#three otps for the price of one

[thethiefandtheairbender]

I know we haven’t talked in a while but seeing you reblog pjo show content gave me an ‘Aha’ moment. The scene of where Percy tricks Annabeth and pushes her to safety in episode 4 has been bugging me the whole day. It reminded of something but I didn’t know what, but seeing you reblog that specific scene made me realize what it reminded me of. Its Shallura from the second last episode of the first season. Allura throwing Shiro to safety while she got captured. That’s what the scene of Annabeth and Percy reminds me of. The PARALLELS!!! And now i am overwhelmed with feelings.

Oh Shallura - they will have always deserved better </3 And I do always love ships where both halves are basically competing over who can sacrifice themselves for each other

But honestly all I could see watching that scene - from the injury to the reasoning to Annabeth's proposed sacrifice to Percy's panicked little head shake - was Rayla and Callum from The Dragon Prince down to a T. Which is funny, because Rayllum has always very much reminded me of a less mature (at first) form of Shallura anyway, especially in the first few seasons

But yeah the Percabeth switch scene specifically made me think of Rayla and Callum's scene in Season Two in which she's going to possibly die saving/defending a downed dragon from dark magic dissection, and Callum has this panicked little head shake as well

Interspersed with Rayla saying things like "It doesn't matter what happens to me. Live or die, this dragon goes home" because. we love an overly self sacrificial elf girl with white hair (and just to be clear, this dragon is a Total Stranger to her) and Callum drawing her because he's Worried and an Artiste

Before he goes after her and well, takes the blow, shall we say, by uh, permanently corrupting his soul with dark magic

Callum also winds up having a dark predecessor (the way Shiro did with Zarkon) and arcs surrounding agency, and Rayla comes to help him get to safety after he collapses post-spell. Angry at him, but ultimately concerned/worried

Even though TDP is just like. a Really Good fucking tv show for Every Conceivable Reason (plot, characters, development, queer rep, these two) but I do have a fondness for how these two continue to grow in their attempts to out-devotion each other with shit like "I trust her. Unconditionally" and "the best thing I ever had: you"

i love them Almost as much as they love each other

[steggmatt]

Gentlesaurs, I'd like to save some money for buying more expensive markers; so would you be interested in cheap commissions perhaps? You can choose whatever medium you like (digital, traditional - pencils, pens, markers); you can correct digital sketch many times until the finalized lineart, but for traditional art you can correct it only up to three times (or it'd damage the paper), and, of course, there are more colours in digital version than in traditional, for obvious reasons. That's all. Send me a DM here or e-mail me - mary150295@gmail.com

Will draw:

- OC (humans, anthro, furry)

- FanChar

- Your OTP or BROTP

- erotic

- guro

- genderbend

- NSFW (but don’t post here) + 10$ for each character

Don’t draw:

- fetishes (ask first)

- cars and sophisticated technique

- transformers

Plus one character - 75% of price

Background - by agreement

All the corrections after the colouring step are paid

For payment use Boosty, please.  The final price will include commission fee (+10% of final price)

My Boosty - https://boosty.to/steggmatt 

[into-deepspace]

out of the black {part 2/3}

sylus/mc • gender neutral mc • 1.5k • ao3 link • part 1 • requests open, reblogs appreciated!!

pre-relationship || the real OTP here is MC/sylus's money :) || annoyances to lovers Summary: After Sylus's complaints about MC not spending enough of his money, they decide to test just how far Sylus is willing to be pushed.

The next week signals the end of the month.

This means reports are due to the Hunter Organization, MC’s point balance will be resetting at their favorite restaurant, and Tara will be asking to go out to some bar or music venue for a night of fun.

Most importantly, it means MC’s bills are coming in. Sixty dollars for electricity, twenty-five for water, so on and so forth. It’s never a time they look forward to. After all, who does? But they have a trick up their sleeve this month.

Or, rather, a card in their wallet.

Sylus wants them to spend his money? They’ll do just that.

They open their laptop and pull up the sites they usually use to make their utility and phone payments. Then, rather than letting everything auto-select to their usual debit, they pull Sylus’s card from its home in their wallet and begin typing in the number.

It only takes a few minutes, but by the time they’ve finished with their gas and phone bills, they’ve run up about a hundred dollars. They stare at the screen, cross-legged in their bed, biting their cheek. A little voice in MC’s head says they should feel bad. They resolutely tell the voice to shut up.

And you know what? They decide the hundred dollars isn’t enough. With a new and petty energy, they pull up the HP website; they’ve been needing a new laptop. The one they have has been through more than any device should, cracked and missing screws and coming apart slowly but surely. They’ve had it since before they began their Hunter training, back in their classroom days.

MC stares at the model they’ve been wanting. It’s fancier than they’d ever buy, a powerful thing with a touchscreen and tons of storage. If they’re honest, it’s something they’ve stared at but never seriously thought about buying, planning to purchase a computer that costs less than half of this one’s eight hundred dollar price tag.

But then Sylus’s annoying fucking voice rings in their head. “I wouldn’t mind if you spent a few thousand a day.” Oh really? Let’s see then.

With spite in their heart, they hit the “Purchase Now” button and type in Sylus’s card number with more force than strictly necessary. They even click on a faster shipping option, one that promises delivery by the end of the week. Before they can lose their nerve, they hit the confirmation button.

The digital receipt flashes on their screen. MC sinks back against their pillows. They can’t believe they’ve just done that.

Stop here, the sweet little voice in their head says disapprovingly. This isn’t your money to spend!

Another voice, louder and more insistent, shouts Make his pockets hurt!

MC sighs. They rake a hand through their hair.

And then they pull up AliExpress.

⋆⁺₊⋆ ━━━━⊱༒︎ • ༒︎⊰━━━━ ⋆⁺₊⋆

New Message from Rich Asshole 8:14 PM Pretty.

MC blinks at their phone. Attached is a screenshot of a pair of shoes they ordered.

Rich Asshole 8:14 PM The red will suit you nicely. Would you like the white pair as well? It would go well with the suit I’m having made for you.

What the fuck.

There’s no way this guy is for real. They ran up nearly three thousand on Sylus’s card earlier, adding clothes and decorations and stupid wishlist items to various online carts and hitting purchase without a second thought. And now, all he can ask is whether they want anything else? Insanity.

Perfect Hunter   8:16 PM You’re fucking crazy

Rich Asshole  8:16 PM Only when it comes to you, sweetie ♥️

With a loud groan of frustration, MC swipes over to a different screen and does something they’ve rarely done before. They hit call on Sylus’s contact.

The call connects almost instantly. MC opens their mouth to speak, not even knowing what they’re about to say, but Sylus beats them to it.

“I’ve added my card to the auto-pay function on your apartment’s billing,” he says smoothly. “Also, I canceled your laptop order.” MC blinks.

“Too much for you?” they smirk, though they know Sylus can’t see their expression. In return, the man laughs, that stupid, rich-ass laugh.

“You overestimate yourself,” he says, amusement absolutely dripping from his voice. “I ordered you a different one with a better processor. It should arrive tomorrow.”

“Sylus!” they shout, jaw dropping open as they make a frustrated, appalled motion with their hands, even though Sylus obviously can’t see it. In return, Sylus hums, low and calm and smooth, just like he always is. “That’s– That’s too much. I don’t need that thing for anything other than shitty movies and job reports.”

MC groans, flopping back against their pillows and letting their phone fall out of their hand. Right, of course. On top of being rich as hell, charismatic, and objectively the hottest man they’ve ever seen, Sylus is also incredibly knowledgeable about tech, both hardware and software. It’s awful.

“You suck,” they mutter, hoping the phone’s mic won’t pick up on their frustrated grumbling. But, because the universe hates them, the words go through, drawing another laugh from Sylus.

“I’m terrible, I know,” he says, and MC can imagine the infuriating smirk on his lips as he says it. “Why don’t you come over to my place and tell me to my face just how terrible I am?”

“What,” MC teases. “You want to have another sleepover?” They laugh softly at both their own wording and at the mental image of Sylus at a sleepover, cross-legged on a fluffy rug and painting his nails over some questionable gossip. But no, their so-called "sleepovers" are something much more indulgent.

It’s not uncommon for Sylus to invite them over in the evening and spend a few hours entertaining them with heavenly food and pleasant conversation. They usually end up staying awake into positively ungodly hours of the morning, chatting and joking and sometimes drinking until Sylus ushers them into the guest room like a concerned mother to make sure they get some rest.

They’d never admit it to Sylus’s face, but MC loves those nights. The hours they spend together sit warmly in their heart, the teasing and fighting and their own personal brand of weird flirting all something to cherish.

On the other end of the line, Sylus hums, as if considering. "How soon can you be here?" MC glances at the clock.

"Give me an hour?" they estimate. "Your usual residence, right?" They mentally go through the time they'll need — maybe fifteen minutes to pack a few overnight essentials and get into their biking gear, and at least forty to get to Sylus's place if they're, ah, selective about speed limits. Yeah, an hour should do it.

But of course, Sylus has his complaints.

"An entire hour, sweetie?" he says, his tone teasingly disappointed. "Aren't you eager to see me?" MC scoffs even as they stand from their bed.

"In your dreams, maybe," they mutter, though they can't deny the truth in his words. Sylus makes a punched-out, wounded noise on the other end, ever one for dramatics.

"You wound me, hunter," he drawls, that deep, honeyed voice coming through the speaker and making MC shiver. Damn him. Him and his pretty face and his nice-ass voice and his stupid fucking brand of charismatic care. MC shoves a pajama shirt into their overnight bag with more force than is strictly necessary.

"You'll live," they say, picking up the phone and taking it with them as they barge into their bathroom to shove toiletries into a little bag (that Sylus had bought them after seeing them store their toothbrush in a rolled-up plastic one). Once that's in their backpack, they look down at their clothes — lounge shorts, yellow fuzzy socks, and some old ratty t-shirt they got for free back when they were in training. Definitely not bike clothes.

"I've gotta change," MC says, not really knowing why they're announcing it. Sylus hums in question on the other end of the line.

"Oh?" he says. "Did you want to switch to a video call for this part?"

"Perv," MC shoots back, prompting a chuckle from Sylus. They're glad that he's not here in person, that he can't see the blush on their face. Systematically, they banish any thought about those sharp eyes and calloused fingers on them and MC what is wrong with you?! Get a grip!

"I'm hanging up," they say, because they don't know what else they could. They can practically hear Sylus's self-satisfied smirk through the phone as he speaks his next words.

"See you soon, sweetie," he tells them, with the barest hint of breathy, saccharine allure. Fucking hell, MC feels like one of those stupid sailors, about to swim to their doom towards the siren on the rocky shore.

Sylus ends the call.

MC sits down on their bed, runs their hands through their hair, and tries to remember how to breathe.

[ohcheezusitsevie]

Evie's Quacktacular Spectacular Celebration (A Competition for No Reason)

Ducks are beautiful(Tommy: Oh, dear God...). And I wanted to celebrate their existence. January 19th is National Duck Day and January 13th is National Rubber Ducky Day...which is bull shit! Everyday, under Evie, is duck day. Why? Because there is nothing greater than a duck and a slab of cheese...man, I love cheese, too. Cheese goes with everything. And ducks? Man's best friend(Tommy: That is a dog, Evie, a dog). IN EVIE LAND...ducks are a man's best friend......Anyway, let's look at 5 great things about ducks!

Any questions so far?! (Finn: What planet are you from?). Daddy! (Tommy: Finn, we know Evie is...different, but let's just get on with it, eh....). Okay, good...any questions about DUCKS? (John: they go well with a nice fig sauce. Arthur: I do like a nice roasted duck...). We don't eat ducks in Evie land! Anyway, seeing as we don't have a single intelligent thought among us about the slide show...I'm moving on......

To celebrate the beauty of ducks, I will host a competition. It is not a serious one, but just something silly for laughs. Anyone in the Peaky Blinders fandom can contribute, whether or not they follow my story. :) As long as you are 18 and over. None of the sections are overly strenuous or hard, but all three are incredibly silly. Please enjoy and there will be prizes! You can join all three, but you cannot submit more than one submission per a game. :) All entries must be submitted by Friday, January 3rd at 8:00pm EST. All winners will be announced Saturday, January 4th at 8:00pm EST. Some Rules: ---> You can enter all three games, but you can only submit once per a game. You can win a spot in all three, but you can't win #1 in more than one.

---> You don't have to follow Novashelby or ohcheezusitsevie, but all submissions have to be submitted to ohcheezusitsevie. You want to submit it through the ask box and you can't be on anon!

---> For the drawing, it has to be YOUR OWN. For the joke, you can use a previously published one, just tell me where you got it.

In game one, you will submit a little drawing that you did of a duck. You are probably wondering to yourself, I CAN'T DRAW. And guess what? You should still do it because it is funny and for fun. I am not judging on accuracy or artistic skills. I am judging solely on how much I smiled and giggled. :) This drawing doesn't have to take fancy art supplies or a lot of time. Just a pencil is fine! Prizes: -> There are 3 winners spots and so, there are 3 prices. ->1st Place: You will win a 1,000 word one-shot. Nova, my creator, will write anything of your choosing within the Peaky Blinders Fandom. It can be an OTP, smut, fluff, Y/N, and so on and so forth. ->2nd Place: You will win an 800 word one shot that abides by the same rules as above. -> 3rd Place: You will win a 500 word One Shot that abides by the same criteria as above!

This one is really silly! And kind of a lie because...there are no ugly ducks(Finn: Really? I can name one-OW!). Ignore him, he's insignificant. In this game, you will find the "ugliest" duck picture you find and submit it. The one that makes me snort my choccy milk out of my nose the hardest, wins. These pictures should be kind to the ducks...obviously nothing that shows abuse or neglect. We don't like that in Evie land. And no ducks with fig sauce on it, either....(John: ☹️). Prizes:

->There will be three winners, and so there will be three prizes.

-> 1st Place: You will win a Moodboard of your chosen theme, and Nova will surprise you with a 200 word drabble. ->2nd Place: You will win a Moodboard of your chosen theme, and Nova will surprise you with a 100 word drabble. -> 3rd Place: You will win a Moodboard with a 50 word drabble of your choice.

For this game, you can either send in an original joke or the funniest one you find. They have to be duck oriented, but no jokes about abuse or eating ducks. :( Only duck friendly jokes. If you get it from elsewhere, you should tell me where. :) And the joke that makes daddy laugh the most, wins. (Tommy: what?! Evie, you can't just subject people to things...I did not agree to this. Am I being compensated?). And that will be hard, considering Daddy hasn't laughed since 1914.....I'll give him some whiskey before...

Prizes:

-> There will be three winners and three prizes!

->1st Place: 350 word drabble of your chosen themes and characters. -> 2nd Place: 250 word drabble of the same criteria as above. ->3rd Place: 150 word drabble of the same criteria as above!

Well, that's it for now folks! I urge everyone to join whether or not they are familiar with me. :) It is all for silly laughs and fun, and Miss. Nova just wants people to have a good time. There is no need to follow or be following Nova or me. Remember, all submissions should be entered here at this blog, not Novashelby. If you have any questions, remember to ask them at this blog as well. :) Remember, adhere to the deadlines and rules.

Have fun my ducky friends!

[rainy-days-and-nights]

GET TO KNOW UR MUTUALS!!!! (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧

tagged by @just-prime

lets seeeee

What’s the origin of your blog title?: I like rainy days and rainy…nights….JLADNJNCADJACD not much thought into it, but my last username SeaKeeper was “supposedly” my name meaning which I liked tons fr fr but that name is no longer…JADNKJACDBKJSBHKDHBK

OTP(s)+ shipnames(s): here are some of them!!!!

Pendleshend – Henry and Murphy from silent hill games fr fr my one and only the one that fuels my soul and the character I auto tattoed in my skin lol, they have my life…..

Dreamling- Dream of the endless and Hob Gadling from The Sandman

Red x Green (originalshipping) – Reguri tooooo from Pokémon fr fr one of the few ships I have from uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu long ago fr fr

Vergil x Lady – from DMC, I found them cuteeeeeee nadjbasdkbfhkvbhdhbadckb

Superbat- Cos cos cos the original the supers auuaguwgauwauwaguawugaw

CurlyJim or JimCurly- Moutwashing has taken my soul into its hands and hasn’t let me go……

Bayonetta x Jean-BAYONETTAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA I love them and I wish to be with them too lol akjsckhdhbkdcbhkcadbhkcadbjca

Reed900- They…and since I could finally play DBH im happy to still have as ship fr fr

Taibani- From Tiger and Bunny….them…..forever and ever….

DanteLeon- cos why not fr fr

If I remember other one I will add it ajdjkankjbddc

Favourite colour: I LOVE GREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEN GREEEEN FOREVERRRRR

Song stuck in your head: Devils never cry from the DMC 3 ost

Weirdest habit/trait: Sometimes…one has the need to scream…literally…But my family is already used to it so no problem 💪🏽

Hobbies: I like to draw, and paint, and sing (?) Recently I have been trying to go back to sewing and embroidery so probs imma add those too soon 💪🏽

If you work, what’s your profession? I CURRENTLY DON’T WORK AAUUGHHAUUGHHAUUGHH NOOOOO AJAJJAJA

If you could have any job you wish, what would it be? I wanna be a daycare pokemon trainer…. Auughhauughhauughh baby pokemons….

Something you’re good at: catching bugs at my house could be(?) or maybe eating chilli dog cos I can eat a lot of it im the best of the best at eating chilli dog

Something you hate: The price of soluble coffee, that thang is expensive

Something you collect: MARBLESSSSS AIDNADNCJNCAJBCA ia hve three vases and counting 💪🏽

Something you forget: I forgot

What’s your love language: Giving …thingsss(?) idk much about love languages

Favourite movie/show: Suspira both movie, Possession, Solaris, watching baitybaits vods and videos

Favourite food: Chilli dog is my jam, I always ask for it on my bday

Favourite animal: atm the awuawua, The Hyrax, foxes, baby seals, cats, dogs, frogs, possums, baby possums, vaporeon

What were you like as a child: A bit more open, more or less, more naïve, more than the normal amount of naivety, I used to make friends more easily.

Favourite subject at school: Biology

Least favourite subject: Math, Physics, and anything related to numbers fr fr

What’s your best character trait? idk

What’s your worst character trait? I find hard to trust people and keeping friendships too

If you could change any detail of your life right now, what would it be?: Probably made myself to study more things I liked back when I was younger, I could be something else ight now fr fr, like studying Japanese or something

iimmaaaa tags.... (but feel free to ignore frrr frr) @valeriianz @ilulustra @izzy2210 @baronvonriktenstein @celestialvexation @fkwmtzyy @carp302

[maranigai]

Do you still accept characters for that ask meme? I saw you only answered an ask about Messmer so far! How about Morgott for that ask meme? (not sure if asking DS characters counts since like 80% of info about them has to be manually hallucinated by the fan themselves, but I can if that's okay with you!)

Yep, I'm still doing character ask meme, Messmer simply was the only ask for me by now lol Also DS characters are fine too, of course they would be like 95% headcanon based, but that's why we love DS, isn't it?

But anyway, Morgott. My absolutely favourite of favourites of all ER characters...

favorite thing about them

First of all, Morgott is such a beautifully contradictory character. He's a demigod shardbearer and a cursed being, a proud monarch and a monster in his own eyes, a defender of all that is holy and a warlock shrouded in illusions. And all these things are actually logical and completely understandable given his story. Because, above everything else, Morgott is a broken creature, not as a result of his own deeds or guilts, but because of the things beyond his control, some ancient sins and crimes he's not aware of, some old vengeance that existed even before he was born. And this break, this pain, is a spiral, you know? Morgott hates his nature because he was convinced he's a monster, he supports the system that oppresses him because he believes that he's oppressed rightfully and this system is the best remaining option for the world as a whole, even if he and people like him have to suffer for it, and in doing so he causes even more harm, more oppression and misery for himself and everyone around. I love how he's a loyal, determined, faithful person, and this is exactly what makes him a villain in the story. He's an extremely tragic character, but completely consistent in his tragedy, his brokenness, and I have a deep weakness for broken things.

least favorite thing about them

I don't think there's anything I don't like about him as a character, I mean, he's certainly not flawless, but his flaws are what make him so interesting in the first place. So I say that my least favourite thing is his bossfight. Don't get me wrong, Morgott is one of my favourite FromSoft bosses in general, but I have a feeling that they made his moveset (super-complex and interesting) first, then remembered he's a mandatory mid-game boss and panicked to balance him to this level by drastically reducing his damage and hp.

favorite line

May the curse seep to thy very soul.

I just love his spiteful tone in this one, sorry.

brOTP

I could write Mohg or Godwyn here and it would be legit, but allow me to be more exotic this time and mention Malenia. They have many things in common, if you think about it: two cursed, yet somewhat noble beings, bitterly determined and endlessly loyal to their masters of choice. I can absolutely see how they can respect and understand each other, even if not sharing each other's cause. I also love the idea of a young, sick, not-yet-swordmaster Malenia and her Cool Big Brother Morgott, the only person around who takes her seriously.

OTP

Banished knight Oleg. Literally the mix of my favourite tropes of "liege and their a bit too loyal knight" and "my majestic, scheming wife and me, committing whatever crimes she wants me to commit today". Also Oleg dies before Morgott, so my inner angst enjoyer appreciates this as well.

nOTP

Mohg! I just can't see them as a pairing, their sibling relationships is everything to me. I'm also not a fan of Tarnished/Morgott, mainly because most of such arts/fics imply some level of self-indulgence and this just doesn't work for me (though I've seen several very cool works with this pairing too).

random headcanon

Three for the price of one: Morgott's hobby is creating clockwork automatons (a more detailed post about this hc); his favourite half-sibling is Malenia and this is mutual; he also shares Mohg's sense of fashion, but refuses to admit it.

unpopular opinion

While most people hc Morgott to be the elder twin, in my hcs he's the younger one (and the youngest of Godfrey's sons). Ironically enough, this isn't an important headcanon for Morgott himself, but it's an essential part of my perception of Godwyn and (especially) Mohg.

song i associate with them

Мельница - Что ты знаешь

My personal theme song for Morgott as the Veiled Monarch.

favorite picture of them

There're so many cool arts of Morgott that it's really hard to choose the most favourite one lol

So for now I pick this one by Cruentum_Noctis

[cod-thoughts]

Price for the character ask game?

Thanks for the ask! I actually had to pay attention after i answered the last one so this is late but its fine lol. I didnt want to ramble too much because a lot of stuff is gonna appear in my writing in GhostPrice week so no spoilers hehehe

favourite thing about them

Literally everything, that man is so versatile too I just can't get over how many situations you can put him in and it makes sense

least favourite thing about them

I can't think of anything personally other than just how little backstory we get ueueuue

favourite line

We get dirty, and the world stays clean.

brOTP

Hmmm this is hard but I actually prefer pricegaz in either a poly situation or just as mentor and mentee even more than anything. I just think they work better that way because I think Gaz and price see themselves in each other. I know ppl want soap or ghost to be captain if Price steps down but I actually think itd be Gaz.

OTP

NIKPRICE!!! To no ones surprised but also, Ghostprice and a secret third thing: NikGhostPrice. the three of them???? chefs kiss

nOTP

i cant think of one actually oop but there must be one i just havent thought of

random headcanon

Price collects things. Anything really but he just collects things. Broken soldiers. Vinyls, rocks, books. He just picks a thing and goes yeah thats what i collect now for a few months before moving on lol

unpopular opinion

I think Price isn't as "good" as people make him out to be. That's a morally grey man and its so clear in his actions. Yes is it for the greater good, sure but still he's not wholesome or good. He is a softie though i stand by that.

song i associate with them

This is so hard as a musician to pick songs you have no idea. Punk i think is his main genre. Any punk band and a guilty pleasure of 90's-00's diva ballads, think whitney, mariah etc. No idea why i just think so.

favourite picture of them

Its the grip on the vest for me goddamn

[anghraine]

So ... on the one hand, I enjoy having personalized character or ship tags based in some relevant quote from the source material. The only major exceptions are for P&P, my favorite book. My Darcy/Elizabeth ship tag is #otp of otps for obvious reasons, and my Darcy tag is #lady anne blogging, which is just a silly joke about him being my #1 fave—a sort of "I love him as much as his own mother could" and "I don't have a crush on him, ew, but he is my blorbo of ultimate destiny."

My personalized ship tags in particular follow this pretty rigidly:

#otp: a kind of fascination for Fanny Price/Mary Crawford: "Fanny went to her[Mary] every two or three days: it seemed a kind of fascination: she could not be easy without going, and yet it was without loving her, without ever thinking like her, without any sense of obligation."

#otp: love was kindled for Faramir/Aragorn: "Suddenly Faramir stirred, and he opened his eyes, and he looked on Aragorn who bent over him; and a light of knowledge and love was kindled in his eyes, and he spoke softly"

#otp: and the sun shone for Faramir/Éowyn: "The the heart of Éowyn changed, or else at last she understood it. And suddenly her winter passed, and the sun shone on her."

#otp: welcome home for Jyn Erso/Cassian Andor: "I'm not used to people sticking around when things go bad" -> "Welcome home."

#otp: i see myself in you for Korra/Kuvira: "Why would you save my life after everything I did to you?" -> "I guess I see a lot of myself in you ... We're both fierce and determined to succeed, sometimes without thinking things through."

And so on! However, when I tumbled hard into Kirk/Spock shipping, I was leaving the house and had to quickly come up with a tag and just defaulted into the time-honored "the premise" as my OTP tag. And part of me is like ... I should keep it because of the history, and part is BUT IT'S NOT A QUOTE, I SHOULD CHANGE IT.

The things that try men's souls etc

[thatcheeseycandle]

//Trying out something new, aka my first public reaction to a Vivamus Machinis chapter (by @/trainalt22)

(A thing worth noting, I might not write down all my reactions to everything considering they might be just indescribable or like I wasnt fast enough to write it down)

And looky here! I've noticed a change of writing style with the dialogue but yEAH ITS GOING GOOD SO FAR

"He poked around the shops on the tramway and found a signed copy of 'The Three Railway Engines,' but one look at the price made his wallet cry." bHEHWHEHD This part cracks me up a lot good gOSH

Now this. This is a true man right here, getting his wife a little gift, even if they're just gonna hang out for a bit.

aAND OH GOSH yup theres trouble in the sheds

Strapping ourselves in for this

Ay AY NOW WHOS THIS ADDY RIGHT HERE 👀 Im sorry but yeah shes yeah, noting her down rq

'"Fireman..." Jamie timidly corrected, feeling himself shrink under everyone's gaze.' Ngl I thought he'd just scramble into Thomas' cab right there after that LMAODJ but I can't blame the guy hes got a lot of eyes on him

'He was going to miss him. It was the sad truth. Humans came and went, while machines kept going.' wELL GOOD LORD- At last it is indeed a sad truth, God that caught me off guard like WOW?? Yeah Thomas, get your antidepressants

Okay let me just. I love Thomas and Percy's dynamic in this au and good gosh that little bit right there yeah IT TASTES GOOD

Grumpy Thomas is very much entertaining if Im being honest, very well executed in this, if I do say so myself

Ay AY HERE COMES AMILEA LETS GOO

Oh OH?? HOODIE YES- The outfit choices here are casual, but like in a good way where it's like its neutral feeling

Im sorry I just GOD I LOVE THIS INTERACTION, I am just melting like look LOOK AT THEM

'Amilea said nothing, her face as red as a certain bus that passed by with a honk. She looked away, clearly embarrassed.' Okay pause, that bus was either Bulgy or Bertie or just a reference I didnt get. Idk

"I used to come to this tree a lot when I was a kid," he explained. "You should come up here; it's fun." As a fellow climber of anything, including trees, can confirm

Wait a PIC?? ULSTEAD- NO WAY

My good man youve found a great tree if it has a good view such as that

bHENZNSHAHSUHX This is why you gotta double check for the tag Jamie, or else your getting yourself that LMSDSOAOH

'"So... that model you bought... why did you spend so much on it?"'

'Jamie laughed. "If you think that was expensive, you should've seen what they wanted for a signed copy of 'The Three Railway Engines.'"'

'"Hey, don't change the subject," she pointed her fork at him accusingly.' This. This conversation- Yeah one of my top ten OTPs of the year

Oh my go NO WAY YES

YEAAASSSS YES MY GOSH YEAAHAHAAHAHHSS

Okay look ik thats like idk a minor thing like its one step BUT GOD YEAAAHAHAHAHAHAHSHS YES AMILEA YES

JAMIE YOU DESERVED THAT YES

(Nothing bad happened, only good things)

oUGHSH MY GOD OKAY IM SORRY BUT THIS CHAPTER WAS VRRY MUCH SATISFYING

Yet again, credits to @/trainalt22 aka the creator of this au, for like oH MY- For bringing such a great chapter yet again

Satisfying and interesting as always!

[thistlecatfics]

A few recs for @hprecfest featuring the stars of dark fic: Bellatrix, Sirius, Regulus, and Barty, among others. Dark and clever and smutty and might leave you feeling a bit dirty having read them in the best way. I couldn't bear to pick just one.

Het:

Polygirl by deslea (M, 1.2k, Bellatrix/ Voldemort, Rodolphus, Lucius, Severus, Sirius) 

In Knockturn Alley, Kitty will be anyone you want her to be, for a price…that is, if you have a strand of their hair. A surprising number of her clients want her to be Bellatrix Lestrange.

Brilliant little fic exploring the polyjuice sex worker trope

Red and Gold by mumuinc (E, 10k, Bellatrix/Sirius)

Bellatrix didn’t consider herself a cradle robber. Sirius was nine years her junior, and still a whining little shit when things didn’t go his way. But when he shut that fat, stupid mouth of his, when he turned those glittering eyes in her direction, she had to give pause.

Perfectly characterized mirror image warrior cousins (my first ever OTP!) which includes one of my favorite descriptions of Sirius through Bellatrix's eyes:

"Hogwarts rhetoric these days defied logic and common sense, and the way Sirius wove the zeal of Dumbledore’s ideals around his skin made her want to grab him by the neck and defile him, perhaps slit his throat and drink his blood, bathe in it, and offer it to the sun god or whatnot. She despised it, loathed it even, this armor of zeal and righteousness that Sirius seemed to think was attractive. It wasn’t. It was despicable. It was a desecration.It was fucking erotic."

Femslash:

shake off your flesh, run from the light by @fvckyouimaprophet iamsiriuslyriddikulus (E, 6.6k, fem! Barty/Evan)

It starts with a confession. Beatrice never meant to let it slip, but the Firewhiskey loosened her tongue until she found herself leaning over to Evan and saying, “Sometimes I prefer to kill them with a knife.” She stares down at the space between them, not daring to meet Evan’s eyes. “I know it’s an awfully Muggle way to do it, but I like the mess. You can feel it more than you can with a wand, and you get to watch the life leave their eyes.” Evan places a hand behind her, palm flat against the grass, and leans her weight on it as she takes a swig from the bottle. Beatrice braces herself for a speech about how unnecessary it is, how it’s beneath her, but none comes. “Show me,” Evan says.

Tags include: Knifeplay, Object Insertion, (Evan gets fucks with the hilt of a knife), Bloodplay, Blood Drinking, woundfucking, wound cunnilingus would be more accurate, Murder, god forbid women do ANYTHING, although to be clear they are very much murdering muggles and getting off on it, lesbian rosekiller

Dark and twisted and HOT

Slash:

Black Skies by @danpuff-ao3 danpuff (E, 7k, Regulus/Sirius & Regulus/Severus)

Sirius won't give Regulus the love he needs, so he seeks it from Severus instead.

Regulus is so split between Sirius and Severus and feels horrible, and all three of them feel horrible, but none of them can stop! It's so dark and twisted and desperate and compelling and hot. I'm feral for all of the dynamics depicted.

The Cost of Survival by @vdoshu doshu (M, 11k, Barty/Peter)

Peter likes the way that people look at him because he’s a Marauder. He likes the way that he’s invited along to get-togethers during the summers, the way that people pass him drinks and snacks at Quidditch after-parties, the way that people don’t laugh about him when he’s within earshot. He likes the way that everyone knows who he is, and pretends to like him. But he likes the way that Barty treats him even more.

It feels inappropriate to flail about this fic because of how sad it is - not even sad in a deliciously angsty way but sad in a realistic, human tragedy sort of way. Peter is portrayed so empathetically here - so flawed and human and afraid and desperate for love and affection and safety.

7 Loves/7Lives ( i called you brother seven times) by xylodemon (E, 7k, Regulus/Sirius)

This is a thing that never should have started.

Classic fic from 2006 which I’ve loved since my early fandom days which I consider a must-read Blackcest fic.

Time is What You Make It (the King Of Pain remix) by aron_kristina (M, 1k, Regulus/Sirius and implied Regulus/Sirius/Harry)

Sirius can't forget his brother, even if he wants to.

The layers! A punch in the gut in 1000 words.

[dustofwarfare]

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

Oh! Well, okay, so:

Event Horizon , Call of Duty, Modern Warfare (Original series), Makarov/Price, D/s-verse, rated M. This may be one of my favorite fics I've ever written, tbh. Makarov/Price was the ship that got me into this fandom, and this one starts with them meeting in Berlin in 1989 and continues up until MW3 OG (the 2011 version).

Won't Go Down Easy, Fire Emblem Three Houses, Claude/Felix, D/s-verse, rated E. Felix is a cranky sub who's sent to Almyra after the War. Polyfic but mainly Claude/Felix.

Malware Byes, FFXV rated T. Ardyn, Prompto, Gen, Humor. Prompto is the Empire's IT guy. Ardyn is the worst help-ticket in existence. I just had a lot of fun writing this one.

Come Aboard, Let's go Dreaming. Final Fantasy VIII, poly!fic, Seifer/Squall/Rinoa. Starts a V, goes from there. I love this OT3 more than I can properly express.

Limit Break: Now With Donuts! Final Fantasy VII, Sephiroth/Cloud, humor, rated T. I don't know why but this may be my favorite fanfic I've ever written. Cloud and Sephiroth attend a seminar about "facing the arch-rival within" with Dr. Phil. I don't know.

I'm very partial to Begin the End (Sephiroth/Cloud) which I started writing, left on a cliffhanger for three years, came back and finished :D This is my forever OTP <3

And the fic I'm working on now, Salt and Vinegar, which is Makarov/Graves from Call of Duty Modern Warfare (Reboot), D/s-verse, an...enemies-to-captive-to-allies-to-lovers fic, LOL. Mentioning because I'm quite pleased with it! I forever love rare pairs, villain/hero and banter. :D

[yoursweetheartsrevenge]

get to know your mutuals! 🫶🏻

thanks for tagging me @sepherinaspoppies

ɞ What's the origin of your blog title?

I was in process of writing my first fic in many years when I came up with my ao3 name and the name of this blog. It's actually a semi spoiler for the fic but I just posted the chapter in question. If you know, you know 😉

ɞ OTP(s) + shipname: Jon + Ygritte, Daemon + Rhaenyra, Alys + Aemond, Buffy + Angel

ɞ Favourite color: lavender

ɞ Song stuck in your head: Good Luck Babe by Chappell Roan

ɞ Weirdest habit/trait: I have to sleep with at least one stuffed animal. Usually I have three in bed 😆

ɞ Hobbies: knitting, cooking, writing, board gaming, playing ttrpgs

ɞ If you could have any job you wish, what would it be?: probably an author, but that would actually be knuckling down and finishing things. Maybe a Podcaster

ɞ Something you're good at: writing emails and negotiating prices for presenters work wise. Cooking in a personal sense.

ɞ Something you hate: people who pretend be nice to your face, but talk behind your back.

ɞ Something you collect: board games

ɞ Something you forget: where I put things

ɞ What's your love language?: acts of service (cooking, mostly, but an occasional massage works)

ɞ Favourite movie/show: Jaws/Breaking Bad

ɞ Favourite food: sushi

ɞ Favourite animal: wolf

ɞ What were you like as a child?: introvert to the max, too shy to function.

ɞ Favourite subject at school: English; in college it was any Film class I took

ɞ Least favourite subject: Math

ɞ What's your best character trait?: very generous. Constantly looking for ways to treat others with kindness.

ɞ What's you're worst character trait?: laziness/procrastination

ɞ If you could change any detail of your life right now, what would it be?: my aunt recently passed away. I would like to not have that happen.

ɞ If you could travel in time, who would you like to meet? I actually think it would be fun to travel back to hang out with younger versions of my grandma, my mom, my aunts, and uncle. I've heard so many fun stories about them growing up it would be cool to see them live.

No pressure tags: @ladylokianna @exitpursuedbyavulcan @aemondsbabe

[shipmistress9]

The Betrayed God

Fandom: Fourth Wing -- The Empyrean

(No spoilers for IF)

Pairing: Violet/Xaden--Riorgail, Violet/Malek--Mallet, Malek and his Bride

Rating: T

Summary:

The legends talk about three brothers and about one of them betraying them all. But that is only half of the story. The darker half is yet to be told. Setup for a (possible) story in which Xaden is Malek trapped in a human body and Violet his lost bride.

(AO3)

AN: This originates from a crack theory formed in a group chat, about Violet being Malek's bride and-- to keep our OTP--about Xaden being Malek in human form. So, of course, my mind started spinning, and this is what came out. The dark legend that might, eventually, lead to a full story.

. o O o .

The legends say that defeating the armies of the Barrens came at the highest of all prices. It cost the winners everything.

But what was this price they paid? Why do none of the ancient documents talk about it? And who paid this highest of prices? 

Come. Come here. Come here and sit down with me. Let me tell you what happened, the tragic story of betrayal, of loss, of heartbreak, and of a debt we humans won’t ever be able to repay.

Let me tell you the story of Malek, God of Death, and of the forgotten Goddess of Life that once stood by his side. 

You’ve heard the legend of the three brothers, of how two of them rose to power and how the third turned to the forbidden gift. Of how they managed to defeat him, in the end. What those stories never talk about, however, is the deal the oldest brother was willing to strike in order to win. For he was the one truly hungering for power beyond anything else, and in his greed, he stopped at nothing. With no regards for the lives it cost, he ordered his most powerful wielders to forge a device that, upon activation, would cleanse the land of all dark abominations, a miracle, their salvation. 

But magic likes all things in balance. And it is not the wielder who determines the price. 

Unwilling to pay the price that would be asked, the eldest brother came up with a cunning plan, a plan so audacious that no historian dared to write it down. They said he wielded the powers of the sky. But what are the powers of the sky if not the Gods themselves? And he wielded them perfectly…

With feigned subservience, he lured them in, offering devotion and sacrifices for centuries to come. And vain as the Gods were, they accepted his promises. They fought at his side against the dark horde, glorious and awful as only Gods can be.

It was then, after many battles fought side by side, that the cunning eldest brother approached Malek with yet another proposal. He offered him a powerful talisman, the cruel device, to enhance his mighty strikes. The device that would put an end to their most hated foes—at the cost of their most beloved treasure. 

The Lord of Death, unaware of the treachery, went to battle and wiped all dark wielders off the face of the earth in one powerful strike. 

Grateful and full of awe, the humans praised the God, their saviour, promising to burn all that belonged to the dead in his name, and the oldest brother, who devoted his life to this cause, was made king to rule over all of mankind.

This is where the legends end—but it is not the end of this story. For there was still the price to pay for their victory, and when Malek returned to his Palace, glowing and victorious. .. he found that something was missing. The price that had to be paid, the balance magic crave. 

His most beloved treasure, his beautiful bride, was gone. 

In order to destroy the darkest powers, magic had taken the brightest light, the Goddess of Life, away.

Blind with grief and fury, Malek rioted and screamed, but there was no way to make the spell undone. His bride was lost, reduced to nothing but a mortal soul. Damned to endlessly wander the lands of the humans, she would never be commended to him, never to return to his side. 

The God of Death, lost in his grief, pleaded with the magic, his Queen, even with fate herself, and they offered him a deal. If he wanted his beloved back, then he had to join her. He had to become a mortal soul as well. And only should they find each other despite their lost memories, only should she regain all of her lost powers despite not knowing what she’d lost, only if they accomplished the deed she was sacrificed for without treachery… only then would Malek and his Bride be able to return to their Palace.

It was a fool’s bargain. A human’s life was difficult, their lands wide. The chances of them ever fulfilling the set terms all but nonexistent. But Malek agreed anyway. For all eternity was worthless if She was not by his side. He would bring her back. Even if it took him centuries to find her.

[rainbowamory]

My Dolls 😊😭❤

It was such a looooooong, painful journey to bring these two to life through ball-jointed dolls. And expensive as hell.

This was pure self-indulgence. But I needed this and I always dreamed of having my OTP / OCs as dolls.

Examples of my troubles include:

Buying several pairs of eyes for each to try out which ones look most like my characters, getting a person to paint her face to resin-match her body, getting her head custom-made by three different people in three different steps (e.g. 3D model to 3D print to faceup painting), putting on their anti-stain clothing, dying his wig (I failed twice with two other wigs before I got the color right) because I couldn't find a wig that color for a good price anywhere... And then having a mini panic moment when I was trying to put his hands on all by myself while using my foot and a clean cloth to hold him in place... putting on his pants.... the list goes on.

I can't believe I made it to the end with these two. lol

I still need to dress her in black and replace her wig with a black one (she came with a dark brown wig).

I think the dolls represent their late teens / early 20s how they would look.

I have no words. I have no words. I'm just happy.

Unedited Images:

Edited Images of them:

Darkness and Light

[wily-one24]

It was intresting to read your opinions about ouat, soo can u maybe do Regina Mills also? 🫶🏻 (+ I gotta say that I agree what you said about hook)

I am glad you asked, Nonny, because I felt sliughtly guilty. I answered the "choose between Emma and Regina" ask and chose Emma, BEFORE I answered the "choose from these three SVU" characters and in that one I did all three.

I was like "Man, I should have done Regina as well". So, Nonny,. great minds think alike. :D

REGINA MILLS:

Before we start, I had to use this gif, because for over a decade it was my AO3 profile pic "Bitch Fucked With My Apples", until I changed it to Sheryl Crow to match my tumblr pic.

Onto the questions!

--> How I feel about this character:

I do so love Regina. Not as much as Emma, and I am not attracted to Regina the way I am Emma, but I love her just the same.

Her entire story is one of tragedy. All she wanted was to be good, to be left alone with her horse and her stable boy and maybe an apple tree.

And she was used and abused by everyone around her for their own nefarious purposes. Her mother abused her from childhood and then sold her as a young teenager to an uncaring king. Who, let's be real Disney, was not just "looking for a mother for Snow". He wanted a young wife to bed. And she was NOT WILLING.

Rumple came along and twisted her helplessness into vengeance.

And the world called her Evil.

And even then, exactly how evil was she. Okay, sure, if you're Snow White (or one of her friends), she was pretty lethal, and she did slaughter an entire village for hiding Snow. But apart from Snow, she was pretty non chalant. She wanted to be loved as a ruler.

Yes, she did EVIL things, but she was a pawn and she didn't choose that title, nor that life.

The curse? The big Curse to End All Curses?

She bought them to Maine and gave them safety, steady jobs, no inflation at all 80s prices forever more, running water, electricity, medicine, instant college educations.

And all those ungrateful bitches wanted to do was return to shitting in the forest and hunting their dinner amidst dying of dystentery and a random arrow.

Like, come on. If you really want to be evil, don't make Snow a goddamn grade school teacher who builds bird houses. OH LOOK,, there's Mary Margaret the garbage collector. Mary Margaret, the local stripper. The homeless drug addict. Locked up in a nuthouse. A maid. Anything, but a sweet, comfortable, happy, well fed teacher who still smiles and sings.

I said it in the other post, I'll say it here. Emma internalised her pain and sabotaged herself. Regina externalised it and hurt those around her. But it all stems from that lost, lonely little girl that was abused and had all her hopes dashed, that was never loved the way they deserved.

I do love Regina and that is all (Ha!) I am saying until further down.

--> All the people I ship romantically with this character:

(I love how this is worded: 1. "romantically", like... definitely not just "fuck nasty" buddies, but romance. 2. "People" with a "Character", ... can I name just any random person? Like, let's get Regina Mills together with Susan Sarandon. Let's go!)

Ahem.

Emma Swan, obviously. You can't really ask for more. They were perfect for each other. There are so many parallels in their stories, and they helped each other grow. They cared sincerely for each other. This is a no brainer.

But also... let's not rule out all the other ladies, Snow, Ruby, Belle. Maybe a little Jefferson. Daniel (for the hopeless teen romantic Regina). David for a little bit.

Imaginary Regina is quite the machine.

--> My non-romantic OTP for this character:

Is Henry too obvious? Come on.

Snow eventually. Zelena eventually, Kathryn to begin with (you know, before she had her kidnapped and killed and then unkilled, that kinda takes the bloom off the rose a little).

--> My unpopular opinion of this character:

The Lana stans ruined Regina for me*. I can't enjoy her as much as I would like, because... they're very rabid and they oversaturated the internet and a lot of them became Swan Queen fans, but a very specific sort of Swan Queen fan wherein it was obvious they were just there for Regina and they really hated Emma in an ugly way.

I think Lana is really great, everything I have heard about her is good. That said, i just can't... I can't really enjoy anything in terms of Lana because of her fans. So, I just steer well away.

These people and their zealotry ruined the actress and the character and that's tragic all in its own.

(*I am speaking of a very certain sort of fan, I am sure a lot of Lana fans are great, but we all know who I am speaking of).

Fandom overall became very Regina Centric or Hook Centric, to the exclusion of all else. This bled heavily into the viciousness of Swan Queen Vs Captain Swan... but I stayed out of it and just wrote my little fics and read others.

-->One thing I wish would happen/had happened for this character:

I'm not sure I can answer this question, because I still to this day have not finished watches S7 all the way through. I have watched MAYBE three episodes and then have to stop, I just... cannot get into it. So I don't really *know* what happened to her.

I know she got a very short haircut, wore singlet shirts, and ran a bar. That's what I know. So... I mean, maybe that made her happy? Chase your dreams, I guess.

Obviously "I wish Swan Queen became canon".

Oooh, I know. I wish she had gotten some justice, especially against Rumple.

(but, oh no, Rumple was a MAN and had to have a giant redemption arc and become woobified)

My old AO3 pp for reference:

[circetalia]

Thursday Bangers

I may be about a week late (I was bedridden sick half of the week forgive me >.<), but I was tagged by @fenrelmercar! Ty ty^^

Rules:

Free form a blurb or drawing based on the weekly lyrics prompt. It doesn't have to include the prompt just whatever you're inspired to write, write it! Then tag some friends so they can play as well. It doesn't have to be finished on Thursday just post it whenever you can (you have a whole week between Thursdays).

This week is a real doozy. Going maybe a little angsty and longing for this one

A hundred days have made me older since the last time that I saw your pretty face - Three Doors Down

Just like my OTP tag, all of the people I follow who write have already been tagged, so whoever wants to join in can (I need to find more people on tumblr >.<)

Here's the full chapter on AO3!

•─────⋅☾ ☽⋅─────•

“Okay. The charm’s good against all manner of curse and manipulation. Fair price, and you won’t find anything better in the Circle District.”

They had stopped in front of two men, one giving a sales pitch and the other listening in while debating on if he should buy the item or not. Neve chimed into his sales pitch, leading the buyer to a better deal.

“You won’t find better at the Circle, but you will off the docks. For half the price and twice the enchantment.”

“Neve?” The seller hummed in question. Anisé knew him, she hadn’t seen him in ages. Not since she turned herself into the templars for her work in the Threads and joined up in the Grey Wardens after being conscripted–in hopes to redeem herself.

“Elek.” Neve slightly giggled, smirking as she greeted him. The buyer looked between the two and nervously turned down Elek’s offer.

“Hey, if I'd known, I would’ve told you. Come back next week, I’ll buy another paper.” Elek told the buyer.

“I write them myself,” the buyer mentioned. “The magisters… they don’t print the truth.”

“Most honest thing I’ll hear today.” Elek’s gaze followed the buyer as they left, before his eyes laid on Anisé next to Neve. His gaze widened in surprise, if only for a little bit.

“Oh, well there’s a face I haven’t seen much recently, or at all, actually. What are-” She cut him off before he could finish his sentence.

“Rook. I go by Rook now. And yeah, I’ve not been in Minrathous much lately, all to my current job.”

It hurt to talk to him. She couldn’t tell him why she left, that she was the reason she got caught. Sure, nothing stays out of the Threads for long, but given how Elek greeted her? It was safe for her to assume that they didn’t know the truth behind her giving herself up. He looked a bit hurt, but it wasn’t something either of them brought up. He instead cleared his throat, then continued on with a more formal greeting.

“I see. Well then, are you interested in buying anything?” He asked as he shifted in his stance. “I promise to cut you a good deal.”

She quietly laughed, and looked down. “No, I won’t be buying anything. I know how this works, Elek.”

He smiled slightly, then looked back at Neve. “Nice to see you’ve made yourself a nice friend, Neve. Why’d you really stop by, though? You’re never here for anything I sell.”

“Just looking for gossip.” Neve replied, slightly smiling.

“Not much that’d interest you.” Eleks smile dropped, as he knew what Neve wanted. If she were there at his door, she wanted info on a job she took on, most likely one he couldn’t help with. Neve went straight into business.

“We chased a relic through Dock Town. The buyer was Venatori. But the smuggler belonged to the Thread Crime Syndicate.” Neve smirked at Elek. “You’re a Thread…”

Elek’s gaze darkened as he scowled at the implied question. 

“We don’t deal with cultists. Your smuggler broke the rules. She’s out.” He explained.

“And the Venatori?” Rook chimed in. Elek turned to look at her as he explained Dock Town’s current status.

“There’s been more in Dock Town. Boss says it’s under control. But between us… I don’t like it.” He looked between the two as he mentioned his disdain for whatever was going on within the cult activity.

“Then it’s with keeping an eye on. If you hear anything…” Neve didn’t even finish her question as Elek started to answer it.

“So will you.”

As he left, he smiled at Rook. Once he was gone, Rook turned to Neve.

“You know a member of the Thread crime syndicate. Personally.”

“So do you, it seems.” Neve laughed in response. “Don’t tell me you’re surprised.”

Rook looked amused. A famous detective personally knowing one member of a crime syndicate? What were the reasons? Was she a double agent, or was it for personal gain? She couldn’t wait to find out.

“I’d thought you’d be on opposite sides. I mean, you’re basically the good guy of Minrathous, and in turn they’re the bad guys!” She laughed as she looked back towards the ocean behind them.

Neve just quietly exhaled. “Nothing’s that easy,” She smirked.

“They’re a problem, and they keep worse problems away. Whether we’re on the same side, depends when you ask.” She explained. She looked at Rook, eyebrow slightly cocked up.

“But what about you? How do you know Elek?”

“Ah, I… We used to date a while back. Other than that, maybe it’s best to keep it as a story for another time.”

She didn’t want to go into her past, not right now, at least. Too many people could see, and given the circumstances, too many people she didn’t want to learn of her story were around. Plus, it didn’t help that seeing Elek opened up some old wounds she wasn’t fully ready to treat yet.

Neve just nodded in understanding, as she motioned for Rook to follow.

“We’ve got more to see. Let’s go.”