#miracle crafts au

[nonranghaes]

heads up! dad!cheol au.

seungcheol can't stop watching the way you interact with his son nowadays. he thinks you're in a miracle in the oddest way: you work from home and can watch his son if he needs you to, and his son fully adores you like you're family. today, he had asked if you could come over and watch his son (still recovering from a cold) while he ran to the grocery store. he promised you lunch and payment on top of it, and now that he's finished with lunch... he should be getting you both to come eat.

instead, he's just watching the way you're sitting at his son's craft table with him. he's sitting in your lap, little hands gripping crayons as he talks you through the fish he's drawing now (he's been in this 'all things aquatic' phase for as long as seungcheol can remember). and you're just nodding along, listening so attentively like this is the coolest thing you've ever heard.

seungcheol calls for his son, kneeling down and opening his arms. "let's go eat lunch."

immediately, his son drops his crayons and takes off toward him at full speed. he throws his arms around his neck, and seungcheol scoops him up to tote him off so that he can wash his hands before he eats. when he looks back at you, you're neatening up the mess his son left behind. you won't put it away (seungcheol is clear about that: he's trying to teach his son to put his toys away when he's done, and he knows that he'll go back to drawing once he's done eating), but there's something cute about the way you carefully make sure the crayons won't roll away.

there's something there, he thinks to himself as he's washing his hands alongside his son (demonstration, or something like that: just to show his son that everyone should be doing this to keep themselves healthy). he's not imagining it, is he? he knows he has friends who can drop things for him if he needs them to step in and be an uncle or an aunt for a bit, but you're... different. his son loves you more than any of seungcheol's other friends. you've taken his son out a few times for play dates at the park or trips to the aquarium when seungcheol needed some undisturbed rest from work. he's cared for you when you were sick the same way you've cared for him and his son when the times come. hell, you've even tagged along with him to help distract his son during the boring errands, just to make his day a little easier. it's almost like you're a second parent to--

he stops. you're like a parent to his son. when did you become a parent to his son? he washes his hands off and dries them before drying his son's, and he watches the kid hop down from his stool and immediately head to where you're washing your own hands. seungcheol pulls out his phone while he has the spare moment, and texts jeonghan: can you watch him this weekend if my neighbor says yes to a date?

the response back is almost immediate: oh? so you're finally doing it? good luck. (yes, i'll watch him)

and now he'll have to ask you, even if he starts to think twice about it. all that's left is to figure out how to do it. and he'll start thinking about that... after he watches you sneak his son extra goldfish crackers, just to see him smile.

[greatdenimbeast]

Diamond Castle au- introducing, Shadow, Muse of History, Astrology and Astronomy

Once a mortal in ancient Greece, moulded from clay by an inventor and brought to life by the blood of a god, he spent his years caring for his ill sister, Maria. Doing his best to assist his creator in finding a cure. Since the blood of god ran through his veins and, seeing that his existence was a miracle in of itself, it stood to reason that he could be the miracle that helped save her

Cuz he was quite literally born yesterday, his sister loved to tell him stories about historic events, tales of gods and heroes to teach him about the world and how it cane to be. She was a damn good storyteller too, always leaving Shadow craving for more.

His favourites were the ones related to the stars, the constellations, so much so that Gerald noticed and taught him how to properly chart them

Maria wasn’t allowed to leave the house, her grandfather fearing that the elements would be too much for her and that often made her sunny demeanour dull and, looking to cheer her up, he did his best to find ways to brighten her mood until found one that worked

He entertained his bed-ridden sister with tales of history, of old dead heroes, of gods, of prophecies, things that he had picked up from local traders and travellers when he was out running errands for Gerald.

Maria was enthralled by them, hanging off of his every word

“The island of Crete truly holds such a monster?”

“It’s travellers gossip, but who’s to truly say.”

He wasn’t as good of a storyteller as she was but he did keep record of every story he could, and Maria loved it so that was all that mattered

As Maria got worse, Shadow started praying and giving offerings to the god Asclepius and the god Apollo, he doubted they would come to his aid but if there was a chance they could help he wanted to be sure.

But it was getting harder to cure her, some of the medicinal herbs they needed grew far off and the merchants that brought them to the markets to sell them kept marking up the prices out of greed. So Shadow, who had been blessed with inhuman speed, was sent off to pick the herbs himself, allowing him the opportunity to venture and see more of the world and bring back more stories, even making a few of his own, slaying a few monsters on the the way

The soldiers for the nearby king didn’t make it easier, tormenting the people for laughs, outright stealing, sometimes outright killing people when they refused to cave to their demands. Gerald was always being pulled away from his work for a cure to craft machines and statues for the king, the only reason the soldiers were unable to harm him or Maria when he refused was because of Shadow being there to protect them.

This became an issue when the king decided that he wanted Shadow

Soldiers stormed the house and workshop, taking the inventor prisoner, dragging him away to the castle and as Shadow tries to get Maria to safety she pushes him out of the way of blade and gets stabbed through her stomach

Shadow blacks out.

When he comes back, his hands are covered in blood, the bodies of dead soldiers litter the floor, his ears are ringing.

The only other breathing Shadow could hear besides his own was the shaky, laboured breaths of his older sister

He rushed to her side and examined her, the wound was deep, too deep. He tried his beat to clean up the blood but he could barely see what he was doing past his own tears. As he did he prayed, to his other father, to Apollo, to any god that would listen, to please save his sister, to not let her die

Then Maria’s hand squeezing his stopped him

“Sh…Shadow… o-one more story…”

“Maria please, please, i have to treat this, I won’t let you die, i won’t let you, i can’t let you die!”

“One…one m-more… please?”

“…okay… okay, one more story.”

So he shakily told her a story, about the fabled diamond castle, the birthplace of music, home to the museum of music. He struggled to remember parts of the story but Maria shakily helped him fill in the blanks

Then as the story concluded, Apollo made his presence known and applauded the two on how exemplary their storytelling was. It turns out Shadow has gained Apollo’s attention for a while, ever since he started praying to him and he had an offer for him

He wanted him to be his muse, an inspiration, a god. Initially Shadow wanted to refuse until Maria winced and coughed in his arms, then he got an idea

“…Lord Apollo I will accept this honour on one condition, that you heal my sister of her wounds and her ailment so that she may live as freely as she wishes.”

Apollo accepted these terms and gave Shadow, ambrosia (the food of the gods). It burned away his mortality and left him a god

And Apollo fulfilled his part of the deal, healing his sister, and did Shadow one better by turning Maria immortal so that she may be Shadow’s attendant to assist him in his duties before whisking them both off to the diamond castle

50 years later Shadow meets the next muse

[fortunekookie07]

hii can i request a highschool au, where sylus is the scary but popular jock x nerdy/normal reader😫 thank you!!

Not Just The Girl Next Door

Nonnie, I absolutely adore your request. Because you brought it to me. Thank you sooooo much for trusting me to craft your desire. Love you for it.

I am immensely sorry it took so long. I hope I haven't disappointed you. I struggled with this one a bit, and not because your request was hard, I didn't want to deliver a cliché. I rewrote this one a couple times. If you want to see the unfished alternate, let me know.

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

Sylus, how could one name make your heart feel full of giddines? Put those butterflies in your stomach and make your brain mush?

He'd been your classmate since preschool. He even lived on your street. How could one person be so close and yet so far out of reach?

You never minded his teasing, he'd never taken it too far. After all, it was to be expected. Many times, you'd examined yourself just to count all the things you saw as flaws.

Unruly wild red curls hung around your face and trailed over your shoulders all the way down your back to your hips. Your mother absolutely loved your hair. You'd lost count of how many times she'd begged you not to cut or change the color.

The round glasses perched on your nose framed your face nicely, but you hated their necessity. If only you'd gotten your mother's perfect vision. You had yet to win the debate on trying contacrs.

If only you were taller, being the shortest one in the senior class was irritating. People often mistook you as a freshman and sometimes you knew it was on purpose.

Sylus had been the one to start the jokes. While the rest of your classmates were getting taller, you didn't. The only thing that has grown was your curves. Your mom liked to say that you had the perfect hourglass figure. One that you worked hard to hide. Being teased for having no boobs as opposed to being well-endowed was much better.

It was easy to hide with the schools mandatory uniform. Button up white collared shirts, a sweater vest in dark blue or gold. For the girls, a pleated plaid skirt in the same colors. The boys could wear black or dark blue pants. During the winter months, a black jacket could be worn.

As you stood in front of the mirror, examining your appearance, you could hear your mother calling you from downstairs. "Are you ready yet? You need to be leaving now!" You scrambled to shove your feet into shoes while trying to smooth your hair back so you could braid it. "I'm coming, mom!" You shouted back to her, tying the end of the briaid and scooping up your bag.

"Have a good day." She said, kissing your forehead and then pushing you out the door. It was windy today. Spring was just around the corner. Hurrying to your car, you quickly started the engine just as your phone rang. It was Tara.

"Hey girl!" She answered with her usual bubbliness. "Can you pick me up? My dad confiscated my keys this morning." You knew instantly that she had a story and had gotten into trouble again. "Yeah, I'll be there in three minutes." Her sigh of relief had you shaking your head.

Tara was extremely outgoing and well liked. It was a miracle that she had picked you, the quiet introverted girl with her nose always in a book as best friend. But that had been the case from the first grade till now. She tended to get into trouble with her dad a lot. He was always trying to calm her down and teach her patience. He wasn't mean, just very strict. Sometimes, he would compare the two of you. About how well-behaved you were and your much quieter nature.

She really tried sometimes to play the role he wanted, but it was hard. It was her nature to be loud, rowdy, and very outgoing. Maybe this was why you were friends. You balanced each other out.

Fifteen minutes later, you were settled into your first period English class waiting for the teacher. He was running late as usual. He had a knack for being perpetually late. Around you, you could hear whispers and the scratches of pens as people scrambled to do the homework from last class.

Ever the one prepared for class, your books and notebook sate neatly on your desk. No one was paying you any mind. Too focused on their own affairs. Well, you thought no one was watching you. How wrong you were.

"Well now, look here. The little Kitten is all ready for class." His deep baritone voice sent shivers down your spine. Sylus hadn't used your actual name in years. Ever since the day he'd dubbed you Kitten, that's all he would call you.

He swooped in and grabbed your notebook. Dodging your hands as you scrambled to get it back. "Give it back." You said, trying to remain calm. Getting angry or showing your frustration only spurred him on.

"Then jump for it." He said a smirk on his face as he held the notebook high in the air well over his head. He knew you couldn't get it. Your short stature would never allow it. What he didn't count on was your resourcefulness. Or the fact that you were agile.

Swiftly, you stood from your seat and climbed onto your desk. Anger fueling your actions. You jumped for it, fingers just barely brushing the spine as he changed the way he was holding it.

Forgetting yourself and where you were, you lunged, throwing your full weight at him as you jumped higher. This time, you managed to grasp your notebook. It would seem your mom's insistence on dance classes was not useless.

Sylus stumbled as your full weight pushed him back. He clearly wasn't expecting you to throw yourself at him for the notebook.

"What's going on in here?" The sharp voice of Mr. Reynolds snapped you back to reality. The position you were now in was clearly inappropriate for a classroom. Your body was firmly pressed against Sylus. His hand pressed firmly against your waist. He was practically laying on the desk with you on top of him. Still holding the notebook with your hand tightly grasping it as well.

The look in his eyes was a mixture of surprise, amusement, and something you couldn't quite name.

Mr. Reynolds sharply called your name, and you scrambled back to standing. Face bright red with embarrassment. How you wished the floor would swallow you whole. This had to top any embarrassing moment you'd ever had in your eighteen years on this Earth.

Seeing how mortified you were, Mr. Reynolds turned to Sylus. "Explain yourself right now!" He was angry, face turning red as he glared.

"Just having a bit of fun. Just a joke." Sylus said nonchalantly. His ears were slightly red. Was he embarrassed, too? "Detention, both of you, go right now." He pointed to the door, shaking his finger as he did so. "I do not allow such nonsense in my classroom. If I ever see this level of disregard for school decorum again, I'll have you both expelled. I don't care if you are the star player or the top academic student. I'll not have it!"

Snatching your notebook from Sylus' hand, you scooped up your books and walked to the door, footsteps heavy with dread. Never, not once in all your years of school had you been in trouble. A teacher had never reprimanded you before, never mind yelling at you.

Your eyes burner with unshed tears. This was all his fault. You tried hard not to cry. You would not let him of all people see you shed a tear. A quick glance beside you, he looked completely unphased. How could he be so calm right now?? Anger took over.

"This is all your fault. Why can't you just leave me alone? I'm not a toy for your amusement. I do not exist to entertain you when you're bored." You chest heaved as you finally said what you'd always wanted to. "See me, Sylus. I am not your Kitten. I'm a person." Despite your best efforts you were crying now.

Tears slipping down your face as you finally told him all the things you'd wanted to say for years. You'd stopped walking, and so had he. His face had a broken expression as he stood there helpless while you cried. "See me." You said in a begging tone.

He stepped closer to you, gently pulling your glasses from your face. Using his sleeve, he wiped the tears even as they continued to fall.

He stared down at your face, puffy from crying, nose red. Cupping your cheeks as he looked down at you. You couldn't name the expression in his eyes. It tore at your heart.

How much you wanted something you were sure you couldn't have. Sylus could pick any girl he wanted, so why would he choose you? The small girl, the one who was always studying. Who didn't wear makeup or pretty jewelry. The one who hid herself away instead of showing off what she had. Why would he choose you? With a heart of gold, a fierce loyalty to the few friends you have and a deep love of your family.

Still wiping your tears away with his thumbs, he finally speaks. "Silly girl, why are you so silly? I've always seen you. How can I not see you?" His expression was tender gazing at you like he held the most precious thing in the world.

"You always make fun of me. You're always calling me short and teasing me for never handing in assignments late. For always being top of the class. You called me four eyes in primary school. You pull my hair and hide my books." You sniffle loudly, finally your tears have stopped.

He sighs loudly, breaking eye contact as he hangs his head. "For someone so smart, you're incredibly dense. I hope you know that." He looks at you again. "Have you never heard that a guy will pick on the girl he likes? I don't know how else to get your attention. You're not like other girls. You don't follow after me. You never talk to me unless I start. I've never seen you at any of my games. Tell me how I'm supposed to bring you back to my level?"

He's looking at you earnestly now, but your brain has disconnected. Surely he didn't mean that he liked you. You must have misheard him. "Wh-what did you say?" You stutter out after a minute of silence.

Sylus sighs deeply again. "Words have no effect, I see." He tilts your face upwards more, and before you can react, his warm lips steal yours. If your brain was disconnected before, it's completely offline and mush now. Unable to think of anything, slowly, your hands come up to grasp the lapels of his jacket, crushing them in your grip.

You stand on your toes so he doesn't have to lean down so far. In the back of your head, you're glad he took your glasses off. The lenses would be fogged up now. Pressing yourself closer, you give in. Your lungs are starting to beg for air, but you never want this moment to end.

But end it does, he pulls back, and you stare deeply into his red irises. The depth of his emotions is swirling around, trying to pull you in.

"Do you understand me now?" He asks quietly, watching you intently.

"Why me?" You mumble quietly. "Why not you? I've always been drawn to you. Ever since we were kids. You're like a flame that burns just for me. I don't want to be apart from you anymore. Don't pull away from me now." His voice is not more than a whisper, but it still pierces your heart.

The sincerity in his voice sends you over the edge. Your face burns red again, and you hide it in his jacket. "Is this going to be a habit of yours?" He asks, chuckling as he wraps his arms around you. "Shut up." You mutter against his chest. "We're still in trouble and have detention." He comments, and you freeze. You'd forgotten that detail.

"I'm still mad at you for that." You say stepping back. He grasps your hand and leads you to the office laughing.

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

I'm so sorry again for the long wait. I hope you get all the fluffy feels out of this that I tried to pack in.

If you want to read my original draft, message me. If you want to take a different route and finish the one I started, I will relinquish it. Just let me know.

[the-s1lly-corner]

Hiii! If your not swamped with requests could I do a Moon/Sun where its a fem reader and Sun is a hopeless romantic and totally falls in love with reader but moon is more hesitant to admit his feelings? If u can ty sm! If u can’t that’s totally okay too🫶🏼

Sun and Moon crushing on the reader

OOOUUUUGH I love getting fnaf sb requests esp for the DCA!!!!/gen

Notes: reader is GN, written in separate segments but can easily be combined, reader is a human and works in the daycare as an assistant, no virus moon au

CWs: none

SUN

sun is painfully obvious when hes interacting with you, it would be a true miracle (or curse) if you somehow didnt notice

hes always tagging behind you when the kids arent around and even then if they dont need constant supervision hes going to be checking in on you- while constantly rotating his head and looking over his shoulder!

makes you handmade gifts with some of the supplies in the daycare; cards, paper flowers, crowns, things like that!

his rays spin so fast as hes looking at you, and if you return his energy his neck just !!! snaps right up before resting as it usually does.. its a little funny to look at actually

if you let him hes going to gush on and on about you

and hes not afraid to show off his crush!.... at least when appropriate; hes making sure to prioritize his duties

constantly hyping you up as well, nothing gets past him hes going to make sure you know ALL of your efforts are seen

MOON

moon is a lot more... to himself when it comes to his feelings for you

he doesnt avoid you and he doesnt seem to fully reject any affection from you, but you do notice that he seems a bit off around you

similar to sun, he makes you little crafts with stuff from the daycare... but he never really gives them to you in the end- instead they end up collecting dust in their room

perches himself up on the play structures during naptime and watches you work away at your desk, passing the time

his behavior is kind of like that of a cat; distant but alert, may let you pet if you approach slow enough

when he does talk to you about his thoughts on you theyre a lot more collected and put together compared to sun who just lets it spill out

though he still teases you when he gets the chance, sometimes snatching something that belongs to you when he wants your attention and feels brave enough to have you close to him

[kirby-derb]

Now a Lil fic cause I can :)

College Au

The university library was packed with students drowning in the chaos of finals week, but the loudest table was undeniably theirs: John, Simon, Kyle, Johnny, and Alex—the group of friends who’d somehow become inseparable over their years at the university.

Price sat at the head of the table, glasses perched on his nose, surrounded by history textbooks and handwritten notes. His usual air of tranquility slightly by the paperclip chain someone (likely Johnny) had clipped to his sleeve. "You lot are hopeless," he muttered, flipping a page. "If you put half the energy into your studies as you do into being a pain, we wouldn’t be in here all night."

Johnny leaned back dangerously far in his chair, balancing a mechanical pencil on his nose. “Aw, lighten up, Jo-Jo. Finals are just fancy pop quizzes.”

Kyle snorted, typing furiously on his laptop. “Spoken like someone who’s failed two pop quizzes this semester.”

“Two?!” Alex chimed in, looking up from his notes on renewable energy that somehow never faltered. “That’s generous. I’d put the over-under at four.”

Johnny dramatically clutched his chest. “You lot dont know what its like bein in engineering, 90% of the class failed!”

Simon, sitting across from him, barely looked up from his physics book. “You’re not wrong, though. I saw his econ grade. It’s a miracle he’s still here.”

“Not everyone can calculate orbital velocity in their sleep, Si” Johnny shot back. “Some of us have to work with personality.”

“Right,” Simon deadpanned. “How’s that working out for you?”

Before Johnny could retort, Price clapped his hands together. “Enough! Five-minute break. I need to find some aspirin before you lot give me an aneurysm.” As he walked away the heard him muttering about something like 'I should just stay home, but noo I just had to go socialize- Jesus-'

As the group dispersed momentarily, the library’s old fluorescent lights buzzed faintly overhead. The building felt more tired than usual, and there was a stack of flyers on a nearby table announcing a fundraiser for the school, that no one had dared acknowledge yet.

Alex returned first, holding two cups of coffee. He slid one over to Kyle, who looked at it like it was manna from heaven. “Bless you.”

“Don’t thank me. Thank the last working vending machine on campus,” Alex said, sliding back into his seat.

Johnny returned next, juggling a box of animal crackers he’d swiped from a study snack cart. He started flicking them at Kyle. “What’s the over-under on this campus even having vending machines next semester?”

Kyle caught one mid-air and munched it without looking up. “I’d say slim to none if we keep burning out the Wi-Fi like last week.”

“That was an accident,” Johnny defended.

“You crashed the whole system trying to run simulations for a catapult mate.” Simon said as he reappeared, a water bottle in hand

Price groaned as he sat back down, rubbing his temples. “I still can’t believe the dean called an assembly about that. You’re grown adults.”

“Technically,” Kyle muttered.

The five of them settled back into their seats, though the teasing didn’t entirely subside. Johnny, ever the jester, started crafting increasingly elaborate paper airplanes, one of which soared dangerously close to Price’s ear.

“John,” Price warned, not even looking up from his notes.

Johnny grinned. “Just testing aerodynamics!”

As they worked, the library’s clock chimed midnight. For all their jokes and distractions, the group’s camaraderie was palpable. Even with the weight of uncertainty hanging over the campus, they found ways to laugh and keep each other grounded.

Kyle stretched and yawned, closing his laptop. “Alright, who’s betting Johnny makes it through finals without another disaster?”

“No chance,” Simon said immediately, prompting another round of laughter.

🧍‍♀️🧍‍♀️🎀

[faislittlewhiteraven]

Fais fanfic rambles: Introduction to my 'Selkies by Starlight' ISaT AU

Note: Not to be confused with @looped-140-and-counting / Soren_793's wonderful Selkie AU oneshot series 'The Northern Islanders are Selkies' which was hugely inspiring for this if potentially VERY different in vibe (we got very into talking about cloaks! XD)

Basic premise/summary:

In an alternate version of the precanon adventure, the party lead by Mirabelle to stop the King freezing Vaugarde in time, recruit Siffrin as per usual.

Thing is, Siffrin is a Selkie.

A very skittish selkie without a cloak of their own, who openly wears the cloak of another, and due to Reasons is under the impression that the party know all both of those things and the Implications about them, and for whatever reason have decided to welcome him into their group anyway.

Which er, he's completely wrong about as the party know absolutely nothing.

Mira and Isa like most Vaugardian humans think 'shifters' are just fairytales, Odile knows shapeshifters are real but is only really familiar with how foxes like her father work, and Bonnie is actually able to sense some pretty major things but is a preteen dealing with a lot and hasn't even joined the party yet, so this pretty major misunderstanding is sustained for quite a while...

Cue the AUs' main focus being on the resulting party dynamic shifts as more and more canon divergence due to Sif's 'selkie stuff' (both cute and serious) comes into play, the party slowly realising something is up, and all of it hitting an eruption point right around the time of the 4th Orb/the loss of Siffrin's eye...

Some key world building notes: (Note: very summarised from my docs. I have like 20k+ words on this stuff XD)

The Island - Probably the most drastically different thing from canon here, the Island was not forgotten or erased here. Rather it is hidden away and permanently shrouded in Wish Craft generated fog from 'those without cloaks'. Side note: Sif is still unable to return home and continues to have some very plot critical memory problems but those are due to unrelated issues, which means yay I get to have Sif talk 'home culture' with the others in this =D Also idk why the King is freezing Vaugarde still. I've got a few ideas I'm not sure about and he's not in focus enough for it to even matter really, but random suggestions -especially those with possible selkie motivations- would be very much appreciated.

Selkie powers in my setting - Went into something of a deep dive regarding selkie folklore for this and did you know they have an absolute ton of seer/oracle based stuff going on?

From selkie being summoned by their human lovers shedding seven tears into the ocean, to a selkie man telling a former lover that he and their child will die at the hands by her genuinely good and loving future husband, to a selkie woman forseeing her fisherman husband about to die out in a storm just in time for her to swim over there and rescue him, etc.

So... Yeah. This AU has a lot of plot relevant sensory/seer stuff going on as well as the standard seal shapeshifter stuff (Islander selkie traditionally believe it to be the Universe talking with them, in the same way Wish Craft is talking to the Universe), and going off all the stuff I read decided it'd be most fitting if the general rule for how it all works is: - Selkie always passively have a bit of it going on (aka Sif's canon 'you sense someone nearby' stuff) which like most things can be enhanced with Craft use a bit. - Near perfect understanding of all 'connected' bodies of water (aka they know EXACTLY where the tasty fish are/will be and can probably get a general sense of location for most people on a boat) - Potentially get strong 'visions of the future' and/or instincts on what they need to do to avert an outcome when it comes to loved ones being in danger/distress.

They also maybe get to pull very fast, high power Wish Craft 'curses'/miracles' at idk, the cost of something major like their cloak or lives (mostly based off of the The Legend of Kópakonan where the whole island of Kalsoy was cursed with death by a selkie in retaliation for her husband and children being murdered) but not super attached to this idea past it being in 'seal shifter' stories in-setting.

Other non humans in setting and regional differences in shifters - Pretty much only selkie and selkie issues are in focus here, but just as a general thing, all non humans in setting are shapeshifters and originated from human ancestors who went crazy with the the Body Craft and/or used Wish Craft in some way.

Ka Bue in particular has a ton of them since yokai, with their origins being various sects/clans back in the warring eras going so nuts with trying to weaponize Body Craft (super soldiers, enhanced life spans, infiltration, exploiting attraction to furries, etc), that after some particularly high profile incidents (for an idea plz see: Kiyohime, Tamamo no Mae, Kachi-kachi Yama) and 'Body Craft misuse leading to shut down of the brain/vital organs' being the most common cause of death for 10+ years once peace time was established, eventually Ka Bue's authorities set their foot down and banned Body Craft altogether.

Currently the shifter population in Ka Bue is around 30% of the population, shifters are required to have ID regarding their forms (or potential forms if they're merely 'half'), and it's considered distasteful for a shifter to be in non human form outside of private settings/necessity and even ruder to ask a shifter about their non human forms if they haven't brought the topic up yet first (kinda like seeing/asking about someone's underwear or something XD).

In contrast the Vaugarde, Mwudu and Porteria region is extremely shifter sparce, with most of its original shifter population being the result of various Universe worshipping peoples (mostly small groups, like greek mystery cults) deciding to use a big Wish Craft ritual as some sort of religious rite and becoming shifters as a side effect of their primary Wish (usually stuff like 'we wish for us and our descendants to be one with You and the sea/air' or 'may we Change with the phases of the holy moon' etc) which granted them some pretty neat skills but also tended to come with some 'potentially nasty' drawbacks attached (see: selkie and swan maidens with their cloaks, werewolves Changing in both body and mind etc) Which er, lead to some issues born of lack of knowledge about this stuff, later some very nasty anti shifter sentiment in the region, and then around... IDK 200 to 300 years ago or so ended up exploding into violence and other very nasty things, with most shifters able to do so fleeing the region, and those that couldn't either enduring horrible conditions until they could escape/died or went deep into hiding, with the Island's Country being founded by the two later groups who used Wish Craft to hide their new home, erase awareness of their existence from their enemies (a short term, fully intentionally 'forgetting' blast centered specifically around shifters), and developed a LOT of culture and traditions regarding when, who and what can be told to 'outsiders' about themselves, Wish Craft, etc in order to keep their people safe.

There are shifters living in present in Vaugarde of course (anti shifter sentiment died back a LOT after most people stopped thinking they were real, and most modern day Change Believers are more likely to view these 'totally fictional/allegorical' beings as children/messengers of the Change God rather than 'evil demons who stole power by tearing apart the Change God's cloak for themselves and thus have to be hunted down and made to repent' propaganda take that was everywhere back then) but numbers actually living outside the Island as opposed to merely visiting remain low, since either the shifters know their history and stick firmly to their 'stay secret' traditions or quickly pick up on how oddly unknown shifters are around these parts and decide to err on the side of caution... Also 'trust worthy' humans who do learn about them (usually northern coastal folk, gee wonder why) tend to help cover them up so... Yeah =D

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And... Yeah!

This is hella long as is, so will stop here and ramble about the actual 'how this all affects our beloved Sif and Co plot and culture wise' stuff that is the actual meat of the AU in another post later, but hope this made for an interesting/idea provoking read, know that I have no issue with anyone using any of this for their own works (just please, don't use the 'Selkies under starlight' same story name unless it's actually a fanfic/fanart of my 'hopefully soon has a chapter/one shot up' fic/Ao3 series of the same name so people don't get confused), and I would love to chatter with you about any thoughts/questions you might have so...

Wishing you a good day =D

(sighes in relief finally getting this post finished after literal months. Pheeeeww~)

[milliesfishes]

౨ৎ𓆝 𓆡⋆Seaweed Ribbons𓆝 𓆡⋆౨ৎ

[fem reader] contains: fluff :) pairing: billy the kid x fem reader summary: pirate billy x mermaid reader author’s note: based on my love @francixoxoxo 's pirate billy au- leaving the tag below. Pinterest Board Spotify Playlist

It was always the details of you that Billy noticed, the pieces swirling into your mosaic. He could practically see you on the cover of a storybook, a thick volume about a mermaid who fell in love with a human like a tragic fairy tale. Only Billy would seize the pen before it could even deign to write you an ending that was anything short of magical.

Your laugh rang like the brass bell shelled in the brick-and-mortar church at the center of the town square, a heavenly sound. While Billy had never been a particularly religious man, he found God with you. Over and over again, enough to make him into a believer. Every touch of your skin was a miracle, not suited for the likes of him. Pirates were superstitious, but hardly ever in a good way.

He hated that he was counted among their numbers- ruthless, reckless men roughened by a life of dishonesty. And yet, it was the only thing he knew how to do. Billy supposed he could have made a life as a sailor, but he knew at this point no man would hire him for such work. The grimace that came along with the name piracy gifted to him was the worst thing in the world, second only to any notion of losing you

You didn't seem to care about any of it, promising Billy that he was a good man, good as they come. Many a night he spent nearly buried in the sand with you sitting contently across his thighs, tail flickering lazily like the flame of a candle as you hugged him around the neck, pressing gentle kisses there.

He fingered your necklace, crafted from delicate seashells shiny as sunbeams on water. You made all your own jewelry, he knew, and he adored it just like he adored everything about you. Every new thing he learned only advanced your beauty, just when he wasn't sure his heart could take any more.

Billy let his hand settle on your lower back, drawing infinities into your skin warmed from the sun. The first time you'd come onto land with him he'd been worried you'd dry out, wither away like a leaf in the fall. There had to be some catch to this. Some catch to a man like him getting to hold a woman like you. But here you were, sand coating your drying tail like a second skin for the hundredth time since the first, head on his chest, fingers skirting the neckline of his shirt.

He always found himself playing with your hair, as long and silky as it was. You always did something pretty with it, whether it be a clasp of pearls or an intricate braid he couldn't wrap his head around. Today it was half tied back on each side with seaweed ribbons of emerald green, the tails lost in your strands.

You propped your chin up on his chest, letting your cheek lean to the side. One of your hands came up to trace along his stubbly jaw, a ring with a single pearl like a teardrop circled around one finger. He watched you fascinatedly like always, tangled in your net with no hope or want of escaping.

"I wish you could come down with me," you murmured, ringed finger finding the slope of his nose and drawing a line up and down. "I want to show you so many things."

He tilted his chin up, pressing a kiss to your wrist. "Me too, angel."

The pet name never failed to get a smile out of you, and he watched joyfully as it lightened you like a sunburst. "It's so beautiful, Billy. I love it, and I want you to love it too."

"If you love it, I would," Billy promised, sitting up and holding you firmly by the waist so you wouldn't shift off of him with the motion.

You moved so you were sitting sideways between his spread legs, snuggling into his chest. "What do you love about the surface? I think I've told you everything I love about the water."

He hummed, getting lost in thoughts like a tangled ball of yarn. Billy never got tired of hearing about what you loved. You had such a wide-eyed, beautiful vision of the world, one that he could only wish to imitate. He wished he was a more eloquent man so he could pick out the things of the surface he thought you'd like and craft them into poetry only fit for your eyes.

"I..." his mind went blank. Billy was hardly capable of a thought that didn't pertain to how beautiful you were in your presence. "I like the stars, I s'pose. And flowers."

Your eyes brightened, and he felt a prick of pride for having said something that made them that way. "I like those too."

"Yeah?" Billy would pick every flower that sprouted from the earth, lasso each star and haul them from the sky to lay at your tail if it would make you smile. "I'll bring you some flowers next time, pretty."

"Really?" You reached up, kissing his cheek. Your lips left a burning spot, and he melted. You were a treasure no X on a map could ever amount to.

"'Course, baby." Billy stroked your back, an ocean of softened skin smoothed by saltwater. "It's only right a man does that for his sweetheart."

You giggled in delight, a babbling brook. "I want to bring you something pretty too."

"You bring yourself, don'tcha?"

"Billy."

He chuckled, lips finding your hair. A human would have to swallow stardust to glow as bright as you. "You're my girl. Ain't nothin' better than seein' my girl."

You gave him a fond look, wiggling a little in his arms. "I want to show you my treasures."

"Oh, baby I'd be honored to see your treasures." Billy reached up, catching your lips in a gentle kiss. You existed in a world of beautiful things, just how you deserved.

In words you'd described to him of the splendor of the sea, the way merpeople valued all that was good and lovely. Intricate carvings of pearl depicting wars of history, victory abound. Insides of clamshells ranging from the size of the palm of your hand to entire walls painted with artist's depictions of royalty. Seemingly ordinary rocks split down the middle, revealing crystallite insides. He couldn't have dreamt it up.

But as far as he was concerned, you were the most ethereal thing created by the world of mermaids.

You were pleased by his answer, rewarding him with warm kisses peppered to his cheeks. Billy could have sworn there was sugar rather than blood on your insides, given how cripplingly sweet you were.

He'd succumb to your spell every time.

Had Billy searched the catacombs of the earth like a man possessed, he never would have found what you were showing him right now.

To say he'd been surprised when you had announced you were taking him to your treasure grove had been an understatement. But the next thing he knew, he was holding onto you as you swam, head above water, faster than he knew was physically possible.

An island had been your destination, one swallowed by the sea, nearly. The greenery was lush and full, but you led him to the gaping mouth of a cavern, studded with crystals of every fathomable color. He'd been in awe, convinced your treasures were a place. But deeper into the hallowed halls of your special spot, he saw the reason you'd brought him.

It was very nearly a temple, held by columns of stone crawling with moss, the sea kissing the base a shallow pool with water lilies floating leisurely. Billy's eyes widened as he took it in. It was a relic, a forgotten wonder of the world. And you had found it, of course you'd found it.

Vines twirled the arches like a strand of hair around a finger, light seeping in through the cracks of the ceiling. The walls were lightened with faded color, the salt air chipping away at paint. He turned to you, heaving himself out of the water to sit on the edge of the pool. His shirt and pants were clinging to him, boots abandoned at shore. "What is this place?"

"It's my treasure chest," you said simply, arms folded on his knees, chin atop. "Nobody know about it, really. So I keep the things I find in here."

"The things you find?" Upon his question, you turned your head to the side, and he followed your gaze.

There, on the edge of the cavern, a collection of items laid lined up like soldiers on the stony surface. He shuffled over to examine them closely. Your collection ranged from chipped teacups to strings of pearls. There were shells of an inexhaustible variety, starfish and scales all scattered in the mix. But what struck him was the sheer amount of human things.

Pale figurines of nude women, an intricate silver hand mirror. A tube of lipstick, the lid missing, a bottle of perfume likely only filled with ocean now. A brooch the color of the sky on a sunny day, a silhouette stone faced depicted. There was a book with stiff looking pages at the center of it all, embossed with gold in a language Billy didn't know.

He turned to you, awe clouding his senses. "You found all of this?"

A shy little smile crept up your lips. "My treasures."

"Angel." Billy reached down, lifting you under your arms to come sit on his lap, the fins of your tail dipping into the water still. He pressed three kisses to your face; your cheek, nose, and mouth. You were too good for this world, too bright and glimmering for anyone to deserve.

Today your hair was loose, miniscule braids interwoven between strands. It wasn't uncommon for him to find broken pieces of seashell tangled in between, and even in the muted light of the cavern, they shone like bits of sunshine, the light catching them just right. Billy tucked your hair behind your ear, catching the pearls hanging from them, dripping with ocean. "It's beautiful. You're a sweetheart for showin' me."

You wrapped your arms around his neck, breasts flattening against his chest. "You like it?"

"It's like you're showin' me a piece of your heart," he said, relishing in the sparkle of your eyes. He shifted to the side, facing your collection again. "Will you tell me 'bout 'em?"

Billy could practically feel the excitement bubbling up inside you as you began to explain the origins of each find, voice a melody in his ear. He listened, savoring every detail to imprint on his memory. If his identity became a man in love with you, he'd die happier than most.

Your love enchanted him, consumed him like the impossibly high waves of a typhoon, swirling and tossing him back and forth against the walls of your heart. He was drowning in it all, engulfed in every salty wave that pulled him under.

Only here he would never come up for air.

[cluelessdelta]

stretches

Info on my ghost agency AU!

Frouse Agency started out as a ridiculous idea after graduation, and blossomed into something the guys did as a living. They all live in a house together, and it's practically their office. What do they do? Well, they hunt ghosts. The traditional jazz of poking at the paranormal with tools fished from Ebay, sprinkling salt and performing seances, and gaslighting all the clients into giving them money. Easy work. They manage to make it difficult.

Descriptions on the Frouse members:

Smii7y - The primary founder of Frouse Agency, the team that shits your pants so you don't have to. He started the agency as a joke after graduation along with Matt, because he didn't actually believe in ghosts. Plain and simple, right? Until he discovered that ghosts were, in fact, extremely real. He cowers out of missions because of his Quivering Pussy Syndrome, so he often works behind the scenes and manages the boring things that nobody else wants to do. He's great at overworking to himself to the point of exhaustion. It's his talent.

Blarg (Matt) - Meet idiot number one. Ever since he read a Reddit post about someone's paranormal, eye-opening experience, he had a burning passion towards ghosts. He founded Frouse Agency along with Smii7y out of curiosity, and it was quickly fueled. Matt is having the time of his life going on life-threatening jobs and throwing himself into danger, because at least he gets to see something cool. He conducts all the research on the clients' places, and he's the most educated about paranormal business.

Droid - Meet idiot number two. If the name wasn't obvious enough, Droid has always had a knack for technology. He's good with computers and has a natural way of picking any machine apart and making it better than it was before. For that reason, he's the go-to man when any tech needs fixing. He calls it efficient, because they waste waaay less money on all the equipment they stupidly break. Droid's always running into trouble, so much that he has to be put under constant watch whenever he's on a job.

Kryoz (John) - John likes to consider himself the business man. He's always had a thing for persuading clients through his carefully crafted words, which he used to make advertisements that have proven to work like miracles. He works in the creative department—he built their website, made up any stupid catchphrases, and photoshops to gaslight their clients into thinking they aren't being haunted. It's easy to piss him off, so the rest try to keep him away from the clients.

Puffer - Oh boy, we sure do love Puffer. Said no-one ever. Despite his...attitude, he has a logical brain, and can keep the others together even in the most dire situations. He's the person who takes the most serious jobs in an effortless stride. Not only that, but he makes sure to record video evidence and keep records on their clients. He ensures all of their data is kept organized. When someone is being idiotic, Puffer's the one to knock some sense into them. It's hard to say what the agency would be without him. Most likely in shambles.

Pezzy - Pezzy might be a mood, but he knows how to put on a smile and please the clients. So that's what he does. He takes the phone calls, answers most of the emails, and often interviews the clients whenever they need answers. People love him for his bright and cheery attitude, he really livens up the agency! ...Supposedly. Not really. He thinks most of the clients are obnoxious, and sometimes expresses his frustration to Puffer.

Grizzy - Unlike the others, Grizzy has a patience meter that not even Droid can easily test. He's the strongest out of them all. And he's considerate enough to politely communicate with ghosts. Because of this, he's always the one to make communication while on jobs, and he commonly settles dispute between any of the others. He sometimes acts like a concerned mom. And in his rare moments when he's upset, he really does act like a bear.

You can definitely expect to see oneshots on this AU. It's one I absolutely ADORE, U HEAR ME

[flightfoot]

Miraculous Halloween Fic Recs

It's Halloween, so I figured that people might be in the mood for some spooky, supernatural, or just plain Halloween-related fics! All of these are complete.

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Herbs And Steam by @liiinerle

Juleka le Flor Blef, nature witch from near the forest of Couffaine, arrives at Eiffel Castle so she can partake in the Queen's Trials - a contest to determine the strongest witch in all of France. She wants to prove the strength of her magic, but when she arrives, her attention is quickly distracted by two very interesting women: Kagami, the princess, who seems to act nothing like a princess should; and Marinette, the blacksmith, who has created a magic all her own through metal, steam, and ingenuity. Juleka is immediately besotted with both of them, and needs to work extra hard to focus on her magic. Juleka also soon becomes aware that there is stronger magic at Eiffel castle than she had expected. For one thing, there's a tree in the courtyard put there years ago by a witch whose powers seem to surpass hers; for another, there's Alya la Pluvie Versaunt, who must be the most powerful mage Juleka has ever met...

Unusual poly here, there aren't a lot of Juleka/Kagami/Marinette fics! I love the world here, getting to see all these different witches honing their craft, and Juleka making friends with many of them - though especially the nonwitches Kagami and Marinette, of course XD. If you like some femslash or a good fantasy AU, this fic should scratch that itch!

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Soul Seeker by hislittlelady

After a shooting on her 6th birthday, Marinette Dupain-Cheng died. She was brought to the afterlife by her grandmother. She was content. Until the paramedics did their jobs and suddenly she wasn’t dead anymore. Waking up to find that half of her soul had remained tethered to the afterlife, allowing her the ability to see things others can’t, Marinette grows up an outcast. It isn’t until she moves in with her only friend, a detective she’s known since preschool, that she finds her purpose, solving his harder cases with the help of her spiritual connections. Three years later, she’s thriving. Her own business, two best friends, a K-9 drop out as a companion- life couldn’t get better. Until she meets Chat. A ghost with amnesia and a mask to match, Chat isn’t sure what he needs to move on to the afterlife (and, considering he’s stuck around for another three years, he doesn’t seem in all that much of a hurry to figure it out either!) When Amelie Agreste, a socialite from out of town, comes to Marinette for help locating her missing nephew, Marinette knows her career and her life will be on the line. But even a murderer intent on silencing her forever can’t keep Marinette from seeking the truth.

This is a really fun detective story. You can probably guess one or two of the major twists (not counting the twist of "Adrien is Chat Noir" which I certainly HOPE isn't a spoiler to anyone reading this), but that doesn't make it any less satisfying, especially with how Marinette's and Chat's relationship is developed. Or well, what interactions we see from them, since they've known each other for years by the time the story starts. I adore the "my friend is a ghost" trope, and the identity shenanigans and mystery around what actually happened to Adrien kept me wondering.

It's an M-rated fic, which I'm guessing is mostly due to an attempted sexual assault at one point in the story, though it doesn't get very far before it's stopped. I also want to warn Luka fans that he's not shown in the best light in this fic, though it's not too extreme.

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Through Yellow Eyes by @echo-has-queries

"Nooroo bleeds and Paris drowns in his blood." The day of the Blight, Paris bore witness to a horror too grand to comprehend. Only Chloé Bourgeois bore witness to a miracle. Marinette, Alya and the rest of Paris will need more than faith in Gimmi to survive. As the city's sanity hangs by a thread, bodies, minds, and souls are traded with the unknown in order to hold on to the things they each treasure most. Written for the AU Roulette Challenge 2024 with the prompt: Cosmic Horror AU

If you like Cosmic Horror (Lovecraftian I think? Though this isn't really my wheelhouse), then this is the story for you! I love seeing how Paris copes with the madness seeping through its streets, somehow going about daily life despite it all.

Kwamis here are more inhuman, more separated from humanity. There's no cute little miniature form to help bridge the gap. While humans can still meld with kwami, it's not all quite as firmly in the human's control as it normally is, and the side effects are worse. It doesn't help that the kwamis can't fully understand squishy little humans' wants, needs, or morality.

Like, as Ladybug, Marinette can't remember her human name, and her human concerns are somewhat muted. While as Marinette, she can't remember certain aspects of her time as Ladybug, and only regains those memories when she transforms again. She also has to be careful about restoring everything, as she can't just give Tikki a cookie and call it a day. Instead, she herself needs to eat enough to compensate for the lost energy, which can be a substantial portion of the goods in her parents' bakery.

As for Adrien... well, this is still going off of Sentimonster Adrien, though the ritual to create him went differently... and went wrong. But he is still Adrien.

Chloe's interesting as well, she's this sort of priest, this missionary for the kwamis, but her methods are... well, not the best. She still has a bunch of her canonical hangups, even though she IS somewhat helpful.

I love Alya in here, she's just desperately trying to figure out what's going on so that she can try to fix it, especially since Nino's one of the people who's been driven mad by the Blight. She does find some answers, and even ends up being partially responsible for Ladybug's creation and Chat's and Ladybug's subsequent fight against the worst effects of the Blight, but the risks, danger, and side effects she suffers are still significant. Though some of those side effects can be used to her advantage.

Anyway, I really enjoyed this AU and thought it was an interesting take on the subject, I highly recommend checking it out!

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Centuries Overdue by @rosie-b

Long ago, an evil Darkness spread across Europe, claiming the lives of many in the magic community. Trained by Plagg himself, Adrien made it his mission to stop the Darkness before it snuffed out the lives of more Mages and Talents, as it did to his own parents. Though he seemed to succeed in his mission, the pages of his old journals tell a different tale. In the modern world, Marinette is a fashion student, working at a small library for the summer to earn extra credit. She’s never believed in magic before, but when she finds the old Agreste journals in her library, her beliefs about reality begin to crumble. Determined to find the truth, both about magic and the unsolved death of one Adrien Agreste, Marinette begins on a journey that will eventually lead her deep into the city’s catacombs, where an ancient force sleeps, but is ready to awaken once more…

If you want a nice Magic AU, this is your jam! I slowly became more invested with Adrien's fate as Marinette did, and I loved seeing bits of this magic society. And of course, Adrien and Marinette always find their way to each other, even if Marinette happens to be a few centuries overdue.

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the monster who loves you by @purplecatghostposts

Mum nods, clapping her hands together. “Your brother is finally feeling better and is coming home today! Isn’t that so exciting?” Félix pauses mid-bite, processing her words. Mum waits expectantly, as if expecting him to jump for joy, or his equivalent of it. But… Félix doesn’t have a brother. (Or Félix’s brother is a monster, but only in the most literal sense. Félix’s father is a monster despite being very, very human. He learns to navigate the world through these two truths.)

I loved how this story emphasized the differences between different kinds of monsters - the type who inhabit horror stories, who look terrifying, and the mundane, human sorts of monsters who are often the most dangerous. And how monsters can choose to act humanely, while humans can choose to act monstrously.

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See This Chance by @19thsentry-blog

Luka died in 2016. Yep. Crushed by the Arc de Triumph when Mayura’s Robustus slammed into it. It was kind of a big deal, but once you’re dead, you’re dead—especially when there’s no Lucky Charm to bring you back. Luka’s been dealing with it in the typical ways. Written for FeLuka week 2023.

Yes, this is FeLuka. Not one of the typical ships I read, but I ain’t opposed to it, and this is a nice foray into the pairing. I love ghost AUs! Luka’s just fumbling around, unsure what to do with his incorporeal existence, until he starts haunting Felix. It’s an intriguing plot and I gotta admit, I wish it was longer so it could be fleshed out more, but what’s here is good.

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Attack of the Crystal Zombies by @trainsinanime

Kagami had spent more and more time hanging out with Zoé, talking about things like families, expectations and crushes on Marinette. It was only natural, probably, that she would help Zoé practice flirting. That was definitely a great idea. Granted, the deadly Akuma battle around them was a bit of an issue…

Quality Zoegami fic here! I loved how Kagami kept thinking she was bad at flirting, but it was sure working on Zoe XD. The akuma attack going on around them, interweaving with their conversation, added a bit of spice to the whole affair!

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Anchor by @liiinerle

“Marinette. Please take that sabre out of your neck.” “Right. Thanks. I forgot it was there.” She grabbed hold of the guard and pulled; the blade slid out like it had only been run through butter. After dropping it on the floor, she picked up one of the teacups and picked up a biscuit from a tin she’d brought in; she placed the biscuit on the saucer plate and handed the whole thing to Kagami, who could only really resign herself to accepting it. —– Marinette has raised Kagami from the dead, and also happens to be dead herself. It turns out some bad choices were made in the past. But that doesn’t mean they’ll lead to bad outcomes for them now.

I love this, Marinette’s incredibly blase about being a zombie - which makes sense, given how long she’s had to get used to the idea. And she’s waited so long, tried so hard to bring Kagami back as well, though if she didn’t WANT to be back, she’d accede to that request. Luckily, Kagami doesn’t seem to mind as long as she’s with Marinette XD.

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delicate in every way but one by katrinette

When Marinette finds a wanted ad that provokes just enough questions in her mind that she can’t help answering it, the reward is sweeter than she could have imagined.

I love the little bit of worldbuilding we get here about vampire society, and Adrien’s usual awkward adorableness in asking Marinette for a certain necessary favor. It’s always neat to see such familiar characterization in a supernatural setting like this.

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How Marinette Learned to Stop Worrying And Love The Ball by @rosie-b

Hidden from the crowds thronging around the busy fairy portal in Paris’s town square, a fae gate sits at the edge of the forest, locked, rusty, and full of ancient magic. Marinette thinks that this abandoned gate must not work anymore… but one day, a fairy disguised as a black cat steps through it.

Ah, Fantasy Soulmate AUs, my beloved XD. This ain’t the only one of this fic type I’m gonna be recommending. This is just a cute fluff fic without much strife. I love Marinette and Chat Noir being able to be childhood friends via his visits, even if he has to pretend to be her cat whenever he comes over, and I ESPECIALLY adore Alya being his chaperone and quickly becoming friends with Marinette in her own right. It ain’t a complicated plot, but it is a nice and warm fic.

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a winter so warm by @rosekasa

winters were hard for even the best of vampires, but at least adrien had marinette to keep him warm with her cuddles. december was going to suck without her. so it was only to be expected to get extra cuddles in before she left, right? (well, not really, considering those heating supplements he was taking, but she didn’t need to know about that).

This one’s mostly just cute cuddly adorableness! It’s basically like all those “Marinette gets the Ladybug trait of needing to cuddle up to someone for warmth”, but with Adrien instead. And of course featuring Marinette being a very talented witch who just wants to help Adrien stay warm when she isn’t there XD.

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Stitched Together by @nedjsmlfavs

Stitch Witch Marinette was just supposed to be having a nice, terrifying outing with her best friends. She never expected to find a magically trapped kitten, but here we are! Whatever happened to this poor little guy?

Poor Adrien, being transformed and chained up for ages, having no idea that he was gonna be rescued. But at least he got to have fun at Marinette’s place as a cat! 

Most of this fic is adorable, though with some dark undertones lying in wait. After all, SOMEONE chained up that poor little kitty…

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I Put A Spell On You by dazaimaru

Friday, October 25. 6 days until Halloween.

It’s their first high school Halloween dance, and Marinette and Adrien are ready to throw on some non-superhero costumes for once--that is, until an akumatized witch spoils the party and threatens to reveal what lies underneath everyone’s disguise.

With Hawkmoth taking full advantage of the spooky season, the days leading up to Halloween are certainly going to be thrilling! Especially considering Marinette’s growing feelings for a certain black cat…

This one’s mostly just some really cute Lovesquare shenanigans around Halloween, with some really fun sequences like Marinette and Adrien getting body-swapped and Marinette temporarily becoming a vampire (and also Marinette repeatedly stunning Adrien with her outfits. I was just waiting for him to pass out from blood loss from a nosebleed).

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don't you worry child by @mexicancat-girl

Marc and Nathaniel have a good life, married and living together in a cottage in the woods. But they consider having children at some point. Marc in particular really wants to start a family with his husband. He knows the fey are real, so he goes searching in the woods to find one to strike a deal. He may get a bit more than he bargained for in the process.

This is based on a tumblr post that’s been going around, which I think a lot of people will recognize as they continue going through the story. That post is credited at the end of the fic, so as not to spoil the plot.

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The Convention by Peppermint_Shamrock

“Oh, sure, when Ladybug comes up with unusual solutions, it’s “clever” and “inspiring”. But when I do it, it’s “oh no” and “you’re going to get us all killed, Marinette”,” she grumbled. “At least Adrien believes in me.” When an Akuma rages through a comic convention, everyone is forcibly transformed into their own cosplays. Unable to transform into Ladybug, Marinette has no choice but to fight as a civilian alongside her friends. At least she was dressed as her partner. Written for Miraculous Spooktober Day 5 Prompt - Costume Party

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Ghost of You by its_just_lori

It finally happened. The akuma attacked at the wrong time. They weren't prepared. For the first time, there was a casualty. Someone was killed. Marinette didn't care that her identity was exposed to the world; she couldn't stop blaming herself for what happened. If only she'd been ready... if only she'd done more... There's nothing for Adrien to say. There's nothing he can do other than stay by her side and help her through this pain.

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The Pink Lady: Marichat May 2018 by @seasonofthegeek

In this story, Chat Noir, Carapace, Rena Rouge, Queen B, and Paon are the heroes of Paris. The Ladybug Miraculous has been lost for almost a century and it takes all of their combined power to cleanse akumas sometimes but they’ve found something that works since they don’t have another option. Hawkmoth is one of their villains, but not the only one plaguing Paris. Chat Noir happens upon an old hotel one night on patrol and discovers something and someone he didn't expect.

[ao3wasntenough]

Tell us about Jet Sammmm he got fun design

IT IS TIME

Jet Sam has been a journey and more, him and the lore and stories I’ve been building and exploring wouldn’t have been possible without @justayoungling , truely they’ve probably cultivated my skill more than I could do on my own so let’s get into exploring the journey Sam has been on,

So the first frame for jet!Sam was created for the ugly duckling au, exploring the isolation and alienation from both humanity and cybertronians

He’s delicate, feels to flimsy and not very fit for his frame. Clumsy and prone to denting he often felt like something was always trying to break out, power that didn’t have the room it needed but had no words or the experience to know what to do with it or explain it. The autobots on the site with him somewhat knew his history of human to metal, destructor of the allspark. Not liking the human name “Sam” Sunstreaker and Sideswipe give him the new name “Prisam” a play on prism, a comment on how his wings would fracture the light like a prism.

Then I started talking with @justayoungling and they introduced their boyo atlas!

And so it started a spin off au where Windblade introduced them and Atlas saw Sam as a reflection of him, a young lost bot who seemed to have fate on his shoulders. Atlas having traces to ancient relics like the matrix, primes and the allspark, something we explored heavier later down. Atlas having small future visions and feeling that being with Sam is where he needed to be. So despite Sam’s reluctance they became fast friends.

Atlas having not known Sam as a human, Sam didn’t come across freaky-alien weird to Atlas, just another weird bot, but it’s okay because Atlas can be weird with him too, being a huge help to getting Sam comfortable flying

Together he and Sam forge a strong brotherhood, not many more jets flying around and they both need more socialising, flying frames enjoying flying with trines or in formation with each other a good thing for them. Finding themselves and their own path beside just following the next command from Prime.

Sam regardless of body, was made by Primes, something deep in his spark no matter of self dissonance he would always try to do the Prime thing. Something that came to head, a autobot spacecraft crashing down, it would have impacted and destroyed a large area and possibly kill the bots inside. Sam, Atlas and Windblade being the only flying autobots there was very little anyone else could do. So Sam chose to throw himself onto the craft, the heat and pressure of a crashing ship weilding himself to the ship trying to change its direction into the ocean. As the ship impacted the ocean the crushing force, the shock of heat to ice chilling water…

It worked. And only cost one bot.

But being a Prime, you never really stay dead, and Optimus trying to mourn and maybe give Sam some honor and peace in “death” he sent the some of the dust from the matrix into the ocean Sam lay at the bottom of.

Awakening and reformatting him into his second frame. And so rose from the ocean

Prismatic Prime

Who’s definitely gone through his own journey of designing! When he came from the ocean, there was only so much material to reformat with, considering how much it took to originally make his first frame. His wing panels so destroyed he had broken remnants of flight gears and not all completely functional. But Ratchet is nothing but a miracle mech and some serious dubious and unstudied medical work, they were able to graft the parts given to Optimus by jetfire to Sam.

Leaving him with the Cybertron equivalent of nerve damage to his wings, little feeling and he doesn’t carry them or emote with them like many expected behaviours of jets.

A Frankenstein of a mech if any medic got a good look under his plating

So I wanted to capture the essence of jetfire, in Sam, choosing the nighthawk (right) to carry on the blackbird (left)

Which was very technical and I’ve seriously grown my mech building skills from

the first concepts

First very similar to jetfires silhouette.

-large

-spooky

to the middle unrefined but clear image

I loved the idea of his Prime form being a contrast to Optimus and Rodimus, a jet, something more Unicron inspired like a warning, not to forget the evil that may come for anyone, Megatronus comments about how evil humanity felt manifesting for Sam to then use to invoke good with, preservance, determination an unrelenting and powerful spirit.

Colouring is not my strong suit. It’s ment to be like a burned and singed body compared to his te

to the refined stage!

I am very happy with his look, I made the wings easier to draw and more easier to read and relate to the nighthawk, and his COLOUR! So much more cohesive! He’s like a black cat of night! His pede talons are retractable but unlike others his servo claws aren’t. Traces of so many bots that made him who he is now, he is a walking history lesson in a language only few can only ever understand half of.

AND OF COURSE HE GLOWS! My little ancient artifact magnet can’t escape the marks of the allspark and primes before him. He’s ment to envoke the ocean, bioluminescence algae. Atlas swears that you can see the faint moving lines and marks on Sam when their not glowing, never gone completely

But truely Sam will never be a finished design, always gonna be trying new things and different things and be inconsistent but I’m really happy with his look now. Something that undeniably is threatening, a hunter, something that stalks the skys and shadows but forever has a warm look in his optics. He may always be mourning who he was, what was lost, but he’s resigned and accepted his now in for a very long game. And might as well take advantage of being “Primely” and force other bots to think he knows what he’s talking about

Maybe I can convey all I want to share and explore with him you all next year! One way to find out, or @justayoungling will be the continuing gatekeeper of all my ramblings and loose ends, can’t praise them enough how enjoyable it’s been with them!

And all the kiddos their sitting on…maybe we should get around to making more post able things to share the fun!

[byuntrash101]

preview: first flight to hong kong

pairing: sub!reader x ot8!ateez

synopsis: you're suprised when your company offers you a vacant spot in the vip crew. you're even more surprised to discover what kind of service your company provides the vips

tags preview: idol!au, a tad bit of plot, kink negotiation, color system safe words, flightattendant!reader, dom!ateez (some are gentle some are meanies depends on the member), gangbang, oral (f & m), multiple orgasms (f), cum play (more to be revealed in the full version)

word count: 18k (preview is 0.7k)

link to full fic

a/n: tell me if u wanna be tagged <3. also this is taking place right after the last show in paris.

But when everyone is served with either a cool refreshing soda or a warm cup of coffee you can't stall any longer. You have to address the elephant in the room. You intend do it as you would discuss any other subject. You just have to stay very professional. 

You seat yourself in front of all of them and grab a clipboard, a piece of paper and a bullpen. You cross your legs sideways, your skirt ever so slightly curling up your thighs, just enough to hint away at the white lace of your thigh high tights. Instantly their chatter dies down and you find yourself under the scrutinizing gaze of the eight men. 

"Now for the VIP service.” You speak as confidently as you can. “The form stipulated that the preferences were to be discussed with the hostess. Is there any particular request you'd like to make? Any preference you'd like to share?" 

"I think it would be more efficient to know what is off limits." The blonde one spoke. From what you saw online. That was the leader of the group, Hongjoong. 

You stayed completely silent, dumbfounded by the sudden change of dynamic. The client is supposed to state what they require from you and you are supposed to do everything in your power to fulfill their wish. 

"What are the no go's for you, sweetheart?" On another question when you failed to provide an answer in a normal, reasonable time frame. That one looked carved in marble, he had delicate features that looked hand crafted to perfection, beautiful long raven black hair resting on his shoulders which you could guess were muscular even under the thick black hoodie he was wearing. 

The pet name somehow made your toes tingle, sparking nervousness in your stomach again. 

"I don't know the usual" you replied and immediately followed by an awkward laugh. Hongjoong smiled at you, maybe picking up on the nervousness showing through your micro habits. 

"What about submissive/dominant dynamics?" The blonde man kindly asked, hinting on how to answer. "Would you be fine submitting to us?" 

At the question the tingles in your toes rose in your legs. To properly answer the question you had to imagine yourself kneeling before the eight men and the thought alone made your guts stir in something that wasn't just stress. You swiped your tongue on your lower lip in an attempt to pull you out of your thoughts. 

"Yes, that would be fine" you replied as plainly as possible. You spotted one of them smirk from the corner of your eyes. That one was also particularly handsome. He had sharp cat-like eyes that were piercing holes in you. The smirk grew bigger when you made eye contact with him as he was rubbing his chin with his index finger that was decorated by a simple elegant gold ring. 

"What about impact and pain play?" Another one asked. This one looked the tallest among all of them, even with all of them seated you could tell by how his legs bent, his knees sitting higher than the others. His face looked the softest among all of them so much that it was hard to believe he could ask such a question with this benevolent expression on his face. 

"'Like spanking?" You manage to ask without squeaking or stuttering. Which was a miracle in itself.

"Yes, like spanking, slapping, pinching, hair pulling... All that good stuff." The tall one continues. 

"What do you say, doll? Would you like us to hurt you?" Hongjoong adds. 

You bite your bottom lip as you feel your insides quiver. Only managing to give a shy nod to the question. 

"Use your words, princess" another one intervened. This one seemed to be more mature than the others, he also had dark hair, long parted bangs tickling his lashes.

"Y-yes... that would be fine." You gulped.

a/n: FEEDBACK IS SO GREATLY APPRECIATED <3333. im so excited to publish this soon!!!!! ive been working on it for so long! if you want to be tagged tell me <3

[sualne]

Sorry if you're already working on this but with Luffy in Croc dad what's his hobby?? Like he's the biggest ball of energy and I think if wasn't fighting wild animals as a kid he would vibrate into another dimension from lack of stimulation. Does he draw and develop his art skills, has he taken up music or is he invested with the void century with Robin? Croc wants to keep him inside and safe so what did he think would be best to entertain him or does he buy a new thing every week that Luffy says he suddenly wants to do. Yes he looks at books but is that it. Also sorry if you answered this before and I've missed waht you said, I am pretty sure I've seen all your comics on this but I haven't seen all your ask answering questions.

i hadn't gotten these questions and im so glad you ask!! :D

so! luffy doesn't have one specific hobby and croc does end up giving him whatever he wants when he suddenly gets a new obsession, one of the reason he's so excited with finding the jewelry box and getting a dagger is because it's finally something new! after that he gets really into rings and knives until it gets bored of it and switch to something else again.

about him and learning about the void century with robin i actually got a comic later for that so i won't say anything here!

im going to make this a list and explain how it goes, under read more:

Fighting: this luffy doesn't know how to fight, but he still love the concept! he gets really excited hearing stories of fights, duels, martial arts and all the rest! In practice though, since he's been so sheltered and only ever saw one real fight that ended up with people being killed in front of him as a kid, if (haha) he were to witness another real fight he wouldn't be as giddy about it as when he hears stories. he does also learn the tiniest bit of kenpo from bonclay!

Dancing: luffy in canon loves dancing (and partying), here too! he doesn't know/master any specific styles but likes to drag people into dancing with him, if no one is around he'll grab some of the smaller bananawani instead.

Singing: he's still very bad at it.

Music: croc noticed how he'd taps on thing and tried to get him to learn some percussion, unfortunately for him, luffy doesn't care about music theory and just does whatever makes him happy. he also love loud noises and croc has to find a way to stop him from making a racket at any hours of the day, it gets worse when luffy loses some of his hearing and needs to make everything even louder. eventually he gets bored of it too.

Cooking: him and croc cooks together pretty often, if no one is there to supervise him luffy will ignore recipes and common sense, making all kind of abominations. it's a miracle he never set the kitchen on fire.

Bugs: he loves them! he collect them! alive. croc is horrified one day when he finds out baby luffy has been letting some food to rot so he could observes flies and larvae going through their little bug lives cycle. later croc gives him those pinned dead bugs collection boxes thinking luffy will like it, he doesnt.

Board&Cards Games: he mostly has to play them by himself, he doesn't like being alone so he'll often ends up playing it "with" the banawanis. after he loses a few too many times against the banawanis and can't get croc to join in for the millionth time he gives up on them. even when robin joins baroques works he still expect her to be too busy to play with him and doesn't ask (she would have accepted if he had asked).

Art&Craft: he tries a bit of everything, doing it his own way meaning most of it is kind of hideous or about to fall apart, canon luffy is completely fine with that, au luffy though, he's having ton of fun at first but when he gets old enough to see that his dad cant quite fake his enthusiasm or interest towards his disastrous creations he gets frustrated and stops for a while. later, robin finds an old drawing of his and thinks its cute so he start doodling a little again for her.

basically, he struggles keeping a hobby, some like fighting, dancing, bugs and staring at pictures in geography books he keeps through his life but mostly, he's very lonely and bored out of his mind, he's depressed, that's not something that can be helped for as long as he's isolated.

when robin becomes a part of his life everything gets better for him! she spends time with him, read stories for him, helps him get out more often, they even meet bonclay and for a few years he's genuinely happy.

[basilone]

71) a crucifix and a thigh tattoo for whoever strikes your fancy!

Thank you very much for sending this! 💙 When I saw it, I immediately went "this is a John Brady thing" and that naturally led to a "Brady as tattoo artist"-AU that I didn't even know I needed until I had it. 😂 Soooo. I'm sharing the goodies.

“That looks really blasphemous.”

John exhales softly as the latest line, by some miracle, still ends up looking straight despite her snicker of amusement. “What does?” he asks, wiping at her skin just to check. Yeah. Straight line. “Stop moving, Maddie”– he adds, tapping her hip in warning –“unless you want these flowers to look wonky.”

“Sorry,” she says, booming her apology around the shop with all the aplomb of a woman who’s never been quiet a day in her life. Her next words are slightly quieter. Reserved only for him, if he listens closely enough. “Your necklace. It was on my thigh.”

He grunts, squinting at the rest of the linework that still needs doing. “And?”

“Crucifix on a demon? I’m surprised I didn’t catch fire.” She snickers again, louder once more, nodding at her leg. “See what I mean?”

John glances down, sighing as he realizes his gold chain has indeed escaped his shirt. Half his crucifix is dancing a slow pattern on her thigh, almost as if it is following the lines of the many peacock feathers that adorn the demonic figure he has painstakingly tattooed on her. He’d laughed when she’d first shown up with the idea for it – something from a French illustrated dictionary of demons, fine-lined and intricate – and the flowers he is crafting on her skin now flow forth from the topmost feathers well enough.

“I see it,” he says, mouth quirking around a smile he can’t bite back. “You should really get that angel done on your other thigh, Maddie”– he bows back over his work, not bothering to tuck his necklace back into his shirt –“instead of relying on me to save whatever’s left of your soul.”

“Oi!” Her indignance is a playful bark, as is the tease that follows. “Do you treat all your very beautiful paying customers like that, John?

“I’ll let you know,” he says evenly, starting work on the next petal, “once I find one.”

Maddie’s groan thankfully is not accompanied by any further movement on her part. He smiles to himself as she taps the table twice. You win, she says without speaking. Concedes her defeat more easily than he would, though he has a hunch she’ll try and find something else to win over him before the session’s done.

She always sits without complaint. Marathons a tattoo session the way Bucky Egan marathons baseball reruns, which is as admirable as it is mildly terrifying. He knows to clear his schedule for her. Gets Evelyn to run out for lunch and dinner, in the rather vain hopes that the girl will somehow find her voice somewhere between all the order mix-ups. He hasn’t had to threaten Maddie into eating in the shop since that first session when she’d almost fainted, with Buck’s mild tsk sound the only warning John had gotten just in time.

“You still good?” he asks, all the same, even though it hasn’t been twenty minutes since he last asked. Taps a pattern of don’t lie to me on her lower belly, just above her waistband. “Feeling okay?”

“Peachy, John,” she sighs, head tipping back onto his table when he wipes the excess ink off her skin. “I like this area a lot, it’s a fucking good ache you’re giving me. Don’t know what the heck Max was complaining about”– she continues, obviously remembering Maxine’s loud bitching session on Lottie’s table as well as he does –“because it ain’t as bad as the one you tried on my foot.”

“The one you almost kicked me in the nuts about some four times before Lottie finally quit laughing herself sick and took pity on me,” he grumbles, holding her steady on his table with one hand splayed out on her stomach. “I think Buck’s still got a photo of it that he’s keeping as blackmail material.”

“Blackmail material for you or for me?”

“Me,” he answers, shrugging as he dots a few short lines at the heart of her new flower. “Buck’s not that mean about you girls.”

“Unless your name is Lottie and he’s stinkin’ mad at you.”

John lets out a snort. Leans his arm on her and bends over the last line, which he has planned to sweep up to her ribcage. “They’ll make up. Last time she punched him before they made up and he got weirdly proud about that.” He rubs a small circle on Maddie’s stomach as he hears her sharper breath intake. “Breathe it through, Maddie,” he murmurs, keeping his voice soft and his touch even softer amid the sharp needle punctures, “that’s it. Good. You’re doing great today.”

She sounds almost drowsy. “Yeah?”

“Like a real angel.”

“Means a lot, John, comin’ from a Catholic and all. You’re still trying to balance my scales, huh?”

“Well,” he remarks, working as quickly as he can in the area he knows aches the most, “I’d have you know angels aren’t like those Cupid garden statues you keep thinking I’d tattoo on you. Real angels are beautiful and terrifying at the same time.”

“How does that work?” she asks, softer-voiced than he’s ever heard.

“They exist so close to God that the human mind cannot comprehend what it sees. We know there’s beauty in that – in the colors of a gemstone, the glowing coals of a fire, whatever they are likened to – but also a deep and strange sense of being other, of a sort? They do introduce themselves with be not afraid,” he remembers, as lost in his knowledge as he is in the very last of this line on her skin, “and I believe at least one prophet saw many eyes and many wings.”

Maddie’s voice doesn’t rise above a whisper. “Maybe you should draw a real angel on me after all, John. Just to be sure.”

“Next time I will,” he promises, and tucks his crucifix back into his shirt.

[crisiscutie]

Playing Silent Hill 2 Remake (Great game, by the way) has been helping me feel better. You know, it got me back into the wonderful music of the Silent Hill universe.

And this fucking song right here. Why does it fit Venus of Havoc AU so much? It just screams Daughter Darling's feelings about Sephiroth so much.

I need a miracle and not someone's charity One drop of love from him and my heart's in ecstasy The high that is sending me is most likely ending me I need a miracle and not someone's charity, now

Fill up my heart with love Oh you'd be amazed at how Little I need from him To feel complete here and now Stirring within me are these feelings I can't ignore I need a miracle and that's what I'm hoping for

Oh boy, does Father Sephiroth have Daughter Darling wrapped around him? Forget the protomateria within her. The fact he has embedded such a twisted dependency within her (and himself) only makes their battle of wills even more painful throughout this AU.

But even Sephiroth himself is a victim, in a way. Consider his traumatic upbringing and young adulthood. He was either constantly denied love and proper nurture or had it cruelly ripped away from him in brief moments of respite. Of course, he'd do everything in his power to keep the one being whom he believed was crafted for him...

Father Sephiroth in this AU is pretty much the Sephiroth we saw in the Edge of Creation (in Ever Crisis and end of 7R). My theory is that EoC Sephiroth had succeeded in the first stage of his multiversal gambit over Cloud and fate itself, but it eventually came at the cost of mere loneliness and unfulfilment... But of course, he starts to fall back into old habits once he met her...

On an ending note, I also very much consider Daughter Darling to be very much like Heather from SH3 and Fiona (from Haunting Ground).

Something about Horror Heroines being forced to confront their true natures and those around them is my kryptonite!

Must write a Silent Hill AU

[ainyan]

A Little Companion (A Kalicred Short)

Title: A Little Companion AU: Woven Souls OC: Kal'istae Miurani NPC: Thancred Waters Timeline: Post-Endwalker, shortly before patch 6.2 Synopsis: Waiting for Kal'istae to return from whatever adventure G'raha Tia had taken her on, Thancred finds himself at loose ends. While sorting through the supplies in his wife's craft room, he takes it upon himself to finish a project he'd been waiting years for. Inspired by this amazing artwork by @lemon-plort

Thancred was at loose ends, and he didn’t much like the feeling. Normally he’d be in Garlemald right now, sticking to the shadows and helping clear out some of the bandits that had begun infesting the place after the fall of the capital, but he’d told Kal’istae he’d remain available. She’d had something she was looking into with G’raha Tia, but once she was done, she intended to take him back to the First.

Back to their daughter.

And wasn’t that still a kick in the ass. He had a daughter. Not an adopted daughter, like Minfilia, like Ryne, but his daughter, born of him and his beloved Kal’istae.

His fingers flexed as he remembered the weight of her in his hands - so tiny, so delicate, so absolutely perfect. She’d looked up at him with eyes already a misty gold, the tiny horn nubs jutting from her temples, the stubby tail swishing against his hands, and she’d wailed her anger at being thrust into the cold world.

He’d held her as they’d stabilized Kal’istae, as they’d cleaned her up, as they’d taken care of all that happened after the miracle. Ryne had come, wrapped her in a blanket, and Gaia had steered him to a chair, gently pressed him down. He’d barely been cognizant of any of it, every ounce of his being focused on that tiny, angry angel in his hands. Later, he’d crept back into the room as Kal’istae and their daughter slept. He’d peered down into the cradle where his daughter - sweet Minyda, named for Minfilia, for Moenbryda - slept, tiny lips pursed and suckling as she dreamed. “Thancred.” Kal’istae’s soft voice, little more than a whisper, had drawn him to her side; nothing but his wife could have torn him away from that sleeping miracle. She’d smiled sleepily up at him. “Look at you. My big, strong husband, so befuddled by a tiny baby.” He’d felt the tips of his ears grow red. “Kali.” Her laugh had been soft and gentle, teasing rather than mocking. “Come here,” she’d coaxed, reaching for him. “There’s enough room in here for both of us.” “I don’t want to hurt you…” She’d tugged again, harder, and he stumbled forward. “I’ll be fine, love, once I’m in your arms.” How was he supposed to resist her? Skirting around to the other side of the bed, he’d climbed in and slid his arms around her, holding her tight. Wrapped around his love, her heartbeat and his mingling in his breast, he’d slept, contentedly exhausted.

Now Kal’istae was absent again, and Minyda back on the First, in the care of her older sisters. He’d wanted to bring her home, but his wife had flat-out refused. “I’d rather leave her with Ryne and Gaia and Lyna than risk her here. They can protect her. Who here could give such a guarantee?”

He couldn’t argue. On the First, no one would dare disturb them. Back on the Source? It was a daily chore to fend off the requests for help - and inevitable that one would come they could not refuse. And who would they trust to protect their daughter - the daughter of the Warrior of Light - against those who might seek to strike against her mother?

But now he was at loose ends. He daren’t head to Garlemald lest he get tangled up in something and not be free for when Kal’istae returned. And though she’d invited him along, he felt Raha had deserved some of her time - especially since he had no idea why she’d been absent for so long.

So here he was in the house they shared, unfettered. Free. Bored.

Aimless, he wandered from room to room, searching for anything to do. He thought to clean, but the house was in fine shape. He thought to read, but found himself too restless to focus on the words. Perhaps a spot of exercise?

He wandered past Kal’istae’s work room, then paused and backtracked, peering in. Rolls of cloth, skeins of thread, yalms and yalms of beads and gems were scattered casually about the small space; the Warrior may keep the rest of the house clean, but her own personal office was always just shy of a disaster zone. She claimed she knew where everything was, and he saw no reason to disbelieve her…

But he had no idea how she could work in there.

Still, he wandered in, catching the scent of her as he crossed the threshold. Lavender and starflowers and just a hint of sage; the scent of his wife’s hair, her skin, her soul. He inhaled deeply as he drifted in a wide circle, studying the stacked shelves, the overflowing tables.

A bolt of cloth caught his eye; indigo plush wool. Frowning thoughtfully, he stole closer and fingered it. Nearby, he could see purple silks, gold chains, dripping crystals. There was silver thread and a box of glass eyes, two of which he noted had lavender rings.

Had she been preparing to finally fulfill his wish?

He ran his eyes over the worktable and caught sight of some half-hidden papers. Pulling them free, he opened them up, spreading them out across the laden table. As he thought, it was the pieces of a pattern, a pattern for a particular plush doll. He could recognize his wife’s work anywhere, and realized, with a lifting of his spirits, that she had indeed drawn up plans for a Kali doll, just as he’d been asking her to for years.

But when would she have time to finish it?

He studied the plans, noting how neatly she’d written all of the measurements. Using this pattern and the attached itemization, he realized he could probably make the plush. It wouldn’t be as professional as the ones Kali made - but it felt… right… that he should be the one to make the plush of her, just as she’d made the plush of him that was currently sitting on their bed.

But there was no way he could work in this chaos. With a quiet apology to his wife that he had no doubt she heard across their shared soulbond, he set to cleaning up her office.

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

Once everything was straightened and put away, Thancred selected the materials he needed and set them upon the now-empty worktable. First, a proper length of indigo plush, soft and elastic and strong - just like the woman who had purchased it. He thought of all of the times he’d sat here, watching her work.

First, he used a tracing wheel to carefully outline each of the pattern pieces, pricking tiny holes into the thin, crackling paper. Not every piece, yet - the horns, the tail, the scales, all of these would be done in an obsidian-shaded suede, and that he would save until later - but the body, the head, these would be done in that rich indigo plush.

Once he had traced the patterns with the tracing wheel, he laid them upon the plush, then went over them with a bag of loose chalk, gently tapping it along the pricked lines. This would, he knew, outline the pattern upon the cloth, making it easier for him to cut and stitch it. He could have, of course, used the pattern directly, but he didn’t want to waste his wife’s hard work - and if he messed up, she would be able to fix it.

Once the pieces were traced and cut out, he arrayed them on the workbench. Closing his eyes, he thought back to the countless nights he’d sat in here, perched upon the chair she’d placed for him, reading a book, studying reports, and simply basking in the calm and quiet of being together with Kal’istae. He focused upon those memories of her hands, remembering the steps she’d taken, the moves she’d made.

His own hands began to move, cutting, basting, stitching. Slowly, the doll began to come to life beneath his clever fingers, a plump mannequin of indigo plush, obsidian suede, and silver thread. The hardest part, he found, was stitching the star-like freckles that covered his lover’s body. He knew exactly where each one was; the gods knew he’d spent enough time tracing constellations among them to be able to map them true to life.

But stitching stars in silver thread was harder than he’d expected, and by the time he was done, his fingers ached from the tiny pinpricks he’d endured from the needle. But she was sewn up tight, all but the hole through which he’d feed the stuffing. He took hold of the fluffy cotton batting Kal’istae used on her specialty plushes and began to feed it into the dall, watching it plump up. Kali’s tiny hand could easily fit inside, allowing her to place the cotton precisely; Thancred had to depend on a rod with a comb-like head to do the job.

Soon, he had himself a plump - and naked - doll. Turning it over in his hands, he studied the glitter of the stitched silver stars, the lay of the suede scales, the midnight-blue hair he’d painstakingly threaded into the doll’s head, then braided together. Sure, the stitches were somewhat crooked and there were a few places where the seams didn’t quite match up - but it wouldn’t look terribly out of place among Kal’istae’s more professional creations.

At least, he didn’t think so.

All that was left was to find clothes for it. He couldn’t hope to mimic any of Kal’istae’s intricate outfits; silk and leather and lace, all draping and flowing and elegant. In the end, he took some lavender cotton cloth, some denim, and an applique star and made a simplistic approximation of one of her casual outfits. He dressed her, then set her upon the bench to give her one last examination.

And cursed. One of her eyes was missing.

He searched the bench, scooping up piles of scraps and remnants to see if perhaps it had rolled under them. He got down on his hands and knees, crawling upon the floor to see if he could catch a glint of it. Coming up empty handed, he instead dove into the eye box to find another eye with a lavender limbal ring.

And there were none to be found.

Maybe he could make her an eyepatch, like the cloth he wore once upon a time? But she had never, to his knowledge, worn one.

Damn it! Where was that eye?

In the end, he dithered over which eye could replace it - though none of them had the signature lavender limbal ring that Kal’istae sported. He almost chose a plain blue eye when a box of buttons caught his eye.

Maybe…

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

“Thancred.” Despite the exhaustion he could feel from her, Kal’istae’s voice was laced with laughter. “I know you’re eager, but I just want to bathe and change and eat something right now. Let me get some of my energy back before you start trying to trip me into bed.”

His hands were everywhere, and her clothing didn’t stand a chance. By the time he’d backed her into their bedroom, her gear was littering the floor, and his own had mostly followed. “It doesn’t have to be bed. We’ve proven over and over that the bath is more than big enough for the both of us.”

Her tired laughter rang again and she squirmed out of his grasp, grabbing at the post of the bed to spin herself out of his reach. “You may join me,” she allowed, “but I want to get clean before you go to the trouble of getting me all dirty again.”

He reached for her eagerly, then skittered to a halt when she suddenly gasped. “What? What is it! Are you hurt, Kali?”

Her lavender-edged eyes were round as she skirted around the side of the bed and reached out, picking up the plush he’d laid on his pillow. “Where did you get this?” she demanded. “Thancred, I told you I’d make one eventually…”

“I made it,” he said quietly, and stopped her cold.

Blinking, the plush in her hands, she peered up at him. “You? You made it?”

Scowling, he tried to shove his hands in his pockets, only to remember that his pants, like the rest of his clothing, were strewn across the living room. “Yes. I saw the plans in your office and I thought maybe, since you’d written them out so well, I could do it for you. As a… surprise. After all,” he quipped weakly, trying to recover the mood, “why should both of us be lonely?”

Lips shut tight, Kal’istae turned her attention to the plush in her hands, turning it over and over, studying it carefully. “You did an amazing job,” she said finally, and he could feel nothing but surprised pleasure from her no matter how deep he delved into her heart. “Thancred, I’m genuinely impressed. You never expressed any interest in learning a craft before this.”

“Only that once,” he told her. “My fingertips still ache.”

Kal’istae smiled at him over the top of the doll’s head, then reached out and rubbed her finger over the button eye he’d sewn on. “I thought I had two lavender eyes.”

He rubbed the back of his neck. “You… did.”

“Ah.” Gently, she laid it upon the bed, then tugged her Thancred plush over until they were cuddled together. “Come here, my love,” she murmured, holding her arms out to him. Nothing loath, he reached for her, drawing her into his embrace, and walked her backwards towards the bath. She allowed him to lift her up and set her gently in the water, then reached out to him again as he sank in beside her. “I missed you, my own,” she murmured.

“And I you, Bright Eyes,” he replied, bending his head to kiss her.

On the bed, the plushies embraced, oblivious to the goings on in the bath, together.

[sydney-my-beloved]

A DoL FE3H AU would go so hard, and I already feel like I know what houses everyone would be in. Bonus with Sabrina and Sasha.

Whitney: Golden Deer. Honestly, it’s a miracle they manage to even stay in Garreg Mach given their status as a delinquent. They use knuckles and axes, and would have a high strength stat while their magic stat suffers. Their secret talent is authority. Maybe Byleth thought that giving Whitney some sense of leadership on the battlefield with a battalion would help them? Speaking of battle, Whitney lives for it. They love the rush and it allows them to let loose without repercussions… most of the time.

Timeskip Whitney: Gets their act together VERY quickly after the fall of Garreg Mach, and Byleth’s disappearance. They don’t show it, but are so happy to see them again after the five years their favorite Professor has been gone.

Robin: Is also in the Golden Deer, and is a commoner. They’re very skilled with a bow, and have a weakness in weapons like axes. Their secret talent would be white magic.

Timeskip Robin: They’ve become such a talented archer in the time that’s passed, and never gave up hope that they’d see Byleth again. They cry for sure when Byleth comes back.

Kylar: Formerly Blue Lions, currently Ashen Wolves. They were expelled from Garreg Mach Monastery and their parents are nowhere to be found, presumably dead. They have a talent with dark magic, and a weakness in light magic. Their hidden talent is with swords. There are some rumors surrounding them that their parents were plotting against the church which led to their disappearance and Kylar’s explosion..

Timeskip Kylar. They’d heard about the war, the monastery falling, and Rhea behind held captive in Adrestian territory. They’re terrified of Emperor Edelgard, and waited all this time for Byleth to return. They were the only one to pay such close attention to them, after all. Upon Byleth’s return, Kylar devotes themselves entirely to them.

Sydney: Them being more pure at this time, Sydney would be in the Blue Lion house. They go to the cathedral every day to pray to Seiros and are very dedicated to the church. They’re a talented healer, specializing in white magic, while their weakness is dark magic. They’d have a hidden talent with lances. They are also still, somehow the library assistant here as well.

Timeskip Sydney: The war skewed their perception of the world, but they still pray every single day that peace will return to Fodlan, and that Byleth is still out there safe, wherever they are. Sydney becomes in a way, more “corrupt” as their world view darkens from the many tragedies they’ve seen, and when they sees just how much Dimitri has changed as well. When Byleth returns, so does their hope, and they are overjoyed to be reunited with their beloved professor.

Sabrina: Black Eagle house for sure. She’s a skilled mage, much like many of her classmates, specializing in the dark arts. She’ll often cause mischief, and her fellow students call her “The Witch of Black Eagle House”. Her weakness would be axes, and her hidden talent is white magic, specifically healing.

Timeskip Sabrina: Takes her role as a mage very seriously. She aims to help Edelgard in whatever way she can, given she and the people she cares about are provided for when the war ends. When Byleth returns, she vows to also stay by their side in fear of losing them again.

Sasha: Black Eagle house as well. He and Sabrina are rarely seen apart as they practice their craft together. He sticks by her as much as he can. Combat can be difficult given his disability, but Sasha is a skilled mage in his own right. He has a talent for dark magic, a weakness in white magic, and a hidden talent with bows.

Timeskip Sasha: The truth of the matter, is that Sasha doesn’t care who’s side he’s on. As long as he and Sabrina make it out alive. His world view is rather bleak, and he thinks it’s all going to hell no matter what happens but he seems to cheer up just a little bit when Byleth returns.