#these characters have a special place in my heart

[liyuviq]

AWWWWWWHH SHUU WAS THE FIRST ONE TO LOVE SHIN🥥!!!><💥💖💥💖 SHE'S THEIR FIRST FAN!💗💗💗💗💗💗💗 JEALOUS, JEALOUS!!😤😤😤 XDDD /j

IT'S A JOKE, I'M HAPPY THAT SHIN HAS MORE FANS!!🥰💞💞💞💞❤️❤️❤️❤️

characters featured: ariya (@alli-ily), kanae (@beneathsakurashade), emory (@justm3di0cr3), vi (@sherryclover), isasona (@skibidibabygirl), shuu (@oya-oya-okay)

SHUU WILL ALWAYS HAVE A FOREVER SPECIAL PLACE IN MY HEART DO NOT WORRY 💕💕

she may not be the founder but she was there from the very start 💕💕💕

[sorry-not-feeling-it-right-now]

Ask game here!!! ^^^ (I’m on IPad so it looks like this unfortunately 😭)

(Oh gosh three asks asking me about the same character (I’ll just put them together and answer it as a singular post!))

(Also this turned out way longer than I’ve expected so I’m gonna put a cut here!! To save scrolling time!!)

FAVORITE THING ABOUT THEM

Probably how open Smitten is with his emotions!!! He feels so so much with his whole heart and I really love how he���s not afraid to share them! He is a really honest and earnest character and I don’t really see him lying in any way (and if he does, he’d probably do a really terrible job at it because of how he wears his heart on his sleeve andnsjsm). I can’t help but feel that his earnestness is something worth admiring!

Oh! And of course of how gentle he can be! Despite his bravado he really knows how to lift someone up with his soft words. He can see how someone is hurting and would attempt to lift them up by reminding them that they are loved and is worth loving. I especially love him in Thorn because of this reason. He’s really just love personified (even if it’s towards his own deterrent (don’t do that Smitten))

Also also! I love the way he speaks! He’s so dramatic with his speech patterns that it gives me the giddiest feeling whenever I hear him speak. His princely flair got me alright… he’s so cute,,,.,,…

AND!!! How he subverts the expectations of how love is a purely good thing!!! Love can hurt really really bad as well as heal!! Both the giver and the receiver!!!! And how he is a representation of using fantasy as a coping mechanism!!! He has a lot!!! Of stuff!!!!

(Ik it said “favourite thing about them (singular)” but I can’t help but give him appreciation by yapping)

LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT THEM

(I do have some things to say about that despite you occupying 90% of my brain space Smitten </3 it’s out of love tho I promy…)

To mirror what I’ve said at the beginning, it’s of how self-sacrificing he is. My guy has zero self-preservation and self-love despite being the personification of love and emotion. He would literally die for the one he loves and like,,,, NO!!!! SMITTY!!!! SOME PEOPLE WOULD WANT YOU TO LIVE!!!! FOR THEM!!!! SOME PEOPLE WOULD TAKE ADVANTAGE OF YOUR DEVOTION!!!!! DONT DO IT!!!! SHAKING YOU ON THE SHOULDERS /AFF

FAVORITE LINE

He has a lot of great lines tbh sbsnsjs

A lot of them are really good, but I just, can’t remember a lot of them, so I’ll just put down those that I actually remember

“My wrath will echo the depths of my bereavement.”

“If we just showed her the contents of our heart... She'd be happy here." ABSOLUTE CHILLS

“YOU SMARMY ASS”

"By cruelly turning on the Princess on her moment of vulnerability we made ourselves an enemy. But, by mastering our fear and insecurity and handing over our power, we've begun a journey to something so much deeper"

BROtp

Smitten and Skeptic! As well as Smitten and Stubborn!!

The Heart and The Head!! The Grey Brothers have a special place in my heart… They’re like the two people who’s really different from each other but enjoys each other’s company regardless of that difference. They balance each other out rather nicely despite them never meeting each other officially in game: like, Skeptic could teach Smitten to think before he act on his own emotions and be more sceptical of the intentions of other people, while Smitten could encourage Skeptic to feel with his heart! I see Skeptic as the type of person to have a hard time empathising with other people and would rely heavily on his logic to help solve the problem for them instead of simply listening to them (he cares, just doesn’t know how to do it in a way that’s unfamiliar to him/not his nature), so I think having Smitten be there to teach him how to do that would help him greatly. They would probably understand each other in the ending where TLQ kills Shifty’s heart and becomes a god himself, since Skeptic knows what’s it like to not have a grounding presence to catch him (for Smitten it’s the Princess). Him and Cheated would comfort Smitten during those times.

And here’s Beauty and Brawn! Aside from their shared appreciation for the Princess, they are also both really passionate characters who are extremely open with their emotions. Smitten would appreciate Stubborn’s showcase of passion towards the Princess, while Stubborn would see strength and potential in Smitten as an opponent! Stubborn would probably rather head straight ahead towards violence instead of using words like Smitten does, but he likes the guy so what the hell

Stubborn would try to get Smitten to fight him, but Smitten just, doesn’t fight him simply because being violent is really not in his nature (unless Stubborn intentionally gloats him into fighting him)

They would be the duo that hugs and cries together whenever there’s a touching scene playing in a movie

OTP

You already know,,..,,,, (it’s Burned Bridges)

Funnily enough the infamous Burned Grey lines aren’t the reason why I ship them in the first place

It’s the fact that I remembered a line Cold had said about Smitten would one day want the emotions to go away completely despite how strongly those emotions burn at the current moment , and then telling him to trust him on it.

It just. Reveals so much about Cold as a character.

Not only does it imply that Cold isn’t completely emotionless as he oh so often tells us that he is, and that he had felt strong emotions at one point but had chosen to repress them completely due to how much it had hurt him, but it also reveals that he doesn’t seem to hold the same animosity towards Smitten as the other way around (at least, not the level of hatred Smitten holds for him),as he actually gave him advice on the subject matter. He seems to be more amused by Smitten then anything. Burned Grey is a route where Smitten was denied of his purpose with us deciding to kill the Princess, and Cold’s whole thing is about his purpose being denied, and hence the numbing ache in his heart that he desperately wants to fill. So I feel like he would probably understand Smitten in that regard of having his purpose denied. He just, find Smitten’s anger really freaking amusing due to the fact that Smitten is usually really chipper. And also the fact that Anger is the rawest emotion there is.

They would definitely start on rough terms though. With Smitten actually fulfilling his promise on letting Cold feel what he had felt (via hurting Cold) and Cold just becoming more and more interested in how far Smitten would go in his pursuit of vengeance. How far would he go? How low would he stoop? He would love to know, and so he would gloat him more and more and see how he would react.

But knowing Smitten, he would probably get really tired of hurting Cold over and over again. He is. Just not a violent person at heart. His starring chapter two is literally one of the three routes that doesn’t have a chapter one that ends with violence(it technically does but you know what I mean(Damsel, Prisoner, Stranger)). Eventually it would reach a point where he would just tiredly tell Cold off without it ending with violence, and that would make Cold feel surprised about the change in his usual pattern of behaviour. I’d like to think that Cold would be the person to reach Smitten out to soothe him on his hollowness and aimlessness when Smitten would deny him over and over until he eventually lets Cold do his thing (heavily influenced by @pink-november ‘s fic btw) and Smitten coming to a realisation that Cold might not be as emotionless as he thought… and then the two deciding to start over on their relationship and become friends… and then learning that wait, they’re actually quite similar… and then they unknowingly fall for each other for real the more time they spend with each other…. oughhhhh slowburn Burned Bridges my beloved

“Who needs violence when you have love?”

“Who needs love when you’ve mastered yourself?”

Also also, fire and ice, pink and black, pillow and blanket, “hero” and “villain” (but not really), emotional doofus and stoic fella????? ENEMIES TO FRIENDS TO LOVERS SLOWBURN?????? That’s a lot of stuff!!!! (And the comedic whiplash of “GRRRR I HATE YOU!!!!” to them cuddling together is just. Really funny to me ok.)

Again, this ship can either go down an even more toxic route then it already is (yummy toxic yaoi) or it could become something really fluffy and tender. It really depends on what direction the writer wants the ship to go. I’m fine with either though. Both are really fun routes.

NOtp

I don’t really have a NOtp for him tbh,,..,,,,.

RANDOM HEADCANON

I’ve already said this in another post, but I’d like to imagine Smitten would abuse nicknames and name the voices with the positive qualities he sees in them. Also this is a headcanon for the Voices in general, but I’d like to think that he’d struggle acting away from his nature. Much like the Vessels, the Voice’s nature is all they knew. A part of him would always yearn for the presence of the Princess, since she was literally who he was made to love and dote upon. Even though he would feel genuinely happy that TLQ had found his one true love, a part of him would always feel that emptiness She had left behind, and his heart would ache more and more. Broken in Apotheosis had proven that the Voices can in fact grow their perspective and in turn become more complex, so I feel like Smitten would definitely have his own arc as well once the Voices learn to become their own person and not just a singular facet of TLQ (and especially Oppy and Cold but this ain’t about them).

Smitten would be really affectionate with his show of affection (depends on Voice to Voice though!!!! He wouldn’t want to make them feel uncomfortable). If you ask him which showcase of affection his likes most, he would tell you that he loves all shows of affection equally! Love is love and should be showed proud and loud across your heart! He’s the type of guy to casually give platonic smooches on the cheeks (again, depends on Voice to Voice—if the Voice is uncomfortable with smooches, he’d probably just do a handshake or something). He doesn’t really put a line in love. To him, love is just that—love. There is no need to put a line between platonic, familial and romantic love. As long as the parties are comfortable with how that love is expressed, there is no problem!

Also can we all agree he would write the corniest love songs ever?? Thanks (Cold would be amused by him and listens to Smitten perform despite his comment on the corniness of it all ahahahahah anyway)

UNPOPULAR OPINION

I can agree on Smitten not being a d!ck but saying Smitten is completely harmless and lacks any malicious intent is where I have to disagree. I dunno if this is an unpopular opinion though.

Him wanting to hurt someone in the name of love IS malicious intent despite the motivation. And he has proven that can AND will do what he had said that he would do with him literally killing us after we killed Damsel for seemingly no reason. He is love as much as he is emotional.

Also he seems to care more about how you AND the Princess feels more then his own opinions. He reads as a people pleaser to me. He genuinely just wants you and the Princess to be happy, but then that mixing with his own perception that he is supposed to be the knight in shining armour for the Princess makes for a weird complex.

SONG I ASSOCIATE WITH THEM

We Become We, but specifically that one part of the song with HEA Smitten. I do love me some angst.

(Again sorry about the format!!!!!)

Full song: https://youtu.be/hRllUeany_Q?si=AJHdP-dJUHdf-r30

That one part: https://youtu.be/mwnXg6GXCk8?si=G1hzN_EG93ulKAhN

FAVOURITE PICTURE OF THEM

Ohohohohoh I have a couple of those teehee

(I love it when I just draw him like a ball)

[guardian-angle22]

911 Lone Star Fandom Memories

Thank you to everyone who tagged me! I think this is everyone: @lemonlyman-dotcom @herefortarlos @goldenskykaysani @heartstringsduet @she-walked-away @rmd-writes @welcometololaland @toomanycupsoftea @thisbuildinghasfeelings

Friendships

I'm a very shy, anxious person when it comes to social interactions and Making Friends as an Adult is Hard! so the people who put in the effort to reach out to me and seek out a friendship really means so much to me. Y'all know who you are.💜

But even the people in fandom I don't talk with regularly, I always look forward to everyone's tags on my sets or reading the fun meta posts, the fanart, the fics, the liveblog posts. It really feels like we're all a little group of friends in this fandom and it's been a really fun experience. And I can't wait to continue to milk these characters for all they're worth with y'all for the foreseeable future despite the end of the show!

Gif-making!

I taught myself how to make gifs right around the premiere of season 3. I never thought I would be making gifs, but this show was so special to me and I just wanted so badly to have the ability to highlight and talk about the things that I loved. And even though I had no idea what I was doing when I first started, no idea how to tag or caption things properly, everyone was so kind and lovely about everything I was making.

Baby Guardian's first few gifsets were all from an ig live with Brian, Julian, and Ronen talking about the upcoming season 3... and that live still holds a special place in my heart simply because it was the first content I ever worked with ... and omg I had no idea how I was making it harder for myself by using such low quality footage. 😂

(I mean, damn, these are rough. But 🥰🥰 they make me so happy when I see them to see how far I've come and also how much I love this cast)

Speculating & Reacting

My memory isn't the greatest for specific events, but it's been such fun in this fandom when new bts pictures, episode synopses, Ronen/Rafa photoshoots, spoiler clips, etc would drop. Everyone on the feed going wild making fun guesses at what might be happening or everyone reblogging the same tarlos pictures a million times.

Fandom is so fun when you don't get every episode dropped at one time to binge so instead you have time between episodes to speculate and have the previous episode simmer and that in between time in fandom has always been such a joyous thing to experience.

Specific Moments

The Proposal Aftermath, Ronen coming out publicly, The Tarlos Wedding Celebration Event (the first gif prompt event I ever did!!), the Group Rewatch, That time half the fandom became LA Dodgers fans.

~

🏷️OPEN TAG! I'm doing this very late, so I feel like most people have probably already been tagged or done this. But if you haven't yet, please do! This was fun. Thank you @thisbuildinghasfeelings for coming up with this. 💜

[dragqueenstarscream]

i don't think the tfa writing team gets enough credit for what they did with ratchet.

they could've easily made him a one dimensional grumpy old boomer character. and yes, he does have a few moments like that, mostly him complaining about bumblebee. (the wrestling scene, the car parts shop, etc)

what made me realize that he was going in a different direction, though, was s1e7, "thrill of the hunt." for those who haven't seen tfa, it's a ratchet centric episode with the bounty hunter lockdown coming to earth to hunt down optimus. the episode does something particularly interesting with ratchet, giving him flashbacks surrounding his trauma surrounding himself, arcee, and lockdown, but not using them to a comedic end. no, they're actually taken seriously, both by the plot and the other characters, mainly optimus.

and i really appreciate that. they could've easily done an "alright grandpa, let's get you back to bed" joke or something like that, but no. they actually helped to build on his character, and it made me realize that this show knew when to be serious, which i really liked.

as the series goes on, he's taken more seriously as a character. you can see just how much the war fucked him up compared to the other characters, considering he was the only one to have actually fought. his experiences with arcee, how he was involved with omega supreme, and then eventually joining the space bridge repair team after the war ended. it really takes its time letting you get attached to ratchet and feel for him whenever he's going through it.

and it just makes it so much more heartbreaking near the end of the series when he's forced to face his trauma head on after finding arcee again.

i love tfa, and i love all of team prime, but ratchet has a very special place in my heart because of just how well he's written. his development doesn't feel rushed, despite the cancellation of season four. the show takes time telling his story, letting it play out, and letting him really grow on you. they could've just made him a curmudgeon who complains about everything, but no, they went the extra mile and gave him room to grow and explore the kindness in his old, weary spark.

tfa ratchet deserves all the love.

[bonesfucker3000]

My one year anniversary of watching Star Trek and just rambling about how much I love Star Trek

Today is my one year anniversary of watching Star Trek (3rd of February 2024 was the first time i ever watched any form of Star Trek media) and I honestly can not believe it has been a year already. I know this will most definitely sound cringe and what not but I really do not care; Star Trek is such a comfort to me and it helped me through a quite shitty part of my life. I only watched it because @thetwinksainttwunking really loved it and would not stop yapping about it for years since we known eachother and I decided to give it a go. I only knew a few things about Star Trek: it's gay, Kirk and Spock love eachother (Spirk is the main reasons why I gave Star Trek a go) and Spock had to pretend he was Chinese (one of the first things twunking ever told me about Star Trek was that scene in The City On The Edge Of Forever, where Kirk and Spock have to lie that Spock is Chinese and he only looks like that because he got into an accident in a rice farm, I thought it was the funniest shit known to man...Still do) and I decided to give it a go, even though scifi was never my thing but hey I might actually enjoy it (i never thought I ever would had enjoyed it THIS much)

So on the 3rd of February 2024 me and @thetwinksainttwunking watched Star Trek 2009 together and I actually quite enjoyed it, so the next Day we watched Into Darkness, which I somehow enjoyed even more and actually made me intested in the franchise, wanting to watch more. I really enjoyed both AOS films, I thought they were fun, enjoyable and had a good plot, I really loved Kirk in both movies (I honestly started tweaking when he "died" in Into Darkness and when Pike died too because Kirk was yk in pain) On the same day Twunking showed me an episode of TOS The Naked Time aka Peak and may god I loved that episode so much, it just fun and silly (and I started tweaking when I saw Sulu shirtless too-) and that episode is the reason why I even considered and given a chance in watching TOS, because I just loved that episode alot (and from that day I started singing randomly 'ill take you home again....kathleeeeen') on the 15th of Feb I watched Wrath of Khan and on the 16th of Feb Search for Spock, on the 24th of March I began watching the original series and a year later...here I am completely obsessed and in love with this franchise, already finished with TOS, all TOS films, half way through TAS and nearly done with TNG-

Star Trek just means so much to me, I started watching it when i was in a bad and failing relationship which led to a horrible break up and Star Trek was a massive comfort to me during that time. I just loved watching TOS seeing the silly situations the crew were in and just overall loved seeing the characters (in the beginning it was just Kirk, Spock and Sulu i mostly cared for but later Chekov and Bones too because of my Bones obession), interacting with eachother and just in general seeing them. I absolutely loved it and still very much do. I also loved how Star Trek overall was optimistic about the future and the lessons they taught (even though some in TOS were outdated or not handled the best)

Man...I just love Star Trek so much...though I only liked it for a year, it really does mean alot and it will always hold a special place in my heart ❤️🖖

Thank you so much @thetwinksainttwunking for introducing me to Star Trek, I love you

[delight-angelsbliss]

Don't you notice how I get quiet when there's no one else around?

Heh I wanted to post this sooner but here we are

welcome to my February valentines special that will go on for the full duration of February!!

You may choose a prompt and Character from my list and request<3 this is actually my first ever special/event I'm doing lol S1 prompts from 1 - 11 are by @/novelbear they're really cool and have amazing prompts (^-^) there also inconsistent small and large texts so it's actually readable cuz it gets cut off sometimes lol!! I'd also recommend that when requesting u say which Season ur prompt is from for example "S1 nr 4 with ___" u can also request up to 3 prompts in one! I'll try my best to use it all<3 everything can be requested as platonic!! Edit: can you guys please specify gender and if it should be hcs or not? As much information as possible would be nice and helps alot

S1 Cute scenarios<3

Spending all day watching cute crafts and baking to do

Rom com marathon!!

Trying (and maybe) failing to make food heart shaped

Realizing you both have contrasting views on valentines

"Baby, I love you, really, but if I eat one more piece of chocolate I'll throw up"

Making the same reservations at the same time but different restaurants and/or the same one

"I thought you'd at least ask me to be my valentines" "we've been together for years, I thought that was a given"

Both not caring much abt valentines but get dragged to a double date by friends

"How much did this cost?" "Does that really matter?"

Spending the night walking through the city silently

Begging your partner to get matching sweaters until they say yes

Buying couple shirts and deciding the whole day which one to wear that u completely forgot ur date

Not leaving bed at all

Going to the carnival

Double dates

Confessing with a love letter

first kiss together on your first valentines

getting proposed on valentines

Picking grapes together

Making heart cake pops and eating them but they fall down

"I think I deserve a kiss"

"You didn't have to do all of this!" "Yeah, which is why I did it for you"

"I wish everyday could be like this"

"Is it just me or do your lips look softer than usual?"

"We don't have to go out"

"I can never get enough of of how pretty you look"

Ordering in and watching crime action series

"You remembered?" "Of course I did, I love you"

Trying to do pilates together only to fail miserably

Writing a love letter only to throw it away but they find it

S2 Yandere scenarios!:

"I just got some very wise advice from a wise woman..." U can ask more abt this btw and I'll explain a bit more what I mean with this

"Gosh, you smell so good when we cuddle like this"

"Do you think I enjoy punishing you?! I don't!"

"Tell me how much you love me"

"I'm jealous of the way you are happy with them but not me"

"This world is a ugly place, you're too beautiful for it"

"I know I'm sick in the head, but you'll be my cure"

"I love it when we're so close together like this"

"Of course I'm jealous! You're mine, not theirs!"

"Dont you get it? I would die for you if you asked me to"

"Your skin is so soft"

"I just love the last souvenir of your eye so much that I'd like the other one please"

"I could kill you if I wanted to"

"I live for you, you're like my oxygen"

"If you run, I'll break your legs"

જ⁀➴ ♡ Matchups

I actually do match ups which isn't really known cuz it's in my rules and dni lol but I do make matchups in case anyone wants one<3 this was added on 20:37 on 4th of February which is a bit later than this was posted

For a match up I need as much information as possible it's also allowed in a platonic form

If there's a preferred age range and gender

Hobbies

Likes

Dislikes

Special interests

And more would be needed (^-^)

[vortexbloom]

Velvet Nights

(Part 1)

Pairing: Phainon x Escort Girl Reader

Fandom: Honkai Star Rail

Warnings: Spicy, Modern Au

☆ ────⋆⋅☆⋅⋆── ☆ ────⋆⋅☆⋅⋆── ☆

Masterlist - Honkai Star Rail

Masterlist - Genshin Impact

Moodboards - Genshin Impact

Boycott List

Valentines Special

☆ ────⋆⋅☆⋅⋆── ☆ ────⋆⋅☆⋅⋆── ☆

English isn‘t my first/native language, so there might be misspellings etc.

I do NOT own any Characters !

Have fun reading this :D

Art by: @junnoelle on X (Twitter)

The club was a world of its own—dimly lit, drenched in gold and crimson, filled with the scent of expensive perfume and whispered secrets. It was a place where people came to forget themselves, to indulge in fantasies they couldn’t have anywhere else.

And it was here that Phainon saw you for the first time.

He wasn’t supposed to be there. Someone like him—refined, composed, with an aura of effortless power—didn’t belong in a place like this. Yet, there he was, sitting at the private bar, his eyes glinting under the low lights as he watched you with an unreadable expression.

You were used to being watched. Men gazed at you every night, their stares hungry, some filled with reverence, others with lust. But Phainon’s gaze was different. He wasn’t looking at you like he wanted to own you—he was looking at you like he wanted to understand you.

And that was dangerous.

You approached him with the same confidence you always carried, your dress hugging every curve as you leaned on the bar beside him. "You don’t look like the kind of man who usually comes here," you mused, swirling the drink in your hand.

Phainon’s lips curled into the faintest smirk. "And you don’t look like the kind of woman who belongs here."

You let out a soft laugh. "And yet, here we both are."

There was a pause, heavy with tension.

"You don’t belong to anyone here, do you?" Phainon asked, his voice smooth but edged with something deeper—curiosity, possessiveness, maybe even something more dangerous.

You tilted your head. "No one belongs to anyone here, darling. That’s the rule of the game."

Phainon leaned closer, his voice a whisper against your skin. "Then what would it take to break the rules?"

⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆ ⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆ ⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ ﾟ☾

Phainon wasn’t like your usual clients. He never asked for what the others did. He never demanded, never treated you like you were a fantasy to be bought and sold.

Instead, he talked to you.

He asked about your dreams, your fears, your past. He watched you with those eyes that seemed to see through every mask you had carefully built over the years.

And that scared you more than anything.

One night, he made an offer.

"Come with me," he said, sliding a thick envelope onto the table. "One night. Just you and me. No games."

You arched a brow, fingers grazing over the edge of the envelope. "And what exactly do you want from me?"

Phainon exhaled, his gaze softer than you’d ever seen it. "Everything you won’t give to anyone else."

Your heart pounded. This was different. This was real.

And you weren’t sure you were ready for real

⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆ ⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆ ⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ ﾟ☾

That night, you went with him.

Not to a hotel. Not to a private room in the club.

But to his home—a sleek penthouse overlooking the city, so quiet compared to the chaos of your usual life.

"You can leave whenever you want," Phainon said, standing by the window, his silhouette bathed in moonlight.

You hesitated. You had been with countless men before. You knew how to play the game. But this wasn’t a game. This was something else entirely.

Slowly, you stepped closer, your fingers grazing over his suit. "And what if I don’t want to leave?"

Phainon turned, golden eyes dark with something unspoken. His hand came up to cup your face, thumb brushing over your lips.

"Then stay."

The kiss that followed wasn’t rushed. It wasn’t desperate. It was slow, deep, like he was savoring every second. Like he was memorizing the way you felt under his hands.

And for the first time, you let yourself believe that maybe, just maybe, you weren’t just another fantasy to him.

Maybe, to Phainon, you were real.

Make sure to tell me if you want to be tagged in the next parts.

Have a good day/night/evening/morning/afternoon ☼꥟☽

[eirakairos]

Telomeres

Pairing: Rafayel x MC

Summary: You are in an arranged marriage with the god of the sea.

A/N: Finally after so long lol the thoughts are all over the place since it was dragged a bit.

Inspired from the song Telomeres by Sleep Token

Words: 4.7k

Tags: arranged marriage, angst but with happy ending, presumed character death, MC being a dummy, pregnancy, a little violence, Rafayel being a literal god, implied nsfw, drowning, losing memories is a theme

“You know, if we meet each other again in the future and we are all grown up, let’s marry each other,”

“Huh?!”

“Hahaha! Sorry, I was only joking,”

“... I promise then,”

“Huh?! Wait-”

“I promise I’ll marry you when we see each other again,”

You opened your eyes after drifting away from a dream. Was that a dream? It felt like a distant memory. You saw the sunrise on the horizon, and seagulls passed by the window. Today is the day.

Your wedding day. Or being taken hostage, willingly and legally.

Across the room, you gazed upon your dress, it is a white dress with glittering designs of seashells and pearls. The wedding would be wonderful, from the venue to the food and even to the groom.

A couple of knocks were heard at your door.

“Your Highness, it is time to wake up. It is time for you to get ready,” your servant said before entering. You sighed and looked again at the window, thinking about your groom.

“It is time for the grand day,” a Lemurian elder said as Rafayel looked at his reflection. If this were successful, it would be a big progress in their plan. “For Lemuria and our people,” he whispered. He proceeded to elevate himself to the shore, where the wedding would occur.

Despite it being a grand day, for a wedding, it looks like a simple, intimate wedding, as requested by the bride. The only thing that matters to Rafayel is the venue, it should be a wedding at the seashore. In Lemuria, it would be legitimate.

He put aside his thoughts as the nobles from the human side approached him. He was guided to the other end of the shore. The more people gathered and as the planned time began, he became nervous.

And there you are.

His beloved bride.

You walked like a silvery white fish slowly swimming towards him, precious like a pearl shined by the sun.

You were only a pawn in the grand scheme. He knows you are innocent in all of this. He felt the time stop, felt that he had seen this before. He had been at the far end of the aisle before. He blinked, and he saw his bride. It was still you, but in Lemurian clothes, almost like a goddess. You look at him, and his sight becomes clearer, you’re back in the white dress. Rafayel gazed at you, despite being a human princess, you look ethereal, like his goddess. He felt conflicted, like in the inner depths of his heart, he can’t deny you. He can’t hate you, but love…

“I’m sorry… I can’t give you the love you probably were looking for,” he said. You are sitting beside him in the gardens, outlooking the wide sea. “I know,” you said as you looked at the horizon. “But at least it's not some old nobleman,” you followed. Rafayel smirked, astonished that you were looking at the lighter side of this situation. “No really, I thank you for getting me out of this place,” He was off guard by your remarks at times, in the months of meeting you. You are not pompous nor stuck like the royals he encountered. “I was only taken in this castle… They said my heart is special, for some reason,” you scoffed. “Aren’t you scared of that? Of being taken advantage of?” Rafayel asked. The question was not his character to ask. “No… I’m used to it. I have accepted it as my duty,” you answered. Rafayel only hummed, there is something about you that made him curious. But besides that you are right. He wants your heart, for Lemuria.

“What about you?”

“Huh?” he said.

“Tell me about your beloved,” you said.

“Ah…” he said. He doesn’t want to ruin this marriage because of her. “My memories are blurred about her, but I feel I was waiting for someone,” he brought up a small bracelet. It was a bracelet with a purple seashell as its pendant. “This is all I have about her,” You hummed, he is taking care of it like his life depended on it. Oh, if only he had loved you like how he loves her.

The royal family appointed you to be married to him, to unite the two kingdoms of land and sea. The two kingdoms are hoping it will stabilize the tension. It was a long time plan between the kingdoms and it was rejoiced as Rafayel finally agreed with the marriage. You arrive at his side and take his arm to face the officiant.

As the officiant does his speech, you look at Rafayel. It all leads to this moment, what you’ve been dreaming of, to marry him. But not in the flow you’d expect. The Lemurian elders and the royals, are all looking at you. But Rafayel? He is looking straight ahead and holding onto the seashell pendant.

Everything was a blur in this grand wedding.

Rafayel sighed as he glanced at you and held onto the seashell he cherished before looking away. ‘My heart, I’m sorry… I have to do this as my duty for Lemuria. I tried to find you, tried to find answers… My heart is so confused right now. She isn’t hard to love, she reminds me of you so much…’ The officiant ordered for him to face you. Rafayel gazed at you. ‘I’m sorry you caught up in this mess… Before that time, I will do my best to love you,’ he thought as he cupped your face and kissed you. Rafayel felt the spark, it was a very familiar but odd feeling, he felt like everything was right, like he was destined to be with you despite the odds given by the fates. He felt his heart leap, maybe being wed to you isn’t a bad thing. As he parted from you, you are in a daze. 

Rafayel, the god of the sea, is now your husband. You, the human princess, are his beloved bride.

You were feeling exhausted in the reception. It is both celebrated on the surface and in Lemuria. The surface celebration didn’t take long, as the royal family was just glad that this marriage was done and was more excited in the negotiations with the god of the sea regarding the fish supply. The Lemurian side is totally different, with lots of dancing and music, so a bounty of foods around, mostly different kinds of seafood. You enjoyed it more than the surface, in general, you enjoyed staying in Lemuria than in the surface, even if you were adamant about the other way around before, a long time ago.

You randomly stared at the blue fires encased in the torches around Lemuria. “Are you alright?” Rafayel asked. You look pretty tired, despite being relieved that the wedding is over. “I apologize, I’m a bit spent for today,” you said. He closed his eyes and hummed. “Very well, let me accompany you,” he said. “But- I’m fine, Rafayel, I can go to our chambers on my own,” Rafayel looked at you, not fazed as he moved and carried you, princess style. “Rafayel!” you stammered. “Need I remind you that you are my wife now?” he whispered as he strides away from the throne, letting the people celebrate. “Also, I’m glad to be out of that place,” he sighed. “Time for bed, my wife,” Upon hearing that, you blushed. You two are married and going to your chambers, with him, in one bed. You looked at Rafayel, he seemed amused and seemed to read your mind. “Relax, I’m not going to do anything. I promised you that, remember?” he smirked. You pouted, well it's true.

He kicked the door to the bedroom. Striding towards the large bed, he gently places you on it.

“But what if I do want it?” you asked. He froze and gazed at you.

“No, you don’t,” he said with a serious tone.

“Well, yeah, you are not ready,” you teased. You saw him with his lips pursed, then suddenly pounced on you. You giggled as he tickled you. You two gazed at each other. Rafayel thought you were not hard to love; he felt his heart flutter when you smiled at him. You thought this… “New” Rafayel isn’t hard to love; he is still Rafayel despite this arrangement of his being not an ordeal.

“Are you sure about this? Rafayel won’t remember you!” Talia said. “He already failed once.”

“And it cost him greatly. I… I made a deal with the deep sea. Rafayel also accepted its favor,” you said. Talia remained silent but was surprised. “I know Lemuria and the sea dislike me being with their chosen god of the sea,” You hold the seashell as the medium of the spell. You gave this to him as the vow of offering yourself as his bride.

“I already know my fate, I’d rather die by his hands than be rotten in the castle walls. I’d rather be dead than see my love suffer for any longer. The prophecy must be fulfilled, so that Lemuria can be saved and won’t turn into an ocean of sand,” you said. “For so long… He deserves the sea and land, that I’m willing,” you followed.

“My dear,” Talia said. “Lemurians live to love. I feel… Erase his memories or not, cast him away… The heart will remember,”

Rafayel moves closer to you, meeting your lips with his. He wants this. He doesn’t know why he feels this way, but it feels right. You encircle your arms around his neck; you miss him so much. As he parted from you, he was flushed and panting. “Are you sure? If we continue, I might not hold back,” he smiles. It is full of love; this is the Rafayel you remember.

You two are spent in pure pleasure and bliss, like newlyweds. The marriage will be conducted tomorrow, but you lure Rafayel to a night of passion. You open your eyes and see your love sleeping soundly. He is so beautiful, you feel the pang of pain, that this dream has to end. The plan should follow as is or else there would be consequences. You knew Rafayel sacrificed so much to be with you, but you couldn’t longer bear to see him in misery. You sang the spell while holding the seashell, as tears fell.

“I’m sorry… I’m so sorry… I love you so much, Rafayel, my cherished groom,” you said and kissed him to seal the spell. He started to glow, and blue and red fishes appeared around him, representing his memories. The fishes swam to the seashell. As the spell was finished, you quickly dressed yourself and left the palace, leaving the seashell with him.

“Goodbye, my beloved groom…”

Rafayel watches you sleep deeply, feeling proud that he tired you out so much. He never felt this elated, this bliss of marriage.

He felt odd that his vow, an orange fish mark on his chest that glows to its promise, didn’t deter him from this arranged marriage. He thought he would feel immense pain for betraying his beloved. But looking at you, he felt everything was right in place.

But it all ends now.

He looked at the seashell trinket on his bedside table to contemplate before looking at your slumbering self. “I… I’m sorry,” he whispered. He felt pain, everything telling him not to as he summoned his dagger. He raised it and he looked at you. He trembled and stayed still before dropping the dagger. “I’m sorry… I’m so sorry… I… I can’t do it.” He cried softly and he kneeled on the floor. He sees your face, sleeping peacefully.

His whole being suddenly trembled. He heard the deep, grumbling noise in his head. His head hurt, and he felt he was losing himself. He is starting to feel nauseous.

‘How dare you?! You defied the prophecy again! Lemuria will be ruined because of such fleeting love with a human!’

‘I will not let the prophecy be thwarted because of your incompetence!’

“Stop… Stop! You will not control me!” Rafayel screamed, making you wake up. “Rafayel? What is going on?” you murmured, unaware of what was happening.

Rafayel’s eyes darkened as he grabbed the dagger. He stood up and his hand trembled again, Rafayel inside trying to snap himself out of it.

“Argh!” you gasped in intense pain. Your eyes widened in seeing Rafayel, your lawfully wedded husband, stabbed your chest. Rafayel’s darkened eyes blinked and he shook his head quickly. He stumbled as his arm hit the bedside table. The seashell trinket fell and smashed on the floor. You feel dizzy as you see blood pouring out from your chest. You saw Rafayel struggling, the seashell lets out a wisp of blue and red fish going back to him.

Glimpses of memories pour into Rafayel as the lights on his eyes return. He finally sees the blurred girl he’s been trying so hard to hold onto and remember, seeing it was you all along. He has so many questions but it halted when he sees you bloodied on the bed. You feel your consciousness seeping away and accept your fate, the last thing you saw was Rafayel in shock.

Before he can react, the ground starts to rumble as blood seeps to the Lemurian floor, and the fires of the torches around Lemuria turn red, the sign that the god of the sea has accepted its duty and completed the prophecy. The Lemurian soldiers and elders rushed to the chambers, stopping Rafayel from getting to you as your body was taken away.

“Stop! Where are you taking her?!” he cried and struggled, wanting to get to his beloved, his wife, the woman he had loved from the beginning. An elder went to him with a solemn face. “Lord Rafayel, my apologies, she had passed.” Rafayel froze and looked at you, you looked drained and pale as if your essence was already gone. “N-No, no, no… No!” he struggled again, wanting to run to you. “I want to see my wife!” he said. “Your Quintessence, we have to bring her to the surface, her body will deteriorate fast here as she is not Lemurian,” Rafayel stopped and he knew this, he saw your chest remained still and not breathing, and it's all because of him. He didn’t care, he went to look at you, your eyes are closed as you permanently rest. Pearls fell on the floor as he cried, as they took your body away to be sent to the surface.

A private funeral was still held in Lemuria, it was not announced yet, but it seemed obvious to everyone. Rafayel never went out since, despite the room being cleaned already, endless pearls surrounding the inside remained. He stared at the shattered seashell beside him as he started to realize piece by piece. He learned that you knew the grand plan after all. He discovered that you pulled such strings to make him forget about you, yet as Talia said, the heart always remembers. He realized that you two would be married but you chose to sacrifice it to continue the plan. No wonder his mark didn’t react negatively whenever he thought of loving his bride and letting his beloved go, as it is the same person all along. He didn’t even have the moment to say goodbye or hold you. As the prophecy is fulfilled, he is no longer allowed to the surface, he is now in the depths of the sea as he was born into.

What angered him is that, not long after, the people of Lemuria celebrated the return of their god of the sea as they looked forward to the prosperous blessing of the deep sea. It felt like a betrayal to him, like they just waited for you to be gone, it felt like everything was too fast. A heavy pit of hatred in his heart was formed, how dare they take away his bride, his wife, his beloved that he waited for centuries! 

He screamed, all of the mourning, loss, and remorse he felt, as blue scales appeared on his skin, his legs slowly formed into a tail and his ears became fins.

The ground shook as the Lemurians were surprised, the elders ran along with the soldiers to check on their god.

As the doors opened, their eyes widened as Rafayel was gone, but a different person… Entity of ethereal power. The multicolored eyes are now as blue as the sea, the once calm face is replaced with a serious, angered riddled expression. Gone with their beloved Rafayel, and now rises as the tyrant god of the sea.

“How dare he refuse me?!” The king said, visibly angry. It’s been a few months since storms surged nonstop at the sea, making it difficult for fishermen and marine vessels to catch fish. “Your Highness, Lemuria is under lockdown since as well, as I read the reports from their palace,” the messenger said, representing Lemuria. “It seems the god of the sea is still mourning the loss of his late wife,” The king scoffed. “He still didn’t do his end of the bargain of this marriage! The princess is not of royal blood but the audacity of her to betray the kingdom, over some sea god!”

There was little silence. “Then, I will deny your request. I will never let any human set foot in my domain,” the messenger said, surprising the king. The messenger’s eyes are blue, and he has mists of blue aura around him.

“Rafayel,” the king hissed. “You must do the end of your bargain from the marriage! Dissipate the storms!”

“How could I do the end of my bargain when I lost the only reason I held onto that marriage?” Rafayel said as the messenger crossed his arms as he willed to. “No need to fret, the human race isn’t the only one who suffers,” he stated. “You need to be struck down, a tyrant in his own kingdom!” The king yelled.

“The audacity to call me a tyrant, when everyone betrayed me,” Rafayel said menacingly. “Even your wife? What if she is alive? Are you going to punish her?” the king said. “No, she did not betray me. Her fate was sealed but not like this,” he said, solemnly. Memories rushed back to him, the beautiful moments of being with you. Your love for him went beyond, your willingness to give your heart for his sake. The king scoffed. “All of this just because of that pawn?” he laughed. Rafayel, or rather the messenger, raised his hand. Water seeps into the palace as a storm is above the castle. “What- Rafayel, stop this instant!” The king said as the water was starting to flood fast.

“My wrath will not stop. The only thing it will stop is if my wife is miraculously alive,” he said. Water slowly rises, and the people in the castle panicked in the floods and the howling winds and tried to stop it and save the king.

“Stop! She is alive! She is!” the king screamed. Rafayel was surprised and made the messenger stop walking. But no, no more lies as his heart was played many times.

You groaned as you woke up and had to lift your heavy belly to sit up to start the day. It is a few months after an elderly couple found you unconscious by the shore. You almost died that day and you try to recall what happened, but all is very fuzzy. You only remembered someone crying your name, someone smiling at you tenderly, you felt and knew he loved you so much. So much that…

“Hey, stop kicking,” you chuckled at your belly, breaking your thoughts. “We can’t get fish, sorry,” you whispered. You wanted to know who is your partner, you tried your best to remember him or even find him. But no one knows as you live in a village where the elderly couple found you. You were also wearing this wedding ring on your finger, a gold ring with a blue gem in the middle. You didn’t feel strange about it, as if it felt right that you were married.

You are craving so much seafood, but the market is out of fish as the fishermen are having a hard time getting to the sea, which is also expensive. No human is allowed to travel by sea as the god of the sea’s anger is immense. The sky is often gray and the tempests are strong. You heard stories about the sea god, and rumors went around as you roamed the market. You heard of him as benevolent in the past, but he became cruel because of the loss of his wife. Some say that he killed his wife as a sacrifice for the sea, which caused him to be this mad.

A woman’s pregnancy craving won’t stop anyone, not even the god of the sea himself. You had cravings for a week and it is starting to feel painful. In the early dawn, you managed to walk to the shore and sneak into an abandoned boat. You look above the darkened sky, the sky seems clear enough and there are calm winds. “Am I really going to do this?” you asked yourself but you are desperate. Your plan A is to catch a fish, plan B is to demand the god of the sea to give you one. You chuckled as if you were special enough for him to give you an audience.

You started to row the boat towards a good distance so that you could get back on shore quickly. It is difficult as the winds get stronger. The sea is indeed tricky, it was calm on the shore but the opposite once on the water. The waves rock the boat harshly as you try to get the net. The sea has become uncontrollable as if they detected a trespasser. You tried to hold onto the boat but the waves were rocking it nonstop.

“Ahh!!!”

Your body went into shock as you were thrown overboard. Cold water envelopes you, you try to move to get above but feel heavy. You see the boat getting farther and farther. You try not to panic to have enough air but don’t know whom to seek help. You curled up, not having any options, apologizing to your baby bump. You don’t believe in such but if ever he is real, you hope he can do a miracle. You uttered a familiar name, as if that name is very special to you like it holds your entire heart.

“Rafayel…”

Rafayel’s eyes widened as he stood up from his throne. He hears many prayers and wishes amongst his people and on the surface that knows him. But this soft voice…

“Help… My child…”

His eyes blinked, unsure that the familiar voice he was hearing was indeed real. Despite the anger in his heart to everyone, this one… He felt the warmth he was craving for. He steps down from his throne and swims like a flying dart, outside his palace and into the vast sea. Swimming to the approximate location, he saw a figure falling to the depths, with a capsized boat above. He quickly swam when he realized that the figure was expecting and was familiar. He went to her… To you, his supposed dead wife. His eyes widened as he recognized you, his hands trembled when he embraced you. He placed his lips onto yours, so you could breathe underwater. You coughed hard, trying to expel water from your lungs but were still unconscious. His head is running with so many thoughts, but he shakes his head, your safety is a priority. He holds you close as a protective aura envelopes you before going down to the depths of the sea.

“Is she well?” you heard a familiar voice. You felt comfort and warmth all over your body.

“Yes,” you heard another female voice. You couldn’t pinpoint her but she sounded familiar. “The mother and the baby are healthy,” you listened to the other voice sigh in relief. “Rafayel… I can’t believe that she…” she trailed off.

“I know, Talia,” he said. His voice is beautiful, yet there is a hint of nervousness and shock. “She’s pregnant… Her belly is already big,” he said, astonished. “I wonder who’s the…”

“Rafayel, you still question her devotion after all this time?!”

“I’m sorry! I didn’t know- It’s very-” he said. You are surprised that this is the tyrant god the people on the surface were talking about all this time. You heard Talia sigh and hear a wisping sound, you felt a cool sensation on your belly as she said a string of incantations in an unknown language.

“There, see? Two little fishes. If it's a pure human, it would be a seedling,” Talia said. “She is carrying twins, Rafayel, and yes, they are yours,”

“What?”

‘What?!’ You wanted to say it but you only muttered a groan. Rafayel and Talia looked at you as you opened your eyes. You saw the god of the sea, as beautiful as his voice, the purple hair with his wonderful eyes. Memories surged in you as he looked at you tenderly. You married this ethereal being.

“Rafayel?” you spoke. “Hey,” he said, both happy yet a little awkward. “I- I didn’t know you’re- I tried looking for you-” he said, completely overwhelmed. You can see his tears becoming pearls as they fall off. You moved closer and cupped his face. Rafayel embraced you tight as if you’d disappear from him again. You hear the sound of pearls hitting the floor.

All of the blurred memories become clearer now. “I mean, I was surprised that I was pregnant all of a sudden, but it felt that whoever I did it to, I did cherish that person,” you spoke and rubbed his back. “I don’t forget things easily… The heart always remembers,”

“I tried looking for you… I can’t go to land anymore as I accepted the duty,” he spoke. “I didn’t know you’re…”

“Ah, I had fuzzy memories but… I was almost until an old couple found me. My chest was bloodied, a piece of my heart was gone… Well, that was what I heard, not sure if it's true, because well… I survived,” you said. “Then, I felt weird changes in my body and learned I was pregnant… I had dreams of being and marrying someone and I have this ring,” You showed the gold ring, and Rafayel wore a similar ring on his ring finger, too. “So somehow that made me think I was married,” you smiled.

“I’m sorry… I’m so sorry I hurt you, I-” It broke your heart. You can hear him being miserable, blaming himself for what happened. “Rafayel, I know what you had to do,” you smiled. “It’s okay, I’m not angry or anything… I’m just grateful you saved me,”

“I’m just glad I found you fast enough. If I lost you… You three…” he said. It sinks to you that you are carrying twins. “Well, the god of the sea didn’t disappoint in saving his follower,” you chuckled and he smiled. You two remained embraced until Rafayel was comfortable and calmed enough, he was listening to your heartbeats along with your voice. “I want to ask, why were you at the sea? The waves are rough and the storms are relentless,” he said.

“Well, who’s fault is it that there are storms in the first place?” You said and crossed your arms, pouting. Rafayel was surprised and looked down in guilt but he was just a man who lost his wife. “I just want seafood so bad! There’s not much to buy because a certain someone forbidding everyone to go to the sea,” Rafayel blinked in surprise and suddenly chuckled. The lengths you’ll go to for cravings. It is bad enough for Lemurians, what more for a human. “Hey!” you pouted.

“Ah sorry, sorry,” he said, smiling and kissed you. He felt complete that he could finally kiss you again. You blushed in response. “Okay, I’ll tell the kitchen to cook you some. You’ll be having seafood for days, a feast, just for my wife,” he placed his hand on your belly. You feel a slight rumble above as if the storms are cleared and the sea is calm again. “You two caused your mother trouble,” he said softly. He is ready to face the deep sea, Lemuria, and everyone to have you and his babies in his arms. “But then again, thank you because I found her,”

[depressnt]

If I ever wrote a Wicked dnd au (tw massive rant!)

There'd be 8 grimmeries that encompass the 8 schools of magic, written by the wise ones and enchanted with sentience, they all choose one powerful magic user who encompasses their school to be able to read it, but people only know of the Transmutative Grimmerie- the bronze one- because there's a spell that keeps it in the emerald palace and the wizard tries to brute force it to work for him, and none of the others have come out of hiding and are instead waiting for a magic user to discover them

I say magic users because they won't always necessarily pick a wizard just because Wizards are those most likely to use spellbooks. The grimmeries choose someone who will use their spells to the betterment of Oz, and sometimes they won't even pick someone who specializes in the school of magic they represent

Also, Galinda is a wizard. People pretend she's a bard, but she is 100% a wizard. I'm sorry but I don't see her being selfless or dedicated enough to be able to practice as a support class, and while that one wicked dnd au where she's a cleric is wonderful, I'm a wizard Galinda truther. She WANTS to study magic, she's BEEN studying magic her wholeeee life, she wishes it were innate but it isn't so she's gonna grab magic BY THE BALLS and bend it to her will. Whether she specializes in enchantments (charms) or illusion is something I'm still debating, probably enchantment, but I hc Conjuration comes easily to her because she knows how to make something out of nothing (through lying), and doesn't want to lie but she kind of has to do it all the time and it sucks, she wants her lies to not be fake anymore, she's an honest gall! Just sometimes honesty gets you killed real damn dead. I think the Evocation grimmerie might like her, she's selfish enough to call on the aggressive nature of its spells for her own gain, and it just so happens that "her own gain" is "making Oz the kind of place Elphaba can live safely again" (I read a two chapter 34k word gelphie hurt/comfort reunion fic, and her characterization just KILLED me, I'm never gonna stop thinking of her, I love her)

(Found the link!)

Elphaba wants to be a wizard soooo bad, but she's a wild magic sorceress <33 Unsleeping City homebrew style, where her wild magic surges build up over time like Pete's, she can't STAND it and she nearly hurt so many people whenever she surged, the transmutation grimmerie picks her both as a way to get out of the palace, and because she wants to enact Good and Solid change in Oz, and it likes that

Fiyero is a swashbuckler rogue who switches his sword out for a gun in act 2, and maybe switches subclasses to mastermind to try and help Elphaba as best he can (reference to mastermind's ability to use Help action from 30 feet away, alsp it was HIS idea to fake her death) (a revived or phantom rogue would also make perfect plot sense, but I don't see it for his character)

Nessa is a commoner until she gets the ruby slippers, which is when she realizes she needs to step up her game if she's to stay with the Charmed Circle, so she becomes a ranger, maybe a monster slayer- seeking out Elphaba to kill her with a gun (hc her father taught her to shoot when guns became a thing, because it was novel and interesting and she liked the power it gave her despite the chair) before having a change of heart

Boq is either a Barbarian or a fighter in my mind, maybe a champion fighter tbh? He'd have been Nessa's (unwilling) right hand during the dictatorship, and I'd believe she'd force him to essentially head whatever military she might have amassed, I think she'd gladly try and seceed from Oz. And also the Tin Woodman was wild with an axe in the books! (Allegedly) (still gotta read those), I think he'd find some release in physical prowess, maybe holding out hope he'd be able to fight his way out, since he was clearly too smitten to smart his way out of... pretty much any situation in his life

[the-blueish-trashcan]

Oh god, now that you say it, I totally see what you mean about the Once Upon a Time vibe going on in OUATIS, I watch it growing up too and every now and then it comes back to haunt me. Still, definitely one of my favorite albums on sound alone, I'm a sucker for folk music, and it was their first. I havent been in the fandom long, I just think it very clearly has that charm to it (and Pump Shanty will never not be a banger :p )

I feel like you may have a similar feeling about The Bifrost Incident, my other favorite, because of (technically) the mouse company but you'll have to see for yourself. The story is a really interesting twist, the characters stole my heart, the memes are hilarious, you'll see what I mean.

BUT anyways, UDAD also holds a very special place for me because of the Greek mythos they've got going on, again really interesting takes on the characters involved and much darker twists on the stories, and the music style is so fucking good. The fact that the Mechs are actively participating in the story they're writing is SO cool, genuinely, much like how they took part in the battle against King Cole but in a much more direct way.

I wont speak too much more on the individual albums because I could go on for one billion years, but god the lore. THE LORE. The bits and pieces you get about individual characters through their parts, the monologues, and even their individual songs is SO interesting. I've been treating it like a game digging for as much as I can because I wasn't around while the Mechs were still active. It's a lot of fun, I really do hope you're enjoying yourself so far :]

As a fan of TMA, I have finally succumbed to the inevitable and started listening to the Mechs - so far, I've made it through Once Upon a Time (in Space) and Ulysses Dies at Dawn

[noctuadora]

I just have this super soft spot for characters who went through traumatizing events, but the goodness in them never really left. They should be hating the world that brought them so much loneliness and pain, but they didn’t let the lingering darkness inside them fully consume them.

As I grew up, I learned to appreciate more of these characters because it’s just so easy to fall into despair and hate everything. It takes a strong heart to stay kind despite everything that’s happened to you.

To Leon Kennedy, who continued to protect and save people despite being traumatized by the events of Raccoon City and unfairly had his bright future taken away from him.

To Clive Rosfield, who shouldered the responsibility to save his world from its eventual ruin despite initially falling into despair for failing to save his hometown and brother.

To Aerith Gainsborough, who helped save her world from destruction despite being treated as nothing more than a lab subject at a young age, and seeing her mother die right before her very own eyes.

To Gintoki Sakata, who continued to protect anything and anyone dear to him despite losing his teacher and his place—his home, leaving a hole inside his heart.

Thank you for reminding me to be kind despite everything.

[bumfuzzled-bee]

Could you do a little sam and ponk? :3

Totally chill if not! <3

Here you go

[clickety-clacker]

Been seeing so many cool Clickies on my dashboard since getting into GGG, I just had to take the time to draw a few of them- plus, it was a bit of a challenge to try new styles. A lot of these guys were also super influential to how I draw and even think about Click Clack on my own time, so you should definitely check them out! Names below the cut cus it got long heehoo

Top left: @malartsorte

Top middle (holding papers): @scribblelimbo

Top right: @wishgraanted

Leftmost middle: @beastwhimsy

Middle (peace sign!): @sootnuki

Rightmost middle: @molabuddy

Bottom left: @pespillo

Bottom middle: @artuurle

Bottom right: @modmad

I know I said it already, but all of yall are super cool and I had a lot of fun challenging myself to make this! Keep on being awesome 👍

[pumpkincalico]

POV the son of a war criminal, an apostate on the run, a banished elf, a dead dwarf, a drunk dwarf, and a possessed rotting corspe walk into your tavern wyd

[kideternity]

Underrated kamen riders in my humblest opinion tbh

[mistress-light]

This is Ripley, last survivor of the Nostromo, signing off.