#so that would place him around your first two verses but mostly the second

[spookyagentfmulder]

❝ i'm sorry if this is a bad time, but i need your help. ❞

"YOU'RE THE ONLY PERSON I CAN TURN TO" PROMPTS

When was it ever a good time to need Fox Mulder's help?

"Hey, don't worry about it," He reassured her, "I take it if you're coming to me for help it's pretty serious." There was still some trepidation around Elizabeth, what with her perchance to suddenly burst into flames and his pyrophobia, but he knew she was a good person and it wasn't her fault. How could it be? How could one ever learn to control anything like that? He wouldn't know, and he certainly hoped that she wasn't going to be asking him.

"You alright? What's going on?" Of course, he kept his distance, but not so much so to be rude.

@firemine

[aemondluvbot]

𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖉𝖗𝖆𝖌𝖔𝖓 𝖆𝖓𝖉 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖘𝖕𝖆𝖗𝖗𝖔𝖜 — 𝖎

✧ ⸺ aemond x reader︱part two

𝔞. 𝔫𝔬𝔱𝔢: i adore reading shy and timid heroines that are coaxed out of their shells. as such i adore writing them too. i'm also not incredibly well versed about the hotd universe. whatever i know is based only on the show, so it's possible there are errors. still, i hope you enjoy.

𝔴𝔞𝔯𝔫𝔦𝔫𝔤𝔰: reader is quite shy but not overly so. smut, intercourse (p in v), horrible “riding a dragon” puns

“you wish to ride a dragon?” prince aemond’s voice startles you enough for you the drop the pillow you’re holding. 

it’s freshly fluffed, about to be placed on the bed you’d made so neatly just minutes ago. and now the pillow sits on it awkwardly while you stare at the prince like a scared little deer. 

“my prince…” you manage a faint squeak, “i was—”

“telling the other maids how you’d be a stellar dragon rider, i heard,” the prince’s mouth curls into a little smirk you’ve come to know well from stolen glances. you stare at his feet, too afraid to meet his eyes. well, eye. 

“i didn’t mean…” you fidget with the hem of your frayed dress, wondering what the punishment would be. lashings? cleaning pigsties for a week? a month? 

“but you said it.” aemond’s voice still has that tone to it that you can’t quite decipher. and so you stand frozen while he looks at you from across the room. “tell me, my lady—”

“i’m no lady,” you pipe up, shutting up instantly when you realise you’ve interrupted a prince. the prince. “forgive me, my prince, i didn’t mean to interrupt. i…i…”

“you’re no lady,” he hums, as if you aren’t standing there shaking like a leaf, “what shall i call you then, little sparrow?”

his voice is soft like it always is—never boisterous like the king’s or stern like the dowager queen’s. it’s quiet and lilting and compelling. as much as you don’t want to meet his gaze, you find yourself doing exactly that. 

“on second thought,” he crosses his arms behind his back, taking graceful steps towards you like he’s gliding on the floor, “sparrow…has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it?”

“it does, my prince,” you smile to yourself quietly, “if you like it then i like it.”

for anyone else it would have been a lie. for king aegon, it certainly would have been a lie. but for the prince…when he says it, it’s like the name belongs to you. so much so that for a moment you forget where this conversation first started. until you find prince aemond standing directly in front of you, towering over you that is. 

“so tell me, little sparrow,” he says again, voice so soft it skitters down your bones and makes you shiver in the middle of a long, hot summer, “you wish to ride a dragon?”

“the truth?” you ask, feeling a little braver than before. 

“i’ll have nothing but that.”

for a moment you chew on your lip, a nervous habit taken up in lieu of biting your dirty, already worn fingernails. aemond’s gaze snags on it, though, and quickly you let go, begging your body to be a little more brave and keep meeting his eyes. it’s not everyday you get to see so much of him. in fact, it’s the first time you’ve gotten to see so much of him. 

“they fascinate me, your dragons,” you begin, “sunfyre, mostly.”

“my brother’s dragon,” the prince raises an eyebrow, looking at you with much more curiosity than before. “not vhagar?”

“she scares me, to be honest…” you admit, flushing a little when the prince’s smirk turns into a full blown smile. the smile stays for just a fleeting moment, enough for you to store it in your memories like a stolen sweet.

“she does that, yes,” he chuckles. it’s barely audible and yet pride blooms in your chest for having coaxed that sound out of him. 

“i…” you look around a little awkwardly, at the mess in the room that’s yet to be cleaned. it’s not that you don’t want to stand here and talk to him, if anything, that’s the one thing you want the most. to stand here and talk to him about his dragons, and have him tell you about them. have him tell you about himself too…

but if you don’t do your tasks on time then there’s consequences to face. consequences the prince won’t save you from. and so you give aemond a guilty smile. 

you must go and you must go now. 

“of course,” aemond bows a little, stepping aside to make way for you. 

quickly, you fix the pillow to where it was originally supposed to be and gather the old linens in your arms. then you curtsey as fast as you can and leave. 

you leave and are almost our the door before aemond’s voice freezes you mid-step. 

“if you ever wish to ride a dragon, little sparrow… you know where to find me.”

the day passes, and all you manage to do is think about aemond. you think about him as you wash the linens and hang them to dry, you think about him while you help the kitchen maids with the pots and wipe the floors of the keep. 

you think about him as you eat and gossip away with your friends. 

you don’t tell them though… all they know is that you were the one to clean his room in the morning and gather his linens. nothing more. 

they will never know anything more. 

if you ever wish to ride a dragon, little sparrow… you know where to find me.

that… is for you and you alone. 

you do get teased a little for your absent-minded smiles and your lack of attention to their gossip. you get teased and asked if any of the stable boys have caught your fancy. stable boys…nothing more. not a soldier or a knight or a lord. certainly not a prince. 

and yet when night falls you find yourself idling in the hallways that lead to his quarters. 

if you ever wish to ride a dragon, little sparrow… you know where to find me.

“does the prince need hot water?” you ask one of the maids, “for…for his bath…”

she looks at you in confusion. “malina’s already taken it,” she says, “minutes ago.” 

and so you drop the apple in your hands and hurry outside towards the prince’s room. malina is old, she can’t have gone that far can she? just like you predicted, she’s there when you turn around the corner, carefully balancing the hot water in her hands while a few other girls carry similar pots. you quickly cross the gap and call out for her. 

“let me,” you offer, arms outstretched, “you can go rest, malina. i’m done for the day, i can take this.”

she smiles at you gratefully while grumbling about old knees and hands you the pot. and so you set on your way, hiding a quiet smile and ducking your head when one of the guards gives you a strange look. 

the prince’s bedroom is awash in the glow of candlelight. for a moment, the excitement in your belly turns to disappointment. he isn’t here… of course he isn’t, he’s important and busy and has more things to do than sit in his bedroom all day thinking about you like you’ve thought about him. 

“you’re back, little sparrow,” the softness of his voice send flutters in your stomach. the other girls look towards each other, quiet looks passing between them. you know this would take precisely half a minute to spread around the keep. and yet it does not bother you one bit. 

“my prince, we’ve got water for your bath.”

“ah,” he nods and gestures vaguely towards the bathing chamber. 

one by one all of you enter, emptying the buckets in the brass tub until it’s full of steaming water and soaps and oils. one by one the others start leaving, their job done… 

the towels are on the counter, the candles are burning, the tub is filled—there’s nothing more to be done. you know he usually prefers to be alone. and yet you linger. 

you linger until aemond targaryen enters the bathing chamber, naked as the day he was born. 

and then you turn around fast enough to bump into the wall. 

“you startle easily, little sparrow,” aemond laughs. “never seen a naked man before?”

you have… that’s not the problem. you’ve just never seen a naked man as…well-endowed as him. your back still to him and your heart in your chest, you nod. there’s a slight splash as he settles into the tub. some of the spilled water licks the soles of your feet. finally, timidly, you turn. 

at least under the cloudy water he’s not so naked anymore. although his (now wet) chest certainly does nothing to calm your racing heart. 

“tell me,” aemond says, “did you think about dragons all day?”

well… 

“maybe,” you hedge, “a little.” and it’s not a lie. you did think of vhagar for a little, and sure it was only to think about aemond riding her into the skies, but she was there in your thoughts. briefly. 

“and what do you know about them?” 

from most people it would have been a condescending question, one to point out your intellectual capabilities or the lack thereof. from aemond it’s simply curiosity. 

“i know they’re gods. i know they’re old and powerful and only someone with valyrian blood can claim one. i know targaryen babes get a dragon’s egg for their cradle.” you answer rather proudly. 

“very good,” aemond nods. “come here. sit.” 

you look to where he’s pointing, at a little step stool in the corner. and then you see where his eyes are pointing, at a spot right by the tub. 

“do you read?” aemond asks as soon as you’ve settle by the tub. you blush, a little embarrassed. 

“i can’t…”

“no worries,” his voice turns gentle, “i was going to give you a book about vhagar’s riders. now i will just have to tell you about her myself.”

that startles you a little. surprised, you look at him again, really look at him—at his face that’s soft in the candlelight and his one eye that twinkles with mischief. you look at the leather patch covering the other, at the scar that runs around it. 

“can i ask why, my prince…”

“well,” aemond moves a little, sitting up straighter so a little more of his chest is now visible to you. the water cascades down pale skin, the candlelight creates hypnotising patterns that are pretty enough that you almost reach out and touch. 

touch the water and the light and the skin. touch him. 

but that’s a silly thought for silly girls. 

quickly you ball your hand into a fist and look at him again only to find him smirking. 

“as i was saying,” aemond says a little pointedly, “you can’t be scared of her if you wish to ride her someday now, can you?”

your heart thuds so loudly in your chest, you wonder if he can hear it. perhaps the entire red keep can hear it, perhaps king’s landing.

“i can’t ride her, she’s yours and… and she’ll kill me if i… she’ll burn me alive if i even go near her! and that’s if the guards don’t take my head first—”

“hush, little sparrow,” aemond moves fast enough that you have barely any time to stop rambling before he’s out of the tub and kneeling in front of you, his finger on your lips. not that you need it really, the situation is entirely enough to stun you into silence. 

you gape at the prince, at his beautiful, wet body that looks like it’s gleaming golden in the candlelight. you gape at him kneeling on his knees for you. a nobody. 

“will you stay quiet or will i have to make you?” he asks, his tone a little coy. 

heat coils in your belly, “would you like to, my prince?” 

and that’s more bold than you’ve ever been in your entire life. but now that you’re here and desperate and wanting so so much, you can’t really let shyness snatch it away. and so you straighten up a little, letting your eyes roam freely on his body. 

there are scars on his skin, of course there are, but even they look beautiful. then there’s the muscle honed by hours of sword training. his beautiful silver hair is damp from the water and gleaming like molten metal. you reach out and touch—just one strand that’s managed to stick to his cheek. 

aemond groans. 

leaving would be wise… leaving right this second would be even wiser, and yet when aemond tugs on your wrist and pulls you closer, it’s you who kisses him first. it’s heady, dizzying, intoxicating. he tastes like night air and burns like fire. 

you feel quite the same. 

your frayed old dress is quick to go as soon as he pulls you up—discarded by the tub casually. it gets half caught up on the edge but neither of you notice, too lost in the kiss. to caught up in the feel of the other’s body. 

you know he knows this room like the back of his hand. you don't need to. you can trust him at least in this regard—to lead you to his bed and fuck you any way he wants.  

“little sparrow,” he half-speaks, half-moans, “i want you. i want you right now.” it’s a needy and desperate confession, and it turns you on even more, makes your blood sing.

his hands are fast and nimble, eager to remove the last layer of clothes on you. still, the prince takes a moment to watch your hair come loose from your bun and cascade down your shoulders, his lips parted in awe and pupils blown out wide. 

you watch him. simply because he looks beautiful. 

“like what you see?” aemond teases and and you flush. 

it’s certainly a sight—the two of you standing opposite each other, entirely naked and about to devour each other. 

he walks backwards, eyes firmly on your body, lingering in all the places that make you feel like the only woman on he’s ever been with. he walks backwards till he eventually finds the bed and sits. 

“come here,” aemond says, beckons more like. and so you do—walking with a deliberate sway to your hips that his eyes train on until you’re standing right in front of him. knees touching his. 

“beautiful,” he says, looking up at you in awe.

you’re not entirely sure it’s true. you’re no lady in the court or a pretty foreign beauty. you’re no beautiful woman of the night, but hearing him say the words is still a delight. he makes it sound like he’s consumed by your beauty (even though it’s likely the lust that’s hazing their thoughts).

and yet he makes you feel like his own little midnight sun—bright, unique, central to his universe. 

you from before would have never though such stupid thoughts. 

and now you let him pull you onto his lap. 

you kiss him again, slow and sensual this time, rolling your hips against his, grinding on his thigh. it’s a deliberate torment, a torturous build-up so he could finally relieve the ache between your legs. 

“please, my prince” you breathe, “touch me.”

so he does, gently gripping your waist to keep you in the steady rhythm while his mouth moves down to your breasts. his tongue flicks around your nipple, drawing out a gasp and making you arch your back. you want more, so much more. 

aemond seems to sense the need.  

in one fluid movement, he’s on his back, and you on top. his cock brushes against your clit, drawing out whimpers. moonlight filters in through the windows, illuminating his face only just so that you can see his swollen lips—red, delicious—you can’t resist stealing another kiss. 

can’t resist tangling your hands in his silver hair and tracing a finger down his cheekbones, his jaw. he hisses with every movement, hard and throbbing beneath you. 

“are you ready for me, little sparrow?,” he moans, lowering you on his abdomen. his erection is pressed against your ass now—ready is what you are… ready and aching, eager to feel him. 

“p-please, my prince…”

aemond tuts. “say my name…”

your heart speeds up a little in your chest. it’s one thing to be sleeping with the prince, it’s another to forget your manners entirely and address him like he’s your equal. 

“i c-can’t,” you whimper, moving your hips in a desperate attempt to feel something. 

“i’ll stop this if you won’t” aemond says it like a promise, and there’s no way you want to risk it. if there’s even a slight chance of him stopping and leaving you here like this, a mess at his mercy… 

“a-aemond,” you whisper his name like it’s an unpredictable thing. his breath hitches in his chest. “aemond please…”

“good little sparrow…” his hands come to rest on your waist, lifting you up and gently guiding you down on his cock, filling you in inch by inch. you splay a hand on his chest, barely registering his racing heart. all you can focus on is how good he feels; hard and stretching you out. filling you to the hilt. 

“so perfect,” he hisses. his hands grip your ass, fingers digging into the soft flesh while you roll your hips on his pelvis; too eager and desperate and full of want. you can already feel a bruise blooming on the back of your thighs where he grips so possessively.

“so are you, m–aemond,” you breathe, already consumed by the feeling of his cock hitting you over and over, in just the right spot. his hand reaches down and between your legs then, finding your clit and rubbing it in circles until you’re screaming his name and practically soaking him with your slick. 

aemond moves his hips too, thrusting up, fucking into you till a continuous string of curses falls out of his mouth. his chest glistens with sweat, sticky and warm and beautiful in the moonlight.

you’re lost in the pleasure, but you traces the scars on his chest—the faint dusting of hair and freckles, little nicks and cuts and faint bruises. you trace every part of him like he belongs to you somehow. like you belong to him too…

you suppose you do… at least that much is true. 

the pleasure builds and builds, your thoughts swirl more and disappear entirely the more he thrusts into you. he’s figured out your pattern—the rhythm that makes you tick and drives you crazy. and even when your thighs burn and tremble, you can’t seem to slow down. 

all you want to do is soar up and up and up until…

aemond’s hand is between your legs again, flicking your clit so roughly that it makes you cry out. and that’s what drives you over the edge. 

you moan his name again, chanting it like a blind devotee as waves upon waves of pleasure crash over you. you’re vaguely aware that you’re gripping onto his shoulders tightly, vaguely aware that you can feel his cock twitching inside you, coating your walls with his release.

gasping, you throw your head back, letting the orgasm wash over you. the loud, filthy, wet sounds are softer now, slower in pace as you both come to a stop. no one says a word—not a single teasing word or praise—there are only your breaths, out of sync and loud.

you slump forward, resting your warm cheek on his chest, hearing his heart beating loudly in your ear. 

“is that how it feels…?” your voice is ragged from screaming his name yet dripping with coyness. “is that how it feels to ride a dragon, my prince?”

aemond laughs—a real booming laugh that makes his chest vibrate and makes the sound permeate your skin, makes it settle bone deep. 

“i should say yes, shouldn’t i, little sparrow?” his fingers thread through your hair, much gentler now, lulling you to sleep almost. “do not worry about it. you’ll find out soon enough anyway…”

[maximwtf]

Heyy, would you be interested in writing legolas x reader (f or gn) where reader is hopelessly in love with legolas but the love is unrequited. Reader never loses hope (doesn’t push it tho) and at the end legolas finds solace in reader but only because his “first choice” refused him/died/left (or something) and he chooses only after that the reader.

Sorry if this doesn’t make any sense.

Legolas x elven! reader

Words: 2530

Google Docs Pages: 4

Warnings: minor character death, kind of angsty, elf grief, cuddles but it’s sad, hair braiding

Opening: You find yourself falling for someone you’d been working alongside for hundreds of years. Though, you soon notice he seems to be interested in someone else. So no matter the attempts you make at getting closer to him, none of it works. He notices, but kindly lets you down. 

It’s only after a dreadful battle that you notice the elf he’d been interested in had fallen. Making you skip from second place to first, Legolas finding some solace in you. 

AN// Reader can be any gender! Hehe, I haven’t written for Legolas in a while, so hopefully I still got him somewhat figured out. Thank you for the request though, I had fun with this <3

I’m also closing requests for a while as I write out the older ones. Mostly because they be suspecting arthritis. And no matter what this is, every joint in my body including my hands hurt so much, it takes me ages to write anything past 1k words. So hope yall don’t mind too much, I love writing the requests when I’m feeling out of ideas. Yall are much more creative, hehe <333

“Solace with a price.”

You’d tried to deny it, tried to tell yourself that there was no point in pursuing your feelings any further. It was clear as day that the man you’d laid your eyes on was after someone else, and you were in no way looking to get in between them. So you had tried multiple times to forget, to turn the other cheek. But what could you truly do when your mind had made a decision on its own. And it was persistent. 

You’d been a part of the guard for as long as you could remember, having wanted to join as soon as you could. So it had been the work that drew you in, having always been interested in weaponry and protecting the borders of the kingdom. It was only logical for you to want to join the guard. Though, it soon dawned on you that a lot of the jobs that required more movement were the patrols. Other than that, you’d be lucky to see anyone while on guard. Apparently the king wasn’t too fond of spilling the blood of his own. 

But he had a son. A son who wasn’t as afraid to fight as he was. But the prince wasn’t fierce either, not a killer. But he was a skilled archer who at some point started leading the patrols. You didn’t mind of course, having acknowledged his leadership skills quickly. And that had been all it was for the most part. You’d see him during the patrols, and other times he had more important business to attend to.

But as time went on, a crush began to form. You found yourself talking with him during the patrols and if you were lucky, after as well. He was very reasonable and well versed in a lot of subjects. Which gave the two of you much to talk about. And if not that, you found that fighting alongside him was fascinating. From your perspective, it felt like the two of you worked well as a team. Making the battles you from time to time faced during the patrols much easier. You found him a pleasure to be around, and sometimes caught yourself waiting to be able to talk to him. 

Though, a problem surfaced when you noticed him having his eyes on someone else. You knew he wasn’t one to bring his relations into conversations easily, especially when there were others around. But when he talked to you about this elf, it only confirmed your fears. And maybe it also pushed you over the edge just enough that you decided to come clean with your feelings. 

It was important for you to do this before he got any further with the elf he’s set his eyes on. Confessing any later would only make it all the more awkward, and if you never said anything you’d just feel even worse. So at the end, you didn’t see many ways out of the situation you’d gotten yourself into. 

So, after another patrol you bit down any hints of doubt in your mind and went for it. It took you a moment to find him, noticing that he’d left to tend to his other duties. You caught up with him in the hallway, near his father’s throne room. “Legolas!” You called out, slowing down to a walk as he turned back to look at you. He’d of course sensed your presence before you were even able to call out his name, but he always acted as if not. As if the call had been the first indicator of your form following him. “I had something…I wanted to talk to you about.” You cringed a little at the wording, but quickly faded the unpleased expression to a faint smile. 

Legolas had now fully come to a stop, eyes keenly on you as you closed in. “Go ahead”, he said in a calm tone. Somehow saying what you’d been planning so thoroughly, now that he was in front of you felt impossible. The sight of him standing in front of you, calm and collected, while your heart raced as your thoughts tried to form a comprehensible sentence. You could have sworn a flash of worry appeared in his face for a while, releasing it must have been for the amount of time it took you to finally speak up again. “I’m not certain if this is the best time nor the place to tell you this, so I apologise in advance.” You started, but to your ear it somehow now sounded like a formal report rather than a confession. The look the elf was giving you didn’t help, he seemed confused but curious to hear the rest. Though, he didn’t interrupt you. Allowing you to continue. “I fancy you. And I wanted to ask if…you felt the same.” You stuttered out the last part, feeling odd to leave it at the first statement. But now that you thought about it more, the last part sounded almost more like a plea. Mentally scowling at that, you waited for his response. 

Legolas looked a little troubled, but even that was hard to catch. You found that he was usually rather hard to read, the emotions on his face so faint that you really had to read into everything to catch how he was feeling. “Henion…” (I understand). Legolas said, voice a little quieter than before, though you assumed it was to not bring attention to the conversation. “But you must be aware of-” He began, but you stopped him. Not to be disrespectful, but you understood what he meant. “It is okay. I only wished to tell you…” You lied. Of course a part of you had hoped he’d somehow change his mind, choose you. But now it all felt awkward, regret brewing within you. But you also knew Legolas was nowhere near dumb enough to ignore that. “Walk with me?” He requested, seemingly having skipped over the previous topic. Not that you minded, not anymore. At least that’s what you swore to yourself. “Of course”, you nodded and followed him to the throne room. 

You’d sometimes tag along with him as he went to give a report to his father from the previous patrol. The king didn’t seem all too fond of the elves Legolas spent his time around. Though, you told yourself that he’d somewhat warmed up to you. That he wasn’t as harsh when it came to you tagging along with Legolas even after the patrols were done. Something about that gave you hope, even if it was false. 

You tried your best to keep your relationship with him as it was before, and he was making it easy as well. He’d talk to you like before during patrols and you’d still sometimes go with him to deliver any reports to his father after. It made you almost hope that you had another chance. That you had just confessed too early on, and that there was a chance after all. So keeping your hopes up, you kept talking to him. Sharing things about your life with him, and listening to whatever he had to say. 

But as time went on, you began to doubt if there was a chance at all. Legolas still seemed to view you as a close friend, if anything. He still had his eyes elsewhere, and each time you attempted to get closer to him he was able to kindly turn you down. So you didn’t push any further. Slowly trying to come to terms with the fact that this was never going to work out. 

But you still shared many things with him. The connection you had with him during battle was still there. And that’s what you put your trust on when a battle was announced, knowing you’d be sent there. 

But as you had expected, no battle was fought without the blood shed of your own kin. As the dust began to settle and the sounds of battle died down, you found yourself exhausted. Muscles so worn out you felt shaky. But even through that exhaustion you felt the need to find Legolas, having lost sight of him at the very end. The chaos around the area made it hard to make out anyone specifically, raising some worry within you. Maybe deep down you knew that he was okay, but not being able to find him as quickly as you would have hoped shook you a little. 

Your eyes landed on a small group of elves, some who had survived the battle with a smaller amount of injuries and a couple of healers. They’d all gathered around someone, and by the looks of it seemed desperate. A possibly fatal injury, you thought with a flash of sorrow and grief washing over you for a moment. The death of an immortal being, as pure as an elf, was never a pleasant sight. 

You raised your gaze, having paused for a moment to pay respect to whoever had fallen. Scanning the nearby area, you could spot who you believed to be Legolas. He’d strayed from the small group you’d just come across, form somehow slumped. You couldn’t see his expression clearly enough to tell what was going on, making you curious. 

You didn’t dare pass the group, staying near them as your eyes followed Legolas’ movements. This position allowed you to see the dreadful sight bestowed next to you. As the warriors began to make their way back to the kingdom, it gave you enough space to see who the healers were tending to. You recognized them, soon a more lost expression spreading across your face. Understanding why Legolas had seemed more distraught than you’d ever seen him before. Something so important to him had been lost that day. 

And from there began a confusing period of time. You could tell Legolas was defeated, down from the loss. And you were no stranger to the dangers of loss and what it could do to your kin. So it wasn’t unwarranted that you were worried about him, and had made it your mission to try and help him get back on his feet. 

And doing this also healed something in you as well. Perhaps you couldn’t court him, but helping him as a friend felt good as well. Like you had a purpose to fulfil by his side, even if not in the way you initially had hoped. 

This also meant you started spending more time with him. Publicly you could barely tell of the heartbreak he was going through, but it showed more when the two of you were alone. Which you found endearing, meaning he trusted you enough to talk to you about his thoughts. Though, during one of these talks he told you something that mixed up your whole view of the situation. 

“Would you still court me?” His calm voice asked. Your hands stopped braiding his hair, having to blink a couple of times before drawing in a breath. You felt Legolas tilt his head towards your’s, trying to find out why you’d gone so silent. Though, he didn’t say anything else, waiting for your response. Which you tried to form into something respectful. You wanted to tell him that this might have not been the best time to make decisions like this, but at the same time every other part of you wanted to say yes. “Yes, I think”, slipped out without even thinking. Something that resembled a smile appeared on the prince’s face, like he was relieved? “Then we shall make it official.” He said, something new in his tone but you could tell that this hadn’t magically removed the grief from his mind. Yet, he reached out for your hand and turned around to face you properly. He’d been between your legs, back towards you as you braided his hair, as had become tradition. You looked into his eyes, swallowing down the guilt that tried to overtake your mind. You’d gotten what you wanted, right?

Things moved so fast after. Or maybe they didn’t, you couldn’t tell. You’d been so shocked after that night that a feeling of numbness had spread across your whole being. What was even going on? The king had approved of the courting, which hadn’t come as a huge surprise to you. But even then, it all felt a little too unreal. And the guilt that had been brewing ever since he had confessed to you was going to boil over soon, you felt. But so the days kept passing, and this was now the reality you lived in. 

You were getting ready for bed, tidying up your hair so it would be easier to handle in the morning. Routines that somewhat kept you sane, keeping thoughts away from what had been going on. You’d watched Legolas go lay down already, beginning to wonder if you had started to slow down your routines on purpose for the amount of time they now took. Because there was still a part in you that wondered if you should have been helping him with the grief as a friend or as his partner? That, did Legolas choose you out of genuine interest or out of needing someone to just be there for him?

You shook your head, trying to swallow the hesitancy back down. No. Even if this was all wrong, you couldn't possibly leave him now. Not when someone he’d cared about had died, you didn’t want to put him through another heartbreak. This was what you had wanted, right?

While in your thoughts you had wandered to the bed, laid down and somehow automatically turned your back to Legolas. He might have been engulfed with bits of grief, but he wasn’t blind. If he saw the way you looked, he’d be able to tell how miserable you felt right then and there. You did still love him the same way as before, and this had been exactly what you’d asked for. But how could you enjoy something so precious, when it felt like you’d stolen the first place medal and sneaked your way out of the second place? And all of this was happening while you couldn’t tell Legolas of these feelings without hurting him, nor did you wish to leave him. You’d promised yourself that you’d help him now that he needed you the most. 

While engulfed in a state of self loathing and sadness, you felt the man scooch closer. His hand moved to your upper arm, as if to ask if he was allowed to be so close. He was, you wanted him to be. But you didn’t want to admit that to not feed the guilt. When you didn't reply, his arm moved itself over your waist to bring the both of you closer to each other. Taking the silence as a ‘yes’. But was there a way to enjoy closeness like this when you didn’t feel like it was meant for you. 

The edges of your eyes burned, but only a singular tear managed to escape. Racing its way down your face and disappearing into your pillowcase. At what cost had you gotten the ‘gi melin’ that felt like it echoed in the air as he said it. 

[coolkat223]

I'm probably gonna be gone for a while soon so I'm gonna just put down all of my idea's (Doesn't have to be a story, Could be what you may think would happen if this WAS inside the SAGAU-verse for simplicity because there is a lot of concepts I have and some of them may take long to write so I don't want to have too much on your hands at the moment) So my first idea: Content creator Reader, (Twitch because its easier) Where they have chat constantly in their mind and can be accessed by other people like Nahida going through their brain and chat can see this too (as a sort of second monitor) [Not In Imposter] And Writer Reader. Basically this can go two ways, One is where reader was creating the concept of man first before actually making Teyvat or made Teyvat first then humans, Or simply made Teyvat itself and when humans appear reader is all like: "Oh my god! Is my drawing okay?! Did a spill happened when I wasn't looking? (is my baby okay???)" Can appear as a hand with a pen(cil) which is their main form and they can draw in anything and can even draw themselves an avatar to make them seem less threatening or less confusing for humans.

Reader that is a student tells everyone that tells Al-haitham that they got detention (or suspension) for defending themselves at school (probably the most realistic and normal idea you will read in SAGAU) A reader that can sort of swap between persona's of archons. an example of this is if they take the persona of Venti they get speed similar to him but not quite. Same for Zhongli with his shield, Raiden with chests- i mean uhhh Thunder sword Ig (Idk what am I supposed to say here???) Nahida = Check their (mind) browser history. Furina = Flexibility (because water) [Literally the only one with Imposter Au potential because of accidental survival] Brain-rot reader accidentally saying THE WORST possible sentence you could say in Genshin (especially in a place where the language there is over 9000) And lastly a reader with a crap-ton long playlist and they just accidentally stumble across it Once again I recommend that you do not make a story because A: that would take too long, B: Because I have to go to a trip really long and I need something to read on my phone when I'm over there. C: Because if i did this separately then it would be like a discord conversation at night and nobody would have a chance to even send mail if its filled to the point its like an overflowing cup.

It's okay. have fun on your trip. Also I have to think really hard for them because some ideas are easy to figure out while the other ones are hard to go around.

ContentCreator!reader: This one will be complicated for the reader. It is like Nahida but the reader can't deactivate (in the near future the reader can deactivate them but sometimes forget that because they got use of the chat in their head.) and will have to pretend that the chat either likes their connection to their family and friends in their homeworld or like they are also different creators from another universe and that's how all creators communicate.

Writer!reader: l like both of them so I merged them together. To the characters they sometimes see them as a hand holding a (pen)cil or in their human form which are mostly black and white and their hair is multicolor like a mood ring. When the characters do something that they have no business doing makes them frantic and worried about them like a mother, even goes to give them cute nicknames to them (ex: little maple leaf- Kazuha, precious snowboy- Chongyun.). The characters will be embarrassed but sometimes they get into trouble on purpose so the reader will be dotted to them. (It's pretty much a contest of 'who got the most affection from the reader.')

Student!reader: I'm guessing that the reader is very smart like Al-Haitham and is very proud of being smart. That they have a fight with their own teacher for who is right or wrong (in most cases the reader is right and the teacher has their pride broken they expel you out of spite.). At the end of Al-Haitham pats the reader on the head and tells that he is proud of you and even teaches you other methods.

SwapPersona!reader: Definitely for the imposter au. The reader will have the powers of all the Archons and to tell that they use a certain one at the end of their hair will glow (ex: Teal- Venti or Green- Nahida) and also use their signature moves. Once the other saw that the reader did it they will realize that they are the real creator while the one in the throne is the real imposter.

Brain-rot!reader: My guess is that the characters will be worried because to them the reader is very calm and mellow. To get them started saying some worst words the characters will help them calm down. (The yandere route is just the characters just kill the person that makes the reader angry.)

The reader's playlist: This one I feel that the reader will have a song that is dedicated to certain characters. Like Immortals by Fall Out Boy for Zhongli, Elastic Heart by Sia for Childe, and Thunder by Imagine Dragons for Razor. While the characters hear the reader singing the song they dedicate to them their vision will glow. The characters will feel proud of themselves and on rare occasions they were even singing the song to themselves.

1, 3, and 5 are hard to figure out the longest. I have already done 2, 4, and 6 instantly and I really enjoyed doing them especially for 2 and 6 being my favorite to do.

[a-s-levynn]

Okay so let's make this post the official start of my 'sleep token stuff' tag for lore ideas and thought exercises and analyses and everything alike.

Originally this went under a wonderful lore discussion post but my addition went off rails and honestly i just wanted this on it's own for me to find it easier later so feel free to ignore it altogether. It's no secret that my probably all time favourite ST song is Higher and no small part of it is the refrain.

This is mostly an in-lore thingie i guess but all of this has a purely human, self reflective read as well but i don't have the mental energy at the moment to expand on that side as well but maybe one day. But the jist of it would be that if you replace Sleep with thoughts or feelings or the "other you" you always promise shit to it makes sense in a whole different very much human level as well. At least it makes sense for me. Maybe i'm just being stupid again.

Anyway here is my short thought exercise on the refrain of Higher. These lines specifically:

With all that you believe You still refuse to shelter me

'Cause I am a danger and you're 

A long way from home you are one among many 

But you're now on your own 

And I hate the way you look at 

Me when I am not understood 

'Cause you can remember only 

When you're alone I am granting you more than 

The debt that I owe

I think this is such a two ways text because it can be read from the viewpoint of Vessel but also Sleep's. Or both at the same time. At least for me. Maybe it's just me having a brainfry again but here is my thought process on it:

"With all that you believe You still refuse to shelter me" - They both belive the other is what they need. But on Vessel's part he might feel like Sleep does not gives him what he thinks he want's or needs. On Sleep's part, Vessel might not accepted Sleep in a way Sleep wanted or doesn't go exactly the way about things as Sleep expected at first. So in neither case a "shelter" is created. Not in a way originally imagined. It may and probably did happen anyway just not how it was originally expected by either of them. Because they want kind of the same but in wastly different ways. Sleep needs the safety of having followers, to be knkwn, to be strong again, to be worshipped. Vessel want's something that a human consideres a safe place. So they want the same but not the same. And the human and divine understanding cannot be aligned perfectly. But they try. Doesn't always work, especially on Vessel's end but they still believe the other can do what they agreed on but doubt is there in the corner because it doesn't happen the originally expected way. But they do believe in the other.

"I am a danger" - on Sleep's part it's fairly obvious with the whole ancient being stick. On Vessel's part tho.. he is a danger because the human element always has some unpredictibility to it. It could bring some unforseen sideffects to Sleep's plans and who knows how much a once all powerful beeing handles not being in perfect control. Maybe the unknown is scary to Sleep in a way as well in this weakened state. And that gives an edge to Vessel, however small that may be.

"you're a long way from home you are one among many but you're now on your own" - on Vessel's part this could refer to him leaving behind his life, his home to follow Sleep's call. This includes friends, family, essentially transferring from being 'one among many' to 'being on your own' in an unknown situation. Or just simply being a lonely human being who is completely alone no matter how many people are around him because since Sleep came into his life, no one really understands him. I kinda like this second version because of a later line in this verse. On Sleep's part it very well may have been the case that there was or still is a larger pantheon somewhere beyond. And for reasons it shatterred, faded or just some clashing happend or whatever other reason, but Sleep ended up here alone, so much more close to the human world which is very much an unknown to a being that never really experienced humanity in this way but mayhaps only through worship before, from far far away.

"I hate the way you look at me when I am not understood" - on Sleep's part is just that as a deity, does not communicate in conventional ways and Vessel might not understand correctly what is expected of him at all times. On Vessel's part it can be twofold again. First when he asks, requests or says something of/from Sleep and it's misunderstood or not understood at all because divine-human comprehension can and probably has dissonances. Also it could refer to Sleeps disapproval or bafflement over Vessel being misunderstood by other people, let it be friends/family or the world in general. (This could very well tie into being alone among many. Being misunderstood.)

" 'Cause you can remember only when you're alone I am granting you more than the debt that I owe" - Sleep and Vessel are the only ones who can understand their situation as a whole. They are the only one's for each other, everyone else (even the other vessels -tho probably for a higher degree of understanding than others- can only try to comprehend what this connection entails. And it only goes beyond the strictness of the original pact formed, when the two are alone. They probably have a different bond because there is a deeper understandig, given Vessel is the main conduit. And if Sleep's power is channelled through him, he probably had glimpses into Sleep's thoughts and desires and more and vica versa and at some point decided they may give each other even more for some reason only fully know to them. We usually only focus on Vessel owing a debt to Sleep because Sleep raised him form the dark, the obscurity but there is also a debt on Sleep's side. Because without a vessel he can't achieve what he want's(followers) especially not to this magnitude and speed. And Vessel choosing to do Sleep's bidding and may even going beyond the initial agreement creates kind of a debt on Sleep's part as well. But these additional gifts and givings are only happening when there is only the two of them. It's theirs and no one else's.

Again if we assume Sleep is a metaphor or a kind of personification of certain human elements, than all this gets so phylosophical and taps into the human psyche in a way that is kind of delicious and definitely interesting. But not today or not by me.

And i'm still not sure where i wanted to go with this, it's more of an exploration of ideas sparked by lyrics in regards of lore and how lyrics can be read different ways maybe, than anything serious really.

[marcsnuffy]

If I had a nickel for every song in spanish that reminded me of bllk I'd have two nickels.

This post is really long and it's mostly for me to write down my thoughts semi-coherently. I apologize if it's incomprehensible😞

This one reminds me of Reo and Nagi, particularly with how hopeful they seemed after reuniting in Manshine.

'Don' means gift that makes you superior to others, kind of like a talent or a skill. The word itself is kind of evocative of something miraculous, which reminds me of how others see Nagi's proficiency in football...

Since I'm procrastinating, I'll translate the song to my best ability and try to explain why I think it fits.

I want to know what's wrong with me

I ask you what's wrong with me

And you don't know what to answer

Because, surely, I must have dizzied/annoyed you

With how I come and go

I tired you with my slow motion

And though I try, I can never

Rush my choice

(I feel like this first part could apply to many things. The first two verses could be Reo's point of view of their second breakup, up until 'I can never rush my choice' which feels, to me, like how Nagi was putting off playing football (and developing his own ego) in the first place. Maybe it could be after their match with BM and PXG. More than anything because it reminds me a bit of how Nagi seemed to be unresponsive when Reo told him he was perfect as is in chapter 207, when it was that same thing he thought of negatively in the latest chapter of Episode Nagi.)

In the exact moment

In which everything starts changing for me

Instantly, I assure you

I gave you some type of sign

But you didn't hear me

Maybe without your intention

The sound of my voice

Might be a little weak

(This is Reo during their first breakup. Like, the moment where he wants to tell Nagi to go ahead but he doesn't get the courage to do so. I hope it came through in the translation, but this part gives off the strongest 'I didn't want to know that people changing could be so cruel' vibe.)

(start of the chorus->)

One morning I'll see you arrive

And I'll find out

That being alone isn't the best for me anymore

(the beginning of Episode Nagi...)

And

I'll ask you to come with me,

Where, I don't really know

Say yes, lie to me

(Reo convincing Nagi to join Blue Lock with him. Even though he has planned winning the World Cup with Nagi, he conveniently ignores that if one of them 'wins' Blue Lock, the other wouldn't be able to fulfill their promise. The last line reminds me of how they both thought the other was purposefully ignoring the promise during the second selection. But also it reminds me of Nagi asking Reo to help him during the Manshine game

It could be that, in the end

You've broken the glass in me

Maybe then, you could make me speak

I think you have the gift to cure what's wrong*

(<-end of the chorus)

(This last part is a bit hard to translate. It's very metaphorical but I feel like it doesn't make as much sense in english. The last line is the most important one rn though, it's originally phrased like the person singing has something wrong with them, more like an illness rather than a flaw. The original word replaced by wrong is 'mal', which could be anything bad. A sickness, a disaster, something evil, something saddening... anyways. The original phrasing reminds me of Agi, mostly because of his whole mad doctor persona. In a way, relating this to Nagi and Reo feels like how Agi's attempts got sidelined by the cure they thought would work best: working together.)

I feel like I need to find you, however, I spend time

Wandering into myself, into my core, which I'll never find

I wish I could have you*, and treat you decently

But you've seen that I can't detach myself from my role

(* Probably meant as "I wish I could have you around" or "I wish I could be your partner") (This part reminds me of both, from the second selection up to joining Manshine. I can't help but picture those few moments where Reo interacted with Nagi like he was trying to avoid him a bit.)

I'll have to calm down and play the game you propose

I'll lower my guard, I'll welcome you and wrap myself in your skin*

Fate has given me unstable hearts

Your words ground me and stop me from collapsing

(*'wrap myself in your skin' sounds creepy but it's the literal translation. It doesn't sound as creepy (unless that's the intention), it's more like I'll warm myself with your skin, which implies an embrace or a hug, something along those lines.) (Also this is Reo during their Manshine rekindling moment. That's all I'll say I think it's clear)

After this part the chorus plays again and the last time it repeats, there's some lyrics added:

You broke the silence that made me distance myself

Maybe it's you that'll make me return*

I have a feeling you know what's best

And you have the gift that's needed to cure what's wrong*

(*'return' also could be 'come back (to my senses', or return (to normalcy) ) (*Again, wrong here could be anything I listed before. This time the narrator seems to believe completely in the person they're singing at.) (This too is Nagi and Reo post Manshine vs. BM before they got their asses kicked at the PXG match, rip)

Now, the other song:

Dulce Soledad is literally Sweet Loneliness.

This one has reminded me of Bachira ever since I learned about how the whole Monster thing started, along with the rest of his backstory. I'm not translating the entire thing again but I'll put the parts that remind me of him the most.

And I watch people keeping each other company

They exchange smiles, words and looks

They have fun, they amuse themselves, they fall in love, I know

I look at them and no one looks back

However, I have you

Only with you, I have fun, you watch my back

We don't exchange words (you're always with me)

Together we hide (during the long hours)

For your silence (in yourself)

I'll call you by a nickname, my sweet loneliness

This song is pretty short and straight to the point so there's not much to say. The song itself feels like the narrator is stuck in a romantic relationship he can't escape until the 'sweet loneliness' line. I omitted a few lines here and there since I got tired of translating, even though some of them make me think of how he talked about his dependency on the monster during the 4v4 in the second selection.

That's all from me. If you read this through then wow, congrats. I might make more posts like these :-)

[devizakura]

Do you have a ship song for dariya x Kazuha?

Actually yes, and it's an original one too!

Also, I have a Dariya playlist ordered chronologically that covers all her Canon Events™ (is that how the cool kids say it these days?), some of which pertain to the ship in one way or another.

1. Numb little bug - represents the starting point of Dasha's arc. Having lost her beloved mother and stuck in an abusive Snezhnayan household, she's grown numb and is slowly slipping into depression.

2. Could have been me - this is THE Dasha song. Her "I want" anthem. She yearns to not feel numb. To not be stuck in her horrible situation. To be alive and feel as such. And after receiving a Vision granted by that one last glimmer of hope inside her, she takes matters into her own hands and leaves, promising herself to only stop once she finds her place. Unlike most other songs which would need to be changed a little or are more symbolically representative, this one can be taken word by word.

3. La Seine - this is the one song that is ENTIRELY symbolic. It just fits her vibe and represents her stopping by Fontaine for a bit.

4. Téir abhaile 'riú - this song represents the period between Fontaine and meeting Kazuha on Liyuean waters. It's an internal battle between her curiosity and will towards a better life and those inner voices (whom I always envision as dark scribbled lines behind her, sometimes taking somewhat humanoid shapes and grabbing, pulling on her, not letting her go) taunting her, saying "go home, you'll never find your place elsewhere". I like to imagine her strutting the wilderness and then Liyue harbor to the first two verses, then arriving by the shore and joyfully sprinting on water (an ability she has) as far as she can in the instrumental break between verse 2 and 3, only to be struck by lighting and rescued by Beidou by the end of that break. 4th verse specifically has me envision her sitting in the ship's recovery bed with Kazuha by her side, and suddenly the voices are no longer mean, their representation no longer dark and tangled, but turning into a glowing line flowing around them. She's found her home.

5. World's Smallest Violin - represents the recovery period during which Kazuha and Dasha have bonded by talking about their lives, both having a lot of trauma going on and yet both kind of undermining the importance of their own pain because "they've dealt with it" or "others have it worse". While the lyrics don't apply literally, I like to think Dasha sings the first verse while in the recovery room, telling Kazuha about her mom disappearing and presumably being dead, while Kazuha sings the second after having taken her to the crow's nest (after she's recovered enough to move), telling her about the burden of his family's broken legacy that he doesn't like to admit still weighs on him despite trying to be free, as well as the fact that despite being treated well on The Alcor, he can feel that he's still an outcast, no one understanding his eccentric ways, of course making light of it so Dasha doesn't feel bad for him. "Somewhere in the universe, somewhere someone's got it worse" is Dasha's line, while "wish that made it easier, wish I didn't feel the hurt" is Kazuha's (boy acts like "it's all in the past" but if the previous summer event is anything to go by, for a long time he very much represses those emotions rather than process them). The last chorus, if it were an animation, presents a reimagined scene of the time Dasha sees Kazuha drinking. The pause shows Dasha's "heart drop" moment, then as the music picks up the pace, she's running off, pushing past people in a daze, but Kazuha notices and runs after her to make sure she's okay. The last beat has her turn around after he's grabbed her hand, and that leads to their deepest conversation yet, about Dasha's family's alcohol problem and how much it ended up affecting her.

6. La Da Dee - represents (mostly symbolically) both their early relationship and how they miss each other during their break after Kazuha's returned to Inazuma to help the resistance. The first verse represents Dasha's side more while the second represents Kazuha's.

7. Shooting Star - this song reflects the rest of their relationship after they're reunited. There have been bad times but now they're facing any challenge together and looking towards a bright future

Sorry for the word vomit, haha. Hope you enjoy all those!

[lgcmjun]

WORKSHOP OPPORTUNITY 001:

“thank you for having me”, minjun offered, as soon as he closed the door behind him. his voice was surprisingly calm due to the weight of what was about to happen in the next moments. it could define his future and he just hoped he’d do well.

he should be nervous and that would be his normal reaction, considering that was a concrete chance for him to shine and be acknowledged by his coaches, but that didn’t come - he was more anxious than nervous as he took the steps toward the coach, sitting on a chair, having only a table separating them.

minjun offered them another polite bow and waited for them to start talking and the questions didn’t take long to come.

what do you think are your strengths right now? 

he didn’t have to give it much thought to answer that - truthfully they were the only options because they were obvious. “my dancing would come in the first place. there’s always room for improvement, but i do believe with the help of my coaches i’m becoming more confident in accomplishing whatever routine we’re supposed to learn. my singing would come second and i strongly believe i fell for my singing voice once i realized what i should do to improve and i can say i’m confident that since my first video, so much has changed. and last but not least, none of those two mentioned would be as important as performing. if i ever had any doubt about becoming an idol, after performing during my time here, especially during the last family con, i think i don’t have it anymore. i like to think i’m good at keeping the audience entertained but also being part of the show as an important piece of a whole scenario.”

what are three skills that you would like to work on starting 2024? 

“rapping, i wanna get in touch with rhymes and the flow, i believe the coaches and some of my fellow trainees could help me improve and along with that i need to work more on my music composition, so i can write my own verses and give you a perspective of how i see everything around me. i don’t want just to repeat other people’s words, i want to write my own. along with these, i feel i should practice my english, i should put more effort into learning and improving since i aim to be part of a global group, this way it gets less burdensome to others and i can communicate better with the fans.”  

if given a chance, what types of gigs would you be interested in participating? 

minjun sounded mostly excited to answer that and with a smile, he promptly did it, “variety and hosting a podcast! i have this idea you know and i don’t know if i can talk about this informally, but i would love to join one of those culinary shows, i like cooking and i think if there’s any cooking show i would love to join and show my talents. as for podcasts, i’m always interested in knowing people, and perhaps help them, either by giving advice and yes, i’m aware i’m still young but you know we shouldn’t be taken for granted, some of us do have good things to say and i would love to be part of a podcast where we could give young people advice or just interview them, and learn more about whatever they do.”

during your time here in legacy, what are some of the lessons that you've learned about yourself? 

minjun let out a sigh and it was not at all something bad. he’s thinking about his journey until these days and with his answer he hoped he could show his sincerity. “i learned we’re never alone and some might think that this means we’re always being watched and yes we are but it’s not a bad thing. i learned that i’m not alone and it’s okay to lean on other people and ask them for help. but it’s not just a move that we make, i learned i grew more open to welcoming my fellow trainees that ask for help and understood that i can also be someone people use as an inspiration. but above all, i learned to be more confident and that harsh words aren’t always an attempt to bring you down, but a way to make you grow a tough skin, so you will be someone stronger, focused, and complete.”

[mamamittens]

Well, I've made minimal progress drawing my weird little alien alter (the face and appendages keep fucking with me, ngl, I really don't draw animals often lol) but I've had fun mentally plotting out a little story to entertain myself at work.

I thought it'd be fun to explore identity, disassociation, and relationships through this funky little dude. Mostly cause several of my earliest OCs are low-key excuses to explore myself cause I'm not very socially aware. I won't say stupid but like, it took 20+ years to even consider that I've never had any real attraction towards someone before in my life.

It's the tism

Anyway! So I was playing around with the concept of what would happen to your sense of self if you were stripped of your previous physical form and given a new one totally alien that didn't change with time. There's no aging. You can't grow into this body. Bond with others over the unique difficulties time gives you as you age.

Any friends you make, it's a real possibility now that they won't be there for anywhere near as long as you are. This clashes with the curse idea I started with but only if I dedicate to naming what it even is to start with. Whatever it is, it definitely isn't working like it was intended to.

And so, to do this for OP, I needed to start sometime before the main story to let this existential horror really sink in. And because I liked the idea of the timing, I figured the island Roger and Whitebeard fight would be a fun meeting point.

First idea was that they (cursed OC) go there recently-ish. Enough to know the island but not establish any super dedicated base. This goes into shenanigans where they steal a weapon to reach their only remaining human clothing item from a branch that it caught on when they fell into the verse. Naturally talking to the blade and promising to leave fruit as an apology for taking it. Maybe with an audience of a very amused owner.

The second idea is that they've been there for a very long time. The WBP and Roger pirates fight taking place just around the time their only human companion has passed, leaving them bereaved and alone. Extra sad points here. Maybe they lived together for several decades in a cabin and now it's so empty the prospect of leaving it behind feels as necessary as it is upsetting.

The third is even worse, the fight taking place several years after their friend's passing and with the lack of human company they've sort of devolved into something closer to an animal than a person. So much so that they have trouble talking for a while after suddenly being prompted to speak up. Initial idea is that Buggy is eaten by a giant frog and is saved but they tell him "wash. No hurt, wash" when they mean to say "you need to wash off the stomach acid or get 3rd degree burns in under an hour". Eventually leading the two captains to the abandoned house for tea but finding all the supplies for it having gone bad for some time.

Naturally, regardless of which one I go with, the custody battle is epic. Though I'm leaning with the third, ngl

Kiwi (their name for now, it's just my baby nickname lol) either goes with the WBP or Roger. If it's Roger the split goes badly and Kiwi ends up half feral again having been aggressively on the run to draw attention away from Shanks and Buggy. It's a few years before they're found again.

I'm leaning on the size thing being connected with state of mind. Like, vulnerable and afraid is the smol bean version. Feral is either the middle 'grown' version or full space dragon depending on how bad it is. Wholly aware and in control is usually smol bean but when talking to people 'on their level' or super comfortable, it's the grown version. So this fighting ring is a very feral, growly grown version with cat pupils.

I had a really horrible and sweet idea that Kiwi ends up in a fighting ring and nearly guts the newly appointed commander Thatch (like I could resist, who do you think I am???) Before noticing his jolly Roger tattoo.

"...friend?" And feels really bad about injuring him. He's confused but rolls with it, busting them out and is delighted to discover that Kiwi is in fact, an old friend of his captain. The rehabilitation is easier this time cause it hasn't been quite so long since Kiwi talked to people and didn't just exist in a fugue state.

Kiwi keeps more animalistic traits such as climbing people, chirping, purring, grooming, and expressive ears/tail body language. Maybe some face rubbing. You know. Like a cat lol

Not sure how human form comes about. But it'd be funny if they admit they miss certain aspects regardless of form. Like having four arms and finding clothes that fit without messing up thick fur.

[willowdied]

anyhow i took a nosedive into yellowjackets last night, finished and sudden have big emotions about steph's verse so i wrote a lil thing Whoops. this is for me mostly ( and anyone who wants a little more deep dive into steph’s yellowjackets verse ) so let me live and also if you’re interested enjoy!

she just has to get home. she just has to get home and then she'll see pete and then they can get the fuck out of town somewhere nicer, somewhat and then everything will be okay. it has been her nightly matra. she just has to survive till they are found- fuck even before the crash it had been the plan. kick ass at nationals and she'll get a scholarship- her grades won't matter- him and ruth and richie, all of them could be at duke. or harvard. or anywhere as long as it was the fuck out of here and steph could follow along at a less nice school and play for the team. she has never believed in anything, she had never held hope out for anything, but it had felt like for the first time in her life, things were begins to click and fall into place and soccer would have actually payed off - the best part, her dad would never know that she was doing everything he wished for her. fuck she even wanted to see grace chasity protesting the dance or acting like she was her best friend when in actuality, she had no best friends and was still trying to befriend ruth and richie, slowly but surely. she wanted to be home, as much as that stupid town and the stupid school wasn't home. not even her fine manor was home, pete was home. pete would continue to be her home. keep your grades up. get a scholarship ( because good or not, and fucked up as is, it would not matter- she's the mayor's kid, she was lucky, it would be nice ). get. the hell. away with pete and her new friends by her side- pete who right now is miles and miles away.

cold winter nights in the wilderness she would imagine what winter's would be like in a shared dorm, watching a tape curled under blankets, stealing the occasional kiss. falling asleep, limbs all tangled. all that sappy bullshit only to wake up alone- until she wasn't. all she had to do was roll to her side and reach out. it had come suddenly, it had come impulsively. there was part of her that felt bad on the occasion, but on one hand it felt like she might finally be doing something good and it felt like she might have been wanted, needed. and well maybe she needed the holding to too. it was hard not to think of him, to remember, to hold onto it because she knew lex has her ethan, lex has her life, but sometimes she could fall into thought that she could get by like this, and she clung to the pattern, to her, to the little whispers of hope that she did not believe for a second.

then they had the call, the hope to go home and that very worry, the what if's all came flooding back. what if he was waiting for her? what if he wasn’t there ? what if he was there but she did not recognize him- what would he do when he saw her? would he even recognize her? she look oh so completely different- she feels it. as she catches her reflection on the way home, it is a stranger who looks back. no. not a stranger... she feels like a monster, the exact thing she was scared of becoming- she's become something worse than her father-

---which is a funny thought because she had been so focused on her boyfriend ( her ex boyfriend? her lifeline. home, so close at hand; be him here or a phone call away - she did not know what she preferred ) , on a life that was this close she could taste it on her tongue again, the very minute home was in view and maybe in reach, she was on concrete, the team is getting out and looking around when suddenly she was being led away from the other survivors by two men in suits and a familiar red haired woman. no.... no no no not already- suddenly, stephanie lauter feels the exhaustion of everything hit her as her eyes fall back to the group, for lex, trying desperately to find them, or call out as she stumbles forward, one of the men pushing her forward a little to encourage her to keep moving. tessburgers voice, somehow is more shrill as she speaks. maybe it’s the time that made it sound worse, but steph thinks it instead must be the words that she says, not even to her but shared with one of the men.

“ - no. no don’t ask foolish questions. the ragged, dirty, messy look is good for the cameras. it’ll make her stand out, bring out the importance of being home and just what good it’ll do her and her f- “

oh.

she didn’t know why she did not imagine this in the rare times she imagined actually surviving to make it home- before the winter she would imagine what coming home would be. she imagined a hug so tight it had her falling off her balance. muffled promises, fingers clutching onto her, all the while she has to hide her face in a sweater vest to breathe him in and hide her tears, a hand clutching onto a suspenders strap over his shirt as the other clings to him. instead as steph looses her balance from the weight of her thoughts and worries a set of arms rest on her back to force her upright as all of the exhaustion of the past eighteen months strikes her all at once, the nausea of the price they paid to survive striking her.

in desperation she tries to look back again to where the team had been, trying to catch someone’s eyes, to try and hear someone else’s voice as her mind fills with static but instead the pace of the little ensemble is quickened causing steph to trip over her own feet, not hitting the ground solely because of the red head yanking her up. she’s scolding her, she’s saying something firm but steph can’t hear, unable to hear anything save for the sound of her own thundering heart. her eyes close the second she feels miss tessburger free her arm, and she breathes, just like she had read long before for pete, in for four, hold for seven, out for eight- repeat over and over again till the steps finally stop. exhaling, she opens her eyes at last, only to be greeted with the opening of a door, the sound of her father's voice as he was addressing the crowds, the mayor saying something about compensation, about making sure that the victims and families get money- but the man stops as though given a cue- turning to look at her with a whole dramatic glance and gasp, but steph is instead distracted by the flash of cameras, the roar of the crowd the moment she is given a little push into view-

not that she needs it. the realization of what her role is going to be is obviously clear, and it should have been long, long ago. she would be a puppet. a walking advertisement. a publicity stunt. a puppet. and that nausea and dizziness grew and grew, getting stronger as her father gave her the first hug that he had given her years, words quiet, but almost pounding in her head as though he was screaming -

" this is the best thing that you have ever and will ever do for our name. don't mess it up now. "

then he pulls back, with a feigned sniff or he probably was planning to but is stopped as stephanie lauter pulls out of the hug, she turns to the crowd, about to speak when another camera flashes in her eyes, it being enough to finally push her over the edge as the world tilts, as steph falls with it as the world goes dark

[fancoloredglasses]

[RERUN] Crisis on Infinite Earths, Issue 1: ″The Summoning” (It’s not like they were using those universes anyway, right?)

[All images are owned by DC Comics. Please don’t sue me.]

With a project this big, there are bound to be some new characters introduced. Some were introduced simply because the editorial staff wanted some fresh blood and this seemed to be as good a place as any to drop them in. However, there are 6 characters that exist solely to move the story along (kind of like Doomsday was created solely to kill Superman and Bane was created solely to break Batman’s back…and those who survive the end of the story wind up about as “Now what the hell do we do with them?!” as Doomsday did), but we’ll get to those characters soon enough.

Now, on to the story! If you would like to read this issue, it (along with the rest of the series) has been collected in graphic novel form and is available (or can be ordered) at your favorite comic shop, bookstore, or online retailer…or on Read Comic Online.

We are introduced to our first character created for the series, Pariah. His sole purpose is apparently to show up in a universe to watch it be destroyed by a wave of white nothingness, only to be swept off to the next universe to be destroyed such. Wonder if Earth-C’s destruction looked like it was dipped a la Who Framed Roger Rabbit…

(Thanks to alanrecinos87)

The next contestant on Death of a Universe is Earth-3, where the Crime Syndicate is bitching about the fact that they have to try to save the world rather than rule it with iron fists. Well, Iron Fist isn’t good for heroics (that’s why he only lasted two seasons) so the universe dies.

…but not before the heroic Lex Luthor (yeah, I’m having issues wrapping my head around that too)...

…sends his infant son Alexander into the multiverse (a la Superman from Krypton, and don’t think I don’t see the irony) to Earth-1.

We are then introduced to our next two series-centric characters: Lyla (AKA Harbinger) and…well the voice of her master (who will be revealed later). Lyla’s master watches as universe after universe falls, but apparently he has a plan, as he instructs Lyla to become the Harbinger and gather 15 very specific heroes and villains from 3 Earths of different eras. They are…

Earth-1

Arion (Lord of ancient Atlantis), Cyborg (member of the Teen Titans), Dawnstar (member of the 30th century’s Legion of Super Heroes), Dr. Polaris (Green Lantern villain), Firestorm, Geo-Force (member of the Outsiders), Green Lantern John Stewart (the second favorite GL to anyone who didn’t grow up on the Dini-verse Justice League animated series), Killer Frost (Firestorm villain, whose emotions were manipulated (into loving Firestorm) to get her to come along), Psimon (Teen Titans villain), and Solovar (ruler of Gorilla City)

That’s 2/3 of those gathered, and mostly from modern times. I’m guessing the writers were really hedging their bets on familiarity.

Earth-2

Firebrand (of WW2′s All-Star Squadron), Obsidian (of Infinity, Inc.), Psycho Pirate (Justice Society villain, who was the one that manipulated Killer Frost), and Superman (aged to modern times, rather than from WW2).

Earth-4

Blue Beetle Ted Kord, in his first ever appearance in DC Comics (not entirely sure why they decided on him as the Charlton poster boy)

Given I know how the series would continue, I am surprised heroes from other Earths aren’t also part of this group.

During this gathering, Harbinger is attacked by a shadow being and compromised.

These same shadow beings attack the group as they await their host. With all their abilities, they seem to be unable to do little more than slow them down. Then the chamber fills with light, making them disappear and the third series-centric character officially appears…

Lyla’s master, the Monitor.

…which ends the issue.  Kind of a weird cliffhanger, but what do I know?

WHY has the Monitor chosen these people?

HOW can they defeat the shadow beings?

WILL the writers come up with better cliffhangers?

These questions and more will be answered in the next exciting issue!

[therecordconnection]

Ranting and Raving: "Million Dollar Baby" by Tommy Richman

The top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart is a fascinating place. Most times, it’s filled with songs you’ve heard while out in the world or songs that you’ve seen your friends share on Instagram stories. Other times, you see something sneak in there that you’re completely unfamiliar with. You ask, “How did you get in there?” That’s how I became exposed to Tommy Richman and “Million Dollar Baby” for the first time.

The world has been having fun watching Sabrina Carpenter have the best summer ever. It would be even an even better summer if she could knock that boring Morgan Wallen/Post Malone collab off of #1 and give it to a song that deserves it (“Espresso,” which is so far my favorite song of the year. I wrote about my love for it here). The world also had a blast watching Kendrick Lamar pummel Drake in the most one sided fist fight caught on record. Billie Eilish’s new album has come out and she’s scored a new hit. Eminem resurrected Slim Shady from the grave to make peak white dad rap (by sampling one of the last Steve Miller Band hits) on “Houdini” (making it a second “Houdini” that has hit the music towers this year). Hozier is still enjoying success with “Too Sweet.” Shaboozey and Teddy Swims are less mainstream names, but they’ve been floating around for years; Shaboozey getting attention from being on the first Spider-Verse movie soundtrack and Teddy running a successful music cover channel on Youtube before transitioning to his own original stuff.

But then there’s “Million Dollar Baby” and this guy named Tommy Richman.

It’s been in the top ten for about two months now, peaked at #2 last month (poor kid didn’t stand a chance against Miss. Taylor Swift). That’s a damn fine first entry in the Hot 100, especially when it’s from a relatively unknown guy. I know what phrase you want to say (it rhymes with “Schmin-dustry Sch-mant”) and if you would be so kind, I’d like you to bite your tongue and not use that. Are we in agreement? You’re not gonna see that phrase used to describe him because 1) I think it’s inaccurate in the case of Tommy’s story and how this song blew up. 2) Some people (mostly the terminally online and those who have a mountain of sand where a brain is normally found) like to use the term “industry plant” without ever knowing what it actually means. Make no mistake, Tommy did have big help and resources from one semi-famous guy in making “Million Dollar Baby” pop off, but industry plants get big help when they pay somebody big money for it (usually a major label, which won’t be found in this story). There’s no crime in having help from someone bigger than you early in your career. Some people just get lucky and end up securing a connection that helps you breakthrough. It doesn’t immediately mean the siren has to start blaring. Here, take my hand and let me tell you how a guy goes from “nobody” to “Million Dollar Baby.”

For starters, Tommy Richman didn’t just magically appear out of nowhere. He has a Soundcloud account that he’s been posting music on consistently for the past seven years. His Youtube channel also has a backlog of stuff long before “Million Dollar Baby” ever blew up. Most of what you’ll find is your typical young “white boy who lives in his mom’s basement” rap. Nothing I’m gonna go crazy for, but somebody probably would. Everybody’s gotta start somewhere. It wasn’t until he got the attention of R&B singer Brent Faiyaz that he started the eventual rise to where we are now. If you’re unfamiliar with Brent, you might know him from the hook to GoldLink’s 2017 song, “Crew.” If not, you definitely know him for his guest appearance on Tyler the Creator’s 2021 banger “Sweet / I Thought You Wanted to Dance.” If that still doesn’t do anything, imagine The Weeknd if he was actually cool and didn’t make that weird and gross HBO TV show last year. Faiyaz has been a successful R&B man who came up making music on Soundcloud in the early 2010s and has been steadily rising ever since. Last year, Faiyaz launched an independent record label named ISO Supremacy and signed a partnership with PULSE Records. Tommy Richman is Faiyaz’s first signing so far, which is evident if you visit the “Releases” page on their website. At the time of this writing, the label has only released Faiyaz and Richman’s recent stuff. Brent and Tommy got connected due to Tommy knowing ISO’s COO Darren Xu. Darren saw promise in Tommy and thought he and Brent could go far together. After connecting, Faiyaz had Tommy as his opener on the Fuck The World, It’s a Wasteland tour. He also made the beat for and hopped on Faiyaz' 2023 track, "Upset."

None of this strikes me as fitting that phrase we all agreed wasn’t gonna be used. The Lyrical Lemonade blog interviewed him and had been paying attention to and writing about his music up to two years before he connected with Faiyaz and joined him on his independent label venture. I don’t find it at all strange that somebody connected with Faiyaz found Tommy somehow and thought his music was worth exploring and nurturing. You shouldn’t either.

And hell, call me Marty McFly, because I’ve seen this one. This is a classic. A successful R&B singer decides to take on some random white kid that got some buzz on the internet as a protege? If I had a nickel for each time that’s happened, I’d have two nickels: One for Brent and Tommy’s partnership, the other for Usher and Justin Bieber linking up and doing the exact same thing in 2009. History repeats, time is a flat circle, etc.

So, that brings us to the current moment and “Million Dollar Baby.” The first time I heard this I knew immediately how this got big. Say it with me everybody! TikTok. That app can make anybody (and I do mean, anybody) a star if you know how to use it to your advantage. Tommy strikes me as a guy who knew what he was doing. The world got a teaser of “Million Dollar Baby” on April 13th when he featured the chorus playing in a video and uploaded it as a sound for creators to use. It would be thirteen days before the song got officially released on April 26th. In between that time, he was promoting another song, “Selfish,” which is a fun party track and a song I like, but it sounds like funk made by a white boy. This is “funk” you’d hear in a Target commercial. No, that wasn’t gonna be the big one. Tommy clearly knew that was gonna be “Million Dollar Baby” and he was building up just enough anticipation from followers before pulling the trigger. You gotta make ‘em wait for it, you know? When he finally did pull the trigger, the song did numbers. Thirty-eight million streams during its first week alone. As of this writing, it’s been a Top 10 hit for two months and it’s still sitting at #5. You can buy your way onto the charts or find a way to game the system, but those methods only tend to work in the short term. They can’t keep you there. No, this song had to have done something right, otherwise it would’ve been a quick hit for a week and then immediately vanish. So what was it?

I can tell you. This song became a hit because that beat is just fucking unstoppable. It’s perfect lightning in a bottle. You’re lucky if you make something like that even once. Tommy is the only one credited with writing it, but he also has a five man posse of producers on board. So I imagine it was a team effort to polish this up and make it ready for Certified Hit Status. Regardless, the production on it is damn good. The beat is a total earworm and the bassline and synths that drive the song are incredible. It’s inescapable once it’s got its claws in you. There’s not a doubt in my mind that there are recent high school graduates and college students bumping and grooving to this at graduation/summertime parties as we speak. It hits you with everything it’s got after the intro and you can tell this was made with the intent that you will blast it from the biggest speaker in your house or at your function. This song was born to be played too loud while speeding down the freeway, your car shaking to its very foundations. This song was born to be the music choice to TikTok edits of your favorite Blorbo being hot. This song was born to make you feel like you have (*Checks notes*) “Main Character” energy (whatever that is). This is pure party music at its finest and I’m not shocked that this shot straight up to the top echelon of the charts. This bumps, this bangs, this does whatever you need a song to do. I love it... except it’s not without its flaws. 

For one thing, you can tell he clearly went to the TikTok School of Songwriting, which is where you throw classic songwriting structure away and just piss into the wind and see what happens. You also reject the notion that songs need these cool things called bridges and pre-choruses, which are used to help keep songs interesting. Most pop songs you hear follow a structure kind of like this:

Intro -> Verse -> Chorus -> Verse -> Chorus -> Bridge -> Chorus -> Coda.

Obviously not every song follows this mold, but it’s a gold standard model to follow, especially if you’re just starting out and writing songs for the first time. Tommy, like a lot of TikTok guys before him, decides that this structure is for suckers and goes with this:

Intro -> Chorus -> Verse -> Chorus -> Outro.

You’ve heard a lot about TikTok having done irreparable damage to song structure. That’s absolutely true and “Million Dollar Baby” is a very obvious offender. That platform only cares about the hook. It doesn’t need any of the other parts. Also, don’t make it longer than three minutes (this song is 2:35, which is a bit surprising). The rules to writing a successful TikTok hook go as follows: Make it catchy, write a set of words that sticks with people, and make sure it’s general enough that people can use it in all kinds of videos so it spreads around. In Tommy’s case, people really ran with the lines, “'Cause I wanna make it so badly / I'm a million dollar baby, don't @ me.”

My issues with song structure aside, there’s one glaring issue I have with this song, an issue which only became clearer and clearer to me the more times I listened to it: Tommy Richman is the least essential part of this song. He’s so inessential that you could remove him entirely and nothing would really change. If anything, the song works better as an instrumental. The beat and the production is pulling all the weight on this song, Tommy just signed his name on the group project when it was done.

“Million Dollar Baby” is simultaneously a blessing to have as your first major hit and also a curse to have as your first major hit. A blessing because it’s undeniably catchy and a ton of fun to listen to, but a curse because by around the seventh or eighth time you hear it, the weaknesses in the artist reveal themselves and you can never unsee or unhear them. 

Tommy’s first weakness is, well, that he’s named “Tommy Richman.” That’s the name of a guy who either changes my oil or makes a hoagie for me in Philadelphia, not a guy with a Hot 100 hit. His name honestly keeps making me think of Timmy Brabston, that kid rapper who had the honor of being roasted by Ethan Klein so hard that his “career” ended before it even really began. He mentions Virginia in the song and I almost think that going by Tommy Richmond would be funnier (like he’s a spiritual successor to Flo Rida). However, I suppose going by your government name is less embarrassing than trying to come up with a cool stage name, so maybe he’s smarter than me in that regard.

Vocally, I don’t think he adds anything to the song. He sings in a falsetto that kinda sounds like he’s doing Mick Jagger on “Emotional Rescue.” It also sounds like he’s doing his best impression of mentor Brent Faiyaz, to the point where I wonder what it would sound like if Faiyaz delivered it. It’s a weak delivery and when the song gets into the verse, the beat just completely overpowers him in the mix. You very quickly stop giving a shit about whatever he’s saying to you because you’re distracted by everything else. It took me about four listens and watching the lyric video before I started piecing together what he’s saying and even then, it’s not terribly interesting. I will say that the English major in me does take issue with part of his verse. Let’s play a quick game called, “Who the Fuck Is He Talking To?” 

Fifth line of the verse is this: “She a bad lil' mama, she a diva.” Okay. He’s clearly talking to me about a woman he’s involved with. Cool. The very next lines are these:

No matter what happens, he cannot come between us again I know we're better than friends (Better than friends)

Now I think he’s switched it. He’s not talking to me anymore and now he’s talking to the woman he’s involved with. The “he” in that line probably refers to an ex she has that was in the picture right before Tommy and Tommy is trying to re-establish their relationship, saying they’re better than friends. Got it. But then these lines happen:

I took her to Queen's Gambit (Yeah, yeah), showed around my friends Tried to pick some energy up, it don't matter

Is he talking to me again now? I assume he must be, otherwise why would he tell her that he took her to Queen’s Gambit? She would already know that. So he must be talking to me. But then, he immediately switches it again:

I know you haven't moved on if you tried (Oh, no) I don't believe it, baby, I know you lied (Oh, no)

He’s back to talking about the situationship he’s in with the woman. That means he can’t be talking to me, right? Do you see my confusion here? It just feels like Tommy’s whole verse was screwed up and got completely out of order. It feels like he’s trying to talk to two people at once and it doesn’t work. He’s either gotta tell me about this woman or the whole song needs to be from the point of view of him talking to this woman and their situation. In its current state it’s a complete mess, to the point where I think if you just removed Tommy and his lyrics from the equation, nothing would be missed. The song would be better for it.

If you want proof that this song is better without Tommy, there’s a really good instrumental version on Youtube. If you want to see a fun spin on it, guitar wizard Tim Henson of instrumental prog rock outfit Polyphia recorded a really cool version of it on his personal Youtube channel that’s worth checking out.

Tommy Richman and “Million Dollar Baby” are best described as a perfect summer fling. I’ve met him, there’s a spark, and I will have my fun with him and this song for the whole summer season... but I know in my heart that at the end of August, I will be leaving him behind for other things (Read: Sabrina Carpenter’s Short n’ Sweet, which I’m excited for and arrives on August 23rd). It’s a brief love affair that wasn’t born to last... and that’s okay. Give it a couple of years and I might hear “Million Dollar Baby” again somewhere and happily remember simpler days. Or, I’ll be wrong and this song and Tommy stick around for a long time and make me look like a fool. He put out a new song just a few days ago, “Devil Is a Lie,” and maybe that’ll end up being a second hit for him. I doubt it’ll hit #2, because it doesn’t hit the same as “Million Dollar Baby” and Tommy still shows the same weaknesses on that one that he shows on this one. The beat and production on “Devil” is again infinitely more interesting than him and it’s just a shameless Neptunes ripoff (which, honestly, I’m not even mad about. Any Neptunes sounding beat in this day and age is a warm welcome in my world).

The Billboard Hot 100 is a fascinating place. Everything can be all fine and normal and then something weird comes completely out of left field to help shake things up and keep you on your toes. If Tommy’s song did nothing else, it at least accomplished that. It’s a strange sound I haven’t heard get mainstream success for a bit and it seems like he’s got a good team with him steering him pretty well. I’ve certainly heard much much worse from TikTokers suffering from delusions of grandeur. Do I think he’ll stick around for a long time? Probably not, but that doesn’t necessarily mean I’m rooting against him. I’ll certainly have fun while he’s here. The million dollar baby has made it after wanting to make it so badly, the only question left to answer is if the million dollar baby can stick around. 

Good luck.

[qaisdogwalker]

Did you call???

I’m answering

Sebastian and Jessica Telephone were a pair of siblings and original Steaks all the way back in Season 1. Sources say they were never born and emerged from a payphone fully formed. With the Max Out Batter blessing Jessica, the older of the two of them, shot up to 5 stars at the end of Season 1 and then was immediately traded to the Pies with the Steal Best Hitter blessing, marking the start of Jessica Telephone’s career as a legendary batter who would go on to play for many teams

While Sebastian would remain firmly rooted in Dallas. After several seasons of separation (mostly, he calls, she lets it ring - she’s busy with the game, training, dealing with her fans, or simply just doesn’t want to talk) the Season 4 election comes around. Jessica is on the Philly Pies when back home Sebastian is targeted by the Alternate Reality decree and replaced by an alternate version of himself

Image of them that I drew so I’m legally allowed to use (og post)

I like to think that alternation changed Sebastian, because, obviously, he would be a whole different person. The new Seb is better at blaseball, too proud to call his deadbeat sister all the time, and immediately begins courting fellow Steaks player Conner Haley (by silently following him everywhere). This universe’s Conner is unused to the new, bolder Sebastian, but finds out that the new Seb was involved with the Conner Haley in his universe. While grappling with the slight tragedy of losing the original versions of each other, they navigate their new dynamic and learn the places where they differ. And maybe get a bit attached

Then Season 7 goes down. On day 65 Sebastian is hit by a Jaylen pitch and becomes Unstable. Two days later he is incinerated

Fast forward past all the expected sadness and we’re now at Day X of Season 9. The epic peanut battle commences, and Jessica, who was shelled for the second time since her brother died, is drafted for the SHELLED ONE’S PODS, and ends up hitting the game-ending home run and winning the first Day X for the Shelled One under its dominion.

Season 10’s Day X sees a similar defeat for the Crabs. The Pods make quick work of the Crabs, prompting the formation of a whole new team to go up against them: the Hall Stars, a team consisting of the most tributed players in the Hall of Flame. Including Seb. The Telephone siblings are reunited but in opposite sides of the god battle

…Until Seb, who still has the Unstable mod, is incinerated again

For the rest of the Expansion Era Jessica continues to make waves around the league. There are efforts to get Seb back through game mechanics but none succeed

There’s a thing about the Telephones being quantum waveforms and existing perpetually throughout time but that’s a topic for someone more well versed in timefuckery than me - anyway that phantom buzz in your pocket when your phone isn’t there? That’s them

okay while people are reading my blase posts i am so far behind on player lore. somebody tell the story of their favorite player so i can cheer or cry a lot or reblog it 10,000 times and hype them up to all my friends

[fernweh-writes]

hiya! can you do HCs for the slashers with a male s/o? i usually always see them geared towards women so itd be fun to switch it up! (it could be their first m/m relationship or not, doesnt matter!)

Of course hun! Usually I try to keep my writing pretty gender neutral and as inclusive as possible. Hope you enjoy! Also I’m trying to get better with adding warnings… it’s a work in progress

Slashers x Male S/O

Warning: slight nsfw content in all of these and it’s slashers so mentions of murder, kidnapping, etc

Michael Meyers

Michael isn’t good with feelings, usually his feelings towards others are anything but positive, he’s sure of that. But something about you was different, he wasn’t a fan of the feeling honestly. But Michael is a curious person, so he ends up stalking you for a decent amount of time. Eventually, he’s able to predict your every move, he knows your schedule, has figured out all your favorite things. He knows everything about you.

Michael eventually comes to terms with the fact he has a crush on you. After stalking you for some time, he was able to figure out the feeling. But at first he was honestly contemplating making you his next victim just so the feeling would go away. Now he recognizes it as a good feeling though, he needs to keep you and make you his.

His go to is knocking you out on your way home from work one evening. When you wake up you’re arms are tied to the bed, but he was kind enough to leave your feet unrestrained. At first, he just stares at you, unsure of what to do now that he has you. His favorite thing is watching you while you sleep, you just look so content and happy.

Eventually, Michael lets you wander around the house. He knows you can’t leave him, he’ll simply find you again. After all, he’s stalked you for so long he would be able to find you easily. Even if you do alert the cops it’s not like it’s his first time dealing with them. It’s best if you don’t run away, he isn’t against teaching you not to leave him again if you try.

If you make attempts to be kind to him he absolutely adores it! Massaging his shoulders, rubbing patterns across his skin, baking and cooking for him are all gestures that he loves. But, it also proves to him that you care which makes him more possessive over you.

Speaking of possessive, Michael also has the strong urge to always prove to you that he’s the dominant one. He both needs and craves control and feels the need to prove that he’s bigger and stronger than you are. Expect some rough treatment from time to time, he likes to remind you of your place.

He’s a virgin and the only knowledge he really has about sex comes from what he’s caught his victims doing. While he does do a lot of stalking, he really hasn’t learned much. Besides, most of what he’s seen has been between girls and guys, very rarely has it been anything else. But once you show him? He’s insatiable. While he’s never thought much about his sexual desires before, you’ve completely changed that. You can expect him to be pressing against your ass at any time of the day.

Loves joining you in the shower. One, it’s just an easy way for him to see you naked. Two, he usually gets you to wash his hair and all for him and he loves the feeling. You running your hands all over his body to bathe him leads to three, he usually forces you to your knees and gets you to wrap those pretty lips around him. Loves the sight of you looking up at him with water on you eyelashes and lust in your eyes. Some times you’re gonna need a second shower.

Bo Sinclair

Bo is the one most likely to deny to himself that he finds you attractive. He grew up in the Deep South with a religious family in a religious town. Anything that isn’t between a guy and a girl was always frowned upon so it takes him a minute to come to terms with his feelings.

Once he does expect him to be a big flirt. Turns out, Bo can smooth talk guys and girls all the same. It’s easy for him though considering that there’s so much about you he likes that he never seems to run out of compliments. Quickly decides that he loves the sight of you blushing and flustered by the things he says.

Once again, feels the need to prove that he’s the dominant one. Bo has never given up control to anyone, you’re not going to be any different. Often makes a show of his strength to prove he’s stronger than you. Bo also just loves to manhandle you in general, especially during sex. You just look so cute when you get all flustered about him moving you around like you weigh nothing.

Lots of ass grabbing and lewd comments once he gets comfortable with you. He’s a major pervert, so expect him to be handsy with you all of the time.

Eventually gets to the point where he likes to flaunt you. You spend a lot of time with him down at the station and he occasionally gives you small, easy chores to do, but mostly he keeps you there to chat with and keep him company. This also means that you see a lot more of the victims than you might like to and Bo isn’t afraid to let them know the two of you are together. If anyone says anything rude to you then he makes sure they get turned to wax a lot faster than he normally would. If he deems the comment to offensive then there wont be much left of them to make into wax, sorry Vincent.

Bo likes to make you believe that he would never let you top him. But if your able to hold out long enough, you can make him so needy for you that he’ll relent and allow it, but only just the once. Okay, maybe more than once but it’s still a rare occasion. He still won’t let anyone believe that he would ever bottom though. Like I said before, Bo needs to feel in control and that extends to being in control of you as well.

Vincent Sinclair

Vincent wasn’t as well versed in relationships as Bo or even Lester. While he would know that he’s attracted to guys, he wouldn’t have much experience at all. He would be very surprised if you showed any interest in him at all honestly, but when you do he knows he has to keep you.

He’s very shy and nervous at first. You’re most likely the first person he’s ever had a romantic relationship with so he’s very unsure of what to do at first. It’ll take a lot of reassurance from you to get him to open up to you and even longer for him to feel confident around you. Since he doesn’t talk and is pretty socially awkward, you can expect small gifts to be his go to way of wooing you. Like a penguin giving you pebbles, he is a large man bringing you wax figures.

Vincent would definitely play a big care taker role honestly. He’s both your protector and your provider. You depend upon him to survive in Ambrose and he enjoys feeling in control for once. Vincent does a good job of making sure you’re taken care of as well. Always makes sure that you eat until your full, gives you only the best of clothes from victims suitcases, and you get first pick of the items left behind by the victims.

Likes keeping you close by. Not down in his workshop of course, he doesn’t want you to see him as a monster and witness the cruel things he does. Besides, he sees you as to precious, to pure and innocent to be able to handle witnessing such things. Of course, you’re aware of the wax figures, but you’re not aware of how they’re made and he wants to keep it that way.

Vincent prefers to have you tied up beneath him with your cheeks flushed and skin covered in sweat. Also thinks your skin looks great when it’s covered in wax. Also loves the way you look so needy for him to give you some sort of relief with your pupils blown wide, lips parted, as your hips attempt buck against his.

However, Vincent does occasionally enjoy letting you take the ropes. This usually happens when he’s stressed out and has to much on his mind. Being able to let go and let you be in charge of his pleasure gives him the freedom and comfort that he needs.

Brahms Heelshire

His parents would be surprised at him requesting a male nanny but so many women had failed that he was curious to try something else. When you came along, he decided that you were perfect for him!

Unlike most of the other slashers, Brahms is more than okay with you topping him, He secretly enjoys being forced into submission and only occasionally likes to take up the dominant role in the bedroom. Goes absolutely feral for the way you discipline him and get him to submit and be good, especially since you never fail to tell him what a good boy he is and how much you enjoy him being well behaved just for you.

At the start though, he simply watches you through the walls. Especially enjoys watching you while you’re in your room or taking a shower. He’s a dirty little wall pervert what do you expect. Once he watches you jerk off for the first time, he quickly decides that he’s 100% attracted to you. Like I said, he’s a dirty wall man.

Enjoys that you still follow the schedule and do such a good job of filling the domestic roles he craves. You provide him with more structure and stability than anyone else previously had. You’re not scared to discipline him when he steps out of line and you do such a good job of taking care of him. Especially loves when you indulge him and spoil him, it drives him crazy.

He’s needy and clingy and loves to cuddle up to you. Brahms is practically glued to your hip 24/7, following you around the mansion like a lost puppy. He’s lucky you find him cute otherwise you would grow annoyed with him quite easily. He enjoys laying his head on your chest and listening to your heartbeat, it’s really soothing to him.

Please read to him while he cuddles up against you. It’s his favorite thing ever, especially if you give him attention while you do so like playing with his hair or simply running your free hand up and down his back soothingly.

Will purposefully find ways to get dirty so that you have to bathe him. Refuses to get into the tub or shower unless you join him. Really just wants to be pressed up against the shower wall and fucked. If he needs an excuse to see you naked, he’ll steal your clothes and hide them. Then he watches from the walls as you have to go up to your room to get more clothes. The clothes he stole will remain in his room within the walls to curl up with whenever he pleases.

Billy Loomis and Stu Macher

Honestly these two would compete over you. Might even have a bet over who can woo you first. They get jealous of the other very easily.

Billy is intimidating and plenty of people are scared of him, for good reason of course. So with him you don’t really have to worry about anyone being rude or saying anything offensive. If they do then you’ll see them on the news within the next few days. If you mention it to Billy he basically says “wow, that’s unfortunate, whatever will the world do without them.”

Stu is more likely to get physical with the person as soon as anything offensive leaves their mouth. Usually he’s less affected than Billy but he’s just so protective over you that he can’t manage to keep his cool. Sadly this means he can’t kill the person since he would be more likely to be a suspect after a physical altercation like that. They’ll still have a broken nose.

Billy is more likely to be a top, Stu is more likely to bottom but he is a switch so he likes to top occasionally to. Billy is also more rough with you in bed and enjoys running the blade of his knife across your skin while he has his other hand wrapped tightly around your throat. He degrades you while he fucks you, even the praise is degrading, telling you how good you look getting fucked like the slut you are. Stu is a lot sweeter and needier when it comes to sex. He likes to praise and compliment you, telling you how good you make him feel and how good you look just for him.

Both of them are very proud of you. They aren’t afraid to show you off or be seen with you. We all know that Stu is handsy but Billy isn’t afraid to sweet talk you in front of anyone and everyone. Claims he’s classier than Stu for not basically shoving his hand down your pants in public like he hasn’t grinded against you multiple times already. He’s just more discreet about being handsy in public.

Jesse Cromeans

You get to live lavishly with Jesse, that’s for sure. He makes sure to absolutely spoil you, anything you want is yours. The movies confirmed multiple times that he’s rich and it turns out when it comes to you, Jesse is very generous with his money.

Although, he does love choosing what you wear. Of course all of the clothes in your large closet are designer, he can’t have his boyfriend looking poor. Jesse prefers to dress you up in expensive dress shirts, slacks, and ties, something about it just gets him going. Some times he’ll allow you to wear sweatpants or whatever comfy clothes you want but it’s still going to be name brand stuff.

Also likes to shower with you. Picks out expensive and high end products so that you always smell good. Of course Jesse always smells good, his favorite colognes are never less than $100 for even a small bottle. Sometimes when he comes home late at night and crawls into bed next to you, you can still smell the slight metallic scent of blood on him. It’s usually hard to notice though since the sheets smell strongly of him that it can mask it.

He’s perverted and loves to show you off. Once you find out what he does, he won’t hesitate to take you with him on his “business trips” to different warehouses. Jesse keeps you safely tucked away in his office though, he can’t risk putting you in harms way and certainly doesn’t want you to witness the carnage. Prefers you to sit in his lap during meetings and he isn’t afraid to feel you up during them either.

If he ever gets you to blow him under his desk one day don’t expect him to let you stop just because Spann or Preston walks in. Jesse won’t hesitate to force your head back down if you try and pull away. In fact, having you choke on his cock while someone else in the room does nothing but make him feel even more aroused. Luckily for you, it’ll definitely deter Spann from trying to make any more moves on your boyfriend.

Asa Emory

Asa is a sadist and he absolutely loves to see you squirm. You can expect constant teasing and degrading from him at all times, very rarely does he compliment you. When he does compliment you though, just know he truly means them. Asa doesn’t really do feelings, his best way of showing he cares for you is by keeping you locked in his home rather than in his demented hotel.

Honestly, he probably does his best to keep you from knowing about the extent of his nightly activities. Of course you know about the hotel, you spent a few months there. You also know Asa is sadistic and enjoys hurting other people, even you that he cares so much about. But your stay at the hotel was luxurious compared to what happens to the other people in there. And while he inflicted some pain and left small cuts on you with his knife, it was nothing compared to the way he tortured the other people.

Again, Asa needs control and enjoys being in charge of everything you do. He picks out your clothes, plans out your day for you, he’s into the whole dumbification thing. You have a list of responsibilities like cooking for him and keeping the already neat house clean and tidy. Your not just his boyfriend, you’re his pet. Anything he instructs you to do, you do, otherwise you’ll be punished.

Makes sure you have your own guard dog. He hates having to leave you alone and so he leaves his best trained German Shepherd with you to keep you safe. But on the bright side at least you have well trained company that also happens to be very cuddly and friendly with you. Just don’t let Asa know you let the dog on the couch…

[littlemisspascal]

The SFW Alphabet of Little Red’s Shadow

Rating: T

Fandom: The Great Wall

Pairing: Pero x Female Reader

Warnings: Mostly fluffy relationship stuff, smidge of angst in some places, established relationship, werewolf instincts, kissing, literal sleeping together, Reader’s father mentioned throughout, possessive and protective Pero, a few references of violence/killing

Summary: A bunch of SFW headcanons for Little Red’s Shadow verse. Prompts found here

Author Note: I’m usually very bad at coming up with headcanons, but this was fun to try and I enjoyed writing for these two again 😊 Hope someone out there likes it 💜

A = Affection (How affectionate are they? How do they show affection?)

As a wolf, Shadow’s the definition of affectionate. If he’s not pressing his cold nose against your neck, seeking the sound of your surprised laughter, then he’s swiping his tongue along your cheek or over the bumps of your knuckles. 

He’ll deny it as a human, but he loves to have the fur beneath his chin and along his chest scratched. Such a powerful, hulking beast reduced to a puppy state of mind in just a few seconds, tongue lolling out the side of his mouth and eyes hooded with pleasure. 

As a man, Pero’s a sucker for handholding when you walk together through the village. His wolf craves your touch, he confesses one night, face nuzzled against your collarbone like he’s embarrassed to admit such a precious thing. You’ll soothe him by running your fingers through his dark hair, a kiss or two against his forehead, his nose, his scar. 

He’ll always sit next to you when attending dinner at your father’s home, thigh pressed against yours under the table, and he’ll always make sure you’re served first before he digs into his own meal. You’ll catch a glimpse of golden eyes in those moments, and your heart will flutter with the knowledge Shadow is forever looking after you.

B = Best friend (What would they be like as a best friend? How would the friendship start?)

Werewolves aren’t designed to have best friends. Shadow’s instincts would never allow him to be content simply being your friend when every cell in his body insisted you were his mate. Being friendzoned would be the equivalent of being caged for him.

Pero isn’t a fan of people so his social skills are a little rusty, but knowing you’re his mate, he’ll try be a little less grumpy around you. A little less sarcastic and a bit more sincere. But if you had remained oblivious to his werewolf side, he would have always struggled being in your presence for lengthy periods of time in fear of his wolf seizing control and causing problems.

C = Cuddles (Do they like to cuddle? How would they cuddle?)

In wolf form and human form, Pero will cuddle the hell out of you. Doesn’t matter if you’re in a cuddling mood or not, he’ll use his strength and bulk to lay on top of you. In the woods, in your home, he’ll find you. There’s no escaping the cuddle session. And you wouldn’t mind it, really you’d actually love snuggling with your lover, if not for the fact cuddling with Pero is like cuddling with a furnace. 

If you’re sleeping when he sneak-attack-cuddles you, you’ll wake up a sweaty, gross mess. Hair and clothes sticking to your skin. Ugh. Sometimes there will be a smiling wolf hovering over you with his stinky morning breath hitting you smack in the face. 

However, you will admit in the wintertime when there’s snow piling up outside and the three quilts aren’t keeping the chill away, there’s nothing better than clinging to Pero’s warm body. Your boyfriend will pretend to hate it, gritting his teeth and whining about your cold hands and feet feeling like icicles, but he’s not fooling either of you, especially when he pulls you closer and presses a kiss to your lips, mumbling some lame, sappy line about it’d be a shame for that pretty mouth to be cold.

D = Domestic (Do they want to settle down? How are they at cooking and cleaning?)

Before turning into a werewolf and meeting you, Pero never saw himself living the settled down-apple pie-white picket fence kind of life. After meeting you it’s the only type of life his wolf will be satisfied with. A life that is safe and comfortable and full of contentment. 

As a hunter, Pero knows how to skin and cook wild game like deer and pheasant and whatnot. When it comes to vegetables he’s as picky as a toddler, scrunching up his nose with disgust when you insist he eat a green bean or carrot stick. 

Cleaning-wise Pero walks the thin line between slob and neat-freak. He does his best not to leave his clothes lying about and helps you with the dishes when you ask, but sometimes he forgets or convinces you there are better ways to spend your time together. However, during spring cleaning when you’re mopping the floors and using all kinds of cleaning products it overwhelms his sensitive nose, so you give him a free pass to be out of the house for the day.

E = Ending (If they had to break up with their partner, how would they do it?)

Wolves mate for life. The only thing that could break you and Shadow up is death. And it scares him more than words can say, not knowing who will be the first to leave the other. 

It will take months to convince Pero you’re not going to break up with him after an argument or that you’ll find somebody more stable, less wolfy than him to give your heart to. His wolf side may loathe being separated from you, but his human side understands not all relationships work out. If there comes a day you grow sick of him, if you’re no longer happy, he’ll let you go. And if the heartsickness overwhelms him, he’ll trade his humanity for life as a wolf, protecting you from the woods.

F = Fiance(e) (How do they feel about commitment? How quick would they want to get married?)

Wolves mate for life so in Shadow’s mind you’re essentially already married. It’s you and him forever and always. He wouldn’t live a day without you by his side. 

Pero won’t push for marriage if that’s not what you want. He’s content just simply being with you. If you do want to get married though, he’ll scrape together as much money needed to buy you whatever ring you desire. 

G = Gentle (How gentle are they, both physically and emotionally?)

Despite his appearance as a gigantic wolf, Shadow is surprisingly gentle. He’s extremely aware of how fragile you are as a human, that if he were to bite too hard he could break your arm or worse…Emotionally, he’s also gentle and very intuitive. He knows when to cuddle with you and when to growl or make you laugh, always aware of the subtle fluctuations in your heartbeat and scent. 

Pero, with his big hands and thick, callused fingers, is also surprisingly gentle. When he cups your face to kiss you, he holds you as if you are a priceless treasure. There are moments though, like when you survived a brutal encounter with a mountain lion or when a man at the depot was uncomfortably leering at your body, where those hands are rougher around your waist, grip near-bruising, pulling you against his body as if he’s trying to pull you into himself, to protect you from the harshness and evils of the world.

Emotionally gentle is more of a struggle for Pero, only because opening up and being soft is hard for him, even with you. The longer you’re in a relationship, the easier it is for him, and he tries, you know he does, to offer the support you need whether that’s holding you during your nightmares or threatening to go make a chew toy out of somebody. 

H = Hugs (Do they like hugs? How often do they do it? What are their hugs like?)

Shadow and Pero only tolerate hugs when they’re coming from you. 

Your wolf loves your arms wrapped around his broad frame. The scent of your happiness is like a drug to him, better than wildflowers and fresh rainfall combined. He’ll do whatever it takes to make sure you’re always happy.

In the privacy of your home, Pero will occasionally surprise you by giving great, huge bear-hugs, the kind that threaten to break your ribs and have your feet hovering a few inches off the ground and are oh so blissfully amazing. In public, he’ll begrudgingly huff and grumble like your arms wrapped around him is an inconvenience, but it’s all an act so maybe, just maybe you’ll stop calling him a softie (You did it once, but once was apparently enough to tarnish his grouchy reputation when it was said in front of William. Pero wouldn’t talk to you for hours afterwards).

I = I love you (How fast do they say the L-word?)

You might have verbally said those three precious words first to Shadow, but you’d find out months later he’d been saying them every day he saw you with every lick, bark, and wagging tail. Actions speak louder than words, so the saying goes.

Pero, the grumpy man with a gooey center, tells you he loves you not over a candlelight dinner or during a moonlit stroll, but when you accidentally cut yourself in the forge. Cursing your clumsiness, he bandages your hand with a scowl before pressing a kiss to the wound, saying his mamá once told him a kiss of love can heal anything. You love me? you ask him, staring at him, breath caught in your lungs. And the look he gives you is so intense and heated your heart melts at once. Don’t ask stupid questions, little red. Of course I love you. More than every other soul in this world.

J = Jealousy (How jealous do they get? What do they do when they’re jealous?)

Shadow gets jealous if you talk too much about other men, even if the ‘other men’ are usually William or the village’s grocer giving you a good deal on produce for the week. He gets real quiet when he’s jealous, tail held stiff, ears against his head. He doesn’t growl though, and that’s the telltale sign you recognize when you need to stop talking and start peppering kisses along your wolf’s snout.

Pero doesn’t get jealous often since he knows you’re a loyal girlfriend and he trusts you (and he also knows nobody in this village is worthy of your heart, including him though you scoff when he says that). If he ever is jealous of the attention you pay towards a customer or if you hug William just a beat too long for his liking, Pero expresses it by glaring daggers until you’re back by his side where he can wrap an arm around your waist and pull you in for a passionate, breathtaking kiss that has you seeing stars.

K = Kisses (What are their kisses like? Where do they like to kiss you? Where do they like to be kissed?)

Shadow’s kisses you’ve affectionately named wolf kisses, because there really isn’t a better name for when he nuzzles against you and licks at your face and neck, rumbling happily the whole time. As for his personal preference, he especially likes when you kiss his snout, if only because every time you do, you smile brightly afterwards and scratch his chest.

Pero’s kisses change depending on his mood and the time of day. Sometimes they’re sweet and chaste, a quick peck before he goes to work or when you stop by the forge with lunch or when your father’s spying on you both at the table from the kitchen. Other times they’re fervent and passionate, trying to memorize the way you taste as if terrified he’ll never see you again. He usually saves those kisses for the privacy of your bedroom, but if a situation sparks Pero’s possessiveness, he’ll sweep you off your feet right then and there. 

As for where Pero likes to be kissed, well, he isn’t picky. Your lips are heaven for a sinner like him. (Although, there is something about the way you kiss his scar that has his heart performing funny little flips every time.)

L = Little ones (How are they around children?)

Children rarely wander into the woods by themselves, but still almost inevitably every year a youngster will get lost and the whole village volunteers to look for them before they get hurt or eaten by something. You tell Pero to keep Shadow away from the woods, not wanting somebody else to spot him and attempt to shoot him, but of course the second you step foot past the treeline there’s Shadow trotting out of the bushes to protect you. Turns out his nose is excellent at tracking down the small little girl who has hidden herself away in the stump of a rotted tree, sniffling and scared. She thinks he’s a dog when she sees him and actually giggles when he sniffs at her, petting at his ears and calling him Fluffy (which you’ll never stop laughing at). When you bring her to her parents back in the village, they think their daughter’s description of Shadow is a silly story you and her made up, and you don’t correct them even when Pero starts huffing indignantly when the little girl starts carrying around a giant, homemade plush dog named Fluffy.

Pero doesn’t hate kids, but he also doesn’t smile at them either. He thinks most of the local kids are snot-nosed brats actually, but once in a blue moon you’ll catch him buying pieces of candy at the marketplace for children who don’t have enough money or offering to teach some of the boys how to properly hold a wooden sword when they play. He confesses the thought of being a father, of holding something so tiny and vulnerable, scares him. But he also admits, if you were to ever want a baby of your own, a perfect mix of you and him, he would love them every day of his life.

M = Morning (How are mornings spent with them?)

Sometimes you’ll wake up to Pero in the morning, arm around your waist, face buried against your neck while he softly snores, other times it’s Shadow’s hulking form on top of you or spread out beside you, an overgrown sack of fur much too big for the bed to contain. 

Depending on your delivery schedule or Pero’s work load, breakfast can either be a quick affair of bread slices slathered with honey and a quick peck on the lips before you go your separate ways or an intimate moment between lovers basking in each other’s company over pancakes, bacon, and coffee.

On those rare occasions where it’s a holiday or it just so happens neither of you have work for the day, the morning is spent either in bed or on the living room couch, bodies intertwined, catching up with each other and exchanging kisses when either one runs out of words. Falling just a little bit deeper in love.

N = Night (How are nights spent with them?)

Most nights are spent with Pero rather than Shadow, the two of you enjoying a quiet meal together where you talk about your days or whatever comes to mind. If the weather’s nice, you’ll sit together on the porch and watch the fireflies or maybe take a little stroll around the village, reminiscent of your first date.

On cold nights you’ll drag him to the couch for a cuddle session, finding warmth within the circle of his arms beneath a bundle of blankets. And if you happen to doze off, exhaustion pulling at your eyelids, Pero will carry you to bed. He might grumble a bit about his back or knees aching, but the softness in his eyes betrays his true feelings—he’ll do anything for you.

O = Open (When would they start revealing things about themselves? Do they say everything all at once or wait a while to reveal things slowly?)

Despite knowing Pero’s biggest secret, he’s still shy and reluctant about revealing details of his life before knowing you and even more so about what he was like before his transformation. Before he became a werewolf and a huntsman, he was a sword for hire—killing men and fighting in wars for money. He’s not proud of the blood on his hands and he prefers to shield you from the darker events that still haunt the recesses of his mind. 

P = Patience (How easily angered are they?)

In Shadow’s defense, few wild animals possess any level of patience so you can’t really get too mad at him when his first reaction to new or irritating things is to growl them into submission. However, when it comes to you making flower crowns or telling him a funny thing that happened during a delivery, he never rushes you or shows any signs of impatience. 

Pero’s patience is limited to four things: his work, William, you and your father. Everything else usually gets on his nerves within a matter of seconds, resulting in a scowl and clipped, one word answers. 

Q = Quizzes (How much would they remember about you? Do they remember every little detail you mention in passing, or do they kind of forget everything?)

Pero told you once the connection between his wolf side and human side is stronger in some areas than others. If he smells something as a human he once came in contact with as Shadow, it’ll trigger the memory immediately. But sights Shadow witnessed or stories you told him while walking the forest trails take a bit longer for Pero to properly recall, a little fuzzy around the edges, sort of like déjà vu.

Whatever you tell Pero when he’s human though? All of that is locked away in his mind and filed alphabetically down to the very last detail. You’re the most important person in his life, of course he wants to remember what makes you you.

R = Remember (What is their favorite moment in your relationship?)

Although he cannot tell you with words, Shadow’s favorite moment is when he caught your scent the first time. He knew, instantly, you were the one for him. His perfect mate and other half.

For Pero, it’s the night you came to him at the forge and demanded the truth from him. It’s the night you accepted him for who he truly was, wolfy half and all. It’s the night he dared to hope he’d never been alone ever again.

S = Security (How protective are they? How would they protect you?)

On a scale of 1 to 10 of how protective Shadow and Pero are of you, they both would score 20. Actually, Shadow is perhaps slightly worse than Pero, if only because he lacks the human ability to rationalize and is instead ruled solely by his instincts. He’ll protect you from any threat that crosses your path in the woods, whether it be another animal or a human, snarling and snapping his fangs until the enemy has either run away or died a gruesome death. 

Pero knows you can handle yourself, that you’re not some delicate piece of glass which will shatter whenever somebody is unkind to you. So if there’s a rude customer at the depot who ruffles your feathers, he’s the type of boyfriend who holds your bag while you handle them. Sometimes though, when somebody at the tavern gets too close despite numerous objections or if you happen to find yourself in a life or death situation, Pero’s self-control snaps and he succumbs to his wolf’s protective nature. During those moments, he’ll deal with the threat himself, becoming the type of boyfriend with golden yellow eyes and a rumbling snarl, striking fear directly into his enemies’ hearts.

T = Try (How much effort would they put into dates, anniversaries, gifts, everyday tasks?)

Surprisingly a lot for being a wolf. Whenever you have a distant delivery to make, Shadow’s always there to escort you, Pero’s work at the forge be damned. On your first year anniversary, Shadow brings you a stuffed rabbit as a reminder of how far your relationship has come (and also because you’d have pinched his ear for killing yet another innocent rabbit as a gesture of love). You keep it on a shelf in your bedroom and smile every time you see it. 

Pero is sweet and devoted in his own gruff ways. He doesn’t like taking you out to the crowded tavern for dates where there’s prying eyes and eavesdroppers, preferring quiet evenings at your house or in his room at William’s after kicking the Irishman out for a few hours. He remembers anniversaries better than you do, bringing you flowers or beautiful trinkets he made at the forge as gifts. He also helps with your household chores or your marketplace shopping, especially if he thinks you’re working too hard or stressed out and need a break, showing up at your house with a bundle of groceries to stock your cabinets with. He ducks his head when you praise him, cheeks reddening, looking so shy your heart could burst from the cuteness.

U = Ugly (What would be some bad habits of theirs?)

Shadow hates taking baths, be it in your bathtub or in a creek. So he’ll sometimes stink like something old and rotten has died in layers of fur, burning your nostrils and making you want to gag. Only by threatening to never pet or kiss him again will he begrudgingly disappear to go wash himself or, if it’s really bad, let you attack him with shampoo.

If an important order occurs at work, Pero will become so engrossed in making sure the sword or set of horseshoes or whatever the customer wants is beyond perfect, down to the very tiniest of details. He’ll forget to eat or take breaks and won’t even respond to the urging of his wolf or William’s scoldings. Sometimes you even have trouble getting through to him and those are some of your worst arguments with each other, usually resulting in you sleeping alone for the night and him guiltily showing up the next morning with flowers and an apology. 

V = Vanity (How concerned are they with their looks?)

Shadow doesn’t care much how he looks. What’s most important to your wolf is not his appearance, but his ability to protect and care for you. 

Pero also doesn’t care much about his looks. If his hair or beard gets too long or bushy, he’ll deal with them (neither of you were fond of the ragged, mountain man look he once sported). He doesn’t like when people stare at him or, more specifically, the scar on his face, but he doesn’t attempt to cover up or change his features when a sharp glare usually sends annoying onlookers running. The only opinion who matters beyond his own is yours, and you think he’s beautiful just as he is. 

W = Whole (Would they feel incomplete without you?)

For a regular wolf who’s lost their mate, they will mourn the death, but ultimately seek another to fill the missing void. For werewolves, there is no substitute for their missing half. Without you, Pero will lose his grip on his humanity and revert to his animal instincts, inevitably becoming a feral beast who only knows constant pain. 

Without you, there is no Pero and there is no Shadow. Only a savage beast with a broken heart.

X = Xtra (A random headcanon for them.)

One of Shadow’s wolfy quirks is his love of chasing you. The thrill of following your scent through the woods, of hearing your laughter echo in his ears, of knowing with absolute certainty it’s going to end with you underneath his paws, breathless and grinning, never fails to excite him. His blood buzzes and heart pounds against his ribcage, every instinct screaming find her, find her, find her. 

If you do choose to have or adopt a child, Pero will call them Pup. Maybe it’s an instinct of his inner wolf to do so, or maybe it’s just a cute nickname with no hidden meaning. You’ll never know for sure, but regardless it’s a moniker that sticks with the kid even into their adulthood.

Y = Yuck (What are some things they wouldn’t like, either in general or in a partner?)

Shadow doesn’t like when you smell like strangers who have passed through the depot, preferring you to smell like your own natural scent or himself. He also hates strong perfumes and cleaning supplies which make his delicate nose burn and elicit full body-racking sneezing. 

Pero, because of his inner wolf, isn’t a fan of those scents either. He also doesn’t like dealing with snobbish customers or men who mistreat women. They will quickly learn his bite is truly far worse than his bark.

Z = Zzz (What are their sleep habits?)

Shadow will doze off while spending time with you in the grassy clearing, but the only place and time he truly sleeps and lets his guard down is in your bedroom. Pero’s told you he doesn’t plan shifts in the middle of the night, it just happens. The wolf wants to be there in your bed, taking up as much space as possible, enjoying your presence and scent.

Pero can fall asleep pretty much anywhere. In your bed, on the couch, once even at the table while you prepared dinner. He’ll wake up immediately at the slightest of sounds, eyes flashing gold, but usually once he sees you unharmed he’ll relax. When sleeping together, he pulls you flush up against his body, arm around your waist, face buried in your neck or hair. And within mere minutes he’s out, snoring away. And you won’t know it until after you’ve become a werewolf yourself that you’re the only thing which keeps Pero’s nightmares away. Only with you does his subconscious mind ever feel peace.

[sinkingtime]

I have ideas for the main idea, but first let me join in on your detour. I only really play commander by now, so my decks all have an obvious main character, but still.

The very first one I tried to build was Bant clones. Copy good creatures with blue spells, re-copy the copies with populate effects, value! Commander was to be Roon of the Hidden Realm, mostly for giving me the colours I'd need, but it does synergize with Clone creatures, and in particular Progenitor Mimic.

Also because of this, I became very well versed in the rules intricacies of copy effects.

Anyways, I didn't have the lands to support 3 colour. After running it very ineffectively, I decided to cut the blue and promote Rhys, the Redeemed to the helm. That makes it arguably my oldest or second oldest deck. I still sometimes think of him as "Rhys, heir to Roon".

The other candidate for my oldest deck is Tatyova, Benthic Druid. I opened her in either prerelease or draft the week after, but probably pre because I distinctly remember opening 3 Adeliz, the Cinder Wind for draft, and it's unlikely I would have taken Tatyova for that.

Anyways, Tatyova I played in brawl until she rotated, then added 40 more cards to make it commander. That's why she messes the timing, whether she or Rhys is first depends on if you count when his deck had a different commander and one more colour.

One of those Adelices inspired me to build Izzet Wizard/spellslingers. Over time I've phased out the Wizard tribal, leaving just the spellslingers, and have had various different commanders for it. Most notable, by length, were her, Jori En, Ruin Diver and Melek, Izzet Paragon. Currently under The Locust God. I'm mostly satisfied with that, but also more often than not don't even cast it.

Remember oathbreaker? Probably not. It was to be a commander-like format, 60 card singleton, one planeswalker as commander plus an instant or sorcery as "signature", re-castable as a commander, but only if you control your planeswalker commander.

I built two. Saheeli, Sublime Artificer+Saheeli's Artistry, and Tamiyo, Collector of Tales+Rite of Replication. Tamiyo was clones, again; she inherited the blue and Simic pieces of the old Roon deck. Saheeli is artificer, naturally. I liked those decks, and those two are my favourite planeswalkers. I also got one of those double deckboxes, where one of them folds with the lid so one opens vertically and the other horizontally, to carry them together.

The format folded, of course. That box currently holds my tokens.

I've already dissasembled Tamiyo. I bought Moritte of the Frost with the intention of building clones, again. But then I got my hands on an Alela, Artful Provocateur, and finally gave up on clones.

Saheeli got upgraded to full commander, except she's not a valid one so I had to get Saheeli, the Gifted. Also Saheeli Rai and Saheeli, Filigree Master. Actually, roll back.

The very first time I played was Kaladesh prerelease. I opened Nissa, Nature's Artisan and her emblem in the same pack, proceeded to build a deck around her and win 3rd or 4th place. Then on one of my prize packs I opened Chandra, Torch of Defiance, plus her emblem; which I traded to the store for one more pack, on which I opened Saheeli Rai.

For that reason I used to think planeswalkers who can make emblems would always come with their emblems. I was pretty dissapointed a couple months later, at Aether Revolt prerelease, when I opened Dovin Baan's emblem but not him.

Anyways, that particular Saheeli Rai I sold at some point, but then I made a point of getting another when I decided to upgrade her deck to commander. I enjoy the fact that it contains all versions of her, though obviously I can't commit to that if we keep getting new ones. It also has that Saheeli's Artistry, which is the fancier foil. So yeah, I'm pretty pro-Saheeli here.

Finally, that deck also has Chandra, Fire Artisan, with a ridiculously convoluted combo that would let her activate her -7 arbitrarily many times in a row. I've never actually pulled that off, but maybe someday.

As for that Tamiyo, she's currently in an Estrid, the Gifted deck. Somebody had apparently dissasembled her and was selling the pieces, so I got a bunch. I also like that character, and it makes me sad that she's basically screwed out of future appearances because of how hard her power is to illustrate and animate.

And yes, for the record, I'm officially cool with 3 colour now. It's been years since I decided I couldn't do it, and I've spent considerably more money in this game since.

Estrid also has Calix, Destiny's Hand, Jiang Yanggu, Wildcrafter and Narset, Parter of Veils, plus a Spark Double for good measure. I didn't intend to make her Superfriends, but apparently it's inevitable.

I'm also pretty commited to getting an Ichormoon Gauntlet, even though I haven't decided which of them should get it. Both have 5 planeswalkers, Estrid has more proliferate and better defenses, but Saheeli obviously has artifact synergies. I may just try and buy two.

My actual favourite character is Teysa Karlov. I actually decided I would have that commander during spoiler season, and bought the Guild Kit, for the fancy art Teysa, Orzhov Scion, then didn't read the rest of the card list. At prerelease I hunted down someone who opened Teysa Karlov and bought it, not knowing it was also in the Kit, so I just had two of them. So for that season I was playing her both in standard and commander. I think I still have the four extra Cruel Celebrants, 3 or 4 Priest of Forgotten Gods, stuff like that.

I also briefly had an Adriana, Captain of the Guard deck, which I actually only used once. That one time was a 12 or 13 player game, though; in no small part thanks to my insistence that we should give that a try. I didn't win, but I did kill like 6 or 7 players in a single attack.

I wanted a Knight tribal deck, originally built it under Aryel, Knight of Windgrace. It wasn't performing, so I figured I'd pull a reverse Roon and add red, bought a Syr Gwyn, Hero of Ashvale precon. Not sure why, she's Equipment tribal, with a dash of Knight; I never had the intention of giving her the helm. Later I regretted not buying Alela's precon instead, which seemed more fun to use.

Anyways, my Knights commander is Morophon, the Boundless. That one is in chinese, so I end up having to explain the abilities more often than usual. The deck also has both Aryel and Adriana, though not Gwyn, she really was not worth it. It also has Crib Swap, which always requires me to read carefully. It triggers Door of Destinies but not Vanquisher's Banner, stuff like that. And yeah, I had to check right now for which was which.

Lastly, as mentioned, Alela, Artful Provocateur, who I haven't actually built. Officially the reason is that I don't have sleeves. Or more precisely, I want her to get the bluish-green sleeves Saheeli is using, after giving her the solid blue ones the Locust has, after getting solid red for him. But solid red sleeves are surprisingly difficult to find.

I also almost didn't buy her. Mostly I wanted her for the nostalgia of that time I could have bought her precon but didn't. But I also already have both artificer and enchantress, so no. In the end I decided she'd be flying tribal and did get her. Since I have yet to play her, I guess it's still possible I will regret that. Time will tell.

Bonus round! I once built Wolf tribal for my brother, under Tolsimir, Friend to Wolves. He'd never played commander, and ultimately decided not to. That game ended with me saying "ok, who should I kill?" and him saying "me!", so I just said "Aetherflux" and handed him the card to read. Everyone else nodded and the guy keeping life started ticking us both down, so obviously that got his interest, then the actual card surprised him. It was a funny moment.

That ends my commanders. I haven't played standard since Eldraine in paper and Kaldheim in Arena, but still.

I opened two Approach of the Second Sun at prerelease, and instantly decided I would play those in standard. That deck had Baral, Chief of Compliance, who could be considered the "face". It does vaguely colour how I felt about the strategy, or maybe that strategy affects how I feel about his character. He's currently in the 99 of the Locust.

I also opened two Lochmere Serpent at prerelease, and built a deck around it. That one performed terribly. It was a mistake, no other word for it.

I also had something with In Bolas' Clutches, but don't remember exactly what. I only remember because of a particular match, where we both were dropping land and passing, for like 7 turns. But I only had Clutches, the other guy had 4 or 5 cards in hand. Then I realized he had one plains and a lot of forests, meaning he was waiting for more white; I used it to take his only plains, he read it to make sure it can do that, then immediately conceded.

Very Bolas-like, I think. Except maybe for the part where it took me too long to figure it out.

Over on Arena, I had yet another instance of Teysa Karlov. Most memorable thing there was when I used Final Payment on my own creature, to get the last two deaths I'd need to drain the opponent. Opponent was blue and countered me. In response, Swift End, then counter, then Mortify. The idea of the opponent desperately trying to save my servant from me is a beautiful illustration of why we call that archetype "aristocrats", no?

I also had a dumb combo with Gaea's Blessing, Desecrated Tomb and Path of Discovery, for arbitrarily many fliers. That one apparently would have gotten decent results, except for that I kept timing out. I still like the idea of it. It's kinda weird I've never had an actual reanimator deck, with how much I like recovering my graveyard.

And finally, I played Bant Superfriends a lot. I suffered the bans of both Teferi, Time Raveler and Oko, Thief of Crowns.

It also had Karn, the Great Creator, and therefore 15 artifacts in the sideboard. Most often I would pull Parhelion II or God-Pharaoh's Statue, though I do remember there was one game where I had to pull all four Sorcerous Spyglass, because the oponent kept drawing scary things.

Also, that one depended heavily on Flux Channeler. Because the lore behind loyalty costs is (was?) that positive costs are things they enjoy doing, to the point that you requesting them makes them want to hang out more, I like to imagine she's popular, or entertaining, something like that. So that was basically her deck, and the others were there for her.

Tell me about your mtg characters!

Let’s reverse the usual, either reblog this post with basic information about your own Magic: the Gathering characters, or send me an ask with it. One at a time, and give me that information even if I already know them, others might not. I’ll ask around questions about them that pop into my head.