#making the source of light themselves is so fun though

[whismann]

I wasn’t joking @jetcat-14

[hwnglx]

pick a pile - your ideal type vs. your future spouse

hi dear reader! i thought of an idea where i could look into how you guys' ideal types compare to your future lovers. note that this is a general reading, so not everything will resonate with everyone! breathe slowly, take your time and use your intuition to go with the pile that speaks to you the most. remember to take what resonates, and let the rest flow. 𓆩♡𓆪

⋆˚࿔ pile 1 𝜗𝜚˚⋆

your ideal type

in your romantic partners, you're looking for a best friend.

someone you can cheerfully celebrate the highs in your life with. a person who will be able to bring you a sense of joy and happiness in life.

it's likely you want someone who's like your good luck charm. they brighten up your life in the most pleasant ways, and are able to provide you with the feeling of positivity and bliss.

you know when these special people enter your life, and all of a sudden everything becomes more enjoyable. because of their presence in your life, things are fun again.

you want someone who will be a source of inspiration, and support for you. a person who can uplift and motivate you in the most rewarding manner.

i keep getting this feeling, you'd want your person to be someone who has this profound impact, where just talking to them can ease your mind and light up your day.

you'd want to have a lover whose voice brings you comfort, whose encouraging words become your source of confidence, whose presence gives you the feeling of enjoying to be alive.

i can sense you seeking to find this comfortable feeling of home in your lovers. someone whose warmth can make you feel safe, and secure.

i believe you're a person who's very introspective, someone who's constantly on this journey of self-discovery.

therefore you'd like a partner who will be supportive, and accompany you on that journey; someone who will be your companion in life, and help you understand yourself better.

you'd like an individual who will help you heal, grow, discover and proudly embrace your best, most confident self. someone whose positive energy is contagious and helps you thrive.

you want your lover to be reliable and resilient. someone you can lean on with no second thoughts. who will be there for you no matter what. a person who will take you with everything that you come with, and still remain loyal and devoted to you.

a person who, although they're passionate, knows how to control their temper, won't be discouraged by tough times, and remain committed and persevering, regardless of struggles you might go through together. you want your lover to be a like a rock in your life.

you do want someone who is fiery, powerful, charismatic, self-assured, knows what they want. you're likely to be drawn to people who have fire energy; a strong presence. people who are aware of their worth, and whose attendance can't be missed once they step into a room. but you don't want your partner to be too full of themselves, overbearing, or too intense.

you want them to be mature, trustworthy and responsible. a person you can build a stable, comfortable and secure, but also playful and joyous relationship with.

your future spouse

so, one aspect which you'll probably like to hear; your fs is likely to be quite mature, possibly older than you in age.

they're pretty powerful, disciplined and steady. the first impression they have on people, is likely to be quite strong.

they aren't a person who's overly emotional at first glance, and moreso carry themselves in an emotionally reserved and controlled manner.

your fs for sure has strong leadership qualities to them. they're good at commanding attention and demanding respect from the people around them. it's the type of energy that makes everyone in the room shut up, once they speak up. to note, they could also be quite stubborn, and opinionated at times.

another significant aspect though, is that they're immensely supportive and generous towards their loved ones.

this is a person who's likely to have a heart that is much more compassionate than what meets the eye. someone who, although they aren't always immensely expressive when it comes to their feelings, has a true heart for people in need.

your future lover is someone who's giving and generous. i can see their love languages leaning towards the acts of service and giving gifts side.

this person has a strong sense of justice, they're likely to be very fairminded. they don't like disharmony, and will be there to help out the underdog if they feel like they're being treated in an unjust manner.

i can see this person surprising people with how nice they can actually be, because they usually seem so serious, more stern and intimidating on the outside.

this is also a person, who values harmony and stability in their relationships, especially in their family-life. a person who fosters an atmosphere, that's secure and comfortable. i can sense them possibly being closely tied to their families.

if you get to know this person in a deeper manner, you'll take note of how they exude warmth, and a vibe that's very inviting and comforting, when they're around the people they love. someone vibrant who can easily be the center of attention.

it's kinda giving the family's favorite son (note; their energy is quite masculine) who everyone runs to greet, once they enter the room. a popular, charming and well-liked person whose energy can light the atmosphere up in a lively manner.

what's interesting, is that i did get the four of wands for both your ideal type, and your future spouse.

so, it's highly likely for them to be able to fulfill this wish you have, of finding a person who not only makes you feel comfortable and at ease, but also genuinely happy. like you've finally arrived at home once you're in their arms.

⋆˚࿔ pile 2 𝜗𝜚˚⋆

your ideal type

you're giving me wise, mindful and cautious energy. it does seem like you are someone who prefers testing the waters before jumping into relationships.

you're likely to collect information on people first, before fully giving in.. as in getting to know them thoroughly. by doing that, you're trying to get a good understanding of their character, and whether you can see them being a valuable addition to your life.

there's this observant energy to you, where you can take note of the smallest details in people. you probably like it when others are also able to compliment you on the small things not everyone would notice, like e.g. the perfume you're wearing that day.

you value mental compatibility. you want a person who's smart, fun, quick-witted, clever. someone you can have interesting, thought-provoking and intriguing conversations with. discussions that range from complex and profound ones that make you reflect, to playful ones that make you laugh.

you like honesty, and transparency. you don't want someone who will beat around the bush, walk on eggshells, or give you any mixed and confusing signals. you desire a trustworthy person who can be straightforward, and open with you.

a big focus here, is on expansion and transformation.

you'd like a person who will help you explore, as well as expand. especially mind-wise, by talking about subjects that make you introspect.

i don't think you mind your lover being very different to you, whether that's culturally, ethnically, language-wise or opinion-wise. on the contrary, you seem to believe that views, beliefs or mindsets that are different to yours to a degree, can have significant impact on your life, and help you evolve, which is why you're likely to welcome it.

there just needs to be compatibility when it comes to the path you're aiming to go down in the future. in your eyes, there does need to be a certain alignment in values, objectives and intentions, in order for the connection to work out.

you want a partner whose existence, rather than becoming a presence that distracts you from the important things in life, will help you be more self-aware.

you want someone who can help you transform and thrive into your best self. a presence that finally makes things seem clearer, and helps you feel whole, happy, warm and complete.

it's this feeling of “being with this person feels right. this is who i'm supposed to be with. their presence is healthy for me and my journey. instead of sidetracking me from my life-path, this is a person who will be supportive of me, and willingly hold my hand while i'm trying to heal from the past and understand what's right for my own life.”

again, i don't see you rushing into your relationships.

you're someone who looks at healthy connections developing in a slow pace, but steadily.

you want a person who will be patient, conscious and consistent in the effort they invest into the maintaining the security of the relationship, and taking things step by step.

some of you might've gone through some negative experiences in regards to relationships; not just romantic ones, but human connections in general. this might've caused you to become more wary and careful about how to proceed.

at this point, you've become adamant on making sure you don't let anyone into your life, who will bring any unwanted and unwelcomed negativity, that only drags you down.

a lot of focus on true happiness and fulfillment here too. you desire a person who can enrich and brighten your life, and keep your spirits high. someone who brings you a sense of joy.

you want to make sure you're with someone mature, righteous and self-aware, who makes healthy choices in life, is sure of what they want, and doesn't play games.

what it boils down to, is you liking someone who takes the relationship as seriously as you do.

this pile is giving scorpio/virgo/gemini/mercury energy

your future spouse

so first of all, i can see your future spouse being air-dominant. they're definitely big thinkers; someone who mostly functions with their mind, and bases a lot of their decisions on logic and rationality, instead of their emotions.

this is a person who's likely to match your desire for intellectual stimulation. they're funny and clever, very witty. likely to usually be quite blunt, and at times a little playfully snarky in the way they express themselves.

this pile definitely gave me the biggest “bickering” vibes. i feel like both you and your fs, are people who showcase their affection by teasing and provoking. it's giving this couple who bickers over trivial and little things. to others it might look like you're arguing all the time, but for you, it's the way you express fondness towards each other.

this person has such a continuously running and active mind, that they can be prone to overthinking and at times, diving into some problems way too deeply.

this is someone who's quite charismatic and attractive, i feel like they're physically good-looking. luscious hair, nice skin. perhaps more tan. great and blinding smile. good figure as well, they might be athletic, or at least look that way.

this person seems to have been through some impactful break-ups or separations before, which have messed their confidence up to a degree and transformed them. there were certain things they needed to let go of, and move on from.

one insight i keep getting, is your fs being someone who's much more dedicated, devoted and loyal to their romantic partners, than one would think at first impression.

i kept getting so many swords, but i couldn't shake this feeling there's a different side to them deep down. it just moreso seems buried down right now; i don't see it having many opportunities to come out, since i believe they're on more of an independent streak right now. and focused on healing before getting into another commitment.

so when i asked if they're out for longterm and committed relationships, i got the king of pentacles. this card represents a masculine and solid person who's stable, reliable, patient, faithful. they might not be the most extravagant and lovey dovey affectionate partner out there, but their devotion lies deep.

it's quite likely for their venus to be in an earth sign, perhaps taurus, or fall into the seventh house.

they do have a strong sense of responsibility, and are more self-aware than one would imagine. this person might come off differently, than they actually are deep inside. many people might misjudge or misunderstand them.

the type of person who everyone would look at as a player, when they're not. they might have a fire rising, actually. their energy kinda reminds me of jimin from bts, who's a libra sun and mercury, gemini moon, and sagittarius rising.

your fs isn't someone who just recklessly acts on a whim with no consideration for others and blindly lives according to their selfish instincts; but a person who does reflect about the impact their actions have on people, and can easily feel guilty for saying or doing the wrong thing at the wrong time.

again, there is something which gives them this harsh honesty in their communication. it's likely they aren't good at sugarcoating or attuning their words to anyone's emotions, so they might unintentionally rub some people wrong at times.

they're probably not very emotional themselves, so they could have trouble empathising with overly emotional individuals.

they mostly try to rationalize their feelings, because it can just.. get too overwhelming. your fs can have issues truly understanding what's going on inside of them.

they also give me the vibe of someone who might have the tendency to care a little too much about what people think, and get overly attached to people's opinions of them, though they probably wouldn't really like admitting this.

because of this, they're likely to moreso deal with their inner insecurities on their own, and putting on a “happier” facade than what actually goes on inside.

your future lover definitely seems like a person who's out for marriage. it's likely that it's one of their main objectives when it comes to their love life. finally finding a person they can make that everlasting promise to, and swear their eternal love to.

both, your fs and you, seem to be on journeys of healing past wounds right now. you have the potential to offer each other a lot of understanding and acceptance, since you do seem to share certain similarities, which can make for a deep bond.

just a gentle encouragement for you to not lose sight of your track and keep standing strong and tall, on your own two feet.

i feel that the universe is lying out the path for you two to meet, when divine timing deems you as ready.

note for this pile: i literally had a dream the night after reading about a guy who matches the energy i got here so so well, they were very charming and craaazy handsome.. they were speaking on the phone about something while laughing and sitting on a couch lol this is for sure someone talkative

⋆˚࿔ pile 3 𝜗𝜚˚⋆

your ideal type

worthy to note that this pile immediately, even before reading, gave me water energy.

i also kept feeling like i have my head in the clouds and am in a daze, i couldn't concentrate and focus as well while reading. a lot of you might have strong water placements, or significant neptune aspects. perhaps neptune in the first house?

i also got a lot of pentacles here, so you might feel yourself being drawn to earth placements. (thought of jay from enhypen who's a taurus stellium with a taurus venus and cancer moon, could see his energy matching you guys well)

anyhow, what you're looking for, is a partner who's fully focused on only you. someone who's gonna make you their world.. spoil you with thoughtful gifts, shower you with attention, turn you into the center of their universe.

you might even enjoy some possessiveness, and like the thought of your lover becoming jealous and territorial of you. you like the type of person who protectively keeps you at their side at all times, e.g. doesn't let go of your hand in public. you desire this feeling of security; like you're in the safest hands.

you want someone who will help you realize your true worth. a person who will strengthen your self-esteem.

you know this thing when you're dating someone, and there's this feeling of.. “wow, how does this person love me so much? guess i really must be something special”

you want someone to love you in such wonderful and profound ways, that it makes you become more aware of your value. someone whose perspective on you, makes you adjust yours as well. someone who looks at you as beautiful, which makes you feel beautiful.

you like people who are willing to fight for you. someone who's courageous, and not afraid of arguing or getting their hands dirty for you. you desire a lover who will place themselves in front of you in order to protect you fiercely. it is kinda giving this k-drama boyfriend who beats up other men once someone looks into the direction of their girl, lmao.

you're likely to enjoy the thought of having an older and more mature partner. perhaps someone taller than you in height, and broader than you in their build as well.

you want someone emotionally intelligent, who's empathetic. a person who's a calming and gentle listener. a lover who's more in control of their emotions and can therefore be a reliable figure in your life, that you can comfortably lean on.

you're a person who enjoys daydreaming, idealizing, fantasizing. it's likely you've already pictured and imagined what you'd want your perfect partner to be like several times and enjoy dreaming of your romantic 🥰✨ love story.

another insight i got, is that you're probably someone who enjoys the idea of taking pictures of your lovers, or getting your picture taken. making precious memories, taking these cute “pov” boyfriend/girlfriend material photos of each other, and both of you making it your lockscreen. sweet little signs of affection like that are likely to melt your heart.

you probably enjoy the thought of walking through the streets of beautiful and idyllic places together, maybe paris or tokyo with all the cherry blossoms, and feeling like you're on cloud nine together with your lover. i got reminded of how hyunjin and felix from skz used to walk around paris together with their cameras in their hands, and take pretty pictures of each other, like this.

you likely just love gently descending into this dream, of how lovely it could be if only you could spend enjoyable days like this together with your prince or princess charming.

the current transit of venus in pisces is definitely heightening this pile's energy

one thing i will say though, is that i do believe you wouldn't want your partner to completely sacrifice and drop everything for you. you'd like to have a lover who's good at juggling multiple priorities. someone who has good time management skills, and knows how to take care of several different areas of their lives. though of course, you'd like to be a big priority, and have them all to yourself once you're able to with them. you desire an endlessly devoted person, who will absolutely reserve a special time of the day for you two only.

i can see you liking your lover's love language to be physical touch, giving gifts and quality time. you probably love the idea of getting these dazzling and fancy gifts, like couple rings.

your future spouse

this person is very well put-together. they definitely carry themselves in quite a self-satisfied manner. likely to even give off a slightly arrogant vibe to people. a little bit like a person who sees themselves as very important and special.

your future lover is likely to be someone who's pretty good at handling heartbreaks. they have a lot of inner strength and resilience. contrary to what it might seem like, i don't think this person has always had the perfect and flawless life full of sunshine and rainbows; they've just developed thick skin over time. they're quite immune to pain now, because they've been able to grow and transform from their heartache.

people on the outside are likely to see them as someone who always has their shit together, and is very blessed. but again, that's just because your fs is good at dealing with their problems in a graceful manner. they aren't the type to make their inner struggles very obvious.

they also seem like a person who's pretty perfectionistic, which is a quiet but heavy burden they might carry on their back a lot.

feeling this constant need to display themselves in the best light only, not being sure if they can ever live up to anyone's expectations. they're likely to be quite hard on themselves.

the type of person to obsessively check every picture that was taken of them, out of worry they came out looking bad.

they are giving me “golden child” energy. i keep thinking of family somehow. they might feel a lot of pressure from their families, or their closer environment, to be perfect.

however, they also do give me slightly spoiled energy here. they might've grown up in a very protected environment, and have therefore been more shielded from certain “real world” problems the “normal” person has to deal with.

they could either come from a privileged family, be in a privileged position, perhaps through fame or wealth, or have grown up with overly protective and smothering parents. some of them could also just be spoiled only children.

this is likely to have led to them being rather inexperienced in some areas in life. i don't seem them as very narrow-minded though, on the contrary; they do seem curious and interested, as well as open and eager to exploring new things.

this is likely to be a person who isn't from your typical circle. there's a high likelihood for them to be a foreigner. you could either meet them online, like a dating app or social media, or while you're on a trip overseas of some sort.

very central theme for you two; being immensely interested in getting to know each other, considering you're so different.

it's this thing when you meet someone from a completely different background or with a very different lifestyle to yours, and naturally get curious about a variety of different things.

it can get quite fascinating, i can especially see your fs getting excited to hear about your everyday-stories. there is a childlike innocence to them. like this cute and youthful glow in their eyes when they're listening to something that intrigues them.

they're someone who's quite excitable and energetic, especially when they get to do fun and adventurous activities.

very likely for this person to have strong fire placements. i'm getting a sagittarius or aries moon or mars, perhaps.

the two of you are likely to hit it off quite fast, the chemistry is amazing. though i don't see the energy being romantic right away, there's this vibe of you two just clicking very well. beautiful harmony between you and your fs.

you could text a lot, or regularly meet up at café's together.

i also get this snowy and cozy fall and winter atmosphere with warm coffee vibes for some reason. this could be a significant factor for some of you. you're welcome to take whatever resonates with you personally, and leave the rest.

meeting up with this person is likely to uplift you in a beautiful way. this warm, cozy and fuzzy feeling i'm getting, is likely to relate to how you guys will feel when around your fs as well. it will be so comfortable, the conversation will flow naturally.

the existence of this person is likely to make you feel renewed. life will just seem brighter, more beautiful and pleasant.

you could feel this inner contentment, that makes many of your problems seem less dramatic, now that you have this special source of light by your side.

your fs is likely to find the same warmth in you guys as well.

the sun in the end is such a beautiful way to end the spread; think of how the sun makes you feel. warm, comfortable. it's also very vital in energy and healthy for you. that's how the dynamic between you and your fs is likely to play out.

thank you for reading ᰔᩚ i'd love to hear you guys' feedback on what resonated for you

[o-sunny-day]

SCROLL FOR @forgettable-au ANGST :D

ok so ((WAILS LOUDLY))

WE KNOW HOW THIS GOES *breaks knuckles* ITS TIME TO TEAR APART MY ART BECAUSE PASSION

trust me, im a proFESSIONAL yapper at this point

This whole thing takes place within my own headcanon that “The Quiche Room” was one of many of Sans and Wingdings’ little hangout spots. They also really liked the echo flower there (maybe they planted it themselves-) Maybe thats why Papyrus is so unnerved and disturbed by echo flowers now…

Notice, the echo flower grows as they grow!

Oh yeah! I had fun drawing them grown in their kid outfits for 2. Wingdings can finally see his ankles

2 is also sorta a reference to my Radio Star comic, same stuff they did as kids, Wingdings working and Sans assisting, They haven’t changed too much yet. haven’t gotten the lab job. yet.

in 3, this is after they get the job at the lab and Wingdings realizes its a great place for supporting his unhealthy habits of seclusion and emotional repression. The echo flower is repeating something Wingdings said a while ago. I dont know what- fill in your own angst I suppose (I cant do EVERYTHING around here)

in 1 and 2, the light sources… are each other. Sans n Wd. Theyre each others lights. Each others stars (cries loudly and noticeably) but then for 3, the only light source is the echo flower. Yknow. The echo flower. with wingdings’ voice

4 is how the quiche room looks in the game 👍 Dunno whats sadder… Wingdings’ voice being removed because he’s in the void now, or because someone just talked over it without a second thought.

Oh yeah, and its empty because Sans and Papyrus don’t remember that ever being a place they hung out.

Yeah.

Yeah, im crying too. Its okay, let it out.

SANS AND GASTER SANS AND GASTER SANS AND GASTER (PLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASE) I need them to interact i’m gonna have an aneurism.

THIS PART IS GETTING ITS OWN SECTION BECAUSE CMON MAN, ITS SANS AND GASTER

It was said in this post that Sans knows he was involved in whatever accident Gaster had, that had MAJOR consequences, and made everything and everyone different.

That makes me wonder, does Sans feel any guilt?? like subconsciously or not, he knows he was involved, so does he suspect he could have done something to stop it, or did something bad, and he was at fault in some way?

I DONT THINK HE WAS

so in 5, Sans is asking “what happened.”

What happened to him, why is everything like this, was it his fault? what did he do? what did he NOT do???

And Gaster just replies “Nothing that wasn’t my own fault.”

OK THATS ENOUGH. WHITEBOARD DOODLES, ATTACK!!!!

also- I PROMISE IM WORKING ON THE DTIYS 😭😭😭 IVE GOT IDEAS IDK HOW TO EXECUTE EM

Heres a thing I made/am working on(???) that was inspired by the dtiys though :3

[sallufix]

If you don’t mind me asking, what’s the process you go through to shade? How do you make it look so textured?

HELLO ANON!!! I'VE MADE MY LATEST PIECE FOR THIS SPECIFICALLY!!! I'm glad u asked... I love sharing my process because it makes me feel like a smartass 💀 I LIKE SHARING THINGS OKAY!!! IM A YAPPER!!! Now, click on keep reading for the shading process of THIS thing 👇

1st is the base colors, I normally color pick from their references and just adjust the settings of the pallete, but you can also just color them however you like :P for this, I wanted a good balance of yellow and blue, so I put a yellow filter by using darken. My advice for 1st step color adjusting is that you should play with the blending modes alot. The ones I use the most are lighten (if you want it to become more pastel or soft) and darken (if you want a more dull atmosphere or are planning to add alot of bright highlights anyway) so yeah!! flat/base colors!!!

2nd is first layer shading, aka the shadows themselves. Recently, I've guided myself with the direction of shading using the red sun as to figure out where the highlights or light sources would be, and the blue moon for where the shadows should be headed or inbetween. As you can see the sun is both at the top and bottom, which means the shading will be focused in the middle and shouldn't look too strong due to alot of light heading towards it!

3rd is the one I like doing the most, which is having reflective light off of shadows. It's basically light inside of the shadows due to some sort of light bouncing off of a nearby surface. Since the light here is blue, I used blue for the reflective light too. It's the one I use the most, but it can vary for what color the nearby surface is. For this step I use the blending mode hue almost always, but for this I used color since it wasn't visible on Shadow Milks shading before

4th isss highlights or lighting! As I've said, 2 light sources, so I kept in mind the one above and the one below, though the one below is more stronger than the one above. This step is pretty simple, just add thin highlights for where you've already marked the light to move to. Yipee!!!

5th and last is the overall piece adjustment and texture addition :P The thing that makes my art look more textured is this metal image thing from ibispaint's gallery, and sometimes the noise effect if this one doesn't really fit the piece. Again, I play with blending modes for everything to work! The second image displays me adjusting the colors using an effect rather than manually, this makes me have more control with the pallete and its vibrancy, that's why it begins to seem more green and desaturated than what I've shown from this point!!!

Aanndd voilà! That's how I do it!!! I switch it up ALOT of times, I change and experiment with shading styles a ton, but this one has stuck the most and is the one I've been using recently! I hoped this helped some people or just gave them a fun thing to read and learn about. If you guys want the brushes I use then I'll probably share them if there's an ask for it! bye bye :]

[vigilskeep]

hello! you know a lot of dragon age lore so i thought id ask you— i saw a post earlier that was discouraging to me aa trans person where the op said that veilguard having top surgery scars in the cc goes against established worldbuilding. does it make sense for top surgery to be possible in thedas? thanks

my rule of thumb is that in a world where healing spells exist, there’s absolutely no logical, believable reason for it not to be possible. you don’t have to go back and provide sources about historical surgeries—which is something i personally know nothing about—for this to be true

like, i just can’t take this line of thought seriously. ohhh we can have floating cities and magical neon lights and spirit healers who can mend injuries just by passively standing next to you, but we draw the line as soon as it’s something that would make our trans players happy! it’s so transparent. do not listen to these people or let them discourage you

if you want to get into the worldbuilding potential of it—which is just fun to do—we can probably guess that for the top surgery scars to be as neat as they seem to look in the veilguard character creator, similar to modern ones, magical healing was involved. now i do believe that the chantry might get suspicious of body-altering magic, that magical power is hoarded by the circles in the south and the wealthy in the north, and also that “out” trans people are a minority in thedas. so i’m not saying that this is something easy for your average guy to get hold of. that’s where you can feed it into backstory. are they powerful and connected enough that they could find specialists willing to go beyond the ordinary? or do they have underground connections to hidden apostate healers, whose only priority is what helps (or perhaps just how much you’re willing to pay)? do they belong to a culture that might not be restricted by the chantry’s norms about gender or magic, like the dalish or the rivaini? or do they belong to a mage-focused community or order, who among themselves do whatever they like? endless options

some might be referring to a line in dai from krem, a trans man, where you can ask him about potentially changing his body with magic and he essentially says he wouldn’t let magic that could do that anywhere near his body, though when he was younger he might have dreamed about the possibilities. firstly, krem is absolutely not the gold standard for trans representation and nobody should care about being flexible from what bioware put out a decade ago. secondly, krem is a random mercenary who knows one (1) mage, who spends the entire time insisting she’s not a mage. i very much doubt he’s the no. 1 source for what might be magically possible in this or any regard

also ultimately, and i cannot express this enough, you can do whatever you want forever. it could be absolutely fundamentally impossible in-world somehow and it would still not be that serious to be “unrealistic” in the dragon video games. don’t let anyone discourage you from making the character you want to make. it being an option makes it canonically part of thedas, end of. they put it in the game and nobody bitching about it can take it out

[somegirlontheinternet135]

Ok but, how cool would it be if there was a click & point adventure game and dating sim based around The Beasts

Like, imagine you, the player, woke up in a dark, unknown forest. You don't know how, or why, you got there, but one thing's for sure, you don't want to stay for long, who knows what kind of horrors could be lurking in the darkness. . ? Quickly you make use of the environment, gathering wood & making a fire (via a minigame) in hopes it'll alert some cookies to your location, and while it doesn't work at first, it does give a certain someone, or something, a beacon to your location. . .

As you sit before the fire you just built, you begin to notice something was off. . . the forest you were in, it was quiet, eerily quiet, normally at night, many forest would be bustling with some sort of life: the sounds of night beasts, owls in the night, maybe the occasional cricket, but there was nothing. What only adds to this uncanny wood were its lack of creatures, not once did you encounter any sort of beasts on your journey. . . both these factors alone made you question what was really happening, is this all a dream? were you going crazy? questions were racing through your head, till finally, something snaps you out of it. . .

"Ooooooh!~ What do we have here?~"

"Has a little cookie come by to give me a visit?~"

A voice from the darkness pulls you out of your thoughts, jolting you onto your feet. Hearing that so suddenly within such a vacant space, you could've sworn you were alone. . ! You frantically look around, desperately trying to find the source of the voice, but the thing only laughs at you. . .

"W-Who's there?! show yourself!!"

"*Ehehe he he he HE HE HE HE!*"

"Try looking up here, darling~"

Your attention was slowly drawn to a tree behind you. On one of the branches, two heterochrome eyes staired at your from below, taking you off-guard, was that. . . a cookie? The creature made zero attempts to hide themselves as he jumps off the tree branch, over your fire. Light from the flames revealed their figure, they appeared to be some sort of jester, its figure & face making them resemble that of a cat. They do a bow before finally introducing themselves

"Shadow Milk Cookie, the world's favorite trickster~"

"Pleasure to meet you!"

In this scenario, the player is given two options, each of course having a different outcome:

Run Away

Sprinting away in fear will, of course, cause Shadow Milk to chase, eventually getting caught, though this does increase his interest in you

"*heh he he HE HE HE!* where are you going you silly little thing?!~"

"That was so much fun!~ I think I'm starting to like you already!~"

Standing Your Ground & Ask Questions

Respectably, you don't anything regarding the fallen heroes, but asking more questions does leave Shadow Milk upset

"H-How could you not know who I am?!"

"Shadow Milk Cookie, actor, playwright, dictator, does that not right a bell?!"

This's basically how the story starts. The player is isekaied into this strange world and are quickly met with the Fallen Heroes, who all woo the player with their charm & status in an attempt to find out how they got in, so they can do the same to get out. . . whatever that means. But one thing leads to another, and they all fall in love with the player, fighting over them. As for the player, they transverse through the strange world, learning of it and its secrets via minigames, hidden secrets, and puzzles, all while learning about the fallen heroes and their backstories. . .

I picture the game itself being a mix between one of those disturbing click & point adventure games (i.e. Sally Face, Fran Bow, and Little Misfortune) and a dating sim (i.e. Obey Me) which by itself, would cause major emotional whiplash, cause imagine going from seeing the most messed up sh*t to smooching your jester bf. For reference, think of the game as "Little Goody Two Shoes" something you should play btw!

[tamamatango]

(Lack of) Anime News Update: Sadly, I was right to be skeptical

THEY TOOK ALL MY COPIUM

A few months ago, a rumor emerged about the new Keroro anime project being a series in 2025 and a movie in 2026. I did a longer write-up on it here, but the tl;dr is that I said there was a chance due to the usual reliability of the leaker but that it could also be a misinterpretation of another source. I leaned toward more likely than not (hopium perhaps), but I did advise caution and to not strictly take it at face value.

I guess that was the right call because, well, here we are mid-February. The spring anime season starts in about a month and a half. And…no official news. Zip. Nada. The waiting game continues, it seems.

So, what was that Oizaki quote about? We don’t have hard confirmation, but my guess is that the spring 2025 series part was about a completely different seasonal anime Oizaki is directing set to begin in April. (Yes really I know the premise sounds ridiculous but it’s an adaptation of a light novel, sky’s the limit with those things.) This was revealed back in December. As for what the movie is, it seems to be still unknown. My guess is either an original project or something involving Kaleido Star, which also had a major anniversary recently. The interpretation of the Japanese that the series and movie were connected was in hindsight a mistake, but I wasn’t the only one to propose that reading, and it could’ve gone either way. Gotta love/hate ambiguity.

I could go more into how I think this mix-up happened but then I’d have to talk about twitter anime leaker drama, and while I am unfortunately pretty knowledgable about this subject, it is not fun to talk or read about so I’ll spare you the details. The main conclusion I have is that this account was not deliberately trying to trick anyone and rather just made an assumption and reported the info before actually checking against the evidence because they really wanted to be fast and get interactions, especially because a perceived to be competing account reported a less sensationalized, more accurate version a few minutes before. SugoiLite’s sources aren’t usually publicly visible but this time they pretty much played themselves.

What does this mean for Keroro, then? Personally I still think there will be a series (for reasons I explained in my post from last spring about the whole reveal) and I still think it will be this year, but in either summer or fall. That will have been at maximum a year and a half after the announcement (summer season starts in July, fall in October), which gives it a pretty standard anime production time, assuming the teaser trailer was released during early production. As for the movie? There’s not as strong of a reason to speculate that happening, but next year is the 20th anniversary of Movie 1, so the timing would line up pretty well. That’s just based on vibes, though, rather than any evidence at this time.

Look, I’d be pleased as punch for the Keroro PR account to prove me wrong tomorrow, but I’m quite confident that we lost the coin flip on this one. Before you get too down in the dumps, don’t forget that two major dates are around the corner: AnimeJapan in late March, closely followed by the next anniversary on April 3. I think we will see some kind of preview or at least a progress update around that time. If not…then maybe I’ll start worrying a bit about the chances of it making this year, but we’ll cross that bridge if and when we get to it. So hold onto your butts for just a little while longer! I think!

[krowlovesinazuma]

Prologue:

Life was often disappointing. Looking at the world around them, y/n often had this thought resurface. So gray, dull, repetitive, tiresome... It was hard not to think like this, especially when you had such wonderful worlds to see inside of your phone! Sure it was just a reward after going through bothersome real life tasks, but at least it was a source of color and light into their life.

And nowhere was this more true than in the world of Genshin Impact. Was that any surprise though? The sceneries, characters, stories, it was all so eye catching! But of course, with so many to choose from, everyone has to have favorite places to visit and sources of content. Y/n's choice? Inazuma, of course! To many, this wasn't a surprising choice, as this region was one crafted with care and passion.

That's why y/n put so much time of their life into this small game filled with so much soul, especially when they had a favorite to prefer! And with a favorite region came favorite characters! However, this little game had a far stronger soul than many would suspect. After all, when writings on the internet spoke about self aware characters, it was easy to treat it as just a fun imaginary scenario.

However, interestingly enough, something special happened in y/n's game. Yes, stories of the creator rang wide and far across the entire lands of Teyvat, but they were old, degraded, forgotten by some and discarded as fairy tales by most. Thanks to your love, however, a certain special region felt something special.

Inazuma was a land filled with legends come true and old traditions remembered amongst all, so the stories of the creator were still relevant there. And when suddenly, some influential people of the islands began to feel a light sensation in their bodies, leading them on adventures and making them stronger as soon as the traveler arrived at the archipelago, the dots were easy to connect.

Using connections, they realized that they were the only ones that felt this sensation, or at least the only ones that had associated it with the tales of the creator. At first, some wanted to spread the good word and alert the other regions, but the people in charge realized something alarming. While yes, their influential characters were gaining strength and happiness, wouldn't it be dangerous if other regions suddenly had the same powers? Wouldn't it be safer to keep it a local secret? After all, tourists would just assume it was a silly folk tale, and they would earn the safety if disasters were to come.

So, while they decided to keep this secret from the rest of Teyvat, they began to worship you alongside the rest of their gods. You were far greater than them however, as some could claim that your presence made their lives much better: General Kujou Sara, head priestess Yae Miko, courier Kirara, even the Shogun herself had spoken highly of this creator. They all showed devotion towards them, and desired to keep their love.

There was a sudden change in the middle of this strange situation in your account. One night, a particularly tiresome day of work left y/n exhausted, both physically and mentally. They turned on their laptop, eager to get to playing, but as they began moving and doing commissions, they felt far too tired. It wasn't long before they fell asleep, their head squeezing the keys. It was then, with the screen flashing right at their face, that an error happened in the game. The game recognizes you as a critical character in the game, and Inazuma worshipped you far too much for your influence to be something remote. The screen flashed brighter than your world could ever aspire to, and suddenly y/n was no more.

When they woke up, they found themselves in a field, with the grass hugging their picture. They were well rested, far too well for having fallen asleep at the desk... Wait a minute. Looking around, they knew exactly the location they were in! This wasn't their boring old world, this was the bright Inazuma! But hold on, they had read stuff about this, and how some stories like this turned incredibly dark, and terrifying... They ran some tests.

//tw: small injury mention//

Taking out a swiss army knife they kept in their pocket for convenience, they made a small cut to their finger, and much like they had read so much, they weren't bleeding like normal, but instead a few drops of glittering gold dropped! Letting out a relieved sigh, they knew that they were a legitimate creator. Then, they checked their pockets, and they still had the phone there, so that they could still control the world through there. All was good in their checklist! Now it was just time to get out there, and enjoy whatever they could in this strange situation...

[cyb-by-lang]

Cascade (part 15)

Wherein we wrap this arc up, finally.

Fun fact: Koda would be able to identify a transformed shinobi as not-a-real-animal because his Quirk wouldn't work on them.

They sat in silence for a while, though Midoriya moved off his cot to gently rest his hand on Iida’s arm. Iida couldn’t really lean on him, but his breathing steadied after a little while. Midoriya’s mumbling was probably more a comfort than she’d ever manage.

Kei tried not to watch. She mostly ended up staring out the window, toward the not-so-distant column of smoke elsewhere in Hosu. 

If she focused, she could feel Obito poking around the area, hopping from roof to roof with his chakra a guiding light in the dark. Whatever he wrote would probably cushion Kei’s report to Sensei, if only because she’d actually been there for all of the nonsense. Her smoldering humiliation leftover from the fight wasn’t his problem.

“Gekkō-san,” Iida asked after a while, drawing her gaze back to the rest of the room. “I…thank you. For trying to help.” 

“That’s what heroes do.” Every word felt disingenuous at best. A canned, thoughtless phrase.

“Not that. I meant before. When you tried to give me a chance to talk,” Iida told her, still sounding low. 

Oh. That. “I knew you were hurt,” Kei said, as neutral as she could manage. “People in bad places don’t always make the best decisions.”

“I believe I proved you incontrovertibly right.” 

“Yeah, you did,” Kei admitted, watching Iida’s shoulders sink. She slid her way off the bed and finally crossed the space between their hospital beds, leaning so she could try and catch his downcast gaze. Only after she succeeded did she add, “But Iida-kun, you’re better than your worst day. It’s just up to you to go and prove it.” 

“It sounds so simple when you say it like that,” Iida muttered, though the furrow between his brows had smoothed out.

“Maybe. But ‘simple’ and ‘easy’ aren’t the same thing.” Like surviving high school again without wanting to explode. Kei certainly failed at that one.

“We’re not heroes yet,” Midoriya offered, nudging Iida with his elbow. The uninjured one. “I think that means we don’t have to have everything figured out right now. And we’ll learn together. Right, Todoroki-kun?” 

“Right.” 

Eventually, visiting hours drew to a close. While Kei managed to wriggle her way out of having to stay in the hospital any longer, Iida was thoroughly trapped by his injuries. Instead, she took a (stealthy) rooftop route to Manual’s agency, checked in at the front desk to the sound of fussing night shift staff members, then went to her temporary room. 

(Obito, partway through said route: “Hey! Rough night, huh?” 

Kei, irritable and in the form of a feral cat, swiped at him.

“Okay, okay, we’ll catch up later.”)

The next day, Iida went home with his mom. Given the state of his arms, Kei figured the most strenuous item left on his to-do list for the week was to visit his brother’s hospital room. The most important was to avoid any and all news channels, because the Hero Killer incident (and Endeavor’s credited capture) seemed inescapable. The media wanted to dissect the psychology of a murdering shithead more than they wanted to investigate anything worthwhile. Every time she saw his smug jerk face on a TV screen, she wanted to punch it. 

Somehow, her self-control held out.

Perhaps as a merciful stroke from some higher power, every single patrol without Iida was blessedly boring. Bereft of one intern, Manual tried to teach her the ins and outs of hero work when one’s patrol partner was currently unavailable. He even tried to console her about the dead Nōmu in the middle of the alleyway, which everyone also had decided was going to be attributed to Endeavor despite the knives in its brain. But in Kei’s view, his most important contribution to her education had nothing to do with that. 

Instead, Manual helped Kei find the appropriate phrasing in Bureaucrat to tell her costume’s source company to go fuck themselves. She'd figure something out with the school's support department after taking shears to her costume as it was.

Midoriya, via text, offered to introduce Kei to the explosive and bubbly Hatsume Mei instead. 

Figuring it could not actually be worse than the decorative obi that nearly got her stabbed in the face, Kei gave him permission. Encouragement, even. And the now-boring Hosu patrols gave Kei opportunities to text Power Loader’s under-eighteen nemesis about her upgrade ideas. While it did mean more of a paper trail, so be it. She wasn’t getting into another fight with that aesthetic-only nightmare ever again. 

It also served as a decent distraction from the creeping realization that Isobu had been silent for days. Kei’s head wasn't supposed to be lonely.

But all of the internships did come to a quiet sort of end. Society rumbled beneath their feet, but so far, the volcano wasn’t smoking just yet. 

Next up: End-of term final exams. 

[jazzyquarterblugs]

𝐏𝐏𝐓𝐉: 𝐒𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐂𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐒 𝐀𝐋𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐂𝐀𝐍𝐎𝐍𝐒

Time to show ya'll the Altercanons for The Smiling Critters!! :D

(I have already looong posted them on my twitter but again for the Tumblr peeps I will post them here! :3)

From Oldest to Youngest!

Enjoy!

Bubba Bubbaphant!

The smart and probably the most mentally stable one out of the bunch (more on that later-) being the oldest isn't really easy when you've got 7 younger friends most of which love to go on rowdy fun adventures, nonetheless he is always with them every step of the way whenever he can! (Mostly because he needs to keep them from accidentally getting themselves killed 💀)

His Talent

Bubba is capable of creating balls of light and is able to change the intesity of light sources around him, in combat he can create lightbulb shaped items and throw them at to flashbang opponents, disorienting them and giving him the advantage, though this uses up his own energy and so he needs to think carefully about how many he creates, or else he will likely pass out.

KickinChicken!

The self-proclaimed cool guy of the critters. An daredevil who's always put looking for ways to have a lil fun, all the while making Bubba slowly lose his patience 😅 even though he may come off as an arrogant jerk to others, Kickin actually cares a lot about his friends and others more than he likes to admit! Just don't get on his nerves or he will make your life a living hell whenever given the chance!

His Talent

He can whip out three items of his choosing, whether it'd be a simple screwdriver or a flat out atomic bomb, all of which seem to follow a common theme 💀 though he is only lmited to three wishes and after using them all up he'd have to wait for an one hour cooldown before he can create more items again.

CatNap!

Not a very talkative critter, neither is he really stable in ANY WAY to begin with, he went suddenly missing once for 3 whole weeks and came back never the same, for 9 whole months has he never ate, drank or even slept, and it's only a matter of time before one day he finally collapses in on himself...

His...Talent???...

He is able create sleep-inducing red smoke, making whoever is nearby inhale it and fall into a Deep Sleep... (it doesn't kill them dn)

DogDay!

The leader of The Smiling Critters! And CatNap's best friend! This lovely sunshine is always ready for an adventure and bring a smile to everyone's faces no matter who they are! He is always standing up for what's right, willing to put his friends before himself.

His Talent?

His body glows a range of red to yellow whenever experiencing intense emotions, the hue and the temperature of his body depending on how intense the feeling is, if it is too intense his body is capable of burning the skin off of anybody who attempts to touch him.

PickyPiggy!

The nature-loving and diet obsessed one of the group, she absolutely loves the wonders of mother nature, even owning an vegetable garden herself! She loves to eat but always makes sure she stays healthy when doing so! Though sometimes she is so entranced by eating food that she often forgets to keep up with the others and finds herself confused, she always feels like she has an reputation to uphold considering her father is a well-known cook in Critterville, to make things even less easy she has 12 younger brothers to take care of!

Her Talent

She is able to take and storage items within an infinite pocket dimension like a personal inventory in her pockets, though she needs to have actualy pockets for this to work, luckily she knows how to sew!

Hoppy Hopscotch!

The physically active one of the group! And DogDay's beloved little sister! This rambunctious lil rabbit is willing to take on a challenge if it means having fun! Though she is really accident prone so she often gets herself hurt! (Pretty frequently actually-) but even so she doesn't know how to back down! While impatient and loud, she is happy to protect her friends from danger!

CraftyCorn!

The shy and soft-spoken one! She's pretty timid but has an incredible creative side to her! She loves to create all kinds of art but most specifically loves to draw! Even though she may not have had the best first start of her life, but after moving into Bubba's home and becoming part of The Smiling Critters, she realizes she feels right at home.

Her Talent

She is able to mend and shape paint however and whatever she wants it to be! Whether it is colorful wings of freedom or another way to paint, she needs to have paint at her disposal though.

She is also capable of magic of her own! But due to her previous living conditions she was never able to tap into her gift and discover the wonders of unicorn magic all that much, though luckily Bubba has enrolled her to equestrian classes to help her with that problem! <)

Bobby Bearhug!

The sweetest and youngest one out of the group! She was found alone outside near the Critters' treehouse, ever since then Bubba has taken her under his wing and has been taking care of her since, it is unknown what happened to her parents it has been assumed that they had just abandoned her.

Her Talent

She is able to sense the true intentions of a person's heart, helping her know who is worthy of trust or not, she is also able to sense the emotions of an individual though this can be physically and even mentally exhausting, making her needing to take frequent naps to gain her energy back.

Aaaand that is all I have for today!

I hoped you enjoy these Altercanons and if you have any questions regarding them or this AU feel free to ask in my ask box! :3

(repeat users are okay btw!)

[psink]

Aiura Mikoto - Moving on from the gyaru look [2/2]

[part 1]

At a certain arcade Teruhashi Kokomi: Hm~ After all, would a double pose purikura be the best for appearance, I wonder..?

Teruhashi Kokomi: (That's right...If I'm going to do it, it has to be perfect.) Saiki Kusuo: Good grief, I got worried so I followed her, but...

Aiura Mikoto: Oh! As expected of Terukoko! Yeah, yeah, the twins-style double pose is trending in videos~ Aiura Mikoto: A double pose with Terukoko will seriously boost the vibes~ We gotta make it extra, right♪?

Saiki Kusuo: What language are they speaking? Double pose? What's that? Aiura Mikoto: (Wow~ Such an amazing scent...)

Aiura Mikoto: (Though I super respect Terukoko, I thought doing a pair purikura with her would be like a public execution, but...) Aiura Mikoto: (We're actually pretty good!)

Teruhashi Kokomi: (Aiura-san is friendly without being sarcastic.) Teruhashi Kokomi: (After all, I wonder if it's easier to enter Saiki's territory with a close sense of distance like Aiura-san's...)

Saiki Kusuo: Well, I don't really get it, but they seem to be getting alone, so I guess it's fine. Aiura Mikoto: Hmm, and then edit the skin, make the eyes bigger, put in coloured contacts~ And a tipsy-looking blush...

Aiura Mikoto: Got it...! Terukoko is seriously on a different level!! The stable mega-enhanced gyaru is complete! Aiura Mikoto: She's beyond just cute now!

Saiki Kusuo: Hey, hey. With her aura is at its fullest, there's almost nothing showing up in the photo other than the light source. Aiura Mikoto: Alriiight! Now it's the doodling time!

Aiura Mikoto: Terukoko, write the name of the person you like here~ I'll create a love umbrella for you! Teruhashi Kokomi: Huh? A person I...like!?

Teruhashi Kokomi: (No way, no way, no way!) Talking to Aiura-san about Saiki would be...!) Teruhashi Kokomi: (If, by some miracle, my guess turns out to be correct and Saiki's type is girls like Aiura-san, if that fact was revealed...)

Teruhashi Kokomi: (Th-That kind of thing...It'd be unbearably sad... I could no longer exist in this world...!!) Saiki Kusuo: No, that's not the case.

Teruhashi Kokomi: N..No, I don't really care about that....Ahahaha. Aiura Mikoto: Huuh~ Even though I went out of my way to do fortune telling for you...

Saiki Kusuo: Oh, it seems their girl talk is really blooming. Saiki Kusuo: Well, Aiura probably will guide the conversation well from here, so I think it's time to go home.

Aiura Mikoto: Kyaha! This was fun, right~ If you're alright with it, let's come again! Teruhashi Kokomi: Yeah~

Aiura Mikoto: Terukoko is super cute no matter what she does~ Just walking together is super exciting~ Teruhashi Kokomi: (Aiura-san... She looks hard to talk to, but she's a good person.)

Aiura Mikoto: By the way, about the continuation of our love talk... Teruhashi Kokomi: ...Huh!? (Wh-Wh-What's this suddenly...!?)

Aiura Mikoto: Shall I do love fortune telling for you? Teruhsahi Kokomi: Ummm... Th-Th-Th-That's. well, because~

Aiura Mikoto: You think I wouldn't notice that there's someone you like!? (Well, in Terukoko's case it's totally obvious even without looking.) Teruhashi Kokomi: ......Hmmm~ Th-there's someone I'm just a little bit interested in... ......That's all.

Aiura Mikoto: Woow~~ Her shy face is also LL-size cute~~!! Amazing~! Aiura Mikoto: Alriiight! Leave the fortune telling to Miko-chan♪ I won't do anything bad.

Aiura Mikoto: Hm~...The person Terukoko likes probably~ Aiura Mikoto: He likes people who are true to themselves!! Also... Someone strong who doesn't get swayed by a situation!

Aiura Mikoto: In other words, he probably likes a strong-willed girl that doesn't bend her style, right? Teruhashi Kokomi: Huh...Then...Just the same as always...?

Saiki Kusuo: Is this okay? Not only resolve Teruhashi-san's madness, but also tell her that we've got the worst combability. Aiura Mikoto: Ah, that's right...But the combability is about 2%? It says you're an absolutely terrible match... Hey, are you listening!?

Teruhashi Kokomi: (That means... I can just me myself? Right...?) Aiura Kokomi: Heey...?

Teruhashi Kokomi: (Haha, what am I doing... I'm just fluttering around...I'm so stupid.) ...The next day

Kaidou Shun: Ahhh! Teruhashi-san has returned to her saint mode!! The usual Teruhashi-san, not gyaru, is back!! Teruhashi Kokomi: Well, I was just going with the vibe, or something like that?

Nendou RIki: Oh!? She's still speaking with a bit of an accent, how cute! Saiki Kusuo: It's not an accent, it's gyaru slang.

Teruhashi Kokomi: Fufu, Aiura-san, thank you for yesterday, i gained a bit of courage! (Well, I already knew it, though♪) Aiura Mikoto: Eh...Um? What was it...Ah...That's right!

Teruhashi Kokomi: Yeah, let's hang out after school again♪

Aiura Mikoto: If Terukoko is happy, I'm happy too! Something like that? Aiura Mikoto: (It seems like I became super friends with Terukoko and we might have a chance to hang out, this is the best!

Aiura Mikoto: (Kusuo~! Next time the three of us will go to Sweets Paradise, it's settled~! I'll forgive you this time's favour~) Saiki Kusuo: Good grief, this is incredibly incomprehensible. You can't read a woman's heart even with telepathy... END

[silverag09]

5am rambling about Sky cause my sleep schedule is severely wack - includes personal headcannons about lore lmao- everything below the cut so you don’t get blasted with a billion words ✨

Heads up: this is not a fun silly Headcannon. It is

s a d.

You’ve been warned. There is a cute little doodle at the very bottom of this to make it up to anybody who reads this tho

This mainly pertains to moth players and Eden, I came up with this after watching a few folk’s own lore videos on their sky kid’s backstories and whatnot- imagine

Yknow all the moths you’ve adopted, guided through the world and befriended in the process? Once they enter Eden, that has the potential to determine their entire fate.

The moth’s who enter Eden, with or without your help, have to make it through. One way or another. Or, they don’t. They quit halfway through because they’re too afraid, or they don’t understand what they’re meant to do. Some manage to make it through Eden, but then think that’s the end of the game. No more, no seasons, no travelling spirits, no upcoming events, nothing.

I imagine the moths who never fully make it through Eden simply just.. die, in a sense. Their light, their soul, whatever you may call it, was not strong enough to withstand the storm and they simply perish and become one of the many statues trapped there, until you eventually come for your next run and free them.

Alternatively, the ones who make it out but quit shortly after - they were corrupted in some form by Eden - namely, the same power that may or may not have corrupted Resh - the Eden elder and/or king. I have my own theories about Resh too- but that’s for another time. They don’t continue, so their light/wings don’t grow stronger. Almost like an infection, they don’t have the strength to fight off the ‘virus’ (the corruption) as time passes, they remain stagnant and the corruption chips away at them until they ‘die’.

The sky kids who’ve fallen to corruption eventually return to either the wasteland or eden. Those who find themselves in the wasteland deteriorate slowly over time, transforming into crabs or simply dying, their bodies becoming seeds for dark plants to take root. Those who end up back in Eden aren’t so fortunate to have such a peaceful end. And I’m using the term peaceful very, very lightly.

Those who returned to Eden are back in the direct line of contamination from, as stated previously, the same power that corrupted Resh - their bodies rapidly deteriorate and give out on them, their remaining light unable to stay strong enough to stave off death. They don’t remain ‘dead’ for long though, the remains mutating into dark dragons or other beings of pure darkness. They wander aimlessly, trying to find any source of light in the hopes that they can relight the fire they lost, have the hope that - as minuscule as it may be - they can return to the lands of Sky and return to their normal life. The consciousness of the child who’s been mutated remains partially intact, that’s the only reason they’re still hunting down anything that gives off warmth - but they’re not aware of what they’ve become. All they know is that they’re cold, and that other sky kids run away from them no matter what they do.

In other words, the sky kids who don’t make it through are eternally trapped, until you provide them brief respite through freeing them during your weekly/monthly/etc runs. That’s why you see them in orbit sometimes. Those who can’t or refuse to continue perish, to put it very bluntly. I imagine after a certain length of time, their remaining consciousness fades entirely and all that’s left is a monster of darkness, wandering with nothing but subjecting others to the same fate as it fell to on its mind, taking out the envy, anger, and spite that got left behind on the poor souls it finds - those that have wandered where they should never have gone.

———————————————————

Ngl the only reason I came up was this is cause I wanted all the players who’ve quit at Eden, before/in/after, to have a purpose. It sounds bad when I put it like that but idk how else to put it— my old account, I started just before season of dreams started and I quit the same week cause I didn’t want to go through Eden, and I was unaware there was more to the game aside from “fly through pretty world, talk to old spirit looking things, die.” I returned to the game midway through season of remembrance, and I’m very glad I did. I don’t have a lot of headcannons for lore or anything like that, but this is one of them, and as sad as it is- I like it. I love the krill, I love the dark creatures and I love the light creatures too. I feel like the dark creatures don’t get enough love sometimes and I wanted to make something dedicated to them - and, again, it’s sad, but this makes me love them even more- even if I fell asleep by accident while playing that one time and got attacked by the krill and crabs so many times that I got sent to the pity room. Meh.

Anyways, here’s a doodle of my skykid and his buddies to make you less sad 👌

[mercury-lattice]

The Phoenix's Fortune--My Feeding Method as a Web/Desolation Avatar

I have a casino in-system, in the headspace. It's based on the one I had in my life before. I'm noncanon, but sourced from The Magnus Archives. TL;DR for those who are unfamiliar with the source itself, there's eldritch entities tied to certain fears, that influence and bind parts of themselves to people (who are called avatars). I'm an avatar of The Desolation (fears of fire, destruction of potential, loss) and The Web (fears of arachnophobia, manipulation/being controlled, addiction). Avatars feed themselves and their attached entities off of that fear they generate.

So, I was a weird case, being tied to two entities at once. I had to find my own ways to feed, if I wanted to be productive and feed both at once--which seemed to be the best course of action. And what kills two birds with one stone so-to-speak? Life-destroying addiction, of course! So, after deciding I didn't fit in with the other avatars of my home in the UK, I moved to somewhere in the USA and made myself a casino. I named it The Phoenix's Fortune--kind of a normal casino-y name and whatnot. But, the point of the name itself was that I was technically the phoenix gaining from everyone elses downfall. Bit of a nod to the phoenix rising from its own ashes thing--I just gain from everyone elses instead. That play on words being unknown to most people who frequented the casino fed The Web, subtly.

I don't remember where in the US it was, in all honesty. In life it also had a bar area and all that, but other than that it kind of… Looked like a casino if it were run by a volcano-phoenix worshipping cult. Mostly actual fire as lighting--oil lanterns lining the walls, big, ornate metal fire pits on the ground. I loved the phoenix imagery, so there was plenty of that around. Things like carvings on the walls, statues, and other miscellanious decor. I loved my lanterns--but I also loved fire pits. Huge, metal or concrete bowls that stand on the ground with fire in them. Mine were metal, of course. Concrete wouldn't heat up and burn if you were to accidentally touch it, and that's no fun. Any "accidents" fuelled The Desolation, at least a little.

Being tied to The Desolation, it of course was uncomfortably hot to be in the building at all. All the fire pits certianly helped with that. But of course, addiction doesn't care about that sort of thing... Uncomfortability is mild compared to eldrith-entity fuelled drive to gamble. People came and stayed despite the heat and thick smell of smoke. The slot machines and other things I had in there for people to waste their money away on were also warm to the touch. When you'd first start gambling, it was mainly a sense of discomfort. The deeper people fell into the trap of addiction, though, the hotter the equipment got, until their hands weren't necessarily recogniseable as hands, or some even fused into the objects themselves from the melting heat--trapping them there physically. That definitely fuelled my own fire.

The Web needed more than just wordplay, though. So, I decided to prolong the addiction, wrap people up in more threads of fate, and open the opportunity for more burning later down the line. I had plenty of people come to me, having spent their life savings on those damn machines, begging me to help them--people in desperate situations try desparate things. So, I gave out loans--money meant nothing to me in the end, and I had plenty. Of course, some would just spend it right away and that was a nice chance to melt some people for taking advantage of my "generosity".

Others would try to actually pick their life back up! But rarely did the money make its way back to me. So, a bit of waiting, watching them pick up the pieces, unknowing of anything I'm pulling behind the scenes. And eventually, there would be more burning. Either they made mistakes on their own with a little bit of twisting behind the scenes, or I got fed up and there had to be a bit of a "freak accident", which usually involved anything they had gained getting melted--houses, families, other material belongings, whatever. I loved the more drawn-out ones, where people went quite a while without falling into it, and they even felt safe, not knowing I was still pulling strings.

It's mostly the same imagery innerworld, I wanted close to a replica because really, I did live in that place and it was also literally my lifeforce. It honestly was almost like an extension of me in a way. It wasn't literally me, like The Distortion's door being itself, it was just like... If I were to carry a bag with me and felt lost or naked without it, the building would have an equivalent feeling to that. Something that isn't me, but needs to be with me. Like a comfort item integral to my identity.

Of course, I can't burn people in-system--there's rules against that. But having that reminder and that security of before helps all the same.

[valentine-cafe]

https://www.tumblr.com/valentine-cafe/766501668804280320/oooooh-in-relation-to-my-last-ask-what-if-a?source=share

I FOUND IT 🔥

(That took way too long to find. Curse you, Tumblr search engineeeeeee *waving fist dramatically*)

Oh, but if you're up to it, could I perhaps request a sequel to this? Maybe? Perchance? No pressure though, of course!

I'm interested to see how they'd raise the kid, how they'd groom them to be their successor, and how they'll eventually do the big reveal :0 (and maybe some other stuff in-between if you get other ideas :D)

- 🙇

˖⁺. “ our little ray of light” : 

﹙ grim reaper boyfriend x afab reader mad scientist and mad doctor parents with an enigma kid ﹚.𖹭 ݁

. . . verse 209 zhào jìngyí & rishen with enigma child !! 🍓 : ﹙ mad scientist ˖ mad doctor ˖ spider-mantis-moth hybrid ˖ naga ﹚

some headcanons on the herrera husbands with an enigma successor

.𖹭 ps : tumblr and their shitty search options. here you are !

﹙ cws ﹚: underlying darker themes of experimentation on others ( not the kid! )!  | wc : 0.5k 

﹙ receipts ﹚: this was really interesting to write!

꒰  other treats : guidelines ˖ m.list ˖ characters ˖ our lore  ꒱

it was such a sudden decision but - with some research and reading, they would eventually find their way around it. how could they not with the way that the kid stared at them with such big, hopeful eyes?

first and foremost, rishen was adamant on learning about the kid’s powerset. he ran a few tests ( nothing extreme, all were normal ) so that he could fully understand how their powers worked. once that was through and after further study, he would work towards helping the child through this. teaching them what he could and having jìngyí join in too.

jìngyí went straight to health. do they have any allergies? conditions? anything that they should know? he made sure to run numerous tests and checkups, getting all of it on file and working around it.

they are both very busy people and while they cannot look after the kid all of the time - especially when they are at work, they tried to make a plan. whether it is through ai assistants or their most trusted of employees to take off from valence and instead take care of the kids. . .

they are very protective. they’ve been through a lot, and while they are raising a successor, they will not hurt the kid in any way. they can’t bring themselves to do that. instead they will slowly teach the kid all that they can about science. starting small like videos and cartoons to eventually books and studies, so forth. they’d make sure to make it entertaining and fun.

the kid got only the best education and when they grow up, naturally, they would gravitate towards science. they were particularly surprised to to discover that it was mechanics that their child took a liking to. of course they indulged it. their child would come to work in valence eventually, where they would learn more.

now they also knew that they had to . . . slowly, make the child understand their point of view. from an age where they knew they could understand they would begin slowly teaching them. nothing extreme but - once the kid grew - it wouldn’t take long for them to fall into the husband’s ideals.

everything sort of played out for itself after that. their child ‘accidentally’ finding out what they are doing. what they are and. . . understanding that it is for the best.

they’re great parents. even if they’re fucked up. even if they’ve raised their child to see things the way that they do. . . although others would deem it up for debate.

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[ejsuperstar]

MISC SKY LORE POST

Note: This isn't stuff that I necessarily believe is canon, more so shit I've made up for my ocs and comic. I like playing with canon. Long post ahead

Sky kids earn their names. A sky kid isnt born with a name and typically doesnt earn one until at least some time after their first ascension. As such, moths don't have names (me explaining away why my moth ocs don't have actual names lol). Names can be earnt due to actions, behaviour, or circumstance. Names earned can either be granted by sky kids (including the sky kid earning the name) or spirits.

Sky kids forms are malleable, and change over time to be in accordance with how a Sky kid views themself. A sky kid who likens themself to a wild animal may grow horns, one who takes pride in being a moth may grow antennae. If a sky kid feels themself more mature than others they may grow taller, and vice versa. Going to Eden halts these changes. Eden sets your form in place, leaving it unchanging for a while.

Regarding Eden. After rebirth, a sky kid's form is locked in place for a while. Leaving them unaging, and mostly unchanging. Small things like hair growth will still happen, but larger changes (height, mental age, physical age, things like horns) will not happen. A sky kid who does not go to Eden very often may slowly start to grow up at a rate faster than a sky kid who does. And a sky kid who does not go to Eden at all will grow up, and eventually die, and rejoin the cycle with no memories.

Winged light is part memory, part soul. You are granted power when you remember who you are, who you used to be, and when you remember the cycle. You are your light and your light is everything. After being reborn from Eden, moths and young sky kids may find themselves not remembering much at all, while more established sky kids have a better grasp on their memories, and may only find themselves a little big foggy after Eden.

After dying in Eden, you are only reborn after another sky kid comes through and participates in the cycle, granting YOU a winged light. This can take a while in universe, as someone needs to get to you and grant you a winged light. (Same goes for if you die outside of Eden, a sky kid gotta come through and grant you that pity light)

Guides are simple people who have stepped up to a task to... Well guide someone through something. Even something as small as "help us with this theatre play". Guides DO have spirit names, but often-times, after being recognised as a guide, go by their Guide names. There are exceptions (Forgetful Storyteller, and Hopeful Steward come to mind (Yes Storyteller is a guide they're the Harmony Hall guide)) but typically being considered as a Guide is an achievement to be proud of, so Guides like to use their Guide names. There is no fundamental difference between a Guide and a regular Spirit.

Spirits don't age, and don't need to eat to survive. Sky kid's age slower thanks to eden, and don't need to eat either (but do need a steady source of light). Both very much appreciate eating food though.

When getting an item from a spirit, it's not some sort of magical "hey now you can have my hair/mask/clothes". That spirit goes out of their way to make/get a replica of their mask/clothes for the sky kid in question, or teaches them how to style their hair. This is because getting an item isn't a transaction, it's a gift, a sign of friendship.

Candles forged by sky kids are valued highly by spirits because they're persistent sources of Light with a capital L, they have short burn times but can be used by spirits in place of a sky kid's internal light source. Candles are also valued by sky kids too, but thats more a respect of the craftsmanship and appreciation of the gift than anything inherent to the candles.

ok im tired now no more lore dumping, have fun with this guys

[crosshairs-dumb-pimp-gf]

Disgrace Chapter 11: Crosshair x F!OC

They close the distance between themselves, and draw closer to the end of their journey. Though the hostile terrain is rough, and the fauna is vicious- good company can make the way pleasant. Pleasant enough that one might loath that it should end. Regret that is should end. There's a lesson in the journey, that if you give yourself to someone who has nothing, you risk becoming their everything.

Chapter Specific Warnings: Smut, Vore, Blood, Gore, PiV, Power Struggle Sex, Overstimulation, Spanking, Teasing, Angst

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Authors Notes: This chapter closes the second arc of the story! Had a lot of fun with the Fauna in this chapter.

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Word Count: 6108

Dynamic: Princess x Guard, Speed running Co-dependancy, A Mangy Cat and his Aggressive little Chihuahua. She's a damsel, she's in distress- she can handle it. Murder is his love language.

<-Previous Chapter - Read On Ao3 {START HERE}

Music Inspo- Source, Fever the Ghost

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Chapter 11: The Source

The speeder raced across the rocky terrain bathed in the light of permadawn. The tunnels had brought us about halfway through the valley and after some time on the improvised road we were starting to finally find ourselves in shallower ravines, tips of the Trimecca farms more visible on the horizon. If we could keep our pace we'd reach the borders in a day and a half or so.  

The radio signal kicked in a while ago, giving us glimpses of race scores, weather, and entertainment. Cross was lazing in the passengers side, taking in the semi-nocturnal mammals that skittered away through the brittle vinescape as we tore past; His left hand casually draped across my thigh, tapping along with the beat humming through the holo waves. 

He was occasionally grilling my vocabulary, Ga'haiian words that sparked his interest as they came through on the speaker. 

“Cas nan’beh?”

“Nan’beh is kind of like top choices… popular, Cas is our word for music,”

“Mm

…

What’s Ku tar’nah?”

“Hearts chosen destiny… or souls destiny, Ku is hard to translate…”

His eyes wandered off again,

“What does li’nen mean?”

That wasn't part of the program, and the poorly disguised attempt to be sly was amusing. 

“Treasure… or precious, I suppose. It's a term of endearment,”

“How's it differ from li’ha?”

I stiffened slightly. The only person to call me that recently had been Bly’ju… maybe he picked it up in passing…

“The ‘ha suffix changes it to possessive, ‘my treasure,’ or ‘my precious’,”

“Is that so…”

Off in thought again.

“Enough Ga'haiian Crosshair, don't you have anything to teach me instead?”

The toothpick in his mouth swished from side to side as he seemed to deliberate what to give me. 

“Cyare…”

He finally whispered, a slight blush on his cheekbones barely visible in the blue green light. I tried it on for size,

“Cyare… what does it mean,”

…

“Flat snout,”

I snorted, almost choking on my own spit. 

“Flat snout?”

“Mm”

“Bantha dung”

He shrugged, though he looked more amused than anything. Even daring to swear on it,

“By Be’llahl.”

As if Be’llahl didn't delight in pranks. His demeanor was only making me more suspicious as he tried to suppress a chuckle. 

“I give you our words for precious and you trade me… flat snout?”

“Why not?”

“Are you always this full of shyte or do I just bring something special out in you?”

My gaze flicked across the car, searching for the smirk I knew I'd find there. 

Something caught my eyes as they slid across the rear view, drawing my attention away from my snickering passenger. A small shift of dust and rock tumbling into the channel behind us. 

A crash of stone and earth ripped through the air as the creature slid off the valley wall and into the reflection of the rear view. At first no more than a dark, shiny blur. It uncoiled in a flash, its long, scaly tail whipping about as it found its balance. Sharp taloned feet dug into the soil propelling the monster towards us with powerful force as it shrieked with its pouched throat and wide toothy beak. 

A cockerex. 

“Aw varp,”

I tried topping our speed, the pedal clanking against the floor with the force of my boot slamming it down. Sparing a glance down to the fuel gauge I tried to not panic at the low reading. We'd been driving for days and have really been pushing the limits of the reserves. 

Crosshair spun in the seat the second the rumble of the ground registered through our gravity propulsion. His helmet was already shoved on and he was swinging his side arm up to aim behind us at the massive beast of prey. 

“Cross, wait!”

The bolt rang out, bouncing off the iridescent blue-green feathers. He ducked as it came back at us. 

“Would've been good to know,”

As if he had given me the time…

“You need the higher caliber!”

He nodded, climbing into the back with an easy leap grabbing for the Firepuncher, swinging it up on his shoulder-

The cockerex lunged, teeth snapping onto the rifles barrel and with a gutteral warble. Cross tried to squeeze off a shot, but the barrel was pointed into the rock wall; the bolt crashed uselessly into the rocky craig. The sharp teeth made a high pitched screech as they scratched the metal muzzle, gouging it slightly as the creature pulled its head back with a snap.  It easily yanked the blaster from Crosshair's grip, the gun flipping into the air, end over end before being chomped down and swallowed with a loud gulp.

That's not good.

“Oh no you don't,”

Crosshair was up, leaping over the seats to the trunk. A hard kick that jostled the speeder, propelling himself off the bumper-  

To fall into the open pouch through the screaming jaws. 

“Crosshair!”

The thing gulped and he was gone. 

What the kark what the Kark what the Kark!

I didn't have time to process what just happened. The steering jerked as I tried to stay ahead of the cockerex and off the valley walls. The whole speeder lurched as the beast’s narrow head lowered and butted against the jagged trunk, forcing me to swerve haphazardly to correct. Dread gripped me as the rumble of taloned feet encroached on my position. 

What the varp am I supposed to do now?

The valley wall thinned and dropped to one side, opening up to a deeper ravine. The monster shrieked excitedly as it swung its head down again, smacking the back of the speeder so that it swung erratically. I could feel the slide, the speeder losing traction with the upper path and falling down the rocky slope with a grinding shriek. The engine sputtered and cut out as I came to rest at the bottom of the ditch, thunking down into the dirt with a harsh jolt. 

A large shadow passed over head, I looked up at the grasping talons and open jaws reaching for me as the cockerex leaped off the edge, hungry for more-

Wrrrp-BANG!

A glow in its belly bloated outward, then- exploded. With a sickening rip and wet guttural warble the cockerex was in pieces- a tall silhouette falling from the ruined organic matter. 

I laughed in disbelief… an amusement cut short as a sheet of gore slapped over myself and the speeder, followed by a rocking THUMP as Cross’s sticky, disheveled form smacked the back of my seat, bouncing him into the back with a groan. 

I wiped goop from my eyes, spitting the foul slime with a sputter. 

“Y-you alright back there?”

“I'll recover,”

“Good… otherwise I might feel bad for being pissed, What were you thinking?!”

He held the rifle up triumphantly.

“It got the Firepuncher, I needed to get it back,”

“We could have outrun it… what if that hadn't worked?”

“It worked,”

“You could always get another gun,”

“Look here, princess,”

He hoisted himself up, standing over me in the driver's seat. Pulling his side arm back out of its holster to thump into the passenger side. 

“Out of charge,”

He pulled my side arm and checked it. 

“Almost drained, and my packs spent, we lose the Firepuncher and we're defenseless,”

“Still,”

But my grumbling puttered out, the slick mess of slime coating me the priority now. 

There wasn't much to help, settling on the work blankets to try and wipe the viscera off of me. At least I hadn't been wearing the jacket, which was mostly spared where it had fallen to the floor. Even with my best efforts I was streaked with grime from head to toe. 

Glorious. How fun.

Crosshair wasn't fairing much better. Having been inside the thing, every joint and crevice of his kit was contaminated. 

“We're gonna need to find a geyser field, I'm not walking into Sohn like this, Cross, can you see any steam? Smell something metallic?”

“I can't smell anything right now…”

The man finally looked like he was regretting his decision as the gunk started to dry on us. Good. That was an incredibly stupid move. I sighed to try and release some of my indignation. 

It was time to test the engine. Tapping the cords under the dash together, the speeder made a pathetic whine, a dry chug and then died good and proper. I closed my eyes and thanked the thing for holding up as long as it did. 

Groaning, I made preparations to leave while Crosshair assessed the damage to his guns and armor. I reached into the back, pulling my bag out from… what exactly had it pinned this time? 

It looked like a large chunk of stone had made part of the journey with us, partially cracked in the back seat. The outer shape was carved into smooth flat sides, a keystone in the arch that held the crystal port. Something glinted in the cracked stone. I reached in, pushing the broken rock till the cracked sides fell open on the uneven floor. What looked like a small piece of jewelry fell out, the cord old and frayed threaded through a metal rod. Picking it up, it glinted in the meager sunlight. 

I shrugged and slipped the string over my head, grabbing what was left of our bag of rations. Crosshair was already undoing the cords on the trunk, readying our spare water. 

“There's steam rising to the east, about two clicks,”

“Pedestrian, please,”

“Uh… a short way that direction…”

Bag hoisted up my shoulder, we took the hover dolly with the water filled fuel containers between us and turned towards his heading. I couldn't see anything but the glowing north but had no doubts we'd find what we were looking for. 

Cross was alert, keeping his rifle ready as we started to trek over the arid landscape. 

“Watch those brambles,”

He paused, steering us around a thorny patch, looking over the purple and green spikes. 

“Widow's Thistle?”

“You guessed it,”

“I didn't think it'd grow so thick,”

“Legend says it's the embodiment of the bitterness of all the war widows who cried here,”

He looked at the wide valley, the dips on the sandy rocks between plateaus that became more spars the more north you traveled. 

“This is a battlefield?”

“Mm, from ancient times, All life an Ga’ha originated in these valleys… then, the Trimecca Farms were built, false mountains that stole the light from the valley… and then war,”

“That’s a varp of an escalation,”

His eyes took in the ghosts we walked over, letting them haunt him for a moment. Insects darted around the thistles, chattering wings in glittering color… their beauty almost disrespectful to the grief these plants supposedly held. I succumbed to the bitterness of wounds that weren't mine, allowing it to flow through my words.

“Well… it wasn't the poor and disenfranchised that built the farms, and with less light the native crops struggled. With only a select few welcome in the new civilization… Others starved, and then were crushed beneath the boots of the well fed,

The founding of Sohn destroyed the valley, the Widow's Thistle thrives in the lower light… that's all,”

We tracked in uncomfortable silence. Not between us, but in the itchy hardened crust we had developed. I sighed tremendously in relief when the steam billowing into the air became close enough even I could see it. 

“You think here is good?”

Crosshair eagerly eyed the first spring that came into view. 

“Have to check first…”

I cast my eyes about until I spotted a pile of discarded bones from some small animal. That should do just fine. Picking them up gingerly, I stepped to the edge of the simmering water and dropped one in. There was a soft sizzle and the bone melted. 

“Not this one,”

“That's obvious…”

I was hopeful though, and jogged ahead to the next steaming pool, dropping in little bones with Crosshair trailing behind. His hand dropped on my shoulder suddenly pulling me back from where I was about to step from the cover of the low rock walls. 

“There's… things ahead.”

Looking up from where I was counting hot springs, I relaxed. 

“It's okay, they're friendly,”

The they in question was a heard of Gazyll’brah. The tall, six legged equines with coarse, blue striped hair stood gracefully in the flat clearing. A few foals played in the water of the surrounding springs, breaing into the rare soft breeze.

“They know which pools are safe, and they'll let us know if a cockerex gets close, c’mon,”

I led a weary Crosshair down into the clearing to a smaller, steaming crater of water. Dropping a bone in just to be safe, I smiled as it fell to the bottom of the clean pool. 

“This one's good,”

Turning, I found his eyes fixed on the Gazies as they grazed, peeling off the bark of the dahr trees that speckled the canyon side.

“Why aren't they afraid of us?”

“Well, there's no truly wild Gazyll'brahs… they're all from released domestic lines, this close to the farms they're pretty used to humans,”

Satisfied with that, his pack hit the dirt as he started to strip. 

~~~

The water sloshed over the side as Cross thrust into me again, making me gasp loud enough to spook the foal that had wandered near. His mounting had been rough, and abrupt, taking me hard from behind. 

“No warning, Crosshair?”

The surprise was feigned, I had been teasing him. His hips pulled back as he hunched over my back where I was bent over the edge of the pool. He rutted against me, forcefully, as if to teach me a lesson. I had him wrapped around my fingers. The man was panting hard, lost in the lust that had set him into action,

“You think you've… tamed me, princess?”

His groin slammed back into me and I groaned, the walls of my cunt gripping down on his shaft as the sensation ripped through my awakening nerves. Even starting cold he was amazing, and I sighed letting myself focus on how he felt inside me, my Crosshair. 

“Flaunt that perfect ass of yours and expect me to behave myself?”

“Oh?”

I tried to control my breathing, my voice even,

“You can't be that bad, if this is the extent of your… misbehaving,”

Smack

His palm came down on my ass hard, forcing a small yelp from me. I caught his smirk in the corner of my eye as he leaned in to purr against my nape,

“Careful now, I'm starting to think you're riling me up on purpose,”

I was. 

Bracing my hands on the rocky ledge I pushed back against him, taking back control with my own rocking hips angling him deeper than he was managing before. 

“Come on, soldier, you've kriffed me harder than this,”

He cut the groan pulled from him short, growling at my challenge. His hand found its way around my neck, hoisting me against his chest. The firm hold aided him as he pulled me down onto his thrusting cock. His free hand yanked my thighs wider, dropping my pelvis lower. My eyes rolled back a moment as he bottomed out, hilt pressed against my entrance, eliciting a strangled cry of pleasure. I found leverage and bounced my hips; regaining composure and forcing his rhythm, feeling him shudder, the vibration of a suppressed moan in his chest. 

In desperation his hand dipped between my legs while the other tightened around my neck holding me taught and still. Strong fingers strummed through my folds, flicking my clit in a careful rhythm making me gasp. He cooed into my ear in delight as I trembled from the attention, his hand slowing to circle the sensitive bud of nerves, trying to steal my control again. It wasn't gonna be that easy though, not with how he rushed in.

“You think you can toy with me, Tahny?”

I rocked my hips against his hold, riding that edge but not letting him push me over. Turning to plant a soft kiss against his jaw, I whispered peevishly,

“I know I can,”

“Y-you- kriff~” 

His breath caught with a grunt and he twitched inside me, cumming as his hips pressed his cock deep into me. 

I win. 

I let him wrap his arms around me, pulling us back together to sit on the edge of the spring we had been bathing in. His breath was hot against my neck as he nuzzled into it. Relaxed. His mistake. 

As he had studied me over the past few days, I had made some observations about him too. Drunk, horny, or high he was ever the living weapon… but for the next few minutes he was just like any man,

Helpless.

I rolled my hips grinding against him still sheathed in me, causing his breath to hiss between his teeth. 

“Careful, thats-”

His head jerk backwards as I rolled against him again, not letting him get away yet; A violent spasm went through him. 

“Ah~ that's not very nice,”

There was a breathless, nervous chuckle playing on his lips as he submitted to me riding his overstimulated cock. I was delighting in the way he tensed and jerked under me as I ground him inside of myself, feeling that edge start to creep into the borders of my brain again,  

“Don't tell me you can't take what you dish, Cross, that'd be disappointing…”

His eyes sharpened, and he grabbed my hips… times up I suppose. Good boy. 

Crosshair’s back hit the stone as he bucked his hips, putting enough force into it to wrench my control away. His knees knocked between mine to keep me from regaining leverage as he viciously bounced me, easily overwhelming me. 

I finally gave in, letting him bring me to climax; falling against his chest with a strangled cry dripping with ecstasy. 

He thrust a few more times, shuddering violently as a second climax ripped through him, his fingers digging into my hips as he kriffed through it before finally falling still again holding me tight against his heaving chest. 

The sky above me came closer and fell away in a slowing pattern as he breathed under me, wet skin sticking against my back; Relaxed contentment washing through us as our breathing evened together. Cross nipped at my neck and shoulder,

“What got into you?”

“Little of you maybe,”

He snorted. 

I rolled off of him laying to his side, he offered his arm to rest my head against as I curled against his ribs. 

“Will you miss this, Tahny?”

“We'll keep seeing each other… thought that's what we decided on,”

“I meant…”

He gestures vaguely at the clearing with its steam and grazing creatures. 

“Being out here, away from everything else,”

“Mm… not too sure about that, do you know how miserable we'd be if we hadn't been able to find this place?”

“I don't want to know,”

He chuckled, but his brow knit in a subtle show of seriousness.

“Roughing it really isn't your thing, is it?”

“No… I can survive, but no, I need indoor plumbing at the very least. Not really a sonic shower… enjoyer,”

“Would you do it for me?”

“You want me to wing it in the wilderness?”

“Not specifically…”

I could feel my eyes pinch in slight irritation, jumping to the hinted conclusion,

“Are you wondering if you can make me happy Crosshair?”

He looked away, aiming his sights on the sky, 

“So what if I am?”

“That's not how it works, Cross, I make me happy, You can support me, cheer me up, and make my life feel more whole, but happy? That’s… well, …that's for me to sort out,”

I faltered at the end of my little speech, a little unsure of myself. I could feel a tinge in my cheeks, like I had confessed something secret. 

“I can do all that can I?”

His voice took on a dreamy quality as his eyes stayed fixed on the sky. I could see the stars reflected in them even as dawn tinged the horizon. 

“If you want to,”

He didn't answer, instead, he sat up to lean over me, causing me to roll slightly as he moved. 

“For someone who's never wanted someone you sure talk like you're an authority on these things,”

“You don't need to experience something to learn about it, I've seen a thousand romances play out a thousand ways… it's a hazard of the trade,”

“A lot of romance in the flesh industry?”

“More than you realize, and probably in more variety than outside it,”

He scoffed at that, forcing me to defend my point,

“Seriously! Normal people meet, then go for caf, then dinner and a holo and then they Kriff each other's brains out till they get bored and move on to someone else,”

“Is that how it's supposed to go?”

“Society at large seemed to decide how it goes, not me… meanwhile Kahtzi has a client that comes every week just to polish her hooves, That's it! That's all he wants, He swears up and down he loves her, who am I to say he doesn't?”

“What about me?”

“Hm?”

“You know so much about people and their affections… What about me? Us?”

I caressed his cheek solemnly, 

“We… we're still in our infancy, it feels good to be together, but… it's supposed to… that's how beginnings are,”

He collapsed again, sighing as he pulled me to him.

“Such a strange girl…”

“How so,”

“Hesitant caution doesn't seem like a tactic you employ often, but when it comes to this… why so weary, Tahny? Are you afraid of being happy?”

That wasn't something I had a clever answer for, so I leaned into him instead; Contemplative. Attempting to simply accept the comfort he offered. 

We watched the sky a while, the dawn that refused to break. If you squinted at the horizon you could almost make out the sheen of the heat shields that hovered over Sohn. Crosshair probably could, but his eyes were moving, systematically scanning the sky's above.

“It's strange not seeing ships in such a clear sky…”

I turned my gaze upwards to match his, reaching up as if to touch the visible stars. 

“Little perk of our wonky gravity, clear skies anywhere but around the ports,”

“I thought more people would be looking for you,”

“Not by air, and like you said… they might just think we're dead,”

…

“Perhaps we should get going then… you're well overdue for your arrival,”

He sighed, giving me another squeeze before standing to check the drying progress of his blacks. 

I watched from the stone as he pulled them on before standing myself and fetching my own garments from the dahr branches they were hung over. 

“We'll have another day or so on foot before we reach those peaks,”

He was looking towards the horizon.

“We don't have to walk,”

“You don't mean..?”

Wearily, Crosshair appraised the six legged steads grazing around the clearing.

“Animals make you nervous, Cross?” 

“No… will they let us ride them?”

“They're pretty docile with humans, I've been riding since I was little,”

“Of course you have,”

I had finished dressing and was scanning the specimens. Needed to choose the right target.

Crosshair's presence at my side signaled he was ready.

“Your lead, Tahny… you sure you know what you're doing?”

I did. 

I led us to a young stallion grazing away from the herd. 

Clicking a soft tone with my tongue, I caught its attention and splayed my hands in front of me. Slowing to a stop, I waited, trying not to display my anxiety. 

The Gazie blinked one set of eyes, then another, before stepping forward to inspect my hands. Its breath was warm as it chuffed over my fingertips. Poised to pull back should it try to nip me, I raised my hand to its muzzle. Relief washed through me when the weight of the stallion’s nose settled into my palm with a heavy sigh from the creature. 

“That was easy,”

The Sniper drawled, but I could hear he was impressed under the tone of boredom. 

“It's only let me pet it,”

I massaged my fingers up the Gazies cheeks, to its ears, giving it a scratch and not moving again till a soft purr started to rise in the animal's chest. Taking the cue, I moved to the animals side trailing my hands so it knew where I was once I was out of sight. The withers twitched as my finger tips stroked over the coarse fur, first the front, then the back. 

It was relaxed and compliant. 

“Okay… bring our stuff, move slowly.”

He moved to my side without a word and I showed him how to drape our water canisters over the back hump. We were ready to go. 

“I… uh… I need a leg up.”

Crosshair smirked and I flushed but it wasn't time to get snippy with him. I stepped into his offered hand and hoisted myself to sit behind the Gazies first row of shoulder blades. The animal was well fed, and the ridge of its spine was barely a discomfort. For me at least. 

“Where do I go?”

“First, you might want to remove your waist plates. It's not exactly an even surface… then get behind me,”

“You've got to be joking…”

I raised an eyebrow, sliding my hand over the ridge of the Gazie’s back. 

“You don't want to hurt the poor thing do you?”

He rolled his eyes and clicked off the codpiece and ass plate of his kit, tucking them into my bag before hoisting himself up behind me. 

The equine shifted slightly at our weight but was otherwise unbothered. I laced my fingers into its rigid mane and squeezed with my knees. 

“Keep those thighs tight, Cross, don't need you falling off,”

He scoffed but I felt his form tighten around me, a hitch in his breath against my neck as I spurned our stead into motion. 

“You're not nervous about riding, are you Cross?”

“I've ridden things before,”

The delivery was blunt, and his arms tightened again when a few Gazies from the herd noticed the stallion's movement and started to follow. 

“That's not what I asked.”

I steered us through the shallow valley, the young stallion delighting in what I'm sure it thought of as play. They really were docile creatures. The rest of the herd stopped what they were doing to follow. Where one went, so did the rest… it was how they stayed safe. 

“Okay… hold on,”

We were turning clear of the narrow channel, the desert plains opening up before us. The pyramid peaks sat on the horizon, sun glinting through them to finally bathe the rocky terrain in light; Only broken now by the few plateaus that stood between us and the dawn. 

I squeezed my thighs and ripped a high pitched, hollow whistle through my teeth. As if programmed by instinct, the Gazyll'brahs echoed my call, the whistles an eerie chorus behind us. The beast between my thighs dipped as it opened up its gate, wide hooves spread as it leapt into a canter. I moved my hips with the dipping motion as we picked up speed, Cross held on for dear life. 

It was glorious, the warm air whipping about us as we tore over the landscape. Eventually Crosshair picked up how to move with me, rippling in unison with the stallion beneath us, his arms taught around my waist where they rgrabbed into the mane between my thighs. The sound of hoofbeats was heavy and rhythmic, and all around us as a few younger foals overtook our Gazie, daring to dart across our path on occasion. Teasing. 

We rode like that for a time that felt like ages, our progress marked by the passing of geological shelves and dips as we closed the distance to the border. 

“Wait!”

Crosshair grabbed my wrists, and I pulled the mane till the stallion slowed. Eventually the herd trickled to a stop, scattering boredly nearby. 

“What is it, Cross?”

He pointed over my shoulder with his chin, arms still held protectively around me. 

“Proximity array,”

A few hundred meters ahead of us I could see the faint blink of the invisible fence line to the farms. We could almost see the bases of the pyramids through a rising shimmer of heat. 

“That's what we're looking for, once we cross over the barrier security will be notified… and someone will come for us.”

We were still, neither saying anything as we stared at the finish line of our journey. 

“I don't know about you, Tahny… but I'm feeling tired, let's stop for tonight… we'll rest and take you back tomorrow,”

It was whispered into my neck, phrased to sound matter of fact, like it was cautionary and rational. It made no sense to camp out another night, but I found myself nodding in agreement, swallowing hard against the lump in my throat. I pulled our mount around turning away from home to tuck us out of site amongst the raised rocks, hoping antithetically that we hadn't been spotted. 

~~~

The small fire crackled in the hole Crosshair had dug for it, keeping the light from traveling. Unnecessary, but the flickering light made the shadow of the stone cozy. I was weary about using the dahr trees but the wild bark would have very little effect besides the calm that lay over us now. 

I was content, the warm skin beneath my cheek rising and falling in a steady rhythm. The heat had him stripped down to his black bottoms and boots again. 

“Can't sleep?”

He had noticed the glint of flame in my half lidded eyes. 

“You neither?”

“No… don't really want to.”

“Why not?”

… 

“I keep thinking about that dance you were doing… on that table?”

Liar. 

But we weren't sleeping, maybe a little exercise would help. 

“Want to see it again?”

I teased, nipping a line up to his neck. 

“I'd like that,”

He purred under me, though he looked disappointed when I hopped to my feet. I tugged at his arm making his brow furrow. 

“Why do I have to get up?”

“Haven't I said something before, about respect and knowing what you ask of someone,”

He groaned and rolled his eyes, but they glinted playfully as he rocked into a stand towering over me in a flash of mock intimidation. 

“Alright then, princess, show me.”

I reached for his hands, shifting them so that our fingertips touched, turning upward and raising to the sky. My hands slid down to his elbows as his arms rose above his head, forcing me to lean into him. 

“Now turn,”

I whispered against him,

“Lead with your left, make it sharp, counter to my clockwise,”

There were things he was good at, these sharp turns and side steps, but he struggled with rocking his hips on beat. I dropped into the side saddle sit and swept back up. 

“Oh come on…”

“I believe in you,”

“Does it have to be sidesaddle?”

“Oh, definitely.”

He rolled his eyes again, attempting the maneuver but catching on his own boots, falling the rest of the way with an ‘oof.’

I giggled and he growled tugging at me before I could dance out of range, causing me to teater off balance and fall on him. This made me giggle harder and he rolled on top to pin me, chuckling,

“It's not funny!”

“Of course it is, it's very funny-aH!”

He bit my cheek playful… before withdrawing again, the look on his face becoming suddenly solemn. 

Crosshair leaned in, pressing his lips to mine, hard. When he pulled away a misty look floated in his eyes, then he did it again. 

“Mff- wha-”

Another rough kiss,

“... What's on your mind, Cross?”

I managed to gasp out between his assault. 

He stopped short, almost stunned. A sheen in his eyes, a tremor in his arms where they framed my face. 

“The taste of you, Tahny…”

He pressed his mouth to mine, sliding the tip of his tongue against my lips. 

“Anytime it starts to fade, all I have to do…”

Another hard kiss, diving between my lips this time to steal my breath from me. 

“... And I have you again… What am I supposed to do tomorrow? When I can't taste you any more… how long do I have to wait?”

My fingers stroked across his brow, his words were coming too fast, almost panicked. I tried to soothe him,

“It'll fade, but I'll be all the sweeter when we meet again,”

“How long, Tahny? You'll come back but when? What if they ship me off before then? I don't want to die not able to remember…”

His words sent a chill through me. Fear. It was fear crawling over him and I realized I had never seen it on him before. Anger, loathing, guilt sure… but the Crosshair that leaned over me now was scared, his voice small. 

“I don't want to be alone, Tahny,”

The crack that went through my heart must've shattered the ground beneath me, I felt like I was falling backwards, lightheaded. He should never look like this. Not my Crosshair. 

Kark it. Kark all of this. 

“Guess we'd better leave then…”

“... Leave?”

“Yeah. You and me… and well, Kahtzi would meet me anywhere… let's go.”

…

“Can we do that? Just go?”

“I have a ship at my estate here, it's a pleasure craft, but it should get us far enough into the outer rim,”

Shifting under him, I reached into his belt for the devices I knew were there; Triumphantly bringing up the tracer held between my fingers between us.

“I get my ship fueled and take it through the tunnel to the port, You come to me using this, circle back after dropping me off,”

“What about… everything else, we can't just drop everything,”

“Why not? Are we really the only ones who can fill the niche we'll leave behind? Who are we really? Would anyone even bother following us?”

His eyes dulled a moment, then refocus, a new determination mingling with his mix of grief. He took the device in my hand, fiddled with some sort of setting, then tucked it into my jacket pocket. 

“I'll follow,”

It was short, and he collapsed against my side, pulling me to be cradled against him with a yawn. 

“Get some sleep, we need to make sure this goes according to plan,”

“Now you're tired?”

I teased, but his heart rate increased against my eardrum. 

“It seems I can't wait for tomorrow…”

At that, I warmed a little… but it felt right, the happy tone now coloring his words. This was the right decision. Everything else could go Kark itself. 

Hoping this calm, this reckless scheme wasn't caused by the smoke from the dahr branches, I settled against him till my eyes also drifted shut. 

No… this is right. 

We finally let our guard down, and fell into a deep sleep. 

~~~

There was little warning. The disturbed air hadn't woken us, nor the startled brea of a Gazyll'brah, the crunch of boots on stone. My mind was swimming from the fire smoke as the world shifted abruptly. 

I was being yanked up, out of Crosshair's arms by rough hands. 

“No!”

I reached for him through air that felt thick, moving too slow, everything moving too slow. A boot was on his neck, he wasn't struggling. His face was resigned as his arms were yanked back, a pair of binders latched about his wrists. … Why wasn't he struggling? 

“Crosshair!”

“Quiet, li'ha,”

My father's voice cut through the sound of rushing blood in my ears. I lashed out against the arms pulling me towards the back of an sleek, armored speeder. They were trying to wrap a blanket around me. 

“Let me GO! Stop! Don't hurt him! He did nothing wrong!”

But Crosshair was shaking his head subtly, warning me to keep quiet as he was pushed into a second vehicle. My head was forcibly ducked as I was hoisted, hissing and spitting as I was dumped into the seat despite my violent protests. 

“If you hurt him I swear…”

The strained and angry oath was as impotent as ever. 

A weight settled in beside me as the door clicked shut. I looked up at my father sitting tall and stern beside me. 

“You'll do what, Tah’nyem?”

As I looked up at the man who raised me my heart clenched and a knot formed in my stomach. It felt like I was staring at the source of all my problems. 

@feral-ferrule @thecoffeelorian