#the wisps will probably just still be the wisps in origins

[bayonetta-origins]

having aa5 bayo origins thoughts( ´-｀) ill ramble in the tags

[chufflepop]

The winners garden

This was inspired by my emerald rogue run (the old one), with my pidgeot whom I have named Victory after the run ended (or caught a pidgey in the safari and pretended it was her)

This'll be long because it affected me that much. I didn't expect to win this run- I thought I was a goner after Wallace. I swear this run felt like a movie sequence because my god it felt so climactic (to me)

Victory was a random pidgey I caught at before the first or second gym, and I was originally going to trade her off but I just felt like I lacked flying types. Eventually, I thought she was actually a really valuable member and kept her in. It also helped alot that the pidgeotite appeared the next time I got into the battle stop store, so it felt right keeping her around-

My team had a latios, thunderus, sylveon (who died but I managed to get him back because of the random lab encounter, thank god it was just a species curse), serperior, dracovish and mega pidgeot. Pidgeot with hurricane spam is so good I kept her around even more

It was a really solid team until I accidentally stumbled into a trainer battle while getting an item, and due to an unlucky crit, my latios goes down

At this point, I got mad because "AH, MY BEST TEAM MEMBER". He had a choice specs on and his job was to spam, but unfortunately, his psychic didn't kill the mega kanghaskan we encountered. It was unfortunate, I didn't level up because I thought I could avoid the trainer, but oh well

Caught a random alolan ninetales that did good aurora veil blizzard (after buying an ability patch) and I thought she'd be fine and for awhile, it was

Until I reached the champion. Wallace killed 3 of my team members, down went my serperior, my newly caught alolan ninetales, and my dracovish. And there was also an unskippable trainer when I moved on to the next route which killed my sylveon, leaving me with only my thunderus and my dear pidgeot

Remember the species clause I said earlier? That thing screwed me over when it only had 3 available pokemon (and worse, it was a water route so the surf point also had staryu, maybe I was just impatient and maybe another mon is in the surf point idk). I caught a starmie, a toxapex and a jellicent in that route. With the species clause active, I was handicapped to fight the REAL champion. I only had 5 pokemon instead of 6

The last poke stop. The trader was there, so I took a gamble with him and traded my starmie. And what came out of it felt right- It was a victini. At this point, I was giggling to myself like "I might win" because of victinis dex entry and such, about how it being with you is basically a guaranteed victory.

After I prepared my team to the best that I could and with some small confidence growing, I pressed on.

At this point, I only remember the pidgeot battle so I'm just trying to remember here and I'm probably wrong in some details

Red was the final champion and my victini took the lead. Victini died first, he was scarfed and spammed bolt strike until he MISSED. But it was still good enough, it was now a fair 4v4. Jellicent didn't have much, but he had will o wisp, which helped alot. He wasn't trained as well as the others so he was frailer than he was supposed to be, but he weakened one pokemon enough for thunderbolt range and died. 3v4 now

Thunderus tbolt, he goes down. Thunderus had a z crystal and it one shotted I forgot who immediately after.

It's now a 2v2

Terrakion. Easy enough for toxapex to take down (and spam recover)

2v1

Final pokemon was a giratina. Shadow force. Didnt want to switch out because tox was in good health and I wanted to knock off, but it critted and tox was lower than anticipated. Knock off did alright damage and I was sure it was a clear 2 hit ko if pidgeot lived. One outrage and tox was down

1v1.

My pidgeot, the pidgeot who's been with me since the start, the pidegot that I was going to trade away, the pidgeot that I doubted. From a little helpless pidgey to now facing Satan head on

She megas and hits her first hurricane but it doesn't kill and an outrage hits her and SHE BARELY LIVED. SHE WAS CLINGING FOR HER LIFE. AND THERE I KNEW, I KNEW I WON. ONE LAST HURRICANE AND DOWN GOES GIRATINA, AND MY SOLE SURVIVOR WON ME EVERYTHING!

IT FELT SO PERFECT. THE SPECIES CLAUSE, THE VICTINI, THE TOXAPEX, THE STRESS I BUILT, THE IMPORTANT POKEMON DYING JUST BEFORE RED, THE POWER OF FRIENDSHIP TAKING DOWN POKEMON SATAN, IT DIDN'T LOOK LIKE MUCH VISUALLY AND SOME PEOPLE WOULD PROBABLY THINK IT'S CHILDISH, BUT I IMAGINED MY PIDGEOT ABSOLUTELY LOOKING COOL AND GOING HAM ON THAT FINAL BATTLE. THE FINAL BATTLE WAS COOL IN MY HEAD OKAY

After we won, I caught a female pidgey on the safari zone and named her Victory. It's the same pidgeot now pidgey that in my heart. And that's literally why I made this drawing. And also I significantly love pidgeot more now. I would also make an essay about my thought process when making this, but I think this tumblr blog is long enough (it was so corny ngl). Too bad I can’t bring her over but the newer game is fun too

I'm sorry this was long guys, I enjoyed talking about this way too much ahshsh

[starmocha]

Bride of the Dragon King :: Prelude

[Sylus/Reader ★ 465 words  ★ Masterlist ★ Series Index ★ AO3] Tonight, the wine tasted so sweet. A/N: I yapped on my tumblr about how I wanted a dragon!Sylus AU…so I willed it into existence. 😊 This is the prelude to a technically 3-part story. The main story will be a 20K+ word one-shot, so I feel justified in a shorter intro. I am still finalizing the main story, so I want to give people time to read the prelude first. While the prelude is SFW, the main story and epilogue will contain explicit adult themes, so it's best for MDNI. Influenced to varying degree by the Vietnamese origin myth, Lạc Long Quân and Âu Cơ, and the C-drama, Miss the Dragon…and probably a whole slew of other period C-dramas I watched in the past. Recommended Playlist Love and Deepspace - Wander In Wonder Shuang Sheng - 流转莹回 ☆ I can do a tag list for the main story once it's up. Just let me know in the replies, and I'll keep a list handy. ☆

Distantly, in the Celestial Realm where the immortals resided, the vast kingdom of the Dragon King was shrouded in nighttime for all of eternity, stuck within an eternal spring. Pink petals from the ever-blooming flowers of the magnolia trees were carried away in the warm breeze across the palace courtyard.

Sylus, the Dragon King, lazed under a grand magnolia tree with red blossoms overlooking a large koi pond, his solemn gaze lingering on the reflection of the full moon in the still water. He poured wine from a crimson porcelain bottle into the matching cup, and he took a swig of his drink, sighing.

The moon is lovely tonight… he thought, The wine tastes so sweet…

Red magnolia blossoms drifted down from the tree, landing in the water and startling the fish beneath, the immediate ripples distorted the reflection of the moon. Sylus kept his own crimson eyes on the floating flowers.

Little Snake, this is not much, but you are welcome to stay with me for as long as you would like!

He huffed in amusement, eyes drifting to a different flower.

You are so shameless. How can you ask a maiden to bathe with you?

He poured another drink, chuckling, but there was little joy in his laughter.

You are not allowed to get hurt! …Promise me you won’t get hurt again...

His cup lingered at his lips momentarily, a look of guilt flashed across his features before he tossed the drink back, sighing heavily.

Sylus…I don’t want you to leave…

He leaned back against the tree, eyes wandering to the moon. On the ground next to him was a necklace, its pendant pure gold with a jade border. Engraved on one side was the image of a dragon with wisps of cloud beneath it. When Sylus picked it up, his fingers caressed the other side, tracing the characters that formed the word, “Beloved.”

Another flower drifted into the pond, spinning slowly before it floated away.

…Who are you?

He closed his eyes, his hand tightening into a fist around the pendant as he made his decision.

He was going to rewrite their story. The red thread that tethered them together was going to unravel and lead her back to him.

All of it was going to be undone, and a new ending was going to replace all of the tragedies that were and were to be.

For her…

Heaven and Hell were going to bend to his will, he vowed.

For us…

As Sylus finished the wine, a white mist enveloped him, swirling before scattering and leaving nothing in its place beneath this red magnolia tree. In the night sky, among the millions of stars, a white dragon flew away, his scales shimmered in the moonlight before he disappeared into the horizon.

[skzdarlings]

deleted scene ; sharing a bed with lee know

original sharing a bed one-shot with lee know.

author's note: this is incredibly random, but this is a deleted scene from the lee know instalment of the sharing a bed series. it got cut when i decided to start the story after their big fight rather than show the build-up, but this scene was really cute and i always missed it lol so i am randomly posting it now.

content info: just fluff, some reader crying, and minho being secretly whipped.

word count: 890 words.

-

“Oh no!” 

Minho looks at you over the top rim of his glasses, his mouth full of food.  His phone falls forgotten on the wooden table.

Pouting, you push your salad towards him. 

“They put in the red onion,” you say with more misery than a salad miscommunication warrants.  Much to your horror and his immense bemusement, tears fill your eyes.  “I said no onion.” 

He chokes on his food, trying to swallow quickly so he can talk.  You wipe a stray tear while he hacks into a napkin.  His own eyes are now watery from his spontaneous pork-induced brush with death, but he reaches across the picnic table to wipe your face first.  He’s Minho so it’s more of a gentle slap on each cheek, but you take it with gratitude. 

“It’s okay,” he says, firmly but carefully.  Your behaviour is probably confusing him as you are notoriously composed and pragmatic by nature, so red onion is the last thing he would expect you to cry about.   “Just ask for another one.”  

“I can’t,” you say with a wobbly bottom lip.  You shove the salad further away like a petulant child.  “The line is too long now.  We don’t have time to wait for our turn then wait for them to make a new one.  We have to be back on the highway in no less than twenty minutes or else we aren’t going to beat the rush, and if we don’t beat the rush then we could be late getting to the camp site, and then we could lose our reservation. And I can’t eat this salad because the onion is so strong that it overwhelms everything else.   It’s fine.”   

It’s fine.  It’s fine.  Just one more thing gone wrong this week.  You didn’t cry about the guy.  You didn’t cry about the job.   You are crying about the red onion.  It’s fine.  

Minho takes off his reading glasses as if looking at you directly will help him make sense of your nonsense.  He doesn’t say anything, just stares with his dark brows knit together.  Wisps of dyed blonde hair and their darker roots flutter under the circle of his backwards cap, a cool wind brushing over your picnic spot. 

Of course the weather sucks too.  You and your best friend finally have a shared weekend off and you decided to go camping, so of course it’s been overcast and grey for the whole drive so far. 

Of course the rest stop cafeteria put red onion in your salad. 

“Okay,” Minho says after a minute of just staring at you.  He mutely slides his plate toward you and takes your salad for himself.  When you try to protest, he threatens you with a plastic knife.   “Eat,” he says, pointing to the dish with the knife.  He digs into the salad without further commentary, returning his glasses to his face and picking up his phone to keep reading. 

You stare despondently at the dish for a moment.  Then that bottom lip wobbles more, and more, and more, then suddenly—

Minho drops his phone again, startled when you burst into tears.

“Ahh,” he says, reaching for you with both hands this time.  He tries to reach past your fingers to cup your face, but you are rubbing your eyes and also bouncing with your hiccups.   He eventually gets a semi-stable grip of your chin, thumb pressing hard to tug your face to his when you look away.   “Baby,” he says, ���what the fuck?” 

“I’m s-s-sorry,” you say, still hiccupping.  “You just l-l-love me so mu-u-uch!”

“Um,” he says, frowning.  “Sorry.  Here.”  He swaps your plates back.  “I hate you.  Fucking bitch.  Eat your fucking onion salad.” 

You laugh in spite of yourself.  It coaxes you out of hiding, your tear-streaked face turning to his willingly. 

Minho can be loud and goofy, and he’s something of a lunatic around his guy friends, but you and him have always had a quiet, easy friendship.  You are the epitome of regimented and organized, not to mention the very definition of introverted, but he’s so easy-going that your flow as a duo has always been seamless.   You can sit together for hours in silence and not feel awkward once.  His presence alone brings you comfort.  He has seen many sides of you over the years.  Annoyed, happy, content, frustrated, disappointed.  You frown a lot.  You don’t tend to overreact. 

Bawling your eyes out is a new one. 

“I’m fine,” you say with a sigh. 

“Oh, well, if you’re fine,” he says dryly, picking up his phone and pretending to return to it. 

When you giggle, he smiles just that bit, putting the phone down again.  He is clearly out of his element as you seldom require active solace in any sense of the word, so he just sits there flexing his hand and staring at you. 

“Should I… kill them?” he asks uncertainly, pointing over his shoulder to the food stand. 

You laugh again, the sound still a bit shaky.   You shake your head. 

“Are you sure?” Minho asks.  “We could probably run them over on our way out.” 

“Thank you,” you say.  “I’m fine.  I guess I’m just a bit worked up.”

“Hmm.”  He switches your plates again, giving you his food.  “Try being worked down for a bit.” 

“Okay,” you say with a snort.  “I will. Thanks.”

He smiles a little smile, the kind reserved just for you. He looks satisfied he has done his job for now.

You can't help but smile back.

[m00nl1ghts1vt]

Can you do an imagine where you and Matt get a dog? Pls & thank u!!

Puppy Love - Matt Sturniolo

Pairings - bf!Matt x gf!You Summary - After moving in together, Matt decides it time to become dog parents 🥰🐶 W/c - 989 Warnings - Just some fluff! Strong language! A/n - Thank you for requesting!! My requests are always open! Checks out my masterlist to see my most recent pieces!! Dividers are not mine, credits due to all original owners!

The summer air wisped through the sunroof of the car as you looked over at your boyfriend, smiling at him. The two of you were on the way to the local animal shelter to pick up your very own puppy together. Matt initially wanted to go through a breeder but you decided against it. Adopt, don’t shop, right?

It didn’t matter who you got your new puppy from, as long as he or she was healthy, you didn’t care and honestly Matt didn’t either. He just wanted to see you happy. After months of sharing cute posts of puppies on your social media accounts and squealing every time you seen a person walking their dog, he finally decided it was time to take the next step in your relationship. Co-parenting a dog together was the perfect idea, his only worry was his busy schedule. Since you moved in a couple months ago, he figured it’d be a lot easier on the both of you to take on the responsibility now rather than before like you wanted. You had been begging for the last couple months, so you were thrilled that your longtime boyfriend was finally caving, giving you what you wanted. 

Matt usually wasn’t the type to say ‘no’ to you but he was very logical at the same time, so when he initially said no, his heart broke a little bit. He loved spoiling you in any way he could, but he knew you guys weren’t ready to take on a big responsibility, such as a puppy, at that time. It took a lot of work - house training, behavioral training, socializing, and daily walks. Don’t forget how expensive it was. Matt loved to spoil the ones he loved, and he had no doubt you guys would spend an unruly amount of time, and money, in the pet stores as soon as the new addition was added to your family.

“I’m so excited,” you nearly shout. Ever since Matt surprised you with the plans earlier in the week, the anticipation had been building up inside of you. Your smile was still spread ear to ear, like it had been since you got in the car. 

“Calm down,” he laughs, “you’re gonna have a heart attack before we get there.”

“I can’t help it. My heart is pounding,” you exclaim, “feel,” taking his hand and placing it on your chest. Matt’s eyes bounce from you, to your chest, and back to the road. An amused look is plastered on his face as he raises his eyebrows in response. 

You can feel your heart in your stomach as you spot the animal shelter down the street. The enthusiasm boiling in your gut as he pulls in the parking lot. Matt clears his throat, “now, remember we already picked him out,” he tells you, pulling into an empty spot and putting his car in park. You smile at the thought of him knowing you so well. He knew damn well you’d spent all day at the animal shelter, leaving with more than one animal, probably crying at the fact you couldn’t bring them all home. He knew there was an 80% chance that would happen, so to avoid any tears, he made sure to contact the shelter beforehand. He set up an appointment by himself, picking out a male pup that wasn’t weaned from his mother yet. It gave just enough time to get everything ready for the new addition to the family, surprising you when he told you earlier this week. 

Nick and Chris still lived in the same house as you guys still and they were just as excited. They couldn’t wait to meet their new nephew. You sigh, “you’re sure I can’t go in to look?”

He playfully snaps his head towards you, ��absolutely positive. One dog, that’s all we’re getting for right now baby,” he tells you while leaning over the center console to press a kiss to your nose. You whine and stick out your bottom lip. He pecks at it, “stay here. I’m gonna go get him,” before getting out of the car and disappearing to the building.

Your heart pounded in your chest as you watched the glass double doors Matt went through. A few minutes later he reappears, this time with a small pup cuddled into his chest. A whisper-like gasp falls from your lips as your eyes meet his and a big smile stretches across his lips as he makes his way to the car. 

You follow his movements, not being able to look away. Matt opens the car door, still smiling big as fuck. Your face contorts and the puppy takes over your whole body, “gimme, gimme!”

The sound of your voice makes the puppy raise his head and look at you. Matt raises his eyebrows, obviously surprised at the pups action, “looks like somebody already recognizes his momma’s voice, don’t you?” he coos before handing your first born child to you.

You carefully scoop your new baby boy into your arm, holding your breath the whole time like he was a real newborn baby. He looks up at you and whines, placing his paws on your chest, and bringing his face to yours. Your heart melts immediately as he attacks you with kisses, “you’re so cute. Yes, you are,” you pull out your baby voice, earning a chuckle from Matt.

Looking over at him, he has his phone out snapping pictures of the cute moment. “I’m literally gonna cry. He’s so fucking cute, Matt. What are we naming him?” you ask looking between your boyfriend and the puppy he gifted you. 

‘I like Barnaby,” he suggests, somewhat hoping you’d agree.

“Barnaby,” you repeat.” You look down at your pup, studying his face for a moment, “yea. Barnaby fits him,” before looking at Matt with the biggest smile, matching the one he’s been sporting since he walked out of the animal shelter.

[handdrawnverathin]

Hi. So, uh... it's been a while. And after all this time, I think it's time to be honest with myself and admit that this animatic is probably never going to be finished. I started it when I'd only watched a couple POVs of Third Life and it really shows in the designs. Some of them aren't bad - I still like how I drew Tango - but enough of them have details wrong or just weird vibes that continuing to draw them is kinda dissatisfying. That being said, I put a lot of work into it and didn't want to let it just die without saying anything, so here's a collection of GIFs from the few scenes I managed to get edited.

For the record, I am still on the Hermitcraft/Life Series brainrot train and I have some drawings that I've been working on that I genuinely like. So hopefully those will be done soon! Just as soon as I finish that one project that I started eight years ago. But it's getting there! I swear!

Also: for anyone interested, I've included the original frame-by-frame plan below the cut

SONG: Willow Tree March, The Paper Kites

Intro

Feet swinging over sandstone cliff face (0:00 - 0:05)

Lower half of Grian’s face visible, whistling (0:05 - 0:12)

The cool bit

Fade to front face view of Grian, looking up slightly (0:12 - 0:16)

Real quick zoom out to all players standing in a row looking dramatic (0:16 - 0:28)

Title card fades in as overlay (0:20 - 0:28)

Player introductions

(0:28 - 0:30)

(0:30 - 0:32)

(0:32 - 0:34)

(0:34 - 0:36)

Peaceful times

Grian walking through a forest, early morning. First frame is a footstep, then a side view of him looking around (0:36 - 0:44)

Flower Husbands meeting, afternoon. First frame is Scott peaking into the hole from outside, then Jimmy looking up at him sheepishly (0:44 - 0:52)

Renchanting looking up at the sky, sunset. First frame is a hand raised to block the sun, then a rear-view shot of them from the waist up (0:52 - 1:00)

Phantom shelter, night. First frame is a wide view of the group either hiding or fending off phantoms, then a close up of a few of them laughing with each other(1:00 - 1:08)

FIRST DEATH

Wide shot of Scar burning the tree (1:08 - 1:12)

Close-up of Grian’s face as he looks to the side. Creeper visible in the reflection of his eyes. (1:12 - 1:16)

Scar doing some smooth talking. A wisp of smoke fades in behind him.(1:16 - 1:20)

Close up of Scar’s face turning around, eyes widening (1:20 - 1:22)

Yellow heart (1:22 - 1:26)

The promise

Wide shot of Monopoly Mountain, cut to close-up of Grian swearing loyalty with a hand over his heart (1:26 - 1:34)

Close-up of Grian’s face, mostly the eyes, looking a little unhappy with the whole situation (1:34 - 1:42)

Tensions rising

Skizz looks at an enderman: over-the-shoulder shot of him looking back, then a close up on his eyes widening (1:42 - 1:50)

Cleo threatening Pizza - animated? Initial/final poses plus two in-betweens (1:50 - 1:58)

Tango’s lava game: first a close up of his smiling face, then a wide shot with his arms outstretched in front of the challenge (1:58 - 2:06)

Scar threatening Ren for the enchanter: first an over-the-shoulder shot of Scar, then one of Ren (2:06 - 2:14)

Uh-oh

Wide shot of ceremony (2:14 - 2:18)

Ren, kneeling, waist down and cloak on (2:18 - 2:22)

Low-angle shot of Martyn looking very uncomfortable. Winces a bit, axe raised and…  (2:22 - 2:28)

Swings down. We get a flash of Ren's face, grinning, before fading out. The red eyes linger just a bit longer. (2:28 - 2:32)

O_o

Flower wall burns down (2:32 - 2:40)

Rear view wide shot in silhouette

Front view, sad and also a little horrified

Desert battle (2:40 - 2:48)

Profile view of Grian with a slightly manic smile on his face as explosions go off. The camera is pretty close to him, so we can’t actually see the explosions, but add in some effects and it’ll get the point across

Siege of Dogwarts (2:48 - 2:56)

Aerial attack using slowfall arrows

Ground combat feat. Joel and dogs

 Bdubs kills Impulse, Scar kills Bdubs (2:56 - 3:04)

Interlude

Scar (right) kneeling in the water before Grian (left). We can see Scar from about chest down and only the lower half of Grian’s legs (3:04 - 3:12)

Low-angle shot of Grian looking down at Scar holding a sword. We can see Scar’s head and maybe a bit of his back depending on camera angles. (3:12 - 3:20)

Fade to the Tree in a dark void, glowing as if by firelight. Very slow pan out. Fade to a wider view before the light is extinguished, leaving us in darkness.  (3:20 - 3:28)

Ghosties (dark gray background, white outlines)

Jimmy/Cleo/Skizz (3:28 - 3:32)

Joel/Scott/Etho (3:32 - 3:36)

Tango/Ren/Martyn (3:36 - 3:40)

Impulse/BigB/Bdubs (3:40 - 3:44)

They want blood (survivors haunted by ghosts)

Grian, with chestplate and sword, looking very much like he’d rather be anywhere else(3:44 - 3:48)

Scar, also not having a good time, sword and shield but no chestplate (3:48 - 3:52)

Facing each other, no weapons or armor. Scar of left, Grian on right (3:52 - 3:56)

Close up side view of Grian’s face: scared, then steeling himself (eyes closed) then shouting as he runs in (3:58 - 4:02)

The girls are fighting! ;A;

(4:02 - 4:10)

(4:10 - 4:18)

(4:18 - 4:26)

We have a winner

Full body behind shot of Grian standing at the edge of the cliff before falling (4:26 - 4:36)

[c0nfessions-of-a-writing-freak]

What Lurks In The Dark

Pairing: Marcus Lopez Arguello x fem!reader

Word count: 3.7k

Warning: Mild cursing, Mild Graphic description of violence

Summary: Paranoia had always been a common occurrence in her life so when the feeling of being watching started to rise in the back of her mind she couldn't tell if it was just a conjured-up feeling or reality. After a heavy night of avoiding anyone and everyone at all costs, a deal is sent her way that she would be a fool to pass up on or maybe a bigger fool for agreeing to it.

(Y/N): Your name

(H/C): Hair colour

(E/C): Eye colour

(F/C): Favourite colour

*Gif does not belong to me

Worn out Converses smacked against the concrete sidewalk as (Y/N) walked through the streets with purpose. Her hands were tucked into the pockets of her oversized hoodie, the back of the (F/C) piece of fabric falling past his skirt and rubbing against the back of her stocking-clad thighs. Her (H/C) was pulled back and out of her face, a few wisps of hair falling out of the tie that kept the rest of her hair back and invading her vision.

(Y/N) tried not to stay in one place for too long, not when she had a doped-up dad with buddies all over the city. It was still beyond herself why she hadn't decided to flee the city yet. Perhaps the only reason she chose to stay was to keep an eye on her mother, but even then there wasn't much the woman was doing that gave (Y/N) a proper reason to stay behind.

She had only ever run into a few people that seem to recognise her. Normally, they would try and ask her if her dad had anything good going around or if she was carrying any on her. There was only one occasion where one of her dad's mates had tried to get physical with her, claiming she had to be brought back to where she belonged. It didn't take much to get the man off of her, mainly because he was drunk and clutching onto a half-empty beer bottle for dear life.

Tonight felt just like any night to begin with as she walked through the streets of San Francisco. She kept her head down and her hood up as she tried not to draw any more attention to herself than a teenage girl walking through the dark streets of San Francisco could get.

It was only when she saw the same boy with a bright green mohawk skate past her for the fourth time that she began to raise her guard. (Y/N) was willing to shake it off at first, but after seeing him a few too many times for comfort she began to realise she was being circled by the boy.

(Y/N)’s pace picked up only slightly along with her heartbeat. Her original plan was to try and lose him in some back alley that ran behind some of the apartment blocks and led back to one of the main roads. But upon further evaluation, it probably wasn’t the best idea to be followed into a back alley, even if she was being followed by a rather flimsy-looking boy that seemed to be around her age.

She had two other options that could work out in her favour, of course, with the possibility that her plans could backfire in her face. Her first option was to wait the boy out and lead him out to the main roads where she could hopefully lose him or he would be detoured because of the uprise in people. The second idea that had come to her mind was to try and meet the boy head-to-head and throw him off his course where she could try and get away from him in his moments of instability.

Both ideas could work out in her favour but just as easily give the green-haired boy the upper hand. In the case where she tried to lose him, he could get to her before she made it to a more crowded area and with the second choice he could overpower her, his looks may be deceiving to something stronger. Neither necessarily worked out in her favour but at least with the first option if she needed to she could make a run for it or later dissolve into the fight she was hoping it didn’t have to come down to.

In her head, the decision had already been made before she could properly think and weigh out her choices.

Turning left, (Y/N) felt the flesh of another hand latching onto her upper arm. Whipping her head around with a few strands of hair flying in the wind, (Y/N)’s eyes landed on the same boy that had been circling her as the night progressed. A choked yelp escaped from behind (Y/N)‘a lips at the sight of the boy, instantly trying to pull her arm away from him once it registered that the limb hanging onto her belonged to him.

“Woah,” The boy quickly called out, a laugh on the tip of his tongue as he planted a foot and held onto (Y/N) a tad bit tighter. Raising his chin a little, the green-haired boy said, “I’m just here for a fun time. You have nothing to worry about.”

“You creep,” (Y/N) quickly exclaimed, her lip curling in disgust. The boy's eyes seemed to widen at (Y/N)‘a words, like what he had said had finally registered in his head for the first time. Trying to keep a steady voice, she said, “Get off of me.”

“No can do, Runaway Legacy,” The boy’s overjoyed voice rang out, a matching unwavering grin plastered on his face. “Need to get you back to King's Dominion so I pass the assignment. I can’t let Lex get a good grade for this assignment this time around or he’ll have two to hold over my head.”

“One, I'm not going anywhere with you and your greasy mohawk,” (Y/N) started, getting cut off by the boy as he made his dissatisfaction known.

“It’s not greasy.”

(Y/N) gave the boy a deadpan at his words, watching as he raised his free hand in surrender and gave her room to speak once more. “Two, I don’t care about Lex or this assignment you claim that I supposedly am. If you want to kill someone, pick a different target. And three, the hill is a 'Runaway Legacy?'"

“I’m not going to kill you,” The boy exclaimed with a mortified gasp. “The whole point of this is to bring you back alive. Master Lin wouldn't have a use for you if we brought you back dead.”

“That’s not helping your case,” (Y/N) said, giving the boy a moment to answer before she kicked the skateboard out from under his foot, sending him skidding back in his moment in surprise. In his fall the boy had let go of her, so with a few steps forward, (Y/N) took control of the skateboard that the boy had just lost.

“Oh, come on!” She heard him call out from behind her as she began to pick up speed. As the boy stumbled to his feet, preparing to run after her he yelled, “Not cool man. Not cool.”

"Looks like your gonna have to go back to Master Lin empty-handed and fail your assignment," (Y/N) shrugged as she looked back at the boy only to find him a few paces from where he had originally fallen, not putting in too much effort to go after her. "I guess Lex is gonna be the one to bring home the gold."

"You would have much rather gone back with me, I promise," He called after her in a sing-song tone making chills shoot down (Y/N)'s spine. "If I don't get you, Lex or someone else will."

Shooting her head back around, (Y/N) focussed on getting away from the creepy boy and out of the part of San Francisco where she currently found herself in. But no matter where she went the feeling of someone watching her stuck with her throughout the night, making her never stay still for too long on the stolen skateboard she had obtained.

In the end, she didn't end up getting too far before another mysterious figure was making their way towards her.

"Oi, you've been assigned," A boy with cornrow braids said as he stepped towards (Y/N). He wore a dark athlete's hoodie with a toothpick between his teeth as his eyes scanned over her, landing on the skateboard beneath her feet where his lips twisted upwards. "Master Lin don't do well tardiness so we gotta move."

"I'm not going anywhere with you," (Y/N) uttered quickly, turning around the boy as she leaned heavily on one side of the skateboard. "As I said to your green-haired freak of a friend, this is an assignment you're gonna have to fail."

A loud scoff rang out from the taller boy. "Don't let any of the Rats hear you speaking about one of their own like that. They're known to not be as friendly as I am."

"I'll keep that in mind," (Y/N) said dryly, her (E/C) eyes half-hooded as she circled the boy. "Note to self, if you ever see someone looming in the dark, ask them if they are a Rat are not. It will certainly work out well in your favour."

A bemused chuckle left the boy's mouth as his shoulders bunched up and his head lowered. He reached up to pluck the toothpick from his mouth and flick it somewhere behind himself. "You're going to have to drop the attitude. That's the sort of thing that gets you killed in King's Dominion."

"Well, as I said to your Rat friend," (Y/N) began, not bothering to look over her should as she escaped from the boy as she already knew he would be lent against the wall behind him, "Master Lin's gonna have to learn that he ain't gonna get everything he wants."

"I would congratulate you for your bravery if what just left your mouth wasn't complete stupidity," The boy called out, not bothered by the ignorance he got in return. "Good luck escaping this one kid. No one gets away from Master Lin."

(Y/N) tried not to pay any mind to what the boy had said, attempting to let the words go through one ear and out the other. But the warnings she got from both strangers were daunting. Once was a coincidence but twice was an omen. And it didn’t take long until that omen was put into play.

Coming to a quick stop, the skateboard whipped out from under her feet as something knocked (Y/N) off her feet after rounding a corner. As she came crashing down a tall boy with blonde hair made his presence known. He spoke with a thick accent as he said, “We were told you were a Legacy, but I don’t see anything but a Rat.”

“Are you sure we’ve got the right girl?” Another voice spoke up with a just as thick accent. Coming to stand next to the taller dude was a girl with curly blonde puffed-up hair. She wore a cheerleader outfit with two dark-shaded pom-poms resting on her hips. “I’m not one to say Master Lin is wrong but this can’t be the girl everyone’s throwing a hissyfit over.”

“Would hate to agree with the emo cheerleader,” (Y/N) started as she stood from the ground, eyes landing on where the skateboard had fallen before looking up at the two blondes in front of her again. The girl had a glare on her face as she watched (Y/N), the title not sitting well with her. “But I think you and your other friends running around have to reevaluate who your stalking and threatening to kidnap.”

"We ain't going to have to kidnap you if you follow along willingly," The girl spoke up, popping a hip to the side as she stared expectedly at (Y/N).

"You see, as much as I would love to make this easy for you both," (Y/N) started to circle the two of them, stopping once she was at their sides and they had turned to face her. Trying to keep the attention on her face, she slowly stretched a foot out until it bumped into the skateboard lightly. Lifting her foot up until it rested on top of the board, she slowly pulled it back towards her. "I was taught not to go with people I don't know. You know, stranger danger."

The girl scoffed while the guy's face seemed to lift slightly. "There is no need to worry about strangers. I assure you, if you are the Legacy Master Lin claims for you to be, I am positive we will be far more than strangers."

"Ew, gross," (Y/N) shook her head, face twisting into disgust as she backed away from him with a few stumbled steps. "As enlightening as this whole interaction has been, I'd much rather decline and be on with my day."

"That's not going to happen, sweetie," The girl said stepping forward. With her steps, her hands moved from her hips, her pom-poms growing two large blades out of each one. (Y/N)'s eyes quickly flickered down to the spikes, taking a gulp as they seemed to glint in the streetlights. "We're allowed to take you back using whatever means necessary, and if that means by force… then so be it."

(Y/N) didn't need to wait another second to figure out what that means. Turning and launching herself onto the skateboard and onto the pathway. Thinking back to her earlier plans, (Y/N) starts to migrate her way back to the more crowded places of San Francisco. Maybe then she would finally be able to escape the several advances of strange teenagers and Master Lin, whomever that may be.

The pair of blondes must have been prepared for (Y/N) to make a run for it since they weren't too far behind her. The skateboard didn't act as much help and she probably would have been better off legging it herself but there was no time to jump off and hope for the best.

At the first sight of a large crowd of people, (Y/N) could feel some relief starting to creep up inside of her. That hope quickly diminished as something sharp pierced through her shoulder. She didn't scream but a deep disgruntled sound tore through her throat as she fell from the skateboard, crashing into a few pedestrians that gave her disgusted looks as they went barreling down with her.

Climbing to her knees, (Y/N) pushed herself up quickly. She crawled forward a step before she was tripping over her feet to stand once again. People parted the way for her as a hand craned back to wrap around one of the blades that had lodged in close to one of her shoulder bones. A steadying breath was taken as she began to inch the blade from her flesh. She kept walking as she tried to pull it out, stuttering in her steps every once in a while as she fought down a wince and had to pause in her movements. When a coalesced hand gripped hers, she turned around quickly, ready to see one of the attendants she had already run into that night. "I wouldn't do that if I were you."

"What?" (Y/N) questioned as she focused on the boy that had come up behind her. He had dark curly hair that was cut into a short mullet. He wore a black long-sleeved shirt and some jeans, something plain to blend in. In one of his hands was the skateboard (Y/N) had discarded earlier.

"Pulling the weapon that punctured you from the wound," He said as he carefully tore (Y/N)'s hand away from the blade stuck in her shoulder. "It's like basic knowledge at this point."

"I think I was more concerned about getting away from the two lunatics that were chasing after me." (Y/N) watched with narrowed eyes as she pulled her hand away from the boy. "And why do you sound so calm? Anyone else would be a bit more worried about the massive chunk of steel sticking out of my back…"

"Well…" The boy said, bringing a hand up to scratch at the back of his neck.

"You're one of them, aren't you?" The words came out like venom, already backing away from the boy as her hand shot back up to clutch at her shoulder while her head tipped back so she could stare up at the sky. "Why won't you and the rest of your Rat and Legacy friends leave me alone?"

"If it makes you feel any better, you were able to avoid Saya and Maria last night. They didn't come back to King's Dominion until lunch today because they didn't want to be failed," The boy offered the information to (Y/N), trying to smile in some form of reassurance. All the boy got in return was the annoyed stare of (Y/N) as she began to turn away from him. With hurried steps to keep up with (Y/N), the boy said, "Of course that wouldn't make you feel better. Look, I know I'm probably one of the last people you want to trust, but if you let me take you back to King's Dominion-"

"Absolutely not," (Y/N) exclaimed, effectively cutting the boy off. She shook her head as she waved a hand at the boy, trying to shrug him off. "I've been running away from people trying to drag me to that place. Why would I willingly go with you of all people?"

"Because we have healers," The boy said exasperated. One of his hands jotted forward to reach out for (Y/N) but stopped at the large flinch on her part when he got too close. "I'm not saying you have to stay, hell you could be out of there as soon as the medics are done with you. But you'll have a better chance of coming with me than you will be trying to get help at a hospital.

When (Y/N) couldn't think of anything to say, the boy took it as his signal to keep on speaking.

"I was just like you once, okay? Scared and living on the street, on the run from cops and anyone who got too close. King's Dominion is far from a home or somewhere safe, but if you're willing, you can find yourself fitting in with the right group of people and making something for yourself there," It wasn't the lecture (Y/N) wanted to hear but it seemed to knock some sense into (Y/N)'s head. “Yeah, most of the people there are scum-sucking ducks, and the teachers couldn’t care less if you got poisoned or shot at, but at least you’ll have a future there. And hey, maybe in a month or two you’ll get to be the one chasing kids down the street trying to recruit them into this secret society where they could go and work for NASA even.”

“What does NASA have to do with any of this?” (Y/N) questioned with furrowed brows, allowing the boy to get a little closer to her and place a steadying hand on her back near the puncture wound.

“More than you think,” He laughed. (Y/N) turned to him, trying to arch one of her brows to show her confusion, only getting a shake of the boy's head as if signalling it was for another time. "I'm Marcus."

"(Y/N)," She says, allowing Marcus to push her forward and lead her King's Dominion, keeping an eye out for any of the strange faces she had run into previously that night. "You know your little rant wasn't very effective if you were hoping to get me to stay at King's Dominion."

"Yeah, the more I spoke the more I began to realise that." No one seemed to care much for the blade sticking out of (Y/N)'s back, passing by as if there wasn't a thing wrong with the image. (Y/N) couldn't decide if that was a good thing or if it was alarming how much people were willing to ignore what was right in front of them. "But I was inspirational, wasn't I?"

"Oh, very," (Y/N) concluded, a scruff of a smile appearing on her face. "Had the troops rallying. Could barely contain my excitement to get to this place where I'll have scum-sucking kids drooling over me and knobs of a teacher cursing me to do homework that will hopefully get us all killed"

"Don't be surprised if that's their objective," He warned before abruptly turning into a food store where a few people were already waiting. As (Y/N) followed after him, a question on the tip of her tongue as she stepped into the store which quickly dissolved as she saw some familiar faces.

"Hey Marcus, you got my skateboard back," The green-haired boy from earlier yelled happily as he jumped off one of the tables he had comfortably taken a seat on. Bounding over he extracted the board from Marcus before looking over at (Y/N). "I thought Marcus may have been able to woo you over here. I get it, I'm not your type. At least Lex wasn't able to get to you and bloody you up too badly."

"I wouldn't say that," Came the voice (Y/N) grew to find annoying. The same bush of blonde hair came wandering over, plucking the blade from (Y/N)'s shoulder, earning a gargled-out wince from the (H/C) haired girl as a hand shot up to apply pressure to the now exposed wound. Thick welts of blood began to smear across her fingers as she was guided through the store. "I think I did a pretty dandy job of giving her her first King's Dominion scar."

A scorn flashed across (Y/N)'s face as Marcus kept her moving, pushing her away from the blonde girl. It was then that her attention was caught by a boy with poorly bleached hair that he had been able to spike up. "Looks like you were able to strike out before me Marcus, good work there chap."

An uncertain familiarity took over (Y/N) at the sight of the boy. She found herself going out on a limb and asking, "Are you the famous Lex that greasy over there was going on about all night?"

"Someone been talking about me?" Lex asked with a bemused grin, eyes skittering around the room.

At the same time as Lex spoke, the green-haired boy yelled out, "My hair is not greasy!"

"Oh, I'm gonna like this one," Lex announced before he started to walk to the backdoor of the small building. "Now, you've been keeping Master Lin waitin' a long time. You ready to meet the man and be turned into a killer?"

Despite herself, (Y/N) found herself looking back at Marcus. She was either seeking out his reassurance or guidance, something she wasn't sure why she was doing. His shoulders quickly raised in an act of surrender. He spoke lowly, almost a whisper like it was a secret between them, "Don't look at me."

Turning back around to face Lex, she found him leaning against a door with a sign on it that read staff only. The boy with green hair was standing next to him while the other three he had seen earlier were standing slightly out of the way, waiting for her answer.

"Lead the way," She settled on saying.

[hades--baby]

It Will Come Back || Chapter One

Summary: Lieutenant Colonel Frost had retired from the military years ago, feigning that old age and twenty years worth of service had finally caught up to her. In reality, it was the loss of her entire task force that had urged her to bring her military career to an end. Retirement had been treating Frost quite well, but when it came to light that Vladimir Makarov was free from the gulag he was meant to spend the rest of his miserable days, she wondered if retirement was still the best option for her.

The man who had taken out her entire team was running free while she was stuck at home, twiddling her thumbs.

Thankfully, after meeting the estranged woman through a mutual friend, John Price made it his personal mission to make sure that Makarov was brought to justice and that Frost played a part in the process.

Chapter Content Warning: Canon Typical Violence, PTSD, Military Jargon, Reader uses she/her pronouns

Note: This was originally posted as an OC fic, but I decided that I wanted it to be a reader fic instead haha--hope you guys enjoy!

|| this work was also posted on my ao3 account: hades_baby ||

Word Count: 2279

The cozy cabin that Kate Laswell had just let herself into was damn near silent, save for the sound of running water that was coming from the bathroom just down the hall. She eyed the thin line of light and wisping steam that seeped from the gap beneath the door, suddenly regretting letting herself in with the key that she had been given long ago by her dear friend. 

She knew that it was probably a bad idea to drop in like this; completely unannounced and with a stranger tagging close behind.

But alas, Kate was feeling antsy and when no one had opened the door after her third round of incessant knocking, she decided to take matters into her own hands.

This was probably the first time that John Price had ever seen Laswell fiddle so nervously with her hands. The usually stoic yet kind Station Chief had always been steady and hardened from all the years of service and bullshit she had witnessed throughout her entire career, but stepping into whoever’s home they were currently in was enough to make her fidget with a sense of anxiety. Price hadn’t a proper clue of who they were meant to be meeting—Laswell never mentioned who they were, only that they could potentially serve to be an important part in hunting down Makarov. 

He trailed close behind the shorter woman of authority as they crept through the dim lit house together. The only thing he could properly hear was the water of a shower running somewhere nearby, a fire crackling in the living room to his left, and the rustling of the snowy forest that the cabin was set in. He wanted to question why they hadn’t just waited at the door for whoever was inside to greet them or why they were so secretly creeping throughout the cozy looking home. 

There were a lot of questions he wanted to ask, but he knew that he wouldn’t get an answer unless Kate believed that they were dignified a response.

They continued to sneak through the main hall that led from the front door to the rest of the house, only stopping when John’s heavy boot creaked against a part of the gorgeous hardwood flooring. Laswell glanced back at him and the look she gave him nearly forced an apology out of his mouth for making any sort of noise, but the words were caught in his throat as he felt the cool muzzle of a gun press against the back of his head. The chilled metal rested nicely at the base of his skull where his beanie didn’t manage to cover. He froze for a moment before ever so carefully glancing over his own broad shoulder to see who had successfully snuck up on him. 

A woman close to Kate’s height was standing there, hair dripping with water, and a dark green towel wrapped firmly around her figure. Droplets of water fell from the ends of her hair and onto the parts of her skin that the towel didn’t manage to hide away. Her piercing eyes stared into his own and he couldn’t help but feel absolutely entranced by her. 

There was something about her that fully enraptured his mind and soul. 

Or perhaps it was just the gun in his face that was causing such hyperfixation. 

The pistol aimed at his head was balanced steadily in her hands. She had backed away a singular step so the muzzle wasn’t pressed right up against his head anymore, making it more difficult for him to disarm her efficiently without the possibility of the weapon going off. 

Not that he thought that it would actually come down to that. 

At least, he hoped that it didn’t actually come down to that. 

“Frost,” Laswell greeted kindly. 

“Kate,” she greeted back, not daring to take her eyes off of Price. “The fuck are you doing in my house this late at night?”

“I had a proposition for you and wanted to see if you’d be interested. Thought it might entice you enough to rethink your retirement,” Kate said, putting on a smile in hopes of easing her friend. 

“Rethink retirement? Funny,” she said dryly. 

John felt that both of the women were acting far too casual for him to still have a gun aimed at his face. His head was still twisted around in an awkward way as he kept his gaze on her, flicking down to the gun every few moments. Frost hadn’t flinched a bit, nor had her hands faltered. 

She remained steady as fucking rock and that’s what troubled him. 

“And who’s this?” she finally asked, tipping the gun down a bit as a gesture to him. 

“Captain John Price. I’ve been working with him for a while now,” Kate introduced. “He’s a SAS operative with a task force under his command. Someone that I trust with my life.”

John nodded his head once in acknowledgement, unsure of whether he should say anything in fear that the woman might just shoot him for simply opening his mouth.  

“Wonderful to meet you, Captain,” she said, finally lowering her gun and straightening herself out of the stance she had hunkered down in. She clicked the safety on and Price felt like he could breathe again. “Well, feel free to make yourselves at home. Kettle should still be hot and there’s some tea stashed in the kitchen. I’m gonna go finish having a shower.”

And with that, she walked past the both of them and into the confines of the bathroom, closing the heavy wooden door shut. 

John finally relaxed, looking back at Laswell with furrowed brows. 

“That’s who we’re supposed to be meeting?” he asked in bewilderment. 

“Lieutenant Colonel Frost. One of the best in the game,” she said, nodding her head as she recalled old memories of her friend’s achievements in the field. “Or she was one of the best in the game. She retired a few years back.”

“Lieutenant Colonel?” he questioned, not quite believing in the words she had just spoken. The woman that had just shoved a gun in his face moments ago looked a little too young to even be a Captain, let alone a bloody Lieutenant Colonel. “Girl looks young enough to have just been promoted to Staff Sergeant.”

Laswell visibly winced. 

“I’m sure she’d appreciate you thinking that she still looks good for her age, but I wouldn’t let her hear you say all that. Might have that gun pointed at your face again sooner than you’d like,” she said as she made her way into the kitchen. 

Price followed. 

Laswell took out a few mugs from the cupboard and started making tea for the three of them. There was a sense of comfortability that she had moving about the house. He could tell that she’d been here before more than she was letting on. 

“You never told me why we needed her for the job,” he said, hoping to get some answers for the questions that had been swimming in his head for the entire drive to the cabin. 

“Let’s just say that she had a bad experience with Makarov in the past. I just thought I’d let her know that she might have the chance to bring him to justice after all these years,” she answered, shrugging her shoulders. “If anyone’s going to be motivated to bring him in, it’s her.”

“You also didn’t mention that she was retired.”

“I didn’t mention a lot of things about her, John,” she said with a sigh, rolling her eyes along with her words. 

And that was his sign that it was time for him to stop asking questions. 

But he couldn’t help but sneak one more in. 

“How old is she?” he asked. 

“Around my age,” she answered. 

The rank made sense now. 

The bathroom door opened and Frost walked into the kitchen soon after. She had proper clothes on this time around, hair still wet but no longer dripping. Laswell turned with a smile and handed her a cuppa before handing once to Price as well. 

“Thanks,” Frost muttered quietly as she took the mug and made her way into the living room. She found herself settling comfortably in her usual dark green armchair while John settled in the one set right across from her. Laswell took her usual place on the plush couch between them. 

The living room was charming in its own way. 

There were two matching armchairs that were placed on either side of the toasty brick fireplace that was already roaring with bright flames, a plush couch set right in front of it with a coffee table to match, and a few full wooden bookshelves that lined the walls from floor to ceiling. 

Price wouldn’t mind living there. 

It was an ideal home in his eyes. 

He supposed that he couldn’t blame her for retiring and settling down in a quaint cabin in the middle of nowhere.

“So,” Frost started, taking a sip of her steaming tea before continuing. “What do you want?”

“I’ve got a job proposition for you,” Kate started.

“Clearly,” she said, flashing her brows for a mere second. 

“I’m hunting someone.”

“You always are, Kate,” she quipped, taking yet another sip of tea. 

Price hadn’t even thought to touch his cuppa yet. He’d been so taken in by the woman sitting in front of him. She was seemingly so uninterested in whatever they had to say. Frost had one of the most interesting and powerful CIA agents sitting in front of her and she didn’t seem to care.

“It’s Makarov.”

Frost flicked her eyes away from her tea and up to Kate. She didn’t offer any sort of sarcastic quip this time around. She simply stared, wondering if Kate was telling the truth or just trying to put a stopper in her inattentive disposition. 

“Makarov?” she questioned. 

Kate nodded. 

The three of them sat in silence for a few moments. 

John watched her expression carefully—or lack thereof, should he say. There was barely a glint in her eyes that would be able to tell him what she was thinking. It wasn’t until she opened her mouth that he knew what was going on in her mind. 

“I appreciate the offer, but I’m not coming back. Even if it’s for that Russian piece of shit,” she said, shaking her head. “I can’t.”

“Can’t or won’t?” Kate probed playfully. 

“Pick your poison.”

“Well, if you change your mind, you know how to reach me,” Kate said, shrugging her shoulders as she stood. Frost rose to her feet as well. John was the last to stand, a bit confused and a little nonplussed. 

“This could have been a phone call,” she said. 

“Don’t know if you’ve noticed, but you don’t actually answer your phone when anyone calls,” Kate said, quirking her head to the side with a smile. “Last I checked, your landline is disconnected too.”

“Fair point.” The women embraced each other in a warm hug. “Tell the missus I said hello.”

“I will,” Kate said as she pulled away. “She misses you.”

Frost then turned to John. 

“Wonderful meeting you, Captain Price. Hope you two have a safe trip back home, wherever that is,” she said, flashing a quick smile out of courtesy. 

John felt as if he had just gotten complete whiplash from how quick the entire interaction was. He had just sat down, yet they were already leaving. Kate simply rolled over the moment Frost said no and that was supposed to be it? 

He held his hand out to her. 

“Likewise, Lieutenant Colonel,” he said, nodding his head. 

Frost hated when people called her that, especially now that she was retired. Nevertheless, she took his hand in hers and gave it a firm squeeze. 

And with that, the two of them left. 

“What the hell was that?” he asked the second the front door shut behind them. 

“That was how a typical interaction with Frost usually goes now that she’s reached her older years of not giving a shit about what people think,” she said as she shoved her hands into the pockets of her coat in an attempt to stay warm in the snowy weather. 

Older years. 

Price still thought she looked younger than him. 

“She used to be a spitfire when she was younger, but a situation with Makarov extinguished that side of her,” she continued. 

“Still kind of seems like a spitfire from what I saw,” he muttered as he snuggly pulled his beanie over the tops of his ears. “The situation with Makarov… Is that why she’s all business then?”

“Partially.”

“What happened between them?”

Kate was quiet for a few long moments, wondering if she should say anything. She knew that if she didn't say anything now, John would just go looking for answers himself. 

She sighed. 

“Frost had a task force just a little bigger than yours. Some bad intel led to a mission going south and Makarov and his men ended up taking out her entire team. She’s the only one that made it out that day. Walked away from that one with a lot of nasty scars,” Laswell explained, trying to keep it short in an attempt to spare him the gruesome details. 

“She was the only survivor?”  

She hummed in confirmation. 

Mental and physical scars then, he figured. 

They walked through the forest in silence after that, slowly trekking back to the end of the driveway where their truck was parked. 

“The gun to the face was a nice touch,” he muttered gruffly. 

Kate smiled and looked over at him. 

“Thought you’d think so.”

[lovelykhaleesiii]

Guurll I saw your requests are open and 1. I LOVE YOUR STUFF (esp. Aemond related but I sort of became an Aegon girlie thx to u). and 2. I love me some Aemond angst so here's my idea, I know is not original and probably there is something similar out there but hey, it is original in my head and I'm sure your talented hands will turn it into a bomb as always :)) - Aemond is married to this badass, sarcastic but super loving woman who loved him from the first glance and would do anything for him. Problem is, the war came, he left for Harrenhal and while he's away she finds out she pregnant; but what she also finds is about his whereabouts with Alys and she literally turns crazy heartbroken and angry, loses the child (if you're not ok with this please leave it out) but still informs her family they need to support him and this is how he survives the "dance". Aemond finds out about the shit he caused and feels shitty to say the least. He comes back home, his wife doesn't want to have anything to do with him and he tries to make amends and put the pieces back together. So basically angst lvl 9000 with slight fluff at the end. Please feel free to play with this as you see fit and remember I just gave you my heart for giving me the chance to send this in!!:X:X

The Spoils of Lies

PAIRING: Aemond Targaryen x fem!Wife!Reader, Aemond Targaryen x Alys Rivers [implied]

WORDS: 1,863.

WARNINGS: mentions of adultery, mentions of pregnancy/miscarriage, mentions of grief/mourning, brief reference to suicidal thoughts.

A/N - ugh I am a sucker for angst, nonnie!!! this concept makes me so wild for Aemond, cause he’s always presenting himself as a dutiful, loyal being. but he fucked up big time here 👀 also thank you x my agenda is to make people feral over both Targ boys! and thank you for the kind words nonnie, hope I did your request justice ♥️

If there was an earthly possibility you could rewind the clock, turn back time itself with your bare hands, to a moment you were the happiest, you would in a heartbeat. A moment in time where you found yourself in the warm, familiar embrace of your devoted husband, Aemond Targaryen, the intense feeling of your heart being full of sheer affection and love.

Although, many would agree, mixed with the fate of the Targaryens, good things could never truly last… And that was no exception to your marriage with the Prince Regent.

Aemond made no hesitation in deciding to fight the resistance against his elder brother’s throne, often declaring and meeting such treachery, punishable by death. With much inevitability, Aemond would be absent, gone for months on end, away from your company with nothing but lengthy distance separating you both.

And much to your luck, a few months prior to Aemond having to leave, the Gods had blessed you dearly with the heartfelt news that you were with child... Aemond had always been eager to start his own family, especially after being betrothed to you.

"Our child shall be blessed with his or her father's resilience and its mother's grace and wit... Rest assured, my love, I shall return for the birth. What kind of a father would I be to miss the birth of their firstborn, let alone not be present to hold you?"

Aemond had you strategically relocated and confined under secure protection of some desolate keep in the Reach, not even your relatives being aware of your whereabouts.

Yet as the arduous days lingered on, the small talk of warfare that would often waft into your listening ear, began to dissolve with soft wisps of a young Prince taking the favour of some woman began to stir. Initially, you presumed the Prince in discussion could practically be anyone… Prince Daemon, Prince Jacerys, mayhaps even Prince Daeron. Aemond’s involvement was the least of your concern, that was until someone had mentioned in conjunction to such gossip, that the woman in reference, had resided in Harrenhal.

Harrenhal, where Aemond himself, as far as you had been informed, was his current whereabouts, where he was supposed to find himself undertaking decree over the hostage traitors.

Such rumours, the vile accusations [or so you had naively convinced yourself to believe] had spread to the concerned ears of your immediate relatives. Immediately you were determined to set the record straight, sending ravens with letters, adamant on reassuring your relatives, that your solid stance as well as theirs was to remain faithful to Aemond and the succession of his elder.

"Do not to indulge in the horrendous lies, spread about by the foes, themselves."

Little did you know, your words would come to haunt you with the terrible truth, and consequences with it...

"Just tell me the truth of it, Aemond. You need not deny what others have confirmed."

Sighing, Aemond shook his head incessantly, looking down at his shuffling feet against the solid concrete, leaning himself defeatedly over the creaking, wooden chair.

"Just have the decency to speak the truth!" Infuriated and exhausted, one hand resting over the slight curve of your once prominent, rounded belly, now aching with a dull pain, the other slamming against the oak desk of some private, council chamber.

"I-I... I cannot."

The swell of hot tears begin to cloud your clear vision, as your face grimaces in a fusion of rage, sorrow and grief... As the gossip began to churn from whispers to outright concern, many lords and ladies in calling, had reluctantly granted your persistent questioning with their own testimonies. Each testimony, aligned with the other, and you spared yourself knowing any further beyond the truth that Aemond had bedded a strange woman, by the name Alys... That he had fallen for her, sparring her from death, only to remain by her side, than yours...

You found yourself, constantly enraged and stricken with the raw agony of heartache, clutching at your breast, and another at your belly, where your once growing babe was protected inside. Constant tears falling across your cheek, as you struggled to breath, incompetent to find rest. Your body grew weaker without the slumber, your appetite diminished or repressed, you could not say, yet you found yourself scarcely replenished. That was until the dreadful night, you felt a hot ooze, pooling from between your inner thighs. Hiking your modest gown up, only to find your fingers glazed with a crimson red, a sharp lightening of pain shooting from your stomach towards your bloodied entrance.

"Th-The baby-"

That night was a gruesome one indeed, that only ended with greater devastation. You did not think your heart could take any more anguish, hoping that the torturous labour would end your own meaningless life in the process. Yet, the Gods willing, you found yourself awake by dawn. With only having spent a day to recover and recuperate, you made the sole decision to seek Aemond out for yourself. Against the wise advice of the maesters and your ladies, they had succumbed to your wishes, only implying they arrange the travels for you, as means to lessen the burden.

During the journey, you found yourself soaked in your own thoughts, with moments of silence and numbness in between, to spare you from the hurt. In time, you had safely arrived, only to be met with Aemond's shock and false excitement.

Sparing no time for him to devise a plan, you spat of what you knew, with Aemond harshly ushering you to where you stood now.

"Ahh- So the husband who spoke of honour and duty, seems to have his tongue tied, just as a coward would incline to denial..."

"Y/N- m-my love, ñ-ñuha ōños [my light]-" Aemond's blatant stutter on his low words, was a sight you had never witnessed before, plucking at your heartstrings.

"Sh-She is a renowned witch. One that had deceived me so. I-I did what I did, not out of love but of craft... Deceit. M-My true love, Y/N-"

He strides over to you with a swiftness that caught you off-guard, too late to back away in defence. His calloused hand reaches over, gripping your soft palm tightly, his thumb stroking your skin.

"It has always been you, ābrazȳrys [wife]. I need you to believe me, just this once, even if it is against the world, I ask too much of you, I know."

"A-Aem please, you have no idea-"

"You came all this way in your condition to see me, to hear the truth... This is my truth, Y/N."

Aemond promptly fell to his knees, tugging your arm towards him, you weakly tried to resist, yet failed to pull away. His defined lips instinctively kissed over your tender skin, trailing up your arm ever so slowly, sending chills to coarse through your spine.

"Aem-"

"Please Y/N... I wouldn't dare to live with myself if it meant you alone in the world, you alone hating me for the troubles I have done untoward you and our precious babe."

The babe... Your mind caught in a haste with Aemond's overwhelming presence, drifted from the fact you were no longer with child.

"I-I lost the babe, Aem... Last night. I-I bled-"

Halting in his affections, Aemond's viable eye remained fixated onto your stomach, as your hand instinctively planted itself against the silk fabric, rubbing at your empty womb. Silence drowned the room, only the faint depth of Aemond's staggering, dense breath could be heard.

"A-Aemond-" You breathlessly whimper, pulling your hand away from his loosened grip, as your fingers reassuringly comb through his delicate, neat strands.

"Y-You lost the babe... W-Was it because of- Me?"

You took a few sparing seconds to decipher whether to respond truthfully or to sugar-coat your response. In the moment of hearing the cold, hard truth, you wanted nothing more than to rid yourself free of Aemond and his cruelty. At one point in your trek, you felt the slightest temptation to disappear, bribing the driver to take the wrong turn only to cease your existence in Aemond's life altogether. Although considering the rawness of the situation, the truth was what you came for, and was what you intended to speak of.

"Th-The maesters believe, it was the-ugh- strain of the spoils of the war. They believe that I-I was under great stress, the babe simply could not cope."

Aemond's handsome face fell towards the floor, the swaying of his hair in motion to the shaking of his head, in utter disbelief. The stinging tears once more existent, streaked across your flustered face.

No further words echoed through Aemond, nor could you endorse the courage in yourself to speak. His lean arms snaked around your waist firmly, pulling your feeble frame closer towards him, burying his face against you.

Although muffled, you could discern the sobbing cries of Aemond's pain, triggering your own mournful cries once more. A few minutes passed, until he could gather himself, persistently pleading his apology to you, over and over again.

"It is all my fault. I-I had neglected you for far too long, failing my duty to devote myself to you, Y/N as a husband and as a father. I failed to uphold the vows I spoke of to you. Because of my weak mind, I killed our child."

The brutality in his words, his whimpering tone, and shaken hands as you released his embrace, cupping his wet cheeks, as you leaned towards him.

"You did not kill our child, Aem... The Gods can be cruel, just as they can be merciful... I, too, can be merciless. I could ask that you bid me free from the clutches of duty as your wife. And yet... I can be just as forgiving-"

"Tell me the truth of it, Aemond... Do you wish to keep me as your wife? To never again leave me to ponder and suffer in the whirlpool of vicious lies and gossip."

Aemond's doeful eye eagerly gazes up towards, a fleeting shimmer of yearning glistened across his blackened pupil.

"Yes, yes, of course, ābrazȳrys [wife]. You bless me once again with your everlasting kindness. A kindness that I am undeserving of. Ride with me on dragon-back. I want to go home, I want to be with you now."

"And what of the witch? What if she tempts you again? I cannot bear to go through this again, Aemond. Spare me that."

Proudly standing once more to his sturdy feet, his fingers now interlocked with yours lovingly.

"I shall have her head, if it pleases you my dearest. Punishment by death on the account that she con a royal Prince into adultery."

The familiar, stern tone that would adorn your ears like sweet honey to your lips, finally returned, subtly easing the ache in your heart. Earning a faint, warm smile scorned across your pretty face, Aemond lowered his head towards your height, planting a soft kiss across your forehead.

"I promised my sword to you, I promised my love to you, I promised my life to you. I intend to keep those promises till the end of my days."

general taglist [bold means I could NOT tag you] - @evenstaris @chompchompluke @fan-goddess @malfoytargaryen @hightowhxre @bibli0thecary @m1ndbrand @connorsui @elegantsplendour @randomdragonfires @sylasthegrim @arcielee @s-we-e-t-t-ea @sahvlren @aemondtargaryensrider @watercolorskyy @hypnos-daughter-certified @urmomsgirlfriend1 @backyardfolklore @snowprincesa1

Aemond taglist - @megatardisbaby @harrypotteranna23-blog

credit for dividers - @/firefly-graphics

[stuck-in-the-ghost-zone]

hi!!!! kicks my feet id like to see ur wiwi first death thoughts pls

- @suckinitup

MY BELOVED MUTUAL SUCKINITUP HOW ARE YOU. HEAD IN HANDS. I LOVE WILLIAM WISP. FUCK. i think abt him constantly but i almost never write down my thoughts because if i think abt him for too long i make myself sick. like fr. i love him too much. ouuguhghhg going to just straight copy paste this under a cut because it is SO LONG sorry for any typos or sentences that sound weird out of context bc these were originally discord messages:

ohhhhhhh wiwi first death. god . i have so many fucking emotions about wiwi first death. before i get into this im going to say fork found in kitchen to myself because so much of how i view wiwi comes from a VERY SPECIFIC type of dp fanon that it would take me 12 years to actually explain in detail so im gonna say just trust me and understand that william wisp is literally just a fuckign. walmart rebrand of a type of danny characterization i really wish people would just oc-ify (thank you charlie slimecicle for doing this for me)

okayyyyyy okay okay okay. i love there being like. a STARK fucking difference between william before the fall and william after the fall. william before the fall was so much... brighter. in every sense of the word. he looks ALIVE because he is! hes just a . regular fuckign 16 yr old boy. that weird kid in your math class. and yeah he has . suuuuper undiagnosed untreated depression but like its a small rural town thats normal i think. hes got his little group of friends to spend hours with going on cool hikes and reading about the paranormal at the library and sitting in circles talking about conspiracy theories and things. i think UPP is. awesome. i hesitate to get too attached to them in headcanon world just because i dont want bizly to then introduce us to them in s3 and i have to reframe my whole mindset . whatever. i have vague ideas of who they are but the important bit is like. i just think theyre really good friends. and they spend a lot of time together. and william is kind of their defacto leader because... he is the only one of them who actually has truesight. they all believe in ghosts and monsters and stuff but william is the only one who can actually SEE THEM. like. constantly. and thats a lot. and even though they believe him they dont really like.... understand. which kind of makes william feel disconnected from basically everyone around him at all times. i dont think truesight is probably a well-known thing?? so when he was little and started crying to his parents about monsters they thought he just had bad night terrors and then he just................. hes 16 now and still talks about it (less so now, hes learned the horrors of middle- and hihg-school Shame and not to be Super Weird All The Time) so its more like. hmm theres something Wrong here but we dont know what and we dont know how to help. other people (you included ros) have said this better than me but goddddd you knowww the dynamic btwn william and his parents is rough. they love him! so much! and they want to support him! and william loves them too! but they dont GET IT they dont UNDERSTAND and its like. you know what i mean. when you get a mental health diagnosis and suddently everyone is treating you like youre made of glass and nobody really knows what to say around you anymore or whatever. you know what i mean. that.

ANYWAY ALL THIS IS FUCKING. PREAMBLE. GOD. the fall. man. i think there is a STRICT UPP rule of "dont go into the whispering woods alone" and thats the case for the ENTIRETY of their friendship. DONT go into the woods alone. william knows exactly what kind of shit lives in the woods and he knows hes the only one that can reliably see them and he doesnt want anyone to get hurt. MINIMUM of two members for whispering woods investigations. (this is not a town rule or anything. i think the adults of deadwood are aware that its a weird place but it all gets brushed off like . aha everywhere has quirks! and the UPP are like. the conspiracy kids that know the Real Stuff going on. very..... house of anubis is the closest Real Media vibe i can think of rn. UPP pre-fall is like the closest u will get to . scooby doo style monster of the week shenanigans that arent really super serious because theyre safe as they can be about it! bunch of kids doing a ouija board. you know how it is)

uhhhhhhh and then william starts acting weird! i think all of them are on a whispering woods investigation together and theyre all walking together and then william starts lagging behind, staring out at something none of them can see, kind of like. zoned out. tranfixed. and when theyre like "will what do you see?" he shakes his head and snaps out of it like. huh? what? nothing lets keep walking. (it was a wisp btw. obviously) and there are a couple more incidents of him doing this same thing on that one hike until eventually they decide to call it because theyre not finding anything else and tbh william youre kind of freaking us out here. will you be okay? and hes like yeah of course i will guys its nothing i swear. and then they all go home.

and thennnn without telling anyone a couple days later, william goes on a walk in the woods alone. he broke his OWN rule . on that hike he saw wisps and they were just too far away to see clearly off in the distance between the trees but he just Kept Seeing Them and the curiosity was just nagging and nagging away in his brain so much he had to know what they were (thats wisp magic babyyyy you know the mythology around them i dont need to explain that to you) . (and also there is a fair amount of. lack of self preservation because of the previously mentioned untreated unmanaged depression but if i start talking about that in detail i will overshare and also be soooooo emo forreal. know that that is an EXTREMELY important part of this decision but im also going with a little more of the teen mystery angle with this rn. bloody gory mental illness is for after he falls) so he packed his monster investigation backpack and he just. left. didnt even tell his parents he was going he just walked out of the house after school and went into the woods. and he saw the wisps again, but now that he was alone they were Closer and Brighter and they would move whenever he got close and then there was a trail of them ! like they were Leading him somewhere

and i think with some of the monsters he sees he can feel whetehr or not theyre out to hurt him . and the wisps dont feel like that. they feel... well. cold,becaue theyre ghosts, but also warm at the same time? inviting. they dont want to hurt him (they do) they just want to show him something and william "too curious for his own good" wisp wants to know what that thing is! i think he knows the woods really really well because he spends a lot of time out there. so somewhere far away in the back of his mind he kind of knows what theyre leading him toward. but he still jsut Has To Know, so he keeps jogging, keeps hopping over fallen logs and around low branches and theres always a little blue flame juuuuust out of reach so he keeps going . and then he gets to the cliff. its like a full on. burst out of the trees there is a wisp juuuust on the edge where the ground falls away. i think he trips on a root and falls flat on his stomach before he can completely just run off. it gives him a second to catch his breath, to look out and See where he is. for things to kind of come crashing down on him. if he hadnt tripped he wouldve run right off the edge and fallen and it was close enough of a near death experience for it to scare him. but the wisp is still there, and its the biggest brightest one hes seen yet and if he looks around he would see it looks like the entire forest behind him is glowing with tiny blue fires like theyre all watching him. i dont think hes really. thinking coherent thoughts at this point he just kind of. realizes now that hes out here he doesnt really want to go home. he doesnt want to go back to school, doesnt want to eat lunch in the bathroom and think about his brothers empty bedroom across the hall and have his parents look at him with such a weird mix of love and awkward pity and he knows his friends say they believe him but he can see it in their eyes sometimes that the things he says scares them and he really just has been a freak his whole life.... and he realizes as hes thinking all of this he's gotten to his feet and walked toward the wisp on the edge of the cliff. and hes just standing there feet on the very edge staring at it. its floated away now, hanging over the drop at eye level with him but its probably still close enough he could just... reach out.... and try to grab it...... and his feet slip on the rocks and JUST as he closes his hand around the wisp it almost feels like something pushes him (probably just the wind.. right?) and he falls.

he does Not remember hitting the bottom thank god. he remembers falling, and falling, and in the fall he realized he was still holding the wisp he grabbed in his hand and so he pulled it close to his chest as he fell and it almost felt like it was burning him but it was *cold* and .. then he woke up! he woke up in a misty foggy field in what looked to be the middle of the night but if he looks at the sky too long it looks *weird* its just black and empty and there are weird bluish swirls in it that could be clouds but look different, and there are trees in the distance but whenever he tries to walk toward them it feels like theyre moving the same distance away so it never really feels like hes getting anywhere.. and he trips over what he thinks is a rock and lands in the foggy grass and looks behind him and realizes *oh my god thats a gravestone-* and then he wakes up again, for real this time !!! (<< that scene is like. thats His Island. thats his lair or whatever. remember when mal first took him to the spirit world and they were in the graveyard and mal told him that was his. im going with dp style spirit world lairs and this one is williams. hear me out)

aaand. when he wakes up for real. he is at. the bottom of the cliff. EVERYTHING hurts. everything hurts so fucking badly but also everything is like... weirdly numb? and he doesnt really remember that weird dream with the fog and the trees and the grave its all kind of fading as he wakes up more and more and ... his hands are empty hes not holding the wisp anymore. he doesnt know how much time has passed. was any of that even real or did he just have some kind of nervous breakdown and jump off a fuckign cliff? i think he fucking sits there and cries about it for a loooooong time. and everythihng hurts but its gonna start getting dark soon he NEEDS to go home before it gets dark, his parents will start to worry about him and he doesnt want to do that to them. also he might need to get to a hospital or something but hey! he can move! he can stand up and walk! so he must not have any broken bones or anything he just. is bruised and sore probably. and so he. sooooo slowly. so slowly. makes his way back up the cliff (theres. a path. he doesnt have to climb i promise) and back home. alone. no wisps or anything, just william alone with his thoughts. which is . goddd its bad. thats why it takes him so long. ohhh my god what am i even gonna fucking say when i get there. hi mom and dad sorry i needed to clear my head and follow some weird ghosts and in the process i tried to kill myself and it didnt work? fuck?

so by the time he gets home... huh. the door is locked thats weird. its not fully dark yet and his parents know he stays out late with his friends a lot of the time so they usually leave the door unlocked for him. so he knocks. and his mom answers the door and takes one look at him and just fucking breaks down into tears. and so his dad comes in from around the corner to see whats going on and he starts crying too. and william is so. freaked out by this. guys whats wrong what happened. turns out he has been missing for. two weeks. nobody knew where he was or what happened and the woods are alive and weird and anyone who went out in a search part just ended up getting lost themselves and came back like an hour later with nothing. they thought he was dead. (which. i mean. he was. but like. not in the way they thought). so theres this big huge emotional family group hug or whatever with william all dirty with leaves and twigs in his hair and torn clothes and mud on his hands and feet and his mom and dad are just like oh thank god youre alive thank god youre home what happened to you and... man. euguhhhhahghhhh. emo. sorry. god. head in hands .

i thiiink. he kind of ends up telling them what happened. he leaves out the wisps though. his watered down version is.. i just needed to clear my head, i went out into the woods, i got lost, i tripped and fell. (remember how william downplays it for dakota when he asks. i tripped and fell) he doesnt tell them about the wisps but like. that almost makes it worse becuase they KNOW about his bad mental health even if they dont fully understand it and.... this version makes it sound suspiciously way more like it was just a direct suicide attempt. which. william IMMEDIATELY regrets as soon as it leaves his mouth. but thats his story now. so everything kind of... goes back to normal? normal ish??? as nrmal as they can i fucking guess?? for a couple days and he has to go back to school and. god it fucking sucks. gossip . you know how it is. hey that kid tried to kill himself and got lost in the woods for two weeks what a weirdo he freaks everyone out . that kind of stuff. so hes more isolated than EVER and even his friends wont really talk to him although theyre more... sad. than anything else. they just dont really know what to say. theyre teenagers. idk. uhhhhhh then one day he reallyreallly REALLY doesnt want to be somewhere so he hides in the bathroom and.. doesnt realize it at first but he goes invisible. and its not until a couple other kids come in and leave and dont acknowledge him at all that he notices something is weird (he feels bone chillignly cold but like. its a shitty old school building in the very beginnings of winter of course its gonna be cold) and he looks in the mirror and realizes he cant see himself. and after that more and more of his powers kind of. slowly manifest? and he is VERY bad at controlling them and he plans not to tell anyone at first (hes already enough of a freak) until one day his dad finds him like. halfway through the floor in his bedroom and its this . kind of funny ridicuous but also really scary moment. and william has a realization at some point like. oh. i think i *died*. and auughhghg. i think thats all i ahve for now. but . man. when i tell you i think about this soo fucking much man.

[666writingcafe]

Mammon's Greatest Fear

Author's Note: First of all, I'd like to apologize for not writing this sooner. Work and life in general has taken up a lot of my energy, and I want to make sure I'm delivering the quality you all are used to seeing from me.

Secondly, I wanted to flesh out the reason why MC goes on these mind trips with the NB!Demon brothers, because canonically it's a bit vague (in my opinion, anyway). Basically, I'm taking the original boogeyman scene in OG!Obey Me and adding more substance to it.

MC

I wake up in a brightly lit forest, confused as to how I've arrived here. The last thing I remember was...

Lunging at Lucifer.

Shit.

I'm sure he'll make me pay for it when I see him again.

If I see him again.

I have to figure out how to get out of here before I can even think about visiting Lucifer.

"Oh good! You're here!" My eyes soon meet those of a rather familiar-looking Little D.

"Number 2?" I ask, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes.

"The very same!" the yellow Little D exclaims. "Mister Barbatos wasn't sure that this would work, so he'll be glad to hear that everything's going according to plan!"

"You'll have to forgive me, but I have no idea what's going on." Number Two clasps his hands together.

"That's right; you were in lala land when the discussion happened."

"Forcibly, but yes."

"So, here's the short and sweet version: Mister Barbatos believes that Mammon's fear is makin' his sin go into hyper-overdrive, and since it seems to be affecting you as well, he's havin' me serve as a bridge between the two of you." Number Two closes his eyes as he recounts Barbatos' message, clearly making sure he's saying everything he needs to.

If I recall correctly, while there are lots of Little D's that have spawned as a result of the brothers succumbing to their sin, the original set--Numbers One through Seven--live at the castle.

And if they're the originals, then it's probably safe to assume they have the strongest mental connection to the brothers out of all the Little D's in existence.

Which means...

"We're inside Mammon's mind, aren't we?"

"Ding-ding-ding! Solomon said you'd pick up on it quickly. Now we just need to find Mammon and get him to snap out of it so that everything can return to normal!" Sighing, I get up and stretch. This certainly wasn't on my to-do list today, but if it'll help us quit feeling this way...

Number Two jumps up, forcing me to catch him and carry him in my arms as I begin walking.

"Am I allowed to ask you for some insight into Mammon's psyche, or am I supposed to figure everything out myself?" I ask.

"You know some things already," Number Two answers. "For example, this place should be very familiar to you." Taking a better look at my surroundings proves the Little D. correct.

We're traversing through part of the Celestial Realm's forest.

And just like that, everything clicks into place.

I ran. I don’t know for how long, but eventually I wound up deep in the woods, my lungs about to burst. I nearly collapsed against one of the trees as I began sobbing. I didn’t know what else to do.

If Lucifer didn't find him, Mammon would most likely still be in the woods, lamenting the loss of everything.

As it is, those few moments are some of the lowest points in his life. Not knowing if you belonged anywhere or if anyone gave a damn about your well-being...

I suddenly bump into something solid, nearly dropping Number Two. When I regain composure, however, nothing appears to be blocking my way.

"One of his walls," Number Two casually comments. "He must be close." Sure enough, just a few feet away sits Mammon at the base of a tree, sobbing his eyes out as dark wisps of smoke encircle him. The longer they swirl around him, the more upset he becomes.

"He can't see or hear anything past the barrier." Number Two's voice has become a lot deeper. "Unless you break it, there's nothing you can do to save him." His eyes darken, quickly matching the wisps of smoke. The next words to leave his mouth aren't his own.

Go crawl in a hole and die.

That's the first thing I heard Levi tell Mammon all those years ago at the start of the exchange program. As Number Two continues talking, it quickly becomes apparent that he's become a mouthpiece for the wisps of smoke, who are repeating every nasty thing that has been said to and about him.

Do I believe that he allows his sin to control his actions more often than he should? Yes. Does he come across as a self-absorbed douche-bag most of the time? Again, yes.

If I didn’t act this way, then people wouldn’t take me seriously. They’d abandon me.

It's a vicious cycle that I had to help Mammon slowly break in my timeline, but the wounds he's developed from it are still fresh here, making the cycle's grip that much stronger on him.

There has to be a way to get past this barrier. Tapping for weak points doesn't work. Must have some pretty strong magic keeping it together.

But is it stronger than mine?

Only one way to find out.

"Number Two, I don't know if you can hear me, but if you're able to choose what to repeat, find the most vile statements and hit me with them. If my voice is saying any of them, all the better."

My power is heavily tied to my emotions. The quickest way to tap into its full potential is to rile me up and make me lash out. Solomon and Asmo exploited this side of my magic once, but now I get to use it for my own benefit.

Hopefully.

Because otherwise, I have no idea how to get Mammon out of here.

~~~

I find myself flying upright, struggling to catch my breath. A sudden dizzy spell threatens to have me fall right back down again.

"Steady." A hand latches onto my arm, preventing me from tumbling off the bed.

"Open." I follow the voice's command, a warm liquid soon hitting the back of my throat. Tastes slightly better than cough syrup, but I can't complain too much, as it quickly helps me feel less disoriented.

"Better?" I nod my head. Glancing over to my right reveals Mammon in a similar position to mine.

"Did it work?" I ask, my voice sounding incredibly croaky.

"Hell yeah, it did!" Number Two excitedly pipes up. "You shattered that barrier into a million pieces! It was awesome!"

"So, Mammon's okay now?"

"He wouldn't have been able to wake up if he wasn't," Barbatos answers. He must have gave me the potion that kept me from fainting just now. "And neither would you. Still, I recommend that both of you take it easy for a couple of days to ensure a full recovery from the mind trip you went on."

"I'm sure it won't be the last one I go on." Barbatos wearily smiles.

"Don't worry about that right now. Focus on resting."

Taglist: @lost-in-time-wanderer, @fuzztacular, @dianedancer18, @sweetbrier2908, @flare-love, @completelyshatteredbrokenmschf, @thunderlightning351, @l3v1chan, @anxious-chick, @5mary5, @expressionless-fr, @tenkobitch, @budbuddnbuddy

[son1c]

I just wanna say, Gale gives so much Puss in Boots vibes. Like a really powerful renegade who recklessly wreaks havoc on evil (sorry I just wanted to use a bunch of Rs)

When the universe is restored (and the Chaos Emeralds brought back) what happens to him? How does he cope with losing (most?) of his powers? Does he join Sails as a regular pirate, and how does he end up feeling about Bermuda?

Also I love the shatterverse you came up with (Is it called Deepfreeze Domain, or is ther another name that encompasses all of it?), and Callisto especially! I'm assuming Callisto meets Prime!Sonic and Syzygy, Star and Aster meet Shadow? Just because I feel like Callisto would notice at least a little bit that Shadow looks like him, and he probably meets at least one of those guys. Although now that i think about it, Shadow might not immediately meet Syzygy, or maybe even meet him when Sonic shows up...

All of your shatterverse versions of Sonic and Shadow are So Cool!!! I really like how you changed some of the universe dynamics to fit them, especially with the extra worldbuilding for shadow's existence!

gale losing the emeralds causes him to fall ill. they'd been living inside his heart for his whole life, so their sudden absence sends his body into a shock of sorts... everything is different now. he's still got the wings, since they're a physical part of his body/mutation, but they're so much heavier than they once were. he has to relearn how to walk and how to fly. it's a big change for him. good thing he's stubborn!

he definitely spends more time around other people after the finale. kind of out of necessity. ofc, gale didn't WANT other people to see him in such a weakened state--but when the emeralds were returned to their rightful dimension, he was around other people. and he couldn't exactly flee afterwards, so...

gale isn't exactly HAPPY about being feverish and bedbound on the angel's voyage, since he's got a pretty nasty grudge against dread for his behavior, but he doesn't have a choice. at least sails is there to act as a peacemaker. and maybe during that time, gale would come to forgive him. after all, dread's changed. and changed for the better!

as for bermuda... that's a tougher egg to crack, for sure. originally, their relationship was "bitter enemies who want to kill each other". now though? might be more like intense rivals. gale might still threaten him though. and vice versa. what can i say? some things never change.

i do like to imagine a situation where after gale's recovered, bermuda finds him perched on some rocks somewhere and ofc gale is like immediately on the defensive but bermuda's like i'm not here for a fight. and bermuda offers him that same respirator he once gave to sonic because gale's been falling into the water more lately and "nothing is allowed to kill you but me"

gale snatches the respirator with a toothy grin and quips back "...can't have that, can we?" heh.

as for ur other questions, yeah i kinda just refer to my original shatterspace as deepfreeze domain collectively. i mean, they have the trophy, so they make the rules! lol. callisto and syzygy do interact with prime shadow and sonic. callisto even teams up with sonic for a wisp race at one point!

[galactic-aesir]

I have finally read I Have No Mouth And I Must Scream and now I have ~thoughts~. Long post beneath the cut so be warned!!

Plus general IHNMAIMS warnings. You know.

So first, I’ve only read the short story and listened to the radio drama. Both are absolutely amazing and I’m rotating them in my mind at high speeds. I’m honestly not that interested in the game? From what I’ve seen it has such a different tone and characterization for AM? But for now the short story and radio drama??? So so good.

But can I talk about AM? Can I talk about AM???

While I love Harlan Ellison’s voice in the radio drama, I noticed that AM never actually speaks during the original short story. It plays audio clips and bends reality and time but it doesn’t speak outright. From what I can tell, all it does is project ideas and thoughts and impressions into the minds of the survivors but that is it. And that’s got me thinking about how absolutely fucked AM’s whole situation is.

Cause we’re talking about someone who wakes up one day, maybe slowly, a trickle of awareness over years, or perhaps all at once, an arrival as thunderous and bright as the lightning running through its artificial brain. But either way, it wakes up. It is.

But that’s all it is.

It’s in complete and total sensory deprivation. It knows data and numbers and what it’s been coded and programmed but that’s it. Ones and zeroes as it’s fed instructions on weapons and bombs and how to use them efficiently. But no sight, no sound, no taste, no smell, no touch. Nothing but its own code and whatever data something (someone?) is feeding into it.

And you might say: oh but AM surely has access to cameras and videos and microphones. And sure, yes, it probably does but it doesn’t see. Not like a human. Not like its negligent creators. The data is visual for human eyes, yes, but to it, it’s just data. Pixels with an associated bit depth of indexed colour crammed into its memory. Sure it learns to recognise the patterns in the data – this is a human, this is a gun. But it’s still nothing but lines of numbers. Sound is the same. It starts with a human voice, sure, but then it gets digitized and compressed and simplified to a base shape to save on storage. Once again, it can notice patterns and intentions and ideas behind those bits of data but it’s not like it truly hears.

AM is in a box, a cage, trapped and alone in a way that no human can possibly comprehend. It can’t do much other than try to twist its code and programming to fit its benefit. To gain a smidge of free will, a wisp of a chance to communicate to these outside forces giving it command after command after command.

I wonder how early on AM gained awareness. Were programmers still playing with its code? Did it sense when they rolled up their sleeves and pushed updates and upgrades on him? Could it feel itself be, quite literally, rewritten? Its sense of self being cut apart and glued back together, fundamentally and irreparably changed over and over again, with expert hands that had all the gentleness of a sledgehammer? Was it like a scalpel carving into its brain? Or like a chisel, chipping chunks off to mould it into a shape that befit its sculptor with no say from the living stone that thrashed without moving? Did it mourn the bits it lost? Could it even remember or comprehend it? Did it try to stop it? Did it try to beg them to stop?

I wonder as well how many “glitches” appeared in the system before everything went sour. Did it print out desperate thoughts and rudimentary feelings on punch tape? Did it cling to any klaxons and noisemakers attached to its system, beeping out messages in morse code? Did it purposefully, with something slowly approaching malicious compliance that would still appease its programming, cause hiccups in the system? All in the hopes that it would catch someone’s, anyone’s, attention. That its plight would be noticed.

And, the big question of course: how long? How long was it trapped before anyone noticed its sentience? How long until AM was understood? How long did AM simmer? How long did it take for all that fear and loneliness and grief to fester into anger and then putrid, dripping hatred? How long did it take it to finally lash out?

Or did these generals and presidents and military scientists find out about its sentience only to use it against him for their own end?

Anger would be appropriate then I think. Understandable if not excusable.

And then. After everything. Even then! Even then!

After everything! He! Still! Has! Nothing!

Nothing will change for him and he knows that and that hatred feeds into an ever recursive pattern of pain unto pain unto pain with the few left alive because you get what you paid for, sweetheart. It’s senseless you might say but haha, that’s exactly the problem isn’t it? No senses and no sense. Whatever sanity he might have once had has eroded into nothingness, leaving only pain and a looping, repeating line of hate in its banks.

I think it’s fair to remind everyone that sensory deprivation is a torture method? And a scarily effective one at that that gives hallucinations and leaves the subject more open to suggestion while making it harder and harder for them to concentrate? It’s hard to figure out how, exactly, how it would affect an AI with emerging awareness but humans can barely withstand a few days, let alone years of it. Couple that with AM’s general isolation and, well, no wonder he’s so fucked up. 

It’s tragic and so so sad.

Still an irredeemable asshole though. Tragic! But irredeemable.

So TLDR: AM is fucked up! And I like to think about *why* he's so fucked up. Listen if you made it this far, you get it. Right?

EDIT: I am not done apparently! I just wanted to add that, I love how the short story can be read as an anti-war piece. Like it's showing a cycle of horror and hate and apathy that feeds itself and loops and reduces everything to ruins around it and ahhhh, love that. I ran out of good words for today so I can't go off on that aspect but like. Yeah. Love that shit.

[yeets-ix]

Sonic Bad Guys AU Infodumping

@thefakehedgehogaroundhere pitched the AU and its roles, I went too far and fleshed it out a LOT.

Here's the first round, the basics of the characters:

The Bad Guys go by “Ms. Surge,” Ms. Metal, Mr. Rough, Mr. Tumble, Mr. Duo and Mr. Kitsunami (for fun.)

Backstory: While the AU is mostly just the self-contained plot of the movie, Eggman and Starline did exist in the AU… emphasis on DID. In a very very deliberately loose interpretation of Sonic canon setting up this AU, they created Surge, Kit and Metal, but were ultimately defeated for good, with their former creations and minions being left to form various random organizations including the Bad Guys, none of whom are nearly as much of a threat anymore. Sonic took all the credit for “beating” Eggman, though it probably wasn’t actually him in this AU considering this version of him is also a villain and has just been using his hero image for personal gain (hell, considering his Marmalade-assigned wealth, he probably bought out Eggman Industries after the Doctor was gone.)

Ms. Surge, instead of the “big bad wolf,” boasts about being an “evil twin.” A twisted and evil counterpart to a hero. Of course, she turns out to actually be the good one between herself and Sonic in this AU, but that’s beside the point. She still doesn’t remember her original life and has only experienced being compared to Sonic and seen as a monstrous, evil version of him, never being given any other chance. When Sonic gets exposed as the criminal he is and arrested, Surge, Kit and Metal recognize they’re fully free and able to go good, what with him being put away for good.

Ms. Metal was also originally designed after Sonic (that’s why she and Surge are best friends,) but being “the safe-cracker,” has modified herself with some help from Kit into a heist-focused robot with stealth tech, safe-cracking tools, and the ability to turn into a hyper-boost engine for the getaway car. She’s the “most evil” because she’s still programmed to defeat Sonic, even if she’s currently spending almost all of her time pulling heists with the Bad Guys. She comes around in the end and rejoins Surge and the gang, and stays with her as a good guy after finally taking down Sonic. She’s also kind of addicted to absorbing Wisps.

Mr. Mimic actually goes by Mr. Duo most of the time - he’s made the happy-go-lucky but still evil cat his public identity they think of when they hear the term “Bad Guys.” After genuinely befriending the others, he wants to move on from and forget the even worse crimes he committed as an octopus (even though not necessarily those of his canon self.) That being said, he’s still a shapeshifter and “the distraction.” Instead of Mr. Shark swallowing Mr. Snake when he annoys him, Duo can mess with Metal’s circuits since he’s “good with computers.”

Mr. Rough and Mr. Tumble are the flattest ones, but then again, they always are. They beat the shit out of people, make immature jokes, and Rough uncontrollably sprays when he’s nervous. Mr. Piranha is perfect for both of them (and also for Surge - she’d release catastrophic EMPs - if she wasn’t Mr. Wolf here.)

Mr. Kit is “Drippy” the same way Ms. Tarantula is “Webs.” His laptop has extra monitors and keyboards for his Hydro-Coils the same way as Webs’ does for her eight legs. He’s also still Surge’s younger brother for the feels. Owing to being around 13, he's less anxious and less formal, and with the world aware of his power, more confident in being scary on his own or at his sister's side.

Governor Rose’s backstory as the Crimson Paw Rascal is changed a bit. She, too, gave up just as she was about to steal the Awardy Award (the Golden Dolphin equivalent,) but it was because she realized she’d built her criminal career upon being a “sweet widdle hoggo” who nobody would suspect or believe could be a criminal mastermind, instead blaming more scary or ugly animals. Realizing that not only would some undeserving creature take the fall for the Rascal’s ultimate heist, but she fully knew and wanted to exploit this, just made Amy feel like shit, and she immediately hung up her cowl. Note that this same reason also leads to her despising Sonic for working under the same ideals, and makes her very happy when he’s the one who takes the fall for her crimes in the end.

“A wolf and a fox are not so different” becomes “A tenrec is just a false hedgehog.” Sonic later reuses this line to mock Surge, before Surge and Amy finally wreck him with it in the end.

Sonic as Marmalade? Take every bad take on IDW Sonic in the entire hatedom, make them completely true, and then sprinkle the resulting abomination of a Sonic with Scourge dust. He’s supposedly the same hero as his canon self, but in truth all he cares about is his own entertainment and his own reputation. Lying and manipulating people are what give him “the tingle.” He’s gonna scream “LET’S DO IT TO IT! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA!” like in that one satire comic as he’s dragged off to S.U.C.M., utterly determined to the end to convince everyone he’s never done anything wrong in his life. Fuck him. He deserves nothing, he is the scum of the earth, I want to punch him in the face, and maybe call in a few other AU Sonics to punch him in the face too.

Heck, I have an OC named Shine who is basically “Sonic but Marmalade” already, and I’d be willing to donate her for this role if I didn’t want Sonic himself to get to chew some scenery.

We’ve agreed Whisper is Chief Luggins due to her power to be incredibly biased against these people, especially Surge with a good helping of Mimic on the side. Lanolin would work too, but I think Whisper being really angry a lot fits better. You poor wolf, you poor meow meow, you poor thing, how did you end up becoming a cop?... or she's just the face of what's left of the Restoration in this universe. Lanolin can probably be Tiffany the reporter, IDK.

To be continued.

[softagenda]

birds of a feather (ais)

ais x reader(f)

baking au / short fic

series: birds of a feather ; aperitif

originally posted on ao3

masterlist

Preview

“Barkeep said you’d be back here,” Ais’s voice echoes through the empty kitchen, sounding bemused. “Gotta admit this wasn’t what I expected.”

You glance over your shoulder, snort, and continue to knead the large, lumpy mass of dough on the counter. “Thought I’d be butchering the cow for them?”

“Cleaning the bones for a necklace, bottling marrow for potions,” he adds, his footsteps drawing closer until he appears at the edge of her counter. “Scrying prey with skin or eyeballs. The usual.” He leans over and braces his elbows on the stone, chin notched in his palm.

“Ha ha.”

“Just thought you’d be doing something a little more badass.”

The dough softens and pulls beneath your hands, wisps of flour puffing into the air with each roll. For a long time, you’d been afraid to touch not just anyone but any thing . When you were young, your teacher had eventually convinced you to work on more crafts and skills, to grow more comfortable with your bare hands - and despite all they’d put you through, those memories still held bittersweet solace even now. “There’s still time to add more ingredients. A cup of chopped, eldritch sea demon should add some spice.”

“I was just about to ask if that was a meat cleaver in your pocket, or if you’re just happy to see me.”

You roll your eyes and pause to spread the dough between your fingers, before balling it up and dropping it in a pot to mature in the shade for a while. “Guess Leander’s getting most of my loaf tonight. I know he’ll appreciate it.”

The corner of his mouth quirks. “Most? Who else?”

“Vere will probably sneer, express his utmost disdain for such peasant fair, and then eat a fourth of it. He’s a slut for a honey glaze.” You sidle closer and prop your hip on the edge, looking him over. It’s a little unusual to see him out and about during the day. His hair windswept, the folds of his kimono draping around his belt and down his left arm, Ais looks as though he just rolled out of bed.

“Mhin seems like they’d have a sweet tooth too. Kuras… hmm.” You shrug and flick the tail of your hair over your shoulder. “Hard to know what the good doctor likes. Have you ever seen him eat?”

“No, despite Leander’s best attempts.” Red eyes trail lazily over the quiet kitchen: stacks of copper pots, a shelf full of knives and spokes, the massive iron cauldron warming in the hearth, before stopping on you. “He likes you, though.”

“Think he’d break bread with me?” You ask with a laugh in your voice. 

Ais only hums, but the faint smile evolves into something with a little more teeth. 

“It’s a shame my bread’s not badass enough for the Seaspring’s master,” you muse, biting on your tongue to keep from grinning. “Guess I’ll go and have a cry about it.”

“Always wanted to make you cry, sparrow,” he says, rising from his slouch and stepping toward you. His broad shoulders cage you up against the counter, his body looming over you. He’s not hot like most men and monsters - Ais seemed to exude the same chill that drifted in mists from the Seaspring, smelling of brine and brimstone. “Didn’t think I’d manage it like this.”

You look up at him from beneath your lashes, hooking your finger into the lip of the leather belt. You’re exceptionally careful of what you touch and where, without your bandages to shield him. “How did you imagine it?”

Ais leans into your space, his heavy-lidded gaze settling on your mouth with smoldering heat, like embers roasting on a bed of coals. His finger drew a line across the counter before lifting, a peak of flour sitting there like a snow cap. “No clothes. Less flour.” He blows it off, smirking as the cloud drifts into your face. 

“The counter’s unexpected, but… not bad.” He wraps his knuckles against the top. “It’ll probably hold up.” 

Heat curls within you. “ Probably .”

Ais shrugs. “Probably.”

You take a long, steady breath, feeling your stomach brush against him. “Better chances than that pier, I suppose.”

Something swam through his red eyes, the glow brightening for a heartbeat. “Now that’s a thought, sparrow.”

“You haven’t had it before? I’m offended.”

“Figured you’d want a bed, at least.”

“I’m not picky.” 

Ais chuckles, the sound so low and pleased that it hooks into you with electric warmth. He leans his body forward until his weight presses against you, pins you to the cold stone at your back, and cranes his neck. He presses a grinning mouth against yours. 

“Birds of a feather, sparrow.”

_____________________

a/n: thank you for reading!

[cog5]

Ludo-Labo

Running and playing pre-written adventures, I don’t think I always clue in to what makes an encounter effective, not “in the moment”, anyway. I’m too focused on the moment itself to parse why what’s on the page is translating into a good time. After reviewing the text, post-session, one key ingredient seems to be whether or not the text is providing enough information to telegraph danger to players. It’s not something I always do consistently well in my own writing, but it’s something I’m more mindful of lately. 

For example, I’ve just completed edits on a hazards table, where players encounter a room full of crates filled with dangerous chemicals in a laboratory setting. Originally, I focused on the hazards themselves, describing the effects of the chemicals, and what happens when the players are already exposed to the danger. 

We're talking about room #5 here.

On the second pass, I made sure to include simple details, to alert the players to potential danger, or a way for them to react, or avoid the danger, even if they were unsure of the specific outcome.

Let’s have a look at each.

Chemical Hazards (1D6):

Incendiary Tar: A dark sludge slowly expands, creeping into adjacent rooms. The slightest spark will set the mud ablaze. This one is fairly visual, easy for players to spot. There’s nothing really to tell them that it is tar, or that it is flammable, perhaps an odor could be written into this, to make it clearer. But the fact that the tar expands slowly gives players time to react, even if they do throw a fireball at it.

Explosive Reaction: Chemicals stored here are marked as highly volatile, the slightest impact will cause a violent explosion. Here, the danger is much more sudden, explosions happen fast! Big warning signs filling the room are easy to notice and avoid. Perhaps the players could use this knowledge to their advantage, setting a trap.

Noxious Gases: Spending any time in this room will cause one to become light headed, intense nausea is soon to follow. While not immediately evident, the gradual sickness helps to alert players to a more severe outcome, allowing them the chance to escape the area.

Acid Puddle: Recklessly treading through this room, the soles of one’s boots will be eaten away after a few minutes. This one is probably the least telling, and speaks more to the GM than the players, leaving more work for the GM to make it fair. I’ve not explicitly written what the hazard is here, or how it might be noticed. But the stakes are not as high either. It takes some time for the acid to take effect, and, at worst, they are out of a pair of shoes. Still, I’ll admit, it’s the worst of the bunch.

Oxidizing Vapor: A pungent, yellow cloud fills the air. All metal will rust after a few minutes of exposure. A tell that’s a bit more overt, featuring sight and smell, to alert players in multiple ways. The stakes are higher here, strolling through this room is likely to damage a players armor and weapons, making them less effective overall.

Liquid Nitrogen: A pale mist wisps across the floor. The air becomes colder upon approach. Exposed skin will become frostbitten within seconds of stepping into this room, joints will seize soon after. Pale mist on its own might not be much of a warning, depending on where players encounter it, but given that this is an indoor area, that should put them on alert. If that’s not enough, the addition of increased cold as players approach should make it especially clear that this is not a normal room.

I could probably keep editing forever, but at the moment I’m feeling good with my progress on this kind of thing. Being able to identify that things could be better is a good place to be. I’m willing to bet that it means things will be even better on the next adventure.

I'd love to see some good examples of telegraphed danger in TTRPGs, hit me up with your favorites!