#sorry these are so late

[this-is-a-podcast-fanblog]

Night Vale Obscure Ship Tournament

Nilanjanet art by @bulkhummus and Danielauren art by @mudstoneabyss

[ravencromwell]

Character headcanons for Ros Vortalis?

--Cats. In the Shal, Ros Vortalis was terribly fond of stray cats. Dimitri Moroz (best second, he ever had even if the boy was barely old enough to shave; he was _hungry for the work, for the position and that made all the difference) used to despair they'd all get murdered via the cat flaps. Not that he was fool enough to start collecting them, but Makt was cold and he'd seen enough cats aboard ship they were good luck and damn it no harm in leaving a cat flap in the kitchen with a bowl of milk. He sealed the flaps before making a serious play at Gorst's guards. Enough bloodshed on his hands without adding strays and Gorst is absolutely the sort that would. Kept it up just fine as king too, until Dimitri unceremoniously dumped two of the filthiest specimens on his floor. Thin and fierce, already with their scars with blazingly curious yellow eyes. And by the time he's signed 'damn it, Demi, take them back' the new leader of the Shal has flashed a positively wicked grin and turned on his heel and Vor knows by the time he coaxes them from underneath the bed and dresser he'll be well out of the damn castle. It's fine, Holland's on patrol in the Shal tomorrow he can take them back. Only...there's something oddly comforting upon waking to find one feline on his feet and the other in a ball on the second pillow, yellow eyes blazing into the dark. A guard-cat's not going to stop a damn thing; that's why he has an Antari knight, for Crow's sake but it's comforting nonetheless and so he calls for one of the servants to bring some raw fish. And one of the kitchen maids flashes white teeth against the hints of brown the city hasn't entirely leached from her skin yet. It's the widest smile he's seen from the servants since his coronation and says it's good luck to have cats again after the old king didn't want them taking scraps off the table. And so, he tells her to take them if she's inclined; he's no time to look after cats as king. Which makes them not! his cats, even if there is a flap in the door of the royal bedchamber--they'll keep the castle awake with their yowling if I keep them out Holland. Holland, who's not running away from every romantic impulse he ever harbored, will just go on being casually fond of the cats. [By the time Holland comes out of the worst of those first few days with the Danes, he hears no rumors of cats in the castle. The one time one of the servants broaches getting a cat for the vermin problem, Athos yawns and says: "So long as it doesn't see us. Cats, unlike some I could name," with a terribly sweet smile in Holland's direction "run when they see us coming. Cleverer than hounds, I suppose." It is a foolish whimsy, but after that, Holland finds himself stopping on the rare occasions a cat moves in his direction. Scriching their ears is nice, as so few things are these days and once or twice, one has lingered longer, purring and he can't help but wonder... the kitties are fine, is what I'm saying. :]

--One of the first bits of family history Vor learns about Holland is his mother. "Can you not?" Holland says the third time they've fucked, when irritation has overcome his better judgment as Vortalis reaches for a cigar. "In the bed, at least." Ros Vortalis, who has pointed people to the door without a moment's hesitation for kvetching over his cigars--he's earned his scars, surviving this city and he'll damn well enjoy his vices for his trouble--thinks he might be in deeper than he would like when he finds himself asking: "Care to give me a reason?"

(This had been easy once with Talya, like lancing a wound or sharing burdens, but a decade of silence leaves him wishing Vortalis had just told him to go jump into the Sijlt or his common sense had stilled his tongue. But he supposes he owes an answer since he's the one asking) "We slept in one bed, my mother and brother and I. We never got smoke from the Sho dens out of the sheets when it was in her clothes and hair."

He could protest plenty of things: his cigars smell nothing like that sickly-sweet shit. But...there's a difference in smoking it across a table and wafting it in Holland's face. And it does cling to fabric. "Not giving up my cigars for you or anyone," he grumbles, even as he snuffs it out. And then carefully, "Since it was six months for your mother, if I'm on the throne a year, will you tell me about this brother of yours?"

"Maybe. If you're not a tyrant by then." He can't tell if what's caught in Holland's voice is a laugh or tears and suspects Holland can't either.

(When the Danes come, Holland finds it ironic to be the one wafting cigar smoke into a pillow for old time's sake. But when all the other smells have faded, when he can't remember just how faded a brown his king's hair was, he remembers the damn cigars. Oh, he remembers the blood, too, but those cigars were such a constant smell, outside the bedroom, that he's inherited a milder form of his mother's vice. Didn't she flee into the dens to remember his father, after all?)

[this entire headcanon courtesy of the phenomenal @pinkcupboardwitch who gave the second half of this in a one A.M. angst fit so it can live forever rent-free in my head though any dreadful dialogue is entirely mine :)

--in a universe where Vortalis can have Arnesian food, he's a spiced tea addict. Anything strong enough it makes AGOS Lila sneeze, he's in absolute paradise the heat of it is almost as good as a cigar. And Arnesian curry Kajt, he could eat it by the bucketful.

--"The stores are thinning" absolutely refers to a public granary. One of the first things he did as king was to impose reasonable grain prices, particularly on the Kosik--think of the Roman grain dolewith the crown subsidizing the farmers in various magical artifacts rather than funds. It wasn't an easy program to get off the ground because there weren't good ways to pay the artisans and you can live in the castle wasn't exactly a glowing proposition when the castle could be overrun. But there were a few odd folk, some who genuinely wanted to do good, some who were of a historical bent and wanted to be close to an Antari--you will never convince me there aren't Maktahn Tieren's at least in personality if not vocation and some who just thought being under an Antari's protection were better than their odds on the streets. Of course, such reductions are only effective so long as you have grain to offer.

--Had Kell asked the right people, they might have also told him about how the king let his Antari heal their grandmother, their baby, and didn't ask for tribute. Not many; you'd have to be desperate indeed to go to an Antari, but there were stories that resurfaced when Holland became the new king.

--He knows full well how much his instincts lean to death-dealing, even if his brains demanded a change for the city. And whatever Holland might think, Ros Vortalis has heard his share of tales. A knight, before the doors sealed, was a sword and shield. But they kept a king honest too,, forced him to hold to honor and justice.

[drama-glob]

Meant to post these a while ago, but oh well. Stuff happens. :/ These are just extra gifs I made for the “Thanks to Them” post I made back in October. Hope you enjoy them. I know I certainly enjoy Vee being adorable with Masha and Masha calling out Philip for being angry that Caleb got a hot witch girlfriend. ;) Also, sick burn from Luz on the last one. ;)

[beebfreeb]

An Interview with Dot.

[cacturnia]

shout out to the silly creatures from scavengers reign‼️‼️

[mint-chocolate-rooibos]

who taught her that

[wacuoms]

[minmocat]

based off mew ex #232 from paldean fates!

this was a pokemon request from ko-fi! if you'd like to send in a request, shoot me a $5 donation on ko-fi with the name of a pokemon of your choice & i'll draw it!

[plantpirating]

Type "I am" in the tags and whatever follows is your gender today...

[to00fu]

[threateningwatercress]

their combined level of freak is unmatched

[thatskindarough]

Running to catch the train (Dec. 2023)

[extravapalooza]

more bits from 'a world of plenty'. gay cyborg sex forever and ever

[cliopadra]

WE’RE GETTING A SEASON THREE!!!???!!!

[royalarchivist]

Tubbo: Why have they changed it? These colors are awful. I– ew! I actually hate it! Where– what happened to the orange? Why’s it purple?

Tubbo: [Realizes] OH—

Tubbo: Oh, I'm actually– I'm actually a bigot, it’s Ace Race, I get it. Ohhh, ohhh that’s awkward. Ohhh, that's awkward. I’m a bigot. Oh, I'm a bigot. Oh, I'm a bigot. Ohhh. It’s crazy that they let bigots into MCC these days! Well actually, they’ve always done that.

[t0bey]

“Reunion at Dawn”

happy 5th anniversary, three houses!!!