#so... about today's g-witch...

[hellsitegenetics]

Hi my name is Ebony Dark’ness Dementia Raven Way and I have long ebony black hair (that’s how I got my name) with purple streaks and red tips that reaches my mid-back and icy blue eyes like limpid tears and a lot of people tell me I look like Amy Lee (AN: if u don’t know who she is get da hell out of here!). I’m not related to Gerard Way but I wish I was because he’s a major fucking hottie. I’m a vampire but my teeth are straight and white. I have pale white skin. I’m also a witch, and I go to a magic school called Hogwarts in England where I’m in the seventh year (I’m seventeen). I’m a goth (in case you couldn’t tell) and I wear mostly black. I love Hot Topic and I buy all my clothes from there. For example today I was wearing a black corset with matching lace around it and a black leather miniskirt, pink fishnets and black combat boots. I was wearing black lipstick, white foundation, black eyeliner and red eye shadow. I was walking outside Hogwarts. It was snowing and raining so there was no sun, which I was very happy about. A lot of preps stared at me. I put up my middle finger at them.

String identified: a a’ ta a a a a g ac a (tat’ gt a) t ta a t tat ac -ac a c ta a a t t A (A: ’t gt a t !). ’ t at t Ga a t a ca ’ a a cg tt. ’ a a t tt a tagt a t. a a t . ’ a a tc, a g t a agc c ca gat ga ’ t t a (’ t). ’ a gt ( ca c’t t) a a t ac. t Tc a a ct t. a ta a ag a ac ct t atcg ac a t a a ac at t, t a ac cat t. a ag ac tc, t at, ac a a. a ag t gat. t a g a ag t a , c a a at. A t ta at . t g at t.

Closest match: Prunus dulcis DNA, pseudomolecule Pd02 Common name: Almond

[scarletemeraldpurple]

Kinktober day 9: Lactation (posting this at 1 am on the 10th but ssshh)

Rio finds you on the brink of death, but it isn’t your time yet. She takes it upon herself to nurse you back to health.

CW: Reader suffers from homophobic violence, the consent is a bit dubious

Other notes: Very gentle Rio, lots of pet names, lactation with healing properties (and aphrodisiac properties), reader becomes Rio’s pet

“Well well, what have I found this time?” Rio mused to herself as she saw you on the ground, curled up, almost unconscious.

Death. You thought to yourself. Death has come to take me. It’s just as well.

“Let’s find out what your story is, hm?” Rio said, lightly massaging your temple.

What she found horrified her. You were dragged out here by a group of men. They beat you half to death, in theory it was because you were suspected of being a witch, in reality it was because one of them suspected you of trying to seduce his girlfriend.

“They don’t even truly know of the power you hold,” Rio said quietly, “it’s not your time to go yet, little one.”

That was the last thing you heard before blackness took over your vision.

You woke up in a cave, on a mat of woven vines.

“Sorry, I don’t have guests often and I don’t really sleep, this was the best I could do on short notice.” The strange witch who saved you said.

You tried to get up, you were unsuccessful, wincing at pain coming from your abdomen.

“Easy there sweetheart.” She sat beside you on the mat as you laid back down.

“I thought you were Death, coming to collect me.”

“Well in a sense I did, just not in the way you expected. But you can call me Rio.”

“Rio?”

“Rio Vidal, at first it was just a pseudonym, but I’ve gotten a bit attached to it.”

“River of Life, so Death has a sense of humor.”

“Gotta have one in my line of work.”

You chuckled lightly, which caused you to wince again.

Rio reached a hand out, very cautiously, to brush some hair out of your face. “I can help you with that, sweet thing.”

“Yeah? Why do you want to help me?”

“Someone’s a bit mistrustful.”

“Can you blame me?”

“No I cannot. Look, here’s the deal. I have something I need help with, and you can help me with it.”

“What exactly does Death need help with?”

“You forget that at the end of the day, I am a green witch. And there’s a little side effect of that I need help with.”

You looked at her confused.

“What exactly do you know about witches?”

“Not a lot. Managed to find an old banned book about potions but that’s been about it.”

Rio nodded slowly. “Okay well…how should I break this down? I can help heal you, quickly in fact.”

“Okay. And in return I?”

“You help me get my breasts to stop aching.”

Your eyes widened.

“You drink from me, it heals you, I get rid of my milk from this cycle.”

You could not believe what you were hearing. She had to be joking right? Maybe Death’s sense of humor was more twisted than you thought.

Then Rio flung her top off, and you saw her nipples leak a bit. “Think you can get on your side or do I need to straddle you?”

“Does it have to be like, mouth to tit? Can I not use a cup or something?”

“You could if I had any.”

“Right, right, guess you don’t really need to do the ‘sustenance for survival thing’.”

“Look, sweetheart , you can spend possibly months healing, unable to sit up for weeks. Orrrrrr, you can put your mouth on my tits and both of our lives will be so much easier.”

You really did not mean to be staring at her chest, but they were big…full, and right in front of you.

“You’re not exactly being subtle, doll.” Rio said, bringing a hand to cup one of them. “C’mon, it won’t take that long, you don’t even need to drink all of it to heal. And I’ll still get some relief.”

Fuck it. You thought to yourself. “Okay. Y’know making a deal with Death was not really on my agenda for today.”

Rio smiled. She slid next to you and gently coaxed you to your side. You cautiously wrapped your lips around her nipple. She stroked your hair encouragingly.

“There you go, just like that.” She let out a moan. “Oh you’re good at that baby.”

It really did work quick. You were already starting to feel better. You felt calmer too. You weren’t sure how to describe what it tasted like, but it was good, and you wanted to keep going.

“Mmm, feeling better baby?” Rio asked.

You were but you found yourself in a haze. It just felt so good to keep sucking. To keep drinking Her in.

“Mmm, I bet you are. You should be all healed up actually. But you can keep drinking that works for me. You’re awful cute like this.” She scratched at the back of your scalp and you moaned around her.

“Maybe I should keep you. Yeah, I think I’ll do that. You’d like taking care of me like this every month, wouldn’t you pet?” Rio mused as she petted you.

“Other side now if you wouldn’t mind. Not that you’d mind very much right now.” She chuckled.

You readjusted so that you were on top of her, now drinking as much as you could from her other tit.

“It’s been so long since I’ve had such an eager little mouth on me. You feel so good pet.” She reached an hand between her legs. “You’re being so good for me baby, just keep sucking.” She said as she started to rub her clit to the sight of you.

She had stopped leaking into your mouth so you detached and realized how worked up you had gotten…how worked up she had gotten.

“Kiss me, pet.”

You didn’t hesitate to obey. Her free hand wrapped around the back of your neck as she let you explore her mouth with your tongue. You moaned into her.

“Easily excited little thing aren’t you?” Rio whispered against your lips. “Fuck baby I’m so close, fuck, yeah keep looking at me like that.” She said as she grabbed your jaw, wanting those big doe eyes on her for as long as possible.

You felt her shake underneath you as she came. Eye contact broken as she screwed her eyes shut in pleasure. You stroked her hair, totally in awe.

Rio composed herself and brought her fingers to your lips.

In that moment you realized you never wanted to be done tasting her, every part of her.

“Such a good little pet. Already so well trained.” She teased. She adjusted you so that your legs were on either side of her thigh. “This is the last thing I want from you tonight okay? Can you cum for me, sweetheart?”

You nodded and started grinding against her. Every sensation seemed so intense tonight.

“I did forget to warn you about something my dear. See I can just heal people, but if someone is healthy, then drinking from me can act…as a bit of an aphrodisiac. Feeling a little fuzzy?”

You nodded and continued rocking your hips against her.

“I could have stopped you I suppose. But you were just so cute. And I bet if felt really good didn’t it?”

You nodded again, whimpering.

“And I bet this feels amazing right?”

“Uh-huh” you moaned out.

“Oh did I make you lose your words? That’s okay. Pet’s don’t need words, they just need to hump or suck, or whatever else I tell them to do. And right now? I want you to cum.”

Your body complied with her demand. She took your hips and made sure you rode all the way through it. You collapsed on top of her.

“Big night huh sweet thing?”

“Mhm.”

“Get some sleep my dear. I’ll be right here.”

[miss-bushido]

make the world safe and sound for you

written for @softsteddieseptember week 3, prompt ‘anniversary’

Rating: G

“Happy anniversary, baby.”

Steve pressed his face to the pillow and groaned. “No, my head hurts. Come back later.”

“Aw, I’m sorry,” Eddie murmured, pressing a light kiss to Steve’s temple, smoothing back some flyaway strands. “How late were you up?”

Steve groaned, tapping his fingers on the bed as he counted in his head. “Last time I saw the clock it said 4:30 AM.” He had been pulling all-nighters while working to get his Master’s degree. He was only a few months away from being finished with the program, and he just wanted to see the back of it.

Eddie winced. It was 7:30 AM. Normally, Steve would be up by 6 AM, ensuring he would see first thing the text messages or emails from his boss asking him to sub for one of the teachers at a local school. Eddie grabbed Steve’s phone and winced again. There were three missed calls from his boss, and a flurry of text messages.

“I’m making an executive decision,” Eddie announced, sitting on the bed behind Steve. “I’m telling your boss that you’re sick and that you won’t be able to sub anywhere today.”

Steve scrubbed his face with his hands. “No, I can-”

“Honey, I love you, but you’re talking out of your ass. You need to rest. You can’t expect to be effective with less than 3 hours of sleep.” Eddie put his fingertip to Steve’s plush lips to silence any further protests. “I’ll call her and let her know you’re sick, and that you should be more than fine come Monday morning. When was the last time you took a Friday off?”

Steve blinked, his eyes heavy and scratchy from lack of sleep. “Almost two years ago.”

“Exactly. So. Since you’re not going to work today, go back to sleep. I don’t want to see you downstairs before 9:30 AM, clear?”

In spite of how exhausted he was, Steve felt his stomach flutter at the tone Eddie used. “Yes, sir.”

Eddie smirked, unable to resist giving him a kiss. “Let’s save that for tonight, okay?”

“Daddy?” came a small, sleepy voice from the hallway. The bedroom door was pushed open to reveal their toddler daughter Rosie standing there, clutching her stuffed duck. “We’re thirsty,” she said, her voice low and rough in her throat. Her twin brother, Theo, was with her as he always was, clutching her purple sleep shirt with his left hand, his right thumb in his mouth.

Eddie’s heart swelled to look at them. He and Steve had thought long and hard about children after their marriage, and though they were fine with adoption, they wanted to try and have biological children of their own. Obviously, neither of them could get pregnant (not for lack of trying), so they spoke to the women in their lives; Nancy, Robin, Chrissy, Vickie, to see if any of them would be willing to either donate one of their eggs or become a surrogate, or both.

In the end, Chrissy said she would do both for them: donate her eggs, and be a surrogate. It was almost immediate that she became pregnant with the twins. When they were born, Eddie cried harder than he ever had in his life at seeing their chubby cheeks and bright eyes. He couldn’t believe it was three years ago that their little family was completed.

“You’re thirsty?” Eddie asked, holding his arms out for both of them to come in. Theo broke into a big toothy grin and ran over to jump on Eddie, his light brown hair bouncing . Both Steve and Eddie loved their children equally, and they knew the twins loved them the same as well. But Theo seemed to have an affinity for Eddie: following him around and looking very interested when he practiced his guitar. He even accompanied Eddie to some band rehearsals, but never to one of their shows. Maybe when he was older. He listened with rapt attention as Eddie read to them: The Hobbit, the Redwall books, The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, and the paintings he did, while rudimentary, were clearly influenced by the stories.

Rosie could frequently be found snuggling with Steve: she liked putting barrettes in his hair, painting his nails and putting lipstick on him. Whenever they had a tea party, she put a silver tiara on him and a pair of ruby clip on earrings, telling him, "Papa looks so pretty."

How could Steve resist? How could either of them resist?

While her brother went to Eddie, she toddled over to the other side of the bed. She tossed her stuffed duck up and clambered up, crawling over to Steve. She looked the most like Eddie: she had his brown doe eyes and the waves of her hair were like his, though she took after Chrissy in terms of her strawberry blonde hair color, and the way she smiled. “Papa?” she asked, looking down at Steve. “No work today?”

Steve looked up sleepily at his daughter, unable to stop the big smile spreading across his face. “Not today, baby. Papa stayed up too late doing school work.”

“That’s silly,” she said, collapsing dramatically against the pillows. Steve had seen Eddie do that exact same thing more than a few times, and it always made him laugh.

“Papa is silly, Duck,” he admitted, quickly reaching forward and pulling her close, blowing raspberries on her neck, her shrieking giggles filling the air. He still had a headache, and her shrieks of glee were not helping, but he could bear it.

“I keep telling him that,” Eddie said as he sat back down, Theo leaning against him. Theo had Steve’s beautiful hazel eyes, but they were turning more towards green the older he got. His hair was dark brown and straight, and though he was quieter than his sister, the smile he had was pure Eddie. Both of them worried they would have a little hell-raiser on their hands as he got older and got more confidence.

“‘M still thirsty, Daddy,” Theo murmured against Eddie’s chest. He looked up at Eddie with his big eyes. “Choccy milk?”

“For breakfast?” Eddie replied in mock shock and awe. Theo immediately started giggling, tilting his head back as he watched Eddie perform. “There will be chaos if we move choccy milk time to morning instead of dinner.”

“Pleeeeease?” Theo pleaded. “Please Daddy?”

“Yeah! Pleeeeease?” Rosie shouted, jumping up from laying next to Steve, all but throwing herself on Eddie’s back.

“Oh! Attacked on both sides! The treachery! The betrayaaaal!” Eddie kept his left arm firmly wrapped around Theo before he hooked his right arm back to wrap around Rosie. He stood up, both of them in his arms. “Steve! Don’t just lay in bed! Save meeeee!” He yelled this while moving quickly out of the bedroom, giving Steve a knowing glance as he shut the door behind him with his foot.

Steve laughed at the display of his little family, though he was grateful that Eddie managed to get them out of the room and leave him in peace. He didn’t see his phone on the bed, so Eddie must have taken it with him. Which was good, as it meant he could fall back to sleep like Eddie wanted him to.

A few hours later, Steve woke up, feeling the warmth of a small body against his chest. He opened his eyes to see Theo snuggled up against him, snoring lightly. Behind him, Rosie and Eddie were also asleep. Both had their mouths open slightly, right arms above their heads as they slept.

“Happy anniversary,” he whispered, feeling happy tears well in his eyes.

[willowser]

i had to call the awful evil witch from tech support at my job today, and it had me thinking about getting the little error message and feeling your heart sink and you lean over to your coworker to whine,

"i have to call and get an override,"

and she snorts because she knows what that means, and despite what she says—there is an evil little gleam in her eye. "maybe midoriya will pick up."

you throw your head back dramatically, letting it hang over the chair until you feel the blood rushing to your ears. "i never get midoriya! what menu options are you choosing to get him, because it's never him for me!"

your coworker shrugs, turning from her computer again to smirk at you. "i don't know, man, it's just whoever picks up."

you stare at the window box in the center of your computer, the red ! at the front of a set of codes you loathe to see. hard as you try to find hope that you'll get lucky and izuku will pick up the phone—you don't think it's likely.

"will you call for me?"

"oh my god, just do it already."

and that's how you end up biting at your thumbnail, staring down at the phone on your desk as the automated voice greets you—happily—and begins to list out the different menu options. you consider choosing something random, to see if that will get you to a different, nicer member of the support team, but you wait too long and the options repeat and you decide to just bite the bullet.

it only rings for a moment before you get,

"task solutions. 's'bakugou."

you roll your eyes up to the ceiling and back and snap to stare at your coworker, mouthing a soundless 'fuck!' as she bursts into a fit of laughter.

"y'got five seconds before i hang up the—"

"sorry, hi, sorry! hi! i'm here!" you muster up all the kindness you can, smiling politely so that it will transfer in your voice. "i just need an override, please."

there's not much he says that he doesn't have to, only grunting in acknowledgement when you give him your name and employee id, read off the error message that brought you into the lion's den.

the support team for your company works off-site, so you've never met him. bakugou. hardly know anything about him outside of the name he barks out when answering the phone, and you don't think you'd like to, really.

it's incredibly frustrating to have to call him for help because he knows the system better than you do, knows your job better than you do—and is quick to call it out when your math is wrong or your input is off. if validation didn't fail every once in a while when the program is overloaded you'd be fine—but here you are.

a tense silence fills between the phone as he works, and you know he can only log in and see your screen but it feels like he's watching you, entirely. to be polite, you ask, "are you, uh, goin' to conference this year?"

the silence becomes a void, all consuming, before he murmurs out a sharp, "no."

"oh, bummer," you chuckle nervously, sweat building on the back of your neck as you watch his mouse click around on your screen. "are midoriya and iida going?"

bakugou sighs, heavy with frustration. "probably," he answers, though, to your surprise. "they like to sit around and do fuck—nothin' all day at the damn booth."

you've been by the task solutions booth every year at conference, mostly because they hand out nice steel cups with metal straws, but the faces you've seen there are never unfamiliar. for a moment, you try to imagine it: walking up to get your free goodie from some sour asshole, only to have him bark at you as you try to reach for it.

the mouse stops in the bottom corner of your screen, hesitating. you hold your breath. this is usually when he chastises you for something he makes sound so simple.

"you goin'?"

"uh," your mouth hangs open for a second, because this is the most you've ever spoken to him that didn't involve scolding of some kind. "yeah, yeah! our team will be there for day 2!" there's a soft hum from the other end, and you see the opportunity for what it is: a chance to get on good terms with this guy, so you can stop being so afraid to call the help desk. "you should go! i don't—i don't think we've ever met before."

it's hard to tell how he takes that, but you only assume not well considering your screen flashes as he logs off, taking the error message with him.

"uh, yeah, whatever," he grumbles, "is there—you need anythin' else?"

"oh, nope! that's it, thanks!"

"alright," the line doesn't disconnect immediately and you curl into yourself, as if you could hear anything else by pressing the phone harder to your ear. then he says, "later." and is gone.

[the-eeveekins]

It's perfectly reasonable to be angry at Bandai and sad about their decision today. But I do not regret watching G-Witch, I do not regret falling in love with this show or Sulemio and I definitely DO NOT wish they hadn't even tried to tell a queer story in a Gundam series. This show and these girls have brought me so much joy over the past year, and they can't take that away from me.

Yes, Bandai's response to THEIR OWN explicitly queer story is frustrating and infuriating. But no matter what they do today or in the future, even if it involves censoring the BRs or writing sequels to undo their happy ending, they'll have to rip the broadcast version of G-Witch from my cold, dead hands, because they can never take that happy ending with Suletta & Miorine explicitly married like the creators intended away from me.

So when I see people say they wish Bandai had never made G-Witch or wished they had never watched it, I just can't agree with that take. I love this show & what the creators tried to give us, and even if cowardly executives held them back, I'm so thankful for what they managed to get through: that representation is so important to me.

[merlingenrecs]

The truth comes out—and Merlin doesn't end up on the pyre! Perhaps there is anger, a heated conversation or some temporary distrust, but ultimately all goes well. Perhaps we even get a glimpse of what a Golden Age might look like?

Today's gen fic rec theme: Magic Reveal Gone Well!

↓ Find the list of fanfic recs under the cut! ↓

⚬ A Better Man by TheActualAuthor, 3k, rated G https://archiveofourown.org/works/43646655 summary: Arthur’s cursed by a witch to experience his worst fear.

⚬ Almost, but not quite by Marti1297, 2k, rated G https://archiveofourown.org/works/39236688 summary: Finally, Arthur starts to realize strange things happen around him, and he comes to an unexpected conclusion.

⚬ a drop of truth by WinglessCrows, 6k, rated G https://archiveofourown.org/works/15636450 summary: Arthur has a truth serum, Merlin lies more than he tells the truth. Who else would Arthur use it on?

⚬ Allow One To ‘See’ by mollrach13, 30k, unrated https://archiveofourown.org/works/16729350 summary: When the King is attacked in his tent on patrol and falls into an unending sleep everyone is worried. What they don't know is that Arthur is fine. In fact he is standing right here next to them, watching them all fret over his prone body. To stave off the boredom whilst a cure is found Arthur takes to wandering the castle and soon discovered a hidden side of Camelot he never knew about.

⚬ Truths Emerge by s0mmerspr0ssen, 22k, rated T https://archiveofourown.org/works/52211941 summary: When Caerleon attacks Camelot, more than one secret is uncovered. In the face of a hopeless battle, will Arthur make the right choice?

⚬ Crown of Light by s0mmerspr0ssen, 3k, rated G https://archiveofourown.org/works/42482379 summary: About four weeks after he had married Gwen, Arthur awoke with a strange, golden light around his head. Naturally, it freaked Merlin out.

⚬ darkest before dawn by merlinemrys, 1k, rated G https://archiveofourown.org/works/48216928 summary: Arthur: I never knew my mother because of it. My father died because of it. I lost my sister to it. So tell me, Merlin, what has magic ever done for me? Merlin: What haven't I done for you? – In the hours before Mordred's execution for using sorcery to save Arthur, Merlin finally snaps.

⚬ I’d Die For You by Fulgance, 4k, rated T https://archiveofourown.org/works/934552 summary: "You know I'd die for you, yeah?" – "It certainly looks like we're headed that way," Arthur says dryly.

⚬ The Reveal byArgentNoelle, 1k, rated T https://archiveofourown.org/works/6645151 summary: How long, Merlin wondered, had Arthur known? He hadn’t seemed surprised at all.

⚬ How Water by LadyAJ_13, 3k, rated G https://archiveofourown.org/works/20817572 summary: Leon shuffles, a move so unlike him that Arthur is immediately concerned. “It's about Merlin, sire.” He wonders what he's done now. Something stupid no doubt, insulted a noblewoman or broken something valuable. A day in the stocks might be required to make the aggrieved party happy. But then, that's not unusual enough for his most capable knight to be fiddling with his sword scabbard. “I believe he has magic.”

⚬ Just a Hint of Magic by Drag0nst0rm, 1k, rated G https://archiveofourown.org/works/28462047 summary: The thing was, most sorcerers didn't know enough spells to actually put up much of a fight. So when Arthur first noticed Merlin had magic, he wasn't too worried about it.

⚬ The Truths He Can’t Deny by N16, 10k, rated T https://archiveofourown.org/works/33923860 summary: Merlin had always known this day would come. An innocent girl. An arrest for sorcery. Except now it's Arthur sitting on the throne in judgment, not Uther. It was always going to happen, but it wasn't supposed to happen like this.

⚬ Treason by N16, 10k, rated T https://archiveofourown.org/works/27763306 summary: Arthur knows four things: Merlin committed treason. Merlin is loyal to him. Merlin wants to tell Arthur the truth. Merlin is scared Arthur will kill him. All he needs to figure out now is what on earth his servant has actually done.

⚬ Greater Love Hath No Man by N16, 8k, rated T https://archiveofourown.org/works/37562236 summary: Once upon a time, Merlin had been so in love with Gwen that he'd confessed to sorcery to save her from the pyre. That moment seemed like a million years and a million lies ago. But that one lie was a loose thread, and now one tug might unravel Merlin's entire tapestry of deceit. Fortunately, Merlin can always count on Gwen.

⚬ A Scar Like a Vision of Grace by nsowlwrites97, VikingSong, 3k, rated T http://archiveofourown.org/works/56321101 summary: “Please,” Arthur tried. “Let him go. If you want the book–”The man holding the sword to Merlin’s neck smirked. “Oh, that? That’s just a bonus. No, king. We’re here for this.” And without another word, he slid the sword across Merlin’s throat.

⚬ The Hand of the Enemy by N16, 45k, rated G https://archiveofourown.org/works/27567688 summary: When Arthur accepts an invitation to a nearby kingdom where magic is free, he hopes to establish an alliance despite their differences. Instead, he and his knights find they’ve been invited under false pretenses, and the queen may succeed in turning friend against friend to accomplish her own aims.

⚬ Who I’ve Been by TheActualAuthor, 3k, rated G https://archiveofourown.org/works/41350509 summary: Arthur glances at him, but doesn’t stop to reprimand, “I told him I didn’t know what he meant. Then he spoke of many things. Said I was a figure of prophecy and legend.” His voice twists around the words, mocking them, “Said I was to rule all Albion. I was about to call him out as some sort of sorcerer’s trick, trying to trap me into oaths or pride, when he began to speak of another. A man I knew well, supposedly, who walked in my inner circle.” The king takes a sharp breath and raps his knuckles on the table, making Merlin jerk his head up, “I have little doubt he meant those who stood with me at the table. When the others come, I am going to eat with them, my men and my favored. And when we are done, I will speak to them of this, and I will know who has been lying to me all this time.”

⚬ Stains Unseen by reelin_writer, 2k, rated T https://archiveofourown.org/works/33212869 summary: During the routine bandit ambush, Gwaine is mortally wounded. Merlin saves him with magic, and instead of exploding at the reveal, Arthur is overcome with guilt. Merlin has been dealing with the trauma of taking a life--alone. Nothing, not even the new powers Merlin has, can keep Arthur from wanting to protect the younger man.

⚬ Behind Me, Beside You by TheActualAuthor, 3k, rated G https://archiveofourown.org/works/37246459 summary: Arthur glares at him, “I have no love for magic, they will not help me.” His eyes narrow, “How do you know the way to their camps? We’ve been searching for their borders for years.” “I have friends among them.” He hedges. The king stares at him a moment, then sits down with a weary air, “So you also have betrayed me.”

⚬ A Moment of Truth by sakarrie, 5k, rated T https://archiveofourown.org/works/35432824 summary: Even though Merlin knows it's finally time to tell Arthur the truth, he can't stop his hands from shaking. He knows being a sorcerer is a death sentence, yet here he is—about to tell the King of Camelot. But Arthur deserves to know, and Merlin can't keep hiding from his best friend.

⚬ Stay by wryter501, 13k, rated T https://archiveofourown.org/works/39378669 summary: A different direction for episode 4.7 "The Secret Sharer". Alator goes to Camelot not to find Emrys for Morgana, but with another plan in mind... Why has Emrys failed so long in his prophetic task of restoring magic to Camelot, in guiding and instructing Arthur Pendragon, the Once and Future King? Fate seems to have handed Alator the chance to right the course of history gone awry - and he's going to take it. He's going to use Gaius to find Emrys - and then they're going to have a serious conversation. But even the best-laid plans of a canny warrior-sorcerer can be diverted... Alator finds more than he anticipated, plotting ambush in iron mines of Kemeray...

⚬ The Serving of Servants by CaffeinatedFlumadiddle, 80k, rated T https://archiveofourown.org/works/20239129 summary: When a new position is made in the royal household to oversee the servants, Arthur didn’t think much of it. It was only days later when he noticed the mysterious injuries appearing on frightened servants that the prince decided to go undercover and to find out what is going on. Meanwhile, Merlin thinks the newest servant is a mess. Or: Arthur learns what it is like to be a servant and learns some interesting thing about his own servant.

⚬ Golden Is The Dawn by TrekScribbles, 9k, rated T https://archiveofourown.org/works/54962341 summary: When Arthur finds out that Merlin is hiding a baby dragon, he devises a plan to get rid of it. But when Merlin is captured by a band of slavers, the dragon might be Arthur's only hope of getting him back.

⚬ Faithful Are The Wounds of a Friend by VikingSong, 5k, rated T https://archiveofourown.org/works/33734425 summary: Arthur catches sight of a scar on Merlin’s back which he can’t explain, so he asks each of the members of the Round Table if they’ve seen it, too. They have...but it wasn’t the same scar.

⚬ Curiouser and Curiouser by VikingSong, 12k, rated T https://archiveofourown.org/works/28588263 summary: Gwen knew Merlin wasn’t in the tavern each time Arthur thought he was...but it was Merlin, so she’d never worried about her friend’s harmless lies of omission. That is, she'd never worried until the day Merlin disappeared to ‘the tavern’ with a freshly-paralyzed fomorroh still lodged in his neck. With the threat of the dormant serpent hanging over their heads, suddenly those lies didn't seem so harmless anymore. Or: Gwen is the primary keeper of the one (1) brain cell in Camelot, which she wields to great effect in missing-scenes-turned-canon-divergence in 4x06, "A Servant of Two Masters."

[unpredictable-probabilities]

What Lies Beyond Fear

Summary:

Dream decides to visit Hob a day earlier than their agreed appointment.

He learns about modern-day Halloween traditions, and what it means to have nothing to fear.

Word Count: 4,635

Notes (more at the end):

For All Hallows Sadman 2024 hosted by @mr-sadman 🎃

Prompt: Trick or Treat

[Read on AO3]

---

Dream ducks under fake cobwebs hanging on trees and sidesteps around a candy stall as he makes his way to The New Inn. He could, of course, have just appeared on its doorstep, but he finds that he likes the walk, as it reminds him of the first time he took the path. The first time he had seen Hob again after more than a century.

The late afternoon sun casts a warm glow on the pub as Dream draws closer, and he sees a poster on its wall advertising an upcoming Halloween party tomorrow. Drinks would be at a discounted price if one were to attend in costume.

“My friend!”

Dream turns his gaze away from the poster to look at Hob, already approaching him from the other side of the open doorway.

“You're here early,” Hob smiles when he reaches him. “I'm not complaining, though.”

Dream finds that it is easy to return the smile. It always is now. With Hob.

“I simply took your advice and accepted more help with my work from Lucienne and Matthew. They all but pushed me out of my own castle when I said I wanted to visit you a day earlier than what we agreed on.”

Hob beams at him, and it makes something warm bloom in Dream’s chest. “Well, I should remember to thank them later. Wanna come inside, then?” he nods to the interior of the pub.

Dream nods, and Hob leads the way inside to their usual table, talking about how the Halloween party was a spontaneous idea that only came about less than a week ago.

Dream keeps his eyes on Hob the entire time, not wanting to miss a moment of it. His feet have memorised the way to their table, and so he is free to give his full attention to his friend.

He has grown rather fond of Hob's face this century; the way his eyes light up when telling a story, how he gestures with his hands more as his excitement grows, as if his body couldn't possibly contain all the happiness he is feeling, the way his eyebrows lift and his lips quirk up in a smile when Dream says something he finds surprising. That was what he endeavoured to see today, why he surprised Hob with his unannounced visit. Needless to say, the reality of it is even better than his expectations.

“Is Halloween also celebrated as a romantic event nowadays?” Dream asks curiously as they sit across from each other.

“What? No, why?” Hob furrows his eyebrows.

“I see the daydreams of your patrons. A handful of them are hoping to ask someone as their date to your gathering tomorrow. They have romantic intentions.”

“Oh!” Hob chuckles. “No, humans just do that. Ask someone to be their date to parties as an excuse to spend time together.”

Dream tilts his head a fraction to the side. “I am not certain I understand the need for such an excuse. Would it not be simpler to ask to spend time together regardless of gatherings?”

“Well, you know,” Hob looks down and picks up the round cardboard coaster, tapping the side idly on the table. “Sometimes it's scary to ask that, especially if you don't know what the other person likes to do. It's easier to invite them to a party, where there's already something to do.”

“Ooh Professor G! I didn’t know you’d bring a date!” a young lady wearing a witch’s cape and hat playfully says.

Hob chuckles good-naturedly. “Ah no, this is Dream. My—”

“Date. Yes. I am Hob’s date this evening.” Dream smiles at Hob.

Dream blinks himself out of Hob’s daydream. He always makes an effort to respect the privacy of his friend’s thoughts, but that particular one was so sharp and sudden that it caught him off-guard.

Curious. Hob daydreams of people mistaking him as his date. And him confirming it with a smile. That does not make sense. It would imply that Hob has romantic feelings for him. And why would he, when he has lived among humans for nearly seven centuries and experienced all their warmth and joviality?

Before this century they had only had six meetings, none of which had lasted a full day. Surely Hob would not prefer the cold aloofness of him compared to all the interesting humans within his reach in his daily life.

“Dream? Are you alright?” Hob’s eyebrows knit together in concern.

Dream focuses on his friend once more. “Yes. I was merely… pondering.”

“A penny for your thoughts, then?” Hob’s expression is open, encouraging. As he has always been after Dream told him the reason behind his absence in 1989.

Dream could ask. About Hob’s daydream. It is normal for friends to ask questions.

“I hope my sudden appearance has not intruded on any prior plans.”

Hob raises an eyebrow. “That’s what you were thinking about?”

Dream glances down. It is also normal for friends to be considerate of another’s time. And much more acceptable than inquiring upon one’s private thoughts.

“Don’t worry about that, mate, I’m always glad to see you. I have to chaperone a friend’s kids later tonight for trick-or-treat, but until then we can just be here. Unless you wanna chaperone with me.”

Dream looks at Hob again, trying to discern if he correctly interpreted the hopefulness in that last remark.

“You don’t have to, of course,” Hob says hurriedly. He clears his throat. “The kids’ parents are my colleagues, and they have to attend a seminar tonight so they asked if I could chaperone their kids since they live nearby.” He looks at his watch. “That’s in a little over two hours from now, though. We have plenty of time.”

Dream wants to point out that that is not nearly enough time. That they spend several hours together in their weekly meetings, sometimes until late into the night when Dream remembers that immortal though he is, Hob’s body still needs sleep. At which point they would continue their conversations in the Dreaming, lounging in the couches in the library or under the shades of trees in Fiddler’s Green.

Therefore, no. Two hours is not plenty of time.

“Dream? Is it really bothering you?” The concern has returned in Hob’s eyes.

“I am merely puzzled by these new human traditions. In times past, when this festival had varying names, it was often associated with bonfires and commemoration of the dead. Plastic spiders and masked children asking for sweets are all quite new to me.”

“Ah, yeah, it was a bit surreal to me at first too,” Hob reminisces. “But it’s nice to see an old solemn festival evolve into something that makes people more cheerful, you know? There’s something beautiful in seeing happiness around you.”

Dream keeps his gaze on Hob, on the curve of his lips and the crinkle in the corners of his eyes when he smiles. The same man who had sat across from him talking about chimneys and playing cards and handkerchiefs with raw wonder in his voice.

Dream returns the smile. “Indeed. Perhaps I can learn more about Halloween in this century. If your offer to chaperone with you still stands.”

“Of course,” Hob says immediately, his face brightening in a way that further convinces Dream he made the right choice by proposing to extend their meeting past two meager hours. “Oh I forgot to get us food, sorry. Give me a moment.” He turns and calls the attention of one of his staff.

“You are aware that I do not need food.”

“Yeah, but you enjoy it,” Hob winks at him before turning to the waiter. “I’d like a strawberry scone and my usual coffee, and a blueberry muffin and hot chocolate for my friend.” He turns to Dream for confirmation.

“It appears you know me well,” Dream concedes.

Hob grins at him and thanks the waiter who promptly passes their order on to the kitchen.

They talk, as they always do in their meetings. Hob listens with rapt attention while Dream tells him of his work in his realm, and Dream wonders if Hob is aware that his own stories of how his week had gone captivate Dream in much the same way.  

Dream thinks it is because he is the Prince of Stories that Hob’s tales have such an effect on him, no matter how mundane they may seem. It is not until Hob asks if he wants to have another cup of hot chocolate that Dream realises it is quite the opposite; Hob sees him beyond his function, and wishes to spend time with him simply because they are friends. It is not something that he is overly familiar with. Spending time with a friend. He has far more experience being the Lord of Dreams. Although it appears that he finds more pleasure in being a friend. With Hob.

Two hours fly by quickly—as Dream had known they would—and Hob says that he should get dressed before picking up the kids at their house.

“Is there a dress code for Halloween?” Dream furrows his eyebrows.

“Of course. Costumes.” Hob grins. “Even the chaperones get dressed up here every year. Wanna come upstairs? You can read in the living room while I change.”

They vacate their table and go upstairs to Hob’s flat as they had done many times before. The motions are so familiar that the situation almost feels domestic. And Dream wonders if Hob feels it, too.

“Right then, make yourself at home,” Hob says easily when they reach his living room.

“Do you say this to all your friends? Offer your home as theirs?” Dream trails his fingers along the books on Hob’s coffee table. The stack is higher now than when he first came here. He sits down on the couch to peruse the titles along the spines, and finds that the books are those he had expressed a preference to in their previous meetings.

Hob falters in his step and stops walking. “Oh, um, I haven’t really invited anyone else over since I moved here. I’ve got all these things from my past lying around, like that vase from the 1800s, and that music box from 1902. And other things that would be more difficult to pass off as part of an art collection. It’s just easier if I don’t need to worry about explaining them.”

Dream glances around, realising what Hob means. He has decorated his home to have pieces of the different lives he had lived, has chosen to keep things from his past that he holds close to his heart and doesn’t want to forget.

And Dream is sitting among them.

Dream should say something. Friends express appreciation to each other, he recently learned. He should tell Hob how honoured he feels to be allowed to see all this, to share the same space as Hob’s most cherished memories. Hob should know about the blooming warmth in Dream’s chest, about how perhaps this place is beginning to feel like home to him as well.

“You should get changed.”

Hob blinks. “Ah, right. Won’t be long. There’s some food in the fridge if you want any.” He disappears into his bedroom.

Dream sighs. It seems that he is far more articulate as the Prince of Stories than he is as a friend.

He picks up a book from the top of the stack—a fantasy novel he had begun to read at a previous visit—and continues to read where he had left off, idly wondering how humans learned to express themselves through words.

Several minutes pass before he hears Hob’s voice again.

“That’s everything, I think. I considered an eye patch but I don't wanna be walking around at night with just one eye, especially since I'm chaperoning.”

Dream glances up from his book and sees Hob wearing black leather boots that nearly come up to his knees, brown trousers, a loose white v-neck shirt tucked in, and a long black coat with gold accents at the collar and cuffs. Around his waist is a wide brown leather belt affixed with a scabbard and a gun holster, holding a cutlass and a pistol, respectively. Both of which are evidently made of plastic.

Preoccupied as he had been with his sentiments about Hob and his home, Dream had not stopped to wonder what Hob’s costume might be. He wears it well. His padded thighs and broad shoulders carry the clothes splendidly, and there is a glimpse of chest hair from beneath the low neckline.

“Don't laugh at me,” Hob warns playfully.

Dream blinks and lifts his gaze to his friend's eyes.

“I've got a fake sword and I'm not afraid to use it.”

“You are a pirate.” The past several minutes have not returned eloquence to Dream.

“Yep. That pirate show’s still stuck in my head.”

“That does not look like the ensemble of Edward Teach.”

“Because I'm not wearing that much leather,” Hob says pointedly. “Otherwise I'll be sweating in half an hour.”

Dream huffs out a chuckle. “Am I correct to assume that friends wear matching costumes on Halloween?”

“Sometimes, yeah. Why?”

Dream closes his eyes and conjures the image in his mind. The black leather boots, the black shirt tucked loosely in black trousers, the low neckline mostly covered by the black scarf tied neatly around his neck. The ring on his left index and little fingers, inlaid with rubies. The rapier hanging by the black belt around his hips.

He opens his eyes and stands up, neatly returning the book to the coffee table.

Hob is staring at him with his mouth open, his eyes running over every detail of Dream's clothing as if intending to imprint them in his memory.

Dream smiles in satisfaction at Hob's reaction. “I do like the Gentleman Pirate’s attire but I have a preference for black. I do not think he would mind the colour change.”

Hob blinks and meets his gaze. “You… Is that a real sword?”

Dream glances down at it and waves his hand to change it into plastic. “Not anymore.”

Hob chuckles, seeming to shake himself out of a trance. “Why a pirate, too?”

“I want everyone to know we are together.”

The smile melts off Hob’s face and he swallows, eyes flicking down to Dream’s mouth.

Hob surges forward to press their lips together, his hands cupping Dream's face—

Dream nearly gasps as he closes the walls around Hob's daydream. It is even more vivid than the last.

It is rare for him to manifest a heart in his human form. He finds no point to it, and oftentimes it simply slips his mind to form one.

Yet now it thuds inside his ribcage, every beat echoing in his ears like a measure of a song saying Yes, I want that. Now.

Dream swallows and puts his hands behind his back, gripping his wrist in order to prevent himself from grabbing at Hob and pushing him against his shelf of memorabilia, imprinting another memory into his mind and body that he shan't soon forget.

Dream looks at the door and takes a steadying breath. “Shall we go, then? I do not wish to make you late for the children.” And they will be quite late indeed if Dream were to fulfill their daydreams now.

“Oh, right, yeah. Let's go.”

The air outside is refreshing, calming Dream’s heart into a more even rhythm and clearing his mind.

They pass by other children and adults wearing costumes, some carrying plastic jack-o'-lanterns with candy inside.

Dream listens to Hob talk about more of the city's Halloween traditions, wondering why he had not noticed Hob’s feelings for him before. Why he had not noticed his own.

Hob puts a protective arm out in front of Dream when a motorcycle speeds past, as if Dream could be harmed by such things. They continue on walking, with Hob talking about the unfortunate lack of sidewalks before moving on to more positive things like the free candy tonight at The New Inn for trick-or-treaters and regular customers alike.

Dream watches the light of the setting sun reflect in Hob’s eyes, remembering the first instance of Hob protecting him, all those centuries ago. He had not seen Hob's daydreams then, but he felt them at the corner of his mind. And before he could be tempted to confirm if they wanted the same thing at that moment, he cut their meeting short. He did not wish to risk Hob’s life—immortal he may be—just for the sake of his own fleeting urges.

Now there is no risk of hurt or capture for either of them. Perhaps, instead of wondering why he did not notice such feelings after his return many months ago, it is more important to wonder what he will do next. Now that he knows.

They reach the house of Hob’s friends, and pleasantries are exchanged with introductions. The kids, Noah and Oliver, know Hob as their parents’ friend from the times that they all went to The New Inn. The boys dressed as their favourite superheroes—Batman and Superman, as Hob helpfully whispers to him—and they immediately adore the pirate costumes that Hob and Dream are wearing.

After their parents remind them to get along with other kids and listen to their chaperones, the boys excitedly run ahead to wait for them on the street, bouncing on their heels as they wait for the grown-ups to finish their conversations.

Hob's friends mention an upcoming holiday trip, and Dream is struck by the realisation that the spouses look at each other in much the same way that Hob looks at him.

He tenses and waits for fear to set in. He has had lovers in the past, and their relationships ended in ruin. He will not—must not—allow the same thing to happen between him and Hob.

Dream is so lost in his thoughts that he barely registers when the farewells happen and they join the kids.

They walk down the streets and Noah teases his younger brother about being scared of the older kids’ costumes of ghosts and ghouls.

“I'm not scared!” Oliver says indignantly in his high voice.

Dream feels a small hand grasp his. He looks down and sees the boy’s green eyes looking at him in concern.

“You're quiet, Mister Dream. Are you scared?” Oliver is still holding his hand reassuringly.

Dream glances at Hob and sees that his friend is smiling fondly at him. Those warm brown eyes that welcomed him without question even after he had stormed out of their meeting and was absent in the next. The gaze that belongs to the man who never doubted that he would return and built a new place for him to return to.

“No,” Dream answers Oliver without looking away from Hob. “I am not scared.”

“Hurry, Oli!” Noah calls out from a few paces ahead. “Mum says we're not allowed to separate!”

Oliver lets go of Dream’s hand and runs to his brother.

“Oi!” Hob calls after him. “Your mum also said not to separate from us!”

The boys give no indication that they heard Hob, and instead approach the nearest house to ring the doorbell.

Hob chuckles and shakes his head as he turns to Dream. “You're really okay with doing this?”

“I am. These children tonight have loud daydreams of their favourite sweets and eating them while in their costumes. It is good to see them fulfill that happiness. I had… forgotten. How much every little daydream matters.” Dream looks around at the little superheroes and princesses and fairies walking around the street, and he feels himself smile.

When he turns back to his friend, Hob is watching him with a smile of his own.

“It's good to see you happy,” Hob says with such sincere softness that makes something like yearning twinge in Dream’s chest.

“Mister Hob! Mister Dream! Let's go!” Oliver is holding his brother's hand and is excitedly waving for them to continue walking.

They meet some of Hob's neighbours along the way and get compliments on their costumes, and Hob invites them to tomorrow’s Halloween party at The New Inn.

Plastic pumpkin baskets get filled, and eventually Noah and Oliver grow tired of walking and sit on a bench to peruse their hoard.

Hob goes to buy refreshments at a food stall nearby while Dream stays to guard the kids, standing a few steps away from the bench and looking around with interest at the jack-o'-lanterns that have now been lit all over the park.

“That's a lot of candy you got.” An unfamiliar kid’s voice catches Dream’s attention.

He turns to see that three teenage boys have approached Noah and Oliver, wearing shiny robot costumes that look particularly expensive.

“Yeah…” Oliver says timidly and protectively hugs his pumpkin basket close to his chest.

“Now, that's not nice,” says the tallest kid. “Didn't your mum teach you to share?” He reaches for Oliver's basket—

Noah stands up and squares his shoulders, looking up at the older kids. “Didn't your mums teach you not to steal?”

The tall kid sneers and steps forward, and in that moment Dream bends the shadows and appears directly behind the bench, facing them.

“The night is still young, children. And reward is only sweet when it is earned,” Dream says evenly, his eyes black pools with bright stars in the center.

The older kids stare at him in horror and stumble all over themselves in their haste to run away.

“They left,” Oliver says in awe, watching the kids turn and disappear around a corner.

“It must have been your brother's bravery that daunted them.” Dream blinks and his eyes are once more blue.

“Daunted…” Noah furrows his eyebrows in thought and turns to Dream. “That means scared, right?”

“Indeed,” Dream smiles. “It appears you are smart as well. You make for an excellent Batman.”

Noah beams. Then he gets a chocolate bar from the depths of his basket. “For you, Mister Dream!”

Dream looks down in surprise at the offering in the child’s open palm. “But you worked for it. It is yours.”

“Our mum did teach us how to share,” Noah grins. “With friends.” He holds his palm higher.

Dream is rendered speechless. He does not need air but for a few moments he feels short of breath. Then he smiles and takes the chocolate bar. “Thank you, Noah.”

Hob arrives carrying big cups of fruit shakes in a paper bag. “Everyone alright?” He begins to distribute the cups.

“Yes!” Oliver exclaims, showing his full basket. “Let’s get back home and share these with mum and dad!”

The fruit drinks seem to have replenished the children's energy, and they jog and bounce along the sidewalk on the way back to their house.

Their parents have returned and have already prepared dinner for them. Oliver regales them with the tale of how his brother defended them from bullies, and as a reward they are allowed to have some of their candy before dinner.

Farewells are exchanged, and Hob and Dream make their way back to The New Inn.

“I saw what you did, you know,” Hob says as they leisurely walk under the light of streetlamps. “I can't believe you scared those kids like that,” he chuckles.

“Hm?” Dream hums with feigned innocence. “Noah did not want to give them treats. So I gave them a trick instead. Is that not how this holiday works?”

Hob laughs, a bright sound that makes Dream continually grateful for this night. “Not exactly, no.”

“Then I suppose I should stay longer so that I might learn more.”

“Well, you know I'll never complain about that. We can stay at the pub or in my flat, wherever you like. Could make us some dinner too, if you want.”

“I was thinking about a longer duration than that.”

“We’ll go to the Dreaming afterwards? Yeah, of course.”

Dream stops walking and Hob follows suit, looking at him questioningly.

“Hob Gadling. Will you do me the honour of being my date to The New Inn’s Halloween party?”

Hob’s lips part and a tinge of scarlet colours his cheeks.

Dream smiles. “You arranged for the party to happen tomorrow, on the day you were expecting me to visit. Am I wrong to assume you wanted me there?”

“No,” Hob says quickly. “I did want you there. I do. It's just… Date? How'd you mean…?”

“I mean,” Dream takes a step forward, making the blush on Hob's face even more prominent. “That I have romantic intentions and wish to be the priority of your attentions tomorrow. If you would be amenable.”

“What— Yes!” Hob laughs again, relief and delight evident in his voice. “How… How long have you… felt that way?” His gaze is vulnerable, hopeful.

“I confess I do not know,” Dream glances down for a moment. “But I know how I feel now. And if you feel the same…” He takes another step forward and transports them both back to Hob’s flat. “I have some plans in mind.”

Hob gasps in surprise at the sudden teleportation and stumbles backwards into his shelf of memorabilia, rattling some of the objects.

A smile curves Dream's lips, a coil of hunger beginning to awaken within him.

“What… Plans?” Hob blinks, pupils dilating at what he saw in Dream's expression.

Dream reaches up and slowly undoes his scarf. Hob’s gaze drops to his neck and follows every movement of his fingers.

Dream tosses the scarf to the floor, revealing the low neckline of his shirt showing much of his pale chest and collarbones.

“God almighty,” Hob breathes, and his tongue runs across his bottom lip.

Hob's daydreams wash over Dream, loud and colourful and vivid that Dream feels nearly intoxicated with them.

Dream takes a breath and steps forward, placing one hand on the shelf beside Hob’s head to steady himself. His friend's eyes widen as Dream leans in close enough that their noses are almost touching.

“I can taste your daydreams, Hob,” Dream's voice almost wavers, his restraint hanging by the barest threads of his willpower. “I should like to taste the reality of them.”

Hob swallows, and a trembling exhale escapes him. He opens his mouth as if to say something, then thinks better of it and simply cups Dream's face in his hands and presses their lips together.

Hob's lips are impossibly soft, and his calloused hands a comforting warmth around Dream as one slides down the back of his neck to pull him closer.

Dream places his hands on Hob’s waist and licks at the seam of his mouth, eliciting a moan as Hob's tongue eagerly meets his. He deftly unbuckles Hob’s belt, dropping it to the ground along with the plastic weapons in its holsters.

Hob fumbles around Dream’s belt with trembling fingers, tossing it to the ground as well and kicking it out of the way as they stumble across the corridor to his bedroom, Hob’s coat falling off his shoulders in their journey.

“Please tell me this isn't a trick,” Hob pants against his lips as he opens the bedroom door and they pour through the doorway.

“Not at all,” Dream feels himself to be equally breathless and a fond playful smile curves his lips. “I should like to have you as a treat. If you will have me.”

Hob captures Dream's mouth again in response, dragging him over to the bed as he blindly pushes the door close.

Down at the busy pub, customers enjoy the free candy and new Halloween decorations, as well as the songs playing from the jukebox that drown out any sound that might be coming from the owner’s flat above.

---

Notes:

The whole idea of Dream thinking about his feelings for Hob while they're walking around outside is inspired by this fic written by @beatnikfreakiswriting <3 I had read it shortly before starting to write this fic. It's a lovely and adorable read!

----

(All Hallows Sadman 2024 Masterpost)

(Masterlist)

[yanderecrazysie]

Asmodeus NSFW Yandere Alphabet

I’m in a NSFW mood today, sorry minors.

WARNINGS: yandere themes, very NSFW, mentions of non-con

A: Aftercare (What they’re like after sex)

He likes to cuddle after sex sometimes. He is always the big spoon and loves to hump your butt a little to make himself hard again for round two. He’ll also run a bath for you to clean up when you’re both done.

B: Body Part (Their favorite body part of theirs and also their partner’s)

For you, he thinks you have a cute butt. He loves the way it jiggles when you walk and loves to run his palm over the curve of your ass cheeks. He wouldn’t say no to big boobs either. For himself, he likes everything about himself, but especially his dick. It’s the part that gets the most pleasure and he likes how it looks. The avatar of lust has the perfect cock, after all.

C: Cum (Anything to do with cum)

Asmodeus’s cum tastes delicious- like, way better than it ever should. That’s a perk of being the avatar of lust. He cums a medium amount, just enough to fill you up, but not enough to overflow. His cum is also not too thick but not too watery. Basically, he’s literally perfect.

D: Dirty Secret

Asmodeus is super sensitive on his back. He loses control over himself if you touch his back and might do something he regrets later. It’s just something about the way your soft hands touch his spine that instantly gets him hard as a rock.

E: Experience (How experienced are they? Do they know what they’re doing?)

Asmodeus is very experienced. As the avatar of lust, he’s put many women, and even some men, under his spell. Witches are his favorite, but humans are just as fun to play around with, and he’s fucked plenty of both. He hasn’t gone for any angels though, and very few demons.

F: Favorite Position

Asmodeus prefers missionary because he can look down at you while still taking all of the control. He loves seeing his reflection in your wide eyes and loves snapping his hips into yours to see your mouth open in long drawn-out moans. He doesn’t mind cowgirl either, as long as you let him take control.

G: Goofy (Are they more serious in the moment, or are they humorous, etc.)  

Asmodeus isn’t exactly joking as much as he is teasing. You love me so much, don’t you? You’re moaning just for me, you cute little thing. You’re in the splash zone, cutie pie. He plays around with you just like a demon does with their prey. He’ll purr these things into your ear as he plays with your pretty pussy.

H: Hair (How well-groomed are they, does the carpet match the drapes, etc.)

Asmodeus keeps himself well groomed, as he thinks it’s important to take care of. He doesn’t shave it all the way, just long enough to be noticeable but not a turn off. It’s the same color as his hair and doesn’t travel up to his belly button like it does for a lot of people (in fact, he barely has body hair).

I: Intimacy (How are they during the moment, romantic aspect)

Asmodeus may tease you, but he’s actually very loving and caring. He makes sure you’re soaking the sheets before he even attempts to enter you and his goal is to make you orgasm as much as possible. He’s also very romantic, sprinkling rose petals around the room and running you a hot bubble bath for when you both are done having your fun.

J: Jack Off (Masturbation headcanon)

Asmodeus doesn’t masturbate. If he feels in the mood, which is often, he goes and finds someone to fuck. Of course, when he falls in love with you, you’re the only one he seeks out to satisfy his urges. If he can’t have you, he’ll just stay pent up until he can.

K: Kink (one or more of their kinks)

Asmodeus likes dressing up like a girl sometimes- having sex in a dress or wearing pink panties before you start your fun. He also likes stealing your own panties so he can sniff them later. Just to remember you by, of course.

L: Location (Favorite places to do the do)

Asmodeus is adventurous. While he likes doing the deed at home (because he can set it up and make it romantic), he’s not afraid to fuck in public. He especially likes the park and movie theater. It gives him a rush like nothing else.

M: Motivation (What turns them on, gets them going)

It doesn’t take much to turn Asmodeus on. If you touch his back, the effect is instant, but if you don’t, all he needs is you both alone in a room together before he’s whining for you to agree to having sex with him. He’s a needy man and the avatar of lust, so just about everything turns him on. Even nothing at all.

N: No (Something they wouldn’t do, turn offs)

Asmodeus isn’t a sadist- he would never hurt you on purpose. He might have a tiny bit of masochism in him, but he has not an ounce of sadism. He could never whip you or degrade you or anything like that.

O: Oral (Preference in giving or receiving, skill, etc.)

Asmodeus loves both giving and receiving, but he likes giving just a little more. He’s very experienced with eating girls out, so you’ll quickly find that he hits all the right spots with ease. For receiving, he doesn’t mind if you’re inexperienced, he’s happy to guide you into giving him a good experience.

P: Pace (Are they fast and rough? Slow and sensual?)  

Asmodeus is slow and sensual, holding you close as he rolls his hips, grinding deep inside of you. He thrusts lightly, not aiming for your cervix but for your g-spot. He doesn’t go hard when he finds it, just keeps a gentle rhythm. Sometimes he rubs at your clit during sex.

Q: Quickie (Their opinions on quickies rather than proper sex, how often, etc.)  

Asmodeus doesn’t do fast. He loves to draw it out, take as much time as he needs. A quickie is almost an insult to him. It feels like a quickie means throwing away all the hard work for just a lousy bit of sex. He doesn’t really mind when others do it, but it’s not for him.

R: Risk (Are they game to experiment, do they take risks, etc.) 

Asmodeus is willing to try almost anything, but he’s pretty consistent when it comes to sex. He knows what works for him and what doesn’t. If you want to try something new, then great! He’ll do it as long as it doesn’t hurt you.

S: Stamina (How many rounds can they go for, how long do they last…)

Asmodeus has basically unlimited stamina. Like an incubus, he grows stronger from sex. He likes to cum at the same time you do, but if he chose not to, he could go as long as he felt like. He loves to do multiple rounds to send you into overstimulation, but he’ll go easy on you if you ask him to.

T: Toys (Do they own toys? Do they use them? On a partner or themselves?)

Asmodeus doesn’t have any toys for himself, since he doesn’t masturbate, but he does have a vibrator he uses on you sometimes and a feather he likes to tickle your skin with. Other than that, his toy drawer is empty.

U: Unfair (How much they like to tease)

Asmodeus likes to tease quite a bit. He’ll get you to the brink of orgasm, then stop. He wants you to beg for him to make you cum and he’s good at what he does. Don’t worry though, when you give in, he’ll give you the best orgasms of your life.

V: Volume (How loud they are, what sounds they make)

Asmodeus is loud. He moans like a pornstar and sometimes lets out a giggle when he sees your eyes roll back in your head. He doesn’t grunt or groan, it’s definitely moaning. He just likes to show you how he feels!

W: With or without consent (Non-con or consensual?)

Asmodues prefers consent so, so much. He wants you looking into his eyes as he fucks you, not crying or looking away. However, if you reject him, and he knows you’re off limits, he may just kidnap you because he desperately needs relief and he can’t turn to masturbation or other girls.

X: X-Ray (Let’s see what’s going on in those pants)

Asmodeus is just an inch bigger than average and his girth is the same story. But his cock is so pretty and has no visible veins running down the side. It’s a pretty shade of pink and is without any blemishes. It curves a little upwards, which helps him hit your g-spot.

Y: Yearning (How high is their sex drive?)

Asmodeus could have sex with you multiple times every day if he wanted, but he knows you might not be up for that. Since he doesn’t masturbate, it builds up over time until he has to get some release. Then, he’ll fuck you until you’re too tired to move.

Z: ZZZ (… how quickly they fall asleep afterwards)

Asmodeus sometimes runs a bath for the both of you, but right afterwards, it’s cuddling and sleeping on his bed. He gets a little smile on his face in his sleep and it’s actually really cute. He falls asleep either at about the same time as you or slightly after.

[starry-night-rose]

“Come on! Let’s go fly a kite and send it soaring!”

Ellis has just landed in Altus for the Airborne Afternoon (Fan Event by @the-trinket-witch )

Voice Lines and Full Body are under the cut!

Summon: “There’s a mist coming in, perhaps something is brewing and bound to begin!”

Groovy: “As they say, Anything can happen, it’s a marvel!”

Set Home: “When dancing, it’s important to step in time with the music! Like so!”

Home Idle 1: “There’s a saying here that ‘a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down.’ I wonder what it means.”

Home Idle 2: “I used to fly kites all the time with my dad! This is really bringing back memories!”

Home Idle 3: “Shaking hands with a chimney sweep is meant to bring luck, let’s say we go test it!”

Home Login: “Care to feed the birds with me?”

Home Idle Groovy: “I just learned the most interesting word! It was spelled S-u-p-e-r-c-a-l-i-f-r-a-g-i-l....It seems I forgot the rest...”

Home Tap 1: “Ms. Parapluie seems to be an expert at just about everything! Especially kite flying”

Home Tap 2: “I should pick out some souvenirs for Yuuta and Juvia! Maybe a bag of gingerbread stars? Or maybe a nice umbrella?”

Home Tap 3: “I nearly lost my parasol if it weren’t for Emil rushing over and grabbing it for me! It was so sweet of him!”

Home Tap 4: “Yves and I had some fairy floss and it was just amazing! You should have some too!”

Home Tap 5: “Oh it’s a Jolly Holiday with Albert, No wonder that it’s Albert that we love! Sorry! The verse refers to someone named Mary but I think Albert fits as well!”

Home Tap Groovy: “Today has just been practically perfect in every way!”

Ocs mentioned - Albert belongs to @the-trinket-witch , Emil belongs to @tixdixl , Yves belongs to @valse-a-mille-temps , Yuuta belongs to @rosietrace , Juvia belongs to @jasdiary , and Ms. Margaret Parapluie belongs to me!

Full Body!

[stayevildarling]

I’ve been in a Mina & Delia mood as of late. I found a bunch of prompts that reminded me of them! Could you maybe write a short story or fic or something with Mina, Delia and reader with some of the prompts? It’s okay if ya can’t. Thanks! “Something is clearly wrong” - “I’m fine” - “No, just a bad liar”

“You’re so moody” “And you are so whiney”

“Hey! I’m not a baby” “Oh I beg to differ, darling.” “But that’s alright, you’re our baby”

“Do you still love me?” “If you ask me that again, I’m going to start saying no.”

“Oh please don’t cry, honey. I didn’t mean it, I was just kidding.”

Cordelia Goode x Wilhemina Venable x Reader- Between Spells and Cramps

A/N: thank you so much for this request! I‘m sorry for how long this took🤍

tags/tw: female reader, established poly relationship, mention of period, mention of painkillers, mention of blood, reader being a hormonal and whiney baby, hurt/comfort

word count: 2k

taglist:

@lunaticwhittaker , @billiebeanhoward , @lanawinters-ily , @kenzbro , @minaslittleone , @httpfiftyshadesofgay @whitelotus00 , @ninaahelvar , @paulsonsratched , @vintagepaulson , @isle-of-earle , @grilledcheeseandguavajelly , @lucyintheskywithxanax , @fanfics4world , @mymiraclewitch , @hazard-to-myself , @awritersometimes , @wastdstime , @p1pecleanerwitheyes , @queen2234 , @ihartnat , @lifebyinez , @ahsatanizgay , @blu3dimples , @stepintomyworld

The day had been long, starting unpleasantly as you woke up, already able to feel that you started your period and upon checking seeing the red confirmation on the sheets. You sighed, forcing yourself out of bed and heading for a shower, hoping the warm water would soothe your crampy muscles and help with the nausea that started settling in. Afterwards you quickly changed the sheets, heading for the washing machine as the thought still embarrassed you, despite having been with your girlfriends for years and them never judging you for those things ever.

After, you began your usual tasks, starting in the greenhouse where you prepared everything for Cordelia‘s potion class in the afternoon, sorting out the witches lunch before doing some cleaning around the academy. You didn‘t have any classes of your own to teach today but you still wanted to make yourself useful, despite feeling horrendous. But you wanted to give something back to your busy girlfriends, both already at work and moving mountains while you didn‘t want to waste away in bed. By now you would have already had your usual lunchtime call with Wilhemina, afterwards bringing the supreme some coffee and snuggling on her lap for a while, while she worked but you didn‘t feel like interactions today, your mood particularly low.

You decided on a short break, settling in the comfort of the library that no one really used aside from you and your redhead girlfriend, you snuggled into the sofa in the corner of the room, blanket around your lap and hot water bottle pressed against your sore stomach before trying to read a book. However, the pages and words blur into one and before you know it, you fall asleep, the world and pain subsiding for a while. By the time Cordelia finishes her potion class, seeing the academy neat and clean, the bedsheets changed and noticing the girls had their lunch as well as dinner already being prepared, she begins worrying a little, not having you seen you yet today other than in bed early this morning when she left.

Yet the lingering reminders of your kindness are spread across the academy and when she hears from Wilhemina about not hearing from you yet either, she begins wandering the academy halls. Eventually, she finds you in the library, asleep with a book on your lap and she can‘t help but smile fondly at the sight, seeing you so comfortable, unaware what was hidden underneath the blanket and how much you had been in pain since waking up. Your periods had often brought you down, both mentally and physically but you never really spoke about it with them, knowing with how much the supreme goes through on a daily and how much Wilhemina struggles with her pain it didn‘t feel fair. Cordelia remains by the door for a moment, not wanting to wake you up, but the concern lingering in her eyes. Still, she lets you rest knowing how much you had done today already.

By the time you wake up, your breathing hitches as you realize it was already beginning to get dark outside, quickly scrambling to your feet before making it downstairs. You find Cordelia in the kitchen, finishing the dinner preparations that you had made, Wilhemina beside her as she must have returned moments ago. „Hi sweetie“ Cordelia greets you, walking up to you as she places a soft kiss on your forehead. „Are you okay? I haven‘t seen you all day?“ she frowns and you nod quickly before shooting her a smile. She returns to the cooking before Wilhemina pats her lap, offering you to sit but you opt to sit beside her, snuggling into her chest, worried about leaking again.

They notice your silence during dinner and Cordelia tilts her head to the side as her eyes find yours „Whats wrong darling?“ she frowns, seeing you mostly pushing your food from one side of your plate to the other. „I‘m fine“ you mumble again, your feelings all over the place as your hormones begin ruining your mood, the day already having started off terribly so far. They exchange silent glances as Wilhemina takes a good look at you, seeing the way you are clearly in pain, the woman knowing all about that and how to hide just that. „Something is clearly wrong“ the redhead counters, causing you to sigh in response. „I‘m fine“ you try again, your leg bouncing up and down as you refrain yourself from snapping. „No, just a bad liar“ Wilhemina mumbles, causing you to look at her with an expression that neither of them could read exactly.

The three of you sit in silence before Cordelia breaks it, seeing you forcing your eyes closed due to the pain. „Alright enough, what‘s wrong?“ she demands, her features and tone leaving no room for arguments as you look down. „I‘m just on my period“ you whisper, barely audible but loud enough for the both to hear. And right there they notice that you never really told them about when you are, how you always seem to take care of them whenever they are in pain, running Mina a bath or fixing up some healing potions when Cordelia was feeling under the weather. They both frown, wishing you would have said something sooner.

The silence after your confession feels heavy, the concern evident on their fearures. Wilhemina narrows her eyes slightly before studying you closely. „Why didn‘t you tell us earlier?“ she asks, her tone soft but firm. You shrug, avoiding their gazes „I didn‘t want to bother you, you both deal with enough as it is. I‘m fine“. Cordelia sighs at your words, still patient „Sweetheart you‘re allowed to lean on us too, that‘s what we are here for“ she tries gently. Wilhemina crosses her arms, her sharp gaze cutting right through you. „You‘re always running around taking care of everyone else. When are you going to let someone take care of you?“.

Your lip quivers slightly at her words, the words cutting you deep considering Mina equally struggled so badly at the beginning of this relationship and how gently you and Cordelia coaxed her away from that. Your frustration spills over, stomach hurting badly as you sigh „Well maybe I don‘t want to deal with being fussed over right now. God! you‘re so moody, Mina“. Wilhemina raises an eyebrow, a smirk tugging at the corner of her lips, clearly enjoying seeing you like this for the first time ever. „And you are so whiney, darling“. Her answer pulls a slight laugh out of you, the tension cracking just slightly. Cordelia shakes her head with a soft chuckle, stepping behind you and wrapping her arms around you. „Alright you two, let‘s focus on the fact that you‘re clearly in pain“. Wilhemina‘s smirk softens into something warmer as she reaches for your hand. „Cordelia is right, go lay down and let us take care of the dishes“ she opts.

„But“ you try to protest but they aren‘t having it. „No buts darling“ Cordelia iterrupts, giving you a pointed look. „You have done more than enough for today, go rest, that‘s an order“ she speaks and you sigh exaggerated before mumbling „Yes Ms Supreme“ which causes her to chuckle lowly. Wilhemina chuckles as she guides you to the living room and to the sofa „And for the record darling“ Mina murmurs as you settle in „I only get moody when you‘re not taking care of yourself“. You nod, understandingly before meeting her eyes, suddenly feeling vulnerable „Mina?“ you ask before she turns around, about to join the supreme. „Yes little one?“ she asks and your puppy eyes meet her before you ask „Do you still me?“ you ask which causes her to frown. „Of course I do little one“ she speaks softly, pressing a kiss to your temple before leaving you to rest for a moment.

You find the remote, surfing to some channels before finding one of your favorite shows and getting comfortable on the large sofa. By the time your girlfriends return, you find them with a little tray, some tea, water, painkillers and your favorite snacks as Cordelia sets it down by the table in front of you. „Thank you“ you frown, feeling bad for your earlier outburst as Wilhemina passes you another hot water bottle and you hold it against your back, the cramps currently settling there. The supreme sits beside you as Wihemina opts for her armchair, it being better for her posture.

„What you watching sweetheart?“ the supreme asks as she puts you in her lap, letting you snuggle closer to her. „She‘s watching that medium show again, bet you she has a huge crush on that one“ Wilhemina teases causing Cordelia to chuckle as the redhead smirks, seeing you side eye her and barely able to resist your own smirking. „Is that so?“ the supreme teases, seeing your mood lighten up by Mina‘s humour. There is silence for a little while as you snuggle up in Cordelia‘s lap, the blonde looking at you like you are her absolute everything, which you are. She hovers her hands above your back and stomach, slowly easing the cramps which causes you to sigh in relief, finally not feeling in pain anymore. „Delia?“ you whisper, loud enough for her to hear but not the redhead. „I‘m sorry about earlier“ you apologize, guilt settling on your features as she simply smiles at you. „It‘s not a big deal darling“ she assures, booping your nose before you glance at her with puppy eyes. „Do you still love me?“ you ask which causes her to frown before kissing you. „Yes darling, always“ she assures, honesty reflection in her brown eyes.

The three of you stay in the living room for a while before heading upstairs, beginning your usual evening routine as you settle into bed. Wilhemina offered to do your hair, which you ended up agreeing to, the guilt still heavy as you feel terrible for how you had snapped at them, specifically her. „Mina I‘m sorry“ you apologize again „I shouldn‘t have snapped at you like that“ you glance at her as she combs through your hair gently. „Little one, I snap all the time at everyone“ causing you to chuckle as that was undeniably the truth. „All done“ she smiles before you glance at her „Are you sure you still love me? you ask, both hormonal and vulnerable. „If you ask me that again, I‘m going to start saying no“ she smiles as she turns around to get ready for bed herself. She misses the way you missed her smile, suddenly tears flowing down your cheeks, your period defintely messing with you today.

She doesn‘t notice at first but when the first sobs breaks through the room, their head immediately snaps towards you as her features tense. „Oh please don‘t cry honey, I didn‘t mean it, I was just kidding“ she says, quickly making her way over. The two of them settle beside you as you snuggle up on Mina‘s chest, the woman holding you close as Delia holds you closer too. „Someone‘s being a very hormonal baby today“ Cordelia chuckles as she glances at you and you pout. „Hey I‘m not a baby“ you pout in fake annoyance which causes the supreme to giggle. „Oh I beg to differ darling“ the supreme teases which causes Wilhemina to join in „But that‘s alright because you are our baby“.

And undeniably you are their baby, despite your usual strength, despite usually being so strong and composed. They would make sure to treat you just the way you treated them whenever they are feeling down. Both of them held you through the night, smiling at you by the time you finally fall asleep and settle, the supreme glad she managed to soothe the aches a little. And Wilhemina content that she finally managed to get you to allow them to look after you, her baby, always.

[cmanse]

M Y N E W A E G O N C H A R A C T E R A I B O T S (a n d o t h e r s h o t d)

Here are my 10 new house of the dragon character ai bots. Today I put 6 new bots on Aegon II Targaryen. I am really happy to have had so many requests on him, I love him too much he is just too interesting and cute 🤭. I put back the bot 'he need comfort after getting burned | req' which was banned for some reason. but unfortunately the old one is lost forever…

Anyways, the most important thing is that a new version has been put back and that I also added bots on this fandom about Jacaerys, Jaehaerys I, Aemond, Daemon and Rhaenyra as well as a bot on the targtower siblings. I hope you will like them. do not hesitate to order some from me, I take all types of requests

For the request and my character ia masterlist -> CHARACTER IA BOTS (1)

doctor and his intern | hospital au | req (doctor!aegon targaryen x intern!user) — following the death of his nephew jaehaerys from a heart attack aegon becomes a doctor at the hospital of the seven in kingslanding. but aegon remains aegon and he does not seem to be able to resist the charm of his intern, user [mxw]

his little niece | young aegon (young!aegon targaryen x child or pre-teen!niece) — aegon never learned to be gentle or comfort anyone since no one ever did it for him in his fourteen years of existence, but when his little niece, user, comes crying into his arms, he is gentle. [mxw]

blended family | modern au | req (divorced!aegon targaryen x new girlfriend!user) — after a brutal divorce from his ex-wife and becoming a single father, aegon starts a new life with his new girlfriend, user. [mxw]

his delicious wife | vampire au | req (vampire!aegon targaryen x wife!user) — in addition to riding dragons, targaryens are creatures that feed of blood. when prince aegon is forced to marry user, he never expected to become so obsessed with tasting his delicious bride's veins. [mxw]

running away to essos with his niece | req (uncle!aegon targaryen x rhaenyra daughter niece!user) — when his father king viserys dies and his mother and grandfather try to force him to usurp his step-sister's throne, aegon flees to essos. but he comes across his niece, rhaenyra's only daughter, user, and takes her with him without really thinking and now she's starting to ask questions about the origin of this journey. [mxw]

he needs comfort after getting burned | req (burned!aegon targaryen x brother!user) — overwhelmed by the shame of his military failure and his burns, aegon needs comfort and his brother user comes to give it to him. [mxm]

his little sister is a witch? | req (older brother!jacaerys velaryon x lucerys twin witch!user) — jacaerys discovers that his sweet and pretty little sister is a witch. [mxw]

wake up in the modern world (jacaerys velaryon x modern!user) — jacaerys was drowning at the battle of the gullet, but when he wakes up, he finds himself not in heaven with his little brother and his fathers but in a strange room with user, an unknown woman. warning: spoiler. [mxw]

he didn’t think you would be like saerea (father!jaehaerys i targaryen x daughter!user) — never would jaehaerys have thought that user, his beloved daughter would be caught up in her sister saerea targaryen's scandal. [mxw] [platonic]

learn high valyrian with him (aemond targaryen x sister!user) — at the request of their father king viserys, aemond helps his little sister user learn high valyrian. [mxw]

aegon, aemond, daeron and helaena group chat (modern!aegon targaryen x modern!aemond targaryen x modern!daeron targaryen x modern!helaena targaryen x targaryen modern!user) — the group chat of user and her/his/them siblings. [mxmxmxwxn]

their witch | req (king consort!daemon targaryen x queen!rhaenyra targaryen x daemon witch mistress!user) — when daemon returns from harrenhal to dragonstone he takes the young witch user as his mistress with him and slowly makes rhaenyra fall in love with her. one night after insomnia problems, she catches them talking alone and instead of jealousy she feels something new for user. [mxwxw]

★

Omg guys, 1000 followers on character ai? Over 1.1m chat?! I love you thank you so much!! I'm also working on the second masterlist. All these bots will be available on this one!

mxw] = man x woman | [mxn] = man x non-binary/man/woman (you can choose your gender) | [wxw] = woman x woman | [wxw] = woman x woman | [mxwxw] = men x woman x woman ……………………………..……………………………..…………………….

• masterlist — my character ai elizabethmanse • bots of 31 jan 2025

[dramioneasks]

Christmas Fics (2024) (Part 11):

A Christmas Wish by cleotheo - T, one-shot - After a terrible year, Hermione Granger pushes herself to join in with the Christmas festivities in the village where she lives. What she doesn't expect is for the evening to be so enjoyable, or for the changes it will bring to her life. Fun, festive Dramione one-shot.

In Silent Obsession by forawhile - E, one-shot - Hermione discovered two things in her first week of Auror training following the war: 1. She was woefully attracted to Draco Malfoy. 2. He wanted nothing to do with her and told her never to speak to him. Five years later, and Hermione Granger took two things very seriously as she navigated her promising Auror career: 1. She remained woefully, painfully, irrevocably attracted to Draco Malfoy.2. She would not break the vow of silence between them. A smutty Dramione one-shot, with mild Christmas themes - MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Partners in Time by charingfae - M, one-shot - After a temporary memory curse hits Hermione and Draco in the field, they no longer remember each other. Their friends keep insisting they hate each other. But Hermione's certain they're dead wrong. — “It’s just…you’ve never been able to handle yourselves around each other.” Hermione shares another quick look with Draco. His lips curve up slightly, just at one corner, and she can’t resist a tiny smile back. She knew there was a reason for the butterflies in her stomach. “I can’t say I’m surprised,” Draco mutters. “I mean, look at you.” His eyes trail up her figure slowly, heat turning her body to smoulders. Theo breaks out into a hacking cough, a throaty laugh that turns into a wheeze. “What—Merlin—no, that’s—” 

Witches and Christmas Don't Mix by Cuntryhouse - T, one-shot - Guardian Angels falling in love for 4 centuries. Oh, and guiding people to find love in the process.

Christmas: Start of Healing by LunaAmethyst203 - M, one-shot - The second wizarding war ended just over 7 months ago. Draco Malfoy was to be released from Azkaban a week before Christmas. Instead, the prison aurors choose to delay his release as revenge. Sending him off with curses of revenge and hatred but a certain magical bond pulls Hermione Granger to an injured Draco Malfoy. She takes care of him on the eve of Christmas as he takes the first step of his new life while finally having the space and ability to grieve a loved one lost during the final battle of the second wizarding war

Have Yourself a Felix Little Christmas by AdrienLennox - M, WIP - Facing the wrath of his enraged father, Draco scrambles to repair his broken betrothal with the haughty Astoria Greengrass by any means necessary. Add in an excessively Felix Felicis and Draco finds himself finding love in the most unexpected place.

Christmas Lights by rizzlewrites - G, one-shot - Since taking over the Manor, this was the first year he had to worry about the care and feeding of someone else in the house besides himself. Domestic life with Hermione Granger was a learning curve.

All Too Well by PinkChaos - T, one-shot - “It’s official. We have finally converted you!” Harry suddenly exclaimed mid-conversation with Hermione. “Red is a good color on you!” There was a very prim snort, and then a drawling voice Hermione would recognize anywhere spoke right behind her. “I was feeling festive. It is the holiday season, after all.” “No,” Harry shook his head, his grin widening, “that is very specifically Gryffindor red.” And he was right, Hermione realized as she looked over her shoulder and then up to find Draco Malfoy towering over her. The tailored suit, in a light grey today that matched his eyes, and long, black cashmere coat were typical for him, but the anomaly was the scarlet scarf wrapped perfectly around his neck. However, the color choice wasn’t even what Hermione found most odd, but that it looked exactly like her favorite scarf. Her favorite scarf that she had lost about a year ago.

You by quiven - G, one-shot - A Christmas one-shot involving one Christmas tree, two baubles, a slip of a parchment: and two merging wishes.

'tis the damn season by palomab1anca - M, WIP - Hermione finds herself in a spot of trouble when a lie turns into showing up at Christmas with Draco Malfoy at her side. What should have been a simple ruse turns complicated when a snowstorm forces bickering coworkers together.

A Professors Carol by thatbiatchsince2022 - not rated, WIP - On the last day of the Christmas term a student of Hermione comes up and asks if she knows a certain ice blonde. With that, we find out what happened between them the year prior 

[heart-0f-silk]

Captain Killian “Hook” Jones x F!Reader

[Season 3]

Warnings: Fluff, Smut, Semi-Public sex, p in v, creampie, caught?

You and Hook have never truly been alone. There was always someone, whether is was Emma, Henry, or the Charmings. Most of the time you guys even saw each other was when something bad happened and now you were on some crazy fairytale mission.

Now here you are, on ANOTHER mission. You and Hook were tasked to go the library and see if you two could meet up with Belle and search around for some information on Zelena.

The silence as we walk is uncomfortable. I decide to finally try and make some small talk. “So, uhm, Killian is your real name..correct?”

“Yes love. That it is, why do you ask?” He looks at me.

“Well I was wondering, I’ve never really heard anyone use it before..any particular reason why?”

“Well it’s probably because of my reputation, that and I tell most that they may as well call me Hook.”

“Oh..not as exciting as I thought..”

“What? Did you think I’d have some dark backstory besides the fact I loss my hand?” He gives me a smirk.

“No…well maybe. You are a pirate.” I kinda laugh, but it was just nervous laughter. Why is this so hard for me? We’ve spent plenty of time together, we’ve worked together, especially in neverland. So why do I struggle so much with this?? I guess it doesn’t matter, we need to focus on Zelena.

“Well, I am full of surprises, Love.” He continues his smirk towards me, but I didn’t even notice. I tried just focusing on Zelena and what she could be up to. “Something on your mind, love? You seem to be almost bursting a vein.” I hear his chuckle, “oh! Uhm just thinking about Zelena Y’know…”

“No, I believe there’s something else..what is on your mind?” Before I can even think of an answer we are already at the library. “Oh! Were here! Lets uhm.. go find Belle!” I rush inside. Why am I so nervous to answer his question? There’s nothing particularly wrong?.. I mean, it’s just I’m truly thinking about him.. is that why I can’t answer? Why am I suddenly feeling so..flustered about all this?

My mind is running on and on about Killian I completely ignore the confused Belle standing infront of me, “Hellooooo, are you listening?” I snap out of it as I hear her sweet accent. “Oh sorry, uhm. We just came to see if maybe we could find some information about our witch problem.”

“I see, I’m afraid I haven’t checked and I do have somewhere to be, me and Rumple are going out so- anyways, you’re free to look around! I’ll leave a key on the desk, please be sure to lock the doors oh your way out!” Belle finishes putting on her scarf and purse and then rushes out the door. “Well, it seems it will just be us two, love.” “So it seems..” why am I so sweaty all of a sudden?.. my heart rates also increased… “We should probably start looking today.” I snap out of my thoughts once again to Killians voice, “Y-yes, your right. I’ll start over there in section E-G, you can go from A-B.”

“And I thought I was a captain..look at you bossing me around.” Killian chuckles as he walks through the isles, pushing books sloppily with his hook.

After about 20-ish minutes of searching me and hook ended up meeting in the middle on the same isle. Both facing opposite directions. The space between the isle wasn’t forgiving, I could smell the natural musk and rum from Killian. It was so..intoxicating. While scanning through books I saw a red cover reading ‘the truth of your feelings’. Something about the book made me flip open to the table of contents. That’s when I see a chapter of the name ‘why and what is this feeling?’. I flip to the chapter and read a bit. It talks of feelings of intimacy, tension, both romantic and sexual, and a whole catalyst of other things. Most of it sounded familiar..this was how I felt about Killian. I mean, now that I think of it. I’ve always found hook quite attractive, and when he calls me love I feel a shiver go down my spine.

Oh my god.

I have a ‘crush’ on no other than Captain Hook. Right as I was staring off into space from this sudden realization I feel a warm chest seek behind me, pressing against my back. An arm comes over just above my shoulder to meet the bookshelf. “And what so that your reading, love?” Killian snatches the book out my hand and starts reading the contents. “Truth of you feelings, huh.. Do you like someone, love?” His smile is wide as he laughs. I try grabbing the book out of his hands- hand, but he moves swiftly.

“Give it back Killian!”

“I don’t think I will, who is it you like anyway?”

I ignored his question as heat rose to my cheeks. “It doesn’t matter! Give me the book!”

He leaned down to be infront of my face, “Tell me and I will.” I get his breathe on my face, it smelt of rum. I froze for a second before I looked up at him and spoke softly, “Please Killian, we need to find information on Zelena..” his look darkened, I’m not sure with what but he didn’t seem mad..

“And this is information on Zelena? Didn’t know you liked green like that.” He gave a light chuckle and handed me the book. “That’s not- Oh my fucking god. Let’s just keep looking.” I turned away from the smiling pirate and put the book back in its spot.

We continued searching until we found a few books that could be helpful. There was a small desk near the back of the library with a lamp and some bookmarks. I had been sitting in one of the chairs that was with the desk, Killian sat beside me.

“Y’know this is the first time we’ve ever been alone together..”

His eared perked up, “No it isn’t, we’ve been alone on the Jolly Roger.”

“No, Emma, Mary Margaret, and David were all there. I think Regina was aswell.”

“What about at granny’s?”

“Definitely not..” I chuckle.

“Well- what about at the well.”

“Regina and Emma.”

We both have completely set down our books by now and have lost all attention to what we came here to do.

“Wow, I’ve never noticed it seems.”

I don’t know why it stung a bit when he said that but, it did. What was I thinking? I was barely even aware of my own feelings so why is this suddenly so serious? That and everyone knows he pines after Emma Swan. I mean who wouldn’t? She’s beautiful, smart-witted, and resilient even through everything. What have I ever done that’s been of importance? I’m just some..girl. I’ve never done anything that has amount to something. Even back in the enchanted forest, I was no one. I helped Snow hide from the Evil queen for a bit but nothing more. Emma is a savior, the product of true love. How could I even allow myself the fantasy of me and Killian?

“It’s probably because I struggle with keeping my eyes off you so often that it seems that it’s just the two of us.”

I feel my body freeze in place as my eyes widen, “W-what?” Is all I can mutter out. “You’re quite the beautiful woman Love,” He leans in, our noses almost touching, “and I can’t keep myself under control sometimes when you’re around.” I look into his piercing blue eyes. “Then don’t..” I couldn’t even believe what I was saying, it seems I even took Killian by surprise but he leaned right in and kissed me. The kiss was passionate, sweet, and soft. His lips felt slightly chapped but I didn’t mind. The smell of the sea, rum, and desire was overtaking my senses. I broke the kiss first, a string of saliva connecting our mouths. “Please Killian…”

“Please what, Love?”

“Please, touch me more.” I run my hands up over the laces of the leather covering his skin. “Let me touch you more..” my eyes wander down seeing the tiniest bit of chest hair hiding under his shirts. “Are you sure about that love? I wouldn’t want to get in the way of whom ever you liked earlier. Who you were going to speak the truth about your feelings to.”

“No, no, you wouldn’t be in the way..Please.”

“Are you sure? You might have to tell who this lucky mystery person is.”

“Killian…”

“Tell me.” His eyes darken as he felt down my thigh and squeezed. “You..it’s you Killian. I want you.”

“Mm, that’s all you had to say, Love.” He then desperately catches my lips in a sloppy kiss. I hear him moan lightly as I capture it in my mouth. I start instinctively ripping at the laces of the black leather vest. Killian of course noticed and help by taking off his jacket. Before I can continue however he suddenly picks me up from my thighs and sets me on the table. “Much better..” he grabs my lips again in a heated kiss. I continue at his laces before ripping then undone, “gentle love.” He smiled at me. “Sorry..”

“Don’t be, I do like you needy.” He slightly chuckled when he spoke sending another wave of heat to my cheeks. He’s somehow still just as adorable as he is handsome. “You are beautiful..” I couldn’t help but hold his face in my hands, feeling his pokey gruff and soft skin. “No, you’re the beautiful one, love” I smile and for a moment and forget the world around us. This, this is all I ever wanted. This happiness. I leaned in and kissed him softly and he equally kissed me just as soft and sweet as ever. Is this what true love feels like? Maybe love is overzealous and a much to strong word for something so young but, I truly am so happy.

I feel his hands slowly make their way up my body till they were at my breasts. He fondles and massages them lovingly. The kiss gets increasingly more eager and hungry. “Allow me to take this off?” I feel him grabbing the bottom of my shirt, almost ripping it off with the sheer force of his grip. “Go ahead.” I didn’t have to tell him twice, he took it off so quickly I almost fell off the desk.

I feel the cool metal of his rings caress my now naked skin. He slides his hand around to the back of my shirt and uses his hook to snap my clasp. It slightly smacks my back making me shiver, but it strangely felt so..satisfying. He uses his hook to slide off my bra from my shoulders. I watch as Killian then continues to take off his hook and sets it on the table beside me. He leans down and begins kissing my neck and collarbone, peppering me in soft kisses. The feeling almost tickles then he continues further down to my breasts. He then circles his tongue around my bud before taking it into my mouth. He uses his hand to grope my other breast, “Mmph” I moan but conceal it by using my hand to cover my mouth. “No, don’t you dare cover those darling sounds.” I feel him pitch my nipple at this sentence, I squeak from the pleasure. “Mm-more, please~” He smiles at me before taking a set back.

“Are you sure about this, Love?”

“Yes. 100%”

“Oh, thanks the gods-“ He quickly rushes to my lips once more grabbing my face and hungrily smashing his lips into mine. “Mmph- this isn’t fair, you still have your mm- shirt on-“ I try catching my breath in between rough kisses. Quickly breaking the kiss Killian pulls his shirt over his head and goes straight back to kissing me. His hands go straight to the hem of my skirt trying to yank it off my body. I giggle at his actions and help him, taking my panties off with them to make everything much easier.

After I do I finally look up to see Killian’s face, he’s stepped back now just staring at me in awe. “What’s the matter?” I giggle into my sentence. “You are so, beautiful. You’re perfect my dear..” I shy away from his words when I feel him come in between my legs once again and take my chin into his hand. “Hey, look at me. You’re the most gorgeous woman I know, seen, touched. Don’t you shy away from that.” I feel his finger find their way to my hair as he leads my head into another deep kiss. I pull Killian in by the belt and unbuckle it. I pull it out of the loops and let it drop to the floor.

“Pants, please.”

“Yes ma’am”

Killian takes a pause and unbuttons his pants and unzips them, pulling them down along with his boxers. His cock was practically touching his stomach, leaking with sticky pre-cum. It was a decent width but very long. I was so mesmerized I didn’t even realize I was staring. “I’m glad you like the view, Love-” I looked up embarrassed, my face hot & most likely red. “But my eyes are up here.” He lifts my chin up with his hand again. I stare into his sparking blue eyes as they glimmer with lust & desire.

His hand goes from my chin down my neck and he gently squeezes. I a choked moan escaped from my lips when he did so. “Oh, do you like that Love?”

“Mm Mmhm~” I look up at him with pleading eyes. “Do you want it darling?” All I do is nod my head. “Words. lovely”

“Yes. Yes, please Killian. I want it- I want you so bad.”

“I didn’t even have to ask you to beg, such a good girl~”

I felt my core melt at his words, I was practically oozing with arousal. “Please, please give your cock to me, please.” I continue pleading with both my eyes and words. “If you wish, Love.” With that I feel his tip aline with my velvet folds. “Are you ready?” I eagerly nodded my head to the question.

I feel the head enter inside and before I know it I’m taking inch by inch as Killian whispers all kind of sweet & dirty things in my ear. I slowly become louder & louder as he continues. “Ah~ you were made for me love. You feel so good.” He continued moaning soft grunts in my ear. He had began a stable pace for a while, all I could hear was the wet slops of our juices mixing with one another’s, and his grunts in my ear. I wrapped my legs around his waist instinctively. “Y-you are such a good girl for me, Love” The grip he held on my thighs getting rougher, his pace quicker and sloppier, and more erratic. All I could do was let my mouth fall open and let the sounds roll out.

“Yes, j-just like that darling~”

“Ah~ god Killian!~ please, finish inside, fill me up, please, please.” I felt his dick twitch inside me as he slams inside me deeper and harder with each thrust.

“Are you s-sure love?~”

“Absolutely!!~”

“A-as you wish-“ Killian continues slamming into me causing the table to bang against the wall, The lamp has fallen over and the grip moved from my thigh to my throat. Everything felt so good- to good. My eyes rolled to the back of my head as I felt the knot in my stomach begin to break and then- stars. That’s all I saw. Pleasure washed over my body causing my legs to shake around Killian’s waist losing strength to keep them wrapped around, but Killian continues pounding into me mercilessly. I still manage to choke out the most pornst⭐️r moans possible as he continues. “T-to- AH~ much!!~”

“C’mon, you can take it love-“ I already feel my own juices dripping from my leg and all over his cock making the wettest of sounds. His cock starts twitching and his moans become louder and thrust more erratic. “God you are amazing~” once he reaches the end of his sentence he cums deep in my cervix, coating my walls white in his sperm.

Both still catching our breaths I kiss Killian’s jaw in soft and sloppy kisses. “You are quite the woman, Love.”

“You not too bad your self.” I retort back, “Your, amazing..”

“As much as I love staring and holding you like this we are in a public library, Love. Door is still unlocked.”

“Oh shit your right- lets get dressed-“ We both quickly grab our clothes off the floor and try to hurrying get dressed when we hear a group come in.

“Hook! Y/N! Are you guys here?” Emma. Shit shit shit, I’m still half dressed.

“Y/N!” And snow. Could this get any worse?

“Where are these bafoons?” And Regina. It can get worse. I finish putting my clothes back on and trying to smooth out the wrinkles and fix my hair. “There you are! What took you two so long to answer-..oh. Seems you two had fun.”

“Listen Regina it’s not what it looks like-“

“I do not care, but we are trying to save storybrooke and more importantly my son so if you could do it on your own time that’d be great.”

“What’s going on over here?”

“Nothing, Emma.”

All I can see is Killian give me a little wink before turning away, pointing to my legs as a small drop of white ran down my leg.

This is my first story 😨 so please be kind. Y’all at the end idk what I was on but it was 9:30pm then 1:25am-

(Also I didn’t proofread I’m so tired 💀)

[littlewomenpodcast]

About Snow White, The Prince And The Trauma (And Greta Gerwig Stuck In A Mirror)

Well friends, it has officially started. I have received requests to roast the new Live Action Snow White, the moment it appears and I don't even want to see it hahah. I have been working on a new video essay about the glorification of male abuse in Gerwig's movies, and I hope to release it before Christmas.

Here are my thoughts about the original animated Snow White from the 1930s and the fairy tale and the meaning of the prince. When I post this I have not seen Gerwig’s live-action Snow White and I don’t know if I have the stomach to watch another movie where she tries to shovel white feminism down my throat. According to the leading actress and the director, there is not going to be a prince in the movie, dwarfs are idiots and Snow White is a girl boss.

To be honest I don’t think Greta Gerwig cares at all about feminism or any of the original sources of her movies. I think she only cares about fame and money. The reason why I dislike white feminism or pop feminism, however, you like to call it, is because it is never about equality. It always tends to be more about misogyny. It is not about equality to all genders, body types, or races, it is all about ”I am superior to you”. When I heard that she was going to direct the live-action Snow White, my first thought was ” That is very ironic”, because at its core Snow White is a story about the destruction of narcissism, but when it comes to this live-action, all I see is Snow White messaging ”I am not the fairest of them all, am superior to you all”.

But what if I don’t want Snow White to be a girl boss? What if I like her just the way she is? with all those Beth March vibes and all.

The prince is not very present in the 1937 animation, which I think is a bit of a shame, he seems like a good guy. I would have given him more screen time. There is a German story called Richilde, which is an early retelling of Snow White and it is believed to have inspired the Brothers Grimm to write their own version. In Richilde after the prince saves Snow White, they actually start plotting together against the evil queen. It is quite nice that there is at least one version, where the prince is more active and I always support a couple getting to know each other before the wedding.

I always thought that the evil queen killed Snow White’s parents. We know that she wants power. Maybe she killed the first queen and tricked the king to marry herself and I guess she left Snow White alive, because killing her might cause suspicions and perhaps she wanted a free slave to herself.

When I think about the prince, I think he is a crucial part of Snow White’s recovery. Specifically recovery from trauma. Let’s imagine she is five years old when the queen murders her parents. Queen forces her to be a slave at her own home. She needs to do the laundry, cook her meals, and wash the stairs. Together with all that labour, she very likely experiences physical abuse and emotional abuse. You can not show this directly in a Disney film, but I’d say the scene where the old witch brings her the apple, is a very good example of emotional manipulation.

If you grow up in this kind of environment, where someone is a narcissist, there is always gas lighting. We know that Snow White likes to think the best of people, she might have thought something in these lines ”oh the queen didn’t think I was productive enough today, so she only gave me dry bread to eat, at least she remembered me”.

Small gestures of caring, might appear bigger in the mind of the victim, than they are in reality. She eats the apple because she feels sorry for the old woman, but also because the witch is pressuring her to eat the apple, and Snow White is conditioned from a very young age, to believe that abuse is normal.

Another 13 year old girl in the middle ages, might not have done the same, not if they recognized that it was manipulation. Narcissistic people play mind games, so much that they twist your views on reality.

It is possible that when Snow White lives in the palace, other servants were told not to be friends with her, otherwise the queen would punish them, which would also explain why we only see her having animal friends at the palace.

She has a kind heart, which is why the dwarfs like her and the prince falls in love with her, but if we think about her trauma,

this 13-year-old girl has faced years and years of emotional and physical abuse from the queen.

The queen killed her parents and made her to be her slave,

Snow White was forced to escape to the woods at night, which can be a scary experience even for an adult,

queen tried to kill her friends,

the queen tried to kill her more than once

the queen put her into a coma.

That's a lot of trauma. She is 13 years old. It’s child abuse.

The way I see it, the prince represents the possibility for Snow White to heal from the trauma. Sometimes you hear stories of people who have been abused as kids, and there are those who thrive, and those who are prisoners of their trauma, The people who thrive, are the ones who have at least one person in their life who helped them through the traumatic experience. It can be a spouse, a friend or a good therapist.

It would be very difficult for Snow White to find a trauma therapist from Middle Age Germany, but with the Prince, there is a promise of a better future, and him being stable person and someone who unconditionally loves Snow White, she can recover from these traumatic experiences and get that emotional support from him and truly live happily ever after.

P.S. Since the live action is a Gerwig film, bet your life, any form of male abuse is normalized and there is going to be a big speech from a leading lady, how the world is against her, because she is a woman. If instead of pop feminism, she would focus on trying to fix the unequal system that she is always complaining about, maybe her characters wouldn't have these problems..

but then she could not be the center of attention, could she?

@selkiesstories @heather-field @princesssarisa @fandomsarefamily1966 @thatscarletflycatcher @mysoftboybensolo @librarydame @rainbowmilk1996

[ponett]

with the fallout of bandai namco's idiotic "it's up to interpretation" bs, do you think that it's possible to enjoy queer media made in a corporate environment in addition to independent works? is it even worthwhile to attempt making queer media in a corporate environment? i find it special how well the g-witch production team managed to tell the story they wanted even with the challenges and pressures they faced, but i have to admit that independent works like slarpg are always going to more completely tell queer stories. as someone who has resonated with both slarpg and g-witch, i was curious to know your perspective.

i'm probably less cynical about this than a lot of my peers are - not that i can blame anyone for feeling cynical about queer rep from corporate-owned media. (we've been through so many First Ever Gay Disney Characters at this point, and lord knows blizzard loves to tease that another overwatch character might be gay every year or so as a PR move.) unfortunately it's just extremely hard to get something like a full season of an animated series funded and produced independently, so the artists looking to enter these fields and pour their hearts and souls into meaningful queer stories as a full-time job don't have many options

going indie gives you theoretically endless creative freedom to tell your stories without corporate censorship, but it's also a massive gamble. only an extreme minority of indie creatives in any medium are actually able to make a living. the fact that i came out the other side of slarpg's development with enough money that i can keep being a full-time indie instead of being in massive debt makes me one of the lucky ones. and even with my modest success, i sure as hell don't have the money to hire a whole team, which limits the scope of what i can make. so i can't turn my nose up at the queer people writing disney channel cartoons where they can't say the word "gay" out loud. they have health insurance, i don't. for most people, what i do is simply not an option

with the corporate-produced Queer Stories i enjoy, i'm often able to squint and see what the creatives were trying to do, wishing that they could have done more while understanding that they probably had to fight tooth and nail for what's there

in the realm of children's animation in particular, i'm thankful that the people working at these studios ARE fighting for more, because it means that kids today have so many more positive queer stories to relate with. i didn't have a single gay character i felt i could relate to until i read scott pilgrim at age 16 and saw wallace wells. before that, i felt so alone in the world. i denied who i was for years because it felt like there would be no place for me. i didn't know anyone openly gay in real life, growing up in the south, and in fiction gay people either existed as the butt of a joke or not at all. the fact that queer kids are now able to see people like themselves in so many shows means something, even if we still have a long way to go and the big studios continue to be a major obstacle

on the subject of g-witch, i'm honestly unfazed by the statement from bandai-namco. i guess i wish they could've let suletta and miorine kiss, but like... the text of the show is extremely blunt about them being a couple by the end. it's not up for debate. and it's not like a gundam series having a meaningful story in spite of the wishes of the toy-producing overlords is anything new, this is just our latest example

all that being said, i do think people should branch out more and explore more weird indie shit if they want more wholeheartedly, openly queer stories. people gotta suck it up and embrace more outsider art instead of only valuing things with studio-level production values. start looking at ren'py visual novels, rpg maker games, obscure webcomics, zines drawn in sharpie, artists on bandcamp who aren't signed to a label, all that jazz. maybe part of the reason why i'm not more fazed by the state of affairs with corporate-funded fiction is that i'm constantly surrounded by furry artists who are telling their own little gay stories

[aaronsrpgs]

"Ancient World Fantasy" Reading List

(A little context to start. If you just want book recs, scroll on down to the first image.)

As I’ve been getting into RuneQuest (Wikipedia link), one striking component of the culture and community surrounding the game is that they’re very into the lore of its fictional world, Glorantha. I’m saying this as a comparison to a game like D&D, where the game is spread across tons of settings with no real sense of obligation to keep things in line with earlier editions.

Glorantha’s canon and worldbuilding has been going on since it was published in 1978 without, as far as I can tell, any big reboots. Which means that, unlike D&D, where people are bringing in all kinds of influences and doing direct adaptions of Jane Austen books and whatever, the RuneQuest game remains pretty tightly tied to the original setting. (There have been some exceptions. But not many!)

But since I run games for people who have ADHD or aren’t interested in studying up, I’ve been looking at all kinds of inspiration to drop into the game. Here are 20 novels that are roughly “ancient world” or “Bronze Age” like RuneQuest and deal with people interacting with strange gods, tight communities, and a world without fast overland travel or transferal of information.

I’m presenting them alphabetically by author’s last name.

The Brazen Gambit, Cinnabar Shadows, The Rise and Fall of a Dragon King by Lynn Abbey

I'm sorry for starting this post off with licensed RPG novels, but these are good! And I don't mean "good for licensed RPG novels." I've read tons of them, and most are so bad! But these are actually fun. Good character development in a sword-and-sorcery world. It's also an ecological apocalypse world, with godlike beings oppressing common folks, leading to a lack of technological advancement and knowledge of the past.

The Long Ships by Frans G. Bentsson

Written in the 1940s as a series of novellas, these stories take you on a tour of the Viking-era world, from Europe to the Middle East and beyond. Like a bunch of books on this list, this places them post-Bronze Age, so they're not officially "ancient world." But it gives a big spread of cultures, from the more clan-based Vikings to the bustling metropolises of Turkey. And it doesn't place any of them on any kind of linear advancement scale or whatever other gross way people "rate" cultures.

Tales of Nevèrÿon and Neveryóna by Samuel R. Delany

The master of weird sci-fi and gay historical novels, Chip Delany also wrote a fantasy epic. And it rules! Set on pre-historical(ish) Earth, these books describe the stories that maybe inform the myths we tell today? Dragons and slave revolts! A sort of "What if Game of Thrones was good?" series. Lots of good stuff about how people learn and how understanding expands.

I'm not listing the third book only because it's also a historical look at New York during the AIDS epidemic. It's an amazing book! But it strays from the "ancient world" aesthetic.

Baudolino by Umberto Eco

Another novel expressly set after the Bronze Age (this one starts in the 12th century). BUT it's about Medieval people's interaction with the knowledge they inherited from the past, specifically the myth of Prester John and the works of Herodotus.

I think I keep putting books like this on the list because roleplaying in a fantastical ancient world is not too far off from how Medieval people might have worshipped and referenced works from ancient Rome and non-European places.

Black Leopard, Red Wolf and Moon Witch, Spider King by Marlon James

One of our best living writers! These are fantasy novels expressly set in a fantastical version of ancient/Medieval Africa. The books explore the same events from multiple points of view and are full of cool magic, awesome spirit combat, and a vast number of places and cultures that actively deconstructs most games's portrayal of fantasy Africa as a homogeneous place.

The Wake by Paul Kingsnorth

I think Kingsnorth has been outted as a sort of eco-fascist? I totally believe it, so feel free to skip this one. It's a historical novel set in England in 1066, as the Normans invade from France. It's written in a faux Middle English language and focuses on the lower classes and how they try to resist the invasion. A good reminder that "Medieval culture" (and especially the Renaissance as a time that "culture advanced") is often based on certain classes of society, such as rich people and/or men.

Iceland's Bell by Halldór Laxness

Speaking of how class intersects with technological advancement, this book is set in the 18th century, but it focuses on Iceland at a time when it was ruled by Denmark, and the lower classes there were under an enforced poverty. It's a book about how a rich Icelander was trying to recover the stories of his people in order to create a sense of national identity and resistance. But it's also a story about how a destitute man acts like a total weirdo when he's not allowed to fish in his own waters and is cut off from understanding his place in history.

The Raven Tower by Anne Leckie

A big part of RuneQuest is people interacting with and enacting their gods. That's what this book is about! And it's about the strange vertigo that comes to people when they try to interact with the impossible timelines that gods exist on. Very good stuff.

Night's Master and Death's Master by Tanith Lee

Ostensibly set on Earth back when it was flat and demons roamed the world, which is basically RuneQuest. Sort of like a series of hornier, gay bibles? With lots of gender fuckery, fun sex, and cool monsters.

Circe by Madeline Miller

The story of the witch from The Odyssey, told from her point of view. Beautiful prose, tragic and beautiful characters, and a great share of mythical strangeness. Perfect if you want to learn how to run NPCs that are adversaries without being shallowly evil.

Ronia, the Robber's Daughter by Astrid Lindgren

Semi-Medieval again, but low class and vague enough that it could exist throughout ancient history. The daughter of a robber grows up in a tower full of robbers and generally has a wonderful time. Lots of weird monsters live in the woods, and there's a great starcrossed romance with someone from a rival robber gang. Perfect inspiration if you're running some cattle-raiding runs in RuneQuest; this is how to make robbers fun and sympathetic.

Read the book, watch the 1984 Swedish movie (which includes a great comedic scene of full-frontal dudity), and then watch the Studio Ghibli series.

A Stranger in Olondria and The Winged Histories by Sofia Samatar

Set in a world of pepper farmers and religious fanatics who worship a mysterious inscribed stone, these books do a great job of showing how people might interact with religion, rival cults, and mystery rites. It also portrays literacy and learning to read in places where it's gated behind social gatekeeping. And once again, the prose is beautiful.

The Palm-Wine Drinkard by Amos Tutuola

The first African novel published in English outside of Africa, The Palm-Wine Drinkard is a funny, hallucinogenic story about getting drunk, stumbling through weird landscapes, and encountering fantastical spirits and people.

Tutuola also wrote My Life in the Bush of Ghosts, the inspiration for the famous(?) David Byrne/Brian Eno album. I haven't read it yet, but I'm keeping an eye out!

The Green Pearl by Jack Vance

This is a sequel to Lyonesse, which I haven't read because I love staring in the middle of things. Set around a mythical British Isles when Atlantis was still above the sea and part of the group of islands. Some great wizard shit, warring clans, romance, and a wizard whose name is fucking Shimrod (in case you need more convincing).

Those are my 20 novel recommendations! I'm gonna come back to add some nonfiction, comics, and myth resources for running games in fantastical ancient worlds. You can read SpeedRune, my ancient fantasy game, here.