#matte silver dream rare

[twstfanblog]

*~Mother's Day, Damn it~*

A/N: Hello all and a happy Mother's Day! Decided to queue this up since I knew I was gonna be hyper-busy the weekend and would honestly forget to post it XD Warnings: Mentions and vague descriptions of pregnancy and childbirth Pairings: YuuxMalleusxAzulxJamil, Mentioned Silver/Sebek, Mentioned Vil/Rook, Mentioned Riddle/Floyd Word Count: 4.3K

MALLEUS

Yuu made sure to apologize to Malleus once the egg was out. Well, once the egg was out, they had a quick bath, and regained mental awareness after a spontaneous three-hour nap. It wasn't their intention to interrupt his birthday party with their water breaking (they really hoped the seemingly ancient as dirt carpet survived it). Yuu didn't remember much from the egg birth. Apparently, Grandmother Draconia had made one of her rare appearances, walking into the room as though Yuu wasn't screaming on their knees and slamming the ornate headboard into the wall in an act of misplaced frustration. 

Lilia said she brought them fruit-flavored ice chips, which was very sweet.

Once they woke up, everyone had kept a good few feet away as they congratulated them on a successful birth. (Malleus told them later that night that Yuu had some…vividly creative threats made in their heat of maternal agony. One of which Malleus refused to repeat, only stating it made him physically leave the castle grounds for his own safety).

But now, as Yuu relaxed in a patch of rare sunlight with their egg baby, they felt content. Luckily, their egg wasn't as massive as Malleus's was. Though it had seemed to grow to said size as the months went by. An oil-like black, the shell shined iridescent in the light. The reflective surface was broken up by thin matte black webbing that increased in numbers as time went on. Grandmother Draconia had remarked the few times she'd seen the egg that she had never seen one with such neat growth marks, the pattern almost mimicking broken glass.

Though Yuu had their concerns, (they didn't have magic and dragon eggs needed family magic to hatch) their loved ones were more than willing to pitch in. Malleus, of course, gave the egg magic daily in the form of cuddling and kissing it before and after going about his royal duties. Lilia had given a few sprinkles of his limited magic, whispering blessings and sweet dreams to the youngling inside. Sebek nearly cried himself sick when Yuu offered to let him bestow the egg with his magic, he was one of the godfathers after all (A fact that made Sebek actually cry and hug Yuu tight enough to crack their back). Silver, as the other godfather in question, was more than happy to give his niece or nephew his magic in the form of naptime cuddles.

Even Azul and Jamil had made their way to the valley. Both to visit and to give their donation of magic to the egg. Though they had busy schedules with their own post-graduation lives, Malleus had convinced them to stay a few weeks past their original departure date. If he had to set a harbor on fire to do it, that didn't mean anything.

In the present, a strong gust tiled the egg from its upright position and onto its side in the lush patch of grass. Yuu watched in mild amazement as the egg did what it normally did, wiggling on its side for a few moments before rolling itself back to its starting position. Their child had become insanely active, a fact that Malleus and Yuu took great pleasure in. Nightly, they'd sit on opposite sides of their massive bed and call out to the egg to see who it'd roll toward (Yuu was only a little bitter that they were barely winning).

“Baby. Baby~.” Yuu laughed, watching the egg wiggle around in what could only be called joy at the sound of their voice.

But, their laughter was cut off at the soft sound of something cracking.

They looked at the egg with laser focus, the egg itself had gone deathly still as though the crack had startled them as well. Soon the egg gave another powerful wiggle, a hairline crack forming against the shell.

“...” Yuu turned toward the castle, panic clear in their voice as they screamed, “MALLEUS!”

Malleus had appeared like a bolt of lightning, eyes glowing and ready to kill whoever posed a threat to his mate and child. Only to have his attention pulled to the sound of shell cracking and Yuu's panicked question of “Do I help them!?”

Soon they were back in the castle, the wiggling and cracking egg placed on the ceremonial hatching altar. Malleus held Yuu in his arms, trying to keep them calm as they fought their own need to help their child hatch. Silver, Sebek, and Lilia had appeared after hearing all the noise. While Sebek shouted encouragement to the hatching fae, Silver tried to get his husband to stop yelling at the egg. Lilia was doing his grandfatherly duty of filming everything.

Finally, the cracks along the egg met. From the top, a small purple-tinted dragon poked their head through the opening, fighting against the remaining shell fiercely until they were able to crawl out. They squeaked, almost trying to roar at them with their wings flared out.

Lilia cooed, making sure to capture the scale pattern on the squeaking dragon's forehead, “A little girl! She's much smaller than I-”

The egg tilted on the altar, another small dragon crawling its way from the opening their sister had left. Stepping out and looking around the room unaware of the edge to the altar. Silver had rushed forward, catching the teal-tinted infant before they hit the ground. He held the squeaking dragon in both his hands, unneeded from how small he was but wanting to grip him securely, as he placed him back on the altar, “I...twins? Can there be twins?”

The shock was barely settling in when more cracking echoed in the room. From the bottom of the egg, another head poked out. A frustrated green-tinted dragon flapping their uncoordinated wings to remove leftover yolk. This one was much more tired than his siblings, once free from the egg he had huffed and laid down on the altar.

…

Yuu tilted their head back, giving themselves a high five before moving out of a stunned Malleus's limp arms, “Secured the fuck out of this bloodline! Babies! Babies~!” They gathered the chirping dragon infants into their arms, each of them growing overjoyed to finally be with the voice they always knew.

June 13th, a great blessing was gifted to Briar Valley. Three healthy and powerful heirs born in record time. The country had celebrated for weeks in joy and in blessing of the three new members of the royal family. May Malgona, Malathew, and Malicent Draconia-Crewel live long and be loved.

AZUL

Yuu had fallen pregnant again not long after the triplets' first birthday and it was all Azul's fault. A successful opening weekend of his lounge had made the cecaelian's mood all too happy and frisky. Azul, in a flustered state, claimed that wanting to mate when resources were bountiful was basic biology and he wasn't going to apologize. Jamil started the argument that Azul had done such a thing on purpose to push back his and Yuu's wedding, since Malleus's wedding planning was taken over by grandmother Draconia, and Azul didn't want to marry Yuu until he had a sizable amount of money in his savings for reasons.

While the two bickered, Yuu and Malleus marveled over the ultrasound of a tiny pea-shaped blob.

Malleus would have easily housed Yuu for their pregnancy again; What better place for an expecting mother to be than waited on hand and foot in royal luxury? An idea that Azul surprisingly vetoed, bringing up the fact the triplets would not leave Yuu any time to relax as the one-year-olds had a 6th sense for when their mother was trying to so much as sit.

“They'd run her more ragged than the pregnancy would in the first place…”

While Jamil offered, they all knew Yuu would decline; Since Jamil was currently staying in the Scalding Sands, prepping with his family (and Kalim) for their now pushed-back wedding. Yuu would not last long in the desert normally, asking them to do it while pregnant was cruel and unusual punishment.

So Yuu and Azul made their way to the Sunshine Lands where he had actually inherited a sizable beachfront property from his grandmother. How and why the elder cecaelian had even got her hands on land property, she wouldn't say. But the seaside villa Azul had built on the land was perfect, having a hand in every design aspect right down to the adorable ocean-themed nursery.

And while Yuu's pregnancy tracked along nicely, Azul's sleep schedule and mental well-being had suffered.

Malleus had rarely complained of Yuu during their first pregnancy, but now that Azul was dealing with them first hand he wondered if Malleus was simply…unbothered by the absurdity that escaped Yuu's mouth. The fae had asked how Azul was dealing with Yuu's ‘strange cravings’ during a visit. Jamil had rolled his eyes and jokingly asked if Yuu wanted pickles or ice cream during their pregnancy with the triplets. And Malleus answered she had wanted to drink molten metals, gnaw on gemstones, and wanted to eat a very specific map that was made when his grandmother was a child.

Jamil, having been around more pregnant women than the average person in his life,  stated that was…normal…ish. Pregnancy cravings could tilt to the material if the body felt it was lacking nutrients. So Azul was prepared. He had supplement potions of all kinds, he's looked up the most common pregnancy cravings; he had pickles purchased by the barrel and ice cream by the freezer load on standby. Hell, he stocked up on a non-toxic clay that was safe to digest. If Yuu asked him to, he'd crush up shells and pearls into fine dust to mix into their food and drinks to satisfy their cravings.

Instead, he was awakened almost like clockwork every night to make some type of horrific food combination that Yuu insisted would be amazing.

Ground beef and banana smoothies, corn on the cob with a cherry compote and mustard dipping sauce, chocolate-covered pan-fried shrimp. One night they simply asked for a whole, raw artichoke. He watched them eat it like it was an apple and fall back asleep as though they hadn't mentally scarred him in a matter of four minutes.

Azul could put his foot down, he could deny them these hellish cravings clearly caused by some type of demon masquerading as a baby in his date-mate's womb. But whenever he did, Yuu's eyes would fill with tears; sobbing and crying that Azul didn't love them OR the baby.

So Azul would get out of bed and make them their cursed offering. His pride as a chef was strong, but he couldn't last long against his dear pearl's tears…

But, demonic cravings aside, Yuu's pregnancy was progressing as normal. Azul would spend his evenings from the lounge resting gently on his date-mate's stomach and cooing at the tiny being waiting to be born. He had theorized their little girl was in a merform that matched his own; it would explain how they were able to kick him no matter where he kissed on Yuu's stomach. With only a month to go, his child would be the perfect belated birthday present.

Then three days before said birthday, Yuu was rushed to the hospital against their will, once again. The past few weeks they had been plagued with random bouts of false contractions. Each time Azul would panic and rush his pregnant love to their chosen hospital and demand they be looked over. The doctors would humor him, he was an up-and-coming influential member of their community after all. But, Yuu quickly grew annoyed with it, to the point they'd started hiding and waiting for the contractions to stop before even telling Azul they had them.

But now they were back in the hospital, Yuu pacing their examination room as Azul gently grilled the doctor.

“I understand that they're common, but this has been happening for weeks. Is there another test we can do or a specialist we can refer to?”

“Well, Mr. Ashengrotto, as head of labor and delivery and your personally chosen doctor, probably not.”

Yuu sighed, still walking around the room with a hand over their stomach, “Azul, just drop it. I wanna go home and-”

The sound of water hitting the tile floor made them all freeze. Yuu looked down, seeing the ‘water’ had come from them and soaking into the edge of the maxi skirt they were wearing.

…

“Fuck.”

Hours later, Yuu was in a hospital bed and Azul was still on the phone with his mother pacing outside of the room. The mer panicking over the potential health risks of a month early birth and where he could have gone wrong in his prenatal care and how he was a failure-

Yuu spoke calmly into their phone, watching Azul pace past their window again, “Yeah, no. He’s still in the hall crying…I don’t know! The doctor hadn’t said anything was wrong the past few checkups…No, Jamil, I didn’t ingest poison…Why would he give me poison!? Why would I be craving poisons!?...Wanting to drink metal is different.”

Azul had returned to the room after a nurse talked him through his breakdown, sitting at Yuu’s bedside and helping them through the labor pains. He walked them around the room, screened calls from their worried friends and family, and even managed to magic up the fabled fruit-flavored ice chips Yuu had started to demand as the labor continued. Two days before Azul’s birthday the doctor had finally stated Yuu was dilated enough to try their preferred birthing position. With Azul’s hand vice gripped in their own, a few hours into the afternoon, they felt a pressure suddenly rush out of them. The standby nurse quickly swooped in to make sure the baby was fully out and taken to be properly weighed.

Yuu and Azul both sigh in relief at the sound of their little girl wailing her head off. Azul felt tears coming to his eyes seeing she had been birthed in merform, much bigger than any normal mer child but that was to be expected when she had a personal grotto to grow and feed in for eight months; lovingly tucked away to be pampered and protected. He took in his daughter’s form with a tender eye; pale purple skin that ombred into chubby black and speckled tentacles that wiggled around fiercely. A head of stark white hair with delicate newborn curls. Gurgled cries only stopping when the nurse placed her onto an exhausted Yuu’s chest. The infant following her instincts; curling into her mother for warmth and safety, tentacles wrapping around Yuu's arm as an anchor and finally calming.

The doctor smiled at the happy family, both parents cooing over their baby. They moved to exit the room to allow them space to bond, giving Yuu one last glance to ensure there was no ripping that needed immediate attention. The smile on their face quickly fell. At a moment of silence, they moved back to position and gave Yuu a pat on their calf, “Okay! Round two!”

“...” Yuu lifted their head from the pillow, their grip on Azul’s hand somehow getting tighter, “I'm sorry…what?” The loving light of a mother quickly faded into a focused rage.

“...The…There’s a second baby-”

“A second what!?”

Azul struggled to escape Yuu’s hold, feeling his bones trying to liquefy to slip out of what his instincts were screaming was a death trap, “Darling? My pearl? Let go, please let go of my hand-”

“No! I’m gonna eat your fucking arm! WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU MEAN THERE’S A SECOND-”

February 22nd, Yuu uploaded a photo welcoming Charysa and Scylar Ashengrotto-Crewel into the world. Yuu smiled in bed with two identical cecaelian infants curled against each arm, one of them blinking open a dark blue eye to stare at the camera. Azul sitting at their bedside with one of his arms in a sling and bandages wrapping his fingers together. To this day he stands firm on his twins being the best early birthday present he ever received, and all they cost him was a broken hand and a dislocated shoulder.

(Yuu happily called the Leech twins once their arms were free, telling them they could stop fighting over who the godfather was to be since they could now both be the godfather to a baby).

JAMIL

Jamil and Yuu’s wedding was gorgeous.

Kalim took the fact it was a party for extended family and friends and turned his party planning skills to a whole new level, footing the bill and offering whatever venue the Asim family had at their disposal for the event. Jamil tried to deny his friend’s generous offers, but his mother shot him down so hard he physically felt the impact. He and Yuu had the final say in any decision of course, but against his mother’s cold unmoving stare and Kalim’s small suns for pupils filled with hope, Jamil crumbled often. He wanted to hate the end result, but it was honestly something out of a dream. And his favorite part was his bride.

Yuu’s lehenga was made from the finest red silk, embroidered with enchanted gold thread and precious beads that shimmered in the light. Henna was painstakingly painted on their hands and feet in ornate and fine patterns, their hair and make-up done by a personal beautician of one of the Asim wives, Finally they were coated in ruby-encrusted gold jewelry straight from the royal family's treasury that Kalim had gained permission to borrow from. Yuu was presented to him and he felt like he had found an oasis of paradise, no longer searching for a diamond in the rough as the sands had produced a perfectly cut and shining turquoise into his hands. A vision of beauty and now legally his wife.

So though it was only a month after Yuu had birthed Chrasya and Scylar, barely two weeks after their wedding night, they had learned Yuu had gotten pregnant again, much to their displeasure. Jamil’s mother was boosting at hearing the news, stating that her efforts of sneaking a yellow sapphire into their marriage bed had been the trick to such a fast pregnancy (Apparently, she claims that’s how she was blessed with Najma so soon after having Jamil). Now freshly re-impregnated, Azul and Malleus stated that Jamil should be the main one to care for Yuu as they had for their own children's respective pregnancies.

A challenge he accepted with only mild annoyance.

One of Kalim’s many wedding presents to his dear friends had been a townhouse located in a capital city of the Shaftlands. It was placed within a gated community with plenty of resident-only amenities, it was even a ten-minute walk from the downtown area. A perfect location to keep his pregnant, troublesome adventurous wife safe, yet close enough to events to keep them both entertained. One surprise meeting at the local farmer’s market later, Vil and Rook had become frequent visitors along with Azul, Malleus, and their other children to their townhouse home. However, the older Pomfiore duo had stopped visiting at the end of August as they were finally welcoming their own bundle of joy. 

A fact that Yuu quickly pointed out as a reason to visit Vil instead.

“I’m allowed to hold his baby. I’m pregnant and basically the blood sister he never wanted.”

“I’ll be honest, from how Rook’s been describing Vil's hyper possessiveness since they brought Finley home, he may actually fight you if you go over there.”

“I'm pregnant, I can do what I want.”

“Yuu, he will body slam you. Stop trying to put your shoes on.”

Once again, the pregnancy was smooth with frequent checkups and clean bills of health. Jamil remained hyper-vigilant during each clinic visit. Demanding the doctor do two or three extra ultrasounds from multiple angles, paying out of pocket for each surplus check. Only one baby was shown on the screen each pass, but Jamil never lowered his guard. Yuu had two pregnancies prior and a total of three surprise babies that managed to slip by completely undetected. Though everything pointed to one baby, that meant little to Jamil from past experience.

Even at their over-the-top baby shower, once again with Kalim as the head of the planning community, he didn’t stop his double-checking. As the triplets and the twins shoved their tiny hands into a cake to show the bright blue frosting inside, Jamil had gripped Kalim by the collar off to the side and demanded to know if the sex reveal had anything pointing to a second child. Kalim had sworn that nothing had stated there was anything out of the ordinary. Jamil had released him, sighing and pinching the bridge of his nose before remarking he couldn't handle another kid. It had already taken him so long to pick Kalim as the godfather, he wasn't sure if he could pick a second person ( Kalim burst into tears at hearing Jamil had chosen him as his son's godfather. Picking Jamil clean off his feet in a hug that ended in them both falling into the pool).

Now, on New Year’s Eve, Jamil and Yuu made their way to Vil and Rook’s snowy mansion to attend their party. They had shown up a few hours early, Yuu shoving Vil out of their way once the blonde star had opened the door. Vil scowled as Yuu quickly waddled deeper into the house to coo over a four-month-old Finley, raising an eyebrow at Jamil, “And you say they're easier to handle pregnant?”

Jamil shrugged, slipping the bag of last-minute groceries Vil had asked him to bring from his shoulder and into Vil’s waiting hands, “I can placate them with food and physical affection. They sleep at least 11 hours a day and at some point running becomes a chore to them. I have half a mind to knock them up again the second this one is out.”

“They’d kill you.”

“They can’t do anything reckless or stupid when pregnant, it’s a dream come true.”

By the late evening, the party had calmed from the large soiree it started as to an intimate get-together of the original NRC group. Children were put to bed upstairs while the adults all talked and caught up with personal lives. Yuu had excused themselves to the bathroom, Kalim taking the opportunity to ask Jamil if he was doing ok.

“You’ve been bouncing your leg all night…”

Jamil sighed, leaning forward and placing his nose and mouth into his clasped hands, “...” He pulled his mouth from his hands, “Something is going to happen.”

Vil rolls his eyes, pouring himself another glass of champagne, “Honestly.”

Riddle hummed from his place under Floyd’s arm, fighting off his drunken sleepiness to soothe his former classmate's concerns, “Jamil…from what I’ve been told, Yuu’s had perfect screenings, you’ve kept them on a strict prenatal diet, and you only have two more weeks until their due date. I believe you are as they say…in the clear.”

“That means nothing when Yuu is involved and you know it.”

Malleus chuckles, stroking a hand through Jamil’s loose hair, “I don’t think there’s any need for concern. Yuu hasn’t had any strange cravings this pregnancy, nor early contractions. I agree with Riddle on you managing to conquer these dreaded ‘surprise pregnancy’ events we’ve been having.”

Rook nodded, humming as he stood from his chair to pat Jamil’s shoulder, “Worry not, monsieur multi! You’ve been so vigilant in monitoring your bébé’s status that I don’t believe the poor boy could hope to kick without you knowing about it.”

Yuu walked back into the room, a hand braced under their stomach and the other pointing behind them toward the bathroom, “Hey remember how I went to the bathroom?”

…

Jamil’s eyes moved from looking directly ahead of him to glancing at Yuu, “Yes…what about it?”

“So I thought, I was just actively peeing; which is why I went. Turns out, Aha…my water broke.”

…

Everyone had watched in a shared muted silence as Jamil picked Yuu into his arms and basically threw them into the back of their car, peeling out of the mansion’s driveway in a barely contained manic episode. They had sheepishly continued the party for an hour, midnight barely two hours away before Vil texted Jamil and Yuu, asking if they had safely reached a hospital.

Azul and Malleus crowded around the phone when Vil let out a delighted scream. Jamil had responded by sending a single photo of Yuu in a hospital bed still in their party dress, a bundle of blue blankets in their arms. While Malleus and Lilia had playfully lamented the loss of another January birthday boy, Cater had remarked how Yuu looked to be fighting back the urge to either laugh or fling the baby out of their grasp.

Jamil texted back, ‘We checked into the hospital, Yuu laid on the bed, and he just fucking came out.’

The doctor and nurses had to be called in, no one expecting Yuu to have birthed so quickly since the ink on their forms had barely dried. Luckily, the baby had no health issues, fully formed with feathery wisps of black hair and giving loud cries to show his airways were clear. Once he was placed into their arms, Yuu had jokingly asked the peaceful infant what had been so important that he needed to be born two weeks ahead of schedule in less than an hour. A joke question that the baby had seemingly answered by blinking open his little coal-colored eyes, opening his tiny mouth and burping. With that single act, he closed his eyes and nuzzled back into his mother’s embrace to sleep.

…

“Jamil, get this motherfucker away from me-”

Two hours before the new year, December 31st, Jamil Jr. (J.J) Viper-Crewel decided he was ready to be born.

(“I didn’t agree to that name. We had, like, twelve names picked out, why are you giving him my name?”

“Jamil. Look at him. This is just you, what the fuck else am I supposed to call him?”)

[beersangel]

The Silver lining ⋆౨ৎ˚⟡˖ ࣪

pairing: quiteguy!matt x smart overachiever reader.

content warnings: honestly just pure fluff and angst.

summary: Aven Brooks, a driven overachiever, and Matt Sturniolo, a quiet, reserved guy with a reputation for being rude, are paired for a school project. While Aven is open to working together, Matt is reluctant, but their forced partnership begins to reveal there’s more to each of them than meets the eye.

click here for the next part

——————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Aven Brooks was undoubtedly one of the most talkative students in school; if you put her in a room with anyone, she can start a conversation that lasts for hours. Even though Aven was outgoing, she didn't invite just anybody into her social circle. For years, she kept her close friends Courtney and Dakota in her close knit bubble, not letting anyone else in. Since third grade, the three have been inseparable. They have a common goal of attending prestigious colleges, and during their time in school, they have bonded and supported one another in becoming the best versions of themselves.

⋆౨ৎ˚⟡˖ ࣪

“Aven, we’re late for debate practice,” Courtney says impatiently as she waits for Aven to pick out the books she needs for the day.

“Jesus court patience, and it’s fine, Mr. Williams won’t mind anyway,” Aven argues, grabbing the last book and shoving it into her bag before shutting her locker.

Another thing about Aven is that she cares a lot about her studies, even the word “a lot” is an understatement.

she joined debate clubs and art clubs, worked on assignments and projects all night long, took extra credit work, joined the school paper, and pulled all nighters to study all to make her dream come true.

her lifelong dream.

To get accepted in UCLA, the college her dad went to.

she wanted to honor him, to walk in his footsteps, but most importantly, to make him proud.

so now she finds herself walking to her debate room with her friends, knocking on the door, she hears Mr Williams's cheery voice telling them to come in.

"Sorry, we’re late, Mr Williams” court sputters as soon as they step in.

“It’s alright, girls; we haven’t even started yet,” he smiles at them profoundly.

they take their usual seats, ready to spend the afternoon practicing.

Matt Sturniolo, on the other hand, was a different case. He rarely spoke to anyone outside of the people closest to him and preferred to spend most of his time by himself or with his brothers. In this sense, he was similar to Aven in that he liked to keep his group small and comfortable.

Stretching his aching arms, Matt walked through the parking lot with Chris after lacrosse practice. Their coach had overworked them this time, making them run the fields six times because of a mistake made by his teammate.

He fishes his car keys out of his bag, ready to unlock the car, when he sees from the corner of his eyes a girl walking towards her car, Aven brooks . She waves back at another girl from across the parking lot before stepping into her car, turning it on, and pulling out of school.

Matt has always thought Aven was beautiful; he observed her in math class repeatedly, almost every day, he’d say. Most of the time, she looked exhausted. To others, this might not be apparent, but to matt? He was familiar with fake smiles and worn out eyes. He knew she was overworking herself and it was causing her to be drained, but of course he’d never comment on it; they were not friends, nor would they ever be.

He unlocked his car, copying the brunette’s actions from before, stepping into it with his brother, and pulling out of the parking lot.

Let’s just say it was a quiet night for both Matt Sturniolo and Aven brooks. While Matt spent his night watching gravity falls in the dark pits of his room, waiting for his brothers to come from a praty, Aven overworked herself with extra credit and assignments, balancing between doing her work and practicing for debate.

⋆౨ৎ˚⟡˖ ࣪

When aven got her quiz back in math class with a full mark, she was over the moon, almost skipping back to her seat after a quick review with miss marshal, she sat in her designated seat, sticking her test into her bag before plopping her book open.

Reading was always an escape for Aven; she traveled within the pages of the book to flee from the stress of reality and the academic pressure she put herself through. She knows she’s slowly losing herself when she pushes herself like this. But the thing is, there’s only 2 years left till graduation, 2 years and she’ll hopefully, knock on wood, be in California, in her dream university.

She smiles at the thought, quickly shaking her head and continuing reading the last paragraph of chapter 28. When the evaluation is done, Miss Marshall states that she has an announcement.

“For the rest of this course, i’ll be tasking you with a research project, this project will be done in pairs. Now, i know that you all would like to choose your pair, but i have already chosen for you” she announces, the class groans and scoffs about this.

“Now, now, I’ll be announcing every pair now; you will be switching seats to sit next to your pair, Makayla and Caleb, you’re up first…” Miss Marshall continues listing names, and the students continue switching seats to sit with their pair.

“Aven Brooks and Matthew Sturniolo,” she declares, Matthew Sturniolo, the quiet boy in class.

She looks back and gives him a soft smile when her eyes meet his, His expression makes it seem like he doesn’t like the idea of pairing up with her, but they don’t have a choice now, do they? She grabs her bag and makes her way to his table, the chair next to him empty now that the kid sitting next to him moved to sit next to his pair.

"Hey,” she smiles, plopping her bag next to the chair and sitting down.

"Hi,” he mumbles back, his eyes focused on the notebook in front of him.

Aven has always thought of Matt throughout the years that they’ve gone to school, together, she recalls him either not being in class, or being in class but not speaking to anyone. She knows he’s smart from the times that he’s been called up to the board to solve equations on the board, or when the teacher announces results and his are always high, so when she heard her name with his for the project, she felt comfortable, knowing Miss Marshall didn’t pick someone who wasn’t willing to work.

At school, everyone knew he was unapproachable. Some said he was rude; others claimed he didn’t talk at all. But Aven didn’t buy into the rumors. She’d never spoken to him herself, so how could she know if any of it was true?

When the bell rings, Matt stands up quickly, shoving his notebook into his backpack, ready to leave.

"Uh, Matt” he hears her soft voice speak, he turns to look at her.

“Yeah?” he replies in an almost bored tone.

“When do you want to meet up for the project?” Aven asks nervously.

Matt looks around before sighing, “look we don’t actually have to meet up, let’s just split the work” he says and aven frowns.

“Oh! Um- don’t you think it would be easier if we met up?” aven suggests.

Matt raises an eyebrow at her, his expression unreadable. "Easier? Maybe for you," he mutters, crossing his arms. "I just don’t see the point. We can handle our parts separately and call it a day."

Aven hesitates, shifting on her feet. "I get that, but... what if we end up repeating stuff or missing something important? It’s a group project for a reason."

He studies her for a moment, his lips pressing into a thin line. "Fine," he finally says, though the reluctance in his tone is obvious. "When were you thinking?"

Her face lights up, and she fidgets with the strap of her bag. "Maybe after school tomorrow? We could meet at the library."

Matt exhales sharply, like the idea pains him. "Sure. Whatever." He turns back toward his locker, dismissing her with a casual shrug.

Well, Aven doesn't necessarily want the rumors to be true, but he seems...cold.

ִֶָ𓂃 ࣪˖ ִֶָ🐇་༘࿐

writer’s note: first part !! this is kind of an introductory chapter where I just introduce the characters and establish their personalities and their dynamics, I’ll try writing more in the next few days (I’m in the middle of finals week :0 ) anyway hope you enjoyed 💗!

- 💌

[lenathesingingcat]

Alright, I promised to post about the JCS production I saw last night, so here are my thoughts on the highlights! Bear in mind that I don’t know the musical super well, as I’ve seen the film and the pro shot of the arena tour once each, so things that surprised me might not be exclusive to this production.

@the-reynolds-pamphlet and @purple-confusion you both post about JCS so you might like to read this!

Oh, and if anyone’s going to watch the current UK tour of Jesus Christ Superstar and hasn’t yet, don’t read this post until you’ve seen it, even if you already know the musical! Some things I’m going to mention shocked me, and I knew the musical.

Spoilers for this production (and the musical in general if you don’t know the story of the crucifixion) under the cut!

So, I’m going to go through this as chronologically as I can, but I have so many thoughts!!

• Firstly, I want to say the alternate Jesus was on last night, and he was brilliant!! His name is Charlie McCullagh, and I’m shouting him out first of all because 1) he was brilliant as I said, and 2) alternates and understudies don’t get enough love!

• Jesus and co. (and ensemble) were all in modern costumes. I’ve seen/heard of it being done in 60s/70s costumes (originally performed in 1971) and in biblical costumes, and even a mix of the two, but the costumes being this modern was new to me.

• Jesus was played as a pop star, which made me think of how people today worship celebrities. He had a guitar which he appeared to be playing during Heaven On Their Minds. I wasn’t sure whether he was miming playing a song for his followers or whether he was actually accompanying Judas (Shem Omari James). He also had a microphone for some songs - I’ll come back to that!

• Looking at the programme, Shem Omari James is very new to theatre - this seems to be his first production! - which really shows as he’s placed next to Ian McIntosh (Jesus who I didn’t see) who’s done a lot. Well, let me tell you, he absolutely proved himself in Heaven On Their Minds and continued to be brilliant throughout the show!!

• During Everything’s Alright, when Judas sings about how the ointment could have been used to help the poor, and then Mary (Hannah Richardson) sings the chorus again (“Try not to get worried, try not to turn onto problems that upset you”…), usually she doesn’t acknowledge him and sings the chorus to Jesus (particularly in the Arena Tour, they’re face to face and she moves in between them to face Jesus, basically shutting Judas out) but in this production she sung the lines I’ve typed TO Judas! This was a lovely touch, especially as we rarely see them being nice to each other… usually too busy vying for Jesus’s attention however far they’d each like that attention to go and generally not seeing eye-to-eye, so I really loved seeing her try to comfort him despite their differences.

• The Pharisees (Jad Habchi as Caiaphas and Matt Bateman as Annas) had microphones that served double purpose as staffs. Also, they weren’t in modern dress but in shiny versions of biblical period costumes.

• Ryan O’Donnell accompanied himself on guitar for Pilate’s Dream.

• As always, I Don’t Know How To Love Him was very moving. It’s probably the part of the show I know best, as my mum’s a singing teacher and taught it to me for my grade 6 singing exam (I’m going to convince her to teach me some of the boys’ songs now!) and I think if you’re still moved by a song you know that well, the performer must really be doing something right. So, well done to Hannah Richardson for doing that for me!

• Now for the part that absolutely stunned me! Look at the poster/programme cover again. That’s Judas. At the end of the first act (the end of Damned For All Time) the Pharisees presented him with a treasure chest. He put his hands in to take the silver, and when he took them out, they were stained silver!! The symbolism of the blood money/blood on his hands just shocked me! There was this moment just before the curtain fell where he just looked at his hands stained with silver, it had me speechless!!

• Onto Act 2. GETHSEMANE WAS STUNNING!!! It was the only time the ensemble fully left the stage, which I think represents how those we idolise often have no privacy. The one time Jesus really wants someone to hear him is the one time he’s truly alone. Charlie McCullagh started by accompanying himself with the guitar and standing at the mic, but as the song went on, he moved away from the mic and discarded the guitar, mic, and part of his costume. Jesus didn’t want to be the superstar any more! He wanted a way out of this, of going through with his death! The staging, combined with the way he sang the song, took my breath away and was just so moving!!!

• He also let his natural accent come through in Gethsemane (he grew up in Northern Ireland).

• The kiss… MY HEART!! It was quite slow, very tender, like it was an apology at the same time as the betrayal. Like “this is the only way I can protect you, I don’t know if I’ve done the right thing, and I really wish it hadn’t come to this, I hope one day you can forgive me.” Judas (at least the musical version of him) didn’t want Jesus dead, he thought handing him over would protect him by stopping him from going too far, he really thought this was the only way!

• I’ve tried asking why, out of all the ways to betray someone by identifying them, you’d choose a kiss. No-one can give me a straight answer… (get it?)

• I was quite far back in the audience, and my eyesight isn’t great over long distances, but I think he went for the lips. (Anyone else who saw the tour, can you either confirm or correct me?)

• He still had the silver on his hands for all of this, by the way.

• Jesus sounded so sad when he said “Judas… must you betray me with a kiss?” and that was heartbreaking! He sings it quite angrily in some other versions, but in this one he just seemed heartbroken. I think I prefer it this way, with him sounding sad rather than angry.

• Maybe it was my imagination, but I feel like with the sadness in the above line in particular (as well as the caring touches throughout), they were leaning into the Jedas angle. He seemed to be saying “I hoped you would kiss me one day, but not like this…” (Or maybe I just spend too much time on Tumblr!)

• For the rest of the show, Jesus just looked so defeated, it was really sad to see.

• During the lashes, they were throwing gold glitter at Jesus while making it look like they were whipping him, making it look like he was bleeding gold. I wonder if that was just for aesthetics or if it was deliberately connected to the silver staining Judas’s hands (Jesus’s blood on his hands, gold and silver both represent money, blood money).

• Talking of the silver! When Judas came on stage to sing Superstar, he still had the silver staining his hands, which made me really sad. In direct contrast to the Arena Tour, in which he was lowered on from the flies (that’s above the stage for non-theatre people) and dancing with ensemble in angel costumes, implying he’d gone to Heaven and therefore implying that Jesus had forgiven him, this production had him come on from the wings (the sides of the stage for non-theatre people) rather than from either above or below. They didn’t choose either way, to imply that Jesus had forgiven him or that he hadn’t, but the silver still being on his hands showed that, even in death, Judas hadn’t forgiven himself.

• The crucifixion always upsets me. I’m very much NOT Christian (no disrespect if you are, I’m just not) but a man existed who taught people to be kind to each other in a way that he knew how to reach them, and he was brutally murdered for it.

• On a happier note, albeit not exactly part of the show, the cast were really nice! There weren’t many people at stage door, so they were able to spend a bit more time with those of us who did come to meet them, and they seem to be lovely people. I had particularly nice conversations with Charlie McCullagh (Alternate Jesus) and Jad Habchi (Caiaphas). He has a great sense of humour, he joked about how he gets to kill Jesus (and when I said something like “Not everyone can say they’ve done that!” he responded “And I get to do it 8 times a week!”) and jokingly bragged about how great he was, though I don’t think we’d have objected if he’d been serious!

A brilliant production that made me love the show even more than I already did!!!

[im-no-jedi]

Full Name: Isaac Kenos (originally Luxcor Jin; his human name is unknown)

Nickname(s): Warlock, Guardian, Dark Lord

Age: Mid to late 40s physically; reborn over 200 years prior to the Red War

Height: 5′9″

Body type: Slender but athletic

Skin tone/Ethnicity/Species: Awoken, glowing light purple skin. Originally human with Latino heritage

Eye color: Vibrant purple; glows

Hair color/style: Dark purple hair swept back across the top of the head, shorter on the sides

Distinguishing features: Prominent nose, defined cheeks, square jaw. He has two small purple stripe tattoos in-between his eyebrows at an angle that make him look angry all the time

Dress/Clothing preference: Dark purple warlock robes with ornate silver details along the shoulders and on the hips, black gloves and boots, a bond around his left upper arm with triangle details on it

Mannerisms: He rarely ever shows emotion, literally the most stoic person alive

Physical talents/Skills: He can drink a large amount of alcohol and not get drunk. He can also play the violin really well. Don’t ask where he got the violin.

Face claim: Oscar Isaac

Voice claim: Same as above

Normal tone: Completely and constantly monotone

Language & accent: He can speak all known languages, including every known alien language; slight hint of a Hispanic accent when pronouncing certain words

Occupation: Warlock Guardian of the Last City, official historian, and one of Ikora’s Hidden

Current home/planet: The Last City, Earth

Situation: Protecting Earth and saving the galaxy in the midst of his constant pursuit of knowledge

Motivation: To learn as much as he can about the past, present, and future

Biggest strength(s): His vast knowledge of the history of the world and beyond

Biggest issue(s): How uncaring he comes across

Strongest trait: Dependable

Personality: Aloof, quiet, sarcastic, straight-forward, blunt

Habits: Both silently and outwardly judges literally everyone. Pretty much always has a book of some kind with him

Ambition/Short and Long Term Goals: He’s trying to learn more about what happened during the Golden Age and the Collapse, as well as learn more about the Awoken, the Dreaming City, and his family’s past life there (and their connection to the Queen)

Greatest fear(s)/Phobias: That he’ll never learn the truth to his many questions

Biggest secret(s): If anything fatal happened to his friends or loved ones, he would try to kill himself and not want his Ghost to revive him

Social skills: Hates talking to people; he always says as few words as possible, and most of them are unpleasant

Optimist or Pessimist: Pessimist outwardly, optimist inwardly

Introvert/Extrovert/Ambivert: Extreme introvert

Alignment: True Neutral

Original home/planet: The Dreaming City (his origins before becoming an Awoken are unknown)

Important history: He and his family were on the ship that created the Awoken; he was a child at the time. He was always being pushed around by his parents about what career path he should follow, each of them wanting him to pursue their own career paths of becoming either a Techeun or a historian. His father ended up going crazy and destroying the library where all the history books of the Awoken were kept, which is how both Isaac and his father died. He was banned from the Dreaming City after being reborn as a Guardian once it was discovered that he was trying to research his previous life there against the wishes of the Queen. His name was jokingly given to him by the Speaker and Osiris after they realized how dry his sense of humor was. He was recommended by Ikora to help Matt and Rocky gain favor with the Awoken before eventually joining their fireteam. At some point during the fight against Oryx, Isaac gave his own life so that Matt and Rocky could continue the fight and defeat Oryx. After the events of Curse of Osiris, Isaac was brought back to life thanks to time travel technology Osiris stole from the Vex. He was crucial to the hunt for Uldren Sov during the events of Forsaken and worked alongside Eris Morn during the events of Shadowkeep.

Family: His mother is Sedia the Techeun, and his father was a historian that kept records of the Awoken from the time of their emergence

Best Friend: Fon (@tobestik’s OC); he acts annoyed with her all the time but secretly cares for her a lot and would both kill and die for her

Significant Other/Love interest: Eris Morn, but he’ll deny any sort of relationship with her publicly

Friends, Enemies, Acquaintances, and Colleagues: Part of Fireteam Misfit. Good friends with Matt and Rocky. Has one of the most trusting relationships with Hannah (she’s one of the only people freely allowed in his library). Thinks Marvel is one of the only other Awoken that he can trust really well. Gets frequently annoyed with Ace’s childish behaviors. Has basically adopted Lunaa and supports her in any way that he can. Thinks Uldren is a stuck-up prick, but tolerates him more as a Guardian than when he was a prince. Is the former apprentice of Ikora, respects the Speaker and the Vanguard (except for Cayde), and supports Osiris and his beliefs. Quickly befriends Eido and loves swapping knowledge with her. Dislikes most people that he comes across. Outwardly respects Queen Mara Sov but is unsure of her motives and wants to know wtf is up with her. Respects Petra but often butts heads with her. Wants to physically fight Toland for being such a freak (also Isaac blames him for what happened to Eris and her fireteam).

Phys. Health/Mental Health: Perfect physical health, but absolutely autistic

Education: He’s one of the most knowledgeable people in terms of the history of the world since the Golden Age and overall considered one of the smartest people alive

Religion: The Traveler’s not bad, but he doesn’t fully trust it either

Romantic/sexual preference: Asexual demiromantic

Interests/Hobbies: As the City’s official historian, he has his own secret library that only certain people are allowed to enter; he has the largest collection of books and tomes in existence and is constantly trying to expand his collection

Favorite phrases: “Go away”, “Shut up”, and “F*ck off”

Favorite color(s): Purple and silver

Favorite food/drink: Tea

Favorite music: Classical

Favorite quote/saying: “Knowledge is knowing what to say, wisdom is knowing when to say it”

Weapon(s) of choice: He prefers using Light abilities to weapons; any weapons he does use must be as silent as possible

Role model: Eris Morn

Important personal item/Prized possession: His library. Only a trusted few are allowed inside it; Ikora had it sealed away when he died out of respect

Creator trait(s): The ability to dance, being extremely introverted, dripping with sarcasm, The Autism, willing to sacrifice for the sake of others

Inspiration for creation: Since the Misfit AU is a self-insert story, I wanted to create a character that my character could “replace”. He wasn’t supposed to be anybody important, but as I started developing him, I got more attached and decided to bring him back (thank you canon time travel!). He’s now one of my most developed OCs of all time haha

Featured in: Anything related to my main Destiny AU staring Fireteam Misfit. Brief cameo in this oneshot, “The Backwards Shirt”

[measuringbliss]

Glee Rewatch 1x19, where Will almost kisses his highschool rival

What do you mean, they don't end up together?

(Confused? Check this out!)

Oooh those recaps are getting faster!

You know, Bryan Ryan does have a point. Will is a teacher because he couldn't become a star and achieve his dream. I also consider that teaching would be a job to fall back on (because there's not much I can do with my degree). In highschool, as soon as we picked our path, our teachers were very frank: "The culture sector is dead-end. You won't earn much and you'll have a hard time finding a job." At the same time, we all knew that if we picked this path, it was because we couldn't imagine doing anything else.

It's weird how much S1 pushes Artina/Tinartie when I remember that I was pretty dead-set on Tike by the end of the show. When does that change? S2? Anyway, Tina and Artie dancing together is cute! We rarely see tap-dancing on Glee. Sadly the scene ends with Artie being a jerk. It's understandable that he's angry but Tina didn't deserve his invective.

His shirt probably says "Fever Dream". You know. What their relationship ends up being at the end of S1.

Nice lighting but more importantly, they give boyfriends vibes and I'm here for it. Wemma was fun because it featured the unrequited love trope. Brill is fun because it's gay. Also they hug just after this screenshot and we love hugs!

Wait, is Jesse interfering with the Shelby/Rachel storyline? Completely forgot about that!

Anyway. Boyfriends.

Bryan and Will after some passionate lovemaking.

As usual, Tina's fashion is on point.

Dear readers, I have to confess something.

When I said that "Physical" was the first Glee cover I added to my playlist, I lied.

Sort of.

The very first Glee cover I actually added to my playlist was "Safety Dance" years ago, after it featured in "THE BEST OF: Spencer Hastings". Yes, I watched Pretty Little Liars. Multiple times. Bad show. Please don't watch it.

Oh look, Mike wears another yellow checkered-shirt <3 And Matt has a nice outfit too <3

The dance is quite nice (and I love that Brittany joined in) but the framing is curious (people filming the flash mob). I guess it means that Artie wishes he was a famous dancer. Anyway, the instrumental of the episode is different from the instrumental of the song as released (notably a different pitch for some of the sounds).

We have proof that Sue is into angry sex when she hooks up with Bryan Ryan, and later Will successfully seduces her, which means my Sue/Will ship is actually more likely than I remembered! Anyway, a lesbian actress and a gay actor playing characters hooking up with each other! Quite ironical.

Beautiful shot.

Emma talks about a student eating her own hair as a reference to extremely popular game The Silver Case: The 25th Ward where one of Kurimizawa's traits is that he eats women's hair. It's a game that exists and is playable. Aesthetically wonderful. Anyway that's not the point of this post!

Nobody's gonna read this post anyway.

Matt's sweater looks comfy! Will has his usual preppy look, Finn his usual blue shirt look, and Jesse his usual nothing look.

I love Mike's hoodie! I need Mike's whole wardrobe actually.

[faiirytalcs]

KIERAN CAMPBELL is based on KING CANDY from Wreck-It-Ralph. He is a 44 year old GIFTED HUMAN, RACETRACK & TEAM OWNER, and uses he/him pronouns. He has the power of GLITCHING.

Important History

competitive doesn't even begin to cover kieran campbell. from the moment he was born, life itself had been a competition and he was the one who had to win. yes, had. there was no other option in his mind. being the best was what drove him - quite literally

for his whole childhood, the way he acted with everyone swung between two very different kinds of personalities, so much so people genuinely thought he had a twin

it was hard to know in any given moment which kieran you would get and it added an air to him that people were either afraid of or respected - sometimes it was a little bit of both

formula 1 fell into his lap early in life when he easily became one of the best racers in the world. he was ruthless on the track and sometimes a bit of a firecracker but he had a secret up his sleeve - he was able to glitch

of course, he couldn't be too obvious about it but every now and then he'd use his power to his advantage to finish first. though some might have considered that to be cheating, kieran didn't. he was blessed, it was a gift, why shouldn't he use it?

it came as no surprise that his need to be the best at any cost would eventually bite him in the ass and it did in the form of a career-ending crash.

but no matter, there's no way everything in his life is going to be taken away - enter owning a team. he's still the one in charge, even more so than ever and he is thriving.

showing up in evermore didn't stop that either, he created his team and his dream is still alive. he's very protective of that dream and won't let anything get in the way of becoming the most famous name in the sport

at the end of the day, kieran sucks and he's only looking at for number one which is him. he only cares about protecting himself and his team…as long as his team continues to make them the best in the world. Or the best in the world if they could leave

though at his core he is really dark and manipulative, he doesn't like appearing that way. no sir, he loves his salmon color. bright like a predator in nature to warn potential prey of the danger that they've stumbled upon. only in this situation, if you've seen the salmon, it's too late

originally hated his glitching power when he realized he could do that because it felt like a defect, something he should hide but once he realized he could take advantage of it to win, it was all good but now he's on the lookout for other glitches

has the biggest sweet tooth in the world which seems off for him but truly it makes sense once you get to know him. He always leaves room for dessert and no day is finished until he's had something sweet

kieran cares a lot about how he looks and appears to those around him, it's all about appearances so he only wears designer and constantly makes sure his hair is always in place

absolute pun king. in a way you'd think would take away from how menacing he is and yet? somehow it makes it all so much worse. he seems approachable based on how light he can be but it changes in a second

fake friend central. does he have real friends? yes, but it's hard even for him to know exactly who those people are and a lot of them start off as people he can get something from

APPEARANCE

Face Claim: matt czuchry

Height: 5'11"

Build: athletic

Eye Color: dark brown

Hair Color: sandy brown

Piercings: n/a

PERSONALITY

Positive Traits: driven, intelligent, confident, innovative

Negative Traits: controlling, pretentious, arrogant, sadistic

Likes: being the center of attention, formula one racing, the color salmon, clever puns, hoarding money, rare wines, being better than everyone else

Dislikes: threats to his team, stupid rules, people doubting his ability, losing quite literally anything, silver medals, putting your faith in worthless people, being ignored

Phobias: atagelophobia

Hobbies: racing, buying and selling drivers, making puns

Aesthetic: freshly pressed salmon suits, a well-placed mask, putting yourself first no matter the cost, tangled webs of lies, burning rubber as you peel out of a parking lot, playing favorites with every person you know, crowds cheering your name, vaguely threatening smiles

FAMILY

Mother: portia campbell

Father: kit campbell

Sibling(s): kara campbell ( younger sister ), kai campbell ( younger brother ), kevin campbell ( younger brother ), katherine campbell ( younger sister )

Pet(s): n/a

[lovenikkiclothes]

Based around the dress ‘Crisp Moonlight’.

[aftgficrec]

Dragon/Magical/mythical AU pretty please 🥺

There are just so many aus with magic, mythical creatures and fantasy out there! We’ve put a small collection together here, and you can find more in our previous recs as well as under our fantasy tag (see below). The fantasy tag is under AUs. - S

Also see...

supernatural compilation here (see top of post for further recs)

fantasy aus (with dragons!) here

HTTYD/Dragon!Andrew aus here

new/fave fantasy fics here

fave fantasy fics here

Neil as a fantasy creature here

andreil shapeshifters/soulmates/omegaverse here

long fae/magic aus here

magic/urban fantasy aus here

Neil with wings and lots of magic here

werewolf!Andrew here

fairy tale aus here

staff recs may 21 - mermay here

Greek mythology aus here

‘Spun Like Gold’ here

‘On Dragon's Wings (Under the Blue)’ here

‘Imp’ here

Of Smoke & Bone by wishbonetea [Rated M, 23905 words, incomplete, last updated Sept 21]

In general, Neil Josten managed to keep his two lives in balance. On the one hand, he was a nineteen year old art student in Prague with a part-time job in a mostly-normal coffee shop. On the other, he, Allison, and Renee worked for an inhuman creature, running errands in exchange for wishes. For the most part, these two lives rarely intersect. But it's fair to say that the Foxes bring their own brand of trouble, and Neil's two lives soon start to collide.

tw: violence, tw: implied/referenced child abuse, tw: recreational drug use

little ghost by redskiesandsailboats [Rated G, 5224 words, complete, 2021]

Everything comes with a price.

He should have known.

All of them should have.

But that’s the thing about hope.

Sometimes, if you let it grow past a spark, it’s so bright that it’s blinding.

Or: the one in which there is a quest with dubious guidelines, a ghost with an aversion to names, and a hero who never asked for any of this, but he keeps his promises anyways.

tw: implied/referenced abuse, tw: implied/referenced murder

Our Liminal Souls by glowingbee [Rated E, 27352 words, incomplete, last updated July 21]

Neil Josten doesn't believe in Gods, ghosts, nor destiny. If there is anything he has come to believe from years of out running certain death is that, firstly, not even a perfect utopia can protect everyone and second that everyone dies alone. A born wizard with a need for adrenaline, Neil knows he can only protect himself by learning combat, languages, and magic by participating in academic tournaments that are intense physical, magical, and psychological tests that honor their lineages of magic and otherworldly-given powers.

A lapse in Neil's plans securing his passage to his next hideaway has him dumped onto the world-stage of collegiate magic tournaments after being contracted to a high-profile A1 tournament court shadowed by recent suspicious deaths and a secretive court. Neil runs the risk of his secrets finding him before he can even begin to make sense of his invisible ties to his new teammates' own pasts and deciphering strange dreams that haunt him of mother's last moments.

tw: violence, tw: implied/referenced child abuse, tw: implied/referenced torture, tw: blood

From The Ashes by tigerrlilyy [Not Rated, 4482 words, incomplete, last updated May 21]

After spending his entire life on the run, the death of Neil's mother throws him into a world where he's being hunted by dragons and a lot of people are wanting to see his blood spilled.

That is until he's whisked away to a special school for people just like him where he meets the beautiful asshole Andrew Minyard who seems to have a burning hatred for his existence the minute he steps foot in the school.

To top it all off? Andrew's a dragon. A dragon who wants him dead.

tw: violence, tw: minor character death, tw: blood, tw: implied/referenced rape/noncon, tw: implied/referenced child abuse

Fang and Stake by darkbluebox [Rated T, 2658 words, complete, 2020]

For most hunters, it would have been a wet dream: his quarry beaten, bleeding, trapped and prone before him. He might as well have been holding a stake on a silver platter. If it had been any other vampire in the world, Andrew wouldn’t have hesitated to drive the splintering chunk of wood through his chest and be done with it.

Unfortunately, Neil wasn’t any other vampire.

tw: blood, tw: implied/referenced abuse

you hit me like a vision by paleromantic [Rated G, 2181 words, complete, 2019]

Andrew opened his mouth, closed it again. “Uh, who the fuck are you?”

The man blinked, and underneath him in the water Andrew swore that he saw something moving, a quick swish under the water every once in a while. He had auburn hair like red that had cooled in the pale spring sunshine to a duller brown, and when the sun caught it it turned to copper. “You can call me Neil if you’d like, I live around here.”

BITE by poetatertot [Rated M, 23338 words, incomplete, last updated Sept. 2019]

Nathaniel was terrified. A hulking mass, all bristling fur and slavering jaws, stood and stared back at him. It was greater than any man—greater than any raven-shifter he’d ever seen. It was massive.

“Fox,” he breathed.

tw: violence, tw: implied/referenced abuse

A Midsummer Night's Fib by NachtGraves [Rated G, 3620 words, complete, Andreil Week 2018]

Neil doesn’t know why he did it but Nicky wasn’t going to quit and Allison had her phone out with that plotting gleam in her eyes and Dan and Matt were looking at him in certain ways and he just blurt it out: “I’m going with Andrew.”

Ouroboros by ANEMONEXVI [Rated M, 34420 words, incomplete, last updated Nov 2018]

“I don’t have any desire to be part of a group of rebels who aid townspeople and give warmongering nations the metaphorical finger,” Neil stoked his words with distain, hoping to discourage the group into the short version of the conversation he knew they were trying to have.

...

With no time to grieve the violent death of his mother, Neil finds himself alone in an unforgiving land with a heavy target on his back. In his aimlessness he encounters a group of roguish crusaders, The Foxes. A team of misfits who attempt to work together to bring peace to nations or peoples in crisis. And they want to recruit Neil for his rumored illusory magic.

But Neil's magical lineage doesn't speak of subtlety and he can't afford to catch any unwanted attention.

A roughshod fantasy/magic/government intrigue/familial drama/torture/mental and physical healing/aliens/ saga

tw: violence, tw: implied/referenced child abuse, tw: cannibalism, tw: blood/gore

what light tastes like by knoxxed (badmatch) [Rated T, 6516 words, complete, Aftg Exchange 2017]

Los Angeles is Jeremy Knox’s frown of concern whenever Jean pushes himself to the point of strain, the delighted grin when Jean surprises him. It’s cat fur being one more reason to stop wearing black.

Los Angeles is Jean never once being asked to confirm or deny who or what he is.

Los Angeles takes some getting used to.

(urban fantasy AU)

A Natural History of Dragons JereJean AU by @rhododendronbeware [tumblr, 2020]

- Jean Moreau only ever wanted to study dragons but instead he gets married off to Riko Moriyama to pay off his family’s debt.

Art

Demon Neil by EstaVS on deviantart

winged neil by @mistykaru [tumblr, 2021]

demon andrew by @mistykaru [tumblr, 2021]

[ocrumblemania]

𝙾.𝙲. 𝚁𝙾𝙲𝙺 𝙽' 𝙿𝚁𝙾 𝚆𝚁𝙴𝚂𝚃𝙻𝙸𝙽𝙶 𝚂𝚄𝙿𝙴𝚁𝚂𝙷𝙾𝚆!!!

💎Premium Sports Entertainment💎

AVAILABLE July 4, 2022

join the OCW EXCLUSIVE AUDIENCE to access the epic backyard pro wrestling show that launched your favorite wrestling superstars such as the Young Bucks, Brian Cage, the Brodys, SCAB and more in heart-stopping HD. Sold-Out on Amazon and no longer available in stores...the intensity is like nothing you'll see in any wrestling Show online or on television! Witnes the hungry Young Bucks battle at the beach against Indie muscle warriors the Cutlers with blonde ringbabe Torrie battling brunette bombshell Kristen S & college water polo jocks the Brody Bros as their Baywatch babe manager Miss Eden jumps into the fray to create a scene that Venice Beach has yet to forget!

plus Team USA Swim Star Dirk Brody recieves a championship title shot

HardCoreMatch: Brian Cage vs. Johnny YUMA vs Eddie Randle vs Ryan Taylor

SLATER vs SCAB

TYLER AUSTIN vs DIRK BRODY

the Young Bucks vs the Cutlers

Major Impact vs Brent Horstman (REMATCH)

the Brody Brothers w/Miss EDEN & Young Bucks vs Cutlers, Brittany Kristen S

Soldiers of Fortune w/Mike Fortune & Sharena vs Bastard & Badass Bailey

Bryler vs buff Dane (last man standing)

Steven Andrews vs SCAB

Seth Scorpio vs Lucky Chucky

Badass Bailey vs SLATER

Major Impact, the Cutlers & Kristen S vs. the Young Bucks & the Brody Bros w/Miss Eden

Slater vs BadassBailey vs SCAB

Matt Jackson of Young Bucks vs SCAB

Lethal Lifeguards vs Triathletes

the Soldiers of Fortune w/Mike Fortune & Sharena vs SCA

the Cutlers vs. the Brody Bros w/Miss Eden. vs Kara Noel & TACY

Steven Andrews vs Brandon Cutler

James Wallace vs Dustin Cutler

O’Rion vs Shawn B vs SCAB

Joey Ryan & CK Jackson vs the Cutlers

TOTAL DESTRUCTION CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH: Dirk Brody vs Princess Miriam vs TACY vs theBrody Bros w/MissEden vs SCAB

LadyKiller Jesse vs Lucky Chucky

the Soldiers of Fortune vs the Cutlers

Tyler AUSTIN vs SCAB

Major Impact vs Brent H

TACY vs Brittany Bombshell

Seth Scorpio vs Slick Nick Jackson (LockerRoom Fight)

Ryan Kidd vs YUMA

O’rion & Shawn B vs O.J. Sampson & MozilO

special appearances by Cali Beast, Eddie Silver, D-Rad, London, Dream X featuring MIDNIGHT FREAKSHOW, HAIVYN and MORE

over 7 HOURS PLUS

plus the entire Top-Shelf OC Rumblemania season 2

💥 RARE MATCHES: SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT MEGASHOW

Extreme Pro Wrestling now in HD featuring matches previously edited out for broadcast available NOW for EXCLUSIVE audiences in Season 5. BulletClub bad boys the Young Bucks battle eachother--brother vs. brother-- in the MMA cage while Slater rumbles his frat rival at the beach. Pumped Greek statues Brian Cage & Ryan Taylor take a Championship Title shot at ripped young street fighter Tyler Austin--tearing the building up to an shocking showdown in the cage! Beautiful Ladies' Champ TACY battles foxy Miss Latin America, Princess Miriam in a gangland match with some of the best punches thrown when the action goes into the crowd with the Dreamkillers (Dream X) looking on. Scab rocks All-Star Swim & Water Polo champ Dirk Brody in a No Holds Barred cage match almost as wild as Eddie Randle vs. indie pro champ Johnny Yuma that keeps the OC Wrestling spectacle a favorite for E.C.W., G.L.O.W. and Attitude-Era fans with a freakshow backyard twist including a Wildcard Title Match at the pool. Brawling Surf jock Seth Scorpio may look like an Abercrombie ad, but his showdown vs. instagram model water polo champ LadyKiller Jesse will bring the carnage on Season 5. War rages on as handsome roughneck Jack Daniel battles his varsity teammate Lucky Chucky where any & every tactic is employed. Ryan Kidd faces Tyler Austin and Eddie Randle in a brutal ladder match then squared off with Kid Carrumba to determine who's the thoughest youngster in wrestling. Violence escalates with Scab in a 4-corner battle with MMA Middleweight (10-0) Court "the Cali Beast", Eli Everfly (who has defeated literally every top indie TV wrestler), and the thrilling Biagio as dudes get slammed into cars, get cut open and what other wrestling show features an attack by Zombella as the ultimate (and sexy) foreign object!

Plus OC Wrestling favorites appear to stir it up: Soldiers of Fortune; the Brody Bros with their bombshell manager Miss Eden; Towner; Steven Andrews; the Cutlers in a bareknuckles basement brawl; CK Jackson; the Killer Baes;EyeCandy Elite Elliot and StevieFierce ; a major bonus from & BRYLER and MORE

***contact to request tickets

[reidingdays]

bau as songs from folklore

tw: mentions and allusions to drugs, death, grief, blood

the 1: jj painful and blinding optimism. hope. knowing where you've come from and how it has shaped you. going about your day. growing. letting go peacefully. curiosity. sneakers ambling down pavements with your earphones in. sunshine and leafy trees. recognising your worth. it’s alright now.

cardigan: spencer darkness like a blanket. the scratch of a needle against a nostalgic vinyl. a reassuring weight on your chest, like an old cat. pouring over somebody like the final page of a book. oxymoronic. something destined. something borrowed. stars aligning in a clear night sky. making excuses that blur logic. leaving like a father. wise beyond your years. belonging. abandoning. lingering, longing fingertips.

the last great american dynasty: rossi winding narratives. extravagant retellings and rumours. keepsakes. red wine and sunlight streaming through high windows. board games. banter and feuds. family heirlooms. a big house by the sea. breezy. loud laughter. chosen family gatherings. captivating, collected words. a warm afternoon. a cat in a sunbeam.

exile: morgan walks in solitude to clear your head. exuding love to give. leaving your home behind. an understudy, overlooked, discarded. a foot soldier. a protector. bloodied knuckles. dashed expectations. finishing a film that should have ended long ago. demolishing a wall, then demolishing the whole house. balancing on breaking branches. irreplaceable. risking it all. compartmentalising. stolen innocence forced to confront reality. 

my tears ricochet: emily haunted ghosts. sobbing 'let me in, i'm come home!'. a chill inside your bones. a set jaw. inky midnight blue skies. rain storming against rattling windows. a hollow shell. echoing choirs. unrequited love. silent tears streaking down a face. drowning your jewels in the ocean. the past catching up to you. digging up an empty grave. an aching chest. sacrifice. brave, shaking hands. three walled coffins. screaming at the sky.

mirrorball: garcia a used spectacle. shattered glass that still sparkles. whimsy. try, try, trying. tarnished but that’s what makes it glitter. a balancing act. soft prisms of light painting the walls. floating around a party. resilience. towering heels. a rainbow smile, fleeting, shining, beautiful. something rare and special. offering hope to those that need it most. people pleasing. insightful. reliable. in a seventh heaven. 

seven: tara protective, undying love. an unfinished childhood. before i learned civility. clipped wings. manners. a misty forest, gnarled branches, changing leaves, appropriate footwear. evolution. investigative. an open perspective. weeds are flowers. intelligence, elegance. violin bows. tamed wild horses. are there still beautiful things? 

august: luke simple things in life. honesty and naivety. longing, worshipping. strumming a guitar in the summertime. salt on your skin. twisted bedsheets. wonder and hope. falling too far too fast and not caring for the consequences. sleeping in. reminiscing. warm sand beneath your feet. warm arms around your waist. carefree chases along the coast, towels streaming like kites behind you. no strings attached. childlike laughter. frisky hands. driving with the roof off.

this is me trying: hotch learning strength is vulnerability. shiniest wheels now they're rusting. crumbling walls, opening cage doors. letting out demons. depending and dependable. faintest smiles. turning up at your friend's front door in the pouring rain. accepting defeat. learning softness. heads resting on shoulders. short temper. doing better. keeping up appearances. strictest with yourself. for once in your life, undoing your tie. hugging your son.

illicit affairs: spencer secretive, private. preferring your alone time. withdrawn. a drug that only worked the first few hundred times. chasing the impossible. frustration. self-destructive. loss and disregard. me for her. cover me. ripping off a tie, ripping off a kevlar. don't call me kid. desperation. mercurial highs. volatile, bitchy, snappy. lonely.

invisible string: matt a fairytale ending. going with the flow. the pattering of little feet against hardwood floors. fingerpainting with primary colours. trusting. looking through an photo album. awe. tied together for all eternity. forgiving and forgetting. being thankful. reflection. bedtime stories. full dinner tables, full tummies. making birthday cakes at 3am with the love of your life. doing it all over again.

mad woman: elle sharp tongue, sharp claws. do not trespass. taking your time because they took everything from you. vengeance. justice. a panther prowling the back alleys. fuck you forever. holding grudges. ruthless. terrified. biting back. constantly looking over your shoulder.

epiphany: spencer floating, dreaming if you're lucky. just one single glimpse of relief. alchemy. overcast. service and sacrifice. unspeakable traumas. silver linings to clutch onto. gentleness. holding hands with strangers. lifelines. comfort. humanity. cloudy days, white haze, an intermittent white light. sleepless, drifting. like the tide, breathing in, breathing out. at peace.

betty: jj open, brazen, communicative. country girl. no holding back. admitting your shortfalls. saying sorry. last chances. pining. would you tell me to go fuck myself or lead me to the garden? grand gestures. speaking your mind no matter what chaos it may chance.

peace: emily no longer a lamb, but the fox that kills them. hardened, but doubt still clawing at your insides. is it enough? saving face. a rapid heartbeat. flickering fire. chosen family. dying for your loved ones in secret. calamity hanging like a shadow over you, inescapable. taking the fall. fighting to keep your head above water. knowing that it’s worth the strife.

hoax: blake smoke and mirrored metaphors. analytical armour. burying your nose in a crossword. worn old volumes you’ve read countless times over. cynicism, stoicism. incomplete, no longer whole. giving everything you've got. a loss echoing in every chamber of your heart that no other sadness in the world would do. you know the hero died so what’s the movie for? enduring. leaning on loved ones. healing in private.

[glorious-blackout]

Self-Indulgent Tranquility Base Hotel and Casino/Simulation Theory Crossover Part Five

@rock-n-roll-fantasy Still haven’t settled on a more fitting title than ‘Mark Needs A Hug’ (though my brain keeps coming up with The Shining/Hotel California references) but he does get several of those in this chapter if that helps? 😉 Part Six should be up soon as well! 🥰 

Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four

**********************************

Mark wakes to find his face half-smushed against his pillow, limbs heavy and sluggish from sleep as his mind clings to the last remnants of a pleasant dream.

An aura of peace lingers like a warm flame as he recalls the circumstances of his fantasy. He’d been sitting on the floor of a modest living room, clad in pyjamas that were too small for his rapidly growing limbs; too entranced by the shiny electric guitar in his hands to make note of his surroundings. It was the exact model he’d been begging for on a daily basis since spotting it in the window of a music store, and had no doubt been living in his parents’ closet for months as they coyly teased him in the run-up to Christmas. Music was playing from a battered old CD player residing on a stacked bookshelf, and he strummed along despite not having the faintest clue how to play a single chord.  

His lack of experience couldn’t have mattered less. Nothing could have broken his contentment in that moment. Not even his mum asking him to “turn the music down, love” so he could pay heed to his other presents had disturbed him from his trance, and Mark had awoken with a pervading sense of peace as the unmistakable melody of The Strokes’ ‘Last Nite’ wormed its way into his brain.

It was one of those dreams that feels more like a long-lost memory than a fiction. One of those subconscious reminders of a simpler past that manages to elicit a smile even when the world at large is falling to pieces. Mark knows this cannot be the case here. He has too many memories of partying his way through the seventies to reconcile those experiences with the notion of being a teenager at the height of The Strokes’ popularity. And yet, the sweet taste of childhood nostalgia is one he appreciates all the same, enough that the thought of waking sends a sharp ache through his heart.

Seeing no obvious reason as to why he shouldn’t slip back into restful slumber, he lets his eyes flutter shut and sighs as he feels his limbs go pliant once more. He can almost taste the sweet embrace of sleep, only for it to be yanked from him once again with a brutal shove. A low whine escapes his throat as a persistent intruder nudges his shoulder, and he swipes a vicious arm in their direction in a wordless protest. His efforts are ultimately feeble, not to mention futile. The nudging continues, now accompanied by the constant repetition of his name, and when his tormenter gives no indication of surrender, Mark is forced to abandon his state of bliss and re-enter the realm of the living.  

He squints, bleary-eyed, at the formless blob hovering over him as he lifts his head from the pillow, flattened hair clinging to one cheek as his brain swims in the wake of his rude awakening. It occurs to him that doesn’t remember how he got here. Judging by his position he must have collapsed face-first at some point in the night - still fully-clothed if the wrinkled cotton of his shirt is any indication - but all memories leading up to that point are absent. He only vaguely recalls receiving a call from Murphy in the evening and senses that it must have dragged on far longer than usual, but he would not be able to describe how the call ended even with a gun to his head. Not that it particularly matters. He’s only grateful for the fact that Murphy must have taken pity on him at some point and let him surrender to his all-consuming weariness.

His vision finally clears following several exaggerated blinks, rendering him somewhat relieved when the humanoid blob morphs into the fretful form of Nick. The man is dressed remarkably casually for someone who likes performing in three-piece suits, and his shoulder-length hair hangs lazily around his face. It takes Mark far too long to realise that Nick’s informal apparel is no doubt related to the fact that he has inadvertently given him several days off from his day-job.

“Hey,” Mark croaks, cringing at how utterly wrecked he sounds as he settles his aching back against the wooden headboard.

“Hey yourself,” Nick replies with a breathy chuckle which does little to mask the concern etched on his face. His outstretched hand is still resting on Mark’s shoulder, as though he suspects he’ll drift off into the abyss again if he dares let go. “I were startin’ to think you were out for the count.”

Mark frowns at that, casting his eye to the bedside table in an instinctive search for his phone, only to find that it isn’t there. He spots it lying neglected on the desk by his computer, too far away to bother checking the time. The room is illuminated by a soft yellow glow as the hanging lights do their best impression of the afternoon sun, and beyond the circular window he can see that the spotlights have bathed the hotel in blinding gold.  

“How long’ve I been asleep?” he asks, rubbing the lingering exhaustion from his eyes and groaning as every movement sends a dull ache shooting through his muscles. No doubt the question will be impossible to answer, given that even he doesn’t know when he slipped into unconsciousness, but Nick may be able to give an indication of how badly he’s overslept at least.

“Couldn’t tell you,” Nick admits with a shrug, before lifting himself from his crouched position and coming to rest on the edge of the bed, his hand finally leaving Mark’s shoulder. “Jamie came by to check on you about eight hours ago, then Matt popped round at lunch. Doesn’t look like you’ve moved much in the meantime.”

Mark frowns. It isn’t like him to sleep so heavily. Usually a single nudge is enough to have him wide awake and alert. He shivers as he envisions two of his best friends waltzing into his suite without him having any recollection of their presence or even of his sleep being disturbed. He trusts Jamie and Matt implicitly of course, but the notion that he has been so dead to the world makes him feel too vulnerable for comfort. Anyone could have swanned in, and by the sounds of it he wouldn’t have so much as shifted in his sleep.

“How’d you get in?” he asks, trying not to sound suspicious and doing a terrible job of it. He tears his eyes away from Nick’s face in shame and decides that tugging on the duvet will be a better use of his time. The fact that he’d awoken with it wrapped snugly around him strikes him as odd. He doubts he’d had the mental faculties to pull it around himself last night. A bittersweet smile tugs at his lips as he pictures Jamie giving up on his efforts to wake him and proceeding to tuck him in instead; the mental image filling him with a strange sense of longing.

When he braves a glance at Nick’s face, he feels fierce heat return to his cheeks as he takes in the man’s confused - almost hurt – frown, and he inwardly scolds himself for planting that expression there.

“You gave us all keys on our first day, remember?” Nick reminds him, extending a hand into the pocket of his jeans and revealing the offending object, complete with shiny silver keyring in the shape of a bass guitar.

“Oh, right,” Mark says lamely, eyes glued to the set of keys as though seeing them for the first time.  

Of course he remembers giving the lads keys to his room. He has copies of all of theirs too, set aside for emergencies. He remembers the painstaking effort it had taken to pick out individualised keyrings, and the delight that lit up his friends’ faces when they received them all those years ago. It just strikes him as odd that the keys have barely seen any use in all that time. They don’t tend to hang out in each other’s suites anymore now that the lads have families of their own, and barring one miserable fortnight where Mark had been holed up with the flu, he’s rarely been in such a state that he’s needed someone to keep a constant vigil over him. If his friends have been driven to this level of fretting, he must truly look horrendous.

When Mark doesn’t say anything else, Nick shoves the set of keys back in his pocket before lifting himself to his feet. Anxiety tugs at Mark’s heart as he half-expects his friend to leave him alone, but it quickly turns to relief when Nick makes his way over to the coffee-machine instead. Good coffee seems like an excellent idea given that for all the sleep he’s had, he still feels utterly bone-weary. At a guess he must have been out for upwards of sixteen hours, yet every muscle fibre in his body is telling him that he won’t be fully sated until he’s been comatose for a week. At least.  

He groans as he sits up straighter, shoving the duvet away from him in the process, and he’s forced to bring a hand to his forehead as a persistent throb settles behind his eyes.  

“Bad hangover?” Nick asks from his perch by the kitchen counter, the coffee-machine giving off a low rumble as it brings the water to boil. Mark can’t help but laugh at the assumption; it’s certainly a fair guess.

“Surprisingly no,” he admits, lowering his hand and pointedly ignoring the way one of Nick’s eyebrows quirks upwards in subtle disbelief. “Haven’t had a drink in four days, believe it or not.”

“Coulda fooled me!” Nick scoffs, and despite the lightness in his tone, Mark can’t help but flinch. His discomfort must not be very subtle, for Nick’s smile drops instantly and he directs his gaze to the floor as though silently ashamed. “Sorry. It’s just... We’ve been worried about you. Me and the lads. It’s not like you to cancel shows without running it by us first, and whenever one of us tries to check if you’re okay, there’s no answer.”

Nick’s tone isn’t accusatory in the slightest, but Mark still wonders if the guilt unleashed by his words will swallow him whole. It’s true. He hasn’t said a word to his friends since he abandoned them after their last show, and even before that he’d been aloof and stuck inside his own head. He’d cancelled all of their upcoming performances without even notifying his bandmates first; no doubt they’d turned up to rehearsals only to be chased away in bewildered confusion by the orchestra’s conductor. And while Mark has barely checked his phone over the past few days, he has noticed several missed calls and unread texts which hadn’t struck him as particularly urgent at the time.  

The others have no idea what’s got him so wound up. They don’t know about Matthew, or the armed guards who came after him, or the cupboard with the flashing red lights in the impossible corridor. For all his thoughts of calling Jamie in the hope that he’ll somehow rationalise those events with logical ease, Mark has neglected that opportunity at every turn.

“I’m sorry,” he says finally, unable to bring his gaze to meet Nick’s for fear the shame will kill him. His voice sounds impossibly small and he feels completely unsure of himself in a way that he never has before. Even the self-consciousness that characterised his youth cannot compete with the crushing uncertainty which consumes him now. “Truth be told, I haven’t really been feeling like meself these past few days. Probably needed some sleep if I’m being honest.”

“Well, you certainly got some of that,” Nick jokes with a fond smile, and a surprised laugh breaks free from Mark’s chest as he shrugs in wordless agreement.  

The coffee-machine finally halts its racket and Nick sets about preparing them both a simple Americano, having correctly assessed that anything more complicated would likely not be tolerated in Mark’s current state. Mark swings his legs over the side of the bed and briefly closes his eyes as a new wave of pain racks his skull, but he greets Nick with a smile when he settles beside him, gratefully accepting the proffered steaming mug in both hands.

They sit in companionable silence for a while, cradling their mugs and blowing off steam before taking careful sips. Mark’s eyes close in satisfaction at the first taste of coffee – prepared just the way he likes it – and while he doubts it’ll achieve the impossible task of revitalising him, he feels a little more human with every sip.

When his mug is half-empty, Nick takes it upon himself to break the silence with a gentle, “Wanna talk about it?”

“Not really,” Mark admits with a sigh, unable to tell whether he’s being entirely truthful. Telling the whole story is out of the question. He has little desire to leave Nick questioning his sanity, and he doubts he’d be able to explain everything that happened that night in sufficient detail even if he prepared a script beforehand.  

Nick isn’t going to let him get away with saying nothing though, judging by the bemused expression on his face.  

“Fine. I met someone the other night and he just... freaked me out a little,” Mark attempts eventually. That part is true at the very least. “Haven’t been able to get him out of me head since.”

It’s a lame explanation and he knows it. Even if that wasn’t already obvious, the way Nick’s brow furrows in confusion hammers the point home with all the subtlety of a brick smashing through a car windscreen.

“Did you and he...” Nick starts, before thinking better of it as his face becomes alight with flame.

“What?” Mark asks, only for the insinuation to become clear as day with the spreading blush across Nick’s cheeks. “Oh no, definitely not. It weren’t like that.”

No doubt his current state of mind would be less confusing if he and Matthew had simply stumbled into a drunken mistake, but the man’s looming influence isn’t driven by any romantic inclinations. It strikes Mark as odd how easily Nick had accepted the possibility, though he can’t say he minds. He’d almost prefer the prospect of his aloofness being driven entirely by shallow ‘guy problems’. At least there are plenty of words in the English language to describe dilemmas of the heart. In contrast, the explanation “A stranger presented a rather compelling argument for our existence being nothing more than an elaborate, pointless lie before disappearing into a cupboard which no longer exists” is a little less run-of-the-mill, and that’s before you throw in the notion of a boss who may or may not be the mastermind behind the whole sorry affair.  

Huh. Somehow in the midst of his exhaustion, he’d forgotten about Murphy and the smug satisfaction plastered all over his face towards the end of their call.

“Well, whatever happened, he’s clearly left you in a bit of a state,” Nick remarks, oblivious to the turmoil raging within Mark’s head. His voice cuts through the noise and serves as an anchor, returning him to the present, and he can’t quite hide his relief as his mind quietens. “Do you want one of us to have a word with him? Give him a warning shot, perhaps? Matt’s taken up boxing, I’m sure he’d be all for it.”

“Absolutely not!” Mark retorts with a burst of shocked laughter, before descending into a fit of hysterical giggles as Nick indulges in a victorious grin. It doesn’t take long for Nick’s laughter to accompany his own. The prospect of his bandmates collectively ganging up on an unsuspecting Matthew is so ridiculous that the absurdity of it lightens his heart. Though he’s not sure how to explain that if they’re going to beat anyone up, he’d much rather they go after Murphy instead.

“You wouldn’t get the chance anyway. He’s already gone,” Mark clarifies once their laughter has settled. He neglects to mention the unusual circumstances surrounding Matt’s disappearance, settling instead for polishing off his cooling mug of coffee. “And honestly, it weren’t like that. He was a nice guy, all things considered. Just a bit strange. He had a way of getting inside your head and I don’t think he realised he was doing it. Besides, all of this is my fault. I shouldn’t ‘ave let him get to me like that.”

“Right,” Nick says sceptically, no doubt still hoping for something or someone to blame for Mark’s recent state. Mark can sympathise. He imagines he too would be frustrated if he were forced to bear witness to one of his bandmate’s private struggles only to be offered no obvious means of fixing the problem.  

“Seriously Nick, I’m okay,” he insists, turning his body to face his friend head-on and suddenly feeling more sober than he has in days. “Or I will be soon enough. I just... I needed some space. Have done for a long time if I’m being honest. I reckon the other night were just the breaking point.”

He aims for flippancy, but watching Nick’s face fall is enough to inform him that he’s missed the target by a country mile. Concern darkens his friend’s kind eyes and sends guilt coiling in the pit of Mark’s stomach. He’d give everything to wash away Nicks worry; to convince him that he isn’t worth the anxiety his friends are wasting on him. He feels responsible enough for dragging them to this blasted rock in the first place, away from their homes and families and ambitions. Lumping further pain upon their shoulders is simply unforgivable.

“You could have just told us that, you know,” Nick says after a while, not unkindly, and Mark feels his heart ache. He does know. No doubt all three of his bandmates would have leapt at the chance to hijack Murphy on the phone and bully him into offering Mark some time off, but he’d never wanted it to come to that. The running of the hotel and the responsibilities associated with it are his to bear alone. The band is a separate entity entirely - something pure and liberating amongst the daily deluge – and dragging his friends into his messes has never been his intention. Not that his efforts have come to much in the end.  

“I’d miss a million shows if it meant you were okay,” Nick adds when Mark doesn’t say anything, twisting the knife deeper without intending to. “I’m pretty sure the others would do the same.”

Moisture gathers at the corner of Mark’s eyes but he furiously blinks it away. His face is sticky enough with dried tear-tracks, though he can’t remember where they came from for the life of him. Heaving a sigh, he tears his gaze from Nick’s face and rests his head on the man’s shoulder, closing his eyes in quiet contentment. Nick’s frame stiffens for only a moment, before he wraps an arm around Mark’s shoulder and gives him a gentle squeeze.  

This is okay, Mark thinks to himself. Despite the madness of the week, it finally feels as though the lost, fragmented pieces of his identity are coalescing into a coherent whole once again.

“I love you all,” he says without a hint of reservation. “You do know that, right?”

“I dunno,” Nick retorts with a gentle shrug, careful not to shift Mark’s head from its perch. Mark doesn’t need to look at him to sense the gentle, teasing smile on his friend’s face. “You’re usually shitfaced when you say it so I’ve always been doubtful.”

Nick gets a light punch to the side as punishment for his jest, and he laughs before pressing a soft kiss to Mark’s temple.

“We love you too, you daft pillock,” he says, sincerity dripping from his tone like syrup. He hugs Mark closer as though frightened that he’ll slip away if he loosens his hold, and the hand perched on his shoulder starts tracing a path down to his elbow before creeping back up. The action is so soothing that the effects of the coffee instantly vanish, and Mark thinks he could easily drift off again. He wonders if doing so will take him back to that peaceful dream, with the guitar in his hands and a loving family within reach.

They stay like that for a little while; Mark on the cusp of a peaceful doze and Nick doing very little to dissuade him from slipping away. There’s still an unmistakable sense of unease clogging the air – a sense of foreboding that has burrowed its way into every corner of the hotel since Matthew’s disappearance - but Nick’s presence keeps it at bay like a shield warding off demons. No doubt that protection will vanish in the same instant Nick elects to leave, and Mark will be left to fend for himself against unseen monsters lurking in the dark, but for now he can’t remember the last time he was so content.  

He almost finds himself lost in the dream again – can feel the sensation of rough guitar strings dancing beneath his fingertips – but he’s pulled away at the last second by the buzzing of a phone. It isn’t his, though even if it was he wouldn’t be inclined to check it. Nick pulls his own device from his pocket and replies to the message as subtly as he can, but the damage has already been done. Mark opens his eyes and makes note of the softer light outside as the spotlights dim to a soft orange glow in an attempt to simulate an evening sunset. Deciding that he’s wasted enough of the day as it is, he finally lifts his head and stretches his weary limbs with a groan.

“You know what you should do?” Nick says, pocketing his phone and taking advantage of his newfound freedom to rise to his feet, giving the impression of towering over Mark even more so than usual.  

When Mark’s only response is a half-hearted shrug, he goes on: “You should get yourself out of those clothes and go hop in the shower while I make you a very late breakfast. No, I don’t want to hear any complaints, Turner; you reek and something tells me you haven’t eaten a proper meal in days, so I’m not giving you a choice. You’re going to eat what I make you, then you’re going to get dressed up nice, and then we’re gonna meet the lads at the bar so we can all get properly wankered. Sound like a plan?”

Well, that solves the mystery of the buzzing phone. No doubt one of the others has noticed Nick’s extended absence and is attempting to rescue him, all while trying to put a stop to Mark’s reclusive act in the process. It’s ingenious really, and he can’t fault their line of thinking. Part of him can’t help but be wary of returning to the bar given his last visit is what reduced his mind to a frazzled mess in the first place, but knowing the others will be with him lifts his trepidation somewhat. And now that he dwells on it, Nick’s other suggestions don’t sound half bad either. He can’t remember the last time he ate, and a low growl emanating from his stomach implies that his body isn’t best pleased about his neglectfulness. He can’t even recall when he last changed his clothes with any certainty, let alone took a shower. Perhaps some food and a wash will make him feel alive again, or at the very least make a start to the process of resurrecting him from his zombified state.

“Has anyone ever told you that you’re a genius?” Mark asks, grinning without restraint as Nick releases a bashful laugh topped off with a modest shrug of his shoulders.

“It’s a burden I must bear,” he concedes, his expression settling into one of fondness before his parental instincts take over. “Seriously though. Shower. Now. The more time you waste, the less time we have to get shitfaced.”

Mark doesn’t need to be told twice.  

************************************

The calm before the colossal, world-ending storm lasts all of two hours. Two hours in which Mark manages to wash the sweat and tears from his face under a piping hot shower, before adorning the most casual t-shirt and jeans combo he can find at the bottom of his drawers. Two hours in which Nick thrusts a hastily prepared cheese and ham sarnie into his hands – mocked up from what little food he has in the fridge – and insists that he eats every bite with crossed arms and lips pressed into a stern line. Two hours in which they eventually make their way to the ballroom to meet Jamie and Matt at the bar, where Mark is greeted with a crushing hug from Jamie and an enthusiastic “Welcome back to the land of the living!” from Matt. The latter tops off his greeting with a firm embrace of his own, before ordering the first round of beers with renewed vigour.  

For those blissful two hours, Mark feels as though life is finally returning to normal. The burden of responsibility is temporarily lifted from his shoulders, and he lets himself laugh at his friends’ lame jokes as he downs the first pint and swiftly follows it with another. They must resemble a bunch of teenage holidaymakers who have accidentally stumbled into a high-end establishment – their casual attire clashing with the sharp suits and stylish frocks of the waltzing guests – but Mark couldn’t care less.  

At one point Jamie turns to him with an unvoiced question resting in gentle blue eyes. Palpable concern radiates from him like heat and for a moment the scrutiny is unbearable, but when Mark responds with a genuine smile, Jamie’s worry melts away in a heartbeat as he follows it up with one of his own. A light buzz takes hold after the third pint and Mark’s aware that he’s done little more than smile like a fool all evening, but he cannot bring himself to care. Those two hours are the happiest he can remember experiencing in a long time. A tiny microcosm of perfection that he wishes he could live within forever.

And then the world shudders.

It begins subtly enough. Little more than a low rumble permeating through the air, barely resonating over Nick and Jamie’s spat as they intensely debate over which of them looks better with long hair. Mark is the only one who takes notice as the rumbling begins to rise in volume; brows furrowing as narrowed eyes scan the ballroom in search of the culprit. Nobody else appears to be alarmed. The guests are mostly in the process of getting royally drunk over a dinner of roast beef or venison, and the waiters continue about their business without a trace of panic.  

Only, the sound doesn’t abate with time. With great effort, Mark tries to drown out the surrounding ruckus and closes his eyes to focus solely on the new disturbance. The groan sounds like it’s coming from far away – like a distant car-crash or fireworks display – but the harder he listens, the more it feels like the rumble is creeping towards him from beneath the earth.

“Can you hear that?” he says to no-one in particular, having to raise his voice to be heard over the cacophony of violins and chatter and clinking glasses. Three pairs of eyes turn in his direction – the petty argument momentarily forgotten – but as they listen intently, Mark sees only a growing sense of cluelessness clouding over their features.

“Hear what?” Jamie asks eventually, which strikes Mark as odd, for that persistent groaning has now become so loud that he can practically feel it hammering against his skull.

He draws his gaze to the half-empty pint resting on a coaster before him and watches with detached curiosity as ripples spread across its golden surface. It isn’t just his glass either; the same effect is visible across the entire countertop. It’s little surprise when the faint clattering of glasses joins the growing commotion. Mark looks up towards the bar and sees unopened bottles trembling against each other on the shelves, vibrating in time with the ground which has started to shift uncontrollably. A bottle of scotch topples to the floor with a mighty crash but no-one pays it any heed, and it is soon followed by several priceless bottles of champagne, drenching the floor with booze and fragmented glass.

The low rumble graduates to a deafening roar as the room begins to shudder relentlessly, and Mark lets out a sharp cry before shielding his ears and pulling his head towards his chest. Logic screams at him to get out - to take his friends and run to safety - but whether by fear or something deeper than that, he finds himself immobilised on his chair. It strikes him as odd that nobody else appears to be panicking. The air is alive with the clatter of shattering glass, the rattle of the looming chandelier, the roar of the moon’s underbelly as she protests against those who have desecrated her surface... but not a single scream. No frantic activity or barked orders from level-headed security guards. Not even the chatter which overwhelmed the hall only moments before remains. The room is filled with hundreds of people and yet, as the world trembles around them, they are all as silent as the grave.

Mark included.  

It occurs to him that he hasn’t taken a breath since the ground began to shake and his chest burns in protest, but even the simple act of gulping in air feels like a complex task. He clenches his eyes shut as his heart begins to roar in his ears, but doing so offers little relief. If anything, the sudden blackness makes the situation worse. Imagination runs wild; he pictures cracks snaking up the walls and the floor giving way to the rocky depths below. Envisions ivy crawling through those very same cracks and burying the entire building until it resembles an abandoned ruin on Earth. Envisions the curved ceiling giving way and burying him alive beneath several layers of marble and plaster.

He still can’t tell what’s causing the floor to shake with such ferocity. Can the moon experience earthquakes? The thought is so ridiculous that he finds himself giggling hysterically, but what is the alternative? Unless his perception of time has been drastically altered, the quake has gone on far too long to be secondary to an explosion, and the space station is too far away for any launches to be felt as anything more than a minor shudder.

Hours seem to pass. His skull whines in protest as he presses his hands even tighter against his ears, and a single tear spills from the corner of one eye from the effort it takes to keep them clenched shut. His jaw aches as the shudders grind his teeth together and he can feel acid rise in his throat, his gut protesting against a cruel wave of fear. Everyone else remains eerily silent, even his friends who surely wouldn’t have left without him. He knows he could always open his eyes to check on them, but a burst of terror as he comprehends what he’ll find stops him in his tracks. Instead, he simply remains sitting there, curled up like a frightened child, as his surroundings continue to shatter around him.

And then, without warning, the world becomes a brilliant white behind his eyelids and everything stops. The cacophony reaches its abrupt coda as all sound is sucked through a vacuum. Only his shuddering breaths remain, followed by a desperate sob. The whiteness refuses to abate, and for a moment it occurs to him that he may well be dead. That he might be nothing more than a shattered bag of bones, crushed among the ruins of the very hotel he built from scratch. There’d be a certain poetry in that, he thinks, though the persistent cramping of his muscles and the burning in his chest implies that he hasn’t ascended to ghostly status just yet.

It’s impossible to tell if hours or mere seconds pass. The world is so still, so silent, that time loses all meaning and Mark can feel his mind begin to empty, as though the featureless light is consuming him whole. When small details finally do make a reappearance, they do so slowly. He becomes aware of his elbows digging into the hard oak surface of the bar counter. A glass clinks somewhere off in the distance. He becomes painfully aware of the cool sweat on his brow, and his inability to take in a deep breath without his chest hitching with choked hiccoughs.

The silence is finally broken by a single unprovoked chuckle, followed by a muted wave of laughter echoing across the walls. With the flick of an unseen switch, the usual chatter flares up once more and the violins resume their task of reciting an old Tchaikovsky piece, seemingly unaffected by what has just transpired. With a considerable degree of trepidation, Mark tears his hands away from his head and opens his eyes to face a complete wall of booze with no missing bottles in sight. No glass fragments or wet stains litter the floor. No cracks creep up the walls; no ivy sprouts from the ground. The ceiling above remains stubbornly unmarked, and the chandelier glitters as immaculately as it had on the day it was installed. Casting a glance over the assorted faces around him reveals only unaffected smiles, with no trace of fear or even the slightest acknowledgement of the quake that rocked the ballroom only moments before.  

Even drawing his attention to his friends brings little clarity. Rather than looking as shellshocked as Mark himself, Nick and Jamie have settled for resuming their debate – this time arguing over who looks best in a ponytail – while Matt grumbles something about not being able to grow his hair without sprouting an afro.

The world has elected to carry on as normal, and yet Mark can’t shake the feeling that everything has irrevocably changed. That the very foundations of the ground he walks on are set to crumble at any moment, taking him down in the process.

It’s impossible to keep his breathing under control, and a weak sob rips from his throat as air escapes in frantic gasps. The sound draws Jamie’s attention back to him, and his eyes widen with fear as he extends a hand to rest on Mark’s shoulder with a careful, “Hey, what’s going on?”

The contact doesn’t help in the slightest. Mark tries to answer but his throat seals shut, turning his words into a low whine, and he settles for shaking his head instead. He needs to get out of here. There isn’t enough oxygen in the ballroom and he can feel the weight of the gathering crowd suffocating him, and before he can think twice, he stumbles to his feet and pushes away from the bar. 

That turns out to be a terrible decision. The sudden change in posture has his stomach dropping, and his vision narrows to a fine tunnel before blurring altogether. No doubt the only reason he doesn’t collapse to the floor is because of the hands which appear out of nowhere, holding him upright as his ears drown out a puzzled, “Easy!” followed by a shaky, “Let’s sit you back down mate”. His friends may as well be faceless for all the attention his broken mind grants them.  

It feels like his frayed nerves are dangling by a thread; the cool blades of a scissor resting barely a hairs-breadth away, threatening to sever his sanity with an unfeeling snap.

And then the dam breaks.

The buried chest keeping his memories concealed behind a rusted padlock bursts open. Assorted moments in time spill forth from the wreckage, drowning him beneath their weight like the horrors trapped within Pandora’s Box. Only instead of horrors, his mind is suddenly overcome by melancholic nostalgia and untouchable bittersweet memories.

He remembers sitting by the piano as an eight-year-old boy, trying in earnest to play the tunes his dad loved to listen to on his record-player. He remembers sitting in class, drawing his eyes away from the window in silent awe as the profound beauty of John Cooper Clarke’s writing set up camp in his heart. He remembers listening to The Strokes’ debut album with Jamie and Matt before begging his mum for a guitar, followed by the sheer contentment that consumed him as he strummed his new love by the light of a Christmas tree. He remembers countless shows - from shy appearances in small clubs to major headlining slots at massive festivals - and the thrill of terror and excitement that thrummed through his veins before each one. He remembers all of his loves and all of his heartbreak; remembers how the latter had always been overcome by a pervading sense of joy, as he dwelled on how lucky he was to do what he loved with his best friends by his side.

And he remembers the hotel. Remembers excitedly developing the concept and expanding the world and the characters within it. Remembers crafting the model by hand, carving his creation out of cardboard and wiling away the hours as it slowly came together. Remembers the rush of pride when the model was finally complete. Only he had never intended the hotel to be a real place, and he certainly had no inclination to run it.  

Tranquility Base Hotel and Casino was always intended to be the setting of an album and nothing more. The fact that he’s currently confined within its walls is nothing short of impossible.

He doesn’t acknowledge that his vision has faded to black until colour slowly creeps back from the fringes. A persistent burn lingers in his chest and it occurs to him that he should probably breathe, but doing so only encourages another sob as hot tears spill down his cheeks. He lets himself be manhandled onto a chair without protest, his limbs reduced to jelly, and even when his eyes offer a glimpse of his worried friends gathered around him, all he can focus on is a section of wall directly ahead. A voice breaks through the roar of blood pounding in his head – a panicked “C’mon Mark, you’re scaring me now!” - but he cannot identify its owner, nor can he bring himself to look at his friends closely enough to see whose lips are moving.

A further memory spills forth from the unlocked chest, prompted by the frantic hands holding him in place. The setting appears to be Bonfire Night, judging by the ecstatic burst of colours lighting up the darkening sky and the acrid smoke wafting from the fire in the local park. They’re gathered in one of the lad’s gardens with a stolen pack of fireworks; far too young to be playing with them on their own, but too swept up in the rebelliousness of it all to care about the inherent risk. Jamie and Matt are chasing him around the garden with sparklers in their hands, mindful of the unlit fireworks planted on the grassy lawn, but his younger self decides to push his luck and edges just a little too close. He doesn’t realise his mistake until he trips and falls, taking his sparkler down with him and inadvertently lighting a fuse.  

He clearly recalls the rush of panic and the realisation that he is far too close. All he can do is stare in wide-eyed terror as heat dances along the fuse, threatening to release the firework at any moment and send white-hot sparks of flame in his direction. Before he can brace himself for the exquisite pain however, two pairs of hands grasp his arms and yank him roughly to his feet, dragging him as far back as he can possibly go until he slams against a solid wall. Mere milliseconds later, a burst of sparks erupt from the ground and a high whistle shoots into the air, followed by a stunning explosion of scattered reds and golds.  

They remain frozen for what feels like an eternity, until the panicked silence is broken by a high-pitched “Fuck!” on Matt’s part and the release of hysterical laughter on Jamie’s. All he can remember doing himself is staring up at the sky – eyes fixed on the lingering embers of the firework that nearly melted his face off – and noting at the back of his mind that neither Matt nor Jamie have released their crushing hold on him. No doubt they were experiencing the same aftershocks of terror that were gripping his tiny frame.

Eventually Jamie had let go, and he remembers his ten-year-old friend stepping forwards, donned in a navy-blue tracksuit, before turning to the others with a crooked smile and a shaky declaration of, “That were a close one, weren’t it Al?”  

A similar form of fearful desperation clings to Jamie now, as he crouches by his side. There’s no relief in his friend’s features this time, only panic and an unmistakable sense of frustration borne of cluelessness. It occurs to him that his inhalations are still coming thick and fast and his head is swimming as he sways in his chair and yet, paradoxically, his mind feels infinitely clearer than it has in years.

“Mark?” Jamie asks cautiously, bringing a warm hand to his cheek in an attempt to anchor him. “Wanna tell us what’s goin’ on?”

The utterance of that name sends a flinch shooting through his body, and before he can even think, a hand shoots out and grabs Jamie by the wrist. The man stills, blue eyes widening as they draw level with a determined gaze, and though he can sense Matt and Nick edging closer, he doesn’t dare break eye contact as he utters his next words.

“Alex,” he hisses, chest heaving with the effort required to voice that old, familiar name. “My name is Alex.”

[wonderfulworldofmichaelford]

Fun fact + all the Vampirinos (or whichever)

You said all, so I am 100% using this as an excuse to give a trivia fact about every vampire who had a speaking role so far!

Gonna be under the cut, though, since I have too many characters. Also if I missed someone, I’m sorry. I have too many damn characters:

DRACULA’S COVEN

Amalric Dracula: He did not actually like wearing capes all that much. He preferred coats.

Carlos Caballero: Carlos has severe intimacy issues due to, when he was a mortal, consistently walking in on his fiancee cheating on him.

Dahlia Rosemont: Dahlia has a brand right above her right shoulder blade, a “CL.” This is because Cyrus Lovelace often branded his more uppity slaves.

Eric Madden: He has a seething hatred of Ronald Reagan, and frequently prints out photos of him to stick on the dartboard in his room. Also, his first kiss with another man was to the song “Purple Rain.”

Macheath Sharpe: They know how to play a piano, and wish Armstrong would get one for the bar (even though there isn’t much room for one).

Matt Black: Matt’s actually partially based on and named after my brother! My  brother came up with his power.

Nadia Shibani: She has had her silver hair since birth. Her mortal mother, Abla, thought this meant she was destined for greatness. 

Rose Milliner: Rose sometimes spells out words syllable by syllable because that’s what she did when she taught her former caretaker Orlok how to speak again (he hadn’t spoken in a very long time when he met Rose).

Sakura Himura: She was a lot less bitter and argumentative when she first joined the coven. In fact, she was a lot more confident, having come off of a very successful run of walking the Earth with her sister and helping people wherver she went.

Yuriko Himura: Her power to heal people and things by punching them is born from her innate desire to help others coupled with her suppressed anger.

Eve’s Coven

Amon: He is a very skilled chess player.

Dallas Ryder: He tried to kiss Amon after he was turned by him. Amon turned him down very gently.

Jojo Faust: He tends to prefer men, but when he falls for a girl, he falls very hard (as you can see with what happened with Gabby, though that’s actual love there and not just thinking she’s hot).

Marianna Cross: I wish I could tell you why she’s called “Bloody Mary,” but that’s being saved for a later chapter. I will say that it was born from a cruel nickname for her when she was at Dracula’s school, but she internalized it and twisted it to make it her vampire power after she was turned (she can travel through mirrors).

Nestor Sokolov: He still hates capitalism and views communism as a superior alternative, though he has no love for the USSR (considering how they abandoned him to die after his shuttle crashed).

Rex Hart: His favorite band is Fleetwood Mac. His top five songs are “Everywhere,” “Gypsy,” “Dreams,” “Tusk,” and “The Chain,” in that order.

Rhapsody von Braun: She likes smoking weed and dropping acid. She has also tried cocaine, but that was after becoming a vampire. 

Other

Grigori Rasputin: He was incredibly flattered by Boney M’s song, and it has consistently been his ringtone. He also thinks the movie Anastasia is hilarious.

Mara Silver: Her name is short for “Marama.” Only her dad calls her that, and very rarely too.

Rika: She is actually very good at singing due to taking lessons as a child and played soccer when she was in high school.

And here’s a bonus! Jack Fairchild has a foot fetish. This is based on a joke my wife made and that I ran with. It may not come up in canon, but it’s canon as far as I’m concerned. 

[wildname]

Thalin’s Body Aesthetic

Bold what applies. Italicize what sometimes applies. Bolding what applies to WoW Thalin, italicizing what applies to FFXIV Thalin.

[ BODY ] Long legs. Short legs. Average legs. Slender thighs. Thick thighs. Toned thighs. Soft Thighs. Skinny arms. Soft arms. Toned arms. Toned stomach. Flat stomach. Flabby Stomach. Soft stomach. Six-pack. Beer belly. Lean frame. Beefy/muscular frame. Voluptuous frame. Petite frame. Lanky frame. Short nails. Long nails. Manicured nails. Dirty nails. Flat ass. Toned ass. Bubble butt. Small waist. Average waist. Thick waist. Narrow hips. Average hips. Wide hips. Big feet. Average feet. Small feet. Soft feet. Slender feet. Calloused hands. Soft hands. Big hands. Average hands. Small hands. Long fingers. Short fingers. Average fingers. Narrow shoulders. Broad shoulders. Average shoulders. Underweight. Average weight. Overweight. Big ears. Slim Ears

[ HEIGHT ] Shorter than 140 cm. 141 cm-150 cm. (147.32 cm) 151 cm to 160 cm. 161 cm to 170 cm. 171 cm to 180 cm. 181 cm to 190 cm. 191 cm to 2m. Taller than 2 m

[ SKIN ] Pale. Rosy. Olive. Dark. Tanned. Blotchy. Smooth. Moles. Acne. Dry. Greasy. Freckled. Scars. Birthmarks

[ EYES ] Small. Large. Average. Grey. Brown. Blue. Violet. Pink. Green. Gold. Hazel. Amber. Crimson. Doe-eyed. Almond. Close-set. Wide-set. Deep-set. Squinty. Monolid. Heavy eyelids. Upturned. Downturned.

[ HAIR ] Thin. Thick. Fine. Normal. Greasy. Dry. Soft. Shiny. Curly. Frizzy. Wild. Unruly. Straight. Smooth. Wavy. Floppy. Cropped. Pixie-cut. (?) Afro. Shoulder length. Back length. Waist length. Past hip-length. Buzz cut. Bald. Weave. Hair extensions. Jaw length. Layered. Mohawk. Dreadlocks. Box braids. Faux locks. White (Silver). Platinum blonde. Golden blonde. Dirty blonde. Blonde. Strawberry Blonde. Ombre. Ash brown. Mouse brown. Chestnut brown. Golden brown. Chocolate brown. Dark brown. Jet black. Ginger. Red. Auburn. Green. Dyed. Thin eyebrows. Average eyebrows. Thick eyebrows. Plucked eyebrows.

[ TATTOOS / PIERCINGS ] Full sleeve. Thigh tattoo. Neck tattoo. Chest tattoo. Back tattoo. Shoulder blade tattoo. One tattoo. Two tattoos. Face tattoo. Hand tattoo. A few here and there. Multiple. No tattoos. Monroe piercing. Nose piercing. Septum. Nipple piercing(s). Genital piercing(s). Industrial piercings. Earlobe piercings. Prince Albert piercing. Eyebrow piercing(s). Tongue piercing(s). Lip piercing(s). Top of the ear. Tragus piercing. Angel bites. Labret. Stretched out ears. Navel piercing. Inverse navel piercing. Cheek piercing(s). Smiley. Nape piercing(s). Band piercing. No piercings.

[ COSMETICS ] Eyeliner. Light eyeliner. Heavy eyeliner. Cat eyes. Mascara. Fake eyelashes. Matte lipstick. Regular lipstick. Lipgloss. Red lips. Pink lips. Nude lips. Dark lips. Bronzer. Highlighter. Eyeshadow. Neutral eyeshadow. Smoky eyes. Colorful eyeshadow. Blush. Lipliner. Light contouring. Heavy contouring. Powder. Matte foundation. Shiny foundation. Concealer. Wears war paint from time to time. Wears make up regularly. Wears it from time to time. Rarely wears make-up. Never wears make up. Wears awesome masks!

[ SCENT ] Floral. Herbal. Earthy. Fruity. Perfumes. Aftershave. Cocoa. Moisturizer. Shampoo. Cigarettes. Leather. Fur. Sweat. Food. Incense. Marijuana. Cologne. Whiskey. Wine. Fried food. Blood. Fire. Cold. Fresh. Metal. Rain. Chemicals. Wood.

[ CLOTHES ] Jeans. Tight pants. Overknee socks. Tights. Leggings. Yoga pants. Pencil skirt. Tight skirt. Loose skirt. Tight/Form-fitting dress. Cardigans. Tunic. Blouse. Button up shirt. Band-T-shirt. Sports-T-shirt. Sweatpants. Tanktop. Cut off t-shirt. Designer. High street. Leather jacket. Thrift. Lingerie. Long skirt. Miniskirt. Maxidress. Sun dress. Tie. Tuxedo. Cocktail dress. High slit dress/skirt. T-shirt. Loose clothing. Tight clothing. Jean shorts. Sweater. Sweater vest. Waistcoat. Khaki pants. Suit. Hoodie. Harem pants. Basketball shorts. Boxers/Boxer-Briefs. Thong. Hotpants. Hipster panties. Bra. Sportsbra. Crop top. Corset. Ballerina skirt. Leotard. Bikini. Polka dot. Stripes. Glitter. Cotton. Linen. Silk. Lace. Leather. Velvet. Patterns. Florals. Neon colors. Pastels. Light colors. White. Black. Dark colours. Fur/Fauxfur. Revealing clothing. Heavy armor. Medium armor. Light Armor. Magnificent hats. Dumb Hats.

[ SHOES ] Sneakers. Slip-ons. Flats. Slippers. Sandals. High heels. Kitten heels. Ankle boots. Combat boots. Knee-high. Platforms. Stripper heels. Bare feet. Loafers. Oxfords. Gladiator shoes. Leather boots. Steel-Toed Boots.

Tagged by: @yuki-yukichan​ @neekaxiv​ and @seilune​ thanks!

Tagging: @ink-dreams-ffxiv​ @rinrin-rinalys​ @pera-mitu​ @ofswordsandseductions-ffxiv​ @twosidedsana​ @waroftwowolves​ @dardillien-ward​ @thalsianiii​ and who else would like to! Feel free to tag me if you do!

[tabloidtoc]

National Examiner, January 25

Cover: Secret Dawn Wells took to the grave: her affair with Bob Denver of Gilligan’s Island 

Page 2: Best and Worst Celeb Tippers -- Katherine Heigl, Amy Schumer, Drew Barrymore, Jessica Simpson, Britney Spears, Madonna, Johnny Depp, Jay-Z 

Page 3: Charlie Sheen, Ben Affleck, Sean Penn, Sharon Stone, Naomi Campbell, Mark Zuckerberg, Tom Selleck and Donnie Wahlberg took the 2020 Tip Challenge 

Page 4: Goldie Hawn’s movie roles 

Page 6: Melissa Gilbert who played Laura Ingalls on Little House on the Prairie says if there’s one piece of unfinished business that emerged from the show it’s that she’d like to punch former co-star Shannen Doherty -- Shannen was only 12 when she joined the Little House cast for the show’s ninth and final season playing Jenny Wilder but in a couples therapy session with her first husband Bo Brinkman it came out that Shannen at 22 had bagged Bo in bed 

Page 7: Country star Dolly Parton may be 75 year old but that doesn’t stop her from leaping out of bed at 3 a.m. every morning -- she’s a very very very early riser and she goes to bed pretty early but she’s up and down

* Tom Hanks has been in countless movies and TV shows but his most important role in life has been as a father of four and he has tips for how to do it right 

Page 8: If you’ve soured on feeding canned dog food to your precious pooch you’re not alone -- plenty of owners are switching over to healthy people-food diets for their pets but it’s essential to get guidance from your veterinarian 

Page 9: Most of your kitty’s diet should be a nutritionally complete cat food but you can give them a treat from your plate every once in a while -- you just need to know how to choose feline-friendly snacks with nutrients they need and which they should NEVER eat -- check with your veterinarian 

* Why animals creep into our dreams -- we all dream about animals from time to time and here are some of the most common creatures of our nights and what they could be trying to tell us 

Page 10: On his 21st birthday Matt Goodman raised a glass to his late father who had left behind the money to buy his son’s first beer 

Page 11: Your Health -- the stark truth is that sleeping naked is good for you 

Page 12: Top Guns -- these Hollywood stars were fastest on the draw -- James Garner, Henry Fonda, Eli Wallach, Burt Lancaster, Roy Rogers 

Page 13: Kevin Costner, Yul Brynner, Gary Cooper, Clint Eastwood, John Wayne 

Page 14: Dear Tony, America’s Top Psychic Healer -- a lesson from COVID-19 which is work on mentally healing ourselves, Tony predicts Miley Cyrus will struggle to overcome many of her self-destructive habits, finding strength through religion and she will be back on the hit parade come summer 

Page 15: If you and your partner fight a lot here’s a great idea to grasp: holding each other’s hand is the key to better conflict resolution 

Page 16: Prince William and Duchess Kate Middleton might be royals but they’re raising their children just like any other parents and family is their first priority and Will and Kate are rarely apart from their three kids Prince George and Prince Charlotte and Prince Louis 

Page 18: Maggie the shelter stray was twice unlucky when two potential forever homes kicked her to the curb but now she’s found her true calling as a beloved K-9 officer 

Page 19: A homeless man in Atlanta put his life on the line to rescue every single cat and dog from a blazing inferno at an animal shelter 

Page 20: Cover Story -- a three-hour tour that turned into a three-season laugh-fest on Gilligan’s Island made Dawn Wells a star and she took the show’s juiciest secrets to her grave including a red-hot affair with co-star Bob Denver -- Dawn who died of complications related to COVID-19 at age 82 hid a crazy sexy side which she kept under wraps because it was the exact opposite of the squeaky-clean image se presented to the world as farm girl Mary Ann on Gilligan’s Island 

Page 22: This Michigan teen is a top Elvis Presley impersonator even performing in Las Vegas and the only one with Down syndrome 

Page 24: Texas firefighters were hailed as heroes after they rescued a four-year-old boy who had fallen down a well 

Page 25: Here’s the dirt on soil-free gardening 

Page 26: Nice Work If You Can Get It -- celebs shell out stupid money for stupid jobs -- Rod Stewart travels with a room-darkening team, Lady Gaga hates to sleep alone and her personal assistant had to get in bed with her on nights when Gaga was solo, Larry Ellison likes to play basketball on his yacht and employs a person who job it is to circle it in a boat and retrieve stray balls from the ocean, Mariah Carey has a woman who stands beside her at all times holding a drink, Snoop Dogg pays a professional blunts roller, Prince Charles has a personal dresser, Justin Bieber’s entourage includes someone to hold his drink and another to hold his slice of pizza, Sean Combs has an assistant whose only job is to carry around an umbrella for him 

Page 28: Burt Lancaster was one of Hollywood’s biggest stars acting in more than 70 movies during a four-decade-long career but he was also a silly practical joker says his daughter Joanna Lancaster one of the actor’s five children 

Page 30: Legendary actress and dancer Ann-Marget will be 80 years old in April but she’s still stepping out and making movies -- you’re not dead when you reach a certain age said the star who shot to fame when she famously dated Elvis Presley when they made Viva Las Vegas in 1964 

* Candice Bergen running wild and free at age 74 -- she recently became a first-time grandmother and is selling her hand-designed merchandise online 

* What is Marie Osmond doing during the pandemic? She bought a Harley motorcycle and so did her husband Steve and they love to go riding together -- the twosome also take walks and see their kids and grandkids and stay busy and have fun 

Page 42: All Washed Up -- surprising facts about bathing and showering 

Page 44: Eyes on the Stars -- Ellen DeGeneres goes for a spin in California (picture), Chrissy Teigen and John Legend take their kids Luna and Miles to watch planes make the tricky landing at St. Barts’ airport (picture), Joan Collins claims she once gave Bobby Kennedy the brush off because neither of them was single at the time, George Clooney can’t bear the thought of his early film Grizzly II seeing the light of day but it is set to be released later this year, Barry Gibb the last living member of The Bee Gees says life was incredibly hard after losing his brothers and bandmates Robin Gibb and Maurice Gibb who died in 2012 and 2003, Ray Liotta and Jacy Nittolo engaged, Bob Seger paid tribute to saxophonist Alto Reed a longtime member of his Silver Bullet Band who lost his life to colon cancer 

Page 45: Prince Charles and Duchess Camilla show off their walking sticks outside their home at Birkhall in Scotland (picture), Tori Spelling gets some puppy love from one of their pet pooches in L.A. with help from hubby Dean McDermott (picture), Megan Fox has moved on with Machine Gun Kelly and her estranged husband Brian Austin Green isn’t moping solo -- he vacationed in Hawaii with Sharna Burgess of Dancing with the Stars, British photographer David Bailey is dishing on his storied career in his memoir -- he claims sloshed Elizabeth Taylor tried to swipe his camera and his first impression of ex-wife Catherine Deneuve was that she was short and a bit on the fat side, Phyllis McGuire who shared the stage with her late siblings Dorothy and Ruby as the McGuire Sisters died in her lavish Las Vegas home -- she found fame through her voice and infamy through her relationship with Sin City mobster Sam Giancana 

Page 46: Good-hearted sheriff’s deputies surprised a woman with a vehicle after they kept getting calls about her walking along the highway in the freezing cold each morning 

Page 47: These UN Ambassadors use star power to help -- Emma Watson, Danny Glover, Nicole Kidman, Angelina Jolie, Antonio Banderas, Whoopi Goldberg, Susan Sarandon, Liam Neeson, Laurence Fishburne, Mia Farrow, Katy Perry, Alyssa Milano 

[but-first--tea]

Body Aesthetics: Omori Kaya

Bold what applies. Italicize what sometimes applies.

[ BODY ] Long legs. Short legs. Average legs. Slender thighs. Thick thighs. Toned thighs.Soft Thighs. Skinny arms. Soft arms. Toned arms. Toned stomach. Flat stomach. Flabby Stomach. Soft stomach. Six-pack. Beer belly. Lean frame. Beefy/muscular frame. Voluptuous frame. Petite frame. Lanky frame. Short nails. Long nails. Manicured nails. Dirty nails. Flat ass. Toned ass. Bubble butt. Small waist. Average waist. Thick waist. Narrow hips. Average hips. Wide hips. Big feet. Average feet. Small feet. Soft feet. Slender feet. Calloused hands. Soft hands. Big hands. Average hands. Small hands. Long fingers. Short fingers. Average fingers. Narrow shoulders. Broad shoulders. Average shoulders. Underweight. Average weight. Overweight. Big ears. Slim Ears

[ HEIGHT ] Shorter than 140 cm. 141 cm-150 cm. 151 cm to 160 cm. 161 cm to 170 cm. 171 cm to 180 cm. 181 cm to 190 cm. 191 cm to 2m. Taller than 2 m

[ SKIN ] Pale. Rosy. Olive. Dark. Tanned. Blotchy. Smooth. Moles. Acne. Dry. Greasy. Freckled. Scars. Birthmarks

[ EYES ] Small. Large. Average. Grey. Brown. Blue. Violet. Pink. Green. Gold. Hazel. Amber. Crimson. Doe-eyed. Almond. Close-set. Wide-set. Deep-set. Squinty. Monolid. Heavy eyelids. Upturned. Downturned.

[ HAIR ] Thin. Thick. Fine. Normal. Greasy. Dry. Soft. Shiny. Curly. Frizzy. Wild. Unruly. Straight. Smooth. Wavy. Floppy. Cropped. Pixie-cut. Afro. Shoulder length. Back length. Waist length. Past hip-length. Buzz cut. Bald. Weave. Hair extensions. Jaw length. Layered. Mohawk. Dreadlocks. Box braids. Faux locks. White (Silver). Platinum blonde. Golden blonde. Dirty blonde. Blonde. Strawberry Blonde. Ombre. Ash brown. Mouse brown. Chestnut brown. Golden brown. Chocolate brown. Dark brown. Jet black. Ginger. Red. Auburn. Green. Dyed. Thin eyebrows. Average eyebrows. Thick eyebrows. Plucked eyebrows.

[ TATTOOS / PIERCINGS ] Full sleeve. Thigh tattoo. Neck tattoo. Chest tattoo. Back tattoo. Shoulder blade tattoo. One tattoo. Two tattoos. Face tattoo. Hand tattoo. A few here and there. Multiple. No tattoos. Monroe piercing. Nose piercing. Septum. Nipple piercing(s). Genital piercing(s). Industrial piercings. Earlobe piercings. Prince Albert piercing. Eyebrow piercing(s). Tongue piercing(s). Lip piercing(s). Top of the ear. Tragus piercing. Angel bites. Labret. Stretched out ears. Navel piercing. Inverse navel piercing. Cheek piercing(s). Smiley. Nape piercing(s). No piercings.

[ COSMETICS ] Eyeliner. Light eyeliner. Heavy eyeliner. Cat eyes. Mascara. Fake eyelashes. Matte lipstick. Regular lipstick. Lipgloss. Red lips. Pink lips. Nude lips. Dark lips. Bronzer. Highlighter. Eyeshadow. Neutral eyeshadow. Smoky eyes. Colorful eyeshadow. Blush. Lipliner. Light contouring. Heavy contouring. Powder. Matte foundation. Shiny foundation. Concealer. Wears war paint from time to time. Wears make up regularly. Wears it from time to time. Rarely wears make-up. Never wears make up. Wears awesome masks!

[ SCENT ] Floral. Herbal. Earthy. Fruity. Perfumes. Aftershave. Cocoa. Moisturizer. Shampoo. Cigarettes. Leather. Fur. Sweat. Food. Incense. Marijuana. Cologne. Whiskey. Wine. Fried food. Blood. Fire. Cold. Fresh. Metal. Rain. Chemicals. Wood.

[ CLOTHES ]

Jeans. Tight pants. Overknee socks. Tights. Leggings. Yoga pants. Pencil skirt. Tight skirt. Loose skirt. Tight/Form-fitting dress. Cardigans. Tunic. Blouse. Button up shirt. Band-T-shirt. Sports-T-shirt. Sweatpants. Tanktop. Cut off t-shirt. Designer. High street. Leather jacket. Thrift. Lingerie. Long skirt. Miniskirt. Maxidress. Sun dress. Tie. Tuxedo. Cocktail dress. High slit dress/skirt. T-shirt. Loose clothing. Tight clothing. Jean shorts. Sweater. Sweater vest. Waistcoat. Khaki pants. Suit. Hoodie. Harem pants. Basketball shorts. Boxers/Boxer-Briefs. Thong. Hotpants. Hipster panties. Bra. Sportsbra. Crop top. Corset. Ballerina skirt. Leotard. Bikini. Polka dot. Stripes. Glitter. Cotton. Linen. Silk. Lace. Leather. Velvet. Patterns. Florals. Neon colors. Pastels. Light colors. White. Black. Dark colours. Fur/Fauxfur. Revealing clothing. Heavy armor. Medium armor. Light Armor. Magnificent hats. Dumb Hats.

[ SHOES ] Sneakers. Slip-ons. Flats. Slippers. Sandals. High heels. Kitten heels. Ankle boots. Combat boots. Knee-high. Platforms. Stripper heels. Bare feet. Loafers. Oxfords. Gladiator shoes. Leather boots. Steel-Toed Boots.

Tagged by: @ink-dreams-ffxiv​ @eligos-venator​ @dumb-hat​ @thedudeffxiv​

Tagging: Anyone who hasn’t done this already... I think most have! LOL

[emergencytactics-ffxiv]

Body Aesthetics - Tomo’ka Naari

Bold what applies. Italicize what sometimes applies.

[ BODY ] Long legs. Short legs. Average legs. Slender thighs. Thick thighs. Toned thighs. Skinny arms. Soft arms. Toned arms. Toned stomach. Flat stomach. Flabby Stomach. Soft stomach. Six-pack. Beer belly. Lean frame. Beefy/muscular frame. Voluptuous frame. Petite frame. Lanky frame. Short nails. Long nails. Manicured nails. Dirty nails. Flat ass. Toned ass. Bubble butt. Small waist. Average waist. Thick waist. Narrow hips. Average hips. Wide hips. Big feet. Average feet. Small feet. Soft feet. Slender feet. Calloused hands. Soft hands. Big hands. Average hands. Small hands. Long fingers. Short fingers. Average fingers. Narrow shoulders. Broad shoulders. Average shoulders. Underweight. Average weight. Overweight. Big ears

[ HEIGHT ] Shorter than 140 cm. 141 cm-150 cm. 151 cm to 160 cm. 161 cm to 170 cm. 171 cm to 180 cm. (176.5, actually) 181 cm to 190 cm. 191 cm to 2m. Taller than 2 m

[ SKIN ] Pale. Rosy. Olive. Dark. Tanned. Blotchy. Smooth. Moles. Acne. Dry. Greasy. Freckled. Scars. Birthmarks

[ EYES ] Small. Large. Average. Grey. Brown. Blue. Violet. Pink. Green. Gold. Hazel. Amber. Crimson. Doe-eyed. Almond. Close-set. Wide-set. Deep-set. Squinty. Monolid. Heavy eyelids. Upturned. Downturned.

[ HAIR ] Thin. Thick. Fine. Normal. Greasy. Dry. Soft. Shiny. Curly. Frizzy. Wild. Unruly. Straight. Smooth. Wavy. Floppy. Cropped. Pixie-cut. Afro. Shoulder length. Back length. Waist length. Past hip-length. Buzz cut. Bald. Weave. Hair extensions. Jaw length. Layered. Mohawk. Dreadlocks. Box braids. Faux locks. White (Silver). Platinum blonde. Golden blonde. Dirty blonde. Blonde. Strawberry Blonde. Ombre. Ash brown. Mouse brown. Chestnut brown. Golden brown. Chocolate brown. Dark brown. Jet black. Ginger. Red. Auburn. Green. Dyed. Thin eyebrows. Average eyebrows. Thick eyebrows. Plucked eyebrows.

[ TATTOOS / PIERCINGS ] Full sleeve. Thigh tattoo. Neck tattoo. Chest tattoo. Back tattoo. Shoulder blade tattoo. One tattoo. Two tattoos. Face tattoo. Hand tattoo. A few here and there. Multiple. No tattoos. Monroe piercing. Nose piercing. Septum. Nipple piercing(s). Genital piercing(s). Industrial piercings. Earlobe piercings. Prince Albert piercing. Eyebrow piercing(s). Tongue piercing(s). Lip piercing(s). Top of the ear. Tragus piercing. Angel bites. Labret. Stretched out ears. Navel piercing. Inverse navel piercing. Cheek piercing(s). Smiley. Nape piercing(s). No piercings.

[ COSMETICS ] Eyeliner. Light eyeliner. Heavy eyeliner. Cat eyes. Mascara. Fake eyelashes. Matte lipstick. Regular lipstick. Lipgloss. Red lips. Pink lips. Nude lips. Dark lips. Bronzer. Highlighter. Eyeshadow. Neutral eyeshadow. Smoky eyes. Colorful eyeshadow. Blush. Lipliner. Light contouring. Heavy contouring. Powder. Matte foundation. Shiny foundation. Concealer. Wears war paint from time to time. Wears make up regularly. Wears it from time to time. Rarely wears make-up. Never wears make up. Wears awesome masks!

[ SCENT ] Floral. Herbal. Earthy. Fruity. Perfumes. Aftershave. Cocoa. Moisturizer. Shampoo. Cigarettes. Leather. Fur. Sweat. Food. Incense. Marijuana. Cologne. Whiskey. Wine. Fried food. Blood. Fire. Cold. Fresh. Metal. Rain. Chemicals. Wood.

[ CLOTHES ]

Jeans. Tight pants. Overknee socks. Tights. Leggings. Yoga pants. Pencil skirt. Tight skirt. Loose skirt. Tight/Form-fitting dress. Cardigans. Tunic. Blouse. Button up shirt. Band-T-shirt. Sports-T-shirt. Sweatpants. Tanktop. Cut off t-shirt. Designer. High street. Leather jacket. Thrift. Lingerie. Long skirt. Miniskirt. Maxidress. Sun dress. Tie. Tuxedo. Cocktail dress. High slit dress/skirt. T-shirt. Loose clothing. Tight clothing. Jean shorts. Sweater. Sweater vest. Waistcoat. Khaki pants. Suit. Hoodie. Harem pants. Basketball shorts. Boxers/Boxer-Briefs. Thong. Hotpants. Hipster panties. Bra. Sportsbra. Crop top. Corset. Ballerina skirt. Leotard. Polka dot. Stripes. Glitter. Cotton. Linen. Silk. Lace. Leather. Velvet. Patterns. Florals. Neon colors. Pastels. Light colors. White. Black. Dark colours. Fur/Fauxfur. Revealing clothing. Heavy armor. Medium armor. Light Armor. Magnificent hats. Dumb Hats.

[ SHOES ] Sneakers. Slip-ons. Flats. Slippers. Sandals. High heels. Kitten heels. Ankle boots. Combat boots. Knee-high. Platforms. Stripper heels. Bare feet. Loafers. Oxfords. Gladiator shoes. Leather boots. Steel-Toed Boots.

Tagged by @kitty-candlestick, thank you!!! Tagging: UHHHHHH LET’S GO THROUGH THE LIST OF PEOPLE I FOLLOW, IGNORE THE PING IF Y’ALL HAVE DONE THIS (or don’t feel like it c: ) LOL. @renzu-valra, @rinrin-rinalys, @eligos-venator, @ink-dreams-ffxiv, @locke-rinannis​, @kyrie-silverwings​, @kharinaavagnar​, @adventuresinffxiv, @miqojak​, ANYONE ELSE THAT WANTS TO STEAL THIS BECAUSE I’M TERRIBLE WITH BLOG NAMES (╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻