#made myself laugh with some of this XD

[blackjackkent]

Oho, the Emperor speaks up near the Elfsong if you haven't been to its hideout yet.

Poor Rakha cannot walk a straight line to anywhere without getting interrupted.

Given that she's feeling all mixed up about the Emperor rn, and Lae'zel's rescue is by far the top-of-mind priority for her, I'm going to have her stash this idea aside to revisit later, and continue on to Candlehallows.

It's a pretty nondescript-looking little shop. Rakha definitely wouldn't have been giving it a second thought if it weren't for the notes she found in Alexander Rainforest's basement.

Rakha and co. stake the place out for a bit, watching to see if they see any of the doppelgangers Rainforest mentioned. But there's no sign of activity, and in fact the place seems completely deserted.

(A/N: I still have no idea why this is in the mailbox of this building:

)

Rakha is no particular dab hand at lockpicking, and it takes considerable doing to manage to get the door of the place open without the attention of the guards. (By which I mean this took several reloads. I s2g the locals are more jumpy now than they were when I was here with Hector. But we got there in the end.)

There's nothing terribly Bhaalist at first glance about the little shop. It seems, in fact, tremendously pedestrian, albeit covered with a layer of dust from lack of use.

Everyone promptly biffs the perception check in the shop's back room (I'm not sure I've ever had a person pass it?), but Rakha performs a methodical investigation of the whole place and eventually comes across a sheet of paper laying on one of the desks.

Tribunal. Rakha recognizes the word. She fishes the by now very crumpled parchment with the murder list out of her pocket and squints at it.

Those wishing to face the Dread Lord's Tribunal and enter the Temple of Bhaal (it says at the top) must slay the targets on this list and frame the corpses as a murder by the cult of the Absolute. Bring the victim's hand as proof of the killing. Walk in blood, Aspirant.

"This is the entrance to the Tribunal, then," she says slowly, parsing this out. "The place where the red-dressed dwarf was trying to get, by killing Lorgan."

Wyll smiles faintly. "I guess that explains the doppelgangers going in and out. If we're to do the same, they want us to be carrying someone's... hand." He squints at the paper with distaste. "Don't think we have one of those."

"We have the child of their god," Minthara says dryly. "One would think even a doppelganger might consider that sufficient passage."

Jaheira shoots her a narrow look sideways. "Indeed," she agrees. "But it matters not, regardless. We are not here to make friends, and certainly not to impress their Tribunal. We are here to learn the location of their temple, and I see no reason we should do it in a way that pleases them in the process."

She tilts her head. "Unless - Minsc, you too were with us when we battled Sarevok, so long ago. Perhaps you remember the way to the Temple of Bhaal, when I do not?"

Minsc, who has been examining the aforementioned selection of tongs with great interest, looks up at the sound of his name. "The Temple of Bhaal?" he says brightly. "Yes, Boo and Minsc remember it well, and Minsc remembers the way as clearly as if there were not a century of stone in the way." He lifts his chin proudly. "Down."

The others all stare at him for a moment, and then Wyll chokes on a soft laugh which he makes an unsuccessful attempt to hide behind one fist. "Well, glad we got that cleared up," he says. "Meanwhile, I suppose we'd better figure out what this note means." He peers over Rakha's shoulder again. "Let death be your guide," he says. "What do you suppose--"

"Behind the painting," Rakha says absently. Then she stops abruptly, and her eyes widen - because she had not even noticed the painting of a skull on the wall when she came in. The words were automatic, instinctive, not even requiring thought.

But there is indeed a button behind the painting.

Rakha, despite being visibly unsettled by this sequence of events, nevertheless pushes a fist against the button without hesitation; the bookcase behind her slides aside soundlessly at once, revealing a door behind - on which is painted in blood-red (or perhaps simply in blood) the symbol of the Absolute.

Narrator: The locked door has red text on it reading, 'All are awaited, all are embraced, none shall escape.'

[HISTORY] That text is vaguely familiar - try to recall its historical source.

Narrator: That phrase is Bhaalist. This place has some connection to Orin and her cult of killers. You should learn more about them.

(A/N: LMAO. What an anticlimax. I forgot this door is passcoded. Hector received the password in a note from Orin after killing Gortash, but Gortash is still alive for Rakha, so we will have to get the passcode by other means - specifically, by following the murder investigation questline all the way to the end. Which will be fun, tbh, because I definitely skipped like half of it on my past playthrough. For now... I suppose Rakha just stares at the door irritably and then punches it and walks out again. XD )

[longagoitwastuesday]

Going through the Utahim.e tag had me checking several times if at some point I had clicked on the G.ojo/Utahim.e one instead

[kuiinncedes]

zbxhdhdh

[kyri45]

Not me abusing the asks to both share my love for the bioparents AU AND rant about the panels because none of my friends are in the LMK fandom and I'm suffering here so TAKE MY LOVE AND APPRECIATION ABOUT YOUR ART I guess x)

So first of all

I am a SUCKER for that kind of leaning in frames I'm going to print that and plaster it on my wall THEY ARE EVERYTHING /hj

I almost jumped of my chair when this one popped up YOU FED US GOOD its so worth the angst train incoming. Of course the panels before and after were equally as amazing but if I start going about every single panel we're still here in three days AT THE VERY LEAST LOL

Of course this one made me laugh like please their little faces

Using that to point out how much I love ALLLLLLL the silly faces you put in your comics I'm munching on them every single time they're crushy like chips or something just. Nom nom. Yummy.

Poor Nesha (Nesha? Nezha? Neja? I have no idea on how to write his name I already forgor LMAO) needs to be payed more. He tries to save MK and ends up dealing with two lovesick teenagers demons who have no concept of time/place/occasion apparently. Poor him. He gets a pat on the head for his troubles

And of course just the "NOPE I'M KEEPING HIM" mode and honestly we should have seen it coming- Red son was planning to courtnap him and didn't sleep in the past 5 days so he's not having any bullshit YOU'RE NOT TAKING HIS NOODLE BOY AWAY-

Could bet he spent so long thinking about the cournapping in the 5 past days his brain just cannot process that yeah maybe you need to let him down you're just going to drag him in more troubles- Either that or he's just going full protective mode. Both options are good anyways sooooo :)

We stan a protective boyfriend in this house.

---

And finally I'm SOOOOO hyped about whatever is coming next like I know that technically we're supposed to suffer but please I climbed up the angst train so many times now I'm just enjoying it by that point lol. It'll just make the following fluff even more worth it

Also I cannot wait to see MK's plan about the contract I'm so curious I'm dying I love you boys but I really want the plot to progress you can go back to kissing later lol

Finally, thank you for creating this AU. It's stumbling randomly upon it on my tik tok fyp that dragged me into watching Lego Monkie Kid and really THANK YOU FOR THAT. It's such an amazing show I CANNOT BELIEVE I didn't discovered it sooner so really thank for having created this comic because else I could have missed LMK and that would be just saaaad

Fun fact: since I had never interacted with LMK the first time I read your comic, I for some reason thought Macaque was a female (and I probably would have thought the same of Wukong if he wasn't called... well, Wukong because I randomly stumbled upon the myth's Wikipedia page at some point in my life XD). The shock I felt when I heard Macaque for the first time in the show because his voice was soooooo not what I expected x) I'm still laughing at myself to this day

So yeah, from the bottom of my heart, thank you, and I can't wait to see what you're going to pull next :D Wish you allllll the best <3

(I can totally wait, of course, it's just a figure of speech. Take your time, I could wait forever for the next chapter)

ahaha thank you for such a lovely comment!! Glad the scene gived "MINE" vibes as I was planning ahah.

Youu're welcome! It's an honor to serve this fandom. *bows*

[moon-lit-petal]

From Chaos to Comfort Pt1

George Weasley x Fem!Hufflepuff!Reader

Summery: George becomes acutely awear that sometimes, people aren't the biggest fans of his and Freds pranks.

Warning: enemies to lovers(?) George fell hard and fast. I tried to do a slow burn but you can tell I gave up lol. Also, Y/N is a little mean to George Ngl

Word count: 2.5k

Notes: I have almost 12k words written already xD But after my 5k Neville fic, I figured I'd take this one a little slower and give myself time to proofread and make adjustments, for now? Chapter One!!also georges face in this Gif omfg

Part 2 Part 3 Part 4

----------------------------------------

The quiet halls of Hogwarts were where Y/N felt most at ease—especially in the dimly lit corners of the library or the serene grounds at night, where the only sounds were the wind rustling through the trees or the occasional hoot of an owl. As a reserved Hufflepuff, she preferred these moments of tranquility, keeping out of the spotlight and far from the bustling excitement that so often dominated the school.

Unfortunately for her, Fred and George Weasley didn’t share her preference for peace and quiet. In fact, their favorite hobby seemed to be drawing attention to those who tried to hide from it—particularly Y/N.

On this particular evening, Y/N had settled down in the library with a stack of books, hoping to get some quiet reading done before the day ended. The library had a hushed atmosphere, with only the occasional whisper or the soft turning of pages to disturb the stillness.

But that all changed in an instant.

One by one, the books she had carefully chosen began to glow faintly before bursting into song—loud, off-key, and echoing through the entire library. It started with the first book in her stack, a thick volume of Transfiguration spells, which suddenly belted out a shrill tune:

"♬ I’m a magical tome, filled with spells and rhymes, cast a charm on me, and I'll sing for all times! ♬"

The next book joined in, followed by another, until her entire pile of books formed a chorus. Y/N could feel the eyes of everyone in the library turning toward her as the cacophony grew louder and louder. Laughter rippled through the students around her, and even Madam Pince, the strict librarian, seemed too flustered to immediately react.

Y/N's face flushed a deep red as she frantically tried to shut the books, but they wouldn't stop singing no matter how many times she slammed them shut. The laughter and whispers grew louder with each failed attempt. Her humiliation only deepened when she spotted the identical grins of Fred and George Weasley from across the library, clearly enjoying their handiwork.

That was the last straw. Furiously shoving the singing books into her bag, Y/N stormed out of the library, her cheeks burning with embarrassment. She could still hear the faint echoes of the enchanted books singing behind her as she hurried through the corridors, ignoring the amused glances and hushed snickers from passing students.

"I swear, I’m never speaking to either of them again," she muttered to herself, her fists clenched in anger. She couldn't even tell Fred and George apart half the time, which only made it worse. It was easier to avoid them both altogether, and that's exactly what she intended to do.

But deep down, a part of her wondered if it would be that simple. After all, it was Fred and George Weasley—masters of mischief. Avoiding them might prove to be an impossible task.

----------

In the days following the library prank, George couldn’t shake the memory of Y/N’s reaction. While Fred had laughed it off, pleased with how the prank had turned out, George had noticed something different—something that stuck with him more than he expected. He had seen the hurt flash across Y/N’s face, the way her cheeks flushed, not just with anger, but with humiliation.

At first, he tried to brush it off. Pranks were what he and Fred did. They brought laughter, lightened the mood, and sometimes, yes, embarrassed a few people in the process. It was all in good fun, wasn’t it? But George couldn't quite convince himself this time. For some reason, the image of Y/N storming out of the library, her fists clenched in frustration, kept playing in his mind.

Fred, on the other hand, barely gave it another thought, moving on to plotting their next grand joke. George, though, found himself paying more attention to Y/N in the days that followed. It wasn’t something he did consciously at first. He’d catch a glimpse of her in the corridors, her head down, her pace quick, always avoiding eye contact with others. In the Great Hall, she often sat at the very edge of the Hufflepuff table, picking at her food while quietly observing the lively chatter around her, as if she were a part of the scene but always apart from it.

The more George noticed her, the more his curiosity grew. Why did she keep to herself so much? Why did she seem to go out of her way to avoid people—even more so after their prank in the library? And why, of all things, did her quietness intrigue him?

During one particular afternoon in the library, George found himself sitting a few tables away from Y/N. She was engrossed in a thick book, her brows furrowed in concentration. He watched as she absentmindedly twirled a strand of hair around her finger, completely absorbed in whatever she was reading. There was something peaceful about her in those moments—a calmness that contrasted sharply with the chaos of his own life.

Fred, of course, remained blissfully unaware of George's growing fascination. He saw Y/N as just another target for their pranks, and to him, the twins’ antics were a way of livening up the mundane routines of school life. But George found himself torn. The more he observed Y/N, the more he realized that there was something about her that went beyond the surface—something he admired. She didn’t seek attention, didn’t thrive in the spotlight like so many others did. She seemed content in her own little world, even if that world often seemed lonely.

But Y/N, still furious about the library prank, had no interest in any of the Weasleys—least of all George, who she still couldn’t distinguish from Fred. As far as she was concerned, the twins were a package deal of trouble and mischief, and the less time she spent around them, the better. Whenever she caught sight of George, she would quickly turn the other way or disappear down a different corridor, determined to avoid them both at all costs.

George, however, wasn’t ready to give up just yet. The more Y/N distanced herself from him, the more he found himself wanting to understand her, to know what lay beneath that quiet exterior. Maybe it was guilt, maybe it was curiosity, or maybe—just maybe—it was something more.

----------

The days at Hogwarts had grown increasingly tense for Y/N. No matter how hard she tried, it seemed impossible to escape the pranks that followed her like a shadow—pranks she was certain came from both Weasley twins. Whether it was her quill turning into a puff of glitter mid-essay or her robes suddenly sprouting a cascade of flowers, Y/N felt like a constant target. Every laugh that echoed in the hallways after a prank only deepened her frustration.

And George, always nearby—watching her, noticing her—was no exception in her mind. She never saw him without assuming he was plotting alongside Fred. Every time he appeared, she would tense up, bracing for whatever prank they’d cooked up next. To Y/N, they were the same—partners in crime who found amusement in humiliating others, especially her.

Unbeknownst to Y/N, George had slowly started pulling away from the pranks, his growing guilt making it harder to join in on Fred’s antics. He had tried to distance himself, letting Fred take the lead while he hung back, watching Y/N more than participating in the mischief. But to Y/N, it didn’t matter. She saw him as guilty by association, and every time she spotted him, her resentment flared.

The tension between them simmered under the surface, waiting to boil over. That moment came one afternoon when Y/N, in a hurry to get to her next class, rounded a corner and collided with someone—George.

The impact was sudden, and Y/N’s heart leapt into her throat. Her body tensed, and she flinched instinctively, taking a step back as if expecting an explosion of fireworks or an instant prank to follow. Her breath caught in her chest as she braced for whatever humiliation would come next.

But nothing happened.

George, equally surprised by the sudden collision, raised his hands in apology. “I’m sorry, I didn’t see—”

Before he could finish, he saw it—the way Y/N had recoiled at his touch, the way her eyes flickered with distrust, her whole body stiffening as if she were preparing for yet another prank. His stomach dropped at the realization.

“Y/N, I—” George began, but the words faltered. He could see the wariness in her expression, the way she avoided his gaze, the way her shoulders remained rigid, ready for disappointment. His chest tightened with a pang of guilt. She saw him as no different from Fred, no different from the pranks that had made her the center of unwanted attention.

Y/N didn’t give him a chance to explain. Without a word, she brushed past him, her shoulder grazing his as she hurried away, her head down.

George stood there for a moment, frozen in place, watching her retreating figure disappear down the corridor. Her reaction stung more than he’d expected. He hadn’t meant to scare her, hadn’t meant to make her feel like this. But how could he undo all the pranks that had come before, all the times she had flinched at the mere sight of him?

Fred’s voice echoed in his mind—“Come on, George, it’s all in good fun!”—but it no longer felt like fun to George. Not when he saw how deeply it had affected her. He clenched his fists, determined to show Y/N that he was different, that he wasn’t what she thought he was.

But for now, the tension between them lingered, thick and unspoken, a rift caused by misunderstandings and misidentification—one that George desperately wanted to bridge, even if Y/N wasn’t ready to see the difference yet.

----------

It was another dreary Monday morning in Potions, and the last thing Y/N wanted was to be paired with any of the Weasley twins. But, as fate would have it, Professor Snape announced the pairings, and her heart sank when she heard George’s name called alongside hers.

Y/N shot a glance at George, her lips pressed into a thin line. He walked over to her, offering a tentative smile. "Guess we're partners, huh?"

Y/N barely looked at him, focusing on gathering the ingredients from the shelf. "Looks that way."

George rubbed the back of his neck, sensing her reluctance. "Listen, I know you probably think I’m going to mess this up somehow, but I promise I’ll be serious about this. No pranks."

She finally turned to him, raising an eyebrow. “Is that supposed to be reassuring?”

George chuckled, trying to ease the tension. “Well, considering my track record, yes. I really do want to help.”

Y/N sighed and handed him a few ingredients. “Just don’t blow anything up, and we’ll be fine.”

As they started brewing, the conversation remained minimal, but George kept trying to break the silence.

“You know,” he said, stirring the cauldron, “I’m actually pretty good at Potions. Don’t tell Fred, though. He’ll never let me live it down.”

Y/N gave him a sidelong glance, clearly skeptical. “Right.”

“Seriously,” George said, trying to sound casual. “You’d be surprised.”

Y/N couldn’t help the small smirk that tugged at her lips, though she quickly hid it. “I’ll believe it when I see it.”

As the potion bubbled away, George continued to sneak glances at her, noticing the small expressions she tried to hide. There was more to her than her quiet demeanor, and it only fueled his curiosity.

“I’m not as bad as you think,” he said after a while, his tone more sincere this time.

Y/N didn’t respond immediately, focusing on measuring the next ingredient. “You still think this is all a game, don’t you? Even now.”

George’s smile faded, and for a moment, he looked unsure. “No,” he said quietly. “I really don’t.”

Y/N paused at his words, glancing at him again, this time with a hint of surprise. But before she could say anything more, the potion bubbled over, and they both scrambled to fix it, their brief moment of connection slipping away in the chaos.

----------

Later that week, Y/N was sitting in the library, trying to concentrate on her studies. The library was her refuge, a place where she could escape the noise and chaos of the school—and, more importantly, avoid the Weasley twins.

But just as she was getting lost in the words on the page, a familiar voice interrupted her thoughts.

“Mind if I sit here?”

She looked up, annoyed to see George standing there with an uncertain smile. “The library’s big enough,” she replied coolly. “I’m sure you can find another seat.”

George hesitated, but instead of leaving, he sat down across from her. “I wasn’t sure if you’d talk to me after Potions.”

Y/N scowled, clearly frustrated. “Did it ever occur to you that I don’t want to talk to you?”

“I figured as much,” George admitted, leaning back in his chair. “But I also figured it wouldn’t hurt to try.”

She huffed, focusing on her book again, though she wasn’t really reading. George’s presence was too distracting. He wasn’t like Fred. There was something quieter about him, something that made her defenses waver ever so slightly, though she hated admitting it.

After a few moments of silence, George spoke again. “I’m sorry for everything. I know Fred and I have caused a lot of trouble for you, and...well, you’re probably sick of hearing it, but I really didn’t mean to make things so awful.”

Y/N’s eyes flickered up to him, and she could tell from his expression that he was being sincere. But she wasn’t ready to forgive so easily.

“You think an apology will fix everything?” she asked, her voice sharp. “You and Fred don’t get it. You don’t care how it affects people, do you?”

George frowned, sitting up straighter. “That’s not true. I do care. Fred… well, he doesn’t think before he acts, but I see what it does to you. And I don’t like it.”

Y/N narrowed her eyes, skeptical but slightly softened by his words. “Then why haven’t you done anything to stop him?”

George hesitated, looking away for a moment. “I guess I didn’t realize how bad it was for you until recently. But I’m trying now. I’m not like that, I dont mean to be. I want to be better.”

Y/N’s expression softened, if only slightly, as she studied him. She could see the sincerity in his eyes, but she wasn’t ready to let her guard down yet.

“Then prove it,” she said, her voice quieter now. “Stop making excuses and prove you’re different.”

George met her gaze, determination flickering in his eyes. “I will.”

They sat there in silence for a few more moments, the tension between them palpable. Y/N finally returned to her book, and George didn’t push the conversation any further. But something had shifted between them—a tiny crack in the wall Y/N had built around herself, and George had noticed it too.

Part 2 Part 3 Part 4

[luimagines]

Honestly would be funny to see wind hitting puberty. Voice cracking and that kinda stuff. Scenarios like that would be fun!

Oh dear XD I hope I can come up with something good.

Masterlist

Content under the cut!

Wind yawned and stretched, running his hand over his face. While his hands had hardened over the course of his adventures and battles, it still managed to snag on something scratchy coming off of his chin.

A little more awake, he scratched it again. It was thin and pokey. Weird.

He tried to pull it but it seemed to be stuck on his face. the more he scratched and prodded, he could feel more of them at the base of his chin and jaw. They were small enough where they didn't quite bother him, but he could still feel them on his hands.

"Need a shave?" Time muttered from his side. Wind looked over to the man with a tilt to his head. Time had an amused smile on his face as he watched the younger boy fiddle with his new discovery.

Wind, still too tired to catch up to the context, yawned again and rubbed at his eyes. "I don't know how."

Time chuckled and stood up with a pat on his thighs, beckoning the young hero to follow him. "I'll teach you. Come on. I need a shave too."

Wind stood up and followed the man to a smaller clearing where they had put their items. time gathered a short brush, a bowl and what Wind recognized a straight edge blade.

Quietly, the two of them moved around their still waking up team member until Time set the items down. Carefully, he picked up the mirror shield and hung it on a tree. Within moments, Time had picked up the bowl and the brush, put something into the bowl with some water and mixed it all together. He had a nice thick foam afterwards.

Wind watched with great interest.

Time picked up the foam with the brush and put it on his face with practiced ease. He did so slowly, letting Wind watch so that he could do the same.

Time handed him the bowl. "Your turn."

"ThAnks." Wind froze and flushed, taking the bowl with a little more force that strictly necessary. Time snorted but didn't say anything.

Wind felt embarrassed and ashamed. Shouldn't he have more control over his voice? And in front of the Hero of Time of all people!

"Don't worry." Time took the blade and carefully slid it across his skin. "I did the same. Made a fool of myself in front of the love of my life more than once. Figured that I couldn't control it even if I wanted to. On the bright side, my lover laughed and smiled and it was better than any embarrassment that I felt in the moment. Corny, but true."

Wind realized that Time was sharing a bit of his past with him. Something he didn't do often even when the other boys asked. Wind started putting the foam on his face, hoping that it would cover his blush. "...Alright."

Time looked over to him, pointing out the places that he's missed with gentle guidance. "It won't last forever. No matter if it feels like it does."

Wind smiled a little easier.

Time cleaned up his face with the blade, running a hand full over his face and slinging a towel over his shoulder once he was done drying off the last of it. "Alright. Your turn. I'll show you how to hold the blade so you don't cut yourself. Remember to go slow."

Wind nodded and took the place of the older man. Time lowered the shield so Wind could see himself better.

"And remember that you're going to cut yourself at some point as well." Time added teasingly. "It's all part of the learning process."

Wind sighed, beginning to slowly copy the movements like Time did. "The others will make fun of me though if I do."

"I'll handle them if they do." Time winked.

At least Wind thought he did.

[fallingdownhell]

hi!! i really loved your reader drunk complimenting dumeru boys 😭❤️ i was wondering if you can make something similar but with diluc, xiao, thoma? you can add whoever else you want!

thank you in advance, if ever you come across this ask and accept my request! love your writing btw <3

Thank you so much!! I'm glad you enjoy my writing! And of course, I loved that request so much myself, glad to include some other characters in this now<3

Characters Included: Diluc; Xiao; Thoma

Content: gender neutral reader; drunk reader; established relationship; general fluffy content

Word count: 2k words

Imagine Reader's parts as drunken gibberish, I can't write that for the life of me xD

Diluc

Even though Diluc himself did not like drinking alcohol and rarely participated in it, he could understand your need for the occaisonal drink at his bar, especially when he noticed you approach after an particular stressful day at work.

He noticed your slumped way of walking, the sour expression on your face as you approached the bar at Angel's Share. Without a word, he turned and prepared your favourite drink for you, placing it in front of you with an understanding nod.

You thanked him and almost downed the drink entirely in one go. So it was that bad, huh?

Like always, he wanted to keep an eye on you the entire time, to ensure you wouldn't drink too much, but something came up and he had to leave the bartending to Charles on his own.

As he emerged from his office within the Angel's Share again after two hours had passed, he was surprised and concerned when he did not see you sitting at the bar anymore.

Alarmed, he was about to dash over to Charles to question him about your whereabouts, but then a shout ripped through the tavern, a voice he would recognise anywhere.

He turned to the source of the noise and found you sitting at one of the many tables in the tavern, surrounded by other people who were heavily drunk and singing along with the bards... just like you were.

Diluc turned again to look at Charles, who only spared him one apologetic look before he tended to other customers again.

"DILUC!"

The shout of his name brought him to turn his attention back to your drunken self, as you tried approaching him on your stumbling and unsafe legs. He caught you under your arms as you were about to fall right in front of him, but this only made you giggle more.

"Where have you been? You missed out on SOOO much fun!", you laughed and giggled while talking, raising your glass to your lips again to drink even more. But Diluc caught your hand before you could do so, gently taking the glass from your grip.

"I think you've had enough for the night, darling."

"No! I'm pracitcally sober! See?". You tried convincing him, but you were basically stumbling while only staying in one spot, so it wasn't exactly successful.

"Come on, it's time to get you to bed.", he said as he then gently picked you up, one hand supporting your upper body while his other arm was holding you under your legs.

You let out a surprised noise at the sudden motion, but soon started giggling again, wrapping your arms around his neck as Diluc carried you out the tavern and began the walk back to his mansion.

It was late at night already, but that didn't stop you from talking the entire time, commenting either about the time of day or what you were seeing upon your travels.

"WOW, did you see the shape of that bush?!"

"Has that flower always been there? ...Why is it staring at me?"

Diluc couldn't help but smile at your crazy talk. He wished he could see what you were seeing right now, but it's best if he didn't.

This carried on for a while, him carrying you like this while you commented on absolutely everything without pause, until suddenly, you slapped your hands against his cheeks, holding his face like that and making him look at you.

Surprised, he stopped walking, looking at you questioningly as you were practically staring him in the eyes, not saying anything.

"...What?", he asked after a few seconds of silence as you began squinting your eyes together.

"You have such a pretty face, you know that?", you suddenly said, before giggling again, letting go of Diluc's face again and hiding your own against his chest.

Meanwhile, Diluc had combusted into all the different shades of red at your compliment. His brain stopped working for a second at the unsuspected praise of his appearance.

When he tried nudging you, he noticed that you'd finally fallen asleep in his arms, looking peacefully unaware. Diluc sighed, placing a soft kiss to the top of your head, whispering "Sweet dreams" into your ear as he carried on his way, holding you tightly against his chest.

He knew you would feel the full force of your drinking tomorrow morning, but he would be there as well, to help and comfort you through it.

Xiao

He was still not too familiar with the customs of the humans, so he didn't think too much of it when you told him that you were going out for a few drinks with your friends.

He just nooded and wished you a good night with them while he would focus on his duties for the time you were going to be apart. Never would he have thought it would end like this..

The night has already progressed quite far, but there were still no signs of you coming back. And Xiao was slowly starting to get worried.

He hasn't heard anything from you at all. Normally, you would call his name and he would accompany you back home, to make sure you would arrive safe and sound.

But never before did it take you this long, you usually never stayed out this late.

So the fact that it happened now, made his mind spin with worry and a hundred different scenarios on what could have happened to you while he wasn't there to protect you.

As his thoughts kept wandering and getting worse by the second, he suddenly heard you... your voice... calling his name..

He was confused for only a second because your voice didn't sound as paniced like he had imagined it would, but that was quickly shoved to the back of his mind as he teleported to you.

To his surprise, he stood in the middle of a very crowded place, people all around him and shouting and singing very loudly with each other. Is this what you called a "tavern" earlier?

Xiao then looked around and spotted you not too long after. You were standing with your back turned to him, so he approached you, wanting to know why you called for him.

As he came closer, he noticed you standing with your group of friends. The closer he got, the better he began to understand what you were talking about.

"... so handsome! And his hair! Oh my god, his hair! It's so fluffly! Like, you wouldn't think it, but it's so..."

You were rambling, your friends laughing at your drunken monologue about your boyfriend, which made you pout.

"Hey! Don't laugh at me! It's true, Xiao is very handsome and loveable!"

Xiao froze in his tracks over hearing you say that. Was that why you called his name? Because you were gushing to your friends about him?

"Yeah, yeah, we know, (Name).", your friends were laughing and giggling even more at your pouting, to which you then decided to turn around to get another drink from the bar. Although those plans of your were long forgotten as you recognized the face of your boyfriend in the crowd.

"XIAO!", you screamed, a huge grin appearing on your face as you immediately ran towards him, startling the poor Adeptus even more. He was unsure how to react in this situation, but you just took care of that for him.

Jumping up into his arms, hugging your arms around his neck, you giggled as you burried your face into his neck. "What are you doing here?", you asked him after a minute, only now realizing how strange his presence here was.

"You.. called my name.", Xiao explained, a bit awkward since your friends were watching you two and he did not know how to handle you right now. You were acting so different than usual..

"I did? Really.. I don't remember..", you pondered, but moments later, it was already forgotten again as you hugged him again, giggling like a madman, continuing to mumble "Xiao.. Xiao.. my Xiao..", while you did so.

Xiao was blushing like crazy, and the best thing he knew to do right now was to escape this situation as soon as possible.

"I'll be taking her home now.", he said directed to your friends. Then, placing an arm around your back, he teleported you and himself back to his room at Wangshuu Inn, were he laid you down on the bed.

He would let you rest for now, but there were a lot of questions he needed you to answer tomorrow morning..

Thoma

Thoma himself did not drink often, but he also never stopped you from doing so, knowing that you liked to go out from time to time to have fun this way. And he always took care of you when you had a terrible hangover the next day.

You always felt guilty about it and he would tell you that he didn't mind it a bit, but it didn't help your conscious at all. Still, the next best opportunity you got, you would do it again.

It became somewhat of a routine that Thoma would look after you when you overdid it with the drinking again.

Like today...

It was only supposed to be two or three drinks with some friends at a bar, but it escalated when a certain Oni came into the picture, challenging you to a drinking game which you could not turn down.

Thoma tried his best in talking you out of it, but your pride got the better of you. And now, you were horribly drunk, your head resting on the bar counter as you giggled and laughed at absolutely nothing.

Your friends and other spectators were laughing at you, as well as the drunk Oni next to you, while Thoma was shaking his head. He did feel pity for you, because the hangover would be gruesome, but on the other hand, he did warn you and you refused to listen to him. It was your own fault...

Deciding that enough was enough, he went over to you, gently patting your back.

"Come on, (Name). It's time to go home now.", he said as he took one of your arms to place it over his shoulder, while his other arms wrapped around your back so he could help you walk better.

You were barely conscious at this point, only unintelligable noises leaving your lips, interrupted by the occaisonal giggle or laughter.

The people made room for the two of you as Thoma helped you to get outside, the fresh air hitting your face and you soon felt like you became a bit more clear in the head again.

Suddenly realizing that you were walking, you looked at the figure next to you through squinted eyes. You didn't recognize much, other than the fact that whoever that was, they were looking rather handsome..

"Heeyy.. you come here often?", you asked, the words managed to come out after a few attempts. The person next to you was silent for a few seconds, then you heard a chuckle from them.

"You could say that, yes.", they answered you, which satisfied you for now. You nodded, walking in silence for a bit, until a new realization hit you.

"Wait.. where are we going?"

"I'm taking you home. You had a bit too much to drink, (Name)."

You only nodded again, letting this strange person walk you back to your home without further resistance. Maybe, if you were more sober, you would have realized the hidden dangers in this if the person next to you would have been anyone else..

As soon as you were through the door of your home and your head hit your soft pillow, your lights went out instantly and you were snoring softly, sleeping like a rock.

With a sigh, but also a fond smile on his lips, Thoma looked at you and shook his head as he made sure to pull the blankets over your body, before he left for now to gather a few herbs and medicine to help your recovery later...

[zeondraws]

Ok, Fellas, so today was wild

I'm at Gamescom atm and a week before this I tried to make a small plan for myself. Mostly because I had gotten such a big interest for the game, I wanted to see if I can meet anyone at the event.

After having had a big hurdle while trying to reenter the business area, I was able to go back and meet someone from the Chinese Room (I met two today). Which was wild for me, didn't think with this sudden interest in the game that I was able to meet someone from the team who worked on the game so soon.

I told them how I struggle to find interests in most games since those usually don't speak to me, but Still Wakes The Deep suddenly caught my attention. Where I ended up researching a bunch to find hidden details or eastereggs, looking through the game files and replaying the game to further understand the story.

I only had a small window to ask a bunch of questions, I sadly couldn't ask silly questions like "Does Muir look like a Bagpipe?" or ask some Questions about Caz.

Before the meeting I asked people on the discord server if they wanted to know anything. So I tried to take the questions I had for the moment and get through them XD

I did tell them how there is a small community on tumblr/discord where we gather. And that I asked some folk for questions I should ask.

Ok these are big spoilers, at least some suprised me, quite a bunch if them are of course about Muir and Innes.

I hope I remember everything properly that he told me, I immediately wrote everything down on discord for the others to read, but figured making a tumblr post will be good as well.

Innes:

Quite a lot of people asked about the VA of Innes, apparently they forgot to include him in the credits which made them feel extremely bad, even apologising to them. I can definitely understand how that must feel, I think I'd melt away. They'd fix it in the next patch, I can't check if it's already fixed atm.

At the very end of our chat, while shaking hands, I asked if Innes is bald. And the answer was "*laughs* yes".

Now I clearly asked this one as a joke, because I found it funny to tell the others on discord, however I very much support luscious hair Innes that many are drawing.

Muir:

I explained to them how I've been researching some stuff in the game. And figured out, that Muir must've died around the time when Caz flooded the Forward Pontoon in Marine Control. So I asked if that's possible to be the time when it actually happend- and they did confirm this! I was surprised that I got that on point.

But I got some further details about this, apparently they wanted to showcase how Muir would've died there.

Basically, once Caz flooded the Forward Pontoon, you would've seen Muir outside loosing his grip out in the deck and getting crushed under debris.

Which was so painful for me to imagine, to see Muir outside, walking on his tendrils and suddenly not being able to keep his balance.

I tried illustrating how I roughly imagine this scene, it ain't perfect, but maybe it helps everyone to visualise it.

The Flooding shifted the entire rig and debris fell onto him.

To have some sense where everything is, Accommodation Roof (where you find Roy) is on the left side, if you look at the rig from the Derrick entrance. And Marine Control should be on the right side.

The thing is Marine Control is facing the ocean (if I remember correctly, I hope I do, I'm currently not home to check), so you couldn't take a look at the derick while Caz does the thing. Which basically made them remove this and hid Muir nearby the Derrick for players to find. And I told him how I replayed the game and saw Muir lay there with Innes, it was 6AM and I just sat there like O-O

Muir & Innes:

A burning question for many was, what their relationship is. And they told me it's more like a father son relationship, saying how Innes is very strict to Muir.

Muir is the younger one of the two and also likes to tease Innes a bunch (so the pipe thing is one of his many shenanigans he'd do)

Here we see a wild Muir in his natural habitat about to prank his friend (caught in 4k) (I almost died) (look at him plotting).

Now, I could not forget to mention that the fandom decided to ship Muir and Innes and wanted to see their reaction. They took it with a smile and just talked about their complex relationship again. Which I found cool to hear.

I sadly don't remember every small detail of the convo, since I wanted to make sure that I was able to ask all the questions people wrote on discord.

Brodie & Raffs:

This was a surprise to hear, which also made me very sad. Brodie was also like a father for Raffs, he knew his mother too.

And apparently Brodie was supposed to tell Raffs mother incase anything happened to him. So that she can feel better knowing Raffs died quickly and without much pain. Which is just... I'm in shambles. sobbing

Gibbo:

Some folk wanted to know if he had an actual model, to which the person answered with yes. They planned to show him at some point, but decided that the player should see Trots firstly.

I also randomly asked if the Gibbo model ingame was a part of Addairs model (judging by the game files), if I remember correctly he nodded.

I hope we get to see it in the artbook, I preordered it but forgor to tell him that. But it's okay.

I sadly don't remember everything here, I had to check discord for the questions (I hope I don't say anything wrong), but with Gibbo they focused more on the sound design and the mystery. And I think in the end it worked out perfectly.

Other:

They implanted a bunch of eastern eggs into the game, the art director even said he's still finding new ones to this day.

He mentioned the pictures shown in various areas and mentioned that he inserted pictures of his family and cousins etc.

Also the Kid inside the TV in the Crew Lounge? That's the Art Director as a kid! Whaaaaaaaa- Didn't know this one for sure.

And another random thing, I showed him the meme that @cazrig made. Because I inserted it inside my piece of fanart. I sadly couldn't show him more memes of the community because I forgor/no time. The memes Robin made are also comedy gold.

It was this one (I keep dying of laughter)

He found it very funny, so did the other person I showed it to.

But he also talked about how worried he was how the game would be perceived in the end. Since it came out extremely close to the release date of the new Elden Ring DLC. And having worked on it for so long they didn't know how the reactions would be.

But were positively surprised how well it was perceived, people playing the game, tears being shed and so on.

Okay that took me ages to write, I just wanted to have it all inside a tumblr post. Otherwise I may forget stuff if it's scattered on discord.

The event day turned out well for me today. I was so worried, that my tiny plan wouldn't work yesterday. But somehow I had some luck on my side.

After I got home I added his signature to my physical copy. I also made myself a small card with my artwork for it. I also gave them a small card and a big printed version of the fanart as well.

Thank you John!

I go sleep now, tomorrow is another gamescom day

[apollosgiftofprophecy]

The Copollogism Essays - Part 1: The Tent Scene

SO. Here we are. I have absolutely ascended to insane over two fictional characters' relationship by this point, and this will merely cement that into place.

I do not know how often I will update this, but rest assured I have it all figured out! I'll update with links below for easy access to the other posts as I analyze our favorite dumpsterfire ship >:3

Believe me when I say I have Thoughts™️

These essays will detail the scenes Apollo & Commodus have shared, as well as a look into how it affected them and we'll also take a look into where it stands in the toxic relationship territory (The answer may surprise you. Or not. I am not quite sure myself at this point in time LMAO).

Additionally, I will be giving my own thoughts on a few things I've noticed within the series. I will refrain from talking about my own personal headcanons and focus on what we're given in the books, as well as any and all historical facts from Commodus's life that relate to their lives/relationship.

From The Book: Part 1 (The Tent) ~ Part 2 (The Assassination) ~ Part 3 (Lester's Reaction) ~ Part 4 (Leo's Questions/Seeing Commodus Again) ~ Part 5 (The Arena) ~ Part 6 (The Waystation) ~ Part 7 (The Yacht) ~ Part 8 (The Final Moment)

Analysis: Part 1 (Apollo and Commodus as Individuals) ~ Part 2 (Toxic Relationship?) ~ Part 3 (Codependent - Or Is It?) ~ Part 4 (Other Thoughts)

Let us kick off with the infamous: Tent Scene.

The Tent Scene

All quotations from The Dark Prophecy

Let's break it down.

I could certainly sympathize with his feelings. Marcus Aurelius was the sternest, most powerful father in the world aside from my own father, Zeus. Both loved to lecture. Both loved to remind their offspring how lucky they were, how privileged, how far short they fell of their fathers’ expectations. And of course, both had gorgeous, talented, tragically underappreciated sons.

How their fathers treat them is certainly a focal point of their relationship, with Apollo knowing enough about Commodus's feelings on Marcus Aurelius to be willing to compare it to his own relationship with Zeus (which is...honestly worse than Commodus & Marcus's).

“My father made me his junior co-emperor when I was fifteen, Apollo. It’s stifling. All duty, all the time. Then he married me off to that horrid girl Bruttia Crispina. Who names their child Bruttia?”

We're told that Commodus has been co-emperor since he was 15 - certainly a young age by modern standards, but rather par for the course in Roman times. However, that does not mean the pressure of being co-emperor wouldn't be a lot on 15-18 year old Commodus.

He is a teenager, after all. And he is a teenager that is rather abhorred to responsibility.

I didn’t mean to laugh at the expense of his distant wife…but part of me was pleased when he talked badly about her. I wanted all his attention for myself.

Oh, Apollo sweetie...you have issues too XD

Wanting to keep your lover's attention to yourself? Yeah, sorry Apollo, but that's not a good sign. This just goes to show that they are both toxic influences, and they brought out the worst in each other.

“I’ll make peace with the barbarians,” he said immediately. “Then we’ll go home and celebrate with games. The best games, all the time. I’ll gather the most exotic animals in the world. I’ll fight them personally in the Colosseum—tigers, elephants, ostriches.” I laughed at that. “Ostriches? Have you ever even seen an ostrich?” “Oh, yes.” He got a wistful look in his eyes. “Amazing creatures. If you trained them to fight, perhaps designed some sort of armor for them, they would be incredible.” “You’re a handsome idiot.” I threw another grape, which bounced off his forehead. A brief flash of anger washed over his face.

Leaving this here for future reference but we WILL be coming back to it!!!! In a future post!!!!

I knew my sweet Commodus could have an ugly temper. He was a little too fond of slaughter. But what did I care? I was a god. I could speak to him in ways no one else dared.

Apollo is the ONE PERSON who is able to challenge Commodus. And from the previous passage, we can infer Commodus is not used to it, even though he is well aware Apollo is the one with all the power in this relationship - although, he sure does like forgetting about that detail a lot lmao

Commodus looked at me, panic in his eyes. “Go,” I said, as calmly as I could, forcing down my misgivings. “You will always have my blessings. You will do fine.”

A sweet thing I find in this section is; 1) Commodus looks to Apollo for comfort, for some sort of it will be fine; and 2) that Apollo is encouraging despite his misgivings. Apollo is aware what kind of leader Commodus could be. He knows there is a high chance of his lover becoming a worse version of himself.

In fact, he even admits it;

But I already suspected what would happen: the young man I knew and loved was about to be consumed by the emperor he would become.

But he tries to go the you have my support, you have my love route. Romantic, but ultimately, it's not enough to keep Commodus from the path he goes down.

into the mouth of the wolf, Apollo says. Because this is the last time he truly sees the man he loved.

The next time they meet? It will be a crazed, paranoid tyrant he has to end - and in doing so, breaks the promise he once made.

He rose and kissed me one last time. His breath smelled of grapes. Then he left the tent—walking, as the Romans would say, into the mouth of the wolf.

This whole, entire scene? It's drenched in a tragic aura. It starts out light and teasing, but it ends with this.

This is their final kiss. This is the final time they get to see each other without the barrier of betrayal between them.

And that, is truly heartbreaking.

[froidefille]

Day 18: a fic that makes you laugh

📚 The Superfluous Man by peu_a_peu

🎧 by @sweaters_in_the_summer, 2.5h

Draco/Harry, 24k, E

Summary:

A child for Harry Potter is a miracle of magic. And it's the second act of Draco Malfoy's sorry little life.

This fic is absolutely unhinged in the best way there is. It was written for this year’s @hd-tarot. It’s actually been recorded as a podfic BEFORE THE REVEAL, which made it a super interesting experience to try to put 2 and 2 together and figure out the author.  And it was my first time correctly guessing the anonymous work’s author! I was pretty proud of myself, I have to admit :D However, it was a bit easier for me because I was getting to know peu_a_peu’s classic Rookie Moves via SITS’ podfic. The flow of the narrative, the story structure and, which was the biggest tell – the humour, were so splendidly narrated! And when I started listening to the podfic I just thought of Draco and Harry in Paris being ridiculous 😂

The whole series of Twenty Cards has some excellent comedic moments. And then there is our The Superfluous Man. In which Harry gets pregnant with Draco’s baby. With a twist – they didn’t have sex xd *it’s magic* Then, understandably, Draco is a panicked father-to-be who travels to outlandish places with Luna Lovegood to gather some crazy ingredients for a nutty potion.

And it only gets curiouser as it goes on! I absolutely loved listening to the story unfold! As you know I listen to a lot of podfics, and lots of it while in public transportation. Well, the problem with this fic was that I could only listen to it at home because I would HOOT from laughter in regular intervals and was getting real suspicious looks on the train xd

Just have a look at names of parenting guide books Hermione is researching:

Male Mothering: The XY How-To What to Expect When You’re Exceptional  The Carrying Wizard Accio Village! Potioneer’s Guide to Conception and Gestation Vol. 2

Tag yourself, I’m Team #AccioVillage! 💜😂

Thank you for the delightful prompt @hprecfest and see you tomorrow!

Ps. Remember when I said „see you tomorrow” 3 days ago? Xd Well, fingers crossed it works this time

Hilarious quotes under the cut <3 I had to limit myself to first chapter only, it was simply too much ^^

Choosing not to participate was not the same as failing, Draco decided. “We don’t all hit the ceiling when Potter says Leviosa. In fact it’s possible to build a life that doesn’t even revolve around him. Probably not for you two, but I’m sure being an adult sidekick has its rewards.” “Merlin, listen to him,” Weasley said, not to Draco but to Granger. “Did we step through a Floo or a Time-Turner?” “As if, Ron, look at him,” said Granger, who was not exactly a nubile eighteen-year-old herself, thanks. “Can we please go? If Lucius and Narcissa come in here, I think I’ll scream.” Draco slipped his heel into his shoe and stood. “Am I being kidnapped?” “Dunno, are you a kid?” Weasley said. “Harry’s at ours,” Granger said, as they bullied Draco to the Floo. “Say, ‘Pig’s Nest.’”

I honestly don't know what is funnier, Draco's "We don’t all hit the ceiling when Potter says Leviosa", " I’m sure being an adult sidekick has its rewards" or Granger-Weasley house being called "Pig's Nest" 🐖��

“WHO are YOU?” bellowed the presumable Hugo. “Where’s Potter?” Draco demanded. He looked behind him at the fireplace, which was glacially slow in bringing forth this person’s parents. “HARRY is PREGNANT!” screamed Hugo. “Shut up, Hugo!” said another child, a girl and slightly older, clearly of the same stock. “Harry, Hugo told a man you’re pregnant!” “What man?” said Harry Potter, who followed the girl into the room. “Finally. D’you not get owl post or what?”

Rose is such a big sister in this one, IMMEDIATELLY telling on Hugo xd

“Now that I’ve met your charming progeny,” Draco said, “and seen your charming home, would anyone like to tell me what the fuck is going on?” “SWEARING!” said the children, from some distance. “ALL THE WAY OUTSIDE, PLEASE,” Granger said. “Hugo already told you,” Potter said. “I’m pregnant.”

All the way outside 😂 Kids love finding those little openings in direct requests like going just "outside" of the room instead of going outside-outside xd

„Art, though,” Weasley said, shrugging. “And you know what about art,” Draco snapped, not continuing: you slackjawed ginger yokel? You stupid, unfortunate hanger-on? Who should be absolutely fucking anywhere else on earth at this moment? Or perhaps not on this earth at all? “I’m an artist, mate. I’m chief dreamweaver for Tri-Dub,” Weasley said, impenetrably.

Draco, what even are those words 😂😂😂

[dropthedemiurge]

On the topic of linguistic shenanigans - I spent this New Year at a party full of foreigners (based in Korea, 50% Koreans / 50% others). We had people from 6 countries speaking in 3-4 language mix and having lots of fun.

The funny moment happened about 1 hour into the party when we were still learning about each other and introducing ourselves. There was a Chinese guy so we all were like 'oh, I remember how to say this and that in Chinese', and I just know 'hello, thank you'. I tried to say 'My name is...' in Chinese but I forgot how it ends so I accidentally said 'alai na..? oh wait, that's Thai'–

– AND IMMEDIATELY LIKE THREE GIRLS ZEROED IN ON ME xD The next sentence spoken to me was smth like 'are you in any case also a connoisseur of some Thai dramas?~ You know, there are some great Chinese, Japanese and Korean dramas, and Taiwanese ones too?' joking. And suddenly, in only one second, all those unfamiliar people from different countries found they share the same hobby watching BLs xD

(Chinese guy was confused tho why the small group of CIS* people suddenly heard some Thai, yelled something in Russian and English and broke down in a mutual laughing fit)) Later someone explained about BL dramas to him... in Korean lol)

*CIS countries, not identity xD

Then one of us joked that in any company we could all be summoned by one phrase "Raikantopeni...", said in a perfect GMM opening parody voice, and I choked on my sprats sandwich :D

Needless to say, we started our 2025 year with 'IMINA SKYNANI!', discussing watching Time of Fever in cinema and yelling 'I came for FirstKhao but OH MY GOD HAVE YOU SEEN FADEL?? HAVE YOU SEEN HIM??' while hugging each other. Yes, I saw those people for the first time in my life, for only like a couple of hours, yet I outed myself to all Russian-speaking people in the room almost immediately because saying 'alai na?' in Thai was so addictive jsdhflaadsfa

P.S. We made a group chat called 'BL Heaven' and decided to go to any cinema BL screenings in Korea together xD Hooray!

[ashtheketchum]

A new family Part 2

A/N: Here is the second part! To be honest, I don't know how long this story will last, but hey. If you like it, it's good if the story is long xD

Taglist: @clairealeehelsing

Part 1 here

Warnings: Mention of abuse and rape, mild panic attack, insults (slut, bitch)

Masterlist!

_____________________________________

PoV (Y/N):

The sun was starting to set as I set out to punch the Dixon brothers. I waited at their tents, trying to calm myself. “Which bitch is standing in front of my tent now?” I heard an aggressive voice. Although I had been a little calmer until now, the anger was boiling inside me again.

I looked angrily at the Dixon brothers, who had squirrels and a badger with them. They were probably hunting again, because that was their only job in this camp. Daryl looked at me for a moment before turning his gaze to the floor. "Are you kidding me!?" I just screamed loudly. "How can you scream at an 8 year old so that she runs screaming and crying to her mother!?" I screamed loudly again. Merle laughed briefly while Daryl tensed. Then Merle walked towards me and he threw the dead animals to the ground. He was now standing right in front of me, I could smell his bad breath as well as his sweat.

"Yar 8 year old gurl went after ma brotha! She’s probably just as much of a slut as ya!” Merle's words made me pause for a moment. So (D/N) really didn't listen to me and looked for Daryl. She had probably given him the necklace. I looked at Daryl briefly before pushing Merle away and walking towards him. I held out my hand angrily, he knew exactly what I wanted. "Give it back to me. You don’t deserve it, dirty Dixon.” I said angrily. Daryl looked at me annoyed for a moment before pulling the necklace out of his pocket and throwing it in my face.

"She wa´ ugly anyway." He hissed before ramming into me and walking away. Merle followed his little brother before I went away to cool off. (D/N) was lying in our tent, she was still sniffling and small tears were rolling down her cheeks. I sat down next to her and pulled her into a hug. "Is everything ok, honey?" I whispered quietly. "Mom… why do Merle and Daryl hate us so much…? They remind me of Dad…” Her words made me jump for a moment.

The memories of my ex-husband, her father, came back and I also felt tears in my eyes. "I don't know, honey… I don't know…" I murmured quietly. (D/N)'s father and I knew each other for a long time before we got together. We were actually an inseparable couple, but I got pregnant from him and from then on everything changed. He slept with other women while I had to go through the pregnancy alone, and when (D/N) was born, he beat me and raped me multiple times a day.

(D/N) noticed everything sometimes, especially when her father yelled at me. He wasn't any better to (D/N). He constantly yelled at her and sometimes locked her in her room without giving her anything to eat. When the world ended, we secretly packed a few things before running away. Before that, however, I opened all the doors so that the walkers ate him. I could hear his screams and they still haunt me sometimes, to this day. (D/N) fell asleep after a while while I continued to stay awake, staring into space.

Tears streamed down my face as I had my hand over my mouth so as not to wake (D/N), or anyone else. It was only after several minutes that I calmed down so that I could at least get some sleep. The next morning my eyes were still slightly swollen and reddish from my tears, but I ignored it too. Since (D/N) was used to seeing my eyes like that, she didn't ask. But Lori and Carol noticed. They asked me if everything was okay, but I assured them that I was okay.

That same day, Glenn, Tdog, Andrea, Merle and Morales were sent out to look for new supplies. At least Merle was gone now for a few days, we could just ignore Daryl. (D/N) and I sat together and read a book together. She was getting better and better and I was happy to see that she was enjoying reading. Suddenly I heard someone walking towards us and I immediately looked around. Luckily for me, it was Daryl walking towards us.

I glared at him as he slowly walked towards us. He wanted to kneel down next to (D/N), but I immediately pulled my daughter away from him. "Hey, I didn't yell at yar lil one…" Daryl just grumbled, pissed off. "That's right, Mom…" (D/N) just murmured quietly. I sensed that she wanted to get off me, so I let her. (D/N) sat back down between Daryl and me and continued reading the book.

Daryl looked at her for a moment before raising his hand. (D/N) and I immediately jumped and I pressed her against me protectively. Daryl looked at us in shock for a moment before carefully lowering his hand and gently patting (D/N)'s head. (D/N) and I immediately relaxed again, while Daryl then looked at me quietly. "I wan´ the necklace back…" He then murmured quietly.

For a moment I didn't understand what he meant by that, before I carefully pulled out the necklace from (D/N) and gave it to him. "Thank´…" He just mumbled before he got up and went into the forest. "Why is Daryl so nice, Mom?" (D/N) asked me while stroking her head. "I don't know…" I just mumbled quietly as I watched him go.

We decided not to read any further, instead we went to Dale and she watched the birds with him. I went to Carol and Jacqui's, who were cooking something to eat for tonight. The others came back that same day, but without Merle.

But another man came along. He was wearing a police uniform and looked around uncertainly. But suddenly Carl screamed loudly and he ran towards the man, just like Lori. Carl kept shouting 'Dad!', so it was immediately clear to me who this man was.

I walked uncertainly towards Tdog, who looked at Glenn, who silenced the red car and got a lecture from Dale. "Where is Merle?" I asked. Tdog just looked at me uncertainly before explaining what had happened. Merle was chained to a roof because he wanted to attack Tdog and the others. But the key fell from the handcuffs and he couldn't pick them up.

"I didn't mean to…" Tdog muttered at the end. "It's all okay… Merle is… well, Merle… the only one who won't stay calm is Daryl…" I murmured quietly. Tdog nodded very tensely before I then went to (D/N). (D/N) didn't even ask about Merle, as if she didn't even know he was there. I told her to stay close to me tomorrow because I was afraid of how Daryl would react. You never knew, especially when it came to Merle. Daryl didn't come back until the next day.

Next Chapter!!!

[welcometomybraincomics]

Every time I think of Vaporwave being a ship child made by Shockwave, I laugh myself sick XD

I just- Soundwave and Jazz have no interest in a child and then Shockwave crawls out of the woodwork like "Visitation rights." XDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXD

Soundwave is just like "What do I do with this???" and holding Vaporwave like a cat and Jazz just goes "Whatthefuckwhatthefuckwhatthefuck-"

XDXDXDXD

I think this is the funniest ever Soundwave/Jazz/Shockwave bc none of them like eachother as more than coworkers and Shockwave doesn't believe in crushes, romance, or sex

in a universe where Shockwave does not intend to use Vaporwave as a spy against the Autobots (maybe a few weeks after he emerges, a Quintesson war starts and the Autobots and Decepticons decide to team up against them), I imagine Jazz just starts getting photos of Vaporwave with captions like "First steps" from an unknown number.

Some of the photos are really terrible too. there's one that's a ridiculously close up shot of Vaporwave's optic and several of them are blurry.

He tells the number he thinks they have the wrong guy, but the baby photos just keep on comming. He does some digging (or just sees Shockwave's hand in one of the photos) and eventually sits at a mess table with some of his friends and goes "I think Shockwave is harassing me????"

This eventually gets all the way to Prime bc no one can find Shockwave which leads to a meeting with Megatron (+ high command bc Starscream overheard and said "this is a perfect time to vent") where the Autobots learn what the Decepticons have known for a while: Shockwave has a child he's obsessed with that he, for some reason, decided to make out of Soundwave and Jazz's CNA

This also explains Shockwave's strange request to "baby proof your lab" every time Wheeljack asks for a collaboration

[ertrunkenerwassergeist]

I had an idea for a Son of Mors au which is just a Pure Crack.

Basically, what little of Eos' consciousness remains decides "I'm going to ruin this guy's entire career prophecy".

Bahamut: *preparing to announce the next king*

Eos: *body checking him so he flies off the screen*

Crystal-Eos: Hail Vitale Lucis Caelum! Hail King of Lucis!

Regis and co: *extremely alarmed wtf expressions*

I mean it's can either be a Pure Crack (because a 5yo on the throne) or a Pure Angst (because a 5yo on the throne) and in this case I think I would prefer the first. Especially since Regis would have no idea where to even start looking for Nyx and also would be expecting somebody near his age and not a flipping kindergartener.

*shoos angst bunnies back under the bed*

Okay this is funny. And dramatic. In the over the top drama way one cannot help but laugh at.

On a meta level just... Bahamut used - something - to bind Eos. And it took her many human generations to scrape together enough power to jump on the opportunity presented to her. She takes the power of the human souls nestled within her heart, and speaks.

(That is just background meta for myself, because I need to have this make some amount of sense in my head. XD)

So

Regis is about to get the blessing of the Crystal as each new King does before the coronation. It should just be a formality, as it has been for nearly 10 generations already. Since there hasn't been more then one Lucis Caelum child per generation.

But then.

The Crystal surges and announces a name no one has ever heard of.

"Vitale Lucis Caelum, the Hidden."

No one knows what to do with that.

The coronation gets put on hold. Obviously. An announcement is made. The Gods have spoken and who is Regis to deny them? (He's secretly very relieved that it's not him who has to be King. Up until he meets the new King, that is.)

It's the scandal of the century.

Mors Lucis Caelum had another son. Someone fucked Mors Lucis Caelum of their own free will. At least Regis dearly hopes that's the case.

(It was totally a hate fuck. But very much consensual.)

And then come the shenanigans of trying to find Vitale Lucis Caelum.

[akane171]

I have read "D-Day with the Screaming Eagles" (to find things about Easy Company), so you don't have to (but you should because it's an amazing book).

-Mike Ranney was among those who received pathfinder training, Shortly before invasion, he requested back to his line company. He desired to go into combat with his close buddies.

-A few quotes from Winter's memoir, that everyone already knows xD

-Corporal Ray Taylor witnessed the moment Easy's Headquaters plane (with Meehan) was hit: "We were lined up in the first position in the doorway. As first manm I was knocked backward into the plane by the force of a neighboring plane exploding in the midair. One of its high explosive bundles, which were suspended underneath the plane, blew up as a result of a direct hit."

-HARRY WELSH, PEOPLE! "(...) was dropped from a plane that had been hit several times, he recalled: I came down over a burning plane that crashed previously. The heat made my chute go up and away from the flames and tangled in the hedgerow. I fell alongside the hedgerow and this probably saved my life. The field was infested with machine gunners and completly strung with overhead barbed wire poles".

-Also, it seems Harry's nickname was "Limey", lol.

-Every time Speirs is mentioned he is called Ron. Not Ronald. Ron.

-Also, interesting thing I didn't know about him "(...) Lt. Ron Speirs, who had once served as a British commando".

-"Carwood Lipton reacted calmly to the intense action about him. He had landed in a walled-in backyard in Ste. Mere Eglise with heavy machine gun fire being sent up toward him as he floated down. A building had been burning firecely down the street, lighting the area with eerie dancing shadows. Yet, Lipton remembered: I didn't have any trouble getting out of my chute. I was very calm (don't know why). Unbuckled each leg straps, belly band and chest strap. Checked myself over and saw that the only weapons I had were a trench knife, two fragmentation grenades and a demolition kit".

-"Walter "Smokey" Gordon had joined two men from his stick. He recalled: We heard a noise further down the hedgerow and one of the men went to investigate abd challenged with his cricket. A fragmentation grenade was tossed in our direction and we dived for cover. Shortly, we got moving again. We saw another soldier run across an opening and I went to get the fellow and in looking in the bushes for him found myself staring down the barrel of a 45. caliber pistol held by F. M. Talbert, our squad leader. I will always remember those white eyes in a blackened face behind that pistol!"

-Colonel Sink popularized the "hostiles" term and I find it hilarious.

-"Colonel Sink continued to fume and fuss throughout the morning due to the lack od communiation with any of his units (...)" and he was "brooding" xD and then he got a jeep and had a ride with a few poor souls through German lines, shooting and throwing grenades, running into a group of twenty German officers, and then they came back. And we thought Ron was mad xD

- There is a subchapter called "Strayer's stray battalion" and it made me laugh

-The attack on the battery is described. Aisde of the battle, Lipton remembered and needed to mention he was the one who bandaged Wynn's butt xD

Also, quotting Winters: Compton, who had been fooling around with a grenade let out a yell "LOOK OUT!" We all hit for cover but there was no cover, for you couldn't get out of the trench, and right in the middle of it was a grenade set to go off, which it did, but for some damn reason nobody got hurt." Lol, Buck, lol.

-Confirmed (by Lt. William G. Padrick) there was a statement to not take the prisoners on the first day. On the other hand, some of the parachuters have taken them, and were quite surprised Germans were shaken and sure they were going to be shot. So, I guess communication in American army was not one of the greatest? xD

-Also "Many other things happened from the time we landed, but I prefer to forget them (...) but some of the cruel cold-blooded things that some of the Germans did made us seen red. From that time on, we decided if they wanted to fight dirty we could too. We took very few prisoners compared to the number we could have, just for the reason. This was business is ghastly at best, but it can be terribly horrible" (Captain George L. Lage)

-Concluding, this whole operation is basically what SNAFU and Murphy's law are, but it as the author said "American paratroopers didn't know where they were, but knew what they were doing." AMEN

Ok, and there is a memory of a soldier from different company but I need to share it because it's fuckingly heartwrenching.

"Lt. Chambliss was an army brat - West Point - and the most idealistic person I ever knew. He was my platoon officer, very G.I., very strickt, but fair. He never drank or ran around and all the other officers must have been a little envious because they pumped the men for any lapses which they might used to needle him. There were none. Since he was so West Point, I conceived the idea o asking "Are we army or West Point?" All the guys in the 2nd platoon liked the idea so I stenciled 'West Point' over the breast pocket of all of our combat jump suits. We all showed up in formation expecting an uproar, but the Lieutenant gave no indication, then or in the days which followed, that he never mentioned. That of course was a let down, but we went into Normandy this way. (...) During the fighting in the exposed area near the bridge, he suddenly stood up and was shot twice. As he lay dying, he asked if anyone was there from the 2nd platoon, and when was told there were none, he told the H Company sergeant who was cradling his head that he'd like to know why we put West Point on out jackets. He wondered if we were mocking his background. I cried tears of shock and frustration and shame as his body was carried past my position. I keep wondering how he could have failed to perceive the great pride and affection we felt for him."

Now you can suffer with me ;_;

D-Day with Screaming Eagles by George Koskimaki.

[moonspirit]

More Cadet!Aruani.. pretty please? Like, literally tell everything you got, I am willing to read an entire thread of it.

Ohhh anon~ I'm glad you enjoy my cadet!Aruani haha xD I don't do it often tbh, somehow.

But nope, not literally everthing I've got! Only bit by bit, so I can savour and ruminate on the thoughts and eke it out for future posts too xD

For now, maybe... some fluff between the two will do for now?

It's a slow day in the 104th training corps. No training since all superiors are away, no exams (also far away), no titans breaching walls and creating havoc. Everyone's off somewhere or very much in somewhere and being nosy about it, there's nothing to do, nowhere to see, and Annie's sure if she doesn't open her mouth and talk to another human-shaped being, she'll go insane.

Not that she has any energy for it.

But maybe... maybe if she can find him, all she'll have to do is listen.

It's doubtful, Armin is rather popular with the people and for all she knows, he could be making the girls flower crowns and reeling off obscure fact after obscure fact to anyone who listens with gusto. On a free day like this, maybe he's not even in town. Maybe he's been whisked off somewhere by his friends. Maybe he-

And then she stops in her tracks because there he is, sitting by the canal, a book in his lap (how typical, she wants to laugh), but all alone.

Maybe he'd rather not see her though and be bothered by her empty presence when he could be reading the book in peaceful solitude.

Somehow, even if she can't nearly overturn her desire to take his time for herself, the sudden doubt roots her to the spot and she can no more walk forward. Instead she just stares at the back of his head where the pale afternoon sun warms the locks of smooth gold hair with a desolate sensation of longing taking over her heart.

Who knew loneliness could cause feelings like this. Her father would be disappointed.

But maybe she creates a darkness, or maybe she creates a void, it's lost to her which, because Armin seems to think he should turn around at that very moment and look for some reason, only to end up blinking with surprise at the sight of her lurking around the corner like a homeless kitten with "take me home" written all over its face.

It's embarrassing really, but thank god he can't see her cheeks properly at this distance.

"Annie!" he calls, a great big smile spreading over his face.

Oh, stupid. Stupid of her to think he wouldn't want to share his time. Armin's an idiot, carelessly giving everyone his time! She's just another one.

"Hi." She says, stepping into the sun to sit next to him. The canal is like the dozen others just like it in this town, nothing remarkably large or impossible to fathom; if she transformed, she'd step right over it without so much as a glance down. She's also nimble and quick on her feet, qualities her father had made certain she was aware of if only to size up an enemy by comparison - even if she were to stumble sitting down by the edge of the canal, nobody in the military would expect her to fall.

So why then, does he reach a hand out as if to catch her if she falls?

And why can't she look away from the shape of his palm?

Armin's smile is, somehow, brighter than the sun on the back of her neck. "I thought you would've gone to the market with Mina and the rest. What are you doing here alone?"

"I could ask you the same," She retorts. "You're always surrounded. How come nobody needs you today?"

There's a flash of something like the edges of disappointment in his eyes, so quick and fleeting that Annie thinks she imagines it when it's gone.

"Well, you know, I'm glad to have the day to myself," He chuckles. "It's quiet and peaceful."

"Right, and then I intruded."

"No, no," He laughs, shaking his head. "I'm glad to see you, Annie."

Annie looks away, squinting at the flowing waters. The sunshine makes it glitter in a million different ways, dazzling her until all that's left in her vision is a soft, beautiful river of light, flowing to some unknown place. In the corner of her vision, she's acutely aware that the book on Armin's lap leaves its place for the stone ground - a sign that makes her nervous, really, because it means that all of his clever little attention is now on her.

"Pretty, isn't it?" He says softly, making her look at him.

At the shape of his face, framed by a soft molten gold that flutters with the wind; at the blue of his eyes, a shade she doesn't really know the word for as it penetrates deep into her own; at the tip of his nose, always dusted an endearing pink; at the ridge of his brows, a tad stronger whenever the bangs move away in the breeze; at the set of his jaw, the shape of his lips, the-

"W-what is?" She stammers, dazed.

"The water." He laughs, and she feels so silly.

"... Right."

Some of the people back in her hometown used to believe in Gods; said calling upon their names would ease their thoughts and bring them to calm.

Perhaps she should try it, just this once, because her heart-

But then, Armin leans in, a smile just short of bashful playing on his lips.

"There's more water like this beyond the walls."

Oh god, there it is. Again. Somehow, she's glad for it.

Annie can't help but release a sigh. "I was wondering if you'd grown tired of talking about the sea. Haven't heard about it in three days."

There's everything in his laugh, embarrassment, happiness, hope the size of the sun, and then some more embarrassment. For better or worse, Annie decides, it's her favourite sound and can he please continue to laugh?

"Sorry. I'm sure I've bored you by now..."

"No," She hums, drawing her knees to her chest and closing her eyes to the warmth heating up her face. "Tell me about it again."

And he does.

And Annie decides it's her favourite story because it's kind and beautiful and better than any of the ones she grew up hearing.

This story of the sea is sweet.