#this is shorter than it probably deserves but i don't feel like making it any longer

[green-fifteen]

Day 8: Slow Blink

Prompt: Smile Fandom: The Witcher (TV) Pairing: Geralt & Jaskier Summary: Jaskier discovers something interesting about his companion. Word count: 1,404 read on ao3 instead

written for @fluffyfebruary

Jaskier had been traveling with Geralt for four years when he finally learned something absolutely fundamental about his friend. The witcher might disagree, but to Jaskier this was the most important discovery he'd made since he'd found the man himself.

It was a hot day and they were stuck in mud up to their ankles, trudging through some hovel right at the edge of a wide river.

"Why are we here, Geralt?" Jaskier had whined, lifting his hat to wipe the sweat from his brow. His companion had only grunted and walked on. "Geralt. Geralt! You know, I'm sure Roach would have a thing or two to say about you dragging her through this mire. We could catch a disease! What if we all get a parasite! And for what!"

He looked over at the horse in question to see what she thought of the situation, but Geralt moved in front of him to feed her a treat from the saddlebag.

"Roach is fine," he said. She did look fine-- crunching down on the hard, rooty end of a carrot and somehow making it through the mud like it was water instead of awful sludge that was trying to take Jaskier's shoes off his feet every time he took a step. He stopped walking, overheated and annoyed.

"That's it!" he cried. "I'm finding an inn--" he looked around at the sad little huts and gardens. "--or a tree stump, or somewhere I can go and wait for you to come back. This is ridiculous."

Geralt looked at him and said, "Okay," and gave him a look that clearly meant, Why should I care? It would be hurtful if Jaskier hadn't spent so much time with him. Geralt never wanted him to come with him on Witcher business. By now the bard was good at convincing himself it was solely because Geralt cared so much for his health and well-being.

Rolling his eyes, Jaskier made to turn around and stride away, forgetting for a moment that his shoes were firmly stuck in mud. He felt his bag drop first as he flailed his arms to steady his balance, and then he was tipping backwards as if in slow motion, gazing up at the unfairly blue sky as he finally landed on the ground. His lovely linen shirt squelched into the ground as his legs bent at the knee, his shoes still planted.

Roach stepped away, alarmed. Geralt patted her side reassuringly while his gaze was on Jaskier, who blearily noted how fetching his yellow eyes looked against the summer sky. As he watched, the witcher closed his eyes and opened them again, too long to be a blink but too short to be anything else.

Furrowing his brow, Jaskier stuck out an arm to Geralt, who sighed but heaved him out of the mud. His clothes and shoes left the ground with an awful sucking noise.

Subtly, he watched the witcher's face as he dragged himself back into order, wiping mud from his elbows and the backside of his satchel. After a few seconds, Geralt blinked, short and unremarkable. Jaskier was tempted to call it a fluke-- after all, blinking slightly longer than usual could mean anything, or nothing at all. On top of that, the bard was frustrated with Geralt, covered in mud, and wanted nothing more than to strip all his clothes off and plunge into a cold bath.

He simply said, "Right, well. I'll see you when you're finished, I assume." He tried to be subtle as he took Roach's sack of treats from the saddlebag, but it didn't work. The horse nosed at him and the witcher tilted his head and frowned even deeper.

"So you both come back," he quipped, trying to sound like he was joking even though he wasn't. "I'll just be taking this with me on my quest to find suitable lodgings. Don't be out too late, dear." He stuffed the sack into his own bag and carefully marched away.

Two days later, Geralt came back to the little riverside town, smelling truly awful and with the head of some hideous swamp-thing strapped to his saddle. Jaskier had been fortunate enough to find an old, unused stable and made himself a nice little bed out of smelly hay. He hadn't felt inspired to play (he wasn't sure anyone there would be able to pay him for the privilege) so he worked on composing new songs instead as he waited for the witcher to return.

When he did, Jaskier didn't notice at first, too busy staring into the distance and counting off lines of metered verse. He was sitting on a boulder on the riverbank with one foot on the ground and the other propped up on his seat. He had nothing with him but his lute and his leather-bound notebook.

He jumped when he felt something shove his shoulder. Roach was behind him, Geralt looming above on her back. He sprang to his feet.

"Geralt! The Lady Roach!" he said, then stopped. "What is that smell?"

Before Geralt could answer (or, more likely, not answer), Roach pushed him again with her nose. Then she pushed him again and he stumbled to keep his balance.

Geralt made a noise that might have been a sigh. "Where are her carrots, bard?"

Jaskier was trying to pet the horse into submission but she wasn't interested in being mollified and began to nose her way into his jacket.

"Is that what this is about? I have her little bag in the stable just there--," his voice cut off with a warble as Roach took a step forward, shoving Jaskier along with her, and he lost his battle to stay upright. For the second time in three days, Jaskier watched the earth turn to sky in front of his eyes as he fell backward, this time directly into the river.

When he came up spluttering, he saw Roach pawing the ground and the witcher standing next to her and staring at him. When their eyes met, Jaskier glaring in disbelief, Geralt closed his eyes again in that same long blink as before. Then he turned his head to look at Roach and did it again at her.

Jaskier stood up and dripped, looking around at the river. The water was cool and relatively clear. "There isn't an inn here, Geralt," he said. "This is probably the best place to bathe for several miles." He did want to grumble a bit at the hair plastered to his face and the soaked feathers in his hat, but the water felt like heaven in the summer humidity.

"Also, I can smell you from here."

Geralt huffed and looked away, but he tied Roach to a log and undressed. As he waded into the water and felt the grime and sweat wash away from him, he did it again. One moment his face was hard as the steel of his sword and the next his whole expression seemed to soften and his eyes fell closed, then opened again.

Jaskier felt epiphany close over him. Oh. He was reminded of the cats his sister had kept growing up. Their nurse had told them to watch and listen whenever they could because not every creature used words like they could. Pay attention to everything else, she'd said, and you'll get the message anyway.

Jaskier was paying attention. He was paying the most attention. He thought he might have just made the discovery of his lifetime. Namely, that the witcher Geralt, White Wolf and the Butcher of Blaviken, smiled. Not only that, but he did it often.

After that, Jaskier was on the lookout for Geralt's peculiar little smile. Unfortunately, he saw it most often directed toward Roach or whenever Jaskier managed to embarrass himself somehow. It wasn't until they'd been traveling together nearly ten years that he started to see it more regularly even when he hadn't just fallen over a tree stump or ripped his trousers.

When they met that spring, Jaskier spotted him at the stables before Geralt had turned around.

"Geralt!" he shouted, joy making his limbs feel light. He had stopped resisting the urge to hug Geralt somewhere around their seventh year, so he didn't hesitate before throwing his arms around the witcher, who simply looked down at Jaskier and blinked, long and slow.

He couldn't wipe the beam from his face for days.

[impactedfates]

heyy 😁 so um like I was hoping you could do like a combination of hsr men and genshin men, the reader is their lover who sits on their lap just to pass the time (the men are up to u pls pls include wriothesley and neuvillette if u can 😳😍 tys 💖)

★ A/N: Yep, I don't at all mind doing combinations of both fandoms

☆ Genre/Trope: Romantic

★ Format: Mini Scenarios (Characters Included (Separate): Wriothesley, Neuvillette, Zhongli, Jing Yuan and Blade)

☆ Warnings: None

★ Extra: Wrio + Neuvi might be OOC // Short-ish // Reader is shorter then characters included // Reader is NOT the traveler

The first time you do it, Wriothesley is surprised. Don't get him wrong he doesn't mind having you this close he just didn't expect it is all. He at first isn't too sure what to do in this situation, he still has work to do but you're there on his lap, is he meant to drop his work and give you attention and that was your way of telling him? Are you doing this just because and he can still work??

When he does finally get used to it, I see him continuing with his work, using one hand to write, sign and pick up/put down papers while the other hand is wrapped around your waist, his chin resting on your shoulder as he calmly scribbles down whatever's he's meant to.

If you're really desperate for attention though and aren't just sitting on his lap just because he might indulge and pepper your face with kisses, however this is only if he doesn't have too much important work to do, if he does he'll just chuckle and tell you to be a bit more patient.

Neuvillette didn't understand the concept of it at all when you first did it. Sure he knew humans had different ways of showing their love or just different things they do with their partner in general but he didn't expect one of things you like doing is sitting on his lap.

He's often working so he likely marks this as a way for you to be closer to him even in silence, and in a way it motivates him to finish a bit quickly so he can give you the attention you deserve.

Overall, although he may not fully understand what you're doing just knows this seems to be something you enjoy doing with him, and if it makes you happy then he's happy. Just as long as you wait until he's finished work before giving you any attention you may want.

Zhongli also is still learning more about humans but perhaps is more knowledgeable than Neuvillete is. He doesn't say anything when you do it for the first time however he will question you if you continue to do it, wanting to know why you seem to find enjoyment from merely situating yourself on his lap.

When you see you just like it because it passes the time or any other reason, he'll simply chuckle. If you were to ask if he's annoyed by it he'll shake his head no, he simply wanted to see why you enjoyed it so much, after that he'll invite you to sit on his lap a lot more, however more so in private.

Maybe if he's reading a book and sees you coming into the room, he'll gesture you to come towards him and pat his lap with a smile, if you enjoy it so much he'll indulge for as long as you like.

Jing Yuan practically INVITES you to sit on his lap once you did it the first time. Once he knows you like spending your time on it then anytime you're around and he's sitting, he'll tug you over just to take a seat.

He loves having you close to him, his work can wait and he can handle Fu Xuans scolding for the nth time that day, you're way more important to him then any work he has due...however he does eventually need to get it done, but he'll happily do it with you still on his lap if you don't want to get off.

HOWEVER, this will come at a price. Yes, he himself also enjoys having you in his lap BUT he'll also like using YOUR lap as a pillow. So if you want to continue using his lap as a seat, be prepared to have your lap being used as a pillow.

I feel like Blade full on pushes you off the first time you do it. Don't get him wrong, he does feel bad for probably hurting you but he's not much of a touchy guy. Especially if you two were still fresh into the relationship.

He'd much prefer you ask beforehand. Most of the time he'll say no as I see him as someone who needs something to do the majority of the day and he cannot allow himself to relax.

However once he gets more comfortable into the relationship then he might finally agree to let yourself rest on his lap. It might be awkward for the both of you as Blade isn't making any attempts to hold you, his hands at his side but the more comfortable he gets the more relaxed he lets himself become and soon enough Kafka or Silverwolf may find him holding you close.

Hopefully this isn't too messy!! This has been sitting in my drafts as I struggle to find the time to continue writing it sorgipget.

The next post should be a Christmas Special of sorts :> (Hopefully)

[whatusername00]

Which Baldur's Gate Characters Know How To Lace Up Their Clothing - Camp Edition

I got this idea because I noticed Gortash's shirt isn't laced properly, and then noticed Astarion's shirt isn't laced properly, so now I need to look at as many characters as I can because I can't stop noticing. And I'm about to spend too much time on this for it to stay in my brain. Starting with all characters who appear at camp (main party + others.)

Shadowheart, Lae'zel, Gale, Withers, Aylin, Mizora, Duke Ravenguard, Emmaline, and Arnell don't have lacing on their camp outfits.

Starting with the default clothes for Tav. Yes, they know how to lace their shirt. Good job. This particular Tav is Durge, so it's good to know he didn't forget how when his brain got Swiss'd. However, it's not perfectly consistent because on the bottom 2 sets of eyelets he threads from the outside, but the third set he threads from the inside. Though this is probably intentional so the lacing doesn't hang on the inside of his shirt, so 9/10.

Astarion, baby boy, you were so close. But unfortunately there are two pairs of eyelets where he threads one side from the outside and one from the inside. For someone who wants to appear so put together, you think he could take the two extra braincells to lace his shirt consistently. 7/10.

Threaded consistently the whole way through...with one side. Why didn't you finish lacing your shirt? Why even lace one side if you weren't going to lace the other? Why isn't the lacing that you didn't finish shorter than the one that you did finish? All questions I can't answer because I cannot ask. 7/10 at least it's consistent.

I couldn't get a good in game screenshot of Karlach since her lacing is on her pants, but I found a texture rip so I can work with it. So the lacing here is the same all the way through, super consistent, *mwah*, but...it's sneakily unnecessarily complicated. Typically, the lacing that laces from the inside to outside would sit on top, but it's not that way on her pants. She pulls the lacing through the eyelet, then threads it under the other part of the cross, then threads it through the top of the next eyelet. And with as much lacing as her pants have, this must have taken forever for no extra benefit. It would have been easier to let it sit on top. 8/10 its pretty though.

Halsin. Beautiful. Gorgeous. I choose to believe the knots are hidden on the inside. No other notes. 10/10.

I've never actually recruited Minthara so I took a picture from the BG3 wiki. Just like Halsin, beautiful. Again, I choose to believe the ends are hidden on the inside. 10/10.

Jaheira's pants lace the same way Halsin's shirt does: perfectly. Though if the knot is hidden on the inside, I feel like that would be more uncomfortable, so I'm gonna headcannon that it ties at her waist under her shirt. Other than that, 10/10.

Minsc's shirt uses the same model as Wyll's so everything I said there applies here, though I feel like it makes more sense for Minsc. My real gripe here is that Minsc is a liar. Talking 'bout some thrice laced pants, but I didn't see any lacing on those pants. How dare he trick me in this way. 6/10 I don't like being lied to.

Yenna's mom may be dead, but she made sure her baby knew how to lace her shirt before she did. She may have gotten kidnapped by Orin, but she looked put together while doing it. Perfect 10/10. She deserves it after what she went through.

After being dead for 100 years, Isobel didn't forget how to lace her armor. Gotta be put together to see her girlfriend again. 10/10 Isobel can do no wrong.

Volo...I don't know what you've done to the front of your pants but it doesn't look good. Some of those crosses are missing. It looks sloppy. What is this. This is something I would do as a joke to see if anyone noticed. Well I noticed and I hate it. 2/10 it keeps your pants closed I guess.

That's it for the camp. I'll link other sets of characters below as I do them.

Tieflings

[polarisjisung]

ꨄ LOVE IS SUPER SWEET SWEET SWEET SWEET IN MY MOUTH

PETNAMES NCT DREAM WOULD USE

pairings: nct dream x fem!reader genre: fluff wc: 0.7k warnings: hopefully none notes: this is a little shorter than usual but if you couldn't tell already I'm a sucker for petnames (if you think they're cringy you're just painfully single 😤) so I HAD to make this

MARK — my girl/babe

now mark's a chill laid back guy, and he loves you like crazy but he also doesn't see any need in extravagant nicknames or petnames and he sticks to the classics, he probably won't address you by your name for the most part so he'll just stick to babe. sweet and simple

"that's my girl" is such a classic mark thing, he gets proud over the smallest things you do, he's like your personal cheerleader. It could be something so small as flipping an egg without breaking the yolk and mark would be ecstatic.

RENJUN — darling

nicknames are serious business for renjun, every now and then he'll call you babe but to him it feels too casual— most likely it'll be something very specific to your relationship and how you met but if not he loves darling, it feels the most endearing to him.

JENO — baby/angel/gorgeous

for the most part jeno will stick to baby, sometimes babe but in his softest moments he'll go for angel— it's unconscious really.

but to jeno you're the best thing that's ever happened to him, like his own personal angel— somehow you always know what to do/say when he's feeling down and he's never met someone like that before. you're unique and somehow everything you do feels perfect to jeno, he thinks your soul is so pure, you're his angel.

on occasion jeno will throw a quick but calculated "good morning gorgeous" your way— mainly because it has you absolutely falling apart to the point where you can't even form coherent sentences, but jeno thinks it's cute

HAECHAN — sunshine/sunflower/honey

you bring out the best in him, you're his motivation and you give him so much energy for performances and his idol life, especially when things get tough so calling you his sunshine just feels right to haechan.

haechan probably throws around a lot of nicknames with you, sometimes some a little too weird, but he knows it'll get you smiling

"hey snookums" he'd say casually as he enters the room

"are you talking to me hyuck?"

he'd nod eagerly and you can't help but giggle at his dorky smile

"I love you but please, never call me that again" best believe he'll stick to that nickname for the rest of the week

and of course every time he steps through the door, haechan has to announce "honey, I'm home" like hes in some american sitcom, as if you didn't see him pull up in the drive and hear his keys jingle as he unlocked the door— you love him either way

JAEMIN — princess/pretty

sure jaemin thinks he's a princess but you? you're like the princess of all princesses. plus jaemin feels the need to remind you of your worth day in and day out— you're a princess and so you deserve to be treated like one, given jaemin's practically a king at princess treatment, you'd consider it appropriate

jaemin thinks you're pretty no doubt. in some moments, especially when you don't quite share the same opinion, jaemin will be the first one to remind you, and if you're feeling down "hey pretty look at me" he'd say in that soft low tone of his that's so awfully comforting, with two hands on your shoulder before giving you the pep talk of a lifetime

CHENLE — babe/baby

chenle's not much of a petnames guy aside from a casual babe/baby here and there but you suppose that's what makes it all the more special when he does use them

he much prefers to have a nickname for you that's exclusive to him than using petnames, but if its something you're into he'll definitely try and step up his game, also if he gets teased by his members for calling you by your name

a jealous chenle uses all the petnames under the sun— anything to make it clear you're his girl

JISUNG — (my) love/beautiful

jisung is usually soft spoken but too shy to throw around "I love/like you's" without becoming a blushing mess so his favourite way to subtly remind you just how much you mean to him are through petnames. he truly thinks you're beautiful inside and out, so it's one of the first names he addresses you with.

he likes to switch it up, testing and seeing which ones your smile grows the widest at. he decides love feels right. after all, you were the person who taught him all about it.

[reiderwriter]

hi i love your writing

could you do something with reid loving that reader is pregnant. fluff or smut or both

A/N Hello! Thanks for the request! Dad!Spencer is the cutest thing on the planet so this is some unapologetic fluff. And now I have baby fever.

Warnings: mentions of pregnancy, idiots in love. Loosely based on Haley and Hotch's conversation in 1x1. Very fluffy and probably very cheesy and sentimental too... Sorry, you give me girl dad Spencer and suddenly there isn't an impure thought in my head, I just want to lovingly stare at him like I'm the dead wife in an action movie montage.

My requests are open, check out my masterlist for more 🌸

“Okay, what about Amelia?”

“No, Amelia Dyer, Victorian serial killer. She killed multiple infants over a thirty-year period.”

“Okay, okay, how about, Myra?”

“Myra Hindley, she and her partner Ian Brady abducted and killed five children and teens in the early sixties.”

“God, not that then. There can’t be a psychopathic murderer called Belle, right?”

“You’re making this too easy for me, y’know. Belle Gunness, Hell’s Belle, she’s one of the most prolific female serial killers of all time, even 100 years after her supposed death. It’s fascinating, you know, people think that she actually faked her death - when the doctor who performed the postmortem testified, he noted that the cadaver was about five inches shorter and about fifty pounds lighter than Gunness supposedly was….” You raise a single eyebrow at your wonderful husband, and he immediately shuts up.

“I’m rambling aren’t I?” He smiled down at you as you sat curled up as much as you could in your favorite spot on the couch, the cosiest part of your shared apartment. You smiled back up at him as he leaned down for a kiss and you gladly craned your neck up in response, meeting his lips for a sweet moment.

“Hotch was right you know,” you joked when the two of you parted. “All of the best baby names have been taken by serial killers.”

“Yeah, you’d think with the ratio of female to male serial killers, a girl would be easier to name.” He leans down to kiss you again before falling into a crouch next to you, resting his head on your shoulder and placing his hand on your stomach.

“How big did you say our little girl is now?”

“Y/N, you asked me that half an hour ago. I know pregnancy messes with your brain a bit, but if you’re that bad we’re going to have to get you back to Dr Patel and see if you’re doing okay.” He was joking of course, but you showed him your little pout anyway, knowing that he loved seeing the silly expression on your face.

“Humor me, Doctor.” He strokes your stomach and moves away, but not too far away, taking up right next to you on the couch, and pulling your legs over his lap.

“At five months, she’s roughly 10 inches long with a weight of about 0.5-1 pound. But that ‘How Big is My Baby’ book would say that she’s roughly one banana in length.” You giggled up at him and he grabbed your hand and just held it, content to have you in his arms in any way, big or small.

“I can’t believe it’s been five months already,” you giggle as he presses another kiss to your hand.

“I get it. It doesn’t feel quite real yet to me, either. I thought for so long that fatherhood just wasn’t in my future, but you’re the gift that keeps on giving I guess. I don't know what I did to deserve you.” Even if the words weren’t so sweet, with all of the hormones, you would’ve started crying at anything. Or at least that’s what you’re going to tell him when he sees the small tears threatening to drop into enormous loving sobs.

“Spencer Reid, I am not a gift. I am simply the woman with the correct combination of sense and foolish luck that got to marry you.” He’d done this before, and you were used to his small habit of self-deprecating talk, but after a year of marriage and three years of dating before that, you’d managed to work him down to the occasional comment.

“Don’t try to argue about this, I’m definitely the one benefitting the most from the situation right now,” he joked with you, and you could see the genuine adoration shining from behind his eyes. It was a little spark that not many got to see, a glimpse of true happiness in someone usually so reserved.

“Spencer, you’ve given me foot rubs everyday this week, you’ve read more pregnancy and parenting books than every OBGYN and midwife in the area combined, and you’ve somehow attended more of my clinical check-ups than me, and I’m the one whose pregnant.”

“And you’re growing our child inside of you, which is itself more impressive than anything I could ever do with a book and some modern acts of chivalry.”

“Yeah, tell your boss that. I think the only thing keeping Emily from pulling her hair out over your constant absences is that she thinks she’s competing for the title of godmother. She thinks Penelope and JJ are trying to corrupt me with parenting advice and all those baby clothes Pen keeps bringing over.”

“She’s going to be crushed when she remembers we’re not religious, right?”

“Devastated,” the two of you shared a laugh on the couch, and it quickly devolved into a giggle fit after Spencer leaned over and tickled your side. You jolted away from his touch, but he was on you again, attacking your sides with small caresses, and you were gasping for breath between laughs.

“Spence stop- ahh!” Your squeals stopped as you cried out in shock. It was small but you felt something tap against your stomach. Spencer stopped immediately upon seeing your expression change, and a serious look settled on him as he assessed you for any damage.

“What’s wrong? Did I hurt you? Are you in pain anywhere, is the baby okay?” He shot out the questions rapidly, one after the other, barely leaving space to catch his own breath from the laughter of earlier.

It happened again and you put a hand to your stomach, finally realising what’s going on.

“I think I just felt her kick. Spencer, I think I just felt the baby kick.” You couldn’t help the wide grin that spread across your face, as much as you couldn’t help the tear that dropped from your eye as your hand rested against your belly again, scared to move for fear that the baby wouldn’t communicate with you again.

“What? Now? Can I- Can I try and feel it, too?” His hands hesitated at first but when you enthusiastically nodded and used your other hand to put him close to yours, you could feel his eagerness to feel the small kicks of your daughter as well.

Almost as if she was waiting for him, as soon as his hand was in the right position, your little girl kicked again, almost as if screaming “I’m here mommy and daddy,” for the two of you to hear.

“I think she’s trying to tell us not to have fun without her,” Reid whispered in your ear, kissing your tear streaked cheek, and using his free hand to rub them away from the other side of your face.

“I am so thankful everyday for this gift you have given me. And for the record, the gift isn’t the baby. The gift is the overwhelming happiness you bring to my life, and the beauty you make me see in this world. The fact that you’re going to be the mother of my child gives me the confidence to get up and go to work every morning because I know that there is joy and there is kindness and there are beautiful people in this world, and you are one, and she will be, too.”

His attempts to dry your tears are now completely vanquished as you let your emotions run wild, but you almost laugh when you realise that his eyes are just as glassy as yours, and you both sit there, overwhelmed by the pure, unadulterated joy that a small kick from a child who has yet to be given a name has bought you.

[the-s1lly-corner]

Asking to hang out with them outside the mansion

Except not all creepypastas will accept so the line up is shorter than before djdwkdkfk

You all know tje drill!! Doesn't have to be connected to the other slender mansion posts but there may or may not be references!

Characters: ticci toby, jeff the killer, nina The killer, Ben drowned, Eyeless jack, laughing jack

Notes: gn reader, new crp reader, mansion au, some of them only come because they can 'hide in plain sight', long post, admin misses old crp fandom, not to be taken seriously, some characters overlap, platonic leaning

CWs: mentions of canon typical violence and death

TICCI TOBY

Honestly he doesn't go out of the woods all that often outside of snatching some snacks from some gas station... and he sometimes pays if any recent corpses had their wallets...!

He usually either goes alone or with jeff (and sometimes Ben is there), but he's fine with you tagging along! Its... actually nice at night around here. The stars are cool..! Its.. quiet. He probably shows you some of his favorite hang out spots- just as a little treat for not being annoying. Just don't let it slip that he hides out here sometimes..!

Get ready to not come back to the mansion until dawn, he's a night owl for the most part. You guys might not even have to bother with breakfast... pats you both. These bad boys can fit so much junk food

JEFF THE KILLER

If he's not with Toby he's off doing his own thing. Naturally when you ask to go out to town he thinks you're asking if you wanna go slash up some people... I mean... he might end up doing it anyway if people don't fuck off- sometimes people deserve a good stab...!... kidding kidding, geez y/n can't you tell when he's joking! ...he's joking, right...?

He doesn't like going around town honestly. Not that he's scared he'd get caught more so he just... doesn't feel for the vibe all that much. He's grown so used to not being in these kinds of spaces that it feels weird to be back

Blasts music in abandoned parking lots while you two go back and forth. A lot of it is shit talk- it's only really when you're away from the mansion that you guys can talk unfiltered about whatever bullshit whoever did

NINA THE KILLER

Let's hope you don't have anything planned the next day because you're not going to be coming back until well after sunrise... and you'll likely be feeling everything for... a few hours after a well deserved rest

Lots of running around and sneaking into events- clubs, bars, things like that. Anywhere that's loud and packed. You guys might end up getting kicked out... and she hasn't even stabbed anyone... yet...! She'd stab a creeper for you without hesitation

Horrific food combinations from whatever you grab from any gas stations. Best not to try whatever she throws together...

BEN DROWNED

LAUGHING JACK

He can't really go out and wander the streets given hes... a huge monochrome clown... so you've gotta carry him around in his box when there's other people around... you don't mind that.. right..?

Peeks out just enough to talk to you when you're walking around- keeps asking where you're both going and if you're there yet. You look a little weird to passerby who overhear you muttering to the music box

Honestly he's happy doing whatever you wanna do- he hardly ever actually gets to wander..! Most of his 'exploration outside the mansion' is him slipping into households and doing his own thing... and he doesn't even do that that often nowadays..

EYELESS JACK

Honestly? You're surprised he didn't instantly shoot you down... given he's always locked up in his room, not talking to anyone.... at least he's making an effort to humor you...? Or maybe it's pity. Either way it's more than he gives the others

Though... you guys don't really go into town. If you want snacks or anything like that you either have to go yourself or pack your own- but to be fair... jack doesn't really... eat... at least not normal stuff...

Lots of wandering and checking out parks- quiet, lonely, lifeless... its.. nice not being so cooped up and jack seems to agree. At least he looks less tense..! Though... not much talking

He and Jeff are a package deal thanks to Ben's whole... tied to tech thing. He's the one in change of the music and he WILL say something if you have trash taste- or at least music he doesn't much care for

There isn't much he can really do in terms of activities... sometimes that sours the mood since he's at least a little resentful of that..

Keep him in the conversation! You may not be buddy buddy but keeping him involved keeps things running smooth!

[wondwaeland]

Ten years have passed since The Purge allowed crime to roam free for one night, and one night annually. Things went under the radar for The Circus for eight of those years, but everything changed with the closing hours of Year Ten.

Now with Year Eleven starting, all bets are off.

masterlist || kofi ☕ || Discord 💜

Year Eleven - 21MARXXXX 18:50

Footsteps thudded against wet concrete as the sirens rang out overhead. It had been a while since it had rained on this day. Usually the weather gives a hint at how the night will go. So after a string of clear skies, people knew something changed this year. For worse or better, no one is quite sure.

Though unlike the past ten years, one thing was different.

The Circus was down a fighter. They were down an ally. By all standings, they were weakened. A status he didn't want getting out.

Caine let his feet skid to a stop as the sirens slowed to a stop. He let his eyes drift across the skyline before throwing on the familiar mask, donning The Ringleader persona for another year.

"🐇Ring Ring, you there?" A voice crackled over his earpiece.

"I told you that I hate that." He spoke into the air. "Why can't you just use my initial?"

"🐇What? You want me to call you CC then?"

"You know what," he sighed. "Just cut the code names. We have a private channel."

"🎀I think the codenames are fun." A soft voice whispered into the frequency. "Makes this feel more like a game than a night of crime."

"🐇Of course you'd think that."

"💜Leave her alone and help me with these fuses, Bunny Boy."

"Just get in position." The city lulled into that short bout of silence. "We have twelve hours, and we have our missions. I, however, have a meeting."

"🐇I still think that you should've had King and I go with you." The Rabbit scoffed as Caine adjusted his red leather jacket before climbing down the building's fire escape. "What if this Jester kills you?"

"💜He probably deserves it."

"Thank you for the vote of confidence, Doll." Ribbons let put a small chuckle, catching him using the codename. "But if the King truly taught them everything, they could be a useful ally to replace The Jack or The Queen. You don't have to like them. Just deal with them for one night a year."

"🐇And they couldn't have met you at any other point of the year like the rest of us?"

"King said that it's a trust thing. I'll respect that as long as it gets them on our side." His feet landed on the street. The first alarms of the evening filled the air. "As long as they play along."

"As long as who plays along?" The sound of taps on metal came from behind him.

There, leaning against the dunpster, was The Jester. Clad in the same motif and colors as their old friend - similar shades of blue, red, and yellow - they looked at Caine with mischief in their eyes. It was difficult for him to tell their true expression as it hid behind a painted smile.

She was on the shorter side, falling just below his line of sight.

"So you're the infamous Ringleader, King-y and Clown Car told me about?" Caine nodded, already sensing familiarity between the King, the Jack, and the Jester have. "I must say that I'm..." They looked him over, a long brown almost black ponytail swaying with the motion. "...almost disappointed."

He stepped back, shock filling him. Disappointed?

"See. They said that you were this fearsome thing with no mercy in his eyes. Yet-" they stepped up to him as her heels clicked on the ground "-here you are. Confidence dropping with every moment I analyze you."

How did this girl read him like a book?

Bravado was his only shield at the moment, but here it was - crumbling under the weight of her stare.

"I'll cut to the chase." Her voice was tight. "I don't like what I've heard about you. Quite frankly, I don't like your whole crew. But....The King and Jack vouch for you, so I guess I can push that aside for now."

"Thank you." Caine cleared his throat and adjusted his sleeves again. "So what do we call you then? My team decided that codenames are on trial this year."

"The Court called me...Pomni."

Pomni...an alias on top of a codename. Okay, so that's how we're playing.

"I suppose that you just prefer The Ringleader."

"I prefer Ring Master or Master for short."

"Yeah no. Don't think so. Little too slave-y for me, and I don't role that way." She cleared her throat, turning her head. If Caine knew better, she was trying to hide some embarrassment before she continued.

"For tonight, we're on the same side but come next year....who knows?" They each gave a curt nod. "So why do you need me?"

"Same as you as I suppose." The first alarms of the night rang out in the distance. "No one gets by killing a Queen without consequences."

19:00 - SHOW TIME

[atxxzist]

sweetest lies | c.s (prologue)

next // series m.list

pairing: choi san x f!reader

word count: 1.6k

warning: none (i think)

dinner in the presence of yunho is always pleasant. not just the sight of him--though that is, too, but in the way he's always able to bring smiles out from anyone--your parents and his arranged around the table, all praising his accomplishments and excited for the next step in his journey.

he's sitting across from you, a shy smile on his face with light pink tinted cheeks, flustered from the amount of flattering, but you know he's happy. happy to have made his parents proud, and happy to have kept the family customs that's been established before he was even born.

"now that you're officially done with your master's and will be helping your father soon, is there anything else you have in mind? anything else you wish to do?" your father asks politely.

he's never had a son, and yunho is probably the closest thing to one, having treated him like his own from the days he was still running around the playground like any child, so much shorter than him, to the present where he's grown into the young man he is, towering over your father with ease.

"like marriage," your mother adds, prompting yunho's own to chuckle along as the two share an amused look and swat each other on the arms playfully at the thought.

your attention immediately picks up at the word (as if you already weren't listening in on it intensively), and your sister's might've as well, though you're too busy thinking for yourself to notice even if she's just a seat away.

short-haired, petite frame, cute in her features, and two years entirely younger than you, it's hard to not feel small next to her despite being a few inches taller.

she's also graceful in her manners, the food on her plate showing only few bites and little to no crumbs anywhere; the napkin and utensils even neatly placed on the side.

if you were not so spiteful and a little less of a bitch, you would say your sister is the perfect daughter--a combination of everything a young woman in her early 20s should be and more.

but if you're to spend time talking about your sister and the many ways she makes you feel inferior, you would never get to the point--the point being, you couldn't care less about the deep insecurities rooted in you from just being in the same room as her at the moment--your mind stuck in a trance, only able to think about yunho and marriage.

"a fine young man like yunho deserves only the best in a partner," your father adds sweetly, delivering a smile to yunho as the corners of his lips curve in return.

"i agree." yunho father's nod in agreement, raising his glass of expensive champagne. "she needs to be someone who will be able carry the family's name forward. but most importantly, she should be smart and competent--someone equal to yunho."

a low and dry chuckle leaves him before he looks to yunho.

"right, son?"

there's an unintentional hesitation from yunho, stumbling with something nervous in his eye before nodding his head lightly.

"yes, father."

someone who will be able to carry the family's name forward, smart, competent, and equal to yunho.

in all honesty, you probably don't meet one or two of the requirements, but you do have a few things in your favor--the first being you are somewhat equal in terms of status.

their house might be bigger and they might throw more lavish parties, but you all shop at the same places, wear the same brands, drive the same kinds of cars, and live in the same neighborhood.

the last thing being--in the entirety that you've known yunho, he's never had a girlfriend and never seeked out relationships. as far as you're aware, you're the only woman in his life.

so pardon you for sounding a bit full of yourself, but you can't possibly think of anyone else who's better suited for him than you.

the dinner goes on, still with the compliments and small talks about the future, but a few more minutes in and you have to excuse yourself from the table to use the restroom.

no matter how many times you've been here, you will always get a little lost at first from how huge and spacious the downstairs is, until you finally find the door to one, relieving yourself and washing up, eager to head back so you can hear more about yunho.

but you're barely a foot out the door when you hit face first into someone's hard chest, just one glance up at him and it makes your stomach churn.

"hi," he says all cheeky smile, looking down at you with batting eyelashes, a tank top and messy hair like he just woke up. at almost 6 in the evening.

you don't say anything, only rolling your eyes in an attempt to get away but not before he's fast to block off the open space, making you thump your head into his chest again.

"i don't have time for you right now, san," you warn quietly, patience beginning to thin, but he probably doesn't even hear you, his gaze entirely elsewhere as a smirk appears on his lips.

"is that a new bra?"

"i don't know, what do you think?" you cross your arms, slouching and waiting for him to get the show over with so you can return to what actually matters.

"it definitely is. i've never seen you in it before."

you brush off the comment; it not even being worth a reaction.

"you know, i'm surprised you're even here at all."

he snickers, one arm leaned against the wall like what you're saying is ridiculous.

"at my own house? during my brother's celebration dinner? why wouldn't i be here?"

you see.. san is the biological son of the choi's. yunho was adopted into the family after a tragic accident took both of his parents' lives, and always having been a close friend and good business partner of yunho's father, mr. choi took yunho under his wing, allowing the boy to keep his family's original surname and raised him until he's quite literally a mere reflection of the man himself.

you have no idea what went wrong; how proper and sophisticated people like mr and mrs choi can end up with someone like san who has so little care for the world, as if he's just floating through life.

but you suppose that's the advantage of being the biological kid--he gets to fuck up however many times he wants and can put in the bare minimal efforts and get asspats for it, while someone like yunho has to go the extra mile, sweating blood and tears just to prove he's worth something. that mr. choi wasn't wrong.

and maybe that's one of the reasons why you always resented san--that he's just another rich and spoiled kid.

despite the prejudice, the awful thing is that you still have more in common with him than yunho--putting on pretty facades of being a good son at family events and business interviews when behind it, he was busy smoking weeds and getting drunk at dirty frat parties every week.

you only know that because you were also at those parties, smoking dirt cheap weeds and getting stupid drunk, failing half of your classes.

"just pointing it out because you seem to have a knack for missing important events."

"i never miss important events, that's why i came to find you," he delivers with a sly tone, inching too close that you're basically pressed up against him, proceeding to pinch your brows at the confession.

"you followed me?"

"of course. i heard the conversation at the table. you know, if you're going to get married off to my brother soon, we might as well get it over with; go into one of these rooms. we might not get the chance ever again. i'll make it quick, and this will just be between you and me."

he does the suggestive gesture of swiping a thumb over your lips but you're quick to push him off, hissing back, "you're fucking disgusting."

he smirks in amusement.

"all i heard was 'fucking', and definitely, we could be fucking right now."

your eyes roll into the back of your head so hard, you're surprise you don't pass out.

"i wouldn't fuck you even if i'm on life support and need your dick to survive."

he laughs.

"who knows. desperate time calls for desperate measures. after all, we have made out before."

you kissed san. once. and that was only because you were high as fuck and had no idea what the hell was going on, but san will always bring it up any chance he gets, holding onto that fact like a badge to be proud of.

"only time i'd let you lay a finger on me is if i'm fucked in the brai--"

"--y/n?"

both your heads snap to the voice a couple feet away, seeing it's yunho and having to immediately distance yourself even further from san, clearing your throat.

"what's going on?" he asks in his soft timbre.

"i was just uhm," you half answer, running over to his side to make yourself at home by wrapping your arms around one of his, staring back at san in annoyance, "using the restroom and ran into him."

"you were taking a while so i told everyone i'd come and get you."

the way your expression immediately changes at yunho's words makes san feel pure disgust; how you can switch character so quick almost unbelievable.

"thank you," you reply with a smile, lightly snuggling the side of your head on his arm. "let's go back."

hauling him back the other way, you wait as he stops and turns slightly to san, uttering, "dinner is still going on. you should come."

san can only watch the two of you walk away, groaning to himself as he pushes past the restroom door and slam it in irritation.

next // series m.list

taglist: @freeandrealme @shingene @cookiechristie @softie00 @crimson-mia @hexheathen @lixpixstix @atinytease @turtash @moonseonghwa @kkayfan @curryramyeon @justineasian @mikaymee @chickendrum @yujispinkhair @sannie-pudding @itsokaytobedumb00 @nerdy-kimchi @fannyxmh @acciocriativity @mel-the-mad-hatter

[dragon-susceptible]

Okay so im working on a special little drawing for this fic (NO DETAILS FROM ME) but! I do need to know if you have any specific physical traits you want Elryian (sorry if that isn't how it's spelt) to look like. AGAIN NO OTHER DETAILS FROM ME. But, he is your character, so I feel like i should ask you want you think he would look like. ALSO I just wanted to say as a little side note that this AU is now my new hyperfixation and I am completely ignoring the Canon in the show, this is how the story was from the start. Love the AU, keep it up! And of course take breaks when needed, you deserve it (especially since you released what 3 chapters in one day? Take a break love!)💖

oh my gods seriously? You're making art of Different Path Taken? I love you.

So I have it spelled Elyrin in the fic already but I kinda wish I'd seen Elyrian earlier because that looks really neat, should have gone with that. I just don't wanna go back and edit everything lol.

Elyrin's a little taller than Andromeda, a perfectly average 5'9" to her 5'7", still a little bit shorter than Callisto and Skor even with his horns. He has horns similar to Lain's, relatively slender for a man (amab moonshadow seem to trend towards bulkier horns than afab) with a gentle curve, but his are angled more backwards - oh perfect so the shape of his horns is like Lain's, but the angle is like Ibis. They're stained purple like Ethari's.

I have remembered HeroForge exists. Here's a best-I-can-do mockup on HeroForge.

The clothes are . . . not quite the Moonshadow vibe. The shirt should have some semblance of sleeves, that loop around the bicep that most do, but with the shoulder window. I'm undecided on whether the crop top should be that obvious - Ethari wears one, but he's the only Moonshadow we see who does, and even his isn't quite this obvious. The shirt should also have a higher collar and he might wear more of a half-cape than the scarf.

Other than the clothes not really fitting Moonshadow fashion, and the tattoos being a bit out of place for a Moonshadow elf (it should be smaller circles, not these big crescents) though, it's pretty close. He's a slender build, by human standards, perfectly average by elven ones. Not particularly well-muscled, but strong enough to pick up a small child and carry them around if need be. Also disregard the fork in his horns, that shouldn't be there, that's a Startouch thing, but it was the closest I could find of an appropriate size to what they should look like. They should also have the "wood grain" lines in them but that's just not a thing on HeroForge. He should also be wearing a purple feather tucked into his braids, pretty much at all times, because Andromeda likes purple and he likes feathers. It's probably a feather shed from her shadowpaw. I'm actually okay with the facial tattoos, those seem to work well enough as is.

His hair wouldn't be quite as long as Andromeda's if he let it down, but he's more likely to just braid the whole thing back into a bun than she is. It's relatively uncommon among Moonshadow elves, but he's had enough of his Mooncubs yank on it by accident that he's just like yeah no it's getting taken up now. Yeah, all the way. Plus it lets him braid ribbons into it sometimes (or rather, lets Andromeda braid ribbons into it, usually). His earrings are also likely further up his ear, like Callisto's or Ethari's, than this. His ears also won't always look like this, he's pricking them forwards because his attention is on his audience here.

Most of the fashion is a bit wrong but I am kind of attached to the half-skirt. It could be traded out for a sleeveless cloak (like Runaan) or a cape , possibly. I kinda like just the half-skirt with a thinner scarf that trails a bit, though, for his stage presence.

[notmoreflippingelves]

Hi 😊💞 I've been thinking about EoA lately and after re-reading some of your posts, I've noticed that you said "Mateo as the next Fiero would make more sense, the arc writes itself" and I'd really like to read your version then! 👀 How would you have handled the brat's arc? 😀 (nope, not me being a bit salty and needing some carthasis, why are you asking? 😗🫣)

Oh okay, this is actually gonna take a bit of thoughts as I hadn't really definitively thought through any ideas (I was just flirting with the potential) but this could be really fun brainstorming exercise.)

Before I get into my specific plot -related ideas, there are few general notes that I want to get out there(that apply to multiple approaches one would hypothetically take).

I don't anticipate "Dark Mateo" as being a particularly long arc but it would be one that would require more than a single regular-length episode. The sweet spot would be one of the "special episodes" (45-90 minutes as opposed to 20 minutes) or 2-4 "regular" length episodes.

2. There are essentially two "time-windows" that seem best suited to a Dark Mateo arc: The back half of S2-early S3 (post Shuriki's defeat but pre-crystal well times) OR post-"Coronation Day" (if they ever decide to do a sequel series/movie).

I don't want "dark Mateo" to intersect in any way with the "Shuriki Returns" arc as-is--both because it would make Mateo more important to the wider arc than I feel like he should be AND because it would be much harder for Elena to reconcile with Mateo if Shuriki is involved in any way. (There's a reason that we never see her forgive Cristobal and why Esteban has to essentially "die" to be forgiven.) On a similar note, I don't want to pull focus away from Esteban's own "villain(?)" era and redemption.

I also think that these timeframes are uniquely suited to tie a shorter "Dark Mateo" arc to broader arcs in a thematically appropriate and interesting way by either foreshadowing (in a late S2-early S3 setting) or by referencing Estedemption directly (in a post-canon setting) by including Esteban in the situation/resolution.

3. Ideally, a "Dark Mateo" arc should include callbacks to at least one of the moments I had originally indicated in my "Mateo-lack-of-accountability" vent. (Specifically, 1. him blabbing highly confidential information to Carla-as-Rita despite barely knowing her, 2. his abandoning direct orders (twice!) in "The Scepter of Night" and nearly losing Team Avalor the scepter piece, and 3. him using his magic to attack and then silence Gabe while arguing that he should take over the Royal Guard in "Captain Mateo"). I would either have proper callouts for Mateo immediately follow the incidents in question (which could cause Mateo to feel resentful/ashamed and therefore more susceptible to a slide to the dark side) OR have these incidents brought up in the present as examples of missed opportunities to have "teachable" moments for Mateo that might have prevented this current direction.

And now for some specific plot ideas! There are a few different directions that one could hypothetically take a brief "villain era" for Mateo, so I will go through my thoughts regarding each of them. (Of course, there is the possibility for elements of these to be combined).

Option 1-- The Resenter

So, this is probably the most common/standard villain arc option, but personally, I find it the most boring so I am not going to dwell too much upon it. (There's also the potential for a lot of overlap with eithe/both of the other two).

As Mateo grows more powerful in magic, he also grows more arrogant. He also becomes frustrated that he is not being given more power/is still expected to follow orders/ does not receive enough respect, because he clearly "deserves" it. As a result of being "mistreated" or "disrespected" one too many times, he suddenly snaps and turns against one or more of his former friends. (Personally, if a specific personal grudge/jealousy against a regular character is what sets him off, I think it would make the most sense to have it be against Gabe--since they've already established them as being rather competitive--or Olivia--if she seems to be making "quicker" progress in her magic studies than him).

Eventually, things escalate and Mateo realizes that he's made a terrible mistake. He owns up to his actions, works to make amends, and rejoins Team Avalor after having eaten a big wopping serving of humble pie.

Option 2-- The Insecure

So this option has a lot of overlap potential with the other two. Yet again, this would involve Mateo (falsely) believing that he is underappreciated/undervalued by other characters. But what differentiates this from the above is that Mateo's response is rooted primarily in sadness & insecurity rather than anger & entitlement.

While this approach would theoretically still work under other circumstances, I think that it would be more effective in a "post-Coronation Day" timeframe, ideally after Mateo has spent a reasonable amount of time away from Avalor. Perhaps he is offered a guest lecturer position on Avaloran magic at Hexley Hall (the sorcery school from Sofia the First) and/or decides to enroll in a course there to learn about other types/styles of magic-making. Or perhaps, there is a "royal wizard" symposium for a few weeks/months that he attends.

He returns to Avalor and learns that quite a few magical problems popped up in his absence, but that these were quickly and efficiently resolved without him. (Presumably, Olivia, Elena, the Delgados, Esteban, or some combination thereof handle the necessary 'magical' tasks, while Gabe, Isa, Naomi, Paloma, or some combination thereof come up with action plans/strategies that don't require magic).

Perhaps, in his absence, Rafa has also moved on with her life. Perhaps she's started dating again (Rafa/Victor is a not uncommon beta ship from what I've seen) or has embraced a new hobby or career.

As a result, Mateo starts to question whether he is really "needed" or "wanted" after all--if people are so easily able to adapt to an Avalor City without him in it. He starts to wonder if maybe there is somewhere out there where he would be more valued and where he could make more of a difference. And his search for a new "purpose" and meaning makes him vulnerable to manipulation and false flattery. He ends up crossing paths with someone who seems to value his potential and to need his help and is so eager to be "wanted and useful" again that he disregards a lot of "red flags" that his new friend is bad news. As a result, he ends up being used as a pawn against his family and friends and does not realize until it's (almost) too late and a lot of damage has been done.

(Considering how well Carla was able to play him like a fiddle, I think another 'pretty girl/beautiful woman' villain would be the most successful at this. But given his lack of a father figure, an older man--ideally one with a magical background and/or who is an authority figure--might work just as well. You could even tie things back into Sofia the First by having this character be Prisma, Vor, or Mamanu (for the first variant) or Grimtrix or Baron von Rocha (for the second). Or given a good disguise and some rewrites to existing EoA canon, Orizaba, Zopilote, or Chatana might work as well).

(As I am sure you have noticed, this is the "dark" Mateo variation that has the most obvious parallels to Esteban's arc--which could be an advantage or a disadvantage.)

Option 3--The Seeker of Forbidden Power

Saved this for one last, both because it's my personal favorite and because in my opinion, it seems the most plausible. (As mentioned above, there is still potential to overlap with one or more of the above ideas, but that is not necessary for this to work).

In this scenario, Mateo encounters some sort of dangerous magical McGuffin. (Ex: a "forbidden" spell in the Codex Maru, a super secret evil spellbook, a cursed magical artifact, etc. ) Alternatively, Mateo could instead experiment (with or without permission of its owner) with one of the established magical artifacts (ex: Elena's scepter, Esteban's staff, the crystal tamborita, the remnants of Shuriki's scepter or wand, Fire Opals, etc) but without the full knowledge/training/power required to use them.

Despite the very many and very clear warnings that using/interacting with said artifact poses a danger to himself and/or others, Mateo makes the executive decision to do so --justifying his decision by the fact that he is "clever" or "powerful" enough to control the artifact and/or that using the artifact is "necessary"/"worth the risk" to fight off another more-imminent threat to the kingdom.

Using this artifact could be a "one-off" incident (in which Mateo immediately realizes the error of his ways) or a recurring event (where the dangers are gradually revealed), but in any case, BAD THINGS happen as a result. Maybe Mateo is possessed/controlled by an evil spirit, manipulated into raising/releasing an evil cosmic entity, losing more and more of his sanity/free will/lifeforce/power the longer/more often he uses it. Maybe someone else is hurt instead/in the process of Mateo using it.

Things go very very wrong--so wrong in fact that it is difficult to simply write off Mateo's actions as a mere "careless mistake" that anyone might make. People are ANGRY at Mateo, and even Mateo has to admit that they are justifiably so. As such, Mateo has to work twice as hard to make up for the terror that he unleashed and even once he has, people may be slow to forgive/trust him again.

[galacticwarpedlense]

My opinions on Maru and Seb's family

Huh, something not about Elliott...how different.

I have some complicated feelings about the fam as I don't really dislike any of them but I can see their faults. To try and make a long LONG post a bit shorter, I'll just mention a fault I see with every person, a way they either can or could have fixed it and if I see any reconciliation specifically with Sebastian and Demetrius, the most obvious strained relationship.

Let's start with the character I most relate to, Demetrius. I like the guy. He seems very nice, cares about the environment, and he clearly loves his wife and daughter. Where he falters is obviously how he raised Sebastian. But not exactly how I think most have said he has. He clearly tried to raise Sebastian from both the book in his room called "Practical Tips For First-Time Step-Dads" and Sebastian's dialogue criticizing Demetrius's attempts at discipline. At some point though, he seemed to have just given up on trying to the point where he doesn't even mention Seb in his dialogue. Do I think Demetrius was being malicious? No. I'm under the personal headcanon that he's probably on the spectrum (from other unrelated dialogue and events) so he possibly just struggled to communicate. Let us remember that the man never says anything negative about Sebastian. I think he should have spent more time trying to understand Sebastian rather than giving up to raise Maru instead.

Then there's the main boy himself. Sebastian. I do not think he's mainly at fault, however, I do think he has some fault. He is very quick to make snide comments about his sister and step-father and while Demetrius can be argued to be deserved, Maru has wanted nothing more than to be closer to Sebastian so it seems oddly cruel. I will give Seb some leeway since he was clearly a child when his father left and that can cause some scars and children should not be expected to act as maturely as adults should. We don't know much about his bio dad but we can at least assume he's not in Seb's life anymore for whatever reason. I do understand that can lead to abandonment issues and a need to distance yourself so you don't get hurt but I'm pretty sure that's also the catalyst to the strain on his relationship with his step-dad. Not the cause, the cause is mutual distancing, but the catalyst. I think Seb needed to be more open with Demetrius and Maru rather than shutting them out and he still has a chance to do that, Maru still wants to have a sibling relationship, Demetrius still has that book, neither have completely given up on him, but he needs to accept that olive branch before they do.

I have some commentary on Robin's involvement in that strained relationship or more accurately, the lack of involvement. Robin does seem like a loving wife (if a bit mean to Demetrius sometimes) and an attentive mother being doting on her son and daughter... though I do think she babies Sebastian a little. But that's not my issue with her. I think she was way too distant with her family's relationship with each other. She's basically the glue that holds these people together and we can only assume that she simply watched her family grow distant. No one mentions her trying to repair the damage and she doesn't show concern about how distant Sebastian is becoming from the family. She mentions Seb's distance from her but not Maru or Demetrius. There isn't much evidence of her stepping in to either convince Seb to give Demetrius a chance or to inform Demetrius of the actions he's doing that are driving Seb away. I feel like she should have stepped in more.

Then there's Maru. Probably the most faultless person in the family. Like Seb, she was a child when the strains in her family's relationship started so there was little she could do. She wanted to have a sibling relationship with Sebastian but he was too closed off so she just stuck with having a relationship with her parents instead. I think she definitely could tone down on the condescension as if she can show that to the farmer, she's probably said worse to her family. But other than that, she was simply a kid born into a distant family.

Wow, this ended up being longer than I thought it would be...

Uh, in conclusion, this family needs to talk to each other. Communication is important. And probably family therapy. Lot's of family therapy.

[cricketnationrise]

hello! :) THIS IS SO CUTE I CAN'T WAIT FOR A POSSIBLE CRICKET EXCLUSIVE!! because i am obsessed with u fr but that's common knowledge. <3

for the ficlet fest, if you'd like:

time stamp: 2:23am

location: brownstone

character: alex/henry

song: this is me trying by taylor swift (only if you want!!!!!!!)

rating: whatever you'd like

but like you can go any direction with this I'm just always projecting my adhd/anxiety/not good enough feelings onto alex on a regular basis :')

my ao3: firenati0n | Archive of Our Own (same as tumblr user)

THANK YOU SO MUCH! SENDING LOVE XOXO

your cricket exclusive is here! i actually went full on henry pov with this one bc my brain got stuck on the trying of it all. so have some first post-canon fight make up. this is actually the longest ficlet yet, but somehow i don't think that'll be a problem 😂 💜🦗

read the rest of the ficlets here!

❤️🤍💙❤️🤍💙

2:32am, brownstone

The brownstone is quiet when he returns, which is completely reasonable for just after two-thirty in the bloody morning. 

It’s also immaculate, which is decidedly less so, especially considering the state of the place when Henry stomped out a few hours ago. 

The hallway is clear of trip hazards, shoes neatly in the rack. The kitchen gleams in the range hood light; counters clear and wiped down, small appliances lined up as precisely as Buckingham guards. Peeking his head in the for-once dark office reveals two tidy desks, chairs pushed in, and both of their laptops plugged in and charging. 

The den at the base of the stairs makes Henry pause. The stacks of books have been put away. The coasters on the coffee table have been relieved of their burdens of half-drunk tea cups and abandoned coffee mugs. In the dim light from the street lamps through the window, Henry can even see vacuum lines in the carpet. A second glance has Henry taking cautious steps inside.

There is one thing out of place after all. 

On the couch, propped on a few of the numerous throw pillows Pez insisted upon, and tucked into the quilt Ellen sent them, is Alex. Like an anchor to the ocean floor, Henry is drawn into the room, and to Alex’s side. 

He kneels between the coffee table and the couch near Alex’s head and just looks for a long moment. Alex clearly hasn’t been sleeping well. The couch is too short, even for Alex’s shorter frame, so his legs are tucked uncomfortably. His curls are more of a wild mess than normal, like he’s been tugging at them. Alex is gripping the quilt as tightly as he normally clutches Henry, and there’s deep furrows on his forehead. 

Henry should let him sleep, probably—neither of them have been sleeping all that well. Increased paparazzi presence as Alex’s first semester of law school starts and Henry takes a more active role in the shelter has been stressful. But Henry can’t help but reach out and try to smooth those lines on his forehead. Something churning and tense settles inside him when his gentle touch has Alex’s eyes blinking open, a small smile on his face when he recognizes Henry.. 

“You came back.”

“Of course I did, love.”

Alex exhales messily, blinking back tears now. “I wasn’t sure— After earlier—”

Henry shushes him with a hand on his cheek. “I will always come back to you. Promised I was done being an obtuse fuckin’ asshole, didn’t I?”

“You still left, though,” Alex says.

It’s Henry’s turn to fight back tears. “I could hear myself sounding more and more like Philip at his worst. It scared me. I didn’t want to subject you to that, to even inadvertently use my knowledge of you as a weapon. So I left before words I didn’t actually mean could find their mark.” He sways forward, resting his forehead on Alex’s, needing to be closer. “You deserve more than sharply aimed words, especially when you haven’t done a thing wrong.” 

“Hen…”

“I’m sorry Alex. I shouldn’t have— I knew it would be different once the paparazzi got wind of our plans, but I wasn’t prepared for how much more invasive they would feel. I’m having a hard time adjusting to life beyond Kensington’s thick walls and I started to take it out on you.”

Alex’s hand pulls on his shoulder. “C’mere.”

Henry climbs onto the couch and sprawls undignified on top of Alex, tucking his head into the crook of his neck. Alex’s hands, as ever, hold him steady, rubbing large circles across his back.

“There were two people in our fight, Henry. You aren’t the only one struggling. Or taking it out on the person he loves.” He presses a kiss to Henry’s temple. “I could hear echoes of my parents, but couldn’t figure out how to stop the word vomit. And that scared me—I never want you and I to be like them.”

Henry pulls his head back to meet his gaze fiercely. “Never.”

Alex smiles at his vehement tone, but it's got a rueful edge to it. “We’re gonna have to figure out how to talk about this stuff before it blows up in our faces again.” 

“Not tonight, though?”

“Nah, not tonight.” 

They’re quiet for a long moment, curled around each other on the couch, when a niggling thought finds its way past Henry’s lips. 

“Alex?”

“Hmm?”

“Why were you on the couch? Did you— Did you not want to be in our room?”

Alex holds him tighter. “I— You left and— So I was cleaning, and I did this room last, and when I was done there was no way stairs were happening, so I just collapsed here. I didn’t  actually think I'd fall asleep, I don't usually when you aren’t right next to me.”

“So it wasn’t because you wanted space from me?”

“Fucking hell, baby. No, I never want space. I want the opposite of space from you. If I could figure out a way to crawl into your rib cage every night I would.”

“Oh.” The last bit of tension leaves Henry’s body at that and he relaxes fully on top of Alex. 

“Yeah, oh.” Alex chuckles. “But, as nice as you feel on top of me, it’s late and this couch ain’t big enough for the two of us.” 

“You fit on it better than I do,” Henry can’t help but tease.

“First of all, rude. Second of all, I also have to pee so get up before I shove you off.” 

Reluctantly, Henry stands and reaches down to help Alex up after him. Henry folds the quilt and hangs it over the back of the couch, smoothing the last wrinkles with his hand. When he straightens up, Alex is only halfway up the stairwell. 

“Meet you in bed?” Alex whispers.

Henry climbs up to meet him. “Always, love.”

[abugidaithink]

what kind of gameplay do you enjoy in more difficult levels more? and do you think certain extremes get overhated for "annoying gameplay" when it could just be.. yk.. hard to play because it's an extreme

for gameplay, i'm not really a fan of memory, or other particularly learny levels. i think Decay is probably the most learny level that i'd be willing to put much time into for now. Acu's gameplay is a good example, since even though it's pretty muscle memory heavy, you can pretty easily tell what to do on a freeze-frame. the Decay 44% spider is the opposite side of things, where it's impossible to read, and also too high-CPS to easily learn. it took me like 400 attempts to pass that part on its own once, and those weren't a very enjoyable 400 attempts.

there's also the element of balancing. imo, the ideal balancing has some parts harder than others spread throughout the level, rather than the beginning or end being harder than the rest. (that's less achievable for shorter levels, but yknow) also, chokepoints should be kept to a minimum!

when it comes to levels being overhated for annoying gameplay, i feel like it's usually a case of a creator making gameplay outside their own comfortable skill range. this is why i'm generally against the idea of playing past top 1s, because it's very hard to maintain good gameplay at a difficulty level that far above what you can play. this can go for any difficulty level though! i would argue this isn't too different from what happened with The Nightmare, and that's practically not even a demon. these levels don't deserve to be despised by any means (and the GD personifications have made it harder to be really upset at levels), but i'd say it's valid to an extent to criticise them for having annoying gameplay.

[origami-boat]

(this review is going to be shorter than i would've liked because of the character limit, if you want my actual unfiltered thoughts on this magazine you can find them in this mega folder.)

let's start with the review:

i don't know how this is being sold in bookstores so casually. it should be banned. it shouldn't have gotten greenlit in the first place. i don't understand what horrible people agreed on publishing this horrible magazine made by horrible creators.

don't pick up this magazine ever. it was the worst mistake i've ever made. my biggest regret, probably. i'm going to try and explain my reasoning here, even though it should be obvious.

concept (3/10):

so...i don't really understand the themes. the first volume is supposed to celebrate the creators getting married 100 times? which is...really disturbing and distressing. why would they share it with other people? shouldn't they be embarrassed? but i guess it is something...why did the theme shift from "marriage" to "god" in the second volume? what happened during these 101-200 marriages? actually, looking at the reviews of the first volume, i don't get why they released a second one. clearly there is no demand. i'm hearing rumors that a third volume's in the making, too...do they never learn? literally everyone is telling them to stop. nobody is asking for this. it's just annoying. but that just goes to show how self centered and selfish the creators are, i guess. and indecisive. because what will the theme even be? what even is the point? why not just quit...?

design: (4/10)

pretty simple. i don't have any notes on this one. it is misleading, though. it's so average, like they're trying to trick you into thinking this is an average zine. a normal zine. it really isn't.

memes: (6/10)

cute kitten pictures are the only tolerable thing about this whole magazine. the four points are for the project sekai meme and the chainsaw man meme. those were not funny. the rest is fine, i guess.

writing: (1/10)

i'm giving it one point because i'm generous, it doesn't actually have any redeeming qualities. from the very first pieces you could tell that the author has gathered up all the love they have ever felt before and put it in each and every word. imagine this: you're drinking tea, and you accidently put two spoons of sugar instead of one. disgusting, right? too hopeful. too full of love. too raw. just thinking about it makes me shake. what the fuck is wrong with the author. in an ideal world, i would've wished for them to find a better therapist, but i don't think any therapist deserves to go through that. they should just die, maybe...?

art: (1/10)

no redeeming qualities again. yes, i know, i'm too generous. in this case it's actually so vile i threw up several times. too joyful. too intimate. again, too much love. what is with this magazine and love? aren't there other, better things to celebrate? not to mention, i've seen the artist say some pretty weird stuff before. like how they enjoy...yaoi...i know, that's so fucked up...they're really fucking evil and unsalvageable. death is the only solution for what's wrong with them, whatever that is.

final rating: (2/10)

i can't bring myself to rate it any lower. i feel kind of bad. even after all i've said, i understand that the creators didn't choose to be born this way, you know? of course, i don't think they can get any better, so...i just wish they would disappear as soon as possible. make the world a better place.

hope this review helped. don't waste your time and money on this thing, it does more harm than good (it does not do any good, really). go enjoy something else.

for those unaware this is for vol 3 of yurimag!! it’s a zine i make with public enemy number one @impastopesto it’s the worlds top magazine that celebrates yuri of all kinds. part one and part two are available for free on my itch.io account: haunted-oyster

this is the general vibe of the zine btw

[accidents-in-the-laboratory]

OWP

This one focuses on Norman Osborn from Spider-Man (2002). Like the previous OWP, I had already written it a long time ago but never posted it until now.

After rereading what I'd written, I hated the ending and I don't have the motivation to change it, so I just left it out. So this one also doesn't have a real resolution.

Under the cut because it's long. Hope you enjoy! Comments are loved. :D

Norman glanced up at the clock. Ten minutes. Ten minutes until this meeting was over. Ten minutes until he could finally use the bathroom. 

This was the third meeting he’d had that day. The meetings had been back to back. As soon as one meeting ended, he had enough time to walk to the room where the next meeting was being held, and then that meeting started. 

Today wasn’t the only day where his schedule had been like this. These days were torturous. It could be anywhere between four and six hours without any breaks in between. No breaks to eat. No breaks to rest. No breaks to relieve himself. 

Days on the shorter side of that span were bearable. But days on the longer side — days like today — were hard to get through. Even one cup of coffee in the morning was enough to make him miserable by the time the meetings were finally over. 

Today, his schedule was really pushing him to his limits. 

“Are you okay?”

Goblin. Usually, he stayed quiet while Norman was at work. Apparently, he’d felt the need to check in on Norman. Norman knew he should probably be mad, but a part of him was thankful for the distraction. 

I feel like I’m going to explode, he thought. 

“Are you saying that figuratively or do you need to call an ambulance?” Goblin asked. 

Figuratively, Norman replied. If I don’t go to the bathroom soon I’m going to piss my pants. 

He glanced up at the clock again. Eight minutes. 

“Then why don’t you just do that and get it over with?” Goblin asked. “That’s what I would do.”

I’m sure you would. Otto tells me you have trouble with that at home.

“Fucking snitch! That’s none of your business!”

I think I deserve to know why I have to do five loads of laundry a week when I should only have to do one.

“It doesn’t happen that much! It only happens, like, twice a week now!”

Wow. Good for you.

Norman felt someone tap his shoulder. 

“What?” he asked, instantly snapping back to attention.

He was asked for his opinion about the topic of the meeting. He tried to keep his voice steady as he answered. Even when he peed a little and struggled to regain control, he was able to keep his voice steady and his body relatively still. He finished speaking and the conversation continued. 

I don’t think I’m going to make it, he thought, half talking to Goblin and half talking to himself. Goblin answered. 

“Then go. Wherever you want to. Nobody can stop you. They’d be rude to.”

I can’t go right now.

“I’ll never understand you.”

Several long, agonizing minutes later, the meeting ended. Norman packed up his briefcase, shoving papers inside without caring about how neat they were. He hissed in a breath when he stood up and the need to pee got ten times worse. He walked swiftly back to his office, begging his body to “hold it.” All he needed to do was drop his briefcase off at his office and then he could finally get the relief he’d needed for the past several hours. 

As he walked into his office, he heard his phone ringing. He groaned as he walked over to his desk. He dropped the briefcase onto the floor and sat down in his chair — at least sitting down felt better than standing. He picked up the phone and held it up to his ear. 

“Hello?” he asked. He noticed too late that his voice sounded strained. Though, maybe that was a good thing. 

There was a man on the other end who wanted to talk to him about a topic that, in his “I’m-trying-desperately-not-to-piss-myself” haze, he couldn’t remember ever discussing with anybody. He couldn’t even remember who this man was. 

“Can this wait until another time,” he asked, putting as much desperation into his voice as he could. 

The man insisted that this conversation could not wait. But Norman could not wait, either. He had somewhere urgent to be, and soon. 

“I’m busy right now,” he insisted. “It’s not really a good time for me.”

The man kept saying that “this won’t take too long” and “it will only take a minute.” But Norman didn’t have a minute. By how hard it was getting to keep his bladder under control, he guessed that he had about forty-five seconds until all hell broke loose. 

“Can we please postpone this for a later time?” he begged. He was thankful it was just a phone call, and the man at the other end of the line couldn’t see his incessant squirming. “Just give me one minute and I’ll call you back.”

The man insisted that the call was urgent. Norman believed that his situation was much more urgent than a phone call. 

“One minute,” he begged. “That’s all I need. And then I’ll call you back.”

Still, the man insisted on continuing the call. Norman was getting desperate. He couldn’t stop himself before yelling,

“I am about to piss my pants can we please reschedule this call for another time?!”

There was silence for a few seconds. Norman thought he should just hang up. It would probably be better. But eventually, the man agreed. 

Not waiting to hear what else he had to say or even to reschedule their next call, Norman slammed the phone down on the receiver and stood up. He ran out of his office and into the main office. 

Immediately, people were surrounding him. They said his name, asking him questions before he even acknowledged them. He tried to be polite as he waved them away, but every time he asked one person to wait, someone else would show up and try to ask him a different question. Some people stopped in front of him so he couldn’t keep moving. He started to lose his patience and began snapping at people who tried to stop him. 

He finally got to the bathroom and reached out to push the door opened. People were still talking to him, trying to get his attention, everyone speaking all at once, some people going so far as to grab his arm or shoulder. Furious, desperate, and wanting nothing more than to be left alone, he spun around and yelled,

“Can everyone just leave me alone for one goddamn minute?!”

Silence followed. Everyone was staring at him. Most wore shocked expressions. Some people were whispering to each other. One person snickered and another person shushed them. 

Norman wished they were reacting to his sudden outburst. But he could clearly feel what they were really reacting to. Against his better judgement, he looked down. The spreading dark stain was obvious against the light gray pants he’d chosen to wear. He watched in real time as the stain spread across the front and down the legs of his pants. Eventually, a stream dripped out of one pant leg and onto the floor. He would have felt immense relief if humiliation wasn’t overpowering it. 

He looked back up. People were still staring at him. He felt tears stinging his eyes. He didn’t know what to do. He couldn’t get himself to move. He couldn’t get himself to speak. All he could do was stand there. 

“Those fuckers,” he heard Goblin growl. “What do they think they’re staring at? I’ll fucking kill them!”

Then he heard another voice. One that was familiar and comforting. 

“What the hell are you all doing?” Otto yelled. Norman saw him walking through the crowd of people. “You should be ashamed of yourselves! He’s a human being! Are you just going to stand there and gawk at him like he’s a fucking zoo animal? Get out of here! Or I swear I’ll find a way to fire your asses!”

People finally started to disperse, quickly looking away as if they were embarrassed. Norman looked up at Otto as he got closer. He bit his lip, trying to choke back sobs. When he blinked, tears rolled down his cheeks. 

“Come on,” Otto said in a soft, soothing voice. “Let’s go into your office.”

Norman let Otto lead him back to his office. As soon as Otto closed the door, Norman broke down into loud sobs of humiliation and anger. Otto pulled him closer and hugged him. Norman sobbed into his shoulder as Otto rubbed his back.

[yuraslefttoe]

hey, it's me again! I came to pester you with questions!! *there should be a scary laugh, but it sounds more like mean giggles*

(by the way, I’m thinking about sending you such long texts with questions (because I have a lot of them!!) once one or two weeks, if you don’t mind. . . . . . .you don't mind..??? (god, I hope you don’t get tired of me..!) I'm so sorry, please, I'm just very interested!! *qwq*)

ok, let's start with the sweetest part, prelude. ACTUALLY, I DIDN'T EXPECT THAT YOU REPLY SO QUICKLY, GOD, NOT PASSED A FEW HOURS!!!!!! I THOUGHT YOU HAD TOO MANY QUESTIONS SO I DID NOT EXPECT A SO SOON REPLY!!

I’ll remind you once again how much I adore your work (after all, you deserve it!!), and I’ll also say that I specifically shouldn’t talk about posts tagged with the  adm, because I’ve read your tumblr and twitter in its entirety several times, I even have a separate album in my gallery with answers that particularly interested me, there are several hundred screenshots there and I don’t regret anything! (sorry if my hyperfixation may be intimidating!!)

*=^._.^= ∫*

and now the questions!!!! 

1. my wife doesn’t have a tumblr, but her suggestion interested me and can be seen in the first two screenshots(the translation sounds like: “after the release of “red hour” I have an assumption that andrey is more... athletic than misha. either this is because of ferry’s drawing style, or he really has such wide shoulders")so now we are interested to know about the physique of your characters!! maybe some of them are thin, or vice versa, a little overweight. and what about physical training? did you have any headcanons for this??? ( by the way, when I ask about “characters” I mean not only misha and andrey, but also europe and maya, because they are also worthy of attention <зз) 

2. what about the abbreviation "dyusha" for andrey? in russian it is... not used very often, but still, it sounds very cute. so it would be interesting to know how you would feel about this? 3. I also want to hear about the names of the characters!! how did you choose them? I mean........ how did it happen that from ☺europa☺ you switched to 👹MiKhAiL👹?? (I'M SO SORRY, BUT MISHA'S FULL NAME SOUNDS SOMETHING THREATENING. MY UNCLE'S DOG HAS THE SAME NAME EHE- *ᕕ(ಥ▽ಥ)ᕗ*) 

4. and lastly, let's return to my wife for another moment. she suggested that andrey was now also in a time loop. what do you say about that? and also in enigma, she noticed that misha seemed to be addressing the second person in the lines: "and if you wanted to be anything more than just free" and "you’ve seen a hundred lies I see that all the time". is this second person a viewer? or maybe one of the previously mentioned characters??

the last photo, by the way, is one of the sketches that I found so far in my gallery! ^^ 

initially it was planned to attach two sketches, but andrey turned out TOO bad, I’m ashamed to show him. someday I'll redraw it into something normal.... maybe. but! I really like the pic with misha and the wolf(I hope this is the wolf you were talking about lol. google didn’t show me anything else, and I’ve never been to ikea myself, ehe...) 

(and I don’t want to post all this yet, because running a tumblr was certainly not part of my plans, haha)) I registered here solely to read your blog, and not to maintain my own) 

sorry again for possible illiteracy, and also for the chaotic nature of my thoughts, haha, I don’t know how to adequately express them in english.. and also, I’m really REALLY apologize that the text was too long, next time I’ll try to be shorter...

okay im gonna try and answer everything here in a coherent way so sorry if nothing makes sense

im just fine with lotes of questions :) answering asks and responding to comments is one of my favorite things ever and i brings a verry big smile to my face

on andrei: i consider him to be a skinny little gut but not exactly unathletic, and in addition i think he would have basic combat training and probably be good with firearms. misha is probably a very average bodytype, nothing special, not particularly athletic.

i do not speak russian (though ferry has recently encouraged me to learn so maybe in like four years ill be able to form a sentence) so i dont know anything about the short forms so you can do whatever you want. if you coin it and peoples tart calling him that i will not stop it from happening

i do not name my characters, i usually let me friends name them (i think that the only one i named was europa and his partner). going forward maybe ill try to make it more cohesive

the time loop idea im seeing thrown around alot is really cool and while i havent particularly wrote any of my songs about that in general i see it fitting into the loose narrative i have going on. also in enigma misha is definitely talking to andrei whenever he says the word "you" but it could also be to the listener because the entire theme of enigma is 4th wall breaking and meta shenanigans like that

that sketch is SO CUTE oh my god