#like. it doesn't have to be true that vel was looking for him

[hellisharchive]

・﹒・ comatose dreams [1]

Summary: After suffering from a fatal car crash, you had become comatose and had no hope of waking up anytime soon. You didn't know that, however, you thought you had died. After finding yourself in Hell, you wind up landing a job with Vox as your boss. You both fall quickly and deeply, but true love doesn't always work out.

Warnings: 18+, mentions of sex, masturbation, slight StaticMoth,

Notes: This fanfic is inspired by this lovely post by @timeslugarts! I would suggest reading it for a full summary, however if you want to go in blind, then don't!

﹒Stepping Stones﹒

An entire year working for VoxTech, what was your job, you ask? Well, you started out as a simple camera operator, then worked your way up to personal assistant, and you've had a crush on the television man for a good year now. Unfortunately, Vox always seemed so out of reach, so out of your league, you never even tried to even flirt with him and hoping he'd notice. He was an Overlord, one of the Vees, you were probably seen as nothing to him. Which hurt to think about, but was true nonetheless. So, you worked and went through your days with all your feelings festering inside you, ready to burst.

"Vox, you have a meeting with Vel and Val at three pm today to discuss potential strategies with Alastor returning, would you like to cancel?" You watched him as he adjusted his bowtie, ensuring that his outfit was perfect as always. He also had a tendency to cancel his meetings, but to the chagrin of his partners since he arrengaed them in the first place, but you still forced him to attend at least some.

"No, I know if I don't they'll be on my ass about it later" Turning from the mirror, he looked at you with a bored expression before putting on one of his smiles that you thought would be fake, but it was genuine. From working with him, you've learned to identify what smiles are real and ones that aren't.

"What? Do you really want to be alone with me THAT badly?" His smile then moved to a smirk, causing you get flustered and fumble with the tablet you were holding. Shit. Was that the first time he flirted with you? Vox chuckled as you regained your bearings, clearing your throat, you tried to remain professional.

"Well no sir, I was just uh, caught off guard by your uh...assumption" You coughed as he started to walk out of the room, knowing you'll diligently follow, and you did. You shut the door behind you and followed him as he made his way to his head of operations. He didn't tell you where he was going, but you knew his route every single day, that is- if he does, you'll still follow him wherever he went. You'll always be loyal to him and him only.

"Well, let's hope I don't have to calm Valentino down again today after yesterday..." He scowled just thinking about it. Yesterday, Val had yet again another temper tantrum and you watched as your boss did his thing. It was something you've grown accustomed to with your time as the tv man's personal assistant, they both fucked with no strings attached. Sure, they weren't together, but it still squandered you telling the truth about your feelings even further.

"Hopefully not, sir" You spoke as he entered his main control room, where he could spy on everyone and everything. He mainly has been monitoring the hotel and Alastor, even when the Radio Demon was gone for seven years, he never stopped bringing him up. The deer Overlord has only been back for a few months and he was the only thing Vox brought up for entire days sometimes. You didn't mind it though, it was pretty entertaining to witness. Sitting down in his chair, you grabbed yours and sat next to him as he observed everyone, trying to find Alastor roaming around. He checked the hotel first but couldn't find him with his scope of range. Time passes as he does his daily checking and observing, replying to emails, and the like. You busy yourself with checking his schedules and any business opportunities. You didn't realize that he stopped speaking until his sudden voice breaking the silence startled you.

"Do you think he'll ever take me seriously?" He spoke oddly quiet, his usual self gone as you swore you heard the faintest crackle in his voice. Looking up from your tablet, you saw that his head was down, looking at his lap with his hands fiddling each other as a sign of nerves. Sighing, you stood up and walked in front of him. Gently setting your hand on his shoulder, it caused him to look up with a face similar to a sad puppy. Smiling softly, with your other free hand, you placed it on his other shoulder.

"I know one day he will, sir. Trust me, you'll beat him and be the strongest overlord in Hell" You almost said "with me by your side" but refrained, knowing it was best not to mention that at all to him. This was about cheering him up, not entertaining your stupid fantasies. But, you saw as a digital blush faintly appear on his screen made your heart leap. You? A measly assistant managed to make THE Vox blush? You two were entranced, the feeling of leaning closer overwhelmed you as you both slowly inched closer and closer. What were you doing? You both were about six inches apart as he placed a hand over yours, now smiling devilishly as he chuckled.

"Of course I will, I just need someone by my side to do it" Did he...? You didn't have to fully process what he meant by that as you saw Vox's screen change to an incoming call with a ring. The moment ended as you cleared your throat and pulled away, taking your hands off his shoulders like they became fire. Of course- Valentino.

"Are you fucking-" He scowled as he transmitted the video call to one of his many screens, showing a very scandalously clad moth lounging on his bed, smoking and turning the screen into red before dissipating.

"Hey Voxy~ I need a fuck and I need it now. Angel Dust won't return my calls" Now, you weren't the biggest fan of Valentino, despite Vox also not being the best. But even as a sinner, you still did not agree with how that man treated others, especially his main star. Hearing the fact that he was demanding sex from your boss made your blood boil, yet you remained calm and neutral.

"Not now Val, find one of your other whores to fuck, I'm not in the mood" He didn't try to hide is displeasure as he held a very pissed off face staring at the pimp. Usually Vox never denied having sex with Valentino, so the sudden anger surpised you. Valentino just sighed, leaning closer to the camera. You weren't sure if he could see you, you hoped he didn't.

"You aren't fucking anyone else, right baby?" The question gave you whiplash despite not being the receiver. The moth sounded innocuous when you knew very well he manipulated Vox along with others. You knew his game.

"Fuck off Val" The tv Overlord than hung up, growling as he pushed out of his chair and started to walk towards the middle of the room. Following him, he headed back into the rest of the tower and back to his room. Before you could step in, he stood in the doorway, preventing your access.

"Don't bother me, do whatever the fuck you want for the next few hours, I don't care" and just like that, he slammed the door in your face. What the hell just happened? Taking a deep breath in, you mull over what you could possibly do when you decide to just take a walk. You needed some time outside the tower every once a while, so a walk would be perfect. Not wanting to head out in your work attire, you head to your room which was right next to Vox's (easier to be his assistant with you so close) and change. As you walked by your boss' door, you heard him panting and immediately flushed, walking away quickly as it felt wrong to hear him masturbate. You did walk in on him one time by pure accident and even to to this day he still teases you over it and makes fun of you. As you passed by, you could have sworn you heard him moan out your name, but he couldn't have. Right? Your ears were just playing tricks on you. Rushing past, opting to ignore it entirely, you went on your walk.

[elsa-fogen]

A part of me is like Velvette is definitely dead in your Breakfast AU but another wants her to be alive.

Warning this is kinda long.

Everyone at the hotel heard her screams but they are still shocked when she comes to the hotel she is barely able to understand her surroundings just curled into a ball shaking and crying mumbling “stop please no stop”.

Nothing they say can really get through her to her and I imagine Alastor just disappears soon after assigning her to marketing.

Velvette also looks more akin to a patchwork doll now her skin looking like it was sown back on just as harshly as it was taken off.

This is also sooo interesting because imagine the dynamics.

Vox and Val might not even know Velvette is still alive and still be falling apart at the seems but when they find out they are even more heart broken cause they can’t do anything. If only if they could go to that hotel. All the Vees want to do is to get Velvette back and protect her and fix her up so they can move past all of this but instead they have to watch while they see the Velvette they knew slowly fade farther away. Vox and Val would do almost anything to get Velvette back but know that in order to get her soul back a powerful deal would be needed that meant a huge loss in power. Was Velvette truly worth that much power? Their hearts said yes but they are too afraid to actually act.

Meanwhile the hotel guests are fucking flabbergasted surprised that Velvette is one alive and two that Alastor could do such a cruel thing.

To everyone except Nifty and Husk this is their first time seeing Alastors true cruelty and I think this could be a start of Charlie’s realization of Alastors true colors.

What she does then is kinda up to you.

Does Charlie work to take Alastor down unable to stand his cruelty or continue to work with Alastor as she thinks she needs him. Maybe she reaches out to her Dad to see if he can start to help with the Hotel more.

Maybe she slowly force Alastor to free her friends.

Omg and poor Velvette. Charlie and the others try soooo much to help but she just continues to spiral anytime she sees Alastor and knife and radio anything. Vel sometime gets close to her normal self and that hope for Charlie that maybe she can save Velvette too. The Hazbin gang does everything to try and fix Velvette up too but unfortunately they lack the resources. Vox would have had the money and power to fix Velvette’s body to be less jarring but they don’t have the ability to get good enough doctors at the hotel.

GROWLING AND CLAPPING MY HANDS NOW THIS IS DELICIOUS ANGST

The most interesting part of it all is that how Charlie would react to this all... [SPOILERS WERE CUT OUT AHAHAHHA]

i ALSO have some ideas on what 2/3 Vees can do to save Vel... oh this gonna be interesting!

ALSO!!! thing for this AU, i already thought about it in one other ask, but now it's canon: Alastor is at his full power and he never disappeared, he doesn't have that deal that holds him back, and he really helps the hotel because he bored, also i don't think he has some grand scheme to be played, he just silly little agent of chaos and destruction, true chaotic evil

[bolithesenate]

Overview of the Guard OCs

sorted by age:

Masin Vel Afad - Masin is the product of me going 'what if there was a Guard that's older than Cin, actually?' Like, yes, that's his boss, but also Masin had that mask since before Cin was a Battlemaster, so really. Who is winning here. Raised two Padawans successfully to Knighthood prior to joining the Guard and is the most dad-coded jedi to ever exist. Some voices claim he was born a dad.

Hack - saw entirely too many shitty cop holodramas as a Youngling, latched onto the 'grumpy hacker' stereotype and made it his entire personality. He is one of the Guard's internal IT team, since his stature (he is toydarian) doesn't really allow for him to, well, blend in with the visible Guards. There were some attempts at stacking several smaller Guards ontop of each other but that resulted in 4 traumatized crèchelings and one very angry Cin Drallig. Voices claim that that was Hack's villain origin story and the reason for his incessant blackmailing-fetish.

Ranatward 'Nat' Missalek - rumored to be the source of all chaos in the Guard. Would not claim otherwise. Although xe is a Jedi through and through and takes a lot of pride in being a member of the Order, xe has a very social streak that some mighr claim is antithetical to the work as a Guard. But those who work with xem know that's not true because Nat is the kit that holds them together. Sometimes literally, xe is very much a hugger.

Zessh Jarid - take your Grandma's old and kinda grumpy cat. Subtract the age and give her opposable thumbs and space magic. Now you have Zessh. Her favorite assignments are those where they have to take up post near the Crèches, she could watch the Initiates play all day long. There are many pots going on on how long it will take her to get over her pride and give up the mask in favor of taking a Padawan or becoming a Crèchemaster (or both). She herself has actually placed a bid as well, which some voices may claim is unfair, but no one knows on what.

Yon Tar - is voices. Feemor's older Crèchemate. As children they looked a lot alike (minus the glowing) so they were mixed up several times. He was the one who first approached Cin to take Feemor into the Guard after he was repudiated. In the same proposal he offered to discreetly disappear Qui-Gon Jinn, which was vetoed by the Battlemaster. But Yon still has the plan, as a contingency. He was Mace Windu's Padawan before Depa Billaba and originally joined the Guard to avoid having to interact with people and politicians outside the Order. They always get weird about his diathim heritage.

Yorra-Serra - was the Squad Baby before Feemor joined and is very much enjoying life as a middle child now. Is in the strange position to be a second-generation Temple Guard, although she only found out about that after she joined. Her Master had been a Guard before they retired, became an Archivist and raised Yorra to Knighthood. The one Knight in that particular Guard Squad that seems impervious to blackmail - mostly because both Yon and Hack have yet to find some on her.

[freesia-writes]

Chapter 23: Revelation

During the Clone Wars, the Bad Batch is tasked with a variety of missions across the galaxy. An unexpected addition to their team throws a wrench in the mix, particularly for Tech, who finds a particular connection with this disillusioned Padawan-turned-mechanic named Vel throughout the events in this action-adventure romance. COVER ART BY @zaana!!

Master List of Chapters

"I still do not understand," Tech insisted, "By virtually any measurement, I followed the correct course of action considering the circumstances." He was pacing back and forth in their accommodation on Alderaan while the others lounged in various states of rest.

"This sort of thing is more complex than military strategy," Hunter responded.

"Yeah!" Wrecker contributed from the corner, through a mouthful of some kind of meat he was eating off a bone, "Women, you know?"

"He doesn't know," Crosshair sneered from the table, where his 773 was laid out in a meticulous pattern for each part to receive a thorough scrutiny, "This is all ridiculous, and not at all our purpose."

"Well, you tried," Hunter interjected with a calming tone, "So that should give you closure."

"It would if it all added up," Tech argued, stopping his pacing momentarily, "But it simply does not make sense."

"Look, I know you're hurt--" Hunter answered.

"I am not hurt," Tech interrupted, far too quickly for it to be true, "It is simply an illogical pattern of cause and effect. I shall determine the confounding variable, then we may proceed."

"You're not the one who gets to determine that," Crosshair said, "You seem to forget you are a soldier of the Republic, not a free-roaming pleasure-seeker."

"We have a couple of weeks here," Hunter said, "So use your free time as you wish, but when it's time to go..."

"I am aware," Tech answered.

***

Vel rolled the spanner in her fingers, brow furrowing once again. She took a deep breath, the scents of repair bay a familiar and soothing cocktail of machinery and solvents. A week had passed since the squad had appeared, reviving the tumult inside that had been thoroughly stifled by months of hurt and new interest. None if it made sense, though. Things had been going so smoothly with Arthen, and then this last week had felt decidedly off. His even-tempered, cheerful demeanor had shifted noticeably; he seemed oddly possessive and wanted to know far more about her plans than usual. 

When asked about it, he brushed it off as concern for her, followed by distraction through a variety of means, from discussing future plans to lavishing her with affection. It had come to a head a few times, when he found her perusing the holonet and angrily insisted on reviewing her communication log and her indignation was provoking.

And then there was Tech. She knew he was still there because she could see their ship in the yard with its neatly folded wings, and she fought to stuff down the memories. She longed to talk to him but refused to be jilted again, yet there was a nagging feeling that she couldn't quite resolve. She set the spanner on a nearby table and went to return her protective gear to the utility closet. 

The repair bay door whooshed open. She turned, expecting to see Arthen, but felt her heart skip a beat as Tech's frame appeared in the doorway. He entered tentatively, fully armored, and looked around the room through his helmet visor, locating her after an inquisitive scan of the surroundings.

"Vel," he began, heading straight for her as he lifted his visor, "There is something I have to tell you."

Possibility after possibility flew through her mind, words that she had hoped to hear him say for so long, but each one felt like a barbed insult after months of being ignored. 

"I don't know if I want to hear it, Tech," she said, feeling her resolve lessen slightly as he drew near. She had forgotten the way he looked in his helmet, large brown eyes shining from its geometric shape, antennae accentuating every movement of his head. 

"I must insist. Please," he said, voice betraying a hint of desperation that seemed so out of character, it increased the gravity of the situation. "Things are not as they have appeared, and I have determined why. I believe this information will change your perception of our current situation."

Now she was curious, though resentfully so, and his earnestness won her over. "Let's hear it then," she said, leaning on the cabinet behind her.

"I tapped into the central communication database to track the many transmissions I sent to you during our time apart. It appears they were re-routed to the medical center staff instead of delivered to your patient inbox. Am I correct in assuming that none of my messages were relayed to you verbally?"

Vel shook her head, partially to indicate her answer and partially in an attempt to rattle her brain into sorting all of this out. She was reeling at the information and what it could mean, and was fortunately spared from speech.

"I surmised as much," Tech continued, his voice rising in volume. "Vel, I was forced to leave during your slumber, therefore I immediately dispatched a transmission to you when we left." He took a step closer, shifting uncomfortably on his feet yet keeping his amber eyes fixed on hers. "I continued to do so on a regular basis, after each mission. I determined it appropriate to share with you the revelations I received upon an analysis of my feelings and proceeded to do so in a variety of ways. You have been at the forefront of my thoughts, often invasively so, and I have anticipated with eagerness a time in which we would be reunited."

It took her a minute to translate it all... the admittance, the implications... the vulnerability. Her heart leapt into her throat as the realization dawned on her, and her assumptions built over the last number of months began to crumble. She was staggering beneath the weight of it all when Tech continued.

"I have attempted to contain, divert, or repress these thoughts, but it appears the emotional system will run its course regardless of mental prowess. In vain have I struggled, and it will not do. My feelings will not be repressed." As he finished, he mentally reviewed his speech and determined it was not the work of art he had hoped. 

"I don't know what to say," Vel said softly, rubbing her head with a hand. 

"I have three things, then," Tech responded in his irresistibly factual manner, "First of all, I would recommend you explore the reason behind the diversion of your communications, using this information." He stepped closer, pressing a data card into her hand before taking a step back and continuing, "Secondly, I encountered this blossom on Glee Anselm and thought of you; I hoped it would bring you delight in its unique ability to bloom for an entire year when kept submerged in water." He produced a small, clear sphere from his utility pouch, holding it up in front of her. The pale green blossom within it caught the light, and she felt a small smile creep onto her face at its delicate beauty. 

"It is almost a precise match to the color of your irises," Tech said, and she looked at him in wonder. 

"Everyone assumes my eyes are grey," Vel said, suddenly feeling as though she might cry.

"Assumptions are often inaccurate when investigated further," He continued, unfazed. "Thirdly, before I leave, I want you to know that I will respect any decision you make in regard to our further interactions. You may respond at your own convenience and comfort." He stepped closer to her, tilting his head amiably, and placed the flower sphere in her other hand before giving almost a slight bow as he turned and left.

Vel stood motionless, jaw slack and eyes wide. The sphere felt weightless in her hand, but the meaning it contained rested heavily on her mind. She had some reflecting to do. 

Author's Note -- Yes, I stole a couple lines from Pride and Prejudice. ;)

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[moragmacpherson]

Okay, now that I've watched it again, I have some feelings about Andor. Heavy spoilers ahead.

When it debuted, I have to admit: I was deeply annoyed. We knew exactly two things about Cassian's past. He was from Fest and he had been in this fight since he was six years old. And instantly, in the first episode, that one thing we knew, we discover, is a lie. He's from an even more obscure planet, Kenari, and unless he was a very overgrown five year old, he wasn't in any apparent struggle against the Empire when he was six years old.

After so many random retcons and deus ex machinas and "somehow, Palpatine returned"s, I was genuinely miffed. Cassian Andor was an entirely new canon character. How could he already need a retcon? We don't even know that much about Fest, what was the point?!

After the other D+ series, I honestly didn't have much faith in this one. And I definitely didn't believe they could justify this seemingly gratuitous rug-pull.

I was dead wrong.

Throughout the series, we watch everyone around him misjudge who Cassian Andor is. Skeen thinks Cassian is a true mercenary like himself. In all fairness: so do Luthen, Vel, Cinta, and Kleya. Even more laughably, the Empire convinces itself that Cassian Andor is some kind of Rebel mastermind, maybe not the 'axis' they're looking for, but clearly vital to the operations of the entire Rebellion.

And we, the audience, believed that Cassian Andor is a hardened rebel spy, willing to sacrifice everything for the cause.

We were wrong too. The audience can be wrong, and we were.

Instead, we meet Cassian Andor, a man who loves and cares maybe a little too easily, and does a piss poor job of keeping his guard up to stop himself from loving and caring for more people. He's a man who cannot bring himself to say goodbye or let go of the people he cares for. He holds onto Nemik's manifesto. He would have gone back for Kino. He goes to check on his mother and Bee and Bix every damn time.

Was the audience wrong about him to the point where we were fooled by the title? That we all believed he was that Andor, while in reality it was Maarva the whole time? Is that theme song her funeral march, or the one that will never be played for him?

There's certainly an argument to be made there. Because while Maarva was sparking that rebellion we all believed Cassian had dedicated his life to, he was just using it so that he could rescue Bix from the hotel.

If Cassian wasn't the Andor of the title this season, he will be next season. He's done running. He's taking up the mantle Maarva held up for him, being the force for good she knows he can be. Luthen had him pegged from their first meeting: "You and I both know you're going to wind up dying fighting these bastards."

At their last meeting, Luthen says Cassian is a hard man to kill, and Cassian replies that he's going to make it easy. Seemingly offering Luthen a choice to either kill him or bring him in. But it's not. Either way, he's choosing death. Cassian knows he will die fighting these bastards.

But to keep the people he loves safe, he'll do it.

And at the end, he'll be with someone he loves. She won't be safe in his arms, but he'll hold her all the same. He doesn't know how to let go.

How am I supposed to know all of this and feel anything other than unwell?

[the-grand-av3]

for val and vel: have you ever tried indirectly suggesting to al about vox's obsession/crush and if so how the fuck does he still not know

Trust me, we have~

he has the same density as the earth jfc

here look at our attempts of trying to convince him of voxs crush

Hey, Ally~

Ah, greetings! What have I done to earn a personal visit from the two of you in the kitchen at this late hour? I was just stirring up some jambalaya for Vox.

Wh

Why?

He said he was feeling ill, of course!

...

...

He's a TV.

Doesn't spare him from the common flu.

he doesnt have the nasal shit for that

Doesn't spare him from oral intake. Now, don't bother me, I have to treat him.

Did-- Did he ask you to take care of him?

Yes, he did. Poor soul, he was pale and stumbling all around.. i wonder what caused his sickness..

HE CANT GET SICK

Velvette! I expect more empathy from you.

HES GETTING YOU TO BABY HIM CUS HE WANTS YOU TO DICK HIM DOWN

Enough. I don't want to hear anymore of you two.

It's true though~ he has a big, fat, thick, erect crush on you~

Ah! Shhh.

ALASTOR YOU FUCKING

Ap-bup bup bup! Shhhhh

DONT TREAT ME LIKE A KID

Then stop acting like one. There are some leftovers for you two. I don't want to see you all acting up again.

See what we mean?~

so fucking stupid im losing my mind

[lunartearrose]

Oc kiss week 2024 day 4: Lost

Ocs: Vel (left) Xavier (right)

Series: cursebourne (ttrpg)

Drabble below! Tw: character death

What a terrible, terrible night to remember.

Vel and Xavier had settled down together with some tea, as they always did after a long day.

Something was wrong with it, from the moment it passed Vel's lips, they knew - but they couldn't warn Xavier in time not to drink it.

The assassins Vel once called their family descended on him like wolves. They pinned Vel down, forcing them to watch.

All in the sake of teaching Vel to “stay loyal”.

Loyal to what? The blood of the slain on their lips? The curse they were raised to strengthen until it was almost impossible to control?

Look at what it earned them. They wanted a monster so badly, and a monster they got.

Vel was forced to watch Xavier die. And his killers would be torn apart by the very beast they were so desperate to keep.

When the beast that was their curse was filled with the blood that had raised them, the world slowly began to filter back in. Their hand, still a claw, was clenched tightly. Something was in their grasp. Something small and roundish, that they felt the intense urge to hold as gently as they could, but still could not free from their grasp.

At times like this, Xavier would console them after a transformation - promise them it was okay, that he was there for them. And always in the bags he liked to carry, there was a fresh set of clothes in their size. They were a person to him - much more than a weapon.

But now… he lay dead, in the middle of the room. Torn apart. His sweet voice would never be heard again.

It was not the first time Vel had seen things this gutted. But this time, the first in a long, long time, Vel couldn't stop crying. They tore the sheets from his bed nearby, hurriedly wrapping his gaping, bloodied wounds, doing their best to slow the bleeding.

“Please… please wake up.” Vel knows their wish won't be granted.

But they so dearly, dearly wanted it.

“Please. I'll be so lost without you. Please…”

Xavier wouldn't speak. He wouldn't breathe.

Once upon a time, Xavier took some time to teach them to read. Letters and Storybooks at first, in whatever language he could scrounge from tattered stores and lucky finds. The one they remembered finding funny were the two that ended in princesses being awoken by kisses. They both made crude jokes about it, laughing together back then.

And in this painful, desperate moment, Vel wished this could be true. They scooped him up in their shaking, bloody hands, one still closed in an aching fist.

In this dying world of curses, and strange magic… maybe it could be.

Despite the part of them that never wanted to taste his blood again, Vel leaned in.

Any warmth had been lost to the frigid night air.

Nothing happened.

Again.

Nothing.

Again…

Vel doesn't know how long it's been. Time was lost on them. Someone opened the door. A maid squealed in shock. There was no thud, so they didn't faint. Vel hadn't looked up.

“Do you know who ordered the contract on him?” Vel asked quietly.

“I-i! No! Gods, no…” the maid exclaimed, “oh dear gods, poor Xavier… Velvet, dear, did you…?”

The piercing glare Vel gave scared her to silence. “I would never do this to him.” Vel replied.

At this, they stood, wrapping the blanket around Xavier.

“As the soul survivor and heir of Burning Dark, the funds of the fallen belong to me.” Vel explained to her. “You and your other workers. You take care of their rooms in this place, correct?”

“Y-yes- sir- ma'am- um…”

Vel finally pried open their hand. Pristine and beautiful, Xavier's left eye rested in their palm.

“Good. Clean them out. Any riches and objects of value are yours. I don't want them. All I ask in return is a good place to lay Xavier to rest. I want him to have as close to a king's resting place as I can get - preserved as much as possible. That's all. I will handle fixing him myself. I know how…”

The maid nodded, leaving in a hurry.

Vel got to work, sewing Xavier up and dressing him in his best clothes, the way he liked to dress. By the time they were done, he truly did look like he was just sleeping.

As taught to do with valuable kills, Vel preserved Xav's eye in a glass bottle, and hung it on a velvet rope around their neck.

Surprisingly, a different maid returned, handing them a map to an abandoned castle in the woods close by, asking if it were sufficient.

Memories blur. The last vel saw of xavier, they had gently placed him in that castle, surrounded by mourning flowers.

Despite their crusade, ever traveling and wandering aloof, bouquets from the maids would find them, haunting them for a good year.

Years pass.

Vel kills more bloodmongers. The lives of assassins are forfeit.

It's all in Xavier's name.

More time passes.

Vel prays not to forget, muttering stories of the man they loved. Telling them to bored kids looking for this strange knight's stories.

A town Vel once visited goes down in flames. Forever.

A necromancer's name on a growing lists of murderous targets.

Vel is captured by bloodmongers, chained away.

More years.

The curse craves blood. They sleep to ignore it. Their body morphs, straddling the edge of their manticore form. Large wings, spiked tail, sharp claws and features.

They lost their sense of self.

They cried, losing the memory of how Xavier looked beyond his purple eyes. They only know he had purple ones because of that charm.

A bloodmonger got too close because of the tears, despite the warnings his superiors gave.

How many years had it been since they lost him? Ten?

It's been a while since they've seen the apprentice bloodmonger that yapped to them endlessly. They hated that they missed it.

Sleep. Lose time. Eat bread. Crave blood.

Sleep. Dream.

Something is scratching at their cage.

A rat again?

A soft swear. The clink of something small and metal clattering to the floor.

No, not a rat.

Swearing, rattling now. Perhaps frustration?

Another loud bang. The smell of blood, a small, small amount. Foul blood. But something about it…

Vel woke up.

Across the way in dim light, something undead was fiddling with the locks and chains on the door. Their skin was a sickly greenish-teal, one leg was bone, and their hair was scraggly and grayed at the ends from decay, but well kept. A familiar style, if not altered slightly.

Most strikingly… they were definitely missing an eye.

The feeling of Vel moving their lips felt foreign. They almost didn't know how to speak anymore.

“What…”

The zombie glanced up, as the cell door clicked open. At last.

Staring back was a dead, but bright purple eye. Exactly like what they had with them.

And a familiar voice they thought they'd never hear again.

“Long time no see, Vel.” Xavier said, smiling nervously as he covered the hole in his face with his bangs. “I missed you.”

[boundlss]

"you're quiet today." (Veltempest)

"Oh, am I?"

It's still a dismissive answer, but it's not nearly as fake as he might have given to someone who wasn't Vel. There isn't, at least, the sudden appearance of a bright smile or the rapid shift in demeanor from contemplative to exuberant. Instead, the denial is ordinary.

He can't really tell Vel what he's thinking about, after all.

"... I've just been enjoying the sea breeze," Tempest provides, a lie only in the sense that he knows Vel is looking for more than what he's willing to give. Perhaps out of guilt, he doesn't turn to look at Vel just yet, eyes on the direction of Aiva, though it's no longer visible behind them. "I'm rather fond of the ocean myself, you know. What sense is there in wasting away the last few days we'll have free from fey madness below deck?"

He dares to sneak a glance at the pointed look Vel is undoubtedly giving him. It makes something in him soften a little---he pushes away from the railing of the ship to turn around, back to the water so he can properly face his...

My 'something'.

It's not really true, but the thought puts a soft smile on Tempest's face anyway. There's no harm in imagining, he supposes. No lines are crossed in thought.

"You shouldn't be so concerned about what's on my mind," he says, and finds that he actually means the lightheartedness he's attempting to convey. It always does seem like a much more difficult choice to face when he's left to his own. "I wouldn't say no to your company, though. I'll promise you it's nothing you need to worry about if you promise to let me use you as a distraction from it. You know how much I enjoy our little talks."

the thunder saga. / accepting. ( @spiterisen )

[niuttuc]

So I saw a post about this concept and thought it would make for a interesting ask. Magical damage, like a necromancers fingers slowly turning black and losing sensation or a wizard with lighting bolt scares across their arms. What dose it look like when Arnoss, Zarunpel, Sezashi and Dancing-Hands push their magic beyond what their bodies can handle?

I find this question funny because of all my characters you could have picked, those are probably the ones that can strain their magic the least! So instead, let's talk about why they don't really do that, and we'll touch on the question! But I do appreciate the effort of narrowing down your questions to some characters for the copy-paste when it comes to my inbox, it hasn't gone unnoticed.

Most of the magic for Arnoss and Zarunpel is passive.

Zarunpel's "blessing" from the Wilds might not even function under the same rules as traditional magic, it follows more narrative rules. It affects her body and hair in many ways, but when it comes to the limits of it, it often is more about what would make a better story. She's stronger than someone that looks like her should be, but depending on what she has to do, the exact degree to which this is true varies. As long as it's somewhat reasonable, in important situations she's often just strong enough or almost but not there, depending which tells a "better" story. Of course, she has no idea how that works.

As far as her spellcasting, it's mostly temporary protection spells, they're more likely to be cast too late or not last long enough than to hurt her when she overuses them. Which means she or whatever she's protecting gets hurt the way it otherwise would have been. When the Urborg panther living in her shadow gets "killed" or banished in some ways, Zarunpel can also be left without a shadow for a time while Vel reconstitutes.

Similarly, Arnoss's magic is mostly passive buffing and reinforcing his scales, when it is overstrained, he gets hurt the normal way. However, it also depends on how many people need and want his help nearby, and in some cases that can be overwhelming to feel during major disasters in populated areas. So many people needing help and he can't help all of them. And he's found that when he tries to help all of them in a city when it's not a disaster, he exhausts himself going from one to the other for hours and days, there's always something in large population centers.

Sezashi has a hard cap on the number of spells he can maintain at once, at four, represented by the floaty objects that orbit him. While some are harder to maintain than others (maintaining multiple charges of the same nature on someone else requires concentration and effort), the failure point is usually just that one or multiple of the spells slip and come back to him, and he probably isn't in a state to reuse them just yet. With that said, premature failure of magic that can manipulate sizes and create duplicates is generally not a good idea, plenty of unfortunate timings possible. Also duplicates that are ended in this way don't fuse back as cleanly to the original, which certainly causes headache and can cause the loss of memories the duplicate had.

Dancing-Hands's innate telekinesis can be overpowered or overwhelmed, but it's very difficult, and it generally doesn't strain the kitsune much to use. Using it on non-physical things is more relevant here. It only works on nonliving elements. Using it on eldrazis, even scions and briefly, made him feel sick and gave him headaches, and he couldn't sustain it for more than a few seconds. He rediscovered how to use it on magical effects not too long ago, and that has taken a lot more out of him, and could potentially replicate or redirect harmful effects to him if he's not careful. The telekinesis itself is invisible if not for its effects.

As far as his Kanji magic, well, he typically only uses ink, and on paper, but much more powerful and dangerous opportunities are possible when this type of magic is used with blood (or other living material) and on living tissue. Be it using his paper blade on himself or drawing with his own blood on paper, the result would be white paper and fur marred in reds. It's not something he'd ever want to do, but in theory, it's possible.

[voxiiferous]

VOXVAL KIDS WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT THIS. At least one of them? AND/OR VoxTello kid??? - @e-m-p-error

If they had a kid... | @e-m-p-error

Vox/Val

Name: Cristobal

Gender: Male

General Appearance: When they were born, Cristobal and Vidal were identical. They aren't as adults. Both of them look more like Valentino, with his more moth-like form. Cris has Vox's eyes; red, with pupils. His wings aren't moth like, but they do glow as if illuminated! Same with what seem to be permanent lichtenberg figures up his neck, onto his cheek. Before he and Vidal's relationship collapsed, they got piercing's together, Cristobal got his eyebrow.

Personality: Cris is a perfect heir to Vogitek-- he's well spoken, with a natural talent for appearing in front of the cameras. He has an ease with words that makes even the most devout contrarians fall in line. Though he is a bit of a playboy, and has been a frequent figure in the tabloids since he was a teenager!

Special Talents: Cris doesn't have Vox's innate skill with technology, but he's got a way with people that Vox had to learn and practice in a mirror. His ability to capture attention and opinion may be in part to his inheritance of some of Val's powers.

Who they like better: Vox

Who they take after more: Vox

Personal Head canon: Cris and Vidal were born to save their parent's relationship, and it worked. Sort of. For a few years it did! But his strongest memories of being a child are being sent to spend time with their 'Auntie Vel', or having Hellaina mind them at work. He blames Valentino for the tumultuous childhood, and has never really forgiven him. This choosing of sides is something that split he and Vidal's relationship.

Face Claim: This picrew

Name: Vidal

Gender: male... but his adherence to gender is sort of dependant on day.

General Appearance: Once identical to Cris (well, save Vi's pupil-less eyes!), the twins have grown apart physically. Vi still looks more like Valentino than Vox, with flowing wings that look more mechanical than moth-like, but he only has one antenna. He's the slightly shorter twin, both are taller than Vox, but are shorter than Valentino. Vi's piercing is his nose.

Personality: Vi is outwardly quite docile, or at least calm. Where Cris is posing and flattering every camera and commenter, Vi is more likely to be on the sidelines. During his teenage years he spends a while playing fashion model for Velvette, especially when Vox and Valentino get into fights. Of the two, he's more likely to use drugs.

Special Talents: Vi inherits less of Vox's skill with technology than Vox, and more of Valentino's. Where Cris takes over the Vogitek business aspects, Cris is the true artistic one between the twins, though his projects tend to be less lascivious or amusing than either parent's! He is master of the arthouse and auteur creation.

Who they like better: Valentino

Who they take after more: Valentino

Personal Head canon: The glasses are prescription! He chooses the same heart shape as Val, and has a pair of prescription sunglasses to match. Also, he's the person that would end up with an older man-- potentially someone like Seviathan or Sir Pentious.

Face Claim: This picrew

Vox/Tello

Name: Carlotta 'Lottie'

Gender: Female

General Appearance: Visually, Lottie takes after Ostello, more than Vox, to an upteenth degree! She has his same pale fur with blue accents. Her ears, the area around her eyes, and a handful of other body details are black, but her hair is brown, much like Vox's was in life, and her eyes are blue, that are, depending on lighting, the same as her spots! (Incidentally, it's the same colour as Vox's blue).

Personality: Lottie was born, all things considered, not long after Vox's Fall, and spent her entire life around show-business, she's seen each in and out and dirty secret by the time she was old enough to really realize how much of it is made up for the screens. She's a lot like Vox was as a child-- quiet, inventive, more time spent reading books to get ahead than socializing with peers. As an adult, she ends up working behind the cameras as Vox's company. Originally as backstage tech, and later as an engineer.

Special Talents: Lottie takes after Ostello in terms of singing, but she tends to be shyer with it.

Who they like better: Both, but when Tello starts to fall for Val, she's still relatively young, and it drives a temporary wedge between them-- she's worried he's going to leave Vox.

Who they take after more: A pretty equal split of both.

Personal Head canon: Lottie's had glasses since she was a toddler, and has a shockingly good poker-face! The consequences of having two performers as parents.

Face Claim: This picrew

[jyndor]

Do you think they will still try to ‘fix’ Bix and Cassian’s romance? Idk why but feel they will do a damsel in distress trope with Bix and I personally hate it. I hate the way she has been treated in the show in general to be honest. She deserved so much more and if they try to reduce all the things she have been through as “she does that because she loves Cassian” I’ll be so pissed. Of course female characters can have love interests but when they exist just as a love interest or the writers use their suffering as a tool to deepen the male characters it’s just not nice… and at this point I feel that’s exactly what they are doing with Bix

anon I'm sorry I've been trying to answer this all day lol a potential spoiler from the trailer under the cut

no I do not think they will go full damsel in distress but I do think cassian will likely rescue bix - he's in that tunnel under the hotel in the trailer idk.

but that being said I am really not cool with how bix was treated this season. I know I know, that's the point, she would be victimized by fascism and okay coooool but there's a level of discretion that sometimes the show chooses to take when showing potentially re-traumatizing, triggering shit. I mean I've got my Problems with how clem was treated too but at least thank fuck we didn't see him be executed jfc.

but they zoomed in on bix's trauma. and ultimately she got tortured because she didn't want to give up her friend and ex.

but WHY bix? why choose one of the couple of major women of color characters in the show to be brutalized for the sake of the lead (a white Latino man)? and if you're gonna do it, why do we need to see it happening at all? thank GOD we didn't hear it, but we see the devastation in bix. we see how fucked up she looks.

I get that it's a reality, but it's a bit more than what other characters who have been harmed have been shown to go through.

as far as fixing their relationship, I hope the show resolves their issues.

obviously they love each other but it's clear at least to me they're over. like that was one of the points of timm being an idiot and misreading their relationship - to show just HOW over they really are in both their minds. but also it does take time to get over someone, especially when that person doesn't necessarily respect your boundaries or need for distance.

I want to see bix heal - not for cassian's story but for herself. I want to see her take an active role in the show. I don't know how true the rumors of a bix show are but im not sure how they could justify a bix show over a cinta and vel show right now given how little bix has done so far.

I want them to resolve their relationship issues and move on because I don't see how they can work things out at this point. and if she suffers for THAT lol that's cheap writing and I don't think these writers are cheap, even if they have made some missteps imo.

last thing: remember that this is a tragedy and very likely many of these characters are going to die so that the story can go on to the point where cassian has lost everything. there is a difference between that and fridging, which is gross and I hate LOL but I don't think we should expect most of the characters to live.

most of them will die. how and for what purpose is what matters most to me.

bix has sadly been the weakest link in the show which is a damn shame given how AMAZING adria arjona is and how much warmth and presence she brings on screen.

maybe she'll take her power back in some way.

[passionfell]

23. having a nightmare (veltempest)

Maybe it would be marginally more difficult to tell that something was wrong with Vel if Tempest wasn't right next to him in bed.

Or maybe it wouldn't; that's how far things have gone, recently. Tempest doesn't even have to look all that hard to figure out the smallest nuances of Vel's expressions. There's really nothing Vel can hide from him. He might have been less scared of that fact if it didn't mean the reverse was also true, but he's beginning to accept that he doesn't really mind that Vel can see every little shift in his expression.

(Not when Vel would never let anyone know what he saw there. Vel would probably take even a secret as insignificant as that to his grave.)

Before he can reconsider his own actions, Tempest reaches out, gently pushing a strand of Vel's hair out his his face. His hand stays where it is, though Vel's expression twitches again, and Tempest surmises that he really is having a nightmare. It probably wouldn't help anything to wake Vel abruptly, so he doesn't move from where he is, thumb swiping slowly back and forth against the side of Vel's head.

He's not sure what he's trying to do, really. To soothe him, maybe. To pretend that he's being any help at all. Frankly, he wouldn't blamne Vel for a nightmare on any day, but after the fight they've just been through...

(He'd woken from one too, with a quiet gasp for air, and had turned over to confirm Vel was still there. It's sort of funny; even in his dreams, even when his waking mind knows it's all too possible, he can't conjure up the image of Vel hurting him.)

The light of morning doesn't flicker in, so it must be fairly early in the night, by Miri's standards. But Vel's eyes flick open anyway, and Tempest pulls his hand back like he's been burned, replacing it where it had been before—clasped around his own folded legs. He doesn't look away, though, and Vel's eyes meet his.

Despite everything, Tempest pulls his face into a smile.

"Look who's finally up," he teases; it isn't often that he wakes sooner than Vel, after all. He doesn't address the nightmare. Part of him wonders if Vel can already tell that he knows. "You've slept through the whole day and gone into the night, I'm afraid. I didn't think you were capable!"

He feels like he can relax, now that Vel is awake. He doesn't have to be worried about what might be happening in Vel's dreams, at least—and he always feels better when he has Vel to talk to, anyway. He stretches his legs out, arms falling to his sides in a more leisurely position. "Kidding. I doubt it's been more than eight hours at the very most; everyone else is probably still sleeping. I thought about taking a walk, but I didn't want you to wake up without knowing where I'd gone. Care to join me?"

spotted! / accepting.

[once-vel]

more zakri fun facts. because i want to and i can

his qou body's hair has been like. very specifically and intricately designed to be as easy to take care of as possible. probably had kelzil's help with it. this is the only way i can justify giving him such long hair because there is no fucking way he would be able to take care of that much hair under any normal circumstances. even so, unnamed kiv probably helps with it a lot

his larval form definitely had significantly shorter hair (a bit past shoulder length at most). often keeps it in a ponytail, braid, etc. realistically he would have it cut very short for manageability but i like drawing his hair, so. alt!zakri's hair is also significantly shorter, though he just wears it loose

fidgets with his hair a lot. this isn't indicative of anything, it's just there and he does it without thinking. unnamed kiv likes to play with it, which zakri, surprisingly, doesn't mind (he actually enjoys it highly but will not admit it because he is zakri. unnamed kiv is very aware of this because he's bad at hiding it)

he had glasses or whatever the obesk equivalent to glasses were in his larval form

larval form had a ton of freckles/markings/etc scattered across his armor. i haven't quite decided what they look like but i think it would be fun to take inspiration from real bugs with markings on their shells for this. qou body also has a lot of freckles, but not as many

despite his grouchy persona he is also a vel through and through and is an incredibly very mischievous little bastard

the extra things on his face are eyes! i mention this one here and there i think but i'm adding it here for fun. he can't see out of them very well though, so they're mostly for decoration. they can have pupils i just can't be bothered to draw them

his freckles on his qou body glow a little tiny bit. not very much but. a little bit. i mainly draw them pink but sometimes i like to throw other colors in there for fun

if you're too nice to him he'll get like. visibly lightheaded. he will deny this happened afterward

pain tolerance is miserably bad. despite this, he has not turned off true pain in his qou body

he has like. obesk adhd. this is not on purpose and is more because i have adhd and it would take more work to write a character that doesn't have adhd

a lot of his qou body was made with kelzil's help. mostly because kelzil judged his qou body craftsmanship really bad and zakri went "ok fuck you fix the problems yourself if they annoy you so bad" and then they did

has a twitch (stolen directly from myself). claims it's a problem with his qou body, but he had it when he was larval too. kelzil and unnamed kiv both know this, but neither say anything. ranges from a mild hand or receptor twitch to entirely freezing up for a second and almost falling over. one time unnamed kiv said it was cute which he responded to with an insult but he did think about it for a very long time

loves coffee simulacrums

can be bribed very easily, the amount of shit you can get him to do if you offer him a treat is very high. kelzil uses this to their advantage often. he will always realize he is being bribed and he will complain the whole time but he'll still do it

voice isn't notably low or high and is quiet and monotone. has a mild tendency to trip over his words. has an odd metallic edge/generally synthetic sound post ascension. this isn't a super accurate comparison, but think a well tuned utau voicebank or an old vocaloid voicebank

will swear at things that annoy him, such as walls after he walks into them, or formerly, his own coat after he tripped on.

good at talking for a long time straight without realizing it, if you let him. unless he has a lot of thoughts on the topic at hand he'll probably get very off topic though. solid chance he will forget you're there

often wears like, 2 inch heels because otherwise his coat is just long enough that he will constantly trip over it

[despiour]

@lathsuledin liked this for a one-liner.

Nethra moved in on Vel from across the room, his arms folded across his chest. He wore a subtle smile as he spoke. “I heard you were looking for me.” 

[boundlss]

[ rain ] (veltempest)

"Fancy meeting you here."

He doesn't speak until he's actually reached Vel, though he's been close enough to see the slight upturn of Vel's lips sooner than that. Sooner still had Auri caught sight of the back-and-forth of Vel's sopping tail through the crack in the bench and smiled himself (though, really, he hadn't stopped since setting out).

He takes his seat next to Vel, pressed up against him. Vel turns to him, and the natural course of things plays out as it usually does in dryer conditions; they kiss without needing to even understand eachother. A greeting as much as it is a grand, romantic gesture. As Auri reaches up to hold Vel's face in his hands, he thinks about how lucky he is to be here.

(Vel delivers his succinct reply when they part. Like always.)

He looks beautiful in the rain-soaked nighttime. Auri almost considers it unfair that it works so well on him, but the keyword is almost; he's too busy relishing in the sight himself.

"What a beautiful sight," Auri says with calm cheer, not bothering to disguise the fact that he isn't talking about the city in the rain, even if that's also true. "You should have invited me to tag along earlier."

Not that Vel had asked him anyway. Bemused, Tempest finally turns his gaze out towards the street, though he doesn't place himself any further from Vel when he does. Instead, as though to cheekily keep Vel with him, he reaches out for Vel's hand.

(And smiles wider when Vel allows it.)

kisses. / accepting.