#mocha & shadowed stars

[noctis-tempore]

sighing and then screaming

[prettyboyrxpist]

Bunny's soft white frame looked like a sort of recursion of the large mocha black hare he stood in the shadow of, the wind whipped their fur into a rippling sheen while his eyes pleaded with the Jackalope.

"You know we can't. The others already thought it was strange that we share a burrow and neither of us have mates."

Tova smirked at his little brother's faux pleas of resistance.

Bunny continued, "We can't even breed the way you take me, its pointless!"

Tova's eyes lit up like stars, if stars could make one's stomach tie into knots "Would you like to change that?"

Bunny's face was suddenly hot and he knew it was betraying his desire.

Yet he continued.

"A litter with no explanation would be like announcing to the whole forest that..."-

"That you let your big brother invade your body whenever it wants like a shameless cum hungry demon?"

Bunny couldnt manage any words in response to such an honest appraisal.

But his body answered for him.

A low groan escaped him as his mind was plunged suddenly into flashbacks to Tovas weight pinning him to the grass. His hips beating mercilessly against Bunny's tailhole, the cocktail of pain and pleasure radiating from the obelisk lodged inside him that forced him into a state of lucid shame and carnal ecstasy. He didnt want to think about how many times he came. As if he could have kept track.

By the time he'd come back to reality Tova was already behind him, huffing at his musk and licking at his fur.

"Fuck." Bunny sighed.

And wiggled his little ass at his lurking brother-mate.

"Any chance youll use the right hole this time?"

Tova scoffed at the suggestion, and replied in a tone so mocking it was almost sing-song.

"If it fits"-

Bunny felt the end of Tovas cock pressing against his twitching asshole, then spreading it apart, slowly and vividly scraping its way past Bunny's threshhold and settling into his guts.

"Then it cant be the wrong hole."

Bunny whimpered as Tova started to rythmically rut into his open rectum.

He wanted to tell it to stop. That he was a brute and he'd would tear Bunny's hole apart and that a brief pleasure no matter how intense wasnt worth the pain.

But he realized that would be a lie.

And with that revelation he finally gave into his nature.

No more pretending.

He huffed Tova's musk and untied his inhibition at the drunkeness it summoned in him

"Fine! Y-you wanna hear it so bad?

I-Agh! I need you-" he spasms underneath it. "to fuck every.. every drop of essence you can into me, Tova. I need to be sore and-and throbbing, and full of warm sticky brothercum! Is that what you want?! Is that what you need to hear you demented fucking freak?"

But Tova couldnt have answered if its life depended on it. It was panting breathlessly and driving even harder into Bunny with every passing second. It must be close.

"Give it to me Tova! Fill your baby brother fucking full!"

Tova growled in perfect carnal attunement as his muscles clenched and his seed found its way deep into Bunny's tailhole.

He softened up slipped out, and began to clean his fur of the aftermath.

But Bunny, face in the dirt, leaking cum, clenching and unclenching his gaping asshole around nothing in particular now, locked eyes with Tova.

"Dont."

Tova gave him a curious leer, a "don't what?"

Bunny answered. "Dont clean up yet. Im not done with you."

[brittle-doughie]

[Masterlist #2]

[Masterlist #1/Main Page] >>> HERE!

Brittle’s Cookies

[Cookie Run Ovenbreak/Kingdom]

Wayward Soul (Parfaedia Cookies)

Tribute Day (Brittle OCs/Cookie Kingdom)

Five Nights, Five Dragons (The Five Dragons)

The Fool (Shadow Milk Cookie)

Spooky Cookie Tales: Watched

The Tale of the Forced Hand (Beast Cookies)

Long Time Friend (Hollyberry Kingdom)

One with the Wind! | Looking into the Wind, Piercer of Darkness Update Teaser for CRK

Feathered Envy (Dessert Paradise)

A Little Help (Star Coral Cookie)

Tale of the Mansion

Keeping Friends Close and Best Friends Closer (Cream Soda and Cherry Cola Cookie)

Superstar! The Cookie Olympics Event!

Draw Your Blade! | Looking into the Valorous Sun Tournament Update for CROB!

Cookie Flipside: Light Cream Cookie

Heartfelt Unison (Y/N Cookie skill)

Return to Sender (Strawberry Stick and Mint Wafer Cookie)

Volition’s End (Mystic Flour Cookie)

Illusion of Dreams (Clotted Cream Cookie)

The Lover of Passion HCs (Beast Hollyberry Cookie) | The Ancient Beast Order AU

The Manufacturer of Darkness

The Prophet of Salvation HCs (Beast Pure Vanilla Cookie) | The Ancient Beast Order AU

The Ancient Beast Order (Ancient Beast AU)

I Don’t Remember You (Dark Cacao and Mystic Flour Cookie)

The Walls of the Baker (Ancient and Beast Cookies)

Yin and Yang (Peach Blossom and Affogato Cookie)

Pearly Contemplation

Get Along (Dark Cacao and Mystic Flour Cookie)

Lethality (Lethal Company x Cookie Run)

Living Legend (Y/N Cookie Concept)

The Lone Giant

Longing Tide (Sea Fairy Cookie)

The Plague Approaches! | Looking into The Awakening of White Apathy Update for CRK!

No Class (Sachertorte Cookie)

Late Arrival (Dark Cacao Cookie)

Dust to Dust (Caramel Arrow Cookie)

Cocooned (Mystic Flour Cookie)

Mystic Flour is Coming…

The Wishful or the Regal (Lotus Dragon vs. Longan Dragon Cookie)

Gotta Go (The Ancient Cookies)

Under the Castle…

Timeless Kingdom - Deliciously Evil Banquet (Reader Insert)

Remember Who?

Ways of Cookie and Egg Care (The Dragons)

I Know You (Stormbringer Cookie)

Dessert Report (The Ancient Cookies)

Legendary Group Chat

A Brave Advice (Reader Insert)

The Perfect Vessel Doesn’t Exi- (The Five Beasts)

Time Balance Shenanigans (18+)

Hiding H/N, Seeking Beasts (The Five Beasts)

Welcome Back, Handycookie (TBD Update)

Flower from the Other Shore (Cherry Blossom Cookie)

Loyal Until the End (Caramel Arrow Cookie)

Costume Bond: One Heart for All, All Hearts for One.

Ingrained (Herb Cookie)

New Faces at the Witch’s Castle

Let’s Get Rolling! | Looking into the Lights, Camera, Action! Event for CROB!

What If: The First.

The Gist of The Dangerous Exchange

Let Me Be Your Princess (Princess Contest Cookie)

The Earthbread Big Seller

Bake It Till You Make It: Tasty Delights

Even More Heartbreak (Alt) - Mermaid’s Lament (White Pearl Cookie)

With Baker’s Love (Valentine’s Day 2024 Special)

A Cringe Day for Chocolates

A Witch’s Castle? [Witch’s Castle Introduction]

Storm Warning (Black Pearl Cookie)

The Cookie Run Horror - Concept #2 - “MASH”

Y/N Cookie Interactions

Reason to Stay (Elder Faerie Cookie)

Final Days (The Five Beasts)

Forced Connections

League of Evil Cookies

Spooky Cookie Tales: Prikaza

The Corrupted or the Fooled (Abyss Monarch vs. Black Pearl Cookie)

Off to Wish Camp! | A Look into CROB’s 7th Anniversary Update

Can’t Take What Isn’t Yours

Halt! The Restriction Mayhem Update

The Greedy or the Honorable (Pirate Cookie vs. Captain Ice Cookie)

Satellite (Stardust Cookie)

Cookie Details: Y/N Cookie (Mercookie Ver.)

I Remember You (Lobster and Mocha Ray Cookie)

The Heroic or the Meditated (Hero Cookie v. Ninja Cookie)

Eggcellent Easter Short

Grass is Greener Part 1 (Lilybell and Blue Lily Cookie)

[taocc-updates]

”Oh, you like Taocc? Name every character.”

BET.

edit: I added the vague number of total characters listed. We’re at about 270, and I’m still adding characters.

(*By technicality

**formerly/no longer active/no longer acknowledged by the narrative as existing

***exist as of like ten seconds ago

I will only be including characters recognized as part of Taocc by more than one person. Characters will be vaguely grouped together however the frick I feel like and with only the vague suggestion of transitions. A character must have a tangible role that still has effects at the time of posting to be counted. I’m not counting all the deactivated characters from OG Taocc, for example. I am referencing the updates blog list as well as my following for this, because the challenge is to name them all, not to name them all by memory. Animals barely count sometimes when I feel like it.)

Gangle, Ragatha**, Pomni**, Kinger**, Zooble**, Caine*, Bubble**, S-Gangle, Shadow, Kaufmo, Sproingle, Unnamed Abtractions*, Easton West, Northa West, Lonn Gitud, Lattia Tudor, Felicia, Caleb, Zachariah Woods, Zombie anon, Simon Mallory/Silhouette/Aleksander, Isaac Brennan/Mix, Elida Doyle, Alice Mallory, Nikolai Harrison/Carbine, Artemis/Kepler, Calamity/Cassandra, Remnant, Sami Harrison, Yelena, Daniel, Artem, Charles/Plague Doctor Anon, Dialtone/Drias, Ilas/Amalgam, Trevor***, Archie***, Abigail***, Stella***, Paisley***, Espresso the Cat, Edward/Pharaoh, Abayomi, Clown Anon, Colorbine, Helpful Anon, Waffle Anon, Sparkler Anon, Kumo, Kopi, Violet, Stitch, Chance, Nightmare, Arthur Pendragon, Verie Pendragon, Mercutio, Juliet/Assassin Anon, Aokigahara, Dunite, Rocky, Rusty, Ryan, Dunite’s Parents, Deedee, Usagi/Usa, Icia/Ice anon, Fred, Odette/Odysseys, Samuel, Mytha, Celio, Basso, Vaga, Nova, Hexe, Slynn, Yume, Yume’s Mother and Father, the Protector, Ramona/Rae, Mirobelle, Ramiro, Achilles, Dime, Aklatan, Latte, Alexander (kingdom edition), Mocha, Switchboard, Ace Zeppelin, Damsel, Levi, Nathan, Myau, Nya, Mynou, Dusk, Jessy, Amelia, Jessy’s mother, Fynn, Joy, Ciana, Apollo, Virgo, Aster, Lance, Raina, Flare, Citrina, Citrina’s sisters (the only named one is “Jade”), Nymn, Nymn’s ex, Fae anon, Clara, Chip, Alpen, Unnamed Zodiac Angels, Kade, Feris, Pixel, Vanessa, Unnamed Arcade Worker 2/Mike, Conny, Shairo (deceased permanently), Hans, “John Smith”, Gun Pirate (lol), Unnamed Drunk Pirate, Unnamed Jar Lady, Unnamed third pirate with a gun, Dalia, Mikey, Anderson, Toga, Abstraction Anon, Quin, Blaze (Squiffer edition)/Zephyr, Skeleton anon, Mage Anon/Tanya, Camara, Avian, Sign Anon/Steven, Origami Anon/Octavia, Tea Anon/Kitsune/Katrina, Simon (Bookend), Seer anon/Sarah, Umbra, Arrows anon, Bow Anon, (Other) Bow Anon, Hex, Sun, Moon*, Sigil, Insanity, Dusty, Lantern/Eternal Flame, Eternity, Darkis, Infinity, Entity, Ember, Unknown, Juko, Lilo, Bob, Hammer, Mallet, Fox anon, Teleporting anon, Nuffle, Pyxel, Thanatos, Tiger, Siam, Sabrina (Sun’s daughter), Taika, Sisu, Quest, Tip, Stranger, Radio, Shelly, Astrion, Gaia, Aella, Electricity anon, Conspiracy anon, Bap Anon, Eve.chr, Phoenix*, The Dragon of Abyss, The Dragoness of Sky, Lemonade/Lewis, Reverie/Guidance anon, Unnamed Autumn Season, Unnamed Winter Season, Neb, Cardlan, Minimi, Entity (Backrooms edition), Casper, Manna, Pamela, Eden*, Grif, Trudy, Pen, Paper, Sophronius, Acacius, Milo, Drunk anon (deceased), Scissors anon, Thief Anon, Void anon, Cupcake anon, Chaos Enjoyer Anon, Thyme, Angst anon, villain anon, “Lucy”, Simp anon, Comax, Pickle gifter anon, pickle stealer anon, fish anon, deus ex machinanon, mail anon, foundation anon, lost anon, dropkick anon, Bug anon, Paranoia Anon, Rocket launcher anon, Kyubey, Mimic, Rodger, Ludvic, sunshine anon, anger anon, Frazzle, Wade, Loyal anon, Loyal Servant anon, the cookie run cookies lol, Felicia (top hat edition), Tophat, Greenie, Red(?), The Polygon Bees (TM), Eepy anon, Ethan, Dark, Void/Ollie, DJ, Star, Mercury/Marcus, Elysia/Evangeline Elizabeth Ambrosia, Blaze (Planetquest edition)/Brandon, Jasper, Callista/Leilani, Ursula, Ari, Lumiel/Lark, uhhh…I think that’s it

did I do it do I freaking win

Someone please count how many characters there are (there should be one comma per character if that helps)

Edit: Nevermind, I did it for you.

This is a vague number, the actual number is higher than this, maybe about 270-300

[sugarcreambiteskingdom]

My Cookie Run Ships

"x" = Romantic

"+" = Platonic

Singles:

Ninja Cookie x/+ ???

Muscle Cookie x/+ ???

Alchemist Cookie x/+ ???

Star Coral Cookie x/+ ???

Peach Blossom Cookie x/+ ???

Cloud Haetae x/+ ???

Matcha Cookie x/+ ???

Rebel Cookie x/+ ???

Linzer Cookie x/+ ???

Pastry Cookie x/+ ???

Purple Yam Cookie x/+ ???

Crimson Coral Cookie x/+ ???

Wind Archer Cookie x/+ ???

Stormbringer Cookie x/+ ???

Frost Queen Cookie x/+ ???

Sea Fairy Cookie x/+ ???

Partners(Platonic):

Icicle Yeti Cookie + Snow Sugar Cookie

Gumball Cookie + Cherry Cookie

Olive Cookie + Eclair Cookie

Carol Cookie + Pinecone Cookie

Macaron Cookie + Schwarzwälder

Mala Sauce Cookie + Pumpkin Pie Cookie

Partners(Romantic):

Gingerbrave x Wizard Cookie

Gingerbright x Strawberry Cookie

Angel Cookie x Devil Cookie

Beet Cookie x Carrot Cookie

Custard Cookie ||| x Strawberry Crepe Cookie

Clover Cookie x Licorice Cookie

Avocado Cookie x Wildberry Cookie

Pancake Cookie x Onion Cookie

Blackberry Cookie x Adventurer Cookie

Knight Cookie x Princess Cookie

Nutmeg Tiger Cookie x Cilantro Cobra Cookie

Street Urchin Cookie x Caramel Choux Cookie

Mercurial Knight Cookie x Moonlight Cookie

Creme Brulee Cookie x Herb Cookie

Silverbell Cookie x Sherbet Cookie

Mozzarella Cookie x Golden Cheese Cookie

Burnt Cheese Cookie x Black Raisin Cookie

Vampire Cookie x Frilled Jellyfish Cookie

Peppermint Cookie x Sorbet Shark Cookie

Black Lemonade Cookie x Shining Glitter Cookie

Tarte Tatin Cookie x Oyster Cookie

Kouign-Amann Cookie x Madeleine Cookie

Prune Juice Cookie x Blueberry Pie Cookie

Captain Caviar Cookie x Black/White Pearl Cookie

Cream Unicorn Cookie x Affogato Cookie

Financier Cookie x Clotted Cream Cookie

Crunchy Chip Cookie x Tiger Lily Cookie

Cocoa Cookie x Mint Choco Cookie

Twizzly Gummy Cookie x Pomegranate Cookie

Lilac Cookie x Scorpion Cookie

Espresso Cookie x Fig Cookie

Kumiho Cookie x Werewolf Cookie

Latte Cookie x Caramel Arrow Cookie

Rye Cookie x Chili Pepper Cookie

Milk Cookie x Dark Choco Cookie

Ananas Dragon Cookie x Mango Slice Cookie(I just named an NPC not really my oc to be honest)

Lotus Dragon Cookie x Hydrangea Cookie

Lychee Dragon Cookie x Roll Cake Cookie

Fire Cookie x Mocha Ray Cookie

Pure Vanilla Cookie x White Lily Cookie

Hollyberry Cookie x Dark Cacao Cookie

Mystic Flour Cookie x Eternal Sugar Cookie

Cloud Deity Cookie x Spinach Cookie

Tea Knight Cookie x Innkeeper Cookie(Need a name for her 😭)

Cream Soda Cookie x Cherry Cola Cookie

Agent Jjamgjamg Cookie x Agent Olive Cookie

Starch Noodle Cookie x Flat Tofu Cookie

Canon x/+ OC's

Butter Roll Cookie x Flower Petal Cookie

Rockstar Cookie x Milkshake Cookie

Royal Margarine Cookie x Red Velvet Cookie x Rainbow Gingerbread Cookie

Almond Cookie x Cashew Nut Cookie

Elder Faerie Cookie x Sour Cream Cookie

Stardust Cookie x Aurora Cookie

Capsaicin Cookie x Taho Cookie

Pitaya Dragon Cookie x Cherry Apple Cookie

Longan Dragon Cookie x Apple Cherry Cookie

Burning Spice Cookie x Vanilla Cookie

Shadow Milk Cookie x Strawberry Jam Cookie

Silent Salt Cookie x Peanut Butter Cookie

Abalone Cookie x Nora Shell Cookie

Host Cookie x Sunflower Cookie

Lord Oyster Cookie x Black Rift Cookie

Macaroni Cookie x Spaghetti Sauce Cookie

Cheddar Cheese Cookie x Carbonara Sauce Cookie

Saffron Buffalo Cookie x Mammillaria Cactus Cookie

Yogurt Cream Cookie x Whip Cream Cookie

Walnut Cookie x Caramel Bun Cookie

String Gummy Cookie x Mocha Cream Cookie

Langue De Chat Cookie x Tyro Rookie Cookie/Rook

Cappuccino Cookie x Cheesestick Cookie

Abyss Monarch Cookie x Bubblegum Bubble Cookie

Marble Danish Cookie x Cotton Flower Cookie

[melziekit]

As Bright As The Night

Do the stars align for those who are borne not under its sky? Aka Snippets of Kaeya's life after he's abandoned in Mondstat

Also on AO3

(Chapter Notes Here)

Characters: Kaeya, Diluc, Crepus, Adelinde, Mentioned Varka, Mentioned Jean Content: Fluff and Angst, References to Canon, Kaeya Angst, Diluc and Kaeya are Siblings, Parent Crepus, Parental Adelinde

Chapter 1

Word Count: 1.7k

Kaeya is born under the glow of starlight.

His hair grows out in the shade of the hottest flame, free-flowing as the waves between the night sky. His skin, gently kissed by the sweetest mocha tone. Perhaps it was left over from those soft, tender kisses his father would leave on his mother's stomach. Those spare moments where the reagents of Khaenri’ah would get a moment to themselves, after tireless, late nights and groggy, overworked mornings. There was never time to rest, not even for the most powerful of leaders.

Nonetheless, Kaeya is a tapestry, weaving aspects from the lines of his blood into a beautiful mural. A blessing to the nation of the non-dreamers, his small family calls him the best gift they could ever dream of having.

Everyone he remembers seeing shares the same eyes, carrying the stars in their gazes. Their stars reflect his own, and the ones above. He is taught that there are worlds among the glowing dots in the sky where people and things live, but none have ever made it up there. At least, so far.

They consider it a blessing not to be governed by gods, unlike those who have suffered eons of blood battles across their lands, in a place far away. Here, they are free to do what they want, roam wherever they please, and create all they wish. Here, they can choose to be whoever they want to be. For only they will know the truth.

His family gathers every night in their shared bed, watching the stars twinkle through the open circle in the ceiling. Kaeya falls asleep as a toddler, safe in the arms of the ones he loves. He hopes that someday, he can explore the expanse of the abyss beyond the small world he calls home.

The stars watch as Kaeya uses their glow to study ancient passages and swing his blade into the emptiness of his room. Gold-plated embellishments around the area gleam under the soft light, peeking out from the cover of the night. He can start to feel the parts of his palm beginning to sore from the tight grip on his wooden blade. Blinking out the sleep wanting to overtake his small form, he forces himself to run through the exercise again.

"We of the Alberich Clan should lead lives as those who blaze like fire, rather than those who wallow in the embers."

He must become that flame, to light up his nation and cast everything else into shadows. He must not show weakness. He should not show mercy.

Clouds of smog and magic blanket the world. Kaeya's breathing is rough as he's carried away. He was snatched from his bed, cradled into his father's arms and they fled. Kaeya doesn't know what's happened, or why his mother never followed. People, monsters, and unidentifiable humanoid creatures alike swarm the city.

He keeps quiet though, because as the next heir of the Alberich clan, he should become a flawless leader that embodies perfection itself. He should set the example, to be serene, yet firm in every decision he makes. He wants nothing more than to scream at the chaos.

Kaeya wishes he could at least see the star present in his own eyes, to gain some comfort through this purgatory. They had gone through some sort of rift, a mass of energy that felt dangerous as his father conjured the split. But he didn't, couldn't, open his mouth to say so when they jumped through.

Now, the two are frozen in place, left to watch darkness for eternity. His father still holds him, but neither has moved for quite some time. He can't shift his head, or wiggle the tips of his fingers. He can't open his mouth, which reminds him that they should probably eat soon. But strangely enough, it has surely been hours and he isn't feeling hungry yet.

His eyes don't water either, even though they're snapped open. And so he waits. He waits again, and then a little more. But there is no color, not a quiver in the air or a sensation past the long dulled touch on his back. Dully, he wonders if this is what death was like. All he does is continue to look, eyes open but never able to see.

Kaeya nearly cries from relief when he numbly falls onto the ground, the world illuminated with color once more. He's crumpled in a heap on the dirt, still slightly warm from the sun that clawed its last marks on the sky as it was dragged away from the night. It burns on his skin. He blinks for the first time. Another, and again. His chest hurts with the way he greedily sucks in the air, scented with trees, soil, and something slightly sweet.

Someone had opened another rift in the darkness. He was blinded by the first traces of light, but he could focus just enough to see a human-like figure before falling out. Kaeya shakily moves his limbs, his hands are barely able to support the weight of his body.

He hears his father grunt, and stand. He talks to the person, who Kaeya doesn't recognize. They wear similar clothes to the knights in Khaenri'ah but this most certainly doesn't look like home. He gets to his feet at a snail's pace, and his eyes widen after his father puts a hand on his shoulder.

The stars bring him no comfort. He doesn't have the mind to look at them, can't process anything at the moment, really.

"If Master Crepus hadn't taken me in, I doubt I'd have made it through the storm that night," he would later tell curious patrons at Angel's Share in his future.

Yes. A storm. The flurry of emotions in his chest had no better description than that. His father told him that it was his chance, that he was the last hope. For what? For his family? For Khaenri'ah? He doesn't know, as his father goes through another rift again, this time with the mysterious person leading the way. Kaeya runs to the cloud of twilight... and goes through it. He trips and falls into the dirt once more. The portal disappears in silence.

A man with a bushy red mane for hair finds him not long after, sobbing and covered in filth. He kneels between the rows of violet grapes and extends a hand to Kaeya. Kaeya backpedals into a bush and stammers out violent warnings to stay away. The man only keeps his steady gaze. Hesitantly, Kaeya reaches out and takes the hand. He gets picked up and cradled in one arm. He's unbothered by the way the dirt rubs into the pristine, high-quality cotton of his dress shirt. Kaeya tucks his head against the stranger's chest and closes his eyes, falling into a deep sleep. It's warm.

A fire burns on the opposite side of the room. This place is strange. It's baffling how similar, yet so different to home. The walls are too thin, and the room is too small. It makes him feel like he's in a hole in the ground, trapped with no way to escape. The floor is made out of wood and not stone, which makes Kaeya think that it's probably going to be a fire hazard.

But the sheets are soft and smell like sunlight. It eases the fear he has when he jerks awake from a nightmare, the image of Khaenri'ah burning, seared brightly behind his eyelids. He pants and rubs his eye furiously. His vision swims, and he forces his breathing to level out. It picks up again when a knock at the door catches him off guard. He immediately bristles up, star-shaped pupil narrowed like a cat.

The man with the red hair steps in, and sends him a friendly smile. It eases his tensed form slightly, but he narrows his eye at the second form behind the large figure. In comes a carbon copy of the man, in a much, much smaller form. The man points at himself and says something. Kaeya tilts his head. The man repeats it.

"Crepus."

Kaeya realizes that he's probably said his name. The boy shyly says his own.

"Diluc."

They watch Kaeya for his response. He swallows dryly and opens and closes his mouth a few times.

"Kaeya," he finally manages out.

Crepus says nothing, but the look in his eyes shows relief. He makes a few gestures, and Kaeya picks out the meaning. It's been about three days since he... arrived. Diluc shyly clings to his father's legs and stares at Kaeya with wide red eyes. He waves with small, stubby fingers. Kaeya only tilts his head in confusion, and Diluc runs away.

Over the next few months, their relationship will change, and no one would ever guess that Diluc was once scared of the other. They'll be bonded like they were born from the same womb. Still, his father's words won't be able to escape Kaeya's mind.

Days pass by slowly. Kaeya learns how to sneak out at night to catch glimpses of the stars from the roof. The window creaks if he pushes it out too far, but he quickly realizes the exact angles he needs for his small body to slip through. Cold red tiles chill his feet, but he ignores it in favor of being able to gain safety in this once comforting experience.

He has learned that the people here believe that everyone's fate has been interwoven with the glowing dots in the sky. Wryly, Kaeya wonders if he can find a constellation for him in this sky, if it would even exist.

The stars here are wrong. They hang as stationary pointed spheres; too close, and none of them pulse and shine like they're supposed to. He can't find the constellations that his mother would point out and trace with her finger each night. He doesn't see his favorite star, red and pulsing. It was the only one in the patch of soft white dots. A single beacon amidst monotony.

And now, there is only one glowing ball hovering in the sky. The moons that used to span over the sky, laid in their bed of twinkling diamonds, no longer exist in a trio. The last moon is small. It struggles to rise and fall every night. The details on its surface are hard to make out, unlike how it glowed with full radiance in Khaenri'ah. Still, it can chase off the sun by itself, mighty in quiet strength. "Perhaps," young Kaeya thinks to himself. "Perhaps there is another who might be like me."

[quibbs126]

I am curious about the three new dragon ships in your inbox (and your current fankid list as a whole! Would you share them with the us?

I mean, I can tell you the three I mentioned, but as for the whole list

That’s uh

That’s kind of a long list

I mean I’ll do it though. Under the cut at least

But to answer your first question, the three dragon ships were

Lotus Dragon/Rambutan

Sea Fairy/Longan Dragon

Lychee Dragon/Stardust

As for the rest of my “requested but haven’t finished yet”, we have

Red Velvet/Crunchy Chip (Blackout)

Twizzly Gummy/Currant Cream (Gooseberry but looking to change)

Mint Choco/Rockstar (Mint Toothpaste, may be tweaked)

Pomegranate/Affogato (Pomegranate Sundae)

Dark Cacao/Affogato (Dark Cream)

Cherry Blossom/Herb (Myrtle)

Latte/Eclair (Beignet, but I think I was going to change it?)

Cherry Blossom/Black Raisin (Grape Vine)

Clotted Cream/Black Raisin (Scotch Bun)

Macaron/Cinnamon (Snickerdoodle)

Licorice/Capsaicin (Star Anise)

Popcorn/Banana (Banana Chip)

Kumiho/Crunchy Chip (Mallow Fudge)

Hollyberry/Pitaya Dragon (Red Pitaya)

Scorpion/Prune Juice (Juniper Berry, but looking to change)

Pizza/String Gummy (String Cheese)

Note on that last one, it’s a double, and I completed the first one months ago, that being Croissant/Roguefort (Beaufort), but I’m unable to show him bc it’s a double

Tea Knight/Vampire, though I’m strongly considering striking that one. I considered it because I assumed that the anon assumed Vampire was immortal and actually closer to Tea Knight’s age, but I now feel like that’s not much of an excuse

Peach/Banana (Pink Banana)

Milk/Purple Yam (Ube Ice Cream)

Red Velvet/Dark Choco (Cocoa Powder, also Strawberry Choco, we’ll see who I make first)

Clover/Carol (Pine Needle, maybe change to Fir?)

Captain Ice/Almond (Tortoni)

Pomegranate/Hydrangea (Spider Lily)

Kumiho/Snake Fruit (Ambrosia)

Abyss Monarch/Dino-Sour (Gummy Shark)

Wind Archer/Fire Spirit (Smoke Watcher)

Abyss Monarch/Black Pearl (Deep Turquoise)

Baguette/Coffee Candy (Coffee Bun)

Golden Cheese/Ananas Dragon (Golden Kiwi)

Truffle/Almond (Black Walnut, might change)

Longan Dragon/Pure Vanilla (Langsat)

Moonlight/Dark Cacao (Midnight Choco)

Red Velvet/Licorice (Black Velvet)

Almond/Latte (Almond Milk)

Blackberry/Adventurer (Blackberry Scone)

Red Velvet/Earl Grey (Teacake)

Herb/Currant Cream (Blackcurrant)

Shining Glitter/Herb (Bouquet)

Herb/Black Lemonade (Mint Lemonade)

Licorice/Royal Margarine (Butterscotch)

Dark Choco/Fire Flower (Choco Cosmos)

Electric Eel/Box Jellyfish (Blue Bottle, but it has to be changed now)

Ninja/Sakura (Mochi)

Burnt Cheese/Black Raisin (Raisin Bun)

Black Pearl/Frost Queen (Sugar Pearl)

Mocha Ray/Starfruit (Espresso Romano)

Raspberry/Chili Pepper (Raspberry Chipotle)

Financier/Pistachio (Florentine)

Milk/Black Raisin (Sweet Milk)

Blue Lily/Bellflower (Canterbury Bell)

Aquamarine/Herb (Sea Kelp)

Dark Enchantress/Timekeeper (Day Lily)

Espresso/Latte (Dalgona)

Starfruit/Stardust (Starflower)

Prune Juice/Capsaicin/Kouign Amann (Bloody Mary)

Black Pearl/Oyster (Pearl Oyster)

Raspberry Mousse/Rose (Raspberry Rose)

Longan Dragon/Dark Enchantress

Wildberry/Chili Pepper (Spiceberry)

Moonlight/Matcha (Moon Drop, but I’m not sure on it)

Matcha/Sea Fairy (Green Tea)

Kumiho/Werewolf

Raspberry/Caramel Arrow

Coffee Candy/Cherry Ball (Cherry Candy)

Golden Cheese/Pure Vanilla/Corpse Flower (Baklava Cheesecake)

Licorice/Black Raisin (Grape Licorice)

Roguefort/Pastel Meringue (Mascarpone)

Stardust/Cream Unicorn (Unicorn Ice Cream)

White Lily/Pomegranate (Amaranth)

Dark Cacao/Frost Queen (Hoarfrost)

Affogato/Cream Unicorn (Coffee Pavlova)

Fig/Cotton Candy (Candy Fig)

Custard III parent (Custard Sauce)

Cream Puff/Walnut (Pecan Pie)

Timekeeper/Longan

Dark Choco/Clotted Cream (Ganache)

Affogato/Sweet Cream (Bitter Cream)

Dark Cacao parent (still working on the new names)

Sandwich/Hero (White Tomato)

Shadow Milk/Moonlight

Shadow Milk/Cinnamon

Choco Ball/Cream Ball

Goblin/Pimento Cheese

Energy Drink/Jelly Sludge

Electric Eel/Lamprey (Moray Eel)

Royal Margarine/Grey Heron

String Gummy/Brunsgiver

Captain Caviar/Rocky Wolf

Shadow Milk/Lychee Dragon (Lychee Boba)

Cream Unicorn/Choco Ball (Cosmic Brownie)

Energy Drink/Ninja (Rice Milk)

Peeled Carrot/Host

Pastel Meringue/Popping Candy (Meringue Pop)

DJ/Pink Choco (Choco Blast)

Werewolf/Crowberry

Kumiho & Vagabond parent

Cappuccino/Truffle (Reishi)

Cocoa/Black Pearl (Cocoa Bomb)

Matcha/Baneberry (Teaberry)

Affogato/Licorice

Rye/Black Raisin (Raisin Swirl)

Cinnamon/Blackberry Tart (Cinnamon Tart)

Raspberry/Bumbleberry (Razzleberry)

Shining Glitter/Stardust (Shining Star)

Kumiho/Cherry Blossom (Mallow)

Tiger Lily/Pomegranate (Açaí Berry)

Rye/Hero (Graham Cracker)

Dark Choco/Sour Butter (Butter Fudge)

Dark Choco/Pastry (Violet Creams)

Crimson Coral/Stardust (Star Sapphire)

Eclair/Adventurer (Shortbread)

Licorice/Caramel Arrow (Swirl Taffy)

Mala Sauce/Bellflower (Horseradish)

The three listed above

Dark Choco alone

Espresso/Eclair (Coffee Cream)

Mala Sauce/Timekeeper

Frilled Jellyfish/Mystic Flour

Twizzly Gummy/Mozzarella

And I think that’s all of them. Unless I missed one that came in my inbox today

[hiccanna-tidbits]

@jackunzel-time

Jackunzel Month Week 3 - Lost in the Clouds

***

Late night, relapse Driving steady but I’m ready for the whiplash Coffee and cigarettes Almost empty, but we’re buzzing from the regret

Just you and me, dancing in a daydream Just you and me, lost in the clouds Just you and me, dancing in a daydream Don’t wanna wake up right now Don’t wanna wake up right now

Barefoot in tall grass We’ve reached the palace but I’m betting that it won’t last Bright lights and mirrorball We might be hurting but I’m ready for the freefall

Just you and me, dancing in a daydream Just you and me, lost in the clouds Just you and me, dancing in a daydream Don’t wanna wake up right now Don’t wanna wake up right now

And if I open my eyes If I open my eyes Will it unravel? And if I turn the page If I turn the page Will I lose my shadow?

And if I open my eyes If I open my eyes Will it all unravel? And if I turn the page If I turn the page Will I lose my shadow?

Just you and me, dancing in a daydream You and me, lost in the clouds You and me, dancing in a daydream Don’t wanna wake up right now

Just you and me, dancing in a daydream Just you and me, lost in the clouds Just you and me, dancing in a daydream Don’t wanna wake up right now Don’t wanna wake up right now

***

Rapunzel's been having the strangest dreams.

There's a boy, his face always unchanging. The one constant.

Sometimes, his hair is white. They're dancing through the sky, twirling round and round among the clouds. Dashing over snow-covered forests and sweeping in and out of ethereal castles floating in the air. Racing across airwaves until they're lost to the horizon.

Other times, his hair is brown. They're running barefoot through a meadow, trying to reach a distant castle. It feels like an eternity before they get there, crouching behind a hedge and watching strung lights in the palace gardens illumine the dusk. They whisper and giggle as they creep into an unguarded corridor and dash for the bustling ballroom.

She always wakes up before they get in a dance.

It's probably stupid, putting so much thought into some random visions cooked up by her unconscious mind. Fantasizing continuations for them in her waking life. But there's something about them that feels so...transcendent.

Rapunzel wishes she could talk to Jack about it. She feels like her bleach-haired coworker--one of the few people who accepts her eccentricities and random tangents without question--would understand.

The dreams are just awkward to bring up, considering he's the one starring in them. More awkward still that she's been having these dreams since long before she met him.

Rapunzel's been at the downtown 24-hour coffee joint for a little over a year now. Jack's a new hire--a college dropout trying to make ends meet.

Of course, Suddenly swooping in with the information that you've been dreaming about someone since you were a small child could do a lot to dampen an otherwise-promising friendship.

Rapunzel read somewhere that your brain never forgets a face. The unconscious can't make up a new person, so it's forced to use existing people you've met--no matter how briefly--as characters in its dreams.

The thing is that Rapunzel's pretty damn sure she never met Jackson Overland-Frost until three months ago.

Then, in the wee hours of one post-graveyard-shift morning, everything changes.

They're sitting in Jack's car, sipping mocha-hazelnut lattes and laughing about some diva of a customer who wanted a secret menu item they stopped carrying 7 years ago. Rapunzel takes a few drags of Jack's pack of cigarettes. It tastes disgusting, but she wants to impress him.

"You know, you don't have to do that if you don't like it," he says with a laugh. "I don't want to see you miserable."

And somehow, that warms her heart more than the approval she was seeking ever could.

When the sun finally peeks up, rosy gold outlines two entangled bodies. Crushed into the passenger's seat, pressing further and further into each other with frantic lips.

He was supposed to give her a ride home and be on his way. Now he's dropping her off 3 hours after her roommate was expecting her, stumbling through the apartment door disheveled and manic.

The panic and regret doesn't come until later.

The massive trouble they'd be in with their manager is only the tip of the iceberg. What would happen after a bad breakup, with them both trapped with each other at the same lifeline job? And the idea of just going out and trying to land another job? In this economy??? Absolutely unthinkable.

There's also the fact that Rapunzel has been in all of one serious relationship in her life. She fell hard for the resident Bad Boy With A Troubled Past in high school, and things fell apart precisely because they took things too fast. She and Eugene Fitzherbert had lip-locked not 48 hours after meeting for the first time, and things only picked up pace from there.

The incompatibilities emerged little by little. Things that didn't matter individually, but when blended together, painted something that just couldn't work anymore. Rapunzel blamed teenage hormones at the time, but it isn't as though she's doing much better now.

But the heart has a way of speaking louder than the mind, and Jack and Rapunzel continue their secret trysts in the staff parking lot and the grounds storage rooms. It isn't until 6 months after their first kiss that Jack says something that sets her mind at ease.

It's a cold December evening, cafe emptying out as people try to beat the coming snowstorm. They're stirring peppermint lattes for a couple of exhausted nursing students when Jack breaks the companionable silence.

"Do you believe in reincarnation, Zellie?"

She nearly knocks her latte over with her stirring stick.

"Do I what?"

"I don't know. Sometimes I just feel like..." He sighs. "We've always been on the same wavelength, but it's more than that. It's like I knew you in a past life or something. Is that stupid?"

"Not at all." She shakes her head firmly. "I get it."

He hesitates for a moment, as though debating whether or not to add something.

Apparently he decides to. "It's weird. Even before I met you, I was always having these dreams about a girl who reminded me a lot of you. And now that we're here together, it's like I found you again."

He chuckles, shaking his head. Rapunzel leans forward, rapt with interest.

"It was always the strangest things. I'd be dancing through the sky with her, or running through these floating castles, or--"

"--sneaking into a palace ball," Rapunzel finishes. "Because we were commoners, and we couldn't have gone otherwise."

"Oh shit!" Jack's eyes widen in delight. "You get them, too!"

Her entire being goes weak with relief. "Yes! Yes, for years! I thought I was crazy."

"And you lived in that cottage on the edge of the meadow." Jack screws his eyes shut, trying to remember. "With the crazy apothecary who never let you do anything. And I was--"

"--the shepherd's son!" Rapunzel beams. "We always danced in the field together, after your dad put the sheep to bed. But you wanted to crash high society, right? And I would have followed you anywhere."

He blushes a little at that, and Rapunzel can't help but giggle.

"But we never get to do that first dance, do we?" he says ruefully. "Not before I have to wake up at 5 am and go to work."

"Well...it's not too late, is it?" She holds out a hand. "May I have this dance, Sir Jackson Overland-Frost?"

"Here?"

"Why not?"

And so they twirl around the hardwood floors, surrounded by coffee machines and flavor syrup and rubber booths and the falling snow outside. Lost in their own private daydream, entwining their lives in this lifetime and the last and the next.

And maybe taking things fast wasn't so foolish when you've had a millennia to get to know them.

They could have gone all night were it not for the interruption 10 minutes later.

"Guys, please. Please. You're cute together and all, but my roommate and I have a final tomorrow and we need our caffeine fix. Please. We've been waiting on our lattes for 30 minutes now."

***

EYO YOU THOUGHT I WAS DONE WITH JACKUNZEL MONTH, DIDN'T YOU???

PSYCHE! I WILL get all my shit in by the end of the bonus week if it's the last thing I do!!!

Tfw you set out to do one prompt and accidentally ended up incorporating another XD So I guess this also kinda counts for "In Another Lifetime", whoops ^^;

I see your coffee shop AUs, and I raise you: Coffee shop AU, but they're BOTH baristas XD And they were coworkers!!! Just impulsively decided to do that because I thought it would be funny XD Truly nothing can make romance bloom between service workers like their shared disdain of The Customer™️

Actually very pleased with how both the moodboard and the minific came out :O The fic I did crank out in one day, so hopefully it won't look too sloppy later on XD

There's actually a whole series of cloud castle photo edits like the one in the bottom left moodboard pic, and I am in LOVE with them :O Picking just one for the moodboard was one of the hardest things I've ever done!!! They all have this kind of ethereal, liminal, eerie-yet-comforting quality to them that I am just enamored with. Like that would be the setting for exactly my brand of dark fantasy book :O If it doesn't exist out there somewhere then maybe I'll have to write it myself aaushdkshu

Poor Jack and Rapunzel. All they want is to hang out with high society and go to fancy balls, but they're doomed to continually be reincarnated as the poorest MFs alive 💔Although it would be funny as hell if Gothel kept getting reincarnated, too...and she steals Baby Rapunzel from a rich, powerful family every single fucking time for one reason or another. Hopefully one of these incarnations, Punz will find out about it ^^; Then she can be Jack's sugar mama ajhkuhdueyfg

As always, pic credits available upon request!

[rosie-b]

find the words game

I've been tagged in a new writers' game!! For this one, we're given specific words to find in our wips/fics, share the section they appear in, and pass it on!

from @mostmagical we have:

brush (from an upcoming section of my BB fic, Centuries Overdue)

Alix wandered over to the kitchen, brushing past Alya and Marinette without a word. Oh, shit, was she mad at them? Was she going to use her magic to go back and record Marinette’s misbegotten mocha order and stream it to all of Paris, solidifying her shame forever??

Marinette wished she’d kept her glance through the deceptive café windows much shorter and left before the scary bunny had had the chance to jumpscare her.

crumble (from the same wip)

I have told myself that I ought to be relieved, as the other Mages are, that at last the Darkness is vanquished. For a time, I fooled myself into thinking that I was!

But as all lies ever must do, this one I told Myself crumbled, leaving more Pain in its wake than it had initially hidden.

light (also from Centuries Overdue! you guys are getting so many sneak peeks lol)

There is something wild growing in the Darkness; when I close my Eyes I can feel it growing. It is a most disturbing Feeling, and one I am not alone in noticing. The Mages of Tikki and Plagg have felt it also, and have noted its Growth. It cares not for the Moon, nor the Stars, nor the Sun, but its Presence continues to spread unchecked at all times. 

I fear if we do not find its cause ere the spring festivals’ start, it will prove too powerful to be Destroyed, and so I have made it my business to uncover its Secrets. This Darkening is surely a sign of a stronger, more sinister Magic, and I fear that there are things darker and still more guileful to come of it. I must make all Haste to prevent its growth, which is why I must journey to the edges of Light, to the place where my parents died…

and from @monpetitchattriste:

love (back to Centuries Overdue for this one)

There is talk of a Darkness in Venice. And again, a Darkness in the Dolomites, and in Scotland at the Loch Ness, and still more Talk about nearly every place I have visited in my years as a Mage and as a boy with my parents. Still no reported Darkness in the Harz, and none in Paris yet, and still it is clear that the Danger is not shrinking but burgeoning.

Time, like a Candle too well loved, is growing shorter, and soon it will run out entirely. I must make my Attack before it is too late.

years (also from Centuries Overdue :D)

There were perhaps twenty to thirty books on the shelf, with two-thirds of them being written by Adrien’s parents and the last third being written by Adrien himself. The time during which the journals were written spanned from the years just before the French Revolution to 1810, just before the end of the Napoleonic Wars. They all seemed to be travelogues detailing the Agrestes’ long journeys to various historical and legendary locations in Europe as they evaded the worst of the fighting, met different groups of people, and moved on to new adventures.

It all seemed normal enough until Marinette noticed a passage describing a magic ritual done under the full moon in striking detail. Even then, she assumed it was just some forgotten tradition, not an example of true belief in magic. But as she skimmed through the rest of Emilie and Gabriel’s journals, she realized that each of them truly believed in magic, and so did the people they met. Even the places the Agrestes journeyed to were all associated with magic through legend or myth.

And last but not least, never (had to use one replacement word, it’s from my ATLA wip)

“It’s Sokka!” His soulmate scowled at him, and Zuko knew that if his hands weren’t currently chained to the wall, he’d be crossing them like a petulant child.

Zuko scowled back. “It doesn’t matter. Once I get back home, I’m handing you over to my father, and he will be in charge of dealing with you. After three years, I will finally be free of your shadow. I’ll never have to know your Southern peasant name, because I’ll never see you again.”

Thanks so much for tagging me, guys!!

I will tag (though I might be retagging idk I hope not) @aidanchaser, @miabrown007, @fragileizywriting, @lady-de-mon-coeur, and anyone who sees this and wants to join in <3

Your words are: dream, fold, heart

Reserve words: sigh, cold, eyes

[cauch3mars]

  //   (  zhao lusi  .  cis - woman  .  she / her  )  .    ⸻  jia   zheng  ,  a  twenty  five  year  old  ,  has  survived  another  day  in  red  creek  where  they  have  lived  for  their  entire  life  .  the  sweetheart  is  known  for  being  compassionate  and  indecisive  and  is  often  associated  with  a  hand  painted  tarot  deck in  a  pink  velvet  drawstring  bag,  a  tv  playing  softly  in  another  room  for  background  noise,  &  smoky  and  sweet  incense  burning  in  the  corner  of  nearly  every  room  she  enters.  in  a  small  town  where  they  work  as  a  reader  at  sisters  of  the  moon  word  travels  fast  .  it’s  hard  to  keep  a  secret  ,  and  it  looks  like  the  boogeyman  knows  that redacted .  

s t a t i s t i c s .

BASICS:

FULL NAME:  jia zheng.

NICKNAMES:  jee.

GENDER:  cis female.

PRONOUNS:  she/her.

SEXUALITY:  pansexual.

AESTHETICS:  a hand painted tarot deck in a pink velvet drawstring bag ; a tv playing softy in another room for background noise ; sweet and smoky incense burning in the corner of nearly every room she enters ; a delicate porcelain teacup with herbal tea steaming ; a white wicker basket filled with dried lavender ; the gentle pitter patter of rain against a window ; a salt lamp casting a soft orange glow around the room ; lace curtains blowing in the cool fall breeze ; various crystal points on a windowsill, shimmering in the sunlight ; a vintage grandfather clock ticking softly ; faded polaroid's taped to a floor length mirror.

AGE:  twenty five.

DATE OF BIRTH:  june 28th, 1998.

ZODIAC SIGN:  cancer sun, pisces moon, libra rising.

OCCUPATION:  palm & tarot reader @ sisters of the moon.

APPEARANCE:

FACECLAIM:  zhao lusi.

VOICE CLAIM:  zhao lusi.

HEIGHT:  5'3".

BUILD:  slim.

HAIR: very thick & black, waist length, naturally very straight, often curled in loose romantic curls or pigtail braids.

PIERCINGS & TATTOOS:  click for pinterest board.

OTHER DISTINGUISHING FEATURES:  beauty mark under left eye, scar across right palm.

STYLE: click for pinterest board.

PERSONALITY:

TRAITS: + compassionate, empathetic, optimistic, intuitive, creative, gentle. - indecisive, sensitive, insecure, naive, melancholic, overly-idealistic.

LIKES:  junk food, dressing up, shopping, art museums, sailor moon, the scent of cocoa butter, banana pudding, holding hands in public, strawberry lip balm, snuggling with her cat, weed, collecting tarot decks.

DISLIKES:  cigarette smoke, violence, overt p.d.a., animal cruelty, people who are rude to retail workers, loud noises.

FEARS:  heights & wasps/hornets.

PHOBIAS:  acrophobia: fear of heights.

HOBBIES:  tarot reading, nail art, skincare, photography & ceramics/pottery.

PET PEEVES:  nail biting, people who are always late, people who don’t recycle.

FAVORITES:

ICE CREAM FLAVOUR:  cotton candy.

TIME OF THE DAY / NIGHT:  noon.

WEATHER:  sunny summer days, at least 85 degrees.

BREAKFAST FOOD:  hashbrowns.

DINNER FOOD:  grilled asparagus with garlic butter.

DESSERT: pain au chocolat.

COLOURS:  pastel pink, emerald green & tiffany blue.

ITEM:  star shaped locket.

COFFEE ORDER: iced white chocolate mocha with three pumps of white chocolate sauce, made with blonde espresso.

PERFUME: lattafa's eclaire ( dupe for bianco latte, which used to be her signature perfume )

b i o g r a p h y .

jia zheng was born on a warm june evening in red creek, michigan, into one of the wealthiest families in town. from the moment she arrived, her parents had grand expectations for their only daughter—ones that never aligned with the peculiar abilities she displayed. even as a toddler, jia was different. she would babble to people who weren't there, giggle at shadows that seemed to move on their own. her parents, horrified by what they considered a stain on their prestigious reputation, quickly made it clear that her gift as a medium was to be buried deep, never to be spoken of.

every odd encounter, every chilling whisper from the other side was met with cold reprimand or harsh silence, leaving jia feeling as though her very existence was a disgrace. the pressure to appear normal, perfect even, in the eyes of red creek grew unbearable. out of fear of being ostracized, she learned to shove down her abilities, hiding them behind her sweetness and charm.

despite the strain at home, jia excelled in school, maintaining a 3.9 gpa and earning a spot on the red creek k-12 dance team. her love for dance had been fostered from the age of three, when her parents enrolled her in ballet in the next town over, hoping it would refine her into the perfect picture of elegance they wanted to present to the world. and for a time, jia thought that ballet would be her ticket out of red creek. she dreamed of the day she'd leave for a big city like new york and become a professional ballerina. but as the years passed, she realized that life didn’t always go according to plan.

while her medium abilities were tightly concealed, jia quietly found solace in something else—tarot. what started as a curiosity grew into a deep passion, and by her senior year, she had amassed a hidden collection of decks. the cards became a refuge, offering her a small sense of control and connection to a part of herself she had to keep secret. however, her world came crashing down when her mother discovered the collection. without a second thought, her mother disposed of every deck, shattering jia’s heart. in that moment, jia promised herself that as soon as she could, she would leave her family behind for good.

graduating in the top 5% of her class, jia quietly put her long-held plan into motion. for years, she had secretly saved her allowance, hiding her intentions from her parents and two older brothers. after graduation, she moved out of the family’s opulent home, cutting ties with her toxic parents, though the decision weighed heavily on her heart. despite the lavish life she left behind, jia found solace in her modest apartment, where she finally had the freedom to be on her own terms. she quickly secured a job at sisters of the moon, the local metaphysical shop, as a tarot and palm reader.

while her work aligned with her true self, jia still hides her most precious secret: her mediumship. insecure from years of suppression by her family, she often downplayed her talent, joking that she wasn’t very good at reading tarot to keep others from looking too closely. even though she’s surrounded by the mystical world she loves, jia still struggles with the fear of being judged for who she really is.

though jia had always managed to suppress her abilities, the terrifying events in red creek have heightened her fears. with the recent string of murders and disappearances, the spirits of the victims are more restless than ever. the whispers that she once learned to tune out have become louder, their desperate pleas for justice haunting her day and night. jia is terrified—not only by the killer lurking in town but by the constant, overwhelming presence of the dead seeking her help. she has spent years hiding her gift and wants nothing more than to stay out of it, but the spirits won’t leave her alone, forcing her into a role she never asked for.

h e a d c a n o n s.

jia still practices ballet in her small apartment when she's alone. sometimes, she pulls out her old pointe shoes, dancing to classical music as a way to escape and reconnect with her childhood dreams.

often smokes marijuana for her anxiety. it also helps drown out the voices from the dead people who insist on talking to her. especially early in the morning.

favorite color is pink, and it's evident by her bedroom, which has many pink accents.

jia has a complicated relationship with mirrors. because of her mediumship, she sometimes catches glimpses of spirits out of the corner of her eye, so she avoids looking at her reflection for too long, especially at night.

though her upbringing was lavish, jia has developed a love for vintage clothing and thrifted items. she finds comfort in old, worn things

despite her mother throwing out her original tarot decks, jia has rebuilt her collection. each deck is hidden away in a large chest under her bed.

jia loves burning incense. it’s not only a calming ritual but also something that makes her feel grounded. the familiar smell fills her apartment, acting as a protective barrier, keeping some of the more persistent spirits at bay.

while she jokes about being terrible at tarot, jia’s crystal collection is another matter. she has an almost encyclopedic knowledge of crystals and keeps tons of them scattered around her apartment, believing they help protect her energy and balance her emotions.

though she hides her mediumship, jia fully embraces her identity as a witch in private. she actively practices wicca, following its core principles of harmony with nature and the belief in magic. she especially feels connected to healing magic. she considers herself a white witch.

the only people who knows about jia being a medium is her family and her best friend.

[noctis-tempore]

HI YES IM HERE TO FUCKING SCREAM ABT BELLADONNA AND UMBRA’S FRIENDSHIP PRE-MENDACIUM BC FUCK

more underneath the cut <333

The best way I could describe Alexandra’s friendship with Umbra is warmth, just so much warmth. Shared smiles, quiet giggles, linked arms and peaceful naps. They sometimes had their few small arguments like friends do but they always made it up to each other within an hour or two, or by the end of the night if it made one of them really upset. For the first time in their lives they actually felt free. They both found a friend. Umbra found someone who treated him as an equal even when Alexandra figured out he was the shadow god. Alexandra found someone who helped her out and was incredibly kind with no ulterior motives. 

Alexandra as a war goddess (belladonna still) was very different from human alexandra but this didn’t change what Umbra thought of her. She was more cold, ruthless, and more calculating. He still stuck around with her and treated her the same way, not minding the difference in personality at all. She thought he was really weird but found herself greatly enjoying his presence. For the god of darkness, he sure was like the sunshine around her. She started to warm up to him, even showing the bits of resemblance of human alexandra from time to time. 

Their friendship was just so fucking good 😭😭

[grumpy-liebgott]

Tag game: Get to know me

Thank you for the tag @luckynumber4 and @1waveshortofashipwreck <33

Name:

Zowie

Pronouns:

She/her

Star sign:

Gemini! ♊

# of siblings and fun facts about them (if you have any):

I have 3 younger sisters! I love 'em to bits, even if they act like little shits sometimes.

# of pets & their names:

I have two dogs and their names are Mochi and Hollie!! I also have two bunnies named Blackberry and Cottontail!! Oh, and my family has recently hatched some chickens! I named mine JJ after one of my best friends.

Fandoms:

Mostly Band of Brothers with some The Pacific sprinkled in. Besides those, I also like Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, Maze Runner, Marvel, Shadow and Bone, and 1917

Favourite colour:

I like most pastel colours, but my all time favourite has to be blue. Any shade of blue, really. I think they're all pretty. Green is a close second, but for green I specifically like darker, cooler greens.

Favourite song:

I don't really have a favourite song. It's more like what song I'm playing on repeat during a period of time before switching to the next one. Currently, it's Timeless by Taylor Swift, Sparks by Coldplay, and Do Me A Favour by Arctic Monkeys.

Favorite author (of anything readable - books, fanfics, zines, webtoons, whatever!):

For fanfics, definitely @footprintsinthesxnd @next-autopsy @bloodstainedsaint and @blood-mocha-latte. I'm probably forgetting so many more, because I've read so many amazing fics but I can never remember the authors

As for books, I don't really have one. Maybe Rick Riordan, Leigh Bardugo, Zoe Marriot or James Dashner? I've read a lot of books, but I've never stuck to one author.

Favourite fic type:

Slow burns, enemies to lovers, coffeeshop au, friends to lovers, angst, smut.

Favourite holiday:

Chinese New Year, Lantern Festival, and Halloween and Christmas!

Do you have a partner (romantic, qpr, anything!)?:

I wish

Hobbies:

Playing the piano, reading, listening to music, watching new movies/series.

I love baking and cooking with my mum. We don't do it often, so when we do, I'm always very happy.

Fun facts about you:

I miiiiiigggght be just a tiny little bit obsessed with joe liebgott and george luz. Can you blame me though? Look at them!!!

Tagging (no pressure!!!) : @1waveshortofashipwreck @joetoyesbrassknuckles101 @blueberry-ovaries @panzershrike-pretz @a-n-t-h-e-a @love-studying58 @georgieluz @footprintsinthesxnd @next-autopsy @blood-mocha-latte @maya0 @educationalporpoises @star-trek-supernatural and anyone else who wants to do it!!

[gorgeousundertow]

wip tag game <3

tagged by the wonderful @blood-mocha-latte <3 <3 <3

rules: make a new post with the names of all the files in your WIP folder, regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous. let people send you an ask with the title that most intrigues them, and then post a little snippet or tell them something about it! and then tag as many people as you have WIPs.

oh dear. this is Extremely Cool and also Extremely Terrifying.

1 - The Burden of Tomorrow - bradnate Minority Report au. Some of it is up on a03 already, but here's a snippet:

Nate tossed his pencil down with a sigh and rubbed at his eyes with the heels of his palms. “I’ve seen seven hundred murders, Brad. I’ve seen people stabbed, shot, choked, burned, poisoned. I’ve seen more horror than you can possibly imagine. And yeah, I guess I always thought maybe it was different, seeing it in a vision. That if I ever saw the real thing, or God forbid if I ever did the kinds of things I saw, it would be the worst thing in the world.” He looked at Brad, and his green eyes were as steady as ever. “But it wasn’t. It wasn’t any different, doing it myself. What do you think that says about me?”

Brad looked back at him for a long moment, and then he got up. He went to Mike’s refrigerator and pulled out a couple of cans of beer. He popped the tabs and handed one to Nate before sitting back down and taking a long drink. “It tells me you’re some kind of fucked up,” he said at last. “But you know, that puts you in pretty good company. Look at Ray.” He gestured to where Ray was squatting on his heels on top of Mike’s desk chair, cackling to himself as he hacked into the FBI employment database. “He’s a two-bit hustler with the impulse control of a squirrel on meth, and he would never admit it but he cries every time he has to pull the trigger. And he’s still one of the best cops on the force.”

Nate laughed, and Brad watched, pleased, as some of the light came back into his shadowed eyes. He took a drink of beer, and Brad watched his throat move as he swallowed. “And what about you?”

“Me?” Brad shrugged and looked away. “They call me the Iceman, because I never feel anything at all.”

2 - Winnix Ever After

Struggling with this one a bit, even though I basically begged to write it. But here's a snippet:

“I thought you were going to steal my horse.”

The prince laughed, though it wasn’t a very nice laugh, Dick thought. “You weren’t wrong, as it happens. I was. I am.”

Dick shook his head, bewildered. “Why didn’t you just ask me for it? I’d have given it to you. You’re the prince.” I would have had no choice, he thought.

“Because I’m trying to be stealthy,” the prince said. “Here, horse, come on, now…” Dick watched as Prince Nixon tried to climb on Silvermane, without success. “Why the hell isn’t there any saddle?” he complained.

“Because I didn’t have time,” Dick said mildly. “Would you like some assistance with stealing my horse, sire?”

3 - Bradnate in a snowstorm.

No snippets available yet, just an outline

4 - Hanahaki Nix

There was something in the wine at Berchtesgaden.

I have other general ideas, but those are the ones that are somewhat started.

tagging the lovelies @lamialamia @ep6bastogne @meet-you-at-the-north-star @spinteresting and anyone else who wants to do it <3

[bilestat]

tagged by @talesfromthecrypts 💖

3 Ships: loustat, zelink, queliot

First Ship: probably usagi/mamoru lmao

Last Song: real love song (alternative version) by nothing but thieves

Last Movie: honestly can't remember if it was gotg3 by myself or iwtv with the besties

Currently Reading: a gathering of shadows by ve schwab!

Currently Watching: s6 of star trek voyager, and i'm watching the newsreader s2 and the borgias with lynne and anna, and a few other things solo

Currently Consuming: one of those little starbucks bottled coffees

Currently Craving: giant mocha cold brew,,,

tagging @dykefaggotry @butchnoise @waaugh @prouvaireafterdark @claudiaapologist @mycupofstars @thefairylights and anyone else who wants to do it!

[oliolioxenfreewrites]

Demetrius Hawthorne is a figure marked by both royal heritage and a curse that shadows his every step. He possesses dark mocha skin that holds a curious translucence, an eerie effect of the curse laid upon him, giving him an almost ethereal appearance. His features are sharply defined, with high cheekbones and a stern jawline inherited from his grandmother, Queen Amara. Demetrius's eyes are a deep, dark onyx, reflecting the turmoil and darkness within him, often seeming to flicker with shadows that are not entirely of this world.

Born under a dark star, Demetrius’s life has been anything but ordinary. His birth was accompanied by omens and whispers of a curse—an ancient binding laid upon him by their grandmother, meant to ensure his loyalty and service to the throne of Briarwisp. Raised in secrecy and isolated from the royal lineage, he grew up in the remote lands of Ashmont, under the care of guardians who knew little of his true origin.

Being the firstborn child of Tijani, they share a profound yet complex connection with their younger sisters, Imani, Jade, and Jasmine. They are linked not only by blood but also by the shared legacy of their mother, who mysteriously disappeared after confronting the dark forces shaping their destiny. This shared lineage places them within the tangled webs of magic, prophecy, and power struggles that define the Isles of Aurorith.

The journey of the Hawthorne sisters to Briarwisp eventually leads to their encounter with Demetrius. Initially, this revelation is fraught with tension and conflict. Demetrius, influenced by the curse and the dark machinations of his grandmother, views his newfound siblings with suspicion and conflict. He struggles with feelings of abandonment and betrayal, as well as the instinctive pull of dark magic that seeks to use him against his own kin.

They are a complex non-binary character, torn between the darkness forced upon him and the lingering traces of the nobility that runs through his veins. He is introspective and often brooding, grappling with the dual nature of his existence. The curse that binds him compels Demetrius towards darkness, but a part of him yearns for the light, reflecting a constant battle within his soul.

Demetrius can manipulate shadows and dreams of others to his will, using them to cloak himself or create illusions to deceive others. His touch can also drain the vitality of others, a dire aspect of his curse that he struggles to control and despises for its destructive nature.

As the Shadow Prince, Demetrius is both a potential adversary and a tragic figure within the saga of the Hawthorne family. His destiny is deeply entwined with that of his cousins, the Hawthorne sisters, who may hold the key to his salvation or his ultimate undoing.

Throughout the story, Demetrius's journey involves a painful exploration of identity and destiny. They seek to understand the origins of their curse and fight against the dark fate that has been imposed upon him. His interactions with his sisters bring him closer to fragments of truth about his mother and the real intentions of Queen Amara.

Demetrius's character development is marked by his struggle for redemption and the desire to break free from the chains of his dark legacy. His journey is one of self-discovery, as he seeks to redefine his role beyond the shadows that have shaped his existence.

Demetrius, the Shadow Prince, is a character shaped by conflict and contrast. He's very special to me, I relate to him so much which is why I want to take my time in curating their legacy in a profound way. His story is a poignant blend of darkness and hope, serving as a crucial element in the broader narrative of the Aurorith Isles. As he confronts his inner demons and the external forces that seek to control him, Demetrius embodies the themes of legacy, redemption, and the enduring battle between darkness and light.

[messydiabolical]

tagged by @voidfromouterspace <3

last song: Linoleum, NOFX

currently watching: What we do in the shadows, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, and reruns of Taskmaster. Just finished Silo, enjoyed it a lot.

currently reading: fanfics innit. I have Laura Kate Dale's Who Hunts the Whale waiting for me to be in a reading mood.

current obsession: Sims 2, Mass Effect, drawing, mochas and crisps. As it has been for years, and so it shall be, I am a creature of habit lol Tagging: @illusivesoul @sillyliterature @n7viper @shadowthehedgehog1 @drelldreams @thane-emblem oh my god why can I never remember usernames when I need to