#i may or may not have had a moment of weakness

[fenharel-babe]

Hehehe finally getting to answering it >:))). I would LOVE to see YOUR ROOK🫵 @emmg AND EVERYONE ELSE TAGGED!!!

🌻 How old is your Rook? How do they feel about celebrating their birthday? What gift has meant the most to them?

My Rook is Raven Mercar, and she is 30 (if I’m doing the math right from DAO—>DATV). Rook is pretty neutral about celebrating her birthday. She likes it but if people don’t remember she doesn’t make it a big deal. She does feel very loved and overly happy when people DO remember it. It will make her cry the first time.

Lucanis made her a childhood meal of hers that her parents used to make before they died from the Blight. He surprised her with it one evening for dinner and she sobbed. It was very important to her because it proved that he actually paid attention to what she said and remembered something so small about her. He remembered a MEAL her parents made, and she mentioned it in an off hand comment. It was a very emotional dinner, and she couldn’t have wished for anything else.

🪻 What is the most painful injury your Rook has received? How has it affected them once it healed/scarred?

Raven was a slave during her early 20s (it’s a LOONG story) and her masters were…decent. They got her a tutor for her magic, gave her nice clothes, kept her healthy, but their guests were not the same. They were assholes and her masters never truly did anything. They scolded them, but never truly stopped them.

One day, Raven was weak from training so hard with her tutor the previous night. She was tired of having her tutor hit her knuckles with a ruler when she didn’t meet expectations so she pushed herself hard one night, and the next day a party was held. Raven was exhausted on her feet and felt a little sick, and the demands and how fast she has to work with other slaves was NOT good for her. At one point, she ran into one of the guests and ended up tripping and dropping a glass tray she had in her hands filled with items. Everything, as expected, broke and to make matters worse, Raven fell onto it face first. The glass stabbed and slashed her neck, but didn’t hit anything vital. The guest (and a few others around her) were demeaning her and saying how useless she was, and none helped her up or even called for a healer. She had to get up on her own, holding a hand to her neck, and rushed towards a healer that stayed in the home. It left scars on her neck and shoulder, long slashes is what they look like.

It wasn’t necessarily the most painful, but it was painful emotionally. She never felt so helpless and uncared for until that moment. No one helped her up or even cared if she was okay. She realized that night she had to get out or she would end up dead one day and no one would care.

🌹 What’s the first genuine fight Rook got in with their love interest about? How was it resolved?

Raven and Lucanis rarely fight to be honest. The only thing that makes them angry at each other is when they lie about their feelings or aren’t honest. Both have been through shit, too scared to talk about it and ruin what they have, so they lie and say things along the lines of “I’m fine.” Lucanis gets upset/worried about Raven’s occasional people pleasing attitude and how she sometimes says “yes” too many times. She denies that she’s doing that at all, not wanting to realize she’s falling back to her slave habits, and it irritates Lucanis because babe. You don’t need to please people all the damn time. You’re your own person!!

The way their arguments/unsaid arguments are resolved when they sit down and talk. Sounds cliche and too simple, but it’s true. They sit down and talk about how they feel and why they do the things they do. They both say what they’ll do better, or will try to, and they try to give solutions to the problem to help them be better. They just wanna help each other be good and happy.

Raven may also have a bit or a problem with Lucanis just killing people easily (given how she only kills when necessary) but she doesn’t think much about it.

🌸 Does your Rook have any siblings or close friends they see as such? Where are they during the events of Veilguard?

Raven used to be good friends with Bloom Lavellan and Joseph Lavellan, who were the INQUISITORS!! She was born in Kirkwall and was there during some events of DA2. Bloom and Joseph were there (long story) and Bloom found Raven on the streets. Raven’s parents had died because of the blight and she couldn’t afford the house anymore, so she was forced out onto the streets. Bloom found her and helped her with her magic, basically being a teacher to her, and was all motherly to her. Until she was taken by slavers one night who also kidnapped Bloom. However, Bloom had gotten away and didn’t have time to save Raven or else they would both be caught…so she ran.

Raven felt betrayed and lost that connection to both of them. It’s how she becomes a slave in the first place. It comes back during DATV.

🌾 If there was a demon trying to trap/take over Rook, what kind would be the most successful? What would break their hold?

It would be difficult for them to do it, BUT if one was ever to win in some universe, it would definitely be Fear. Raven is scared of being alone, being forced into slavery again, losing everyone she loves, and it’s why during the Fade Prison scene, she was so scared and almost willing to give up. She felt like everyone was gone…so why should she try anymore? Fear of being abandoned and not being loved is her biggest ones, so a demon making her feel that way or threatening her with that would definitely win.

🌱 Was Rook involved romantically with anyone before Veilguard? What was their partner like? How did the relationship end?

Raven was never romantically involved with anyone before Lucanis. She lived in Kirkwall with her parents, lived on the streets once they died of blight, had a teacher and lived okay for awhile, was taken by slavers and sold to live as a slave, and once she escaped her masters’ she lived on the streets of Minrathous and barely survived. She worried about what she would eat next, not some pretty boy she saw and spoke a few words to. It’s why she was very awkward with Lucanis and didn’t know how to flirt or truly know what Love was. It’s why it takes awhile for them to get together, but they make it work. Their matching awkwardness makes them fall for each other lol.

🌼 If someone was to ask Spite what Rook smells like, what would he say?

Like flour or something sweet since she LOVES pastries such as donuts, and a mix of coffee. She smells like a bakery honestly.

🌷If Rook needed to get away from their responsibilities for a moment, where would they go? Where is their safe space outside the Lighthouse?

She would’ve gone to the Shadow Dragons hideout. These people saved her from the streets (literally barely surviving) and helped her mentally and emotionally and physically and any other way they can help. It feels safe there, at least until it was destroyed. Now she doesn’t know where to go and just hides in her room in the Lighthouse. If she was forced out of the lighthouse, she would go to that little fisher guy Neve brought her to once to buy food. He was sweet and she loved the sound of his voice and the food. Maybe if she ate and spoke to him about simple things she would feel better….

🥀 What figure from Rook’s personal past would be added to the regret prison?

It would be her parents. Her parents are dead, but she still tries to live up to what they would’ve wanted for her. If she heard them confront her and look at her with disappointment? She would sob, falling to her knees, and would just…be there for awhile. She wants them to be proud of her and still love her from beyond the grave.

If they mentioned how naive she was for trusting him and playing into Solas’s hands, she would sob and feel so much regret for doing anything. She would eventually break out of it, but if she saw them??? It would haunt her.

🪷 Does your Rook have an irrational phobia? (ie spiders or large man-made objects submerged underwater)

She doesn’t really have any big fears other than HUGE bugs or being trapped. Being trapped underwater in any way freaks her out, being trapped in a room freaks her out. She just CAN’T STAND being trapped. She already was when she was a slave, so she fears falling back into that. She needs freedom, not entrapment.

🍀 Has Rook had any near-death experiences? What went through their mind during what they thought was going to be their final moments?

Her only near death experience was when she was 27 and lived on the streets after escaping her previous masters. She had lived on the street for 2 years now, and it was bad. She was sick, her hygiene was terrible, she had gotten hurt from being caught trying to steal food, and she was laying in an alleyway. She believed if she fell asleep, she would never wake up again. She was so sure and just kept thinking of her parents. Would she see them again? Did she even deserve to see them again? Her thoughts weren’t really straight since she was hurt and her health was declining. She was just so tired.

But before she could die, a shadow dragon found her and brought her to the hideout. They got a healer to her immediately and she was saved.

💐 What is the relationship Rook has with their faction mentor? What was the moment they sent Rook away like?

Raven’s relationship was very close. She was dependent on them heavily and cared for them since they cared for her. When she was sent away she was heartbroken, though a part of her understood. It felt like when she was taken away from home in Kirkwall all over again, but she knew it was different. They only sent her away as a last resort, she knew that. She was lonely and scared being on her own again, but the people taught her to be careful and how to be on the street if necessary. She would live to see them again, she would make sure of it.

🌺 Is there an object from Rook’s childhood they look back on fondly? (ie a favorite stuffed animal, book, or food)

Since she was taken from Kirkwall, she didn’t have anything big to look back on. The only thing she had was the memory of a dish her parents made for any celebration. It was her favorite and she remembered the recipe and whenever she was really hungry, she swears she could taste it.

She would help her parents make it and it was always a sweet moment for the whole family. It’s why Lucanis makes it for her once she tells him what it is, because he knows it’s very important to her.

🌿 Does your Rook have any tattoos? What was the moment when they got them like? If they’re a Crow where is their de Riva brand located? What vallaslin do they have/how did they earn it if they’re Dalish?

Raven got a small snake tattoo on her wrist. It’s wrapping around her wrist and all the way to a finger. It’s a simple snake, and its eyes match her eye color and its body is red and black. It is always a constant reminder of the group that saved her and how she will always be a part of it. Even if she doesn’t have the clothes or anything else, she has the tattoo. And it’s enough for her.

The moment she got it was emotional. She knew she had people always with her and would help her if she needed it. She had an organization backing her up, so she wouldn’t truly be alone again. If she wasn’t with them, then she would have this tattoo to always carry them with her.

🍂 What was it like the first time Rook killed someone? How did they react afterwards?

Raven killed someone when she was living on the streets in Minrathous. It was a slave catcher and he was after her. She was trained in magic, yes, but she still had outbursts at times and if she was panicked, the magic would react. She was cornered in an alley, the man had a whip and was so close to getting her, so she cast a spell. She didn’t know what it was till it happened. It was a fireball to him, and it was strong. He burned to death in front of her eyes, and it was terrifying. She felt like a monster, but at the same time she felt a bit of…joy at seeing him dead. He wouldn’t be able to hurt anyone else.

It’s what really scared her. The fact she cared but also didn’t care that he was dead. It still is a battle in her mind whenever she kills someone.

Woe! Rook ask game be upon ye!

🌻 How old is your Rook? How do they feel about celebrating their birthday? What gift has meant the most to them? 🪻 What is the most painful injury your Rook has received? How has it affected them once it healed/scarred? 🌹 What’s the first genuine fight Rook got in with their love interest about? How was it resolved? 🌸 Does your Rook have any siblings or close friends they see as such? Where are they during the events of Veilguard? 🌾 If there was a demon trying to trap/take over Rook, what kind would be the most successful? What would break their hold? �� Was Rook involved romantically with anyone before Veilguard? What was their partner like? How did the relationship end? 🌼 If someone was to ask Spite what Rook smells like, what would he say? 🌷If Rook needed to get away from their responsibilities for a moment, where would they go? Where is their safe space outside the Lighthouse? 🥀 What figure from Rook’s personal past would be added to the regret prison? 🪷 Does your Rook have an irrational phobia? (ie spiders or large man-made objects submerged underwater) 🍀 Has Rook had any near-death experiences? What went through their mind during what they thought was going to be their final moments? 💐 What is the relationship Rook has with their faction mentor? What was the moment they sent Rook away like? 🌺 Is there an object from Rook’s childhood they look back on fondly? (ie a favorite stuffed animal, book, or food) 🌿 Does your Rook have any tattoos? What was the moment when they got them like? If they’re a Crow where is their de Riva brand located? What vallaslin do they have/how did they earn it if they’re Dalish? 🍂 What was it like the first time Rook killed someone? How did they react afterwards?

[otomiyaa]

Gi-hun's Weakness

Gi-hun & In-ho

A/N: Hiatus & queue over right before the end of the year and this is the first shite I'm throwing at y'all HELp.

Summary: Hwang In-ho finds out something interesting about Gi-hun during their bathroom break. (Also on AO3)

Warnings: Season 2 spoilers, mention of blood, silly tickles

Word Count: 1.1K

The bathroom wasn't as messy as it was after the first game. Sure, the six legged pentathlon resulted in shock and terror equally to the first round, but it was dealt with differently.

Hwang In-ho noted the silence in the bathroom, apart from the sound of people peeing and mumbling. No more panicked cries like "what's going on?!", and no more people wailing that they were going to die.

There was less blood. Less panic.

Queueing to take a piss, In-ho listened to the soft mumbles and whispers that were heard instead.

"Jung-bae."

In-ho heard Seong Gi-hun's voice behind him.

"Yeah?" Jung-bae reacted.

They sounded so dry as if they were just meeting at the coffee machine in the office. In-ho rubbed his nose and sniffed to hide a chuckle.

"What do you think the next game would be?"

"Dunno. You?"

".....I'm not sure."

In-ho nodded slowly. Earlier, Gi-hun had been wrong to think the Dalgona game would be back like some boring repetitive cycle, how stupid could he be? Obviously he couldn't guess the next game either.

"You know what it should definitely not be?" Jung-bae asked.

In-ho was all ears.

"No idea? Something where we will all die?" was Gi-hun's unserious reply.

Jung-bae laughed sarcastically. "Haha, no. Something where you would die for sure. A tickle fight. "

In-ho raised his eyebrows.

"Hey, that's unfair," Gi-hun immediately hissed. They tried to keep their voices down, but In-ho could hear every word. It was also almost his turn to pee. He didn't want to go.

"It's like a children's game, right? And you're so ticklish. Your chances are very slim," Jung-bae whispered.

Gi-hun mumbled something that sounded more like gibberish or some sort of embarrassed cry, but before In-ho could enjoy more of the conversation it was their turn to pee, after which they had to go back.

The amused Front Man couldn't help but repeat this new information in his mind for no reason at all.

The next game... A tickle fight. He regretted this was not the case. But he glanced at Gi-hun who was walking just slightly before him. He reached out and took his collar, forcing the guy to stop walking while everyone else continued obliviously.

Gi-hun looked at him in surprise and confusion. "What are you doing?" he asked calmly. "Is there something on me?"

It was still kind of cute that he didn't even suspect Hwang In-ho at all. He should know better after knowing the previous #001 player. Then again, In-ho had to admit, that six legged pentathlon just now... Doing that together was pretty fun. He was glad Gi-hun was so oblivious.

"Your friend was just promoting your weakness in the bathroom. You think that's okay?" the Front Man asked, not even sure what he was getting at himself.

Gi-hun snorted. "Oh that. He was just joking."

In-ho looked from side to side for a quick moment. People were still passing by. Then without warning he jabbed Gi-hun in the side. A surprised cackle could be heard, and Gi-hun quickly covered his mouth.

"Shit! D-don't do that!" He lifted his knee - as if his first response was to knee In-ho in the balls? In-ho swiftly caught his leg under his knee and pressed his victim against the wall. Oh he was in for it now.

With his free hand he reached back for Gi-hun's side and clawed firmly this time. One would say that Hwang In-ho may have forgotten how it was possible to tickle a person, but gladly that wasn't the case.

"HAH! Hehehey you- don't you dahahare!"

Oh but In-ho dared. He felt a smirk tugging at his lips as he tickled Gi-hun, reducing him to a pile of silly yelps and giggles with ease.

"A joke, hm? I guess that joke was so funny it makes you laugh until you cry," In-ho said in a bit of a sinister tone.

"I ahaham not cryihing! Lehet go ohof mehe!" Gi-hun struggled fiercely against the wall. In-ho glanced over his shoulder. Looked like the last few people left the bathroom and they awkwardly refused to look their way. It probably looked more like In-ho and Gi-hun were caught in a violent one-on-one rather than the tickly mess it actually was, but still.

In-ho waited until they were around the corner and then shoved Gi-hun onto the ground, just because he could. There he proceeded to actually make work of this: to make sure he would actually cry, because why not.

His large hands dug into Gi-hun's ribs and made him screech, and In-ho found himself chuckling as well.

"To me it does sound like you're crying," he taunted.

"Quihihit it- nohoho! You- WAhhahah!" It felt so satisfying to watch him flop on the floor like a ticklish fish. Or something. In-ho noted every strange movement Gi-hun made. He absorbed every ridiculous shriek and cackle that echoed through the hallway, and for a moment he got a little carried away there.

It was just him, Gi-hun, and that insane weakness of his. Well, and the guard who stood awkwardly on the side with his gun, but who also knew with one look from In-ho that he was in no way allowed to interrupt.

And Gi-hun? Well, too ticklish, too naive, too silly to even wonder why the guard wouldn't break up this crazy tickle fight. If anyone could even call that a fight.

By the time In-ho granted him mercy, tears were in Gi-hun's eyes and he desperately gasped for air.

"Care to repeat: was it really a joke?" In-ho asked. Gi-hun gave a stiff shake of the head.

"W-wasn't."

His blush looked rather funny.

"So?"

"Got a weakness," Gi-hun admitted, probably noting In-ho's threatening hand that was still covering his ribs, ready to attack again if he wouldn't surrender.

"Which is...?" In-ho smirked and Gi-hun admitted defeat with a deep sigh.

"I'm ticklish."

His expression showed how much he hated to admit defeat, but In-ho also knew he had made perfectly clear that he wasn't going to leave it alone without the confession. He grinned, satisfied with that little win.

"Got it. That wasn't so hard, hm? So I'd tell that friend of yours to be careful announcing that weakness in a place like this," In-ho said as he finally got back on his feet and held out his hand to help Gi-hun up as well.

Still rather flustered, Gi-hun accepted quietly and nodded. "You're right."

In-ho had to hold back his own laughter. Poor man had to be so embarrassed!

"I promise I won't tell anyone," In-ho said.

"Well, thanks for that," Gi-hun replied, indeed sounding like he wished he could sink through the floor. Together they returned to the others, and while In-ho knew the next game wasn't going to be a tickle fight, he was kind of glad he still got to make use of that foolish weakness just by himself.

[just-dreaming-marvel]

Love That Burns ~ Ending 2 ~ 49

LOVE THAT BURNS MASTERLIST

< previous chapter

Word Count: 1,870ish

Summary: You and Laura find yourselves in The Void.

Notes: This is basically a filler chapter. I'm sorry if I skipped a lot, I wanted to get to the official scenes, plus I have a lot planned for after the movie scenes are done and want to get to those! I hope you still enjoy it! Please remember to review the timeline posted here.

Reminder: I DO NOT do taglists. Please don’t ask. Please follow and interact! I appreciate any reblogs, likes, comments, and asks!

With a flick of her wrists, the bald woman used her powers to pull you and Laura up to your feet. You groaned at the quick forced moments.

“Interesting,” the bald woman mumbled, studying you. Her long pointer finger hooked under her chin, earning a growl from Laura. “You’re Y/N… An Ember. Aren’t you a rare find. Haven’t seen one of you around here, or even your counterpart, Wolverine.” She pulled back and looked at Laura. “And you are a rare sight as well. X-23. Laura.”

“Who are you?” You asked, completely confused about what happened and where you were.

“Oh, my apologies, I’m Cassandra Nova and you’re in the Void.”

“The Void?”

“A place where the TVA sends people they deem as troublemakers from various places in the multiverse.”

“The TVA?” Laura questioned.

Cassandra sighed. “Don’t you two know anything?”

You studied the woman in front of you, there was something familiar about her. “Do I know you?”

Cassandra laughed. “No, but you may have met a version of my brother, Charles.”

“Charles is your brother?”

“In some universes.”

Your mind was reeling. Multiple universes? Multiple Charles? Charles has a sister? Cassandra smirked as she could see your mind trying to catch up. You could feel her slithering around in your mind, despite your best efforts to keep her out. She stepped tauntingly closer to you, making Laura try to find against her hold.

“Show me a flame,” Cassandra whispered, knowingly. “Show me.”

“Don’t do it, mom!” Laura implored. “Don’t—“

“Quiet!” Cassandra forced Laura to quiet down. “Seems like your daughter knows your little secret. You’re not as strong as you once were. Maybe you’re no use to me at all.”

“You want a flame?” You responded quietly. “I’ll give you a flame.”

You let out a shout as you used your whole body to blast Cassandra with fire. Her grip loosened on you and Laura, causing you two to fall to the ground. Laura moved quickly, tightening her backpack on her shoulders before pulling you up.

“We got to run!” She said, pulling you along.

You hated how weak you felt after that, but you knew you had to keep going. Laura pulled you into the woods, allowing you both to miss the group of people that joined Cassandra.

“Do you want us to get ‘em?”

“No,” Cassandra waved him off. “They’ll come find me eventually. I’m the only one who can help that Ember with her little fire problem.”

~~~

Laura kept dragging you through the woods until she felt it was safe enough to stop.

“Sit,” she ordered, her tone leaving no room for argument. 

You sat against a large tree, catching your breath. Your hands clenched into fists as you tried to push the pain away.

“You shouldn’t have done that,” Laura said, shaking her head. “That was too dangerous.”

“I’m fine, sweetie,” you told her, plastering a small smile on your face.

Laura scoffed. “You know, I’ve known for a few years now that your powers have started to cause you pain.”

“Laura—“

“No. You shouldn’t have done that. I could have gotten us out of there.”

You reached over and took her hand. “I’m sorry. For using my powers like that and for thinking I could keep the truth about them a secret from you.”

“I understand why you did it, kept it a secret. You haven’t used your powers much since Dad died. There’s been really no need.”

“Yes, but you deserved to know. I’m sorry.”

Laura gave your hand a squeeze. “We should keep moving. She’s probably hunting us down.”

You shook your head. “No, she would have found us already. She let us go.”

“What for?”

“I don’t know, but something tells me that her not hunting us down is much worse.”

“Still, we should keep going.” 

Laura stood up before reaching down and taking your hands. She pulled you and you tugged her into a hug. Laura melted into your embrace, allowing herself to relax. You let yourself hold your daughter for a moment, forgetting the predicament you were in. 

“We’re going to get through this,” you whispered. “Together.”

~~~

The Void was a weird place. No part of it made any sense. Climates were merged together. Random buildings, ships, planes, and vehicles were scattered about. Sometimes, they would just fall from the sky, seemingly out of nowhere. And, so far, you and Laura hadn’t run into anyone else sense your run in with Cassandra. The two of you were able to find food in the abandoned buildings that you passed. 

Days seemed to run weird here as well. You thought it had been four days since you arrived, but you were unsure. All you knew is that you and Laura had been seemingly brought here for a reason that you had yet to figure out. Laura and you found a spot to camp for the night. You flicked your wrist, forming a flame nearby. You sighed as the tinge of pain that radiated through your hand. You could see Laura’s concern from the corner of your eye.

“Dad would hate for you to be feeling like this,” Laura mumbled.

“Yeah, well, your father’s not here,” you retorted.

“What would he say? About… your pain.”

You thought back to all those years ago. 2013. When Logan told you what he had found out about your phoenix power, that too many times would start to kill your power. To kill you. It was one of his worst fears and he wasn’t even around to try to prevent it.

“Logan would have gotten angry that I even tried to hide it. He would have noticed something was wrong from the first sign of pain… He knew me too well… We would have fought about me using my abilities and he would have won. He would have looked at me with those eyes… looking at me like I was the world.” Your eyes fell to the ring still on your hand, feeling like it was burning a brand to your skin. “He would have begged me to stop using my powers, telling me that I was the only thing he was living for. And I would have stopped for the most part. For him… I would have done anything for him.” Laura reached over and grabbed your hand. “I— I haven’t told anyone this, but it’s my biggest regret… that we buried him with the dog tags. I wasn’t in the right mind to think about taking them from him… I used to cling to those for comfort, and now… now I rely too much on you and this ring to keep be afloat.” You looked over at Laura with tears in your eyes. “I’m sorry if I haven’t been the person you needed. I’m sorry if I’ve asked too much of you… if I relied too much on you.”

“No, mom,” Laura moved closer. “You’ve been just what I’ve needed.” She rested her head on your shoulder and you rested your head on hers. “I miss him.”

“Me, too, sweetie… so much.”

“He would have hated it here.”

You laughed. “He would be complaining the whole time, but always making sure that we were taken care of.”

“I think he’d still not be okay with sharing you.”

“Not at all. But I’d force him… there’s always enough of me to go around.”

Laura sighed. “I love you, mom.”

“I love you, too, kiddo.”

~~~

Laura woke up to footsteps, branches crunching underneath. She opened one eye slightly, taking in her surroundings. You were still sound asleep beside her. She believed that you needed your rest and wasn’t about to have someone attack you in your sleep. Laura noticed it was a woman sneaking up on the two of you. A woman with long brown hair in a maroon leather outfit. The woman had two blades, twirling in her hands. The woman went to lean down but before she could get too close, Laura had launched herself at the woman. 

You woke up to see that Laura had pinned a woman down not far from where you were laying. You sat up.

“Laura!” You exclaimed. 

“Who are you?” Laura asked the woman she had pinned.

“I should be asking that of you!” The woman retorted. “Are you one of Cassandra’s minions?”

“Cassandra?” You repeated. “No! We are trying to get away from her. Laura, let her go.” Laura stood up, leaving the woman on the ground. “I’m Y/N. This is my daughter, Laura. We were sent here to the—the Void and we don’t know why. We ran into Cassandra briefly but we were able to get away.”

The woman stood up, brushing the dirt off of herself. “I’m Elektra.”

“It’s nice to meet you, under the circumstances.”

“Yes. How long have you two been out here?”

“A few days, we think.”

“That’s a long time for the Void. Impressive.” The three of you fell silent as she studied the two of you. “Come on.” She motioned her to the nearby path. “There’s a group of us trying to survive here and perhaps defeat Cassandra one day. There’s safety where we are.”

Laura and you shared a look, like you were reading each other’s thoughts. 

“Okay,” you agreed. “Let’s go.”

~~~

You followed Elektra to a cement building, built into the ground. Inside, it was a makeshift home. There you met Gambit, Blade, and Johnny. They explained to you that they were sent here because the TVA decided that their universes were dying and didn’t want them to fight for it. Laura and you could only figure that your reason for being sent here were the same. They told you that there used to be more of them, but each one of the others had gone against Cassandra and never came back.

The five of you became a weird little family as the days turned into weeks. You learned more about their universes and you shared about yours. You kept the usage of your powers at bay, not wanting to push yourself too much.

“I think we should go out and search,” you said.

“If Johnny’s not back yet, that’s on him,” Blade stated.

“Cassandra probably ended him, Chere,” Gambit added.

“Don’t care,” you replied. “We should still look.”

“I’ll help you, mom,” Laura offered. “I’ll take the East, you take the West.”

“Thanks, kiddo. Let’s get going.”

~~~

Laura hadn’t been gone more than a few hours when she stumbled across the Honda Odyssey. Like stalking a prey, she moved towards it. Peeking inside it, she saw that it was all bloodied and cut up. There were two unconscious men laying in the van, one was tied up with seatbelts and the other made Laura freeze for a second. The face was so familiar, though she knew it wasn’t him. For a brief moment, Laura was torn. She knew she should bring them back for their safety and to see what was going on, but she feared what seeing a version of Logan—of your husband—could do to you.

Staring at the man’s face for a moment longer, Laura decided. She got into the Honda Odyssey, started it up, and drove off.

next chapter >

[baseballmomlesbiandad]

Random QL Superlatives/Favs 2k24

I've been shuffling around these QL streets for a few years now but I typically stay in the shadows and lurk on everyone else's wonderful meta, gifsets, and discussions. This year, I thought I should take a step into the light and reveal a little bit of my heart for y'all. Thanks for keeping me laughing and crying throughout 2024!

Top-tier cuddling award

OonMay, Pluto the Series

May’s neck is the perfect spot for Oon nuzzles. I get her, I wouldn’t ever want to move from that spot, either. For a series that has the first meeting between the leads start with a passionate kiss, it isn’t totally surprising to me that they can rock a cuddle but the sheer amount of time these women spend in May’s bedroom gives us many an opportunity to see them comfy in bed together. Namtan and Film seem so comfortable with each other and I’m really looking forward to seeing them in more GL’s in the future (give me Girl Rules NOW).

Runner up: At 25:00 in Akasaka

Hayama and Shirasaki didn’t have the opportunity to share a bed much in the show (well, as much as OonMay) but when they finally got together and cuddled in the afterglow, I was gobsmacked by this shot. I think ‘Tattoo it on my eyelids’ was my specific response.

The year of tattoos, the best and the worst

Best: Reverse 4 You/4 Minutes

I’ve gotta make this a tie because while Bible’s thigh tattoo in 4 Minutes is particularly popular throughout the community (and I agree!), I went weak in the knees when they showed Christine Gulastree’s tattoos during FourWa’s first hookup. That line all the way down her spine? Idk about y’all but I immediately started drooling. Wa you are so lucky. Christine, are you free this thursday

Worst: The Heart Killers

Oh Kant. Buddy. The tattoo near his wrist was literally smudged. Please, y'all. 

Honorable tattoo mention: Jack & Joker

Listen, most of Joke’s prison tatts are ridiculous but luckily for me, I’m into that shit. I will be getting at least two of Joke’s tattoos permanently placed on my body. No regerts. You’re welcome to guess which ones.

Best kiss

Hotae and Donghee, The Time of Fever bedroom kiss

A year filled with great kisses! But I know from other lists that I'm not alone with this pick. This show was my most anticipated of the year since Donghee and Hotae caught me hook, line, and sinker in Unintentional Love Story. The moment that show ended, I wanted more of them. And then they did give us more (and premiered it on my birthday, no less) and they didn’t disappoint!! Especially by giving us the bedroom make-out with that immediate change of tension in the air when Hotae fed Donghee the orange and touched his lips; Hotae fully shaking with desire and begging to be kissed again; a heater in between them!! the breathing sounds!!! Won Tae Min is such a delight to watch, a great actor in all of his projects and Do Woo is so pretty and holds his own against Tae Min. I love them. I still want more. Give us the sequel to ULS, cowards!!! 

Best almost kiss

X and Namping, Every You, Every Me

Though later in this list I continuously sing praises about Top Piyawat's beauty, the reason why I'm so hung up on this almost kiss really goes to Mick Monthon here. X wants it sooo bad. He is struck stupid by being this close and held this tender by Namping and if I were him, I would simply perish on the spot. I truly loved this show while it was on, had complete brainrot about it, and this storyline in particular fucking ended me (affectionate).

BL Characters that shove me back down the Kinsey scale a la Jin Guangyao at Carp Tower

Tharn from The Sign

via @guzhufuren

IRL I typically self-identify as a lesbian (but like *shrug*) however, every now and then I become infatuated with one of these BL boys and Tharn really did a number on me. I mean c’mon. Babe babygirl Thanatat playing this tiny, feisty, sad, gorgeous man. The mole(s). A snake princess of indiscriminate gender. She is everything to me. He was the moment. Remember when he was so horny that he tried to smother Phaya to death? Obsessed with everything about him. BillyBabe continue to torture me. I don’t think I need to explain further, many of y’all were right there on the crazy train with me.

Namping from Every You, Every Me

I thought no one could tempt me like this after Tharn but then Top Piyawat came in with the steel chair that was Namping in episodes 3 and 4 of Every You, Every Me. What I loved particularly about this show was the dominance swapping between storylines and there’s something so sexy about someone being able to lean into both his feminine and masculine qualities so masterfully (Mick does a good job with this, too). Namping was BEAUTIFUL, his shoulders and slutty tops made me absolutely weak to my knees. I have rewatched these eps multiple times even though they make me snotty cry bc I just can’t get enough of X and Namping. And in the next eps the way Top had me thirsting over him as a fuckboy musician who never wears sleeves? He should be in jail for that. Anyway, Top, will you be my wife.

Most Sensual Pasta Making

At 25:00 in Akasaka

This show had me by the throat while it was airing and I can’t fully explain why other than I tend to feel this way about certain Japanese BL’s with a blonde and brunette pairing (Candy Color Paradox was not a great show but I was obsessed and still don’t know why)—having two nickels, etc., etc. Anyway, the gnocchi making? It was hot, what the hell. As someone who moonlights as a fresh pasta vendor at a weekend farmer’s market, this scene was specifically made for me. As an aside, I didn’t watch My Love Doesn’t Have Long Beans so if they sensually make pasta in that and aren’t just violating OSHA regulations all over the kitchen then I’m sorry!

screenshot via @my-rose-tinted-glasses

Silliest character that had me in stitches of laughter

Shiba Ryoma in Love is Like a Poison

The amount of times this man had me laughing out loud is in the 100s. It’s the stark contrast of his straight-laced, deadpan, almost robotic personality with his silly quirks and impossible-to-hide reactions, especially as Haruto comes onto him more and more as the series progresses. Highlights include every time he has a ‘gay seizure’ as @guzhufuren coined, his knees buckling when Haruto starts sweet-talking his plants, throwing the napkin in ep 4, literally every single thought that crosses his mind eps 1-4, when he tries to make AI Clippy be his 101st partner, the PICTURES, and so much more. The actor who played him, Shogo Hama, gave me everything and Haruto and Ryoma as a couple had me crawling up the walls, particularly in the first few episodes.

Runners up: Ishida in Mr. Mitsuya’s Planned Feeding and Qian in Unknown (Chris Chiu!!)

GL woman I would follow around on my knees for the rest of my life if she asked

Pat, Unlock Your Love

Cake Nawanine. A beautiful brat who knows exactly what she wants, which is that hot soft butch tattoo artist, and will fight all of her evil ex-girlfriends to prove her love. Deane is truly wild for continuing to fumble this absolute goddess of a woman, but what can I say, Deane is basically the Thai equivalent of a ‘hey mamas’ lesbian. Even so, their make-out scenes together were scorching and Pat’s flirting game was top-tier. I had a lot of fun with this little show and will continue watching series with B Mine and Near if they keep making them. And Cake! Please come back to my screen, I love you, I WILL treat you right. 

Thank you @khaopybara for sustaining my lust and love by being one of the few people making beautiful gifsets of my girl.

Most surprising chemistry between an already beloved pair

JoongDunk in The Heart Killers

Hear me out!!! I enjoyed Joongdunk in Star in my Mind and Hidden Agenda and I even thought their intimate scenes and sex scenes in both were pretty good. I was not prepared for The Heart Killers though, like I am really blown away by them as Fadel and Style and they are quickly rising to be one of my favorite branded pairs. I’m sorry it took me so long to recognize real!! As someone (probably a few) mentioned on here, I came to The Heart Killers mainly for FirstKhao, my loves, but am sticking around to see JoongDunk and what else these absolute psychos have in store for us.

Most used show tag that automatically populates first whenever I make a new post on tumblr dot com

The Sign the series

This makes sense because I was unhinged about this show and Babe, in particular. Thank you Saint Suppapong for giving us feral idiots exactly what we want, which is total nonsense, hot hot hot chemistry, and beautiful men wearing dresses. I’m glad I spent the end of 2023 and the beginning of 2024 with this show and I feel very much the same way about The Heart Killers for this year.

Blorbo(s) from my show(s) i.e., characters I have imprinted on like a duckling

I already gushed about Namping, love of my life, will not elaborate more or we’ll be here all week.

Hayama from At 25:00 in Akasaka. I love a quiet yearner, that’s no surprise, but something about Hayama in particular really resonated with me. It’s the LWJ effect, I think, someone who seems to not emote at all on the surface but is really a storm of feelings underneath and Kiita plays it so quietly and intensely. His backstory episode was so good I watched it again immediately after finishing it the first time. Hayama’s friend telling him that Hayama has so many walls up that even he himself doesn’t know what he’s thinking or what he wants? Ooof that hit right where it hurts. 

Mole Goddess possessing the teacher in Caged Again. All of the actors that get to play the Mole Goddess look like they’re having so much fun but her in particular had me rolling with laughter when she was first introduced, looking at herself in the mirror and practicing scolding students to get into character. What a diva. Who is this actress?!

Way from Pit Babe. I know this show started in 2023 but I binge-watched the show a week leading up to the finale in February and was assaulted by the purest pathetic energy of anything I’ve ever seen radiating off of Way. My morning commutes were hell until i took on this endeavor and it was one of the best decisions I made this year. I could not control my laughter on those crowded train cars, I did not care how crazed I looked. Way, you are everything, RIP to the realest (bc allegedly only Way’s lookalike is coming back in season 2?!). Thank you, Nut <3 

Style from The Heart Killers. Again, this is another one that i don't need to explain. I am similar to Fadel in that I like his cockiness...and his lips. Also Style is named appropriately bc i want, nay NEED, his entire wardrobe (and dorito looking ass body).

Other shows this year that have left a mark on me:

Takara no vidro, Ayaka is in love with Hiroko, Fangs of Fortune (not a BL but queer as hell), Love for Love’s Sake, Love in the Big City, 23.5, Cherry Magic TH, Deep Night, Wandee Goodday, Monster Next Door, Let Free the Curse of TaeKwonDo, The On1y One, See Your Love, Dead Friend Forever, Twins the Series, Petrichor

Shows I didn’t watch/finish but have on my list

The Trainee, The Affair, The Loyal Pin, My Stand-In, and probably a lot more, there was so much this year and I'm still catching my breath. If you have any recs for me, i welcome them!

Special shout-out to those who probably see me pop up in their notifs always, particularly @absolutebl, @heretherebedork, @guzhufuren, @respectthepetty, @waitmyturtles, @negrowhat, @yinwaryuri, @lurkingshan, @bengiyo, @spicyvampire, @pharawee and many more. thank you for all you create for little ole fans like me!

Looking forward to what 2025 brings us!

[ravenwind-75]

Happy New Year! 🎆

Here’s my weak message because @ps-cactus beat me to the amazing positivity post (you’re amazing girl I’m kidding btw 😭 it was wonderful thank you)

Although this year was crappier than most it had its good moments and the best part was meeting all of you here in the HL fandom. That has had its ups and downs as well but mostly you have all been wonderful, sweet and very supportive people who welcomed me in with open arms and made me feel important and I just love you all so much.

When I joined tumblr back in April I had no idea what would happen. And I was surprised in the most wonderful way. I made some great friends and mutuals, had people love and support my writing and characters as well as do some amazing art of them. In July I joined an amazing server and met even more great people.

You all have brought a lot of joy and laughter into my life and I now can’t imagine a life without you! Thank you for being amazing and inspiring, ily!

This year I have learned that even if I fall down I should still keep going because there are people that care for me even if it doesn’t seem like it. And even if I feel weak I am strong if I keep pushing through every day. There is hope and goodness on the other side.

My New Year’s resolution is more self improvement, so that may involve avoiding some parts of the fandom but it doesn’t mean I don’t love you and your work. 😊

Once again, thank you for a wonderful year!

-Love Raven or Jo 💖

(Saw this funny 🤭 and thought I’d share 👆)

[sunny374940]

You are worth any danger, love

Sooo I may have made Emmrich suffer a bit. A lot. But there is a happy ending because I am a sucker for those. Without further ado, Emmrich gets caught up in a building collapse and almost dies.

Here on ao3

“Emmrich, move!” Rook was screaming at him, sounding so terrified, but there was no time, no way to get to safety fast enough. There was a deafening rumble, like the earth itself was opening up to swallow them whole and then… nothing but darkness. His ears were ringing, but there was no other sound, only the sort of deep silence to be found way down below the ground. In a grave, one could almost say.

Emmrich took a breath, desperately trying not to panic. He was lying on his back, sharp rocks digging into him, he couldn't see a thing and there was a scraping, creaking kind of pain in the right side of his chest that was getting worse with each breath. Broken ribs, then. At least he hadn't punctured a lung.

He felt wetness on his forehead, flowing slowly down onto his temple in a warm trickle, dripping on the ground to pool beneath him. The metallic smell was unmistakable. Blood. His own blood, to be precise, and the scent of it was sickening. He raised a hand to wipe it away and his fingers caught on torn skin right above his eye. He winced at the pain of it.

His breath was coming faster now, shallow and gasping, the pain in his chest getting worse and he could no longer draw breath at all, he was dying, this was the end! He was shaking, heart thundering in his chest and he covered his face in his hands, as if the action could make all the horror he was facing disappear. But as his hands touched his face, a feeling he hadn't yet gotten used to gave him pause. The ring on his left index finger. Still gleaming and new, the one that Rook gifted him but a week prior, presenting it with a shy smile, so sweet and always managing to surprise Emmrich. He ran trembling fingers over it, using it to ground himself. He wouldn't go down without a fight, he had to get to Rook.

He tried to get up, but his right leg was caught under something and he couldn't feel it much, which was probably a blessing. When he bent his left leg to maybe get some leverage and escape the weight pinning him down, he felt such a nauseating scrape of bone fragments in the middle of his shin, that he fell back with a strangled cry. He lay there for a moment, head spinning.

A broken tibia. Had it been his femur, he'd be well on the way to bleeding to death, though the blood loss was likely significant anyway, given the weakness that was spreading through his limbs. His body was going numb, mind following suit, thoughts scattering and he found himself strangely calm.

Was this what it was like for his parents? He had been told their deaths were quick, always wished dearly that it really was so, but would anyone tell a grieving child otherwise? Would they tell the little boy how his parents drew their last breaths, lying there in agony, hoping against hope that help would come?

And then it didn't.

Would help come for him? Where was Rook? He last caught a glimpse of him mere moments before the collapse, before an opponent's misfired spell brought destruction upon them. He was yelling at Emmrich to move, to get away, looking so scared that Emmrich's breath caught, and then the ceiling came crashing down and the darkness descended with it. Was he entombed somewhere below the rubble, much like himself? Was he dying too?

He felt himself drifting, slipping away and he didn't have much willpower left to defy the icy cold pull of oblivion.

Suddenly there was a clattering noise, cutting into the silence like a knife. And then another, louder, the rumble of something heavy moving very much against its will, stone scraping against stone with terrible urgency. Was the structure giving way completely to give him a final burial?

A pinprick of light he hadn't really noticed before caught his attention. It was getting bigger, the noises louder, it was overwhelming his senses after the horrible darkness and silence that had been his only companions until now.

“Fuck, Bellara, get some light in here!”

Was that Rook?

“On it!”

A brilliant explosion of light made him squeeze his eyes shut, turning his head away from the searing pain of it.

“Rook, he's here!” he heard Bellara yell. And then her voice fell into a whisper that sounded quite terrified. “Oh no, is he…” She didn't seem inclined to finish the sentence and Emmrich wondered idly just how bad he must have looked for her to consider him gone already.

There was a sound of running feet and then something collided with his shoulder, making him grunt in pain. It was Rook's hand, shaking him, and he was here, he was really here!

“You came for me,” Emmrich whispered, tears gathering in his eyes.

“What are you talking about, of course I came for you!”

Rook sounded almost angry and Emmrich would have apologized, but talking was an impossibility now. His eyelids grew heavy and there was no way he could keep his eyes open for much longer, he was so very tired, he wanted so badly to rest.

He stole one last glance at Rook’s face. He was saying something, his mouth was moving and there was a look of terrible fear in his wide eyes, but Emmrich could hear nothing but the ringing in his ears. He let the dark claim him.

When he came to himself again, there was a throbbing ache in his ribs. And his legs. And head. But it seemed that he had been at least partially healed when he was unconscious and he was lying on something soft, so that at least was a welcome change. A comforting weight was pinning his hand down and he finally managed to crack his eyes open to take in his surroundings.

There was a fire roaring in the fireplace, casting the room in a warm glow. He was in his bed, wearing one of Rook’s soft tunics, and the covers drawn over him were hiding the damage to his body from sight, though he wondered just how spectacular the bruising must look, given the amount of pain he was still in. And in the armchair next to the bed was Rook, asleep. He was holding onto Emmrich's hand with both of his and resting his cheek on their tangled hands, having leaned over from the chair to be as close to him as he could without causing him any more pain. The sight was endearing and Emmrich squeezed Rook's hand gently, anchoring himself in the familiar shape of his lover's palm.

Rook stirred, blinking up at him with bloodshot eyes. There was a moment where he seemed to be getting his bearings and then he was on the bed and hugging Emmrich close, burying his face in his shoulder, and Emmrich could feel wetness soaking into the fabric of the tunic.

It hurt. His ribs were screaming in agony, his head was pounding and he didn't want the moment to end.

“You're an idiot,” Rook mumbled against his shoulder, voice thick with tears.

This wasn't quite what he was expecting to hear and he turned his head to look at Rook, eyes narrowing just the slightest bit.

“I beg your pardon?”

“Of course I came for you, did you think I would leave you there to die?”

Oh. That. And just what was he supposed to say? That he would rather have died than have Rook hurt? That out of the two of them, he would always want Rook to be the one who survived? That he would never ask Rook to throw himself in harm’s way for him?

“Darling, I simply do not wish to have you come to harm running to my aid. I could never forgive myself if something happened to you.”

“You are worth any fucking danger and any fucking harm, you dumbass,” came the indignant answer. “I love you and you will deal with it,” Rook added in a tone that brokered absolutely no argument.

Emmrich found that he truly had nothing to say to that. Except the one thing he enjoyed saying so much.

“I love you too, dearest.”

[bitbybitwrites]

I was tagged by : @porcelainmortal, @alasse9 @forabeatofadrum

Thanks for thinking of me! . . I should really do this before 2024 is up, right? 😂

BTW its still Dec 31 here where I am, so I'll say it counts.

I've done a lot more than I expected this year, as I look back. And I'm kind of proud of myself.

I started writing for another fandom - RWRB. Its been fun adding these characters to the mix.

I managed finishing 1 multi-chapter fic and a 11 shorter fics.

I'm still plugging away on 3 longer multi-chapter WIP, adding and posting chapters as I go.

I have compiled an additional WIP list of (*stops to count*) 16 other fics that are not posted yet, but are in various stages of readiness. I flitter around adding bits to each when inpiration hits.

I think that's about it for me for 2024 - still writing, slow and steady. 😊

I'm always so happy to see any of kudos and comments if you have left any . . . and I'm still really apologetic that I haven't gotten to responding to many. There's only so much time in the day. I will try to get to them!

WRITING GOALS FOR 2025: Basically write more, and write as often as I can. There are so many of my WIP I want to get into and finish . . hopefully some of you will find them interesting to read!

Wishing you all a Happy New Year and a productive and creative 2025! I look forward to seeing/reading all you create!

See links and descriptions to everything under the cut!

1.) COMPLETED FICS

April 2024

Falling For You (Klaine fic) - 26,089 words

Summary:

Kurt Hummel thought by donating his services as a florist to Memorial Sloan Kettering, that he would simply be giving back to the medical community. A good deed for the month of December. Little did he know that a few chance run-ins with an adorable doctor and a sweet little girl in the hospital lobby would change all that. Written for the Klaine Secret Santa 2023 Gift Exchange.

May 2024

Pretty Shiny things (Klaine fic) - 1,943 words

Summary:

The clangs and shrieks of the alarm system at Christie's Auction House filled the corridors, echoing through the mostly empty building. They were just as loud as the beating of Kurt and Blaine's hearts as they raced down corridor after corridor while they attempted to escape. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” Kurt growled through his teeth as he ran, slipping slightly on the polished marble floor as he turned another corner. “I leave you alone for five minutes . . . FIVE MINUTES, Blaine. What on earth did you do?” **** Discovered a fun new thing on Tumblr called Ficlet Friday. This ficlet was inspired by a dialogue prompt by annepi: Prompt: Klaine - “I leave you alone for five minutes...”

June 2024

hold me close (FirstPrince fic) - 836 words

Summary:

Alex has had a rough day. It's a good thing that Henry's home to take care of him. For a Ficlet Friday prompt : "Tell me anything. Everything.”

blythe spirit (FirstPrince fic) - 1,756 words

Summary:

“I . . . I don't know why you're even interested." “Baby, I love you.  I'm interested in everything about you." Alex gave Henry a very pointed and heated look that definitely hit the mark. The flush on Henry’s face now deepened.  He worried his bottom lip between his teeth for a few moments as he considered his options. “Come on,” Alex softly cajoled.  “You can’t just say things like: ‘I played Elvira in a school production of Blythe Spirit’ and not expect me to ask for pictures . . or at least the lowdown on it all.”  Alex pouted again to prove his point.  “I’m a weak man, H.  These are the types of things I need to know more about.” ***** From a Friday Ficlet prompt: "Tell Me anything. Everything."

nightfall (Klaine fic) - 219 words

Summary:

Blaine sighed as he collapsed onto the sand. With his chin upon his knees and arms wrapped around his legs, Blaine gazed out toward the ocean, deciding that the purple-ish pink sky that stretched out before him was absolutely breathtaking. If only he had his camera with him. It would be a perfect addition to his next gallery exhibit. ***** Based off a Tumblr Prompt/Ask Game - "Create a microstory from the prompt selected" Thanks to Falles for giving me: "49 - nightfall"

i'll always come back to you (FirstPrince fic) - 504 words

Summary:

Alex will always come back to Henry . . .always Based on a microstory prompt: #32 - dust motes

July 2024

fire island follies (Klaine fic) - 3,027 words

Summary:

Blaine Anderson is off to a weekend on Fire Island - well, his good friend Santana is draggng him on one. He's not so sure it's the best thing to do - but a run-in with a beautiful performer from the Fire Island Follies quickly changes his mind. ****** From a Tumblr Friday Ficlet prompt from bowtiesandboatshoes : "We're going to Fire Island.  It's like gay Disney World." Title is from an actual burlesque/cabaret show: The Fire Island Follies

i hate waiting (FirstPrince fic) - 555 Words

Summary:

Alex needs to keep his daughter from being bored.   inspired by this adorable picture on Tumblr by wordsofhoneydew

study date (Klaine fic) - 945 words

Summary:

"Get your hands off me!" The sound of a scuffle had Kurt look up from his reading. To be honest, Divination was such a bore of a class. It's not like he needed to learn anything new about it. Kurt had all of his mother's crystals, divination tools, and journals tucked away in her old trunk up in the attic of their home. He could read tea leaves and scry with the best of them. He had long ago lost focus on the chapter Professor Holiday had assigned them for the evening, so at this point, any other distraction would be welcome. Even if it was prefect duties.

Originally this was a bit of a false start for my fic, Advanced Potions

The original prompt was "hogwarts!au + 4. meet messy + 6. "what is that?"

August 2024

what can compare with your beautiful sound (Klaine fic) - 1,183 words

Summary:

Kurt’s brow furrowed as he concentrated on the task at hand. He had to get it just right. His hand hovered just a few inches higher, and with a deft flick of his wrist, a drop of wax fell from the lit candle in his hand to his canvas below. The canvas moaned in ecstasy. “Now, darling, we don’t want to shift, now do we?" Kurt softly murmured as he leaned in close. "You've been such a good boy for me so far." ***** Based off of a microstory prompt from Tumblr : "candles"

November 2024

smutsgiving/wanksgiving 2024: rwrb/firstprince - 662 words

Summary:

Prince Henry has been given a new gift for his bedchamber. Entry for Smutsgiving/Wanksgiving 2024.

smutsgiving/wanksgiving 2024: klaine - 580 Words

Summary:

Dinner was lovely, but Blaine is really ready to go home. Entry for Smutsgiving/Wanksgiving 2024.

2.) PARTIALLY PUBLISHED WIP:

(Klaine) If I Can Make Your Heart My Home - (Klaine Reverse Bang 2023) Life in New York City and working in the restaurant industry wasn’t exactly what Kurt Hummel had expected it would be. He’s lonely, stressed out and miserable. He’s almost ready to throw in the towel and return home to Ohio when a chance meeting with a musician in Central Park changes everything. (Warning: an angsty rollercoaster of a ride. Soooo many cameos from Glee characters! 😉)

(RWRB) Puppy Love - (RWRB NYE gift exchange 2023) The cold snowy day that Henry Fox discovers an abandoned beagle puppy in an alley brings handsome, flirty veterinarian, Alex Claremont-Diaz into his life. Alex is a single dad, recently moved to NY with his young son who Henry hasn't met yet - or so Alex thought. (Fluffy kid!fic)

(Klaine) Sanctuary - (Klaine Word Scramble 2023) Crown Prince Blaine has stumbled into a secluded glade, trying to escape the horrors of the bloody war his father had brought upon their kingdom. Mourning his beloved older brother and faced with the burden of taking his place in the kingdom, Blaine yearns for a place to hid from the world to deal with the issues weighing on his heavy heart. He encounters a mysterious elf, the guardian of the magical spring that Blaine has mistakenly defiled, whose growing connection to his life the young prince can't ignore. (Inspired by an idea/ artwork by @datshitrandom and @justgleekout)

3.) WIP FICS TO FINISH AND POST

My WIP list can be found here! I keep it updated. Feel free to ask me about any of them if you're curious . . 🥰. Hoping to finish some of these in the coming year.

******

OK so ( as usual) I'm late to post - so if anyone hasn't done this yet and wants to - take my big open tag for it and maybe some of these folks might want to do one of these wrap ups as well?

Tagging ( participate only if you want to): @wowbright, @gleefulpoppet, @daisyishedwig, @spaceorphan18 @special-bc-ur-part-of-it

@myheartalivewrites, @14carrotghoul, @thighzp @tailsbeth-writes @onthewaytosomewhere

@sophie1973 @getmehighonmagic @tinyarmedtrex @henrysfox @blueeyedgrlwrites

@kirakiwiwrites @madas-ahatters-world @sarkyblueeyes @heartsmadeofbooks @iboatedhere

@little-escapist @littlemisskittentoes @kurtsascot @hkvoyage @lilinas

Psst. . . and if any fanartists see this and want to share what they've drawn this year, tag me! I'd love to see your work if I've missed some!

[wings-of-ink]

IF "research" poll.

I wanted to run something by the Tumblr IF audience before I strike out into the next project. Just a disclaimer that I am not actively planning a new IF at this moment. I'm kicking some thoughts around about it in my head before I start laying the groundwork. God-Cursed remains my focus and main priority.

I am curious if readers would enjoy a personality system that you'd set from the start of the game - in character creation.

One thought I had was to provide at least 4 personality types or "roles" to choose from the onset. The benefit here is that coding and writing for each personality would hopefully net a more immersive feel. The influence of the personality may stand out more and be more impactful to what happens and what your MC does.

A potential downside is that these may also feel "gimmicky." And, of course, once set, that is that - and they're a bit restrictive. Your MC's core won't necessarily develop. Now, certain other aspects could change - perhaps they become more optimistic or pessimistic, or their mental state improves or unravels. The benefit to these is that, even if they feel a bit gimmicky, I can write them more authentically as their own "character." I can better predict what you as the reader would want your character to say or do or how they should react (in my working theory).

As a rough sample of the types I could do:

The Stoic: A quiet and serious MC. They don't mince words and are not traditionally emotive.

The Jokester: Sometimes goofy or sarcastic, they don't seem to take anything too seriously.

The Feeler: Sensitive and shy, the weight of the world seems to be always on their heart.

The Star: Outgoing and loud, they're the life of the party and require the spotlight to survive.

I would add a lot more to these, like more specifics with strengths and weaknesses. I'm open to more suggestions on types and such too, just pop them in the comments or send an ask (just let me know if you don't want your ask shared and such).

Alternatively, I have wondered about letting readers simply select the specific traits from the character creation. So rather than having an over-arching "role" like above, or setting stats via choices only as you progress through the story, you can define your MC right away and take more advantage of having those set early. The "flavor" for this type of character creation might feel less "unique" than selecting a role, but it could also be the best of both worlds. You still get to select more specifics (so, say your MC is a joker but also quite shy) without as many restrictions. The coding for it could be more simple than coding the scoring for the "pick as you go" method as well.

So...

[cz19y]

Fondness

BLLK [multiple] × Male!Reader

THEME: BIlk boys being whipped for ya.

Warnings: extreme fluff(ew), weird narrative(? Sorry), overuse of the word "he/his" (this means no creativity), failed attempt to pull the poetic writing, Iwky little/too cliche(cringe ash spare me), 'categories' may not be accurate to all characters [OOC].

A/N; consider this as my new year's gift for y'all. This will have more parts to it(at least I plan so)(I accidentally posted this lmao, it's my best excuse for it bc I'm not going through the trouble of rewriting it).

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ [ # 1 ]

He stares.

Shamelessly.

His gaze— given — riveted to his lips. To his lover's face. To his unawareness of how he has him on the very palm of his hand he yearns to take his in.

How much cruel can he be?

[Name] only stole small glances, his awareness picking up, yet not fully there. It's purposeful. ( it is ). He thinks.

( You toy with his feelings. )

His heart that throbs and doubts itself if it can pump blood through all his veins if he keep making it skip beats.

Hah, now his attention is solely on the soft grip that envelopes on his chin. His eyes immediately drawn to his face, slipping bluntly to his boyfriends' lips.

He makes an effort to keep them still as his love chuckled. It's hard to not stare when his favorite grin is radiating like that.

"What is this staring that has gotten into you today?" [Name] leans closer, your gesture threatening a kiss.

( You knew damn well )

Ohhh there goes his heart.

"Mhh, I don't know.." he trails off with a mumble, a whisper, closing his eyes just as he closes in subconsciously when the bliss is to never come.

"Pfft-" "-I see what this' about." Pulling with a scoff— ( your eyes soften and your heart tingles with the sight of his blushy cheeks, it is a shame he couldn't see it ) , although his heart pulls, and [Names]'s touch lull him back.

"You know I'm joking," Hair strands tickle and nuzzle the crock of his neck. And for a moment, he questions if this was heaven.

"Quite the act then." But the demand comes off softly.

He sweared to whatever strength that was still able to maintain his legs firm, he thanked them because if it wasn't for it, he's sure he'd crumble by the look he had given him.

Thanking much more when the bliss he prayed to come finally touched him.

His eye lids fall weak. He allows himself to take in the feeling of his boyfriend's lips.

FT.: Isagi Yoichi, REO MIKAGE, Nagi Seishiro, Ness Alexis[?] & your fav

[miss0atae]

Random Thoughts about The Heart Killers (EP 1 – 6) : An interesting Rom-Com with morally grey characters.

The long awaited post I've wanted to make, but always failed to do properly. Since we are not getting an episode today (which is a damn crime because the wait is killing me!), I've decided to feed my poor soul with some writing about the series. I won't add anything that haven't already been said on here, so I won't feel sad if you don't pay attention to this post. It's just me screaming in the void of internet to try thinking about something else. I knew I would like this series (I like the actors, the directors, the plot… everything has been set according to my own taste), but I try to reason with me. You shouldn't put too many expectations on a series, otherwise you're at a risk of being disappointed. I also give better advice that I never really follow, so yes I had expectations and until now they have been fulfilled. I would be lying if I didn't say that at one point or another I was really annoyed by the characters' actions. I tend to forget that the series is 12 episodes and I'm looking forward to seeing the sweet scenes between the main couples (real ones with no lying). I was promised a rom-com, so don't be mad at me for being a little fool here. I'm a bit impatient as you can see. However, I know that I shouldn't react in the heat of the moment so I waited until now to write something about The Heart Killers.

Usually, in a rom-com you get characters that are archetypes usually found in this type of story. In the Heart Killers, most of the characters are neither good neither totally evil (except maybe Mother, but she may also have a good side, who knows). All characters have their strengths and weaknesses and they may appear on different sides, but they all have a strong, justifiable reason for doing what they are doing. I've making this grid for a while now. I may have forgotten some information, but it's just my own perception of the series so far. Things may change in the coming episodes.

So why was I annoyed by the characters at one point or another? I guess one part of the reason is that I forgot the structure of a rom-com because of the unique setting the screenwriters and the director put our main characters in. Any rom-com follows a certain structure in three times I would say.

• The first part is the presentation of the setting, the characters and their unfulfilled needs.

• The second part is when you have the meet-cute (or not so cute) between the characters. It is followed by the honeymoon stage until obstacles arise at the midpoint and the relationship is in jeopardy (that's where we are right now in the story). Usually, it's when the couple break up or start to have doubts.

• The third and final part is the moment of realization where the characters can view themselves outside the relationship and decide what are their new desire and goals. It leads everyone to the final of the story that usually ends on a happy note or at least give the viewers some hope for the characters if they don't end up together (my personal choice would be a happy ending for everyone, but I like to be surprised).

We've seen the first part already and have moved on the second part. I believe in the Heart Killers the break-up part could be different. Will the characters really break-up now that they think they have understood the needs of the others?! I don't think so. I believe they are all going to pretend to be together to try to outmatch the other ones and to learn the truth. They believe they are in opposite sides, but the truth is their main enemy who is working against their desire/happy ending remains Mother and to a lesser extent Keen (until Mother works against him and he may become an ally to the main leads). We could probably add the Captain too.

So, even knowing that, the question remains: why was I annoyed by the characters, despite loving everything else?! It's because I viewed them through my own sets of value while forgetting who they are and the setting of the series. To be fair, I'm used to rom-com characters who usually are not morally wrong. Here, in this story, none of them is really right or wrong. After all, they are on different standpoints and the perspectives they can reach are not the same. They represent different sides with different views (sorry I'm rambling here). I would say, Style may be the only characters who didn't have a criminal past and his worst fault is that he didn't flirt (at first) with Fadel for love, but for greed to possess Kant's car. The other characters, Kant, Bison and Fadel, all are or were a criminal at one point. Does it mean that criminals can't fall in love because what they are doing is morally wrong? The story doesn't agree with this point, as all of them were dragged to this because of something external. Kant needed money to take care of his brothers and Fadel and Bison were forced into this line of work by their “guardian” Mother who pretends to make them go after other “criminals” because the justice system isn't doing the right wrong. In some way, she isn't wrong, as the only “justice” figure we meet in the story is Captain Christ. He isn't a nice guy too as he is threatening Kant to force him to do his work in exchange for freedom from his past.

The idea of writing morally grey characters is interesting as it maintain the suspense, both in the relationship between the main leads, but also in the core structure of the story. The characters had needs at the beginning of the story, but their desire slowly changed by interacting with their lovers and other characters. It is also good for viewers as they have the opportunity to prefer one side over the other one. I changed my mind a lot during those six episodes. I was feeling terribly sorry for Bison when I saw Kant's playing with his heart, but in the last two episodes, I understood how hard it must be for him to keep pretending while also falling in love, despite knowing the truth. I was amused by Style's aggressive flirting with Fadel, but also felt annoyed on behalf of Fadel as I noticed how his "secret life" was putting a toll on his mental health. Choosing to have morally grey characters work better with the setting of the story. Otherwise, who would root for hitmen to fall in love? The fact we care so much about the actions of the main characters and what impact it will have on their romantic relationship, confuse us and make us anticipate the next move they may make. It also allows the true villains of the story to actively continue working against our main leads' happiness. The ones who really gain from the new feud between the main couples are the Captain and Mother. They may believe they are in their rights, but they use the main characters as chest pieces, without regard for the toll it can have on their well-being.

Mother is using the maternal figure she has set to control Fadel and Bison's action. She is pretending to care about them. She willfully taught them how to be hitmen to supposedly kill other criminals. The reason may appears good, but the actions are not valid. You can't Pay Evil unto Evil. She pushed our characters in this place by using the death of their parents as an example of failed justice. She knows much buttons to push to keep them in the place she wants them to be. Mother pretends to understand that they are tired of being hitmen and that this job will be the last one, but will it really be the last one? She also purposely and actively works against their happiness, by keeping them lonely. Bison and Fadel may think they are in controls, but the viewers can see, they don't really have a say in their actions or life. They never settled before and they don't really know how to. They find a different way to cope with this, but deep down they are still prisoners of what Mother has made of their life. As for Kant, he is also being controlled by the Captain who knows about his desire to protect and care about his younger brother. He uses his criminal past to make him an informant. Unlike Mother who pretends to act as a true mother to the brothers, he doesn't lie about his real view of Kant. However, just like her, he knows much buttons to push to keep Kant working for him.

As for me now, I can’t wait for Bison, Kant, Fadel and Style to overcome the lying part and the feeling of betrayal they will have regarding their relationship, so they can all be on the same side and fight against their real enemies.

[s1e1lar]

The Hollow Watchers | various creepypasta x youtuber!reader

4k words

Cw: female reader, paranoia, weapons, brief mention of death, and general creepiness

a/n: first off i haven't written something this long in FOREVER. It was 3am and I had an urge to fulfill. Um i have no idea if this will be a full series but depending on the general responses it might! If so i may cross post on wattpad. Anywho, I hope you enjoy!!

⛧°.⋆༺🦇༻⋆.°⛧

After years of exploring abandoned and supposedly haunted buildings, the tightness in your chest and the nagging sensation of being watched gradually faded. You’d grown accustomed to the eerie stillness, even enough to roam alone with a camera, filming for hours to later piece together for editing. But as soon as the car came to a stop a few feet from the derelict mall, a familiar unease settled deep in your gut. It was almost like a reflex—an urge to scream at your friend to turn around and head straight back to the safety of your shared apartment.

But her reaction couldn’t have been more different. She turned to you, a wide grin on her face, earrings jingling as she twisted in her seat, practically bouncing with excitement.

“Okay! So first, I want to film the outside and then do the intro in the lobby. From what I read online, the staircases should still be intact, so we can head up to the second level—” Her voice trailed off as you remained frozen, your eyes locked on the front doors of the mall, which were poorly boarded up.

Before you could say anything, a board suddenly fell from one of the windows. A shadow flitted out of sight, just out of view, too fast to be identified. You drew in a sharp breath, and your roommate fell silent beside you, staring at the same spot, her excitement faltering.

“Y/N, do you… do you have a bad feeling about this?” she asked, her voice suddenly smaller, unsure. Coming from her, the question was almost absurd—this was the same person who had been practically bouncing out of her seat moments ago.

But your viewers, as well as your roommate, had learned to trust your instincts. They’d saved you both more than once. Still, you could see the excitement on her face, and you didn’t want to ruin the moment. So, despite the chill crawling up your spine, you forced a smile and lied.

“Surprisingly, no. Someone probably didn’t secure it properly. Let’s just go with your plan, okay? I’ll even set up the equipment inside while you check out the outside.”

She smiled, clearly relieved, and unbuckled her seatbelt, ready to dive headfirst into the adventure. But you couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong.

You stepped out of the car, the chill of the air biting at your skin as you made your way to the front entrance. The once-grand mall now stood like a hollowed-out carcass, windows shattered, walls chipped and peeling, and the faint smell of mildew in the air. The heavy scent of decay clung to everything, but you’d been in places worse than this. Still, something about this building gnawed at you, like a whisper in the back of your mind telling you to turn around. But you didn’t listen.

Your footsteps echoed loudly in the vacant lobby, the cracked tile underfoot reverberating with every move. The towering arches of the ceiling, once grandiose, now loomed like skeletal ribs over you. You set your equipment down, the soft metallic clang of your camera bag cutting through the silence. The cold air hung in the lobby, thick with dust swirling in the weak light from the broken skylights above.

You began setting up the lighting, carefully positioning the softbox in a corner to illuminate the space without revealing too much. It was eerie, the way the shadows stretched and danced in the corner of your eye, as if the place itself was alive. But it wasn’t your first time in a place like this. You focused, telling yourself to ignore the creeping sensation in your gut. This was just another job.

You finished arranging the lights, stepping back to admire the setup when you heard it—a faint, unmistakable sound. Footsteps.

Your heart skipped, and your eyes darted to the food court, just beyond the lobby. The sound was soft at first, but growing louder, echoing off the abandoned walls like a person walking with purpose. There was no one supposed to be here. No one but you and your roommate. Your breath caught in your throat.

Your instincts flared.

You spun around, eyes wide, reaching for your camera on the tripod. Your hands trembled as you quickly whipped it from its mount, the lens clicking into place as you adjusted the settings. The footsteps continued, deliberate and slow, too slow to be a person just passing by. They were pacing. Coming closer.

"Hey," you whispered, voice barely above a breath, but you didn’t know if you were talking to yourself or your roommate. You glanced toward the entrance, but she was still outside, filming near the storefronts.

You swallowed hard and turned the camera toward the food court, framing the darkened hallway just beyond the lobby. Your pulse was thudding in your ears as the footsteps grew louder, now unmistakably coming from the direction of the food court. The faint sound of shoes scuffing against cracked tile echoed through the space, as if someone was walking just out of view, just out of reach.

The camera’s red recording light blinked on. You held your breath, trying to steady your hands. Every instinct screamed at you to run, but your body was frozen. Something wasn’t right.

A shadow passed across the threshold of the hallway leading into the food court. It moved quickly, too quickly for it to be a person just casually strolling. Your pulse quickened, and you leaned in closer, focusing the lens. There was something—something about the shape—something off.

You saw it. A figure. A blur of movement in the periphery of the camera’s frame.

Then, nothing.

The footsteps stopped.

You stood there, the camera still trained on the hallway, but the space beyond was empty. The silence seemed to stretch on for far too long. You blinked, almost expecting the figure to reappear. But it didn’t.

A shiver ran down your spine, and you felt your breath hitch in your throat. The hairs on the back of your neck stood up. The air felt colder now, as if something had just shifted in the building—something that didn’t belong.

You swallowed, trying to calm yourself. "It’s just the wind," you whispered, but even to your own ears, it sounded weak. You scanned the food court again, your camera panning slowly to the dark corners, the abandoned kiosks, and empty tables.

But all you found was silence.

You had to tell your roommate. You turned, but as soon as you did, a loud bang came from the far end of the mall, followed by a series of metallic clangs. The sound echoed through the empty halls, deafening in its suddenness.

Your heart leapt into your throat.

This wasn’t the wind. Someone—or something—was here.

The sound of the metallic clang reverberated in your chest, sending a fresh wave of panic coursing through your veins. You swung the camera around again, eyes darting to the dark hallway that led deeper into the mall. The silence that followed was suffocating—unnatural. It wasn’t just quiet; it was wrong. You felt the weight of it pressing on your skin, suffocating you from all sides. The tension was so thick it felt like you were walking through molasses.

Your breath came in shallow bursts as you took a step back, hands still gripping the camera, but your focus was broken when the door to the lobby suddenly flew open.

Your roommate burst through, her face flushed, eyes wide with excitement—or was it fear? She didn’t seem to notice your expression as she hurried toward you, holding up her phone, her voice breathless.

“I saw a tree moving! I even got it on camera!” she exclaimed, her words tumbling out in a rush.

You blinked, still reeling from the strange noises. For a split second, you didn’t even process what she said.

“A tree?” you repeated, confused. “What are you talking about? Are you sure you’re okay?”

Her excitement quickly turned into nervous energy. “I swear, Y/N! I saw a tree by the parking lot—just past the busted gate—and it moved! Like... like it was alive or something. I filmed it, look!” She held out her phone, swiping through the footage. The video was shaky, but it showed a twisted, gnarled tree swaying in the distance. And then, at the very end of the shot, something seemed to... shift. A shadow, tall and slender, darting across the screen, moving against the wind.

Your stomach churned, and you didn’t need to watch any longer. You’d already seen enough.

“I don’t know, this whole place feels wrong,” you muttered, trying to shake the dread crawling up your spine. “I think we should go.”

You looked around the empty lobby, the footsteps from earlier still echoing in your mind. Everything about this place—everything—was off. You didn’t need a tree moving or some random noise to tell you that something was watching you. Something was here, and it wasn’t just the wind.

“Yeah, I think you’re right,” your roommate said, her voice suddenly quiet, the earlier thrill gone. She swallowed hard, nodding. “Let’s just pack up and get out of here. I’ll grab the camera.”

You didn’t need any more convincing. You turned to start packing up your gear, but the unease in your gut only deepened as you did. It was the air—the way it felt so thick, suffocating, like the building itself was holding its breath, waiting for something.

You heard it before you saw it.

The faintest sound—soft, shallow, but unmistakable. Breathing.

Your breath caught in your throat. You froze mid-motion, hands trembling as you reached for the camera. The noise came from behind you, from the darkened hallway. It wasn’t your roommate, who was too busy fiddling with her gear. It was something else.

Breathing. Slow. Labored. As though it was deliberately trying to remain unnoticed.

You turned, your eyes frantically searching the dark corners of the lobby, your heart pounding in your chest. The air felt thick, suffocating. You were about to say something when you heard it again—closer this time.

You couldn’t explain why, but suddenly, you just knew. Something—someone—was standing behind you.

Without thinking, you grabbed your camera, shoved it into your bag, and motioned for your roommate to hurry. “We need to go. Now.”

She didn’t hesitate. She slung her bag over her shoulder and hurried toward the door.

You both started toward the entrance, but as you reached for the handle, a sudden whoosh sliced through the air. You barely had time to react.

A hatchet flew past you, its sharp edge slicing the air with a deadly whoosh. It missed you by inches, embedding itself with a sickening thud into the metal framework of the glass door. The force of the impact rattled the glass, sending a shower of dust and loose fragments scattering into the air.

Your heart jumped into your throat, and you spun around, breathless. Your eyes darted wildly, but there was nothing—no one. The shadows were still.

“What the hell?” your roommate gasped, her face pale, her voice shaking.

You stood frozen, your hand still hovering over the door handle. The hatchet gleamed in the dim light, lodged deep into the door like a warning, its handle jutting out at an unnatural angle.

Your mind raced. It didn’t matter who had thrown it, or why. All that mattered was that someone—or something—had just tried to kill you.

"Get back," you hissed, your voice sharp as you pulled your roommate back away from the door. “Don’t touch it. Just move.”

You moved quickly, your pulse pounding in your ears. You had to get out. You had to.

You glanced toward the open lobby, the dark hallways beyond, and you could feel it again. That presence, lurking just out of sight. But this time, you didn’t wait. You didn’t want to know what was hiding in the shadows anymore.

With a frantic glance over your shoulder, you yanked open the door, dragging your roommate out into the night air.

You didn't stop running until you were in the car, doors locked, engine roaring to life. You slammed the car into reverse, speeding away from the abandoned mall, your hands gripping the steering wheel so hard your knuckles turned white.

But even as you drove, even as the mall disappeared in the rearview mirror, you couldn’t shake the feeling that whatever was in there... was still watching you.

⋆˙♱˙⋆

The engine of your car hummed quietly in the still night air, the only sound breaking the oppressive silence of the empty parking lot. You sat there, gripping the steering wheel, the soft glow of the dashboard lights casting a sickly pallor over your face. Your mind was racing, running in circles as you stared at the abandoned mall in front of you.

You shouldn’t have come back. Every fiber of your being screamed at you to leave, to turn the car around and drive back home. But the footage, the incomplete shots—it was all too important. You had to get the rest of your equipment. You couldn’t just walk away.

Yet, the closer you got to this place, the more that nagging feeling in your chest deepened. Every instinct was telling you that something was still here, something you couldn’t see. That breathless, oppressive presence from last time—it hadn’t gone anywhere.

You glanced at the rearview mirror, catching a glimpse of the pitch-black road stretching out behind you. Nothing seemed amiss. No lights, no movement. Just emptiness. But as your gaze turned back to the mall’s darkened silhouette, you felt a chill crawl up your spine.

You took a deep breath, trying to calm your racing heart, and let your eyes wander. They drifted over to the edge of the parking lot, where the woods began. The trees were thin, their skeletal branches twisting into the air, blocking out the faint glow of the moon. You tried to focus on the shadows, to distract yourself, but something in the dark just beyond the tree line caught your attention.

At first, you thought it was just another twisted tree, something you’d seen a hundred times before—tall, gnarled, reaching up toward the sky in an unsettling, crooked way. It wasn’t until your gaze locked onto it, your vision narrowing, that you realized how wrong it was.

It wasn’t a tree.

You froze.

Standing in the shadows of the woods, just beyond the parking lot, was a figure. At first, it looked like a tall, thin tree. But as your eyes adjusted, you could see it clearly—a figure too tall, too unnaturally straight. It was something else entirely.

The figure was impossibly tall—far too tall to be human—and impossibly still, standing there in the darkness. Its limbs were unnaturally elongated, like they didn’t belong to a human body, with no discernible features except for its broad, unsettlingly smooth silhouette. The shape of its head was missing—no eyes, no nose, no mouth. Just a blank, featureless space, a void.

It was wearing a suit. A black suit, crisp and perfectly tailored, but the fabric hung strangely around its frame, almost as if the body underneath had no real shape.

For a moment, your breath caught in your throat, and your pulse hammered in your ears. The figure didn’t move. It simply stood there, motionless, as if it had been waiting for you to see it.

You blinked, hoping that when you opened your eyes again, it would be gone. But it wasn’t. The figure was still there, standing like a twisted monument to something unspeakable. Its presence seemed to distort the very air around it, warping the shadows and making the trees feel smaller, as if they were bending away from it. It was the kind of thing that made your mind try to block it out, to tell yourself it couldn’t be real.

But it was real. It had to be.

Before you could process the thought, your eyes blinked again—just once, a reflex—and when you looked back, the figure was gone.

Nothing remained but the dark outline of the trees, swaying gently in the night breeze.

You swallowed hard, your breath shaky as you tried to rationalize what you had just seen. It must have been a trick of the light. Your nerves were shot, your mind on edge. There was no way that was real. You hadn’t seen that.

But deep down, a part of you knew. A part of you understood that whatever had been standing out there wasn’t just a figment of your imagination. That presence in the woods—it wasn’t human. And you had no idea what it wanted.

You didn’t know how long you sat there, frozen in the car, staring at the woods, hoping that when you blinked again, the figure would still be gone. But the air around you felt heavy, thick with something unspoken. And then, as if on cue, the wind picked up, rustling the trees in a low, mournful whisper.

You couldn’t stay here forever.

You took a deep breath, shaking it off, trying to regain some semblance of composure. Maybe it was nothing. Maybe it was just the mind playing tricks on you, the strange energy of this place distorting your thoughts.

You turned off the engine, grabbed your bag, and opened the door. The chill hit you immediately, and you pulled your jacket tighter around you, trying to ignore the sense of dread pooling in your stomach.

You didn’t look back at the woods. You didn’t want to.

As you walked toward the mall’s entrance, the stillness of the night pressed in on you, almost as if the darkness itself was waiting. The sound of your footsteps echoed louder than usual, too loud in the emptiness, and every instinct screamed at you to turn around, to leave.

But you had to finish what you started. You had to retrieve your gear.

You reached the entrance, the large double doors looming in front of you, and took a deep breath. The air around you smelled musty, thick with the decay of abandonment, but you didn’t hesitate. You pushed the door open, stepping into the lobby once more, the eerie stillness wrapping around you like an old coat.

The lights you’d set up last time were still there, but the shadows they cast seemed longer, more distorted. The silence was deafening, broken only by the faintest rustling sound that seemed to come from somewhere deeper inside.

You forced yourself to keep walking. One step. Then another.

Something was here. You could feel it again.

But you couldn’t stop now. You had to get your equipment, finish what you came for—and leave.

The lobby was suffocatingly quiet, the stale air thick with dust and the scent of rot. You moved quickly, heart racing as you scanned the room for your gear. The camera bag was exactly where you'd left it, your extra tripod lying on the ground nearby, but your eyes darted around frantically, searching for that one thing that would make all of this worth it: the SD card.

You rifled through your bag, the contents scattering as your hands trembled. Your fingers brushed against wires, spare lenses, and old receipts, but no SD card. Your stomach sank.

Where is it?

You searched more frantically now, pulling everything out of the bag, tearing through pockets that didn’t even hold anything of value. The SD card—your footage, everything—was gone. It had been right there when you left the last time. You couldn’t have lost it.

A chill ran through you, and the unease you had been trying to shove down came rushing back. Someone had taken it. But who? Or… what? Your mind raced, but you couldn’t linger on it.

You grabbed the rest of your gear, shoving everything into your bag as quickly as you could. The earlier panic was starting to fade, replaced by a numbing kind of determination. It was better to leave with what you had than nothing at all. The footage could wait.

You stood up, your bag heavy in your hands, and for a brief moment, the silence in the mall almost felt normal again. As if everything was just abandoned—nothing to worry about, nothing to fear.

But that thought was fleeting.

The weight of your own breath filled the space, the emptiness pressing in on you. The uneasiness started to creep back. Your footsteps echoed louder than before, too loud for a place that was supposed to be abandoned. The mall stretched out in front of you, dark corridors and shadowy hallways beckoning you deeper in.

You stood there, your hand resting on the edge of the food court’s entrance. The air felt thick, almost like the walls themselves were closing in on you. You glanced around, half-expecting something to emerge from the darkness, but when nothing moved, you hesitated for only a moment.

Maybe it was your exhaustion, maybe your desperation to be done, but you couldn’t help it. You walked a little farther in, the floor creaking beneath your boots, and the walls seemed to close in, narrowing your path as you ventured deeper.

That's when you saw him.

At the far end of the food court, standing motionless at one of the broken kiosks, was a man. A tall, lanky figure dressed in a long, dark coat. His face was hidden behind a white, doll-like mask—smooth, featureless, and disturbingly blank. The mask seemed almost... too still, like it was frozen in time.

The man didn’t move, didn’t blink, didn’t even breathe. He just stood there, staring directly at you, or maybe past you. His presence felt like a stone in your gut, too heavy to ignore.

You stopped, your breath caught in your throat. Something about him—it wasn’t right. You could feel the heat rising in your chest, a warning ringing in your ears. This wasn’t just a person in a mask. It was something more. Something… wrong.

A scraping noise echoed from behind you. The sound was sharp, metallic—like someone dragging something heavy across the floor.

You whipped around, your heart racing, and the sight made you freeze in place.

At the far side of the food court, under the dim glow of a flickering fluorescent light, was a young man with short, messy brown hair. He stood over a thick wooden table, bent low, sharpening an axe. The rhythmic sound of the blade being dragged across the stone whetstone cut through the silence, slow and methodical. The edge of the axe glinted as it caught the light, the steel gleaming darkly.

Your blood ran cold. The man didn’t even look at you. He didn’t acknowledge your presence at all. His focus was entirely on the axe, his movements deliberate. Each time the blade scraped against the stone, the sound sent a shiver up your spine.

And then, before you could react, a gloved hand suddenly shot out from behind you, covering your mouth with startling speed and force. The shock of it sent you into a panic, but you didn’t scream. You barely managed to stop yourself in time, your throat tight with fear.

You tried to pull away, but the grip was firm, strong—unnaturally so. The hand was cool and methodical, as if the person behind you had planned this.

The first words that escaped your lips were barely a whisper, but they felt like they belonged to someone else, someone who had just realized how deep in trouble they were.

“H-Holy shit.”

The hand remained pressed over your mouth, and your body stiffened, every muscle in your body urging you to run, to scream, to fight. But you knew better. You couldn’t risk making a sound. The man with the mask, the one who had been watching you—the young man with the axe—none of it made sense, and you couldn’t afford to make a mistake.

In the silence, you could hear the scrape of the axe again, the sharp edge moving over the stone with a relentless rhythm. The smell of rust and decay clung to the air. And the feeling of being watched? It hadn’t gone away. It had only intensified.

Whoever was behind you, whoever was watching you, had no intention of letting you leave the mall alive.

[numberonepeacock]

Happy New Years!!!! 🥳🥳🎉 🎉

As you know it’s the new year so I will announce what will be in store for the new year. As you all know ever since school started I haven’t posted a new chapter on anything I’m hoping to improve that.

Jan-May I will be working on the “Hybrid of the Seven Sins AU” (Danny Phantom AU - @imthequeenofinfinitecity) and finishing up “A Star's Reascend” (Poppy Playtime/Smiling Critter AU - @heretosingallyourworriesaway)

In the summer (when I’m out of school and have some free time) I’ll be working on the Lily AU’s A Lily’s Reblooming (Monkie Kid AU - @shadowpeachlillies) and SoniCure: Jewel Pretty Cure (Sonic the Hedgehog/Pretty Cure Crossover - @sparklingandtwinkling)

I’ve got no idea what I’ll work on in the fall or winter but seeing as that’s school I’ll cross that bridge when I get there.

I have also started drawing surprisingly so if I get time I will draw my ocs for each AU but I can’t promise anything because I’m doing a tracing style since doing Free Hand is my weakness.

Finally I want to give a shoutout to all my mutants and the friends I’ve made in the few months I’ve been here:

@ladyshadowsblog - Thank you for being my rock though everything that’s happened so far. Every bad moment, every scare, thank you, you truly are a good friend I will cherish forever.

@https-b0nb0n - Thank you for all your kind words on my AU. When I first saw your AU it was what inspired me to make my own so getting all the likes and positive feedback made my world. I can’t wait to see what’s in store for both of use with our SoniCure AU.

@wolfiefoxwolf, @toyplushcrazy, @bo-bo-bean, & everyone else in the @tastierwithsweetiecritters blog - I’ve had so much fun doing this AU with all of you. All the silly and chaos has been something I look forward to everyday. Can’t wait to continue it.

@garcavisconde - Vis let me start by saying that before I met you I hated Crackships but yours is the first one I’ve ever liked and have now fallen in love with your the manmade horror and the brazilian he tamed.

@magician-kitty - My fan whose the reason I continued my whole AU. Before you came along I started to lose interest in it but then your kind words gave me motivation to continue on. Also love all your works on AO3 and your artwork is beautiful!

[kwyoz]

drawing random references with my inky

[aturnoftheearth]

we can should and must continue to relate everyday mundane tasks to destiel

[puppyeared]

Atla live action 😐

[tunapesto]

you guys ever go thru a stage in art where it feels like everything u draw is solely for socmed and that ur interest in something is not genuine and ur just overall burnt out in art and draw like once a month. lol lmao xd