#the unspoken name fanart

[lucklessrat]

Has anyone read The Unspoken Name by A. K. Larkwood? I read it a year ago and I loved it so much that I made it my pick for a bookclub I have with my friends. Definitely due for a re-read. Talasseres Charossa has my whole entire heart so I did some quick sketches of him (how i picture him, anyway. Lol) If you liked Gideon the Ninth/The Locked Tomb series, definitely check it out.

[layaart]

and here is all the serpent gates character designs together! 

[sunshinescribes]

The House Always Wins

Part 2 of this fic

Pairing: Sir Crocodile x Fem!Reader

Rating: EXPLICIT (18+)

Warnings: Possessive Behavior, Jealousy, Rough Sex, Cunnilingus, (lowkey) Sugar Daddy Crocodile, Crocodile is smug and petty

(edit: realized the original artwork was fanart and I couldn't find the artist's @ to credit them, so I changed it)

Crocodile doesn’t know what to expect when he wanders onto the casino floor of Rain Dinners in search of you. Slot machines chime, playing a catchy little tune with each pull of the lever. Dealers grin and offer words of encouragement, coaxing big-eyed fools into another game with the sweet promise of lady luck’s favor.  

You don’t usually partake in gambling, not keen on the idea of betting away your berries when you know it’s all rigged—and why would you even need to? You never ask for anything, but Crocodile provides. Spoils you even.

He enjoys watching the way your eyes get all big, stunned by the diamond necklace he places around your neck, or the soft gasp that passes your lips when he gifts silk charmeuse and chiffon dresses, designed, and tailored just for you.

Crocodile continues to seek you out, his sharp eyes flitting between the slot machines and card tables. He ignores the curious and lingering looks targeted at him—the smartly dressed patrons who vie for his attention as he continues to search—and then he hears it.

Your laugh, loud and beautiful—music to his fucking ears. He turns.

Crocodile doesn’t expect to see you at the bar, perched on a stool, leaning into a man he doesn’t recognize. Your hand is on his slender arm, your lips pulled into a pretty smile, and laughter escapes again—so lovely and genuine and for someone else.

The man grins at you sheepishly, transfixed on your mouth. It’s so blatant—barely contained, the way he’s staring at you with a mix of adoration and lust.

You must feel Crocodile’s eyes on you because you glance over your shoulder suddenly. Your smile widens, and you exchange a quick word with the mysterious man before hopping down from your seat.

Crocodile is silent as you approach, stone-faced. You grab his arm with both hands and tilt your head towards the man, all while smiling up at him.

“I want you to meet my friend,” you say excitedly, steering him towards the bar.

Crocodile doesn’t catch the name that rolls off your tongue—he can’t seem to hear anything over the sudden ringing in his ears, so sharp it drowns out the sounds of the jingling slot machines and triumphant cheers of those foolish enough to think they’re the winners.

The fond smile that plays on the mystery man’s lip never falls, but Crocodile notices the sudden unease as the man’s eyes land on him. The imposing height, the cold, almost irritated expression he comfortably wears—the golden hook that glints under the blinding casino lights. It’s enough to strike fear in the heart of anyone smart enough to value their life.

And the man is a small thing—average in every sense of the word, Crocodile thinks. The plain clothes, the nervous, uncertain words that stumble from his mouth as he tries to introduce himself. Crocodile doesn’t feign interest—he barely even acknowledges your friend, and that only serves to add to his anxiety.

If it wasn’t for the pitiful look you shoot him, Crocodile would laugh at just how pathetic this man is.

“We both grew up in Coombe,” you explain, glancing back at the mystery man. “I never thought you’d leave the North Blue.”

He must take your surprise as a compliment because he gives you another bashful smile.

“I didn’t either. Guess I finally figured if you could do it, so could I,” he chuckles softly. “Imagine my shock when I saw you here, of all places.”

“Small world,” Crocodile chimes in dryly, drawing your friend’s attention once more.

Crocodile places a hand on your hip, drawing you a little closer to him.“She never mentions much about her home in the North Blue.”

And she never mentioned you. The insult is unspoken, so subtle that he thinks even you don’t catch it.

But it’s also true. You rarely spoke about the North Blue—of the life you had before you entered the Grand Line and ended up in Alabasta. You never mused over an island you once called home, or a lovesick, hairbrained boy you left on it, and Crocodile doesn’t pry. He isn’t particularly interested in knowing, truth be told. He only cares about the life you have now, with him.

The man goes on an excited tirade about how beautiful Coombe is this time of year, about how you used to love the new bloom after winter finally passed, and all the fun you both had in your youth. He can’t help but reminisce, tries to connect with you in the only way he’s able.

“You should visit when you can. Uh—you both should.”

You pretend to consider it, and Crocodile gives little more than an unaffected grunt.

You inquire how long he’ll be staying and recommend shops and restaurants he must visit before leaving. He shamelessly seeks more of your company—your attention—and asks if you could possibly give him a tour.

You promise to check your schedule and follow up, and he beams as if he’s won an invaluable prize. Crocodile’s irritation grows—twists and festers the longer he stands by your side, little more than an onlooker. His frustration isn’t directed at you—you’ve always been friendly, offering a smile where he would surely offer a sneer, but it doesn’t stop his grip from tightening on your hip.

You notice, finally excusing yourself. The man gives you both a soft goodbye, one that Crocodile ignores completely as he whisks you away, and he can’t help the way his lips pull into a smug grin at the quick glimpse of the dejected look on his face. It must hurt him to see you walk away in the arms of another—to know the golden opportunity he thought the world had provided him never existed at all.

“You didn’t like him.”

It’s the first thing you say when you enter Crocodile’s private suite, disappointment dripping in your voice. You weren’t foolish enough to think he would be thrilled, but you thought Crocodile would at least be amicable. 

He shrugs his coat off, placing it on the coat hanger near the door. “He was shameless.”

Your brows furrow, your lips pull into a slight frown…You don’t know? It takes Crocodile by surprise; surely you must. The man is far too obvious; his intentions are impossible to mask.

“He would have taken you right there on the bar if you had let him,” Crocodile scoffs.

You blink, dumbfounded.

“Gage?”

So that’s his name.

Your voice comes out in a high-pitched squeak, taken aback by the sudden accusation. “He doesn’t want to fuck me.”

Crocodile gives a mirthless laugh. You’re so sweet. So naïve. Always offering others the benefit of the doubt.

Crocodile recognized the hunger in his eyes—the longing. He suspects this friend of yours has harped on you for a long time, never quite brave enough to take the chance.

Not even now. By some miracle, he survived the Grand Line, and he still can’t brave his own futile emotions. Crocodile isn’t sure whether to laugh at how spineless the man is or burn with anger at how he even thinks he has any chance of having you.

The dark, ravenous part of him takes high offense.  

Crocodile comes up behind you and dwarfs you with his body as his decorated hand cradles your jaw. “Course he does. Look at you.”

He tilts your head, forces you to face the full-length mirror on the opposite wall. You try to focus on your own reflection, but you can’t help but watch Crocodile when he dips down, pressing a tender kiss to your neck, all while his half-lidded eyes hold your gaze.

“Maybe I should invite him to our room so he can watch me fuck you,” he murmurs against your skin.

You shiver, nearly stumble out of his grasp as his lips trail higher.

“Don’t be cruel...”

Cruel? His offer would be courteous. It would be the closest your lovestruck friend would ever get to your naked form. The only way he would ever know what you sound and look like at the height of your pleasure—how perfect you are, stuffed and babbling through your orgasm.

The cruel thing would be what he truly wants to do—to use his devil fruit powers to turn the man into a withering corpse, forgotten in the endless sand dunes.

“Would you rather he joined?” Crocodile inquiries plainly.

He attempts to come off unaffected…curious, but the wicked voice in the back of his mind nags at him, hisses about feelings that could have been, and still may be.

The man matches your gentle nature, and is somewhat competent, at least to have made it this far from the North Blue. He’s the kind of man who would kneel at your feet if you asked, worship you as if it were his sole purpose—he’d give you a typical life, picturesque in its simplicity, and you would be content.

The thought makes something vicious twist in his gut. It makes time stand still as Crocodile awaits your answer.

“No.” You shake your head softly, meeting his cold eyes in the mirror. “I’ve never thought about him like…that.”

Of course not. What would you want with a sniveling worm? How could you go back to mediocrity after everything that’s been offered to you? The attention of a warlord of the sea—the savior of Alabasta. How could anyone else ever compare?

It’s pathetic how the gluttonous beast inside of Crocodile settles and hums contentedly, knowing that you only want him.

And maybe this is your power he couldn’t recognize before, why he was so unnerved in the beginning—this ability to effortlessly turn sensible men foolish. Even him.

“Only want you.” You turn, your soft eyes trained on him. “Always want you.”

Crocodile captures your lips as the words escape, and you melt into him—mold your body into his until he is all you sense. The heady scent of his sweet cigars mixes with hints of patchouli and cedar—his cologne—it lingers on his fitted clothes, drawing you deeper into his searing kiss.

You feel the bend of his golden hook press into the curve of your back, forcing you to curl into him as he parts your lips with his tongue. You’re caught in a pleasant haze, lightheaded, while Crocodile kisses you like he’s claiming your mouth, making sure that your lips never forget the feel and taste of him—that they never desire another’s.

Crocodile lifts you from the ground effortlessly with his ringed hand, still kissing you hungrily as he shifts blindly through his suite, knowing the layout well enough to stumble into his lavish bedroom. He parts from you with a low groan.

“Lay down,” he orders against your lips, and you comply, sinking into the soft mattress while he looms over you.

The ache you feel in your core blossoms—hurts so good from how desperately you want him—to be wrecked and teary-eyed and a mess for him.

You even go as far as to whine when you notice Crocodile isn’t working to free the fierce erection that strains his dress pants, eager to be lost in your warmth.

“None of that,” Crocodile tuts coyly, lowering to his knees near the foot of the bed. His large hand skims up the length of your thigh, pushing up your dress until it is bunched around your waist, and he can see the evidence of your arousal staining your thin lingerie—another gift.

That creature inside of him purrs gleefully, proud of how well he turns you into a spectacle—a gift of his own to admire and unravel again and again.

Crocodile tugs your panties down your legs, tossing it aside carelessly as his hooded eyes catch on your bare pussy, already slick and ready for him. A deep, guttural noise catches in his throat as you part your legs—eagerly welcome him where he belongs.

“I bet he wonders what you taste like…” Crocodile muses, leaning into your aching slit. A soft gasp passes your lips when you feel the heat of his mouth on your needy cunt, tending to the ache his salacious words and desperate kisses created.

There are rare moments when Crocodile takes you apart slowly, his movements languid and measured, bringing you to the height of your pleasure at an agonizing pace, only to rip it away just when you begin to tip over the edge. And then he continues the process again and again. He leaves you delirious on days like that, wasting the hours away with your body—and perhaps today would be a day such as that if he didn’t feel he had something to prove.

If the desire to plague your every thought didn’t control him like a cruel master.

Your soft whimpers turn to shameless, needy moans, light and airy but loud enough to satisfy the wicked parts of him.

“S’good,” you whine drunkenly, your hips bucking instinctively when Crocodile’s lips latch onto your neglected clit. Your fingers thread into his long hair, pull him even closer, and he groans—it makes you arch painfully as the feel of it cascades through your body and tickles your aching nub.

Each swipe of his talented tongue pushes you closer, making the heat that pools in your stomach metastasize until you’re chanting his name, so close and ready to reward him.

He squeezes your clit with his mouth, sucks your aching bud, and you’re gone—shoved over the edge as pure hot pleasure rips through you, flows from between your legs, and Crocodile laps up your sweetness like a starved man.

You glance down at him through your lashes, eyes heavy, body slowly recovering. Crocodile pulls away from your pretty pussy with a sigh, as if he’s sad to part, and the idea alone makes your core ache with newfound need.

“Always so sweet for me.”

Your release smears his chin. It makes him look depraved and delicious. If you had the energy for it, you’d lift from your spot on the bed and kiss him. Feel the taste of yourself on his tongue, but all you can do is watch him with tired eyes as he rids himself of his clothes, tosses his lavish vest and dress shirt aside haphazardly.

His pants are the last thing to go, and you watched as if caught in a spell, buzzing with anticipation as he palms his hard dick. It’s so pretty, with the tip blushing and spilling precum that glides onto his thick fingers. Crocodile smirks, amused by the enchanted look in your eyes.

“This what you want, darling?” he asks, giving his dick a rough tug that warrants a delighted hiss. You nod—nearly sob—as you continue to watch Crocodile’s hand rub up and down the length of his lovely cock. You feel so empty—the desire to be filled in a way only he’s capable of taking precedence in your mind.

“Tell me,” Crocodile encourages as he shifts to the bed, his large frame casting you in shadows as he hovers over you. That smug smile still plays at his lips and only grows crueler as he grinds his hard length against your needy cunt.

“N-need you. Fuck—need you so—so bad. Baby please—”

The request sounds pathetic, even to your own ears, but it must be exactly what Crocodile wants to hear because he sinks into you the second the term of endearment passes your lips.

A deep grunt rips from his throat and tickles your ear pleasantly as Crocodile drags his fat cock deeper into you. You’re so warm and wet and snug, your velvety walls hugging him like this is where he belongs—where he should always be.

And he’ll admit, there’s no better place than here, between your legs. No better feeling in the whole fucking world—not even the sweet giddiness that builds inside of him each passing day as the fall of the Alabasta Kingdom draws closer. Having you writhing beneath him, breathless and lovely, is incomparable—a sensation he never tires of.

“Always take me so—mmm…well,” Crocodile rasps, transfixed on how your sloppy cunt swallows him over and over and over again. It makes him fuck you harder; drive even deeper. “This pussy was made for me. You were made for me.”

And he thinks perhaps it’s the most honest thing he’s ever said to you. Uncertainty still stirs within him—dread lingers in the corner of his mind, silent and waiting, because you complicate everything. You’re the only person who can placate the ravenous creature within him, feeding its insatiable appetite without it ever growing incurious. It wants everything you have to offer—can’t conceive of feeding from anyone who isn’t you. Not anymore.

Never.

Crocodile pushes your thighs close to your chest, drives his dick even deeper as he continues to pound into you. The sound of his powerful thrusts and your tortured moans is a beautiful symphony, lovelier than the melodic sounds of the stirring sand at dawn.

You have that lost, blissed-out look in your eyes as you blink up at him, words completely evading you as he uses you.

How could your foolish friend ever even dream of having you like this? Think he could possibly do to you what Crocodile has done?

Crocodile feels equally as hopeless as you—is incapable of thinking clearly because a confession he knows he should swallow pours from his lips without warning.

“I’ll fucking kill anyone who tries to take you from me,” he growls, digging the tip of his hook into the mattress, inches away from your head.

You should be…shocked. Unnerved by such a confession. Crocodile doesn’t pretend to be a saint, but he never mutters his murderous intent. He hides behind practiced indifference; let’s others paint a glorious picture of him, never revealing his true nature. You attempt to feign shock for a split second, but you can’t help the way your pussy clenches around him and goes mad at his declaration—some depraved, feral part of you stirring to life.

And the knowledge that a part of you likes this fucked up part of him must awaken something in him, because his thrusts grow brutal, his balls slap against your ass as he fucks you into the mattress like it’s the last time he’ll ever get the chance to. Crocodile hits deeper, the head of his throbbing dick brushing against that sweet, spongey spot inside of you, and you’re gone before you can even warn him.

You choke out something that sounds like it could be his name, tears trickling down your cheeks as you come so violently that your breath stutters. You shake through your orgasm, squirm beneath Crocodile while he fucks you through it—watching you come apart with wicked fascination and unbridled lust.

He loves how he wrecks you—how you hold onto him for dear life, as if he might slip away.

He’s ruined you, just like you’ve ruined him.

The thought alone is the final push he needs, make his dick throb violently as he explodes inside of you and fills you up the way he knows you crave—the way your perfect pussy deserves. The squelch of his seed mixing with your sweetness is enough to drive him mad. Makes him want to fuck another load into you.

Maybe in a bit, he considers as he rocks his hips sluggishly, riding out the sweet aftershock of his powerful orgasm.

You’re little more than a quivering mess under him. Your eyes are closed, your breathing is ragged…so so beautiful, and Crocodile doesn’t frighten at the tender feeling that blossoms in his chest—a sudden warmth that takes him by surprise yet seems to make all the sense in the world as he stares down at you, all while a pleasant thought crosses his twisted mind.

What’s the harm?

Why shouldn’t I revel in what’s mine?

divider credit @/cafekitsune

[my-religion-greek-myth]

Freedom far away - B

Yap, until my kink is satisfied, I'll keep writing these lol Who knows, once I'm satisfied, I'll stop writing suddenly. I'll prolly writing whole night tho..

Thanks all for liking this. Some of you probably noticed, that this story isn't set in America cuz this is all inspired by my own fanart (Korean Joseon Era), but I try to be subtle about any indications, so you can just imagine as some whre in western or other american town other than westview or salem.

Freeom far away - A

Fem Reader X Agatha X Rio

The first time you met Agatha and Rio, their presence lingered in your mind long after you exchanged names and hurried home. As you retreated, Rio's voice had called out, "See you later," her tone playful and lilting with a hint of laughter. You did not dare look back, but their gazes had felt almost tangible—slithering and coiling around you as if urging you to turn. It took every ounce of willpower to keep walking, to not succumb to the strange pull that seemed to emanate from them.

Days had passed since that encounter at the well, but their image haunted you. Whether you were studying, eating, or even engaging in conversation with your family, part of your mind was consumed by thoughts of the duo. You found yourself unconsciously touching your right hand, where Agatha's fingers had briefly brushed against yours. No other touch had ever left you feeling so electric, so unsettled. Their memory persisted like a faint melody you could not shake, and you found yourself debating—should you return to the well? Could you face them again? Would they even still be there?

With a deep sigh, you made up your mind. Opening the door to the courtyard, you noticed three servants diligently cleaning. One of them glanced up and immediately bowed when he saw you.

"Is there something you need, milady?" he asked nervously, his voice trembling as if he feared some unspoken reprimand.

You blinked, realising you had been unconsciously glaring in his direction, your mind preoccupied with Agatha and Rio. You opened your mouth to respond but thought better of it, shaking your head instead. You slipped on your shoes and made for the main entrance without another word.

"Where are you going?" came the familiar voice of your younger sister behind you.

You turned sharply, raising an eyebrow at her. Standing beside her was your younger brother, both looking at you with curious expressions.

"Did grandfather send you to keep an eye on me?" you asked, your tone sharper than you intended.

Your siblings and even the nearby servants visibly recoiled at the authoritative edge in your voice. It was a tone you seldom used, but it had a way of surfacing when you were particularly annoyed—or, in this case, deeply conflicted. And today, your irritation was palpable. The pull towards Agatha and Rio, the confusion they stirred in you, made you want to brush off any interaction with your family and rush to them.

Your sister quickly composed herself, though a frown etched on her face. "I was just asking. No need to snap," she muttered.

"We’re going to Jun’s house for archery practice. Want to come with us?" your younger brother interjected, clearly trying to ease the tension before it could escalate. He knew all too well how quickly tempers could flare between you and your sister.

"No, thank you," you replied curtly. "I have other matters to attend to."

"As if," your sister scoffed. You could almost picture her shaking her head in exasperation, arms crossed in that typical defiant stance of hers. But you did not care. Ignoring her remark, you stepped outside, your pace quickening as you made your way back to the well, determined to see if Agatha and Rio were still there.

---RAR---

The looming shadow of the mountain cast a dark veil over the well, making the place feel unusually eerie despite the daylight. You glanced around nervously, unsure why the familiar space suddenly made your body shiver. Your eyes caught the fluttering ribbons tied to the shaman's tree, their vibrant colours contrasting with the oppressive silence.

"Well, well, we have the pretty lady back here," came a lively voice.

Startled, you jumped and turned to see Rio, her warm brown eyes glinting with amusement as she chuckled softly. In her left hand, however, was a small dagger that gleamed faintly in the dim light. Beside her, Agatha stood poised, her fingers grazing her lips, a faint smile playing on her face as if she were appraising you.

"I told you we'd meet again, didn’t I?" Rio said, her steps deliberate and confident as she walked toward you.

Instinctively, you stepped back, but in your haste, your heel caught the edge of the well. Your breath hitched as you felt yourself teetering backward, the dark depths of the well below you. Before you could fall, a firm hand grabbed your arm. Rio, her grip strong yet gentle, pulled you back to safety.

The touch sent a jolt through you—an unfamiliar sensation that made time to slow. You had read about such moments in the romantic novels you had secretly consumed with your noble friends, moments you had laughed at for their absurdity. Yet here it was, and it was undeniably real. A sudden warmth spread across your face as you realised what had happened. Rio smirked, her gaze sharp yet teasing.

"Oh, don’t tell me you’re blushing, doll," Agatha said, her melodic laughter carrying a mischievous edge. She stepped closer, her ocean-blue eyes darkening briefly, like the sky before a storm. For a moment, you could not decide whether her eyes were a deep navy or an ethereal blue, but you knew they were the most captivating thing you had ever seen.

Before you could reply, Rio suddenly pulled you closer. Your face pressed against her chest—a distinctly feminine curve beneath the garments that suggested otherwise. Her warmth and the steady rhythm of her heartbeat enveloped you in a strange comfort. Without thinking, your arms circled her in an unconscious embrace.

Agatha pouted dramatically, crossing her arms as she watched. "Seems someone’s getting all the attention," she remarked, her tone playfully aggrieved.

"Don’t worry," Rio murmured above you, her voice teasingly soft as her breath tickled your hair. "I think the pretty lady has enough love for both of us."

The comment made you stiffen. You pushed against Rio’s chest, but she let you go with an easy laugh, nudging you backward—right into Agatha’s arms.

You gasped as you felt Agatha’s hands steady you, her grip firm yet gentle around your middle. Her scent—subtle and intoxicating—filled your senses as she leaned down, resting her chin lightly on your head.

"You smell nice, doll," Agatha murmured, her voice low and velvety, sending shivers down your spine.

Your heart raced your mind a whirl of confusion and resistance. You had come to the well seeking answers to the strange pull you felt toward them, but now they were toying with you, unravelling your composure as if it were child’s play.

"Why are you here, pretty lady?" Rio asked, stepping closer. Her long fingers lifted your chin effortlessly, forcing your gaze to meet hers.

You froze, unable to look away. Her darkened eyes were filled with a predatory intensity that made her presence feel overwhelming. Behind you, Agatha’s hands brushed through your hair, loosening it from its neat styling. The gentle motion was so intimate that it made your breath hitch again.

"Answer her, doll," Agatha’s voice purred in your ear, her warm breath caressing your skin.

You could not speak. The sensations overwhelmed you; Rio’s fingers tracing your face, Agatha’s hand trailing through your hair, the suffocating awareness of their proximity.

"How are we supposed to get to know you if you won’t answer?" Rio whispered, her face now so close to yours that her nose almost brushed against yours.

Agatha’s fingers tangled gently in your hair, her touch sending a new wave of shivers through your body. You were caught between them, their presence intoxicating and inescapable, as if the world had narrowed to just the three of you. You did not know whether to flee or surrender to the strange pull that bound you to them.

"I'm…" Your voice trembled. "I'm not scared of you two."

"That's not an answer," Agatha's voice carried a hint of a frown, but it softened quickly. "But I'm glad you're not scared of us." Her lips brushed lightly against your ear, sending a burning sensation through it.

"I can't stop thinking about you two," you finally admitted, gulping hard.

Rio pulled her face back, and, to your surprise, you felt a pang of disappointment.

"Why?" Rio asked, tilting her head, her eyes gleaming with mischief as they roamed over you. "We only told you our names."

"That's why I'm here," you said, frustration bubbling up. "I've never felt like this in my life!"

Agatha chuckled, her laugh light but somehow weighted with something you could not identify. She finally released you, and seizing the moment, you stepped back. Both of them watched you with amusement, their darkened eyes betraying some unreadable intent you could not comprehend.

"You’ve never been in love before?" Agatha asked, smiling that same captivating smile she had worn when you first met. It was hypnotic, alluring—utterly impossible to look away from.

Your eyes widened. Love? The very idea made your stomach twist. Love? With them? You had only just met them, and to feel this way for two people at the same time? It defied all logic and everything you had ever been taught.

You took another step back, and still, they did not stop you. Their smiles only grew wider.

Panic surged within you, and you turned, fleeing towards the safety of your home.

As you ran, Agatha’s melodic voice rang out behind you, the sound trailing you like a spell.

"See you later, doll!"

---RAR---

Your footsteps thundered against the path as you bolted away from the well. Your mind was a cacophony of emotions—confusion, embarrassment, and a simmering warmth you could not quite place. Love? How absurd, you thought, shaking your head. You had only just met them. And two people? At once? The very idea seemed preposterous, something out of fanciful tales told to wide-eyed children.

The cool air brushed your face, but it did little to cool the heat rising in your cheeks. You could not forget the way Agatha’s lips brushed your ear or Rio’s gaze seemed to peel back every layer of your being, leaving you bare and exposed.

As you reached the entrance of your household, you slowed to a halt, clutching your chest as you tried to steady your racing heart. What was it about them? Their presence was unlike anything you had ever encountered—intoxicating, overwhelming, and magnetic.

"Milady?" a servant called, stepping cautiously into the courtyard from the backyard. "Is everything alright?"

You startled slightly, realising how dishevelled you must have looked from running. Straightening your posture, you smoothed your dress and forced a neutral expression onto your face.

"Yes," you replied curtly, brushing past her and heading toward your chambers.

Once inside, you closed the door firmly and leaned against it. The silence of the room felt suffocating, yet your thoughts continued to churn. Despite your attempts to banish them from your mind, their faces—Agatha’s piercing, ocean-like eyes and Rio’s mischievous grin—kept invading your thoughts.

You slid down against the door, your knees drawing up to your chest. What are they doing to me? You could not shake the feeling that this was only the beginning.

[m4rv3l-girl]

Happy Birthday!

Bucky x Y/N

Y/N gets Bucky a gift he’ll never forget…

Requests Open!

Note - I saw this Fanart and just had to write something inspired by Alpine

Warnings: Copious amounts of fluff

The early morning light filtered through the large windows of the apartment, casting a warm glow over the hardwood floors. Bucky’s heavy boots made soft thuds as he padded toward the kitchen, his mind still fuzzy from sleep. Y/N was already there, leaning over the counter with a mischievous grin, stirring something that smelled sweet.

"Morning, birthday boy," she chimed, her voice carrying the teasing warmth that Bucky had come to cherish. She had a way of bringing light into the most ordinary moments.

Bucky smiled, a rare, soft grin that only seemed to surface around her. “Morning, Y/N.”

They had been roommates for a while now, and the friendship that bloomed between them was something Bucky hadn’t realized he needed. It was easy with Y/N—comfortable, almost like the heaviness he’d carried for decades was a little less when she was around.

She slid a cup of coffee toward him, and he accepted it with a small nod, grateful. "Any plans for today?" she asked, feigning innocence as she leaned back on the counter.

“Not really,” Bucky shrugged. “Birthdays haven’t really been my thing for a long time.” He said it casually, but Y/N saw the flicker of emotion in his eyes. She knew his past, the weight he carried. Most people didn’t understand what it meant to live in a world that had moved on without you, but Y/N had a way of seeing through him, past the super soldier exterior, to the man he was underneath.

“Well, I might have a little something for you,” she said, her voice light and teasing again. Bucky raised an eyebrow, intrigued. Y/N was always full of surprises, and despite himself, he couldn’t help but feel a little curious.

“I don’t need anything, Y/N—”

“Oh, hush,” she interrupted, laughing. “It’s not a big deal. Just… wait here, okay? I’ll be right back.”

Bucky watched as she disappeared down the hallway, his curiosity growing by the second. He took a sip of his coffee, savoring the warmth. What could she possibly have planned?

A few minutes later, she returned, holding a small white box in her hands. Bucky's brow furrowed as he set down his coffee, his blue eyes locked on the box.

“Go on, open it,” Y/N said, her excitement barely contained.

Bucky hesitated for a moment, glancing at her, but her wide smile was infectious. He untied the small ribbon and carefully lifted the lid. Inside, nestled on a soft blanket, was a tiny white kitten with piercing blue eyes. Around its neck, a small collar with a tag that read “Alpine.”

Bucky blinked, his breath catching in his throat. He stared at the kitten, his mind racing to catch up. “You… you got me a cat?” His voice was soft, almost disbelieving.

Y/N's smile softened as she watched the expression on his face. “Yeah,” she said quietly. “I thought you could use some company when I’m not around. Plus, I know you love cats. Her name is Alpine.”

Bucky’s eyes never left the kitten as he gently lifted her out of the box, cradling the tiny creature in his large hands. The kitten let out a soft meow, nuzzling against his palm. For a long moment, he didn’t speak, his heart swelling in a way that caught him completely off guard. No one had ever… no one since the 40s had done something like this for him. Something so thoughtful, so kind.

His throat tightened as emotions welled up inside him, ones he didn’t quite know how to handle. He swallowed hard, trying to keep it together, but Y/N noticed. She always noticed.

“Bucky,” she said softly, her voice full of concern. “Are you okay?”

He looked up at her, his eyes glistening with something unspoken. For a second, Bucky didn’t feel like the Winter Soldier, or the man with a broken past. He just felt like… Bucky. A man who was loved. A man who was cared for.

“I—” he started, but the words got stuck. Instead, he let out a shaky breath, looking back down at Alpine. She was so small, so delicate, trusting him completely as she curled up in his lap.

No one had ever given him anything so pure. He didn’t know how to respond, but Y/N was patient, watching him with a soft understanding that made him feel safe.

After a moment, Bucky gently set Alpine down on the couch beside him. Then, without thinking, he reached out and pulled Y/N into a hug, his arms wrapping around her tightly. She didn’t hesitate to hug him back, her warmth seeping into him, grounding him in the moment.

“Thank you,” he whispered, his voice hoarse.

Y/N’s hand gently rubbed his back. “You don’t have to thank me, Bucky. You deserve it.”

They stayed like that for a few moments longer, Bucky letting the weight of her words sink in. When they finally pulled back, there was a look in his eyes Y/N hadn’t seen before. A softness, a vulnerability that made her heart skip a beat.

Bucky glanced at Alpine, who was now lazily stretching out on the couch, before looking back at Y/N. “You… you really got me a cat,” he repeated, a small smile tugging at his lips.

Y/N laughed, her eyes twinkling. “Yeah. I mean, you always light up when you see strays, so I figured… why not give you one to keep?”

Bucky shook his head, still in awe of the gesture. “I don’t know what to say. She’s so small…”

“You don’t have to say anything,” Y/N replied softly. “Just be happy, Bucky. That’s all I want.”

He looked at her then, really looked at her, and for the first time in a long while, something inside him shifted. Maybe it was the kitten, or the quiet morning, or the fact that Y/N had given him something so thoughtful. But in that moment, Bucky felt something else bloom inside him—something warm and unexpected.

Before he could stop himself, he leaned in and pressed his lips to hers. It was soft, almost tentative, like he wasn’t sure if he should. His hands reaching around to lightly tangle in her hair. But the way Y/N responded, her hands gently resting on his chest, made him feel like it was the most natural thing in the world.

When they pulled back, Y/N blinked up at him, her cheeks flushed, her lips slightly parted in surprise.

“Bucky…?”

“I…God, I’m sorry,” he whispered, his forehead resting against hers. “I just… I couldn’t help it.”

Y/N’s eyes softened, a small smile playing on her lips. “Don’t be sorry.”

Bucky let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding, and a quiet laugh escaped him. “Well, happy birthday to me, I guess.”

Y/N laughed, her hand coming up to gently cup his cheek. “Happy birthday, Bucky.”

Alpine let out a small meow, interrupting the moment, and they both turned to look at the tiny kitten now curled up on the couch, completely oblivious to the world around her.

Bucky grinned, the warmth in his chest spreading. For the first time in a long time, he felt like he wasn’t alone.

He had Alpine. He had Y/N.

And maybe, he had found a little piece of happiness after all.

[autumnmobile12]

The Sekoto Peak Tournament

It’s kinda funny how My Hero Academia is pretty much told through the lens of Midoriya’s perspective to the point where all other professions that have a fan following:  athletes, actors, singers, etc. just go completely by the wayside.  Just once, it would have been great to have Kirishima or someone mention a household name and Midoriya’s all, “…..?”

“Y’know, [insert name here?]  Legendary boxing champion?”

My point is, other professions outside of hero still exist and are probably just as popular as they’ve always been, so here’s the ‘Young Rei used to snowboard competitively’ headcanon.  This started as a piece I did for Inktober with a, ‘Rei’s a refridgerated character.  Don’t love that,’ attitude.   Because aside from finally making an attempt to fight for her family (a little late, sure, but I’m not here to do a character analysis right now,) Rei doesn’t have much characterization beyond being the victimized mother in Shouto’s story.

So two things to consider:

1.) Snowboarding is a high-intensity activity.  High intensity activities are known to reduce stress, anxiety and depression.  So Rei having this career before marriage (and possibly a little after) would have had a very positive impact on her mental health.  But after having four children, something this intense would be difficult to restart and being in her late twenties when Natsuo and Shouto were born, her professional career would have been effectively over.  Being cut off from snowboarding and its mental health benefits would have definitely contributed to her downward spiral in a more significant way than if she had never done it.  In its own way, this is also a reflection of Touya having all his energy and ambition and nowhere to put it, contributing to his own mental break.

2.) In both my Inktober post and this piece, Rei won gold and she’s wearing a different jacket, showing these were separate competitions.  Winning gold wasn’t a one-off moment; she was relatively successful and that may have served as some unspoken tension/resentment between her and Endeavor if she was one of the top competitors in her profession while her husband never made it past second place until over two decades into his.

I like the idea of this background for her.  I want to explore it further possibly as a one-shot, but I have a lot of ongoing projects right now (plus I’d need to do a little more research on how professional snowboarding competitions work,) so it’s a little up in the air whether or not an actual fic will happen.  For now, I hope you enjoy the artwork.

…

I also referenced Touya’s freaky smile for these, albeit not quite as intense.  He got that from someone, and my money is on Mom.  Mostly because I am entertained by the idea of a much younger Rei rocketing down a mountainside and terrifying other snowboarders with the same ecstatic, unhinged smile her son has.  And that footage probably exists online somewhere, someone in Class 1A is going to find it, and be all,  “Uh, Todoroki, I think I found a video of your mom.”

…

And just in case anyone asks:  Yes, that is Korra in the back.  I like to sneak crossover cameos into both my fanart and fanfics, and when thinking of characters, I remembered a behind the scenes LOK fact that Korra’s character design was partially inspired by female snowboarders.

The third snowboarder is also a cameo from a more obscure, nostalgia cartoon:  Suzy Lu from Storm Hawks.

[rainee-da]

Hey I like your wroting, pls keep up the good work 🙌🏻 i was wondering why u use emoji for character sometimes tho

Heyy anon thank you so much! I'm glad you like the fics that I made 🍀

I'm not really sure about what you mean by that, but if you're talking about the emoji I put after each character's name, it is indeed intentional and there are interesting reason for it! (at least I think it's interesting lol)

It's gonna be unnecessarily long so read down below if you happen to be interested with this one! (for some reasons)

I'm used to indulge to my fantasy via X (Twitter) a lot, especially since there are many Character X Reader fanarts created by JP's artists being posted on twitter. But in japanese fandom's twitter culture, there are many unspoken rules as to how to tag/title your work for the sake of decluttering/censoring/gatekeeping (idk how to best phrase that lol) and it is especially important to learn it if you want your work to reach to their demographics as well.

As for emojis, many people often used the unofficial fandom's designated emojis to tag their work/tweet/ instead of typing the actual name of the character, this is so they'll not clutter the hastag itself with their artworks/fic. Especially since sometimes there are character with similar names to one character in another fandom / the character's name itself is similar with a certain slang/noun/place.

The best example for this is Epidem from Mashle, since if you put the katakana of his name on twitter search engine you will be directed to a news/threads/tweets that is talking about 'epidemic'. It will be troublesome if someone who doesn't know anything about Mashle ended up finding random fanart about Epidem when they tried to find news related to 'epidemic', right? that's why tagging it with the designated emoji/term for that character will be more preferrable in this case.

If you want to know the designated emoji for each character in Mashle, here are the list of some that I've known;

ADLER DORM

Mash Burnedead = 🍄

Finn Ames = 🐬

Lance Crown = 🪐

Dott Barret = 💥

Lemon Irvine = 🍋

Rayne Ames = ☔

Max Land = 🎈

LANG DORM

Abel Walker = 🪆/🧸

Abyss Razor = 🎭

Wirth Madl = 🕶️

Love Cute = 💗

Milo Genius = 🎓

Olore Andrew = 🦈

Anser Shinri = ⚙️

ORCA DORM

Margarette Macaron = 🎼

Carpaccio Luo-Yang = 🍥

Tron Morceau = 🎺

Cello Morceau = 🎻

DIVINE VISIONARY

Ryoh Grantz = ✨

Orter Madl = ⏳

Kaldo Gehenna = 🍯

Renatus Revol = ✝️

Agito Tyrone = 🐉

Sophina Biblia = 📕

Tsurara Halestone = ❄️

WALKIS ACADEMY

Domina Blowelive = 💧/🌊

Levis Rosequartz = 🧲

Lovie Rosequartz = ⚡

Charles Contini = 📞

Galuf Gargaron = 👅

Kenny Clark = 🧊

Malcolm Curtis = 🪲

MAGOL CASTLE

Innocent Zero = ⏰/🕰️

Cell War = 💎

Doom = 🪞/🥞

Famin = 🤡/🎪/🃏

Epidem = 🍮

Delisaster = 🍾

That is the reason I put certain emoji for certain character. It's just because I often do that when I talk to other ppl about Mashle & I thought it would be nice to apply that to my writing!

There are (obviously) many others that I didn't write here because I didn't know, and I can't say for certain that what I describe up below is the correct explanation for this. For that reason, feel free to leave comments if you wish to add more/correct my post!

Well, that is all. Thank you for reading all of that mumbo-jumbo I just wrote up there 🍀 sorry if it's messy.... i know it is....

[puffywiz]

I'm about 100 pages from finishing The Unspoken Name and I just love it. I've enjoyed every bit of it so far, every chapter has something interesting going on and there's no dead air. This is the first book I've read since tlt thats given me that spark! I highly recommend it to tlt fans honestly. It's a totally different type of story but the layers of complexity, unique worldbuilding and inherent queerness create a similar vibe. I'm totally gonna draw fanart when I get some time 😈

[tsunflowers]

I don't want to be too down on vtubers bc I don't even watch em much but I feel like one of the unspoken social rules of fandom for a long time has been "don't show fanwork to actors and creators if it's erotic or centered around non-canon ships." like we all kind of understand that if you bring up slash fic to an actor or try to get them to sign your destiel fanart print you are crossing a social boundary. but I feel like I see vtubers sharing erotic art of their characters all the time on twitter or streams. there's definitely a degree of separation since your irl name and face aren't involved and it's just an anime character you play but still. you play that character a lot and the boundaries between your irl life and your stream life must blur. I worry for big name vtubers bc I feel like the fandom environment around them is not healthy

[mushroom-for-art]

OH MY GODDDD!!!! LOOK AT THEMSSS!!!! I- 💕💕💕

I AM LYING DOWN BUT I NEED TO LIE DOWN SQUARED AH

Oh my god you made Rosy so cute what the heck!!

They are two fluffy trouble makers!! I hc Rosy has rather thick fur (is this an excuse for why I keep forgetting her scars lmao yes) so lmao so they're both so fluffy so dense with floof

Rosy 🤝 Maple: patterns

Confession I actually almost gave her colored feetsies too partly because her legs felt nakey but also cause I think subconsciously I remembered urs having colored toes but decided against cause Rosy my beloved is already over designed as is XD but they did almost match but they still both have gloves

I am just *gently holds art* crying sobbing they're so cute togetherrrrr

Honestly ngl have been thinking about thems working out Rosys personality how she's interact with Maple ect so urg soft they're friends flying together I just *slumped over crying emoji*

Thank you for the wonderful fanart I'm I keep scrolling up to look and witness and beholds them

Hey @cinnatwo! You would not guess how fast I ran to redesign Rosy to show you lmao, so here is redesigned girl! (I wasn't able to be on WiFi so wasn't able to compare against yours so any similarities other than color are purely coincidental!)

[rwstainedenginery]

ITERATOR ASK BLOG

Hi! Welcome to Rain World: Stained Enginery, an ask blog dedicated to telling the lore of Group Theta and its surroundings in an interactive way.

The blog is ran by @ketrapilled, its characters developed with @catlethefox and includes lore help from @outspade.

Below you'll find tags we use, iterator references and more cool stuff.

BEFORE YOU ASK

Please remember to include the name of the character you're asking a question!

No NSFW please.

If you have multiple questions, separate them into multiple asks!

No special events or items. You can give them things that will not be of lore significance (for example a waffle or a pen idk)

ITERATOR REFERENCES

No Words Left Unspoken - they/she pronouns, designed by @ketrapilled

Two Feathers, Endless Bloom - all pronouns/she, designed by @catlethefox

TAG GUIDE

#RW Stained Enginery - general blog tag

#lore post - posts that explain more about the lore

#ask answer - posts that answer questions

#ooc - admin posts

#fanart reblog - posts that reblog fanart (if there is any!)

#admin art reblog - posts that reblog art drawn by admins

#non canon - asks or shitposts that are not lore accurate

#[iterator name] - post includes this iterator

[layaart]

Sorry/not sorry for spam reblogging (to my angrycryptic account) but you have the most amazing taste in sapphic books!!! And your art for the characters is so perfect. I'm making a list of books I didn't recognize from your fanart tag bc I need to read them all ASAP.

Do you have a top ten list?

Hi, thank you!!! idk why I never got a notification for this but I just happened to find it in my ask box now, lmao, sorry

tbh if you want me to make a top 10 book list of anything you need to be a little more specific than that because i don't think i can narrow down 500+ sapphic books into a top 10 LMAO. also if you want book recs my book blog is @aroaessidhe!!!

but heres a random list of the first 10 good sapphic books that came to mind:

the space between worlds by micaiah johnson

sorrowland by rivers solomon

girl serpent thorn by melissa bashardoust

the unspoken name by ak larkwood

the misadventures of an amateaur naturalist

the scapegracersb y h a clarke

a half-built garden by ruthanna emrys

extasia by clare legrand

the outside by ada hoffmann

this is how you lose the time war by amal el-mohtar and max gladstone

[viterbofangirl]

I posted 3,877 times in 2022

11 posts created (0%)

3,866 posts reblogged (100%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@cat-a-holic

@canardbabillard

@featherfur

@squirrelasinthewoodlandanimal

@fallynleaf

I tagged 3,870 of my posts in 2022

#fanart - 278 posts

#star wars - 165 posts

#heaven's official blessing - 157 posts

#tgcf - 157 posts

#the daily adventures of viterbofangirl - 131 posts

#*undignified giggle-snort* - 130 posts

#dracula daily - 128 posts

#this blue hellsite - 126 posts

#just for fun - 122 posts

#somedays i love this website - 95 posts

Longest Tag: 140 characters

#every scene with renner and johannson together is played as a huge unspoken 'fuck you' to brucenat and the farm family and bless them for it

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Hey I don't have links myself but re: that post about DuckDuckGo: I've seen a different version of the post with links to the CEO's Twitter where he refuted that (and explained why independent outlets fall lower in results) and I don't think it's true. There are a few reblogs in the notes with links. Also many of the alternatives in that list are Google or Bing clones posing as "independent" search engines to lure in people who are cautious about the big names.

Thank you so much for this info! TBH it's a relief because I've been quite happy with DDG, and I will now be on the watch for poser search engines!

4 notes - Posted June 19, 2022

#4

Tag game!

Thanks to the ever-lovely @akamarykate​ for tagging me! <3 

Rules: Tag nine people you want to know better.

Three ships: Most recently, Jiang Cheng/Wen Qing from The Untamed, but I gotta go with Luke Skywalker/Mara Jade from the Star Wars EU, and Gary Hobson/Toni Brigatti for the longest-lasting ships!

First ever ship: See the above two! They were going on around the same time. L/M probably predates G/T by a year or two, but G/T was more viciously shipped (at first).

Last song: “Queen” by Loren Gray

Last film: Film? Ah geez. I honestly don’t know. I’m going to cheat a little and say “Frozen II” not because I recently watched it, but I’ve had a strong hankering for it so it’s got a 99% chance of being the next movie I watch!

Currently reading: I’m technically in the middle of “Because Internet” by Gretchen McCulloch, but tbh I’ve been reading a metric shitton of MDZS fanfic on my Kindle.

Currently watching: I’m taking a very brief hiatus from The Untamed and just finished up rewatching BBC’s The Musketeers, a.k.a. Man Candy the Series.

Currently consuming: Alyssa’s Healthy Chocobites

Currently craving: Reaching That Point In My Life Where I Regain A Smidgen Of Energy. And also the inspiration to continue some WIP fics!

Tagging: @themoonstarwarrior, @cat-a-holic, @fallynleaf, @threadsketchier, @squirrelasinthewoodlandanimal, @pityen81, @shaelit, @lucife56, @ancientstone but seriously no pressure on the above and loads of encouragement to participate to anyone else! To anyone who wants to play, please just tag me so I can see your answers! <3

5 notes - Posted February 24, 2022

#3

(x)

5 notes - Posted January 3, 2022

#2

Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Let’s spread the self-love! 💖

My sideblog was tagged by @ancientstone and so I decided to post there AND on my regular blog!

Okay, so, I've been writing and not completing fandom stuff since I was at LEAST 16 which means over twenty years now, but I looked through my folder and I *think* these are my faves in no particular order:

1) Sinbad and the Garden of the Hesperides: a Proteus-heavy sequel to Dreamworks' animated "Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas" because Proteus deserves ALL THE LOVE dammit! >:[  (currently over 41k words and unposted but stay tuned because I know the first 4-5 chapters are done at least...)

2) The Sense of Her: a FMA Royai one-shot taking place over multiple points in the series, each scene focused on one of the five senses (currently on AO3)

3) Gunslinger: written in a different narrative style than my usual (Old-West stylized omniscient present vs alternating third-person POV) it's a retelling of Roger Corman's (yes, I know) movie "Gunslinger" starring Beverly Garland that is one of my favorite MST3Ks (yes, I know) but still has really good bones to the story (unposted and honestly barely started but still has some damned good lines if I do say so myself)

4) No Miracle for the Likes of Us/Rebirth/Codename:Teen Idol 'Dite: *CHEATER ALERT!* These are _three_ Venus/Kunzite-centric Sailor Moon fics, but are set in the same no-Stars-AU, with the first detailing the fall of Silver Millennium, the second beginning with the Shitennou being revived immediately after the manga's SuperS arc, and the third being a plot line so heavily intertwined with Rebirth that I haven't decided whether or not to make them one big fic featuring Codename as specified interludes o_O;;; (overall size: *drops face into hands* it... it just keeps GROWING... *sobs*)

5) She-Ra: Princess of Power: a massive retelling of the original She-Ra series as a continuation of the Mike Young 200X animated He-Man and the Masters of the Universe series, with each chapter an "episode" (currently a highly disjointed >57k monster, but the first two "episodes” are on AO3)

Tagging @akamarykate @fallynleaf @rhysiana @threadsketchier @adriannasharp and anyone else who wants to participate! Tag me if you reply so that I might properly appreciate your efforts and genius! <3

7 notes - Posted April 3, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Offered Up

Abel you placed the stone in my hands Told me that God prefers innocent lambs Strike hard strike true my own my brother Then He’ll prefer you favored over another

Offer me up

Don’t worry don’t worry my own my brother I’m happy I’m happy my own my brother Release me release me my own my brother

Offer me up

The stone sat heavy and thick in my hands The blood ran heavy and slick on my hands This murder it seemed like a trick on my hands

Who is the victim? Who was the victim?

(inspired by @zelkam’s gifset)

22 notes - Posted March 29, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[sparkcolony-clangen]

⚡️Welcome to Spark Colony!⚡️

Hey, You’ve found your way to Spark Colony! This blog will follow the lives and events of the cats within this Colony, from the founders on day 1, to…. Well, wherever we end up I guess. We’ll see what the cats get up to.

Content warnings

This blog will contain blood, sickness, death (even of kittens if the rng decides), disabilities (possibly), cats fighting, abuse, etc. (depictions will be mostly non-graphic)

This is a general warning for the whole blog, and these things may or may not actually appear. I will tag pages with heavy amounts of these or other triggers with trigger warnings, but this is your main warning for these things.

Want to start reading the adventures from Moon 0? Start here.

After 3 moons of travel, 8 cats have come together during their own times of struggle in their travels. Our small group of cats now find themselves within a beautiful forest, where they can rest their paws within the alcove they find. They choose to make camp here, to begin their lives fresh amongst the trees, as their guide from SilverPelt blesses the unspoken leader of this small group, ZinniaStar, putting trust in him to protect the cats and home they will build. But, of course, beginning a clan, or colony as they prefer to call their group, from such small numbers takes time. Will this group of cats manage to find a balance together to survive?

Want to ask any of the cats a question (or myself)? The ask box is open, and asks are always encouraged. All cats that show up on a page will be open for questions (even those in SilverPelt). I’m happy to answer basically anything, including any questions about the characters, art, process or gameplay, so ask away! I’ll answer them all as I get the chance.

Any fanart/writings or anything else you make about the clan are also welcome, and highly encouraged if you want to do it! I absolutely love to see others works, so please tag me in them if you do. I will love to see them!

Tags

#SparkMoon - moon updates

#SparkMoon (number) - specific moon updates (can be used to find a certain moon)

#SparkAsks - ask responses

#about - info posts

#SparkArt - any art of the clan (that I’ve drawn)

#SparkFan - for fanart and/or any fan writings about the clan

You can use the name of any cat as a tag to find posts with that cat in them

________________________________________________________________________________________________

Well, hi there! I’m Lucky (prefer they/them pronouns, but any is fine), and welcome to my ClanGen blog! I’ve seen a lot of others around here, taking particular interest in ones like @splinterclan, @littlebloomclan and @redwoodcolony (which is where I’m getting a little inspiration from for this, since they are incredible!), so I decided I’d do my own. (I’ve been wanting to have a clan/colony I can make more lore around anyways). I love to draw and make up stories, so here is me doing both. Not sure how active I’ll be or how long I’ll keep this up for, but I’ll try my best so I hope you enjoy it! Though, I won’t promise there being any big story or anything, we’ll just see what the cats do, and if/when something crazy and interesting happens, we’ll roll with it. I will be trying to draw at least something for each update.

I’m a huge warriors cats fan, have been for a long time, and this blog is just a bit of fun I’m choosing to do, so it may not be great or consistent in updates, but I’ll do it when I feel like it and I hope it’s a bit of fun for you too! My main blog is @luckyvulpine incase you wanna check it out, though I’m not all that active on there I do plan to post occasionally with things not related to Spark Colony. Any and all Spark Colony related stuff will be kept to this blog.

Also, shout out to the ClanGen devs, @officialclangen, for making such a fun game. I love messing around with my clans on it and I can’t wait to see what kind of chaos and/or drama occurs for Spark Colony.

[helenaheissner]

Magical Girl Exorcist Squad (Issue #11: Dragons on the Winds of Morning)

Thursday night inched ever-closer to Friday morning as the girls soared through the sky. The wind wrapped around Debbi’s lithe form, the thin layer of magic over her skin staving off incoming bugs and birds and dulling the chill of the night air. The shoreline was a few miles to the east, while below them, Boston sprawled north and south and west, city lights reaching up into the sky and blotting out the stars above. The darkness was cut through by a crescent moon, as if the heavens themselves were winking at the girls while they scoured the town in search of a lead. They’d patrolled Monday night, Tuesday night, Wednesday night, and found exactly nothing. Granted, they weren’t entirely sure what they were looking for, but subtlety wasn’t exactly something they were used to from their enemies. 

Heather flew directly to the right of her, green mini-dress fluttering around the pinnacle of her toned thighs. Debbi shook her head- she could be horny later, right now they were working. Living with Heather the past few days had certainly put some things into perspective- namely that Debbi was definitely crushing on her best friend, and that Heather quite sincerely was not aware of that fact. If anything, conversations they’d had indicated Heather assumed Debbi was straighter than a one hundred and eighty degree angle. Debbi understood how her friend had gotten that impression- there were literally posters of shirtless male rappers all over her dorm room wall along with commissioned fanart of Atom Smasher lifting comically oversized weights while shirtless and gigantic- not to mention the fact that she’d literally never dated a girl before and thus didn’t have the same back-catalog of ex-girlfriend stories Heather did. But it still sucked. Maybe there was a way to indicate it- casually mentioning finding a girl she found attractive just to put the idea that she was bisexual out there for Heather to take as she wanted. 

“Penny for your thoughts?” came the voice to the right of her, the wind warping it and stretching out syllables and punctuations, lengthening the tone. 

Debbi scanned the skies for a girl to comment on the hotness of. Nicole was ahead of them, her long, tan legs wrapped awkwardly around her broomstick as she matched pace with Cass at the head of the pack. They were easily the two fastest fliers, and had been having unspoken races most of the week. Nicole wasn’t really Debbi’s type when it came to the fairer sex, but she was the only girl in eyeshot who wasn’t Debbi’s sister. “Nicole has gotten wicked hot,” Debbi intoned, raising an eyebrow and nodding appreciatively. 

Silence, but for the drilling of the wind as they flew through it.

“Really, no comments whatso- oh my God, Amy!” Debbi said, finally tilting her head to notice her big sister had taken Heather’s place next to her. And that her sister’s jaw was dropped and her face was red and her eyes were bulging wide. “Um… You didn’t hear that?” Debbi said. 

“No, no I definitely did,” Amy said, still stunned. “I, uh, didn’t know you felt that way about her.”

“I don’t!” Debbi said hurriedly. 

“Oh thank God,” Amy put a hand on her chest, breathing in a sharp sigh of relief. “Oh thank fucking God.”

Debbi cocked her head to the side. “Um… What?”

“What?!” Amy said. 

“You seem very happy to hear that,” Debbi said, squinting. No. No, it couldn’t be. There was no way. It would make no sense. It would be terrible for both of them. And besides, Amy was straight… 

… Which is exactly what Heather thinks about me, and that’s not exactly true. 

“I don’t want to talk about this,” Amy said. 

“Well too late, we already are,” Debbi said, slowing her broomstick. Amy matched her speed, and they gradually drifted to the caboose of their flock. Heather flew in the middle; ahead of her was Nicole and Cass, careening the skies like pink and red comets. 

“Fine,” Amy said, “But you have to go first. Fair is fair.”

“Ugh. I hate you.”

“No you don’t,” Amy rolled her eyes. 

“No, I don’t,” Debbi admitted. “But you can’t tell anyone this.” 

“I won’t,” Amy said.

“I mean it, Amanda,” Debbi said, hoping the full-name usage would indicate the necessity of that promise. 

“I understand, Deborah,” Amy said, rolling her eyes again. God, does she always have to… No, no that’s not important right now. What’s important is telling the truth.

“I have feelings for Heather,” Debbi said, the words escaping her lips and taking flight alongside her.

“Yeah, I know,” Amy said. 

“You’re not even going to bat an eyelash?” Debbi said. 

“I mean I’ve asked you point blank before if that was the case, and you said ‘no’, so I let it slide. But to be perfectly frank, I didn’t entirely believe you.”

“Are you going to rub it in now?” Debbi glowered. 

“No,” Amy said. “But I will point out that back in high school, you spent a lot of practice time leering at the other cheerleaders.”

“Oh God you noticed that?!” Debbi said, a lump forming in her throat.

“Yeah, sis, I did. Especially that time Alanna Matthews helped you practice your tumbling-”

“Please, STAHP!” Debbi groaned. 

“Fair enough. Lemme guess what’s happening here, then: you were putting out feelers, trying to let Heather know you might be into her by first cluing her into the fact that you secretly go both ways?”

“I mean, it’s clearly not a secret,” Debbi grimaced. 

“It is to her. Now, I’m going to put forth a hypothesis, though: if you start telling Heather how breathtakingly sexy Nicole is, Heather is just going to think you’re into Nicole. And knowing what a horndog she is, her reaction would probably be something like, ‘hey, I don’t blame ya’, I’d like to put those buns on the grill.’”

“That… That makes sense,” Debbi said, head drooped as she fixated on the city passing by below her broom, strands of natural hair tumbling out of her pointy hat and whipping about in front of her eyes. “Thanks, sis.”

“No problem, sis,” Amy beamed. 

“I find your word choice regarding Nicole interesting, however,” Debbi said, her face morphing into a shit-eating grin. “Breathtakingly sexy’, huh?”

Amy groaned louder than the wind tunnel around them. “I don’t suppose you’ll accept that I don’t remember saying that?”

“No, no I won’t.”

“Oh, come on-”

“Don’t you ‘oh come on’ me. I told you about my weird quasi-closeted sapphic problems, you have to tell me about yours.”

“Ugghhhhhhhh-”

“Amy, seriously. I’m not asking you to do anything but answer me honestly, the same as I did for you: how do you feel about her?”

Amy was silent a moment before finally saying, “Nicole and I are just friends and roommates-”

“As are Heather and I,” Debbi said. 

“You didn’t let me finish. Nicole and I are friends by some miracle, even though I was a complete bitch to her at first. That’s all. Besides, I have a boyfriend.”

“That’s besides the point,” Debbi said. 

“How? How is that besides the point? I’m taken, and Nicole and I are-”

“Because first of all, Aidan is a jackass. And an idiot. And he’s at least as transphobic presently as you were two weeks ago, if not more-”

“And?” 

“And you’re my sister so I’m generally inclined to say you deserve better than that. And second of all, that’s not what I’m asking. How do you feel about Nicole?”

“... I don’t like girls,” Amy said, breaking off eye contact and staring directly ahead. At Nicole and her shapely legs, no less.  

“Again, not what I’m asking,” Debbi said. 

“Nicole is a girl,” Amy said firmly. “And I have accepted that SHE is a GIRL. I was wrong and you all were right and trans people are valid. But that means I can’t like her like that, because I don’t like girls.”

Debbi thought to herself, Should I mention that I saw her checking out the other cheerleaders during practice a few times too?

And then an explosion shook the sky over the harbor. 

“Oh thank God,” Amy said. 

Debbi shot her a dirty look. 

Amy winced. “Sorry.”

“Let’s just get to work- we can talk about this more later.”

“Okay.”

Off they flew into battle at the shoreline of Boston Harbor, where a dragon awaited them. An actual, honest to God, motherfucking dragon. Its scales were white as moonlight, its eyes angry crimson pools of solid light, its fangs razor-sharp and multi-rowed, its neck that of a brachiosaur. It was the size of a two-story house, with a wingspan that cast shadows across the harbor and a tail that broke against the waves and sunk boats. It was quadrupedal, with long black claws punctuating the end of each digit. It opened its mouth and roared, releasing a jet of fire into the air that scattered their party of five before fading away into the sky and leaving behind a thick layer of smoke.

Debbi and her sister caught up to the others as they hovered in the air a hundred feet above the dragon.

“We need a plan,” Nicole said. “We can’t just charge into this one like we normally do.”

“Agreed,” Heather said. “So what’s the plan?”

Nicole. “Uh…”

“Nicole, did you say we need a plan without actually having a plan?” Heather said.

“... Yes,” Nicole said sheepishly. “But that doesn’t mean I’m wrong- that’s a gosh darned dragon down there. I don’t know if an exorcism punch will work on that thing. Have you guys dealt with dragons before?”

“It’s a new one as far as I’m concerned,” Cass said. “Though my visions did give some indication of these things existing. Guess we finally found a lead.”

“Anything salient in your visions that can help us deal with this thing?” Heather asked. 

“No, just that there are apparently supposed to be Dragonslayers who deal with these things.”

“Well I don’t see any Dragonslayers around here- looks like we’ll have to pinch-hit.”

“So it seems,” Cass said. “But I’m not great at coming up with plans either.”

Debbi sighed. Time to go back to a mental place she wasn’t very fond of, a corner of her mind where the walls were covered in spikes. “We need to keep this thing away from the city. That’s the important part here. I don’t see any gills, so it’s probably an air-breather. Best way to play this is by tripping it up and drowning it. Cass, get underneath the thing and get it as far off the ground as possible. Nicole, cover Cass- this will probably be a serious strain on her, so she’s gonna need healing as she goes. Heather, stand at the ready- I’m gonna give you a signal, and when I do, aim full-throttle for the dragon’s chest and punch it as hard as you possibly can.”

The others all looked at Debbi incredulously. Amy, however, gave a smile that revealed a hint of pride. “What about me?” her big sister asked. 

“Remember the homecoming game my sophomore year?” Debbi grinned. 

Amy’s eyes lit up like an expanse of stars. “Hell yes.”

“How’s your front hurdler?” Debbi asked. 

“Little rusty, but I think I can manage.”

“Then let’s do this- GO TEAM!” 

“Right!” the other three said, still stunned but ready for action nonetheless. 

They all flew into their respective positions and got to work. 

***

Winona sat under a fuzzy brown blanket atop her loveseat, clad in her light blue floral pajamas, sipping a piping cup of hard hot cocoa and reading her Squirrel Girl trade paperback, flanked on both sides by her black-furred hellhounds the size of motorcycles. Her living room was carpeted crimson, with white wallpaper and a flat screen television on the wall and an old wooden coffee table in the center. To her left was the bathroom, out of which Aidan wandered clad in only a towel. His hair was wet, and he was scrolling his phone with his free hand. “Whatcha lookin’ at, handsome?” Winona asked. 

“News headline,” the cambion said. “At Boston Harbor- here there be dragons.”

Winona put down her comic and her drink, but made sure not to stir her sleeping hellhounds. “Wait, for serious? Literal dragons?”

“A dragon, singular,” Aidan said. “Those haven’t shown up on earth in a long time, yeah?”

“Not since before the Flood,” Winona said. “We’ll have to capitalize on this.”

“How?” Aidan asked, sitting next to her on the couch. 

“There’s plenty of shipwrecks around these parts, still underwater, yeah?”

Aidan’s eyebrows shot up with recognition. He gave her a peck on the lips- what a sweet boy. “Baby, I love the way you think.”

“Mmmm, I do too. Let’s set one of our reserves loose, see if we can wreak some unchecked havoc. I’m thinking Lester.”

“Ooh, good choice. Lester’s great at unchecked havoc.”

“Amen to that,” Winona said, her eyes humming with blue light. “Plenty of dead bodies, plenty of Soul Energy to harvest. If we’re really lucky, one of the girls will bite it and we’ll be able to speed things along.”

“I hope it’s Amy,” Aidan said. “God, that bitch is annoying. I don’t know how much longer I can maintain this ‘clueless idiot boyfriend’ routine when she just whines and puts her foot in her mouth every waking minute. I mean seriously, I’m gonna die of terminal cringe if I have to keep this up for more than another week or two.”

“I know, I know,” Winona said, giving her lover a comforting pat on the shoulder. “As I’ve said before though, the plan will work better if Cass and Amy are alive. At least for the time being. The others, though… They’re expendable.”

“Fair enough. Just please tell me I won’t have to keep this act up too much longer.”

“Oh, don’t you worry, baby,” Winona said, kissing her way up Aidan’s neck. “That stupid slut will get what’s coming to her real soon.”

***

When Cass and Nicole were beneath the belly of the beast, and Heather was lined up like a missile preparing to launch, Debbi and Amy flew in close. 

The beast was a raging inferno of scales and fire, starlight shimmering off of it. It snapped its jaws at them, and Debbi responded by unleashing the full force of her powers. 

When she’d first become a Magical Girl, Debbi had thought to herself, I can shoot beams of light? Seriously? Just regular light? Not even hard light- I can’t even be Green Lantern, I have to be freaking Sun Boy from Legion of Superheroes?! However, two years worth of experience had taught her that weaponized high beams had more applicability than she’d initially thought.

Purple light surged through her chest, and turned golden in her hands. Spotlights ruptured from both her hands, beams of blinding radiance launched directly into the dragon’s face. It hissed, roared, snarled, swung about with his claws. When the light faded, its eyes were fogged over, thoroughly fried. 

“Nice!” Amy said. 

“I know!” Debbi smirked. “Now cover its face in shadows- I don’t know if that thing has any sort of healing factor, but it seems like something that does. We need to keep this dragon blind if we want to maintain advantage.”

“Okay! See, this is why you should’ve been cheer captain-”

“Amy, focus!” Debbi snapped. They were NOT have that conversation again, especially not now of all times. 

“Right!”

Amy had never commented on how she felt about her own shadow-weaving powers. On some level it was fitting that they’d come in a set with Debbi’s, but for a whole year there, there’d been no way for her to know that. However, that didn’t diminish the fact that her big sister was very, very good at working with what she had. 

A cabinet of shadows closed shut around the dragon’s head, locking it into a bubble of darkness. It was an impenetrable cocoon of pure midnight, through which absolutely nothing was visible. Amy grinned maniacally, and a familiar rush of adrenaline pumped through Debbi as well. They flew ever closer to the convulsing beast, and readied themselves for a bumpy landing. 

***

Nicole floated behind Cass as they approached the massive silver tree trunk that was the dragon’s leg. A dragon. She couldn’t believe it- an honest to goodness dragon! This was insane! This was incredible! This was-

The dragon kicked, and Cass and Nicole dodged, but the house behind them was not so lucky. It was smashed to pieces, and the cries of injured civilians littered the night air. 

Bad. This is very, very bad. People are getting hurt and you need to take this seriously, young lady! Nicole chastised herself. 

She and Cass plunged deeper into the shadow underneath the dragon. It blotted out the sky, a rough and jagged dome over a coastal block. Cass placed herself directly in the center, and she held up her hands. “You ready?” she asked.

“Probably not,” Nicole admitted as shame and anxiety speared her chest. “Are you?”

“Nope,” Cass said. She exhaled.

She screamed. And screamed and screamed and screamed, and the dragon did not budge an inch from the ground.

That was when Nicole heard a crack, heard Cass’ screams mutate from ones of defiance to howls of agony. Her elbows buckled and her arms fell to her sides. 

Nicole flew up next to her. “Your arms?”

“My arms,” Cass gritted her teeth. 

“Then hold still.”

Cass screamed further as Nicole channeled healing light into her arms, bones knitting back together. Cass raised her hands as soon as she was able to, pushing against the dragon while Nicole continued to heal her. That was when the dragon rose a half inch from the ground. 

Nicole said, “What the-”

“Whatever you’re doing, keep doing it!” Cass said, a manic edge to her voice. 

Nicole obliged, funneling further and further pink light into her friend. “Happy to help!”

The dragon rose, and rose, and rose, and Cass started to laugh. Her arms cracked and splintered the harder she pushed, but Nicole healed her, and healed her, and healed her. Nicole borrowed energy from deep within her, and gave it all to Cass. The younger Magical Girl’s telekinetic power grew exponentially with each passing second, healing and telekinesis together removing the dragon from the ground.

***

Debbi and Amy had both gotten into the habit of keeping switchblades with them when they were out patrolling. Debbi figured it never hurt to plan ahead. Right now, that was paying dividends. 

She took the left wing, Amy the right. Both plunged their knives into soft, scaly tissue. It was difficult- the razor sharp blade only pricked the top layer, but Debbi stabbed, and stabbed, and stabbed, until black blood poured out of the rampaging monster. The wings swung about, forcing the girls into evasive maneuvers midair, but every time, Debbi got in close once more and stabbed, and stabbed, and stabbed. Amy followed her lead, dodging and swerving to avoid getting slammed by a massive sheet of white scales.  

The dragon bled, and bled, and bled. 

Finally, when its wings were clipped and its flailing body raised from the ground, Debbi reached up a hand to the sky and shot a bolt of light that exploded like a flare across the darkened sky. 

Heather launched across the night and slammed her fist into the dragon’s chest. Amy’s shadow cabinet dissolved around the dragon’s head, and the damage to its eyes had evidently healed as it turned its head and stared directly at Debbi and Amy. 

Debbi pointed her finger forward, and Amy followed her lead. They flew at the dragon’s head as it was pushed towards them. A swipe from a mangled wing knocked both their brooms out from under them, but a front hurdler jump carried them through the air past the skull. Both of them dug their knives through the dragon’s neck as they fell, and then the empty air below them was all that remained as the dragon barreled back towards the harbor. 

Debbi did flips through the air as she fell, and fell, and fell. She could wait for her broomstick to re-materialized, but that would take the fun out of this. The wind around her face and hair, the joy of the near-perpetual motion- she’d missed this. God, she had missed this. She fell until Heather caught her in her strong arms, and when Debbi looked up at her friend bridal-carrying her to the ground, the depth of her feelings for her finally registered. 

***

As the dragon slammed back into the ocean, bruised and bloody, Amy fell through the air without her broomstick. Heather caught Debbi. Cass was too small and too tired to do the same for Amy, so Nicole rose to the task. Amy’s hourglass body landed in Nicole’s toned arms, fitting snugly and comfortably as Amy wrapped her own arms around Nicole’s neck. The girl looked up at Nicole with an awe-struck, wide-eyed expression, breathing heavily and not blinking even once.

A pang of raw emotion, hot and cold simultaneously, pleasurable and painful in equal measure, ripped through Nicole’s soul. Her heart was melting and breaking at the same time. Holding this girl, saving her, touching her- she wanted it, and yet she hated it, and she hated herself for wanting it. It was as if a love poem were stuck in her throat like so many shards of broken glass. 

“Thank you,” was all Amy said as Nicole lowered them to the ground. 

Nicole gulped, and said, “Can you stand?”

She nodded, still smiling, stars still in her eyes. God, she had such a pretty smile. And such an ugly soul, Nicole thought. 

Nicole set Amy down on her feet, ears twitching as cries of anguish sang through the night. She found the sources amongst the shattered houses and buildings on land and brutalized boats on the shore. “We’ve gotta help them,” Nicole said. She started flying over to the nearest source of pained cries, but as she did, the surface of the water ruptured as the dragon exploded back out into the night air. And this time, it had company. 

A wooden ship, its deck half-shrapnel and its sails tattered, surging with black fire out of the maw-like hole in its mast, rose from the depths below. It radiated demonic essence, a pure and unquenchable hunger for death and destruction. 

“Thought that was too easy,” Cass said behind her, rubbing her arms as she hobbled over to Nicole. Nicole’s healing had somehow supercharged Cass telekinesis, but the freshman was clearly exhausted- she had slumped shoulders, arms practically hanging limp, and the bags beneath her eyes had somehow doubled in size in the past twenty minutes. 

The dragon was still bleeding from the neck and wings, but its fangs and claws worked just fine as it tore into the ship. The dragon roared as it dug into the ship-monster’s wooden body, and cried with pain as the black hellfire burned its limbs. The dragon fired back with its own flames, and a black and red beam struggle ensued on the shore. 

“Okay,” Debbi said. “New plan.”

“Oh?” Heather said. “What’s that? Is now the part where we charge?”

“Tempting, really tempting,” Debbi said, eyes wide with panic. “But no. Cass, how are you holding up?”

“Barely,” Cass said. “I only moved that monster when Nicole’s healing sent my powers into overdrive.”

“Is that a thing?” Heather said, looking at Nicole. 

“Apparently,” Nicole said, not able to look away from the kaiju struggle playing out before her eyes. 

“Well that’s good to hear, because we’re gonna need that to make this work,” Debbi said. Nicole saw the gears turning behind her friend’s eyes- she was good at this kind of lateral thinking. It made it all the more jarring when she’d previously preferred the Leeroy Jenkins maneuver as a strategy, but hey, people contained multitudes. 

The five of them all flew out into the water, the temperature rising around them rapidly as fingers of steam reached out of the trembling surface. 

Cass went left, Nicole flanking her. Nicole’s lungs were starting to hurt, her arms starting to throb as she grabbed Cass’ wrist and channeled healing light into her, but she kept going. However much this wore her out, there were people in danger on the shore, people who she needed to get back to so she could heal them. And Cass needed her right now- nothing else mattered. Not her exhaustion, not her confusion, nothing. 

Water swelled up around the dragon, Cass and Nicole’s combined might erecting hydro-walls as another beam of blinding light shot towards the beast and blinded it once more. Cass’ chest heaved and Nicole’s head throbbed as the water entrapped the dragon and began dragging it beneath the surface. Once it was totally submerged, Cass lowered her hands and screamed as she forced the dragon as far beneath the water as possible. 

Amy and Heather flew towards the demon-ship as it voyaged to the shore. They got in close, dodging jets of hellfire all around them. Nicole turned around to join the chase, but stopped when Cass fell off her broom. Nicole flew down to grab the younger girl, but Debbi beat her there. “Go help Amy and Heather!” Debbi said. “I’ll take care of Cass for right now!”

“Okay,” Nicole said. This was bad- this was very, very bad. With Cass out of commission, they were down their heaviest hitter. Nicole gritted her teeth- no time for fear, no time for apprehension. She had to get through this; she had to help her friends to survive this, and she had to help the civilians on the shore pinned beneath wreckage and bloodied by the dragon. It didn’t matter how Nicole felt, and it didn’t matter if her skull was pounding and her lungs were sore. What mattered was everyone else who would be hurt or killed if Nicole couldn’t rise to the occasion. She wouldn’t let that happen. 

She soared through the sky as the demon-ship made landfall, gliding over the surface and ramming directly through buildings. Civilians screamed as hellfire bloomed all around them. Nicole caught up to the other girls, and they began circling the demon ship, looking for an entrance. Nicole flew for its bow, but a ribbon of hellfire nearly burned her, Amy pulling her out of the way at the last minute. Hellfire streamed out from the boat like black wind, searing all that it touched. 

“We need a distraction,” Nicole said. 

“How do we distract a boat?” Amy asked. 

Nicole smirked. “By raiding it.”

“Um, what?”

“Heather, come in after me- I’m gonna try something.”

“Is it insane?” Heather asked. 

“Yes, but after the flying shark monster, I think this will work!”

“You think it will work?!” Amy balked. 

Nicole summoned as much healing light as she could and engulfed herself in it. It coated every inch of her as she launched herself at the boat. The hellfire stung her as her powers replenished her, until she boarded the boat and slammed into it. The boat shook, masts flying at her, sails wrapping around her legs and squeezing, but she summoned white light and healing light in equal measure until it poured from every inch of her form. She burned, her skin melting and healing in equal time. Heather fell from the sky and joined her, burying her glowing white fist in the ship’s deck as the holy light burned at the demon. Amy joined them after that, then Debbi, until finally, a white light draped the entirety of the vessel and the demon fled in a flurry of black smoke. 

The boat fell to pieces, and when it was done, only wood chips remained. 

Nicole was on her knees, her body throbbing with pain as if she’d just run a marathon atop hot coals during a hurricane. Burns and lacerations covered her body, but they faded as bolts of pink light shot out of her until finally she felt like herself again. “Is everyone okay?” she asked. “Anyone need healing?”

Debbi and Heather said no, and Amy sat there silently. Nicole went over to the barely-conscious Cass, but the younger girl shook her head. “I’m fine. Just need rest.”

“Okay,” Nicole said quietly. “Then if you’ll excuse me.”

Nicole walked over to the nearest civilian, an elderly woman whose skin had nearly all burned off, and said, “Ma’am, may I touch you?”

The old woman nodded, and Nicole healed her. 

Then she walked over to the next person, a little boy clutching his bloody eye, and she healed him. 

Then a middle-aged man who’s leg had been crushed under a fallen building.

Then a teenage girl whose stomach had been sliced open by a sheet of glass.

Then an old man who’d crawled to the shore half-drowned.

Then another, and another, and another. Nicole healed them all, even as the pain in her own body tripled with each person she helped.

Amy joined her, setting up a station for the injured to come up to them. She tended to the minor injuries, while those with more major ones were sent to Nicole and given the Pink Healing Light treatment. By the end of it, it wasn’t Thursday night anymore. It wasn’t even Friday morning, but early Friday afternoon. 

Finally, it was over, and Nicole sat there on the ground groping for breath. Amy beamed at her, not saying a word, but not taking her eyes off of her either. Nicole maintained eye contact for a second before the love poem made of shrapnel got caught in her throat once more. She shook her head, and then found a lightness running through the interior of her cranium as the ground rushed up to meet her. 

***

Debbi sat in a church pew, staring up at the crucifix, when Father Gonzalez sat down next to her.  

“How are Cassandra and Nicole?” the priest asked.

“Cass is sleeping it off back in her dorm,” Debbi said. “Amy got Nicole home so she could do the same. How’s the situation in the basement?”

“We’re managing,” Gonzalez said. “The Bishop still hasn’t broken free yet.”

“You really think he can pull that off?” Debbi said. 

“He’s the most stubborn and pious individual I’ve ever met,” Gonzalez said. 

“Has it ever happened before?”

“I’ve seen it happen once,” Gonzalez said. “In San Jose, ten years ago.”

“Okay, fair enough. That wasn’t really what I wanted to talk to you about anyway.”

“Then what did you want to talk about, Deborah?” Gonzalez said. 

“Cass’ vision mentioned dragons,” Debbi said, “And doesn’t the Book of Revelations specifically mention a dragon and a beast from the sea?”

“Yes, but the dragon is red, and has seven heads, each with a crown,” Gonzalez said. 

“Fair point,” Debbi said. “Still, I’m getting a bit concerned about the scope of what we’re dealing with. So far, we’ve just been fighting random demons when they infest objects or possess people. And we’ve assumed that the Devil has been sending them to… I dunno, sow chaos, I guess. But Cass’ vision said the throne of Hell was empty. And while interpreting these things literally seems like a slippery slope… That dragon and that ghost ship attacked each other. The dragon showed up first, and there were no demons in it. I gotta wonder if the demon ship was part of a power play, and if someone or something is trying to take over Hell for itself.”

“It’s certainly possible,” Gonzalez said, stroking his goatee. “That raises the question, though: if the throne of hell is vacant, where did Satan go?”

“I don’t know,” Debbi said. “But I’m determined to find out.”

“Good,” Gonzalez said. “I always thought you had the most qualifications of the team, Deborah. Glad you’re living up to it by showing initiative.”

She furrowed her brow. “Qualifications for what?”

“Leadership,” Gonzalez said. 

“No,” Debbi replied. “That’s not me. Trust me, it’s just not.”

Gonzalez smiled knowingly, which was infuriating yet also flattering. “If you say so, Mija. Now go get some rest- you had a busy day.”

And with that, he got up and went back into the basement. Debbi sat there a moment, collecting her thoughts. The last time she’d tried to be a leader of anything had gone badly, but then again, that had been in a completely different context with vastly lower stakes. But the very thought of it still made her stomach turn and her fists ball up. Tomorrow, she thought, think about this tomorrow. Today you need to rest. You slayed a dragon- that’s enough for one day.

She got up and left. Heather stood waiting for her outside, clad in a heavy tan overcoat buttoned all the way up, and Debbi’s heart began tumbling. Heather catching her as she’d fallen had been… Eye-opening, to say the least. 

“Hey,” Heather said. 

“Hi,” Debbi replied. 

“Walk you home?”

“I mean you’re living there too right now, so why not?” Debbi said with a smile she strongly suspected was of the dopey variety. 

“I was wondering something else,” Heather said. 

Debbi gulped. “Yeah? What’s that?”

“Could I hold your hand?” 

Debbi short-circuited, stopping in place as the proverbial hamster wheel inside her mind spun off its axle.

“It’s fine if not,” Heather said. “It’s just when I caught you earlier, the way you looked at me, it… It made me wonder if you maybe wanted to be more than just friends?”

Debbi gulped again, and then nodded furiously. 

The anxiety on Heather’s face melted away like ice on a hot summer’s day. She reached out her hand and gripped Debbi’s, their fingers interlocking as they walked home together for a night of recovery. 

***

“How much Soul Energy did we manage to capture?” Aidan asked Winona as he laid naked on her bedroom floor. 

Winona, clad in only a flowery yellow kimono, traipsed across the floor holding a goat’s skull with the words ‘for Azazel’ carved onto the forehead. Black light flowed from the eyes and nostrils. “Not as much as I’d hoped, but a decent amount. Nicole and Amy wound up putting a lot of broken things back together today after the fight ended- I didn’t really expect that, to be honest.”

“She keeps getting in the way,” Aidan grunted as she ran a hand through his bountiful garden of chest hair. 

“Which one?” Winona smirked. 

“Both,” Aidan sneered. “As we’ve established, Amy is a pain in the ass on a good day. And I know we were waiting for a fifth one to show up, but Nicole’s healing powers are gonna make our work a lot harder.”

“You’re right,” Winona said, pacing up and down, up and down, never stopping, running her fingers over the scapegoat’s skull. The sensation brought peace to her boisterous mind. “It does. Fewer deaths mean less Soul Energy to harvest, and if she can heal her teammates, then draining them for their power becomes harder as well. She poses a unique challenge, that one.”

“So how do you wanna play this?” Aidan asked. 

“Well, we’ve got enough to heal Veronica and spring her from the clink,” Winona said, drumming her fingers on the skull. “And I hate to keep her and Archie apart for much longer- God, those two are just SO CUTE together I can’t bear to let them be separate- but this will deplete our reserve and set us back a month at least. The only way to deal with it would be to work faster.”

Aidan sat up. “In what regard?”

Winona smiled as she sat on her boyfriend’s lap. “I’ll answer your question with another question: what’s Archie and Veronica’s favorite thing to do for a date?”

Aidan smirked. “Killing spree?”

“Oooh baby, you are so sexy when you’re smart,” Winona said, kissing him. She removed her lips from his and put a finger on his mouth. “But I’m gonna need you to put your clothes back on. We’ve got work to do- I’ll get Archie and we’ll heal Veronica and get her out of jail so they can start their end of things ASAP. You, however, are gonna pay Amy a little visit.”

Aidan said, “Time to mix business with pleasure?”

She put her forehead against his, and the goat’s skull rested between them, cupped in both their hands. “Hell. Yes.”

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[thousand-winters]

If you're still doing the asks 💕💛🔮🎨 !!!! 💖

Hello there!!! 💖💖💖 I hope you’ve been doing good lately! And if not, hopefully it'll get better. Winter is a Time™

And I like doing these, so yes ajshgfhjsdg

💕 What is your favorite fic that you’ve written?

This is a trick question, I love all of my children equally /j

Umm... I guess it depends on the reasons. I will forever be fond of So, what was your name again? because it's the first thing for TOH I put on AO3, and the first longer fic I had written in a while and it was such a lovely experience while I was writing it and posting it. I’m very proud of Your life will be a monument for different reasons; I was 100% catering to myself with that one, and I’m very content with it. And I just... really like the emotional turmoil in Loving echoes asjhfgjhsdg

💛 What is the most impactful lesson you’ve learned about writing?

Sounds obvious, but you can just... write whatever you want. You don’t even have to use everything you write for a story, and you definitely don’t have to listen to any hypothetical voices over your shoulder telling you what you’re writing is dumb. It’s your thing and you can do whatever you want with it. Which, again, sounds obvious, but it’s truly a world of difference to write while trying to conform to certain unspoken standards than doing it at your heart’s content. 

🔮 Any advice for writers working through burnout or writer’s block?

I might not be the best person to ask because I don't have good coping mechanisms for life in general *finger guns*

Buuuut what I tend to do is give it a few days while I either work on something else or just don't do anything in particular, because you know, it can be that your brain just wants a breather from that story in particular or from writing in general, and maybe once you have a clear head, whatever it was that felt so difficult is way easier.

If that doesn't work and it's something I want or have to finish, I straight up force myself to write through pressure, which is why I'm not sure that's the best solution asjgfjhsdg encouragement works better, but that's not something you can just decide to get, so... you know, trickier solution.

🎨 If someone were to make fanart of your work, what fic or scene would you hope to see?

Oh, boy. Honestly, I think I would be happy with anything because that sounds surreal, haha. But if I had to pick something... maybe Darius holding Hunter’s face from the post-TTT reunion I wrote? Mostly because I had such a clear mental image of that while I was writing it, which I don’t always do, but shhh. 

Thanks so much for the questions!!! 💖💖💖