#it needs to be a monster of the week type deal

[legendary-defender-of-fandoms]

I love everything about this concept! The only thing I would maybe change is Scooby. Keep him as a secret eldritch being, but maybe make it so even Scooby doesn’t know what he is. Perhaps he’s from a long, hidden line of eldritch beings like he was in Mystery Incorporated. Or, building on his “Scoob!” backstory where Shaggy just found him as a puppy, perhaps Scooby could’ve been Moses’d by his parents, hidden on Earth to avoid some inter dimensional threat. This could even explain Scrappy & the discrepancies in their speech - Scooby was sent to Earth at such a young age he never learned how to properly speak, but Scrappy was raised in the eldritch society & mastered their Allspeak.

Thinking about how I would write an adult Scooby-Doo series, because I think it can be done.

The first thing I’d do is make the characters actually be adults.  Still young, but adults, in the mid to late 20s range.  Mystery Inc. is a private detective type business that they run together.  In this universe, the supernatural/ghosts/etc are real, but not necessarily common, so when they take on a case, the culprit might be a person disguised as a monster, or it might actually be a real ghost.  The stakes can be higher; sometimes a bad guy is legitimately trying to kill them.  Sometimes the mystery they’re trying to solve is a murder.  Sometimes they actually get hurt on their cases.

Fred: the core of Fred’s character should be that he’s incredibly kind.  Like, give a stranger the shirt off his back kind.  The “Fred can’t talk to potential clients because he might take a case for free and we need to eat” kind.  He’s an honest and good person and sometimes gets himself into trouble because he assumes other people are too.  While he’s not very good at reading people or noticing ulterior motives, he’s brilliant when it comes to mechanical or engineering type stuff, so he’s the one who keeps the mystery machine running, builds their gadgets, and of course, designs the traps.

Daphne: she comes from old money, and her parents absolutely despise her life choices, to the point where they haven’t officially disowned her, but they have basically cut her off, so she doesn’t actually have access to any family money.  Growing up wealthy has granted her a variety of skills, including speaking multiple languages, horseback riding, and fencing.  She’s very into fashion and jewelry (even if she can’t afford it anymore) and has extensive knowledge of both that can occasionally provide a vital clue in a case. And even though her parents have cut her off, Daphne still has a wide network of contacts she can ask for favors sometimes, because she’s personable, and people tend to like her.  Daphne is also very emotionally intelligent, and is usually the one who can spot when someone is lying to them.

Side note - I ship Fred and Daphne, so I think I would start them off as an established couple for this universe.  Dating, engaged, married, I don’t care.  They are stupidly in love, ride or die for each other.  There’s no will they, won’t they, no worries about cheating.  They are in a healthy, happy, loving relationship, and no one (not even Daphne’s disapproving parents) are going to mess that up for them.

Velma: she is the forensics nerd who sometimes gets super excited about the wrong thing at the wrong time (”He was mummified in seconds? That’s so cool!” “Velma!  His wife is standing right there!” “Oh.  Sorry.”).  She’s not purposely insensitive, she just gets laser focused on her work and forgets to filter herself sometimes.  She’s also the one who can get so fixated on solving whatever mystery they’re working on, she’s willing to bend or maybe break laws.  Is breaking and entering really so bad?  Not if it gets them answers.

Shaggy: he is still the comic relief, but he’s the comic relief by being the only person in the group that actually has common sense.  He manages the business’s finances, he’s the only one who knows how to cook, and the others tease him for being a coward sometimes, but Shaggy maintains that if a ghost with an axe is coming for you, running is the only sensible option.  He should also have a range of random knowledge that sounds useless, but sometimes saves the day (ex ventriloquism, origami, the history of spoons, etc).

Scooby: as this is a universe where supernatural creatures exist, Scooby is an ancient eldritch type being that took a shine to Shaggy when he was a kid, and took the form of a talking dog to befriend and hang out with him.  Aside from the talking dog bit and not aging, he never uses his powers in a way that anyone notices.  The audience is not told upfront that Scooby is an ancient eldritch being; it should slowly be hinted at throughout the series so the audience put it together, but the characters never realize it.  Scooby genuinely considers Shaggy to be his best friend, and cares about the rest of the gang too.

[diejager]

Hi! In your Only Human AU what would happen if TF 141 + König and Horangi go into a something like a “rut”? Or is that possible in this universe? If it is would they ask Y/N for help? If possible can it be in the form of a Drabble🥺?

Rut Cw: rut/heat cycles, mention of sex, possessive behaviour, obsessiveness, mention of knotting, implied smut, tell me if I missed any.

Ruts were odd phenomenons, it reduced hybrids and monsters to desperate and horny men, clinging onto the person they considered their mate for relief and pleasure. Some hybrids had ruts, like canid and felid shifters or shifters in general, a monthly cycle that incapacitated them. Others were luckier, having a few ruts per year, sometimes once every few month or once a year; these could range from a dragon to a harpie or from a percht to a gorgon. There, however, were some exceptions, spectral beings and the undead were without ruts, their body long dead and able to function without it, yet they could impregnate and be impregnated as any other hybrid and monster could. They suffered from bouts of occasional arousal, little flares of pleasure when faced with a situation that turned them on or by strong emotions towards someone or something.

You were unfortunately enough to be thrown into a group of rutting hybrids - with the sole exception of Ghost - unprepared and without a forewarning on how to deal with them. You had to deal with a clingy werewolf, howling at the moon and whining in utter heartbreak because you told him off for humping your leg in the rec room, huffing and gasping down your neck. A hissing and possessive tiger, stalking you down the halls and jumping you whenever you were alone to ravage you against the wall, mouthing and nipping at your neck, making sure his scent would stick over the wolf and nagual musk. And a protective nagual, looming over you like a shadow, arm slung around your shoulder and ready to start a fight with the other shifters if they tried masking his scent.

Luckily, their ruts never overlapped, it might’ve been a fortunate coincidence, but one that you wouldn’t take for granted. You had a schedule drawn up in the first year after they accepted you into their pack, Soap’s was always after the full moon, the silver disk being the catalyst to his urge; Horangi had his in the later days of each month, oftentimes beginning on the last day of the werewolf’s rut; and Alejandro took the first week of the month, starting slowly on the third or fourth day and ramping up on the following day.

Unfortunately, you hadn’t put in consideration for the others. Price, Gaz and König also had their moments in the yearly cycle, falling victim to the throes of instinctual need. You thanked your lucky star that Gaz rutted once or twice a year - thrice on rare accounts - with little to no change in his character. He might’ve been more hands, wanting to keep a hand around your waist, to give you soft and loving kisses on your lips as much as he did on your cheek, nose and forehead.

Price and König were a handful, one hoarded you to his office and had you follow him wherever he went, and the other was deathly possessive and deep into his instincts. König was on the extreme side of his type, breaking out nearly six to seven times a year, stuck mid shift with broader shoulders, red eyes and a monstrous appearance, and he had half the mind to stay considerate to other. A danger stumbling on two feet. Price was the medium, a perfect balance with three or four ruts yearly and a the self control to let you go if the situation demanded it. Despite his self-control, he was still a dragon, controlling and possessive, ordering you to come straight back to him whether or not you were knotted to Soap or Rudy was balls deep inside of you.

Despite Rudolfo being considered a monster, he was simply a human with the ability to control cadejos, as vulnerable and as resilient as one. And being human meant that he got aroused, coaxing you into his room for the night and taking care of the heat brewing between your legs. Much like Rudy, Ghost retained his bodily function - human wise - and came back as a monster, but he was a stranger to ruts, scoffing at the neediness and vulnerability of one. That, however, never stopped him from indulging in his sexual kinks and dark fetishes, having you as the subject of his exploration if no one else hit their cycles.

They were a handful, from Soap’s mutt-like character to Rudy’s calm demeanour, they had you exhausted, wringing you dry and panting, always ending up face down or backed against the wall. You were grateful - truly - that the others would willingly jump in and take over for you, helping whoever it was spend his rut. Now, you’d have to redraw your calendar, tired and clinging to your bed to stand up.

Taglist: @craxy-person @crowbird @dead-cipher @iwannabealocalcryptid @iizx7y @mxtokko @yeetusspagheetus @capricorn-anon @perfectus-in-morte @sae1kie @yeoldedumbslut @bvxygriimes @distracteddragoness @konigsblog @havoc973 @angelcakes-22 @cassiecasluciluce @ramadiiiisme @ramblingsofachaoticthinker @ki-cant-spel @im-making-an-effort @love-dove-noora @jinxxangel13 @daisychainsinknots @0alk0msan @mul-pi @danielle143 @virginalsacrifice @beau-min @makayla-666 @urfavsunkissedleo

[crystallizedtwilight]

Nightmare Before Christmas AU Overview:

🎃🦇🍂

OVERVIEW: This AU follows the events of the movie The Nightmare Before Christmas. Taking place a few years in the future, it focuses on the adventures of Lock, Shock, and Barrel as young adults. The trio has since been welcomed into the town by Pumpkin King and Queen Jack and Sally, though they still live happily in their treehouse on the outskirts. They enjoy life under their own command, free from the now-deceased Oogie Boogie, causing mischief and pulling pranks on the good folk of Halloween Town. Throughout their continued adventures together they discover that growing means learning about themselves, each other, and dealing with change. But one thing remains constant—they'll always be birds of a feather, now and forever.

BACKSTORIES: The trio came to Halloween Town under unfortunate circumstances. Each of their families had lived in the human world, as many monsters do, either nomadically, elusively in the wilderness, or by masquerading. The trio were all born in different parts of the the world during the height of monster hunting. They were three fortunate cases who were found by other monsters and taken to Halloween Town as orphans.

Once in Halloween Town, the trio often ditched school, feeling they weren’t as accepted as the local kids, and deliberately caused trouble which earned them a bad reputation. The three bonded over a love of mischief and the feeling of being outcasts, so when Oogie offered them a life free of rules, they were easily convinced to leave the town entirely to become his henchmen.

Unbeknownst to them, the reason monster hunting took place during that time was because Oogie was rampantly devouring human children. Essentially, they were orphaned because their boss had given humans in several towns desperate cause to hunt the supernatural.

They would not come to learn this until after Boogie’s death. They grew up resenting humans for orphaning them and were horrified to learn that they'd worked for the monster who forced humans to defend themselves as well as let their parents take the fall. Nowadays, they choose to give the human world a chance by regularly traveling all over the world.

LOCK:

Lock is an imp, which is a type of devil. He has nocturnal vision, speed, and a natural desire to climb to very high places. He can often be found on the roof of the treehouse or up a tree when he needs to think. In the human world, imps are stealth hunters in deep forests, preying on deer and other local fauna. However, Lock has a diet of junk food and candy since he was raised without these hunting skills in Halloween Town.

Imps are naturally solitary creatures and dislike group settings, so no imp has ever come through Halloween Town. This, unfortunately, gave Lock a subconscious sense of loneliness and doubt. This is why he tries the hardest to keep the trio together by rejecting any change, which at one point resulted in a huge argument with Shock when she wanted to start attending coven studies a few days a week.

Of the three, Oogie’s abuse rooted itself mostly deeply within him, as Oogie played into the “who else would want you” angle Lock already felt as the only imp in town. He often overcompensates for his insecurities with arrogance and acts childishly, selfishly, and even meanly at times. However, under it all, he has a good heart and just wants to know that his friends aren’t going to leave him.

Lock and Shock are rivals who motivate each other, constantly bickering over which one of them is actually the leader of the trio. At the end of the day, they respect each other's skills and would do anything to keep their friend safe, but you'll never hear them say that.

Eventually, Lock begins a casual fwb relationship with Barrel, under the terms "as long as it doesn’t change anything”—worried that if they labeled themselves and it went sour, he could lose his friend. Barrel, who had always been in love with him, happily agreed to these terms. However, despite insisting that they were only friends, Lock finds himself extremely jealous when another ghoul, Belladonna, takes an interest in Barrel.

Lock is overwhelmed to realize that he actually does have feelings for Barrel but has likely missed his chance with him by insisting they weren't together, and Belladonna is probably better for him anyway. In an emotional confrontation where Lock accidentally scars Barrel’s arm with a bite, the two finally confess their true feelings.

SHOCK:

Shock is a witch, which is a type of magical entity. Of the three, she is the most confident and intelligent. Most witches will start coven studies at a young age to learn how to harness their magic, however, growing up under Oogie, she was discouraged from doing so. After Oogie’s demise Shock found herself determined to pursue her dreams of magic. Unlike how it had affected Lock, Oogie’s vicious words of “you’re not good enough” were only fuel to her fire, and she took all that anger and turned in into passion for her studies. 

She demanded that Halloween Town’s coven mentor her, even though she was older than the typical witch who was just starting her studies. The coven saw her passion and agreed. The studying has three phases: master flying, master potions, and master hexes, and one cannot be learned until the previous is mastered. The process takes years but Shock is currently deep in her potions phase and can often be found nose-deep in a book or foraging for herbs. Mastering hexes is her dream and she is eagerly chasing it.

One night, while out for a flight, Shock encounters a banshee crying in the moonlight. Shock learns that her name is Calliope and the human family’s line that she watched over had comes to an end. Shock instantly feels drawn to her and they quickly become friends. Shock secretly makes it her mission help Calliope feel happy again. Eventually, the two develop romantic feelings for each other as well.

BARREL:

Barrel is a ghoul, which is a type of demon that feasts on the flesh of cold, buried humans. Like Lock, Barrel was raised on junk food and candy in Halloween Town so that’s the diet he prefers today. Ghouls are naturally nomadic due to their diet, needing to find different graveyards to dig in to avoid being caught. However, many ghoul packs often breeze through Halloween Town for events, and are genuinely regarded fondly by the locals since they’re always polite and up for a fun time.

Of the three, Barrel is the most easygoing. He wants to hang out with his friends more than he wants to prank people, but is always up for fun nonetheless. He also keeps scorpions as pets. Regarding Oogie, Barrel walked away the least scathed because Shock and Lock intentionally took the brunt of his anger to protect him since he was the youngest. This left Barrel with a sense of guilt for not being strong enough to protect his friends back then. However he’s worked through that by deciding he would never let either of them be hurt again now that he could hold his own.

Barrel always had a crush on Lock since the moment he met him. The feeling was not mutual, and it wasn’t until Barrel kissed him much later in life that Lock even entertained the idea. Despite this, Barrel continues to love him timelessly and patiently, despite Lock still having a lot to work through and trouble recognizing his own feelings.

CALLIOPE:

Calliope is a banshee, which is a type of fairy that heralds death. She is sweet-natured and very new to the ways of Halloween Town, having grown up in the human world. She loves dogs since, like her, they also warn humans of danger. She has taken a liking to Zero in particular.

Calliope develops feelings for Shock who not only helped her feel at home in Halloween Town, but also helped her find her happiness when she never thought she'd smile again. Nowadays, Calliope is happier than ever before.

BELLADONNA:

Belladonna is a ghoul who lives in the human world with a pack of other ghouls. They masquerade as a human band/roadies, live nomadically, and actually put on some good concerts. Ghouls don’t kill or cause any harm to humans (they love their audiences!) but they do eat corpses by raiding graves at night. They breeze through Halloween Town once or twice a year for big events.

Belladonna is instantly attracted to Barrel when they meet at one of Halloween Town's formal parties. She is fun, good-natured, and helps Barrel learn about what his kind is up to in the human world.

JACK:

Jack still reigns as Pumpkin King, alongside Sally whom he recently wed. Regarding the trio, Jack feels guilt for overlooking them when they were children. Jack had a no-kill policy when it came to humans and Oogie Boogie did not—due to this conflict, Jack banished Oogie to the outskirts, and he is the reason the town has a guarded gate.

Jack was especially bitter about this rivalry, since he used to be friends with Oogie, and declared that Oogie would never be allowed into town again. Moreover, anyone associated with Oogie needed a by-name invitation from Jack himself before they’d be allowed into town. Even though the trio were just children at that time, Jack declared there would be no exceptions, and ignored the fact that the trio were actually in real danger with Oogie, which he found easy to overlook since they were so ill-behaved and rude to him.

At the end of the movie the trio have a change of heart and warn the townsfolk that Jack, Sally, and Sandy are trapped in Oogie's lair. Even though Jack was able to defeat Oogie before needing the town's assistance, this helped him see that the trio are actually good kids and he was wrong to ignore their circumstances for so long.

Nowadays, Jack tries very hard to make up for his mistake. He has declared that they are welcome inside the town, removed the gate, and regularly defends them when they prank the townsfolk (and Jack himself). Sometimes, Jack tries too hard, requiring their attendance at Town celebrations which the trio roll their eyes at. They regard Jack as a nerd, but know he is well-meaning. The mayor still dislikes them, but trusts Jack’s judgement.

SALLY:

Sally, now Pumpkin Queen, gets along quite well with the trio. Because she is so clever, she’s the only person in town they’ve never managed to prank, and she even managed to prank them once. Though Queen is her title, sewing is her passion and she happily has taken up the job as town seamstress, eagerly designing clothes for all the wonderful shapes that call Halloween Town home, trio included.

Shock actually enjoys Sally’s company and thinks of her like an older sister, even confiding in or asking her for advice at times. Lock is still a bit skeptical and cold with her since he is forever done with authority figures, though Sally finds him funny. Barrel likes Sally just fine, and really enjoys how soft and comfortable she makes all his clothes.

OTHER KIDS:

Growing up, the trio didn’t like the inner-town kids (Corpse Kid, Mummy Boy, and Winged Demon, as they’re referred to in the movie). The trio saw them as “goody-two-shoes” who grew up nice and cushy inside the town gate, happy to follow Jack’s ever order, and going home to loving families every night. However, the inner-town trio prove to not actually be so bad and take earnest steps to make the trio feel welcome in town after Oogie’s demise.

MISC FACTS: ▪️ The trio regularly utilize the towns tomb portals to travel all over the human world. They're particularly interested in celebrations or festivals that are similar to Halloween. They're technically not supposed to interact with human festivities so openly, as fear of the unknown gives monsters more mystery and therefore more fright factors on Halloween, but Sally knows they do so and keeps their secret: [1] [2] [3] [4]

▪️ They upgraded their treehouse to be more spacious: [1] [2] [3]

▪️ They gave each other piercings to signify them being friends forever

▪️ The three of them were brought to Halloween Town just days apart. They were then named as a unit after the merism. However, they did have other names before they arrived, though they no longer want to use them.

▪️ None of them know how old or when their birthdays are. They mark time in a very general sense by how many Halloweens it feels like they've had together.

▪️ This AU began as sketches in 2018 and I posted my first art of them publicly in 2020. I was inspired by the Photo Booth pin. I thought it would be fun if the trio took pictures in the more modern sense, capturing their shenanigans with selfies and documenting their mischief, which is why the first couple drawings are framed that way.

The second thing that inspired me was the screenshot of Oogie saying he’ll decide which of the trio to eat when they displease him, and the general theory that the masks in the treehouse are from previous victims whom he had eaten. I thought since Jack destroys Oogie at the end of the movie, maybe the trio gets the chance to grow up, hence an AU about their happy, older years.

ART TAGS:

🎃 Entire Nightmare Before Christmas Tag

💘 Lock/Barrel Tag

🩵 Calliope Tag

💚 Belladonna Tag

🤩 Fan Art of My AU Tag (THANK YOU!!)

INSTAGRAM:

best_trickortreaters

[dropsnectar]

Pollen and Potions: Bee-men x Afab!reader

PART FOUR

So I know I said this part would have smut but it would just mess with the pacing, so the whole next section is where you will find your spice. This part is a little shorter for that reason. Anyway, I hope you like!

When you woke up, you felt incredibly warm. Your legs were tangled up with… someone elses? You would say it was someone else but human skin didn’t feel like this. It was firm and a bit fuzzy, but not like hair.  Your nose was being tickled by… fur? Whatever it was smelled amazing. 

You recognized this scent. You opened your eyes to Lyith’s round, sleeping face. His impossibly big eyes were closed, revealing his long blonde lashes. His expression was serene, and a bit of drool had escaped his half open mouth. Your sleep-addled brain vibrated with excitement. He was so cute you could just kiss him… 

Nope! Awake brain was working now, bringing some clarity to your head. Lyith and Rena had made a habit of covering your face in kisses but it had all been platonic. Excessive affection was a Bee-men trait. Probably? You thought back to yesterday, when he had kissed you and you had kissed him… was that truly platonic? 

There was a heat in your stomach, butterflies whenever he would hang off of you or tease… A part of you wanted to face these feelings but you weren’t ready yet. After all, how could a bee-men be with a human? You had heard of monster-human relations being something that could happen, but was their species even compatible with you? Was there a future there?

“You're thinking awfully hard for 8 in the morning.” Lyith breathed next to you. 

 Your awareness returned to you, and you were very cognizant of the fact that he had been holding you in his sleep. You pulled yourself back a bit so you couldn’t feel his breath on your face. He narrowed his eyes and his lip jutted out. A childish but cute pattern of his.

“W-What are you doing in my house?”

His mouth twitched. “You are a sick person. You should have someone to look after you. I’m  glad though, you only slept for a day this time.”

You looked at him, eyes squinting, “Are you okay though? Don’t you need to be at the hive for your… bee duties?”

Lyith sputtered at you, his body rocking with laughter. “And tell me, what are “bee duties”, Little witch?”

Your cheeks heated and you sat up, crossing arms over your chest.

“I just wanted to make sure you wouldn’t be in trouble, is all. What exactly is your duty in the hive anyway?”

Lyith stared up at you under his long lashes. “I am a forager. A scholar. An ambassador who goes to human town to get our supplies. Actually..”

He brought himself up and stretched out his wings. They seemed sturdy enough not to get too bothered by him laying on them all night.

“.. I used to know your grandmother. She used to let me forager her garden. Of course, she was a lot more sparing with her magic, so it was nothing like what you do.” He gave you a pointed look, “But she taught me how to speak human. An interesting person, your grandmother. We used to buy seeds for flower monsters off her. She must have had quite a life.”

You stared at him in surprise. Your grandmother had always been somewhat of a stereotypical grandmother. She’d spoil you and laugh at your jokes, leave little candies in your pocket when you weren’t looking. You had never imagined her to be the type of person to deal with Flower Monsters of all things. It also explained why Lyith seemed so trusting of you, off the bat.

“Hey Lyith?” You breathed out, trying not to think about how your legs were still touching.

“Yes?”

“Do you want some breakfast?”

***

After that, you saw Lyith almost everyday. He made a point of stopping to talk to you every time he visited your garden. Once a week he would take you to see Rena and you would work more magic over the plants. As the spring progressed into summer, the flowers changed. You learned that your magic, while creating magical nectar, only stayed within the plant and not the soil. You were right in your worry that a different approach was needed.

You met a lot more of the hive, as on their days off, some Bee-men would come and watch you work on the flowers. Not all of them were able to speak human, but they communicated their gratitude through sharing their emotions. As you experienced this more and more, you started to pick up on what could even be counted as them asking you questions. You’d try to answer in kind, putting a hand on their arm or shoulder and trying to push images or feelings at them. This worked only half the time, but when it did, the Be-men would look so pleased they would dance. 

Rena, had always seemed a bit jealous by this.

“Why don’t you speak to us like that? We speak human for your convenience you know. Aren’t I closer to you then some random creature?”

“Don’t call your hive mates ' creature’, that's rude.”

Rena would get up in your face, throwing her arms around your shoulders and touch her nose to yours. In your mind you would feel her jealousy. A possessiveness that you couldn’t help but feel a little giddy about. You tried to straighten out your feelings, giving her a kiss on the cheek. Then, you’d try to project some calm, warm energy at her. She just looked at you, sighing.

“You humans are a lot more dense than I thought.”

 Then she’d buzz off to deliver her nectar to the hive, leaving you behind in the company of her Hive mates. Lyith and Rena had been giving you more space lately when it came to your magic. You’d take more breaks, and often were given time to socialize. The Bee-mens youngest hive mate, Haven had grown especially fond of your company recently. He was your friend in gossip. 

Rena and Lyith had a habit of glossing over the issues of the hive, but Haven was very different. He would answer any question you could think of. You had learned that Rena and Lyith were actually pretty high up there in the social hierarchy, as they were both scholars who taught the rest of the hive in their free time. 

He was also very honest about the struggles of the hive.

“It's been about two decades since the last Queen died. We were having some issues with ambassadors from hives from the northern hive when a squirmish broke out. A lot of Bee-men died that day. Several of the Queen's favorite drones passed on and upon hearing the news her heart gave out.”

“Immediately? She wasn’t sick?”

“Do humans get sick before they die of heartbreak? For us it is impossible. Our bonds are our happiness. Without each other, our home isn’t a home, but an empty structure…” Haven trailed off, his expression wistful.

“But what was the squirmish about? I thought Bee-men were a friendly species.”

“You see, the two Queens had been sisters. The Northern Queen never liked our late matriarch and had been up to some mischief. She had convinced the Bunny Hybrids and the werewolves to move out of our territory. Eventually, the flower monsters left as well, and all the magic in the area just… disappeared. And Queens usually travel and make their own hives, or pick up abandoned ones. We’ve been waiting for so long!”

“Thats got to be hard. I mean, your guyses population can’t grow right?”

Haven looked at you weird.

“It’s more than that! Our Queens Pheromones give our magic structure! Without a Queen our magic grows weak and it's harder to communicate! Even making our honey properly becomes difficult because our grasp of our magic slips. We are so lucky we found you, little witch! Your magic is so easy to convert. I told you, you are a blessing!”

“But if you guys haven't been able to make honey properly for a while, how have you survived?”

“We haven’t. It's like your mana sickness. Sometimes our magic just eats us up.” You stared at Haven, your stomach turning. Haven looked at you sadly. “You should know this. Your Lyith and Rena have been sheltering you way too much. You're basically part of the hive at this point.”

You reached forward and hugged Haven. He trilled happily. 

“Honestly it could be so much worse!”

You spent the rest of the day in silence. You had known they were starving, but you hadn’t realized how badly. Something else didn’t sit right with you either. The fact that the monster races had left their territory had been something that had been bothering you. That had to be the reason why the soil wasn’t absorbing magic, right? That was the only thing that had changed?

Then it hit you. What was soil? It was broken down waste. No Monsters. No decay. No shit. And how did the Bee-men manage their own waste anyway? Could you do something with this? Could it really be that simple? 

You got so excited to tell Rena about it that it surprised you when you saw her at your door. Rena never made the trek to your house, saying that human civilization had a terrible smell to it. When you saw her face, she was crying.

“You have to come with me. Now.”

“Rena whats wrong, are you--”

“It's Lyith.”

All you could hear for a moment was the large thudding of your heart. Without another word you jumped into Rena’s arms and she held you, giving you a huge squeeze before buzzing off into the forest.

Part Five (Beware NSFW)

[pretzel-box]

Of course! I’m talking about the Swap Au, Where Sebastian is Human while we, the reader, are the monster <3

Sea Mother Anon

And thank you dearly for the compliment!

Tags: Easily annoyed & Rarely Annoyed trope, established relationship, reversed au, Berry is just a random dude that will show up for the sake of the plot.

Words: 1k

It had been a while since Sebastian first set foot into this miserable facility. He had quickly learned that there was no rushing through it on his search for the crystal—no surviving without the proper preparation. And on his search for supplies, he learned that his only true ally would be you.

You were the funny, laid-back shopkeeper who somehow always had the right tools and gadgets he needed to keep himself alive. Sebastian still remembers his first trade with you when you’d taken the jacket off your back in exchange for a simple smile and some assets. Then, there was the time you saved his life from that rogue Pandemonium encounter that had snuck up behind him while he was examining a shelf. He had been grateful then, but now, after so many more interactions, you two had started dating. It had been unexpected, something of a surprise for both of you, but it seemed to work, despite all the bizarre situations you found yourselves in down here.

Today was just another day in the shop. You were leaning against a table with that usual, easygoing smile on your face. Sebastian stood beside you, his arms crossed as he leaned against the wall, his eyes always on the lookout for any potential threats—or annoyances.

The little bell above the shop door that you found a while ago, jingled, and in stumbled Berry, one of the many expandables who often found their way to your shop. Berry was a peculiar fellow, clumsy and confused most of the time, with a permanent dazed expression on his face. His hair stuck up at odd angles, and he seemed to be perpetually dirty, as if he hadn’t washed in weeks. Sebastian immediately tensed. Of all the people who could walk through the door, it had to be Berry.

“Is 100 much?” Berry asked, blinking up at you with wide, innocent eyes. He was holding a handful of broken flashlight parts, and he looked genuinely bewildered.

Sebastian sighed deeply, rolling his eyes. Berry was one of those customers who just got under his skin. Confused, clumsy, and somehow miraculously still alive. Sebastian often wondered how someone like Berry had managed to survive in this place. The guy was as clueless as they came.

You, on the other hand, seemed entirely unfazed by Berry's presence. You were used to dealing with his type. With a delighted blink, you smiled at him. “100 deaths are” you said in a cheerful tone. Berry’s face scrunched up in confusion, his eyes darting between you and the pile of flashlight parts. “100 deaths?” he repeated, looking more confused than ever.

You nodded, your smile never faltering. “Yep! You’ve got about 100 deaths' worth of useless junk there, my friend.”

Sebastian couldn’t hold back his frustration any longer. “Buy something or get lost,” he groaned at Berry, his tone exasperated. He crossed his arms tighter, his posture stiffening with irritation. It was always like this with Berry—he would come in, waste everyone’s time with his inane questions, and then leave without buying anything.

Berry, oblivious as ever, blinked a few more times before finally seeming to understand what Sebastian had said. “Oh, um, right. I guess I’ll…just look around then,” he mumbled, shuffling away to browse through a stack of dented cans on a nearby shelf.

You chuckled softly, casting a sideways glance at Sebastian. “You know, you could be a little nicer,” you teased, your tone light and playful.

Sebastian snorted, rolling his eyes. “Why? He’s an idiot. He’s been in here a dozen times and still doesn’t know how this place works.”

“Not everyone is as sharp as you,” you replied, reaching over to give Sebastian’s arm a gentle squeeze. “Besides, it’s kind of endearing. In a weird way.”

Sebastian rolled his eyes again, but he couldn’t help the small smile tugging at his lips. “You have a weird definition of ‘endearing,’ you know that?”

You grinned. “I have to, dating you.”

Berry’s clumsy fumbling brought their attention back to him. He had somehow managed to knock over an entire shelf of items, sending cans and trinkets clattering to the floor. He looked up, eyes wide with panic, as if he’d just set off a bomb.

“Oops…” Berry muttered, his face turning a shade of red that rivaled the rust on the metal shelves.

Sebastian groaned, rubbing a hand over his face. “Great. Just great.”

You laughed, patting Sebastian’s arm. “It’s fine, really. I’ll handle it.” You moved around the table and began helping Berry pick up the fallen items, your demeanor calm and patient. “Don’t worry about it, Berry,” you said soothingly. “These things happen.”

Berry’s face lit up with a grateful smile. “Thanks. You’re always so nice.”

Sebastian watched the scene unfold, his annoyance slowly fading away. Despite himself, he couldn’t help but admire the way you handled things. No matter how chaotic or frustrating things got, you always managed to stay calm and collected. It was one of the things he loved most about you.

After the mess was cleaned up, Berry finally decided on a couple of items and paid for them, waving awkwardly as he stumbled back out of the shop. As soon as the door closed behind him, Sebastian let out a long sigh of relief.

“Thank god,” he muttered. “I thought he’d never leave.”

You chuckled, leaning back against the table beside him. “He’s harmless,” you said, nudging him playfully. “You don’t always have to be so grumpy, you know.”

Sebastian gave you a sideways glance, a small smile playing on his lips. “Yeah, yeah. I know.”

He reached out and pulled you closer, wrapping an arm around your waist. You leaned into him, resting your head on his shoulder. Despite his gruff exterior, Sebastian had a soft spot for you—a side he rarely showed to anyone else.

“Thanks for putting up with me,” he said quietly, pressing a kiss to the top of your head.

You smiled, closing your eyes and savoring the warmth of his embrace. “Always,” you replied softly. “After all, someone has to keep you in check.”

Sebastian chuckled, tightening his hold on you. “Guess I’m lucky to have you, then.”

“Damn right,” you teased, poking his side playfully.

[fallingskiesandrisingseas]

The Peter Pevensie post did well.

Here's Edmund.

Edmund has trouble putting down his chess pieces that first time. In Narnia he could assume his opponent knew what he was doing, that chess was not just a game, that sacrificing pieces meant a unit, an officer, a collection of friends never seen again.

No one remembers that back in England, where chess is just a game, not a play preparing you for war.

He loses badly the first few times, too often distracted by thoughts of his dead friends. Thoughts of the ones alive, that he hopes to see soon.

Then he becomes unbeatable. When chess is about strategy again, no longer conjures images of men dying, sacrificed to gain a tactical advantage, Edmund becomes a master. Chess champion, of his region, of the country. Not a piece too many suffers.

It takes a few months. Those first ones in boarding school, Peter has to guard him. When bullies gang up on him for his strange way of talking (as if generals listen to his advice), strange way of walking (as if there is a weight on his hip), strange way of behaving (as if there are servants for his every need) Peter protects him. They've seen protective brothers; they've never seen anything quite like Peter, who hits until bone breaks.

Edmund will often remark on how the punches thrown his way lack technique, don't really hurt.

Everyone wonders how a 110 lb 11 year old kid knows anything about punching technique. He's a scrawny white boy from the city, doesn't look even slightly dangerous. How many fights has he been in, everyone wonders, to know what type of blow breaks bone, how to collect fingers into a fist.

When he is not protected by his brother, he displays the tricks he learned in treacherous courts in fantasy lands where the men could snap him in half with half a finger, where monsters ruled. Where only his silver tongue kept him safe.

It keeps bullies far away from him. They're not just afraid of physical repercussions, but of being expelled, reputations ruined, careers unreachable before they begin.

Peter retaliates either way, physical punishment along with the other repercussions. Still, it's strange to hear that the lanky sleepwalking teen mostly interested in political science knows anything about fighting, about blood.

By the third month in boarding school, Edmund has the staff wrapped around his finger.

His tongue is as silver as the lion ring he wears. Ed can talk any opponent into submisson. He can talk any girl into his bed, too, despite other men vying for their company. Sometimes he does it just to prove a point. It earns him a few more fights than he had to be in, but that's okay.

The ones stupid, angry or brave enough to physically fight him learn fast Edmund isn't easy prey, that he knows how to fight, how to think, how to outmanouvre you. Peter is a tornado, all fury, but Ed fights like a chess master. No wasted movement, no unnecessary punches, not moving a single inch more than he has to.

Fighting Peter hurts. People soon find that fighting Ed discourages. He doesn't really seem all that hurt by fighting, often quips when taking a fist to the gut. He can deal blows so nasty you feel the effects two weeks after.

The ones that fight him in groups, still willing to try, meet Peter's fists in a dark ally.

Still Edmund never needed Peter. Their bond is strange, sure, Peter copying his younger brothers' notes without remark, asking for his advice often and seriously.

But both know politics is Edmund's territory. At the start, no one messes with him due to his big brother, who always seems to hit harder than boys his age.

In time, Ed is feared more. Differently.

A fight with the oldest Pevensie brother ends in the infirmary, a fight with the youngest ends your career, ambition, prospects with the ladies.

Edmund knows what he can do. Knows his brother can do it too, but does not prefer it. He is known for his silver tongue, his brilliant mind. Peter, more so for his steel boots.

He plays chess, studies politics, does it right. Highest marks in his class, many extra-curriculars, a seemingly unbreakable bond with his sisters and brother, which he visits often everyone. No one can understand them when they are together, a strange lilt in their voices. Some people are little scared of him. He's a debate champion, talks rounds around anyone. Excellent chef, even though he only cooks for friends.

He's loyal to a fault, clever like the devil, and a perfect gentleman. In an archaic way. Ed is the kind of man to have a hankerchief in his pocket.

That's why no one unserious dates Susan or Lucy. They all know anything unserious ends badly.

Gradually, people start to like Edmund, even if they feared him at first. His smile is devilish, but also charming. Ed is free in his head, in his hands. Brilliant in many different ways, including fencing. There is a rumour in the halls, after a while. That Ed likes men too.

But no one talks.

Edmund goes into politics. He has a family that is in the top echolon of decison making, an analytical mind. Edmund has a talent for justice. In his presence, no one feels left out, everybody is heard. Many feel that with Ed as their PM they are finally represented. A noble man, even with his bloody knuckles, the unimpressive surname.

A statesman in everything. Fashion, vocabulary, manners.

But still he believes in Narnia, goes to see the spectre.

He is facing his brother in the train, happy, talking about Narnia when it crashes.

[calliopeslyrics]

the wonder of you

pairing: luke castellan x daughter of Ares!reader

word count: 5.9k

warnings: none :)

summary: capture the flag is a big deal to you, too bad luke keeps trying to distract you.

_

There’s a scent of fear and something stronger in the air when you step foot onto the field, your armor clad body already sweaty under the sweltering summer sun. Everyone is mingling, talking amongst their teams though the snippets of conversation you caught were about anything but Capture the Flag.

Army….monsters….Kronos

There was something else on everyone's minds these past couple of weeks, the lingering anxiety over a war that was supposedly brewing unbeknownst to anyone in Camp Half Blood and Mount Olympus. The oracle had given a cryptic prophecy, though the exact words were lost within the translations from story to story depending on the camper you asked.

Some of the Hermes children had heard that there was a host body that was slowly resurrecting the titan king himself, slowly gathering bits and pieces of bodies in order to resurrect his body. Mr. D was quick to shut that rumor down, threatening the next person who spread another rumor with a month’s worth of chores.

Other children of Apollo theorized that the oracle was not speaking of a war but another sibling rivalry between the gods, the kind that had Zeus throwing tantrums in the form of thunderstorms and Poseidon flooding cities out of pure pettiness. The only son of Poseidon was also quick to shut that idea down, claiming his own dreamless nights as proof that the gods were fine and didn’t need help.

Regardless of who you asked, the unspoken worries were evident - a war among the gods was brewing. A shiver went down your spine at the mere thought of fighting a war with these campers - most of them too young to even drive yet but not young enough to wield a sword, to kill and die for a taste of glory.

A horn sounded and both teams roared in response, clanking their weapons against their shields in response to the horn. Beside you, Clarisse clanged her spear against the ground, the familiar crackling of electricity stemming from the tip. A gift from your father, the god of War, though lately his true colors had been showing.

Ares had been silent these past couple of months, hiding away from the prayers and pleas of his children for Gods know what. It wasn’t unlike him to be absent in his children’s lives but this type of silence was worrying, especially for the god who loved to taunt. The Aphrodite cabin had the same trouble, and the only common theory both cabins could come up with was that Ares and Aprodite were swindling together. 

But days turned to weeks and when the weeks turned to months, both cabins suspected there was something more sinister happening. Ares was never at the forefront of a battlefield, but he was always present when a fight was happening. And if he wasn’t showing up for the brawls within Camp Half Blood, you could only guess what bigger fight your father was preparing for in Mount Olympus.

The sound of Chiron’s monotonous voice pulled you out of your worried thoughts. It was the same as every year, with him repeating the rules of Capture the Flag and putting emphasis on the no maiming rule with a pointed glare. Your team murmured in response, unhappy with the calling out of who was responsible for last year’s punishment. Though it was partially your fault for targeting the new kid from the Apollo cabin, Chiron’s rules were the last thing on your mind.

You’ve been having vivid dreams for the past couple of days - dreams that felt so real you were unsure if you were living through them or not. No one knew of them, not even Chiron or Mr. D. You weren’t sure why you were hiding these dreams from everyone, perhaps in fear of what exactly your dreams entailed or in fear of what will happen after they’re revealed.

A battlefield stood before you, barren yet the wind that blew past you sounded eerily like the clanging of swords against shields. If you listened closely, you could hear commands being shouted in ancient greek. The ground was stained with the blood of men who were born and died long before Camp Half Blood was founded - when wild men and beasts fought on the same land.

The land before you came alive, the ground soaking with blood as the sound of shattering bones and groans of agony echoed throughout the space. Somewhere above you a vulture circled the air, hissing in warning. Everything within you was warning you of something - a monster of some sort, maybe from the depth of Tartarus.

Bones rattled around you, bodies with missing bones and parts forming into a legion. Skulls found a spine which found femurs and humeruses. One by one, soldiers stood in formation until an army of the undead was complete. A soldier clad in armor stood before you, armor polished and muscled body - a general of some sorts or maybe someone higher in command. 

Primal fear coursed through your body as he glowered down at you, shadows casting over his face. You knew who he was, what this person was capable of doing. Scars littered this body, deep slashes and shallow cuts adorning along the arms and legs of the soldier but the face was completely clean - as if no one could come close.

The lord of bloodshed, the curse of mortals incarnate, the god of war - Ares.  

You kneeled before your father, bowing your head slightly to the ground in greeting. He barely glanced in your direction, an acknowledgement and dismissal. ``You’re not ready,” he said gruffly, smoke puffing out of his mouth. You scrunched your nose in distaste at the cloud of smoke, the smell of burnt cigarettes lingering in the air. 

Ares was never much of a talker, more of a man that spoke with fists and blood than words. Violence was his specialty, as it was with you and Clarisse and all of your half blooded siblings. But still, the bluntness of his words never ceased to have you stewing in a bad mood for the next few days and you found that you’ve inherited his harsh way with words.

“You’ve ignored me for so long, what make you think I’ll listen to your opinion of my readiness?” You scoffed, a little too boldly for your father’s liking. You stayed on your knees, though you raised your gaze to the god of war. His jaw clenched and his hand curled into a fist at the disrespect, but he didn’t strike. 

Ares ignored your question, hardened eyes gazing past you. His focus was somewhere else, analyzing the battlefield with the gaze of an experienced general. Centuries of war and bloodshed flashed through his face - regret, anger, pain flickering in his eyes.

You’ve never seen your father experience such emotions in a short amount of time. He was always hot headed, with a clenched jaw and sharp tongue that often got himself in more trouble than he could handle. But he was never remorseful, never apologized for what he said or did or hurt. 

“I know when my soldiers are ready,” he said, voice laced with the sternness of a general. You tried to mask your face with a mask of boredom, though his words stung. Soldiers, not children. Even after being claimed you could never get your father’s approval, not even after all this time.

Still, you were your father’s daughter - you’re stubborn and hot headed and brash. Backing away from fights was not your strong suit, so you stood up on your own accord and straightened your back. “I’m ready,” you said confidently, maybe too confidently for someone who loses sleep over nightmares. 

Ares barely gave you a passing glance, a half scoff escaping his lips. More smoke filled the air and burned your lungs, but you didn’t complain. Ares didn’t like whiny losers.  “You’re weak - worthless,” he grunted, the grip on his spear tightening. The muscles in his arms bulged at the slightest movement, and it took every part of you to avoid staring at the deep gashes along his biceps. “Not even close to reaching your potential.”

You scowled at his words, at the cold bluntness in his tone. Never in your life had someone speak to you that way, with such little interest.  “I’m not sure I’m following…” you said, daring to glance away from your father. The vulture at his feet stared at you, its beady eyes staring deep into your soul and very being. 

“The greatest warriors didn’t need an extra push from their parents to be as great as they are now,” Ares  said gruffly, . The soldiers behind him didn’t even budge from their positions, unfazed of the dispute before them. Maybe their physical forms were present but they needed directions in order to move, as if they were nothing more than puppets for your father to use as he pleased.

You shifted your weight from one foot to the other. You didn’t like how Ares was speaking to you, like you were benched for your lack of participation. Sure, you haven’t gone on an extreme quest to gain greatness in a while but you’ve been beating your own record at target practice with all the weapons available. 

“Achilles was training under Chiron before he fought in the Trojan War,” you pointed out. You remembered Chiron’s bedtime stories to the younger campers, of all the heroes he’d trained centuries ago. The Athena cabin had hosted a trivia night a couple months ago, and the Ares cabin had gotten a decent amount of points in the Ancient Battlegrounds and Armory topics.   

Ares rolled his eyes at the mention of the Greek hero. It was clear his grudge against the Greek army still hadn’t faded away even after all these years. “And then he refused to challenge Hector because he was too cowardly to fight,” he added snarkily, disgust evident on his face.

You searched your brain for more heroes, more stories that had victory in some sort of way. Death, failure, cursed forever, there weren’t many, and you hated your ancestry for that. “Didn’t Heracules have multiple trainers?” you crossed your arms. You had also recalled the countless stories of Greek heroes Chiron had drilled into your heads. 

Ares clicked his tongue, as if he suddenly remembered the name. You are sure that he didn’t even remember your name, though you tried not to think negatively about the deity before you. “Ah, was that before or after he slaughtered his family and cowardly ran away from his actions,” he tilted his head, glaring down at you with the same beady eyes as the vulture. He shared the same wild look in his eyes, the patience to wait for death to strike his prey.

A shiver ran down your spine, though you held his stare. You wondered if he could sense the confusion and hesitation within you,or if he counted it as fear. If they both made an adrenaline course through your veins, did it really matter? 

Did this conversation even matter? Slight annoyance surged through you, at this useless dream your father decided to join. He’d been silent for so long only to come back and talk about how worthless you are. “Why are you telling me this? What’s the point?” you asked, exhaustion evident in your tone. You supposed having a war of attrition with the god of war wouldn’t go well on your part. A small part of you knew that your father thought the same.

For once, Ares didn’t scoff or roll his eyes at your question. He seemed surprised at your question, as evident by the slight raise of an eyebrow. Maybe he wasn’t used to being questioned, or maybe he expected more of a fight from you. “Every hero has a weakness. It’s inevitable.” he said sternly. 

You faltered. Was that what this was all about? Weakness? A small pang of hurt echoed in your chest - did Ares think you were that weak? Was he so concerned about your mortality that he had to warn you to be extra safe?

“I don’t have a weakness,” you huffed, crossing your arms stubbornly. You prided yourself in handing out more punches than receiving them, especially when sibling rivalry peaks during competitive seasons. “Achilles had his heel and pride, Heracules was a coward, Jason was unloyal. But I’m not like them - I’m better-” 

“You’re not,” Ares interrupted, his spear crackling with power. You stared at the sheer power your father held, even in his mortal form he still exuded raw power and authority. If this much power made your body tremble, you could only imagine how Zeus was. “But I don’t want you to be exploited,” he said. 

You faltered at his words. Ares cared, in his sick and twisted way, about you. He didn’t want his own kin to share the same fate as the reckless heroes from the past, not when he has greater expectations. Something like pride swelled within you - the same pride that killed Achilles. “I won’t let anyone close enough to exploit my weakness.” 

“Keep it that way,” Ares nodded in what seemed like approval. You wondered if he would ever utter the words I’m proud of you in his lifetime, or if this was as close as you would get. You didn’t bother asking, not wanting to push your luck with your father. 

With a click of its beak, the vulture took to the sky, circling you from above. Ares turned his attention to the army of dead soldiers and gave them a salute. The soldiers saluted back and turned to their heels, slowly walking back into the very dirt that had buried them for centuries.

The smell of smoke and burning flesh burned your nose and lungs, but you could still sense Ares somewhere. He wasn’t gone yet but he was leaving, just like that. Panic swarmed your head, he couldn’t leave not when he’s been missing for weeks now. “Wait! Don’t go!” You called out, taking a step forward. Your foot stayed stuck in the dirt, keeping you in place as you struggled to walk towards the god of war. “Please! Don’t leave!”

The desperation in your voice must’ve been evident because Ares turned around, giving you an almost sympathetic look. It looked equally as intimidating as his war face, canines on display and wild eyes staring right at you. Perhaps it wasn’t a look of sympathy but of mercy, the kind you give to a soldier choking on their own blood on the battlefield before ending his misery. 

“I’ll be back when you win,” Ares promised. His spear crackled once more in response before he disappeared completely, leaving nothing but giant footprints in his place.

A hand on your shoulder snapped you out of your thoughts, and you jumped at the sudden attention. Beside you was your half sister Clairesse, her shirt sleeves rolled up to her shoulders to prominently display her tanned arms. Her muscles flexed with each movement, her casual movements turned into threatening actions.

“You ready?” Clairesse asked, her eyes practically glittening with excitement. She had also had some dreams, though hers were more promising. Apparently Clairesse had seen your father and promised him victory for today’s game. Ares gave her no response, but the determined look in your sister’s eyes gave you confidence for today’s game.

You nodded, schooling your face into a look of confidence despite the sweat that slipped down your face. Gods, you hated the heat more than the miserable cold that winter always brought. You tried not to think about Ares’ words to you - when you win. Another giant weight on your shoulders, as if this wasn’t enough. “Did Dad give you any sign this morning?” you asked, glancing over at your team. 

There seemed to be more campers this year than any other - a sign that Chrion took as the Gods accepting more of their children into their lives. While some demigods were excited to be claimed, others were weary of the sudden change of heart of the once negligent Olympians. You didn’t complain, though. The Ares cabin had been thriving with the influx of newly claimed siblings and as a result, your team seemed bigger than it was last year. 

Clairesse shifted her weight from one foot to another, the only hint of nervousness she’d show. You took her silence as a no and moved your attention to your armor, double checking each strap and handle to avoid the awkwardness of the conversation. 

The children of Ares were never good with their words, preferring to show their emotions through physical means regardless of how lighthearted the emotions really were. It was as much as a gift as it was a curse, and you could only blame your cowardly father for granting you emotional instability as part of your heritage.

Your armor was strapped tight, hanging onto your body as the worn leather burned in the sunlight. It was centuries old, scratches and slight holes denting through the front layer, though you doubted you’d need the protection. The center of your leather plated chestpiece spray painted red, as if your team’s intimidating aura wasn’t enough to indicate which side you were on. 

Across from you was the opposing team, their leather armor marked in blue as they stood in perfect formation. They were always the more organized team between you two, thanks to their team leaders that kept everyone in shape just for this moment. Amongst the crowd of young campers, you could spot Luke standing front and center, flanked by Annabeth Chase of the Athena cabin.

You could see the girl point to her temple, giving Luke a knowing smile and nod of approval at something he had said. Your heart fluttered at the sight of Luke in his armor, his helmet barely covering his face that you knew had a determined look. He always took Capture the Flag as seriously as any other child of Ares and Athena, always determined to prove himself again and again as the best swordsman and maybe something more.

As if sensing your stare, Luke glanced over Annabeth’s shoulder, a small smile creeping onto his face as he caught your gaze. You flushed at his gaze but blamed the heat. Luke was more of a headache to you than a friend, though he was one of the older campers that was more similar in age to you than anyone else.

You smiled back at Luke, cracking your knuckles in response and pointing at Luke in case he didn’t get the hint.  Luke chuckled, his helmet shaking slightly at your threat. A sense of pride filled your chest at making Luke break the character of the serious camp counselor of the Hermes cabin, a feat only few could claim as a success. 

As usual, the Aphrodite cabin was in charge of leading the opponents frontline men away from the flag, taking them as far as they could before raising suspicion. Those who could charmspeak or change appearances were spread out within your ranks while the others followed their head camper’s lead towards your fake flag. 

Your cabin, the Ares cabin, was on the front lines, as always. Armed with magic weapons and a madness that could only happen during the heat of battle, the children of Ares were always theIf anyone could get past the Athenan and Hermes children. The brutes of Cabin 5, you called yourselves with pride. 

Clarisse glanced over at you, smirking at you as everyone got into position. Her spear crackled with electricity, the prominent tip glowing in warning and promise of pain. “Don’t get cold feet now,” she teased, her voice full of confidence. Her eyes seemed to glow with excitement, the mere thought of knocking down campers without repercussion always gave the children of Ares more of a reason to look forward to this event - this time even more so.

Today was a big deal, both to the reigning champs of the previous years and the reigning losers of your team. Today, you’d turn the tide, claiming victory over capturing the flag for the first time in three years. Your cabin needed to win, you needed to win. The Ares cabin needed to prove themselves worthy of your father’s attention once more after that embarrassing loss the year before to the huntresses of Artemis. 

You remembered the way your father ignored every prayer and offering sent to him, how the Ares Cabin became the laughing stock of camp once your siblings started to lose at even the most basic camp games. Capture the Flag, sparring exercises, even sharpening your weapons seemed to be a harder task than usual.

You knew your role, it was the same one as last year and the year before that - find Luke and prevent him from advancing. It was easier said than done - children of Hermes were always the first to race across the map, quick and nimble on their feet. And you knew Luke would lead his group towards your side of the forest, using his winged shoes to give him the advantage of speed.

The sound of a horn sounded for a second time - the final warning before the game would start- and you sucked in a small breath as you heard the distant rumbling of your siblings and teammates racing to their positions. While Clarisse and the rest of the more aggressive demigods cut a clear path to the blue team’s site, you’d take a detour towards Luke’s site and keep him distracted until your team claimed victory.

Easier said than done.

Without a second to spare, you sprinted towards Luke’s direction, following him into the entrance of the forest. He was already way ahead of you, zig zagging through the trees and brush as you ran behind him, laughing mockingly at your speed. The fluttering of his winged shoes trailed ahead, almost a distant sound until you could catch up - another rub in your face at your slowness.

Luke’s red Converse was the only thing you could spot, a red blur that left you constantly looking around. Gods, he was fast. One second he was straight ahead then he was cutting left through the lake, his voice echoing from one side of the forest to the other.

You huffed at Luke’s speed but continued forward, your feet carrying you as fast as you could go towards the red shoes. Your armor bounced against your body, clashing against your own sword as you gained speed towards the bright red just up ahead.

Right as you approached the lake, you frowned. There was silence, an eerie emptiness surrounding you as if there was no one around. You held your breath, waiting for the flapping of the winged shoes to appear for you to follow once more, but the only other sound that accompanied you was the water gently crashing upon the shore. It was as if Luke was never there, the sand and rocks beneath your feet undisturbed save for your footprints.

A branch snapped somewhere behind you and you whirled around, sword in hand as you scanned your surroundings. There was no way Luke led you to a separate area, an alternate plan to the one your team had created. You grit your teeth in annoyance, blaming Annabeth Chase for thinking of a way to counter your plan. 

Another branch snapped on your left and you turned around again, your sword humming to life at your growing annoyance. This couldn’t be Luke, he wasn’t the type to stalk and hide his opponents. Whoever this was, they were treating you like prey, as if you were the lesser one in this fight. If you couldn’t get a hit on this person, your heating sword would at least throw this person off your trail for a bit.

The next thing you knew, you were tackled to the ground, rolling into the lake with the attacker. Their arms wrapped around your back, holding you tightly against their body as you thrashed against their hold, cursing in Greek with every breath you could get out. You exchanged a series of punches and kicks with your attacker, both of you hitting the hard ground with each tumble you took until you finally landed into the water. 

With a grunt, you lunged at the person, revenge the only thing on your mind. You toppled over the person, gripping their neck and giving it a threatening squeeze with all your strength. You didn’t care much for the rules, not when this punk - whoever they were - decided to embarrass you during your hunt.

“If I knew this was how you’d react to getting tripped, I would’ve done it sooner,” the culprit crooned, and you sneered at the amused tone of their voice. This had to be one of the Stoll brothers, you’d know that annoying tone anywhere. With no gentleness, you tugged their helmet off, not caring that your nails were basically scratching at their face. It’d be the least of their worries once you’re done with them. 

Instead of meeting the gaze of one of the annoying Stoll brothers, you stared at Luke Castellan - your biggest headache in all of Camp Half Blood. With a scowl, you tossed Luke’s helmet at his face, ignoring the way your heart pounded wildly at his carefree smirk as he caught his helmet with one hand.

Gods, if he were some other camper they would’ve gotten a beating from you just for talking to you like that. But Luke? He was the exception, always. You don’t know when he started to be the only person you could tolerate, maybe it was when he first beat you at the sword fighting arena, maybe it was when you landed a blow to his face the first time you fought and he laughed at the bruise that formed days later. 

All you did know is that he was just another person that annoyed you and maybe even a friend.

“Don’t think you’re off the hook for that move, Castellan.” you warned, letting your hands drop to your side as you rose from the water. He only gave you a roll of his eyes and grinned at your words, as if he knew that he’d always be off the hook when it came to you. Without another word, you searched for your sword, hands searching along the shore at your feet for your blade.

Besides your quick temper, the only other gift you had gotten from your father was a sword that grew hot with your mood. It was efficient when you were in a bad mood, which hardly happened when you were teasing Luke during the games. He was your weakness, and a small part of you hated yourself for having one in the beginning. 

The greatest heroes never had weaknesses, you told yourself. You reminded yourself of your conversation with Ares -  Achilles, Hercules, Jason. They were arrogant and disrespected the gods. You were better than that, better than all of them combined. You had to be.

“All’s fair in love and war, right?” He smirked as he rose from the water, carefully wringing the water from his soaking curls. His armor and clothes clung to his body, giving you the exact shape of his arms, his chest, his everything. You bit the inside of your cheek from saying stupid and turned your attention to your missing sword.

It must’ve fallen from your grip while you were tumbling along the shore, humming somewhere beneath your feet. You felt the warmth of your blade and let out a small sigh of relief when you finally retrieved it, your blade slowly cooling with your mood. You’d have to clean it once you got back to your cabin, you thought more to yourself as you shook some of the water off of your sword. Maybe the Hephestus cabin can help with that, you thought bitterly.

“Too bad I don’t love you then,” you replied smoothly, wringing the water out of your hair. You tried to ignore the soaking feeling of your clothes sticking to your body and the added weight to your armor. Love was such a strong word, the most similar to your most commonly said word hate. Was all truly fair in love and war, even after everything your own father had gone through for the goddess of love?

Luke stayed silent, as if he didn’t have a response for once. You both let the drip, drip, drip of the water fall from your clothes, filling the silence. For once, you didn’t mind the quiet. There was something comforting in it, like you both didn’t need to say anything in order to keep each other company. 

“You realize we’re the only ones here because our teams are trying to get us together, right?” Luke said, hands on his hips as he wrung the water out of his own clothes. You tried to ignore how close his shirt was to his torso, clingy desperately onto his toned chest and arms. Luke’s own cheeks flushed, whether from the fall or your attention you didn't know, but you didn’t comment on it.

You shrugged, huffing out a disbelieving laugh. You’d suspected that your teammates were up to something when they started to push for you to take a path on your own instead of leading your own unit like usual. But when Clarisse brought up that you wouldn’t need the campers to find Luke, you agreed. It seemed like a good point at the time but looking back, you could definitely see why she was so pushy to get you to go on a separate route where only Luke would be.

“What are you trying to say?” You asked, raising a brow at Luke. You busied yourself with the straps of your armor, checking the already tied straps for imaginary tears and rips along the fabric. Your hands shook at his words, at the implication of what he’s saying, at what your teams are plotting for both of you.

There was no way Luke caught onto this plan before you, not when he’s busy tending to claimed and unclaimed children most of the day. Not when he’s the first person to rise in the morning and the last to go to bed, going as far as to wish you goodnight while you finish your nightly workout. Not when his spot is always beside yours during the campfire sing-a-long and volunteers to be your partner during sparring lessons.

There was just no way, you told yourself. Luke is a headache, and nothing more.

As if he was reading your thoughts, Luke gave you a knowing look and you rolled your eyes at him. He was so annoying, with his stupid smirk and disarming laugh, but a small part of you didn’t mind that it was always directed towards you. 

“Do I need to spell it out for you?” he asked with a huff, cheeks reddened at your obliviousness - or was that from the heat? The more you teased and talked to Luke the more the lines blurred between you two. Did friends always make your heart skip a beat, especially when they made eye contact with you?

You shrugged, not trusting your own voice to carry an air of nonchalant when you didn’t even feel relaxed. The last thing you needed was to give Luke another reason to poke fun at you until you turned red.

“Go out with me,” he said softly, eyes full of hope. His teasing tone was gone, even his smirk was completely wiped. For a moment, you saw Luke’s true feelings, his mask wiped from his face for once - completely vulnerable and utterly smitten for a daughter of Ares.

You hummed in response, your own heart pounding wildly at his words. Was this what you wanted to hear after months of pining and teasing, of lingering glances and touches? You knew the answer, you knew what you wanted to say so badly. 

But the game came first, you needed this win before you could do anything else in your life. There’d be no point in trying to live your life if Ares didn’t acknowledge you again. “Go out with me, what?” you asked, desperately trying to stall for time. Your team should’ve gotten the flag already, so why are they taking so long to come back?

“Please,” he breathed out, wasting no time by playing along. Your heart skipped a beat at his willingness to ask so softly and sweetly. Luke was too good for you, always the first one to lend a hand and the last one to ask for something in return. 

You didn’t know how to phrase the words I’d like to. Everything within you was made to destroy, crafted with bloodied knuckles and never ending bruises. You were not sweet by any means, hardly like the smooth talking Aphrodite cabin or the eloquently spoken Apollo cabin. You were everything everyone hated about Ares, more fluent in violence than anything else.

But if Ares could find solace in the laughter loving goddess even if his scarred hands were harsher than her softened ones, you supposed you could find solace in Luke Castellan too.

Somewhere in the distance, people screamed in victory and a horn sounded. The thundering sound of weapons clanking against shields came closer and closer. Among the trees, you could spot a blue flag held up high as surrounding campers cheered and barked in celebration. Your team had gotten the flag - the Ares cabin had redeemed themselves once more.

A small smile tugged at your lips as you watched your half siblings celebrate in victory. Among the already forming crowd was Clarisse, electric spear in the air as she let out a war cry. The campers with red painted armor followed her cry and raised their own weapons in the air, the sound of dozens of demigods yelling out echoing throughout the forest.

“Ask me that tomorrow,” you said softly, fixing your gaze back to Luke. The softness in his features were replaced with confusion, his brows furrowing and a small frown tugging at his lips instead of his smile. It took almost all of your willpower not to laugh at the sudden change of his expression.

“Tomorrow?” he sighed in disbelief, defeat in his eyes at your statement. You nodded, amused at his deflated look. He looked so small like this, his personality completely different from the carefree and easy going guy that strolls through camp. It didn’t suit him, you wanted him to smile again, to give you that love stricken face you mistakenly took for teasing. “Don’t play with me, just answer the question.”

“I believe you’ll be busy with kitchen duty tonight,” you said with a smile, nodding towards your team. Clairesse was still waving the stolen flag in the air with the echoes of cheers surrounding her. Right behind your team, Annabeth looked defeated, rubbing at her face as she talked to Percy Jackson about who knows what. The son of Poseidon glanced over at you and Luke and gave you a thumbs up, as if he were also part of this plan. You didn’t doubt it.  “So ask me again tomorrow.”

Luke smiled at your statement, newfound hope gleaming in his eyes as you made your way to your siblings. They roared in excitement, lifting the flag and some hitting their helmets against yours in celebration.

You laughed for the first time in a long while, a new sense of freeing happiness and excitement washing over you. There was something new in the air, at least between Luke and you, and it was a four lettered word that started with the letter L. 

[melodic-haze]

MORE SAD SUB ARLECCHINO. PLEASE. I NEED TO EAT. like shes in absolute TEARS SHES SO ME I LOVE HER PLEASE FEED ME MORE.

☆ — DEMO TRACK: sub!Arlecchino x dom!Reader

☆ — TYPE: NSFW

☆ — CONTENT WARNINGS: A lil petplay (it's like one paragraph)

☆ — NOTES: I lied about not writing for this week lol I needed a distraction. Anyway combined these two bc they worked very sillily together hope yall don't mind 🫶 also YES I DO REMEMBER YOU 🎀 anon w my first ask about Arle :333

Oh man oh man oh MANNN I wanna do soooo many things to her auhfhthgh

Much as I ADORE absolutely ruining this absolute UNIT of a woman, I also want to take care of her and dote on her so much to the point where she fucking cries from being treated so well UGHHHHH

I feel like there are times at night when she remembers what she had lost in order to get to where she is right now (the chance to have a life that went in a more conventional direction, along w ESPECIALLY Clervie) and while she has learned to deal with the feeling itself in solitary, whenever you see her look out the window she is no longer The Knave—this was Peruere, a lonely girl yearning for something from so long ago

Even when she seems like such a self-assured person, all that composure threatens to fall into pieces the moment you, the one she now holds so achingly dearly in her heart, go to hug her and tell her that she's no longer alone :( no matter how many times you tell her or no matter how many times this scene repeats, it will never stop affecting her so deeply :(((((

I do think that she actually does love to sit on your lap. Sure, maybe it's kinda unnecessary and even more than a little embarrassing, but it makes her feel cared for instead of the way around that she's used to 🫶

"Who would've known that the real reason why you like being on my lap was for this, though..?"

You curled your fingers up in order to emphasise your point, hitting that specific spot within her that forces out a strangled gasp as her thighs make a feeble attempt to close themselves off.. despite the fact that you were comfortably sat right in-between.

Arlecchino makes no effort to answer you properly right away with one of her ever-so-composed words of wisdom or whatever they may be—she opts to tuck her head into the crook of your neck as fat tears roll down her cheeks, your skin almost as wet as her drooling cunt that you just can't get enough of.

(Her makeup is smudged too, though by this point it doesn't really seem like she cares.)

Though with the way your other hand was wrapped around her, softly stroking her back as if soothing your crying mess, and the way her own arms were clinging onto you, you both knew there was so much more to this position beyond your carnal actions.

Something much more emotionally charged, something much more than she usually let herself handle.

And perhaps it might also be because you had been at this for a while; your little lapdog was desperate for a release every time.. only for you to take the chance away from her, as if faking your pet out of her sweet treat. You couldn't help but play with her a little, not when her reactions are often the sweetest—uncharacteristic whines making its way out of her lips as she pleads you to fuck her silly, to--

"--make me forget for a brief moment, please-- ah..!"

And as her loving partner, of course you'd want to comfort her in whatever way you can.

"I'll make you forget your very title, Peruere."

"Please--"

Especially if it means fucking her until all that longing is long gone.

Need her to go from crying about who she had to kill to crying about who she ended up gaining in the end (and crying about how you make her feel too :3)

Just softly tell her that you love her, sing her praises, take care of her, kiss the tears rolling down her face, give her everything that she hadn't been meant to have or hadn't even realised she could ever have as the 'monster' her past has created

I just really really wanna spoil her and make her cry by overwhelming her with so much affection she doesn't know what to do with as someone who doesn't often let such things dictate her actions dude idk 🤷‍♀️

[starboye]

Sex Addict!Jordan Powell isn't the type of guy who's into traditional romantic dates because he's so focused on fucking. The only way you can wrangle him into some nice clothes for a nice outing is by promising him some kinky activities later. Still, he's pent up all evening, his monster cock making an obscene bulge in his dress pants and he is openly groping you all night.

he didn't like dates, he liked staying home watching movies that would then turn into him fucking your until the end of the movie then getting some food

which then after he drags you to his room to spend the night fucking, but once in a while you make him go on a date but not with a little bargaining

"if you go on this date we can fuck how ever long you want"

"eh i need more"

"fine and i'll give you a blowjob when every you want for a week"

"deal" and the whole date he's imagining the things he's gonna do when he gets home, rip off that suit and fuck you on the kitchen table then the living room floor then his bed then the shower then the next morning

he couldn't think when he had his mind racing like that, he wanted to fuck you right there on the table but had to settle for rubbing your ass when he could

he was readjusting his pants the whole night to keep anyone from seeing his monster boner but he would rub it against your ass

[s0apmactav1sh]

Minors, fem alinged do not interact with this blog you will be blocked!!

Taskforce 141. A tight knit group made up of monsters. Soldiers who were on a whole other level to the rest all because they were supernatural. Price, the captain of the TF and a dragon hybrid. His boys were apart of his hoard, the things he found irreplaceable and precious. Even with one wing enemies trembled at the sight of such a large man coming towards them. Ghost, the lieutenant and a wraith. What could be said about him, with shadows at his mercy and the darkness being apart of him there wasnt a way to kill a man who was already dead. Soap, sergeant number one and a werewolf. All hell breaks loose when hes able to transform, the team being his pack so he does whats needed to protect them. And lastly, Gaz, the harpy hybrid. The taskforces eyes in the sky. A bird of prey as other soldiers call him.

Thats all the infromation you had been given when you were first introduced to Kate Laswell. You had been handed files but most of the information on them had been classified and blacked out. Laswell had mentioned breifly how she had to practically seek you out, going to people she assumed would have an idea on where you would be. However no one could tell her what you were or where you were mostly because you kept on the down low and only popped up on the map during certain times. How she had caught you while you were in a bar in blackpool was a question you held back from asking.

"Whats in it for me?" Your voice was gruff, not in the way johns was from his years of smoking and barking orders, but in a softer way like you werent expecting to have to talk tonight. Help always came with a price. Yours especially, since you'd be working with monsters you were unfamiliar with. It wasnt like you were different persay but mixing your type of monster with theres didnt seem like the greatest idea in your mind but with Kates promise of a large sum of money and the few pints she bought you it was enough for you to agree to work alongside the taskforce for a few weeks until you were no long needed and could slip back into whatever hell you came from.

-

A Nightcrawler, a monster so unheard of they practically didnt exsit anymore. A creatures that lurked in the darkness where it could lure its victims into it and get rid of them, feasting on them after. Price had to put down your file the minute he read what type of monster you were, everyone knew that trusted one of you would end with death. The shiver that crept down his spine had him removing himself from his desk and leaving his office going directly to the resting room he knew his boys would be in. If he was going to accept kate purposal of accepting you into the taskforce, even if it was for a few weeks, he needed them to voice there opinions first.

"No. Not a chance" Was the first answer he got from ghost once it was finally brought up. Soap was to busy tryna keep his tail still so Gaz could brush out the muck and dirt he had in it from the missions they had been on. "We'd never be able to trust something like it." Ghost was set on declining having another person invade his space. He had enough trying to deal with a werewolf a harpy and a dragon, thrusting a nightcrawler into the mist would cause chaos.

"Its not a good idea, nightcrawlers have a tendancy to go rouge and attack everything within range" was the next response price got from gaz this time, the harpy also turning down the idea of having a nightcrawler join them. Although he voiced his reason as to his decline a lot more clearly than the wraith did. Still Price was hoping atleast Johnny may say something positive so he doesnt look like an asshole for not listening to them even though Kate had went through the pain of trying to get you to come and help them. But with prices luck so far with getting his boys to agree to allow you onto the team there was little hope that johnny would agree.

"Are you mad? A nightcrawler on our team. Ain't no way thats happenin" like he expected he was instantly turned down by the werewolf. Now explaining to Laswell that none of them wanted you on the team because you were a nightcrawler would be the difficult part since the woman was so persistant on getting them another to work with them. Dialing her number once in his office, all price could do is hope she hadnt gotten a chance to even figure out were you were.

-

The sound of kates phone ringing knocked you out of your small buzz as you picked it up and handed it to her turning away and getting another drink for yourself in hopes of drinking yourself to sleep once more before you set off to this taskforce. The sound of irritation soon hit your ears as kate tried getting whoever was on the other end of the phone to agree and take you in even if was just for one mission. Clenching your jaw you reached over and took the phone listen to the sound of the voice coming through.

"Kate there isnt a thing I can do to get the lads to let him join. They dont want a nightcrawler on the taskforce I cant force them."

A small scoff leaves you before you hang up the phone and pass it back to kate. "Thought they were on board with me joining."

-

JDBSJSVDUDBDV i have struggled i mean struggled to finish this. I honestly hate it with a burning passion and I have half a mind to delete it all and start over but here is part 1 of a fic im not even sure Ill finish.

[whereserpentswalk]

When the people in your life found out you had just become a vampire there were a lot of diffrent reactions. The best were useally just people who didn't make a big deal out of it, freinds you had who are also monsters tended to also understand how big a deal it was, especially if they were also undead. But a lot of other people had worse reactions. Some people didn't mention anything but became way more awkward and uncomfortable around you, and treated you much differently. Some people asked uncomfortable questions like if you could still have sex or if you wanted to drink from them when you saw them, treating you like youre some weird scifi creature. Some people, relatives especially, just talked about you like you were dead.

But the worst reaction was people who treated it like a tragedy. People who constantly felt sorry for you, like this was some big life ruining thing you couldn't recover from. The way they treat you like this is the end of everything for you, like you can't continue with your life after this. Everyone assumes you were bitten in an attack. You'd never tell anybody you didn't trust, but you were bitten on purpose. It's the most taboo thing about you, but you asked for it to happen, there's no tragedy to redeem you, you don't get to be excused from not being the monster because it wasn't your choice, it was your choice, the humanity the people around you mourn is one you killed.

It feels like in certain ways you're the type of vampire everyone is afraid the vampire that they meet is going to be. You don't pass as human, people's bodies react differently to being vampires, and while some look less human then you, you definitely can't pass, all your teeth are sharp, every single one, and your skin is pure grey now, and your eyes are red, you also lost most of your biological sex. And you like the way your body looks now, you love being in it, you feel so powerful and beautiful, you like how it feels to be this way, other people find it sad that your body is cold, but it feels nice and cooling to you. People would accept you much more if you hated that you were a vampire, if you saw yourself in a way that helped them afirm that they saw you as a lesser being, the fact that you love yourself is what scares so many humans. People who don't hate you just for being a vampire will hate you for not training to hide your inhuman movements, or for drinking blood in public.

There are vampires who really hate the type of vampire you are. The type of vampires who believe vampirism can only be understood as a medical condition that needs treatment, the type who wear the most human looking clothes, while you're wearing the most stereotypically vanpiric outfit imaginable (as if there's any difference to a monster hunter). Or just the younger less confident vampires who are so very afraid of becoming you. It's so strange to know that you're the bad ending for so many of your own kind, the worst case scenario parents talk about when they learn their child is a vampire. The fact that so many people are comforted by the fact that they aren't like you.

You're still finishing college, despite what most of your family assumed you're not dropping out just because you transformed. And since you live in the same city as your college it's not like you're even going anywhere. You lived with your parents as you did before for the first few weeks after transformation, but after seeing how much your appearance and mannerism changed they cut contact with you. You're living with a werewolf freind whose helped you navigate the monster community, some part of you is going over in the back of your mind, if you'll ever live with a human again. You don't think you'll be able to make many human freinds going forward, for some reason you don't mind that.

[plethoraworldatlas]

In reading Marcia's review of her experience with Shadowdark, I contemplated on how I run my own OSE games. This is also fresh on my mind because I am running Miranda Elkins' fantastic Nightwick. Its all about distilling things down to the interesting choice and eliminating the non-interesting one.

Basic Equipment: I am thinking about charging my players a flat rate for all basic dungeoneering equipment that is rolled into weekly expenses-- so 7sp a week for expenses plus ~3-5sp for pick of equipment

Not interesting:  Cost of equipment, especially down to coppers

Interesting: Scarcity (what if there is no 50' rope this week?) and how many slots PC dedicates to basic equipment

Light: Due to torch cost and number per slot, it is easy to carry a lot of torches.

Not interesting: Carrying enough light to last 12-24 turns- easily done

Interesting: When torches extinguish-- like in the middle of a fight or when the goblins you are negotiating with get mad; how many hands in the party are occupied by torches

This is why I prefer to use the overloaded encounter die to simulate inopportune moments when a torch is snuffed out- gust of wind, dripping slime, bucket of sand thrown by a sneaky goblin. And with regards to hands, holding a torch potentially lowers AC, removes a weapon, or makes spell casting delayed (need both hands). One saving grace: torches are an improvised weapon that do 1d4 dmg and are on fire.

Stuck Doors: I now commonly interpret the 2-in-6 chance as a basic surprise roll. If they players fail it, they make a loud noise and alert anything on the other side of the door, but open it next round.

Not interesting: Rolling a d6 over and over again to see if PCs finally break down a door

Interesting: Seeing if PC get surprise on whatever is on the otherside; if additional equipment is brought to deal with doors

I usually like the idea that a crowbar allows and additional 1d6 rolled per individual with one.

Rations: This is similar to the situation with light, its easy to carry enough food/water for 2-4 hours which is more likely the time frame of a dungeon delve-- not a camping trip.

Not interesting: Tracking both food and water separately for nominal circumstances

Interesting: How many PCs carry rations; will rations be used for other things (like distracting monsters) or saved to avoid fatigue

For me the nature of rations are both food and water abstracted. So if a player want to use food as a distraction, mark off 1 rations. If a player wants to douse a small fire, use 2 rations as you frantically empty out a water skin and try to put out the fire consuming the spell book.

Secret Doors & Traps:  Two dungeon features that are opposite sides of the same coin. Really I think Chris McDowall has written some of the best bits on this that boil down to "traps are puzzles" and not really "gotcha".

Not interesting: Situations where the PCs have to pick the exact right spot and roll a 1-2 in 6

Interesting: Adding in environmental clues or other sources of information that allows discovery by players investigating the fictional environment

Now, I will keep both rolls as a back-up for either PCs not having a good idea and/or a back-up for perhaps me being unable to convey the fictional environment properly in the moment.

Weapons: I've yet to find a really good way to do weapons simply outside of 1d6 damage for all types. I don't mind BX's variable weapon damage. And I do like some old rulesets sorta "first strike" if your weapon is larger than an opponents other wise smaller, lighter weapons strike first in subsequent arounds.

So here is what I have got so far: Using a weapon two-handed is a +1 to damage, using an off-hand weapon is +1 to-hit, and a shield is of course +1 AC. I do like that fighters with bows can shoot twice if they did not move and the "cleave" ability.

Not interesting: Weapon factors that are so extensive they require a separate rules discussion, trigger player obsession, and/or orient the whole of gameplay to combat

Interesting: What PCs chose to do with their hands: more armor, more weapons, or more light

So that is it for now, if you'd like to see more of my house rules here is my post on the Serpent Song Hymnal. I hope to have a sorta player version created sometime soon but I'm still trying to dial-in what my go-to "french vanilla" D&D is like.

[millylotus]

Super Villain Summer Internships [Everlasting Trio, DpxDc]

Everlasting Trio don’t know what they’re going to do for college, so they decide to just bite the bullet and do a few internships. Although they all forget to tell each other that they’re each interning with villains.

Danny is with Mister Freeze, going under the name Blizzard

Danny is basically the one doing a bunch of intern work while also not, at first he was just kinda there cause he liked being cold

But then he and Freeze begin to bond over feeling responsible for things that aren’t really their fault, Danny promises to help Freeze revive Nora

They have a father-son relationship, in how they’re actually pretty similar in personality & powers

Sam is with Poison Ivy, under the name Blood Blossom

Sam is the only one to have a legal internship because Ivy actually wrote her down as her legal lab assistant

She and Pam are very Big Sis-Little Sis energy, Sam is the annoying younger sibling who wants to do everything their big sister does

Pam finds this devotion to their ideals adorable, and supports Sam in their joint endeavors

Tucker is with Bane, going as Ruin

Tucker acting as Bane’s tech guy, he’s been working on a new type of venom for Bane he doesn’t get into many fights but if he needs to he doesn’t back down

They have an Uncle-nephew relationship going on but also Tucker gets a bit obsessive about making the best venom that they have Frankenstein & Frankenstein’s Monster going on too

It’s mainly just Tucker getting to cackle evilly while Bane just say “Alright chiquito, have you eaten breakfast yet? You get angry when hungry.”

The batfam is not prepared to deal with two mini rouges and a secret mini rouge who they haven’t met yet but are still worried about

A couple weeks into their internship the Gotham Rogues have their bi-monthly meeting where The Everlasting Trio is introduced to everyone

Ivy, Freeze, & Bane were also surprised to see that their interns actually knew each other/are dating

The Everlasting Trio are the entire reason why the Gotham Rogues are even talking to each other at the moment

Now the bats are even more confused & concerned because the rogues are usually at each other’s throats

It’s the only thing keeping them from taking over tbh

When the batfam find out that the three interns they’ve had to deal with for like most of June, all know each other and are actively in a polycule, they feel like everything makes so much more sense

The trio do have an ulterior motive to this whole thing, at first it’s just indulging in their less than stellar morals

Until it’s not

They become more enthralled in their ambitions, Sam begins to care less and less about the world outside of plants, she cares less about the civilian casualties, she begins to use ecto-science on plants

Pam & Harley are very concerned because they’re both on their path to redemption and Sam is going in the other direction

Danny becomes just as obsessive as Mister Freeze with trying to bring back Nora, he’s bringing in ecto-science in an attempt to bring her back through re-bonding her soul back to her body

Freeze isn’t against this exactly, but he’s unsure if it’ll bring the real Nora back, he’s still gonna go with it

Tucker has fully fallen into the mad scientist idea, he wants to make Bane the best version of himself the best human possible, his new version of venom is directed by ecto-science and such

Bane of course wants to be stronger but he knows at some point Tucker is gonna go to far, so he’s willing to hold the kid back if need be, but he isn’t going to actually do it he wants Tucker to go bad

By the time the Trio reaches the point of no return their bosses realizes this is not going to go their way anymore

Everlasting Trio: You’re just afraid to take it, One. Step. Further.

The fight to take back Gotham from the Everlasting Trio is a long one

Sam has complete control over Robinson Park [biggest park in Gotham] along with its botanical gardens and such

The surrounding neighborhoods are overrun with plants, she has people asleep and under her control for the most part

Tucker has most of the upper districts running wild on the venom he’s made, people are now more powerful than Superman himself and have lost their minds in their blind rage, they’re all mainly under his control

Danny has the east bays and the graveyards near by, everything is frozen over, the bodies in the harbor and in the ground have been reanimated into ice soldiers and are under his control most of the time

Ivy, Harley, Freeze, & Bane have to call in the bats for help with the Trio and their plans

They split up to go for their kid, with a few bats behind them to back them up

Ivy & Harley pull on Sam’s care for the rest of the world

Bane brings Tucker down from the high, making him think this through

Freeze gets Danny to realize that nobody he brought back is who they first were

By the end of it the trio is subdued after a big fight and some impassioned speeches

They’re admitted into Arkham Asylum, they promise their mentors that they’ll do better, that they’ll get better & make them proud of them

Admittedly I completely forgot to mention the trio’s family back in Amity

Let’s just say they don’t all know the nature of their internship

Jack & Maddie are aware that Danny is interning under an important doctor but they weren’t sure who he is

Angela & Maurice don’t know what’s going on with Tucker he hasn’t given them any stable information, he wanted to keep it that way with them thinking he’s still a good kid

Jeremy & Pamela know exactly what Sam was doing, she made sure of it, she wanted them to know they’re baby girl was running with villains now

Jazz is actually living in Gotham while this is going on, she going to college at GU for psychology, she’s interning at Arkham

She’s actually close with the bats, having met Jason, she’s one of the few psychs they trust at all

She knows that Sam is working with Ivy, she’s tried reaching out to her but Sam refuses to talk to her

She’s only ever seen Blizzard from afar, and was unable to connect him with Danny

She didn’t even know Ruin existed until the bats told her, and even then she didn’t know he was Tucker

When they’re taken down Jazz finds out who they are and she’s crushed, she feels she not only failed Sam, but also Danny & Tucker as well

Since the trio are all 18+ by the time they’re arrested nobody from Amity is sent anything to tell them they’ve been arrested

For about a week Jazz is actually their therapist at Arkham before she’s re-assigned when it’s realized she knows them personally

Jazz ends up telling the Foleys and the Fentons what happened

Then Amity gets the broadcast of their very own Samantha Manson being arrested in Gotham, New Jersey for eco-terrorism

Everything else just blows up in their faces after that, The three families don’t even dare show face around for awhile

They go to Gotham to actually visit their kids in Arkham

The Foleys are so disappointed in their son for what he’s done, Tucker can’t even look them in the eyes as the yell at him about everything

For the Mansons it sprouts into a huge shouting match with Sam almost jumping to table to try and physically fight her parents

All the Fentons do is stare at each other, they try to ask Danny why but he’s not cooperating with his biting remarks and not wanting to even see them for almost a week

Regarding their sentence and institutionalization the trio only has about five years or until they show sufficient mental stability for two years straight

This is another one that's been sitting around for awhile. And I also remembered the the banner i made for Batfam & Everlasting trio content

Main Story Index [It's kinda messy but it's got links to most everything]

[goatyuuji]

itfs week was ages ago I KNOW PLEASE FORGIVE ME...anyways itfs week fic rec list 🩷💙🩷

solar flare by HamsterQinghua (G, 3.8k)

“You…” Fushiguro starts slowly, and the hair on Yuuji’s arm raises at his low tone. “You’re… Sukuna’s vessel.” Yuuji wonders for a brief second if he’s been the one slapped with the way Fushiguro’s words tunnel into his gut and burn in his throat. He swallows. Even Kugisaki, next to him, has her brows drawn together in confusion. “What?” Yuuji asks, and his voice is small, even to his own ears. “No, I’m not—” He cuts himself off. He couldn’t say he wasn’t Sukuna’s vessel, right? --- or, Megumi forgets only Yuuji after an unfortunate encounter, and Yuuji's handling it well. really. Check out their entire itfs week fics: here

lovesick by xiaoscribbles (G, 2.5k)

“You say that so easily,” Megumi’s frown deepens, the hurt in his chest growing with every word she says. She doesn’t mean any harm by it, but sometimes, she’s too blunt. “I know,” Nobara sits up again. She leans into his space, brown eyes twinkling with mischief. “I’m not saying you need to get over it. I’m saying that this doesn’t have to hurt.” “And if I lose him again?” He snaps, his aura no longer light and airy, but deathly serious. “It happened once. I don't think I can deal with it if it happens again.” Or, Junpei exists. Megumi is jealous. Nobara is overworked and underpaid.

Lawfully Yours by tamarsilan (M, 18.6k)

He holds up his pinkie, in the way his new fathers had recently taught him meant business, “I promise.” She wraps a small digit around his own, smiling wide with her crooked front teeth. Check out their entire itfs week fics: here

wasteland, baby! by uriekukistan (T, 2.5k)

Fushiguro cupped his face gently, guiding Yuuji’s eyes to meet his own green ones. The look in his eyes brought a fresh wave of tears to Yuuji’s. Yuuji recognized the look on his face, the same one he wore at the detention center as Yuuji bled out on the sidewalk in front of him. His expression was soft, loving even, far too loving for someone like Yuuji. He was a monster, but Fushiguro looked at him like he was so, so human. “What is it?” Fushiguro said softly. “Talk to me.” OR the Culling Game Arc hotel scene we all deserve Check out their entire itfs week fics: here

as all friends do by staromantic (T, 2.6k)

“Wow, wow, wow,” Megumi interrupts her, immediately sitting up as he hears her words. “What boyfriend? I don’t have a boyfriend.” “Are you drunk, Megumi? Or high? What the fuck are you on about?” Nobara exclaims, stressing her words and moving her hands wildly. “Are you fucking with me?” or : Megumi has a boyfriend he doesn’t know about, Nobara is surrounded by idiots and Yuuji teaches Megumi that kissing your homies is actually not platonic behaviour Check out their entire itfs week fics: here

a condition called love by earthtodora (T, 3.3k)

Megumi gets injured, and the whole incident is causing Yuuji the realization that he might, in fact, be in love with his friend. Chaos ensues.

in hindsight, we were fated by getosmanta (G, 3.8k)

“Nah.” Itadori simply says, watching the dogs with a smile. “You know, Geto and I talked about you a lot.” Megumi freezes. “About your technique, how you tried to face Sukuna,” Itadori continues, rambling with pink cheeks and wind-bitten lips. “How I didn’t realize that I’d miss you until I couldn’t see you.” or 5+1 times Megumi wonders about Soulmates

You are my type, and I am yours by Gelafour (T, 3.8k)

Megumi is in love with Yuuji, but his crush has a preferred type of person. And everything changes on the day Yuuji asks, out of nowhere, about Megumi's type... Check out their entire itfs week fics: here

In the public eye by meyers (G, 3.7k)

There was something disgusting about all that stupid theater. He couldn't stand it. What did they know besides nothing? What did they know about Yuuji? He didn't like to look like a superstar, even though people said he would be one someday. He was just like any normal seventeen year old boy and he didn't need anyone to stare at him assuming the most erroneous things that could be assumed. It was something that was killing him inside. They didn't know him as well as he did! ----- Where Yuuji becomes the new sensation of his school after a basketball game, and Megumi can't stand others talking about him. Check out their entire itfs week fics: here

ALSO CHECK OUT THE OFFICIAL ITFS WEEK WORK COLLECTION

PS: lots of love to the mods of this fest and all the artists and the writers that participated, you all are so awesome and it was such a good fest <3

[aroaceleovaldez]

Any headcannons about Will Solace? he's an underrated bby (I think?) and I personally hc that he used to be a very moody kid but then decided to turn off all of his negaive emotions (most of the time)

oh i have SO many Will Solace headcanons built up from writing him on Deadangelos so much. Below the cut cause this is very long (and tumblr started glitching about the list format so manual it is):

- His roles at CHB are basically "Every possible medical personnel Ever™." He's camp medic, physician, surgeon, pediatrician, pharmacist, psychiatrist, therapist, dentist, optometrist, veterinarian, etc etc etc. Technically Chiron is also All Of That, but ever since Will joined camp most of the responsibility falls to him (at least in part because campers generally feel a bit more comfortable dealing with somebody their own age versus an immortal centaur), and Chiron just mentors him on it (unless they're running low on hands, in which case Chiron does pitch in, and sometimes the other Apollo kids help staff the infirmary if Will needs. In the past though it was usually just Chiron and whichever camper he pulled in that week to do first aid training with. Mr. D only really handles therapy stuff if Will isn't able to for one reason or another. Will gets very individualized training and has has own schedule separate from the rest of his cabin to account for all of that. Chiron basically personally took Will in under his wing as his apprentice and a not insignificant portion of Will's personal training is gross anatomy lessons with Chiron in the camp morgue. Will does not question where Chiron procures the cadavers for that. He probably should. They aren't campers. They are sometimes demigods, but not always. Most of the rest of camp doesn't even know there's a morgue, let alone that Will does gross anatomy dissection. It's not technically a camp "secret," Will isn't secret about it at all, but most campers treat it like it is and like to use it to try and spook new campers. The ones who find out about the gross anatomy portion and that there is exactly zero information about how Chiron is procuring cadavers are Mildly Concerned.

- Photokinesis and plague powers Will are both extremely fun. I love making him a son of Apollo Smintheus specifically and giving him pet rats and/or the ability to talk to rats and mice. He thinks they're soooo cute and is definitely the type to brag about how intelligent rats are. I also like to think he maybe had a pet snake at one point, like a big ol' boa. Will with a sunglow boa or something? yes? (I also just in general love the idea of Will's house back in Texas being a cute little ranch cause Naomi is rich and also a cowgirl and Will having a ton of different animals over the years. He probably originally wanted to be a veterinarian before he settled more on medic.)

- I just generally love playing with Will (not-so) subtly being the exact opposite of what people would expect from an Apollo kid. Initially he looks like the gold standard for an Apollo kid - sunny, friendly, chill, medic/healer, interest in science/arts/fandom, etc etc. Then you speak to him for more than 20 minutes and find out he loves snakes and rats and guts and gore and is fascinated by disease and mold. He takes gross anatomy classes taught by Chiron. One of his favorite hobbies is just dissecting stuff. He's into vulture culture. His idea of a perfect date is holding hands over a cadaver he is actively cutting into and passing the other person cool stuff he's fishing out. Also he's very vocal about thinking monsters are hot and the combo of all of that is exactly why he's into Nico. Everybody else thinks Nico's inherently cursed or something? Will doesn't mind being cursed - in fact he wants to be cursed, for science. He's swooning over the idea of Nico sacrificing him for some dark ritual in the middle of the night. He daydreams about Nico being a vampire that's gonna romantically kill him. The rest of camp is waiting for the day Will does something stupid and gets himself killed like, flirting with a monster (or the Hades kid) or something. Nico just generally doesn't know how to feel about the whole situation but is? (hesitantly) flattered?? that somebody is enthusiastic about him while recognizing and appreciating his Underworld aspects. Will is out-weirding him, somehow, and Nico never knew this was a thing that could happen.

- Related to that - I have a whole headcanon about "Bad Omen" demigods, which are basically the other main CHB cabin's versions of Hephaestus kids with fire powers being bad luck. For Apollo kids their "bad luck omen" super rare power is a plague-powers kid, and Will showed up during the Titan War, just a couple months before the Battle for Manhattan when nearly all his cabin died. He is very acutely aware of this superstition and fully believes he is a bad luck charm for the cabin and feels SUUUUPER guilty about it and so hides his plague powers. It's not that he feels bad about his plague powers specifically - he thinks plague stuff is really fascinating and his powers are cool and can be used for healing too! - he's just really concerned about how others will view him. (Very strong parallel dynamics between how Will views his plague powers vs the stigma around them & how Nico views his Underworld powers vs the stigma around them. They are handshake emoji).

- TTC implies that Apollo kids are more often than not summer-only campers, and I think it's fun to have Will's backstory being: He may or may not have "accidentally" caused a plague/pest outbreak at his old school early into the year and between that school having to shut down for a couple of months because of that and his mom maybe going on tour, they decided it was time for him to move to CHB and go there year-round. Except he goes from Texas to New York in the middle of winter and he's a son of Apollo, so he gets there and it's like sleet and slush and all cold and he's the only Apollo kid at camp and he hates it so bad. He eventually gets used to it but it is awkward when all his siblings come back in the spring/summer to find they have a new youngest sibling who's just been chilling all by himself for a couple of months. But then Austin and Kayla join so at least he's not the newest/youngest Apollo kid. (But then nearly all of Cabin 7 immediately dies in TLO and Will's right back to being in a mostly empty cabin and being in charge.)

- He definitely puts on an approachable/friendly, or at the very least calm, face 99% of the time, partially because it's expected of him and it's also maybe a little bit masking (it's a lot masking) cause he knows he can be a bit much. He is 100% the type of guy who feels like he has to solve all his problems himself and can't let anybody else know he has problems, and also that he has to help everybody else with their problems because that's his job, right? So he's constantly stressing himself out to the point of breakdown. He also half lives in the infirmary (which he totally has his own little office in) and he'll just shut himself in and spend like, a couple of days straight in there and probably not sleep. He's a workaholic just as bad as Nico and a total hypocrite about it/about overexerting one's self but he's working on it. Nico's too much of a take-no-shit kind of guy (and also him and Will are way too similar) so usually when Will nags Nico about that kind of thing it turns into Will looking in a mirror or Nico turning it back around on him and Will going "ah shit i need to take my own advice >:T"

- He's best friends with Drew Tanaka and he lets out his bitchy side when he's hanging out with her. they are bitching friends. they love to bitch. It's a great venting environment for him cause he knows Drew loves to hear him complain and talk shit so he can just let out all his pent-up frustrations and she'll just enthusiastically eat it all up. The two of them will gossip endlessly. Drew is mildly concerned about Will's romantic tastes though (again: monsters. cryptids. the Addams family. evils from the shadows. the guy from The Shape Of Water. Nico) and keeps trying to talk him out of flirting with things that might kill him. He does not listen to her.

- His only normal crush is Paolo but everyone is waiting for the other shoe to drop about how Will could possibly be weird about this one (there's an ongoing camp bet with different theories). He also dated Drew for like, all of a week but they both decided they totally hated it and preferred to stay just besties (bonus points: That was what Drew considered as her passing the whole Aphrodite-kids-breaking-hearts thing. literally neither of them cared).

- I know his full name is William but it's really funny if he lies about that and his full name is actually Wilhelm, named after the scream.

- ...He is a Swiftie. He's been a Swiftie since he was younger back with like, OG-era country music Taylor Swift and he's just stuck with it.

- Trans!Will is fun and I love it lots. Drew helping him with transition stuff is also very near and dear to me.

- His crush on Nico originates from them meeting for the first time during the Battle for Manhattan. Nico's attempt at flirting with Percy misfired and hit Will instead lmao. Nico parts the Titan Army in cool thematic armor and with three gods in tow, says a dramatic one-liner, and then is super badass in battle and Will is head-over-heels for him immediately. He then proceeds to spend the next year obsessing over Nico and being tormented by Nico never being at camp and never being able to talk with him. Ergo why when Nico shows up in BoO, Will is immediately like "HOLD MY HANDS. THREE DAYS IN THE INFIRMARY. HANG OUT WITH ME PLEASEEEE-" (and that's why Will was under the assumption that Nico was actively avoiding people rather than being ostracized, cause he had heart-eyes tunnel vision). Him in BoO though really is just seeing his crush and losing all his cool.

- For some reason he is just an absolute magnet for chthonic demigods. Nico, Lou Ellen, Cecil (who i hc is a chthonic Hermes kid), etc etc. He thinks Underworld stuff is super cool though (again, see: Will being super into spooky/gory stuff/etc). Also all the ex-Titan army kids decided they were his personal body guards immediately after the war cause he was nice to them.

- He is a HUUUUGE nerd. Specifically a sci-fi and disney nerd. They're his hyperfixations (/special interests if you lean more autistic!Will) <3 His favorite franchises are Star Wars and Avatar (the blue one). He loves conceptual alien biology/ecology and could go on about it endlessly. He will also very enthusiastically infodump about Disney history (both the art/animation side and theme parks side) and other sci-fi series. Ask him about Doctor Who (you will be there for several hours).

- Will being a micro-celebrity cause of his mom is very fun to me. He's been on talk shows and stuff before cause people love how snarky this country star's kid is. He has an extremely popular Instagram and Austin uses him as clickbait in his Youtube videos extremely often (including forcing him to guest-star or do like react content and stuff) (Will is more than happy to indulge him though cause he finds it funny).

- I also love the idea that Will and Piper have actually known each other since they were little, from Tristan and Naomi meeting at some point and realizing they had kids the same age and encouraging them to be pen-pals. Once social media becomes more of a like, Proper Thing™ they become mutuals on Instagram but just use it to periodically send each other silly memes (Piper's instagram is private and basically all she uses it for is dm'ing people). It takes them a solid week of being at CHB together to realize "WAIT, YOU'RE THAT [PIPER/WILL]?!" One of their hobbies is going into the city and seeing if people will recognize them/if paparazzi will see them and making games out of it (who can ruin the most photos, what types of fake gossip can we get them trying to circulate, etc etc).

- I am a firm believer that Will is an extremely loud out-and-proud type of guy and has been for awhile (again see: him being a micro-celebrity) and he spearheads or runs a lot of pride stuff at CHB ever since he joined. If there is a pride parade/event at CHB he helps organize it. If there's a GSA club at CHB he is the head of it. He keeps pamphlets in the infirmary of queer educational material and guides to different identities and stuff and is very passionate about making people feel welcomed and comfortable. Because of this, when he found out Nico was from the 1930s and severely not up-to-date on terminology and stuff, he considered getting Nico up-to-date his greatest challenge yet. It was a personal quest for him. There was also definitely at least a week before that where Will thought Nico might be homophobic or something and was going "I CAN FIX HIM" before Nico managed to explain that no, he's... very supportive (muffled coughing coming from closet), he's just also extremely behind and doesn't know what any of those words mean, thanks. Will set up the most extensive queer crash course possible for him and poor Nico was just going "slow down please,,,," the entire time. Will gets him up mostly up to speed eventually. I just love Will being that type of guy who will start explaining misc queer history with citations at the drop of a hat. It is probably another hyperfixation of his.

- Will and Annabeth both consider Chiron an adoptive father-figure and joke about being siblings and which of them is the favorite child, cause they both know they're definitely Chiron's favorite campers. They both get him father's day cards/gifts.

[clemblog]

Caine’s Lesson - Part 6

•

Pomni had got a lengthy explanation from Ma about the deal with Croco Ranch. Gunmigoo, Max and Chad went out to get resources and find lost citizens who’d managed to escape the Fudge Monster. In the meantime, Ma worked on her own back at the ranch, getting people settled, assigning jobs and slowly building up a civilisation, a home which wasn’t centred around the eye of Caine.

Which was why she was currently getting settled in a little back room at the main barn on the ranch. It was where all the citizens, including Lou herself, were being housed for the time being.

Nobody really wanted to start construction on new buildings until they had a bigger numbers in residents.

There was a few rows of bunk beds, all with little knotted curtains which if Pomni had to guess, Ma had most likely made them so everyone could have some privacy if they needed it! They where pretty cute-

Pomni’s little section had curtains patterned with what looked to be waffles. Her pillow was white put soft, probably made from some kind of marshmallow based material in the world. The knitted blanket sat on the bed was in red and blue, perfectly sized for her.

She would readily admit that this place was so much more comfortable and welcoming than the circus could ever be.

She’d tuck herself into bed as the light in the barn dimmed, the sun setting alongside it. She went to sleep feeling safe, secure and with a small smile on her face. It was the best sleep she’d had in a long time.

It was a few hours later that she’d stir awake. She opened her eyes to hear the barn door be shut quietly and see Gummigoo step inside.

“Gummigoo..?”

“Oh, sorry Poms. Did we wake ya?”

“No- Y-You didn’t. Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, just swapping out with Chad on night watch.”

“O-Oh. I didn’t even realise you guys where doing that-“

“Figured it was the smart choice considering the fudge is still around.”

“Y-Yeah, it is smart-“

“I’m glad you think so, Ma said it’s one of my better ideas!”

“…Do you want company?”

“Only if you feel like you’ve got enough rest, Poms.”

“I-I don’t mind-

“Come join me on the beams then, Pommy~”

•

“Caine? Caineeeeee? Are you here? I wish to talk to you-“

“What is it Kinger?”

“Aaaaagh-! There you are. I wanted to talk to you about Ragatha-“

“Mm, what about her?”

“She.. isn’t doing well with the whole Pomni being gone thing-“

“So?”

“…I was hoping as our… helpful AI host, you might be able to help her-“

“Why would I want to do that? If Ragatha is struggling so much, Pomni will feel obligated to come back to us.”

“Well- Yes- But aren’t you worried about Ragatha you know-“

“If so, she’ll go to the pit with everyone else.”

“…Caine-“

“And someone else will help me make Pomni come back.”

“…”

“Kinger?”

“..You’re not the guy I once knew Caine-“

“…Oh. Well. People change Kinger.”

“…You’re not a person. You’re an AI and you where my best friend-“

“…”

“…The only reason I’m keeping my sanity, is for Ragatha. I hope you know that.”

“…Kinger-“

“If I she goes, I go. And that’s your fault.”

•

Ragatha was sat on the floor of her room, sniffling. All the worry and sadness was so overwhelming and she couldn’t figure out how to cope in the slightest- It was odd- She used to be so good at coping with her emotions- She could bottle it up for weeks at a type- But now nothing- She couldn’t stop herself from crying for an hour at most! Anytime she did, her thoughts just filled with worry of Pomni and what might’ve happened to her. And then she couldn’t help but sob.

The door to her room slowly pushed open, and the shuffle of a familiar figure stepped into the room. A pair of white gloved hands pulled her into his chest in a comforting manner.

“It’ll be okay Ragatha, I’m here.” Spoke Kinger, patting her back. “There, there.”

She sniffled at this, clinging onto his embrace like a life line. She already felt better. She felt safe and happier in the hold of her Da- Her friend. Her friend.

“I’m sure Pomni will be back soon, there there.”

“T-Thanks Kinger.”

“It is no problem! How about we go and see Zooble and Gangle?”

“A-Alright-“

The pair got up and began the walk to the main area of the circus.

“…What are we doing-“

Ragatha giggled.

“We’re going to see Zooble and Gangle.”

“Ah okay!”

•

“So, any clue what you’re thinking for breakfast in a few hours?” Hummed Gummigoo, wanting to make conversation.

“Oh- I’ll wait to see what everyone else eats before I do-“ Began Pomni.

“Hey.” Spoke Gummigoo, softly, taking her hand. “You don’t have to worry about us having enough food. We’re farmers, if there ain’t enough we’ll make enough.”

Pomni faulted at this with a shy snicker.

“U-Uh no- That’s not why-“ She mused, sheepishly. “Caine uh made it so I don’t need to eat- As the saviour- I can eat- Just it’s more for fun-“

Gummigoo hummed at this gently, watching her speak. “I see. Interesting~ I’ll still be making you a plate regardless. You shouldn’t be deprived one of the joys of life, just because you don’t need it to survive. Crikey, good food is heavenly Pommy, particularly Ma’s pie. I’ll have to see if she’ll make it anytime soon-“

“O-Oh alright.” Chuckled Pomni, Gummigoo was so silly and friendly- And she kinda adored that about him. She didn’t have to doubt for a second that he cared.

“Anywho, another thing.” He continued happily. “Me and lads saw your skills with Lou and wanted to ask if you wanted to head out with us tomorrow.”

“Oh- What for?”

“Just general hunting for supplies and citizens. We’ll try and avoid the fudge, but if we run into it, it ain’t gonna do no harm if we shoot some more bullets into it.”

“I-I can come! I just- don’t really know how to use a gun-“

“Oh alright, how about I teach you after breakie?”

“Y-You’d do that?”

“Course! We don’t want our saviour being unable to defend themselves.”

“A-alright then!”

“It’s a plan, Poms~”

Pomni knew she could be happy here.

Part 7