#thank you for the ask!!! duke is a really fun character i like him a lot

[floral-force]

hey babes!!! I loved that one of Simon and the meet cute, it had me melting 🥹♥️ I was wondering if I could perhaps request a Simon Riley x reader where the reader is part of the 141, but before working with them, she was apart of a special ops group that focused on stuff like infiltration/sabotage, and she’s almost like a black widow sort of character? seduces her targets and takes them out when they’re alone? she’s usually a ray of sunshine with the group, but Laswell presents the mission and everyone’s like “????” and the reader’s like “fine, I guess we’ll do this again” and she’s just COMPLETELY different once she infiltrates??? it gives the whole crew whiplash, but I’m particularly interested in how Simon would react!!! I hope this isn’t too much!!! thanks for always blessing us with your amazing work, and I hope you have an amazing day!!! ♥️

thank you for loving the meet-cute!! this request was fun to fill. I took some artistic liberties and this one really ran away from me...I hope you enjoy this!

(requests are open! search the tags #prompt requests or #prompts and send me an ask!)

Honeypot

Simon "Ghost" Riley x F!Reader (code name "Honey")

summary: You’re Task Force 141’s newest operator, and everyone knows you as bubbly and sweet, earning you the code name Honey. How will the team react—especially Ghost, your stoic but sultry lieutenant—when a mission requires your espionage expertise?

words: 2.9k

warnings/tags: my blog is 18+ only. innuendo, canon-typical violence (fist fighting, gun mentions), bamf reader, task force 141 being buffoons, protective and jealous simon “ghost” riley, competency and size kinks if you squint, reader has a code name and uses she/her but no other descriptors

read on ao3 | masterlist

“The coup in Luxembourg is out of our usual bounds,” Laswell said, “but a covert agent working under the deposed Grand Duke has requested our aid.”

“They’ve been an ally to us in the past,” Price added, looping his thumbs under his tac vest, “so I expect you lot to execute this mission with as much precision and urgency as you would any other.”

“Country’s smaller than Scotland, innit?” Soap asked. “How the hell are we s’pposed to be discreet?”

“That’s where you come in, Honey,” Laswell crossed her arms and gave you a pointed look. “You remember your mission in Morocco?”

You smirked. “Is the sky blue?”

She gave you a small chuckle. “We need your expertise.”

“Fine.” You gave a dramatic sigh. “I guess we’ll do this again.”

“”M sorry,” Gaz interrupted with a scoff. “Do what, exactly?”

You turned to look at where he sat across the table from you next to an equally confused Soap. Ghost was twisted in his chair to look at where you sat behind him. 

You raised an eyebrow, your eyes flicked between Price and Laswell. “They don’t know what I did in the States?” 

“No,” Price muttered with a hint of embarrassment. He cleared his throat and shrugged like a tired parent as he said, “I suppose it never came up.”

Gaz gave an exasperated sigh, his impatience getting the better of him. “Well, go on then!” He urged. 

“I was a contracted espionage agent for the Department of Defense, and—”

“The Yanks used contracted agents?”

You rolled your eyes at the interruption. “Yes, Soap. Now, as I was saying,” you continued, shooting the Scotsman a playful glare, “I was hired for infiltration ops. Ones that required a certain…je ne sais quoi, a more feminine touch you lads wouldn’t be capable of.” 

When they all stared at your smiling face with blank expressions for a few moments—even Ghost’s eyes were narrowed with confusion—you jerked your head forward and waved your hands. “Guys, I seduced the targets.”

The confused silence persisted, and you looked around, giggling at each of the guys’ reactions, looking at Ghost last. His gaze pierced you the most, his brown eyes never leaving yours. Your teasing giggles faded, and you severed the eye contact with a roll of your eyes. You looked at Laswell again and crossed your arms, bored of the topic. 

“Now that that’s settled, can we please finish this briefing?” you implored. “I have to make sure I have a dress that’s fitting for a date with a dictator.”

“You sure you’re gonna be alright?”

“For the hundredth time—” you swung a heeled foot on a worn curb with a huff and hiked up the fabric of your dress—“yes, LT, I’ll be fine.” You adjusted the holster on your thigh and smirked at Ghost’s silence. “See something you like?”

There was a pause, and you looked up to see Ghost quickly look away at the street. Guilty.

You knew he felt some sort of way about you; whether it was good or bad was still unclear. One thing was for damn sure: Ghost had his sights set on you. You’d felt his skeletal stare linger on you ever since the briefing a week ago, and he wasn’t as sneaky as he thought he was at stealing looks when you were at the range or sparring.  Anyone else might feel like his prey—trapped by hungry eyes and cornered by a hulking frame—but you were so used to being the predator that you didn’t let it get to you. It was a little…fun.

Sure, he gave you butterflies, but that was because you’d never dealt with seducing men like him—at least, that’s what you told yourself after thinking about him with your hand between your thighs.

For now, you’d innocently tease and poke and prod the masked man with Soap and Gaz’s support. For now, you’d holster your loaded M9 and leave your leg exposed in yellow lamplight as you made sure your clutch had everything you needed. For now, you’d pretend that you weren’t thinking about him trailing his hand up from your ankle to the holster and grabbing the meat of your thigh.  

“We’ll be able to hear everything through your earpiece. Soap and I will have eyes on you in the palace, but stay near windows,” Ghost said, interrupting your thoughts. “Gaz’ll be on the roof.”

You swung your leg back down, wobbling. Ghost clutched your forearm, and you gripped his, fingernails scratching the fabric of his sleeve and digging into it for stability. His large hand snaked up to hold your bicep right above your bent elbow, your ears heating up when you met his eyes and saw something akin to lust in them.

His grip lingered even after you were steady on your feet again, only letting go when you gave him a flustered smile. You busied yourself with smoothing out the full skirt of your dress and adjusting the discreet monitor in your right ear. 

“All you have to do is get ‘im to the roof. The lads ‘n I will take it from there, as planned.” He paused, taking a deep breath. “If anythin’ goes wrong, jus’ get yourself out alive, Honey.”

“Got it.” You adjusted your necklace, and sheepishly asked, “Is it centered?”

You could smell sweat and sandalwood when Ghost stepped closer, his broad armored chest just inches away from your body. His large, gloved fingers graced over your skin and hands, delicately centering the elegant piece with tactical precision. 

Brown eyes looked you up and down. “Looks good, Honey.” 

Ghost stepped back and his hands fell, one curling around his radio and the other limp on the rifle slung across his body. You burned underneath your dress.

After testing the comms and getting location reports, you gave Ghost a thumbs up and started walking to the palace down the street, rolling your shoulders back and taking a few deep breaths. You could feel his brown eyes burning a hole through you the entire time, so you made sure to sway your hips a bit more than you usually did while seductively strutting somewhere.

It hadn’t taken her long to reach the third floor and approach the tall paned window with the target, just as she’d been instructed to do in their final briefing. Watching Honey expertly navigate the gala and get the target attached to her side faster than the speed of light stirred something within Ghost. Whether it was admiration for her skill or arousal was unclear. Either way, he’d be lying if he said she didn’t look ravishing in her dress. He tilted his head and greedily peered through the scope one last time before tearing his eyes away and adjusting his position on the grassy hill.

Honey was as lethal as she was sweet, and if her saccharine smile didn’t instantly ensnare her target, her sugary tongue would. Instead of doling out compliments, she accepted them and kicked innuendos back; instead of making cringy puns and flashing finger guns, she bit her lip and tugged the target’s suit jacket. It was entirely different from who she was around the team on base, and Soap had made sure to emphasize that all bloody night. Even Gaz had chimed in a few times, both men trying to get him to comment. Ghost silently refused, skin flushing under his mask.

Now that she was closing in on the target, things had become even more heated. He looked at her through the scope again and listened. Ghost heard her laugh, the sound bubblier than the champagne in the flute she raised to her pretty lips. She took a sip right as Soap said the punchline of a joke, her shoulders rising and falling sporadically with a daintily covered cough. 

“Watch it, you twat, you made her choke,” Ghost snapped.

“Sorry, lass, sorry!” Soap crackled over the comms. There was a rustle. “In my final position. Eyes on Honey and the target, LT.”

“Gaz?”

“In my final position, LT, eyes on the extraction point,” Gaz replied, his voice set and sure.

“Captain Price will leave on your command to meet you and Sergeant MacTavish at the rendezvous point, Lieutenant,” Laswell buzzed in his ear. “Gaz, you go with Honey and the target.”

“Affirmative,” Gaz and Ghost responded.

“Affirmative. And, Laswell, you can call me Soap.”

“Negative, Sergeant.”

“Aye. Copy that, loud and clear.”

“Shut up, Soap.” Ghost grumbled.

They heard Honey giggle in response to another one of the usurper’s idiotic compliments, and Ghost saw her flirtatiously tap his arm with her knuckles. 

“Y’know, if she heard one of us say tha’ in the pub, we’d never hear th’end of it.”

Gaz hummed in agreement with Soap, and he couldn’t help but shake his head and smirk. Honey laughed again and clearly echoed another awful line the target gave her. Ghost could tell the grin splitting her pretty lips wasn’t genuine—her nose didn’t crinkle like it did when he deadpanned the punchline to a stupid joke or when Soap had called Price “Pa” a few weeks ago.

There was snickering over the comms. Ghost boldly asked, “Honey, take a drink if you meant for us t’hear that shite attempt at flirting.”

Soap cackled when the rim of the champagne flute touched her lips and her throat bobbed with a long sip.

“Well?” Gaz asked expectantly.

“Was a yes, Gaz,” Soap responded.

Ghost saw her eyes flutter closed as she pressed a chaste kiss to his cheek, and he grumbled; hopefully nobody had heard him. He was itching to move, his finger hovering over the trigger and his jaw clenching each time the target touched her.

“Right, Honey,” Ghost said, focusing the team again and settling himself down. “Once you’re on the roof, I’ll call Price—Gaz, move on my word or Honey’s, or when Price arrives. Soap, get to the rendezvous when I call Price. I’ll watch Honey and the target. Understood?”

Gaz and Soap gave him their affirmatives. Honey nodded, looking out the window and winking.

She looked back at the target and seductively bit her lip. “Do you think we could go somewhere a bit more…private?” Her query was laced with something sticky.

The target gave her his piss-poor attempt at a sultry smile, resting a hand against her neck and disturbing the necklace Ghost had adjusted earlier. 

He’d be lying if it didn’t make him want to shoot the git dead where he stood.

There was a quiet yes, and Honey said, “I’ve always wanted to be kissed under the stars.” She forced a coquettish giggle. “Well, kiss, and…more, if you catch my drift.”

The target leaned in and pressed a kiss on her right cheek, the act on full display to Ghost.

“That can be arranged, my sweet,” the target murmured, his voice tainting their comms and making Ghost roll his eyes. 

When the target abruptly gripped her waist and pushed her against the window, Ghost heard the faint sound of glass breaking and heard Honey force a playful comment about dropping her flute. Now, Honey’s back was to him, one of her hands flat against the window, her fingers splayed out. His clear shot was ruined. Ghost swore and Soap did as well.

“Target moved too far to my right. Can’t get a clear shot. LT?”

“Negative,” Ghost answered. “Honey, make a fist if you need back-up.”

Normally, he would’ve already had someone storming in to help if he wasn’t already, but Price had made it clear that this mission required tact. Ghost was on edge, but he had to trust Honey, even if the sight unfolding in the scope of his rifle made his skin crawl.

Honey clenched her fist.

“Affirmative. Gaz, Soap, hold your positions. Comms are quiet unless absolutely necessary.”

“Affirmative, LT,” the men immediately replied.

“Extraction is ready on your word. Get out of there—alive,” Laswell stressed over comms. 

“Affirmative,” Ghost sighed, his trigger finger ready and aching to move.

“Not here,” Honey mumbled. Her fist remained clenched, the other hand still clutching her tiny bag. 

She squealed in surprise when one of his hands dropped to grab her ass and squeeze. Ghost sharply inhaled, and he heard Soap clear his throat, holding back from asking for a visual on Honey.

“Not here, Johann,” Honey snapped, the sweetness quickly melting off her voice. “I want you, but I want you to touch me on the roof.”

The target’s other hand grabbed the other hidden cheek, fabric bunching up in his grip. “Want you here, you lovely little thing. Roof can come later.”

Honey gave him the tinkling laugh she shared with the team after showing them a video of a puppy or some other baby animal. Sometimes, Ghost smiled under his balaclava when it was thrown his way—but he’d never tell a soul.

This time, the sunny bells were a warning, and if the target didn’t do as she said, Ghost had a feeling he’d regret more than the coup. 

“If you say so.” Her voice was uncharacteristically dark, its hidden sharp edges revealed.

“Gaz, Soap, be ready for my word,” Ghost said as Honey pushed forward, her heel pressing her dress’s hem against the window.

Just as they both responded, a howl pierced the comms, making Ghost wince. The target was doubled over, and Honey was kicking off her heels, sending them flying towards the windows across the hall. She took a lunging step forward over the broken glass and adjusted her body before throwing a punch to the target’s left cheek. He staggered up and took an angry, sloppy swing at her, but she dodged it and kicked her heel into his knee to destabilize him so she could gut-punch him. The target dropped to the floor. Ghost’s mouth went dry, and his cock twitched as she grabbed a fistful of the target’s hair.

“We’re going to the goddamn roof,” Honey gritted out. 

When the target gave her a sly smile, she took a step back and let go before punching him again. The corner of Ghost’s mouth twitched with a smile when he saw the target staring at her with fear. She’d literally punched the smile off his ugly mug.

“On your fucking feet,” she growled, and he obliged. 

Though he stood, he fought her the whole way to the stair entrance, and each time, his resistance was met with another blow to the gut. Ghost hummed in approval. This honeybee had a wicked stinger and wasn’t afraid to use it.

When she disappeared from Ghost’s sight—still swearing and commanding the target up the stairs—he made the call to Price, then barked over comms, “Soap, rendezvous. Gaz, be ready to assist if Honey calls for it—and, Honey, Gaz is ready to help restrain the target.”

“Negative, LT,” he heard her pant. 

He saw her push the target through the door and onto the roof’s hidden balcony. Gaz was crouching down where he hid, his feet ready to run and his gun in his hands.

Ghost heard her sharply exhale and barely tracked her hand fly up to the target’s bicep. Then, he saw the target slump down to his knees and fall face-first to the ground. 

“Is the target alive?” Ghost hissed, impressed but angry. “If you killed him—”

“Affirmative, LT,” she interjected, catching her breath and pulling an orange bag out of her clutch and depositing something in it. “Just a sedative. He’s gonna take a nice nap during the flight home.”

She hummed a random tune—her favorite song, Ghost noticed—as she put the bag back in her clutch. Honey waved at Gaz when he came out of hiding and walked over to her. Ghost saw her nudge the target with a bare foot and proudly put her hands on her hips.

“Bloody hell, Honey!” Gaz exclaimed, shaking his head. “Did Price know?”

“Affirmative,” Price boomed through the comms. 

The helicopter came into view and Ghost stood up with a huff, slinging his rifle back across his body. He could see them helping Honey up onto the hovering ramp, her dress blowing in the wind. He chuckled before turning running into the forest behind him towards the rendezvous point.

“Headed your way, Lieutenant.”

“Affirmative, Captain,” Ghost replied as he came to a halt next to Soap in the clearing. 

“LT!” Soap exclaimed, yanking his earpiece out, mouth agape. “Th’fuck I’d miss?”

“Ask Gaz,” he said simply, earning a groan from Soap.

The chopper thrummed overhead as it descended. They ran towards the ramp as it lowered, Honey’s triumphant face illuminated by the hold’s red light. Ghost climbed in and sat beside her with a grunt. 

Once they were airborne and starting their flight back to base, Gaz described the scene Soap had only heard. Ghost noticed her diamond necklace was askew from her skirmish and hesitantly centered it. She gave him a soft smile and turned her head so her chin grazed over his covered knuckles. The gentle hum she gave him coated him in sticky-sweet syrup. “Honey” certainly was a perfect codename for her, he reckoned, contrasting her innocent sweetness and cutesy smiles with her impressive—and, at times, lethal—infiltration skills. 

Yeah, Ghost was stuck in her treacly trap—and he didn’t plan on escaping.

masterlist

taglist (join here): @tizylish @dheet @sinfulsalutations

[copperbadge]

I always enjoy writing updates on the royal family in these books, but I am having such fun expanding Simon's character and writing his banter with Ylias. I haven't gotten to write an older character who doesn't start out visibly struggling, and Simon's just kind of a dude who loves romance and enjoys being functionally king of chefs in Fons-Askaz.

Simon and Ylias had what I'm calling a "Ene-meet" over some cheese and the next time she saw him she called him Mr. Ricotta (I may try and make this better -- I'd like some kind of French pun where she basically calls him "white guy" while also calling him some form of cheese) and while they've since mostly buried the hatchet because they have to work together on the Reclamation Day festival, they are both enjoying pretending they're still smarting over it.

"Can you do all this..." Ylias gestured at their lists, "for Reclamation Day and also do the catering? Because I feel like we do throw around at least enough weight to make someone else take that over."

"Hm, there is a lot to supervise. A practical consideration, thank you," he said, absently flipping through his own notes. "I will find someone reliable enough to serve His Majesty but also young enough to still be impressed by the request. Which leaves remaining only the cooking competition."

"Not to complain, but this seems like a really random thing to have at Reclamation Day," Ylias said. "It's not a village fete or something."

"It began as a sort of grudge, years ago," he said. "Two cooks had a dispute; they declared to decide for one or the other on Reclamation Day -- in public, with the public's help in settling the matter. It proved very popular, and of course if there are a dozen people all competing, the results can be sold for funds for charity."

"So we're supposed to set this up, set the theme, and source the judges," Ylias said.

"Set-up is already arranged -- the judging tent is always in the same place. They only have to bring in their example of the challenge recipe and lay it out."

"I guess it's a little on the nose for this year's theme to be like...an Eddie Rambler classic recipe."

He smiled. "We may consider it but also, consider: are you aware of..." his voice dropped. "The Trash Tower?"

She nodded.

"Imagine a tent full of examples of Shivadh twists on the Trash Tower," he said.

"It doesn't look like Dante's inferno, but it doesn't not," she said. "Maybe another thing we want to ask about at the next meeting?"

"I think so. For judges, usually a member of the royal family, but also then someone who knows food, and sometimes a famous person if one can get one."

"Can we?"

"I would as soon not," LeFevre replied, which Ylias couldn't argue with. "I think perhaps for the royals, Princeps Joan would like to judge. Or if her fathers would prefer she does not, Duke Gerald. He would pretend it was his little one judging, give her some of everything to try, pretend he knows what she says. Very funny."

"Want me to tap someone with food chops from the town?" Ylias asked.

"Yes, but speak with me before you ask them, just to be sure."

"Yep, I wouldn't mind a road map to all the faux pas I could make," she muttered.

"Ah, well. I wouldn't let anyone cut you; I've already seen you at your worst and it is frankly somewhat mild," he said.

"I think I'm almost more insulted about being considered mediocre than I am that you won't let it go," she replied.

"We all need time to recover our wounds," he said gravely. "Another few years, perhaps, and I will begin to consider healing."

"Man, I didn't know calling you Mr. Ricotta would devastate you so completely."

He closed the notebook with a snap, smiling.

"And I must somehow go on, and fetch my groceries," he said.

[wriothesleybear]

Apparently, in a leak, there's a made-up story about Wriothesley fighting a deep-sea beast but he says its fake.

Anyway, imagine him saving you from one or just fighting one to impress you.

I'm so sorry this took so long! Was in a writing rut for a while and then when I finally started writing, I lost my first draft of it. It was so good and I got so sad that I lost it😭... Anyways, now that we've seen his character and gotten to know him more in the main story and his character story, I can see him doing this lmao. He's likely to save you from one because he is protective of those he cares about. If you get impressed by him doing that it's a plus! Imagine him saving you from one and he casually walks over to you, holding his hand out to help you on your feet. He has a smirk on his face as he asks you, "impressed?" You could respond in two ways.

Either you blush and shyly thank him. He notices the hand he's holding is shaking a bit. He understands that you were scared and you're probably having trouble calming down. With a gentle look on his face, he gives your hand a comforting squeeze. "It's okay. You're safe now." You know he's trying to comfort you and you appreciate him trying to do that, but it just causes you to break down in tears. He hates seeing you cry. He immediately pulls you into a tight hug, letting you cry into his chest as he rubs your back. He lets you take your time letting your emotions out, giving reassuring words every now and then. He blames himself for not protecting you and can't even imagine what would've happened if he didn't get there in time. He tries to calm his own thoughts and focus on you. Once you finally calm down, you slightly pull away so you can see his face. He cups your face, using his thumbs to wipe the tears off your cheeks. "Thank you Wrio." He leans his forehead against yours and gently smiles. "Let's go home. I'll make you some tea." You slightly chuckle. "Okay." He picks you up in his arms. You get embarrassed and tell him he doesn't have to carry you but of course he says he doesnt mind. You smile, wrap your arms around his neck and kiss his cheek. "My hero." He's the one who's blushing now.

The other way you can respond is by messing with him and saying not really. Although you deny it, he notices the blush on your cheeks. He knows what you're doing and plays along. "Are you sure because I saw how awestrucked you were while I was fighting the monster." You blush more. "Fine, I suppose I was a little bit impressed." He smirks some more. "Thank you for saving me Wrio." "If you really want to thank me, how about a kiss on the cheek to show your appreciation?" You want to wipe that smirk off his face. "How about I get you some high quality tea instead?" You suggest. "Eh, that's no fun. How about you join me for a tea date?" "Hm? Is THE Duke asking me out?" You tease. "It's either the tea date or a kiss on the cheek. Your choice." You contemplate for a few seconds and ultimately make a decision. You pull him by his tie towards your face and kiss him on the lips. It only lasts for a few seconds but it leaves him stunned. You smirk and start walking away. You notice that you don't hear footsteps following behind you, so you look back to see him still standing in place, trying to understand what just happened. You chuckle. "Come on. I thought you said you would take me on a tea date." You turn and continue walking. He finally gathers himself and chuckles. Well played, he thinks. He finally follows you and catches up. While walking back to the prison, he silently plans a way to surprise you with a kiss next time.

I hope he wasn't too ooc, but these are my thoughts on if he saved you from a monster. Thank you for the ask anon and I hope you enjoy!🥰❤️

[philistiniphagottini]

- (anon from ygo dm characters)

I've been thinking for some time now, and i think i have come up with a cute sfw drabble thats fitting for the both of us! ˃ ᵕ ˂

i was thinking; gn!reader who travels along with the group and went with them on the blimp for the battle city quarterfinals (where yami marik first surfaced) and developed an unexpected liking towards him at first sight ‼️😋 they keep it a secret tho, because who wouldn't be ashamed for crushing on the bad guy who's trying with all his might to bring misfortune among your friends ╥. ╥

(this is still just a little concept!! im just eager to share since you're probably the best writer for yugioh reader inserts that i have seen yet! remember to take care! <3)

Yooo thanks for coming back and sending in a request. I'm always so happy to write yugioh stuff because I think this fandom deserves so much more. Thanks for sharing your idea, I hope you enjoy this late night plot bunny that suddenly spawned after reading it :)

CW: Yami Marik

You needed to take a walk. A very, very long walk and sort out the mess inside your head. You lost yourself among the labyrinth of winding hallways of the Battle Ship, the stage for the Battle City Quarterfinals. You had been ecstatic when your friends invited you along to watch them compete in a tournament of Duel Monsters and to top it off, you got to watch them duke it out on top of a blimp cruising over Domino city. An all-expenses paid trip from Kaiba Corporation. What more could you possibly ask for? What you thought would be a fun trip with Yugi and the gang quickly turned sour when the blimp departed. 

You rounded another corner, leading into an extensive hallway as you continued to wander aimlessly, lost in a sea of thoughts as you tried desperately to find the source of your current predicament. In all honesty, it wasn’t too hard to locate, you were still just rotting in denial. Why? Why him of all people? Why did you take an unexpected liking towards him? You ran a shaky hand through your hair, a frustrated sigh falling from your parted lips as you stared absentmindedly at the floor. You could still recall the first time you laid eyes on him, the memory still fresh in your mind as it spun on repeat over and over like a broken record. You were so ashamed of yourself for falling for the dark side of Marik the moment his alter ego came out to play. He was the bad guy, trying with all his might to bring misfortune to your friends. So why did your stomach feel a little tingly, like the delicate flap of a butterfly's wings when he looked at you? Why was your body drenched in a hot flush when he laughed so wickedly? If you closed your eyes right now, you could already hear the cruelty of it grating against your ears.

Your grip in your hair tightened, nails threatening to start ripping your hair out at the roots as you tried to claw your thoughts out of your head. You couldn’t voice your awful thoughts to anyone, especially not to your friends. They knew something was wrong with you after the gang’s first encounter with Marik’s twisted side. Everyone was a little shaken up but you were taking it pretty hard. No matter how many times Tea asked you how you were holding up, you lied and told her everything was alright. No matter how much she pried you refused to budge, lips tightly sealed in a thin line as you buried this secret so deep there wasn’t a chance anyone could pry it from you. That’s one of the other reasons you were walking along the hallways, hoping that no one would find you. 

You had already tried to talk with Kaiba to let you off this hell ride. He laughed in your face and refused your request outright. You already considered jumping ship several times. The thought sounded a little appealing. Running from your problems instead of facing them always sounded appealing. Your mind and body were fighting with each other. Your head told you that it wasn’t right but yet your heart betrayed you by yearning for someone you really shouldn’t be interested in. There were so many red flags your vision was drowned in crimson. Your head was starting to feel dizzy and if you kept pacing up and down these hallways you were eventually going to start scuffing marks along the polished floors. Maybe if you did, Kaiba would be forced to kick you off for daring to put even a speckle of dirt on his fancy, new toy.

You were so lost in your own head, a sea of thoughts threatening to drown you in the dark abyss, that you failed to take notice of your surroundings. You failed to notice the approaching footsteps and you failed to notice when your entire being was enveloped in a dark shadow. You were wrenched back into reality when you felt something snag your wrist, your raging thoughts coming to a screeching halt as you faltered in your stride. You were too slow to react and your world was sent spinning as you were dragged down the nearest dark corridor, away from the harsh light and any prying eyes. Your back flared with pain as you were promptly shoved into the wall, a sharp hiss whistling through your teeth as a loud yelp got caught in your throat. You were forced to swallow your voice as a hand clamped over your mouth, muffling your protests as you struggled in your captor’s grip. Once your eyes adjusted to the dim light, your eyes widened in silent disbelief. The very man you had been trying to avoid was staring directly at you. 

His lavender eyes pierced you down to your very core and a cold shiver crept down your spine at his close proximity. You could feel the heat of his breath against your skin as your mind kicked into overdrive, still trying to comprehend what the hell was going on. You were paralysed. Your mind screamed at you to fight, kick, scream and run. Yet your body refused to listen. You were staring directly into the gaping maw of danger, razor sharp teeth bared at your throat and you were oddly docile. Was this what it felt like to be a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming car? Just complete docile to your fate?

You felt Marik’s fingers pressing into your skin, sun kissed skin pleasantly warm against your face as he dug his nails into your plump skin. 

"Scream and you won’t like the results" Marik warned. 

The apathetic stare he gave you was offset by the sinister smirk curling his lips. It was like he was goading you into giving him a reason to want to hurt you. Did he truly need one? Pain flared in your wrist as his nails pressed intimately close into your flesh, goosebumps prickling your skin as you felt your sins crawling over your back. You didn’t know whether you were liking his sudden fixation on you or loathing it. You were filled with conflicted feelings, trepidation and elation taking turns with your weary body. You felt dizzy again and the faint metallic scent clinging to Marik’s clothes made you feel nausea. You were going to be sick. Or pass out. You didn’t know which feeling was going to win in the end.  

Marik’s face hovered closer to yours and you could feel every hair on the nape of your neck standing up. Your palms felt sweaty and his proximity was not doing any good to your poor heart, your pulse hammering in your ears like the loud beat of a drum as you questioned why he was here. What did this mad man want from you? He was in no rush to answer that question, your voice still cut off by the palm of his hand as his fingernails scraped across your jaw. He tipped your head, your body not putting up much resistance as you bent to his will with such ease that the sight would be considered laughable. And you could tell by the smirk still present on his lips that Marik noticed the peculiar behaviour too. 

"Oddly placate, little lamb" he commented, mirth tinting his voice as it dripped from his mouth like a slow acting poison.

You despised the way you shivered in response yet you did nothing to stop his advances as he tipped your head, tilting it in a different direction every few seconds as he examined you. You felt like a bug being scrutinized under a microscope as he continued to examine you, eyes narrowed and brow furrowed in concentration. It looked like he was searching for something. For what, you hadn’t the foggiest. But if he just told you what he wanted, then this encounter would be over much quicker. Your knees were beginning to wobble and you weren’t sure how much longer you were going to hold out. Dizzy, you felt so dizzy. Your vision wavered slightly as your attention flicked back to Marik, a sound akin to a thoughtful hum stirring in the back of his throat as he seemed to reach a conclusion. A conclusion you prayed you would like. Or at least come out with every limb intact. 

"I’ve decided" he announced.

You raised a questioning eyebrow in response. Decided what? Care to share with the class? Unfortunately, your untimely wit was swallowed as the hand covering your mouth clamped around your face harder, making your jaw ache when you tried to dislodge your words from the back of your throat. Tears pricked the corner of your eyes from his harsh grip and it was obvious your pain only brought him further amusement. You weakly grabbed his wrist, nails scratching at his skin as you tried to catch his attention. He refused to budge. You weren’t allowed to get a word in. Marik’s face pressed closer, your panic-stricken face twisting with even more alarm as the tip of his nose brushed along yours, your vision obscured from everything else around you until only he remained. Your discomfort only added fuel to the fire and Marik found himself rather enjoying the reactions he was pulling from you.

"You’re coming with me, and you’re going to fix the turmoil you have stirred-" his voice trailed off as his hand reached for his chest, fingers clutching onto the front of his shirt like he was in pain. "In here" he concluded. 

You didn’t know how to react to those words as they slowly burrowed their way under your skin. You felt dizzy.

Dizzy.

Dizzy.

[lordansketil]

I've been slowly reading Character & Caricature and leaving perhaps somewhat embarrassingly gushy comments - but, look, it's transcendently good. I'm curious, do you have a particular person/piece of art/etc. in mind as a visual reference for Gwen? I'd love to see your idea of how she looks. Ditto, Prinny's voice is described (beautifully) in the text - do you hear him as Peter Egan in Prince Regent, or a bit different? What about Gwen, what does she sound like?

Oh, you are too lovely! I tend to just imagine the character in my mind rather than cast someone, but Gwendolyn, with her dark brown eyes and black hair, is inspired by a combination of Regency fashion plates and portraiture, but with much thicker naturally curly hair rather than the perfectly set hair that was in vogue. I recently saw this painting of the Duke of York's famous mistress, Mary-Anne Clarke, by Adam Buck is which comes close (although Gwendolyn is thinner due to all she's been through). The amazing @suburbanbeatnik did a drawing of Gwen and Prinny that I love.

I actually gave Gwen my late mother's voice, which I realise doesn't help anyone as a description. A little hoarse (sometimes shrill) and she's very aware of this and consciously softens her voice. In terns of how I write her speech patterns, she speaks very correctly. As a poor relation from the lowest rung of the gentry, with lower class relatives, she clings to what she understands as "proper" speech to give the impression of being better educated than she really is.

Prinny's speech patterns, on the other hand, are a whole different ball game. I don't hear him as Peter Egan... except when I've just re-watched the show!

George IV is recorded as being a bass-baritone and, while his letters are very elaborate and over the top, reports of his speech tend to be fun ("give me your little paw"), dry ("I always find the day is long enough for doing nothing"), distinctive ("Kingston, Kingston, you black-whiskered good-natured fellow!"), and ridiculous ("a sort of mishmash, Solomongrundy, ollapodrida kind of business") and there's lots of reports of him being self-deprecating ("my tyrannical self at breakfast"), grovelling to his lovers ("thank you, my dear, thank you... you cannot please me so much as by doing everything you please to show that you are mistress here") and exaggeratedly boastful ("at last, godamme, ma'am, he rode slap over my favourite bitch, Ruby. I could stand it no longer, but jumping off my horse said: 'Get down you rascal! Pull off your coat!' By God, he did, and we fought for an hour and twenty minutes. He was carried off senseless, whilst I had hardly a scratch!").

Apparently he pronounced "oblige" as "obleege", which suggests the very fruity accent that's associated with British royalty, and used ain't ("she's my daughter, ain't she?"). Beau Brummell said he could have been a great comic actor and he was considered to be an extremely talented mimic.

So with this as a base, I've given him a consciously exaggerated way of speaking. A sort of theatrical patter that involves mixing a Scarlet Pimpernel style drawl with period slang and swearing that comes across as charming, but not at all proper... right up until he gets offended by something and then his speech becomes ultra formal and intimidating. At some point I decided as a hard rule that he says "'tis" and Gwen says "it's" and there's probably something there about her careful speech and modern contractions and his more casual speech and antiquated contractions.

Thanks for the ask! <3

[hexedwinchester]

What's your favorite Walker episode?

Hi @wantedman123

Thanks for sending a Walker ask, it's a first for me! :)

Good question. I think unlike SPN, picking one episode for Walker is tough because the main story arc continues throughout the season. But I do have a few favorite episode which i enjoy watching.

S01E05 Duke: This was an interesting one tbh and i still mourn Duke's death. Duke as an undercover was such a wonderful alias, it would have been fun to explore this alter ego for Cordi. He is aloof from his family, hates being Duke but at the same time, Duke gives him the freedom to be reckless, to fall in love in again. That episode added a different complexity to Cordell's character. And the tension between Twyla and Duke was really good!

S03E01 World on a String: I am sorry, the episode starts with major whump! what's not to like? I loved how Emily acts as the defensive part of Cordell's mind. She helps him through it. The origami with knots as a Morse code was a nice touch. Cordell's awareness in the first few minutes even though he is blinded folded was good too. I loved how strong Cordi is shown during the interrogation because of his military training as opposed to Liam. I have seen Jared portray himself small and tiny during Sam whump but to see him headstrong was really amazing!

S04E11 Let's Go, Let's Go: This was a masterpiece all around whether it was writing, direction or acting. Everyone did an amazing job. Throughout the episode i was so confused but it all made sense in the end. I loved how they shot the whole episode, the amazing touches to show what the event actually portrayed! brilliant episode

Thanks again for this amazing ask! What about you? what's your favorite Walker episode?

[givemewallywestorgivemedeath]

I want to tell you about the Flash arc ever: Rogue War.

We start off in the first issue with a totally normal premise. Zoom had escaped jail and was having a romantic fling with Cheetah. The two of them were running around killing people for fun. So naturally Wally and Diana teamed up to stop this horrifying turn of events. Oh and they're also trying to stop the murders as well. Diana was blind for unrelated reasons and she lassoed Wally so that he could act as her seeing eye dog. It's all very normal.

Anyway, so Captain Cold and Captain Boomerang were all doing in-depth research on the Flash family tree. Boy, can I relate to that. Mirror Master hauled in the Turtle for the crime of being... around? I guess? And Weather Wizard found a note tapped to their door inviting the Rogues to a Rogues fight.

In the next issue the Rogues broke the Trickster out of jail and then they tried to hunt down the corpse of the previous Captain Boomerang. It didn't go so well.

Hartley showed up and kidnapped Zoom's wife which was an ABSOLUTELY BALLSY THING TO DO MY GUY. Speaking of kidnappings, Zoom kidnapped Jay because he wanted Jay to build him a cosmic treadmill.

Then we get our Rogue fight. Captain Cold, Mirror Master, Weather Wizard, Captain Boomerang and the new Trickster vs Wally's best friend (Pied Piper), Wally's childhood best friend (Magenta), Heat Wave and the old Trickster. Someone start blasting the John Cena wrestling music because I associate that with massive showdowns and this is one for the century!

But what exactly was the titular character The Flash doing during all of this, I hear you ask. Well. Wally and Linda spent this issue in the doctor's office running tests and finding out that they couldn't have children. It's all very depressing and we're going to move past it because I won't do the scene justice.

Anyway, so the Rogues were fighting each other and we find out that Hartley's team was working for the FBI. They weren't the ones who had sent the Rogues the note inviting them to a Rogue fight. No, they were just a random, convenient grouping of Rogues who happened to have a bone to pick.

Cut to issue three and Wally was at work. He heard on the news that there's trouble going on so naturally he suits up and heads out. He arrived, in the middle of the Rogue fight, and he had no fucking clue what was happening because there were about nine Rogues duking it out in the middle of the street for no reason.

Now there are three teams. The og Rogues, who want to quell the Rogue uprising and find the previous Captain Boomerang's corpse. The FBI Rogues, who have the previous Captain Boomerang's corpse and don't want to give it up for FBI reasons. And Wally, who would really like them to stop breaking skyscrapers please and thank you.

So they're all fighting and causing just an insane amount of damage to the city when all of sudden the Top shows up out of nowhere and is all "Aha! Rogue fight!!" and suddenly there were four teams in this fight. And that's not all! Turns out the Top was the one who left the note and he had his own Rogue team at his beck and call. Girder, Murmur, Plunder, Tar Pit and Double Down now enter the fight.

There were FOURTEEN Rogues all trying to murder each other and Wally was left scrambling to make sure that they a) don't kill each other, b) don't kill him, and c) don't kill any civilians. Wally did knock out Hartley at one point and then Wally brought him back to his house to crash on his couch which was very cash money of him. Wally was like "go sleep off your bad decisions and we'll talk about this over breakfast ❤️"

But yeah, Wally was straight up not having a good time. Captain Cold killed the Top and shattered bits of his body everywhere, fires were raging because Heat Wave decided to go nuts, both Tricksters were battling it out mid air with acid bombs, ect, ect.

While this is all going on, Zoom's wife found Captain Boomerang's body and he was very much a zombie. The FBI wanted a zombie Captain Boomerang for... reasons, I guess? Cap begged for death so Zoom's wife let him die. Terrible timing though because right when he died the new Captain Boomerang barged into the room. See, the new Captain Boomerang was the previous Boomerang's son and he wasn't happy to see what he thought was a random lady killing his father.

So he threatened to kill Zoom's wife.

Not a great idea.

Zoom showed up and took his wife somewhere safe. That safe place was Wally's living room because it's fucking Zoom and he does whatever he wants.

And now we have five teams. The OG Rogues, the FBI Rogues, Top's Rogues, Wally and Zoom. Why was Zoom on his own team? Why wasn't he fighting with a Rogue group? Well, before Zoom was Zoom, he was an FBI analyst who specialized in the Rogues. He hated them with every fiber of his being. Zoom's main goal was to make Wally suffer but killing a bunch of Rogues was irresistible to him. Plus, they threatened his wife.

This was apparently too easy for Wally though. I mean, fourteen Rogues and Zoom at the same time? Pfft. Come on. So naturally Captain Cold called in Dr. Alchemy to distract Wally. Dr. Alchemy apparently thought 'distract' meant 'brutally beat him' because, by god, the man did not go light on the already extremely beat up and tired speedster.

But that's not enough. No, Cold was like "This is still too easy. Call in the big guns." So they brought out Grodd.

16 Rogues and Zoom versus a man who was bleeding out on the floor. Super awesome and fair fight. You love to see it.

Bart ran in at this point and was all "you never invite me to anything fun, Wally". Because Jay's missing and Wally's at deaths door and Bart learned from Wally that you hide your emotions under a layer of sarcasm at all times. Wally genuinely thanked him for the help and, at the realization that this was so serious that they were abandoning snark, Bart responded with a genuine "you're welcome". In one of my favorite blink-and-you'll-miss-it scenes, Bart and Wally stood back to back, surrounded by Rogues, prepared to make their last stand.

Then Zoom swooped in and killed a few. Zoom said his iconic line "I don't give a shit about the Rogue stuff. This is a speedster fight now." (I'm paraphrasing) Zoom grabbed Bart and threatened to snap his neck. Bart said his iconic line "Do it. You won't." (I'm paraphrasing but not as much as you'd think). Zoom then said his iconic line of "SPKFDVL" (not paraphrasing)

At this point Zoom decided that 16 Rogues and himself was WAY too easy for Wally. So naturally he invited Eobard Thawne to the party. Eobard showed up to the fight fashionably late on a cosmic treadmill. One that had Jay chained to the hood like a dead deer.

We still have two issues left people, so buckle up because it doesn't get less insane from here on out.

The Rogues actually had pretty good survival instincts so they took Zoom's whole "speedster fight" thing to heart and they bailed. They got out of there like rats abandoning a burning building.

Wally then showed the world how smart he was and managed to free Bart and Jay. Wally then showed the world how dumb he was and fought Eobard and Hunter on the cosmic treadmill. They then started time traveling with about as much control and finesse as a drunk driver in a snow storm.

They did a hit and run somewhere in the time stream. Poor Captain Boomerang. He got knocked into the arms of Meloni Thawne in the far off future. (And that's how Bart's brother Owen was born)

Hunter's whole plan here was to take Wally back in time to force him to watch Hunter's previous vicious attack on Wally's then pregnant wife, Linda. This attack was devastating as Hunter's attack caused Linda to miscarry the couple's unborn twins. Hunter wanted to make Wally suffer because Hunter thought tragedy would make Wally a better hero.

Eobard's just there cause he likes fucking with people.

So the two of them hold Wally down to make him watch the worst moment of his life when BARRY FUCKING ALLEN SHOWS UP.

You know. The man who has been dead for years.

You see, Barry was also time traveling because of course he was, he's Barry Allen. While Barry didn't have a single clue about what was happening, Barry saw an adult Wally getting beat up and the man went into a rage. That's his KID goddammit.

Barry did his whole best dad thing and gave Wally a pep talk. Wally, for his part, was pretty chill about time traveling Barry because honestly time traveling Barry showing up wasn't really as uncommon of an occurrence as you would think. Barry then dragged Eobard back in time to kill him (not joking).

Okay we're in the end game now.

Wally kicked the shit out of Hunter and threw him in front Linda, shielding her from Hunter's attack. Hunter flipped out and tried to operate the cosmic treadmill but he fucked up and hurled himself through time. Skill issue.

Wally time traveled back to the present where him, Bart and Jay yelled insults at the retreating Rogues because the Rogues were holding them at Turtle point.

The three made a mad dash to the hospital when they heard news that Linda was Not. Okay. Linda went from not pregnant to nine months pregnant in the span of a second because Wally fucked with time. Linda was in labor and EVERYONE WAS FREAKING OUT.

And that's the story of how the West twins were born.

The End.

[tlonista]

Astarion fic recs, Batch 2

Thanks so much to everyone who had kind words for my Astarion fic rec list! My habit continues unabated so I wanted to throw out another little batch of mostly recent, mostly hurt/comfort-oriented Astarion-centric fanfic that I liked. As before there's references to Astarion's past abuse and assault so mind the AO3 tags.

Anyway happy holidays fellow pale elf fans, pls tip me off if you watched the latest Larian animated short and felt moved to write about shivering blanket-wrapped Astarion sitting on Karlach's lap.

Incomplete Multi-Chapter:

The Friends We Meet in the Dark by Copaline

Astarion is captured by monster hunters while spiraling over how to earn Tav's affections. Second in a series, but can be read standalone; one of two chapters posted. Big fan of its protective f!Tav, and there's some fun banter with the rest of the gang.

I Don't Know You Yet by thbreakofdawn

Nicely executed modern Bloodweave social media (text messages and Twitter) AU. Astarion is a sex worker and Gale is a grad student struggling with his relationship to his girlfriend Mystra, and they strike up a text-only friendship after a random connection. Very effective use of the multimedia format.

If the Cross on the Door Doesn't Scare You by Aylwyyn228

Sweet, angsty "Astarion starves in the Shadow-Cursed Lands because he's too scared to ask for blood" fic with the added turn of Gale guessing exactly what's happening, but being too toxic-blooded to actually help unless Astarion tells the others about his vampirism.

a half-blown rose by winter_writes

Astarion's "Tav didn't kill Cazador" dialogue in the Patch 5 Epilogue is one of the saddest things in the game, and I'm so excited to see writers running with it. In this fic Astarion was recaptured by Cazador post-game and then finally freed thanks to a fire... but he's terribly injured in the aftermath and ashamed to have his ex-lover see him. Only one chapter so far but I'm a big fan.

death by rock & roll by falco_c

This hasn't been updated in a while and Astarion hasn't actually appeared in it yet, but I'm throwing it in as a bonus because I really love its Almost Famous-y music industry AU vibe. Its translation of the tadpole ensemble into rock-and-roll burnouts, featuring in-world interviews, is absolutely delightful.

One-Shots:

Untitled by trulycertain (Tumblr-only)

It's spawn Astarion realizing he can turn into a bat and flying around and getting tired with Tav around, that's it, that's the fic. Completely adorable fluff. But "Is this what it’s meant to be like? Being a spawn? Not a starved slave?" kills me.

Family by sword_and_lance

Astarion goes to see his family after being turned, and Cazador cements his control over Astarion by offering him some scraps of comfort in the painful aftermath. It's short and restrained and chilling and so so sad.

Pointy Ears by SpaceBarbarianWeird

Yes another fluffy fic, what am I coming to. But who doesn't want to read about Astarion rediscovering trust by letting Tav touch his sensitive pointy ears with some brief digressions into elven social norms and gift-giving.

Complete Multi-Chapter:

Desperate Measures by Asidian

One of the fics that inspired "If the Cross" above, and one of my favorite "Astarion in the Shadow-Cursed Lands" pieces. Very good at balancing a sympathetic take on the character with him being, like canon Astarion, deceptive and a little bit abrasive when cornered. Plus bonus fun with Scratch.

this is a gift (it comes with a price) by ryttu3k

A post-game Ascended Astarion fic in which AA is literally soulless and knows it, and his sometimes-lover Duke Wyll Ravengard discovers over a series of nighttime visits that he secretly hates it. One of my favorite Ascension fics in part because, intentionally or not, it feels weirdly true to the experience of depressive anhedonia?

The Light of the Seven by Verelia

@reddenmore mentioned this one in the tags on my last fic rec list and I wholeheartedly agree; it's a real good Szarr Spawn Family character study delving into the backstory and personality of each of Cazador's "children," including Astarion.

[midnightmissionarchives]

Werewolf by Night Issue 32

Encryption status: decrypted

Opening files...

Alright first up we have the OG, the first appearance of the man we've come to know as Moon Knight. I'd like to start here so that we an see how he's grown and changed and developed over the years. Future files will probably skip around depending on which ones get decrypted first.

Anyway!

Honestly, not a bad read. Gives a little glimpse into Jack Russell and what life is like for him, but also provides us with essentially a rough draft for Marc (Mark) Spector and the character they were trying to develop. There are definitely some differences with how this version of Moon Knight is introduced, but that's the fun part!

This issue starts off with a bang! Literally. The werewolf and Moon Knight are duking it out in a New York alley.

Earlier, Jack had been on a trip with his best friend and unfortunately the full moon had other plans. Jack's friend jumped in the way as Jack went to attack a young girl named Buttons (files are unclear if that is the girls actual name or if it's a nickname). This tragically led to his friend ending up in critical condition in the hospital with doctors unsure if he'll pull through or if he'll stay in the coma. Guilt ridden and angry Jack punches the wall, which didn't help ease his lover, Topaz, or his sister's worried minds, before he leaves the hospital to go home to see his step father.

Now enters The Moon Knight. Or...more accurately Mr. Spector.

Minor detail, but one that I find humorous. The writers and editors couldn't seem to decide how to spell his first name, either with a K or a C because we see it both ways within issues 32 and 33.

Now as you can see, he might be wearing all white, but he was all about the green, taking the suit and rolling with it. Also worth noting that $10k back in 1975 is really close to $60k today. So when some weirdo "committee" asks you to put on a costume and call yourself some silly name all for $10k...you don't really say no.

This is a very different origin story than what we've come to know about this character. This version is not tied to any vengeful moon god or ancient order or anything mystical. He was just some gun for hire given an outfit and told to pretend. Very interesting origin. Could you imagine if they had kept with that?

So Marc dons the silvery/white suit and introduces himself to Jack as Moon Knight. Shortly after, the full moon works its magic on Jack causing him to flee as he transforms into the wolf causing Marc to pursue.

While Marc's name may have been inconsistent (as well as his feelings towards his hero name), one other character has been consistent since the beginning and that's...

Jean-Paul "Frenchie" Duchamp

Yes, faithful congregation, Frenchie has been with Marc since the very beginning. Now that's a good friend.

Now we come back to the present with the fight in the alley. A crowd watches as a werewolf and some guy in a white costume tussle in an alley. The crowd stands and watches the fight for a good while before being struck with the realization...

I'm just imagining these people literally standing there slack-jawed at the fantastical brawl happening before them and this guy just suddenly comes back to consciousness like he had been woken up from a trance.

Anyway.

Jack puts up a good fight, despite his hurt hand, but Moon Knight wins out in the end thanks to his arsenal of silver weaponry, armor specifically designed to fight werewolves, and his incredible resume of skills.

The issue comes to a close as the police arrive and Moon Knight is dragging an unconscious werewolf towards the rope latter of the helicopter because, as Marc so eloquently put it,

"Payday's just around the corner, and I'd rather kill this hairy monster----than let those cops cut me off from my bread."

Yes, Marc Spector said "I'm getting that bread." I love how phrases make their way back into social vocabulary.

This is a far cry from the Moon Knight we've come to know. What he stands for, who he is, his motivations, just a different person. But, getting to know this version of the man only helps us to understand and appreciate how far he's come. This Marc is laying down the foundation for every iteration after him. He might not be the mystically endowed Fist of Vengeance, but he's no wimp either. Strength, agility, skill, marksmanship, you name it this guy has it in spades. And he would need it in order to hold his own with a werewolf who has inhuman strength and speed. The way the wolf (regrettably) cuts down his friend and really anyone who stands in way show just how powerful he is in this form, but he didn't seem to be a match for Moon Knight (who admittedly had a slight advantage with those silver weapons). Granted he did get a few good hits in, but Marc wasn't down for long. Would things have been different if the wolf's hand wasn't broken? Probably not. It might have gone on a little longer, but Moon Knight would have still come out on top, but who knows!

Thank you for joining me as we dive into the archives. This is the first file we're uncovering from the archives so I hope you enjoyed the read.

[emry-stars-art]

Regarding the incredible royal AU (THAT I LOVE SO MUCH ALREADY🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡) If that’s okay I would love to hear more about andreil and what happens next? Maybe about them becoming official (like official official- being recognised as a prince and his betrothed/ husband(?)) (I guess it depends if in your AU people officially recognise gay relationships (hopefully they do? :D) and just the overall reactions to that event or maybe like the scene of one of them proposing to the other (I don’t really know about engagements in history, do you need to properly court somebody? Or do you just give them a ring and ask?)

This is getting long and you don’t need to answer or anything but I just wanted to say I absolutely adore the way u draw the characters and their poses and interactions and I always love your additions like headcanons and notes and stuff (it’s honestly thrilling to read I can’t stop I love it so much)🥰🥹❤️❤️❤️ Hope you have a good day!!

Hello!! First thank you so much you’re so kind to come here and say all these things 🥹💕

As for andreil becoming official - I think yes. When I do royal aus I wouldn’t necessarily call the universe/world “queer normative” because the higher in station you go, the more true “straight until proven otherwise” holds - no one frowns on gay relationships and the setting is perfectly accepting, they just kind of… expect their rulers to be straight for bloodline convenience and all that 🤷 and it’s not like Andrew is trying to be subtle either, he keeps his relationships and ‘affairs’ to himself well but once he actually takes a liking to Abram he’s not really trying to hide it (case in point: here). He just lets the rumors about his sexuality spread and hopes he won’t have to make a big deal about coming out.

The really really fun part about universes like this is that we can kind of make up the traditions to be whatever we want! I love love love the idea of courting, I think it’s got great possibilities (and I’m so certain Aaron courting Katelyn was like the floweriest, cutest thing ever omg) so I’d love to make Andrew actually commit to courting Abram 😂 But like in canon where Andrew and Neil (and this is only a widely accepted head canon) don’t make a big deal about a proposal and wedding, probably having a tiny wedding or just going to the courthouse - Prince Andrew doesn’t make it a grand, super special thing like King Aaron and Katelyn wanted to. He picks the parts he likes and makes sure he meets all the basic expected requirements (because I want SO BADLY for Andrew to secretly be a sap, he likes the romantic stuff he just doesn’t like making it public) and then when Abram wants to, they get married and Abram becomes whatever title is next in line after prince. Duke? I don’t remember right now but yeah to avoid confusion/political issues he is not technically also considered a prince.

The people as a general rule love this, people like parties and they like celebration and a wedding is both of those and the prince seems happy so that’s as good as it’s gonna get. No one’s going to be able to say Abram doesn’t make them a tiny bit wary because let’s be real. Abram’s nature before you get to know him can be off putting. But that’s the only real thing anyone would have against their marriage.

ANYWAY. god there’s so many ways it could go, so many little things and fun possibilities to consider when you think about an Abram/Andrew courtship and SINCE WE GET TO MAKE UP THE RULES?? If you guys start putting courtship ideas in the tags and replies I might melt omg 😭🥰 sappy Andrew, Abram picking up on it when he realizes how much Andrew likes it (the only thing he’s actually sappy about is making Andrew blush and making him feel special in ways that aren’t just because of his station), parts they put on for show and the little cute things they do for each other when no one else is there… AUGH

Yeah to answer your question: the people are surprised but cool with a gay prince, they think his fiancé’s a little spooky but whatever, and andreil court at Andrew’s pace and get married when Abram is ready and everyone is happy :D

[rosalind-hawkins]

For the ask game here - hmmmmm........ Carryshipping, Deathshipping, aaaand.... let's go random: Dragonshipping!

(Okay, and Mumbleshipping :D)

Thank you so much for asking! 💛

CARRYSHIPPING

1. What made you ship it?

@kira-quartz of course! I had never even considered it before, but I discovered this right as I was starting to explore Buddyshipping, so the timing was perfect.

2. What are your favorite things about this ship?

I think kira said it best when they said that Tristan is the earth to Joey's sun and Ryou's moon, and there's no better way to explain their dynamic.

3. Is there an unpopular opinion you have about this ship?

This ship only works for me with Joey still a half-feral street-kid.

DEATHSHIPPING

1. Why don't you ship it?

I had no familiarity with the manga at all for my first few years of being into Yugioh, so my impression of Ryou formed completely without any of the "this boy likes dark and occult things and is such a weirdo." I also don't see Yami Marik as being anything other than an entity of hated and vengeance and power, and so he's not really capable of feeling anything else? That's just my understanding of the character, and I don't trust that Yami Marik wouldn't hurt him (but I still wrote Deathshipping into my Tendershipping fic because that whole story was a challenge to myself to see those ships differently). I will still like some Deathshipping posts and content, but I wouldn't say that I ship it.

2. What would have made you like it?

Maybe if Yamima weren't so thoroughly violent and deranged in every moment of his canon appearance, I could dig it, and maybe if I'd been exposed to weirdo!Ryou earlier on, I would be more into it.

3. Despite not shipping it do you have anything positive to say about it?

I do think it can be really interesting as a background ship to Thiefshipping, because it feels so unlikely. I also like the idea of Yamima defeating Marik and Bakura but leaving Ryou behind and freed from the Ring. The size difference is definitely 😘👌

DRAGONSHIPPING

1. What made you ship it?

Honestly, just the deep respect that the characters have for each other in canon, and how they help each other grow. It's a very low-key ship for me, in that I don't seek out the content or think about it at all, but when I do see it, I give it a thumbs up. 👍

2. What are your favorite things about this ship?

The whole thing about Joey definitely beating Yami in a duel to win back his Red-Eyes card and then never mentioning it, not once, not even to Kaiba. There's just such respect and humility in the fact that Joey keeps it a secret and doesn't think any less of him for the loss. These are two dudes that will give their all in a fight against each other and love each other for it, even when they think the other is completely wrong.

3. Is there an unpopular opinion you have about this ship?

Yami bottoms to Joey, you can't convince me otherwise. He's a pillow princess.

MUMBLESHIPPING

1. What made you ship it?

I couldn't stand having to choose between Euroshipping and Minorshipping (and Mastershipping), so I just squished them all together. My very old FFN fic, just called Mumbleshipping, actually started out as a one-shot that I wrote as a challenge to myself of "let me find really obscure yugioh ships and write them for fun" (that's why the list of ships I've written is so long and includes things like Revenge, Lavender, Midriff, and Vengeance). But then I was like, "this really does make sense though, so what if I just... Continue the scene?" And it turned into the mumble boys being on vacation in an Italian villa, living the good life, Ryou and Duke forcing Seto to stop working and truly relax, until I got restless and threw in a whole lot of drama for each of the boys in turn, and lots of Mokuba being a cutie and everyone being horny and traumatized.

2. What are your favorite things about this ship?

Everything. The shared dad trauma. The way they're all on the fringe of the Yugi friend group. Mokuba becoming a surrogate sibling to Duke and Ryou. The way the four of them settle into becoming a family. The fact that they don't have all shared experiences: Duke doesn't know Duelist Kingdom, Ryou doesn't know most of Battle City or season four or Noah's Virtual World, neither of them know the Legendary Heroes arc. Duke doesn't know anything at all about Death T. They all have enough fuck-uppery going on in their lives, and they all have their own ways to deal with it and not give up. They're good for each other, and you can't convince me otherwise.

3. Is there an unpopular opinion you have about this ship?

*booming voice* I AM THIS SHIP. I AM THE CAPTAIN AND THE SAIL. I REVIVED THIS SHIP FROM THE ASHES OF OBSCURITY. Do you seriously think there's a popular ANYTHING about this ship?

[blurryfangirlansuke]

Now you maybe wondering that about me being absent one of them is college I can't control that it depends on my degree and planning what I want to do in my adult life. Also I want to get this out of my chest. I'm perfectly fine when people tell my obsession with Duke goes too far causing me to lose friends or just being all over a character that doesn't exist. I understand and I do apologize if I make feel people uncomfortable and when ask people if they can draw myself and Duke together they don't have to I make it very optional and I have plenty of other characters to simp for but Duke is #1 he'll always be. He's the reason why I'm being stable from being lonely and stress between reality and trying to become independent. It's not easy when your autistic and have social anxiety and learning different ways of how to do things. Duke is a comfort and I believe everyone should have a comfort character if not then perhaps your best friend or family .

Whenever I see a picture of Duke or art heck even gifts people draw for me it makes me touched and happy because I love this vampire and yes he's fictional but it's fun to simp and also appreciate the creator who put there heart and soul making characters to adore and even be interested with there stories and series.

Another thing I get so happy is when I commission the creator of the series Duke's plays the lead one along with Missi the vampire who tolerates him. The creator absolutely knows me so well and always spoils me with amazing commissions of me and Duke also she's close and appreciates fans like me for liking character such as Duke . Also buying loads of merchandise from the creator's store and main do I go buck while on everything worse then going to a barns and noble xD.

I am a busy person who gets free time and sometimes not so much. I'm working on my degree, learning the good and bad things in life even if I don't understand. I attend to also write my fanfics whenever I get the chance to take a break on drawing nonstop art of Duke. It also gives me ideas for myself if I ever want to make a character of my own and I know one day the character is going to be inspired by many artists I admire if you see what I usual post xD.

I have dreams of being with Duke in real life like he stays with me in my campus, we go for nightwalks, I lay in his coffin or king size bed and talk for hours. I wake up and he's not there with me. I know this feeling is loneliness which I'm use to since I have a hard time reaching out to people and the art I do might probably not spark interest. I miss my sister who's in college we have a great bond, I love my parents always support me, I have friends and fans online here that support me.

However I really wish I didn't feel this way. I know I attend to seek help with my advisors or talk to my sister it does help. I'm not normal and then okay because hey we all special and unique in our ways. Duke is fictional but he's my happiness and true comfort and I'll always love him even if I want to strangle him.

Yes I've been a little depressed and overwhelmed but that's life we have our good days and bad days. Crying does help me let everything out and start a better day. Eventually this blog will also get more hearts soon and also I have to be present for that to happen which I try. I appreciate you listening to me and I don't want end things sad especially since this is me and Duke's month so I made a healing art piece and color it about us. I really appreciate the support and love you all give me. This helps me to stay motivated and keep going. Don't worry I'll post more things and happy stuff. Letting this vent things pass.

Thank you for listening and much love you all Spooklings 🥰

[santacoppelia]

Heaven and Hell strike! (a "crack" meta?)

I was reviewing my notes to write some things I like about Shax (they are organized by themes) but I came across this idea first and it tickled my brain (probably because I just watched Neil's speech at the WGA Strike picket line). (BTW, great message, go watch it!!)

We know some interesting things about the awful work circumstances at Hell. We can "ignore" them (it is Hell, after all), but what if we check out what is happening with Hell's workforce?

The place is dreadful. We know, it is Hell, that's how it is supposed to be.

There is a whole lot of bureaucracy. I would say that it is specifically because bureaucracy IS Hell, but this is also me being me.

Everyone is overworked. Again, maybe it is just the thing with Hell, but...

They are understaffed. Furfur let's us know that as soon as Shax asks him for a legion. This would be obvious for Admissions during WW II, but when the bookshop siege happens, they barely manage to get 70 demons. Why?????

Beelzebub talks a lot about Hell not "appreciating talents". They say it when they talk about Crowley, then again while they lament with the other demon, and that's one of the things that connects them to Gabriel.

This was also one of the points made by Furfur when he talked about trying to "climb the ladder". He lashed to Crowley about this (as if getting a better job was Crowley's fault), but... (put a pin on this)

Shax possible new Dukedom and Beelzebub offering Crowley the possibility of becoming a "new Duke of Hell" talks to me about some sort of power vacuum (it goes without mention that promotions are given at personal discretion, not through real merit).

However, Heaven doesn't seem like they are in great shape, also...

They are trying to hide their "institutional problems" (at least, two defectors, but we should also count the renegade-now-Supreme-Archangel as part of the problem)

The corporate climate in the higher levels of Heaven is HIDEOUS. They are mostly petty, envious, create rumors and love power struggles...

Michael (my personal hate character) is at the same time so power hungry and so clueless about anything, that they are incapable of taking action (thanks, someone)

After not even knowing if Gabriel really had a desk, Michael gets a desk, while being "Duty Officer" and making everyone roll their eyes with their orders. They got that desk out of pure pettiness!

We know that "lesser angels" are mostly ignored. If you are an angel like Muriel, nobody ever acknowledges your existence. We have already seen how happy they are just by participating!! (they don't even notice being called "dim", poor baby)

Gabriel bonds with Beelz around not being recognized for what they do, and Beelz win their (cold, little) heart WITH A FLY because nobody has given him anything before… Not even a little pat in the head?

We have already seen TWO cases where an angel and a demon discover, through familiarity and shared worries/complaints, that they have so much in common that they are better together. We are crackshipping a third one.

The pin about Furfur (which I had forgotten) is that the problem is not Crowley, and the problem are not the people inside the system who learn how to play it: THE PROBLEM IS THE SYSTEM ITSELF.

Now, the point:

Something something about unappreciated people coming together as soon as they learn there’s better to be had. Can you imagine that much fun???!!!??? Bring Pandemonium!!

[aroaceweirdos101]

Since Arz has been posting about her OC's, why dont I show one of mine!

"Need to know your way through the library? Just ask our lovely librarian assistant, Linda! She knows this building like the back of her hand(especially because its her favourite place in town!)."

(sorry if this looks rushed, I'm not that good at drawing)

In the show:

She was a background-turned-side character that would appear in a few episodes, acting as a guide for the Handeemen if they need to find a specific book.

They even have their own segment called 'Linda's storytime', where she reads popular fairytales(with the Handeemen interupting them from time to time as a li'l gag). She is mostly seen around the library.

Outside of the show:

They're based off Avery(Arz's OC)'s late close friend, who used to work at the town's local Library. Avery wanted to make something to remember them by, and thus, Linda Literature was created!

Relationships with the Handeemen(Show counterparts):

- Rosco: She was at first scared of the giant pup, due to him being larger then the average golden retriever. But they slowly warmed up to him after Riley showed how harmless Rosco is.

Rosco(like how he is with everyone else) is pretty friendly with Linda, he tried to be a lap dog while she was doing her storytime segment and almost sufficated her, Don't worry, Riley managed to help them in time(Rosco also gave her a lick in the face as an apology).

- Riley: She is close friends with the scientist, as Riley is a regular visitor there. Linda would often try and make small talk with her, they find her use of scientific words 'charming'(rumor has it that she has a small crush on the scientist). Riley is one of the few people who returns the library books in a clean state, Linda appreciates this alot.

Riley sees her as a good friend, Linda is one of the few people she doesn't mind having small talk with(they're dynamic is basically the "He asked for no pickles" meme).

- Nick: Linda looks up to Nick as she is inspired by his poetry skills, they hope to one day be as good as him in writing things(she also has a small crush on him too). Although, they do wish he returns the library books with less finger paints on them.

Nick thinks of her as a great friend, he's glad to finally have someone who wilingly listens to his poems, and properly listens to them(no offense Duke, but you might need to work on your focus more).

- Daisy: The two are good friends, Linda enjoys talking to her, but she also prefers the baker to return the library books withought any flour or other baking stains that somehow got stuck in the pages(atleast she gives them freshly baked pies as an apology).

Daisy invited Linda to join her book club as they needed more members, although, its more of a gossip group really(Daisy is also the only one who knows about Linda's small crush on both Riley and Nick).

- Mortimer: While the two aren't close, they do bond over their shared love for reading. Linda likes how expresive Mortimer is when he's telling a story, it makes storytime alot more entertaining. She's also thankful that he returns the library books withought any stains. Safe to say she has high respect for the old man.

Mortimer is pleased to have another reading buddy, as much as he enjoys Daisy's book club, there was just SO much tea that even he couldn't handle it.

More Info about them:

- She knew Riley back in Highschool, before they both moved to different colleges, they reunited after Linda's first few days of working at the library.

- They have an emotional support, Chilean Rose Tarantula named; Rosey. Fun fact: The show used an actual real life tarantula, due to Owen's huge obsession with accurancy and detail, tho this also led to the infamous missing spider incident(they still have no clue where it went).

- Originally, Linda's pronoun's were They/Them, but due to the fact that it was the 80s, it was changed to She/They to avoid censorship(unfortunetly the show could only used the 'She' pronoun to adress them, curse you transphobes!).

- She is constantly anxious due to her OCD(which explains why they're always seen reorganizing the books and checking if the backdoor is lock for the 28th time).

(P.S. Do tell me if my writing on her OCD is incorrect, I dont want to accidentally misinterpret/mischaracterized people who have the disorder)

Feel free to ask questions about her!

[bonerot19]

omg okay so I read the rest of the chapters.

first of all so excited to see what you’re gonna do with Sheila. I wonder if she’s connected to the electric grid attacks or not (I’m such a clown lol but she is the only suspect we have 😭)

The interactions between Damian and everyone are chef’s kiss. He’s difficult because he’s a kid but he’s not a kid and he deeply respects his father and Robin but at the same time he’s really angry at everything that brought him here. My little guy <3 he’s also effortlessly funny and I love him for that. Also love love love how much you write Bruce’s pov as hesitant bc all he sees is Talia’s child.

Roy :( I love me some Dick and Roy interactions (& Jason, ik people don’t like RHATO but I feel like a Jason-Roy friendship would be fun!). Donna masterminding them being w each other bc they both need it is also very funny and very on point. Fab five ilysmmmmm

Jason’s anger at Dani’s dad and how he went about it… I’m sure this will have no consequences ^_^ just so well written tho, Jason’s anger at Dani’s dad feels sm like his anger at what’s his name did you push did he fall guy from comics. Blind red rage. As opposed to UTRH Jason who’s definitely more calculating and cold in his fury.

I’m also so interested by that kid in the sewers? I think I might know who he is but I don’t want to embarrass myself so I won’t say anything 😭 bc he might just be some kid or an oc lolll

Steph and Jason’s friendship is so dear to me. The way you’re writing their anger and them fighting but they still quite clearly care deeply about each other, the Halloween party (w song), Steph trying to let Jason be his own person — it’s so good because it feels so real. Also you’re letting both characters breathe into being their own people. Really good stuff.

last but not least live love batcat! OH WAIT. is Selina behind the blackouts…

sorry for the small novel in your asks you don’t even have to answer it 🫡 just wanted to once again thank you for writing, really good job as usual 😊😊

hi hi hi hi I'm soooo glad you're liking it 🥰

Sheila (derogatory)

Damian!!! I love him. he is baby. (and Bruce, poor Bruce. he sees only Talia bc he's too afraid to look for himself)

Roy! love Roy, need to have him come back but haven't decided the reason yet 😂 (I lowkey want the fab five in Gotham for a chapter but idk what they'd be doing)

Jason's anger with Dani's dad is very righteous, to me. it's very much cathartic and kind of revenge, and all of this is being projected onto Romero. (similar to garzonas ((did he fall or was he pushed)) ((this jason might push him if that came up rn, honestly)))

(if you're thinking it's Duke, then you're right!)

next chapter is a good one for Steph and Jason getting back on the same page AND for wholesome Bruce and also batcat

I will take a small novel in my asks literally whenever. it brings me much joy and prosperity, actually.

[officialdaydreamer00]

Hi so um I don't really normally use this blog to request anything since I just like to read thru tumblr most of the time but then I saw your Waltz of the Lovers event. You have no idea how long I've been looking for someone to draw my crack? ship for a fic that I've been trying to write. I hope this gets chosen hehe So for the TWST character, it's General Lilia (with long hair; retain his magenta highlights; pls make him tall hehe) and he'll be wearing one of those old-timey formal wear that just screams Briar Valley with thorn patterns (if that's too hard then just base them from the Diasomnia uniform but make it fancier? ig). Play around with greens (just not neon) and blacks for the colors. He'll also have 1 red flower (could be a rose if u want) somewhere on his person. For the OC, if you look up Bachira Yu from Blue Lock that's precisely what she looks like from top to bottom. As for her gown, it's somewhat similar to Aurora's wedding dress from Maleficent but it's white, the flowers are in shades of red and pink, leaves and vines are in dark green too. I imagine her hairdo to be a simple low bun. They both share elven circlets on their heads, which are kinda made out of pixie dust.

Hope this doesn't cross as forceful or anything. I just really want to get a visual for my fic (which I'll eventually post). If you have any questions or clarifications on whichever part of my ask just post smth about it. I'm pretty sure I'll keep an eye out for your blog. I hope you have fun doing your event. Thank you :D

hello anon! welcome to the birb nest™ ^^ i tried my best with your request ehe ^^;

bc my markers weren't markering so i could only do so much ^^;

i hope you like it!

edit: i just realised i forgor the flower 😭

pose reference: charming the duke of the north