#pigeon paladin

[iron-sparrow]

it’s the beautiful blemishing world we walk on ♪

feat. @ahollowgrave

[s0upl0ver]

hello today im feeding you with my dnd fantasy yakuza au

soooo the thoughts:

ichiban - paladin (damn OBVIOUSLY)

NANBAAA - sorcerer! i was thinking about druid bc of his pigeon stuff but hes better be a little whimsical drunkard

adachi - i changed his class like three times and ended up with a cleric. there was a choice between monk and fighter because of his police job, but i want to see him connected with something spiritual sooo there he is

saeko was the hard one.. in the end i decided to give her a bard class : ) she runs a tavern! nanba loves to go there for a drink and this is how theyre met! and became like siblings to each others

joon gi - rouge! (DAMN OBVIOUSLY)

zhao - monk, very inspired by his fight style in game

seonhee - druid + tiefling hehehhohoh ^____^ geomijul is a name of the forest now and animals her informants

tomizawa BARBARIAN and chitose rouge too

soooo about kiryu...... WHAT IF there is a legend about dragon that no one could kill. he used to live among people and creatures, protecting them and keeping peace, but one day he just expelled himself. someone thinks he’s dead, someone believes he’ll come back someday… and here comes ichiban! a true hero! he decide to find this legendary dragon, thinking that this is LITERALLY A DRAGON and in the course of their adventures it turns out to be kiryu

3jimas are goblins.

[runaeveena]

Your dashboard if you were in a d&d fantasy world still involved in fictional erotica discourse part 2

⛰️ berenicesblade Follow

now that the new Mountain Angel volume has come out can we please tag spoilers, some of us are still waiting for our pigeon mail

🦚 faeynadaughter Follow

you can access the volume in full on TomePlane!

🎭 bardcampistrash Follow

until TomePlane acknowledges that its interplanar storage is made possible by binding aboleths to the plane and killing them then we are going to continue not using that platform, thanks

🦚 faeynadaughter Follow

aboleths killed my cousin who was a royal cleric. ill never understand why theres a whole movement to protect abyssal creatures when theyve caused so much damage to our kingdoms. and disliking a pocket dimension which provides thousands of people access to books? your attitude reeks of anti literaturism and mal-aligned virtue signaling and im not sure which is worse

🫒 tenthday237 Follow

Aliizya gets pregnant on page 62

⛰️ berenicesblade Follow

banished

620 Notes

🏰 finchtruther Follow

okay but the way that faelor finch writes every song that perfectly fits pennbiel liiike its giving closet fangirl

🧭 waywardwarlock

seriouslyy!! like what else is "give me your unmarked hand / in the shadowfell we won't be a secret" supposed to be about if not pennipher and corabiel

16 Notes

🌫️ cloudgiant-snailboy Follow

yall please dont fill up the unseen servant tag with your super fucking weird smut posts im just looking for tips on how to find my unseen servant

🪡 scç-writer

the search function on tomeblr does need to be updated but we dont have to kinkshame :)

🌫️ cloudgiant-snailboy Follow

the site is being overrun by virgin degenerates

🍯 treebarkhookhandwagondoor

sounds like you need Wilam the Wizard with Wandering Hands to help you summon the unseen stick in your ass

290 Notes

🗝️ crypt-princess Follow

so whose going to be the first to commission a painting of that scene with Aliizya and the beholder 👀

🍎 bloodmaledickening Follow

i already asked my local artisan he said he's gotten two other commissions for the same scene lmao

🐁 softbarbarian

girl i commissioned a tapestry

45 Notes

🕯️ andersfirelight Follow

friendly reminder that devil deals are a real thing that a lot of people fall victim too and that demons are malicious and do destroy peoples lives if theyre not careful so please be careful when consuming works like Hellionfinity which romanticizes devil deals and fiendish soul contracts

🌾entangled-farmer Follow

imo any work of fiction that involves a romance between any type of fiend is not just problematic but harmful

🕯️ andersfirelight Follow

i used to be indifferent to books that had devil romance interests because like thats their whole thing theyre seducing people to get their souls and the mc overcomes it, but reading through the replies i see that Hellionfinity actually ends with the devil character as the main romantic lead which is super problematic in terms of power imbalance and the fact that he has a redemption arc is so out of touch especially since our military is finally recovering from the azgurian assault

🧚🏻‍♂️arms-of-faelor

helliofinity also has a scene where the main character uses a soul coin that an imprisoned mortal gave him and he uses it to bring the devil out of avernus so he doesnt fully die and no one in the book mentions it or talks about how messed up it is to use soul coins and we never see the now bound to hell prisoner ever again

🕯️ andersfirelight Follow

hellionfinity officially cancelled on my end!

88 Notes

☘️ celest-ial Follow

moment of silence for all the customers waiting on drink orders while the tavern wench gets her back blown out by a new guy every night ✊😔

🦁 king-killa Follow

the gods work hard but Girthy Gladys gets worked harder

57,022 Notes

🎲 beholdersbeholdingme

paladin and warlock romances are OUT! cleric and necromancer romances are IN!

🪭 royalcoinpurse Follow

the only thing a cleric should do to a necromancer is beat him to death so she can revive him and kill him again

🎲 beholdersbeholdingme

❇️ arch-dryad Follow

i think we need to analyze why we're so quick to place women in categories of devious seductress or healer in romance novels as if that hasnt been the pervasive trope that holds magic-touched women back in our actual society

🍯 treebarkhookhandwagondoor

why do you assume these fictional tropes are mf couples only? can a gay cleric not beat his gay necromancer boyfriend to death?

🎲 beholdersbeholdingme

and off! beat him off cmon guys

5,275 Notes

🧀 weremouse Follow

yall ever be talking or whatnot and feel like no one understands you

🪨 sebrenenogdon Follow

ᛄᚠ ᛡᚢ ᚳᚪᚾ ᚱᛁᛞ ᚦᛄᛋ ᛡᚢ ᚺᚪᚠ ᛏᚢ ᚱᛁᛒᛚᚪᚷ ᚦᛄᛋ

🧀 weremouse Follow

say that shit fr (<- looking around clueless)

🪨 sebrenenogdon Follow

ᛋᛁᚱᛁᚪᛋᛚᛁ

60 Notes

🌠 crownofstars

remember when that person made a call out post for the author of ilairepeler for using a ghost writer and it turned out the author was an actual ghost. writing. like a literal ghost writer. like.

🍄gnomestool Follow

arent you the dwarf that fucked a slaad

🌠 crownofstars

how would you like to become a ghost so you can write more witty comments like this for eternity

301 Notes

[yourplayersaidwhat]

Monk: Do you have a carrier pigeon?

Drunk Barbarian: I ate it

Paladin: I have a druid

Barbarian: Oh, that was-ohhh, oh no

Paladin: YOU DID NOT EAT OUR DRUID!

[amorgansgal]

Such Sweet Sorrow

So here is part 3 to my Fat Female Reader x Gale fic! This is a follow up to A Bitter Pill to Swallow and Practice Makes Perfect. This idea was suggested by @viluftic so thank you very much for that! Is everyone ready to suffer?

Gale drummed his fingers on the desk, he was thinking, thinking very hard. The whole thing was a rather difficult conundrum. He rolled the smooth part of the quill he was holding back and forth between his fingers. ‘Come on, Gale,’ he thought to himself. ‘Think, think, think!’

“If you don’t stop doing that, I’m going to bite your fingers off!” Tara muttered from the other chair she had taken a seat in.

“Sorry,” Gale said, dropping the pen on the desk and leaning forward. “I just need to figure out what I should do next.”

“Is this concerning your conjuration work or a certain Miss Y/N?”

“Yes, it concerns her. I want to prove I’m worthy of her, that I won’t look at anyone else but her and she has nothing to worry about, I will devote myself to her entirely.”

“Hmm,” Tara said, rather scathingly he thought, as though he was in the habit of devoting himself to others entirely and that didn’t go well for him. “I don’t see why you’re so obsessed with the lady, if she has turned down your advances.”

“I just… she is… well… it’s complicated,” he said and the tressym gave a rather snooty sniff in response. “She’s lovely and kind and I like her.”

“Though certainly not the best in her class at most magic. Surely you should find someone who can match your ability?”

“No!” he cried, though raised his hands in appeasement when Tara gave him a stern look at his outcry. “I think she’s perfectly well gifted at magic, she wouldn’t be here otherwise. And besides, I’m not just going to look for someone who can match me perfectly. Otherwise I might as well court my simulacrum and I think that would be a bit odd even for me! I like her more than just the magic she can do.” 

“Well, my kind still believe that bringing some form of vanquished foe is the highest compliment one can bestow-” Tara said.

“I don’t think bringing her a dead pigeon or mouse is probably going to impress her much, it might have the opposite effect!”

Tara scowled, at least he thought she did. “I didn’t mean something like that! But perhaps she has some foe - a beast or hag or villain - in her life that you could vanquish, then bring her the head as proof.”

“Hmm, much as I appreciate the suggestion Tara, I’m not sure if bringing her a butchered head would go down well! I’m going to have a look in the library for ideas.”

Tara hopped up onto his bed, stretched out luxuriously and then settled down for a nap while he was gone. Gale gave her head a little scritch, which even though she let out a small yowl of contempt he could tell she still enjoyed it, and then he dashed out his room and down the corridor. There was no time to waste and he had already spent most of his day off pacing back and forth, going through all the usual romantic notions that would work. Flowers - bit cliche and predictable, plus probably not nearly enough of a gesture to convince you. Some item of jewellery or nice clothes or a magical item for a gift - it could work, but it felt a little transactional. Gale didn’t exactly want to buy your affection. A display of magic - While it might have impressed someone who was unfamiliar with the weave, you knew it very well and doubtless had created your own visions and wonders, so while he was sure you’d be polite about it, it likely wouldn’t impress you much! 

Perhaps he could find every book on romance and love in the library and peruse them all. There must be some story about an adventurer or paladin knight or some such person with a lady love who did not necessarily wish to be with him at first, but he had won her over with his valour and deeds and so on and so forth. He almost skid past the librarian’s desk who barely raised her eyes as he did, all too used to students dashing in and hunting around for a book when they had an assignment to complete. But Gale stopped by the desk and slammed his hands on it.

“I need every book on romance and love under the sun!” he said.

The librarian, a halfling with her grey hair neatly scraped back in a small bun, gave him a withering look. “Well a good many books in this hall deal with matters of the heart, Master Dekarios. It would take most of the day to find every single one.”

“Well… can you point me in the right direction at least!”

“I suppose the second aisle would be your best bet, it concerns courtly romances, most of them are fictional of course. Is this for a project, Master Dekarios?”

“Of sorts,” he said, already eager to head over to the second aisle and see if anything was of use.

“Why on earth are you wanting books on romance and love?” a voice behind him said and he whirled around to see Nira there, a few books tucked under her arm. Gale beamed. Ah! This was a bit of luck. Nira was your friend, a very good close friend to you. She would doubtless know exactly what was needed to persuade you. 

“Never mind!” he said to the librarian. “Thank you for your help!” He grabbed Nira’s free arm and practically dragged her from the library while she squawked and demanded to know where they were going. Once they were outside, away from prying ears and eyes, he released her. 

“What on earth has gotten into you?” Nira said.

“Your friend, Y/N.”

“What about her?” Nira asked, brow raised in suspicion.

“I… Well… I really, really like her and I said I would like to do more with her than… well just be someone she can call upon to see to her needs, that I wanted to be with her entirely and not see anyone else…”

“Wait, wait, wait, slow down. Am I understanding that you wanted to court Y/N?”

“Yes.”

“She didn’t tell me that!” Nira looked outraged.

“She said no that she didn’t want me to woo her at this time...”

“Oh… well I guess that just sucks for you then.”

“No, she said she’d think about it. That she’d think on me courting her.”

“Well then there’s your answer Gale, I still don’t see why I needed to be dragged out here…”

“Because I like her, so much, and I don’t want to wait around forever. What if someone else sweeps her off her feet?”

“Again, sucks to be you.”

“But you’re her friend, you could tell me what she likes, what would make a good impression, what declaration I could do-”

“Look, if you like her so much then you should already know what she likes and if you’re serious then stop having other girls come up to your room to enjoy your tongue. Otherwise, I don’t think there’s much you could do other than be respectful, polite and wait for her answer.”

“But I can’t just leave it to-”

“Gale,” Nira rounded on him, her brow furrowed with fury and her eyes glaring at him. “Look, the more you respect her wishes and back off a little, the more likely she is to consider you as a lover. But calm down, stop being so needy and wait for her to come to you! Gods above!” And with that she marched off down the corridor.

“At least put in a good word for me!” he called after her.

It was a strange few weeks for you, Gale had certainly been treating you differently. You felt his eyes upon you when you were in class, which made you feel flustered and distracted. But at least you could hide away in your room when you were working on essays or assignments, until the gifts started showing up. Little boxes of sweetmeats, an admittedly beautiful purple scarf with strands of silver running through it, an absurdly large bouquet of flowers with pink roses, frothy white queen anne’s lace and fuchsia carnations. 

And that was when others started to notice. Oh you’d had the occasional cruel comment, but you’d mostly gone ignored. Now though the whole school had picked up on you being the object of Gale’s desire and devotion, especially as apparently he’d stopped accepting the other girls’ invitations or offering himself to them. It had not made you popular!

“I don’t get it,” you once heard Lucia say as you were busy searching a bookshelf in the library for a particular book on selunite magic. “Why her? She’s so fat and dumpy and dull, and she barely says anything in class. I don’t get why Gale is so obsessed with her. Did you see the flowers he sent to her?”

You froze on the spot and felt your heart beating loudly in your chest, your hand was still holding a book as you both longed to run away from Lucia’s unkind words and yet could not compel your feet to move.

“I know. I heard it only happened when he ate her out. I’m surprised he even managed to find her pussy!” another girl whispered and the girls stifled their laughter in the quiet library. 

“I know, how did he get through all the gross folds to reach it!”

“Eww, stop it! I don’t want to think about that!” Lucia shrieked. 

Your hand trembled and you quietly pushed the book back on the shelf. You debated about trying to leave quietly, but then before you could even move one foot in front of the other, the girls had already rounded the shelves and came to a halt on seeing you. Some of them had the decency to look embarrassed, others giggled again, Lucia wrinkled up her nose.

“Oh look who it is! Maybe we can find the answers from the horse’s mouth. Or should that be pig’s?”

You quickly pulled the selunite book back from the shelf, determined to not let her pathetic bullying get under your skin. “If you don’t mind Lucia, I have work to be getting on with.”

“Oh we’ll leave you be, but first please explain why Gale Dekarios is so obsessed with you?”

You swallowed uncomfortably. Gods, you didn’t know why! It didn’t make much sense to you given you had told him you needed time to think it over and you weren’t sure about it. But now everyone at the academy had assumed you were a thing because of all the gifts! 

“I don’t know… you’d have to ask Gale.”

Her smile put you in mind of a harpy who had lured in its prey. “Like it doesn’t make any sense to me. We were wondering if he’s just joking, just messing with you or something. I think his friends would find it funny.”

Her clever little arrow found its target. You were sure he wouldn’t do something like that, would he? Was he and his friends laughing before they went to bed? Hysterical at the idea he was sending you all these little gifts and poems because it would be funny for you to think anyone would find you desirable. You remembered years ago when a group of boys had dared another kid to ask you out and how much they had laughed at your innocent, hopeful smile and how awful you felt, how you’d hidden yourself away to cry and how you had to pretend that it hadn’t hurt, that you could brush off a cruel joke like that. 

But Gale… could Gale do something like that? You remembered the way he was so sweet and gentle when he first kissed you, how Nira told you he’d never done that with anyone else, how much he looked at you with outright burning desire and surely he could not pretend to do that! How he had kissed you passionately when you saw him again, how he said he wanted you. A little whisper of desire danced through your blood and you could almost imagine his hands on you again, his lips on your throat… You shook your head, Gale was kind and good. He would never willingly hurt someone as a joke.

“Gale’s not like that,” you insisted. “He’d never do something so cruel.”

“Mm-hm,” Lucia said, it was playful, but her tone was still sharp, still malicious and she gave you a patronising little smirk. “Well if you think so!”

It was a culmination of things. A culmination of teasing and pointed remarks from people like Lucia, whispered comments and rumours from other classmates, Nira getting fed up of being hounded by Gale for advice and just everything felt overwhelming. The gifts had thankfully stopped after a very firm talking to from Nira, but you felt terrible for rejecting them and rejecting Gale.

“He’s a big boy,” Nira had said while she read Waterdeep’s local newspaper and lounged on your bed, while you tried to work at your desk. “He’ll get over it. I’m sure he’ll fuck someone else to heal his wounded heart!”

The idea that he might fuck someone else didn’t make you feel any better though. It felt like a jagged piece of ice had splintered your heart in two. You had considered it beforehand, but now your mind was made up and so you nervously stood outside Gale’s room, dreading the thought of knocking but also not wanting to leave without saying goodbye properly. You quickly knocked on the door and prayed to all the gods that he wasn’t in.

But the door was yanked open before you could even draw in your next breath and Gale stood there, his smile widening excitedly when he saw you. “Y/N! You’re here. I never thought… come in, come in!”

You stayed where you were though and saw the slightest flicker of disappointment in his soft brown eyes. Gods, that killed you. You looked away so you could get through what you had to say next.

“Um… Gale… I’m joining Professor Yinpeiros on their expedition to Neverwinter. I thought you should know rather than find out through someone else…” you tailed off when you caught a glimpse of how utterly disappointed he looked. You pressed your lips tightly together. “I’m really sorry, I do like you. I just…”

“If you like me, why are you leaving?” he asked, his voice breaking at the end of his question and you felt terrible.

“Because… this has all been so overwhelming. Your gifts, the attention everyone has given me, some people have been… cruel.”

“Who?” his voice darkened and you glanced up at him, seeing the anger blazing hot in his eyes and you were caught between flattery that he would be enraged if someone was nasty to you and a little bit fearful as to what he might do to them.

“It doesn’t matter. The point is, I’m going, for a year or two. So I wanted to do the decent thing and say goodbye.”

Gale’s face fell and he leaned heavily on the doorframe, his fist clenched tightly against the wood. “So I fucked up.”

“You didn’t fuck up, the gifts were beautiful, it just felt a bit… much to be given a lot of attention, both good and bad. I know you meant well.”

He inhaled deeply, then managed to look up and give you a grim smile. “Nira was right then, I should’ve just let you be and let you make your own decision on the matter. I’m sorry. I just… I care about you so much, I desire you so much, I lo-”

You pressed your fingers against his lips, stopping him from speaking. “Please don’t do that, don’t say that. You don’t Gale, not really.”

He opened his mouth, eyes bright with outrage and looking like he might argue with you, but instead he let out a sigh and carefully removed your hand from his lips. “I know what I feel, Y/N, but I won’t burden you with it anymore. I’m sorry. Would you… would you gift me with something before you go?”

You frown, puzzled by what he could have in mind. You don’t have much you can give him. Maybe a potted plant, but you had already promised them to Nira. “What is it?”

“Can I kiss you one last time?”

You hesitate. You should say no. Nira told you to make this quick and painless and easy. But it doesn’t feel like any of those things. Your heart feels like it has already shattered and you’re barely holding onto the pieces. “Yes,” you finally said.

He let go of the doorframe and gently cupped your face in his warm hands, his thumbs stroked your cheeks, his eyes watched you intently as though memorising every detail of your face. “You really are so beautiful,” he said, before he lowered his head and pressed a kiss to your lips. You closed your eyes, your hand met his on your face, and you felt his other one easily move down your back, curl around your waist and he brought you closer to him. 

Nira no doubt would be shaking her head in exasperation and giving you a withering look, and it would be all too easy to blame Gale for his tight hold on you, for his tongue slipping into your mouth, for the way his hands stroked down your back to your waist and hips and teasingly close to your butt but never actually land there, but you are breathing the same air and tasting his mouth too and have wrapped your arms around his shoulders, enjoying how surprisingly broad he is. It’s not a short, simple, sweet kiss goodbye. It’s a kiss lovers give to one another when they have all the time in the world and have the ability to crash into the bedroom, to tumble into bed and take pleasure in one another’s body.

When you break apart, he doesn’t let go. His arms are still wrapped around your waist, his forehead is pressed against yours, his eyes are closed, his lips parted, his cheeks flushed. He finally blinked open his eyes and smiled at you, a proper, soft, intimate smile that sends your heart racing and makes you want to stay.

“Would you…?” he stopped himself. “I want to ask you to come to my bed.”

You untangled yourself from him and pulled back. “No, Gale.” You took another step back. “But I will see you again, I’m sure. Goodbye, Gale.”

You turned around so he can’t see your eyes filled with tears and you hurried down the corridor, not wanting to linger and hear his own goodbye.

[autisticlancemcclain]

prev

–––

Keith doesn’t sleep a wink the following night. He quickly packs a bunch of supplies into a pod, and then spends hours staring at the base's scanners, waiting for the castle to pop up. He doesn’t hesitate for even a second when it finally does, barely remembering to check in with Kolivan before speedily manoeuvring out of the base and into the castle’s waiting flight deck. 

As promised, the team is gathered there to meet him, clambering over each other to be the first to greet him when he walks out of the pod. It should be flattering, should make a pleased flush redden his skin from his neck to the roots of his hair. It’s everything he’s ever wanted; that kind of love, that kind of joyful acceptance, an excitement to see him. 

But he barely even notices. All of his attention is trained on the figure so far away from everyone else he’s practically shroud in shadows, stiff and stone-faced. Lance stands with a duffel clenched tightly in his fists, jacket zipped up to his neck and hood halfway pulled over his hair.

Everything he sees makes him want to fall over. He almost feels nauseous, and he’s not entirely sure why. Lance has his off-days, Keith knows this. There were days when Keith had to help Lance fight his way out of bed, and when he did the same for Keith. Keith has held him as he sobbed himself to pain on the observation deck floor. Keith has watched him get overwhelmed and mean and snappy and then guilty for days afterwards. 

But he’s never seen Lance like this. He’s never seen Lance…shrink, collapsing into himself so deeply, keep himself so distant. The closest thing he ever saw was when he came to Keith’s room talking about five lions and six paladins, about a seventh wheel.

I solved that problem, he thinks, increasingly desperate. Lance was backed into a corner so Keith threw himself out of the room to give him space. That was the point, that was the purpose, that is why he has stayed in a stupid grey bunk he hates and nodded blankly to masked people he’s not allowed to familiarise himself with and stubbornly refused to leave a man behind no matter how much trouble he gets in. 

He was supposed to have fixed things, and now everything has gotten worse.

“Keith!” Pidge screams the second he emerges from the door, sprinting at him and damn near tackling him to the floor. Despite himself and his dizzying confusion he smiles softly, squeezing her right back.

“Hey, Pigeon,” he says, and she must have really missed him because she doesn’t even deck him for it. 

“You need to call us more,” she grumbles at him, and he snorts and asks her how that holoprojector he asked her for is coming along. 

Before she can launch into yet another rant about how far from the realm of possibility that is, the rest of the team catches up to her, and this time he really does hit the floor. Luckily he lands sprawled on his brother, who only sighs fondly and flicks him on the forehead. 

“We’ve all missed you so much,” he says. “Not the same here without you, squirt.”

Because Keith has misses his brother, he refrains from turning around and throwing hands with him right in the hangar, because why would he call Keith that he’s a grown ass man, basically, not six, Shiro what the fuck. The team teases him anyway because they are the worst, but Keith rolls his eyes and takes it. Between Hunk’s bawling and Pidge’s snark and Allura’s hand gripped in his, Keith can almost pretend like he’s just back from a quick and risky errand, that everything is normal, that his family is just excited to see him and they’re gonna head off for dinner together in a few. The familiar foreignness of it all is almost settled around him like a heavy blanket.

Almost.

“I believe we have an exchange to get on with,” drawls a voice so pretentious it makes Keith recoil even before the cruelty of his words kick in. 

Lotor stands in the middle of the room like he’s centre fucking stage, hip cocked, inspecting his nails, casual and unbothered. A quick glance to the side confirms that Lance’s jaw has tightened at the comment, posture tensed further. Keith looks back to Lotor and wishes with his whole heart that he had laser eyes via Clark Kent so he could fucking obliterate him. He settles for intensely praying for his downfall to the universe, which isn’t enough but will have to be until Keith can sacrifice him for the greatest good or something.

An exchange. Like Lance is a fuckin’...low rate commodity, or something. 

Keith is honestly more disturbed by the fact that no one else seems to be terribly bothered by the comment. He wonders if he’s being too sensitive, if he’s reading into things, if his own hatred for Prince L’Oreal is clouding what could be a similar relationship to what Keith and Lance have, with all the insults and competitions.

The actual thought of that makes him physically gag. 

No, that’s not it. Keith is not mistaking the pain that is radiating off of Lance, the way the air itself in the castle feels wrong. 

“I’m ready to go if you are, Lance,” Keith calls, as softly as he can manage. Unfortunately it doesn’t manage to go far, and Lance only nods once, tightening the duffel over his shoulder and walking over. His steps are deliberate, at least, no downtrodden shuffling – there’s some stubbornness within him still. It’s better than nothing.

“Aw, no, already?” Hunk complains, sniffling. 

Despite the storm raging in Keith’s head, he manages a smile in Hunk’s direction, equally flattered and amused by the affection.

“We’ll be back, man,” Keith promises. “Mission is only supposed to take a few days. Maybe we’ll finish up early and I won’t tell Kolivan, huh, Lance? Spend a couple days here.”

He smiles as brightly as he can manage in Lance’s direction, receiving only a tight-lipped grimace in response, an attempt without the verve to follow through. 

“Yeah, sure.”

He gives the pile of teammates a wide berth as he climbs into the pod, disappearing quickly into the back. Keith tries to pretend his words weren’t sullied with bitterness.

It takes longer than he would like to finally bid everyone goodbye and crawl back into the pod, which he feels a little bad about. Both because he doesn’t want to feel like any interaction with his family is at all a burden, even a goodbye, and because he doesn’t want to keep Lance waiting. But he’s in a rough place right now, off-kilter and almost disoriented, so he cuts himself some slack, breathing deeply as he pulls out of the hangar and back into dead space. He puts the tiny but powerful thrusters up as high as they will go, zooming along at top speeds. He stays in the pilot’s chair, hand firmly on the yoke, until the castle is well out of view, until they are surrounded on all sides by endless darkness. Only then does he steel himself to put the pod on autopilot, to breathe deeply and turn around to face the oppressive awkwardness filling up the small space.

“Hey, Lance,” he says quietly, sitting gingerly on the floor in front of his seat. He’s relieved that Lance doesn’t straight up move away like he expected. He’s even more relieved to notice that Lance doesn’t tense up at his mere presence.

He barely acknowledges Keith past a nod of the head, though, which is depressing. Keith wants to ask another question, get more than a nod out of him so desperately it’s actually embarrassing, but he manages to restrain himself. He knows maybe better than anyone else what it feels like to be crowded by questions when you already feel like you’re suffocating. Keith will just have to wait for Lance, however long it takes.

Thankfully, he doesn’t wait very long.

“I didn’t get any details.” Lance’s voice startles Keith, not because he isn’t expecting it – all he’s been doing is waiting for Lance to talk – but because it’s nothing like he expects. His voice is almost normal, not strained hoarse or even bitter like it was earlier. If Keith squeezes his eyes shut and pretends the last several months didn’t happen, he can almost convince himself that he and Lance are sitting at the briefing room table late at night, heads bent together, trying to iron out a plan for their upcoming mission. He wants that back so badly he aches with it, but the ache is familiar enough now that he thinks he can bear it.

“It’s, uh, a quintessence hunt,” Keith explains. “Or, well, kind of. Hopefully. Kolivan gives a lot of details at once and he speaks in this super depressing monotone and I swear to God I do everything I can to pay attention but at some point it just sounds like the teacher in Charlie Brown. So. That’s my bad.”

He has to force air back into his lungs by the end of it and he’s red in the face to boot. That’s maybe the most words he’s ever spoken in one go (hyperbole whatever let him live) and of course he sounds like the biggest dweeb. Why hasn’t becoming a super cool space ninja made him more aloof and mysterious? This isn’t fair. What happened to gay rights.

To his great surprise, his dorky ramble is rewarded by a flash of Lance’s smile, so brief he would have convinced himself he imagined it if he hadn’t spent so much of his life seeking it out. It’s gone faster than it existed, Lance’s expression falling back into something carefully blank, but the fact that it was there at all is the biggest relief.

Lance takes the tablet Keith hands to him, mission file pulled up and ready to go. He squints slightly as he reads it, tilting his head to the side. “We have to go through…wait, Keith, is this right?” He flips the tablet over to Keith, zoomed in on a pair of coordinates. “This is, like, right next to a black hole. RIght right next to, worryingly next to. I don’t like how close this is. This pod is not really built for that, I don’t think.”

Keith doesn’t recognise the coordinates, so he can’t really say, but there’s a fair bit riding on this mission, so he doubts Kolivan has fucked this particular detail up. 

“Well, it’s either safe or no longer our problem.”

“I suppose.”

A little disappointed that Keith’s attempt at a joke didn’t do much to lighten Lance’s expression, he lets them lapse into silence, tilting his head back onto the seat and closing his eyes as the pod zooms forwards. 

They have a long journey ahead of them.

–––

next

[girlboypersonthingy]

hi!! i love ur writing sm :D

do u think u could do a pidge x reader where reader is english/history smart and pidge is math/science smart, so they became academic rivals (but they always secretly respected and even admired eachother), never saw eachother after pidge left for the garrison and THEN somehow find themselves together again on the castle ship. (maybe reader helped keith save shiro or sumthing like that?)

kinda a classic academic rivals to lovers thing

i daydream diff scenarios with her too often lol

sorry if i didn’t leave a lot of room for imagination :( but i’d love to see ur take on it if possible!!

THIS IS SO ADORABLE YOUVE GOT TO B KIDDIN ME RN 🥹💚💚💚 I love my little Pigeon girl, they are my fav Paladin by far. Also sorry, I bounce between she/her and they/them for Pidge. Idk it’s a habit…also LEE PLZ FORGIVE ME FOR TAKING NEARLY A YEAR TO GET TO THIS 🥹

Academic Rivals to Lovers w/ Pidge

So it all started when Pidge and you were both new to the garrison. You both kept hearing about this super smart person that was new to school and, in typically cocky fashion, you both assumed everyone was talking about you, as in yourself. But then…Lance started teasing Pidge about how there’s another new crazy intelligent kid and telling her she has competition now.

Immediately upon hearing this, Pidge takes it upon herself to figure out who you are, what your deal is and if she should consider you friend…or foe

The first time you two meet, it’s a bit awkward. It’s sort of like…both your friend groups helped yall finally meet and get to talking. They figured you guys could keep up with each other in convo, both being so smart and well spoken. As your friends all stood around, obviously clueless as to what yall were talking about, your friendly banter quickly escalated to you and Pidge very loudly debating which is more interesting and essential to the evolution of human life and knowledge, English and history OR math and science.

Pidge is probably now yelling something like “HOW ELSE IS HUMANITY GONNA EVOLVE?! SCIENCE AND MATH ARE ESSENTIAL FOR NEW DISCOVERIES AND FUTURE GROWTH AND FINDING OUT WHATS BEYOND EARTH AND-“

And you’re now trying to yell over her “YEAH OKAY OKAY AND HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF !!! HOW WILL HUMANITY EVOLVE UNLESS WE KNOW ABOUT ALL THE HISTORY OF HUMANS AND MISTAKES WEVE MADE AND-“

Everyone else around yall: 🤔😥🫠

From that point on, it became a competition, it was all about who could finish their test first, who could finish their book first, who got the higher grade on their essay or quiz.

Then, Pidge started trying to one up you by learning even more about YOUR fav subjects just to rub it in your face that she’s smarter and better than you in EVERYTHING AND EVERYWAY. (Not really, she’s actually just trying to impress you but also playfully tease you about it)

And guess what…you do the same. Y’all are basically like Keith and Lance with that love hate, frenemies type relationship.

And secretly…yall are pining so hard for each other, not so much annoyed at how smart the other is…but more infatuated with learning more about what the other is really into. You complimented each other well. You had a lot in common while also being total opposites in some aspects.

Pidge finds herself in bed at 2am one night with a book she saw you reading once. It looked fairly interesting and she wanted to see what the hype was about. As she read more and more, she began daydreaming about you as her eyes scanned over page after page, her mind focused solely on you as the words she read seemed blurry, not sticking in her brain…you were taking up too much space in there atm.

You found yourself trying to read about and learn how to code and work on tech. You found yourself totally lost and out of your element. It kinda made you smile…thinking about how she was already a science and tech wiz and now she was really getting into history and English thanks to you. Maybe…she was smarter and…maybe it’s all very important.

Before you could gather the nerve and swallow your pride and go apologize to her for treating her less than kind and being an annoying snob…

Shit hit the fan…

You helped Keith save Shiro, ended up in space in what felt like the blink of an eye and suddenly, you and pidge were attached at the hip.

It was like the severity of the situation and Pidge’s fierce determination completely erased your guys’ past together. Now, it was time to band together for the sake of everyone and everything. For the sake of her family.

You and Pidge began spending A TON of time together, often helping each other with tasks, codes, anything the others needed help with. Y’all were the puzzle solvers, the hackers, the ones Lance and Keith came to when they didn’t understand something, the cutie little nerd duo 🥹

With each time you two hung out, you found yourselves both relaxing more, joking and laughing more around each other, bonding more.

Pidge began coming to you all the time to show you new inventions or test out weird stuff on you. You were kinda flattered she always came to you first.

You began often running to Pidge after every book you’d read from the library in the castle. You’d be all excited about something new you just learned about Altean history, zooming through the halls with a huge smile as you look for your girl.

You bust into the room like “HEEYYYYY! OH MY GODDDD GUESS WHAT!!! Soooo, I just found out-“

Cue you rambling for at least 20 minutes while Pidge just smiles and nods along (occasionally she watches your lips move as you talk, only for a couple seconds before she looks back into your eyes)

As time went on, you found yourself becoming increasingly protective over Pidge, especially when out in battle. You…just like her and don’t wanna see your friend hurt or scared.

The first time she ever got hurt, or even got close to getting caught by the galra, she came back to the castle to see you waiting for them in the lion’s hangar, tears streaming down your face. You thought she would be in worse shape and even tho she looked perfectly fine, you were still distraught.

Y’all never really touched besides playful nudges and when you’d ruffle her messy hair but that day…yeah, you hugged her hard that day….

She was a little confused. No one else was this concerned for her so…why were you so freaked out? She was fine, actually more calm than you were atm.

You were so comforted and lowkey entranced by her soft embrace that you didn’t even notice Pidge was now on their knees, bringing you gently down into the same position, as you squeeze each other tighter down on the floor.

“Geez, (Y/N)…you alright?” she mumbles as she pulls back to look at you, worry present on her face.

“I’m sorry, I just…you’re like my best friend. I don’t know if I can do this without you. You…you need to be more careful!”

She was…frozen…watching your lip quiver.

You called her your best friend. The ‘best’ part really made her stomach drop. She was glad you two were closer now and not in a constant academic battle…and it’s not that she doesn’t consider you her best friend, she just…didn’t know you thought so highly of her.

Your friendship and relationship are a slow burn.

For months upon months, y’all just hang out, stay friends, bond over space tech and space history, occasionally cuddle, once in a while you’ll hold hands. Oh shoot, are yall falling asleep in the same bed? Whoa, wait…she’s started hugging you every single day. OMG SHES SO CLOSE TO YOUR FACE AS SHE LOOKS OVER INTO THE BOOK YOU’RE READING AND D A M N YOU REALLY WANNS KISS HER FRECKLED CHEEK RN, WOULD THAT BE WEIRD???

It’s a slow burn…until it isn’t anymore.

You’re the one to confess to her and Pidge is looking at you like 🫤 “oh uhm…I thought we…already kind of established that we…like each other more than friends…?”

You feel kind of dumb but excited nonetheless!!! SHE LIKES YOU BACK!!!!

The rest of the team is even like “Wait, yall hold hands and sleep in the same bed most nights. You’re not dating yet??? Hello?”

And from then on, you guys are absolutely love sick besties together. Not so much love sick in a physical touchy sense but just very emotionally supportive and kind and sweet to each other.

🥹🥹🥹

[kit-williams]

First Meeting

Lion El'Johnson D&D AU

Canon status? It's canon to its AU

"How did you meet mother?" Luthor says looking up at his father as he draws the heavy bow back watching his father's eyes narrow before letting the arrow loose.

"Why are you suddenly so interested?" Lion says calmly as he and his son start to forestwalk.

Between patches of trees their conversation can be heard by the moss and the ferns and the fungi. "Because I'm a man now."

Lion snorts at his sixteen year old son. Still just a boy in his eyes as he was no Primarch no need for him to grow up quickly. "Is that so?"

"And well not everyone can save a damsel in distress to get a wife." Luthor says as if it is obvious. The fledgling Paladin and the Dark Angel look to the twisted beast snarling as the arrow Lion had loosed had ripped right on through it.

"Fine I'll tell you. Kill the quarry." Lion said pulling his sword out just watching his son fight. He had promised his Dove that he would make sure the boy was safe.

"SMITE!" Luthor shouted and Lion watched those green eyes turn gold as he could feel it... out of all his children so far Lion had sired... he was truly his grandfather's child. As power rushed into the monster through his sword and it laid dead. He could tell Luthor was grinning under his winged helm.

"Alright."

-------

Seventeen years earlier

Lion frowned at the ruckus the soldiers were making. He clearly knew his part in keeping this fledgling lord safe... perhaps his brothers were right that he was simply a sellsword at the moment but Lion didn't care. Beasts seemed to be in plenty supply for him to fight.

"Not a party man?" A voice cooed at him as he looked over at the maiden, though maiden was a strong term given her appearance as she grinned at him. Shoulders exposed to the twilight sky, her blonde hair in unruly trussels, and she gave him such a cat caught with the cream grin. "Oh I do apologize," She cooed with certainly no apology in her voice, "Not a party man, ser?"

"Lion." His deep timber resonated as he gave her his name.

"Oh the big man of the hour. I hear the lord is going to give you something nice tomorrow." She winked and Lion just scoffed but Gloria took it in good stride given the fact the mighty Ser Lion hadn't backhanded her away or shooed her off.

"And what would you know of it?" He said pulling on his gambeson and freeing his long blonde hair from its tie. It fell straight verses this maiden's half curled locks.

Lion's icy blue eyes watched her face as she hesitated for a brief moment... the slight shame in her tone before she just lightens it, "Well I'm one of his handmaidens it's my job to know." She forces a smile.

"Well why are you here?" Lion asks bluntly and it seems she is unphased by his rough nature.

"In his service or besides you?"

"Both." Lion says waving a hand as he walks over to a small stone wall and sits on it.

She shrugs following him, "Got nothing else really going for me. And to let you know good Ser I was out here catching my breath first. Only so many times you can allow your ass to get slapped passing by men before it gets annoying."

Lion's head snapped towards her and she sighed, "None of that good Ser no need to waste your righteous chivalric anger on a pigeon like me." She says sitting on the wall with a smile.

"Pigeon?" Lion says softly.

"Yeah, some men like to think proper court ladies like doves. Pure and just sit there being demure and cooing softly. I'm hardly anything like that. I'm just some piebald bird only good for sending missives and annoying the bakers for bread. Nothing like a dove."

Lion sat for a moment before speaking, "Doves and Pigeons come from the same family. A dove is just a fancy pigeon."

She blinked at him before slapping her skirt and laughing nearly falling off if not for his hand grabbing her arm as she just laughs and laughs. He tilts his head not seeing what is so funny about it.

"Oh thank you Ser Lion you've made my night. Perhaps I shouldn't be so dismissive of myself."

The topic of conversation is lost to his memory but she eventually tells him her name... Gloria. How it dances from his mouth. Lion was taught on Caliban to seek the demur and courtly woman but there was a freshness to Gloria.

"Ser Lion I'm awful at dancing." She says holding his hands looking down at her feet.

"You're in good company. I'm awful at dancing myself."

Again she tilted her head back laughing, "Then why are we trying this?"

"To live as fools for a night." Lion says softly as the two do slow methodical steps. Hardly any room for deviance on Lion's part as his hand rests on her hip as her off hand rests on his shoulder and the other hand for both of them rest together.

"Forgive what I am about to say Ser Lion but bad dancer my ass." Gloria giggles as he takes the lead before dipping her and a furious blush rushes over her face as this feels scandalous.

"I cannot forgive your mouth Lady Gloria." He smiles internally as she giggles at being called a lady. Her rough hands against his as they simply dance. But the night grows long and tomorrow calls for duty.

"I won't say I wish to see you again... I won't get my hopes up." Gloria says.

"Why not?" Lion uncharacteristically asks.

"While you are getting some lucky lady as a gift, Oh hope you aren't torn up about the surprise being ruined. I get to share the bed of a new man to help convince another knight to stay here. But if by some act it should be you... tell him you've never met me." And with that Lion knows not to ask questions with the list in her voice... the way she looks away and down... the shame of it all. Before she looks up, "I hope to get enough one day... go out and have a small adventure... perhaps find my own knight in shining armor." She pauses for a few moments, "Oh I must be boring you. Have a good night Ser Lion. I shall treasure this night."

"Good night Lady Gloria." He says kissing her hand causing her to blush deeply.

------

"A simple companion nothing more really." His lord says walking with Lion and as much as he wishes he was back home... Lion remembers to remain somewhat humble. He and his brothers have not siezed power in these lands for a reason... they did not want to be warlords again. But Oh how the Lion wish he could throw his weight around but without his sons to rally to his aid... Lion huffed.

"Again my Lord I do not need some nanny to cook and keep my armor cleaned or patch my holes."

"But you could be using your time elsewhere verses mending your things yourself. Just allow her to show her use." Lion could see that glint in his eye but he would humor the man. "She is particularly good at what she does. Ser Lion this is Gloria."

He was the master of keeping a stone face as he looked over Gloria. No longer in attire fit for a lower class she was put into lower nobility attire, her wild hair pinned back into a tight bun, painted lips, all of that wild bubbly energy he saw the prior night gone as that piebald pigeon she had called herself... had been painted white and forced to coo so sweetly. "I am but your humble servant Ser Lion." She says with practiced grace.

"Have you two met?" The lord says looking over at Gloria.

Lion speaks up first, "No. I've never met her. I would have certainly remembered meeting a charming dove."

She curtsies lower, "You flatter me good Ser."

"Splendid. Just if she doesn't meet your tastes just let me know." He says turning away as Gloria spares him a look and for once the Lion feels a mixture of anger and pity. He ignores the prattling of his lord as he takes her hand and once again kisses the back of it.

"It is lovely to make your acquaintance my Lady."

--------

Luthor just looked at his father blinking. "Wait mother always mentioned there being a dragon."

"Her old liege lord is the dragon in her stories. She simply was saving her dignity. Unlike your Uncle Curze's wife who embraced her past your mother doesn't like to remember it." The Lion says before walking over and lopping the beast's head off. "You did good today Luthor." He says patting his son's head.

While Luthor much like many of his cousins inherited most of their features from their fathers... Luthor inherited his mothers eyes and her unfiltered smile.

"So when are you going to tell me about the Dark Angels?" Luthor says looking up at his father.

"That is a talk for when you are older." Lion says softly as they walk together.

Taglist @bispecsual @the-californicationist @egrets-not-regrets @libraryshadow @illusivecam

If you wished to be added to the taglist please let me know

[ahollowgrave]

-- sorrowing.

[iron-sparrow]

Has your journey been good?Has it been worthwhile?

We will find our way.

feat. @ahollowgrave, @hazelkjt, @this-is-ris & @nolanel-corbeaux

Final Fantasy XIV certainly isn't my first MMO, and I've been alive enough decades to be way too jaded about everything. Yet here I am, crafting these images of my friends (virtual representations of them) and feeling all kinds of ways the entire time.

I met Hazel and began raiding with him back in Shadowbringers. That's actually when I met Nolanel, too; I initiated our friendship when I messaged him privately for Paladin advice. He was the only other Paladin player I knew at the time, and I wanted to become a better raider.

We got along almost instantly.

In Endwalker, Hazel and I ran a second static to clear for Nol and some other friends. This is when we met Ris, who was recommended to us as a DPS by someone in our main static. She grew on us immediately, and I eagerly roped everyone into the RP-GPOSE-tumblr pipeline. Sorry, not sorry.

Come Dawntrail, Ris will be running her own static while Hazel and I go back to our main group, with Nol coming along as a fresh DPS. We've already made plans to reconvene after Savage, though, to get our DSR clear together.

I hope, too, that Pigeon will keep listening to our bullshit. She mentioned once that no matter how many times she watches us prog, she still has no idea what the fuck the mechanics are. Still sticks around though, giving us moral support (and watching us play with cursed objects in Phasmophobia). So there, in those images, is Odette greeting our tired asses after raid and asking us how it all went.

Fuck. It's been a real fun time.

I've really loved getting to know all of you. I really look forward to traumatizing developing our OCs more in Dawntrail together.

(Oh, and a very special thank you to @thefreelanceangel for the beautiful divider. Seriously, she's amazing and super talented.)

[gaydragontournament]

List of battles, as chosen by wheel spin. Each round will last about a week, Starting next Monday.

Round 1, Part 1:

King Valerius (Dragon's Reign by Raythe Reign/X. Aratare) vs Nel (Fire Emblem)

Yang Xiao Long (RWBY) vs Falin Touden/Red Dragon (Dungeon Meshi)

Qibli (Wings of Fire) vs Dan Heng/Dan Feng (Honkai Star Rail)

Evaristo (The Las Leyendas movie franchise) vs Paarthurnax (The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim)

Prismatic dragon (Dungeons & Dragons (Epic Level Handbook, Dragons of Dragons of Faerûn) vs Imperialdramon (Digimon)

Whiptail lizard (Real Life) vs Shi An (After The Abyss Dragon Woke Up (深渊巨龙苏醒以后))

Sundew (Wings of Fire) vs Rex Igneous (The Dragon Prince)

Uncle Iroh (Avatar: The Last Airbender) vs Azhdaha/Retuo Longwang (Genshin Impact)

Round 1, Part 2:

Rei (Vainglorious Webcomic) vs Remy (Angels with Scaly Wings)

Soren (Fire Emblem:Path of Radiance + Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn) vs Wrathion (Warcraft Series)

Valax (Blades of Light and Shadow) vs Fiona (Flight Rising)

Kaido (One Piece) vs Velverosa (Mage & Demon Queen)

Lord Arum (The Penumbra Podcast: Second Citadel) vs Midgardsormr (Dragalia Lost)

Nimona (Nimona) vs Mateo (Poised in Either Eye by B. Pigeon and Fell A. Marsh)

Corrin (Fire Emblem: Fates) vs The Void Dragon (Aurora)

Anemone (Wings of Fire) vs Tillius the Paladin/Tilly Evans (She Kills Monsters)

Round 1, Part 3:

Unnamed Young Dragon (The Enchanted Forest Chronicles) vs Caden Bryce (Dragon's Reign by Raythe Reign/X. Aratare)

Veldora Tempest (That time I got reincarnated as a slime) vs Zuko (Avatar: The Last Airbender)

Draco quinquefasciatus (Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia) vs Umber (Wings of Fire)

Rhea (Fire Emblem) vs Xue Xian (Copper Coins (Tong Qian Kan Shi) (铜钱龛世))

Tamarin (Wings of Fire) vs Samol (Friends at the Table: Seasons of Hieron)

Robin (Fire Emblem: Awakening) vs Ansur (Baldur's Gate 3)

Moondragon/Heather Douglas (Marvel Comics: Guardians of the Galaxy) vs Chromie/Chronormu (Warcraft Series)

Smaug (Lord of The Rings/The Hobbit) vs Burnet (Wings of Fire)

Round 1, Part 4:

Rong Minh Thanh Thuan/Thuan (Dominion of the Fallen series by Aliette de Bodard) vs Ventuswill (Rune Factory 4)

J'mon Sa Ord/Devo'ssa (Critical Role) vs Zinnia (Super Lesbian Animal RPG)

Tohru (Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid) vs Alear ( Fire Emblem: Engage)

Alduin (The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim) vs Jae-ha (Yona of the Dawn)

Dragona Joestar (Jojo's Bizzare Adventure: The Jojolands) vs Zhongli (Genshin Impact)

Ayame (Fruits Basket) vs Alba-Lenatus the Abyss Dragon (Yu-Gi-Oh!)

Zephyr (Poised in Either Eye by B. Pigeon and Fell A. Marsh) vs Terezi Pyrope (Homestuck)

Kazuma Kiryu (Yakuza Series) vs Malleus Draconia (Twisted Wonderland)

[kittenintheden]

Willstravaganza 2024 - Rejection, Worship

So I'm doing it, I'm turning this prompt list into a multichapter exploration of Wyll from pre-canon through canon. LET'S GO.

Scar Tissue That I Wish You Saw, Ch 1 Rating: M Word Count: 950 Content: pre-canon Wyll, young Wyll, questioning faith, vague mention of death during childbirth RE: Wyll's mother

AO3 Link

A series of vignettes following the Blade of Frontiers from his youth through his adventures with the squad, loosely based on prompts for Wyllstravaganza 2024. There will be angst, and found family, and friendship, and fighting, and romance, and very likely smut. We begin in the Gate with a seventeen-year-old Wyll questioning his faith, or lack thereof.

Wyll is not a religious man.

Much of the time, the patriars and politicians in their orbit find it curious that he and his father aren’t overly dedicated to the gods. They pay proper deference, of course, but the Ravengard men do not practice any rites, make time for regular prayer, or kneel before altars. Most people receive a polite smile and a gentle change of subject when they press the matter with the Grand Duke. In time, people stop asking altogether.

Every now and again, it comes up with the younger Ravengard. Wyll is young, only a lad of seventeen, but he holds himself as a man, refined and noble. His father ensured it so. His dedication is to the Gate, to the people. There is no time to be spread thin appeasing the gods. Not when the city needs its leadership to lift them when they are low.

But Wyll knows the true reason his father lowers his eyes when they pass the temples, why he picks up his pace ever so slightly until they clear the holy district. Wyll knows, every time he looks upon the portrait in the hall of his father standing behind a seated paladin, her fingers intertwined with his upon her shoulder, her golden eyes and dark skin radiant even on canvas, the bound hands of Ilmater prominent on her ceremonial chestplate.

Ilmater called suffering holy, and sacrifice in the name of life the most holy cause of all.

Wyll has never quite forgiven the Crying God for calling for his mother’s sacrifice at the moment of his birth. He should, it is expected. But he cannot.

Perhaps that’s why he finds himself in Rivington today, standing just outside The Open Hand temple. Wyll rubs small circles into the hilt of the shortsword at his hip as he stares up at the belltower. While the Grand Duke encourages him to regularly venture out to the Lower City to be among the people, he insists his only son keep a blade close. Just in case.

Wyll is not the only Ravengard who fears further loss.

Pigeons flit back and forth over the tiled roof, some with tightly rolled parchment bound to their legs, some without. The afternoon sun is warm, but not uncomfortably so, and the people mill about. When a few here and there note his modest but unpatched clothing, they ask if he can spare a bit of coin, and he does. Every time.

He should go inside. Pay his respects, check on the clergy. See how he can help those who suffer, those who are in need.

Wyll absently reaches for his vest pocket where a gold chain hangs and rubs the links between his fingers. He’s had it as long as he can remember. A gift. An inheritance.

His feet will not move.

“Are you all right?” says a voice from beside him.

He turns to find a human woman standing there, perhaps ten or so years his senior. Wyll is a tall youth, yet she nearly matches his height. A beauty, certainly, with flawless skin and crystalline blue eyes, her shoulder-length auburn hair swept back underneath a ceremonial headpiece. He’s unfamiliar with the iconography, but it’s clearly important for her to display it so prominently. 

“Yes, saer, thank you for your kindness,” Wyll responds, inclining his head to her. “Simply lost in thought.”

The woman hums, giving him a slight smile and turning her gaze onto the monastery. “The Broken God is quite keen on keeping his lambs lost, I suppose.”

Wyll’s brow twitches ever so slightly. It’s fallen out of fashion to refer to Ilmater as The Broken God. “He’s led me here, has he not?” he says. “No better place for one to be of service.”

She gives a light laugh and then goes wide-eyed, seeming to realize her offense. “My apologies, young saer. My mouth got ahead of me. I meant no disrespect to you or your patron.”

It’s Wyll’s turn to laugh. “No, I am not of Ilmater’s clergy. I uphold his teachings as best I can, but the god and I, we… ah.” He bites his cheek, considering his next words. “Have our differences,” he finishes weakly.

The woman tilts her head and looks him over. “What god does a man of the people worship if not the god of those suffering most?”

Wyll arches a brow at her and she shifts her eyes over to the children playing nearby. “I saw you handing out coin just now.”

“Subtle as I try to be, I can never quite manage,” he says, reaching up a hand to rub the back of his neck. “Guilty as charged. To answer your question… none.”

“Interesting,” the woman says. “You do so seem like the type. I mean that as a compliment, by the way.”

“Then I shall take it as such,” Wyll says. “Forgive me, I don’t recognize your symbol.” He indicates her headpiece.

She smiles, then. “A lady looking to strike a deal,” she says. “One who always gets her man.”

His brow furrows again. “I see. Well. My apologies for my sudden leave, but I’ve come here on business and I should get to it.”

“Of course,” the woman says, nodding her head to him. “Do take care.”

Wyll pays her a tight smile and turns toward the postmaster, intending to bring up the mess his delivery system leaves once again.

Behind his back, the woman’s smile goes sly, her eyes briefly flashing red.

“See you soon,” she says.

[leidensygdom]

Happy (belated) Halloween, folks! Here's Yxala, my tiefling paladin, dressed as The Batter for the occasion!

For clarification, The Batter is a character from the indie game OFF (made by Mortis Ghost), where you play as a guy dressed in baseball attire ready to purify the world from ghosts with a... Bat. The Mythfriend is (unwillingly) providing the "ghost" part of the equation. Yxala doesn't really like her brother's pigeon-IA'd familiar. Anyways! It's maybe a bit of an obscure choice, but I had loads of fun with her clothes and the posing!

[findingcrow]

Some Voltron Headcabons for the soul (but it’ll probably be a lot of Pidge) (I will do more of these if ppl like it)

- Pidge roller-skates around the castle. When the others need a tool or something, all they’ll see is Pidge zooming by (and possibly hear a thud if they hit the wall)

- Hunk is basically Gordon Ramsey in the kitchen and he definitely watches Hell’s Kitchen and The Great British Bake Off

- When the group goes anywhere, Shiro holds their stuff like a grandma carrying her kids jackets

- Lance can only run for like 15 seconds before getting out of breath (Pidge and Hunk make fun of him for this)

- Keith will randomly hate something. Anything. Especially if everyone else likes it. He would despise Stranger Things and Melanie Martinez, not because anything is wrong with those things, but because they’re popular.

- Keith gatekeeps (Everyone tries to explain to him what gatekeeping is but he never understands.)

- Pidge sleeps once a week at most and runs purely on energy drinks and steals everyone else’s coffee (considering he’s almost always awake, she’s the best option when people can’t sleep so the rest of them often come to them to hang out)

- Keith, Hunk, Lance, and Pidge all have sleepovers and play Killbot Phantasm 1

- After each battle, Hunk makes a nice meal for the team :)

- Coran watches the paladins and observes them like birds to try and understand humans better (but his assumptions are usually wrong and the next day they’ll see him using a human item/phrase wrong)

- Shiro helps Pidge cut their hair because they discovered that they prefer it short rather than long

- Once Lance accidentally called Pidge “Pigeon” and no one has let either of them live it down

- Following that, Lance stumbles over his words like every other sentence

- Keith loves coconut. Idk he just seems like a coconut guy

- Hunk has snacks in his lion all the time and the paladins will sometimes yell out to him when they’re all traveling for some. He’ll throw it into space and they all race to grab the snack first. Once someone has the snack, he gets out more and makes sure everyone gets some

- Pidge has dirt on EVERYONE. Pidge sees all and hears all and has almost a black market on information between the paladins (Lance and Keith often buy information off of her about each other for the low price of their coffee for the day) (this is often used when birthdays are coming up and it helps Pidge make sure no one gets the same thing) (only problem is that the paladins have a REALLY hard time figuring out what to give him)

- Allura watches My Little Pony and cries at the end of each episode

[saaliyah]

⋆｡°✩ Loren and Anis ⋆｡°✩

My current guys on rotation - My partner and I made them for a baldurs gate themed epistolary and now they have take me over.

Anis (Portrait on the right) is the Tav - He’s a bastard of some haughty high elf and got thrown into the military to save face when he was young and dumb - but after half his troop got killed, the survivors got drunk and swore they would avenge them. He’s been left as an Oath of Vengeance paladin with this stupid mistake chasing him ever since.

Loren(Portrait to the left) is Anis’ partner who was not kidnapped on the nautiloid, but got left behind behind in Baldur’s Gate. They work at Sword Coast Couriers and the pigeons are so devout to them. They have an insatiable thirst for knowledge, especially arcane, but they’ve had too many other responsibilities to ever get to follow through. When Anis was taken, they worked out a search spell to find him and set up a letter system with one of the pidgeys.

These two have been in a loving but very stagnant relationship until the events of BG3 - their love is great and worthy of epics, but it takes being tested to get it there! While they write letters back and forth to each other, Anis tries to shield Loren from the grisly realities to keep them from worrying, while Loren can tell more is going on - It finally breaks when it’s revealed that they’ll be heading to the Shadowlands - Loren can’t stay away any longer.

Anyways, I love them, it’s been so fun to learn about them ahh!!!

(Psss I do portrait commissions if you have ocs you can’t stop thinking about)