#talismen

[woahbeans]

pov ur crush is showing u around his man cave

[nadekofannumber1]

i think ZokuNade is supposed to be literally Kuchinawa considering the other versions of characters Koyomi meets are directly their associated oddities (Suruga is only the Rainy Devil, Tsubasa is only the cat, and I've always maintained that the small Tsubasa is Kako, the youngest sister)

Mayoi and Tsukihi are already oddities, and so stay much the same, while Karen never experienced a true oddity, and Sodachi nothing at all

Tbh yeah zokunade is probably kuchinawa, but also there’s like 2 kuchinawas. The one Nadeko manifested, and the one Nadeko revived. Zokunade is probably both, but if it was just revived kuchinawa mixed with the looks of Nadeko and the regrets of Koyomi that would also make sense. Some characters are more reversed internal oddity and some others are more on regrets. (And he really really regrets the Nadeko incident)

The lesser example for a sole regrets one is Karen who’s like, supposed to be an extension of the idea that araragi feels like he’s been ignoring the femininity and personhood of his sister but also that arc works in an odd way bc idk how many people actually mentally internalized karen as masculine before nise 2. It’s an odd one to discuss bc Karen’s character arc is kinda messy (even in its closing statement of Karen ogre.)

Sodachi based regret is a more easy to pinpoint.

Kuchinawa of the shrine and Kuchinawa of the Nadeko have been kinda fused in a way so perhaps zokunade is only 1/4 Nadeko.

Regardless people don’t post kuchinawa enough.

Regardless of if one sees him as just the oddity or a sort of black hanekawa fused new identity situation.

[changingmymajortojoan]

maurice by e.m. forster // a lover's discourse (exc. goethe) by roland barthes

[existence-is-a-pain87]

The Cookie Run Kingdom Roleswap AU:

Hiya there! This is gonna be the first official post in my CRK Roleswap series, which serves as a prologue plus some clarification.

First off: This is an AU original to me. I take the original CRK story and change it so the good guys are evil and vice versa. Furthermore, it takes aspects from self-aware AUs regarding concepts like 'the Baker' and other things. Oh, and Huohuo is the MC in this because why not?

Secondly: Almost all characters are redesigned in this AU, with several being renamed. Each chapter, excluding this one, will feature my redesigns for two characters each. For more clarification, just because I show art for some characters does not mean that is the chapter they will appear in, and I used their official artwork as a base for my redesigns. All I claim are their editted concepts and how I write them in this series.

Thirdly: PLEASE KEEP MAKING ME INTERACT WITH THIS SERIES SO I DONT ABANDON IT, PLS. I WANNA WRITE FOR THIS!!!

Fourthly: This is a yandere AU which will dive into darker topics on occasion. Each chapter will feature a content warning. If something is triggering but not mentioned in the content warning, please let me know so I can update the content warnings.

Fifthly: Ask as many questions as you want regarding this series! I'd love to explain things that are confusing or the lore (that hopefully won't spoil, and if it does I'll warn yall before hand, parts of the series).

Sixthly: I'm on mobile and thus some typos may slip past, plus my format may be different. And I'm unused to writing on Tumblr. Hope yall don't mind!

Seventhly: This AU kinda expects you to know things regarding HSR, specifically regarding Huohuo. If I need to explain anything regarding her, just send in an ask and I shall yap away! (As a note, this series contains headcanons for the characters of Huohuo and Mr. Tail, so it's a bit inaccurate to lore. Plus there's more stuff in this AU that Huohuo has only here, lol)

And that's all right now! If anything else comes to mind, I'll let you know in later posts!

----☆----

Chapter 0 - To a Realm Anew, a Foxian Goes

NOTE: NO CRK CHARACTERS APPEAR IN THIS. THIS IS ONLY FOR CONTEXT. IF NOT NEEDED, FEEL FREE TO SKIP TO CHAPTER 1.

Content Warnings: Mild Horror (writing isn't super great, don't worry)

NONE OF THIS IS CANON TO THE ACTUAL STORY OF CRK OR HSR. I CLAIM NO OWNERSHIP OF THE ORIGINAL STUFF AND AM JUST HERE TO MAKE A LITTLE AU. I DO NOT WISH FOR ANY MONEY TO BE MADE OFF OF THIS SERIES OR ANYTHING, PLEASE NO ONE SUE ME.

All chapters - Chapter 1

Huohuo's day started off normally enough. Wake up in her little home aboard the Xianzhou Loufu, get dragged out of bed by Mr. Tail, then brush her teeth and hair, get dressed, make and eat breakfast, doing her strength training, and prepare her things for work.

Then, go out and take a starskiff to the Central Starskiff Haven to do things such as get an order of tea at the Sleepless Earl- as it's one of the few places that does not shoo her away due to her unfortunate case of a heliobus for a tail- and get some groceries from the stands.

After dropping off her groceries and such at home quickly, take another starskiff to Fyxestroll Garden and do paperwork and prepare talismen in her sort-of office until lunch, and then head to Aurum Alley for lunch where she meets up with Sushang and Guinaifen.

After lunch, she heads back to Fyxestroll and then does any orders regarding problems with creatures like heliobi or other evil beings, and any miscellaneous work she's ordered to do by the other Judges as a in-training Judge of the Ten-Lords Commission.

Then after her workday, she goes to the Central Starskiff Haven to watch the starskiffs pass by and finally relax, before finally returning home at dusk, cleaning up and doing her usual evening routine, do bravery training, and finally going to sleep.

Then wake up and repeat it all again.

It was a routine she was accustomed too. One she was comfortable with.

Until her life was completely upended in the span of one day.

It started off as a normal day. Her routine was all according to how it usually played out, from breakfast to lunch to the little jobs she was sent out to do.

It happened after she finished watching the starskiffs.

The light of the setting sun bathed the Starskiff Haven in an orange glow, making shadows snake out further and the foot traffic bustling. Crowds littered the streets, forming around stalls and shops, and people with places to go briskly passing buy and vistors meandering about. Vendors were busy, stories were heard clear as the crystaline water in the Scalegorge Waterscape, and Huohuo was heading home.

A little circle of space was cleared around her, from people visiting the Luofu skeptical of her cyan and flaming tail, attempting to avoid being harmed by the flames they would assume burned, and those familiar with heliobi trying to avoid the 'cursed one'.

Huohuo was very used to this, as she had to be. Her friends were few, family almost none, and the only true constant in her life being Mr. Tail.

And the stares.

They were common. Some only glances that bred whispers in small groups, others long and drawn out looks. Those looks came with comments. Some sympathetic, others casual, but the worst of all were the belittling ones.

Being called a monster, a cursed being, a freak or just a mother instructing her child to stay away. They all hurt.

But Huohuo never fought back. Never wanted to bring attention to herself. Never defended herself.

But someone did.

"Ay! Watch your mouth, lady!" Mr. Tail snarled out, the cyan flames forming his body- no matter which form he was- flaring up, causing small sparks to fly off and the scent of smoke to enter the air, mixing with the scent of tea and plants. "The only 'monster' here is the one who can't grasp the fact you're being an idiot who acts like she's below you!"

"Mr. Tail, please calm down." Huohuo whispered to the heliobus sealed to her, her fox-like ears drooping further than they normally do, "I don't want to get into a fight..."

"Bah." He scoffs in return, shrinking down, "What's with these idiots acting like you're some mindless monster? You're a brat and a coward, but not a freak like they think you are."

"It's fine, I'm used to it..." She tells him, trying to placate him. "Look, they'll forget about me by tomorrow. Just as they usually do. Plus, not everyone hates me. There's plenty of people who visit the Luofu or are fans of Lil' Gui who like us!"

If Tail had eyes in this form, he'd roll them. "And? What's a small number of people going to do against the rest of the Luofu?"

"..." Huohuo goes quiet, not wanting to say something that will only bring more attention. "L- let's just get home. I'm tired."

"What's with you and trying to change the subject all the time?" Tail asks, detaching from her body and shifting to a form that resembles the head of a wolf made of those same cyan flames, his golden eyes glowing as he looks ticked off. "Seriously, you can't just avoid all your problems by playing dead or running away! Confront them from time to time!"

"I would if you didn't immediately make all confrontations go from one to a thousand in a few words!" She bites back, feeling annoyed as her gold-and-cyan eyes narrow.

"Aha! That's what I'm talking about!" Tail says, grinning with those sharp fangs visible, "Now, do that bite that on the people who call you a monster. It wouldn't be long until they cut it out."

"Or it'll just make everything worse," She retorts, "No, nuh-uh, absolutely not."

Tail groans, flames deflating slightly. "You're infuriating, you little brat."

He clearly isn't mad at Huohuo. No, he's just tired of her constant acceptance of this... hatred.

The two pass vendors, and shops, feeling gazes that are fleeting. But... a certain gaze lingers. Lingers long enough the hair on the back of Huohuo's neck rises, and her ears perk up. It brings her to pause, people quickly walking past her as Tail stops moving and looks back.

"What?" He asks, looking a bit annoyed.

"...Someone's watching me." Huohuo murmurs back, "It- it's not judging me, per say. It's... watching. Just watching."

Tail raises an eyebrow. "...what do you mean?"

"...it's like someone's planning to hunt me." The sage-haired foxian whispers, which alerts the heliobus instantly.

"..." Tail silently glides closer, his aura protective and angry. "...if they try anything, you unseal me. Got it?"

"Mhm..." Huohuo murmurs back, ears pinning down as she slowly spins, trying to find who's watching her.

Then she sees them through the crowd. A person in a strange, almost gaudy outfit. An outfit that can only be described as some sort of witch's outfit, from the flowing black cloak to the giant hat that hid their face perfectly.

But their gaze was intense, as they sat at a little tea stall, quietly sitting a bowl.

Tail drew closer, glowering at this figure. "What's wrong with them? Can't they look away, dammit?"

"..." Huohuo stays quiet, feeling more anxious than usual. She's dealt with heliobi, with demons, with borsin... but this was entirely new. And impossible to really tell if this was a threat.

And if it was... it was an entirely new threat.

She grimaces, and quickly starts moving again, nudging Tail so he comes along.

"Aren't you going to tell them off?" He asks, giving Huohuo a pointed look.

"I- I don't want to get near them," She murmurs back, "Th- they're... not like anything I've experienced before."

Tail hesitates, before sighing. "...They're happy to see you, but none of us have met them before. Do you think they're a stalker?"

"What-!?" Huohuo almost shrieks out, before quickly clasping her hands over her mouth as she starts to shake. "Oh dear Lan above-"

"Woah!" Tail says, eyes widening, "Woah, it was just an idea! Probably unreasonable too- breathe, kid, breathe."

"I am now an adult legally-" She retorts, trying to take deep gasps of air to steady herself, "L- let's go. Now."

"Already on it..." Tail murmurs, reattaching himself, and Huohuo quickly starts walking.

But the stare doesn't fade away. Instead, she glances back and sees the figure- face still obscured- having had risen from their table and now following her with calm and measured steps, easily passing through the crowd.

Huohuo squeaks and picks up her pace, weaving through the crowd, but struggling to shake off the figure as their gaze feels unwavering, almost harsh, and completely unrelenting.

Soon, she's running, sprinting through the streets, weaving past people, and taking twists and turns until she barely recognizes the area, moving into an empty alley as she wheezes, legs shaking.

"Huohuo, you need to unseal me and fight them." Tail orders, flaring up noticably.

"N- no! I'm now allowed to unseal you to fight people!" She yelps back, feeling completely overtaken by panic as she struggles to fumble out her phone and call Madam Hanya.

"No, you can't unseal me to fight innocent people. Threats are a-okay!" Tail argues back, moving himself so that X-shaped talisman is clearly in veiw. "Undo the seal!"

"I'll just call Hanya and we'll be okay-!" She yelps back.

"Huohuo-"

"Or Madam Xueyi! We don't need to fight them ourselves-!"

"HUOHUO-!"

"I- I can't fight them-"

"JUST UNDO THE SEAL!"

"No! It's going to make everything worse-!"

"UNDO. THE. SEAL-!"

"Cresstrella." A calm voice cuts in, almost echoing in nature, "Stop running."

Huohuo freezes in the midst of dialing Hanya, hands shaking so hard her phone falls from her hands and lands on the ground with a quiet thump.

It's hard, but she slowly turns her head to look back, seeing the figure staring back at her from the entrance of the alley. Trapping her in.

"Wh-" Huohuo stutters, unable to speak, "Wh- wha-?"

"Who's 'Cresstrella'?" Tail growls out, "That's Huohuo, you dolt."

"...no, I recognize Cresstrella. Not matter what new form she takes or... beings, she acquires," They murmur, face still obscured by the angle of their hat, "My, I didn't expect you to grow so... scared."

They take a step close. That makes Huohuo immediately move, pressing herself against the back wall of the alley in a desperate attempt to stay away from this... being.

"Stay back. I- I don't know who y- you are, but don't t- touch me!" She yelps out, cowering. "I'm Huohuo, n- not Cresstrella!"

"..." The being sighs, "Oh dear Cresstrella... did your memories of who you are fade? Or were they sealed? Either or... you've lost your identity. But no more."

"What do you mean, 'no more'?" Tail questions, defensive.

"She must return to her world." They say, growing closer with steady, detached steps. "It needs her, as only she can save it now."

"...what?" Huohuo asks, eyes widening, "Y- you're insane! What are you ta- talking about?!"

"I can't explain." They tell her, their cloak fanning out so any chance at escape is gone. "You will understand soon. Your identity shall return, and your world shall be saved."

They reach out, and Huohuo summons her banner to wack their hand away.

"DON'T TOUCH ME!" She screams, legs shaking so hard she almost collapses, "GET AWAY FROM ME!"

"Shhh..." They whisper, grabbing her by the face. The world goes blurry, darkness creeping in, "Save your world... and if it helps you, your little tail can stay."

"I..." She slurs out, voice wavering as her legs give way, "No..."

She tries to grab her phone, to call for help, but she can't move her arm.

All she can do is let the world fade away, and she finally sees the red eyes of this person.

Then it's dark. And she can feel nothing.

All she knows is one thing as she sinks into a near endless void.

She's no longer home.

[mothandpidgeon]

wip wednesday

I was tagged by @sixhours and @schnarfer so here goes!

So far this next chapter of Nine Lives is a mess so this is all that's coherent to share.

“Have you ever had your aura photographed?” Zoe asks.  “No. A picture of me is a rare thing, indeed,” Ezra says.  Zoe’s the exact kind of mortal Ezra detests– always talking about “getting into wicca” as if magic is a hobby she can try on– but she’s beautiful. She has hazel eyes and razor sharp cheekbones. Her slim arms are tattooed with delicate talismen and her haircuts seamlessly straddle the border between chic and edgy.  “I know a place down in Woodstock where you can get it done. Next time I’m going, maybe you can tag along,” she offers.  There’s a sparkle in Ezra’s eye that makes your chest tight. You retreat to the stairs before you hear his answer. The sensation building in you is more like a stab, a flare of something bitter and dark. You’re not sure why you’re jealous because you don’t have feelings for Ezra. Okay, maybe a little crush. But you’ve got that in check. You’re not going to fall for your best friend just because he woke up with the most handsome face you’ve ever seen.

tagging @whocaresstillthelouvre @moonlitbirdie @ghotifishreads @maggiemayhemnj @sawymredfox

[eggonthemoon]

Losing my mind over Red Sheet Sinclair’s uptie 3 cutscene:

The atmosphere is immensely eerie, no bgm or anything. Only the sound of howling wind and a droning ambient noise.

The sheer amount of talismen strewn all over the room and plastered on the walls.

Him obsessively drawing more of them despite how complicated they are (even though it literally just says Talisman in Korean lmao)

It’s a stark contrast to how he is seen in Ishmael’s initial artwork:

Here we can see him chuckling together with Rodion.

And yet his dialogue implies that he has pretty much cut himself off from the rest of the world.

He doesn’t even know what time of day it is outside, only being able to guess from what little sunlight manages to get in through the cracks at noon.

He is losing himself to the E.G.O. more and more, to the point where it’s hard to extinguish where Sinclair starts and where the E.G.O. ends.

And the cherry on top is:

nobody cares.

It’s clear to see that he is not in the right mental space but no one is intervening because he brings in results like this and they would rather not put in the effort.

The difference between him and N Corp Sinclair is that Nclair was deliberately groomed into being the unstable individual he is.

Meanwhile Red Sheet understands fully the risks of donning this E.G.O. and does so willingly.

Him and his E.G.O. is a perfect match. Too perfect. And he is going off the deep end because of it.

I think there is something to be said about codependency and how all of this is symbolic of someone who is dealing with an untreated mental illness in self destructive ways.

TLDR:

If I had a penny for every time Sinclair got an ID with codependency issues I would have 2 pennies which isn’t a lot but it’s weird that it happened twice!

[the0verboss]

Actually had to update to add Onyx Fortuitous and the Talisman of Souls.

Which is an actual good movie. Campy in the best ways, wonderful practical effects that add to its atmosphere and really solidify the whole vibe. Enjoyable ensemble cast that have wonderful balanced screentime so you care about all of them. Did I mention their wonderful nonbinary character Mack played by Rivkah Reyes? They're a jem and a witch. Jeff's over the top Bartok is great especially when you realize it's a performance inside the performance. I'd love to see a sequel honestly. Jeff just does so well as an obvious villain.

And to see Barbara Crampton again, even tho she and Jeff don't share any screen time was a treat.

Who knew weird Satan guy had it in him.

Jeffrey Combs movies I’ve finished so far (updated 12/02/23)

Reanimator Trilogy (Solid Fucking Gold. Even Beyond which is bad is good. I will never grow weary of Herbert West)

Castle freak (I’m glad I got this one out of the way early it’s a hard watch)

From Beyond (Crawford Tillinghast deserves better)

Doctor Mordrid (<3 this is my go to Jeff movie when I need to put on something nice)

The Dunwhich Horror

Frightmare (he’s so gorgeous in this. And so young. And a good. The whole movie is goofy)

Frighteners (Milton steals the show, much like Combs usually does)

Cellar Dweller (this one barely counts, but I still love the movie. They kill the owner of Nickelodeon)

Cyclone (Rick Davenport is a bottom, The blonde is a bombshell)

Hammerhead- Shark Frenzy (I’m an authority on shark movies and the fact that Jeff has done one completes me)

Night of the Living Dead 3D: Re-Animation (a waste of two great Horror Actors, Andrew Divoff and Jeff Combs. It honestly just needed there to be more to the story that was worth engaging with. They’re both doing what they can with it)

The Evil Clergyman (beat my priest kink to death. Also Barbara’s impression of Jeff is sooooo gooood)

Attic Expeditions (weird movie, cute combs)

Suburban Gothic (cute cameo, but short)

The Phantom Empire (🤤)

Motivational Growth (which everyone should see it was great)

Parasomnia (I feel like I need to watch this one again)

Lurking fear (dr haggis deserved better)

Death falls (this is the ugliest he’s ever been and I’m including post pineal gland Crawford in this assessment)

American Bandits Frank and Jesse James (I would def take more combs westerns)

Dark House (an absolute joy. Ham it up)

Masters of Horror-The Black Cat (watch the commentary its worth it)

Deadman Walking (he’s the second most important character why can’t our boy get better billing)

Howard Lovecraft and the undersea kingdom( cute but dark)

Felony (how is this not farther up the list of Great Jeff Movies)

Feardotcom (a waste of a perfectly good Jeff. Could have had him as the leading man and the whole movie would have been better for it.)

Time Tracers (I collect shit shark movies. This is still the worst movie I have ever seen. But Jeff does what he can with it. Worth watching if just because it’s horrendous. If it had been directed by Fred Olen Ray it might have actually been fun)

Voodoo Moon (I can’t even begin to review this one- zombie Jeff with a gun- I really just need to finally watch Fortress)

Age of Stone and Sky: The Sorcerer Beast (he was an adorable old man. Would have liked to see more of him, the hippie look killed.)

FORTRESS (finally, I’m glad I saved it for a rainy D-Day, this is a pun. I will now wait forever for the “everyone lives fix it fic” where D-Day runs a Mexican coffee shop)

Trancers II (more Jeff than I expected. Liked the goatee.)

Holiday Hell (I sorta love Thaddeus Rosemont, expect some art)

Beethoven's Treasure Tail (an older Combs as an inept villain. cute. worth it.)

House on Haunted Hill (a masterpiece, enjoyable even with so little jeff)

Return to House on Haunted hill (more Jeff, the only thing that makes this worth it)

Faust : Love of the Damned (guys he’s supposed to look like Elvis. Wtf. Not enough combs to make up for how weird this movie is)

The Guyver (not a lot of combs but what is there is cute. Just over all a decent movie)

Urgency (Jeff does what he can with bad writing and likely substandard directing. Sumner is pitiable, and you sorta wanna hug him right up til the end. Then you want to punch him before you hug him)

All Souls Day : Dia de los muertos ( just a quick scene at the beginning, but not a terrible movie once he’s gone. I’m here for some zombies)

The Digital Prophet ( one of 4 in my top 5 worst combs movies. This one is worse than time tracers)

Satanic ( hes cute but barely in this despite top billing. Coulda replaced the doctor with him)

Elf Man (I love a goofy Combs and this one is goofy)

Pit and the Pendulum (finally another Stuart Gordon. I was concerned about this one but honestly I should have known not to be with who was making it. I’m still haunted by the tights, but it’s now a fav)

I Still Know What You Did Last Summer (omg the false teeth and the bad hair. He’s a minor character. Loved Brandy though.)

Dillinger and Capone (a surprising amount of Jeff and a different role than we usually see. It’s a good look)

Abdominable (only a bit of Jeff and he’s sorta goofy.)

Would You Rather (lots of Jeff, the kind of screen time I beg for, in a movie I could have done without. It’s a solid performance, even if I didn’t love the movie.)

Onyx Fortuitous and the Talisman of Souls (hilarious. Fabulous effects. Jeff plays a fun credible villian. I actually want a sequel. Oh and Barbara Crampton is also here which is a plus.)

Jeffrey Combs Tv I’ve finished

All of Star Trek

Twilight Zone- Placebo effect

She Spies

Gotham (so much potential just stifled, he’d have been great in several of the parts in this series)

CSI- Jackpot (super cute combs here. 10/10 presh)

Criminal Minds- the Black Queen (needed more but the syringe shot was a little hilarious)

Creepshow- Bad Wolf Down

Freddys Nightmares- S2Ep7 Love Stinks (A+ campy Jeff)

Perversions of Science Ep. 4 the Exile (guys the pay off is huge, 26 min. well spent)

The 4400 (could have used more Jeff as he was the most likable character in the whole bunch. Kinda like Enterprise I anticipate a 5th season would have had a better quantity.)

Babylon 5 S1Ep16 Eyes (Mr. Grey is very pretty, and soft)

Star Trek: Lower Decks S2 EP 7 Where Pleasant Fountains Lie (ALL HAIL AGIMUS. welcome home Jeff)(as Agimus is now a repeating character just assume I'm seeing him every time. What an arc lol)

Stan against Evil S2 EP4 Girls Night (I love a silly jeff in a silly role. Let the man play folks!)

Extras (audiobooks/ documentaries/ etc)

Hp Lovecrafts Herbert West: Reanimator audiobook (available on YouTube)

Star Trek Rat Pack closing performance for STLV 2019 (also available on youtube)

Doug Bradley’s Spinechillers- Vol. 11

In Search of Darkness 1 and 2

Nevermore Audio Book

What we left behind (which I actually saw in theatres, so good)

The Skin of Our Teeth (it’s a filmed play, could probably go in the tv section, quite enjoyable. Would be interesting to see him play George Antrobus now that he’s older)

Reanimator Novel (Jeff’s on the cover so I’m counting it)

GALAXYCON 2 min MEET AND GREET! (i died during this)

The United Monster Talent Agency (blink and youll miss him in this short

Star Trek Online Campaign- Victory is Life

STAR TREK LAS VEGAS RAT PACK PHOTO OP (I could barely make eye contact, but guys he touched me >///<)

Re-Animator: Reunion Edition (Charles Band yur gross. Barb yur a queen. Jeff yur adored and yur impressions are goofy.)

I should get a degree at this point. If anyone can suggest where to go after this to continue my fix, that would be greeeeeeeat.

[aalinaaaaaa]

Nine Lines, Nine People

Thanks to @keeping-writing-frosty for the tag!

So this is kind of the beginning of the aftermath of the ruined ceremony, major questions are about to be asked 👀

—

A chill permeated the atrium. Sunlight filtered through the central window behind her, lighting the floor Alycja stood on. Fewer people than usual populated the pews and alcoves. One or two knelt in one of them, tracing a four-pointed star engraved in the floor. While their gazes focused on the statue of one of the talismen, its gaze pointed at her, as if transfixing Galista’s judgment. The left window of the back wall bore its jagged wound, infected by a crow. Alycja shuddered. If she closed her eyes, the skeleton appeared again. Smashing, reaching, its empty gaze on her soul.

—

Sending tags to @seastarblue @willtheweaver @nrivanwrites @corinneglass @winterandwords @bardic-tales @talesfromaurea @tildeathiwillwrite @the-golden-comet (as well as an open tag!)

[occamstfs]

Talismen: Beginnings

Nicky emerges with an arcane artifact after a bewildering trip through an impossible shop. In wishing his boyfriend was more confident in himself Nicky performs irrevocable and accidental magic upon the world, building his new form and dulling his mind.

And I'm back! Here's the first story of my planned CYOA series, a little long but I love how it turned out! I'll be posting the poll for Part two on Sunday, the 1st of December, the planned options are at the end of the story and it'll only last a day so if you want to take part be on the lookout! At any rate, hope you enjoy and happy to write for you once more! -Occam

It was barbarian weekend at the renaissance festival. Nicky was dressed as a wizard and his boyfriend, Simon, had long planned to go on theme and dress as a barbarian. Though as the day neared and Simon anxiously stared at his decidedly standard figure in the mirror, he instead opted to just throw on a cloak and call it a day. Arriving at the fair the pair, as expected of the theme, find themselves surrounded by burly men clad in kilts with faux fur draped atop chests beyond impressive.

Gawking at hot men is of course par for the course of this kinda event but Nicky can’t help but read the shame and embarrassment creeping into Simon’s expression as he takes in the festivities. When they eventually step into a tavern for a breather Nicky checks in, “Heyyy babe? Everything good? Seem kinda down-” Simon shakes his head and forces a smile, “Don’t worry about me B, I’m aces!” He tosses a wink out for good measure before pointedly changing the topic, “So what was it you said you’re looking to grab this year?”

Nicky narrows his eyes for half a moment wondering if he should push or challenge his clearly sulking boyfriend before deciding to let the sleeping dog lie for now, “Mmmm, I don’t know actually? Probably just an accessory for the costume? Oh! Or maybe some dice?” Simon’s expression changes into a more genuine smile as he grabs at Nicky’s arm and massages it, “Well here’s an idea. We’re right by the dice shop yeah? Howsabout we split up. I’ll grab us some beers and you go check out the offerings. Meet back here?” 

Wordlessly agreeing, Nicky leans in for a kiss and relaxes at Simon seemingly perking up. Heading off with a nod, Nicky exits the tavern, preventing him from seeing his boyfriend’s facade fade once more as he contemplates getting a drink or two ahead of his partner before his return from the shops. 

Under the impression that Simon has cheered back up, Nick is off to the races. Dice shop just across the way he begins his short trek when suddenly there’s a buzzing in the back of his mind. The sounds of the crowd around him eerily fade as if his ears are waterlogged, he shakes his head from the sudden discomfort and takes a moment to see if anyone else seems to be affected. Before he’s able to inspect his fellow festival-goers he is shocked to see a strange shop he’s never seen before.

Nestled in between a printing press and some soap store Nicky furrows his brow and wonders how he’s possibly missed the shop before now. He’s been coming for years and knows the layout of the festival like the back of his hand. After waiting a few seconds to see if anyone else is entering he takes a cautious step forward and trips as his body tries to take another without his intent. Nicky blushes as he bumps into a brawny barbarian who laughs him off and ruffles his hair, “Watch where yer -urp goin dude huhuh!” Nicky nods an apology and reflexively takes another backwards step towards the apparently new shop. In a sudden need for an expedited retreat from embarrassment, Nicky quickly rushes towards the door and away from the man bumped who eyes him taking a large swig from a tankard. 

He hasn’t the chance to notice that each step towards the shop that should not be there is quicker than the one that came before. In no time at all he tears open the door and is inside the quaint cluttered shop. While his eyes adjust from the bright fall day behind him, he takes in the scene as well as he can. The small space is filled with some bitter herbal scent and the air seems to crackle with something similar to static. Nicky of course attributes the strange prickle on his skin to nerves and continues browsing the curious shop.

There’s no real discernible theme to the shop, really it seems to be more of an antique store than anything else. In any normal situation Nicky would have already dipped back out, but something in the back of his mind keeps pulling him in deeper. Walking past strange dolls and stranger bottled liquids, the almost ticklish sensation continues to assail him with unconscious step forward. His spacial awareness tells him he has wandered further than should be possible but it’s almost as if he has no option to continue forward. Coming up on a curtained doorway Nicky’s hands move as if possessed to part the blinds and his eyes finally lay upon what supernatural, impossible thing must be drawing him inward. 

It would be the perfect accessory for his costume. It would be the perfect accessory to put on and never take off again. It will be perfect. It will be his. He needs it more than anything. His eyes shine with the ruby tinges reflecting off the talisman as he inches towards the pedestal it lies upon. His hand reaches towards the object of his desires and burns as the prickling sensation comes to a head. He grimaces as it turns to an almost boiling heat before his fingers touch it and the impossibly intense sensation instantly disappears. Nicky jumps due to the sudden almost atmospheric change and before recovering he almost has a heart attack as who must be the shopkeep shouts from behind him, “HELLO HELLO YOUNG NICHOLAS!” 

Nicky scrambles to hide behind the pedestal and inspect the mystery man, his vision momentarily tinged scarlet. As the twinges of whatever static sensation filled him moments ago begin to fade totally, he finds himself suddenly able to realize how strange everything about this is. He gulps as he sees a man dressed as a campy wizard adjusting his glasses, “Well it seems you found what you were looking for eh old sport?” Nicky looks down at the still shimmering necklace in his hands, stuttering incoherently as his mind races to understand. 

In the half second his eyes were off the wizardly shopkeep, the man has crept up behind once more. Now throwing an arm around Nicky he helps him to his feet and begins leading away from the curtained room, “Hup hup- Now you must be very careful with your words now young Nicholas. Do tell Simon I said hello hm?” Nicky again looks at the necklace in hand and, hanging to the rational world by a thread, inquires, “P- Pay? Did I pay for this?”  The wizardly man laughs and pats him on the back, “Oh don’t you worry ah ha ha! Hah.” The wizardly man winks, though even doing so there is an after image of a red eye staring into and through Nicky. The younger man opens his mouth to question the clearly mystic magus of the artifact and his intentions though before he gets a chance the wizard shouts.

“Do have fun at the festival my boy!” with that he brusquely pushes Nicky forward and he finds himself outdoors by a printing press and soap shop. Fearful of turning around to see there is no store there Nicky looks down to find himself wearing the talisman. Grabbing at it he finds the same sensation that filled him minutes ago, though muted. Pleasant. He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath before he is again bumped into, this time by someone whose vision is clearly obscured by a mask, “Sho- Shorry!” Nicky sighs and apologizes, though the physical sensation and awkwardness brings him back to reality. Shaking off anxiety and pushing down whatever it is just happened he heads off to meet his boyfriend at the tavern. 

Returning to find Simon housing his third ale, Nicky quickly downs his own to distract from the strange anxiety that remains persuasive in spite of their reunion. Wishing for distraction, it comes swiftly and in short order the pair are out and about enjoying all the festivities that the faire has to offer, various sloppy meats on a stick, bird shows and jesters, and a firework show to cap it all off. The day soars by in short order and Nicky, wanting to forget about his encounter in that place that wasn't, does just that with shocking, almost supernatural, ease. In fact anything Nicky seems to desire almost falls at his feet. With but an imperceptible red shine in his eyes Nicky finds himself wanting for nothing. The same could not be said for his boyfriend.

After sobering up, his dour jealousy for the superior male form returns and as much as Simon tries to hide it from Nicky, the long day has dulled his ability to disguise anything from his boyfriend. On the long walk back to the car Nicky initially avoids bringing it up, but after an eventful day of getting just about everything he desires, he can’t help but try and get to the root of Simon’s sour attitude. “Can you just tell me what’s up babe?” Groaning as he unlocks the car door the weary man answers, “It’s nothing Nick. I’m just- UGH! I wish I wasn’t so self-concious or had actually gone to the gym or-” turning to see Nicky’s puppy dog eyes for not realzing his discomfort Simon groans and apologies, “Don’t worry it’s fine, I um, I had fun!”

Mind flashing back to the barbarian costume that Simon ultimately decided not to wear, love for his boyfriend overwhelms him and he reaches out to hold his lover’s free hand. Hidden underneath his own cloak, Nicky’s talisman flashes red as the sticky staticky sensation returns stronger than it had been even in the shop. He doesn’t whisper or even coherently think the words as he immediately drifts off to sleep in the passenger seat, but the intention is more than enough for the die to be cast. I wish Nicky had more confidence. I wish he was less self-conscious. I wish he was proud of his body. 

Subconscious wish made Nicky’s ruby red eyes remain closed as he falls into an incredibly deep sleep, leaving Simon alone with his thoughts. He squirms slightly behind the wheel as he suddenly feels warm. Mind too muddled to wallow he feels every inch of his body suddenly buzzing with energy, as if an espresso was being dripped into his veins. Looking at his sleeping boyfriend his thoughts shift immediately from self-criticism and body dysmorphia to a lustful, almost primal hunger for his mate. Nicky’s hand still burning hot on his own despite the blaring aircon, he fights the urge to bring the sleeping man’s hand to his cock as it begins to stir. 

Before they’ve even left the parking lot Simon is overwhelmed with a lust for his partner stronger than anything he has felt in some time. Hitting the open road he chews his lip to distract from his cock doing its best to pop the seam in his pants, constantly he’s choking down horny grunts and groans to prevent the sleeping Nicky from waking up. Arriving at their shared home, he struggles to gracefully exit the car with his rod standing firmer than he assumed it could. Eventually making it out, he goes to pick up his still sleepy passenger. 

With a great deal of effort, Simon successfully stills his hips and quiets his lusts to pick up his sleeping suitor. Baring the urges of his body he realizes that the task is far easier than it should be, Nicky’s not heavy but- Any further inquisition is stilled as he reflexively takes a deep breath of his sleeping lover and is promptly overwhelmed. Nicky’s floral shampoo and deodorant mix with b.o. from an unseasonably warm day in the sun and Simon doesn’t have the strength to quiet the grunt that erupts from him as his cock throbs and prods Nicky in the back. 

Eyes blearily open as the sleeping wizard stirs and stretches in the arms of his lover. “Wha? Si?” The self-conscious Simon, embarrassed at waking up his boyfriend quickly puts him down. He blushes as Nicky steadies himself on his arms, still yawning he chastises his boyfriend for letting him fall asleep, “You didn’t *ahwn* didn haf to do tha babe, *awh*” Rubbing his ruby-tinged eyes he can’t quite make out the finer details of his boyfriend, but he would swear he’s looking further up than he usually does to make eye contact. Simon waves him off, “It’s fine, I’m not even tired really.” 

Leaning down to give him a hug, Simon angles his head into Nicky’s nape he takes another deep breath, this time not even trying to mute the groan that spills forth, “MMmhm, y’know now that you’re up the night’s still young…” Nicky tilts his head before understanding as Simon’s cock throbs once more into his abdomen, shaking off the sleep Nicky’s own package begins to stir as he leads his partner into their home, “Well now that you mention it~”

Nicky starts disrobing when Simon grabs his hand, some small amount of discomfort hiding in his expression as he asks, “Would you mind if I, um, topped? This time?” Nicky tilts his head before nodding cheerily, “feeling frisky huh?” Nicky performatively poses before seemingly doing some mental math and continuing, “it’s been a minute haha! Let me just hop in the shower real quick and then we’ll have some fun!”

Already feeling like he’s overstepping Simon doesn’t mention his desire for Nicky to not shower. Something feral need within him forces forward an urge to tackle and fuck then and there but he pushes such thoughts down and waits as patiently as he can. Preparing to bottom on such a short notice, Nicky quickly strips and his eyes land upon the talisman hanging from his neck once more. Pursing his lips he goes to take the necklace off, though as his fingers clasp the chain he shivers as it sends a sensitive pang searing through him. Why would he take it off. Feeling immediately more alert and needy, Nicky swiftly hops in the shower to prepare for some fun.

Outside the bathroom his boyfriend taps his foot anxiously, sending a deep, impatient echo through the room. Irritated at the sound he stands and quickly disrobes himself. After getting the cloak off, the room is filled with slight groans of effort as he struggles to get off his shirt. It’s almost stuck to his skin? Probably from sweat he thinks but each time he wrenches it up it only frees about an inch more room. His irritation prevents him from noticing how it decidedly hugs new weight on his chest or cuts into apparently thicker biceps.

The sound of the shirt straining fills the room and he grinds his teeth as the prospect of being stuck in the top any longer is unbearable. His hands stretch longer and strain shifts to tearing as he rips the tunic off with a grunt. Exposed to the open air is a sweaty body far more impressive than when the man struggled to get ready that morning. Looking at the torn shirt in his hand he blushes as his eyes trail up his forearms and stare at a bicep that’s begging to be flexed. 

Stepping out wearing only a towel and his talisman, Nicky smiles as he stares at Simon appreciating his arms, “Couldn’t have waited for me to put on the show huh?” Simon turns to see his boyfriend drop the towel and he loses control. Any sign of intelligence in his eyes vacates as he manhandles the man onto the bed. For his part Nicky assumes this to be roleplay, almost giggling from delight as the typically meek man ragdolls him onto the bed. Drool leaks from Simon's maw as he grunts and groans, struggling to free the throbbing package still trapped in his shorts.

Being straddled, Nick takes the chance to carefully observe his boyfriend’s body, appreciating the view that he seldom gets. For the life of him he doesn’t understand why Si got so worked up, with arms like that and a chest- or? When did he start working out actually? Nicky frees a hand to touch the man’s powerful torso and Simon shivers, reflexively rutting into him as his cock growing even harder sends the sound of fabric straining through the room. He’s decidedly firmer, heavier. Nicky sees hair begin to grow on the man’s chest and his mind for half a second hears the echoing laughter of a man he wished to forget. Though there’s no time to think as Simon goes for the tried and true method of just ripping his clothes off.

Eyes wide with wonder, Nicky watches as biceps bulge larger with each tug, shoulder span expanding as his hands yank and tear. His mouth falls open as he sees a cock clearly larger than the one that he knows Simon to have. Gulping as he realizes he’s agreed to take this dick that stretches up to his sternum, Nicky blushes and Simon smirks as he leans down to snarl or whisper something in his lover’s ear. 

Nicky feels pre dripping onto his chest as the larger man leans down, his arms land to either side of the man exposing pits dripping with sweat and just before he speaks or growls, the talisman flashes red. Eyes focused on each other neither man sees some shard of light go from the charm into Simon. His eyes roll back and close before he falls down onto Nicky. Immediately concerned for his love, Nicky struggles to shift the man off him and call for help before he hears Simon begin to snore. His body feels like a furnace atop Nicky’s, a cock still erect continues to throb into his stomach and gush pre in between the two of them. He feels patches of hairs thicker than Simon typically carries scratching him. Nicky tries to force the sleeping oaf off him before quickly tuckering himself out.

It was a long day after all. Nicky yawns as he sees the back of the man lying atop him. It’s not right, too wide, too heavy. His ass is not that large his- ughh. With another shove to wake or move Simon, Nicky feels weariness truly overtake him and his scarlet eyes flutter. The sleeping man moves his arms to hug Nicky tight and the seemingly smaller man has no recourse but to give way, his sides tickled by patches of pit hair dripping with sweat. Nick’s head tips forward a few times as he struggles to stay awake though the sound of his lover’s new snores lull him to sleep.

In the morning Nicky wakes to find himself free from Simon’s grasp, though the man’s sweat stains leave a clear outline around him on the bed and his torso remains sticky from pre. His head aches with a hangover though after the faintest wish that it end, so it does. Groaning he gets to his feet and heads off to shower once more, en route he finds a note from Si: “heyyy babe woke up w so much energy!!! gonna go for a run or to the gym idk :) c u soon thooooo<3”  Nicky  rubs sleep from his eyes and reads the short note a few times over, “hmmm. Weird.” Shrugging he goes about his day as usual, cleaning up, brewing coffee, doing the crossword. Something in the back of his mind says he usually does this with Simon, but that can’t be right? He’d never want to do that. His eye twitches as unbeknownst to him, with each step further away his love has truly begun to change from his unintentional intentions into a man who will never feel shame again.

Simon doesn’t know why he feels so compelled to get up and at ‘em. For years he has given himself ultimatums, scheduled gym sessions, dieted and done his best, but there has not been a moment in his life where he has felt more drive, more purpose than his flight from their shared bed. It’s like he’s a new man with nothing on his mind but getting some meat on his bones. He barely had the wherewithal to leave a note for his lover, as is clear by the lack of eloquence.

Nor is that the only aspect askew from Simon’s typical self. As his anxiety at being perceived shirtless may suggest, the man is always conscious of how he looks. Rarely does a day go by without Simon giving himself a painstaking once over in front of the mirror, be it applying makeup or designing an outfit. To simply throw on a tshirt and leave without even rinsing his face is anathema, and yet after doing just that and throwing on his boyfriend’s sneakers, finding his own far too tight, he’s out the door well before the sun begins to rise. 

His feet fall heavy on the sidewalk as his shabby outfit soon enough finds itself straining. Grimacing at the constriction it becomes clear that these clothes are far too tight and getting tighter with each step it seems. Nevertheless he presses onward until there is stinging pain from his feet struggling against their binds. While he’s been content to ignore or misinterpret the sounds of his own tshirt beginning to fray, as well as the pain that such constriction entails, he doesn’t want to ruin Nicky’s shoes. And so scrambling for somewhere to sit down he hops on a bench and begins to struggle with the laces.

Simon’s toes struggle against frontal fabric while the shoes’ tongues press into laces that simply must be cutting into the tops of his feet. Simon’s mind is clearly slowing down as he takes a few seconds too long to simply watch his feet expand beyond containment before, with a gasp, pain jogs him into action. At first he goes to untie them before he’s unable to recall precisely how to do that. Immediately switching to the task already begun by his growing feet he reaches in and simply tears each shoe in two.

His arms bulge with the effort involved in splitting them in twain, biceps that never were begin to appear and push his short sleeves to their limit as new muscle presses onto his chest. Looking down at his hands, decidedly more masc, the man can do nothing but observe his new form as it begins to extol an untenable price on his mind. With each new manly aspect so too will the cogs of his mind continue to slow.

Looking at his boyfriend's shredded shoes, Simon is immediately guilty though he releases a contented sigh as his feet flex free from their confines. His newly one track mind is then thrown off-course and his eyes narrow at the feet bare on cold concrete. They were not simply chafing or something reasonable of the sort, they are too big. They’re larger than his shoes and seem to still be growing larger. And wait- Why did he leave the house without wearing socks!? 

Simon shakes his head to try and focus on one question at a time, though before peace comes there is a searing pain from his legs as his changes continue upward. Calves burst from his bony legs while athletic shorts are clearly strained by thighs that any man would kill for. Thick, perhaps barbarous, curls begin to issue forth from any pore exposed as he clutches with his newly thicker hands into muscle still hardening, still pumping larger. 

Grunting loudly, Simon falls off the bench as ever spreading changes spread towards his glutes. His pert ass hardens and grows to a size that would attract attention no matter what he wears to try and hide it under. His whole lower body cramps with growth as his legs extend, wider feet scratching into dirt as calves and thighs lengthen while his pulse continues to race from the shock of this impossible transformation. Struggling with the new weight of self, his rougher hands pressed into the ground his duller mind is unable to reconcile what is happening to him with reality. The sound of blood rushing through his ears mutes the world around him and at the slightest lapse he simply forgets.

“Why am I on my hands?” Through bleary eyes he stares at hands too wide, fingers longer and thicker. He trails upward and almost scoffs as he sees forearms and biceps not nearly as defined as they should be, after another moment mouth agog he guffaws as he presumes to have put one and one together, “Oh ahuhuh- I must be workin’ out here?” Licking his lips as he is filled with an otherworldly surge of energy, Simon gets started following one of the most common impulses that is to evermore make itself at home in his mind. He starts doing some push ups.

Immediately do his biceps burn with effort as they put on weight at an impossible rate. Simon grunts with the effort of taking the wheel and commanding his body to be more powerful. His heart pounds in his chest as, just like every piece of fabric before, his shirt quickly gives way outright to the progress of growth. To the strengthening of self. With each dip towards the earth his pecs come closer to touching the cold soil before bouncing as his powerful arms rocket him back upwards with precision. 

Simon continues exercising until his arms burn as numb as his new, slower mind. Not only does muscle continue to pack on with every punch upwards, but his impressive form is just as quickly patterned with burgeoning body hair. Sweat drips down onto a chest rapidly peppered with curls and steams off a back which holds hair slowly rising from his lightly furred ass. Sweaty steam trails upwards from widening shoulders and bulky traps into the cold autumn air as heavy breath mists from behind gnashing teeth. Nowhere does the hair grow thicker than under his powerful arms as a jungle of hair grows outward from his pits and sends distinct trails of sweat down his trunk like biceps and across his hulking pecs.

Body hair and brawn are not the only decidedly improved aspects of the man either. Just as he continues to pack on muscle with each thrust upwards, so too is his crotch pulled closer to the ground with every descent. His briefs struggle against a package rapidly growing beyond any tenable containment. Balls bulge larger to supply his impressive form with the hormones required for the growth he demands of it, pubes cascading upward and outward as they strive to assert that Simon’s masculinity shall never be in question. 

So too does his cock throb and push against the confines of his underwear enough to be plainly visible. Not only from growing erect as his heart races, but from expanding to be the most impressive rod either he or his lover have ever seen. With the slightest glance down to see his new cock, he smirks and shivers as he imagines topping Nicky with that beast. 

This of course sends such a powerful surge of lust through him that the bulging cock immediately bursts free from the briefs outright, leaving him clad in nothing. His cock, now free, drips pre onto the earth as he continues working out a few moments longer in the buff, plain for anyone to see were the streets not thankfully empty. Guffawing to himself after thrusting his new cock into the ground a few times in the process of pushing up, Simon’s new bovine mind eventually realizes he’s fully nude and public and quickly stumbles to his feet. “Oh shit huhuh-” He stands and scratches the back of his head and tries to plan some form of escape, in the process he flexes his bicep and can’t help but smirk as he sees the veins bulging along its impressive length.

Feeling his still turgid cock bounce with every slight movement, he continues laughing before looking down to see shredded clothes scattered at his colossal feet. Seeing the pile of clothes outgrown, Simon does everything short of drooling as he for the first time takes in his new form. Massive hands trail across padded muscle as the urgency of covering his dick fades from his mind. 

When his sweaty pecs begin to glimmer from the rising sun he is immediately thrown back into awareness of his active criminal behavior. Checking the coast is clear once more, he pauses for a moment wondering what the big deal is about public nudity before being chastised by some internal Nicky. Simon turns back to the bench and laughs dumbly as he sees his gym bag lying discarded.

Pouncing like an animal, he quickly tears into and retrieves shorts that will surely leave nothing to the imagination. Nevertheless he throws them on and grimaces as they tightly hug his ass and package. Seeing shirts thrown to the side he scratches his face and his face quivers as he feels stubble grace it for the first time. He purses his lips just to feel a moustache scratch his nose and absolutely disregards the idea that he needs a shirt. Why would he cover up anything beyond what is necessary. Surely the world would be more than grateful at the chance to see his form he asserts, bouncing his pecs and chuckling as he does so.

Finding himself with nothing to do besides appreciate how built he truly is now, Simon uses his phone as a mirror to inspect every angle and uses whatever sparing space in his mind to keep track of the best ones. The massive man shivers as the sweaty steam rising from him briefly glimmers red, making it clear that Nicky’s will has been enacted on his lover and announcing the fulfillment of his will. Nevermore will he be self-conscious, quite the opposite in fact. As morning commuters begin their grind many offer a passing glance to the by all accounts himbo drooling at his own reflection, and never does one escape without receiving a wink or flex from the man.

When a pair of jocks eye him with jealousy on the way to class he holds back laughter, the idea that not twenty-four hours ago he was just like them, smaller even, is inconceivable to the new man. Though to be fair, much now lies beyond the realm of conceivability for the man. He thinks about offering some tips to the pair though refrains as something needles him far, far in the back of his simple mind. There was something he was supposed to do yeah?

Furrowing his brow in as deep a concentration as he can muster, Simon’s eyes close and his hands clench at his head as he tries to think. Laundry? Huhuh as if- Meal prep? Then why would he be out here? Simon starts groaning in frustration and tapping his larger, still bare, foot on the sidewalk. Ephemeral ideas he might have latched onto in a life before this one drift past before he gives up and sits down, crossing his arms. The bench creaks under his new weight as he almost petulantly reclines, head back and eyes blank.

Suddenly he jolts up and almost hits himself for not doing the obvious straight away. Obviously Nicky’ll know what to do! His clumsy hands struggle to get his phone from the pocket of his shorts and he smiles at the lock screen, a picture of Nicky being smothered by his massive arms. Simon then squints and bites his tongue in concentration as now even this requires some degree of effort. Quickly enough he dials up his beau and almost vibrates from the excitement of hearing his voice. 

Back at home Nicky is playing a game though squeezes the phone in his headset as he sees Simon calling, “Hey baby? What’s up, early start today huh?” Would that he had a tail to wag, Simon laughs and answers, “ha uhhh, yeah somethin’ like that- uhhhhh. Yo did you uh, know what I was plannin’ on doing this morning?” Nicky tilts his head, for a moment he swears something is off with his boyfriend’s voice. Then his eyes go blank and his vision flickers red before, no it’s always been like that? Nicky swears something about his long hours at the gym over the years made him drop a few octaves but that’s neither here nor there. 

Nicky shakes off this small stupor, “Yeah Si, you said you were going to the gym no?” an eye twitches, “y’know, like usual?” Excitement once more sets fire in Simon’s veins as he nods and laughs at himself for forgetting such a simple routine, “Ahhh what would I do without you babe huhuh!” He kisses his cellphone and winks at a woman walking her dog who was giving him a side-eye. “Well you have fun dude! Gonna go get a MASSIVE pump in!” Nicky wryly grins and rolls his eyes, “you too, you too b, see you later-” With that he gets back to the game, intentionally ignoring the crimson buzzing at the back of his mind as both men set off to tackle the obstacles of the day, totally unaware of the lives they are to unintentionally change evermore. 

Poll Results:

Grow up you asshole: 36.1%

Getting flamed in game Nicky’s clapback  teaches a gamer to be a real man (Bear/Dilf TF) 

Man you always play him: 22%

Well intentioned words bring his gamer friend far closer in mind, body, and spirit to his favorite character- Fictional character TF

Sorry for the backwash: 21.2%

Accidentally sharing a drink causes his himbofication to spread 

Let’s get pumped: 20.7%

Simon finds work as a personal trainer and is far more effective than he has any right to be 

[ltwilliammowett]

What were the traditions of the British sailory in regards to burying their dead? I heard there was something with burying tiny dolls on land?

Hi,

usually the deceased was sewn into his hammock, often with a cannonball at his feet, and then dumped into the sea. If the person died at sea. At home there were several ways to commemorate a deceased person and so the small dolls in coffins in Scotland were probably also part of this custom. However, it is not entirely clear whether this was really the case.

This custom seems to have had its roots in Germany in the 18th century (possibly much earlier), where Sailor keeping mandrake roots or dolls in tiny coffins as talismen, he postulated that the coffins were a hoard of lucky charms. And that death, when it came, first took the doll before it took the person himself. In Scotland in the 19th century, and even earlier, these dolls were buried as lucky charms for all sorts of things, but could also be buried by widows or mothers as a substitute for their now lost husband or son, in order to guarantee a Christian burial. So several things are possible and seem to be limited to these two countries.

[miirshroom]

Ya, because Radagon is a manifestation of the Fell God. Rumors of his demise were greatly exaggerated.

Further observe:

St. Trina's Torch:

"Candlestand torch that burns with a light-purple flame. The carvings depict St. Trina, but in adult form, somewhat unnervingly."

Aside from the 9 pointed flower symbol that is the most direct visual, the whorls in the hair resemble another item:

So, the unnerving thing about St. Trina's torch is that it is carved with the motif of the Fell God. An indicator of how one of the key characteristics of the mysterious St. Trina is that the Fell God has been manipulating her actions.

WAIT A SECOND PLEASE WAIT A SECOND PLEASE WAIT-

[nyaskitten]

Why'd they fumble the Wojira Lore. GIRL what the fuck IS she, where are her talismen FROM, WHO infused them with elemental energy? I doubt she was BORN with two big talismen on her forehead chat!

[parainvestigate]

Since this has been going around thought I would have Hellboy participate.

[transenbyconfessions]

One of my favorite ways in fiction to make someone's chosen name valid is tying magic to their name. Things like fae not having power over someone because they know their deadname, and that isn't their true name. There's a new superhero comic where the mom tries to keep them in place with talismen that work based on name, and it doesn't do shit because "this is written for *unreadable scribbles*. That's not me. It never was"

Magic, even if evil, still thinks you're valid. That's nice <3

Submitted June 26, 2023

[rattotheimperialcheesegod]

My Inner Demons REWRITE post!!!🌌

Ive changed a lot of the themes of MID/IDD's story, specifically i wanted to add this big mcguffin aspect to the story to keep the main plot in track more with certain things called talismen and beacons, it all adds up to bigger context to the fact that there was a war that caused daemos and earth to seperate in the first place and with that, cutting off natural magic to earth and daemos respectively, with daemos only having a small supply of magic by doing sacrifices of their own kin or using humans as livestock to absorb magic.

the split of both worlds were caused by the three beacons as a way to end the war by the humans on earth and talismen acted as keys to them, so with the daemos boys trying to find all the talismen and than find the beacons to bring daemos and earth back in the same plain again, it would bring magic back naturally, but they aren't exactly acknowledging the massive con to doing this, being that all humans will be in danger of a daemos invasion and another war happening, truely if the daemos dont exactly figure out why the magic crisis even happened and if they just treat humans like they always have, the magic crisis is going to just happen again but to a even worse degree

[lavatory-sealed-hanako-kun]

I had an epiphany on the train to work and busted this out on my phone. Its based on the Teru-Teru-Bozu talismen for gud weather👌