#they are one of my favorite little creatures even when they are very dull and small normally but now i'm like my pantry how will i survive

[hollowbutcanlove]

The language of the flowers Pt. 2

warning: the hard moment with the Cypher.

Sova - rose red (bud) - confusion; "I think I've fallen in love with you," "I'm glad we met," "Every day my feelings for you grow stronger."

On the spacious streets of St. Petersburg, you and Sova decided to spend your little vacation. After visiting many memorable places, you decided that it was time for a little rest on one of the shores of the Gulf of Finland. He left you alone for a while, saying he needed to get something to eat.

The cool breeze ruffled your hair, making you wrap yourself tighter in your sweater. Growing up in a warm climate, you weren't used to the fickle weather of Sova's homeland. Suddenly, something that isn't a human hand touches your head, causing you to throw it back. You see a bunch of red buds that cover almost everything above you. The bouquet moves back a little and you see Sova's satisfied face.

"These are for you. In Russia, it's considered that giving fancy bouquets to your beloved is the basis of a strong relationship." He chuckles. "In fact, some men give a single rose in cellophane, which our women consider an insult."

"Then it could be considered a very very big compliment." You run your finger over the scarlet petals. "How many are there, anyway?"

"One hundred and one roses."

"One hundred and one?" - you take the bouquet into your hands admiringly, then give a light kiss on Sova's cheek. He sits down next to you.

"You deserve all the flowers in the world, but it remains to be seen - which ones specifically should you give? Peonies, perhaps? Or lilies?"

"Any flowers from you would be my favorite."

Cypher - yellow carnation - rejection; "You're avoiding me"; "You've disappointed me"

It was hard to tell when your communication with Cypher had gotten to the point where it was hard to tell if you were friends or lovers. It was even harder for you to understand why he was pulling away and running away, like a kitten who'd tried to confide in people but had gotten scared again and fled into the darkness of the street. He was either not in his office or the door was locked. He didn't answer messages or calls. But you knew he was watching you. Every move you made. But what was he feeling in that moment, doing all those things? You didn't know.

"Cypher, why don't you open up finally? I know you're in there." - You've been trying for the second week to get through to the masked man who's been so diligently avoiding you. "Please, we need to talk."

There was only silence in response.

"Shit... "You slump down next to the door, hugging your knees. "You should know how disappointing you're making me feel right now. I thought there was something between us...Or at least there was. And you're doing this..."

"You didn't know he had a wife and child?" the sudden voice of Viper shakes you out of your trance.

"A wife and child...?" you look at the woman, who at that moment was looking at you with a kind of sympathy, with incomprehension.

"Don't kid yourself, girl. He's still pining for them, and you...you just got caught up in the moment. Forget it and move on." She wanted to support you in some way, but it didn't come out well.

You swallowed the lump in your throat, tears starting to well up in your eyes. Just a substitute? An attempt to dull the pain of longing?

"Argh... Come on, I'll give you a job to distract you."

Gekko - anemone - sincerity, hope, joy, emotionality; parting, fragility; "Why not?", "I feel really good with you", "Let's have a party?"

The beautiful scenery opens up from the Venice rising in the air, where one of the training grounds is located. You and Gekko watch the sunset while the other agents finish their training. The green-haired guy's creatures were snoring somewhere nearby, exhausted from the training.

"Hey, guess what?"

"What?"

"What if I offer you to be my girlfriend? Would you say yes?"

"Why not?"

"So you'd say yes?"

"Yes."

"Say it again."

"Yes, I agree, Gekko."

A bright smile appeared on the guy's face before he gently took your hand, brought it to his lips and kissed it. You giggled and tilted your head to the side. Such small and happy moments were rare in the hard life of a protocol agent, but nevertheless you tried to cherish them and live them as long as possible.

[jinna-aka-ninja]

Calling of the Souls ~ Poly!LostBoys x Fem!Reader Part 3

AN: So this one is a little longer than the last two- I apologize. I know I just posted an update not long ago but I really couldn’t get this out of my head. Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 4 - Part 5 - Part 6

Word Count: 2,313

Michael. Michael. Michael.

Y/N rewrote the name over and over again in a leather bound journal like some lovesick teenager.  Each time she did though, she scratched over it unhappily.

 It was embarrassing and yet she couldn’t help herself. Why did it feel like she was butchering his name with her handwriting? Since when did her handwriting look so terrible to her own eyes?

 Y/N was proud of her penmanship, except in this case. It was such a shame to see his name in such a terrible state.

 Y/N sighed as she set down the journal, glancing over to Tyr’s room. He was still in a deep sleep. From the moment he closed his eyes when they arrived, he had not awoken. This would have caused worry to spread through her had she really not expected it to happen. He was exhausted after using so much of his power.

 So far, she had not kept her promise to those four vampires. It had only been 2 other nights. In her defense though, she had spent those nights sleeping or checking in on Tyr. Still, she hadn’t fulfilled her promise….

 They were getting irritated.

 She promised.

 Little did she know those four boys had absolutely no patience at all.

   The very next day night they were on a hunt. Not the typical hunt that led in a bloody massacre, though they did do just that when they found a small group of young adults. It was convenient and they were hungry.

 David felt on edge but none more so than Paul who seemed to scan the crowds, gazing at every face in an attempt to find Y/N.

 Marko was worried. There were so many supernatural creatures that lived in Santa Carla, but the Oceanside, the shore, the boardwalk; this was their territory. Even so, what if Y/N lived off of their territory? What if a werewolf ripped out her heart for a meal? “We should have made specified plans!” Marko hissed.

 Dwayne sighed, he would have gone back to do that if he could, but it was too late. “She was uncomfortable. Chances are she would have found an excuse to not make them.”

 “Since when has someone being uncomfortable stopped us?” Paul scoffed. They had basically made it their favorite game in making people feel uncomfortable and on edge.

 “She is not a game.” David retorted. The other night when Dwayne asked her to promise, Marko and Paul wanted to protest. They had almost spoken up when David stopped them. She could not be scared away.

 He didn’t want to scare her, it felt wrong to make her feel like she was worried about her own safety. Their mate deserved to be happy, and it was their job to make sure that she felt safe with them.

 “What if she has a day job?” Dwayne brought up as the thought seeped into his mind. “Then she would have to sleep at night.” At least this had kept their minds from jumping to any conclusions that she had up and left the city.

  Y/N decided that tonight she would go out! She wanted to enjoy the night. As long as she stayed away from the boardwalk then she should be fine right? She hoped so.

 Making her way through the city she saw all sorts of interesting things. It was such a strange place with a variety of types of people, but it was nice. Window shopping was getting boring though. Her eyes dull as she looked at the items they had at display.

 “Hey! Y/N!” a voice called out from across the street, causing Y/N to turn her head. Her eyes seeming to light up as she spotted the curly haired brunette. Michael.

 Lifting her hand up, she waved at him. Smiling as he watched the cars pass until finally he could run across the street and up to her.

 “Nice jacket.” Y/N complimented. This seemed to be the right words to say.

 Michael lifted his arms to show off his new leather jacket. “Yeah I always wanted one, been working a few odd jobs until I could get my hands on one.” He admitted to her.

 “It suits you. So what brings you out and about? Headed to one of your odd jobs?” Y/N asked him hoping he had the night off.

 “Not tonight, I finally got my jacket so I can just have the two nights a week working so I can get gas money and some spending money.” Michael stated proudly. “I was hoping to run into you again… do you have any plans for the night? We can hang out. I’m new to town still but I’m sure we can find something to do. Have you been to the boardwalk?”

 “I would love to hang out with you… I went there once. The night we met.” Y/N said to him seeing how much he seemed to smile all the more brightly when she had agreed. She had been planning to avoid the place but if he was going to be at the boardwalk with her then maybe things would be okay.

 Michael held out his hand for her to take. “I can give you a ride on my bike?” He said but it still came out as more of a question. Y/N wasted no time in taking his hand. He still had that pull that drove her closer to him. Finally she got to meet her soulmate, she wasn’t going to let him go easily.

 The ride was thrilling. Y/N had never been on a bike before, but she was excited to have her arms wrapped around Michael, holding onto him tightly to not fall.  

 The sound of the music could be heard before they even got to the boardwalk. Michael helping her off before he got off and locking his bike to make sure it wouldn’t get stolen. This was no crime free city.

 Michael took a hold of Y/N’s hand and insisted that they go to the rides but on the way there a little booth of someone giving piercings caught Michael’s attention.

 “You want a piercing?” Y/N asked him not entirely sure why he would.

 “Don’t you think it would look cool?” Michael asked her but still glanced down at the earrings he could choose from.

 “It’s a rip off.” A feminine voice came up from behind them. Y/N turned to see a girl with curled brown hair leaning over to speak into Michael’s ear clearly trying to catch his attention. Y/N heard because of how close they had been. The girl just walked away after she said it.

 Y/N thought that since she was walking away, she and Michael would just continue on their way but feeling the warm hand slip from her own grip as Michael followed after Star had Y/N’s heart aching. Was she being ditched by her own soulmate?

 She could hear Michael say hi to her and the girl say something back to him as they walked but Y/N didn’t walk after them. She really was just ditched. They had gotten a bit away from them when Y/N looked down at her hand that had just been holding Michael’s. Was it possible that he didn’t feel the bond like she had? If he hadn’t then why would he have spoken to her again?

 Her hand didn’t stay empty for long though. A fingerless gloved hand took a hold of it making her look up in confusion. There stood Marko, giving her a closed lipped smile that looked just a notch below a grin.

 “Your hand looked awfully lonely!” he said to her, “You owe us a promise, since that asshole left, why not hang with us?” He asked.

 Y/N wanted to say no, her heart was aching harshly in her chest. It felt like her very happiness was being drained, but he looked so happy to see her again and something about that brought back some of her own happiness. “Sure, why not?” She responded as his smile grew, passing that notch as he grinned and led her over to the other guys who were on their bikes.

 “You found her!” Paul exclaimed, “We have been looking all over for you, princess. You’re a hard gal to find!”

 “Yeah, I’ve been taking care of a sick friend, I didn’t go out too much.” Y/N said to them, and honestly it wasn’t a complete lie. She really had been caring for Tyr.

 “We’re glad to see you again.” David said to her, “Thought you might have been ditching us. Glad to know that isn’t the case. Would have broken our hearts.” He had a smile, thought it was small, it somehow reached his eyes.

 Dwayne leaned down to listen to a young boy who was whispering into his ear, “Don’t worry Laddie, Y/N is a friend.” He assured the boy.

 “Your little brother?” Y/N asked smiling at the kid who seemed a tad bit shy.

 “You can say that.” Dwayne said to her flashing her a smile.

 “How about that ride now?” Paul asked Y/N growing giddy with excitement.

 Y/N wasn’t sure this was a good idea but they were welcoming so far. She had managed to put a protection charm on one of the necklaces she wore. It would ward away ill intent and since she was here and they had managed to approach her it must have been a good sign. “Sure, a ride sounds pretty damn good right now.”

 Marko insisted that she rode with him since he was the one to find her, Y/N thought it was cute and she decided why not? She got on the back of his bike, arms wrapped around his waist. Laddie got on the back of Dwayne’s bike with his help.

 Something must have caught their attention because they moved nothing more than a few yards out when they stopped and David spoke up and Y/N realized who was close by. “Where you going Star?

 “For a ride.” She said to him, though her face looked like she didn’t want to be near the guys Y/N was with now. “This is Michael.”

 Michael glanced at Y/N confused and turning to look back like he had thought she was still behind him. What the hell did he think was going to happen? She was going to follow after them and go on a ride with them? Three people on one bike? She looked away from him, leaning her head against Marko’s back, unable to see the  grin on his lips at the feeling.

 “Star.” David repeated again as Michael tried to get Star to get her on his bike. Star paused in her steps. Like she was caught between two of the hardest choices of her life. Y/N wished she could understand the feeling. With a pointed look to Star, David managed to get her to come to him. Smirking as she got on the back of his bike.

 Paul laughed as his hand smacked the handlebar of his bike, Marko tried not to join him. Though his attempts to not were betrayed by the amusement in his eyes.

 “You know where Hudson’s Bluff is?” David asked Michael.

 “I can’t beat your bike,” Michael said knowing that a race would not end in his favor.

 “You don’t have to beat me Michael,  you just have to try to keep up.” David said, revving the engine of his bike and soon they went off, down the boardwalk and down the stairs onto the sandy beach. A cloud of sand throwing up into air behind them.

 The laughter filled the night as they drove. Going under the pier and through the dark woods. Y/N held on tight to Marko as they went. It seemed like it had just been getting darker and darker though as they went. Michael and David neck and neck against each other.

 Michael was still trying to race.

 Next thing she knew, Michael’s bike skidded down and the rest of the guys stopped behind them, David on the very edge of the cliff. Y/N got off the back of Marko quickly. Dwayne handing Y/N Laddie to hold onto while the guys ran up to hold Michael back from trying to fight David while Star screamed.

 “What the hell are you doing?” Michael demanded the platinum blonde as he punched him before the guys got a chance to grab him. “Just you! Come on! Just you!” His voice came down to a whisper repeating, “Come on. Just you.”

 Y/N was surprised that David just looked back at Michael, a smile on his face. Y/N could feel her own heart hammering hard in her chest as she held Laddie closer to her. Did her soulmate really just nearly go flying off the cliff’s edge? It took all her self-restraint to not break.

 She couldn’t go through that again. Even if he did ditch her, she wasn’t sure she could lose Michael, even if he never loved her.

 “How far are you willing to go Michael?” David asked him, Michael looking confused by his smile and yet he seemed interested.

 “Farther than you know.” Michael answered him, trying to level his breathing, and likely calm his rapidly beating heart.

 Marko made his way back over to Y/N along with Dwayne who thanked her for taking care of Laddie. “You okay, Y/N? You know I wouldn’t put your life in danger right?” Marko asked her placing his hand on her chin, making her look into his eyes.

 Y/N’s heart had almost been calm but looking into Marko’s eyes instantly had it beating quickly again. His eyes shined and his smile grew almost like he knew her reaction. “I’m okay.” She responded, nodding her head feeling confused, did she really just have a pull with Marko? That couldn’t have been possible… her soulmate was Michael, right?

[wonder-farm-hc]

Elliott headcanons!!

Just some general headcanons, cw for mentions of homophobia

The post was a bit long, so I ended up putting a "read more" banner, but nothing explicit is mentioned!

Requests are open!

-☆-☆-☆-☆-☆-☆-☆-☆-

❤️ He struggled many years with a speech stutter, but eventually was determined enough to overcome it (he practiced, a lot, in his mirror)

❤️He’s an only child, and up until middle school he was homeschooled. For this reason, he was always a bit more awkward than other kids, never made friends easily

❤️ Although part of why he didn’t make friends easily was because he was always true to himself: he had a fancier style than most, he liked to play piano and write, stuff that many of his peers didn’t find interesting or fascinating. That said, he never tried to fit into the mold, preferring to remain true to himself rather than dulling his lifestyle

❤️ As he lives on the beach, he observes the small creatures such as crabs, starfish and others. He often ends up chatting with Willy over the local sea population, and they’ve become somewhat good friends

❤️ When he arrived in the valley, the first person he bonded with was Leah: they bonded over being artists (although very different ones) and living alone in nature

❤️ They often have debates on art, philosophy, music: they prefer different things, with Elliott being less chaotic than Leah in his art, and tastes as well

❤️ He sometimes stays up until very very late. One time Willy (who was coming back from a night time fishing trip) spotted him awake at night. As Willy noticed the tension in Elliott’s speech and manners, he tried to be there for him, and the best way he could do that was to show him how to light the fireplace, in case he wanted some warth

❤️ He suffers from insomnia, that’s why he was up

❤️ Now, from time to time, Elliott lights it up when he can’t sleep. Not that it helps him sleep, but he find the crackling of the fire to be relaxing

❤️ Elliott and Shane, strangely enough, sometimes do get along. Elliott is one who, ideally, likes to provide for his loved ones and such, and that’s something that Shane understands very well (as he is protective towards Jas).

❤️ Plus, Elliott often spends time in the library, and therefore watches many lessons that Penny gives to Jas and Vincent (sometimes, he even helps Penny, or accompanies home the kids). Getting to know Jas automatically means to hear a lot about Shane, as he’s important to her

❤️ Elliott has refined tastes, that’s for sure, but he’s not squeamish as one may assume: quite the opposite

❤️ He realized he was queer later in life, when he got a crush for a friend of his. To this day, he’s not 100% confident in his queerness

❤️ He came out to Leah, one day while they were in her cabin. He simply whispered “I don’t think I’m straight” during a quiet moment, and she sensed his tension immediately

❤️ She helped him overcome a lot of the internalized homophobia he had (turns out kids joking about your interests being gay does leave a mark, even if you don’t notice it) and, ultimately, he decided to not put a label on himself

❤️ He likes the Hamilton musical, a lot (but it’s a secret)

-☆-☆-☆-☆-☆-☆-☆-☆-

This was fun to write! Although Elliott isn't one of my favorites, he's very cool to write about, and explore as a character in general!

I hope you enjoyed my silly little writing thing :)

[icarustypicalfall]

swan lake

kyle gaz garrick x reader

"take me home, to where i belong"

summary: swans, tulips, and gaz.

warnings: none, fluff, cute, comfort

note: i know most of those are not realistic (i read about it for accuracy) but let's pretend it can actually happen for the plot.

this one for my pookie @puff0o0 hope you like it 🫶🏻

"4, old bricks"

This type of message wasn't unfamiliar to you. In fact, it made you happy, knowing you would be meeting your beloved man in your favorite place. The dryness of the message didn't make you any less excited. You knew how busy he was, being a part of a very important task force, yet he never neglected you. He always spared time for his little darling and checked on you when he was away.

The "old bricks" wasn't, as the name might suggest, some old cranky wall located in the desert. It was a magnificent park rarely visited by people nowadays, as the youth preferred bars and discos. It was the ideal meeting place for you and your beloved—a safe, calm, and beautiful place. Originally named Forrest Green (you two shared countless laughs about the dull name), Gaz preferred referring to it as Old Bricks for security reasons and because of that time when an elderly person sitting on a brick made a comment about you two. Gaz cussed him, saying, "zip it, old brick." The awkward silence was enough for the man to walk away, while you two burst into laughter and had a five-minute moment of knee-slapping.

It was pretty cold outside, and the October weather was one of the many reasons why you loved coming to this park. Walking through the alleys, feeling the small rocks under your boots while the soft wind cut through your hair and face. The shy sun, almost setting, reflected its warm light, promising a comeback once the rainy season was over. Despite being a grown-up, you were still a child at heart, finding satisfaction in stepping on the dried orange leaves as you headed to your favorite spot close to the lake, further into the park.

From a distance, you noticed a tall figure. He turned as you got closer to him, and Gaz smiled. He was wearing civilian clothes and held a bouquet of flowers in his arms. He wrapped an arm around your waist, grinning as he lovingly kissed your forehead.

"I'm glad you came, love. I missed you a lot," his voice carried sincerity, making you smile and coo at his blushing face. He handed you the bouquet of white tulips, freshly cut and neatly collected. The delicate plants were hypnotizing, almost pure and untouchable. Gaz cleared his throat, smiling as he rubbed the back of his head.

"I might be a soldier, but I know how beautiful these are and their meaning. Seeing them reminded me of you—how delicate you are. You remind me of humanity and kindness, dear. If anything, this would be the millionth way to tell you how much I love you."

His words made you tear up, holding the bouquet to your chest, as if promising to protect it just like he protects you every day.

"You're perfect, darling. You make me feel at home. Words can't even describe how glad I am to have met you."

His eyes flickered, a soft blush creeping onto his cheeks as he hugged you tightly. Gaz ran his hand through your hair, taking in the familiar fragrance you both chose together. He had a mini bottle of your perfume, keeping it in his gear to smell when he missed you, as if the sweet sugary scent made him feel at home, where he belonged—by your side.

You sat on the bench, holding hands. The wind blew, making you shiver slightly. Your thin jacket wasn't enough to keep you warm. Gaz wrapped his arms around you, his warm flesh providing some comfort.

You nuzzled closer to him, taking pleasure in watching two swans swim in the lake. The magnificent creatures moved swiftly through the water.

Perhaps, in some other world, in another parallel, you and Gaz were those two swans, journeying to every corner of the world in search of where you belonged. But in the end, you knew, without a doubt, that you belonged together. It didn't matter how heated your arguments got; you always came back to each other, falling into each other's arms and whispering apologies mixed with sweet affection.

Later that night, you lay back on the bed with your beloved, sipping the tea he had made earlier. Sinking in the warm sheets and the dim light of the room, Gaz sighed.

"Do you think they ever get sick of each other?" Gaz whispered, referring to the swan couple.

"Well, they might. I'm not sure. Will you ever get sick of me?" you asked playfully.

His head snapped up at your question, as if offended. He held your chin, looking straight into your eyes as he promised, kissing you softly.

"Never."

(let's ignore that joke at the beginning i was feeling silly lmao 💀😍 hope this made sense cuz i know i sometimes write non sense)

[magic-is-something-we-create]

Writing Share Tag!

Thanks for the tag, @illarian-rambling!!!

In return, I'll tag @vacantgodling, @sleepyowlwrites, @mk-writes-stuff, @indecentpause, and @kaylinalexanderbooks. As always, absolutely 0 pressure to play, and if you'd like to join in, this doubles as an open tag!

Rules: Just share some writing!

here's one of my favorite bits from Goddess-Touched so far <3 Dusk POV <3

There’s a moment of quiet, as I feel the Priestess’ scrutiny rove over me. Within that quiet, with my hood down and my mind exposed to the surface thoughts of everyone in the room, I feel the moment where she recognizes me, and finally fits Ember’s comatose, scarred, changed form on the bed to her memories of their devotions from years past.

And I feel her relax.

“Very well.” She rises from her seat on the edge of Ember’s bed, donning her gloves once again before offering me her hand. “There is no shame in pulling back if it becomes too much.”

I give her a weak smile of acknowledgment, hoping it doesn’t come to that. If I fail another sibling in their moment of need, I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to feel like a person again.

I ease myself to the edge of the cot. Take off a glove, flex my fingers. Prepare myself for the sensation of skin on skin, despite the shudder that runs through me at the thought.

And then I press my first two fingers to Ember’s temple and concentrate.

The world blinks away. I find myself not in the Umbra, not in the cot, but somewhere I would not be able to recognize if its meaning did not immediately project itself into my mind as sharply as it does Ember’s.

Pressure encases me. Relentless, unyielding. My feet drag in silt, the darkness around impenetrable but for the distant, faint lights winking in and out in pulses of red. Even here, in this realm of dream and thought, the instinct to breathe overwhelms me just long enough for a mouthful of water to rush into my lungs, salt scoring my throat when I swallow involuntarily.

The depths of the ocean seem utterly empty, for a moment. But when I focus, forcing myself to remember how I see through darkness in the material world, I find a set of dragging footprints leading into the distance.

Their path is lined with bones. Great, arcing ribs that grow so thin at the tips that they become nearly translucent, like those of a fish. They reach upward, scarred, snapped, and eaten-through in places, all manner of creatures I’ve never laid eyes upon feasting on the remains.

I force myself to stop staring, despite the curiosity they spark. I can learn about the deep sea later, when Ember’s lucid and Aree has recovered enough to stand on its own again.

I start to follow the footprints. More of the little red lights in the distance disappear with each step I take, until at some point, I realize that they haven’t burnt out or scattered.

They’ve been blocked.

Blocked, by something massive.

It’s a few more minutes of walking later, when the ribs have finally started to shorten, if only by an inch at a time, that I finally reach the enormous something that blocks my path. It’s a dull wall of some matte substance or another, on first inspection, undulating just subtly enough and at a long enough interval that it takes me a while to realize it’s moved at all.

When I reach out and touch it, the pressure of the water disappears. It’s as much a shock to my system as the memory of cobblestones bashing against my head, of steel-toed boots slamming into my chest, of Star’s hands shoving me out of the way when the baton fell--but this time, instead of paralyzing fear, I feel myself swell with rage.

The sea floor is gone, replaced with a vast expanse of nothingness. At the very fringes of my magical periphery, concern begins worming its way in through the cracks of my own focus, glimpses of myself doused in shadow from other people’s eyes invading my concentration.

I grimace, baring my teeth, shunting the thoughts and images from my mind. Ember. I need to find Ember.

Out of the expansive nothingness comes a hiss that jolts almost like a laugh, and I’m suddenly swept upwards in the palm of something huge beyond comprehension. Something to which I am but an ant, something that brings me up and up and up, until I am brought before one mountainous, beady eye.

“You,” it whispers, the reverberations of its voice almost knocking me to my knees, “have no power here.”

The anger in me flares, bolstered by the condescension in its voice. Bolstered by Xavi’s skepticism before we left, by Tieling’s dismissal of my skill, by the townspeople’s distrust and disgust.

Bolstered by my own failure to save Star, too. How much stronger the Flex made me, too late to do anything to stop the inevitable.

And how much everyone underestimates me, just because I am young.

“Let them go.”

The thing holding me, keeping me away from Ember, chuckles that awful, slithering laugh again.

That laugh grates away the last shreds of my restraint.

“I said,” I growl, as flickers of the scene from the eyes of those around me peek in again. Bared teeth, snarling, the black pools of my eyes glaring not at Ember, but away along the chain in the Umbra.

“Let.”

Something snaps.

“Them.”

The eye before me widens.

“Go.”

And the darkness of the void surrounding us welcomes me as I plunge my mind into it, instead of this mocking thing’s conception of me. I feel myself expand, warping as the thing shrinks in my view, hissing and spitting as I grab at it’s other hand, clenched around a flickering flame.

The thing that was once so huge, so vast, so insurmountable, shrieks in fear as I grip its wrist and squeeze, black claws digging into its skin and staining the veins beneath. With its shrieks, the fire in its fist burns brighter, hotter, and finally, finally, I feel Ember somewhere within.

Bug? What are you doing?

Protecting you, for once.

My body--my real, corporeal body, sitting on the edge of their cot--shudders as a shockwave of shadow bursts outward from my core. An infinitely more vast pulse rocks through the mindscape we stand in, and the thing that was clutching onto Ember, locking them away, evaporates into a plume of dust with a shriek that I hear even in the material world.

And then fire overtakes me, and I’m shunted out of Ember’s mind.

I come to with a jolt, yanking my hand away from their forehead as they gasp awake. Almost as soon as the breath enters their lungs, they start coughing, hard and long, curling upright like their very breath is yanking them up with a fist around their neck.

I manage to get up, to stand, to back away, just before their coughing coalesces into vomit that smells like brine.

Autumn rushes to take my place, rubbing at Ember’s back as Gab takes up a perch on the other end of the bed, cooing wordless comforts as he takes their hand in his. While they continue to expel saltwater in great hacks and heaves, Tieling catches my eye from across the room, gratitude and trepidation tangled in his gaze.

Finally, as their coughing subsides, Ember looks up at me with reddened eyes from behind the locs that have escaped their tie.

“What--” Their scratchy, hoarse voice catches on a final cough. “What did you do?”

Somewhere in the distance, there is a screech of rage in the night.

[loreholdlesbian]

Okay this is a bit different from my usual stuff, these are more unfinished. There's no art and unfortunately, I won't be doing transcriptions cause I've already wasted way too much time that I should have been working on important things. But I made metalmind cards for my mistborn set and I'd love feedback on what y'all think of the cards, both as flavorful representations of the ability they're supposed to entail and just as game pieces ignoring that flavor.

For those who don't know, the basic gist is that some people are born with specific abilities related to specific metals. Metalminds are something created by the magic system called feruchemy. Feruchemists can "store" a particular attribute in a particular metal. For example, pewter lets you store strength, so you could make yourself be at 50% your normal strength for an hour to be at 150% your normal strength for a different hour or at 200% for half an hour and so on. Each metal corresponds with a different attribute. There are 16 normal metals, one special metal (atium) and then I also made a card for the bands of mourning which is a very complicated evolution of this magic system giving you all of these abilities plus a bunch of extra ones. I went with a cycle at common, a cycle + a colorless card at uncommon, a cycle + a colorless card at rare, and the colorless Bands of Mourning at mythic. Very quickly running by the effects.

Bronze stores "Wakefulness", letting you make yourself more tired at some points to be more awake at others. I represented this through untap effects

Iron stores "weight" (don't ask me about the physics of this), letting you make yourself heavier or lighter, and potentially get so light that air resistance can slow you fall and you can fall any distance like an ant can. I represented this through granting flying.

Tin stores "senses", and I represented this through surveil.

Chromium stores "luck/fortune", represented through an impulse draw effect.

Pewter stores "strength", represented by pumping a creature.

The bands of mourning... we'll get back to.

Duralumin stores "connection to other people", represented by storing when you attack alone then sharing something with all your creatures.

Copper stores "memory", represented by storing when you get 'forget' things so to speak and then drawing you back for them, and letting you avoid the issue of ever having to "forget" by discarding to hand size.

Electrum stores "determination", represented by "storing" when you're willing to accept losses and then helping you fight to not lose something. (It's a stretch I know, but you try representing determination like this).

Steel stores "physical speed", represented by granting your creatures haste, letting you store by giving up the benefit of that haste, and then making a creature even faster with double strike.

Bendalloy lets you store "nutrition" and "hydration", represented by storing when you gain life and then buffing a creature by suddenly getting a lot of nutrition back.

Nicrosil lets you store "magic" and "magical abilities". It's a weird one. It's activated abilities matter to synergize with another mechanic in the set, letting your creatures with activated abilities store a little as they enter and then letting you use that storage to help fuel your activated abilities.

Brass lets you store "Warmth", represented by letting you absorb damage since that often represents heat and then lets you let it out later.

Zinc lets you store "mental speed" so you can think incredibly quickly, represented by letting you cast at instant speed, and to "store up" by casting at sorcery speed. (I think this one is one of my favorites).

Gold lets you store "health", being a little sick and miserable for a long period of time so you can heal important injuries like gunshot wounds incredibly quickly. This is represented by life payment in exchange for avoiding bigger instances of damage, and I added the life payment reward cause the card as is felt a little dull. Flavorwise, the Treasure could represent you going and getting a new goldmind to fill up.

Aluminum lets you store "Identity", represented by storing when you're not being yourself by casting other peoples' stuff and tapping to make you even more yourself by letting you be better at what you want to be doing.

Cadmium lets you store "breath", charging up with a little bit of breath from each of your creatures and then using that stored breath to reinvigorate your creatures.

Atium lets you store "Youth", being older for a time to be younger in turn. I represented this by letting you appear "young" with your earlier life total. This one, like the commons, is meant to basically be "pre-stored". Atium is extra weird because it's not actually a real metal, it's basically a crystalized piece of a god, which is why it's different by being a Treasure.

The bands of mourning are a very special, unique metalmind that gives whoever uses them access to all the powers of this fantasy world instead of just the one or two people usually have. I represented it being able to store any ability by letting you functionally store all the spells you cast. And by combining different powers, you can basically "cheat the system" of feruchemy and get out far more than what you put in, which is why I gave them an ability that cheats on the charge counters for all your other cards.

The common cards, I went with a simple "enters with counters" implying that you stored the effect up before rather than having to do it now. The others I let be more complicated in their storage method. For some of them, I realize that there's not always a flavor of "lose something now to gain something later", it's just gain something later without losing anything, but that was a sacrifice I had to make to make functional cards. I didn't want to make cards that were too fiddly and weird just for the sake of it. When I made a coppermind for example that was beholden to being something like "Discard a card: Put a charge counter on this" and "Remove a charge counter from this: Draw a card" it was a lot less interesting.

[yurayuramiharin]

Animal therapy

The next morning after they'd returned from the Sea of The Castout to the Sunfire camp was oddly quiet. From Callum's stories, Soren had expected to see a place buzzing with life where humans and elves worked together to rebuild the city that had been lost to the deadly plague. Right now, however, there were very few elves wandering between the tents and on the grassy plains around them. Even though Soren didn't understand why, he could feel the tension in the air around him. But right now, he had a more important matter to attend. 

The first thing he'd planned to do after coming here was check on Corvus, his best friend, who had been injured in the fight with the corrupted banthers. Soren knew that he would be alright, after all, before joining the crownguard he'd been a soldier of the elite Standing Battalion. Corvus had surely risked his life more times than Soren could think of but it didn't change the fact that he was worried about his friend. 

For the past week, Soren had spent every waking moment thinking of Corvus, save for the moments when he had had to come up with a master plan to deceive a bunch of pirates. Or when he'd been busy trying to survive when those pirates held them captive. But otherwise, Corvus had been on his mind constantly.

He knew that Amaya would make sure Corvus received the best kind of treatment and got plenty of rest. He also knew that his friend would be good again in no time. But unlike anyone else around them, Soren had known that there were some wounds Corvus carried on the inside, the kind of wounds that took longer to heal than a scratch or a broken bone. He also knew that Corvus wasn't the type to talk, that he always acted strange and defensive when Soren suggested some "big feelings time" between them because even though Corvus was a great and attentive listener, he had a hard time opening up about his own big feelings. In time Soren had learned not to nag or pry on him, he appreciated anything Corvus had been willing to share at a given moment. 

Sometimes they wouldn't talk at all for a few hours and Soren would just bring him a pastry smuggled from the royal bakery during his little escapades with the King. Corvus would always roll his eyes at him, mumbling something about how ridiculous it was for him to disobey the rules that he was supposed to respect and execute as the head crownguard before ultimately eating the pastry he'd brought. 

There had been times when Soren had caught Corvus playing with Barius' stray cats in the courtyard. The animals always seemed to cheer him up when he was feeling down. Similarly, he would sometimes let Bait crawl on his lap where he slept during dull council meetings while also reducing Corvus' tension. 

Soren had been told that despite his best efforts to hide it, Corvus had been brooding most of his time in the camp and not really speaking to anyone except Gren, Amaya or Queen Janai. Thankfully, Soren the Mastermind had a solution for that or even three solutions. 

"Good morning to my favorite crownguard!" Soren said in a singsong voice as he walked into Corvus' tent right when the other man was sitting on his bed and finishing his breakfast. 

"Soren!" Corvus exclaimed and dropped his spoon the moment he saw his blonde friend coming in, grabbed his crutches and was about to get up before Soren gestured at him to stop with one hand. Right then, Corvus noticed that his other hand was occupied with three tiny creatures he hadn't seen before. "What are those?" Corvus asked, raising a questioning eyebrow at Soren who gave him a big smile and sat on the bed right next to the other man. 

"Corvus, meet the baitlings!" Soren announced and lifted the three creatures in his hands so Corvus could see them better. Each of them resembled a tadpole in a different shape and color and they were all watching Corvus with their big round eyes.

"The baitlings?" Corvus repeated, unsure if he'd heard it right. Had Bait found a mate during those few days when they hadn't seen each other? 

"They're wee glowtoads, dummy!" Soren chuckled. "We rescued them from a big scary pirate who wanted to use them as bait for sea leviathan!" He explained while Corvus listened and nodded, even though he didn't really understand much of his words. 

"So now you have a traveling zoo?" Corvus teased, picturing the wee glowtoads along Bait, Rayla's critter and Zym. 

"Haha, funny," Soren rolled his eyes and playfully elbowed his friend, who hissed at the slight pain it brought him. "They're our new crewmates" He announced and cleared his throat before altering his voice to sound more formal.

"Corvus, meet Jellybug," Soren said and gently placed the orange tadpole in Corvus' lap. "Sneezles," He went on, lifting the green creature who let out a tiny sneeze the moment Soren put it next to Jellybug. Corvus watched them wiggle and blink at him curiously and he couldn't deny that they were adorable. "And last but not least, Hat," He said and placed the blue tadpole on top of Corvus' head where it nestled comfortably in his dreadlocks.

"Did you really call a glowtoad 'Hat'?" Corvus deadpanned, his eyes darting up to see the creature itself looking at him from above. 

"Yes, it's a very distinguished name. Am I right, Hat?" Soren said and the tadpole squeaked in response. Corvus couldn't help laughing at the scene as it was clear that Hat enjoyed their name very much. 

They spent the next few minutes playing with the baitlings together and watching them wander up Corvus' chest. Only Hat decided not to leave the comfort of the soft dreadlocks where they decided to take a nap while his siblings received scratches and tickles from both Corvus and Soren. In the corner of his eye, Soren could see how his friend's features became less tense than before. Now, Corvus was smiling brightly at the wee tadpoles who didn't seem eager to leave him anytime soon. That sight made Soren feel something warm and funny in his chest, something he couldn't put a name on just yet, but seeing Corvus happy made him happy too. It was all that mattered.

[blackbutler-readerinsertsandjunk]

Could I request a snake x reader please? Reader is a newer addition to the circus (fortune teller) but was walking around in between patrons and noticed some hecklers ( 2-3 ) were kicking/throwing things at something on the ground. Upon closer inspection, she noticed they were tormenting a poor snake! Not on readers watch! Reader storms over with a wadded newspaper smacking the shit out of the boys and yelling “this poor baby isn’t bothering anybody, unlike YOU!Get outta here you creeps!!” before getting them to leave the snake alone. Thus commences the meet-cute between reader and Snake 💛 thank you

OK BUT MY HEART PLEASE I LOVE THIS........

You’ve traveled with a few different circus troupes in your life so far, but you’ve never really seen one so varied as Noah’s Ark.

Part of you tries not to get too terribly excited. You’ve only been here for a few days, after all, and if things go the typical way, you’ll stay for a couple of weeks, a couple of months, then you’ll drift away to find somewhere else to exist. It feels you never really fit in even among circus performers who don’t ‘fit in’ among societal norms.

Ah, well. Que sera, sera. That’s how life goes sometimes, and you might as well enjoy what company you can.

The crowds around your small tent waiting to see a glimpse of their futures have begun to dwindle. Feeling the need to stretch your legs anyway, you decide to leave your crystal ball and tarot cards for a bit. It’s just after a show, meaning that potential customers will be weaving in and out between all the different talents for at least another hour.

You’re almost jealous as you walk through the fairgrounds. The audience gets to wander around, wanting to get another look at their favorite performer or buy a handful of chestnuts or just listen to the fire-breather playing his harmonica… then they all get to go home. Most of them, at least. They spend some time among ‘the oddities’ of the world before going to sleep under a blanket inside four secure walls.

It’s hard to stay too lost in envy, though. You spot the tightrope walker playing what looks to be a game of follow the leader with some overexcited children who’d cheered when she pretended to fall on that thin wire during the show. She looks kind of like a big child herself, as if she’s in her element playing with them rather than in her element on the tightrope. The knife thrower is entertaining one of the audience members, a young lady who’s walking with a cane ― holding her steady and showing her how to aim at a target with a dull-pointed dart he’s handed her. You get the sense that girl is having the time of her life and is going to get some kind of little trinket as a reward whether she hits the target or not.

All of it brings a smile to your face. The people in this troupe are all so kind, aren’t they? You haven’t met any of the first-stringers face to face yet, but everyone else you’ve met has welcomed you pretty warmly. They seem to be a good bunch.

Your attention is grabbed by something not so kind, though. They sound like loud jeers, the kind people give when they’re laughing at some unfortunate soul’s misery. (Sadly, you’ve become accustomed to that.)

Turns out you’re not far off at all. There are three boys gathered around who you recognize as being among the people to boo when the snake dancer fumbled one of his moves during the performance. (It wasn’t a big deal, he recovered quickly, the show wasn’t ruined, and yet, some folks have to be rude.)

At first it’s not obvious what they’re doing. As you get closer, though, it becomes clear that two of them are throwing rocks and sticks at a decently-sized snake that’s on the ground. The third one of them is standing there with his hands in his pockets, chuckling, encouraging his friends to keep going.

About the time you make up your mind to get involved is the second that one of the boys reels back and actually kicks the poor creature. Although it wasn’t enough to send the snake flying very far, it was clearly hard enough to hurt. The snake was already hissing in response to the assault of rocks and sticks, and this only makes him rear back, before striking forward in an attempt to defend himself.

The boys instantly move back, though they’re all still snickering at the fact that they’re getting the little beast agitated. “Oi, careful! It’ll take y’r whole foot off, y’ moron!”

“Oi, y’rself! Gimme another rock, I’ll show it what for!”

“HEY! Just what the bloody hell do you lot think you’re doing?!” You have no real means of weaponry, so you grab the closest mostly-harmless thing you can find, which is a crumpled-up newspaper someone abandoned on the ground. After rolling it up, you march over and start swinging it at the boys. “You leave that poor snake alone!”

Almost as if they have no shame, the boys screech like banshees at being swatted. “The fuck, lady?! It’s just a stupid snake!”

“And you’re just a bunch of stupid boys, acting like bell-ends!” You get a few good hits in at all of them, and thankfully, the two who were actually throwing things decide to drop their ammunition. “Doesn’t feel so good, does it?!”

“You’re crazy!” The ringleader of this little group of delinquents tries to kick at the snake again. “The damn thing tried to bite my foot off!”

You swat at him again, and this time you actually smack him on the head with the newspaper. “‘Bite your foot off’, my arse! Not only did he not try to bite you until after you hit him, I promise you, no snake is that hungry!”

“Ow, fuck you! What d’you care, anyway?! We’re payin’ customers, and that snake’s just a snake!”

“That snake’s just being a snake! You’re the ones who had to start torturing him! I’d call you all sons of bitches, but your mums probably tried to turn you into decent people and you just didn’t listen! This little snake ain’t bothering nobody, unlike you!” One more thwack that manages to hit all three of them, and your other hand points toward the exit. “Get out! Even if you paid me a hundred fuckin’ pounds to tell your fortunes, we don’t need people like you! Out! Move it!!”

With that, the trio make a break for it, all the while shouting about how you’re a hysterical bitch, but at least they’re gone.

… You think maybe you might have caused a scene. Rather than keep it going, you offer a huff, set the newspaper you were brandishing like a sword down on the nearest table, and crouch down toward the snake.

The poor thing is still coiled up, hissing softly, ready to strike at you because of how he was just tortured. You keep your hands away, and simply try to get a look at him to make sure he doesn’t have any serious wounds. A couple of scrapes, maybe… those will hopefully heal pretty quickly. “Aww, little thing,” you coo. “It’s alright…”

Before you can do much of anything else, the sound of someone’s boots in the dirt beside you catch your attention. A set of pale hands, with a few silvery scales over them, reach over toward the snake.

When you turn to look, you find… him. The snake dancer. There are a few other serpents draped over his shoulders, curled about him, almost pinning his snowy-white hair against his face.

“Shhhh.” His voice is low and even as he lifts the abused snake with both hands. He’s careful not to touch the creature’s head, instead keeping a firm but gentle grasp behind it, and supporting the rest of the snake’s body with his other hand. “Don’t be afraid. I’m a friend, and so is she. She chased off those bad ones who were hurting you. She won’t hurt you. Everything’s fine. You’re safe now.”

Heat rises in your cheeks, and you can scarcely take your eyes off him. You’re mesmerized by this simple man, speaking to the snake as if he’s another person, and you’re spellbound by how his words appear to make the serpent relax.

He was stunning even while you were watching the show from far away.

Up close, he’s beautiful.

He gently extends his arms toward you, seeming to offer the snake coiled around his arms a chance to interact with you. The creature flicks his small tongue in your direction, presses against the dancer’s skin for a moment, and then nuzzles his head against your hand once you lift it.

“How are you doing that?” you can’t stop yourself from asking, as you let your fingers almost pet this snake. “It’s like he understands you.”

All at once, the dancer’s face floods with pink, and instead of being confident as he was just now, he looks painfully shy. “He does.” His voice changes, his head gesturing toward the snake he’s holding. Does he… mean to talk for this animal?? “Thank you. Says…” He tilts his head briefly at the snake, then gives a small nod. “… Poe.”

“Poe? ― Oh, so that’s his name! You’re welcome, Poe. I’m glad you’re not hurt too badly.” You move your finger down to lightly stroke the underside of his face, like you might scratch under a cat’s chin. All things considered, he looks as if he doesn’t mind it at all. You shift your gaze back to the dancer. “So… his name is Poe. Mine’s (Name); I just joined up with you all a few days ago. What’s your name?”

One of the snakes around his neck hisses, and the dancer gives a breath of a chuckle from his nose before clearing his throat. His voice comes out in a cheeky, almost feminine falsetto. “Everyone just calls him SNAKE. … Says Emily.”

You smile, and reach over to cautiously take Poe in your own hands. He seems to be quite content with that, if the way he slithers up to rest on your chest is any indication. “Oh, I see. So that one there is Emily, then? I love it; I’m making so many new friends. It’s nice to meet you, Emily.”

Slowly, you get to your feet, and Snake mirrors the action. “And wonderful to meet you, Snake.” You nod your head toward the rest of the fairgrounds. “I should get back to my little booth. Would you like to walk with me?”

This time, he doesn’t say anything, although you don’t mind. He just gives you a flustered nod. You get the distinct feeling that, rather like snakes in general, he isn’t much used to people wanting to be around him. That doesn’t feel fair to you.

With Poe’s head resting on your collarbone and his tail coiled around your wrist, you fall into step beside Snake, heading back to your tent in a comfortable silence.

You think maybe you’ll have to stay here a while.

[ace-and-the-rpg-horrors]

Can I hear about your current favorite oc of yours? :3

hmm, one i've been thinking about lots is Olivier, who's one of my fairy OCs. he (and his two sisters Belle and Ciel- they're triplets) go to a special "uni" in the fairy realm where they're trained for the army. he specialises in archery (his sisters ate swordswomen, but he doesn't really like close combat.)

Olivier is very artistic, he has particularly interest in a very unique craft of decorating animal bones with flowers and crystals, and for this, he's often been outcasted and thought of as a freak, even though he never hurts animals, they are bones from long-gone creatures he finds in the woods, where he spends most of his free time. he simply finds death beautiful and wants to emphasise the prettiness he sees in the remains he decorates. he carries a small hedgehog skull in a jar around as a comfort item at all times. also sometimes uses fairy magic to make the skeletons he has assembled move in little puppet shows he puts on. though, he doesn't tend to get much audience.

he's Swiss and has got wavy, pale periwinkle blue hair and light pink eyes and wings. dresses in very casual, comfy clothes when not in training uniform, usually flowy trousers and baggy tops in soft, dull colours. fond of floral patterns and wears some light jewellery, always at least one necklace, at the very least.

Oli's personality is very calm and quiet, but playful- when he's in the mood to talk. he's extremely daydreamy, in his own world the vast majority of the time, quiet apart from humming or talking to himself. when he does speak to others, he has a very laid-back and friendly demeanour, though some are a little put off by the unique aura he has. he is practically always smiling and giggling. enjoys games very much, despite not being nearly as competitive as his sisters.

[justanotherpersonwhowrites]

Sometimes I forget there was a time in my life when Shawn Hunter didn’t exist. Back when all I had was loneliness, and friends who came and went. Sometimes I’ll lay in bed at night and recount the moment I met my best friend: as he showed me how to pick the locks of my playpen, or saved me from a llama enclosure when we were five. Sometimes I forget it really took me ten years to find him. OR A (very short) look at Cory and Shawn's friendship.

Most of the morning was normal. I met up with some of my buddies before class, mocked Mr. Feeny when he asked if we’d completed our homework for the day, and received the usual serving of detention with the same familiar words, “see you after school, Mr. Matthews.” Then I’d glare at my traitorous friends for not joining in on the mocking and just standing there while Feeny added an extra hour of school to my day. Blah, blah, blah. That was just how things went. How it always went. Nothing exciting. Ever.

Except on this particular morning we had a new student joining us. A new student who somehow was instantly flocked by the masses like he was some kind of magnet that attracted attention. Normally I wouldn’t care about this kind of thing. The popular were always best avoided unless you had something worth offering them to get in their good graces. Or a death wish. But the kid was showing something off in the center of the hall and everyone was gasping, quite a few people backing away in disgust.

I had to know what it was.

So I’d snuck to the fringe of the crowd, barely able to see the top of the new kid's hair—which I was instantly jealous of, despite it being matted and dripping wet. I heard a couple more gasps, squeezed myself in closer.

Standing in the middle of the group was a boy, my age, dressed in loose fitting jeans, and three layers of oversized shirts that plastered together from the rain. Water streamed off of him as if he’d walked from wherever his home was located to school, instead of driving—I honestly couldn’t guarantee that wasn’t the case. Already a puddle had formed around his feet.

I gasped.

A wet floor is a deadly floor, I thought, echoing one of Janitor Coles favorite lines. No wonder everyone here looked shocked. I was too.

Then I realized what the real source of everyone’s gaze was.

“Wow!” I took an involuntary step forward. Wrapped around the boy’s neck and right arm was a snake. A rather fat snake, with a rather long body. Sleek, solid black scales stretched across the creature's form, making it look dull, though they contained a subdued glint when the light caught them.

“What you aren’t scared?” The boy looked at me in the same shock everyone else directed at the snake.

Scared? I was mystified! I’d never seen one so big.

“You want to hold her?” The boy extended his arm as the snake slid further down it, reaching towards me.

I shook my head. I wasn’t that mystified.

“Where’d you get her?” I breathed.

“I found her on the side of the road on my way up here.” He grinned, flashing his smile around the group. “My folks stopped to rescue a little turtle before it became the next piece of roadkill, and I found this beauty just lurking on the sidelines.”

My mouth fell agape. Was it even legal to have this snake? I didn’t know. I didn’t care.

This was the coolest kid I’d ever met. And I didn’t even know his name yet.

Ao3 FFN

[doriandistortion]

My favorite quotes

Things might not get any better but they may get a little easier - I hate sports by I hate sex

When I talk they say I'm preaching cause I'm passionate when I speak - set to stun

Bad men make their own rules and only dead men can tell not tales - set to stun

That memory is just a tinkle in the toilet - it came to me in a dream

Some people make an art of watching life pass by.

My body is a witch, I am burning it

Everything is gonna burn. Well all get turns, I'Il get mine too.

If ignorance is bliss I wish I were blissfully ignorant - dear ms. Leading - the dear

I see the horns they follow me down god fell silent when I cried out - mistakes like fractures

My tombstone was made at birth my coffin is on my back - deadringer knocked loose

The once weak will one day rule the world - Charlie by million dead

I know when it's time to let the dog decide - a werewolf by attic abasement

I distrust a mattress that smells like it feels. We can unmake the bed and we can reinvent the wheel - a werewolf

Well, you can tell by the way I move my feet that I'm a genuine insurrectionary

It's a kind of nervous shuffle that contrasts so well with bolsavic bravado - I am the party by million dead

My knife wants to hide deep inside of you - counting by heavens

I drink myself to death to be the after life of the party - love me normally by will wood

When I die I want you to die too - we will commit wolf murder by of Montreal

I envy you because you can believe in things like I never could - we will commit wolf murder

I love you, Maurice but I used to be quite a happy person before I met you. - flowers

The sadness will last forever - Vincent VanGough

Happiness became a chore - Roy's our boy by charmer

Summer without you is as cold as winter. Winter without you, is even colder - for Beatrice by Lemony Snicket

The world is quiet here - a series of unfortunate events

I know that you wish you were sick but there are so many ways of being more disappointing - Kali Masi

You watch me like a ten car highway wreck with detached. vulgar curiosity

This looking down at the tops of the hats of us passers-by from your 7th floor balcony

And from such a height you missed creatures too small for sight carry on covert conversations

As the misguided insects crown me their grasshopper king with a dance of celebration - January 1979 by mewithoutyou

Honey, it's depressing what depression does to some. - jawbreaker

Numb, some call it. Now, me and Jesus, we like to feel pain - ecifircas by SewersIvt

Everything will be okay in the end. If it's not okay, it's not the end. - 1899

Last of the pitchers, catfish done hunting, Harry Lundt Most of the killers never get famous and it's hard on everyone - Chinatown by jets to Brazil

I want a cut scene - beach life in death

If you cant find your friends, you can leave without them and if you run out of drugs, you can sleep without them And if you wanna go home, you can call a taxi. And if you don't wanna talk, you can sit in the backseat - car seat headrest live at rock the garden

Came a time when every star fall brought you to tears again - helena by MCR

Let's talk about all our friends who lost the war and all the novels that had yet to be written about them. - the good that won't come out by rilo kiley

I was a hater in the depths of an emotional hibernation - first time high by of Montreal

A dull mind can’t cut you. Sleeping dogs won't bite. - spinning wheel by worthikids

How senseless death, How precious life - king park

I've been asleep for half my life but l'm awake now I make mistakes and I make them well, I make 'em big so as to shake the ground by uhhhmm??? I’ll edit this later lmao

I've found that the road to happiness is paved with rows and rows of very tempting parking spaces - call me what you like by lovejoy

I honestly wanna prove improvement's possible - against the kitchen floor by will wood

I'm wide awake, it's morning! - road to joy by bright eyes

I wish I was like you, easily amused - all apologies by nirvana

People like you find it easy - atmosphere by joy division

I will speak for you, Father. I speak for all mediocrities in the world. I am their champion. I am their patron saint. - salieri in Amadeus

Focus on what is ahead and step forward. - zenophelion on tumblr (your demons have good advice actually)

Some make exhaustion a mode of expression and that's their way - Chinatown jets to Brazil

Your entire life can change in a year @bmekween on TikTok

Just to prove that I adore every inch of sanity - drowning lessons MCR

I need to recycle all the feelings I had in the past - Kylie by bear vs. shark

Thy firmness makes my circle just, and makes me end where I begin - everything was beautiful … by mewithoutyou

The time is coming where you won’t feel like you do now - woolworm by Indian summer except that part is sung by a woman who was sampled

I wanna be a horse full of fire that will never train - pig by Sparklehorse

It’s hard to remember to live before you die - lives - modest mouse

If you could be anything I bet you’d be disappointed am I right? - lives - modest mouse

Good luck with your fight

Promise me the sun will rise again - washer by slint

I am a beast among machines - set to stun

If I’ve got nothing to live for, then I’ve got nothing to die for - doomsday by set to stun

YOU CAN TALK THE TALK BUT CAN YOU WALK THE WALK MOTHERFUCKER!!! - staria II - set to stun

[mnxxxie]

Bnha characters favorite portals songs <3

Includes: bakugou, kaminari, todoroki, Kirishima, midoriya, Mina, and tamaki

♡Bakugou♡

‘DEATH’ (JK LMAOO💀)

‘PLUTO’

Literally change my mind.

He likes the beat and thinks the lyrics are badass asf.. ofc he won’t admit it.

I mean this song is basically abt Melanie (in this case Katsuki) growing as a person.

His favorite lyrics:

“Pluto destroy me, kill me off slowly. I’ll bathe in my ashes, rise like a phoenix, show me who I am becoming”

“I’m turning to expired routes, help me move on. There’s nothing in this tired town, for me no more. What once was a home is a hell I can’t manage, so send me packin it up.”

The entire beat drop with the last section.

♡ Kaminari♡

‘MOON CYCLE’

The entire reason he loves this song is because of the “yeuAh” at the beginning. He thinks it funny.

Let’s be honest here, he probably has no idea that the song is about periods because.. y’know.. he’s a little bit stupid.

Once he finds out that the song is actually a distrack of Oliver tree, he likes it even more.

He stay an Oliver Tree hater.💀

His favorite lyrics:

“Why you always act so serious? I said ‘baby boy you know I’m on my period’ YUH”

“It’s so scary, how my aura got him howling at my moon cycle baby”

“Now he kissing on the ground that I walk on. Tryna get another taste, but I’m all cramped up. Pain like a blade on the front lawn, but I don’t give a fuck ‘cause I’m so strong.”

“I could win a fight on my period. Matter of fact, right now I could built a pyramid. You’re messing with my cycle that is dangerous”

♡ Todoroki♡

‘BATTLE OF THE LARYNX’

He likes Melanie’s clever use of the word “Larynx”. Since a Larynx is basically the human voice box, allowing you to speak, or in Melanie’s case, argue, it goes along well with the theme of her album because a Larynx (for people who don’t know the meaning) sounds like some sort of mythical creature.

Reminds him with his relationship with his father a little bit.

Likes the instrumentals.

He also thinks the transition between LEECHES to BATTLE OF THE LARYNX was pretty cool and very smooth.

His favorite lyrics:

“You used all your words for a quick game, blew it all before you won”

“Poke me to battle, I’ll jump on the saddle, I’ll smile as you fall to your feet”

“And they talk without thinkin’, they bark while they’re shaking, with teeth that are round and dull. And they yell while they’re chasing, while I’m steady pacing. My syllables hit the floor.”

“I’ll reck you, if you chase me. But I’ll be silent until you cross the line. . . Don’t you battle with my larynx tonight”

♡ Kirishima♡

‘THE CONTORTIONIST’

Idk this song kinda reminds him of his quirk in a way? He can’t really explain how.

The bone crunching is satisfying to him …

She thinks Melanie is very manly overall.

Admires Melanie Martinez for her unique style and her ability to simply not give a fuck.

His favorite lyrics:

The snap in the beginning

“I don’t wanna bruise for you, holding back my words until my face is blue *GASP*”

“I’m done. I’m done. Done doing back bends, I break and I snap, it’s no fun. No fun. Push myself into a box while you held out a gun. IM DONE”

“OouAHA HA HA ha heh HAH..!”

“Got me like a bad tattoo (oh-oh-oh) always under skin even when it gets removed (ooh) never got a chance to undo (oh-oh-oh) positions that you forced my way into.”

The bones crunching in unison at the end slaps

♡ Midorya♡

‘VOID’

He kind of relates to this song.

He secretly feels as if he actually isn’t up to being the #1 hero and tears himself down for it.

The lyrics remind him of the way he was treated for not having a quirk back in middle school.

‘VOID’ reminds him that he isn’t the only one who feels the way he does and it motivates him to work harder.

He listens to this song while training.

His favorite lyrics:

“It’s tasting kind of lonely, and my mind wants to control me.”

“Eh-eh-eh-empty. There’s rotten things left in me. Injected by society. No one here but me to judge me.”

“Pipe down with the noise I cannot bear my sorrow. I hate who I was before. I fear I won’t live to see the day tomorrow, someone tell me if this is hell.”

“My eyes are staring at me, and they seem so damn unhappy.”

“Ca-ca-ca-collect. My fickle insecurities. And turn hem into beauty. alchemize the dark within me-e”

♡ Mina♡

‘MILK OF THE SIREN’

She was a little skeptical at first ‘cause it kinda sounded like a title for an X video.. (iykwim..)

After the first beat drop though she was hooked.

LET THEM DROWNNNN!!

Female empowerment all the way. This song hypes her up so much.

Also she love love LOVES songs with the creepy vibe, it’s safe to say Melanie Martinez was her favorite artist after this.

Her favorite lyrics:

“Drink from the leche of the sirens, summon the sailors in town. Strangle their fear of deciding. Which ones deserving to drown”

Every beat drop that goes “DUH DUH DUH DUH DUH DUH “DROWNNNN”

“All of our sisters were killed and abused, by sword swinging men who would always accuse”

“The worst of a woman, who fights for our right, to be where we belong at the front of the line. Tired of silence and being polite, your legs turn to shimmering scales in the night.”

“LET THEM DROWNNN .. (DROWNNN) LET THEM DROWN! (DROWN) LET THEM DROWNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!!”

The end sequence that goes “nothing wrong with a little havoc. It’s fun when shit hits the fan. So guillotine their heads by shouting, cut them off, leave waters red.”

And ofc the signature “don’t feel bad when these fuckers all drown”

♡ Tamaki ♡

‘LIGHT SHOWER’

He thinks the song is sweet and lowkey reminds him of Mirio.. *cough* totally not shipping..

(If this is a universe where y/n is in it, and they’re his s/o, then he’d 100% want to slow dance to this song with them..<3)

The shower/water sound effects are soothing to him and it puts him in a better, more positive mood.

His favorite lyrics:

“You are the light I’ve been searching for for ever, feels like man I’ve really never felt the rain.”

“But you, make me want to plan out my last days on earth eating you. Ohh the tips of your teeth fit perfect in me. you’re the shower of light I’d devour any day of the week. Baby cleanse me.”

“I was surprised to see heaven in your eyes. I never once was treated right. You’re what I’m missing in my life. As bright as the sun, give you your vitamin D. Let’s run, into another dimension. You make me feel like I’m on drugs.”

I might make a pt.2? 👀 (not proofread……)

I’m obsessed with this album… can you tell?

[phoenixknight777]

To Find a Familiar

This is, without a doubt, my favorite work I've ever written to date. It's my favorite setting I've created, and it's become by far the most in depth. I decided a long time ago that this world would be where I set a book if I wrote it. It's just my most well built and my favorite. I hope you enjoy!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kade stands before the entrance to a deep cave, armed with nothing but the thin length of inlaid wood that is her focus and three small orbs of glowing crystal. Beside her stand seven other apprentices, all looking at the cave, confused and worried.

As the sun touches the horizon, her master and teacher, the Archmage Orlin, walks out and stands in front of the yawning abyss.

“Greetings pupils. As you all know, all magicians have a dragon. Their Familiar. Some are big, some tiny, but all have one. However, I have withheld from you why that is. Your Familiar acts as a well of Vis, much as you wand acts as a conduit for it. The orbs on your waists store that energy, but your Familiar will provide a near limitless supply. Today, you earn your Familiar and prove you are ready to earn the title of Magician. You will venture into the vast caverns below, find a Familiar, and return. Be prepared for anything, as not all of the dragons will be friendly. Do not think too deeply. Your Familiar will come to you. Lastly, do not venture into the caves marked with red lines. You will surly die if you do. Should you run out of Vis, return to the surface immediately. I shall return at first light. Until then my children…”

And with that, the seemingly elderly man makes a dramatic leap off the edge, and is carried away by his dragon, Dominus.

Three of the pupils immediately rush in. One by one, the others begin their decent, except for Kade. She waits outside, then slowly begins to trace arcane sigils and wards over her vibrant purple robes. Fire, then cold, followed by acid, poison, and physical blows. One to filter the air she breathes. One to lessen loud sound. She continues until satisfied that almost every possibility was covered. Looking at her belt, Kade sees that she’s used almost alll of the orbs. Only a faint dim glow is left in one, the rest all dull. Praying to the gods that she had covered everything, Kade finally enters.

Her fellow apprentices nowhere to be found, Kade ventures into the caverns, deeper and deeper. At first, the caves are blank and empty, with no creatures but tiny dragons, looking more like winged salamanders than anything else. As she decends, the caves slowly become more vibrant, with beautiful glowing mosses, and strange plants. The wildlife becomes greater, the beasts now the size of dogs and even small horses. Hundreds of different species, each dangerous in their own way. Very few actually attempt to harm her, just the occasional fireball or bubble of acidic slobber when she got too close.

Then Kade entered the wrong cavern.

In the middle of this cavern, coated in beautiful crystals and gems, stands a Blood Drake,  a deep red and black beast the size of a hippo, incredibly territorial and dangerously strong.

It clearly felt no bond, and charges her on sight, knocking her towards the ceiling. The only thing that saves her are her many wards, although several shatter under the mighty blow. Grabbing a crack in the cave wall, Kade hides and considers what to do next. Stunning the beast would be near impossible under the best of circumstances, but putting it to sleep… maybe that would work. Quickly weaving the last of her Vis into a sleeping charm, she releases a burst of magic at the brute. It immediately collapses, unconscious. 

Carefully defending from her perch, Kade hears a whisper in her mind. Not much, just a little tickle, it says faintest muttering of her name. As Kade goes further into the depths, she hears it again, louder now. 

“Yes?” she tentatively says aloud.

“Ah, good. You can hear me.” The voice is deep and ancient, like stone grinding on stone, yet somehow distinctly feminine. “You have impressed me. Come to me.”

At those final words, Kade feels a strong mental tug, pulling her to the right. She follows her unseen guide, until she comes to a line painted on the floor, bright and vibrant red in color.

Kade stops. She says aloud “I cannot come further.”

A moment's pause. “Why?”

“I was told the deep caves were deadly.”

“They are. Only the weak dwell above. But, you are under my protection.”

Kade considers, weighing the risks. If this voice lies, she will die. A Blood Drake like what she had fought could kill many mages. If that’s what the voice considers weak, she was terrified to know what lurked deeper. But then again, very few dragons could talk without speaking. Only the greatest beasts of legend were capable of such an act. If she had impressed one of them...

In the end, Kade trusts the voice, and keeps going deeper. As she descends, following the mental pull, the caverns become larger. Brighter. The plants become more vibrant, the crystals glow stronger. The dragons become larger, and she sees species she knows nothing about. Larger and more monstrous than anything she had ever seen. But, none approach her. The almost regard her with fear, or respect.

Finally, the caverns open into a massively huge space. Stalagmites the size of buildings hang from the ceiling. Forests and plains of strange plants stretch before her, rivers run wild, fed by massive waterfall. She notices the twinkling of what might be a massive lake at the other end. A huge stone spire rests in the center. And dragons dominate it all. Huge and small, bright and dull, the teem everywhere.

“What do you think?”

“It’s gorgeous,” replies Kade.

“You are the first human to lay eyes on it in milenium.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Now come to my throne.”

With that, a massive electric blue wyvern the size of a stallion flies up.

“This is Omyt. He will provide you passage.”

The wyvern carefully picks Kade up, and begins carrying her towards the spire, which is clearly the center of activity. Hoards of dragons, tiny and huge, swarm about the tower.

Onyt carefully deposited Kade at the top of the spire. As she turns around, she nearly faints from fear. Before her is a massive, silver dragon. A true dragon. One single claw is as be as her, and it’s head is greater than the entirety of Dominus and Onyt put together.

“Calm yourself, small one. I would not have brought this far just to eat you.”

Kade swallows, then nods. 

“You have impressed me, small one. I can peer into your soul, and I have never seen such wisdom, coupled with raw magical talent and knowledge in one so young. Your enchantments are the work of masters, and your charms are the most effective I’ve seen in a thousand years. Ya’teme, the Blood Drake you encountered, was no weakling. Very few could have put him asleep with so little.”

Kade slowly looks up at the great creature.

“I am Arandara, queen of all dragons that reside in this part of the underground. I wish to bestow upon you a gift, then I want to ask of you a request.”

Kade blinked. She had impressed her?

“For my gift, I wish to bestow upon you my Dragon Brand. Do you accept?”

Kade gasped. Dragon brands were the stuff of legends.

“O-o-of c-c-course.” Kade stammers, as much from shock as from fear.

“Then so it shall be”

The beast lowers its might head, until it was level with Kade. Then, she gently breathes on her. A surge of energy rushed through her. A strange, cold burn shines on her head. When the sensation ends, she gazes into the dragon's silver scales, and sees a brilliant, shining mark upon her forehead. And intricately designed seal, there was no mistaking it. 

“You are now marked as mine. No dragon shall ever harm you, and you may always find refuge with my kind. You may now speak with them as I speak to you. Lastly, you now share the same connection to the aether that my kind has. You need no Familiar to perform your works.

“T-thank you” Kade mutters.

“As I said, you have impressed me. Now, for my request. Would you become my apprentice? You could learn much from my tutelage. While you’d have to bid farewell to any family on the surface, the magic I could teach would let you rival the gods.”

“I have no family.” whispers Kade, “Only my master.”

“Oh? Taken in by a wizard then?”

“Yes.”

“Very well. Do you wish to return to them?”

“No. I accept your request and swear myself as your apprentice.”

“Very well then. You shall be as my own until I have taught you all I can pass on. I believe this will be a fine apprenticeship.”

Kade smiles.

“Yes. I think it will.”

[frommybookbook]

Cicadas

I don't typically write non-fiction but this piece has been rattling around in my brain (pun somewhat intended, you'll get it if you read it) for ages now so I finally put it to paper. I wasn't sure what to do with it so I'm throwing it up here. Light content warning for neurological conditions, specifically brain cysts and tinnitus.

I've always loved cicadas. In my mind, I associate them with the golden summers of my childhood—those late August days that burned into fall, urging me to wring every last drop of freedom out of them before going back to school. 

I found their big green bodies fascinating and beautiful, with their delicate wings and filament legs that still carried around such a substantial weight for an insect. The holes they left when they emerged from the ground were their own source of entertainment. I'd find tiny sticks and miniscule pebbles and fill them up, trying to imagine how deeply underground these strange creatures had been sleeping, just waiting for the summer sun to let them know it was time to wake up. 

I even loved the shells they left behind when their adult bodies broke free from their nymph forms. When I was really young, probably no more than 5, my grandpa and I would make a game of seeing how many intact shells we could find on our daily adventures on the farm. I'd scour the trees, hunting for their dull brown husks clinging to the bark, and then carefully pluck them free and carry them carefully to drop in Grandpa's outstretched hand. He'd take the best ones and hook them on the threads of my t-shirt, telling me they were my very special jewels and I'd wear them with such pride. 

But most of all, I loved the cicadas' song: the clattering hiss of the individuals coming together to make one rush of sound, thrumming from the trees as the perfect soundtrack to a summer afternoon. When I close my eyes and think of my childhood running wild in the Missouri woods, the cacophony is always there. To this day, hearing a cicada can instantly transport me from my home on the east coast back to those Midwestern summers. 

A little more than 18 months ago, doctors discovered I have a rare neurological condition called a colloid cyst of the third ventricle. It's a relatively benign condition, at least for the time being, and often goes undiagnosed for years, only being discovered by accident in the process of diagnosing other conditions, which is what happened in my case. Because of this, not much is known about these cysts and there's no real treatment. Doctors think these cysts form in utero, meaning I've likely had this condition—and its few symptoms—all my life and just didn't realize it. 

One of these symptoms, in fact the most common one, is pulsatile tinnitus, or hearing your heartbeat in your ears. When my doctor asked me if I experienced this, I told him I didn't know, what did that even mean? He shared how other patients have described it: a low whooshing sound, one that thrums and hums in regular time, like hearing a drum beat underwater. I told him yes, I hear that. Often. I thought everyone did. 

Recently, I heard the first cicadas of the summer. It made me so happy, I immediately began smiling and paused in my walk to just enjoy my favorite song. When I got home, I shared that it made my day with some friends in a private slack. One of those friends replied that she recently learned that she can't always distinguish the sound of cicadas from her own, regular tinnitus and it felt like my world tilted on its axis. 

It's possible that I've had pulsatile tinnitus my whole life. As a society, we spend so little time talking about our bodies with others and sharing our experiences. It's taboo to ask your friends "hey, do you hear things like this? do you feel these sensations? have you ever experienced this?" so we don't and we go on thinking everything is fine and normal because we have no other frame of reference. 

I don't know when I started to hear the thrumming whooshing in my ears. It's been a part of me as long as I can remember, just like my freckles and the birthmark on my thigh and the cowlick in my hair. 

And maybe that's why I've always loved the song of the cicadas. Because unconsciously I recognized their pulsing, thrumming, cacophony as the same sound rattling around in my body my whole life.

[micahggdejesus]

Beautiful Creatures

I live in an average-sized home; not too big but not too small. And in this home, there are cats EVERYWHERE, which is why their cuteness will always be a part of my photography. Cats are quiet and loveable creatures, and my friends know very well that I am obsessed with them. They may be quiet most of the time, but when you have cats at home, there will always be something going on. One minute you get a glass of water and the next your chicken on the table is missing. You see them in places you never imagined a thing would fit there. You're napping on the couch and then suddenly, a sneaky little thing would run to you and play with your hair. That's only a glimpse of what it's like to have a cat, so let me share a few more.

These photos are just a few of the many photos I have of my cats, and these two are my favorite among them. The white one is "Uno" and the orange one is "Nala."

Are they related in any way?

Yes. In fact, Uno is Nala's uncle in her mother side. Do you see the orange portions in Uno's fur? That's actually the main color of Uno and his two siblings. But for him, he was dominated with the color white, which makes him the most unique among the three siblings. Uno is bold and knows how to grab and steal food from others; the rules apply to both cats and humans. Even so, he knows his boundaries, because unlike our other cats, he doesn't jump unto the table during family meal time. Instead, he stays on the floor, looks up to us, and meows with his glistening and round eyes. Nala on the other hand is graceful and clingy. She looooves affection and sleeping on our beds. Nala is quiet and meows very often, she doesn't know how to steal chicken bones so she settles on the cat food we provide. Nala loves sunbathing, pets, and leg stretches. There's not much about Nala, but she sure is kind of like an elegant princess. But even then, princesses can also be playful and weird in their own comfortable times.

There's never a dull moment when you have a cat. Sure they might ruin some things in the house, but they're animals and it's expected of them to behave as they are. And besides, I see those messes as memories and not as tragedies.

[gracebriarwoodwrites]

As a poet, I love moths. If I had wings, I would have theirs. However, after a months-long pantry moth invasion that took half of my pandemic stores and forced me to put out traps and throw them away once the glue was scattered with the panicked dust of soft silvery wings, I can hardly stand the sight of a moth.