#jade blue afterglow

[x-files-polls]

pitting two bad bitches against each other

Flukeman: Iconique! Darin Morgan's first time working on the show

Jade Blue Afterglow: I liked to think she was more into Scully than Mulder. But that's just my opinion. Either way she looks great and references Xena.

Don't like this propaganda? Reblog it with your own or send some in my askbox

To jog your memory, here are the episodes they're from:

The Host: When a man's decomposed body is found in the sewers of Newark, Mulder is given the supposed "grunt" work. But after Scully's autopsy turns up a parasite living inside the body and a sewer worker is attacked and bitten by something, it opens up a whole new can of worms. (mod note: ha. ha.)

First Person Shooter: The Lone Gunmen summon Mulder and Scully to the headquarters of a video game design company when the new virtual-reality game, which the Gunmen helped design, is taken over by a bizarre female computer character whose power is much more than virtual.

[ragnarockz]

When Jade Blue Afterglow makes that comment about the metal detector and goes to cross her legs and BOTH Mulder AND Scully look....why did I never clue in on that SOONER

[spookyrabbit87]

Krista Allen as Maitreya, aka Jade Blue Afterglow. From the X-Files.

[bite-the-bloody-hand]

Dramatis Personae

For the sake of having the most important details of Zell's person and history written down somewhere, I have been compelled to create this character sheet of sorts. FULL of spoilers for Kingmaker and Wrath of the Righteous.

Name: Grenzel 'Zell' Marion Hellsing Birth name: Salyut Pronouns: He/Him Gender: Trans Man Species: Dhampir (Vampire King Ancestry) Age: He thinks he's 25, but he's off by a few decades. Birthday: 20th Gozran :weed emoji: Star Sign: The Bridge (or The Daughter, I think he's right on the cusp?)/The Underworld Dragon Sexuality: Pansexual, Panromantic Deity/Religion: None Class: Dirge Bard / Seeker Oracle - Nature Domain/Hellbound Curse Background: Nomad- Hongolian and Ustlavic Alignment: Chaotic Neutral to Chaotic Good Path: Azata+ Love interest: Daeran Arendae Starting Stats: (Level one): STR 16 DEX 8 CON 14 INT 12 WIS 14 CHA 16 Top 3 Skills: Perception, Athletics, Persuasion Hobbies: Spinning thread, bug hunting, venue crashing (plays banjo, drums, flute, trumpet, and lute as cover) Horseback riding, various kinds of entertainment-derived mischief, Improv theater, carving (bone, stone, wood, usually small things.) Accent: Ustlavic - while fluent in Common he prefers to let people think otherwise. His accent will get thicker when he's tired, annoyed, or fucking with someone. Will speak in broken Ustlavic or a paint-blisteringly thick Honglian regional accent at the drop of a hat.

Quotes: "I'm not reading that." "Even foul water puts out wildfires."

Appearance: 5'5", broad shouldered with a somewhat wolfish appearance. Works out, but wouldn't say no to a cookie kind of physique. His hands and feet are oversized and a bit paw-like. He has hip-length, greying black hair that he keeps braided - usually in two simple plaits but he does love a fancy set of braids when time allows. His skin is a dusty gold-grey, as if undeath has left an actual tarnish behind.

His face is wedge-shaped, with high cheekbones, square jaw, and a slightly large nose crooked from catching one too many right hooks. Eyes are sharp, with small pupils and colored a bright blue-green - like the afterglow of a lightning strike - that reflect eerily in darkness or low light. Heavy, sharp eyebrows give him a somewhat cynical, predatory look that gets enhanced by his easy grin - he's not shy about showing off his fangs. He has one large deep scar bisecting his right eyebrow that sadly doesn't have a cool origin - a clay pot fell on him when he was trying to get it off a tall shelf. Otherwise he bears a few cut marks on his arms and legs from skirmishes, a deeper set of clawmarks over his ribs from a bad run-in with a wolverine, and the scars from affirming surgery. Finally, the fatal gutwound from his 'death', and the subsequent chest scar from Areelu's botched experiment.

Generally he gives off the air of a wolf desperately trying to domesticate itself, or a half-feral stray hunting dog. Real freak on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere energy. In the kindest of terms he can be described as unsettling but beautiful.

He favors jade, carnelian, and silver accessories when he can get them, and has simple bar earrings in each ear that he can't quite recall ever getting. (They're tracker tags from Areelu on account of his habit of fucking off in a random direction and getting stuck or lost somewhere upsetting.) He has issues with the joints in his hands being hypermobile that he corrects with silver splint rings. He favors primarily black outfits with pops of bright color, and minimal armor to avoid any issues with spellcasting. He has long debated the merits of getting a tongue piercing but hasn't decided whether to commit yet. He has a tattoo around his left leg of reindeer stones, and plans on getting more but isn't sure on the designs yet.

Personality: Zell by nature is an exuberant, friendly, genuinely loving person who has learned the hard way to be extremely reseved with his trust and care. He affects an easygoing, relaxed demeanor that covers an anxious intensity soaked by deep, deep rage that is difficult to percieve until that switch flips. He leans on his innate charisma as social currency, is something of a barfly and enjoys sneaking himself into events by claiming to be 'with the band.' He especially loves crashing weddings and birthdays in this manner. Is generally known as The Guy to go to if you need something delivered, furniture moved, wood chopped, or defensive horseback riding lessons. Sometimes given to bouts of deep introspection, he has something he's searching for or working towards that drives him obsessively. Suffers from chronic joint pain and light-induced migraines, dyslexia, and severe abandonment issues. Runs hot, therefore gets heat exhausted easily.

Archetypes: Ringleader, Bon Vivant, Ambitious Sorcerer, Seeker.

Merits: Kind, supportive, loyal, gentle.

Flaws: Bloodthirsty, capricious, self-destructive, deceptive.

History: [UNDER CONSTRUCTION]

[giulolosblackmail]

i wanted to highlight one of my favorite sets in the game and talk about why it was one of the most difficult for me to translate

just to be clear, i'm teaching myself chinese specifically so i can translate this game better and will likely have made several mistakes and missed many things, and this set in particular is very heavily historical which means i had lots of problems trying to translate the cultural and historical context, i'm sure my translation didn't nearly do it justice

to sum it up, this set is about a woman being dressed to become the empress of a failing dynasty

starting with the title, 暮景残光, this translates literally to Twilight Afterglow, which is what I ended up using, but more figuratively means something like 'watching the cruel light from the grave', there's heavy symbolism about how the woman is getting dressed in funeral garb for her wedding, white being associated with death and worn at funerals, hence the white peonies that look like they've been dipped in blood and the dress having a white skirt, with the dress' remake being a white dress with a blood red skirt

the peonies themselves have several meanings as well, 花王 (lit. king of flowers) were representative of royalty and riches, and so were reserved for the exclusive use of the imperial family, the punishment for commoners wearing peony embroidery being death, they became popular during the tang dynasty and were later made the national flower during the qing dynasty

poenies are also one of the most common flowers shown in traditional buddhist thangka paintings, being a cyclical representation of past (bud), present (mid-bloom) and future (full bloom), the full bloom is often representative of old age, death, and falling away, the ponies in the set are in full bloom, pictured as literally falling apart, a visual representation of the crumbling dynasty, only enforced by their title, 碎琼落英 (lit. Broken Jade Falling) which i decided to translate as Flowers Fall as Jade Crumbles to get across the confluence of reality and metaphor as ancient and decaying riches turn to dust with the end of an era, 花瓣如玉屑飞雪般纷扬坠落 (the petals crumble and drop like jade fragments and falling snow.)

the peonies and heavy symbolism about the fall of the monarchy and dynasty as well as the clothing and hairstyle leads me to believe this may be set at the end of the qing dynasty, after which imperial rule ended and the peony was removed from its position as the national flower, likely due to its close association with the imperial family, the woman depicted is likely Empress Wanrong in that case, being the last chinese empress whose life was one of misery and death, she battled a loveless marriage, the emperor's concubines, drug addiction, mental health problems and political instability, she was eventually captured by chinese communist guerillas and died of opium withdrawl, her last days spent writhing in pain and misery as she was put on display as an act of mockery

the dress 玉绿华笼 (lit. Jade Green Cage) talks about the weight of the beautiful clothes and jewelry, weighing her down like a bird trapped in a gilded cage, the imagery enforced by the feathers of dead birds weighing her down, i ended up translating the title as Jade Green Flower Cage because I didn't want to leave out 华, 华 means something like beautiful, extravagant or prosperous but can also mean china or chinese, the pinyin huá also sounds very similar to huā (花 flower), so I chose flower cage instead of gilded cage to represent the peonies embroidered on her green clothes, metaphorical representations of not only the weight of the tradition but also the weight of the imperial dynasty that had for so long defined china, as well as the literal weight of the empress' clothes and trappings

color is much more culturally defined than you would think, for example, traditionally in chinese blue and green are considered one color, 青, which can refer to blue, green, blue-green, turquoise, and shades of greenish and bluish black, in fact, the feathers depicted in this set are all called 翠羽 (emerald feathers) though they range from the deep green of the peacock feathers to the bright blue of the kingfisher

the usual range of kingfisher colors also falls under 青, being bright blue to dark green, and always very vibrant, which is why they were so popular to use in traditional chinese jewelry, specifically in 点翠 (tian-tsui lit. dotting with kingfishers), the traditional craft of detail oriented feather inlay in a bunch of small pieces of metal

source, source, source

this art has fallen out of practice as the demand for large amounts of similar colored kingfisher feathers led to the decimation of the population, today kingfishers are still a protected endangered species in china

the tian-tsui earrings, 翠点欲坠, use a clever play on words, reversing 点翠 (dotting with kingfishers) so that it reads 翠点 (emerald/kingfisher point/moment), figuratively it describes the moment at which the dynasty is about to fall, represented by the kingfisher's feathers literally rotting out of their placement in royal jewelry, poised to fall from their facet at this singular moment

i really love this one, like it's such a specific moment in time and the only time that string of characters can possibly make sense, the kingfisher blue colored moment before a fall represented by a girl wearing noble's rotting jewelry, condemned to be dragged down by its rot, it's a crying shame if that's not the name of a biography about empress wanrong

the hairstyle looks to be duanji: hair is divided down the center and using elaborate braids made into often asymmetrical shapes, though the name of the hairstyle references a han dynasty style, 漆云垂髻

source

垂髻 (Chui or Hanging Bun) refers to a popular han dynasty style where the bun at the top of the head would be folded backwards and look somewhat drooping, the hairstyle in the set seems to combine the hanging bun with the elaborate braids of the duanji, though 垂髻 may have been used because it can also refer to a child or a child's hanging hair, calling to mind how young the woman is when she's married, or perhaps how her youth is ending with her marriage

the makeup, 低掩凤眸 (Keep Your Phoenix Eyes Downturned), uses the description phoenix eyes to refer to the shape of her eyes, chinese literature has a handful of different eye shapes and connotations that go with them, for example, phoenix eyes are slim, the outer corner of the eye slants slightly upward, and the top lid reaches the top of the pupil, they are a symbol of beauty and are thought to have a noble air, it's a bit like saying someone has a roman nose, it describes both the shape of someone's face and also suggests they have an air of dignity about them

source

the handheld accessory 天河珠串 depicts amazonite (天河石) buddhist prayer beads, the colored beads between the amazonite stones are likely pink jade or red coral, it looks almost exactly like these jade buddhist prayer beads displayed in a museum in the forbidden city, many pieces displayed there were so expensive that they were only used for important ceremonies, like royal weddings

source

the necklace 花锦璎珞 lists in its description precious stones and metals used to make the necklace: tridacna, colored glaze, agate, and precious metals

砗磲 (tridacna) is shell from the giant clam, because the shell can get so large, the carved beads that can be made from its shell can be very large and complex

琉璃 (colored glaze or liuli) is one that comes up a lot, but it took me a while to find since we don't have a specific translation for it in english, it's a traditional chinese multi-step lost-wax casting process to make luxury glass pieces, it can also be applied to ceramics and other glass pieces and then carved like jade, or made into sticks and heated until malleable like in lampwork, though modern day liuli is usually multi-step lost-wax casting since it allows for the most intricacy and detail

ancient liuli left, modern liuli right

the necklace description also uses the idiom: 颇有一番烈火烹油，鲜花着锦之盛 (lit. There is quite a bit of hot cooking oil, and flowers are blooming on the brocade) this is an idiom that means with prosperity comes inevitable decline, it warns that the bad will follow after the good

hope you enjoyed this as much as I did, i hope i didn't miss too much or make too many mistakes, i just really love the care and poetic language that went into this set

[inzaghisgirlfriend]

This is so so so so right, and the longer one thinks about CC and women, the more one's head hurts. It was never about Scully's characterization; it was about preserving his mytharc as the show's only purpose. Even when it had long stopped making sense, and the show had drifted into a beautiful exploration of partnership on multiple levels.

Remember that scene from FPS? Jade Blue Afterglow?! Fucking feminist my ass.

Sexualizing Scully (in Never Again and the whole series)

I’ve been thinking about CC changing the original Never Again script because he was worried about sexualizing Scully, and I’ve been trying to get inside his head on this issue. Ready for a long essay no one asked for? Okay.

CC’s decision to eliminate the sex scene from Never Again reveals a pretty absolute mindset from him at the time — hanky panky for Scully takes her into a titillating area, which is not okay, because the show doesn’t sexualize Scully. According to ep co-writer Glen Morgan, CC said “every other woman on television was jumping into bed, and they had worked very hard to differentiate Scully from other female television characters.” So button up, Dana.

I admit that like many others (including possibly GA), I have always been frustrated by this particular kind of “we don’t want to sexualize Scully” logic from CC, because it really seems to be confusing sexually objectifying a female character with depicting her acting from sexual motivations which is really only confusing if you’re a straight cis man who is used to thinking any combination of women and sex as somehow being about men’s tastes. In other words, it doesn’t seem problematic to show Scully acting sexually if you’re thinking of a female character as a subject and not as an object.

CC is often credited as being a pioneer in his commitment not to sexualize Scully. Everyone (CC, 1013, media, fans) frequently claims the decision not to emphasize Scully’s sex appeal was rare for TV at the time. This is kind of true, if maybe a little overstated.

By the time Never Again aired, in 1997, primetime TV also had Captain Janeway, Buffy Summers, Murphy Brown, Elaine Benes, Anita Van Buren. These are not “de-sexualized” characters necessarily, but also not at all accurately described as oversexualized stereotypes. Some of those characters predated Scully.  It was a less common choice to deemphasize a female character’s sex appeal on TV, but it’s also not really fair to say it was all Baywatch babe caricatures all the time. I think we can say this was something that was actively changing in the 1990s that would continue to evolve in the next decades. I do think it’s worth observing that some writers of the time had figured out how to write complicated female characters … who also sometimes had sex.

One quibble I have with the “1013 was special because they didn’t sexualize Scully” claim is that … they did sexualize Scully. All the time? No. But sometimes? Absolutely. 

Some of this I just don’t really think is debatable. If this had been a series starring DD and Nicholas Lea, would Krycek nervously take off his clothes in the pilot to show Mulder his bug bites? Well, of course we would have written outstanding horny fic about it if he had, but come on: NO WAY. (Because 1993, heteronormativity, etc.) As it was, they knew they were sexualizing the female lead a little and exploiting both leads’ sexual chemistry as a tease to get audiences interested in their pilot. Come on. They knew. This isn’t rocket science. They had a little show on Fox, and they were trying to get people to watch. 

(There was an interview years ago when GA said something to this effect, too. Something like: the bumps could have been anywhere on my body, but they had to be a place I had to take off my clothes.)

As many have pointed out over the years, Scully was also semi-regularly a focus of male sexual fantasy. Sometimes this was pathological and violent (see: Donnie Pfaster, twice). Other times, this was benign and played for gentle laughs (see: Frohike, Pendrell). Sometimes, the fantasy was quite vividly enacted on screen (see: Philip Padgett, Guy Mann). Please note that I’m not saying this should or shouldn’t have happened, only that it did. 

That said, I think Carter did take pains to avoid sexualizing Scully as an overall principle, and I think this was effective. He emphasized her intellect and her professional motives. We love Scully for this. It’s part of what makes the character who she is. Credit where credit is due.

Unfortunately, he did seem to believe that Scully being seen as a serious character meant not having sex at all. I don’t want to erase asexuality, and I sometimes hear people saying they recognize that in Scully. If this works as representation for people, it’s positive. But for me, I just don’t see Scully written as ace. I think she was being written, by men, as embodying an old trope about women not having sex or being too overtly sexy to be seen as trustworthy or taken seriously (see: Madonna-whore complex).

Now mind you, Mulder’s sexuality was a problem for the show, too. For sure. As with Scully, they wanted him devoted to the quest / platonic partnership only, which means he couldn’t really have an outside romance as a competing motivation for him.  I’d argue this did eventually paint the writers into a MSR corner, because both characters’ energy and emotions were really only focused towards one another as an extension of their quest. But they did let Mulder have porn, lots of suggestive talk, sexually aggressive exes (see: Phoebe, Diana), several ambiguous possible sexual encounters (see: Marita, Diana), and one unambiguous one night stand (see: Kristen). 

Scully does eventually get an ex who directly comes on to her—and notice who gave him to her. She also gets a vibrator in canon—also a female writer—but that takes decades, people, decades. Mulder’s been carrying on with that porn forever by that point.

I think this relates to my cynical idea that Carter’s insistence on avoiding sexualizing Scully is really about his protection of Mulder as his hero / protagonist, not Scully herself. More on that later.

One of my least favorite pieces of “Chris Carter deemphasized Scully’s sexuality” evidence is Ye Olde Story About The Busty Baywatch Network Scully. If you look at any number of interviews with Carter dating back to, say, 1994-1998, he often tells the same story about the network wanting to hire a leggy busty actress to play Scully and him insisting on Plain Jane Gillian Anderson instead. Often Pamela Anderson, the lead actress of Baywatch, is specifically mentioned in the story, or sometimes it’s just a “Baywatch type” actress. 

The repetition of this story is kind of gross, for two big reasons. Reason #1 is that it frames Carter as a hero for ... what? Rejecting the network’s toxic beauty standards to hire absolutely stunning GA, who, yes, is short, but isn’t exactly a radical rethinking of what’s attractive? I understand that Gillian Anderson isn’t “a Baywatch type,” but it’s not like she wasn’t a woman considered sexually appealing by MANY people. Including, incidentally, Chris Carter, who outright admitted Scully was his type. 

It is absolutely good we got GA. No one questions that. But in my opinion Carter got way too many kudos for choosing this supposedly non-sexy actress for Scully. Because honestly. “non-sexy GA” can’t even be said with a straight face. Even DD eventually started saying in 1996 that this story was weird and overdone, although he said it in a kind of an awful way: “That’s overblown. You look at Gillian, and she’s a beautiful woman. And how often do you see Scully in a bathing suit? Gillian’s not 6 feet tall and doesn’t have what’s-her-face’s tits, but she’s got as nice a face as any of them.”

Reason #2 is that Carter’s story seems to remind GA at every turn in those early years that she wasn’t hot enough for success if it weren’t for him insisting on her. This has an especially icky residue given her struggles over body image and equitable salary. (If you don’t think it had the potential to have that effect, just take a gander at DD’s quote when he was probably sincerely trying to be supportive above, and try to get into the toxic 1990s mindset of how people talked about women’s bodies.) 

Finally, one more complication regarding the sexualization of Scully: jealousy. I’d argue the jealousy trope was a kind of sexualization. The show has no issue with jealousy for vaguely sexual / romantic motives coming from Scully, even though the “hot women jealously bickering over the male hero” is a trope that seems pretty clearly derived from straight male sexual fantasies, too. Scully shows jealousy of female rivals for Mulder’s respect or trust early and often. Again, not saying this should or shouldn’t have happened: only that it did. (Actually, if you know me or my fanfic, you know I’m pretty down for some jealousy stories lol.)

In earlier seasons, Scully’s jealousy is played for laughs and is more ambiguously motivated, mixed up with professional jealousy. For example, she’s threatened by Bambi Berenbaum not only because she’s a hot woman who has Mulder’s attention, but also because she’s a competing scientist.  By the Diana arc, Scully’s jealousy is tightly tied to plot and is angst-ridden. It’s also much harder to explain, at least in late season 5’s The End, without romantic jealousy as some sort of driving motive. We can say in One Son there is a professional explanation—she thinks Diana is dirty and Mulder is being disrespectful of his partner—but why on earth is Scully sitting heartbroken in that car in The End if not for personal reasons?

And then there’s this, some cut dialogue from Sixth Extinction that has Scully and Diana arguing over Mulder. Here both characters are written managing to reference one another’s physical appearance in a way that has absolutely no relevance to their ostensibly professional conversation.

There’s no universe in which you can convince me this is in character for Scully (or for Diana really), and it frankly shows objectification of both female characters. But this dialogue was cut, so maybe someone felt similarly at 1013. 

Mulder is not shown as being jealous in the same obvious, overt way, and I don’t think Carter would have let that happen. This is where I start to suspect that the whole “Scully isn’t sexualized” claim of Carter’s is actually more about his protection of Mulder’s character than Scully’s. 

Carter didn’t want to sexualize Scully because he didn’t want Mulder to be seen as the kind of male character who would seriously be distracted by lust for his co-worker and partner beyond easy, low-commitment jokes. He wanted Mulder to be seen as pure of heart (porn aside) and entirely devoted to his quest. He wanted him to have a partner he wouldn’t be thinking dirty thoughts about, especially because 1013’s writers often seem to have a worldview in which desire and respect can’t coexist. And he wanted Scully to be uncomplicatedly devoted to supporting him.

So Scully is jealous of female attention of Mulder because it’s consistent with her devotion to the work, and Mulder is equivalent to their work. But Mulder’s not going to be shown spinning too much about male attention to Scully because he’s gotta stay single-mindedly devoted to the quest. (Until it is a threat specifically to his work, as when it’s Doggett replacing him on multiple levels.) 

Of course, by creating characters who only are interested in this mutual quest and in supporting one another— and then by casting constantly-handsy Duchovny and longing-eyed Anderson and presumably directing them to keep all that shit under control all the time — CC definitely created the perfect hothouse conditions for MSR. Apparently directors were telling them to dial back their performances of scenes all the time. And honestly, that feeling of constant restraint reads in the final cut. Even when they are just sitting there talking about a corpse they always look like they are holding back and buttoning in all these feelings. It’s constantly sexually charged. Desire and respect appear to be sharing space all the time. It’s a textbook case of getting the opposite of what you’re ostensibly trying to do.

I know I’ve touched on some hot button issues here. I welcome discussion if you’re so inclined.

[illnevermeettheground]

“PUT A DIMMER ON THAT AFTERGLOW”

we all remember exactly where we were when first saw that gem!

I was at my parents’, jumping and screaming in the living room... I downed a whole pint of ice cream out of sheer happiness

[x-files-polls]

Jade Blue Afterglow: I liked to think she was more into Scully than Mulder. But that's just my opinion. Either way she looks great and references Xena.

Dr. Herb Fountain: I too am always searching for an expert. Also he was in the mummy. Also also, what a name!

Don't like this propaganda? Reblog it with your own or send some in my askbox

To jog your memory, here are the episodes they're from:

First Person Shooter: The Lone Gunmen summon Mulder and Scully to the headquarters of a video game design company when the new virtual-reality game, which the Gunmen helped design, is taken over by a bizarre female computer character whose power is much more than virtual.

Lord of the Flies: Scully, Doggett and Reyes investigate when a teenager dies while performing a daredevil feat for a television show, but his death is soon revealed to be caused by a disturbing family secret.

[drwcn]

How To Name Your Chinese Characters: 

1) LAST NAMES: 

I’ve pasted the Top 100 common last names in alphabetical order, and bolded the ones that appear in CQL:   

B: 白 Bai C: 蔡 Cai ; 曹 Cao ;  常 Chang ; 曾 Ceng ;  陈 Chen ;  程 Cheng ;  崔 Cui ; D: 戴 Dai ; 邓 Deng ; 丁 Ding ; 董 Dong ; 杜 Du ; F: 范 Fan ; 方 Fang ; 冯 Feng ; 付 Fu ; G: 高 Gao ;  葛 Ge  ; 龚 Gong ; 顾 Gu ; 郭 Guo ; H: 韩 Han ; 何 He ; 贺 He 洪 Hong ; 侯 Hou ; 黄 Hua ; 胡 Hu ; J: 贾 Jia ; 蒋 Jiang ; 姜 Jiang ; 江 Jiang ; 金 Jin ; K: 康 Kang ; L:  赖 Lai ; 李 Li ;  黎 Li ; 廖 Liao ; 梁 Liang ; 林 Lin ; 刘 Liu ; 陆 Lu ; 卢 Lu ; 路 Lu ; 吕 Lü ; 罗 Luo ; M: 马 Ma ; 麦 Mai ; 毛 Mao ; 孟 Meng ; N:  倪 Ni  ;  牛 Niu ; P: 潘 Pan ; 彭 Peng ; Q: 钱 Qian ; 秦 Qin ; 邱 Qiu ; R:任 Ren ; S: 邵 Shao ; 沈 Sheng ; 史 Shi ; 石 Shi ; 施 Shi ; 宋 Song ; 苏 Su ; 孙 Sun ; T: 陶 Tao ; 谭 Tan ; 唐 Tang ; 田 Tian ; W: 万 Wan ; 王 Wang ;  汪 Wang ; 魏 Wei ; 吴 Wu ; X: 邢 Xing ; 夏 Xia ;  蕭 Xiao ; 谢 Xie ; 徐 Xu ; 许 Xu ; 薛 Xue ; Y: 阎 Yan ; 严 Yan ; 杨 Yang ; 姚 Yao ; 叶 Ye ;  余 Yu ; 于 Yu ; 袁 Yuan ; Z: 张 Zhang ;  赵 Zhao ; 郑 Zheng ; 钟 Zhong ; 周 Zhou ;  朱 Zhu ;  庄 Zhuang ;  邹 Zou ;

Above are all single character last names, but there are some double character Chinese last names, seen below (list not exhaustive): 

独孤 Du’Gu ;  公孙 Gong’Sun ; 南宫 Nan’Gong    欧阳 Ou’Yang ;  司马 Si’Ma ; 上官 Shang’Guan ; 宇文 Yu’Wen ; 长孙 Zhang’Sun ; 诸葛 Zhu’GE ; 

2) GIVEN NAMES/COURTESY NAMES

《Elements》: 

Light*： 光 (guāng) - light，  亮 liàng - bright / shine， 明 (míng) - bright， 曦 (xī) - early dawn， 昀 (yún) - daylight， 昭 (zhāo) - light, clear，照 (zhào) - to shine upon，

Fire: 焰 (yàn) - flames， 烟 (yān) - smoke，炎 (yán) - heat/burn， 烨 (yè) - dazzling light，  

Water: also see “weather” OR “bodies of water” under nature; note the words below while are related to water have meanings that mean some kind of virtue: 清 (qīng) - clarity / purity， 澄 (chéng) - clarity/quiet， 澈 (chè) - clear/penetrating， 涟 (lián) - ripple， 漪 (yī) - ripple， 泓 (hóng) - vast water， 湛 (zhàn) - clear/crystal， 露 (lù) - dew， 泠 (líng) - cool, cold, 涛 (tāo) - big wave，泽 (zé)，浩 hào - grand/vast (water)，涵 (han) - deep submergence / tolerance / educated

Weather: 雨 (yǔ) - rain， 霖 (lín) - downpouring rain， 冰 (bīng) - ice， 雪 (xuě) - snow，  霜 (shuāng) - frost 

Wind: 风 (fēng) - wind

* some “Light” words overlap in meaning with words that mean “sun/day”

《Nature》:

Season: 春 (chūn) - spring， 夏 (xià) - summer， 秋 (qíu) - aumtum， 冬 (dōng) - winter

Time of Day: 朝 (zhāo) - early morning / toward， 晨 (chén) - morning / dawn， 晓 (xiǎo) - morning， 旭 (xù) - dawn/rising sun，昼 (zhòu) - day，皖 (wǎn) - late evening，夜 (yè) - night 

Star/Sky/Space: 云 (yún) - cloud，天 (tiān) - sky/ heaven，霞 (xiá) - afterglow of a rising or setting sun，月 (yuè) - moon，日 (ri) - day / sun，阳 (yáng) - sun，宇 (yǔ) - space，星 (xīng) - star

Birds: 燕 (yàn) - sparrow， 雁 (yàn) - loon， 莺 (yīng) - oriole， 鸢 (yuān) - kite bird (family Accipitridae)，羽 (yǔ) - feather

Creatures: 龙 (lóng) - dragon/imperial

Plants/Flowers:* 兰 (lán) - orchids，  竹 (zhú) - bamboo， 筠 (yún) - tough exterior of bamboos， 萱 (xuān) - day-lily， 松 (sōng) - pine， 叶 (yè) - leaf， 枫 (fēng) - maple， 柏 bó/bǎi - cedar/cypress， 梅 (méi) - plum， 丹 (dān) - peony

Mountains: 山 (shān)， 峰 (fēng) - summit， 峥 (zhēng)，

Bodies of water: 江 (jiāng) - large river/straits， 河 (hé) - river， 湖 (hú) - lake， 海 (hǎi) - sea， 溪 (xī) - stream， 池 (chí) - pond， 潭 (tán) - larger pond， 洋 (yáng) - ocean

* I didn’t include a lot of flower names because it’s very easy to name a character with flowers that heavily implies she’s a prostitute. 

《Virtues》: 

Astuteness: 睿 ruì - astute / foresight， 智 (zhi)， 慧 (hui)， 哲 (zhé) - wise/philosophy, 

Educated:  博 (bó) - extensively educated， 墨 (mo) - ink， 诗 (shi) - poetry / literature， 文 (wén) - language / gentle / literary， 学 (xue) - study， 彦 (yàn) - accomplished / knowledgeable, 知 (zhi) - to know， 斌 (bīn) - refined， 赋 (fù) - to be endowed with knowledge

Loyalty: 忠 (zhōng) - loyal， 真 (zhēn) - true 

Bravery: 勇 (yǒng) - brave， 杰 (jié) - outstanding, hero

Determination/Perseverance: 毅 (yì) - resolute / brave， 恒 (héng) - everlasting， 衡 (héng) - across, to judge/evaluate，成 (chéng) - to succeed， 志 (zhì) - aspiration / the will

Goodness/Kindness: 嘉 (jiā) - excellent / auspicious，磊 (lěi) - rock / open & honest， 正 (zhèng) - straight / upright / principle，

Elegance: 雅 (yǎ) - elegant， 庄 (zhuāng) - respectful/formal/solemn， 彬 (bīn) - refined / polite， 

Handsome: 俊 jùn - handsome/talented 

Peace: 宁 (níng) - quietness/to pacify, 安 （ān) - peace, safety

Grandness/Excellence：宏 (hóng) - grand，豪 (háo) - grand, heroic，昊 (hào) - limitless / the vast sky，华 (huá) - magnificent， 赫 (hè) - red/famous/great， 隆 (lóng) - magnificent， 伟 (wěi) - greatness / large，轩 (xuān) - pavilion with a view/high，卓 (zhuó) - outstanding

Female Descriptor/Virtues/Beauty: 婉 (wǎn)，惠 (huì)， 妮 (nī)， 娇 (jiāo)， 娥 (é)， 婵 (chán) (I didn’t include specific translations for these because they’re all adjectives for women meaning beauty or virtue) 

《Descriptors》:

Adverbs: 如 (rú) - as，若 (ruò) - as, alike，宛 (wǎn) - like / as though，

Verbs: 飞 (fēi) - to fly，  顾 （gù) - to think/consider， 怀 (huái) - to miss, to possess， 落(luò) - to fall, to leave behind，梦 (mèng) - to dream， 思 (sī) - to consider / to miss (someone)，忆 (yì) - memory， 希 (xī) - yearn / admire

Colours: 红 (hóng) - red， 赤 (chì) - crimson， 黄 (huàng) - yellow， 碧 (bì) - green，青(qīng) - azure，蓝 (lán) - blue， 紫 (zǐ) - violet ，玄 (xuán) - black， 白 (baí) - white

Number：一 (yī), 二 (er) - two, 三 (san) - three,  四 (si) - four,  五 (wu) - five, 六 (liu) - six, 七(qi) - seven, 八 (ba) - eight,  九 (jiu) - nine, 十 (shi) - ten

Direction: 东 (dōng) - east， 西 (xi) - west， 南 (nan) - south， 北 (bei) - north，

Other: 子 (zǐ) - child, 然 (rán) - correct / thusly

《Jade》: *there are SO MANY words that generally mean some kind of jade, bc when ppl put jade in their children’s name they don’t literally mean the rock, it’s used to symbolize purity, goodness, kindness, beauty, virtue etc*  琛 (chen), 瑶 (yao),  玥 (yue),  琪 (qi),  琳 (lin)

《Spirituality》

凡 (fan) - mortality 

色 (se) - colour, beauty. In buddhism, “se” symbolizes everything secular

了 (liao) - finished, done, letting go 

尘 (chen) - dust, I’m not… versed in buddhism enough to explain “chen”, it’s similar to “se”

悟 (wu) - knowing? Cognition? To understand a higher meaning

无 (wu) - nothing, the void, also part of like “letting go” 

戒 (jie) - to “quit”, but not in a bad way. In buddhism, monks are supposed to “quit” their earthly desires.

极 (ji) - greatness, also related to the state of nirvana (? I think?) 

[dunhamhairograpy]

First Person Shooter: Jade Blue Awkard

Mulder's voice cracks talking to Jade Blue Afterglow... "something not lost on Scully."

[vgperson]

Vocaloid Highlights: January 2022

You've heard of cosmic latte - now get ready for Cosmospice. Highlights Archive

========== Stand-Outs ========== Owl Lead Part Raku-Raku-Raku-Raku Smoky Quartz Farawhere Ego Eater The Fireflies Weren't There Crackrackrack Become Air Crawl Cocoon Seclusion DAFT Theme of Smiley^^ Survey Team Ultra Elegy Disappear Nightmare Cosmospice Spinning Melo-Melody♪ Exciter Post Shelter

========== Worth Your Time ========== Confusion Because I Had to Go Believe in God. Withered Camellia Even If We're Freezing, If We're Together, Hellfire of Oblivion Alice in Neon City Breathtakingly Coelacanth Frozen Love Song Earthly Desires Salamander From a Walk Lapis-Lazuli Caramelize Inorganic Pluto Cynical Dystopia Favortism Wound Cultivation IMMORAL Advance Trap Glass Trade Daydream Pure Land Companion Floating Memory Sea and Sublimation Disconnect Alma Language Misa iris Afterglow Run Identity Demon Garden My Favorite Sounds Border Line I've Mist You Sapporo Reminiscence Don't Want To Look In the Mirror (Ugly) Rurareru Noisy Performance All is Non-Fiction Sweet Queen Irreversible Monster Twi Perfection Odoremi Daemon Bet Indigo and Summer Breeze I Was Always Searching For Hope Blue Weeping Once More Scheat Empty Roll Together With You Kaleidoscope Room Puzzle Sorrow Cell Emergency Landing Full Moon Night Desire Fanfare Neo-Tokyo Tell me why The Dying Girl Was Like Ice Cream Fallen to the Ground. Rolling Round and Round Corner of Existence unnoticed Varia Thyella Shangri-la and Requiem Shark Dusk Meldy Heartbreak Soap Game of Introvert-Life Indispensable Not So Old I Can't Move, I Can Still Go For It Paint the Background With Ultramarine A Canceller Lima Let's Spark Ahead Falling Into the Sky Want You Need You Make House in Another Dimension! Floaty Feeling Heroine? Distrust Electric Parade Dance Daybreak Maze paint the world Amid Revolving Days Biotope Falling Night Aria of Love Selfishness Teach Me Your Magic Goodbye Princess Rending Pure White Dejection Ever Flow Light Jade-Green Magic Waltz Ace Vertical Bunny Bop Duality ONESELF Aschenputtel's Rainbow Show Doze

[captainhotch]

Afterglow | Steve Rogers

steve rogers x reader

masterlist

based on this prompt list of Taylor Swift Songs

summary; a really solid mix of angst and fluff with a happy ending

I blew things out of proportion, now you’re blue

You felt guilty more than anything. Steve Rogers was quite possible the best person you had ever met. He was kind and smart and oh so caring. The second you met the man you were his, whether he knew it or not. And lucky for you, he looked at you the same way.

You had been together for about four months before the honeymoon phase started to fade. It was your fault and you knew it— you just couldn’t help the thoughts that started to bleed in. Steve was far too good for you— the same qualities that brought you in would soon tear you apart. You felt guilty, like you were holding him back. Your past was jaded where his was honorable, your intentions in shades of gray where his were black and white.

You weren’t a bad person, but you sure as hell couldn’t compare to the man you had grown to love. Like most heroes with questionable origins, you had gotten your powers through HYDRA— albeit not by your own free will. Joining the Avengers for you was a safety net, Steve joined as a call to duty.

You had a past of ruining the good things in your life. And Steve had a past of loving another woman. Those two things didn’t mix well.

You had convinced yourself that he was still in love with Peggy Carter, and in all honesty it wasn’t a very far reach. When he talked about his first love his eyes burned brighter than you had ever seen them. She too was exceptional in every way— a force.

It hadn’t come up until you and Steve argued one morning. It had started small, he had canceled your lunch date to help Bucky with something or another. Normally it wouldn’t have bothered you— if it hadn’t been the third time in a row. Or if Bucky actually needed the help, but the man was fine— he even said so himself. You knew what it was, it was Steve desperately clinging onto his past. He would kill himself trying to bring back an old Bucky Barnes who no longer existed.

Peggy Carter was a very large part of his past. She was his first love, his soulmate if those existed— so when he brought her up in the argument, all hell broke loose.

“It always comes back to her,” you laughed incredulously, though there was no humor in it, “unbelievable.” You ran a hand down your face as you sat at the edge of your bed.

“What is that supposed to mean?” He questioned, face red with anger as he stopped in front of you. This was by far the biggest fight you’d ever had.

“I will never measure up to the memory of Peggy Carter. In your head she’s the perfect woman. I can’t compete.” You wanted so badly to cry, eyes so thick with tears you couldn’t see Steve’s face. You wouldn’t let the dam break... just to spite him if anything. A voice inside your head reminded you that Steve wouldn’t receive any satisfaction from your crying. He was good like that.

Put you in jail for something you didn’t do

“I don’t want you to.” He stressed, kneeling down in front of you, “I just want you to be honest with me. To tell me how you’re feeling. When you’re feeling it— don’t just keep it inside until it boils over.” He placed a hand on your knee to balance himself, the other tilting your chin so he could look into your eyes.

When you blinked the tears escaped, granting you full vision of Steve’s own sad face. His thumb swept the tears away, keeping its spot on your cheek so you wouldn’t look away.

“I want to be with you. Not Peggy or anyone else. And I need you to believe me when I tell you that— I need you to know that I wouldn’t lie to you.” He reaffirmed, leaning his forehead against your own.

The heat from his body surrounded you like a blanket. You were always so comfortable around him, he made you feel so safe.

Thought I had reason to attack but no

“I just don’t understand,” you whispered out, nestling into his large palm, “you’re this amazing human being. You’re so good and I don’t get how you could feel all those things for me.” You paused, shaking your head as if that would unjumble your thoughts.

“And it’s confusing and I get in my own head and ruin things. I think me saying them hurts less than if you were to say them.” You confessed.

It’s all me in my head, I’m the one who burned us down. But it’s not what I meant, sorry that I hurt you

You hated how self-destructive you were. And you weren’t sure if being aware was better or worse— because you fell into your own trap every time anyways. You always ended up hurting the people you loved.

“You’re amazing. And brave and beautiful and you make me happy. It’s okay to hurt and to be broken, and I know it’s hard to talk about it. But I can’t help if you don’t tell me.”

You reached up, placing your own hand gentle at the base of his neck. You had never been seen in the way Steve saw you. He understood what it meant to be broken— to lose and then regain control of your own life. He knew you were hurting and wanted nothing more than to ice your bruises.

“I don’t wanna fight with you. But sometimes I feel like I don’t know how not to.” You admitted, pulling back so you could look into his eyes. This tears were back but this time you didn’t will them away.

I don’t wanna do, I don’t wanna do this to you

“Next time tell me when something is bothering you— even if you think it’ll bother me. I want to know. I’d listen to every thought that passed your mind if you’d let me.” He laughed quietly, resulting in your smile.

“I think I love you.” You paused, letting out a shaky breath, “And that really really scares me. I don’t wanna ruin this.”

I don’t wanna lose, I don’t wanna lose this with you

“I know I love you.” He smiled softly, pressing a kiss to the corner of your mouth, “And I don’t plan on letting you go.”

It’s all me, just don’t go. Meet me in the Afterglow.

[abyssal-memories-and-dreams]

Hello darling💖 May I request hcs for Azul, Rook, Leona and Malleus where their female s/o proposes to them - romantic setting with a fancy ring and all? What would their reactions be?

Hi, Luv! Sorry about the wait, but I hope you enjoy these headcanons! Just to clarify, all these headcanons will take place after their time in NRC so that all the characters are of legal age.

~The Boys’ Fem!S/O Proposes to Them (ft. Azul, Rook, Leona, and Malleus)~

~Azul Ashengrotto!~

Azul may not say this out loud, but he is very much grateful to have you in his life. Ever since you two met at Night Raven College, his whole world has brightened. And given his past, you’re one of the only people he’s opened up to aside from Jade and Floyd.

After you both graduate, you open up your own restaurant alongside the coast. It wasn’t difficult considering the revenue Azul obtained at the Monstro Loung, and the two of you successfully run it together. The restaurant is Mediterranean-themed with a hint of Athenian architecture, and the large windows can perfectly capture the sun setting on the ocean’s blue waves when the time comes.

You two just so happen to be walking down the beach as the sun began to set, your feet crunching upon the pale sand as your fingers interlocked with his. The moon was rising out of the other side of the world as the skies turned a variety of pinks, oranges, and reds. Truly a wonderful way to spend the day after long hours of work...

You suddenly stop in your track, removing your hand from Azul’s. He looks back, wondering why you stopped. With your hands behind your back and your eyes averting his gaze, Azul grows increasingly worried by this situation. Why were you not talking to him? Did he do anything wrong?

It wasn’t until you got down on one knee and pulled out a small, black, velvet box that you finally spoke to him, telling him how important he was to you, and how he’s made your life so much better. You reiterate your love to him, and with a simple question, you ask if he would like to spend the rest of his life with you.

With that question, you pulled the box open to reveal a ring lying in the cushions. The band is stainless silver with a sapphire gemstone in the center, surrounded by small, silver seashell engravings.

At first, Azul stood there, dead silent. It takes him a while before he responds to your answer, and even then he doesn’t utter a word until he already has his arms wrapped around you in a hug. He whispers in your ear how much he feels the same, and how he would love to be your husband till the end of your days as you slipped the ring onto his finger, ending the evening with a kiss as the moon rose above you to the night sky.

Were Floyd and Jade watching this entire scene unfold? Maybe. Don’t worry, though, Jade made sure Floyd didn’t ruin the moment for you two...

~Rook Hunt!~

Your relationship with Rook has been an interesting one, to say the least. Rook isn’t known to be quiet about his love for anything beautiful, and he is not afraid to openly express his love for you, even in the middle of the school hallway. Even if he gets a few weird stares from his actions, his words and actions of affection and love will always remain true for you.

When it’s time to actually propose to him, you’re actually not sure if you can pull it off as a surprise. As much as his antics may seem random, Rook is far from idiotic and is a very cunning man, so despite your attempts to be the proposer, just know there is a slight chance that he’ll do it first.

So let’s paint the setting for this proposal: It’s years after your time in Night Raven, and you and Rook have moved into a cottage within the Land of Pyroxene, right next to a small forest for him to hunt from time to time. One day, you ask him to close his eyes as he followed you into the woods. When you told him to reopen it, Rook is greeted with a small picnic setup, the checkered blanket illuminated by the bright sun.

As you two have your picnic, you get very wary of having Rook do anything during your lunch date. Specifically, you’d always get something from the picnic basket, and wouldn’t let him touch it for some reason. He’s curious about your behavior but doesn’t question it, even when you tell him to turn around to look at a nearby tree for another moment.

Before you ask him to turn back to face you, you mention how your love has never faltered for him years after you two started your relationship back in high school. You thank him for all the love he’s given you, and subtly mention how you don’t want your relationship to end.

As you grab Rook’s hand, you ask him to turn back to face you. When he does, he’s greeted by an immaculate ring that you brought in the picnic basket. The ring is a golden, nature-styled ring with vines and small diamonds cut into leaves. At the center of the ring lays a shining emerald.

Rook, filled to the brim with joy, does not hesitate to take you in his arms and brings his lips to yours in a passionate kiss, making you nearly lose the ring in the grass below. He’s in utter bliss with the thought that he can be your husband - and to have you be his love, his amour - as he picks up the ring and places it on his ring finger. As he finishes the kiss, he vows to be an amazing husband as you lay together on the blanket underneath the sun. As much as he wants to go to all his friends and spread the word, he’ll be glad to do that later just to savor this moment.

~Leona Kingscholar!~

Leona does have doubts regarding any marital aspect of your relationship. Due to his upbringing as the second child, he doesn’t see his marriage as valuable to his family. Specifically, he doesn’t think his family is gonna make a big deal out of it compared to when his brother got married and had Cheka. He’s not opposed to marriage overall, but he absolutely loathes the idea that he might get compared to his brother again.

However, you’re determined to break through that troublesome mindset and show how much your love for him means to you. So one day, you arrange a date outside his home in the Afterglow Savannah. You don’t tell him where, exactly, but assure him that he’d love it.

When you arrive at your destination, he’s the first to walk into the amazing scenery in front of him. In the time spent looking at vast grasslands of the Savannah, Leona’s jaw nearly drops at an oasis in front of him, watching as numerous birds fly across the body of water as it's surrounded by endless, vibrant greenery.

You lead him into an area along the waters filled to the brim with small fish that swam without a thought in the world, shaded underneath a large tree in which you rested upon. Seeing this setting kind of reminded you of the times he’d sneak off to sleep in Night Raven’s gardens during classtime all those years ago.

And now that you had this oasis to yourself, you plan to bring out the best of this situation. Your carefully bring in Leona closer to you, making him rest on the tree beside you. Your enclose you hands around his own, embracing the warmth of them before giving a small kiss on his cheek. You express how grateful you are to have him in his life, and how you haven’t stopped loving him since your high school years. Most of all, despite all his doubts and his self-loathing for not being the firstborn son, you’ll proudly call him your king if it means that you can stay by his side.

With that, you let go of his hands before pulling a luminous ring from your pocket and placing it on his finger. The ring looks simple enough, but upon closer inspection is textured with braid-like engravings of gold, silver, and bronze.

Leona sits there shocked as he gazes down at the ring, not sure what to say next. After a while though, you finally get an answer. He smirks down at you, joking about how this should’ve been the one time he shouldn’t have slacked off on his duties. Albeit, he is a bit begrudged by how you got to propose to him first, but doesn’t let it get to him as he pulls you in for a kiss. He intertwines his ringed hand with yours as he comes to accept that you will become his wife one day.

~Malleus Draconia!~

In comparison to the rest of the bachelors, Malleus is definitely the most complicated man to propose to. Not because he’s opposed to the idea of you two being together - far from it, seeing as though you were one of the only people to even so much as approach him without fear.

The problem stems from the roles you pose after you graduate from NRC. Being the next King of the Valley of Thorns, Malleus is swamped with responsibilities as soon as you both graduate. He brings you back to his homeland to live with him in his castle, but you tend to stick out like a sore thumb among the fae crowd.

So for this plan to work, you figured that the best option to propose to him would be at around nighttime. One day, you woke up extra early so Malleus wouldn’t come to fetch you to accompany him for his duties. When he enters your room, he reads a note you left behind on your bed explaining you went to the market and wouldn’t be back until night. You ask that he would make time to meet you on the castle’s rooftop by then, but don’t mention why. 

He’s confused on why you left so abruptly, but doesn’t really put that much concern over your well-being - he knows that he can easily find  and protect you if things go wrong. So the day passes by, and you’re nowhere to be found, leaving him to his lonesome. Finally nighttime arrives, and he makes way to the rooftop like you ask.

Malleus immediately notices you standing next to a gargoyle - a reminder of him and his adoration for the architecture - as you gazed at the rest of the kingdom. You turn around to face him, apologizing to him for such a lonesome day, and that you wanted to talk to him just by himself. You explain how you’ve been considering major changes in your life, and how you’ve been wanting to be by his side more and more, reminiscing on the time at NRC that you’d never forget.

As you say this, you pull out a ring for him. The band is dark, almost coal-colored, yet shines just as luminously as the amethyst and diamonds that decor the top like a flower with its petals scattered. You look at him with an anxious look on your face, asking him that important question - to let you be his wife, and for him to be your husband.

Malleus is confused by this sudden proposal, since this custom isn’t necessarily normal for fae. However, once again charmed by your actions, he sees no reason to say no. He walks over to you and leans down for a kiss, taking your ring and placing it on your own finger. When he finished the kiss, he holds your hand gently in his, affirming that you would make a great queen for his kingdom. Will this end up causing a ruckus from some of his subjects? Maybe. Does he care? Not in the slightest.

[crankywhenprovoked]

Together.  ABO Nsfs Analogical

Just some nsfs abo Analogical

Notes: ABO, knotting, breath play

Virgil’s fingers trailed up his biceps, chilly touches making goosebumps follow the movement, sliding towards his tied wrists.  His weight pressed against Logan, lips pressed together as their fingers tangled together, Logan’s legs spreading wider.

“So needy, aren’t you?”  Virgil laughed softly, shivering as Logan rolled his hips up into him.

“Please, need it so much.”

Sliding his hands back down Logan’s arms, his hands trailing over his chest and settling on his waist as Logan squirmed.  The sweet smell of the omega was slowly driving him insane, but it was so much more fun to tease him.  Pulling his hips back a bit, Virgil pressed the head of his cock against his core, Logan’s moan filtering through him.

“Please, please?”  Logan begged softly, whining as Virgil’s hands kept him pressed against the mattress.

“Am I going to slow for such a needy little Omega?  Needs to feel his Alpha’s cock fucking him nice and deep.”  Each word punctuated with a small thrusts, Logan’s words melting into moans.

Moving his hands to Logan’s thighs, Virgil spread his legs wide, pressing his knees to his chest as his thrusts grew into slow slides.  Logan’s wrists pulled and tugged at the restraints, his body doing it’s best to try to lure Virgil into moving faster.

Leaning down again, Virgil coaxed him into another kiss, swallowing Logan’s noises as he ground into him, Logan’s cock leaking against his stomach.

“Alpha, my Alpha.”

“Do you want me to release you?  Let you touch yourself and come nice and hard around me?”

“N-no, want to come just like this.”

Groaning against his lips, Virgil started moving faster, letting go of Logan’s legs to wrap his arms under him.  Wrapping his legs around Virgil’s back, Logan’s eyes rolled back slightly as he could feel Virgil’s knot starting to grow, teasing against his rim.

“Feel it, baby? Feel my knot growing nice and big for you?”  Virgil groaned against his skin, nipping the side of his neck.

Logan’s back arched as Virgil’s knot pressed into him, locking them together, his cock throbbing hard between them.  Virgil rolled his hips as he started coming, moaning loud against Logan’s throat, feeling him tremble below him.

“Fuck, fuck.”  Logan whined, his cock twitching with each pump of Virgil’s come against his prostate.

“Oh no, poor baby.”

Logan whined as Virgil pulled back, sitting up on his knees, holding Logan’s hips as Logan wiggled the best he could.

“Alpha, please, let me come. Please?”

“I thought you wanted to come just from my knot?  Isn’t that what you said?”  Virgil smirked, watching Logan pull against the restraints.

Smirking softly, Virgil leaned forward a bit, opening their side drawer and looking over the contents for a few moments.  Pulling out a bottle of lube and a fleshlight, Virgil groaned as Logan squeezed his cock.

Uncapping the lube, Virgil made sure the soft silicone was nice and slick, before setting the lube to the side.  Holding the base of Logan’s cock, Virgil slid the toy against the head, biting his lip as each movement made Logan squeeze him tight.  Logan’s moan rumbled through the room as the toy enveloped the head of his cock, sliding down slowly.

Logan’s breaths were shaky as the toy fully encased him, pressed tight against his balls, his hands grasping the restraints.  A soft moan slipped from Virgil as he started moving the toy up and down, Logan’s body jerking as he ground into him.

“Fuck.”  Logan cursed as Virgil moved the toy faster, sliding his hand up and pressed against his throat.

“That’s it, my good little Omega.  You’re so tight, going to keep my knot nice and big if you keep feeling so good.  Know how bad you want to come for me.”

Nodding his head fast, Logan bared his throat more, Virgil’s thumb pressing in, making Logan’s eyes flutter.  Pulling his thumb back and pressing in again was Logan’s undoing, coming hard into the toy, legs squeezing Virgil tight.

Logan felt like he was floating as Virgil cleaned him up the best he could,from their position, letting his wrists free.  Pulling Virgil close, he pressed soft kisses to whatever skin he could reach, humming softly as Virgil held him close.

“You’re so amazing.”  Virgil praised, making Logan hold him tighter.

Virgil hummed nonsense notes as Logan floated, enjoying the afterglow as they waited for Virgil’s knot to go down, enjoying the time together before they would need to get up and showered.  Just being together and floating.

Tag list:

@@nightlovechild @sanders-sides-thuri @all-these-trees-stealing-mah-o2 @migraine-marathon @sidesmut @hanramz-the-fander @thestoryofme13 @a-blog-just-for-sanders @galacticallynonbinary @cursed-by-thedragonwitch @allthemetalsoftherainbow @digitally-analog @just-another-transblog @neko-ereri @prplzorua @spaceroman @deep-ocean-blues @musicsavedmefromdeath @randomslasher @thenerdycube @multi-fandom-trash-x9000 @thepusheenqueen @artistictaurean @funsizedgremlin @thecrimsoncodex @trashypansexual @paxtonnsfw @princeofdespair @egosinbin @rptheturk @shadow-walker-1201 @milomeepit @ill-interested @ansfwcollection @datonerougecookeh @ruuworld @pearls-of-patton @jade-dragon226-fan @thomas-must-get-to-sleep @nxywordsmith @thesilentbluesparrow @angered-turtle @siriuswhiskers @louisthewarlock @bekkyboo2003 @XxxxWitlee @backatthebein @nymphaedoratonks @jaybingu @bluebellie01 @starry-eyed-haiku-dreamer @allaboutme713 @reba-andthesides @crankywhenprovoked

@justanotherpurplebutterfly

@cover-your-eyes-children

@razalin

@justanotherpurplebutterfly

@razalin

@nightlovechild

@mr-rectify

@cover-your-eyes-children

@greeneggsandham1998

@illogicalsanderssidesnsfw

@vulnerablevirgil

@secretlygeneralperson

@vanitasequilibriumsmut​

@sanderssmutsides

@selfcareandartland

@deitywithablog

@sanderssidesstuffs001

@pundefulpapa

@hell-or-high-waters

@fandomfreak18andover

@ashensanity

@that-one-smut-addict

@nsfs-side-blog

@marshymoop

[thatringboy]

Sea of Thieves - TWST AU

Based off of @ihavebecomeapenguin‘s Role Swap AU where the First year gang and their respective dorm heads all swap years! This is my second attempt at writing this fic, so I hope you enjoy!

Word count: 2,130 (another record???)

Warnings: Cursing, fight scenes, Azul Angst because this is chapter three

Getting the leader of Savanaclaw to agree with their plan was easy enough for Yuu Prefect. Jack seemed to have the idea in his head that he was obligated to help the Ramshackle student because of how the recent overblot incident went down. Yuu didn’t dislike the help they were receiving, but Jack’s insistence that they slept in his dorm while Yuu fought to get Ramshackle back from the Octavinelle leaders was a little much.

However, convincing their new friend Leona would be a much more difficult ordeal.

“That has got to be the stupidest plan I’ve ever heard.”

“Well I don’t see you coming up with any ideas! I’ve only got a few hours left!” Yuu leaned against the door as Leona flipped the page on his magazine.

“It’s not really my problem, Herbivore.” He sighed and adjusted how he laid on his bed. “What could I do?”

Yuu stood up straight. “What’s wrong with you? You were all up for raiding the vault before, what’s changed now?”

Leona shut the magazine and tossed it aside, crossing his arms and sitting deeper into his pillows. “I don’t know, maybe I’m just tired of getting my ass handed to me by walking sushi!”

Grim snorted on Yuu’s shoulder, but the Prefect was not amused. “It’s a shame, really,” they began, “Think about how people will react when they hear that the second prince of the Afterglow Savanna turned his back on his friend. What would your nephew think of that?”

Yuu knew they struck a chord deep within Leona. He was on his feet in an instant and if looks could kill, Yuu would be dead where they stood. The beastman scowled at the human before him. “Fine, but we do this my way. Your plans suck.”

Yuu’s face formed a mischievous smile. Azul Ashengrotto had crossed a line and by the Seven there would be hell to pay. Oh yes, everything was coming together nicely.

~~~

Riddle paced back and forth and twiddled his thumbs while Trey cleaned his glasses again.

“I have a bad feeling about this--”

“You always have a bad feeling.” Trey put his glasses back on.

“No, seriously! What if Trappola-Senpai finds out that we’re gone? What if we’re too late? What if Leona doesn’t agree to help the Prefect? What if we’re caught out of bed? What if--”

Trey held up a hand. “Riddle, please. Everything is gonna be ok. Just breathe and let the chips fall where they may. Speaking of which...”

The mirror to Savanaclaw lit up and four people stepped out. Leona and Yuu approached the Heartslabyul first years while Ruggie and Jack hung back, already filled in.

As Yuu explained the plan, Riddle’s nervousness slipped away. That is, until his part in the operation was explained.

“You want us to do what?” Riddle’s eyebrows shot up.

Leona smirked. “What, you scared or something?”

“N-No!” He turned bright red. “I just don’t know if I have the skills to pull this off.”

Trey put a hand on his shoulder. “You’ll do fine.”

“Thank you, Trey.”

Grim gagged, the anemone on his head wobbling. “Ew! Get a room, you two!”

Leona reached over and flicked the blue appendage. “Shut up, be glad they’re here.”

Yuu rolled their eyes. “So, then everyone knows their parts? Good, then we can get going. The sooner we finish this, the better.”

The first years nodded and passed around the potion that would allow them to breathe underwater. Jack and Ruggie disappeared back into their dorm’s mirror while Yuu and company approached the dark mirror.

In a second, they found themselves in the Coral Sea near the Alantica Memorial Museum. As per usual, a merman guard was posted outside the door. The group looked around for the infamous Leech twins and swam towards the building when they saw that the coast was clear.

Yuu might have had their iconic resting bitch face plastered for their friends to see, but the fact that no one had tried to stop them yet worried the Prefect. Trey swam ahead of the group and approached the guard while the others took cover behind a rock. Yuu could hear Trey spit out a convincing lie about wanting to explore the Museum, only to be denied by the guard. Of course, this was expected and Trey struck up a conversation between the guard, giving a small signal that it was okay for his friends to make a break for the door.

They swam behind the guard while he was distracted and pulled at the entrance, only to discover that it was locked. Leona rolled his eyes and pushed up his sleeve, activating his Unique Magic.

“I am hunger, I am thirst, I am that which steals your tomorrow. Now kneel before me, Kings Roar.”

The door handle turned to sand and he pulled the door open, earning a glare from Riddle. They swam inside the door while Trey continued to keep the attention of the guard. Yuu had to admit Trey’s ability to lie on cue was unsettling, but not unwelcomed.

Finding the picture Yuu risked their dorm for wasn’t a hard task. However, they’d forgotten that the only other reasonable person was still outside sweet talking the guard, so you can imagine how Yuu felt when Riddle took his magic pen and smashed the glass casing around the photo without a second thought.

An alarm went off somewhere in the building and it occurred to Yuu that the last time they were here, there were two guards. A Merman in armor swam around the corner and almost called for backup, but Leona gave him a swift kick to the head and knocked him out.

Maybe hanging around with himbos isn’t such a bad thing. Yuu thought to themself. They almost laughed at the mental image of calling Leona a himbo, but remained focused on the situation at hand. The four swam back out of the Museum and signaled for Trey to wrap up the conversation that he was way too invested in.

They made their escape and began to swim back to the mirror spot, but two dark shadows in the water blocked their path. The Leech brothers eyed the photo in Riddle’s hand with amusement and smiled, calculated toothy grins. Floyd’s voice ripped through the cold water and sent chills down the spines of the first years.

“That doesn’t belong to you, Shrimpy-Chan~”

~~~

Azul watched the first years sneak through the mirror and instructed the twins to give them an hour to retrieve the photo. What he hadn’t seen was the Savanaclaw leadership watching him from their respective mirror.

The Octomer returned to the Mostro Lounge and felt that the establishment lack a certain atmosphere, but then remembered that the Leech twins were off preparing to collect on his most recent contract. He kept himself busy and waved the twins off when they departed, but found his tasks boring when they left.

The Lounge didn’t open for a few minutes, but Azul could see a line forming outside. He grabbed a first year from Scarabia that he had enslaved was helping out that day and positioned him to be the host. The doors opened and Azul noticed that a large amount of customers were from Savanaclaw, but thought nothing of it.

He returned to the VIP room and checked his phone for messages before sitting down behind his large desk. Azul looked over the papers on his desk and noticed that jade had dropped off collateral on a recent contract. Azul spun around in his chair like a supervillain - which he privately enjoyed doing - and stood to open his vault. He had barley cracked the door open when a first year from his own dorm stepped into the VIP room looking distressed.

“What could possibly be so important that you come in here unannounced?”

“It’s a mad house out there, Senpai!” The first year was out of breath,

“Excuse m--”

“There’s too many of them, we can’t keep serving them!”

“Show me.”

Azul followed the first year out to the Lounge’s restaurant area and stopped. Those students from Savanaclaw who were crowding the door? They had taken up every seat! They were yelling and cursing out his waiters and throwing glasses and sending back food they deemed inedible! And of course, the smug faces of Ruggie Bucchi and Jack Howl leaned against the door frame without a care in the world.

“Mister Howl, what is the meaning of this?” Azul tried his hardest not to scream in frustration.

“That’s Howl-Senpai to you, tentacles!” Ruggie snickered.

“I haven’t the slightest idea what you mean.” Jack had a smug expression.

Someone called Azul’s name from the kitchen and yelled that they needed assistance. Jack’s smile turned sinister. “That sounds urgent, you wouldn’t want to upset your customers, would you?”

Azul’s face burned red as he struggled not to explode on them. After all, he had a reputation; one bad day couldn’t ruin that. But he did find it suspicious that this happened as soon as the twins had left. Azul returned to the kitchen and kept his eye on the Savanaclaw leaders until he stepped behind the swinging door, narrowly running into a Heartslabyul student carrying a tray of tea.

Once he was gone, Jack nodded to Ruggie and the second year made a break for the VIP room. Phase one was complete.

~~~

If this was any other circumstance, Yuu would say that the eels swimming around them was majestic. However, in this moment, Yuu struggled not to show fear.

“What should we do with the little Shrimpy and Koebe-Chan and Lionfish and their little friends, Jade?” Floyd’s nicknames for them made Riddle flush.

“I don’t know, what if you gave them a squeeze?” Jade swam a little too close to Leona and almost got slashed across the face by long nails. Yuu looked to the Heartslabyul duo and nodded. The two had their pens out in a flash and went back to back. This part of the plan required concentration and almost perfect timing. If one of them messed up, they may just become fish food.

Floyd caught on to what they were doing. “Hah! What, is little Koebe-Chan going hit me with his little necklaces?”

Riddle turned even more red, but surprisingly didn’t lash out. Yuu looked over for a second and noticed that Trey was holding his hand to keep him calm. Yuu turned their attention back to Jade as Leona swiped at him again. Leona attempted to fire a bolt of magic at him, but Jade was too quick, easily avoiding and laughing at the attempt.

Yuu grabbed Leona’s sleeve. “Floyd’s magic! We can’t touch them!”

Leona swung his head around, smacking Grim in the face with his ponytail, and snarled at Trey and Riddle. “Hurry up, goddamnit!”

Riddle broke his concentration and glared at Leona. “I’m doing my best you useless pussy!”

Trey and Yuu made eye contact and knew that the plan was falling apart. Trey rolled his eyes and pointed his wand at Floyd. “Oh for the Seven!”

He activated his Unique Magic and suddenly Floyd’s smile fell. His multi colored eyes widened with rage and Trey gulped. “Riddle, now!”

Riddle spun around and pointed his pen at Floyd as well. “Don’t tell me what to do! Off with your head!”

The all too familiar clicking sound could be heard and Floyd grabbed at his neck. Riddle’s iconic neck lock was holding onto the merman and based on the violent thrashing from Floyd, it wasn’t budging. Floyd glared daggers into Riddle and lunged at him with a loud shriek, but Leona had crossed the distance between them and booted him in the side of the head.

“Floyd!” Jade rushed to his brother’s side and was relieved that Floyd was only knocked unconscious. He looked at the first years and down at the neck brace on his twin. “Just... go.”

They didn’t hesitate to swim back to the mirror spot and teleport back to Night Raven College. When they had finally caught their breath from swimming so fast, Riddle look down at his hands.

“I.... I just used my magic to harm an upperclassman. Leona, you kicked an upperclassman in the head!”

“Yeah and I’ll do it again.” Leona picked between his teeth with his pinky finger. Yuu looked at Trey. “So, how did you do that? The plan was for you two to cast that combo spell that Crowley showed you.”

Trey rubbed the back of his neck. “Well, I panicked and realized that my Doodle Suite might have been able to make Floyd-Senpai’s shield just not work.”

“Genius, even for a human like you!” Grim jumped onto the green haired boy’s shoulder with a smile.

“Thank you?”

“Don’t take that as a compliment!” Riddle squinted his eyes at Grim. Leona pulled out his phone and was amazed that it wasn’t dead. “So, Jack and Ruggie-Senpai should be done by now, should we head over to the Lounge?”

Yuu sighed and realized how tired they were. “Let’s.”

~~~

When he managed to get the last beastman out of his restaurant, Azul almost collapsed against the door. He got to his feet and almost stumbled back to the VIP room, but stopped dead in his tracks. His blood turned to ice and his glasses fell off his face. Azul made an undignified sound and spun around, discarding his glasses in his haste. He tore down the hall back to the Lounge, leaving the VIP room and the open, empty vault within.

Azul threw open the doors to the Lounge and saw Ruggie leaning against a wall, cleaning out his teeth with a toothpick.

“What have you done?!” Azul’s voice was nothing more than a hushed whisper.

Ruggie ignored him. “You know, I tried takoyaki for the first time today, it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be.”

Azul turned a furious red. “You mangy beast! Where are they?!”

“Is that any way to talk to a classmate, Azul-kun?” Jack stepped out from behind a corner, a large stack of yellow papers in his hands. “I thought that you would have more tact.”

The Octavinelle student glared daggers into Jack’s soul. It was a little unsettling. The beastmen could just feel the anger seething out of him. Footsteps could be heard approaching the three.

“I can’t wait to see the look on that Octo-punk’s face when we give him the stupid photo!”

“I’ve never said anything bad against an upperclassman before, but I hope he looses it!”

“Like how you lost it with Floyd?”

“Shut up, or I’ll forcefully remove that anemone myself, you little beast!”

The first years turned the corner Jack was standing behind and stopped. Yuu held up a preemptive hand to stop any wise comments about Azul’s clearly enraged behaviour. With their other hand, they held out the photograph. “Here, so you can’t say we didn’t pull through our end of the deal.”

Azul just stared at the photo and began to laugh softly. “You... You think you’ve won? You steal my contracts, you destroy my Lounge and you bring me my photo to rub it in, huh? I see the twins have failed yet again.”

“Yet again?” Called a voice from down the hall. The students present turned their heads to see the human forms of the Leech brothers coming their way. Floyd still had Riddle’s neck lock on and held an ice pack to his temple.

Jade’s eyes looked Azul up and down. “It seems you’re the one who failed here.”

Azul scoffed. “Oh please, I gave you one task: keep them from returning the photo to me! You couldn’t even do that!”

Floyd stood up taller and took the ice pack away from his head. “You know, I don’t like that tone you’ve got. Makes me want to squeeze it out of you.”

Azul seemed to mentally backpedal. “Well, what I meant to say was--”

Jack waved the contracts in the air to get the mermen’s attention. “Do you want these or not?”

Azul’s anger turned to desperation. “Yes! Hand them over this instant!”

“No I don’t think I will.” Jack sneered. Yuu realized that he was just toying with Azul. They almost felt bad for the second year dorm head, but at the same time, he had enslaved over two hundred students simply because they wanted a cheat sheet for finals. Jack looked over the documents in his hand and passed them to Leona. “Do what you want, I just wanted to see him squirm.”

Leona gladly took the contracts and Yuu realized what he was about to do. They made no move to stop him, but Jade’s eyes opened uncharacteristically large.

“I am hunger, I am thirst, I am that which steals your tomorrow. Now kneel before me, Kings Roar!” 

The golden contracts crumbled into sand between his fingers. Azul shrieked again and fell to his knees, watching as Leona kicked the pile of sand at his feet to solidify that the papers were gone. Yuu looked to Grim and saw that the anemone on his head was gone, however the next sound Azul made got them to return their focus on the situation.

“You... you monsters!” Azul slowly got to his feet.

“Yeah what?” Grim grinned. “You gotta be a bit more specific.”

Leona rolled his eyes and turned to go. “C’mon, I’ve got practice to get to. I don’t wanna throw a pity party for that mess.”

Riddle raised his pen and the neck brace around Floyd vanished. He rubbed his neck and smiled at Riddle. “Thank you, Koebe-chan! No hard feelings for trying to eat you?”

Riddle made a disgusted face that Trey snorted at. Azul watched them start to leave with horror in his eyes. “No, wait! Fix this mess! Grim, I helped you pass your exam!”

“You also used me as a sponge!”

Floyd pursed his lips and crossed his arms. “You’re acting pretty lame right now, you know that right?”

Jade nodded and shrugged his shoulders. “Desperation isn’t a good look for you.”

Azul looked around for something, anything to make the situation better. Yuu sighed. “Azul, you did this to yourself. Now, if you excuse us--”

Azul got to his feet with a strange expression on his face. “Wait wait wait wait wait wait wait! I can turn this around! Just watch, I’m not boring at all!”

The door to the Mostro Lounge creaked open and a timid looking Scarabia student stepped out, patting his head where Yuu assumed an anemone had been resting. Azul reached out his hand and a small ball of light flew out of the chest of the poor student and into Azul’s. He stood up with a crazed smile and looked around the group as the Scarabia boy collapsed.

“See?! I may not be what I once was, but I am still leagues above you all!”

Leona groaned and spun around on his heels. “Okay, now you’re taking this too far--”

He was interrupted by Azul’s laugh and a snap of the second year’s fingers. Ruggie pushed Leona down and the ball of light Yuu assumed was Ruggie’s magic flew to Azul. Jack pulled out his staff and growled as he watched Ruggie faint.

“You’ll pay for that, Ashengrotto.” He snarled.

Azul’s laugh grew dark and menacing. “Oh really, Jack-Senpai?”  the title oozing off of his tongue like poison. “Why don’t you just lighten up and Dance with me!”

Jack dropped the staff and became rigid, but soon regained control of his body. Azul turned to Floyd, who’s eyebrows were furrowed in concentration. All of the commotion had drawn the attention of the other Octavinelle dorm residents, all of which fell prey to Azul’s greedy glare.

Yuu watched in horror as Azul absorbed the magic of every student who had unknowingly stepped into their worst nightmare, but it wasn’t over. Yuu looked Azul up and down and saw his purple gem becoming more clouded by the second.

Riddle noticed this too and raised his pen to stop the nonsense, but Trey tackled him out of Azul’s line of sight. It occurred to Yuu that if Azul got is hands on the magic of their friends, the fight would turn from bad to ugly.

Of course, as per usual, the coming tide was already among them. Jade dashed to put himself between the first years and the crazed Azul, but got smacked to the side by a large black tentacle that had formed from Azul’s cane.

The overblotting version of Azul stood over the first years, but while their friends saw the anger in those cold blue eyes, Yuu recognized loneliness and fear. This was by far the worst case of overblotting Yuu had seen when comparing the Heartslabyul and Savanaclaw incident together, and they had no idea what to do now.