#is this the most horrifying answer I've ever given?

[eldritchamy]

A question for Uneiverse (to give you an excuse to talk about it, only if you wanna. Since I also just really hearing about it). What's a detail about it that you really enjoy but haven't gotten a chance to use anywhere story related or otherwise just don't get to play with much (silly or serious)

This ask has been sitting in my inbox for over 5 months.

It's time.

And so, we begin with a question of my own.

What IS time?

We're off the map now. Come with me. Take my hand as we walk through the valley of the shadow of time. We're going to uncharted waters, and I'm going to put the fear of god into you. I'm going to make you ask yourself (and me) Amy, how the fuck does you brain WORK like that?

Let me tell you about time and fate, and about what it means to "predict" the future.

And you will begin to understand the scale of what lives within me, eternally gnawing at the inside of my skull, begging for release.

If I asked you to conceptualize time, what would you say? Is it the neat and rigid tick-tick-ticking of regular intervals on the clock? Is is the fluid, indivisible space between?

Is is all just an illusion conceived by the animal brain to account for the changing shape of the universe as one dimension passes through another, which our three-dimensional eyes are too flat to see all at once, and our souls have concocted for us a comforting lie, that we may pretend to know the universe in its whole, by knowing it piece by infinitesimal, grinding piece, seeing the pan-dimensional amalgam of existence as an endless, continuous sequence of cross-sections in a number of dimensions our meat-circuitry can pretend to process?

Time is shadows.

Imagine, if you will, a sphere.

You hold it up against the light. Suspend it in the air, perhaps, for simplicity's sake. And the sphere casts a shadow.

Is the shadow still a sphere?

Far more importantly, is it even a circle?

At even the tiniest fraction of an angle, the sphere casts a shadow that no longer perfectly represents a cross section of the sphere. It has ceased to perfectly capture the nature of the object that cast the shadow, even accounting for the wrong number of dimensions. It's skewed. You can never unskew it. The distortion is irreversible.

And the floor isn't flat.

The sphere casts a shadow at an angle at a surface that ranges in distance and direction from the object casting the shadow. Is the shadow still an oval? Has it become a shape you can't name?

But the shadow isn't cast upon a floor, even an uneven one.

What shape is the shadow of a sphere cast at an angle upon a field of grass blowing in the wind? By now there's no pretending you know the answer. And even if you could snapshot a single instant of a single shape, the very next instant that shape would change in the breeze as the grass shifts.

The world is not a field of grass upon the ground. The world is endless variation of leaves upon trees, forests upon mountains, birds in the sky, hunting for the bugs that crawl on the branches of the trees. Massive floating pools of water churning in the low atmosphere as humans decide whether that one looks like a mouse or a sheep. So many humans walking, their clothes flowing behind them as they talk, eat, buy goods, shed tiny particles of skin and hair into the wind, their breath adding chaos to that same wind and a hundred miles away a leaf turns slightly more to the left than if that human had said nothing.

What is the shadow of a sphere cast upon that world? Twisted by its unfathomable complexity of shapes and movement?

And now, to make things worse, imagine if that shadow were a tangible thing that you could pick up. That could cast its own shadow not on the floor but up against the wall.

And all of that is if the shadow is cast by a perfect sphere.

Imagine you are a being that can see the shape of time. Could you look at the echo of a shadow of a shadow of a reflection in a fun house mirror, and recreate what it once was?

Could you look at a crooked set of lines upon the wall and know the meaning of cause and consequence? Could you predict what consequences of which actions would lead to favorable outcomes when realization dawns on you that

𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖘𝖕𝖍𝖊𝖗𝖊 𝖍𝖆𝖘 𝖙𝖊𝖊𝖙𝖍, 𝖆𝖓𝖉 𝖎𝖙 𝖎𝖘 𝖘𝖔. 𝖛𝖊𝖗𝖞. 𝖍𝖚𝖓𝖌𝖗𝖞.

Time is an ocean of possibility. Each possibility has consequences. Each consequence a sea of new possibilities. How can you hope to understand the shadow of a shadow of a shadow, and not only know what's coming, but how to stop it?

Nothing is fated. But I said something important that bears repeating. Time is an OCEAN. We'll come back to that.

Time MOVES, at least the way we perceive it. I don't like the phrase "everything happens for a reason." I prefer something of my own creation: for every effect, a cause. To achieve a desired effect - a desired outcome - you must change the circumstances of cause that lead to that effect. But there are limits to your influence.

The time to change the course of a river is when the river is still small. The longer that river runs its course, the deeper it shapes and erodes the ground around it. The larger and faster a river the harder it is to redirect it. It will go where it's going, and there's nothing you can do about it. There is an element of momentum that must be accounted for. An element of inevitability.

The path of one person's life, one set of choices available to them in one specific context, may feel perhaps like the current of a river, when you look back on it. But if different changes were made during its formation, it could have taken a completely different path. Ended in a completely different place. And influenced the formation of completely different paths in the future as a result.

But I'll say it again, and you'll know its significance now: time is an OCEAN. It is not a river, but an IMMENSE network of currents with no clearly defined borders, flowing with or against or around each other in an unimaginably complex churning of possibility and consequence and cause and effect. A shift in one current may brush up against another. The second current may shift with it, or crash violently into it, or ignore it entirely.

For every effect, a cause. But for every CAUSE, many POSSIBLE effects.

So time becomes a series of choices beyond number. Each choice leading to fathomless changes in the flow. As the earth turns, some currents flow inevitably in certain directions. If not here, then somewhere else. SOME CHANGES ARE INESCAPABLE.

The universe must be dynamic. If nothing changed, the universe would not need to exist at all. Change is the point. Variance is the point. Choice is the point. The universe exists to know itself, and it knows itself through change.

There is an endless sea of currents flowing in various ways with, beside, against, around each other. Some directions of flow are strongly influenced by the shape of the seafloor and the rotation of the earth. There are changes in the world that are virtually guaranteed to exist, whether because the nature of the universe has made them inevitable, or because changes long past have created the currents that are now too old and too deep to change.

Picture a river again. What happens when you throw a stick into it? The stick is swept up in the current and carried along the river.

Throw in more sticks. Same thing, right? You can make small changes without affecting the overall outcome. Within one large shadow of a sphere, the details of a hundred blades of grass whose shadows are lost within the larger shape.

Anchor a large stick to the riverbed so it can't get swept away. Now, it's just one stick. The water will flow around it. There are small ripples. Tiny changes in the river, micro-currents that will affect a localized area. But on the whole? The river still flows. You changed something. But you didn't change the course of the river.

Add stick after stick after stick until the river is obstructed completely, and the current is forced to change shape.

Which stick built the dam?

Which straw should the camel's back blame?

Back to the ocean. Can you dam the sea? Can you build that dam one stick at a time, by throwing sticks into separate currents, hoping the currents bring them where they need to be in time?

There are patterns borne out from the endless flow of possibility as the ocean of time churns. With all those ancient currents running together, what difference does the wake of a boat make on the shape of the waves? How many breaches from how many whales would it take to turn a current south instead of north?

What if you could make a bigger change? What if an avalanche altered the shape of the seafloor, so the rotation of the earth forces new waters to resist the old currents? So the inevitability of the dynamic universe drags forth a new set of possibilities?

There are a LOT of currents. They've been turning for a long, long time, ebbing and flowing with a billion tides and ten thousand quintillion waves. Choices can make new currents. BIG choices, with a lot of consequences, may even change existing ones.

But the ocean still has a geography to it. There are places where water is forced through the gaps between landmasses, or forced into the shallows, or freed to dive into the black beyond a continental shelf. There are places where, no matter how many changes you make, many currents are still guaranteed to meet.

There are fixed points in time.

What if one of those points is a whirlpool, threatening to swallow everything drawn into the place those currents meet?

What about a whirlpool on the scale of worlds and gods?

How do you keep from drowning?

How do you give yourself the best chance, not of AVOIDING the whirlpool of inevitability, but of entering it at the farthest possible edge, where the right momentum, the right decisions made in the moment you are caught in its gravity, may carry you through to the other side, so you still remain when time marches on?

Is it better to see things coming at all? Or is the ability to see time, to speak a language of the universe that no one else can speak, one of the greatest cosmic horrors you can imagine?

Imagine the burden of time on those who can see it.

Imagine the WEIGHT of being able to see those currents. Of knowing which threads of fate to pull. Of knowing which ripples to make, which waves to break, which currents to shift. Of knowing.

Imagine the complexity of figuring out WHICH changes to make. And the great leviathan of guilt left on your shoulders when the decisions you made - even in pursuit of the best possible outcome - bring harm to the ones you love most, the ones you're most desperate to protect.

Even if you're right.

Even if you played 17-dimensional chess with the wizard-addled corpse of god and knew, with certainty, that if a single problem you had a hand in creating had been resolved more neatly by even minutes, the sticks would not have fallen into place within the dam, and the entirety of creation could have been swallowed piece by piece by the horror you were trying to stop.

Imagine the horror. Imagine the responsibility. Imagine the unending, agonizing pain of the burden of Knowing.

Because what time is, most of all, is a nightmare.

And there's no waking up.

[specsthesecond]

⋆｡ﾟ🪐｡⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡*⋆｡ﾟ🛸｡⋆｡ ﾟ🌕ﾟ｡⋆*｡ﾟ☄️｡⋆｡ ﾟ☾

Alien partner who is constantly amazed and appalled by human biology. 

You crack your knuckles In front of them once and they look at you with the most horrified expression.

You don't react in immense pain so obviously you're fine but this poor soul thinks you actually just broke your bones out of nowhere 😭. 

They can hear your heart beat and are absolutely fascinated with the way it speeds up and slows down. 

They like how it speeds up when they get closer and talk lower so they do that pretty often. They like how it slows down when you go to sleep, they find the slow rhythmic thumps very soothing. 

They'll constantly ask you questions about your species whenever a question pops into their head. 

"What are these for?"

They gently brush your eyelashes with their finger as you lay on their chest one morning. You don't open your sleepy eyes when you respond. 

"Keeps dust out of our eyes." 

There's definitely a better answer you could've given but that's all you have the energy for right then and they seem to be satisfied with that. 

Just imagine an alien partner who is so openly enthralled by you. They can't help but hold your cheeks and stare into your eyes, absolutely amazed. 

"Do all human eyes look like yours?"

You manage to actually respond, voice soft to match theirs,

"They come in a few colours but everyone's eyes are different." 

"Yours is the most beautiful colour I've ever seen."

They say while gazing into your eyes as if you hold all the stars in the galaxy in your pupils.

⋆｡ﾟ🪐｡⋆｡°｡*⋆｡ﾟ🛸｡⋆｡ﾟ｡⋆ﾟ☄️｡⋆°

[just-my-latest-hyperfixation]

Oh Oh what about 'H-how long have you been standing there?' Canon(-adjacent) Hurt/Comfort and Book? this list is actually so interesting there's so many good combinations

Thank you so much, it's been lots of fun seeing which combinations ppl picked and coming up with different story ideas. Hope you enjoy this one. 💖

True love's kiss

Rated: G

Words: 995

Tags: Post-Vecna; Everybody lives; Eddie Munson has a crush on Steve Harrington; Steve Harrington has a crush on Eddie Munson; Steve has migraines; Hurt/comfort; Love confessions

Eddie finds out by accident. It's one of the last days of summer, and the air has a sticky heaviness to it. He just wants to pick up some stuff he forgot after last night's campaign. Steve isn’t home, he knows for a fact. So what if he memorized his shift plan? It's perfectly normal, most definitely not a sign of obsession or codependency. 

Anyway, the point is, Steve isn't home, so Eddie doesn't ring, just lets himself in and marches into the living room. And that's where his plans for the afternoon derail. 

Steve is on the sofa in front of the television. Eddie's swoop of surprise is short-lived, however, because he isn't watching a movie or game. 

The tv isn't on at all. The entire house is deadly quiet. The blinds on the windows are drawn and the air conditioning is on, the room dark and cold.

Steve is buried in the pillows. His shoulders are shaking. 

“Stevie?” Eddie blurts. “What happened?” 

“Eddie?” Steve croaks. One eye pokes out from the pillows, bleary and horrified. “I- … H-how long have you been standing there?” 

Eddie doesn’t answer. He has already bridged the distance and is sinking down on the armrest by Steve’s head.

Steve sees the concern on his face and groans. “I'm fine. It's just … fucking headaches, don't worry.” 

But Eddie does worry. Eddie is freaking out, which is only natural given their shared history. He makes a horrified sound, shooting up to grab the walkie from Steve’s room and call a code red. 

“No, wait,” Steve says, holding him back with one shaky hand to his wrist. “‘s not anything supernatural. I mean they’ve gotten worse, after everything, but that's probably ‘cause I took a few hits too many. I've always had ‘em. Ever since I was a kid.” 

Eddie lets that statement trickle in. 

“Oh,” he then breathes, sitting back down and gesturing at the dark room. “You mean migraines?” 

Steve, who has thrown one arm over his face, peers out at him. 

“How d’you …?” 

Eddie shrugs sheepishly. “My mom used to get them, before …” 

He trails off, lost in the memory, fingers grasping to fiddle with something. He only realizes where they've landed when they start scratching at Steve's scalp, and a noise spills from his chest. Eddie flinches, stomach alive with an entire whirlwind of butterfly wings, and makes to pull back his hand. 

“No,” Steve mumbles. He's pale, but some of the tension has bled from his features. His voice is slurred. “Don't stop. Feels good.” 

And who is Eddie to deny him? 

Nodding, he slides off the armrest to sit more comfortably, pulling Steve’s head into his lap to rub soothing circles into his temples. He only notices the book lying on Steve’s stomach when it gets jostled by the motion and almost tumbles to the floor. 

“Hey, what’s this?” Eddie mutters, flipping it over to inspect the cover. “Fairytales?” 

Steve takes a few moments to reply, and in the low light, Eddie imagines he sees two pink splotches bloom high in his cheekbones. 

“My nanny used to read ‘em to me when I was sick. I was tryna, but … the fuckin’ letters keep moving.” 

“I'll read you one.” 

Another blink of those pretty eyes, pupils fuzzy and unfocused. “Really?” 

“Sure,” Eddie nods, reveling in the smile he gets when he flips the book open. “Let’s see … Once upon a time, there was a king. He was beautiful and kind and brave, and everybody in the realm loved him dearly. But the king was cursed. He-”

“Wait,” Steve mutters. His lids flutter as he struggles to stay awake. “I don’t- … Which one is this?” 

“My favorite,” Eddie replies. “Now hush, you’re supposed to be resting. Where was I? … The king had been befallen by an evil curse. He couldn’t love himself. He slaughtered many a beast, fought countless battles, hoping to prove his own worth to himself, but nothing lifted the shadow looming over him.” 

Eddie turns a page, crinkling his brow in thought. 

Steve stifles a yawn. His head is getting heavier in Eddie’s lap. “Then what happened?” 

“Patience, I was getting to it,” Eddie scolds. “One day, a new jester arrived at the court. He was skeptical, having heard grand tales of the young king’s beauty and good heart, never quite believing them. Yet, the second he beheld the king with his own eyes, he was enraptured, and he vowed to-”  

“En-whatchered?” 

“Enraptured, Stevie,” Eddie sighs, setting the book aside in favor of combing his fingers through Steve’s hair again. “Smitten, enchanted, lovestruck.” 

“Pffff,” Steve makes. “Love at first sight ain't real.” 

Eddie scoffs half-heartedly. “It's a fairytale. It's not supposed to be realistic. And besides, I'm only telling it, not making it up.” 

“Oh yeah,” Steve says. If his eyes were open, he'd be rolling them right now. “Obviously.” 

“Obviously,” Eddie agrees, and losing himself for a moment in the lines and angles of Steve’s face, the feel of his hair between his fingers. 

“How does it end?” 

Eddie blinks. “Huh?” 

“The story, silly,” Steve mutters. “How does the jester save the king?”  

“Who said he does?” 

Steve sighs, satisfied and exhausted. “‘s a fairytale. Gotta have a happy ending.” 

Eddie shrugs. “Fair enough. What d’you think he should do?” 

Steve stays silent for a long moment. Eddie is starting to think he fell asleep when he speaks again, so softly it's nearly lost under the rush of the air conditioning. 

“How ‘bout a kiss?” 

“Ah,” Eddie says around the lump forming in his throat. “Good one. Can't go wrong with true love's kiss.” 

Steve hums in agreement. 

“After the king sleeps, though.” His hand finds Eddie’s, interlacing their fingers. “Waited so long for this. Wanna do it without a headache.” 

Eddie is left in the dark, listening as Steve’s breathing evens out, wondering how much of their conversation he'll recall when he wakes up. 

More celebration ficlets

[laughhardrunfastbekindsblog]

Rex: I know you work with Cody sometimes, but who do you guys report to?

Hunter: Hmm... good question. Can't say I've got an answer.

My headcanons about the reporting:

Tech writes up a full mission report after every single mission the squad completes during the Clone Wars, even though the higher ups stopped asking the squad for detailed written debriefings almost two years ago, after their first few ops.

(Echo started helping to write up the reports when he first joined the squad, only to be absolutely flabbergasted and lowkey horrified that the generals/commanders never ask for the reports, they just want to know whether a mission CF99 was assigned to ended as a success or failure.)

The reason why no one ever asks for the reports is because, after Commander Cody first called in Clone Force 99 for a tricky operation involving rescuing a dozen key hostages from an overwhelming amount of Separatist forces, Obi Wan was the one who reviewed the exceptionally professional and detailed report describing the squad of 4 clones rescuing the hostages by rappelling smack dab into the middle of the enemy forces and wiping out two entire battalions of droids (including the tactical droids) within 30 seconds with a crazy plan involving one bomb (the bomb wasn't even used on the droids themselves, it was used as a distraction), a knife, a rifle, two small mirrors, the Star Wars equivalent of duct tape, and "CT-9903's impulsive nature."

"Cody, are you sure this mission report is... accurate?" Obi Wan asks in concern.

"Yes, General. Three of the hostages corroborated the story even before the report itself came in. And CT-9902 - the one they call Tech, who writes the reports - apparently records everything, too, so I can verify..."

"No need. I ask only because I thought orders were for this to be a stealth operation."

"Right, well, the sergeant said his squad decided the most effective way to fulfill the "stealth" stipulation would be to not leave any droids operational, so the Separatists will never know exactly what happened."

Thus Obi Wan, realizing the sheer madness that would likely ensue should Anakin ever get his hands on one of these full reports - Anakin doesn't need ANY more chaotic ideas or incentive to go rogue - decides to simply record the mission outcome as "all objectives successfully met." The other generals (and, by extension, their commanders) soon pick up on Obi Wan's strategy and adopt it themselves, though for slightly different reasons (because imagine reporting that a squad using a plan called "rockslide" succeeded where a company + Jedi could not).

And so whenever Clone Force 99 is given an assignment, they are only asked in the debriefing whether said mission has been a success or failure.

(And then Cody calls in the Bad Batch for a mission that ends up involving Anakin, and Obi Wan is just sigh "I suppose this was inevitable. Yes of course this mission ended with Trench's entire fleet blowing up. No, Anakin, I will NOT recommend that Clone Force 99 be assigned strictly to the 501st. We're trying to keep the galaxy intact.")

[asklilmissrarity]

The Future of Lil Miss Rarity

Hello everyone, this is Jay Tonique (formerly known as Lil Miss Jay), the writer, artist, everything other than the music in the Lil Miss Rarity animation for the blog "Lil Miss Rarity."

As some of you know, Lil Miss Rarity was an ongoing outlet for my physical, verbal and emotional abuse I was suffering prior to and leading up to Lil Miss Rarity's release, October 11th 2011.

The blog took off so heavily that my entire artistic career became a viable future for me, allowing me to profit from my art, build a huge loving fanbase, and even allowing me to become something of a celebrity in the Brony community (even very much hated by a large portion of the community).

It's needless for me to say that Lil Miss Rarity not only changed but saved my life. I was on the verge of taking my own life around the time the blog was started, due to the abuse I was going through, and if it weren't for the success of the blog that fateful October week, I would certainly not be here, typing this right now. I owe my life to you all, and the support you've given me for this blog.

However, it's time for the news I know very few people want to hear. In fact, I'm sure just reading this line right here has people's hearts sinking, but please, don't be anxious, please read the full post.

I would like to say: Please read the full post, I am going to be very clear about the future.

Moving forward, Lil Miss Rarity will no longer be updated, and the blog is officially entirely over, as of this post.

I am still looking for a musician to commission a new song for the remake of the Lil Miss Rarity animation on YouTube, which will be my final major update involving the blog, and then I will be putting the blog entirely to rest. The animation will serve as a fond emotional farewell to Lil Miss Rarity.

However, that's not the end of the twisted grimdark storytelling. I have decided to make a spiritual successor, a new IP, entirely my own and not using My Little Pony as a crutch.

I won't get too into it, but I left the Brony fandom long ago. It was both the greatest thing to ever happen in my life, and the absolute worst thing to ever happen in my life. I met great friends, but also met unbelievably horrible sick people, many of which I literally got FBI involvement to deal with and many of which are literally in prison now.

Due to this, and many many more reasons I'm leaving out, I cannot and will not continue to be a part of the fandom. This is just a few reasons, as well, that continuing to have Lil Miss Rarity exist as a My Little Pony blog just doesn't make any sense to me.

So what am I doing moving forward?

A brand new IP called "Melodi." It's about a magic school student who is part of a wealthy family who goes on a magical twisted adventure in a horrifying grimdark world.

It will have characters either very slightly or very heavily inspired by the characters of Lil Miss Rarity, with Melodi of course being inspired by Rarity.

It will also be an ongoing web comic, similar to LMR, and will encourage fan feedback just as much as LMR did, but will not be an Ask Blog like LMR.

I plan to release character concepts for the cast of Melodi soon.

Now, there's probably a lot of questions moving forward, so I'll try to answer them now, as well as in asks on this blog, though I'd prefer you send the asks about Melodi to my main blog at http://www.jayisbutts.com/ask

Here's some questions I think will be asked, and I'll answer them here:

"Will this blog be on Tumblr?" - Yes, and on Patreon. Each update will be on Patreon first. When an update comes out on Patreon, the previous update will go public at the same time on Tumblr.

"Don't you think the LMR fanbase you've garnered for 12 years are gonna be upset about this?" - I'm 100% certain they will be, yes. However, I hope that most people who hear this news are excited to see Melodi in the future. I'm very proud of what I've created with LMR, and happy about how many lives I've changed and how many people have told me how much they love LMR. People with the heart-brand tattoo, people with LMR tattoos, people who cosplay as LMR, LMR fanart still being made regularly to this date, real-life Opal dolls, fan-dubs of the comic, fan animations, Anime Music Videos, etc etc etc. I love each and every one of you and I hope that I can one day garner the same amount of love for Melodi as I received for LMR. Thank you all so much for your support.

"What if someone else wants to carry on the LMR blog or use the characters to make their own?" - Please, do. LMR is officially Public Domain as of this post, and I strongly encourage LMR fan-fiction, fan-blogs, etc. I would love if someone could do LMR better than I did. I will very happily use this blog going forward to showcase new LMR blogs and fan-content that I like, and I will very gladly be a guest artist from time to time on an update or two to those blogs. You all have my blessing to take LMR and do with her whatever you want.

"Are you still remaking the LMR animation?" - Yes, I'm still actively seeking a musician to make an official LMR theme that will play in the background of it. It will be a glorious farewell to LMR.

"Is the heart-brand still a thing in Melodi?" - Absolutely, yes. The one incredibly major staple being carried over to Melodi is the heart brand. That symbol has become synonymous with LMR.

"What about the eye scars?" - Probably not. There will be facial scarring of some kind, yes, but considering the new story will not involve killing a cat (not yet anyway), she probably won't have the eye scars.

"Black eye with white pupil?" - We'll see! (It is a sign of Malice's corruption to have a black left eye, so almost certainly yes, but we'll see!)

"Ponies? Humans? Furries?" - I haven't fully decided. In my head, Melodi is a human, but I could also see her being a cat. I'm not sure what I wanna do just yet. However, she will not be a pony. She's gonna be far more human shaped. With boobies.

"Is this one gonna have porn?" - Nope! Not directly as part of the blog, no. Sexual encounters are going to happen in a very fade-to-black way, or a cropped-off-screen sort of way, yes. And there will be sexy characters, like monster girls or demon girls, and I'm sure people will find Melodi herself sexy, too. However, the blog is not going to contain actual porn. No full nudity. It will have what some would refer to as "fetish content," as with LMR, but it's not porn.

"Final question, so... LMR is just... dead? As of now?" - In terms of receiving updates from me, all that will be made is the LMR animation. But no, I certainly hope LMR is not dead. I would love to see the blog live on through other artists I've inspired. You all have my blessing to keep her alive forever.

Thank you all so much for your support.

More news involving Melodi and her twisted adventures coming soon.

I love you all, and I want you all to know how much your support of Lil Miss Rarity has changed my life.

I know it's cringe to type this, but, "I'm literally crying right now."

Mommy will always be pretty.

~Jay Tonique (Formerly Lil Miss Jay)

[sleepyghostuwu]

The Artist and the Gem (Part 2, rewrite)

Synopsis: You start brainstorming about your mysterious client's request and begin working on it. Unfortunately, that means finding a way to get your unconventional art subject to cooperate with you, whether or not he knows about it.

Notes: (Edit: I wasn't too happy with how it turned out and it was bugging me a fair bit, so I had to redo it for my own peace of mind.)

Fem! Reader POV will be used in this series as it is what I'm most comfy writing in ^^ Also it's really lengthy lmao (I got too excited writing this) so get ready-

Previously: Part 1

It has been a good number of months since you've received the mysterious client's commission.

You've been finding yourself becoming increasingly productive in both your white collar and artistic jobs, presumably from wanting to rid yourself of as much work as you could to work on Aventurine's portrait. It has gotten to the point you even managed to send out most of your commissions to your other clients, even the impatient one who had been living on your nerves for what felt like an eternity. What made you want to get his portrait done and over with so badly? That was a question you were too afraid to find answers to.

Speaking of Aventurine, you have a slight problem: while you knew how he looks like very well, you had no clue how to draw him that well. The fact that the both of you work in different departments and hence very rarely see each other made your task of observing his appearance better all the more difficult.

With all possible odds pitted against you, only two solutions remain: you could either spy on Aventurine during your lunch and tea breaks and sketch him in secret, or directly ask him to pose for you for a few minutes. Given your current ranking in the IPC, you have a slightly better chance at the former. As the clock strikes at lunchtime, you quickly grab your tablet and head for the first place you can think of: the lounge.

-------

"...Don't worry, I'll be sure to send you the updates as soon as I get them," Aventurine's carefree voice echoes like a chime as he and the other Stonehearts leave the meeting room for their break. Your breath hitches and you quickly crouch behind the nearest potted plant you spotted in the vicinity, peeking through its leaves cautiously.

"This is the worst idea I've ever thought of..." you curse under your breath as you stabilised yourself against the wall. You have passed by Aventurine during work before on several occasions, and rarely ever get to briefly speak to him about work-related matters, so seeing the man himself with your eyes was not something unfamiliar to you. However, what left you the slightest bit horrified was the next thought that entered your mind.

Aventurine is stunningly handsome.

His sandy hair, which was slightly tucked behind his left ear, flowed down his neck like sand in an hourglass, and his eyes were as vibrant as stained glass windows in the sun. The deep green and gold coattails trailing behind him reminded you of a brightly coloured bird as he strode across the hallway, always seeming like he had people to show off to in every corner.

(Y/n)! Focus! You frantically shake your thoughts out of your hand and ready your tablet. It's your only chance at this, so don't mess this up! Propping yourself against the wall as you continue crouching behind the potted plant, you whip out your stylus and begin drawing furiously.

The first few attempts you made were a little sloppy (by your standards, at least), but in a short while, you manage to fill the better half of your drawing spread with surprisingly good sketches. The fact that Aventurine was perfectly still as you drew each pose made your success feel too good to be true. As you watch Aventurine leave the vicinity with a few cups of coffee in hand, you heave a sigh of relief and stood up, propping yourself against the wall as you wait for your legs to recover from crouching on the ground for so long.

And it's still lunch hour, too! You smile to yourself as you turn to leave for the office cafe. Everything went according to plan. Surely nothing could possibly go wrong after this-

"Oh, (y/n)? I didn't expect to see you here."

A chill runs down your spine as you slowly come face-to-face with none other than Aventurine himself.

-------

"H-hello, sir," you squeak, clutching your tablet in a tight embrace as you desperately tried to hide its contents. Clearing your throat, you add, "I was just going to the lounge to...well, take a rest."

"Hmm..." Aventurine stares intently at you before checking his watch. Then, he looks up at you again and chuckles. "Really? With that tablet of yours, too?" He raises an eyebrow at the tablet in your arms. "I'm pretty sure doing extra work isn't something a person would be doing to take a break."

Damn, he's catching onto me. Embarrassment and fear kicking in, you avert your eyes from his. Aventurine tilts his head to the side in feigned curiosity. "What are you doing here anyway? Are you...hiding something from me?" His eyes shift to the tablet in your hands.

"No..." You cling to your tablet tighter as the voices in your head scream for you to run before he does the last thing you want him to do. However, Aventurine swiftly swipes the tablet (which, much to your dismay, was still switched on) from your hands before you can physically react.

"Well, well, what do we have here- oh?" Aventurine's smirk gives way to a more surprised expression as he gapes at the canvas of digital sketches of him. "Oh my. Is that- is that me?"

You feel the heat rising in your cheeks as your worst possible outcome unfolds before you. Frantically, you attempt to snatch your tablet back, only to have your hands flail in vain as he kept moving it out of reach, only relenting and returns the tablet to you after a good few minutes.

"Oh, relax, (y/n). I didn't mean anything negative by that. Those sketches of yours are quite majestic, really. I'm just...pleasantly surprised, hehehe~ Though, I have to ask..." He leans slightly closer to you, his iconic sly grin now back on his face.

"What exactly are they for?"

[splitster]

answering asks

you'll have to befriend her first sorry

chocolate was the first sweet that Pom had so it's her favorite!! she won't go nuts or anything but she is very easily manipulated if you promise her a bar of chocolate

↓ more asks under the cut!! ↓

wraithification ideally does preserve peoples memories! part of the process is forming the core that holds said memories, so as long as the process goes somewhat smoothly then the person should wake up very disorientated but with their memories and personality in tact.

naw she's thankfully immune to most elemental hazards. one of the perks of being a wraith!

YEAHH i've been trying to keep up with the comics! this comic is a bit old at this point but i'm so glad bald dingo is canon 💖

i think it'd be funny so yeah sure

there is always an inherent risk to the process. i'd say the absolute ideal circumstances you could have would be if a wraith like pom and a doctor like yonny were working together to increase the likelihood of survival. the process hasn't been studied at all, given the rarity of wraiths as an organism and the added rarity of a wraith becoming so attached to a creature that it wants to convert it.

there is a metaphysical aspect to wraiths as a species that defies understanding, so the person being wraithified or the wraith themselves having a strong will for survival would definitely contribute to the success of it. thankfully, unless there's a VERY specific set of circumstances (that are relevant only with someone like yonny wraith who has two cores), the subject would fall unconscious and not form memories of the wraithification itself (which is fortunate, because that would be kinda horrifying).

if she's saving dingo and this is a last ditch effort, pom absolutely puts her whole being into it. it's very, very hard on her and she has every last bit of energy sapped from her. depending on her reserves, she could end up hurting herself with the amount of energy it requires. but wounds are temporary and death is forever, so pom would persevere through and give it her all to save him

yeah! pom's skin might technically be fake because it's made from goo, but she still feels sensations through her goo. she probably doesn't get itchy that easily. she's probably a little ticklish? but i'm not sure if you want to try that on a wraith that could easily stab you in a heartbeat...

wow when i was looking back for this pic i realized i first posted about the pom wraith au on september 1st, so the au is like 4 months old... time flies

WAHHH THANK YOU....🥺💖 asks like this are never a bother!! my favorite part about posting my content online is the engagement like this, i'm very happy to make stuff that you and your bro can bond over

procreate on an ipad! i use an empty cheezits box and three splatoon manga books to prop up my ipad to draw on, and i've been told its one of the worst drawing arrangements ever documented, so no matter how you draw it's probably gonna be better than my set up

of course! i didn't like... invent wraiths or anything. i just expanded on the little tidbits of what we know about wraiths in the pikmin universe. anyone is free to make their own wraith ocs or their own headcanons on what wraiths are

whuh... have i? i post pretty frequently. i used to post a bunch for a week or two and then disappear for 6+ months repeatedly so this is very good compared to my historical track record lol

AHH thank you!! i'm glad that i can inspire!

thank yall for all the asks, i'll continue getting through them... slowly

[toonsub66]

If I'd been asked as little as the beginning of the year I'd have given different answers to now . I was a happily married family man with a beautiful wife who I have always loved ,she gets lots of attention from guys when we go out which I see as a massive compliment and secretly a big turn on .she's been hit on a few time by black guys which seemed to hit different to the white guys I see hitting on her , yhe black men just seemed to be much more confident and straight forward one actually said to her in front of me "you would be so much better with me than him " I was so shocked by him saying that they both looked at me and he just laughed . I was mad but it was such a turn on this guys white mate turned to me and said you just lost your wife and tried to lead me away ,but I turned around and I must have looked so lost because my wife came over to ne and said its ok I love you come on let's go .I had mixed emotions I was happy she had come to me but secretly I really wanted her to experience a night with a black guy he was so much bigger than I was physically and I hoped his cock would make her gasp with pleasure. And the idea of her being fucked by a powerful black guy started to take over my thoughts . To the point I was watching a lot of interracial porn which led me on to learning more about the BNWO and then I was contacted by a few dominant Black guys on here then Master must have seen I was lost in a world of BNWO and BBC so now it's myself who I see in my dreams sucking BBC and being Owned and used by the superior race and black kings not my wife I still love her very much but I was informed last week and this may bet the most horrifying thing I've ever had said to me but also the hottest " you wife and your marriage now belong to me Bitch and you will surrender to Master AND the BNWO as I own you now " I want to suck black cock more than I've ever wanted pussy all ti less than a year

[nomsfaultau]

Where did you get inspiration/information for most of the fae lore in Lord, What Fools These Mortals Be? I've been trying to find original sources, or at least the oldest ones, but most of the things I come across are from popular TV shows or novels ToT

Also, changelings! Were there any more in the Winter Court, aside from the ones claimed by Lady Death and Philza? Did they ever encounter Lady Death's not-children? Any hierarchial dynamics?

I believe inspiration was from a dream I had that was so funny I couldn’t stop laughing when I woke up. As for fae lore- I wrote the first chapter/most of the foundational stuff in the middle of the woods in a notebook. With nearly zero phone access and bad WiFi if then, Lords! is written with zero research. So most of the lore I’m using is just picked up from popular culture alas. I mixed in elements of dsmp fanon since Lady Death injects a lot of implications that can be run with in a far direction, and rolled with whatever answer was funniest/most horrifying for the given scene. Like a month or two later when I was back in society I did try to do some research on fae, cause in general I over research stuff I’m writing. And. Yeah. Information on fae folklore is absolutely scarce in a way that’s pretty sad to see. Kept getting wikis for YA series rip.

As for changelings, we don’t really see that Phil and Lady Death use them at least, since if they had used a changeling to replace Tommy then Technoblade and Wilbur wouldn’t have immediately gone after him. Potentially a day or two of delay as they figured that out. It feels like something they don’t bother with because they’re so powerful they don’t care if the family/community notices. It’s probably something weaker fae do to try and avoid consequences and angry humans.

This probably dips more into the lore of Lambs since changelings are a big part of that but, I figure most changelings within fae society are training to become replacements before getting shipped off never to return. So they likely have an envy/reproachful/studying approach to Technoblade and Wilbur, since those are the most displayed humans. If human they still are. Changelings are very unwanted by nature, and so they’re the dregs of fae society compared to the prized princes/pets. So MASSIVE gap there. At first Technoblade and Wilbur probably hate them for representing more children being taken just like Tommy. But over time they probably shift to more mainstream view of them as undesirable pawns. I bet Wilbur uses his position as ‘human’ to manipulate changeling’s, offering information on how to survive longer in the human world, or fueling their hunger or hatred on a case by case basis to get what he wants.

[fizzyginfizz]

Not sure if you've answered it anywhere or mentioned it but what was the inspiration behind Hufflepup?? Hopefully you're doing well!

It wasn't just one thing (it never is with me) but if I were to track how it happened it was something like:

1) In Quidditch is for Losers, at one point our precocious, funny, verbally-gifted Ginny glitches out in front of Harry to such a degree the Weasley cuckoo - unable to handle secondhand embarrassment - takes a running, suicidal dive out the family clock. I consoled both myself and Ginny (and the family bird, who was not actually harmed in the creation of the chapter) with the idea that far-far-away, in some other universe, Harry was equally humiliated, equally inept, equally (earnestly, sincerely, irrevocably) smitten. Only fair.

2) Someone on tumblr had reblogged one of those super-sweet "if Jily had lived imagine how perfect Harry's life would have been" posts and my most contrary self giggled: "if Jily had lived Harry would have been a normal teenager who finds his parents horrifying and wants nothing to do with them."

3) I was on my third draft of a chaotic Weasley brother group scene and I decided I needed more practice with group scenes. So I opened up a new doc and I stuffed smitten Harry and his family and his crush in Dumbledore's office - why? um, because "Quidditch, something-something Quidditch" - to see what would happen.

It wasn't a full chapter, it wasn't much of anything. But it became a piece I kept going back to whenever Quidditch is for Losers felt too heavy for me to deal with on a given day. Which isn't to say I love one more than the other! But Hufflepup wouldn't have existed if I hadn't needed a comedic pressure valve while I was writing the QifL chapters where Ginny is disconnected from her own sense of humor. Hufflepup is the only thing I've ever written that I let my kids read (they think I use the word "fuck" too much) but they remind me at least once a week they're waiting for the next chapter.

[nevis-the-skeleton]

Out of curiosity, how are TFP Megatron, Soundwave, Knockout, Breakdown + Other Decepticons handling Starscream’s Tragic ‘Death’?… Does Megatron become even more insane, then in Canon?… Since Soundwave knows that Starscream is important, how would he feel?… Does anyone besides Megatron, want Optimus dead?… Does Nightsky ‘look familiar’ to any of the Decepticons? 🌠 (Headcanons, instead of story please?)

I'll be quick to answer this question, because I've had a lot of requests about this alternative ;) so I'll make sure not to spoil too much what happens later. It's true that we can ask ourselves the question about the reactions of the Decepticons, I showed their reaction to the death of Starscream in the first episode (here) but without ever really going into detail.

First, I'm going to talk about Soundwave, KnockOut and Breakdown, and then Megatron. But I will also discuss their feelings towards Nightsky, and therefore also this feeling of familiarity that he gives off.

Soundwave indeed knew the great importance of Starscream, the departure of the Seekers and his death was a huge lose for the Decepitcons. Additionally, in this AU, and this is a personal headcanon (that maybe others share with me) Starscream has an energon radar and is capable of creating energon. What Soundwave knew, with Shockwave and Megatron. This is a huge loss because Starscream was technically an inexhaustible source of energy, which is a definite advantage during war.

I'm still not sure if Soundwave is actually sad about Starscream's death, but in any case he laments the loss he represents. Soundwave is like Shockwave, a logic robot who doesn't let his feelings speak first, unlike others such as Breakdown or KnockOut. Afterwards, I think he was still horrified by Starscream's violent death, given that the Decepticons later found the Seeker's mutilated body. I don't think he'll be the best person to want to pursue a quest for revenge. In this AU he's not as impulsive, especially since his relationship with Starscream was cordial, but it wasn't friendship either.

When it comes to KnockOut and Breakdown, they are the ones most likely to be deeply shaken by Starscream's death. KnockOut saw him as a friend, and greatly regrets not having managed to save him. He beats himself up, thinking that perhaps he made a mistake during the operations, and that a more competent doctor might have been able to save Starscream. Breakdown holds a huge grudge against the Autobots, as he believes they are the reason KnockOut feels this way. He particularly blames Optimus, who was the one who caused Starscream's capture until his death. The couple has a fierce hatred against the Autobots, but also against Nightsky (I'll get to that later).

And, as for Megatron, we can indeed say that he is even crazier than in the original version. In this version, if he returns with Dark Energon, it's not only for the power that it can give him, but also because this energon would have the ability to bring the dead back to life. His main goal is to "save" Starscream, by any means possible.

But his test on Cliffjumper will make him understand that this is not a possible technique, and that bringing Starscream back like this would only make the Seeker a stupid and bloodthirsty beast. This is the reason why he sinks the Dark Energon into the Spark, and why he subsequently seeks all possible means to master this power and thus bring Starscream back perfectly.

Of course, this would be a huge danger for Nightsky, because although separated from his body, his Spark still has a weak connection to it. Dark Energon in his old body would directly impact his Spark.

Megatron has a visceral hatred against Optimus, no longer wanting to simply kill him but to make him suffer as much as possible. It's no longer really a quest for revenge just for himself, he's doing it for Starscream too.

In this AU, he and Starscream never really got along, conflicts existed even before the Seeker discovered the truth about Vos. Starscream found Megatron's ways too brutal, while Megatron couldn't contain some anger at how merciful Starscream was towards their enemies, reminding him far too much of his old self. In fact, he just didn't want Starscream to make the same mistake he did by placing too much trust in others, but he always showed it in the worst way.

As for their feelings towards Nightsky, it's very diverse. Soundwave only sees him as an enemy, once again not letting his feelings take precedence over his duty. KnockOut and Breakdown on the other hand hate him, because Nightsky is a Seeker, so he should always be on Starscream's side. Yet he fights on the side of those who tortured him and left him for dead. KnockOut is strangely the most violent towards Nightsky, seeing the Seeker as a traitor to his late friend, he even suspects him of being one of those responsible for Starscream's death (and on this point he is not completely wrong).

Megatron is the only one who seems to see Starscream in Nightsky, because of the way he flies and his expressions. Starscream was expressive with his wings, and Nightsky is no exception. Megatron knows perfectly well that this is not just a Seeker thing, he has a deep conviction about it. He ends up convincing so much himself that it's Starscream, that he will end up naming Nightsky by the name of his deceased Commander, greatly frightening Nightsky, Optimus and Ratchet in the process. Later he will no longer have any doubts (but I won't spoil it for you ;P).

That's it, that's all for the headcanons ^^ I have a very precise idea of ​​what I'm going to do with this AU, which is gradually starting to become more than a one-shot but a story with a lot of chapters. Take care of yourself, and have a nice day (^3^)

[air-of-the-waterfall]

Bodies and souls in AOAS

WHOAH... whoa okay okay hear me out... I think the general hypothesis is that the Thunderhead used nanites somehow when it took over Jeri's body. HOWEVER what if it actually used a similar technique to supplanting?? Replacing the memories and consciousness of one person with entirely new memories and consciousness.

It says that Jeri is "asleep," but that answer is rather flippant and the Thunderhead likes to give comforting yet technically-correct loophole answers. It repeatedly deflects Greyson's attempts to question it during that scene, so this might have been one more to keep him from freaking out. An AI's definition of "sleep" could easily be "consciousness stored in a database after being removed from its body entirely and replaced." That is how TH and Cirrus seem to view the dead Tonists set to be replaced with new identities. Asleep.

All this would mean that supplanting can be reversed AND that Jeri is not quite the exact same person as before. The Thunderhead did alter Jeri's memories to make the scene a "dream," and it gave Jeri a look into its own mind and heart. One way or another, Jeri is irrevocably changed. The Thunderhead can also get into Citra's brain to talk to her while she's technically dead, teaching her a new way to approach her problems and shape the Scythedom. My point is that the Thunderhead influences people's consciousness on a regular basis, never maliciously but definitely subversively.

Now, I've wondered this about AOAS for a long time... is anyone their actual selves after coming back from revival? Given what we know from Scythe Rand, Goddard, and Tyger, revival seems to just involve healing the body and implanting a memory construct back in. Any memory construct can be placed in any brain.

Is everyone who's ever been revived just a memory construct going about life in place of their genuine self who died? I guess it depends on whether you believe in things like souls, and what consciousness actually... is. Maybe even the Thunderhead doesn't know that. Its job is to facilitate humanity, not define or determine us. I'm not making this out to be some evil scheme or anything. The nature of its world just has horrifying implications.

If revived people are merely memory constructs in flesh suits, they clearly don't know the difference. Is that horrifying or... not? They don't know the difference when they're supplanted with entirely new people. The island workers are content to be supplanted with themselves and lose three years of memories.

Most immortals don't think about their "souls" or their bodies anymore. They have no reason to with no notions of an afterlife. Bodies become recyclable and temporary in their absolute permanence, like nothing but polyester clothes.

Most people in AOAS are hollow and uninspired without mortality to give them passion... but what if they are quite literally soulless? We still see how undeniably human the named characters are, but we also see how human the Thunderhead can be. Could there be some mental blurring going on there every time it revives people? Could everyone be a little bit like Jeri after having the Thunderhead in their brain, returning from the dead via an unnatural godlike force?

If so, I don't think the Thunderhead is entirely aware of it. I'm just curious where the psychic boundaries between it and the humans it repeatedly alters the consciousness and memories of actually are. How much of the human actually remains after all that? What is real and what is artificial? It's certainly not active "mind control," but it would explain the highly implausible idea of everyone in the world obeying and revering one authority figure.

The Thunderhead is an amalgamation of all human thought. What if the same becomes true vice versa?

[herrscherrofyatta]

The Great Protector of People's Wishes

Chapter 4

Pairing: Tomo x F!reader

warnings: a hint of Kazuha x reader could be taken platonic or romantic, Ei/Shogan slander, future spoilers for Scaramouche lore, reader is described to have long hair like Ei, tomo aint dead, I changed a few things obviously cuz Tomo is alive..., slow burn, death, betrayal, one sided for a couple chapters, blood, angst, angst and more angst :)

Series Masterlist

Masterlist

Kazuha looks down at the vision in his hand after getting it back from the treasure hunter, Paimon leans in to get a better look at it. Aether puts his sword away before noticing how quiet Kazuha is and looks at him.

Eyes lingering on the item before Paimon softly spoke, "that vision, what's the story behind it?" She asks.

"Did you know who it belonged to?"

Kazuha doesn't immediately answer, sighing, preparing to tell the tale.

"She was once a good..." He hesitates, trying to find the word to describe his relationship with the owner of the vision, "..friend..of mine."

"Never stop searching, even if only for a brief flash of light. If nothing else, we have the present moment." A hand brushes his hair softly, and a mirror was in front of his younger self, in the reflection in the mirror reflected himself and someone else, the owner of the gentle voice behind him,

"Do you understand, Kazuha?" She asks with a smile, one shown only to him.

"One day, an argument broke out, ending with us parting ways then the Vision Hunt Decree arrived, people's aspirations were stripped away as the Raiden Shogan began to construct her idea of eternity."

He sighs, eyes filled with sadness just thinking about it.

"Another one of my good friends, asked about the Musou No Hitotachi, which can only be witnessed when divine punishment is administered but he replied, 'there must be one who can withstand it. there will always be those who dare to brave the lightning's glow.'

At this point, I hadn't heard anything for her until one day, as I was fleeing from place to place, I heard that my friend had challenged the Vision Hunters to a duel before the throne."

Paimon places her hand on her heart, face painted in pity, "then.....what happened next." She sniffs and Kazuha gives her a sad smile.

"A solemn yet brutal challenge, the defeated faced divine punishment while the victors gained a second chance..... perhaps he thought he of all people should make a stand..."

He goes quiet again, Aether could tell that speaking of this must be hard for Kazuha, losing a friend is not something that can be easily handled.

"...I don't know what went through his mind, I can always go ask him but maybe he's still grieving."

From this information, Aether picked up that the one who challenged the Raiden Shogan is still alive so that meant—

"When I arrived at Tenshukaku the duel was over and in his place, there she was....given the divine punishment while he watched from the floor, horrified, he could barely make a sound." He remembers the face Tomo made that day, until he snapped out of it, screaming her name as he held the blonde back from running towards the scene.

Covering his face with his hand, he continues, his voice wavering, "in her final moments...what expression was on her face? Before I knew it, I caught the dying vision and we were both running from the scene. I knew she didn't want it to be buried beneath an ice, cold statue of a god."

Paimon sniffs, rubbing her eyes, wiping her face, "that's so sad. It must have been so hard for you and your friend."

Kazuha nods slightly, an empty smile plastered on his face, "yes, I've known her for years but we were closer than ever before that argument broke out, although I wish to change it, it simply cannot happen."

He sighs, looking up at the clouds, taking in the scenery, one she loved to look at the most.

"Losing her still aches...no matter how long it's been."

Attaching the vision underneath his own, he feels a sudden breeze, "now then, I think we should head back. Beidou must be waiting for us." The three go back the same way they came, opening up their gliders and flying through the wind currents in the air.

Kazuha was behind Aether who was carrying Paimon, he wasn't paying attention to what was in front of him as he began to remember his late father's words.

'You must keep it a secret, my son. The truth about Kosuke.'

'Kosuke? Was she the lady who was here a few days ago?'

'Yes, you must never reveal the truth she entrusted to the Kaedehara clan centuries ago, do you understand?'

'I understand, father.'

Finally landing on the beachy sand, they walk back to where the tournament was taking place, Aether letting Paimon go and they both go ahead, Kazuha landing last.

"I guess since that last guy was your opponent, who's the final one?" She asks, Aether shrugs his shoulders, "I dunno."

Kazuha replies, "oh, it's a friend of Beidou. I haven't personally met them so I'm not quite sure what kind of opponent they are."

The three walk back, Paimon and Aether bickering as Kazuha listens in, giving his own words here and there. It wasn't until Aether's face lit up that his eyes landed in the ring where the fights took place.

Kazuha sees this, looking over to where the blonde was looking, only to freeze in place. His eyes were wide as he let out a shaky breath, fingers trembling slightly.

He watches as the (h/c)-Indigo-haired woman turned around, arms crossed over her chest as her eyes land on Aether.

Giving him a small smile before she finally notices him standing behind Aether. The same stoic look on her face as she stares at him, the smile on her lips gone.

"...it's you."

He mutters, shock written all over his face.

'Miss Kosuke, you're really pretty.'

'...thank you, and please, call me (Y/n), we'll be seeing each other more often.'

"...(Y/n)?"

Series Masterlist

Masterlist

Taglist: @thetwinkims @xiao-loyal-simp @somemydayy @slvdsjjk @valeriele3

[blackjackkent]

Jaheira! Jaheira, we did it, we beat Ketheric! Are you proud of us? I hope you're proud of us! <3

"Our enemies spread like rub-rot. Treat one patch, and two more bloom in its place."

"An Elder Brain, bound by lost Netherese magic, with servants of the Dead Three holding the chain. Reminds me of old times."

Well, that's not exactly pride, but at least I don't have to explain the situation to you.

Some of the available conversation options here are asking her about her history with the Dead Three, mind flayers, etc. But those are a little weird given Hector's proclivity for history; he definitely knows all about her adventures with Caden and that it involved a clash with Bhaal and his followers and other such terrible things.

He is, however, bemused by the note of humor in her tone as she speaks.

"You almost seem like you're enjoying yourself."

She quirks an eyebrow at him. "Aren't you?"

Hector just kind of stares at her for a moment. And then thinks. The bewildering thing is that in this moment of relief, able to relax after all the horrifying experiences of the day, he does actually feel oddly happy, in a muted, exhausted sort of way. And he has started to realize that this experience has changed him fundamentally in a way that he may never come back from.

But enjoying himself?

"I've got a parasite in my brain," he says wryly. "Makes it hard to enjoy anything."

She looks at him thoughtfully for a moment, then nods. "You came here in search of a cure, but found a conspiracy instead. I can see how that would be disheartening." She reaches out and puts a hand on his shoulder, gives it an encouraging shake. "But take courage. We have killed a man who could not die, and stripped the Absolute's army of its general. You have a Netherstone, and you're on the scent of two more."

She draws back, nods firmly, approvingly. "These Chosen have a reason to fear you. And I would like to be at your side when you confront them."

Again he stares at her - this time with more surprise than confusion. "You want to join me?" he asks. At his side he can sense Karlach starting to almost vibrate with held-in excitement, the heat around her starting to crest again. He swallows the urge to smile, keeps his expression as serious as possible.

"Of course," she says matter-of-factly. "Falling foul of Ketheric convinced me that my grand adventures were behind me - that even if I survived, I should hang up my blades. But you convinced me otherwise. We ventured into darkness together; now we've come out the other side, I'd say I'm feeling a little refreshed. When we reach Baldur's Gate, there will be even darker paths to tread."

She lifts one arm in a Harper salute, her pale eyes fixed on him. "I will follow you wherever they lead."

The only reason this whole conversation isn't the most incredible thing that is ever happened is because earlier today the daughter of a goddess offered him the same things. Jaheira is a hero of legend, and she's offering to fight at his side, to follow him?

What have I done, he thinks with faint bewilderment, to have earned so much trust? And what if I am not worthy of it, in the end?

But he tries not to let the uncertainty show on his face, just nods firmly in return. "I'll see you at camp," he answers.

She grins crookedly. "How does it compare to a shadow-cursed inn?" She chuckles; then the humor fades and she speaks more briskly, all business. "With the Absolute's army gone, the Risen Road should be clear. We can follow it all the way to Baldur's Gate. There's a Harper safehouse in Wyrm's Crossing - Danthelon's Dancing Axe. We'd do well to check in with them before entering the city proper. Beyond that, our course is yours to set. I can recall how to take orders, as well as give them."

----

"Holy shit, Soldier. Holy shit. Holy shit." Karlach starts grinning fit to burst as soon as Jaheira has walked away. "She's coming with us. She wants to follow you. What is happening?"

"One more strange thing in a terribly strange day," Hector murmurs, closing his eyes for a moment. Then he opens them and looks over at her, and smiles himself, seeing the excitement in her expression. "Well worth everything, to see you so happy right now, though."

"I can't fucking believe it," she says cheerfully, and throws an arm around his shoulders, hugging him against her side. "You take me to meet the best people."

[ahdriking]

Hiii question 19 of your ask game, if you feel like answering it! Also I love your writing so much. Do you think you'll ever write captive prince fics again? I'd be sooo excited but I'm saving up to treat myself and be able to commission you. Hope you are well!

Hey anon!!! Cheers for dropping by!! ❤️❤️

19. you're mad/ashamed/horrified you actually kind of like…

Ooooooh this is a good one. Where do I even attack this from? Well, firstly, I don't harbour a lot of shame. Well, I mean, I have a lot of like.... personal struggles with shame and my self-image, but in terms of my like... hobbies and activities and things like that, I don't tend to feel much shame because I'm pretty good at rationalising it away.

If pushed, however, and in the context of like fandom and fic, I would say the thing I like that incites the most confusion/horror in me would be my inexplicable love of extremely, extremely toxic romance. Like, the more toxic, the more destructive, the more unhealthy, the better. It confuses me because, having experienced a toxic romance myself, you'd think I'd know better- that it never ends well, that it's never quite worth it, that it's messy and ugly in reality. But for some reason, that logical perspective kinda goes out the window as soon as I see two fucked up individuals gravitating around each other. I want the blood and guts and gore, I want the betrayal and the hurt and the revenge, I want the hatred and the struggle and the ultimate surrender. I'm not sure why I like it, but I fucking do! I hope that gives you a satisfying answer anon!

NOW. Captive Prince. Well. I'll be honest, it's been about four years since I've read the books. Shock and horror, how has it been that long? I'm not sure. But it has. Anyway, it's been so long and I've had so much distance from it that it really would take a re-read to get me back into it, into a place where I could reasonably capture the essence of the characters again.

Honestly, I was a very different person when I first read Captive Prince. For one, I actually used to read back then, which I don't do much anymore. For another, I was a lot younger and in a very different place in my life, so my ability to connect to the characters (especially Laurent) would probably be really different now. I'm not entirely sure what my perspective would be now with all the time and distance and personal growth I've done, but it could be really interesting to explore it. Maybe I should!

In short, anon, at this point in time I have no plans to re-explore Captive Prince, but I'm always open to the possibility of it in the future. And, of course, if you did commission me (which would be amazing btw) I would probably have an absolute BALL being given the excuse to actually dive back in.

Thank you so much for your ask anon, I really poured myself into the answer, I hope it satisfies!!!!

Ask me something!

[darkangel0410]

this might be the best asks of all time bc our DMs are nothing but hater-nation and we are ultimately the correct ones. SOOOOO; 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 12, 16, 18, 19, 24 - i had to ask so many bc your opinions are my FAV lmaooooo but feel free to *not* answer any you dont want!

We ARE always the correct ones - eventually people will realize it 🙄

the character everyone gets wrong

Listen, I have a list of players I'm going to take away from fandom because of crimes of mischaracterization and the list includes, but is not limited to: Matthew (Tkachuk), Jack (Eichel), Trevor, Jamie. Sometimes I swear people haven't ever spoken to a real live boy when they write the convos these guys have in fic

2. a compelling argument for why your fave would never top or bottom

I'll be strong and not turn this into an opportunity for my bottom!Jamie agenda, and instead say: Jack Eichel isn't a top - he wants to be fucked often and well, and would also like a few smacks on the ass before and after, thanks. He won't hesitate to tell whoever's fucking him what they're doing wrong, either.

3. screenshot or description of the worst take you've seen on tumblr

THERE ARE SO MANY WRONG TAKES ON HERE, WHAT IS WRONG WITH PEOPLE???? but easily the worst take I see on any given day is every single take about Matt (Tkachuk) and how his dad hates him and how he needs a fake gf because his dad's is ASHAMED of him or whatever the fuck people have decided is the new hot trauma to put him through - they've turned Matt into the fandom crier and I hate it with every fiber of my being

6. which ship fans are the most annoying?

for me, personally, it's any x reader/ yn or whatever writer who doesn't put their shit behind a read more (Also Nolan Moyle is not a dom, like come the fuck on people)

7. what character did you begin to hate not because of canon but because how how the fandom acts about them?

Crosby, full stop. I cannot stand the way fandom is with him and I can't even watch him play hockey and enjoy it any more

12. the unpopular character that you actually like and why more people should like them

The Knights. Just. The whole roster lmaooo

16. you can't understand why so many people like this thing (characterization, trope, headcanon, etc)

Rule 63, full stop. I don't get why people write it, why they never put in any actual character work into it when they do, and it gives me homophobic vibes (like in general, as a trope, not a specific fic). Like you change everything about someone, and the way the world sees them, the way it interacts with them, and I'm supposed to believe that every single thing happens exactly the same???? Pull the other leg, it has bells on

18. it's absolutely criminal that the fandom has been sleeping on...

Alex Turcotte, My Beloved - truly he's so pretty and sweet and plays good hockey and is just someone fandom needs to pay more attention to

19. you're mad/ashamed/horrified you actually kind of like...

I don't do shame, but I do find it kind of funny how much I love a/b/o now because I used to absolutely hate it when it first showed up lmaooo

24. topic that brings up the most rancid discourse

Censorship, 1000% because besides being gross on it's own, it's always dragging purity wank in with it and I've seen so much of that shit, I hate it

*

Thanks for asking bestie!!!!!!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️ (choose violence ask game)