He loved his kingdom and his people and his flowers and his llamas. He loved adventure and wit and new experiences. He loved sitting in the warm sun to weave flower crowns on a lazy day. But there was one thing he loved above all else, one thing sweeter and warmer than any other experience he'd ever had. One thing existed that he treasured more greatly than any shiny or rare trinket in his extensive collection. }{

Party Games - Tumblr | AO3 }{ Empires S2 }{ Flower Husbands }{ Jimmy goes to the princess party hoping to make an impression on Scott. He succeeds, just maybe not in the way he hoped. }{

Muscle Memory - Tumblr: }{ one }{ two }{ three }{ }{ Plate Up }{ Tango, Jimmy, & Skizz }{ Jimmy has some bad habits developed after years of repetition. Tango and Skizz are determined to break them. }{ *Continuation depends on future PlateUp streams }{

Dream Of The Devil And He Shall Appear - AO3 | Tumblr: }{ one }{ two }{ three }{ four }{ five }{ six }{ }{ Pirates SMP }{ Majorwood }{ When Scott dreams, he dreams of a sea he's never seen and a man who feels like home. }{ *will possibly be resumed or reworked at a future date }{

Untitled Flower Husbands - Tumblr }{ Empires S1 }{ Flower Husbands }{ Jimmy dreams about a tree. }{

Who Are You? Are You Nobody, Too? - Tumblr }{ 3rd Life SMP }{ Flower Husbands }{ Thrown into a strange game with no memories of their lives before, Jimmy and Scott find comfort in a quiet valley and in each other. }{

On Hiatus

We Can Be Just As Close (If I Am Far Away) - series masterpost }{ Hermitcraft S9 and Life Series }{ Scarian }{ By the time Grian fell from the clifftop at the end of 3rd Life, he'd already fallen for Scar. But when it becomes clear that the death games are going to keep happening, he can't stand the thought of being the cause of Scar's death again. And if keeping Scar safe means keeping his distance, he'll do it, no matter how much it hurts both of them. }{

Bare-Faced In Front Of You - AO3 | Tumblr: }{ one }{ two }{ three }{ }{ Hermitcraft }{ Convex }{ There were a thousand Scars, and Cub loved every single one of them. A collection of ConVex snippets written for CubScar Week. }{

A Fool's Errand - AO3 }{ Hermitcraft }{ Convex }{ All his life, Cub has felt like there is something he should be seeking out, and he hopes to find it in a little town on the edge of a dark oak forest. The moment he arrives, he's warned against falling for Scar's scams and sales pitches - and warned that if he wants to court the charismatic elf, he'll have to catch a certain cat and retrieve the key around its neck. }{

Untitled Flower Husbands - Tumblr }{ Life Series }{ Flower Husbands }{ Scott loved the way Jimmy loved. Fiery, passionate, red-hot love. It was beautiful, intoxicating, magical - And magic can always be broken. }{

[darlingshane]

midnight cup of joe

Joe Teague x F!Reader

Rating: 18+ Warnings: Explicit. Smut. Angst. Fingering. Blow Job. Come Swallowing. 1940s. Mention of era typical dated values about love, sex, and women's decency.

WC: 1,365

Summary: Looking for some comfort, Joe pays you a visit in the middle of the night.

– Read below or at AO3.

A quarter to midnight, fresh out of the shower, you hear a knock at your door as you wrap yourself in a towel. You ignore it. Whoever it is can come back tomorrow. You've had a long shift and the last thing you need is dealing with someone else's problems.

The knock doesn't let up. It annoyingly comes on and off again for a couple of minutes as you dry off.

Then it stops, and you hear your boyfriend's voice, “birdie, it's me. Open up.”

After a moment of consideration, you let go of the towel, slip into your robe, and take a look through the peephole to see that it's indeed your… boyfriend. Let's say he is. He calls himself that at least, but lately he hasn't been doing anything to prove that. Never takes you out anymore, or brings you flowers like he used to. He's nothing but a disappointment that comes and goes whenever he pleases. He refuses to settle and give you anything other than his midnight visits. It's really exhausting having to care and wait for someone who's never going to be anything more than half promises and apologies. He does love you, you're sure, but he has a different definition of love than what you were taught.

“Please?” he mumbles again as if he knew you're right behind the door. You watch him for another second as he takes off his hat and his rough angles soften behind the convex lenses.

Even though you’re drained of dealing with him like this, you can tell he hasn’t had a good day either. So, you draw some air and cautiously open the door to let him. He hangs his hat while you secure the chain in place and then watch him quietly sitting on the couch.

“Bad day?” You ask.

“Bad month,” he sighs, morose, “I went by the diner to pick you up, and it’s closed already. I thought…” he trails off and rubs his fingers on his eyes, showing his banged up knuckles.

“What happened?”

“Nothing. Just a case.”

Arms crossed, you shrug indifferently, pacing the length of the living room. Same old, same old. Every time there’s a hurdle in his way, he ends up here, looking for comfort. It’s not like you’re any better. You’re a sucker for it. It makes you feel special being needed by him, no matter how much you hate yourself afterwards.

“You want some coffee?”

“No, it’s okay,” he extends his hand in your direction, “come sit down with me, birdie.”

Swallowing, you step closer and take his hand. He pulls you down carefully onto his lap, sideways. He engulfs you in his arms, holding to your body for dear life, burying his nose in your neck to inhale your scent for a long moment. You slide your palm at the back of his head, rake your fingers softly in the short hair at his nape.

“What am I gonna do with you, Joe?” you express with irremediable affliction for this dreamboat of a man who gives you nothing but an aching heart, and casual sex.

“Whatever you want, sweetheart. I’m all yours.”

“I can’t kick you out, can I?”

“You’ve already tried that.” He scoffs like a bastard against your neck, his stubble scratching your skin as he presses sweet kisses at the curve with such intensity it hurts your soul, “I miss you so much, birdie.”

“You're drunk,” you huff.

“Just a little.”

You get a hold of his head with both hands and pull it off your neck to smell his whiskey-soaked breath.

“Just a little?” your brow curves up, giving him a questioning look.

“I swear it was just one drink.”

“One hell of a drink.”

“I had a long day, sweetheart.”

“I had a long day too, Joe. You could've called. We could've unwound together.”

“I'm here now, am I?” he licks his lips and squeezes at the curve of your hip with one hand, as the other slips beneath the opening of your robe along your bust line to palm your breast. His touch is delicate despite the urgency and need of his starved hand. His thumb draws circles around your nipple, easily perking up. You curl one arm around his neck and swallow as his lips brush the top of your breasts. Unable to resist his caress, you close your eyes and sigh, letting him play with you however he pleases. He tugs at the fabric, opening it wider to expose your chest, as his lips slide to the opposite side. This time, he sucks the hard peek into his mouth, having his ample palm cupping the underside.

His deep hum penetrates your skin, making your core ache for some attention. You mumble his name, and suddenly his hand moves from your chest to undo the delicate laces keeping your robe tied at your waist. He releases your nipple and glances down as the fabric falls from your skin, exposing the rest of your bare body.

“You're more beautiful with every passing day, birdie,” he exhales with longing, as his fingers glide up your thigh, “I don't deserve you.”

You shake your head, hold his jaw again, and tentatively lean your face closer to capture his alluring lips. As you kiss him, you notice his bulge growing on the side of your thigh as his hand reaches the crux between your legs. He parts them wider and tenderly massages your vulva, stirring your arousal.

Blindly fumbling, you undo his tie and open the buttons of his shirt. Your palms meet his undershirt as one of his fingers becomes more playful, focusing on your swollen nub.

Moaning at his name, your legs tremble at the steady, relentless rub against those sensitive nerves. You break the kiss but stay painfully close to his lips, sharing the same air as him. You shut your eyes and hold on to his neck as his fingers slip between your folds into your opening. He uses two of them to collect your arousal and drive you into madness. Sometimes you don’t recognize the sounds that come out of your mouth when he touches you like that. He’s the only one who’s ever cared for your body in this lewd manner that you didn’t know existed. Touching the right buttons, and slipping in and out repeatedly, he soon has your toes curling, head spinning, and your core melting until you're utterly soaked to your thighs.

You take a moment to compose yourself before returning the favor. You’re going to hell already, so you kiss him again and slither between his legs to kneel on the floor and take him in your mouth. There’s a wet stain of your essence on the leg of his pants when you open his belt and zipper, he gazes at it, and playfully smiles at you and swipes his thumb across your lips as you palm his length. He said it earlier, he doesn’t deserve you, alright. You probably don’t deserve him, either, because no honest woman would dare to do what you’re about to endeavor; and perhaps that’s the reason he won’t marry you. You're already spoiled.

Holding the underside of his hardness, you bring your mouth closer, plant a kiss above your thumb, and drag your lips up to the flared tip of his erection. Keeping your eyes down, you stick out your tongue and wet his delicate skin all around a few times before wrapping your lips around him. He lets his head fall back against the couch as his dick jerks on its own in your fist with every little touch you grant him until he’s firmly secured in your mouth. His fingers tangle your hair as your head bobs, having your mouth sucking him with such passion, earning you delightful grunts in between faltered breaths and purrs he lets out at your name. It makes you shamefully wet again as you swallow him whole and have his seed spilled at the back of your throat. It’s an acquired taste you’ve grown used to, like coffee. You were never partial to it until recently. Much like Joe, you can’t live with either now.

[everyhowlmarksthedead]

Now and forevermore.

DIN DJARIN. ┃ THE MANDALORIAN.

❝ words: about 2.6k

❝ warnings: nsfw, oral sex, unprotected sex, mention of bodily fluids, (spoilers of season 2 finale), softie din and fuck the canon, we love the Razor Crest.

❝ a / n: this work wasn’t supposed to be this long, but well… As always, feedback is appreciated!

Gif credits to the author.

MASTERLIST. ⎢ MULTIFANDOM TAG LIST.

When you found the Razor Crest at the spaceport this morning, you felt some tickles within your belly inevitably. You met Mando about a year ago in your first shift working for Peli in Tatooine and you could consider him as a friend since then. You have hadn't many talks, but he has spent more time watching you fix some parts of his ship than you can count; even, sometimes, he has brought you some presents from other planets from the Galaxy. Always followed by that little green creature, who usually ends up stealing your cookies. So you have been waiting for them the whole day until the night has fallen over the city.

After getting rid of all the excuses to stay a little more at the workshop, you have to leave to not arouse suspicion, much to your regret. And yet, you make a detour instead of taking the short way back to your home as every day. Walking slowly, eyes traveling all around. But nothing. The tightness in your chest grows as you reach your place, letting out a sigh whilst opening the gate to come in.

The lights switch-on as you walk through the small stoned hallway to the living room, stopping half-way when you notice a strange smoky smell. It doesn't disgust you, but it's not a scent you have smelled before in your house. On a defense posture, you grab the knife from the holster around your right thigh raising it to your eye level. Quietly, you stick your head out through the arched door to the kitchen. Hearing soft snoring coming from the living room, you try to keep calm, securing your fingers around the knife handle somewhat better. Following the noise, step by step, you can glimpse a man lying on the sofa in the middle of the gloom.

A forearm covers his eyes, but you're sure he is sleeping. It's unbelievable that someone breaks into your house to steal and he decides to take a nap. Narrowing your eyes to try to sharpen your vision looking for some weapons, you're almost on him. There's anything that could be a threat to your life, acting quickly to press the edged blade against his neck. The man snaps his eyes open. Two brown orbs that don't show surprise, nor fear. But relief in a fleeting sparkle that wrings your heart.

“If you move, I'll slit your throat”. You hiss nailing a knee on the edge of the sofa. “Who are you?”

He doesn't articulate a word. His face talks for him. As you study his thin lips, traveling your gaze slowly to the convex bridge of his nose, the pressure against his neck by your knife loosens. You are starting to feel as if you had seen this man before, but you don't remember his face, nor his clothes. Licking your teeth as your eyes fall on his, your left-hand lands on his chest.

“Man— Mando?” You ask disconcerted.

His fingers tour your forearm in slow motion to reach the handle of your knife, still close to his throat. He removes it from your hand to throw it somewhere on the floor causing a metallic noise, while his digits continue to your shoulder up to the back of your neck. You are not going to ask why he isn't wearing his helmet or his beskar. You are not going to ask about the little creature. You have heard stories, rumors about a Jedi and the Force.

He makes your lips crash before you can even assimilate his presence in your house, closing your fingers in a fist grabbing the fabric of his shirt among them. You're not disgusted, discovering so many emotions in the way his mouth devours yours. Fury and rage, loneliness and anguish. But hope and love. You can't help but gasp breathlessly when you need to break the kiss for an instant, not being able to open your eyes. You pepper his nose with sweet light touches, finally pressing your lips on his forehead. Just what he needed.

“I am sorry…”

“So am I”. He murmurs sinking his face into your neck, wrapping his arms around your middle-back.

“How can I help you? What can I do for you?” As your voice becomes lower, your tone turns more soothing.

“Could you…?” Feeling the hesitation through his throat, you cup his warm cheeks into your palms to force him to look at you under the gloom. “Could you love me like I do?”

You'd be lying if you say that that question has taken you by surprise. You know a lot about Mandalorians and, definitely, they don't act normally like acts with you. Without taking into account that he'd go anywhere, but he is there, urging you to sit on top of him a second before capturing his lips with yours. His hands start a slow dance down by your backbone, separating themselves to roll your shirt up over your head and toss it somewhere. Your mouths get clung to each other, as soon as he does the same with his, starting to feel anxious for feeling him skin against skin.

Securing your arms around his neck, Mando stands up from the sofa urging you to keep your legs wrapping his waist. Your lungs learn to breathe in sync before you reach your bed, not questioning how he knows where it is. You're too busy tasting his tongue playing with yours, tangling your fingers on his scalp —until you're interrupted when he stumbles, falling over the mattress. You giggle. So does he. And you can swear you haven't heard anything more wonderful in your short life. You could spend your time just hearing him laugh, not worried about if the whole space wants to fall apart.

With him settling himself better between your legs, the heat increases the temperature of your body, biting your bottom lip when Mando trails a path of wet kisses down your clavicle, leaving a soft bite in one of your breasts to steal you a needed moan. You don't know about how relationships work for the Mandalorians, but he knows exactly what to do to put you to beg for his touches. His opened-mouth kisses get concentrated all over your belly, while his hands make their way to unbutton your pants after looking at you to ask you for permission in silence. And you don't have to answer. You want him as much as he wants you. Heel against heel, you remove your boots to make it easy for him to pull down the rough piece of clothing.

Thereupon, Mando gets up from your bed to strip himself from the clothes still covering him. You haven't been with many men, but you can assure that he's the most perfect man ever. As he kneels over the mattress, he leans down to get rid of the thin fabric that covers his most desired treasure. Exposed to him, feeling the same sensation of trusting and loyalty mixed dancing all around your dorm, he lies down between your legs to place them over his shoulders. Spreading sweet short kisses on your inner thighs, weaving from one to the other, until reaching your warm core. As his left-hand stays on your pelvis to pin you to the bed, his two longer digits make their way to your lips. And you welcome them to suck both wet. His brown eyes are enraptured on how you lick and taste them, using them to please you when he knows you're ready.

Curving his digits and sliding them slowly into your soaked cunt, his mouth goes straight to your most sensitive spot. Mando plays with your clit using the tip of his tongue, swirling it masterfully, as his fingers drive you insane with a back and forth dance constantly. Soon, your moans fill the stance, feeling sparkles within your stomach when the pace speeds up. His fingers pound you faster, as he becomes more and more addicted to the pleasing vocals that escape your throat uncontrollably, whilst his lips suck and put some more pressure on your swollen pearl. For him, you taste better than water after a week wandering in the desert. Better than any food he has ever tried.

You can't help but tangle your hands on his smooth curls, trying to push him away the moment you feel you could fall to the edge. You desire him more than anything in this universe and you don't want to be the only one experimenting with such a pleasure. Mando raises his head. His lips shining impregnated in your delicious juices, as he licks them more than delighted, watching you breathless barely moving.

“Tell me what you want”. He hums with a husky tone of voice that could be your perdition, bringing back his mouth to your skin, trailing a path of kisses up through your abdomen.

“I want you”. You beg in an erratic whisper, placing your legs around his waist as he comes closer to lie on top of you. “I want you, Mando, now and forevermore”.

He flashes a smile at you, putting away his huge and anxious hands from your thighs. His left travel among your bodies, whilst the right lands on your throat to hold it tightly. You can feel his hardness dangerously coming to your center, as he urges you to tilt your head to a side so he can peck your jaw with sloppy kisses till reaching your ear.

“I want you to call me Din”. He murmurs causing you to gasp and nod with your chin.

And he doesn't give you time to respond, when —with a sharp blow— he buries deep inside you all his length. You howl his real name from the most recondite place of your guts, feeling fully filled. He's big. More than you could expect. And Din is extremely impatient for marking his territory in your body, for making you his, for showing you all the love and the adoration he has been dealing with since the very first moment he laid his charming brown eyes on you.

“Gar cuyir mesh'la”. Mando repeats once and again into your ear, as he waits for you to adjust to him. The last thing he wants is to hurt you, to feel uncomfortable.

You don't talk Mando'a, but you have heard some words here and there, so you understand what he is uttering with a sweet raspy voice as your nails continue scratching his back; studying every scar that covers his skin, wanting to memorize them, wanting to comfort him somehow. Placing your right on the back of his neck, you look for his lips feeling thirsty for his saliva again and making him know you're more than ready for him.

His free arm surrounds your waist, as his digits continue tangled to your throat, before starting to swing his hips. Din pulls his hard cock almost out of your wetness, just to thrust your body again. He has the imperious urgency for hearing you moaning his name, and you do. You do without the necessity of being asked for, while he digs himself among your legs once and once. At first, both wanted to take your time, enjoy every touch, every kiss (...), but the two of you know it isn't going to be possible as you feel the electrified pleasure running through your bodies like never before. No one —not in this planet, not in the whole Galaxy, nowhere— could make you feel this good.

“Din… Din… Oh, Din!” You cry out digging your fingertips in his skin.

He shoves his full hard length to your soul not showing any mercy to your body, sinking his nose in your skin to bite it, pull it back and suck it strongly. Mando has been craving you for months now, not being able to control his impulses, grunting in the almost forgotten language against your neck. The sparkles within your belly are turning into fireworks, as both can barely breathe submerged in a bubble of heat and satisfaction you can't explain.

Somehow, Din maneuvers your bodies to put you on top of him without breaking the connection. You place your hands on his warm chest, as his hands go to your hips to urge to bounce on him. He's trying to breathe through his parted lips, keeping eye contact, while uttering your name between wrecked roars. And you can't help but swing your body over his, arching your back to find more pleasure every time his twitching dick is dug into your wetness. Not knowing how much you can take without succumbing to the fire growing inside you, your dance skyrocketed.

“That's it, cyar'ika…” Din growls, nailing his fingers in your hips a little tightly, closing his eyelids strongly, focusing on every move you do. “For all the stars… you're going to kill me… You take me so good…”

You can't even form a sentence with sense, leaning down to catch his lips with yours. He devours your mouth eager and hungry of you, tangling a hand on your hair to push you closer as he rocks his body in perfect harmony. Pearls of sweat start to appear on your foreheads, around your necks; the heat continues increasing by leaps and bounds, feeling your cunt clenching around his most sensitive skin almost suffocating him.

“I'm… I'm gon— Oh, Din… please”. You whimper while he nibbles your bottom lip, feeling the same shivers down his chest to concentrate on his lower abdomen.

“I got you, cyar'ika… I got you”. He simply murmurs brushing your lips with his.

With his arms wrapping your body, turning you back down, his thrusts become violent. Mando hits your anatomy ruthless and impatient for making you reach the longed-for orgasm, overstimulating your g-spot as much as he can. In a second, he suddenly steals the air of your lungs. He causes your legs to tremble, as you cry out his name surrendering your soul and body to the purest ecstasy you have ever experienced. Saying that he is satisfied with watching you stirring over the sheets would be insufficient.

Din lies on top of you, not stopping his rough lungs to your cunt, reaching your ear too easily. “I'm going to�� make you feel even better”.

That isn't a promise. Is a fact.

He doesn't need much more to demonstrate it to you, spilling his seed inside your guts. Din presses his dick to your limits as strongly as he can, pinning you to the mattress with a wreck howl stuck on his throat feeling your fire burning him down. Reaching perfection. Feeling alive for the first time in too many years. Although he collapses over you, he doesn't lose the hold applied inside you. He needs to be right there for a little more. Connected to you.

While you try to come back to reality, he spreads gentle and exhausted kisses all over your collarbone and over every hickey drawn on your neck.

“Din…” You call him out of energy.

“Uh-huh?”

“How do you say I love you?”

He remains in silence for a second, trying to figure out why you want to know it, even if it is pretty obvious.

Tilting his head enough to lay his eyes on yours, he caresses the tip of your nose with his. “Ni kar'tayl gar darasuum”.

“Ni kar'tayl gar darasuum”. You reply then, doing your best to imitate the strange accent, causing him to chuckle.

“You need to practice”.

“Will you teach me?”

Hearing that question, knowing what you really want to mean, Din pulls his semi-hard cock from you making you moan somewhat low. As he lies on the side, he doesn't lose time cuddling you between his arms in holy silence. He doesn't need to reply, you know the answer.

From now and forevermore he is yours and you are his.

[theres-an-impulstor-among-us]

If you are still taking requests could I get Vex for Cub and Scar?

VEX LORE! 

Requests are still open! Please read pinned post before requesting. 

...

  Groaning, Cub sits up, clutching his head in pain. The vex artefact that used to be in the container in front of him is no longer there. Instead, the top has been blown off and the rest of the interior is blackened from the explosion. Way down here in his secret cave laboratory, nobody should have heard it. Thank goodness. 

  As Cub uses the cave wall to pull himself to his feet, he glances around and his heart skips a beat when he spots his best friend and partner in crime lying motionless a few blocks away from him. 

  “Scar!” 

  Cub throws himself down by Scar’s side and frantically checks him over. He’s breathing and he has a pulse, but there’s something different about him now. The veins in his neck are more prominent and they’re blue, and his whole body has a glowy blue kind of look to it. 

  “Scar, wake up,” Cub urges, unable to keep the fear out of his voice. “Scar!”

  Finally, Scar stirs and his eyes slowly open. “Cub…?”

  “Oh, thank god… A-Are you okay, Scar?”

  Cub helps his best friend sit up. He’s squinting and blinking a lot, as if coming from a dark room out into the bright sunshine. “My head hurts a lot. So does my back, for some reason.” 

  “Okay, let’s get you back up to the surface; you need to rest. Can you stand?” 

  “I think so.”

  Cub offers his arm to Scar, who uses it as a support to get to his feet. However, before they can move from there, Cub catches sight of something that causes him to back away several steps, eyes wide. 

  Scar doesn’t notice this. “My back feels so weird. Like it’s itchy but kinda not at the same time? Dunno if that makes sense. But I don’t think I can reach the spot that-.”

  “Scar…”

  The pure fear in Cub’s voice causes Scar to freeze. In all their years of being best friends, Scar has never heard Cub sound so scared. 

  “W-What?” Scar asks nervously. 

  Cub simply lifts a trembling finger and points directly at him. 

  As more pain flares up in his back, Scar automatically reaches behind him to rub the place on his back that hurts but to his shock, he finds something protruding from there. 

  “C-Cub?” he stammers, trying not to panic. “What… What’s in my b-back…?” 

  “Buddy…” Cub clears his throat, hardly able to speak. “Y-You’re a… a…” 

  Stumbling like a newborn foal, Scar rushes over to the pool of water in the corner of the cave lab and looks down at his reflection. His heart freezes as he spots what was causing Cub’s reaction. 

  Protruding from Scar’s back is a large pair of vex wings. 

  “I-I’m a vex,” he gasps quietly. “Oh my god, I’m a vex. I-I’M A VEX!” 

  Cub finally jolts himself into action and dashes across the cave to comfort Scar as his friend freaks out. “Scar! Calm down, buddy, it’s okay. It’s okay, Scar!” 

  “IT’S NOT OKAY I HAVE WINGS CUB I HAVE VEX WINGS AND MY HANDS ARE GLOWING AND OH MY GOD CUB MY HANDS ARE GLOWING WHAT THE HELL WHY ARE MY HANDS GLOWING-”

  Cub skilfully captures Scar’s flailing hands and holds them tightly between them, only just noticing that they are indeed glowing blue. He continues repeating Scar’s name comfortingly until his best friend finally calms down. 

  “Breathe, Scar,” Cub says soothingly. “Breathe.”

  Scar obeys, and his hands slowly lose their blue glow. 

  “What’s going on, Cub?” Scar demands. “Wh-Why do I suddenly have vex wings? And why am I glowing blue?”

  “Well… it looks like those experiments we were doing backfired somewhat and turned you into a vex.���

  “Okay…” Scar takes a minute or so to process this information. “Okay, so I’m a vex. A real vex. I have vex wings and that glowing blue is vex magic, correct?”

  Cub slowly nods. “Yeah. Scar, I’m so sorry, buddy. I had no idea this would happen.”

  “No no, it’s okay,” Scar responds. “It was partly my fault. And hey, this is pretty cool, right? Can I fly?”

  “Probably,” says Cub. “I… wouldn’t know for certain.” 

  “Oh man, I gotta go try it out!”

  As Scar moves, Cub grabs his wrist and pulls him back. “Scar, don’t. Don’t tell anyone about this yet, okay?”

  Scar frowns at him. “Why not?”

  Cub hesitates. “I just… These experiments weren’t exactly… legal, for lack of a better word. Before we know exactly what happened and why, we should keep this to ourselves. I don’t want you to get hurt.”

  “Aw… alright, I guess.”

  Scar looks so downtrodden that Cub can’t help a sigh. “Okay, look. Go back upstairs and get some rest. I’ll start running some tests on you first thing tomorrow, alright?”

  This makes Scar perk up a bit. “Okay. Thanks, Cub!”

  “N-No problem…”

  Cub watches Scar go, then makes his way back to the pond and kneels down beside it. Taking a deep breath, he extends his own vex wings and gently washes them in the cool water. He keeps looking over his shoulder to check if Scar is coming back, but there’s no further sign of him. 

  A large part of Cub feels guilty about continuing to hide this from Scar, especially now that his best friend has become a vex as well. But he knows that for now at least, it’s the best option. Scar is still a newborn vex, so to speak. As he gets older, Cub might be able to tell him more about their world. And he’s hoping that both of them now being vexes will bridge the gap that Cub’s always seen between them. 

  It seems that the ConVex’s name just became a little more apt. 

[slimesidian]

I know this is like the third ask you've gotten from me in like the past week, but I'm also a sucker for y'all's art and headcanons.

Got anything for Cubfan?

I have let this sit in my inbox for like at least 2 months and it's because I did not know where to go I'm so sorry lol.

This is gonna be really long because I'm gonna be getting into Vex headcanon territory. It also has my Scar headcanons sprinkled in because it's hard to talk about Cub without talking about Scar.

Most of this is lore since I don't watch Cub nearly enough to form more headcanons for him. That's not to say I don't watch him because I do just, I watch other Hermits more ya know

-Mod Slime

Vex Lore

So to begin. The Vex we see in MC aren't the true Vex. They are more like henchmen, or even true Vex split up into smaller forms. 

The Vex have servants, dubbed "ConVex", and there are a few ways they obtain these servants. Sometimes the ConVex come to the Vex, seeking knowledge and getting nothing in return.

Other times, the Vex will kidnap unsuspecting players and force them into the role. Players who try to escape usually end up killed. Players who are resistant deal with severe memory removal. Other Players can be bought for diamonds and cake as if they're nothing but an object.

ConVex can use Vex magic, but most aren't allowed to. Vex and ConVex can also have a mental bond which leads to sharing magic, among other things(this comes back).

Vex can also have Player disguises(like Scar), which makes luring away and kidnapping unsuspecting Players easier.

Pre-Hermitcraft

Long before Hermitcraft, or even before meeting Scar, Cub was a ConVex with no memories of his life before. He was completely human at the time, and he was in a state where he couldn't really do anything for himself.

Then Scar showed up, offering to serve the same Vex that Cub had served. At the time, Cub thought Scar was a regular Player like himself, and Scar presented himself as such.

The two didn't talk a lot at first, but whenever they did, the conversations were initiated by Scar, who was trying to learn more about Cub.

For the start of this, Cub's answers tended to not be his own, but eventually he did start opening up to Scar and eventually Scar started using healing magic on Cub's wounds(the Vex punished him a lot). 

Now, Cub had never seen a Player with magic, let alone a ConVex. And he could tell it was definitely Vex magic, which confused him because Vex don't teach ConVex about their magic.

Scar claimed that his Vex did teach him, though. They wanted him to be able to defend himself. He shows off some of his magic and Cub is in awe because he never imagined that Players could access this kind of magic.

He asked Scar if he could teach him, and Scar said he would one day, but he couldn't yet. 

The two eventually get into a conversation about Scar's Vex and it leads to him talking about how they let him leave the mansion and that he could come back if he wanted to.

This led to discussing the free will that most ConVex aren't allowed and that's when the Vex intervened, angry that their newer ConVex was ""tainting"" Cub. 

Of course, Cub was actually terrified for what felt like the first time in a while(he just doesn't remember the previous times). Scar ran over and held him close, and accidentally revealed his true form due to the raw emotions that came from seeing his new friend hurt.

This leads to Scar paying for the Vex to leave Cub alone.

At this point, Scar takes Cub to his mansion, and heals him up. 

Cub does remember Scar's true form, and how he saved him despite being a Vex. 

The two pretty much become roommates, living together in the mansion and talking about whatever. Scar teaches Cub how to use magic and it's really sweet.

Eventually, Scar admits that he's struggling with splitting ways with Cub. He doesn't want to force him to stay, he'd be no better than the Vex, but he also doesn't wanna lose his first real friend.

The two come to a mutual decision for Cub to become Scar's ConVex, but unlike how it had been with the last Vex, this relationship was only to be mutually beneficial.

Due to the mental link the two shared doing this, they started slowly becoming more like the others' species. Scar needed to eat and sleep like a Player, and Cub was getting a better hold of magic + a pair of Vex wings.

It was apparent that the two of them were also beginning to share magic. As in, if one of them has more magic, the other has less.

Eventually the two of them decide to leave the mansion and explore, hoping to find a home that actually suits them. 

This leads to Cub having to help Scar adjust to being a Player, and Scar having to help Cub stabilize his magic. This also leads to their duo becoming a trio, as Scar finds and befriends a cat. Yes that cat is Jellie.

Eventually they decide to try and explore a different world, which leads them to realizing they don't have communicators and are going to need some. 

Cue them ending up at a world hub(portal at spawn, no need for comm) and trying to find someone who can help them get new comms.

This results in them meeting one of the soon to be Kingdomcrafters. Aka, this is how the two of them meet Iskall. The two ask Iskall if they know how to make communicators, and they do but they can't make new ones. 

This leads to the duo getting temporary comms until they can get more permanent ones. 

Iskall notices how their outfits are rundown and offers to show them around and take them to a shopping area to get new clothes.

This may or may not lead to them meeting a few of the other soon to be Kingdomcrafters, specifically Ren and Wels. 

(This part is kinda blurry in my mind but the 5 of them end up becoming friends and end up being all part of KC together until they go to HC)

Hermitcraft

(I have only watched HC7 and have vague knowledge of HC6 n HC5 so we are skipping a lot here, I will only list the notable stuff)

There’s a reason the two of them forgot what they did in S5, and it’s because Scar used his magic to put a curse on the Vex masks. It pretty much locked their memories of what they did in S5 behind said masks, and they only remembered it if they put it on. This was mostly to keep a balance on their magic. 

The two’s power imbalance makes certain magic take a weird toll on their bodies. This explains the reason Cub appeared more Vex like during Demise while Scar didn’t. Scar had less of the shared magic at the time and thus it did not mess with him as negatively.

General

Despite his Vex trauma, Cub has definitely coped better with it then most would. He finds comfort in being able to use the magic of the very things that tormented him. It's like reclaiming a part of himself that was stolen.

He's definitely the only one of the mayoral trio that had an office that was properly cleaned. 

When Scar needs a break from things, Cub tends to become Jellie's prime caregiver. To be fair she wanders around a lot even when Scar isn't taking a break, but Cub knows he'd freak if Jellie was left unattended.

During the base swap, Cub temporarily grew in goat horns. Sadly they're gone now, but he still has fluffy ears! And they're blue because of his magic so that's even better!!

[xoxo-ren-xoxo]

asking about your convex serial killer au

you've activated my trap card!!!

convexian serial killer au is constantly rotating in my mind and I am going to explain it because I neeeeed more people to ask me questions about it. It's another au I have been constructing with @angeart my enabler and friend. And it makes me insane <3

CW: obviously I will be talking about murder, but also torture, some gore, kidnapping, manipulation, and cannibalism. And also there's a lot of throwing up. Sorry.

Also this au is notably darker and more immoral than my usual stuff. They kill people and have fun doing it!! And I don't really punish them for it! Be warned! Explanation begins below the cut :)

So, Scar and Cub are serial killers who have been moving from city to city for a while now. They currently live in a houseshare situation with Grian, sharing his spare bedroom and helping him pay rent. Now, Grian is a pretty normal guy, he doesn't know about the murders which take place in his own house.

Generally, Scar and Cub will kidnap their victims, bring them to the house, tie them up and kill them. Scar likes taunting and messing with the victims while Cub has a fascination with anatomy and dissection. Cub is the one who cleans up and covers their tracks, too.

Obviously, if they just murdered people in Grian's kitchen, Grian would notice, but they specifically chose to live with Grian because Grian's job (architect) means he's away from home in other cities for days on end. So they kill people while he's away and clean up before he gets back. It's a comfortable arrangement.

Until, of course, one day Grian comes home earlier than he said he would, and finds Scar and Cub in the middle of a kill. He's frozen to the spot as he watches Cub quickly slit the victim's throat. Scar approaches him, trying to shift his focus, but Grian is basically in shock.

Cub and Scar don't want to kill Grian for several reasons. 1. they think he's cute. 2. rent is cheap. 3. they're in a good location right now and don't want to move. So, while Grian is still kind of buffering, panicking internally but to terrified to do anything externally, Scar guides him to his room and mumbles somewhat comforting things to Grian until he passes out.

The next morning, Grian is convinced it was a dream. The kitchen is spotless. Scar makes him breakfast. He still feels like he's in shock. Cub confirms that it was not, in fact, a dream, by bringing it up, and Grian throws up in the sink.

So, you'd think Grian would call the police or something, right? Wrong! He's a freak! Okay, okay, that's a little mean. He's still in shock and somewhat disbelieving that his sweet, polite, (attractive), kind housemates could possibly hurt anyone. And... if he's being honest, seeing the light leave the victim's eyes yesterday kind of gave him a rush of adrenaline- a thrill he hasn't felt before.

As I say, he's a freak.

Grian is careful, cautious as Scar and Cub explain why they don't want him dead, so long as he doesn't try to report them. They can keep killing while Grian is away, so he never has to see it again. He can pretend it isn't happening!

But Grian doesn't want to pretend it isn't happening. He wants to be there. He wants to see it. When he tells Scar and Cub as much, their sharp smiles almost make him change his mind.

Things start... rocky. Grian is not built to witness graphic murder, especially when the victim is begging and pleading with him to help. The victims tend to be tied to a chair- one Grian keeps in the attic, because it doesn't fit the style of his kitchen. Grian, on the other hand, takes to sitting some distance away on a kitchen stool, by the sink, watching his housemates work.

For the first few times, Grian can't really watch at all. He's sick at least once each time, usually more. But... eventually, he can stand it.

He feels like something changed in his brain when he saw that first victim die. He knows he shouldn't be enjoying the gory display. He shouldn't enjoy the feeling of power he gets when the victims beg him to save them, and he refuses. But he does enjoy it. Just watching is enough for him.

Not to mention his housemates look really rather good covered in blood. More than a few times, he has dreams about them hurting him- about being one of their victims. It scares him, sure. This whole thing scares him. But it doesn't scare him as much as it should. And his rapidly beating heart is for more than just adrenaline.

Grian eventually starts acting as bait, luring in victims and taking them to a secondary location where Scar and Cub are waiting. As an avian, he's small (actually, small even for an avian) and unassuming, so most people trust him. At least compared to his human housemates, who have maybe a fifty percent success rate in luring people out.

Another thing Grian finds himself enjoying is pretending to be a victim, too. Making a big show of pleading with Scar and Cub to "not make him watch", leading the real victim to believe he's on their side.

He never is, obviously. It just makes things more satisfying when they realise.

Eventually, Grian starts sleeping in the same bed as Scar and Cub. He's particularly close with Scar, but Cub isn't the most outwardly affectionate person. Scar tells Grian one time that meeting someone Cub doesn't want to kill is rare enough on its own, let alone someone he actively likes. Their relationship doesn't really have a label, but they are partners.

Scar likes to ramble about what he would do if Grian was one of their victims- and one time Scar covers Grian in blood and viscera just to see what it looks like. The feeling of flesh and blood between his feathers makes Grian feel nauseous, but Scar running his hands through his wings makes up for it. It's gross. He showers like three times afterwards. But he loves it.

Anyway, they get on with life. There's also a turn to cannibalism later in the story. When they have their first avian victim, Scar goes on about how avians taste the best, and, well, Grian *has* to try, right?

He gets a little bit addicted. Don't worry about it.

Though you can ask me about that, if you want to hear. Also, other friends of Grian get involved in this in various ways: Mumbo, Jimmy, and Pearl. I'm sooo ready to rant about this au at any time so PLEASE if anyone reading this wants to hear more ASK MEEE.

That's all for now tho >:) hope you enjoyed

[hermits-that-craft]

Extraterrestrial Kidnappings

This Au was made by the marvellous @martuzzio​, go check out her Space Outlaws AU for more context!

TW - Kidnapping, brief references to torture

He didn’t know how it happened. 

The mission was going so smoothly before they got separated. Cub and Scar didn't think that it would happen, Xisuma had promised them that they would never be hurt by the Convex again. The Convex weren't even supposed to be there, it was just a quick mission -  nothing was out of place. There wasn't even supposed to be any fighting, thats why they let Scar come after all!

In the end, the hermits did get the information they were after, but Cub can't help but think that it was a bad trade. Is the information really worth giving him and Scar to the Convex?

Not that the hermits knew that Cub and Scar were going to end up with the Convex again. No, the hermits didn't know, couldn't have known. Cub wraps his arms around his legs, watching the door and blocking out the screams. It comes second nature now, blocking the screams out. Of course, the worst ones will always be the closest ones, but even still he can block them out. He only recognises on voice in the midst of it.

Scar's.

Even so, Cub blocks out Scar's screams. He has to, he knows that he has to, lest he loses himself to them. Still, it takes all of his strength not to rush out, to get Scar. He wouldn't make it to the door, not with the guards that stand by the door, watching his every move.

The door opens, and a grunt drags Scar into the room, dropping him off besides Cub. The two guards leave with the grunt and Cub shivers, pulling himself closer to Scar. Scar smiles, all cracked lips and black eyes. A small bruise is blooming on his cheek, but Cub smiles back. At least they have each other, again,

---

"How do we get them back? We don't even know what ship they're on." TFC says, worry crossing his face. He stands outside the medical bay with Xisuma, watching through the plexiglass as Stress patches up Iskall's arm, bandaging the shoulder. Tango sits in the room as well, a bandage on his leg. Xisuma sighs, looking up to TFC.

"I don't know, but we're going to find them." Xisuma swears. "We've had worse odds, we can find them."

"We had Scar then as well." False points out, walking into the corridor with Joe and Cleo.

"We're putting trackers in everyone once this is over." Cleo mumbles, and Joe snorts a little laugh. Ren, Keralis, Bdubs and Zedaph round the corner, talking to themselves quietly. 

"Is this the 'Get Cub and Scar back' meeting?" Ren asks, a hopeful smile on his face. "Or should we call off the message that I've already sent?"

"This is the 'Get The Boys Back' meeting." Cleo says, and TFC laughs, Xisuma's face filling with horror.

"TFC please-"

"Yeah the boys."

"Why? Why do you have to bring the dead memes back TFC it's been centuries." Xisuma sighs. 

Soon, the corridor is flooded with hermits, even Zloy and Pixl have made their way from one of the libraries to show up, books loaded in their arms. Stress, Iskall and Tango walk out of the medical bay, determination on their faces. Xisuma scans the room, looking at the faces filled with determination and fury at the loss of two of their own, and he smiles, his resolve hardening.

"Lets get them back." Xisuma says, making eye contact with Pixl. "What can you tell us about the Convex’s routes?"

---

Scar sits on the side of the lab. He's not really sitting, as he's chained to the wall, but it's better than standing chained to the wall, or kneeling. He watches in silence as Cub flits around the lab, occasionally grabbing something from the wall or a different bench. He's not entirely sure what Cub's building, neither of them are allowed to speak to the other, but he watches Cub anyways, trying to understand what's going on around him. The guard by his side leans against the wall, his hand resting on the gun attached to his hip, a clear threat not meant for him, but for Cub, who steals glances towards them occasionally. None of the guards, not the ones that stand by the door, nor the one that stands besides Scar, notice them, but Scar does, sending Cub small smiles. The smiles are supposed to reassure Cub, but they don't appear to be doing that. It's not really his fault, the bruises on his face sting and the cuts on his stomach and back have probably bled through the bandages. 

He hopes that they won't be given new convex suits. He doesn't want them. 

A guard walks over to Cub, taking whatever Cub's made from him before he walks out of the room, and Scar sends Cub a confused look. Cub doesn't see it, but Scar can imagine the shrug that Cub would send his way if he did see it. It's not their place to ask questions, not here, but Scar still has them. God, he hopes that Cub didn't make a weapon, not that he would have a choice in it.

At least they worked out that it wasn't Convex who had attacked them. Mercenaries had separated them from the hermits, going after their rewards. They mercenaries had even said that Cub and Scar should be happy that they were 'freeing them from the hermits', falling for the lies that the Convex had spread. Still, they are with the Convex now. Scar misses the hermits, but he can't think of that now. The hermits are in his past, thinking about them will only bring pain.

---

"So, with a large and happy heart, I am glad to inform everyone that these mercenaries have freed GoodtimeswithScar and Cubfan from the Hermits!" The convex spokeswoman smiles over the screen and Xisuma's face darkens, glaring at the screen. Mumbo frowns at the images that they display of Scar and Cub, bruises litter Scar's face and Cub looks tired, a red burn on his left cheek that definitely wasn't there the last time he was with the hermits. "They have clearly been hurt by the hermits, and we believe that they have been manipulated by the hermits and fallen for their propaganda, but soon they will be able to relax. We would like to thank everyone-"

"Turn it off, Mumbo." Xisuma says flatly. 

"But X-" Mumbo protests.

"Turn it off. Call Evil Xisuma."

Mumbo nods mutely, turning the broadcast off. Iskall glares at where the woman once was, and Tango's fire grows a bit before calming itself down. Mumbo adjust the dials on the large board, humming nervously to himself as he send off a call to Evil Xisuma.

"Hello hermits, what do you-"

"Scar and Cub have been captured by the Convex."

"We saw." Evil Xisuma nods to group, and Mumbo notices the fury in Badtimes' eyes, Hels patting his back comfortingly. "I assume the burn and the bruises aren't from you guys?"

"Of course not, why would you-"

"We'll help." Evil Xisuma smiles. "No charge, where do you want to meet?"

"Zloy and Pixl say that they're most likely at-"

---

Cub and Scar sit in the cell together, finally left alone. An explosion had sent the guards away from them, and though they know that they shouldn’t get their hopes up Cub can’t help but to hope that it’s the hermits

They sit up straighter as footsteps race across the hall. At least three people are running through the cells, stopping and opening doors as they go. Gunfire can be heard, though it’s too far away for it to be dangerous for the people in the hall. Someone makes their way to his door and Scar freezes, looking at the shadow underneath the door.

Cub and Scar watch as the door opens and Wels stands in front of them, his helmet on. They can’t contain their glee, and neither can Wels. It’s too good to be true, the hermits came for them, they aren’t going to be stuck with the Convex and-

“They’re here!” Wels yells, and suddenly there’s more people poking their head through the doors. Ren, Keralis and Badtimes all appear in the doorway and Cub stands, trying to get as close to them as he can before the chains stop him. Wels nods at him, walking to them and shooting the chains off at the wall.

“We’ll pick the lock on the Craft, okay?” Ren says and Scar nods, pulling Ren into a hug.

“Thank you for coming.” Scar mumbles.

“Lets’s blow this joint.” Badtimes’ voice barely contains his glee as he shows them the bomb in his hands.

---

Xisuma stands outside the medical bay as Stress flits around Cub and Scar. Cub’s burn is under layers of creams and bandages, but he refuses to leave Scar’s side as Stress patches him up. Small, fresh cuts wrap around the lucky hermit and Stress individually addresses each of them. Scar winces occasionally, talking with Stress and Cub. 

“So this isn’t going to happen again, right? Because I can’t risk my men every time mercenaries mix your team up.” Evil Xisuma teases, his voice light and joking.

“Oh, next time this happens we’ll make sure to plan it better.” Xisuma rolls his eyes. “And we’ll notify you beforehand.”

“I wonder how the Convex are going to play this off.” Pixl says, a smile on his face as he looks up from the conversation he was having with TFC. “I mean, it would be weird for you guys to ‘kidnap’ Scar and Cub again.”

“Maybe they’ll accuse Evil X of kidnapping them.” Zloy smirks. “That would make sense, right? He was there with his crew as well.”

“Or maybe Scar and Cub were killed in the fray and now people are stealing their identity.” Grian smirks. “Badtimes did have fun with those bombs after all.”

“Oh shut up.”

Xisuma laughs, relaxed and comfortable. Everyone is back where they're supposed to be, and they’ll deal with the Convex when they need to.

[ask-impure-vessel]

I don't know if this will reach you at the right moment in time Vessel but, peace friend, The Wyrm has already shown he cares for you greatly and you have done him no disservice or wrong. This may simply a matter too important to discuss elsewhere and His Majesty may be too caught up in his own troubles to understand the affect he has on you.

[Note: Frank discussion of anatomy, anxiety/panic attacks, unreality, post-traumatic stress, past abuse, suicide, disordered eating, self-harm, stuff about the Abyss with all that entails and other such unpleasantries. Strap in, folks!]

The vessel felt like their body was somewhere a few steps to the right and back of them. Their father said nothing as he led them down to the workshop.

You don’t understand. You don’t-

There’s a distant panic in Vessel’s voice. They still keep walking, they must. The order was given. Despite what happened in the Abyss, control still belongs to the Pale King.

It was as if nothing had changed at all.

For the first time, they begin to resent that. The workshop is the last place they want to be, for multiple reasons besides the temple that was to become their agonizing grave. This is not a place that holds any good memories for them, not a single one. 

They arrive in that darkened place, the birthplace of moulds, all thousand of them-700 kingsmoulds, 300 wingsmoulds-where Wyrm's research led to the vessels that rested in the infirmary and that walked into the room. The king shrugged off his silken robe, leaving on a shirt that still covered what was considered a decent amount in Hallownest, showing off the truth of his form; it had been a while and Vessel Hallow was shocked by the changes to his father's form.

He was a being of pure white carapace, plates with softer flesh between, especially around the joints; his skin was sunken, his belly not just thin but almost concave instead of convex. He looked a bit muscular, but mostly because he appeared to be starving. He was dull in color, the white often not as bright as it could be, looking almost dirty with a lack of nutrients to look glossy and nice. 

Wyrm could subsist on soul like a vessel, but that didn't mean it was pleasant for him to do so. He was much like other bugs in physicality, fueled by food, water and having to use the toilet to flush out what his body didn't use of those things. His genitals were internal, just like any bug, his shirt covered where that was hidden. 

His secondary set of arms were more visible now, as was the lower half he usually ambled upon: multiple legs and a long tail that terminated in a pointed end. His tail was thin, almost collapsed with the lack of care.

What was more alarming were the splotches of black. His hands were absolutely covered in it, just beyond the wrists but the lines that raced upwards were far more concerning. Void taint was a part of Hallow's body but for a pale being, such a sight promised long, lingering agony. The absolute rigid calm their father practiced suddenly became a lot more impressive.

It left Hallow in minor shock.

Father, are you dying? Have you already assured your death? Was it on purpose that you inflicted starvation and void poisoning upon yourself? I can think of few less painful, lingering deaths.

"Come. Please kneel so that I can more easily examine you and the changes to you." He activated the door seals and waited in a clear space.

<Father, I-> The vessel walked and knelt, words cutting off with anxiety.

Wyrm activated and checked on the seal on Hallow's mask. "Interesting, joining with the Lord of Shades didn't disengage this? I hadn't expected that. It must have been greatly weakened over the course of my rule and being forgotten. I had thought them already dead." He muttered and began to ghost fingers over the notches Hallow had. "Where did the Kingsoul go?"

That had been a question Hallow had been dreading.

A hand touched upon Hallow's chest. "There it is, if changed greatly at your breast. It became your core? Brace."

It was more warning than Hallow usually got; sharp pain radiated through their being, as something touched their heart.

<Father, it. It hurts.> The vessel gasped out. They were not words sufficient, but they were descriptive enough for their use.

"Please bear it a little longer. This is a very beautiful charm that has become your heart even if it is taboo to my being." 

The pain grew to shocking agony, then to a fading sensation, Hallow felt like their body was a distant, cut off thing.

<Father, please. Stop!> The vessel spoke in growing horror, fear and concern.

The Pale King was faced with a decision then-and let go of the charm. Sensation slowly returned and the vessel gasped on the floor, curling in on themself on the floor as mind and body reconnected. It was painful as the disruption the Pale King had inflicted and the vessel would have gagged if they could on the feelings of revulsion they now felt.

They instead wept on the floor, black tears falling onto the ground as they shivered and their mind turned to things they did there, the pale Wyrm unheeding to a child's pain in the terrible silence; the screams that echoed only through the void, the vessel capable only of displaying stiff trembling to their master. 

They recall the efforts to ensure they could learn magic. The painful process of 'installation' over being taught the theory that took place here. The studies that involved dying here and their shade. When the various seals were made on their shell and mask, the burning magic that had kept burning on their mask for days from them. They had done nothing but suffer in this room and this day had proven no different.

"Vessel, I. I'm sorry, that went too far." The king stroked their mask, making a soothing sound, a purr that Hallow hadn't heard before.

Hallow felt the dam burst and sat as they cried, for all the things they'd wanted and had never had. That Wyrm was holding them now, comforting them now, touching with loving intention rather than with cold intent of science or with violence. The feelings were somewhat positive, but many were bitter, some even bordered on hate and disgust that they didn't know what to do with. They had so many things to say, for themself, for the things that had been done to them and the things they'd missed out on. For the way their father had run away the moment their emotions had become known like a damnable coward. That had been a choice Hallow had been denied, they couldn't say no-yet this day, for the first time, they had asked for their father to stop.

And he had listened.

The Pale King let Hallow get out everything they'd needed to, to calm down and recover from… whatever it was that he'd been doing to them. <This one doesn't want to be experimented on again, or studied. This place, it brings back bad memories for it.> Hallow spoke, in a shaking mental voice. <It is painful for this vessel to be here.>

"Oh, Vessel. I had no idea it was that upsetting. Let's go to my study, then so you don't have to be here. You never have to come in here again." The King promised and led the shaking knight from that terrible place.

They settled down in a chair this time, the king likewise going seated. "I will apologize. That was too far, I needed to explain what I was doing and why-to ask for your permission. It's not easy to break old habits. I noticed you dropped first-person pronouns in your stress." He spoke frankly with sadness.

<This one supposes not. It felt like it was… dying.> Hallow shuddered. <Did you pull this vessel away to speak, or was it to satisfy that curiosity?> They asked tiredly.

"A bit of both, admittedly. To ask you how you're feeling, but that's… obvious, right now and is very much my doing." He sighed and leaned forward. "I'll have to be invasive one more time, I'm afraid but perhaps not this day, to let you recover. I need to set you free and I intend to."

<You'll… free this one from its bondage?> Hallow rephrased in mild disbelief. 

"Yes. As my final order in that bondage, for the rest of your life should something happen and I am unable to undo that binding-I order you to act of your own free will and feelings, as you see fit and judge is right. I relinquish control over your will and mind. There will need to be magic done to completely remove the binding, but it will no longer function."

<It will thank you, father once this one is wholly free.> Hallow spoke diplomatically. They couldn't exactly forgive him entirely yet if the harm was still there.

"I understand. You are a higher being now, truly. While you could read the language of the gods and make things function that are for gods, you didn't have a few aspects that would elevate you from a child of higher beings to purely one yourself. However, you do not have worshippers and as much distaste as I have for the god that was, that will need to change for your own health."

<That must be why the Lord of Shades said they were very, very starved. Speaking of, father. Why are you starved?> The vessel spoke pointedly. <This one believes they can ask some pointed questions and get answers in return. You owe it at least that much.>

"I. Eating is a currently disgusting endeavor to me. Certainly, I did like it once and ate but. Since the vessel project started, my. My enjoyment became nil." He replied honestly. "My shame steals the joy out of anything I do."

<You regret the choices you made?> 

"I do not regret having you for a child. I regret that I killed so many and the crimes committed against the siblings who didn't make it. I regret how I've treated you. I don't know if I could make it up to the survivors but I will at the least try for the time I have and make sure your siblings do not go through the struggles you did." The king chose his words carefully. "I believed I had no other recourse. No other choice that wouldn't see my people dead or entirely enslaved to the Old Light-but I do not think I deserve forgiveness for being a kinslayer, for my mistreatment of you. I have been something to you for sixteen years. Would have been that for two years more, so you could have your final moulting and complete your training. I would have nailed that armor to your carapace and left you to her tender mercies. In that, I was wrong. I intended to kill myself once I was sure my people were safe and could carry on in my absence."

<It knows. It realized that when it went down into the Abyss before becoming the Shade Lord.> The vessel spoke, voice thick with pain. <You're dying, aren't you father. That's why you don't mind sacrificing yourself to the Grimm Troupe either. You are dying and you want to die.>

"I've done too much to live or to allow myself the pleasures in living. The situation in Hallownest is my fault. Your pain is my fault. The many, many broken masks in the Abyss are my fault. I am a kinslayer, who committed infanticide of his own children. Even a god doesn't get forgiveness for those kinds of horrible actions. I deserve the suffering you children experienced. I deserve the deaths I visited upon the children I deemed not good enough. Yes. I am suffering void poisoning, it is an agony I bear constantly. My light holds it at bay enough that I can live five more years without drastic actions." He spoke bluntly.

<Did you poison yourself deliberately?>

"Exposure to void with proper protections isn't deadly. A bug can be scarred by void without dying, in fact the exposure can have beneficial effects such as on the ageless mask maker. Void poisoning in mild cases caught early enough is treatable. So I suppose yes. I did that to myself deliberately." He spoke numbly. "It's… actually a relief to admit that. I wasn't expecting that."

<It's not treatable now. You're dying. How long do you have left?> Hallow felt like the ground was opening beneath their feet.

"No, even I will succumb to a case this severe having gone on this long. Five to seven years, depending." Wyrm spoke clinically. "Your mother doesn't know, but she's not very curious and finds my company odious these days. I don't want her to know."

<You aren't the only one. Would you die as a member of the Grimm Troupe?> Hallow pondered.

"No, time is frozen in a sense for a member of the Troupe. As a sacrifice, my original body would likely be immolated, the presence of void cast out as anathema to it as well. It's not got a will of its own so expelling it for the Nightmare Heart would be doable. It's just not for me between having a corpus much closer to mortal form and my diminishment as a god." 

Hallow rubbed a hand over their chest. <Father, please free this vessel today. Now.> It was firm. <This vessel just wants to love you as themself. Not as your property, as your child. Whatever you have done, it does not know if it can forgive, but love. Love is something this vessel has always been able to give.>

The first time Hallow had ever demanded anything for themself and only themself.

Tears came from the king's eyes. "As you wish, Lord of Shades my child."

The bindings lit up as the king touched, claws digging into the mask with a strange sensation that felt like it should hurt but didn't. The light burned, the mark burned. But the claws were quick, chanting even and fast. Soul pooled around the king's hands. 

The chains broke and Hallow felt a weight come off, something they hadn't realized had been there for a very long time. The remnants would be there, like an invisible scar until they moulted, but then-then it would be gone.

It would take time for them to understand what they'd gained and lost at once. <Today I learned that this one's father is not brave. Please. Please live. Even if your crimes are too much for your heart to bear. Stop running away. Please. Face what you have done, face us who you have wronged. It's not too late.>

 "...I can try. I love you, my child." He touched foreheads with Hallow, a familial kiss. "For all you vessels, I will try. I don't know how anymore, but I can still learn."

Hallow is not an adult. They are, however, now free of their father's chains.

[justletmeplayminecraft]

so that cute clip i posted of scar and wels? angst brain went brrrr.

scar has his reckoning. wels is the unlucky target. i’ve left it ambiguous whether or not it’s really scar, that’s up to your interpretation. also briefly mentions the wels backstory i wrote up, you don’t need it to understand this though.

featuring: scar can and will use his mayor powers for evil, he also has some scary magic that he uses on wels, wels cannot shut up to save his life, please stop him, there’s no comfort but its a fairly open ending, scar finds his enforcer through less conventional means.

warnings: using magic to physically control & hurt others, abuse of authority (kinda??), possession (if you read it that way), threatening someone with their past trauma, just big evil scar vibes.

also posted on ao3!

"Scar!" Wels steps through the large, open doorway of the town hall. Scar's called him here, on 'official mayoral business' or something. Really, it's been awhile since they've just had time to hang. Scar's in a different area of the server, plus he's busy with being the mayor and whatever Grian's doing in the Nether. Whilst Wels is still trying to catch up on the time he lost.

"Ah, Wels. You made it." Wels has to look up to see the source of the booming voice. Scar is nestled on the diamonds, his legs folded as he lounges on an arm. The throne sparkles in the sunlight, lighting the hall up with a blue shine. Wels has to say, it's an impressive sight. If a little conceited.

"Hey, man." Wels holds his hand up in greeting. "What did you want to meet me about?"

"I'm sure you remember your... Infraction, correct?" Scar sits forward, pressing his hands on his knees. Wels smirks.

"You mean your list?" He teases. "I thought you were joking about that." Scar's eyes narrow, a hint of annoyance on his face. That expression doesn't look right on Scar. Wels is about to apologise, but Scar speaks first.

"Well, the reckoning has begun. Kneel, Wels." Wels raises his hand very slightly.

"What? Seriously, Scar?" His voice comes out flat. Scar's eyes flash bright blue.

"Kneel, Wels." Wels feels the air shift, something magical stirring. He opens his mouth to counteract it but it sends a shock through him, the magic overpowering his own with ease. His body moves without him controlling it, getting down on one knee and bowing his head. He tries to tense his shoulders, wiggle his fingers- there's nothing. He's completely cut off from his own body.

He doesn't think this is Vex magic. He remembers his cathedral, only two worlds ago. The very air felt electric in there. Everything the Convex touched had the energy of a charged creeper. No, this magic is cold. A numbing sheet laid across his body, disconnecting it from his thoughts. Like a diamond in the shade. Wels' wordsmithing doesn't have such a chill. Scar was trying magic at the start of the season, wasn't he? Those crystals... This is no magic he's seen before. He shivers involuntarily. He barely feels himself doing it.

"There's a good knight." Wels scowls at the mocking tone. Scar sounds so pleased with himself. "Oh, you can look at me." His voice is brighter, but still dipped in power. Wels looks up, meeting glowing blue eyes.

"What is this?" He asks. He tries to keep his nervousness from his voice. Scar holds his hands out, refolding his legs.

"It's a neat trick I've learnt! Don't you think?"

"It's pretty cool," he replies, slightly hesitant. "Now let me go. You've made your point." Scar's laugh makes Wels jump slightly.

"My point? Please, this is just to keep you in one place." Wels watches him closely, clenching his jaw. "Oh, no, I'm here to offer you an ultimatum. An offer you can't refuse."

Wels' voice is dry, "Really?"

"You don't have to sound so enthusiastic about it." Scar rests his chin on his fist, looking down at Wels with a smug smile. "It's simple, really. You accept the punishment for your transgressions. I've already got it all thought out. That's all you have to do."

"And what if I don't?" Wels asks, testing.

"Well-" Scar drags the word out, "-I could find somewhere nice and dark for you. Let you watch the sun set over the horizon without a bed to sleep in and leave you there until you come to your senses. Would that be nice?" Wels glares, his stomach twisting. Scar's his friend. Wels told him that fear in confidence.

"This isn't you," he declares, confident in his assessment. "This is something... puppeteering you, or whatever. You're not Scar." Scar laughs, his eyes flashing as he does. Wels feels a spike of pain in his chest, gritting his teeth.

"Y'know, Wels? For someone who likes to think so big of himself, you can be very naive."

"I'm sorry I like to think the best of my friends." Wels raises his eyebrows. "Is that a crime, now, oh great and powerful mayor?" The stab in his chest hurts enough for his body to break out of the control. Wels curls forward, clenching his fists as a weak noise escapes him. Scar sighs.

"I was going to let you off lightly with that... Motivator." When Wels gathers the strength to look up, he feels his body disconnect once more. Stuck in this perfect kneel. He holds back a sigh. "But maybe I need to turn things up a little."

"Do your worst." He regrets those words the moment he sees the delight on Scar's face.

"Oh, sweet Welsie." Wels continues his unimpressed stare. "It would be a shame, you know, to lose you to another long sleep, don't you think?" Wels' eyes widen.

"You- you wouldn't." His throat feels tight.

"Do you know how easy it is to break your code?" Scar asks. "NPCs are such simple things. You can put one in a player's body, but it doesn't change what they really are." Wels actually feels a bit sick. Was Scar the one who- no, it wouldn't make sense. They barely interacted last season. Scar had no reason to do that to him. It was a freak glitch. But the comment about Wels' code... He couldn't have been responsible, right?

"You're bluffing." Wels keeps his voice steady. "You know you couldn't get away with something like that." Scar sighs, looking disappointed as he adjusts his sash.

"Please, Wels," he replies. "They forgot you last time, didn't they?" Wels focuses on one of the diamond blocks instead of answering. He could swear they're glowing. "Fine then, I'll just do it now, shall I? I'm sure I can find somewhere to put you."

"You wouldn't." Scar raises an eyebrow, smirking.

"Wels, go to sleep." Wels can feel the magic imbued in the words. He barely manages a gasp before his mind goes heavy with exhaustion. He presses his eyes shut before reopening them, taking a controlled breath in.

"Scar, stop this," he demands. His eyes slip closed. He forces them open. If the magic wasn't holding him still, he thinks he'd fall.

"You have the power to stop it at anytime," Scar tells him. "You just have to submit to your punishment." Wels locks his jaw, head swimming. He can hear his heart hammering, breaths coming too fast. He's determined to hide his fear.

"No- no, Scar-" His head spins with another wave of exhaustion.

"Oh come on, Wels. Do you really want to sleep again that badly?" He tries to take a deep breath but it shakes. Even his posture is slipping now. He sinks closer to the floor. He doesn't want to sleep again, he doesn't want to.

"Fine, I yield!"

"Do you really?" Scar watches him with a small smile. "Do you agree to accept whatever punishment I see fit to administer, as elected mayor of the shopping district?" Whatever punishment Scar's thought up can't be worse than being forgotten again. What does Scar consider a punishment if this isn't? Wels squeezes his eyes shut, fighting the fogginess threatening to overtake him.

"Yes. I accept, please. I accept your stupid punishment, just stop!" His energy comes back to him in a rush. He opens his eyes, frustrated to find he still can't move. But he's not falling asleep, he's awake, he's awake-

"Well." Scar's eyes glint as he leans forward on the throne. "We've been needing an enforcer. I think a chivalrous knight such as yourself would work perfectly." For a second, Wels can hear Scar's usual tone. His excitement when a plan all comes together, eyes lighting up before he breaks into a ramble. Wels only feels cold.

"An enforcer?" Scar's smile grows.

"See, there's a few people, such as yourself, that need some... Reminders of how things work around here." He gestures to the shops outside. "Rules to be followed, payments to be made. But people don't really like seeing this side of it all." His palm moves towards Wels. The knight nearly scoffs. "I have a reputation to uphold, so we need somebody to do the... Let's call it 'dirty work' for me."

"You want me to threaten our friends?" After this, Wels isn't surprised. But- these are their friends. They're basically family. He wants to believe Scar still is. That whatever this is, it isn't him.

"I want you to do whatever it takes to get the results I want." Wels swallows. Scar wants him to become the bad guy. Take his fall.

"This is too far," Wels warns, trying to appeal to whatever good nature is left. This can't be him, can it? Please, it can't. "The others won't-"

"Wels." Scar's voice drops low. Wels finds himself breathless. "Are you telling me you'd prefer to take an extended nap?" He takes a deep breath in. What's worse, being possibly hated by his friends, or forgotten by them? At least he can explain this. It's all part of the bit.

"I'll do it. I'll be your damn enforcer." He can feel the magic in the air click at his words. He closes his eyes as Scar claps in delight.

"Perfect! This meeting has worked out wonderfully." Wels falls sideways as the magic lifts, barely catching himself with his hands. The terracotta doesn't even feel cold against his skin. He winces as the strain of his muscles hits him all at once. He looks up at Scar in surprise, breathing heavily with exhaustion. Scar's still relaxed on his throne, head resting on his fist. The magic usage hasn't affected him at all. Wels struggles to his feet, trembling with the effort.

"Isn't that great." Wels looks at the darkening sky. It shrouds the town hall in shadows. All Wels can see of Scar's face is that glowing blue. "I'm leaving now."

"So soon?" Scar asks. Wels consciously stops himself swaying as he moves.

"I want to get home before it's dark." He should be able to make it, even if his base is a little further out. He'd find a bed in the shopping district, but he can feel the lingering magic in the air. It's making him sick.

"I suppose that's fair." Scar leans back against the throne. "Have a good night, my enforcer."

"You too," Wels bites in response. He makes it two steps when Scar calls again.

"Oh, and Wels?" He turns back automatically. Scar smiles at him, all too pleasant. His eyes feel like ice. "You can't tell a single hermit about this arrangement of ours. Or this meeting. Not one word about it, to anyone." Wels is about to cut back when he feels the enchantment hit. Something woollen settles in his brain, blocking off his own thoughts. He glares instead. "That's a good knight. Run along now. I'll be in touch." Wels breathes out through his nose, accepting this new reality. He doesn't let Scar see his fear.

He flies away without another hesitation.

[shame-cubed]

the fantassy au pile

I started this forever ago but haven’t made any progress in a long time. I’m trying to focus on Invitations, so, I’m projectile vomiting all my other ideas up here in an attempt to get them out of my head. I don’t know if it’s working. 

---

It's blacker than midnight in the thickness of forests, and comfortably silent, like footsteps on moss—until it's not.

"Once upon a time," Speaks a warbling voice, airy but grizzled with age, it boldly echoes from a loft unseen; then halts abruptly. 

"Oh, you know how it goes... Let's just cut to chase, now, shall we? I’m not getting any younger." The words seem to ring, punctuated with a croaking laugh that fades with the dark, all but banished by the flick of a switch just as invisible. 

Beaming spotlights glare from above and behind, settling upon weighty velvet curtains charmingly spring-like in colour. A cascading pair of blossoming pink and eggshell blue, upheld by tassels that shine, so similar, to the sparks of dust floating within the bright tracks dutifully illuminating those deep-seated wrinkles of fabric. They part like the seas of another tired tale, then ascend in a deliberately slow, undulating wave. This scalloping formation led by embroidered edges of taught, silver ropes; rises in a swell to unveil a stunning diorama of marbled brick, embellished with a labyrinth of vines, adorning a castle far too colossal to be merely a prop.

The mirage-like structure wavers and gleams, its pearly stonework reflecting the lights at a blinding intensity. Catching its sheen, the drifting filaments glitter akin to a powder snow; multiply, accumulate, and replace the fleeing shadows with a blizzard that stings the eyes. An avalanche of white soon packs every corner, amounting in heaps so infinitely immense and so overwhelmingly bleached, that it hurts. 

---

“Get back here yah dirty lil’ miscreant!” An ireful yell bellows overhead, followed by the hurried thudding of mud-caked boots barely held together by faded strips of leather. Their unkempt owner dips beneath the cloth-draped counter of a flimsy marketplace stall, slides along the dusty cobblestones, rolls into a crawl, then breaks into a long-legged sprint as he shoves through the clamorous mob of meandering bourgeois claiming their daily bread. 

“Someone stop that wretched lad!! The gangly imp! That swindling bastard!!” The fiery roar of expletives launched by his pursuer is gradually extinguished by the sheer distance between them. Keeping his pace as he rounds a corner, the boy glances over his shoulder for signs of the shopkeep, then, like whiplash, instantly jerks forward when his body makes sudden impact with a smaller one that he failed to notice ahead. Both parties fly backwards and hit the ground flat on their asses.

This obstacle of a girl, about his age, pushes her thick hair out of her eyes; a coal-black cut of jagged bangs, half-parted to the side, half-pinned back. Icy blue irises thin beneath their lids, not unlike the slight pout of her lips, revealing no emotion other than mild irritation. 

“Watch where yer goin.” Her voice is monotonous, flat as her expression, and rough with a linguistic bite he'd never heard before. Adorned with ink-dyed leathers and angular iconography only recognizable from a tapestry he once saw—evidently, she wasn't of local blood. 

He narrows his eyes back at her, frowns, but says nothing; choosing instead to break the stare-down by searching for the loot he'd dropped in their collision. Someone could still be after him, so he hasn't the time to waste on petty interactions with outsiders. The girl rights herself and peers into her pockets, then joins him in scanning the ground, appearing to have lost something of her own, too. 

A small satchel of coin lies near, and as he picks it up, he palms the weight to be sure none of the meager sum within has left its confines. He stashes it back into his fraying trousers, clambering to his knees as he plucks two bruised apples from the cobblestone that were to be his lunch and dinner. His grimace deepens, as his prime acquisition eludes his vision.

“Ah, there ya are, Morpeko.” 

Wary, the disheveled thief turns his head at the sound of an unfamiliar name spoken by this unfamiliar girl, and his violet eyes blow wide at the sight of a tri-coloured mouse clinging to the pilfered pastry he’d been searching for. 

"This fancy goodie yers?" She says with a hint of disbelief, gingerly lifting both the snack and its vermin passenger from the ground.

“It is, now get your disgusting rat away from my breakfast.”

---

One after the other, the group of squires pass row upon row of marble pillars as they follow Oleana into their King’s immense throne room. 

Bronze statues of elephants tower from each corner, splendidly engraved in a paisley motif, each gripping a gilded rose at the tip of their raised trunks. The metal behemoths point towards a convex roof, its dome intricately painted with the climax of an age-old fairy tale. Swirls of vibrant colour span the ceiling—red and blue brushstrokes establish the fluttering forms of twin princes in flamboyant outfits, sinking their swords deep into the hide of a dual-winged dragon. The villainous creature dwarfs the heroes in comparison; swathed in scales of white-gold, its prismatic eyes set with sizable gemstones that flicker in the candlelight, seeming to scrutinize the soon-to-be knights as they gather below.

---

His head hits stone as her full weight slams into him, eyes screwed shut in a pained wince. Slotted between his gorget and his chin, the cold metal of her blade grazes his throat with every shaky gasp and tentative swallow. She’s so close. There’s nothing between them but shells of armour; pulses racing beneath plates pressed together. Heaving against each other, breath short from their battle, he can feel her warmth bleeding into him. 

Held tight against the wall, steel kissing his neck; Bede decides he’s perfectly fine with dying if it’s by her hand. He resolves to gaze into her eyes like it’s his last chance, his best attempt at a smoldering stare—like in the novels he’s read—completely thrown out the window when her leg wedges itself between his thighs.

Gloria still manages to crack a grin at him despite the situation. ”Giving yourself up to me so easily, now?” Her smile is confident, or it was until a blush takes over her face, seeming to only realize the sort of words she’s speaking several moments after they’ve left her lips. It’s almost charming. 

“Just kill me, already.” Bede groans. Why did she have to resort to psychological torture? Was it not enough to defeat him? He’s pinned in place by her sword, subject to her whim... There's not much he can muster other than to let his eyes wander. He notes the sheen of sweat on her skin and knows quite factually that he isn’t in any better condition.

“You know I don’t want to do that.”

---

it ain’t much but it’s honest werk... maybe one of these days i’ll get my shit together aaaaa

[mxnark]

mina’s first audition! (ft. sphere)  performing “really don’t care” by demi lovato (0:20-1:20) dancing+charisma (ft. singing for proof of charisma)  outfit (tw : slight flashing lights bc link is a gif) 

she didn’t expect a callback at all. let alone from the sphere entertainment. as she filled out her form, all she could think about was how she was possibly risking something. she doesn’t even know what it could be, but she knows that she definitely wasn’t expecting this outcome. even if the interview went well for her.

she’s texted chungha and gahyeon about the news, the former being someone in the company as well as someone who she knew she could depend on and the latter being the person to even suggest auditioning for this in the first place. she debated telling her other friends about it. hell, she debated telling daniel about this. but she holds it back, not wanting to disappoint both him and herself with the possibility of even being in the same entertainment company with her. hell, she’s trying to stop herself from thinking about how she could possibly be in the same entertainment company with the first person she texted about it.

after ten solid minutes of her freaking out over this (with an additional 5 minutes of her stressing out over how her family was going to react to this) she opens her laptop to look up choreographies that she could do for the audition. she obviously was going to do something involving dance. that was a given for sure. she debated on whether to do something for singing or rap but she ultimately decided on something singing related. while she has gotten better in her rap skills, as shown by her rapping to songs while in seoul traffic, she still felt a little more secure in choosing singing.

now was the hardest part: the song. she debates on choosing a song from an artist under the label, but she decides against it. she’d look desperate, especially if it’s a song by convex. so she decides against it unfortunately, even if she knew the choreos and the songs and raps by heart. she thinks long and hard as she finds herself looking through various choreography videos, ten minutes (...okay thirty) on watching cooking videos with a cat and mukbangs on the internet.

after an hour and a half later, she finally finds a dance that not only looks possible for her, but also with a song that brings her a wave of nostalgia. she’s not only confident about this decision, but rather excited. it makes her even go to her parents’ room in the evening while her mother is downstairs washing the dishes after dinner, knocking so that he could know.

“i have something to tell you,” she starts. “but you have to keep this secret. when i tell you, you have to promise you won’t tell mom. or anyone.”

he looks concerned and she can understand why. “it’s not something bad. i didn’t hurt anyone,” she says immediately. she clears her throat. “uh. do you remember when daniel came to tell us that he got casted into this company called sphere?”

“yes,” he slowly nods. “what about it?”

“um… so on the day i told you i went out to do studying with my friends, i lied,” she explains bashfully and she sees a little frown from her father. it’s expected, but she still couldn’t help but feel a little guilty. “i… did this interview thingy for getting casted into an agency because i really wanted to try it out and see if it gets me anywhere. and i… have an audition with sphere this week?”

the frown turns into a look of surprise. “why didn’t you tell me the truth sooner?”

“i didn’t even think i would get an audition,” she replies honestly. “if i didn’t, i’d just call it a day and continue with saying i was studying with friends. but i did! and i kinda want you to drive me to the station because i don’t want to jinx anything if i drive there on my own.” classic mina.

he nods his head. “i see,” he replies, his facial expression becoming more calmer. “when is it?”

when she tells him the given time of the audition, he takes a second to think. probably to try and recall if he had anything to do during that time. “i think i can drop you off the station and pick you up,” he replies. “just let me know when it’s over. can i tell your brother?”

she shakes her head. “no. i want it to be a surprise.” as he was always the one to surprise her. first with the mgas and then with him getting into sphere. she feels like it’s appropriate to be the one to surprise him this time.

“okay,” he replies with a little laugh. “no telling your mom or your brother.” his face goes serious though. “but if you do get in, you have to tell her as soon as you can. you know that, right?”

she nods her head. “i know.” her voice is soft, afraid of how she’d react to that, especially with the fact that mina has kept silent about it to her even now. she’s even telling her dad about it before her. she can’t imagine how her mom would react to it. “i will. i’m just… scared.”

“i know you are,” he sighs. “just know that whatever happens, god will always be there to help you get through it.”

the smile is genuine, even if it’s a small one. even if she’s not the most vocal about her faith (she has her mom to thank for that), she couldn’t help but find his words to be comforting. she obviously isn’t the best christian in the world, especially compared to her family. so just the reminder that he was… still with her was something she didn’t know she needed until now.

“thanks, dad,” she replies. “i’ll leave you alone now.”

and she leaves his room to go back to hers, a lot on her mind.

…

while she waits for her turn to audition, she makes time to give god a prayer. and it’s not exactly her first one of the day.

when she and her dad arrived at the station, they prayed together. when she got on the train, she said a quick prayer before she stuffed her airpods in her ears as she shuffled for a random song. throughout the ride, she skipped all sphere artists songs so that she could prevent herself from daydreaming about a future in that building with chungha and daniel… and the convex members.

and she makes a final prayer now, mentally saying it in her brain.

“hi god. it’s mina again for the third time today,” she starts it off. “i have my audition today and i know i already told you how much i really want this to go well. i worked really hard learning it for the past few days whenever my mom wasn’t at home. i also really want to be able to join the experience with my brother and chungha, who’s kinda like my sister.”

she pauses as she thinks for a bit, then continues.

“i’m not the best christian. but i really want you to help me out. even though my mom will be disappointed in me, i really want to do this because i don’t really know what else to do with my life.” and that was obvious. she even said it to the interviewer. “if i don’t get casted, please at least help me get another chance to prove myself in the future. preferably with sphere, but i’m really fine with any company.” and her mind wanders to another reality, but rather to the negative of it. “if i do get casted, please don’t let my mom be too angry at me. i know i don’t listen to her a lot, but i still love her. i just don’t want her to love me any less…”

“whatever happens, i know it’s for the best and i know you’ll help me get through it,” she thinks her final thoughts before she ends it with an amen and does the sign of the cross in a small subtle way so no one catches her.

…

baek jiyoung looks prettier in person than the pictures she’s seen of her. and with the fact that she is the ceo of sphere entertainment, it makes her all the more intimidating. she couldn’t help but feel as if she was in the presence of a literal queen. and this queen is responsible for the groups that she’s listed on her form. a part of her wonders if she’s seen that part of the form and if she did, that would certainly be a story to tell.

but she has to move her fangirling aside. this is an audition here. she needs to impress baek jiyoung and there’s no way she’s going to do that if she continues acting like a fangirl. she needs to act cool, even up to the dancing. of course, she’ll slip in bits of her personality here and there.

she feels pressure just from the gaze of the judges and the camera recording her, mentally telling herself to relax. she bows to the panel of judges. “hello, my name is kang mina,” she introduces herself, stating the obvious but it’s only to be polite. “today, i’m here to audition for sphere entertainment with me dancing and singing to really don’t care by demi lovato.” after she finishes, she gives a nod to the person who had her audio and gets into position, mentally calming herself down and trying to get into the mood.

it’s her first time dancing and singing in front of a crowd. to be honest, she was always used to doing the former. she only ever danced and sang when she was either alone or it’s kept in her memories from when she was a child. even if the song is in english, the language she always found most comfortable speaking in, this is still something new to her.

however, the thing about dancing is she feels the coolest when dancing for everyone else to see. the learning process for dances is difficult, she won’t deny. sometimes she dreads doing moves over and over again, but she has to in order to get them right. and once she gets it all down for the first time mixed in with facial expressions that display not only her mood but her confidence, she feels more powerful than she did before. so even if she didn’t have the most amazing voice, she hopes the judges at least acknowledge how passionate she was in dancing as well as her effort with singing.

the last time she’s performed was for speak up in may. she remembers how she was scared that she’d look awkward, considering it’s been a while since she’s actually danced in front of people at the time. but when it was her turn to dance to choreographies that she was taught, she doesn’t remember anything else but the absolute joy she felt doing it.

and even now, she finds herself smiling naturally as she performs, her nerves slightly bothering her less even with the people watching her. funny enough, it made her care less than she did before. of course she still wanted to impress the judges, but she’s confident enough that they’ll acknowledge it. and hopefully don’t get the wrong idea with the title of the song, since she did care about it enough to want to be casted. 

there were many reasons as to why she chose this song. one being the fact that this choreography looked challenging to learn and she was right when she found herself being both frustrated whilst learning it. however, the feeling of achievement is wonderful when she does moves that she never thought she’d be able to pull off. she didn’t know too much about waacking, other than the fact that it was a style she taught herself how to do whenever she could since she was sixteen. she knew it wasn’t something she was totally confident with, but when she sees herself do it in the mirror, she couldn’t help but be in awe that she did that.

not to mention, the entire dance matched with the song was something mina could imagine herself doing. she’s never had an ex-significant other (and with soobin, she doesn’t plan to), but she didn’t need a past relationship to understand the message of independence in this song. she remembers how twelve-year-old mina would often find herself smiling whenever she heard this song on the radio station, feeling as if she was on top of the world whenever she heard it. and whenever she was at home, she’d find herself listening to more of the demi album. even if she wasn’t really a fan of her anymore, she couldn’t help but have fond memories of that album and listening to this song even now brings her nostalgia.

it was fun. it was lively. it was her.

with good memories and her love of dancing, it was easy for mina to be with the music. she moves to each beat and tries her best to sing along with it, saving herself from singing the high “oh, oh, oh”’s in the chorus just so she could breathe. 

the rest of the chorus continues and she feels herself let go. she’s already young, but just singing along with the instrumental takes her back to a time where she didn’t have to worry about her future that much. sure, time then wasn’t perfect either. but the fond memories of vancouver enter her mind as she dances until the very end. her dancing slows down as she squat-kneels to the ground, eventually reaching the last “oh, oh, oh”’s on her knees with chest pumps. 

the song comes to an end as she gets to the final position of the dance, sitting on the ground on beat. “i really don’t care,” she sings while tilting her head to the side with a wink that feels natural now that she was performing. the song comes to an end and after a few seconds for the room to take it in, she stands up and bows to the panel. after expressing her thanks, she exits the studio, still trying to get off the high of performing.

the only instruction she’s told is to wait outside until auditions are over. so all she does is wait in anticipation… and, not gonna lie, a bit of hope.