#it'll probably get dark soon... might be bad

[rotagnus]

advice for your specific situation---<3

hi babies!! i hope all of you are doing okay. you can ask this about any situation you want, i'll try to be general, but there may be some more specific messages littered along the way.

this is a bit of a heavy reading and it deals with certain topics, so as always, be wary!

pile 1.

you guys are absolutely hopeless for some reason. shot down multiple times, it's hard to keep your head up, but your relentless hope is the only thing that's gotten you through tough times in the past, so you keep your head up even though you're crawling. there's a lot of disharmony in matters of the heart; a lot of you could have been very naive towards some problem of an emotional nature, and you may be feeling as if your heart is shattered, or perhaps tender. you are curious about the world, and have an innate belief in the goodness of people even though you keep getting backstabbed over and over again. you've probably asked for a sign recently; a sign to keep your hope, to keep your heart open regardless of the troubles you've experienced. you should look inwards; stop focusing on the minute details of the physical world. you probably have problems with self-sabotage and causing yourself to be in pain, take that as you may. it's hard to not fall back into old patterns, to keep your head up, especially when you've convinced yourself that the ending to this situation is bad. the answer is, you must keep your hope. you must, you must, you must. it is the right thing to do. you will be victorious, in the end, my bleeding heart. that phrase describes you very well. sensitive, emotional, but you prize those aspects of yourself. continue to do so. nurture yourself. you worry about other people, about their problems, but the truth is that you must focus on your faith.

a lot of you seem to have lost your belief in something, going through a dark phase. many are already on a journey to self-discovery, but you feel like you've taken a major step back. you may see other people getting what they want in life, people who are further behind you, and you ask God, why not me? truth is, you have a deep desire to grow. all these people you worry about chose the easy way out and will have a lot of problems to unpack later on in their life. you have your guardian angel to support you, you have many, many pillars of support. soon, everything will clear up, and you will see the answer. don't force yourself to choose an ending before it's time.

a cycle is ending for you. you must let this dark phase come over you. a lot of you might get your period soon or perhaps experience some stormy weather, going through the winter of this ending phase. for this situation to bloom, you must set out boundaries and lay out the ground-flooring for the next cycle to come. what do you want out of your life, darling? not what your parents want, what your friends want, what was laid out in front of you. a lot of you want to be seen. i think you'll get that, but only when you allow yourself to be. this new cycle will bring truths; truths you avoid. it'll bring your true self to the light, and you'll feel belly-up. i think this will be a focal point in your life, for it will either be a cycle you have to keep relearning, or you will finally accept that you must be yourself, authentically. this situation is entirely dependent on you, and how you face these adversities.

pile 2.

you guys are convinced you know everything, through and through. you are on hell of an assumption-maker, my friend. you guys are also givers. you guys are extremely self-aware of your duality, yet you beat yourself up for doing anything out of the extremely high morals you've set for yourself. some of you are guilty about a certain situation; God is telling me that you must forgive yourself. forgive yourself. you can't always be pure and good. your goodness comes from your ability to forgive, and your ability to grow. a lot of you are discovering patterns in your life and patterns in your thinking, which in itself is a very hard process, so i applaud you for that. you've got skeletons in your closet, and they're all coming out, and you're convincing yourself that you are a terrible person because you've gone through shit. FALSE!!! a lot of those things were out of your control. relax, baby. a lot of you are feeling as if this situation is hopeless. partially, some of you felt like everything was going well; it was going great, in fact, and recently something destroyed this perfect world that you had. it may have collided with your new, fresh belief in good things. you are tired of growing through pain. i think a lot of you are pretending that self-love isn't part of the journey. honey baby, you must love yourself very deeply before you can throw yourself onto a sword. yes, life has risks; but a lot of you seem to self-sacrifice yourself to the point that you are marred with nothing but scars and bruises. you view yourself as dirty. you need to develop better self-love and self-respect instead of letting people walk all over you.

your hard work isn't going unacknowledged. you need to set up the basic infrastructure for your life before you can start adding players to the game. you have a pure heart, and sometimes, what the heart wants...isn't necessarily what the heart needs, or deserves. you need to accept that. what you think is perfect for you, may not be perfect for you. also, it may be a better thing to keep a stone-face for a while, to people who you are not very close with. do not tell them your good experiences; people can be jealous, and share your sweet things with sweet people. i feel as though you will get what you want when you grow as a person; you can't start a habit for 10 days and decide that it's all permanent on the 10th day. it takes time. it takes lessons. you asked to be strong, for growth, and this is what you get.

10 is very significant for you guys, i am hearing. OOOUUU girl okay okay. i see. so my deck has hearts instead of swords, and two of hearts fell out, as well as the magician. i think that the magician represents the universe while the two of hearts represent you and someone else, or something else. a lot of you seek perfection with this other subject; you want everything to be orchestrated on YOUR timing. this won't happen! the magician is orchestrating things to happen on divine timing. you can't rush things; right now, focus on making sure that you're the version of yourself you want to be in order to get this blessing. things move on their own timing, with the chariot; you are simply a passenger in this moving vehicle, you cannot tell the driver to go faster. look out of the window and observe the beautiful landscape instead of rushing. the car ain't gonna go faster anyways LOL. 333 is significant, too. change is coming. your intuition is on point; a lot of you already know what you must do for this situation. the lovers fell out again; i think that this may be about romantic love, for some of you. you guys have a lot of dead things you're burying, and you're not done yet; when you'll finish this cycle, you'll get what you want. sailor song may be significant for some of you; i like the way you kiss me by artemas, too. enjoy this journey.

pile 3.

you guys are lost on what to do and where to go. you feel like you've finished a certain cycle in your life, but now you're at a cross-roads, and your heart, soul, body, and mind, all want different things. which do you follow? i feel like a lot of you may have gone ghost on some people; frozen in action is what i'm hearing. maybe you stopped telling people about things in your life, because people from the past wonder about you. it's important for you not to fall into past patterns, dear. a lot of you are very deep feelers, very deep thinkers, and you see people for who they are; their bads, their goods, you understand it is all part of being human. the truth is that people can be both good and bad simultaneously while not deserving a role in your life. it's your movie, baby, and you don't need to have everyone as a star in it. you're such a sweet thing, and you deserve sweetness in your life. a lot of you may be growing closer to your friends, and i advise that you hang-out with them, or talk. you grew up either very alone, or with a very close-knit group of people, forged out of pains and sufferings. you're a realist, and you have a very straight view of the world, not allowing yourself to see it as something extremely optimistic, as pile 1 does. when you do, it makes you overwhelmed; it feels as if your heart has multiplied, beating in so many rhythms it confuses you. you're reminiscing on people, specifically; you, my love, have a deep love for humanity. a commitment to bettering the world is very significant here. you've distanced yourself from society, in a way, but you still want people to bloom. you are wise beyond your years.

but that doesn't mean that you have to be so strong all the time. it's alright to break down and cry. you don't have to be the parent, you don't have to carry all this weight on your shoulders. i promise you, the universe/God will listen to all your burdens. cry. speak to whatever you have faith in. cry again. i feel like a lot of you just need to blurt out whatever you're feeling so you can understand what you feel. whisper at night, write it down in a journal, speak to the stars, speak to a person. you are so treasured. a lot of you feel like you have to perform for others. everyone's always watching you, watching you, for a stumble. you MUST let go. stop caring what others think. they ain't gonna like you if they ain't like you already. their opinions don't matter. you have a voice that could start wars, and the right people will stand behind you and not betray you. there are still good people out there, and for your situation, YOU MUST UNDERSTAND IT IS NOT ALWAYS GOOD TO BE BY YOURSELF. being alone is good, for self-reflection...being alone because you're scared of opening up is bad. you see people as weapons, weapons of love and pain--look at them as people. honey, you are so wise, but sometimes, simplicity is the answer.

a lot of you have to be strong right now. everyone's watching you--you're the star of the show, to God, to higher beings, to the people in your life. be confident; you are in this beautiful role for a reason! dance, be yourself. people's feelings will reveal themselves, if you feel as if there are liars or untruthful people in your life, a lot of the things you're worrying about will reveal themselves to you. you just have to accept your beauty and work on your self-love. a lot of you doubt your own self, and you have an awkward perception of yourself as a person. kick yourself out of this state, and look at yourself, baby, you're the whole bag of cookies and MORE!! you're a damn deal! you're gorgeous, beautiful, smart! read those affirmations. do the work. you'll be a-okay, honey!

[syluscrows]

Sylus taking care of his chronically ill pookie // hurt / comfort / fluff and slight NSFW

WRITTEN IN THE PERSPECTIVE OF AN INDIVIDUAL WITH VEDS / SBS AND ASSOCIATED DISORDERS USING THE SYMPTOMS EXPERIENCED.

Tags: Sylus x reader, gender neutral reader, fluff, hurt/comfort, chronic illness, Sylus being a sweetie pie, and sylus being a jerk...

Tw: organ rupture mentioned, joint dislocation, weak skin / bruising, discussion of shortened lifespan.

- His initial reaction to you telling him is his usual nonchalant self. He doesn't really seem to care, but only in the nicest way possible. Externally he's the exact same at first - internally his dusty brain cogs are spinning like mad, thinking 'what the fuck does that mean'

- He will probably buy you a get well soon basket.. for a chronic condition..

- unbeknownst to you, he has no idea what it is and immediately researched it.. and poor gramps didn't know how dramatic Google was when it came to medical conditions so he only thought of the worst outcomes.

S: "WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOUR ORGANS COULD RUPTURE?!"

Y/n: "Sylus, there's emphasis on the 'could'.."

- you have to reassure him that it's not THAT bad, but the whole shortened lifespan stuff coming up does scare the crap out of this poor man.

Y/n: "sylus it's not exactly the most accurate thing.. we don't know if it'll be that early." You assure him, but he clearly doesn't find that reassuring at all, as someone who can't die, he never thought he would feel so strongly about someone who COULD die, much sooner than expected. You can tell it's left a pit in his stomach that won't go away regardless of what you say.

- He's more careful when you two are sparring, or play fighting.

- (in the perspective of a reader who is a hunter) He knows you can take care of yourself in fights. Witnessing you effortlessly slamming a joint back into place midfight etc. gives him reassurance at this, but that doesn't mean there won't be a certain crow checking up on you now and again when you're apart.

- The first time y'all get freaky he's mortified by the amount of bruises on you. How are they so dark? And so big? It looks like you've gotten into a fight.. And the bruises he leaves on you after are even worse.

- And your skin is so soft he can't keep his hands off of you. 😌

- Bless this man when your limbs go numb and you have to wait out the pins and needles in order to move, he knows exactly what to do. Usually you would have to wait for the uncomfortable feeling to dull down so you can move your legs to regain blood flow, but with Sylus around you don't have to worry, although it feels awful when he does it, he lifts your leg and bends it until the feeling goes away, ensuring the blood flow returns sooner so you aren't uncomfortable for long.

- Afterwards he's asking you where all of the bruises are from. "What about this one?" "Sylus I told you I don't know, they just appear! It probably happens when I sleep!" Oh boy do you regret saying that, this man protects you from everything, you might as well be wrapped in bubble wrap.

- If you use mobility aids, throw them out, he will buy you better ones, fancier ones, maybe even custom ones to match whatever vibe you like.

- let's just say he gets a bit too rough one day and there goes your hip, straight out of the socket.. he immediately apologises over and over again, and despite his usual emotional constipation you can tell it's given him a scare as he tries to figure out what to do, asking if you need to go to hospital, if he can put it back for you.. and despite the immense pain you're in, it's still adorable to see him like that.

- you stand up too fast and immediately just stand there and lean against something until your brain descrambles. He honestly finds it kinda cute, and has to hold back the urge to be malicious... His evil lil heart would love to one day rush you to walk forward and watch you fall, but his soft side is strongly fighting against it.

- You do have to talk him out of treating you like you're fragile, which is irritating. You find yourself constantly reassuring him.

- despite his stoic, cold exterior, he does piss himself laughing when you don't manage to lean against something in time when you're light headed, falling over sideways. Laughter is the best medicine, after all. Of course he's concerned, but only for a split second..

- the brain fog is his favourite part. "What did I just say?" You say with an adorable confused expression on your face, or when you place something down and it's as if it's suddenly phased out of existence. He doesn't care if it makes you slightly tardy on your timekeeping, if you're late you're late, you can't help it.

- the brain fog doesn't exactly make it easy to give you tasks.. he ends up sending you a million messages to remind you of what he's asked you to do.

- The man cringes so hard when you're walking along like nothings happening as if your hip isn't clicking loudly with every step. He is clueless to the fact that it doesn't actually hurt every time...

- The first flare-up he felt helpless, being so uneducated and just watching you in pain, hardly able to do a thing. By the time you'd had a few flare-ups around him he gathered a routine. Running baths, getting ointments for your joints, millions of heat pads, practically staying at your side like a lil servant. You insisted it wasn't necessary, since you've functioned through many flare-ups beforehand, but he won't listen.

- There's an emergency box with instructions in case he isn't around so that Luke and Kieran can take care of you too.🥹

[ateez-himari]

[240830] SLEEPY LIVE

● 민기 is live on TokToq now (1:27 AM)

● 76,019 active viewers

'She's (Himari) right next to me in bed right now, we went to visit my mom together because she wanted to see the two of us. They get along really well so I'm relieved, they met before but it was when Hima wasn't doing so well'

'They actually went to the hot springs together when I was out with one of my close friends, my mom really enjoys being around her, she told me that. She asked when our wedding was so I told her that it would hopefully be soon haha'

'No, I don't ever get tired of being with her...we actually see each other a lot less than you think. Members in the same dorms already don't run into each other that often because of different lifestyles so imagine how it is with us living apart, and with her schedule often being packed'

'We've been seeing each other every day lately because of the tour but it's different since everyone else is there too. Sometimes it feels nice to have just us two...more domestic you know ? Being idols is obviously something we love, but getting to live as normal adults feels great too'

'Honestly...no I didn't picture myself with her at first, to me it was just some silly crush because she was a girl I was regularly around. Then we fought before my hiatus...a really bad fight, and I think that was when I realized that maybe it was more'

'I won't elaborate too much on it but a lot of 'Tunnel' is kind of based on what happened back then'

'It might seem silly to some people but just seeing her smile makes the world stop for me, and the first time she was genuinely happy after being stuck in a dark place I never wanted it to start again. Atiny probably know this already but she's fragile...so you have to be careful with her okay ? Love her like we do'

'Haha you can hear her breath ? It's because she's very close to my phone since it's on my chest...I'm too tired to lift it in my hands, I'm scared it'll fall on my face'

'The position is a little uncomfortable but I'm worried she'll wake up if I move. It's the first time she's slept well in some time, because of the situation with her brother...she worries about people a lot'

'About an hour ago she was fussing over my throat because it's very sore right now, instead of doing her rehabilitation exercises'

'Rehabilitation yeah, she went through rib surgery after Coachella...so now there's titanium plates on the broken bones. The doctors said she would be okay without a hiatus so no one knew about it, well only the ones that heard it on her live'

'Atiny are really observant, you're right it's why I always hold her waist instead of her ribcage area like I used to. The size difference is very cute but I have to be careful because of it sometimes'

'We're actually leaving tomorrow afternoon, we booked an airbnb for the rest of our break, it's in a really nice location too, it's romantic'

'Yeah the dorms are empty for the most part but we wanted to be alone in a house, just live like a normal couple for a bit. Our manager helped set it up actually since we were working non stop'

'Ahh you guys want to see her ? I wish, she looks adorable like this...but I'm not wearing a shirt and I think the flash is gonna wake her up'

'Speaking of I think it's time for me to sleep too, I just wanted to say hello quickly. Sleep well Tiny, I'll come back soon'

Translation by 9024subs

[phonkscribes]

Heyo- the power went out at my place after a storm. it got me thinking- what would the dmc boys do during a power outage with their s/o? Thank you (:

This is such a sweet and funny idea, thank you for sending the request and I'm sorry that I'm only just NOW getting to it. I'm going to include Credo because I love him.

Black Clouds Provoke Isolation.

The DMC boys during a power outage with their S/O.

Dante

He is accustomed to not having the power work at the Devil May Cry, but he understands that it's probably not something his S/O would be all that acquainted with. First he'll look up and curse quietly to himself, clicking his tongue and turning his head away as he sits in the darkness. As soon as his S/O comes in and starts to worry about it, he's there to calm them down and tell them that it's not a big deal and that this sort of thing happens all the time. Much to their dismay, Dante... power is important, without power the fridge can't keep the pizza and beers cold. His motivation arises at the risk of these important assets being lost.

If his S/O is afraid of the dark or has an issue with it, he'll drape himself over them like a blanket.

"Alright lets get you to the couch", and then he guides(drags) them to the couch to hunker down until the power comes back on.

Dante would poke fun of them for that, if it weren't for his own apprehension to wandering around in the dark. He gets it, since a lot of bad things tend to happen to him in the dark. That's probably what's going on in the mind of his S/O so the least he can do is be there and comforting for them where he didn't have anyone to comfort himself during those times.

"Hey... it'll be okay, we've been through worse before haven't we?", he'll say in a melancholic sort of way.

When the lights do eventually come back on, he has this big smile on his face and looks down to his S/O. He'd chuckle and give them a quick nudge.

"It came back on! See? What'd I tell you?", and after making sure that his partner's alright, he's going off to check if the pizza and beers are still good. A little celebratory snack wouldn't hurt, and he's thinking that a bit of pizza and a cold drink might cheer them up.

Vergil

Like his brother, he doesn't quite care for the dark when the power goes out, but that's because he's grown used to a lack of light in his life. The darkness is something he's come to embrace, something he can move freely through and about without concern. Of course, this changes somewhat with his S/O by his side. He moves to find them first throughout the power outage, making sure that they're alright. However, he's a bit lost as to what to do in this situation since it's never happened to him enough times before where he's become familiar with what course of action to take. He's spent more time in Hell than in the human world, and will rely on his S/O to take charge, which is something he dislikes.

Vergil would ask them if there's anything that he can do to help, like light some candles or check on the appliances or anything like that. He'd also grow a bit frustrated with them when they don't turn on when he tries to use them or if there isn't anything else he can do to try and help. The Darkslayer tries not to pout and fold his arms in the corner as everything else essentially gets handled for him or by someone else. However, he isn't totally useless here. If there is something he can do, it is also to provide comfort for his S/O in the case that they're not as fond of the dark as he is.

If this gets in the way of them trying to take action, he'll guide them through the house and ask them what they need. Once everything is squared away, his focus is directed onto his partner. What do they need right now? What can he provide for them? Comforting others may not be his strong suit, but he will everything he can for their sake. If this is just holding onto them and pressing their head into his shoulder, he will do it. He won't admit it, but he's glad that their able to vulnerable with him, allowing him to be the rock that they can lean on in their time of need. Besides, he quite enjoys these small moments of reprieve and being close to his S/O.

V

The first one to start is Griffon, commenting about how the lights have gone off and how it's suddenly gotten a bit colder. V acknowledges this from his familiar and starts to get up from his spot on the couch to go and locate his S/O to inform them of the problem if they weren't previously aware already. If they're already getting to it, he's sitting back and watching them, admiring the way that they're handling the situation. He'll leave them after a moment to go and find if he can do something to assist them, such as bringing them a flashlight or even a few candles to light around the house so that things are easier to see. He's not all too bothered by a lack of power, tolerant at best, but he does get cold after idling for a while.

When all that can be done is done, he's curled up on the couch with a spot made available for his partner. V waits for them to come and join him, as he'd like for them to share their warmth with him. Sitting together, he'll start to read from his book of poems as Shadow drapes herself across the two of them. It is a perfect way to relax during an event that they don't have much control over, especially if he notices that his S/O is a bit uncomfortable with the lack of power. V would be too, if it weren't for having his partner at his side.

The comfort of not being alone through this gives him the strength he needs to get through it, and he hopes that he can shed that same strength to his S/O. Griffon complains about the mushy romantic spiel that V sings, flocking off to go and check if the power's back on. While the mouthy bird is out of the picture, he returns his attention to being assuring that all will be okay, as it is not the end... yet. Of course, it's within his nature to be a little teasing to them, and he enjoys watching the way they react to his words. When the power does return, he won't be releasing them from his grasp any time soon. V quite likes snuggling with his S/O and he'd like to be with them for a little longer before they eventually do get up to leave.

Nero

He's a little irritated when the power goes out, and ends up cursing the storm for the lack of lights in the house. Nero looks to his S/O and asks if they're okay before he even starts to do anything else, making sure they're all good first and then going to start the backup generator. At the least, he's got a backup plan, thanks to Nico for providing him with a spare(at a 'good' price.)

"Come on you bastard", he's mouthing off to the generator as he yanks the cord to bring it to life.

Nero returns to his partner as soon as that's been squared away, and takes their hand in his to go and grab the flashlights and other lights and what not. He looks around to see if there's anything that he might've forgotten about or if there's anything that his S/O hasn't done. He likes to be on top of things, even having a little plan that Kyrie made to go over until the power comes back on. It isn't the end of the world, but he hates sitting still for too long, even if all that's left to do is to wait. He'd have called Kyrie too by then, asking if the boys are doing okay while he's here with his S/O.

If his S/O happens to be anxious without the power, Nero probably won't be of much help. He's a better listener than he is the guy to go to for advice, awkwardly standing around while Kyrie would cry about something that happened to her or that she was going through. He's gotten better over the years though. He'll take his partner to the couch and make sure they're nice and cozy, offering them an earbud to take and listen to some music while he sits with them, waiting for the storm to pass and eventually for the power to return. He's attentive, and tries, and that's all that anyone can ever really ask for.

When the power does come back, he's cracking a smile, and even hits them with something witty and sarcastic.

"Was that so bad? You did just fine"

And they did! And he presses a little kiss to their forehead.

Credo

He had expected such to happen when he caught the forecast on the news just a few days prior. He suspected that something like the power going out would happen, and so he's pleasantly pleased with himself when he managed to be correct in his assessment.

"Not to worry, I've got this", Credo assures his S/O as he moves with a calmness to gather the things that he has prepared in case such an emergency were to arise. There are bottled waters, flashlights, and the like.

One could even say that Credo's a little too prepared. He makes his calls to Kyrie and Nero, making sure that they're alright and have everything just as he had instructed Kyrie. While with his S/O, he's going over what the plan is and etc. The one-winged devil is a little impatient with things, pacing around the house as he waits for the power to return, and checks in with his partner to make sure that they're okay too. It might take their own assurance that things are okay to calm him down from his restlessness.

Credo isn't usually one to have his feathers ruffled, but there are times where even he loses his cool, like when the Order used his sister to further their own goals. It was absolutely unacceptable, and he'd hope that her, Nero, and the boys were doing just as fine as him and his S/O were. If his S/O were to become anxious during the predicament at any point, he'd stop his own fretting for a moment to address theirs. He'd apologize if he had any part to take in causing it, and promptly pull them into a hug, after asking if it were okay to hug them. His formalities could be found endearing, even after all this time, and they do end up calming his partner down. The distraction is more than appreciated as he tries to figure out what to talk about.

Although one may find that he's not so good with small talk, and curses himself for not being better at it for their sake.

Sparda

The dark knight doesn't see a power outage as a problem, even finding it a bit trivial that the lights went out all because of a silly little storm? He alerts you rather loudly that there isn't any power.

"Dear!! The lights have gone out! Is everything alright?"

Funny how he could create the contraptions necessary to power the Temen-Ni-Gru, but simple electricity puzzles him. Ah, oh well. He could easily provide a bit of light with a bit of magic. He was quite good at that, and he does well to emulate a bit of light for him and his S/O to walk around the house if he wasn't too busy with reading or doing anything else the moment the power went out. His main priority is his partner and after seeking them out, he's making sure that they're alright and taken care of. Upon finding them, he'll snake his arms around their trunk before pulling them close to himself.

"That didn't scare you did it?", he'd ask as he smirks into the back of their head, pressing a kiss to their hair as he takes a gander at the state of their abode.

He's off to check on other things if his beloved is fine and dandy. With a bit of his devil's magic he'd even start on preparing them some tea to enjoy until the power comes back on. Sparda does enjoy using his talents every now and then, showing off his power in these small displays to charm his S/O further even though he's already secured them. It's something that he can't help. He does get a bit more serious if his partner happens to be a bit disturbed by the lack of power. It's almost like a 180, where his lightheartedness is replaced by being more levelheaded and attuned to every little thing from his partner. The pupils of his eyes narrow as he kneels before them, surrendering himself to them as he takes their hands into his own.

"Darling, if there is anything that I can do, you just need to say the word", he says in a sultry tone. He'll bring their hands to his lips as he thumbs over the back of them.

[eulaliasims]

Round 3, Midwife 4 / 8

Soon after the wedding, a familiar face wanders in from the forest.

Angus: Hi, Mister Deer Man.

Arturo: Hello, small child who can apparently see me.

Angus: Of course I can see you. I'm Angus.

Arturo: So you are.

Arturo: Little mortal.

Helenet: Ah! By the gods, we need to put a bell on you. Or teach you how to knock.

Arturo: Ah, but that would ruin the surprise.

Helenet: Oh, so you are doing it on purpose.

Arturo: Your child is a witch.

Helenet: Angus? You can tell that so easily? I didn't think he was old enough yet for the magic to manifest, if he inherited it.

Arturo: That, or I have utterly lost my touch for concealment charms.

It's important to stop by and argue with the mortals once in a while. For fun. Gotta keep them on their toes. I'm sure I had a reason for taking these pictures three months ago, but damn if I remember what now.

Elmet, meanwhile, has another important question to ask Helenet later that night, when she's getting ready for bed...

Elmet: Netty, do you think we should have a baby?

Helenet: I'm not opposed to it, but… you realize a baby might be wirokū like you, right?

Elmet: No, I don't think so. I mean, I wasn't born a werewolf. People aren't born werewolves, are they?

Helenet: Yes. I told you about the werewolf family my grandmother knew of, didn't I?

Elmet: I kinda thought they were all just really, really unlucky.

Helenet: *sigh* I would be happy to raise a baby with you, but maybe first you should think a little bit more about what it would mean if they are born a werewolf.

You want Elmet to THINK? idk about that, Helenet.

But Elmet obeys her anyway, contemplating the matter during his nightly excursion while he watches the fire and waits for Arturo to show up.

He's not convinced Helenet is right, that their children would be born werewolves. He wasn't, after all. If a redheaded man dyes his hair dark with walnut hulls, it doesn't mean his children will be born with black hair instead of red. Lycanthropy is like, uh... walnuts? The metaphor has gotten away from him somewhere, but Elmet's point still stands.

Arturo: You are unusually thoughtful tonight.

Elmet: Netty thinks that if we have a baby, it'll be a werewolf.

Arturo: Helenet thinks many things. In this case, she is probably correct. There is a good chance of it. The lycanthropy has become a part of your blood; it is how it keeps its hold on you.

Elmet: Hm.

Arturo: I take it that is not the answer you desired.

Elmet: I… I don't know? I want to have a baby with her, so bad, like, I finally understand what my brother was going on about. It's wild.

Arturo: Many, if not most, humans have a strong biological urge to reproduce. It is the lingering nature of our animal pasts.

Elmet: Uh, okay. But remember the things I told you, the things I don't like about being wirokū? And I think, why would I want my child to experience that too?

Arturo: Consider that your condition came about as the result of a traumatic event; your child would be born to it naturally and never consider that it should be another way, unless you were to actively pass your anxieties onto them. You seem to have adjusted significantly since I met you.

Elmet: I still hate the shedding, though. It makes my pants itch.

Arturo: All mortal bodies are annoying sometimes. Some men hate having to shave their beard every day, you hate having to shed your fur.

Elmet: Who's shaving every day in this cold? Wait, Arturo, can you grow a beard? Have you been shaving it all this time?

Arturo: This isn't about me.

Elmet: But now I need to know!

[pynkhues]

Yeah, i think there's a tendency within the fandom to overlook the fact that Lestat wasn't chosen just because of his looks but also because of his strenght and capacity to endure. The basement was full of pretty men and magnus didn't consider them worthy enough to pass the dark gift. Lestat was different because of the wolves and the fact that he was resisting magnus till the end.

I think about that heartbreaking passage from totbt when Lestat consider killing the wolves to be his downfall and blames himself for being picked by magnus because it shouldn't be humanly possible for him to kill so many of them.

I do wonder if it is even actually possible for one man to kill eight wolves, it almost sounds like something out of the fairytale lol. He definitely had to be very strong and tenacious. It also makes me curious how they'll approach the wolf killing scene. They may have budget for one real wolf, but definitely not eight haha. The animals from s1, especially the fox, looked kinda fake and silly. I worry that the fake cgi wolves will take away from the seriousness of the scene.

I totally agree, anon. I do think Lestat's looks played a significant role in why he was chosen - Anne makes it pretty clear that Magnus had a type after all - but as you said, it was his capacity for resistance and endurance, I think at least, that made Magnus pick him. He could see that Lestat was a survivor, which is the only way a vampire can really make it through an eternal life, and we've already seen what happens to the ones who can't with Dasha and soon will with Nicki.

You're right that the wolfkilling scene in the books feels like something out of a dark fairytale. It's got that sort of heightened fantasy to it, and I'm curious as to how the show plays it. The show does try to steep the vampires in reality where they can - like I love the production designer talking about how seriously they take the period setting, because the period setting feeling very real allows for the more fantastical elements of the show to work - but it's pretty hard to get around how fantastical the wolves are in TVL. In a lot of ways, I think it'll probably be influenced by how they decide to approach Lestat's own unreliability as a narrator.

Like it could be played as fact, or it could be played as Lestat's ego taking centre-stage and his capacity for exaggeration, but also it kind of makes sense to me that they might play around with it as a trauma response? It's really common for people to add new details to traumatic memories over time that aren't necessarily true. This isn't an intentional thing, people aren't lying to make what happened seem worse than it was, rather it's generally thought to be a result of the different ways traumatic memories can recur (you might make the effort to remember when talking to someone about it for instance, but at the same time intrusive memories can just suddenly occur when you're unprepared for them) (there's a fascinating paper on that here if you're interested). I feel like there's a lot of room to explore that with Lestat if the show wants to given the sheer volume of trauma he's experienced, and that thing of it being eight wolves instead of say, maybe three, could potentially be depicted as a traumatised response to a pretty harrowing memory.

Who knows at this stage though! Either way, the wolfkiling sequence is a pretty vital one for all the reasons you said, I love that little section of Body Thief too. I mentioned it in the tags on my post yesterday, but there's something very resonant to the victim-survivor experience, I think, of trying to figure out why you were the one a perpetrator picked, and the fact that Lestat will never really have an answer as to why Magnus plucked him from his bed that night and made him is genuinely pretty haunting.

(And totally agree re the CGI too. I find the rats in 2.08 pretty bad too, haha, I'm glad the show tends to rely more on practical effects than animated ones).

[tyrantisterror]

At Sea Without a Map Pt. 22

As you continue your dinner, you're struck with a desire to take things further, to explain that friendship isn't the only thing you want from Calibani, to finally hold her close and kiss that fish on the lips...

...but are those feelings real? Do you actually want a romance with this sea monster, or are you just some lonesome soul stuck at sea who got infatuated with the first human-ish being you've met? You spend so much time doubting yourself and your intentions, and of course whether your crush would even be reciprocated, that before you realize it Calibani has finished her meal and left the table to sort her new sweaters.

So fuck it, you decide to gorge yourself. You fought a storm and a sea serpent woman, ran from a stork, and stabbed the living shit out of a nightmarish hodgepodge monster made of rotting faces, it has been an EXHAUSTING three days and you deserve to let loose and eat your damn fill. Who knows what bullshit tomorrow will bring anyway.

Eventually you fill your belly and decide to spend a bit of time going over those papers in the Spindle, Inc. briefcase, but it's more or less a waste of your time - try as your might, you never manage to get much more than a quarter of your mind to focus on the task, and eventually you decide to just hit the hay and sleep.

~ ~ ~

The next morning you wake up to calm seas. With Calibani at your side, you take your boat out of the ship graveyard and set out in search of "Captain Peter," whoever that might be. Your fishy companion has a warm smile on her face, and as you put the graveyard behind you, a trickle of hope finds its way into your heart. Maybe it'll all be alright.

Then you look back, and see a fin sticking out of the water.

Your heart races. It looks like a shark fin - the assassins of the sea! If what Calibani said about this place (and what the past three days have shown you) is true, then any shark you'd meet out here would probably be some hyper-aggressive monster straight out of Jaws or a bad Sci Fi channel movie. You will your boat to move faster, hoping to put more distance between you and the shark.

But then its head crests out of the water, and you realize it's not a shark at all, but a dolphin, the clowns of the sea! It even opens its long jaws to let out an iconic dolphin giggle, a sweet and musical sound that speaks of a mischievous and good-natured soul! You feel your heart rate return to normal as this harmless-

The dolphin surges forward, making you realize it's a LOT bigger than it first appeared, and leaps out to smack headfirst into your boat, rocking it hard with the blow before disappearing below the skin of the water with a malicious cackle. You can see the dark shape of its body moving beneath the waves, and soon enough that dorsal fin crests out on a collision course for your boat. It's time to take action, so you consult your compass.

[llycaons]

ch89!

priest voice: negotiation was never an option

I guess that makes sense, huh...

verge is stating the commonsense opinion here honestly. who CAN go up against a demon lord and even survive, much less win? not him! only priest can do that - of course verge was thinking like a negotiator

🥺🥺🥺 ...he's not going dark....that's good....

CUT TO VERGE WHO HAS BEEN QUITE LITERALLY SACRIFICING OTHERS IN HIS QUEST TO SAVE DANTE/KILL GOD. his face here like '....fuck' ajgsjkashds it's okay tho they deserved it <3

that's what I was sayinggggg. also beelzebub is probably the scariest of the demon lords but his child form and knives here look so silly 😭

this flashback was so brief I'm not actually sure what it's indicating - maybe rofo once fought a demon lord (or archangel, given the wings) and therefore knows their power?

the full pace spread. INTERESTING...I definitely see a snail, and octopus tentacles, so bel and levy's power is behind this blow. as for the feathers, and that eye....hmmm. regardless, priest can now summon demon powers with that sword! I wonder if his ultimate status will be something of a balance between demonic or angelic powers. OR maybe this ties into my other favorite theory - son of lucifer :) anyway, this spread looks sick

WHAT was also my reaction...

I don't like that he keeps calling verge that :( he's an adult witch who still wants to look like 15 yr old because he's deeply unwell

also this was funny

making priest jump for it so undignified 😭

oh jesus that book is bigger than he is

see, lords like mammon HAVE expressed concern and care for their underlings before, so I was willing to believe that he didn't want to risk so much destruction in his own home. but then immediately under that panel the minions are like 'no! he doesn't care!' lmao

does beelzebub...WANT lucifer to fall?

verge is VERY down here huh. he looks REALLY uneasy

well, so am I. so is everyone. that's WEIRD. it was almost hxh-esque in its unpredictable plot sidestep

WAY TOO SOON!! I'm not ready for dante to be up and running around and yelling again!!!! stay dead for a bit longer until verge and priest are more settled in their dynamic!!!!

oh thank GOD. yeah let verge and priest marinate a little in whatever comradery they're starting to develop. as soon as dante comes back, verge might very well pop back to the surface to continue his work, and they'd both be just where they started. better let them sit in this for a while and allow for some character development. maybe by the time dante wakes up, priest and verge will have formed some kind of new alliance or friendship. and maybe they'll be able to get him in on it too

YESS I WAS HOPING for this!!!

so true verge so true. and besides repayment of a debt, he's actually directly addressing dante's biggest admitted reason for staying with the church - to protect the kids. verge may be a lot weaker than priest in a fight, but he's still an adult with resources and insight into hell, and he can still offer his help to someone who he honestly has very many similarities with. whether this is his primary reason...idk. but he's stepping up! which is, despite dante's professed goals, more than HE would have done 😭 I mean I love dante but. well.

WAIT are they just going to let dante wake up here alone? no note? he's going to be like ?????? actually maybe verge knows how long it'll be and plans to be back by then

oh my god he looks like such a baby here. I want to see what adult verge looks like SO bad

WAIT I MISSED THIS. what are you up to verge lmao

aww he's smiling again. now do we believe it? hmmm. maybe...he seems honestly relieved and excited, not playful and teasing like in many of his overly smiley scenes in the past. what are you after, verge....

and finally a jump back to beelzebub

the fact that beelzebub openly believes that priest can defeat satan makes me think that defeating satan won't be the actual climax of the story - which has been hinted at pretty heavily for a long time now. so beelzebub WANTS him to defeat satan....and is curious to see what lucifer 'thinks of' him? oh I cannot WAIT to meet lucifer....

[sufficientlylargen]

I was tagged by @athenasdragon

Favorite color: medium blue, probably? Though when I was a kid I told people it was orange, not because I loved orange more than other colors, but because my older brother's favorite color was orange and it annoyed him when I picked the same one. But e.g. most of my clothing is darkish blues or occasionally greens, so that seems to be what I gravitate towards most.

Last song: "Dare to be Stupid" by Weird Al Yankovic, because it was in a tumblr post that came up recently. I think the last song I heard before that post was "Lock Me Up" by the Chalkeaters.

Currently reading: *sigh* I haven't been finding time to read things lately. I am (roughly) keeping up with some online works, notably @derinthescarletpescatarian's Time To Orbit: Unknown (which I think is almost complete) and Charlie MacNamara, Space Pirate, as well as @elodieunderglass's His Delicious Materials, which is Dungeon Meshi if they all had His Dark Materials-style daemons. Also I picked up Travis Baldree's Legends & Lattes the last time I was in a physical bookstore, on @loryer496's recommendation, but I haven't started it yet. Also also I think I borrowed The Goblin Emperor from @platoapproved something like twelve years ago and then didn't have time to finish it and it's been sitting in my "to read" pile for like a decade.

Currently watching: Same problem as above, time and energy have reliably been either scarce or mismanaged so I mostly watch bits and pieces of whatever @bbcphile happens to be watching. If video games count I picked Hades back up again recently, but not Hades 2 because I don't have a platform it'll run on. Probably also going to pick up Ori and the Will of the Wisps sometime soon, because I loved the first one.

Currently craving: Sleep, or at least the feeling of having slept well. An incident with a medication and some bad doctor's advice left me unable to get much sleep for a while, and I'm still recovering from that.

Coffee or tea: I like coffee a lot, but only drink decaf because of a heart issue that *probably* wouldn't be exacerbated by drinking a bunch of caffeine but it doesn't seem worth the risk to try it. Much tea falls in a similar bucket, making it a really weird-tasting bucket of drink, but I do drink a lot of rooibos, which I consider a tea even though botanists and tea aficionados might disagree with me.

Tagging: @loryer496 @shacklesburst @regexkind @eikotheblue @maeamian @platoapproved @asmuchasidliketo but no pressure if you'd rather not.

[niennawept]

20 Questions for Writers

I was tagged by @lordoftherazzles and by @thenookienostradamus! Thank you both! These are some cool questions!

1. How many works do you have on AO3? Thirteen at the moment (not counting an Adar headcanon collection), but likely to be more soon.

2. What's your total AO3 word count? 170,865 (not bad for a year and a quarter)

3. What fandoms do you write for? Tolkien broadly (so far it's been Rings of Power, The Silmarillion, and The Hobbit - no LotR yet, but I do have an idea for one)

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos? Click with caution, all of these but the second one are rated E; apparently, I am mostly known for Adar smut: Scars of Silver and Gold, Because the world is ending, Mistletoe Mischief, Calendar Girl, Until the Stars Burn Out

5. Do you respond to comments? Might take me a bit, but yes, I always do. I figure that someone gave me a little of their time in writing out a comment and I can give them some of mine in return. It's especially fun when people are predicting things; I love hearing what they think will happen.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? Mmmm. I think it's probably Scars? Without spoilers, my protagonist lost something very important to her and although there's a lot of good things about that ending - she's still going to have that loss to grieve in the next fic and it'll inform her next arc. I'd say it's still a bittersweet ending.

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? I don't really do purely happy endings? I write a lot of hopeful endings, but most of them have some darkness lurking under them. I guess if I have to pick one, it's into the wild because that's technically a fix-it fic with Nienor getting saved by Mablung. Although, I might continue it some day, and it would inevitably get some Nienna-the-Song-is-tinted-with-grief flavoring.

8. Do you get hate on fics? Not so far.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind? Uh, yes. I'm not sure what "what kind" means here? I guess I've written a variety- from kind of dreamlike and romantic to fics featuring BDSM-related kinks.

10. Do you write crossovers? I have never written one. I think that I'd probably never directly write one. But I might do something like shove Elrond into the plot of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight for a bisexual awakening set sometime in the Second Age. Not sure if that's a crossover or just a retelling though.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen? Not that I'm aware of.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated? Yes. Into Russian, if I remember correctly. It was a long time ago and I'm not in that fandom anymore.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before? Yeah, I'd say my THAUC piece counts as co-written in the sense that my artist partner and I talked through the main ideas and beats of the story together.

14. What’s your all time favorite ship? Uhhh for Tolkien, I'm afraid I don't have one (I like a lot of ships, but there's not one all-consuming one). So - I guess I pick Sesshomaru/Kagome from Inuyasha? That's the pairing I read when I don't know what else to read.

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will? I don't start a lot of WIPs. I have a lot more ideas for fics than I have documents or text written, but I do have a Finrod piece that I'm not sure I'll ever finish. I have a lingering idea that might save it, but I think that needs more time in the oven.

16. What are your writing strengths? Mmm - I think worldbuilding, specifically for culture is one of my strengths. I also think that I have a pretty good ability to make OCs that people care about (something that was important with a mostly OC cast).

17. What are your writing weaknesses? I struggle with internality a lot. I find thoughts cumbersome to write, because I process most things by talking them out or writing them down. I also think I could tighten up the cast of characters and subplots. It's something I'll definitely be careful with in novels going forward.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic? It really depends on the fic. In Tolkien's world, I think so much of culture is tied up in language that it's a little hard not to include some bits and snatches of other languages. It's important to provide translations in text, I think, but otherwise, go for it if it's important to your characters and your plot.

19. First fandom you wrote for? Alas, I don't talk about that fandom anymore. The author turned out to be terrible.

20. Favorite fic you’ve written? Definitely Scars of Silver and Gold. It's my first completed longfic and I'm very proud of it, honestly. Are there some things I'd do differently? Yes. But I do love it. Honorable mention to peaches we devour, dusty skin and all. The YEARNING.

tagging (no pressure, just love): @runawaymun, @polutrope, @melestasflight, @fishing4stars

[marshmallowprotection]

Hi Kait, today has been one of those days can I have Zen trying to cheer me up please?

You know what Zen loves to do after a long day on set? Only one thing comes to his mind as soon as he hears somebody scream “Cut”! He wants to return to his trailer to be by your side before you head back to the hotel you’re staying in for the rest of the shoot.

It's not easy to have a grueling day on set, and that goes for anybody who's working on a project, not just the actors involved. You've been spending a lot more time with him on the job, and he understands that it can be exhausting to do everything in the background while he's on his feet.

He appreciates all the work you put in for him, but you know him, he wants you to take care of yourself just as much as you think of him. 

It doesn't matter if he's having a great day, if you're having a bad day, then that means he's having a tough day, too. You’re partners and that means you're in this together.

He views the ups and downs as something you face together. Sure, there will be times when he has to do things by himself, or times when you have to do things on your own, but it doesn't mean you can't turn to each other when you need someone there with you to make it feel less isolating. 

So, you probably wouldn't be all that surprised to see him find you as soon as the doors closed knowing that about him. Zen knows where to find you on a tough day. You've got a weary look on your face and he's got that pleasant smile that brings you back from the darkness.

He doesn't waste a moment. He scoops you into his lap and nuzzles his face against the top of your head. You might whine at him for doing so, but you aren't upset with him for doing the same thing he always does. He looks out for you just as much as you look out for him. 

His lips would crush against the top of your head before you could open your mouth to say a single word. For whatever reason, he knows what you need before you know how to communicate it. That's how good your relationship is! He gets it. You'll have a chance to explain whatever's bothering you once you settle into his arms, right where you've wanted to be all day long, right? 

He’s more than prepared to whisper sweet nothings into your ears. It can be difficult for him to come out of character once he's involved in the process, but something about seeing you always pulls him back to the surface. It doesn't matter what he's doing, you bring out the side of him that is so inherently him. 

"Babe, I don't know what's on your mind... but I'm here. I don't think we need to talk about it right now unless you want to talk about it. I could just tell from that look on your face that the only thing you want to do is take a nap. Why don't we do that? After all, it'll take a while to get back to the hotel, and we can enjoy each other instead of worrying about the paparazzi. I'm not going anywhere... your favorite star is here to keep you safe and cozy."

[justpottytime]

I love the cuteness of someone having to stay in wet clothes after an accident!! maybe they were trapped somewhere and literally peed in the first place because they can't escape. maybe their dom doesn't want to let them change out of their embarrassingly peed pants for a while, as a power play. or maybe they were somewhere public, and even if they managed to hide before they began to wet... it'll still take time to get home, and they have to wear their peed clothes until they get there.

whatever the reason, they're stuck in their soggy pants/underwear for a while, with obvious proof that they peed totally visible all down their legs... and then, they have to go again.

maybe they just let it out as soon as they recognize the urge again... they already peed their pants, so there's really no making it worse by wetting again, right? unless... unless it'd be conspicuous. the drying pants stains would become dark and glistening with new urine, which would probably hiss or splash loudly, and they'd probably make a new/bigger puddle... their legs would get all warm and wet again, and it'd smell like fresh pee... better to hold it! until they have another genuine accident and feel twice as embarrassed for the repeat performance. or maybe they try to leak subtly to avoid this... but there's still a lot, even if they pee slowly.

shameful rewettings are just so cute!

Ooooooh, adorable! As though one accident wasn't bad enough, double the wetting means double the embarrassment! Whether they try to hold it or not probably depends on the type of person this happens to... Someone who isn't so bothered about what happened might just let go in their pants again to get rid of the discomfort of holding, but someone who was upset wouldn't want to go through that again... Until they don't have a choice!

Thanks for the ask!

[cxncrie-a]

   God, she really did hate it down here. It was so hard to tell day from night, and she never really got used to it. Maybe she will one day, or maybe she'll just stop caring, who knows? 

   Sitting in the darkness of the room that she currently decided to lounge at, she's thankful for the silence now that Adam's preoccupied with something else or has probably fucked off for the night. He really could be a headache to deal with, though one thing she won't openly admit, is the noise he brings with him makes this stupid manor a little more lively, a little less .. lonely. Even if some of the things he says aren't favorable. 

   Lazily sprawling across the couch that she occupied, her gaze becomes fixated on the ceiling. What's so bad about being friendly or at least joking around with him? She doesn't understand why Damien's so against it. She knows Adam will never see her in a positive light, she's a sinner after all, he was probably just playing ' nice ' until he could get back to Heaven. 

   For all she knows the next time the angels come back down, she'll be the first to go to get rid of evidence that he was helped by a sinner. Okay, maybe that was a little morbid of a thought, but even she knew pride and ego can do nasty things to a person, especially if they have an image to uphold or something.

   A sigh escapes her as she closes her eyes. She's not even sure why she should care anymore, why it should matter. She hates the fact that she always cares about what people think of her, cares about doing the right thing, and what people expect of her. It doesn't matter though, no matter how many times she tells herself to do something for herself, it'll never happen. 

   Her ears perk up slightly as she turns her head to watch Damien as he enters the main room with a raised eyebrow, though his expression soon turns to a glare that threatens her to get out, which she instantly obliges. The last thing she needs to do is piss him off after all. 

   Slowly making her way down the hallway to her room, she briefly stops at Adam's door, who's been so graciously placed across from her room because Damien decided that she brought him in and that she needed to take care of him. She supposes she's at least grateful that she hasn't been forced to share a room with him. Then again, Damien might kill someone before he lets that happen due to how the angel can be. Either way, she stares at the door and briefly considers knocking on it to check on him but figures he's probably fine for the night. Plus if he needed something he could and probably would just abruptly burst into her room.

   For now, she backs away and simply pushes the door open to her room, quietly getting back to work on the clothing she was planning to put together for Adam. Sure it was nothing more but a rough design for now, but she'll need to fight with him to get his measurements later.

   After all, she doesn't trust Damien to keep them here for very long. 

[freedvmrouge]

MYTH/FABLE.

fandom: dc comics.

character(s): jason todd, bruce wayne.

word count: 1,840.

tags & warnings: pov jason todd, post-doom that came to gotham, child trafficking (implied), prostitution (implied), homelessness.

summary: jason's being chased by child traffickers and takes cover in an abandoned apartment building.

masterlist.

The night is falling and Jason cannot get out of here fast enough. There are few things scarier than the pimps that keep trying to snatch him off the streets. A large, flying bat-like creature attacking you in the dark is absolutely on that list.

He's never seen the creature before, he doesn't even know if it's real, but he's not sticking around to find out.

He shimmies out of grasp and runs to the nearest alleyway. Getting shrouded in darkness might be his only chance of losing these bastards. It's light enough that he doesn't expect the big bat to chase after him. Jason's unsure what the bat's parameters for attacking are, but he's not going to risk it.

Shouts continue behind him as the pimp gets his minions to follow his orders. Jason's heart is practically beating out of his chest.

He keeps running as fast as he can. He slips and glides through the alleys and nearly crashes into a wall every time he turns corners. He doesn't even think, he just lets his feet take him where he needs to go. Knowing the streets of Park Row better than the back of his hand is the only thing really keeping him afloat right now.

When he finds a fire escape to a building that may or may not be empty, he doesn't have the time to second guess himself and starts his climb up. Scaling a building always sounds easy until he starts doing it, though. Gravity is always working against him, and he hasn't eaten enough to have the energy to go any faster.

Jason catches the sounds of his pursuers as they get closer. His breathing spikes and all he can think of is, "Please don't see me, please don't look up."

He tries to focus on getting in through the windows, but the first two don't budge and he's starting to lose hope. He might need to get up to the rooftop and then... and then, he doesn't know what he'll do. There are still several more floors to climb.

"There he is! Up there!" One of them screams, and Jason looks down on instinct to his dismay. They're definitely talking about him.

Please, please, please.

As he climbs another floor and tries the window, he starts to hear screams of agony from below. Jason fights his instinct to look. He needs the milliseconds. Then thankfully, fucking thankfully, a window on the sixth or something floor gives and he can quickly slip inside.

Jason continues to hear screams below, but their volume rivals the beating of his heart. He frantically looks for someplace to hide in the off chance that they manage to come up. He should probably find another empty apartment to hide out in, though. He can't think straight.

His breathing gets too heavy and he's starting to feel lightheaded. Shit. He recognizes this feeling. Jason fights himself from passing out, but as he crawls into a walk-in closet space, dusty clothes and all, he blacks out.

...

When Jason comes to, the pitch-black darkness startles him. He tries to remember where he is and upon feeling a dress shoe beside him, he breathes out a sigh. The door to the closet is still closed, too. No one has gotten in or found him. He's safe.

It'll probably be best if he finds another place soon. But he must say, this abandoned building isn't too bad a shelter.

Figuring that he probably won't be able to go back to sleep, he quietly opens the closet door. He should look for food, too. He's starting to cross that two-day streak and the chase took a lot out of him.

It seems quiet and safe when he gets his full face out of the door. But then he catches movement to the far corner of the room. The brief bit of light coming from the window he climbed through is just enough to see... the bat.

Jason can't help but yelp and push himself back into the closet. His back hits the door to keep it closed as if that's really going to help keep a probably-mutant bat creature. The creature is actually a real, living thing and not some myth created by scared, superstitious Alley folk.

Tears start to trickle down his cheeks as he thinks that this will be his last night alive.

There's a noise that puts the fear of something in him. It's similar to a whine, his delusional and malnourished mind believes. Then there's a bit of clawing or scratching against the door. He thinks he might as well get it over with then. This is a walk-in closet. He has nowhere else to go.

After taking a deep breath, he steps away from the door and stands there in the dark.

The clawing continues every few minutes, but the door never caves in. Jason knows for a fact that the bat is strong. He's seen a couple of aftermaths of its attacks before the police came. But the door never moves. It never opens.

At some point, he falls back asleep and wakes up to light shining underneath the door.

Bats aren't awake during the day. They're nocturnal and the sunlight is too bright for them to see. At least, that's what he remembers being told. He's not sure if that applies to this bat, though. He's not sure about a lot of things.

Jason peaks out of the room slowly and quietly. The light blinds him momentarily. But then he finds the room completely empty. No bat creature or anything. He swallows as he finally steps out into the room. He clocks the window that's still open and the room door that's also open. He's not sure if it was open all along.

As he gets closer to what he figures used to be a bed, he finds a brand-new packet of shortbread biscuits. Jason picks them up and finds that their expiration date isn't for another few months. He eagerly rips it open and starts eating a few biscuits. He doesn't know where this came from, but he's entirely too grateful for it.

He stays in the apartment for another half hour before leaving. He should find some odd jobs around.

What he didn't expect, however, was three dead bodies laid out in the alley below. It's the pimp and his minions. Jason swallows, pulling his head back in, and closes the window quickly.

Shit. If the bat's real, then... then that looks like the bat's work. The bat was also here last night. The bat didn't kill him.

Jason doesn't know what to think. Instead, he goes to find another way out of this apartment and tries to get as far away as possible.

Unfortunately, the universe has decided that now is the optimal time to run his luck. The bat hangs in the far, shadowy corner of the greater apartment space. It's not moving. It's just... hanging there.

Jason clutches his packet of biscuits closer to his chest just in case he needs to run. That's when he feels little indents on the packet. He takes his eyes off the bat momentarily to satiate his curiosity.

They look like bite marks. Like a dog's bite.

A whine comes from beyond him and he snaps up to attention.

The bat seems to stare right at him for a moment. Jason can't seem to look away either.

With a jolt, the bat lets go of whatever perch it found on the ceiling and stands upright. The pitter-patter of its feet hit the floorboards. Jason doesn't even realize that he's been backing up until the bat abruptly stops and tilts its head, as if curious.

"Are you gonna kill me?" He asks, even though he doesn't really expect an answer. Maybe talking to it will make him feel better. He doesn't know.

The bat leans forward and then roughly sways its head left to right repeatedly. Wait, what?

Jason furrows his brows and licks his chapped lips in confusion. Did the bat just answer his question?

"Do you... do you understand me?"

With less hesitation, the bat carries its head up and down repeatedly.

"Holy shit. Okay." He rubs his face aggressively, still in utter disbelief that he's in this situation.

He looks at the bat again as it steps a bit closer to Jason. He flinches and the bat stops moving. In fact, the bat steps back a step.

Then, surprisingly, the bat seems to sit down. He's not completely sure how it works. It's still really dark here with only just enough light from the other room to see. He's just amazed this is happening at all.

Jason doesn't know what to do. The bat is still big enough to loom over him. It's bigger than any person he's ever seen, though, so that's not saying much.

"Can... Can I call you anything?" The bat continues to stare at him. "Do you... maybe have a... have a name?"

The bat slowly nods its head.

"Okay, uh, how do we do this... Maybe if I... I can say the alphabet and you can tell me what letter it is?"

The bat nods again, a bit more eagerly.

Jason proceeds to go through the alphabet five times, stopping after every time the bat taps on the floor. What he ends up with is, "Bruce."

The bat nods again, a bit more eagerly.

Jason proceeds to go through the alphabet five times, stopping after every time the bat taps on the floor. What he ends up with is, "Bruce."

This seems to excite the bat so he says the name again, a bit more confidently. The resulting yip makes him smile.

Don't get him wrong, the bat still scares him, if only due to its size and strength. But if he takes those things out of the equation, he's starting to get used to its presence.

"Oh, my name's Jason, and uh." He looks down at the crinkling his hand is making with the packet of biscuits. He thinks about the bite marks and looks back up, eyes wide. "You gave me this, didn't you?" Bruce nods. "Thank you. I was really hungry."

Bruce comes closer and Jason tries his best not to flinch this time. He only marginally succeeds, but he tries to offset it by smiling at Bruce.

Once they're practically side by side, Bruce slowly raises his arm. Jason watches intently but doesn't say a word. The wing soon covers his entire being, leaving a mere crack of light. His heart is beating out of his chest, but a second passes and then two. Bruce doesn't do anything but keep his wing there. Jason realizes that he feels warm. When was the last time he felt warm?

Jason ends up sitting down, hugging the biscuits close, and Bruce simply readjusts.

It doesn't take long before he's dozing off once more. This time, he feels a lot more safe than he's been in a long while.

[iguessiwritefanfictionagain]

Just One Job [Part 1]

a/n: Hello! I haven't posted fanfiction for public consumption in probably eight years. I am extremely nervous lol. I'm trying out writing for The Bad Batch and I wanted to share with the community on here bc I've really enjoyed everyone else's work so far. Please let me know if I missed any warnings and I will happily add them (I don't want to accidentally blindside anyone).

word count: 905 :)

If I keep writing it'll eventual Hunter x forcesensitive!oc, but like super slow burn with some enemies to lovers in there

Also third person POV

~Oc is named (Rean); they/them pronouns; extremely minor description of eyes~

Warnings: Mention of death, mention of Order 66/being on the run from people who want them dead, swearing

Every bar in this system was dingey, but Cid’s was worse. Paint peeled off the walls, stains littered every inch of the floor –it almost looked like an intentional pattern– and the whole place was always slightly damp. Rean hadn’t been to this particular hole since before the war ended. It was only once, very briefly, but it left enough of an impression. This was where someone out of options could get a job. No questions asked. And Rean couldn’t risk questions anymore.

They weren’t technically a Jedi. They were Force sensitive, and at one point had a lightsaber of their own. But they were never officially part of The Order. The man who trained them left The Order and attempted to start his own sect. It ended…poorly, in his own blood. Rean was the first apprentice in his little failed experiment. So, no, not technically a Jedi.

After he was found out, Rean was brought to The Order. The Council stripped them of their saber, but decided to use Rean. They were tasked with particularly grueling, high mortality missions against The Separatists. During the war, Rean was treated as expendable. Someone who needed to pay for their crimes of using the Jedi name in vain. But after Order 66, Rean discovered they were Jedi enough. 

“So you wanna job, Creepy?” Cid stroked her chin in thought, “I can probably swing that. My guys should be coming back soon. You all can work this next one I have together. It’ll probably be too much for those bozos alone.”

They would have preferred a solo gig. They worked better, quicker, that way. But they were known to dabble with small elite task forces in the past. Either way, a job was a job. Rean leaned up against the wall and nodded at Cid in response. 

“What? No thank you?” Cid asked.

Cid waited for a response. Her lips pressed together in annoyance. But there was none besides Rean’s dark eyes boring into her own.

“Oh right, I forgot you were a bitch.”

Rean ignored Cid’s comment as she walked away. They had no interest in engaging her. In and out. One job. They only needed enough credits to get to the Outer Rim and disappear. The last couple months of dodging Clones and informants had been exhausting. The new Empire gave no room for leeway. Any remaining Jedi, however few, were to be eliminated. Rean wasn’t entirely sure there were any real Jedi left. They might have only evaded escape because they didn’t entirely count. Either way, the Outer Rim and a basically empty planet was the end goal. The Empire hadn’t reached its claws out that way yet. 

Rean crossed their arms and settled in. ‘My guys should be back soon’ according to Cid meant nothing. Until they showed up however, there would be nothing to do but smell the faint mildew permeating the room.

~

The door to Cid’s bar slid open, announcing the arrival of ‘her guys’. Rean unfolded their arms and repositioned to get a good look at who they might be. Hopefully well trained, or at the very least competent. Cid didn’t just hire anyone. But she did tend to hire those she could easily outsmart. Kept her safe. Rean respected it, however, not to the point of wanting to work with a crew like that.

“Cid! We’re back!” A child, no older than twelve standard cycles, skipped into the bar. Rean raised an eyebrow in curiosity. Behind the child came four men. Each holding a helmet, and possessing facial features Rean recognized. Both of Rean’s eyebrows now raised in concern.

Working on instinct alone, Rean tightened their body into the corner of the bar even further. Muscles tensed, and a quick hand moved over their concealed blaster. The Clone in front of the group stopped. Rean clenched their jaw in anticipation.

He lifted his hand to halt the others. They stopped, immediately at the ready. The child noticed their pause and turned to the group. Her eyes momentarily brushed over Rean.

“What is it Hunter?” She asked.

“What the hell are you doing here?” Hunter finally turned to Rean.

Rean said nothing, but moved their hand closer to their blaster as a warning. It had been a while since they’d seen Clone Force 99. Almost a full cycle. They did not part ways on the greatest of terms, and Rean was sure Order 66 didn’t help things.

“Our inhibitor chips have been removed, Rean.” Tech said, noticing their immediate defensive position, “though I am not entirely sure they would have influenced our behavior towards you. Considering you are not technically-“

“What are you doing here?” Hunter asked again. He was completely locked in on Rean, ignoring Tech and everything else around him. The anger from their last encounter still radiated off every inch of his being. Rean didn’t need to tap into the Force to feel that.

“I need credits.” Rean said. Their voice stayed at a flat even tone. Hunter’s eyes narrowed, unsatisfied with the answer.

“Who are you?” The child asked, seemingly unphased by the tension.

“Not right now Omega.” Hunter’s eyes didn’t leave Rean.

“Hunter,” Echo moved forward and placed a hand on Hunter’s shoulder, “we shouldn’t be discussing this here.”Not with excitable ears. The sentiment was understood by the whole group. They would move to the ship. There, Hunter could get real answers out of Rean.

[imperialmask]

Imp's Future Plans

Hello! Imp here, back with a small notice to share. Don’t worry, it’s nothing bad, the next chapter of Homeworld Bound is probably gonna be out on time and if not then I’ll hit you with a double chapter for half term.

This post is just some small notices about the writing series and other projects I’ll be running at some point this year.

Homeworld Bound

HWB is still my top priority when it comes to this blog and my content creation. Next chapter is about 30-40% done but I’ve hit a slight roadblock with a certain character, my perfectionism told me to rewrite them and so I am but that’s almost done so I’m hoping for the normal release on the 22nd but there’s a chance I have to stop again and if I do then don’t expect it until the 29th.

If things are confusing and expository so far, I’m sorry. The story requires a lot of explanation, especially the world building, so I have to yap for a second to try and make sure people understand what’s going on. Other than that, I’m proud of how it’s turning out and I hope you lot enjoy it.

My plan is to get to the end of Volume 1 by Halloween 2024 and then take a break until the New Year or sooner. I want to take that time to focus on other projects to go on this blog, my personal life and to build up a back log of chapters. That last one is the main determining factor of when Volume 2 releases.

Lyrics to a Song You’ll Never Hear

Ah Lyrics, my neglected older child. I’ll be completely honest, I wrote lyrics on a whim one night because I had an idea for a romance story and the name came to me one day. I have big plans and an idea for how the story should be but i lack the same interest in it that i have in Homeworld Bound and other projects. I want to write for Lyrics but I’ll probably pick it up when Homeworld Bound goes on break or I might put it on a fortnightly schedule so I don’t stress out about it.

Future Series

Speaking of Homeworld Bound taking a break, the main other project I want to focus on along side Homeworld Bound is officially in production. I’ve had the idea for it kicking around in my head for ages but I’ve always failed to truly develop it further purely out of my own lack of interest, yet I had an idea one day that practically fixed everything.

The series is called Arkadia and it’s a sister show to Homeworld Bound. While Lyrics and these 2 are what I call sibling shows (wrote around the same time by the same author and are linked in their production), Arkadia and Homeworld Bound have some more similarities than Lyrics do (similar genre, similar world building, similar style).

It's a fantasy show to contrast the dark fantasy to science fantasy Homeworld Bound. It'll use the same magic system and share similar themes, i'll leave out any plot details for now but if you love Homeworld Bound, you're gonna want to read this.

Aiming for a Summer release but if not, i'll wait for HWB's break.

I have plans for 1 final show after this and this one's a Homeworld Bound spinoff called Scapegoat. It's about one James Gar, a man blamed for the Cataclysm event that destroyed Gen and branded a terrorist, becoming the galaxy's most wanted. The show follows Gar exploring the galaxy, hiding from the Cosmic Federation and attempting to prove his innocence by tracking down the real culprit.

Other Projects

If you like my content, check out my Youtube! I'm planning to start uploading in the summer. i originally wanted to start doing Youtube back in March and April but exams, coursework and family stuff got in the way. The main form of content will be Video Essays but really anything can go up on there. My schedule is clearing up soon so expect more content there soon. I plan for my first video to either be Horimiya or Jason Takes Manhattan.

So yeah, here's the links!

Well, see ya next Wednesday.