#to be fair I only have three options with art

[phoenix-inblue]

I love being able to tell which fanfic of mine you read based off of which posts you spam liked XD

[sylusxyou]

Sylus saying reader is short/too short and we say put some inches into me then?

omg my first request and it's a little scandalous! happy to oblige :) honestly, i got a little carried away with this one. not sure if it's exactly what you were looking for, but hope you enjoy. thank you for the request! word count: 1.5k content: just suggestive, use of kitten and sweetie, short reader hehe, reader can be gender neutral and non-mc

︶︶︶ ⊹ ︶︶ ୨♡୧ ︶︶︶ ⊹ ︶︶︶︶︶ ⊹ ︶︶ ୨♡୧ ︶︶︶ ⊹ ︶︶

You were sure that Sylus placed his most used cookware in the highest cabinets just to make it difficult for you to grab. To be fair, most of your adventures in his kitchen resulted in burnt ingredients, hand cuts, or just plain bad food. You were determined, however, to surprise him with a decent home cooked meal. Three times this week you had practiced cooking baked scallops in your own kitchen. It was Sylus’ favorite dish and also the bane of your existence. 

The first two times you made it at home, it was completely inedible. The third time it actually tasted decent, but there was still room for improvement. You were sure you would get it right this time, especially with the state of the art cooking appliances in Sylus’ kitchen. 

None of that mattered, however, when you couldn’t even get a baking dish down from the cabinets. Since Sylus was so tall there was no step ladder in sight. You stared up at the stack of baking dishes and silently cursed your parents for passing on their lack of height to you. 

There was no other option as you were the only person in Sylus’ residence. Just as you began your climb onto the counter you heard a throat clear behind you. 

“What’s going on here?” The deep timbre of his voice never failed to send a chill down your spine. 

You slid off the counter and turned to face Sylus. “Why are you back so early? I thought you were going to be out most of the night.” 

“Last time I checked,” Sylus began to walk towards you, “this is my home. I don’t think I’m required to announce when I’m coming and going.” 

The closer he got to you, the deeper the blush grew on your cheeks. He hadn’t even said anything flirtatious or suggestive. Just his presence flustered you and he knew it. 

“Of course you don’t. But now you’ve ruined your surprise.” 

This made him quirk an eyebrow, “My surprise?” 

Sylus was now right in front of you. You stood with your back to the counter and peered up at him. ‘Damn tall people.’

“I was going to cook you dinner.” You reached behind you to grab the recipe sheet and hand it to him. “Baked scallops. Your favorite.” 

His grin was wide, filled with unadulterated joy. These were your favorite smiles to get from him. Though he never said it, you were pretty sure you were the only one who got to see them. 

Sylus looked over the recipe sheet and tapped you on the head with it before placing it back on the counter. “That’s very thoughtful of you, kitten, but you don’t have to do that.” 

You narrowed your eyes at him and crossed your arms across your chest. “I know you’re saying that because you don’t think I can cook something edible.” 

“Can you blame me, sweetie?” He gently placed his hands on either side of your face and brushed his thumbs across your cheeks. “The few times you’ve tried to cook with me, it didn’t really end well.” 

You swatted his hands away. “I’m aware of that. But I’ve been practicing.” 

“You’ve been practicing?” 

“Yes, you can drop the skeptical tone.” You pulled your phone out of your pocket and scrolled through your photos. When your last try had turned out decent, you decided to snap a photo. It certainly wasn’t restaurant quality presentation, but you can tell that the scallops are well cooked. You showed the picture to Sylus. 

He looked at the photo and then back at you. “That’s not bad. I guess I’m willing to risk it. How long until it’s ready?” 

“I haven’t even started.” You pointed up the the high cabinet where the baking dishes were stored. “You keep your dishes way too high up.” 

This made Sylus chuckle, “I have to keep fragile items out of harms way. Would you like some assistance?” 

“Yes, actually, I would like that.” 

His large hands grabbed your shoulders and turned your around. Before you could ask what his intentions were, he grabbed you by the waist and lifted you up. 

“What are you doing?” you shouted. 

You could hear the smile in his voice when he replied, “Put your feet on the counter, kitten.” 

You did what you were told and Sylus’ hand rested on your ass, presumably to hold you in place. 

The contact burned into your skin through the fabric of your shorts. “Somehow I feel like you have ulterior motives. You could’ve just grabbed it yourself.” 

“Where’s the fun in that?” His hand gave a gentle squeeze.

You tried to compose yourself as you grabbed the baking dish from the cabinet. “You can let me down now.” 

“Lean back and I’ll grab you.” Sylus stretched his arms out and you slowly lowered yourself down to be cradled by him. He gently placed your feet on the ground and leaned into your neck, placing soft kisses across the length of it.

It was completely unfair how easy it was for him to make you melt. You knew you had an effect on him has well, but he was able to keep it together more masterfully than you. Just once you wanted to see him flustered. 

You gently pushed on his shoulders, removing his lips from their exploration of your neck. “Maybe you should keep your baking pans in a lower cabinet.” 

“I’m sorry, kitten. Sometimes I forget I’m not the only one using these spaces anymore.” Sylus ran his hands up and down your arms. “And the person sharing them with me has such a small reach.” 

The smug grin on his face told you he was intentionally pushing your buttons. “I’m not that short. You’re just freakishly tall.” 

“Freakishly?” He raised an eyebrow. “No need to be hostile. I’m always happy to lend you my extra inches to reach the places you can’t.” 

You couldn’t keep your eyes from widening. The way he quirked his head when he noticed your expression made you wonder if he realized exactly what he just said. Sylus was no stranger to innuendo but he usually shot for something classier and less obvious. This wasn’t exactly his style. Then again, he was hardly naive and much more skilled at keeping his composure than you. Perhaps it was intentional after all and he was feigning ignorance.

Well, two could play at that game. You couldn’t let this opportunity pass you by. Usually when Sylus said something suggestive you would blush and change the subject. Now was the time to be bold if you wanted to get a reaction out of him. 

You tucked the baking dish in your hands under one of your arms and ran your free hand behind Sylus’s neck, lightly dragging your nails up and down. “If you take me to your bedroom you can show me just how deep your extra inches can reach.” 

There it was. It was slight but it was unmistakable. Sylus’ eyes widened just a bit, his shock at your response momentarily visible to you. He shook it off quickly, however, and dipped his head with a chuckle. “My, my, my. You have gotten bolder, kitten.” 

You fought the blush rising in your cheeks now that Sylus’ composure returned to him and shrugged. “I figured it was a good chance to give you a taste of your own medicine.” 

“I like it. And you know what?” Sylus grabbed the baking dish tucked under your arm and placed it on the counter behind you. “I think I’ll take you up on your offer.”

His arms caged you in between him and the counter, his face mere inches from yours. “What do you mean?” 

Sylus’ voice was a low, hot, whisper against your skin. “Why don’t we skip dinner and spend the rest of the evening in my bedroom. That’s what you really wanted, right?” 

“N-no!” You grabbed the baking dish from behind you and held it up in front of you like a shield. “I worked way too hard to learn this recipe. We are not skipping dinner.”

Sylus placed a chaste kiss on your cheek. “Okay, kitten. We won’t skip dinner. I would hate for your hard work to go to waste.” He backed away from you, eyes still locked on yours. “Besides, scallops are a great aphrodisiac.” He grinned at you and began walking out of the kitchen. Over his shoulder he called back, “Let me know when dinner’s ready.” 

You stood in place for a few moments, your face moving from blushing to completely red. You had wanted to be bold, to make him feel this way. With hardly any effort at all Sylus had flipped the script on you. Now you were left wondering if you had started something you hadn’t intended. As you began working on dinner you couldn’t keep your thoughts from wandering to you and Sylus in his bedroom. You hadn’t planned anything for desert but perhaps you’d have some after all. 

[revehae]

party monster

pairing ↠ best friend!jennie x (f) reader (but not really)

genre .. warnings ↠ smut, thoughts of noncon, sub!jennie, oral, noncon recording, monsterfucking

summary ↠ for years you’ve crushed on jennie kim, your best friend, the queen of queens, the party monster. but it seems that you’re not exactly her type.

wc ↠ 3.3k

a/n ↠ this is my first time writing this kind of fic in 6 months so i am unfortunately quite rusty…

don’t like it, don’t read.

she looked like royalty on top of him. 

you couldn’t deny it - you could never deny jennie anything. how could you? she was funny, enchanting, downright beautiful, and she was your friend of many years.

your best friend, to be exact. it was a title you were proud to claim, one you had never taken for granted. you had always been there, whether she needed to laugh or she needed to cry, and you would always be there for whatever she needed. 

but apparently, she didn’t need you for this.

it was not your intention to find her this way, to be fair. in your search for an empty bathroom, chance had led you to the one connected to the bedroom your best friend and her boy toy occupied. you had only come here in need of relief, but in her own way, jennie yearned for something similar.

yet so different all at once. you knew her voice when it came to your ears, even if it was at a pitch and with a breathlessness you had never quite heard, and your curiosity had gotten the better of you. they must have been too lost in the haze of their arousal, because they never seemed to notice they’d left the bathroom door open for all the world to see.

and you did see. you saw her on top of this nameless boy, her cashmere dress in a heap on the floor, sweat gathering at her soft skin and glimmering in the moonlight like precious pearls. you saw how pleasure took her by its gnarled hand, her lips crying the cries of angels. you saw how his greedy hands were all over her, touching her, surely not knowing just how lucky he was. 

you could only stand there, trembling with the intensity of an emotion you had never known this deeply. there was a hot throb in your chest as cruelly it tightened, and in the same moment you could hear this nameless boy swearing about how tightly she was wound around him.

in that moment, she had taken a form you had never seen of her before, becoming a thing so violently unknown to you, and all you could think about was how none of it was for you. it was certainly not the first time she’d whored herself out to someone that wasn’t you, but seeing it happen in front of you was different than being regaled on the tales. 

those boys were faceless, something you could convince yourself never existed as you pictured only jennie’s cries of ecstasy. even now, this nameless boy wasn’t so nameless anymore as you heard it fall brokenly from her lips.

but it’s okay, you consoled yourself, turning away from the door. you could fix her.

that had been three months ago at least. you were still doing everything in your power to come up with something to salvage your broken heart with, in spite of already knowing jennie got around, but you had come short of viable options.

and like that fateful night all those months before, you were at another party, because nights in new york were when party monsters like jennie came to life. and as to expected of her, she’d strutted inside sporting this lacy dress, the same vibrant red color as her lips. 

she was stunning in red. 

it was something you had told her more than once. you took your role as jennie’s best friend as though you were the queen’s aide, and in a way, that wasn’t so far from the truth. she was the queen of queens, the party monster, and a woman of her caliber had to look nothing less than like art at every party she set foot on.

that red cashmere dress lived in your head. you had been the one help her decide, and yet some boy had been the one to take it off.

“hey, where’s jen?” rosé asked, poking her head around the corner. 

“no idea,” lisa said, finishing what was left of her exquisite wine.

the two girls glanced toward you. of course they did; you were jennie’s best friend. apparently, you were supposed to know what she was up to at all times.

you sighed, peeling yourself off the sofa and sitting your drink on the table. “i’ll look,” you started. “but if she’s somewhere getting dicked down again, you’re going to make an enemy out of me.”

rosé blew you a kiss. “thanks, beautiful.”

“yeah, yeah,” you grumbled, giving your drink one last longful glance as you stepped out of the room.

you took a guess that rosé had come from the main hall and if she hadn’t scouted jennie there, then there was a fair chance she was in one of the upstairs rooms. getting dicked down, you thought disheartenedly, but you searched nonetheless.

you had only seen her that way once and it was something you surely never wanted to see ever again. the memory of the thunder in your chest still lingered and maybe the feeling itself hadn’t exactly faded.

what would it take for her to understand that she was yours? she may not have realized it yet, but you were everything she needed. you could please her in ways she’d never imagined, take her to heights that’d never before been. 

you stilled when you heard her voice, almost walking straight past the door. it was of some kind of relief that there were no moans, and she seemed to be quietly chatting about something. with the door barely open, you slipped inside, hoping that it wouldn’t creak.

it took all of two seconds to recognize her, standing at the edge of the bed, but there were no words to describe the horror on your face when you saw the thing next to her.

deep black in color, draped in some slick, indigo substance that coated it smoothly, and towering two feet over her. teeth that could kill with one slight graze. it didn’t look of this world. and yet, jennie didn’t seem afraid; she looked exasperated.

“i thought i told you to stay home,” she hissed, glaring up at the creature. whatever the hell it was.

the alien-like creature seemed indifferent, from what you could make of its features. “hungry,” was all it said.

jennie didn’t seem impressed. “you were fed before i left.”

“hungry,” it repeated, raspier, brushing a long finger down her dress.

jennie slapped its hand away, shaking her head. “no, not here. there’s people, carnal.”

carnal said nothing, overcome by a need that went beyond the bounds of human desire, and returned its finger to her dress. for a second, you thought that it would tear it to shreds, but instead it unzipped the back quicker than she could dispute.

you could hear her whining, but carnal was intent on taking and little would come between that purpose. jennie gasped when it took her by the arm and tugged her onto the floor, silently demanding in its approach, all the while her pretty red dress was tossed into oblivion. 

for whatever reason, the sight hadn’t troubled you like it did not too many moons ago. it intrigued you. part of you wanted to emerge from the cloak of the shadows to rescue her from this creature, but the other wanted to watch and see how this would unfold.

jennie’s eyes burned fiercely of ire. “i won’t do it.”

carnal glanced down at her and you swore the sight gave you shivers, but jennie didn’t move. “no?”

“no.”

you had to restrain yourself from gasping when carnal grabbed jennie by strands of hair at the back of her head. it forced her mouth onto its cock, a death grip on her tresses. her whimpers of protest were muffled, meaningless little sounds that no one would bother to hear.

it would be a lie to do otherwise, and thus you had to confess to yourself that you were bemused by the sheer size of its girthy cock. jennie could hardly fit anything an inch longer than the tip into her mouth. it stroked her limits, sped right by them.

but the part that bemused you even further was how after a minute or three, jennie didn’t seem to hate it. there was no way in hell your eyes were making up the way she sucked in every bit she could take, eagerly bobbing her head.

the muffled cries waned into muffled moans, and for no good reason. no efforts were being taken to please her in return. she was this meek little thing on her knees before an otherworldly creature with a name far too apt.

carnal did not react too strongly, but you had to assume that jennie’s potent greed did a number on it. she wasn’t going anywhere, yet the death grip on her hair only got tighter. what she couldn’t fit between her stained lips, she took in her hands and kneaded between her supple fingers.

your mind was everywhere and nowhere at the same time, stretched across a plane of thought. you were strangely immersed in the horrors in front of you, but your questions wandered. every moment that passed, you wondered if maybe you’d had a little too much to drink.

this was a dirty little secret that even you never knew your best friend had. you couldn’t even begin to fathom how this strange creature could be more than a figment of imagination, and you decided that it wasn’t. it would spare you the headache.

you could see the indent on jennie’s hollowed cheeks, hear the wet noises coming from her lips. perhaps it was stranger that you didn’t hate it. only moments ago you had been prepared to curse whatever idiot of a boy you found her with, and now you were quieter than a mouse.

jennie looked like a pebble at its feet. the beast was more massive than you cared to admit aloud, with a strength that spoke for itself, and a cock that promised total destruction and not anything less. it must’ve been part of the allure for her, because you had never seen her so eager.

and why would she be? the queen of new york city herself never had to ask for anything twice, if at all. it would be an honor for anyone to behold her bare form, but none of that power manifested here in this bedroom. she was sucking carnal off like a common whore begging for a dollar.

your memories reeled back to some instances, not many but a few, where you had noticed her visibly adjusting herself after what you could only assume had been a brief sexcapade in a closet somewhere. and for a moment you stopped to wonder if those faceless people you imagined her with had not been boys, but this damned beast.

it almost made you angrier, trying to fathom how this thing had better chances than you did at pursuing her, and all it took was a little force. had you known that, you would’ve staked your claim to her already.

greed was heavy in the air and you saw carnal seize control after allowing jennie to do as she pleased with it, fucking her mouth harder than she could manage. you couldn’t help but be aroused at the sound of her harshly choking. but she didn’t give up, taking every thrust.

quiet sounds escaped carnal’s mouth, raspy to the ears. it did not have much to say, you’d noticed, and it didn’t need to say much either. you could tell that they’d done this countless times before, because they slipped into this as though it was routine.

maybe you were making it up in your mind, but you could’ve sworn that the room had soared a thousand degrees hotter. part of it was ire on your end, but you couldn’t deny the ache in your core. to see her this way, meek and pliant, brought out an insatiable hunger within you.

by the second carnal’s thrusts were becoming more erratic, its self control seemingly unraveling hard. you were impressed that jennie hadn’t begun to choke again, in spite of the relentless pace. you were certain her jaw strained from the effort, but she still made herself a perfect little toy.

you recognized the brink of ecstasy when you saw it and carnal was at the very cusp. its groans even became a little louder, coming from the back of its throat. the only other thing you could hear was labored breathing and the wet smack of jennie’s lips.

you wouldn’t have wanted to cum that way, you would have wanted to be buried every inch deep between her legs, but after a short moment, the thrusts came to a still and carnal growled. given your angle and the darkness, it was hard to see, but you partly saw the leftover cum she couldn’t swallow drip from her chin.

jennie pushed her mouth off, wiping her lips. her naked chest was heaving for breath. when she stood, you could see the shimmer of tears in her misty eyes. she looked like a train wreck. 

not a moment later, carnal tore her towards the bed and she gave a high squeak of surprise. your gaze was fixed to her every movement. on the bed, carnal hoisted her into the air as though she was featherlight and sat her over it. jennie reached for its shoulders.

but carnal, on the other hand, had reached for something else. to your surprise, it began to lubricate her comparatively smaller cunt with its own indigo slick. jennie whimpered, arching into its long, thick fingers as they ran across her folds. there was no doubt that she had become aroused simply by pleasuring this creature, and you could only imagine the ache in her core. 

it must’ve been similar to yours. this incessant throbbing that yearned to be soothed; a hunger to touch or be touched.

“carnal,” jennie whined. “please, please…”

carnal didn’t seem to be listening to her borderline anguished cries of desperation, its fingers stretching her cunt open, almost like it was preparing her to take something much larger. but nothing was enough for an insatiable little minx like jennie. 

“i don’t care if it hurts,” jennie added, to your shock. “i just want you to fuck me. please, carnal?”

carnal slipped its fingers out of her lubricated pussy and jennie made a noise of discontent at the emptiness, in spite of it being what she had asked for. it was too dark to be certain, but you swore that for half a second, there was a dark gleam of hunger in its heavy eyes.

the alien-like beast hoisted jennie up in a single arm and steered its cock to her entrance in the other. it was still stiff in its palms, and you got the feeling that it would take far more than one orgasm to sate a beast of its nature.

it didn’t seem to be concerned with taking its time or allowing her room to adjust to the stretch, but the look on jennie’s face told you that it was what she wanted. there was pain on her lips and pleasure in her eyes, the two being bred into something lethal.

“oh my god,” jennie moaned, tightening her grip on carnal’s shoulders. 

carnal grasped her hips, using her as though she was merely some kind of toy rather than a human capable of being wounded. it lifted her up and down its thick shaft, leaving her to do nothing but squeeze her eyes shut and hold on for dear life.

you swallowed hard. when she was being used by a beast two times her size and infinitely stronger than herself, your best friend looked less and less human. she didn’t look like something worthy of respect or dignity. had you not known any better, you would’ve thought she was just some whore.

this was something that you had never seen, something different than before; when you saw her then, she was taking her power, but seeing her now, all of it had been reaped from her body.

deep, guttural grunts escaped the back of carnal’s throat as it rutted into her savagely, at a rhythm that rendered her thoughtless. jennie’s tears stung her eyes yet she kept babbling incoherently, addicted to the agony. there were red lines on her skin from where its nails had dug into her, but from how tight she clung to it, carnal was bound to have plenty of its own.

maybe in some sick, twisted way, the pain and the fear heightened the sensations of ecstasy that it tugged her nearer to every second of every minute. there was no pleasure without pain, and the promise of both had tempted jennie far beyond the point of no return. she was a fiend, you realized, for things that were bad for her.

somewhere in the midst of your astonishment of watching your best friend getting railed by nothing less than an unworldly beast, you remembered your anger, your frustrations. a thought a struck you then, selfish in nature, but bound to work in your favor. 

you pulled your phone from your rear pocket and opened the camera, getting it to focus on the two unlikely partners that were showing one another other worlds. if jennie knew you had proof of this tryst, she wouldn’t turn you down for anything. you weren’t sure why you hadn’t thought of the idea sooner.

jennie threw her head back, calling out for carnal. “harder,” she whispered.

carnal silently obliged, but it appeared more like it had lost whatever remained of its self-restraint. jennie’s sounds became louder then, higher in pitch, and you couldn’t miss the way her brows furrowed together. 

your camera didn’t, either.

the sound of sex filled the room at an unfathomable intensity. there was a very obvious wet, slick squelch of their skin meeting that anyone could have heard if they walked just shy of the door. jennie’s cunt had already been drenched with arousal on its own, but the addition of carnal’s slick didn’t help.

you almost couldn’t stand it and that feeling was inexplicably amplified knowing that whatever this thing was she surrendered herself to wasn’t even human. but you were embraced by the comfort that you would be its place soon, whether she wanted it or not.

you were imagining it. if you closed your eyes and listened only to the sound of jennie’a pretty little voice, you could picture that it was you she was making all those pitiful sounds for.

“fuck, i’m so…,” jennie trailed, unable to even get the words off the tip of her tongue. 

but she didn’t need to say it. carnal saw it. you saw it. hell, anybody half as curious as you were could have been right here, about to witness it. she was on the brink of climax, the cusp of ecstasy, and it was unkind.

and as much as it angered you, you couldn’t bear to tear your eyes away for a minute. you had to know what it was like, to see her truly unravel, to lose herself in the highs of pleasure and the throes of sex.

jennie brought a hand to her naked chest, pinching her own nipple. you could see moonlight shimmering on the beads of moisture that clung to her, dancing on the misty haze of lust in her eyes. 

it was at that moment you saw the party monster for what she really was. the intensity at last was too much for her to handle and jennie shuddered with climax, her eyes rolling to the back of her head and her toes curling. she cried out the prettiest whimper, singing a name that wasn’t yours.

and somehow none of that mattered, because the beast she let ravage her wasn’t finished. it tossed her onto the bed and continued, fucking her like an animal, like a monster.

you had seen enough. you had what you needed. with the promise of satisfaction vying against the contempt simmering deep within you, you slipped out where you had came.

too soon to see her eyes fade pitch black.

[vodika-vibes]

Okay so I had a thought.

So imagine—

You work at the Senate, your job is important but you're one of a dozen people who do this job day in and day out. And somehow—miraculously—you've managed to catch Fox's eye.

And it's great! Fantastic even! He's kind and considerate and completely devoted to you and your happiness, which is great, because you're just as devoted to him.

There is one, little bitty problem.

You don't get paid enough.

Oh sure, you've made it work, with some heavy budgeting, but Fox doesn't get paid. So if you want nice-ish dates you have to pay for then.

Which, again, is fine. He's worth it, but it does leave your end of the month bank account looking at little...bare.

So, what are your options?

You could ask for a raise, but you'd get laughed out of your boss' office.

You've never been much of a crafter, so a side hustle like that is out.

And you respect Fox too much to even consider any kind of sex work. Not that you have anything against it, but you'd want to talk to him about it first, and you absolutely do not want him to know about your money issues. So that's out, too.

And you've never been good at gambling, so that's off the table, too.

So you think and think, and then you remember. There's an underground, very illegal, fighting club that accepts participants of all ages, genders, species, and skill level. And the pay is very, very good.

You did martial arts as a kid. And only stopped when you were in college because of a lack of time, so you might have a chance of winning a bout or two. And if you're careful, Fox will never find out about your illegal fights.

You win your first fight, and the next three after that. Earning enough to go on several dates with Fox and have money left over for your rainy day fund. And so, the fights become a regular thing, once or twice a week.

You win more than you lose, but you do lose every now and then. So you have to learn to treat your injuries before Fox can see them. His head might very well explode if he knew you were fighting for money.

But Lady Luck has never favored you, and it was only after a matter of time before the club ended up getting raided by the Corries.

Which is how Fox finds you, sitting in a holding cell with several of the other fighters, all of you several different types of beat up. You have an ice pack pressed against your eye and a split lip, and when Fox stands there and stares at you, you can't look him in the eyes.

"I...can explain?" You offer hesitantly, not actually sure you can explain.

"With me." Fox's words are clipped as he let's you out of the cell, and you trot after him.

"Are you mad?"

"No."

"Are you sure? Because you're using your 'I'm mad but I'm trying not to show it' voice."

He pushes his office door open, "In."

You slump, "Yeah, you're mad."

He slams the door shut behind you, and motions for you to sit in a chair, before he plucks the ice pack off your eye, "What the hell were you thinking?"

"I like fighting!" You blurt out, a blatant lie that he doesn't believe for a second.

"Try again."

"Uhm..." he arches a brow, and you look away, "I needed the money."

"For what? What's so important that you had to put yourself in harm's way to get money for?"

"I...stuff."

"Stuff?"

"Stuff."

"If you don't tell me the truth I'm going to assume you're cheating on me." Fox says bluntly.

"I would never!"

"So tell me."

"I...can't afford our dates."

He blinks. Twice. And then leans back slightly, "Come again?"

"I don't get paid a lot and my apartment is expensive and I can't afford your dates but you're important enough that I want to keep going on them, so...fighting."

"You...are the dumbest smart person I've ever met." Fox finally says, "Why didn't you say anything?"

You shrug, "Didn't want you to worry or whatever."

"So you made me worry more?"

"...I didn't say it was a good idea. Just the only feasible one I had."

He sighs, "I love you, but I'm so mad right now."

"Fair."

"No more cage matches. No more fighting. Promise me."

"I promise."

"We can work out something different for our dates. And next time, just talk to me. Please."

"Yeah. Yeah. Can I go home now?"

"No."

"...what?"

"You're going back to the holding cell."

"WHAT?"

"You're spending the night. You'll be released in the morning. Just like everyone else."

"I...but...Fox!"

"Thems the rules, cyare. Here's your ice pack back."

You stare at him, speechless. But he just smiles at you as he motions for Thire to return you to the holding cell.

[bluessmutifyplaylist]

(Horny Round 2!!!)

Reader is a burlesque dancer, cuz they got mouths to feed, and Old Man Lilia gives them a proposition: put on a show for him and his boys so they can learn how to best please their future lovers. Voyeurism, corruption kink, Daddy Lilia~

Characters are aged up!! I based it off of this YouTube video as well as a few pole-dancing videos.

Warnings: Reader is not Yuu, AFAB but with GN pronouns, corruption kink, voyeurism, pole dancing, strip teasing, lap dance, dry humping, foursome, penetrative (p in v) sex, corruption of the future king and his knights, jerking Sebek and Silver off, overstimulation, creampie(s), blowjob(s)

Diasomnia

There was a dancing troupe coming to the Briar Valley, and they came around annually in the summer because it gave the citizens something to look forward to. Well, it wasn’t just the dancing troupe. It was an entire fair, but the dancing was the main show. During the day, the dances were all child-friendly, and the children were even allowed to hop up on the stage sometimes to join the dancers.

However, after the clock struck 8:30 PM, the doors were closed for children, and the dancers went into their dressing rooms and brought out the more… provocative… outfits. This was a time for an adult audience, and maybe a few teenagers in the older margin who managed to sneak in somehow.

You were with your girls in the back, making sure that your red lipstick was applied pristinely. You had large feathered fans, and a rather revealing outfit that was covered up a bit with a tutu. Your fellow dancers were all hyping each other up, and you saw one of them slap another on the ass as she went on stage, saying go get ‘em, tiger! It made you laugh… until the matron of the troupe called your name.

Getting up from your seat, you walked over, fans in hand, nervous that you were going to get fired. This entire fair was your livelihood. If you were to be let go, not only would you suffer, but so would the family members you’ve been sending money to. Your heart was racing as you walked up to the matron, heels clacking against the floor.

“Y/N, someone has requested our best dancer for a large sum of money. I know the financial situation you are in and you are the first that came to mind. Plus, you are one of our finest dancers, so I am giving you the option, should you accept, to give our esteemed guests a private show.”

“Madame, I don’t mean to sound selfish or money-obsessed, but how-”

“They are offering 1 million thaumarks, and I have the check in this envelope right here,” She held up an envelope, emphasizing that this was real and not a joke. Then, she brought her arm back down, and extended it to you. “You don’t need to have sex with them, but the… leader?... of the group wanted for them to have an experience with something so informal as the fair.”

“Umm…” This was probably the biggest decision of your life. 1 million thaumarks?! There was no way that you were going to pass that up. So, you nodded your head, “Yes, I will do it.”

“Good! This is yours, then! They will be in Room 1 in about 45 minutes. Your routine should be fine, as the man said he wanted it to be ‘culturally enlightening’.” She then walked off, and you were left staring at the envelope now in your hands.

“Holy fu-”

~~~~~~~~

In the aforementioned room, 4 men were sitting, discussing the plan for the evening. Three of them had no idea what was going to happen, while the ‘leader’ was explaining everything.

“Alright, boys. As you know, this is not a children’s show. However, I wanted you to learn something about the art of burlesque dancing. It’s quite sensual, but it gives power to the performer because they have the audience in their hands just with the way they move.”

“LILIA-SAMA, I AM GRATEFUL THAT YOU HAVE GIVEN US THIS EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY, BUT I FAIL TO SEE WHY THIS WOULD BE IMPORTANT!” Sebek was immediately shushed, being told that he needed to keep the volume of his voice down.

“Well, it will teach-” Lilia was cut off by the room going dark. The thing about these rooms was that they were really smaller-scale tents behind the large one. In addition to that, the small tents had platforms in the middle of them for the dancer, along with a pole.

Spotlights came on, highlighting you and your large fans. You were wearing a bustier, corset, panties, and a tutu, and you were wearing bright red lipstick as well as elbow-length gloves. Your heels sparkled in the light. You bent down, one leg in front of the other, using one fan to cover your rear end and the other to point at your outstanding foot.

“Hello, boys~” Your voice said. Then, the music started up, and you started to dance. Sharply moving your hips up and down, making sure that your toes were always pointed so that your legs looked longer. You could feel their hungry gazes on you, and you smiled as you reached your hands behind you, going to untie the tutu.

Shimmying it down your waist, you could tell who the leader was. You know he had been at previous adult shows, as his pink hair was hard to miss. However, based on the reactions of the one with light green hair and the one with silver hair, you guessed that this was the first adult show they had been to. You were happy to be their first. As for the one with the horns, you could see that he was genuinely interested in the art as well as you.

Once it was off, you threw it like a frisbee to the man with green hair. You smiled and winked at him as his face was glowing an even brighter red. Truly, his face would put your red lipstick to shame.

You then turned to the silver-haired one and ushered him over to the stage. You turned around, making sure to bend over as much as you could, and then you asked if he could untie your corset. He nodded his head and went to untie it, struggling a little because his hands were shaking. You heard the ‘leader’ shout something.

“Let him take it off of you!”

Smiling, you looked at the man and he was also frozen in place. Did you really have that effect on men?

Whispering, you asked, “Would you like to help me take it off?” You giggled as he nodded, pulling at the strings pair by pair, and you worked on unclasping the front of it. Once it was off, you threw it to the horned man while placing a rather passionate kiss on the silver-haired man’s lips. Breaking apart, you saw that you left red lipstick on his lips, but you gently pushed him back in his seat.

Standing back up, you headed to the pole. You weren’t as advanced in pole dancing as some of your fellow dancers, but you did know how to do the basics. You grabbed the pole, pulling your body to it, slowly sliding down, placing your fans down on the ground. Once you were squatting down, you started grinding against the pole. You stood back up slowly, locking eyes with the leader, and then you sauntered over to him after picking up one of your fans.

Straddling him, you threw your arms around his neck and he placed his hands upon your hips gently, making sure you aren’t feeling pressured to do anything you don’t want to. You placed a kiss on his lips this time, making sure to rub your clothed regions against his growing boner. For him being a rather small man, you could tell that he definitely had a disproportionate size, but it just further served to arouse you.

This small group of men was different from others you have danced for. They appreciated your art, and they weren’t groping you in a way that made you uncomfortable. They allowed you to go to them first, and you loved it. You stood up, repositioning yourself in a reverse cowgirl position, and leaned back into him. He placed kisses upon the crook of your neck, and you used your fan to cover up the way you were grinding back down on him.

You can’t remember a time where you felt genuine pleasure from one of these dances, but you felt yourself growing wet as you continued your actions. You felt one of his hands slowly reach up to cup your bra-clad breast and one reach down to your panties, giving you a chance to stop him, but you didn’t. You instead tossed away your fan so that the other guys could see what was going on.

“Call me ‘Lilia’, love~” He whispered into your ear before using his fangs to bite into your neck. There was a bit of pain, but pleasure soon followed, and it wasn’t enough to draw blood anyway. Otherwise, you might have guessed he was a vampire.

“Call me ‘Y/N’,” You whispered back, letting out a gasp when he started rubbing your clit. His other hand went under your bra and he started fondling your breast, rolling your nipple between his thumb and pointer finger. You looked back at the other men and you were surprised to see them drawing closer.

“Alright, Y/N. I wanted you here because I want to teach these boys how to pleasure somebody. However, I need verbal consent,” He said louder, stopping what he was doing so that you could answer.

“You have my consent, Lilia,” Upon saying that, he immediately shoved a finger into your awaiting pussy, making you moan at the sudden intrusion. You could feel his finger curling and moving inside of you, and you simply wanted more. 

As your hips rolled to try and get more friction, you ended up rubbing more and more against his erection, making him groan. 

“So wet for me~” He snickered, looking at your little audience, “Boys, you never want to just go right ahead and stick your dick inside someone without a little bit of preparation and foreplay. After all, you want them to be aroused and participating.

That’s another thing: basic consent and participation. Depending on what you are into, all parties involved must be participating and making sure it is a pleasurable experience for those involved.

Please stand up, love.” 

You followed his orders, saddened that he took his hands out of your bra and panties. Then, you heard his belt unbuckle and his pants slide down, and you felt your underwear slide down your legs. The cold air hits your exposed regions like a block of ice, making you shudder. It didn’t go unnoticed by anybody in the tent.

“Now you may sit back down,” Lining up your entrance with the tip of his cock, he put his hands on your hips to guide you. Feeling him fill you up finally could have made you cum alone, but his size made your eyes roll back in pleasure. You tried covering your mouth to block any moans from coming out, but his hand blocked yours. “Let those pretty noises out, dearie. These boys need to learn what pleasure sounds like.”

Nodding, you put your hand back down as he started to guide you up and down on his cock. 

Oh, oh, ohhh’s enunciated each drop down, with an occasional fuckkkk. You didn’t even notice the silver and green-haired knights get close and right next to you, unbuckling their pants as well. 

“Y/N, you wouldn’t mind giving these guys a bit of the pleasure you’re feeling, would you?” You looked to see them with their dicks out, and you quickly reached out your arms and hands to start jerking them off. The horned man continued watching you all, a smirk on his face.

Up, down, up, down, up, down. Your hips went up and down on Lilia’s member, your hands went up and down on the knights’ cocks, the horned man’s eyes went up and down following you. Every single time Lilia hit that special spot inside of you, you squeezed on the dicks in your hands, making the two men groan.

The man with bright green hair had already came, and now he was just a tad sensitive. You guessed he was at least part fae based on his fangs, so his durability had to be amazing. If you were being honest, you were not far behind, and you found your climax washing over you as you slumped, but your eyes snapped open when Lilia kept thrusting up into you.

“You didn’t think I was done… did you? Neither are any of these fine gentlemen. Tell me, Y/N, where do you want me to cum?” 

“I-Inside… Please, please, please inside!” You cried, and you had felt another orgasm wash over you as he came inside of you. You were panting, feeling the warmth of his cum painting your walls white.

“I would be willing to have a turn with them, Lilia,” The horned man said, and his height intimidated you. The dick imprint that you could see against his pants intimidated you as well. However, you found yourself somehow getting aroused again, and, stumbling, you walked over to him.

With a snap of his fingers, you saw that his pants were off and folded neatly on the side. His size was unlike anything you’ve ever seen before. To be fair, it’s not like you slept around, but you have had a few flings here and there in the different places you performed. No beastmen could come close to comparing.

“I’m aware I’m… better endowed than most. If you wish, I could prepare you more-”

“That isn’t going to be necessary, sir. I think I’m ready.” You really need to think about what you say before you say it, but you just couldn’t wait to have that absolute monster inside of you. You decided that you would straddle him, cowgirl-style, so that you could work at your own pace.

However, he had other plans.

Placing his hands on your hips, he shoved you all the way down, and tears leaked from your eyes. You groaned in both pain and pleasure, burying your head in his shoulder, adjusting to his size.

“Tell me when you want to start moving.” It took a few moments, but you eventually nodded and he began moving you up and down again. Luckily, he had strength to do it for you entirely, as your legs gave up.

“Do you think you could bend backwards enough to suck this young man off?” Lilia asked. Being a dancer granted you a level of flexibility that actually allowed you to do this. You leaned back as far as you could, just to be met with the silver-haired man’s cock. 

Oh, yeah… he hasn’t cum yet, you realized. Opening your mouth, he slid the tip in. It was quite unusual to be giving a blowjob in this position, but you were always down to be a bit more adventurous in such activities. His size was the smallest in this group of men, but it still wasn’t anything to laugh at.

“Oh, fuck…” The man muttered under his breath. What you couldn’t see was that as he was thrusting into your throat slowly, there was a bit of a bulge. Your mouth was so warm. You moaned around his dick, adding even more stimulation. On your left, Lilia and the green-haired man were each stroking themselves, watching you get absolutely railed by these two men.

Earlier that day, your matron said you didn’t have to have sex with them. Lilia even told you that you could tell them to stop. However, they were both wrong. You did have to have sex with them, and you couldn’t tell them to stop. If you turned this down, you might have to have yourself committed to a mental asylum because no one in their right mind would turn down an opportunity like this.

[felassan]

This post is a follow-on to [this post].

Some more Bluesky posts by David Gaider:

David Gaider: "The Road to Summerfall - Part 3 I haven't talked a lot about the two years I spent at Beamdog (between 2016 and 2018) mainly because, well, ultimately nothing came of it. I worked on two projects, both of which ended up cancelled. Still, I think the time I spent there was ultimately worthwhile." [x]

(Rest of post is under a cut due to length.)

"After leaving BioWare, I was understandably in a bit of a funk. I talked to my friends at length about how I wanted to start a studio, but for that you really need two things: someone to handle the biz dev side, who can start the company and talk to publishers, and someone to work on the project." [x] "I was the latter, certainly, but even then my options were limited. I could put together a design, but I couldn't *make* a game on my own without engineering and art skills, and I had neither. So whatever design I made would need to be pitched to publishers, and for that I needed the biz dev person." [x] "Yet I didn't know anyone like that yet. And this really is a case where you either do or don't, because you can't just *join* a start up as a co-founder unless you know someone involved first. The only other way is by being hired as an employee. Nobody *hires* co-founders, unless you're truly lucky." [x]

"Around this time, I ran into Trent Oster at my local gym. Trent used to work at BioWare (as a co-founder, and was, at one time, one of the Project Directors on DAO) and left to found Beamdog - a small Edmonton studio which, at that time, had mostly done re-makes of BioWare's Infinity Engine games." [x] "He told me Beamdog was starting to do their own projects. They were finishing Siege of Dragonspear, an expansion for BG1, but more importantly were also up to something else: a sequel to Planescape: Torment, for which they had Chris Avellone on board as a consultant. Now THAT caught my interest." [x] "After all, making a sequel to one of the most beloved Infinity Engine titles? In the Planescape setting, which I adored, and which gave license to break all the "standard" rules of CRPG's? Yes, please! Under that premise, I warily agreed - and by March of 2016 I was Beamdog's new Creative Director." [x]

"Initially, I was diverted onto doing a treatment for a possible BG3 - which I did, but we quickly learned that Wizards of the Coast (WotC) had already passed this onto a triple-A developer. We *suspected* this was Larian, and at that point: fair enough! There was no way Beamdog could match that!" [x] "Thus, I spent the next year training a pair of brilliant young writers and (with Chris Avellone's help) put together a plan for what ended up being called Planescape: Unraveled, where you played one of three aspects of Ravel Puzzlewell racing against time to solve the mystery of your own existence." [x] "I was proud of this one, let me tell you. It was sharp, it had great NPC's, WotC was so excited about it they were willing to move up their plans for 3rd edition Planescape and include some of the characters and seismic events from the game in the setting reboot. We were ready to start writing!" [x]

"The problem? Funding. WotC wasn't in a place to do more than give a stamp of approval, and the publishers we met... well, Trent knows more than I do, but I think there was a perception that Planescape wasn't very successful or commercial. Or maybe they just didn't have confidence in Beamdog, or me." [x] "Whatever the problem, we couldn't sell it... and by the end of 2016, we had to put Planescape: Unraveled on the shelf and start something new. Which killed me, and I almost moved on right then, but then Trent gave me license to move onto a pet project of mine: a game which became Cold West." [x] "See, I had a long-standing itch to make something Weird West. I'd pitched an idea for an Old West exorcist game to Bio back in the day (to blank stares and "thanks for the pitch"), but here I had the chance to actually develop it into something? OK, yes. For that, I'll keep going. And I did." [x]

"Thus, we made a game that took place in Alberta (the Canadian province where Edmonton is) in 1881, but with demons and magic and dark fae. It gave me a chance to do history research about Canada's Old West period and especially its aboriginal history, something home-grown, and it felt REALLY cool." [x] "Even with a great playable prototype showing off the turn-based combat, however: we couldn't sell it. Weird West isn't a popular genre, I suppose, but whatever the problem was once again the publishers Beamdog spoke to all passed. Once again, we were all ready to start writing and had to shelve it." [x] "I was gutted. Two cancellations in a row? I always had the feeling Trent didn't think either of these games had much commercial appeal, but - to his credit - he let them happen. Now, however, it was time to make something more conventionally commercial. Time for Beamdog, perhaps, but not for me." [x] "I would have left by this point anyhow, I think, but it just so happened I'd recently made a friend who was maybe that very biz dev-oriented person one needed to start a studio... and who wanted to do just that. So, as I left Beamdog at the start of 2018, this time it was with a plan. Maybe. 😅" [x]

[original thread, following thread, latest thread]

Follow-up and other recent Q&A Bluesky posts:

Mike Laidlaw: "Dave’s making me blush in [this thread]. Happy memories working together even if the entire writing team would wince every time I walked in their room and said, “Soooo…..” and clapped-clasped my hands. It was and still is my “bad news is a-comin’” tell." [x] David Gaider: "I still tell tales to the youngins about your "So!" power move and the sheer terror it would inspire in me each and every time. 😅" [x] "And the grin. The grin that contained a self-awareness of the pain he was about to inflict, and which he took no personal joy in, but By God it was going to happen anyhow." [x]

DG: "While I was at BioWare, EA *always* preferred Mass Effect, straight up Their Marketing team liked it more. It was modern. It had action. They never quite knew what to do with DA, and whenever DA outperformed ME, ME got the excuses. If you ask me, it was always just shy of the axe since DA Origins." [x] Allan Schumacher: "I felt this percolated down to people in studio as well. ME was the prestige franchise, while DA was the plucky one that was too wild west and had low standards." [x] DG: "It was kind of hard to get away from the feeling that the Dragon Age team was BioWare's "B team", wasn't it? Even when Mass Effect didn't do as well as Dragon Age, there was a kind of certainty that this was a fluke and Mass Effect ultimately had more *potential*." [x]

User: "I've always wondered how close Beamdog got to doing BG3 and if there was anything planned in advance before it ended up with Larian." DG: "I answered this in the latest thread. Beamdog made a pitch for a BG3, but it was already in Larian's hands by that point. So never more than a pitch." [x]

[original thread, following thread, latest thread]

[the-tmnt-ficfinder]

🌟Profile Pic Art Contest🌟

Hello, and welcome!! Today is May 6th, the first day of the yearly PFP Art Contest, and also my 21st birthday!! To celebrate, I'm going to be hoisting an art contest with prizes to the winners!!

What is the PFP Art Contest?

The Profile Pic Art Contest, or the PFP Contest is an event where all you wonderful TMNT artists get the chance to draw me a new profile pic, and win prizes!! The winning art piece will be my new PFP for the full year until the next PFP Contest!

The PFP Contest will run from May 6th, through June 6th, and on June 7th, I'll announce the winner!!

How does this work, and how to participate?

A week ago, I had you all vote in a poll, deciding which turtle you'd all prefer. And this years winner is Donatello!!

From the start of the contest, to the end, you'll post your art, and tag me so I can reblog it, kind of like how a DTIYS works.

As this year's turtle is Donatello, that's who you'll all be drawing. The theme for this contest is reading, (as this blog is a fanfic blog) meaning, the turtle you choose to draw, from any of the three iterations (Rottmnt, TMNT 2012, & Mutant Mayhem/Tottmnt) MUST be reading!!!!

To participate, you don't need to follow me, or know me, or even have ever interacted with my blog. You simply have to follow the rules, draw a turtle reading, and tag me!! Everyone is welcome, and anyone can win!!

🌟The Prizes for the Winners!!🌟

1st Place: Your artwork will be used as my new PFP for the rest of the year (with credit of course ^^). You get one free beta read reserved for one chapter of a TMNT fanfiction you're writing!! If you are unsure what a beta read is, please check this post for details. Lastly, you get one fic of your choice added to the Fanfic List Masterpost ahead of all the fics in my inbox!!

2nd Place: You get one free proof read reserved for one chapter of a TMNT fanfiction you're writing!! If you are unsure what a proof read is, please check this post for details. Lastly, you get one fic of your choice added to the Fanfic List Masterpost ahead of all the fics in my inbox!!

3rd Place: You get one fic of your choice added to the Fanfic List Masterpost ahead of all the fics in my inbox!!

Please note, if you aren't a writer, and you have no chapters to use your free beta/proof reads on, you can gift this to your favorite author!!

All artists who participated will have their artwork featured in a special thanks post, with full credit, at the end of the event!!

Rules, and further details under the cut ^^

What are the rules?

You can only draw Donatello for this years contest. Doesn't matter the iteration (Rottmnt, TMNT 2012, or Mutant Mayhem/Tottmnt). And he must be drawn reading!! Doesn't matter what; a comic, a book, on the phone, but he HAS to be reading. This is a fanfic blog after all!!

2. Artwork MUST be square!! Otherwise I can't use it!! Size doesn't matter as much, as tumblr seems to let me use any image I'd like. But it has to be square.

3. Has to be a canon iteration turtle. No fan iterations. As much as I'd love that, lets keep it to only canon to keep it fair. Future turtles, and design headcanons are allowed though!!

4. You may submit up to three pieces!! One per iteration!

5. No NSFW, no suggestive art, and no T-cest!!

6. No AI art, EVER. That will get you banned from not just the contest, but from my blog. We love and respect hardworking artists here!! <3

7. No mean or rude behavior to other artists <3

8. Art can be from any dynamic, any color palette, any setting. Have fun, and really explore your creative options!!

9. No romantic pieces please.

What I'm looking for in art

Fully finished pieces, i.e. fully rendered, or fully colored in.

Single turtle, not multiples.

Any media of art!! Traditional, digital, I love it all! <3

Any age of turtle. Tots, teens, future turtles, they're all welcome!

Any lighting, or setting. Have fun!!

Creativity!!

Backgrounds are encouraged!! Doesn't matter the type ^^

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Everyone is encouraged to participate!! And I mean, EVERYONE!! So go ahead, share, reblog, and tag friends!!

If any of you have questions, please ask them down below in the comments so if any others are curious and/or have the same questions, they'll be able to see the answers.

For reference, this is my current PFP ^^

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

I look forwards to seeing what kinds of beautiful and stunning art you all create!! <3<3<3

[film-in-my-soul]

The Face of Hextech | 1,957 | AppleSharon / @applesharonfiction

Summary: Jayce likes serving Viktor’s sweetmilk in the Man of Progress mug because sometimes Viktor looks down at the picture and laughs. He makes it a point to ensure that Viktor’s brown mug becomes a holder for pens, pencils, his compass, and other assorted stationary. It’s unfair that Viktor doesn’t have a mug, Jayce thinks. It’s unfair that people don’t recognize Viktor for the brilliant person he is. After receiving a mug with his face on it at their hexgate celebration party, Jayce wants to make sure that Viktor receives the recognition he deserves. Based on this art commissioned by the LoL Germany account where Jayce drew Viktor's face on a mug.

your heart was on fire bright | 4,667 | adoctoraday / @crownofstardustandbone

Summary: It's just Sunday dinner, it shouldn't be this hard for Jayce to open his mouth and ask Viktor to come, but somehow it feels even scarier than it'd been to stand before the Council and risk banishment.

Your Past is Always Close Behind | 7,442 | Miikado

Summary: After his time in the wastelands of Piltover, Jayce is thrown back further in the past then he intended, and finds himself standing in front of a version of his partner, before they invented Hextech. Maybe he has more options than he'd thought. And maybe, just maybe, he can allow himself to be cared for, for once. “There will be time for questions later… Come.” Viktor holds out a hand, helping the other man to his feet with some difficulty. “You need a bath.”

High Hawk Season | 9,959 | JeanLuciferGohard / @thefaustaesthetic

Summary: Three weeks, and the south-facing side of his apartment is still missing, and they won’t even let him sleep there with a tarp tacked over it, because the ‘structure of the building was compromised’ and it’s ‘not fit for habitation’, as if student housing, even student housing on the Kiramann’s dime, ever had any claim on habitability in the fucking first place. “I've been sleeping at the lab, Viktor.” (which he probably would’ve done anyway, but it’s matter of principle–it’s–okay, it’s fundamental question of free will and fair housing practices and not having to live with his mother, who publicly called him a lunatic) Sometimes, you are a genius, and a sizable explosion knocks out most of your living space, and you end up living with your research partner, and it's only weird if you make it weird.

(see more recommendations below!)

Another Bite for Our Hextech Dream | 12,969 | virtualbugs

Summary: “Have you eaten recently?” It seemed to catch Viktor by surprise. The man paused, his eyes getting glazed over for a moment as the gears in his head started turning again and he thought about the question. “I, uh, cannot recall.” Viktor had been getting thinner and more exhausted throughout the years, replacing basic human needs with magic and metal. Jayce couldn't help but get worried.

All that I am | 20,441 | FatherBroken / @fatherbroken

Summary: The distant look in the Mage’s eyes snapped to the gap of the roof, to the near-silent tuttering of other, watchful machines down below. “No, it doesn’t matter. You will be safe up here. It should be simple enough, to lay protective wards into the earth of the tower. I won’t let anything happen to you,” he vowed. Promises held no impetus in this world, where nothing happened, nothing changed. The Machine reset its position on its knees and replaced its hands on the weapon of a fallen era. I can’t stop you from making useless promises, can I? Somehow, without doing anything, the Machine had gained a visitor and protector.

Observational Studies | 7,573 | begaydocrimes10001

Summary: It is difficult to understand a person like Viktor. He is the smartest person Jayce knows, that's for certain, but it's difficult to say anything for certain beyond that. He's proud of his work, but he outright rejects any opportunities to brag about his work at galas. He's cold and sharp when he interacts with people, but he makes time to think about every child in the Undercity. He's mesmerizing, but he's also the guy who will whack Jayce in the shins if Jayce makes one more wrong remark about an equation. Jayce can't help but fall for him. (A collection of moments where Jayce learned more about Viktor as a person. It is hard not to observe someone as unique as Viktor; it is harder not to fall in love with him.)

Run It Back | 11,224 | spqr

Summary: The first thing Jayce sees when he wakes up is Viktor, frowning at him. “Jayce,” Viktor says, with that same cautious patience he gets when he wanders into the lab to find some contraption of Jayce’s half-built on the table and he doesn’t know whether he can touch it without running the risk of blowing himself up. “What did you do?” (or: Jayce builds a time loop after the council attack, and Viktor dies again. and again and again and again.)

Better Hypothetical | 15,186 | Miikado

Summary: Jayce Talis joins the Piltover Academy to work on his research, and meets his new lab partner. It’s all downhill from there. OR : Jayce and Viktor start working together under different circumstances, the struggles of getting along and the inevitability of finding each other

Ivory Tower | 30,051 | aban_asaara / @aban-asaara

Summary: Knowing that Viktor’s dying anyway should’ve made it easier, but it doesn’t. They should’ve had their entire lives spread out in front of them. Should’ve kept changing the world one eureka at a time. Should’ve returned the favour and made Viktor’s dream a reality. Helped him. Helped Zaun. Jayce waits. And waits. And waits. Following Jinx’s attack on the Council, Viktor slips into a strange, unnatural coma. It falls to Jayce to release him.

Imagine Being Loved By Me | 8,285 | FourOddApples / @fouroddapples

Summary: “If I didn’t know any better I would think you are trying to make me blush.” Behind Viktor’s ostensibly joking tone, their eyes meet again, and Jayce’s throat goes a little dry at the focused intensity of them. Alright. This…is admittedly not quite the direction he was originally planning to take this. Doesn’t mean he’s not willing to take a chance like this if it is offered to him so freely. “Is it working?” Or: Jayce, a young man from Zaun with no prospects and a scientifically inclined mind, decides to take his future into his own hands. In a stolen academy uniform at a party, he meets a Councillor’s son named Viktor who makes him question what he thought he knew about topsiders—and who is just overall very distracting.

the only living boy in piltover | 11,215 | weatheredlaw / @weatheredlaw

Summary: There is a beautiful stranger sitting on Jayce’s favorite bench. or: jayce and viktor meet. time passes and it doesn't. not everything is as it seems.

And It's Called Black Magic | 12,068 | beta_mackerel

Summary: Hogwart's potions master Viktor could never have expected this. How was he supposed to know that Jayce Talis, genius, golden boy extraordinaire, and fellow professor would be foolish enough to eat the love potion-filled chocolates he'd confiscated from a student? But he can fix this. All he has to do is slip Jayce the antidote without him knowing and forget about the love-sick puppy looks he's been giving him all day. It should be fine. Right?

High-Viscosity | 12,629 | capyshota

Summary: Jayce knows having a plumber over is like… the sex cliche, but he’s never even thought about fucking a client, let alone actually done it. His job isn’t sexy, it’s dirty, and kind of boring, and those things don’t usually spur hot fantasies for him. But smartly dressed older men with indiscernible European accents, he’s come to realize, definitely do.

maximum capacity | 14,537 | Sinister_Queer

Summary: Jayce is everything Viktor ever wished for in a partner: intelligent, kind, strong, handsome and — … well, he has everything Viktor ever hoped for and he fully intends to enjoy it to the fullest. (AKA the fic where Viktor is a size king and Jayce happily indulges.)

singular focus | 14,797 | Sinister_Queer

Summary: Jayce has always back-burnered relationships in favor of chasing his dreams - putting the possibility of love and connection aside again and again until the day he looks up from his work and realizes with sudden clarity that he is a 30 year old virgin. And Viktor has some thoughts on how to fix that. (AKA: the virgin!Jayce fic that needed to be purged from my mind like an exorcism.)

Your Hands on My Body | 15,274 | UndercityViktor / @undercityviktor

Summary: *Viktor voice* "I present to you...": A Modern AU with Jayce working as a physio and sports massage therapist after crashing out of medical school, and Viktor, who works at the university and researches and builds bionic prosthetics etc. After he is referred to Jayce for a sports massage, Viktor unwillingly goes and finds that it’s not as much hokum as he was expecting… Chill Modern AU where everyone is pretty happy, and no one gets hurt and there's no big drama, just found family taking care of each other. *Rating has gone up from Teen to Explicit, so please be mindful of that.*

the 7 years between (and a bit of the after) | 16,440 | yellow813

Summary: Jayce falls in love with Viktor in the small moments tucked within those seven years together. He doesn't realize until it's too late. Or; The events of Arcane told through Jayce's eyes.

And They Were Roommates | 18,252 | Neibba

Summary: “That is just how Jayce is, Sky.” Viktor argued. “There is nothing about him that even hints he is anything other than straight. He brought home literal Barbie last night, she did the walk of shame out of our apartment this morning.” “Well I said he was queer not that he had bad taste.” Sky mused and Viktor shot her another glare. “Viktor, when am I ever wrong? You don’t even need to answer that because the answer is never and you know it.” Or: Viktor is helplessly in love with Jayce, but Jayce is straight…or is he? This is just supposed to be a quick, short project to get the creative juices flowing. It is not supposed to exceed 20k words! We’ll see if I hold myself to that.

I've Been Thinking of All the Little Things That You've Been Missing | 19,664 | FourOddApples / @fouroddapples

Summary: “Just a note. If someone is in love with you and you don’t want them, the kind fucking thing to do is to let them go.” Or: Viktor takes a chance that Jayce doesn’t know what to do with. Things are different after that, and slowly but surely Jayce begins to second-guess his response.

advanced practical physics (the laws of attraction apply) | 26,045 | Sinister_Queer

Summary: Jayce has five months left until he finishes his undergraduate degree. Five months until he could start his real life, until he could start doing what he wanted. The only thing standing in his way is one group project and the partner he'd slept with two nights ago. (Jayce and Viktor have a one night stand, then end up as group project buddies.)

Bad Machinery | 27,239 | Tlon / @tlonista

Summary: It's as predictable as the laws of physics: a Piltover golden boy should despise a starving inventor from the undercity. But when Viktor's tipped off to a scholar buying strange materials in the Lanes, he's desperate enough to sneak topside and propose a deal. He's not expecting to break every rule he's learned to live by for a man who needs him just as much. Or, the Arcane Act 1 AU where Viktor never left the undercity, but he found Jayce anyway.

Blog Info ☆ 2025 Reclists ☆ 2024 Reclists

[theother-victoria]

LOVE IS CONCOCTED FROM ESTERS AND KETONES- CH. 00: PROLOGUE

NOTES: I hope this chapter gives you an idea of the setting and what's to come!

TAGLIST: @tragedy-of-commons, @mitsvriii, @harque, @nariism, @vxnuslogy, @akutasoda , @flowery-jazz , @gabile18 , @khoncore

Somewhere within the heart of the universe lies a perfumery on an unremarkable planet, its simplicity belittling its fame. From its exterior, it looks like any other shop on the street. Simple, with a cute sign and clean exterior. They’re closed on Mondays but for the rest of the week, they open at ten am on the weekdays and close at six pm with extended hours on the weekends. 

The inside, however, tells a different story. It’s far more spacious than the outside would lead one to believe. The poor, overworked air purifiers can be heard running 24/7 to prevent the air from becoming suffocating. The shelves go as far back as the eye can see and are stocked with bottles of different colors, sizes, and designs- each of them hefty and works of art in their own right. Each of them have different scent profiles and all of them are handcrafted by the enigmatic owner who formulates and tests each scent in the lab located behind the shop. 

… The test subjects just happen to be the two shop assistants who are more than happy to be their boss’ guinea pigs. 

The shop itself is split into three sections- male, female, and unisex. Perfumes are arranged based on the fragrance family- fresh, floral, woodsy- before being further arranged by notes- green, fruity, gourmand- since people often walk in wanting to smell like a specific note, which the owner and shop assistants are happy to work with. However, there’s a rumor that you’ll get the best results when you come in with an idea, a concept, in mind. 

“I want to smell like worn, old, musty jewelry that’s probably tangled.” There’s a scent for that.

“Do you have anything that smells like a day at the fair as a kid?” Yes, there is.

“How about a warm rock?” Second display case in the unisex section, fifth shelf down, third bottle from the left, the green one. 

There’s also the option to get a custom-made fragrance, although it’ll carry a heftier price tag than the already-pricy wares. But for many, it’s a small price to pay for something that’s uniquely personal to them. 

All of this has led to celebrities, politicians, and other rich and famous people from across the galaxy to flock to this store, which has been the biggest reason for the store’s meteoric rise to fame. It started off as the name being shared among circles and it gradually rippled out from there until it reached the level of renown it has today. Celebrities often quote a bottle from the store as their signature and/or favorite scent in interviews and the paparazzi always snap a bunch of photos whenever a particularly high-profile person leaves the store with a bag in hand. 

Rumor has it that the advertising benefits for the shop are top-tier too, which is why they practically jump at the chance to promote the newest scents. 

But while the shop’s fame is undeniable, there isn’t much known about the owner. They’ve dodged the media’s questions ever since the shop’s popularity exploded and even the two assistants don’t know much besides what’s publicly available. It seems as if they intend for things to stay that way as well. 

Not only do you want to keep your secrets close, but you also want to preserve that sense of monotony that comes with running a business for as long you have. Wake up, get ready, open the store for business, and handle the various customers that come into the shop until closing.

But unbeknownst to you, there’s a wave of new customers coming, each with their peculiarities that you’ve never quite had to deal with before, and they’re interested in more than just your wares.

Keeping your inventory stocked and your heart guarded is your modus operandi for running your business. But between running your business, staying on top of orders, and dealing with these new customers… this may be a difficult task to follow for the foreseeable future. 

the taglist is open for this series and the rest of my works!

@ theother-victoria, do not copy, repost, modify, translate, or feed to ai

[zvtara-was-never-canon]

Oh okay, thank you for clarifying! I have seen quite a few polls on tumblr and on ATLA’s youtube page going hard Kataang over Zutara, that’s why I was asking. I think the best example is the one made by @hundredyearavatar here on Tumblr. Someone had a very interesting take in the comments though, saying that when the show aired the kids liked Kataang better, but the teens with online access preferred Zutara. Now, those kids grew up and everyone is on the internet, so this is why Kataang is more popular nowadays. It’s relatively hard to find a poll online where Zutara is far ahead of Kataang, I’ve seen most either at 50/50 or with a clear Kataang preference. If you judge by fan art and fanfics however, yea, there’s way more zutara stuff out there, but again, that tends to happen with non-canon ships. Ships that could have been tend to get more fan attention and stand out for people not familiar with the show, I agree with that, but I’m not sure if you downright were to ask people they’d mostly say Zutara is their favourite over Kataang. Does that make sense?

Polls are not an accurate reading of how an entire fandom feels, it's just impossible to make everyone not only see it, but also vote it (especially in polls that only have Kataang OR Zutara as an option, without "both" or "neither" as that excludes some nuance).

Polls are, at most, a way to tell in which corner of the fandom you found yourself in. If I, an anti-zutara blog, whose posts tend to be seen/shared almost exclusively by people who have some issue with the ship/shippers, were to make a poll asking people if they liked Zutara the winning answer would obviously be " HELL NO!" If a zutara blog, whose posts are seen/shared mostly by zutara fans, asks the exact same question the winning answer will obviously be "HELL YES!"

The official Nickelodeon accounts tend to have pro-canon results because they (mostly) post about canon content. People who wouldn't change that much about ATLA are their target audience, aka the ones voting. You'll find the zutara fandom in spaces like change.org, making petitions to make the ship happen in the Netflix version.

That being said, I don't think think it's fair to dismiss Zutara's popularity in places like AO3 or FF.NET (or especially in pre-internet era fandom) as being a natural consequence of it being "the non-canon option." There are tons of fandoms where the canon pairings are highly popular and have tons of fan works, even if the story shows us all the "main" things that happen in a romance (first meeting, moment they realize/admit their feelings, first kiss, first time, wedding, having kids, etc). Not to mention, Zutara is not the only non-canon ship in Avatar, so it having been THE most popular for over a decade, and still being super popular today, to the point that it is one of the things even people who never watched Avatar know about, cannot simply be explained away with "people gonna write what the show didn't give them."

I also don't think "Kataang kids got internet now" explains why it became more popular/zutara isn't treated as untouchable anymore. The internet wasn't as wide-spread in the mid 2000s but it did exist, and both ships had fans who were kids, teens and adults. I think this change happened because of three things:

1 - People change their minds sometimes, especially if they watch the same stuff over and over through the years.

2 - The zutara fandom got way too smug about being popular and way too bitter about not being canon, to the point of harrassing others over it, and thus people that were previously indifferent to the ship (or actually liked it, but weren't die-hard stans) grew to dislike it. I used to not care for either Kataang or Zutara, but seeing one fandom be mostly reasonable in their arguments in favor of their favorite pairing while the other was super entitled made me look at both differently.

3 - A LOT of the people in the fandom right now weren't fans back when it first aired (some having not even been ALIVE), but had already heard about Zutara: and watched the show expecting it to be an actual romantic possibility that was taken seriously and got lots of screentime, but simply ended up not being canon at the very last second due to executive meddling. Instead they saw Kataang being set up from the start, Maiko being set up since season two, both having big roles in the story... while Zutara had a few fanservice-y moments. They went in expecting a love triangle in which they'd have to decide if "Katara made the right choice" only to discover she never even CONSIDERED dating Zuko - who also never thought of her like that either. It was a pure "THAT'S IT? IT WAS A PURE FANON THING? THAT'S ALL THERE WAS TO IT?" Expectation is the mother of disappointment.

[lazydaisyhuntlow]

TOH Meta: Hexside analysis (size, schedule, clubs, staff roster)

We spend a lot of time at Hexside School of Magic and Demonics throughout the course of the series, but some things are never really explained. For my own reference, I'm compiling as much canon information here as I can about Hexside and the people who work there (plus a couple headcanons).

1. How many students attend Hexside?

In the show, most track-specific class sizes range from 3-4 students. For example, this Abominations 101 class from season one has 4 students, with seating space for 12 max.

However, I have reason to believe that this is not all the Abominations students! There are probably other classes for advanced students that meet later in the day (more on that in the Scheduling section below).

Let's say there's a (generous) average of 8-12 students per track. Multiply that by 9 tracks and we get 72-108 students, plus 8 in the baby class, for a total of about 80-116 students total.

The all-school assembly in Labyrinth Runners seems about that size.

Yep, around 100 students. Hexside is quite small!

Based on the visible school uniforms in season 2 episode Them's the Breaks, Kid, there are at least six magic schools on the Isles: Hexside, Glandus, St. Epiderm, and three others we don't have much information about.

I don't think we can accurately speculate school sizes from this one event, but for reference, Eda was the only representative from Hexside at the IFWOT that year. Glandus sent two students, and St. Epiderm sent five (including Raine Whispers and Gilbert Park, Willow's dad!), so those schools may be slightly bigger than Hexside.

2. What is the schedule like?

Upon Luz' arrival, Bump gives her a schedule for the day with 6 different potions classes. I know this is meant to be a joke but I'm accepting that Hexside has a 6-block schedule where classes gradually increase in difficulty (hopefully with a lunch break in there somewhere!!) and that electives (club meetings, free periods, or any non-track-specific class like history/math/PE) are less frequent.

Gus mentions 'moving up a few grades', but since it's essentially a tiny K-12 school and the options at Luz' entrance exam are A) the baby class or B) the not-baby class... I think it's more likely the students are separated by level/ability, not strictly by age, and that Gus was moved up to the illusions track a few years earlier than expected. Or maybe there's a middle-school equivalent between the baby class and the track system that focuses on basics (like reading and runes), and we've just never seen it?

My headcanon is that the morning (periods 1-3) is for the beginner-level track classes. During this time, older students go to their electives like PE, history, math, language, or maybe even apprenticeships. In the afternoon (periods 4-6), they switch: track professors do advanced classes with the older students, while the younger ones go to their electives. Basing this on S1E9, where the older illusion students are taking some kind of practical exam in the Illusions Homeroom, but Gus is scheduled to be in a different, non-illusions class for that block (which he ditches to go to the Human Appreciation Society meeting).

But even if this is not the case, with such small classes, it would be easy to differentiate to multiple levels and give each student lots of one-on-one attention.

3. What clubs are there?

From the club fair in Any Sport in a Storm, we know that Hexside has a lot of student clubs, including:

Grudgby, Flyer Derby, The Good Witch Azura book club, Swimming, Hexas Hold'em, Screech and Debate, Fear Book, Drama, Gardening, Arts & Witchcrafts, Grom Decorating Committee, Skullpting, Casket Weaving, Brews n' Stews, Inner Demons, Scrying Committee, and Psychics.

There is a school newspaper called the Hexside Free Press.

Gus is the president of the Human Appreciation Society (not to be confused with the roleplaying Human Fantasy Club down the hall).

4. Who are the teachers?

Principal Hieronymus Bump

Attended Hexside as an abominations student (and played flyer derby!), joined the abominations coven, and came back to work as the abominations teacher while Eda and Lilith were students. He was promoted to Principal sometime after that. Firm, fair, open-minded, will defend his students from threats. Retires during the timeskip. As principal, he has the power to approve track switching and multi-track study, though he seems at least somewhat beholden to the whims of the Parent Creature Association (PCA) and has to play nice with the Emperor's Coven to get enough funding for the school.

This confirms that Hexside is a public school, or at least mostly state-funded, as opposed to St. Epiderm which is implied to be a private school (Raine mentions high tuition and scholarships in S2).

Professor Hermonculus - Abominations Track

Critical, strict, petty. Punishes his students with extra homework and pits them against one another with that dumb "TOP STUDENT" badge. Holds a grudge against Willow for changing to the plant track and even sends Amity to the principal's office for misbehavior. Very passionate about flyer derby.

Unnamed purple triclops demon - Illusions Track. My headcanon name: Professor Houdine

Stylish, caring, protective of her students -- in Labyrinth Runners her priority was to get Gus away from the Coven Scouts, and she was willing to trade Hunter back to Belos to accomplish that goal (though she probably didn't know or care what would happen to him). Seems to do a lot of assessments; encourages creativity and humor in her students. She becomes the new principal after Bump's retirement.

Unnamed spider demon - kindergarten/baby class. My headcanon name: Cera Fangston

Super cute!! I love her design and she appears to be a genuinely good teacher. Plushies, books, and art supplies all over the classroom, field trips to the astral planes... I hope she was okay after the day of unity because the kids descended into madness without her.

Unnamed parrot (?) demon - Potions Track. My headcanon name: Professor Sinder

Put a pun ("Let's mix it up!") and little doodles of potions flasks on her board, which I appreciate. Spends a lot of time with Boscha and appears to do nothing about her bullying other students, which I do not appreciate.

Unnamed bicorn - Oracle Track. My headcanon name: Professor Claire Lydgate

Serious, mysterious, detail-oriented. Cool aesthetic, but... let's be honest. That is WAY too many chalkboards. I can see why she has to keep her crystal balls in the hallway! Also, the oracle track's whole thing is ghosts, but I guess she ignored the decades-old ghost infestation in the girls' changing room and left it for other people to clean up?

Yeah. So she's either not very powerful or not very considerate of others. Maybe she's the one who keeps eating all the donuts in the staff room.

Unnamed snake (?) demon - History, math (?) My headcanon name: Professor Ladon

He doesn't like chatting in his classroom, but he sure LOVES grudgby! He teaches History and something about the Heximal System, so that's possibly a lower-level math class? His classes appear to be larger and include students from many different tracks.

Unnamed gray demon - detention track (temporary). My headcanon name: Mr. Eyevan Urgus

Sarcastic, uses his scroll a lot, punishes students with cleaning the classroom, can sleep through anything. Was only supposed to be in charge of detention track temporarily while the detention pit was being repaired, but he stuck around in the background til the end of season 2 so I guess they found something for him to do. Maybe he's a substitute? Also a contender for the donut thief.

Unnamed blue demon with wig - Bard Track (?) My headcanon name: Professor Presto

This guy appears in the background in Labyrinth Runners. I'm guessing he's the bard professor because... uhh... his robe is red (the Bard coven color) and the powdered wig reminds me of Mozart. I know that's kind of a stretch, but it's possible! The only other thing we know about the Bard professor is that they leave during the timeskip so Skara can take over.

Skara's 15th birthday happens in season 1, so she's about 19 here and probably a first-year teacher.

Miss Jenkinmeyer (no image) - possibly a staff member while Eda was attending Hexside. There was an incident involving her teeth which wound up in Eda's permanent file. The incident report, that is. Not the teeth.

Hexside Guards (temporary security guards) - can literally smell trouble. They were supposed to be protecting students, but they ended up throwing a lot of people into the detention pit.

That brings us to the end of all the canon staff members. Who is missing? We have no information on professors for the Healing, Plant, Beastkeeping, and Construction tracks, plus the PE teacher/athletic program director and any additional cafeteria/janitorial/admin staff.

I don't know if it's fair to make the snake-demon guy handle all the electives for every single student, so let's give him some help. One more electives teacher for "Spelling Class" (possibly language arts?). Heck, I'll throw in Astronomy as well because the movements of celestial bodies appear to be very important for casting powerful spells in the show.

Also... Hexside has a drama program and a championship sports program, both with VERY nice facilities.

They definitely need teachers to oversee those. Maybe the Bard and Illusions professors team up for drama, and the gym teacher is also the Grudgby coach?

5. What about the building itself?

There's a lot going on! Aside from all the classrooms, they have a cafeteria, a detention pit with tunnels under the school, a gym, an auditorium, an outdoor athletics field, Grom's prison under the gym, and this cool round atrium near the entrance.

There are multiple floors, but I don't remember seeing stairs anywhere except for the seating in the gym.

The abominations students have to wheel their homework everywhere anyway, so maybe there are no stairs and it's all spiraling ramps?

Yay for accessibility!

Lastly, Eda's Secret Room of Shortcuts. It's one of the coolest concepts in the whole show, I wish we got to see it more.

To anyone who made it this far, thank you for reading! Let me know if I should add anything :)

[vintagerpg]

So, for a long time, Midnight Rogue (1987) was my favorite Fighting Fantasy book. I like thieves. This book is about an elaborate test of thieving skills to gain entrance into Blacksands’ thieves guild, by stealing a massive gem. You get thieving skills in addition to the regular FF rules (you only get three, though, so make sure one of them is lockpicking or you’re going to be frustrated). Then you go about the city, shaking people down for clues and generally being a menace to polite society. Stu circa 1990 ate this up.

2023 Stu, fresh off a recent re-read, is a little grumbly. Those things above are true, but here are some more facts. The whole thing is shockingly linear. Like, nearly straight as an arrow if you’re not picking the daftest options. There are also a fair number of errors in the book, which is not a thing I usually notice or care overmuch about with gamebooks, which means these must be rather glaring. And the ending, dear god, talk about a St. Elsewhere level betrayal of a twist. I legit did not remember this from back in the day, to the point I genuinely wonder if I ever finished the damn book as a kid. All the aggravating things about this book smack harder because the core concept is such a good one, and for the most part the book carries it off. Perfection was so close!

Ah, but this is why you should sometimes be content to experience a thing once. At the very least, I got to appreciate the John Sibbick art with newly adoring eyes, now that I have a better understanding of his place in the UK fantasy art traditions. Cover and interiors are both him. I particularly like the first-person views of thieving maneuvers going wrong. Fun stuff.

[pinkprettycure]

do you have any otome/dating sim recs? aside from diamond heart of course ^_^

for otome dating sims (like stat raisers) Tokimeki memorial girl's side has fan translations for the DS versions of the games and the PSP version of GS3 (which is what I play, it's an improved version with more content <3) you can play all of those on a mobile device with an emulater as well, PPSSPP the psp emulator runs on android n_n

for other games that have official eng releases for dating sims i sent my friend a lot of them before so I'm copying my list from there lol:

Also I recommend checking out the English Otome Games account that is still very actively documenting and sharing all these games

PAID SIM GAMES:

Backstage Pass THE GOAT fr fr there IS one female LI in this btw!

Dandelion Wishes Brought to You, from the same people who made Mystic Messenger, this was an ealier game i liked it!

Lucky Rabbit Reflex, okay i love this one but a lot of ppl are turned off by the art but it has a great cast and its very funny, but the setting is europe so watch out! also fair warning it IS older it was released n 2011! so it 1. has really low resolution and 2. tacky tasteless dialogue... i remember the r slur is used in it u.u.

MAGICAL DIARY THE GOAT dude, it takes place in a magic school so if you like witch magical girls this one is for you, There's also a boy MC version that came outlater, Wolf Hall. also has female LI options

Paid visual novel otomes!

These ones are regular VNs like MWDH but unlike MWDH shouldnt have much emphasis on stat raising at all.

Amnesia Memories: This was really fun for me I liked the mystery and Kent is my love of my life lol

Band Camp Boyfriend: okay i havent finished this one but it looks really fun and cute so there

Chronotopia Second Skin: this one's based on a variation of Cinderella and has a black cast and female LI options!

Date Warp: man i fucking loved this one it had a fun mystery

Heart Fragment: one i've been keeping an eye on, it's also technically "in progress" but it's doing an episodic DLC model with very affordable DLC tis also has female LI options

With Eyes of Ice: this one is a linear VN with only one LI, and it's meant to be pretty depressing haha, but ebi-hime markets it as an otome/adjacent game and I really like her prose and I loved what I read so far

FREE SIM GAMES!

RE: Alistair is super old but a goodie and a classic for indie otome fans i think n_n Backstage Pass is a spiritual successor to this!

Christmas and Valentines Otome, I didn;t realize they had stats. the creator made halloween otome first and it didn't have that from what i remember, all three are pretty great and theyre all free

Free VN otome:

Cinderella Phenomenon, another classic this one is very popular for good reason its nicely made, a good length story, and best of all? Free babey.

Bell Maidens Bloom: this one is in progress but it's releasing at a time so I'm not rlly considering it a demo ? the selling point is a soft black girl MC lol!

XOXO Droplets: it's free to play with a paid extended version. You play as a girl who's a jerk who doesnt GAF and is pursuing a bunch of jerks just cuz they're hot lmao it's very funny xD

Our Life is by the same people as the above but what if instead of being an asshole rizzing up jerks you're a nice person who's chill and getting to know a shy autistic boy over the course of your life. only one LI

Tailor Tales! This one isn't a pure VN because it has a fashion boutique mechanic? I didn't realize it was totally free but it only has paid DLC for the sexy content xD... you run a boutique and get to rizz up hot guys, it's really intricately done and has a LOT of content

Demos to watch out for

These ones are demos rn and not full games in any capacity, but they look epic and I want ppl to keep an eye out

Edge of Elsewhere: from the same person as lucky rabbit reflex, i really liked the demo so far and it doesn't have the same issues of dated writing (but it still has the issue of being in europe, sad!)

Snowkissed Romance: it's based on 90s anime and is a stat sim game! i really liked what I saw and the art's really cute,

Mirage Noir: a mystery otome! it looks really fun and the art is great. I watched my friend play this one and I liked what i saw

MY DEAR LOVE; this one is SOOOOO cute, another shojo inspired one, this one more manga than 90s anime and it's also another stat raiser. it only has one li I think? but it looks really cute i loved the demo

Thread of You: I recommended my friend to play this one because Liam's VA was in it and she loves his performance lol. It's pretty fun so far though but sadly the character Phil voices doesnt have as much screentime XD;;

[almightyrayzilla]

I promise you, this is the only time I will ever willingly post AI generated imagery on any of my pages...but G-Fest is DEAD to me. I first attended in 2006, then again in 2009. I got my start doing artist alley tables at this show in 2010, then branched out to other shows. I even did the promo art for the 2019 show. I cannot tell you how much of my life was shaped from meeting the folks I have met because of this convention.

I'm not even mad. I'm sitting here along with my fellow artists, laughing our asses off. Not because it's funny, but because NONE of us are deeply surprised.

Let's go back a bit.

In 2018, the artist alley (AA) was moved to the lower floor of the hotel. Now I let this slide - the Crowne Plaza had just replaced the area that was used previously with the Caddyshack restaurant. Duh, we couldn't use that area anymore. There was some pushback, that maybe something else could be moved downstairs, but there was refusal to budge. Whatever, us artists actually did pretty good that year, despite a rather sequestered and tight space.

Then for 2019 - we were told a Toho rep was coming, and we were hit with a 30% limitation, which essentially meant that for every ten pieces of art we had, only three of them were allowed to be Toho related. Gamera, Ultraman, Kamen Rider - fair game. I mean, let's put aside that no one could enforce that (and no one tried) - the person in question wasn't even tied to Toho. And even if they were...they'd be more concerned about, say, bootleg DVDs and such.

Personally speaking, my sales were even better, so even with the limitation, people still did alright. Gee, it's almost as if AA is a big attraction at a convention, especially one as niche as this.

Then 2020, when our good friend COVID-19 came about. Someone decided it'd be a good idea to spread misinformation about the pandemic with G-Fest's Twitter page. Among those who spoke up were the artists who regularly attended through its artist alley. A Facebook page that was specifically set up for AA members to share info and whatnot was then told to no longer associate with G-Fest.

And for the record, G-Fest didn't happen that year because of a statewide mandate. No no, the con wasn't canceled it because they recognized the severity of things, it's because Illinois shut everything down.

Well, here comes prep for 2021 (which ultimately became the 2022 show, since it was pushed back again). That's when G-Fest hit us with the AA contract. It forbade artists from selling prints of Toho fan art (originals/commissions were okay, but not reproductions), unless we held a license to sell prints of that work. We could not sell Godzilla fan art prints at this Godzilla convention. We tried to speak with them, to see if there could be some compromise...which there wasn't. They kept saying that the reason for it was to stay on good terms with Toho, even citing a big C&D sweep Toho was doing (they were after bootleggers, not fan artists). Heck, even one of my good friends actually did get a C&D (prior to said sweep), and they have legal word that they were allowed to sell prints of Godzilla art. But apparently, that wasn't good enough for G-Fest. HMMMMM...

I was actually willing to abide by these tighter rules, even planning on trolling them with a few pieces of Jirahs and Gomess (though Jirahs without the frill might have been a bit too risky, lol). We were trying to talk with the head of the vendor room, who was not exactly being clear and timely with responses. Well, someone went to the head of the show to ask if they were being compliant with the rules - I guess they gave a different answer, because that's when the showrunners started bickering about not seeing eye-to-eye on some things, ultimately telling the artist it's best they not come.

That's when I backed out. A few of us had paid for our table/badge for the 2020 show, which was rolled over; with the option available, I asked for the refund. The head of the vendor room said the request was put in. Almost two weeks go by. I go to the showrunner, and within 20 minutes, I get the refund. Look, I know G-Fest isn't a big corporate show, and I try not to be a snob, but I expect SOME professionalism. that's why I've backed out and refuse to ever attend G-Fest ever again. But that's not where things stopped.

During the 2022 show, I was told an artist said screw it and put Godzilla prints out on their table to sell. I laughed and said, "Yeah, and how much of that was playing favorites?" I mean, G-Fest kicking this person out? That would be glorious. But someone like me? I'm pretty sure they'd have banned me on the spot. And I'm not even going to get into the vendor who was selling bootleg DVDs, so...yeah. And from what I hear, the 2023 show forbade ALL fan art prints, not just Toho IPs. I can't imagine how hard they're gritting their teeth trying not tell artists to get lost outright.

*deep breath* And that brings us to today's nonsense. After all that, they pull this. And of course they've turned off comments on the Facebook posts for these...pictures. I mean, after my turn in 2019, we had the idea of giving each AA artist a shot to do the promo art each year before all this crap reared its ugly head.

Like I said, I'm not even mad, I'm actually having a good laugh over all this. If I'm shocked by anything, it's how quickly this convention pulled its 180. The point of this post is to just be informative of what has been going on the past couple years, and why the artists who usually go haven't come back.

But most of all, if/when people ask if I'm going to G-Fest next year, here's the TL;DR version: NO.

[the-fiction-witch]

I Dare You... P1

Media The Artful Dodger

Character Jack Dawkins

Couple Jack X Reader

Rating Cute + Funny

I sat on the theatre steps bottle in my hand, and a few steps up with a bottle of his own sat Dr Dawkins, Together we were... tipsy. 

But It was understandable, It had been a boring day. 

A storm hung over Port Victory the sky dark and grey, rain battering the earth, the lights lit to try and starve the dark, most if not everyone huddled away in their homes, in that quiet where people don't want to go out as anything important isn't worth getting soaked over.

The hospital had been fairly quiet today, with only a few little things to deal with but not much else.

The sound of the wind and rain battering the world coming though the large window in the theatre, shadows of the rain across the bloody operating table. 

So as we had little to do, Jack and I sat on the theatre seats with a beer each. 

We had said we'd remain mostly sober, just one drink but in the boredom and darkness of the day, I don't think anyone can blame us for the few we had. 

"Jack?"

"Umm?" He mumbled as he sipped his drink, his feet up on the wooden seats his arm leant over his knee, 

"I'm bored," I said but then it clicked, 

"Yep."

"There's nothing to do."

"Yep."

"Jack... Entertain me."

"Why?"

"Because I'm bored."

"How about... we play a game?"

"Ohh? What sort of game?" I glared, "Becuase we're not playing Jack says! I'm not falling for that again." 

"Ohhh come on it was fun!"

"It was not! something else."

"Fine... How about truth or dare?"

"Are we sixteen? Is this a sleepover?"

"Just trying to help, fine I'll shut up." He said as he sipped his drink again, 

"Fine, Truth or dare?"

"Truth."

"Alright...  when was the last time you cried?"

For a moment he glared at me, "I am not drunk enough for this... uhhh Yesterday probably."

"Why?"

"I stubbed my toe getting out of bed,"

"Awwww, that's fair."

"Truth or dare?"

"Truth."

"Hum... What's something you do, when you think you're alone?"

"bite my nails."

"Why?"

"I don't know if it's comforting, and my mum used to slap my hands for doing it I just kinda absentmindedly do it when alone." 

"You shouldn't do that."

"Yeah yeah, I know." I rolled my eyes "Truth or dare?"

"Truth."

"Do you... have anyone you hate?"

"How long have you got" he chuckled,

"Really?"

"I hate a lot of people. People are dicks," He shrugs, "Truth or dare?"

"truth," 

"If you could have any animal as a pet what would you have?"

"A bat."

"Really?"

"Yeah, there freaking adorable." 

"Fair enough." 

This went on for a while of back and forth with various questions none of which were all that interesting, 

"When was the last time you had a bath?"

"...That seems invasive." He chuckled, "And your tone implies you're gonna judge my answer."

"Yes. Yes, I am Jack."

"...Last week."

"You're a gross little man."

"I know," He sighed, "Truth or dare?"

"Uhhh Dare!"

"Oohh Brave girl, Alright finish your drink."

I rolled my eyes and forced down the rest of my bottle, "Truth or dare."

"truth."

"You can't pick truth forever Jack,"

"Next time."

"What's the best advice someone has ever given you?"

He chuckled a little, "I was once told, that no matter what you do in life there are three options, You can do it good, you can do it fast, you can do it easy. But you can only pick two, so if it's good and fast it's not gonna be easy, if it's easy and fast it's not gonna be good, if your trying to make it easy and good well you're not gonna be fast. Think about that a lot."

"Hu... That is kinda insightful. Who told you that?"

"Captian Grimm. Served under him in the navy." 

"He sounds like a very smart man,"

"He could be." He nodded, "truth or dare?"

"truth."

"What's the most trouble you've ever been in?"

"Ohhh Uhhh? My mother caught me cutting the heads off my dolls as a kid."

"Why?"

"I was crazy."

"was?"

"Hey!"

"Sorry."

"It's fine." I glared, "Truth or dare."

"truth."

"Jack!"

"Last one I swear."

"What's your greatest fear?"

"Intimacy. Abandonment and silence."

"Why the silence?"

"You spent ten years on a ship in pitch black, completely silent, it freaks you out." 

"Fair enough,"

"What are you scared of?"

"I didn't say truth,"

"No, I'm just asking you."

"...Time."

"Time?"

"it's ever going, ever flowing constantly nature."

"Fair enough." 

[mynamesaplant]

When a Girl Falls from the Sky

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Hello reader! Welcome to my extremely last minute MerMay story. Truth be told, it is only tangentially related to MerMay - more set in an AU that has a lot of mers. Still, I hope you enjoy!!

Summary: Professor Laventon gets a new research assistant, but a lot of strange things seem to keep happening around her. Come Hell or high water - and both are very real options as Hisui finds itself sinking into the sea - Laventon will have Dawn's back!

Content Warnings:This fic contains brief mentions of blood and violence against children.

Notes: Thanks once again to all the inspiration from monsoon-of-art on Tumblr and their PLA Mer AU. You're amazing and your knowledge of the ocean astounds and frightens me. For more context on Dawn's encounter with Volo, please read here. Don't like to read on Tumblr? Read it here on AO3.

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The silence felt oppressive to his ears, the professor had forced himself to stop pacing around his lab to avoid burning a hole in the carpet. He tapped his foot to fill the quiet, anything would be better than to sit there with the thought that they would eject Dawn from the village.

No.

He had to have faith in Cyllene.

She was a fair captain.

Laventon closed his eyes. Rather than his worries that she would be kicked out, he felt the crash of phantom waves against his legs, threatening to bowl him over. His face scrunched, his mouth creasing into a frown when an involuntary shiver ran up his spine – he felt the cold screaming through his limbs. Early spring waters were deceptive like that; ice-free but retaining that deadly cold that would kill a human within minutes when left to their own devices.

Had he not seen her falling from the sky like a shooting star, her body enshrouded in a burning light that almost blinded him, she would have drowned. Unconscious and already sinking, he had barely managed to reach her in time before she went under.

Towing her back through the choppy water wasn’t easy. When he finally managed to drag her to the shore, she wasn’t breathing, and her skin was equal parts cold and pale.

“No, no, no!”

Laventon hissed through chattering teeth, hauling the girl into his lap so she wasn’t face first in the sand, before aiming some well-placed pats at her back. Nothing happened. He stifled a curse, measuring the strength of the next few strikes until he heard a guttural cough and then a sputter.

Quivering arms wrapped around him, but Laventon couldn’t tell if she was cold or scared.

Pesselle had yelled at him when he burst through the doors of her medical wing. Too busy getting yelled at, he did not see where the girl in his arms had been taken to, but he didn’t argue when she shunted him into his office to strip, chucking a blanket in as an afterthought. He couldn’t even manage an embarrassed blush – that’s how cold he was. He obeyed the medic’s command, after all, wet clothes were a death sentence.

Bagin was sent in a few minutes later, instructed to monitor and to stoke the fire in the hearth.

“The girl-”

“Calm yourself, professor. Pesselle will most likely bring her in here. This room is infernally hot.”

As if on cue, three of the Medical Corp opened the door, two of whom were carrying the girl on a stretcher. She was out cold, her raven black hair still damp and plastered on her forehead. The rattle in her chest was worrisome, but not something that Pesselle couldn’t work her magic on.

The girl’s stretcher was laid before the hearth and one of the medics remained in the room, told by Pesselle to be on standby in case their unconscious patient woke up. Laventon sighed, looking at this poor child and scootching a little closer to lay a hand on hers, her fingers twitched but she didn’t wake. He didn’t want her to wake up alone.

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Dawn.

Her name was Dawn.

That was all she seemed to recall.

That first night when she woke up in a panic, shivering and drawing the blankets tighter around herself, he was able to temporarily assuage her fears. Laventon was the one who convinced her to drink some broth and tea. It was Laventon who interjected on Dawn’s behalf as Kamado and Cyllene debated on what to do with her.

“She’s young! A young mind is moldable and inquisitive.” When that didn’t seem to move either the commander or captain, Laventon was quick to stammer out that he needed another research assistant. “Rei is a wonderful young man, but Dawn… she’s practically fearless. She would be an invaluable asset to my little team.”

His voice was bordering on pleading because he knew what happened to those who were not useful to the team. Kamado seemed skeptical and Cyllene looked as unreadable as ever.

Laventon would stake his reputation on it. If she failed, he failed.

He had seen her inquisitive nature when he took her back to the beach to find any possession that might have arrived with her. She seemed a little wary of the water but spent most of the time rummaging through the sand and surf asking questions about his research. Dawn hung on to his every word, beaming when he told her about his excursions to the north of the continent where a few species of penguin could be found.

He knew she was chock full of potential. It was just a matter of harnessing it.

The conversation that ensued between the professor and the soon-to-be researcher was candid. It had to be. Neither Captain Cyllene nor Commander Kamado would be sensitive to her situation, so Laventon merely did his best to mentally prepare her for the meeting that he was not permitted to attend.

She passed Cyllene’s test with flying colors and was in the field the next day with him and Rei at the tidal pools. Dawn would snatch crabs from the depths with lightning reflexes, careful to avoid pinching as she called out measurements and sex to Rei for each specimen.

A charming little quirk she developed over time was to thank every crab before tossing them into a bucket, so the creature was not counted twice that day. Laventon would then carefully tag each crab for future researching purposes and return them to the pools. With the three of them, they could get the work done with twice the speed, since Rei was hesitant to collect anything from the water; he was happy to just record numbers and sketch each specimen pulled from the pools.

“Professor,” Rei was bringing a small wagon for their supplies as the tides slowly began to reclaim the shore. Laventon looked over at Dawn as he dabbed at his forehead in the mid-afternoon heat, trying to avoid sweat in his eyes. “Thank you… for vetting me.”

Oh.

“Of course, my dear girl! Of course. I couldn’t ask for an assistant as hands-on as you.”

Dawn offered him a wobbly smile in return, sniffling quietly before dipping some of the instruments into the water to get the grit and grime off them.

They returned to the village in amiable silence.

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It took every fiber of his being not to panic. Rei was talking so fast, breathless and dizzy, but the words didn’t make sense – well, all but four.

Dawn in the water.

Since nearly drowning when Laventon found her, Dawn had been reluctant to get near water where she couldn’t see the bottom. Although he had done his best to route her research inland, Cyllene occasionally had her out on ships to take stock of the variety of fish surrounding the continent of Hisui. 

On those days, Dawn would return to his office wordlessly, deposit the reports that Cyllene had already pored over into his overflowing in-bin, collapsed onto the sofa, and cocooned herself up in an afghan. It was an ordeal, but one that he found quite understandable given her circumstances.

Rei had found her, unresponsive and cold, on the rocks. Although close to the same age, Rei was smaller than Dawn, she was at least three inches and twenty pounds heavier than the other teen and, despite this, he single-handedly hauled her up the muddy path from the tide pools and the half mile to the village. The professor only just took in the splatters of mud and blood on the uniform newly adorned with tears from the branches snagging him as he ran. Blood dribbled from his balled fists, his head hung as he mumbled to himself about being faster.

If I had been faster… If I had realized sooner…

If, if, if –

“You did all you could, Rei. You mustn’t blame yourself for this. You hear me? You mustn’t. No use in it.”

He gently pried the young man’s hand open and took stock of the gravel and dirt embedded into the heels of his hands. Rei must have fallen carrying her. One pant leg was torn open at the knee and extended down almost to his ankle, it bore similar damage to his hands.

Laventon instructed him to sit so he might tend to his superficial wounds before Pesselle discovered that he avoided the medical wing. He wanted her to focus on Dawn, so he quickly fled to Laventon’s office.

With soft tipped forceps that he usually reserved for insect specimens, Laventon removed the gravel and gently washed the wounds with soap and water to avoid infection.

“Dawn will be alright.”

He said, unsure if he was saying it to assuage Rei’s or his own fears.

Dawn was made of tougher stock than that…

It just didn’t make sense to Laventon why she would have been down there at all in such a tumultuous storm. Unfortunately, he wouldn’t know until she awoke, and he had the distinct feeling that the answer would be unsatisfactory.

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He can’t say he didn’t notice the dramatic heel turn that Dawn took after her second, near-fatal drowning. Cyllene’s steely gaze flicked almost imperceptibly to him and then back to the eager girl before her, her expression neutral as she asked why she wanted to spend more time on the ships.

“I can’t avoid the water forever. If I don’t learn out at sea where I have no choice but to be surrounded by water, when else will I learn?”

While the reasoning wasn’t so sound, Cyllene wasn’t going to turn down a young, able body. Her stints on a research vessel and then fishing boat were – as the two captains tried to politely put it – filled with nausea. With Dawn’s fear of the water dulled with her three weeks at sea, she returned to her work with Laventon with little fanfare and worked just as hard as she ever had.

Something was different about her.

He couldn’t put his finger on it, but Dawn was different.

Almost distant.

She kept asking for assignments in parts of the region that were not well explored by the Galaxy Team. Even as Laventon tried to object, Kamado and Cyllene were swift to silence him, as the ultimate goal was to explore.

“Dawn…” Laventon loathed himself for even speaking up. His young associate was chatting away about her recent mission which involved her going to the far eastern shores where, or so he was told, the waters were warm, and a volcano smoked ominously just off the sugary white sand shores. “I’m worried about you.”

Her excited expression was wiped away with an abrupt and confused frown.

What was she doing wrong? She was doing exactly what the captain and commander wanted, so why would he say something like that? She didn’t understand.

His mouth went dry, his hand absently scratching his scalp under his woolen hat, which was just a vain attempt to avoid eye contact. He really did make this awkward.

“Er, what I suppose I mean is…” Laventon took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, trying to slow down the flurry of words crowding his brain and trying to leave his mouth all at once. “The progress you’ve made is phenomenal. You’re doing such good work for the team… but I feel as though you’re pushing yourself too hard.”

That at least made her face soften.

“My job is important, professor. If I don’t do it, who’s gonna get it done?”

That was true to some degree. He was only one person and, although he appreciated him thoroughly for everything he did, Rei was not as willing to forge new paths to record the land of Hisui for future generations of field conservationists.

“I suppose,” he admitted, offering her a sheepish smile. “I just don’t want to see such a brightness burn out too soon. Like Eos, you need your rest to be the best version of you.”

Although the comparison seemed lost on her, Dawn did not ask him to explain, she offered him a tired smile and approached him with open arms. Laventon readily accepted her hug, resting his cheek on the top of her head as he felt her heave out a great sigh.

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

“Good gracious!”

“You promised me you wouldn’t freak out!”

“Dawn – This is…”

Laventon was at a loss for words. So was Rei beside him, his jaw flapping like a fish gasping for oxygen. He had seen her toting that strange flute around for some time now and he had just assumed it was something she had bought to pass the time on long journeys across the continent.

That was not the case.

She played her flute and was swept up in bright light before appearing before them with the stark white tail of a harp seal pup where her legs should have been. Rei had stumbled back into a table, knocking the papers and instruments to the floor and Laventon stood motionless. It suddenly made a lot more sense why she spent more time in the uncharted wilderness.

“Are you… Is that thing cursed? How is this happening?”

If Dawn had been expecting him to be upset, she was mistaken. In fact, Laventon, after the initial shock, was beaming with excitement. Mysteries like these were the most intriguing things that the natural world had to offer!

The story had its holes, of course. Dawn had them both sit down so she could explain the whole thing, and both were glad that she had, because each twist and turn left them in greater shock than the last.

“A whole society of mer-people?”

He was almost giddy with excitement, but Rei was quick to put a hamper on it as he said something chilling under his breath.

“Beni did see a monster… They’re the ones destroying the ships…”

“They’re not monsters!”

“They destroyed ships, Dawn!”

“Alright, alright.” Laventon stood up quickly, inserting himself between the two teens with hands outstretched to signal them to stop. “We cannot pass judgment on these creatures – No, people. I apologize. We came into their territory, unwittingly or not, and they’re responding to that invasion. However, they seem like intelligent, emotional beings from what you’ve told us, so perhaps we can come to some sort of arrangement with-”

“I don’t think that’s possible, professor.”

Dawn interjected, nibbling on her lower lip. She had tried to get them to stop without outing herself as a human herself, but they still felt threatened. Laventon thought of a cornered cat baring its fangs, hissing and spitting in warning, but the Galaxy Team did not know of the existence of mer-people, let alone the signals of warning they were issuing.

Oh, what a sticky situation indeed.

Did these people have something to do with the rising waters that were threatening Galaxy Team? Each week the waters slowly swallowed up more and more of the land, forcing them to move further inland and abandon all the progress they had made. It would certainly benefit them. If this continued, then the team would have no choice but to return from whence they came, but Dawn told them no.

“It hurts them, too. They have these… Sacred animals. Some of them live on land and others have been going berserk. I’ve been – uh… Dealing with them.”

His eye twitched, trying to ignore the idea that Dawn was explicitly putting herself in danger to ask something else. The mere thought alone made his stomach churn uncomfortably. However unprofessional, Laventon had come to care for Dawn like she was his own, hence the immediate desire to tell her to never do anything so dangerous ever again.

He didn’t need to say anything however, because Rei did it for him.

“Didn’t you say one of those animals was a turtle the size of a mountain?”

Ludicrous. Preposterous. Absurd.

Dawn’s redirection spoke volumes.

“I need some way to neutralize jellyfish venom… From a big jellyfish.”

Laventon sat down heavily, head in his hands because he was starting to develop a headache. He was a scientist. He was trained to be open to any and all possibilities – magic though? Dawn had literally performed the impossible before his eyes.

In a sudden movement, the professor got up, startling both teens, and strode across the room to riffle through his unorganized papers.

“I have to have something here about jellyfish.”

It might have been impossible, but if Dawn needed his help, then he would do everything in his power to assist her.

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

Cyllene levelled a hard stare at him and Laventon glowered right back.

Nothing he said swayed Kamado. Everyone looked at her like she was a monster when she was very much a sweet girl who had only ever done her best to help. He was inches from a row, one he would lose in heartbeat, and it would have been worth it for how Kamado treated Dawn.

Since Cyllene by way of Zisu had prevented him from engaging in any sort of fight, Laventon was now trying to drag a rowboat across Prelude Beach and again found resistance.

“Please move, captain.”

He was trying to keep his voice level. It wasn’t working.

“You know I can’t. We need your expertise now more than ever in the village. I cannot in good conscious standby and let you go on a fruitless rescue mission.”

“And I cannot in good conscious stand here while she’s out there fending for herself while the whole of Hisui gets devoured by the sea!” Laventon felt the blood rushing to his head, his thoughts as clouded as the blackening sky above. He had failed. “I can’t…”

The captain stood before, as unmoved as she had been before, and Laventon felt like all the wind was knocked out of him. All he could do was look down at her pleadingly and Cyllene’s face was stone-cold.

“I ordered Dawn to not die alone out there. She will come back to us – alive. Perhaps not unscathed, but she will come back. Now please, Professor Laventon, return to the village. We haven’t much time.”

Begrudgingly, he followed.

Zisu and Sanqua were in the process of evacuating, Pesselle and her staff helping the elderly and infirmed into a cart that was to take them further inland. Cyllene and Laventon splashed through the rapidly rising water, the encroaching sea which had been inching inland was now flooding the newly erected houses of Jubilife Village. Timbers groaned against the rushing rapids but were temporarily still upright.

Sanqua called out to them that they must hurry, because the structures would not hold for long.

Cyllene took charge in the commander’s conspicuous absence, barking out orders to her fellow captains and to the inhabitants. Laventon made a mad dash for Galaxy Hall where Rei was scrambling to collect all of his notes and books – anything that would be of use to them. His method was haphazard, but the professor wordlessly joined him and crammed a bag full before shoving his assistant out.

“Is anyone else here? Anyone?”

Laventon called frantically, but there was only the sound of water from outside.

He left Galaxy Hall, the stream flowing through Jubilife already overtaking its banks and the smell of salt stinging his nose as waves crashed into the western gate. Professor Laventon did not look back, only looking up to the blood red sky and silently begging Dawn for forgiveness and the Almighty for her safety.

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She barely got the words out as Laventon tackled her into a hug.

One so tight that she wheezed, but she returned his hug with equal vigor. He didn’t care about the mer-people staring daggers at him, his analytical mind didn’t immediately take over to have him barrel over and immediately begin examining every inch of Dawn’s new friends.

No.

Professor Laventon just held her, his knees aching from where they made hard contact with the sand and his heart pounding so hard and fast that he was fearful of a bout of tachycardia if he did not force himself to take a breath.

“You’re safe. Oh Dawn, thank the Almighty, you’re safe.”

She had some scratches and bruises, but like Cyllene suggested, she was mostly unscathed. Although not a particularly religious man, Laventon couldn’t help but thank all the gods listening for keeping her alive.

He drew back, carefully swiping the quiet tears from her cheeks and scrubbed at his own scruffy face with his forearm. It was only after that that he felt several pairs of eyes burning through him and he shrunk away from the imposing figures looming behind his young assistant. Dawn seemed to notice the radiating emotions from behind her and turned to say he was a friend.

“Professor Laventon taught me everything. He’s my biggest cheerleader.”

Dawn had to stifle a wet giggle when Laventon blushed, unconsciously rubbing the back of his neck with embarrassment. His reply was sheepish,

“Suppose I am…”

One mer-person, by far the biggest one there, emitted a low growl of contempt that made Laventon wince.

“Actually, that’s not fair. Ingo is tied with you.”

Dawn gestured to the merman in question, the bright blue of the sky sending his face into shadow and his folded arms made him remarkably unapproachable. The fact that his torso extended into the body of an absolutely massive orca did not send the best message either.

However –

“You, er – You looked after her, Mr. Ingo?”

He cleared his throat, but it still sounded a bit shrill.

“Yes, I took Dawn on as my charge when I became aware of her transformations. She has been a part of my cab for a considerable time now.”

Professor Laventon swallowed his fear, trying his best to replace it with the gratitude he knew was inside him under the intimidation.

“Thank you. Thank you so much.”

The merman lifted his hand and tipped a hat that Laventon had not realized was atop his head, his dark expression momentarily clear and he realized that he had nothing to worry about. He and Mr. Ingo were the same. They cared about Dawn and that was the only understanding they really needed.

“Would you mind introducing me to everyone else?”

The professor said after a moment, Dawn pulled him to his feet after she played a brief, haunting tune on her flute. This time, she hugged him properly, her fingers practically wringing the back of his shirt and her face pressed into the filthy tweed vest. That was all he needed to know that she had just been through an ordeal and was keeping up a front because that’s what she always did.

This whole time she had been living a double life and there were still unknown consequences to her actions. He didn’t need to ask to know she was terrified and didn’t know how to let it show to anyone but him.

“There, there.”

He soothed, feeling her sag against him. Laventon exhaled slowly, feeling her shoulders shake with a silent sob.

“Come what may, I will always be beside you and, in the end, it will all be alright.”

With that assurance and a hard gulp of air, Dawn turned around to begin introducing her mentor to the various members of the Diamond and Pearl Clans in attendance.

Even with his worries with Dawn, he had to tamp down the excitement he felt from being able to identify helpful adaptations and deviations from human and various animal anatomy.

By the time dusk rolled around, the one Dawn called Adaman – the leader of the Diamond Clan – was half blushing, half smirking as the professor marveled at the intricate webbing between his fingers.

Both leaders were giving him their assurances that they would assist the Galaxy Team in any way they could while the ocean slowly receded. It would be some time before that happened though, so they whole village took refuge in the skeletal remains of a temple on top of the mountain.

“Truthfully, I should not be the one negotiating this. You should really talk to Commander Kamado-”

“We would prefer not to at present.”

Irida’s voice was icy and Adaman pulled his hand back, a snarl morphing his face at the mention of the name.

“Erm… Perhaps Captain Cyllene then?”

She was the next best option, of course. All three mer-people turned to Dawn and only turned back to Laventon after receiving an assenting nod.

Thank Almighty. He was no politician.

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The constant flux between water and land was usual for Dawn by this point. Much of the unusual became common place by this point. The awkward first phase of the villagers meeting the mer-people was long over. Full cooperation was essential for survival.

Laventon likened it to anemones and clownfish.

Symbiosis.

The clans seemed to respond particularly well to him and Rei in particular, since their interest was in the natural world there was a lot less explanation involved with basic day-to-day activities that mer-people engaged in. They also were extremely careful with the world around them, admiring and studying, but never interfering.

All the wardens, however begrudgingly, allowed Laventon to examine them – and he was diligent but deferential. Since Dawn trusted him, they trusted him, and the professor would never betray that trust.

Once the waters lowered, Jubilife Village began to surge with life once more. Kamado had issued an apology to Dawn; everyone agreed it was half-hearted at best, but Dawn forgave him. The sad smile and haunted look to her eyes made it plain that she didn’t bear the commander any chagrin, because she knew exactly what he was afraid of.

For a time, everything seemed so normal.

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Dawn crawled back to Jubilife, blood matted in her hair and dried on her face save for the streak marks her tears had cut through it.

Volo.

Laventon had such admiration for the man. He had been such a help to Dawn when she had been abandoned on all sides. He even spent a lot of money on a bottle of Beni’s good sake to thank the merchant.

He had been conspiring. Boiling with an unseen rage and contempt that had nearly killed Dawn, twice.

Laventon insisted on telling the clan leaders – alone. He didn’t think Cyllene or Kamado would be able to explain it with the same level of anger that the man had burning through every capillary and neuron.

Adaman and Irida’s reactions ranged from confusion to shock to an unbridled fury that Laventon only gladly stoked the flames of. He would have wrung Volo’s neck himself, but he had to be long gone. Perhaps still skulking around the sea floor, out of reach of the consequences he would face for nearly killing Dawn at the hands of Galaxy Team, but not of the clans.

“She defeated Volo and the many-armed serpent, but at great cost. She’s laid up in the infirmary now. Our finest doctor is tending to her as we speak. As I have come to understand, the beast brought her to the surface as an act of atonement before absconding… I don’t know what became of Volo.”

He spit the last word. The damnable snake in the grass!

“That bloody bastard!”

Laventon couldn’t help it, barking out his frustration and ripping his hat off his head. He was shaking.

Twice.

Twice on his watch, Dawn had nearly died.

What good was he?

Laventon cleared his throat. Providing a description of the man and telling both leaders that Volo was extremely dangerous, the professor implied that no human punishment would be suitable for deeds.

“I’m sorry. I must get back to Dawn… She’s a most stubborn patient.”