#polyam winter

[leafnighthybridwolfsbane]

Qinterwatcher Shipper

So, just my personal take, but I ship Moonwatcher x Qibli x Winter as a thruple who's dating each other. Now this would be when Winter works through some of his teachings as a royal Icewing dragonet. So sometime after the events of arc 3. I just find it to be cute. Winter worries about the now, Moon worries about the future, and Qibli keeps them both from worrying too much.

Idk, I kinda just like the dynamic. I kinda feel like Winter could've learned a lot being in a relationship. Though I do agree Winter needed to learn that Nightwings weren't the bad guys entirely.

That's just my hot take though

[19thcenturylover]

"Pijamas"

Another Wingterbaron thing, srry it's my way of being sane (no but aha) and although I love them, I'm running out of ideas to draw them,,

I finally did something with this dynamic and I couldn't be happier with the result, and now I have xomo 10 new headcanons JAJDUD

Based in this :P

If anyone has hc or ideas about this couple, I will be very happy to hear it. Honestly, I would love to know if more people are interested in this ot3 :3 QJJDJD

[bestpolyshipbracket]

Best Polyamorous Ship Group 1 Round 2

[a-cat-in-toffee]

ashe would have just so many pins im right

[husbandograveyard]

This is my contribution to a secret santa discord server event. This fic is warm and fluffy and I LOVED writing it, I love these characters SO much. I hope you like it too!

Warnings/notes/tags are: polyamory, unspecified AU where Geto is not evil, unspecified whether this is a non-cursed world or a jujutsu AU where we just ignore the presence of curses. Loads and loads and loads of fluff.

2nd person. Reader is genderneutral, no pronouns are used.

Spending the winter holidays with Geto and Gojo is… 

…finding time in your busy schedules so the three of you can enjoy a winter market.

Strolling along the little stalls, taking in the views and the smells. It’s winter, and it has been dark for a while, but all the twinkling lights decorating the stalls reflecting into the white snow -both real and fake- make up for all that darkness. The smells are a little overwhelming at first, all kinds of stalls lined up flooding your senses with strong, sweet odors, heavy spices and the warmth of grilled meats… it’s a lot, combined with the sights and the jolly music playing from the speakers spread around the market, you can’t help but feel a little overwhelmed. 

It doesn’t help that Satoru is immediately overly enthusiastic, ready to spend money on souvenirs and gifts for all the students and everyone else he knows, and pointing out all the stalls he’d like to try the food at. He’d run off without you two if it weren’t for Suguru’s quick reflexes, grabbing onto the hood of his jacket and janking him back. Suguru’s holding your hand firmly in his, grounding you from all the things overwhelming your senses. 

You stroll past the stalls, for some reason holding a whole bunch of bags from Satoru, who just can’t seem to stop getting stuff. At every stall there is something that reminds him of one of his studens, his friends or either of you, and he just has to get it. 

You leave the market filled with all kinds of foods and drinks, Suguru suggesting a little break amongst the food stalls, and Gojo getting a little bit of everything to sample, completely filling the little table you are standing at with various containers and plates, one smelling and looking more delicious than the other. You have to fight a little to ensure you get to sample some of the sweet desserts, and all three of you end up with smears on your faces from various sauces- feeding each other is romantic only when you don’t joke around and miss mouths on purpose (and of course you had to have revenge). 

… snuggling up on the couch, shivering and sniffling, full of regret but still shaking from laughter, after Suguru sneakily started a snowball fight on your way home. 

You had felt the cold snow collide with the back of your head and turned around immediately, throwing an accusatory glare at Satoru, who immediately put his hands up in defense. 

“I swear y/n- It wasn’t me I-…” 

His pleas immediately interrupted by yet another snowball, this one narrowly missing the tip of his nose, the both of you whipping your heads around to see Suguru standing with his hands hidden behind his back, giving you both his most innocent smile before grinning and throwing two more snowballs at the both of you simultaneously, a remarkable display of his aim and strength. Though this time you saw them coming and both you and Satoru managed to duck away in time, already grabbing handfuls of snow for your counter-offense. 

The two-against-one-match quickly turned into an all-out battle where each of you had to fend for themselves, because you slipped and nearly fell, throwing one of your snowballs to Satoru, who had promptly declared you his enemy as well. 

You spent almost two hours laughing, running around, hiding from snowballs and each other, you felt like kids again. As if there was not a single care in the world. You continued until your stomach hurt from laughing, your fingers ached from the cold, and you could barely feel your face anymore. 

The minute your little snowball fight was over, you realized just how much snow had melted and had managed to get through to your clothes, despite your gloves, scarf and jacket protecting you from most of the cold. 

You went back inside, changing into warm clothes, fluffy socks and cuddling up on the couch. You put on a silly movie for some background noise and entertainment, Suguru retrieved the blankets and Satoru prepped hot cocoa, overflowing your mugs with way too many mini marshmallows, offering to ‘help’ either one of you if you thought there were too many for you to eat- how kind of him. 

You sat in between the two men, knees pulled up and neatly tucked under the blanket. You barely registered the movie you put on, too busy getting warmed up and enjoying the serenity and pure happiness you felt in that moment. 

…making all kinds of plans, only to spend most of the holiday resting and chilling. 

There were things that had to be done: some household chores as well as work, and there were some things that you wanted to do for fun. Going to visit a new shopping center nearby, explore some city sights you hadn’t had the chance to. You wanted to go out on some dates, go for long walks enjoying the winter landscapes, relax, not worry and stress too much. There was work to be done, but work would always be there, and opportunities to relax and do fun things were scarce, especially in periods where the three of you were available. 

Suguru is a go with the flow kind of person, so he’s happy to tag along to whatever plans you make. Satoru however, is like a kid in a candy store when there is suddenly a lot of free time on your hands, and he is on the couch with his laptop in no time, ready to order tickets to anything you wanna visit, booking trips, and talking about so many plans you wonder out loud where he thinks he’s going to find the time to do all that. 

The fact that you finally can relax makes all the plans seem exciting though, and initially you are 100% behind Satoru, adding on suggestions, sending him links and scrolling on your phone, doing additional research for a lot of the places and activities he suggests. You do listen to Suguru who suggests only really booking things when you’re sure you can go do it, when timing, planning, transport, other plans and your energy levels are all aligned and allow you to do the activity.

He turns out to be the voice of reason, cause all three of you have such a hard time getting up in the morning, finally getting to sleep in (and it’s quite hard getting up when you’re in someone else's arms, comfortable and warm). 

Chores -unless really necessary- get postponed, plans get cancelled. Instead you stay in, watching silly movies, and finally catching up on the latest series you really wanted to watch. You go on walks together, exploring your own neighborhood and stopping at restaurants you haven’t had the chance to try out yet. You focus all your time and effort on quality time and enjoying the time all three of you have together. And you very quickly realize that truly, you do not need to have big and exciting plans to make the most of your winter break. 

… sharing a bed, because it is ‘cold’ outside. 

You leave your windows open at night, because it’s healthier, and you don’t like feeling all stuffy in the morning. There is a certain charm about entering a cold room and snuggling underneath the warm blankets, warming up as you fall asleep, and waking up in your own little warm cocoon. Especially if you have no further responsibilities that day, your blankets keeping you trapped in bed on a cold winter day, sleeping in. 

It is a little less exciting though when the temperatures drop abruptly, and the room is not nice and chilly, but actually is freezing when you go in. You are shivering when you get changed, and your blankets just don’t feel right. Your feet might as well be blocks of ice in your warm, fuzzy, socks. 

It only takes a few minutes of tossing and turning before you decide you need to get a better source of heat in your bed. Or a bed, doesn’t necessarily matter which one. 

So you wrap yourself in a blanket, carefully closing the door behind you, and shuffle your way through the dark hallway, only to find Satoru -your current target- standing in the hallway, mirroring yourself with his blanket wrapped around you as well. 

“It’s too cold in my room”, is the only thing you can blurt out as an explanation, feeling the overwhelming need to explain, even though that’s not necessary. He just nods in acknowledgement, and you need no further words between the two of you to know what the next step is. 

Suguru is already peacefully asleep in a room that’s colder than the rest of the house, but not freezing temperature. Leave it to him to actually properly figure out when to open and close the windows in his room to reach maximum oxygen and the best possible temperature to still be able to snuggle underneath the blankets without risking to freeze overnight. 

Suguru is a quiet sleeper, almost too silent, and you worry you might have woken him up by opening his door. But you didn’t; he merely stirs in his sleep, lips parting in a quiet sigh, hand moving up a little to lay on top of the raven hair that’s splayed upon his pillow. 

You are both as quiet as possible when you enter, Suguru only waking up when you both slip into the bed to either side of him, piling your blankets on top of him and snuggling close. There is a brief moment of surprise, followed by a very sleepy nod of acknowledgement. All three of you take a little time to adjust to three people in the bed, and it’s not entirely sure whose limbs are entangling with who, but it doesn’t matter as you can already feel your body relaxing the second you find a comfortable position. 

Your eyelids grow heavy while you hear Suguru and Satoru quietly converse in the background. You squeeze an arm that is around you, a quiet way of saying goodnight. 

…feeling warm, no matter the temperature. Because you are safe. You are loved. 

[lesbianwyllravengard]

So Ashley Graham and Mia Winters were born the same year... Mia was kidnapped by a bioweapon in 2014.... and Ashley wanted to become an agent just like Leon someday..... Mia has a thing for blondes.......... I am yurimagining.......

[aroaessidhe]

2023 reads

The Winter Knight

slow-building urban fantasy mystery

reincarnated arthurian legends living in modern Vancouver

follows a gay autistic college student who’s the reincarnation of sir gawain who just wants to live a normal life

and a 30-something valkyrie woman

when a knight is murdered, she’s assigned to investigate, and he’s pulled into things after finding the body

m/m and pre-f/f (she is bi ace)

[victor-the-vampire]

Chapters: 1/? Fandom: Biohazard | Resident Evil (Gameverse) Rating: Not Rated Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death Relationships: Chris Redfield/Albert Wesker, Leon S. Kennedy/Chris Redfield, Piers Nivans/Chris Redfield, Chris Redfield/Ethan Winters, Jack Krauser/Albert Wesker, Leon S. Kennedy/Jack Krauser, Leon S. Kennedy/Luis Serra, Karl Heisenberg/Ethan Winters, William Birkin/Albert Wesker, Albert Wesker/Ethan Winters, Karl Heisenberg/Chris Redfield, Leon S. Kennedy/Ethan Winters, Piers Nivans/Ethan Winters, Leon S. Kennedy/Chris Redfield/Ethan Winters, Annette Birkin/William Birkin Characters: Leon S. Kennedy, Albert Wesker, Chris Redfield (Resident Evil), Ethan Winters, Karl Heisenberg, Jack Krauser, Luis Serra, Piers Nivans, William Birkin, Rosemary Winters (Resident Evil), Annette Birkin Additional Tags: Lycan Karl Heisenberg, Lycan Chris Redfield, Trans Karl Heisenberg, Trans Ethan Winters, Trans fem Albert Wesker, Trans Albert Wesker, Trans Jack Krauser, Trans fem Krauser, Trans Female Character, Trans Male Character, plus sized karl heisenberg, Everyone lives, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, except mia, Human/Monster Romance, Infected Characters, theyre all poly and trans, Polyamory, Trans Character, PTSD, Hurt, Hurt/Comfort, RE Village Summary:

What if Ethan went to the Village to find his missing daughter? What if his boyfriends Chris and Piers were sent to find him? What if Chris got infected by a Lycan?

 or

this is the self indulgent fic featuring trans fem wesker, trans masc karl, trans fem krauser, polyamory, Lycan chris and karl, and a shit ton of angst, enjoy!

[btschooseafic]

AO3 Recs

let it snow by aprofessorstale [completed]

Ot7, canon compliantish, queer discourse, snowed in, gender queer

when they are snowed in, bangtan decides now is a good time to confess a few things. jimin is reluctant

[windywallflower]

AND WE'RE LIVE~~~

Help us fund this funky softcover edition of Winter's series of short stories featuring queer knights: PRISM KNIGHTS!!

The stories are a bit of a 6 shades of Gay situation where each colour of the rainbow follows a different queer identity in the shape of knights and royals. They're a messy bunch. Here's our quick pitch of the series at cons:

Coqelicot -- a redux of Rapunzel featuring evil lesbian knights. Bronze -- a redux of The Princess & The Pea featuring a nonbinary, ace knight caught in a time loop. Lamplight -- a redux of Beauty & The Beast featuring a trans knight learning to love and forgive herself. Juniper -- a redux of Cinderella featuring a tragic gay knight running from his past and right into a blacksmith's arms~ Sapphire -- a redux of Sleeping Beauty featuring a polyam ship between a dragon (she/her), a knight (she/they) and a royal (they/them)~ Velvet -- a redux of 12 Princesses featuring a bisexual knight overcoming grief.

We're funding a softcover anthology version of the series and I get pretty much nothing but high praise from folks who have read (and reread???) these books time & time again! We'd love to get your support for the project this time around (or a bit of a share if its something you want to see even more of)!

Check it out here!

[trainer-sean]

Snowbound Liger.

what would a Jaune X Winter X Sienna ship be called

i dont know honestly. I havent thought of it till now

[19thcenturylover]

Wingterbaron kisses😙

Hi again, I'm back with this ot3 since I finally finished my semester YIPPIE— I have to say that I started this "mini-series" of drawings in MARCH and I was barely able to finish it... idk, 4 days, so the change is noticeable ugh :[

(1/3) Kiss on the neck :00

(2/3) Kiss on the shoulder :D [I don't know how to explain it but for me this is a spiritual redraw of my first Winterbaron drawing]

(3/3) And kiss on the cheek :3c

I really love that trio, It's been a while since I was so silly/happy for a poly ship since Dinot3 AJJDJD

[And hey, I wanted to clarify that I have been in a "small" emotional low during and after my semester and I don't feel in the mood to answer reblogs, questions, etc. In itself I'm bad at that but I don't do it with bad intentions, I really appreciate what y'all say, ily silly people :(♡]

[bestpolyshipbracket]

Best Polyamorous Ship Group 1 Round 1

[wings-of-fire-confessions]

btw i think that it's cowardice that winter, moon and quibli didn't got to be a throuplet. winter wouldn't have been a good partner for either of them one in one, cause he didn't learn yet how to act gentle and how to lower his expectations towards himself and the world, and he is also outragously bad at communication. on the other hand, he thinks of moon and quibli so fondly, he considers them the closest to him, and he really tries. if any dragon on pyrrhia is trying, then it's winter. i imagine him being the stray cat boyfriend in the throuple, eager to learn from the other two and be close to them. and whenever you'd consider him too straight for a guy like quibli, remind yourself that he is a glittery prince of ice, what else would sound more bisexual then that??? from quibli's point of view, what the hell man. this dragon calls the prince of ice i mentioned before gorgeous and handsome and awesome every second page. HE IS SO GAY FOR HIM, AND HE ALSO BELIEVES IN HIM, quibli trusts winter so much that he would have let moon be with him. and on the third talon, moon chose well of course. she never was unable to make choices, she told quibli her decision as soon she figured it out, and we really love her for it. i am not sure how she's feeling, she has so much love for every one of her friends, i really can't speak in her place. But i also believe she would thrive in a polyam relationship, cause she is so honest and good in communication and she would adore her silly goofies loving eachother, she is just so openminded. i, of course, appriciate bromances and also appriciate winter's humble accaptance and sacrifice for his friend and his love, these are great, but i don't think winter should have deserved to be left alone, still feeling like he is unworthy of love and only his sacrifices matter to his loved ones. that really doesn't add to his growth.

.

[welcome-to-puppet-hell]

To Who It Entices (Part I)

Summary: Things have been different since Homewarming. Soon after Eddie leaves with Frank, Barnaby walks you home. What happens next leads to a series of situations no one could have predicted. And it all will come to a head during one of the most romantic holidays celebrated within Home.

Pairings: Barnaby x GN!Reader x Wally, Eddie Dear x Frank Frankly, Julie x Frank (onesided)

Rating: T+ (suggestive but no nsfw; at worst, lots of foul language)

Content/Warnings: Derealization, Unreality, Panic Attacks, PTSD, Memories of toxic relationships, Kissing (LOTS of kissing), Unhappy Ending, Jealousy, Multiple Relationships, Polyam, Angst, Explicit Language, Everyone is OOC

Note: This will include a LOT of shipping. If you're against certain pairings, feel free to block and move on. I'm not huge with the shipping thing, I'm just having fun.

All dividers are from @saradika-graphics

Chapter 1: Babes In Toyland

“…Do you think Eddie will be okay?”

“Hmm? Whatta ya mean?”

“C’mon, Barnaby. You know what I mean. Eddie didn’t look like he had a good time tonight, at all. He looked…looked…”

You pause to think, to come up with a way to describe what you saw earlier that evening. 

It had been only for a brief moment during the Homewarming party, but you managed to catch a lot in that brief moment. That moment in which Eddie Dear sat down in one of the armchairs in Home’s sitting room with his plate consisting of a single pea. How he smiled one minute, and then frowned the next. How his eyes glazed over, even as they darted around in this panic that you couldn’t really understand. How his mind wandered somewhere far away, enough that even Frank could barely get him back to himself. 

You tried not to watch the scene so deeply from your spot at the punch table, but it was still unnerving. How did no one else seem to feel the tension? Even Wally seemed ambivalent when Frank announced he was walking Eddie home, his smile wide and ever present.

Even now, your brow pinches downward at the memory as you continue walking next to Barnaby. 

I really hope Eddie is okay…

A huge hand falls on your shoulder, bringing you back from your thoughts. You glance up.

“Don’t worry ‘bout it, doll. I’m sure Eddie’s fine. He was probably still overwhelmed by all the stress from today. Plus, Frank’s with ‘im! Guy might be a stick in the mud, but even I can admit he’s nicer than he seems,” Barnaby says with a wink, looking unbothered but also confident at the same time. “Our mailman’s in good hands.”

Your mouth presses close together—but you nod. Maybe Barnaby is right? 

“What about you, doll?”

“Hmm?”

Barnaby’s grin widens and he leans down to gently elbow your arm. “Ya have fun tonight?”

Blinking, you pause to come up with an answer. Truthfully, you did have a lot of fun. More fun than you expected to have, especially after Sally’s rather eerie Halloween about two months ago. A lot of what the neighborhood did for Homewarming felt…familiar. In a way you can’t really explain. From the exchange of gifts to the winter carols your neighbors sang, a lot of it felt like an echo of a life you can’t seem to remember. Perhaps before you moved in?

One can only wonder.

Either way, besides what happened with Eddie, tonight was fantastic! 

So, with a beam of your own, you turn to look up at Barnaby. “I did, actually! I kind of like Homewarming, it’s very—sweet.”

Barnaby’s lazy grin widens even more, his lips twisting to make sure his pipe was hanging at the right side. “Glad to hear it!”

The two of you continue walking up the path that leads to your house, taking in a moment of peaceful silence. You find comfort in the crunch of snow beneath your boots, in the slight chill that seeps through your peacoat, in breathing the crisp smell that could only belong to winter, and in the bright lights that adorn every nook and cranny of the little hamlet. The neighborhood feels so alive, despite most of your neighbors still attending Wally and Home’s party.

A smile stretches across your face as you let out a sigh. It’s truly a lovely night.

Before you know it, just as the holiday cheer sinks into your bones with a special sort of warmth, your feet are right in front of your door. 

“Okay, here’s you.”

��Thanks for walking me home, Barn.”

“No worries, kid. Anytime,” he says with a wink.

Something about the gesture makes you pause, your throat going dry; but you don’t know why. To hide it, you clear your throat and smile up at him.

“Do you want anything before you go? Maybe some water or coffee…?”

Barnaby pauses, his expression faltering just a little. It makes your heart freeze, then jumpstart into an overdrive. Did you come on a little too strong? Does he think you’re weird now? So many thoughts enter your brain, making your fingers grow cold and start to shake.

But then he smiles again, his expression a bit…warmer than before. Your throat tightens.

“Eh, I better not. If I drink your coffee now, I’ll have a latte problems falling to sleep later!”

A snort bursts out from you, followed by a laugh that you wish you could hold back. God, but his jokes are awful! So bad they should be illegal. 

Barnaby’s smile grows at your laugh, then he quickly looks away from you, rubbing the back of his neck. “Besides, I gotta head back to the party to help Wally and Home clean up…”

Despite still giggling, you nod in understanding. Wally and Barnaby are inseparable, so it makes sense that the latter would want to help his best friend—even with this.

“I understand. Tell them I had lots of fun today! Can’t wait for the next Holiday party,” you say, starting to turn around.

“Sure will—whoa-ho-ho,” Barnaby exclaims, quickly followed by a chuckle. “Hang on, dollface, look up!”

You pause to glance up, blinking in bemusement. Hanging above your door, wrapped up in red silk ribbon, is a bunch of green stems with white blossoms at the end. You blink some more, feeling like this plant is familiar—and then your eyes widen in realization.

Mistletoe. Then you narrow your eyes, a thought coming to you. Wait, mistletoe? How did that get there? I-I didn’t—

“—Well, you know what the tradition says,” Barnaby teases, before clearing his throat dramatically and then removing his hat. His eyes are hooded now, making his expression look very sly, and he regards you with expectation.

However, you don’t falter. You just scoff and cross your arms, looking up at him with a smirk and a raised eyebrow.

“I don’t know what you expect me to do about it,” you reply. 

“Uh, to kiss me? Ain’t that how this goes?”

“How, you silly dog? You’re like a hundred feet tall compared to me. I’d have to do a running start to even get to you. Besides, I’m the one standing under the mistletoe. I shouldn’t have to put in the work.”

His smirk widens, just as his eyelids lower. “Oh, I see. So I gotta risk breaking my neck to kiss ya?”

“Well, you know what the tradition says,” you echo back to him playfully. Then you turn away, tapping your cheek in a mock demanding manner. “I’m waiting~!”

Barnaby gapes down at you a moment, at your absolute audacity—more daring than any other neighbor in Home—and then he releases a deep belly laugh.

“Well, excuse me, princess,” he retorts with a snicker, starting to lean downward. 

His lips are just about to brush against your cheek before you turn to face him, for a reason you quickly forget—perhaps a retort to the “princess” comment?—but the reason itself doesn’t matter. What is truly significant is the result. This result, of course, being his lips gently brushing against your own. Barely a kiss, really. More like the feel of a butterfly’s wing grazing your skin. 

With a gasp, you pull away, your gaze lifting to instantly meet with Barnaby’s. He stares into your eyes with a near blank expression, one you don’t really understand. The natural response should be to pull away, to awkwardly laugh about such shenanigans and forget it ever happened.

But then his paws are cradling your face and he leans forward again, his eyes closing. You do the same, letting out a sigh as his mouth meets yours in a kiss that is so soft, gentle. The sort that melts your insides and makes your knees feel like jelly. His arms slowly move to wrap around your body, lifting you up in the air, feet off the ground and kicking a little. You let out a soft moan, your hands sliding up to squeeze his shoulders as your mouth presses against this, perhaps attempt to deepen the kiss—

But then, with a sort of hiss, Barnaby breaks away from the kiss and leaves you rather dazed, even as he settles you back to the ground. Did…did that really happen?

You shake away any thought when you hear Barnaby cough. You look up to see him adjusting his hat and then turning around, keeping his expression hidden.

“W-well, time to call it a night!” he says while walking away, huge hands in the pockets of his coat. “I-I uh. Gotta get going. Help clean up and all that…”

“Um. Um, right. Okay.” A hard swallow, then a cough. “See you tomorrow?”

Barnaby pauses. Then he spins around, wearing his usual grin and throwing in a finger gun, his voice back its usual humorous inflection.

“Absolutely! Bright and early as always. Kid was talking earlier how he wanted to look at that new book that came in. ‘Bout that guy with the ear?”

You smile back, falling back into your role easily. 

“Of course. I’ll make sure to set a copy aside for him. And to set aside a coffee for you,” you add with a pointed wink.

Barnaby winks back. “Appreciate it, doll! Just like always.” Then he gives a nod, along with a tip of his tiny hat. “G’night!”

You continue playing along and lift your hand in a wave, your smile unfaltering. 

“Night, Barn! Happy Homewarming.”

“Same to you, kid.”

With that said, you both spun on your heels and went on your way. You, inside your house, intent on heading straight to bed. And Barnaby, down the pathway towards Home again.

The minute you close the door behind you, though, you nearly crumble against the door. Harsh breaths leave you like you’ve just run a marathon, heart hammering and causing a ringing in your ears. Heat fills your cheeks. Both of your hands lift to go to your mouth, as if Barnaby tattooed his own lips to yours. 

You’re filled with a lot of emotions. Anxiousness, definitely. But there are other feelings that leave you…confused. 

Joy is one, sure, and that might make sense—being kissed is usually enjoyable—but there’s also something else. 

An emotion that brings images in your mind, of a life that is vastly different from the one you’re living now. One where you come home from work, and there’s someone else waiting for you. Your cat, sure, but this other person is about your height. Their face is  a blur, but their aura full of—comfort. Someone else who kisses you softly and gently, their touch full of something that fills you up with warmth. Someone who made you feel safe…very much like Barnaby does. 

You let your mind dwell on those images for a moment before shaking it off. Why…why would you think of something like that? That imagery looked so specific. Almost like a memory. A memory of another life, one that you lived before moving to Home.

But that—that just doesn’t make any sense. You’ve always lived at Home.

You have always been here.

So, why…why is it that you find your gaze now falling to your hands. Your fingers, which keep curling into your palms to drag their pads along the surface, over and over. And even deeper, your skin. The way it feels. The way it looks, compared to the mock memory that had entered your brain—how that person’s skin felt in that moment, their hand in yours, compared to how your skin feels now.

Slowly, your gaze lifts to stare ahead, eyes blank and glossy. 

Has…has my skin always been this…fuzzy?

Barnaby waits until he’s far from your house before pausing. His brow is furrowed, eyes narrowing as he searches the sides of the road, towards the forest. When he finds a direction that feels right, he continues in that direction, just off the path toward Home.

He power walks until he’s deep inside the forest, away from anyone in the neighborhood who would question him or worse, until he finds a tree—on which he decides to lean against, his paw flat against the bark as he starts to breathe again.

At first, he’s staring at the ground and then he stares upward with blank eyes, breathing so heavily it’s painful. His heart is pounding so hard, feeling so heavy, that he’s worried it will tear from his chest and be lost to the snow. As what happened starts to weigh on him, his gaze darts along the sky, filled with an intense fear that’s enough to freeze his very limbs more than the chill. Then his eyes lower, staring off unseeing, back in the direction of your house. His mouth drops open as his body swings, his other hand forming into a fist.

“…Fuck! Shit!” And once it starts, it becomes difficult for him to stop while slamming his fist against the tree, “Fuck-shit, fuck-shit, fuck-shit, fuck-shit—!” 

Barnaby can’t help the profanity leaving his mouth. His hands go to the side of his head as he pushes off the tree, his huge paws leaving heavy craters as he paces back and forth. 

“What the hell were ya thinkin’, ya stupid dog? Why would you risk everything, knowin’—? Of all the times to lose control—?”

Barnaby continues this for some time, rambling and ranting about things he doesn’t even understand. Not fully, at least. But he can’t seem to stop the feeling building inside him, threatening to make his whole body burst at the seams. The feeling that fills him up when he closes his eyes and sees you. The feeling that’s been building in him these past few months since you moved in, seeing you smile at him whenever he enters your bookshop. The stimulation that feeds him whenever you two have one of those talks filled with banter and never ending conversation, in a way that food can’t seem to satisfy. And the way you looked up at him tonight, your eyes gleaming like starlight and your smile sweet like that damned cereal Howdy sells in his store—

Stop…stop!

He lets out a tight groan, stopping in place. His hands become fists and press to his closed eyes, as if to press to his brain, to stop the images and these…these feelings from rising. The sort of feelings you can only hear about in a book, or see in a movie. Things that are only talked about, but never really known, until they happen to you. 

The thing is, what Barnaby is feeling—this desire, this want, this joy, and this deep, deep, deep ache of hope—it can’t happen. Ever. He’d never forgive himself if something were to happen to you as a result.

And neither would Wally.

…Honestly, when the old dog starts to really think about it, the whole thing is just absurd. Like one big joke. And hey, his whole thing is jokes, right? Even ones played on himself. 

Realizing this, Barnaby can’t help but let out a laugh—one that starts off small, a near giggle, then turns into a full belly laugh. 

“Can’t believe I’m making such a big deal over this. It’s just a kiss! Friends kiss each other all the time. Hell, I’ve thought about layin’ one on Walls at least once. Even Howdy, sometimes. That thing back there…? A whole lotta nothin’.”

He pauses, his gaze lifting again to regard the sky, his expression falling serious once more. If one were to look closely at his eyes, one might think they were set in a furious glower. 

“Hear that? It was nothin’,” he adds in a growl, regardless of any prying eyes or ears focusing on him at the moment. “I didn’t break any rules. I didn’t do nothin’ wrong. And neither did they.”

Barnaby pauses, seems to wait. But he only hears the muted sounds of the neighborhood, of other neighbors walking to their homes and settling down in the final hours of Homewarming, of the snow still falling gently to coat every inch of Home in winter white. Knowing that, he takes in a deep breath and fixes his face. Puts on a toothy grin. Adjusts the pipe to hang from the corner of his mouth. Makes sure his winter clothing is in place. And then, he starts heading towards Home to check in with Wally.

In his haste, he does not realize the set of wide eyes from the bark of a tree, watching him closely. And he does not witness those same eyes blinking out of existence. 

[sexiestpodcastcharacter]

Sexiest Podcast Character — Unscripted Bracket — Round 4

Propaganda

Kravitz (The Adventure Zone: Balance):

Grim Reaper. So hot he managed to date Taako from TV

gotta be krav

Adelaide Tristé (Friends at the Table: Seasons of Hieron):

NO PROP FOR ADELAIDE??? Adelaide is literally the Queen of Death, she takes over being the GOD OF DEATH AND PSYCHOPOMP OF THE DEAD. She haunts the woman who killed her physical form and forced her into the aforementioned Queen of Death role. She FLIRTS WITH THE WOMAN WHO KILLED HER! Anyone who slept in her city for a night would take the city with them, spreading her influence over the world. She holds the power to allow people to truly die, or to force them back into life as undead. The woman who killed her took her to a magic city INSIDE OF HER SWORD and Adelaide's time there made her rethink how she ruled as Queen of Death and she decided to make an AFTERLIFE REALM TO ALLOW PEOPLE TO PREPARE FOR BEING RELEASED INTO NOTHING!!! She is That Bitch, she wears pearls and beautiful dresses and I'm pretty sure one time she tried to seduce Hella Veral by looping pearls around her. I will not stand for this, she is one of the BEST NPCs in Heiron

I'M SORRY DOES MY PROPAGANDA MEAN NOTHING TO YOU ALL THIS IS THE EMPRESS OF PEARLS! SHE IS IN A POLYAM RELATIONSHIP WITH HER MURDERER AND HER MURDERER'S THIEF ASSASSIN GIRLFRIEND WHO IS ALSO TATTED UP. ADELAIDE CAN FUCKING GET IT!!!

Adelaide Tristé, queen of death, empress of pearls, deserves the title of sexiest podcast character purely for the ephrim death scene in winter they had to cut, are you KIDDING me. Except then we also have another *three* seasons of her being magnificent and brilliant and scheming and also building a compassionate afterlife for the people of a very indifferent world.

Hella Varal (Friends at the Table: Seasons of Hieron):

brown lesbian with red hair and big sword. used to be evil but got better. one of her girlfriends is the queen of death who she killed. i'm bad at these she's hot though promise

Huge gal with a huge magic sword. Has TWO girlfriends.

big evil woman... she's in a polycule with Lesbian Saul Goodman and Death

Art of Adelaide and Hella made by @amaranthsynthesis.