#spell bound rook

[mxxnmxxn9875]

In the book Spell Bound by F. T. Lukens, Antonia says “this relationship is over” and then later, Rook keeps getting embarrassed because he says things along the lines of “I’m the genius in this relationship,” which implies he uses ‘relationship’ romantically, so I guess Antonia and Fable could’ve been together

[dilatorywriting]

Hello! May I request 94. With Rook?

I certainly wouldn't mind the smoot if you think it fits into what you write-

Gender Neutral Reader x Rook Hunt Word Count: 1.2k

Prompt 94: "Don’t act innocent, you had me pinned underneath you 5 minutes ago."

🌶️ Warning for Mild Spice

[EVENT MASTERLIST]

“Just a bit of chase!” he says.

“The thrill of the hunt can be so fun!” he says.

Except now you’re covered in sweat and doubled over panting like you’re going to go into cardiac arrest. Because Rook’s idea of ‘oh, just a little run around, je promets!’ involved nothing less than a full fucking sprint through the wooded areas of the campus—over hill, and under hill, and godyou were so out of shape.

You gasped into your knees, bent over in anticipation of just, I don’t know. Death? Vomit? All of the above?

“Ah, don’t tell me you’ve given up already, mon cher!” the aforementioned demon cooed from somewhere in the trees. In the trees! Like a literal, freaking hunter of old, and not your coddling boyfriend smiling all pretty when he says ‘just a bit.’ Absolute bullshit. You wanted a refund. “We’ve only just begun!”

“It’s been—” you gasped, swiping a furious hand over your dripping brow, “—an hour! You fucking masochist!”

“A true predator knows best that a subtle, steady approach is always the most satisfying, mon petit lapin,” he hummed, voice echoing discordantly over your head. “And how could I not take my time, when the reward is bound to be so sweet, hmm?”

“What reward?” you snapped. “Me doing this at all is the reward!”

The blonde’s trilling laughter curled through the air like the tinkle of a windchime. Light, and airy, and pleasant. Which was deceptive. And entirely unfair.

“Ah, but mon favori. I doubt you could ever say no to a little death, hmm?” he cooed. And the continued, with an air of faux consideration. “A bit for you, and then perhaps a bit for me. And then a bit more for you—”

Fuck his poetry. It was going to be a big death. A literal death. With rigor mortis, and decay, and a bloating corpse if you didn’t have a chance to collapse into a puddle in the next five minutes. Normally Rook’s sweet sonnets and romantic ramblings were something you found quite endearing. But surely anyone would be pushed past their Cutesy Bullshit Tolerance after being chased like a bat out of hell for the past literal hour. You felt woozy, and wrong footed, and like maybe that muffin you’d snagged for breakfast might be in the process of making up its mind to come back up to say hello.

“You have to run, petit lapin,” that chittering voice called again. “That’s the whole point.”

“No!” you snapped, stomping your foot like a toddler. “I give up! I’m a dumb rabbit! A lame rabbit! A rabbit with no legs! Just—get me already!” you shouted into the leafy canopy.

Silence.

You glared up into the kaleidoscope of greens, eyes narrowed as you searched the shadows. Surely he was somewhere. Somewhere close. You just had to—

And then you were crashing forward with an inelegant screech—a familiar, gloved hand pressing into the skin at the back of your neck and the other twisting into your uniform jacket to push you down into the dirt. And then Rook was sitting astride your hips, looking down at you with a sharp, brilliant gleam in his emerald eyes.

“Ah, mon pauvre lapin perdu,” he sighed, all faux sympathy, and shifted to lean forward so that he could grin into your flushed face. “Whatever shall I do with you, hmm? Rolling over to show your belly so readily. Certainly that’s far from safe.”

There was a tight, warm, whoosh in your gut. A twisting thing that you knew far too well at this point. And it spelled nothing but bad things.

You raised your chin as best as you could, meeting that toothy smirk of his head on, and then—

Ah. Nope. That had been the muffin after all.

Your face went green and you rolled onto your side to barf chunks of banana-nut-nonsense all over the grass.

.

.

“Mon cher, how can you ever forgive me?” Rook wailed, dabbing a soft, silk cloth against your heated forehead, nearly in tears. “I have failed you so horribly! So completely! I deserve to be cast from your good graces! Cursed to errer seul! Mutilé par des chiens! Jeté en enfer! Forcé de se repentir pour toujours!—”

“Enough, please,” you whined, pinching at the bridge of your nose. “I’d rather you just, I don’t know, got me a glass of water.”

“Right away!” he chirped, shooting to his feet and darting out the door and down the hall. He was back hardly a moment later, depositing a clean cup into your hands and plunking a curling, purple straw into the center of it.

“Thanks,” you mumbled, leaning forward to take a sip.

“Anything at all for you, mon cher!”

This was almost worse somehow.

“Would you cut it out,” you sighed. “It’s fine. Really. Shit happens.”

He stared up at you from where he was kneeled on the floor at your side with the largest, most doleful eyes you’d ever seen. Like a kicked puppy dog had a sad, sad child with, like, an even more pathetic, more kicked, kitten. You jabbed at him with your foot.

“And stop that!”

“Stop what?” he asked, blinking those stupid, stupid green eyes at you.

“Acting all innocent!” you complained. “You literally had me pinned underneath you, like, five minutes ago!”

“I did, didn’t I?” he hummed, sounding almost pensive. He reached up to tap at his chin, like he was chewing over a thought. “And I wasn’t even able to keep my promise, was I?” he lamented, deflating.

“What promise?” you frowned.

“For a bit of mutual demise,” he sighed. “Une petite mort.”

You felt heat crawl up your cheekbones and all the way to the tips of your ears. Because this had been some whole, elaborate setup, hadn’t it? Something that you’d only agreed to because he’d seemed so, ah, enthusiastic. And then you’d gone and barfed up banana chunks and ruined the whole thing.

“Sorry,” you mumbled.

Rook’s head shot up and he reached out to snare your hands in his.

“Non, non, mon cher!” he gasped. “This was hardly your fault to speak of! It is I and my poor planning that ought to make recompence,” he said.

And then, a terribly acute sort of brilliance came over his face. Like a lightbulb went off in his brain. Those green eyes went sharp with focus. He seemed to roll the his words around on his tongue, as if deciding exactly how they ought to taste when he let them fall back out again.

“And recompense I shall make!” he chirped, determined and shifted so his chin was resting in your lap. He sent you a coy little grin that had shivers racing down your spine.

“I literally just threw up,” you complained.

“This will certainly help you feel better,” he offered.

“That’s not the point!” you squawked. “Shouldn’t I—I don’t know—at least brush my teeth or something first?”

“Forgive me, mon petit lapin,” he laughed against your thigh. “But last I checked, I don’t think your mouth has anything do with this. And besides,” he crooned, reaching up to press a firm hand against your shoulder and help ease you down to the mattress below. “That was from overexertion, I’m afraid. Not illness. And I can promise, mon cher, that this time, you won’t have to bother putting any work in at all~”

.

.

[felassan]

Cliff notes from the latest blogpost:

BW now want to shift their marketing focus to showcasing higher level combat

"Stalwart Warrior, deft Rogue, spell-slinging Mage"

Warrior "deftly combines devastating melee with style and flair - all to inflict maximum pain on your enemies" [source]. It revolves around close range combat + defense

Skills, Traits, Runes, and Abilities are customizable to best suit different playstyles

Loadout has slots for Abilities, accessed from the Ability Wheel. Abilities are unique to each class. Customize them by spending Skill Points. The entire Skill Tree is refundable, Skill Points can be redistributed

Loadout selection before each battle is meant to be strategic

Loadout can be swapped anytime except during combat

Rook also has 3 equippable runes. These have a variety of functions e.g. control, utility, additional damage

The 3 Runes can be cycles through & activated in combat

Warrior has some Abilities that deal fire damage

Rook eventually gains access to Specializations. these grant powerful unique Abilities and a unique Ultimate Ability. Ultimates are the most powerful attack and follow the theme of that spec e.g. Champions (Grey Warden-themed spec) have Warden's Fire, which launches a devastating incendiary flurry of searing strikes that ignite enemies

Build the Ultimate Meter by doing damage to enemies. It won't fill fully during small fights as Ultimates are designed to take out lots of enemies or be used on tough bosses

Champion is the best "Specialization Area" for killing darkspawn

Info on the 9 specs

All 3 classes can jump, dodge (at any time, even mid-attack), light attack & heavy attack. These can be chained together. Attacks can be triggered while sprinting and/or jumping

Light attacks do quick damage and build small amounts of stagger. Heavy attacks are slower and build more stagger to the enemy. They also remove Armor Barrier faster. Both can be charged to deliver a stronger blow by holding down a button e.g. heavy attacks can be charged while using a staff to unleash a magical wave of energy

When enough stagger is built, the enemy is more vulnerable to all incoming damage, bonus damage and Rook can perform a special Takedown. Build stagger by landing hits on an enemy

Each class has ranged attacks, blocks, and parries (if timed properly with the right weapon). Ranged attacks remove Shield Barrier faster

Each class has 2 distinct weapon sets. You can swap seamlessly between these during battle

Yellow bar: Armor Barrier. Blue bar: Shield Barrier. Lavender bar: Stagger meter

Ability Wheel functions: pause fights, control companion Abilities, tell companions to attack specific enemies individually or together, target enemies to view enemy vulnerabilities & resistances, set up Ability Combos

Darkspawn are weak to fire

Abilities can also be bound to shortcut keys

Some Abilities apply buffs or debuffs; Area of Effect abilities help defeat large groups; there are crowd control abilities; some Abilities have coordinating effects to serve as a Primer or Detonator for strong combo attacks executed with companions

Controlling the field of battle is important

Davrin has Heroic Strike (ability) which applies the Overwhelmed debuff to enemies, increasing their stagger and making it easier for Rook to do a Takedown

Davrin has Death from Above (ability) which sends Assan to attack enemies. this is good against distant enemies

Abilities require class Resources (Mana, Momentum, Rage) to be used. The Resource is primarily built up by dealing damage with basic attacks, and secondarily in a class-specific way: mages regain mana passively over time, rogues build momentum by dodging & parrying, warriors build rage by taking & dealing damage

Sword-and-shield build warriors can do Shield Throw Volley. if you land a heavy attack on a Shield Throw return, the shield ricochets, taking out multiple enemies. this sequence can repeat up to 3 times, causing a ring of damage around Rook. this tactic is good for swarms and distant enemies

Warriors have Grappling Spear (ability), which pulls distant enemies closer

That blogpost focused on Warrior. More to come on the other classes before launch

A separate spotlight on progression will also come before launch

[source]

[twistedwonderlandshenanigans]

Never Beating the Big Brother Allegations

Vil + Epel + Leona, it's a little shippy between Leona and Vil, Leona does call Vil, Princess and is just generally Flirty but it's up to you whether you want to take it as him being a little facetious or if it's Real. Also tw for blood/injury Epel has a bloody nose and is a little banged up (not angsty dw) Also I know Lions don't purr, Leona does, deal with it.

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

"Hey, take it easy Crash, sit down." Leona couldn't help but smirk a bit at the look Epel gave him.

Epel was sitting on one of the infirmary beds, the rest empty save for him, holding a cloth with ice under his nose as he leaned forward a bit, the blood from his nose staining it a dark red. His brow was cocked, challenging Leona for a moment. Despite how ridiculous he knew he sounded when he spoke, he decided to anyways.

"It ain't that bad, this weren't the first time I done somethin' like this. I'm fine, I hit ma head 'nough times when I was younger t'know this ain't nothin' t'worry 'bout! We didn' have t'lug ourselves all the way t'the goddamned infirmary for a nosebleed and a couple bruises....and my name ain't Crash."

Leona snorted a bit and poked Epel's head, causing the younger one to recoil a bit and make a disgruntled noise in response. "It is until further notice. I've never seen anyone bail as hard as you did, or come out of it with something as minor as a nosebleed. Even with the cleaning spell Ruggie casted, you look like you rolled around in a pig sty..." He paused and sniffed the air a bit, nose scrunching a bit. "...and smell like it too."

Epel shot him a dirty look, about to speak again when the tell tale clicks of heels on tile became apparent to both of them, Leona's ear flicking at the same time Epel groaned.

"You told Vil??"

"What am I, your babysitter? Obligated to tell your mom what happened?? No I didn't tell Vil, Rook was probably being a creep again and reported back to your housewarden."

"VIL AIN'T MY MOM."

"And you're not my child, but for Seven's sake Epel, did you really think that news of you being sent to the infirmary wouldn't reach me eventually?" Vil stood in the doorway of the infirmary, hands on his hips, and brows knitted. "What have I told you about the way you fly? You're far too reckless, this was bound to happen eventually." He tsked softly, walking briskly over to the bed and grabbing Epel's face gently. He looked over him for a moment, then at the rest of his body and sighed.

"Rook told me you took the disc to the face and ended up spiraling out of the air. I was worried it was worse. You're very fortunate to have come out of your crash as well as you have." He sighed softly, and pinched the bridge of his nose before turning to Leona.

"You-"

"Not taking your shit. This kinda stuff happens sometimes when people decide to do more than pretend they're someone else as a hobby." Leona gave Vil a shit-eating grin, teasing him a bit.

Vil shook his head. "That's not what you're in trouble for! You weren't going to tell me that my underclassman ended up in the infirmary!"

Despite Vil getting into his personal space a bit, Leona stayed where he was and just smiled more genuinely, though still arrogant. "Who said that? Pretty sure I just said I didn't tell you, not that I wasn't going to. Besides, Crash was sayin' it's no big deal, and anyone who can take the kinda hit he did and walk away's got some pull on their say. I believe him."

"My name is NOT Crash!!" Epel stood up from the bed, swaying a tiny bit, which did not go unnoticed by either of his upperclassmen, both of them reaching out...well, Leona, pushing him gently back onto the bed, and Vil, ready to offer a helping hand, the blonde shooting the other a bit of a dirty look. Epel groaned a bit and moved the towel away from his nose. "See, it's mostly stopped bleeding now anyways, it wasn't a big deal, it isn't a big deal and BOTH A YA'S HAVE GOTTA STOP ACTIN' LIKE AHM SOME BIG BABY!"

Leona acted faster than either of the Pomefiore residents had time to react, slipping his arm around Vil's shoulders and turning him away from Epel, (who was about ready to swallow his hands as a means of shutting himself up), and utilized his secret weapon. A deep, rumbly purr caught Vil off guard as Leona very lightly bumped his face against Vil's hair.

For the second time in less than a minute, Vil was surprised by the actions of his fellow schoolmates. Such a ...tender sound coming from Leona was baffling enough he allowed himself to be walked out of the room.

Once out of the room, Leona let go of Vil, giving him another, signature cocky smile, though softened by a bit of embarrassment he tried so hard to conceal.

"Alright Princess, I know all that must have been stressful for you, why don't you go and find something that'll help you forget about today."

The corner of Vil's lips kicked up in amusement.

"Acting would be a good skill to have right about now for you, wouldn't it."

Leona's ears flattened, he touched the back of his neck awkwardly and looked to the side, his tail flicking slightly, though between his legs. "Shut up."

"Is that how you speak to princesses?" Vil smirked, his hands on his hips as he looked up at Leona, teasing him.

Leona huffed a bit, amused. "Nah, none of them are worth talking to." He waited a beat, his sliding sideways to meet Vil's once more. "But I guess that's on me for calling you one, when everyone already knows you're a queen."

He chuffed softly, placing one hand on his hip as Vil crossed his arms in a lightheartedly 'angry' way, though he was smiling at the beastman.

"I'll make sure Epel gets back before curfew, don't worry. The kid's got spunk. He'll be right as rain in the next hour or so. Now I was serious, go do something else, anywhere else." He huffed a bit, matching Vil's playful energy as his tail flicked.

"Augh, fine, if you insist. If he's late, it's you who's going to be in trouble."

Leona waved Vil off somewhat dismissively, but they both knew it was light hearted. He immediately dropped the whole facade as he walked back into the infirmary, expression difficult to read as Epel looked at him a little warily.

"What did you-"

"You owe me."

Epel groaned, moving the towel away from his nose. "What do you want? Or is it Vil askin' by proxy?"

Leona moved to the side, preparing another cloth, wetting it with clean water and holding it out to Epel as he took the sullied one away.

"Whatever you've got on your plate for lunch, if it looks appealing, I'm taking some. Just for the week."

Epel took a moment to register what the new cloth was for, before gently wiping at some of the blood that was still left on his face and eyeing Leona warily. He sighed, when his upperclassmen seemed serious about the matter.

"Alright. I guess that's doable." He sighed, finally relenting to Leona's care as they tried to confirm his nose wasn't broken.

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

"Your lunch sucks ass Crash." Leona's voice made Epel startle slightly in the cafeteria, the freshmen whipping around in his seat to look up at Savannaclaw's housewarden.

"I wha? Huh??" He looked back down at his food for a moment, his brows furrowed. "What's wrong with my food?"

Leona snickered a bit and lightly flicked Epel's head. "You responded to Crash as your name. Enjoy your food I guess."

Ruggie was quick behind Leona, nabbing one of Epel's bread rolls and taking a bite, snickering as well. "Damn, guess you really are Crash now."

Epel's cheeks flushed a bit at being called Crash in front of his first year friends, but realized his fate was already sealed as he saw Ace's expression out of the corner of his eye...and that he would more than likely be left alone lunch wise for the rest of the week, getting off easy on his punishment.

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As always, it's not beta read lmao

lmk if you wanna hop on the tag list:

@galaxies-and-gore @fluffle-writes

[cassandraclare]

Q&A Chain of Thorns — continues!

starlightblackstairs asked: I was wondering; why did no one ever free rupert if they knew ....

of him being trapped at chiswick? 🥹 it seemed like jesse knew that tatiana trapped his father there during that whole showdown scene but no one ever went back to help free rupert until julian and emma centuries later.

Because none of them did know he was trapped at Chiswick. Reread the scene — Chiswick is never mentioned.

What Lucie learned when she summoned Rupert was that he was not in the ordinary place ghosts go—

…she was all that was holding Rupert Blackthorn here on this earth. She could feel the starry void trying to pull him back, trying to fling him out of this world and into the other. It was taking every bit of her will to hang on… What had happened to Rupert? What binding was there on him, that was not present with other ghosts? Was it that binding that now tried to pull him away from the courtyard?

And this was confirmed by Tatiana herself— “You have been bound, bound for so long, bound in the shadows where even the other dead cannot see you. Belial promised that as long as he kept you there, he could bring you back.”

Rupert was also aware that he was in an unusual situation, we see this in his conversation with Jesse—

“If you’re a spirit—how was I a ghost for so many years and I never saw you?” 

Rupert raised a hand as if he could touch his son’s face. “Your mother made sure of that,” he said. “But Jesse—we have little time.” He was right, Lucie knew. He was slipping away from her, already growing more indistinct around the edges. His fingers were turning pale, translucent, the edges like smoke. “I was asleep,” Rupert said, “and have been awakened, but only for this moment. I died before you were ever born, my child. Yet after death, I have seen you.” 

“My mother said—you were bound in the shadows—” Jesse said haltingly. 

“I could not return as a ghost on this earth,” said Rupert gently.

He was fading faster now. Lucie could see entirely through him, see the stones of the Institute, see Jesse’s stricken face. “Yet I dreamed of you, even in my endless sleep…”

Rupert knew he had a resting place of sorts (he says to Tatiana— “I was drawn from my resting place by the cry of a Shadowhunter in battle. One who needed my help.”) But Rupert did not understand—or was unable to express—that he was specifically bound to Chiswick House.  In fact, he says he is not a ghost on this earth at all.

Lucie and Jesse’s understanding was that Tatiana—with Belial—had done something strange to keep Rupert from fully passing over into death. In the Shadowhunter world, typically the death of a magic user would cause all their charms and spells to unravel as a natural process. (We saw this happen when Malcolm was killed in TDA, and Johnny Rook, too.) If it had been just Tatiana binding Rupert, they might have thought that would have happened, but Belial was named, too. However, once both Belial and Tatiana had been killed, there was no reason for Lucie or Jesse to think that any spell would remain to bind Rupert. They would assume that Rupert was freed by the destruction of those who had bound him. They certainly didn’t know that his binding was woven in with Benedict’s complicated and equally unique house-protection spell—that was a special case, and highly unusual—so unusual that it evaded detection for decades even when the house was searched multiple times.

Sadly, once Lucie lost her special ability to command ghosts, they lost the one remaining avenue they would have had to reach Rupert, who could not appear as a ghost voluntarily until many years later, when the binding spell was beginning to deteriorate. And remember, Lucie, Jesse and James can all see ghosts, they've all been to Chiswick, and they've never seen Rupert. They've no reason to believe that even if he was a ghost, he'd be there.

It is indeed tragic that they were not able to help Rupert sooner. They just didn’t have all the information they would have needed to make that happen.

[twstthing]

[A quick change of clothes(kin).]

Minecraft Single Player! Yuu AU

Summary: Yuu(rmom) has a really weird concept of clothing, Deuce and Professor Crewel figure that out the hard way and witness transmutation.

In NRC, every student gets uniforms. It’s only natural that they get enough from their ever so kind headmage.

Crowley, the said headmage, gets Crewel to tailor a uniform for Yuu as a thank you for doing unintended and unpaid repairs for the Ramshackle dorm. The event was bound to come up, having enrolled them as a half-student alongside Grim. 

Making a uniform for a student isn’t as intensive as creating fashion pieces, however both are pieces of art that require the utmost focus and precision. What kind of professor, let alone MAN, would Divus Crewel be if he let himself slack on providing basic needs for a pup? At the very minimum, he swears upon himself to never stoop down to a level of air-headedness that his boss, unfortunately, has. 

To be honest, Crewel has been itching to get Prefect Yuu a new set of clothing for a while now. Ever since that pup landed in NRC, they have been nothing but trouble with an outfit that gives him one of the strongest eye sores he’s ever felt. A plain, loose cyan blue t-shirt with an equally saturated pair of indigo trousers that have no pockets. Not only is it poorly colored, it lacks function.

Perhaps the lack of function could be explained away with how the pup has their own magic storage, pulling stacks of items in and out of thin air with no strain. But those colors? Crewel is a cunning, logical man, but not everything can be reasoned with nor justified.

Additionally, Yuu(rmom) is due for a good shaving and trim. He’s not sure how the teenaged pup has a fully grown (and very well-styled) goatee, but perhaps it’s just genetics. 

Naturally, there are procedural steps to making a set of clothing for someone, and the first and foremost is to gather measurements. It is one of the faster paced processes, but key to executing all other parts. 

Crewel really should have expected that anything dealing with the new prefect would never go normally.

“Yuu, you need that uniform! I promise it doesn’t hurt at all, it’s actually kind of fun!”

Deuce is on his tiptoes in the Alchemy Laboratory, shouting like he is cooing a cat to come down the tree it ran up. In a sense, he is doing exactly that but the cat is actually a person with extra-stiff limbs and reality-altering powers beyond magic.

Said person looks down from their oak wood block tower, doing several impossibly fast 120 degree hip bends while swinging their arm. Deuce knows this version of gestures, recalling Riddle’s presentation on Yuu’s mannerisms with the assistance of Rook and Iida. If Yuu individually does several hip bends first and arm swings second, it indicates “I am here.” and something along the lines of a declaration depending on the context. 

In this context, Yuu is currently on-guard and firmly standing their ground which means Yuu does not want to do measurements.

Inwardly, Deuce gives himself a pat on the back for remembering all of that and reaching a conclusion. But there’s a slightly more pressing matter at hand that he does not have a method or conclusion to, and that is how to convince Yuu to get down from their tower and get their measurements done.

He’s done everything he could, really! 

Deuce truly thought that his cauldron summoning spell would work in knocking Yuu down to ground level, but the moment the cauldron made contact with Yuu you wanna know what happened? The cauldron DID hit Yuu, eliciting a very manly, “OOF!” from them as their body flashed red, but it didn’t even knock them down. After making contact with Yuu, it shrank into one of the pixelated slabs that Yuu creates and fell to the ground with a light clack.

Magic coercion didn’t work, and his words don’t seem to reach the Prefect’s head either.. Sure;

Turning to Professor Crewel, Deuce bows a into a straight 90 degree angle and shouts, “Professor! I apologize in advance for the.. Un- Uh, seemingly display I am about to do!”

Casting aside his blazer and rolling up his dress shirt sleeves, Deuce takes a deep breath. The oak block tower was 5 blocks high, which means it wasn’t unreasonably tall. A lot of things can be overcome so long as you just try to do it, that’s how Deuce learned he was particularly skilled at hurdling during club practice. Just like how he warmed up at practice, Deuce gives two experimental hops, remembering the feeling of how to make himself spring up.

Professor Crewel is no stranger to the reckless activity of teenage boys having been one himself, so his eyes widen as he realizes what Deuce is about to do. 

Three steps backwards and an inhale is all he needs to sprint straight to the oak block tower, and when the moment is just right—not too close, but not too far from the wall—he leaps once. Deuce reaches to just about 3/5ths of the tower, but he closes the gap between him and the top as his left foot pushes off of the tower and launches himself higher. 

Being face-to-face with Yuu wasn’t necessary so long as he could just get them down, so in the moment that Deuce reached his highest point his arms would shoot out to grab onto Yuu’s legs. Deuce can only smirk in triumph as he shouts, “Gotcha!”

From that point on, gravity could do the rest of the work as it pulled him and Yuu downwards. Deuce is completely ready for the fall, but Yuu seems even more flustered than him as their arms flail around and make the fall much more uncertain.

Though, it was only in that moment that Deuce realized he couldn’t make a stable landing when there is another body of weight that he’s holding onto. He can already feel a sore backache or a rolled ankle coming into play as he falls, but the expected pain does not come even after he squeezes his eyes shut.

Instead, he feels a gentle gust of wind below him, lowering him and Yuu close enough to the ground before completely dissipating and letting him land on his butt. The relief of having no injuries sustained is completely overwritten when he feels the piercing gaze of a very furious Professor Crewel towering about him.

“Yuurmom and Deuce Spade.” Crewel practically seethes out, “Both of you pups. Reckless, unruly behavior that would have gotten you both a nice trip to the nurse’s office. Not only will this be reported to your Housewarden, but I also expect a two-pager reflecting on your actions. Deuce Spade, you will write about the dangers of acting before thinking. Yuu, you will be writing about why listening to authority and following instruction is necessary.”

With a heavy sigh, Professor Crewel settles himself down before declaring, “Now bark if you understand my instructions!”

Deuce spends no time in shouting back, “Yes Professor!”, but Yuu remains silent much to his panic. Yuu’s face is just about as neutral as ever, though the slight crease in their eyebrows is indicative of their immense dissatisfaction with the situation. While Deuce really does want to consider his friend’s feelings here, he would really rather not face any more paperwork and reprimanding from Housewarden Riddle, so he jabs Yuu(rmom) with his elbow. 

Two beats of silence afterwards, Yuu utters out, “Yes.” much to Deuce’s relief. 

Professor Crewel lightly massages the crease between his eyebrows, muttering something along the lines of “stressful pups”. Not too shortly, he turns to Yuu and gestures to them, “Now let’s get your measurements done. I don’t know why you have such an aversion to removing your current clothing, but rest assured that the process will not take long and you can put them back on right afterwards.”

To that, Yuu(rmom) launches out of their seated position to stand and rapidly shakes their head, body following behind their head movements. 

Deuce inwardly sighs, ‘Now we’re back at square one.’

“Pup, is there some kind of connection you have with your clothes? Start speaking, because I am not a mind reader.” 

Yuu takes a moment, eyes scanning Deuce and the professor. It’s a bit jarring to Deuce to see Yuu express this much discomfort at anything. Asides from their overall lack of expression, they typically march to their own beat regardless of the situation. If Yuu(rmom) was 100% human like he and Ace were, perhaps they would be breaking out into a sweat. 

“.. I can’t remove my skin.”

“I don’t think clothes are skin, Yuu.” Deuce states without missing a beat. 

Shaking their head, Yuu replies, “Everyone wears skins.” They wave an arm at Deuce, gesturing to his current outfit, “That’s your skin.” then look down and wave an arm, referring to themselves, “This is my skin.”

Professor Crewel is looking up at the ceiling, hoping to find an answer to why he must explain what clothing is. Pushing past the frustration, he thinks to himself. 

Every day, Yuu shows up with the same set of eye-straining blue clothes. Despite how much farming and tussling they do, their clothes do not appear tattered or even remotely affected by the things its been put through. Even when doused in water, Yuu appeared as dry as sand. 

It doesn’t seem like they have a whole closet of the same clothing either, because Ramshackle’s plumbing bill falls much further below average. While it would be possible that the Prefect could just do their laundry by hand or with one of their otherworldly gadgets, Crewel highly doubts that their arms have the.. articulation, to properly wash clothes by hand. 

If he’s on the right track, Yuu’s current clothing might actually be attached to them.

Looking back down, Professor Crewel gazes at Yuu, “Pup, if I give you a uniform—no, a skin—will you be able to put it on?”

Yuu stares back at him, many figurative cogs turning and churning in contrast to their ultra-still body. They slowly turn their head down and up, which seems to be the closest they can get to doing a hesitant nod, letting Deuce and Professor Crewel sigh in relief. 

Deuce leans into Yuu’s space and nudges them, “See? It wasn’t THAT bad.”

From his own spatial storage, Crewel spins out the reference uniform he would have used after acquiring Yuu’s measurements. It is a men’s size large uniform, based on the speculated height of Yuu(rmom) who appears to be around the same height as the especially loud aide of Draconia. The blazer, vest, tie, dress shirt, and pants are folded into a crisp, square-like shape much to the pleasure of Yuu who draws closer to the stack of clothing. 

Crewel hands the clothes to Yuu, who manages to hold it upright without using their fingers at all. He remains straight-faced for professionalism, but Crewel wonders to himself when his brain will stop trying to make sense of the illogic that is Yuu(rmom).

And for a moment, Yuu simply stares at the uniform. The next, Yuu’s silhouette dissolves into pure static along with the jarring din of buzzing noise emitting from them. Deuce lets out a shout of shock that is ultimately drowned out by the noise of static, and both he and Deuce plug their ears to block out the cacophony. 

Professor Crewel still subconsciously tries to make some sense of what he’s seeing, and he sees the shifting silhouette of Prefect Yuu. It goes from the average four-limbed human that he’s familiar with, then phasing into a two-dimensional figuration of various rectangular shapes, and then a three-dimensional cubic rendition of the human body. 

As suddenly as it began, the static ends, and Yuu has returned to a human figure. The uniform is perfectly fitted on them and worn correctly, however something more significant changed with the Prefect.

Deuce exclaims it first, “Yuu! Your hair! YOU SHRANK??!! What the heck just happened??”

While Deuce furiously pats Yuu down for changes while asking a barrage of questions, Professor Crewel notes the most obvious changes to Yuu’s appearance.

The awful clothes are gone in place of the NRC uniform, Yuu’s goatee is completely gone, and their short-cut brown hair has been replaced with longer, green shaggy strands. Not only that, they gained a pair of eyebrows and had their rectangular eye sockets replaced with ones that aligned more closely with a normal eyeball. Though, it appears that the square-ness didn’t completely disappear with their pupils still square-shaped.

What concerned Professor Crewel the most was the change in build and physical age. Yuu(rmom) was taller than the average student, but now they’ve been reduced to a height similar to Ruggie Bucchi. Their previous muscle mass has also been reduced to that of the average teenager's, and their face has regained the kind of residual baby fat that students would have.

It was already known that Yuu(rmom) was not human based on their behavior and supernatural abilities, but they have literally shape-shifted into a first year NRC student which brings into question just exactly how old they are. Were they actually a 16-17 year old masquerading as a more mature person or are they a mature person who can change their appearance at will?

Though, it seems like malicious intentions don’t seem to be on Yuu’s mind considering their previous behavior on demanding farmland and an extreme desire to build cubic buildings. Additionally, behind their unwavering behavior lies a familiar sense of immaturity that blends right into the NRC population. 

It might not be a worry for now, but Crewel decides to store this information for the upcoming staff meeting in two days. 

Crewel lets out a loud “Ahem!”, drawing the immediate attention of Deuce and the now more human-looking Prefect Yuu. 

“Continue your celebrations after you two finish writing your reflections. I expect them to be done by tomorrow afternoon and on my desk before I begin teaching the third year pups.”

The reminder visibly knocks into Deuce as he drops his head down in mild shame, and displeasure is now visible on Yuu’s face as their new eyebrows slightly furrow. 

[dotster001]

Le Chasseur d'Amour Chapter Three

Summary: Rook x gn!reader. Rook and Vil discuss how they are getting closer to you. Your therapist makes a suggestion.

Chapters: One Two Four Five

"This is what Y/N was always trying to come back to?" Vil said disdainfully, covering his mouth and nose daintily with his hand, while Rook sat in the grass, recovering his energy before continuing to follow the trail.

"The air is so thick. And tastes nasty," he said bitterly.

"That's the pollution. It's probably so bad because we are in a big city," Rook said, not bothering to open his eyes.

"And Y/N wanted to find a way back to this?" Vil asked horrified.

"Y/N doesn't live in this city."

Vil choked on his own breath. "Sorry? Then where do they live?"

Rook tilted his head, his pen glowing as he briefly initiated his signature spell.

"Not too far."

Vil stared.

"How far is, not too far?"

Rook shrugged. Vil glared. 

"Rook…"

"You can always go home, if you wish, Roi du poison. Or you can transmute some more gold while I rest."

Vil huffed. "Fine."

He grabbed some materials from his bag, and started to alchemically make some more gold. Luckily, gold seemed to be pretty universal. Though he'd been told by the nice bus driver that got them this far, it would be safer to trade it in for cash as soon as possible.

And Vil still had no idea where they were. Based on the way they'd been traveling, you were at least on this land mass. But the way Rook was talking, you could be miles away, or in the next neighborhood. There was just no way for Vil to know.

"Are you at least positive you know where they are?"

"Oui."

"Is it far enough that we should get a hotel for the night?"

Rook opened his mouth, but Vil quickly interrupted.

"You need proper rest, Rook. Just resting your eyes for an hour will do nothing. What happens if you overblot in a world where no one can defend themselves?"

Rook opened his eyes, and took his turn to scowl.

"We'll need a hotel for tonight. But not after that."

Vil nodded. "Good. I'm sure Y/N will appreciate you at least pretending to look healthy."

This made Rook smile as he closed his eyes again.

….

"See?" You pointed to the broken mirror. Your therapist, upon getting your call, had insisted on seeing it for themselves. As your mind had cleared in the hour that had passed, you realized it was less about seeing the mirror, and more about making sure you hadn't accidentally hurt yourself in the midst of your attack. 

Cause that's what this was, right? They were bound to happen from time to time, especially to someone in your situation.

"Hmm, let me see your hands."

You held them out, and she examined them, looking for scratches.

"And you're certain nothing else was in here that you could have used to break it yourself?"

You shook your head.

Your therapist sighed. "I don't mean this in a bad way, but I really wish your situation could be easy just once. If just one piece could fall into place…"

She trailed off, probably after seeing your distress plain on your face.

"It's just that you've suffered enough. If that final puzzle piece came into place, this could be over and you could move on with your life."

Your thoughts flashed to Rook, and his emerald green eyes that you had definitely seen in the mirror. But you kept your mouth shut. You weren't ready to lose him. Not yet.

Your therapist sighed. 

"I don't have an answer Y/N. You didn't break it with your bare hands but there's nothing else in here you could have broken it with. I think it might just be a relapse. Your brain trying to take you back to that world for a moment, and your body fighting it."

That made sense, you guess. But for a moment there, you truly believed the mirror was burning on the edges. You saw his eyes! A part of you had felt relieved seeing them, even if your logical mind knew that he might have been your kidnapper. Maybe he wasn't though? Maybe he was kidnapped with you, and you had bonded. You low-key were hoping for that option.

"So what should I do then?" You asked.

"Get some rest. Take a couple days off. Maybe take a trip to the beach or the countryside? Get some fresh air." She said, placing a gentle hand on your shoulder, before saying goodbye, talking to your family, then leaving.

….

It was three days later. Or nights, really. You had been deep in a dream, your cheek being softly caressed as Rook sang to you a song in a language you didn't understand, but sounded vaguely like French.

You were startled awake in your cabin bed by a voice invading your dreams.

"Again, I must protest breaking into Y/N's home in the middle of the night."

You knew that voice…who was that? Why did you know that voice?

You blinked your eyes, clearing the dream out, and the voice.

Or not.

"Roi du Poison, if you think I can wait until morning, then-"

"Sevens, just shut up."

You froze, eyes flicking around your room looking for a place to hide. Under the bed was a no go, the frame went to the floor, probably to keep vacationers from losing their things. There wasn't a closet, only a dresser. You could hide behind the curtains, but that would be the first place they looked. 

Maybe your sleepy brain wasn't in peak condition. Maybe later, you would look back and see how dumb you were. But…if you pretended to be asleep…would they steal what they wanted, and get out quietly?

You tried to slow your breathing, and closed your eyes, turning on your side. You held your phone in your hand, ready to call for help in seconds if you had to.

The door slowly creaked open, and one of the voices gasped in, if you had to guess, delight. This was quickly followed by what sounded like someone being punched.

"I know what you're thinking. Don't you dare."

You heard a small growl, followed by a soft, "fine."

Soft footsteps made their way to your bedside. The side of the bed sank, as someone sat down next to you. Your breath hitched as a hand cupped your cheek.

"Mon lapin. Réveillez-vous."

"Rook, I don't think-"

You sat bolt upright on hearing his name. There he was, staring at you with an ecstatic grin. Over his shoulder was someone you vaguely recognized. You remembered he was a model of some sort, in your delusion.

His violet eyes widened as you made eye contact.

And in a moment of brilliance, you threw your phone at his face.

....

Tag list- @shytastemakerthing @eccedentesiast-sapphic @leoll @stygianoir @urminebutidontwantyou @b10h4z4rd @mahi-does-some-art

[heartscrypt]

meet the world's worst girlboy, cyrus de seirene! he's twisted from the mermaids in peter pan, as well as ursula's vanessa form in the little mermaid

pspspsp come ask me about her pspspsps

MORE INFO UNDER CUT

NICKNAMES:

Koi Fish / Nishikigoi-chan [Floyd]

MISC:

Monsieur Sea Starlet / Monsieur Étoile de Mer [Rook]

He was once bound to his job at the Mostro Lounge through a contract, but after Azul's overblot, he has continued to perform out of his own free will... though it tends to be based on whether he feels like it that day, which is deeply upsetting to Azul (who would much prefer Cyrus to at least show up on a consistent schedule). However, Cyrus literally does not care. He lives on his own time. Much like he does with Floyd, Azul just has to deal with it.

Cyrus is Azul's voice trainer. This is a leftover aspect of the contract, from when Azul needed to plausibly sound like Cyrus for Swim With Us to activate. Post contract-destruction, however, he still serves as Azul's voice trainer "because Inky soooo needs it. Where would he even be without me? Don't ever say I'm not as generous as the Sea Witch."

The contract she made with Azul was in her sophomore year (Azul's freshman year, when he started the Mostro Lounge). It dictated that in exchange for continual updates on the life of Cyrus's ex (super messy, we do NOT have the time for that), Cyrus would attract customers to the newly opened cafe using any means necessary for as long as Cyrus attended NRC. For the deal's collateral, Cyrus gave up Swim With Us.

However, Azul was rarely allowed full use of Swim With Us because 1) Cyrus needed it to continually perform duties at the Mostro Lounge, since the contract's terms lasted for as long as he was at NRC and 2) Cyrus pointed out that Azul would have a hard time completely taking Cyrus's voice for himself, considering everyone at NRC likely had heard Cyrus sing or speak at one point. They settled on imbuing Swim With Us into a cheap Coral Sea souvenir shell-shaped pendant that Cyrus would wear around his neck and which Azul had the right to take off of him and wear whenever he needed it.

In the heyday of Cyrus's contract with Azul, Cyrus didn't only use Swim With Me to lure students into the cafe. She'd also use her magic to subliminally message customers into staying longer, buying more and more items off the menu, and tipping generously. Definitely unscrupulous business practice, but hell if Cyrus cares. It's not any worse than targeted advertising. Post-contract destruction, she's toned down on using Swim With Me to influence customers. Mostly only because the spell drains a lot of energy that she could be using to.... I dunno. File her nails and scroll through Magicam while Azul glares at her because she's still technically on the clock even if she's not singing.

Although Floyd refers to her as Koi Fish / Nishikigoi-chan, Cyrus's merform actually more closely resembles a clearfin lionfish.

FULL SPRITE:

In her human form, she bears a striking resemblance to Prince Rielle-- from afar, they look incredibly similar, save for hair shade, hair style, and eye color. She sometimes leverages this similarity to her advantage, but generally dislikes the comparison. Her merform is much more distinct in appearance so she pretty much only gets this comparison when she's on land.

[whumpily-ever-after]

Whumpy Book List #3

Hello! As requested, here is another book list. Some of these books will contain a list of whump tropes and others will not. I did not take notes while reading, and I don't remember the exact tropes. There is at least a little bit of whump in each book.

Happy reading!

List below the cut

The Last Sun (The Tarot Sequence #1) by K.D. Edwards

Summary: Rune Saint John, last child of the fallen Sun Court, is hired to search for Lady Judgment's missing son, Addam, on New Atlantis, the island city where the Atlanteans moved after ordinary humans destroyed their original home. With his companion and bodyguard, Brand, he questions Addam's relatives and business contacts through the highest ranks of the nobles of New Atlantis. But as they investigate, they uncover more than a missing man: a legendary creature connected to the secret of the massacre of Rune's Court. In looking for Addam, can Rune find the truth behind his family's death and the torments of his past?

Genre: Fantasy, urban fantasy, magic, MM romance, Mystery, adult

Whump tropes: Past trauma

 Liar City by Allie Therin

Summary: A murder has Seattle on edge, and it falls to a pacifist empath—and a notorious empath hunter—to find the killer before it's too late It’s the middle of the night when part-time police consultant and full-time empath Reece gets an anonymous call warning him that his detective sister needs his help. At an out-of-the-way Seattle marina, he discovers that three people have been butchered—including the author of the country’s strictest anti-empathy bill, which is just days from being passed into law. Soon, Reece’s caller a shadowy government agent known as The Dead Man, who is rumored to deal exclusively in cases involving empathy. He immediately takes over the investigation, locking out both local PD and the FBI, but, strangely, keeps Reece by his side. As the two track an ever-growing trail of violence and destruction across Seattle, Reece must navigate a scared and angry city, an irritating attraction to his mysterious agent companion, and a rising fear that perhaps empaths like him aren’t all flight and no fight after all…

Genre: Fantasy, mystery, paranormal, MM romance, urban fantasy

Magic in Manhattan Series (Spellbound, Starcrossed, and Wonderstruck) by Allie Therin

Summary: To save Manhattan, they’ll have to save each other first… New York, 1925 Arthur Kenzie’s life’s work is protecting the world from the supernatural relics that could destroy it. When an amulet with the power to control the tides is shipped to New York, he must intercept it before it can be used to devastating effects. This time, in order to succeed, he needs a powerful psychometric…and the only one available has sworn off his abilities altogether. Rory Brodigan’s gift comes with great risk. To protect himself, he’s become a recluse, redirecting his magic to find counterfeit antiques. But with the city’s fate hanging in the balance, he can’t force himself to say no. Being with Arthur is dangerous, but Rory’s ever-growing attraction to him begins to make him brave. And as Arthur coaxes him out of seclusion, a magical and emotional bond begins to form. One that proves impossible to break—even when Arthur sacrifices himself to keep Rory safe and Rory must risk everything to save him.

Genre: Fantasy, historical fiction, MM romance, paranormal, magic, urban fantasy

Spell Bound by F. T. Lukens

Summary: Edison Rooker isn’t sure what to expect when he enters the office of Antonia Hex, the powerful sorceress who runs a call center for magical emergencies. He doesn’t have much experience with hexes or curses. Heck, he doesn’t even have magic. But he does have a plan—to regain the access to the magical world he lost when his grandmother passed. Antonia is…intimidating, but she gives him a job and a new name—Rook—both of which he’s happy to accept. Now all Rook has to do is keep his Spell Binder, an illegal magical detection device, hidden from the Magical Consortium. And contend with Sun, the grumpy and annoyingly cute apprentice to Antonia’s rival colleague, Fable. But dealing with competition isn’t so bad; as Sun seems to pop up more and more, and Rook minds less and less. But when the Consortium gets wind of Rook’s Spell Binder, they come for Antonia. All alone, Rook runs to the only other magical person he knows: Sun. Except Fable has also been attacked, and now Rook and Sun have no choice but to work together to get their mentors back…or face losing their magic forever.

Genre: Fantasy, young adult, MM romance, urban fantasy, magic

A Market of Dreams and Destiny by Trip Galey

Summary: Below Covent Garden lies the Untermarkt, where anything and everything has a price: a lover’s first blush, a month of honesty, a wisp of fortune. As a child, Deri was sold to one of the Market’s most powerful merchants. Now, after years of watchful servitude, Deri finally spots a chance to buy not only his freedom but also his place amongst the Market’s elite when he stumbles into the path of a runaway princess desperate to sell her royal destiny. But news of the missing princess and her wayward destiny spreads. Royal enforcers and Master Merchants alike are after it. Outmanoeuvring them all would all be hard enough had Deri not just also met the love of his life, a young man called Owain, whose employers are using the Market for their own nefarious schemes. Deri soon finds that the price of selling the royal destiny, making a name for himself, and saving the man he loves is dear. The cost of it all might just change the destiny of London forever.

Genre: Fantasy, MM romance, historical fiction, urban fantasy

Saint of Steel Series by T. Kingfisher

Summary: Stephen's god died on the longest day of the year… Three years later, Stephen is a broken paladin, living only for the chance to be useful before he dies. But all that changes when he encounters a fugitive named Grace in an alley and witnesses an assassination attempt gone wrong. Now the pair must navigate a web of treachery, beset on all sides by spies and poisoners, while a cryptic killer stalks one step behind…

Genre: Fantasy, mystery, romance

Silver Under Nightfall and Court of Wanderers by Rin Chupeco

Summary: Remy Pendergast is many things: the only son of the Duke of Valenbonne (though his father might wish otherwise), an elite bounty hunter of rogue vampires, and an outcast among his fellow Reapers. His mother was the subject of gossip even before she eloped with a vampire, giving rise to the rumors that Remy is half-vampire himself. Though the kingdom of Aluria barely tolerates him, Remy’s father has been shaping him into a weapon to fight for the kingdom at any cost. When a terrifying new breed of vampire is sighted outside of the city, Remy prepares to investigate alone. But then he encounters the shockingly warmhearted vampire heiress Xiaodan Song and her infuriatingly arrogant fiancé, vampire lord Zidan Malekh, who may hold the key to defeating the creatures—though he knows associating with them won’t do his reputation any favors. When he’s offered a spot alongside them to find the truth about the mutating virus Rot that’s plaguing the kingdom, Remy faces a choice. It’s one he’s certain he’ll regret. But as the three face dangerous hardships during their journey, Remy develops fond and complicated feelings for the couple. He begins to question what he holds true about vampires, as well as the story behind his own family legacy. As the Rot continues to spread across the kingdom, Remy must decide where his loyalties lie: with his father and the kingdom he’s been trained all his life to defend or the vampires who might just be the death of him.

Genre: Fantasy, vampires, LGBTQIA+, gothic

The Druid Stone by Heidi Belleau

Summary: Sean never asked to be an O'Hara, and he didn't ask to be cursed by one either. After inheriting a hexed druid stone from his great-grandfather, Sean starts reliving another man's torture and death...every single night. And only one person can help. Cormac Kelly runs a paranormal investigation business and doesn't have time to deal with misinformed tourists like Sean. But Sean has real magic in his pocket, and even though Cormac is a descendant of legendary druids, he soon finds himself out of his depth...and not because Sean's the first man he's felt anything for in a long time. The pair develop an unexpected and intensely sexual bond, but are threatened at every turn when Sean's case attracts the unwelcome attention of the mad sidhe lords of ancient Ireland. When Sean and Cormac are thrust backward in time to Ireland's violent history—and their own dark pasts—they must work together to escape the curse and save their fragile relationship.

Genre: Fantasy, time travel, MM romance, contemporary

Whump tropes: Curses, sent through time, torture

Whisper into the Night by Jay Leigh

Summary: Theo Moreau never wanted to be involved with politics, but when his mother wins the presidential election, he reluctantly agrees to tag along for his younger siblings. Nothing could have prepared him to juggle his anxiety, complex family dynamics, and the complicated world of the White House. Lacking supportive friends and family, he leans on his steadfast Secret Service agent as tensions rise across the divisive political landscape and the dangers of being close to the president come to the surface. Agent Connor O’Brien always wanted to be a hero, so working on the protective detail for the First Family seems like the perfect opportunity. What he isn’t expecting is to fall head over heels for the man under his protection. As their relationship blossoms, the foundation of the administration grows more unstable and the chatter from America’s right-wing demographic rises to a fever pitch. But when Theo becomes the target of their campaign, the stakes get even higher. Unsure of who to trust, and with little help from the President, Theo and Connor join forces with their motley group of friends to unravel the mystery of who is working against them from inside the White House before the situation turns explosive. As the sinister reach of this masked shadow spreads, Theo and Connor grow even closer and the magnitude of everything they risk losing propels them into a race against the nefarious mastermind, desperately clinging to the hope they’ve found in one another before their dream come true turns into a nightmare.

Genre: Contemporary, MM romance, suspense

Whump tropes: Anxiety, asthma, kidnapping, bad parents, bodyguard

Adonis by L Sherleen

Summary: Accused of a hate crime and expelled from school in his final year, Connor returns home to his seaside town to let everything blow over. There, not only does he have to learn to deal with the addition of two new stepbrothers and a new stepdad, but he also has to grapple with a world set against him. It’s not all bad though. Within his dad’s underwater lab, he discovers something in the deep. Something exciting. Something that calls to him. Something that doesn't shy away from the ugly in him as the world does. And Connor could use the distraction…even if it endangers his life.

Genre: Fantasy, MM romance, mermaids, science fiction, mystery

Whump tropes: Found family (kind of), bad parents, kidnapping, false accusations

A Rake of His Own by A.J. Lancaster

Summary: Marius Valstar doesn’t know which is worse: the dead body in his greenhouse or the naked fae prince on his desk. The only rakes of interest to Marius are garden tools. Not fae princes. Certainly not the arrogant, selfish fae prince he has the misfortune to have a history with. But when Prince Rakken turns up naked and bleeding in Marius’s college the same day a body appears in his greenhouse, scruples must take second place to solving a murder that could unravel the delicate balance between humans and fae. Marius’s own developing magical powers are more hindrance than help – as is Rakken’s bloodied past. Forced to work together, they must forge an uneasy alliance if they are to track down the killer. But how can Marius trust the man who represents everything he’s trying to avoid?

Genre: Fantasy, fae, MM romance, mystery

Whump tropes: Pain from telepathy, attempted murder, bodyguard

Wicked Fox by Kat Cho

Summary: Eighteen-year-old Gu Miyoung has a secret--she's a gumiho, a nine-tailed fox who must devour the energy of men in order to survive. Because so few believe in the old tales anymore, and with so many evil men no one will miss, the modern city of Seoul is the perfect place to hide and hunt. But after feeding one full moon, Miyoung crosses paths with Jihoon, a human boy, being attacked by a goblin deep in the forest. Against her better judgment, she violates the rules of survival to rescue the boy, losing her fox bead--her gumiho soul--in the process. Jihoon knows Miyoung is more than just a beautiful girl--he saw her nine tails the night she saved his life. His grandmother used to tell him stories of the gumiho, of their power and the danger they pose to humans. He's drawn to her anyway. With murderous forces lurking in the background, Miyoung and Jihoon develop a tenuous friendship that blossoms into something more. But when a young shaman tries to reunite Miyoung with her bead, the consequences are disastrous . . . forcing Miyoung to choose between her immortal life and Jihoon's.

Genre: Fantasy, young adult, mythology, romance

[poisonioushearts]

Forgotten

Characters: All dorms plus Grim

Gender neutral reader

Warnings: not proofread, possibly grammatical errors

Synopsis/tags: Reader gets hit with a spell that makes them forget what was most important to them. Everyone thinks that it must be their home but it ends up being him, angst, angst/no comfort

Notes: I was feeling particularly evil today but in the end I was near sobbing

Do not repost, reblog only

You stirred awake with your head pounding.

Where were you?

You blinked, things started to take shape and you stared up at the familiar white walls of the infirmary.

“Ah, Prefect! Glad to see you have woken up. Do you recall what happened?”

You frowned, sitting up slightly, “I was walking to my dorm and then someone,” you paused trying to recall the events, “Someone shouted my name and that is it…”

“Ah well, allow me to explain after all my graciousness knows no bounds,” his smile faltered as he continued to speak, “some students were messing around with spells and it seems you have gotten hit with a ‘forgetting spell’. One that makes you forget what was the most important to you.”

You frowned, “Is there a cure?”

He sighed, I am afraid the answer to that is unclear. Now, tell me, do you recall from where you hail?”

“I am from [home]. You asked me this on my first day here.”

Crowley’s facial expressions faltered, “Oh dear,” he waved his hand, “nonetheless someone is here to see you.”

The door opened and he came in but instead of your usual greeting he often received you frowned.

“Who are you?”

He had rushed in with a relieved smile on his face, starting to talk to you and ask you if you were alright. Once the question left your lips his world shattered. You didn’t know who he was? Wait, that meant he was your favorite person! That sliver of happiness faded once he fully realized that you didn’t remember who he was and you’d probably never remember. He will try and do anything for you to remember him again, to remember all the times you’ve spent together. He loved you and now he wasn’t sure if he’d ever know how you felt before.

Kalim, Carter, Rook, Floyd, Ruggie

The lecture he was about to give fell away and his eyes went wide. His facade begins to crumble. You didn’t remember who he was? He will spend countless nights trying to find a cure trying to make you remember who he was. He wants your conversations back, he wants you back. Please remember him. Please.

Vil, Trey, Sebek, Azul, Leona, Riddle, Jamil

He refuses this fact. He refuses to believe this. It must be a prank. There must be a cure. He will not rest or give up until something is solved, even at the risk of his own health and at the risk that you may just never remember who he is again. All the while keeping up the lie of ‘I’m fine’.

Floyd, Epel, Jack, Ace, Sebek

He accepts it because he may be used to losing things, but he doesn’t give up. He will talk to you, he will try and be a friend to you. It doesn’t matter that the relationship is starting over from scratch, he will do whatever it takes to make sure he doesn’t lose this one. He still hopes that maybe you can get your memories back, but he isn’t relying on it.

Lilia, Jamil, Malleus, Jack, Deuce, Jade, Silver

This was one of the rare times he left his room but once he hears the news he leaves right away, refusing to look at the confused and calculating expression on your face. Back in his room he either looks back on all the fun times you had together. How unfortunate it had to end. He refuses to leave his safe space even more now.

Idia

He hates this feelingbut he doesn’t realize what it is at first. He soon finds out that he is feeling upset, sad, and even a little bit of grief. He will find a cure. No worries he doesn’t need rest or food he will even beg his older brother to help him bring you back.

Ortho

He holds back the tears that water in his eyes but it doesn’t help.He starts to sob. He can’t help it, the one person who clearly accepted him, even almost from the start, had forgotten him. He was your favorite, and now he may never get to experience it again.

Grim

Thank you for reading. Reblogs are greatly appreciated.

[justacatiguess]

Sad Rook noises.

I may be the only one disappointed about crypt baby! This is a quick little bit I had thrown together for a possible rook in the mourn watch before we knew about the backgrounds. Oh well.

---

Seph set down the tea tray with a clatter, sending tomb dust into the air. The ancient stone chamber was dimly lit by flickering candlelight, casting eerie shadows on the crumbling walls adorned with faded Nevarran runes. Cobwebs hung like delicate veils in the corners, and the scent of musty earth permeated the air.

"Tea time!" she announced. She dusted her seat before sitting down. The crow on her shoulder fluttered down to the altar, eyeing the pile of tea cakes with keen interest.

A skull on the altar glowed faintly from the recesses of its eyes. "What is the occasion for this most unexpected visit?"

"Tut! Manners. You haven't asked how I am."

The skull sighed, its faint glow flickering. "Very well. How are you, dear Persephone?"

"Very well, thank you." Seph broke off a piece of a tea cake and offered it to the bird, who cawed happily before pecking at it.

She pursed her lips and stared at the skull, tipping her head towards the crow.

"Oh for all the-" The skull sighed. "And you, crow?" The crow cawed as it pursued a crumb rolling away.

"Tea cake?" Seph set a plate next to the skull.

The glow in the skulls eyes shifted as the skull watched the crow. "Did you name this one?"

Seph brushed a strand of her pale hair from her face, hiding her face from the skull. "Of course not, don't be silly. It's just a bird." She fed Maestro another bit of tea cake.

The skull was not convinced. "If you can name a bird... You know I can't remember mine. Why can't I have one?"

Seph waved a hand in the air, causing the candle flames to dance. "Nevermind that. You asked why I am celebrating. Don't you want to know?"

"I'm dying to know," the skull replied dryly.

Persephone grimaced at the pun but settled in to tell her story.

"Today marks the anniversary of my escape from Tevinter. Did I ever tell you how it happened?"

The skull's glow dimmed slightly, signaling its attention.

"That day... Usually, I woke to a swift kick on the side from Talil to get to work. But when I woke, the shadows were long in the room, and I was alone. I rolled off my mat freezing, as the big oven wasn't even lit."

She paused, her fingers tracing the rim of her teacup. "I panicked. If Talil didn't get breakfast out soon, we'd get a switch or two for sure."

Seph's voice trembled. "Then I heard the master's voice and followed it through the service hall to the dining parlor."

The skull's glow brightened, "Your master? I didn't know you're a slave."

"Was." She corrected.

Her eyes darkened as she continued. "I saw him there with one of his friends. Then I saw Talil. All propped up on a chair as if she had joined them for a late-night chat."

Persephone's grip tightened on her teacup.

"She was riddled with knife marks, her eyes gouged out."

The skull darkened in sympathy.

"Then I noticed the demon. They had it bound in some sort of spell. Blood magic, I wager. Took me a bit of a moment to realize they were trying to settle a bet."

Seph lowered her voice and spoke in a drunk slur. "'The last one stood taller than the door frame." She mimicked.

She then leaned a little to the side and said in a snivelling voice reminiscent of her master:

"Pfaw, this one is only a hair shorter, but look at that girth. The size of those claws."

She tilted back to her original posture and took a sip of her tea before continuing.

"Master said he would get another slave to continue the game."

The skull's glow flickered, "Did you kill them then?

Persephone's eyes met the skull's empty sockets. "No, I was too afraid. I hid. Eventually his guest left and master went to bed. Stabbed his sleeping body until it had more holes than Talil's."

"How'd you end up here of all places?" The skull asked.

Seph laughed. "When I was younger the kitchen maids would tell me ghastly things when I misbehaved. Usually it was how the master would make me a mummy in Nevarra and have me tortured for an eternity. I wanted my master to suffer like that."

Persephone looked down at her hands, as if seeing the blood again. "So I sawed his head off, with much difficulty, of course."

The skull's glow dimmed. "His head? You took his head?"

"Yes. I went into his boudoir, picked out a nice outfit, cleaned myself up, found a bag to pack him in, hid my ears with a ridiculous hat—still have it. And now here we are, having this lovely little tea party, a year later."

"What... er, what was his name?" the skull asked quietly, dreading the answer.

"Hmm?" Persephone shook her head as if to dislodge the memories. "Oh dear, you think your-?" she leaned back, pealing with laughter. 

"No, no, his skull was beyond rotted out by the time I made it here. I found you in a collapsed alcove in this tomb."

"Oh, well, that's a relief."

Persephone lifted her teacup and took a ladylike sip. "Needless to say I was quite disappointed. The kitchen maids had made it all up. Nothing here but dusty sorts that go on about honoring the dead. A shame, really."

"Personally, I prefer the honoring to the torturing," the skull said.

Seph shook her head, as if to return back to the present. "Well, chores to do, and all that." She stood and stretched her back. "I don't suppose your going to eat that tea cake?"

"Ha. Very funny."

Seph rearranged the teaware on the platter. She motioned to the bird. "Come on, Maestro." The crow hopped obediently onto her shoulder.

"I knew it." The skull glowed indignantly.  "Might want to remember that whole honoring the dead bit, hmm? Give the ol' skull a name?"

"Perhaps next time. So much to do! Toodles!"

[lgbtqreads]

hi!! i know this has beeb asked before but not for a while and I thought there might be some releases since then, so : any Queer High Fantasy? I've been recommended Priory of the Orange Tree before. Thank you!!

Not sure when the last time was but here’s what’s currently on my radar! (You can also find these here, and an asterisk means it’s not out yet: https://lgbtqreads.com/sff/spec-fic-by-subgenre/) I bolded some of the ones that are newer or coming out in the next few months.

MG

*Splinter & Ash by Marieke Nijkamp – NB

Sir Callie by Esme Symes-Smith – NB

YA

Female Protags

The Winter Duke by Claire Eliza Bartlett

The Never Tilting World by Rin Chupeco – L

Queen of Coin and Whispers by Helen Corcoran

Of Fire and Stars by Audrey Coulthurst – L,B

Inkmistress by Audrey Coulthurst – B

The Impostor Queen by Sarah Fine – B

Noble Falling and Noble Persuasion by Sara Gaines

Rule by Ellen Goodlett

Havenfall by Sara Holland

*Hearts Forged in Dragon Fire by Erica Hollis

The Afterward by EK Johnston

Empirium by Claire Legrand – B

Belle Révolte by Linsey Miller – BA

These Feathered Flames by Alexandra Overy

The Midnight Lie by Marie Rutkoski

It Ends in Fire by Andrew Shvarts

Beneath the Citadel by Destiny Soria – B, A

The Third Daughter and The Second Son by Adrienne Tooley

Shatter the Sky by Rebecca Kim Wells – B

The Thousand Names by Django Wexler

Male Protags

Cloaked in Shadow by Ben Alderson

The Runebinder Chronicles by Alex R. Kahler

Skybound by Alex London

So This is Ever After by F.T. Lukens

Beneath the Citadel by Destiny Soria

The Sunbearer Trials by Aiden Thomas – T

Non-Binary Protags

Spell Bound by FT Lukens

Mask of Shadows by Linsey Miller – GF

*A Hundred Vicious Turns by Lee Paige O’Brien

Adult

Female Protags

A Broken Blade by Melissa Blair

Tales of Inthya by Effie Calvin

The Vanished Queen by Lisbeth Campbell

Rook & Rose by M.A. Carrick

The Night and its Moon by Piper CJ

The Unbroken by C.L. Clark

*Warmongers by C.L. Clark

The Gardener’s Hand by Felicia Davin

*The Water Outlaws by S.L. Huang

Dragonfall by L.R. Lam

The Unspoken Name by A.K. Larkwood

The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon

From Under the Mountain by C.M. Spivey

The Drowning Empire by Andrea Stewart (Amz)

The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri

Malice by Heather Walter

When Women Were Warriors series by Catherine M. Wilson

Male Protags

Kirith Kirin by Jim Grimsley

The Cadeleonian series by Ginn Hale

Tales From Verania by T.J. Klune

A Chorus of Dragons by Jenn Lyons

The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon

*Dark Moon, Shallow Sea by David R. Slayton

Stagsblood Trilogy by Gideon E. Wood

Genderqueer Protags

*The Water Outlaws by S.L. Huang

[pinkchaosart]

So I've been absolutely obsessed with F.T. Luken's newest book called Spell Bound. Like, reading and listening to it over and over and over because it's just SO CUTE and I wish we could have had more of Rook and Sun. The two of them are just so sweet and eerily familiar if you know anything at all about my OCs. I really enjoyed the book's magic system, the dynamic between the younger characters and the older ones, and it was so funny and relatable. If you're into magical, character-driven, queer fiction, give this book a read.

If you enjoyed this work, leave a like and reblog 💖

[return-to-twisted-wonderland]

🔆anon

Dusk wasn’t friends with Vil, per se. They got along well enough, but that was because they shared some friends. If that didn’t happen, Dusk wouldn’t have been shocked if the two of them were hostile or at the least unfriendly. But during the SDC, he grew to be more respectful, and a little scared, of Vil.

Shocking to everyone he told, Dusk was part of the SDC. He was only part of the team technically, and only because of a lot of bargaining that he could use his science club knowledge to help Rook with any special effects for the song as well as Kalim’s begging for another friend to be allowed in.

Dusk also was not going to get any prize money, but it’s not like he was hurting for money. It was fun seeing all the dancing even if he was just in charge of starting and stop the music.

But a bit before the competition, Dusk and Rook noticed something was off. Earlier the two had gotten Vil to watch their competition’s rehearsal with them, and there seemed to be some change in Vil’s eyes as he went back to the dressing rooms. His whole body language seemed different, like he made his choice to do something. Something unsavory.

Rook and Dusk both decided to follow, and saw Vil trying to give Neige a bottle of apple juice that was far from trustworthy. Nothing about it outright seemed wrong, still sealed and had the normal color, but Dusk wouldn’t trust anything Vil gave out right now.

Luckily, Rook was able to convince Neige to hand over the juice and run off. Once Neige was out of sight, Rook raised the bottle but moved as if he was going to drink it, but Kalim showed up right then to call out to him and get him not to drink any of it.

Rook smashed the bottle leaving the liquid inside to turn to a purple bubbling mess. It smelled rancid. Dusk could only cover his nose and move away, but it didn’t do much to dull the smell.

Vil looked at the puddle on the floor, himself, only to start hyperventilating. Dusk immediately connected the dots. At the very least, this wasn’t going anywhere good, but the most likely outcome if nothing happened was an overblot.

Dusk immediately let loose his unique magic. While he knew and expected what the spell would do, he didn’t expect it to overwhelm him to that extent.

His chest physically hurt and he felt sick to his stomach, more than usual. He couldn’t fight doubling over as the sudden emotions engulfed his reality. He heard the voices of Kalim, Rook, and Vil arguing, but he wasn’t able to understand them much.

Dusk tried to calm himself down with deep breaths, but the next thing he knew it became hard to breathe. The air was clouded with some purple smoke that hurt the lungs. At the very least, that snapped him back to his senses. It broth him back in time to see Vil fully overblot. Jamil came soon after on a flying carpet, bringing them away and to the stage.

Dusk knew two things. One, he failed to do anything with his unique magic. And two, he better get back to himself in time for the fight that was now bound to happen.

Take a rest Dusk, you'll need it. Let the others handle it for a bit.

[dilatorywriting]

(Edit: I think this is the longest text wall I've ever sent you. I'm so so sorry - Reaper) so! about the selkie ask from the other anon

Funny thing is, I was clearing out my old tumblr blog a few days ago, and stumbled across that very post as I was mass deleting everything I'd ever reblogged. Unfortunately, I can't link it to you, because I misjudged how tumblr saves things in your likes. Apparently, if you like a post on your own blog, that you yourself reblogged, then delete the post, it also deletes the like. I did not know that. RIP all those posts I wanted to save, including that selkie one.

Anyway, at the time, that post gave me brainrot for an Azul AU that could maybe fit with your Monster Mayhem series? But I sat on it because: A) I have already cursed you with Rook brainrot. I have done enough damage B) I was aware that you were doing your exams this past week. I do not wish to be distracting C) I am invested in your Leona and Rook stories at the moment. On the off chance that this new brainrot would infect you as well, then I would be shooting both of us in the foot

But then. Mystery selkie anon comes from somewhere in the blind eternities and speaks about the exact post that inflicted my brainrot? I will take this as a sign from the gods to spill the Azul brainrot, for better or worse. I apologize in advance.

So.

Azul is some description of very old, very magical, eldritch horror sea beast. He was asleep for centuries, somewhere in a deep, dark, forgotten part of the ocean. And then some idiot woke him up.

Azul wakes to find that humanity has changed so much since last he saw it. The lower lifeforms (read: short-lived mortals) had flourished in a way that he and other beings like him had never expected. Speaking of others like him, he also finds that he's alone - he can't sense of any of the other eltdritch horror beings he remembers from long ago. He can't tell whether they're asleep somewhere, like he was, banished, or dead. He doesn't quite care either, it's not as if he was friends with any of them.

Instead he observes the humans. He's always been fascinated with humans. Their determination and what they could achieve despite their fleeting existence. It was a human, who'd put him to sleep all those years ago, after all.

Eventually, he's not satisfied anymore with watching from afar, and decides he wants to walk among them. To see them closer, perhaps even rise above them, have them revere him as they once did others of his kind, as they should have done to him in the old days but didn't. It's also lonely, so far down in the deepest darkest ocean depths. Not that Azul would ever admit that.

So Azul turns to his collection and knowledge of ancient magicks. Twsiting spells with odd rules and loopholes that he loves so much. The same tricky spells that the humans used to come to him for, while they worshiped the others. He chooses one that will allow him to shapeshift his body into that of a human, but it has a rather pricey trade off. In order to convert a being such as him into something so small and solid, there's a tiny issue of matter and energy displacement, conservation, and condensation and such. Very complicated things. In short, the spell requires that a physical object be imbued with his displaced essence, to maintain the human form. It's a very old and quite common shapeshifting spell, and the humans have many myths about it, not seeming to realize that it all comes from the same spell. Myths about creatures whose power is bound to an object. Dragons and their gemstones, Selkies and their coats, Foxes and their tails.

But it's a risky trade. Should another being come into possession of that imbued object, and take ownership of it, they would too take control of its true owner. Azul knows this well, he'd used that loophole to his advantage many times in the past. Considering this very carefully, he chooses his object. A trinket would be too shiny, too noticable, too easily misplaced. It must be something plain and common. Something no-one really thinks of taking, something one would normally have on them at all times as a human. He chooses a coat.

And Azul goes ashore.

Meanwhile, our MC runs modest little magic shop in the village. It's nothing incredibly fancy and their own magic abilities are nothing really to brag home about. They deal in common "entertainment" magic mostly. Talismans that change water to juice, or bread to chocolate. Little poppers that make tiny indoor fireworks. A potion that instantly makes a few daisies grow. Little things, mostly geared towards those that aren't able to perform magic. No-one else in the village is especially magically inclined and the general opinion of the little shop is that it's charming. And so is it's keeper!

Publically that is.

Behind MC's thickened with sugar customer service facade is someone who's running on 95% spite. Because here's the thing about magic users: they tend to judge other magic users on magical aptitude alone, and MC never had much of that. Being snubbed by every wizard, warlock, or elf you ever meet leaves one quite bitter. And from that bitterness came the decision to run a store, selling your "not real magic" to the masses, because it makes those wizards seethe, and seeing their soured faces as you "sully the name of magical arts" brings you so much joy.

Recently, however, you have a rival.

There's boy who comes to the market every Sunday, peddling flashier tricks and talismans than yours on a small folding table. Normally, you wouldn't mind, given he only comes one day a week, but that nonchalance ended the moment a sheepish customer came into your store a following Monday, trying to return a faulty item they'd bought from the boy to you. When asked, they'd adverted their eyes and claimed the boy said he worked for you and that you would handle all customer complaints.

Well.

You'd smiled very brightly, politely informed the customer of their mistake, and accepted the declaration of war.

You've been at it for awhile now, and your latest scheme to one up the mystery market scammer was to get a familiar to help you in the shop. A cute one. A sweet one. Something pretty to draw in customers and perform a little pest control. And what luck it is that you know a mage in a nearby town that deals in such familiars. Sure, Cater was a bit of a flirt, but he'd never snubbed you, or tried to cheat you, and would know exactly what you meant when you stormed in and said "I want something so cute it'll destroy someone."

On your way to Cater's, you stop at a quaint little tea shop. You buy some rosehip to take with you, since you don't come to this town often, and on your way out you notice a man quitely reading at a table. His coat had fallen to the floor and, without thinking, you pick it up. This catches his attention and, startled, he blinks up at you. You can't help but notice how pretty he is - it's almost hypnotic. Soft pale hair that frames his face in waves and bright blue eyes. The mole by his mouth draws attention to his lips. You smile at him, like it's the most natural thing in the world, and apolgize. You tell him his coat was on the floor, and that you're just returning it. As you do, you place it on the back of his chair. Your hand brushes his shoulder and there's a sharp jolt of what feels like static electricity. The strength of it almost makes you jump. Instead you shiver, shake your head, apologize again, and leave.

You don't think about it again until later, when Cater tries to place an open binding sigil on your arm to bond you with a cute, fuzzy familiar, and it fizzles out immediately. Three times in a row. Then Cater says that the only reason the binding sigil would fail, would be if you'd already bonded to something. You blink in confusion, and Cater goes on to say (now with concern colouring his tone) that it would've felt like a strong jolt of static electricity. Some strange object someone might've passed you, or perhaps an animal that might've wandered up and brushed-

A man, you say, thinking of the tea shop. Cater chokes.

Your brain runs a mile a minute, picking over every detail you could remember about the mystery pretty man in the shop, focusing on him intently. Cater goes through various stages of panic as you do so ("a man?!? that's not familiar binding that's practically marriage! You're telling me you accidentally got married on the way over here?!?"). Eventually he tries his scrying mirror, to find the culprit, only for the mirror's glass to turn ink black and shatter. Cater does not take this well.

Eventually he lets you go home, but only after you agree to take his assistant, Deuce home with you for the night. Deuce, the sweetheart that he is, glares at every man who walks past like he wants to punch their lights out. You, conversely, are almost completely inside your own head. You can't bind to other people with bonding sigils - they're meant for familiars or contracts, they don't work on people - so what does that mean? That the man you met wasn't human, and instead some magic creature? But why would you bind with him just by touching his coat?

Meanwhile, Azul does not immediately notice that he'd bonded with MC. He'd registered the sharp jolt of magic, sure, but simply brushed it off as static runoff due to a magic user being in close contact with him and his coat. Nothing to worry about. Nothing would ever happen from someone just touching the coat - that was ridiculous. No, in order to actually take control & create a bind, they'd have to know the correct ritual spell. The one he personally ripped up every copy of nearly a millenia ago when he was last awake.

Then he goes to the seashore, later in the evening, to return to the ocean for the night, and finds that he can no longer revert to his true form. Or to any form other than his current one.

Oh dear.

It's easy for him to trace the culprit. In in the water of a tidepool he sees MC, deep in thought, focusing intently on him as he'd appeared to them, and thus keeping him tied to this form. Azul watches, with a mixture of contempt and fascination, as it becomes clear that this human has no idea what they've done, how they've done it, or who and what he is. Well. This'll be an easy fix at least.

He spends the night planning. He settles for the apologetic approach. An "I'm so sorry, I believe you may have accidentally set off a sigil I had in my coat pocket when you picked it up and it's linked us somehow. I'm sure it's a bother - don't worry I'll just remove it" and the whole mess should be finished.

Except it isn't. Because the moment he steps foot in your shop, your smile drops like a stone and you point an accusing finger at him. You're demanding to know what he's done to you, and Azul finds a whole millenia of patience, plus last night's planning, going down the drain in an instant as he stoops to argue with this human. Because this isn't his fault, thank you, it's clearly yours.

You shout at eachother for a bit, and come to the conclusion that it's best for both parties if this magical bond is severed immediately. But it doesn't dissolve, no matter what you or Azul try, and both of you slowly come to accept that this is going to be a little more complicated to sort out.

In your exasperation, you mutter "So that's it? I'm basically married to you now?" only to see Azul's face go the colour of a ripe apple. Instantly, you decide you will only be referring to Azul as your beloved husband going forward. It's only fair, if you're going to be stuck with him. (I apologize again for the sheer length of this monstrosity. I hope your exams went well!)

-Reaper

Oh, don't mind me over here in the corner just absolutely FROTHING AT THE MOUTH OVER THIS CONCEPT FOR MONSTER!AZUL. Reaper, my friend, you have some absolutely stellar brain worms my dude. 11/10. Never misses. My brain is going brrRRRRRRRR because I had plans! I swear I did! I had sorted Azul's lil story all into a nice, internal, filing system and was ready to lay it out whenever I finally found the time. But this selkie vibe is just so !!!!!! So!!!!! !!! I want to wrap it up in my head and never let it go. Maybe I can swipe the concepts while maintaining the og plot, or perhaps a hybrid, or maybe maybe ack! This is wonderful i want to EAT it

[marrmora]

hi! I got tagged in a reblog chain where you (several reblog above) stated a nonbinary, uranic character named Sun who was dating “rook” at some point. Is Sun from Spell Bound by FT Lukens?

YES??? YES THEY ARE!!!!

Finally someone figured out who they are gasp.. finally.. been waiting so long..

but yes, they are from that book! Formed a bit ago, but hes still here and alive hehe. :D