#please note we did change the ages on some of the apps to match up with our timeline!

[doomsdayhq]

welcome to your life  ⎯  there’s no turning back

welcome to the chaos  ,  ally  (  diego hargreeves ,  david castañeda )  ,  andie  (  vanya hargreeves ,  ellen page )  ,  ani  ( five hargreeves , gavin leatherwood )  , cait  ( delilah hargreeves , allison scagliotti )  , j  ( francesca aguilar , kat graham )  , jay  ( nikora “niko” hargreeves , jordan fisher )  , jude  ( ben hargreeves , justin min )  , k  ( klaus hargreeves , robert sheehan )  , lily  ( alice peirce , danielle campbell )  , pisces  ( elena hargreeves , jeanine mason )  , raquel  ( zain hargreeves , avan jogia )  .  we're so happy to have you  ,  and we hope that you don't mess up the timelines too badly  . . .  again  .  now that you're ready to settle in  ,  please head on over to our checklist  (  linked in source  )  and make sure you give it a read before you send in your accounts  !  we can't wait to write with you  !  before we go  ,  let us we leave you with a wise quote from the scriptures of the prophet  :  young man  ,  there's no need to feel down .  i said , young man  ,  pick yourself off the ground  .

* admin note ! we did change the ages of some characters to line up with the timeline ⎯ they were all minor changes , but all gifted characters ( except the umbrella academy ) are currently 29 and will be turning 30 in a month !

⌈  DAVID CASTANEDA  ,  30  ,  CIS MALE  ,  TRAJECTORY MANIPULATION  ⌋    oh ,  of  course  you  know  about  DIEGO HARGREEVES !  you  know ,  NUMBER  2  of  the  UMBRELLA  ACADEMY ?  dad  always  said  that  HE  is  BRASH  &  SELF-CONSCIOUS ,  but  mom  would've  said   they’re HEROIC  &  SENTIMENTAL .  they’ve  always  reminded  me  of a volley of sharp knives , leather harnesses and boots , heavily practiced martial arts skills , the occasional stuttered utterance , and  time  jumps  haven't   changed  that . i  can’t  wait  to  see  how  this  pans  out  ! 

⌈  ELLEN PAGE  ,  30 ,  CIS FEMALE  ,  SOUND MANIPULATION  ⌋    oh ,  of  course  you  know  about  VANYA HARGREEVES !  you  know ,  NUMBER  7  of  the  UMBRELLA  ACADEMY ?  dad  always  said  that  SHE  is  UNSTABLE  &  AWKWARD ,  but  mom  would've  said   they’re  STUBBORN  &  HARDWALKING .  they’ve  always  reminded  me  of  violin strings , flowing water , crackling fire , and old book smell ,  and  time  jumps  haven't   changed  that .  i  can’t  wait  to  see  how  this  pans  out ! 

⌈  GAVIN LEATHERWOOD ,  18/59 ,  CIS MALE ,  SPACE-TIME JUMPS   ⌋    oh ,  of  course  you  know  about  FIVE HARGREEVES !  you  know ,  NUMBER  5  of  the  UMBRELLA  ACADEMY ? dad  always  said  that  HE  is  OBSESSIVE &  CANTANKEROUS ,  but  mom  would've  said   they’re  PRAGMATIC  &  INTELLIGENT .  they’ve  always  reminded  me  of  smirk holding back barely contained aggression , a lanky teenager dressed in a blooded school uniform, ineligible calculations scribbled into a coffee stained book,  judge jury & executioner ,  and  time  jumps  haven't   changed  that .  i  can’t  wait  to  see  how  this  pans  out ! 

⌈  ALLISON SCAGLIOTTI ,  29 ,  SHE/HER ,  ELECTRICITY MANIPULATION ⌋    oh ,  of  course  you  know  about  DELILAH HARGREEVES !  you  know ,  NUMBER 2  of  the  SPARROW  ACADEMY ?  dad  keeps  saying  that  SHE  is  RECKLESS  &  STUBBORN ,  but  pogo  would  say  they’re  RESOURCEFUL  &  TRUSTWORTHY .  they’ve  always  reminded  me  of   worn out converses resting on a table , the sound of lightning striking , the smell of the first cup of coffee in the morning , the feel of goosebumps on your skin even  more  now  they’re  under  pressure .  i  can’t  wait  to  see  how  this  pans  out !

⌈  KAT GRAHAM  ,  29  ,  FEMALE  ,  THE ABILITY TO BRING IMAGINARY BEINGS IN & OUT OF CREATION   ⌋   oh ,  have  you  heard  about  FRANCESCA ' FANCY ' AGUILAR  ?  they  showed  up  at  the  academy  10 DAYS  ago  all  the  way  from  CHICAGO  ?  i  got  the  impression  that  SHE is  STUBBORN  &  HOT-TEMPERED  ,  but  they  might  be  HONEST  &  HUMBLE  for  all  we  know  .  they  remind  me  of  candy glossed lips all the time , soft voice drips off their tongue like honey , pink glitter with a dash of blood, becoming the monster in the dark ,  but  maybe  all  this  chaos  will  change  that  .  i  can’t  wait  to  see  how  this  pans  out  !

⌈  JORDAN FISHER ,  29 ,  CIS MALE ,  PATHOKINESIS  ⌋    oh ,  of  course  you  know  about  NIKORA “NIKO”  HARGREEVES !  you  know ,  NUMBER  6  of  the  SPARROW  ACADEMY ?  dad  keeps  saying  that  HE  is  STOIC  &  ALOOF ,  but  pogo  would  say  they’re  ASTUTE  &  ALTRUISTIC .  they’ve  always  reminded  me  of  oversized sweaters to conceal a tiny frame , the sound of waves crashing ,  a heavy chest from holding in tears , and memories that never leave your mind even  more  now  they’re  under  pressure .  i  can’t  wait  to  see  how  this  pans  out !

⌈  JUSTIN MIN ,  29 ,  MALE ,  CAN SUMMON ELDRITCH TENTACLES FROM A PORTAL IN HIS CHEST  ⌋    oh ,  of  course  you  know  about  BEN HARGREEVES !  you  know ,  NUMBER  1  of  the SPARROW  ACADEMY ?  dad  keeps  saying  that  HE  is  NAUSEATING  &  MOODY ,  but  pogo  would  say  they’re  INTELLIGENT  &  LOYAL .  they’ve  always  reminded  me  of  the crinkle of leather in spring weather , the smell of a book , black is the new black , silently correcting your grammar , taste of blood behind unwavering lips , caught in the rain without an umbrella even  more  now  they’re  under  pressure .  i  can’t  wait  to  see  how  this  pans  out !

⌈ ROBERT SHEEHAN ,  33 TECHNICALLY ,  GENDER-FLUID ,  COMMUNING WITH THE DEAD  ⌋    oh ,  of  course  you  know  about  KLAUS HARGREEVES !  you  know ,  NUMBER  00.04  of  the  UMBRELLA  ACADEMY ?  dad  always  said  that  HE/THEY  is  NEGLIGENT &  SELF-SERVING ,  but  mom  would've  said   they’re  CREATIVE  &  RESILIENT .  they’ve  always  reminded  me  of  cigarette smoking wafting past a lamp post at midnight , an isolation amongst a crowd , black satin dampened by rain water , the smell of patchouli and sweat with a taste of gunpower on your tongue , the blunt edge of a razor blade gliding over multiple layers or tape ,  and  time  jumps  haven't   changed  that .  i  can’t  wait  to  see  how  this  pans  out !

⌈  DANIELLE CAMPBELL  ,  29  ,  FEMALE  ,  UMBRAKINESIS  ⌋   oh ,  have  you  heard  about  ALICE PEIRCE  ?  they  showed  up  at  the  academy  3  DAYS  ago  all  the  way  from  ROMANIA  ?  i  got  the  impression  that  SHE  is  TEMPERED  &  BLUNT ,  but  they  might  be  VEHEMENT  &  OBSERVANT  for  all  we  know  .  they  remind  me  of  the first snowfall spouting layers of ivory , lazy mornings curled up in black silk sheets with messy curls , darkness underneath such an innocent look that put angels to shame ,  an allure to the darkness ,  but  maybe  all  this  chaos  will  change  that  .  i  can’t  wait  to  see  how  this  pans  out  !

⌈  JEANINE MASON ,  29 , CIS GENDER ,  FIRE MANIPULATION  ⌋    oh ,  of  course  you  know  about  ELENA HARGREEVES !  you  know ,  NUMBER  FOUR  of  the  SPARROW  ACADEMY ?  dad  keeps  saying  that  SHE  is  NAIVE  &  STUBBORN ,  but  pogo  would  say  they’re  ENERGETIC  &  LOVING .  they’ve  always  reminded  me  of  paper cuts from turning the page too quick, lighting candles with a flick of her wrist, wiping tears away after hurt feelings, burning every flower she tries to plant ,  even  more  now  they’re  under  pressure .  i  can’t  wait  to  see  how  this  pans  out !

⌈  AVAN JOGIA ,  29 ,  CISMALE ,  ENHANCED SPEED ⌋    oh ,  of  course  you  know  about  ZAIN HARGREEVES  !  you  know ,  NUMBER  3 of  the  SPARROW  ACADEMY ?  dad  keeps  saying  that  HE  is   MALADROIT  &  AMENDABLE ,  but  pogo  would  say  they’re   SANGUINE  &  DILIGENT .  they’ve  always  reminded  me  of  stacks of books with tattered pages, the smell of a freshly blown out candle, a gust of cool wind blowing through a hot day, and empty grand old library filled with undiscovered books , even  more  now  they’re  under  pressure .  i  can’t  wait  to  see  how  this  pans  out !

[tripmywire95]

Casual Match - Chapter 1

Playlist

Pairing: Helmut Zemo x female reader

Summary: having a side income might’ve been a great idea until you realize that you're too seemingly affected by a certain Sokovian.

Rating: explicit 18+ only (for future chapters)

Warnings: anxiety, sugaring arrangement, is Natasha being a big sister a warning??? Not beta read.

Word Count: 600+

Notes: fic inspired by this post. I decided to come off anon and write the whole thing. I have no set schedule for each chapter so I will be updating this as I go.

“Over my dead body will I sign up for Tinder,” you warn as you sit next to Natasha, offering her a glass of wine. “I just don’t see this working at all.” Particularly setting the age range to 40+. You grab the stem of your glass, welcoming the dry taste of the drink. “If you do change your mind” she says as she gives you a plate of pirozhki, “I know what we can add in your profile to stand out.” Natasha nudges your arm after she sees you roll your eyes.

Later that night with your third glass now empty, you finish up your profile. 72 hours until approval.

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Natasha sees your text. If I don’t reply in the next forty minutes call 911. Just when you’re about to grab the doorknob you feel Nat approach you, that dead set look in her eyes, unblinking. You think you hear some words in Russian. Shit. Pulling out your phone you click on the app, handing the device to her. She finally blinks, but you remain still, any attempt to read her face is useless and it feels like the minutes drag.

“I guess you didn’t need any help weeding out profiles. After all, I did suggest the wrong site.” Her smugness would infuriate you if Natasha wasn’t on full overprotective mode. “Are you sure you don’t want me to wait for you?” You shake your head. “Just text me once you’re done. Alright?” The reassuring squeeze of her hand on your shoulder quelling your nerves for a moment.

Until you meet him.

You’re aware how deceptive photographs can be, you’ve studied it, worked with it, played with it, seen how hard is it to get that good shot underneath the harsh lighting and the motion of the subject. But this? It can’t be replicated by a composition of pixels. He gets up from his chair when he sees you, a small smile playing on his lips, eyes not quite matching his expression.

“Hi,” you say, smile beaming, hands cold. You’re fucked.

He greets you back and grabs your hand gently, placing a kiss to your knuckles. You try to take a deep breath as you both sit. Calm down, he will not see through you.

“This is your first time.”

The hammering of your heart picks up again. You’re about to say some excuse about your supposed excitement when he continues…

“It is mine as well.”

“Oh thank God” you blurt out in relief. “It seemed like you’ve done this before.” Helmut’s eyes soften. “I fear I am not that well-versed with online dating.” You chuckle. “Trust me, you were not missing out. You’re lucky if you have an actual person reply and show up. Let alone if they match with their profile.” He leans closer, the scent of vetiver and cedarwood drawing you in. “My good fortune struck today then. I’m more than pleased to have you here.” There it is, that glint in his eyes. “I would say the same about you as well” you assure him. As the conversation continues you’re able to take your time to notice the things you missed before in your anxious state. To get yourself acquainted with the sound of his voice, that measured tone when he speaks, his accent adding a slight roughness to it. To think of what else that voice can do.

“Is my offer still good?” his fingers hover on the leather bound book. You mouth a yes as he slides the book to you, an envelope peeking from the pages. As your digits count each bill he retrieves the book, adding more “for the inconvenience of startling you.”

This time your smile is relaxed and his finally catches up with his eyes.

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Your fingers are too fast for the glitching keyboard of your phone. Nat, I'm getting you a bottle of Beluga...

[yuta1forme]

light & shadow pt. 1 | yuta

summary: standing in line for doyoung’s book signing, yuta wonders if he has ever acted normally around you 

author’s note: i had no idea how else to split this story into a readable format so  this will be a two (maybe three) part series! as always let me know if you would like to be tagged in the future parts!

taglist: @sweet-rintarou​

prologue: [21:26] 

genre: fluff, friends to lovers, college!au (this part)

pairing: yuta x reader

length: 1.7K

There are certain fundamental truths Yuta knows about the universe - the sun always rises in the east, milk goes before cereal and that Nakamoto Yuta does not blush. 

“Nakamoto Yuta, do I have permission to flirt with you in Japanese?”, the translation app reads out in its robotic voice. He whips his head around to face you as if the words had left your mouth and not the phone held in your hand. And then he feels it. That unfamiliar heat rising to his neck and cheeks. One look at the amused grin on your face and he knows that you have noticed too. If there is one thing that has not changed in all eleven years of him knowing you, it’s that he should always expect the unexpected from himself when he is around you. 

Even right now, hearing you gush about your attractive new coworker, Yuta feels an unfamiliar knot of form in the pit of his stomach. He suspects that it is the protectiveness he feels towards you that is making him feel so strangely antagonistic towards this man he has never met. But there is a niggling feeling at the back of his mind that tells him that that’s not the only reason why. 

You always had a way of getting a reaction out of him that no one else could, always had him feeling emotions that he didn’t know he could feel. His relationship with you, while not better or worse than the relationship he had with any of his other friends, was certainly different. It always had been. 

In freshman year, equipped with only a translation app on his phone, Yuta left his hometown of Osaka for Seoul. He had been offered a full-ride sports scholarship by Sooman University. He would play for the school’s soccer team and pursue, to his parents’ relief, a more “practical” degree in Business Management. 

He would be playing with the team where some of his favourite soccer players had first gotten their start before moving to the Japanese league. It was a dream come true. Well, almost. 

He had just never imagined it would be quite this...lonely.

Over his first month in the city, he could count the number of people he had spoken to on one hand. The first was his roommate with whom his conversations were limited to “hello” and “good morning”. The second and third were two middle-aged cafeteria ladies, who would coo over him and give him an additional helping whenever they saw that he was down. The younger of the two looked so much like his aunt, that it made his heart long for his family back in Osaka. 

The fourth and final person was Mr. Jung Yunho, the Student Affairs Counsellor - an energetic man in his early thirties who had lived in Japan for most of his adult life. He had sense that something was amiss and had tried to pry into what was bothering Yuta right from their first meeting. After about three weeks of beating around the bush, Yuta had finally, begrudgingly, confided in him about his homesickness and his trouble communicating in Korean. Mr Jung had listened intently through it all, occasionally patting his shoulder to comfort him. 

“You must feel very lonely, Yuta”, the older man had told him, resting one hand on his shoulder, eyes shining with sincerity. 

It was lonely. He didn’t have a single person he could call a friend. Everyone he had met thus far seemed so busy, living a life far too fast paced to notice the quiet foreign student at the back of the lecture hall. He wondered if anyone in his classes would even notice if he stopped attending lectures. The only time he felt like he belonged somewhere was when he was playing soccer with the team, but even then he wondered whether he could call his teammates, his friends. 

“Let’s start with helping you communicate first, shall we?”, Mr Jung had said, interrupting his self effacing train of thought. 

“I’ll put you in touch with someone who can help tutor you in Korean. A Korean Literature student who’s been working with some other foreign students as well. I have a gut feeling you two will become great friends!”

That was how Yuta had come to know you. He clicked on your kakaotalk profile picture and zoomed in to your beaming face. You had one of those warm, welcoming faces. A face that one would trust immediately. Your face gave the impression that smiling was your resting face. The laugh lines on either side of your mouth and the crinkles beside your eyes were further proof of that.

Yuta had sent you a short, impersonal message introducing himself as the student Mr. Jung wanted you to tutor. He had not wanted to get his hopes up. Having been all by himself in a foreign country for the past month, being dependent on someone felt strange to him.

Still, before he went to bed that night he found himself refreshing his messages, hoping for a notification from you. As his luck would have it, you hadn’t replied even the following morning. Yuta had swallowed the lump forming in his throat, pushing any disappointment out of his mind. 

You made the decision to move, all on your own, to this country far away from your friends and family, where you don’t even speak the native language. You have to face the consequences on your own too. Y/N is not obligated to help you. No one is. This is your own battle, for you to fight on your own.

With those thoughts in mind, he had busied himself with getting ready for the first match of the season against the neighbouring university. 

At half-time, Sooman University was trailing behind Seoul University with a score of 3-1. With the centre forward benched because of a foul, things weren’t looking up for the team. Yuta had made several attempts to score a goal throughout the game but had been stopped by the right-back, Park Minsoo, on Seoul University’s team. He was much taller than Yuta and had a larger build, which he used to his advantage. 

If there was one thing he absolutely hated, it was foul play. Yuta’s teammates had tried signalling to the referee that Park had been playing dirty, but the referee, infamous for being biased towards the Seoul University team, had brushed off their concern. 

After having collided with him several times over the last half, Yuta was getting impatient. He knew this wouldn’t end well for him but he had let his anger get the best of him. After another foul-worthy tackle from Park, Yuta used his side to shove the man out of his way with all his energy. Perhaps it was the momentum with which Yuta had crashed into him or pure dramatics, Park landed on his back howling in anger.

The referee blew his whistle to signal a pause and the players from both teams began fighting amongst each either, trying to put the blame on the opposing team’s player. The situation with Park must have been grave because the Seoul team’s coach and manager hurried on to the pitch as well. Yuta’s team captain stepped forward to defend Yuta from the wrath of the other side. But ofcourse, being Japanese, Yuta barely understood a word being spoken. There was no way he would be able to dig himself out of this. 

The thought of being benched for the rest of the semester crept into his mind. The fear of losing his scholarship made his legs tremble and he instantly regretted not heeding his older sister’s lifelong advice to him to be more gentle.

Then you appeared. Like an angel, only instead of white robes and a halo made of pure light, you wore a blinding neon green visor and an equally garish hot pink t-shirt bearing the Korean Literature Department’s logo. He saw you hop down the bleachers and squeeze through half a dozen sweaty soccer players, to thrust yourself in between Yuta and the opposing team’s coach. You explained somewhat emphatically to the referee that Yuta was a foreigner who barely spoke Korean and that any missteps on his part were purely a misunderstanding because of the language barrier. The man didn’t seem convinced, grumbling and gesturing animatedly at the two of you, egged on further by the other coach’s growing impatience. 

Yuta wished he could understand what was being said. He tried to hang on to every word being spoken, but the adrenaline from the tackle and the heightened atmosphere made it even harder for him to concentrate. He picked up a few words here and there. A mention of a foul. Then someone yelling out the word suspension, which made him clench his fist so hard he thought he would pop a vein in his arm.

But he understood the last words to come out of your mouth, perfectly well.

“Please let my friend off the hook this one time? I apologise on his behalf”.

Friend. No, he definitely had not misheard that. You had called him your friend. 

You had yanked Yuta forward by the arm, pushing his head down into a deep bow. Yuta took the hint and apologised, somewhat robotically, to Park and his coach. He was not bothered by the condescending smirk on Park’s face or the dirty looks that were thrown his way by the rest of the Seoul team as he allowed himself to be dragged off the field by you.

You dragged him quickly to the empty booths near the back of the stadium, sat him down and handed him a bottle of Gatorade. 

“I saw your text. I’m really sorry I didn’t reply any earlier. But to be fair I had wished you good luck with your game but I doubt you saw my message considering you were down here getting shoved around by that asshole Park”, you had started rambling while Yuta chugged the drink. 

Then he did something that he would cringe about for years to come. He should have known right then, on day one, that he could never act like his usual self around you.

He had shot up out of the seat, stepped forward and pulled you right into his arms, lifting you a couple of inches up in the air due to the sheer force. Through shaky breaths, he had whispered out a barely audible thank you to you. To his relief, you didn’t fight him off.

After a few seconds, you broke the silence and embrace. 

“Hey, I know I just saved your ass but you’re kind of really stinky from the sweat”, you had said in between giggles. 

He had dropped you back down and grinned somewhat apologetically at you in response. 

After that day, he was no longer alone.

[theholycovenantrpg]

CONGRATULATIONS, HINA! YOU’VE BEEN ACCEPTED FOR THE ROLE OF VIKTORIA.

Admin Cas: Hina, I cannot express how delighted we are that you’ve brought us our visionary, our architect, our Viktoria — at long last! You captured them perfectly: from their innate dissatisfaction, to their restless desire, to the inevitability shared between God’s four apocalyptic creations. I think your para sample was a real stand-out for me; you slotted Famine so effortlessly amongst the other Horsemen and you grasped the nature of the relationship between them all so perfectly that it really feels like you’ve been here with us from the start. Your application was such a treat to read, and I’m beyond excited to see what restlessness the two of you’ll unleash upon us! Please create and send in your account, review the information on our CHECKLIST, and follow everyone on the FOLLOW LIST. Welcome to the Holy Land!

OUT OF CHARACTER

Alias | Hina

Age | 24

Personal Pronouns | She/her

Activity Level |  6/10 - full-time student so activity level will fluctuate.

Timezone | GMT

Triggers | REMOVED.

How did you find the group?  | through the lsrpg tags

Current/Past RP Accounts | REMOVED.

IN CHARACTER

Character | Viktoria/Famine

What drew you to this character?

So, I have this personal rule where I don’t apply to roleplays that have already started because I get this intense feeling of FOMO, but I kept coming back to Viktoria and was genuinely so surprised that they hadn’t been taken yet. I feel like she was waiting for me to take them up haha.

But on a more serious note, the Horsemen fascinate me like no other faction in this roleplay. There’s something about the bond that they have that surpasses ties of family, love or even just emotion in general. They are bound by their own inevitability as a singular entity and together as a four. Yet, while the Four Horsemen are similar in a lot of ways, with their once shared purpose and existence, Viktoria’s innate dissatisfaction with everything aside from their own creations struck me as something unique that sets them apart from their brethren. If anything their ability to feed on that appetite that she craves has given them the ability to construct and build on a level that is almost, quite literally, God-like. It’s this and the fact that she was created first - not distinct from the other Horsemen because of this reason, they all were formed from a part of God Himself - but Viktoria’s presence, their sheer essence was present and mulling in souls for eons before God created Viktoria and then the rest followed in an instance. While the Horsemen are linked together and will follow each other for the rest of time, I want to explore these two aspects especially in this New World and how Famine’s very nature creates either a fracture between them all or binds them ever closer together.

What also really interests me is the path she taken in this plain, not just as a Mercenary of sorts, but the almost unconscious path she has taken in moulding those that possess that same aching hunger as them. I think for Viktoria this has filled the hole in them ever so slightly after leaving everything she created in Purgatory. But for Viktoria, as I touched on a little before, it’s this dissatisfaction that consistently comes into play which she also projects onto other people. I think if she sees potential in someone, especially if she sees something that matches their level that same restless desperation rises in them of seeking, finding and almost taming them to their own very high standards.

What future plots do you have in mind for the character?

I imagine Viktoria’s future plot lines to be largely based around several other characters in the roleplay, especially that of the other Horsemen, but there are several directions I can see Viktoria going in:

i. Today you are driving me from the land, and I will be hidden from your presence; I will be a restless wanderer on the earth - the Horsemen’s Purpose

What is really interesting is that one of things that bound the Four Horsemen together is their shared purpose in bringing about the Apocalypse. While their paths may have drifted while in Purgatory, I feel that Viktoria, and potentially the others too, would have relished in there not being a fracture of planes, but an even greater expanse which fulfilled all of their aspirations, an Apocalypse which changed the very fabric of Life itself.

But with that purpose being robbed from them and having been thrust into the mortal plane, not only does this reduce the power that they hold, but I would argue this weakens the bond that they have together. The occupation that they all currently hold, being killers for hire, is a much more solitary occupation than what they were first created for. I think that despite the fact that their planning and preparation is done together, there is a chance that as their personal desires and aims grow through connections with other characters in the roleplay (Viktoria’s specific circumstance I will touch on next), I can see a rift forming between the four of them if that is at all possible. Viktoria’s particular desire for power to create the world in their own image doesn’t trump the bond that she shares with the other Horsemen though. I can imagine that there is a tipping point where Viktoria has a number of paths that she can take for their own benefit, but ever the tactician she is, she would recognise that the power they have together can achieve so much more than splitting off on her own.

Building on the prior point, I also think with the way that the New Order was created, Viktoria imagines there to be another Apocalypse, she can feel the hunger, the aching starvation and the loss of control and I think its only a matter of time before the Horsemen capitalise on it if they don’t get sidetracked.

ii. I am coming quickly; hold fast what you have, so that no one will take your crown - Viktoria + Michael

The connection between Viktoria and Michael is something that I can see going further and absolutely shaking the New World in its entirety.

Viktoria from all of their time manipulating people’s emotions is very much aware of the need and desire that is clawing away at Michael, the fascination that Michael has when he looks upon her. Famine is unable to feel emotion in the same way, but I do think she is able to replicate and even imitate them based on eons of feeling and experiencing those of others around them. I think depending on how their relationship forms in the future, I could see an alliance struck between the two.

However, I think the above depends on other factors:

If the relationship between Michael and the other Arkangels dissolves completely, it could serve as an in for the Horsemen as a collective through Viktoria to go about fulfilling their preordained purpose (or a new one)

Alternatively, if the relationship between Michael and the other Arkangels dissolves completely AND the relationship between Viktoria and the other Horsemen dissolves as well, I can imagine Viktoria’s allegiances and desires turn towards the throne that Michael sits upon for the power it holds in order for her to form what she wants

iii) You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment - killer for hire

Something I want to explore as a plot point is Viktoria’s role as an assassin. As this is something that they and the other Horsemen do as a collective I can imagine them having devised a very clear dichotomy between the roles that each of them play when carrying out a job. Because of Viktoria’s role as a tactician, a creator, a diplomat, I can imagine them not wanting to sully their own hands with the act of taking someone else’s life, but I think also she sees it as beneath them so she somewhat relies on the expertise of the others to carry out the actually act of the job successfully.

As a result of this, I really want there to be an instance where Viktoria is forced or compelled to kill as I think this juxtaposes quite heavily with who she is and would be really interesting to see how it plays out.

iv) A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance - emotions

Throughout this app I’ve mentioned emotions, specifically how Viktoria does not have in. To expand and clarify this, I want to say that Famine doesn’t have any. Famine wasn’t created with the intention of feeling anything but an aching sense of hunger for the Apocalypse. I would even say the dissatisfied, restless emotion she experiences is something that has developed in them. I would like to think thought that since the New Order has been created causing Purgatory to fracture, the price in a way of taking up a mortal name, Viktoria, and almost reducing themselves to the level of a mortal woman has led to Viktoria experiencing their own emotions as well as manipulating other people’s. I think this would really complicate future events or perhaps Viktoria and the other Horsemen would recognise this and attempt to come up with a plan to speed up their agenda depending on the way these emotions were affecting them as a group.

Are you comfortable with killing off your character?

My short answer is yes I would be comfortable with killing off Viktoria.

Long answer that I think warrants some thought before she is killed off:

The death of one of the Horsemen is actually really interesting because in theory they should be dying/dead because they are an embodiment of God in some form. I think this is down to their inevitability and the inevitability of their purpose. So while I believe Viktoria or Ryuk or Nerissa or Dmitri can die I don’t think it’s possible to kill off Famine or Death or War or Conquest.

I think this is the reason why I would want there to be more consideration on the whys and hows if Viktoria is to die. Famine will remain, in the hunger, the starvation and the dissatisfaction that will take hold in others, or with Viktoria’s death something else to replace them will form and be Famine or even take its place.

The death of Viktoria will also change the dynamic of the Horsemen, of which their purpose of bringing about the Apocalypse will be lost, which would be interesting depending on the direction the roleplay goes in.

IN DEPTH

Driving Character Motivation

Right now I think Viktoria’s ultimate desire which also serves as a motivator is to vanquish this restless hunger that’s consuming them once and for all. I think since God created Viktoria and the rest of the Horsemen without a real motivator in mind, she’s found in the eons that she’s been living, the power of creation abates it the most because its only through Viktoria’s own work that she can truly feel the satisfaction that she craves. I think this dissatisfaction spills over in her view of other people which is she wants to mould those, especially those with potential to fit around their standards so she can feed off of it.

Ultimately, its because of the Horsemen’s collective lack of purpose that makes Viktoria motivated to seek out power not only to help their own agenda with potentially bringing about an Apocalypse this time round, but to seek out opportunities in which she can go further than she ever did with their creations in Purgatory with their brethren by their side. I think this will also define Viktoria as less of a person with a mortal’s name but as where she rightfully thinks she should be; Famine, the ever present hunger, starvation and ache that claws through those lesser.

Character Traits

+ Calm: One of the reasons why Viktoria makes a good diplomat and is the one that represents the Horsemen on the political stage is their ability to remain calm and collected and convey the Horsemen’s position and aspirations in a favourable light. She is someone that is easily admirable just as she is formidable. I would say it is because of their calm nature that sets her apart as a leader over the aggressive and war-hungry Nerissa. Viktoria is someone who also never angers easily, preferring to state a few words that have meaning or else say nothing at all and let her plans and actions do the talking.

+ Cunning: Viktoria’s ability to create and map out what she wants and where she wants it makes them impressive in itself, but coupled with their ability to formulate to their and their brethren’s advantage is a skill that is valued highly when plotting to their own agenda and also when carrying out their kills. Viktoria is a long-term strategist preferring to wait and consider their options before striking out with the best one.

+ Instinctive: Viktoria has eons to not only study the emotions of others, but actually feel them through the abilities she possesses. It’s because of this that she has become extremely emotionally aware and is able to more or less tell what sort of emotions are being drawn up in the other person. This has been insightful when it comes to plotting their next marks.

Restless: Viktoria is someone who wants results and she wants them immediately to the highest of standards. Any task that she feels she can do better themselves she’ll do it, but the idea of delegating to someone that isn’t of the same calibre as them irritates them. She has little, if any patience for incompetence. One of the few people she trusts is their fellow Horsemen. I think this restless, easily irritable nature, however, doesn’t win them any points amongst the other factions and especially not the other Horsemen who have to be the literal embodiment of perfection before a good word is uttered by Viktoria.

Manipulative: Every move Viktoria makes and every action that she takes isn’t without an ulterior motive that is there to benefit them or the Horsemen. Its because of this that most people know that Viktoria isn’t one to be trusted no matter how convincing their silver tongue can be.

Unemotional: While Viktoria is able to replicate or even mimic emotion, Viktoria possesses no emotion of their own. Perhaps its because of the way the God created them, with raw starvation and savageness in His mind, or spending many a century deep in the depths of Purgatory, she is unable to express may of the core emotions that others seem to have. Even with the other Horsemen, there’s something innate, almost a primal bond that binds Viktoria with them, perhaps the closest semblance to love she’ll ever be able to feel. Although this is something that I see changing with the length of time she is spending in the Mortal Realm.

In-Character Para Sample

i.

Famine turned to the sharp, jagged opening, their eyes steely and focused on their destination ahead. Their brethren beside them, with the same look of determination frozen onto their faces. Famine newly formed, newly arrived knew almost intrinsically that these three were instrumental to their success. Their joint success of bringing about the destruction of the Worlds that He had created, for where there was creation, there would be a a slow degradation that the Four were feeding off of long before their conception.

Famine looked upon the jagged piece of cut air, the friction lined with a sliver of gold a beacon that did not serve as their waiting room before they were unleashed upon God’s Earth. They stepped in together, a cold rage burning in the pit of their hollow stomach, as they stared at the bleak expanse of space full of the lingering tortured souls that had not managed to reach Heaven or Hell. It wasn’t as if Famine would have rather been amongst their Creator’s other subjects in either of the other two realms. The mere glimpse of Heaven and its blinding light was just as dull to them as its inhabitants. Famine could sense their brethren’s pursuit for other tasks as she moved forward with their own. What would she make of the expanse in front of them? What purpose did it serve if they were meant to lay here in wait for the downfall of everything that was holy, everything that was impure and everything in between? And what was she supposed to do here? Famine was no mere mortal and the place they were in was not Eden. She could not and would not pluck the metaphorical apple from the tree and take a bite to give them free will. No. Famine had a purpose, they all did. And so she would stay in the deepest of recesses of hunger, laying in want with a need to be fed and a desire of more from their very existence.

And so she wandered the realm’s depths, Famine, who was created from a starved piece of flesh, who was ordered to carry out the end of all of His creations and cast away along with their brothers and sister until the time was right did what she was told. Until she didn’t. With God’s gaze above, managing His unruly subjects, Famine chose to set themselves on their own path. Manifesting their dissatisfaction into something tangible into something that she could taste, something that she could feel. Famine had to barely reach out from the depths of their mind to weave together an image of their own design. She wondered as she crafted and composed the dilapidated pillars of their glass fortress one day whether it was the divinity in them that allowed them to formulate and construct the way that she did. But Famine need only have taken a step back and gazed upon their crooked kingdom to see that the power that she possessed was entirely their own.

ii.

Viktoria descended from, Albtraum, their gaunt skeletal steed, just outside of the building in which they knew their brethren sat waiting for their arrival. She caressed the curve of his starved face in what can only be described as affectionate if it was at all possible for them to feel such an emotion. Viktoria had taken to travelling to The Holy Hall on their creature, it was purely political after all. It was essential that the factions remembered the Horsemen’s status amongst them all, the last thing she wanted for them was their own place in the house of cards to topple, like Creator, like Created.

She walked up the steps to the dimly lit hall they were sat in, their gaze took them in, each a handful of chaos and each far too complacent with the New Order than she had liked. It was one thing following them out of their vision of Purgatory to the opaque opulence of this plain to then be reduced as a collective, as mere remnants of God’s corporeality. No. Viktoria wouldn’t let their descent go any further. She would feed Ryuk with as many decimations as he desired, she would work in Nerissa’s bloodlust and settle Dmitri’s whims in their plans if it meant that they would follow in their ascent. They only needed time and patience and resilience so she could work to mould and manipulate the upper echelons of government. They all knew better, as Viktoria did with them, to go against their unrivalled ability to formulate.

Viktoria nodded at each, in respect, before taking a seat at the table, waiting for one to speak with the burning questions that she knew they possessed.

“Michael, again?” Nerissa spoke an ever-present impatience permeating their voice.

Viktoria looked at them their eyes resigned at the picture that had been created almost involuntary, without their permission. She hated not having a choice. “Yes, it would seem we have landed on a treasure trove.”

“But it is a matter that solely concerns you, sister, not us.” Ryuk interjected, for the first time addressing the unspoken tensions that threw a spotlight on the friction between them all since they stepped out of the middling realm.

Dmitri, with as much solidarity as they possessed reached over, clasping their hand in their own. Viktoria smiled coldly at Ryuk, not before squeezing Dmitri’s hand in reassurance. She was calm; she was controlled.

“Surely, Death,” she emphasised, wanting to remind them all of their position that had been clouded by mortal names and mortal feelings. “You value the hold of your status than of a few mortal souls?”

There was silence. Viktoria knew they hesitated, they had been stripped of their purpose, they knew of nothing else.

“We must continue to play their game,” Dmitri spoke.

Viktoria nodded, a wave of satisfaction washing over the itch that she knew was pent up in them as well as in the others. “Until the time is right.” Because when time was right, Viktoria knew she would be Famine once again, the three Horsemen by their side looking over an endless sea of destruction and doom.

Extras

Not that great at graphics etc so will be thinking of headcanons as I write and develop Viktoria more!

[gale-gentlepenguin]

ML Fic: Soulmate Survey Part 3

(Original idea here)

(Master post)

_______________________________________________________________________

Chloé hated this stupid app.

How is Adrien not on her list of compatible matches? Clearly the app was broken and not worth everyone’s time. She and Max have been arguing about it since he overheard her complaining about the app. What made the whole thing worse was that most of the class seemed to agree with him.

“...The whole thing is a trashy internet quiz only for people who have no lives.” Chloé exclaimed to Max just as Marinette and Adrien entered the room.

“It isn't some ordinary internet quiz. There is so much processing of data, use of algorithmic solutions that would take months to explain and you would not even understand a fraction of. I have yet to crack the formula. But I guarantee that it is more then trash.” Max defended vehemently.

Adrien decided to avoid getting involved and tried to slowly move to his seat, but unfortunately, Chloé’s vision noticed his movement and pounced.

“Adrikins.” She exclaimed in a saddened tone as she pushed passed Marinette to get to him. “Please tell me you don't believe all the crap about this stupid app?”

The model scratched his head. He noticed Marinette looking at him, he could tell she was curious about his answer. 

“Why do you think the app is not effective.” Adrien deflected. He wanted to avoid talking about his views on the app until he talked with Marinette.

Chloé gasped.

“So many reasons! For one thing the questions are these weird riddles that make no sense! Like why would I even WANT to touch money that is on the floor? I don't care who it belongs to!” Chloé ranted. “Not to mention it doesn't let you make a new profile if you delete it! I tried making a new one but it just gave me all of the same information and profile I had before deleting.”

“It is a countermeasure to avoid fraud!” Max answered. “Since you already put in your original name, photo of yourself and age, if you tried putting the exact information in, it will simply reconnect you to the old account to avoid people trying to cheat the system. My test accounts got deleted yesterday because they found out I used stock photos for them.

Chloé rolled her eyes.

“But most importantly is that it completely messed up my matches. Look at these losers!” Chloé showed Adrien the list, she had a few in the 70% range. Adrien did believe some of the guys on that list did go to this school. “Of course if this list was legitimate, you would be on the list.”

Adrien noted that as a point on why this app has credibility.

“Its just a dumb app. You didn't buy into this did you Adrikins?”

Adrien took a step back, looking for some way out.

“I... uh...”

Thankfully for Adrien, Madame Bustier stepped in.

“Alright Class, Everyone to your seats”

The class quietly stopped talking and moved back to their seats.

The designer was watching the model in the seat in front of her. What did Adrien think of the App? Did he want to tell her that he believes in it completely and wants to try going out with her? Is he angry about it and feels that she is now standing in the way of his potential relationship with Kagami? 

Marinette shakes her head, this was not gonna turn out like her nightmare from last night. Besides, Adrien wanted to meet her in the locker room, not in the library, her nightmare was now not gonna come true..... she hoped.

She noticed Adrien look back at her.. He mouthed the word ‘lunch’ to her. She could tell he was confirming their meet up that day. She gave a quick nod. Adrien smiled and turned back. The brief smile giving her a touch of comfort.

 I apologize for being late, their was a discussion in the teacher’s lounge about an interesting new phone app.” The red headed teacher confessed.

“Was it Soulmate Searcher?” Rose asked. The blond rising from her seat as she asked.

“I believe that was the name of it. My colleague mentioned that their sister was trying it out and has a date with someone they met on the app.” Ms.Bustier replied.

“Are you thinking of trying it out?” Myléne inquired.

“There will be plenty of time to talk about that stuff after class.” The teacher said with a soft smile. Though she didn't let on She was the one that had tried out the app and was in the teacher’s lounge messaging her date for Friday. 

As class began, in the corner of the room sat a brunette that had interestingly kept herself out of the whole discussion about the app. She looked at the app and at her profile. She had not answered a single question, if she wanted to match up with the guy she wanted, she needed to be careful.

_______________________________________________________________________

“Adrien! Where are you going? I really wanted to continue our conversation from earlier.”

“I am sorry Chloé. I am in a hurry, I have something really important thing to do during lunch. We can talk later.” Adrien answered as he quickly headed out of the class.

Marinette wondered what the model was referring to, she could of sworn that Adrien wanted to talk with her during lunch. Something important must have come up. Marinette got up from her desk and held in her sigh. Maybe it wasn't that important that they talked.

As she was about to head out for lunch, her phone buzzed.

 at the locker room 

Marinette turned red, she was the important thing he needed to do. She mentally slapped her self for phrasing it that way.

“Important message?” Her best friend cooed.

“I well umm.” Marinette stammered.

“Relax Marinette, I am just teasing.” Alya assured.

She went to her ear.

“Don't worry about yesterday, that is staying between us.”

“Thanks Alya.  You are the best.” Marinette whispered back before heading out of the classroom.

“Hi Alya.” a familiar voice called from behind the reporter.

“Oh hey Lila. Hows it going?”

“I am alright, I just wanted to ask if you know anything about the new app that has gotten popular. ‘Soulmate searcher’. I heard Max and Chloé arguing about it and I was curious.” The exchange student inquired.

“Oh its great! Pretty much the entire school is trying it out. Are you thinking about getting into it?”

“Well, I am usually apprehensive about trying out apps that give out personal information. I imagine Adrien and Prince Ali would be the same considering how popular they are.”

“Oh its completely safe. Max has tried hacking into it over a dozen times, their cyber security is solid, and I can assure you Adrien has an account.” Alya eased.

“Oh that is a relief. But do you think the app is just a silly quiz or do you think there is more to it? I wouldn't want to get my hopes up on meeting my soulmate on here if it doesn't work.”

“Well Nino and I have a compatibility of 85% as of this morning, so I would say it matches up pretty well. Ivan, Kim, Myléne, Rose, Marinette and Juleka say that the match ups were accurate.”

“Marinette said her match ups were accurate? Who did she match up with? I am sure they are a great guy.” Lila prodded with a faux smile that would fool most people.

Alya hesitated, she realized she was getting into some dangerous territory. She couldn't just reveal Marinette’s list its personal.

“I shouldn't be talking about who was on her personal list. Everyone’s list is only visible to them and it would be an invasion of privacy unless she told you directly.” Alya answered.

“Of course. I just felt bad that Marinette and I haven't been getting along and I wanted to see if I could help her get set up with one of her matches. Perhaps putting in a good word for her.” Lila lied

“Thats really nice of you Lila. but you don't need to worry about Marinette she will be fine.” Alya said with confidence.

“Thats good to hear. Please let Marinette know that if she does want help she can reach out to me.” Lila answered. “I think I will give this app a go. Thanks Alya.”

“Glad I could help.”

Lila kept up her smile as she left the classroom, once she was out of Alya’s sight. Her eyes narrowed and her smile vanished.

Marinette is someone who has a clear crush on Adrien. Alya telling me that Marinette will be fine with her list means that Adrien must be Somewhere on the rankings. I need to find out how high and Beat that percentage. But to do that. I need to find her list... or I need to see Adrien’s.

Lila smiled at the thought. Adrien was a much easier target, all she needed to do was find him, and then she can find out everything she needs to know.

_______________________________________________________________________

Marinette quickly headed to the locker room where Adrien was patiently waiting.

“Sorry for keeping you waiting.” Marinette answered as she caught her breath from sprinting.

“Its fine Marinette. I am glad you could make it.” Adrien responded with a soft smile that made the girls heart melt.

“So... what did you want to talk about?” Marinette asked with cautious optimism.

Adrien felt himself blush a bit.

“I was gonna ask about what you thought of the app. The one we were both using this morning. You know...” Adrien scratched the back of his head with his left hand. He felt awkward.

“O-Oh! Um, well. I think that its a bit more then just a random set of questions like chloé said.” Marinette starts off. She wanted to say that she believed it full heartedly, that it was as if cupid himself crafted the perfect matching system for her and Adrien. But she remembered the dream she had last night, she remembered how angry he was in her dream. She needed to know what he was feeling about the app. “Though of course its still updating! The profile could change at the drop of a hat while its calibrating. I remember Alya mentioning that it could fluctuate and any number set up now isn't set in stone.”

“Even if its 100?” 

The question hung in the air just as much for her as it did for him. They were both aware of their compatibility test score.

“I never heard of a case like this. Do you think it was a bug?” Marinette asked. internally thinking that he was not pleased that they were both 100% compatible. She felt her heart crack at the thought.  “Alya mentioned that she and Nino were only at 85% and they are super close. So... I can't be certain.”

“I don't know. It might be possible that something glitched out. It did only recently get a global release.” Adrien answered. He looked at her closely, waiting to see her relived reaction that she doesn't need to take this so seriously. Truthfully, he didn't entirely believe something happened. The more Adrien thought about it, Marinette did seem like someone that he could align with on a lot of things. Sure they had different perspectives and even did have some differing opinions, it made them both learn. If he was being completely honest, she was one of the people he is glad was high on the list. 

Marinette tried her best to disguise her sorrow from the thought of their 100% was somehow not valid. It hurt to think about. 

“But considering it was with you. I can believe it was a high a number at least. So it being 100% could be valid.” Adrien answered.

Marinette’s face blushed at his words. Did he just say that he thought she and him were highly compatible?

FUCK! I just said that I honestly thought that Marinette and I were highly compatible. She had given me the chance to dismiss this as anything serious and I messed it up! Why did I say that? Sure I think its true but she will be angry just like in my nightmare and get akumatized. Adrien mentally screamed

“It is possible.” Marinette spoke up. “ I can't see how having someone I already know being compatible with me would be a bad thing.” 

“There is also the course of the profile correction. We still have 13 more days of fine tuning our profiles. So things on the list could shake up, should you want that.” Marinette answered quickly.

“Thats true. No need to jump in on this too quickly.” Adrien sighed with relief. Marinette was handling this rationally, which made sense, Marinette always knew how to clear her head and look at things objectively. That was why she was so good at figuring out how to help people. 

It is one of the reasons I like her. Adrien’s thought surprised for a second but he quickly recovered and snapped back to the conversation to catch her response. 

“Yea... no need to think to much of it.” Marinette agreed, her tone a touch sadder then before.

“Yea. I am glad we both aren't overthinking this too much.” Adrien smiled softly. “I am glad we could talk about this.”

“Of course...” Marinette was doing her best not to let her face betray her feelings

Adrien turned and started to walk off before stopping just short of the door. 

“Marinette?”

“Yes?” Marinette jolted, not expecting anymore words from the model.

“After the profiles are complete, and if we are both number one on the other’s list. Do you want to... give it a shot?” Adrien asked as he tried to keep his tone steady, His face was beat red as he was doing something on complete impulse. “If you want to that is. You are free to say no.”

Marinette felt her face burn at his question.

“Yes! I mean sure. It is worth trying out.” Marinette responded.

Adrien turned to her. He had a soft genuine smile that made Marinette feel as if cupid had struck her in the heart once again. But what he said next made her feel like Cupid dropped a tank on her.

“Thank you Marinette. It would be pretty nice if one of my best friends turned out to be my soul mate.”

Marinette could feel her face heat up.

_____________________________________________________________________

THERE I FINISHED part 3 (I don't know how both Part 1 and part 2 got over 1000 notes. The notes usually start to dip after the first part.)

If you want part 4, please let me know. I love hearing feedback and it feeds my impulsive need to write. And I am just gonna say it. 

[kirishwima]

For scenarios... could I request rfa accidentally meeting MC before the party? no drama like "there's a bomb so I gotta run to your place" they just accidentally meet somewhere and MC recognises them from the pictures in the chatrooms and goes to greet them. Rika's apartment can't be far away from where the others live so it should be impossible. (if you can find a way to squeeze in V that's okay but you don't have to)

i really liked this idea! hope i executed it well ^^

YOOSUNG:

MC and he were actually studying at the same university, but different subjects!

They had a common elective course of modern history though, one that Yoosung’s friends convinced him to take with them since they could share notes, and MC simply had an interest in it, and well, needed the extra credits

Neither of them really noticed each other at first-it’s a big classroom and it’s in the afternoons, so oftentimes Yoosung just skipped lmao

Once though Yoosung’s friends couldn’t make it to the class so he offered to go and take notes for the day, and rushed into the class a little late, so he took the first seat available-right next to MC

He struggled to both write and listen to the professor at the same time, and eventually he got a little behind with his notes. MC noticed his cute frustrated face and shared their notes with him, tapping him on the shoulder as they quietly pushed their papers to him

Yoosung’s happy face was stuck in MC’s mind-he wore his feelings on his sleeve and it was so refreshing to see someone this innocent at this day and age.

They became fast friends afterwards-exchanging facebook accounts and talking via messenger often, sometimes about the class, sometimes about anything and everything else

They even had study sessions to help each other study!

Near the end of the semester, and right when this extra class ended, is when MC stumbled upon the RFA messenger-and one look at Yoosung’s name along with his shooting star emoji got them excited to realise there’s a familiar face amongst this strangeness

The rest of the members found their friendship cute, and Zen constantly tried to play match-maker for the two, telling Yoosung that ‘he should’ve told the RFA he has such a cute girlfriend’ lmao

(*cue Yoosung flushing redder than Seven’s hair*)

ZEN:

No, contrary to what you might think, MC wasn’t his fan-they did however hear about Zen through friends interested in musicals, and agreed he was handsome

No, instead, they met him whilst helping out a friend who was working backstage at one of Zen’s shows-they needed help finishing up painting of some background sets, and MC offered to help them in their free time, and as a return their friend offered MC tickets to the show

Zen met MC whilst rehearsing-he knew MC’s friend and went over to say hi, and met MC, who he of course instantly tried to flirt with, even though he was half-kidding about it

Well, flirtatious nature aside, the two really hit it off, and became good friends-not that they were super close or anything, but Zen would stop and chat with MC after rehearsals, and he invited MC out along with the rest of the crew after the first successful run of the show

He didn’t exchange any social media accounts with MC, because quite frankly, he doesn’t have any lmao, and MC’s phone was broken so they couldn’t give him their number either

Zen insisted that if they leave it up to fate, they’ll meet again, and well-he was right

Lo and behold, MC joined the RFA, and whose face is the first they see in an oh-so-modest selfie?

Yup, Zen the Knight it is

His first words when he realised who MC was were ’See? I told you fate would find a way!’

Sure Zen,,,sure lol

JUMIN:

MC actually scored an interview as Jumin’s executive secretary!

They were so thrilled about it, and did their best to calm their nerves before the interview, knowing that being jittery and anxious would lead them nowhere

Well, they were more than shocked at Jumin’s cold behaviour, but they did their best to match his pace, answering each of his questions without missing a beat, mentioning their credentials without bragging about them

Honestly, Jumin was very pleased-he saw a perfect candidate across him, albeit a little inexperienced due to age, but that didn’t really matter to him-with a little training they’d be perfect for the job

Well, eventually though a better candidate came along, so MC was left with the rejection e-mail in their inbox, disappointed but ready to move on

They had all but forgotten about Jumin Han until stumbling onto the RFA and meeting him again, confused and surprised at the difference of his character in the chatrooms

They didn’t mention the interview at all, but Jumin has the memory of an elephant-one look at MC’s name reminded him of how he met them, and he reassured them that they were incredibly good at the interview and left an impression on him

It takes some getting used to his different attitude, but it’s refreshing to see a man they thought of as cold and calculated be a complete cat-loving goof-and it’s honestly one of the things that makes MC fall for Jumin

And vice-versa, Jumin remembers MC’s serious confident attitude at the interview, and is pleasantly surprised to learn what a gentle, kind person they are in the messenger

When they meet Jaehee though….boy are they glad they didn’t get the job lmao

*pat pat* it’s okay Jaehee…hang in there baby

JAEHEE:

MC was working part-time as a barista at a coffee shop near C&R!

It was a small independent shop, hidden in-between bigger franchises, but their coffee was great, and if there’s one person that loves good coffee, well, it’s Jaehee

The first time she visited the shop she was at a loss of what to order, the possibilities endless with all these brews of coffee they offered, and MC found Jahee’s flustered face adorable

They chatted her up to see what kind of flavours she likes and dislikes, and ended up making her a delicious cold brew with vanilla cream-just sweet enough to give her that sugar rush she needed, but not enough to hide the flavour of the coffee itself

Well, Jaehee was more than thrilled both at the taste, and at the cute cashier *wink wonk*, so she quickly became a regular at the shop

Yes this is your good ol’ cliche coffee AU DON’T JUDGE ME

She’d always stop for a cup of coffee before work, and would secretly be happy on the days she ended up meeting MC during their shift-she’d try and visit during her breaks too, when time would allow it, and would sit and sometimes chat with MC when the cafe wasn’t too busy

MC eventually learnt some stuff about Jaehee, that she works as a secretary to some annoying cat-loving rich dude (lmao sorry Jumin), that she loves coffee, and that her dream is to eventually open her own cafe, if circumstances allow it

One day, Jaehee went to the shop, knowing that MC had a shift at that time, but they were nowhere to be found-their co-workers said MC called in that they can’t make it today because something urgent came up, so Jahee nodded along, wondering if MC was okay

….well, she didn’t have to worry for too long, as not soon after she got her coffee and headed back to the office, a familiar name popped up on the RFA chatroom

Yup, this is a coffee shop au alright-just with some hacker and cat-loving twists lol

SEVEN:

You can never convince me that this boy is not an active reddit user, and you most definitely can Not convince me he isn’t in any and all paranormal and horror forums either

So he’s scrolling around on reddit one day, posting memes and trolling people, when he stumbles upon a really interesting thread someone made about the origins of mothman and possible sightings outside the USA

He’s hooked and spends a lot of time reading through the thread, intrigued by the sophisticated way the OP wrote their points and how well-thought of their evidences were

He started commenting on the thread and talking with the OP, who he soon became online friends with-he loved to chat with them about spooky stuff, cryptids, conspiracy theories and so forth

He didn’t talk much about himself, and would sometimes even make up some lies because he didn’t want to seem like a creep that won’t even share his name, but he couldn’t give out his info that easily; he did however tell them his code name, 707

Eventually they started talking outside of reddit too, through facebook messenger (i mean…we already know this dude has a facebook account and posts his cars there lmao), and is thrilled to find out more about his new online friend, MC, and to even find out they live far closer than he thought!

Well, he gets used to talking with MC almost everyday, and it’s actually one of the few highlights of his day-he’s never really had someone care for him the way this person, someone he hasn’t actually ever met in real life does. He wonders if they’d change their mind about him if they ever met him in real life, but shakes the thoughts away-it’s not as if this could ever develop into something more than an online friendship anyway

Well…or so you thought, Seven lol

When a stranger comes barging into the RFA messenger, he’s instantly tracing their steps and finding out all their internet activities, and lo and behold-whose facebook account is this that he ended up finding? Why, it’s none other than MC!

The moment Seven found out, he got suspicious; was MC just pretending to be online friends with him to hack into the RFA? Were they stealing information without him knowing?

It hurt to have to think this way, but how else could they be linked?

When he slowly found out MC was actually innocent, he was more than relieved-he secretly happy that he could now chat with them both online and on the RFA app, that he could share parts of himself with MC that he couldn’t before

to say he fell for them is the understatement of the century lmao

V/JIHYUN:

When he first started with photography, he took some classes at a local university to learn more about professional photography, photoshop e.t.c

And MC happened to be taking the same classes as him!

They often sat next to each other, not talking at first, but then their professors would sometimes ask them to pair up to work on assignments, and MC ended up paring up with Jihyun more than once

They became fast friends-Jihyun was a little distant, but always friendly in a cold, aloof way, and always polite, and he found MC to be so warm and gentle, he was naturally drawn to them

He did feel attracted to them, but never made a move-he was still struggling with so many things himself, he didn’t want to drag anyone else into his mess. He just wanted to focus on photography and that’s that

So whilst they talked a lot during university, as soon as they graduated, V drifted away, and when he even changed his phone number all communication was lost between the two

Well, time went on, and MC slowly began to forgot about the mint-coloured man they met, until they stumbled into the RFA chatroom

They didn’t realise it was Jihyun at first-he did change his name after all, and everyone in the char referred to him as V, but the way he texted was very familiar, even though MC couldn’t quite understand why

When he finally introduced himself, they were stunned. They didn’t want to ask him if he remembers them though-it’d be too embarrassing if he said he didn’t

But of course V did remember them-the moment Seven told him their name after his background check, all the memories came flooding back, opening up a Pandora’s box in his chest where he locked all those feelings away

Even if they’re back within arms’ reach, and even if they seem interested in him though…it’s useless. He’s far beyond repair, and if he didn’t want to drag MC into his mess then, he most certainly doesn’t want to drag them into it now

So he becomes distant again, more so than ever before but MC isn’t having it-they call him out on his bullshit, and tell him to square up and be honest otherwise they’re leaving

So V reluctantly admits to it all-to remembering MC, to his feelings towards them, and to his own cowardliness back then, and how it’s now too late to change anything; even if he wants to. God, he wants to.

hi I’m soph and i love to torture my favs lol

-send me a mystic messenger scenario/prompt for character reactions!-

[blogspersonal707]

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Day 18: Photo

Fandom: Until Dawn Character(s): Chris Hartley, Josh Washington, Ashley Brown Words: 1962 Rating: Teen (language bitches!) Author’s Notes: *Nickelback’s ‘Photograph’ plays in the background* Still alive over here! And it’s not angst this time! Amazing, I know. Big reason this one is so late is because after spending 3 days thinking about what to do for this, I still had nothing. And then I inspiration came to me in the shower so here we are: the follow-up to Deals and Arguments that probably no one wanted! Because lets be honest, if Ash is the one who writes ‘Ashley Hartley’ in her books, then Chris absolutely scribbled a heart with their initials by accident once. And that’s all it takes for Josh...

For almost as long as Chris had known him, Josh had always been obsessed with the idea. He wants to say that it started when they were in fifth grade, when their teacher, Ms. Franks, announced to the class that since she was pregnant, that she was going to be taking a leave of absence just before the end of the school year. Someone, he couldn’t recall who, had asked if they had a name for the baby picked out, but he could recall the response as though it had happened only yesterday.

“It’s still a little too early for names, but if they’re gonna be a girl, we’re thinking of naming her after a mutual best friend of ours.”

Ever since then, Josh had been all over the idea. Every dare, every piece of blackmail, every ‘dying’ wish was the same: “Name your kid Josh.” When he was younger, Chris would laugh and shove Josh away with a roll of his eyes. It was funny back when he was like ten or eleven, or hell, even when he was thirteen! He was gonna be a super cool app developer, he wasn’t gonna have time for marriage, much less kids. All of his time was gonna be spent developing super awesome games and apps that were gonna save the world! Or something. 

While his mind didn’t exactly change the moment he met Ashley the summer after he turned thirteen, he is ashamed to admit it was pretty dang close. Josh introduced Ash to him in their favorite fast food diner, and declared the three of them to be best friends, til death do us part, yada yada yada. At the end of July, the three of them were inseparable, and by the beginning of school that September, he was gone. Donezo baby! Head-over-fucking-heels for the little braces wearing, red-head that read Sherlock Holmes and Shakespeare for fun.

And unsurprisingly, Josh never let up on his demand. Nope, he did not! In fact, he got even worse about it. 

He needed to borrow a pencil for math? Name your kid after me. 

Can he spot him a couple of bucks for ice cream? Only if you name your kid Josh. 

When did the Battle of the Alamo take place? 1846. But I’ll tell you the right answer if you swear to name your first-born after me. 

While extremely exhausting to try and avoid, Chris was able to do so easily. He just started asking the kid who sat behind him in class for pencils, borrowed money from Ash instead, and he’d rather fail history then name his kid after Josh. Thankfully, after his first bombed history exam, Ash made all three of them do their homework together constantly, so the last one became a moot point. Barely.

Eventually, Josh tapered off on the demand, but not until after the start of the next school year. Most people probably would have stopped a few weeks in, but most people weren’t Josh Washington. When he wanted something, the guy stuck to his guns and didn’t give it up for nothing. Not that he stopped entirely of course, Josh still brings it up during dares and shit but it becomes immensely more manageable. He notices that he doesn’t ask it of Ash during these game, but when he considers the completely mortified look she gets on her face when ever he gets asked, Chris figures that its probably for the best.

(The fact that he not only stops that day Chris walked back into Ash’s bedroom and she’s as red as her hair while shoving something into her desk drawer, but that’s also when the mortification starts, he doesn’t clue into until years later.)

So when Josh walks up to him during their first period together with the absolute shittiest of shit-eating grins on his face, Chris is on red high alert.

“Oh no. What did you do?”

The laugh Josh gives is low and dark, and if Chris’s hackles weren’t raised earlier, they sure as fucking-hell are now. “Oh no, Cochise. It’s not what I’ve done, it’s what you’ve done.” With that, Josh proceeds to just slam a binder onto Chris’s desk, and he looks to see that he recognizes it easily.

“Okay...? I don’t see what my math notes have to do with anything.”

Another laugh, this one somehow darker and eviler then the first. Oh boy, those alarms going off in his head aren’t getting any quieter. “Oh, it has absolutely everything to do with you.” Before Chris can even respond, Josh is already flipping through the pages, past older pieces of loose-leaf that ripped from the binder coils that he hadn’t bothered to repair and and the newer notes with their edges still intact, and stops at the most recent. At first Chris doesn’t see anything, it’s all his notes about logarithms that he had taken the previous day, blue ink scratchy and messy all across the page, and then he does. And he absolutely blanches at the sight and hurriedly slams the binder shut, putting his face in his arms as he covers his head, actually whimpering as he refuses to look at Josh.

He doesn’t have to look to see the triumphant grin on Josh’s face, he can already imagine it pretty clearly. 

“Oh fuck me.”

The worst part is that he didn’t even know it was there in the first place, he never would have lent his notes out otherwise. Josh had been missing more and more school recently, claiming that he was having killer headaches and they were making him sick, so Chris had done what friends do for each other and lent him his notes. What he didn’t realize was that at some point when he had been taking notes down, he had drawn a little heart in the margins with the initials CH+AB inside. Something he never would have done if Josh had been there with him, but he hadn’t been, so Chris had zoned out thinking about meeting up with Ash after school to bring Josh his homework.

He was so dead.

“What do you want?” Though muffled through his arms, he cringed at how small and weak his voice came out.

God, he could hear the stupid grin in Josh’s voice when he answered. “You know exactly what I want, Cochise. What I’ve always wanted.”

Chris didn’t remove his head from his arms on the desk, but he did turn it enough to narrow his eyes at Josh. “Are you fucking serious dude? Really? You’re still on about that shit?”

“I will never stop. You know this to be true.”

“I am not naming my stupid kid after you! I mean, maybe I won’t ever have kids. I’m certainly not gonna if I have to name them Josh!”

Josh rolled his eyes, but the wide grin never left his face. “You don’t have to name all of them after me. Just one.” Somehow, Chris watched the grin get even wider as a thought came to him. “Maybe two, if they’re twins. Can you imagine? The twins, Joshua and Joshlynn, it’ll be great!”

“Okay, now I’m definitely never having kids.”

Josh gave a short bark of laughter. "Please, like that’s ever gonna happen. You wanna know why, Cochise? Cause if Ash is gonna want kids, then you’re gonna want kids.”

He couldn’t help it. He really, truly couldn’t help it. The image of little kids with bright red hair and glasses flashed through his mind unbidden, and he groaned loudly and put his face back into his arms to hide how red his face had gotten.

“Anything else, dude. Make me do anything else. I will strip and run through the entire school naked if you want, just don’t make me promise you this stupid shit.” God, if only he hadn’t drawn that stupid heart on his stupid notes, then none of this would be happening right now! He sat up in his seat at the revelation. “Wait. I can just rewrite the page and burn this one.”

“Oh, Chris Chris Chris.” They way Josh shakes his head in disappointment sends around a million different alarm bells ringing. “Do you really think that little of me? I took like a million pictures my dude. This shit is saved forever. I can send this to Ash whenever the fuck I want. I can post this on whatever social media I feel like and it will live on the internet forever, and there’s nothing you can do about it.”

Oh. Right. Shit. “I can’t believe that you can literally blackmail me with anything right now, and this is the hill you’re dying on.”

“So are we in agreement then?”

“I cannot believe I’m saying this, but yes. Fine. I will name my stupid kid after your stupid ass.”

“Oh please. Your kid may be stupid, but there is no way that any kid of Ashley’s is gonna be.”

“...I hate you so much right now.”

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

Chris hadn’t meant to respond the way he did when he found the old notebook he had bought for Ash years ago. He really hadn’t. He had just been excited to find out that she had kept the stupid thing after all these years, he hadn’t even been joking when he told her that he had spent ages in the store looking for it. (”It has to be perfect, Mom! I can’t just buy her any stupid old journal, she loves these things! I mean, what if she hates it?”) So he had opened it and started flipping through the pages, laughing with her at all the stupid misspellings and bad grammar that her thirteen year-old self had written.

And then he reached the last page.

Things had really been out of his hands at that point. Something about seeing her writing her name down as ‘Ashley Hartley’ had just ignited something in him. The images of her walking down an aisle, of them with matching rings on their fingers, of kids running underfoot, was too much for him to handle. So Chris had kissed her. Kissed her like he was never gonna be able to do it again. Them falling onto her bed had been an accident, though a happy one, as they both didn’t hesitate to deepen the kiss.

Finally, he had pulled away and her giggle when she moved to fix his glasses had taken his breath away. It had quickly returned when his eyesight improved enough to really take in the image of Ash flushed pink with her red hair spread out under her on the bed, and he was suddenly reminded that she was going to be living with him soon! That this was a sight he was going to be waking up to every morning at the end of the month, and he had never wanted anything so bad in his life.

“So,” his voice is rougher than usual when he speaks and he can feel her shiver under him at it. He makes a note for future reference. “Ashley Hartley, huh?” 

He watches her bite her lip, and it takes everything in him to not kiss her again. Two years in, and he’s still amazed that he’s allowed to kiss her whenever he wants, that she encourages it even! “Be honest with me,” she starts off and Chris has never been told to do something so easy in his life, “what do you think of the name Joshlynn?”

He stares at her for just a moment, just letting her words sink in, and then falls forward to smother himself in her hair, his shoulders shaking he’s laughing so hard. Of course. Of fucking course he did.

“So he got you too, I see.”  

[magicsmutshop]

When You See My Base Line - Pt 1

part 1 of 4

Pairing: Jung Hoseok/Reader Genre: Multi-chapter smut Rating: Explicit Word count: ~2500 Warnings: Alcohol, swearing, drooling over Hoseok’s perfect face and body Summary: You need a hobby, so you take a figure drawing class. Hoseok is the nude model. Note: this is my first fic so please take good care of me! Navigation: part 2 | part 3 | part 4

Who is that man talking to Namjoon by the desk? You’ve never seen him before, but as you look him up and down, you definitely like what you see. Dark, wavy hair with blond streaks flops over his finely-drawn eyebrows. The man’s eyes appealingly crinkle as he beamed at your art teacher, showing off a wide, heart-shaped grin.  He looks a bit short standing next to Namjoon--but who doesn’t, next to that tree of a man? More importantly, his loose hoodie and baggy yellow shorts reveal swathes of honey skin and lean muscle. He has the look of a dancer, slender but powerful. Your eyes catch on his exposed thighs (those shorts were really rather short, weren’t they?). Damn, those are truly something to behold. You’d never considered yourself a leg woman before, but those yellow shorts are changing your outlook. 

As you drag your appreciative gaze back up his body and face (was that a freckle on his top lip?), you realize Yellow Shorts is looking right back at you. You get lost in his dark brown eyes for a moment until it dawns on you that you’ve just been busted checking this gorgeous man out. His smile grows impossibly wider as your cheeks grow hot. Damn your easy blushes.

You quickly break eye contact, busying yourself with digging through your leather satchel, pretending to look for your pencils. Your hands are actually trembling a bit, and you can feel your heart pounding. How can a 5-second eye lock have such an effect on you? Yellow Shorts is still talking to Namjoon, but every time you accidentally look in their direction (who are you kidding? Your stare is drawn to him like you're magnetized), you can feel the weight of his gaze on you.  

Suddenly, Namjoon breaks the tension by clapping his hands together, drawing the attention of everyone sitting at their easels. You turn your attention towards your teacher, but out of the corner of your eyes, you notice Yellow Shorts slipping away towards the screen in the corner of the studio. Is he the model for tonight? You could only be so lucky.

“Hey guys, welcome to week three! Glad you could all make it out on this rainy evening.” Namjoon addresses the class, a dimple appearing in his right cheek as he smiles. “By now, you’re all pretty familiar with the drill, right? We’ll start off with 5 minutes of quick warm-up sketches, and then move into some 10-minute poses. 15 minute coffee break at the hour mark, and then we’ll do a 45-minute pose. Sound good?” He nudges his black-rimmed glasses up his nose as your classmates murmur their agreement. 

As you pull your sketchbook out of your bag, you think back to how you’d ended up in this studio in the first place. 

---

You’d just ended an 18-month long relationship a few months prior. It was a reasonably amicable breakup--no cheating or dramatics. You had just… fallen out of love. In fact, you weren’t sure if you were ever actually in love. Your relationship had quickly fizzled out of the honeymoon stage, so towards the end, you were in a rut of watching bad tv together on the couch nightly, your ex playing Overwatch on his laptop while you browsed Twitter on your phone. Your sex life wasn’t any more interesting--you hadn’t even “Overwatch and chilled” in quite a while. One night, you looked over at him and realized you had no desire to do this for the next 40 years, and told him it was over. He shrugged, barely looking up from his game.

However, no matter how boring it had been towards the end, it had been comfortable companionship, so your apartment now seemed empty at night. Even the stereotypical post-breakup gym routine couldn’t fill the hours, although you had never looked better. You thought about getting back into the dating game, but the selection of men on the apps was, to put it lightly, terrible. 

One night, you were out at a bar with your best friend getting wine-drunk and complaining about your boredom. Ashley took a long sip of her drink before looking at you over her glass. “You know what you need? You need a hobby. And no, Twitter and Tinder don’t count.”

“Twitter is a perfectly valid hobby. I’m keeping up on the latest political news and memes! Plus did you see the latest posts from Mark Ruffalo? That guy is a genius.” You drained the last of your glass and looked around for the server. You needed another drink.

Ashley scoffed. “You’re not even keeping up with politics. You’re getting into flamewars with people over the latest episode of the Bachelorette.” Damn. Your best friend knew you too well. She turned her head and effortlessly flagged the server over while checking her watch. Twenty minutes left for happy hour specials. “Hi, can we get two more glasses of the rosé please?” 

You resisted the urge to check your Twitter account and incur more of Ashley’s scorn. “What do you suggest, then?”

“My coworker, you know the one that had the breakdown after she walked in on her husband fucking the babysitter?” Ashley paused as the server dropped off the fresh drinks.  You nodded--that was a juicy story you wouldn’t be forgetting anytime soon. “Anyway, she started taking art classes at the rec center. She does everything from pottery to watercolors. Apparently, her psychologist recommended it, but she loves it. She never stops talking about how healing it’s been.”

You wrinkled your nose. “The rec center? I thought those classes were for kids and senior citizens.”

“She did mention there are a lot of old people in her classes. But get this--the drawing teacher was this really hot Korean guy. With dimples.” Ashley gave you a meaningful look. She really did know you too well.

“Ehh… art class? I don’t know if that’s really my thing. I haven’t touched a sketchbook in years.” You had actually been a decent artist in high school, but had dropped it in college as you got wrapped up in your classes and parties. You honestly couldn’t remember the last time you’d done anything artistic, outside of mandatory bridesmaid crafting duties for bridal showers and bachelorette parties.

“Hot. Korean. Guy. With. Dimples.” Wine splashed out of Ashley’s glass as she jabbed your finger at you for emphasis. “Plus, getting some culture could be healing for you. It worked for Jessica. You really need to get out of the apartment more.”

You gently grabbed Ashley’s glass, rescuing the wine from her flailing and promptly. pouring it down your throat. “I’ll think about it.” You weren’t going to think about it. There was no way you were going to take an art class with a bunch of senior citizens, even with the lure of a hot instructor.

Two drinks later for each of you, Ashley was squinting at your credit card, trying to type the numbers into the rec center’s shitty website on her phone. “Boom, you’re signed up. Class starts Monday so you’d better get your supplies this weekend.”

In your rosé-induced haze, what you hadn’t realized is that Ashley had signed you up for a figure drawing class. You were in for a double shock when you walked into the rec center 10 minutes late that first Monday night. The first shock, that the teacher, Namjoon, really was that hot (with fantastic dimples)--and the second shock, that there was a nude middle-aged man posing on a couch on a small stage.

Much to your surprise (and Ashley’s smugness), the figure drawing class really was enjoyable. Namjoon was a great teacher--patient and encouraging--and you’d forgotten how good it felt to create something rather than just passively consuming media. You’d even gotten used to the nudity as you focused on capturing the model in efficient pencil strokes in your sketchbook. Your first few figure sketches were horribly amateur, but you soon got caught up in the art, and the first two classes had flown by. The second week’s model had been a young college-aged woman with the most amazing tiger tattoo covering her back, which had been a lot of fun to draw. You had been looking forward to what week three would bring, but you had no idea what was really in store for you.

---

As you finish setting out your pencils and erasers, you notice motion from the corner of the room again. The hot guy from earlier emerges from behind the screen… and he's no longer wearing the shorts, but is wrapped in a knee-length gray robe. Oh holy shit, he really is the model for the night. One of your pencils goes flying out of your suddenly-clammy grip and clatters across the floor, rolling to a stop in front of Yellow Shorts. Your face bursts into flames again.

His face scrunches up into a warm smile. “Oops! You might need this.” He bends over (don’t look at his ass, don’t look at his ass), scoops the pencil up, and saunters over to your desk.  The pencil appears in your line of vision where you're staring fixedly down at your sketchbook. Slowly, you look up and meet his twinkling eyes. His smile doesn’t dim as you stare blankly up at him and the little dimples in his cheeks, but he waves the pencil in front of you again. Your attention caught by his hands, you suddenly notice how long and elegant his fingers are. He wears a silver ring on his middle finger, and a delicate chain on his wrist. 

As if in a dream, you finally take the pencil from him. Your hand brushes his. His fingers are warm and dry, but you feel your breath catch at the light touch. He drags a fingertip across your palm as he lets go of the pencil. Your eyes snap up to his, which look decidedly darker. But his light tone of voice doesn’t match his eyes as he simply says, “Here you go! Please use it to draw me well!” He turns away to join Namjoon in front of the stage.

Namjoon chuckles quietly. “Everyone, this is Hoseok, our model for tonight. Some of you might know him already. He’s the dance teacher here at the rec center, but moonlights as an art model in his free time.” A dancer, of course. That explains the muscle. Your blush still hasn’t gone down and your palm is still tingling as you try not to stare at his toned legs. Namjoon turns to Hoseok and claps him on the shoulder. “We’ll start with the 5-minute warmup first, so just change your pose every time you hear the timer beep.”

Yellow Shorts--Hoseok--nods cheerfully. “Aye aye, boss!” He steps up on the stage and unceremoniously shrugs out of his robe, laying it to one side and sitting down on the chaise lounge. All of the blood that had previously been in your cheeks is now rushing down to lower parts as you’re treated to an uninterrupted view of his sinuous body. He’s perfect. His collarbones catch the light as he turns his face to the side, revealing a sharp profile. His biceps flex lightly as he lowers himself down on one elbow, accentuating the line from his elegant shoulders to his narrow waist. A very defined v-line draws your eyes from his lean abs to his relaxed cock resting on one of his gorgeous thighs. You subtly squeeze your legs together under your desk at the sight. Shit, even his dick is perfect. You genuinely think your heart might stop--but what a way to go.

Suddenly, your lustful reverie is broken by the sound of the timer going off, indicating that a minute in the quick sketch period had gone by and it’s time for Hoseok to switch poses.  You haven’t drawn a single line in your sketchbook yet. You’re fucked.

read part 2

[dishonoredrpg]

Congratulations, NAY! You’ve been accepted for the role of THE LOVERS with the faceclaim of ASHLEY MOORE. Admin Cas: I think we can all agree that The Lovers is a difficult concept to pin down. It’s a task in itself to balance the devotion they have for The World, her world, while not sacrificing who they are at their core. But, Nay, you were certainly up to the task. There’s something so lovely about Prudence, so beautiful and admirable, but something hungry. So much of her life revolves around The World, but that does not mean that Prudence doesn’t have a story of her own to live out. I particularly enjoyed the way you likened her story unfolding to a caterpillar grows into its chrysalis; to become a butterfly or moth, either is possible. I can’t wait to see what you do with her!

Please review the CHECKLIST and send your blog in within 24 hours.

Out-of-Character.

NAME: nay 

PRONOUNS: she / her

AGE: twenty-two

TIMEZONE, ACTIVITY LEVEL: gmt + 5 ; and i’d say my activity ( especially with quarantine, still ) is at a 7/10. lately, i have been trying to write every day, and that means at least a reply every day – even if posted through queue after being written on a better writing day. 

ANYTHING ELSE?: i wrote this way too quickly, because i suck at being patient and didn’t want to wait a week to turn in an app, so forgive me for the sinful typos committed in my haste! this definitely isn’t as polished as i wish it were. also? there are possibly too many insect-facts in this and if that shit squicks you, i am so sorry.

In-Character.

SKELETON: the lovers

K E Y W O R D S 

UPRIGHT: love, harmony, relationships, values alignment, choices

REVERSED: self-love, disharmony, imbalance, misalignment of values

| source: x

NAME: prudence “prue” luna lockhart

→ ETYMOLOGY ;

P R U D E N C E / “intelligence; discretion, foresight; wisdom to see what is suitable or profitable;” also one of the four cardinal virtues, "wisdom to see what is virtuous;" from Old French prudence (13th Century) and directly from Latin prudentia “a foreseeing, foresight, sagacity, practical judgment,” contraction of providentia “foresight” (see providence). Secondary sense of “wisdom” (late 14th Century) is preserved in jurisprudence.

L U N A / “the moon,” especially personified in the Roman goddess answered to Greek Selene; also, an alchemical name for “silver”; from Latin luna “moon, goddess of the moon,” from PIE *leuksna- (source, also: of Old Church Slavonic luna “moon,” Old Prussian lauxnos “stars,” Middle Irish luan “light, moon”), suffixed form of root *leuk- “light, brightness.” The luna moth (1841, American English) so-called for the crescent-shaped eye-spots on its wings.

L O C K H A R T / Scottish: of uncertain origin, probably from a Germanic personal name composed of the elements loc 'lock', 'bolt' + hard 'hardy', 'brave', 'strong'. English: occupational name for a herdsman in charge of a sheep or cattlefold, from Old English loc 'enclosure', 'fold' + hierde 'herd(er)'.

| sources: x & x

FACECLAIM: zendaya coleman ( or ashley moore or natali litvinova — in order of preference! )

AGE: three-&-twenty for zendaya / four-&-twenty for ashley or natali

→ BIRTHDATE: fantasy-equivalent of july 8th; the most cancer baby there ever was!

DETAILS: it took me forever to find a skeleton that made me feel the enduring love i’ve been searching for beyond the ability to see a story, and as it always, unfailingly, tends to happen for the rare occasion where i opt for a softer character, it caught me completely off-guard. initially, surveying the tags, i was leaning towards the skeletons of the wheel of fortune, the hierophant, the devil, the hermit – all of whom, in my opinion, are characters who have been shaped by a darkness, be it inherent or inflicted, that’s rendered them with shadows or edges. with the lovers, that’s not the case. they are tender: like a paramour’s kiss, or a bruise, or an overripe peach you can sink your fingers into. and maybe it’s my unflinching desire to subvert the stereotypical presumption of what it is to be soft, the fragility noted in their skeleton does not translate to weakness or meekness to me; i enjoy that they are both tender, and possess the ability to be chaotic, and manipulative, and impulsive and desperate and vindictive and defensive. what i love most about this particular skeleton is the sheer humanness of them.

that, and their love for THE WORLD. for a moment there, that was definitely what drew me to them; this idea of love as religion had my mind reeling like a siken poem, rhapsodising about a love so powerful, it can alter a person. this is partially because i am the most hopeful and shameless of romantics, and partially because love, its nuances, and its powers and vulnerabilities genuinely, deeply interest me. however, working my way deeper into this application-form, that changed.

it is the love that the lovers — or prue, to me, now — holds for THE WORLD is one that attracted me. it is her own potential for growth that’s kept me in her clutches, besotted, wishing to tell her story. hers is a tale, i believe, of metamorphosis: a question i posed in a later section, as well as what lurks in my mind, is whether that metamorphosis is one that leads to a moth or a butterfly. did you know it is moths who come from cocoons, but butterflies who come from a chrysalis? moths, who are drawn to light. butterflies, who drink nectar, also help spread the seeds to grow more of the flowers. both which come from a caterpillar, whose first meal is typically the egg they come from. what i enjoy is the ambivalence that presents itself — or, as i like to call it: potential. there are several directions that prue’s story could go in, several choices that could define her, and it’s all up in the air until it isn’t anymore.

i wish i could tell you that my EUREKA! moment wasn’t insect-research, but i can’t, because that would be a lie. i’m not even sorry. 

BACKGROUND: 

☉ CONTENT WARNING(s): infant death, stillbirth, body horror imagery, insects

come, dear reader, won’t you settle in? let me spin you a tale—a tangled web of one, indeed—about a girl who smells sweet as white roses and is as satiny to touch as her gossamer-thin garments. this girl is just a girl; she has never been the girl. even so, this story is her story, and though she is not equipped to be the heroine of a story, or so she believes, she is the heart of this one. like a heart, she is swollen with the fullness of blood: thus, let me etch this tale into parchment with the blood of love, in crimson-ink of metallic-reek. 

it comes in three parts: a beginning, a middle, an ending; it is for you, dear reader, to decide which is which. 

let us anoint this tale the title of METAMORPHOSIS –

✧✧✧

i. THE EGG ;

before there is the girl, there is a man and a woman who live in faerûn by the sahrnian sea, bound together by a contract that is decidedly not the forest-fire love faerie-tales herald. yet that is not to say that love never comes, just because love comes after. when it does, it is a calm love, a steady one; a love that has never cost one to lose one’s mind, and has been grown, meticulously, over the passage of time and the trials and tribulations have littered the path of a match made by those who are older and have witnessed so much more life than them. it is not for years that the woman feels nature stirring within her body’s vessel, and when it does, it is with the undying bestowing upon her a gift that makes up lost time. 

when the girl comes, she comes from a belly more full than most. it makes sense that it is so, for there were meant to be two of them: a boy, and a girl. one might suppose that, in the end, there still were, yet only one in the way it mattered. 

( you decide, dear reader: which is which? ) 

she is born — and it is days, and days, before her time. no matter, a name still awaits her. prudence, they call her. pierce, he would have been.

from the beginning, she emerges from the ruddy cave of her mother’s womb incomplete. a greyish pallor remains where life ought to be warming her skin; it is as if he leeched enough life from her for him to choke on, and she siphoned her brother’s death through the connection only womb-mates share – and this is what she will hear in later years, when she asks about him. 

she will wish she hadn’t.

✧✧✧

ii. THE CATERPILLAR ;

( when you feel unforgiving, dear reader, remember: it is a caterpillar’s job to eat; without an abundance of consumption, it cannot survive. it is this abundance of consumption that allows for the production of silk. it is this same abundance of consumption that is its undoing. )

years do not care if one is ready to bear them; they come, when they must, as they must. and so comes to pass the childhood that tries to swallow prudence lockhart whole, over and over and over –

as an infant, blood is filtered out of her body and fresh blood poured into her veins. it helps, some. it does not help enough, yet there is nothing more to be done; her parents must take her home, and pray to the undying god for the rest. they pray, and pray, and pray, as two people of noble blood and lucrative business-dealings rarely stoop to, for lack of need to need it.

as a child, prue is still a frail slip of a thing, with bones jutting out against taut bronze flesh in protest. fill yourself up, her mother pleads. you must survive, beloved. she offers her savory meals and sweet decadence twice, and anything she takes a suggestion of a liking to just as many times more — and it works; it takes time, but work it does, and prue’s cheeks round some and at times flush rosily, some weakness giving way to the minute miracles that are her tardy signs of life. it is not much, but it is enough, isn’t it? it is to the mother who has warred for her existence. who still combats for prue’s survival. 

when does the girl begin to feel that it might be her that her mother is fighting, when every frustration about her lessness, her inherent lessness, begins to steal the breath from prue’s lungs – for is it not her who is all poetry & rot, wisp-thin & about as flimsy? her heart fills with hot, vital blood then: it beats loud and clear as a belltower’s toll, cutting through all else with the potency of its truth. this is as much as i am, she beseeches in turn, as her mother had once done, except not, for graceless tears roll down her cheeks in impassioned rivulets and the voice that thickens with feeling.

how will you survive the world, beloved? her mother implores.

i might not, prue knows. i might not, she accepts.

it is the caterpillar’s destiny to unbecome –

✧✧✧

iii. THE CHRYSALIS ;

– unbecoming takes time.

it takes long enough that both mother and daughter grow used to it, initially, and then around it, ultimately. 

there is, after-all, the distraction of warfare engrained in the backbone of their precious faerûn. there is the journey to tyrholm, the settling into the dregs of hightown – not quite lowtown-bound, and not-quite-not. it fazes her parents to not be profound upper-echelons of society; her father, a man used to running the business inherited by the men in the lockhart family, and her mother, who had spent all of her time worrying for prudence and never had to about wealth. but prue, for her part, is accustomed to the notion of not-quite-right / not-quite-enough; the feeling might not be home, per se, and yet she recognises the walls of the house all the same – could walk its rooms in the dark, if she had to.

it is circumstance that calls the lockharts to castle tyrholm. 

it tears at her parents: her father believes in not squandering opportunity, and her mother would rather squander anything but prudence. even THE EMPRESS sees it, does she not, when she cants prudence’s head and observes her fragility? the king’s reputation precedes itself; would a heart as true and innocent as hers survive a court like his? within minutes, it is too late to ponder it any longer. within minutes, it is no longer a choice, but a deal already struck. just like a match: it cannot be unstruck. one can endeavour to douse a fire, but it is not the same as un-starting it.

for a time, the castle is one more place prue does not feel she belongs; it is alright, she tells herself. you are alright, she says – because her mother is no longer by her side telling her anymore, is she? silken thread ensnares the girl when THE WORLD knocks on her door one evening; it is lilly-white, the radiance of their smile. prue does not understand why, then; she is nothing exceptional, she flounders for the right thing to do, and even then, she gets it wrong so much more often than she ever gets it right. perhaps, she will never understand why – why they are so kind, why they make her feel seen, why… 

and still, this once, there is no question of whether it is enough. they are more than enough.

for the first time in her life, prue discovers what it is to be warm.

✧✧✧

tell me, dear reader – is this a butterfly’s or moth’s metamorphosis?

PLOT IDEAS: 

❂ “love, for you, / is larger than the usual romantic love. it’s like religion. it’s terrifying.” – richard siken  

see, i told you: siken’s poetry reeling through my mind. religion is a really interesting ideology to link the notion of love to, because there are so many boundaries one crosses in the name of faith. at times, we call it the lesser evil. other times, we say it’s letting the end justify the means. we’re all trying to be holy. 

this is where i want to start discussing potential plots for prue — but i want to, first, preface it by saying that though THE WORLD is very much at the centre of her story, it is because prue’s unparalleled love for them is central to her life-story; i treat it like an experiment, where prue is the dependent variable and her love for THE WORLD is the independent variable that incites action & reaction, placed in different situations. it is, that said, the most potent of variables, and can hardly be called controlled, despite how desperately prue herself attempts to keep it to the corner-alcove they hide the truth of their love in. this love is not a selfish love; it is strong, and all-consuming, and maddening – more than a soldier’s swearing fealty to a kingdom, it is the most devout of prophets bowing their head at the altar of the divine deity they put their faith in. that’s pretty intense stuff, right? i want to see what it elicits.

this can be a double-edged sword, and in fact, i’d be rooting for it to be. on one hand, i want to explore how this love has made prue strong. i want to see how it has made her braver, and more resilient. i want to explore that she took THE EMPRESS deeming her fragile-seeming, and how she’s donned it as armour, because it is that same delicacy that has made THE WORLD love them. i want to explore it through interactions with the royal family foremost — THE WORLD, of course, but THE EMPRESS, THE EMPEROR, THE CHARIOT, and if it works out, maybe even septimus himself. it’s rare for prue to not let things slip, and roll off her back, but that is when it comes to her. her love for THE WORLD makes her want to protect them, fiercely; it lights a fire in her soul that has never been lit before. and fire? yes, it warms – but oh, it burns, too, doesn’t it? it has the power to ruin. and i don’t want to limit that exploration to just the royal family; i want to explore it with the animosity-potential between her and TEMPERANCE as well, but that’s one plot i’ll talk more about further down. 

there are little ideas floating around in my head that i would love to explore with the respective players, but i could imagine a friendship between prue ( probably due to her sweet-tooth luring her, too often, to the kitchens ) with THE HANGED MAN – and to explore a bond, that could further be complicated, potentially, by prue not being able to talk about what she and THE WORLD share. or, more chaotically: for her to share it, and for THE HANGED MAN to let it slip to THE DEVIL? how far would prue go to protect this? and would she, if it presented the opportunity for the future where she and her love get to be together is pushed closer by it? how selfless is her love? how powerful would fear be against it?

i’m honestly just a firm believer that, when our backs are against the wall, that’s when we find out who we really are. and that’s the main storyline i want to explore with prue, more than anything else, because i think that she has never been pushed to that edge and, because of it, she’s never copped up to her own identity. she met and fell in love with THE WORLD at such a young age, so quickly and wholly, that it has shaped so much of what her ideal self is. i want to see how her ideal self would differ from the reality of her. and i want to see her confront it.

❂ “you are going to break your promise. i understand. and i hold my hands over the ears of my heart, so that i will not hate you.” – catherynne m. valente

very recently, someone put forth an idea to me: love is a promise. that’s what i want to talk about here. there’s a sense i got — both from the lovers’ skeleton, and THE WORLD’s — that both of them know that there is a time-limit on their relationship. or, at the very least, whatever room there is for prue in their future, it isn’t a room where they share the bed. but i also get a sense that they know it, and neither of them talk about it. i think a part of prue feels like the amount of good that THE WORLD has brought her will last her a lifetime, and i think that isn’t true, so much as she’s hoping it is? i want to see the two of them talk about it. i want to see prue wanting them to fight her love. i want prue to admit she wants to be chosen over duty, or a marriage with someone who isn’t her, or fear, and i want to see what something like that would do to their relationship. or hell, i want someone who has power over THE WORLD, like THE EMPEROR, or THE EMPRESS, or THE CHARIOT or THE HIGH PRIESTESS to find out about the true nature of their relationship and force that choice once they even start talking about, so the situation can force their hands even if they don’t force one another’s.

there’s so much between the two of them i want to dissect and play with, it apparently needed to separate quotations. oops?

❂ “all things truly wicked start from innocence.” – ernest hemingway 

we all have the occasional ( or perhaps more, no judgement! ) propensity for wickedness. i feel really passionately about softer people not being safe from cravings for chaotic behaviour, even if they might, in prue’s case, justify it through the innocence of intention. a lot of her initial effusion is of a heady amalgamation of sweetness and delicacy; i want to see her display a dash of something that takes leave from that, and surprises even herself. now, though not at all set-in-stone and totally up to be discussed with the respective player, i could easily see it rearing its head in the dynamic between herself and TEMPERANCE. how many times will she be shooed away from a room with a beautiful woman and the love of prue’s life? it terrifies prue, the idea that THE WORLD will slip out of her fingers like the sands of time, so much sooner than she is ready for. i’m curious: would there be a moment where she would not leave? where she would make the nature of their relationship known? would she ever snap back, or continue to smile tenderly, bow her head, and listen?

i’m also dying to explore the potential plot brewing between the lovers and DEATH. part of this is a total shot in the dark, so bear with me, but – imagine this: there is a darkness in them that tugs at the darkness in her; they are hungry, and she is a starving-thing, and what a pairing they could make. imagine prue venturing into lowtown with them, and for the alternative reality DEATH’s hunger dangles that could open a door to an actual future with THE WORLD? i want there to be temptation — towards darkness and chaos, yes, because i am a sucker for moral ambiguity, but also for the loyalist that prue is to be lured by the revolt. 

❂ “you cut up a thing that’s alive and beautiful to find out how it’s alive and why it’s beautiful, and before you know it, it’s neither of those things, and you’re standing there with blood on your face and tears in your sight and only the terrible ache of guilt to show for it.” – clive barker

it is difficult for even me, as i delve into prue’s psyche, to be a wordsmith adept enough to encapsulate the sheer magnitude of her love for her lover. let me tell you this, though: it is love that is devout enough that prue would sacrifice herself before it. she would shirk what she believes she knows of herself to fight for THE WORLD. but there is little in the universe free of the shackles of consequence. it feels inevitable to me that, at some point, sooner or later, prue will commit an action or reaction in the name of love — and then, she will have to live with it. it’s even better to me for her to go beyond her limits for this love that is everything to her, and then find herself turning to them to sacrifice for her as freely as she does them… and for them to, perhaps, not be able to. or perhaps, for it to turn prue into a person she herself can no longer recognise. there was a part of me that wanted to already cook something up, and to toss it into the writing sample portion, but i decided otherwise. if i get to write this character, i want to start in a place that is different, and develop my way towards a darker pasture, so to speak.

a darker pasture, however, is where i want her to at least visit. in a setting such as this one, i don’t think it can be helped, truthfully.

❂ “each friend represents a world in us, a world not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born.” – anaïs nin

while i was trying to knit this application together into one whole piece, a recurring concern for me has been that i want this character to have its own story, and the lines of that can get awfully blurry when the character is one the feels as intensely as prue lockhart does. she is such a hypersensitive creature; more than anything, it is her interactions that penetrate her, and alter her, and cause the discord between the sides that are wont to tug at her, who stands in the most Lawful Neutral of spots. i’ve decided to lean into it, though, because i genuinely believe that it poses an intriguing dichotomy between her inherent nature and the nurture that moulds it beyond the obvious, magnitudinal parental hand in it. that said, there are actual several different potential connections i want to toy with here. ( one of which is THE HANGED MAN, but i already mentioned that above, and didn’t want to be repetitive! )

THE MAGICIAN / listen, prue is so used to being the Softest. but this little baby is even softer than her, and every time they flinch, she just wants to help. she tries, at every turn, to be kind and i really want to see her become a friend / confidant for them? maybe learn about their magic. to maybe give them a secret of her own back ;) gal pals, gimme. i need something wholesome; it can’t all be agony & ecstasy, god damn it.

WHEEL OF FORTUNE / it is pure coincidence that throws the two of them together as often as it does. but prue is the sort to believe the best in people, and is never too arrogant to admit where she’s been wrong. this bond is where her feelings towards magic first begins to see development, and i am so, so, so interested in toying with it. even more so when you throw in their bond with THE EMPEROR — does faze prue a little — and his relationship with THE WORLD in there. such potential for growth and drama.

DEVIL / for years, every time prue has seen them, she has walked in the other direction. otherworldliness is unnatural enough as it is, but the proof of what they can do scars them with evidence of it – and so, out of genuine fear, she’s evaded them. and yet, coincidental interactions with the WHEEL OF FORTUNE has made prue think twice. a look at the haunting in their eyes has made her think thrice. i want to play with that dynamic!!!

THE MOON / hers is the only magic that does not scare prue, i think. it is the only one she is not too intimidated to ask questions about, because she truly is extremely curious when she takes an interest in something, and a lifetime of listening in the background has given prue a taste for stories. i feel like she could bring out something adventurous and wild within prue? a part which prue never got to explore, because she grew up with a very, very cautious mother who kept a very close eye on her and treated her like glass because prue really does look fragile. i want a bond to make her feel stronger!

THE STAR / if there is one thing that prue has grown up to be, it is a true romantic. it makes him something of a kindred spirit; something in her could reach out to something in him, creating a kindred bond that makes her feel seen in a way that only THE WORLD has ever given her.

THE TOWER / because she was raised right by it, the sea is where prue feels most at home, and she always has. i could see there being something about THE TOWER’s stories making her feel warm inside, and thus, her braving a friendship with them. i think she could use the wisdom of someone older? and there’s just something about them that made prue shyly scuff her toe at the ground, like – an oliver twist moment of, “can i have more, please?”

THE FOOL / stories talk about princes and princesses. the dragon’s fire, the nobel steed. prue looks at him, and she wonders: where are the stories about them? the princess’ lover, and the king’s soldier – those who fight for the crown, without wearing it. it could make for such an unlikely bond, but such an intriguing one, i think? i got the idea, and i just could not shake it. humour me!

and 0f course, there is potential with literally every other character, too, but i honestly ran out of time before i could come up with something for them too. i’m down to flesh it out~

❂ “we grow. it hurts at first.” – sylvia plath 

at the start of her story, prue starts off as a fragile underdog. she turns blossoms into a lover, and it turns her fiercer – which is not the same thing as being fierce, but it’s a start. what i want for her — what any writer wants for their muses, i reckon — is growth. i want prue, who has grown up sheltered and protected, to experience pain and hardship. i want her experiences to call into question what she thinks she knows, flip it on its head, and make her think. i want her to think, and to change her mind, and to change it again. i want her to confront her fears, and her uncomfortable truths, and to experience all the tempestuous emotions she’s spent her entire life keeping at bay, having convinced herself they could shatter her. i want her to unearth her endurance, to test its limits. i want to explore her undoings and remakings. what i enjoy most about her is the volatility of her that most would not see coming, because volatile and tempestuous and emotional is what she is. she is all heart, all the time, everywhere. can you imagine how visceral that has to make every experience?

imagine the potential for growth if she let herself just feel all of it. if she opened herself up, and let the universe rush in, instead of walking on eggshells as she does. just imagine. that’s what i want for her.

CHARACTER DEATH: i could, of course, see prue meeting an end. in fact, there are a couple of circumstances that could make it deliciously poetic, even.

Writing Sample.

They match each other: step for step; right, then left –

Hardly anyone turns to look at the two of them anymore. The two of them, making their way down the hall, with their dark heads leaned close together, like two plants growing towards one another when the sun leaves them for too long. It might be more peculiar to see them apart. There is a strange pride that twists a corner of Prue’s mouth at the unshakeable knowledge of the fact – a hint of tremendous pride at the small, precious claim THE WORLD makes with the statement of their proximity. It is everything to her, and perhaps it is what lends to the smoothness of her gait as they move past the portrait-eyes that scrutinise it, as if they await another of the many stumbles they’ve already witnessed. Prue floats beside them.

Her heart is gone, long-since pressed into the palm of their hand. Does it weigh them down? She could pretend it is why she keeps their fingers curled into the crook of her elbow, helping them carry the heaviness of the heart she’s given away to them; Prue holds fast to that touch with her own hand covering their fingers, unwilling to give up those four pressure-points that burn her flesh through the silk of her sleeve for anything, enough to shield it with the dome of her palm.

“ – Prudence?”

Their hand flinches at the same time as Prue’s grip on their fingers tightens. As if a chill blew in, and froze the marrow in her bones, the girl stills in place. It is not because she recognises the voice. It is because she ought to have done, for what the cant of her head finds is a woman whose gaze mirrors her own: amber-warm, almond-shaped. It is her same mouth that speaks the syllables of a variation of her names that does not belong to her, not as Prue does.

“Mama –” she says, her voice so quiet, she fears it might not reach her.

She is too far away now. Even mere footsteps away, she is too far.   

Extras.

✦ INSPIRATIONS → anne shirley cuthbert – from anne of green gables; tiana – from princess & the frog; missandei of naath – from game of thrones; margaery tyrell / house tyrell – from a song of ice & fire;  madame lebedeva – from deathless; effie trinket – from the hunger games series; jack pearson – from this is us; patroclus – from the song of achilles; 

✦ INSPIRATION TAG → here;

✦ PINTEREST BOARD → here.

[jenomark]

Table For Three

○Pairing: Johnny x Reader (Female) ○Other Members/ Characters: X ○Genre: smut ○Warnings: sex ○Word count: 3,436

→Summary: You agree to a blind date with a single dad named Johnny. The date goes better than expected, and you end the night doing something you don’t usually do on the first date.

→Notes: ✨Anon Requested✨Do single dad Johnny smut, please? 💖💖💖💖💖💖💖

○ That gif is SO HOT. Okay bye.

______________________________________________________________

  Dating apps don’t work out. The boy is emotionally unavailable. The boy doesn’t know how to communicate well. He tells you that you’re the only one but there’s girl, after girl, after girl, and he’s always swiping right. You were getting ready to give up on dating itself, but your friends set you up on a blind date with someone they promised would make you ditch those apps, once and for all.

“He’s handsome. He has his own career. His apartment is in a nice part of the city. He’s really kind. He’s pretty much perfect. If I were single, I would date him,” your friend said. “There is just one little thing, though.”

“Thing?” you asked. “What kind of thing are we talking about here? Big? Small?  Is he a cheater? Does he have a sixth toe? Is he a serial killer that makes paper mache projects out of dead peoples skin?”

“Whoa. Calm down,” she laughed. “It’s not that bad of a thing. He’s just, well, he’s a dad.”

“A dad?”

“Yes, as in he had sex with someone else and they produced a wonderful child together. He raises the child and he even gave it a name. “ she joked.

“ Yes. I know what a child is.”

  You had never dated anyone with a kid before. There had been men who acted like kids. Men who threw temper tantrums and shit their pants when drunk, but never a man with an actual child. There was something about the word dad that catapulted you into a land of panic and terror.

“How old is he?”

“He’s twenty-eight.”

“No, not him. The child.”

“Oh,” she said. “I don’t actually know. Toddler-aged? Is that a problem?”

“ I don’t know.”

“You don’t know?”

  You were young yourself. Your career was barely taking off, you still lived with your parents, and spent way too much of your time invested in the lives of people on television. You didn’t quite feel like an adult, or someone else’s idea of an adult. You didn’t even know the difference between regular hand towels and fancy hand towels.

“What if I’m not what he wants?” you asked. “I’m nobody’s mother.”

“You could be his,” she said. “You never know, he might have a mommy kink or something.”

“That’s not funny.”

“It’s a little funny,” she said. “Look, don’t overthink things. He knows about you. We’ve all been putting in a really good word for you. He’s okay with it.”

  You looked down at yourself. There was a spaghetti stain on the sleeve of your jacket. You picked at it with your fingers, and looked back up at your friend.

“When do I get to meet him?”

  That conversation was a few days ago. Now, you are working up the courage to open your front door. You check out your reflection in the hall mirror a few moments too long, tying up loose strands of hair, and making sure you don’t have stains anywhere. You look fine, pretty even. You take a deep breath and open your front door to see a very tall man standing there with flowers in his hand.

  Rewind to a few minutes ago and you were stalking him on social media. He was terribly handsome, like your friends said.  He was almost too good to be true. His profile was full of photos of himself in different countries, always posing with a smile, an optimistic caption lining the bottom. You kept waiting for him to cancel on you and tell you he had changed his mind, that he was contemplating asking out the leggy model instead of you. That would have made more sense.

“Hi,” he said, smiling down at you. “I’m Johnny. John, if you want to be formal.”

  Johnny sticks out his hand for you to shake. His hand is so big and warm in yours. You wonder if he can feel the way you tremble. He gives you the bouquet of flowers. You run inside to put them in a vase. You would have invited him inside, but you were too embarrassed about living with your parents, so you don’t. You don’t want to be this insecure right out the gate, but you can’t help but feel unevenly matched.  When he walks you to his car, he holds the door open for you.

“How am I doing so far?” Johnny asks. “I’m nervous.”

“You’re doing good,” you answer. “I’m just not used to the chivalry.”

“I think your expectations might be a little low.” he said.

  The smile he gives you is megawatt. You can’t stop gawking at how attractive he is. He looks so cozy in his warm blue sweater and jeans.You fight the urge to kiss him right then and there.

“I’m taking us to this really cool spot. I think you’ll like it,” he said. “The view is amazing. Food is pretty good, too.”

“Do you take many dates there?”

“Me?” he asked. “No. Actually, a friend of mine told me about it. He said the restaurant has many magazine articles dedicated to it. I don’t date much. Do you?”

“I get around.”

  At that, Johnny laughs. You blush and tell him you didn’t mean it like that. Although, it is sort of true, you thought. You’ve become a serial dater, signing up to many apps in hopes of finding some kind of romantic balance in your life. Nothing has ever panned out. 

“Is that so?” he asked. 

“It’s been an experience.”

  Though a little self-conscious, you feel more relaxed with him than you thought you would be. There’s a vibe to him that makes everything a little easier. You can imagine yourself telling him things that aren’t necessarily first date material.

  When you arrive at the restaurant, Johnny is right. You do like it. Everything looks upscale and different from your usual taste. You feel a little bit like a child sitting at the adults table, but also a little bit like you belong. The woman at the front podium is dressed smartly, her outfit matching the very woodsy and ethereal aesthetic of the place. You let her lead both of you to a private booth, with a view overlooking the lights of the city as the backdrop.

“This is nice.” Johnny said, pulling out your chair.

  It feels romantic. Johnny orders wine and appetizers. While you are waiting for food, he asks you about your life, with genuine interest. You recount every single awful dating story you have experienced over the last year, and although some wounds are still fresh, you find that you can laugh about it with him.

“That’s brutal,” he said. “I wouldn’t have blamed you if you backed out last minute.”

“I’m glad I didn’t.”

“Oh yeah?”

You nod. “You seem nice.”

“I like to think I am.”

  Johnny’s eyes are bright. He touches his hand to his heart and gives you a little bow. The gesture makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside. You aren’t sure if the feeling is from the dim lighting, or the wine, but you feel like you are floating.

“How do I seem?” you asked him.

“Honestly? Very sweet. “

“I don’t think I am sweet.” you said.

“Are you sure? I think you’ve very sweet.”

“Maybe, but enough about me,” you said. “I want to know more about you. How come you’re dating now? What’s changed?”

  Johnny takes a moment to think about his answer. He places his hands under his chin and clears his throat.  You let him take his time, thinking that maybe things are more complicated for him than they are for you.

“I wanted to work things out with my son’s mother.” Johnny finally said. “That seems insipid now that I said it out loud.”

 The mention of Johnny’s child brings about a different kind of feeling. You are curious, definitely, but until then, you had forgotten about the kid entirely. You expected Johnny’s social media to be full of pictures of a snotty-nosed kid, but there weren’t many, to your relief. It’s not that you are against children at all. You were always playing with your nieces and nephews whenever they were around. It’s just that, children never came into the equation. You were happy  just bobbing through your life, fucking up a little here and there, with no one to take care of but yourself.

“I’m sorry.” you said.

“Ah, don’t be,” Johnny said. “She and I are two different people. The only thing we ever did right is make our son. I don’t have any hard feelings about how things worked out. I’m happy to be on this date with you.”

  You want Johnny to say more, to smile at you more, and to explain, in vivid detail, just how happy he feels to be sitting across from you, but you are interrupted. Your appetizers have come and they are in the hands of a completely nude and muscular man. You look down at the waiters cock swinging inches from where your hand rests on the table. It takes a few seconds for your brain to register what is happening. You look at Johnny, your eyes wide, and a laugh bubbling against your lips.

“I’m going to kill him.” Johnny said.

  The both of you figure out soon enough that Johnny’s friend had recommended a restaurant where the wait staff served meals, nude. It had been in the papers because of how controversial the gimmick is. 

“Good thing I didn’t order the meatballs,” Johnny said, after the waiter had left.

  You laugh so hard that you snort. You clap a hand to your mouth and try to regain your composure. Johnny’s grin is so wide, you can’t contain yourself. You both double over with laughter, clutching your stomachs in pain.

“I was not expecting that,” you said. “ His balls were so close to my hand. That can’t be hygienic.”

“Do you want to go somewhere else?” Johnny asked. “I wouldn’t be offended if you decided to end the date with me right now.”

“And miss witnessing his dick dipping into my tortellini? Are you kidding? I wouldn’t miss that for the world,” you said. “Also, I like you, Johnny.”

  You like Johnny more than you wanted to. Going into the date, you read online articles about what dating a single dad might be like, but nothing can compare you to the real thing. Johnny is just a man who also happens to be a father. There would be obstacles and differences down the road, if you wanted to pursue him further, but right now you are having fun getting to know him for who he is.

“I like you too.” Johnny said.

  The night moves fast. You talk for what feels like hours, letting the wine and conversation soak into your skin. He answers any questions you have, with a lot of honesty and sincerity. You tell Johnny things about yourself you are scared to admit to anyone else, and he accepts them without judgement. It is easy conversation, and although Johnny’s cock is not on the menu,  you certainly want it to be.

  On the ride home, you feel like your body is buzzing beside him. You’ve never slept with anyone on the first date. All of your dates ended with disappointment, or a sloppy kiss. The look you exchange with Johnny is clear: you want to be fucked. The car had hardly come to a stop when he reaches over to undo your seat belt, and places a kiss gently on your lips. He’s a good kisser, taking his time to go slow enough to keep you wanting more.

“I want you right now.” you breathed. 

  Johnny gets out of the car and opens your door like a true gentleman. You hop right into his arms and kiss him deeper, your hands gripping the back of his neck. He sets you on the hood of his car and holds his hands in yours. Neither of you care that you’re in a public space- in his parking garage- and that anyone can come out and see you groping at each other. You’re so wet and needy, locking your legs around him, lifting his shirt up so you can scratch down his back.

“Fuck.“ he cursed.

 He pulls away from you and smiles shyly. He tells you that he doesn’t do these things, either. You spread your legs and arch your back, sticking your breasts out. You want his mouth all over you, and you want to feel what those big fingers could do. You hope the message is well received. 

“It’s been a long time,” he said. “With anyone, I mean. I haven’t...I’m not….”

  You jump off the hood and hug him tightly to your body. Johnny leans down to kiss you, but this time it is sweet and timid.

“We’ll go slow.” you said.

  Johnny holds your hand as he leads you to his apartment, stopping every once in awhile to make sure you are comfortable. He says he needs to excuse the babysitter before you can start. When you meet her, you see she isn’t that much younger than you. She seems bored by the idea of you, and ignores you for the most part. Johnny pays her and she leaves.

“My ex’s niece.” Johnny said.

“That was awkward.”

“My normal babysitter backed out last minute.” 

“You could have cancelled. I would have understood, I think.” you said.

“I’m happy I didn’t.”

  As he kisses you, you find yourself looking around for any sign of a child in his apartment. You don't want to scar a poor child by being caught sticking your tongue in their fathers mouth. Johnny notices, and smiles against your lips. 

“It’s okay,” Johnny said. “He’s sleeping. “We’re pretty much alone. Do you still want to?”

“Show me the way.” you said.

  Johnny’s bedroom is plain and casual. Everything is clean and well-kept. Children’s books are on the bed, but Johnny moves them to a chair by the window.  He sits in the same spot and rubs his hands up and down his thighs. He’s nervous.

“You look pretty.” he said.

  You climb on top of him without missing a beat and push him down into his mattress. You grind yourself against him. Johnny is so horny and impatient. He grabs a handful of your ass and helps you rub yourself over him until he’s hard. He flips you over so that he’s on top and pins your arms to the bed. You writhe your body beneath him, moving your hips upwards just to feel how hard he is for you. He kisses your neck, sucking at the skin until you’re breathing heavy. Though he hasn’t had sex in awhile, Johnny knows exactly how to touch you to make you feel good. He moves his hand up under your shirt to cup your breast. He moves your bra out of the way and takes you into his mouth. You fall quiet as you watch his tongue flick against your nipple. His mouth is so warm against your skin as his lips suck your breast. Not being able to help yourself any longer, you pull his sweater over his head and let your hands stroke his body. You move back onto his bed so that his head is in your lap. He buries his face in your crotch and kisses the zipper of your jeans.

“Take them off.” you whined.

  Johnny yanks them off your hips so hard that your underwear goes with them. You remove your shirt and the rest of your bra so that you are naked, your legs spread wide on his bed. He stands up and takes his jeans off, moving to the closet at the same time, stepping out of his jeans as he goes. He takes a box from the top shelf and pulls a condom out. He pauses momentarily to watch as you play with yourself, circling your clit with two fingers.

“Come here,” you said, crooking your finger at him.

  Johnny moves to the edge of his bed. You take the condom out of his hands and sit up on your knees. You motion for him to lay in your spot and he does, his cock bouncing as he moves. You set the condom down next to you and take Johnny’s cock in your hands. He doesn’t watch as your hands pump up and down his length. He can only look into your eyes. He brushes the messy pieces of hair behind your ear and parts his lips as your thumb strokes the underside of his cock.

“Does it feel good?” you asked.

“Yes.”

  You put him in your mouth. Sucking cock is always your favorite part. You love when they grunt and moan, jerking their hips upwards to go deeper. Johnny is vocal. The sound of him makes you want to take him into the back of your throat until you choke. You lick him up and down, taking turns to fuck him with your hands so that you can get a better look at how he sucks his stomach in as he breathes. You feel how slick and wet you are, dipping your fingers between your thighs. At the sight of you touching yourself, Johnny’s moans become louder.

“Wait only a little longer, baby, I promise.” you said.

  Johnny leans his head against the wall and looks up at the ceiling when you let go of his cock. You remove the condom from its foil packet, pinch the tip and roll it down his cock. About midway through, he helps you finish, and then grabs your hands to pull you on top of him.

 “Second date?” he asked.

“Fuck yes.”

  His cock is big and hard. You have to slowly lower yourself down onto him, taking only an inch at a time. When all of him is in you, the full feeling is overwhelming. You ride him steadily, letting your body roll over the wave. He holds onto you, eager for release. The sound of your sweaty bodies sticking to each other fills the room. 

“Wait.” Johnny said. He grips your hips to stop you from moving.

“Is everything okay?”

 Johnny’s cock sitting inside of you makes you desperately want to keep moving. He listens to the sounds of his apartment intently, cocking his head to the side as if it will make him hear better.

“My son.” he said.

  You move off of him and sit back on his bed. Johnny gets up, takes the condom off and throws it in the trash. He dresses hastily and washes his hands in his bathroom sink. You began to do the same, throwing your clothes over your body, not caring if anything is on inside out. He disappears from the room, leaving you alone. You hover in the doorway. You’re not really sure if you should involve yourself until Johnny comes from a different room with a child in his arms.

“He had a bad dream,” Johnny said. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologize.”

  He rubs the child’s back and puts him on top of the kitchen counter. The kid’s eyes are wet with tears. He cries out for his father again but Johnny consoles him, whispering something in his ear to make him giggle. The interaction is so sweet you feel like you’re intruding on a moment that does not belong to you.

“Should I go?” you asked.

  Johnny looks at you and tells you he would like it if you stay. You move a little closer. Johnny’s son looks just like him: same shy smile, same warm brown eyes. He’s watching you with interest as you move, so you stop awkwardly.

“What’s his name?” you asked, realizing that you should have asked earlier.

“His name is John, but I call him Junior,” Johnny said. “He’s two years old and he is the light of my life. You can come closer, he won’t bite.”

  You came fully to the front so Junior could see you. You wave at him and smile as friendly as you can. It’s not easy but it’s manageable.

“I’m sorry the night was ruined,” Johnny said. “Do you still want a second date?”

“I do.” you said. 

  Junior smiles at you and touches Johnny’s face. Johnny lays a kiss on his forehead and picks him up.

“Ready to be a big boy and go back to sleep now?”

  You watch as Johnny carries his son back to his bedroom. Surprising yourself, you start to feel a little bloom of warmth spreading across your chest.

[shefightslikeagirl]

CORSETS AND STRIPED STOCKINGS: OUTFITTING THE ASYLUM FOR WAYWARD VICTORIAN GIRLS by She Fights Like A Girl

These articles are best viewed on desktop, but are mobile friendly. Please excuse any strange formatting on your phone browser or the Tumblr app.

This article was longer than intended and image-heavy, so it’s been split into two parts.

PART V: AN ASYLUM MUSICAL

“And if I end up with blood on my hands, Well, I know that you’ll understand ‘Cause I fight like a girl.” - Fight Like A Girl (2014)

And now we're back to the relatively recent past, when this blog was in its infancy and the fandom couldn't decide whether to stick with the forum or run rampant on Tumblr. Fight Like A Girl (the album) was still being recorded, but Emilie did a few live dates Down Under and decided to feature the title song from the unfinished album.

To my understanding, the Harvest Festival was another one of those concerts where the show was considerably downsized because of the cost of shipping props and set pieces. But where the South American tours hadn’t pulled back in the wardrobe department, the Harvest festival did. Emilie and the Crumpets performed in one costume for the entire set. But to make up for the lack of glam, EA debuted the first costume of the FLAG era.

This costume was worn for the cover art of Fight Like A Girl, and acted as the signature corset for the very first Fight Like A Girl World Tour (2012). 

“Asylum Secrets: All of my costumes over the years have been made to look as though someone had been murdered in them and come back from the dead to enact a fabulous revenge. To achieve this, I have employed techniques from melting fabrics with an industrial strength heat gun to spraying them with solutions that no human should ever breathe. In the case of the corset pictured, I burned it mercilessly with sticks of incense before painting the fabric to make it look moth-eaten.” - EA on the creation of the FLAG corset (June 25, 2018)

Speaking of the 2012 FLAG World Tour! While there were a lot of changes from The Door Tour and Harvest Festival, this tour is probably best remembered as a transition phase between eras. There were new costumes, but… the Rat Queen still introduced the show with 4 o’Clock. There were new set dressings, but… the shadow scrim was still main stage center. The new corset was mixed in with the Rat Queen ensemble and the structure of the show hadn’t changed terribly. New, but… kinda not?

Except for that Warrior Mohawk, of course.

Upper: WVC content / eBay listing photo. Lower: Making of the Warrior Mohawk from Emilie’s Flickr account.

This is the only tour where Emile wore a mohawk for the entirety(-slash-majority) of the show. Later concerts would see her removing it after the third song. There was some slight skepticism in the fandom with its debut, sparking discourse about everything from cultural appropriation to thematic relevance, but EA didn’t make much comment on the criticism.

“[The Warrior Mohawk] signified the transformation from victim to warrior. I feel that it is important for me to let go in order that I may go on to transform yet again and create new bits of wearable magic to surprise you with... This headpiece symbolized the birth of a new era in the Asylum…. This is the headdress of a tribal Queen…” - EA, 2012 eBay auction description.

“The Mohawk headdress represents the tribal, wild element of the sisterhood that formed during the imprisonment of the inmates, and shows that, once we escape and are on the rampage to take down our oppressors, we have indeed transformed from individual, helpless victims into a strong and beautifully terrifying tribal warriors.”  - EA for Natalie’s World, 2013 (x) (x)

Another costume that debuted on this tour was the MC of the Ophelia Gallery, who had his own brand-new number: Girls! Girls! Girls!

And as for its history...

(My best guess is that this photo originated in 2009, based on her hair.)

This character is a hint at the structure of the tour (and album) to come, where it would be less about the mad girls existing inside the Asylum and more about the story of how they got there, and what happened once they were interned. Allow me to stray from the costuming topic for just a moment…

A TANGENT: OF STAGE SHOWS AND ASYLUM CONTINUITY Spoiler filled ramblings of a long-time fan.

I’ve got a running theory that The Asylum for Wayward Victorian Girls, in all its forms, runs in parallel to the concerts. But they match each other in reverse. [Spoilers for the book to follow.]

Emilie’s first concert of the Opheliac brand was in a small venue in Chicago, alongside Lady Joo Hee. In The Asylum… book, Emily-with-a-y’s final days in the Asylum were spent with Sachiko (a character based on and formerly named Joo Hee). 

The Opheliac shows of 2007-2011 were all about the women in an Asylum singing songs and welcoming others home. Cannibals, ballerinas, pyrate captains, nymphomanics -- they all ran rampant with no apparent oversight except from Emilie herself. Rats crept and crawled onstage unbothered; toys, crumpets, and cupcakes were in abundance, often served alongside “tea,” and there isn’t a single cell door in sight.

Especially in the earliest days of the concerts, the set design had an emphasis on appearing hand-made -- not only because it was, but because it should be for these girls. This was the world EA branded for herself: a world of freedom, without judgement, earned by their own hands.

In The Asylum… book, after the Inmates take over and kill the doctors, this is very much what they do: impersonate medical professionals and welcome sick and not-so-sick girls home to protect them, nurture them, and give them the best life that the Victorian Age fails to do. They take over the Asylum and make it their own.

Then in the FLAG performances (2012-2014), the storytelling shifts. EA’s Asylum world is no longer loosely themed with inmates running amok, but adheres to a more rigid storytelling structure, detailing the struggles and despair of the girls locked up in The Asylum(-with-a-capital-T). It mirrors the bulk of the content in The Asylum… book. The carefree, whimsical stage dressings shift to bars -- a representation of the cells and gates in The Asylum. There might be a bear tied to a dreary grey harpsichord; you might even see a single rat scratching about. But they don’t have dominion here. There’s no freedom. Just the story of the girls trapped behind the bars.

And now we’re stalled on both sides of the street. We’ve met in the middle. The concerts started at the end of the book, and ended at the beginning. 

Ok, I’ll put my soapbox away. Let’s get back on track.

BACK TO BUSINESS

Where were we?

Oh, yes: Girls! Girls! Girls! and new costumes.

So let’s jump forward a little more, because there isn’t much else to say about Emilie’s costume style in the 2012 FLAG World Tour. Moving on to the 2013 Fight Like A Girl: North American Tour (and following European and Australian tours), a brand new show was brought to the stage. Full new stage set-up, new costumes, and a full new setlist. 

A costume I’ll be referring to as the “armored corset” replaced the moth-eaten FLAG ensemble in the opening number. Both Maggots and Veronica were given new costumes as well, replacing the costumes they had worn for years. 

Armored Corset, with varying amounts of sparkled (2013)

Maggie Lally; Captain Maggot / Captain Maggots

Veronica Varlow; The Naughty Veronica

The show design of this tour had Emilie in the armored corset with the mohawk for the two opening numbers, Fight Like A Girl and Time for Tea. The mohawk and the armored plates on her chest and hip were removed during the 4 o’Clock Reprise, leaving her without her armor for What Will I Remember? as the narrative moves back to the beginning of the story, before the “Uprising.”

On the subject of the corset: structurally, it was outfitted with snaps to attach the armor and allow for easy removal (see corset detail above, bottom right). The mohawk proved a more difficult challenge to remove, as it was securely clipped, pinned, and secured into EA’s hair. This ended up being corrected in the redesign that produced Mohawk 2.0.

Back to the show! By the time we get to Veronica’s Dominant fan dance, EA has removed the armor corset completely in the interim to prepare for the Girls! Girls! Girls! costume change. After Scavenger, the entire cast changes into Asylum Inmate Rags to perform Gaslight and The Key, and then changes back into full costume for the finale. Emilie wears the full FLAG ensemble from previous tours to close out the show, with varying headdresses. 

But I’m skipping over something important.

The Scavenger.

Inspired by Jim Henson’s The Dark Crystal, The Scavenger, a vulture-esque representation of Dr. Greavsely, appeared onstage for Scavenger. 

“This is the start of the original costume @maggotmagpie wears in our show, the one Greavesly wears in #AsylumMusical will be bonkers…” - EA on the Scavenger (February 7, 2016)

EA on Twitter/Twitpic 2012 (x)

The Scavenger was usually worn by Maggots as part of a stilt-walking performance, but if the venue couldn’t or wouldn’t allow for stunts onstage, Emilie would appear alone in the costume for the number. 

Scavenger has plenty of different “shows” (A show, B show, and C show for my theme park friends), with “A Show” being Captain Maggot on stilts.

Note: The Atlanta show featured here is a bit strange, as it uses the Stage Screen and the Asylum Bars during a tour that doesn’t feature the former. Emilie also isn’t in the normal costume for this number, using a personal scarf to cover her bloomers and bra.

“B Show” would be Emilie performing as the Scavenger, due to venue restrictions. This was actually the way Scavenger debuted, until Maggot’s first performance later in the tour. (See pictures and even more info here.)

“C Show” would be Moth’s performance in the final set of Fight Like A Girl tours, as seen below:

(There’s also “D Show,” (ha) which is this random dude performing as The Scavenger. I’ve yet to figure this out, but my guess is it was a technician stepping in at the last moment or a friend of EA from Oakland.)

Last, but not least, are the Asylum Rags. You’d think there wouldn’t be much to say here, but there is. Click on the continue link below to learn more about tattered costumes and the rest of the FLAG era, because Tumblr only allows 10 pictures per post.

CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE.

Fly back… PART I: Enchant and the Faerie Queene PART II: Drowning Ophelia PART III: Vecona, Seamstress of the Asylum PART IV: Wayward Victorian Girls

Remember to visit Part III and enter our giveaway! Ends 12/1/19.

[SEE ALL CREDITS AND SOURCES HERE.]

[emma-nation]

Without You - Bloodbound AU (Chapter 6) *For You Sequel*

Summary: Gaius is back. While coming up with a plan to take him down, the gang must deal with some new life-changing events.

Genre: Angst/Adventure/Romance

Rating: T - Warning for violence and language

Tag List: @begging-for-kamilah, @lulu-the-cat, @ilovekamilahsayeed, @zoe6111, @kennaxval

Notes:

- English is my second language, please forgive me for any mistakes.

- Hope you enjoy it, your reviews and likes are always appreciated.

- My apologies for taking so long to update. Between family problems and my computer dying, I had no internet access for almost a month.

Amy

The sunlight reflecting on her face made Amy wake up from her sleep. Drowsy, she realized she had fallen asleep at the Hamptons’ house doorstep. Still no signs of Kamilah, but Lysimachus replied her text.

After giving him the directions, her brother-in-law arrived some time later.

“Well, it seems like we’ll have to do it the wrong way,” he started picking the door lock. “If the house really belongs to Kamilah I’m sure she’ll eventually forgive me,” he shrugged.

"Whoa,” Amy opened her mouth in astonishment as she followed him inside. The modern-styled house was huge and incredibly beautiful. It had a large swimming pool and a spaceful backyard with direct access to the beach.

“Hey, she brought some clothes,” Lysimachus announced, emerging from one of the bedrooms. “This is definitely where she spent the last few days.”

At the kitchen, they found two empty glasses, suggesting Kamilah also had a visitor recently.

“We’ll never find out who it was,” Amy complained.

“Don’t be that pessimistic,” Lysimachus quickly grabbed his phone. “Most of these fancy houses have surveillance cameras.”

They sat on the couch and he hacked through the security system, searching for footage from the last couple of days.

“Found it. It was Kaira, a member of Kamilah’s Clan. I’ve met her once.”

“How long did she stay?”

“Quick visit, less than one hour. Only time enough for a drink. I’ll get her number and try to obtain some information.”

After many attempts, Kaira was unreachable. She had been declared missing, like three other members of Clan Sayeed.

“It has Gaius’ name written all over it,” Lysimachus angered, slamming his fist on the coffee table.

Amy felt a strange pain in her stomach. If Gaius had really gotten Kamilah, at this time she could be dead. Walking away from her brother-in-law, she went to one of the bedrooms, where she grabbed one of Kamilah’s shirts and held it tightly to her chest. It still had her fragrance on it.

“Please, be okay. I need you to be okay.”

Inside the drawer, she found a binder with plans for their wedding.

Not only Kamilah had bought that house for the party, but she also picked the most beautiful flowers for the decoration and a sophisticated buffet menu. The cake was Amy’s favorite flavor and she didn’t forget to include the chocolate fountain Amy begged for, even if she mocked it in the beginning.

“Amy, are you getting married or throwing a birthday party? Chocolate fountain?! Please.”

Amy gave a small smile, followed by a tear that streamed down across her cheek.

“Amy, let’s…” Lysimachus entered the room, noticing she was crying. “What is that?”

He took the wedding plans from her hands and read it.

“She planned us the most perfect wedding party and I threw everything away! Because of a psycho bitch that manipulated every inch of my stupid brain!”

Her brother-in-law involved her in a warm and assuring hug.

“We’ll find her alive and safe. You are having this party, are you listening? I promise you. I’m Kamilah’s best man after all.”

“Oh,” Amy let out a small laugh, “I thought there was a dispute between you and Adrian?”

“Yeah… she has two best men. And it’s their duty to assure she’ll make to this wedding.”

Amy smiled and hugged him back.

“Now let’s go. We need to find your runaway bride.”

———-

Kamilah

Taking a deep sigh, Kamilah looked to both sides before deciding to leave the car. Her mind still wasn’t working properly. Driving without a specific direction, she stopped at her penthouse’s edifice. Her clothes were covered in blood. Human blood. She couldn’t allow herself to be seen or caught. Using her vampire abilities, she streaked up using the emergency staircase, until she got home.

Throwing herself at the couch, she was unsure of what to do. It was only the beginning. That was only the first proof she had to give Gaius of her loyalty. There was more to come, she knew. Things she would no longer accept to be submitted to. And there was Amy… Amy was her biggest weakness at the moment. He surely knew that. It was a matter of time until she had the same fate as many of her past lovers.

“I need to end this,” she clenched her jaw.

After making sure Lysimachus wasn’t home, she used the extra key she had to explore his apartment. He had a secret weapon against Gaius. An old ritual he hadn’t told anyone about. She just needed to find it and perform it. All by herself. She wasn’t going to risk anybody else’s life.

Between short and shallow breaths, she opened every drawer, checked every shelf, before noticing the ancient book was lying open on his desk. Using her cell phone’s camera she took pictures of the pages she needed.

A click coming from the front door made her freeze in place. She needed to leave or hide immediately, but before she could even act, Priya was standing in front of her.

“Kamilah?!” Somehow she looked surprised. “What are you doing here? Jeez, you look terrible! Is that blood…”

“Priya!” She frowned, censoring the younger vampire with her furious glare. That sadistic imbecile had probably been sleeping with her brother again. “Where is Lysimachus?”

“He left a few hours ago. He went to meet…”

“Good,” Kamilah interrupted, giving her no more time to speak. Knowing her brother was alive was enough. She passed by the fashion designer and left the apartment, returning to her penthouse.

Under the shower, she frantically rubbed her arms and hands while tears kept streaming down her face. It didn’t matter how much she had already washed herself, it seemed like the blood of all those mortals was still impregnated in every layer of her skin. As well as the feeling of Gaius’ lips being pressed on hers.

She looked herself at the mirror and all she could see was a monster. His Queen again.

When she left the bedroom to get dressed, she heard a noise. The penthouses’ door opened. It could only be Gaius, she thought. He knew she hadn’t been hypnotized. Like he always managed to find out everything. Holding both of her daggers firmly, she walked in stealthy steps. When the figure passed through the door she was ready to strike.

“Amy?!” Her eyes went wide in shock. Her fiancée was the last person she expected to see in that moment.

———-

Lysimachus

It was around lunch time, but Lysimachus was sitting at a bar, staring at the bottom of an empty glass. The third he had so far. Alcohol never fails to dull the pain, Kamilah would always say.

Aside from his sister’s possible kidnap by Gaius Augustine, something else was puzzling his mind. Priya.

After hours of intense sexual intercourse he was exhausted, but not enough to make him fall asleep. Lying on his chest, he watched her. She looked almost… innocent. There was so much about her he didn’t know. He wondered what was her story. What could be hidden behind vicious and cold personality?

“I’m sorry, Hunter,” she murmured before falling asleep. “I mean it.”

Yet, when she woke up she was back to her usual self. While having breakfast, she was focused on an app, that she paid to be created for herself. ’Bleeder’ it was called. Using it, she browsed for mortals that were willing to satiate her blood thirsty, as if she was picking a date.

“Ha! That’s a match!” She celebrated, staring at the picture of a middle-aged man on her screen. “Gotta go.”

“What’s in your head?” A female voice coming from behind brought him back to reality.

“Hey you,” he turned around to see the young witch who helped him to obtain the daylight rings. “Thanks for meeting me.”

She ordered herself a meal. Chicken nuggets. He only observed, as she teased and mocked him, knowing it was a common distaste among vampires.

“So… you’re not having any of these,” she playfully took a bite.

“Not today, no.”

“You’re not in a good mood, I can see.”

“I had a difficult night. I couldn’t get any sleep.”

“Oh.”

He gulped, wondering what was giving it away. Were there any bruises on his neck that hadn’t healed yet?

“This is not what I meant,” he felt he was blushing a little. “I can’t stop worrying about Kamilah.”

“So… let’s change the subject, why did you want to see me?”

He grabbed copies of the pages from the ancient book. Though she had examined it before, she had been studying Wright’s books, to see if she could offer any help.

“This symbol,” he pointed. “I can’t find its meaning anywhere.”

“Hmmm,” she was pensive. “Neither did I but…” she ran a finger through the page. Lysimachus knew she was trying to obtain a vision, a connection with her witch ancestors.

“This symbol was created to protect something… a great source of power…” suddenly her eyes went wide in shock. “S-Sorry, I can’t say anything else.”

“Come on, you’re the only person that can help me to rescue my sister!”

“I-I… The ancient witch power is blocking me. I’m sorry.”

He sighed in frustration. After she left, he called Lily. Apparently she had news for him, about the remaining parts of the ritual. When he entered the car, a message appeared on his screen.

Hunter. Come home ASAP.

I can’t. I have important matters to take care of.

It’s a f****** EMERGENCY!

Rolling his eyes, he wondered what trouble Priya had caused this time. As he promised himself, it was the last time. Depending of the damage she caused, he’d kick her out of his apartment and take the case to The Council. She had no right to jeopardize the most important mission of their lives. The one that was supposed to decide their fate and the fate of humanity.

“Forget it,” he turned off his cellphone, “I’m meeting Lily first.”

However, when he returned home, Priya was impatiently waiting for him, with a surprised look and a grin on her face.

“Why did you took so long? I did something that will make you forgive me… I found Kamilah.”

———-

Amy

In a fancy restaurant, Amy studied Kamilah’s behavior. That wasn’t the Kamilah she was used to. She looked extremely anxious, uncomfortable and avoiding her gaze the entire time, as if she was trying to hide all her distress. When Amy entered the penthouse, the first she noticed was her fearful expression and the daggers, being held firmly in her hands.

After dodging all her questions with technical answers about the legal procedure that was being moved against her company and the solutions her lawyers were working on, Amy finally concluded that behavior had nothing to do with Ahmanet Financial. It was deeper than that.

“So… uhhh…” Amy tried to break the silence, “have you canceled our wedding party? I mean, if you want… we’re still in time.”

“We’d have to rush a lot of things,” Kamilah coldly replied, her eyes never leaving a glass of wine. “The dresses aren’t finished. I told you Priya should not be trusted.”

“That was my fault, she went to London to make the final adjustments but I missed the sessions. I was too focused on…” remembering Wright made her twitch in anger.

“I forgot to cancel. Actually, we can solve that tomorrow.”

“Now I’m back, there aren’t any reasons why we should cancel. Priya can make the final adjustments, after all she has been living with your brother.”

“She has been… what?!” After almost chocking with her wine, Kamilah shook her head in a mix of disappointment and shock.

Another silence settled between them. She didn’t answer what Amy wanted to hear.

“Are there, Kamilah?” She insisted. “Any reasons why we should cancel our wedding?”

“I-I…” she bit her lower lip. “You should return to London.”

“I’m not returning. The course is over and I’m no longer part of the… fair.”

“You didn’t tell me about it, what happened?”

“Don’t change the subject.”

When Amy noticed she was raising her voice, she concluded it was time to call it a night and go home. The first thing she did once they got home, was to confront Kamilah again.

“You’re hiding things from me again. It’s Gaius, isn’t it? He came after you!”

Kamilah looked down at the floor. Amy noticed she had stopped breathing.

A realization suddenly came. The things Kamilah told her about her past with him. The things he forced her to do. The manipulation, the punishments, the trauma.

“Oh my god! W-What did he do to you?” At this point, Amy was trying to not cry. “H-He didn’t…”

“Amy…” Kamilah finally shouted, firm and demanding. “If you have any love for your life, I suggest you to leave through this door right now and forget you’ve ever met me. My brother can debrief you, if you want.”

Amy stared at her in silence for a brief moment before involving her in the tightest of the hugs. She could sense Kamilah’s insecurity, her fear, her vulnerability and that, broke her heart more than anything. She couldn’t hold back her tears anymore.

“No,” she shook her head and wiped the tears from her cheeks, “I don’t fear Gaius. I’m not going anywhere or leaving you. We will fight together.”

———-

Lysimachus

"Don’t joke about it. Okay, Priya? Not about my sister!”

“Gosh, you won’t ever trust me, will you?!” She frowned. “She was right here, in your office! With a maniac look on her face and clothes covered in blood. Human blood. I sniffed it.”

“What?”

After leaving the restaurant, Lysimachus decided to ignore Priya’s supposed emergency and meet Lily at the Shadow Den. That was his priority. She had news for him about the ritual.

“This symbols,” she pointed, explaining, “are telling you need to trap him inside a magical seal.”

“Easy,” he sighed. “I’ve learned how to create a magical seal.”

“Then, you need another spell. To weaken him. I’m figuring out the ingredients we’ll need.”

“Good. And the two remaining items? Could you figure them out?”

“Not yet, but… we’re getting close.”

He didn’t believe Priya at first, but after going to the penthouse to check on Amy, he found her sitting on the couch. Paralyzed and frightened. Kamilah had indeed returned. She told him everything. The few details she was able to make Kamilah spill.

“So, he lured her into a trap and attempted to hypnotize her?”

“Yes, somehow she managed to break the spell, but Gaius doesn’t know it. He thinks she’s under his influence, after making her prove her loyalty.”

“What kind of proof?” He narrowed his eyes in pure rage, imagining what that son of a bitch could’ve possibly submitted his sister to.

“He uh… made her slaughter and feed from a group of mortals.”

While Kamilah was no longer very sympathetic of mortals, Lysimachus knew that at this time she should be feeling somehow guilty. After Amy, her views about the mortal world had softened a little.

“Where is she now, Amy?”

“Sleeping. I discreetly gave her some tranquilizers, she was in too much distress.”

Lysimachus went to the mastersuite where he stroke his sister smooth hair and kissed her forehead. He was relieved she was safe, and he’d do anything to protect her. Even if that meant he’d have to sacrifice his own life.

Later, he was sitting at his home office with a smirk on his face when Priya arrived.

“Where were you so late?”

“Worried much, Hunter?”

He rolled his eyes in response.

“I was at my house, with some members of my Clan.”

“Hmpft,” he took a sip of his drink. “I can image doing what.”

“Training,” she placed herself in front of him, facing him closely. “After all, I’m supposed to kick Gaius old ass, right?”

“Hmmm, growing responsibilities…” he mocked. “I like it.”

“What about you? What’s with that smirk?”

Lysimachus served her a glass of his whiskey.

“Know why we get along, Priya?”

“We’re both good in bed?”

“Other than that. We know how to play games.”

“What do you mean?”

He told her his latest plans. He was one step ahead of Gaius, like the old times. Lysimachus knew his location, but he wasn’t aware of that.

His next move was to forge a document, where Kamilah supposedly gave him entire control over her Clan. The word spread to the hypnotized members was that they were sent to different parts of the country, searching for Gaius. In truth, they were all safely hiding in a small town in Indiana. Gaius would have to find new manners to recruit servants.

“Smart move, Hunter,” she extended her arm, clicking her glass on his. “Cheers.”

“Cheers.”

———-

Kamilah

“Morning, sleepyhead,” waking up to Amy’s voice sounded almost unreal, considering how long she had been away.

“I missed waking up like this,” Kamilah forced a smile. Although she was glad to have her fiancée back, she knew her life was in danger.

Amy placed a tray of food in front of her, containing the black, strong coffee she liked, a small vase of flowers and the usual pancakes, with a smiley face with fangs.

“Don’t give me this look. You’re already starting to think about that stuff again.”

“That stuff is a threat to your life.”

“We’ll solve it. Lysimachus is already working on it.”

“Is he?” Kamilah took a sip of the coffee.

Amy informed her about some books and articles they retrieved from the University she was attending. Kamilah could tell she was omitting parts of the story, details she knew that could possibly cause her more stress.

Whenever she started spacing out again, remember she was under Gaius sight, Amy would find a way to distract her, whether was singing or complaining about how Kamilah’s hair looked perfect even when she had just woken up. She decided to embrace it. She didn’t know what the future held for them or how much time they’d have left, so every moment from now, was precious.

“So,” she teased, “you’re finally proving you can actually cook. Those pancakes were the best I’ve had in a while. In decades, perhaps.”

“See? I told you the day I almost set the penthouse on fire was an accident.”

Pushing the tray aside, Kamilah was suddenly on top of her, planting soft kisses on her neck, while her hands cherished the softness of Amy’s skin.

“Whoa,” the girl grinned, “you still need your real breakfast, right?”

“Actually,” Kamilah remembered the last time she fed, “thinking of this kind of breakfast makes me feel sick right now.”

“I’m sorry,” Amy noticed her expression changed, “I forgot…”

“But there’s something I really want right now.”

“What is it?”

“To show you a small surprise I bought you.”

She smiled, planning to finally take Amy to the house in the Hamptons.

[exxtremelydelicious]

Love on the Brain

"And sometimes I think in this vast world, there are many things you'll meet, and many things you'll lose -- And you, who is just a dot, have no power to hold -- only the power to let them flow through you." - Jerico Silvers

Side Note: I created this tumblr because I needed to vent and document what had happened to me in the past couple of months. I have never been expressive in person, but I used to be expressive in writing. As I got older, I lost even the writing part, because life happened. But I realized that I need to keep doing it in order to put things in perspective for myself, and to be in touch with my sensitive side.

PART 1: GIRL ON A MISSION

Let's start at the beginning.

I was a virgin at 31. Emphasis on the WAS.

I was getting tired of feeling like I was being judged because of it. I have been sexual at a very young age, but for some reason I can't fully explain, never got around to actually having sex with anyone.

Hmm. Actually, I can explain that briefly with this: I haven't had a boyfriend since high school. There's a bunch of other factors, but that's probably a topic for another time.

So. I started swiping on Tinder. Yep, this is a Tinder horror story. Please stay with me despite this fact, it gets better.

I can't even recall anymore if I downloaded the app specifically with the idea of having sex with someone, but whatever the case, that ended up being the main goal. Judge me for this, but I actually got the idea from Sex Education on Netflix. On an episode where the dad was giving the main protagonist sex advice, the dad said - "With sex, it's always better after the first time. So just go ahead and do it, just rip off the Band-aid!" It planted an unshakeable idea in my head: I will have sex this year. I will stop being picky and stop imagining that I will hit it off with a nice guy at the bar - since I rarely go to bars anyway. I will work for it and get it. So I got swiping, let go of my inhibitions and kept an open mind.

And by god, I hit jackpot. I matched with a cute guy with an interesting background (grew up in the States, went to the Navy, went to acting school after) who was absolutely fascinating to chat with. And for some reason, he seemed to find boring me very interesting. What's more, he was so enamored with me that he already asked me to move in with him within the first 24 hours of chatting. I was taken aback, but I mean, come on - this guy is eloquent, passionate, and obviously saw my great qualities right away, enough to want me to live with him. Looking back, this should have been a red flag. But at that moment, my romanticism and my ego was stoked. He is a dream come true, he's the leading man from a novel come to life.

So we agreed to meet after around 2 weeks of chatting online. My hopes were high, and so it was brought rock bottom when I saw that he was short, doesn't dress well, and looks okay but not near enough his Tinder photos. I was disappointed, to say the least. Even during the date, I knew I will not be making any plans to see him again. I was sad, because even though my goal was sex, there's a part of me that's hoping I might end up getting more with him - like someone to start a relationship with, maybe? His personality is great - he would have been perfect if he was just a bit taller. And even if it's just sex I go after, I still couldn't imagine having sex with someone I'm not even a little bit physically attracted to. So there's that, a dead end, a big X on my to-do list.

I didn't tell him right away that I'm no longer interested. I wasn't sure how to. But he sensed the change in how I responded to him online after our date, and so I told him point-blank that I didn't feel any romantic connection. We agreed to keep talking, as friends, because I genuinely still found him interesting. I have told him things I have never told most people I've known for years - I even relayed the fact that I was on Tinder to lose my v-card, but this was after I found out I'm no longer interested in him.

Talk was intermittent after, and I mostly forgot about him, but around a month after that first date, he offered - and I agreed - to go to his place. Why, you ask? 1) I wasn't having any success with Tinder after him and 2) Cause really, losing my virginity to this guy wouldn't be so bad. It's always nice chatting with him, he seemed like a genuinely good guy, but more importantly 3) He's small, so if he attempts to do a Ted Bundy on me I feel like I can handle him.

But then life has a way of messing up with your plans: I got my period a few days before our scheduled meeting. I almost cancelled on him, cause what would be the point? But he didn't know that I planned to lose my virginity to him, and even when I super slyly mentioned through chat that I got my period, he still wanted to push through with the meeting. He was giving me the vibe that he really just enjoy talking with me, has no plans of disrespecting my decision not to date him, and just wants to be friends. I got guilty, so I said to myself "Just drop by, then leave after a few hours. It can't be that hard."

When I got to his place, I instantly noticed that he looked way better than when I first saw him, probably because his not-so-good clothing sense doesn't reflect on his casual home clothes. I looked at him in a different light, and thought "Hmm, wouldn't be so bad to lose my virginity to him. Wouldn't be bad at all." I was genuinely bummed - if only I didn't have my period waaaah! It was a weak flow already but would still be quite gross, especially for a first time sex partner.

Still, after some hours at his place - we got intimate. I'll spare you the details, but we couldn't go all the way (not because of my period, mind you) and I was sad because I had no intentions of meeting him again. I still wasn't able to accomplish what I had planned to do. So close yet so far.

PART 2: THE MORNING AFTER

But then, he was amazingly sweet the morning after, and said he was "surprised to find how much I already like you." I was hooked. We made plans to meet again in 2 weeks time (which will henceforth be called "2nd Attempt at Losing the Virginity Day", or 2ALVD) and I left his house thinking "So this is what it feels like to belong to someone."

I barely slept the night before at his place, but I felt energized, and when I checked myself in the mirror, I found that I was glowing.

It felt great, like I was a whole different person. It's a sort of happiness I haven't felt before. And this guy just couldn't seem to get enough of me. He wouldn't stop chatting and calling, and we even ended up having a quick date before our scheduled 2ALVD because he couldn't wait two weeks. I have never felt more showered with interest and attention.

To add to that, prior to 2ALVD, he kept bombarding me with sexy messages that made the wait to meet him and finally do it almost impossible. I kid you not, my underwear was constantly soaked. And when we finally did it, it was absolutely amazing.

It was great for a time, but the dreamy part almost ended too soon.

Part 1 of 3

[theonyxpath]

Next week, we’ll be starting our Kickstarter for the Contagion Chronicle, which is a crossover chronicle featuring all of the game lines for Chronicles of Darkness.

Like all of our Kickstarter campaigns, you’ll be hearing a lot about this in the weeks to come, so I figured that this week, I’ll just go a little into how we came up with the idea to begin with.

We have received, over the years, many requests for crossover rules for the Chronicles of Darkness. Which makes sense, as CofD, unlike its predecessor, the World of Darkness, was created with the idea that all the game lines would have a similar, if not the same, rules set.

I’m not talking about the Storyteller and Storytelling Systems which are the rules for rolling dice, but the individual game line rules sets, like Disciplines, Gifts, cosmology, those sorts of things.

Book of Oblivion illustrated by Drew Tucker

With folks asking for crossover rules and tips, I suggested to our crew here that a crossover book would be something that could also be really helpful in providing new content for game lines that we were putting out less projects for that year.

Pretty much the same thinking as the Dark Eras books.

I wound up talking with Matthew Dawkins at the Vampire convention in New Orleans – the same one where we agreed on the deal for They Came From Beneath the Sea! – and he made the point that a whoppin’ book of pure rules with a bit of advice wouldn’t necessarily be as much fun as a crossover book that featured a setting where those rules and that advice could be seen in action.

This tied in with my thinking on adding default Chronicles to each of the 2nd Edition CofD lines: provide an example that people could either use wholecloth or could take pieces of or just be inspired by for their own Chronicles.

Fun to read, and examples of how a Chronicle could work. So this crossover Chronicle would be the prime example of how to use all the various supernatural character types and their cultures in one big setting match up, usable as written and usable as examples and overall, no matter what, fun to read.

Shunned By The Moon illustration by Brian LeBlanc

Matthew went off and came up with an external threat; something not featured in any of our previous material, but which could be part of any of our CofD game lines. Something that threatened the supernatural world so much that the various denizens would have reasons to ally themselves – no matter how treacherously – to deal with it. And so the Contagion was born.

We’ll bring you more concrete info on the Contagion Chronicle next week; I’m hoping to sit down with Matthew and chat a bit on the highlights of the project, and share that info with you. Meanwhile, here’s the link to the character creation sessions he has been recording (this link is also in a couple of other places on the blog today so you don’t accidentally miss it): https://youtu.be/dFMjit-YTwQ

We’re all really excited by this project as we’ve never really done anything like this before. It’s a discrete Chronicle, but it’s appropriate for all of our CofD game lines, and as a way to illustrate how something can be built that encompasses all of a setting no matter how disjointed, I think it will be handy for other game settings as well.

Signs of Sorcery illustration by Michael Gaydos

I also want to call out last Friday’s Onyx Pathcast where the Titanic Trio take turns “selling” different game lines of ours. It is probably the most energized and fun recording that they’ve done. Something about the timed, short, pitches just seems to bring out the best in the three of them.

In order, these are the ones they hit:

Dixie: Exalted Third Edition

Eddy: Legendlore

Matthew: Promethean: The Created Second Edition

Dixie: Cavaliers of Mars

Eddy: Pugmire

Matthew: Werewolf: The Forsaken Second Edition

Dixie: Geist: The Sin-Eaters Second Edition

Eddy: Trinity Continuum

Matthew: Demon: The Descent

Dixie: Scion Second Edition

So even if you just want to be sold on one line you haven’t been sure about, or that you were curious about, or even if you already love the game but want to hear their take on it, it’s easy to go back and forth until you get to it. Link is here and below in the BLURBS! section: https://onyxpathcast.podbean.com/

I really like the selection they chose for this batch of pitches, many of which were suggested by our community, and I think it’d be great if they did more in another episode or two. After all, we have:

Many Worlds, One Path!

BLURBS!

KICKSTARTER:

Next week on Tuesday March 26th, we will be starting the Contagion Chronicle Kickstarter at 2pm Eastern US time!

Matthew Dawkins has also started running the Contagion Chronicle for some of the members of his Discord, via Google Hangouts! Follow along to get some sneak peeks of the content coming up in the Contagion Chronicle Kickstarter: https://youtu.be/dFMjit-YTwQ

ONYX PATH MEDIA

Illustration by Michael Gaydos

This Friday’s Onyx Pathcast is an interview with a writer for many, many of our projects and now a first-time developer Chris Allen! https://onyxpathcast.podbean.com/

And Here’s More Media About Our Worlds:

This week in Onyx Path News with the ever-present Gentleman Gamer, Matthew Dawkins! https://youtu.be/zFTknuOdHGk

If YOU have a podcast, YouTube or Twitch channel, or talk about games on a blog or other website, and want to perform actual plays or make reviews of our games, please reach out to the Gentleman Gamer on the Onyx Path forum. From there we’ll share emails and get you started, so when you do start producing content we’ll be able to promote it on our blog and YouTube channel!

We’re closing in on the conclusion of Red Moon Roleplaying‘s They Came from Beneath the Sea! actual play! Here’s the most recent episode: https://youtu.be/CeFYwRLtXQk

Matthew Dawkins has also started running the Contagion Chronicle for some of the members of his Discord, via Google Hangouts! Follow along to get some sneak peeks of the content coming up in the Contagion Chronicle Kickstarter: https://youtu.be/dFMjit-YTwQ

We’d be fools not to promote the excellent Devil’s Luck Gaming, as they’ve reached episode four of their Scarred Lands actual play: https://www.twitch.tv/DEVILSLUCKGAMING Their costumes really add to the roleplay!

The Story Told Podcast comes at us with two pieces of media this week! The first is their Wraith: The Oblivion Actual Play here: http://thestorytold.libsyn.com/episode-22-wraith-the-oblivion-actual-play and the second is their Exalted: Dragon-Blooded actual play here: https://thestorytold.libsyn.com/fall-of-jiara-episode-1-session-0

Don’t forget to get in touch with any of your actual plays, interviews, and reviews of our games! We’re always happy to promote them.

Please check any of these out and let us know if you find or produce any actual plays of our games!

ELECTRONIC GAMING:

As we find ways to enable our community to more easily play our games, the Onyx Dice Rolling App is now live! Our dev team has been doing updates since we launched based on the excellent use-case comments by our community, and this thing is both rolling and rocking!

Here’s an update from the App devs:

Onyx Dice!  We’ve recently released the Changeling: The Lost, Trinity Continuum: Aeon dice, and now the Geist dice.  Next up on our radar is: Demon: The Fallen,  Mummy: The Resurrection,  Kindred of the East, Vampire Dark Ages, and Mummy: The Curse.

We have a serious issue on the Pixel and Motorola phones that prevent the user from using the app correctly.  A fix is coming shortly.  A temporary workaround is to minimize the app without shutting it down, and then restore it.

ON AMAZON AND BARNES & NOBLE:

You can now read our fiction from the comfort and convenience of your Kindle (from Amazon) and Nook (from Barnes & Noble).

If you enjoy these or any other of our books, please help us by writing reviews on the site of the sales venue you bought it from. Reviews really, really help us with getting folks interested in our amazing fiction!

Our selection includes these fiction books:

OUR SALES PARTNERS:

We’re working with Studio2 to get Pugmire out into stores, as well as to individuals through their online store. You can pick up the traditionally printed main book, the Screen, and the official Pugmire dice through our friends there! https://studio2publishing.com/search?q=pugmire

We’ve added Prince’s Gambit to our Studio2 catalog: https://studio2publishing.com/products/prince-s-gambit-card-game

Now, we’ve added Changeling: The Lost 2nd Edition products to Studio2‘s store! See them here: https://studio2publishing.com/collections/all-products/changeling-the-lost

Looking for our Deluxe or Prestige Edition books? Try this link! http://www.indiepressrevolution.com/xcart/Onyx-Path-Publishing/

And you can now order Pugmire, Monarchies of Mau, Cavaliers of Mars, and Changeling: The Lost 2e! http://www.indiepressrevolution.com/xcart/manufacturers.php?manufacturerid=296

And available this week! Deluxe Changeling: The Dreaming and Deluxe Beckett’s Jyhad Diary! The additional books we have after the Kickstarter ship-outs are done are now at IPR!

DRIVETHRURPG.COM:

On Sale This Week!

This Wednesday, we’re yipping and purring to offer the Roll of Good Dogs and Excellent Cats, characters for Pugmire and Monarchies of Mau, in PDF and physical book PoD versions on DTRPG!

CONVENTIONS

UK Games Expo: May 31st – June 2nd Gen Con: August 1st – August 4th Save Against Fear: Oct 12-14 GameHoleCon: October 31st – November 3rd We’ll also be back at PAX Unplugged later this year.

And now, the new project status updates!

DEVELOPMENT STATUS FROM FAST EDDY WEBB (projects in bold have changed status since last week):

First Draft (The first phase of a project that is about the work being done by writers, not dev prep)

M20 Victorian Mage (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)

City of the Towered Tombs (Cavaliers of Mars)

Geist2e Fiction Anthology (Geist: The Sin-Eaters 2nd Edition)

Across the Eight Directions (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Exalted Essay Collection (Exalted)

Kith and Kin (Changeling: The Lost 2e)

Scion: Demigod (Scion 2nd Edition)

TC: Aeon Ready Made Characters (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)

Trinity Continuum Jumpstart (Trinity Continuum Core)

TC: Aeon Jumpstart (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)

Heroic Land Dwellers (They Came From Beneath the Sea!)

Monsters of the Deep (They Came From Beneath the Sea!)

Tales of Aquatic Terror (They Came From Beneath the Sea!)

Masks of the Mythos (Scion 2nd Edition)

Scion: Dragon (Scion 2nd Edition)

Wraith20 Fiction Anthology (Wraith: The Oblivion 20th Anniversary Edition)

Blood Sea Guides for 5e (Scarred Lands)

Redlines

Mummy: The Curse 2nd Edition core rulebook (Mummy: The Curse 2nd Edition)

Creatures of the World Bestiary (Scion 2nd Edition)

Chicago Folio/Dossier (Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition)

Let The Streets Run Red (Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition)

Cults of the Blood Gods (Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition)

Dragon-Blooded Novella #1 (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Legendlore core book (Legendlore)

Second Draft

Tales of Good Dogs – Pugmire Fiction Anthology (Pugmire)

Heirs to the Shogunate (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Scion Ready Made Characters (Scion 2nd Edition)

Deviant: The Renegades (Deviant: The Renegades)

Scion Companion: Mysteries of the World (Scion 2nd Edition)

M20 The Technocracy Reloaded (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)

Distant Worlds (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)

Development

Hunter: the Vigil 2e core (Hunter: the Vigil 2nd Edition)

Lunars: Fangs at the Gate (Exalted 3rd Edition)

WoD Ghost Hunters (World of Darkness)

Oak, Ash, and Thorn: Changeling: The Lost 2nd Companion (Changeling: The Lost 2nd)

Night Horrors: Nameless and Accursed (Mage: the Awakening Second Edition)

Memento Mori: the GtSE 2e Companion (Geist: The Sin-Eaters 2nd Edition)

Pirates of Pugmire (Realms of Pugmire)

Manuscript Approval:

Trinity Continuum: Aberrant core (Trinity Continuum: Aberrant)

CofD Dark Eras 2 (Chronicles of Darkness)

Editing:

V5 Chicago By Night (Vampire: The Masquerade)

V5 Chicago By Night Screen (Vampire: The Masquerade)

Spilled Blood (Vampire: The Requiem 2nd Edition)

Scion Jumpstart (Scion 2nd Edition)

CofD Contagion Chronicle (Chronicles of Darkness)

Witch-Queen of the Shadowed Citadel (Cavaliers of Mars)

Post-Editing Development:

Signs of Sorcery (Mage: the Awakening Second Edition)

Tales of Excellent Cats (Monarchies of Mau)

C20 Novel: Cup of Dreams (Changeling: the Dreaming 20th Anniversary Edition)

M20 Book of the Fallen (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)

Indexing:

ART DIRECTION FROM MIRTHFUL MIKE:

In Art Direction

Ex3 Monthly Stuff  

Chicago By Night

Aeon Aexpansion

They Came From Beneath the Sea!

EX3 Lunars

Hunter: The Vigil 2

Shunned By the Moon – Final finals coming in.

Contagion Chronicle – AD’d for KS.

Scion Jumpstart

VtR Spilled Blood – Going over notes.

Marketing Stuff

In Layout

Dystopia Rising: Evolution

Book of Oblivion 

Signs of Sorcery

Proofing

M20: Gods and Monsters – PoD proof ordered.

Adventures for Curious Cats – Waiting on maps.

Trinity Core – Page XXing.

Trinity Aeon – Putting in Mind Meld changes.

Ex3 Dragon Blooded – PoD proofs ordered.

Geist 2e – 2nd Proof.

C20 Player’s Guide – 2nd Proof

In Media Res – Inputting proof corrections.

The Realm – Art is arting, book is proofing.

At Press

Scion Hero – Printing. PoD proof ordered.

Scion Origin – Printing. PoD proof ordered.

Scion Dice – At Studio2.

Scion Screen – At Studio2.

Fetch Quest – At Studio2 prepping for shipping.

Pugmire Roll of Good Dogs and Cats – PDF and PoD versions on sale this Wednesday!

TODAY’S REASON TO CELEBRATE: 

St. Patty’s Day or St. Paddy’s Day! Either way, we just had it Sunday, and while my celebration mostly takes the form of corned beef, cabbage, and green-dyed Birch Beer these days, once upon a time it was the old White Wolf tradition to meet for brunch and line up at the local Irish Pub to get in there as they opened and spend the rest of the day there drinking (or not) and having fun. It was a grand tradition of fellowship, and so here’s to the old gang!

[lostinthe-pines-blog]

Fate Doesn’t Write My Stories pt. 3 - Flashback

This is a multi-chapter story about MC, and Chris finding their way back together after years of being separated post graduation. Chris’s career takes him to Boston, a city he’d promised was her territory. But it’s not just Chris, fate has seemingly brought the entire Hartfeld crew back together.

NOTE: This is a fictional story based on Pixelberry’s Choices App. *Books The Freshman, The Sophomore, The Junior. I am not affiliated with Pixelberry nor do I own the rights to their original characters.

Tags: @jared2612

                                        FOUR YEARS EARLIER

Graduation had been a worry for everyone in the Hartfeld friend group. Where would everyone’s next steps leave them? Abbie and Tyler we’re set to move home to California to be closer to family on the West Coast. Both accepting dream jobs they were planning on spending the next few months making memories and saying goodbye to their college days. Becca already graduated, was headed West as well hoping to further her law career she’d been accepted to grad school in Seattle. Kaitlyn loved her friends but knew that this would be the end of some of her friendships as she packed to move to England the day after Graduation. Her music was getting much more response overseas and she needed to follow that dream. Zack was moving in with an old family friend in the heart of Manhattan come September. He’d always been a big city kid and he jumped on the opportunity to finally live in one. Zig of course would remain enrolled at Hartfeld not stressing much about his future plans yet he wanted to make the most of the time his friends had left around campus.

All these plans floating around the days after graduation seemed bittersweet now. Saying goodbye to Kaitlyn was hard on all of them but everyone eyes were on the parents of the group now. MC, and Chris. Chris had accepted a draft from the Eagles and would start training in a few short months. MC had nothing lined up yet, but it didn’t scare her. Chris was her future and she would go wherever he was.

The morning of Chris’s accident only a week after Graduation MC had slept in. It wasn’t uncommon for Chris to go on morning runs without her. She had felt him leave but thought nothing of it. Rolling over to the warm place where he’d just been she fell deeper into sleep. Hours later was was woken by the sound of a phone call coming through. She looked at the caller ID smiling she answered Chris’s phone call.

“Hey babe” her tone tired as she yawned.

“MC?” a formal voice responded, this wasn’t Chris she knew that much. Sitting up quickly running her hand through her hair she responded.

“This is she?”

“My name is Marie, I’m a nurse downtown at Regency Hospital. You are the emergency contact in this phone. Christopher Powell was in an accident this morning, we were hoping you could help us get more information.” MC sprang from her bed hearing these words, putting on the first clothes on that she could find.

“Yes, yes, what do you need? Is he okay?” MC asks panicked as she changed quickly. “I’ll be on my way there now!”

“We’ll see you shortly Miss, but for now do you happen to know Christopher's blood type?”

“B negative!” MC shouts not knowing how she knew such a random fact but thankful now that she did. “Please can you tell me what's wrong!” She asks now.

“Miss, Doctor Jones will speak to you in person when you arrive. I’ll see you soon.” MC and the nurse hang up simultaneously as she runs out to her car. On the short drive she calls and leaves a voicemail for Chris’s mother hoping there isn’t too much fear in her voice.

After arriving at the hospital she is greeted by Marie who she sees now is an older woman with a calming demeanor. Beside her is a doctor tall, balding, and an actual description of the word ‘wise’, they welcome her into the lobby where she instantly starts questioning.

“Where is he?! What Happened?” MC asks letting her emotions get the best of her

“I’m Doctor Jones, I’ll be treating your husband”

“Boyfriend” MC corrects him with an unintentional sharp tone.

“Boyfriend.” he pauses “Christopher was involved in a hit and run accident. A witness called it in and you should know the the police will be here soon for questioning.” Doctor Jones explains “He’s sustained major injuries to his left leg which we’ve begun treating, as well as a lot of internal bleeding. He’ll need to stay to be watched for tonight and maybe even past that. But he is awake and responsive if you’d like to see him.”

“Yes!” MC yells not a moment after the Doctor finishes speaking. He leads her down the hall to a curtained off bed where a nurse sits wrapping his leg.

Chris turns to her and he smiles through his pain grabbing her hands quickly. “Babe” he says weakly “I’m sorry”

“Sorry! This isn’t your fault!” she responds “We’ll find whoever did this to you I promise!”

Chris stares into her eyes silently and the edge of his lips turning up slightly. This would be the last time MC really truly saw his smile.

The hours pass and more of his injuries are revealed. His left thigh bone was shattered upon impact and while it took most of the blow his hip needed to be forced painfully back into place. One fractured rib and severe bruising down his abdomen, with the speed of the vehicle the Doctors said it was a miracle this was all he sustained. Doctor Jones is certain that he’ll make a full recovery but that his leg will experience a certain degree of pain or numbness for the rest of his life. This injury is not something that could be played on ever again.

Chris is aware now that he’ll have to deny the offer from the Eagles causing his plans for his life to fade in front of him.

The first two weeks following the accident were the easy part. A victory when the cops caught the driver, a day drunk asshole looking to get somewhere far to quick. Getting Chris home, reminding him he’s loved and strong. Assisting him in any possible way. MC was there the entire time to celebrate or to cry with him. She could see light fading from his beautiful blue eyes. As the months passed she noticed him finishing prescription bottles of pain medications far earlier than he should have; and the kitchen counter collecting empty bottles of various alcohols. Her Chris was dying, maybe not physically, but mentally. He was a shell of the man he was before, but she still tried her hardest to love him.

Early August almost 3 months since the accident his casts had been removed but his pain still lingered. Coming home from the second waitressing job she’d picked up to cover Chris’s half of their rent she noticed his eyes no longer a crystal blue but a dark almost black color now. She knelt in front of him on the ground holding his hands in hers.

“Christopher, look at me.” she commanded trying to keep her tone light. “You have got to snap out of this now.”

Chris’s eyes were completely glazed over and she knew he wasn’t sober, no signs of drinking around she noticed the last bottle of his medication that was recently filled completely gone. She couldn’t wrap her head around how quickly he’d turned into a mess of a human. But she still loved him and she missed his laughter, she’d have given anything to hear it again.

“I can’t” Chris spit his eyes meeting hers now with guilt and water at the edge of his lashes. “I’m disappointing you, I’ve disappointed myself, my family. I don’t even know where to go from here but i know this…” Chris paused for what felt like hours “Wherever I go, it won’t be with you.” He yanks his hands from hers and stands carefully walking toward the door. MC runs and stop in front of him blocking him from the door.

“Why!” she yelled now, no tone of sweetness or understanding left. She’d wasted all of her kindness on him over the past few months. “Why won’t you be with me. Have I not proven myself to you!”

Chris looked to the ground matching her anger “No, I have not proven myself to you. I am not good for you anymore. You deserve to be happy and I won’t be that for you. So go! Get out!” He looks to her now and she feels a fear she’s never felt around him. Turning out the door quickly she runs the mile to her best friends apartment.

The next week she spent with Zack, avoiding her apartment at all costs. The tension between Chris and MC had started to spread through their friend group as everyone began to leave the small town they’d all met in. Tyler supporting Chris understanding where he’s coming from and thinking that maybe it was just time for Chris and MC to drift apart. That fate had come for them as it had tried so many times for his own relationship. Zack accused Tyler of being jealous of Chris and MC’s strong bond in a moment of anger leading to the inevitable end of Tyler and Zack’s friendship. Tyler and Abbie didn’t even say goodbye to MC or Zack before they moved. Keeping contact with only Chris and Kaitlyn now they retreated to California to start over.

Becca had visited both parties; bringing Chris dinners and trying to listen to him, and MC taking her shopping and attempting to bridge the gap between the two lovers. Eventually it was time for Becca to head west too and the pair of friends got together one final time.

“Look, MC I know this might be over stepping, but maybe it’s time to think about you. You were so willing to put your goals on hold for his football dreams. But as horrible as it all is maybe this has been your blessing in disguise. You know you are meant for more, so take it. My cousin in Boston needs a roommate for the renewal of her lease. You should go!” Becca explains pleading her friend to not let life chew her up at such a young age.

“And what, leave him behind?” MC questions her eyes filling with tears so often now that she doesn’t believe they’ll ever dry again. “It’s been three months, I can’t just give up on 3 and a half years after only 3 months.”

“You can if it’s truly hurting you” Becca corrects her, and MC knows she right.  

Returning home MC opens the apartment door for the first time in days finding Chris is almost the same state as before except this time the blue of his eyes has returned. He’s sober now. But she doesn't know if that’s truly a good or bad thing.

“Hi.” she says softly, fearfully.

“Hey.” Chris responds his love for her had been clouded by jealousy. Jealousy that she could still accomplish her dreams and he was stuck with out his. His head throbbed and his body craved medication his Doctors would no longer prescribe. “I’m going to Maine.” he announces flatly

“Oh.” MC responds “When?” She questions. She’s not sure if she’s been invited.

“I’m moving back home at the end of the month.” Chris cannot bring himself to look her in the eye. He knows he’ll be sucked back in. He’s convinced himself that leaving her is what is best for her and for him. That somehow she’ll be able to soar with out him.

“End of the month?” MC questions looking to the calendar on the wall “It’s the 17th of August…” her voice trails filling with anger now “When were you going to tell me?”

“When were you going to come home?” he retorts and she knows she’s met her match.

“When were you going to stop downing you prescription medications? Or do you want to end up lost and alone like your father.” she knows she’s cut to deep but she doesn’t care. “You’re abandoning me, you’re abandoning us. Like father like son.”

“Stop pretending you know about my future, you’re the only one of us who couldn’t land a job after graduation.” His anger fills him now, he takes a moment to calm down. It’s clear their relationship is over. As Tyler had put it, ‘Fate had come for them.’ and it didn’t leave them with a happy ending. He remains silent until finally speaking again. “Will you be staying here? The leasing office will need to know if we are leaving the apartment vacant.”

Baffled by his words she glares in his direction. He cared more about the paperwork surrounding their apartment than he did about her. “No. I’m moving to Boston.” she hadn’t actually decided if she was going but her emotions got the best of her now.

“Boston?” he questioned “What’s in Boston?”

“Not you.” her words tearing through him.

“Go to Boston. I have no need for that City or the people in it. It’s yours.” he offers giving her the city childishly like it’s his property.

“Then I expect never to see you in it.” MC turns on her heel heading right back out the door she’d just entered.

Zack and her spent the following days packing her things maneuvering around quickly during the short hours that Chris was actually out of the house. Any time Chris and MC crossed paths fights would start and it was better just to avoid it at all. As the final days of August approached leaving became harder and harder for MC.

The late summer breeze was warm almost begging her to stay as she carried the last box of her things out of the apartment she’d shared with the man who once loved her as she still loved him. As she opened her car door she saw Zig pull up with Chris in the passenger seat. Chris got out quickly walking with a limp toward the apartment door. He was experiencing the chronic effects of the accident now and she wouldn’t be able to help him. His eyes heavy with pain,  dark stubble appearing around his jaw and the stench of alcohol potent even from across the driveway. Even now she was hoping he would beg for forgiveness and plead for her to take him back, to come to Maine with him and help him through his darkest hour. She was disappointed again watching instead as he hobbled up to the door ignoring her presence,  Zig pulling away.

“That's everything.” she called to him, “I left the key inside on the counter and signed the paperwork” her voice weak as if she were going to cry. But the truth was, she couldn’t cry anymore. She’d spent weeks doing just that, she was finally and unbelievably dried out. “Chris, I love you” she says desperately “I always have and always will. I hope one day happiness can return to your blue eyes.” she allows one last moment for him to change their fate but he stares silently at her. She nods and ducks her head into her car driving away.