#the dragon said admit your feelings or i'll eat you

[arinlangdon]

so, re: the mystery boy band song that Arin said they sang to the dragon in that one heart scene story? it’s funny to think about them singing something like, idk, NSYNC’s “It’s Gonna Be May” but... what if it were something like this? not to mention, Arin refuses to tell her which song they sang....

imo it works from both Arin’s and FMC’s pov. check out these lyrics

Rule the World - Take That

You light the skies up above me A star so bright you blind me, yeah, yeah Don't close your eyes Don't fade away, don't fade away, oh

Yeah, you and me we can ride on a star If you stay with me, girl, we can rule the world Yeah, you and me we can light up the sky If you stay by my side, we can rule the world

If walls break down, I will comfort you If angels cry, oh, I'll be there for you You've saved my soul Don't leave me now, don't leave me now, oh

Yeah, you and me we can ride on a star If you stay with me, girl, we can rule the world Yeah, you and me we can light up the sky If you stay by my side, we can rule the world

All the stars are coming out tonight They're lighting up the sky tonight for you, for you All the stars are coming out tonight They're lighting up the sky tonight for you, for you, oh

Yeah, you and me we can ride on a star If you stay with me, girl, we can rule the world Yeah, you and me we can light up the sky If you stay by my side, we can rule the world

All the stars are coming out tonight They're lighting up the sky tonight for you, for you All the stars are coming out tonight They're lighting up the sky tonight for you, for you

All the stars are coming out tonight They're lighting up the sky tonight for you, for you All the stars are coming out tonight They're lighting up the sky tonight for you, for you

[mcflymemes]

AS SAID BY EMMRICH VOLKARIN - PARTY BANTER *  assorted banter from dragon age: the veilguard

are you interested in alchemy?

working late?

i found it in the library.

i don't believe it was there when i went to bed.

what do you wish to know about?

surely you know all about them.

young mages do ask the complicated questions first.

the stories have a bit more substance to them.

do i detect disappointment?

we might cause a stir.

if you're curious about the undead, i could arrange an excursion.

where should we start?

how interesting.

it is more powerful than most of what we're used to.

you've made a discovery?

fascinating. the amount of magic you could harness...

what did it do?

it's for the best.

what training did you have as a young mage?

the offer stands if you reconsider.

does that happen often in the forest?

it's a work of art.

i was an apprentice once.

it wouldn't be worth studying if it were dull.

am i right in feeling that something deeper troubles you?

the things i could teach you...

how was that book you found the other day?

surely everyone knows about that!

there was one creature... twice as tall as you.

it whispered in a language no one recognized... except when it spoke our names.

i was a most timid child.

what's your latest hearsay?

that's quite enough.

my dear, i know perfectly well what i'm doing.

that's wonderful to hear.

i'm surprised you recognize it.

how could i possibly know that?

your power is quite unlike other magic i've seen.

i'm pleased to travel with you.

you mustn't pay them any mind.

i admit i haven't given it much thought.

do you regret not having those things?

excellent point!

isn't that funny?

does it ever last longer than a few seconds?

strangely enough, i might've found myself in that situation recently.

i must've been distracted.

what are you getting at?

may we change topics?

the heart speaks across all things.

we're out of almonds? already?

were you eating? in the library?

this sounds like the perfect opportunity for experimentation!

do you have any say in your targets?

forgive me, i shouldn't have asked.

i find it extremely interesting that you consider the point of view of your enemies in battle.

i'm sorry that you two came together under such unjust circumstances.

my sympathies.

have you considered my suggestion?

it's your turn to cook tonight, isn't it?

you must let me bring you some.

where did you learn to cook?

i don't mean to be intrusive.

we all approach things in our own way.

you'll have to forgive my own worries.

time is a factor, but not necessarily a limiting one.

who do you have in mind?

you had your concerns about me at first.

what was that fruit we had yesterday?

you've quite an eye for detail.

i'll admire from afar.

where is that song from?

the advice is well taken.

you're not curious?

it would make for an interesting experiment.

are you using them for exercise?

you sound disappointed.

if you have any questions, please do let me know.

that was a friendly greeting.

we're exploring the matter, yes.

[backseatsoldier]

"Broken", Not Stupid - 14: What Do You Do?

Pairing: alpha!Simon "Ghost" Riley x unusual omega!OC (13)

CW: Omegaverse; dehumanization

Author's Note: How about something more gentle before we get into 13 starting to explain things? I feel a bit bad about part 13 x'D have some cute, fluffy things uwu

I settle on to the couch just fine and Selene joins me, as Simon said she would. It doesn't take him long to return from the room - blanket in his arms, as promised.

"Lay down." His voice is gentle still but I can tell he's no less tense. I do as he says without argument and Selene jumps up to the back of the couch, curling up directly above my head.

"Are you ok?" I ask as he places the blanket over me.

"I'll be fine. Didn't cut deep."

My hand pops out from under the blanket, fingers wrapping around his wrist carefully.

"I know you know that's not what I meant, Simon."

He freezes at my touch, eyes locked on mine, but doesn't say anyhting. Not right away at least. His fingers twitch slightly before gently sliding over the inside of my wrist.

"Just... angry for you. And the other omegas that Salvation has or has had in their hands. No more talk of it tonight, though," he says firmly, eyebrows raising to emphasize his point. "I'll bring you a plate when dinner's ready. Call for me if you need help with the tv, but otherwise stay put and hang out with Selene."

My grip on his wrist loosens and he pulls away, making his way back to the kitchen.

The tv and remote are fairly simple to work so I check various streaming servies before settling on soem random cartoon. Something about princes and dragons? I'm not sure. Half of my attention was on listening to Simon work in the kitchen.

I find it silly. I've known the guy for a couple of days, probably not even a full twenty-four hours at this point, but I feel more comfortable around him than anyone I've been around in a long time. Or maybe my self-preservation skills aren't as nice as I thought they were. I'm also just used to surviving Salvation's-

No more talk of it tonight. Simon's words ring through my skull and I frown.

Guess that means no thinking about it any more tonight either. Oh, well- oh, elves. Cool!

My attention is drawn to the tv, the story and characters pulling me in easily. Magic and magical beings have always fascinated me. Kind of like the little friend I saw in the sunr-

No. No, that was a rat. Nothing more, nothing less.

"Here," Simon says softly as he puts a bowl down on the coffee table. "Not my best dish, but it is comforting to me."

"What is it?" I ask, sitting up so I can eat.

Inside the bowl seems to be a stew, at least from the looks of it.

"Just what I used to throw together when I'd have a bad day and just needed something easy to cook and eat. Something warm but still good for me. Try it," he nods to the bowl in my hands.

Don't have to tell me twice; it smells wonderful. One bite has my taste buds exploding and my eyes wide.

"This isn't your best dish? Somehow I don't believe that," I argue through a mouthful of the stew.

He chuckles and shakes his head.

"One of the simplest and quickest things I could make. I take it you like it then?"

I groan as I take another bite and his chuckle grows to a quiet, shoulder shaking laugh.

"I'm almost scared to know what else you're able to cook," I admit as a joke through another bite. "When did you learn to cook?"

"Had an involuntary leave a few years back," he shrugs and settles back into the couch. "Needed something to do with my hands so I decided to learn to cook and bake."

"You bake too? Jeez, are you sure you need an omega?" I scoff, smiling.

His head turns so he can look directly at me. He almost looks irritated.

"There's more to life as an omega than 'household duties'. We'll save that discussion for tomorrow, though. Would you like me to teach you? Then, if you'd like, you can practice while I'm out for work and surprise me with any new-found skills when I get back."

"You're offering to teach me to cook and bake? Do you even have time? From the way you and Johnny have been talking, you'll be gone the majority of the time."

The omega in my head is unsettled by the idea of him not being around often, but the rest of me doesn't mind. I'm not big on human company constantly anyway.

"Price, my captain, knew I'd be searching for an omega so I'm on leave right now. Plus we're in-between missions right now anyway." Simon pauses for a moment, expression neutral. "You haven't asked what I do for work."

The unspoken question of 'Are you going to ask?' lingers in the air. I take a couple more bites of my food, finishing what's in the bowl and placing it on the coffee table.

"I'm curious," I nod. "But is it really my business?"

"It is as much as it can be. I can't go into full detail, but I can give you the general information."

I shift on the couch, turning so my legs are tucked under me and I'm facing him. The blanket also gets moved so it's over my shoulders and head as I pull it closed in front of me. This seems to amuse Simon considering the small crinkle near his eyes.

"I'm a lieutenant, SAS. My team consists of four individuals, including myself, but we occasionally recruit people from other branches of the military. Sometimes even people from other countries' militaries - like Jeanz, she's part of Ireland's military."

"Who else is on your team? Johnny?" I prob for more answers, curiosity taking over.

"Johnny is one of the two sargeants in my team, yes. The other is Kyle and Price is our captain. The three of them are the people who know me best in this world," he adds the last sentence with almost a sad tone to his voice.

"Are Kyle and Price who I'll meet tomorrow?"

"Yes. If you and I want to do something about Salvation, I'll need to involve them. Are you ok with sharing your experieinces with more than just me?"

"It might take me a moment to get settled with them around, but I'll do my best," I offer with a shrug. "Fourteen years is also a lot of 'experience' to cover so this may take more than just tomorrow."

"It'll take time," he agrees with a slight nod. "I don't want you to think or worry about tomorrow, okay? They're good men and they'll be here to help. If at any point you're uncomfortable or need a break, you can tell me. Until then..."

He trails off as he adjusts and motions for me to come closer.

"Grab the remote and come here. Had a relization while cooking and woud like to fix my mistake."

I do as he says, but I give him a confused look as I scoot closer.

"Mistake? Simon, you've not done anything-"

"That's the problem. Lay down with your head on my lap. You may be an independent woman, but I'm sure the omega side of you is feeling rather nelgected. If it makes you too uncomfortable, you can move, but please try."

A soft blush warms my cheeks at his words, but I lay down just like he told me to. It feels... awkward, but still comfortable. I curl further into the blanket - his blanket - and glue my eyes to the tv.

Cinnamon and cedar fills my senses and I relax further, letting myself roll slightly towards him to truly rest against him. It doesn't take long for Selene to curl up near my chest. It takes even less time for my eyes to slip closed and for me to drift into a truly relaxing sleep.

Masterlist | CoD Masterlist | Part One

Tag List: @lucienofthelakes @lostintransist @demothers-empty-blog @scaredyspooks @tessakate @one-really-annoying-tree-rat @nerdyphantomtheorist @gazsluckyhat @peanutismynickname @jeanzoriley-cod

[justcallmecj]

Seeing Your Dragon Form: Vice's+Ruggie and Floyd

Trey

Trey was a lot more chill about this than you were expecting him to be.

He agreed to come with you with no problem, and when you came out of the mist and he saw you, he looked like this was all normal.

He quickly approached you and stretched his arms towards you. You brought yourself closer to the ground to make it easier for him to reach your head.

Gently, Trey pet your head. Running his hands across you snout and up to your horns.

He always made sure to keep eye contact with you if you were looking at him. Your e/c eyes and his golden colored eyes locked together.

He constantly made small talk with you, asking simple yes or no questions or simply telling you about something random.

Unbeknownst to you, on the inside, Trey was freaking out!

You reminded him a puppy! (Quite a deal larger than an actual puppy, but his view is still valid.)

He's used to keeping some form of a rational, adult face all the time. You, Riddle and Chenya are really the only ones who have seen the childish side that he has.

Because of this, he didn't want to just full on fawn and freak out on you. He also didn't want to risk overwhelming you.

He opted to waiting for you to be human again, where you could speak, to ask any questions he had.

Later that day, when you had turned back into your fae form, he asked. Surprisingly, he had a lot of questions.

"I'm proud of you, Y/N. I'll let you do what you want for right now, but when we get back to the dorm, prepare for questions, alright?"

Ruggie

He was very skeptical when you asked if he wanted to see your dragon form.

He immediately thought that you wanted something out of this (like to eat him).

With plenty of skepticism, he followed you out to your spot in the woods and waited patiently for you to come out of the mist.

Seeing you had him stunned for a solid 2 minutes.

Now, you and Ruggie have been friends for a long time now, and he knows that it's you, but he had a rough childhood.

You were about 4x his size, serrated claws, razor sharp teeth and covered in spikes. Everything about you screamed DANGEROUS.

It was like staring down everything that he taught himself to stay away from.

Then you did something he wasn't expecting.

You sat quietly and gently tilted your head to the side. Your e/c eyes gazed into his with a look he feels is familiar to him.

Then he remembered. Once, when one of his younger brothers had gotten into a fight, he came home looking roughed up and dangerous. But the moment Ruggie came to patch him up and they met eyes, his brother gave him a look that extremely contrasted that roughed up state he was in. His brother was soft and on the verge of crying.

Looking at you, it was the same thing. Ruggie got the same feeling he did back then. You looked scary and dangerous, but he knew that you were still the same softy that he sees everyday.

Finally, he got over his initial feelings and strutted towards you. He ended up right under your head, forcing you to look down at a weird angle to see him. You adjusted yourself and brought your head to his level.

Just as Ruggie had done with his brother, he patted you on the head. It instilled a feeling of contentment in you and your eyes slowly fluttered shut. Soon, a gently hum ran through your throat and hit Ruggie with the vibrations since he was still patting you.

"Wow, that worked a lot better than I thought it would. Y'know, all this nice treatment from me will cost ya, Y/N~"

Jade

You had his curiosity extremely peaked.

He must admit, upon meeting you and learning you were a fae, he thought about what you may look like as a dragon whenever he was with you.

He never said anything, out of courtesy and politeness. But now that you were offering him the chance, he took it with no hesitation and never held his tongue about anything.

You had asked him during on of the very few times Floyd wasn't with him, meaning at was just you two. (You still can't tell if that made things better or worse)

Jade was unaffected by the mist, and the extra amount of cold you radiated.

The first thing he did? Go to your tail. Him being an eel, he has one himself. For some reason, he wanted to find out how different yours was from his. He's never been able to get good looks at the tails of the beastmen at school, so you were his best example.

He poked and prodded at the spike that ran down it. Not that you minded, there was no feeling there and if they were to break, they'd grow back quickly. There was only feeling in your spikes when in fae form.

Soon, he had gathered all the information he needed for the time being. He then sat by your snout, which had been on the ground as you had laid down.

He held a pleasant conversation with you. You couldn't respond, but he didn't care. He spoke of things that really didn't need you input but still kept you entertained, which was his goal.

At times, he unconsciously start petting and stroking you. Running a hand across your hand(?) and claw, soft head pats, gentle rubs behind your ears, things like that. You decided to take a nap due the peaceful sounds of the woods and Jade's calming voice.

"You never cease to stretch my thoughts of you. When I think I have you figured out, you surprise me." He can only hope you can't hear him right now.

Floyd

Unlike with the others, it wasn't you who suggested him seeing your dragon form, it was Floyd.

He had been insistently pestering you about it for weeks now. Both Azul and Jade have tried to get him off your back but he just pops back up and asks again.

Eventually, you gave in.

Upon the disappearance of the mist, he was already on top of you.

Without notice, he poked at your sides, claws and wings. You barely even had enough time to figure out what he was doing before he moved on to investigate somewhere else. He stayed away from your tail though.

You even allowed him to climb onto your back for a while. He didn't stay long though, he found the scales to be too uncomfortable to stay there much longer.

Eventually, he opted to spend some time near your head, so he could spend the rest of the time with you.

For a while, he was surprisingly chill with you, but then mood swings decided to pay a visit.

He got frustrated that you couldn't talk back, or more so at the fact he couldn't understand you. He just really wanted to know what you were saying to him.

You thought of just not saying anything to not further escalate things, but then realized he be even more upset if he felt you were ignoring him.

You've been friends with Floyd for a long time now, and you've gotten pretty good at handling his mood swings. The moment you felt he was getting too frustrated, you took action.

You brought your tail towards him and pushed him over. He fixed himself and caught sight of your face. You may be a dragon right now, but he could tell that you were smiling at him and laughing in your head. He saw what game you were trying to play easily.

You two playfully wrestled with each other for a long time. He would climb around and you'd gently knock him over. Things like that.

"Umitsubame-kun! I knew it be a good idea to do this. We could've been having this much fun sooner if you had just listened to me when I first asked~"

Jamil

Jamil was a lot calmer than his Scarabian counterpart.

He will admit though, he's been curious about what you may look like. Just like Kalim, he doesn't have much experience with dragons, real or fake.

The mist was freezing to him, though, considering where he grew up, that's no surprise.

He didn't quite know how to respond.

You looked awesome! But he didn't know what to do from there. You two just kinda stared at each other for a while, neither moving.

Then you took the lead.

You walked up to him (it only took you like three steps) and raised your hand(?) into the air.

He flinched, thinking you were gonna crush him, but then froze when he felt himself rise into the air.

When he opened his eyes he saw that you had picked him up and held him in your palm.

Luckily he's spent enough time on the flying carpet to not be afraid of heights.

You brought him close to your snout and in a moment of no better ideas, he gently placed a hand on the tip of your nose.

Your scales were freezing cold, and while he expected the air you exhaled to be warm, it was just as cold as your scales, if not colder.

Now he was a lot more comfortable with the situation, meaning he started doing more.

He asked questions, then realized that you couldn't speak. He then decided to change his method and asked yes or no questions. They started as one about your dragon form, then the conversation drifted off into other subjects. School. Food. Dorm life. Other students at school.

He asked if changing forms was tiring to you, in which you gave him a side ways nod. 'Sorta' is what you were telling him.

"How about when we're done here, we go back to Scarabia and I'll make you something to eat and get your energy back up? Take is as a 'thank you' for this experience."

Rook

Actually, this isn't his first time seeing your dragon form.

Since the first day he saw you, you've captured his attention, and triggered his hunting habits.

One day when you were taking a break from NRC life, you snuck away and spent some time as a dragon. Unbeknownst to you, he had been watching you the whole time.

But then you actually asked him if he wanted to see. He told you 'yes' with a strange and knowing excitement.

He was on top of you even before the mist cleared since his sight was enough for him.

This is the first time he's been this close to a creature so much bigger than him.

Throughout the entire experience he was showering you in compliment after compliment. Words of encouragement filled with passion, charisma and said quite fervently.

You wholeheartedly believed that even if he wanted to, Rook would not have been able to take his hands off you. His hands touched where ever they could, your spikes, wings, horns, snout, claws, tail, you name it.

You understood though. You've always known how curious Rook is. How, while it seemed strange and creepy to others, his habits and mannerisms never really bothered you.

Out of no where, he confessed to following you all that time ago.

He could see as emotions flicked across your draconic face for a few seconds. Confusion. Realization. Upset. Thoughtfulness. Then it stilled into one. Amusement.

Your chest rose and fell fast. You were laughing. Rook couldn't help but laugh himself, lowkey glad you weren't upset with him.

"Oh dear Dragon de Glace, your beauty is truly magnifique! I hope you and I will continue to have many moments like these in the future!"

Lilia

He happily took you on you offer.

He's known the Draconia family for years, so you having a dragon form is nothing new to him. Heck, he was there the first time Malleus used his.

Out of everyone, who saw you as intimidating or astounding, he saw you as cute.

Lilia will admit with no remorse, he has a soft spot for dragons. With his experience in helping to raise Malleus, he can't help it.

When you opened your eyes after transforming, you were met with Lilia's large, red, slit-pupil eyes in you face, upside down.

He flipped out and rested his arms in your snout, using them to support his chin.

He then struck up a conversation. He could understand every word you said to him. (Learned with Malleus.)

It was an extremely lovely conversation. But, you did get embarrassed when he would speak to you as if you were a child.

You'll have to excuse him. It's an old and sometimes an unconscious habit he picked up due to Malleus and mostly Silver.

For some reason, he really likes booping your nose. Mid conversation he'll just boop you for no apparent reason. He then proceeds to giggle to himself at your reactions.

Eventually, you got a bit tired. Your body relaxed while listening to Lilia and your eyes fluttered close.

Seeing that you had drifted off to sleep, Lilia got closer and gently moved your head into his lap. It was ridiculous with how much bigger your head was compared to him, but cute non the less.

He gently stoked your snout, making sure you stayed asleep. As you snored away, he remembered when he would do this with Malleus and even Silver when they were babies. It made him smile, a smile you unfortunately couldn't see.

"Just stay asleep Little One. I'll be here when you wake up, and we can continue to have some fun."

[jq37]

FH Junior Year Post-Season Thoughts

With another season of Fantasy High in the books and my recaps all finished, I wanted to do an overview of my thoughts on the season as a whole. Even though I feel generally positive about my experience with the season, there are a few things I think maybe could have been done differently narratively or mechanically. This isn't to criticize the way the season went down or to backseat DM/Play. More my combined ten years of college for textual analysis and storytelling bleeding through, haha. 

I first want to start with the things I thought worked really well.

Fantasy High has "High" right in its title but, in past seasons (and especially Sophomore Year), not as much time as you'd think was spent actually at school and even if it was spent at school, there wasn't much time spent in class or engaging with the realities of being a student. This season really dug into the academic consequences of skipping your classes all the time and the realities of needing to do a ton of extra stuff to try for a scholarship and I think that was a refreshing thing to highlight for a change. Being more scared at flunking out than the dragon that's trying to eat you feels very emotionally resonant. Real "High School Is Killing Me" vibes for anyone who's a fan of NPMD. 

Even though Fantasy High is a show that has some deep emotional beats and strong character arcs, it's first and foremost a comedy show. From the jump, everyone was generating bit after bit that had me cracking up as usual. "Little girly dog collar" is one of the funniest combinations of words I can think of. I think it was Siobhan who said that this was the goofy season and, having seen it, I'd have to agree with her. It never failed to make me laugh and it was always a highlight of my week.  The cast just has great table chemistry that I love to watch no matter what they're doing. 

Watching some of these high level combat encounters is as close as I'll get to understanding people watching sports. Even though combat is generally my least fave part of D&D, I think the cast really killed it this season with how cleverly they played and Brennan came up with some really great combat encounters. Special shout outs to Baron's Game and The Last Stand for their unique mechanics.  

This is going to be one that's on the other list as well because my feelings are mixed, but I genuinely do like the downtime mechanic and how it forces hard choices. I think it's an interesting way to connect a mechanic to the story and cultivate stressful atmosphere for the season.

I have problems with the execution but I love the Rat Grinders in concept. I think as early as season 1 I was hoping that we'd meet a party that was like the Bizarro Bad Kids and the idea of a party that's farming XP instead of going on crazy adventures is a strong concept. Likewise, I think a character that's jealous because of your "cool" (read: tragic) backstory is also a fun trait for an unhinged antagonist in this kind of setting.

This is me absolutely showing my bias but I adored the Abernant Sisters content this season. I dunno if Siobhan specifically asked Brennan to not put her on a bus with the other beloved NPCs or what but I'm so glad she stuck around and we got the development we did. It was almost entirely ancillary to the plot but there was this clear pattern of Aelwyn getting softer and sweeter towards Adaine over the course of the season, from the guarded, "Enjoy the nemesis ward," to, full I love you's and, "I'd take them to get you." It was way more focus than I expected considering that Aelwyn completed the bulk of her arc last season and a lot of the time, a redemption arc basically ends after the big gesture (in this case, Aelwyn taking a magic blast for Adaine in Sophomore Year). So the fact that we got to see all of these sweet moments of them reestablishing their relationship outside of do or die moments was such a pleasant surprise. Again, I fully admit I am extremely biased, but this was my top wishlist item and the season overdelivered so there's a baseline happy I'm always gonna be with Junior Year. 

OK, so moving on to things I things I think could have been tweaked.

Even though I liked the downtime system and the pressures it created, it also squeezed out the chance for more casual PC to NPC interactions that would usually be more common because they were semi-locked behind the relationship track and there wasn't an obvious benefit to roll for Relationships (as opposed to something like Academics which was crucial for not flunking out). Making the mechanical benefit more clear would have helped that (even if it meant Brennan didn't get his reveal--which he ended up just telling them anyway so might as well do it early). The other thing is that the consequence of a rage token was so bad that of course they spent all season avoiding getting one. Things might have gone differently if the consequences had been a bit more obscured, like in Neverafter. And it could have been a nice parallel to the Rat Grinders to take this unknown resource that makes things easier for you but is also having this negative effect. Then it could be like dang we did the same thing they did unknowingly. 

I mentioned this in my recap but I'll talk about it again. It is a little confusing to me that we did the Ankarna subplot right after we did the very similar Cassandra subplot. It took up so much time this season which I don't think is an issue in and of itself, it's just that we literally just went through some extremely similar beats last season. Why double up on this same storyline when there's so much new ground to cover? Or if we're going to raise a god, why not make it a different kind of god? One theory I had early on was that the Rat Grinders were trying to raise their own god to one-up the Bad Kids but instead of raising a chill, misunderstood Cass type, they accidentally raised a god who was erased for a good reason and got in over their heads. 

It's fun for there to be connections between seasons but sometimes it's like, OK that's a *lot* of coincidences. Like the god who your rivals is trying to raise *happens* to be the wife of your cleric's god and also *happens* to be the god of the fiend trapped in your friend's mom's chest and that fiend *happens* to be the relative on your bard's dad's side which is *also* the reason she is randomly cursed? That's a LOT of red string connecting plot points. As unhinged as Kipperlilly is about coveting Riz's backstory if I saw that go down I'd be like you have *got* to be kidding me.  

The mystery elements didn't feel like they clicked as well as they did in other seasons. I think that's partially because Porter's plan was so convoluted (seriously, I made another post about how haphazard his plan was) and had all these moving parts and we didn't get clear answers for a lot of mechanical things like how the rage crystals actually work and when they were implanted and stuff. You had stuff like Devil's Honey which I think is super cool as a thing that exists in the world but ended up being an element that just led the players down the wrong path and had a relatively small payoff (that Porter was using it to lie to Ankarna). I think it's plausible that a forgotten god would be willing to listen to anyone saying the right things without introducing this element. (As opposed to, for instance, Ambrosia which has a very clear connection to what's going on and is a solid clue that someone is flirting with aspirations of godhood.) 

The Porter reveal came so late in the season that even though it was a fun/challenging fight, there wasn't a lot of emotional weight behind killing him. It was basically just dunking on a teacher Fig has always hated who was also mean to Gorgug so screw him. Which, valid of course. But the Bad Kids were never going to react as strongly to Porter as they were to the Rat Grinders so putting Porter in the prime villain spot isn't necessarily what I would have done if I wanted the fight to be more than just a brawl--especially since we've done "School admin with student minions" already in S1. I don't mind the full circle callback but it would have been nice to pick something else for the sake of variety. We haven't had a child mastermind yet and I think Kipperlilly could have been a great candidate for that. My friend suggested that it would have been fun if Kipperlilly was trying to become a god instead of just being Porter's underling and I agree. "I'm not anyone's chosen one so I'll choose myself," is still within her established jealousy and Type A tendencies. If we want to keep Porter involved since that was Brennan's gift to Emily, maybe have it be that instead of Kipperlilly working for him, he's working for her. Like Artemis Fowl vibes! And the Rat Grinders can be varying levels of on board--from true believe to redeemable. I don't think Brennan planned for the Bad Kids to ever redeem her so might as well go full megalomaniacal mastermind with her and make her The Villain if she's not gonna be nuanced anyway. If My Little Pony can do it and send a literal child to Tartarus for pony treason (or whatever Cozy Glow did), Fantasy High can too. 

Continuing from the above, if we have the Porter fight in place of the Grix fight (a la Daybreak) and don't use Ankarna, that gives way more time for the Bad Kids to investigate the Rat Grinders throughout the season and it would mean that they would have their personalities developed a lot more. With the limited downtime, they Bad Kids didn't have a lot of time to spend on these kids who were just hating on them for no good reason (valid). But if you cleared their plate of the god hunt stuff, they'd have more time for this. And if they weren't all rage zombies to varying degrees, it would be easier to see them as characters. Besides Kipperlilly (and, funnily enough, Mary Ann) we don't really have a good read on what these kids are actually like. The little time we spent with them all season was kind of a wash if them breaking out of rage means their personalities got laundered too. Anyway, regardless of how their loyalties ended up shaking out, it would have been fun for them to be more than the minions that they were in canon. As funny as it is for them to just kinda be XP farming losers, they did have the potential to be more interesting in their own right if they weren't just Porter's minions. And again, we've done adults forcing or coercing children into being minions in Freshman and Sophomore Year already. Lemme see some self-created child maniacs! (Or, peer pressured child maniacs. That's cool too. The Lucy/Kipperlilly dynamic is way more interesting to me if it's like girl, I would take a bullet for you but I CANNOT walk this path with you any further in response to *I* will be a god and you can be *MY* champion.)

Anyway, those are my thoughts! Like I said, I have my points that I think could have been tightened, but overall an enjoyable season and I will be glued to my screen if they decide to close out with Senior Year! 

[newkatzkafe2023]

@lara-legomonkiekid

What if Y/N acted like Homer Simpson?

Good Lord😳😳😳

(Lmk Wukong) I don't think it was a ever good idea for you to the meet in the first place. He met you at pigsy's noodle shop where everyone was Stairing at you as you ate what seems to be 28 bowls of noodles And then you went to order another one. That was the final straw which got you kicked out

Monkey (Y/N): I paid for those noodles and they should let me finish eating them!!!😠

Wukong got a closer look at you And saw that you were a female monkey a yellow plus size one. Which was oddly cute for you you had a white sundress on and some blue boots. Wukong found himself blushing at your appearance And continue to quietly observe you until your attention turned to him.

Monkey (Y/N): Hey Sunflower wanna go to Moe's with Me my treat😘😘😘

Soft and bold I guess one drink with you wouldn't hurt

(NR Wukong) He was just strolling Bye until somebody flew out of a bar window. Would scared the crap out of him he done red inside to see What was the commotion Just so he can see a bunch of unconscious bodies and this

A chubby yellow female monkey strangling a random demon. That just raises so many questions by itself but he just Waited until you were done

Monkey (Y/N) I'll teach you to waste beer Especially my beer 🍺 🤬🤬🤬🤬

He didn't know what to make of this. But he found you to be cute. As soon as you were done, you will stomp out of the bar going next door to a dumpling shop And begin to eat your emotions he quietly followed you and asked if you were ok. She turned to look at him with soy sauce dripping down her lip

Monkey (Y/N) never better Cutie😁😋

You were the cutest chubby puzzle he's ever seen and he's gonna solve you whether you like it or not.

(Mk Reborn Wukong) He fighting some more demon again but he was alone. He saw a chubby female monkey laying watse to the group of demons herself.

His jaw was touching the floor. He never seen anybody that big moves so fast. But when he stiff the air for a minute he smelled booze??? Wait your fight like this and your drunk?! He hates to admit it but that's impressive. After your mini Massacre you pull out what appears to be some noodle like what??? When you turn to him and ask where you can get some beer, He has never been so confused in his life.

(HIB Wukong) Ok you guys actually go way back. You met eating peaches together before he challenged Buddha and got seal under the mountain. When Liuer released him to he said he would help if the went to fine you. He wasn't even sure if you were around anymore until he saw a familiar yellow figure eating peaches in the Distance. As usual you were always eating something until he made his presence known to you. When you turn, there was tears rolling down your eyes as you ran up to him and embraced him in a Hawk. Telling him that you miss him very much It have so much to catch up on. But first he has to introduce you to Liuer.

(Netflix Wukong) when he first came to be you took it Initiative to take care of him. You freakin hated how the other monkeys treated him. So you took him right under your wing. You made sure he was happy healthy and safe and Patched up his Bruises when he gets into tussles with other demons. You were incredibly worried about him Well he was starting A battle with the jade emperor and the dragon king. But you felt that he would be just fine but When you heard that he was going to be sealed under the mountain for 500 years you decided to Pack your supplies and be sealed under there with him. Just so he's not alone for a long time You have no Idea how much he loves you huh? From The very beginning you were there for him at his Worse and you were there for him at his best Safe to say he was made just for you.

Feel Free to Reblog😇👍

[inaris-mage-of-storms]

}{ I Found Love Where It Wasn't Supposed To Be }{ Part 3 }{

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They kept the dragon in Xornoth's quarters for the first few days. Scott preferred a cooler room, often leaving his balcony door or windows ajar even in mid-winter, while Xornoth often had a fire lit even in the summer, making their room the obvious choice. Scott gathered the warmest, softest blankets he could find and and made a makeshift nest near the fireplace for the dragon. As uncomfortable as the heat could get and as busy as he was, every spare second he could find was spent right next to their new charge.

"You might have to translate for me when he wakes up," said Scott, tracing a finger over the dragon's snout. "I never could get the hang of dragonspeech."

Gem had tried her best to teach him. But dragonspeech was a form of mental communication rather than verbal, making use of emotions and abstract concepts rather than concrete words. It could be translated into verbal languages, but nuance was often lost on beginners. And for someone like Scott, who put a hard freeze on all but the shallowest of emotions long before he learned to control ice, it wasn't a form of communication that came naturally to him.

"It's really not that difficult." Xornoth's teasing tone bordered on mocking, and Scott pinned his ears in annoyance. Xornoth didn't apologize, but they hesitated, and their next words came in a kinder voice. "I'll translate what I can. But he's not likely to express anything terribly complicated."

Scott shrugged, gently scratching along the dragon's neck the way his favorite owl liked out of habit. "Still, having someone more fluent than I am to translate will make it easier to learn. Gem couldn't always find the right - oh! Hello there, little one."

There were a few sleepy blinks, then gleaming blue eyes peered up at him. Scott recognized the nudge of another consciousness at the edge of his own. Along with it came a sense of wary confusion, then recognition and the feeling of warmth. The dragon moved toward him, wobbling like a new kitten, then sank back down with his chin resting on Scott's knee.

"Oh, you're a cutie pie," cooed Scott, stroking the top of his head with one hand and reaching into his pockets with the other. "I brought some mutton from the kitchens in case you woke up, I'm sure you're starving."

He was pleased to see the dragon eat eagerly despite the lingering weakness. "May we have the honor of knowing your name?" asked Xornoth, and the cautious respect in their voice surprised Scott. Though it made sense, he supposed, given their time bound by the Ender Dragon. They still felt guilty, they admitted to him once, about how cruelly they'd behaved toward her when she was only doing her duty, and about how callous they'd been about her death.

"Is - is he not answering that, or am I more out of practice than I thought?" asked Scott when he didn't hear anything at all in response, let alone anything that could be taken as a name. He doubted he simply missed it; dragon names were often long, made of words and phrases that described the subject's essence. He'd thought Gem's to be quite pretty, something along the lines of the amethyst crystal that resonates as magic flows through it.

"No, he didn't answer," said Xornoth.

Scott hummed and rubbed his fingers under the dragon's chin. He almost stopped when he felt a prick of annoyance that wasn't his own, but then the feeling disappeared and the dragon settled into the touch with a soft sigh.

"Can you tell us what happened, hm? Why were you all alone on top of the coldest mountain in Rivendell?" Scott murmured. For a moment it seemed the dragon was more interested in chin scratches than answering, then he felt a sense of irritated emptiness settle into his chest.

"He doesn't know," Xornoth translated. The dragon glanced up at the sound of their voice, as if only just remembering a second person was present. Then there was a flurry of fear, anger, and confusion as he stood, flaring out his wings and baring his teeth even as he struggled to keep his balance. For a moment it almost seemed like he was trying to put himself between Scott and Xornoth. But, Scott thought, surely he was mistaken about the sense of protectiveness he felt from the dragon. Why would this creature he'd only just met, who was so weak and vulnerable no less, prioritize the elf king's safety over his own?

To anyone else, Xornoth's face probably looked expressionless. But Scott could see the way they wilted ever so slightly, unhappy but resigned as the dragon bestowed upon them the same name Gem had. Hellfire creature, torturer and enjoyer of sorrow and suffering. The best translation into elvish was the same name everyone spat at them: Demon.

"That's not their name," Scott chided. He didn't know what exactly to replace it with, but that wasn't who their sibling was anymore.

"I haven't done anything to earn a better one," Xornoth countered. "Never will, probably. You saw what I was like under the Corruption's influence. How could I ever make up for all of those cruelties?" They bowed to the dragon, speaking aloud for Scott's sake at the same time as they spoke in dragonspeech. "But, I am remorseful for my actions, truly. My only aim is to repair as much of the damage I caused as I can, and I don't mean any harm to you or my brother."

The dragon stared them down, absorbing their statement. It was nearly impossible to lie to a dragon in their own tongue, Gem had explained to Scott once. The very nature of it made it difficult to fully mask any deception. It was how she knew he really hadn't meant to hurt her when his magic backfired.

After a moment the dragon accepted that Xornoth was being genuine, settling down into Scott's lap with a quiet trill of discomfort. Okay. Fine. It was getting easier for Scott to put words to what he was sensing from the dragon. You can be 'the purple one' for now, I guess.

Xornoth chuckled. "I can live with that. What will you call Scott? Does he get to be 'the blue one'?"

The dragon looked up at Scott, and his breath caught as Xornoth's translation confimed he hadn't misunderstood the name he was given: cold starlight that gleams off the blue snow, evoking divine awe and wonder at its sharp beauty.

Xornoth grinned as Scott's ears bloomed red. "Seems he thinks quite highly of you, Starlight. If he were a higher dragon I'd almost think he wanted to court you."

"Shut up," muttered Scott, but couldn't help but smile as he stroked the dragon's head. 'Starlight.' He rather liked it, actually. Fwhip had called him that once, teasingly. His throat tightened at the thought of his missing friend.

He traced a line over the dragon's back, looking at the crimson and black coloration. Fwhip was a blood dragon, too, with similar patterning, though he was much larger in his dragon form than this. Scott lifted the dragon and pressed a kiss to his snout, grinning at the flare of disgruntled surprise and the way he lashed his tail like an annoyed cat.

"Since you won't tell us a name," he decided, "I'm going to call you Fwhip. It's after a friend who I miss very much. Hopefully you don't mind."

}{ first }{ prev }{

[zeldaelmo]

Congratulations on your two milestones!

Have fun:

“What do you mean you ate it?”

Hey B! Thank you for your prompt! This was fun. 😆 Thank you @flutefemme for betareading!

Imagine Link speed ran both games for this. He didn't do the tears quest apart from the one Impa half-dragged him into. Crack fic, kinda, takes place after the ending.

Of Rocks

Link peeks into the cooking pot and then back at Zelda who sits on a log and scribbles furiously in a notebook. He speaks up anyway; she usually gives him her attention if he keeps talking. Old habit from when he hardly got words out.

“I'll have to admit, I was a little confused earlier, you know, back with Rauru and… his wife. What did you say was her name?” He shakes his head to himself. Sometimes he thinks his memory took more damage than they thought.

“Sonia,” Zelda breathes absently and continues taking notes.

“Yeah, Sonia. Anyway, maybe you can tell me more about this Light Dragon thing.”

That makes her look up. She rubs her ink-stained fingers at each other, frowning when he underlines his words with the sign for ‘noodle’. Another old habit.

“Did it… swallow you?" he asks. "Kinda like the Calamity?”

The fire under the cooking pot pops and Zelda sighs like she always does when he brings stray animals home or weapons that are too good to be tossed away (they are!).

“You didn’t search for the geoglyphs, did you? Just like you ignored the pictures on the slate the first time. I even made them easier to find this time, they’re glowing in the dark and all.”

He narrows his eyes on her. “Zelda. You fell into the abyss when we accidentally stumbled over the mummy of the Demon King. You were gone. Poof, swallowed by golden light. So, no, I didn’t feel like searching for anything but you.”

She stares at him for a moment, but then she puts her notebook aside, and faces him fully. “The secret stone here”—she taps the golden, tear-shaped gem on her necklace—”it amplifies the powers of the wielder. It can also be used to perform a forbidden ritual that turns the wielder into a dragon who isn’t bound to the limits of time. Performing that ritual was the only way to heal the sword for you.” Her gaze searches the small clearing where they’ve set up camp on their way to Hateno. It's not far from where they fell from the sky.

Link points his thumb in the general direction behind him where the sword leans against his pack. “I got it, no worries. Didn’t forget how mad you were the last time when I rushed to the castle with a soup ladle.” He lifts the stew-covered one currently in his hand for good measure. Then, he mulls over what she said and tries to piece it together with the strange things that happened in the sky. Or realm. Might as well have been a different realm with the clouds, the hovering, and all that. He stirs the soup, watching her through his lashes. “So, the Light Dragon, that was you?”

“Yes.”

Now that answer came quicker than he had expected. “Huh.” He scratches his head. “So, the other dragons, Naydra, Dinraal, and Farore…”

“Were once priestesses who swallowed a secret stone to guard the springs eternally, yes.”

“Wait.” He leans the ladle against the brim of the pot and frowns.

“What do you mean, you ate it?”

“Well, it’s part of the ritual.” She crosses her arm in front of her, voice growing impatient.

Yes, yes, he should have tried to find more of the geo-thingies. They would probably have explained everything, but they've been through this before; he doesn't feel like dabbling when her life is on the line. And he didn't even have amnesia this time!

“So when you eat a stone that's fine but when I do it, you get mad?”

She blinks and blinks and blinks. He clicks his tongue. Seems like she has been mad at him so often that she can’t even remember it.

“Goronia,” he jogs her memory.

“Oh!” she calls and leaps up, the notebook toppling into the grass. “Oh, now that was completely different!”

“Is it now? You ate rocks, I ate rocks. Seems pretty similar to me,” Link says, unwrapping a dark clump directly in front of her eyes. His little diversionary tactic nearly works out when he drops it into the cooking pot and the whole content shifts to a dark blue, but she shakes off the urge to investigate.

“You ate the rock roast for sports. For me, there was no alternative to this measurement. I took the risk of losing myself entirely to give you a fighting chance!”

“Well, I saved diplomatic relationships with the Gorons, as you surely remember. And just for the record, it was a Rock Roast Flambé.”

“You are ridiculous and you know it.”

“Ridiculous, huh? The Princess of Hyrule causing a scandal by refusing to eat traditional food prepared especially for her? I saved your ass back then.” By now, he can’t help the grin tugging at his lips. Her eyes flash dangerously when he passes her a bowl of dark soup. "What?" He laughs. "It's true and you know it. Just admit that you're just as unhinged as I am."

"It was a sacrifice," she insists, blowing over her spoonful of blue soup. "For Hyrule. And you. Although you make me second-guess myself about the latter."

"Ah, come on. You seemed pretty happy to see me earlier although it has hardly been two weeks."

"Two we—" she starts, her spoon freezing mid-air and soup dripping back into her bowl.

"I know, I know, last time I only needed a couple of hours after I woke up. Rauru kept holding me back. Tricked me into thinking you were at the sky island."

"Well," she deadpans. "It sure felt like an eternity for me."

He knows he's missing something with the way she chuckles dryly, but she'll bring it up again later. He'll feel stupid for the things he said, then, but she says it's part of his charm, so he doesn't mind.

They eat in amicable silence, fire cracking and soup simmering. Farore buzzes in the distance, climbing the skies at her own, leisurely pace. Link's gaze follows her for a while, but then he turns back to Zelda.

"Did you chew it?!"

"Link!!!!!!"

[cosmos-coma]

was thinking all night of an eskel request, and i think i finally got one! eskel pining for the reader while at kaer morhen for the winter, maybe some teasing from the other witchers? super in the mood for fluff, so if you get around to this, extra cuteness plsss and thank you!

Before the Snow is Gone

A/N: My friend I will ALWAYS be happy to write up your requests. I'll admit that I really struggled with this one for some reason, but I hope I made it comedic and fluffy for you!

Pairing: Eskel X Reader

Words: 1.3k

Warnings: bit of angst and depression (from Eskel)

_______________________

Geralt and Lambert poked their head around the frame of the kitchen door as another sigh came from the room. There they watched Eskel look forlornly into the stew pot as he stirred, his eyes and thoughts somewhere far from here. 

“Is he still sighing about missing his lover?” Lambert whispered to his white-haired brother, watching as Eskel began rummaging through the spice jars, looking depressed at each and every option.

“He’s been like this for 2 weeks and we’re only a month into winter... Even Lil Bleater can’t cheer him up like she used to.” Geralt said, shaking his head as he watched his brother finally settle on a spice and add it to the pot. 

“What are we looking at?” Asked Yennefer's voice as her head appeared between the two men. 

“Is Eskel moping again?” Jaskier asked now, his head poking out above everyone else’s. 

Geralt blinked as he looked up at his bard. “Jask, you’re shorter than I am. How are you-?” 

“I’m standing on a chair…” he admitted as everyone pulled away from the doorway to talk face to face. 

“There has to be something we can do. I don't want to eat sad stew again.” Lambert complained with arms crossed. 

Yennefer was the first to pipe up this time, “I... think I may have an idea..”

----

Lil Bleater propped herself up on his legs, baaing and begging for attention as Eskel took care of the other stable animals. She huffed when she didn’t immediately get the petting she craved and stamped her feet against him. 

“I’m sorry, Kiddo… I guess I’m just not really here right now.” He said as he finally took the time to pause and look down at her frustrated grunts. Another sigh left his lips as he kneeled down to pet her and jostle her horns in a weak effort to play. He knew he wasn’t being any fun lately and he knew everyone else could see it. Hell, Vesemir even tried to have a talk with him the other week, but it had little effect. 

He couldn’t help it if he missed you so greatly. He had spent his warmer months being by your side as much as he could. Memorizing your voice, your eyes, and the feel of your hand in his as much as he could so it would all be perfect in his memory when winter came. 

But now… now it was only making it more glaringly obvious that you really weren't by his side. That you weren’t truly there to whisper to him in the dead of night when he can't sleep, nor to smile at him as you simply passed by. 

“I don't know what I'm gonna do for the rest of the winter, Bleater… it’s getting hard just to get out of bed each morning, let alone go through my chores.” He mumbled softly to the bright-eyed kid. “I’m a witcher, you know? I should be better than this… I’ve faced vampires, and dragons, so-” he paused for a moment as he idly scratched Lil Bleater’s chin.  “So why is it so hard to leave...? Even when I know I’ll be back…”

Lil Bleater only quietly baaed in response, trying to soothe her dedicated caretaker, but not sure how. So she does what all goats do best- she chews on his fingers. 

Another sigh from the soft-hearted witcher, this time with a small smile, “I Love them so much…” he mumbled out, getting lost in his own thoughts again, until an unexpected voice pulled him back with a snap. 

“I Love you too, Eskel.” 

He blinked as he heard it. That was… your voice…? That was your voice! It was you! Eskel spun around to face where the sound came from and nearly dropped Lil Bleater back to the ground when he saw you.

There you stood in the open stable doors, wrapped in your warm winter clothes, cheeks ruddy from the cold, and a big bundle of clothes in your hands. Your breath puffed up in front of your face as you dropped your bag and ran straight into his arms. 

Eskel could hardly contain his excitement as your beaming face came running into his embrace. “You’re here..! but, how…?” Eskel asked, hugging you tight against his chest and drinking in your scent. Soft kisses pressed against your forehead and your temple as you tried to answer, but you couldn't get your words out past the laughter bubbling from you.

“We thought you could use a visit...” came Yennefers voice as she also drifted into view of the stable doors, followed by Geralt, Lambert, and Jaskier. “You’ve been moping about for weeks now and I figured it's easy enough to conjure a portal,” she shrugged, “I open up another portal Home in a few days, so enjoy it.” 

“Geralt, Lambert, and I are also gonna take care of your chores, so you can enjoy your time together.” Jaskier chimed in with a thumbs up and that characteristic charming smile,“and that time starts now, so go on and get out of here! Shoo! Go be gross and in love,” he said, quickly ushering you two out and tossing your bundle of clothes at Eskel. 

Laughter trailed behind you two as Eskel led you inside so you could settle down. However, Eskel rumbled with quiet excitement, and as quick as you settled he was taking your hand to show you everything about the keep. From the kitchen to the armory and everything in between, your beloved witcher just wanted to share every part of his childhood home that he held dear on your first visit. 

“I missed you so much” You mumbled as you took a pause from reading. 

Eskel had finally snuck you away to the Keep’s library at the end of the tour so you two could spend the perfect first evening together. Hot chocolate filled your mugs and your sweet whispers filled the air as you read to him. His head lay tenderly on your chest as he soaked in the warmth of your presence. The fire crackled softly before you and everything was just as it should be. 

“I missed you too… I’m glad you finally get to visit after hearing about it so much” he lifted his head to smile up at you, that notch in his lip tugging it into a larger grin. “And we’ll make the most of our time here. I promise. We can do anything you want- build snowmen, ice skate-” 

“Even just cuddle up under a blanket to fight off the cold…?” you offered with a shake of your head and a chuckle, “I don't care what we do, Eskel, as long as I can be next to you. We could spend the entire visit cleaning up horse shit and- as long as I don’t get any on my face- then I would still consider it an amazing time.”

Eskel’s chest rumbled with laughter that easily passed through your whole body, “I mean- that can be arranged…” 

An even stronger laugh emanated from him as you poked him in the ribs and frowned, “I think I’d rather fall in the lake, Esk. Let’s just take this day by day, okay?” you asked, running your fingers through that lovely dark hair of his. “I love you so much, Eskel. No matter what we do or how far away you are or how hard it is that I can’t see you.” 

You smiled as you pressed a soft kiss to his slightly chapped lips,“and I love knowing that I’ll be able to see you again as soon as the first flowers bloom.”

“Oh, Darling,” Eskel smiled, his expression easy and light as his honey-like eyes melted your heart into a sweet puddle, “I’ll be at your door long before the snow is even gone.” 

___________________________

Taglist: @writingmysanity @open--till--midnight (<3) @dark-academia-slut @madamemelancholysstuff

[rhysintherain]

I can't remember if I've specifically seen you post about your Tav and/or Durge? But a great way for me to get to know them! 35, 37, and 39 for a Tav/Durge of your choosing. c: (And heck, also for Rikka the Bhaalspawn you told me about, if she was a companion. :D )

Thank you! The only Tav I've put a ton of effort into lately (the one I occasionally write about) is Skye: druid, non-binary disaster, dating Shadowheart canonically. Guild artisan background. A bit more chaotic than most druids would like. Has a lot of history with the legacy companions, since they're Jaheira's protege.

Greeting a player character at different approval levels:

Low: don't you have something to be doing? ANYTHING to be doing, besides this conversation? Because I sure do.

Usually I don't bite, but I'll make an exception for you.

Neutral: need something? I have *sorts through pockets for stray stuff* an empty bottle... Some string... Where did all these gremisha tails come from? Oh, I have cheese! Let me know if any of that sounds useful.

If you're hoping I'll say something druidic and wise I'll give it a go, but it'll probably just sound sarcastic.

High: need a giant feral cat to smack someone for you? Please tell me it's Lae'zel.

You know what my favorite thing about the city is? The conspicuous lack of ankhegs.

Romance: here, I made you something *hands player some little thing made out of odds and ends collected on their travels*

You know, I used to doubt leaving Cloakwood, but with you here I'm sure it was the right choice.

If a player asks them "tell me about yourself":

Born and raised in the Gate, which was... Interesting when I learned to wild shape into a coyote as a kid. Fortunately Jaheira took pity on me and taught me some shapes that get fewer rocks thrown at them.

Spent some time at the Cloakwood circle - the REAL Cloakwood circle, mind you, shadow druids don't count - but there's only so much bug control and giving directions to lost city folks you can do before you'd rather be anywhere else.

Not much more to say, honestly? You already know I can turn into an assortment of creatures and can't stand Ashaba Dusk.

(spoiler alert: there's plenty more to say. Like the last name they refuse to use. And the fact that they learned most of what they know from a handful of legendary heroes. But they're not going to say any of that until The Plot forces them to)

When a player character asks for a kiss: have I ever said no before? Actually, if I ever do just assume I've been dopplegangered.

Of course, I wasn't working on anything important at the moment *que the sound of something falling over/a hiss of a potion eating through the workbench/the growl of a possibly dangerous animal off camera* well, not more important than this...

And for Rikka, the half-orc shaman Bhaalspawn from BG1 and 2. Neutral good, insufferable ray of sunshine, romanced Rasaad.

Greeting a player at different approval levels:

Low: Can I help you? *Under her breath* I mean, can anyone, really?

Oh hey, I've been meaning to talk to you about your questionable decisions lately.

Neutral: whatever you need, I'm on it like ugly on an orc! (This was actually one of the in-game dialogues in BG1 for the voice I chose for her. Didn't know that when I picked the voice, but it was very in character that she'd think it was funny)

We shouldn't linger here, the ghosts of this land are restless... Gods, you should see the look on your face! Admit it, I had you going, didn't I?

High: Minsc just asked me if he'd hurt that tree's feelings... I swear, I've known that man for over a century and he still manages to surprise me.

Need a summoning? An exorcism? I'm pretty sure I know a couple dead dragons who owe me favors, just say the word.

Romance: if it isn't my favorite person, wading through the mud and blood of the adventuring life to come see me.

You know I'd walk straight into the hells for you, right? And I'm not just saying that because I've done it so many times I could justify buying a summer home there, either!

If a player asks them "tell me about yourself":

Oh you know, I'm pretty normal. Daughter of a murder god, raised in the finest library in the realms - which I made much better use of than my sister, for the record - got my soul stolen by an evil wizard, but then who hasn't? They offered me my father's throne at one point, but the family business just sounded like an awful lot of work, you know? I have 15 - no wait, I think it's 16 now - beautiful grandchildren. Okay, maybe my life hasn't been the textbook definition of normal, but I'm surprisingly normal about it!

When a player character asks for a kiss: pretty please?

Oh, my day is getting better already!

[anxiouslyfred]

Cave Visits

For mine and @lostcephalopods dragonau

Summary: Remus and Roman continue visiting Janus's cave, Roman to try and keep an eye on Remus and Remus intent on befriending the water dragon.

Authors note: This has been a busy day so again I haven't written as much as I'd have liked, but I'm happy with having reread most of the posts I could find to remind myself of this au. I'll write something with more of the characters involved in it at some point I'm sure

My idea for today: dragonau - How does Remus get Virgil and Janus to be his friends? When do one of them tell Roman to stop apologising for Remus?

/\/\

Since Virgil had first spoken to Janus he’d formed a specific splash for coming into the cave, although yelled just as often. This time he barely did the splash, as if hoping to remain unnoticed as Janus was pretty sure he knew why: The avali brothers that had arrived the day before.

“So the two avali are still in town, refused to leave and you’re hiding with me; Someone Remus has declared he’ll befriend. Wonderful reasoning, Virgil. I’m sure you’ll definitely avoid them this way.” Janus drawled, settling beside him.

“They’ll disrupt the ecosystem, and I’m not avoiding them. I’m observing them, specifically why one if so set on befriending a dragon. Some dragons eat avali so it has to be mad, which is worse as then I can’t predict how it’ll act or what damage it’ll bring.” Virgil ranted, glare going unseen but evident in his voice.

They hummed lightly, “Oh Remus is definitely mad, but I doubt he’s so unpredictable. In fact, I predict he will come in via another ventilation tunnel, and try to find the kitchen rather than either of us.” They could feel the ripples in the water already so expected the second avali was also coming and probably going to reach them first. That was unexpected.

“Why would he look for the kitchen? You’re lying to me over knowing that birdbrain so well already.” He growled out, voice quiet as if he was trying to listen to the ambient noises while they spoke.

“Because I insisted on coming in the intended entrance you showed me.” Roman replied, surfacing from the water tunnel. “He wants to prank me at every opportunity and probably you both as well since we’re acquaintances now. Apologies for that in advance.”

Janus swung to look just left of Roman, “Why apologise? You are not your brothers keeper, are you?”

“Most people met when we happen to travel together assume I am.” Roman replied easily, “And I did enter your cave and return today in order to avoid him being harmed.”

“But you didn’t get out of the area as I said to. That would avoid it best.” Virgil near snarled. He must be more worried than Janus expected as they rarely saw the procyon-mer so ready to fight for their river.

The avali twittered for a moment, before Janus heard the dripping of his feathers speed, as if he’d bent over or perhaps bowed. “That I will admit was partly due to my own curiosity over how a blind dragon and some form of mer became friends. Would you tell me the story?”

“No.” Virgil huffed, “Leave the area before you damage it.”

“I see perfectly well, thank you. Enough to know foolish folk give honours to those they cannot know if they should be given them, such as bows.” Janus mused, feigning disinterest and wondering if the words would make Roman doubt their blindness.

Before Roman replied however a cackle came from behind them, “You’re blind and I’m your friend.” Remus called, moving fast as he spoke so Janus didn’t try to pretend they could see him.

Virgil let out a low growl, “Just move on with your exploring and leave me river be.”

Janus could only assume neither avali showed signs of following the demand as they settled into chatting, ignoring Virgil.

/\

“Please do apologise needlessly for Remus again. I’m riveted to your words every time.” Janus drawled out, hearing the splash of someone feathered climb out of the water in their cave. It had been 3 weeks since the avali had arrived and they’d both visited everyday.

In all honesty Janus found them amusing now, but the regular apologies Roman repeated were tedious.

“Actually I was wondering if you’d seen him today. His shelter moved.” The voice sounded chipper, as if it was mere curiosity that brought the question, not concern as Janus thought most people felt if their family went missing.

“Can’t you see him right beside me, Roman? It’s clear he’s been here all this time and not exploring whatever caught his interest of the moment.” They didn’t hold back their smug head tilt, or tail waving around the area when hearing the avali moving around them, likely trying to confirm their words.

Sure enough it was only a few moments before Roman spoke again, “Eurgh, maybe I should start jumping in and out. All this swimming will ruin my gorgeous feathers. Also you can simply say he isn’t here rather than lying.”

“Your reactions amuse me, and friends do tease each other, correct?” Janus tried to imitate the wonder Thomas spoke with on some of his visits. They did view these two avali as friends now, and was fairly sure that Virgil did too since the grumbling was less about trying to make them leave now, rather focusing on ensuring they didn’t impact the areas ecosystem too much.

Roman’s breath caught. “I’m humbled by your friendship and gratified to have it. Please also be warned that Remus will be cheering when you mention this to him, since you refuse to let me apologise on his behalf.”

“If he appears in my caves I will do so.” Janus nodded slowly.

[mcflymemes]

INQUISITION PARTY BANTER  *  assorted dialogue from dragon age inquisition

you... actually look like that?

thank you for remembering. sometimes people forget me.

it's interesting watching you. the way you carry yourself when you use magic.

why are you so angry at your father? he wants to help and you know he does.

no one needs to see my arse.

you're set on being sad forever.

remember, do not use it like a sword.

i'd just eat the cheese.

always knew you were up to something.

you didn't always have a beard.

sometimes love isn't enough.

there were so many wonderful hats.

you're happier now, [name].

you have so many feelings.

i am uncertain whether to believe you.

the world doesn't make sense to them. it's too real.

you're right about that. they would.

do you need to eat? or sleep?

you would stop it if you could.

i can't tug it loose without tearing it.

stop. it isn't about you.

i believe i can work with that.

you have other things to carry.

you're serious, aren't you?

you let it keep hurting because you think hurting is who you are.

it is because you think you have to?

you ask a lot of questions, [name].

why be ashamed? power should be respected, not swept under the carpet.

i'll have to steal that one.

hey, when this is all done, if you ever need my help for anything, you just ask, all right?

maybe you're not a complete moron.

we were having a moment, and now you've ruined it.

i can't believe you drank that swill at the tavern.

i'm well aware you lied to me.

that is... remarkably decent of you.

i don't want to think about that right now.

you need a hairbrush.

when you charge at them, you make them hit you.

i'm curious about you. i had no idea something like you was possible.

how do you want to be remembered? valiant yet sexy rebel against the status quo?

it's not easy finding people willing to shoulder such a terrible responsibility.

it's not such a terrible thing. some of my best friends are murderers.

who's judging now?

i know your kind.

i know that what comes out of your mouth is the same drivel that comes out of theirs.

careful i don't club you on the head.

if i had something to say, i'd say it.

if we're going to fight at each other's side, we need to get along.

enough, both of you.

you said i could ask you questions.

how do you get your hair to do that?

do you think we could ever be friends?

killing him won't make anything better.

if you really cared, you could ask.

you caught the eye of a young woman in that last village.

i just need to know you're capable of higher thought. for my own comfort.

i question your reasons for being here.

my reasons for being here are the same as yours.

i think that's the first time i've heard you admit anything is complicated.

what made you change your mind?

i will try to be more like you.

you should learn to watch your back.

i mean. could be naked more. that'd be better.

beardy people are supposed to be jolly.

why are you complaining?

you're smirking again.

right, here we go. what is it from you?

there is no need to tell anyone that.

does yelling while we're walking around count?

stop pointing that at me!

you need a drink or something, you tell me.

[galaxydrcaming]

from x @allxthingsxglxtter

Craning her neck to stare up at Sgaeyl, she rolls her eyes at the response. "Of course he does, as hard as it is to admit it, those memories make him who he is." She thinks towards Sgaeyl and shakes her head before looking back over at Andarna for a moment. "Hey, we're doing our best here, I'll talk to him and try to put more sense into him." Violet nods at the blue dragon and clears her throat.

Turning back towards Xaden, she feels Tairn move slightly closer to her back, feeling the sudden gust of steam, knowing he's messing with the memoryless rider in front of her. "The fact that you're not calling any of us crazy is a good step, though I get why you wouldn't have done that to them at least. Kids..you're a teacher?" Despite her own anger, the corner of her lips curve upwards as she looks away for a moment, but her gaze snaps back at him at his next words. "What? Xaden, in no way is Sgaeyl lying to you, do you really think you can stand in front of her and tell her that she's wrong? Correction, the usual you would have no hesitation because that you knows that she can't eat you, but the big deal is that this you isn't the one I know, he's not the one I fell in love with." She winces and crosses her arms in frustration.

"Sgaeyl!" She yells, moving to Xaden's side despite knowing he could protect himself, or she hoped this version still could. "I understand your anger, but let me handle this, you said yourself that you don't want to drive him mad on accident."

[foxys-fantasy-tales]

A Rival Most Vial - Book Review

Oh gosh, where do I start? I loved it. Let's make that clear. Ok, I'll begin with my one gripe before my overwhelming praise takes over because I cannot wait for more in this series.

R.K. Ashwick's second trilogy begins with this book, as The Stray Spirit began their first trilogy and was their debut novel as an indie author last year. Two books in so little time! I could never be that fast! Both are highly recommended by me so I wanted to mention the other book, now, let's pop open this juicy dumpling of fantasy fiction, shall we?

The one gripe is Ambrose and Eli are at odds for a good third of the book or so, and I mean heavily. As spoiler light as possible, events go from a boiling point that breaks the rules of the street their shops are on, then in the same day a character begins to look at the other with a wholly different kinda boiling point. -tugs collar- Ahem. As I said, the quick change left a bit of whiplash for me personally, but it's my only complaint for this wonderful novel that also captured my heart and made me tear up once or twice.

Ambrose is by far my favorite. I relate to his closed off nature, and boy does he also have good reasons for it. He's intelligent, gifted in his craft even, dedicated, and all mushy inside if you can get past that icy blue exterior of his. Eli, on the other hand, took me a minute to get on board with, though I have to admit the cutest automaton ever, Tom, and her wonderfully depicted stabby feet, mug body, fork arms, and broom head helped warm me to him. Eli has severe wanderlust and gets bored of things easily, though he is also incredibly gifted. He's reckless, but he's charming and bears good intentions.

All the characters are wonderful, really, but I won't name them all here and let you discover them yourself. They make themselves very much known in the first chapter after all. Big personalities and bigger hearts, these shopkeeps all stick together through thick and thin, even though some may make some really rash calls at times. In a magical world with exploding moss, dragons, and venomous moths that shoot deadly spikes the length of your arm, any rash choice could be deadly.

The romance is golden and the details on the kisses and awkwardness being described from both sides of the blooming relationship between Ambrose and Eli is just -mwah-. Ambrose is uncertain of a first relationship and so concerned with timing and averages like any A type personality would be, while Eli is tender with him and doesn't wish to push too far, all the while not knowing Ambrose may want just that. There is a short sex scene, but it's very blurry in depictions of physicality and hones in more on the back and forth and emotions between the two. I thought this was a good choice for this type of story, and it blended well to the emotional beats at the time.

The world-building, just like The Stray Spirit, is so carefully thought out, planned, drawn up in wonderful in book art, and exudes so much of Ashwick's character that you could tell it was an R.K. Ashwick book even without the name on the cover if you read their debut. Each of these worlds is mesmerizing and brings me back to when I would eat through fantasy books by the dozen. It's whimsical, but dangerous enough you have to root for the characters and fear for them at times genuinely. As Ambrose goes over his potion instructions and shortcuts to his partner on the commission, each detail feels like it just came from an actual text on the subject. I can't wait to discover more of this world.

Can we also state how gorgeous that cover is while I still have your attention? The colors pop so well! The details are stunning and I love the little silhouettes of our main duo with those tiny hearts above their heads.

All in all, this is my long-winded approach to saying GO BUY THIS BOOK! I assure you it is worth the time and money spent to travel through this world with these loveable fools.

This is an arc read and I’m leaving a review voluntarily. This review is honest all the same and I jumped at the chance to be an arc reader after reading The Stray Spirit shortly after it's launch. I've followed this project's growth even longer than that, and I am so happy to say I am so satisfied with how this turned out.

[minti-tales]

💜 surprise kiss / impulsive kiss

"Ah, someone's painted a new sign! Let me see. 'Gage Acquisitions, Free Company. For Hire, at Lavender Beds, Gridania.' So this is where our sleeping princess lies, although, I must admit, it's far from the misty towers written of in legend. You don't happen to have a fierce dragon atop the roof? Breathing fire and hoarding piles of gold?"

Minti shook her head at Krile Baldesion, the former Scion who'd joined her for lunch. To be honest, it was more of a spur-of-the-moment meal, two colleagues crossing paths out on the free company's lawn and wanting to do more than just say hello to each other. "Do dragoons count?" she asked with a playful smile. "They've a habit of being greedy. Always leaping off the roof, wings and all, to snatch their prey. I can't say they're always successful - they usually end up inspecting the grass." Krile chuckled. The jest wasn't Minti's best, she knew, but at least it got a laugh.

A sudden downpour forced the two to take shelter in the small flowered pavilion across from the House. "Serves me right for speaking ill of our armored friends," Minti said before sitting down.

Today's lunch was a real hodgepodge of cultures and cuisine. Two bowls of spicy Thavnarian curry and naan rested uneasily with slices of naturally sweetened Archon loaf. Three black-and-white sugar cookies did their best to cozy up with a bottle of Foundation Red fetched from a hidden reserve. Also, in a well-intentioned attempt to steer the meal towards proper nutrition, there was a fruit bowl, with fresh purple grapes from Labyrinthos, quartered strawberries, and chunks of La Noscean prickly pineapples. It wouldn't take a culinarian to decipher what the friends brought to the table.

"Spicy curry, Minti?" asked Krile. "I was sure you'd want more sweets in your diet." She loaded a small plate with equal helpings of fruit, curry, and Loaf. "What with your chosen name and all." Minti avoided the Loaf entirely, opting for curry, naan, and the sugar cookies. "You sure you don't want some fruit? The grapes were hand-picked this morning. Entirely organic, juicy, and in just the right shape for consumption, that is to say, near perfectly cylindrical."

"I am not a child, Krile. I eat what I please," Minti replied with mock annoyance. "Although…fine. I'll take the grapes. You've convinced me."

"Have I?" Krile grinned, like she'd won a debate without even trying. "You don't sound convinced. But, small victories, I suppose."

Conversation was mixed, for the most part, with Minti recalling the most memorable parts of the expedition to Eureka, and Krile sharing recent happenings with the Warrior of Light. Just old friends catching up, having a good meal in the rain.

Sharing the last of the wine.

Reaching over the table to examine each others hands, remarking on each others' "lifelines," with Minti calling on her half-remembered astrologian training to help her read.

Minti moving over to Krile's side of the pavilion and gingerly putting an arm around her friend, putting caution to the wind. Tipsily playing with her hair, a wide smile on the viera's face.

Minti leaning down to put her nose against Krile's, both friends giggling and smiling in the rain.

A pregnant moment. A tender look. A nod, a whispered "Is this what you want?"

"Is this what you want?"

"I don't want to think right now."

"But you're thinking regardless, dear. And, I'm saying yes, by the way. It's okay, Minti. You're safe. We're safe. No one is going to get upset, no one is going to hurt you. No one is taking you away from here."

Krile squeezed us. We appreciated this, this comfort.

A brush of lips against her lips. Impulsive. But feeling right, in this moment. She said it was safe. It was okay.

Her lips were soft, and her breath was warm, like Suzaku's. But not like her.

Caring. Not possessive. What Minti needed in this moment.

We need to feel safe -

We are.

"Take as much time as you need. I'm here. It's just you, and me, and the rain."

Time passed so slowly between these two old friends.

It was a good lunch.

[rainyearning]

"You could say I work with fashion but not a model, no. I am befriended with one tho, she is quite judgy of my desire to dye my hair and I am very sure she hates my choice of sunglasses," he replied playfully before taking out some cash (it seemed he actually truly still had some) , about the double of what the register was telling. "Barista work hard so, tips are important. Keep the rest, your manager doesn't have to know." He hummed but followed along, using the chance of giving Sujin a proper look from behind. He really could see why people would come here more often just for him. Not only a pretty face but a whole package with a sweet personality. Baek settled down, legs crossed as he was looking at him, a small tilt of his head as the other kept happily rambling on. "While I could see that, they can have a bit of a reputation." Hand reached out, leading the cup to his lip, taking a small sip on purpose before humming: "Then, I will take you out for a drink. Maybe you can tell me more about yourself and what other things you like. I also can treat you to dinner after, keep that lasgna for tomorrow." Now that he made his mind, he'd go for it.

Sujin couldn't hide the slight confusion on his face. Overall, his face was insanely expressive, the dragon would always have a hard time keeping his thoughts to himself, purely based on the way that any emotion showed so openly. "Fasion but not a model. You talk in riddles. Is this like a guessing game? I have to admit, I am not good at guessing, nor do I know much about the fashion industry.. so let's see," Sujin tapped an index finger against his cheek while he thought about other jobs. "Are you a photographer? A boutique owner?" More thinking. "Are you a designer?" Sujin looked at the cash just a bit surprised since Baek had very much paid him already. "Oh no, you said you work several jobs so you should keep that to yourself!" He was quick to hand back the cash. "See, I feel bad about taking money from someone that hustles with more than just one job, plus, a fellow waiter? It's your tips so you should keep it, right? I don't work hard, you can ask any of my colleagues. They think I'm working not as much as them." And despite the negative talk about his colleagues, Sujin was grinning wide, as if he was not too affected by that. "You would be surprised at how much I eat, yeah, the lasagna will probably still be a midnight snack because you surely can't pay for all the food I need to eat." Sure he had a fit form which just came from being a dragon, probably a high metabolism and the times when he could not feed all his hunger and had to rely on all the instant ramen he could purchase. "You could give me your number? Or I'll give you mine so you can tell me where to meet you? I still have some hours left to work and I don't think you have time to sit here for the next.. four hours." He bounced on his heel slowly, a cool breeze radiating from him which simply came from his excitement. Cute men asking him out for food and drinks and talks, how sweet. "Wait, you don't plan to kidnap me, right? I won't fall for that trick again."